Sometimes, I think I should be getting a life... I mean, I have one coming, but it starts only next month.

It's an eye-opening revelation, the scar thing. While I go around looking for people who might be willing and able to accompany Judai and me, I find more of them. Those three parallel lines with a symmetrical counterpart are a morbid kind of recurring theme. There is a boy who has been slashed across the shoulder blades in that fashion, and a girl has them on her cheeks, like warpaint.

What makes it even more disturbing is the fact that the scars actually look good on them. There must have been a really sick bastard among the slavers who went ahead and tried to make a work of art out of these kids. It makes me shudder. Where would I be if I had been tortured in that manner?

I'm certainly glad I hadn't.

Judai and me manage to assemble three other teens who feel up to the task of walking to the village I saw – the girl with the scars and two other boys. Their names are Maila, Kiran and Li Yu respectively, and Kiran even turns out to be a local. Which is good for us because he knows the fastest way down.

I expected the whole thing to be a rather silent, gloomy affair. I expected that no one would actually want to speak more than necessary. But Maila turns out to be really chatty.

"So, Kamina is your name, right?" she asks, causing me to look at her puzzled. Why is she talking to me?

"Yes?"

"I was so blown away when you strolled in with the keys all awesome and the slavers were all out like lights! Thank you so much for getting everyone out!"

Strolled in all awesome? I've been barely standing upright. I guess that girl is suffering from a perception disorder or something. Nonetheless, when I turn away, I feel all fuzzy on the inside. Maybe it's not wrong for me to feel good for accomplishing something.

"You're welcome. But I couldn't have done it without my friends." I never would have had the confidence to do such crazy stuff if I hadn't known about the gang coming for me.

"Yeah, your friends are pretty amazing, too. I never knew colonials could be so cool! Or hot!"

My face heats up when I remember the moment at the river. Oh Agni... I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks weird stuff like that. "Yeah, Sora is pretty hot. Kuzon is more on the cuter side, though."

"Right? And funny! Did you see all those crazy moves he made? I always thought earthbenders would be more... you know, wall-like?"

"Insistent to stay in their place and tough the storm out instead of evading?"

"Exactly!"

I chuckle. So that's what gossiping is like. Pretty fun. "Yeah, Kuzon really is one of a kind."

It takes me a moment to realize just how true the words actually ring. I was only using a common saying, but Aang literally is one of a kind. Of the Air Nomad kind. Of the Avatar kind. It gives the whole comment a rather depressing note.

Maila doesn't notice. "How come that you wound up with a bunch of colonials anyway?"

Irks... I don't want to answer that question...

Loud cursing from behind saves me. Maila and I turn to Li Yu, who is hopping on one leg, face contorted into a scowl.

"What happened?" Judai inquires. He's been hanging around Kiran at the front, now the back, leaving me to deal with Maila alone. Traitor!

"Stepped on a rock or something," Li Yu grinds out, jarring me into fully realizing the way he's clothed. There are no shoes in sight. To be precise, he looks like he just rolled out of bed. What he's wearing could easily pass as a nightgown. Is it possible that he's been taken directly from his room?

"Do you need help?" I offer, but Li Yu shakes his head and carefully lowers his foot. Wait, is that blood dripping to the ground?!

"I'll be fine. Other than that... Maila, are you really that dense or just pretending to be?" I raise a brow. Is he insulting the girl? "Look at Kamina again and repeat that question."

Oh Agni, he's talking about my not completely Fire Nation-esque appearance, isn't he? Before I know it, I find myself looking at the ground to hide my face.

"Appears to me you're not the most sensitive of us, either, Li Yu," Kiran points out. "I wouldn't be too proud myself if I had Earth Kingdom features."

I let out a breath I didn't even realize I've been holding and raise my head again. Earth Kingdom. Not Air Nomad. It's a sort of sad luck that nobody bothers to try and differentiate. Basically everything that's not Fire Nation is Earth Kingdom to us... them? The Air Nomads are extinct, the Southern Water Tribe at the brink of it, and the Northerners wouldn't come out from behind their walls, practically acting as Ba Sing Second. So yeah, Earth Kingdom it is. Even Sokka and Katara can pass themselves off as such.

