a/n: next chapter. just fyi: keep in mind this is all Zuko's POV so some of this stuff may seem hard to follow-just fill in the blanks where need be.

pleas enjoy.

I leapt back behind the safety of the corner to shield myself from the blast of earth. I caught sight of an Earth Kingdom guard lying unconscious under what was once the wall of a cell. The wall had been brought down by earthbending, now doubt. But none of the prisoners could earthbend… Which meant…

But who was thick enough to break in to a prison?

I soon had my answer when an all too familiar voice said, "Guess we're in."

The Avatar.

Another voice. Not so familiar. Energetically hopeful. "Did I get him?" A girl, and she was probably referring to the fallen guard.

"Yeah, Toph, you got him," the Avatar replied uncertainly.

A sigh of settled discontent, and even before she spoke I knew her. "So much for discretion." The waterbender, Katara.

I remained perfectly still, and then wondered why. The Avatar, an earthbender, and a waterbender. In most situations, I truly believed I could defeat them. But, given the circumstances, in close quarters underground, taking on two earthbenders was decidedly not a wiser move.

"What was the point of the tunnel if you were going to start smashing walls, Toph?" Katara. Annoyed and bossy. Not much of a surprise there.

"It was the wrong cell anyway," the other girl retorted. "And now we've got a guard to question. If anything, I did us a favor!"

"Well, hurry up," the waterbender sighed apprehensively, "Someone had to have heard that."

I allowed the slightest smirk at that.

"Why can't we just open all of the cells?" The Avatar. Childishly naïve as usual.

"Aang, no." Katara, taking charge. "We don't know who to trust and who not to. There could be prisoners here that are actual criminals."

"Then again…" the earthbending girl added thoughtfully, "If we did open up all the cells-without helping everyone, I mean-that could be a pretty good distraction."

"Hmm…"

Releasing the prisoners could not be allowed. And since I have never been one to run to others, such as the guards, for help, I stepped forth from the shelter and shameful hiding of the corner.

"I can't let you do that," I said quietly, just loud enough for them to hear.

The three turned to me with mixed fear, surprise, and anger. The anger I saw most was in that of Katara, and I remembered our last meeting. I'd helped to nearly kill both the Avatar and her.

"Zuko," the Avatar addressed with apprehension and…was that pity again? Or regret?

I thought of the glistening green caverns. The surging water and fire, the Earth Kingdom troops invading the place like a nest of insects. I thought of the Avatar in the State. The bright blue flash that I knew to be Azula. And then he wasn't a god anymore, but a boy. A boy falling to the earth, and I knew he would die. Or at least, thought as much.

One thing I have learned since I first came upon the Avatar: more than any other element, he bends luck to his will the best.

The waterbender girl saved him, nearly drowning me and some other soldiers on the way. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face as she held that boy in her arms and Azula and I moved in for the final strike.

I looked back on that moment and still asked myself what I had been doing. The goal had never been to kill the Avatar. If anything, that was strategically idiotic, for once Aang died, the Avatar would pass to another random, impossible to locate person. Then again, if Azula hadn't interrupted the State, we all could have been killed. I remember well the North Pole and the destruction reeked there.

Using the pouch at her side, Katara brought forth a stream of blue water. As she took a battle stance, her eyes glared a hate at me that I'd never known before. I brought forth a flame in each of my own hands, taking my own battle stance.

"Toph…" she said, not breaking from me, "Let them out. All of them."

The short girl, an earthbender no doubt, raised her foot in an attempt to unearth the doors, but I sent a stream of fire to stop her. "No!"

The Avatar brought up a wall of earth to protect the girl, who suddenly seemed highly annoyed. And it occurred to me by the way she hadn't even flinched from the impending fire, and the discoloration that she might be… I nearly snorted. The Avatar was relying on a blind girl for help?

"That's it!" the girl said angrily. She brought her foot down, and an earthquake shook the whole corridor.

I grabbed the wall to remain upright, but Katara took the opportunity to strike with her water. I tightened my grip as a whip of water slammed into me. In retaliation, I fired back. But the Avatar used earth and air to deflect me.

As the ground shook, the doors to the cells quaked most violently. As I fought with Katara and the Avatar-whom I had to begrudgingly admit were winning-I saw the hinges of the doors failing against the rough environment. My eyes narrowed. I couldn't let them win!

With a great yell, I kicked a long, powerful stream of fire at my opponents. The fire was so hot that it turned the water Katara used to defend herself to steam. The waterbender's eyes widened with a familiar fear. Her water couldn't protect her from the attack. She stepped back and instinctively held up her arms in weak defense.

For a second, I thought I'd gotten her. But the Avatar brought forth a great wall of earth that smothered the flames. He also launched that same earth back at me, and I had to duck behind the corner for cover. The mass slammed into the wall next to me and nearly brought it down.

