Chapter Eight:

Author's Note: Hey guys… I just wanted to apologize for not updating. Really, I'm sorry for taking over a month I don't know what happened! Time got away from me, I got busy… I'm really sorry. I just pray you didn't forget about this story -.-

I suggest reading the previous chapter before reading this one to refresh your memory. And in the flashback of what happened to Taku is in italics and is from Akemi's point of view. When the flashback is over it will go back to my usual third person.

As a warning this chapter is kind of dark and has language.

~X~X~X~

"It happened thirty-two years ago," Akemi murmured softly. "Thirty-two years ago our lives ended and our beautiful city crumpled."

They attacked early in the morning on the first day of summer. There were hundreds of fire benders and they immediately began to kill our people. The streets became filled with dead bodies and blood, with our once beautiful buildings being burned and destroyed.

The mayor of our town begged the Fire Nation General to stop, told him we'd do anything to stop the killing, but the General was an evil man. He said his orders were straight from Firelord Azulon to kill and destroy. It was horrible. I saw my friends get slaughtered and burned.

My daddy told me to hide and to stay hidden in my room. But then a fire bender came into our house and started fighting with daddy. I saw him get burned and fall down, never getting back up again. I shrieked in fright. The fire bender turned. He walked closer and closer to my bed. And then I saw him—it was the Fire General. I'll never forget his face. He had a long deep scar running down the middle of his right eye.

I was lucky my death was quick. A quick slash with a sword to my stomach and I was gone. I remember darkness; swirling black darkness. Some of my friends, like Feng, were with me in my darkness but that didn't make things much better. We were scared and some were angry beyond humanity.

And then in that darkness we saw the Fire Nation General return. He laughed—a laugh I'll never forget—and then said to everyone in the darkness, "You belong to me now."

That was when the darkness disappeared. We could see our city once again. We could walk about our city in all of its destruction, we could touch, we could talk, we could see… but we couldn't leave. That was when we came to the horrifying realization that we were trapped within the walls of the city. We couldn't move on, we couldn't go to the light we were prisoners in this place.

And we've been prisoners. All. This. Time.

~X~X~X~

Zuko couldn't believe the story Akemi had just told him. He felt fully aware of just how damned this city truly was. He felt like he knew this General. He once knew a General with a long scar down his right eye…

"Toph, we need to talk," Zuko then said urgently. He turned to Feng and Akemi. "In private if you two don't mind."

"Don't get too far from us otherwise we won't be able to shield you," Feng reminded.

The Firelord nodded and grabbed the small earth bender by her wrist and pulled her along to the side of the building in the shadows where the sun didn't shine. Toph already knew what he was going to say, "You want to free the people of this town, don't you?"

His mouth was already open to say that but she had taken the words right out of him. "How'd you know?"

"You're Mr. Do The Right Thing, of course I knew." Toph's brow furrowed. "There's something you're not telling me," she suddenly accused. "Agni… Zuko… do you know who Akemi was talking about? Do you know the Fire General she was referring to?"

Zuko hesitated. "I think I know him. I think his name is Sato Hayashi. He was my grandfather Azulon's right hand when Azulon was Firelord. When my father became Firelord after Azulon died Sato retired. I never liked him from the beginning but I had no idea he'd be capable of… this."

"Why do you think he's trapping all these dead souls? He's keeping them locked up inside this city, why?"

"I don't know."

"Your best guess?"

Zuko groaned and leaned his back against the wall. "When I was younger, back before I was a banished prince I would sneak into meetings between my father as the Firelord and the other Fire Generals. I was just a kid I was curious and meddlesome."

Toph rolled her eyes. "All kids are, get to the point."

"Patience," Zuko scolded. His brows furrowed. The burn on his face started to tingle. "A long time ago… I can remember them holding a meeting… it was the last meeting Sato attended as a General before retiring." Images flashed through Zuko's mind and he tried his hardest to concentrate. The burn mark tingled even more. She could sense his struggle. "Sato was trying to propose a new way of dealing with the nations. He said that with every city we conquer, we slaughter mercilessly and trap their souls."

"Like what happened here thirty-two years ago," Toph murmured.

"My father didn't approve. He said he wanted to leave survivors to take as captives. He was repulsed at Sato's suggestion. But… I can remember… Sato saying that if you trap the dead… if you trap the dead… they'd become your army even in the spirit world. Even in death."

"That's why Taku is the way it is!" Toph exclaimed. "When Sato dies he'll have his own army even in death. That's why no one in this city is free. He's trapped them." Her hands went into fists and Zuko could've sworn a rock flew by somewhere far off. "We need to free them, Zuko," Toph said through gritted teeth. "No one should be trapped even in death."

"I know, alright? But I'm not just concerned for my mother and these people."

"What else has you concerned?"

"I'm concerned for us!" he hissed. Her eyes widened. "Haven't you felt it? Haven't you felt that paranoia sweep over you? I feel just as trapped as the dead!"

