"How are we getting out of here?" Zian asked, as we ran through the freezing rain.
"No idea. We left our supplies back at the Hideout!" I yelled over the rain. "Oh wait, I have an idea!" I put my hands over my head and in a smooth movement, I made a water umbrella, every raindrop bouncing off with a loud thud.
"You could've done that earlier," shouted.
I grinned. "So we need to get to Ba Sing Se, and quickly. I bet the Avatar's already left," I sighed, "But we don't have any leads at the moment so we gotta work with what we've got." I took a look around. "Anyone know where we are?"
"I have a hunch," Zian nodded.
"Yeah? and what is that."
"We're in the earth kingdom."
"Oh jeez thanks we didn't know that," I rolled my eyes. " I feel stupid. We're stuck in the middleo of nowhere."
"You are stupid," Zuko put in. "Let's stop at that village you were too stupid to notice." He stopped running in the wet mud and pointed, his hair dripping wet.
"Great idea," Zian agreed, huffing as he stopped running. I bumped into him and scowled as we took a turn into the village.
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We paid the innkeeper who shot us weird and annoyed looks.
"Ma'am were just traveling so if you'll kindly give us a room and stop with the staring and the looks? We're kinda tired, if you please." I pursed my lips. Zian nudged me and shot me a 'shut the heck up' look as the lady scowled tossed us a little paper with our room pass. We trudged to our room and I took the bed, plopping down.
"Not fair," Zian grumbled, plopping on a sofa.
"No. Okay, that's not fair," Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. "Mei should take the couch and I'll take the bed."
"I'll share it with you," Zian shrugged, getting up.
"No," Zuko and I protested said in unison.
"I want the bed," I said.
"I don't want to share the bed with Zian."
"We can seperate with pillows," Zian suggested, and I instantly felt bad for him.
"I agree," I sighed, getting up. "Get to the bed, Zian."
I switched spots with him and took the green earth kingdom couch and Zian sat on the bed, Zuko mumbling under his breath with a scowl. He laid back and put one arm over his eyes to block out the little light and turned on his side.
"Put a pillow in the middle," Zuko mumbled.
Zian rolled his eyes and pulled a pillow out from under his head, setting it in between them. I couldn't help but smile.
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"Wake up!" Zuko yelled loudly in my ear. I screamed in annoyance and gave him a good punch on the nose. I heard Zian cracking up a distance away, and opened my eyes.
"Get lost!" I yelled at Zuko, throwing a pillow at his face, wishing it was on fire. Who was I kidding?
I grabbed another one and felt it burst into flames under my fingers, and threw it at him.
He kicked it away and it landed on the floor, a chair catching fire.
"God, let's get out of here," Zian said, holding back a smile. The place is going to catch fire."
"Extinguish it," I mumbled to Zuko, leaning back and shutting my eyes.
"Do it yourself."
I got up, flaring. "What?"
Zuko rolled his eyes and turned around, walking out. The sofa lit up.
Zian eventually put it out somehow. We paid extra for wrecking the room, and then stumbled out of there.
"Give me patience," I prayed to the skies, then shot a look at Zuko who scowled back. Zian stepped in the middle of us, clearly fed up with our childish behavior.
"Where next?" I asked.
"The shop where brains are sold." Zuko scoffed.
"Well then we definitely need to get you there," I shot back, and Zian burst out laughing.
"Okay, I'm sorry." He wiped his eyes. "Next is...take the boat to Ba Sing Se and pray the Avatar is there or somewhere nearby."
So we walked, rode, and did every possible thing we could to finally reach there. It took us a week of stopping, walking, sleeping, running, riding, fighting, eating, and arguing to get there. And when we did, I felt like I'd stepped into paradise.
"This is Ba Sing Se?" I asked, leaning on Zian's arm, exhausted.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" he breathed, taking in our surroundings.
"Let's get a room or something to rest," Zuko said dryly, walking past us, but I could see the glint of wonder in his eyes.
"Way to ruin the moment." I ran around, too cheerful. "Look at this!" I yelled. "Oh the spirits." I bumped into a woman, dropping her basket and her bread rolls and vegetables rolled out all over the place. "Sorry!" I yelled as Zuko and Zian stopped to help her out. "Please forgive me!"
"Crazy little child," the old woman scowled. "Watch where you're going next time!"
"I said I was sorry," I huffed, grabbing Zian and pulling him to his feet. "She's being rude."
Zuko gathered up the rest of her grocery and handed it to her, as the old lady said, "Keep her on a leash if she's going to go around crashing into everything."
"don't worry," Zuko shot me a look, "We'll do just that."
I scowled at him as he grabbed my wrist, pulling me away.
