"But you'll love her when it all goes dark,

You'll love her even after that."

-Gregory Alan Isakov

He only felt the pain. Ripping, burning, tearing holes into his pale flesh. His heart felt as if it would explode within the confines of his chest, his back as if his skin had been torn away as he skid over the rough ground. His eyes were stuck shut, too heavy to open, but he could hear her calling his name, panicked. He felt her cool hands against his heated chest and sweet relief began to wash over him.

Somewhere, far away, Azula shrieked in a wordless rage.

His eyes cracked open and his vision was filled with only Katara's face, hovering over him, brow knotted in concern and fear. She was dripping wet. Cold droplets of water fell onto his face, jarring him back into some form of consciousness.

He lifted his arm slowly. It was a great effort. It felt as if his bones had been replaced with lead weights. His hand fell on Katara's forearm and his amber eyes met her sweet blue ones in earnest.

"Katara…thank you."

Tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head quickly. "I should be thanking you. Please, try not to talk right now, Zuko."

Her cool hands washed over him once more and he felt her energy flowing throughout his body, mingling with his own. It was a beautiful feeling, and as he relished it, everything around him faded to black.

Zuko awoke in a dark room, unsure of how much time had passed. He was alone, and the only source of light was the full moon shining through the wide window. The bed he was lying in was comfortable, but the slightest movements sent the scrapes on his back into agony, and the flesh on his chest felt as if it had been pulled taut and could snap at any second. He stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling, listening to the silence.

As he contemplated calling out, the sound of an opening door permeated the room. Footsteps approached and his body grew tense, but when Katara came into view, he relaxed into the mattress.

She carried a tray with a teapot, cups, and a few jars of what Zuko assumed to be medicine. He watched her closely as she set the tray on the bedside table and pulled up a chair to sit beside him.

"Katara." He had to pause to cough, but the coughing hurt, and he let out an agonized groan.

Katara frowned, her brow furrowed once more. She took one of the jars from the tray and dipped her fingers into it. The thick salve stuck to her fingers and she gently spread it over Zuko's bare chest. "I'm sorry. I did the best I could, but you were hurt badly. It's going to take a while to heal."

The salve went to work instantly and Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. "You did great. But…where are we?"

"Ba Sing Se. At an inn by the Jasmine Dragon." Katara capped the jar and slid her arm under Zuko's back. She helped him slowly to sit up and propped several pillows up behind him. "You passed out and I had Appa take us back here. I was…I was so worried about you." She blinked and a stray tear slid down her cheek. "She could have killed you, Zuko. That lightening could have stopped your heart. I was…I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to heal you."

Although it pained him to do so, he lifted his arm and cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing the tear away with his thumb. "Don't think about that. You did heal me, and I promise I'm going to be okay."

She nodded and placed her hand over his. "I'm going to work harder and learn to heal better. Nothing like this will ever happen again."

Zuko swallowed thickly, letting his thumb trace small circles on her damp cheek. "And…Azula?"

Katara lowered her eyes. "She's all right. Your uncle has taken her to a doctor who can help her. She's going to be okay."

"What about…?"

Katara laughed lightly, reading his mind. "Aang showed up for us after all. I knew he wouldn't let us down."

Zuko frowned. "Did he-?"

"Your father is in a cell at Boiling Rock," Katara interrupted quickly. "It seems Aang found a solution to his problem after all. He took your father's bending away."

"How?" Zuko asked, his tired voice carrying all the surprise he could muster.

Katara smiled and shook her head. "We'll talk about all of that later. A lot has happened, and you need to focus on recovering." She turned and checked the teapot. "Your uncle sent this up for us."

Zuko paused as an unfamiliar scent filled the room and he wrinkled his nose. "What kind of tea is that?"

"It's not tea." Katara took a cup and poured a dark liquid into it. "It's coffee. Bitter medicine, your uncle says, but strong. He's says it will boost your energy so you can recover faster."

"I see." Zuko accepted the cup as it was handed to him and took a cautious sip. His whole face scrunched up as the warm liquid hit his tongue. "It really is bitter."

"Is it?" Katara took a sip from her cup and paused, contemplating. "It's not bad. Your uncle sent up milk and sugar as well. Would you like some?"

"All right."

Zuko handed his cup over and watched as Katara carefully poured in meticulously portioned servings of milk of sugar. The dark liquid lightened as she stirred it together. When he took it back, it much more bearable to drink.

The coffee warmed his chest as he gingerly sipped at it, and although it was nothing compared to Katara's cool touch, it was a soothing feeling. "You aren't going to add anything?" he asked.

"Actually, I like it this way." Katara took another sip and gave him a sweet smile. "Your uncle loves you very much, you know. He was so worried for you. He even ran out to wake the coffee merchant to make sure you got only the finest beans."

Zuko glanced down at his cup, eyes focused on the creamy liquid. "I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

"Don't be." Katara patted his knee with her free hand. "Azula had to be stopped, and she's now able to get the help she needs. It was thanks to you."

"And you," Zuko reminded her. "I don't remember much of the details, but I do know I couldn't have done it without you, Katara."

Pink tinged her cheeks, and a faint smile touched the corners of her mouth. "Thank you."

The room began to lighten as the sunrise touched the horizon. It was going to be a cloudless day; bright and warm. The perfect day for a new beginning.

Zuko's eyes fell on Katara, studying her face. Despite their hard battle, despite everything leading up to that day, they had made it through. The hard part was over, and the future looked bright, as long as she was there.

He swallowed thickly, forcing himself to keep his eyes on her. "Will you stay with me?"

Katara reached out and gently took his free hand, giving it a light squeeze. "As long as you need me."