"Where is she?" Jet stood beside Long shot in the mass of milling people all waiting for the New Year celebrations to get under way. "Where the hell is she?" Jet repeated, for what must have been the twelfth time.
Longshot merely shrugged his shoulders and continued to gaze around in every direction for his missing comrade.
The people of Ba Sing Se laughed and sang all around the two ex-guerrilla warriors as the last hour of the year of the snake drew closer and closer, and all Jet and Longshot could focus on was their missing swordswoman.
Jet spoke again, grinding his teeth slightly as he wiped the confetti a small child had thrown into the air out of his hair. "Longshot, she did just say she would only be a few minutes in that thrift shop, right?"
The archer nodded.
"So where-"
"Hi guys, sorry I'm late." Smellerbee's rough voice sounded from behind them.
The pair turned and both jaws dropped at the sight that met their eyes.
She had washed the red paint from her cheeks and instead of her usual habit of letting her hair simply lie as it was, a pair of delicate ivory combs held her short chestnut locks up and out of her face in a most charming manner. She had dispensed too with her normal warrior's attire in place of flowing skirts of green cotton covered by an equally simple tan robe. A delicate, slightly nervous smile graced her lips, as though waiting for her friends' reactions.
It was incredible how the humble thrift store clothes had transformed the young woman into something more than a tomboy.
And had Longshot been able so speak, there would have only been one word appropriate for the sight before him: wow.