Ok. I lied. Updates won't be as frequent as they used to be. I have hit a very busy time, though I promise that you will get a chapter once a week. :)

thanks for the faves/alerts/reviews... you all make me very happy. :) i hope i can do the same for you!

more stuff for you... we are onto the tiny adventures inside the Fire Nation. I promise to give you more juicy stuff in the next chapter.

enjoy!

-TSA

Chapter 22:

"Perhaps a great love is never returned." ~Dag Hammarskjold

They were whispering about him and he damn well knew it. He was fidgety, to say the least, and was trying not to show that he heard their giggles. He kept his nose in his book, one that he found in the royal library that spoke of military tactics, but that only made their little noises grow louder. He had probably read the same sentence five or six times from his lack of focus, which he was certain they knew. Leaning his head back against the tree he was sitting against, he gazed up at the blue sky with a sigh.

He hated the Fire Nation.

It was always hot! With summer rolling in faster, he was sure that the temperatures would continue to increase until he would find himself leaving behind his armor and tunic, despite that the display might be inappropriate. Sweat was trickling down his temples, and he was furiously wiping it away with his tunic, and for whatever reason, those servant girls watching him found it alluring to see him lift up the bottom of his shirt. Glancing over at them, finally, he saw them all blush furiously and scurry off behind the pillars of the walkway around the courtyard.

He rose to his feet, closing his book after sliding his marker inside. Shaking his head, he made his way around the courtyard, finding a quieter place by the fountain. He kicked his sandals off and rolled the bottom of his pants up before setting his feet into the cool water. He opened his book again, hoping that he had found solace away from his "admirers". As he found himself enthralled again in his researching, he was not aware of the girl who was peering over his shoulder until she took the book from his hands to examine the title.

"A war strategies book? How lame can you get?"

He sighed dreamily, admiring the drawling voice of his "true love", "Is that not expected from a general?"

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

She laughed a little, "So, no, it is not expected from a general of your age."

He beckoned for her to sit beside him, which she hesitantly did. The skirt of her gown fanned out around her feet while she set her hands on her lap. The image of her, calm and dignified, was enough for him to lose his heart from his chest. Yep, she'd stolen it, even if she didn't know that.

"What brings you out here, Mai?"

"I don't have to explain that to you." He was glad to see her trying to hide a smirk, "I was simply taking a walk and saw you here."

"I'm honored that you wanted to join me-"

"You looked rather pathetic sitting by yourself with your nose stuck in a book."

Mai handed him back the text he was reading, which made him smile. He took her hand, her slender fingers swallowed by his giant palms. Their eyes met, though however brief before she pulled her hand from his and blushed furiously. He inched closer to her, tapping her under the chin to get her to look back at him.

"I can admit that I'm pathetic, but you quite enjoy that or else you wouldn't bother telling me."

Mai rolled her eyes, leaning just a little closer to him, "So? Maybe I like how pathetic you are?"

"Would you want to know what I like about you?" Mai nodded her head, but before Nalren could speak, the sound of yelling erupted. Nalren stood up, watching as several soldiers stormed about the courtyard, shouting for Mai, "I think you're being summoned."

"Why can't they just go away?" She sighed impatiently while rising to her feet, "I'm sure it's Zuko wondering where I am…"

Nalren's brow furrowed, "Why is he looking for you?"

"He's my boyfriend."

Nalren tried not to look like those words had stabbed his heart. He smiled as best he could while taking her hand and kissing it, "Until we meet again, Mai."

"Try not to look like a loser next time, ok?" She smirked before turning on her heel and strutting over to where the soldiers were frantically searching for her, "Goodbye, General Nalren."

The least he could be happy about was that she remembered his name. He smiled as best he could, though he couldn't ignore the little pang in his chest. It was difficult to accept that maybe he couldn't win "fair maiden's heart", but he didn't intend to go down without a fight.

. . . .

He was pacing back and forth, tugging at the collar of his armored suit, a polished onyx with a hint of crimson outlined by shimmering gold. The look of worry on his face was rather cute, and she was sure if she told him that then he would get angry with her. It wasn't like they talked much anymore, not since he decided he had a girlfriend. It stung, no doubt, but she didn't want him to know that she hated how quickly he discarded her.

Briar sat on a bench outside the chamber doors, smoothing her hands over the wrinkles of her gown. Again with the crimson reds embroidered with gold. She rested her hand against the metal and clicked her nails on it. It had been awhile since she'd had a manicure, though it was often useless as an earth bender. Nails clacking against the bench, she found herself waiting for Zuko to snap and tell her that he hated the sound. She laughed as he threw his hands in the air, whirling on her.

"Will you stop that?"

She was still laughing, "Finally! The silence is broken!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You refuse to say anything to me." She sighed while taking the fan from her sash and opening it, "I was just musing on the fact that you are actually talking to me."

Zuko walked over to her, hands clutched into fists as she fanned herself, "You're nothing but trouble. I should have known that all you were good for was backstabbing. I had that notion from the beginning! But you messed around with me-"

"Messed around?" She stood up, nearly bumping into him, "You were the one who kissed me! I didn't make that first move!"

"But you continued screwing with my emotions! I don't need you anymore!"

She slapped him, her body shaking as he recoiled to look at her, "You don't need me, huh? That's right…All you need is your father's acceptance and life is all golden again. You can't go back to the past, Prince Zuko. If we could, we wouldn't have the present and the future."

