1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA

* * *

Chapter 1

Green eyes opened to bright, warm, peaceful sunlight. A warm breeze blew tree branches overhead. Colorful birds flew over and one word came to the boy's mind.

_Paradise. Do I know that word? Where am I? What is where?_

Jumbled thoughts meandered slowly through his head as he looked around. _Trees? Is that what those are? Birds? _Confusion dizzied him. He sat up, moving from the soft cushion of moss where he had laid. Shimmering, clear blue waters reflected the bright sun in fascinating ways. Soft moss covered the trunks of the trees and the ground near their roots. Thick, short, soft grass covered the space in-between. Everything was bright, green, and full of water and life.

"There he is!" a loud voice broke the peaceful air.

_Danger? What is danger? _Words rushed into the boy's mind.

"The escapee!" another voice exclaimed.

Men in armor carrying spears and other weapons broke through the trees.

_Weapons? Danger? Blood? _Without realization the boy was on his feet and running. Soon the trees cleared to reveal a large, grassy field. Water sparkled in a clean pond in the center of the field, _Water?_

"Surrender now, and you might live through the trip back to prison," one of the armored men stepped forward, his spear close enough to jab into the boy's ribs.

"Surrender?" the boy looked at them curiously.

"He's toying with us, that brat!" one of the men snarled and lunged forward with a sword.

"What is surrender?" the boy tilted his head to the side as a wall of earth blocked the sword.

"Quit toying with us, punk," the spear holding man growled.

"Idiot, what are you doing just standing there?" a voice echoed under the ground as a tunnel opened up.

A girl leaped out with a knife in her hand. She wore a green, button up shirt and a pair of darker green long pants. A bag hung, tied, over one of her shoulder. She charged towards one of the armored men, the one holding a spear. He hit her abdomens with the butt of the spear and was satisfied when she let out an odd grunting sound of pain.

_Pain? Is that what that sound was? Sound? _the boy watched the girl knock two of the armored men's heads together. They fell to the ground unconscious.

The girl spun and slashed at another, hitting him across the chest and scratching his armor. She shattered the armor with one blow and left a serious but not fatal wound on the man's chest. The last two left, abandoning their comrades.

"You idiot! Why weren't you fighting them?!" the girl turned on him, her green eyes blazed; she still held the knife in an attacking position.

"Idiot? Fighting?" the boy asked.

"You do speak Earth Nation, right?" the girl asked, her voice was rather exasperated at the boy's ignorance.

"Earth Nation?" the boy sounded the word out, "What does speak mean?"

"Oh dear go- what did I get the nutcase?" the girl sighed as she grabbed his wrist.

With an amazing amount of force the boy pulled back, dragging both of them into the clear pond behind them.

"What the heck?! What'd _I_ do?" the girl growled as she climbed out of the water.

"I'm, sorry? Is that the right word?" the boy asked.

"Yes, sorry is the right word. But why'd you do that in the first place?" the girl asked as she wrung the water out of her short, brown hair.

"I was, afraid?" the boy said.

"Sorry, I guess I was a bit rough," the girl apologized.

"What does rough mean?" he asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it dude," she shook her head.

"Dude?" he asked.

"Y'know, guy?" she was beginning to wonder whether the boy was mentally well or not.

"What's a guy?" he asked.

"A boy?" she didn't like where this explanation was going.

"A what?" he blinked at her.

"You're a boy, I'm a girl. I'll leave it at that for now, and 'til later don't ask that again," she sighed, "Do you have a name?"

"Name?" he seemed more confused by this word than any other.

"Something people call you," the girl tried to explain patiently.

"Something? People? You?" he asked.

"Something is just rather non specific. People, you, me, those men just now. You is a way to refer to the person that someone is talking to. Right now you are who I would refer to as you," she explained.

"So, back to what I said before, do you have a name?" she asked again.

He shook his head.

"My name is Sezja," she smiled, "And since you don't have a name I'm just gonna call you Dude. Unless you want me to give you a name."

"You could give me a name if you want? to," he said.

"I'll think of one, but for now I'm just gonna call you Dude," Sezja laughed as she walked towards the hole in the ground she had jumped from to attack, "We better get going before those guys wake up."

"Okay," he followed her. She grabbed his wrist and slipped into the hole in the ground. For a few seconds they were free falling.

Sezja landed safely on her feet while Dude landed clumsily on his side with a small yelp, "You're gonna have to work on that landing."

As they made their way silently down the tunnel; Sezja thought of a name for her new friend.

"I've got it! How about I call you Sigmund?" she asked.

Sigmund nodded, "I like? That?"

"Yes, like and that! Good job," Sezja smiled.

"I like that name," Sigmund nodded, sounding out the words carefully but quickly, "Sigmund."

"Yes, it's spelled S-I-G-M-U-N-D," Sezja smiled.

"Spelled?" Sigmund asked in mild confusion.

"This might take a bit to explain," Sezja said as she sat down and wrote her name in the loose dirt of the path, "This is my name. When you don't want to talk to someone or can't you _write _what you would say otherwise. My name is a _word,_ so is your name and everything else I say. I is a word, say is a word, even word is a word. Words have _spelling _which is the way you write them. Each word is spelled with _letters _like this." She paused to point to the 'S' in Sezja, "This is the letter s."

