The ABCs of Zutara: ELECTRIFYING

Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo

It had been months since he'd joined the Avatar and his gang in their quest to defeat his father. Ozai was in prison, Azula in chains, and everything was on its way to being restored to its original splendor. And yet…another explosion sent Zuko flying into the wall behind him. "When am I ever going to get this right!?" It was hopeless, he thought, but still he rose with the sun each morning to practice the art of bending lightning. All his practice was getting him nowhere though, and every morning he would stomp off to his study to meditate and cool down. That morning was no different except for the fact that a certain Water Tribe warrior was waiting for him.

"Sokka. I'm not in the mood."

Katara's annoying brother didn't even think twice about Zuko's distraught expression. He just started talking. "So, Zuko, you know we'll be leaving soon and all that, and Katara will be staying behind because you, well, you know…love her." Sokka made a disgusted face and Zuko rolled his eyes as he sat down at his desk and started to work. "Blech. I still can't get over my sister with a firebender. It's just wrong and—"

"Is there a point to this, Sokka!?" the firebender asked while keeping his eyes on the letter he was writing. He was already frustrated enough with his morning practice and didn't need to hear this speech for the umpteenth time. Sokka had told him over and over again that he hadn't quite accepted the fact that the jerkbender loved his sister and the constant reminder was getting old.

Sokka put up his hands in surrender. "Alright. Alright. Calm down, Mr. Hothead. No need to get angry."

Zuko ground his teeth, and he could feel the fire burning up inside him, screaming to get out. Before he knew it, he'd burned the letter he'd been trying to write. "What is it, Sokka?" he tried to ask in a calm manner, but the words came out through his gritted teeth and sounded more like an accusation than a welcome invitation.

"Um…you know you burned your papers there," Sokka said while pointing down at the disintegrating documents.

"I know!" Zuko yelled as he rose to his feet and slammed his fists down on the desk.

Sokka jumped and took a step back. "Sheesh. What's wrong with you this morning, Zuko? You're angrier than usual."

Zuko sighed and sat back down. The candles behind him rose with each deep breath that he took in an effort to calm himself. It wasn't Sokka's fault that he couldn't bend lightning, so he had no reason to be angry with his unexpected visitor. "I'm sorry, Sokka." Zuko put his elbows on his desk and brought his fingers to his forehead and tried to rub the tension away. "I've been practicing for weeks on end and I still can't bend lightning. I'm just a little frustrated."

"Oh, is that all? Don't worry. You'll get it eventually. I mean your uncle did, your father did, heck, even your sister did. It runs in the family. I wouldn't worry about it. You'll get it in no time," Sokka said, shrugging his shoulders like it was a given.

Zuko heard the words but he was still thinking about his failure that morning. Uncle could bend lightning because he was the great Dragon of the West. His father could do it because he had been the almighty Phoenix King. And his sister, well, her fire was blue and her lightning precise. She was the family favorite after all, so, of course, she was able to bend lightning. But Zuko wasn't like any of them. His fire had run on rage at the beginning, and now it ran on real fuel, the spark of his heart and soul. But he'd tried to bend lightning without the rage and it still produced the same result. He didn't understand it. He'd fought his sister in an Agni Ki, he was now the ruler over all the Fire Nation, and he was a changed man to boot. So why wasn't it working?

"I don't think it works that way, Sokka. I doubt I'll ever be able to bend lightning," he glumly stated as he set his hands on the table and looked up at the Water Tribe warrior.

Sokka shook his head and then circled around Zuko's desk. "You're just mister optimistic this morning, aren't you? Cheer up, buddy. You'll get it to wor—"

The minute Sokka put his hand on Zuko's shoulder to give him a friendly pat, a spark of electricity shot through him, causing him to shake uncontrollably and then fall to the ground unconscious. Zuko immediately pushed back his chair and jumped to his feet. Afraid to touch his poofy-haired friend, he just knelt before him and frantically asked, "Sokka? Sokka! Are you okay? What happened!? Sokka! Wake up!"

Sokka's eyes suddenly popped open and he looked upon Zuko's worried expression. "That. Was."

Sokka paused and Zuko fought the urge to shake him. "Was what!? What happened!?"

"That. Was," the stunned warrior repeated.

"WHAT!?"

Sokka bolted upright and Zuko immediately scooted away from him. Sokka's wide eyes met with Zuko's and he finished his statement with a loud roar. "AWESOME!!!"

Again Zuko begged for an explanation. "What happened!?"

