AN: This is the revised version of my old story, titled the same. I'm trying to make some serious improvements. There are going to be a lot of changes, so it won't be like rereading my old story with a few spelling corrections, I'm actually changing it a lot. So I hope you enjoy this new version better. It's a work in progress so check back often. Thanks!

Zuko stood at the edge of a cliff at the Western Air Temple. He looked out at the mist that blocked his view of the ground below. He imagined it was a long ways down. He inhaled deeply and took a seat on the edge, letting his feet dangle over the side of the cliff. His thoughts were bouncing around his head in an uncontrollable jumble. Everything had changed so fast that it didn't feel real. He had spent years of his life searching for the Avatar, and he finally found him. But he didn't try to capture him, he tried to befriend him.

The keyword there was tried. It didn't exactly work, not that he fully expected it to, but he still hoped. He tried to offer himself as a fire bending teacher, but his offer was immediately declined. Aang had said once that they could be friends, but when it came down to it, they both knew they couldn't. He ruined any chances he had of being trusted.

It was darkening and the mountainous air was starting to get chilly. He decided to set up camp and start a fire. The ground was uncomfortable, but he had slept on worse. He closed his eyes and tried hard to close his mind, but his attempt was unsuccessful. He heard a rustling sound coming from outside the small shelter he had set up.

"Who's there?" He halfway sat up. "Show yourself!" He involuntarily shot a flame forward. He saw a barricade of rock fly up from the ground, blocking the fire.

"Whoa! Easy! It's me, Toph. You almost burnt me."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he said sincerely. "You shouldn't sneak up like that."

"I wasn't sneaking, I was walking." She crossed her arms.

"Sorry. What did you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't going to leave."

"Why?"

"Because, Aang needs you." Zuko started to wonder what was going on. Just hours ago, he was clearly not welcome. "The others are just too blind to see that we aren't going to find a more perfect person for the job than you." He laughed a little at the irony of her words.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me leaving, because I have nowhere to go."

"Can't you just go back home?"

"Are you kidding me? Not after what I just told my father." He felt a tiny rush of adrenaline from the memory of the day he confronted his father. It had been during the eclipse, when they were both unable to fire bend.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I was going to join the Avatar and help defeat him. I was kind of counting on being accepted into the group at the time."

"Well I guess that didn't work." Toph chuckled at his bad luck. "They'll have to let you join sooner or later."

"I doubt that."

"What about your uncle? I met him once before. Wasn't he traveling with you?"

"Yeah…," Zuko looked down at the fire, "…before I messed everything up. I had a choice of which path I wanted to take, and I chose the wrong one. I went back home to my father."

"Oh," Toph said quietly. She wrapped her arms around her folded knees. The firelight reflected off her glazed eyes. "What made you choose the right path?"

Zuko thought for a moment. He thought back to a conversation he had with a girl in Ba Sing Se.

"So how do you like the city so far?" Jin smiled softly.

"It's ok," he replied.

"I like it a lot. Well, of course I do, I grew up here. It's grown so much since then." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's always been such a peaceful town. I've never been outside the city walls, but from what I hear, it's not good out there. You've been outside of here before! Is it really as bad as people say?" Ba Sing Se had kept the war a secret from the city until just recently. Zuko felt a rush of guilt. Although the war had started long before he was born, he couldn't help but feel responsible for all the horrible events going on outside the city wall. A girl like Jin, so gentle and harmless, didn't deserve to live in a world of treachery.

He struggled for the right words. He didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want to downplay the condition of the world. Jin started to frown when she noticed Zuko's gloomy expression.

"It's no place for a girl like you out there."

"So it is that bad?" Zuko nodded.

"There still has to be good things, right? How much of the world have you seen?"

"A lot of it. I've been to the South Pole, the North Pole, the Fire Nation and all over the Earth Kingdom." He was glad he didn't have to explain the reason for his visits.

"Why were you traveling so much?" He quickly tried to think of a false reason. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"We were, uh… a part of this traveling circus."

The memory continued on to Zuko humiliating himself by attempting to juggle. He flinched.

