AUTHORS NOTES: And there we go, exams are done and I have 3 months all to myself. So I am gonna hopefully do some writing. I am still writing Chapter 16 (Yes I am lazy, No I haven't bought Fallout 4 yet, but I am gonna) but because it's been so long and I should really post something to say, yes, this is not dead yet. Here is Chapter 8, Prayer of the Refugee. Also, side not, I got a review a while back asking if this is a romance story. To that I say... Kinda. Spoil-wait nevermind- If you haven't picked up on it already, yes this will eventually be about what blossoms between Zuko and Jin, but there will be nothing of the smut variety and it will be more of, well, a blossom. And by the end of this chapter, if you can't tell me that's going to be Complicated, well, stay tuned.

I thought I had lost my honour, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honour. It's something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what's right.

The afternoon was sombre and slow. After Lee's early finish he scrounged the nearby markets for enough food that would last him the next few days, so he had no need to be in the open for too long.

His walk was brisk but slow enough to show himself as calm among the crowds of people.

The afternoon sun was illuminating Yu Dao with its weakened glow as Zuko was returning to his apartment. He passed the small park that he told Jin about, with a couple laying in the rough grass. The softer lights hitting their skins, the blades itching their skin and their hands locked. Zuko looked on with ease with a slight feeling of sadness. The couple paid no mind to Zuko's watching, they simply gazed at the changing colours in the clouds.

Pinks, reds, oranges and in certain places an almost black, Patterned the sky as if the soft flame of the sun itself was across the sky with only the black abyss of the night behind it. The soft feeling of the suns strength flowed through Zuko. He sat down on one of the west facing benches and watched the energy fade out of the sky.

Quite murmurs between the two love birds didn't stir Zuko.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

The colours of the greatest flame ebbed with the wind but slowly died into the dark fade. The last lights receding into the horizon as the white light of the moon slowly approached from behind him until the last red turned to black. Zuko looked around to find the young couple gone and the world around him in shades of colourless night.

He picked up his groceries and returned to his apartment.

/New Scene

The soothing feeling of the suns energy was enough to awake a lightly sleeping Zuko. He rubbed his eyes as he got off of his bed and walked into the main room. He walked around the house trying to find something, anything to do. This early morning could be the bane of his existence. Too dangerous to train and too dangerous to work, Zuko ended up fidgeting with his teapot.

He eventually made himself some breakfast, a simple bowl of Jook would do him for the morning. A change of clothes later and Lee was out of the door and out into the dangerous world that was Yu Dao.

Lee took advantage of the early morning and travelled to the Tea Weevil, just to see if it was open. Taking the rear exit, he knock on the door and waited for Sensu to answer. Lee waited at the door a little while longer before trying to knock again.

"Don't even bother boy, he's long gone." An old man was standing in the alleyway, his clothes fairly close to rags but still clinging to his thin body, "He left this morning and he was rushing, didn't even get my bread roll today."

"Thanks, I guess." Lee moved away from the door and walked past the man as he was leaving.

"You're his apprentice tea server right?" With the old man's words, Lee stopped in his tracks, "A storm is rising boy, hope you have a place to weather it out."

"I don't think so," a little piece of Zuko slipping out, "I've stood in much larger storms than this." Zuko continued down the alley way, leaving the old man behind him.

/New Scene

Lee sat at the small park, watching the world pass. He wasn't trying to be cramped, but he showed as little of his face to the crowds as possible. He watched as oblivious residents, businessmen and workers passed him, completely unaware of the troubles of the city. Zuko sat back and watched the sky. Clouds swirled above, with only patches of blue, very different to the tranquillity of the afternoon before, these clouds now radiated with gloom and dread.

The white light flowing down upon him was washing all feeling of life from him. Zuko put his head back over the bench and stared at the white emptiness, studying its flow with the wind.

"You always threw what you had at me, you never held back but it was all right in the end." Zuko watched the clouds slowly dance about in the sky, "So why now. Why now do you test me again?" He closed his eyes and felt a cool breeze against his face and a droplet of water hit his right cheek.

He sighed and stayed like this for a little longer, watching all the busybodies rush past the questionably, busiest body in the world. A young man sitting on a bench.

.

.

.

The furious patter of someone running made Zuko sit up to check his surroundings. Checking in front of him, no-one was running.

"Lee!" A familiar voice came from behind him. He franticly stood, up and turned around. Before he could see anything a person jumped onto him, hugging him. Shocked, he didn't return the hug immediately, he lightly put his hands on the other person's lower back. Looking down he only noticed one thing, Short hair.

Lian push back from him with a startled expression on her face, "There you are Lee, come with me right now." She grabbed his hand and tried running back it the direction she came from.

