so, if you made it this far, thank you. yet again, i hope you like this chapter...this is when my Zutara fic really begins. so, thanks again for reading!

disclaimer: i don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender...if i did, i think we'd have new episodes by now...oh and the series would never end.

Chapter One

Zuko stared down at the meager helping of food Katara shoved at him. Hardly anything filled the rough-cut bowl and his stomach shrank with every glance towards the other's overflowing plates. Two weeks had passed in the company of the Avatar and his friends and yet one still followed his every move.

At first, Zuko thought the Water Tribe boy—Sokka—represented his greatest challenge. And yet the girl—Katara--glared at him while Sokka joked. Aang trusted him, especially after their encounter with the Sun Warriors. And Toph, surprisingly, was his biggest supporter—despite her harsh nature. The others, for the most part, showed only mild interest.

"Wow, Katara! This is great!" Aang exclaimed, a glimmer of admiration in his eye. Zuko watched as Katara blushed. Odd how such a simple action softened her expression far more than anything else.

Over his time with the group, Zuko wondered what lay between the Avatar and his waterbending teacher. But, then, something seemed to simmer between nearly everyone. Haru gazed at Katara longingly. And, though Zuko could not be certain, Toph seemed to keep nearer to the Avatar than any other.

Shaking his head, Zuko walked over to a spot far from the campfire and sat down to eat. Though he hardly got enough, the food was excellent. Katara really could cook.

"Aww...Katara...why didn't you put those mushroom thingies I like in here?"

Katara turned to her brother and frowned. "Because, Sokka. Those mushrooms are dangerous. Besides, don't you remember what happened the last time you ate them?"

"At least it wasn't as bad as the time he had that cactus stuff," Toph muttered.

"Hey! We were in the middle of the desert! It could've been sunstroke."

Katara laughed. "Face it, Sokka. You just can't keep yourself from eating anything."

"Speaking of..." Sokka turned to Zuko, a pained look on his face. "Do you want to join us?"

Zuko glanced towards Katara's suddenly dark face and nodded reluctantly. But, as soon as he sat down, Katara walked off, waving over her shoulder.

"I'm going to go and see what I can find in this temple," she told them calmly. "I haven't done much exploring since we've been here."

There was a long, awkward silence after Katara left, as if she took everything comfortable away from them. And then Sokka launched into a story about a giant monster beneath the temple.

"Sokka, there's nothing beneath the temple," Toph said exasperatingly. "I mean, we're hanging from the bottom of a cliff!"

"How do you know that?" Sokka shot back. "Hundreds of feet down, there could be some giant, fuzzy monster coming to eat us."

"I don't think Appa is going to eat you," Zuko said softly.

For a moment, no one spoke and then Aang began to laugh. "Appa! That's funny!"

A ghost of a smile pulled at Zuko's lips before it disappeared like smoke. Everything was so forced when Katara was not there. Even Aang and Toph seemed wound a little tightly with Katara gone. What was it that she brought? How was it that the world seemed darker without her?

Placing his empty bowl near the fire, Zuko stood and bid the others goodnight. Night crept across the sky and the warmth of the sun no longer danced across his skin. As a firebender, Zuko much preferred to sleep the night away. Still, something in him grew restless. His mind raced with phantom thoughts. Sleep would elude him, he knew, unless he released some energy.

He entered a large, circular chamber and withdrew the double swords strapped to his back and removed his shirt. The Avatar had shown him this room a few days ago and Zuko had grown quite fond of it.

Paintings on the walls depicted monks airbending, the movements just a bit different than the ones the Avatar used. Zuko knew Aang came to the room in the mornings, to learn the Western-styled airbending, and he knew the room acted as an air tunnel of sorts. But it also had its uses as a room to practice firebending. The room really was beautiful, the floor a pattern of yellows and oranges. In the center lay a large basin, filled to the brim with spring water, its music echoing in the cavernous chamber.

Zuko stood straight and closed his eyes, breathing deep, readying himself to firebend. Having watched as Aang practiced bending, Zuko thought of a few techniques he would like to use in firebending. One of them was a mirror of Aang's ability to use certain weapons—in this case his glider—as an extension of his airbending. Zuko wondered if he could preform a similar technique with his own swords.