A mortified "Oh..." from Maila snaps me out of my musings. "Sorry, Kamina."

"It's okay," I tell her, trying to play it cool. "Actually, it's pretty nice not to be mistaken for a colonial for once."

She heaves a sigh of relief. "That's good."

I smile at her and turn to Li Yu. "You good to go?"

"Actually, you can stay here and rest," Judai offers. "We can pick you up later."

"Are you crazy?! I can still walk! I won't be left behind because of a stupid rock! I'm so done with staying in one place because of rocks!"

An uncomfortable silence ensues. Everyone's thinking the same thing, I'm sure. Walls... Cuffs...

Li Yu huffs. "Let's keep moving," he states and proceeds to do just that. I can see he's still hurting, though. His steps have a telltale force to them, he's trying not to let it show that he's in pain, but he tries a bit too hard.

Maila is quickly by his side, and just in time for his obligatory faltering. She catches him and drapes his arm around her shoulders. "Agni, you're always so stubborn," she scolds him lightly, a resigned undertone in her voice.

I snicker quietly to myself. Those two must be close. The way Li Yu called Maila dense seems to me like a brother-sister-dynamic, but they look nothing alike. Where his hair is black, hers is brown. Where his eyes are gray, hers are golden. His face is more angular, too. Childhood friends?

A part of me is jealous of them. They're just so easy around each other. I want a friend like that, too. Someone who cares deeply about me, someone I care deeply about. Someone I can spill all my worries to without fear of being judged... Someone who understands.

A tap on my shoulder makes me spin around to meet Judai's gaze.

"You gonna stare all day or what?"

He sounds amused rather than annoyed, but I feel embarrassed anyway. What was that going through my head? Come on, Kami, stop being such a wuss!

I give a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry for spacing out. I was just..." I shake my head. I can't say that out loud! "Never mind."

"You do know that that just makes it worse, right?"

Is he talking about my internal mess or his own curiosity? Probably both.

Judai sighs, signaling that he doesn't expect an answer. "It's okay, though. I guess it's not my business, with us barely knowing each other and all..."

He crosses his arms behind his head and turns away, ready to leave me alone with my thoughts. I want to slap myself. He picked up on my true feelings, even though I'm trying so hard to... hide... them?

You want him to see, a tiny, treacherous voice calls me out. You want him to break your wall, just the way you wanted to open up to Katara back at the market.

It can't happen. I can't be so selfish and burden others with my problems. They've got enough to do with their own. What's my petty jealousy compared to slavery? What's dealing with Hide compared to dealing with a war-torn world? I just can't go around wasting everyone's time.

But there is something else I can do. I reach out and tug at Judai's robe to get his attention back. Not the best of ideas, now I'm feeling like a little kid. Well done, Kami, once again.

But it does get me the desired result: Judai turns his head, looking at me quizzically. "Hmm?"

I smile at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For asking. For caring."

"Whoa, don't go all sappy on me there," he responds, positively baffled. His arms drop to his sides and he swings around completely. "I mean, feels nice to be appreciated and all, but you don't have to thank me for it. It's a matter of course."

"I don't have to, but that doesn't mean I can't, right?" I point out. It's not like it's a crime to show that you're appreciating someone.

Judai shifts a bit. "I guess there is that..." he concedes when someone clears their throat somewhere.

I whip around to find Kiran, looking plenty annoyed. "You two lovebirds done yet?"

"Maybe we should leave those two behind," Maila jests, grinning cheekily. "Give them some privacy."

I cross my arms and stare her down. Since she's not actually trying to hold the gaze, it doesn't really count as eye contact.

"You're hilarious," Judai deadpans next to me.

"Super hilarious," I agree in exactly the same tone. I mean, seriously, what was that? I barely know Judai, why would I be interested in him?

Maila's lips curl into a pout. "Aww, neither of them is blushing. How boring."

