A/N: I present to you Chapter 13! Please excuse any grammar mistakes as I am going on vacation tomorrow for a week and I wanted to get this chapter out to you as soon as I could. I hope you like it! Read and review, or PM me if you'd like! Your feedback really helps me to write more if I know that there are people interested in this story :)

"Alright, take a break. We'll get back to the exercise in five minutes."

We all dispersed, taking seats among the crates that lined the edge of the boat. We'd been sailing for the past two days on to our next destination, which I hoped would be a little less eventful than our first.

Makoto joined me on the crates and handed me a canteen of water, which I gratefully accepted and chugged until all that was left in it was air. I gazed out over toward the horizon, trying to make out any far away shapes that could indicate we were close to arriving.

"We'll probably arrive while you're sleeping."

I turned to the voice and found Lieutenant Dao standing in front of me, hands clasped behind his back. He rarely made an effort to talk directly to me, but when he did it was usually something like an order during training practice.

"Another colony?" Makoto asked from the crate beside me.

"No. This time we're stopping to get supplies in one of the Fire Nation's outer provinces, Ember Island."

"How long will we be there for?" I asked as I snagged Makoto's canteen from his hands and took a swig. He glowered at me and snatched it back, drinking the last of the water so I wasn't tempted to steal it again.

"Two days," Lieutenant Jin said as he joined us will a grin. "They'll be holding a festival to honor the Fire Lord's visit on the day of our arrival."

A festival? "Are we allowed to go?" I asked, trying to contain the excitement behind my words. I could feel Makoto roll his eyes next to me.

"Well, the invitation was extended to all crew and ship mates of the Fire Lord's boat…" Lieutenant Jin's voice seemed to ebb as he spoke.

"But your duty here is more important," Lieutenant Dao finished and walked away.

Always the downer.

"How's your arm?" Makoto asked when the training practice ended.

"My arm?"

"The uh, burn?" He pointed to my bandaged forearm.

"Oh!" I almost face-palmed. "My arm, right. It's fine. A little painful, but nothing I can't handle," I lied through my teeth. It'd been two days and I'd already forgotten.

"Alright, just let me know if you need help bandaging it. Burns can get pretty nasty if you don't treat them correctly."

"Yeah," I looked down at my arm, feeling the pit of my stomach twist. "I know."

Just as Lieutenant Dao had predicted, we arrived at Ember Island in the middle of the night. I would know, because I couldn't sleep. After an hour of sleep and two hours of tossing and turning, I pulled a cloak over my shoulders, tied my hair back from my face, and made my way up to the main deck.

We were approaching the island, which was bright with life and light even at this time of the night. The beaches stretched across the half of the island I could see, interrupted once or twice by large stone formations. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I could already feel a kind of serene, peaceful feeling wash over my body.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I turned my head to the right and found General Iroh standing next to me, hands clasped behind his back as he stared out at the island. I could almost see the same peace that I was feeling in his expression.

I looked back at the island, and nodded. "Yes, it is."

As we got closer, I could pick out more details: houses lining the edge of the beach, some with warm golden light still shining through the windows. Others still dark with the night. One house stood isolated from the others, grander than the rest, but more solemn.

"There's an air of tranquility about it. There always has been. It's a place of happiness and peace for people of the Fire Nation, a place where they can find what they've lost in the war." He looked at me, seeing the question in my eyes: what have they lost?

"Themselves."

I let that sink in for a few moments as the island grew closer.

"How can an island help people find themselves?"

"The beach has a special way of smoothing even the most jagged of edges and revealing one's true self, if one only gives it the chance."

"Are you hoping to find that kind of enlightenment, General Iroh?" I wished I could take back the words as soon as they slipped past my lips. His silence didn't seem promising, and I started to apologize only to be interrupted by his booming laughter.

"You have quite the sharp tongue, my dear," he said between howls. I felt my cheeks heat slightly in embarrassment, grateful he was one of the special few who understood my sarcasm. "But no, not for me, Katara."

"For Zuko?" I blurted out without thinking again. At first, I wasn't sure if he heard me over the roar of the wind because he hadn't even acknowledged that I'd spoken. But then he did answer, so softly I thought he was mostly talking to himself.

