Disclaimer: Please see Epilogue, or First Chapter

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Chapter 3: Decisions

A week passed, and things started to go back to normal. Well, as normal as things could get in the Fire Nation. He went back to his regular routine, not wishing to admit that he had taken Ty Lee's advice, and Ty Lee was no where to be found.

Some excuse had made it to his ears stating that she was sick, but Zuko never knew that girl to be sick. He had a sinking feeling she was avoiding him.

He was with Mai at the moment. They had 'made up', if you could regard Zuko conceding to her as making up. They were lounging once again in her Father's luxurious home. Guards stood in the room and by the door, not leaving them much privacy. Zuko realized just now how much he disliked the constant babysitting.

"You may go," an agitated Zuko said with a wave of his hand. The guards hesitated for a moment before bowing and exiting the room.

"What was that for?" Mai asked from her position laying next to Zuko on the swank couch.

"I just didn't feel like having them watch over me like that. It was getting on my nerves." Zuko stared down at her.

"I love it when you boss people around like that." Mai turned her head and Zuko went through the motions as he leaned down to her. He waited there for a moment on her lips, wondering when that special sensation would take him over, but nothing happened. It was a dead kiss.

Mai pulled away, feeling something was wrong. She raised an eyebrow asking, "What's wrong now? I thought you were over your whole, 'I hate the world' phase?"

Zuko bit the inside of his cheek, holding in the tongue lashing he wished to give her right then. Talk about calling the kettle black, he thought. Instead, he ignore it and tried kissing her again, this time trying to put more feeling into it. He leaned into her more, and latched his hands onto her hips, but his grip was too tight and Mai pulled away saying, "Ouch! Zuko, that hurt. Maybe you should go."

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at an ugly painting of a Fire Nation ship in a gold frame. Mai's mother was known around the Fire Nation as the woman with no taste. Bland, everything was bland. Her meals, her art, and even her daughter. Yet, what had drawn Zuko to her?

Was it the willingness that she showed? The fact that she pawed and fawned over him for so many years? Wasn't Azula the one who finally brought them together, giving them that extra push? Whatever is was that he had felt for her then, seemed to have disappear since the events that occurred last week.

She was a nice girl, in her own way. She was a little gloomy but she was there to support Zuko when it was applicable, and she did fawn over him. He always thought they were the same. Same ideals, same personality, same outlook on life, wanted the same future. However, it seemed that this also was him conforming to others expectations and plans.

He got up from the couch and slipped on his shoes as he went to the door in a huff. He yelled out to her, "Fine. Who would want to sit here doing nothing with a pasty, grey aura like you, anyway?!"

Mai sat there with an open mouth. "Are you serious? It didn't work on me with Ty Lee, so why would I care if you say that about me? I don't believe in auras."

"Yes, I know! Don't believe in auras, constantly bored but you never want to do anything, always wanting something from me but you never care enough about me to ask how my day was, or... Nevermind!"

"Zuko, did you really think I was the type of girl who would be down at your knee asking how your day was? I thought the reason why you chose to go out with me was because I was different compared to all your little fangirls here," she said with a roll of her eyes. She said everything nonchalantly. She gave away nothing in terms of feelings.

He turned away from her. "Maybe I did. Maybe I don't know you as well as I thought."

He said in an even softer voice that only he would have been able to hear, "Maybe it's that I don't know myself."

With that, he turned and left the room, telling the guards they could do as they'd like.

The Day of Black Sun would be approaching the following day. The time when fire benders were at their weakest. Preparations were being made to protect the important members from harm during those torturous eight minutes.

It would seem, in Zuko's eyes, that his role must have not been that important in the proceeding preparations for protection. He wasn't asked to help, and hadn't been told to hide. He was basically told to do nothing. Zuko was never good at doing nothing and, instead, decided he would searched for Ty Lee.

He went through the palace and then through the people that were cast in different roles of the underground tunnels. He heard his sister's voice and he advanced in that direction. The tunnels had been an amazing idea that Sozin had made. The balloons in the back were an idea that a battalion had been cunning enough to steal from the Avatar's comrades.

He remembered the tunnels best through childhood adventures of brave curiosity. The tunnels were like a maze for young children and, as Zuko walked through them now, they seemed so simple and smaller in size. He let his fingers brush against the cold Earth wall as he went.

