Katara can complain about many things, and freeing people is hardly one of those, but today she is not sure. sometimes even the purest actions can lead to horrible consequences. freeing those earthbenders became Katara's worst nightmares. as soon katara gave them rocks from the coal deposit, instead of freeing themselves they went on a slaughter rampage, killing as many fire soldiers as possible and the fire soldiers were doing the same: a clash between fire and earth, fighting until the very last man. Katara is helpless. she finally understands a simple fact; something she is trying to avoid thinking but it remains an unavoidable truth: the nation she is helping, the nation Jet is a part of, the nation those soldiers are from, the people of the Earth Kingdom are not that innocent. they eager for blood innocent or not.

Katara can't keep watching, she can't watch Haru die in front of her, burned by fire. but it was his choice. he chose this, so Katara won't intervene.

Katara has no reason to stay there. she runs between allies and foes, sometimes wondering who the allies are and who are the foes. She is searching for her only true ally on this platform: the ocean. In this maze she remembers there is a deck nearby for arriving ships. that is the way for freedom. her only obstacle is a massive bulky metal door. Katara is about to open it but she stops. there is a familiar voice behind it:

"What in Agni are you thinking?! arresting all the earthbenders, separating families?

"Do you know this land belongs to the Fire Nation? The nation I am destined to rule . and guess what I find… my future land empty, with rebels spawning like rats.

"Sozin's goal was to bring order and peace to the world. I am sure you remember the history; the Earth Kingdom was a chaotic place after Avatar Kyoshi killed Chin, the ruler who almost conquered the entire Earth Kingdom. the power vacuum left behind by the avatar lead to endless civil wars. wars Kyoshi refused to tackle and so did Roku. it was up to my family to bring a little order to a land plagued with corruption.

"And what do I see? my future land empty, sacked and impoverished. my father will hear about this.

"I will not tolerate you harming my future people, hear my command and obey it.

"I order you to release anyone here who were unfairly arrested and then the soldiers under your command will deal with the famine caused by your reckless behavior . you arrested half this region's workers."

The sounds of the massive revolt finally reach the prince´s ears behind that door. the soldiers rush and open the metal door only to find a full revolt on their hands, one they are clearly losing. some of the rebels recognize the crown prince and rush head on towards him. Katara quickly reacts and hides behind a pillar. she doesn't want to face Zuko, the rebels, or the soldiers. she retreats even further into the shadows where she can't see. Katara just doesn't want to see the carnage. her entire world stops, something in her is calling her, calls her to do something.

As she steps out from the shadows, she faces the carnage around her. she also sees and hears a screaming Zuko. She sees something unforgettable: a massive boulder hits Zuko´s side, then another,but this time heading towards his head: a killing blow, too fast to dodge. And Zuko hasn't seen it, but his uncle does.

Small tears come from Iroh, his face expressing sadness, pain, despair, and then agony.

First Lu Ten and now right in front of him Zuko is going to die. from Iroh´s mouth comes the name of his deceased son and his nephew.

"Please , Lu Ten, don't go . please , Zuko , don't go . "

Katara is not that fast. Katara can't warn Zuko. Katara can't earthbend, but she can do better. she can command the sea, and the ocean is happy to obey her command. the personification of the ocean´s wrath is asking for help and the ocean is more than happy to lend a hand. a massive whip of water rises from the ocean behind the deck and finds its way toward the massive boulder to change its course. while doing it, Katara keeps running. her legs ache, but she must go and be with Zuko. he needs her help. he can't die. not while she is there to help.

she runs so fast but linear momentum is a bitch and so Katara trips and lands next to Iroh, who at this point is more than confused. it confuses him even more to see the girl (now with glowing hands) is somehow healing Zuko–but clearly not fast enough. the prince coughs blood: blood coming from his lungs. Iroh recognizes this kind of deadly wound. Zuko has punctured lung, and blood is also bursting like a river from Zuko's side: an exposed rib fracture.

during this whole time the earth rebels are still pushing, trying to find a way to finish the job. the Dragon of the West closes the door with a swift movement, separating them from the rebels, and then he proceeds to burn the handle until its melting point, completely shutting down the door.

"Please tell me, can you help him?" Iroh doesn't want to ask or say more because he knows who this girl is. she is helping her enemy.

"Is that the avatar's girl?" a soldier next to Iroh asks.

"Yeah, she is . why is she here? why is she helping us? should we arrest her?'"

