A small innocent grin appeared faintly on Yi’s lowered face. He felt better knowing that she was being more polite, but guilt still had its sticky cold hands wrapped around Yi. Summoning all the strength he had, Yi glanced up slightly at the girl, making eye contact with her bright blue eyes. The view was only temperamental as the girl quickly lowered her head. Zian quickly did the same. Right on schedule, the third party kicked in his opinion. WHAT?! SHE’S NOT A FIRE NATION CITIZEN!!!!! NO ONE BORN OF FIRE HAS BLUE EYES!!!!!! TURN HER IN! I ORDER YOU! TURN HER IN! TURN HER IN!![/i], screamed the voice in his head, completely drowning out almost everything. Yi gritted his teeth as his lower jaw trembled slightly. He used all of his strength to resist the voice.

“… you can call me Li.”

Li… such a lovely name… Yi successfully silenced the voice, his head trembling ever so subtly. He quickly regained his submissive demeanor and kept his head lowered. He tired to speak but nothing came out, his throat dry and raspy. As much as he hated it, he was slightly intimidated. He hated feeling low and subhuman, but he was locked in this position, and probably will remain in that position for a while.

He saw her shaky hand extend outward. With a shy hand, Yi extended his outward, making sure his sleeve was fully down. He didn’t want her to see the scars… “My…my... name is Yi…”, stuttered Yi as his hand made contact with hers.

Li Mei's eyes lit up as she noticed Yi's smile. That was a nice turn of events. And his smile...that was nice too. She accepted his hand and shook it quickly before she pulled away rather abruptly and dropped it by her side. She curled it into a fist by her side. A few more beads of sweat dripped down her forehead and she wiped them away with her sleeve. Li Mei didn't know how much more of this she could take before she passed out. And it wasn't like she exactly trusted Yi enough to ask him for his help. Because...well, she didn't trust him at all. Even if he was nice. That didn't mean a thing.

Li Mei ran her foot along the ground nervously and she looked down at the dust cloud it created. How long could she go without speaking? Days possibly. "So Yi...are there any cooler places around here. See, it's getting hot in this hood and I would really like to take it off. But I can't because I'm afraid I'll be arrested." As she spoked, her eyes remained fixed on her boot moving along the ground.

Yi felt Li pull away quickly, Yi figured that would happen… Another wave of despair flushed its way through his body. See!! You disgust her! Get her away from us! She will only cause you pain Yi!! Remember! Remember the girl in the window!”[/i], sneered the voice sadistically as it scanned through Yi’s brain like a book, looking for the right memory to haunt Yi. Yi closed his eyes and lowered his voice to an almost inaudible plea. “Please... no...”, plead Yi quietly to himself.

Ah... yes... here it is…, scoffed the voice as it brought the memory into Yi’s conscious mind. Even though Yi knew the dream was long and painful, it only lasted a few seconds... But those few seconds seemed like a life time to Yi…

All around him, Yi could see bright flashes of a pale dull orange light. The dull orange glows lit up the pitch black room. Yi could see himself, sitting alone in the corner. He was only thirteen, yet the strain and sadness made his face seem old beyond his years. Dirt covered most of his face, the occasional streak of dry blood could be seen along the side of his jaw; the gruesome aftermath of the recent wave of abuse. Pain surged through his body as Yi glanced down at his arms, the flesh nearly fluffing off from being melted. Yi tried to scream out in pain, but nothing came out…

A bright flash of white light filled Yi’s vision. The pain instantly went away and a small barred up window was now in front of him. He was standing up on his toes on the top of a chair; his upper body was a nice distance and position to see the many footsteps of everyday people pass by him. He stood there waiting for her, like he always did at this hour every day. Seconds passed before the young girl showed up, crouching down of the ground to look at yi through the dirty and barred up window. Her hair was jet black and skin as slightly darker then the snow in the North Pole. Her eyes were beautiful crystal amber, and when the fire hit them just right, they seemed to dance around so majestically. The one thing Yi loved about her was her smile. A smile that haunted Yi constantly; he smile so perfect... so beautiful…

So beautiful…

Yi instantly snapped out of the daydream. The smile sat fresh in his mind, he wanted to cry, but held back the urge. He felt awful, like the weight of a thousand bad things hung on his shoulder.

