1. Chapter 1

**The New World: Chapter 1**

**Welcome to the sequel of Tarlaka!**

**And let the story begin . . .**

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"They were staring at us like we were animals," Sokka sneered. The image of people dressed in red flooded into his mind. He was getting off of a metal ship and everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at him.

"We are new to them, Sokka," he ignored his sister. How did she not get it? These _civilized _people disgusted him but she seemed fascinated with them. The way they talked, the way the dressed, the way they held themselves—it was crude and proud. They had absolutely no dignity.

"Brother," his sister spoke again. She put her hand over his. Sokka looked up at her. The room was dark so he could only see her silhouette. They were both sitting cross-legged on his bed. He and his sister had spent almost every minute together for the past few days that they had been in the new world. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have her here with him now.

"Perhaps we should try to embrace their culture more than be so completely opposed to it?" she suggested. Her voice was smooth and soft. Sokka shook his head. He briefly imagined his modest, sweet sister wearing one of _those_ dresses that the women wore here. It nearly made him sick to his stomach.

"Can you really imagine me wearing something like Zuko?" Sokka asked lightly. His sister laughed. It sounded like soft bells.

"It's very late. You need to sleep," She leaned forward and kissed her brother on the cheek and then slid off the bed. "Good night, Sokka," she said while opening the door.

"Are you sure you'll be able to find your way back?" He asked. The palace halls always confused him.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said with a smile and left the room.

Katara shut the door quietly behind her and walked down the corridor slowly. The pillars were always intimidating at night. However, she reminded herself that she grew up in a far more dangerous place. Katara felt a breeze drafting in from somewhere and she smiled a bit. The air here was so different from the air back in Tarlaka. It was lighter somehow, crisper, but soft. She liked it.

She continued down the corridor to her own room. It was on the south side of the palace, further away from Sokka's than she would have liked. However, her good friend, Zuko, had chosen it for her because it was one of the few rooms that faced the ocean.

When Katara finally reached her room, she opened the door and stepped in. She always took a moment to take in the beauty of her bedroom. It was three times the size that her home had been on her island. There were white velvet couches set up as a sitting area with a middle table in the middle. A ways back from that, on a raised platform, was her bed. It was the most comfortable thing she had ever laid upon. The blankets were white with intricate red patterns embroidered into them. Beautiful paintings hung on the walls and hand crafted knick-knacks sat around in perfect places. The colors of the room were light and fresh.

The wardrobe was made from the same wood as her bedframe and the table between the couches. An archway led to the private bath on the left and a glass door on the right opened to the balcony. Katara walked over to the glass doors and opened them as wide as they would go. She breathed in the air and looked down at the city.

The streets were busy with moving lights but she could hardly make out the people. Luxurious houses dotted the hills with yellow lights shining from their windows. It was beautiful. Katara then looked out at the ocean. The water was black with the exception of a ship here and there. She couldn't hear the sound of the waves but she could smell the saltwater and that was good enough for her.

Reluctantly, Katara stepped back into her room, although she kept the doors open. She changed out of her day clothing and into a simple, silk, white nightgown. Katara undid her braid and combed through her hair with her fingers. She walked over to her bed, her bare feet cold against the marble floor, and pulled back the heavy blankets. Katara crawled into her ginormous bed and relaxed. She let her mind slow down and she tried fall asleep. However, she realized after just a few moments, that that would be impossible.

Her mind was buzzing with thought.

Katara knew the things her brother said were true, but, she just couldn't bring herself to hate the people of this odd new world. They were ignorant, she believed, not purposely cruel. She found the way they spoke quite astounding. They had a very complicated language of body and speech.

Also, who could _not_ love the clothing? It was so rich and soft and just so beautiful! Katara loved all of it. This world was the adventure she had been waiting for and now it was finally here. She wasn't going to spoil that by being prejudice or pejorative.

However, she did understand where her brother was coming from. The people seemed to view them as objects instead of fellow human beings. Then again, how had her people treated Azula and Zuko when they were first discovered? Azula was raped by about twenty men and Zuko was beaten and tied to a pole. She and Sokka definitely had no right to judge.

Eventually Katara was able to drift into a dream full sleep. She dreamed of the new colors of the New World.

