Zuko and Iroh trudged on for more than an hour before the cave came to an end in a large room. Supplies lined the walls in stacks and furniture wrought from the stone made it clear that Kitsu intended this place as an extended hiding spot. Zuko placed Kitsu on a stone slab and promptly crumpled to the floor as he clutched his wounded arm. It wasn't until that moment that Zuko noticed the large patch of blood on Kitsu's dress.
"Zuko, look through the supplies. We must know what we have at our disposal. It is only a matter of time before Azula breeches the tunnel, and we must be prepared." Iroh lifted Kitsu's skirt, being cautious of the unconscious girl's modesty as he inspected the wounds to her left leg. Her knee and foot were both badly bruised and covered in scrapes, but it was the black incision midway up her calf that caused him alarm. Zuko used his good hand to dig through the supplies, it was nothing more than food and clothing.
"There's nothing we can use to defend ourselves!" Zuko yelled angrily.
"Kitsu must have hidden more within the walls." Iroh could not help but be impressed by the girls forethought; Ogedai trained his daughter well.
"What are we going to do, Uncle?" Zuko paced the room with his golden eyes glued to the mouth of the cave they occupied. Any moment Imperial guards could come spilling out of the tunnel like cockroaches.
"We must wake Kitsune." Iroh said grimly. "She's been struck with a poison blade, an unusual weapon for imperial guards." Iroh's golden eyes met Zuko's and the gravity of their situation made them both fear the worst.
"How? She's been out cold for over an hour?" Zuko looked at Kitsu's grimacing face and realized her brow was beginning to beade with sweat. Already her body was struggling to fight off the poison. He felt anger flare up in his veins and looked away from her. This was all her fault. Zuko was startled by the loud clap of palm hitting flesh and looked at his uncle. A handprint bloomed on Kitsu's face and her eyes began to flutter as a groan escaped her lips.
"Kitsune, you must stay awake." Iroh urged. "You must close the passage and help us or we will all be captured." Kitsu's eyes lost focus and fluttered shut, forcing Iroh to shake the girl roughly. Finally the semblance of consciousness appeared as her striking eyes searched their surroundings. Even in her stupor she recognized her escape tunnel.
"Help me." She mumbled as she attempted to sit up. Iroh grabbed her shoulders and helped her upright as she winced in pain. "What happened?"
"We don't have time to explain!" Zuko snapped. "Can you close the passage or not?" Kitsu gave him an aggravated glare and shook her head.
"I'll try." Kitsu looked at her leg as if just noticing the extent of her injuries and touched her bruised knee gingerly. A deep ache bloomed and she cried out in pain. Her eyes widened and darted to Zuko's face before immediately traveling to his arm. The sight of it horrified her. He'd done too much. She watched as blood dripped from his bright red fingers and spattered on the floor. "Oh no." She breathed as she looked up at him in dismay. His hard glare was all she found. Suddenly she remembered everything; their fight, her outburst… everything.
Kitsu looked away in shame. Without another word she grit her teeth and pushed her legs off of the stone shelf. This was her fault and she had to fix it. The pain in her leg almost made her collapse again when she forced herself into a standing position, but Iroh held her up and helped her to hobble towards the mouth of the tunnel.
"I believe in you, Kitsune." Iroh encouraged her as he waited for her to find her footing, however shaky it might be, and stepped away from her. Even Zuko felt a pang of worry as he watched Kitsune prepare her stance. Her teeth were clenched in pain and the wound in her leg began to bleed anew.
Kitsu shut her eyes and steeled her resolve. Centering her focus, she pressed her feet into the cold stone of the cave floor. She could feel the stone challenging her like a wild Ostrich horse challenging a new master. Two quick jabs of her fists collapsed the tunnel, punctuated by a yelp. Her knees crumpled and Iroh once again steadied her.
"Very good, Kitsune. Now you must clear the exit and reveal any supplies you may have hidden." Iroh watched the girl as she nodded. Iroh took a glance at his nephew's worried face as concern passed between them.
"That will be easy enough." She mumbled as she waved her hand. Stone grated against stone and everywhere rocks slid aside revealing a sea of cubbies hidden within the wall. Across the cave only one section was bare of crevices in which she'd squirrelled away supplies. Kitsu pointed to the flat span of rockwall and Iroh began the grueling process of helping her limp over to it. Zuko tore through the cubbies finding every supply imaginable; from medical supplies to cooking utensils. As Kitsu opened the exit tunnel Zuko stumbled upon various documents rolled up behind a large jar of rice. Checking to ensure Kitsu was preoccupied he slipped the scroll into his sleeve and continued searching.
