Legendary

"Grandfather," Zuko looked up from his desk to see his grandson standing in his office doorway.  The teen was still in his school uniform; something Zuko knew was odd because the boy usually tore it off to go practice firebending when he came home.

He motioned for his grandson to come in.  "Is there something wrong?" He asked as the boy stopped in front of his desk.

"No, well maybe.  Here," he handed a book to Zuko.  It looked like the cheap new mass-produced ones that Zuko was still getting used to.  "It's the most popular book at the Academy right now.  Especially with the girls," Zuko watched the boys ears turn red.  Zuko took the book and chose to ignore his grandson's interest in girls.  He had grandchildren; he wasn't as excited about getting great-grandchildren, the thought made him feel old.

He looked at the cover of the book.  There was a busty woman in what appeared to be Water Tribe clothes being pulled into an embrace by a man in red.  The man's right side was facing the forward but Zuko could see a little smudge on the left side of his face.  The title of the book didn't deter his assumptions.  "Burning Glacier: how water and fire became one based on actual events" seemed like something that the Ember Island Players would put on.  Based on actual events made everything worse.  

"Thank you, I haven't heard of this yet."

"You can keep it.  And I didn't read it!  I promise," the boy's cheeks matched his ears.

"You can go if you want," Zuko dismissed the boy.  For some reason his grandson could be so comfortable around him at dinner or pretty much anywhere that wasn't his office.  He began to flip through the book stopping every so often and shaking his head.

~*~*~*~*

Zuko chuckled.  Katara turned from her vanity to look at her husband as he lounged in bed to read.  

"You keep laughing.  What are you reading?"  He'd kept the title hidden from her earlier that evening.

"Burning Glacier.  Apparently its very popular right now," he held out the cover for her to see.

"Is that me?!"  She exclaimed.

"I think so.  Her name is Karnata.  Half the time she knows what to do and the other half she seems to have less intelligence than a sea slug.  The man, Zoto, appears everywhere she is trying to capture her friend to gain the acceptance of his father.  He also likes to manhandle her and she falls apart in his arms.  It loosely follows our past but if had happened I might have been a little more driven to capture you."

"Why?" Katara had come over to the bed to curl up next to Zuko.

"Here let me read to you the pirate incident:

Karnata seethed as she tried to find a weakness in the bonds that held her to the tree.  She could feel water close by but she still hadn't fully mastered her bending yet.  She felt more helpless than ever and waited for the pirates to return.  The bonds cut into her wrists and the bark of the tree cut into her back-"

"You tied me to the tree not the pirates!"

"I know," he kissed her nose, "but I've made up for it since then.  Now let me finish reading:

-As she craned her neck to see if the pirates were coming back.  She heard a twig break and braced herself to fight if she got the chance to gain freedom.  Trying to recall what her brother said about how to weaken a man she was distracted and jumped when hot breath tickled her neck below her ear and the voice she longed to hear rasped "I'll save you from the pirates."

"Zoto!  I thought you wouldn't come," she whispered as she began to squirm as he worked on her binds.

"I didn't even know you were here.  Uncle made us stop for some shopping and I heard a rumor that pirates had captured a beautiful Water Tribe girl.  Only you could manage to get into that much trouble in one day.  Now hold still while I work the knot," he admonished.

Finally the ropes gave and he pulled them from her wrist.  She jumped away from the tree and turned to face her savior.  "Oh thank you," she gasped before flinging herself at him and kissing him.  She had become addicted to his kisses even though they had shared so few.  Her hands tangled in his hair as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer.  He reluctantly broke their kiss then pried her hands from his hair and kissed her wrists where rope burns had left the skin red and angry.

"I wish we could continue but we have to get out of here.  You and your friends need to leave before the pirates find out who you are and I…I need to continue to chase you," he finished sadly.

"Please join us, you know what we're trying to do is right," she pleaded into his shoulder as she tucked her self under his head.

"I can't.  I just…can't," he said into her hair, breathing in her scent.

"That is how this thing depicts the pirate incident?  It ends with us making out.  I didn't even kiss you until after the one year anniversary of the end of the War," Katara complained.  "And you were working with them."

"I know, I've apologized so many times for this I can never forget it," he kissed her head as she moved closer.  "It gets better.  Apparently we didn't fight physically at the North Pole.  We made out then got into an argument over my obsession with honor after which I just left."

"Do all of our meetings have us kissing?"

"Yeah.  I was also with you in The Cave of Two Lovers and we received a blessing from their spirits for our love.  They also warned us of the trouble road ahead even though we were meant to be."

"Were they referring to the assassination attempts or half your council's refusal to call me Fire Lady even after we were married?"

"I think its referring to our different statuses, my little peasant," he kissed her lips before she could respond.  He'd taken to calling her that as a pet name years ago and Katara begrudgingly accepted it.  "I think our time in the Crystal Catacombs is my favorite so far."

"Why?"

"I get your top off," he smirked.

"Is that all you ever think about?"

"We've been married how many years?  Of course.  I still never get tired of unwrapping your bindings."

"Where are you now?"  She asked trying to scan the page for any reference to their past.

"Right after the fight with Azula.  Who is named Azela in this.  At least they tried a little with our names."

"Read it to me."

"Fine."

Karnata gentle embraced the fallen Prince as he moaned back to consciousness.  "You're alive, oh Spirits you're alive!  I wasn't sure if I got to you in time to heal you," tears were running down her face as she began to shower his face with kisses.  "Why would you do that for me?"  She asked as she brushed the hair from his face.

"All I could think was 'no! Not her!' as I saw what my twisted sister had planned," he groaned as she accidently brushed the raw, burn skin on his once flawless chest-"

"It does not say your chest was flawless."

"It does and I seem to remember someone saying she loved it while licking and kissing her way all over it," he said.  He watched as a slight flush colored her cheeks.  He liked that even years later he could make her blush.

"Just continue with the story."

"-In her need to make sure he was breathing and his heart was beating.  "Marry me," he choked out as she gazed into his eyes.

"Do you really mean that?"  Her heart was beating so fast and loud she could swear he could hear it too.  She wanted this, wanted to be his for the rest of their lives but she didn't want him making promises he'd regret once he was better.

"With all my heart."

She leaned down to kiss him firmly on the lips.  "Yes," she almost laughed out in her happiness.

"That is not how you proposed and where are Mai and Aang in this story?"

"Mai doesn't have a counter part and Aang is treated like your brother.  Which is fairly accurate if you think about it."

She sighed and grabbed the book from his hands flipping through the pages.  "Why would anyone want to read this?"  

"I don't know.  Maybe because they want to read of the epic romance of their rulers?  Its kind of flattering if you think about it."

"Yes but people are going to think this is the truth and not what happened."

"I like this silly fable better."  He kissed his wife.  And they continued to live happily ever after.