Hello everyone! This is my first story on here! Yay! I watched Avatar when I was little for the longest time and am still in love with it today. Even though the writers ended the show ended many moons ago, there are two things I regret about the series. The fact that we never got 3 really good movies and that Zuko and Katara didn't get together. So heres my consolation prize! Enjoy my first story!

What could have happened if Aang and Iroh were a few minutes more?

Let's find out!

Freedom

It was wet, cold, and the only light was from the glowing green crystals. Katara was slightly bruised from the beating she received from Azula and her lackeys. If only she had her water skin, she thought. Or better if they hadn't tricked her. She was fooled by their tricks, again. Katara settled herself against a crystal, as she examined her surroundings. There was a drip of water from the ceiling, the only sound in her crystal prison.

Suddenly there was a noise from the stone door being moved aside from the Dai Li. Katara stood, praying Aang had finally found her. Instead, the Dai Li carelessly threw a earth kingdom man into the room.

"You've got company", the Dai Li agent, almost as if mocking her, said.

Katara moved closer hoping to help the innocent man. Oh boy was she wrong.

"Zuko!"

He stayed there, turning is back to her. Katara started to pace, her anger towards him and the situation rising.

"Why did they throw you in here?" she said in an angry tone, but she received no response. Zuko sat, staring at the floor. "Oh let me guess, it's a trap. So that way when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little fire nation clutches", she said practically mocking him to his back. But still, Zuko only slightly looked over his shoulder, showing her the scar side of his face, then went back to looking at the floor. "You are a terrible person! You know that?! Always following us, hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace!" Katara glared at his back, not caring if he was really listening. "But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son… Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood". This finally seemed to get him riled up. "You don't know what you're talking about.." he told her, while still keeping his strange level-headed demeanor, which was slightly strange for Zuko. "How dare you!" she cried. "You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally!" she touched her necklace as tears started to fall from her blue eyes. "The fire nation took my mother away from me", Katara sat with her back to him, sobbing quietly to herself.

Zuko finally turned to look at her, "I'm sorry". "That's something we have in common." he said to her back.

This caused Katara to look up and turn back to him. She looked at him for a minute, trying to understand. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The fire nation took my mother away from me too.." he looked to the floor, unable to meet her gaze. Katara didn't know how to respond. The person who had chased them for months, the person she saw as barely human, had experienced hardships, just like her. He was just like Aang or Sokka. He was a man.

Katara and Zuko stood slowly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before", Katara said, slightly embarrassed at herself for her words. "It doesn't matter", he replied, also avoiding her eyes. "It's just that… For so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of enemy… It would be your face", she looked back at him. "My face…" he touched the scar covering half his face, "I see..". He looked back at the ground. Katara quickly understood her blunder. "No.. No.. That's not what I meant" she tried to correct her mistake. "It's okay…" he pondered his words for a second. "I used to think this scar marked me… The mark of the banished prince.. Cursed to chase the Avatar forever" he looked down at his words. "But lately.. I realized I'm free to determine my own destiny… Even if I'll never be free of my mark".

Katara held her arms close to her chest, when she felt the vial of water that she had long since forgotten. "Maybe you could be free of it".

Zuko's eyes widened at these words. He looked over at her, confused by what she meant. "What?" he said bewildered.

"I have healing abilites", Katara replied.

Zuko's shoulders visibly slouched at these words. "It's a scar… It can't be healed", he said, disappointed.

Katara pulled the vial on a chain from her shirt and held it to him. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole… It has special properties so I've been saving it for something important… I don't know if it would work but…", she looked up at him. "This is important to you..?" Zuko asked. Katara pondered this for a minute then replied, "If I can help you in anyway… I will". Zuko looked at her slightly hopeful, and then closed her eyes. Katara slowly reached her hand up and lightly cupped his cheek and felt his scar. The skin there was rough. It was lighter around the edges and his ear and darker near his eye. He was lucky he had some vision in his eye. Oh Zuko… Who did this to you? she thought. Katara bended the spirit water from the vial. There was clearly only enough for one use. She reached her hand towards his face.

Zuko felt the coolness on his face. It was like someone just shoved half his face into a snow bank. He winced slightly at the uncomfortable feeling. Katara noticed this and used her other hand to squeeze his arm, trying to reassure him.

Katara closed her eyes and focused, feeling his skin and nerves knitting back together. It was difficult work and it took every ounce of energy she had. She felt a drop of sweat run down her face. Then slowly she felt the pressure over her hand recede and she opened her eyes. She gasped at what she saw.

Zuko opened his eyes as he felt the coolness over his eye fade away, only slightly taking in how close Katara was to him. "What? Did it work? Does it look bad?", he asked, slightly nervous at her reaction. Katara laughed slightly "See for yourself…" she gestured to the crystal reflecting back at him. Zuko looked into the crystal and gasped himself. He looked like he was 12 again, before he had received the gift from his father. He reached up and touched the smooth skin there, not believing it was real. "I'm free…", he smiled and turned to Katara, "I'm finally free!". Katara smiled big at him, seeing how happy her gesture made him. Zuko went to her and hugged her tight, lifting her off the ground slightly. He barely managed out, "Thank you". Katara could tell his eyes were welling up and his throat was closing with the tears he was trying to hold back. She pulled away "You said yourself that you were realizing to realize you determine your destiny… How about now?" she asked. "Even more so… Why do you ask?" he questioned. "How about taking your destiny in the opposite direction? How about training the Avatar?" she asked him with a hopeful look in her eyes. Then suddenly…

CRASH.

This was the first part of my new story, Freedom. I hope you all enjoyed it because I sure enjoyed writing it! Don't worry though because this story is far from over. I have a whole plot for this figured out. I'm already starting part 2! See ya then!