Zuko finds himself in a bit of an odd predicament, granted this was his own doing but he'd never imagine that people would actually be happy to see him. Surrounding him are dozens of people that are all waiting for the ferries to head to the city. Zuko sits on a bench in front of all these people, all of which he has given them at one point or another. Hope. Their desperate faces alight with smiles and kind words, all because of him. A sneaking realization that has been plaguing his mind in the past few months has now become his main focus. All this suffering, the displacement, the separation... death. All of it was started by His great grandfather and the foolish old man's dreams of an empire. It was continued by his grandfather and now his own father carries on this brutality. As he ponders this, he sees a young girl with a burn covered by a bandage over half of her face, just like him. Her black hair is burnt away on the left side, her uncovered green eye wet with tears from the constant pain. Seeing her, Zuko stands up and pulls his waterskin from his hip and those around him stand aside.

"I know it hurts little one." Zuko says as he crouches down to her height, he gently removes the bandage from over her eye, seeing the extent of the burns makes his heart ache. Her skin is raw, blistered and bleeding from the burns, the scar will be permanent just like his. "Can you open your eye on that side?" He asks but the girl shakes her head no and starts to cry.

"I... I c-can't see out of my eye." She whimpers but Zuko just shushes her before dragging his hand up in front of his water skin. With the gentle movement of his hand water flows from the bag and flies through the air. He pulls it over his hands and sits in front of her. "It's going to be okay." He says before warming the water slightly with his bending so as to not hurt her with the cold.

Those around him watch in awe as he lets the water run over the burn on the child's face. She tenses up slightly as she feels the water touch her face but the pain vanishes almost instantly when it begins to glow. The healing light from the water shines over them, drawing even more attention to him. The healing lasts only for a few moments, but its effects are rather potent. As he allows the water to soak into the wound he grabs her a small cloth to dry her face with. The scar will sadly stay, however the healing process has closed the wounds, and restored a lot of the damaged skin. It was still discolored and reddish much like his once was, however when the girl opens her eye she finds she can see again from it. Once he finishes healing her he's shocked as the young girl hugs him. Her tears from the pain turn to tears of happiness as she tells him, "Thank you." in her small voice.

She would be the first of many people he would heal with his bending, each and every one of them afflicted with burns. Some were worse than others but he heals them all the same spending a few hours healing those who will be entering the city. Seeing the kindness from The Good Firebender, the staff at the ferry docks provide Zuko with a large cauldron of clean water to use to heal the other refugees. As time goes on, and people are healed, Zuko can't help but feel prideful for what he's doing. Helping others, undoing their pain, every time he heals someone he feels like he's bringing himself honor and that his mother would be proud of the man he's become. As the line in front of him comes to an end, the last man in the line is someone he hasn't seen in months. He stands with his right sleeve pulled up and gnarled burns along his arm exposed. Standing before him with a piece of wheat in his teeth is Jet, with an injury likely from fighting firebenders on the way here.

"Think you could help me with my burns too?" Jet asks, half expecting Zuko to hesitate but he's mildly surprised when Zuko bends the last of the water then applies it to the burns. Jet takes a seat in front of Zuko allowing him to tend to his wounds. "It's been a while." He says, causing Zuko to nod.

"If we're going to talk, then call me Lee." Zuko says as he focuses on healing Jet's burned arm. "Why are you heading to Ba Sing Sei? Last time I saw you, your freedom fighters had disbanded." Jet winces slightly as Zuko shifts to a different part of his arm.

"I made a mistake." Jet admits, and Zuko is partially surprised by this statement. "You were right. I was blinded by my hatred and didn't think for a second about the people in that village." Jet explains as Zuko finishes healing the wounds on his arm. "We came here to get away from the fighting, to start a new life."

"We?" Zuko asks as he grabs his other water skin and his bag. "Some of your freedom fighters still with you or people you're escorting here?" He asks.

"Smellerbee and Longshot." Jet says motioning to the two before noticing that Zuko has produced a teapot and cups. "I... I'm sorry about what happened back then."

"I probably understand more than you think." Zuko says as he pours some water, from his personal water skin that he uses for drinking, into the teapot. "I let my anger get the best of me at the north pole. I murdered Admiral Zhao of the firenation navy before destroying that entire fleet... but I'm sure you've heard about that." Zuko says as he takes a moment to prepare some tea leaves to steep. After adding the tea to the pot he picks up the small brass teapot before heating it in his hands. "What happened to your arm?"

"Firenation patrol a couple days ago." Jet answers, "Before you say anything, they started it." He quickly says but Zuko just focuses on heating the tea. "Thanks, for healing my arm." Jet says, causing Zuko to nod at this.