"Yes, for my nephew."

I didn't speak. I had a feeling he would continue even without my prompts.

"My brother, Zuko's father, was never a very compassionate man. His marriage was arranged by our father, and the woman who would become Zuko's mother was a General's daughter. Ursa. She had one of the most beautiful souls to ever walk this world, and she made up for Ozai in every aspect he lacked. Where he was harsh and sinful, she was soft and pure. Where he was angry and cold, she was ebullient and bright." He paused for a breath, considering the weight of his next statement.

"Where Ozai had favored Azula, Ursa had stepped in to take Zuko under her wing. She gave him the only thing that Ozai never did: love. And in that love, she gave him respect. But to Zuko, that has never been enough. Because he has never received his father's love and acceptance, he believes himself to be incompetent, shameful."

"Is that why his training techniques were so precise?" I wasn't sure if precise even described it. "Was he trying to win his father's approval by being perfect?"

"Ah," Iroh sighed. "So you've noticed it as well? After his mother's disappearance, there was nothing to shield him from his father's subjection. And so, he began to hate himself. You can only imagine the extent of his misery: to have a firebending prodigy for a sister and to be hated by your father. For a glance in his direction from my brother, even if it was only a glare, Zuko had to be perfect."

"And his banishment only made it worse?" I questioned, subtly pushing Iroh to continue without informing him I was completely ignorant of the circumstances of Zuko's banishment.

"Yes. After his father banished him, Zuko felt that he had to restore his honor in addition to earning his father's acceptance. But his honor was never in question, and still isn't to this day. What he did was not wrong in any way, but Ozai disagreed." I itched to ask the most simple question next, why, but I knew that would be pushing it. I'd gotten more information from Iroh about Zuko than I'd ever heard from anyone before. Maybe it wasn't helpful in my quest for the Water Tribe, but it would help me understand his character better, and I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't interested.

But there was still a part of Zuko that seemed like a mystery to me: his scar.

I'd studied it long enough to know that his scar was not a mere accident. It was intentionally placed in a spot where he could never hide it, like it was telling the world something. But now, after hearing what Iroh had to say, the pieces seemed to be falling into place: Fire Lord Ozai's rejection, Zuko's banishment, his scar…The pit of my stomach clenched and twisted at my sudden revelation.

"His scar, was that…did his father mark him like that?"

Iroh didn't need to respond. I already knew the answer.

"There's no point in sulking about like that," a familiar voice said from behind me where I was leaning on the railing of the ship, my chin resting over my folded arms. I'd grown accustomed to him suddenly appearing behind me, so this time I didn't jump or shriek.

"There's nothing better to do on this ship other than watch other people enjoy themselves, unless you have any better suggestions, Your Highness," I retorted. I didn't turn to face him as I talked, I wasn't sure I could face him after my conversation with General Iroh the night before. So instead, I watched the festivities occurring in the main square: drinking, dancing, fire shows and street plays. I almost whimpered.

Zuko had already gone to the festival, along with a few of those in his fire bending Guard. The Task Force was only used on missions where more fire benders would only increase tension, but I've heard that under certain circumstances, the Guard and the Task Force have joined forces. Since we were in Fire Nation territory and not the colonies, only the Guard accompanied Zuko to the festival.

Lucky bastards.

"Yes, it was pretty extravagant…" Zuko mused from behind me.

"Oh, just rub salt in my wounds, why don't you?" I grumbled into my arm.

"Not that I would really know, though."

My eyebrows perked up in interest. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm royalty. We make appearances at these kinds of celebrations, but we never actually attend."

I whipped around to face him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that you've never actually gone to a festival?"

His arms folded over his chest and gave me a hard look. "I've gone to a festival, I've just-," he started.

"No, let me rephrase that. You've never actually participated in a festival? Played games at the stands? Eaten the crappy food? Had a childhood-?" This time is was his turn to cut me off.

"No." His jaw set.

Okay, maybe that last one was a little harsh, but I didn't want him to know that I'd been thoroughly educated about his past, so I decided that I wasn't going to treat him any differently.

"Never?"

"Never."

