The Firelord's Honor

Chapter 54

A/N I have a weird work day tomorrow morning, back to school kick off meeting. woot. Next Monday it's back to hot school buses and rowdy kids. Anyway since I won't be able to upload until later in the day than I'd like, you get a chapter tonight! Yay! I am about halfway through Friday's chapter so we're on schedule still. That's right. I am officially caught up to myself. Normally I get two chapters written the week prior but I have been dealing with some personal things lately that have caused me to lose the desire to do much of anything. Now that I am doing better, and the routine of work is about to start again I think we'll be ok. I am anticipating AT LEAST 15 more chapters. There might be more, we'll see. Either way we are in the final stretch. Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 54

Azula felt as though she had been trampled by a moose lion. Her whole body ached, her head more than anything. Groaning as she regained full consciousness, bright light had her squeezing her eyes shut again. She reached up to prod the left side of her brow where the pain seemed to be coming from but froze when she realized she had no idea where she was. Blinking slowly, she squinted around the room. There was too much natural light to be her dark cell. That also ruled out having been left for dead in the tunnels. To her right was a row of small windows, gauzy curtains that reminded her of the care home but for their green color stirred in a cool breeze. Beside the bed was a large basin of water and a wooden stool.

Her breathing picked up as she began to panic. A sharp pain lanced through her middle as she tried to sit up. Her accompanying hiss of pain drew the attention of a guest she hadn't known was there. Steady hands were suddenly supporting her and helping her to a more comfortable position. Someone muttered in her ear, 'Easy, easy..' Letting out a long breath once she was finally settled, she turned to her left. Zuko looked terrible. His hair was loose around his face and he had dark smudges beneath his good eye. When their eyes met, he gave her a small pained smile.

"Hey."

She could only mumble something unintelligible in reply. Her mouth was dry and her throat felt tight. He poured her some water from a pitcher beside him and helped her drink before he spoke.

"You've been asleep for two days. Katara has been in to heal you a few times, but you were so badly injured it's taken her a while. How are you feeling? Should I get her? She said you might be in some pain when you woke up."

Azula nodded absently but reached out for him as he made to stand. When she tried to speak again, her voice came out in a dry rasp.

"Wait... wait. She... Katara has been healing me? But I thought, what happ—" She suddenly remembered why she had been down in the tunnels to begin with. "Is Kya ok?"

Zuko's face grew guarded and there was a pause before he nodded. "She's fine. We've been staying here at the palace again. The lower ring doesn't feel safe anymore and we're leaving soon anyway. Plus, it's easier to heal you if Katara is close by."

Azula relaxed back into the pillows and sighed, watching her brother shift uncomfortably from the corner of her eye.

"Azula, I wanted to say... well... If you and Sokka hadn't intercepted the Dai Lee when you did we may not have caught up to them in time. It would have been nearly impossible to catch them if they had made it past the outer wall and we never would have been able to find them so fast if it wasn't for you." Frowning, Zuko ran a hand through his hair and seemed unsure of what to say. He gave her a long, contemplative look. "I'm not sorry I didn't trust you. You have never, not once in our lives given me a reason to. Especially not now that I have more than ever to lose. But, like I said, if it wasn't for you we might not have gotten Kya back. Normally I'd be inclined to think you only helped to further some plot but, you almost died. Katara said if she hadn't healed your internal organs right away you wouldn't have made it back to the palace."