Kyuri didn't have high hopes for finding Appa with posters. For starters, Sokka's drawings were horrible. Aang's plan of scattering posters over the city was apparently illegal, though the look on Joo Dee's face when he screamed at her had been entertaining to see. And Long Feng had hinted that he knew where Appa was, that he had him in his custody. He would hardly keep him out in the open.

The appearance of Jet had done nothing helpful either. Katara was now sniping at him every chance she go, and it was causing strife. Katara was deeply suspicious of him, but then, so was Kyuri. His eyes skimmed over her, like he didn't even remember her knocking him out at Pao's. It was like he hadn't seen her since he tried to wipe out that village. She knew he wasn't that good of an actor.

Pao's…

Zuko.

Kyuri smiled. She seemed to do that whenever she thought of him. She'd seen him a few more times since that first date. They went out to the lower ring where people couldn't recognize her. Sometimes they ate or had tea, others they went out to the pond again, and once they went back to the Firelight Fountain and sat and talked.

They seemed to do a lot of that, talking. Kyuri found she could tell him things she thought she'd only ever tell Katara, maybe Toph one day. She had opened up about her parent's death, and in turn he told her about his missing mother and his relationships with his father and Azula. Kyuri spoke of what it was like to be connected to a dragon and Zuko talked about his days with his uncle. They shared insignificant things too, favorite colors and foods, and a few more kisses.

Kyuri blushed and bit her lip at the thought. She found she liked kissing Zuko immensely. For many years she'd thought it to be simply a physical affirmation of caring; nice, but not necessary. Now she saw why couples in the South Pole were always kissing. It was enjoyable.

And the things he could do with his tongue…

"Kyuri, I have accepted your relationship with the prince. Do not make me watch you two stick your tongues down each other's throats."

"…. Sorry Sangilak."

"Humans and their kissing… It looks immensely awkward and uncomfortable to me."

"We don't have snouts and fangs."

"Fair point."

"Kyuri, are you okay?" Katara asked from behind her. They were all riding Sangilak to Lake Laogai, the lake Jet had been taken to. Meeting up with Smellerbee and Longshot had been a stroke of luck. It was relatively simple once Jet's memory was jogged to figure out that the lake the Dai Li took him to after he was arrested was Lake Laogai.

"You look red," Katara continued. "And you're actually smiling."

Kyuri stiffened. "It's been known to happen."

"Yeah, but not often," Sokka snorted. The tip of Sang's tail snapped up and caught him in the head. "Ow!"

"Be grateful I'm carrying you all," Sangilak grumbled to all of his passengers. "You're heavy."

"I can't believe I'm riding a dragon," Jet said, a manic grin on his face, his trademark piece of grass back pinched in his teeth. Smellerbee, on the other hand, had not stopped clutching Longshot and whimpering since they took off.

"Well?" Sokka demanded as they landed. "Where's this secret headquarters?" he asked, looking at the empty lake pointedly.

"Under the water… I think," Jet said slowly.

"There's a tunnel over there, by the shore," Toph said, pointing to the side.

"I feel it too," Aang said, grinding one foot into the dirt.

Following Toph's instructions they walked over and she jumped. A wet rock walkway shot out of the lake. She wandered along it carelessly. With a flick of her wrist she removed the round hatch at the end. They were faced with a ladder descending down into the darkness.

"So who wants to go down the creepy hole in the lake first?" Sokka asked. Kyuri swung one leg down into the hole and grabbed the ladder, beginning to make her way down. The others followed. At the bottom was a dark, wet tunnel. The walls showed distinct signs of Earthbender craftsmanship. The stones forming the walls were precisely cut and fit together in an arch without any supports. It was lit only by greenish lantern filled with glowworms, giving the lace an eerie look. They could smell the damp, musky scent of underground, and the coolness that came from being underwater.

It wasn't a welcoming place.

Jet took the lead. In part, it was because he was used to leading stealth missions. Mainly, though, it was because he had been here before and the longer they stayed the more he remembered.