I turned back toward the island and asked, in signature Katara-style, without thinking anything through:

"Do you want to go?"

A pause, then a surprised, "What?"

I sighed, peering over my shoulder without meeting his eyes. "I'm asking you if you want to go to the festival?" I mumbled as a familiar heat flooded my face and neck. Spirits, Katara. Now is not the time to be embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you-,"

And then I spun on him. "I'm asking you if you want to go to the festival with me, Zuko! It's not that hard to understand if you have a brain!" I was shouting at him without realizing he was watching me with a smug grin. Oh, this boy is going to snap my thin patience one day and then he's going to get what's coming his way. For now, I decided I'd just give him a piece of my mind, but he cut me off before I could start.

"I'd love to."

And all of my anger dissipated when I met his gaze. His eyes looked brighter than I'd ever seen them, it was almost childlike. It took a second for me to realize what that brightness meant.

He was excited.

Zuko and I agreed that we'd meet in the corridor outside his room at sunset, which gave us each a few hours to relax and get ready.

So I went back to my room.

And that's when I started regretting it.

Spirits, what was I thinking? Asking him to the festival is like asking him on a date! I'm fraternizing with the one person I should be steering clear of. Maybe I'll just go find him and call this off. I can just say I'm not feeling well and apologize-

But Zuko's expression popped up in front of my eyes again. As wrong as I knew it was, I couldn't crush that innocence. He was almost a grown man, but he must have missed out on so much as a child trying to please his father.

So I dug through my bag and found the dress and matching hair combs Akemi had given me, feeling relieved that she'd ignored my instant refusals and forced me to bring the ridiculous dress. I held it up again, holding in my breath as I inspected it.

It really was a beautifully made dress. Akemi must have saved up for a year just to buy the red silk material. I traced the gold embroidery with my fingertips, marveling at the intricate designs. I knew she loved this dress a lot, and I couldn't fathom how she was able to just lend it to me like this.

Before I could talk myself out of it again, I stripped down to my bindings and slipped on the dress, appreciating the feel of the high-quality fabric against my skin. The front of the dress was lined with a row of small golden buttons, and the intricate embroidery twined around them to the neckline of the dress. It was a little snug around my chest and hips, but that was only natural since I was a bit curvier than Akemi. Despite that, it was still flattering and comfortable.

I brushed my hair a bit, letting my natural waves take over and then pulled each side back with a hair comb. They complimented the dress wonderfully, and I couldn't help but notice how the blue of my eyes seemed to pop in contrast with the red. I slipped on a pair of simple leather sandals and laced them up my ankles, tucking a small knife between my calf and the straps. You never know when you'll need it, I guess. I just hoped that I wasn't going to need it tonight.

I looked back at the window and saw the sky start to tinge pink. I only had minutes before I needed to meet Zuko.

I peeked into the small dingy wall mirror and inspected my face. My eyes seemed a little too bright and my cheeks were already flushed, no doubt because of my anxiety. I smoothed out the front of the dress with my hands, trying to rub out the creases as best as I could. Then, my hands started sweating and I was afraid they would leave marks on the dress, so I stopped.

Spirits, I was getting too nervous.

I glanced at the window again. The sun was setting, so I took one last look in the mirror, grabbed my small sack of coins and draped a cloak over my shoulders, pulling the hood over my head and tucking my hair into it. Then, I took a deep breath and slipped out into the hallway.

I didn't pass too many people on my way to Zuko's corridor, but if I did happen to see someone I rounded the nearest corner quickly before they could notice me. When I got closer to Zuko's room, I slowed my pace to nearly a crawl, and when I approached the corner of his hallway, I stopped altogether to peek around it.

He was waiting outside of his room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest. His hair was loose and flopped over his forehead, making him look like the teenager he actually should be, and he had his swords strapped across his back. I couldn't see his scar from the angle I was standing at and I felt my heartbeat pick up speed. If that scar hadn't disfigured the left side of his face, I could guarantee that every female he passed would turn their head.

That, and he needed to stop scowling at everyone and everything.

It looked like he was glaring at the wall in front of him, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snickering. I was starting to think that his face was permanently chiseled into that expression.

