Don't get used to this. The only reason I put two chapters up at once was to get this story started off right. Remember to read and review!

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—Iason

Inuria

Chapter 2

Zuko raced down the hall, his thick robes barely even noticeable as he raced down the stairs and around a corner, yelling a quick apology over his shoulder as he plowed through a horde of servants carrying quite breakable and valuable plates.

His long hair had come out of his topknot, discarded somewhere along the long red carpeted hallways. Zuko skidded around another corner and raced down the last flight of stairs before sliding along the waxed marble floor of the main "throne" room with its extinguished flames.

He threw open the large, imposing doors and down the long stairway to the port. People bowed in haste at the rushing Firelord, but he paid them no heed. No one took offense. Zuko normally did greet most everyone unless something urgent was happening. And something urgent was indeed happening.

Zuko ran down the streets and it wasn't long before he ended up at the docks - just in time to see two ships arriving. One from the Earth Kingdom, the other from the Southern Water Tribe.

Zuko inwardly thanked his Uncle for encouraging a vigorous fire bending training program for him. If not for that, Zuko would've long ran out of breath.

A small figure leapt from the boat before the ramp could be dropped down and landed with a soft thud as the cobblestone rose to meet her then flattened out as it brought her to a gentle stop.

Zuko grinned as the girl tapped her foot on the stone a couple of times before running in his direction with a large smile on her face.

"ZUKO!"

Zuko braced himself for the blow, but still stumbled back a few steps as Toph collided into his arms with a small laugh.

"Gosh, Toph. You've grown," Zuko said into her hair as she gripped him tight.

And it was true. The earthbender, though still small, had filled out quite nicely, and as far as Zuko was concerned, she still had some more growing to do. There were some new curves to her, some more feminine features that accentuated her natural beauty. He noted her new hair style. The last time he had visited Toph, six months ago, she had complained about her mother pushing her to try new things with her hair. Seemed like Toph's mother had won that argument.

"You can let go now," Zuko mumbled, feeling himself get warm in the face as people began to stare at the dignified Firelord being hugged for so long by the small earthbender.

"Hold on," Toph said back into his chest. "I've been away too long. The water. It hurts."

"You're telling me!" a masculine voice with a hint of whining to it said from a short ways off.

Toph finally parted from Zuko and reached up, touching his face lightly with her hands, using her thumb to brush along his nose and the bridge of his eyes.

Zuko waited until she was done to glance up at Sokka marching towards them, completely soaked.

"You need to shave," was all Toph said before the boomerang man came up.

"As much as I missed you, Sokka, please don't touch me," Zuko said as he looked the water tribe warrior up and down.

Sokka wiped his hand on his shirt (not that it did much) before he held it out for Zuko to shake. Zuko delicately took the young man's hand before he shook it once and let go, looking up into the grinning warrior's face.

Toph suddenly socked Sokka in the stomach, making him double over and squeak in pain.

"What - was - that - for?" Sokka squeaked.

Toph shrugged. "I wanted to see if you were still the same person."

"So you hit me? Oh...ouch...don't shout, Sokka...hurts..."

Toph gave a large smile. "The day you don't squeak is the day you become a real man - and that will never happen."

Sokka gaped at her like a fish out of water as Zuko chuckled. "She got you, man."

Sokka crossed his arms in fake offense and turned his back to them. "I'm not talking to you anymore."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Not even if I told you I have dinner ready already?"

"Wellll..."

"When I said 'wait' I meant 'wait', Sokka! Can't you think of something other than your stomach for onc - oh. Hi, Zuko!"

Katara stopped walking when she was next to her brother who still had his back to them. The waterbender was looking at Zuko carefully for a second before she smiled. "How are you?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "Really glad you guys are here."

Toph inhaled deeply before letting out a conspicuous exhale. "As much as love talking to you, can we move this chit chat to the palace? I'm tired and I need to go to the bathroom."

Katara looked at Toph in astonishment as if just noticing her presence. "Toph?"

Toph scratched her ear as she "looked" at Katara, her pale eyes piercing the waterbender as if she really could see her.

"What?" Toph asked emotionlessly.

Zuko gave a wry smile at her tone. She really didn't know how much she'd grown. Katara shot him an exasperated glance before rolling her eyes and grabbing Toph by the shoulders and steering her towards the palace.

