And we're back!
dperson3569: Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Be safe with yours as well, thanks so much for the review! :)
Guest(LoveTheStory): I don't think many fire nation children(especially firebenders) have a whole lot of patience.. :P I believe that's a pretty decent analysis of her actually. And there will be a scene something like that, Jaylee's elaborate plan isn't as elaborate as she envisions it in Iroh's opinion probably, but I think he'll be satisfied enough when she shows up safe and sound. Also, he might question her something like that, which may get her thinking, we shall see ;) As for if she's aware, she might not have it all figured out for sure, but I can envision that Azula isn't the only one who listens to stuff from behind the curtains. Not to mention Jaylee is well aware of Ozai's favouritsm. Huh, that's a good point you raise with her safety and Ozai.. Ursa definitely kept an eye on her when Iroh was away so.. I hadn't really thought of that so much, so I will have to do some further thinking, thanks for the thought! And thanks for the review! :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my story and oc's.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Three - Separations
Ty Lee and Mai walked into one of the palace gardens, having been directed by a servant as to where their friend was.
Azula was training as was expected, and the other two girls waited on the steps patiently until she was finished.
The princess ended the set with a fierce fire punch, then straightened, turning to her two friends.
"Mai. Ty Lee," she said with a nod. "How nice to see you."
Ty Lee cartwheeled over to the princess, Mai following.
"Hi, Azula!" the younger girl said upon reaching her. She tossed her long braid over her shoulder and smiled brightly. "Want to play a game?"
"I suppose we could," Azula said, acting uninterested as she looked away. Placing a hand on her hips, she arched an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"
"Well, it's up to you, but I was thinking we could play hide and seek," answered the acrobat.
Mai frowned. "Hide and seek is better with more than three players."
Ty Lee winced, knowing what Mai was saying without saying it out loud.
They were now missing two players.
Azula let out a light scoff. "Just because Zuzu and Jaylee aren't here anymore doesn't mean we can't still play. They didn't even play half the time they were here anyways."
Frowning, Ty Lee tilted her head as she raised her shoulders in a shrug. "I guess you're right, Azula."
"Of course I am," affirmed the princess.
"You don't even sound like you miss them," Mai noted quietly, concern in her eyes.
Azula turned and walked several steps away with a light laugh. "Who needs them? Zuko was a coward and deserved what he got. And if Jaylee wasn't powerful enough to defeat the people who kidnapped and killed her, then so did she."
"Azula!" Ty Lee said, covering her mouth with her hands. "They're your family!"
"Yes, they are. Or were. But just like Lu Ten, they all left in one way or another and haven't returned," Azula replied, still looking away from her friends. "Now, which one of you two want to be it?"
Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a concerned glance but said nothing more about the topic.
"I'll be it first, Azula," Ty Lee said, trying to make her tone sound happy.
"Come on, Mai. I know a place we can hide," said Azula, beckoning the other girl to follow her with a hand.
As Ty Lee began to count, she kept thinking about what her friend had said.
She didn't believe that Azula didn't miss her brother and cousin. She knew Mai didn't either.
"Have you seen a small Fire Nation cruiser lately?"
The fisherman looked down at the petite child who'd tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. To ask a rather strange question.
"Can't say that I have and good riddance to any that were here," the man said, shaking his head. "What do you want to know for, girl?"
Jaylee tilted her head, tapping her chin with a finger. Narrowing her eyes, she didn't answer him, but asked another question.
"Where can I find the head of the village?"
The old fisherman muttered something under his breath about disrespecting youngin's that ask too many questions and turned back to loading his boat.
Flipping her long black ponytail back over her shoulder, Jaylee sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine. Since you don't want to tell me, I'll just go find someone more willing to."
"Good riddance," snapped the man over his shoulder.
"One more question. Know anybody looking for a hired hand?" Jaylee asked.
The fisherman scoffed, straightening as he turned back to the girl. After looking her up and down once, he replied disdainfully, "I do, but nobody's gonna hire a scrawny little thing like you."
Jaylee frowned, crossing her arms. "I'm a hard worker."
"I'm not hiring."
"That's nice. I wouldn't want to work for you anyways. I'm not a fisherman."
With that, Jaylee turned on her heel and strode away, head held high.
The fisherman stared after her for a moment, then went back to loading his boat with supplies. "Dumb, bratty kids."
"Excuse me, ma'am."
The young woman looked up from her laundry, a surprised look on her face. Standing before her, perched on a rock in the middle of the stream, was a young girl, only a little older than her own children.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked, sitting back on her heels.
She took another look at the girl as she asked, her quick eyes taking in her appearance.
