There are no excuses.
I have many. Working until midnight six days a week, being seperated from my laptop very often, christmas period, and massive writers block do not suffice for my evilness.
I am so sorry.
Next update will be much, much MUCH faster. I know I say that with each chapter, but I swear for srsly.
I tried so hard to make sure this wasn't a kick in the teeth... Emphasis on the 'tried so hard' bit.
Disclaimer: Own nothing, etc. etc.
No.
Zuko stared numbly at the rippling water for a few moments, ears ringing, heart as dull and heavy as lead. He hoped – prayed – for a miracle; Jin would regain the use of her limbs and swim to the surface, Katara would waterbend, would help her. Something!
Agni please! He started to struggle against Toph, aware that the sound began to creep into the strangled gasps that issued from his throat. Not Jin you can't no there's no way it can't...
"Ow!" Toph howled as Zuko's elbow caught her in the nose. No blood was drawn, but it was still enough for the girl to cringe away, holding her nose with shaking hands. The moment her hold on Zuko had dissolved, the Prince catapulted himself from Appa, assuming the correct diving position, taking in a deep lungful of air. He aimed as best he could for the exact spot where Jin had fallen, keeping his mouth firmly close as the water enveloped him, as abrupt and startling as a smack in the face. Amber-coloured eyes snapped open as he propelled himself through the water, kicking furiously. He looked out for anything that looked out of place in the rapidly darkening water, but aside from schools of freshwater fish, darting quickly out of his path, Zuko saw nothing but a vast pool of deep blue, suspended, it felt, in a sapphire. Jin where are you! It was like a trying to find needle in a haystack. Why did I wait so long? If I'd just jumped right in, I could have caught her! Zuko knew that without any air in her lungs, she would have sunk like a stone, right to the bottom.
The water grew colder. Although it was nowhere as bad as the freezing Arctic cavepools he swam through some months before, it was still enough to send a shock to his limbs. Zuko's head swam, lungs burning, but he pressed on, using his arms to see in the blackened water. He felt the silvery brush of fish scales against his fingers, resisting the urge to recoil in disgust.
His fingers brushed mud. Zuko's heart leaped in his agonised chest, and he began to explore the weed-thick ground, groping wildly for the touch of skin, cloth, or hair, increasingly aware of his weakening state.
Nothing. Frantic, tore out the weed at the roots, the last remnants of air escaping from his lungs in a scream. He lurched, as he inhaled water on reflex, muscles instantaneously trying to inflate the vacuum in his chest. Zuko was desperate, borderline hysterical, but he wasn't stupid. Pushing against the ground in water-ruined shoes, Zuko made his way back to the surface, brain three times too large for his skull.
"Zuko, you idiot!" Sokka shouted. "Stop!" Zuko, who had burst through the softly shivering surface with a loud, desperate gasp of air, paid him no need, turning back down into the water, pushing himself back down to the bottom. "Do something!" Sokka turned back to the other girls, eyes wide. "Katara! Bend them out, o-or something!"
"I..." Katara looked down at the deep water, heart thudding in her throat. She tentatively raised one arm, making downwards motion to part the lake, but her slice only reached twenty or so feet down. With only one arm, she couldn't make the motion strong enough. But Appa was hardly stable, hovering unsteadily above the water. Katara looked down at the lake, and then over at Sokka, mouth pressed in a trembling line. His shoulders slumped in realisation, the sick feeling in his stomach rising, flooding through his chest. She wouldn't let go of Aang. The risk of him falling in the water if he was draped across Appa's back was too great. Katara wouldn't hazard Aang for Jin, or Zuko, who would probably kill himself in the continued search for Jin's body. "I-I can't!"
"You have to do something!" Sokka shouted back. He didn't particularly like Zuko, but Jin seemed like a nice enough girl, and he couldn't think of a death more terrifying than drowning whilst paralyzed. "She'll die, Katara!"
"If I let go of Aang, he'll fall!" Katara shot back, frantic. "Sokka, come get him. And be careful!"
"Ugh, we don't have time for that!" Toph spoke up, sick of the dark-skinned pair dilly-dallying around. Jin had maybe another minute, tops, before she would succumb to lack of air. She stood up, lurching forward on unsteady legs, wishing Appa would just stay still. Sokka was still trying to carefully climb across his back and get to Katara, who was staring at Toph in confusion. The blind girl took a deep breath, eyes closing. She tried to imagine the earth, at the bottom of the lake. The thin crust would be muddy, a rich gloopy mess, but the rest would be granite, solid, heavy and dark. Toph tried to imagine it beneath her feet, how it would be icy cold from a millennia of darkness. After a few moments of intense concentration, she raised her arms, trying, with every fibre of her being, to raise the earth that she could not see.