"For the longest time, I only thought about myself. I thought about my future, my destiny, and my honor. All of my actions were driven by what I wanted and I was willing to do whatever it took, even if that meant hurting people. I let my anger and regrets guide me, and they took me down the wrong path. I tried once to just hide from the war and thought I was doing the right thing, but I realize now that the right thing to do is to do everything I can to end this war." Neither of them spoke for a moment. The only sound they heard was the quiet crackle of the fire. Toph finally broke the silence.

"I can tell you're being honest. I wish the others could feel what I do." She wiggled her toes into the ground. "I can feel your heart beating right now. You're calm. When people lie, their heartbeat goes crazy."

"I wouldn't lie. Not anymore."

"You're our only hope, whether they realize it or not," Toph said glumly. She found herself feeling almost sorry for him. She could almost feel the anguish running through his body. "I should probably get back before someone notices I'm gone. I'll talk to them tomorrow." She got to her feet and walked back to where the others were sleeping.

"Don't waste your time," he mumbled under his breath.

Jin was seated in the corner table of Pao's Tea House, where she sat every day after her classes. After tasting Mushi's tea, the normal tea that the shop served didn't seem quite as fulfilling. Mushi and his nephew, Li, who had one worked for Pao, had just opened their own tea shop in the Upper Ring. As much as she wanted to visit it, she didn't have the time or money to travel to the Upper Ring every day. She figured it was for the best. She obviously got the hint that Li didn't ever want to see her again after their slightly uncomfortable date.

"It's complicated. I have to go," he said before he turned around and ran off in the opposite direction.

Her memories of that night were still fresh and vivid in her head. It wasn't a perfect night, but she still enjoyed it. The way he had abruptly left her standing at the Firelight Fountains only intrigued her more. Her feelings were still hurt, but she found herself longing to visit him again. She sat down her cup of tea a little too hard on the table, causing it to splash out. She threw down a few copper pieces on the table and headed out. She didn't care if he wanted to see her or not, she was going to the Upper Ring to find Li.

The quickest way to get to the Upper Ring was the railway system. It was the only official connection to the center of the city, and it was seldom used. Nobody from the Upper Ring ever had a reason to visit the Lower Ring. In fact, the last upper class resident to visit the outer wall was the Earth King himself. She boarded the near empty train and sat in a seat by the window. The city looked much larger from above than she could have ever imagined. Her hands and nose were pinned to the window the whole ride there, admiring the view. The train finally came to a stop at the Grand Station. She and the few others aboard the train stepped off onto the marble platform. The station was much more up kept than the one at the Lower Ring. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something strange. In front of the station entrance were two guards, suited in red. They were armed with spears. In fact, when she studied her surroundings closer, she noticed that many people around the pavilion were clothed in red.

"Fire Nation," She thought. "Nobody else around here wears red. But why are they here?" She knew that something was going on. She turned to get back on the train, but a guard was already blocking the door.

"Where do you think you're going, little lady?" He spoke through his mask. She gasped.

"I was just…"

"This part of the city was seized by the Fire Nation as ordered by the Prince and Princess,"

What about Li? She thought. He could be in trouble! The soldier attempted to twist her arms behind her back, but she slipped from his grasp and darted away.

"Hey! Follow her!" he ordered. She took off sprinting as fast as she could, huffing for air. It had been a while since she had ran this fast. She had to find Mushi's tea shop. She came across the business district, where most of the stores were located. The streets were flooded with red-clad citizens. Everyone stared as she ran by, but she didn't care at this point. She knew she was being followed. She saw a sign for a tea shop called The Jasmine Dragon. She knew that had to be Mushi's. When she arrived at the door, there was a for sale sign in the door and the windows were boarded up.

"No," she said out loud. "How could they be closed down already? They just opened. Something must have happened to them," she thought. She walked around the back of the building and found a broken window that hadn't been boarded. She carefully climbed through, slipping inside the abandoned tea shop. She climbed up the stairs to the apartment above. It was as abandoned as the tea shop.

She heard a slam from below. They had found her. She heard footsteps stomping on the wooden floor. It was only a matter of time before they made it up the stairs. She ran into the nearest room and hid herself inside the small closet. It was full of dusty clothing falling off the hangers. She curled her face into her knees and waited for the sound of silence, but instead, the footsteps grew louder.

