Disclaimer: I do not own Avater: The Last Airbender. If I did, there would be a fourth season.
A girl ran through the underground tunnels of Lake Laogi, snaking her way right and left. Two Di Lee agents were giving chase. She did not look back once and immediately turned a corner and hid in the shadows. A shout came from the opposite direction the agents were running.
"Leave the girl," said a third agent as he appeared in front of the other two. "Right now, we have to stop the avatar and his group. We'll find the girl later. She can't even find her way out of here."
The girl peaked her head around the corner and watched as the agents left. She waited until their footsteps faded before she sighed with relief. Now that she didn't have to run everywhere, she would be able to try to find her way out of this horrid place. She walked aimlessly and quickly hid when she heard approaching footsteps coming from the big room.
There were four of the them quickly leaving and one had an arrow on his head. The girl knew that he must have been the avatar. She peaked in on the room the four had just been in and discovered three other figures. Two were standing and it sounded like one was crying.
Jet knew he only had minutes left if even that. He tried to comfort his friends when the three heard someone running towards them. They thought it was Katara running back to try and save him, but it turned out to be a girl with dark brown hair, fair skin, and gray eyes.
"Move aside!" she said quickly as she knelt down by Jet. She felt his pulse and knew that he was dying. He needed emergency treatment if he was to leave.
"There's nothing you can do. I know I'm dying," Jet said to the girl.
"I'm not going to sit back and watch while another pawn of the stupid Di Lee dies," was her response as she quickly moved for the water to flow towards her.
"You're a water bender," Smellerbee said. "There was one here earlier. She really couldn't help him."
"That's because she hasn't had the same training as me," the girl replied as she made the water go into Jet's body. "This is an old treatment, one that is only used in emergency cases, like yours. Now, please, do not say anything. I need to concentrate."
Longshot and Smellerbee obliged to her request. Jet only stared at the girl. He was wonding why she would help him and just how exactly she got here. He observed the way her forehead was creased in concentration and how steady her hands were over him. It was as though she was used to treating near death patients.
All of a sudden noise rang out above. There was a fight happening. The girl quickly pulled the water back out and let it fall. "That's all I can do for now. We have to leave."
"Yeah, one problem. Di Lee agents are everywhere and this guy is wounded," Smellerbee said.
The girl smiled. "Put him on my back." She bent down as Longshot and Smellerbee did as she asked, thinking that she was crazy.
The group made their way out of the tunnels without much trouble. Most of the Di Lee Agents had gone back to the inner circle of the city. Once outside, the girl blinked against the hard sunlight and stopped walking.
"Something wrong?" Jet asked.
"It's the sun...," she whispered quietly.
"What?" he asked again, not quite hearing her.
"It's the sun! And look! Trees!" she exclaimed. The three looked at her again.
"How long have you been down there?" Smellerbee asked.
"I don't know. Probably years. The Di Lee took me from the orphanage shortly after my parents died. I'll tell you the whole story when we find some shelter,"was her answer.
"How about telling us your name?" Jet asked.
She smiled with pleasure. "My name is Yuri."
Smellerbee and Longshot started to walk again and Yuri followed behind. Jet felt a bit awkward being saved by a girl.
"So, where do we go?" Smellerbee asked.
"Out of this horrid town. They say it's a happy place, but it's so full of conspiracies and lies that it can't even be called a happy place. I say we leave," Yuri said. "And break some rules while doing it."
"You really don't like Ba Sing Se, do you?" Jet asked.
"The three of you should understand why after going through this whole ordeal," Yuri retorted.
"Point taken," Smellerbee said.
"So, what are your names?" Yuri asked.
"The guy you're carrying is Jet. I'm Smellerbee and this is Longshot."
"I would say pleased to meet you, but given the circumstances, I won't."
"Pleased to meet you, Yuri. I would be dead if it weren't for you," Jet said.
Yuri turned her head so he could see her smile. "I would be dead if it weren't for all of you."
"What do you mean?" Jet asked.
"The Di Lee take orphaned girls who look alike to Lake Laogi. Once there, they start to perform that hypnotism thing and train the girls to forget about their pasts, who they are, and everything else, only to replace it with something fake. All of these girls have the same name by that time and that is Judi. The Judis are assigned to upperclass people who come to this place in search of refuge. Sometimes troublemakers or suspicious people.
"The girls that they take have to be young since it takes years to force a person to forget everything about themselves. There are relapses and other things that happen or someone like me. I was a Judi trainee." Yuri fell silent for a few moments then continued. "My parents died when I was twelve. My mother taught me all she knew about healing. She learned from my grandparents who came to this place just before the war had began. My grandparents intended to only visit Ba Sing Se, but after the war, they were forced to remain here.
"They couldn't leave for another reason. My grandmother was pregnant and leaving the safety of the city would be dangerous, but they wished to return to the Southern Water Tribe where their home was. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Once, they tried to teach my mother to fight, but were arrested and got off with a warning."
"That's why you can't fight," Smellerbee said, interrupting the story.
Yuri nodded. "I can only heal. I am a master healer which is handy to have. I used to heal the sick with my mother all the time. Sometimes we were called to heal the injured on the front lines at the wall. But, everything changed after my parents died. I was taken and forced to go underground."
