Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, because if I did, I'd get into the class that I had wanted to be in (English 98/198: Contemporary Love Stories) so I could write even BETTER Zutara.

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Chapter 5: The Burn

The first thing that slowly filtered through to Zuko's slumber-clouded consciousness was a soothing, comforting warmth. It wrapped around his senses, a soft, pleasant blanket that almost lulled him back to the embrace of sleep. The light of the sun and the sounds of the waking forest however, brought him to the brink of lucidity.

Zuko breathed in – not too deeply, for his ribs were still aching badly – and the fresh odors of nature were like a cup of jasmine tea, filling him and refreshing his body and mind. Behind his closed eyelids, he could see the glow of sunshine. Zuko slowly opened his eyes.

Bright, intense blue poured into his irises, the shock of vibrant color like a splash of cold, clear water.

"YAAAH!"

Katara jerked back in surprise. "What's wrong with you!" she hissed.

Zuko could feel his racing heart gradually slowing back down. "S-s-sorry. Sorry. I…you scared me."

Katara, from where she had recoiled from Zuko's start, let a small smile of amusement cross her lips. Scared? This really was a different Zuko. Sokka should be here to see this…he'd never let Zuko live it down.

Zuko vaguely noticed that while the sun was still shining as brightly as it had been seconds ago, the reassuring warmth that had comforted him as he had awoken was gone. He tried to sit up, but even his chiseled abdominals could not help him finish getting up. "Ow!" he faltered, as his injuries kicked into full gear, and nearly crashed back down on his pallet.

Before he could collapse though, the Waterbender had reacted with lightning reflexes and returned to her patient's side, catching him in a swift motion.

For a heartbeat, the pair stared straight into each other's eyes. So blue.

Then they realized that they were in a rather compromising position: Katara was holding Zuko, one arm on his good shoulder and the other encircling his well-defined torso and supporting his muscled back. Zuko in return had reached out with one hand to clasp Katara's supporting arm while the other had automatically braced himself on her shoulder. Their faces were close, so close.

"Oh sorry! Sorry," Zuko stammered, apologizing for the second time in less than a minute.

He put his hands back behind him and cautiously lifted himself the rest of the way into a sit. Katara let go, but her touch lingered on his bare skin.

Katara could feel a bright blush creeping into her cheeks. "It's…it's okay. I didn't want you to crack your head open again and then who knows what you would remember then? Maybe you'd think you were a cabbage merchant!" she cracked, trying to ease Zuko's embarrassment.

And her own.

"Yeah. Yeah." Zuko muttered.

Katara gave him a pitying look, then kneeled so that her face was at the same level as Zuko's, just not as close as earlier. Of course, she had only wanted to keep him falling and inflicting any more injury on himself. She felt strangely responsible for his well-being. Duh, she thought, someone's gotta be the nice one around here.

But did she have to be that nice? The thought wiggled around the back recesses of Katara's mind, a small, annoying worm in her cerebral crevasses. She shut one eye and squinted the other at Zuko, studying him. Sokka had been outraged when she refused to tie Zuko up for the night, convinced that he would try to escape during the night, or worse, capture them and bring them to the Fire Nation. Katara had argued back that she believed Zuko was telling the truth and was suffering traumatic amnesia. Aang had sat, silent, overwhelmed and worried for Appa.

"Why are you looking at me all funny like that?" Zuko asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Katara began to giggle, then promptly stopped, as his hands began roving over his head, exploring features that he no longer knew to be his. Appa must have beat him bad.

She sighed. Their friend and transportation was gone, the one guy who had pursued them clear across the world was now in their capture, and he had absolutely no idea who he was. Katara rubbed her right temple absently. I wonder if the spirits hate me.

"What is this? WHAT IS THIS!" Zuko yelped.

He had found the rough, raised burn splashing up the left side of his face. His features twisted in horror as his fingers prodded and poked about the scar, tracing its outline and contours. "How..wha-wha-what HAPPENED to me! I said I would behave, and you still sicced Appa on me!"

"What? No!" Katara protested. "No, Zuko…Zuko, calm, CALM DOWN!"

"You did! What's wrong with you people! Haven't you heard of a little thing called trust? Ugh!"

"You've got it all wrong! Let me explain!" Katara reached out to restrain him.

Panic was setting in the Fire Prince again, as he twisted awkwardly out of her grasping hands. Teeth bared in anger and shock, he snarled, "DON'T! Don't. Touch. Me."

Katara persisted, trying to grab his flailing limbs before he jarred his ribs and made things worse. Zuko kept swatting her away, his emotions getting the better of him.

Suddenly, a bright flame roared into life on one of his hands, and he swiped at Katara with the burning mass.