"We need a plan." Zuko said grimly. They sat in a circle around a small fire Iroh had built to keep Kitsu warm. The poison had begun to spread and she was being racked with chills.
"I have one… It never included two fire n-nation fugitives. But I w-would never make it on my own n-now anyway." Kitsu answered through chattering teeth. Every inch of her body was sore from shivering, and the pain from her leg came in waves over her body. She pulled the blanket Zuko found tighter around her body. Zuko and Iroh exchanged worried glances.
"Make it where?" Iroh asked as he dabbed at her forehead with a cloth.
"I am a B-beifong." Kitsu mumbled. With every word it was getting harder to keep her eyes open.
"So?" Zuko pressed. "How does that help us?" He could tell she was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. No matter how angry he was with her, he could hardly stand to see her in so much pain. His own arm was badly injured, even more so than before. He doubted he would be able to firebend with it. That would limit him to one arm and seriously affect his balance when fighting.
"Ba Sing Se." Kitsu choked out as another wave of pain enveloped her body. "I have family there. Beifong family. They can take us in and protect us." Kitsu felt a rush of failure flood her veins as tears welled into her eyes. This plan was her absolute last resort. She never thought she would be forced to follow through. "There's only one problem."
"What is it?" Iroh leaned forward watching the girl intensely. They needed to get to safety and get help as soon as possible; Not only for his nephew's sake, but for Kitsune's as well.
"My proof… The golden Beifong coin… It's in my house." Kitsu was almost pulled under by yet another onslaught of pain and guilt. Iroh leaned back with a heavy sigh. Zuko's eyes flicked between his uncle and the wounded girl.
"What does that mean?" Zuko snapped. Iroh shot Zuko a disapproving look.
"It means one of us must retrieve it." Iroh answered. "The Beifong family gives every one fo its members a golden coin to prove their identity. These coins are as good as currency and better than any document."
Zuko shot up and began to pace. "It was that coin you pulled out of your wall wasn't it?"
Kitsu watched him as he crossed the room and back again. "Yes." She could see Zuko's shoulders pricking with anger.
"How am I supposed to get it if you can't bend the wall open?" Zuko growled. With each moment his temper was growing ever more out of control. He wanted to scream in anger but that wouldn't solve anything.
"The stone that covers it isn't thick." Kitsu answered. "You should be able to smash it open with a rock."
"You realize that fucking house is probably crawling with my sister's guards!?" Zuko's temper finally broke as he whipped around on her. The light of the small fire flickered across Zuko's face making him appear almost monstrous. Kitsu flinched and looked away. Her home… the home she built, the plants and animals she raised. What would happen to them? She'd wrought that entire compound from the earth with her own blood, sweat, and tears. In her mind's eye she saw it all… nothing left but ashes. She choked out a sob and felt the sting of hot tears well in her eyes.
"Zuko!" Iroh reprimanded. "That is enough! She is offering us a solution, it is hardly her fault that we are being hunted." Iroh watched as Zuko gripped his hair with his good hand and turned around with a growl.
"Fine!" Zuko barked as he paced. The sound of Kitsu's whimpers doused his anger. "Is there anything else?" Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Poki!" The sound came out as a sob. Zuko looked at Kitsu in confusion.
"What?" Zuko snapped.
"My O-ostrich-horse. He… I need to know." Kitsu's discolored eyes pleaded with him. She couldn't say the words. Poki was her dearest friend, part bird or not he was like family. She needed to know id he was okay.
Any day... ANY OTHER DAY, Zuko would have told her to go fuck herself, but he recognized the fear and distress in her eyes. It was stupid, and ridiculous to risk his life for something as dumb as an ostrich-horse.
"Fine. Uncle, take care of her while I'm gone." Zuko turned on his heel and headed for the cave exit. Within three strides he disappeared into the dark tunnel.
Kitsu pinched her eyes shut and tried to swallow.
"There, Kitsune." Iroh soothed as he dabbed more sweat from her brow. Kitsu's hand darted up and grabbed Iroh's wrist in a vice-like grip.
"I think I've been poisoned with Gu." Kitsu blurted quickly. "Please. Please don't tell Zuko." She watched as Iroh's eyes filled with realization and curiosity.
