Flameheart | Zuko

NINE

The room appeared otherworldly that morning. The rays of the sun danced on air, the light illuminating the space, making the maroon sheets appear lively, offering some colour to all that existed in the room, including the woman laying under the sheets.

She was incredibly pale, rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed, long and dark eyelashes against her cheek, her hair forming a halo around her head. The sun moved as the minutes passed until it reached her eyes. She stirred and her eyes opened.

She had eyes of fire, intense and appearing to be full of life, her iris flickering with every ray of light that touched it, a rich colour one would realise it was hard to find. She moved her head to the side so the sun wasn't blinding her but anywhere she moved, the light was there. With a small sigh, she stood up, only to put pressure on her left shoulder. She instantly hissed, her head snapping in the direction of her shoulder. Beneath her shirt, she noticed a bandage. She slowly left the bed and moved to the mirror to inspect the bandages.

She could see bandages on the side of her neck that moved down to her shoulder before they were lost under her shirt. She could feel them going on, though, from her shoulder to her upper arm. Flashbacks of her fight with the thief flooded her inner vision and she pursed her lips as she inspected the bandages closely. If she concentrated, she could feel a slight soreness from her back, where she remembered she had been slammed against the wall. Automatically, her uninjured arm moved to the back of her head to check for any injuries. Thankfully, she found none.

With a small sigh, she turned away and slowly headed to the balcony of her room. She leaned against the wall separating her room from the balcony as she looked outside in the garden, allowing the rays of the sun to heat her up. She ran a hand through her hair, attempting to untangle it somewhat, but before she could complete what she had started, there was a knock on the door. She turned around just as it opened and the Fire Lord burst in the room, followed closely by her friends.

Zuko paused by the door, his eyes taking in the sight of her hair down momentarily before he seemed to snap out of it and with a few strides reached her side, concern all over his features as he took her in. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled slightly. "Fine, for the time being."

"We were so worried, Homura," Ty Lee exclaimed, as she walked by her side. Homura smiled at her in an effort to reassure her before she turned to face Suki and Sokka who walked over to them as well.

"You woke up at some point in the night while the healers tended to your arm," Suki informed her softly, "they said it'll cause you a scar."

She could feel Zuko's gaze on the side of her face as she sighed. "I...I don't really know what to think about that. And I don't remember that part of me being awake when the healers examined me. I don't remember an examination and I certainly have no idea how I got into these clothes."

Suki's frown deepened as she left Sokka and wrapped her arms around her middle from the side, making sure to not touch her injured arm. Homura leaned into her embrace with a small sigh as she closed her eyes, appreciating the comfort it offered her. She opened her eyes again when she heard Sokka speak.

"The healers say it will be fully healed in about two weeks. Zuko had a few waterbenders around that managed to heal part of your injury to speed things up a bit." Homura turned to the Fire Lord with a nod and a small smile. He returned neither. Sokka continued. "You can't do everything you used to do for these two weeks. Which means minimal fighting and you try to tire your arm out as little as possible."

"I can still fight, somewhat," Homura protested meekly as Suki pulled back, her eyes falling on her sword she had put beside her bed along with her Kyoshi warrior armour. "I didn't hurt the arm I use to hold my sword."