DISCLAIMER: don't own AVATAR.

Eff… This story is gonna be boring to write until I catch up to the part where I left off at nick dot com… which is a long ways away. (cries) I was almost finished with this story when I found ff . net!

Warning: Zuko is OOC in this chapter. And blame the music for his OOCness!

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Chapter 13: Of All The People to Be Stuck With…

Flame groaned as she came to. Her head fricking hurt. Slowly, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest while staring at the tree she had run into.

She felt something press against her stomach, and Flame let her legs stretch out in front of her.

Pulling up the skirt of her kimono, Flame found the necklace Rough Water had given her sewn onto her kimono. Flame smiled warmly as she detached her necklace so she could wrap it around her neck.

It appears I never lost my necklace. Mom simply made sure I had it with me always. How the heck did I manage not to notice?

Flame puzzled over it. Then she felt something heavy in her pocket, and slapped her forehead.

"I forgot! The fire ruby!" The double bender pulled the priceless gem out of her pocket and sighed as it warmed her all over with its beauty and strength.

"FLAME!" She quickly shoved the gem back into her pocket, stood up and turned around only to be embraced tightly, her face buried into a man's armor. Flame tried to get some air into her lungs, but the arms hugging her were crushing her chest against something solid…

"Flame, I was so worried!" Zuko said, burying his face into her hair. With all her strength, Flame shoved Zuko away from herself.

Damn that music… One day I will hunt down the people who play it and destroy all their instruments and their self esteem to play.

"Bet you'd be more worried about this," Flame said, pulling the fire ruby out of her pocket and tossing it up and down in front of the firebender's hungry gaze.

"See the pretty gem, doggy? Well fetch, doggy! Get the pretty gem!" Flame yelled at Zuko, throwing the gem away and bolting deeper into the forest.

Zuko was left standing stupefied, wondering which thing he should chase after.

He chose the fire ruby. She'd have to come out of the forest sooner or later, and when she did, he'd be ready and waiting.

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Flame felt the branches tug at her hair and face. She felt her heart pounding, her pulse echoing through her body. She felt so tired. So, so tired…

She collapsed into the mud, not minding the fact that her clothes were stained.

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Flame sighed as her eye opened to observe the ground next to her. With a reluctant sigh, she pushed herself up to examine her body. Half her kimono was coated in dry mud, same with one boot, one pant leg, and half her face and hair. Not to mention she had twigs and leaves in her hair, and she knew that there were cuts covering her face.

Might as well stay like this. I'm probably unrecognizable. Which is good, if I want to stay away from Zuko.

She thought sourly, despite the fact that a bath sounded really enticing right now. Slowly she walked through the forest, and blinked when she suddenly walked out of the trees to find her at a Fire Nation camp. The sun was bright on her eyes after spending hours in the dense foliage, and Flame shielded her eyes against the light, not seeing the two Fire Nation soldiers jog up to her, spears pointed at her.

"I'm sorry, miss, but we have our orders to bring all trespassers to our superior." One of the soldiers said. Flame remained silent as her hands were bound and she was led to the mens' superior's tent.

Please don't let it be him. Please don't let it be him. Please don't let it be him. Anyone I will work with, as long as it isn't him!

Flame prayed silently in her head. She bit back a cry and a scowl as she found out that her prayer wasn't answered.

She was led into a tent that rose above the rest. Inside, was a table and cushions. On one of those cushions, sat him. Zhao.

"Who is this?" The Commander asked. The soldiers looked at each other while Flame stared calmly at Zhao.

"We don't know sir. She never gave us her name." One soldier said. Zhao nodded.

"Very good men. You may return to your posts." The soldiers bowed, and left the tent. Zhao waved Flame to take a seat.

"What is your name, young lady?" Zhao asked, raising his eyebrow. Flame stared at him blankly. She needed to feign deafness and muteness in order to protect herself.

"I said, what is your name?" Zhao hissed. Flame put her hand behind her ear.

"You can't hear?" Zhao asked. Flame nodded.

"So you could have just told me that." Flame glared at Zhao.

"Oh. Can't speak."

Yes! Dumb dumb! Or so I want you to think.

Flame cheered in her mind, fighting back a smile. She pretended to be writing something, hoping he might understand. Thankfully, he was smart enough to understand, and pulled out a bottle of ink, a pen, and some parchment. He scribbled onto the parchment:

What is your name?

And pushed the parchment and pen to her. Flame wrote down on the parchment:

I don't have one.

And gave it back to Zhao. He glared at her. Flame did not let a smirk grace her lips, no matter how badly she wanted to. Just as the Commander was about to his reply to her, a soldier rushed into the tent.

"Commander Zhao! I'm so sorry for interrupting, but Prince Zuko just docked at our port!" Flame's eyes widened. Zhao growled, stood up, and walked out of the tent, giving one order for the guard.

"Watch the girl."

Flame stared at the soldier arrogantly, despite the panic racing through her.

Gotta get out of here before Zuko finds me…

The thought echoed through her mind. Flame glanced down at the tea. It was still hot. Faster than what the soldier could comprehend, Flame bent the tea out of the pot and cup and sent it into the soldier's mask, smiling as she heard him scream as the steaming liquid seeped through the holes in his mask, burning his face.

As the faceless soldier tore at his mask, trying to get it off, Flame sprinted out of the tent, and began her perilous journey through the rows of tents. She had been blindfolded before being led to Zhao's tent, not to mention spun around for five minutes so she lost all direction. Flame did not know where in encampment Zhao's tent was placed, so she zig zagged through the rows, trying to lose anyone who might follow her.

Flame let out a sigh of relief when she saw the sea before her. She had reached the docks, now she needed to find the forest again.

She tore off to her right, and bended a blob of water out of the ocean just for safe keeping. Unfortunately, she ran right past Zhao and Zuko.

"Flame?" Zuko asked, dumbfounded. Zhao looked to him.

"You know her?"

"Dammit!" Flame swore, and kept on running. She heard the yells of the Commander and Prince as they rallied her men to chase her, and she swore again as soldiers jumped out in front of her.

Quickly turning her water into icicles, Flame shot the ice darts at the weak spots in the soldiers' armor, not hard enough to kill them, but enough to get them out of her way.

Flame felt the adrenaline rush through her veins as she yet again tore through the forest, her blood singing, urging her to run faster, harder, get away.

And that was when she tripped over something blue…

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YUS! IT'S FINISHED! AT LONG LAST! Woo! I'm glad I finished! yes, i know that somewhere in there i forgot to mention how Flame lost her bindings. i don't care. NO ONE GIVE ME CRAP BOUT HOW I FORGOT!

INSANITY AT ITS FINEST
LONG LIVE THE HIPPIES!

Zukoscute2