Zuko was losing the use of his limbs. They felt clumsy, and numb, not responding fast enough to the commands of his brain. His head felt oddly light, despite the crushing pressure that enfolded him, eyes being pushed into his skull by invisible thumbs. His hands found the mud again, he started to grope wildly in the darkness, his heart soaring as his hand clutched something loose, floating, and plummeting again as he pulled the weed out of the ground. No! He was in utter despair. Jin, where are you? Zuko closed his eyes, blinded in the darkness anyway. He tried his hardest to repress the scream bubbling in his chest, not using the last of his air so fruitlessly. As he resumed his search for Jin, fingers trailing through the mud, however, the ground beneath him began to shake. Earthquake! Zuko started, grabbing on to a sprouting clump of weed out of instinct. Unlike other seismic activity he had experienced, however, this didn't peter out into soft trembles, nor did it reach a violent crescendo, tearing the earth apart. He felt the strangest sensation, of the water rushing around him, something he put down to hallucinations, he had lost all sense of stability and balance, his body too starved of air. Zuko buried his forehead in the mud, thinking he could just wait this thing out. And then what? I'm too late... It's been too long... She's been down here too long... She can't still be alive...
"Toph, you legend!" Sokka shouted as the earth broke the surface, Appa immediately collapsing onto a patch of the land with a groan. A few fish still flapped around, gasping for air, clumps of weed making dark splotches against the mud. Zuko was on his hands and knees, gasping for air, coughing up very grimy-looking water. Sokka focused his attention on the girl who lay just eight feet from him, so close, but in that underwater tomb, it may as well have been miles. He ignored the crackle of pain flaring up his ankles as he jumped from Appa's back, landing awkwardly, and staggered over to the unconscious figure. Sokka turned Jin over gently, wincing as he caught sight of her chalk-white face. His conscious mind drifted back four years, to when he had been fishing with his father and a few of the other men. Suluk, a young warrior who had just entered manhood, had fallen into the water. When he had finally been fished out of the freezing ocean, he had stopped breathing. Sokka remembered vividly how his father and Bato had tried to bring him back from the Spirits, one breathing into his mouth, the other pumping on his chest, pushing the warm air out his lungs to simulate exhalation. Their attempts were unsuccessful – he was submerged in the freezing water for far too long, the cold apparently killing him before the actual drowning. He asked his grandmother about it later, and the elderly woman explained how the kiss of life, a technique employed by the tribe for generations, brought the victim back from the edge of the Spirit World, by breathing for them until they regained use of their lungs.
Hopefully I can do it. Sokka placed his stacked palms in the square of Jin's chest, pressing down hard. He felt the ribs give way a little under his touch, and drew back a little, thinking he may have hurt her. Sokka, what's the worst you can do to her? Kill her? He scolded himself, and leaned back over her, gritting his teeth.
"Toph!" He shouted, looking up at the girl. She was beside Zuko, who was still coughing up water, shocked and disorientated. "Get Zuko here. I need him." She nodded dumbly, thumping the teenager in the back to help him get rid of the last of the smelly lake water before grabbing his arm, hauling him into a standing position and dragging him over to Sokka.
"Jin..." Zuko croaked numbly, sinking to his knees beside her head. "No..." He held a hand gently over her mouth. "Sh-She's not breathing..."
"I know." Sokka paused, looking carefully at Zuko. "Listen. I need you to breath into her mouth." The other boy looked up in confusion. "It's an old trick from my tribe. It just might get her breathing again. Tilt her head back, and cover her nose. Breathe deeply, we need to get all the water out."
"A-All right." Zuko arched Jin's neck, carefully, pinching her nose with two fingers. She was so fragile to him, with her deathly white skin and slack neck. He breathed in deeply, pressing his open mouth against hers.
"Breathe slowly." Sokka instructed carefully, watching the indiscernible rise of Jin's chest as Zuko obeyed his words. Something was lurching in the put of Zuko's stomach as he breathed into Jin, his hands on her face shaking. Don't die. He pleaded inwardly, slowly pulling away. Don't let her die! Zuko closed his eyes, praying. He knew the Spirits were watching them, knew how easily they could intervene. She is innocent!
"Again." Sokka instructed gravelly, not liking Jin's eerie stillness. Something should have happened at this point. That should have been enough to push the water out of her lungs and get her breathing again. We're too late...