” So Yi...are there any cooler places around here. See, it's getting hot in this hood and I would really like to take it off. But I can't because I'm afraid I'll be arrested”

The first thing to hit Yi’s mind was Li’s fear of being arrested. He knew that would only anger the voice even more. But there was something about her that made him care for her. You fool Yi! Get away from her!, screamed the voice, showing no relent. Yi tried his best to ignore the voice, he knew whatever he did, the voice would be mad, at least he could do was help Li.

“There’s a side alley that no one goes down anymore, its shady there and off the performer’s strip… so no one would look at you suspiciously…”, replied Yi softly… He motioned slowly to his left.

Li Mei's mouth pulled into a soft smile as she looked in the direction Yi was pointing. Finally! Some shade. She ducked into the dark alley and immediately removed the hood. As she unfastened the clasp around her neck, the sleeves of her Earth toned tunic slid down to her elbows, revealing old scars lingering on the flesh of her arms. She couldn't let Yi see them. He would ask her questions and that was the last thing she needed. Her hands pulled the sleeves down again and turned toward the light stopping just shy of where the darkness of the alley began.

She couldn't let Yi know anything. At all. It was better for him if he didn't know anything. And it was better for her too. After all, the last time her father thought someone had found out about her home life, he threw her into a table. She put on her best fake smile for Yi's sake. She hoped he hadn't seen anything and she hoped he wouldn't ask questions. Because, she wasn't ready to answer them. She leaned against the cool wall with her arms behind her and her hands folding across one another. Li Mei lowered her head and kicked away the cloak that lay in a bundle on the ground. Once she was cool again, she would probably put it back on and sneak out of here.

Her paranoid feeling had returned and she was ready to move on, since she felt it wasn't safe there anymore.

"Yi, is there a way for me to leave this place without being noticed? Or would it be best if I left at night?"

Li Mei felt bad about asking him all these questions, but it was a necessary evil.

Yi stood in awe in front of the door to the tea shop. The girl quickly ducked down the small alley, leaving him alone on the street once again. Far too many things were rushing through his head; usually the voice took some of the burden, but right now… It didn’t care. It hurt Yi to think about all the events that have happened already; his mind not used to processing so much information at one time. With a deep sigh, Yi moved out of the door way and against the wall; a common courtesy to the people who wanted to get to the small restaurant.

You like her don’t you?[/i], mocked the voice in his usual superiority. “Leave her alone… she’s nice…”, whispered Yi to himself. The voice always seemed to destroy any hope Yi had for social interaction. He hated it, but there was nothing he could do; Yi knew the games and tricks the voice used to get his way… and he always won…

Nice?! NICE?! She accused you of stalking her! She confronted you and insulted you! She could care less about you! She only wants to further he own agenda!! SHE IS BAD NEWS YI! [/i], lectured the voice with his usual condescension. Yi sighed in defeat. There was no way around the voice’s logic… he was always right. And as much as Yi hated it, he knew the voice only wanted the best for the both of them. However sadistic the method was, the voice was only there to help…or so it wanted Yi to think…

“Yi, is there a way for me to leave this place without being noticed? Or would it be best if I left at night”

Yi glanced over at her, not sure how to answer her question. Yi quickly directed his eyes to the ground and looked away. “The city locks down at night… you won’t be able to get out then… I was surprised you were able to get in… Your best bet is to wait until you get lucky…”

Li Mei glanced down at the bundle before she looked up at Yi. Both of them had a habit of staring at the ground. And there was a silence. At least no one was yelling. Li Mei sighed at Yi's answer. So the city was locked down at night. How was she to get out? Li Mei was beginning to panic slightly. She didn't like being trapped like this. Her father had a habit of doing that a lot. She looked up at Yi, a plan forming in her mind.

"Yi..." her voice trailed off and her expression giving away her panic. "Do you think you could...take me out of the city? Since you're a citizen, I'm sure no one would suspect you."

Her father would be furious if he saw her now. She was talking to the boy and asking her to travel with her! He would've let her have it had she been back home. Li Mei was waiting for Yi to answer. Was she being too bold? She had only met him and already asking to travel with him. She didn't want to admit it, but she liked Yi and really wanted him to stay with her.

