Flameheart | Zuko

THIRTY

"Guys, it's good to see you again so soon! What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, Aang," Sokka spoke up before Suki or Zuko could. "We'll tell you the details once you, Katara and Toph come with us, but what you should know is that Homura ran away-"

"What?" Katara got to her feet, paying no attention to Sokka's annoyed expression as he got interrupted. "Why did she leave?"

"It's a long story, Katara," Zuko sighed as he exchanged a look with Suki. "We're trying to find her. Suki and I are still thinking about a place she might have gone to. We need to leave, though. Where's Toph?"

"Do we need to leave now?" Aang complained with a small frown. "Let's have lunch and leave afterwards."

Katara nodded in agreement as she turned to Zuko. "Toph is fighting with Bumi-"

"I'm not getting in the middle of that," Sokka raised his arms at once as Suki sent him an unimpressed look.

"On second thought, we can stay until lunch or until Toph finishes her match," Zuko suggested, "whichever comes first."

Suddenly, Sokka gasped. "What if Toph accidentally kills Bumi?"

Suki raised an eyebrow at him. "That's Toph you're talking about. What part of her killing Bumi sounds accidental to you?"

They laughed.

-

The supplies had run out a day ago. The loaves of bread Homura had taken in exchange of the stolen pin were enough to keep her alive the next few days - that, fruits and plants she found on her way - but she didn't have much time, and she knew if she were to keep travelling, she needed to at least know where she wanted to go so she would pace her travel accordingly.

For the last few days she rode with her ostrich horse following her every command tirelessly, until they reached a town. Homura allowed herself to rest there in the side of the road for a while, her ostrich horse right beside her. With a small sigh, she laid back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Like she had done for the last few days, she thought of Zuko and Suki. She missed both of them terribly, each for different reasons. She felt guilty for not saying goodbye to Zuko and leaving him with just a letter so soon after his family had been abducted by her own mother - even though she knew she would have never managed to leave if she had met with him - but she felt even more guilty she had told nothing to Suki, who was miles away in Kyoshi island and had no clue of her turmoil. Telling Suki wasn't an option, though. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors was extremely good at following trails and finding people, especially if she knew them on a personal level. Homura was certain if Suki knew she had run away, she would have found her in a few weeks, even though she hadn't even decided where she needed to go just yet.

There were many places in the world she could go to disappear and she was certain no one would ever find her. The Earth Kingdom was vast and there were places hardly anyone lived in. She had heard stories from Aang, Katara and Sokka, about a swamp that messed with people's minds, or about a desert someone could easily get lost in even though it was a home to sandbenders. Homura was certain she wouldn't have fit in a swamp or a desert and being away from people for long periods of time surely was something she would have a difficulty dealing with. On the other hand, in such places, she would surely have to change and adjust to fit in.

Another option she had was to stay in a random town - like the one she had just stopped in - find a job and slowly attempt to start a living that way. There were countless of such towns and she knew in time she'd manage to fit in, start a new life.

Her last option was the one that sounded the most promising to her; to live in a city countless of other people lived in, where no one would bat an eye if they saw someone new coming to live in the building beside their own. A city with countless opportunities to start over, make a living without anyone ever finding her. She would be anonymous.

Ba Sing Se was the perfect city for her to hide in, even though she had linked the city to terrible memories and two years of utter discomfort and desperation - poverty, failure as she attempted to become a spy, hard work to achieve all her mother wanted her to, Shu's death - Ba Sing Se meant a lot to her. She already had an opinion on the city and it wasn't an appreciative one, but despite how she hated the very thought of going there again, she knew mingling with the crowd in that place was the perfect way for her to fit in.

Homura let out a rather long sigh, not fit for a woman as young as she was, as her eyes fell on her ring. She twirled it slowly, contemplating whether it was worth it. Her mother was no longer around. She would be safe in Ba Sing Se. Nothing would happen to her.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

Her head snapped up and her arm automatically moved up to her sword before she caught sight of the boy standing in front of her. He was a few years younger than her, not all that tall, and clearly appeared to be alarmed. His gaze jumped uneasily from her eyes to her sword and back, and slowly, Homura relaxed, let her arm fall back to her side and stood up once more.

"I didn't know I was bothering you," she spoke, assuming at once the boy hadn't walked over to tell her anything nice. She urged her ostrich horse to stand up as well and she was just about to mount it when the boy spoke once more.

"You're a traveller, aren't you? You look like you could use some food."

She could hear the faint rumble of her stomach at the mention and slowly, she turned to face the boy, her eyes guarded. He seemed to be as wary of her as she was of him, but still, he attempted to send her a smile.

"I'm Lee. Mother and I can offer you a meal and a place to stay in for the night."

"That's kind of you but I can't accept your offer," she muttered, her voice just reaching Lee's ears. "I'm in a hurry. I plan on leaving the town as soon as possible."

"Surely you can spare a while?" he insisted, "It's not a good idea to travel at night and your ostrich horse needs to rest."

Homura knew he had a point and even though she didn't trust him, she needed some food and rest, and so did her ostrich horse. So, with a small sigh, she turned to face Lee and grabbed the ostrich horse's reins.

"Thank you. I'm grateful for your hospitality."

Lee smiled slightly. "Follow me."

Homura followed his lead out of the town and to a small barn in the outskirts. She left her ostrich horse outside as she followed Lee in his home, feeling terribly out of place. Lee's mother was reserved but she cooked a meal for her and Homura was grateful. After asking countless of times if there was anything she could do to help them, she retreated to the place she'd be sleeping in. She had hardly made it inside though when Lee got in, a small lit lantern at hand.

"I know you're from the Fire Nation."

Homura froze in the middle of letting the seath of her sword on the ground as she slowly turned to face the boy. He pursed his lips.

"Your eyes give it away."

"You're right," she allowed, not letting go of the sword for a second. "Is that all you want to know?"

"Fire Lord Zuko once came in this village," he spoke up and her eyes widened at once, although she tried to not show her surprise. It didn't work as Lee's eyes narrowed and he pressed on. "You know him?"

She nodded, "I do." Then she hesitated. "Did Zuko do something to you?"

Lee didn't reply. "When you next see him, let him know I'm sorry. He'll understand."

Without another word he turned around, and no sooner had he left Homura realised Lee had offered his home to her out of guilt about something that had happened between him and Zuko. She got to sleep knowing that if it weren't for Zuko, she would have gotten hungry that night. She reminded herself to ask him about this once she saw him again. If she ever did.

She left at the crack of dawn without a look back.