"Can you write my letters?" Sigmund asked.

"You mean you're name?" Sezja smiled.

Sigmund nodded as he crouched beside her like a toddler.

Sezja wrote the name out in the dirt, "S-I-G-M-U-N-D."

Sigmund copied it in messy writing in the dirt next to it.

"Good job," Sezja smiled, "We better keep moving, though. Food and space is pretty scarce down here so if you don't get to an inn before the night creatures go to the surface you'll be stuck in the tunnels."

Sigmund just stared at her in confusion.

"Never mind, lets just keep going," Sezja sighed, she was getting tired and didn't want to have to stay half awake all night to keep herself out of danger.

The rest of their walking was done in silence. Soon the small worms, snakes, and scorpions that normally scurried around the tunnels had all disappeared, expect for a few.

"If we don't get there soon even _I _won't be able to stay," Sezja grumbled as she picked up the pace. Soon a large building made of brick and wood built into the tunnel walls appeared. A sign hung from the wall above the door. It read, _The Bender's Friend_.

"What's? This?" Sigmund sounded out the first word as he followed Sezja.

"An inn," Sezja explained, "People can stay here to rest and eat."

"Stay? Rest? Eat? Here?" Sigmund looked at her questioningly.

"Stop moving, take a time to stop moving and regain strength, I don't even know how to explain eating, and here is the place we're at now," Sezja tried to explain, "I dunno, I'll try to give a better explanation later."

Soon they had reached the door of the inn. It was a poorly secured door that almost fell off of its hinges every time it swung out of its frame. Sezja pushed the door open and walked inside. The ground was covered in dirt footprint across the marble.

"Wyman!" Sezja called across the room to the inn keeper. He was a tall man, not someone as wealthy or well fed as an inn keeper should be.

"Sezja!" Wyman had a strong accent of some sort, "Where've ya been?"

"I went around the whole tunnel system! Not to mention the above-ground detours I had to take," Sezja laughed, "Oh, and I brought you something."

"Ya took a hunting trip?" Wyman looked hopeful.

"Yeah, I found a turkey-chicken!" Sezja swung the bag off of her shoulder and untied the top. She pulled out a damp, mangled turkey-chicken, "Sorry, I kinda fell into a lake with it."

"As long as it's not rotting I'll take it. Everyone staying here will be happy to see meat," Wyman laughed. He accepted the heavy bird with a small look of shock, his thin arm trembled as he held it.

"I'll be happy to see your cooking. Some of the other inns don't have the best keepers," Sezja laughed.

"So ya're looking ta stay here?" Wyman asked.

"Yeah, how many rooms are still open? How much will it cost?" Sezja asked as she pulled out a small coin purse that was stuffed full of mismatched money.

"We've got one room. This should cover it, but ya'll have to pay for the meals," Wyman glanced at Sigmund, "Who's this?"

"I'm calling him Sigmund, something's a bit messed up in that head of his at the moment," Sezja sighed, "He doesn't remember anything."

"I'm sure he'll remember something eventually," Wyman smiled, "Though this means ya'll have ta share a room with him."

"It's not a problem, I don't mind," Sezja smiled tiredly, "I just need to sleep."

"How long have ya been up?" Wyman asked, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

"About five days, I couldn't find an open inn. I'm not sleeping outside alone after last time," Sezja yawned.

"How's yer side doing? Speaking of that," Wyman asked.

"I haven't had a chance to look at it but I think the stitches split when I was saving Sigmund," Sezja explained, "I'll look at it later. Which room is open, I'm gonna go get some sleep."

"Top floor, the one at the end of the hall," Wyman said.

"Alright, come on Sigmund," Sezja dragged Sigmund towards the stairs.

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch if you read this far! :D Please tell me what you thought, is it worth continuing? If I get a review for this chapter I'll know it is and I'll keep going! :) Again, thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA

* * *

Chapter 2

Sezja opened the uneven door and walked to the small, hard bed in the corner. She dropped the bag she carried onto the bed and she let herself fall back to sit on the edge of the mattress. The cold covers felt nice under her warm hands as she leaned back to rest sideways across the bed.

"Sigmund, go ask Wyman if they can set up a cot up here for you," Sezja said, "And Wyman will explain that to you if you ask him to."

"Okay?" Sigmund searched for the right word.

"Yep," Sezja answered. Once Sigmund was gone she gently unbuttoned the bottom few buttons of her shirt to reveal a wound with torn skin and scarring all around it. Torn, battered stitched hung from it and blood had clotted to form a scab around it, _This thing'll never heal, at this rate_. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, waterproof package and opened it. Bandages and other small medical supplied occupied the inside of the package. Sezja pulled out a small container of ointment and a roll of bandages. She dabbed the ointment at her side with a wince and wrapped the bandages around her abdomen. Finally Sezja packed the things back up, put them in her pocket, tugged off the heavy, damp pants and button up shirt, laid the bag and her soaked clothed aside, and slipped under the covers in her less soaked underwear.

* * *

"Sezja told me to ask you if there is a cot you could set up for me?" Sigmund tried to remember exactly what Sezja had said.