"It's all starting to come back to me now," Jet said as he walked, hook swords drawn. "I think there's a cell big enough to hold Appa down here."

He paused by a door on the left and slid it open. They walked into a room. With was definitely big enough to hold a bison of Appa's size, but it was totally empty. At least, that's what they thought, until the lights flared up and they saw the Dai Li agents dangling from chains on the ceiling.

"Well that's new," Sokka said, staring up at them dumbly.

"You have made yourselves enemies of the state."

They whirled to see Long Feng standing on a balcony, staring down at them, flanked by guards. Jet's grip on his swords tightened. Kyuri drew hers. Aang raised his staff. Katara opened her water skein. Longshot nocked an arrow. One by one, they readied for a fight.

"Take them into custody," Long Feng said, and the battle began.

With so many opponents, it was like a blur. The Dai Li dropped, stone hands coming at them from all directions. Toph crushed them into harmless pebbles while Jet and Kyuri both attacked with equal ferocity, jumping from combatant to combatant, dropping them as fast as possible. Toph handled herself beautifully against a pair, and even a quartet, of Dai Li, when a strike from behind got her. Jet yanked her free and Longshot fired at the attacker to give them time to get out of the way. Katara and Sokka smashed their way through flying stone fists with water whips and boomerang strikes. Kyuri sheathed her swords and drew two knives, going for shorter range attacks and flowing around attacks by rock hands.

"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang yelled as the leader fled. He ran, Jet following, his eyes glowing with fury. The others made to follow, but a Dai Li agent slammed a rock wall down after Jet and Aang and they were suddenly under a barrage again.

"This is ridiculous!" Toph shouted suddenly, and dropped two Dai Li into the rocks up to their shoulders, knocking them out with two quick kicks to the face before they could free themselves. Sokka got one with a boomerang while Kyuri hamstrung a pair in one swift movement. While they fell, clutching their severed tendons, she knocked them unconscious. Katara brought one down by trapping his torso and legs in ice, preventing him from moving and bending. Longshot got another, a blunted arrow taking him right in the temple. Smellerbee cut down the last one with a quick series or vicious chops, culminating in a right hook to his temple, dropping him in a daze.

"We need to find another way around," Katara said, glancing at the rock wall blocking their passage. "Who knows if Long Feng was luring into a trap or not?"

"Through here!" Sokka called, gesturing to a door in the left wall of the cell. "Maybe there's a way around in a loop!"

"Worth a shot," Toph shrugged, and they took off down the hall. It was lined with doors, a twist to the left at the end. It would take them farther away from the direction Long Feng had headed.

"Maybe through here!" Sokka theorized, opening a door and leaping inside. "Wha-… Appa?"

That got everyone's attention and they barged in after him. Sure enough, curled in a corner with metal cuffs around his six feet, was Appa. And he wasn't alone.

"Hello," Iroh said jovially. Kyuri ignored him, her eyes going immediately to the slim figure clad in black, a blue mask over his face.

"That's the guy Aang said got you out of prison," Katara said, staring at him dumbly.

"But if he's here," Sokka said, pointing at Iroh as he slowly worked it out. His eyes narrowed and he settled into a ready position. "Zuko," he hissed.

The black figure's hand went up, reaching behind his head. With a deft pull, the ribbon came loose and the mask dropped into his hand, revealing Zuko, scar and all.

"Long time, no see," he greeted, his voice low and cautious. His eyes inadvertently flicked to Kyuri. He saw the carefully blank expression on her face, but in her eyes, which he'd become very good at reading lately, he saw the hints of pleasure at seeing him, and worry at what her friends would do. Somehow, even though he knew he and Uncle were vastly outnumbered, he couldn't find it in him to be afraid with her here.

"We should have known you were involved in this," Katara said coldly.

'You are mistaken!" Iroh jumped in. "My nephew came here to free your bison."

"And why would he do that?" Toph demanded. "To hold Appa prisoner himself?"

"Wait, you know these guys?" Smellerbee broke in.

