She stumbled as she ran, hurrying away from the scene she'd just left behind. Fire benders! They'd tried to place her in a cage, but she'd slipped away towards the forest, only be seen by one of the soldiers. Now she ran as quickly as she could through the forest, not daring to look behind. A boy smiling walked through the forest, right in front of her, blinking and looking to her as she was right about to crash into him. "Ahh...! Wait, no! Stop! you're gonna crash into... !"
She blinked, seeing the boy ahead, but not being able to stop in time. She crashed right into him, falling down in a jumble, as she let out a soft squeak of surprise. "Sorry!"
He growled and looked to her. "Hey! What's the rush seriously! What are you..."
Voices came from behind her. "I heard something over here! This way!"
He stood up. "Oh, crap! Did they find me?!"
She blinked, but stood up quickly hearing the voices. "Their after you too?"
He looked to her and grabbed her then stomped on the ground, sending it shooting upward and landing in a tree. "Shh! Stay right there!"
She nodded quietly, not wanting to be caught, but blinking in surprise at his earth subsided into its original form as they looked around. "Drat! Where is she! Geez! We're gonna be found out if she tells the Earth-Bender Breakers!"
He blinked, softly whispering. "Those aren't earth benders.. no, their fire benders.. why here?"
She nodded slowly, but whispered back. "What do I do? Their looking for me.."
He looked to her setting her against the tree. "Just watch this."
He pointed to a distance using earth bending to toss a stone in the distance. The fire benders looked back and blinked. "Over there! Go, let's go. She must be running that way." They rushed off until they were in a distance as he smirked.
She blinked as she was set against the tree, but watched as he tossed the stone, and the fire benders headed off. "Woah.. nice!"
He sighed as he made one more step, grabbing her and lowering the step, quickly setting her on the ground. "Hmm, so what's your deal?"
She blinked as they lowered to the ground once more. "My deal..?"
He yawned, holding out a small blade to her neck. "You're a lot of trouble. Why are they after you? Huh? Do you have something valuable on you? Come on, hand it over." He started to pat her down seeing if she had anything valuable.
She stared him, holding still as he held a small blade to her neck. "I don't have anything valuable!"
He pulled the blade back and shrugged. "Hmm.. well alright then.. I don't really care. I don't know why you're being chased but good luck and see ya." He walked down the jungle pathway.
She blinked but followed after him down the pathway. "W- Wait a minute!"
He looked back at her. "What's up?"
She stopped when he looked back at her. "I didn't get to say thank you..."
He blinked and looked to her. "Thank me by giving me some money and no trouble."
She nodded but dug into her clothes for a coin purse, feeling for them, then holding out a third of the coins she had. "Then here, and thank you for keeping me safe!" She put them on the ground, and headed off in a different direction at a jog.
He blinked, noticing his leg were in the ground. "Huh? G-guh!"
A rock hand slammed him down as Earth benders appeared around him. "We've finally caught you!"
He growled struggling to get out of their trap. "W-wait! She made me do it! She even paid me!"
She blinked, looking back hearing the voices. "Huh?"
They looked to her. "You over there! Stop!"
She looked at them. "W- What?!"
They tossed earth at her, trapping her hands together along with her legs. "An accomplice! Then you'll be joining Shu here."
She stared at them. "Accomplice...? But I hadn't even known his name!"
They laughed. "No excuses, stop playing nonsense. By the order of the great king! I sentence you to three weeks in prison for the crime of taking a cat! You will be interrogated... huh?"
The fire benders came from the jungle looking to her. "There she is!... uah! E-Earth benders!"
She blinked. "You can't be serious... a cat... Ah! F- Fire benders!" She stared at them.
The Earth benders pointed to them and rushed after them as they fled. "You three stop! come back here!"
They rushed into the bushes as Shu laughed and broke out of the restraints. He walked over to her and broke hers as well. "Whew, that was close. Too close!"
She stared him since he'd broken her out as well. "Thanks. But wait... They were after you?"
