A Zutara crumb. Here's something that's been nagging at my skull for sometime, so the last Agni Kai right?
His Imperial Highness leaps into the air that he takes the bolt meant for Katara, now a beloved friend of his, we all know, all well and good. Something that's caught my notice is this last scene, or I should say shot, we get of Zuko from his POV, so we see that the Prince Imperial's still conscious:
and yes~, we a b s o l u t e l y can (and should) very much gush about this all day, how in what for all intents and purposes could very well be his Last Moments Zuko is reaching out his hands towards Katara that, still, fresh off a bolt of lightning to the chest he's down on the ground writhing in agony god only knows how much voltage is coursing through him, his chief concern is her.
And with the conclusion of the fight, Katara having soundly defeated Azula, she is at last able to rush over to Zuko to heal him, and we see he's very much unconscious, boy is OUT.
(For convenience's sake, please do pretend that there is a gif here of Katara getting to Zuko and healing him; I've been trying, but oh my LORD the Giphy website has been fucking impossible.)
Sooooo.... something happened, that between the last shot we have of Zuko from his point-of-view the Prince Imperial at some point was quite succinctly knocked out such that he Did Not See how the fight concluded, our favorite Fiery Boi not knowing exactly how the fight ended, that Katara was matter of fact killed? Imagine the sheer and utter relief in his eyes on waking up to see, still getting his bearings straight & Taking It All In, he's only just waking up from near-death induced unconscious after all lmao, dear Katara’s 100% Fine and is Certifiably Not Dead. Don't think of Zuko afterwards, once the two of them have made it inside in the palace and gotten him laid at his bed, clinging to Katara, she can feel him honest-to-God shaking, as if she were to all but disappear if he were to let go.
Do enjoy that fresh serving of angst.
