A strong sudden breeze swept across Ember Island, carrying with it the scent of sea water and incense. The leaves of the palm trees whispered to each other as the wind frolicked through their branches. Katara leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes as the breeze tousled her hair; it was a welcome change from the still calm of the evening air, but left her wanting, as it did little to provide relief from the heat. The mid-summer night was warm and thick with humidity, causing the natural curl in Katara's hair to spring to life. It had taken her a long time to get used the stifling temperatures in the Fire Nation; she and her friends had remained at the palace as the new Firelord's guests of honor after Ozai's defeat nearly two years ago, and she was just now finally coming to terms with the heat.

As the breeze died down, Katara became suddenly aware of how quiet everyone had become. Everything was so calm and peaceful. For the first time that night, she noticed the beautiful sound serenade of the crickets and cicadas all around them, with the occasional hoot of an owlcat chiming in now and then. The very small bonfire that flickered several feet in front of Katara added to the serenity, casting a soft glow on all the faces present. This made her smile slightly as she glanced around at her friends, who seemed to be lost in their own thoughts for the moment.

Aang as usual was close by, seated to her left and leaning back slightly, supporting his weight on his right arm with Momo dozing peacefully on his feet. He was gazing contentedly out toward the horizon and Katara could tell by his posture that he was perfectly relaxed. Next to Aang, Toph was lying nonchalantly with her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms crossed beneath her head, looking completely unperturbed. To Katara's right sat Zuko, resting back against an adjacent tree, with Mai close beside on his right. He was gazing intently into the fire as though in a trance, watching the way the gentle flames danced together, while Mai was inspecting her fingernails, looking bored. Next to Mai sat Sokka with his arm around Suki, both of them gazing off at the radiating lights on the horizon.

The group formed a half circle around the fire, facing the shoreline. The gentle slope on which they were sitting rose from the sandy shore and up to the grassy turf around Zuko's beach house. A mixture of grass and sand mingled between their toes. From that small hill, they could make out the glow of thousands of candles and lamps burning off in the distance in Caldera City, the Fire Nation capital.

A flash of red against the night sky in the distance, followed by a faint drum roll of pops and sizzles, caught the group's attention and shook them all out of their respective trances. "Hey guys, the fireworks have started!" Suki exclaimed as she clasped her hands together, livening the daze-like mood that had befallen them for several minutes. From where they were sitting, they had a spectacular view of the display, even if it was quite far away. Beautiful bursts of yellows, reds, blues, and greens adorned the sky; some even took on the shape of fire lilies and the national emblem. It was the most impressive display Katara had ever seen.

The remarkable exhibit of lanterns and fireworks marked the annual celebration of the Illumination Festival in the Fire Nation. The festival began centuries ago, long before Sozin's War, in the days when the four nations lived together in harmony; before the Fire Nation's rulers had become intent on "spreading their greatness" and corrupted by their lust for power and world dominance. It had been meant to symbolize the eternal triumph of good over evil, light over darkness – the light that empowers all people to commit themselves to doing the right thing no matter the cost, and to always try to see the good in themselves and in others. The festival begins on the first day of the summer solstice, and lasts for five days, one day to commemorate each of the four nations and one day to celebrate the unity they share. During those five days, candles and lamps illuminate every corner of Caldera City as well as the large neighboring cities, fireworks are displayed every night, and the scent of incense wafts through the air.

However, during the reigns of Firelord Sozin and Firelord Ozai, the holiday had been belittled and subsequently repackaged in line with their power-hungry worldview, cunningly whittled down through the decades to nothing more than a celebration of the Fire Nation's greatness and a symbol that their nation would always triumph above the others. Future generations would never know the difference.