"Yeah, there is," Wyman nodded, "I'll get that set up as soon as I can. Why don't ya go back up there for now?"

The common room of the inn was almost completely abandoned. Only a few people remained, but they were sleeping on the wooden floor with coats, cloaks, or blankets under them.

"Okay," Sigmund nodded and walked back to the room at the top floor. He opened the loose door and walked into the sparsely furnished room. There was a small chair in the corner and he ended up sitting there.

About twenty minutes went by before there was a quiet knock on the door. Sigmund answered to be greeted by Wyman, who had come to set up a small cot for Sigmund.

"How's Sezja doing?" Wyman asked as he dragged a cot, turned on its side, through the door.

"She's been sleeping? Since I got back here?" Sigmund sounded the words out uncertainly.

"Alright, I just don't want her ta keep pushing herself like this. With the epidemic she needs ta be careful about letting herself heal before she starts traveling again," Wyman seemed to be talking to himself.

_Epidemic? I know that word. What does it mean? _Sigmund thought as he heard the word, "What's an epidemic?"

"It's when there's an illness that spreads a whole lot between people. They're pretty deadly most of the time," Wyman explained as he walked out of the door, "If Sezja wakes up tell her ta come down and get something ta eat."

"Okay," Sigmund nodded.

* * *

Sezja's eyes snapped open as her breathing grew harsh. Fear tensed her muscles and heightened her senses, _It was just a dream, you're not sleeping outside._ She looked around the room and realized the candle that stood lit in the lamp had burned itself out. The room was dark and noise seemed to bubble from the common room below, _Just a nightmare._ She quietly sat up and then stood. She pulled back on her less soaked clothes on her way to the door. She gently opened the door to let a flood of lamplight in.

Sigmund rolled to face away from the door as the light shone in his face.

"Sorry if I woke you up," Sezja murmured quietly.

Sigmund barely responded with a yawn as he fell asleep again.

Sezja walked down the stairs to the rowdy common room. People played cards and gambled, some ate quietly. Others had gotten themselves drunk and were harassing the other occupants of the room with loud comments and annoying challenges. Noise echoed through the room.

"Sezja," Wyman greeted her as he walked from the kitchen door to where she stood, "How's yer side doing?"

"The stitches split again," Sezja sighed, "I don't think the dang thing will ever heal."

"It'll take awhile, it's only been a month. Just take it easy until it heals," Wyman assured.

"I can't!" Sezja protested.

"Ya always say that, Sezja. Why can't ya?" Wyman asked as he walked back to the kitchen, knowing Sezja would follow.

"I have to show whatever messed up Spirit who ended us benders down here that I'm one of the ones who deserves the little bit of space we have. I have to prove I'm worth the life I have," Sezja shrugged, "It's just the way I keep moving."

"I'm sure that messed up Spirit or whatever can understand ya need ta take a break, Sezja. Ya can take a break because ya've already proven ya deserve the life ya have," Wyman sighed.

"Have you heard anymore news on the epidemic?" Sezja suddenly asked.

"The hundredth person ta get it just died. No one's lived through it yet, and it's spreading. Even the Protector Inn has had a few cases of it. People with unreported cases of it have been found in the tunnels, dead, so that brings the numbers up ta about one-hundred and fifty," Wyman pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the kitchen wall.

"It's getting bad," Sezja sighed, "That's over a tenth of our population, gone!"

"There is some good news, though," Wyman began, "They've established 'hospitals' for people who get it. It'll decrease the spread rate and hopefully they can completely stop the rest of the population from catching it."

"You mean they just gather the sick there to die?" Sezja asked with a small scoff of disapproval.

"There's not much else we can do, there aren't exactly doctors down here," Wyman said.

"I know, but _someone _should try to help them. It's not fair to leave them all to die, without their friends or families with them," Sezja snapped.

This scared the spit wolf-eagle, which caused it to stop walking and left the turkey-chicken in one position over the fire.

"I'm not saying its right, but who would try to help them? Even people who would try wouldn't be able to and they'd die in vain," Wyman argued, "Then that'd leave more people on their own."

"Do you ever just wish something would come along and destroy the planet? There, problems solved," Sezja gave a dry, humorless chuckle as she picked up an apple and turned it in circles.

"Do ya want that?" Wyman offered.

"Sure, how much do you want for it?" Sezja asked as she pulled a damp coin purse from her pocket.

"None, the turkey-chicken earned ya it," Wyman said as he walked over to the spit eagle-wolf and petted its head, encouraging it to keep going.

"Thanks, Wyman. You do _way _too much for me," Sezja said as she bit into the apple, "So, who brought you this?"

"I traded one of the other inn keepers for them. They took some of my left over building supplies from when I expanded," Wyman walked back over to lean against the wall next to her, "I've been curious about that Sigmund kid. What's up with him?"

"I really don't know. I heard some commotion above and I thought it might be a scuffle between benders and non-benders. I found this kid, really confused at why they were threatening him. I swear I recognize him from _somewhere _but I just can't put my finger on it," Sezja trapped an ant-gnat between her finger and the wall for emphasis, "Then I saved this guy and asked him his name, do you know what he said?! He asked what a name was. Then I just started calling him dude and he didn't know what a dude, guy, or boy was- by the way, I'm expecting you to explain that too him- so I gave him a name. I remembered that one from awhile back, when you explained the meaning of all of our names should be protect or some variation of the name. The kid doesn't even seem to remember anything. I feel sorry for him, but in a way I'm jealous, if I could forget everything I knew right now I would. Y'know?"