"I don't know, sir, what should we do?"

Iroh is puzzled and those questions are valid, but there is no way they are going to throw her in jail. Iroh doesn't want to scare this girl. his nephew still needs her, but if she is here that means the avatar is also nearby, Iroh assumes.

Because Zuko is no longer bleeding, Katara can pay attention to her surroundings. She hears the soldiers talking about her. are they going to kill her? She tries to bury her worries because even now Zuko is still one step from death. Katara's instincts tell her this big man with a beard is trustworthy.

"Never trust the Fire Nation." the voice of her father from an old memory comes to her mind."my dear daughter, why are you helping an ashmaker when you can end what the earth bender started? "Do it, my child. end him."

For Katara it doesn't matter what Iroh is saying or what the memories of her father are suggesting; she had already made her decision. she is going to save Zuko regardless of whether people want it or not. but is not going to be easy. Zuko's wounds are deep. she cannot fix the open fracture, not here. she also cannot completely heal his lungs, not now.

There is no way out, no other alternative. it is a crossroad she must take; but sometimes not choosing anything is also a choice.

"I can't heal Zuko," she says. "not here. but I have to leave. my friends are waiting for me… unless you take me with you."

Iroh is not sure what the young lady means. then it became obvious: she feels guilty. she can't choose. she wants to return to her friends but she also wants to help Zuko and in this critical moment somebody has to choose something.

"Soldiers," says Iroh, "take the young lady to our ship. we must depart to…."

Katara answers him: "The port next to Seilin Village. that is my rendezvous point. I was supposed to help the nearby villages and then meet with my friends there."

"We depart to Seillin." Iroh owes a debt to this lady. she gave him 3 days, 3 days to heal his nephew. the least they can do for her is giving her safe passage.

Carefully, they lift an unconscious Zuko and move him to the ship, to his room where Katara and the on-board doctor can help horn of the ship indicate it is about to depart.

Katara bears the burden of her "not-choice." she was supposed to help the villages. she was supposed to liberate them with the rebels, but now she is on an enemy ship with zero news about if the rebels succeed or not, or what happened to the villages: if they are free or not. the only thing she knows is…

She chose Zuko over the insurgence.

"Excuse me, what is your name?" says Katara, trying to sound as imposing as possible. she plans to make herself a respectable healer, to show those barbaric Fire Nation soldiers the might and power of the child of the South Pole.

"You can call me Master Iroh . I am Zuko's uncle and his teacher . may I ask your name , young lady ? "

"You can call me Katara. I need some help. do you have some sleep-inducing herbs? we need to keep your prince unconscious because this is going to hurt . "

Iroh just looks at the doctor beside Katara and nods. the subordinate quickly understands the indication. it doesn't take him long to bring back the herbs and brew them into a sleeping potion, which carefully they make Zuko drink. drop by drop, after 20 minutes, the cup is empty and the fire prince sleeps soundly.

What Iroh and the doctor see is beyond the imagination: using the bowl of water next to her, Katara covers her hands and presses them on Zuko broken rib, but unlike before it is not just light. the water is freezing, changing into a block of ice. she pushes it with her bending, pushing gently. soon the exposed fracture is gone, the rib back where it belongs and at the same time around the ice liquid water is healing the wound. the entire procedure takes Katara almost one hour of full concentration.

"Master Iroh, I am finally done," says katara, trying to find strength because even talk is challenging. she has barely any energy left.

"We have to wait for Zuko to wake up, I can't do more.

"sadly I can't fix his lungs cause his chi. the chi in his chest is depleted.

" I think it a good idea if we spend next day making sure Zuko is confortable . "

Katara can't take it anymore, she is just too tired–so tired her aim is compromised. instead of sitting in the chair nearby, she sits next to Zuko on his bed.

Iroh, after everything was done, can finally digest what happened. his dear nephew Zuko almost died just like Lu Ten and this young lady, the avatar´s girl, the girl from a devastated South Pole, helped Zuko.

"Girl, do you understand what you just did ? "

"I don't understand, Master Iroh. I just healed him. what is wrong with that?"

"No, Lady Katara, you chose him above the rebels. you chose him above the villagers you were supposed to free.

"if they ever find out, in their eyes, in the eyes of those rebels you betrayed them. "

Katara tries to defend herself, defend her actions or at least try to find a decent justification, but she can't find her voice or the energy to keep blocking the memories of the battle, expunge from her head the look of those prisoners eager for royal blood.

