Note: This version has been in the works for a very long time. I hope it is received better than the last version. If it is not I will switch it back, probably. I will also keep her Min's "JournaI" as the ending chapter. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender End Note.
Once upon a time, a girl walked down the streets of Ba Sing Se. She wiped the sweat off her brow and enjoyed the fresh air and light. She had been given a forced break, as she was getting slower in her work at the blacksmith's shop. Her boss had pushed her out into the street, saying she could come back in a few hours so that she could do some "payable work". So she had started for home, relieved. She was tired; her arms ached from shoveling coal, her face was hot from the flames, her stomach was begging for food, and her head was aching and dizzy.
So she walked and watched and listened to the people in the streets—children chattering to their bustling parents, people of all sorts pushing things and talking to one another. But one of them caught her eye: it was an old man with a beard and kind face. He was on the heavier side and was carrying flowers while talking to a teenage boy who looked disgruntled.
[The man looks a little like… really Min, don't you start on that. He'll pass by, and your little fantasy will be over. Now stop upsetting yourself; you know that he would never be here. I don't know if we're ever going to see them again. I hope we do. But…just focus on what needs to be done: getting back to work.] Her head spun a little more violently and her vision blurred; she clutched her head, stopping. She heard footsteps approach—a hand on her shoulder. She reacted quickly, raising her hands and backing away from the hand simultaneously.
It was the man—his arms were up a little in a surrendered fashion. "It's okay; I'm only trying to help. No one's going to hurt you."
"Thank you," she said, looking down. "Sorry about that!"
She put her hands down and leaned back on a building. She tried a small bow, but her vision blurred again halfway, and she ended up completing more of an awkward duck of the head. Nonetheless, he returned the gesture with a well-practiced bow and stepped forward slowly. "Are you alright? You seemed to be having trouble with your head. Did you hit it?"
"No, just a headache, probably dehydrated. I was on my way home for a drink."
He nodded. "Would you like us to help you home?" The boy in the background, who was now holding the flowers, groaned.
"No, thank you. I should be fine." She took a step forward, swaying slightly, much to her annoyance. Her legs shook. [Maybe I should take that offer. Min! You can't let strangers you meet on the side of the road know where you live! That boy back there looks mean and suspicious. Just no.] She continued walking clumsily. Her stomach growled, and her whole body wanted to collapse where she stood. Just as she felt like her legs might actually give out on her, she felt the same hand on her shoulder, keeping her upright.
"You know, I am going to start working at a tea shop this afternoon and would appreciate the practice if you would like to come over?" She heard [tea! Oh, how long it had been since she had any! He did not even need to come to her house! And there would be blessed water on her tongue. "I'll be careful,"] she told herself.
"Yes, I would like that too."
"Good, we'll go right now!" He winked at his nephew, who scowled back. He only smiled. "What's your name?"
"Min!"
His heart clenched. Min, that was... His thoughts were interrupted.
"What's your name?"
"Mushi."
He kept his hand on her shoulder, which she was glad of; it was firm, steadying, and gently guided her towards their destination.
They reached the apartment, and she sat down next to a low table and leaned against the wall. Mushi went over to some sort of kitchen area and started his work.
The teenage boy came in behind them and sat down on the opposite side of the table after putting the flowers near the door. Mushi got some food out of the cupboard and set it down in front of the two. "Help yourself," he said. "The tea will be ready in a few minutes."
She reached for one of the rolls and started eating. The boy in front of her just watched.
"So, what's your name?"
"I'm Lee. I just moved here with my uncle."
"Where from?"
"Well, we've sort of been moving around for a few years and ended up here." He shrugged.
She saw the older man smile in amusement and shake his head.
"Have you been enjoying yourself so far?"
"I guess. What's your favorite part of the city?"
"I don't really have one yet," he looked at the ceiling. "Here, I guess."
"How long have you lived here?"
"About four years."
"How old were you when you came here?"
"Fifteen."
"So you're nineteen?"
"Yes!"
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"That's as old as my brother would be!" (Whoops, I did not mean to say that out loud.)
"You have siblings?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Two (I think)."
"Do you still live with them and your parents?"
"No… um, we were separated before I came to the city. I came by myself."
"Oh," he said, clearly getting uncomfortable. (What to say?)
The older man piped in, eyeing his nephew in a reproachful manner. "So do you have any favorite spots, Min?"
"I think I like the well the best. It is usually pretty busy, but if you go a little before sunrise, it's the most beautiful spot in town."
He poured the tea and handed it out.
"That sounds lovely. I'll have to see it sometime." (This was unsettling; this girl seemed like a ghost. What she liked—the way she talked and looked—was so similar to his little cherry blossom. I know it can't be, but what if they were wrong? They were just too similar. A few questions won't hurt.)
"You know, Min, you remind me of a girl I used to know."
"Really, that's funny; you actually remind me of someone too..." She took a sip of her tea.
"Who?"
"My uncle," she said quietly.
"How so?"
"Well, um, you both make good tea, and you look almost exactly alike, though last time I saw him he was a bit younger than you are now. But I think you're around the same age as he would be now, and I can imagine what he would look like. Well, you just remind me of him. Maybe it's your voice or something?"