Immediately, she fell back with a loud cry, landing roughly on the forest floor. Shaking, she held her own face in one hand.

Zuko's rage vanished; he was stunned and appalled at what he had just done. He stared at the flame in his hand, the fire still burning merrily over his palm. Firebender? Me?

A crying whimper drew his attention back to the girl cowering on the ground. Her head was turned to the side, facing him, and he could only see her dainty profile: that defined nose, those full lips. Tears were streaming down the cheek turned towards him.

"Katara? Katara, I'm sorry! I didn't mean…I didn't mean to…I don't know how…oh, I'm sorry!"

Unheeding of Zuko's stuttered apology, she continued weeping. Slowly, the hand clutching her face lowered. Oh, it hurts. It hurts!

As Katara pried her hand away from her face, Zuko gaped in shock. Her face, her beautiful face, was now marred by a blistering burn that started from the bridge of her nose and stretched downwards, towards the smooth curve where jawbone met neck. She was still not looking at him and tears continued coursing down in small rivulets.

Shakily, Zuko crawled and crept his way towards the crying girl. Every movement felt like a thousand spears twisting into his chest, but he had to reach her. His mind was still reeling from what had transpired. I'm a Firebender! And I abused that gift to hurt her.

Finally, he reached Katara. Hesitantly, he stretched his palm towards her, trying to convey all of his guilt and regret in the touch of his fingertips. As soon as his fingers grazed her skin however, she jerked away and looked at him, full in the eyes. The poisonous red welt on her face matched the venom in her voice. "Get away from me."

"Katara, I-"

But it was no use. She pushed away from him, shoving him to the dirt. It was all he could do to keep from crying out from the pain of impact on his ribs. Katara did not look back however; she stumbled to her feet and ran into the trees, where Zuko quickly lost her in the treeline. As the soft weeping faded into the foliage, Zuko raised himself to a sitting position with effort. He sat in the dusty earth for a while, thoughts racing around his mind.

First of all, there was that scar on his face. He was stunned that he had been once hurt so badly. He wished he could remember why he had it…

FLASH!

An arena, filled with people. He was on his knees, looking up to shadowy figure before him. Someone was pleading. Him!

It was useless. He despaired. And then…and then, burning pain. Pain beyond all comprehension. Burning. Burning, burning, something was burning in his head and clawing its way out; his face was on fire!

He felt things. Shame. Dishonor.

And most of all, he felt loneliness and grief; abandonment. He was not loved.

Huh?

Zuko grabbed his head in frustration. Was…was that a memory? In vain, he combed his mind for more information. Nothing. Nothing but emptiness. Even that brief moment, that had seemed so real, was slipping away from him.

"ARRGH!" Zuko's hands burst into flame as he pounded the ground. WHY! Why couldn't he remember anything? Who was he? What had happened to him? What was his past?

Breathing heavily, Zuko drew his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms. Bit by bit, the fire in his blood ebbed away until it was only a faint throb of heat, pulsing in sync with his heart.

He needed answers.

"Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should've known he would do it when he got the chance. Stupid! He was faking, he knows, he knows and he burnt me and he's going to get Aang and bring us all to the Fire Nation!"

Katara knelt at the clear pool. She had run blindly into the forest, uncaring where she went, so long as she got away. Got away from him.

She looked into the water and gasped as she saw her burn. Oh my.

She hoped the water could heal such a bad burn. It was a violent crimson; blistered, oozing, raw skin. The pain on her face matched incongruously with that in her heart. She felt betrayed. He had lied to her. He was the same old Zuko, only wanting to hurt.

"Oh, it burns."

She wished Sokka or Aang had been there, but her brother had gone out for food and Aang had simply wandered away, looking completely lost. Somehow, that he had attacked her alone, that he had waited until they had begun to build up a sort of relationship, made the injury more personal. She had tended his wounds, kept Sokka from playing any practical jokes on him, brought him food and water.

And he repaid her with this.

She brought her fingers close to the wound, but couldn't touch it for fear of setting off a fresh wave of nauseous pain. She closed her eyes – that hurt, too – and sighed. No, she realized, rationale gradually taking over her panic. He could've finished the job. He didn't want to hurt me. He was sorry. I know. I could hear it, feel it.

The crack of a twig started Katara out of her musings. She whipped around, starting to scold Sokka for being away when she needed him. "WHERE HAVE YOU-oh."

Zuko, panting and extremely pale, stood leaning against a tree. He was clutching his ribs and sweat beaded his brow. "K-Katara…I…I'm…really sorry."