"Lady Katara, it is okay. you can rest, even among your so-called enemies you will find no harm from us," Iroh says.

"I will personally arrange your stay and your comfort during your travel. if you wish, I will prepare one of our men's room, a high-ranking officer´s room, don't worry.

"I will let him know he must provide it for you to use."

While the Dragon of the West and the child of the South Pole discuss her future arrangements in a Fire Nation officer´s room, Zuko is waking up, the words "katara, men, and room" make his body come to full awareness by instinct his body will never allow Katara to sleep in another man's room and like a dragon with his massive claw, Zuko grabs Katara and secures her in with a strong hold. feeling her close to him, feeling she is not leaving his side, Zuko can fall asleep once more. his instincts are satisfied.

"Lady Katara, if you don't mind can you stay there for a while?" says Iroh.

"It appears my nephew has no intention of letting you go; I have no idea why. maybe it is because since you healed him his instincts are telling him: don't let go the girl who can bring him back to a full health.

"I will retrieve you in an hour or so, please be patient . "

without further explanation, the general of the Fire Nation retreats, leaving a confused Katara in the arms of the prince, on his bed.

In Zuko's arms, Katara finds some rest from all the emotions, from the death, from the blood spilled, from Haru the brave boy whose future is an uncertain, is he alive? Katara doesn't know.

In Zuko's arms, Katara allows herself to rest, changing her position a little, trying not to wake up Zuko. She is face to face with him.

Finally, after everything, she has the luxury of watching the crown prince so close. The prince is always angry, yelling, usually at people who dare to challenge his command, but somehow Katara finds that endearing, because under that yelling, passion hides. certainly, even some angry outburst can´t harm his charm.

Katara can vaguely recollect from her memories a smile from him, but she finds one memory when he smiles. he did it during her fight with Jet, a beautiful smile adorning his face. she also took notice of how manly and perfect his jawline is.

Katara gets a little more curious as she touches Zuko's ponytail–or wolf's tail, as her brother calls it. Zuko's hair is like silk. Everything about Zuko is noble, regal, and royal.

Katara also notices the prince is buff. not like the typical earthbender; they are "bulky" like a rock. in a funny description many Earth Kingdom soldiers look like giant square rocks. the prince is more like a mighty flame: strong and buff in the right places. there is no place on earth where she will tell Zuko his enemies look like square rocks.

Katara touches the prince´s scar. it is rough, for her it is clear the burn was not immediately cured, like if they wanted the wound to scar this badly, everyone knows the first few minutes are important. if you want to heal a burn properly, you have to take away the dead skin, clean the wound; but it appears that was not done. maybe she can help him.

Katara wonders if she really can. she is sure Zuko will never allow her to help him. he is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, proud jerk who doesn't need help and won't ask for it,that is part of his charming personality, yet katara doesn't seem to mind because that is just a part of Zuko. When Katara saw him that day in the South Pole then in Kyoshi, it was obvious there is more to him., he is not just a jerk; he is so much more, and she must be deliberate if she takes a risk to try to understand him.

Like before Katara's hands glow blue. the energy around his scar feels twisted, dark, painful. it is clear Katara won't be able to heal it, but she can make it better.

The rough skin is now smothered. his eye obviously was affected by the fire. It heals a little. katara is certain the wound won't hurt or itch and he can finally see maybe eighty percent., his wound won't be a daily burden.

After proudly watching her results and how everything looks healthier, Katara deliberates what kind of monster would allow a wound to be this bad. to allow it to heal so poorly.

The last healing, her last attempt to make this prince, her enemy, a jerk, who Katara wants to know better, be more complete, less twisted by wounds made by a monster.

exhausted from the healing, the last remnants of her energy gone, she finally falls asleep next to Zuko. for a moment Katara could swear the prince holds her tighter, making her feel more secure. finally Katara goes to the land of dreams.

A few hours later, Iroh opens the door only to find what at first sight seems to be a couple holding each other after a passionate night. that worries Iroh. they cannot be together and that should not be allowed Katara is the avatar's girl.

"Lady Katara, wake up. your room is ready. let me help you. I will release the hold my nephew has on you so you can move a little. I am sure you are not happy with him holding you this close."

Katara doesn't reply because it is the opposite. her being here in Zuko's arms feels almost natural.

