Why do I always upload so late? because you have no time during the day, stupid. yeah I do some of my best work at night. Haha well, here tis your next chapter, I really like this one I can safely say I'm proud of myself :) now to hear what my readers think, it ain't worth it unless the readers like it. Nuff said. Haha enjoy and Happy Hunting!

Chapter4: Fear and the Labyrinth

"Ty Lee?" Shang whispered to his wife as she slept. She stirred but didn't wake.

"Ty Lee!" He said, this time with more urgency.

She jolted awake and stared at him. "There's someone here to see you," He whispered.

She gave him a confused and sleepy look. Outside the sun shone bright, it was probably sometime after noon, in the last three days it was hard for Ty Lee or Shang to get any sleep.

At the moment Ty Lee felt sick, and didn't want to get up. She wanted to just sleep.

"Who is it?" She mumbled in a sleepy, half-awake voice. Shang grinned and came over to her, sitting on the bed beside her and wrapping an arm around her thin waist.

"I don't know. He says he's a friend of yours, why don't you come talk to him. He says he won't leave till he sees you," Shang explained.

Thinking it may be Temeharo come to explain himself to her, she threw herself out of bed and got dressed quickly. She just put her hair up in a bun and went out to meet Temeharo.

But it wasn't the black and white haired spirit she'd hoped for, instead she found in her living room a total stranger. And he'd told Shang he was her friend?

This didn't make sense to Ty Lee. She didn't know this man at all.

She cautiously stepped closer and stood by her husband. Shang put an arm around her and the stranger smiled.

Something about him- his smile, his eyes,- seemed familiar. She looked him up and down.

He wore grey pants and a grey shirt with a darker- almost black -jacket.

His hair was light brown with the occasional grey strand near his temples. Although his face looked old, his eyes looked young. They were a piercing brown, almost red, and they dove strait into Ty Lee's soul.

She gulped as a smirk formed on his lips. Something about that smirk-

"Ah, hello sweetheart," He said in a raspy, dry, voice. Ty Lee stared at him confused.

He chuckled menacingly. "Well, I just dropped by to see how you were doing, and ask for your help." He said slowly.

His voice had a certain hiss to it that sent shivers down Ty Lee's spine. He watched her closely, examining her every move.

"Uh, yeah, who-" He cut her off before giving her the chance to ask who he was.

"Just thought I'd drop by sweetheart-" Ty Lee did not like how he called her sweetheart, it had a certain twist to it. His voiced hissed a little more at the word 'sweetheart'.

"I'll tell you of my favor later," He said. His voice stank of something familiar. It just had a certain smell to it, Ty Lee couldn't quite place what it was.

"But for now, I'll go." Blood. That's what his voice stank of. It smelled of human blood. Not that there was any real differences between human blood and animal blood, but Ty Lee had a horrid gut feeling that it was indeed human.

She gulped in fear. Not only did she not know this man, but she feared him as well.

He winked at her and then left. Shang noticed he left a box on the table before heading out the door and went to go see what it was.

That's when she realized. It was him. Great Terror. He'd just been inside her house, he'd just talked to her, he'd just breathed his blood in her face.

Her entire body went cold. Ice cold. Her arms and legs tingled as her face went pale. She froze, literally. Her body was as cold as snow.

This cold feeling was strange, it was foreign. Ty Lee had never felt this before. It was almost like a cold sweat, almost but not quite. The feeling coursed through her whole body, it was like going out and lying in the snow without any clothes, that freezing icy feeling, but of course no one goes out and lies in the snow naked, but the feeling was like when you get snow on your bare arms or feet, or even face. It was like that only across your entire body. But it didn't quite have the burning sensation snow gives you, and this feeling wasn't on the outside skin, it was on the inside.

On the inside running trough her entire body. It was a scary feeling Ty Lee wanted to lose.

Her heart was in her brain, beating at a terrifying pace. Shivers went up and down her entire being. Her mind went blank except for the thought of his eyes; his red eyes glaring at her soul.

Her breathing had stopped all together, her body was still cold and her heart still threatened to explode. She. Was. Terrified. Ty Lee actually felt death, she felt like she would die right here and now.

She stared strait ahead. Great Terror would surely kill her if she didn't help him with whatever 'favor' he'd asked for. This visit was a warning, she was meant to figure out that it was him so that next time she'd have no choice but to help him.

She finally remembered to breathe again, but her breathing was rapid and jagged. Her eyes hadn't moved and her heart hadn't stopped pumping in her ears.

Her body was finally starting to warm up little by little.