"You, check in there," said one soldier to the other. "We have to make sure we clear this whole ring of Earth Nation citizens. We can't afford to let one loose. She might tell the others." The door creaked and the sound of boots shook the floor. The door to the closet swung open in one fast movement.

"Gotcha."

Hiding in the closet probably wasn't the best idea, since there was only one way in and out. She knew at this point there was nothing she could do. The soldier grabbed on to her arm and yanked her up, almost dislocating it. He forced her arms behind her back and chained them up. The other soldiers met up with him in the room and they carried her out of the empty apartment.

Wherever you are, Li, I hope you're safe, she thought as they pushed her out the door.

Zuko could see the morning light glowing red through his eyelids. He yawned and sat upright, studying his surroundings. The fire from last night had died down to just a pile of blackened logs with a few orange embers still burning. Next to that, he saw a small bowl of rice, still steaming. He assumed Toph left it. The smell finally reached his nose and his stomach grumbled.

After finished the food left for him, he pondered on what to do next. He wasn't lying when he told Toph he had nowhere to go.

So the Fire Nation is out. I'm probably the most wanted person there right now. I can't stick around with these guys, so that's out too. With the Fire Nation in control of most of the world now, there's not a safe place to live, not even Ba Sing Se, he thought to himself. Before he left Ba sing Se, they had the whole Upper Ring of the city under control, including the Earth King. It was the smallest ring of the city, therefore the easiest to overtake. He figured by now, the control had spread all the way down to the Lower Ring.

Jin lives in the Lower Ring. He knew what the Fire Nation did to prisoners, and it wasn't pretty. He didn't want to think about that anymore. He thought back to their date. She brought him to the Firelight Fountains, where they shared a kiss, only before he fled with no explanation. He never saw her again after that night.

He knew what he needed to do.

I led her on and then ran away. I've done enough damage. I'm not going to just sit here hoping she's safe. I can't exactly give her the explanation I owe, but I can at least make sure she's alright. His mind was made up. He tore down the shelter he had set up and gathered his things together. His packing was interrupted by the sound of someone approaching.

"Where are you going? You aren't leaving, are you?" Toph walked towards him.

"Yes, I am."

"You have to stick around and help Aang." She argued.

"I have something I need to do."

"What?"

"I'm going to find someone,"

"Who? Your uncle?" He really didn't want to go into details about his plan. He just wanted to get on the road. It was a long way from the Western Air Temple to Ba Sing Se.

"Yes," he continued packing his things.

"You're lying." She accused. He forgot all about her ability to detect lies.

"Look, I need to find a friend of mine. She's in Ba Sing Se and I'm going to go get her," He groaned. "And I need to leave now."

"You're going to travel to the Earth Kingdom on foot?" she raised one eyebrow. "That's going to take weeks."

"No, I have a war balloon I used to get here. It'll still take a long time, but it'll take longer if you don't let me leave."

"I can help you cut your travel time in half." She proposed.

"How?"

"Aang has a flying bison."

"He'd let me use it?" He knew there was no way Aang would let Zuko take his beloved animal anywhere, not even to the other side of the temple.

"We can just borrow it for a little while." She smiled boldly. He considered the option for a brief moment. He didn't want to get on the Avatar's bad side more than he already was. "I'll take the heat for it." He knew it was probably a bad idea, but the more he thought about it, the further Ba Sing Se seemed.

"Alright, let's do it,"

"We'll leave tonight after everyone is asleep,"

When the night finally rolled around, Zuko and Toph quietly gathered supplies for their trip to the Earth Kingdom. They loaded them up on Appa, who was a little unhappy about being woken up so late at night. When Zuko stepped in front of him, he greeted him with a wet, sloppy lick.

"Aw, gross!" He yelled in a whisper.

"He likes you," Toph laughed at him as he wiped off the saliva from his arm.

"Yeah, I guess. Let's get going,"

"You're going to have to fly him. I can't see anything unless I'm touching the ground,"

"How do I do that?"

"Just say 'Yip, yip' and grab the reins."

Zuko figured flying on a bison wouldn't be much different than flying a war balloon. The ride wasn't as smooth as the balloon, but it was almost twice as fast. He didn't have to direct Appa much because he remembered the way to Ba Sing Se. Zuko was able to sit back and relax a bit before they arrived in the Fire Nation-ruled city.

