A Zutara One Shot.

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Electricity

They have been practicing their moves on their own times. When it was training with or without the Avatar they have been honing their skills by themselves. Zuko and Iroh now traveling with the group after many a peril, were helping hone Aang's skills as an fire bender. And as he didn't want to admit it, Zuko was learning beside Aang since a careful meditation to help acheive inner peace was required for fire benders if they wanted to be superb at it. Also, It was a good idea afterall since Zuko needed to find a peace of mind after being so very mixed up and lost with all that had happened to him. Being lied to and betrayed by Azula in front of their father to have him imprisoned. Azula was after what her father was. Ruler of the fire nation and knew that if there was not only the Avatar and her father in her way, but the line of heirs. She needed to flick off the easiest of tasks first in her mind and that was her brother. And with that she sent him and Iroh to the fire nation prison. Losing his sense of mind and burning through metal almost killing himself and numerous others. At that time, Aang and the group were looking to free Iroh since Jeong Jeong was proving hard to find as a fire bending teacher. If it wasn't for Katara who splashed him with water and paralyzed his state of mind with healing properties with the water to ease him, he could've melted the fire nation prision where he and Iroh were being held with a suicidal combustion of some sort.

On their own they practiced or along side with Aang. Katara becoming a water bending master with abilities not even she could've foreseen to receive. If there was any mist, fog, or little bit of residue in the air, she had carefully trained herself to take what bit of moisture was around to form a bit of water from it to bend to her needs. Zuko, with hard training, had burned himself numerous times and had to ease his mind many times, even breaking off from the group to meditate, to acheive a state of being to preform lightening moves. And whenever he came back to everybody, with a bit of a smile on his face, they all knew well that Zuko had done it, even if just a small spark. Though Katara always made sure now to carry along extra water with her since the hot headed prince would come back with many self-inflicted wounds from hard practicing.

From this though, Zuko have recieved new names from the ever so sarcastic Toph. Zuko had becomed Sparky since one day he sat there snapping his fingers and flicks of fire came out then a spark of lightening surged through instead of staring a small fire for the group like originally intended he had blown up the wood and the metal pot that they were going to use to make dinner.

Then there were the days where hard sparring competitions would come about. All of Aang's skills had to be put to the test as they prepared to go back to the fire nation lands. Toph, Katara, and Zuko all would jump Aang putting his skills to the test. It was hard and rigerous training. Sokka normall just stayed a far distance away saying he had to do some 'hunting' as Iroh would mediate their battles which often became very violent. Nobody would hold back. The sheer dislike that hide secretly within Katara for Zuko and Toph would show. Aang's fear of everybody ganging up on him despite him considering them all his friends. Zuko, being a hot-head, would get frustrated at anybody and everybody who attacked at him and go full out war style. And Toph whose love for brawl battles proved her reckless attacking everybody from the Sugar Queen to Sparky to Twinkle Toes and sending far rocks to where Sokka was to bother him (thus why he keeps on trying his best to get farther and farther and farther away when the brawls came to).

But after that, rest and healings were ensued. When this happened strange feelings came out...

Zuko and Katara were laying near eachother breathing heavily after their match as Aang and Toph were getting bandages wrapped around their arms and legs. They were breathing both heavily tired. Katara looked into his golden eyes and he into her blue. The only words that came out from their tired states was that Katara said, "Your golden eyes are like gold itself. Very rich." Zuko had responded to this with, "Your eyes... aren't all that bad either. Makes me think of a pond. Kind of makes me sad though..."

Katara, too tired to move so well, glared at him with a squint. "Why do my eyes make you sad?" Zuko took a deep breath closing his eyes and to stop looking into hers.

"Because like a pond, it looks like if something disrupts you your eyes will ripple... like tears will come out or something... I don't know I lost that one I guess I've been hanging around uncle and taking his teachings with wise words or something too much into myself," He said putting his hand on his face to massage what pain he held in his face from the expressions that he held in battle.

Katara blushed and closed her eyes too. The two fell asleep near eachother.

The next day early in the morning before sunrise, Zuko was practicing his lightening near a pond that had a few fish in it. He shot lightening trying to guide it in his body despite him knowing that he may hurt his insides. He pointed his fingers not really thinking and shot lighening into the pond. The fish began to jolt and his eyes widened feeling a bit guilty. Something happened, something he had never seen before. The water had taken his lightening and shocked the fish in the water. Usually when he saw lightening hit water nothing happened, but of course that was out in a large sea setting. He looked around and picked up the fish into a bag and brought it back to the rest for them to eat.

Later that morning after breakfast he asked Katara if she could come with him someplace. At first she was real hesitant and unwilling. But thinking back on the eyes comment she agreed. When Iroh was busy teaching Aang fire bending again, Toph and Sokka were out hunting since he used her ability to sense things through the ground to his advantage to hunt food (mainly meat things that moved which meant meat), and Zuko and Katara stole away into the forest.

"Hey where are you taking me?" She asked a bit annoyed in trying to keep up with the prince.

"I want to try something... to combine our abilities," He said thinking.

He took her into the forest where there was a riverbed.

"Can you show me," He said looking at her.

"Huh?!" Katara said shocked and surprised, what did he want her to show him?!

"Your water bending flow moves, uncle said a long time ago that with a fluid motion, like water bending, a fire bending can flow fire and even lightening."

"Oh," Katara breathed out a bit relieved.

Katara looked at him. The peace that showed in him was a bit of an uplift. Having him around still make Sokka stand on edge, but what she saw in him along with Aang was a good feel to be around. She began to show him the movements of water bending basics. How slowly the flow was but the chi put into the flow was strong.