ABSOLUTLY NOT! I let you get away with a bunch of Sh** in the past Yi, but I won’t let you do this! Helping her is one thing, but that is an act of treason if not a willful act of sedition! I will not let you throw our lives away just because you pity this deceitful little piece of trash![/i], sneered the voice loudly, blocking out all noise. Yi could feel his knees weaken and his legs buckle under his weight; the voice resorting to inducing catatonia to prevent Yi from doing anything. The loosening of his legs and arms, caused sharp pain to surge into his mind as nerves and muscles were being strained.

“No I can’t leave the city… he won’t let me…”, replied Yi meekly in an almost inaudible voice. He quickly turned away from Li, keeping his head to the ground, only glancing up at her through the corner of his eye. “I’m already in enough trouble as it is... he’s already mad at me for talking to you…”, replied Yi in a slightly stronger voice. The assault on his legs started to ease up, allowing Yi to walk slightly. A sign that the voice liked what was happening.

Yi could only flash a pitiful smile in displeasure as he started to slowly walk away. “I’m sorry...”, finished Yi is a mournful tone. Once again, he was alone… Somehow Yi thought it was his entire fault… he would have loved to travel with Li... but the voice would take a lot of convincing to change its mind. Yi could simply ignore the voice’s threats and go along, but Yi didn’t want to think about what would happen if he turned against a part of himself. The voice had control over him… like a puppeteer has over the puppet. Keeping his head low in shame, Yi could feel his eyes water.

A curious expression crept onto her face and as she noticed Yi. He looked as if he was about to collapse. She straightened and moved toward him. What was wrong? His answer shocked her. No? Why had he refused? She had done something wrong, Li Mei was sure of it. He hadn't yelled at her, but it sure felt like it had. Her eyes clenched together trying to shut the tears in, but that only made it worse.

She rubbed her eyes with her fists, trying to stop the burning. He was walking away...no! Li Mei couldn't be alone right now. Her mother was normally comforting her when she felt this way. And when her mother wasn't with her, there was someone willing to sit with her. And that's what she needed now. Li Mei ran forward and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her a bit. "Please don't leave me," She whispered, her voice trembling as she spoke.

Her hands were trembling and Li Mei was sure Yi could feel it. She felt pathetic and tiny and she kind of wished Yi had hit her instead of flat out rejecting her. She would much rather have to deal with physical pain than whatever was making her feel this way now.

Before Yi could get any distance away for Li and the restaurant he felt something grasp around his upper arm. The first instinct to run through Yi’s mind was to tense up and shake free. Yi tried in vain to pull his arm away until he realized that it was Li. He immediately relaxed hi s arm and raised he his head and looked into her blue eyes with his seemingly lifeless auburn eyes. Whenever Yi looked into a mirror he was surprised to see such eyes, his eyes, forever locked in emptiness …

He felt the warmth of her touch through his sleeve. It felt so good, so comforting… so alive… Yi could feel his heart race slightly. Her words echoed loudly in his head. She didn’t want him to leave her… how reassuring… Yi could feel his breathing go shallow as he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. When it came to concentrating, Yi was left in the dust; the voice was much more organized then him. ”...I… I don’t know…I’m sorry…”, replied Yi softly as he pull on his arm. He was far more afraid of what the voice would do to him if he played along. Yi didn’t even want to think of the horrors the voice would unleash on his body… Yi didn’t know if the physical and metal pain was worth helping her... he wished he had the strength to stand up for himself…

No! Li Mei was not going to let him go. She couldn't. Tears stung the corners of her eyes and she gripped his arm tighter. Li Mei was almost afraid that she would bruise him. Her gaze trailed up his torso and stopped at his gaze. Movement suddenly caught her attention and she looked passed him. She met a set of amber eyes. They contained a familiar sneer. "...Oh no..." she said, dropping Yi's arm all together. She had been discovered! This person sneering at her was one of the few people her father had instructed to find her. Her paranoia was not a mere feeling. But how? How had she been found? Was she not careful enough?

Li Mei quickly glanced back at Yi and grabbed hold of his hand. She tried her best to sound cheerful and to hide the look of terror fixed on her face. "Yi...Take me to your home. I need a place to rest for a while, please?" Her eyes pleaded with him to accept. She would never be able to escape from the person watching her. This man was Fire Nation and he was capable of having her arrested and taken back to the Earth Kingdom. She wanted....needed Yi's help.

