Chapter 24: Ball

AN: Last chapter of fluff as we head into the final climax of the story. Also, on an unrelated note . . . am I the only one that dislikes the live action Netflix show? I watched the first episode and then could only get through about 10 minutes of the next one before forcing myself to stop. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

There was a weary excitement in the air as the Gaang prepared for the night's Ball. Fortunately, due to Katara's comforting, the entire group was in good spirits, and they were eager to have another night of celebrating after a long week of traveling and hard goodbyes. Although Aang wasn't particularly eager to come face to face with some of the politicians that he had just shared a meeting with, he was more than excited to share the night with his companion. This was the first formal event that the couple would be attending since they had gotten together, and selfishly the airbender couldn't wait to hit the dance floor with her.

The other three in the Gaang had their own reasons for excitement. Although Toph usually hated being dressed up for these types of things, she even had to admit that the prospect of drinking Fire Nation Wine excited her. Normally, anyone her age wouldn't have the ability to be served, but since she was considered a war hero (and even a celebrity), she got some special privileges. Suki was looking forward to the Ball for the same reason that Aang and Katara were. This was the first formal event that she and Sokka could attend together. Sokka's reasons for his excitement were less than romantic. He was particularly looking forward to an endless buffet of food.

Not only did the Gaang have their own personal reasons to look forward to the upcoming celebration, but they were all more than happy for Zuko. After his talk with Katara, the couple went and found the Fire Lord together so Aang could properly apologize for losing his temper on him, but Zuko was more than relieved that Aang's anger was short-lived. Besides, this entire night was supposed to be celebrating him and Mai, and the wonderful news of their engagement to be shouted from the political rooftops. The Gaang, and Zuko for that matter, knew that they needed to be on their best behavior.

Because of the importance of this night to the Fire Lord, important politicians from all over the world will be attending. This fact bothered Aang at first, but he had a slight feeling that after the meeting they had earlier this afternoon, that they would be leaving him alone for the better part of the night. The airbender was prepared if they did decide to come up and engage in a conversation with him, as he would then immediately take that opportunity to boast about Katara to them. She was his favorite topic to speak about.

Preparing for the ball, Aang had a hard time deciding on what he wanted to wear. His Master Airbending robes had been burnt and tattered beyond repair when he was imprisoned at Lake Laogai, so he had to think of something different from his normal formal wear. Browsing through the closet provided for him, he was astonished to find how many clothes were made available for him. At last, he found an outfit that was eerily similar to the school uniform that he wore as a disguise during his time in the Fire Nation. The only difference was that the base color was a soulful gray instead of black, which he thought would bring out his eyes.

Satisfied with his own appearance, the airbender opted not to wear his airbending necklace, as he just wanted to be Aang tonight. Heading out into the shared living room that the Gaang was using, he delightedly greeted his friends. Toph looked extremely nice for her usual attire, and she managed to dress up nicely. Sokka was extremely handsome as well, for the first time wearing his formal Water Tribe attire. Suki opted for her Kyoshi Warriors dress, as that was what made her feel like she was at home. The only person that they were waiting for was Katara. While Aang waited, he mindlessly walked over and picked up a vase, randomly studying the patterns of it to keep himself busy.

"I'm ready!" Katara called as she walked in. She wore a dress that was extremely similar to her Fire Nation disguise, but this one was full and had no midriff. She had her hair down, and a chrysanthemum was placed neatly in the bed of her hair. The entire Gaang jumped at the sound of broken glass, and all eyes eventually fell upon a frozen airbender, who was staring at Katara in awe, mouth agape.

"Katara . . . you are . . . so beautiful," Aang shyly murmured out with a sea of red encompassing his cheeks. This caused his companion to softly giggle in return with her own blush rushing to her cheeks.

Her brother was not amused though, softly flicking Aang on the forehead, he shook his head and groaned. "Come on you two lovebirds, you aren't even the couple we're focusing on tonight." Sokka then turned towards the door and headed out of the room, Suki and Toph slowly following suit. Aang took their quick moment of alone time to rush forward and wrap his arms around Katara, gently placing his head into the crook of her neck.

