A/N: Bear with me through the flashback from the episode entitled: Final Agni Kai. Inspiration to start this story was modeled after that episode, so I'd also like to note that I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. Everything after the flashback is written from my own imagination.

Chapter One

A Dream of Fire

Azula was certifiably insane.

That's what Katara thought as she stood behind Zuko, watching the pair battle in an Agni Kai–a final challenge between sister and brother for the Fire Nation throne.

Katara stood there, momentarily stunned by the display of brilliant flame before her. An expression of mania pulled the corners of Azula's lips into a feral grin. Azula was known for her cruel nature and her ability to dismiss human emotion at the snap of a finger, but something had changed since the last time Katara had seen her. Though unbelievably brutish, Azula had always had an air of elegance and grace about her. Katara didn't see that now. Any shred of humanity the girl might have possessed was thoroughly extinguished. Katara saw the sinister look gleaming in Azula's eyes as her unkempt hair swung crookedly across her brow and knew…

Azula meant to end Zuko's life.

Katara knew she needed to do something–but what? An Agni Kai was an ancient firebender tradition and Katara knew she shouldn't get in the way, but she knew she couldn't stand idly by and watch Azula kill Zuko… Not after everything he had done to help them. Zuko had changed. Katara may not have been all that eager to jump on his support train in the beginning. After all, she'd given him her trust in the Crystal Catacombs when she learned that the Fire Nation had taken the lives of both their mothers. And then he'd betrayed her... Katara hated him for a long time, but he'd proven himself to the Avatar and she wanted to believe that Zuko was trying to do the right thing this time. For the sake of the world, she had to believe that.

Katara could feel the heat as Zuko and Azula's flames met–brilliant shades of gold and blue bursting with the sound of a great explosion that rang in her ears. Zuko stood his ground, so much more aware and in control of his strengths than Katara had ever seen him. With every attack that failed to hit its mark, Azula grew more and more deranged.

"No lightning today?" Zuko taunted his sister. "What's the matter–afraid I'll redirect it?" He took a stance, holding his arms at the ready.

"I'll show you lightning," Azula practically growled. The sky seemed to darken above them, thunder charging the atmosphere as Azula commanded the fire element to obey her. The brightest of blue currents sparked from her fingertips; she waved her arms in the air, twisting the bolts as she gathered up the charge. Katara had never seen such a display of vibrant electricity. Azula's smile widened as her eyes shifted sharply to the left.

Katara didn't have time to react.

All she could do was stand there, bearing witness to the bolt of lightning that was sailing right for her. Her eyes widened–momentarily blinded by the bolt of burning blue. Katara's breath hitched. Her heart speeding erratically until she thought she felt it stop.

"No!" Zuko's voice echoed above the sound of the electricity. Time seemed to lose itself to an unfathomably slow tempo. Katara watched in what felt like slow motion as Zuko jumped directly into the path of the bolt, arms expanding as Azula's lightning strike hit him square in the chest. The blast sent his body through the air as he took the full brunt of the force. Zuko fell; his body convulsing on the ground with blue currents.

And that's when Katara always awoke from her nightmare.

She sat up in bed, panting, as sweat trickled across her brow. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, turning her face towards the window. The night sky beyond was beginning to lighten with shades of indigo, chasing the stars into the west. Katara spun so that her legs were dangling off the bed, elbows locked on the mattress to support her upper body. The nightmare always left her feeling weak and sometimes dizzy. She knew it was a trauma response, but one she had hoped would dissipate with time.

Time didn't seem to be the answer–as it had been nearly two years since the final war. Zuko was Fire Lord, and all the nations were working together to heal what damage had been done to their fractured world. Bandaging those wounds took time and great amounts of effort, but thanks to those in support of Team Avatar–the world was learning what it meant to have peace once again. For that, Katara couldn't be happier, but there were still shadows of darkness and pain that haunted her… Sometimes those ghosts of war sprung awake when she least expected, and Katara didn't quite know how to lay them to rest.

