Burning Bright

Part IX

Everything shut down as soon as Zuko heard the seven fateful words "Welcome to the Ba Sing Se Resistance".

He couldn't process anything in his brain. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't even move. All that he was thinking about was how incredibly stupid he was. And how much he was about to hurt Jin. Things weren't supposed to become even more complicated! He was supposed to tell her the truth. He was supposed to come clean with her. And now it was too late. He couldn't tell her here where there were so many earthbenders and fighters, ready to claw his eyes out once they found out. He couldn't tell her when they were alone either because he would be violating the trust she had put upon him. She would be very angry with him. She would hate him. There was no way out of this. He was stuck.

Zuko started feeling even more clammy and his hands started becoming wetter and wetter from the sweat it was producing.

He looked around and decided to distract himself by examining the place. The entire room was generally very spacious. It had high ceilings and it was cozily furnished with nice, thick carpets covering the ground. A big round table stood in the center while many stools and chairs were scattered about the place. Every inch of the wall was either covered with Earth Kingdom flags and banners or renaissance Earth Kingdom paintings. Crystal lamps illuminated the whole place, giving off an eerie green glow.

Jiao was being a big show-off as usual. He hung out in a chair located at a dark corner, purposely showing his blade and sharpening it in front of everyone. Duan Jie seemed to have come back from the forge because his face and hands were smeared with ash. Shu sat on a chair next to the table where he was examining a scroll with utmost interest.

No one seemed to notice him except for Duan Jie. Duan Jie immediately began to wave enthusiastically. Zuko was about to wave back when suddenly, he felt a strong hand grip his wrist. He wasn't exactly sure what happened next. He was still in a daze and he was in deep in his thoughts. All he remembered was being abruptly dragged from that large spacious room to a smaller one.

"What have you done! Why did you bring him here!" a loud voice boomed.

Zuko's attention snapped back into focus. He looked around and saw that the only people in the small room were Ge Jiang, Jin and He Shen. Ge Jiang looked extremely scary. He was donning full Earth Kingdom battle gear. He was wearing an Earth Kingdom helmet and an armor made out of metal but some stone was mixed with it. On his hands and feet were stone arm guards and leg guards. With his very angry demeanor and heavy battle suit he looked very imposing.

Jin was standing in front of him and she looked just as angry. She was wearing her usual Earthbending outfit. It was an outfit similar to the Dai Li's although it was sleeveless and it showed off her toned and flat stomach and the really, painful looking bruise that was on the right side of her back. She was also wearing arm guards and she was barefoot. She was crossing her arms and staring at her oldest brother defiantly.

From behind them stood He Shen. Zuko's jaw dropped. He Shen normally looked untidy and care-free with his hair in disarray and his clothing loose. He looked very imposing today however. He was wearing a battle armor similar to Ge Jiang's although Ge Jiang's armor looked more impressive. He was also wearing a helmet and all his unruly hair was kept away from his face. Zuko sighed in relief when he saw the liuqin hanging from He Shen's back. At least he still had his liuqin. He Shen looked a little exasperated as he watched his siblings argue again. Zuko knew that Jin and Ge Jiang argued a lot. He Shen often acted as the mediator between the two.

"What do you think! I brought him here as a member! To the Resistance!" Jin snapped.

It felt as if a hundred tons of rock was dropped on him. A member? To the Resistance? It never really sank into him that he now had no way out.

"No! As usual, you are too trusting! Would it kill you to be a little more suspicious, Jin?" Ge Jiang scowled.

"Li is a friend," Jin argued.

Zuko felt like puking when she said that.

"He's a Firebender! He can't be trusted!" Ge Jiang said. Zuko silently agreed with him.

"Not all Firebenders are evil, Jiang! He can be trusted!"

"No, he can't! I don't trust him! And therefore, I deem him a danger to the Resistance. He is to be imprisoned here until final notice," Ge Jiang said with finality. Zuko felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"You can't do that!" Jin angrily said.

"Yes, I can! May I remind you that I am the leader of this Resistance!" Jiang snapped back at her.

"You're one of the leaders of the Resistance! This is a triumvirate, remember! Me and Shen have the same power as you!" Jin snapped.

"But still, as the eldest, I am the one highest in rank, even among the triumvirate. I get the last word," Jiang said.

"But not when it comes to choosing the members! You need at least two people to vouch for a new member….."

Ge Jiang closed his eyes and placed his hands on his sister's shoulder. He said in a softer voice, "Jin, please…..please don't do this."

Zuko prayed in his place. He prayed that Jin would listen to her brother. He prayed that she wouldn't do this.

Zuko managed to sputter, "You don't have to—''

"I'll vouch for him, Jiang. I'll vouch for him," Jin determinedly said. She looked straight into Ge Jiang's eyes. Ge Jiang looked pained but his eyes were just as steely.

"Think about this, Jin. He could be—''

"He could be an asset to the Resistance. Think about it, Jiang! He's from the Fire Nation! Which means he knows a lot about the military tactics they deploy. He knows their thinking, their culture….he's going to help us be one step ahead of the Fire Nation," Jin excitedly told his brother.

Zuko muttered under his breath, "Actually…I've—I've been gone there for a really long time so…."

Zuko trailed off after realizing that no one was really listening to him. Jin was staring at her brother with a fierce expression while Ge Jiang was deep in thought. Zuko paled. It seemed as if Ge Jiang was seriously considering this.

"You have a point there. But still…..letting him join the Resistance is a very volatile matter. We're having enough problems convincing people—''

"Jiang, he's been imprisoned there for three days! He knows what's been going on! And you've said it yourself. You need that kind of information. Jiang, he could help us!" Jin said. She began to shake Ge Jiang. From behind them He Shen stood impassively. He was looking at the floor. Zuko guessed that he really didn't want to be a part of this.

Zuko began to mumble, "Um….well, I've been knocked out so I didn't really notice—''

Jiang said completely ignoring Zuko, "Well, he can give us that information as a prisoner! Jin, please! Just open your eyes for one moment and stop being so trusting and optimistic—''

"He lives in the Upper Ring—''

"He's been captured. What's to say that the Dai Li aren't looking for him right now? He's a hindrance, not an asset—''

"But he has a pass! Jiang, think about it! All of our members in here are from the Lower and Middle Ring! We need more people in the Upper Ring to fund us! And aside from that, all of the most major activities going on concerning the Fire Nation are in the Upper Ring. Security among the many walls and gates has become tighter since the coup. We need an access to the Upper Ring!" Jin determinedly continued.

"I think I sort of lost the pass…." Zuko mumbled under his breath.

"What's to say he hasn't joined his people?" Ge Jiang demanded.

"He was imprisoned. He fought them, Jiang! If you just give him a chance—''

"No, Jin! I won't allow this nonsense to continue! He is dangerous—''

"He's my boyfriend! I know him! He would never—''

"He is untrustworthy—''

"He can be trusted! You've seen him! You've met his uncle! They're nice people—''

"He is a threat to the Resistance—''

"And he can help us! He can help us move forward and you know it—''

"And I deem him unworthy to join the Resistance. I deny his request for membership—''

"Well, you can't deny a vouch! Jiang, please…"

"Jin, please don't do this. As a favor to me, please. I don't want you to get hurt," Ge Jiang pleadingly said.

"Jin…listen to your brother," Zuko mumbled under his breath. When he realized that no one heard him, he said in a louder voice, "Jin, you don't have to do this for me—''

"I will personally vouch for him. I will personally say that I can trust him," Jin said. Her gaze was very passionate and steely. Ge Jiang matched her heated eyes.

"I'm sorry Jin. But I still deny his request for membership. You need at least two people to vouch for him. And as far as I'm concerned, there's only one of you," Ge Jiang said.