But Sokka was currently distracted by the newfound rush and reached out to touch Zuko again. The astonished firebender instantly stood up and moved away from his deranged friend. "Don't touch me! What's wrong with you!?"

Sokka was quick to follow him, and the game of cat and mouse ensued while Zuko cried out for an explanation.

"Sokka! What happened!?"

"Come here, Zuko, and I'll show you."

"NO! Now tell me what happened!?"

"Would you stop running around your desk! All I wanna do is shake your hand!"

"NO!" Zuko shot a blast of fire in Sokka's direction but the skilled fighter dodged it with ease.

"Oh, come on, Zuko. It was just an electric shock!"

"Then why do you want another one!?"

"Because it was AWESOME!!!" In a frenzy, Sokka jumped on the desk and reached out for Zuko's robe, but the firebender expertly maneuvered away from what he thought was a crazed maniac. "Oh, come on, Zuko! I just want you to shock me one more time!" Sokka exclaimed while spread out across the desk.

Just then the door to the Firelord's study opened and in walked a very bewildered Toph. "Hi, guys." Through her feet she had sensed the struggle before the doors had even opened and now she stood before them with a questioning look of confusion etched onto her face. "What's going on?"

Sokka immediately leapt off the desk and grabbed Toph by the hand, pulling her towards Zuko. "Toph, have you met the new Firelord yet?"

"Yes! I have!" she said in irritation as she pulled her hand out of Sokka's. "Now tell me what's going on or I'll crush you both into rubble!"

"Zuko's electrifying!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Funny, Sokka. Real funny."

"No really! Just shake his hand!"

"No! I'm not shaking anyone's hand!" Zuko was quick to counter as he backed farther away.

"Oh, come on, Zuko! Just shake—Ow!"

Toph had punched Sokka in the arm and he was now rubbing it profusely. "Would you just shut up and let me think about this for a second!" The skeptical earthbender took a step closer to Zuko. "I take it that you were you practicing your lightning again this morning?"

Zuko took a step back at the same time that Toph took a step forward. "Yes. But this has never happened before. It could be dangerous and Sokka's treating it like a joke."

"Sokka treats everything like a joke," Toph stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Hey!"

"Shush!" Sokka closed his mouth and moved away from the imposing twelve year old. "Well, logically, I guess it would make sense that you'd be electric. I mean, you've been practicing for weeks on that technique."

"But I haven't shocked anyone until now!"

"Well, maybe that's because you're finally getting it right."

The notion made Zuko pause. Maybe she was on to something. Maybe he had finally begun to get it right. Toph was closing in on him, but Zuko failed to notice as the idea took root in his mind. He couldn't stop the hope from rising within him. Was it possible that he was on his way to bending lightning? The sudden touch of the earthbender's hand on his arm made him bolt, but Toph just stood there as if nothing had happened. "Hmmm."

"What!? Did I hurt you?" he was quick to ask.

"No." Toph walked over to the distraught Firelord, and before he could protest, her hand had grabbed his. "Hmmm," she murmured again.

"What is it?"

She dropped his hand. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

The abrupt burst of laughter at the doorway made them all jump. "What happened to your hair, Sokka?" Zuko glanced over his shoulder and watched as Aang played with the poofy hair of the electrocuted teenager. He had to admit it. Sokka looked ridiculous. And the comical sight made him want to join in with the Avatar's giggles, but he settled for a simple smile instead.

After the reason for his frizzed hair was explained to the Avatar, Sokka insisted that Zuko needed more lightning practice and the gang agreed with excitement. Even though he wanted to avoid all possibility of electrocuting someone, Zuko had to admit that he wanted to try bending lightning again. Now that he was sure he was on the right path to mastering it, he couldn't help but accept the offer, and the trio of friends was quick to follow after the Firelord as he made his way to the practice arena in the middle of the palace.

Taking up his fighting stance, Zuko circled one hand in the air and then another and shot off towards a target set up twenty feet away. He could feel it coming even before his fingers pointed outward. The blast sent him flying into the wall behind him and he slumped in defeat. But the opportunity was not going to be lost on Sokka. Without a thought to his action, he bounded across the courtyard and straight for Zuko. Before the firebender could react, Sokka touched his forehead with just his pointer finger and the short contact had the same affect as before. A wave of electrifying energy shot through the crazed teenager, but this time he didn't fall down as he'd done earlier. He just stood there in awe. "That. Was. AWESOME!!! Do it again!" Sokka exclaimed as he pulled Zuko up onto his feet and pushed him out into the center of the practice field.

