ChapterI

Track her, find her, kill her. That was the plan. It was not elegant or sophisticated but it would work. Jack laughed to himself. Sure it would work, and he would have gotten out of that prison by himself. He shook his head, knowing how stupid the plan was. No workings, no fall backs, not even an articulated goal, just track and kill. He might as well post an add asking for Azula to be at a certain place by herself for a dual to the death so that he could rectify his past.

He clenched his teeth, trying to ward off the biting wind, an obscenity dancing on the tip of his tongue. He fought the temptation for a while longer, trying to not and focus on the pouring rain or howling wind. I thought it was supposed to be spring? The thought occurred to him as snow began to descend, slapping him in the face with a bitter bite. Another gust of wind hit him and he swore, thus eliciting another barrage of colorful obscenities that would be a shame to put down on paper. He stomped and curse, turning to a pine next to him and punching it with all his might, afterwards biting his knuckles to calm him down. He could feel the pain throb in his knuckles as they sent the damage assessment to his brain. Most likely he had fractured or sprained something in his fit, but he did not feel like thinking about it, as it would only make him angry again as he had lost his temper. He shook his head.

Why was it that when he was around people it was so easy to behave cordial and with proper decorum, yet when by himself or someone he despised he fell into such a state so that if someone spotted him they might mistake him for being in the middle of a carouse of sorts? He bit down harder on his knuckle, the metallic taste of blood slowly seeping into his mouth. He took his fist out of his mouth, sticking it back in his pocket, though it did not due him much good, as it offered no protection from the cold.

He was soaked to the bone, and probably suffering from the first stages of hypothermia. He had been standing outside on the edge of the forest for hours, waiting for Azula and her cronies to pass by, but nothing had come save the wind and rain, and now snow. Apparently his source had misinformed him, something he would rectify if it were not for the fact that the man was already six feet under. Jack would bend himself some comfort but he was paranoid of Azula, it was as if she had a sixth sense for bending. She could tell when something was up. The change in rain pattern as a barrier was made between him and the rainfall, a small strange earthen mound laying on the edge of the forest, the ceasing of a gust of wind in a particular spot, she noticed those things within an instant, realizing that something was wrong. So, Jack had decided he would have to forgo bending for this little excursion of his, at least at the moment. He could make a fire, but that was obviously the stupidest thing he could do, so he refrained from doing so, instead waiting in the torrential downpour for something that was more than likely not going to happen. He leaned against the pine tree, letting out a sigh. Life sucked.

He tried his best to stay out of the elements, cling to the cover of the pines, and even now and then risking bending himself dry, save for only a moment, but it was starting to be too much, even for his furry. He was not going to stand out her and die of hypothermia while Azula was riding around in some comfy coach or paddy. He would have to give it a try some other time, a time when it was not pouring and, ohh joy, now hailing. He swore again under his breath, drawing back into the forest and throwing his hood up.

He would go back a few hundred yards and make himself a campsite. He bended himself dry then kept himself so, creating a rain umbrella with his waterbending. He marched back into the woods, weaving in and out of the trees. He found a patch of ground he thought suitable and earthbended himself a nice tent, letting the umbrella fall as he stepped underneath it. He puffed a couple of times, a white flame warming his hands. He could not risk a camp fire, but he could still warm himself every now and then with his fire breathe. He leaned back, resting his head against the ground, groaning loudly to himself. Why did this have to be so difficult?

He grabbed his stomach as it growled at him, reminding him once again that he had gone a whole day without eating. Another groan passed from his lips. He was sick of being hungry, he was sick of being cold, and he was sick of hunting Azula. For being a pompous little snob she still knew how to move about discreetly. For six weeks he had been pursuing her, trying to find her, and all he had accomplished was a couple of empty camp sites and one trap that he had narrowly avoided. She knew he was following her, so she was toying with him, goading him on until he committed one fatal flaw that would send him back to the slammer for the rest of his life.

Jack shook his head. He should have stayed with the others, at least then he would have some company and warm food, but no, he had to be all macho and mysterious about it.

"I have to find out who I am." He said to himself in a mocking tone. He slapped himself upside the head.

"Idiot." He muttered. He turned over, throwing the little notebook in his breast pocket against the wall of his cave. It flipped open, revealing a list of names and places, things that appealed to his mind. He reached out a dirty hand and grabbed it, his grimy fingernails smearing the page. Sokka had insisted that he keep a running list of things that popped in his head, no matter how silly it seemed. He thought that it would help him recover his memory quicker, but Jack knew it would not. He did not need it, but just for Sokka's sake he had consented, that way when he runs into them again, if he runs into them again, he can show him the list, thus making him a very happy person.

