Author's Note: Must give credit where it is due—rabbit jerboas are nikipinz's creation.
Chapter 38
It had been a week since Azula and Ty Lee had left Jang. They had spent most of that time in the thick forest of the northwestern Earth Kingdom, traveling southeast to get to warmer climes as well as putting some distance between themselves and the colonies.
But aside from that, Azula really had no idea what they were going to do. It was something that weighed heavily on her, and she constantly struggled to keep her emotions—specifically, her anger—from taking over. It seemed her entire life had been so out of her control, so she was trying to maintain control over the one thing she thought she should be able to. It was proving to be difficult. She wondered just how Ty Lee managed to stay so positive. After all, she was in the same boat now.
They had done their best to avoid Fire Nation settlements and stopped in Earth Kingdom towns to get food and other supplies along the way. They would simply take what they needed. Both girls excelled in stealth, and no one was the wiser. However, this was something that Ty Lee was beginning to feel uncomfortable with, but she had been unable to come up with an alternative until reaching the outskirts of yet another Earth Kingdom town, not too far from Gaipan.
"I don't think we should keep stealing things, Azula," Ty Lee said as they walked side-by-side with Azula leading their ostrich horse by the reins.
"We don't have any way to pay for them," the firebender replied, matter-of-fact, expecting that to be the end of it.
"We could try to make some money," the acrobat suggested.
"How?" Azula asked, turning her head to look at Ty Lee and raising a questioning eyebrow.
"We could try performing like that musician we saw on the street in the last village we stopped in."
"What?" Azula stopped in her tracks and stared at Ty Lee incredulously. "That kind of thing is beneath us."
"It's better than being a thief!"
Azula sighed. "People will see us, Ty Lee."
"No one knows who we are in these little Earth Kingdom towns. We look just like them."
The firebender's lip curled in disgust. She was proud of her heritage and didn't like that she had to go around looking like some kind of peasant.
Ty Lee continued on, completely ignoring Azula's dislike of the idea. "I thought I could perform some acrobatics, and, well, I was going to join the circus to do that anyway. This isn't so different."
"It's different because we're essentially begging," Azula's voice grew harsher as the dam that held back the emotions she'd been trying to keep in check began to crack. "This… this isn't fair. We shouldn't even have to live like this. I'm royalty and you're a noblewoman for Agni's sake!"
"Azula, please calm down," Ty Lee pleaded, holding her hands up to placate the other girl. "Everything will be okay."
"How?" Azula asked angrily. "How will it be okay?"
Ty Lee flinched at the firebender's tone. Azula usually didn't direct her anger at the acrobat, but the ex-princess was reaching a breaking point. She had been trying not to think about it over the last several days, but ever since they left Jang, it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the stark reality of their situation.
"I need you to do more than just telling me that things will be okay or that things will work out. Tell me how, Ty Lee!"
Tears sprang to the acrobat's eyes, and she began to cry. Azula immediately felt a pang of guilt. "I'm trying, Azula. I really am," Ty Lee sniffled as she wiped at her tears. "I'm doing everything I can to keep your spirits up, but I don't know what more I can do."
Azula growled in frustration—mostly at herself. Ty Lee didn't deserve her anger. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you," she said apologetically, and Ty Lee's tears slowly stopped. "It's just that I hate this. I hate that we have no place to go and that we're wanted dead or alive. I hate that no matter what I do, my father will never accept me back home."
"I kind of know how that is. I mean, my parents didn't exactly pay attention to me when I lived at home. Even before I became a traitor, they wouldn't have wanted me back unless I became someone I'm not," Ty Lee said with a frown before brightening a bit. "But we're in this together, so try not to worry so much."
"How can I not worry, Ty Lee? We need some kind of plan."
"Maybe you should try doing what I do and just take life as it comes."
Azula huffed.
"And think of it this way," Ty Lee continued. "We can only go up from here."
Despite Azula's objections, Ty Lee situated herself along the town's busiest street and began performing various acrobatic sequences. The girl clearly loved the attention that was directed at her, while Azula sat off to the side, keeping an eye on money left for her friend.
Not that there was much to keep an eye on. This town was poorer than some of the others they had stopped in. While several of the townspeople enjoyed watching Ty Lee, they weren't able to spare more than a few copper pieces.
As Ty Lee moved into a handstand, balancing on just her index fingers, a shadow fell over them. They looked up to see a tall boy with shaggy brown hair and a piece of straw between his teeth.
"Those are some nice moves," he said with a charming smile.
"Thanks!" Ty Lee beamed up at him from her upside down position.
