Author's Note: Wow, sorry it's been so long. My life has been insanely hectic and I haven't had any time to write. I apologize and hope the wait won't be as long next time.

Zuko turned to the nearest soldier. "Ready my personal ship," he ordered. Kai frowned at the implication. What was he going to do with that? She stepped forward, her anger still simmering from the situation he had put them in.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"After the Avatar."

"I'm coming with you," she told him. He opened his mouth to argue but the determined look on her face must have told him she was going one way or another. He only nodded and then turned to his Uncle.

"Keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while I use it as cover."

Iroh frowned and stroked his beard, concern and frustration in his brown eyes. Kai could tell he didn't like it but he would do as the young prince instructed. Zuko motioned for Kai to follow him and they walked to the prow where the smaller ship waited beside it. The soldiers lowered a ladder and they descended onto the waiting vessel. Once on it, the smaller boat moved into the smoke from the damage done by Zhao's attack, giving them complete cover. They followed the trail for a few minutes before veering off, leaving the ship and Zhao's fleet behind.

After an hour of cutting through the waves and no sign of Zhao following them, the smaller ship neared the crescent shaped island of the Fire Sages. Kai and Zuko were deposited on a beach hidden from the view of the Fire Temple. Zuko studied the imposing architecture from their location and Kai could only assume he was forming a plan.

"The Avatar is probably here already. We need to sneak in through the back and without being seen. We don't know if anyone will try to capture us."

"Let's just go," Kai said shortly and started into the lush foliage native to the Fire Nation, pushing a broad leaf aside. Zuko paused in surprise before rushing after her.

"We can't just blunder through this blindly. We need a plan," he told her once he caught up.

"We have one. Sneak in through the back, grab the Avatar, and get out. Then you can take him back to your father and everything will be fine," she said bitterly, pushing her way through the branches and vines.

"Why do I get the feeling that that's not what you want?" Zuko retorted with heavy sarcasm. She didn't answer him and he stopped, a frown on his lips. "Why are you being like-"

"Shh."

"What! Don't-"

"Shhh!" She had stopped her trek to turn and fix him with a glare before pointing through the leaves at a small courtyard at the back of the temple. Two sages were strolling along, oblivious to the teenagers crouching in the bushes. Their voices were carried on the wind but no words could be made out.

"Wait for me to get to the other side and then set off a flare or something," she whispered to him before creeping silently through the outskirts of the courtyard. She reached the edge and glanced back at where Zuko was. Just as she had instructed, he sent a fire ball into the air.

"What was that?"

"I don't know but let's go look."

The voices faded as the sages moved away and moments later she could hear the sound of someone approaching her from the bushes. She turned to find Zuko moving quietly to her side.

"What next?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Am I really the brains in this?"

He shrugged and she turned away, studying their position. The sages had all but disappeared. "Keep to the shadows," she warned before creeping out of their hiding place and pulling her hood up to keep the sun from reflecting off her golden hair. She moved silently along the edge of the temple until she reached an alcove that dipped into a hallway. Sliding up against the wall, she waited for Zuko to catch up. She silently pointed to a door down the hall and he nodded. They moved stealthily along the wall, alert to any sounds coming close to them. They reached the door and paused, straining to hear if anything was on the other side. She looked to Zuko and he dipped his head toward the handle, telling her it was probably safe. She slowly turned it and winced as the heavy door creaked on its hinges. Poking her head in, her blue eyes scanned the empty corridor and she silently slid through the cracked door, pressing up against the wall once she was through. They made there way along the corridor without trouble and Kai wondered where everyone was. As if in answer to her thought, a loud explosion echoed through the ancient temple, causing the firebenders to jump in surprise. It had come from just down the corridor.

"What in the name of Agni was that?" Zuko whispered.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's the Avatar."

"Let's keep going then," he commanded, a renewed determination in his tone. They continued in the direction of the explosion until they reached an archway leading into a room. They pressed against a wide column and Kai tried to make sense of the voices coming from the room.

"How did he get in?"

"Look at the scorch marks."

"He's inside. Open the door!"

Kai easily recognized the sound of fire and then a strange clicking noise echoed through the room. A distinct creak signaled a door opening.

"He's not there!"

"It's just the Avatar's lemur-agh!"

Kai turned to shoot a confused glance at Zuko and was surprised to see him behind the column adjacent to hers and holding a struggling Avatar.

"Now, Aang!" a boy's voice yelled.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" a girl cried this time.

"The Avatar's coming with me!" Zuko said firmly, stepping out from his hiding place while holding Aang's hands behind his back. A few surprised gasps came from the sages and Kai stepped from behind the column to assess what was going on. Two sages had a dark-skinned girl and a similar looking boy restrained while another had one of their own men bound. They all looked to be in shock at the sight of the banished prince.

"Don't just stand there. Tie them up!"

The sages seemed to come to their senses at his words and they began to chain their prisoners to a column.