Yi could feel Li pulling against his arm, he seemed attached to him. A small tingling sensation appeared on the tips of his fingers; the pressure from the death grip she had on his arm blocked the flow of blood. The tingle felt good to Yi, it reminded him that he was alive… alive… another day as a weak being, a shadow of the man he used to be… The pressure in his arm instantly disappeared as she let go of his arm… the sorry petty end of the connection they didn’t have.

As he started to pull away, her hand instant grabbed his. Endorphins flooded his body as her soft palm touched his skin. She felt so good… so warm…. A faint smile crossed Yi’s face, he wanted to enjoy every second of this moment before it was violently removed, forever to be forgotten; the memory lost inside his head, and locked away, never to be retrieved again. Her words barely registered in his head… all he heard was home…

“home…”, replied Yi softly, his voice trailing off into the wind… he had no home, just a place of refuge and pitiful excuse for a one room dwelling… he had no home… the term home was lost to him… his home was not far away but, far enough to be out of his mind… “He’ll get mad… he will hurt me…”, mumbled YI to himself as he tried his best to weigh the outcomes of each decision. Would it be worth the pain, just to spend some time with Li… Pain… The thought dwelled in his mind… Even though there was no pain, he could feel it, the memories, the feeling, and the sheer terror of it all… “Home… home is this way…”, replied Yi, softly, keeping his head lowered.. He could feel the voice getting mad…. Yi shuttered in anticipation of the pain that he would soon feel. he started off down the side alley...

He had accepted? Li Mei's shoulder's heaved a bit with her sigh of relief. This was excellent. She allowed Yi to lead her down the side alley, taking a few opportunities to glance behind her to make sure they weren't being followed. So far so good. Her attention became fixed on Yi when she noticed he had shuttered. What was wrong with him? She wondered about him. At times he seemed so distant and sad. She knew the look in his eyes for Li Mei had seen it dozens of times...in the mirror. She moved closer to Yi, walking more beside him than behind him.

Yi is an enigma. Li Mei concluded as she studied his profile intently. Perhaps there were just some things about him that she was not meant to know. Or he wasn't ready to tell her. But that was okay. She had her own secrets and maybe Yi felt the same way about her. There was silence in the air and involuntarily, Li Mei's mind wandered back to old life. And suddenly, there was a dull ache at her neck. And it reminded her of the thick scar hidden beneath her hair. She reached behind her and touched it gently. It was funny, because the scar no longer hurt, the pain having died out long ago.

She shook her head and returned her hand to her side. Li Mei began humming softly. This was enough to make her forget and that was the way she liked it.

Yi continued his walk down the hallway. He couldn’t understand what he was doing… Why is he going to put himself through all this pain... for her? With all of his might, Yi tried to figure out why he cared… why he did what he did, and why he is putting himself on the slab to be slaughtered like all the other gutted animals that were hung out in the market. He glanced over at Li and made contact with her light blue eyes. A faint smile crossed his face. For some odd reason… he couldn’t stop looking into her eyes… He eyes were filled with life… filled with movement and sharpness… He quickly broke his gaze and lowered his head, looking out of the top of his eyes to see where he was going. He knew deep down that there was something about her that he liked… he didn’t know what; but he was afraid to think about it… If he let such feelings enter his mind… he was afraid… afraid of the outcome and the pain that would follow.

When the alley ended, Yi made a left turn onto another main street, there wasn’t that many people on the street… the street he was on was usually empty… its where all the useless items were sold… the odd and bizarre… Things that only a person with a lot of money would buy… Yi couldn’t help but question why she would want to go to his home. He tried his best to keep the thoughts quick in his mind; if he didn’t dwell on it, the less chance the voice had to locking in on it… Yi glanced over at Li, he wanted to ask her… but he couldn’t formulate the words, his mind still buzzed and unjustified sadness still running through his veins. The silence was getting to Yi… he could feel pressure building in his brain. He opened his ears and let the light chatter of the vulgar crowds.

Li Mei turned the corner with Yi and her humming grew louder. She was surprised a lot of people didn't really seem to care that she had Earth Nation garbs on. And she was thankful for that. Li Mei smiled warmly at Yi when her eyes met his for a brief moment. This song was comforting to her since her mother use to sing it to her all the time, especially at night. Li Mei looked down at her feet as she broke out into song all together.

What would she do if Yi asked why she had so suddenly wanted to go to his home? 'Oh because my father is psychotic and is hunting me and my mother down'? No! That would scare him off for sure. Besides, it was none of his business what happened in her past. She didn't want to think about it, let alone tell anyone about it. So Li Mei decided that she would simply ignore him if he decided to question her reasons. And if that didn't work, she was going to give as little detail as possible, just to save them both some grief.

