Chapter 26

Enter Azula

Katara woke up the next morning feeling groggy yet satisfied. She reacted better this time to the site of gold sheets instead of red. She sat up violently but didn't jump out of the bed just yet. Her kimono was on the floor somewhere but she was still wearing the black dress from underneath. She stole a couple of quick glances around the room before she threw herself backwards in the bed and snuggled up in the warm sheets and breath in the scent of her fiancé. Like an overjoyed child, she rolled around pulling the sheets close to bask in the remaining fragrance of smoke, ash, and jasmine.

Now she really missed him. Where was he with all his sweet kisses from the night before? She'd been bolder last night in letting him remove her kimono and she'd been equally bold in removing his shirt and tracing the lines of his muscles with her fingertips. She shivered remembering the smooth contours of his skin, the feel of hard muscles beneath her fingertips. She wanted to explore more of his warm skin but was far too bashful to proceed so instead she had returned her attention to his lips and focused on learning to kiss with the same depth and passion he always had with her. She'd congratulated herself on the small achievement of making him moan last night while they were kissing. She may not have tons of experience but at least she was making progress.

She slipped off the bed, padded across the room to the main doors, and poked her head out trying to see if maybe he was in the hall.

"Good morning Lady." A guard greeted her.

She flushed; she'd forgotten there were guards posted on the outer doors.

"Um, morning." She stammered, before snapping her head back in the room and closing the door.

Forget that, she'd see him when she saw him. Picking up her kimono, she went into her own room for a bath and to begin her day. It was Saturday, only six days left until the wedding, which meant now was crunch time. She had rehearsals to attend, her dress had to finished, Gran-gran would be going crazy, Mai would be stricter, Purya would be even more of a food nazi, and she would be drowning in the middle.

- -

"Good morning, everyone!" Katara sang as she dropped into her seat at the breakfast table.

"Wow, Katara, you're in a good mood today." Suki smirked.

"I am." Katara beamed.

"How on earth can you be so perky this early in the morning?" Sokka groaned into his tea.

"It may be early but it's a wonderful day, isn't it?" Katara continued to smile.

"What's up with her?" Sokka muttered to Aang who was passing him some toast.

"No idea." Aang whispered back. "You'd think she'd be upset that she's running out of time."

"I guess the boys didn't hear what my feet heard last night." Toph whispered to Suki, who was sitting beside her this morning. Suki giggled in response. Toph was about to ask Katara if she had fun playing kissy face last night when Zuko walked in. He looked busy as usual and a scribe and two advisors had followed him in.

"My lord you should really consider an alternate plan just to be safe." One was saying.

"The council has agreed to this to set up an alternative plan would be like double crossing them. I say we leave it and see how it goes." The other argued.

"But how can we be sure that no one will attack us while we're spread out trying to help them." The first pleaded with Zuko and his fellow advisor.

"Simple." Zuko cut in. "No one has ever succeeded in taking over the fire nation, ever. We will be fine the way we are, we don't need an alternate plan, the marriage is enough."

"My lord, please, listen to reason." The one begged.

"He is. He's not pissing off the council."

"Oh you, just shut up. The city needs a plan."

"Fine then, come up with a way to lock down the entire city and search out any threat. Run a sweep before and after the wedding, if you find no suspicious activity then we'll give it a rest. Start keeping a log of everyone who comes in and out of the city as well, if that will make you feel better but we're not mobilizing an attack force to be ready and waiting. The point of all this is peace, not more war." Zuko sighed.

"I don't want to start another war your majesty; I just don't want to be double crossed." The first said.

"And who would double cross us, we're the fire nation?" The second advisory butted in.

"Can I please eat my breakfast in peace?" Zuko snapped shooing them out of the room.

"My apologies, sire, forgive us." They said bowing out of the room.

Zuko sighed in relief as he massaged his temples with one hand and picked up an apple with the other.

'Poor Zuko.' Katara thought, getting up to rub his shoulders gently.

Aang and Sokka gaped at her. What the heck was she doing? Suki just awed at the scene and Toph snickered. Mai looked away and Ty Lee, Haru, and Teo continued to eat as if it was an ordinary occurrence.

"Thanks Katara." Zuko smiled up at her.

"No problem." She grinned, leaning down to brush a soft kiss against his lips.