He yawned, stretching his arms out. "So, I took a few things from the palace.. so what? Anyhow.. thanks a lot, accomplice!" He smiled. She blinked, but started off in the direction she'd been going, when she'd first headed away from him. He looked to her. "Hey, wait! Where ya going?"
She refused to look back at him. "Away from you!"
He sighed. "Huh? Oh, come on! If you stay here, its most likely that Tsuchi beast are going to get you!" He walked behind her. "You won't be attacked by them if you go to my village."
She turned around to face him. "Oh what Tsuchi beast! I've never even heard of that! And why would I go to your village?"
He sighed. "Well, I'm guessing from your coloring your more of a water tribe person right? Nana Moko is a water tribe from the south."
She looked at him carefully. "You're being serious?"
He smiled a large, happy smile. "Yes, I'm being serious! Oh.. oh wait.." He shivered. "Nana will be mad at me if she finds out I've been stealing again.."
She smiled slightly. "Then don't let her find out."
He nodded and walked down another path. "Then follow me. Mm-la-mm." He hummed.
She nodded, and followed him down the path. "Alright."
He smiled looking ahead. "Still, what's a water tribe doing so far from her southern tribe." He shrugged. "Well, never mind. Either way your money isn't good here." He pulled out her coin purse and began to look through it.
She stared at him as they walked. "When did you take that?"
He looked to her handing the bag back. "When I unlocked your binds. Lousy earth benders."
She took it and hid it back among her clothes. "Why are they after you anyway.. ?"
He smiled. "I just went and wanted a peek at the Earth bender girl I heard about who traveled with the avatar and bam! I ended up getting knocked out.. not only that I landed on a cat's paw, so I decided to take it to the town.. next thing you know they say i stole the cat.. Sure. I do like to steal and I stole a bag of apples but.. I mean I don't take animals.. "
She laughed a bit. "Knocked out...? And that's crazy! Why would they send earth benders after you over a cat?"
He scratched his head. "Well, on the way... I kinda stole the Earth bender Captain's money too.. and the money of his solders.. and the drinks he had.. and also a small knife.. and the flower he got from the avatar's wife."
She stared at him, but kept following, not wanting to get lost. "Why the flower?"
He smiled. "It looked better on me?"
She laughed at that. "Then what happened to it?"
He patted himself and gasped. "Ah! Th- the flower! When has it been gone? Where could it have gone?! Ahh."
She blinked but looked at him. "Is it that important?"
He sighed. "Well, I guess not.. oh well." She nodded, but shrugged a bit.A small mark of a brand could be seen on his back as he smiled and they arrived at a small village along the sea. "Here we are! Haha."
She blinked, noticing the brand, but said nothing, smiling instead at the sight of the village and the sea. "I can see that." She laughed.
He walked to the village as the girls whooped for him and laughed. He waved. "Hey, everyone."He laughed as he walked by.
In the middle of the village, though, an old woman yelled his name wrapped in water tribe clothing. "Shuu!" She watched him wave as the girls called for him, and laughed, but rolled her eyes a bit. When the old woman yelled his name though, she blinked and looked in that direction.
He scratched his head and looked away as she walked up to him and grabbed his ear. "Oooww, gram.. ah ow ow gram ma ow. watch the ear!"
She hissed and looked to him. "Do you know what I had to do? I had to return all those things and apologize for everything you did while you were out lolly-gagging!"
He gasped. "Ooww.. what you mean all that hard work was for.. err I mean I wasn't out lolly-gagging I brought someone home too see? I was just..." She pulled harder. "Owww! careful, gramma! My ear will fall off!"
She huffed. "You little fool, then maybe you'd listen to me with the last ear on your head! Stop all this stealing, you hear me! And, you better not have stolen anything from this young woman."
He whimpered. "No, gram ma, you got it all wrong! I don't steal from women and I don't steal at all! Oww!"
She watched all this not knowing whether to laugh or to feel bad for him. "Um..."
The woman let him go as he fell over and rubbed his ear. "My dear.. I apologize for my grandson's stupidity. I deeply apologize for him. Please forgive him.. my wait.. you are of the water tribe?"
She nodded slowly, looking at him, then at the woman herself. "Yes."
