The Archer [Zuko]

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When most people see me, they see a little girl. Then I show them my bow and arrows. People usually don't stick around long enough to see me use them. I wish they would. It would be so much fun to see them try to dodge my flying arrows. 

I don't encounter much people who I don't know, though. Living at the Pohuai Stronghold isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It's a fortress that houses many different types of inmates, but it also houses me and my people, the Yuyan Archers. Well, my fathers people. They haven't accepted me yet to become an official Yuyan Archer because I'm a female.

My dad doesn't care that I'm not a man, though. He still gave me the tattoo that signifies that I'm a Yuyan Archer when I was twelve. The dark red tattoo runs across my eyes, spanning from my left temple to my right one. That made my dad an outcast between the rest of the Archers, and, for the longest time, he was ostracized because of it. They finally let him back in about two years ago because Colonel Shinu needed his best Archer back.

While he was ostracized from the main group of Yuyan Archers, my dad was invited to the Fire Nation capital to protect the Prince and Princess. That was when I first began to steal. It was boring living at the Fire Nation Palace because I couldn't do anything, so I snuck out one night. It was easier than I thought, especially because of all the guards they employed there. It was like they didn't care about people getting out; instead, they were there to keep people from coming in when they weren't welcome. 

While I was there, I became friends with Princess Azula. We had a little group made up of me, her, Mai, and Ty Lee. The four of us had so much fun causing trouble in the palace, but my favorite thing was annoying Prince Zuko. He was always so high strung, which made it really fun to mess with him. Mai hated messing with him because she had a silly little crush on him. It didn't matter what she thought, though, because Azula was our leader and whatever she said, we did. It was easier that way, following the leader. At least, back then it was. I'm not sure how I would act now if she tried to boss me around again, especially because I'm older than she is.

Even though I was friends with them back then, I didn't really like them. They all were spoiled brats and got everything they wanted. However, I was closest to Ty Lee. She was a little weird, but she was nice and sweet. We got along pretty well, always dressing each other up in our mother's clothes. Mai hated how close I was to Ty Lee, so she always made up an excuse to hang out with us. Azula usually showed up as well and took control of whatever we did. Ty Lee didn't seem to mind Mai and Azula crashing our play-dates, but I did. I was bitter that they thought they could do that to us, to push their way into our friendship. Soon enough, I couldn't stand Mai or Azula but I put on a facade of fake friendship. If I wanted to continue stealing from them, I'd have to be their friends. 

Everything changed when I left, though. I occasionally get letters from Ty Lee, telling me everything that I'm missing in the Fire Nation capital. I don't bother reading them because I don't care about them. They told me that they'd visit me sometime, but they never have. That is good for me because I'm still trying to sell what all I stole from them. It has been two years since we came back home to the Pohaui Stronghold, but I stole a lot from them. Many of the things I stole were little trinkets or jewelry, so I don't get much money from it.

I never keep anything that I steal. There is always someone who wants something from me, whether it is a shady criminal (those are my favorites) or a random person from town (they're generally boring, always asking for nice pieces of jewelry for loved ones). They pay me well, my customers, and because I am so nice to them, they always come to me whenever they want something. 

Looking over my shoulder, I ease the door shut behind me. The hallway is dark enough for me to hide in the shadows in case someone walks down this way. I rush across the metal floor, peering around the corner. No one is standing around like they do during the day, so I shuffle forward. Throwing my hood up over my head, I hunch over and act like I'm a little old lady. This disguise is my favorite since no one likes to stop and ask an old lady what she is doing out at night.