"Poor guy," Wyman frowned, "Really, ya'd even forget about me?"

"Well, not you, but everything else. The war, the fact that I'm a bender, the epidemic, Gleb and Osmond, that night in the tunnel. But can you blame any of us if we want to forget? Can you blame yourself if you want to?" Sezja had finished off the apple and tossed the core to a rooster-pig in a cage in the corner.

"I can't say I could blame someone, but think of everything ya'd be forgetting about that's not all that bad. Me, the other inn keepers ya've befriended, we're yer family. Ya'd forget about yer family?" Wyman looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"When do you think that turkey-chicken will finish cooking?" Sezja glanced at the juicy, fragrant bird cooking.

"It'll be about another hour, ya should try ta go get more sleep," Wyman walked back towards the kitchen door.

"I don't want to, I had another nightmare about the tunnel," Sezja looked shamefully at the ground.

"It wasn't even me who was hurt then, and I still have nightmares about that night when ya stumbled here," Wyman walked back and hugged her, "I thought ya'd died when ya collapsed."

"Why can't I just forget about it! I'm in an inn, I'm safe, but I still can't fall asleep!" Sezja buried her head in his shoulder, "I just want to sleep for one night."

"Things like that will leave scars, ya know that," Wyman said softly, "Like when ya first came down here ya never wanted ta go ta sleep, even if I rocked ya ta sleep or sang ta ya. Ya were so afraid of what happened back then too. It'll pass."

"Am I too old to ask you to sing me to sleep?" Sezja asked quietly.

"No, ya're not," Wyman flattened her hair back against her head with the palm of his scrawny hand, "Ya'll never be, Sezja."

"Even when I'm an old lady and you're so old you sound like a frog when you sing?" Sezja laughed.

Wyman chuckled, his amber eyes seemed to smile, "Goofball. So, were ya being serious about me singing ya ta sleep?"

"Yeah, if you're not to busy with the inn," Sezja nodded.

"Didn't I tell ya? I got an apprentice, I can leave him ta be in charge for awhile," Wyman laughed, "He's a shy little nut, I'll give him that."

Sezja laughed too as she headed towards the kitchen door.

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch if you read this far, I really appreciate it if you did :D Please tell me what I could fix, please! I want to make this the best it can be for you guys and I feel like I'm missing something.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 3

Wyman quietly closed the door to Sezja and Sigmund's room behind himself. It had taken almost an hour but Sezja had finally fallen asleep. His throat was sore from singing for so long and he had the words looping through his mind.

_I hope you'll get over it this time, Se, _he thought as he walked down to the common room.

"Mr. Wyman!" his apprentice wailed as he ran up, "I'm sorry, there was a fight and they broke two of the tables!"

"That happens a lot, Asim, ya'll get used ta it," Wyman smiled warmly as he followed the boy to where the smashed tables lay, "I'll get ta work fixing them tomorrow morning. For now I'm going ta get some sleep. Ya should too, Asim."

Asim nodded and looked relieved as he walked towards the small storage closet behind the kitchen, his room.

* * *

_"You won't last long with that fever, running or not," a man looked at Sigmund with cold eyes, "I suggest you stay here, Zenjiro."_

_"I've been independent this long, a little fever won't stop me," he growled back as he stepped closer towards the door._

_Outside ragged footsteps indicated the arrival of an exhausted companion, "Non-benders! They've found us!"_

_Both men looked at the girl leaning heavily against the doorframe, her hair matched Sigmund's perfectly in color and texture, "How close are they?"_

_"A minute, maybe two," the girl panted, clutching her chest and gasping, "They're gonna take us away."_

_"I won't let them! We've survived this long and we won't give up that easily," Sigmund stood strong and proud._

A thin, dazing fog had settled over Sigmund's thoughts. He looked around the room, at the ceiling and the unlit lamp. At Sezja, fast asleep in bed with the blanket pulled up to her face, covering half of one of her cheeks and giving her a childish look. Her short hair knotted and her eyes squeezed shut tightly against a nightmare.

"Ow..." Sezja moaned in her sleep as she rolled over.

_Zenjiro? Why is that name so... familiar? _Sigmund thought out the proper words in his mind as he rolled over to stare at the wall. His eyes barely registered anything in the darkness, but he could barely make out the textures on the wall, _Who was that... girl?_

Sound echoed from the common room. Sounds of fighting and arguing. Laughing sounded loudly too.

Sezja rolled over, muttering something in her sleep.

* * *

Sezja opened her eyes to look across the room. The lamp had been relit and Sigmund was looking at the flame with an expression mixing interest and caution. She sat up with a yawn, wincing and glancing at her side, "I didn't know you'd woken up, Siggy."

Sigmund looked at her in confusion, "Siggy?"

"Oh, sorry. It was just a short version of your name," Sezja chuckled.

"Shortened? Version?" Sigmund asked, his attention fully turned to her from the fire.