"I take it you were testing me," Zuko asks as he removes the lid from his teapot then smells the tea. Content with the color and smell, he pours it into two cups before grabbing a small ceramic container from his bag. "Sugar?" He asks as he hands Jet a cup of tea, the freedom fighter is surprised at this gesture from Zuko but accepts it. He grabs the small cup from Zuko's hand then takes the small container of sugar. He uses the small pearl spoon to scoop some of the sweet crystals into his tea before stirring it and returning the spoon and container back to Zuko.

"That wasn't my first intention, to be honest. I was just going to avoid you but then I saw you start healing the little girl and the other refugees. I figured I'd at least ask to be healed, I didn't expect you to say yes." Jet says before shooting a glance to Smellerbee and Longshot, the wordless expression beckons the two to come over.

"I discovered I could heal at the north pole, it's how I healed my eye." Zuko says before he notices the people around him are beginning to board the ferry. "You going to keep tabs on me?" Zuko asks but Jet just shrugs.

"Nah, but I would like to know a bit more about what happened at the north pole." Jet says as they grab their things and escort Ying and her family on board the ferry.

The ferry ride was quiet, but due to the amount of people on board it is quite difficult to find a decent bed. However the extra gold Zuko had spent for Ying and her family could at least afford them a room should she go into labor while crossing the lake. With the sun setbehind the mountains that cradle the walled city, the passengers are offered a bowl of gruel that in his mind isn't can't possibly pass as edible. When he parted from Katara and the others, he hadnt grabbed his bag where he kept some of his rations, he had only grabbed the bison whistle, his swords and Aang's staff. His growling stomach begging him for sustenance however the smell of the provided gruel tells him that he'd likely be sick if he consumed it. Looking around, he sees Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot sitting a few paces away who had also turned up their noses at the provided food. Despite the hunger, he gives away the only piece of food worth eating to the young girl he had healed. He takes a deep breath and sighs, folding his legs underneath himself as he tries to meditate and clear his mind which he isn't able to do.

"I take it you're not eating that slop they're passing off as food?" Jet asks, having made his way over to Zuko again. "I'm willing to bet that the captain and first class passengers are fat and happy up there." Jet says, pointing his thumb at the cabin above them that overlooks the deck. "Care to help me liberate a proper meal for these people?" Jet asks, before Zuko can respond though, his stomach answers for him. "I'll take that as a yes. C'mon let's get these people something actually worth eating."

Zuko says nothing as Jet walks him back to his two remaining freedom fighters, instead, he pulls something out of his dark green robes. As the three begin speaking of the plan, Jet leads them to a more secluded part of the ship before seeing what Zuko had grabbed. The smiling visage is unsettling to look at to say the very least, its outward pointing fangs and wide grin fit the face of an Oni. Zuko pulls the hood of his robes over his head then ties the mask over his face. With it over his face, Jet has them climb up the side railing onto the upper deck. From there Zuko tightrope walks along the rope supporting the lanterns that illuminate the deck and once he makes it across, he signals for Jet and the others to make their way across the rope. He watches as Jet slides across the top of it with his dual hook swords before coming to a stop just in front of Zuko. They make their way across the second deck, underneath the windows and towards the kitchens.

Peering over the window sill, Zuko sees that the kitchen is empty aside from a couple lanterns illuminating the halls. Food that had been prepared is still sitting in bowls on the table preparing to be brought to the captain's quarters and the first class passengers. With a flick of his wrist, Zuko snuffs out the lanterns allowing them to sneak inside. Smellerbee watches the door as Jet, Longshot and Zuko make quick work of clearing out the kitchen for anything worth providing to the other refugees. Bowls of prepared ramen, rice, cooked cowpig, laogai duck and even Zuko's personal favorite, a fruit tart. Once content with their haul, Jet motions for them to make their escape. Easily slipping out of the room unnoticed and Zuko even relights the lanterns to make it appear nothing was disturbed.

Zuko had snuck the fruit tart in their little snack raid, keeping it hidden in a container he put in his robes. He makes sure that everyone on the lower decks eats before he does. As they get settled in for the night, he opts to check up on Ying, Than and Goma. The small family is tucked away in a private room below deck and greets him kindly as he knocks on the door. "Sorry for disappearing for a bit, a lot of people needed my help tonight." He says before he pulls out the small parchment container with the fruit tart inside it. "I may have snuck this from the galley, I figured you all would want it after such a long journey." He says before turning the tart over to Than. Than accepts the gesture from the prince however he surprises Zuko by cutting him a piece. "Thank you for helping us get to the city, Avatar Lee." Than says before bowing to Zuko. The prince returns the gesture before wishing them a good evening and taking his portion of the fruit tart and leaving to go to his bed. He rarely lets himself indulge in simple pleasures like sweets. For years he's been punishing himself for what happened that day in the firenation however that isn't something he has to worry about anymore. As he looks down at the tart, he notices it covered with mango and strawberries bringing a smile to his face. The avatar slowly eats his fruit tart while gazing up at the night sky through the window, quickly falling asleep lying on his unblemished side.