"Uh-huh." Zuko breathed into Jin once more, screwing up his eyes. Beaded tears clung to his dark eyelashes, the shivering bubble of grief threatening to burst. Agni, please... I'll do anything! I'll swear to anything! I'll defeat my father if it's what it takes! I'll betray my people! I'll kill Azula! Name your task and I'll do it!
Jin coughed.
The three figures around her started, Zuko immediately rolling the girl onto her side as she shuddered, emptying her lungs and stomach of the lake water. He rubbed Jin's back carefully, eyes locked on her face as she continued to retch and cough.
"Thank you." He breathed to no one in particular, pressing his nose against Jin's sopping hair. The girl faded back into unconsciousness with a soft groan, eyelids twitching. Zuko shook violently, the burning ember exploding in his throat. Jin almost died.
"Is she okay?" Katara spoke up tentatively, standing ten or so feet away from the other children. Her voice snapped Zuko out of his torpor, the teenager straightening up silently, jaw iron and eyes flashing coldly.
"Yes." Toph winced at his tone, something in her stomach tightening. Zuko, you're going crazy... Calm down. "No thanks to you."
"What?" Katara frowned, not grasping what Zuko was saying. "What do you mean?"
"This is a lake!" Zuko accused me. "Filled with water! And you refused to help!"
"I did not refuse!" Katara shot back defensively, hands curling into fists. "I had Aang! I tried Zuko, but I couldn't do anything while I held on to him!"
"What about just now!" Zuko retorted. "What was in her lungs? Water! Why didn't you do something? You are so damn selfish!"
"What!" Katara screeched, eyes wide. "I am selfish! Look in the mirror, Zuko! All you have ever cared about is yourself and what you wanted! Nothing else matters! The fate of the whole world doesn't matter, as long as you have your way!"
"That is not true!" Zuko cried. "Well, not anymore! I've done things wrong, I accept that! I am trying to do the right thing, but you won't let the past go!"
"Of course I can't let the past go!" Toph sank her head into her hands, shaking her head. Why did they have to erupt into this tension now? "Look at what you have done!I can't look at you without being reminded of everything! All the lives you've damaged, the pain and suffering you've caused, it's not going to go away! It'll never go away!"
"And I've said I'm sorry, a million times! I've done everything I can to show my regret! What else do you want me to do?"
"Nothing!" Katara shouted. "There is nothing you can do, Zuko! Nothing will ever change what you have done!"
Zuko fell silent. His arms fell heavily to his sides, shoulders slumping. His wiry frame, which had been as tense and coiled as a spring, fell lax. He was still for a few moments, mind ticking over, before something snapped in his head. No.
"I saved everyone today!" Zuko shouted in retaliation, fuming. "If it wasn't for me, you would be locked in the Dai Li's cells! I rescued you Katara! Or have you forgotten? I distracted and tricked Azula so you could escape, don't you remember? Are you telling me that it means nothing, just because it was Prince Zuko?"
"It's not enough!" Katara argued. "Nothing will ever be enough to trust you, Zuko!"
"That is not my fault!" Zuko was beyond exasperated. "Stop being so pig-headed Katara! Get the hell over yourself!"
"Excuse me?" Katara fumed. "You're telling me to get over yourself! You are the most self-centred, egotistical-"
"You know nothing about me, Katara!" Zuko shouted in response. "How dare you say that to me, when you don't know the slightest thing!"
"I know enough!" Katara was shaking. "I know you are a terrible person! You don't deserve our help! After what you've done, you don't deserve anything!"
"Shut up!" The other two gasped as Zuko raised his arms, fists crackling with fire, intending to strike Katara. She was ready for the Prince, however, and surrounded by water. Agitated by the flames, Appa roared, stamping his feet and clumsily leaping into the air. Zuko didn't hear the bison, nor did he hear Sokka and Toph screaming at the pair to stop. The rage had taken over – he was seeing red, every fibre of his being twisted in loathing hate towards the girl in blue who was fighting back with equal hostility.
"I told you!" Katara panted, attempting to encircle Zuko's ankle with a watery tentacle, the boy managing to evaporate her attack. "You haven't changed!"
"I have changed!" Zuko shot back, his voice cracking. Blind and deaf to reason, he continued to express his overwhelming pain and frustration in the only way he knew how – by lashing out at the girl who had antagonized him so acutely. Katara accepted the attack with a grim welcome – to her, it was an affirmation of something she had always known. Zuko couldn't, wouldn't, ever change. Even if he had decided to root for a different team, it didn't alter a thing about his personality. He was as highly-strung, angry, and difficult as ever.
"Stop!" Toph stamped her feet and screamed, sending the pair flying across the tiny island. Winded, Zuko landed with a heavy thud beside the prone figure of Jin, feeling as though his ribs had been cracked. Katara righted herself quickly, short of breath, eyes flashing.