Katara tried to hold on to her anger long enough to launch into a diatribe as blistering as the injury on her face, but could not. Zuko hadn't known what he was doing, hadn't known about the burning power inside him. He had found her, even though his expression showed that he was in severe pain. She winced as she remembered shoving him to the hard earth. That had probably not been good for his healing ribs.

Zuko felt like he was ready to faint. He had known only a vague notion of where to go, and against all reason he had tottered into the unfamiliar forest after this girl. His chest felt like it would shatter into a million fiery pieces, and it took all of his strength to keep moving. All for her. Why?

He couldn't explain it. He only knew he had to follow her, to try to right his wrongs, to be with her. That he had hurt her so badly devastated him.

Katara noticed that Zuko began to sway on his feet. He started to topple, and she was at his side in a flash, supporting him and helping him to where she had been sitting next to the pool. She lowered him to the soft moss and sat down herself. "Shh. It's okay. Here. Drink."

Figures, she scoffed silently. Boy meets girl. Boy mauls girl's face. Girl gives boy nice drink of water.

A sphere of water rose to Zuko's face. He raised one eyebrow in surprise, but eagerly slurped away at the cool liquid.

Katara watched him drink; watched as his supple lips, once so tightly pressed into a bitter line or twisted in a malicious snarl, moved with uncharacteristic softness. As if he were caressing the water with his mouth. Caressing, stroking, licking.

Suddenly, Katara was gripped by a bizarre sensation, an intense desire for her skin to be the water against Zuko's lips. She shuddered, and the feeling disappeared. Mentally, she slapped herself and mentally, recoiled from the effects that mind-slap had on her mind-burn.

GET A GRIP! she screamed at herself. What is WRONG with you! Yesterday you were practically drooling over his stomach, and now you want him to be kissing you, slobbering on you like Sokka on sardine buns?

"Thanks." Zuko had finished drinking, and Katara let the rest of the water plop back into the pool.

He might be cute, he might be nice, but sooner or later, he'll remember and then he'll destroy you.

"You're welcome," Katara said, a little harsher than she should have.

He is the Fire Prince Zuko. It could never be.

Color was returning to the Fire Prince's cheeks, and he no longer looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

Fire burns. Water soothes. They could never hope to be together.

Katara gazed into the clear water in front of her. Zuko leaned over to see what she was looking at, and his face appeared next to hers. Now Katara could see that the burn Zuko had given her spread over her entire right cheek, curving down towards her jawline like some giant comma from hell.

"Katara. I really, truly am sorry."

His eyes caught hers in their reflection in the water. Very quietly, she replied, "It's okay. You didn't know."

Zuko was about to turn away from their reflections to look at Katara properly, but something caught his attention. No way.

Very slowly, very cautiously, Zuko moved his face until their cheeks were barely touching. He could feel Katara stiffen from his proximity, but he shushed her. "Look."

Katara peered into the water. In some strange symmetry, her fresh wound was an upside down echo of his old scar. While hers snaked from the upper part of her face, bound by her nose and reaching back to her jawline, his cut upwards toward his ear. The two burns were separated by Zuko's unscarred portion of his face, but then he slowly tilted his head so that he was facing the side of her very slightly, and the two scars merged.

Katara's eyes widened. There, on the surface of the glimmering pond, was the symbol of balance and harmony.

His lips were right next to her ear. She could feel his breath, warm against her face. "Yin and yang," he whispered.

Something hot, something heavy, crawled up from somewhere deep inside and spread like wildfire through her veins. It burned dully in her blood, throbbing with her pulse.

Zuko didn't know what came over him, but seeing their burns line up so perfectly in the water, having her so close to him...something awakened in him and came rushing to the surface, like an air bubble from the depths of the oceans.

It was important that she forgave him. It was important that she be next to him right now. It was…it was important the she felt same way he did.

He could remember nothing, had nothing. He had awoken to fierce pain and threats of more pain, to hostility and mistrust. She had been different. She had tended him, cared for him, defended him, believed him.

Zuko had nothing from his past. He might as well begin to fill the void with aspects of his future, and he wanted her to be in it.

Haltingly, he reached up with one slightly trembling hand and took her chin. He tilted her head so they were facing one another. Their eyes met, gold crossing over to blue and back again. Slowly, so excruciatingly slowly, he lowered his face to hers. He closed his eyelids, and her own fluttered. Carefully, he brought his palm up to cup her cheek, as their lips drew ever closer.

The pain seared straight into the core of Katara's brain. "OWWW!"

She wheeled away from him, all previous thoughts forgotten. Gasping, she gripped her head in her hands, careful to avoid the burn.

Zuko felt horrendous; it was as if someone had opened every wound in him again.