"Thank you, Master Iroh. if you can show me my room I will be more than happy.

"Please wake me up when your prince is awake. I must give him a quick check-up."

"Certainly. now you must go. sleep well, Katara. let Agni bless your dreams. "

A few hours later the prince is finally awake and shouting as usual, but this time he has a valid reason: something feels off, like there is something that should be here with him but it is not.

That is not the only thing that bothers Zuko. he is sure a boulder hit him hard. he saw the exposed fracture. he saw his rib outside his body. he saw the blood. yet nothing is there now; not even a scar. the one he has, the one on his face, it doesn't itch like usual. Zuko can see better. his skin feels smoother. but that is not possible; nobody on board has those abilities or could be that powerful. only a waterbender can heal and only a prodigy can heal scars to such a degree.

Only a strong bender can achieve those things, and Zuko only knows two benders with those characteristics: the avatar himself and the peasant girl.

The obvious answer hits him hard: this is all Katara´s work. she is here.

Zuko promptly stands and leaves his bed. He is almost naked, only wearing his pants. at that moment he is not quite aware of how naked he is. He has other and more important things in mind Katara.

The yelling alerts the soldiers outside their prince's room. they think their liege could be in trouble. they rush in, and as soon Zuko sees them he demands an explanation: what happened yesterday?

of course his soldiers explain to him the recent events. they explain to him how the waterbender healed his wound on the battlefield. they explain to him how the peasant was able to push his rib and put it back inside his body. the lewd soldier decides to tell the kinky part: how their prince pulled her into his embrace and slept with her, which it was quickly corrected by the other soldier: they only slept and nothing more. they don't want to push it further and tell their prince the other kind of rumors the waterbender and their prince are the subject of.

"Where is she, soldier ? " Zuko asks.

"Your highness, he is in deck 2 in Gef´s room…. you know him, Gef comes from an important scribe's family in your palace."

Zuko doesn't need any more directions. now he knows where he must go. still half naked, Zuko marches toward Katara. Zuko does not expect to find Katara wearing red. instead of her usual clothes she is wearing traditional Fire Nation traveling garments for cold weather. before his arrival a maid has taken Katara's Water Tribe clothes and sent them to the laundry room. the robes were filthy: covered in blood, dust, and coal certainly not suitable if she wishes to see the general of the Fire Nation and their crown prince.

Both of them blush, a blush so red it can rival the Fire Nation banner. Katara looks so good in red. Zuko indulges his lust with a perfect scene of Katara wearing red. before Katara can do the same with the hot prince her instincts kick in.

"What the hell, Zuko. I told your people they must tell me when woke .

"You can't go running around like you're well again. I still have to heal the rest of your wound," says Katara placing her tender hand on Zuko side's, trying to find any scar–but she did a good job.

Zuko just stands there unable to do anything. what to do? a girl is just touching him so tenderly, worrying about his health. Zuko wonders if the girl fully grasps what she did. she made him more powerful. it will make his job capturing the avatar easier.

Is his health worth more to her than the avatar's chances of getting away from him? Zuko doesn't want to ask. he doesn't need to hear the answer. he doesn't want to be disappointed because it is perfectly clear she is the avatar´s girl. why would she choose him? but it's not like he cares.

A soft cough interrupts them. it's the maid.

"My lord, if I may interrupt you, I am not sure if Lady Katara is comfortable with seeing the prince half naked. I am sure his excellency, now knowing the prisoner is okay, can rest and wear something more decent."

A part of Zuko wants to be annoyed. another part knows this maid is right. so he leaves saying not a single word, leaving behind a quite confused Katara alone in her room

The prince has no idea how to interact with people at all.

"Lady Katara," the maid says respectfully. "General Iroh requested your presence. he is waiting for you in the imperial dining room for lunch. Please follow me."

"Yes," Katara replies, trying not to sound timid but the word "imperial dining room" sounds not just important but also fancy. Katara follows the maid and she finds Iroh waiting for her, lunch already served.

"Katara, you have my deepest gratitude, I am not sure about your motives but for me it doesn't matter. you saved a life deeply important to me, so I have to ask: What is your price? you have to understand Prince Zuko will persist in his hunt, but I am sure I can do something for you in repayment for your service to the Fire Nation."

Iroh is accustomed to people's greed. he is not expecting Katara doing this for free. he is sure Katara is not the exception, but what Katara does and says shocks him.