She found her footing on the hardwood floor and made her way to the bathroom. She splashed her face with cold water, letting the droplets trickle down the back of her neck and cool her. Katara stared at her reflection in the dim morning light; at eighteen, she looked more like her mother than she thought possible. Her long hair had seemingly turned a shade darker; her face more angular. Her eyes were a deep shade of sapphire with slender eyebrows framing them. She was a woman grown, but despite her young age, she had seen more in her time than most would ever experience in theirs. Katara sighed, turning from the bathroom and headed for the front door of the house.

She tiptoed through the hallway as silent as a mouse and carefully unlocked the door. The first rays of the golden sun were peaking over the horizon, illuminating the dewdrops on the slender blades of grass. The morning air had a bit of a chill, so Katara crossed her arms over her chest to keep warm as she made her way along the little path that cut across the field and into the tropical forest. She was just coming up on the barn when a figure appeared in the doorway. Katara froze mid-step, already bending the water from the grass.

"At ease, soldier."

Katara lowered her guard when she realized the voice belonged to Suki. Katara sucked in a lungful of air and blew out slowly, lightly touching her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry Suki. I guess I'm just a little on edge."

"Still having that nightmare?" Suki crossed her arms, casually leaning against the support beam.

Katara felt heat rush to her cheekbones before breaking eye contact with the auburn-haired girl. She'd confided in her friend years ago, telling her about the nightmare and having to relive that event over and over as if the gods wouldn't allow her to forget. It didn't happen every night, per se, but Katara was embarrassed to admit it was regular enough that it awoke her from an otherwise peaceful slumber on a monthly basis. "Yeah," she admitted in defeat, "still having that nightmare."

"And you still haven't told Aang about it?"

Katara clenched her jaw before her gaze cut upwards to meet Suki's. "What are you doing up this early anyway?" she countered in attempt to avoid answering that question.

"Your wonderful brother still has that cold, and his snoring could very well rival Appa's." Suki rolled her eyes. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come out here to take a walk." The Kyoshi warrior shrugged. "The beach is always nice this time of morning."

Katara nodded, covering her left forearm with the palm of her opposite hand. Katara knew firsthand how loud her brother's snores could be when he was sick, as she was often camped out next to him or the one taking care of him. Sokka was such a baby about being sick, too. "You sure you still want to go through with marrying him?" A small, teasing smile pulled at the corner of Katara's mouth. "It's not too late to back out."

Suki appeared to be considering this before saying, "Nah. Isn't there a line in the wedding vows that says 'in sickness and in health?'"

"For better or worse," Katara added, almost tauntingly, "till death do us part."

Suki chuckled, pushing herself away from the support beam to head towards Katara. "Come on," she said, "let's walk to the beach."

"Weren't you already there this morning?" Katara lifted a single eyebrow.

"I was, but it's not like I'm doing anything else, and I can tell you don't really want to be alone right now." Suki's lips pressed into a thin smile as she looped her arm across Katara's shoulders. Katara was grateful for her friend and allowed her to guide her down the narrow path. Eventually the grass tapered off and the ground became softer. Sand appeared beneath her feet and the gentle lull of the ocean's waves soothed Katara's ears. She inhaled deeply, capturing the scent of sea salt and holding it in her lungs. Katara called on the water element, bending it in whorls in the air above them.

Suki watched her friend bend the water so effortlessly, as if it were a living, breathing thing that thrived within her. She needed the water in order to survive. Suki, though not a bender herself, perched on a large flat rock to watch the show. She knew Katara did this daily as a form of meditation, and watching her was even cathartic to the seasoned warrior. She let her bend for some time before finally breaking the silence.

"Have you heard from Aang lately?"