"Wait, stop!" Zuko pulled her back and turned her around, "I didn't give you where I would be. So where is..."

"Jin, that's why I am here and not her,"Lian, panting a little bit, cut Zuko off, "Now come on!" She tried to run away with him again.

"No, you haven't told me anything yet. Get back here." Zuko was able this time to pick Lian off the ground with one hand, putting her down, he sat on the bench, "Now tell me what's going on before you try and take me with you."

Lian growled, obviously at Lee unwillingness to follow her this time, "Kuron was able to get to Jin, that coward Tian gave her up as soon as he saw the man himself at the front gate!" Lian was visibly angry, though Zuko appeared collected, he worried about how this would transpire if this went horribly wrong.

"There wasn't much trace left of Jin, but at least Tian had this note instead of her."

Zuko got off the bench in somewhat of a rush, "Ok that wasn't so hard was it. So where are they?"

Lian stared at him with a little bit of disbelief, "You don't know where she is? I thought you would know. I was gonna get her out of here and get this plan off the ground."

"How would I know where she was being held if I didn't even know she was captured? Also this would have been the worst time to initiate that plan, he would have been on your tail right away." Zuko's yelling had caught the attention of some of the surrounding people.

"Fine, if you're so adamant that this wouldn't have worked, tell her that I'll be waiting for her at the stable until sundown."

"I thought she was your friend, why are you leaving her safety to me."

"Because the plan is pointless if both of us are imprisoned. You have to make a choice Lee, do you want out now and let Jin be imprisoned or do you want to risk the next five days of being captured. Someone is going to be imprisoned and it's not going to be me."

"I won't go with you if that's how you treat your friends, and I won't let someone else take the fall." Zuko turned away from Lian and started walking back to the main part of town, "After I get her out, I'll give her your offer, we'll see if she takes it."

Zuko began running lightly to the more prominent districts, leaving Lian in the dust.

/New Scene

Zuko came to the back of the Tea Weevil again, this time pounded viciously on the door. Standing back from the door, he listened for any kind of footsteps, or breathing, any sign of life.

"Sensu, are you there?" Zuko held his head against the door, thinking.

"You know, I told you before, no-ones in there tea-server. You look crazy to anybody but just this time I'll let it slide for ya." The Old man held a casual pose on one of the close opposing walls.

Zuko keep a straight face as the old man stood there with a smirk on his untidy face.

"I should be moving on then, I have something I need to do." Zuko was very clearly trying very hard to focus on the problem.

"You don't do a good job of hiding it boy, I am guessing that storms hit-cha." The old man had a sly look on his face, but Zuko would just hope he could understand him, "I told you 'You should've had a place to stay until this blows over'."

"I can't do that today anyway, he's cowardly hiding behind a hostage. I cannot leave it to anyone else."

"I see, an honourable man at least. You know, an old beggar like myself might know a thing or two that could help you, as long as my stomach quietens down."

"Are you seriously asking for a bribe?"

"Think of it as a small donation, or an exchange of sorts. You give me a bit of dinner and I'll give you the place of the small rally the man's run'n'." The old man held out his hand, "All you gotta do is put a bit in the trust fund."

Zuko walked up to his face, he was still smirking from his little speech. Zuko didn't know how much was in his pocket but he knew how close that hand was to his knife.

"I trust this is right, don't break it." With that Zuko handed over most of the coins in his pocket and handed it to the old man. His old eyes opened at the spectacle of how much he was being given, before going back to his snarky self.

"I hope that this transaction suits you. On the upper half of the two square there town hall yes, the other side of that is an old courtyard and training grounds, used for old Fire Duels back when the colony arrived. He's got a small rally there of the upper and middle classes. Shouldn't be too hard to miss."

Zuko gave a small smirk, "Ironic." Before taking off down the alley, towards the town centre, leaving the old man to question his last word.

/New Scene

Was early afternoon and the grey clouds covered the sky. Kuron''s loud words of patriotism echoed well outside of the courtyard walls and into the busyness of the city.

The crowd gathered around a podium, a stage bent from the ground up, in the centre of the courtyard. A dozen guards among the crowd and another handful around the stage. On the stage was a man in heavy fire nation bender armour, his scratched mask watching over the crowd, Kuron, in similar armour, clear of any headgear and slightly less bulky and more streamline. His hair tied back and his standing tall, he towered over the third person on the stage an incarcerated Jin. Her plaited hair was a mess and she had a large bruise on her cheek, her weak body held together with irons.