She turned on her heel, but Zuko grabbed her wrist. Glancing back at him, she saw that misunderstanding in his eyes. Damn him for his pitiful looks. She allowed him to tug her back into his arms, foreheads resting against one another until they closed their eyes.

"I don't enjoy our arguments…" he mumbled.

"I don't enjoy knowing you can never be mine." She wanted to push him away, but the heat of his body was too comforting, "This game isn't over. You know as well as I do that chess takes hours of strategizing."

"Who are you playing against?"

She wanted to tell him, but the sound of clanking armor interrupted them. She retreated back to her bench while Zuko turned around to see Mai being escorted by his guards. He'd almost forgotten that he'd called for her to see if she could console him. Now, staring at her, he wasn't sure if she could. He gave Mai a hug, noticing that Briar's eyes had darkened. He could feel the burn of her gaze even as he turned his back.

Briar rolled his eyes while blocking out their little exchange of words. If Zuko was seriously afraid of confronting his father, then nothing was bound to change. She wasn't sure what Azula had told the Fire Lord about the Avatar, but she had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to fair well for Zuko. She tapped her feet until the doors to the throne room opened and a servant asked for Zuko to enter. Suddenly, there was silence and the awkward stare of Mai on her solemn face.

"I don't think I got your name…" Mai murmured.

"It's Queen Amaterasu." She saw Mai lift an eyebrow, which made her smile a bit, "Actually, I'm just Briar."

"I'm Mai." Another silence and Mai sat down next to Briar, "I heard you're an earth bender."

"You heard correctly."

"Then what are you doing here in the Fire Nation?"

Briar shrugged, not entirely sure of the right answer, "I'm looking to take back what was mine."

Mai lifted a brow, "Which means…?"

"There are things I have lost, despite knowing where they are." She smirked while rising to her feet in a fluid motion that made Mai flinch, "I do believe you and Zuko have a strong relationship, unless I'm mistaken?"

"Yes, we do."

"Take good care of him, will you?" Briar began to walk off, the train of her dress dragging behind her, "He could make a great ruler if the people surrounding him believe it as much as he wants to."

She left with no other words, though that didn't change the throbbing in her chest. A strong relationship? That was highly doubtful. Seeing Mai's eyes as she answered made her wonder who it was that she truly wanted in her life. It wouldn't be difficult to split them up; she just needed to know who this other "fellow" was that was on Mai's mind-

Sighing, she decided to push those thoughts away. She had no need to force a breakup between them; it was just something that she wanted. She had a week left before the Day of the Black Sun and she needed to find where Chronos was and if he had reclaimed his new throne. She needed to move fast. Her best option was to enlist Hikaru and Ulysses' help, which probably meant that she needed to tell them exactly what was going on.

Not that she felt her aunt needed to know it all…

. . . .

"I told you- I'm fine!"

Fending off her servants who were trying to redress her wounds, she hobbled to her feet and tugged her robe across her shoulders, tying it loosely around her bruised waist. Stomping from her chambers, she shouted for a servant to bring a cup of tea for her into the library. There wasn't much time left. She needed to plan a siege to retake Ba Sing Se, but she needed to know where Chronos was. She threw open the doors to the library and to her surprise, someone was seated at her table.

"I am already in the process of tracking Lord Chronos," Ulysses dryly said.

"You're at my table…" she growled.

"There's an open seat." He glanced up at her, taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose, "He was last seen in a harbor town in the western part of the kingdom."

"I'm surprised the Fire Nation isn't hunting him."

"The Fire Nation has no need to hunt him." Ulysses was smiling, "I assured that very few people knew he would inherit Ba Sing Se's throne."

"You're a cunning son of a bitch." Hikaru grudgingly sat across from him, glancing over the papers he had scattered across the table, "For what purpose did you have for securing Chronos the throne?"

He sat up taller, spectacles back on his face, "I have been well aware of this war since it began. The Fifty Second Earth King was not apt to rule since he had been turned into a figurehead. Alongside Chronos' father, I raised that boy into a perfect king, but he needed a more valuable kingdom. I was relying on his marriage to Briar or the death of the Earth King."

"Would you have resorted to murder to assure he would rule in a higher place?" Hikaru retorted.

"I'm cunning, but not ruthless." Ulysses scribbled onto the parchment in front of him before folding it up into an envelope, "I ask that you let me handle this, Lady Susanoo."

"Bite me, Ulysses." She smirked while he glared at her, "I pummeled your guards in order to get to Ba Sing Se. Don't think for a second that I won't pummel you."

She rose to her feet as a servant came and handed her a cup of hot tea. Sipping on it, she gave Ulysses a little curtsy before sauntering out of the library. Sure, she'd let Ulysses find Chronos, but that meant that once correspondence was achieved, she would be the one taking over. First step was to take back the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Nation, second was to secure the armies, and third was to place Chronos as the Fifty Third Earth King.

And it was all dependent on the Day of the Black Sun.

So chronos has made his move! He's going after his kingdom! One week until the Day of the Black Sun- how is Briar going to orchestrate this assassination? Ulysses and Hikaru aren't going to see eye to eye...haha

Zuko and Briar need to get a better hobby aside from arguing with each other. haha. but both Mai and Zuko love someone else...when are they going to realize it?

update will be within a week, maybe less depending on my schedule.

-TSA