I heard a collection of groaning metal, clangs, and heavy thuds, followed by a cacophony of voices. The doors were down. The prisoners were out.

"Come on," I heard the Avatar call to his cohorts, "Let's find Iroh!"

My body went totally still as the three departed and the prisoners began to discover their newfound freedom. 'Iroh'. They were helping Uncle escape.

The glistening green caverns, where fire and water battle. Earth Kingdom soldiers are invading insects.

The Avatar is falling. A boy will die.

A girl holds him in her arms, knowing they will die here.

Uncle stands, Dragon of the West, keeping us at bay while the girl carries the Avatar away.

Uncle, encased in crystal, turns his head form me in shame.

"Today, you restored your own honor."

"You're not the man you used to be."

And suddenly, all I wanted was to find him. I needed to speak with him, I needed to beg his forgiveness. What I truly needed was to travel back to that day and change everything.

But what was done was done, and all I could do was try to amend what I could.

I stepped back into the corridor. The Avatar, Katara, and the blind girl were gone, but several scraggly prisoners had wandered into the halls. A great crowd of them were beginning to approach from the other halls. They'd already began to contentedly trample the unfortunate guard.

I saw them not entirely as escaped prisoners so much as obstacles in my way. I sent waves of fire over their heads, shouting, "Back in your cells!" They cowered and quickly retreated back into their cells.

I ran down the halls, sending warning flames at any who meekly peered out in hope of the danger being over. I don't know if I was chasing or just following the three fugitives.

But what happened in the end was that I rounded a corner after a long run and found myself face to face with my uncle again.

Though it was stupid, I cried out. "Uncle!"

But I looked at his expression and saw how much had changed between us. He regarded me as an enemy. He took a fighting stance along with the other three with him. I felt everything go cold.

I wasn't-did not want to be his enemy. He was all I had to rely on. The only one who had cared about me this whole time. He'd taken me as his own.

And I had betrayed him.

"Stay back," he said to me, his voice a stone wall. He turned to the girl and the Avatar. "I think it is time we left."

Somehow, that was like a needle to my skin. No, he couldn't leave! I had to talk with him, I had to tell him-

-and in my panic, I sent a fireball at the Avatar and the girl to stop them. The Avatar blocked the attack, but it was Uncle who struck back.

In my surprised stupor, I hardly even managed to turn out of the way before searing pain erupted on my left arm. I touched the wound with my right hand, not only because of the pain, but the shock. I had to touch it to know it was real. I stared at the blistering, bleeding mark on my flesh.

I turned my gaze back to my uncle, and saw his eyes. There was no regret. Only acceptance.

As the Avatar created another tunnel, the blind girl raised forth a curved wall of stalagmites for cover. All the sharp points of the rocks seemed pointed at me. The defensive wall wasn't really needed; I could barely make myself move.

I stayed where I was, not even trying to stop them as they made their escape.

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He'd burned me. Uncle had burned me.

Even in sparing, he'd never intentionally singed me. And now I was worrying that I'd have a second great scar… A second scar given so generously by a relative.

I'd lost my uncle forever. I knew that in the center of my soul, and it pained me like a dagger there.

Not that Azula gave a damn.

"It's barely a flesh wound!" she'd barked at me when she'd come upon me.

I was staring at the blistering burn, but the pain was numb. The wound was simply all I knew.

"Secure the prisons and find them!" Azula roared to the Dai Li before her. As they departed, she whirled on me. I could see the beginnings of blue sparks in her palms. "Zuko, you had better believe me when I tell you that your fate lies on recapturing Uncle before Father arrives. Understand?"

I kept my face cool, slightly apprehensive, and even a little bored, not daring to show how weary those hands made me. "Yes."

But before departing, I added, "Strange that you should be so concerned about me, though."

Azula rounded on me. "Is it?"

"I tried to stop them," I stated simply, "But wasn't Long Feng in charge of security in the catacombs? And didn't the Avatar break in through the catacombs? It didn't even seem to be that great of a challenge."

I saw Azula's face falter ever so slightly, but turned my back on her and continued on.

"Really, Azula," I remarked coldly, "You didn't think he'd bow down to you as easily as everyone else, did you? Actually, I'm surprised you've kept him around for this long."

I knew well that to have incompetent Zuzu mocking her would only spur Azula to further suspect and focus on Long Feng. Or at least, I had to hope it would. It was my last chance.

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I didn't join the hunt for Uncle and the others; the very idea of tracking Uncle like a common criminal made me sick. I had a very small window of opportunity, and I was just barely going to make it. The seed of suspicion against Long Feng that I'd baited Azula with was only going to last so long. I left the palace quickly and quietly, knowing that how rapidly and discreetly I made my exit would buy more time.