Afatar a moment, he called to the heat and energy within him and began to bend, attempting to allow his flames to roll down the blades of his swords without becoming too hot for the metal. Keeping his eyes closed, he whirled, keeping his flames steady in a manner most unlike usual firebending. Borrowing a move from waterbending, he attempted to make his fire fluid, to move in a ribbon-like pattern.

He felt his flame for a moment but, with his concentration on the temperature, he could not hold a continuous flame. Frowning, he dropped his swords and closed his eyes to begin once again. This time, he concentrated solely on the movements and brought out only enough energy to heat the air around him.

Katara entered the large room with a frustrated sigh. Why did the others so willingly accept Zuko? And, for that matter, why did Sokka? Katara thought her brother would agree wholeheartedly with her views concerning Zuko. But Sokka, along with the others, continued to act as if Zuko were just another new friend.

At the sound of feet, Katara glanced up and nearly groaned. A very familiar someone stood in front of the center spring, practicing his bending. But, though Katara desperately wanted to leave, something made her stay. Keeping silent, she watched Zuko in the dying light, his limbs moving almost as gracefully as a waterbender's. The air around him rippled with heat and his bare torso glimmered with sweat. Katara's heart began to beat faster with his every movement and yet still she kept silent.

Her eyes followed his movements, fascinated. His bending didn't look like normal firebending. Rather, it almost looked like he added air and water elements to it. He appeared in the middle of a dance, the heat waves warping the air around him. Suddenly, almost as if he knew she stood there, fire burst in ribbons around him, sending shadows to mimic his movements along the tiled floor.

Katara let out a small breath, each one coming faster. She could not understand what so fascinated her yet she stayed there, drawn inexorably. She felt a curious melting somewhere near her heart and she let out a frightened gasp.

--

At the soft sound, Zuko turned, his fire dying. He found Katara standing by the door, her blue eyes wide with something undefinable. Confused, Zuko took a step forward but Katara shook her head and fled, saying nothing.

"Wait!" Zuko called, running after her. But, as he entered the corridor, he found it empty. Katara had disappeared, becoming nothing more than mist and smoke. Disconcerted, Zuko turned back to the chamber and gathered his things. He left a moment later, shaking his head in wonder at Katara's unusual response. What had gone through her mind? he wondered silently as he trudged off to bed.

--

Katara watched from the shadows as Zuko headed towards his room. A hand pressed to her lips in contemplation. What happened? she asked herself. Why had her heart beat so quickly? What had been that feeling as she watched Zuko?

Shaking her head, she put it from her mind. No matter, she needed to keep an eye on him. Katara still would not trust him. After all, he had hurt her—hurt Aang—too many times for forgiveness.

His dreams filled with smoke and mist, blocking the golden light of the sun. Through the billowing clouds, the land turned silver, as if kissed by the moon herself. And there, just within the reach of the shadows she stood, waiting. Her voice, as cool as a fresh spring, washed over him in a siren's call, bidding he move closer. Zuko took a reluctant step, unused to such an entreaty from her. And then she was gone, a whispering wind swirling her shadowy form into the delicate smoke.

He raised his hand, a fluttering flame dancing in his palm, and called to her, asking her return. But she never appeared. Only her soft voice remained to taunt him.

"What trickery is this," he demanded, "when only smoke and mist fill my dreams?"

--

Her world was golden, lit with flames flickering in the dark. Shadows danced and leapt along the walls, requesting her to join. Yet Katara held back, chained by sorrow and ice. And then he appeared, palm glowing in the night. A single smile broke her from her bonds and Katara cried in joy. But, as she reached out to him, he faded away, nothing but smoke and illusion.

Tears fell from her eyes, one by one, and froze as they brushed her skin. She whispered for his return and yet she met nothing but the shimmer of flames and the swirl of smoke.

"Why," she demanded, "must this land of smoke and flames haunt my dreams?"

did you like it? i hope so. i also hope you'll review. say you will...please??