The Lost Waterbender (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

The Glorious Mustache

I met Seeka downstairs. She is a middle-aged, bad-tempered, good-natured women. The bad tempered part seemed to always be directed at me. As I'd grown up with her, she always seemed nervous around me. Whenever I came into the room, alarm would spark in her eyes and she would glance out the window, as though looking for someone. I asked her about it once, and she simply snapped at me she wasn't nervous.

"You simply startled me, that's all!"

Seeka usually escorted the men and women to their new jobs. She said goodbye to them, wished them well, and told them they always had a place with her if they needed it. I knew because I'd gone on several of these trips with her. It was always the same speech.

I was surprised to see a man with her when I came down. They were in a deep, quiet conversation that I only heard one word of- "Watertribe."

At first I was puzzled. Why would they be discussing the little chunks of ice that people somehow managed to populate? Then I shrugged and assumed they were talking about the 100-Year War. Maybe the Fire Nation had finally managed to successfully overtake the Tribes.

When they noticed me, Seeka and the man broke apart.

"Badger, this is Lieutenant Lee," Seeka said to me. "He will be escorting you to your new workplace."

I tilted my head. "Why aren't you taking me? You take all the others."

Seeka shook her head. "This...is a special case. He will be taking you. No arguments."

I glanced at the man. He was young for his rank, only in his early twenties, it seemed. But still, why was someone so high up taking me, a poor, homeless, nobody, to a place where I'd simply be cleaning up after someone else. It didn't make sense.

"So what's the real reason?" I asked. "Why am I so special?"

The lieutenant looked uncomfortable. "The Fire Nation has decided to take more care of its less fortunate, especially children."

I raised an eyebrow and looked out the window. Just through that tiny window, could see at least three children wandering the street. They were all even more malnourished and dirty than me. Why weren't they being helped?

Lieutenant Lee followed my gaze then quickly snapped his head back towards me, looking even more distressed than before. It couldn't be clearer he was lying to me.

I shook my head. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'd actually prefer Seeka to bring me to my new workplace. Sorry you had to come all the way out here."

"Badger, please-" Seeka insisted.

No!" I snapped. I turned to Lt. Lee. "I don't know who the heck you are, but I'm not going with you. That's final."

"Girl, I need you to come." Lt. Lee reached out and took my wrist but I yanked it away.

"Don't touch me!" I snarled.
Lt. Lee's expression hardened. In that moment, I could tell he didn't see me as a ten-year old girl who he happened to have gotten the job of babysitting. He saw me as a task he was going to get finished. I immediately regretted being so sassy.

He brought out a pair of handcuffs. Before I realized what he was doing, he's snapped them on my wrists and was pulling me outside. I protested and yelled to Seeka to help me, but she simply turned away. However I could see a tear running down her cheek as I was led away by Lee.

Lee shoved me into the back of a barred carriage being pulled by an ostrich-horse. People were gathering to watch me being taken away. I screamed and pounded on the bars for them to help me, but they avoided my gaze. I began crying. A harsh, painful sob that ripped through my throat as I was led away from the one home I'd ever had in chains. He was treating me like a prisoner, but I had absolutely no idea what my crime was.