Purple Flame

12

"Does this guy have a name? What about the lady?" I frowned and looked away.

"He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms

"The real soldiers are off fighting the War, like Lee's big brother Sensu. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?" Sela said.

"I can't. We should be moving on." The wife frowns and casts a glance at her husband.

"Gansu could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and then we'll eat. And you miss can help me prepare the food." Zuko nods in agreement.

"I uhh..ma'am." I mumbled as we entered her home. She looked back at me before coming closer. "I don't feel to well." I whispered as the room slowly began to spin. Her hand touched my forehead just as the entire room went black.

*3rd Person*

"Hey, hun wake up." The wife, Sela, said to the sleeping Hai. "You're running a fever." The unmoving girl lay still as the sweat began to pour down her face.

Sela stood up and rushed outside to find the men. Her eyes found the men at the roof of the barn and shouted for them to come down.

"She fainted." Zuko immediately came down without using the ladder and ran inside past the women. He bent down to Hai and picked her up.

"Oh, let us help you. Come on lay her over here."

"She looks dehydrated. In this heat it's not good for either of you." Sela said grabbing a bucket and passing it to Lee. "Water. A lot of it."

"We've been traveling for days. I tried but she chose to sleep most of it and take small sips of water when she was awake." Zuko said laying her on the couch.

"Here ma." Lee said brining in the bucket. The mom immediately went and emptied some into a separate bucket and then came back with the original and a rag.

"I'm sorry, I'll go back out and help you." Zuko said to Gansu, who shook his head.

"Stay with her. My wife will handle the food and you can take care of your wife."

*short skip- Hai's POV*

"You snore." I whispered to the sleeping Zuko next to me. His eyes immediately opened and he looked at me. I looked around and noticed it was now night time. "Where are your swords?" I said sitting up. The cold cloth on my head falling off.

"You should eat."

"I will." I mumbled softly seeing the plate of food and drink on the table. He gestured for me to eat. I sighed and took a bite of the cold food. I looked around before heating it up with a small flame. I lifted up the bowl and slurped the soup down before eating the meat beside it.

"You needed to not do that." Zuko mumbled as I finished the tray. "Cold food is better then no food."

"I know." I said with a sigh. We stood up and walked outside.

We went to a large sunflower garden, where Lee is practicing with the swords. He jumps around and chops off several sunflower heads. He starts stabbing a nearby dead tree trunk repeatedly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and breathes heavily in effort as we silently approaches behind him.

"You're holding them wrong." I giggled as Lee falls backward in surprise. Zuko stood beside me arms crossed, standing a little further back in the patch of sunflowers. Lee gets back up, ashamed, and holds out the swords to Zuko. He takes them. "Keep in mind, these are dual swords. Two halves of a single weapon. Don't think of them as separate, 'cause they're not. They're just two different parts of the same whole."

"Be careful." I mumbled as Zuko swings around the swords, demonstrating his skill. He cuts off some sunflower heads, turns around, and hands the swords back to Lee to try. Lee is a little more careful this time, and a little less awkward with the swords.

He turns to Zuko and I once he is done with his mini demonstration. Zuko smiles kindly; Lee smiles back and laughs. We begin walking away from the sunflower patch together, under the full moon.

"I think you'd really like my brother Sensu. He used to show me stuff like this all the time." I rubbed Lees head.

The next morning as Zuko mounts the ostrich horse again, ready to leave the hospitable family. Gansu, Sela and Lee have all come to see us off. I turned and bowed to the family in thanks as Sela reaches forward and offers us a package.

"Here. This ought to get you through a few meals." I was just about to grab the package when I looks up and notices a cloud of dust in the distance. It is Gow and his cronies riding in on ostrich horses. Gansu steps forward.

"What do you think they want?"

"Trouble." Zuko replied to Gansu.

"Get inside. Be safe." I said to Lee. Gow and his crew ride toward the pig farm. The animals squeal, clearly irritated at their arrival. The Earth Kingdom soldiers stop right in front of us.

"What do you want, Gow?"

"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion got captured. You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put 'em on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it. Then they just watched."

"You watch your mouth!" Gansu said angrily. Gow rides forward a little more toward Gansu when Zuko goes in between them, interfering. Gow and Zuko glare at each other.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?"

"Idiots." I mumbled as they turned and road off. Lee ran back outside having heard everything.

"What's going to happen to my brother?"

"I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sensu and bring him back." Gansu said. Sela and Gansu walk away from Zuko, with Sela crying desperately. Lee runs toward Zuko.

"When my dad goes ... will you stay?" I frowned and looked at Sela.

"No. I need to move on. Come here Hai." He said. I looked at him and nodded before going over and taking his outstretched hand. He put me in front of him and then reaches behind him and takes out a sheathed dagger. He bends down and gives it to Lee, who takes it with a faint smile. "Here. I want you to have this. Read the inscription."

"Made in Earth Kingdom." I giggled as Zuko let out a small sigh.

"The other one."

"Never give up without a fight."

"Bye Lee." I said softly before Zuko rode off. I sighed then looked ahead of us. "We need to get rid of those thugs."

"Hai."