"So who exactly are we going to go get? Is this your girlfriend?" Toph taunted him.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zuko yelled.

"Whoa, take it easy there. I was joking,"

"She's just a friend, and I need to rescue her." Toph looked puzzled.

"Rescue her from what?" she asked. Zuko breathed deeply before explaining.

"The Fire Nation has taken over all of Ba Sing Se and it's partly my fault. The Earth King has been taken down, and the Fire Nation has moved in. Everyone who is part of the Earth Kingdom has most likely been taken prisoner…if they're lucky." He tilted his head down in shame.

"It's the largest city in the world, and it's now under control of the Fire Nation?" Ba Sing Se was considered to be the last safe place, but not anymore. Neither of them spoke for a moment. They just sat there and tried to fully grasp the state of the world. Toph broke the silence when she finally thought of something to say. "So do you have a plan?"

"Not…exactly." Zuko was embarrassed to admit. He originally planned on traveling to Ba Sing Se by balloon, which would have given him plenty of time to think of a plan.

"You don't have a plan? We came all this way and you don't even have a clue what we're going to do?" Toph scowled at him.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to come with me. I didn't invite you." He snarled.

"Well, I'm sorry for trying to help!" She crossed her arms.

"No, no! I didn't mean that. Sometimes I can't control my anger and I say things I don't mean." He admitted shamefully. "I've been trying to think of a plan, but I'm not exactly sure of the city's conditions. I don't know what we're getting into."

"Well, with a great Earth bender like me, and I'm sure you're pretty good at fire bending, we can take on anything that comes our way!" Toph said enthusiastically. She was always up for a good fight.

"I sure hope so,"

"How far away do you think we are?" She asked.

"A little over halfway I think. We're definitely in the Earth Kingdom though. Maybe we should set up camp for the rest of the night so we're fully rested." He suggested.

"And we can think of a plan. And maybe a few backup ones."

They waited until they found a spot away from civilization. Appa landed in a small clearing in the center of a vast forest.

"Ahh, nice, soft dirt." Toph sighed as she stepped on the ground. "I absolutely hate flying."

"It is quicker though." Zuko reached in one of the bags and pulled out a cloth that he used for a tent back at the Western Air Temple.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Setting up a shelter."

"I have a better idea." She stomped one foot into the ground and raised her arm upwards in one stiff motion. A large, square shelter made of rock lifted up from the ground.

"Well…I'll just make a fire." He said. "I think I can handle that one." After the fire got going, they sat around it to warm themselves from the cool Earth Kingdom climate.

"So where do you think she is? The girl we're rescuing." Toph asked.

"I don't know. She lives somewhere in the Lower Ring, but I don't think we'll find her at her house."

"Then where would she be?" Zuko didn't want to explain, but he knew she would witness it eventually, so it was best to just forewarn her.

"Normally, when the Fire Nation takes over a city, the first thing they do is capture all the important figures and lock them away. In this case, that would be the Earth King and all the nobles. The next thing they would do is gather all the benders and imprison them in a cell designed to prevent them from bending. Once the benders are gone, that leaves the normal citizens, like Jin. Although they're the last to be captured, they're the easiest and least threatening. They would be taken from their homes and usually end up in camps."

"What kind of camps?"

"A Fire Nation camp is the same as a prison, just not as secure. It's still heavily guarded, but there are no cells. The people are treated like dirt there. They are nearly starved to death, forced to sleep on the hard ground, and the guards usually get enjoyment out of mercilessly beating whoever they want."

"That's horrible." Toph gasped.

"The Fire Nation try to make it seem like they are keeping people alive in the camps, but it doesn't take long before most of the camp is gone. They become sick, malnourished, and they lose all morale."

"How long has it been since Ba Sing Se was taken over?"

"I'd say about a month."

"You don't think we'd be too late, do you?" Zuko didn't answer, so Toph asked another question. "How are we supposed to get into these camps and find the one where Jin is at? It's an enormous city."

"If we could disguise ourselves as guards, we could patrol all the camps and search for her."

"And then what do we do when we find her?"

"Let me sleep on that one," he yawned. He didn't realize how tired he actually was. His yawn spread to Toph and she reached out her arms to stretch.

"Rest is probably a good idea. We'll continue tomorrow." Toph agreed.