Chapter 3
New Job
/Aang/
I walked all the way back to the palace, still thinking about what that man had said, but for some reason I didn't want to accept it. He was right, but one thing was me admiting it and another was this guy saying it so my face. I raged, but half way to the palace I started sobbing loudy.
"What's wrong Twinkle Toes?"
"Toph" I said startled
"Is nothing, I'm OK" I said wiping my tears off.
"Hey Airhead, do you forget I can feel anything?" she asked, hands on hips.
Toph was a great friend, she knew when you were OK, when you were not, I trusted her with everything. Just like I was about to, until the thought of it ran my mind.
"So Avatar, what's on agenda for next?" the older one asked casually.
"Earth Kingdom, big dinner, lots of important people that would like to deal trade routes" I answered, it wasn't the best answer but it was the truth.
"What about the poor and the weak Avatar? When do they get your help?" I looked down at his plate.
The older one laughed and his fist banged the table making everyone but me flinch.
"Here is your hope Aisui, going to big dinner to discuss trade, to make the rich, richer, and the poor die" he screamed.
My face darken at the comment been made, not because it wasn't true, but because it wasn't the girls fault.
"The hope of the world? bah, by all the curse that might fall upon the gods and spirits you are nothing but a poser, someone who stands there and gives false hopes while the poor die believing"
I didn't look up from my plate, but my anger brought an uneasy feeling in the room. The girl yanked up and pushed her brother, too strong of a push if you ask me. He hit the wall behind him.
"Keep believing you hag, you think this poser is gonna do anything? you heard him, BIG DINNER" he yelled out of anger at her.
The younger brother ran behind me as in for protection.
"KIRUNA" he yelled.
I stood up and slightly pushed the child behind me.
"You might say what ever you please about me, because is true, I'm not doing my job, I'm a fake poser, but you hurt the boy, and you, can stop believing"
The older brother took a deep breath and the girl ran to the child.
"Go over to Siru, help him get the house clean, I will walk the Avatar half way" she said.
"No need, I'll get back on my own, thank you for the dinner" her head yanked up and a shock of fear ran through her eyes, my own voice boomed in my head, dry and cold.
I bowed and got out of the house. Half way down the cottage path I heard her voice.
"I HATE YOU" and a loud crashing sound followed.
I continued down the path, and away from the cottage.
"Is nothing Toph" I said walking past her.
"Twinkle Toes I know you"
She did, but I wasn't ready to tell her this.
"I just don't want to say it" I said, my voice cold and rigid again.
Toph walked over to me, a smile on her lips. She punch me slightly on the arm
"Welcome to manhood Twinkle Toes"
/Aisui/
"Aisui" Kiruna's voice filled the air.
I kept watch of the Avatar until I lost sight of him. Tears on my eyes formed as I saw him walk away slowly and his figure hard and majestic at the same time. As much as I hated to admit it but Siru was right, I had fallen into a crush for the Avatar. My fist banged the wall next to me.
"Yes K?" I asked turning around.
He too was crying, Siru had called him a baby after the Avatar left, a traitor to the family's honor. I didn't blame the guy for hiding behind the Avatar.
"Siru is breaking things in his room" he said, his voice breaking a few octaves up.
"So" I shrugged.
For all I cared Siru could commit suicide right now and I wouldn't care.
"I'm scared" he said and ran to me.
My arms grabbed him tight as he sobbed loudly against my chest.
"Me too Kiruna, me too"
The next morning I got up, Siru's door was locked so I had to take Kiruna with me to buy food. I looked in our saving spot, one gold coin. That wasn't enough, but I had to find something. We walked out the cottage and went to the village.
It was a busy day, everyone going here and there, and things not cheap on days like this. I sighed loudly as Kiruna keep whining that he was hungry.
"Three coins!" The merchant yelled at my face.
"I don't have three coins OK, what I do have is a starving brother who doesn't know the difference" I yelled back.
"No money, no food you tramp"
"Ouch, that one hurt" my thought said.
My hands went on his cart.
"HANDS OFF" he yelled loudly.
I was about to airbend when I delicate hand went on my shoulder and another hand paid up a whole bag of coins. Kiruna ran to the cart and picked up as many food as he could fit in the bag. It was enough for like three days. The merchant bowed and I turned arounf to find my self face to face with the Fire Lord and his wife. I bowed quickly.
"Hungry boy?" the Fire Lord asked Kiruna.
Kiruna nodded with out stop. The Fire Lord's wife smiled.
"Well then come on, is on us" she said and walked away.
They stopped at a Ramen shop, Kiruna ordered the biggest bowl there was and I ate from his.
"What was all that?" The Fire Lord's wife asked me.
"Well My Lady, I didn't have enough to pay the merchant so he insulted me and decided not to give me anything" I said as a matter of fact.
"So just for that he called you a tramp?" The Fire Lord asked.
"Pretty much My Lord" I answered.
"Where do you work?" His wife asked.
"We don't work Lady" was Kiruna's answered.
"Our mother died two years ago and since then we've lived in a cottage outside the village"
"Outside?" The Fire Lord said.
"I thought I order a new house plan for everybody from outside the city" he said surprised.
I stood up, I knew what he meant but the village people tried to protect us, they tried to keep our identity a secret, well the few who knew, which were the family who took care of our mother while she was sick. This command wasn't done with us because it was as if we didn't exist.
"Come with me My Lord" I said waiting for the Fire Lord to stand up.
I wasn't going to tell him that we were airbenders, but I was going to plan something else as an excuse.
"Yes?" he asked once outside.
"Why weren't you and your brothers moved to a better house?" the Fire Lord asked
"Well, you see My Lord..."
By all the spirits I didn't know what to say. I stood there, about ten minutes without a word ever leaving my mouth. The Fire Lord grabbed my arm, and pulled me to him. My hair moved out of my face a little and the sleeve rolled up from my arm.
"By Agni" was his response to the view.
He stared at the arrow on my forehead. Out of all the tatooes I got, thats the one I hated the most, because I had to shave my head for that.
"You are..." I didn't let him finish
"I'm begging you, please don't tell anyone, there are people who would give a fortune to find us" June the bounty hunter crossed my mind.
"You have my word" He said.
He softly let me go, adjusting the sleeve back into place. He combed my hair with his hands and put it over my face again. We walked back inside the Ramen shop to find The Fire Lady, even if she was a waterbender, talking to Kiruna.
The Fire Lord took his wife aside and talked to her, hopefully he wasn't saying anything. Then they walked back to us.
"My husband and I have spoken, and we have decided that you will work for us as our private servants, you'll all have descent rooms in the palace and be fed everyday like a normal person"
I bowed to them and thank them for everything. When we got back to the cottage I told Siru about it and he thought it was risky, but better than been here. We packed everything and headed out of the cottage into our new home.