^^the witch/Fire Lord Ozai's consort/intended
     Travelling through the desert took time. Once they got through, Team Avatar accompanied a small group of refugees and their old friend, Suki, through the Serpent's Pass. Zuko and Iroh ended up finding safe passage to Ba Sing Se onboard a boat where he met Jet.
     Team Avatar made it to Ba Sing Se in time to find that the Fire Nation had created a giant drill to break through the city wall. They snuck inside of the drill (aside from Toph who earthbended from outside) and stole plans from one of the engineers so they could destroy it from the inside. Together, Rose and Katara cut the braces with waterbending.
     Right when they were close to destroying the drill from the inside out, Team Anti Avatar showed up. Mai and Ty Lee chased Katara and Sokka while Azula chased Rose and Aang. Through teamwork and a series of luck, Team Avatar won their fights and Rose broke the drill, right as it broke through the wall.
     Jet tried to get Zuko to join his Freedom Fighters but he refused. Then Jet caught Iroh firebending his tea and was determined to destroy them.
     Team Avatar took a train with several other people into the city which was huge, bigger than they thought. Iroh bought some flowers for their new place, saying, "I want our new home to look nice in case you bring home a lady friend."
    "I don't want a life here." Zuko said, his thoughts turning to Rose. "I know what I want and I can't have it hiding out here in some big city."
    Team Avatar met Joo Dee, a woman who seemed adamant on keeping them from talking to the Earth King. When she finally left them in peace, a government official warned them that they couldn't mention the war within Ba Sing Se walls and to stay away from the Dai Li.
    As Zuko and Iroh got settled into the city, Zuko thought he saw Rose wandering the streets but, every time he tried to chase after her, she wasn't there. He could feel he was going crazy because, ever since he last saw her, when Iroh was hurt by Azula, he kept seeing her everywhere. 
    The two got a job at a tea shop and Iroh worked hard to make it the best tea shop in the city. Jet attacked them and Zuko fended him off with his swords until he was escorted away by the Dai Li and hypnotized. Meanwhile, their leader, Long Feng explained that the war was not to be mentioned inside the walls and especially not to the king. The best thing to do would be for them to look for their bison and get out of the city.
    The group grew used to living in the city, making lives for themselves. One day, as Zuko was helping Iroh run the tea shop, he became suspicious of a girl watching them.
    "Uncle, we have a problem. One of the customers is onto us."  He gestured. "Don't look now but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Iroh took a quick look. "Didn't I say don't look?"
    "You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you."
    "What?"
    At that moment, the girl they'd been talking about walked up. "Thanks for the tea. What's your name?"
    "Lee. My uncle and I just moved here."
    The girl introduced herself as Jin. "Thank you and...I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime."
    "He'd love to." Iroh answered.
    "Great. I'll meet you at the shop at sundown."
    At sundown, Zuko met with her as promised. "I love the hair." she said, messing it up.
   "My uncle spent 10 minutes on my hair!"
   The date was awkward and uncomfortable for both parties involved. Jin tried to get to know Zuko, asking questions about his life which he dodged. As he told some lie about once working at the circus, his mind wandered to Rose again. He stared off into the distance and was surprised to see Rose, her red hair and long skirt waving in the breeze.
   Quickly, he stood. "I'm sorry. I gotta go."
   With that, he chased after her, turning around corners and ducking through alleyways, following the trail of fiery red tresses. Finally, he found her, chatting to some guy before heading off again.
    She turned down a quiet street and he followed her, stopping in his tracks as she did. "I know you're there. What do you want?"
    "You."
    She turned to him then, her red hair flowing in a breeze of her own creation, her eyes sparkling with different colors in their mist. "Zuko?"
    Zuko moved forward, reaching a hand out to touch her. "You're real." 
   "Of course I'm real." Rose said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
   "It's just--I--" Zuko shook his head. "It's not important. But this is."
    He pulled her into his arms, kissing her like his life depended on it, depended on her touch and their shared breath. She responded in kind, tangling her fingers in his hair, messing it up. Unlike with Jin, he didn't fight her.
    When they pulled apart, Rose looked up at him with love in her eyes. "I love you." Zuko said, pulling her in for a hug. "Would you go on a date with me?"
   She looked at him in surprise. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting that."
   "Well?" Zuko asked impatiently.
   "Of course I will."
   He smirked and took her hand, leading her away.
   From around a corner, Iroh and Jin watched as they walked away. "Thank you, Jin. You've been most helpful in getting them together."
   "Anytime, Mr. Mushi. I'll see you the next time I'm craving a cup of tea."