He closed his eyes, entreating sleep to come to him, but it stayed its healing hand from him. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but still sleep alluded him. His thoughts were drawn back to Azula, the ways he would make her suffer, the pain and torment he would put her through, then finally the way he would kill her. He would not just stab her in the back or slit her throat in her sleep, no, he wanted it to be personal; he would get up close to her, and try to capture her. If that was not a viable option then he would fight her in open combat, defeat her, then take her life, at least showing then that he was the greater warrior.

A nagging thought came to his mind. Something within him protested against his hatred and vehemence. It urged him to a peaceful resolution, to make amends with Azula and forgive her. He quickly squashed the feeling, burying it deep inside him, just like he did every other time it surfaced. He was not going to be a push over. He was not just going to let it slide. Azula would pay for what she had done, for everything he had lost, he would show her, in the end, he would have the last laugh. He turned to his back, gazing up into the darkness, the drumming of raindrops against the roof echoing in his head. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, bloody and morbid dreams haunting his sleep.

Jack awoke the next morning to the cawing of a bird. He opened his earthen tent only to fry the bird with a white blast of firebending, rolling back over and seeking rest. His growling stomach, however, prevented him from finding sleep, so instead he went over to the bird and cleaned it, roasting the meat the rest of the way and having himself a little breakfast. He ate in silence, no other birds daring to disrupt the serenity around him.

He breathed in deep, the fresh pungent smell of rainfall in his nose. The pines sparkled with the fresh fall of rain. Puddles sat on the ground around him, tiny needles floating on the surface. A soft, crisp, breeze blew through the forest, sending a shiver down Jack's back. He looked up at the sky, dotted with fine, puffy, clouds, glowing white in the morning light. He smiled, at a much better temperament than the night before. That all changed, however, when he went out to the road.

Wheel tracks run through the mud, signaling his failure of patience that marked his missing Azula's convoy. He swore under his breath, cursing his weakness in relenting to the elements. If he had just held on a bit longer he could have caught them as they passed by, but he missed them, thus putting him back almost to square one. Well, not quite.

Jack bent down and looked at the tracks. There was no water in the ruts, thus indicating that they had passed not too long ago, after the rain had already stopped. Perhaps if he started now he could catch up with them. His stomached growled, thus indicating its opinion on the issue of following them.

"I know, I know. If I follow them then I might not be able to find supplies, which I kinda need." His stomach growled again.

"Alright, really need, but that's besides the fact. I can go hungry for a bit longer, but the longer I wait the further away Azula gets. Anyways, I'm sure that her convoy has plenty of dainty morsels to snack on." With his stomach reassured and his confidence rising Jack started to make his way down the path, staying within sight of it at the forest line. He could not see which way they were heading exactly but he had a sense that they were making their way towards Ba Sin Sey. If that was true then that meant that Azula was up to something with the war, and had relinquished her search of both the avatar and himself as well. Jack shook his head.

No, there was no way she would give up. She was still after the avatar, she was just playing a different game. Instead of chasing after the avatar she was going to bring the avatar to her. Attack the last great refuge of the free world and the avatar will show up, seeking to save it. And since she probably already knew that he was tracking her he would wind up on her tail someday, so all she had to do was wait and leave the right bread crumbs. He shook his head again.

"And I'm dumb enough to fall for it." He muttered to himself, continuing his trek towards what was obviously a trap.

As the day waned on the pains in his stomach continued to grow. This was not like going hungry in a prison cell. At least in prison you we not doing anything, just sitting in your cell and feeling yourself slowly fade away. Out here, tracking Azula, Jack could not only feel the hunger pains but also the blurring of his mind. He became dizzy and fatigued, each step a daunting task. He could not focus entirely on what he was doing, no matter how much hatred he could muster. He found himself at times wondering across the path with the tree line a hundred feet to his right. He was losing it, and fast. A week with barely any food in the wild was a whole lot different than a week without food in a prison cell. Aside from the bird he had eaten this morning, mostly skin and bone, he had only been able to snag some berries and nuts, not knowing which plants were edible and not even thinking of digging for roots, as he did not know those were edible. He could hunt, as that was one thing he knew, but that required time and focus that he could just not spare, or muster. So, instead, he continued on the road, hoping that food would fall in his lap sooner or later, least he collapse and die in the mud, an end he did not relish.

