The Fire Nation, she'd forgotten how hot it was.

Katara stepped off the boat and onto dry land for the first time in 3 days. Her backpack was taken off her by a bowing servant and she looked around at the Fire Nation for the 1st time in a year. She'd forgotten how beautiful it was, white decking ran around the front of the quiet seaside town, blood red valenti-flowers hung from wooden posts that strung candled lanterns above her head and off and around and down to the honey-lion drawn carriage that waited for her.

She felt embarrassed that all this pomp had been arranged for her and made a mental note to be extra kind to her maids when she got to the palace, she wondered if Sokka and Suki had arrived from Kyoshi Island yet, and her stomach tightened when she thought of Aang.

She hadn't seen Aang for nearly a month now, she had been so busy with preparing to take over from her Father as an ambassador on the Council that she had no time for friends, she'd had little time for anything now days. There was always meetings and arrangements and decisions and she is just a 15 year old girl, a 15 year old princess, a 15 year old princess who's father has to take control of the Navy and who has left his 15 year old daughter in charge of an entire tribe of people, all depending on her, all relying on her.

It was like the job she was born to do.

But she was still just a girl, what did she know of world politics and foreign policies. Which was why, as she walked along the wooden boards towards her awaiting ride, she wondered again and again why the fuck was she here. Sure, she could defeat armies and bring peace to the world, but here, now, faced with the ornate carriage and the handsome footmen and the patient honey-lion, her stomach did flips and she became acutely aware of how loud her footsteps were and that her hands looked stupid swinging by her sides. As all the servants looked at her she screamed inside her head and tried to look anywhere but at them.

Great start, Katara, You're going to be an amazing ambassador.

The carriage ride to the castle was slow, the streets were crowded with thousands of people, all revelling in the lead up to Spirit Day, the streets were lined with the colours of the Fire Nation, golds and reds and deep, burning browns. Every now and again she would glimpse the blues of her home nation or the greens of the Earth Kingdom. Once or twice she saw someone who had dug the Air Nomad flag out of whatever dusty home it had had for the last hundred years, or painted a crude resemblance of the symbol for Air on a sheet, and hung it from their window or pinned it to the wall with the words 'Never Forget' written below.

There were stalls selling little figurines of Aang and Zuko and her and Toph and Sokka. She remembered the time Sokka sent her small stone dolls that Toph had carved of themselves for her 15th birthday, "Sorry I can't be there, I love you, my little heroine." His note went with her wherever she went, along with the small figurines of the Gaang, she placed them on her bedside table, like small stone guardian angels and gazed at them before she fell asleep.

She still found it strange after all this time that she was revered world over for saving the life of the Fire Lord, saving the life of Zuko. It had taken her weeks to be able to think about that day without crying and she could never quite bring herself to write to Zuko, once she wrote an entire letter but it ended up buried deep in the ice, she told herself over and over that she had left it too long for them to begin talking again but she knew there was something different about her and Zuko's friendship that couldn't be satisfied though mere letters.

This was not the Fire Nation she remembered, with the lights and the music that spilled from the taverns, you could almost forget that this country had destroyed half the world, but then you'd glimpse the soldier who had had his legs blown off by white lotus offensive or the orphaned Earth Kingdom children being herded around, tied together by string to ensure they didn't run off and Katara would feel their sadness and their little hearts torn in two.

That was the Fire Nation she remembered.

The coachman swung down from the top of the carriage and poked his head in through the curtain."My Lady, the streets have become impossible, I'm afraid we'll have to take in on foot from now on."

Katara smiled, the man was obviously worried as to what her reaction would be"Sure." Katara had hoped he would say that, she longed to be out there with strangers again, on her own small adventure, like the ones she missed so very much. Back when she was Katara.

The coachman smiled, obviously relieved and bundled Katara out of the carriage and into the bustling street, the smells and sounds of festivalia enveloped her. She breathed deep and deeper and she felt the euphoria in the people surround her, she felt their pulses quicken and their hearts race and felt their happiness, to be alive and loving, to be free and loved. They were happy.

A small Fire Nation child tugged on Katara's hem,wiping it's nose on it's sleeve. "Ladee, ladee, you looks like my dolly, are you my dolly ladee?" The dark haired girl thrust a miniature Katara under her nose, sniffling again.

Katara gazed into the painted blue blobs that she supposed were her eyes."Oh, yes, yes I am."

The child spun around and shouted back to her friends, who were gazing expectantly at Katara, "Told you so, Ling-Ling, you owe me a stick of Fire-gum."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeh-huh"

The two children started to chase each other round and around a fruit stall as their friends shouted and jeered, a mass of light skin and black hair and a streak of silver.

What?

She was here. But, she couldn't, she just couldn't be here. She didn't exist, not really, she was a dream, a beautiful nightmare, a figment of a suppressed imagination, but still the image of the long silver hair and the golden eyes and the skin that shimmered and shined like velvet scales in the light of a dying fire, burned into her eyes and she could not forget the look of loss and longing in the tiny girls fiery orbs.

"Miss Katara, we need to move, you're being noticed."

"Yes, of course." She swayed and steadied herself, "I thought, I, nothing."

She turned around and made her way towards the looming gates of the Fire Palace.