"Gu is a very dangerous poison indeed… But why do you think this?" Iroh's sage voice remained smoothe but Kitsune could see the wheels turning. Gu was a highly specialized poison derived from venomous animals. It could only be made by skilled individuals with a penchant for danger. Iroh was clever, he would ask questions, but Kitsune needed someone to know. She shook her head as her face set into a look of determination.
"I have my reasons." She ground out. With a wave of her hand a single slot opened in the wall next to the rock shelf and she pulled out a clay pot with muslin wrapped over the mouth. "I need you to make a paste with this plant. It must be boiled until the water turns grey, and then strained." She handed the jar to Iroh who quickly removed the lid and examined the contents. Iroh's eyes became deathly serious as he looked back into Kitsu's eyes.
"Viper's Kiss? You seem to be fairly familiar with the threat of sparrow-viper Gu." One white eyebrow raised up. Iroh knew now that Kitsu was in far more dire straits than he previously imagined. How had he missed the bloodshot in her eyes, or the dark purple discoloration of the wound?
"I don't have time to explain!" Kitsu urged. "We must hurry!" Already Kitsu was becoming frighteningly weak. If they did not administer the Viper's Kiss paste quickly they would not be able to delay the paralysis or the necrosis. Iroh nodded grimly and set to work.
Kitsu's tunnel led Zuko to an abandoned barn on the outskirts of Guong Shi. He retraced his steps until he reached the point in the river where they first met Kitsu. The patch of Mother Lilies had almost doubled in size in a matter of days. He slunk through the shadows silently, surveying the area. It would take time for him to locate the compound again. As Zuko searched the underbrush for any sign of tracks he came upon a clearing with charred and scorched trees.
Could he really be so close already? The sound of armor rattling reached his ears and he dodged behind a tree just in time to hide from a patrol group of soldiers. Zuko's amber eyes flashed in the darkness as he quietly stalked the unit on their rounds. He was only following them for a few minutes before they passed the mouth of the passage that led into the compound. A quick glance told him the cost was clear as he slipped through. What he saw on the other side of the passage made his heart sink into his stomach.
The idyllic little compound where he'd felt the most at peace in years was little more than the charred skeletons of buildings. The shock of the sight fanned his anger into an inferno of rage. His jaw flexed as he grit his teeth. With his determination fueled by fury he slipped across the courtyard to the carcass that had been Kitsu's cottage only hours before.
As he moved he realized that there were no guards within the compound. There was nothing to guard… or so Azula thought. He slipped through the doorway that now stood empty and within. To his good fortune the blaze that charred the house and left smoking charcoal all about had also cracked the stone walls.
Zuko didn't pause to consider the blackened stove where Kitsu had cooked for him, or the pile of charcoal that was the table they'd shared a meal on. He made a bee-line for the wall and examined the exposed cubbies. The largest cubby, in the center of the wall, was open and a hunk of smoldering embers sat within.
Zuko scooped the embers up in his hands, and let them sift through his fingers until a soot covered crown and coin were all that was left.
A soft chirping made Zuko jump and spin around, only to find an Ostrich-horse sticking its head through the doorway. A look of shock morphed into a grin as Zuko grabbed the ostrich horse's lead and snuck out of the house. As he did so Zuko slipped Kitsu's gold coin and crown onto his belt.
With a grunt of effort Zuko hoisted himself onto Poki's back before giving the bird a firm kick. Poki shot forward and nearly unseated him but Zuko managed to cling to the animal with his good arm. "Someone is going to be very happy to see you." Zuko murmured as they slipped through the passage and put distance between themselves and the burning wreckage of Kitsu's compound.
Zuko couldn't shake the image of Kitsu deflecting Azula's blue fire out of his head. Even he couldn't do that. No normal earth bender could ever possibly hope to achieve such a feat. Of course, Kitsu wasn't just a normal earth bender.
Zuko slipped the documents he'd taken out of his sleeve and began to read by the moonlight. It was a fire nation family tree, and at the bottom three names sat side by side. Ogedai, Soo Ming, and Lee. Kitsu had an aunt and an uncle in the fire nation it seemed. Zuko couldn't shake the feeling that he knew someone from his time at the palace by the name of Soo Ming, but he couldn't put a face to the name. Golden eyes scanned the branches of the document. Beneath her father's name was the seal of a general, and a drawing of a distinguished service award. Zuko wondered what could possibly make such an honourable man stoop to procreating with an Earth Kingdom commoner.
Then Kitsu's smiling face filled his mind and caused his cheeks to burn with embarrassment. This girl would be the death of him.