Azula circled around her friend and searched for any flaw in the red fabric that adorned her body. She had been spending the last few days preparing a new wardrobe for the waterbender. The noted that the red silk looked very glamorous with Katara's chocolate skin, however, she felt it clashed with her eyes. Azula shuddered when she looked into Katara's blue eyes and she pushed a particular image from her mind.

"What do you think of this one?" Katara asked Azula.

Azula had quickly regained her composure and smiled. "I think it really compliments your figure," she replied. "Here, try this one now," Azula picked up and more formal gown and tossed it to her. Katara tossed the dress over the back of an ornate chair and began to pull the one she was wearing over her head.

The two girls were in the middle of the royal tailor's paradigm room. The walls were lined with nearly finished gowns, cloaks, casual wear, night clothing, and even jewelry. One wall of the huge room was dedicated to all shades of fabric while another was only for shoes. Display cases held the most elaborate of jewelry. In a nut shell, this room was a girl's heaven.

Katara finally managed to escape the previous dress and now she only wore her underwear. She found the black lace strange and slightly uncomfortable; she preferred her animal skins. Katara retrieved the other dress from the chair and tugged it over her head. She had difficulty with it but felt Azula hands begin to help. Azula slid the dress down Katara's body with a quick motion. The dress was made of a thick black fabric and had a dragon going up the side. It was split to mid-thigh on both legs. It had a high neck line and a tear drop shaped hole that revealed cleavage. Azula smiled and nodded.

"Of course," she said, "You'd have to put your hair up, but this is just wonderful," she appraised.

Katara looked in the mirror and turned from side to side. "It looks scary to me," she commented.

"That means it's perfect," Azula smirked.

"Wow,"

Katara and Azula both jumped at the sound of another voice. They turned to see Ty Lee leaning against the back of one of the couches. She was looking over Katara's current attire. The waterbender blushed and Azula looked prideful, as is she were the cause of Katara's beauty.

"Who would have known animal skins were hiding such beauty," she commented with a genuine smile. She came around to lounge of the couch and picked up a necklace that was sitting on the table nearby. She looked at the emeralds and then set it down once more; she preferred amethyst.

"Do you need something, Ty Lee?" Azula asked impatiently. She wanted to get Katara into the next dress.

"Nothing in particular," she shrugged, "I was just a bit lonely." She admitted. TY Lee had spent much time alone since they returned from Tarlaka.

"I bet you could find the warrior in his room," Azula suggested, "Zuko is probably in the library or something," she added with a quick glance at Katara.

Ty Lee nodded thoughtfully though she could tell she was not welcome her for the moment. That was fine; she was used to Azula switching between her and Mai a lot.

"Perhaps I'll go get some fresh air," she said and stood. Azula smiled and wished her a good time. Ty Lee hardly acknowledged it. She walked out of the oversized closet and into the empty corridor. Ty Lee sighed and just started walking in a random direction.

When Ty Lee rounded the corner, two servants were walking the opposite way. They were both carrying linens and giggling about something. Ty Lee paid them no mind until one of them said:

"Oh, he is so handsome isn't he?"

"Who?" the other asked.

"The Tarlakan warrior, of course!" she sighed and said something about a dream she had had about him. The servants continued to walk on and Ty Lee was alone once more. She felt a spark of jealousy shoot through her and her pace quickened. She had noticed before now that any woman who was around her warrior—Sokka—fell for his striking good looks, but it was annoying all the same to hear it.

Ty Lee really wanted to get to know Sokka better and learn who he was as a person whereas very other girl wanted to learn who he was in bed. They didn't care about his personality the way she did. It nearly infuriated her. However, she was also irritated by the fact that she didn't know _how _to talk to Sokka. She had no idea what he liked or what he didn't. Normally, Ty Lee was a very charismatic person but she just couldn't talk to this one man. He was the only one she cared to talk to, though. Oh, it was so frustrating!

Ty Lee stopped when she saw the very person she was thinking about. He was standing in the garden looking at a patch of flowers. He still wore his brown animal furs. Ty Lee's heart skipped a beat and she continued to the garden.

Sokka stared down at a beautiful flower that he was sure he had never seen before. In his home, in Tarlaka, there was an abundance of all types of flowers all over the island. He knew the name of every single one; however, he had no idea what his one was.

