Jin looked out the window sadly, wondering why Zuko hadn't written to her yet. She was still certain he was alive and well, but it wasn't like him to just forget about her. Perhaps the bird had lost her scent? She frowned and went to get dressed for bed. She missed Zuko more than she ever had before, and she was almost frantic about putting his shirt on her. His aroma filled her nostrils and it was almost like a drug to her now.
She lay back on her bed, envisioning his arms closing in about her, and she closed her eyes, wanting her sense of smell to be the only thing her mind would focus on. As she gradually shut out the world she could feel him as if he were right there, really wrapping himself around her. She couldn't help but smile when she realized soon she would be in his arms forever. "I love you," she whispered, knowing he heard her. It even felt for a moment like he had grasped her tighter. But just before she could fully drift away her mother knocked on her door, yanking her out of her imagination.
Jin sat up sadly and opened her door. "Yes?" she asked.
"Lock your windows tonight, Jin," her mother said softly. "Young women have gone missing and I don't want you to be one of them." She nodded in understanding and gave her mother a quick hug goodnight.
When she was alone again she turned to the mirror looking at herself. She was due for a haircut soon as it was nearly below her waist now. And Zuko's shirt didn't look half bad on her. She smiled, turning around to get a better glimpse of herself from every angle, and she debated keeping it even after he returned.
"A man's shirt on a woman? You're crazy, Jin," she could hear him saying.
"I know," she answered back. "But I do like it." She looked down slowly and sighed. "It feels like you."
She smiled, realizing how ridiculous she was being now that she was actually talking to herself and she decided enough was enough. When the real Zuko was there, she'd talk his ear off, but for now she needed to be quiet and most of all get some sleep.
Climbing in bed, she was too distracted by the smell of her lover to notice that she'd completely forgotten her mother's warning to lock the window.
----
Zuko climbed in to Appa excitedly. The fact that Katara had convinced Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Toph to leave that night for Ba Sing Se was nothing short of a miracle. They would be there by dawn, and he'd have her in his arms by breakfast he thought with a laugh. "Someone's in a rush to get there," said Sokka as Zuko quickly got a seat.
"That's everone," said Katara as she got herself up. Aang snapped the reigns and shouted, "Yip! Yip!" and Appa was in the air.
They weren't flying for very long before Sokka, Suki, and Toph dozed off and Zuko soon found himself fighting sleep, despite his excitement. Before falling asleep he looked to Katara and whispered, "Thankyou." She nodded with a grin and closed her eyes. He soon followed her, drifting off as Appa flew with the moon shining brightly on his fur.
----
A girl was dragged out through her window, kicking and screaming and Mai glanced at her as the Dai Li gagged and tied her up. "What does she look like?" she asked, turning to Long Feng.
"I don't remember," he answered. "It was too long ago, but trust me, we'll know her when we find her. She's a very feisty one."
"For your sake I hope you recognize her when we find her," warned Mai. The Dai Li continued to break into houses around her, dragging the young women out, families shouting and wailing in frustration. Very few people actually fought them, and Mai was impressed by the amount of fear they all had of the Dai Li. Working with them was definitely starting to pay off.
"One house left," said a soldier and Long Feng nodded.
"Take out the young women and prepare those already captured for departure," he ordered and the soldier nodded, hurrying off to obey.
Mai watched as the Dai Li barged in and she could hear the sounds of the parents inside crying and shouting, clearly trying to fight. Soon there came a shout of, "There's no young women here!" The soldiers began to march out, ready to call it a night, but Mai's eyes narrowed. For a moment she could have sworn she saw a shadow dart out from behind the house and hide behind another. After watching for a moment, she saw the shadow dart behind a second house and she knew immediatly it was someone trying to get away. Smiling with the knowledge that she could finally have some fun, she took of in persuit of the shadow.