"I'm not starving anymore . if you think I did it for money, for a favor or security, you are far from right.

"I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I do as I please and I wanted to save Zuko. my reasons are my own and that is all you have to know.

"Now if you 'd excuse me, General, I must leave. I lost my appetite."

Iroh stares at the young waterbender. it is extremely rare to find another person driven by her own desires, not by material things.

it reminds him of Zuko. this girl and his nephew are proud people. they are willing to fight for what they believe is correct and never take a no for an answer.

Katara curses for almost four hours. her stomach keeps growling at her. maybe it was not the best idea leaving without eating before.

before she could get any angrier, three knocks alert her of a new "visit" in "her bedroom." katara hasn't forgotten she is on an enemy vessel. this new visitor is none other than that same maid who is in charge of her well-being. the old lady is carrying a small table and diligently place it in the middle of the room. then she brings two chairs and finally some plates. at first look, those are high-quality dishes. Katara tries to ask what on earth is going on but the entire time the maid refuses to answer Katara´s questions.

"My liege, dinner is ready. may his royal highness enjoy it," the maid says as her prince walks in.

"Thank you," says Zuko. "you can leave now."

"As you wish, my lord," the maid responds.

The fire prince looks at Katara with a small smile and starts the conversation:

"I must apologize for my uncle's behavior; he is worried about things he must not interfere with.

"As I told him, you don't like those earth peasants. you are not driven by riches, that is obvious.

"It was rude of him to imply such a thing.

"As the crown prince, I cannot allow our guests to starve to death. if you allow me why don't we dine together?"

Katara knows there is no room for debate. this is his way of apologizing and not taking a no for an answer. the whole "you are a guest" made it clear.

A good guest always honors the host. He is testing her. he wants to know if she has manners and Katara is not going to back down. she will show the prince she is not a peasant, not a barbarian. she is Katara.

Katara is amazed. she was not expecting her dish be this good.

"Zuko, I have to say I was expecting spicy fish, not smoked fish, lightly seasoned. "

"Well if you want to know, I requested the cook make your dish more suitable for your tastes. I assumed a Water Tribe girl like yourself would not enjoy spicy food."

"I don't expect for you to enjoy civilized food, but this is close enough."

Katara just giggles. this is Zuko attempt to be nice: he called her "almost civilized" and he took his time and personally requested a dish just for her.

"Well if I must say," she puts in, "fish is my favorite dish, and for your information in the south we season our fish too, but not with spices like yours.

"It is quite a shocking surprise because unlike food in the S outh P ole and in your nation, the food in the E arth K ingdom is…"

Zuko interrupts her, smiling: "bland. Food here, in this nation, is bland: tasteless, like licking a rock. I am glad you enjoy fish as much as I do.

"My nation is an island. the ocean for generations has provided us with food. our land is rich in nutrients because of its volcanic soil. it is natural for us to eat spicy fish in all its forms; smoked, grilled and so on."

"Well, your highness, I do not totally support how you like your 'flamy' dishes, but I do agree with you. the Earth Kingdom food is bland. they prefer high-quality ingredients.

"The meat, the salads, everything is high-quality but at the end is just meat. it is just a salad nothing more.

"What can I expect for an unseasoned grilled meat with beans…..for once your nation, the F ire N ation is right about something… food in the Earth Kingdom is bad . "

for an outsider, the conversation may sound aggressive or impetuous, but for Zuko and Katara this is their own way of finding common ground at the expense of the Earth Kingdom's cuisine. what amuses Zuko the most are Katara's high expectations when it comes to cuisine, how each of them is proud their own culture. maybe Zuko one day will try Southern Water Tribe cuisine.

after the last dish, they are on more favorable terms, considering Katara is not angry anymore.

"waterbender, I haven't expressed my deepest thanks to you.

"I am not sure of your reasons, but that doesn't matter. in the end, I am alive.

"I promise you when the time come, I will help you too."

A small smile appears on Katara's face. what makes her even happier is the small smile on Zuko's face, the warm light highlighting it, also making Zuko's beautiful gold glittering eyes spark.

After some more trash-talking Earth Kingdom food and somehow bonding over it, another topic pops up. Katara remembers Zuko is still weak. the problem is that she can't do much because of Zuko´s chi; the chi in his chest is depleted and is not recovering. Zuko is like wounded animal avoiding using his leg, but in Zuko's case it is his chest.

if her assumption is right, if fire comes from the breath, the only way to fix him is firebending.

