Chapter Seven:

~X~X~X~

Doors opened and the cool nighttime air immediately rushed into the dark room. A woman came in and stood before the shadowed figure sitting in the dark. "Hello sir," the meek woman said, bowing to show respect.

"Rise," was her command. She stood up and avoided eye contact. "How is Takeo and his team's mission? Did they capture the outcast?"

"My last word from them was that they were accompanying the outcast and the Bei Fong girl. They were to follow them while they looked for previous Fire Lady Ursa, who was banished to the city of Taku."

There was a laugh. "Taku? That's where our outcast is going? Taku? This couldn't have turned out better." The figure stood, and there in the sliver of moonlight stood a man who was tall, perhaps 7"2 or 7"3 with a bulky build and crazed orange colored eyes. This man, the one who was in charge of all the Radicals, was Sato Hayashi. He was Firelord Azulon's trusted Fire Nation general. And it just so happens that he was the one who conquered and destroyed Taku all those years ago.

"What are the orders sir?" the woman asked.

"Return to Iroh. Keep working undercover. If we do not hear word that Takeo and his crew have captured the outcast, we will take action."

The woman Kasumi nodded. "Yes sir." She then turned around and headed for the Jasmine Dragon.

~X~X~X~

Zuko was the first one to wake up. Toph was no longer cuddling him, quite the opposite in fact, she was asleep in the far corner of the room. "Morning sleepy head!"

Quickly Zuko jumped to his feet with flames in his hands. He then recognized the voice. "Little girl?"

Akemi was standing beside him even though he couldn't see her. "I didn't mean to scare you," she said apologetically. "I'm just happy for some company."

I'm never going to get used to talking to dead girls, Zuko thought glumly. "It's okay," he said. "You just startled me."

"Would you like me to wake Miss Toph up?" Akemi asked.

"Can you… touch us little girl? Even though you're dead can we be touched by you?" Zuko asked.

He suddenly felt a cold chill on his arm. Akemi put her hand on his elbow. "You can feel that, can't you?" she asked, knowing the answer. Zuko nodded. "It's like you're getting the sensation of someone touching your skin, but they're not actually touching your skin. It's hard to explain."

"Can we touch you?"

"Only if we purposely don't want you to; here, reach out your left arm."

He did as the dead child said and when his arm was halfway up he felt an invisible force stopping his arm from going any farther. "This is unbelievable," he breathed. He kept applying pressure, and then suddenly whatever was blocking his arm from moving forward disappeared, and he felt nothing at all.

"See what I did? I made myself unable to be touched by you," Akemi said.

"And can you touch objects?"

"Oh yes, very easily."

"Can you… harm us even though you're dead?"

There was a silence. "I won't hurt you," Akemi then answered. "But there are ghosts here that would. Don't worry though; they rarely come out during the day, so as long as you're safe inside a building at night you should be fine."

"If I was able to touch you, would that mean I would be able to burn you with my firebending?"

"Yes, but please don't."

"Don't worry," Zuko assured.

"I hope you two realize I've been awake for the past five minutes," Toph then said, opening her eyes. Once again, in her vision she could see only black, what she had always seen, but inside the black she saw Akemi stand there. She'll most likely be the only human I'll ever see, she thought. Toph stood up and stretched out her arms. "Come on Princess let's get a move on."

Zuko couldn't agree more.

"Please be safe," Akemi said, her voice twinged with sadness because the two were leaving. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thanks little girl," Zuko smiled. He turned to Toph, "Let's go." Happily Toph followed him out of the old torn down house they used for shelter and the two were once again on the streets of Taku.

~X~X~X~

Out of the four assassins Jiang was the youngest and the quickest. He reached the great wall of Taku first, immediately stopping right under it. He was puzzled just as Toph had been. "What the hell is this wall made up of?" he asked himself.

"Jiang! We stay together from now on, got it?" Chiyo demanded, Takeo and Lee right behind her.

The youngest ignored her. "Look at this wall. I've never seen anything like it."

"A wall is a wall, stupid," Lee insulted. He pushed Jiang aside and stared at the giant wall. "Well there are no openings. Let's make one." He smirked as he pulled a grenade out of his shirt pocket. "I can light this with my fire and we'll get through easily."

"Idiot! They'll hear the wall coming down! We're not supposed to be here, remember? And we have to trick the Bei Fong girl and that alone is a challenge in and of itself!" Chiyo yelled. "We'll scale it. That's clearly the easiest way." She turned her head to the young man who had been silent the whole time. "Takeo?"