Her hands were shaking precariously and she couldn't move.

"Ty Lee." Shang's voice was filled with fear, masked by courage. Or what he tried to pass off as courage,

Ty Lee finally lifted her gaze to Shang, who stood at the table, his jaw clamped shut and his breath slow and angry.

He pulled out of a box a long slender white rose. That's it. Him being Great Terror was confirmed. This means war.

Down at a small river, sat a lovely girl with long white hair next to a boy with messy white and black hair, dipping their feet into the icy waters and chatting comfortably.

But up above on one of the two sheer cliffs lining the sides of the river, sat a falcon-hawk, of the Fire Nation.

These birds were commonly used as messengers during the war, they were trained to carry messages and important documents across miles and miles, successfully going where the Fire Nation Troops couldn't.

But now it was as a scout. Following Mitsuki and Temeharo was its mission. It watched them carefully as they splashed one another.

Then it flew back, leaving the two of them at their place of rest.

They assumed they were safe here, being protected by the walls, and their noises being masked by the sound of the river rushing by.

"We should probably get going." Haro stated at last, standing up and stretching. Mitsuki giggled but stood as well. She poked Temeharo's side and dashed off around the corner out of sight.

"Hey!" Temeharo exclaimed with laughter. He and Mitsuki had become close during their travels. He even thought she may be falling in love with him yet again. Two hearts that are meant for each other cannot be separated, so it was quite possible for Mitsuki to be falling in love with him again if they were really meant for each other.

But still Haro made no mention of their romantic past, nor did he confess his feelings to her for fear of her running away.

"Mitsi!" He called out, running around the corner she'd just hidden behind.

She waited there for him, stifling giggles and trying to keep herself hidden in the bushes.

She knew this was a bit childish, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to have fun, for once she found someone she could be herself around. Someone who could have fun with her.

But was he honest? Was any of this real? Or was it all a lie? These questions and more swarmed Mitsuki's mind all the time. She was so afraid of him being sent to destroy her or something like that, she didn't want him to be doing this only to hurt her.

She was beginning to like him a lot as they travelled and talked, but she tried desperately not to get caught up in all this. To not like him too much, she still planned to send him away once she found the vault her memories lied in.

"Mitsi!" She heard him call. That name. It sounded- familiar -like she'd heard it a million times before. But by who?

Temeharo came racing around the corner and bent over, panting as he found her in the bushes. She giggled and sat down. Haro sat beside her.

"You know," He said panting. "We used to goof off like this all the time, back when we first met," He told her.

Mitsuki smiled but didn't say anything. She just silently wondered why every time he said something about their former meetings that she felt like he was lying.

"We should go," Mitsuki finally said, breaking the silence that fell over them.

"I wanna get my memories back as soon as possible." She stated.

Temeharo nodded and they filled their canteens and started walking again.

Mitsuki still wasn't able to use her wings, since that dragon did something to her.

So Haro offered to carry her every time they'd need to fly somewhere.

They came to a place in the map where a waterfall completely blocked their path. The map showed a trail running right through here but there was nothing. Just a waterfall.

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong direction," Mitsuki said frustrated.

Haro shook his head, studying the map with her. It was extremely elaborate, the road on the map looking like a twist of vines and leaves unless studied closely.

The key was small, but larger than a regular key. It would fit half the palm of Mitsuki, and the neck and actual part that unlocks would be as long as an average woman's index finger.

The map was small, but led through miles and miles of land. It even had carved into it the North, South, East, and West marks all in the right order and place.

That's how Haro knew that they hadn't gone the wrong way.

"It just doesn't make sense," Temeharo said, shaking his head and handing the key back to Mitsuki.

She took it and ran her fingers along its edges. She studied it close. There had to be an answer here.

She took her eyes off the key to look at the waterfall. It was majestic. The water cascaded down the rocks at a fast pace, it wasn't a huge waterfall, but it wasn't small either. It was medium sized and white. It flowed down to a large pond that went out splitting into several different creeks that strayed far from each other and led off into the distant woods.

Mitsuki look back to the waterfall, then the map. The little map was kind of 3D, it had little ridges that stuck up for mountains and cliffs or hills, but there was no such thing where the waterfall stood. There were no ridges or indents, nothing to indicate there was any barrier along the way.

They'd travelled across plains the past few miles, no mountains or anything, then they entered this jungle area and followed the road to this waterfall. And now it would seem they were at a stalemate.

Mitsuki held her chin, baffled by this turn of events. That's when Temeharo came over and took up the key from her once again.

