Intro, prologue, whatever you want to call this. This story is a spin off of what happens after the cave incident in "The Crossroads of Destiny" considering it is unlikely that there will be any Zutara action in the upcoming season. I am posting this ,because you need to remember why Zutara is such an emotionally charged pairing, and where this story begins right underneath the Earth Kingdom, itself…
Katara: (accusingly) Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches.
(Katara shapes her hands into claws Zuko turns to look at her for a second before turning back and saying nothing.)
Katara: You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood.
Zuko: You don't know what you're talking about.
Katara: (growing angrier) I don't?! How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally (turns her back to Zuko and crouches down). The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.
(Katara places a hand on her necklace as tears roll down her cheek and drip off her chin. Zuko turns his head further and looks sadly at her. Katara begins sobbing, holding her head to her chest and burying her head in her knees.)
Zuko: I'm sorry. That's something we have in common.
(Zuko makes a full turn towards Katara, who stops her crying for a moment. She wipes a tear from her face and looks at Zuko, genuinely surprised.
Katara: I'm sorry I yelled at you before.
Zuko: It doesn't matter.
Katara: It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.
Zuko: My face. I see (turns away and places a hand to his scar).
Katara:(regretfully) No, no, that's not what I meant.
Zuko: It's ok. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark.
Katara: Maybe you could be free of it.
(A glimmer of hope flashes in Zuko's eyes as he turns back to Katara.)
Zuko: What?
Katara: I have healing abilities.
Zuko: It's a scar. It can't be healed.
(Katara reaches under her shirt and holds up the water from the spirit oasis at the North Pole, given to her by Master Pakku.)
Katara: This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important. (walks up to Zuko and faces him) I don't know if it would work, but...
(Zuko stares at her for a moment before closing his eyes and silently accepting Katara's offer. Katara places her hand on Zuko's scar and examines it. Before she does anything else, Aang bursts into the tunnel with Iroh.)
Katara:Aang!
(Credit to for the transcript and I don't own, yada yada yada…)
I need you to picture the scene, re-read if you have too and move on to chapter one...Its time for the story to begin...