He dropped a copper coin onto Ty Lee's cloak, which Azula had laid out to collect any offerings.
"I wish I could give you more, but I'm kind of low on money," he said apologetically.
"Thanks anyway," the acrobat replied still smiling at him, as she tucked her body in and rolled forward until she was sitting beside Azula.
He slung a small pack over his shoulders and began to slowly continue his walk down the street.
"He was kind of cute, don't you think, Azula?" Ty Lee giggled as she leaned into the firebender.
"I suppose," Azula rolled her eyes, more focused on the money they had collected. She let out a frustrated sigh. "We still don't have enough for dinner. The most this will get us is a bag of feed for the ostrich horse."
Azula noticed the boy suddenly pause in his tracks and then turn back toward them. The firebender looked at him questioningly.
"I couldn't help but overhear you just now," he explained. "Since I can't give you more money, why don't you join me and my friends for dinner. We caught some rabbit jerboas. I think we have enough to spare."
"Oh, that's really sweet of you!" Ty Lee glanced over at Azula, who's stomach grumbled. The firebender shrugged at her, too hungry to really object. "We'd love to!"
"Great!" he said, flashing yet another charming smile at the acrobat as she and Azula stood up and began to gather their things. "My name's Jet, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Jet," Ty Lee replied with a smile. "My name's—oof!" A rolled up saddle blanket suddenly hit the acrobat in the side. She scowled slightly as she turned to see who threw it, only to find Azula standing at the ready with their ostrich horse.
"I need you to carry that, Yinji."
Ty Lee looked at her strangely for a moment before it dawned on her why Azula called her by another name. "Yinji, Yinji, Yinji," she repeated in her mind so that she would remember it.
"Okay, Ruka. Jeez, you didn't have to throw it at me."
"Ruka, huh? That name almost sounds Fire Nation," Azula thought with a mental roll of her eyes. But Jet didn't seem to notice.
After a quick stop to pick up some feed for their ostrich horse, the two girls then followed Jet to a small campsite about a half mile out of town. Jet and Ty Lee made small talk along the way, but Azula preferred to keep to herself as she led their ostrich horse along. Ty Lee seemed to be enjoying herself, and Azula was just going along because she wanted dinner. She noted the hook swords on his back, and wondered if he had much skill using them.
When they arrived at the campsite, Azula saw two other teens sitting near the fire. One was a girl with short hair and face paint, who was busy slicing up one of the rabbit jerboas. The other was a tall boy wearing a hat, who was keeping a lookout with bow in hand.
The boy nodded at Jet and looked at Azula and Ty Lee questioningly as they followed Jet into camp.
"Here, Smellerbee, got you what you needed," Jet said, tossing a pouch of herbs to the girl, who grabbed it out of the air. She, too, noticed the extra company. "I brought a couple people I met in town to join us for dinner." He glanced at Azula and Ty Lee as he gestured to his friends. "These are my Freedom Fighters: Smellerbee and Longshot. Guys, meet Ruka and Yinji."
"Nice to meet you," Smellerbee said congenially.
Longshot simply nodded at the pair.
"It's nice to meet you," Ty Lee said with a friendly smile.
Azula decided to follow Longshot's lead, and nodded as well. She wasn't really in a sociable mood, and she didn't feel like calling on her courtly manners. Besides, it seemed like Ty Lee had that covered just fine.
"Dinner should be ready soon," Smellerbee informed them. "Can you help me out, Longshot?"
Wordlessly, the boy moved to her side.
As Azula tied up her ostrich horse to a nearby tree and gave it a bag of feed, she watched Ty Lee sit down beside Jet. Ty Lee had always been friendly with just about everyone she met, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise just how at ease she was around this boy they barely knew. Inexplicably, she found herself feeling a little jealous. She had no idea why, but she quickly tried to push those feelings aside.
Once her animal was taken care of, Azula moved over to the campfire and sat on the other side of Ty Lee. She observed Smellerbee and Longshot prepare the rabbit jerboa—how they spread the herbs over the meat, then spit it, and then placed it over the fire—and made a note of how to do it herself in the future.
"Mmm, that smells really good," Ty Lee said as the scent of cooking meat filled the campsite.
"It does," Azula agreed, realizing she should try to be somewhat gracious considering she was being given a free meal. "It'll be nice to have a cooked meal again. Thank you sharing with us."
"It's not a problem," Jet replied. "So are you two refugees?"
"Huh?" Ty Lee asked.
"Yes, we're refugees," Azula lied easily, turning her eyes toward Jet.