                    * * * * *
   Zuko took Rose to the same restaurant Jin had suggested. They took their seats and ordered, sitting in awkward silence for a bit. "So...uh...how've you been?" Zuko asked, awkwardly.
   Rose smiled. "You've never dated a girl before have you?" she asked, not unkindly.
   "Well I've only ever been with one girl other than you."
   Rose leaned forward and stroked his cheek. "I bet she thought you were just as adorable as I do."
   "Well, we were kids and I was an awkward kid so I guess so."
   "You don't have to try so hard, you know that right?" Rose said, her gaze intoxicating him. "I already want to be with you. Just...be yourself, alright?"
    After that, they enjoyed a comfortable conversation, catching up on what had happened since the North Pole (since they hadn't been able to the last time they saw each other). "I thought if I learned things like you...I don't know...I'd be able to understand you better and come to deserve you." Zuko said after he told the story of him trying to deflect lightning.
    "It's not a matter of deserving me, Zuko. I love you. And I'm not going anywhere."
   After dinner, the couple took a walk through a park that Rose showed Zuko. As they did so, Rose told Zuko her story. "And, at first, I didn't want to be the Avatar. But now I think they made the right decision. I mean...I wouldn't have met you otherwise."
    "I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Zuko confessed, picking some flowers and offering them to her, Rose accepting them with a genuine smile. "I doubt I made a good impression attacking your friend's home with my army."
    Rose stroked his hair. "You had a ponytail." she said with a giggle. "You're the only guy I know that could make that hairstyle work. I do love the new look though." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You might not have made the best impression but I found you intriguing. It helps that you're cute." Zuko blushed at that comment. "And somewhere in our flirting, I felt something."
     "So did I." Zuko confessed, stopping them in their tracks, turning to her and gazing at her with love shining in his amber eyes. "I think that day I rescued you when we had our first kiss was when I started to realize what it was."
     "But you said--"
     "I know what I said." Zuko said, regret covering his words as he reached out to hold her. "In my mind, nothing mattered except my mission and anything that distracted me from that...well..." he trailed off. "But then when I saw you in the North Pole, when I rescued you, I knew there was no way you could've been controlling me. Not when I felt the way I feel now."
    "I told you I loved you then and I meant it."
    "How did I manage to win you over?"
    "Just being you. All I know is that day with the pirates, I felt something when you grabbed me then that day you saved me, that kiss awakened feelings I didn't know I had."
    They started walking again as they talked. "So what happens now?"
    "Well, I was always told that when you find your soulmate, you share a soul bond." Rose said slowly.
    "And how does that work?" Zuko asked, taking her hand as they continued moving.
    "A soul bond is the strongest bond of all, one stronger than any other bond in this world...or the next." Rose explained. "It is a bond where we become one: whatever one feels, so does the other, we know where the other is, if they are alive, and if they are unfaithful."
    Zuko stopped their walk again, holding her close to him as he gazed deep into those eyes he fell in love with. "As if I'd ever have any reason to be unfaithful to you. I am yours...forever."
    "You have to be serious about this because, once this soul bond happens...it can't be broken."
    "I'm fine with that, my love. I would do anything to be with you like we want. I don't care how much it hurts or what I have to do, I am yours as I want you as mine."
    Rose smiled. "Ok. If you're sure--"
    "I am. How do we make this bond?"
    At this, she blushed. "To become one, we have to...become one."
    "Oh..." he said, blushing as well. 
                        * * * * *
    Iroh had settled down for the night, making a last pot of tea before bed when he heard the sound of his nephew stepping into the house. "Ah! Prince Zuko, how was your date?"
    Zuko whispered to Rose to go wait for him in his room. She nodded and walked in, closing the screen before Iroh turned around. The old man, however, caught a quick glimpse of her red hair disappearing into the room and internally smiled.
     "Oh...um..." Zuko said, feeling like he was put in the spotlight at his uncle's question. "It was nice." He turned his gaze to his room. "But...I'm tired."
    "Before you go, how's Rose?" Iroh asked as he took a drink of tea, smirking.
    "What are you--?"
    "I set you up with the other girl to help you finally make your move with the Avatar."
    Zuko slapped his forehead as he realized. "Oh, I forgot about Jin!"
   "No worries." Iroh said, waving him off. "I took her home hours ago. But the question is how was your date with the Avatar?"
    Zuko blushed. "Oh well...uh...great actually. We made a decision about our future together."
    "Oh? And what's that?"
    "To be together." Iroh nodded, taking a sip of tea. "We're going to be soul bound." 