Being dressed in a dark green, long-sleeved tunic and grey pants, along with her dark hair and pale skin, she looked like she was Earth Kingdom. But she had golden eyes, not the usual brown or green of the people of the earth.
"I'm looking for some temporary work," the girl said, meeting the woman's gaze evenly. "One of the villagers directed me to you. You're Ming, right?"
The young woman nodded, brushing a stray lock a dark brown hair behind her ear. "I am. But unfortunately, while I could use help, I cannot pay someone."
Pursing her lips, the girl crossed her arms, brow furrowed in thought.
"What if I work for you in return for a place to stay? I'll pull my own weight and I can hunt for my own food."
Ming laughed lightly, looking at the child with incredulity. "I couldn't ask you to do that. You're barely older than my own children."
Jaylee shrugged, then crouched down on the rock. Her expression remained serious as she continued. "The man who sent me to you said your husband had to leave. To fight. He also said that you have three kids to take care of.
"It's not fair that you're alone. You need someone to help you. I think that could be me. At least for a little bit."
"Where are your parents? I've never seen you before," Ming said, still staring at the girl.
"My father is at sea, but he's coming for me as soon as he can."
Ming nodded, biting her lip. "Many men are away. And your mother?"
The girl looked away. "My mother died when I was born. And my brother died in battle two years ago."
"I'm so sorry, dear," the young woman said, pity filling her eyes.
"It's okay."
"What's your name?"
Jaylee lifted her head, turning back to meet her gaze. "Jaylee."
After a few minutes of careful thought, Ming spoke up again.
"Well, Jaylee," she said softly. "I could use some help. Neighbours help with the harder work like chopping wood. I'm not sure what you could do, but help with the children and household chores would be good. And I believe you said earlier that you can hunt?"
Jaylee nodded. "I can. My brother showed me how to trap too. And fish."
"Alright, well, you can stay with us until your father comes in return for your help. And since you can hunt and help provide food, you don't have to worry about finding food for yourself."
The girl's face brightened and she stood, giving Ming a quick, shallow bow, doing something odd with her hands. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."
Ming smiled. "I think the feeling is mutual." Then, she gestured to the basket of laundry beside her. "Well, you might as well get started. Know how to wash laundry in the river?"
Jaylee hopped over to the river bank and knelt beside the woman. She shook her head. "No."
"I'll show you," Ming said, grabbing a shirt from her basket. Her mouth ticked upwards in a small smile as Jaylee followed her lead. "Let's see how quick of a learner you are."
Iroh walked up behind his nephew who was standing at the head of the ship.
"Prince Zuko, do not give up hope so easily," he said, joining him at the rail. "Just because you did not find the Avatar at the western temple does not mean he's gone."
"I know, Uncle," the prince said quietly, staring out at the night sky with his unbandaged eye. He then turned to face him. "But what if I don't find him?"
Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Iroh gave him a small smile. "If the Avatar is still out there, you will find him, Nephew."
Zuko said nothing. He turned back to face the sea, hands gripping the railing until his knuckles turned white.
Iroh frowned. "It will be alright, Prince Zuko. One day, you will return to the Fire Nation."
"I know, Uncle. I have to. I need to reclaim my honour and my throne."
"Shall we head to the Earth Kingdom before we make our way to the Southern Air Temple?" Iroh inquired, switching the subject before his nephew's mood fell further.
With a nod, Zuko replied. "Yes, we should find Jaylee. She'll be waiting for us. And I think she could help."
Iroh's brow raised, wondering what exactly his nephew meant. But he didn't question it.
"I'll inform the helmsman then. You should come inside and have your dinner before it gets cold."
"I'm not hungry."
"A young man needs his strength, Prince Zuko," Iroh said calmly, giving the teenager a look. "And his rest."
With that, the retired general walked away, heading to the bridge, his heart conflicted.
On one hand, he would hopefully see his daughter soon. On the other, his nephew, who was more like his son, was troubled.
"Perhaps, Zuko is right," he thought as he entered the ship's tower. "Jaylee is very good at cheering him up. She may just be very helpful to Zuko. And she may be able to help him regain his firebending as well."
To the twelve year old's dismay, Ming's children took several days to get used to her.
Every time she entered the house, Jaylee was met with the stares of at least one of them.
After bringing in a load of firewood from where it was stacked outside the house, she turned and found the youngest two, Lin and Meng, peering at her from behind the curtains.
With a sigh, Jaylee placed her hands on her hips and stared at the two little girls.
"I'm not going to bite, you know."
They simply stared, blinking up at her.