"Have I told you that I love you lately?" He dazedly asked as he looked up into her soft ocean blue eyes. Katara let out a chuckle in return, nuzzling her forehead against his before leaning in and lightly kissing his nose.

"Hmmm . . . you have . . . but I wouldn't mind hearing it more," she played along with a coo. Aang let out a crooked grin, before taking her arm in his, and making a gesture to the door.

"Shall we show the Fire Nation how to truly throw a party?" He asked with a mischievous glint forming in his eye.

Katara's matching grin spelled trouble as she winked at him, before leading them forward. "We shall."

The ballroom of the Fire Nation Palace was absolutely magnificent. For the Gaang to get there, they had to step outside and walk through the Palace Gardens. Near the entrance of the building that contained the ballroom, a grand fountain was placed, illuminated by candlelights that enchanted the water with a mysterious glow. Inside, there were rows of round tables, each of them covered with a soft velvet cloth, with matching chairs to go with it. The dance floor was spacious, and the laminate that made up the floor caused the room to sparkle. Lastly, a grand stage was placed in the center of the room, fit for any sort of orchestra or speech that would be deemed necessary for its use. The place was far fancier than the group of teenagers that saved the world were used to.

As they made their way in, people everywhere were delighted to see their faces. A majority of the room's attention was turned to Aang, and before the couple knew it, they were surrounded by a group of politicians who were all eager to speak to them. One face in particular stood out, and Aang had gestured for him to come forward. "General Gun Ji," Aang began with the smallest hint of a cold tone, "to what do I owe you the pleasure?"

The General in response bowed respectfully to Aang first, and then Katara. A remorseful look washed over his face as he addressed the couple. "Avatar Aang, Master Katara, when I heard that you and your friends would be attending the ball today, I made it a priority to make sure that I could be here. I wanted to sincerely apologize for my efforts and actions in Ba Sing Se. I was so focused on the potential benefits of the Avatar joining my militia that I became overly selfish and protective of that dream."

Katara watched Aang carefully as he studied the General's face. Eventually, Aang acquiesced as he gave a subtle nod. "You have my forgiveness, General Gun Ji. Regardless of the plans that your militia made, I truly don't believe the world was ready for peace yet. These politicians need to learn to put the people they serve and represent before their own selfish desires." General Gun Ji's face filled with relief at Aang's comments, and was about to speak up when Aang cut him off. "However, I do expect an apology to Master Katara. The comments that were made by members of your militia and your reasons for prohibiting her were completely unacceptable."

The waterbender did not miss the subtle change in General Gun Ji's expression before he put back on his cheery smile. Finally, he turned back to her. "I apologize, Master Katara, for both my actions and the militia's comments that were made about you. We all recognize the amazing acts of service that you made for this world, and we are forever indebted to you."

Katara briefly nodded, before relenting into forgiveness, hoping that would mean she could get to dinner with Aang faster. "I forgive you, General Gun Ji. Thank you for your kind words and your apology." The General was delighted in response, and he quickly bent down to the table next to him and picked up two glasses of Fire Nation wine, handing them over to the couple.

"I won't bother you any longer, Avatar Aang and Master Katara. Come and celebrate, I hear a special announcement is going to happen tonight!" A playful gleam formed in General Gun Ji's eyes as he took off to go speak with other politicians that had made their way to the ball. Aang took Katara's hand in response and led her to the table that their friends were sitting at, pulling her chair out for her as she sat down.

The dinner was absolutely amazing. An entire buffet of Fire Nation Cuisine was provided, with all sorts of native dishes offered. Everything from Komodo chicken and sausage to fire cakes were provided. Toph and Sokka especially were enjoying the Fire Nation Wine that was provided to them. Katara had to admit that she didn't mind the bitter taste of the Wine, but one glass was enough for her. Aang decided not to touch his glass, claiming that he still felt slightly too young to drink those types of beverages. Sokka was also having the time of his life, as he had gone up for a third round of food, and was showing no signs of stopping.