"Yeah. They kind of hunted us all the way across the world," Sokka said sarcastically. "You met them?"

"Jet attacked them and said they were Fire Nation. You mean they really are?"

"Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation," Kyuri said calmly. "And his uncle, the famous General Iroh, Dragon of the West and brother to Fire Lord Ozai."

"Retired general," Iroh said humbly.

"Forget the titles," Toph huffed. "You expect us to believe you just decided to free Appa out of the goodness of your heart?"

Zuko scowled. "Pretty much, yeah."

Kyuri met his eyes and she knew. He was doing it to help her. She'd mentioned how hard it was for Aang, being separate from Appa, and how it wore on all of them.

"Look, we don't have time for this, and we can't have you turning on us," Sokka said coldly, glaring at Zuko. "You've coming with us, and you're coming tied up."

Zuko's eyes widened angrily and he opened his mouth to retort, but Iroh placed a hand on his arm. Zuko closed his mouth and looked at his uncle questioningly.

"I will go with you without a fight," he said calmly.

"We can trust him, guys," Toph said. "I've met this guy before. He gave me some good tea and good advice."

Sokka looked at her sideways, but didn't question her. There was no point in it. Toph could detect lies, she knew what she was talking about.

"Fine, but I don't trust the angry jerk. Kyuri, you're prepared for anything. I'm guessing you've got some rope?"

Kyuri gulped and withdrew some from her belt. She held it up wordlessly and glanced at Zuko. His jaw was tight. He didn't like this injustice, but he'd allow it. If it was her.

"Tie him up," Sokka ordered. Kyuri took firm steps across the gap between the two parties. She was shaking slightly, she could feel it. She prayed the others couldn't see. She didn't want to give away what her relationship with Zuko was. She couldn't, not now while Aang was who knows where dealing with who knows what, and when they'd just gotten Appa back.

Kyuri stepped behind him, hiding her face as she whispered her apologies. Zuko just grasped her hand softly behind his back in understanding as she tied the ropes loosely. Toph moved to Appa and moved through a series of stances. The cuffs snapped off and Appa roared in approval.

"Now come on!" Sokka called. Kyuri pushed him forwards gently. He and Iroh moved in the middle of a loose ring as they rushed down the hallway. Kyuri stayed behind Zuko, his swords thrust through her sash and his mask tied securely at her hip. Appa brought up the rear, twitching in the underground space.

"Here!" Toph cried as they reached yet another rock wall. She brought it down quickly and they stepped into a room with walls lined with drainage pipes. At first glance it looked empty, but then they saw the sprawled figure of Jet lying on the ground by a spire of rock, Aang kneeling beside him. They all rushed forwards and gathered around him worriedly. Zuko and Iroh hung back slightly, but Sokka's harsh glance and Toph's threatening glare kept them from running. Not that they really intended to.

"This isn't good," Katara said as she knelt over Jet with glowing hands. Kyuri waved her hands, pulling water from the pipes lining the walls. They covered her hands and she added her power to Katara. She hissed at what she found there. Broken ribs, one puncturing a lung, and quite a lot of internal bleeding. Jet would die without a master healer beside him, one with huge reserves of chi for this purpose. Katara and Kyuri were not healers. But maybe…

Kyuri reached out towards the surface. Miles of water and stone separated her from Sangilak, who waited on the surface as an escape route, and she connected.

"Is it possible to induce?"

"Yes. Breathe. Just breathe, and drop all defenses. Let me flow into you and you flow into me."

Kyuri took a deep breath and Katara felt a bizarre rush of electricity in the air as Kyuri's head dropped forwards.

"Kyuri-" she began, before the power suddenly solidified and rushed into Kyuri as if sucked into a vacuum. She whipped her hands back just in time as Kyuri's head snapped back. Her eyes were wide, blood red, and so was the water around her hands. An aura of grandeur and power hung around her in the air as Jet arched off the ground, shouting in pain.

