Zuko poured another cup of tea, placing it among the other forty glasses crowding the table. He leaned against the hard surface and looked around as teenagers began to fill the square of the shopping district. Light green and orange lanterns blazoned across the square, each light casting a surreal glow. White candles lined the sidewalk, flaming bright. But nothing could match the deep, glittering sky hanging above the crowd with its scattered stars.
A fountain graced the middle of the square, adding a touch of elegance. The water flowing through it cascaded in tumbling waves, creating a gentle sound that seemed to caress the ears. Zuko noted, irritably, that the scene would be very calming if not for the loud and rambunctious teenagers crowding the place.
He sighed and withdrew into himself, contemplating about how blatantly different his life was from those of the simple teenagers before him, even though their ages and appearances gave nothing away. Zuko wondered if his own life would have turned out this way if he hadn't been banished, or if he had just been born into a different family all together.
"Great dance, huh Zuko?" Uncle Iroh said, interrupting his thoughts.
"Yeah, sure. It's wonderful." Zuko responded tersely, his tone harsh.
All he was doing was tediously pouring tea for guests who barely even noticed the refreshments. Even the dance itself was terribly boring to him. He felt his presence here was meaningless, and he'd give anything to just go back to the tea shop and rest. The fancy attire Uncle had forced on him didn't make the event any more bearable either.
Uncle Iroh could see the displeasure written on Zuko's face. It was clear that he didn't appreciate being in such a place, and Iroh decided to hopefully lighten his spirits a bit.
"Prince Zuko, I think we have poured enough tea for tonight." Uncle Iroh said.
Zuko perked up at hearing his words because it sounded like they were finally about to depart from the party.
"Why don't you go and join in the fun? I'll handle things here; you go dance." Uncle Iroh said with a smile. Zuko immediately deflated and sank further into despair, finding himself becoming angry.
"Uncle, I don't dance and I don't want to dance. Truthfully, I'd just like to go home." Zuko said through gritted teeth, trying to suppress his growing temper.
But Iroh wouldn't hear of it. He simply poked Zuko repeatedly until, exasperated, the banished prince finally left the table and walked towards the dance floor. He felt incredibly awkward standing in the middle of the square while others danced with one another. Not only that, he actually felt lonely for once.
The feelings recalled a moment from when Zuko was younger. Dances in the Fire Nation were pretty commonplace, and during elementary school he had attended one with his mother. He remembered her gentle hand guiding him towards the dance floor, encouraging him just as Uncle had done minutes before. Back then, before his banishment, he had been a happier child. More normal, outgoing. Even though he had still felt awkward, he had giggled and enjoyed with the children around him. He vaguely remembered his mother smiling and waving at him through the crowd of kids. He had smiled back.
A twinge of sadness ripped through him. Not only did he regret his loss of friends and camaraderie, he also deeply longed for his mother.
Alone, awkward, and despairing, Zuko stood in the middle of the square, watching the other teenagers. Again, he felt a harsh separation from the rest of them, further troubling his distressed mind.
Absentmindedly, Zuko glanced at the incoming teenagers, his mind occupied with his dense thoughts. A girl walking in caught his attention; he immediately noted her beauty amongst the other guests. She had a certain distinction about her that wasn't physical only; she seemed to have the same separateness that he felt about himself. Her dark skin contrasted nicely against her blue eyes. Upon looking closer at them, they seemed to hold experience and wisdom beyond her years.
She looked extravagant in her scarlet silk kimono. It was trimmed by fine black and gold lace that only intensified the deep red and complimented her skin. The sleeves gracefully flowed down her arms, embellished by intricate designs of flowers. Her hair was pulled into a bun with braids loosely attached to it that framed her face. A beautiful silver hairpin of a rose was placed on her head, clipping the remaining strands of her chocolate hair to the side.
Zuko couldn't pull his eyes away from her, even though the dim light made her features unclear to him. He noticed that she had a companion whom with she laughed and conversed with. The other girl was short and petite, wearing a simple light green kimono with a white sash.
There was something curiously familiar about the dark-skinned girl, but Zuko couldn't quite recognize what it was. She turned around, and for a slight moment, their eyes met. Zuko felt a piercing sensation, eerily familiar to him. The girl from the forest flashed across his memory. He gasped silently.
….The girl was Katara.
Inwardly panicking, he quickly moved deeper in the crowd, obstructing his view of her.