"I thought so," he said, looking at her scar sympathetically. "Most of the other travelers around here are. So many villages have been raided, and those people who are lucky enough to keep there lives have nowhere to go."
"Is that what happened to you guys?" Ty Lee asked, her voice taking on a note of concern.
"Our town got burned down by the Fire Nation a few years ago," Smellerbee replied, indicating herself and Longshot. "Luckily, we met up with Jet and some others shortly after. We've looked out for each other ever since."
"What about you?" Ty Lee asked, turning concerned eyes on Jet.
"Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever," he said closing his eyes briefly as a pained expression crossed his face.
Azula couldn't help but feel ashamed at that moment. Somehow, she felt responsible for what happened to them, even though she had nothing to do with it. But it had been her country that had caused them to lose everything. "Not unlike what the Fire Nation has done to me and Ty Lee."
"We've stayed around here since then," Jet continued after collecting himself, "but it's time to move on. So we decided to go to Ba Sing Se. I guess you could say we're looking to start over."
"Start over?" Ty Lee asked.
"Let's just say we've done some things in our past that we're not proud of," he said, looking somewhat ashamed. Azula noticed that his companions wore similar expressions and wondered what it was they had done wrong. "That's why we're going to Ba Sing Se—for a new beginning. A second chance. It's the city of opportunity. They say everyone lives like royalty."
Azula perked up at that. "Royalty?"
Jet nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to get there and see the great wall with my own eyes."
Azula's jaw clenched almost imperceptibly, knowing that it had been the place where Iroh and Lu Ten had taken their final breathes.
"Dinner's ready," Smellerbee announced. "Help yourselves," she said, taking some of the meat off the fire. Everyone quickly followed suit, and a silence fell over the group as they took their first few bites of their meal. Even though it was a bit bland by her preferences, Azula had to admit it was good to have a hot meal.
"So what about you guys?" Jet asked, finally breaking the silence. "I'm assuming you aren't going to stay here."
Ty Lee looked toward Azula, deferring to the firebender to answer the question, but she was suddenly fixated on her meal. It was obvious she didn't want to divulge any information.
"We're still trying to figure that out," Ty Lee said with a shrug, as she turned back to Jet. "In a way, we're looking to start over too."
"Then maybe Ba Sing Se is the place for you."
"It does sound pretty nice," the acrobat agreed. "I wonder if they have a circus there."
"They have everything in Ba Sing Se," Jet enthused. "Like I said before—it's a city of opportunity."
"Maybe we should think about going there," Ty Lee said, looking at Azula. There was a hint of longing in her large, gray eyes, and Azula felt a little guilty.
For as long as she had known Ty Lee, joining the circus had always been something the acrobat had wanted to pursue. And maybe doing it someplace as big as Ba Sing Se would allow them enough anonymity to do it. Yet, that very idea tore at her pride. She didn't want to have to pretend to be some lowly commoner.
Then again, she owed it to Ty Lee. She had given up everything to save her life.
"Maybe," Azula agreed.
"I know we don't know each other very well," Jet said, "but you guys are more than welcome to travel with us."
Both girls looked at him, surprised. Smellerbee and Longshot seemed okay with it, but Azula got the distinct impression that he called the shots.
"We'll have to think about it," Azula said before Ty Lee could say anything.
"Fair enough," he replied.
Azula nodded at the boy, and Ty Lee offered him a grateful smile before everyone went back to finishing their meals.
"Well, I think we should be turning in," Azula said upon dinner's completion. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Yes, thank you for everything. The food was delicious," Ty Lee agreed.
"Not a problem," Jet replied with a smile, which Ty Lee easily returned before getting up to follow Azula to their ostrich horse.
As Azula went to untie the animal, Jet called out to them, "Remember, my offer still stands. If you want to come along with us to Ba Sing Se, meet us here at dawn. We'll be leaving early tomorrow morning."
"Fair enough," Azula replied, repeating his words from earlier. "Good evening." With those words she climbed upon her ostrich horse.
"Goodbye," Ty Lee echoed, climbing up behind Azula to find their own place to camp.
After they had put a little distance between themselves and the Freedom Fighters, Ty Lee tightened her grip on Azula's waist, indicating that she wanted to talk. "So, what do you think of them?" Ty Lee asked enthusiastically.
"They seem nice enough," Azula said with a shrug. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of Jet or his companions. And while they may have been onto something with moving to Ba Sing Se, she wasn't so sure traveling with them was the wisest idea.
"What do you think about Jet's offer?"
"We'll talk about it once we set up camp for the night, alright?"
"Alright," Ty Lee agreed happily, letting Azula lead them through the forest and, hopefully, to some answers.