Katara notices that Toph, despite being a late riser, got up early to speak to Zuko, wanting to find out how to get rid of Haru. Zuko, clearly unaware of what Katara's doing with him, is unsure of how to answer that question, and Katara initially wonders if they're talking about her, although she's managed to avoid detection quite well; after all, her stalking is never brought up in canon.
Toph is annoyed at how useless Zuko is, and Katara is annoyed at Toph's assertion that he's less useless than her.
Apparently, Haru composes haikus for Toph, and bends spoons into bouquets for her. Toph hates the latter, although Katara finds them hilarious. It's interesting seeing more of Haru than in the show, but he does come off as one-note.
Toph believes the best way to deal with Haru is to keep him occupied, and Zuko comes up with an idea, apparently a good one, for him. Zuko's idea involves killing multiple birds with one stone- dealing with Toph's stalker, helping Aang learn firebending, and helping him not go crazy over Aang's lack of progress. Zuko proposes having Haru make Aang small targets for fast precision firebending, which Zuko believes is more suited to Aang's strengths.
At breakfast, Aang is quite excited to try this new style of firebending. Katara realizes that Zuko is right and that Aang is better suited to them. Aang, curious, asks how many Zuko can do, and he destroys all 72 of the targets set up in less than a minute, to Aang's 41. Haru is quite upset over having to make all the targets over again, but Toph is pleased, although Katara predicts that Toph will come to miss the haikus and bouquets.
Zuko and Katara wash dishes again, a task he is good at and Katara is hesitant to entrust to Chit Sang.
When asked, Zuko says he hasn't used the small fireballs, which aren't close to his normal style, in combat before. After some pressing and truthbending, Zuko admits how he used them, and he says he lit the candles in the lower ring, from "The Tales of Ba Sing Se". Katara's a bit surprised that Zuko and Iroh ended up there, which seems a bit odd for her to do so, since, as fugitives from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, they have to stay incognito. Zuko says the lower ring isn't so bad, and fondly recalls taking a girl there.
Katara wonders how many "floozies" Zuko did this with, and gets him to describe Jin, concluding that she's almost the opposite of Mai. Katara wonders how much Zuko enjoyed his date, and if that's why the Firelight Fountain is his favorite space. Zuko admits to making "an arse of himself", which Katara says only happens while he's on dates, and a playful splashing fight ensues.
Zuko elaborates on why he likes the fountain, because to him, it's proof that firebending isn't always bad, which is especially nice in a city that sees firebending as the enemy's technique, and that if he used it, he would be outed as someone from the Fire Nation. Katara doesn't feel the desire to tease him, especially since having learned bloodbending from Hama, she feels conflicted about her bending.
Katara changes the subject to a more pleasant one and says that the Cave of Two Lovers (which, I should point out, she went through with Aang) is her favorite place, with the crystals that lit up when their torch went out reminding them of hope, and how there is always a way forward. Zuko, whom Katara thinks would have relied on his firebending as a light source, honestly considers the cave nice, even if he doesn't know much about the crystals. Katara concludes that Zuko is more useful and intelligent than he appears, and also appears to be a city boy.
An author's note follows the chapter. The author contrasts Zuko and Toph's relationships with their stalkers, which is a nice touch.
The author suggests that bending is an important part of the bender, and that Zuko was having a hard time due to viewing his firebending as a bad thing (it's somewhat interesting how Aang initially seems to see firebending as the most evil and destructive form of bending), but at the fountain, uses a different type of firebending and for a different purpose.
The author says she likes Jin, for helping Zuko have some fun, which he hardly ever gets to have, even if Katara would likely end up irrationally jealous. The author points out that both are curious about each other at this point. As usual, I think this is more than can be said for canon, but the author again says YMMV.
The author provides a teaser for the next chapter- someone getting a look at Katara's journal, which looks to be an interesting development.
What I liked
- An interesting look at an alternate form of firebending, with good insights about Zuko.
What I didn't like
- Haru still seems one-note.
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