"Sokka, what is wrong with you?"

"What? You didn't feel that?"

Zuko shook his head.

"It was like a bolt of lightning shot through me!"

"Then why do you want more?"

"Because it was such an adrenaline rush!"

Shaking his head again, Zuko said, "You're hopeless."

Sokka shrugged his shoulders in response and then backed away from Zuko, waiting for him to try again. With a sigh, Zuko turned back toward his target. Zuko knew that the best way to get rid of the crazy meat lover was to indulge him, so he did as Sokka asked and tried to lightning bend once more. Unfortunately, he ended up with the same result both ways. Zuko got blasted into the wall behind him and Sokka got an electric shock. This continued on for what seemed like an eternity to Zuko until, eventually, both Toph and Aang piped up and wanted a turn. Zuko rolled his eyes but gave them what they wanted. All three of them agreed that it was quite the rush, and they each begged for just one more turn which became another and another and another until finally Zuko cried out for a break.

But just then Sokka spotted Katara walking through the garden and headed straight for them. Upon seeing his sister, a brilliant idea formed in his head and he whispered something in Zuko's ear. "No, Sokka! I'm not going to—"

Sokka covered Zuko's mouth with his hand. "Just do it, okay?"

The irritated firebender made his body temperature rise, and Sokka instantly pulled back his hand and shook it, trying to dispel the heat. "Come on, Zuko." Sokka put his hands together in front of him and his lower lip protruded into a pout. "Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee. I won't say another word about you and my sister. I promise."

Zuko caught a glimpse of the beautiful waterbender as she came around the corner and then looked back down at the pouting teenager. He was only staying for another two weeks, but any chance to be rid of the speech about his sister falling for a firebender was worth the risk. "Ok. I'll do it," he reluctantly whispered before Katara joined them.

Sokka beamed, but his smile immediately faded when Katara pointed at his hair. "What happened to you?"

Her brother was quick to answer as he tried to flatten his frizzy locks. "Nothing. Nothing."

But she could tell that something was wrong with all of them, even Aang. He might not have had hair but there was still the same crazed look in his eyes that both Toph and Sokka had.

"It looks like you've all been struck by lightning or something." Katara's eyes narrowed then as her gaze met with Zuko's. "Have you been shooting lightning at them?"

But before Zuko could answer, Sokka jumped in between them. "No, no. Of course he hasn't. He's just been practicing is all and I guess we got a little too close."

"So have you mastered it yet?" Katara asked as she looked over her brother's shoulder at the nervous firebender. At least she thought he looked nervous. He was fidgeting with his hands and appeared to be keeping something from her. She could always tell, and he knew it. "Well?" she added when he didn't immediately answer.

Sokka moved behind Katara then and he mouthed the words "don't tell her" to the nervous young man. Zuko tried to be as vague as possible while not spilling the truth. "I haven't mastered it…yet. I've just been practicing like I do every morning, and the three of them" – he pointed at the group behind her – "dropped by to watch."

Katara didn't look convinced and her gaze narrowed again. "Uh-huh."

"Why don't you show her what you've been practicing, Zuko," Sokka suggested, and Zuko gave him a look that could have burnt him to a crisp if he'd been able to shoot fire from his eyes.

"Yeah, why don't you, Zuko?" Now Toph was in on the joke as well.

Without waiting for the nod of approval, the mischievous earthbender and the playful teenager grabbed Aang's and Katara's arms and pulled them away from the Firelord. When they all stood at a safe distance, Zuko reluctantly resumed his stance. He circled his arms in the proper motion and then shot off ahead of him. The blast hit him hard and sent him flying in the opposite direction. Katara, ever the compassionate soul, immediately ran after him to help him to his feet. But before she could touch him, Sokka grabbed her by the hand and yanked her away from the electrifying firebender.

"Sokka! What's wrong with you?" she protested as she tried to break free.

Once the Firelord was back on his feet, Sokka commanded, "Zuko! NOW!"

Before she knew what was happening, Zuko had grabbed her arms, pulled her close, and captured her lips with his own. The electricity that shot through her veins caused her eyes to pop open and her body to shake. But she wasn't the only one. Zuko finally felt the electrifying shiver run through him as well. It was like she was the perfect conductor for the energy and it cycled through each of their bodies in a vigorous rush of adrenaline. But it didn't stop there. The trio of onlookers stared in amazement as a flash of violet light seemed to radiate from the couple. And then all too quickly the feeling was gone and the light vanished as Zuko and Katara pulled away from the kiss. Katara's knees gave way and Zuko tried to keep her upright in his arms, but he was as drained as she was, and they went tumbling to the ground.