"What did I tell you?" Zuko groaned, keeping his eyes closed against the hot afternoon sun. Another hot rush of rage surged through his chest, threatening to explode. "What did I tell you?" Katara repeated, voice high and panicked. "He's not on our side! He doesn't want to help us! He's just as twisted and evil as-"
"Katara, shut up!" Toph cut over the girl, forcing back a very real urge to hit Katara herself. "You have no idea what you're saying!"
"No." Sokka spoke up quietly, eyeing Zuko. The teenager had forced himself into a sitting position, legs drawn up slightly, head hanging between his knees. "Katara's... Right." It hurt more than Sokka liked to say that. Why? "We can't..."
"You're joking." Toph said flatly as Sokka turned towards Appa, whistling and waving his arms, coaxing the giant bison to come down. "Please..." She felt Katara lift Aang in her arms, her grief painfully apparent. "You're not serious..."
"That's it, buddy." Sokka muttered as Appa landed with a shuddering thump on the ground. He rubbed the side of the bisons' face affectionately, feeling ill again. Zuko was silent, lost in his own panicked thoughts. I just tried to hurt Katara... After everything... After I said things were different... But... She pushed me. She pushed and pushed and wouldn't stop! It's not my fault, I...
... What am I saying? Of course it's my fault. He closed his eyes, an inferno of guilt purging his insides. Of course it's my fault. I tried to lay the first blow... I am such an idiot!
"Sokka!" Toph's pleading voice made Zuko start, lifting his head. "Don't be stupid!"
"I'm not." Katara had already climbed up onto Appas back, offering her arms out to Sokka, who held Aang's body. "Letting him stay would be stupid. Trusting him would be stupid."
"No, it's not!" Toph argued. She admitted, what Zuko had done was horribly idiotic, but what could any of them expect, after how stubborn Katara had been? How else was Zuko meant to act in regards to her accusations?
"Whose side are you on?" Sokka challenged, standing beside Appa's head. Zuko bowed his head, inwardly screaming. This wasn't happening... As if it wasn't possible for things to get any worse...
"What?" Toph was astounded. "Sokka, this isn't about sides! This is about what is good for the world! Listen, General Iroh has been planning this for years! He told me this was what he wanted!"
"Well, General Iroh isn't here." Sokka said simply. "And when he's not here, Zuko can't control himself. He attacked Katara, Toph! She is my sister!" The young warrior shook his head, turning to Appa.
"Sokka-"
"Are you coming?" He had hoisted Aang up to Katara, beginning to climb onto the bison. Toph was absolutely stunned, blind eyes lowered to the ground. "Toph!"
"Don't be daft." Zuko spoke up, his voice trembling. "Go." She turned to him, biting her lip. "Don't make them hate you too." He was unbelievably tense, Toph noticed, his heart hammering madly in his chest.
"Toph!"
"All right!" She shouted up to the trio atop the bison. The young girl closed her eyes, digging her heels in the earth. The ground shuddered a moment later, rumbling violently as she eventually summoned forth more of the muddy lake bottom, a small passage wide enough for Zuko to walk back to shore. "There." She turned to Zuko, giving him a grim smile.
"Thanks." Zuko spoke numbly, his mind still trying to process what had gone on, trying to comprehend his current situation.
"Listen – I'll talk to them." Toph kept her voice low, knowing she had seconds at best. "Stay in Ba Sing Se. Stay faceless. It's safer than the countryside. We'll come for you – somehow – I'll make them see."
"Toph!"
"My uncle." Zuko spoke desperately, getting up on his knees as Toph started to reluctantly walk away. "He's a member of an underground group. They're everywhere. The White Lotus." Toph began climbing heavily onto the bison. "They can he..." He trailed off helplessly as Appa began to take flight, Toph well out of his earshot. The water-tribe children refused to look at Zuko, but Toph nodded clearly, signalling that she had heard and understood. Zuko fell on his hands, eyes closing.
You Agni-damned idiot! He clenched his jaw, digging trembling fingers into the mud. What was that? How could you do that to Katara? Now they've gone and left you alone!
Completely alone. Zuko straightened himself, feeling very cold. Uncle... it was like hit in the chest, with a ton of bricks. He's... gone. He remembered his previous fear very clearly, how Iroh would eventually leave him... He never thought it would be this soon. Zuko drew in a long, quivering breath, blinking back tears. He couldn't imagine a world without his Uncle. How the hell was he meant to go on alone? He'd already been alone before... And that had been a disaster, Zuko winding up lost and starving. Iroh had always been there for Zuko, no matter how much of a prat he had been. Right now, I need him more than ever, and...
