the last chapter kiddies! this i uploaded fast so the sequel should be no problem....
if you are still trying to figure out what song this is i'll tell you....it's the Guillotine by Escape the Fate...go look it up...enjoy yourselves!

i still and always will own nothing........

Katara woke-up to the morning sun. She looked around the room. In the far corner her box was opened. She ran over to it. Where did the dress go, she panicked.

"I have it" said one of the maids. Katara hadn't realized she said that out loud. The dress was neatly draped over the chair to her vanity. The mask she had gotten from the shelf lay next to it on the vanity.

The dress was her mothers. She gave it to Katara, only a week before she was killed. The mask was her mothers as well. Katara could remember the story she often told.

How she met her father at a masquerade ball. She wore that mask and the same dress to it.

Katara sighed heavily as she walked around the palace, Sokka keeping a watchful eye on her. Aang was off practicing firebending with Zuko. She wandered out to the court yard. Flashbacks of the day she and Zuko took down Azula. She shook her head, to get them to go away.

Before she realized it she was sitting on some steps, watching Aang firebend. He had improved a lot, since he had tried it with Jong-Jong. She glanced down at her hands. That was also the day she learned she could heal people.

She watched Aang and Zuko for a while. When they had finished, Zuko glanced in her direction. She met his gaze then looked down, when she looked up and he was gone. When she looked up at the sky she had her answer. The sun was starting to set. She was supposed to meet him at sundown.

Katara got up slowly and made her way to her bedroom. She took a bath, and applied her make-up. She neatly put her hair in a small bun on her head, the rest of her hair falling down to the small of her back.

She pulled the dress over herself and stepped into her slippers. She carefully put the mask over her face. She looked through the eye slits in the mask at herself in a mirror.

The dress was white and faded to a soft blue on the bottom. It showed more cleavage than she wanted but she didn't care. The sleeves came to her elbows and she wore a blue bracelet. The dress came down to the floor. The mask was white with blue sapphires around the edges, and a blue satin string holding it around her face. Around her neck was the necklace, her mother's necklace. She touched the cool stone. It always gave her reassurance.

She stepped out of her room to see Sokka looking bored out of his mind. He was dressed as usual. He never dressed fancy. She started to walk down the hall.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"To meet my date." She replied. Sokka furrowed his brow. He chased after her.
"But Haru is already at the ball." He said.
She stopped and turned to look at him. "So?"
"Isn't he your date?"
"Haru, No!"

"Than who is it?"
"I'm not telling you. Why do I have to?"
"Well, because I'm your older brother."
"I'm not saying." Katara said stubbornly. She walked off, leaving Sokka to stare at her back. Probably trying to figure out who it is, she thought to her-self.

She made her way to the pond she met Zuko at yesterday. There he stood. She walked up to him, he was staring into the pond.

Zuko was wearing a black and red tunic, a pair of black pants and black boots. His hair in a top-know on his head, the crown placed carefully in it. He wore a red mask, with gold trimming. The mask covered his scar, and she now knew why it was a masked-ball.

Zuko looked up when he heard her coming. She looked stunning. Her blue eyes looked into his as she stared at him.

"You look…beautiful." He whispered.
"You look handsome" was her reply. He smiled widely at this. How long he had wanted to hear her say this to him. He took her hand gingerly in his.
"Shall we?" he asked as he led their way to the ball.
"Let's" she answered.

They walked in silence. When they approached the open doors to the ball, he led her in a different direction.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Where are we going?" she asked him.
"I have to go in a special way. And you have to too." She swallowed loudly.

She didn't want every one in there to be staring at her. Her hand started to tremble, and Zuko squeezed it, as if to reassure her.

They stopped in front of a red curtain. She could hear the music from inside, and clapping once the song ended. Her hand had not stopped trembling. Zuko held her by her waist now. Afraid she might run off. She looked up at him, and he smiled warmly down on her.

It was hard to believe this man was responsible for giving her the broken ribs and bruises. He was being so gentle now. Not like a day before.

In front of the curtain she saw a man step up, he announced Fire Lord Zuko, and he even announced her, Katara of the Water Tribe. When the curtains came up, they walked in. Everyone was clapping, except for Sokka and Aang. Sokka was glaring at Zuko and Katara gave him a puzzled look. All of the noblemen's daughters were glaring at Katara, wishing to be in her place, being held by the Fire Lord.

When the music started up again, Zuko took Katara to the dance floor. They spun around in circles, dancing gracefully, and gazing into each others eyes.
After a few songs, he led her to the courtyard. She sat down on a bench to catch her breathe.

He walked over to her and sat down. She looked tired, and she was watching the turtle-ducks circling one-another.

"They're dancing in their own way." She whisered.

Zuko took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.

"Do you know the real reason I'm having this ball?" She shook her head quietly.
"I need to find a wife."
"Have you found one?" she knew her question was stupid, but she had to know.

"Yes. And I'm looking at her right now." Katara just stared at him. He was talking about her. He wanted her to be Fire Lady. He wanted her to be his wife.

He knelt on one knee and took her hand. "Will you marry me?" he asked. She couldn't find her voice.

"I-I-I don't know…"
"Katara," he said firmly, as he took her chin in one hand and gazed at her, "I need you. I want you."

"I can't" she finally said. She looked down, tears streaming down her cheeks. He looked at her.

"I won't take no as an answer" he told her. She got up and backed away from him.

"Katara" he said, grabbing for one of her wrists. She moved back and bumped into a statue. She moved around it and backed up even more.
"I can't, I won't."
"You will" he said, more forcefully than he intended.
Katara looked at him, then ran, leaving Zuko there alone.

The next morning she, Sokka and Aang packed up there things. They left on the next boat out of Sozen. Before she left though, she ran into Zuko.

He looked at her pleadingly. "Don't go," he whispered in her ear, as she gave him a hug good-bye. She shook her head and walked on. But that didn't stop him. He called after her, "I'll find you! I'll find you Katara, and you will be mine. Sooner or later, I will have you as a wife! Mark my words."

Katara looked as the city of Sozen shrunk in the distance. She was fearful of Zuko's words. Would he really track her like he had tracked Aang? She didn't want to think about that. She was finally getting away from this place.

Zuko watched as the boat carrying Katara sailed away. He would have her, one day. He wanted her, and he always got what he wanted.

now....by reading this most *coughs all coughs* of you probably hate me now you must be thinking wtf sarah! you can't go and split them up!!!!...well in the sequel, the writing is better, yes i know my writing skills have improved, the chapters are longer, and there's a fight scene so go read it when you're done with this and i finally upload it!