"Shortened means whenever you make something less," Sezja motioned with her hands, "Version just means one changed thing of something."

Sigmund nodded to show he understood.

"Is it okay with you if I call you Siggy?" Sezja smiled.

Sigmund nodded with a smile to match hers.

"I'm going down stairs to get something to eat, do you want to come?" Sezja stood and walked stiffly towards the door. Her knees ached from lying still for so long and her back hurt from turning in her sleep.

"Going? Down stairs? Eat?" Sigmund had already stood and was following her.

"Going is what we're doing now, we're going somewhere. These are stairs, this is going down. I don't know how to explain eat," Sezja answered as she led him to the loud common room.

A fight was going on in the room. A scrawny fire-bender and a muscular earth-bender were punching each other and sending rocks and fire flying through the common room.

"Never say Fire Lord Ozai was weak, he was stronger than King Bumi and the Earth King combined!" the fire-bender growled as he shot a blast of fire at the earth-bender.

"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for that moron! We'd be happy on the surface with enough food and medicine for everyone," the earth-bender pinned the fire-bender to a wall and was about to beat him bloody when Sezja walked over.

"Fighting between us now won't do any good. We have to stay uninjured and work together now to fix the mistakes our ancestors made," Sezja said as she moved the earth-bender's hand to release the fire-bender.

"Yeah, but-"

"Does it really matter what started the war? No one ended it without violence. Everyone's to blame for that," Sezja stopped the half-hearted protest the earth-bender put up.

"I guess you're right," the earth-bender hung his head shamefully.

"Thanks, miss," Asim bowed gratefully to Sezja, "They've been tearing up the common room all day over this."

"You must be Wyman's student. I'm Sezja, his daughter," Sezja smiled and held out her hand to shake with Asim.

"Oh! You're Mr. Wyman's daughter?! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here. I would've gotten a better room prepared for you," Asim bowed harder this time.

"You're kinda adorable, kid. No, I don't want special treatment. I pay for things just like everyone else and I travel just like almost everyone else," Sezja ruffled his hair, "What's your name?"

"I'm Asim," he quickly shook Sezja's hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you too," Sezja let her hand drop after the quick shake, "Have you seen Wyman around here anywhere?"

"Why do you refer to him as Wyman, isn't he your dad?" Asim asked, "Oh, sorry if I'm being intrusive!"

"Nah, it's fine. He's not really my dad, he just took me in when I first came down to the tunnels. I lived with him for about four years and then I started traveling on my own. He's more like an old friend now, more than anything," Sezja chuckled, "So, you seen him anywhere around here?"

"I think he's in the kitchen. Do you want me to go get him?" Asim asked.

"No, I can find him. Thanks for the help," Sezja left, leading Sigmund towards the kitchen.

Asim smiled as he went to pick up the pieces of a chair that had been smashed by the most recent fight.

"Wyman's gonna be working him so hard, his kindness comes with a price," Sezja giggled as she glanced at Asim, already scrambling to stop another fight.

Sigmund had stayed silent through the entire encounter, he hadn't asked what anything meant. He just followed quietly.

"You feeling okay? Siggy," Sezja looked at him.

"Feeling?" Sigmund tilted his head as Sezja opened the door to the kitchen and let out the warm smell of cooking meat.

"I really wish I didn't have to explain everything to you. Feeling, in the context I just used, means the way... I don't know how to explain it!" Sezja threw her hands in the air in defeat, "You just look sick, which is when you aren't feeling good."

"I had a dream?" Sigmund sounded out the right word.

"Yes, that's right. What was it about?" Sezja hoped Sigmund wouldn't need an explanation to any of the words she had just said.

"I was in it, but the people kept calling me Zenjiro. They said non-benders? Were coming to capture? Us," Sigmund tried to sound out the words.

"Dreams don't normally make any sense," Sezja shrugged.

"Normally? Sense?" Sigmund asked.

"Most of the time, mean something understandable," Sezja explained as she realized she'd stopped walked and had just been holding the door open the entire time she had been talking. She quickly walked into the kitchen with Sigmund close behind. "Is Wyman in here?" she asked the head cook.

"No, he just left. He went out back," the cook replied.

Sezja thanked the woman with a smile and dragged Sigmund across the kitchen to another door. She opened the door and led him out.

Wyman was in a small space behind the inn. He kneeled on the ground next to a broken table, gluing it back together.

"Hey, father o mine," Sezja walked over and sat on the packed dirt beside him.

"What do ya want, daughter o mine?" Wyman asked with a mildly sarcastic tone, he suspected he already knew the answer.

"I was just wondering when that turkey-chicken would be ready to eat. I've hardly had anything since the last inn, a root maybe," Sezja pouted as she held the piece of the table Wyman was gluing in place.

"It'll be just a few minutes more, and one of my other recent guests brought along some lovely carrots. How do ya feel about carrots?" Wyman let his train of though go off course.

"Okay, I'll help you with the table 'til them I guess. Remember? I love them when Mrs. Arata cooks them," Sezja held the next piece of the table in place.

Wyman fell silent as he glued another piece of the table in place.