"You're hurting him!" Smellerbee shrieked angrily, but Longshot held her back, shaking his head as the glow faded and Kyuri slumped .Jet took a deep, shuddering breath and sat up, eye wide.

"What… the hell… was that?"

"The Meld," Kyuri said as she stood, rolling her shoulders and neck as her joints popped. She sighed in relief and glanced at Zuko. He was staring at her in awe and slight worry.

"You found Appa," Aang said dully as he registered the bison. He suddenly perked up, a beam splitting his face. He leapt at the bison, who rumbled happily as Aang hugged him. "You found Appa!" Aang said in delight.

"That's not all we found," Sokka said, looking pointedly at the Firebenders.

"You!" Jet exclaimed, looking at Zuko. "You're Fire Nation!"

"Don't we know it," Toph sighed. Jet stared at her.

"You know them?"

"Yeah, we've met… you know what? Smellerbee can fill you in," Sokka huffed. Jet blinked and shook his head.

"I'm remembering," he muttered. "I went into this tea shop, and they were there, and…" His head snapped up and he gaped at Kyuri. "You were there! You defended them!"

They all turned to look at Kyuri in shock and disbelief.

"Kyuri?" Katara said softly. "He's lying right? You haven't been… working with Zuko, have you? You would have told us, you would have… You'd have said something. You wouldn't have defended them. You'd have let them be carted off and thrown in prison where they belong."

"I-," Kyuri stammered, her eyes wide. Her eyes muscle was tense, like an animal back into a corner, ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice. Her guilty look was all the answer the others needed.

"How could you?" Sokka demanded. "How could you defend him? He's the enemy, or have you forgotten?"

Katara's eyes widened in horror and Kyuri knew she'd finally reached the last little secret. "It was him," Katara whispered, staring between Kyuri and Zuko in horror and disgust. "It was him that you went out with that dance. It's him you've been seeing. He's the one."

Sokka's face was slowly going an unhealthy shade of purple. "You're dating him?" he asked dangerously.

"He's not what we thought," Kyuri said firmly, gathering herself up. She was Dragora Kyuri, bonded to Sangilak, the Living Glacier, a weapons master, a Waterbending master. She had helped the Avatar fight the Fire Lord, had seen Avatar Roku's spirit incarnated in Aang, had escaped prison and deranged generals bent on harming her friends to meet their own goals. She would not be criticized for her dating choices.

"Kyuri?" Aang asked softly. Kyuri turned to him and saw his big grey eyes, looking at her with hurt. "But… I thought you didn't like him. I thought you were on our side…"

"I am-"

"Clearly not, since it's his dad we're fighting!" Sokka said, gesturing at Zuko thunderously.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Zuko exploded. The room went silent as he finally spoke up. Kyuri looked at him questioningly as he twisted free of the loose ropes and walked to her side, taking her hand. Kyuri looked up at him thankfully. Iroh smiled and Katara looked vaguely ill.

"It's true then," Sokka said, staring at their twined fingers in disgust. "Let's just… get out of here… We can… work this out later."

The group was clearly divided as they followed Toph's directions through the halls towards the ladder to the surface. Kyuri was shunned in the back with Zuko and Iroh. The Freedom Fighters marched ahead, Jet sending dark glances back at Zuko, who glared right back, matching Sokka dirty look for dirty look as well. Toph slipped back and fell in beside Iroh, the two mumbling amongst themselves quietly, indistinct to the others. Aang and Katara hung uncertainly between the two groups, sending hesitant looks at both huddles.

Up," Sokka said gruffly, glaring at Zuko. Zuko glared back, but went up the ladder obediently. Iroh followed, then Kyuri, Toph, the Freedom Fighters, Katara, Aang, and finally Sokka. Toph turned around and thrust her hands out to the side. The opening exploded out wider. Appa soared up after them, flying to the shore and landing beside Sangilak, who was just as tense as his Dragora.

"They know."

"They know. And they're shunning me."

"They wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't they?"

"We need to warn the Earth King about the Dai Li," Toph said as if nothing was wrong.