I stepped out from my hiding spot and quietly made my way toward him, so quietly I guess he didn't notice my approach. He was still firmly concentrated on the spot across from him. I cleared my throat and he flinched. I took a second to appreciate that I had snuck up on him this time and committed his startled expression to memory. Then, I started blushing because I was still staring at him.

I let the hood hide my face from his gaze and kept my eyes away from his.

"Put your hood up," I said as I brushed past him.

I was getting tired of controlling my emotions around him.

Sneaking off the boat hadn't been a problem.

That is, until we were caught by General Iroh.

We'd stealthily made it past every crew member, slipping past open doorways and down long corridors. We hadn't even made a sound when closing the heavy steel doors behind us. Sure, we had a few close calls, but things were going well otherwise.

So naturally, the universe had to intervene.

We thought we were in the clear when we made it to the loading dock. Both guards on duty were off to one side talking, their backs to us. Zuko muttered something about stepping up security, but it didn't really seem too heartfelt. The youthful excitement was back in his expression, and I could tell he was having a hard time subduing it. And I was having a hard time keeping snide comments to myself.

We'd just stepped out onto the loading dock when someone cleared their throat behind us. In sync, we both turned to see General Iroh watching us with an amused smile.

"Ah, Zuko and Miss Katara? Stepping out for a bit are we?"

I peeked at Zuko from beneath my hood in time to watch him close his eyes and sigh. "I should have known you'd follow us, old man."

"My instincts warned me that you were acting strangely. To think, they were just telling me you were sneaking out to go on a date!" Iroh held his stomach as he let out a loud guffaw. My eyes went wide at his words and I could feel Zuko tense beside me, his temper slowly starting to simmer. I knew Iroh was just teasing us, but I still felt my face flood with a familiar heat.

"Uncle…" Zuko warned and the General put his hands up in surrender.

"No, no, don't feel ashamed! It's very normal at your age. The birds and the bees and all-," he said as he waved one hand back and forth in the air.

"UNCLE!" Zuko roared and stepped forward, but I latched a hand onto his cloak and held him back.

"I'm sorry, General Iroh. It's my fault. I wanted to go to the festival so I forced Zuko to come with me. He didn't do anything-"

"Oh, dear girl, did you think I was going to stop you? I was merely having a bit of fun!"

I stood with my mouth agape for a moment, confused. "Oh. You weren't?"

He shook his head and laughed. "I was your age once. I know how these things happen." He gave us an all-knowing look. Then he spoke directly to his nephew. "Watch her carefully."

Zuko merely nodded.

"Well, get going. The festivities will only continue for a few more hours, better get in as much as you can while they last."

The young Fire Lord stepped onto the loading dock first and turned to me when he realized I hadn't followed.

"Katara, let's go."

I broke my gaze from General Iroh's and went after Zuko, but I could swear I heard a whispered "thank you" from behind me.

When we arrived at the edge of town, I could tell the festivities were in full swing just by the sound of it.

But seeing it was a completely different experience. The first thing that hit me were the colors. They were pretty hard to ignore: orange, gold, pinks and purples, and mostly red. There was red everywhere. If I were to lost Zuko in this crowd it would be hard to find him since everyone was wearing the same color.

Then came the smells: cinnamon, vanilla and other spices, along with the smell of cooking meats. I knew Sokka would love it.

And everywhere we walked some kind of music was playing, or there was a stage set up with a group of school children acting out an old fairy-tale. Down other streets, there would be a gap in the crowd and a few couples would be dancing in the circle.

I looked at Zuko hopefully, but he already had his answer ready.

"No way."

"Come on! You can't come to a festival and not dance!" I said to his back as he pushed his way through the flood of people on the street. I was lagging a bit behind, trying to squeeze through groups of people and getting an elbow to the face in the process. "It's just like doing a bending sequence-," I started to say but was shouldered in the back, sending me tumbling toward the ground. Zuko peered over his shoulder at me just in time to realize I'd been catapulted forward and thrusted his arm out to catch me.

"What am I going to do with you?" he muttered and sighed. I huffed and got ready to snap back, but he took hold of my hand, taking me by surprise and successfully silencing me.