"Okay, let's go."

Zuko followed the two young women as Katara began telling him all that her father and brother had done in the last few months with both water tribes.

Zuko glanced back at Sokka. "You know, you won't dry off as fast if you stand there."

Sokka grumbled something about royalty being know it all's and sisters being annoying as he stalked past Zuko, deliberately avoiding the other man's gaze.

Zuko sighed and walked back over to Toph and Katara. They continued towards the palace.

Zuko, to be honest, wasn't listening to what Katara was talking about - he was too busy studying her. Not in a creepy "I find you attractive way" but more of a "she hasn't said anything to me really since she sent me a short note" way.

Katara seemed relaxed enough. In fact, she seemed absolutely thrilled to be here with her friends again. There was a happy spring in her step, a glint in her eye, and her lips were always tilted ever so slightly upwards whether she was talking or not.

Her hair was longer, and she too had filled out a little more. She hadn't gotten much taller. In fact, she was only half a head taller than Toph.

Katara laughed at some comment Toph had made, and the way her whole body took a part in that laugh, the overwhelming happiness, took Zuko by surprise. He couldn't remember a time when he had been so happy. Well, there had been the day the war had ended. And the day he had recovered from his fever when he had allowed Appa to go free.

Katara matched her step with his as Toph led them to the palace.

"What are you frowning about?" she asked him playfully as she nudged him with her elbow.

"He's always frowning!" Sokka called from behind them.

Katara rolled her eyes and looked up at Zuko. "Seriously."

Zuko shrugged. "I honestly didn't even know I was. I was thinking about how happy everyone was." Well, he wasn't actually lying when he said that.

Katara gave a small smile. "It's nice to know some of that 'old Zuko' is still there."

The Firelord looked at her indignantly. "I'll have you know that the 'old Zuko' wasn't all that bad."

Katara raised an eyebrow as Toph turned around, walking backwards. "Oh yeah. He was a pretty nice guy. Other than hunting Aang, Katara, Sokka and myself, always being angry, always completely dumb, and just an insufferable grouch."

Zuko frowned as Katara and Sokka laughed at him. This time, it was Zuko who began to briskly walk away from the group.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Toph called playfully.

Zuko continued marching, his shoulders hunched and his movements stiff. But he would've burnt his own hand off before he admitted that a large grin was slowly spreading across his face as he walked away from his friends.

"Sokka. You're going to choke."

The water tribe warrior glared at his sister with his cheeks stuffed with food and his hand reaching for another roll.

Katara raised both eyebrows, challenging her older brother to just do what he was about to.

Sokka sat back with his arms crossed as he chewed and swallowed. "Why do you always use the 'mom face'?"

Katara smiled cheekily at him as she delicately stabbed a piece of meat with her fork. "Because it works."

Toph snorted from where she was sitting next to Sokka, directly across from Katara. "Sugar Queen's right. One of these days you're going to be eating so fast, it's all going to go down your wind pipe instead of your esophagus."

Sokka and Katara all stared at Toph in amazement.

"No offense, Toph, but where did you learn that?"

Toph opened her mouth to answer, but it was Zuko who answered first.

"Her mother has been making her do all sorts of studied in the last four years."

Katara looked at Toph proudly. She was glad that the earthbender was learning some valuable information; not that earthbending wasn't, it was just that in the times that Katara had taken Toph with her on diplomatic missions, she had learned that the earthbender's preferred way of persuasion was to frighten the ambassadors beyond reasonable doubt.

"Stop it," Toph mumbled.

Katara blinked. "Stop what?"

"You're looking at me weirdly. It feels strange."

Katara smiled and rolled her eyes as she put a bit in her mouth. She glanced over at Zuko to see him smiling down at his plate as he cut into his meat, obviously trying to hide it from everyone sitting at the table. Katara smirked. Before she could point it out, however, her brother had spoken.

"So, how are Firelord duties treating you?"

Zuko groaned. "Don't even get me started."

"No more assassination attempts?"

Katara studied Zuko's reaction. There wasn't much to study.