"... Those who are ready to betray this newborn of a colony must be ready to face its guardians. A lot of work and effort has been put into the creation and support for this colony and we mustn't hesitate to protect it from people who wish to destroy it." Kuron spoke to crowd with confidence, invigorating them all with his passionate words. Jin, had no energy to weep, her body was limp for being chained in one point for too long and her stomach was scrawny for not eating all day.

"And so today, we have an agent of the opposition before us, ready before the merciful hand of Justice. I bring her out today though to show our willingness to protect this land from radicals such as herself, who threaten the peaceful life we have come to cherish over the past few years. We want to remind the public that the Fire-Nation no longer wishes to conquer, under our new ruler, Fire-Lord Zuko, we want to preserve the peace that we have reached with this land, and the rest of the world. A promise we intend to keep."

The crowd applauded strongly to his speech. The cold sound of clapping hands comforted Kuron as he stood over the cowering girl, his smile reaching to only one of his cheeks.

Grabbing on the chains that bind the limp Jin to the ground, he pulled on her arm and lifted her off the ground and onto her feet. "I am sorry to do this love," he whispered into her ear, "But I told you that he'll hurt you again, I am doing this to teach you to appreciate what you have."

On her feet, she shuffled along as Kuron pushed. The crowd was silent as he legs barely took her down the stage. The guards took lead and Jin was lead through the judging crowd, she didn't have the physical or emotional strength to look at them, ashamed at what she was being accused of. For what seemed an eternity they passed through the sea of faces, when all ahead seemed clear, one stood among the courtyards barren ground. A familiar face.

"Sir, I don't like this." One of the guards said and came to a stop. Kuron curious to what was happening let go of Jin's chain and moved in front of the guards. Jin almost falling over from the weight redistribution from the loose chain. His eyes narrowed on his target, watching as the man stood staring back at him.

"I am glad you made it, I was beginning to wonder whether you had the honour to show or the cowardice to run." Kuron made a small hand gesture and a dozen guards ran to surround him, weapons at the ready and all pointed at the scared man.

/New Scene

Sprinting through the city streets was Sensu. Breathing heavily he was headed to the town square in only light pants, basic shoes and a bandage around his upper torso, just under his armpits. His, slightly less than appealing physique was open for all of Yu Dao to see but he had other things in mind. In his hands was his shirt or, more essentially, what was his shirt concealing. His sweat was flowing from his slightly chubby muscles, staining what left of what he wore and came close to dropping what was in his hands numerous times

Coming up to the entrance to the courtyard, Sensu was panting heavily, he turned the corner into the yard and immediately stopped and scampered back behind the corner. Catching his breath, he peeked around the corner for a better look at the situation.

He saw one man, surrounded by twelve. Popping back into his hiding spot he looked at the item in his shirt. Back at the situation, back to his delivery. He thought for a moment, tapping his finger against his leg. He looked around to try and find sparks. There wasn't much around him due to the time and location.

A soft voice was being heard from the courtyard, "I would like to introduce the ringleader, Lee. This man has been on my radar for a while now. While he may look like a simple peasant, he is a capable strategist."

He heard a small whistle, a slight tune and turned to look behind him. There a man walked out the front of a shop, locking the door behind him. Walking away from the locked door, he continued his tune and spun the keys around his finger, before releasing them. They flew straight up and at the peak, he snatched them out of the air.

"I am glad that you've come to turn yourself in, how very noble of you. Is it because you couldn't let a beauty like this rot away. However, I don't think that either of you will be leaving here without a little gift from myself."

Sensu looked at his shirt and grabbed the sleeves. He secured the package with other pieces and left as much of the sleeves open as he could, looking back at the situation, an official looking guy was walking slowly towards the circle.

"I have good accommodation for you two that, I think, would be quite rude to reject. Separate rooms unfortunately, so you can't relive your old times."

Sensu prepared himself, swinging his arms in their sockets, getting ready for something he hasn't done in a very long time.

"She's not my GIRLFRIEND!" Lee yelled.

/New Scene

"Lee!" Sensu shouted form behind him, swinging what looked to be his shirt vertically and releasing it.

Zuko took his eye off the shirt as the guards moved in for forceful apprehension. A few were able to reach him first. All going for a thrusting motion with their spears, Lee was able to jump over the hazard, and run along a particular soldier's weapon, towards where his delivery was going to land.

Jumping off the soldiers head and into the air, he reached for it. Just out of his reach he grabbed a hold of one of the sleeves and pulled it to himself. He hit the ground shoulder first and did a roll to slow his momentum, while finishing the roll, he rolled his hips to bring him facing all of the soldiers.