While she lay on top of him with her hands on his chest, Katara looked into his eyes and asked in amazement, "What was that!?"

"I have no idea. That was the first time it shocked me in return," he replied while staring wide-eyed up at her electrified hair. "Uh, Katara, is my hair as bad as yours?"

She reached one of her hands up to his jet black hair and ran her fingers through it, feeling the frizzy texture of it. "Just about." And then her gaze met with his eyes and they both smiled before bursting out with laughter.

Between laughs, Zuko managed to tell her, "You look ridiculous."

"Me? You should see yourself! What would the people think if they saw their Firelord like this!?"

Another wave of laughter rushed through them as the three spectators joined up with the couple. "Hey, did you guys see that purple light?" Aang was the first to ask them.

Katara wiped a tear from her eye and tried to stifle the chuckles. "What purple light?"

Zuko immediately turned serious and focused his attention on Aang. "There was a purple light?"

"Yeah."

Gently rolling Katara off of him, Zuko rose to his feet and then offered his hand to her. When they were both upright and their laughter forgotten, the puzzled firebender turned his full attention on the Avatar. "How long did it last?"

"Just a couple of seconds."

"Did you all see it?"

"I didn't," Toph was quick to admit. "But then again I don't see color."

Zuko was quick to put his attention back on Aang, but Toph opened her mouth again before he could. "Although, I gotta say that the vibrations you guys were giving off were completely different from when any of us touched you."

Zuko turned to her. "They were? How?"

"I don't know. It was like you were equal conductors in the electricity. Oh, and something has changed in you," she said as she pointed up at the Firelord. "I can feel it."

Shaking his head, Zuko took a step back from the group. "This can't be happening."

"What?" they all asked at once.

With a far off look in his eyes, Zuko ran a hand through his unruly hair while he stared past them, focusing on nothing in particular. "It's not possible."

"What's not possible?" Katara asked.

Zuko's gaze met with the woman he loved as he explained. "There's this ridiculous legend that our people have and it's about how the art of bending lighting was first formed. But that's just it! It's nothing more than a fairytale."

A shiver ran down her spine at the look of awe in his eyes. "What is it?"

A smile crossed his lips. "My mother used to tell it to me when I was a child. It was a romantic tale about a Water Tribe princess who fell in love with a Fire Nation peasant, and every time they would kiss—"

"Oh, geez, let me guess," Sokka butted in. "Every time they would kiss, they would get an electric shock."

Zuko wasn't fazed by the rolling of Sokka's eyes. Instead he continued on with the story. "…electricity would flow through them. They couldn't seem to figure out why. But one day the firebender was practicing his bending and lightning sprung forth from his fingers and radiated with the blue light of the ocean. After he'd discovered this, the electric shock disappeared and was forever displayed through the art of bending lightning."

"So it was their kiss that sparked the lightning." Katara stated.

Zuko's smile widened. "Exactly."

"That's so romantic." The Firelord's eyes held onto hers as they both smiled lovingly at one another.

"Okay. Okay. We get it. It's all romantic and everything but what does that have to do with the purple light?" Sokka asked. He hated it when his baby sister looked up at the Firelord in that way. It just bugged him for some reason. Maybe it was because he was too overprotective of her. Maybe it was because their father wasn't. Hakoda would get this goofy grin on his face whenever he saw the two star-crossed lovers together, but Sokka just wanted to cringe. It wasn't that he didn't like the jerkbender. He did. But someone had to protect his sister's innocence, and it might as well be him. "Hello? Earth to Zuko."

The Firelord finally averted his eyes and looked at Sokka. "Well, that's part of the legend, too. It was always said that whenever they kissed, they were surrounded by a purple glow. It was like their elements were combined or something."

"You should try bending lightning again, Zuko," Toph jumped in with the recommendation.

"Why?"

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, the earthbender replied, "No reason. I just thought you'd like to try it again now that you've locked lips with the ice queen."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "What? You actually think I'll be able to bend lightning now after a simple kiss? That's ridiculous, Toph, and you know it."

"Hey, I'm not the one who wrote the legend of lightning bending. I was just saying that it wouldn't hurt to give it another shot," she countered.

Zuko glanced over at Katara then and she shrugged her shoulders. "You never know."