"It's a Fire Lilly," a soft voice said form behind him. Sokka knew the voice and frowned. He turned to see that small girl standing a few feet behind him. Her hands were clasped in front of her and, though she was still, her stance was graceful. Her long brown hair was down and danced in the breeze. She smiled gently.

"It's nice," Sokka simply said because he didn't know what else to say.

"It's very beautiful," Ty Lee said in a way that sounded like she was agreeing. She stepped closer to him and then walked past him. Ty Lee tucked her hair behind her ear as she bent to smell one of the lilies. She smiled and then straightened. Ty Lee turned back to Sokka. "So," she said, "How do you like the Fire Nation?" she asked.

Sokka shrugged and then said again, "It's nice," Ty Lee sighed. This was exactly what she had meant before. She could try all she wanted but she never got a response. Not a decent one anyway.

"You know." She tried, "I really liked Tarlaka. In fact, I think I'd like to go back there some day . . . I've never seen a place so beautiful."

Sokka smiled a bit at this. Her smile widened. "Yes. Tarlaka is the most beautiful of lands. It is my home," he said. Ty Lee thought his accent was adorable. Sokka didn't speak their language as well as his sister but he had already improved greatly.

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

Sokka sighed and looked away from her. He nodded. How could he not miss his home? It was ignorant to question such a thing. Sokka looked back down at the girl. He was always taken aback by her gentle beauty; even her voice was as soft as her face.

Ty Lee looked up at Sokka and gave him a timid smile. She wanted him to open up to her more so she started talking about something all men liked; food.

"How do you like it?" She asked him, "The food of the Fire Nation?" Ty Lee slipped her arm through his and started pull him into a walk.

Sokka let the girl pull him along. "The foot is hot," he answered simply.

"Hot?" Ty Lee questioned. "Well, you certainly wouldn't want to eat it cold," she stated.

Sokka shook his head, "No," he said, "Not that kind of hot. I mean, it stings my mouth," he said with his accent thicker than ever.

"Ah, you mean it is 'spicy'," she said with a smile.

"Maybe that is the word. I do not know," Sokka shrugged.

Ty Lee smiled, "Yes, I think it is,"

They continued to walk through the garden for quite some time. They discussed many things, well; Ty Lee talked about many things while Sokka listened. She told him about the gossip that was running through the court and new betrothals and old divorces. She talked about festivals and parties. Much of it made Sokka feel sick to his stomach. Did woman really do such things in this world? Attend parties where they consumed far too much alcohol and did things they _should_ be very ashamed of? Yes, yes they did.

In the distance, they two young adults could see Zuko and Katara sitting on a marble by the turtle duck pond. Katara was bent over laughing and Zuko was smiling at her. Sokka wasn't sure how he felt about this firebender. Sure he had helped his people during the war but he was talking to _his_ sister. Sokka didn't like the way he looked at her, either. In fact, he thought about going to butt into the conversation but Ty Lee pulled him in a different direction.

Katara held her sides against the pain that laughing had brought on. Zuko had just finished telling her something that she found completely ridiculous and couldn't help herself. Besides, everyone needed a good laugh now and then. Zuko smiled down at the girl and laughed a bit himself.

Once she was finally had control of herself, she looked up at Zuko. The sun light reflected off her blue eyes and he was stunned for a moment.

"You can't be serious," she said with a smile.

Zuko smiled even wider. "I swear it's a true story."

Katara shook her head and then tore a piece of bread from the loaf in her hand. She tossed it into the murky water and a trailing of turtle ducking came racing for it. She watched as they devoured the little piece of soggy bread. Katara tore off another piece and tossed it in. Zuko watched her as she did this. The sun glistened off her caramel hair and her chocolate skin looked soft and delicate. However, Zuko new she was anything but delicate; he had seen her in action. Katara was a lethal waterbender.

Zuko noted that the red fabric she wore made her skin look warmer. Katara wore a very modest dress; the neckline was shallow, the skirt continued a bit past her knees, and the fabric had a very simple fabric. He doubted this one was picked out by Azula.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Katara asked.

