Chapter One

He was running for his life. And it wasn't the first time. Clad in black, masked, he was a shadow among shadows. The forest was quiet and resting - with only the music of crickets and leaves that churned against the pounding of his feet. The only light visible was that of the moon, and even that was blocked by evening clouds.

His breath came heavily, his muscles growing tired with every step. He couldn't keep running forever, both he and his adversaries knew that. But for both his sake and his Uncle's, he could try. Fatigue was beginning to claim him as he dashed passed more and more trees.

Keep running, he told himself. Don't stop.

He was sweating.

They were too damn close.

As he ran, he considered ducking down into a nearby cave - but if they saw him go in, he might not come back out. Zuko heard the rush of others hastily getting closer. It was much too dark to see the rock when he tripped and collapsed to the ground. The sting was felt on his arm as he whipped up and hit a low branch, but the pace was never slackened as he swiftly rose to his feet and continued running.

Shit. They were catching up.

There had to be somewhere else to run to, somewhere else to hide, to catch his breath.

Finally, behind the darkened bushes, he saw lights. He slowed his pace as he saw people - a group here and there, some walking, some standing. There was noise - raised music, music. His labored breathing went unnoticed. Quietly he stood behind a woman who was four or five inches taller than his own height - and half again as wide. She was swaying to the music that played nearby. It was like hiding behind a tree in a windstorm.

Zuko took the opportunity to catch his breath and check his wound. He was bleeding like a pig. Without giving it a thought, he slipped the striped cloth out of the woman's back pocket and wrapped it around his arm. She never stopped swaying - he had very light fingers. It was more difficult to capture someone when there was a crowd, he decided. Not impossible, just harder. Zuko kept his pace slow and faded in and out of the packs of people while he kept his eyes and ears open for his enemies.

He saw three women, the two in the back were unclear and blurry. The one standing in the center, however, was acutely visible with her sly expression and calm posture. They hadn't spotted him yet, but it wouldn't be long. Thinking fast, he scanned the crowed he merged with. A great number of them wore masks.

"Hey." He grabbed the arm of the girl beside him. "I'll give you fifty silver pieces for your mask."

The girl yanked off her disguise and shrugged him off. "No way. It's authentic."

"A hundred then," Zuko muttered. They were getting closer all the time.

This time the girl took more interest. She turned her face so that Zuko could see her more clearly. "Ten gold peices and it's yours."

Zuko was already reaching for his sack of coins. In a quick move, he yanked the mask from her hands. After slapping coins onto the girl's hand he slipped it on, letting out a hiss of breath at the sudden sting of his right arm. Without another word, he was diving through the nearest door.

"Come one, come all!" The scrawny old man cackled - almost manically - as he gestured for folks to come closer. "Why fit in, when you were born to stand out? Come on, don't be shy! Come buy your exotic masks for only a mere gold piece. Hey, you!" He pointed, his sly grin growing wider. The merchant stopped in front of her, his index finger and thumb held up in a square as if to measure the size of the stranger's face. "It must be your lucky day, Missy. I have just the one for you."

Katara shook her head. "I don't have any money."

"Besides," Sokka added,"Her face is already scary enough." Snorting, he laughed at his own jest. His teasing remark was met with a hard stomp on his toes, and a howl of pain escaped his lips as he jumped up and down, holding his injured foot. Katara made a sound of triumph and continued walking on, with Aang trailing not too far behind.

Masses of citizens draped in shades of green scurried about. Fireworks exploded in the air as conversations drifted throughout the village. Exotic dancers slithered their way around the crowds and entertained those who took notice with various flips and earthbending tricks. Aang watched, his mouth hanging open in pure amazement.

"What do you think they're celebrating, Katara?"

Katara looked up at the color-filled sky for a moment. "I don't know. Let's find out." They headed to a nearby stand, with Sokka hopping towards them on his uninjured foot. When he stopped, his hands folded over his chest and he mumbled some incoherent words. Katara raised a brow but ignored her brother's comment.