"You know, Zuko, I think you should practice your firebending now."

Zuko mood changes in a instant.

"Are you saying I am not powerful? that I need to be better if I want to take down the avatar?

"if you want power I can show you what real power look like. "

Before Zuko could end his rant, Katara raises her hand and stops him. she doesn't want to break the light nature of the conversation.

"I know you are powerful. don't get grumpy. what I meant is your chi, the chi in your chest, is highly depleted. you have to to replenish it.

"I was thinking since fire comes from breath, maybe firebending can speed things up.

"I understand if you don't want to. you know, back in that drill station, I met a guy named Haru. he is super powerful even wounded he could earthbend so well. earth bending is powerful."

How Zuko´s posture changes from angry to resolute: it tells Katara her strategy worked. nothing works better when it comes to motivating a man than a good rivalry. what Katara doesn't know is that Zuko took her words differently. for him it sounded more like a personal attack to his bending and element.

"Are you implying a mere earthbender can compare to me, the wielder of the element of power?" he says. "I didn't know girls in the poles are that naïve. if you want to see power, I will show you power…and you will like it."

The last part Zuko says self-confidently, with some arrogance in the mix.

"This waterbender soon will recognize how mighty fire is and no other men can show her power like I can." that is what Zuko was thinking during his talk. he can be better than any man Katara will ever encounter.

"Follow me, girl," he says.

During their trip towards the upper deck, Zuko hears some of his men talking, whispering about how having the waterbender on board would speed up things. she could heal so many men, tired men all. also all of them heard the rumors about this girl's power.

On the upper deck, the prince commands the nearby soldier to practice with him. Zuko's fire is weak during his first punches, only short bursts of fire come., his kick barely sparks, but at the mere sight of Katara, knowing she is looking at him, something happens. instead of anger powering his fire, there is something else: passion. someone notices that too.

his flames grow in intensity, like a dragon showing off his might. the flames grow hotter and hotter as the chi inside him once more flows towards his chest like a dam breaking apart flooding the valley below.

"You, soldiers, join the training," Zuko commands. now he is fighting several soldiers, the air around them heated. some of the soldiers are unable to withstand the high temperatures and have to leave, surrender. they are no match. it is obvious their prince´s fire is stronger.

For anyone on deck, the battlefield is turning into an inferno, ropes catching on fire. everything that can burn is burning.

When the last man falls to the ground, Zuko looks back but he doesn't see Katara, which pisses him off. is the girl playing with him? How dare she? the captain, reaching his prince, answers a question that has not been asked: where is Katara?

"My lord, I sent the girl to the bridge deck. she is watching you from afar. her request was clear: she wanted to have a better look at your fight."

Zuko looks up and sees her waving towards him. he could swear he sees delight in the waterbender´s face.

He gets an idea: what if he can convince her to join them as the ship's doctor? she can help them so much. the training can be even more intense because there is someone who can heal them. she can surely make his nation's army stronger.

But how? Maybe if he impresses her and shows her it is a good idea to join them.

Zuko remembers his days in the imperial fire academy. a vague memory comes to his mind. he remembers a conversation his upper-class classmates had.

how to impress a girl. what zuko forgot is they were exchanging tips on how to flirt with girls.

Zuko struggled to remember what they said. it was something about a candle.

"Soldier, tell Katara she must go to my room . there is something important I must say to her . "

"Yes, my liege," the soldier says, and bows.

Zuko goes around the ship trying to find wax candles. sooner rather than later some veteran soldiers start spreading a rumor about their prince is going to flirt with the waterbender, like a typical boy would do in the academy.

Zuko with not one, or two, or even three but four candles in his hand, presents himself to Katara.

The trick to impress the girl, according to Zuko's classmates, is to light the candles with fire breath but control the fire so they won't melt. only powerful bender can control the flames to the point the candle wax doesn't melt at all.

Awkwardly, mumbling words, failing to express what in Agni he is about to do or why, he says, "Waterbender, behold what I can do/"

Zuko lights the four candles at once, a proud cocky smile on his face, proud of his achievement: a perfect control of fire, not a single drop of wax coming from the tip of the candle. what Zuko did not expect was his eagerness; he didn't calculate how much power he put in his fire breath.

his desires to show off, make her see how amazing he is, how mighty his power is. it made those small bursts of flames incredibly hot and far away papers in front of him caught on fire.