Sighing, Zuko took up his post yet again and the others backed away. There was no way this was going to work. It wasn't possible. It was just a myth after all, nothing more. But as he traced one hand around in a half-circle and then the other, he saw a spark of light flashing before him and his eyes widened. The instant he shot his right hand out in front of him, the violet light filled the arena and Zuko stared after it in amazement. Purple lightning? What the—

"You did it!" Katara congratulated Zuko as she jumped on him from behind. He about toppled over but she kept him from falling. "Did you see that? It was purple!"

"Does this mean the electric shock is gone?" Sokka asked straight away, a look of pure disappointment on his face. His sister looked back at him with a roll of her eyes and he noticed that she didn't seem to be shaking in the Firelord's arms. "Good job, Katara! You took away Zuko's electricity! Now we can't shock Suki."

As if on cue, the Kyoshi warrior entered the arena. "Shock me with what?" she asked and then she noticed everyone's hair. "What happened to you all?"

"Forget it. The jerkbender ruined it the minute he kissed my sister," Sokka replied as he plopped down in the dirt.

Suki knelt down next to Sokka and placed a tender kiss on his cheek and then tried to smooth out his hair as she said, "Oh, Sokka, when are you gonna get over the fact that Zuko and Katara love each other."

"When lightning turns purple."

"Well, it did," Katara pointed out at once. "So you'd better get over it, big brother, or I'll gladly whip your butt in our next battle."

Sokka immediately rose to the challenge and hopped up on his feet. "We'll tag team. I get Suki and the purple dragon. You can have Toph and Aang."

Katara wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "The purple dragon?"

With a sigh of annoyance, Zuko put his hand on Katara's shoulder and explained, "I think he means me."

As Sokka ran off to fetch his sword and boomerang, Katara turned to look up into the eyes of the man she adored. "Hmmm…I kind of like it. Firelord Zuko. The Purple Dragon," she said in all seriousness before she burst out laughing.

"That's not funny," he said with a somber expression and a humorless tone of voice.

Katara continued to laugh but managed to get out the words, "I think it is," before she broke down completely.

Zuko just sighed and rolled his eyes in response as the courtyard burst into laughter alongside her. It was no use. They weren't going to stop. But as he looked over at the bubbly waterbender, he smiled and knew that he didn't care for he'd finally done it. He'd finally learned how to bend lightning and the process had been nothing like his father's, his sister's, or his uncle's. It had been completely different for it had been sparked out of love. And if purple lightning was the price he had to pay for kissing his future Fire Lady, then he'd gladly pay it for he loved nothing in the world so well as her.

Benedict - "I love nothing in the world so well as you."
Beatrice - "And I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."
This is a quote from the movie Much Ado About Nothing. If you haven't seen it yet, then what's wrong with you? It's so Zutara! And I love those lines, which is why I used them at the end of this story. =D

But back to the story. Okay, seriously, was that too weird? I've read through it many times and I'm still going "well, that was funny, but a little odd and yet cute and yet weird." But what did you think? Let me know. Please and Thank You!

As for the letter E, I went first from ENGAGED and then to ELEMENT and then to ECSTASY (which would have been good) and then finally I found the word ELECTRIC which I changed to ELECTRIFYING. And almost instantly after I found that word, the Grease song started playing in my head. Yup, you know the one! Everyone sing with me now: I got chills. They're multiplying. And I'm losing control. Cuz the power you're supplying…it's ELECTRIFYING! =D And then this idea was quick to form in my head.

I had originally thought about the notion of Zuko having this sort of electric current running through him after practicing his lightning bending, and I got to thinking then about Sokka's reaction. We all know Sokka. He'd probably love the idea and jump at the chance to get another electrifying shock. LOL. Thus this story was born. And the purple lightning, well, that came later as I was writing. It sounded cool. The first firebender with purple lightning. AKA: The Purple Dragon! Haha. Oh, and the legend was awesome! At least, I thought so. Now I've created two legends about Zutara (one in DISTRACTED and one in ELECTRIFYING). I gotta stop doing that. But, come on, the prospect of a waterbender and a firebender just makes for a great romance! That's why we love Zutara so much!

So…let me know what you thought. PLEASE REVIEW!!! It's great encouragement and it keeps me writing. You don't want me to stop writing the ABCs of Zutara, now do you? =D

AVidZktjo

The next five letters (F, G, H, I, & J) will hit more of the serious notes that make up the Zutara relationship. It's time to get into some of the deeper issues, but I promise it will be gooooooooood! So stay tuned!