Zutara ABCs: HEALING

The ABCs of Zutara: HEALING
Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo

Fire. Lightning. Anger. Rage. Sorrow. Pain. A jumble of emotions. A mix of memories. Nightmare after nightmare. Dream after dream. Nothing concrete. Nothing real. No sight. No sound. Pain. Just endless tormenting pain.

"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

Breathe in. Breathe out. Standing at the ready. Waiting for the inevitable.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to tell the truth."

Heart pounding. Fear abating. Conviction rising.

"For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me."

Another time. Another place. Hope. Honor. Acceptance.

"I see the weight of your travels has changed you. You have redeemed yourself, my son. I am proud of you, Prince Zuko."

The dream of yesterday breaking. A hope for tomorrow dawning.

"I thought it was my honor that I wanted, but really I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy to an Agni Kai."

"It was to teach you respect!"

"It was cruel and it was wrong!"

Falling. Kneeling. Begging.

"Please, Father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"

An image. A shadow. An unspeakable evil.

"You will learn respect! And suffering will be your teacher."

Water. Fire. Tears. Flames. Suffering. Pain. Blood. Burning. A rise from the ashes. A blazing conviction. A mission born.

"Then you've learned nothing!"

"No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own."

Words of old. Words of wisdom.

"Is it your own destiny or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

A haunting question. A fearless answer.

"I've come to an even more important decision. I'm going to join the Avatar. And I'm going to help him defeat you."

"Really? Since you're a full blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait? I'm powerless. You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?"

"Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny."

"Coward!"

Cringing. Hurting. Blazing.

"You will fight for your honor."

"I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!"

"I won't fight you."

A mixed up mess. A jumble of words and memories. A swirling cycle of thoughts and emotions.

"I know my own destiny, Uncle!"

"You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing."

"You will obey me or this defiant breathe will be your last!"

"I'll make sure your destiny ends right then and there!"

A bond created, broken, and reborn.

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

A time of forgiveness. Acceptance. Renewal.

"I'll never forgive him, but I am ready to forgive you."

Warmth. Feeling. Holding. Soothing water. A raging river. The moonlit ocean. Eyes of brilliant sapphire. Eyes of acceptance. Eyes of unexpected love.

"Your penalty will be far steeper."

Judgment. Fear. Exhilaration. Standing at the ready. Waiting for the inevitable.

"No lightning today?"

An answering challenge.

"I'll show you lightning!"

Breathe in. Breathe out. A flash of blue. Sparks flying. Focus changing. Fear returning. A mistake. A horrible mistake. Heart pounding. Legs sprinting. Body racing. Realization hitting. Not her. Anyone but her.

"If you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday."

My destiny. My hope. My love. It's her.

A sudden stroke of pain. Endless pain. Then silence. Darkness. Death. The beating of my heart is slowing. My world is going black. My destiny is fading. My eyes see no vision. My ears hear no sound. My mouth ceases to speak. Everything fades. Her brilliant eyes. Her kind smile. All of her. One last breath. One last look. One last mistake. She'll never see. She'll never hear. She'll never know. My eyes close. The last of me. My world goes black. Given for her. My heart stops.

Shooting up from his bed, Zuko's hand fell instinctively upon the gaping wound over his heart. It was all a dream, nothing more than a recurring nightmare. He sighed and closed his eyes. But although it may have only been in his dreams, Zuko knew just how real it had been. He could still feel it, see it, and touch it. The scar was still there. A blemish to mark his mistake, his failure, and his death. But thankfully he hadn't passed over. She'd brought him back. With her healing touch she had pumped new life into his heart and breathed hope and purpose into his newfound destiny.

Shaking his head at the haunting memory, Zuko tried to still his beating heart. He breathed in and out in even breaths, but no matter how hard he tried to still it, the frantic racing wouldn't slow. What had he been dreaming of? He couldn't even be sure. It was all a mess. A jumble of words and memories, all mashed together and incomprehensible. It was nothing and yet everything all at once. The Agni Ki that had permanently marked his face. His confrontation with his father. His uncle's words of wisdom. Azula's crafty use of lightning. And the realization of a greater destiny found in the unexpected formation of love. All at once and yet all separate. Exhilarating and yet terrifying. Different and yet equal. He shook his head again, trying to dispel the numerous nightmares. Would he ever be able to escape it?