Zuko refocused and realized he had been staring at her. "I was noticing how lovely red looks on you," he said honestly. Katara blinked and then blushed. Mockingly, she punched Zuko in the shoulder lightly, as if she were 'one of the guys'. Zuko laughed and put his arm around her waist. Katara leaned into him.

Zuko loved spending time with her. During their time in Tarlaka, Zuko had come to trust Katara completely and there were only a few people that he had ever trusted in his life; his uncle Iroh, Mai, and his mother . . . although, sometimes, he wasn't sure about Mai.

Unfortunately, he had been so busy lately, that Katara had been left at the hand of his sister. However, Azula seemed to truly love the girl like a sister. Which was odd. Azula didn't even love him as a brother and he _was_ her brother. Oh well.

"So," Katara said but didn't continue.

"So?" Zuko asked.

Katara began swinging her feet over the water of the pond. However, she stopped when it frightened the ducklings.

"When are you going to show me the city?" She asked. She had only seen about five minutes of it before she was shoved into a closed litter and brought to the palace.

Zuko smiled. "How about tomorrow? I could take you, and Sokka if he would like, through the best areas of the Imperial City. We would have to be back by the evening, though. We will have guest form Kyoshi tomorrow."

"From where?"

"It's a little settlement close the Earth Kingdom," he said casually.

"Oh. Who is coming?"

Zuko laughed. She was always curious about _everything_. "You'll see tomorrow. What time would you like to go to the city?"

"As early as possible. What time do you wake?" she asked.

"Katara, I rise with the sun. It is you who has the problem of getting up early."

Katara laughed. "Okay, true,"

"How about one hour after sunrise?" he suggested.

Katara looked up at him with mock horror. Zuko laughed loudly at her expression.

"What do you think of the palace?" he asked all of a sudden.

Katara looked up at the very large building. She pursed her lips and studied it for a moment.

"It's all right," she finally answered. She tucked her head into Zuko's shoulder so that he couldn't see her smile.

"'All right'? Are you serious? It's grandeur!" Zuko exclaimed. How could she think anything less of it? She had come from an uncharted island for goodness sake!

Katara started laughing. "First," she said, "I don't know what 'grandeur' means. Second, of course I'm not serious, Zuko!" She laughed a bit more, "Yes, the palace is amazing."

"Good. I was worried you had lost your brain somewhere," he chuckled.

"Zuko," Katara said seriously.

Zuko frowned slightly at her change of tone. "Yes?"

"What does of 'grandeur' mean?" she asked as though it were some secret.

Zuko relaxed and smiled. "Çok çok büyük," he explained in the little bit of her language that he knew.

The sun was beginning to set but Katara remained snuggled into Zuko's side. They were both perfectly content. She opened her mouth to ask him something when a different voice broke the gentle silence.

"There you are!" Zuko tensed and then straightened at the sound of Mai's voice. Katara slid slightly away from him. She knew they were just friends and that they weren't doing anything behind Mai's back, but the noble girl was not an understanding type.

Mai hadn't seen Katara until she saw the girl straighten. She suddenly felt defensive. Mai didn't trust this woman nor did she like her. She felt Zuko should have left her on her damned island in the middle of the ocean. She came closer and could see the two clearly now in the light of a lantern that was nearby.

"Mai," Zuko greeted smoothly. He smiled up at his girlfriend and stood from the marble bench.

Mai looked at Katara who smiled and then back to Zuko. "I've been looking for you," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well you found me. I have been speaking with Katara,"

"I can see that," Mai looked at the girl again.

Zuko sighed.

"Come on, I need to talk with you about something," She took ahold of Zuko's pale hand and began pulling him away from Katara. She didn't say a word to the girl.

Katara felt her mouth open with shock at Mai's rude behavior. Maybe, here, that wasn't rude, but she highly doubted _that_. Zuko turned, though he was still be dragged practically against his will, and cast an apologetic smile to Katara. She nodded and smiled in return. Once they were out of sight, Katara rolled her eyes and stood. She headed back through the grounds into the palace. She had some studying to do anyway; this language wasn't going to learn itself.

Fire Lord Ozai watched the young waterbender walk through the garden alone. She was completely vulnerable right now; as were her people. She'd left them without the protection of waterbending. What a selfish girl. His daughter had told him about the riches of the land. Riches of bother minerals and people alike.