As the sun began to set in the sky and night closed in Jack found his way into a village, too hungry to care about Azula or any fire-nation soldiers. He went to the nearest vendor and reached into his pocket, thus realizing that he had no money. He looked at the cabbages longingly, but he could not pay for them. He thanked the vendor and made his way towards a group of houses on the outskirt of the village. The smell of food cooking over a fire made his mouth water. His stomach cried out to him, throwing disparages up to his brain for the dumb decision of tracking down Azula over food. It also made some comment about promised delicacies, but Jack ignored it, wanting to focus on his acquisition of food.

"Shh!" He hissed at his stomach as it once again growled at him. He glared at his stomach, wishing that it would abide his commands, but it continued to growl, as if in direct conflict with his will.

"I won't feed you if you don't knock it off." He said. His stomach quieted down at this, not wanting to risk the chance of missing dinner. Jack smiled.

"That's better." He said, continuing on. While it may seem strange to others that Jack communicated to the other parts of his body if you were in his position, stuck in a prison cell by yourself with no one to talk to for who knows how long, you would probably have acquired a strange habit too. For Jack it helped keep his mind off of the real problems, as long as he had someone, or something, to argue with he could focus on that rather than the agonizing hunger that plagued him or the tormenting pain that passed through his body as he was tortured.

Jack snuck to the back of one of the house, peering into the kitchen. He saw a platter of something steaming resting on the table, no one in site. He made his way to the back door, trying the door knob; unlocked.

He opened the door with a squeak, making his way toward the table, his feet passing over the wooden floor like a ghost. He grabbed the platter, taking a second to think better of it, and instead just grabbed one of the meaty morsels. He could not steal someone's entire dinner; that was just rude.

He turned around, checking to make sure that everything was clear, and made his way back towards the backyard. He stepped outside, closing the door as quietly as its noisy hinges would allow. He breathed out a sigh of relief, making his way towards the fence, biting into the succulent meat as he went. It was hot, and he burnt the top of his mouth, but he did not care. The tender flesh fell apart in his mouth, the sweat juices running down his throat and chin. He smiled to himself, resisting the urge to sigh. Just as he was about to hop the fence, already void of his meat, a pillar of earth shot out of the ground and knocked him to his side. He fell to the ground, catching his breath. He hurriedly rolled and sprang to his feet, facing his attacker.

A girl, perhaps sixteen or so, stood across from him. She was in a simple green dress, the earth nation emblem emblazoned on her chest with brown thread. It was stained and dirty at the sleeves, thus indicating that she was a worker, someone used to cleaning or cooking. Her brown hair was pulled back in a bun, her bangs escaping the net and falling down her smooth face. Her green eyes stared at him, fear dancing about in them.

"What do you think you're doing, stealing from our house?" She said, her hands raised shakily. Jack almost laughed. Had she been the one who had attacked him? He looked about, trying to find anyone else who could have done it, but they were alone. He looked over at the pillar, realizing that it was rather small. Annoyed he scolded himself for being knocked over so easily. He took a step forward.

"Look, I'm sorry about stealing from you, but it was necessary." He said. She jumped back, calling up another pillar. Jack did not bother looking down as he back-handed it, shattering the tiny column.

"Come on, relax, I'm not going to hurt you." He said, holing up his hands. The girl stared at him uneasily.

"Then why did you steal from us?" She said.

"I'm kind of in a rough spot at the moment. I haven't eaten for a week, and I'm out of money. I figured that if I could just snatch a bit here, a bit there, then no one would really notice, and I could be on my way." He said, being honest. The girl did not look convinced.

"We're not rich, we work hard for what we have. This was going to be a special meal today, for my brother, he's coming back from the war today." Jack felt embarrassment crawling up his neck.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to ruin your meal." He said. The girl looked at him, studying his haggard appearance.

"Look, I'll make it up to you, I promise." He said, putting his hands behind his back. The girl raised her hands again.

"What do you have behind your back?" She said. A slight hum and glimmer came from his hands, sweat accumulating on his brow. He reached out his hand, slowly.

"Here, I did not know of any way to exchange it, but perhaps you could make use of it." He opened his palm, sweat dripping down his fingers. In his hand he held a diamond, about the size of a nut, pure and translucent. The girl took a step forward in wonder.

"If you have this then why did you not exchange it for food?" She asked. Jack smiled, his tell.

"I did not know whether or noth they would take it. That, and I was afraid I was going to be mugged if someone saw me with this." He said, lying. The real reason he had not made a diamond for exchange was one, it was really exhausting, and two, it was a lot easier to just go and steal some food from some unsuspecting person than make a diamond, barter for an exchange, and then have the food. To be honest with himself he liked snatching things.

The girl eyed the diamond, standing still. Jack held it out.