It would be some time before the sun rose. He could sense it, but he could not fall back asleep. He was far too awake. Tossing aside the covers, Zuko swung his legs over the side of the bed and just sat there, head in his hands. His body was on fire, sweat pouring down every inch of him, fear and terror rising within him. He wanted to be free of this, free of these nightmares and horrible memories. The war was over and peace treaties were already being negotiated, so why was he still facing this unending torment? He'd changed, given up the past, and moved on. And yet the words of his father still rang in his ears. The wisdom of his uncle still made him question who he was. And the haunting challenge of his sister still made him cringe and caused his chest to writhe in pain.

He could still feel the spark of lightning cycling within him. Katara had never been able to fully heal it, and even the very thought of the event that caused it brought his heart pain. He could feel it now, burning up inside of him. Clutching at his heart, he closed his eyes and sucked in air through his gritted teeth. He wished the torment would stop, and yet he hoped that it never would. Every time his heart beat cruelly against his chest, he was reminded of the destiny he had raced to save. And Zuko knew even now that he would have done the exact same thing if he'd been given the chance to redo the past.

He would have rushed to save her, to protect her from Azula's lightning, and to sacrifice his heart in place of hers. No pain could ever match the sorrow he would have faced if he'd lost her. For he loved her, more than he ever thought possible. It had been unexpected, creeping slowly up on him, but he couldn't hide from it, couldn't deny it, couldn't run from it. After she had revived him, it had been a joy indeed to discover that her heart was in the same condition as his. It had not been shot through with lightning, but love had been sparked within her all the same. And their first kiss on that fateful day had revealed the truth of this.

Zuko smiled at the memory, but suddenly the smile became an agonizing cringe. A shiver of pain shot through his chest, and his hand tightened over the open wound. It was no use. It would never be healed. Just like the scar on his face, he would wear this mark his whole life through. But it didn't matter. Ignoring the pain just as he'd learned to do in the past few months, Zuko rose to his feet and went about his morning routine. He drew a bath for himself, washing off the sweat and daily grime with the refreshing coolness of the water, and then dressed in his royal attire.

It would be at least another hour before the sun rose and even longer still before Katara would awaken. Their meeting with the Northern Water Tribe council was not scheduled until later that afternoon, so he had plenty of time to himself. But that was just the opposite of what he wanted. Maybe he could go to her room and wake her up. She would be angry at him for sure, but the thought of her grumpy disposition only made him smile. She was not a morning person, and no doubt she had stayed up well into the night as she did most every evening, so she would not be happy if he woke her. It was no use then. As much as he yearned for her presence, he decided that it would be best to let her rest. There was no sense in waking the sleeping giant three mornings in a row.

So without his Water Tribe Ambassador at his side, Zuko walked out of his room, out of the ice palace, and into the streets of the city. It was peaceful just before the dawn. No people running around. No people anywhere for that matter. Zuko found this rather calming and it did his heart good. Not to mention that the brisk winter air refreshed his body. As a firebender who basked in the blistering heat of summer, he found it rather odd that he quite enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the winter. He would never admit it to Katara, but he loved the water, the ocean, the moon, and the chilled air that filled his lungs every day. Maybe he had always been destined to love her element. It was as if the spirits had fashioned them for each other well before their meeting. Zuko's grin widened. His uncle had been right. Destiny truly was a funny thing.

It wasn't long before Zuko arrived at the same place he'd been frequenting now for the past week. Without pause, he opened the secret entrance and walked into the warmth of the Spirit Oasis. It was his favorite place to be and it wasn't because of the warmth. He found tranquility and peace in its sanctuary, which was another odd thing he would never be able to understand. As Zuko walked over to the Koi pond, he once again stared up at the mountain of ice that Katara had skillfully encased him in. Amazingly, it had never melted and no waterbender had ever returned it to normal. In a weird way, it had become a part of the oasis and he rather liked that it remained in place. It was a pleasant reminder of the battle that had ensued between himself and a certain fiery waterbender. Of course, with that memory came less pleasant ones, ones that he'd rather forget.

With a sigh, Zuko turned toward the Koi pond and sat down before it. He stared into the crystal clear waters and watched as Tui and La circled around each other in their never-ending dance. One black, one white. One above, one below. The moon and the ocean. They were the perfect symbol of balance and harmony and yet they were different and unique. Much the same way that he and Katara were.

No lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it? The memory came flooding in before he could stop it. His hand clutched at the robes covering his heart. He closed his eyes and tried to dispel the images but that only made the memory more potent. I'll show you lightning! Azula's eyes had been crazed and wild that day and he should have known that she would do something cruel and sadistic, but she had never been predictable. She was crafty and devious and he had always been easily caught in her trap. Azula knew just where to strike him every time and the funny thing was that it was never with fire. Going after the people he loved was her specialty. First Uncle, then Katara.

Zuko sucked in a quick breath as the pain hit him again. He could still see the flash of blue sparks, the sudden change of her focus, and the lightning that shot forth from her fingertips. It had happened so fast. His eyes had seen the inevitable course of the lightning, his legs had moved out of instinct, but his heart had raced out of undying love. Zuko cringed. The strike of the lightning had been as painful as receiving the scar on his face, and the mark it left was just as permanent. The electricity cycled through his body in a flash, but he could still feel it in every nerve, every muscle, even down into the depths of his bones.

All he knew in that moment was pain, excruciating pain. It moved like fire within him, burning him from the inside out. But just as quickly as the lightning struck, the sparks dissipated and he crashed to the ground. Seconds, all it took was seconds to realize that he was dying, but in those few moments that he had, he caught sight of her one last time. With his dying breath, he had declared that he loved her. It was a whisper in the night, but he had said the words all the same. He just wished she had heard them. With the image of her terrified face engrained in his thoughts, his eyes closed, his world blackened, and his heart stopped.

Zuko sighed and his hand tightened over his chest. He had died that day and yet he had not appeared in the Spirit World. He couldn't remember anything that happened after his final breath. Instead it was like he hadn't even passed on. As soon as his heart had stopped, he felt it starting up again. And then he beheld her tear-stained eyes and saw her radiant smile. He couldn't even recall exactly what she'd said for he was in such a haze, but he would never forget the touch of her lips upon his. Zuko's hand loosened from his robes and came to rest in his lap once more. Her kiss had revived a hope in him, a hope he thought was long since buried.

Taking a deep breath that filled his lungs with the warmth of the oasis, Zuko could sense the change in the horizon before it happened. The sky was beginning to glow with the first light of morning. The sun would soothe the ache in his chest and he looked forward to its rising. But with the breaking dawn came more unpleasant memories, more pain, and more mistakes.

You will fight for your honor. Why was he reliving these moments today? He was in the Spirit Oasis. It had never brought on these memories before, but now they wouldn't stop coming. I won't fight you. He could still recall the crack in his voice, the fear that overtook him, the frantic quickening of his pulse. You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher. Zuko turned his face away at the same time that the memory of himself met with the gaze of his father. He saw no mercy there, no remorse, nothing. His father was an empty shell, but he had been too blind to realize it then.

More pain. More excruciating torment. He could still feel the sting of the fire on his cheek and his eyes still beheld the flame as it came bursting forth from the Firelord's fingertips. He had faced more fear and suffering in that moment than he'd ever faced in all his life. And no matter what he did, no matter how many good decisions he made, the memory would never stop haunting him and the fire would never cease to burn him. He would never be healed no matter how much he wished for it. Zuko's hand suddenly found the scarred flesh of his cheek and he traced the hard lines the flames had left behind. It was no use. There was no healing for him for no one could erase the past.

"Zuko?"

Closing his eyes, Zuko breathed in the sweet scent of his waterbender. Her presence alone was healing enough and he couldn't be more happy to see her. Dropping his hand from his cheek, he rose to his feet and walked over to her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he looked down into her brilliant blue eyes and said with a smile on his lips. "You found me."

She returned the smile. "Of course, I did."

"How did you know where I'd be?"

Framing his face with her hands, she replied, "Because I know you so well."

He'd heard that sentiment before, but as her lips met with his, he realized this time it was the truth. After sharing a sweet morning kiss, Katara pulled back and her brow wrinkled. "Zuko."

His smile faded. "What is it?"

Her hand caressed the scarred side of his face. "You're up rather early this morning. It happened again, didn't it?"

Zuko sighed. She knew him far too well. "Yes. Even after all these months, I still can't seem to shake it."