Aang stared horrified, Sokka looked a little less than thrilled but shrugged it off, they were getting married they could kiss over breakfast if they wanted to.

"What's going on?" Katara asked him as she resumed her seat beside him.

"It's nothing really. They're just a little concerned there might be rebels popping up that don't think this wedding will solve the problems between the nations but I'm not worried about it." Zuko shrugged.

"Do they want you to call it all off?" She asked.

"No, they just want to have a plan in place in case we are attacked but like I said there's nothing to worry about."

Katara nodded, and took a thoughtful bite of her roll. She hadn't considered that. How many people were out there that didn't agree with this marriage? Would they try to interfere with the wedding? She didn't really like the thought of that. She wanted to marry Zuko now. She wanted to be with him.

- -

Azula felt eyes on her as she looked at her reflection one last time. Someone was always staring and she was trying desperately to ignore it but it was making her a little crazy and definitely raising her level of paranoia. She closed her eyes and counted to ten as her uncle taught her to. She was safe, she was home, and she was loved. He'd taught her to chant this every time she felt she was slipping off the edge of sanity. No one was there but the servants. She was fine. She was going to breakfast. Nodding her head and ignoring the feeling of being watched, Azula left for the central breakfast nook.

"Good morning everyone!" Azula chimed, as she entered the breakfast nook.

Everyone except Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and Katara stared at her blankly. Ty Lee responded with an equally peppy good morning, Zuko and Mai had murmured their greetings, and Katara was still full of happy energy had returned her greeting with a smile.

Sokka leaned in close to Zuko, "Are you sure she's not crazy any more because that sounded pretty crazy to me?"

Zuko and Katara both gave him a silencing look.

"What?" Sokka asked.

"How did everyone sleep?" Azula smiled, as she sat beside her brother. This nice thing was easy. She just had to ask a bunch of questions about everyone and pretend that she cared about their response.

Looks were passed around the table as the others tried to figure out whether or not they should answer.

"I slept well." Katara smiled.

"Yeah, you did." Toph snickered under her breath. Suki held back another giggle and Sokka gave Toph a questioning look.

"So did I." Ty Lee joined in. "How did you sleep?"

"That's, er, wonderful." Azula was scanning her memory to ensure that wonderful was in the right context. "I slept well enough I guess…"

"Okay, this is just too weird." Sokka jumped up.

"Sokka." Katara was trying to clue him in to the warning look Zuko was giving him.

"Hello, have you all forgotten the multiple times she's tried to kill us? And now we're just going to have breakfast like none of that happened?" Sokka cried.

"Sokka." Katara tried again.

"No, Katara he's right." Aang jumped in. "This is weird."

"You're one to talk." Zuko said. "Weren't you the one singing about forgiveness when Katara wanted to avenge her mother?"

"But this is different." Sokka announced.

"How so?" Zuko asked.

"Um, raise your hand if you're sporting a battle scar personally given to you by Azula." Sokka said, looking around the room.

Everyone averted his or her eyes except for Aang whose hand shot up and Zuko who was glaring at Sokka.

"Don't get your temper up Zuzu; I can take care of myself." Azula said standing up. "I'd like to apologize for the mean and nasty things I've done in the past. I am on a mission to be good now and seek your guidance in my quest. I know that you all can forgive me because Zuzu tried to kill you too, and you forgave him."

Azula gave them all an award-winning smile. Everyone was staring at her either nonplussed or confused.

"Um, Azula, I don't think that's going to work." Ty Lee whispered in her ear.

"Why not? I apologized. If they're good too it's their duty to accept. That's how it works isn't it?" Azula snapped turning to her.

"Because we don't trust you." Aang said.

"Well why not? I can't bend any more so it's not like I can shoot you up with lightning again, you've got nothing to worry about little boy." Azula sniffed.

"I'm not a little boy and it doesn't matter whether you can bend or not. You're dangerous." Aang shouted.

"She won't raise a hand against any of you." Zuko said.

"That's right. I'm good now, so get used to it." Azula said, placing her hands on her hips.

Katara tried not to laugh at how childish Azula looked. Watching her, Katara had imagined Azula as a little girl throwing a temper tantrum.

"You can't just demand trust Azula. You have to earn it." Mai said quietly.