As the maddening pain died down to a muted hurt, Katara released her head and looked back at Zuko. What had he…what had she...what almost happened!

"I…I b-better get this healed. Stupid me. I almost forgot to do it, and then I'd be left with a bad scar."

As soon as she said those words, she wished she hadn't. Zuko's features contorted in pain, and he turned away from her.

Of course, his mind sneered. A scar. Who would want that?

Katara felt so terrible. She gave his back, turned sullenly away from her, a sympathetic look. She could waste no time, however. She had to get her burn fixed. Quickly, she pulled some water out of the pond, disturbing the unnatural stillness that had come over the smooth liquid when she and Zuko almost…

She shoved the thought out of her mind, and set to work. Expertly, the water flew to her wound, forming a protective seal around it. She concentrated, and the water glowed brightly. The light faded, and the liquid dropped to the ground, gobbled eagerly by the lush moss underfoot. Where the burn had been, was unblemished, healthy, whole skin. The pain was gone, and Katara happily ran the back of her hand against the smoothness of her face. Just as rapidly her cheerfulness had come however, it drained away. Zuko's broad back was still facing her. Gently, she placed a hand on one strong shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

She could feel him flinch, but he turned to her. His face was emotionless, expressionless. The scar arced up his face, once again the only of its kind, seemingly lost without its counterpart. "Forget it," he said gruffly.

They sat for a moment, unsure. Finally, Katara broke the silence. "Come on," she said, standing and offering her hand. "We'd best be getting back."

Zuko looked at her outstretched hand, capable of such tremendous power. Power to heal, power to manipulate her element, power to turn his knees into jelly at a simple touch. "Okay," he replied, indulging in her touch one last time and taking the proffered hand.

After he was back on his feet, she immediately let go. Everything in Zuko mourned the loss of her touch, but he clamped down on his protesting being. She was too different from him. She healed; he destroyed. She was smooth and untouchable; he was scarred and beaten. We could never be.

The pair made their way back to camp, stopping for Zuko to rest now and then. As they walked in silence, Zuko stewed. You repulse her. She doesn't want your scarred self touching her. She will never care for you that way.

They reached the hollow. Aang and Sokka were back, and at the sight of Katara and Zuko, burst into scolding and mad ranting. Well, at least Sokka did.

While Katara dealt with her brother's raving, Zuko sat quietly on his pallet. Aang looked at him, wordless questions in his gray eyes, but Zuko merely avoided the Avatar's gaze.

As the siblings' squabbling continued in a background frenzy, Zuko stared down into his two open hands.

The hurt I inflict will never touch her again.

A/N: Oh brother. The cheese! The corn! Ah yes, but Zuko has really found some feelings in that baked shell of his, and whaddya know, has some issues with self-esteem that we never thought existed! Of course, he doesn't remember a thing, but hey. You take what you can get. I also hope no one has been suffocated from the prolific symbolism. Prolific, crappy symbolism.

WHEW! Finally, I get something out of my addled brain! I'm really sorry that I haven't been updating. It was the last week of break first, and I wanted to do all these things I hadn't done, and then the first week of school was, as always, hectic. I've had to drop this and add that, return books, buy books, and decide what kind of a workload I want. All that and the emergence of some new extra-curriculars: archery club and tuco-tuco wrangling (look up tuco-tucos…they're so cute! And I get to feed them!) in addition to playing with doggies and giving frozen yogurt to hungry children. It's overwhelming, y'know?

Rashaka: Oh yes, who could possibly turn away from shirtless Zuko? Geez. The last time I fangirled over a shirtless male cartoon character was when I was a wee lass and squealed over Goliath from that old show, Gargoyles. And now look at me. Salivating over a nonexistent, near-bald kid with a bad temper and a nice invitation to jail for corrupting a minor. D

Oh, I gotta ask you…what's the purpose of putting an exclamation mark between things like Amnesiac Zuko, and Peanut Gallery Sokka? I've seen it used for things like crack!pairing, and I don't get it. Explain, please?

Vicki So: "Tabula Rasa" was also a Justice League episode. Odd.

Silverwolfprints: WHAT IS THIS! WHAT IS THIS! flap flap flap.

Honoo girl: Appa's been such a nice, placid bison in all of the episodes and fanfics. It's time he got a little kick-ass scene of his own!

I love zuko: Yeah, it was pretty sad to see Keely try to get her kibble. She was so cute!

Glad everyone is enjoying the amnesia. It's a nice chance to explore Zuko's softer side without making him seem girly. I don't find it too OC, I think it's actually very characteristic of him but he just hides it under his LOOKATME I'M A MAN exterior.

It's 1:30AM. Watch as I pass out in class, incurring the wrath of the professors.