I walked through the streets of the little earth kingdom town that had somehow managed to avoid the raids of the fire nation. There was nothing special about it, which was probably the reason for why it had managed to remain peaceful for the past one-hundred years that the war has lasted. It won't remain this way for long though, the fire nation always manages to destroy everything that is good and pure even if it poses no threat to them.

I put my hand in my pouch and noticed that I only had a couple copper pieces left, not nearly enough money to buy myself dinner or a place to stay for the night.

I sighed and said, "I guess it's time for another performance, Naiya" I looked at the curious foxy creature that rested across my shoulders. She blinked once and went back to sleep.

Naiya was a peculiar little animal. She mainly looked like any other fox, she had black paws, white tipped tail, and a red-orange coat. The thing that was strange about Naiya was that she had brown and round pupils, unlike other foxes who's pupils were slits. The other abnormality was that she had two tiny horns at the top of her head. There was no other animal like Naiya, not to my knowledge at least. I had found her alone, hungry, and scared on a rainy night a couple years ago. She was an outcast…just like me.

We walked a little deeper into the town until we reached its center. It was a big circle surrounded by a variety of stores and in the middle there was a small stage that was used to deliver important messages to the inhabitants of the town.

Perfect, I thought.

I took off my heavy bag and laid it on the ground next to me as Naiya and I awaited the night.

The moon rose soon enough and many shop keepers and their clients were getting ready to pack it up for the night and head home.

I stood up and picked up my bag as Naiya jumped off my shoulders and walked besides me. I made my way towards the platform and climbed the steps. There were a few curious eyes that were wondering what I was up to but many of them were not interested enough to continue watching.

I took out a torch, spark rocks, a cup, and lamp oil from inside my bag. I took the spark rocks and lit the torch and held it in my left hand; more curious glances were beginning to be directed towards me. Then I took the lamp oil and poured a decent amount into the cup.

I brought the cup up to my lips and took a generous gulp, careful not to swallow any of it. I took a deep breath, brought the torch close to my lips and blew all of the oil out of my mouth and onto the flame creating a giant fire ball which lit up the entire area.

I had everyone's undivided attention.

In the past there had been incidents in which people mistook me for a firebender and threw me out of the town, but there were no signs of violence here, yet.

Everyone stared at me intently, wondering what I would do next. The few kids that were there pushed their way through the crowd to get a closer look.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I will perform an array of tricks and stunts with fire! I h-"

"You're a firebender!" screamed out a burly man pushing a cart with all sorts of beautiful and expensive looking jewels.

Oh dear.

I tossed the torch up in the air, caught it with my right hand, and pointed it towards the man, "No, I'm not. I don't possess the ability to bend any element", A little white lie never hurt anyone, right? "Please, I simply want to perform for you".

The man looked up at me with a skeptical look in his eyes but said nothing.

I put the torch down and took off my dark brown cloak and laid it on the ground. I took out two chains from inside my bag; each had a piece of wood covered in a rag dipped in oil at the end of them. I lit them both and began to slowly swing them back and forward in front of the audience.

Everyone was staring closely. I began to spin them faster and faster and faster, until all you could see were two, bright, glowing circles. I spun them around me in all sorts of ways. The crowd cheered and clapped. I took a running start, the glowing circles at either side of me and did an aerial. The crowd gasped and cheered.

I stopped the chains from spinning, "Thank you" I said, "Now, for the next part I will need music".

I reached inside my bag and pulled out a flute. "Is there anyone here that knows how to play the flute?"

No one raised their hand. "Anyone? Don't be shy".

A young girl to my left that seemed to be about my age walked forward.

"Great!" I said and handed her the flute, "What's your name?"

"Ming", she said.

"Spectacular. Now, I promise it's clean. Go ahead and play whatever tune you want"

Ming smiled shyly and began to play an upbeat, gypsy like tune. "Perfect", I said. I went to my bag and took out my fire fingers. These are 8 thin, torch-like-objects that you strap onto your fingers. I lit all of them and began to move to the flow of the music.

I was not a dancer by any means. I had never taken a single dance lesson in my life, but you would have never guessed that if you had ever seen me perform. I was as nimble and light on my feet as a fox.