Jin looked frustrated while Zuko felt relieved. He didn't care if they would imprison him. All he cared about was Jin. He couldn't believe that she was putting her honor on the line for him. Zuko felt the sting of shame creeping up his cheeks.

Suddenly, Jin looked in He Shen's direction.

"Shen! He Shen! You can be Li's second person!" Jin said.

Zuko groaned and so did He Shen.

"Don't do this Shen! You know the possible consequences! Don't be stupid!" Ge Jiang snapped.

"Hey, don't drag me into this, man…." He Shen said. He held his hands up.

"Shen, come on! You know, Li! Does this look like someone evil to you!" Jin demanded as she gestured towards Zuko. Zuko twiddled his thumbs.

"Aw….Jin, you know that I think that Li is a cool dude. I mean, it's no joke, man! You're one awesome dude," He She said as he looked at Zuko directly. Zuko nodded a little too vigorously.

"But, Jin…..Jiang has a point. I mean, like I get the whole he's a 'reformed-not-evil-Firebender thing' but like we can't take any chances—''

"I can't believe I'm hearing you say this!" Jin scowled.

"Aw…..Jin….don't be—don't be like that," He Shen began.

"Shen, you've seen Li—''

"You're letting Li and your relationship with him cloud your judgment Jin. He's not making you think objectively. I mean….would you let him join if you two weren't dating?" Ge Jiang interjected.

He Shen quickly agreed, "What Jiang said, man. I mean I'm just thinking objectively. When Jiang was like….talking about him being a prisoner, he didn't mean that we'd treat him badly. He'll just be like….in house arrest. I mean sure….he won't be allowed to leave and he'll generally have no rights but…you two can still date and kiss and—''

"Yes. Yes, I would still vouch for him even if we weren't dating. Because I know that he is good person. Shen, please," Jin pleaded.

She suddenly widened her eyes and pouted her lips and clasped her hands together.

"Aw….not the face Jin…." Shen said as he tried to use his right hand to shield away from her pouting face.

"You know that you could trust him, Shen," Jin pleaded.

"Well….yeah…I guess you're right. I mean, like, Li's a cool dude Jiang."

Jin's face lit up.

"Are you serious?" she asked excitedly.

"Are you serious?" Jiang scowled.

"I guess so. Sure…I'll vouch for him," Shen reluctantly said.

Zuko felt like jumping off a cliff. What had he done?

Ge Jiang scowled and slapped his forehead.

"Why do you always side with Jin?" he snapped.

"Hey, I side with both of you. I mean, I play no favorites," Shen said.

"Whatever. I guess what's done is done," Ge Jiang sighed.

Jin squealed and gave her brother a giant bear hug.

"But, his identity as a Firebender must be kept a secret. We don't want to get people even more agitated then they already are," Ge Jiang added seriously.

"Thank you so much Jiang!" she said. Despite his anger, Ge Jiang smiled at his sister.

"Why must you be so persistent?" Ge Jiang muttered jokingly as they broke apart.

"I guess that means I'm a true Earthbender," Jin smiled.

"I guess so," Ge Jiang chuckled.

"Whoa. You two aren't actually yelling at each other. This deserves a song," Shen said. He took his liuqin out and began to sing another song loudly. He Shen continued to sing until he exited from the room, Earthbending a door so he could leave.

"I'll give him the tour," Jin said as she twined her fingers around Zuko's. She beamed at him. Zuko smiled weakly back at her.

"You go ahead, Jin. I have to tell him a few things," Jiang said.

Jin looked at the two of them worriedly but she agreed. She earthbent an opening and left through it.

Zuko swallowed thickly as Ge Jiang spun around to face him. Ge Jiang's eyes were a deeper shade of green and they were fiercer.

"Let's just get one thing straight, Firebender. I don't trust you," he hissed.

"Um…."

"Which means I'll be keeping a close eye on you. If you hurt my sister…if you do anything to hurt Jin...if you even step one toe out of line then…there will be no more second chances…." Ge Jiang said as he advanced towards Zuko menacingly.

As soon as they were only a few inches apart, Ge Jiang said in a dangerous voice, "I will end you. Personally."


Zuko discovered that the coal mines different passageways and tunnels had been severely altered for the past three days to cater to the Resistance Headquarters. As Jin explained to him, if you weren't an Earthbender, then you would probably have some trouble moving around the place. The tunnels were like different veins stemming from one artery which Jin calls the Main Tunnel. Many hidden and visible tunnels branch out from there and into different areas and rooms. Some tunnels lead to dead ends; some can only be opened through Earthbending, while most will lead you into a deeper and more unfamiliar part in the coal mine.

Each tunnel, which Jin referred to as "Antechambers", was outfitted with booby traps. Jin and Zuko had to be very cautious in passing through one so in took them nearly forever to go from one room to another.

Zuko didn't speak much. He mostly listened to Jin as she babbled on and on about tunnels and booby traps and Antechambers. His thoughts were very chaotic and it was mostly because he was feeling so many emotions at the same time. Firstly, he was angry at himself. He couldn't believe that he got himself roped into this. He had no way out. If he told Jin what really happened and what he had done then she would probably get really mad at him and Ge Jiang would bury him alive. If he told Azula about this then she would waste no time in crushing a possible uprising and Jin and her brothers would get hurt or imprisoned. And no matter what he did, Jin would end up hating him.

The only way, as of the moment, was to play along to both sides. That seemed incredibly stupid to him but it seemed to be the only way. Maybe he could keep this up until he got home….

"Duck!" Jin screeched. She dropped onto the ground and Zuko followed her. A ten foot cylinder made out of stone started going back and forth above them like a pendulum.

"What is that?" Zuko asked. The stupid cylinder jerked him out of his thoughts.

"That is your fault. Weren't you listening to me when I told you that this place was bogged with tripwires?" Jin frowned.

"Sorry," Zuko muttered.

"We just have to time it right," Jin said under her breath.

Zuko nodded and together, they stood up and sprinted forward, timing their movements so as to not get hit by the cylinder. Once they made it safely out of the tunnel, Jin grabbed his hand and began to drag him forward.

"I think you're going to love this next place," Jin said as she pulled him onwards.

"What is it? Another booby trapped tunnel?" Zuko said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"No. It's something better. It's a room actually," Jin smiled.

They reached the end where a small door stood in front of them.

"This place is really confusing," Zuko said as Jin took a key out.

"You'll get the hang of it. For the next few days, I think that you should stay in the main room for awhile. So that you know….you won't get trapped in a dead end or mauled by a pile of rocks or anything," Jin said as she fitted the key into a lock.

"So you need an Earthbender to get around the place?" Zuko muttered.

"Not….exactly. If you just know your way around the coal mines then if you can't Earthbend you'll know where to go," Jin said as the door finally opened. Jin took Zuko's hand and led him inside.

Zuko's eyes bulged after seeing what was inside. On every inch of the wall, cabinets and shelves were plastered. And inside each cabinet and shelve, weapons of every kind were stacked in it. Zuko recognized a few from Jin's bedroom. He looked at her and saw that she looked happy and slightly proud.

"This is the Resistance's weaponry," Jin declared.

"Whoa. This place is so…..big," Zuko whistled.

"This is actually just one of three most important rooms we have. The first is the Main Room, the one you first saw. It's where we hold our meetings, discuss plans, and prioritize agendas. The second is in here. The Weaponry. I gave most of my collection to the Resistance," Jin looked a little sad at this.

Zuko placed one comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Duan Jie provides most of the weaponry. But we're still lacking some more weapons," Jin frowned.

"What! Have you seen this place?" Zuko demanded.

"It's not enough. Especially since more and more members are coming in. And a majority of them can't bend," Jin said.

"Oh."

"And the last important room is the Training Ground. You've already seen it. That's where we practiced Dual Dao before. Remember?" Jin said. She looked at him and smiled.