"Ugh, why do you always do this? You always cut off a conversation and go all quiet and thoughtful! Your brain could use less thinking time in there," Sezja groaned in bored annoyance as she gently tapped Wyman's temple with the knuckle of her free hand.

"At least I don't talk until I make people's ears bleed, chatter box," Wyman chuckle as he used his free hand to ruffle Sezja's short, fluffy, brown hair.

"I've never _once _made someone's ears bleed! You know it," Sezja mocked irritation.

"I'm just waiting until ya do," Wyman chuckled, a deep sound like thunder that rang through his small chest and throat.

"Hey! I'm not _that _bad. I could be ten times worse, I can show you ear bleeding annoyance," Sezja gave a rather proud smirk, "Just wait 'til I prove I'm not that bad."

"There ya go, chatter box, talking more than ya have ta. Ya could've left off the last part," Wyman laughed this time.

"Oh shut up," Sezja playfully pushed at his arm as she held the next piece of the table leg in place.

"I might hav'ta make those benders who destroyed this table come fix it, what do ya think of that idea?" Wyman chuckled again.

"That sounds like a plan, but I'll help 'til you do," Sezja smiled as she held the next piece of the final table leg in place.

* * *

A/N: Thanks, if you read this far! Seriously, thanks a bunch and more. I really appreciate everyone who reads this, but please let me know you're out there. Review, even if you don't have anything much to say, just please review. I'll try to have the next chapter out soon :)

Oh, and I hope that I fixed the dialogue issues that Aldley was kind enough to point out. If I did, please tell, if not, sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yeah, I donut own AtLA, just Sezja, Sigmund, and Wyman :)

* * *

Chapter 4

Sezja and Wyman moved the table toward the edge of the small cave-like area behind the inn. The glue needed to dry before the table was replaced inside.

"I think it's about time that the food is ready. I'll have ta get everything plated up, but ya'll be the first ta get yer food," Wyman winked as he headed to the kitchen door.

"Thanks, father o mine," Sezja smiled and dragged Sigmund toward the door.

Wyman smiled as he held the door open for both of them.

Sezja led Sigmund to the common room and took a table near the wall, "We'll probably need to get moving after this. I plan to go above ground and camp up there for a day or two on our way to the Protector Inn. We may be able to catch a bit more sleep but not much more. We'll also be hunting."

"Above ground? Camp? Day? Two? Protector? Catch? Hunting?" Sigmund sounded out the unfamiliar words, testing them.

"Above ground is where you were before I found you. Camp means to sleep outside. Day is a measurement of time. Two is a number. Catch is to trap something. Hunting is killing animals for their meat and fur," Sezja explained with simple hand gestures.

Sigmund nodded in dull understanding.

"Do you wanna stay here a bit longer?" Sezja asked, her voice came out in a sigh.

"You need to rest," Sigmund nodded, "We'll stay here, so you can rest."

"Okay," Sezja finally nodded. Her side still ached.

Asim carried two plates from the kitchen and set them on the table in front of Sezja and Sigmund.

"Thanks, Asim," Sezja smiled.

The plates held steaming pieces of turkey-chicken, cut carefully and drizzled with broth, along with two sliced, steamed carrots. Mashed potatoes completed the plates.

"Wyman said that you're allowed to have some wine if you want, Sezja. He wasn't sure it'd be good for Sigmund, though, with his amnesia," Asim informed as he set down the cup of wine and the cup of water.

"Where'd you guys get wine from? It's so hard to find and stuff, seriously. Where?" Sezja asked as she pulled the half-filled cup closer.

"Someone like you found it in an old storehouse. They had been hunting and got caught, it's where they took cover. Then they hauled six or seven barrels down here and split them between the inns," Asim explained, "We owe you guys our lives."

"Nah, just your quality food. Little secret, most of us only go above because we feel like we're losing it down here. It gives us the time to do something good and to get away from the winding tunnels. Gotta admit we all need it, right?" Sezja had already started to eat while she talked.

"It's still amazing, you guys risk your lives going up there," Asim smiled.

"It's worth it, though. Fresh air," Sezja cut her sentence short to swallow the mouthful of turkey-chicken she had been chewing.

Sigmund ate quietly, not looking up from his plate.

"You okay, Siggy?" Sezja asked.

His looked up, as if he had just realized they were there. He nodded.

"I have to get back to work," Asim smiled as he left to go do some unknown task.

"Have you ever had a dream that you felt was, important?" Sigmund sounded out the last word thoughtfully as he took a sip of water and continued to eat slowly.

"No, just nightmares, scary dreams. Why?" Sezja had already finished every last scrap of food and was scraping the thin film of potatoes from the plate with her nail to finish it off.

"I can't shake? the feeling that my dream was important," Sigmund answered as he finished off his carrots.

"Maybe you'll figure it out," Sezja smiled as she waited for him to finish eating.

* * *

"Wyman, Sigmund and I are leaving. We're gonna be above ground for awhile, but I'll try to be back by next month," Sezja walked across the common room to speak to Wyman.

"Be careful, Sezja. Don't do anything stupid," Wyman smiled and hugged her.

"Take good care of Asim, that kid's different," Sezja laughed as she headed towards the door. She opened the door and plunged into the pitch-black tunnels. She lowered the bag from her shoulder and opened it to pull out two lamps. She pulled out a box of matches and struck a match on the stone floor. She carefully lit the two lamps, "Here."