"Come on, take it, it's the least I can do for spoiling your brother's homecoming." The girl shook her head.

"No, I can't take that from you." She said. Jack tossed it up in the air at her. She reached out a hand instinctively, snatching it out of the air. It was hot, warm from his touch. She gazed at the crystal in her hand, a rainbow flowing out of the intricate weavings of its design. She looked up, expecting to see the boy, but instead all she saw was an empty yard. The next thing she knew her brother was home, and she almost forgot about the diamond in her hand.

Jack made his way up the hill, disappearing from the village. It was probably best that he not go back. He felt somewhat ashamed at having been caught stealing. He should have just went hunting, or made a diamond for himself, but instead he took the easy way out and just snatched something. He shook his head. He needed to stop following every caprice that crossed his mind. He determined then that he would hunt for his dinner, letting Azula slip a bit further from his reach, if only to allow himself to attain a honest dinner.

For the next two hours he paced about the woods, setting a couple of snares and searching for a watering hole. Not finding any streams or rivers nearby Jack sat down in a bush and waited, biding his time. Eventually some small, furry creature wondered into his sight. He waited until it was close, then he shot a fireball at it, killing the creature. He wished that he had a bow or spear, something other than a giant fireball, but he had to work with what he had, which was not much. He went ahead and cleaned his game, uncertain of what he had caught exactly since the fur was charred and burnt. The meat was stringy and chewy after he cooked it, but it was meat none the less.

Later on he went back and checked his snares, pleased to see that at least one had caught something. He proceeded to clean and cook this one a bit more thoroughly, putting it over a fire instead of just searing it with his firebending. The animal was once again foreign to him, but then again it was to be expected. The meat was fatter and gamier than the other one, and it left him with a full stomach. He leaned back, looking up between the trees to see the stars, twinkling far off in the distance, remote and far removed, alike to his memories.

After resting a bit he decided he would camp for the night. He set up his earth tent, creating a fire right next to it. He warmed himself, the cool night air sucking the heat away from him. He wished he had a blanket or something, but since he had nothing, and had no desire to cover himself with leaves, he decided to call it a night, debating whether or not to hunt tomorrow or to just call it good and to keep pursuing Azula. He shrugged the thought off as he drifted off to sleep, he did not have to worry about it at the moment.

The sound of a twig snapping awoke him. He sat still, listening to the ground. While he could not see like Toph he could still determine distances the old fashion way, putting your ear to the ground and listening intently. He took in a deep breath, steadying his heart so as to allow him to better focus on the approaching figure. Another twig snapped, closer by. He sat up, the need to listen to the earth no longer present.

Feet closed in on his camp ground, soft, yet unsure. It seemed to be the only pair of feet moving about, so Jack assumed he was safe. The figure seemed confused and timid, a frightened fellow probably lost in the woods after dark. Then again it could be Azula, playing a feeble victim to lure him into a false state of security in order to get the upper hand on him. Then when she had him she could use him as bait. Perhaps that had been her plan all along, to capture him then use him as bait for the avatar, as she would have assumed that since he spent some time with him goody two shoes Aang would naturally want to help him if he ever got in trouble, which no doubt he would if Jack did land in a spot of trouble again. Anger coursed through his veins as he thought about this deceit, this trickery. If Azula thought he would be lulled by this pathetic attempt to trick him then she was sorely mistaken, and was about to pay for her arrogance.

Jack waited until the figure was right outside his tent. He could hear their breath, no doubt a woman's. He waited a split second longer, then shot the door to the tent out, smashing into the startled person outside. A cry leapt out of the figures lips as she flew back, landing on the ground with a dull thud. Jack stepped out, his fists glowing white. He took a step forward, advancing towards who could only be Azula.

"Thought you could outsmart me eh girly?" He said, walking over and grabbing her by the hair. Terrified green eyes met his, startling him back to his senses. It was not Azula, just the girl that he had met earlier in town. He let her go, taking a step back.

"Ohh my… I… I'm so sorry, are you all right?" He said, falling to his knees. The girl began to sob softly, her lip quivering. Blood dripped down her nose, plopping on the ground at her feet. She shook gently, sitting herself up. She held out a hand, keeping him back.

"It's okay." She stuttered, leaning back against the tree.

"Let me take a look at that." He said, noticing how she held her arm. She shook her head, scooting back away from him.

"No, that's fine. Just stay where you are." Jack held up his hands, sitting down cross-legged.

"What are you doing here, isn't your brother back?" He said. The girl nodded her head.

"Yes, I just never got the chance to say thank you." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"For what, stealing from you?" The girl shook her head, a faint smile on her face.

