Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters

Pointers: 'italics' means that the character is thinking

Summary: Lien never felt at home in the Fire Nation. She was always alone and continued to live her life that way, but that was all until a certain Princess had taken her as a friend and a Prince mended her lonely heart. Zuko x OC

Author's Note: So DreamsInMyHeart16 asked me could I do a new rendition of Winter's Flame. I loved the idea and I hope this story goes well!

Book 3: Fire

The Spirit World

The past few days had been strenuous, especially for Aang. Lien would watch the once happy child becoming more serious, more confused, and hardened about the position he was in. Zuko had told them Ozai's true motives and what he planned to do on the day of Sozin's comet. Nobody knew what the original Gaang had planned, but now they knew that their strategy could've cost the lives of millions. Just last night, Aang had spilled the anxiety on his chest about killing Ozai. Of course, everyone knew that there was no other way to stop the Fire Lord and so death seemed to be the only choice. As far as Aang was concerned, it was a choice he was not willing to take.

He had left dinner last night angry and upset, leaving them no choice but to believe that maybe he would feel better in the morning. However, that's not how things began.

-/ - /-

Everyone had gathered that morning in the courtyard, ready to leave. "Okay, that's everything." Sokka said as they were around Appa.

Toph was sitting on the steps, her palm resting under her chin. "No, it's not." Everyone had looked in her direction, "Where's Aang?"

Immediately everyone was surprised and withpout a word, everyone went to go look for him. Katara and Lien had both went to his room, both of them figuring that's where he would be. "Aang?" Katara called the boy's name.

Lien took a step forward, "He's not here." She said as she then walked towards the balcony, sliding the door open and seeing that his staff was lying on the railing. Lien had picked it up, looking at Katara with a look of confusion. "He left his staff? Doesn't he always have it?"

Katara nodded as everyone then came into the room after not finding him anywhere else and realizing that Lien and Katara hadn't met up with them. "Aang's not in the house. Let's check the beach." He turned his head and walked out of the room, everyone following behind towards the beach as Lien still held the boy's staff.

When they reached the beach, there was still no sight of the Avatar. "Look!" Everyone's attention went to Sokka, "There's his footprints." There was a path of footprints which oddly led to the ocean. "The trail ends here."

"So… He went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki asked, confused as everyone else.

"Maybe he was captured." Katara said, worrying.

Lien bent her knees, Sokka as well as they carefully looked at the feet imprints on the sand. "No," Lien shook her head. "There are no signs of struggle. Aang came here and deliberately walked towards the ocean of his own doing. There's no signs of him stopping, he just kept going."

Toph also bent down, "I bet he ran away again."

"Nuh-huh. He left behind his glider and Appa." The watertribe warrior noted.

"Then what do you think happened to him, oh-sleuthy-one?" The earthbender teased.

"It's pretty obvious." Sokka stood up and threw his hands to the side, "Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey." His finger was pointed up in an "I got it!" position.

Zuko then found the flaw in Sokka's guess. "But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?"

Sokka slumped his shoulders, defeated. "Oh yeah, forgot about that."

"Then he's gotta be somewhere on Ember Island. Let's split up and look for him." Katara suggested.

Before groups could be decided, Toph took the liberty of jumping ahead. The girl swiftly grabbed the firebender's arm, the boy blushing at the act. "I'm going with Zuko!"

Lien seemed taken aback, everyone else just curious. "What? Everyone else went on a life changing fieldtrip with Zuko. Now it's my turn." She explained, hugging the boy's arm tighter and Zuko still blushing.

Katara and Suki's eyes slowly shifted to see Lien's reaction, but she remained nonpluss after covering her shock. Her eyes didn't reveal a thing. "What are we standing here for?" Lien spoke, Suki and Katara quickly looking away.

Suki and Katara had went to the busy town area of Ember Island, Toph and Zuko near the beach houses, and Sokka and Lien taking the air approach by riding over the island with Appa.

All of their searches had failed, which led them meeting back up at the Fire Lord's old mansion. "Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guess you guys didn't find Aang either." He jumped down, landing in front of the group and then offered Lien assistance down.

She took his hand and jumped, lost her footing a bit but regained balance due to his help. "No. It's like he just… disappeared." Zuko went on to say.

Sitting up, Toph had then spoke of something she had noticed off about the situation. "Hey, wait a minute, has anyone noticed that Momo's missing too?"