Zuko had made a point to change that when he took the throne as the new Firelord. It was the second year of the revival of the true Illumination Festival since his coronation; the first year had been joyful and celebratory, but there was still an unmistakable air of hesitancy among the people, most of whom had never celebrated it for its true meaning. This year was different. For the first time in over one hundred years, the festival's renowned jubilant vibe was reborn, seeming to take on the meaning that was intended as the nations entered into a new era of promised peace and harmony. As Firelord, it was Zuko's duty to give a speech on the first day to kick off the festival; he had spoken wholeheartedly about the renewed significance of this day, not only for the Fire Nation but for all the world. Afterward there came a resounding cheer as the musicians struck up the drums and sungi horns and the festivities began. Mimes, fire breathers, and skilled dancers performed in the streets; colorful tents lined the walkways for vendors of face-painting, flaming fire flakes, and the Fire Nation's signature festival masks. At dusk that evening, the entire city was illuminated by the lighting of thousands of candles, lanterns, and lamps in nearly every home, shop, and the city streets. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

The gang had eaten and danced and sang and mimed and face-painted their hearts out the first day, finally winding down in joyous exhaustion as they watched the fireworks that night from the palace balcony. It had been Zuko's suggestion to spend the remainder of the holiday relaxing at his family's beach house on Ember Island and the rest of the gang happily agreed.

The next morning they had piled on Appa with a few belongings in tow and arrived shortly at their destination. After settling in and deciding on sleeping arrangements, the gang had spent the rest of the day basking lazily in the sun or swimming off shore, spending time both as a group and occasionally wandering off in twos or threes to pursue an activity that did not appeal to everyone. Aang and Toph had been the first to branch off from the group, going off to spar together to perfect some new earthbending moves; Sokka and Suki had strolled off hand in hand on a romantic walk down the coast; Mai had wandered off by herself to a new artsy saké shop that had recently opened in town. And being the only ones left, Katara and Zuko had simply remained on the shore, sitting side by side on the wet sand as the foamy blue-green waves washed up and lapped at their feet.

The two of them had spent quite a bit of time together with the group in the months celebrating the defeat of Firelord Ozai. Ever since she and Zuko had taken down Azula together, it was as though something between them had clicked, a deeper understanding and respect for the other, and there was a magnetism between them that seemed to draw them to each other. But in the past few months they had been spending increasingly more time alone together, away from the group. Sometimes they would go off on a walk to clear their minds, sometimes to vent and listen to each other's frustrations, more often than not these days concerning their significant others. The fact that both Aang and Mai lacked the passion both of them wished for was one of the more frequent matters of discussion. They were so alike in many ways that it was refreshing to share their joys and burdens with each other. Other times on a full moon when Katara was unable to sleep, Zuko would stay up to keep her company. On more than one occasion this had frustrated Mai, to the extent that she had implied he was in the market for a new girlfriend. When of course he had denied it, Katara was confused by the slight sinking sensation she had felt near her heart.

They had spent hours talking and laughing that afternoon on the beach, reminiscing, sharing stories and sometimes just a quiet smile. Had it not been for Aang and Toph returning to the house, they probably would have carried on like that until dusk. It may have been her imagination, but she could have sworn she had seen a hint of jealousy flash across the young Avatar's face. She was fairly certain it had not been the first time.

"Wow that one looked just like a spewing volcano!" exclaimed Sokka.

"Yeah, they seem to have really gone all out this year," Zuko stated, making a feeble attempt to mask his enthusiasm. Katara smiled at how unwittingly transparent he could be at times. Her head still leaning back complacently against the tree, she turned to look at him, still smiling softly. Zuko's peripheral vision picked up on the movement and he instinctively turned to look at her; he returned her gentle smile with his own, and their entwining gaze lingered just long enough to cause the slightest flutter in her stomach. She blushed and looked away.

Why was he having this effect on her lately? It seemed that increasingly over the past several months, whenever she was in close proximity to Zuko or her eyes met his, she would get those same butterflies in her stomach or her heart would tremble ever so slightly. She recognized it as the unmistakable reaction one has to a person they are romantically attracted to. But it was crazy to think that she could have developed feelings for Zuko; she was in a serious relationship with Aang. They had even talked about becoming engaged to be married soon. She loved Aang. Really, she did. Who are you trying to convince? her father's voice echoed in her head, one of the classic phrases he loved to use on her.

Her body was probably just confused because she had come to develop such a close friendship with Zuko. He means so much to me, and we understand each other's burdens so completely that my body is just misinterpreting those feelings for something more. That must be it. It was a completely logical explanation; she was certain she had figured out the mystery that had been taunting her over the last few months.