Sigmund took the lamp and waited patiently for Sezja to pick the bag up again and start walking.

She silently took the lead down the currently wide tunnel. The tunnels narrowed and widened at random, leaving the travelers often confused. Soon it narrowed, "This should be about the right spot to go above."

The ceiling of the tunnel was marked with a wooden stake drove into it. She bended a ramp up and opened the ground. They climbed to the surface.

Bright, orange-red sunlight spilled from the horizon and left black shadows stretched behind everything, even every individual blade of grass, "I guess it's early."

"Early?" Sigmund asked, keeping his voice quiet like Sezja was.

"This time of day," Sezja answered and pointed towards the sun, "The sun is just rising."

Sigmund didn't bother asking for an explanation of the sun rising, he felt like he knew what it meant.

"Come on, we need to go hunting," Sezja pulled a knife from it's sheath on her belt. She then pulled the bag from her shoulder and untied the top. She stuck her arms in and retreated moments later holding a sling and three large stones, "Just follow me and stay quiet."

Sigmund nodded as he followed her, she crept into a bush and waited. Sigmund sat next to her.

Soon something rustled in the tree directly above them. Sezja placed the rock carefully in the sling, twirled it, and released the stone. It hit it's target with a sickening crack. The creature, bent beyond recognition, fell to the ground from the tree. The stone landed lightly next to it.

Another create walked by. It was a wolf-elk. It's foreleg was bent and torn, bleeding profusely.

_Poor thing, it looks sick too, _Sezja thought as she held the knife close. She silently slipped out of the bush and crept closer to the creature.

The wolf-elk's ear twitched back towards her and it look at her with dead eyes.

Sezja plunged the knife into its neck, "I'm sorry you had to go like this."

Without a struggle the wolf-elk fell, already dead.

* * *

"I'm exhausted," Sezja yawned, she laid a few feet from a crackling fire.

Sigmund had already fallen asleep on the other side of the fire.

_We'll definitely get some good perks at the Protector's Inn for this much food. Doesn't hurt being the inn keeper's niece, either, _Sezja smiled at the black, golden dotted sky. The fire light cast light across one half of her body, warming it, relaxing the muscles, while the other half of her body was left shadowed, cold, and tense, _We'll hunt more tomorrow, so I need sleep. Stupid brain, stop thinking already._

* * *

_"Sigmund! Traitor!" a voice boomed against Sigmund's pounding headache. His muscles felt weak and his entire body felt as if it were blocked from the world by cotton._

_"No, I didn't tell them where we were!" Sigmund coughed, his head surging with pain. Blood sprinkled his hand where he had covered his mouth, "It wasn't me!"_

_"Leave!" a large, menacing man pointed towards the door of the small building they had taken shelter in._

_"No," he couldn't say anymore, his lungs burned and he coughed hard. His shoulders trembled and he shivered. More blood sprinkled his hand and it felt like he had swallowed flaming glass, "I won't leave for something I didn't-" he broke down coughing again, "do!"_

_The girl standing near the doorway cast him a worried glance, "Maybe he's telling the truth. He's never lied before. Father, he'll die if you send him away now."_

_"Get out of my sight, Zenjiro!" the man roared, pointed towards the door again._

_Sigmund dragged his aching body from the ground, "Don't come- crying for help- when they find..."_

_He was met by cold glares._

_He had to lean against the doorframe to catch his breath just from standing._

_Suddenly a very feminine scream broke the harsh silent. The same voice begging for the pain to stop, pleading to be saved._

"Make the pain stop!" Sezja tossed in her sleep, screaming and crying.

Sigmund immediately stood and walked over. He gently shook her shoulder.

Sezja's eyes snapped open, sweat and tears streaked her face and he breathing was harsh and ragged.

"You're okay," Sigmund gently rubbed her shoulder.

Sezja's lip trembled as if she were trying to speak and keep from crying at the same time, "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No," Sigmund shook his head. He gently hugged her, wrapping his arms sideways around her shoulders.

She pressed her shoulder closer to his chest, thankful for the presence of another human.

"Do you want to try to go back to sleep?" Sigmund didn't have to stop and sound out the words.

"No," Sezja shook her head, her hand unconsciously drifting to her abdomen, covering the wound protectively.

"Do you want me to stay up too?" Sigmund asked, again, he somehow knew the words.

Sezja simply shook her head.

Sigmund retured to where he had been sleeping. He laid down and closed his eyes, but his mind wouldn't rest.

"Should we just get an early start on the day?" Sezja asked, noticing that Sigmund hadn't managed to fall asleep.

"Yeah," Sigmund nodded.

* * *

A/N: Hello, readers! :D Thanks a bunch if you read this far, thanks another bunch if you decide to drop a review! Tell me what I could fix, tell me what you think, tell me if it's horrible and I should just give up, just leave a review peoples! :) And I just wanted to let anyone who was wondering what the epidemic was know that it shares symptoms of the bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and Pulmonary TB. It still has the signature vomiting of blood in later stages and black spots of gangrene like the bubonic plague, the deterioration of the lungs seen in pneumonic plague, and the airborne spreading and coughing up of blood signature to Pulmonary TB. Just wanted to answer that for one reader that asked.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Me owns nothing but my characters and the tunnels they live in. Oh, and their endless suffering :3

* * *

Chapter 5

"Wyman, someone with the disease is here," Asim gulped as he approached the tall man.