Zuko nodded and said, "Yeah."

"The rest are really small rooms. A few dummy rooms to confused intruders. We also have barracks where some people sleep. And of course you've been to the room where me, Jiang and He Shen usually discuss things," Jin explained.

"I'm surprised that you managed to organize this in three days," Zuko said in shock. It was unbelievable. He realized that the Resistance is actually a very fast and efficient organization. Azula would have her hands full.

"It wasn't easy. Mostly because we had trouble convincing other people that the Fire Nation is here in Ba Sing Se. Not all in the Resistance completely believe us. And not all are too happy that three teenagers are actually leading this thing. Things are not very stable yet," Jin frowned.

Zuko looked at her and realized that although she was still smiling, she looked very tired and pale. Zuko pulled her closer and he began to rub circles on her shoulders.

"I'm sure that it would all work out soon," he told her lamely. He felt and sounded stupid. He couldn't even comfort his girlfriend properly.

"Why can't people understand that it's important for us to organize a Resistance right now? " Jin scowled.

"Look, maybe you should give it some time," Zuko said but Jin was on the roll now. She started to rant.

"It's good that we're one step of the Fire Nation. They think that nobody knows that they're here. But we know and they don't know that we already have a Resistance organized. And people just don't get that!" Jin snapped peevishly.

"I can only imagine how you and your brothers managed to put all of this together," Zuko murmured.

"We started organizing it as soon as we heard about the coup. We recruited Duan Jie and Shu and a few of Shen and Jiang's most trustworthy and closest friends first. Then when the coup finally happened, we started expanding. We recruited more people. We started to fix this place up. But it's so much harder since not everyone is willing to cooperate. The Resistance, despite being organized, is still very unstable and it could fall apart with one wrong thing," Jin wearily said.

"Like them knowing that I'm a Firebender," Zuko said. He couldn't keep the hurt that was resonating from his voice. He knew that he was a little irrational and foolish for even feeling that but he cared about what Jin thought of him. And so far, being a Firebender, he proved to be nothing more than a nuisance.

He suddenly felt very guilty all over again.

He reminded himself that he was here not to be a permanent member of the Resistance.

He was just here until he could think of a decent way out. A way to get himself untangled from this mess without hurting Jin or arising any of Azula's suspicions.

"Oh no….Li…it's just that—it's just that we don't really need news of that to rock the boat any further. Not everyone believes that the Fire Nation is here and most of the members here are still against the idea of three teenagers leading an organization as big as the Resistance. We need things to….calm down for awhile. Just to stabilize the Resistance. Ugh….now that I think about it, that sounds like so much work to do," Jin murmured.

"You and your brothers will get it done. Things like this just take time," Zuko said trying to comfort her.

Jin closed her eyes and breathed in and out. Zuko felt very sorry for her. She looked tired and sleep-deprived. He wanted to make everything better. He wanted to make every single thing that had made her life awful go away. Zuko kissed the lids of her eyes and pressed her head on his chest.

"Maybe we should go buy something from the Sweet Shop," Zuko said. He knew how much she loved candy and anything sweet generally. Back when Zuko still lived in the Lower Ring, he and Jin used to go there all the time.

"No. I can't. We have a meeting with all the members today and after that me and Jiang have some stuff to do," Jin sighed wearily.

"Oh. Okay. Then we could go buy something after you're done with whatever you have to do with Ge Jiang," Zuko said.

"I can't either. After that I have to help Duan Jie forge new weapons and armors," Jin said.

"Ugh! Then I'll take you to dinner this evening," Zuko said.

"I'll be sleeping here in the Headquarters, tonight. I'm set to patrol the eastern Antechamber during about…um…midnight," Jin told him.

"Am I allowed to spend time with you? At all?" Zuko said losing his patience and temper.

"No," Jin playfully replied.

"Jin," Zuko whined.

"Li," Jin muttered. They stood there in complete silence, with Zuko's arms wrapped around her waist and with Jin's head laid on his shoulder.

"I missed you," Zuko muttered, finally telling her something truthful. He did miss her. Zuko sighed into her hair.

"And I almost lost you," Jin said.

"But you didn't. How about tomorrow? Are you still too busy?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know," Jin sighed.

Suddenly the door flew open and a small, timid looking man with spectacles burst in.

"Um….am I interrupting something?" he asked when he saw Zuko. Zuko and Jin quickly sprang off each other, as if scalded.

"Oh no, not really Nuo. I was just showing Li around. He's a new recruit," Jin explained.

"Your brother sent for you. The meeting is about to start and he refuses to begin without you," Nuo said.

"Do you perhaps now where your other brother is? He is missing in action too," Nuo added

"Try one of the smaller rooms. He usually hides there and sings some songs or makes some poetry," Jin told him as she opened the door.

Nuo nodded and together they started leaving the Weaponry. As soon as they made it to the Main Tunnel, Nuo left quickly telling Jin that he had to find Jin's other brother, He Shen.

"What did Jiang tell you, by the way?" Jin asked as Nuo scampered off.

"Hm?"

"Back there. What did he tell you?"

"Oh….yeah. It was nothing really. Just some things I should know about the Resistance and he asked me a few questions about my imprisonment," Zuko lied nervously.

"Oh. Okay," Jin said although she sounded as if she didn't quite believe him.

"So…this Zei person….he's an insider in the Dai Li?" Zuko inquired eager to change the topic.

"He's a long time friend of Jiang's. But he's not a member of the Resistance. He's too much of a threat."

Zuko's heart beat twice as fast once he heard that.

"And I'm not?" he asked nervously.

Jin turned to look at him and said with passionate eyes, "No. No, you're not. I trust you."

Zuko could not describe the feelings of guilt and shame that coursed through his body.


Zuko estimated that the Resistance already had about a hundred and fifty members and that was still the number before the second batch arrived. People referred to Jin and her brothers as the Triumvirate, the leaders of the Resistance, although it seemed as if only Ge Jiang had any leadership power or rank. He Shen didn't seem to care at all since he spent his time in the meeting playing with a marble under the table while Jin didn't really seem to mind that Jiang was the one bossing everyone around.

Zuko couldn't sit next to Jin since she sat next to her brothers who were sitting at the end of the table. He attempted to sit next to Shu or Duan Jie but too many people were surrounding them. He took a seat in the corner next to Nuo, the only other person he was familiar with.

Despite the fact that He Shen was completely detached from the meeting (he didn't once look up from his marble) and the fact that Jin didn't once interrupt or speak during the meeting, the trhee still formed an impressive trio. They radiated an aura of power and austerity.

Ge Jiang started the meeting by explaining a few things and by welcoming Zuko to the Resistance. Jin, Duan Jie, He Shen and Shu sent him a small smile while Jiao and Ge Jiang merely looked at him with a cold and blank stare. All the other members muttered words of welcome.

As soon Ge Jiang finished with that little announcement he went right to business. He told everyone the new password for the next day ("The sparrow flies in the evening morn—but the swallow waits until the sun is born"). Ge Jiang made everyone repeat it again and again until it rolled off everyone's tongue easily. When they were done memorizing the password, Ge Jiang warned everyone that if they were unable to memorize the password then they will not be granted access to the Headquarters.

"They change passwords everyday?" Zuko said in surprise.

"Every single day. It's so that access to the Headquarters is a little hard to get for outsiders. Sometimes, if they think that something is wrong, they change it in the middle of the day," Nuo told him.

"That happened?"

"Once. When someone went missing. It turned out that, Dong, the person who got missing, actually just got himself fined for parking his emu-horse in the wrong place. You wouldn't believe how many people were stuck in the tunnel with the spikes going off in every direction. It was pandemonium," Nuo said as he shook his head.