Immediately, allowing his imagination to drive to a new low. Sokka turned in horror, "Oh no!" The boy knelt down, his behavior becoming more outlandish and hysterical, "I knew it was only a matte rof time! Appa ate Momo!" He yelled before hopping to his feet and walking towards the bison, lifting his jaws to peer into the animal's mouth. "Momo! I'm coming for ya, buddy!" He said, climbing onto Appa'a tongue and to crawl his way in.

Lien let out a chuckle as she stood next to the warrior's calm sibling. "Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang." She rationalized.

"That's just what Appa wants you to think!" He said as he turned around to look at his sister before climbing in further as Appa closed his mouth, lanky legs flailing around.

"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka." Now tired of the nonsense, Zuko remained unpleased. "We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away."

Katara and Suki then looked up at him, "What should we do Zuko?" asked Katara as her brother now slid out of Appa's mouth, his body coated with the animal's saliva.

Zuko stood, unsure. "I don't know." Everyone's were now on him even Lien's. "Why are you all looking at me?" He asked as he looked around.

"Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang." The waterbending master explained.

Sokka had attempted to rub off the spit from his body and clothes. "Yeah, if anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar," Toph was saying as Sokka steped and slipped, hitting the ground and letting out a very loud groan, "it's you." She finished, Zuko looking down in thought.

"Let's go." He said, everyone climbing aboard Appa. Nobody knew where Zuko was taking them until the very familiar continental plains of the Earth Kingdom had come to view.

Lien had felt herself growing dizzy, her eyes drooping. She hadn't been active at all today, feeling very tired and sleepy. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like if she closed her eyes then she would fall to sleep.

Everyone's words had become nothing but muffled noises, her body slowly turning to the side. "Lien?" She had heard someone call her name so clearly.

She had seen a face before her, but it was blurred. From the clothing and the skintone, she knew it was Katara but for some reason her voice did not match.

It wasn't her voice.

"Lien, can you hear me?"

It was her voice.

Slowly, Lien's hands had reached her head and covered her ears. She attempted to block out the voice, pretending that if she ignored the woman's existence then she would go away. She was trying to come back, Lien had to stop her or fight trying to.

Soon enough, everything had gone back to normal and all the faces of the group were above her. "Lien," Zuko called her name, his left arm sliding under her neck, her cheek pressed to his chest as she could feel his warmth. He felt so warm and comforting, why did she feel so cold compared to him?

She felt like she was in the middle of a blizzard and he was the cabin with the warm fireplace. "She's cold to touch." Suki noted, after touching Lien's arm she could feel a thin layer of frost.

The firebender's eyes narrowed in worry, "Toph, I need you to take care of Lien while we're in the tavern."

"Which why are we here anyway?" Sokka asked, concerned for Lien and why they were in a place where they didn't belong.

Lien had felt herself feeling tired again, her eyes drooping. Zuko looked at her curiously, "Toph. Whatever you do, don't let her fall asleep."

"Got it. Come on, Ice Princess. You gotta pull through."

While Zuko, Sokka, Suki, and Katara had went inside the tavern. Lien had stayed next to Toph, who had placed Lien's head on her lap to make sure the girl was still awake and comfortable. "I'm sorry, Toph." Lien apologized, "You should be with them."

"Its fine. I don't even know what's going on anyway." The Earthbender shrugged, "I just hope that whatever it is, it leads up to finding Aang."

The waterbender nodded, her eyes lazily looking at the night sky above them. "We never got to talk alone, have we?"

"Nope." Toph answered, uncomfortable at most but trying to keep them entertained. "We know nothing about each other except for the fact, I know you saved me and the group a couple of times when you were with Azula."

Lien smiled, "And from what I know, you're a strong earthbender who ran away from home."

"That's fair." Toph said, Lien letting out a soft chuckle. "But what you don't know is, that my parents kept me sheltered all my life. If it was for them, I wouldn't be who I am and I like who I am."

"I'm glad you broke free and became who you are. Without you, Aang wouldn't have learned earthbending and none of us would have met you." Toph's eyes widened at Lien's words, a smile still adorning the older female's face.

"You think I'm that important?" Toph asked, "N-Not like I care though."

The girl sighed, "You're important to everyone in this group. I can see it on their faces, how much they care. Aang sees this, well, us as a family."

Toph smiled as she then placed her hand on the girl's face, feeling the chill that Suki spoke of earlier. Lien lazily looked at Toph, worry coming across the earthbender's face. "What's wrong?"

"You're freezing." Toph stated, her hand pulling away before she had gotten frostbite. Even the spot where the girl was laying her head became cold, but thanks to Toph's clothes she hadn't felt too much.