Li Mei's mind wandered back to her mother and she couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. She had something new to add to her letter. She was going to tell her mother about Yi for sure. And what would she tell her? That Yi was a nice boy who helped her in the Fire Nation. Her mother didn't need to know that he had helped her avoid being captured. That would only make her worry and she would force Li Mei to live with her in the North Pole. Li Mei did not want to do that. She was learning a lot about her life this way, traveling about like she did. Even if she did allow everyone, men especially, to walk all over her, she had learned a lot.

"Yi, thank you for helping me. You're really very nice." She reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Zian was happy to hear Li hum away; he detested silence way too much. He knew sooner or later he would have to get Li a new set of clothes… since they were in the performer’s district.. .it didn’t strike anyone as odd… There was always some play or show that needed people to act as Earth Kingdom citizens or soldiers. Yi vaguely remember seeing a play a few years ago… it was rather funny… or at least he currently thought it was funny... he honestly had no idea how he reacted when he saw the play…

“yes... you’re welcome…”, replied Yi meekly. He hated feeling sad… For years and years he had always dreamed about being with a girl…Now that he was walking with one… he thought he would have felt more alive… but he still felt as dead as he always did; Nothing but a pile of scarred flash and tissue… his soul removed years ago, leaving behind an empty shell of a boy… A soft sensation filled Yi’s body as Li held his hand. He could feel his heart beating slightly faster and his smile getting slightly more predominant. He was shocked that the voice didn’t care about what was going on… At first Yi felt relived, but then he thought about later tonight… The voice usually liked to attack at night… scarring Yi awake and not allowing him to sleep… It was a torture unlike no other…

After walking a few blocks Yi made a quick right, leading them both down a smaller darker empty alley. His dwelling was only a few blocks away…He didn’t care too much for it, but it was home… “I have some extra clothes you can change into if you want… They will draw less attention…”, spoke Yi with a soft and almost sad voice. With a light unheard sigh, Yi slouched forward slightly keeping his head low.

The Earth Kingdom native was beginning to loosen up just a bit and it showed in her attitude. She twirled in a circle just a bit and giggled playfully. She wondered how Yi would react if he saw her. Yi had turned another corner and Li Mei had to run to catch up with him. She took off, kicking up a small cloud of dust behind her. Once Yi was in her viewing range, she heard him speak about new clothes. That was a good idea. And Li Mei had always wondered what she would look like dressed as a Fire Nation citizen.

Yi was sad and Li Mei could tell. "Yi...what's the matter?" She asked, reaching for his arm. She didn't like it when people around her was sad and she would always try to make them happy, even at the expense of her own feelings. Perhaps Yi would tell her something. And then she could try to think of something comforting to say.

"Yi...what's the matter?"”

Yi was caught off guard by the question; his heat skipped a beat and almost tripped over his own foot. He didn’t know how to answer the question… ‘I’m just freaking dandy!! I can’t remember a day when I was actually happy. I’m always sad and depressed and I don’t know why?’ yea... right… Yi was smarter than that… He didn’t want her to know that he was screwed up. He wanted to enjoy every moment he had with her; his memories already slightly fading.

His stream of thought was broken by Li grabbing his arm softly in reassurance. His heart continued to flutter slightly. He could help but blush slightly in response, Luckily his head was still low, and he only hoped that Li didn’t see… but knowing his rotten luck she probably saw it… Yi was so embarrassed, he could respond to anything. He could feel his stomach tie into a knot as the feeling of humiliation coursed through his body.

“There’s... nothing wrong… I’m fine…, lied Yi badly… He was terrible at lying and deceit. The voice was good at it... but not him… Yi hated to lie… but he knew this was the best for both of them... especially for him… with one more small turn they were in a small side street.

The small street was filled with shade; stuck in the shadows of the tall surrounding buildings. It was a small street, a really small street. The street was lines with small shops that serviced the surrounding area. There was a small market, a clothing store, and a produce stand. Filling the area between and behind the small shops were small little houses, ore like one or two room shacks. Yi quickly led Li towards the produce stand, sadly it was closed up; The owners out for the day. “we’re here…”, added Zian softly as he walked behind the back of the stand.