"How could I be so careless?", he berated himself.
He should have realized that it was her from the beginning, dim lighting or not. Zuko's heart had begun to beat terribly fast; he needed to find Uncle.
A bolt of electricity shot through Katara. There, only feet away from her, stood the boy from the forest, looking handsomer than ever. The crimson suit he wore contoured his lean torso, outlining his broad shoulders and firm biceps. Like her own attire, his suit featured a subtle gold and black trim along the chest and sleeves. His tall, dark figure stood out among the flamboyant teenagers, giving him a look of maturity. She felt her pulse race as he turned his head in her direction.
Their eyes met, and her heart leaped in her chest. Katara felt a deep blush tinting her cheeks. His amber eyes rekindled the flame inside of her-the compelling, bright color stark against his dark hair. But all too quickly, a distressed look overtook his face, and he swiftly turned away, walking deep into the crowd. Katara felt as if a cold dagger had pierced her chest. Her heart sank painfully; this was not how she pictured their reunion.
"What if he saw my overly eager face and was turned away?", Katara thought anxiously.
Trying to find solace from the sudden pain, she quickly told herself that the boy probably didn't even notice her.
"But then why would he turn around so abruptly and have such a look on his face?" She sighed.
Her overwhelming anticipation for a magical night began to dissipate. She felt all her excitement and joy slipping out of her hands. Katara realized how stupid she was to depend on some random boy for her happiness. She began to debate whether it was a good idea to even come to the dance.
Toph silently noticed that Katara's heart beat had quickened rapidly. But, in all of a few seconds, she felt her pulse abate, and a certain disappointment and glumness seemed to radiate off Katara. Toph, having been ready to tease her for her nervousness, realized that something had crushed Katara's hope, and she gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong, Katara?" Toph asked worriedly.
Katara felt terribly embarrassed for pinning all her hopes on the guy, and admitting it to Toph would only plunge her further into humiliation. However, Katara felt as if there were a huge block of iron compressing her chest, suffocating her. Revealing her pain to Toph seemed to be the only way to pry the dreadful weight off her.
"He's here..." Katara said in dismay, her eyes drifting to the side.
"If he's here, then why aren't you jumping for joy? You've been wanting this all day." Toph remarked, clearly confused.
"He saw me and...he walked away...there was this disgusted look on his face." Katara explained glumly. "How could I be such an idiot?"
Toph felt sympathy for Katara, but wasn't sure how to console her. She knew all too well what it was like to experience unrequited love. Her complicated relationship with Sokka was great proof of that. She still sometimes felt quite despondent when she saw Sokka's love for Suki. With her glum look on love herself, all Toph could do was reassure Katara.
"You're not an idiot, Katara. Maybe..maybe he just thought you were someone else. You shouldn't jump to conclusions." Toph pointed out.
Katara still had a disheartened look on her face despite Toph's reassurances. Toph decided to take another route of consolation.
"And if he really did turn away because of you, then you should just forget that asshole." Toph laughed playfully. Katara couldn't help but grin at Toph's extreme insult.
"You're right. Who needs him! Thanks, Toph." Katara smiled.
She still wasn't able to regain her former feeling of excitement, but Katara was glad she had such wonderful friends. She cheered up and decided that if a guy made her feel so sad, then he didn't deserve her in the first place.
"Now let's go have some fun for once!" Toph exclaimed happily. The girls laughed and waltzed off into the dance floor, ready to let go of their worries and just enjoy themselves.
Zuko moved quickly through the crowd, not bothering to look back at Katara. He needed to inform Uncle of her presence so they could both get away quickly.
After what seemed like forever, although it was but a few seconds, Zuko reached Uncle, where he sat comfortably next to the tea. He seemed to be dozing off; his head was lolling off to the side.
Zuko shook him awake and began to speak in a harsh whisper. "Uncle! The Avatar's friend, Katara, is here at the dance! We've got to go. Now."
To Zuko's surprise, Iroh began to laugh. "Is that so? Oh, isn't she the girl you were rather obsessed about earlier today?"
Zuko clenched his teeth. This wasn't the time for Uncle's antics. "Uncle, we need to act quickly before she sees us. I was careless and didn't recognize her for a moment, even allowing our eyes to meet. She was just so pretty; I couldn't look away. Now we need to-"
Uncle guffawed in laughter, cutting Zuko's frantic explanation off. For a whole two minutes, Iroh continued to chortle boisterously, earning a deadly glare from his nephew.