"She's coming again." Lien mumbled, her eyes fighting to stay open. "She's going to be here."

"Who is going to be here? That snow lady?" Toph questioned, now growing worried.

Soon enough the group was back and there was someone else with them. June, upon smelling her scent the shirshu had walked over and then confront Appa. Both of them growling at each other in an aggressive fashion.

Toph narrowed her eyes, unsure if she should alert the group Lien's words but when she heard the conversation, she felt unsure. "Okay, whose got something with the Avatar's scent on it?" June asked, Toph handing Katara the glider as the waterbender came to get it. She didn't want them to see Lien like this, at least not yet.

"I have Aang's staff." Katara told June.

The older woman offered the staff in front of Nyla's snout. As the animal sniffs it, she proceeded to sniff and walks around them while the group followed her movements. She began to moving in a circle for a while before finally, walking back in front of her owner and lowering herself to the ground. She rubbed her snout with her paws, "What does that mean?" Zuko asked as everyone was puzzled.

"It means your friend's gone." June answered.

"We know he's gone, that's why we're trying to find him." The earthbender said, annoyed.

The woman then clarified her words, "No, I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist. "

Everyone appeared puzzled and then worried.

"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's... you know, dead?" Sokka asked.

"Nope we could find him if he were dead." She then gestured her hand out, "it's a real head scratcher." She turned back towards her shirshu, "See ya!" She then mounted the shirshu.

"Helpful, real helpful." Toph sighed.

Zuko then spoke, "Wait," He walked towards the front of the group and faced them, "I have another idea. There's only one other person in this World who can help us face the Fire Lord." He raised his arm and faced the dark-haired, older woman. "I'll be right back with a smell sample."

When he came back, he held up Iroh's sandal. Much to everyone's dismay, it smelled horrible and flies buzzing around it. "You saved your Uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"I think it's kind of sweet." Toph smiled as the firebender lifted the sandal out in front of Nyla's nose.

"Let's do this!" She pulled Nyla's reins and the shirshu began running into the forest.

"Hey, wait up!" Zuko yelled as everyone began to mount Appa. Sokka held the reins as Zuko, Katara, and Suki had sat around Lien and Toph. "How is she?"

"Not good. She's getting extremely cold." Toph said as everyone seen the icy breath that escaped Lien's now, blue tinted lips.

Zuko then picked up the girl, pressing her body closer to his to share his body warmth. "You're so warm…" Lien mumbled, her eyes halfway open as she looked past his shoulder.

They were moving fast, trees and such whizzing past them. "Whatever you do Lien, don't close your eyes." Zuko said as she lazily placed her hand on his shoulder. Her hand curled into a fist, taking all the fabric of his shirt in her hand. "You have to fight it."

"This is not good." Suki sighed, everyone having concerned faces.

Zuko held her tighter and closer as soon the bison had stopped flying, meaning they had reached their destination. They were in front of a partially destroyed, outer wall in Ba Sing Se. "We're going to Ba Sing Se?"

June then looked at them, "Your Uncle's somewhere beyond the wall. Nya's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck."

He had a rather annoyed expression as the woman left, "Let's make a camp and build a fire." He suggested, "Lien can't move and it's time we had a rest."

Sokka and Suki had left for firewood while Zuko had brushed Lien's hair away from her face. "Lien, are you seeing something?"

The girl's azure's eyes kept looking over his shoulder. "Snow. There's so much…" She narrowed her eyes, "snow."

"Who is there? Do you see someone?" Zuko asked.

"She's there… She's there in the snow." Lien felt her eyes drooping.

Zuko then pulled her away slightly, the girl's head dangling from the side. It was like she had no strength, "Lien, don't go near her." The girl finally closed her eyes, "Lien! Lien!" He shook her, but to no avail she in a deep slumber.

Sokka and Suki came back just to see Zuko trying to awake the snow-skinned girl. "Is something wrong?"

"She's not waking up!" Katara said in panic, "It's like she's in a comatose."

-/ - /-

Lien had opened her eyes just to see she was in the world of snow once more. She had control of her body, however, and managed to stand up. She looked around, seeing nothing but snow-covered forest with endless blankets of snow all around. It was like she was in a clearing in a forest during winter.

"We are together again." Lien whipped around to see the snow woman, floating ethereally before her. Her long, black hair had waved behind her as her robes floated above her arms.

"What do you want from me?" The younger girl asked, her eyes glaring into the woman before her. "Why am I here?!"

The woman smiled, letting out a chuckle. "You are here because the time has come for you to stay with me."

