A/N: Here's chapter 10. Please read and review. That would be helpful and it will make my dayyy! And does anyone know the exact date that the rest of the Fire season primeres? Some day in July...I forgot. This chapter is poorly written in a certain part because I don't have much experience with INTENSELY describing dancing music. Anyway, enjoy "Betrayal and an Eternal Flame"!

Chapter 10: Betrayal and an Eternal Flame

Betrayal—that was all she could think about at the moment. How could he betray me like Sozen did to my incarnation an entire century ago? Her hands still shook in shock, just until a small hand gripped hers.

"Saya?" the boy asked. Sayamiko looked upon Lee's saddened face and looked off to the horizon, gripping her maroon cloak tighter still. That stinging feel came to his eyes again as what seemed like tears. She blinked the sensation away as usual. "I told you that you couldn't trust him. I tried warning you."

He had such a melancholy voice to match his look. And it sickened her. Here she was, standing at least 50 miles away from Ba Sing Se- the once great Earth Kingdom capital, and all anyone could do was try to cheer her up. Inside she screamed and died painfully, and it seemed that her soul was empty. Iroh gave her the only spark of hope to hang onto, her eternal flame.

"I'll be fine, Lee," she blurted, hiding her eyes underneath a few chin-length locks that hung by her face. He toyed with the rest of her long hair as he gave her a look that knew beyond her outside features and saw inside what was left of the soul. She still did not look at him, however.

"Saya, we're ready," Iroh said behind her. She looked up at the horizon, refusing to look at the retired general.

"I know," she murmured in a shaky voice which she could not hide. In truth she was nervous about confronting Zuko again, especially in disguise.

"Are you sure you are alright?" Iroh questioned, "You have been like this ever since we fled Ba Sing Se." She now reminded him of his own nephew when they had left the Fire Nation. He sighted and shook his head when he heard silence reply to him.

"Yeah, Iroh's right. You've been unfeeling since then. What's going on?" Katara asked as well.

"Honestly, I'm fine."

"You're lying."

"No one asked YOU, Toph!" Sayamiko shouted, glaring back at Toph as she said it. She turned away from the rest of the group, to the water's glassy surface which shone the sunrise below the boat. She knew very well that she herself was lying. She let go of Lee and placed her hand on the cold railing.

"Well sorry for asking," Toph retorted sarcastically.

Aang approached calmly and took the warrior by the shoulder. With her hand remained clasped on the railing, she shifted around to meet his gaze.

"Saya, you don't need to shorten your temper over what's happened. I'm disappointed too, believe me."

He had gotten her attention already, but the pain was showing through. "But you're not partly disappointed for the reason that I am."

"The thing is that I don't think you'll ever be okay if you don't get over it."

"Ha, thanks for the vote of confidence." A sad smile painted itself across her lips.

"You don't need to feel disappointed. So don't be all depressed, 'kay?"

"Fine," she said, relaxing a little bit more. Closing her eyes, she meditated shortly. If this plan did not work, they'd be executed at the command of Princess Azula. She couldn't bear to witness Zuko's frozen reaction if her plan failed. She sighted as the wall was sighted. Well, time to play the disguise of Sun.

"Hmm… I see; so we have Fire nation dancers and servers to come visit," the Princess said as a smug smirk graced her lips," interesting."

"Princess," a member of the Dai Li addressed her as he bowed in her presence. She looked up from her throne to the vermin before her. "The dancers are here."

"Of course, bring them in, she said in a commanding manner. She drummed her fingers for the while of waiting, seeing as this teen was impatient and had little mercy of giving punishment. The Dai Li members could have figured out that characteristic already. The servers were brought in eventually. They looked like the nomadic fortune-tellers of old legends.

The three boys were dressed in reds and oranges that stood out brilliantly. Each wore a simple and easy brightly-colored tunic with a subtle-colored pair of pants to match it. The server girl that was with them had her hair kneaded into hair pins of intricate styles of courts. She was cloaked in a fancy, wide-sleeved, red and white gown that almost grazed the floor. They came in whispering oddly amongst themselves.

"Do you think they'll notice?" Lee inhaled sharply in uneven breaths. The disguise plan was more difficult and nerve-racking than he imagined it would be.