I traversed the city as fast as I could, but not risking to take any of the public transportation, the crowds and guard patrols slowed me down considerably. But, I managed to made it back to the tea shop.

Fortunately, she was already there. She spotted me immediately, and internally I flinched, knowing that the scar was what made me stand out so clearly.

Jin ran to me, confusion and relief on her face. She was smiling, and I thought for a moment how nice her smile was. After that thought, I mentally kicked myself. Where had that thought come from? It was ridiculous for someone like me! …wasn't it?

"Li!" She threw her arms around me, and I stiffened, yet I was disappointed when she released me. "Where've you been?"

"That's not important," I replied quietly.

Surprisingly, she seemed to accept that much. "Where's your uncle?" She gave a small smile. "Everyone's been missing his tea."

I felt as though I were falling into a black pit that I'd never escape. Not that I deserved to. I found myself staring at my forearm, where under my shirt's sleeve my new burn lay. My uncle's burn. Though my head was filled with a universe of images and words and emotions, all I told Jin was: "He's gone."

She saw my face and suddenly looked concerned. "What's wrong?" I didn't answer. She gave a small smile. "Complicated again?"

"You could say that."

She hesitated. "Look, people have been talking," she went on, worry in her voice.

A part of me never wanted to hear that tone in her voice again. I didn't want Jin to have to worry. But I knew that in order to save her, I had to make her more than worry. I had to make her scared for her life.

"I think something bad's happening at the palace," she finished.

I gave a mirthless smile. "You have no idea."

Her eyes widened. "You know? Li, tell me what's going on! Please, Li-"

"My name isn't Li."

I had to say it. I hated how she called me by a made up name. I wanted her to stop saying it. Because every time it came out of her mouth, it was a sting of the lies I'd given her.

She stared at me for a moment, her face totally blank. But I knew her mind had to be racing.

"What?"

I had to tell her what I could for now. Had to tell her enough to get the point across and make her listen to me.

"I've lied to you about some things," I said sincerely, "I'm sorry. And I'd spend forever explaining if I could, but there's no time."

Jin seemed uncertain, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd ran off down the street. But she couldn't. This was the only chance. I held her arm to keep her there and to emphasize my seriousness.

"No matter what I may have lied to you about, you have to trust me and listen now." I leaned in and looked her in the eye. "Get out of Ba Sing Se."

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Bad things are going to happen very soon," I told her, "They've already started. You have to get out of here before they get worse. Understand? Leave the city, Jin."

I stepped away from her, expecting her to take off. But she didn't. She kept looking at me. Her eyes said she wasn't sure whether to trust me, but she did believe my words.

"What about you?"

I almost thought I'd imagined the question. Jin really cared what happened to me? But I couldn't focus on that. I'd answer her question, but in military fashion: a trade. "First promise me you'll leave."

She nodded. "I swear on..." she faltered, but went on with uncertain gusto, "…On my dead ancestors and even any family that are just feeling under the weather." She straightened a little. "Now what about you?"

"I'll be okay." That wasn't a promise I could definitely keep. "But I can't go with you." That was true. "You have to get out on your own." That was, if she could.

Jin nodded again, though she seemed disappointed that I'd have to leave her. I didn't blame her; she had probably never done anything like this. "I've got family in Chi Nihng. I'll go there."

Chi Nihng was, for the moment, out of the Fire Nation's path. It would be safe…for a time. Now that Ba Sing Se had fallen, no city in the Earth Kingdom was guaranteed safety. "Good."

I turned to leave, but Jin's arm stopped me. I turned, and found her kissing me…again. And I found I could kiss her back…again.

Jin pulled back and smiled with self-satisfaction. "I'll wait for you."

I grabbed her arm, my face hardened. "No."

Jin's eyes narrowed and I found myself in the jail with Katara again. "'No'? Don't tell me 'no'!"

I winced and glanced awkwardly at the passing crowds. I felt, for the first time in a very long time, my face go pink with embarrassment and shame. Jin's tirade continued on regardless.

"You tell me you've lied to me, suddenly I don't even know you're name anymore, then you tell me to leave the city before 'bad things happen', and now you act like I'll never see you again?"

I sighed. Once again, I had to tell the truth. "You probably won't."

"Well I'd better!" Her voice quavered, and I saw her eyes glisten with tears. "Because…because…"

Her words stopped, but only because I had kissed her. It was the first time I had kissed a girl, rather than her kissing me, and…and I liked it. It was actually kind of…nice. Very nice. Jin apparently enjoyed it too, because even when I'd pulled away she was speechless.

I held her hand for a moment and looked at her, thinking it would be the last time I'd ever see her.

The last thing I said to her before I disappeared into the crowd:

"Get out."

to be continued...

so yeah, I like the Jin/Zuko pairing. shoot me.

read and review if ya like.