Queen Toph woke from a lengthy slumber atop her rocky throne. Today was the last day anyone would rise early, but still, imprisoning the other three members of her party was proving to be quite a satisfying act.

Proudly executing her arbitership, she had taken her rest in a personal hole right between the two enclosures. She felt that Iroh was still flat on the ground with an even breathing pattern, and Zuko had taken up a seated position against the wall; his own breath being even more consistent. Too regular to be natural: he was probably meditating.

In the pen that was supposed to be holding Sokka, Katara and Aang, she detected only two individuals, and from their masses, walking patterns, and general "feel" in a way no seeing person could ever understand, she inferred that it was the Avatar who was absent. It was to be expected; she had intentionally neglected to provide either cell with a roof. Not that she needed a second referee, but the one who was supposed to balance the world was probably the party member who was the least likely to commit some act of backstabbery, and therefore a good back-up arbiter should she have decided to oversleep.

Content, she laid back and continued to ignore the continuous pleas from the two Water Tribe adolescents for food and freedom. Just a couple more minutes…

-OoOoO-

Sokka groaned like a tiger seal in season, and banged his head on the barrier a couple more times. It was of no use, for the rock held, as did his embarrassment.

"Why did I even suggest this..." he moaned. "I traded in our sacred freedom, for a murderer's ease of sleep." He brushed the dust off his forehead and tried to find a comfortable place to sit. It was as futile as his escape attempts had been.

"None of us were thinking all too straight yesterday," Katara said back, no more enthusiastic about the idea in hindsight. She did not want to waste her healing water on carving a hole in the wall, though. "At least Aang will be back with Appa soon enough. They can break us out if need be."

"You still want to fix him up? Remember what Zuko said; he is a general."

"I don't know what he used to be; I know that he is honourable now..." Katara shook her head. "I can't say the same about his nephew."

"I am right here!" the nephew yelled. His voice echoed strangely as it came out of his well-shaped cell and into Sokka and Katara's, but it was easy to understand, and they both froze. "And I am no murderer."

"Right, because every house you burned down was empty," Katara replied mockingly.

"And every man you threw overboard could swim?"

"Every Fire Nation soldier I threw overboard, you mean!"

"That's war. I do not attack civilians either."

"What about Kyoshi Island?" Sokka interjected. He felt that the exchange had gone long enough without his own contribution.

"You mean the headquarters of a warrior sect," Zuko stated calmly, "fanatically devoted to the primary enemy of the Fire Nation? They have been ambushing our forces left and right."

"What about us!?" Katara screamed. "You took down our last defences, threatened Gran-Gran!" She banged her fists at the wall.

To her shock, it split open.

"Katara!" Sokka cheered. "Maybe we won't need Toph after all!" The gap in the barrier kept widening, but beyond it was just more rock as far as they could see.

"No, you won't be rid of me yet!" came the familiar squeal in response. The siblings soon realised that Toph was not liberating them. "Prince Zuko, Heir to the Throne of Pain," she called, mimicking the announcer who had been overseeing her wrestling matches. "You're down a point in this battle of the, uh, 'wits'! And remember, you need to get Katara, Sugar Queen of the Splashy Dynasty, to heal your uncle! How will you come back from this?"

The rumbling stopped, and the prisoners, or perhaps contestants, found that their enclosures had been joined together into a peanut-shaped courtyard. Zuko was standing up with his fists clenched as before, but there were no scorch marks anywhere to be seen in his cage, to Sokka's mild surprise.

He breathed a couple times, while Katara pouted at him. "I had reason to believe you were harbouring said enemy," he said, much softer. "It is war. I'm just doing for my country what you are doing for yours."

"Oh really..." Sokka folded his arms. "Zuko the patriot. I keep hearing that you were banished."

Zuko stared at the ground. "I have nothing to say to that," he nearly whispered, before pointing at the sleeping Iroh at his feet. "Katara, if you think this man deserves your gift; I beg of you to consider it. If you wish, you may inflict upon me a wound equal to what you cure on him, so that the balance is restored."

Sokka reached for his club, but Katara stopped him. "No," she said determinedly whilst stepping forward, "we aid those in need. Country or no country."

-OoOoO-

Katara finished the operation swiftly. The first good night in half a week had supplied her with life force to spare, and she was eager to stick it all in Iroh's body and make a point of the value of altruism. In no time she had finished repairing any charred flesh, joining together torn muscle, and mending the top of the skin. He would not even keep a scar from it.

Yet, despite her efforts, the man remained soundly asleep. Zuko began yelling again, a noise she had slowly learned to ignore. How could their personal demon be so pathetic in reality?

Katara scrunched her face, and pressured more of her energy into the old man's calm patterns, forcing them to assume more erratic forms. She didn't really know what she was getting herself into, but employed intuition where her knowledge ended, and guesswork when even her gut had no answer. She followed the strands of energy using every sense with which her hands came equipped – touch, heat, itch, tickle – to a node located in the centre of Iroh's head. Then, she squeezed, using more than just her fingers.

Iroh's reaction was very similar to Momo's when she had once stepped on his tail: a guttural grunt, becoming a high-pitched yelp, and with remarkable nimbleness he was upright in an instant, eyes wide open and rolling wildly. Katara was shocked: this was the first time she had ever used her healing water to wake someone. Zuko's mouth was gaping, yet still emitted no word of thanks. Though before Katara could comment on that, Iroh had promptly fallen down again.

He lay on the ground, eyes clenched shut, and whispering at the sky. "Jiade… Zuko, I need… a Jiade flower..."

"What's that? What for?" his nephew responded, "What is it!?" Katara thought that, again, she could feel actual fear in his voice and demeanour. In five minutes of sitting next to Zuko, she was learning more about him than in months of getting chased by him.

"Desert plant… common in this area… blue, red thorns… Azula hit a chi node, I need… the tea will help..."

"I will get you that flower, uncle!" Zuko got up, and looked around. The walls had been dropping to waist height, but in the commotion around Iroh's health none of them had noticed it. "Girl!" he shouted at Toph, who had revealed herself, arms crossed and still in a regal mood. "Build a wall around Iroh, while I –"

"Nope." Toph shook her head, and Katara joined her. Zuko stared at them, at his uncle, at his feet, at the sky, groaned something incomprehensible, and paced off into the sunrise.

"Can you believe that stupid egg?" she heard her brother behind him, though only after said egg was no longer in sight.

Katara turned to him. "I know, and not one word of –"

"Thank you," said the owner of the warm hand suddenly planted on her shoulder. She finished her turn and stared right into the warm, bright eyes of Iroh, looking as healthy as can be. "Katara, I could not begin to thank you enough, for your selfless act of saving my life."