"Why not, Zuko? You've changed. You shouldn't be having these nightmares." The hand that had been touching his scar fell from his face and slowly made its way to the mark over his heart. "Maybe it's-"

The sharp gasp escaped his mouth before he could rein it in. Katara immediately took her hand off of his chest and stepped back. When her hand left, his replaced it, clutching at the robes that covered the area. It was acting up again, worse than usual.

"Zuko, I-"

"It's not your fault, Katara," he replied as the sudden pang subsided. He dropped his hand then and unclenched his gritted teeth. Looking into her tear-filled eyes, he knew in an instant that she was blaming herself once again for the mark over his heart. "Katara," he whispered her name as he reached out for her.

She shook her head and backed farther away from him. "No!"

"Katara," he said her name more forcefully as he continued to advance on her.

"No, Zuko, no." Her voice was just a whisper as the tears began to pour down her cheeks. His arms found her quickly and she reluctantly leaned into the warmth of his embrace.

"I'm here, Katara. I'm here," he soothed her as he stroked her hair.

Her throat was constricted but still she managed to speak the words he'd heard time and time again. "I almost lost you. I almost…you died, Zuko. It felt like forever. I tried to bring you back. I tried."

"And you succeeded. Katara, you-"

She fled from his arms then and moved over to the Koi pond. Her eyes were on the fish as they swam about but he could tell that her thoughts were far from them. Sighing, Zuko walked over to where she stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "Katara."

"Do you have any idea how long you were out for?" she suddenly questioned him. The tracks of her tears still marked her face but they had stopped forming in her eyes.

Zuko didn't know how to answer. Of course he had no idea how long he was gone for. He was out cold. He didn't even know what happened to him when he died. Every other part of that memory was crystal clear except for everything that happened after his heart stopped. Even after she'd revived him, the memories remained clouded. Zuko could never be sure what happened let alone how long he was out for. "Katara, I don't-"

"It felt like an eternity. I don't know how long I pumped blood into your still heart, but it seemed like hours passed before you were breathing again. You probably don't even know that I stopped bloodbending your heart at one point and just cried into your chest. I begged the spirits to bring you back to me. I begged and pleaded until I became so angry that I shouted into the heavens. I prayed and prayed that you would come back but you never did. And then the silence of the courtyard surrounded me and I just stared at your lifeless face." Katara turned and faced the man who had saved her. "You had never looked more beautiful to me than in that moment." Katara paused and lifted a hand to his scar. "You didn't even feel it, did you?"

"Feel what?" Zuko replied in little more than a whisper.

With a small smile tugging at her mouth, Katara stood on her tiptoes and placed a tender kiss upon his scar. Looking back up into his eyes, she answered, "That."

Zuko gave her a puzzled look and she continued. "I kissed your scar. In fact, I kissed every part of your face, even your lips. But still…" The memory brought her pain and she looked away from him. "But still you did not come back to me. After I had tried everything in my power to revive you, I buried my face in your chest and just wept."

"Then how…"

"I'll never forget it." Katara met with his eyes again. "I told you that I loved you. The words came out of me so easily. It was so unexpected and I never thought it would happen, but I had fallen in love with you, Zuko."

A smile brightened up his face at her proclamation. He wanted to reiterate the sentiment, but she wasn't finished.

"But then I realized that I would never get to tell you."

Zuko suddenly found it rather amusing how alike they were. The first time they had declared their love for one another, neither one of them was around to hear it. He spoke the words with his dying breath, and she spoke them while his heart was at a stand still. What were the odds?

But Zuko's amusement quickly died down as Katara continued. "With my ear pressed up against your wound, I cried for what felt like a lifetime. But at some point during my weeping, I heard a faint noise. At first I thought it was just a trick of my imagination, but the sound continued to build and then I realized what it was. It was the beating of your heart. You had come back to me." Tears sprung to Katara's eyes again. "I thought you had left me forever. I thought you would never come back. I thought I would never get to tell you-"

Zuko's lips abruptly silenced her mouth. Swinging her arms around his neck, Katara deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. His grip around her waist tightened and he melted into the warmth of her touch. But just as quickly as he'd captured her mouth, he suddenly pulled away and cupped his hands around her face. "I love you, Katara. I love you so much. And I was afraid too that I would never get the chance to tell you. As I lay there dying, I declared my love for you but you never heard it."

"You did?" she asked, and then she closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall.