"So, why haven't you become a Judi?" Jet asked.
"I don't want to become a shell, devoid of who I am, where I come from, and what I can do," was her answer. "I can't tell you how many times I attempted to escape. If it weren't for the commotion today, I wouldn't be here now."
"Hey! We were a part of that commotion. You call Jet almost dying a commotion?" Smellerbee growled as she spun around to face Yuri. Longshot put a calming hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and sighed.
"I didn't mean it like that. There is really no right word for it. I am sorry to have offended you," Yuri apologized.
"It's fine, but it's getting dark. We should find shelter."
The three continued to walk. Jet spoke in low tones to Yuri. "Sorry about that. Smellerbee can be a bit of a hothead, but she's rational and probably more mature than me."
"It's fine. I'd rather be scolded by her than be captured by the Di Lee."
"I don't think it's really fair to ask for your story and not tell you ours," Jet said.
A smile appeared on Yuri's face. "No need. My curious side will get the better of me soon enough."
Jet smiled. "You're not that bad."
Yuri giggled. "I could say the same about you and your friends."
Jet's face darkened. "I've done some things that I'm not proud of."
"Haven't we all?" was her answer. "You can't change the past no matter how much you want to. What's important is that you learn from your mistakes, so you can be a better person."
"For a person who's been locked up, you know a lot."
"I learned it from my mother. Truth is, I could have been an earth bender since my father was one, but I think I like water better. Earth bending is all about power and strength whereas water is all about the push and pull of the water. It's soothing somehow."
"Plus, you can heal," Jet said.
"Not everyone can, but yes."
Smellerbee and Longshot stopped, which made Yuri in turn stop. "Looks like there's a cave right over there. We're going to go check it out to make sure it's safe," Smellerbee said, giving the two a look which clearly said stay here and don't move.
When the two had left, Yuri said, "She's cautious. If I had that sense, maybe I would have escaped earlier."
"How old are you?" Jet asked.
Yuri almost shrugged, but instead replied, "I don't really know nor do I know the day or year or month. For so long, I've only wanted out and now that I am, I really don't know what to do other than nurse you back to health."
Jet was about to respond when Smellerbee came back with the all clear. Once Jet was off of her shoulders, Yuri rubbed them. Jet noticed and asked if he was heavy. Yuri spluttered and then laughed.
"No, I'm okay. Now, I have to find some water. I heard some close to here," Yuri said.
"Longshot will go with you," Jet said.
Yuri looked Longshot. He nodded and his eyes said that he didn't really mind. She smiled and the two left in search of water.
"What do you think of her Smellerbee?" Jet asked.
Smellerbee looked at him. "I think she's like us at heart. She only wants freedom so she's not so bad."
"You wouldn't mind if she joined us?"
"No. Besides, she'll need some guidance."
Yuri found the stream and looked at Longshot. "It's getting dark. Maybe we should also find something to burn for a fire."
He nodded and looked around for firewood while she filled his water skin. After her task was done, she helped him. Once the two had enough wood, they went back to the cave.
Longshot and Smellerbee worked on the fire while Yuri worked over Jet. "It seems whatever happened was a blow to your heart enough to make it stop and beat slowly. I think it might be damaged."
"What does that mean?" Smellerbee asked.
"It means I've only managed to extend his life for a bit longer, but don't worry. I have spirit water. It was special qualities and shouldn't be used unless it's called for."
"How did you get spirit water?" Jet asked.
Yuri put a finger over his lips. "You shouldn't talk when someone's working over you. As to your answer, I recieved it from my grandmother who had visited the north pole before the horrid earth city."
Yuri reached for the necklace buried underneath the folds of clothes she wore. When she found the hidden the vial, she grabbed and uncapped it. Yuri felt the push and pull of the water as she bended it to her desire and placed it over Jet's heart.
She felt the dead tissue start to heal and regenerate. As soon as she felt the steadiness of a the beating heart, she smiled. "You, my friend, are one lucky man."
"He'll be okay, then?" Smellerbee asked while fidgeting with her clothes.
"Yep. He will be in need of healing sessions, but not too many," answered Yuri.
Smellerbee sighed in relief and Longshot offered a rare smile. Jet thanked Yuri and she fell back against the cave wall next to him. "Well, I don't know about you three, but I've had enough excitement for one day. I'll be going to sleep now."
Within minutes, Yuri fell into a peaceful sleep. The three watched her for a moment and then conversed awhile longer.
"Longshot and I will take turns keeping watch. You need your rest, Jet," Smellerbee said when she noticed his eyes dropping.
"Fine, but the moment something happens, wake me," he said and closed his eyes.
Longshot placed a hand on Smellerbee's shoulder. "Are you sure? You're just as tired as I am," she said.
He nodded and stood near the cave entrance. Smellerbee rolled her eyes and went to sleep, knowing in a few hours Longshot would wake her, so he could sleep.
A/N: So this is my first Avatar story and you know, Jet deserves to have a second chance. I mean, the poor guy lost everything when he was young. Anyway, I thought this would be nice to write.