Hi everybody! This is the very first chapter of a co-writing story that is being written by myself, lightningbent101, and LOVE4ZUTARA. Disclaimer: None of us own Avatar, Mike/Bryan, airbenders, waterbenders, firebenders, earthbenders, Zuko, Katara, Aang, Kataang, or Zutara. That would be flippin' awesome, though (Especially the Zuko part. Squee!) Oh, and one more thing. Everything that is expressed about the beliefs of Zutarians and Kataangists is mostly a huge, dramatic stereotype. If you are a Zutarian/Kataangist and are offended by any of these views, please don't take it too seriously. After all, no matter what we ship, we all still love Avatar, right?

Chapter One is written by: lightningbent101

CHAPTER 1

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days. A time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the fire nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the air nomads, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world."

Lightning looked away from the screen, absently adjusting her uniform. When her best friend, Enaya, had asked she and her other friends, Love and Blue, if they wanted to support Kataang with her, they had all agreed. What other ships were there, anyway? She looked over at Love and Blue, who were staring at the screen in an entranced sort of way. Enaya had wandered off to talk to some other Kataang supporters. As always, Lightning gave an inward wince when she saw the way-too-bright combination of yellow and blue on her friend. She herself preferred more of an orangey-gold and dark blue. There has to be more than this, she thought, this feels so wrong, for some reason. Isn't there more to life than Kataang?

"Lightning," Love said suddenly, "Come here." Lightning turned. Her friend had fast-forwarded to the second episode, where Prince Zuko walks down the gangplank into the Water Tribe. "Now watch this," Love said, and pressed play. Zuko walked forward to address the villagers. He looked over the crowd, then walked over to Katara and Gran Gran. "Where are you hiding him?" he asked. Zuko looked around at the unresponsive and slightly confused faces. He reached past Katara and grabbed Gran Gran. "There!" Love said, pausing it. Blue and Lightning exchanged a confused look and stared at Love, who had an excited gleam in her eyes. "Don't you see it?" she asked, "Zuko reaches past Katara to grab Katara's grandmother."

"Yeah, and?" Blue said, looking more confused than ever.

Love leaned forward. "That is a total foreshadow for a different ship," she said quietly.

Blue frowned at her friend. "You don't mean..."

Love nodded. "I do."

Blue looked like she was about to hurl. "Love, that's disgusting."

"What's so disgusting about it?" Love asked, offended.

"Well, for one thing, she's about sixty years older than him."

Love stared at Blue, then at Lightning, who was staring into the distance, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "You guys!" she giggled. "Did you seriously think I was talking about Zuko and Gran Gran?"

"Who else could you be talking about?" Blue asked, frowning.

"Zuko and Katara, of course!" she said, grinning.

Lightning's mouth dropped open. "Zuko and Katara?" she said, choking back a gasp of horror. "But that's...

"Unplausible? Weird? Different?" Love said, raising her eyebrows. "Think about it. Haven't you ever felt that there was something a little too... I don't know, sappy about Kataang?"

Lightning bit her lip, hesitating. "Yeah," she said absently, "Like it wasn't quite right, or something."

Blue looked at them both, then at the screen. She walked forward and touched it, frowning.

"The question is," Love said, "Well, I mean, if we did end up supporting Zuko and Katara, what would we call the ship? Kazuko?"

Blue shook her head, smiling a little. "No," she whispered. "We shall call it Zutara." She turned back to her colleagues, giving them a rare and happy grin.

"Zutara," Lightning whispered. She looked down at her garish blue-and-yellow outfit, smirking and stroking her chin. "I like it."

The next chapter will be by: BlueEclipse