His attention went to her. "Oh. Yes, scale it," he said half heartedly. Takeo could've sworn he saw someone—at the top of the wall—a boy with blood all over his body, his face completely burned, smiling deviously. I'm seeing things, Takeo reasoned.

Lee was the first to touch the wall. "I can climb this damn wall with no rope," he said arrogantly. When he was a few feet up the wall he suddenly grunted, but continued to climb anyway.

Jiang noticed his discomfort. "What happened?"

"Nothing you baby, the wall just cut my palm, that's all."

Chiyo noticed a steady trickle of blood going down the white wall. "What in the hell could you have cut yourself on?"

"Maybe his ego," Jiang muttered.

"Shut up!" Lee shouted. "I'm almost to the top anyway." Suddenly there was a rumbling, as if an earthquake had erupted, and right where Lee was on the wall opened up. Lee fell to the ground and right before the four assassin's eyes the opening in the wall suddenly happened.

"Cool," Jiang said in awe.

"How the hell can an opening just appear?" Chiyo asked. "That's not possible."

"Possible or not, let's hurry up and go in before it closes," Jiang suggested. He walked through the wall, entering the city. "Wow this place is a dump." Lee followed after him.

Chiyo turned and looked at Takeo. "Come on," she said softly. "Are you alright?"

"I have a bad feeling about this place," Takeo answered.

"So do I. But a missions a mission. Come on, we'll walk in together." She reached for his hand, grasping his cold skin, and the two walked inside the city of Taku.

~X~X~X~

Zuko and Toph walked along the abandoned city, talking about the old days during the short period they were together as team to attack Ozai. "I can still remember how hostile Katara was towards you," Toph laughed. "Even I could feel the glares she gave you."

He laughed too. "She was just worried I'd kill Aang. I'm just glad she forgave me and saw I wasn't trying to change my life around and try to do what was right."

"Well I was the first one to accept you into our group. Then you had to go and burn my feet." Her voice still held its playfulness.

Zuko groaned at this memory. "It was an accident. You shouldn't have snuck up on me. Why did you accept me so easily? Surely you knew all the things I had done to Sokka, Aang and Katara."

Toph thought for a minute. "Well it could have been partially because I had tea with Iroh beforehand. Or because I wasn't with the other three when you were out crazy to attack them. But if I had to guess, I'd say the main reason is because when you told Aang you had changed and were good, I could feel you were telling the truth. Your words were genuine."

"You know… of all the people I've met, you and Uncle were the two who had faith and believed in me. That means more than you can imagine."

"Whatever Princess, don't start getting soft on me."

"You may not now, but one day you'll appreciate the kind words people say to you," Zuko smirked. She didn't reply. "Toph, you hear me?" he asked. "Toph?" Zuko then noticed she wasn't walking beside him anymore. He turned his head behind him and saw her frozen in her tracks, eyes wide with something he had never seen—shock maybe? Surely it couldn't be fear.

This is another ghost. I'm sure of it, Toph thought. Seven or eight yards off in the distance Toph could see a young teenage boy standing there looking at her. His skin was burnt off of most of his body, looking sickly with red deformed flesh. His eyes seemed to pop out of his sockets, and he was smirking slightly.

"New blood, new bodies," the ghost boy said with amusement in his voice.

Zuko couldn't see him but he heard his voice. "Who's there?" he asked sternly.

The ghost didn't answer, his eyes were locked with Toph's. "You can see me, can't you girl?" he asked. "How ironic, a little blind girl can see the dead."

"Where is he Toph? Where's the ghost?" Zuko demanded. He remembered what Akemi had told him earlier—ghosts could harm them. But they could also harm the ghosts, unless of course the ghosts made themselves intangible.

Finally Toph forced herself out of her own shock. "Don't call me a little blind girl," she said threateningly. "I'm Toph Bei Fong bitch, and I'm the world's greatest earth bender."

The dead boy laughed. "Are you serious? And who's your friend? Your little lackey?"

"I'm Firelord Zuko," Zuko growled. "We're not here to bother anyone. Leave us."

The dead boy then lost his playfulness. "You're a firebender?" he questioned, his voice becoming loud and unforgiving. "You're the reason I'm dead!" he screamed loudly and angrily.

Quickly he lashed out towards Zuko, but just in time Toph bended a rock barrier between the two! Zuko jumped back in alarm! He couldn't see the ghost so he couldn't attack it. But Toph could. And now she was pissed.

"Leave us alone! We're good, we had nothing to do with the siege of this city!" Toph yelled furiously.