Zuko looked at him closely and deemed him as someone who didn't seem to be the fighting type. He also didn't look like someone who was from the Lower Ring.

"Are you from the Middle Ring?" Zuko asked.

"Yup. My dad used to be a physician," Nuo said.

"Used to be?"

"The Fire Nation took him. Before we came to Ba Sing Se," Nuo said sadly.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Zuko quickly said. He suddenly felt even guiltier than he did before.

He decided that to distract himself from the overwhelming feelings of guilt and anxiousness, he should start paying attention to what Ge Jiang was saying. Ge Jiang was explaining to everyone about the need to be fast and competent. They needed to find ways to smuggle more weapons and food and resources for the Headquarters. He also told them not to draw too much attention. Jiang wanted the Resistance to be a surprise for the Fire Nation.

"We also need about twenty people to sleep in here tonight so we could have roving guards. My sister and I will stay while Shen will go back up. Remember that some of you have to go home. No one can sleep here for three nights in a row. We don't need to arouse suspicion by going missing. Volunteers?" Ge Jiang said.

A handful raised their hands, including Nuo. Jin took a paper out and an ink brush out and she passed it around instructing those who wish to stay to write their names down. When all of that was sorted out and when all their shifts and the places where they were supposed to rove were settled, Ge Jiang began to talk more about recruiting more members. He explained that the second batch of new recruits would arrive tomorrow and there would be about thirty of them.

Ge Jiang then explained the process of recruiting new members. It was simple enough. If they thought someone to be trustworthy then all they had to do was find two people to vouch for that person. They then have to present themselves to the Triumvirate. He began to express how severely important it is to get new members for them to amount to the Fire Nation Army. Everyone nodded as they chorused promises to get new members.

"Now, the main reason as to why I've called everyone here is news regarding the Avatar," Ge Jiang began.

Suddenly, the whole room erupted into murmurs. Zuko felt his insides ball up and his jaw and fists clenched.

Jin cleared her throat, propelling the room into a lulled silence.

"We have reason to believe that three days ago, the coup was not the only thing that happened," Jin began. She sounded strong and confident but her eyes betrayed a look of worry.

Everyone in the room seemed to still. They all craned their necks and leaned forward in an effort to hear better at what Jin was saying. Only Zuko sank back into his seat.

Jin didn't seem to want to deliver whatever news she was about to tell them. She looked around worriedly and maintained her silence for a few minutes. Finally, when Ge Jiang seemed to noticed that Jin didn't seem ready to deliver whatever she had to say, he pounded on the table and spoke clearly, "We received some news that the Avatar may be severely injured or….or….dead."

Zuko closed his eyes and listened as the whole room erupted into pandemonium. He could hear the mixed sounds of outraged cries and sorrowful wails. When Zuko opened his eyes once again he saw that almost everyone was at their feet. Ge Jiang's face had hardened while Jin was standing up and she was busy trying to calm people down. He Shen on the other hand continued to play with his marble.

"This is a joke! This whole Resistance is a joke!" a loud voice from the other side of the room yelled.

The noise died down a little and everyone turned their heads to face a tall and lean man with a long black beard. He looked very stately but yet not too extravagant (Zuko guessed that he was from the Middle Ring) and his hair was pleated into a braid just like Shu.

"Keep quiet An!"

"Don't speak so loudly…"

The people around him whispered as they tried to force him back into his seat. But An would not be silenced. He glared at Jin and her brothers and said, "No! I'm sick and tired for taking orders from these….these….these children!"

Zuko could see that Jin's jaw had visibly tightened.

"Silence, An! May I remind you that me and my brothers have experience in these matters far more than any of you in here!" Jin said in a loud voice.

"You are all young and foolish! You have no capability to lead an organization as big and as important as this. I say we elect new leaders! Leaders that are older! Leaders whose minds have been ripened with the knowledge of age and wisdom!" An yelled back.

"Leaders like who? You?" Jin snapped.

An opened his mouth to reply but Jin cut him off. Her eyes looked very dangerous and her voice was low, "Tell me, An. Have you ever seen how a war looks like?"

An puffed his chest and said pompously, "I've read what a war is like."

Jin opened her mouth to speak but Jiang held a hand up, signaling her to be silent. He clicked his teeth and said in a low voice that was almost like a purr, "No. Have you seen it? Do you know how it looks like? Do you know….that the fire….that the flames look so beautiful as it consumes everything but the beauty of it all is ruined by the screams of hundreds of pained people? Have you seen what burnt flesh looks like? Have you seen raining ash? Have you seen dead people? Have you? Have you?"

An didn't answer. He stepped back a little but his gaze didn't waver.

"No, you haven't And you know why? It's because none of you have been beyond these walls. Some of you didn't even know that a war was raging on until now. You are all ignorant. You are all unprepared. But me and my siblings have been through so much. We've been through pain. We've been through death. We've been through fire. We've been through war," Ge Jiang said.

Something about the way Ge Jiang said it made Zuko feel a tiny bit uncomfortable. He looked at Jin and was pained to see that for once, her face was contorted into a sad and sorrowful expression.

No one talked or move for the longest of time. Finally, An found his courage and his voice.

"But still, I refuse to take orders from teenagers! This Resistance is one the verge of collapse! How do you receive your information! How do we know that it is even a viable or trustworthy source?" An demanded.

The murmurs came back.

"Our sources are very accurate, believe me," Jiang dismissively said. He seemed ready to let this go.

"But the thing is…not all of us completely believe you. How do we know that these three….teenagers are even telling the truth! What if there is no Fire Nation! What if this is an attempt to undermine the Dai Li! What if they are tricking us? What if this will only lead to our ruin!"

The noise and murmurs grew louder.

"The Fire Nation is here! If you don't completely believe us, then why did you join the Resistance in first place!" Jin roared over the din of the noise. People were murmuring agreements now.

An glared at Jin and that made Zuko hate him even more. Zuko balled his fists up.

"And what of this news of the Avatar! How do we know that this not a lie! The Dai Li has assured us that the Avatar is alive!" An yelled.

"The Dai Li is helping the Fire Nation!" Jin cried back but it was too late. Everyone had become agitated. More and more people were expressing doubts. People were on their feet. Men and women were shaking their fists up in the air.

"Yeah, they might be liars!"

"Why are we taking orders from kids!"

"The Avatar isn't dead!"

Zuko jumped on his feet too, afraid that the crowd was getting rowdier and that some of them might attempt to hurt Jin. He looked at An and glared at him. The man was smiling smugly as the chaos ensued. He looked at Jin and was sad to see that she was trying to desperately calm everyone down. Zuko felt the urged to run over to An and to give him a good punch on the face.

Suddenly the ground shook and the loud voice of Ge Jiang roared, "Enough!"

The room became calmer although people were still on the edge. Jiang stared at An hardly. No one spoke for the longest of time. Finally, Jiang waved his hand and said simply, "Men, take him to the prisonhold."

Suddenly, three people sprang up from behind An and shackled his arms and legs with stone handcuffs. An gave a shock cry while the people who seemed to have supported him started yelling and throwing their fists in the air in protest. Zuko looked at Jin and saw that she looked shocked and slightly angry. From his seat, Shen stopped playing with his marble for the first time.

"Jiang! What are you doing!" Jin screeched.

"What does it look like, sister? I am teaching the members of the Resistance discipline," Jiang calmly said. Something about the way he referred to Jin as "sister" made Zuko's blood run cold. It was as if he was speaking to an underling, not to his younger sister. Zuko attempted to move towards them but Jin caught his eye and shook her head. He frowned.

"You—you can't! I gave money to this cause!" An sputtered as the men started to drag him away.

Beside him Jin grabbed his shoulder and pleadingly said, "Jiang! You can't do this! You can't deny that he has made a contribution to the Resistance!"