Oh crap. Zuko let out a choked sob, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes. Not now... I can't fall apart. He swallowed, his insides churning. They felt liquefied, as thick and lumpy as porridge. Even his fingers felt swollen, stubby and clumsy, so acute was the numb shock. Zuko swallowed, and with a soft groan, made his way rather stiffly over to Jin, who was still out cold.
"Jin." He murmured gently, touching the side of her face with his hand. There was no response, a stab of fear piercing Zuko's heart briefly. He thought the worst, that she had somehow stopped breathing again, until her bottom lip twitched. "Jin," He repeated again, more to himself than to her. His voice rasped painfully in the afternoon air, Zuko trying to rouse her. Nothing. The bottom dropped in Zuko's stomach, the teenager pressing his ear desperately against her chest. Jin's heartbeat was there, pumping away determinedly. She was fine (Zuko hoped), just unconscious. She needs to be wrapped up warm somewhere. What Jin needs is recovery. Zuko stood, hefting the slim figure in his arms carefully. Jin was completely slack, neck lolling, and the male had to raise one knee, balance her properly, adjusting her head so she leaned against his chest.
Prioritise. Zuko instructed himself as he started to walk along the little passage Toph had made, trying so hard to shake the crippling guilt that flooded his insides. Get Jin to a safe place, have a breather, and then find Minsheng and his brother. Come up with a plan, and free Uncle. He'll know what to do. He always knows what to do.
He was tired, in pain, shell-shocked, hungry, thirsty, and already weak in the arms from the short distance he had carried Jin. This was going to be hell.
Right now, he instructed himself, keeping his breathing slow and even. Just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever endured in my life!" Meng sighed as he hauled Kuei out of the underground sewer, the young King having kept up the long, complaining for the entire journey. "Ugh! And you are sure there was no other option?"
"Positive." Meng muttered, replacing the heavy iron lid of the sewer. "Okay, so I was right. I know where we are. The Dancing Monkey is just a short walk away from here. Half an hour at the most."
"Is there no water about?" Kuei asked hopefully, looking down at his muck-covered robes. Meng paused, carefully examining the tall figure up and down.
"To tell the truth, I don't think you should get clean just yet." Meng said carefully. "I mean, you look completely unrecognizable. You couldn't quite pass for a peasant, but there's no way you could be pointed out as a nobleman, let alone a King."
"And?" Kuei demanded, not understanding the point of Meng's argument. The male groaned, brushing his hair back behind his shoulders. The hair ribbon had come loose and fallen off at some point in the trip, leaving the greasy tangles to fall all over the place. Stupid hair. Or to be more correct, stupid Dai Li, who saw it fit to cut his hair off four years ago, as a further mark of dehumanisation.
"The place will be crawling with Dai Li." Meng reminded the King. "They're all going to be keeping a very, very sharp eye out for you, especially as we haven't been seen with the others." Something panged in Meng's stomach. Spirits, Jin... I hope you're safe. He knew he shouldn't be worrying, after all, she was with Zuko, and he trusted the Prince, but he couldn't shake a niggling sensation of unease. "They're not going to single you out from any of the other peasants on the street. It's a great disguise."
"But-"
"I promise you, you can have a wash when we get to the Dancing Monkey." Meng said, rubbing at his eyes.
"Very well." Kuei nodded apologetically. "Look... I know I'm being difficult... I am sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Meng started to walk down the side alley, signalling for the King to follow. "You've just been overthrown. You're a fugitive in your own city. I'd be wanting to take my frustrations out on someone else too."
"It's just shocking." Kuei walked behind the male with a frown. "How this could have happened..."
"Well, from what I hear, Azula is an unconquerable force." Meng offered. "There's no way you could have stopped her. Not when she's working with your right-hand man."
"Long Feng!" Kuei fumed. "That snake! Ooh, you don't know what I want to do to him..."
"The guy locked me up for life." Meng reminded his King. "Trust me, I know. But... How could you ever trust him? He's just so shady and slimy!"
"He's been the head of the Dai Li since I was ten." Kuei murmured. "Ever since I was that age, he tried to be my friend, and when I got older, an advisor and confidante."
"He'd been working on you for a long time." Meng concluded. "Ugh, that... Look, if you ever get your throne back, just abolish the Dai Li in its entirety. Don't even bother weeding out the good ones. The Lower Ring would thank you for it, trust me."
"I would like to, after what I've seen." Kuei was deeply perturbed. "I never knew about the brainwashing or the lies... I just thought they kept order and arrested criminals."