    Iroh then did a spit take. "You...what?" he sputtered, coughing. "Prince Zuko, have you taken leave of your senses? Do you not realize how dangerous a bond like that is?"
    "Rose already explained it. I know the dangers, everything."
    "Then you know how impulsive you are being?" Iroh said, cleaning up the tea he spilled. "A soul bond is the strongest of bonds. It cannot be broken. Do you understand this?"
    "Yes I do." Zuko said. "I understand everything and this is what I want. I thought you'd be pleased. Isn't this what you've been trying to do since day one? Get us together?"
    "Of course I want you to be together. I only want your happiness. But a soul bond is meant to be done after those involved have been together a long time, long enough to know they are meant for each other."
    Zuko's door slid open and Rose walked into the room. "General Iroh, believe me when I say we're prepared for this bond and everything it entails. We don't intend to change our minds anytime soon."
    "It's nice to see you again, Avatar, but please, just Iroh is fine."
    "As long as you agree to call me Rose."
    "Rose." Iroh said, respectfully. "You yourself know of the dangers of this bond."
    "I know." Rose said, taking her spot beside Zuko. "But I've always known who he is and I accept whatever is ahead of us...good and bad. I've loved him for a long time, long enough to know what I want."
    Iroh visibly deflated at her words. "If you are both sure then I won't stop you." Rose hugged him and he smiled. "Very well. But don't be too loud. I don't want complaints from our lovely neighbors." Iroh said, back to his usual jolly self.
    "No worries." Zuko said, taking Rose into his room and shutting the door.                                             
       ***SMUT WARNING!!!!****
    Zuko turned from shutting his door to find Rose sitting on his bed, wearing nothing but a silk robe, her red hair flowing down her back. The image made his cock stir in his pants, feelings of desire fluttering in his chest.
    They met in a tangle of lips and limbs, holding onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Zuko raised his hand to the string of Rose's robe, giving it a gentle tug so that it came open, allowing him to rake his brown gaze up and down her beautiful body.
   Lips met again in an explosion of passion, fingers wandering over exposed skin. Rose ran her hands over Zuko's body, slowly unbuttoning his shirt, slipping her hands inside so she could push it off his shoulders.
    The rest of their clothing was quickly discarded before they met again, lips stuck together as they moved, their bodies pressed together. His lips wandered across her body, kissing and sucking on her skin, her neck then her heaving breasts.
    Rose was pushed backwards onto the bed, Zuko following, kissing over more of her body, her chest, her stomach, sides, her tumbling waves of hair, her creamy thighs, and finally, to the juncture between them.
    A cautious kitten lick led to more, his lips and tongue attached to her most intimate of places, her fingers tangled in his now wrecked hair. Within moments, she came undone, clenching around a pair of fingers he had slipped inside her at some point.
    A kiss, hot as the fire he created, followed. They separated for a split moment, him removing the last piece of clothing separating them from being joined as one.
   But before he reunited with her, she leaned forward, crouched on her hands and knees, her mouth wrapped around him, sucking him down as if she was trying to suck his soul out through his cock.
    Zuko groaned from above her. Taking her petite body in his arms, he laid her back on the bed. With a bit more teasing, he entered her, the pair of them becoming one.
   They sat up, her in his lap, both rocking against each other, skin to skin, hands wandering over each other's bodies, lips kissing everywhere they could reach.
    With a final thrust, Rose was filled with the result of Zuko's desire and passion for her. "We are bonded for life." Rose whispered. "I am all yours...forever."
     "And I'm yours." Zuko promised. "But I'm not done with you yet."
     She giggled as he laid her out on the bed once more, rocking with her, making the night a long one for the two lovers.
             ***End of Smut****

     In the Aether Realm, the royal family was drawn from their dinner when a sudden feeling came over them.
    "She's found him." Ophelia said, a smile spreading over her face as she embraced her husband.
    At the North Pole, Catie was hit with a sudden feeling. "Oh, sister, you didn't!" she said, giggling.
    Far away, Aurora was meditating when when she felt it. "I was right."
    In the Fire Nation, a woman with raven hair walked down the corridor of the castle, long green dress flowing behind her. A sudden feeling came over her and she frowned, her eyes glowing red in anger.
    She rushed into the throne room and quickly knelt at the feet of her master. "Fire Lord Ozai, I require an audience."
    He stood from his throne, a handful stroking across her face. "Of course, my dearest. What is the emergency?"
    She looked up, her red eyes gleaming in fire. "Your son has betrayed you."