He stood up and removed the shirt for its contents, before drawing them before his enemies. A set of Dual Duo Swords. He took his stance and waited for the men to attack him, garbed in fire-nation armour, he planned his non-lethal attack.

"Don't just stand there you fools, Attack him. And someone go and grab that hideous fool who threw him those swords."

The Masked man beside Kuron went after Sensu and upon orders, the slightly intimidated soldiers charged head-first towards Zuko.

He smirked.

Breathe in.

Breathe... OUT!

The flurry of out of control spears came towards him, two at a time he took care of the soldiers. Lost in the heat of battle, Lee didn't lose his non-lethal intent. Breaking spears in half, elbowing faces, spinning kicks. The furious battle did not even touch him and left so many people lying in their own pain or running from the raw fury that was the scarred man.

"Any more Kuron, that was a bit too easy?"

Looking at the two elites guarding Jin, he motioned them to take him out. Lee readied his blades and tightened his grip.

/New Scene

Sensu was taking a breather around the corner, trying to regain control of his erratic breathing. The crown of his head hit the wall and he slid down, just watching the mid-afternoon sky with the sound of Lee's combat skills.

He got off the ground and fell onto his knees, exhaled and stood again as he inhaled.

A figure caught the corner of his eye and turned towards it slowly. There stood, someone, in fire-nation uniform and mask walking towards him. The armour slowing his movements, he ambled towards Sensu, giving him enough time to get a good look at his fearsome opponent.

"Normally, I am not much of a fighter if you can tell, so is a bad time to invite you to tea?" Sensu joked and waited for his reaction, suffice to say, he did not find it funny, "Now that's just rude."

A hand reached out to grab Sensu's arm. Sensu pulled himself towards the masked soldier and bounced him off slightly bulging and open stomach.

"Oh, ouch." Sensu started unwrapping the cloth on his upper body, "That was better in my head."

Put off by the sudden and unexpected resistance, the Soldier regained his footing. Sensu wrapped a little of the bandage on either of his hands, giving him a suitable 'weapon'.

Rush. Is what the soldier did, a quick sprint and the soldier was in-front of Sensu with his open hand reaching for his throat. His unusual speed was surprising but not unmanageable for Sensu. Catching his wrist with the bandage and redirecting it just above his head. Pushing him back with his hips, brought the captured wrist down and delivered a swift kick to the side of the head.

The soldier carried the momentum from the kick while Sensu was still trapped. He was able to release the wrist but Sensu had already been put off his balance. Along with the Soldier, Sensu also hit the ground rather hard, with Sensu taking the lighter of two hits.

The Soldier recovered quite rapidly and again lunged at Sensu, this time going to a tackle to mid-drift. Sensu had trained for this manoeuvre many times and launched him over the top of him, continuing to send him flying.

"Whew, I still got it," Sensu shuffled around to see his opponent roll, turn and thrust his fist at him, "Eep!" Sensu dived to the side a fire blast came directly towards him, its heat felt against his bare chest.

"Well, I am now just insulted that you rejected tea now." Sensu added, "Because I am afraid I am getting back into this now." Sensu cracked his neck and vertebrate. The Fire-Bender started to keep his distance to Fire-bend at the Brewer.

Sensu's dodging skills where significantly better however as he efficiently moved through each fire shot. The fight became close quarters as Sensu used the best of his now mental advantage, punches with the bandage link was difficult but quick jabs were enough for Sensu to keep the Fire-Bender on his toes.

Sensu stepped away and slightly to his left, awaiting the right move, and he took the bait. The soldier took the stupid idea to use a right hook to get Sensu on the side of the head and knock him cold. Sensu leant back just out of reach of his hook and brought the bandage behind the Soldiers neck.

With a not so swift and rusty move, Sensu leapt over the fire-bender and then pulled him over his shoulder with a little bit of help with the bandage. With the Soldier now at the mercy of Sensu, his anxiety could be felt through the mask.

"Ever so sorry friend," Sensu said.

/New Scene

The crack of collision.

Colliding with his knee, Lee used this moment of stun to throw the guard back with his friend, who was lying down in pain not too far from Kuron. Zuko hit the bullseye and the guard hit his friend square on, causing both men to groan in pain.

Zuko stood down and faced again to Kuron, no longer surrounded he walked slowly towards Kuron.

"I thought that your guard would have been more bolstered. Perhaps I was wrong to think that you're so capable traitor." Zuko spoke with confidence.

"A traitor?" Kuron took fighting stance, "You're a traitor to your people Earth Kingdom scum! I know that you're not who you say you are. One who wishes to re-conquer this land in the name of Fire-Lord Ozai!" The crowd was shocked to hear the name, followed by a very aggressive outcry towards him.

