Chapter 14

All Zuko could think about, was her. He struggled to calm his worried mind, but it just seemed to make things worse. He was so worried, so sick. It nauseated him just thinking about what those monsters might be doing to her. His hands curled into tight fists. But, he hurried to shake away his anger. Zuko wished and hoped with all he had that she was alright. That, maybe, just maybe, nothing had even happened at all. At least, not yet. He knew she was strong and brave, sometimes more so than him. But he still worried for her safety. He wanted her to be okay. Unharmed.

His thoughts eventually faded as his worried mind drifted to sleep, and he immediately began to dream.

She was there. Like usual, she invaded his dreams, keeping him concerned and alert even when he was resting. She held his hands, and he pressed them to his lips, kissing them gently. Then, he began to kiss them deeper, and more passionate. She moaned silently, like she would always do when he kissed her. His lips traveled up her arms, past her shoulder blades, and stopped to kiss her neck. His tongue danced at the taste of her skin. She tasted like spices.. and yet, of sugar.. Zuko felt a shiver run down her spine, and he groaned, moving his lips up and around her jaw, pausing just before her lips. He breathed in her scent, as his hands roamed free around her clothing, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. He began to kiss her, gently parting her lips with his, and his hands didn't cease to a stop. He continued kissing her, and slowly began to lift her shirt over her head. She didn't object, and Zuko's lips felt no hesitation in her embrace. She felt a smile shape it's way onto his mouth. She smiled back, tracing her fingers around his back, feeling his muscles slowly begin to feel less and less tense. Moments later, and Zuko hadn't noticed his shirt was off, too. He also didn't notice she was practically all the way exposed, leaving out the exception of the cloth that wrapped around her waist. He knew this could easily be removed, but, he didn't know if she wanted that just yet. He kissed down her neck, and continued down her stomach, until he met the cloth. He stared at her body, then his eyes met hers, as if he were asking permission. She nodded, as if she were granting it.

Then, Zuko's eyes sprung open. He realized there was drops of sweat dripping from his chin, and he was blushing fiercely. It took him a long moment to catch his breath, and he slowly pulled himself out of bed. He had never had a dream quite like that before. He rubbed his forehead, as he trailed to his dresser. He rested a hand on the edge, keeping his balance. Zuko swallowed down a big lump in his throat. His mind scolded him for dreaming that way, it wasn't right of him to think of those things. It also scolded him for ever having that conversation with Sokka. Ever since then, being with her ,in that way, was all he could really think about besides her safety. It was either one or the other. He wished she was there, with him. So he could show her how he felt.

But Zuko didn't know how long that would be. His heart was told him never to give up on her, even when things were bad. And his head told him to go find her, even if it meant his life.

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Mai stared into out of the crack in the door, and watched as the moon lifted it's way into clear view.

"It's time." Aiko whispered. Mai nodded.

"You know what to do, keep quiet, and if anybody spots you, knock them down before they knock you down." Aiko continued.

Mai was motivated, but she needed something else to get her going. She needed his voice to speak to her again. She bit her lip, and swallowed, fighting off the first tear that would lead to many more.

It's going to be alright. Mai's eyes widened when she heard him. He was talking to her, it had to be him. Somehow, he was speaking to her.

You can do this, it's easy. I'll be here with you. He hummed. Mai felt her knees go weak.

"You alright?" Aiko asked, puzzled by Mai's expression.

She caught herself,"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Let's go." Mai said, taking one last glance at the moon.

Aiko slid herself through the doorway, and Mai followed. It was hard for Mai to see in the dim lighting, but Aiko lit a small flame to guide them. Mai followed, quickly and silently.

They continued down hallways, and Mai started to recognize the details of the art on the walls and ceilings.

"Wait, this is where I was when I first got here." Mai whispered.

Aiko nodded,"I want to help the others escape. I'll leave a small door open in the back of the hallway of their rooms for them, they will find it in the morning.

Mai nodded. She couldn't object, this was the only way for her to escape. The hallway started to get more and more dim, to where Mai couldn't even see any more. Aiko lit a fire again, and stopped in front of the door to the next hallway,"You stay here. I'll be right out. Just keep quiet, alright?" She asked, already turning around knowing Mai's answer.

She nodded again, even though she couldn't see. Mai leaned against the wall, hoping if anybody decided to walk by she would just blend in. Mai remained completely silent, she couldn't even hear her own breathing. Then, a loud crash made her jump. She immediately took action, and looked down the hallway, squinting, trying to see what happened. But, she couldn't see anything. She took a step into the darkness, and she heard struggling noises.

"Aiko?" She called out in a whisper.

"Mai! He- Help!" Aiko yelled. Mai managed to make it out, though her voice was muffled. Mai felt along the walls and ran to the end, where she began to see light. She followed it, and turned to see Aiko surrounded by two men. She was completely unharmed. Not a scratch. And, there was no sign of a struggle. Mai stood there, dumbfounded.

Oh no. The voice in her head groaned. She was confused. The two men gave her a smirk, and nodded towards Aiko, who looked down.

"What's going on?" Mai managed to choke out.

"I'm sorry.." Aiko lipped silently, but Mai caught it.

Mai gasped to herself,"What's going on?!" This time she screamed. The men didn't flinch, they were obviously used to it.

Though, Aiko cringed.

The men closed the distance between Mai and them, and grabbed her by the arms. "No!" She screamed as loudly as she could.

She kicked and yelled at them, but they didn't show any sign of distress. They didn't even flinch. Mai didn't back down, she continued throwing her arms aimlessly at them. Zuko's voice rang in her head, keep hitting. She listened to him. He was the only one she trusted. She kept punching and kicking, until one of the men grunted in pain, and fell to his knees. She kept kicking at the other, and he flew against the wall. Mai took this chance to run, as fast as she could back down the hallway. She didn't even need light, she just kept running. She ran until she came to a stairway, with two guards on the side. She knew if she was fast, she could outrun them, or maybe they wouldn't even see her. She didn't take long to measure her options and kept running. She ran quietly across the first flight of stairs, but the two guards heard.

Damn. Keep running. Don't stop. His voice warned. Mai ran, and heard the men tumble after her. They were no match for her speed. This outfit they had given to her was light and airy, which helped her go even faster. Her eyes began to pick up senses of light, which means the stairs lead outside. She smiled in relief, and her feet moved faster. The door to the outside was so close, until she was just inches away. She hurled herself outside, and slammed it shut. She put a metal bar between the lock and the handle, so nobody could open it. She sighed, and turned around. But when she did, she realized her problems just got a whole lot worse.

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Thank u for ur reviews ^^

I will reply l8r, I'm sleepy.. and my laptop is

going to die.. x]

This chapt. was hard to write T.T

I just love Mai to death, and then I have to

ruin her life in my fanfic ... so sorry dear xD