"Now those were some fireworks," Sokka proclaimed as the show came to an end, leaning back on one arm and gesturing toward the horizon. "Just when you thought they couldn't get any better, you were all like, 'Ooh!' and then, 'Whoa!' and then like, 'Holy sparrowkeet!' Did you guys see the one that looked exactly like a Fire Navy ship? Incredible!"

"They were pretty amazing," agreed Aang. "What did you think, Katara?"

The sound of her name was like a hand reaching into her daze and wrenching her out of it headfirst. For a moment she sat there blinking, dumbfounded, unable to recall the question that had been directed toward her. And then suddenly to her relief it came rushing back to her, the echo of Aang's voice in her head.

"Oh… yeah, they were nice." Katara looked around at her silent friends as they stared at her with unenthused expressions. Clearly they were underwhelmed by her lackluster response. Their attention made her feel embarrassed as she twisted her hands together in her lap. "They were great. I mean, wow, they were really…" she could feel herself overcompensating now, with hand gestures to match. She was relieved when Toph cut her off.

"You weren't even watching them, were you, Sugar Queen?"

"Of course I was watching them, Mud Slug!" Katara retorted, a little more harshly than she had intended.

"It certainly didn't seem that way."

Damn Toph and her freaky lie-detecting senses. "…No, I was watching," Katara faltered, becoming increasingly defensive, "I was just… admiring some of the other scenery too. It's a beautiful night, I just got distracted at times."

"I know," Toph said with a smirk that made Katara's face flush bright red. Whoever said blindness has anything to do with sight had clearly never met Toph Bei Fong. Those unseeing hazel eyes of hers had a way of seeing into people, reading them and unearthing their lies and secrets, and that was unnerving. Katara hoped with all her might that Toph had not sensed the exchange between Zuko and herself, but she knew deep down that that was hope wasted.

The tension was severed by a heavy, frustrated sigh. "I don't know about the rest of you," Mai said, her usual monotone a bit more acerbic than usual, "but I'm going to bed." Without another word or backward glance, she climbed back up the slope toward the house and disappeared inside. Katara slid an uneasy glance at Zuko, who met her gaze knowingly and averted his eyes downward as if to say Yeah, I picked up on it too. After a momentary awkward hush, the rest of the group shrugged it off casually, and both Zuko and Katara sighed inaudibly in relief as their shoulders relaxed in unison.

"Well, I'm not tired yet," said Toph, livening the mood. "How about we play a game?"

"Come on, Toph. A game?" Sokka replied slightly disapprovingly. "We're not kids anymore."

"I know. That's why I brought this!" she proclaimed, pulling a large bottle of liquor out of the satchel she had been carrying.

"Where did you get that?" Katara asked, shocked that her friend had managed to get a hold of such a large bottled of alcohol.

"From a peddler I met on the road during the festival in Caldera City yesterday. He cut me a good deal too," she announced proudly.

"Well put it away, we're not playing a drinking game," Katara scolded her.

"I don't know, Katara. It could be fun." All eyes turned to Aang in surprise. "What?" he shrugged. "I mean, we're on vacation in a safe spot and we don't plan on going anywhere. Why not?"

"I don't know…" her hesitancy was wavering, but she still felt unsure about it.

"Aang's right, Katara," Sokka chimed in. "It'll be some good laugh-inducing, let-loosening fun. What's the game called, Toph?"

"The game is called 'Never Have I Ever.' It's a great game to play if you want to see how many skeletons people are hiding in their closets." She shot a subtle smirk in Katara's direction as the words left her mouth and Katara sent a clandestine glare back at the earthbender even though she could not see her. "We all sit in a circle and we each take turns passing the bottle around. Whoever is holding the bottle says, 'Never have I ever…' and follows it up with a statement that is true for them. Then we pass the bottle around the circle, and anyone who has done whatever was said has to take a drink. For example, if I am holding the bottle and I say, 'Never have I ever sniffed my own farts and liked it,' we'd pass the bottle around and Sokka would take a drink."