"I don't want to stay here! I want to go back to my friends, to Zuko. Leave me alone!" She yelled, tears streaming down the corner of her eyes. "Let me go back to him."

The woman slithered her arms around her, Lien's face pressed against the woman's chest. There was no heartbeat. Just a cold, empty shell was the woman. "Why would you want to go back to a man who doesn't love you?"

Lien's eyes widened, "What?" She repeated, shocked.

"He doesn't love you, Lien. Has ever told you that he did?" The woman asked.

The teenage girl had bit down on her lip. "N-No but that doesn't mean he doesn't love me."

"I'm pretty sure that someone like Zuko would be able to tell someone how he felt about them." The woman stroked the back of Lien's head, as if comforting her after she had just crushed her feelings. "Its okay to cry. I know how it feels to lose the one you love."

And after a few short silent moments, Lien had held onto the woman and cried against her.

-/ - /-

"She's alive but she's in a very deep sleep."

Everyone had looked at the girl as she lay in the bed of Iroh's tent. That morning all of them had met the White Lotus. Zuko was able to apologize to Iroh, Katara and Sokka finding out Pakku's engagement to their grandmother. It was joyous for everyone except for the simple fact that Aang was still missing and Lien's comatose.

"Is there something we can do?" Katara asked Pakku as he inspected the girl once more, his hand touching her forehead only to snatch away from the coldness of her skin.

The man shook his head, "I can't even begin to think of what to do." Iroh had closed his eyes, thinking for a minute. "I suspect her revival at birth is the cause of this." Iroh spoke, the gaang staring at him.

"What do you mean, Uncle?" Zuko asked, "What happened to Lien when she was born?"

Iroh looked at his nephew and then at the rest of the group. He let out a long sigh as his eyes closed once more, "Lien did not cry when she was born. In fact, she was not alive."

Sokka narrowed his eyes, "Just like Yue." He said, his hand on his chin.

Iroh nodded. "Lien was also given life by a spirit." The group had gasped, "Her father had brought her to Yuki-onna shrine and asked her to bring her to life. She had granted his wish but Lien's soul was the cost. When Lien dies, her soul will become part of Yuki-onna's."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Zuko said, swiping his arm in a no gesture. "Lien was perfectly healthy and alive, so why is Yuki-onna bothering her?"

"That I do not know, nephew." The older man had looked over his shoulder at the young girl, who slept peacefully in his bed. "I am beginning to think that Yuki-onna is growing impatient."

"Are you saying…" Katara's eyes grew wide, "Yuki-onna is killing her?"

Iroh nodded his head. Everyone had looked down, unsure of what to say or do. Zuko's hands had tightened into fists, growing angry. "That's what it appears, I'm afraid. Since Lien is in a comatose that can only conclude that Lien is fighting her which is all we can make sure she does. The more she resists, she'll eventually wake up."

"How can we trust that she'll ever wake up?" Toph finally asked, voicing her concern as well.

"I do not know. We mustn't give up hope though." He said as Zuko looked defeat, his eyes looking away from his uncle and towards his sleeping friend.

"Lien is a strong girl. She endures every wave that comes before her. She must either ride the wave again or else she'll be drifted away." Iroh spoke, closing his eyes.

Everyone had seemed so downcast. Worried about what was happening to her. There was too much going on; they weren't sure what good was coming out of this situation. "If I talk to her, can she hear me?" Zuko asked, "Will it go through?"

Iroh lifted up his shoulders in a shrug. "I don't know but it doesn't hurt to try."

Zuko had knelt down beside her bed, his eyes staring intensely at the girl who was sleep before him. "Lien, if you can, will you hear me out?" He asked before looking down at his own hands and then over his shoulder, "Can I get some privacy?"

All of them looked at each other and laughed nervously. "So sorry." Soon enough, everyone stood and walked out Iroh being the last. He looked at his nephew and gave him a small smile before exiting out the tent.

"Lien, you have to wake up. Sozin's comet is just a day away; you have to be here with us. Remember? We're all in this together." He had taken her hand, grabbing it tightly. "You can't just let her win."

-/ - /-

"It seems you have fallen asleep." The woman continued to rub the back of the young teen's head, her strokes long and gentle. "There, there. You are safe with me." The woman had soon placed both hands on the girl's back and tried to mold Lien's spirit into her own. "In a few more minutes, you'll be in bliss."

Lien was unaware of it all even in the spiritual world, her mind was a complete blank and slumber-like. All she felt was the cold, spiritual body of the woman who was embracing her and now she felt something sharp in her back, but she couldn't move nor could she wake.