"But you can't also deny that he has spoken out of turn and against his superiors! We must eradicate or subdue all threat to this Resistance in order to be able to move fast and efficiently. He has threatened the Resistance by attempting to cause an uprising! We cannot afford any reason for us to fail!" Jiang cried.

"Well, I do agree that he needs to be taught a lesson. But sending him to a prisonhold for something like this! Isn't it a little too harsh!" Jin said. He Shen uneasily squirmed in his seat, unwilling to enter into another one of his brother and sister's arguments.

"Jiang, man, Jin's right. I mean I know that the dude was being majorly uncool but you can't just like throw him into the prisonhold! It stinks there! And like there are poop and rats everywhere," Shen attempted to argue.

"I will not tolerate this kind of disobedience and disrespect especially since the Resistance is still very fragile!"

"But you can't do something this cruel! Stop this immediately!" Jin demanded. She then turned towards An who was being forcibly dragged away into a tunnel by the three men.

"Stop it!" Jin ordered. The three men stopped in their tracks. An looked at Jin pleadingly. He was sweating and he looked nervous.

Jiang suddenly grabbed Jin's wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Me and my sister have to discuss something. Carry on," Jiang said through gritted teeth. The three men nodded.

"No! I'm sick and tired of you treating people and us like a bunch of pack mules! You wouldn't know a thing about teaching others respect because you don't know how to!" Jin snapped.

Shen tried to calm Jin down, but Jin simply glared at him. Jiang growled, "Jin…."

"You can't just put someone in the prisonhold for something like this! You're no better than the Fire Nation!" Jin yelled.

The whole room gasped. Jiang stared at his sister with great anger on his eyes.

"Silence, sister. Know your place," was all Jiang told her. Jin glared at him but she said nothing more. Then he looked away from her and faced everyone.

In a cool but fevered tone he said, "Let this be an example to everyone. We cannot afford things like these at a time like this! To those who have doubts….to those who have questions… feel free to join your good friend An."

Everyone turned to look at An who was yelling protests and screams as he was being dragged away.

No one spoke for a very long time. Finally Jiang said, "To those who wish to oppose me or try to start a mutiny, make no mistake. I will not hesitate to throw you overboard."

He looked at Zuko as he was speaking this.

Then he looked at Jin.

"No matter what rank or what place you have in my life."

And with that the meeting was adjourned.


After the meeting she had disappeared off into somewhere. He spent thirty minutes looking for her in the Headquarters and after many minutes of fruitless searching he decided that she must have gone outside. Zuko had to ask He Shen to help him get outside since he couldn't Earthbend. He Shen agreed, stating that he ahd to go outside anyway since he was due to return home.

"Whew. Major tension today, man. Especially with Jin and Jiang," He Shen said as she shook his head. Shen was using his Earthbending to form a tunnel as they exited.

"Yeah. I think that it was a little unfair for Jiang to say that. Jin is his sister," Zuko frowned. He felt a bit hypocritical. If that was Azula, he would have no problem saying horrible things to her. But Azula was very different from Jin. Jin was compassionate, kind and understanding. Azula was none of those.

"Don't worry, man. They have arguments like these all the time. They always make up in the end," Shen assured him.

"Really? Why is it that they seem to really hate each other…er…sometimes?" Zuko mumbled as he recalled what Jin told him about loving your sibling no matter what. He also recalled the way they spoke with each other and how heated their arguments often escalated to.

"Childhood matters, childhood grudges. It'd take a long time for me to explain," Shen said as they finally exited the Headquarters. Shen seemed unwilling to talk more about it. Zuko decided not to push it.

The two of them bid each other goodbye once they reached the surface. He Shen ambled his way home, singing another song as he walked while Zuko hurried over to the one place he knew Jin had gone.

The Firelight Fountain.

And he was right. She was standing there, in the glare of the afternoon light, staring off into space with her arms crossed.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked as he came up from behind Jin.

Jin jumped up, slightly startled but she smiled once she saw Zuko.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm—I'm fine," Jin muttered although she didn't look or sound fine.

"Listen, about what happened back there—''

"It's nothing," Jin said trying to laugh it off.

"Nothing? You and Ge Jiang said some pretty intense things to each other," Zuko frowned.

"It happens all the time," Jin shortly said.

"I can see that," Zuko muttered as he tucked a lock of her hair back behind her ear. He then wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You're upset," Zuko stated when Jin didn't say anything else for a long time.

"I'm not upset," Jin argued. He could feel her stiffen in his arms.

"The thing with the Resistance…it's getting to you," Zuko continued despite Jin's obvious discomfort.

"I'm perfectly fine. It's all in your head."

"No, you're not. If you need to talk about it….I'm…um…here," Zuko awkwardly offered. He was really new to this whole relationship stuff so he still wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

"I don't need to talk about anything because nothing is wrong," Jin said as she forced a smile.

"Ugh! Why can't you just let me comfort you like most boyfriends!" Zuko spat losing his temper.

"Because I can take care of myself," Jin answered him calmly.

"But you're obviously not fine! I'm just trying to help," Zuko said.

"Li….I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?" Jin said. She closed her eyes and rubbed her head. Zuko frowned at her but he decided that he wanted to make her happy. He grudgingly nodded before saying, "Fine. But I still think you should relax. Do you want to go to the noodle shop?"

"I can't. I have to go back. Some weapons need to be delivered from the forge to the Headquarters and we can't raise any suspicion while we're doing those," Jin sighed. She broke free from Zuko's grasp.

"Wait. I have to go too," Zuko said remembering that Azula was still here.

"What?"

"I have to go back. To the Upper Ring."

"But the Dai Li might be looking for you," Jin frowned.

"It's all right. There were many of us captured during the coup. I doubt they even remember me. And besides I want to be on the look-out for any new activity," Zuko said.

"I don't like it. I think that you should stay in the Headquarters for awhile," Jin said.

"Weren't you the one who said that I might be useful since I live in the Upper Ring?" Zuko asked.

"I only said that so Jiang would accept you as member."

"Glad to know that my girlfriend doesn't think that I'm capable of handling things on my own," Zuko said. His face morphed into a look of brooding. Jin snickered before drawing closer to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want to spend sleepless nights thinking that you died."

"I'm going to be fine."

"The last time you said that you got captured."

"Jin, seriously. Nothing bad is going to happen. I can meet up with you tonight and maybe we can get some dinner."

"I told you—''

"Fine, tomorrow night. We're going to the noodle shop. And no excuses."

"Where are you going to stay? Isn't your apartment and the teashop closed?"

"Glad you reminded me. I think I'll tidy the teashop up and maybe try to find uncle. And no, it's not closed. I have the key."

"I don't know Li…."

"Jin, I'm going to be fine," Zuko persistently said. He didn't want to raise any of Azula's suspicions.

Jin stared at him worriedly but she conceded. Zuko held his arm out and Jin reluctantly linked her arm with his. Zuko walked her back to the entrance of the headquarters, trying his best to keep things light. Jin however continued to look worried. She also looked very absentminded. When they arrived at the entrance, they both gave each other a kiss goodbye.

"Be careful," Jin whispered as they broke apart.

"Always," Zuko smirked but then his face fell.

Jin was no longer listening to him. She was looking away and her face looked as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

Zuko stared at her and he wanted to do nothing else but to make her smile again.


Zuko tried his best to sneak back in undetected but it was lot more difficult since the Dai Li seemed to be looking for him. By the time he made it to the Upper Ring, the sun was slowly setting. He had managed to make it past the courtyard and he was just on his way to his room when a cool voice said, "Where were you?"

Zuko spun around to find Azula sitting idly on a large chair. Mai was squatting on the floor staring at her nails while Ty Lee was busy doing a headstand.