Zuko used his thumbs to wipe them away in a gentle stroke. "I did. I whispered those words of love with my last breath, but then you brought me back and I was able to say them to you again."

Katara opened her eyes and stared into his. "Oh, Zuko." She brought her hands from around his neck and framed his face as he did to hers. Zuko smiled back at her and she couldn't help but mimic him. Then ever so slowly, their foreheads met in the middle and they both closed their eyes in a sigh of relief and contentment. The war was over. Peace was being restored. And they had each other. Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist again and she rested her head upon his chest. They stood there in that warm embrace until the horizon was alight with the sun's rays and all their doubts and worries of the past lay behind them.

With the sun out in full force, Zuko breathed in the morning air and welcomed the flow of healing energy into his body. It warmed him to his core and even soothed his scarred heart. But the sun could only do so much for him. He knew it was the woman in his arms that was the real healing force in his life. Without her, who knew where he would have been at that moment. If his sister had hit her mark…but there was no reason to think on that now. He was here. She was here. They were together. And that's all that mattered.

"Zuko."

"Yes, my dear?"

While she was held in the Firelord's arms, Katara's gaze had remained fixed on the Koi pond at their feet. Her thoughts were still centered on that gruesome battle that had almost been her lover's demise, but they were no longer focused on his death. Instead her thoughts were more positively inclined. He may have been struck by lightning, but he'd saved her. He may still have a mark over his heart, but she'd healed him. He may have died, but she'd revived him and they were together now. But still she was haunted by the consequences. He tried to hide it, but she knew he endured the pain of that sacrifice on a daily basis. She'd struggled to mend it, but water alone could not heal the mark upon his chest or remove the electric current running through his veins. But maybe… "I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

"Think of what?" Zuko asked as his arms were forced to part from around Katara's waist so she could kneel before the circling fish.

He watched with a puzzled expression as she dipped her hand in the pond and then stood before him once more. She lifted her water-covered hand before his eyes and only then did he realize what she was referring to. This is water from the Spirit Oasis. I don't know if it would work but… The kind words that had been spoken long ago filled his thoughts. Surely she didn't mean to heal him, but the look in her eyes said otherwise.

Zuko's heart beat wildly within him. It couldn't work. Could it? No. It was impossible. He'd had his scar for so long, he'd had both for so long, did he really want to be rid of them. The one was a mark of failure and disgrace, the other a mark of sacrifice and love. Both a part of him. Both permanent and immovable. Both healed already through the love of the waterbender that stood before him. "Katara."

With a look of pure excitement in her eyes, she explained, "This is the same water that I offered to you under Ba Sing Se. I can heal you, Zuko. I can heal you." She took a step closer to him and his eyes widened. "But…" He held his breath. "I'll only do so if you want me to."

The joy and excitement continued to brighten up her face, but in her eyes he saw something more. He saw a deep understanding, one that only she had been able to show to him. He never thought it would be possible, but he'd actually found someone that knew him better than he knew himself. He could see it as clear as the morning sun. It was written in her eyes. She knew the answer before he even realized it.

Only moments ago he had been wishing for the chance to be free of his mark. It had always been a distant dream and nothing more. But now she was offering it to him, presenting him with the attainable prospect of renewed hope. It was no dream. He could choose to be healed or he could choose to remain scarred. He thought he knew the answer. In fact, he'd known his answer a year ago, but now he wasn't so sure. Was he still the same man? The answer hit him in a heartbeat and he immediately understood the look of insight in her eyes.

The Zuko that had been imprisoned under the streets of Ba Sing Se was no more. Those words that he had yelled back to her during their battle were more true now than they'd ever been. He had changed. He was changed. The Zuko that was more than willing to accept her selfless gift no longer existed. Instead he had been replaced with a man that knew his own destiny, knew his true path, and knew the decision that had to be made in that moment. "Katara, I…I can't. It must stay. It's a part of me. It's who I am."

The healing water transferred over to her left hand and Katara lifted her right up to the mark on his left cheek. "I know, Zuko. You once told me that you saw your scar as the mark of failure, the mark of the banished prince, but it was never so. Your father may have burned you out of cruelty and you may have once seen it as the mark of dishonor, but, Zuko, my love, you couldn't have been more wrong. It is not the mark of failure or the mark of dishonor or the mark of any foul thing. It is the mark of love."

