They were standing in a meadow of long grasses, surrounded by a forest. The ground was slightly dewy, seeing as it was almost morning.
Katara took one more step towards the masked man in front of her. He had just saved her from a fire nation raid and was breathing heavily. Katara couldn't help but wonder who this masked man was, and why he saved her. So many questions were running through her mind, as she took yet another step towards her savior.
The man slowly sheathed his dual swords. Katara was a hands breadth away from him. She stared into the empty eyes of the mask, trying to get some emotion out of him. The man slowly tilted his head to the side, in a questioning manner as Katara got nearer to him.
She stood still for a moment, deciding what she should do. She raised her arms up, to untie the black ribbons that held the mask on the man's face. As Katara started to pull at the ribbons, he stood perfectly still, letting her do as she pleased. With the mask untied, the waterbender carefully peeled the mask off.
What she saw surprised her, but she did not gasp or take a step back. He was looking at the ground, awaiting the screaming that he was sure would come. He had taken many things from her and her friends. He had chased them, attacked them, and tried to kill them many times. But still Katara did not react when she saw his face.
She reached up and brushed some of his shaggy hair off of his face. She saw a man who she had formerly hated, and couldn't trust. But now in her eyes, he had redeemed himself. He had single handedly saved her from an attack, and he expected nothing in return.
She placed her hand at the nape of his neck, and moved closer to him. Suddenly Zuko looked up, and his eyes met Katara's. She gazed into his golden orbs. So many things were communicated between the pair in that simple look. Slowly Katara leaned in, and Zuko came down to meet her.