"Ugh." Jaylee stalked back outside the small house. She was soon followed by the four and six year olds.
Walking over to Ming, who was in the small garden, the twelve year old halted at the edge.
"I brought the firewood in. Unless you have something else for me to do first, I'm going to go check the traps."
Ming glanced up from her weeding, startled at the sudden voice. "Oh, of course, Jaylee. No, you can go right ahead. Thank you for getting the wood."
With a nod, Jaylee turned and headed towards the barn. Still being trailed from afar by two little girls.
The young woman watched the older girl, a slight frown tugging at her mouth.
Jaylee seemed like a good girl, and she was a hard worker as she promised. But Ming had some concerns.
She knew the girl was restless, she caught her looking towards the sea several times a day. Which made sense since Jaylee said her father was at sea and coming to get her.
Ming really wondered where Jaylee had come from, no one in the village knew who she was either. How long had the child been on her own? And why?
And another thing.
Jaylee might wear the colours and thread of earth kingdom clothes. However, her black hair and paler skin weren't the only things that made Ming suspect the girl wasn't of the earth kingdom.
It was the golden eyes that really gave her away.
Ming hoped that her instincts that the girl intended no harm was correct. She sighed, shaking her head as she went back to pulling weeds from the vegetable garden. "She's only a child."
As Jaylee entered the barn, she called out a greeting to the boy milking the goatcow. "Hey, Lee. I'm going to check the traps if you want to come when you're done?"
The dark haired nine year old glanced at her over his shoulder. "No, thanks."
"Are you sure? Your mother mentioned you wanting to learn."
Pattering footsteps came up the path to the barn.
"No. Maybe another day," Lee said, turning back to the goatcow.
Jaylee's shoulders sagged. "Okay. See you later then."
Lin and Meng let out yelps as she turned around, spying them instantly. Giggling, the pair ran away, heading towards their mother in the garden.
With a shake of her head, Jaylee went to retrieve her knife and then disappeared into the nearby forest.
"I don't get Earth Kingdom kids," she muttered as she walked. "I miss Zuko and Azula. And Mai and Ty Lee."
Not very long after she'd started walking through the forest, she had the noisy footsteps of someone trying to sneakily follow her.
"And failing miserably," she thought as she heard another twig crack beneath the stalker's feet.
"I know you're there," she called behind her, a slight smirk on her face.
A loud huff and the footsteps quickened to catch up with her.
"How'd you know?" Lee asked with a frown as he fell in step with the older girl.
Jaylee's smirk only widened as she left the path, heading to the first trap. "Your feet make such a racket that likely every animal for the surrounding mile knows you're here."
Lee frowned, then glanced down at his feet, then at Jaylee's.
"How come you can walk so quiet?"
"My cousins and I used to sneak around back home," answered Jaylee, leaving out the fact that their home was the Fire Nation palace. "We used to play spy and listen to the adults talk."
"That sounds fun," Lee said, a wistful tone to his voice. "I don't have cousins, but my sisters are no fun. They're just annoying."
"That's what little sisters are for, silly."
"How would you know?"
Jaylee turned her head fully to face him. Smiling, she said, "I am one. And my older cousin says I drive him crazy sometimes too."
Lee made a face and stepped away to the side. "Girls are weird," he muttered.
"True. But boys are weirder."
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Stop yelling or you'll scare everything away!"
"Aren't we just checking traps?" inquired Lee then, raising an eyebrow.
"We? I thought you didn't want to come."
The dark-haired boy blushed slightly, glancing away so the girl would see it. "I changed my mind. Mom says you won't be here very long maybe, so I thought I should learn."
"Sure," Jaylee said with a shrug. She then ducked under a fallen tree that was supported by a still standing tree. "The first ones over here, but it looks like it's empty."
Lee watched as she bent and checked the snare, examining how it was hidden from first glance.
Wordlessly, Jaylee stood and moved on, Lee following, rather noisily, through the underbrush.
"Hey, Jaylee?"
Half turning to face him, Jaylee arched an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"
"Do you..." Lee started, then paused, glancing away. "Do you think you could teach me how to sneak around? Quietly I mean?"
Jaylee's face split in a grin, her golden eyes taking on an almost predatory glint. "Sure, why not? Then we can both sneak up on your little sisters."
"I like the sound of that," Lee said, returning the grin.
Lee and Jaylee may be a troublesome pair now that they're friends.. :P And you know the old fisherman that hired Sokka in Season One? (I believe the episode was maybe called The Storm...?) That was him in the one section. He and Jaylee may or may not meet again in the future.
Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear any comments or thoughts!
Stay safe everyone!