From Katara's perspective, she sees a bender with fire breath so powerful he is capable of burning papers on the other side of the room, a fire breath so strong that it is literally burning everything. she sees Zuko with an arrogant but cute smile turning into frenzy trying to put the fire out.

everything catches on fire. everything is a mess. instead of Katara leaving the room, she giggles. the entire situation brings her happiness.

A humiliated Zuko, with his hand black from the ashes, turns his head and looks at her reaction. he doesn't find anger or disappointment; he sees a happy girl enjoying the mess they are both in. maybe the goal of impressing her was a total fiasco, but certainly he is achieving something better: she is happy.

"I certainly wasn't expecting this, Zuko, but if your goal was to make me laugh, I appreciate it.

"I didn't tell you, but I feel stressed. it is my first time doing everything; it was my first time enjoying fire nation food; it was my first time watching a Fire Nation training session; and it was my first time healing these kinds of wounds.

"I am afraid I am not able to heal you complete ly. I know we are enemies , but somehow it feels right helping you . it feel s right making you feel proud . "

Before Katara could continue in her self-loathing speech, Zuko does something surprising: he hugs her, and it was a brief hug.

"Never underestimate your own power," he says.

The whole thing is too awkward for Zuko. he failed to impress her, now he is hugging her. this is too much for him, so instead of facing whatever it is happening, he sends Katara away.

"Katara, go to your room and rest. in three hours come back and you will heal me," says Zuko using his natural but imposing "royal commanding voice." he always uses it when he tries to sound serious.

As the sun goes down, the moon rises. this night is a full moon night, empowering Katara's bending abilities. the doctor and Iroh are waiting for her in Zuko's room, supervising the whole thing, while zuko rests on his bed knowing Katara will surprise everyone.

Like before, Katara commands the water to do her bidding and again her hands glow in light blue. But something is different, Katara feels something is calling her, saying to her "you can do more." the light turn purple and then finally deep red. she has no idea what she is doing. instead of controlling the water in her hands, she is controlling the water inside Zuko´s core. something deep inside him. like a good waterbender, she follows the flow. she may not know what is going on, but she will trust the flow of the water.

Katara finds the rhythm, the tempo, the pull and push. she is following zuko´s respiration…

in and out, push and pull, in and out, push and pull.

until Zuko's respiration finally becomes normal. his lungs completely heal. the red light dies. neither Zuko nor Katara saw it, but Iroh and the doctor did. Iroh knows how water healing is; so does the doctor. what this girl did was something nobody has ever done, a display of power never seen.

Before Katara could request some help, Iroh interrupts, "doctor, send Katara to her room. she must sleep tonight. she will need all her strength for tomorrow." while the doctor is passing next to the general, the general whispers, "tell to the captain full speed, we must reach port before dawn."

Zuko and Katara sleep, both of them finally feeling complete. Katara had shown the world she is not a mere girl following the avatar. she showed her supposed enemies she is a foe to be feared.

Zuko feels he is finally healed: not only his lungs but also his scar. it finally doesn't bother him, he can see better now, he can breathe better, and all thanks to a single girl, a girl who looks at him not with disappointment but with kindness.

A more cheerful Zuko, now dressed with his formal regalia, proceeds to walk to the waterbender´s room and greet her. Maybe she could accompany him to breakfast. Maybe they can talk about Fire Nation food, about firebending. Zuko is always proud of his nation's traditions and culture.

He doesn't find her in her room. he doesn't find her anywhere, but why is the ship docked? they are a full day ahead of schedule.

Iroh gives him the answer.

"I let her go. I know you were trying to impress her, but she will never say yes.

"She is the avatar´s girl. she is meant to be his, his to take and be with.

"I doubt she will ever see you with eyes other than animosity . it is better for her to leave . "

Zuko doesn't reply. she is the avatar's girl. everyone always made it clear. she is the enemy.

"Uncle, you seem to believe I care what other people think or say. I am Prince Zuko, I don't care what other people think. I only care what I think and I think this girl is different."

"Different?" asks Iroh.

"Yeah, Uncle, she is different from any other girl."

Zuko didn't need to explain himself further. he will succeed in showing her his nation's cuisine is not bad, his nation's bending is something amazing to behold, and now, unlike what everyone thinks, she will see he is not bad.

Katara, I will make you see who the real crown prince is of the Fire Nation.