It took some more healing-sessions until Zuko finally woke up. It was a very early morning, as he did, and all the rest was still asleep in the pile of hay, or on Appa. Sokka, Toph and Lu Ten had used the time to liberate some more stuff, so now they had new clothes and some more blankets and even some kettles to cook their meals in. His leg was wrapped in liberated bandages and felt much better than the last time he remembered. He sat up and looked around their new home and was sure it was the worst they had had until now. Sighing he tried to get up, but failed. His leg wouldn't support his weight. In fact, he didn't even feel the ground under it. It felt completely numb, apart from the stinging pain that still spread from his right shank.
What now? They had failed to inform the earth-king about their plan about the solar eclipse, Azula had managed to get herself into Ba Sing Se and now he was injured and Agni knew how long it would take him to recover. Sure, they still had some weeks or even months until the eclipse, but the eclipse was short and they had no army. The warriors from the Watertribe wouldn't be enough against the soldiers of the Firelord. Not even for a distraction. And the friends they had made along the way wouldn't suffice either. Victory seemed to fade away in unreachable distance. Was the whole universe against them? Shouldn't bringing peace to the world be supported by the spirits? Why wouldn't they help them in their task? Why would luck turn against them? Feeling cold, Zuko pulled his blanket tighter around himself and crawled deeper into the straw.
"Good morning, Firefly." Iroh's voice interrupted his glooming, and his uncle's face smiled at him through his straw-tunnel. "What are you doing in there?" "I'm cold…" Zuko muttered, but crawled out of his tunnel again. He knew it was only a matter of time until he would have been made to come out anyways. Iroh handed him another blanket. "How do you feel except of being cold?" he asked. "Ok, I guess…" Zuko sighed "I can't stand up, though…" "And you better don't try again." Iroh sighed "Azula burned you badly. You need some more healing until you can stand up again. Luckily your friend Katara is a really good healer… Are you hungry? I'm going to make breakfast." Zuko only shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure if he wanted to eat something right now.
As soon as breakfast was ready, everyone else was awake too. They were glad to see Zuko awake again. Iroh made them all eat, and despite they only had gruel, they all ate up. Zuko felt better after that. "What is the plan now?" he then asked "Informing the Earthking does not seem to be an option anymore…" "Well, we planned to meet up with our father…" Sokka explained. "And then?" Zuko asked. "We will see…" Sokka huffed "We have to reorganize the whole plan… That's not really easy, you know…" "And you need more healing…" Katara put in "We can't make any plans until you are good to travel again." "The longer we stay here, the more likely Azula will find us." Zuko growled "We have to leave as soon as possible." "Alright…" Katara sighed "Just give me this day…"
The rest left soon to gather stuff they would need for their travel, while Katara stood back with Zuko for another healing-session. This time it wasn't that bad. He clenched his teeth and endured the procedure. "What exactly is wrong with your sister?" Katara asked after a while "Sokka and I used to hurt each other sometimes, when we were angry, but never like that… I mean, pinching, pulling hair, stuff like that… we would have never dreamed of really harming each other…" "Your father wouldn't banish you for speaking out of your place either, would he?" Zuko huffed "I guess my family is just different…" "Your family is nuts." Katara decided "No offence, but… that's not a real family at all…"
As the others returned, they loaded all their stuff and themselves on Appa. Then Aang decided it was better if they'd use the direct way, and blasted away the roof with airbending, before they rose into the midday-sky. Zuko shaded his eyes against the sudden bright light. He could see Iroh and Lu Ten cling onto Appa's saddle panicky. Katara sat next to him, watching him with that concerned look she always had, when she expected them to do something stupid. "What?" he therefor asked her. "I… I was thinking…" Katara explained, pulling forth the tiny phial with the spirit-water "I could heal you…" "I'm fine…" Zuko sighed "Keep it. We might need it for something more urgent later… Who knows what will happen at the eclipse…" "Are you sure?" Katara asked. "Better safe than sorry…" Zuko decided. Katara leaned closer and kissed him.
Their kiss didn't last very long, though it was enough to have the attention from Sokka, Lu Ten and Aang. Sokka looked pissed, Lu Ten grinned from one ear to the other and Aang went pale and stared as if he'd seen a ghost. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sokka barked at them. "Hey! You can't tell me what to do and what not to do!" Katara barked back "I kiss whomever I want!" "Do you want to discuss that matter with dad?" Sokka hissed "I'm sure he will be happy you decided to hook up with the freakin' Prince of the Firenation!" "You can be such a jerk!" Katara growled "And you won't tell dad anything, or I'll make you regret it!"
Zuko just felt wired being the cause of a sibling-argument, but Aang made everything worse. Somehow he looked hurt and utterly disappointed. "Okey, can someone please tell me what is going on?" Toph interrupted the shouting of the siblings "It's kind of unfair for those of us who can't see…" "Katara kissed Zuko, and Sokka is playing protective brother…" Lu Ten answered "Uh… And Aang seems heartbroken about it all…" "I…I'm not…" Aang hastened to put in. "Suuure…" Toph grinned at him "It's not like you aren't secretly in love with Katara or something…" "I'm not." Aang complained. "Oh, come on, Toph, don't be ridiculous…" Katara added "Aang's like a little brother to me…" Zuko could simply see Aang's hopes dropping into a bottomless pit. Oh well, they had needed a heartbroken Avatar to their luck, hadn't they?