"I hope not, because if my gown exposes my bare feet, they'll know it's the earth bender," Toph replied in a whisper.

"They'll be sure to be suspicious if they see my tattoos. By the way, when did Iroh say he'd meet us again?" Aang suggested. He often changed from subject to subject at these times. Sokka let out an aggravated sigh.

In a hushed voice, he explained to Aang, "He'll meet us at sunset in the lower ring of the city. Now everybody quit your yapping so we don't cause suspicion."

Aang looked ahead to the Princess who drummed her fingers impatiently and had a scowl on her face. He gulped and adjusted his cotton merchant's cap further down on his head, just in case.

"Well? Where are your performers?" Azula demanded, "We aren't very patient to failure. Failure is not an option, you know" -she shifted her glare to her older brother who stood near her throne- "is it, Zuko?"

"No, failure isn't an option, Azula," he replied, as if robotically and on cue. To Lee, this statement sounded too lifeless; as if she had brainwashed him so that she could make him one of her toy soldiers.

"Now," she began, pausing but a moment to sip elegantly from her goblet, "where are your dancers?"

"Uh…"- Sokka began stuttering.

"The dressing rooms! Yeah, that's where they are," Toph corrected.

"They'd better be out in a minute."

"Yes, Princess," Toph bowed reluctantly, scurrying out of the room. Leaving that area felt like a breath of fresh air after being in a catacomb. She raced through the guards and servers, ignoring the remarks they gave her as she passed by. She approached a certain door and knocked. She heard shuffling in the room, and a sharp clang or two, and then the door opened with a click and a creak.

"Hey, what's going on?" Katara's voice addressed her.

"One minute till curtain-call," Toph explained, stepping into the room. She smelt strong incense scents and coughed slightly. "You guys have to be behind the screen and be ready. Now where's Iroh? He needs to be hiding behind the screen so you can pretend you're fire bending, Katara!"

"Okay, okay. Iroh's here, in the nomad disguise. And Toph, take a deep breath in and exhale," Katara said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She did as she was told, and the pressure was taken off of her. Katara then let go of her shoulder and walked over to her mirror. She wore a maroon gown that had slits up the sleeves, exposing most of her arms. Golden bangles engulfed her wrists, casting glows and shadows to her hands. There were also slits up the sides of the gown to expose up to the thighs. Her ankles wore bangles as well. Gold threads wove intricate designs into the clothing she wore, and she had a choker-like, blood-red necklace piece matching the crimson earrings. A few locks of her brown hair were pulled back, letting the rest dangle to the middle of her back. Finally, the headpiece she wore was gold and had the dragon facing out in a fighting stance, with a bloodstone in its mouth. Sayamiko wore an identical style of clothing and accessories, only she added an extra golden armband. She applied a soft, cherry blossom-colored gloss to her lips with a brush.

"Katara," she turned away from the mirror, calling to her, "One, we need to get makeup on you. Two, we need to find a disguise name for you."

"Why don't you have a disguise name?" she asked Sayamiko.

"Because my disguise name is Sun. It's not too disguise-ish, I know."

"Oh. Well as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a disguise name."

"Hey, your name could be…Phoenix!" Toph exclaimed. It just sprung to her mind, but it would work.

"Okay I guess," Katara hesitated.

"Hey Phoenix," Sayamiko called again, "get over here." Katara walked over and sat beside Sun. Sun took the brush and dipped it in the pale formula again, and applied it too her friend's lips. The color made her lips look full and made her features stand out. Next came the powder. She began to dab Katara's face with the dustiness.

"Why do we…have to do this?" she asked in between coughs. Sun continued powdering her face.

"We have to do this because your skin tone would be considered not that of the Fire nation. They become really picky of who looks like a Fire nation citizen and who doesn't. Now lift up your chin."

Katara lifted her chin slowly and Sun dabbed along the areas that would remain exposed. She was through, and then she added blush and shimmering powder to her eyelids. Sun applied the same amount of makeup and lined both her eyelids with black material (such as Egyptian eyes). She added her own headpiece and turned around to add her bracelet which connected to a Bloodstone ring by a golden chain.