Katara lowered her arms, letting the water settle back into the ocean as she gazed out across the vast expanse of blue. "He's still at the Southern Air Temple," Katara replied. "He was supposed to be back three months ago, but every letter he sends says that his work isn't finished." Katara picked up a shell and tossed it as far as she could out into the sea. She couldn't even hear it when it dropped.

"There was a lot that needed done at the Southern Air Temple," Suki paused. "You could always join him. You know Kyoshi would let you borrow a small ship. I'm sure there are a few sailors looking for an excuse to travel."

"There's a lot to be done here, too," Katara said. She plopped down in the sand, bringing her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them. After the Hundred Year War came to an end, the new Fire Lord, Zuko, and the Avatar, Aang, worked laboriously to bring an end to world suffering. Katara, along with the rest of Team Avatar, worked side by side to help spread peace and healing to the nations that had suffered the most. Their different abilities and strengths eventually led them in different directions for different missions. That's how Katara had come to stay on Kyoshi Island with her brother and Suki.

After the war had ended, there were still so many refugees–so many people without homes to return to because of what the previous Fire Lord had done to their lands. The governor of Kyoshi Island opened his villages to those refugees of war, and it was here that they remained–trying to make new lives for their families. Katara was working as a healer at the island infirmary, caring for the sick and elderly and occasionally, the wounded. The war was over, but Kyoshi Island still trained warriors, thus resulting in the periodic injury from various weaponry. Katara was needed here.

"Everyone deserves a vacation," Suki continued. "You have plenty of apprentices training under you at the infirmary. I'm sure a few of them would be more than happy to step up to the plate so you can get the break you so obviously need."

Katara frowned. "None of them are waterbenders, Suki. They can't heal like I can."

"That's what traditional doctors are for." The Kyoshi warrior plopped down in the sand next to Katara and bumped her shoulder into Katara's arm.

"What makes you think I need a vacation so badly anyway?"

"For starters? Your nightmares have been increasing over the last few months, and you're practically working yourself to death. Aimi told me you've been working back to back shifts more frequently then you should–"

"–Are you spying on me now, Suki?" Katara interrupted. "I know my strengths and I know my limits. I've been keeping up and haven't hurt myself or anyone else so I don't see what the problem is."

Suki was quiet a moment, shifting her gaze from her friend's face to stare out at the rolling blue of the ocean instead. Finally, she said, "Are you happy Katara?"

It was the way in which she'd asked the question–not so much the question itself–that caused a slight pang to radiate in Katara's chest. What should have been an easy thing to answer, weighed down Katara's shoulders as she raked her teeth across her lower lip. Katara knew she could talk to Suki… the girl had become her best friend over the last two years, and Katara trusted her more than she trusted almost anyone–save for Sokka and Aang of course.

She reached up, smoothing a lock of hair behind one of her ears and said, "I-I don't know, Suki." Katara reached for the sand, drawing lazy circles with her index finger as she absorbed the heat in the granules from the morning sunlight. "The people I love are all safe, and the world is at peace again. What more could I possibly want?" What more did she possibly have the right to hope for, she thought.

"Just because those things are true doesn't mean that your heart can't long for more," Suki said in a soft tone. "Let's talk about your dream for a minute." Katara shot her a look that said: I'd really rather not, but Suki wasn't taking no for an answer. "Tell me why you think you keep reliving that moment… what about it haunts you so deeply?"

Katara reached up, thumbing the Water Tribe pendant that had belonged to her mother. "I don't know. Zuko and I were there to stop Azula together, but when he entered that Agni Kai there was nothing I could do. I felt so useless–standing there, watching…" Katara paused. "But when Azula tried to kill me instead, Zuko didn't even hesitate. He just… saved my life when it could have meant the end of his own." Katara stopped drawing in the sand and folded both arms around her knees again, cradling herself.

"I know what you did to stop Azula, and I know you healed Zuko after... But maybe you keep having that dream because you feel like you're indebted to him in some way."

