" Hold on okay" I told Zuko. We had barely escaped with our lives. We defeated Azula, but Ozai defeated Aang, then Ozai killed Sokka, Toph, and Suki. We had received the news after I had chained Azula to the gutter, and healed the prince's wound. That was when the guards freed the princess, and we fled for our dear lives. Zuko's chest heaved viciously from running with his condition. The two of us jumped into a ditch by the road.

" Are you okay?" I asked him

" Fantastic" he groaned sarcastically " Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Suki are dead, and now we're on the run. It can't get much better than this"

I hiccupped from all the crying I had done today. I lost my brother and my three best friends, and now I was stuck with Zuko, of all people. Tears streamed down my face once again, and forgetting his chest wound, he hugged me. I heard him wince and pulled back.

" It's okay," he said unconvincing, " it doesn't hurt that much anymore"

" What are we going to do now?"

" I don't know" he admitted, " the Earth Kingdom will be colonized before morning, at least what's left of it. My dad is going to look for us nonstop…"

" What about the water tribes?" I asked. He looked at his feet regrettably.

" This is my fault, maybe if I had manned up and spoken against my father…" he touched his scar " this wouldn't have happened. I don't want to say it, but fire melts ice doesn't it?" Tears welled in my eyes, Gran – Gran, Pakku, Yagoda, Arnook, Bato, dad, everyone will be dead. Drowned or burned. Zuko held me closer. I've already lost my mother, brother, and all my friends; I can't loose my entire tribe. Faces flashed in my mind, memories of my tribal family, all those children, not even five years old, will all die. Tears rolled down my face. I couldn't take it! I just couldn't! It was too hard! Zuko's hand grabbed my shoulder.

" We have to go!" he said " now" I looked back at the city and saw a bright orange glow recede down the mountain. My eyes widened

" What is that thing?" I asked

" I have no idea!" he said

We jumped to the side of the rode into a ditch. "So," I panted " What now?" It took the Firebender a minute to catch his breath before answering.

" Maybe we could hide in one of the air temples" he suggested " or somewhere remote where no one will find us."

" How will we get there?" I asked, " Appa is dead. Your war balloon was destroyed when…" I bit my lip " you and Sokka went to that prison. The zeppelin was taken"

" I don't know" zuko yawned " maybe we should make camp for the night." He looked around. " Lets find somewhere farther away from the main road" I agreed.

Twenty minutes later we found a small opening in the middle of the wooded forest. As Zuko searched for firewood, I began to make a tent out of tree branches and leaves. I figured that we would only need one tent to share between the two of us. By the time he had returned, I had the tent built, and was practicing plant bending.

" you know," he said after lighting the fire, " you're going to have to hide your bending. I mean, don't get caught waterbending, or you're going to get arrested." He picked at the fire with a twig, grasshopper – crickets sang, the fire crackled, and a badger – frog croaked in the background. He chuckled to himself.

" what?" I asked

" it's nothing," I kept staring at him, " okay fine I'll tell you, remember the day I joined your group?" I nodded " I rehearsed what I was going to say to a badger – frog." I giggled, after all we've been through, we needed a laugh.

" And when you and Sokka went 'fishing' you told Aang to practice whenever he heard a badger – frog croak." He smiled at the memory

" I wish it were worth all the work," he admitted

After a few more minutes of silence, I said " hey remember when I stole that scroll and you tied me to a tree?"

Zuko frowned " what about it?"

" remember what you said to me?" I asked trying to restrain a smile from bursting from my face. Zuko blushed.

" no," he lied

" It was something like 'I'll save you from the pirates!'" I tried to mimic his tone. He glared daggers at me, and stabbed an ember with the stick making the fire burn a little brighter. The way his golden eyes reflected in the fire made it seem as though the fire was in him. I could almost see the flames dance and sparkle within the amber oceans.

" What?" he asked, catching my gaze.

" nothing," I said awkwardly " it's just your eyes…they're a really… bright… no… handsome… color."

" isn't the guy supposed to be complementing the girl?" he asked, once again hiding his blush. I shrugged. I then looked down at his burned shirt and stomach.

" come here" I said as I bended water out of my skins. " if I don't do this now, its going to hurt like hell in the morning." He stood and walked over to me. I also stood and place my hands over the wound, and he seemed to relax a little bit.