"Maila..." Li Yu warns his friend, still leaning on her. She shuts up, thankfully.

"Can we get a move on now?" Kiran complains.

"Yup," Li Yu nods hastily, before anyone can decree otherwise.

"Finally." Kiran turns around. "This way."

I share a look with Judai. "Can you believe her?" I groan, rolling my eyes.

"Teenage girls," he sighs, and I suppress a giggle when his voice cracks right in the middle of 'teenage'. Such delicious irony! He can't be bothered though, just continues, "Always coupling people who feel no attraction whatsoever."

I probably should be taking offense, but I see his point. "Makes me embarrassed to be one myself."

Judai laughs, reminding me what a sweet sound it is. Loud, clear, happy. Makes me wanna join right in, and I can't help smiling.

"Yeah," he snickers. "But it's good to know that there are still sane girls out there. It means I don't have to date my grandma after all."

"Your grandma?" I snort, exploding into laughter myself.

"Well, she's not a teenage girl, right?"

"True!"

I take a deep breath, fighting down the urge to keep guffawing. When it's broken down to a beam, I realize the rest of the group is seriously leaving us behind and bound after them, Judai hot on my heels.

"Why, look who decided to join us!" Maila immediately falls back into teasing.

"Oh, shut up, Maila!" Judai retorts.

"You're just jealous because we have much more fun without you!" Yeah, I can tease people, too. And darn good it feels! Not so much the teasing itself, though. I mean, that's fun as well (Bad Kami!), but it's more about the fact that I'm comfortable with it, well and truly comfortable. Only my mum and Mimi give me the same feeling, and teasing them has become increasingly boring. People tend to become immune.

"Come on, guys!" Kiran grumbles. "At least try to be decent Fire Nation citizens for once."

"Aw, lighten up, Kiran!" Li Yu protests. "We're free! We don't have to pay attention to our words anymore. Enjoy it!"

"I'll enjoy it once those slavers are safely locked away."

I share a look with the other three, then raise my hands in defeat. If Kiran wants to be a killjoy so badly, then there's nothing we can do. And so we just keep moving. Maila drags Li Yu down the path. Judai has his arms crossed behind his head again. I wonder if it's a habit, that he's so out of it that he doesn't even realize he's showing off the scars he was so intent on hiding just some twenty-odd minutes ago. At least I don't think he has shaken off the inhibition so fast.

But they do look cool, almost outrageously so. He's pretty muscular, too, despite the indefinite period of time spent inactive in a cage. He has that rural feeling about him, someone who works a lot, out in the sun. I bet with a real bathtub, a good washrag and a ton of scented soap, he would... Oh Agni, stop it, stupid fantasy! I'm playing right into Maila's hands here!

Would it be so bad, though? Unlike Sokka, Judai actually is Fire Nation.

I rub my forehead, groaning in discomfort. That's exactly where the catch lies. I'm an airbender. The second he finds out, he'd turn away. No doubt about that.

I never really thought about relationships before. Falling in love, marrying, having a family... That's about as outlandish a concept as friendship was to me before all this. It's just not gonna happen.

"You alright?" Judai pulls me back to reality. I wince in shock. I was really far gone on this one.

I pull myself together, push the depressing thoughts to the back of my mind and concentrate on my new friend, so I don't have to lie when I say, "I'm fine. It's just..." I wave a hand. "Your scars." Yeah, they kicked off that thought train.

"Oh..." Judai hums and lowers his arms, once again rubbing them up and down as if he could make the markings disappear that way. "I suppose I'll be wearing long sleeves for a while."

He fakes a laugh. It's a pitiful attempt at a joke, an understatement which couldn't be more soul-crushing if he tried. I can't leave things like this!

"Can I say something?"

"That sounds like I shouldn't say yes."

I shrug. "It's like you said: We barely know each other. I have no idea how you'd react to the stuff ghosting through my mind."

Judai narrows his eyes, scrutinizing me. I tilt my head, trying to ignore the burning sensation that kind of examination always causes in me.

"Well then, let's find out together, shall we?"