The crowd had grown bigger everyone was applauding and aw'ing as I did turns, leaps, back bends, and hand stands, all in perfect timing with the music. It was almost as if it had been rehearsed.

I could tell that the song was about to come to an end so I took a couple steps, pushed off from the ground, leaped into a split leap, and then crouched on the ground. The fire fingers no longer lit.

Everything was silent; the only light now was the moon. I stood up and the crowd clapped and cheered.

"Thank you!" I said and walked over to Ming, "Thank you, Ming". She smiled.

Naiya came up to me and I handed her my pouch, she took it in her mouth and went around collecting money from the crowd as I packed up my things.

A couple minutes later the crowed had dispersed and Naiya came back with the pouch. I looked into it and there were a couple of silver pieces but the majority were copper and the small pouch was not even a third full.

I sighed, "Well, at least it's more than what we had this morning".

I picked up my bag, Naiya jumped up to my shoulders, and we made our way to the nearest and open food stand.

"What's the cheapest thing you have?" I asked the woman at the counter. She had her up in a bun, sleeves rolled up as far as they could go, and looked like a woman that not even the strongest wrestler would dare take on.

"The cheapest thing I have is a bowl of noodle soup", she grunted.

"I'll take one and do you have any raw meat?" I asked, the woman eyed me curiously, "For my pet".

"Aha…" she said, "I have some fish, but it's going to cost you".

"Of course" I said, "I'll take it".

I handed her the money and in turn she handed me the fish and bowl of soup. I began to walk away when she grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Hey!" she said, "If you want the bowl you're going to have to pay for that also! If not then you are going to finish your soup here and hand the bowl back!"

"Right…" I frowned as I sat down at one of the available tables, "I apologize".

The woman turned her back to me and said, "Rotten kids".

I rolled my eyes and handed Naiya the fish and began eating my soup.

A couple tables away from me there were two men whispering rather loudly but I was the only one close enough to hear them.

"Are you sure?" said one man with braided hair.

"Positive" said the other with a beard.

"I can't believe it…There is still hope!"

"No…no there isn't…"

"What are you talking about? Of course there is!"

"He has been gone for a hundred years but from what I've heard he only knows how to bend air, he doesn't know how to bend any of the other elements"

Could they possibly be talking about…

"But he's the Avatar! Even if he only knows how to bend air he can still defeat the Fire Lord!"

My eyes widened. The Avatar? It can't be.

"They told me that he's only a little kid" said the bearded man.

"A little kid? But if he's been gone a hundred years...Who told you this?" said the one with his hair in a braid.

"My cousin, he was selling cabbages in Omashu when the Avatar and his friends destroyed them. He said they were heading towards the North-"

"Are you done yet?" said the woman who had sold me the fish and soup, "I'm about to close".

I looked down at my soup and noticed that I had only had a spoon full, "Um, no. Sorry"

"Well hurry up or leave" said the woman as she turned and began to clean the tables.

I looked over to see if the two men were still there but they had gotten up and left when the woman said that she was about to close.

I hurried up, finished my soup, and left quickly before I got yelled at again.

I looked inside the pouch. I still had some money left but not enough to rent a room for the night.

"Looks like we're sleeping under the stars again Naiya", I said.

I walked to the outskirts of the town, far away from any buildings and found a tree to lie underneath of. I put my bag on the floor and rolled out my sleeping bag. I sat down and took of my sandals noting that I would soon need a new pair; they were beginning to fall apart.

I crawled into my sleeping bag and so did Naiya.

I didn't mind sleeping outside, especially on a cool night like this one, and after 15 years of doing it you start getting used to it, enjoying it. As I stared up at the stars my thoughts began to wonder about what I had heard the two men saying.

The Avatar…he's been gone for a hundred years, only knows how to bend air, is just a kid, and is heading to the North…Pole? How is that even possible?

The mention of the North Pole reminded me of the reason for why I had been traveling there in the first place, to reach the Northern Water Tribe.

With the amount of money I earn it will take me years before I reach the Northern Water Tribe.

Unless…I hitch a ride with the Avatar…

No, why would he ever let me travel with him? He would never trust me.

But! I could offer to teach him a couple bending basics. He's probably desperate for a teacher, he is one-hundred years late after all.

I grinned, "Naiya, we are going to go in search of the Avatar"