Sorry for the long lapse D: My beta just got her Microsoft Word uploaded on her new laptop so she just got to it. I promise I'll work hard to update regularly after this but I will be a little busy until next month.
The sun beat down on her back as Ty Lee continued to walk forward. She was so tired. Practically exhausted. She hadn't gotten much rest the day before and she definitely didn't have the fun she was supposed to. She had spent the entirety of the festival worrying about what had happened. Then the nightmares kept her from sleeping.
For this, she blamed Hasoka. She was constantly telling her the story about the man-eating dragon that lived in Mount Hono'o. The one that lured in children by singing sweet songs and once they entered the volcano they never escaped. Ty Lee knew that it wasn't true. Dragons didn't exist anymore. But now that she was actually going to visit the farming settlement that lived next to the volcano, she wasn't sure what to believe. What if there really was a dragon there, waiting to eat her?
She had bigger problems to worry about. Mainly Azula. Takumi had received a messenger hawk from the farmers inland telling them of the princess' latest strike. She had burned down a barn. Nothing really unusual, even if she didn't leave a message like she often did. What was abnormal was that someone had been inside of the barn when it had happened, and he was really hurt. The note with the hawk hadn't divulged much, but they all knew that they had to go check it out.
Ty Lee was an obvious choice, which meant Haru and Katara had to come too. It was also a bit of an adventure for her, since she had never been inland before (though the thoughts of the dragon were now making this more suspenseful than she wanted it to be). Hasoka had volunteered to come as well, but Suki opted to send Ying Ying instead, since she knew the trail better.
"That's okay," Hasoka had assured, "I'll keep a good eye on Nikumu while you're gone."
Ty Lee could tell, however, that her friend was rather ticked at staying behind. It wasn't completely noticeable, but she was definitely upset at not being picked. Most likely because she wanted to help Ty Lee find out more proof for Nikumu's involvement. But Ty Lee thought this would be better for them to get clues anyways.
The terrain here was so much different than near the bay. It was rockier, less trees, and a lot of up-hill climbing. Of course, there was the huge forest that they just passed through, but beyond that it looked like a big boring hike. Ty Lee sighed as she continued forward.
Ying Ying, however, looked absolutely ecstatic, breathing in the fresh morning air like she went out trekking like this every day. Haru wasn't too winded either, but Katara shared her fatigue. They were both sweating like crazy and had both had their share of complaining, though Katara did it more subtly than her. Ty Lee wondered if being a waterbender made it easier for you to sweat. She had heard it made them more susceptible to cry at times.
"Half an hour or so and we should be there," Ying Ying announced.
"Thank goodness…" Ty Lee groaned. "I think my feet are going to fall off."
"I thought you would've worked up all those muscles by now."
"I thought I had, too!"
"Maybe… we should take a break…" Katara said between ragged breaths.
"That sounds good," Haru agreed.
Ying Ying pouted. "But we'll never make it in time then! Did you forget that we have a casualty here?"
"He died!" Ty Lee asked, horrified.
"No. A casualty is anyone who is injured, dead, or missing," Katara explained as she put down her pack she had been carrying, showing her intent of stopping. "But they have to have someone tending to him, right? Or else they would've asked for help instead of just reporting the incident."
"That's true…" Ying Ying admitted. "But…"
"And if we take a break now, I'm sure they won't complain the rest of the way," Haru said. "Right, you two?"
"Right!" they both asserted at the same time.
"Okay then. Only fifteen minutes though. We won't be too off track then."
Ty Lee sat down so fast that she almost bounced back up off of the ground. It felt nice to give her body some rest as it ached from the morning's journey. And to think that they still had more to go, then they would have to take the same road back. This was something she was not looking forward to. Haru sat over to the side, occupied with something on the ground, and it took a lot of self-control not to stare at him.
Instead she brought her attention to Ying Ying, who was playing vaguely with her fingers. It wasn't like she was even looking at them, more like looking through them at something beyond in the dirt.
"Hey, Ying Ying. You okay?" Ty Lee asked, since no one else seemed to notice. Haru was still paying attention to the ground and Katara had taken out a canteen, filling her mouth with water.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." The uncertainty in her voice suggested otherwise.
"Is… Ling Ling okay?"
The question took her by surprise and she nodded forcefully. "She was a little teary… but we need to get over this. This… thing."
"Your bond?"
"Yeah. That."