"No indication that we're supposed to go over it. Or around it." He stated, rubbing his chin and thinking hard as he squinted to see every detail the key-map held.

"The only conclusion is to go through it." He said at last. Mitsuki looked at him quizzically.

"How?" She asked simple enough. He smiled at her and then took her by the hand and led her over closer to the waterfall.

As they got closer so the flow got louder, making it hard to hear Temeharo's words even as he yelled.

He pointed to what seemed to be a cave behind the waterfall. Mitsuki now understood. They were to go through this cave to get to the other side of the rather large mountain the waterfall came from.

She grinned at Temeharo who put the key into his inside coat pocket and led the way into the cave. Temeharo always carried the key, he didn't let Mitsuki although she never asked.

Mitsuki knew the only way to get her memories was with that key, and if Haro was always carrying it then he must have something planned. She knew she had to get the key from him if she was ever to get her memories back without trouble.

She silently followed Temeharo into the dark cave. He got from his Star Skill a lantern to light the way. It gave off a blue light which glowed bright as they made their way through the winding tunnels and many passages.

They were both silent as they moved swiftly. Mitsuki didn't know what to say to Haro, and Haro was busy thinking of how Mitsuki would react to him once she'd gotten everything back. He did hope they could make good time and maybe get there before tomorrow evening.

The map wasn't too long but it took them through a maze of obstacles. They trekked through cliffs and fought a dragon, they made their way through a sticky swamp, they passed trough a river and two sheer cliffs with seemingly no trouble and were now making their way through a cave of sorts. It was long and dark without the aid of their lantern, Mitsuki was unable to use any of her Star Skill so she stuck close to Temeharo, holding his arm in fright.

He could only imagine how frightened and vulnerable she felt without the weapons and protection Star Skill provided. But he vowed to protect her at all costs; Mitsuki was the soul concern at this point.

As Haro peeked around the next bend he sighed. The tunnel roof came lower.

"What?" Mitsuki's soft child-like voice echoed through the chambers. Temeharo looked back at her and froze.

Her soft violet eyes were different than the last two times he'd seen her. The first time they'd met Mitsuki had brown hair, and the second time she had white. And still now she had white hair, but her eyes had always stayed the same soft purple as all the times before.

But now they held something different. The first time they'd met Mitsuki's eyes were full of strength and power. The second time they held bravery and contentment. But now, it was different. Now her eyes seemed like those of a child who was afraid, maybe a child who was curious, or a child who wondered what everything was. A child who was discovering the world for the first time.

They seemed so full of wonder and all those other things- so beautiful yet so fragile -Temeharo just looked at them.

Mitsuki's grip on his arm tightened as he didn't respond to her question. "Well?" She said, her voice echoing again and snapping Haro out of his dreamy state.

He fumbled for words as he fought to take his gaze off her face. "The tunnel-" he said. "We'll have to crawl." Mitsuki nodded and gulped.

This tunnel was bad enough being all dark and confusing, but now they had to crawl? She sighed as she questioned whether it would be worth it. It would.

So they got down to their hands and knees and began to crawl, Mitsuki being sure to stay close to Temeharo as he held the lamp, and her precious key.

Back in Republic City, Ty Lee and Shang sat at home, unsure of what to do at all. Neither Mitsuki, nor Temeharo had come to visit and tell them what this was about. Ty Lee remembered back in Keonama Temeharo had told her about Mitsuki's mission where he'd met her, he said she was supposed to be an 'unseen body guard' so maybe that's what she was now, invisible to them but still protecting them.

With Great Terror's promise to return with a favor, they waited with baited breath for him to come. Every minute was agony, Great Terror definitely had the advantage, he struck fear into both Shang's and Ty Lee's hearts and that alone would be enough leverage to overpower them.

There was a knock. Both Shang and Ty Lee simultaneously jumped in their seats. But Ty Lee went to answer, with Shang trailing at her heals.

At the door stood a teenage boy about fifteen, he had pitch black hair that he'd let grow down to his jaw, at the tips of his black hair was white, faintly but still noticeable, his eyes were a piercing black and his skin pale, he looked up at Ty Lee without smiling.

His cold hard glare made Ty Lee step back. But something about him made her curious, made her feel like he was trustworthy.

"You Ty Lee?" He asked coldly. She straitened her posture and stepped back to the doorframe. "I am." She sated plainly, trying to hide her obvious fear.

This boy wore black pants and a black covering, he also had on a black cloak that seemed foggy, and somewhat unreal. He had black boots with white laces around the top. His hands were buried in his pockets as he stared up at Ty Lee, fixing his gaze on her forehead.