He led me through the crowd, keeping his head down so not to attract attention, but asserting himself at the same time. He made a clear path for me so I wasn't sent tumbling again and for the first time, I realized that Zuko was pretty thoughtful.

The stands started increasing in number as we got closer to the town square and I dragged him over to a few, admiring jewelry and weapons, playing games and sampling the food. I bought some rat-pig-on-a-stick for Sokka's sake, and decided that I would tell him all about it when I found him and my father. I knew he'd be seething with jealousy.

I made Zuko eat a piece of my rat-pig, almost shoving it into his mouth after the third time he refused it. "I'm not eating that peasant food!" he would say, but he finally appeased me, and bit into the cooked meat hesitantly as I eagerly awaited his reaction. I watched him chew slowly.

"Good?"

He chewed once in response.

And I threw my head back in laughter, my hood falling back with the motion. I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked at him again, ready to bash him for enjoying the "peasant food."

But he was watching me.

Like, really watching me.

"What?" I asked. Was there something on my face?

He looked away, over my head. "Nothing. I was just looking."

We continued down the street, stopped to watch an amateur magician and his dancing monkey and threw a few coins onto the cardboard at their feet, then finally made our way into the main square.

We stood side by side, completely in awe of everything happening around us. The festivities were in full bloom all right. The music came toward us from every direction, as did the sounds of the crowd's enjoyment. Laughter, singing, drunken chants and street vendors calling out to passerbys filled the air. I couldn't help but smile.

One looked at Zuko told me he was just as captivated as I was.

"Woah," was all he could muster.

"Yeah. Woah."

"So, no dancing?"

"No."

"Why not?" I whined.

"I don't dance," he said as he picked up a small bobble from one of the merchant's stands.

"You mean you can't dance?" I jibed.

"Why am I doing this again?"

I sighed. "It's part of the experience. We're making up for a lost childhood. Work with me here!"

"I just don't get the purpose of this," Zuko said, examining the small wooden ring in his hand.

"You want to get that ring to land on one of those bottles."

"Why do I want that?"

I rubbed my temples. "Zuko, just throw the stupid ring."

"Put your hood up," Zuko said from beside me as we walked through the throng of people.

"What?" I asked, puzzled by his sudden demand.

"Just put it up. People are staring."

I stared forward blankly as I pulled the hood over my head, trying not to feel dejected.

"Do you ever get tired of all the attention?" I asked as we sat down on the edge of a fountain. We decided to take a well-needed break from walking.

"What do you mean?"

I gestured toward the people around us. "All this, you know? Festivals being thrown in your honor, security around you at all times? Fan-girls tracking your every move-"

"I don't have fan-girls," he said.

"Don't you feel suffocated?"

He didn't answer immediately. "I guess I've never really thought about it like that. It's just been a part of life for me since I was born."

"Really? You don't find it odd that you've been constantly watched your entire life?"

"No, do you find it odd that you haven't?"

"Touche."

"Sorry," I muttered again as I was pushed into him. The main square was pretty crowded because of the fire show, and more than once I'd been knocked into Zuko as we maneuvered our way toward the stage.

Our hands brushed up against each other and I pulled mine away quickly, embarrassed, and tried to remain nonchalant. And once I let my hand dangle at my side again, the backs of our hands would graze each other. I didn't pull away this time though, and instead, found myself itching to slip my hand into his.

I was nudged into Zuko again by a group of teenage girls aggressively pushing their way through the crowd and excitedly murmuring something about meeting up with another group.

Our hands were pressed up against each other now, so close to being connected but not so. I kept my gaze on the stage and inched my pinky toward his. I started to twine mine with his, but when his entire frame stiffened I pulled my hand away swiftly, trying to brush it off like it was unintentional.

There was a moment of awkward tension between us...and then, a calloused pinky wrapping around mine.

I felt my face and ears grow warm, and thanked Tui and La for the cover of my hood as I threaded my fingers through his.

A/N: Alright, here you go! Please forgive any mistakes I made grammar wise, I'll fix those when I get back from vacation in a week but I really wanted to get this chapter out to you before I left! So here you go, Chapter 13.

Enjoy and leave reviews, because they really push me to write more and I love receiving your feedback!