Katara took a step closer to Zuko and stared up into his eyes as a smile brightened up her face. She steadily traced the ragged edges of his scar as she continued. "Out of love for your people, you spoke up in that meeting. You stood up for those that were to be slaughtered for some selfish war tactic. You showed more honor than your father ever had or any man for that matter. That is why this scar is not just a scar, Zuko. It is a mark of love, of change, and of real honor. I'm just happy to see that you've finally realized that for yourself."

Zuko closed his eyes and slowly filled his lungs with the morning air. She knew him so well. But she had only mentioned one blemish. Gazing upon her radiant smile once more, he asked, "And what of the other?"

His hand instinctively went to his heart and her eyes followed his movement. She knew what he would answer if she offered to heal it. She knew he would decline just as he had with his other mark. She knew it, but still she wanted to heal him. Katara had tried numerous times to soothe the wound over his heart through her healing touch, but still the lightning remained intact within him. She could feel the energy cycling through his veins and she didn't know how to get rid of it.

Zuko had finally learned how to bend lightning, but even that did him no good. The electric current that his sister had shot through him was steady and unwavering and this only brought fear and worry into Katara's life. What if the current eventually wound its way back into his heart and killed him? It was already doing painful damage to him on a daily basis. He tried to hide it, but she easily saw through his charade. He was in pain and she was determined to relieve him of it no matter what the cost. Surely he would see reason in that.

"I know it causes you great pain." Zuko tried to protest, but Katara put a hand to his mouth and silenced him. "You can't hide it from me. I see what it's doing to you and I'm worried. I'm worried that…" Katara dropped her hand and bit on her lower lip. "I don't want to lose you, Zuko. I can't lose you. Not again."

Zuko looked down at the woman he cherished and a smile tugged at his lips. Worry had been her constant companion ever since the Agni Ki that had almost cost him his life. She would ask him daily about the ache in his heart, and he would simply answer that with her in it how could there be any pain. It was his routine reply and she would always roll her eyes at him every time he said it. But although he found her questions amusing, he knew she lived in constant fear of his death. Every time he clutched the fabric over his chest, it caused her as much pain as it did him. He would give anything to erase that fear from her mind, even the mark that was a welcome reminder of his love for her.

Taking a hold of her dry hand, Zuko lifted it to his chest and set it over the fabric that covered his scar. "My heart is yours, Katara, it has always been yours. Therefore, it is not my decision to make. The choice belongs to you just as my heart does, so you may do with it what you will."

For a moment, Katara just stared into Zuko's eyes. She heard the words he was saying and knew he spoke them in truth, but she could also see the same desire she'd seen earlier. Finally she spoke. "Zuko, I can see it in your eyes. You want to keep it, and I know why. It's a reminder of your sacrifice."

Lifting a hand to frame her face, Zuko gently caressed the soft skin of her cheek and entranced her with the fire in his amber eyes. "Katara, as much as I'd love to keep this reminder of my love for you, I don't need it. It makes no difference whether it's seared into my flesh or not. I will love you all the days of my life and nothing will ever change that. Your presence alone is all the reminder I need."

Katara breathed in a sigh of contentment as she closed her eyes and melted into his gentle touch. He always knew just what to say to warm her heart. It was no wonder she'd fallen in love with him. But her joy of the tender moment was short-lived for Zuko's cringing gasp broke through her thoughts and made her drop her hand from atop his chest. Katara was just about to back away from him again when his hand grabbed a hold of hers and firmly planted it over his heart. "No, Katara, I'm alright."

He was always denying it and it was making her angry. "No you're not! Zuko, you're getting worse. That's twice now in under an hour."

"I'll be fine, Katara," he tried to reason with her.

But Katara was not going to be reasoned with. "Are you sure? Your sister shot you much worse than Aang. The lightning didn't go through your back but it penetrated your heart and for some reason it still flows through your veins. Who's to say it won't eventually kill you? I have to get it out of you, and the only way to do that is to heal you. You must see that."

Raising her water-encased hand before his face, her eyes begged for his permission to act. Zuko knew it was useless to fight with her. She was right after all. The healing had to be done. He had tried to hide it from her, but the pain was getting increasingly worse by the day. He just hoped the water from the Spirit Oasis would finally be enough to heal him.