"Excuse me," Katara waved at the fruit merchant. "Can you tell me what this festival is about?"

The woman chuckled as she handed her last customer a large bag of cantalopes. "You must joking. Everyone knows what today is."

"You can say we're not really from around here," Aang explained, smiling sheepishly.

"Today is the day we celebrate the Earth Kingdom's 1,000th victory against the Fire Nation," the woman's eyes reflected pure pride. "It is certainly something to celebrate about."

"Aren't you worried that the Fire Nation might show up here?" Sokka asked, absently examining one of the cantelopes. "What if they catch you off guard?"

"Oh, no one worry's about that around here. This village has been untouched since the war even started." The woman waved them off. "It's a festival. Go enjoy it while it lasts." She chuckled once more. "Besides, you're blocking all my customers."

As they left the stand, Sokka shook his head. "I think it's stupid that they don't have at least security guards to scan the area. You never know, the Fire Nation could be anywhere and they can strike at any given moment."

"You worry too much, Sokka," Aang commented. "That merchant was right. Let's just have some fun."

"Check it out," Toph called, holding up a sack full of coins. She beamed at them, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Wow, Toph," Katara looked at her suspiciously. "How'd you get all that money?"

"I didn't steal it if that's what you're worried about Sugarqueen," the earthbender retorted, slipping the sack of money back into her bag. "Some idiot wanted my mask so bad, he payed me ten gold pieces for it. It wasn't even real wood."

She snorted. "What a loser."

Zuko sat on a stool, his back haunched over an icy cold drink, his face turned ever so slightly toward the entrance. Without wavering his glance, his mind was working out how and when to make his exit, calculating all the alternatives.

Since his last encounter with Azula, he'd learned to think on his feet alot more swiftly. Keeping his mind on business, Zuko remained thoughtful and avoided the light. Hiding in one place for too long was never safe. He walked out of the door, a refreshing drink in his hands.

Perhaps the improptu disguise just might work after all.

He felt the pressure of not-so-friendly fingernails against his back.

Then again, it might not.

"Hello Zuzu," Azula greeted, the sarcasm in her tone loud and clear. "I'm upset that you ran away so quickly. I really wanted to spend some quality brother-sister time before you sped off to your next hiding place."

"You're a horrible liar, Azula," he retorted, flinching when her nails dug harder against his back.

"I got you to believe that Father wanted you home, didn't I?" She snickered. "You're so naive, Zuko. That's why I was always Father's favorite." He felt her nails twist slightly, as her voice became much more serious. "I can kill you right now, you know. Lightning can be quite lethal when it's directed at your heart."

Zuko remembered his Uncle's words: "From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, for the damage could be deadly."

"Go ahead and try it," he dared her. "I know how to redirect it."

"Hm," Azula sighed absently. "And I bet your loser Uncle told you about this?"

"He's your Uncle, too," he spat, disgusted with her words.

"Sorry," she replied. "I don't associate with traitors and failures."

Just as she attempted to shove him out the door, he whirled around and tossed his drink into her eyes. With the impetus of the swing, he ran headlong into her so that she fell backward onto the nearest table. Pork and rice flew in symphony of high-caloric rain. "Me too," he muttered, and pushed a handful of dessert into her face. Knowing the element of surprise would wear out quickly, he used the most expeditious means of defense. He ran.

On impulse, he grabbed a random person and shoved him and his loaded tray in Azula's direction. Roast duck flew like a bullet. With one hand on the brass rail, he leaped over and scrambled for the door. Zuko left the chaos behind him and broke right into the center of the raging festival.

He'd bought some time, but she'd be behind him again.

And this time, she'd play really dirty.

Author's Notes: Ah...this was orginally a much longer chapter, but I split it up into two parts. I tried to keep the characters "in-character". Hopefully,that turned out okay. I know Iroh is missing. He'll show up soon.