Halfway through their meal, a group of politicians had pulled Aang away from the table, and Katara was beginning to miss him dearly. She watched him from afar as he implored a graceful smile, lightly chatting away and making jokes, but she knew how much he hated it. Every single time that he finished a conversation with one politician, another politician would immediately take their place and begin their own conversation. Katara could see the tired look in Aang's eyes forming as they were the last people that he wanted to be talking to right now.

What was even worse for Katara was the girls at this event. To her surprise, there were a lot of people their age that were attending the ball, and they all seemed to have an interest in Aang. Katara took notice as many of the girls stood dutifully by their fathers sides as they talked to Aang, no doubt trying to pose as a potential suitor. Every once in a while, Aang's eyes would quickly wander away from the conversation and meet her own, and she always frowned when his gaze was apologetic. Katara knew that he didn't want this as much as she did.

Katara almost felt sick by the way people were treating her soul mate. Aang had made the point countless times to her that he felt that no one treated him as Aang anymore, but solely as the Avatar. At first, she was quick to dismiss his doubts as she thought it was just a result of his self-brooding, but the more she is able to witness the world interact with its Avatar, the more she realizes that Aang is correct. It kills her to see that. Because deep down, she knows that the politicians are only conversing with him right now because their selfish want for political gain, and the girls who are fawning over him are doing so because of his status, and not the person he is.

At last, she was saved as Zuko made his way up onto the stage with Mai, and the room turned silent as people made their way back to their seats. Katara had to suppress a laugh as Aang hungrily began to wolf down the food on his plate, knowing that he may not be afforded the luxury to do so for the rest of the night. Finally, when all the attention was turned to the stage where the royal couple stood, Zuko began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming and attending our Royal Ball this evening. While the world has had a lot to celebrate lately with the cease of fighting and eventual world peace, the Fire Nation has an exciting announcement to make. I, Fire Lord Zuko, am happy to announce that Mai has accepted my proposal, and will be the Future Fire Lady of our great and prosperous nation." As Zuko finished his speech, the room erupted into thunderous applause. Katara couldn't help but smile when she saw normally the two grumpiest people in the room smiling themselves.

Shortly after, an orchestra came up onto the stage, and began to play music as Zuko and Mai shared the first dance of the evening. Katara leaned over and rested her head on Aang's shoulder as they watched the happy couple, suddenly feeling that pit of sickness in her stomach growing. She hadn't felt ill in a long time, and because of her stubborn nature, she was determined to stick this one out. Besides, she knew that Aang needed her there, and she would happily use this as an excuse to stick closer to Aang. As if her companion could sense something was wrong with her, he gently placed his arm around her, bringing her in closer so she could rest her head lightly on his chest.

There was something serene about that particular moment that she was in. The light and soft music of the orchestra, the dim environment and candlelights in the room, and the queasiness she felt caused her eyes to get droopy as she got comfortable against her companion. Before she knew it, her breathing was slowly matching Aang's and her eye's swiftly closed, and she drifted off into a state of relaxation.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and Katara was shocked to find the environment that she was at. The waterbender was still surprisingly tired, but she wasn't expecting to see lots of dinner tables around her. She then turned her head up to find Aang smiling down at her, and she remembered exactly where she was. Startled, she sat up quickly to try to gain her surroundings. Katara noticed Toph still at the table next to them, and the dance floor was full of politicians and partygoers.

Aang soothingly ran his fingers through her hair, making her instantly calm again as she looked back at him. "Hey," he softly cooed to her, even though the environment around them was quite loud. "Are you feeling alright? You seem really drowsy and tired today." His eyes were gentle and comforting, but she noticed the concern in his tone.

"Honestly, I'm not feeling the greatest," Katara shyly admitted back, twirling her fingers and looking down in shame, as if expecting him to be upset with her. Instead, he gently guided her back into his chest, protectively wrapping his arms around her to provide comfort. Instantly relaxing at his touch, she sighed in relief when he pressed a light kiss on her temple.

"Are you wanting to go? Sokka and Suki are out on the dance floor together, so I took this opportunity to make sure that Miss drinks-a-lot over here," he pointedly glanced over at Toph, who openly glared back, "didn't go overboard with the Fire Nation wine." Katara let out a giggle, but she found that she didn't have too much energy.