"Well, welcome to the land of the criminals." They had reached the bottom of the narrow, winding alley, which bottomed out into a large main street. Meng held his arm out with a mock flourish, bowing deeply. "Watch your step, Your Majesty." He warned. "And... Hm." He grabbed Kue's sleeve once more. "Just stay with me. And don't touch anything."
"All right." Kuei blinked as he was led into and down the busy street. He remembered the public train, thought that had been crowded and exciting enough, but this... He'd never seen so many people crammed together, not even at his largest celebratory balls. There were children, no higher than his waist, screaming and laughing, threading their way through the slowly moving people. One bumped into Kuei quite hard, and he almost tripped, doubling over to regain his step. The child turned, and he got a quick glimpse of a toothless grin in a sunburned face smeared with dirt, before he turned and ran to catch up with his friends, shrieking.
"Kids." Meng muttered, helping Kuei to right himself. "You all right? Check your pockets, he probably tried to mug you."
"Don't have any in this robe." Kuei spoke shakily. "Rob me? A child?"
"Oh, yeah." Meng spoke matter-of-factly. "A lot of kids are turned out hungry by their mothers in the morning and can't come home until evening. They're not given food, nor money to buy it, so they don't really have any option."
"Oh, goodness." Kuei blinked. "I'll admit, that is terrible."
"Only in extreme cases." Meng added quickly. "I never went without when I was little, unless I was naughty. It's the parents who are dirt poor, but still have ten kids apiece that do it."
"Oh..." Kuei really didn't understand what Meng was talking about, but nodded anyway. "What is that smell?"
"Hmm." Meng inhaled deeply. "Ah. That's just the general street smell. You know, people throwing their garbage out the window, no one bathes regularly, rotting food, toilets overflowing... At least it's not that hot. I actually forgot it smelled this bad. Guess your nose kind of gets used to it."
"Ugh." Kuei covered his nose with a sleeve. "I don't think I could... It's terrible! Don't people of get sick?"
"Oh, all the time." Meng nodded. "Luckily, my aunt and uncle run an apothecary, so whenever we get sick, we can get free medicines for it. And we kept ourselves and the place clean. But again, it's usually the really, really poor that catch and spread illness." He gave a small, useless shrug. "Ooh, we have to hang a left here, I think..." The pair turned, Kuei looking behind himself as he heard a shout.
"What was that?" He asked, wide-eyed. "Someone just screamed."
"I dunno." Meng was secretly scanning the faces of everyone who walked past, hoping to find someone he once knew. "Mugging, maybe. Stop looking."
"That man has a machete!" Kuei exclaimed loudly. "He's just polishing it in public!" Meng winced, picking up his pace. "What if someone trips and falls on it?"
"Yeah, trips and falls." Meng muttered. "Keep your voice down, please. He's glaring at us."
"Sorry." Kuei apologized. "I've just never seen anyone playing about with a weapon like that."
"Yeah, they do that." Meng explained. "Usually to ward off anyone whose thinking about mugging or attacking them. No one would be stupid enough to pickpocket a guy with a blade that size. Come on, we have to go down here." Kuei followed the other male down another side alley, which looked to be used as a garbage dump by most people. "If we-"
"Help!" Both of the males froze. "Please, someone!" Meng released his hold on the King, sprinting down the alley. "Help!" Finally, he saw the source of the commotion – a ragged thief brandishing a blade to heavily pregnant young woman.
"Hey!" Meng shouted, hitting the mugger with a rock, sending him flying six or so feet and crashing into the wall. He sprang to the young woman's side, offering his hand. "Are you all right?"
"Y-Yes I'm..." She trailed off, staring at Meng's face. Hazel eyes slowly narrowed. "... Meng?"
"Meilin!" Meng was stunned, standing still as the girl embraced him. "Jeez, are you okay?"
"I'm fine! I- Oh damn!" She bit her lip, looking distressed. "Everything is such a muddle... I thought you were inside! Jiro said you were away for good!"
"I was." Meng blinked. "It's a long story... But are you all right? You could have been stabbed!"
"No! No no no no..." Meilin rushed to the side of the fallen 'thief'. "Dai Shi? Dai Shi, are you all right?"
"Dai Shi?" Meng clicked. "You're scamming!"
"Maybe?" The girl winced, gently shaking Dai Shi's elbow. The man groaned, eyelids fluttering. "Okay, we were scamming. It pulls in a lot, you know."