"General Iroh," Fire Lord Ozai said to his brother, "what would you think of making a visit to Tarlaka?"

Iroh didn't reply for a moment to his younger brother. He watched the foreign girl walk as she walked to the palace and then he said:

"I think you shouldn't act rashly,"

Fire Lord Ozai glared at the general. He turned back the view bellow him and watched Katara disappear into the palace.

**~(~**

**Feedback is highly appreciated :)**

**-Kayleigh **


	2. Chapter 2

**The New World: Chapter 2**

**~(~**

Azula sat curled into a tight ball on her bed. Her blankets were everywhere and her pillows were on the floor. She had her arms wrapped around her knees and she was rocking ever so slightly. Azula's eyes were wide open as she stared into the darkness of her bedroom; only dim light from the stars shone in. However, Azula was not in her room—not in her mind, anyway. Sure she was there in the flesh but her brain was seeing something else.

Azula stared in horror as at the men that were coming closer to her. Their faces were those of terrifying monsters. Azula screamed and yelled for help but nobody was coming. She fought against the confinements that dug into her wrists painfully. She shrugged against the wooden pole she had been tied to, but it didn't do anything.

The men came toward her, smiling. She screamed again. One of them grabbed her. She tried to pull away. He took a knife from his waist belt and began slicing her clothing away. The knife dug into her skin a few times. After just a few moments, Azula was completely exposed. Pain throbbed where the knife had sliced open her skin. However, in a few more moments, she would feel a different kind of pain entirely. An unfamiliar pain. And she would feel it twenty-two times.

Azula wiped the back of her hand across her forehead and the memory of her rape flashed back to her over and over again. It had been about a month and a half ago and only one person knew about it. Azula had tried to wipe it from her memory, to simply forget it. It wasn't important, nothing happened, nothing could ever hurt her like that again.

However, now, she was beginning to fear that would be impossible. She hadn't slept in nearly four days because she was so terrified of her dreams, of her own mind. She couldn't escape it. The worse thing was, every time she looked at her dearest friend, the woman who saved her from those monsters, she saw all twenty-two men _again_. Katara had their blue eyes; though, hers weren't as dull. She had their brown skin, and light brown hair. _She looked like them_.

The rational side of Azula said: 'This is Katara. She is good. She loves you.'

The irrational side said: 'She is just like them. She is a barbarian. She _will_ hurt you.'

Every day, the irrational side was screaming louder and louder.

Zuko knocked on Katara's door and waited for a moment. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing again. Zuko smirked and cracked the door open slightly.

"Katara?" he said quietly. "Katara, are you in here?"

There was no answer.

Zuko pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. He shut the door behind him. He was surprised by what he saw; Zuko had always pegged Katara as a 'clean-freak', a lover of organization, however, her room was rather messy. Her bed was unmade and cloths were everywhere. Books were scattered all over the room along with older scrolls.

Zuko stepped over a red dress and crossed over to one of the lounging couches. He sat down and relaxed. He decided he would wait here for a few moments before going to look for her. If he went searching for her, he would have no idea where to look anyway.

The bathroom door opened and a bunch of steam entered the bedroom. Katara emerged wearing a light green robe and her hair was done up in a towel. She walked gracefully over to the balcony doors and opened them to vent out the steam. She was humming something to herself and turned around. She gasped when she saw Zuko and placed her hand over her heart.

Zuko was frozen with shock. They both stared at each other for a moment and then laughed Katara laughed lightly.

"I guess you _have_ seen me in less," she stated. Zuko laughed and the tension evaporated.

"That's true," Zuko agreed. He thought back to a particular time while they were on Tarlaka. She had some to him wearing her undergarments—they were hardly anything.

"You are early," Katara commented.

Zuko smiled and leaned forward. He put his elbows on his knees.

"No," he said, "You're late," he gestured to the clock on one her desk.

Katara began walking over to the closet and waved her hand absentmindedly. "I don't know how to read that," she said and disappeared into the large closet.

"I'll teach you sometime," Zuko said. He picked up a book that was sitting on the nearest table. It was a children's fable called _The Dragon and the Sprite._ It was a story his mother had read to him many years ago. Zuko set the book back down.

"Zuko," Katara called.

"Yes?"