"No, not that. I wanted to thank you for giving me the diamond, you have no clue how much it's going to help my family." She said. Jack smiled.

"It was the least I could do, you know, stealing from you guys and all." She laughed, grimacing at the pain in her arm as her body shook. Jack came closer.

"Come on now, if you wanted to thank me you might as well let me take a look at that." He said. She looked at him in the eyes, then nodded her head. He took her arm gently, his fingers moving about her muscles, searching for any deformity. Right above the elbow he felt a bone, slightly out of place. He could not be sure, it did not feel broken, but it definitely did not belong there.

"Straighten your arm." He said. She did, wincing at the effort. Her arm shook, pain flaring up and down it as she held it out. Jack supported it, alleviating the pain somewhat. He lifted it up slowly, watching her expression. She bit down on her lip as it moved up.

"I can't be sure but you might have broken something. Plus, you probably damaged your rotator cuff." He said, setting it gently in her lap. The girl smiled feebly.

"Great. First you steal from us, then you break my arm. What's next, you going to tear down our house?" She said, a smile on her face. Jack laughed.

"Who knows, if you sneak up on me again it might just happen." He said. The girl laughed.

"What's your name?" She asked. Jack looked at her, staring deep into those emerald eyes.

"Jack." He said. The girl giggled.

"That's a strange name." She said.

"Well what's your name?" He retorted, feigning offense.

"Korin." She said. Jack smiled softly.

"That's a nice name, almost as good as mine." He said. They both laughed.

"So, Jack, what are you doing out this way? Making your way to Ba Sin Sey?" She asked. Jack wobbled his head.

"Somewhat. I'm actually tracking a convoy of firebenders. Perhaps you saw them cross this way?" He asked. The girl nodded.

"Ya, actually. Just this morning a whole group of fire-nation soldiers marched through town. They didn't do much, which surprised us, they kinda just marched straight through, not noticing us." Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Was there some girls along with the group? They would have stood out." He said. Korin nodded her head.

"Ya, at the head of the group there were two girls and another one inside a carrier of sorts, though I didn't get a good look at her." She said.

"Would you describe the two girls as gloomy beyond all reason and chipper as a bird?" He asked. Korin suppressed a smile.

"Yes, actually, I would. How did you know?" She asked.

"Those are the ones I've been tracking, particularly the one in the carrier." He said. Korin looked at him inquisitively.

"Why are you tracking them?" She asked.

"Because they hold my past." He responded tacitly. The two sat in silence for a while, the only sound reaching them was the crackling of fire. Jack turned, looking at the ash of his own fire. His fire was out, so what was making that noise? He looked back towards the village, standing up.

"Korin." He said. She stood up, moving to his side. They stared at the smoke rising up into the night sky, blotting out the moon.

"My village." She said, her tone hushed. Jack sprinted off towards the village, not waiting for Korin, who quickly fell behind. He crashed through the woods, making his way back towards the top of the hill as best he could. Once he reached the top he took a second to catch his breath, glad that the wind was already blowing the smoke away from him. He looked down, silence permeating the little valley.

A smoldering ruin was all that remained of the quaint little village that he had visited that afternoon. The sound of flames licking against wood echoed, crackling and snapping. Jack looked down, burnt corpses strewn about the village. He slowly walked down, making his way towards the main road. Korin came up behind him, jogging up to him and clinging to his back, terrified shivers running through her body. She let out a small scream as she recognized her house, a pile of rubble and ash. She ran up to it, a charred hand buried beneath the debris. A ring sat on its finger, plain gold with a green emerald on top of it, in the shape of a dragon. She fell to her knees, grasping the ring. She pulled it off, the flesh, seared to the metal, tearing off of the finger.

"This was my brothers." She said softly, to herself. Jack stood beside her, looking at the ruins of her house. There was no way anyone had survived. Korin began to sob, her shoulders shaking with the effort. Jack laid a hand on her shoulder, offering what comfort he could. The glint of metal caught his attention. He moved off, leaving Korin some privacy in her grief.

There, in the middle of the road, atop a flaming pile of wood, was a knife. Gold handle, ruby hilt, pearl quillons, ornate, and expensive. Jack put the flames out, cooling the wood and reaching up to take the knife. He pulled it out, the blade blackened from its exposure to the heat. An earthen tube sat tied to the hilt. He noticed that there was writing on he. He turned and pressed it in the dirt, rolling it, leaving the characters imprinted unto the ground. He read the message.

So sorry to miss you darling, was hoping you'd be here. Anywho I'll be at Ba Sin Sey if you want some answers. Lots of love, Azula.