However, she could hear a voice in the back of her mind. A familiar voice, "Zuko?"

Yuki-onna winced as the girl pulsated, regaining more consciousness than she had needed. "He's not there, Lien. It's all a figment of your imagination." She cooed.

"You have to wake up." She soon felt her eye open, "Wake up? Aren't I already awake?" She asked herself out loud.

"Go back to sleep, Lien. Nothing can harm you when are here." The two voices meshed together causing a sharp pain to head. She found her hands moving towards her head and unmerged herself form the snow spirit.

Lien took a few steps back and then fell on her knees. "All these voices… Stop!" She yelled her hands pressed hard against the sides of her head. What was happening?

"Lien, you can't let her win." Can't let who win? What were they talking about? Everything became dark, featureless. As if she was in a black void of nothing. She was the only one there, the only one crying and confused. All alone.

Just then, she had seen a ray of light. She slowly looked up and she had seen figure of Zuko standing there before her, "Zuko?"

"You have to wake up." He repeated, Lien looking at the hand he had outstretched to her. "You can't let her win." She took one step forward, but then stops and took it back. He didn't love her, she remembered that. How could she go back to him knowing that her love for him was unrequited? "Sozin's comet is just a day away; you have to be here with us. Remember? We're all in this together."

That's right. How could she be so selfish? Why was she worried about that? Aang, Katara, Suki, Sokka, and Toph even Appa and Momo. They were all counting on her to fight with them, how could she…. Just give up?

"I need you."

Her eyes widened, her mouth open agape.

"Lien, I need you here. I've always needed you here."

Tears started stinging her eyes again; her bottom lip quivering as she felt her sobs being locked in her throat. Why did he say that?

"So, no matter what, you have to wake up."

Lien took a step forward and soon she found herself running, "Zuko!" She cried, running towards his figure. No matter how much she ran, she never seemed to get close.

Soon enough, she outreached her hand towards him and brushed against his fingertips all ending with her falling and the black void becoming the world of snow again. She stood up and saw Zuko was gone, "No! No, no, no, no, no!" She shook her head, not wanting to believe that she was stuck here.

He was gone.

Soon she felt the cold, slender arms of the woman slithering around her form. "You don't need him, Lien. I am all that you need."

"Let me go! Zuko needs me!" She tried to fight, "They all need me! Let go of me!"

"There's no escaping, Lien. Your soul is mine." Yuki-onna said, her voice serious and stern.

"Then please, let me just help them one time and I'll come back and so whatever you want. Let me help them just once, please?" She pleaded, "There's something I have to do."

The snow woman had looked at Lien, sensing to see if the girl was lying. She was not, there was truth in her words. And so, the woman gave her an answer. "Just this once."

"I am going to be coronorated today." Azula said, her hair choppy and her expression deranged. The days had not been kind since the death of Arata and the betrayal of all three of her friends. Now she kept seeing images of her mother, haunting as well as taunting her. What did she do to deserve this? She was perfect in every way. It wasn't fair, she had deserved to be Fire Lord. She deserved it more than anyone. She had fought for everything she had wanted in love, but there was one thing she did lose. And that was the ability to not be a monster in the eyes of her mother.

"Azula…"

"What?! What do you want?!" The Princess cried, her voice cracking with the direction of either going from pure angry to crying.

"Its me, Azula."

The Princess spun around, her eyes widened at the fact that it wasn't her mother standing there. "What do you want, traitor!" She pointed at Lien, "I should kill you where you stand!"

"Listen to me first." It had hurt to see the once cool and refined girl she had known since she was a child into this complete mess.

Azula then brushed her hair back, pretending to be calm. "Speak."

"I never meant to betray you, Azula. I didn't want our friendship to end, but you.. You're not yourself anymore." Lien tried to explain, the princess looking like she was trying to keep her cool.

"I haven't changed, Lien. You've changed. You followed that traitor of a brother of mine!" The Princess yelled, a long, line of lightning flying towards her direction.

Lien had barely dodged it, the hair on her skin raising from the static. "Azula, please don't do this! I don't want us to fight anymore!"

"SHUTUP!" The Princess screamed, "YOUR ALL TRAITORS!"

She kept firing more and more lightning, Lien trying to dodge all of the attacks. "I don't want to fight you, Azula!"

"THEN YOU'LL MAKE IT EASIER TO KILL YOU!" Lien's eyes widened at the girl's words. Azula had hated her now and there was nothing to change her back.