"Zuko!" Ty Lee suddenly cried. She resumed back into a standing position and ran over towards him to give him a hug.

"Um…hi?" Zuko said as he reluctantly patted her back.

"We've been looking all over for you. We thought that you've run away!" Ty lee cheerfully chirped. Azula shot her an angry look.

Ty Lee cowered in her place and quickly added "Er….what I mean is…um me and Azula thought that you've been kidnapped. We didn't think that you've run off because we weren't suspicious or anything or…."

Ty Lee decided to keep her mouth shut after being the receiving end of another one of Azula's glares.

"Yes, Zuzu, we've been looking everywhere for you. I'm afraid that your disappearance has exhausted us and the Dai Li. We were so worried. Care to enlighten us?" Azula easily said although she was looking at Zuko suspiciously.

Zuko shuffled his feet in his place and fumbled for an excuse, "I wanted to get some air."

"You could get some air in the garden," Azula drawled. She sounded calm and completely unaffected but Zuko knew better. She was bothered and concerned that Zuko might not be completely on her side yet.

And the sad truth was….Zuko wasn't so sure either.

He liked Jin.

He really, really liked her.

And he couldn't bear the thought of doing anything to hurt her. And by staying with Azula as she conquered Ba Sing Se he knew that he would be hurting her so much. He just couldn't do that. Not when so many bad things were already happening in her life. Her many arguments with her brother. The Resistance being fragile despite being well-organized. He didn't want to add more things in her already cluttered brain.

But at the same time he wanted to go home. He wanted his honor and his life back. He wanted his father's love. The thought was so tempting that Zuko wasn't sure he was ready to let that possibility go yet.

"I know….but um…the air in the Lower Ring is….fresher," Zuko muttered.

Azula eyed him warily.

He won't make any hasty decisions that he might regret. For now, he'll just have to play along to both sides until he was sure he knew what he really wanted.

"And it took you the whole day to get some air?" Azula questioned.

Zuko lost his patience and scowled. He huffed before proceeding to stomp away from the trio.

"I don't expect you to understand," he snapped.

"Oh, but try me, Zuzu. I'm so curious to know your fascinating explanation as to why you desperately need some air from the Lower Ring," Azula said. She hopped off her chair and followed Zuko as her brother stormed into his room. Ty Lee and Mai quickly trailed after them.

"I needed some time by myself without all those annoying Dai Li guards bothering me. I've been stuck here for three days. I wanted some time for myself," Zuko said, his voice sounding frustrated. Azula didn't seem ready to give up.

"They're here to protect you Zuzu. There are many dangerous people out there who'd like to kill us," Azula said soothingly. Zuko however had already lost all his patience.

"I can protect myself!" Zuko snapped.

Azula merely pursed her lips and glared at him. Behind her, Ty Lee quietly shrank in the wall while Mai maintained an apathetic expression. Zuko took a deep breath before spinning around to face his sister. Azula looked completely calm. As always. Zuko hated her when she does that. It made him feel like she always had the upper hand on things.

Azula opened her mouth to speak but Ty Lee cut her off.

"Um…Azula! Zuko has a point! I mean it does get too stuffy in here! Seriously, my aura has never been grayer during my stay here with all these creepy Dai Li soldiers!" Ty Lee quipped.

Beside her, Mai gave a yawn before saying in a dull tone, "Yeah, it does get pretty boring in here."

Azula looked ready to rip someone's head off but decided to ignore the fact that her friends had just defended her stupid brother. She raised a brow at Mai and Ty Lee before looking at Zuko again. She gave a long sigh, before proceeding to examine her nails.

"Fine. Do what you like. But I suggest that you start packing up. We leave for home next week. That's when the Fire Nation Army would formally tear down Ba Sing Se's walls and crush everyone's homes," Azula said in a bored tone.

Zuko clenched his jaw. The thought of all those people dying made his stomach ache. The thought of Jin's face when she sees the Fire Nation made his head swim. Zuko didn't answer for a very long time.

"Zuzu! Zuko!" Azula said.

"Huh?" Zuko snapped back into focus.

"I said you better start packing," Azula repeated. She narrowed her eyes at Zuko.

"Oh. Well…um….the thing is….I don't really want to go home yet," Zuko muttered mostly to himself. Azula however, heard it well enough.

"What!" she cried barely keeping the shock out of her voice.

Zuko looked away from her and mumbled, "I don't want to go home yet."

"And why not? Father would want you home," Azula demanded.

Even the tempting thought of his father didn't faze Zuko. He merely shrugged and said, "I just don't feel like going home, okay?"

"And what will you do here?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll govern or watch over Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation or something," Zuko said as he started to leave Azula.

"I can very well find a person to do that!" Azula growled as she tried to follow him.

"Can you please just let me go to my room?" Zuko cried in exasperation.

Azula stopped and rigidly looked at Zuko as he stormed further into the hallway.

"Fine," she muttered.

Behind her, Ty Lee and Mai were having a ridiculous discussion about clouds.

"Do you ever wonder why clouds are so….puffy?" Ty Lee asked.

"No," Mai replied dully.

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"But they're so…..so…mysterious. It makes you really wonder."

"No."

"Ugh! As usual my brother is being difficult," Azula scowled, silencing Mai and Ty Lee's conversation. Mai looked up before re-examining her nails while Ty Lee immediately bounced her way over to Azula.

"Aww…..I'm sure Zuko's just…..sad. You did put his uncle in jail," Ty Lee said as she tried to comfort Azula by patting her back.

"No! It's definitely something else! Zuko used to be honor-obsessed. He should be over the moon about going home," Azula muttered as she narrowed her eyes at the direction Zuko went.

"Oh….Azula, I'm sure that Zuko isn't up to something. He's just so….um….what's that word…." Ty Lee said as she rubbed her chin.

"Overwhelmed?" Mai offered.

"Yes! Overwhelmed! Zuko might just be overwhelmed by all this! I mean conquering Ba Sing Se is so much to take in," Ty Lee quipped.

Azula didn't seem convinced. She merely turned an inch of her face towards Ty lee before muttering, "I guess you're right. But still….Zuko went with my side a little too quickly for my tastes."

Azula looked at Mai and said, "Mai, I want you to start looking for a person who'll lead Ba Sing Se in our absence. But I want that person to be nothing more than a puppet. A person willing to do whatever the Fire Nation tells him or her."

"Sure. Whatever," Mai shrugged.

From her place, Ty Lee started jumping up and down and waving her hand eagerly. Azula whipped her head in Ty Lee's direction and raised a brow.

"Ooohh….what about me Azula! What will I do?" she eagerly asked.

Azula thought about it before saying, "Keep an eye out on Zuko. He might be up to something."


"Where is he sneaking off too?" Azula scowled as she watched Zuko run to the courtyard from the balcony. Beside her Mai was sitting on a chair eating fire flakes while Ty Lee was picking off the petals of a flower.

Zuko was sneaking off into somewhere again for the third time in a row. Azula began to feel a bit uneasy. She would never admit it to anyone but Zuko's impulsive nature frightened her a little bit. It meant that she could never fully understand him or manipulate him to a full extent. He was a loose cannon. She never really knew what he was planning to do.

"Huh?" Ty Lee said as she stopped what she was doing.

"You were supposed to look after him. What have you noticed so far?" Azula demanded.

Ty Lee perked up and dropped the flower she was toying it. She skipped towards Azula and Mai and stopped in between the two of them.

"I think I know what might be going on with Zuko…." she said as she placed an arm around Azula and Mai's shoulder.

"Well? Tell me!" Azula said impatiently.

"Don't panic but…..I think Zuko might have a girlfriend!" Ty Lee squealed.

"What!" Azula cried.

"Shocking," Mai said in a flat tone. She continued to chew on her fire flakes.