Nana softly kicked Shu as he yelped. "Oh please, follow me into the hut here. You seem to have a lot as well." She looked at her clothes. "Hmm. Poor girl, your clothes are even dirty."
Shu grumbled as a group of girls picked him up and started to carry him off. "Let's go, Shu! You have cleaning to do!"
He gasped trying to get out of their grip. "Cl-cleaning?! Ahh no! Stop!" He screamed as they pulled him into a hut.
She blinked, but followed Nana into the hut. She set down a small mat and a table in the middle pouring tea in a wooden cup. "Please, sit down here. I am not going to ask many questions... but I do wish to know if you are alright.. please take your time dear to gather your thoughts."
She nodded slowly, and sat down on her knees, watching the woman pouring tea into a cup. "I am alright.. Shu.. He helped me out."
Nana grumbled. "That boy, humph! He'd be a powerful Earth bender Warrior if he wasn't such a loose thief! But a child like that is to be expected.. He lost his parents some time ago but I've done the best to raise him as my own."
She blinked. "He lost his parents?"
Nana nodded. "My yes.. It was during the day of the meteor.. His father was just an innocent man and the fire nation attacked without mercy. He was just a small child but when that happened something changed in him. As if he lost a part of himself. These days he hides all the pain with stealing and a happy face." The girl nodded slowly to mean she'd heard her, but felt a little sad for him. She sipped some tea. "The southern water tribe is a long way's away but there is a boat at the earth kingdom where my old friend, Ibiki, would gladly take you there. Still it will be dangerous.. and I don't even know your name, child."
She nodded. "Oh, right.. Sorry. My name is Ari."
Nana smiled. "Ari? .. Hmm, what an interesting name.. "
Ari asked softly. "Why would it be dangerous..?"
Nana set down her tea. "I'm afraid that with the new fire lord, Zuko, in the throne.. The fire nation has been split up.. Many who fought for the fire nation now have become pirates selling young women off to traders.. Ibiki, himself, was once a pirate and I was the one who was to be sold.. but he and I became very close... and well many things happened. The point is simply that I won't let you go alone... hmm, ah, I've got it. Why not take that rascal, Shu, along?"
A voice came from outside the hut. "What?! Me? Gramma, you want me to go away?" He peeked through the opening of the hut, covered in dust.
Nana growled, tossing tea on him, as he rubbed his face and pulled out of the tent. "It's rude to listen in on conversations, Shu!"
Shu yelped. "Gramma ! You want to burn my face off! And why do I have to go along?" Ari had nodded slowly to mean she understood now why it was dangerous. She did blink though, and laughed softly, seeing that Shu had listened in.
Nana smiled and yelled to him. "You've become a brat, Shu! It's time you grow up. Become a hero who protects women and not steal from them! No excuses and no running away or I'll sick the women on you again with more chores than your tight pockets!"
He gulped and sighed. "O-okay, gramma. I am sorry..." He grumbled. " ...mmrr I hate boats.. Why can't you do it yourself you old.. "
Nana growled. "SHU! DO I HAVE TO COME OUT THERE?" He gulped and ran off.
Ari tilted her head a bit. "Um.."
Nana blinked and laughed. "Oh my! I am sorry dear. Well, err, let's see. Would you tell me anything about your family? Maybe even what tribe you may have come from?"
Ari nodded, but paused a moment before answering. "I came from here... actually.. just in another village.."
The older woman blinked. "Hmm? Then well what of your parents? Any relatives? "
She shook her head. "None that I know of.. My parents are either missing or dead.. I don't know which."
Nana nodded looking away sadly. "I see.. how very sad.. Well, do you think anyone would know you?"
She shrugged slowly. "I don't really think there's anyone to know me.."
Nana thought for a moment. "Hmm.. then I can't just leave you with no one to teach you about the water tribe.. Still, I'm not fit to teach someone such as you.. Then, what if I ask Ibiki to bring you to the southern water tribe chieftain? There, at least, he will look through your past. Maybe find out about your family."
Ari thought about it. "Honestly... I have no way to pay for that.. and nowhere to go."