"Princess!" A servant appeared at the door, his head peering out. "T-The Fire Sages are ready." He said, shakingly.

Azula had stood, "Right. I can't be late being Crowned Fire Lord." She then began walking towards the door, Lien looking at her with sad eyes.

"Keep her locked in here. I'll deal with her later." And with that, the girl had left and Lien had tried to run to the door, but the doors had slammed in were locked in her face.

She was stuck. Now she couldn't even find the time to do at least see Zuko on more time. Immediately, she looked around to find a place for her to escape.

What could she do? She looked at the windows but then realized she had no source of water on her. That's when she noticed the basin where Azula must've had her feet scrubbed, she nodded and bend the water, her hands moving flowing and accurate, she had turned the water into ice and made a slide for her at the window and down to the ground.

She ran and slid down the ice slide and rolled onto the ground. She got up and began to run, making her way to the ceremonial plaza.

If she couldn't save Azula then she could save The Fire Nation and the world from her. Before she even reached it, she had seen the class of blue fire and bright yellow and orange.

That could only mean. "Zuko is here…" Her eyes softened, unsure of what to do. If the siblings were in a battle, how could she interfere? But she had to make sure that they both lived. That would've been enough for her before she passed on.

She pressed on even though she was hesitant and time was not on her side. When she finally reached it, she had seen Azula and Zuko in the throes of battle. Zuko determined while Azula, uncontrolled. She had never seen Azula in such a chaotic frenzy, her attacks so violent yet precise. She wasn't even gracefully moving, they were erratic.

Katara had watched battle, worried. Soon enough, Lien's figure had caught the corner of her eye. "Lien?" She whispered, surprised more than anything. "Lien!" She cried, but Zuko had immediately looked in Lien's direction as well in surprise.

Azula saw her chance and Lien had seen it too.

She hurried forward, while Zuko was distracted and pushed him out of the way of the lightning blast. In the center of her stomach, Lien was struck. Her body shook violently from the amount of watts, the power Azula exerted into it.

Lien's eyes fell close and her body leaned right and fell to the ground. "Lien!" Zuko screamed, turning the girl on her back. Katara, worried, ran towards them.

She had hoped Lien could last a little longer and she would defeat Azula this time.

Zuko scooped the pale female in his arms, his eyes wide with shock. Her body couldn't have handled the shock. He didn't want to admit it, but there was no healing her.

She was going to die.

Opening one eye, she had slowly looked at Zuko with blood sliding down the corner of her mouth. "Z… Zuko." She whispered, "I'm…" She was far too weak to even say a full sentence.

Zuko knew what she was going to say. "Why did you do that?" He didn't want to yell at her even though he desperately wanted to. Tears had fell from the corner of his eyes as he watched her give him a smile.

"…you…." Her hand slowly reached towards his face, the arm soon losing strength before falling lifelessly. He could see the light fading from her eyes.

By the time Katara had trapped Azula, it was already too late. Lien was gone.

"I'm too late." Tears had fallen from the corner of Katara's eyes as they had mourned the loss of Lien.

After a few minutes, Zuko shook his head and lifted Lien's body in his arms. His legs soon began to run, "There has to be another way."

Katara looked at him wide-eyed before running after him.

-/ - /-

Lien had woken the spirit world once again. She had looked around and saw Yuki-onna sitting on the engawa of an old, traditional home. "What is this?"

"This is my old home. Styled after the one I had on the other side." The spirit explained.

Lien had sat next to Yuki-onna, her head hanging low. "I wish I coud've told him that I loved him."

"What would be the purpose?" Yuki-onna asked, "He would've hurt you anyway."

The words of the older spirit had stung, but Lien had felt much more pain. She was dead and was going to be bound to Yuki-onna who would come back to life.

She died so that the other woman could live. That was her sole purpose in life because it wasn't hers anymore. "Where will I go?" Lien asked, her eyes looking away from the snowy world.

"You will go nowhere. You will become nothing but a part of me. You will have no life." Yuki-onna put it bluntly, Lien growing more and sadder upon the responses.

She closed her eyes, tears falling now. She wasn't sure what to think, but she knew she didn't want her life to end like this.

Lien had always figured she would die an old woman, married, and has children and grandchildren. Now she learned she was going to die young or more like, become nothing of existence. "Once I'm gone, will you make everyone forget?"

"They will already forget. Its just a slow process." Yuki-onna said as the girl's eyes widened. So that meant she couldn't even live on in the memories of her family and friends?