"Well how do I do that?" Azula asked her.

"You be yourself and they get used to it like you said." Zuko said, casting a dark look around the room. "Everyone has the right to earn trust. We're here to rebuild and forgive. How can nations that have been feuding for years accept each other when we can not even accept family and friends?"

Sokka had the decency to look slightly ashamed at that point. He didn't like the thought of Azula being free but if he'd forgiven Ty Lee maybe with some time, a lot of time, Azula would be less…scary? He looked at Suki to see what she made of the situation. His girlfriend just kept quiet as she ate. She cast questioning looks at Azula but said nothing against or for her. Toph's face was a blank frown. He wasn't sure if the frown was anger or confusion. She wasn't saying anything either, just kept her head turned towards Azula, even though her eyes saw nothing.

Aang wanted no part of it. He remembered when Azula hit him with lightning. He thought of how the fire nation was taking Katara from him. He was tired of having to accept things. He was tired of being here. Standing up abruptly, he didn't even bother to excuse himself as he stormed out of breakfast. He was supposed to be all about forgiveness but he was all forgiven out. He took Appa and found the highest mountain in the area so that he could meditate and try to clear his head.

- -

"This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?" Zuko asked Katara after breakfast.

"It doesn't have to be. We learned to trust you, didn't we?" Katara shrugged, trying to picture herself as friends with Azula. It was hard to do. "It's going to be weird and awkward at first but we'll manage."

"I think I've done the right thing." Zuko spoke more to himself than Katara.

"Of course you have, she's your sister. We're here to spread the peace so we're going to do it. I've got a plan."

"You have a plan?"

"Mmhmm, we'll have a girl's day out. I took Toph to a spa once and we really bonded over the experience so the girls and I will go out and do the female bonding." Katara beamed at her plan.

"You think that'll work."

"I won't know until I try." She looked excited now. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Try not to kill each other."

"It's a spa, we'll be completely mellow."

Zuko laughed at that. He didn't really picture their trip being very mellow at all.

- -

After somehow managing to round up the girls, Katara asked Ty Lee to find them a spa to visit. Now they all stood in the changing room of Utopia. The nail techs were looking nervously at each other and then Azula as they avoided picking her as their customer. It didn't seem to faze the princess at all as she working on patience today.

After sometime, she too was seated in a chair and everyone's feet were subjected to a fine scrubbing. Toph's cringing, squirming caught Azula's attention, and she took it upon herself to correct the situation.

"Excuse me there, foot scrubbing person," She was proud of herself for finally remembering to say person instead of peasant. "I believe you are causing my companion some discomfort."

"Some?" Toph scoffed. She wasn't Azula's biggest fan but her feet were under attack here and last time she'd had her feet scrubbed, she lost it and blasted the poor attendant out of the room.

"I'm sorry princess. It was not our intention to offend." The girl quivered.

"Don't grovel, just apologize…please." Azula commanded.

"My apologies, lady." The girl bowed to Toph.

"Er thanks, can we skip my feet, though?" Toph asked.

"Of course, we'll start on your facial." The girl beamed instead.

Katara gave Azula thumbs up from where she sat and Azula smiled at her own small success. Ty Lee was giggling at her use of the word please.

- -

"ALAS, MY GIFT IS COMPLETE!" Sokka shouted, as he held up the necklace for Suki.

Zuko just shook his head at his overexcited friend.

"Aw, welcome to the family Zuko. You're the best big used to be evil brother ever!" Sokka cried, hugging the older boy.

"Get off of me." Zuko drawled.

- -

The girls had enjoyed Toph's alien mud bath faces and laughed together in the steam room over Azula's massage experience. Everyone had been afraid to work on her except this big brute of a woman who proceeded to attempt to break the princess's back. In an attempt to be polite, Azula had suffered through her massage and was now wincing miserably as she tried to crack her back. Ty Lee was currently attempting to fix the damage as the girls exchanged funny stories from their pasts.

Katara couldn't wait to get back and tell Zuko of her success today. Leaving the steam room, they sat again preparing to have their make up done. Katara wouldn't say they were best friends now but they were definitely more ready to tolerate each other's existence.

A/N: I know, there wasn't much comedy with Azula today. I'll try to think up some silly stuff, let me know if you think of anything.