The sound of a whistle rises him from his sleep and when he wakes he notices the ferry has docked in port at Ba Sing Sei. Standing and stretching, Zuko takes the time to bask in the morning sun and meditate for a moment just as Aang had taught him. It isn't long before Than knocks on his door letting him know that they're getting off the boat and to come with them. With a deep breath, Zuko stands up and collects his things, making sure his mask is hidden within his robes as he places the swords on his back and grabs Aang's staff. Once he's sure he has everything, he joins Than and his family out on the docks waiting to get their tickets stamped. The walk along the stone docks leading into the receiving area is short, and luckily for them the lines are significantly shorter here than in Full Moon Bay. The attendant doesn't blink as the old woman stamps their things and permits them to enter the city. With everyone now safe and sound in Ba Sing Sei, Zuko raises the bison whistle to his lips and inhales sharply, using his airbending to play the whistle as hard as he can so that Appa and the gaang can hear him wherever they are in the city.

After he puts the whistle back into his pocket, Zuko turns to speak with Than again but notices something is immediately wrong. The man is standing over Ying who is clutching her stomach in pain, a significant wet spot stains her robes and water is now on the marble floor of the station. "Is anyone here a doctor!" he hears Than shout but no one moves when he asks this. "Avatar Lee, see if you can find a doctor, the baby is coming!" Than pleads and without a second of hesitation Zuko takes off, scanning the room for anyone who can help. As he sprints through the corridors around the train station of Ba Sing Sei, he spots two men dressed similar to his old master Dong Jou. The men are dressed in dark green robes with wide conical rice hats over their heads and the mandala of Ba Sing Sei on their chests. Thinking quickly, Zuko grabs his water skin and pulls all the water from it before launching a tendril towards one of the Dai Li agents. "Hey! You! Come here!" Zuko shouts as he grabs the man standing on the right of the pair. The Dai Li agent barely has any time to react as he's yanked off his feet then pulled to Zuko's side. "Find a doctor, there's a woman that's gone into labor." Zuko commands him, causing the startled man to shake his head affirmatively before scurrying away. "You, come with me, do you know anything about medicine?" Zuko asks as the other agent comes running over to him.

"They taught me the basics." The Dai Li agent answers. "Good enough. Follow me." Zuko barks before returning the water back to his waterskin. The two sprint back to where Ying and Than are, seeing that she's now seated on the ground trying to control her breathing. Across from him, Appa flies in with Aang, Katara and Yue on board and when Zuko sees them a wave of relief rushes over him. "Katara, get down here, Ying's gone into labor." He says prompting Aang to land the flying bison. The two waterbenders are already off of Appa's back before he can even land fully on the ground as they rush over to help Ying and the others. "Ok, we're going to need an earth tent and a big one. Think you can make one?" Katara asks, looking at the Dai Li agent that Zuko had basically just abducted.

"Yes, and there's a hospital I can bring her to after she's delivered the baby." The Dai Li agent says in a professional tone. The robed man crouches down then lifts his hands upwards as he stands to his full height. The marble floors around them shake as large sheets of marble rise out of the floor in a wide tent over Ying. "Lee, give me your waterskin, and go get some rags. Yue, come help me with this." Katara says as the two enter the tent to help Ying deliver her baby.

"Move along people. Head into the city, there's nothing to see here." The two Dai Li agents begin taking control of the situation as the doctor one of the agents had found rushes over to help them.

After giving Katara the rags, Zuko sits outside of the tent as the doctor, Katara and Yue help Ying through the process. Aang tries to go in and see them while they're going through the process but Zuko stops him. "It's probably for the best if you let them handle that." Zuko says as Aang sits beside him. The young airbender quickly gets bored though, opting to produce his pai sho set and mat to play against Zuko. Without a word, Zuko picks up the white lotus tile and places it on the center before motioning for Aang to take his turn. The two would end up spending hours playing against each other with Aang consistently winning against Zuko which surprises him. Zuko loses track of how many games they played but just as he's placing a rose tile onto the board, their game is interrupted when the cries of a baby echo through the train station. "It's a girl." Zuko hears Katara exclaim, causing Zuko to arch an eyebrow at Aang wordlessly asking if the air nomad wants to go in to meet the new baby. The air nomad opts to go meet the infant but Zuko merely collects the tiles and puts away the mat.

"Avatar Lee?" Than says as he steps out of the small tent. "Thank you, dear friend for helping us get here... we've decided on a name for her. It was something that you have given us after so long. I'd like you to meet Hope." Than says as he introduces Zuko to the tiny child. "Who knows what would have happened if you didn't help us."

"It's best not to think about that, you're safe now." Zuko says as he goes to shake Than's hand. What he isn't expecting is for Than to offer him the child in his arms. Zuko looks down at the infant for a moment before accepting to hold her. He looks down at the silver eyes of the baby as he cradles her in his arms. "I promise you. I'll end this war." Zuko says before extending a hand towards the baby, allowing her to wrap her tiny hand around his finger.