I do not own anything, this works just a fanfic

English is not my first language, I just have a story about Zutara and want to share it to the other Zutarian.

Please forgive my bad grammar, I had try my best to write it.

Hope you enjoy reading my fics. Feel free for correcting my grammars.

It's been 10 years since I met Katara in South Water Tribe. Back then, she was just an ordinary girl with strong bending power that surprisingly equals me in fights. As soon as I realize what's the right thing to do, I made a big change for my life by switching side to the Avatar. It was hard, really. I don't know what to say, problems keeps follow, made them become more suspicious about my motive.

She was the hardest of all, yet she was the first person to trust me. We duels a lot, in the end we guard another's back. She once threatened my life for Aang, but later saved my life from death.

We begin this relationship with hostility, share our suffering for missing a mother figure in our life, I betray her, she was hurt, then I beg for her forgiveness, she gave it.

That night after my last Agni Kai with Azula, she continue healing my wound when I realize how this ordinary village girl stole the avatar's heart. She might not as beautiful as Mai, but there's something more than meet the eyes. Things get weird because she seemed like hiding my stare and I still love Mai. So I decide to escort her to guess room so she can rest.

Before I leave her alone, she asked me, "if I never found the avatar, what will be of us?"

I was surprised because it had crossed my mind few seconds ago. Many things could be imagine by that question. Maybe we will met in different way. Maybe I'll get lost in South Pole and ended up destroying her village, change it into my headquarters .. I don't know will I harm her or not. But maybe, just maybe, I will never met Mai again and recognize her. Maybe if she never found the avatar, we can have a story of our own. Suddenly I remember Mai, she always on my mind.

I gave my friend a polite smile and answered, "maybe we will never met."

Katara chuckled, "I was so lucky to found the avatar, then."

"Yeah. He's a good guy."

"Not just that." she added, "he's amazing."

I returned to my room, feel exhausted. I won an epic Agni Kai from a blue firebender with lightning strike under the Sozin Comet, half of it structed me, I should've proud and sleep soundly tonight because I still alive right now.

But I can't.

I ignore what's troubling my mind and this unknown sadness. I still didn't know why I felt like I'm losing the world. I manage to brought myself into the dream world, wishing I could find my lover there. All I saw there was just Katara. Me and her. Crossing the stars.

When I woke up then, Mai was there, and I completely forgot Katara. That dream seems to release all feelings I had on her that I didn't notice or denied. I had my girlfriend back in my arms again, Katara officially become the avatar's lover.

Days gone busy for the first several years, about the Fire Nation Colonies in Earth Kingdom which later gave birth to Republic City. I gave my life and heart to my people, she ... I don't know, looks like things going so well between her and the avatar.

2 years ago. I was 23. Become sick of bussines and routinity in building the Republic City. The Avatar and I having a little opposition. He wants to create a council system, while I found that unnescessary, I want this Republic lead by the avatar. But people agree with him. Now that I think about it, people seemed to agree more to Aang than me. I don't care about attention, but didn't this meant that, I just following other's ideas meanwhile not once of my idea meet acceptance. I feel like wasting time, so I ride my dragon and go for some hunting.

I got skill in archery too. Got bored with Gooseagles, I looking for a bigger prey. That's when my Dragon flew to South Pole and found a Seal-wolf attacking an old woman. My arrow was sure and firm. I could quickly strike through it and it was dead.

I thought I save the day, proudly bring the old woman back to the village. But after told the people about the poor savage animal, they got angry at me and accuse me of being a murderer of nature. I can't understand these people, would they rather have this poor old woman died as animal's dinner?

Anyway, those people attacking me now because I killed a Seal-Wolf who tried to eat an old woman. I rode my Dragon, but a waterbender manage to do something horrible and terrifying.

I felt my right arm disabled. I immediately looked at it and ... it went dry as if they took all water in it. Waterbenders are scary. I kept telling my Dragon to run as far as it could but then I felt my right shoulder getting dried too. I was lucky, that was the last time those people took water out of my limbs! I get dizzy and shocked. I fell down from my Dragon into the ocean then began to lose conciousness. Last thing I saw, the ocean surrounded by red blood.

I woke up inside a tiny tent, covered with warm blanked and bed. A girl sitting next to a cooking pot, mixing some seasoning from the bowl into the pot.

My Dragon!

I tried to get up to find my dragon. But my right shoulder was painful. I groaned.

She turned her head, probably surprised.

"Don't make a lot of moves, Zuko, your arm and shoulder are badly wounded." She said.

Well, it's such a coincidence that my savior is no other than my old waterbender friend, Katara.

"How did you ..." She laid me gently back to the bed. "... found me?"

She smiled, looks tired. Raising her shoulders. "I don't even know how did I found the avatar 8 years ago."

"No joking..." I sighed, recalling my last memories about how close I am to a horrible death. "I almost become a piece of dried meat."

"Yes, you were." She confirmed. "That's a technique of another South Pole tribe living in West area. They're nature lover, won't harm any part of nature such as plants and animals. Did you do something that angered them?"

"I don't know. I save the old lady from being eaten by Seal-Wolf and ride her home. Suddenly they attack me and I think a waterbender there take my blood out of my arm." I tried to move my right arm. My fingers moved. I surprisingly raise my arm to take a look at it. That horror looks of my arm was gone like a nightmare. I have my arm back. "It was dried."

"Yes. You were so lucky to get drowned for a moment and the ocean brought you to my beach." she smiled. "When a limb get dried because a waterbender took away the liquid from that area, it become dried that no blood will flow through it. But when it meet water, it will heal you like melting ice. Your blood will flow back through the dried limb."

Katara remove the bandages and I saw my dried arm, still rotted but getting better. I saw many dotted pattern as if my skin was ripped by small holes every where. "When your blood comes out from your arm, it tore some part of your skin."

"No wonder it was hurt...as if you were stabbed by thousand needles."

She raised some water from a bucket near my bed and cover my arm with it. "And with the help from a good waterbender, you will be fine."

Once again, she saved my life.