He found his sister in the center of a large room, two Earth bender soldiers standing near her. He remembered passing them once in awhile on the ship returning to the Fire Nation. His sister had mentioned something about 'souvenirs'. Now he knew what their obvious purpose would be.

Protecting Father. Or so he thought. They followed closely behind her, like two small children clinging to their mother. Their eyes full of hope in making their "mother" proud. Else, punishment would entail.

"Azula."

His sister turned to see her brother approaching her. She waved off the two, telling them to be in position, and wait for her signal. She then proceeded to bark out more orders before crossing her arms over her chest and appraised Zuko.

"What's wrong, Zuzu? Can't keep track of your girlfriend?"

Zuko scowled, knowing that all the details of yesterday had already reached her spying ears. He stated through gritted teeth, "She's not my girlfriend anymore."

"Really? Well, I'm sure you can find someone with less morals that wouldn't mind a little pain by your hands," Azula replied, her words spilling out like silk.

She knew every detail of what happened. Zuko's frown deepened. He hated the fact that she always knew what was going on between Mai and him. Nothing was sacred and Azula was cunning enough to pull out every piece of information and dissect it into little slices that she would use in applicable situations. Her tongue must have been itching to say something like that.

He had been silent for too long, and Azula assumed that he couldn't think of a comeback quick enough. So, instead, she continued on. "So, what's been going on with Ty Lee?"

Zuko turned red and kept his face down, trying to act like he was still mad about before. He composed himself quickly and picked up his head asking, "Why? What's wrong with her?"

Azula's keen eyes watched his every movement as she slowly brought her eyes back to his. "I was just wondering if you did something to her because she hasn't been coming around the palace lately. I can't think that she would be actually spending time at home, knowing she hates her family, blah, blah, blah. So, I assumed it must have been something you did. Did you call her a circus freak again?"

He had felt horrible about the dig he had made about her at the beach. He made it knowing that would hurt her the most. He regretted it the moment it left his lips.

"I haven't talked to her since racing her over a week ago. I've heard she's been sick."

"Right. Ty Lee's sick, and I'm a water bender." She cocked an eyebrow, probably wondering whether her brother was really that much of a moron.

"Very funny. Isn't she here helping you right now?"

Now, Azula's curiosity was surely piqued. To anyone else it probably just sounded like banter, small talk, but to Azula... Azula heard her brother asking where she would be found.

She would play along, for now. "Yes, well, she's helping out in another district of the tunnels. You could probably find her down that way, if you were looking."

That was the end of the conversation in Azula's eyes, as she turned her back to her brother and continued her order barking.

Wondering why his sister would actually play things cool and tell him where to find Ty Lee, was beyond him. She was probably buying her time and waiting for when she would pounce. She was constantly stalking her prey.

What did make him slightly happy, was the fact that Ty Lee did not tell Azula anything of what happened between them. He had been extremely worried about her spilling the beans, but she was the one who didn't. He had a newfound trust and bond for the girl.

Zuko went farther down the tunnels and saw a group of soldiers crowding around something or someone.

"Thank you boys, but I only needed one of you to help me," said a shaky voice. Zuko pushed his way through the crowd, and made his way to see who it was. In the center of the commotion stood Ty Lee, smiling at all the men, seemingly happy.

"But, Ty Lee, let me-"

"No, I can-"

"I was here-"

"Do you want to start something-"

The men were all talking at once and started growling at the other competition in the large room of the tunnel. Their voices echoed off the cool Earth, making it seem like two hundred men were talking instead of just fifteen or so. Ty Lee covered her ears saying, "Please, I didn't mean for all of you to start fighting..."

The men refused, it seemed, to stop their antics and Ty Lee decided she had had enough of the pressure that she felt was pushing on her. She threw a kick to her right, a few quick jabs to her left and then finished the rest that were still standing with a side swipe with her leg.

Two men were still standing. She figured to kill two birds with one stone and threw out a right fist and a left foot in opposite directions. She watched as her punch hit soundly and the man fell comically with two teeth coming loose. She lowered her arm and then started to lower her foot when she felt something holding it.

She turned, wondering what would be holding her foot but she wasn't quick enough. She felt her foot being turned, and with it her whole body lost it's balance and she was lifted off the ground into a spin until she felt herself falling to the cold ground.

"A-atitit, ouch!"

She rubbed her sore lower back, wondering which one of them had actually caught her kick. She was pleasantly surprised to see Zuko holding a hand down to her. He was wearing a sloppy, overconfident smile as he said, "Bad day at the office?"