----
Jin leaned against the outer wall of her neighbor's house, her chest rising and falling wildly as she panted for air. The first break in had woken her, and she began to panic, thinking it was her own house. When she realized it was only the neighbor's she didn't wait for them to come. She ran to her closet, throwing on the pants she had used so long ago when exercising, and she armed herself with the broadswords and strapped the dagger around her leg, hiding it under the pant leg.
Soon she could hear her front door break open and she climbed out the window, greatful she had forgotten to lock it. Unlocking it would have slowed her down greatly, and she was out just as they came barging into her room. Now she was hiding behind houses, darting around in the shadows, trying to make sure she was safe to go. It really hadn't occured to her where she would go, but it was too dark to fight, and it was not safe to stay home. She just kept running, her heart pounding in fear and her face breaking out into a cold sweat.
Something sharp went into the back of her leg and she fell over with a shout, scuffing her knees on the groun below her. She looked over, groaning in pain, and saw the dart sticking out of her calf, and she pulled it out, wondering where on earth it had come from. Another hit the back of her hand as she pulled out the one from her leg and she cursed loudly, now looking for who was attacking her. "You're not going anywhere!" shouted a female voice and Jin jumped up, drawing the broadswords. She just briefly caught the glimpse of another dart aiming for her shoulder and she was able to use the blades to knock it away. Another came but she deflected it as well.
"Who are you?" shouted Jin. She could now see her attacker in the shadows, but couldn't see enough to figure out an age or any facial features.
"I know who you are," replied the woman. "And you're gonna pay for what you've done!" Jin lowered the swords, raising an eyebrow.
"What I've done?" she asked. A fleet of darts came at her and she had to jumped around to dodge and deflect them. Whoever it was, they had an aim to kill her, or come close to it, and she could hear the Dai Li approaching. She would not be able to fight all of them including this woman with the darts. The only thing she could do was run. So she turned and took off,
twisting around the house and zig-zagging as best she good, hoping to throw them off. Zuko's black shirt helped her blend in with the shadows, making it even more difficult for any of them to launch attacks, though that didn't stop them.
Jin stopped when she reached the border of the city and stared at what lay in front of her. A large dark forest, one she had avoided ever since she was little. Her mother had often used it in many of her bedtime stories so Jin had always thought of that forest as an evil haunted place. Even now that she was old enough to no longer believe in fairytales... it still scared her.
"Great danger lays in the forest..."
Jin took a deep breath. It was this or surrendering to whatever they had planned for her. Looking to she sky she whispered, "I'm sorry, Zuko. I promise to find you soon." Taking a deep breath she sheathed her blades and ran into the woods, trying to forget all her childhood nightmares.
----
Mai stopped when she reached the woods and stared at it. "We'll never find her at this time of night," said Long Feng. "Not that she'd survive." Mai shook her head.
"As soon as it's light enough pursue her," she said. "Pursue her until she'd found!"
"No," said Long Feng. "We've nothing to gain in this, and my men have done more than enough. If you wish to find her then you'll be doing it alone." Mai clenched her teeth, but thought of a new way to motivate them.
"Are you not aware of who this girl is?" she asked. "That was Jin. The one responsable for your failure at Ba Sing Se, and the lover of the Firelord. I'm sure he would do anything to see her safe again. And the Firelord has wealth beyond imagine..." She knew she didn't need to continue for Long Feng's eyes already sparkled with greed.
"At dawn, we start our search. We will have her by nightfall"
----
Jin ran and ran deeper into the forest, her breathing growing heavier. It grew darker the further she went, and soon it was pitchblack. The darkness was almost suffocating and Jin couldn't see a hand in front of her face. She stopped running and tried to look around, only in vain. A branch snapped behind her and that was enout to scare her into running again. Unfortunately the darkness proved once again to be more of a hinderance and she collided with the trunk of a tree, falling to the ground unconcious and with a nasty gash on her forehead. The last thing she remembered was the pain of hitting the tree and the scent of Zuko's shirt before she fully slipped out.
----
(A/N: I have to go take my Five hour driver's course now -fun fun-. See ya on the flipside.)