"Hey!" Sokka shouted in protest as the others laughed.

"The point is to try to get your friends to take drinks as much as possible, but you have to keep it the truth. So you guys wanna play?" They all agreed in unison and closed the gaps between them to sit in a full circle. "Okay then, I'll start." Toph cleared her throat and pondered for a few seconds before continuing. "Never have I ever… been to the Southern Water Tribe."

The bottle was passed around and Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Sokka all took swigs from it as it made its way around the circle to Sokka who was seated next to Toph.

"Okay, my turn. Never have I ever been blind."

"That was cold."

"That was for saying I like the smell of my own farts!"

Toph smiled and took a drink, passing the bottle around the circle again to Suki.

"Hmm, okay let's see. Umm… never have I ever, uh, crossdressed," she finally said triumphantly as she glanced teasingly at Sokka. The group giggled at his feigned offense as first Aang took a drink and then Sokka.

"You've crossdressed, Twinkle Toes?" Toph chortled.

"I once dressed up like Avatar Kiyoshi in order to convince an Earth Kingdom village that I didn't want to harm them."

"With makeup and all," added Sokka.

"You never told me that!" exclaimed Suki, grinning wildly. "I would have paid to see that."

"You do have the craziest adventures."

"I guess it's my turn," Zuko said, sitting Indian-style with his elbows propped up on his knees. He kept his gaze turned downward, looking pensive as he turned the bottle in his hands. "Never have I ever died."

Several surprised gasps and nervous giggles erupted as all eyes turned from Zuko to Aang to gauge his reaction. Aang just shrugged and took a drink, passing the bottle along until it circled back to Katara. She felt Zuko's fingertips graze her own as she took the bottle from him, and the sensation sent a tingle through her arm and up to her cheeks where it manifested itself into a deep blush. She cursed her teenage hormones and hoped that he did not notice.

"Okay, hmm. Never have I ever been banished from my country," she said with an impish grin.

"Oh that's how we're playing now, is it?" Zuko said, finally brightening up a bit. "Okay, we can play like that." Everyone snickered as Zuko snatched the bottle from Katara's hand and took a gulp of the liquor and then passed it down the circle until it reached Aang. He thought for a moment before finally perking up.

"Never have I ever pretended to be someone I'm not." Toph took a drink wordlessly and then Zuko, who glowered and muttered something inaudible under his breath.

Finally the bottle reached Toph once again. "Never have I ever made out with Jet."

Katara winced and shot daggers at the blind girl. "How did you know about that?" she snarled.

"I didn't. You told me, just now." Katara grumbled incoherently at her own naivety and took a drink, as Aang and Zuko cried out in unison, "You made out with Jet?"

"Yeah… so what?" she retorted, becoming defensive.

"My baby sister…" Sokka said in sullen disbelief. "Did he deflower you?"

"Sokka!" Suki scolded, as everyone turned to a blushing Katara for her answer.

"Can we please just move on?" Katara pleaded, crossing her arms. She refused to give them any more ammunition to use against her.

"Okay, Sokka, it's your turn," Toph said, holding the bottle out to him.

"That wasn't a no!" Sokka cried out, pointing at his sister, the other hand on his head, his mouth gaping in disbelief. He did not even seem to hear her, so she took the bottle back.

"Alright," she began, "I have an idea – how about anyone who wants to take a turn can go, there's no order anymore. This should liven things up a notch or two. Show no mercy." Katara looked pleadingly at Toph as if to say Please, don't, but she knew it was useless. She just hoped Toph did not really know as much about her as it seemed she did.

The game carried on through roars of laughter at others' expense, building and building, each claim becoming less about the game and more about taking a good-natured jab at a friend and making the others drink.

Never have I ever shaved my head.

Never have I ever eaten meat.

Never have I ever bent an element.

Never have I ever streaked in public…

The alcohol began taking its effect, the night pierced by hoots and howls and side-splitting laughter. Aang became slaphappy and Toph was more arrogant and frank than ever. Sokka told more bad jokes than usual and transformed into a suave, debonair macho-man, dropping lame pickup lines to Suki, who was much more aggressive and competitive under the influence. Katara became incurably giggly and flirtatious, and Zuko was unexpectedly talkative and teasing, even losing his inhibitions at times to a case of the giggles (to everyone's surprise) with Katara.