"Close the doors! Quickly!" Zuko commanded. A few sages shuffled toward the door and he began pushing the Avatar towards the exit. Suddenly, Aang twisted away and kicked at Zuko, startling him into letting go and sending him tumbling down a set of stairs.

"Zuko!" Kai gasped and ran to the prince, paying no mind as the Avatar lunged for the closing doors. She knelt beside him with concerned blue eyes but he pushed her away, fury contorting his features.

"Don't touch me! Get him!" He yelled at her. She jumped back in surprise at his outburst and then looked to where the Avatar had just managed to slip into the room. The doors slammed closed with a thundering finality and Zuko scrambled to his feet, reaching the closed door and banging on it with his fist. A bright light flooded from underneath the door and he stepped back letting out an angry growl.

"Open it!"

The sages assumed firebending stances and sent five blasts of fire at the special lock. The door remained shut and Zuko whirled on them. "Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut!"

"It must have been the light. Avatar Roku does not want us inside," one of the sages answered.

"I don't give a damn about what a dead Avatar wants. Bring me the traitor!"

The sages moved to untie the traitor and bound his hands before pushing him to his knees in front of Zuko. Kai moved to the prince's side and placed a gentle hand on his arm. She felt him just barely flinch under her touch and he moved away to glare down at the sage on his knees.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" he demanded.

"Because it was once the sage's duty. It is still our duty," the man replied defiantly.

Zuko opened his mouth to berate the man but the sound of clapping broke the tension in the air and caused every one to turn around. Commander Zhao approached with his troops, a smug look on his face.

"What a moving and heartfelt performance," he said snidely. "I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him."

"Commander Zhao," the sages said in unison, bowing.

"And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort. But your little smoke screen didn't work. Two traitors in one day, the Fire Lord will be pleased. And I'm sure he'd like your pet too."

Two soldiers moved forward and grabbed Zuko and Kai, yanking her hood off in the process.

"You're too late, Zhao," Zuko growled. "The Avatar's inside and the door is sealed."

"No matter. He will come out soon enough."

A little while later, Kai glanced over at Zuko, her blue eyes searching his face. They had been tied to their own column and she watched as his jaw worked while his golden eyes analyzed the situation.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He was silent for a moment before tearing his eyes away from Zhao's assembled troops to meet her gaze. "For what?"

"For letting him escape," she cast her eyes away, knowing he would be angry. She didn't understand why he would have rather she left him possibly in pain and chase after the Avatar, but his obsession seemed to leave her confused more and more lately. It made her angry he had yelled at her like that but she might as well try to fix things between them while they could. She knew they were going to be Zhao's prisoners now and the likeliness of escape seemed slim.

"It's not your fault," he said, surprising her. "I was just caught up in the moment."

She felt his fingers barely brush hers and she returned her gaze to his. Their chains allowed for barely any movement but he had managed to get his hand just far enough to where he could touch her. "I'm gonna get us out of this," he reassured her.

"Ready!"

Zhao's words caused them to look away from each other and they watched as the troops fell into firebending poses aimed at the doors. They began to slowly open and a strange fog poured out from within. Kai strained to see and she just barely caught a glimpse of two glowing eyes.

"Fire!"

"Aang no!" The dark-skinned girl's words could barely be heard above the sound of fire erupting into the doorway.

The fire began to well at the entrance and Kai's eyes widened as it was manipulated into a ball. It split open and from the center emerged Avatar Roku with glowing eyes. The soldiers ceased fire and a few stepped back in awe and fear.

"Avatar Roku!" The traitorous sage's voice cut through the air.

The ethereal man drew the ball of fire towards him and then sent it outward, causing a blast of heat to roar through the chamber. The chains fell away from Zuko and Kai and they looked at each other in shock as the metal melted at their feet. Zuko grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the corridor they had entered through. They didn't speak as they ran from the chamber still roaring with fire and the power of the former Avatar. They made it outside and the foliage slowed their escape down, as if it wanted to keep them there to die. In a hurry, Kai sent a blast of white fire into the air, signaling the ship to return and pick them up. They scrambled through vines and tropical plants before finally reaching the beach. Zuko stopped to glance behind them and his eyes widened with fear.

"Go!" he shouted urgently and pushed her toward the beach where the ship was waiting just off shore. She glanced over her shoulder to see the volcano erupting behind them. Lava was flying through the air, staining the darkening sky red and setting the forest on fire. With renewed energy of pure adrenaline and fear, Kai reached the shore and waded through the water as fast as she could. Zuko was behind her, trying to urge her on faster. Large splashes and loud sizzles filled the ocean as magma rained into the water around them. They struggled to swim toward the ship, fear driving them to its side where crewmen lowered a ladder.

"Hurry!" they shouted and Kai and Zuko climbed as fast as they could. As soon as they were both on deck, the ship took off, leaving the flaming island behind. Panting and soaking wet, Zuko pulled Kai into a relieved hug.

"We made it. We're okay," he reassured her softly.

A/N: Hope it was worth the wait. Read and review!