"I know you wanted to dance with me tonight," Katara apologetically whined. Her soulmate meant the world to her, and she so badly wanted to make this night one of the best ones yet for him. It was their first formal event together and she was ruining it. The slight guilt that she felt made her feel even worse.

"Katara," Aang softly chided, "we will have the rest of our lives to dance at plenty of formal events and dances together. What matters is that you feel good, and that you take care of yourself." He could see the seriousness and self-doubt still stricken over her face, so he decided to tease her a little bit. "Besides, it can't be the end of the world to finally allow me to take care of you for a change, right?"

His soulmate in response raised an eyebrow, then playfully stuck her tongue out at him in a playful manner. She was grateful for him, but she knew that he had a line of politicians that were waiting for a moment with him, and that she couldn't deny him from doing his job. "I think I should go, Aang. I'll catch up on some sleep and hopefully feel better tomorrow. Say congratulations to Zuko for me, okay?" Katara attempted to instruct her companion.

Aang's face twisted for a quick second, betraying his clear disagreement. "There's no way I'm letting you leave alone, Katara. You're not feeling well, and I want to take care of you. Besides, don't you sleep better when you're in my arms?" He desperately tried to argue.

Katara's face fell and she let out a sigh. She felt his love but also knew that she couldn't be selfish and hog him from the rest of the people that needed to see him tonight. "Aang," she tried to muster up as soft and comforting of a tone as she could, "there are a line of people that are waiting to meet with you. There are already people that don't like you because of our relationship. We don't need to add fuel to the fire." Aang opened his mouth to argue with her, but she quickly put up a hand. "Besides, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Looking at her companion, she could still see the internal argument colluding his mind. Gently taking his hands in hers, she leaned forward and softly kissed him on the cheek. "I feel your love and believe me, it means a lot to me. Stick it out for another hour, and then you can come and take care of me all you want, okay?"

The airbender studied her for a few more moments before letting out a sigh, knowing that he wasn't going to win this argument. He gently brought her back in against her one last time, and she could feel him nervously shaking as he held her. When they let go of each other, she conveyed as much confidence in her eyes to ease his anxious look. "Feel better, okay?" Aang softly pleaded.

Nodding her head, the waterbender took a deep breath before standing up, not really wanting to leave him. "I will," she whispered, before she made her way to the door. As soon as she was out of walking distance to the table, she noticed out of the corner of her eye multiple politicians rushing up to Aang, desperately wanting to talk to him. Still, his eyes were on her, the pain of not being able to be there for her written on his face. As she reached the door, she gave one last smile to Aang, before stepping outdoors.

The Fire Nation's night breeze provided a lot of relief to the waterbender. Although the environment was extremely nice, it was also extremely stuffy and crowded with all of the people in there. Living in the South Pole her entire life, she has noticed the stark contrasts in climate that the Fire Nation provided. Strolling her way through the garden, she allowed herself to relax as she focused on her mission of returning to her room and getting some good sleep.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a young girl ran up to her. "Master Katara! Master Katara! We need your help!" The young girl cried, and Katara's heart immediately burst with empathy for the young girl, and she turned around to meet her.

Kneeling down to be at eye level with the girl, she tried to be as comforting as possible as she spoke. "What's wrong?"

"Someone needs healing. Please, help!" The girl took her hand and began running, leading her through various streets. She didn't recognize where they were in the capital city, and they had been running for at least two minutes, and she was beginning to grow tired. Though she was determined to help this girl, when they finally reached an alleyway, she saw the person that the girl was talking about.

As she crept closer, she took the water pouch out to assess the damages when she gasped in surprise. "General Gun Ji?" The General laid face down against the ground, and his breaths seemed to be shallow. She quickly turned the General around to see what was wrong, when he suddenly reached out to her.

"Thank you . . . Master Katara." The General began. Katara didn't even get the chance to respond, as multiple sets of earth cuffs reached out and got her by the legs and the arms, binding her to the ground, unable to move. The General sneered at her as she slowly met his eyes, "You walked right into my trap."