…put my friend's hand in warm water to see if they would pee.

…been attracted to anyone here.

…had a sex dream about anyone here.

"I have never caught or overheard my parents having sex," Sokka stated. Everyone cringed, especially Zuko who chugged back a good gulp from the bottle to everyone's dismay.

"Are you serious?" Katara laughed at the expression on Zuko's face as he was forced to recall the memory.

"I wish I wasn't. I was eight years old and I had just woken up from a horrible nightmare. I knew I was too old to be running to my parents in fright, but at the time I was too scared not to. Boy did I wish I'd stayed in bed and succumbed to my fears after that."

"My turn," Katara called, sneering at Toph with a vengeful glimmer in her eye. She was determined to knock her down a peg or two. "I have never betrayed my parents by running away from home." The earthbender glowered at her and took a drink and then held onto the bottle. Her scowl transformed to an eerie grin.

"I've got one. I've never had feelings for two people at once."

Katara inhaled sharply and sat frozen, unwilling to believe what Toph had just said. She had been trying to tell herself lately that she did not have feelings for Zuko, but she had to admit it tasted like a lie. And if Toph had picked up on it… Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko turn to look at her and then Aang on the other side.

"Aren't you going to take a drink, Katara?" Toph chided, holding out the bottle. Katara took it from her harshly and threw it back, taking a large swig.

"What is she talking about, Katara?" asked Aang hesitantly, as though he were afraid of the answer, the slaphappy grin slowly fading from his face.

"Yeah, what is she talking about, Katara?" echoed Sokka. Suddenly a hand reached out in front of her and took the liquor bottle. Looking to her right, she saw Zuko downing a large gulp as well. He cast her a fleeting glance and then looked down to hide the smirk on his face. Her eyes widened as her mind raced through the implications. Could it be possible?

"Wait – both of you have?" Aang questioned, beginning to sound dismayed. Katara's heart began to race. Was he starting to suspect?

"Feelings are complicated, Aang. No big deal." She smiled thankfully at his attempt to smooth it over.

Aang was about to object when Sokka cut in. "Are you sure you didn't have a secret thing with Haru? It was Jet and Haru, wasn't it?" Katara felt relief wash over her as her brother unwittingly came to the rescue. He had not caught on. She just nodded faintly, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to admit the truth behind the earthbender's claim. Perhaps it was the relief mixed with an awkward situation and alcohol, but she suddenly had an inexplicable urge to burst out laughing. She was trying desperately to smother the smile that was building on her face. Looking at Zuko, she noticed the smirk he was trying to hide as well and when he glanced back up at her it was only made worse. A small snicker escaped her pursed lips as she tried to hold back the laughter, but soon the dam broke, and she was giggling uncontrollably. She knew it made no sense, she had no idea what she was even laughing about considering the close call that was still far from resolved, but she could not stop. It was all just so awkward and her head was too clouded to think straight, all she could do was laugh. Soon Zuko lost his composure as well, and his smirk erupted into the same torrent of laughter. She blamed the alcohol.

"I think this is probably a good sign that we should call it a night," Suki said. "Besides," she said through a yawn, "I'm feeling really sleepy all of sudden."

"Lightweight," Sokka teased. "Am I going to have to carry you to bed?"

Suki laughed. "If I'm forced to drink any more of this, you just might."

"Oh well then drink up." She pushed him teasingly and they both chuckled.

"Yeah, I think I've had enough too," said Aang in an unfamiliar tone, the giddiness of before seeming to have disappeared. It did not go unnoticed to Katara. He was troubled, and she was afraid she knew why. She just hoped it would be as easy to pull the wool over Aang's eyes as it was Sokka's, but that was unlikely; he could be far more perceptive than her brother. She needed to take some time to mull things over and get her head straight. She had to confront the conflicting emotions that she had swept under the rug for so long. Zuko was right; feelings were complicated.