A. N. : This chapter and the next were supposed to be one and the same, but then Zuko decided to actually use his brain for once so. Good for him I guess. The eight paths of the title obviously refer to the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, which goal is to allow one who follows it to free themselves of the cycle of reincarnation. Basically Zuko is on his way to getting some things right ! Hurray !
Zuko is trying to figure out what to do.
He made his decision yesterday, and obviously, the sooner he gets Jet to react less and think more when it comes to fire, the better.
Except they're stuck on Appa's back for the day, and after that, they'll finally reach Tenuht and will be busy coming up with a plan that's hopefully better than just get in there and grab Uncle – not that Zuko would mind either way, because he refuses to be stopped by anything and he will not let Uncle die, no matter the cost – and after that they'll be on the run, and who knows what will happen then.
Starting now, figuring out what will and will not work with Jet, before Azula starts chasing them and a single mistake risks getting them all killed, would definitely be for the best.
But there's no way Zuko is lighting a flame on Appa's back.
He sighs.
On the bright side, Jet has already babysat Lin before, and didn't kill the glassmaker Shi back in Sazakura, so they're not quite at rock bottom. On the less bright side, Zuko just realized he didn't tell Jet what he intends on doing and he has no idea how that will go.
He slides to the back of the saddle, where they won't distract the Avatar as much if things go badly – Agni knows the kid doesn't need help to lose his focus – and gestures to Jet to do the same. Sokka, currently in a heated discussion with Toph on the origins of metal, glares at Jet and shakes his head, but thankfully doesn't say anything.
Katara on the other hand has no such mercy and immediately asks what Zuko is doing. He really doesn't see how that's any of her business, but – he remembers Toph slamming her hand into Master Piandao's tea set in a way that made no sense to him, remembers Katara's you've got some explaining to do young man face when he revealed his identity to Master Piandao and he never really did explain, did he ? It all got forgotten in games of Pai Sho and Lin's painting and everything else.
None of that was their business either, strictly speaking, but neither was what Katara shared yesterday any of Zuko's, and yet it made him feel – included. Like he somehow understood the others better through the shared pain of fear and death.
He got them then, Katara and the Avatar and Toph, the same as he gets Jet.
And it was none of his business. Maybe that's what Jet meant when he said it didn't feel like Zuko was standing with them. Sharing things that don't matter, that don't have to be shared, but still help when they are.
Katara is still looking at him, eyebrows furrowed, arms crossed. Zuko sighs. Scratches the back of his neck.
It feels like a waste of time, really, but he guesses if things go wrong with Jet, they are all sitting on the back of the same bison and it would make sense to give a little warning to – that's what Jet said, isn't it. When Zuko made the only decision possible and Toph reacted so badly. Give a little warning, and maybe Jet wasn't only talking to Toph then.
They're all on the back of the same bison, and maybe yesterday was the same metaphorically. Maybe standing with the group means acting this way all the time.
Maybe Jet wasn't entirely wrong.
Zuko stores the revelation at the back of his mind, to think over later, and tells Katara that, well, Jet's habits need to be worked on. He doesn't say that he isn't really sure of how to go about that when they're flying on a very flammable bison and Jet is – well, Jet is Jet. That's kind of the issue.
Katara makes a face, opens her mouth, then closes it without saying anything. Weird. She does end up asking if he doesn't want to hand Lin to her while he does – she waves her hand vaguely – whatever he's going to do. Just in case.
And – Zuko looks down. Lin looks up at him, probably alerted by his sudden movement, saliva bubbles on her lips. There's a pang in Zuko's heart, and a twist in his stomach when he realizes Katara had to call his attention to the potential risks to Lin's safety. He needs to think things through better before he acts.
He coos at Lin, before handing her over to Katara and nodding.
Then, he turns to Jet.