"We're ready, Phoenix. Toph, let's go," she declared proudly. They ran as fast as their skin-tight garments would let them. Toph even had to lift up her skirt slightly to avoid tripping. When Sun and Phoenix nearly ran to the door, Toph grabbed both their wrists to hold them back. They walked backwards a few steps.

"Guys, now listen to me," Toph instructed. She pointed down the hall, "When you walk in those doors, you'll be behind the screen. Don't come out of there till Aang announces you two."

They nodded in unison and Toph disappeared down the corridor. "Guess it's all up to them, Katara," Sayamiko whispered to her comrade. She motioned for her to come over with her. They opened the door quietly and slithered in.

"And so it's with great pride and honor that we present to you…the talented dancers and daughters of flames. These exotic, nomadic Fire nation dancers we present are Sun and Phoenix!" Aang declared, as if making a short speech. He did not notice the Princess' rolling eyes at his corniness, however.

"That's our cue," Katara whispered, preparing to walk out from behind the screen.

"No, stay down…" Sayamiko hissed, pulling her back by the wrist.

Katara gave her a questioning look.

"At the right time. Now, Iroh's somewhere beside us, behind the screen to accompany my fire bending with me," Sayamiko explained. She stood up, motioning for her to join. Phoenix followed suit and waited for a signal, a sign, anything…then the lights dimmed, probably from the torches on the wall. "Now we'll do a piece called 'Dragon Drums'," Sun instructed. Phoenix nodded again and waited.

Fire torches became lit behind the screen where they stood and Sun gave Phoenix a look that shouted "begin". A gong was hit and the large, low drums began playing—boom…boom-boom…boom…boom-boom.

Slow and coy at first, the girls approached from behind the screen. Sun walked on the platform stage with smooth gestures of her arms. Phoenix came out from the other side of the screen using the graceful twirling of her wrists and smooth hand movements. Boom-boom…tic…boom-boom…tic…repeated the drums. The small cymbals and the tambourine joined in as the beat of the drum became a bit louder and faster. Sun and Phoenix moved and twirled on their bare feet in unison, united with the thunderous beat.

The music began marking a steady pace, and Sun began the dancing. Swaying the hips precisely from side to side, the music became united with her in a fast-paced manner. Katara soon followed her example, feeling awkward since she had not used her body for dancing purposes. It was then that the fires came.

With a sharp gesture of the arm, Sun conjured the Fire Tiger move. She turned and the fire surrounded her. She caused the Fire Tiger to leap and float towards the awaiting Phoenix. She waited for the right moment. Just as the fire arrived within inches of her face, she lifted her hands up as if to catch it. Expectedly, Iroh, who stood in the shadows behind the screen, stepped through the moves as Phoenix did.

After the Fire Tiger was made to walk around her, it leaped into the air, shifting into a serpent. She sent it towards Sun, who guided the fire in a figure-eight path. Phoenix made a few gestures that faked her help. She aided Sun and the serpent formed into a giant dragon's head as the music accelerated and became louder. With certain bending moves, they both caused the fiery creature to open its jaw as if it were roaring. It was then that Sun gave Phoenix the signal, and the shape burst like a firework. After that move, both completed with a leaping kick of fire and dropped to the ground on their knees, as if kneeling before the Princess.

Princess Azula's reaction was different than they expected it to be. For a moment, they thought she'd never buy their act. But there was a silence before she and Zuko began clapping.

"That was satisfying," she answered. She turned to Zuko and whispered to him, "What did you think of that?"

"Well, it was a fine display of fire bending, I guess."

Azula turned back to the group of nomads before her. She rested her slender chin on a fist. "Tell me, do you plan on staying for a while?"

Sayamiko looked at Katara for a moment. "Do you think we will stay?" Her voice was quiet. Katara looked up at Azula and Zuko, who dwelled in the thrones which were rightfully the Earth King's, then to Aang and the three other comrades.

"I guess so," she formed her words slowly.

"It is decided then, your Highness," Sun announced, standing, "We will be able to stay."

"I knew you would," Azula said felinely. Averting her gaze to look at the guard, her voice changed, "Escort them to their quarters. I'm going to the courtyard."

"Yes, Princess."