"Can you help with the things that do that thing in that part of my dress?" she asked.

"Er, what?" Zuko asked.

Katara came out from her closet. She was wearing a light yellow summer dress. It was very appropriate for the hot weather. Her hair was down and wet but the curls were already staking their claim. Katara held a long piece of fabric in each hand. The ends of them were connected to the sides of the dress.

"Oh," Zuko laughed, "You need help tying the back of your dress," Zuko stood from the couch and stepped over random objects on the floor. She turned around and lifted her hair.

Zuko took the pieces of yellow fabric, wrapped them around her waist, and pulled them tight. He was exactly sure what he was doing but he managed to tie the fabric into a sloppy bow somewhat in the center of her lower back.

She turned and thanked him and then disappeared back onto the black hole of clothing, that's what he liked to call it anyway. Zuko decided not to sit back down, but, instead, he began picking clothing up from the floor. He tosses them onto her bed. After that, he absentmindedly started gathering the books and placing them in a high stack on her desk.

"Are you trying to make the maids were harder?" he called to her while folding a blanket.

"No," Katara said from only a few feet away. Zuko hadn't realized she was in the room. "I told them not to clean," she answered.

Zuko glanced at Katara; she was wearing clothing unlike anything he had ever seen Mai wear. Her outfit was gentle and inviting. It made her look like a kind woman instead of a fierce waterbender. He looked away when he noticed her blushing under his gaze.

"Why would you tell them not to clean? It's their job," he stated.

Katara took the blanket from him and tossed it over a couch.

"Because this feels more like home," she shrugged.

Zuko glanced around the now tidier room.

"I don't understand how," he said.

"Do you remember my . . . palace?" she said. Zuko nodded and smiled at the word 'palace'. Her shack had hardly been such. "It was small and things were . . . where they could be. I am not used to things having a . . . place to go," she said. Zuko could tell she was struggling to find the right words, but he understood. She wasn't used to having enough room for good organization. Zuko thought back to the short time he had spent in her shack; it was cramp and crowded.

"I understand," he said. Katara smiled. "Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Me? I am waiting for you," she gestured to the door. Zuko laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her to the door and down the hallway.

Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and, to Zuko confusion, Ty Lee, all rode the carriage into the city. Katara's face was glued to the window as she watched everything pass. Zuko made small talk with Ty Lee and Sokka but that didn't last long. He was thankful when the carriage finally stopped in *Ejderha Square. It was the most famous area in the entire Fire Nation. It was crowded with history, housing, restaurants, and shops. It was practically a tourist trap.

Zuko lead a very excited Katara through the best areas of the square. He tried to talk to her but she can hardly pay attention to him. It was quite comical. After a while, he just let her lead and he followed.

Sokka watched as his sister nearly danced from shop to shop. She spoke with the people charismatically and they were immediately won over. The citizens were entrapped by Katara's deep blue eyes and her caramel colored hair. The stroked her hair as she walked by. Sokka was _not_ happy about this. He felt that they should not be wasting time playing tourist; they should be organizing help for their people. However, Sokka wasn't going to ruin his sister's fun.

Sokka watched as Katara dragged his sister into a crowded shop. He decided not to follow them and, instead, sat down on a bench outside. Ty Lee sat next to him. Sokka had noticed earlier how beautiful she looked today; her hair was curled and she wore a simple pink dress. Her large brown eyes had thick black lines around them, making them look even bigger. She smiled at him.

"What do you think?" Ty Lee asked. Her voice was sweet and soft.

"About what?" he asked.

"The city, of course," she replied.

"Oh," Sokka looked around for a moment. He noticed a woman staring at him. She was wearing a heavy dress with disturbingly low cleavage. Sokka almost shuddered and then laughed, "It's very _open_," he joked.

Ty Lee didn't understand the joke but was so happy that he was finally smiling that she laughed along. Sokka liked the sound of her laughter; it sounded like wind chimes.

"Are you excited about the banquet?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"What does it mean?" he asked with a frown.

"What? Banquet?"

"Yes,"

"Oh, uh, it's like a formal dinner. It's for the Kyoshi warriors. There will be lots of food and probably dancing," she said.

