Chap. 5

The Leaving

After the announcements from Aang and Oscuridad, the group dispersed. Most of the Knights, along with Katara, Sokka, and Toph, went to help General How prepare his troops. Oscuridad and Hierro stayed behind to help plan the voyage to the Fire Nation. Aang and Iroh left to begin the day's firebending training. But Zuko took a different path. After hearing the plan, he left for his quarters, and remained there for a few hours in silent meditation. Some servants saw him there, but they left him alone, assuming that he was undergoing some sort of Fire Nation mental preparation for the battle ahead. They were right, but not in the way they thought. After the time had passed, Zuko opened his eyes and reached for the money pouch the Earth King had given him. He attached it to his belt, and then to up and headed for the exit. Zuko walked silently through the palace, ignoring all the sights and planning around him, until he reached the main entrance and walked through it to the front courtyard. It was there he finally showed some emotion, as he saw Jin waiting there, staff in hand, and smiled at her.

"Aren't you missing something?" Jin asked, as Zuko approached her.

"Not anymore." Zuko replied, as he gave her a quick kiss.

"Hmm.. If that's your weapon, I think you may win hands-down today." Jin said slyly.

"Actually, I thought we might take a break today." Zuko said. "It seems like all we ever do is fight anymore…. Wait, I don't think that came out right."

"Hey, at least we admit it." Jin said back. "But are you sure? You said when we started that we had to take training seriously and not let ourselves be distracted."

"Well, I just thought you'd like a change. You have been talking about wanting to see that zoo that Aang made outside the city." While traveling through the city one day, Aang had come across a dilapidated zoo filled with hungry animals. He'd managed to convince the zookeeper to let him take the animals to the plain outside the city, but actually doing so had been more difficult then he'd imagined. Thankfully, Appa's bison whistle had provided the necessary attraction to get the animals outside the city, and into the zoo Aang had sculpted out of the earth for them. Since then, it had become one of the most popular sites in Ba Sing Se. Everyone had been trying to get in, including Jin. Zuko had managed to get out of it though his duties to the Earth King, which was the reason that Jin raised an eyebrow at his suggestion.

"Really? You said you hated zoos."

"I do. But we are going to be separated soon, and I want to have more then training to remember you by. And what better memories could I have then seeing you happy?"

"Aww. You are such a good boyfriend. How did you not end with anyone before me?" Jin giggled, as she took Zuko's hand in hers and sheathed her staff. "All right then, let's get going."

With that, the two of them began to head for the outer ring of the city. As they walked, Zuko tried to focus on keeping Jin happy, and not on all the horrible, disgusting, smells that would accompany their trip to the zoo. Zuko had hated them ever since a trip to a Fire Nation Zoo as a child. He'd gotten lost inside the monkey house, forced to deal with the smells inside for three hours, until his uncle had managed to find him. To this day, he couldn't go near a monkey without feeling sick. But Jin had wanted to see this new zoo for a long while, and now….

"So what do want to see first?" Jin asked suddenly.

"I don't know. What sounds good to you?" Zuko replied.

"I guess the monkeys, if they have any. I think they're so cute! Don't you Zuko?"

"Yes. They're adorable." Zuko managed to get out, while keeping his gorge back. Jin laughed, and they continued walking, though Zuko could hear his sister's voice in his head; Nice, Zuzu. You're getting almost as good at lying as I am.

The two of them actually manage dot make good time, reaching the zoo in only about half-an-hour. Once they got in, Jin attempted to pay for her ticket, but Zuko stepped in and paid for the both of them. Again, Jin was surprised, but Zuko just insisted that he wanted to show her a good time. It seemed to placate her, and the two of them entered the zoo. Jin checked the map they'd been given at the entrance to figure out where to go first.

"So, which way to the monkeys?" Zuko asked, hoping that he didn't sound too disgusted.

"Aww, it doesn't look like they have one." Jin said in disappointment. "But look, they have a rabbiroo! Let's go there first."

"Sounds great." Zuko said, as he thanked Darya for this mercy. The couple walked through the zoo, following the map until they reached the area where the rabbiroo was kept. Jin ran to the side rail and watched as the large animal hopped around.

"Aww, it's so adorable." She said, as she looked at it. "It reminds of Mr. Hopples…"

"Who?" Zuko asked in amusement.

"Oh…., um,, nobody." Jin said, trying to brush it off. But Zuko was not so easily placated.

"Come on, was he your pet or something?" he pressed.

"Well,… kinda. He was my pet, but…. Um…. He wasn't….real." Jin said, blushing fiercely.

"Wait, he was your imaginary friend?" Zuko said with a grin.