The previous year's celebration had ended well, however, as everyone was settling into bed for the night, a loud shout and a burst of flame had been heard and seen in the Firelord's chambers. Katara and the rest of Team Avatar had sprinted to Zuko's room to find him standing over an unconscious man and a discarded sword.

Turns out, Zuko had awoken to the sons of someone's heavy breathing. He had immediately shot a ball of fire at the man, then dove at him to keep him down. The man had been taken by surprise and in a desperate attempt to get free or to inflict some sort of pain to the Firelord, but him square on his shoulder. It had taken a lot of prying and hitting (Sokka had smacked him multiple times with his boomerang), but they had detached the man from the Firelord and promptly thrown him into the dungeons. The next day, Zuko had exiled the man.

"Not since last time," Zuko was saying, interrupting Katara's thoughts. "Though I do wake up every now and then to feel my shoulder throbbing."

Zuko grimaced as he rubbed his shoulder.

Sokka grinned. "Hey. You got a new battle scar at least."

Zuko frowned. "I wouldn't consider that little skirmish a battle."

The two men began to talk about the differences between battles and non-battles, and soon Katara found herself zoning out.

Toph, too, it seemed had tuned out the men as she played around with her food before putting some in her mouth.

Katara studied the room a little bit before her eyes landed on her friend sitting at the head of the table laughing at something Sokka had said.

Zuko's eyes were lit, the edges of his eyes crinkled, and his mouth drawn back wide revealing a set of perfect teeth. His handsome face was completely transformed by the laughter, and Katara realized that she no longer saw his scar even though it was there. Zuko really had changed. And he had changed for the better.

He had changed well physically too, as far as Katara could tell. She was a girl after all, and she had studied her friend when she had first laid eyes on him at the port earlier that afternoon.

His broad shoulders, handsome face, piercing amber eyes, his tall height, longish hair, and roguish scar all came together to make a well built young man.

Katara felt something happen deep inside her and blinked to herself. Uh...no. No. It was just her stomach acting up. Yes that's it. She just wasn't used to Fire Nation food.

The doors suddenly swung open traveling a short, yet large old man standing with his hands peacefully hidden in his long sleeves across his chest.

"IROH!"Tooh yelled as she jumped from her seat and embraced the old man lovingly.

Iroh chuckled as he returned the embrace. "It is nice to be appreciated by someone for once."

Zuko grumbled something under his breath that made Katara giggle.

Iroh and Tooh made their way to the table. The Dragon of the West faced Katara and took her hand delicately as he kissed the back of it.

"My dear, you get lovelier every time I see you."

Katara felt her cheeks grow warm and inwardly scolded herself for reacting such a way to such a simple compliment. It just seemed like everything Iroh said, though, was so...magically true.

"I have come to show all of you where you will be staying. If you are all done, that is," Iroh added with an amused expression as he watched Sokka stuff another roll in his face.

Sokka chewed and stared at his plate thoughtfully before he nodded and stood. "Yeah. I'm ready."

Katara rose from her seat and put her hand lightly on Zuko's shoulder as she met his gaze. "Are you coming?"

His eyes studied her face as he answered her. "I need to go take care of some last minute things. It's late and my advisors want to remind me of more 'traditional musts' before the celebration in three days." Zuko smiled at her genuinely and Katara found herself slowly smiling back. "But I promise I'll see you tomorrow morning," he added.

Katara nodded and walked towards Iroh, absentmindedly running a hand through Zuko's hair as she passed by him.

The entire way to her room, all Katara could think about was the soft, silky feel of his thick hair sliding between her fingers.

Little did she know that as she had run her hands through his hair, Zuko had immediately closed his eyes and relaxed instantly, and he too later was haunted by the feel of the cool hands of the beautiful waterbender running along his scalp.

"How many days?"

"Six."

The first man was sitting in a lotus position in front of a set of candles, the flames growing brighter as he exhaled, and dimmer as he inhaled.

The second man stood behind the first, watching the man's muscular shirtless back move as he breather. The second man shifted his feet.

"I expect it to be done in four. The Firelord has disgraced our way of life; his honor is filthy and contaminated. Do you understand?" the first man asked calmly.

The second man nodded. Then he answered aloud when he realized his master couldn't see him.

"Mmm. Good. Prepare the first stage. Tonight, some friends of ours are going to pay Firelord Zuko a visit..."

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