"Then, sure, I am excited," Sokka answered. However, he wasn't excited about the food—and especially not about the dancing—he was looking forward to meeting some fellow warriors. "When will they be here?" he asked.

"Tonight, but you and I'll probably see them tomorrow at the banquet—dinner," she answered. Slowly, Ty Lee relaxed more into Sokka's side so that they were touching just a little bit.

Sokka nodded absently. He immediately noticed that Ty Lee had moved closer to him and it distracted his train of thought. Sokka hadn't been completely oblivious to Ty Lee trying to get his attention; he just didn't know what to do about it. When she was too close or she she just looked at him a certain way, it made his mind cloudy and _other _things began to think for him.

Multiple times, he had tried to tell himself 'this is a Fire Nation girl. She isn't what you want' but then he remember that he had been saying almost the same thing about the girls back home. For years, he had been waiting for the right girl even though he had already met every single one in his tribe. Now, he was just too nervous to let himself think on it with _this_ particular girl.

"Tanrım!" Katara said around a peice of pomegranate and pastachio cake. "Bu çok lezzetli!"

"English, please, Katara," Zuko laughed at the girl who was, with a doubt, putting on at least five pounds today.

Katara smiled and then swallowed. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "'My God! This is so delicious!'" she translated her previous exclamation.

"I'm glad you like it; it's one of my favorites," Zuko said. He wiped some of the icing off the plate with his finger and ate it. "What else do you want to try?" he asked.

Katara sat back in her chair. "I don't know if I _can _try anything else. I think I might have a baby in my belly," she said and looked down at her stomach.

Zuko laughed loudly at _that_. "What? A food baby?" he said.

"Yes," Katara laughed with him.

Zuko leaned forward with his elbows on the table. He looked around the room; citizens were sneaking glances at the two royals.

"Katara," he said seriously.

"Yes?" she subconsciously leaned forward.

"You know you are my best friend, right?"

She smiled. "Well, I did save your life a few times,"

"Twice," Zuko corrected with a smile.

"Ah, that's right,"

"Anyway," Zuko said, "You are my best friend and I think you have the right to know this before the public annunciation,"

Katara frowned at the sentence; she didn't quite understand it, but she didn't say anything. Zuko looked down at his hands.

"What is it, Zuko?" she asked. She put her hand over his forearm. Zuko felt a little rush go through him. He shook his head slightly and then looked up at her; her blue eyes threatening to drown his thoughts.

"Mai and I," he started, "we're getting . . . we're engaged," he finally managed. He felt a strange weight push down on his chest as he said the words.

Katara stared at him for a moment. "Engaged?" she whispered. She knew what it meant but she denied it. She wanted to be wrong. She didn't want this to be real. However, did she have the right to feel that way? Zuko and Mai had been together long before he ever washed up on Tarlaka. Katara and Zuko . . . they were just friends, right? There was nothing romantic between them.

So why did she feel like crying?

"Yeah," Zuko said, "It means we are getting married,"

Katara pushed the hormonal emotions she was feeling and smiled. "That is great," she said. "I am really very happy for you. For both of you,"

Zuko let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding.

"When is the-the . . . what do you call it?" Her forehead scrunched up as she tried to think of the proper word. It was harder for her to speak his language when she was so caught up in her feelings.

"Wedding?" Zuko offered.

"Yes!" Katara snapped her fingers, "That one! So, when is it?"

"The date isn't decided, but, the engagement party is this Saturday," Zuko answered.

"Which day is that again?"

"Cumartesi," Zuko smiled. His ability to speak her language wasn't as impressive but he was proud of himself for still remembering some of it.

Katara beamed at him. She loved hearing the sound of her native language on his lips. He made it sound . . . hot?

"Are you ready to go somewhere else?" Zuko asked. The atmosphere had changed back to easy and light.

"Where else _can_ we go?" Surely they had seen almost everything . . .

"Many places. But if you are ready to call it a day, we can go back to the palace," Zuko stated. Part of him wanted to keep showing her the city but a very tired part of him wanted to go home and relax.

"We can go back to the palace today. Ama—but we will come back again," she said and began standing up from her chair. Zuko followed her lead.

"All right," he said, "I don't see a problem with that,"

"But can we go to the palace book room?" She asked with a gleam in her blue eyes.

