Disclaimer: The Avatar: The Last Airbender is a wonderful show that is NOT own by me. It belongs to Brian and Mike.

Chapter 2: A Crazy Partner

Timeline: Around the time Aang was found.

~Rhushy~

I fell asleep.

I was meditating on a rock as Austin was practicing water-bending over there. The warmth of the sun soothe me as I attempted to understand the landscape though heat. Soon, the tiredness of little sleep took over and I fell asleep. I didn't sense Austin's movement or his presence near me.

When I woke up, I was on the ground next to where I was meditating. It was high noon. "Wha?" I asked no one in particular.

"Oh, you're awake?" Austin asked me.

"WHAA!" I shouted before getting up. Shouldn't have done that. Austin managed to stable me as I regain my eye sight. "Sorry, didn't sense you."

"Figures." I gave a big yawn. "Yeah, I feel that too." I looked over to see him with a tired face.

"It's because various fire troops came up." We had horrible run-ins with impulsive fire-bender troops. At the worse time ever: sleeping time. We had been on the run before from crazy villages to angry fire-benders. Not this many troops managed to find us within a week. After eating some nuts and various catch, we decided to catch some sleep before traveling.

The cover of night arrived and we almost slept in. Quickly, we packed in silence broken by a few yawns. The night was long as we stumbled around in the dark. As the sun rose after our almost uneventful night, a village was spotted.

As we stumbled to the village, their day was just waking up. As the street got busy, we found a quiet dark alley to sleep.

By high noon, the sun started to bother us and loud noises found our ears. Our eye lids slowly peeked to the bright world, and saw various wealth walking around looking for shopping items. Unable to sleep any longer, we set out. There was a lot of stuff that could be bought, but we had to restrain our desire. Money was low and we are traveling in the wilderness until we settle. Whenever that is. We were in debate whether clothes or food was useful when a loud noise attracted most of the crowd including us.

Remember the night that was almost uneventful? Well, the fire troops here was the same ones we found and attempted to go around. Austin was spotted instantly. I was better hidden. As he was pulled for questioning, I sneak around them. When they were about to pull violence on him (he wasn't cooperating well), I scared the shit out of them with an unexpected fire attack to their rear. Austin escaped without a scratch and I managed to avoid detection.

Three of them were making such a racket with the shop owner that most of the crowd gave them a wide berth. Just as one of them about to fire-bend the poor shop down, the owner gave in to their demands. The crowd murmured at the event. Guess it was common knowledge to not anger them. I reached to my left to get Austin. The fabric felt wrong and I looked to the owner. It wasn't him.

Giving him a sheepish grin, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else. Please excuse me." In my embarrassment, I ducked in the crowd. Turned out, my friend was trying to get close when I wasn't looking. Huffing in anger once I realized this, I attempted a search. When the fruitless of my search became apparent to me, I decided to shop. In the end, I was trapped in buying a decent outfit or buying bread. I picked the outfit. The remaining coins, I bought a small loaf.

As I was munching on my small snack, I saw Austin dashing around the alleys. I didn't notice it was him until he started to run like hell to me. I screamed and attempted a run.

The other way.

I know that look anywhere. He was going to tackle me! It happened so often that I got used to trying to get away before he tried anything. Last time he pounced on me (he was going on about an idea that I have no clue he was talking about) he shook me until my head was literately snapping dangerously. Even after he calms down enough to explain his crazy ideas to me, I still don't get it. Is he really speaking the same English as I am?

I knew I wasn't fast, but out of the town screeching was a good opportunity. It means no embarrassing moments except me looking like an idiot with a madman behind me. As he caught up, I expected him to jump on me and crush me to the ground. Oh, no. He surprised me with a bear hug. Ou-ch.

Quickly, he spun me around and talking about infiltrating a fire nation head quarters or where ever the station was for information. ...while whacking me hard on the shoulder. I looked at him like he was crazy. His words didn't sink in like the enthusiastic whacking he did. I ended up giving him the WT-I'm-tired-as-hell-F look. When he decided to get out of whatever pink, blue, or purple fluffy cloud he was on, did he noticed my lack of appreciation and soreness I received. I believed the cloud doesn't look like one. His ideas and conversation was too much astronomical to go to normal people's clouds. Count me lucky that mine is in the deep end not high above ground. I think he's trying to do something about that. Then we settle for the night. I'm beat in many ways possible again and it wasn't the first.

I woke up late. Austin seemed incline to stay a bit. Actually, I'm staying put. Austin was nowhere to be seen. Tiredly, I wondered the town's street. Then, trouble had splatted itself on my face. When I wasn't thinking, I walked into the guard. The same one from yesterday. I'm in deep shit.

A/N: I had many ideas. Unfortunately, they were for later. They will meet Aang, but not for 2-3 chapters later.