"I agree," Aang said, jumping on the subject and avoiding the camelephant in the room. "There's no time to play around with rules and regulations. We need to see the Earth King now."

Kyuri stepped forwards. She thought that maybe if she assisted she would be forgiven, that her relationship with Zuko would maybe be accepted.

"We're strong enough," she began. "If we came in suddenly, without warning, we could take out the guards long enough to make it to the throne room and-"

"You're not coming," Sokka snapped. Kyuri blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"We can't trust you!" Sokka shouted, waving his hands. "You're been sneaking around behind our backs, consorting with the enemy! Who knows what you've told him? I bet he's just waiting to go tell his dad all about what we're planning!"

Kyuri's fists clenched in anger and her eyes narrowed. "I have been discrete. I care for him, but it hasn't made me stupid. I haven't told him anything of our plans."

"It's true," Zuko said, jumping her defense once more. "She hasn't told me anything. Don't blame her for my actions."

"Of course you'd say that!" Jet sneered. "You don't want us to know how much you know."

"I've already beat you once before, I can do it again!" Zuko threatened angrily.

"See, he's dangerous!" Jet said, pointing a finger at Zuko damningly. "You can't trust him!"

Kyuri bared her teeth in a snarl. "Stay out of this!" she hissed. "We don't trust you either Jet. Don't mistake my healing for any display of affection. I simply didn't want to witness your death, nothing more."

Zuko glanced at her. She was reverting to that overly-formal speech she used when she was trying to control herself. She was really angry and hurt. Unconsciously, he took a step closer to her ,trying to comfort her as well as he could without actually touching her, which was sure to spark another comment from that Water Tribe idiot…

"Hey!" Toph broke in. "People change, you know? Maybe Sparky here has turned over a new leaf! You don't know!"

"Sparky?" Zuko muttered, as Sokka turned on her.

"Oh, so now you're defending him too?" he demanded.

"Everybody just stop!" Aang shouted. They all froze and looked at him. He looked suddenly hesitant with nine pairs of eyes on him. Even Appa and Sangilak were watching him. He looked at Kyuri nervously.

"Kyuri I- I think it would be… best for everyone if… if maybe we… separated for a while…"

Kyuri inhaled sharply. Zuko looked at her and saw hurt, true hurt on her face. Her brows were crumpled, her mouth open, her eyes betrayed.

"You're… kicking me out…" she whispered. "Aang… Please, I-"

"It's not that I'm mad!" Aang said hastily. He glanced at Zuko. "I don't… I don't like him, but I can tell that you really do. He couldn't come with us though. It causes too much strife, you see what's happening? And I don't want to make you leave him. So maybe if we just… went our separate ways."

"Don't do that!" Zuko protested. "Don't throw her away just because of me! I'll…" He had to take a steadying breath before he could say it, but he knew how much her friends meant to her. "I'll leave her alone, we'll never talk again. I can just go away and-"

"No!" Kyuri exclaimed. All eyes went to her. She stood there proudly, her spine straight, her shoulders back, and her chin held high. Her eyes flashed with rage and betrayal but she stood firm. Zuko stared, in awe of how regal she looked, but surely, she wouldn't turn her friends away… for him?

"Clearly my staying will cause strife no matter what you do," she said, eyes locked on Sokka, though she addressed Zuko. "Now that this is in the open there's no helping it. I will leave," she submitted.

"Kyuri, I-" Katara began hesitantly. Kyuri held up a hand to stop her.

"No, Katara. I won't ask you to go against your family," she said. She stared around at them all. "Just know that I will still fight on your side, against the Fire Lord, whether I'm with you or not. And I will be there for the special day," she added with a hateful glare in Sokka's direction as she purposefully avoided the words 'invasion' or 'Day of Black Sun.'

Kyuri had said her piece, and there was nothing more to say. She turned and moved to Sangilak's side. She grabbed a spike and swung onto his back. Zuko watched her. A hand rested on his upper arm and he turned to see Iroh standing there.