"What are you talking about! That's preposterous! My brother having a girlfriend!" Azula said in a loud voice. Ty Lee stepped back and held her hands up.

"Well…I mean it is possible," Ty Lee defensively said.

"Explain," Azula ordered.

"I mean…Well…Zuko has been here in the Earth Kingdom for a really long time so….it's not really a stretch that he might have found someone….who you know….might've liked him back…." Ty Lee mumbled as she twiddled with a lock of her hair.

"You're assumption is baseless," Azula sniffed.

"And lately, I did notice that he's been wearing very really nice clothes. And he always brings little gifts with him. The day before yesterday, he brought a bouquet of moon flowers. And yesterday he bought some Earth Cakes. And tonight, I think he brought some candy. And he always smells nice. Too nice for a regular boy," Ty Lee continued.

Azula furrowed her brow and considered this.

"And let's not forget the fact that he always has this really silly smile on his face whenever he comes back. Zuko never smiles," Ty Lee added.

"Well…I do suppose you're on to something there. But still…I want you to keep looking. While your observations are very um…." Azula searched for the right word.

"Interesting?" Mai offered.

"Yes. Interesting. While your observations are interesting, Zuko having a girlfriend is not the kind of thing I was looking for. Keep looking," Azula said.

"But Azula! It could happen!" Ty Lee pouted.

Azula sighed before flicking a lock of her hair away. She said in a patronizing tone, "I'm sorry but I find it very hard to believe that someone could be actually attracted to my brother."


Zuko carefully wrapped the lemon bread in a clean cloth. Jin really loved lemon bread so Zuko bought her some. Jin seemed a lot happier since they started spending time together although there were many times where she spaced out on him. She still looked tired and worn out though. Zuko often told her that she should rest but she insisted that she wished to spend time with him. As soon as he finished wrapping the lemon bread, he put on his most decent but comfortable clothes on, slung his Dual Dao swords at the back and started to steal away into the courtyard.

Azula was keeping a close eye on him and he guessed that she had commissioned Ty Lee to spy on him too. For the past three days, he noticed that Ty Lee had been hanging around him a lot more than usual.

Zuko managed to get pass the courtyard and he was already at the gate when a soft voice said, "Going somewhere?"

Zuko flinched and spun around. He felt relieved when he saw that it was just Ty Lee. For some reason, he felt more comfortable when he was around her. He guessed that it was because she was so much nicer than Azula and better and more interesting company than Mai.

"Oh. Um….hi Ty Lee. I was just going off into the Lower Ring to um…get some um…."

"Is that lemon bread?" Ty Lee asked as she peeked through the package Zuko had wrapped.

"Um….yeah…."

"Who's it for?"

"What?"

"Who's it for? The lemon bread," Ty Lee said. Her voice sounded slightly impatient.

"Um…it's for a friend."

"What kind of friend?" Ty Lee demanded as she leaned forward.

"Um….you know…." Zuko's voice lowered until Ty Lee could no longer hear anything else. Ty Lee frowned. She just knew that Zuko had a girlfriend. The problem was he wasn't willing to admit it and Azula wasn't willing to believe it. But she had to prove to Azula that her theory was right. She wanted to prove to her that she was more than just an airhead.

"Well come on!" Ty Lee said as she started moving forward. Zuko frowned. What was she doing?

"What are you doing?" he asked as he reluctantly followed her.

"I want you to introduce me to your friend!"

Zuko nearly choked on his own saliva. That was not part of the plan. He imagined that Jin might be bit jealous. He could only imagine what she would be thinking once she sees him waltzing into the Lower Ring with another girl not far behind.

"What?" he managed to sputter.

"I want you to introduce me to him."

"My friend is a her actually. And besides, now's not exactly the right time to—''

"Her? Her? Your friend is a her!" Ty Lee slyly said.

"Yeah and as I was saying now's not the right time for an introduction—''

Ty lee suddenly started squealing, cutting him off completely. She pointed a finger at him and said, "I knew it! You do have a girlfriend!"

"What!"

"Don't act so surprised Zuko."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"And so do you. I knew it! I knew it!" Ty Lee squealed.

"TY Lee—''

"Oh….stop denying it Zuko. I know these things. I have experience."

Zuko frowned and said, "Look…it's not like that—''

"And it's so obvious. The small gifts. The nice clothes. The fact that you smell nice."

Zuko protested, "My clothes are not that nice."

"And you're blushing so hard."

"I'm not blushing!"

"And let's not forget the small detail that you're afraid that you might make her mad by bringing me along," Ty lee triumphantly finished.

"Huh?"

"Oh please, I'm not ignorant! You're scared that she might be jealous! That's why you don't want me to come!"

Zuko exhaled loudly, rubbed his temples and looked at Ty Lee. It seemed as if he was always getting himself entangled in one mess to another until he was in so deep that he had no way out. And now, Ty lee found out about Jin. He briefly debated on whether he should bring Ty Lee or not. He then decided that he should. There was no point in keeping things from her anyway. She would continue to pry until she got what she wanted.

"Ugh. Fine! You got me!"

"So you do have a girlfriend!"

"Yes," Zuko said defeated. Ty Lee flashed a triumphant smile.

"What's her name? What's she like? Is she fun? Is she pretty? Does she like mushrooms? Can I come?" Ty Lee said, rapidly saying one question after another that it made Zuko a little confused on which question he should answer first.

He decided that he should answer her last question.

"I guess you could come," he reluctantly said.

Ty Lee clapped her hands and said, "That's awesome! But….are you sure she won't be mad?"

Zuko shook her head and smiled.

"She's not that kind of person," he fondly said.

"Let's go then!" Ty Lee said as she began to move forward.

During their whole trip to the Lower Ring, Ty Lee talked non-stop. She asked more questions about Jin and their relationship.

"Where did you first meet?"

"In the teashop," Zuko answered.

"Where you and your uncle first worked?"

"Yeah."

"How did you ask her out?"

Zuko didn't bother to answer that question since the details were too embarrassing. Zuko felt slightly nervous as they entered the gate of the Lower Ring. He wondered what Jin would think of Ty Lee. Would she like her? Or would she feel threatened by Ty Lee's presence?

"Did you lie to her?"

"Huh?"

"Your girlfriend. Did you tell her the truth or did you make something up?" Ty Lee asked.

That question made the color drain from Zuko's face. He gripped the package he was holding tighter.

"Um…"

"You do know that lies are not the best way to start a relationship?" Ty Lee said. She looked slightly annoyed.

"I didn't lie to her about everything!"

"Does she know your real name?"

"Not…yet."

"What name did you tell her?"

"Li."

"Li?"

"Yes."

"But it's so….common."

"It was the only name I could think of."

"Does she know that you're a Firebender?"

"Yeah."

"Does she know that you're a royal Firebender?"

"Not….really."

"Don't you think that you should tell her? I mean you are about to burn Ba Sing Se to the ground," Ty Lee said. Her brow furrowed.

"About that…."

"Oh! So that's why you don't want to go home!" Ty Lee said as a look of realization dawned on her face.

Zuko gave a guilty look.

"She must be really special," Ty Lee added.

They both turned around the corner until they finally reached the restaurant where Jin and Zuko agreed to meet. Jin stood outside, her arms folded. She looked better today. Her eyes didn't look as weary. She was wearing her regular Earth Kingdom robe and her hair was tied in two braids. She gave him a big smile and waved at him when she saw him. He turned to look at Ty Lee, planning to introduce them to each other, but Ty Lee was already gone.

She was speeding towards Jin in full force. Jin gave an incredulous look before being given a strong bear hug by Ty Lee.

"Hello?" Jin said in a polite voice although she looked very puzzled.

"So you're Z—'' Zuko wildly gestured for Ty lee to stop. Ty Lee quickly remembered that Zuko was using a different name.