"If you're pulling the fake mugging..." Meng frowned. "Then shouldn't you-"
"Let me go!" Meng froze as Kuei's voice floated in their direction. "Unhand me, sirrah! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"
"Shit." Meng shook his head, watching as two very familiar faces walked into view, carrying a hysterical Kuei along with them. "Yang and Tao."
"Woa!" The taller of the pair jumped, eyes wide. "Meng! Wh- Tao, it's Meng!" Meng gasped as he was engulfed in another bone-crushing hug. "You're out! How's it going buddy."
"Fine." He said weakly. "Uh... You mind letting the guy go? He's with me?"
"Course!" Tao beamed, rather stunned to see his old friend standing just a few feet away. "Man, when did you get out? I thought you'd be a lifer!"
"Was." Meng gave a little shrug. "I broke out with a foreign girl." He directed his gaze to a very shaken Kuei, wincing. "Um... You all right?"
"No!" Kuei fumed. "I am not all right! Who are these rogues that manhandled me? Associates of yours?"
"Okay, calm down man." Yang held up his hands. "I'm sorry. We weren't gonna hurt you buddy. We don't do that."
"You thieves." Kuei cried. "I should have you hung drawn and quartered! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?"
"Woa Meng, whose this guy?" Meilin raised an eyebrow. "Kinda highly-strung, 'aint he?"
"Oh, you have no idea." Meng groaned, rubbing at his eyes. "Guys... Uh... Look. I have to go. This is really really important. We have to meet up later, though. Just give me an hour to sort this out and clean myself up."
"Are you being tailed?" Dai Shi spoke up, still not quite able to stand on his own. "Do you need a place to lie low?"
"To be honest, I think the Dai Li have enough on their plates to worry about me." Meng muttered, giving Kuei a glance. "Like I said, I'll tell you as much as I can later. And you have to tell me everything too."
"'Course!" Meilin beamed. "Like... Ooooooh." Her expression darkened a little. "Yeah. We have to talk later."
"Great." Meng grabbed Kuei's sleeve. "The old hangout all right?"
"Meilin and I bunk there now." Dai Shi grinned. "Free rent, and since her folks booted her, options are pretty slim."
"Wonder why." Meng eyed the womans' swollen stomach. "How far along are you?"
"Seven and a half." She rested a hand on the mound, patting it gently. "No hiccups yet, thank the Spirits."
"Father?"
"Ha!" Dai Shi cracked. "Narrowed it down to half a doz- Ow!" He cried out, getting a dark kick in the shins. "Oww! Meilin!"
"See you later." Meng hid a smile, giving the others a short wave before departing, a chorus of parting words accompanying his exit.
"Those are your friends?" Kuei spoke as soon as they were out of earshot, expressing tact when it was needed. "Those scoundrels?"
"Hey." Meng frowned. "They're not. I don't know if you noticed, but Dai Shi is providing for Meilin, and in future, the baby, despite the fact it's not his. He's a good person for that. And so are the rest of them."
"They tried to rob us!"
"They didn't know who we were!" Meng shot back. "They're desperate! Who wouldn't be? Look around, Kuei. Look at this place! Parent's can't provide for their damn kids, work is impossible to find, rent is sky-high because there aren't enough houses for everyone... There is no other option! It's either be dishonest, or starve to death!" He closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm just a little on edge. We should find this place."
"All right." Kuei nodded, the pair lapsing into a silence that lasted for a long time.
I wish there was some other option. Zuko mused as he lay the still figure in his arms across the thin mattress. He had carried Jin to the place that she had pointed out to him the abandoned house frequented only at night by squatters, so, so, so long ago.
It wasn't long ago. Zuko settled back on folded legs, staring at the girls' face. It was a few weeks ago. A month, at the most. Agni, has it really only been that long? Has my life changed that much? Have we changed that much?
Focus!He instructed himself firmly, resting his hand on Jin's shoulder. It was cold. Her clothes were still damp, he noticed with a downward tug of the lips. Of course they would be – she was fully submerged in water about an hour or so ago. Dripping wet clothes take a long time to dry, he knew after a few unpleasant experiences. I have to um... Oh dear.
"Jin." He spoke gently. The sun had passed its' peak, and although wasn't blasting completely through the window, was still able to light the tiny, dilapidated room pretty thoroughly. "Jin... I have to take off some of your clothes." She couldn't hear him, and Zuko didn't expect her to. It was for his benefit, really. Just so he could feel a little less... perverted. "Just so you know..." He swallowed, mouth dry. "Okay." He reached for the sash about Jin's waist, heart thudding. He untied the sash carefully, pulling her outer robe apart and sliding it down her shoulders. Zuko threaded her arms through the wide sleeves, and let the leaf-green robe crumple on the floorboards beside them.
