The Last Waterbender

Chapter 1: The Girl in the Ice

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy

Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm very excited to present my first A:TLA fanfiction. I've spent the last year working on this fic, so I hope you enjoy it! It's set in an AU where Katara is the Avatar. The fic follows very closely to the canon, and there are some chapters in which I used what happened in the show and simply adapted it to fit into my AU. That being said, there are a few differences, all of which are explained in the story.

This is a Zutara fic, and a lot of the plot revolves around their (complicated) relationship. There will be a lot of angst, but I promise that there's a happy ending. I have written and edited the entire story, and will update twice a week as possible. It is broken up into 5 books with sixteen chapters each, the books being like seasons and chapters being like episodes. The first few chapters are shorter, but I promise they get longer.

Comments are always appreciated! 

BOOK 1: The Last Waterbender

Water. Fire. Earth. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar, the master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed her most, she vanished.

A hundred years have passed and there is no sign of the Avatar.

Chapter 1 - The Girl in the Ice

Just one mistake

Is all it will take

We'll go down in history

-Centuries, Fall Out Boy

"Remember: breathing is the key to firebending," Iroh says. The older man is sitting on a stool on the deck of the large battleship, a cup of tea cradled in his hands. Steam rises from the surface, disappearing into his gray beard.

Zuko takes a deep breath before resuming his attack position. He steadies his stance and then exhales as he waves his arms and swings his legs around, jumping gracefully through the air before finally pushing a blast of fire out of his palms.

"Good, good. You are improving every day," Iroh says. He lifts the cup to his mouth and takes a long draught.

"Not enough," Zuko replies, staring distastefully down at his hands. "If I'm going to capture the Avatar, I must be stronger. He's a master of the four elements; I must be overwhelmingly powerful in order to even have a chance."

"You are one of the best Firebenders."

Zuko clenches his fist. "One of the best. After you, my father, and my little sister, of course." He glares at the water around them. "Not that it matters. We've been searching for two years without a hint of the Avatar. Wherever he is, he's not coming out until he wants to. I'm never going to find him. And I'm never going to restore my honor."

"You never lost your honor, Prince." Iroh sets his tea cup down. "Only in the eyes of your father."

"And in front of the entire Fire Nation." Zuko stares off the bow of the ship to the icebergs floating lazily in the water around them. Two years ago he'd been humiliated by his father in front of his people. Not only embarrassed, but banished. And the only way to regain his rightful place as heir to the throne is to bring back the Avatar - a person who mysteriously disappeared one hundred years ago.