"You mean the library?" he asked. Katara nodded.

"Sure," Zuko smiled down at her and they left the dessert shop together.

Many citizens stared in amazement as their prince led an unknown girl outside with his arm around her waist.

"Katara?" Sokka gazed across the palace roof. He had come up here to be alone and get fresh air but was surprised to see his sister. Katara turned and smiled at her mother. She greeted him in their native tongue. Sokka moved to join her at the roof's edge.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked her.

"I needed some air," she answered and then sighed.

"Why? Is something wrong? I mean, it's a lot to take in but you seem to be enjoying yourself here," he laughed.

Katara smiled but couldn't bring herself to laugh. "Did you hear about the wedding?" she asked.

"No. Between whom?"

"Prince Zuko and Mai," Katara looked up at the stars. She tried to pick out familiar constellations but could only find a few.

"Well, that's great isn't it?" Sokka said.

"I guess. I just . . . I don't know . . . I hadn't really expected it," she replied quietly.

"How did you not? They have been a couple for a few years, right?"

"Yeah,"

"And he is the heir to the throne, right?"

Katara sighed. "Yes, Sokka,"

"So he needs to secure that. Why wouldn't he do it with the woman he loves?" He asked.

"I don't think she loves him. She is so, you know, _her_,"

Sokka laughed at his sister. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't see what he sees in her. However, is that really your concern?"

Katara glared at him. "I don't really feel like talking about this right now," she said defensively. Sokka wouldn't be able to understand her feeling if she wasn't sure about them. He was a boy after all. "What about you and Ty Lee?" she asked, turning the conversation towards him.

Sokka's eyes widened a bit and then they narrowed slightly. "What about Ty Lee and me?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Katara said, "It's just she looks at you like you are the handsomest thing on earth,"

"Well, of course she does,"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, because I am the handsomest thing on earth," Sokka ran his fingers through his hair and gave Katara a goofy smile. She smacked his arm and laughed. Sokka laughed with her which felt good; he hadn't really laughed in so long.

"I _have _noticed many of the girls here have had their eyes on you," she stated, "But I'm serious; what's going on?"

Sokka stretched his arms and said, "Oh, I don't know. I think she likes me—no, I am _sure_ she likes me,"

"Likes in what way?"

Sokka gave her a 'really?' look.

"Okay," Katara laughed, "How do you feel about her?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I like talking with her, or, rather, listening to her," Sokka rolled his eyes jokingly. Seriously, he said; "I think she is sweet and kind. She is gentle but not weak. When I'm around her, I get a fluttering feeling in my stomach,"

Katara smiled widely. "It sound like you're love," she stretched out the 'o' on the word _love_.

Sokka mockingly punched her in the shoulder. "Hardly, little sister," he laughed. "Hey," he said, suddenly excited, "You know what we need to do soon?"

"Hmm?"

"Spar. I miss fighting, training." He admitted.

"I don't know about that," Katara said shaking her head doubtfully.

"Ah, come on," Sokka said, "We used to spar all the time when we were younger. We were an equal match, too. You with your bending and me with my mad spear, hand-to-hand, boomerang, and knife skills," he said with fake cockiness.

Katara was so glad to see this side of Sokka again. He had seemed so depressed for the past weeks; the time on the ship and the past week here. "Sure," she said. She was willing to do anything to keep him this happy.

"Katara," Sokka said, "When are we going to the North Pole? We need to help our people as soon as we can,"

Katara's palms began to sweat. "Zuko will send soldiers to retrieves benders within the week," she lied. Sokka heard something off in her voice. He was about to ask but Katara yawned loudly. "Well, I am _really_ tired. I should head off to bed now," She turned without another word and walked toward the staircase leading back into the palace.

"Goodnight," Sokka called over his shoulder.

"Night,"

Katara lay in her bed but couldn't sleep. All she could think about was what she had done to her people. She'd left her tribe, her family, defenseless while she enjoyed life in this new world. The guilt was trying to rip her apart and she tried to push it down. Katara curled up on her side and tried to make her brain shut up. To say the least, it was going to be a long night.

**~(~**

**I already have the next chapter written I am just waiting for some more feedback. Don't worry, this will continue! I have nearly half the story already outlined :) **

**-Kayleigh**


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