Her parents would never remember their only child, Jiang would never remember the child he protected, and Zuko would not remember either? Her mouth and eyes were wide with horror as she found herself standing and jumping off the engawa, she ran away.

She didn't want things to end like this but where could she go? How could she leave the Spirit World?

The young girl turned back to see the woman was not chasing her, probably figuring that it would be useless. Lien couldn't run away from here.

Her fate had already been decided.

Lien had tripped over her own foot, sinking in the cold and soft snow under her. She could feel herself curling up into a ball, crying harder than she ever had.

All she wanted to do was go home. "I don't want to die. I don't want things to end like this…" She whimpered, even though her words were falling on death ears. "I just want to go back…"

-/ - /-

"What is this place, Zuko?" Katara asked as Zuko laid Lien's body in the middle of the shrine where a rectangle hole in the roof was above her. It was the only place that had light within the whole shrine.

She looked around the wooden building, her oceanic eyes observing everything. "This is Yuki-onna shrine. Nobody comes here except for winter."

The waterbender looked at him and then at Lien, "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm just to figure out if I can take myself to the Spirit World. My Uncle did it before, I'm sure I can do it too." Zuko said as he looked around the shrine, "I just don't know how."

Katara looked around the shrine and walked over to a straw hat. She inspected it and then saw a brush on the table, "I heard rumors that to contact a spirit, you touch whatever once belonged to them or something they valued." She said, "You don't think this brush supposedly once belonged to her, do you?"

Zuko had walked towards the table and inspected it. He picked it up and then looked around, "I don't think this will work. We're not looking for Yuki-onna anyway; she probably won't tell us where Lien is."

Katara kept her eyes on the table, still looking around. As soon as she turned around, she gasped. The firebender was lying on the ground, the brush in hand. "Zuko, Zuko! Wake up!"

Zuko looked at her and then noticed his spirit was away from his body. "The brush couldn't have done this."

"You are right, Zuko. It wasn't the brush." Zuko quickly turned around and had seen Avatar Roku.

"Avatar Roku? But how?" He asked, his face showing much disbelief.

The man had closed his eyes. "Agni requested it."

"But he.." Before he could finish, his great grandfather had cut him off.

"Angi and Yuki-onna were once lovers." Roku said, Zuko's eyes widening. "Yuki-onna has bared a great hatred towards him and wants to leave the Spirit World. In order to do that, she had to take the soul of someone who is alive and give them a part of her soul. So when they die, she can obtain the essence of life that still remained in their spirit and leave the spirit world and be born a human."

Zuko then laced the brush down, "Can you take me to her? I have to stop her, I have to bring Lien's spirit back."

"Even if you were to get Lien's spirit back to her body. There is no guarantee she will be able to come back. Only few people have managed to cheat death, there is possibility that Lien is not one of them."

"I don't know unless I try." He said as the former Avatar nodded.

Just in a few minutes, Fang had went through the wall of the shrine and appeared before them. Landing on all fours and looking at the two men. "I'll take to the mountain of Yuki-onna's home."

Zuko had followed after Roku before looking back at Katara, who was still bewildered about Zuko's spiritless form. He climbed atop of Fang's back as they flew through the wall and made their way to the Spirit World.

Zuko had remained quiet on the journey, but his eyes had looked around at the strange scenery. Some places look beautiful while others looked ancient, he wasn't sure what to make of anything but he knew that he would probably never see this place again.

Soon enough they had flew towards a snowy mountain top, Fang lower until he was on the snowy ground. "The rest of this journey is up to you." Roku said as he and Fang flew off, Zuko watching them until they were completely gone.

He looked around the snow-filled, mountain top forest. "Where could she be? This could take forever!" Zuko had looked around and began walking forward, unsure of where to look first or where to turn?

He soon stopped walking when he heard what sounded like crying.

The firebender began walking to where he heard the sound, his walking then turned to running, and then sprinting. He pushed some bushes away after he entered a forest like area just to see a wide-open clearing, and what looking like a bawled up person in the middle of it.

But the most notable thing was the long, black hair that lied in the snow.

"Lien!" He called out her name, the crying beginning to cease.

He then ran towards her, falling right in front of her just to see tear-filled, azure eyes staring back at him in what first looked like denial and then shock. "Zuko?"

"I found you." He said with a smile on his face.

The girl then immediately sat up and jumped on him, her arms wrapping around his neck as he then pulled her closer. She began crying all over again, and this time it was out of happiness. "I-I thought…" She tried to stop herself from choking back on tears, "That I would never see you again."