A few guards approached the group and expected them to follow. They followed down a maze of ridiculously decorated hallways, probably redesigned by Ty Lee, as Katara would have thought. Their room was neatly decorated in the Earth kingdom colors, preserved from Ty Lee's décor. Several beds were already neatly set for the group. Sayamiko strode over to the opposite side of the room, where the curtains were. She swung them open, and there was a sliding, beige screen. She turned to the rest and said, "I suppose you know what's behind this."

"The courtyard, we know," Sokka said nonchalantly. Iroh and Lee gave him glares, and Sokka noticed. "Okay, so not all of us have seen this room." Sayamiko nodded in reply.

Everyone relaxed, some in lounge chairs, some on beds, and some on the unarmed lounge benches at the foot of the bed. Sayamiko leaned against the curtains and counted the number of people in the room. Seven. Then she counted the lavished beds and grew surprised. Six, only six.

"Uh, guys," she began, "there's only six beds and seven people."

They turned, looking around at the area. True, there was no extra bed. For a moment there was a silence, a long and deadly silence. Soon the boys each ran to a bed.

"I call this one!" Sokka yelled, hurriedly flying onto a bed.

"I sleep alone!" Lee yelled as well, flopping belly-first onto another bed.

The rest shook their heads. Both were as immature as they could get. Sayamiko still leaned up against the curtains and she brought a hand up to her face, pondering. With another hand, she opened the sliding door a crack. In the flowered courtyard, Azula concentrated in a seated position. Is she really a prodigy? And at such a young age? She averted her gaze from her to look down at the floor, sliding down against the curtains to sit. She wrapped her arms around her legs, drifting off to think about Zuko. How many days had gone by without him in her presence before she was back here again?

She remembered talking to Zuko under the cherry tree, beneath the peacefulness of the moment. They'd been closer than they had been in this lifetime at that minute, and she felt the lump rising in her throat.

"Saya," some voice spoke out, returning her to the confines of the earth, "What are you doing?"

She turned her head to see Iroh looking curiously at her. She gazed for a moment, and then turned to the screen where she could now see Zuko performing and practicing his fire bending moves and a desolate sigh escaped her. Iroh took a look at what she appeared to be staring at and he sighed too. He could never see Zuko out in the open again, not for a long while. He shook his head and sat down beside her.

"He's still on your mind, isn't he?"

She jerked her head immediately towards him, swinging her maroon cloak over her. "What? No he's not- I have nothing to do with him!" She paused, wondering if he knew by the way he looked at her. "What makes you think that?"

"Is it not obvious?" he questioned, shrugging his shoulders. After seeing her turn away to look at Zuko yet again, he continued, "You look intently at him- as if there is a longing."

Her eyebrows rose slightly and inanely. She propped her chin on her hand. She even began questioning herself and her actions. Does it really look like I could like him? I'm trying not to…what would everyone else think?

The unlikely was pushed past her lips, "Do people think we'd look good together, Zuko and I?"

When there was no reply, she glanced back at Iroh. Instead of an amused grin, or a grimace, she found a warm smile. The conversation became partly awkward for a teenager such as herself. He reached over to her and took her hand gently. "If he does like you, I think you'd be able to change him. But yes, I think you two would look wonderful together."

She slightly pulled away from the contact. Although his words were comforting, she still felt broken and unworthy to be near Zuko. "Thank you."

"Saya, you may not notice it now," Iroh said, with his eyebrows tensed in concentration, "but you are probably the only person left who can change his mind. I've already tried being a fatherly figure, but I guess it did not work."

"Then what makes you think that I'm of any significance?"

Iroh paused, thinking of an appropriate way to say what he needed to say without Sayamiko getting the wrong ideas. "Sometimes, the only thing left that a man can dedicate himself to, is a woman."

Sayamiko turned and watched Zuko trying his efforts to fire bend dynamically. She drank in his words and mused. She realized that Iroh meant that a woman's heart could persuade a man. She slightly nodded and leaned back on the curtains again.

A/N: I loooove love love Kanji. The Japanese characters. Aaaah! So I hoped you liked it! It was UBER exciting trying to write this. My eyes are straining and I need to use glasses now to be able to type on the darn computer. So umm...yes. I cannot CANNOT CANNOT wait for summer 2008! YAYYYYYYYYY! I'm sure that many can agree with me. Review pleaseeeeeee? Move your mouse...almost thereeee...press the button!! Thank you! :)