It Shouldn't Be This Easy
Chapter 3
Poverty
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Ba Sing Se was beautiful in the early spring morning. Rainfall from the night still fell from the heaven making the air shimmer. The city was grumbling awake, horses being harnessed their lungs propelling steam into the already foggy air. In the Upper Ring people were enjoying a lovely breakfast. Toph Beifong and Zuko Jiang were preparing for a concert later that afternoon.
However it was the Lower Ring were all the action was happening. Deep in the slums of the city we meet our next set of characters.
-Sokka-
"Sokka! I need fresh clothes!" My little sister's hair has escaped from her braid while bangs stick to her forehead from sweat. Sitting on a bed in front of her is a woman in labour. Beside her is her husband, attempting to comfort though his words go unheard over her screaming and cursing.
"I'm on it." Dashing away from them I pull open the cupboard and rolls of cloth fall ito my arms. My foot shuts the door and I run back to my sister's side.
"That's right!" my sister urges. "You're almost there! Just one ore push! I try to keep conscious as the woman yells again and a small baby, covered in ll sorts of things, is pushed out into Katara's awaiting hands. Using the clothes I brought she wraps the baby in them, then a blanket and hands it to the mother.
"Very good Katara." An old man has appeared behind us.
I jump from surprise but Katara smiles gratefully, pushing hair out of her face. "Thank you Doctor Pakku." She turns back to the woman. "Congratulations, it's a girl.'
The new mother gazes at her baby while her husband wraps an arm around her shoulder. "What should we call her?" he asks, a finger gently caressing his daughter's cheek.
"We'll leave you to decide. Sokka, Katara, follow me. I need to talk to you for a moment." Pakku's long finger beckons us away from the dingy room. He opens the door and leads us into the hallway.
The Northern River Hospital is in desperate need of a touch-up. The walls are mouldy with age and the wooden panelling is decrepit at best. That doesn't stop it from being the best hospital around though. The care here is incredible, Doctor Pakku could work at any hospital in the world but he chose to help the poor. Sometimes even the rich people from the Upper Ring come down for care.
The best part about him being here is the fact that my little sister is his newest, and only, protégé. "What did you want to talk with us about?" She asks, closing the door behind her.
"That's the third baby you've delivered in three weeks. That's impressive, I've never seen anyone become so adept at healing so quickly." He offers a rare smile. Katara bows in response to the praise.
"I'm going to go see if they need anything." Katara says and she opens the door. Pakku gives me a curt nod before following her. I sigh, glad to be away from the tense situations.
As I wander towards the main door my mind immediately moves to focus on the girl I met last night.
Toph, Toph Beifong. The last name seems vaguely familiar. It's not her name I remember. It was everything else. Her dark hair. His attitude, sharper than anyone I've met. Her eyes, so beautiful. Not to mention she didn't seem too adverse towards me.
With the image of Toph in my mind my decision in made. I will go see her, what could be better? She'll be surprised and maybe she'll even talk to me civilly! I throw the front doors open and run onto the streets, revelling in the rain soaked day.
I walk through the streets, waving at almost everyone, even if I didn't know them. Something was bubbling inside me, I feel as though I could fly and man, it's weird.
Soon I reach the Upper Ring and its looming homes and fancy people immediately make me feel tiny. I bow my head and sneak down alleyways, avoiding the public eye.
Apparently Beifong is a name I should've recognized. When I asked a stable boy where their mansion was I couldn't believe that the girl I had met last night, soaking wet and stumbling around was a Lady of the Court. I knock on the front doors of the Beifong Mansion. A flying boar seal is emblazed on the wood.
"Can I help you?" A butler asks as he opens the door.
I put on my most official voice, trying to forget the fact that I'm in rags right now. "I'm here to see Miss Beifong. Is she home?"
"Yes." He says, the butler gives me a once-over, seems to decided that I'm not going to cut his purse and lets me in. "they are currently in the sun room. She is performing a concert with Sir Zuko for their parents. Please, do try and be quiet, they do like being disturbed being a performance. If anybody asks you how you got in, it wasn't me." He swiftly walks away and I try to keep my mouth closed as I make my way through the breath taking home to the sunroom.
I follow my ear, gentle piano coupled with a violin floats through the air. The tune is truly haunting and I feel drawn to it. A door is open and I can hear the music coming from the room. I peak around the corner.
There Toph Beifong sits behind a piano forte, her eyes closed as her fingers dance across keys. Beside her is a tall boy, not much older than me, his hand drawing a bow across the strings of a violin. Four sit in the audience, watching rapt with attention.
"I don't belong here" A voice says in my head. I look around at the tall windows, the beautiful paintings, the fancy dresses and the beautifully crafted instruments.
Slowly I back out of the room, back into the cold, rainy day.
Back to where I belong.
A/N
-cough-