She took the hand and brushed herself off. She smiled, making it seem like nothing happened between the two a week earlier. They both knew the truth. They shared something. Something that Zuko regarded very highly.

"Well, I don't know what got into them. All I did was ask someone for a knife and everyone came running. I guess they all just really want to help me out," she said innocently. She looked around at the soldiers who had fallen by her hand. She stepped around the bunch. "Not to worry. They should wake up soon."

Zuko had known Ty Lee to be popular with the guys, but what was it that he felt deep down in the pit of his stomach when he saw all those men crowding her? Jealousy? But, he didn't react the same as he did when Mai was being flirted with. Was it because... he trusted her?

"Zuko, you okay?" Ty Lee was staring at him, waving a hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his stupor.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He collected himself and surveyed Ty Lee while he did. She was wearing her usual soft tone's of pink's and red's that always seemed to brighten the room whether you liked it or not.

Her demeanor was always friendly and open and she gave out compliments like they were going out of style. She had been that aloof way ever since they were kids. Zuko had never noticed how attractive her self-confidence and respectful personality was until now.

The awkward silence between the two continued and they stared down at the floor, while shuffling feet and yelling could be heard around them. Ty Lee spoke first, "So, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," Zuko said, sounding more angry than he had thought he would by the question. "I was told to do nothing, that my efforts weren't needed in this endeavor. That I didn't have a role in this war, even though I am the Prince."

His hands clenched into fists at his side. Ty Lee's head tilted with care and her eyes crinkled as she smiled at Zuko. "What role do you want to hold in this war, Zuko?"

"Well, I," he started. He didn't know what he really wanted to do for the preparations. What part did he want to play? The more he thought, the more confused he felt, and the more he showed anger. He decided to switch the subject, "What kind of role did they give to you? Probably something stupid like holding off the Avatar and his comrades. They probably don't care if you get hurt. You're expendable."

Ty Lee watched Zuko with curiosity. She answered, "No. Azula is the clever one who thought up my role. She will be handling the Avatar and his friends herself, and I will be guarding your Father outside of his room."

She leaned in, cupping a hand against her mouth as to not be heard by any eavesdroppers, saying, "No one's supposed to know this, but your Father is being kept in the back room of the west branch of tunnels. Everyone thinks that he'll be in the main room. That's where Azula will wait."

Zuko nodded his head while receiving the 'secret' information. He was learning more and more of how much of a coward his Father truly was. The same Father who wanted to teach his twelve year old son a lesson with his face. The Father that Zuko wished to please for so many years of through hunting the Avatar.

"Zuko, do you want to go for a walk?" Ty Lee was looking at Zuko thoughtfully, knowing that something was bothering him.

He nodded unconsciously to her and walked towards the exit of the tunnels.

"You really shouldn't frown so much. You know, you do burn more calories by smiling then frowning," Ty Lee chit-chatted. She was probably one of the only people who thought it normal to chit-chat with Zuko. Most times, Zuko didn't even mind.

He just glanced at her as if she had two heads for a moment before comprehending what she had said. "Uh, sure."

They walked together, Ty Lee holding her hands clasped behind her back and smiling while Zuko looked like he was brooding about something. He asked casually, "So, where's Mai?"

"She's been told to hide along with the rest of her family. They could probably be found somewhere down in the deeper sections of the tunnel with my family and other influential people. She didn't seem to really mind. She told me that you two had a fight."

Zuko looked at her with a slight blush and a frown. "Does the whole world know about Mai and me?! Jeez, nothing is kept secret anymore." Zuko ruffled his hair and Ty Lee laughed gently.

Her laugh was sweet and seemed to cling in the air and made others around her turn and smile. She had a beautiful smile, as Zuko seemed to notice. She answered, "Not everyone cares, though everyone may know."

After a beat, Ty Lee spoke again. This time it was in a thoughtful way, almost as if she were talking to herself. "She cares about you a lot, Zuko. She might not show it all the time but by the amount of complaining she does about you, shows how much she truly cares. She even told me it once. In a round about way. You're good for her Zuko and she's good for you."

A chill ran through Zuko as Ty Lee tried to verbally push him away. They had walked far already, exiting out of the tunnels and heading down towards the water. They walked a forested path, trees swaying in the gentle breeze. Birds sang happy tunes and animals scampered around with naivety.