"I wasn't going to leave you here. You don't belong here." He said as he placed his hand on the back of her head, "I'm going to take you back."

"But how?" She pulled away from him, looking at him with confused eyes. "There's no way my body can go back."

Zuko nodded his head, "There might be a chance that your spirit can turn to your body. We don't know unless we try."

"But what if it doesn't?" Her voice softened, "What if I can't go back? You'll have to go back and just forget all about me. Even though you will eventually."

"I can never forget you, Lien." The boy's voice becamed hard and stern, "Don't say that!"

She found the corners of her mouth rising, "Its not that I'm saying you would forget me. I'm saying that is what Yuki-onna told me. All people who knew me would forget my existence."

Zuko's eyes widened, "But why?"

"I don't know. I tried to think that, if you remember me then I don't care if everyone else forgets." She said, her eyes closed as tears kept spilling.

He frowned, deeply. "Lien…"

"When I disappear from your heart, please… Please don't forget my name. At least remember my name." She had already given up and he couldn't even begin to understand why.

He closed his eyes, growing agitated by her words of defeat. "Don't do this. Don't give up before we even tried!"

She finally opened her eyes, her hands cupping both of his. "Zuko its because I wish for your happiness that I don't want you to just believe this will work. I know it sounds selfish, but I love you and I don't want you to just believe in something when there's a possibility it won't happen. I am now trying to accept that I am going to disappear."

Zuko had remained frozen at her confession, his eyes bulging as she had given him the warmest smile that he had ever seen.

She loved him.

His eyes lowered halfway as she had soon removed her hands from his and placed her cold hands on his face, "So tell me, that if this doesn't work and when you go back. You'll remember my name."

He placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "If I have to stay here with you then that's fine with me." Lien's eyes widened, "I didn't know I felt for a while but I know now that there's a chance that I'll never seen you again, then I am not willing to take it. I don't want to forget, I don't want a world dividing us. If I have to stay just to be with you then that's fine. Its because I love you too that I'm not going continue on knowing that."

She bit down on her lip, trying to suppress her tears. "Zuko, even if you stay here I won't be in this form. Yuki-onna will take my spirit an-"

"She's not taking anything from me again." Lien felt his hand tightened around hers, "I'm not letting her take you away from me again."

"Zuko…" She sighed his name, wanting to be happy but fearing the worst in the back of her mind. He pressed his forehead against hers, "Then let's run."

With a nod, they both had stood and held hands. "I'm not sure if I can find Avatar Roku again, but there has to be another way to leave this mountain."

Instead of asking how he met Avatar Roku, she looked around and tried to find an escape as well. "I'm not sure."

"That's if you'll be able to." Both of them turned around and seen the spirit floating in front of them. Zuko had pulled Lien close, her face burying in his shoulder and clinging to his form.

"You're not taking her from me." Zuko said, his arm around the girl next to him protectively.

The woman frowned, her eyes narrowing. "You think love is just easy and people can just do whatever they want?"

Lien peered at the woman form the corner of her eyes. "Its not easy, Yuki-onna." All of them had looked behind them to see a tall, tan-skinned man with long, black hair that was pulled into a ponytail and a long black beard.

Yuki-onna appeared angered by his appearance, her eyes growing a more malicious intent. Zuko had backed away, trying to see if they would able to escape without either one of them noting.

The man had looked at them, "I admire your courage for standing against her." He said, "And more of finding love while being polar opposites."

Lien and Zuko had looked at one another and then at him. He gave them a playful smile, "You don't know who I am, do you?" Both of them shook their heads. "Its probably because I am a God, who would recognize one if they had seen them?"

Zuko's eyes had widened, "You're Agni?"

Lien appeared surprised as well, "But what are you doing here?"

"To take you back to the other world." He explained, "And to stop Yuki-onna from her plans."

"You always like to ruin things for me." The woman spat, "You always hurt me."

The man closed his eyes, "I asked for forgiveness, didn't I? Nobody told you to leave!

The woman gritted her teeth, "I told you how I felt about that woman. You even fell in love with her!" She yelled, the blizzard around them growing intense by her seething rage.

What a surprise right?

Next chapter we get to learn more about Agni and Yuki-onna.

Lien: The Chinese name meaning "Lotus"

Doli: The Native American name meaning "bluebird"

Nianzu: The Chinese name meaning "thinking of ancestors"

Arata: The Chinese name meaning "fresh"

Yuki-onna: Yuki-onna appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and blue lips. Her inhumanly pale or even transparent skin makes her blend into the snowy Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if threatened.

R & R