Letting go of the hand he still held captive over his heart, Zuko reached for the tie that held his robes in place. After loosening it, he took a hold of her water-glazed hand and pulled back the fabric that covered his chest. Placing her hand over his scar, he waited for her water to glow and the healing process to begin. But nothing happened. "Katara?"

Suddenly her hand lifted and he felt her lips upon his scarred flesh. After the sweet kiss, her hand began to glow and found its way back to his chest. Her eyes were averted from his but he still knew that she was holding back tears. Katara had told him many times that she loved him just as he was, scars and all. He knew she was sad to see the mark vanish for it was as much a reminder to him as it was to her. Sometimes it brought on horrible memories of a past they'd both rather forget than remember, but other times it would remind them how they had unexpectedly fallen in love in the midst of their quarrels. It was a bittersweet reminder but one neither one of them wanted to see disappear. But Zuko's life was more important than a memento of their love. It was, after all, just a scar, nothing more. The real love that that fateful day had sparked was still within him, and no amount of spirit water could heal the recurring ache in his heart that occurred every time he held her in his arms.

Zuko's eyes abruptly popped open. The energy that he'd felt flowing through him for months was suddenly gone. There was nothing. Not the sting of the current nor the pain of the lightning spark. All of it had vanished. Zuko breathed in deeply and let the air expand his lungs. No pain. Nothing. He exhaled and then inhaled again. It was amazing. He could breathe for the first time in a year. There was no sharp pang in his chest, no spark in his body, no more pain at all. He was finally his old self again. And he'd never felt better.

With a huge grin lighting up his face, he took hold of Katara's chin and lifted her eyes to his. Upon seeing his utter joy, a smile broke out on her face as well and the tears she'd been holding back slid down her cheeks. She removed her hand from his chest then and let the water fall back into the pond at their feet, all the while never dropping her gaze from his. As soon as the last drop of water fell from her command, Katara placed both of her hands over Zuko's heart and leaned in closer to him. "It worked, Zuko, it worked. The electric current is finally gone. I just wish we had come here ages ago."

With more excitement than he ever thought possible, he replied with an unnaturally high voice, "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm healed and whole now. Katara, it's finally gone. I can breathe again." Zuko inhaled several large gulps of air to prove his point, but then without warning his brilliant grin faltered and his expression became somber.

"What is it, Zuko?" she immediately questioned him, afraid that the pain had come back.

"It's nothing, Katara. It's just…if only I'd been able to keep it." A sigh escaped his mouth, but then just as quickly as his smile had dropped, it came back in full force. "It doesn't matter. I guess it was meant to be this way. I may not have the scar anymore, but I have you. And you're all the reminder I need."

Zuko leaned down to capture Katara's mouth with a passionate kiss, but she abruptly put a finger to his lips and pushed him back. He looked down at her with confusion and waited impatiently for an explanation. After wiping the tear stains from along her cheeks, she gazed up at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes and said, "I'm surprised you didn't realize it, Zuko."

"Realize what?"

Katara's smile widened as she removed her other hand from atop his chest. Looking down, Zuko beheld the image of sacrificial love still branded over his heart. He blinked and then looked into Katara's eyes again. "I worked around it, but I don't think it would have healed anyway. It's too deep of a wound." Placing her hand over the mark, she traced the edges of his burnt skin with her fingertips and then her lips planted a soft kiss over his heart. He looked down at her with a gaze that spoke of love and adoration as she folded the robes back over his chest. Once his royal attire had been put back in its proper place, she beheld his glowing amber eyes once more and said, "Now that your pain is gone, I can rest easy and look upon your scar with joy."

While mimicking her smile, he replied, "We both can."

Katara fell into his arms then and held on as tightly as he did. With her nestled into his chest and his chin atop her head, he heard her mutter one last question to him, "No more nightmares then?"

Zuko closed his eyes and breathed in the soothing scent of the ocean from her hair. "No more nightmares. I've come to accept the past, and I'm ready to move on into a brighter future." His arms tightened around her as he added, "And that brighter future is with you." Katara's only answer was a gentle hum of agreement as she too closed her eyes and tightened her hold around him. While cradling each other in that tender embrace, Zuko came to realize that although the water of the Spirit Oasis may have mended his body, his real healing had come from the woman in his arms and the love that they had unexpectedly discovered in the midst of war.