Blue is no right answers, no guiding stars.
A solitary journey with no horizon in view.
It's freedom and facing your fears. It's embracing the unknown.
Taking a leap or a plunge.
Blue is uncertainty.
Blue is courage.
Orange, dying embers were the only thing Zuko focused on as he let his eyes adjust to the dark. He had been perched on the tree branch since nightfall, waiting for the camper to fall asleep in his tent. The forest was so unusually quiet tonight; Zuko could hear the man's breathing even out from where he laid.
Reaching behind him to make sure the knot was securely tied against his hair, and pulling his swords out of their scabbards, he dropped to the ground below him with no more than a silent thud. The campground remained silent.
Zuko made his way around the campground, rifling through bags and chests until he grabbed all he could carry. He then scurried off to his own make-shift campground.
Which was really just a red tarp nailed between two trees, creating the allusion of shelter. Zuko dropped the things he'd acquired and then slumped against the base of the tree, untying his mask and throwing it to the dirt. The blue face stared back at him in fear and disgust.
"C'mon, Jet, I'm tired! Can't we set up camp for the night?" Smellerbee whined behind the taller boy, dragging the crate of arrows her and Longshot had found earlier.
Jet, with a sack of blankets slung over his shoulder, sighed. "I'm tired, too, but I can still smell the fire up ahead. Maybe whoever's burning it has food."
"And what are you gonna do if it's a firebender?" Smellerbee challenged, arching her eyebrow at the newly 'changed' boy.
"Then I'll-" Jet accidentally caught eyes with Longshot, who was giving him a stern look, reminding him of his promise to change. "-keep my mouth shut and get away as fast as I can."
"Yeah. Right." The tired girl grumbled under breath and kept walking. The fire that all three of them were smelling seemed closer. The trio finally broke through a set of trees only to be met with the last bits of a fire. Black charcoal was consuming the flames of a fire, shadows that were dancing across their faces quickly disappearing.
Jet sighed at the lack of food, before he caught a glimpse around the fire. "This place has been looted," He whispered.
The other two quickly scanned the campground with ill-adjusted eyes. "Looks like whoever was here took all the good stuff. We should get out of here before he wakes up and accuses us."
Jet nodded and the trio quickly escaped by climbing up the trees and skipping along the branches. Even with weight on their back, the three were nimble and able to flow through the branches as easy as the wind.
When they found a decent sized stump, the three sat down, taking a break for a little while. Jet sighed and pulled out the loaf of bread they manage to get earlier. He broke it in threes and passed it around, "You know what this means?"
Smellerbee made a questioning noise between a mouthful of bread.
"We're not the only Freedom Fighters out here."
Notes: Okay, well this is gonna be a slow build up fic, but Jet and Zuko will cross paths soon. Season 2 angst will ensue and I will cry a lot. Enjoy!