"I've thought of that," Katara admitted. "I thanked him, but, maybe it wasn't enough." She remembered running to him after she'd beaten Azula and left her chained to the drain grates. She was so afraid that he would be dead when she reached him. She'd been so wrong about him–treated him like an enemy when the others had already accepted that he'd changed. Whatever lingering doubts she may have had about Zuko vanished the moment he jumped into the path of the lightning bolt to save her life.

After the way she had treated him–Katara had to wonder why?"

"You know... Zuko would never want you to feel like you owed him something."

Katara snorted. "Then why do I feel this way… like I have unfinished business with him or something." She turned her face, eyes searching Suki's for an answer.

"Probably," Suki said, "because you're working yourself to death in order to distract yourself from the fact that Aang has been gone for almost six months. I know you think that you'll just be adding a burden to his overflowing plate if you tell him about your nightmares, but he's your boyfriend, Katara. He should know you're struggling. Plus, I'd be pissed as hell if Sokka was gone for six months and hadn't made an effort to see me."

"Aang is the Avatar," Katara's tone hardened just a fraction as she said this. "He shouldn't have to worry about me and some silly repetitive nightmare when he's trying to make the world a better place." Katara pushed up from the beach and dusted the sand from her pants. "I can handle it on my own."

Suki stood up beside her friend, covering her shoulder with the palm of her hand. "I know you're more than capable, Katara… but, something has to give. Maybe your reoccurring nightmare is a sign from the ancestors. Maybe the Universe has other plans in store for you, I don't know. But I do know you need to deal with this instead of brushing it under the proverbial rug. Pretending it's not there won't make it go away."

"You're so confusing," Katara told her, gently brushing her hand off her shoulder so she could return to the village. The sun was climbing in the sky, and Katara knew she needed to get home to change for her shift at the infirmary.

The two women left the beach behind and started up the narrow path through the palm trees, walking side by side. "How am I confusing?" Suki asked. "I'm just trying to get you to deal with your problems instead of brushing them aside."

Easy for Suki to say, Katara thought. After the war had ended, Suki was able to return to her native home on the island, continuing in the exact path she had been on before the Kyoshi Island warriors had ever agreed to enter the war. She was a respected leader to her people, and Sokka loved her enough to stay on Kyoshi with her. Suki didn't understand what it was like to have to give up anything.

Katara supposed she could go back to the Southern Water Tribe and live a peaceful life with her dad and her people… but nothing would be the same. Sokka wouldn't be there, and Aang sure as hell wasn't going to live in the frozen tundra when he still had the whole world to look out for. She knew she could visit when she was homesick, but, going back home in a permanent sense was just simply out of the question.

Katara loved working at the infirmary–helping people was the only semblance of normalcy she had. It made her feel like she was making a small difference, and if it was the only way she could help Team Avatar continue in the path of peace, then that's what she would do.

So why, she asked herself, was something still amiss?

When the two girls approached the village, Katara spotted something on the horizon. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes against the sunlight, and watched as a giant bird swooped down through the perfect azure sky.

"Is that a messenger hawk?" Suki asked as she followed Katara's line of vision.

"Looks like it." The bird was circling down now, making a line straight for Katara. She held out her arm, bracing herself for the thing to perch and hoped its claws had been recently manicured. The bird squawked before landing, and extended a cream colored envelope with its right leg. "Well thank you," Katara said, unclipping the envelope from the bird's leg.

Suki held out her arm and the hawk jumped to her while Katara flipped over the piece of parchment. The seal of the Fire Nation was raised on the flap, perfectly intact with bright crimson wax. Katara used her nails to slice though and tore the heavy card from the envelope. Her eyes scanned the words, reading them over a second time to soak in the details.

"Well what is it?" Suki asked, stroking the golden feathers on the hawk's neck.

"It's from General Iroh," Katara said, "an invitation to Fire Lord Zuko's birthday."

I'm going to try to keep these coming once a week for regular updates. I hope you enjoy my take on the story.

Happy Reading

~Sparrow