She was clearly getting a little upset talking about this, but now his curiosity was on fire. (I remind her of her uncle; she reminds me of my niece.)
He looked at her for a moment, thinking of what to ask when something on her wrist peeked out from under her sleeve—red, wrinkled, and shiny. It was a scar. A horrific memory came into his mind: charred skin, screams of pain, shivering pale skin, a little girl unconscious on the floor.
(This was her!) His hands shook as he pulled her into a hug. "Min! Your uncle? It's me, Min! I'm here!"
Tears flooded down his cheeks, disappearing into his beard. "I'm so glad you're safe!" He squeezed her again.
She sobbed quietly into his shoulder. She had been on her own for years; she could never fully trust anyone—they would turn against her if they knew who she was. She had to keep her guard up, not let anything slip. She had feared she wouldn't see her family again, and at that moment, it all came crashing out on waves of tears.
"Shh, it's okay, Min; I'm here!" He patted her back and let her sag into him.
When she had calmed down, Iroh remembered Zuko was still sitting there, in a state of confusion, shock, or maybe anger? Let's just say a lot was going on with his face.
"Zuko, this is your sister, Min!"
"ZUKO!" She flung her arms around his neck. Iroh couldn't help but chuckle at his niece's and nephew's reactions.
"This is your older sister, Zuko!" She hugged him for a moment.
"So I have a secret sister you just forgot to tell me about?!"
"I didn't... forget. She… well, she was sent away when you were very young and right before..." He turned his gaze away. "Before the Siege. She was presumed dead."
Zuko looked thoughtful. "Why was she sent away?"
"I spied and did plenty of other things. I was sent to the colonies as a servant."
There was a moment of silence.
Iroh spoke next. "There's certainly a lot to catch..." The realization hit him: he would have to tell her that his son, her cousin, her playmate, her best friend, was dead.
"Up on." He finished and almost started crying again.
"I have tons of questions! I want to know everything! I've only heard bits and pieces of news, and I'm not even sure if it's all true!"
"What did you hear?" Iroh's voice was sad and concerned.
"I heard that grandfather died, and for some reason, my father was crowned fire lord. I heard that Zuko was... burned and banished, and I heard Azula was in Omashu a little while ago."
"I see. With just that, you would definitely have some holes. Do you know the conditions of the banishment?" Iroh asked.
"No!" She looked down.
"I can't go home until I have the avatar."
"Is that why you're here?"
"No, we are fugitives from the Fire Nation now. We came here to escape being hunted," Iroh said.
"Oh," she said.
"How's Lu Ten? Is he here?"
"I think we should save that for another day!"
"Why?" Min asked
"There's a lot that has happened in the past few years; we should wait a bit!"
"I've been wondering and worrying and waiting for any sliver of information about him; please, I have to know if he's okay!" She said.
"NO! Please! I just found out you're alive; please don't make me do that to you!"
"Do what? Uncle, what happened? Why are you crying? It's okay, just tell me what happened!"
His heart squeezed painfully. "Lu Ten is dead," he forced out.
He hugged her again, and she just sat there.
Her face was still, as if she couldn't comprehend what he just said. Her mind swam with all this; nothing could be felt but cold, calm shock.
"Min... are you alright?" Nothing. He shook her a little. "Min? She looked down. "Min, look at me!" She didn't move.
"Min?" He stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"Home?" She deadpanned.
"You want to go home?"
She nodded and looked blankly in front of her, as if she was blind. She went pale.
Zuko looked unsettled. Iroh gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Zuko; she's just tired!"
He took her arm and put it over his shoulder, letting her slump into him.
"I can take her if you want, Uncle."
"Thank you, but I think I can manage; she isn't heavy." (She's also shaking like a leaf and looks like she could have a mental breakdown at any moment.)
They came out of the building. "Where to, Min? Point the way!" She looked around; her stomach twisted.
She pointed left, two streets down, a right, and stop in front of a white house. Then into an alleyway? (Please don't tell me she lives in an alley!) Then she pointed at a board leaned up against the porch of the house. "Min, do you live under that?"
"Move it!" She said softly. Zuko did, too, to reveal a hole in the grating beneath the porch. Min began crouching down.
"Do you live here?" Iroh said, his heart breaking a little.
"Mhm!" He lowered her down, and she went inside, followed closely. Min was tempted to go to the pot in the corner and empty the contents of her stomach. It seemed to be the only part of her with a different reaction to all this.
"Min, what's wrong? You look a little, well, green!"
"Just tired. I'm gonna take a nap... I'll probably feel fine after."
"Okay, you take a nap, and I'll check on you after my work is done."
She nodded, and the two men went away. As soon as their footsteps disappeared, she rushed over to the pot, promptly after that she passed out, and woke up three hours later to a revived headache and a gross, sour taste in her mouth. She had some water, which helped. At least she could think a little clearer, though she didn't dare contemplate what her uncle had said; it just didn't seem real. It was a dream, yes, just some horrible nightmare. She straightened her hair out and washed her face. She dumped the contents of her pot far away and headed for work. She felt a little better now that she had caught up on some sleep. A sinking cold feeling still sat in her stomach, though, like something was coming and soon.