"Did you just... call Katara pretty?", Uncle asked between ragged gasps from his laughing fit.
Zuko felt his face heat up rather quickly; a deep blush invaded his cheeks as he realized what he had just said.
"Uncle! This isn't the time to be laughing! We have to get out of here!" Zuko shouted, his face now red from both embarrassment and utter rage.
The longer they stayed, the more likely Katara could find him and expose his identity. He couldn't believe his Uncle was turning this dire situation into a petty game. Iroh finally composed himself, looking his nephew straight in the eye.
"Prince Zuko...you shouldn't be trying to leave the dance, you should be taking advantage of this glorious opportunity! The girl of your dreams is here for the taking, my nephew. Go to her and make the most of this night!" Iroh advised cheerily. "If you're so worried about your identity being revealed, think of it like this: if she hasn't recognized you by now, she will definitely not recognize you as you are in this outfit."
Zuko, reluctantly, had to admit that Uncle made a point. He had never dressed so lavishly in a long time and definitely not in front of Katara. The chances of her recognizing him were slimmer than they had ever been, but it still worried him to be in the same room as Katara, let alone the same dance. Zuko continued to pester his uncle into leaving with him until Iroh finally stood up from his seat.
"Fine. Let us leave from this place." Uncle Iroh declared, seemingly exasperated. He led Zuko away from the refreshments table. Overwhelmed with relief, he smiled and followed his uncle across the dance floor. Zuko wondered why they took such a roundabout way to leave the dance, but didn't think much of it. As soon as the familiar scarlet-dressed girl came into view, he felt his relief collapse and broke out in a cold sweat. He prepared to take off. Unfortunately, he was too late.
"Excuse me, miss?" Uncle Iroh called to Katara while gently tapping her small shoulder. She and her partner turned around to face Iroh, and Zuko immediately felt his stomach drop. "My nephew here is rather fond of you, but seems too shy to talk. Would you like to honor him with a dance?"
Zuko stood wide-eyed behind his uncle, who appeared to be the only one smiling out of the group of unlikely socializers. Katara and her friend both wore looks of complete bewilderment. "What the hell was he thinking?" Zuko cursed to himself. A long moment of silence followed and everyone seemed frozen for eternity. Then Katara offered Zuko a subtle smile. It caught him completely off guard.
"I wouldn't mind..." Katara said shyly, a light blush tinting her cheeks. Toph smiled at Katara brightly and Iroh winked at Zuko. Both 'third wheels' withdrew from the dance floor, leaving Katara and Zuko alone. Zuko remained speechless, and the two teens simply stared at one another. He began to feel his panic diminish as he gazed at Katara. Despite his fear of her, Zuko had to admit how beautiful she looked, from her hair to her elegant outfit.
Once he acknowledged he had been looking over her rather passionately, a crimson blush quickly gilded his cheeks. Embarrassment began to take predominance over his previous panic. Abruptly, he felt the urge to create a good impression on Katara.
"Sorry for my uncle, he made things awkward and a bit tense." Zuko laughed nervously.
"Oh, it's all right. I've dealt with nosy relatives." Katara smirked. "By the way, I'm very glad to see you again. I hope your uncle was happy with the tea leaves."
"Yes, he was, thank you for getting them for me." Zuko kindly thanked her.
A long silence pierced the conversation. Zuko cursed himself for being so awkward. But, nonetheless, a certain weight had lifted off his chest; he felt calm standing with Katara. Her smile accentuated her big, cerulean eyes, making them glitter, holding a strong inner flame like the stars above them. As those eyes met his, he felt the same piercing sensation, but it was starkly different from before. What he felt was not fear or panic, but a sense of comfort, as if Katara understood him and his past.
"Well..." Zuko tried to hold back a blush creeping on his face. "Would you like to dance with me?" He gulped as his pulse quickened.
"Sure." Katara gave a brilliant smile, only embarrassing Zuko further.
He had learned to dance while in the Fire Nation; it was a custom for royalty. However, dancing with a girl in such an informal setting was nerve-wracking to him.
