.:A Long Road to Freedom:.
Mizune walked through the peaceful streets of Ba Sing Se. She hated the place, it was dark and quiet. All cities have secrets, and she felt that Ba Sing Se had a big one. "What am I even doing here? There's no way he would ever come here, he'd hate it just as much as I do, if not more." She sighed and entered a nearby tea shop. "Hey guys, how 'bout some tea?" She seated her self as far from the other patrons as possible. "Hey Iroh, how've you been?" She smiled at the old man serving her tea. He was the previous General Iroh, Dragon of the west, now just another refugee in the city.
"Excellent. We've been handed a fresh start. We are sowing the seeds for our new life in Ba Sing Se." mizune tooka sip of tea.
"Delicous as always Iroh. How has Zuko been?" As the words left her mouth a young boy walked up.
"You can ask me yourself you know." He spoke angrily, causing a smile to dance across Mizune's lips.
"So how are you Zuko?" He turned and stormed away angrily, yelling out that he was doing fine. "On a more serious note;" Mizune paused. "Well, I don't think you can get much more serious than him but whatever. Iroh, what are the chances of finding him here?" She stared into the swirling depths of her tea. At that moment, another young boy appeared in the doorway of the shop, pointing at Iroh and Zuko.
"I'm tired of waiting! These two men art firebenders!" The boy unsheathed his dual hook swords, and Zuko and Iroh exchanged furtive glances.
"Nevermind, I just found him." Mizune took another sip of tea.
"I know they're firebenders, I saw the old man heating his tea!" The boy tried again, while the customers peered at eachother, bemused expressions on all their features.
The owner of the shop stepped forward. "They work in a tea shop..."
"He's a firebender, I'm telling you!" He tried again futiley.
Two officers at a nearby table rose, ready to take him out. "Drop your swords boy, nice and easy."
"You'll have to defend yourself, then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do." The boy pointed a hook sword at Zuko as he spoke, then poised his swords and advanced toward Iroh and his nephew. One of the officers prepared to draw his swords, but instead Zuko stepped in front of him and grabbed the hilt.
"You want a show, I'll give you a show." Zuko unsheathed the officer's double broad swords and entered his fighting stance. Mizune lifted her tea to her lips as Zuko pulled her table with his foot, brought it in front of him, and kicked it at the boy. The boy sliced through it and then cleared the pieces in one leap. He swung both hook swords downwards at Zuko as he landed, but Zuko deflected the attack and jumped back onto another table. The boy sliced that table in half as well, and Zuko side-stepped onto one of them, balanced on one foot. The boy followed up his attack by cutting the legs of the table upon which Zuko stood. He quickly leaped to the other still standing half of the table and landed on top in a crane stance. Zuko sprung into the air as the boy knocked the rest of the table over, and Zuko swung both broad swords at the boy's feet upon landing. The boy somersaulted away and ended in a crouching position, then charged forward at Zuko again. Zuko swung his blades at they boy again, but once again the attack was evaded. They bursted through the door and tumbled out into the street, the boy doing some fancy spins before finally striking at Zuko with both swords. Zuko blocked and the two locked swords. Back in the tea shop, Iroh turned to Mizune.
"So this is the delightful young man you've been searching for?" He raised an eyebrow at Misune as the brawl raged on outside. She smiled.
"His name is Jet. His parents were killed by fire nation soldiers when he was eight. He is the leader of the Freedom Fighters."
"Freedom Fighters?" Another raised eyebrow at Mizune. She laughed at the memories flooding into her mind.
"A group of tree-dwelling teenagers and kids intent on defending their home from fire nation. I was a part of that life once, but they took things way to far, so i left after awhile. I missed them though, so I went back to see them and they were gone. Eventually I found some of the others and they told me to look here. I never thought I would actually find him, especially not in a city. he has authority issues." Mizune took another sip of tea.
"You sound like you care for this kid quite a bit." Iroh stated this with that you-have-a-crush-nyaa-nyaa-na-na-naa tone of voice.
"Yeah, he's.....wait...WHAT? No! He's just a friend!" Mizune stormed to the doorway, and Iroh followed. Zuko and Jet had locked swords again.
"You must be getting tired of using those swords, why don't you go ahead and firebend at me?!" Jet tried provoking him once more while each struggled to gain control over their locked weapons.
"Please son, you're confused, you don't know what you're doing!" Iroh watched from the doorway while Zuko swung again, but Jet caught it with his hook swords, spun, and deflected it to the side. Zuko spun with it and tried to counter attack, but Jet hooked the ends of his swords together and began to swing them at Zuko in a circular pattern. Zuko retreated a step to avioid a bladed hilt to the face.
"Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now!" Jet taunted, as he swung at Zuko's foot. Zuko stabbed a broad sword through the hilt of a hook sword, pinning it to the ground. They were now both down to one sword each. Jet looked at it with annoyance, then focused back on Zuko.
"You're the one who needs help." Zuko shot back. Jet retreated a step, then turned in a circle and tried to swipe at Zuko, who had quickly advanced and swung his sword at Jet in a horizontal motion. Jet pulled his attack just in time to bend backwards and avoid Zuko's blade, which passed over his face and cut the wheat straw he was chewing on in half. Jet regained his balance and jumped backwards onto the edge of a well. By now the streets teemed with by-standers watching the fight.
"You see that?!" The fire nation is trying to silence me! It'll never happen!" Jet shouted to the crowd. He hooked his sword on a wooden beam suspended above the well and swung himself towards Zuko in a flying kick. Zuko growled and swung at Jet, who parried and stepped aside. The two ended up back to back, each attempting to strike the other, and each failing to breach the other's defenses. Two Dia Lee members walked through the crowd and up to the fight.
"Drop your weapons!" The duelers stepped apart and faced eachother. Zuko lowered his blade, while Jet pointeds at the two refugees.
"Arrest them, they're firebenders!" He exclaimed.
"This poor boy is confused, we're just simple refugees." Iroh spoke with a kind, worried tone. The owner of the tea shop turned to the Dai Lee and pointed at Jet.
"This young man wrecked my shop and assaulted my employees!" The officer from earlier stepped forward.
"It's true sir, we saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."
"Oh ho ho, that's very sweet." Iroh blushed as he spoke, and Mizune averted her eyes. She knew the truth. Jet was right, they were firebenders, but he was wrong too, they were good people. She couldn't betray Iroh and Zuko. She retreated back into the shop while Jet angrily stared at the Dai Lee approaching him from behind.
"Come with us son." Jet swung at the Dai Lee guard, but he halted the attack and bound Jet's wrists behind his back with earthbending, and discarded his other hook sword. He drug Jet away towards a wagon designed for holding captured criminals.
"you don't understand! They're fire nation! You have to believe me!" The uncle and nephew team watched the Dai Lee take him away before returning into the shop. After the wagon was gone Mizune stepped outside and retrieved the abandoned hook swords, slinging them across her back. Figures, she thought. She had finally found him, only for him to get himself arrested for having excellent observation skills. She had reached her 'home' and paused at the door, staring at the stars for a moment. she sighed and pushed the door open.
"Mizu?" she jumped, startled. No one had used that name in years, it's what the Freedom Fighters had called her. She turned, and saw two of them approaching her.
"Smellerbee? Longshot? You guys are here too?" Her eyes were wide with shock. Today had been the most eventful day in months, and it apparently was not over. She invited the two inside and they all sat on the chairs provided by the officials at Ba Sing Se to talk.