"Katara," Zuko started.

"Yes?" She responded.

"I... Think there is something I want to try with you," He said facing her.

They were so close. What does he want? She thought blushing a bit looking into his golden eyes as his long bangs brushed his face.

He touched her hands and pulled her around like a dance move swirling so that they were back to back but their hands still touched.

"That was a part of a fire nation traditional dance that I remember... I want to see if we can combine our moves together because I discovered something," Zuko started, "Like uncle said about water movements put with fire bending, I think there is a move that fire benders and water benders can do. I found that lightening can go through water using it as a current."

"Really now," Katara said with a blush. He began to show her the sharp dance moves. She studied it carefully.

"You know, you can put your own twist on this to help me out since we are trying to make something out here," Zuko said raising his eyebrow as they were in position back to back once again.

"Oh... ah... Ok," She said nervously as her learning of the dance continued. She explained to him later on that it's better for her to learn the steps so that they can begin to add moves in. He agreed after a bit of argue. His firey temper wasn't as bad as before but it still lingered. When time came they had to stop and ran back on seperate paths back towards the group not letting the others know what they were up to.

This secret dance and practice continued for a month. Through the time they began to intergrate the flowing movements of water bending and the bursts of fire with it. It was a perfect hamony between the two despite how they appeared out of this practice. During their travels they would argue as to which was the best way to go, what was a great solution, and even on how to cook or do a simple task they had argued.

While the practice Katara has lashed the water out it slipping from her concentration as it swirled past both Zuko and her and formed back into one large puddle making a large deep puddle appear.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't supposed to," Katara started tripping up a bit. Zuko only continued.

"No that's a good idea, watch," He said as they were in the back to back position and he made a snap and a pointing motion not wasting energy to actually preform the move he thought of. "Now lift the water again," He said.

She did so and not only picked up the water but a bit of moisture from the ground. None of which showed a hint of dirt as she had been able to take the water out without a hint of debris.

Time had passed as another month flew by. By then the secret dance was perfected but they kept on practicing to add in additional moves in case the dance were to be interrupted by anything in the long run.

"What's taking her so long? Her time with Aang should be up," He said. He couldn't help but to feel a bit twisted inside. The time that they had was something that he had looked forward to surprisingly. He didn't enjoy the travel due to Toph's sarcasm to every single thing (though he had to admit he loved it when she'd pick on Sokka), Aang's over enthusiasm, his uncle's over enthusiam along with Aang's, and Katara being just out of his reach to hold her hand like how he held it in their dance. He stood for a moment. "I like her?" He said shocked holding his mouth shaking a bit. He felt himself become nervous but shook it off as she came running to him. But he was a bit surprised, her hair was a bit messy and she had a look of panic in her eyes.

He ran towards her and she went back to back with him as he saw what was her problem. They were surrounded by fire nation soldiers, about 10 to be exact.

"What a good catch," the officer of the group said with a happy tone as his face-plate-less helm showed his toothy grin along with his grey sharp mustache and beard showing, "the girl who travels with the avatar along with the disowned prince! Now if you guys tell us where the Avatar is we..."

Before he finished his sentence he held Katara's hand in his as they were back to back and he shot a slash of fire at them as she spun around to land into his chest knowing what to do. While she turned she released from her larger water jug that she carried on her hip the liquid which turned into a whip so what persons that Zuko had missed with his fire, were whipped hash with water. He turned sharpley as his hand still held hers as she posed with her arm way out moving the water into ice forming a shield pushing and smashing soldiers over or into the surrounding trees and rocks as Zuko turned his fire into a whip as well snapping and tripping the others back. They continued until all the soldiers were all pinned to a single group.

"You two cannot hold up to the supreme blast of 10 fire benders at once," the officer said getting into a formation with the rest. Katara and Zuko were back to back but facing the group in a pose. "Hah, now I realized your moves... how could you Zuko teach this water witch the movements of our people? Just shows more of how a disgrace you are to your people."

Zuko felt angered that this person talked about her that way more than the comment towards him. Katara took offense and made the ice sheild again as it headed for the soldier, they blasted it turning it into water and steam as some splashed back to Katara and Zuko.

"Wrong move," Both said as Katara lifted the water from off of them and taking a good amount and splashed it at the feet of the soldiers but binding around their legs and seeping into the clothing.

"Hah! Getting tired little girl?" The officer mocked.

"No, just helping me do this," Zuko said snapping his fingers as lightening twitched and a bolt jolted at the water.

All of a sudden the officer and his soldiers began to twitch. Their bodies shook violently as some had mouths that began to foam. Soon enough they had just collapsed.

"Did you...?" Katara asked almost feeling pity.

"I don't think so. It was a small shock. Unless the current was that strong probably paralyzed them for a good time," Zuko said as they looked at eachother.

"We work pretty well together," She said brushing a few lose strands behind her ear looking down a bit after looking Zuko at his face. He was quite handsome despite the scar and his golden eyes were precious, just like the metal. She could feel her cheeks twinge a bit with a warmth.

He grabbed her hand and dashed off. "We gotta get away and tell the rest before more come," Zuko said dashing as she hurried along side him. He looked a little at her from the corner of his eye. "We do work pretty well together..." He agreed as a warm feeling brushed his cheeks as their hands seemed to feel like they grasped tighter.

I was going to add something about them naming the dance 'electricity' but I couldn't figure out how to introduce it. But all I know is that what they did is a possible term... XD