I'm not sure if I like that tone. It doesn't sound too optimistic. Not condemning, either, but... hmm...

"About those scars..." I purse my lips. I'm not gonna say they look handsome, no need for Judai to label me as superficial right off the bat. Besides, it's still disturbing. "It probably sounds weird to say, but I don't think you need to be ashamed of them. I get that they're a painful memory. Believe me, I know what it feels like to carry around a permanent reminder of how for all intents and purposes, I should be dead. But try to look at it this way: You're here now, right? You pulled through. You're strong. And the scars are a testimony to that strength. Whoa!"

Of course, that one time I actually try to break out of the loser role, my performance must be ruined. I bump into Maila and stumble backward, sliding my feet into a balanced stance.

"Sorry!"

"What, Judai not enough for you?" she quips, but this time, her heart isn't in it. I can hear that much. It doesn't help that she proceeds to turn away and rub her scarred cheek with her free hand. "You know, I couldn't help overhearing what you said. I know it wasn't meant for me, but still... Thank you. You're pretty wise."

Am I? I only spend my nights contemplating the unfairness of the universe and reading a few too many scrolls... Can you call that wisdom?

"Uhm, you're welcome, I guess?"

I direct my gaze at Judai, silently pleading for help. Which I don't get.

"Hey, don't look at me like this! You brought this on yourself!" he protests, before his eyes soften and he adds warmly, "But I want to thank you, too."

"There's no need for that. As long as it helps..." A good deed is its own reward, right?

I'm taken aback when Judai suddenly starts to laugh. "Look at us, telling each other off about using the term 'thank you'."

"Yeah, who needs politeness anyway?" Maila happily joins in. I have to grin, too. Judai kind of nailed it, in a way which easily dispelled the awkwardness.

"Totally overrated," I catch myself chuckling.

"Oh, dear," Li Yu pipes up, rolling his eyes. "You three are just perfect. Would you mind paying attention to our guide for a change?"

Three pairs of eyes fly to Kiran, who's very busy not stopping for us. That guy must have some serious destination issues, stoically following the path where the trees are starting to thin out. A few more steps are enough to reveal fields of plants I can't identify (Ignorant city girl alert!), and there, in the distance beyond the rows of stems and stalks... Houses!

It's the village! We're here!

So, this is one of the longer chapters. At first, I wanted to make the cut about 800 words earlier, but my brain wouldn't stop firing off lines to write. I'm glad I included Kiran, I'm not sure where this would have ended if it weren't for him dragging everyone along.

Something about the last chapter I forgot (again): The Kagio Channel has a super creative name. I named it after the Japanese word for trade, which is "kagyou". I avatarized it a bit.

"Hehe, let the shipping commence!"
It became one of my favorite lines when I did an ATLA marathon with my bestie, who, as opposed to me, is an avid Zutara shipper. (Yeah, look at this: A Zutarian and a Kataanger can be best friends! Surprise, surprise!) We'd always say it when there was something which could be perceived as a Zutara moment.
So yeah, Judai and Maila here... Did I offend any sensitive shipper hearts? Because yes, Judai's comment about teenage girls coupling people without any chemistry whatsoever was a jab at overzealous shippers (including myself, I'm not gonna pretend otherwise). Of course, the male population can be just as guilty, but for some reason, it's mostly girls.
I usually don't write romance, but when I do, I prefer Slow Burn. The times I actually try to write Fluff always turn out overladen with cliches and super cheesy, no exceptions. I tend not to look at those texts twice. ^^"
So I'm not gonna do it here. Too fast. Couple Development is a delicate issue and must be handled accordingly. (Which is what I love about Kataang. And Maiko, and Kainora. And love-hate about Makorra. Ohhhh, the shipping, the shipping...)

And last, but not least: Someone may explain to me where the thought comes from that the scars could be self-inflicted. I mean, I considered the possibility that people could consider the possibility, and I also know that there is only so much I can do in First Person POV to ascertain otherwise, but it still has me puzzled. I wonder if I should re-write the 19th chapter?