"So you're Li's girlfriend!" Ty Lee giddily said. Jin raised a brow.

"Um….I guess so," Jin said. To Zuko's relief, Jin had a playful smile on her lips. She smirked at Zuko.

"You look so pretty!" Ty Lee decided.

"Thanks. You look…..pretty….too," Jin replied.

"I know! I love your aura…..it's so…..bright!" Ty Lee continued.

"My….aura?" Jin bemusedly said.

"Jin…this is my friend, Ty lee. She's from the circus too. We ran into each other in the Upper Ring," Zuko explained, cutting Ty Lee off before she could say anything else.

"Hi, Ty Lee. It's so nice to meet you," Jin said as she held a hand out to Ty Lee.

Ty lee began to vigorously shake it, "So...your name is Jin, right? You're so beautiful. What did Zu—Li I mean, put in your food to make you actually go out with him?"

"She's an acrobat," Zuko interrupted, elbowing Ty Lee away before she could say anything else embarassing.

"That's cool. Maybe you could show me some tricks sometime," Jin said good-naturedly.

"I hope I'm not intruding. It's just that I've heard so much about you that I wanted to meet you for myself," Ty Lee earnestly explained.

Jin, to Zuko's relief, wasn't bothered at all. She merely smiled indulgently and said, "No…not at all. Me and Li would love some company tonight. And besides, I'd love to hear stories of what happened during your many travels with Li and the circus."

"Zu—I mean Li and the circus?" Ty Lee said, confused.

"Yes. The circus. Remember, Ty Lee. The circus wherein me and my uncle and you were part of," Zuko said through gritted teeth. He jabbed at Ty Lee's ribs.

"Oh! Right. I knew about that of course. Hehe…how could I not?" Ty Lee nervously said.

Jin didn't seem the least bit suspicious. Zuko decided not to pursue this conversation any longer. He quickly handed the lemon bread to Jin who of course, gave a smile and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. Ty lee suppressed a giggle. The three of them entered the restaurant where they had many frivolous discussions.

Jin and Ty Lee got along really well since their personalities seemed to mesh. They were both bright and optimistic yet Zuko noted many differences too. Jin was more level-headed. She was headstrong, stubborn, she knew what she wanted in life and she was very sure of herself. Ty lee on the other hand, was very airheaded and she was easily influenced or manipulated by other people.

Ty Lee conjured many fictional stories about him being in the circus—all of which were embarrassing. Zuko huffed a few times. He didn't know why people found it so entertaining to embarrass him.

When they finished dinner, Ty Lee excused herself and left, taking the hint that the two wanted to be alone. She gave a meaningful wink before leaving. Jin gave a laugh while Zuko smirked.

"She seems…sweet."

"Jealous?' Zuko teasingly asked as they exited the restaurant.

"Only a bit," Jin whispered as she twined her fingers around Zuko's.

"I'm sorry I brought her along. It's just that….she was too energetic. I couldn't stop her," Zuko said as they walked towards the entrance of the Headquarters.

"I could see that," Jin said. She looked amused.

"Are you mad?" Zuko asked half-teasingly, half-worriedly.

"Yes," Jin seriously said.

"Really?"

"Wanna know how you can make it up to me?" Jin asked as they came to a stop.

"I'm really curious," Zuko murmured as he inched closer towards her.

They were very close to each other now. They were just one move away from kissing each other. And just when thought that they were about to kiss….

"You must buy me some more lemon tints," Jin whispered, her breath hot and heavy on his lips.

Zuko laughed and they pressed their lips against each other. Zuko relished the wonderful feeling.

"How's things down there?" Zuko asked referring to the Resistance.

"Better. Something big is about to happen," Jin said. She looked the happiest he had seen her in days.

"What's that something big?"

"You'll see," Jin said. She smiled to herself.

"Hm?"

"It's really going to knock your socks off."

"What's going to happen?" Zuko insistently asked. He felt a bit afraid of what new part of the web he was currently tangling himself in would explode.

"That's what I'm planning to tell you. Do you think you could be up a bit later?" Jin said. She looked excited.

"Why?" Zuko was almost afraid to ask.

Jin looked around, earthbent the ground and pulled Zuko forwards.

She said, "The details will be explained better down there."

"What details?" Zuko nervously asked but Jin had already plunged into the hole. Zuko followed after her. As usual she was being cryptic he scowled.

"Jin what's going? What's going to happen?" Zuko asked. He grabbed her hand.

Jin looked at him, smiled and said happily, "We're going to launch an attack on the Dai Li's Headquarters. And after that we're bringing the whole Fire Nation down with them."


"Azula! I was right!" Ty Lee said as she burst into the throne room. Azula was sitting lazily on the chair, reading a scroll while Mai was playing with her knives at the steps.

Azula diverted her attention from the scroll to Ty Lee. She said in an annoyed tone, "Where were you? Me and Mai have spent many minutes looking for you!"

"I was out spying on Zuko," Ty lee explained.

"Really? Did you discover anything? Is he planning an uprising against me?" Azula eagerly asked. She leaned forward.

"No, silly! I discovered that I was right!" Ty lee patiently explained.

"Right about what?" Azula frowned.

"Zuko has a girlfriend!" Ty Lee announced.

"What!" Azula said.

Mai stopped playing with her knives but she still maintained her dull expression. In an emotionless tone she said, "That's big news."

"I knew it! I was right! Zuko has a girlfriend here in Ba Sing Se! That's why he doesn't want to go home!"

"A girlfriend…" Azula said to herself. She rubbed her chin.

"And you wouldn't believe it Azula! She's very pretty!" Ty lee continued.

"Pretty? Are you sure she's Zuko's girlfriend?" Azula demanded. She didn't look as if she completely believed Ty Lee.

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it either at first but they're really dating!" Ty Lee nodded.

"My brother would stay in this filthy city for….a mere girl?" Azula muttered.

"She must be really someone special. I mean he lied to her, Azula just so he could be with her!" Ty lee said.

That got Azula's full attention.

"What?" she snapped.

"I don't think he wants to hurt her. She doesn't know anything about Zuko's real life. I guess that's why he isn't so eager to go home or conquer Ba Sing Se," Ty Lee mused.

"He lied to her…" Azula muttered to herself.

"But they make such a cute couple Azula! I wouldn't peg her for someone as Zuko's type but they complement each other really well," Ty Lee said.

Azula shortly said, "Break them up."

Ty lee's face fell.

"W—what? But why?" she sputtered.

"We can't have him having any distractions. We have to get him home," Azula scowled.

"But Azula…..they're so cute together," Ty lee pouted.

"This girl sounds dangerous. She sounds like someone who could divide his loyalty," Azula frowned.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so hard on him, Azula. Maybe you should give him a chance to do what he wants," Mai said suddenly speaking up for the first time.

"Yeah, Azula! Zuko really likes her," Ty Lee argued.

Azula however ignored the two of them completely. In a dangerously low voice she said, "We have to make sure that he gets home to the Fire Nation. No matter what."


Sorry for my lateness.

I hope I did Mai justice in here. Don't get me wrong. I like Mai. She's an awesome character. I just don't like her with Zuko. I really tried to capture each character's personality. I hope I didn't fall flat on that area too much.

To Alana C. Jones: Your review was very awesome. It made my day.

To SkorpionQueen012, my most loyal reviewer: thanks for the comment. Don't stop your awesomeness.

To Fehize: Thank you, thank you so much. I really appreciate your review.

To ArrayePL, another loyal review: thanks for your review. You just make me want to write more

To Kokomojeezus: thanks for being so enthusiastic of my story. made me feel awesome

To villagecookie211: Many, many thanks. Your review made my heart grow two sizes bigger.

And to all those who read this story and added it to their favorites, thank you so much!

Keep the reviews up.