"Liar! It was firebenders that took over this city, slaughtered all the people, trapped us here forever! I'm going to take vengeance on him, he's a firebender and the Firelord! He'll pay for what his people have done to us," the spirit swore.

"Then you're just going to have to go through me," Toph smirked, taking a fighting stance. "Come you son of a bitch, let's see if you can die twice."

Zuko hated this feeling of being helpless. "Toph tell me what's going on!"

"Do what I say Zuko! Stay behind me!"

The spirit lashed out at her, faster than any live person could come and headed in for a punch strike! Toph blocked him and made the rock beneath him crash into him, sending him to the side. There was an advantage Toph had—in order for the spirit to hit her he couldn't be intangible—which meant he could hit her, but she could hit him right back. And for the first time in a fight, Toph could see her opponent. Close combat was now a possibility.

She took now attacked him. Her kicks hit him in the chest and her punches landed in his face. Finally the ghost landed an elbow strike onto her throat making her stumble back and gag. "Toph!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Jump out of the way!" she croaked. She saw the ghost now advance towards Zuko and grab a shard of shattered glass. "Now Zuko!"

The Firelord hurried and jumped back, his shirt getting slit slightly. Any closer and his guts would be falling out of his stomach from the sharp glass strike. Zuko couldn't see the ghost, but he could see the shard of glass he was holding. At least this gave him a faint idea of where the ghost was. Zuko back flipped into the air, his hands becoming aflame as he did, and when his feet touched the ground he sent out a raging torrent of flames!

Toph was once again on her feet and she could see that Zuko's flames had scorched the ghost. "Enough of this!" she screamed angrily. "We can fight all day, you can try and kill us both! But let's get something straight, if you kill me or kill him I will personally give you hell if I'm dead or alive. So go ahead, kill me. I'll fight you dead or alive." She took her dagger hidden in her waist that Iroh gave her. "Make your decision dead boy."

The ghost stared at her wide eyed. He then smiled. "You're one tough bitch." He dropped the shard of glass. "Why have you two even come here?"

"We're looking for someone," Toph answered warily. She still held her dagger out.

"My name is Feng. It's okay, I won't hurt you now, you've earned my respect." He laughed and looked at Toph. "Well at least, you have. I still don't like the firebender."

"The feeling is mutual," Zuko sneered. He walked next to Toph, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she answered, putting away her dagger.

Zuko's eyes grew wide. That dagger… that can't be the same one from my… no… no that was just a nightmare. That's impossible.

Feng crossed his arms. "Who is it you two are looking for?"

"That's none of your damn business," Zuko answered.

"Fine, fine, whatever."

"Feng! Please tell me you didn't attack these two!" came a new voice.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Akemi? Did you follow us?"

The little girl suddenly appeared beside Feng. "I couldn't help it. I wanted to make sure you two were okay. I can't believe you tried to kill them Feng! You're such a meanie!"

"Let's go," Zuko whispered in Toph's ear. She nodded in agreement, and the two turned their backs and started to walk off.

"Hey! Wait! I could help you find whoever you're looking for!" Feng called. "I know this city inside and out."

"You just tried to kill us, why should we believe you want to help us?" Zuko asked irritably.

"Fine, whatever, if you don't want my help I won't help you. But look, you two are alive. The reason I found you guys was because I could sense your presence. Other ghosts will sense it too. And they'll attack you, just like I did. The minute they find out you're a firebender they'll try to kill you. If you let Akemi and me come with you… we'll mask your presence."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Do you really want to risk not?" Feng asked. He sighed. "Look… I'm sorry okay. I'm fueled by grief and vengeance. You don't know what everyone in this city has been through. We were all murdered by the Firenation. We can't move on… we're trapped. Something is stopping us from going to the light, from going to heaven."

"Please," Akemi said in a small voice. "When we're with you it feels like we're still alive."

Zuko sighed. "Alright. Fine. If it means less trouble. Toph?"

"What's one more dead body to look at?" she asked sarcastically. "Fine, whatever. On one condition… you two explain just what in the hell happened to this city."

Author's Note:

I'm really, really, really SORRY! I know I said I'd update Friday and I'm two days late. Where I live there's major storming so my internet was knocked out. I didn't get a chance to finish this chapter, and I'm really sorry for the delay. To make it up I tried to make the chapter long.

A big thanks to my reviewers: Justadreamer15, BitterChant, dasserk, Shiina Yuki, Sepsis, and Kayleigh. I appreciate it all very much!

I am hoping to update Friday. I'm going to try my very best! Please review, and thank you for reading!