"Go with her," he smiled. Zuko blinked.

"But I can't leave you!" he protested. Iroh chuckled.

"I'm old, Zuko. I lived a long time before you were born. You don't need me to guide you anymore. You have someone else," she said, nodding at Kyuri, who was perched there, watching them with her head cocked to the side quizzically. Zuko glanced between the two, undecided.

He knew, logically, that his uncle could get along well without him. The question was, could he get along without his uncle? Months ago, he would have said yes in a heartbeat. But recently, the answer would have been an unsure no. Now though, he realized. He could not hold onto his uncle forever. He had to make his own way at some point, live his own life. Kyuri was wise; she could help just as well as his uncle when he needed advice.

And if he didn't go, she would be alone. She would have Sangilak of course, but she'd confessed that his wasn't anything like human company, and that she craved human contact more and more now that she'd come out of isolation. Could he really leave her to be alone once more.

No. No he couldn't.

"Good bye uncle," he said softly. Iroh hugged him tightly and he embraced the old man just as tightly. They broke apart and he turned resolutely towards Kyuri and Sangilak, what he was confident was his new path in life. Very little in his life had been sure, but he knew this was sure. Kyuri cared for him, and deeply. She had just turned away her only friends rather than renounce him. After that, could he abandon her?

Kyuri's stoic mask was cracking. He could see it as he walked up to her. He looked at Sangilak hesitantly. He remembered vividly the last time the dragon had touched his mind, and it hadn't been a happy time. But the dragon turned and blinked one yellow eye at him.

"Hurt her, and I will kill you. Get on."

Zuko smiled slightly as he grabbed a spike and swung himself on in the same hollow behind Kyuri. Together, they flew off towards Ba Sing Se.

"We can go to your home, get your things," Kyuri said, her voice cracking slightly. "Then… there are things I can do to prepare for the war. Are you prepared to fight your own father? Or will you leave me too?" she added in a whisper, a sob choking her.

Zuko reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back closer to him. They were pressed together, back to front, and he could feel her shaking now.

"I won't," he assured her. "I can… My father and I… We haven't ever been close. I think I stopped caring what happened to him when he marked me."

"It was him who gave you that scar?" Kyuri asked softly. It was a subject they had never broached. She'd never asked how he got his scar, and he never offered to tell her.

"Yes," Zuko nodded. "I was… chasing a dream of what I hoped my father could be. Doing what was expected. But I've seen the refugees. I've seen what his war has done. It has to end."

"It does," Kyuri nodded. "I'm… glad you decided to join me."

She twisted in her seat skillfully, working one leg between them and to the other side of Sangilak's neck so that they sat face-to-face, knees touching. Zuko was shocked to see tears trailing down her cheeks. She made no noise, no sobs beyond that first one. Her eyes were blank and her expression dead. She just sat there, looking at him expressionlessly, blinking slowly as more tears rolled over her high cheekbones. He brushed them away with a thumb and offered her a small smile.

"I've never seen you cry before."

"I don't like crying in front of other people," Kyuri admitted, dipping her head to hide her face. "It makes me feel weak."

Zuko grabbed her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. He shook his head.

"It shows you're strong."

*Dives behind chair* Don't shoot! I know Sokka's a little OOC, but I honestly see him being super-opposed to any relationship between Kyuri and Zuko. He's known her since he was little and she's like another sister to him. He was vehemently against Zuko joining them in canon, and he's just caught Zuko trying to steal Appa to use against them, or so he thinks. He feels betrayed and he's lashing out. And Aang's trying to preserve peace in the group and trying to keep everyone happy, because he's Aang. I actually had this whole big split scene planned from the very beginning. It's a necessary plot point, and one that really HAD to happen for the events I have planned. Zuko may seem a little OOC too, being lovey, but remember how he was with Mai 'You're so beautiful when you hate the world.' I feel like he'd be supportive of Kyuri through this, and he kind of understand what it's liked to be yanked away from the people you're closed to. He got banished after all.

So, I hope you liked it, and don't kill me!