"Come on, I was five! It's perfectly normal." Jin protested.

"I know, I know. But how long did you have him?" Zuko asked.

"The normal length of time." Jin answered.

"You still have him, don't you?"

Before Jin could answer, something started to pull on her sleeve. Surprised, she pulled back and looked over the rail to see the rabbiroo looking up at her. Jin looked back down, and started to carefully move her hand down to touch the animal. It kept perfectly still. Jin moved closer and closer, and still the rabbiroo wouldn't move. Finally, she reached the top of its head, and then began to pet it as it looked on.

"I guess it knows Mr. Hopples." Zuko said, as he watched Jin petting the rabbiroo. Jin didn't respond, so entranced she was by the creature. The smile that lit her face could have shown over Ba Sing Se like a second sun. Zuko watched her silently, taking in every detail of her face for memory.

It wasn't until the sun had started to set that Jin and Zuko returned from the zoo. Jin was thrilled with the experience and wouldn't stop talking about how cute the animals were. Zuko just nodded and smiled, happy to listen. But as they walked, he kept leading them to a very specific spot, one that Jin recognized instantly once they arrived; the Firelight Fountain. As the darkness crept in, and the candle lighters quickly went about their work, Zuko and Jin reminisced about their first date. The candle lighters saw them, smiled, and then moved even faster, quickly leaving the two lovebirds alone in peace.

"Do you remember how I tired to kiss the first time right here?" Jin said, as she pulled Zuko over to the exact spot.

"Yeah." Zuko replied. "And I pulled out a coupon. Darya, how did you not just laugh at me right then and there?"

"I thought it was cute." Jin said. "You looked so tough with your big scar and way with words, and here you were, scared to get close."

"That's always been my problem." Zuko said, his eyes becoming downcast. "It isn't easy for me to get to close to people. Half the time I don't notice it, like I did with my uncle. Or they always seem to vanish. My mother….." Zuko became silent then, as he seemed to wrestle with something inside himself. Jin saw this struggle, and moved to his side.

"Zuko, it's ok." She said, as she ran her hand over his scar. "I'm not going to vanish on you. I'll always be with you, even when you go to the Fire Nation, and then…."

"Jin, wait." Zuko said, his voice thick with emotion. "I-I have to tell you something."

"What?" Jin asked, fearful now of what might come from his mouth.

"A-Aang and Oscuridad had some kind of vision last night." Zuko said. "They spoke with the Architects, the gods, I mean, and Avatar Roku. They said…"

"What? What was it?"

"We're leaving tomorrow. I'm leaving tomorrow." Zuko said, as Jin gasped. "They want us to build an army, beyond what the Earth Kingdom can offer. I'm supposed to go to this prison in Fire Nation territory with Fuego, to free some people who can help us. I think we'll go in from the south, they won't be expecting that."

"W-When will you be back?" Jin asked.

"It's classified." Zuko said, with a weak grin. Jin looked at him a moment, then snorted, then started to laugh and cry at the same time, the tears running down her face. Zuko drew her in close, and held her as she cried onto his shoulder.

"It isn't fair." She sobbed. "We've barely had any time together. How can they do this to us?"

"I-I don't know." Zuko said, as he stroked her hair. "But they know what the right thing to do is…"

"Screw that!" Jin cried out. "They don't know what the right thing is for us! They just know for everyone else." Looking at Zuko, she said, "Let's leave. We'll get out of the city tonight. We'll find a home somewhere else."

"Jin.." Zuko began, trying to find the right words. But before he could, she said, "I know, I know. I couldn't do it either. But I thought maybe if one of us said it…." She paused a minute, then drew in breath and said, "It just isn't fair. This all seemed so far away when you were leaving later. I thought I could deal with it. But now…., now it's here and all I can think about it losing you. All I can think about is seeing them all come back, with you in a…"

"Don't." Zuko said suddenly. Jin stopped, as Zuko put his finger under her chin and drew her face up to his. "I don't know what's going to happen." He said, as he looked into her eyes. "I don't know if we're going to win or lose. I don't know if anyone will come back from it or if Aang will save us all. I don't even know what I'm going to be when it's all over. But I swear to you, no matter what, I will come back to you. I will not leave you alone, not then, not ever."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then their lips met, in gentle embrace. They stood there, under the glow of the Firelight Fountain, neither of them knowing if this was the last time that they would stand together. But even that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was what they believed in their hearts. And in their hearts, they knew they would be together again. It was that belief that gave them both strength in the days to come, that shone and guided them through the dark times. It burned brightly in them, brighter then the Firelight Fountain, brighter then any light that even Luz could have made. For it was the light of true and undeniable love, and that is a light that can never go out completely.