"... Oh." Zuko murmured weakly as he fingered the hem of Jin's yellow underdress. The material was thick, heavier than he had expected, and had held the water quite well. "Um..." Zuko took in a deep breath, and reached under the hem of her dress. He ran his fingertips lightly across the top of her leg, heart pounding in his ribcage. "Sorry about this." He breathed, unaware that if Jin were awake, she would have thoroughly enjoyed his touch. His fingers brushed her knee, and continued northwards, at a snails pace. "I'm just trying to see if you have a skirt underneath – aha!" He breathed lightly in triumph, finding the hem of a thin little undergarment, six inches north of her knee. "Okay." Zuko closed his eyes as he started to hike the thick yellow dress up her legs. "Almost done." He spoke to himself in the silent room, carefully pulling the underdress over Jin's head. Although Zuko hadn't seen anything, having kept his eyes closed, his hands had still closed over her flesh. It was enough for his stomach to shrink into a soft ball of goo, cheeks blushing madly. He let out a long, slow breath as he set the yellow underdress beside the thin mattress, finally opening his eyes. Zuko's breath caught in his throat as he frank in Jin's sleeping figure, the nauseas, gooey sensation in his stomach increasing. "I-I'll... I'll um, just find something to cover you with..." There was a blanket, thin and ragged, but it was stained, and smelled absolutely terrible. Zuko bit his lip, giving a cursory glance about the room, without any real intention of actually putting anything so unclean on her skin. He winced, and pressed a hand against her bare arm. The flesh, prickling with goosebumps, was icy against his palm. "I need to warm you with something..." He murmured, chewing on a thumbnail.
Zuko, you're better than any blanket. A voice piped up in his head. And even if you can't warm her up quite enough, you can raise your core temperature to help...
"But that means I have to... undress, too." Zuko murmured face flushing even deeper. "There's no use in me warming her in wet clothes..." He pressed his hand against her skin again, shaking his head. She was freezing. What choice did he have?
And I don't have to completely or even half undress. He reasoned, bending down and pulling at his shoes and socks. Zuko unhooked the outer robe, the long-sleeved shirt, and with faltering fingers, the high-necked undershirt, leaving them in a rust-coloured puddle on the grimy floorboards.
"I'm only doing this to keep you warm." Zuko swore, lying down beside the girl. He gently looped an arm about her waist, and pulled Jin closer to his chest, making sure their bodies were sandwiched together tightly. "No other reason." He breathed the words into her neck, very aware of the odd sensation in his stomach concentrating, tightening. Zuko kept his breathing as slow and even as he possibly could, Jin's skin so shockingly cold against him. They both trembled, though for very different reasons. Zuko dug his nose into the nape of Jin's neck, trying to force down the rising ember yet again as a painful thought flashed through his mind.
Uncle... He wanted to cry. You're not going to be alone in there. I'm not going to abandon you again and leave you at Azula's mercy. I can't join the Avatar, not after what I did to Katara. I know how Aang feels about her, if he hears about what I did when he wakes, he'll be after my blood. My so-called destiny has blown up in my face. Again. I need you Uncle! I need you to help me, I need you to tell me what the hell I'm going to do!
I've ruined everything. Zuko felt sick with guilt and shame. Even if I rescue Uncle, how do I tell him that I've ruined things with the Avatar? That I attacked Katara? He'll be so angry at me. All of his hard work has gone to waste...
I'm such a damn failure! Zuko was beyond frustrated. Mum was wrong. I've been a failure all my life, and this just proves it. I'm sitting here, with a half-dead Jin, no Uncle Iroh, no Avatar, and nowhere to go. How is this notfailure? He was a hairs-breadth from a panic attack.
And I lied to him. I hurt him, so terribly. Even if it was to spare Jin, it was a horrible thing for me to do. I tore Uncle apart, and this will just be salt in the wound. I don't know if I could talk to him. I don't know if I could even look him in the eye...
I can't keep thinking like this. Zuko closed his eyes, trying to quell the tremors in his limbs. He closed his mind to thought, to hypothetical imaginings and the slow picking over of a million various possibilities, closed his mind to the sick hopelessness and guilt flaring in his gut.
Breathe in and out. Zuko commanded himself, clinging to Jin as tightly as he could without hurting or choking her. Deeply, slowly. Keep your mind empty and just keep breathing.
It was all he could do.
I know it seems left field, but read the summary folks :D This is what I had been intending since last February.
Don't forget to drop a line too, folks! I can't BELIEVE the feedback I have been recieving for this! It's amazing! Like, seriously!
Is muchly WOW
Peace out, homebrahs.