Ty Lee was going to walk on, but Zuko grabbed onto her wrist. She turned to look at Zuko who's eyes were cast in shadow. "Zuko, wha-"

Zuko tugged her into him and then pinned her to a tree. He held the petite girls wrists above her head, pushing her up against the tree with force. Her breath caught in her chest and she stared up into dark, hurt eyes. Animals scurried for cover, frightened by the loud noise that resounded through the quiet forest.

She didn't utter a word. She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. Zuko spoke, his voice was husky, saying, "So, you're just going to keep on pushing Mai towards me and forget about yourself? Think that would be better for me? Better for you?!"

"But Zuko, I-"

"You, what? You don't feel anything for me? Don't know what I'm talking about. Don't know why I would pin you to a tree when you start talking about how I'm better off with Mai?!"

He was raving mad. He couldn't even get out what he truly was feeling in words. "Ty Lee, why is it that your bubbly personality drives me crazy, but I can't get enough of it. That I keep thinking about you and that kiss, the song and... everything has been becoming clearer to me over these past few days. Everything. Yet you continually push me away and back and tell me no. Why?"

Ty Lee looked away from those truthful eyes. "Because Mai's my best friend. Can I really hurt her over a boy? Can I really let her heart break, even though mine might be?"

She started crying. Tears streaked down her unblemished face. She sunk down and Zuko followed suit. She clung to his arms that now embraced her instead of holding her prisoner. He didn't know what to do. Ty Lee was never known as a crybaby. He had only ever seen her fully break down and cry a handful of times. He just kneeled there, allowing her to cry into his chest.

She finally looked up, her puffy pink eyes and red nose looking foreign on the usually bright girls face. He tried to wipe away a tear that rested on her chin. "Why should your heart be the one to break? Why do you need to be the one who suffers?"

A smile broke through her sad face. "Because, that's the one thing I have control over. The one thing that I can decide on my own, Zuko. This whole thing isn't easy on me either, you know. Do you think I want to just forget about you and act like everything is peaches and fire candies? That I felt nothing when we kissed...?"

She looked away as she ended with that sentence. She couldn't look at him. She never acted this way. "I'm supposed to be the girl that vies for the boys attention but never keeps it. The girl everyone wants to be with, but not taken home to mom. And... that's fine with me. But, Zuko, it's enough. Just, let me go. You're not even sure of who you are. Maybe you're just confused."

He held a fire behind his eyes when Ty Lee finally gained the courage to look at him again. It frightened her, but she also felt a hint of pride. "I'm not confused anymore, Ty Lee. I know what I must do. What role I must play. I know you might not want this, but you are going to be part of my future, and that I promise you."

Zuko stood, stepping back from the tree that was supporting Ty Lee. The sun was sinking into the horizon and an Avatar, not so far away, was finally getting a good nights rest. Zuko would rest well that night as well.

"You have a job to do, Ty Lee. Protect my Father, and I'll find you tomorrow."

"What do you mean, Zuko? You'll find me? But, you were told to stay put in the palace. How-"

"Just wait. I have some other things that need to be settled before I can start my role in this war. But, I can promise, Ty Lee, I will make you part of my future."

Just like you were a part of my past. Like my Mother.

"You promise?!" Ty Lee's tone of voice was something new to Zuko. "Just like you promised you wouldn't change. That we made a pinky promise that we would grow up to become the people we wanted to be. Do you remember THAT promise?"

Zuko stared at the girl who was obviously hurt for so many years. Zuko went back towards the sunken girl. He picked her up and held her to him. "I'm changing to become the person I want to be. I'm sorry that I made that promise and haven't kept it very well. Let me try and make this promise. I swear to you, Ty Lee. I'm not a little kid anymore making silly promises. Believe me, trust me."

He took her head and cupped her cheeks, staring into those worried eyes. "I'm going to be fine. Don't worry about me."

I worry Zuko. She cringed away from his kiss and Zuko gave a frown as he kissed her forehead before leaving. A lone braid swung as the wind picked up and the night air began to chill.

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A/N: So, here's your Thanksgiving treat. Though, I'm really unsure of this chapter. I might totally revamp it. lol, cause I'm not completely happy with it. Not in the least. :(

So, don't be too critical with me, and if you agree that this whole chapter should be a wash and redone, please don't hesitate to tell me. Thanks!