A/N: This is my entry for atlaland's AU challenge. I decided to do an adaptation of sorts from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Katara is playing as Belle, Zuko is the Beast, and Jet is Gaston.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or Beauty and the Beast.

Warnings: Disney references, Zutara is the main pairing with some minor Jetara elements.

The Spinner and the Spirit
By: Nuit Songeur

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a handsome young prince. Although he lived a life of comfort and extravagance, the prince was stubborn, quick-tempered, and unkind. One winter's night, his father came to him and asked if he would attend a certain party. The prince accepted the invitation and descended the staircase. He passed one of the king's guests and stopped to insult the man and his intelligence. The king became very angry with his son and, in his fury, scarred his son's face. The prince tried to apologize but it was too late, for the king had seen that there was no respect in his heart. As punishment, he transformed the prince into a hideous man with a repulsive scar and placed a powerful curse on him. Ashamed of his monstrous face, the prince concealed himself inside another castle with a magic mask as his only window to the outside world. If he could learn to respect and love another, and earn her love and respect in return, the curse would be broken. Only then would his father accept him back home. If not, he would be doomed to remain cursed for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love someone scarred?

Katara had to hurry, there wasn't much time left. Jet had probably already reached Zuko's castle by now. Hakoda, her father and a sickly old man, clung tighter to her cloak so as to not fall off the horse. She ignored his gripping hands and the sting on her cheeks as the falling snow bit at her face. She could feel Philippe's breathing become shorter and shorter as she dug her heels into his sides, urging him on.

It seemed like an eternity before she finally reached the castle's grounds. By that time, she saw that it had already been stormed and no one was there to be found. Anxiously, she whipped her head around, looking for any sign of Zuko. Nearby, she saw the glint of a blue ebony mask.

Katara jumped off of Philippe to examine the object partially concealed in snow. She dusted off the white powder and saw it was the mask, his mask. She held to her chest, cradling it in her arms. Then, there was a sharp sound of stone crumbling from above. Katara turned to it and saw Jet and Zuko fighting on the castle's roof.

"Zuko!" she called, rising to her feet. Both men paused at the sound of her voice, turning to gaze at the plaza below them.

"Katara…" came the faint echo that she knew as Zuko's voice.

"Zuko," she said, comforted that he sounded fine and not heartbroken like she had left him. The figure that was Jet's moved closer to the distracted Zuko, prepared to strike. "No! Jet, don't!" Fortunately, Zuko managed to turn around in time to catch Jet's Tiger-Hook sword before it hit him. Katara breathed a sigh of relief and hurried on into the castle to reach them. As she hurried up the enormous staircase, she heard the taunts of Jet as he coaxed Zuko into fighting him. But, Katara knew he wouldn't fight Jet now, at least not kill him. He had changed…

"Come out and fight! Were you in love with her, Ghoul? Did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me?"

Before Katara made it to the West Wing, she heard more sounds of the scuffle emanating from the roof above. She hurried on.

"It's over Ghoul! Katara is mine!"

There was more struggle, some pleading, and then silence. By the time Katara reached the balcony, Jet was no where to be found and Zuko was panting on the tiled floor, bleeding profusely from his chest. He collapsed before she reached him.

"Zuko, no. Zuko…" she fretted, turning him over onto her lap. Tears clouded her vision as she was faced with the impossible probability. He couldn't die…

"Katara," he groaned, struggling to open his eyes. Once he had managed to do so, the amber eyes fell upon the mask in her hands. Weakly, he reached for it. Katara gave it to him. "You… you broke the spell. I'm no longer the Blue Spirit…" Suddenly, with an energy Katara didn't know was left in him, Zuko smashed the mask on the ground, shattering it to pieces. Katara smiled at the broken bits through her tears, but the smile disappeared once she glanced back at his face. His hand had gone limp against hers, and the color had completely drained from his face.

"No… no, no, no," she persisted, tilting his face to her. It lolled down to his shoulder, lifeless. She bent over his form, sobbing. "But I love you," she whispered, her voice swept away with the castle's silence.

Suddenly, with her words there came a shower of lights, like falling stars. Katara lifted her face and looked around just as Zuko's body became enveloped in a sheet of light and color. She awed at the tendrils that snaked their way to chest and into his open wound. Seconds later, it was healed. A few more seconds later and Katara was staring straight into Zuko's scar-less face. Startled, she jumped back and blinked up at him.

He was alive, and his curse was truly broken.

There you are! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!

-NuitSongeur