"But its sounds so wonderful! Why would you want to get rid of it?"
"It's a distraction. We can't do anything properly unless we are in a certain distance from each other," she informed. "How are we supposed to be good warriors in all situations if something like that is holding us back?"
Ty Lee didn't know what to say.
"Anyways," Ying Ying went on, "This will help us learn. These short times away are getting us ready for when we'll be separated for long times."
"Though she's hardly safe with Nikumu there…" Ty Lee froze and tried to force the words back into her mouth. It didn't work.
"Nikumu?" Ying Ying frowned. "Oh, you mean that weird theory you have."
"How do you know?"
"Ling Ling was there when you thought it up, remember? It's impossible to keep secrets from a twin. Another thing that makes it annoying," she shook her head. "But really, now, the thought of Nikumu helping Azula is crazy. She's really a nice girl, you know."
Ty Lee blinked, wondering if this was backwards day or something of the sort. "Nikumu? Nice?"
"We actually used to be better friends before… our little skirmish in the woods. She's just really protective of Suki, that's all. And seeing as you inadvertently put her in danger… and how you don't really get along…"
"Me and Suki get along fine!" Ty Lee lied. Ying Ying didn't look convinced, but she continued.
"Well, Nikumu just wants to keep you in line, that's all. She actually doesn't speak horribly of you when you aren't around. Says you're a much better warrior than she'll ever be."
Yeah, right. Nikumu complimenting her was about as common as the unnaturally warm water in the bay. She never spoke to her or about her without the poison slipping into her tone, attacking her at every instant. Ying Ying was probably just defending her, since they 'used to be better friends before.' Or she knows what Nikumu is doing and is trying to lead Ty Lee off her trail!
Okay, that was practically impossible, but Ty Lee wasn't ready to be convinced of quite anything just yet. Instead of asking about more on the matter directly, she decided to beat around the bush for more information.
"You know a lot more about the warriors than I do. Is there ever a time when killing is acceptable?" Ty Lee asked. Nikumu followed most of the unwritten rules to the letter, so Ty Lee wanted to know what to expect if she was helping Azula (which she most likely was).
"Well… you aren't supposed to…" Ying Ying admitted, "But there was one time recently when someone died during a mission. It's the only one I can think of off the top of my head."
"What happened?"
"It was the previous team of warriors, all of whom are retired by now. There had been word of a pair of Fire Nation assassins living on a small island colony nearby, posing as an Earth Kingdom family. They were sent to investigate, much like we are doing. When they arrived, the assassins knew they were caught, and during the interrogation they tried to run…" She trailed off.
"And? And what?" Ty Lee inquired, completely intrigued.
"They jumped off a cliff before the warriors could get them to say a word."
Ty Lee frowned. She knew that policy. 'It is better to live with honor than to live at all.' It was something everyone in the Fire Nation was taught. Encouraged, even. She had heard many similar tales, though they usually ended with the people engulfing themselves in flames or sticking themselves through with swords. There aren't too many cliffs in the country for them to jump off of.
At the same time she was relieved. The warriors hadn't purposefully killed them. They were willing to arrest them peacefully. Hopefully Nikumu would do the same.
"That's so sad…" she murmured.
"It is. I remember when they came back and announced it, too. Well, faintly. I was only four, but I remember the warriors talking to a crowd, and everyone shaking their heads sadly. Ling Ling and I pretended to be sad with them, but we didn't understand at all."
"Okay! I'm ready to hit the road again!" Katara declared, grabbing her pack and straightening up.
"But it hasn't even been fifteen minutes!" Ty Lee protested.
"It'll make the trip faster. C'mon Haru!"
Haru didn't move, continuing to stare at the ground. Ty Lee hadn't seen such concentration in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked, walking toward him.
"Vibrations…" he muttered, "Probably nothing…"
He shook his head and got up with the rest of them, rubbing his hands together to get the dust off. Vibrations? Could he feel them through his bending? What did that mean anyways? Ty Lee had never understood physics.
They quickly got back on the pace, Ty Lee's muscles starting to cramp already. This was going to be an awful trek. If she even could make it through. She wouldn't be surprised if she died before they reached their destination.
Haru passed by with Katara, brushing her shoulder as she did. As Ty Lee watched him go, Ying Ying whispered into her ear.
"He's been asking a lot about you."
Ty Lee's face remained red for the rest of the outing.