She wondered what he wanted. "I'm Jintzu," He said still emitting that cold tone, showing no emotion whatsoever.

Shang put a hand to his wife's shoulder and stepped forward. "What do you want?" He demanded, imitating the boys cold shoulder.

Jintzu turned his glare to Shang, but didn't even flinch. His eyes were empty pools, showing nothingness. Ty Lee was usually pretty good at reading faces, and knowing ones emotions. But he knew how to mask his feelings and he did it so well she hardly even believed he was human.

"I've come here to take you to a safe place," Jintzu said simply.

Ty Lee looked deep into his eyes and she believed him, she thought he could take them to safety, away from Great Terror.

In the caves, Mitsuki and Temeharo had made excellent progress. They'd crawled at least an hour by now and were growing exhausted.

They came to a place where the tunnel became smaller, so small that Temeharo couldn't fit.

"You go." He told Mitsuki. "No what about you?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I have a bad feeling, I need you to confirm, go down this path and tell me what you find." He instructed.

Mitsuki nodded but was hesitant. He still had her key. She shook off her doubts, it would take awhile to get out of this cave, and she continued down the narrower path which abruptly came to a halt once she was completely inside it.

"It's a dead end!" She called out, her small voice echoing.

She back tracked into the larger crawling area she'd left Haro in. He sighed and leaned back against the walls.

"Well, looks like we must've missed a turn back there somewhere," He commented solemnly.

Mitsuki nodded in agreement and the two sat there a minute to catch their breath.

Then Mitsuki spotted something shiny glint behind Haro. He was leaving back with his eyes closed so she decided to see what it was.

This part of the tunnel barely allowed two people to fit, they couldn't really be side-by-side but Mitsuki still attempted to crawl past Temeharo.

She put a hand on his thigh and he opened his eyes.

She was practically on top of him, trying to get across but she stopped when he looked at her. His green eyes met hers and they held for a moment.

Being so close and not allowing himself to do what he wished he could Temeharo was inwardly fighting himself not to touch her, to hold her and kiss her like he so desperately wanted to.

He held back only because her eyes showed fear and he didn't want to send her running away because he'd been stupid.

So they just held their gaze, neither one of them flinching.

Mitsuki's own thoughts were going nuts being so close to him. She felt a surge in her gut, it moved her slightly forward but she held back. His green eyes were so full of anguish and lust. Like he wanted something so badly but wouldn't allow himself to have it. Or maybe some thing wasn't allowing him to have it.

Either way he wanted it. Whatever it was.

Mitsuki held their gaze there, she was on her hands and knees, both her knees on the cold cave ground and with one hand on his thigh, she'd been trying to climb over him to investigate something, but she'd been caught in the act and they now shared a moment of silence.

She knew she felt something for him, but whatever it may be she would always quickly dismiss with the reminder that he was planning to double cross her and that she needed to send him to Keonama as soon as she found the vault.

But for now, in this moment here and now, she felt something, a stab in the heart. It felt awful but wonderful. What was this feeling? She suddenly remembered the shiny object which had caused her to crawl over here in the first place.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. So she broke their gaze and crawled on over to the other side.

Temeharo turned to be facing her and she stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Um- I saw this-" She picked up the piece which seemed to be a crystal of some kind. She looked at it closely but it revealed nothing of value to her.

So she put it back. But as soon as it made contact with the floor, the cave walls began to tremble and there was a distant crashing noise.

Filled with utter fear Mitsuki turned around to face what she'd caused; a cave in. The walls shook a don't he ceiling fell, Temeharo yelled and pulled Mitsuki back just in time to save her from being buried alive by the falling rocks. The noise and shaking ceased and the two stared at the now blocked passage.

Realizing she was still in Haro's arms, Mitsuki quickly crawled over and started digging, she didn't get far when Haro stopped her, telling her it was pointless.

She painfully gave up and sat back.

She throw a rock angrily and pulled her knees up to her face and began to sob.

"Mitsi, it's ok," Haro said sadly, leaning closer and brushing back her long white hair.

She wiped her tears and looked at him more fully. His own white hair was disheveled, giving him a really handsome look. He's your enemy, Mitsuki reminded herself.

She smiled at him and he smiled back. "We'll be ok," He whispered. She nodded and he hugged her tight. Could there be any doubt to her accusations? Could Temeharo have pure intentions and not some ulterior motive? No. He still has the key, she told herself.

As long as he held the key to her mind she knew she couldn't trust him. Not fully.