"Yes," Toph admitted. "I have… but I'm mainly worried about you, Zuko." He thought he imagined her saying the last part. Toph? Worried? About him? She purposely tilted her head down so her long bangs blocked her eyes. "I don't want to see you get hurt. You've already been hurt… so much over since the end of the war… and I—"

Her sentence was never finished. Zuko had leaned down and gently placed his lips over her own. He was touched. How was it he was more blind than she was? Toph truly cared for him. And for that, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips. He pulled back a few centimeters and moved his lips to her ear. "Thank you," he murmured breathlessly. And then in a quick moment he was a couple feet away from her. She stood there in utter shock. "We'll continue our mission but at the first sight of danger we'll call it off."

Regain composure, regain composure, Toph told herself. She then scoffed and crossed her arms. "Whatever." She walked back towards Feng and Akemi. Even though Zuko couldn't see them, Toph could see the two young ghosts knowing smirks. "Say a word, and I'll have your fucking head." Feng and Akemi immediately stopped smirking.

"Actually, while you and Zuko were talking I chatted with Feng. He says he knows how to get to your mother," Akemi said happily. She was the only happy one of the group.

"You guys shoulda told me you were trying to find Ursa. She's not far from here," Feng added.

Could this really be happening? Could we really be close to finding my mom? Zuko thought. As happy as that news made him, his paranoia doubled. He looked beside him to see Toph. Whatever happens… the Firelord told himself she must be safe.

~X~X~X~

It had been five hours of wandering through the city with Feng leading them. The group stayed close to the perimeter and near the wall. "I thought you said she was close," Toph huffed irritably to the ghost.

Feng rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me, but this is a pretty good sized city!"

"Look Feng! Up there! Is that the house Lady Ursa stays in?" Akemi pointed. Zuko looked up and could see a small building that wasn't as caved in or destroyed and hidden within the shadows. Zuko started to run from anticipation until Toph earth bended the ground slightly and made the earth cover his feet. He nearly fell down.

"Spirits Toph, what was that for?" Zuko demanded angrily.

"Akemi should go in first," Toph said simply. "This could be a trap. Don't let your excitement blind you Princess." The Firelord growled and swore under his breath. She was right. He knew that.

"Fine," he spat. "Hurry up Akemi!"

"Okay!" the little girl spirit exclaimed. "Wait here." Toph saw her disappear.

The earth bender rubbed her eyes and swore profane curse words under her breath. Her fears were becoming realized: she didn't sense a presence inside that building. Was Lady Ursa truly dead?

Ten long minutes later…

"She only wishes to see Zuko," Akemi said, suddenly reappearing from nowhere. "Don't worry, she's inside, there's nothing to worry about."

Zuko stood up and looked to Toph. "Wait here," he said. "Please, just wait here."

"Don't worry about me, Sparky," Toph replied.

"At the first sign of danger—"

"Just go," she interrupted.

Zuko nodded. He took in a huge breath and walked into the small building. It was pitch black. He made a small flame illuminate his hand. And that was when he saw her—his mother. She was standing at the end of the room, looking the same as she did when he last saw her as a small boy. Tears brimmed the eye that wasn't burned. "Mom?"

The woman who he yearned to meet for so long smiled. "My son," she said. Her arms reached out. Zuko found his strength and walked to her, hugging his mother close. Her Fire Nation robes smelled as he remembered. Her embrace was comforting to him. But that secure feeling he felt—that feeling he had been dreaming of since his mother disappeared—when his beloved mother whispered four little words. "You shouldn't have come."

~X~X~X~

Her nerves were set at ease. She could sense a presence that wasn't just Zuko's. The only puzzling thing was why she didn't sense Ursa at first, why it took ten minutes until she felt something. But Toph was happy Ursa was alive. She sensed her presence.

But then an odd thing happened. The presence got closer. She hadn't moved from her spot.

Closer. Closer. Closer.

Toph took a defensive fighting stance. "Who's here?" she questioned.

A ghost? No. She couldn't sense ghost.

This presence was alive. It was coming closer.

"Miss Toph, what's wrong?" Akemi asked.

The Blind Bandit didn't answer. It was coming closer. Getting faster. Her clouded eyes widened. Behind her! Quickly Toph stomped her foot, making the ground behind her cave in.

Bam!

It was too late. There was already a knife in her back.

"Surprise," Lee chuckled.

Author's Note:

Oh noes! Yes. So Toph was tricked because she thought the alive presence was Ursa when in fact it was Lee. And he's an assassin so he knows how to move quick.

Once again I am really, terribly, awfully, sorry for not updating. Really. I suck. But I updated so I don't anymore, right? OH I'M SORRY! Please review (please) and thank you for reading.

Now I'm going to go eat some chips and wallow in my sorrow. Haha just kidding. I am going to eat chips though.

~Luna