"You coward, what do you benefit from that Man!" A voice in the crowd

"You traitor, you don't deserve to wear those clothes!"

"Who raised you young man!"

"Why would you do this?!"

"Just look at what you..."

"No," Zuko dropped his swords, and extended his arms at Kuron, "I am the proof that you are!"

"Enough of this drivel, I intend to take you in along with the pretty lady here. For a lot longer as well!" Kuron managed a large fire blast from both hands and held it for a solid three seconds. The crowd cheered as they saw the man engulfed in flames. A small smile made its way to Kuron's face, the satisfaction of an enemy vanquished.

The blaze cleared and yet he stood there, unharmed and unmoved. The only change, that his hands were now neutral against his side. Kuron looked on in frustration, and leapt forward for another strike, this time a flurry of smaller fire shots. Zuko effortlessly moved out of their path and once again stood completely calm.

Kuron was now shivering with frustration, "Stand still traitor and I'll give you a companion for that scar!" He began the onslaught of fire balls at Lee.

"Don't worry about it, my sister beat you too it..."

Zuko didn't attempt to dodge this, he brought his hands up and deflected each shot with basic fire-bending. Kuron watched as he simply blocked each and every blast he fired. His mouth slightly agape.

"I think you realise who I am now, Kuron. I also guess now you know who saved Feng and his daughter." Zuko muttered. He flicked his right wrist down and fire flickered around his body, a narrow fire stream spiralled down his body and to the ground before going out

"No you can't be. You're not supposed to be here, let alone meddling with my business!" Kuron tried to control his anger, however the crowd was clueless to their conversation and began muttering about his new identity as a fire-bender. Jin's eyes opened with shock.

"And you have been meddling with mine for too long." Zuko took his stance and awaited Kuron's attacks. Kuron still tried to take Zuko, even though his reputation for being a powerful fire-bender preceded him.

Kuron started the duel with two basic yet powerful fire blasts, to which simple side-stepped, and a third which he blocked with a simple technique Iroh taught him, the breaking of the energy was a soft cracking sound. Kuron was panting, but he sucked in the air and took to the air for a Fire arc from a hammer kick.

Zuko walked towards Kuron as his attempts to fight him approached. He knocked the arc away with a swat of his hand. Kuron started a mid-air kick and brought another fire stream onto Zuko. He brought his hands together and pushed the stream to either side of his joined hands.

Kuron now fully out of breath, was at the mercy of Zuko's fire-bending. Zuko's first attacks were weak fire blasts, aimed at his mid chest. Kuron successfully blocked the first two, the third was a struggle and he was overwhelmed by the fourth. Zuko came over the man and picked him off the ground, he removed the red cloth holding Kuron's hair up and threw him across the courtyard. He turned to face the crowd.

"If none of you have caught on now, allow me to clarify," He started to tie his own hair back with the ribbon, "My Name is Zuko." he finished tying his hair, "The current Fire-Lord and that man is an infiltrator to my advisory. There was only ever five advisors, Advisors Chan, Chit Sang, Yao, Ruon and Jian were the people I sent to advise your nation. All of their views different and provide a wide range of demographic along with no personal armies, such as the imposter here." Zuko referred to the man struggling to get off the ground, his hair all over his face. The crowd didn't know what to believe and Jin now just couldn't comprehend just what was going on now.

"Enough FOOL!" Kuron was now screaming. He pushed back his hair, "I won't have this usurper, and you will fall." Kuron ran towards Zuko in desperation, with two fire daggers, he attacked Zuko with all the energy he had left. Zuko was very controlled with his counter attacks and was merely throwing him back. Soon though, Kuron's Fury was impacting his energy and skill, and Zuko was able to grab his wrist and bring his arm down.

He stared him directly in the eye, and threw him back with a little bit of fire-bending to make sure that he was down and out.

"Kuron, you are under arrest for treason against the Fire-Nation, and the stability of the whole world." Zuko kept his combat stance over Kuron, "Can we get some chains over here guards."

"Just stop you two!" Jin's eyes were swelling and her voice broken, "Both of you... did either of you care about me, ever?" Zuko brought his hands down.

"Jin I am sorry, it's a terribly long stor-ARRGH." Zuko flinched as Kuron jabbed both of his eyes with one hand. Zuko had let his guard down and Kuron took advantage.

"No I didn't. Sorry baby." Kuron's voice was in-front of Zuko. His eyes too much pain to open, "As for you, I'll see you at the end of your reign my lord." Zuko felt a sharp impact on the left side of his face, and fell to the ground.

His head hit the rock and he felt his conscious slipping away.

"Leeee..." was the last thing he heard.