Nevertheless, he stretched out his hand, and gulped when her slender fingers gracefully slipped into his. Her other hand reached up to grasp his shoulder lightly, and he placed his other hand at the side of her waist. They swayed gently for some time, Zuko enjoying her figure close to him. He breathed in her scent and became intoxicated by its alluring sweetness. He resisted the urge to pull her closer to him; to indulge in the way she felt against him. Katara rested her head on his shoulder, causing Zuko to look down surprised at her. She looked up and smiled softly. He felt his heart clench at the gesture.
Zuko felt overwhelmed, as if an avalanche of emotions had fell upon him. He felt nervous, panicked, excited, terrified, and in awe, but, ultimately, he delighted in the wonderful mosaic of all his feelings, just as he found himself delighted by Katara's beauty.
Abruptly, Zuko was pulled from his impassioned musings when he looked down at Katara's neck. Sometime ago, a necklace had rested there, one with beautiful carvings of water and waves. He had often looked at it in his room at night, contemplating what significance it had held to the girl.
Zuko sighed guiltily. He had taken it away from her, taken it away from the girl who was now dancing gladly in his arms. He wondered if she missed that necklace. He longed to return it to her now. Zuko realized that this wasn't right. He was dancing with the enemy. Deceiving her. Deceiving himself. But still, he couldn't bring himself to pull away from Katara. Even though he had not spent much time with her, Zuko felt as if being with her would bring purpose back to his life again.
"What am I thinking? I only danced with this girl, and now she brings meaning to my life?" Zuko berated himself internally. He couldn't be thinking so deeply about her. He couldn't be so intoxicated by her.
Zuko ceased his swaying with Katara, breaking the close moment they had shared. Katara noticed the distressed look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Katara inquired worriedly.
"I..I'm just...I'm sorry." Zuko replied, not able to express himself to the young girl.
He pulled himself away from Katara's arms, and with a quick look back, walked away hurriedly from her.
Katara, panicking, grasped his wrist before he could move further away.
"Please tell me what's wrong..." Tears began to fill her deep blue eyes, sending a wave of guilt and compassion through Zuko.
"I just...I shouldn't have come here." Zuko said regretfully, his eyes turning away from the concerned girl.
"Did I do something wrong?" Katara's voice was barely above a whisper, and a tear rolled down her face.
Zuko broke down. He couldn't resist this girl anymore. Even if it was all a lie, even if it wasn't meant to be, even if he shouldn't be thinking about her and talking to her like this, he had to reassure the tearful face before him.
Zuko smiled warmly at her. "No, of course not. I'm sorry; I was just feeling a bit off for a second. And anyway, it's getting late. You should be getting home." Zuko said abruptly. " I wanted to thank you for dancing with me. I really enjoyed our time together."
Katara looked confused at the sudden change in attitude, but eventually smiled back at him. "Yeah, I guess I should be leaving. And no, I want to thank you for the dance. I had a wonderful time." She giggled. "You're a great dancer."
The two shared smiles for a moment and a sharp twinge of emotion overcame Zuko once again.
"Well then, I hope we'll see each other again soon." Katara said, hopeful.
"Yeah...me too." Zuko grinned back as he stuffed one hand in his pocket.
Zuko waved and turned around to leave, feeling a bit of sadness within him. Katara began to leave as well, when a look of realization crossed her face. With a small laugh, she turned towards the boy.
Suddenly, Zuko felt a soft, warm hand grasp his wrist. He couldn't help but grin when he saw Katara behind him.
"You know, this is kind of funny, but I never actually got your name." Katara giggled.
Zuko felt a rush of panic as he realized what she had just asked. His name..what was his name? He couldn't reveal himself as Zuko, and he never gave thought as to what a good alias would be.
Thinking quickly, he picked a typical earthbender name off the top of his head. He felt terrible lying to her, but it had to be done.
"I'm Shin...and your name?" Zuko replied, trying to keep calm.
"I'm Katara. Nice to meet you, Shin." Katara bowed playfully. "I guess I'll see you later then! Bye!"
Zuko waved his hand and watched as Katara scurried off to join her companion. He smirked as he saw her blush and giggle as she talked with her friend. Turning around, he walked over to where Uncle was near the fountain.
"So..how'd it go?" Iroh asked expectantly. Zuko merely shook his head at his uncle, a small grin on his face before they both departed from the square.
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for those who have been reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following our story! It means so much, and we love to hear feedback. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter; it was lots of fun writing the dance scene. A little longer than usual too, we combined the POVs. Anyways, please continue reading!