Wyman's face paled as he dropped the plate of food he was carrying, "Evacuate everyone to the backyard, please send a hawk to the hospital and quarantine them. Don't let them out of their room and burn everything they've touched. Here."

Asim accepted the small medical mask offered to him, "Wear this and don't breathe too deeply around them."

Asim nodded, his carefree attitude was gone.

"Afterwards, burn the clothes you're wearing. You can borrow some of mine," Wyman said.

* * *

"Sigmund, be quiet!" Sezja snapped over her shoulder at Sigmund, who found it rather entertaining to chase the landing flocks of birds, "If you keep making that much noise then all of the fish will be spooked off. We won't catch anything, and we won't get to eat dinner!"

Sigmund hung his head like a scolded puppy and sat quietly next to Sezja; he looked into the clear, slow moving stream Sezja was fishing in.

The line jerked a small bit, but Sezja remained stationary. Another jerk, she still didn't move. One more hard jerk and she jerked the rod up, setting the hook. She reeled in and pulled a fighting, colorful, slippery fish onto the back. With the butt of the knife she struck its head and killed it.

"This is gonna be our dinner," She said as she stood and began taking apart the makeshift rod. She tossed the stick and grass into a bush and hooked the hook through the thick fabric of her belt, "We're going back underground tomorrow. We'll be going to the next area like this to forage some. Then we'll be at an inn called the Lost Inn. We'll stay there for a night then move on to the Protector Inn."

"Tomorrow? Next? Forage? Lost?" Sigmund had fallen back into his habit of asking about words.

"Tomorrow is the next day, when the sun rises again it'll be tomorrow. Next is the one that will come after, like this is first, then the next spot is next. Forage is to gather edible plants. Lost is not able to find your place. It's just a name in that case," Sezja explained, still not used to dumbing down her vocabulary.

Sigmund nodded in dull, possibly mock understanding.

"Sigmund, do you remember _anything_? Anything at all from before I found you?" Sezja asked quietly, the feeling of recognition had become too much to bear.

"I had those dreams, they called me Zenjiro and I was very sick. I was coughing? up blood? I had black? patches? on my skin? I was very cold? and my skin was damp?" Sigmund sounded out the words as he explained.

Sezja suddenly seemed a bit startled, "Zenjiro!"

Sigmund was unsure of what to think.

"How could I not realize, you're a wanted criminal," Sezja's eyes widened as she looked at Sigmund. His hair, although not styled as it normally would have been, was the exact same color and length. His eyes, though they lacked the murderous rage, held the same curiosity and color.

"Realize? Wanted? Criminal?" Sigmund asked.

"I don't know what kind of sick games you're playing, you murderer, but I won't let you use me as a tool to kill!" Sezja immediately took an earth-bending stance.

Sigmund looked terrified. What had he done wrong?

"What do you want with me?" Sezja backed up, her eyes fearful and untrusting.

"What's wrong?" Sigmund whimpered.

_Maybe he really doesn't remember, but that face. Why? I almost thought I'd found someone to care for, _Sezja backed away.

"Sezja? What did I do wrong?" Sigmund looked at her with big, sad eyes. The pale green matched the early spring trees behind him. Sigmund took two steps towards her, "What'd I do?"

_Okay, you'll figure this out later, just try not to panic, _Sezja took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, "Sorry, just remembering something bad. It wasn't anything you did."

"You looked scared?" Sigmund sounded out the word.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Sezja tried to hide her trembling. She remembered those eyes, so cruel and heartless. She remembered cowering in the tunnels as Zenjiro, no older than thirteen, killed three travelers. He wasn't like the other murderers and thieves in the tunnels, no, he killed while people were awake. He killed to hear their screams, "We probably need to start gathering fire wood."

Sigmund watched her walk off, afraid to follow.

"Come on, Siggy," Sezja smiled as if nothing had happened, "We need to gather firewood before it's too dark."

* * *

Sezja held a lantern in front of herself, disrupting the thick blackness of the tunnels.

"Sezja, what's that?" Sigmund pointed at a shadow that had just come in range of the dim light.

She walked forward ahead of him but gagged at what she found. Blood covered the rocks and three travelers, water-benders by their appearance, lay on the ground with open wounds. One, a young woman, had her throat slit. Another, a young man, had a whole in his ribcage where a knife had been forced through and stabbed into his heart. The third, a boy a bit younger than the two, lay crying weakly for help.

"H-help...please," his pale lips twitched.

Sezja immediately set to work, checking the other two for pulses. Each had a weak pulse.

"Sigmund, go to the next inn, it'll look just like the one we stayed in before. Tell them I'll be bringing injured people soon. Very injured people," Sezja commanded as she pulled a small package from her pocket and unwrapped the watertight fabric. She pulled out a roll of bandages and quickly unrolled part of it, "Take the kid with you. He doesn't need urgent care at the moment."

Sigmund nodded as he awkwardly picked the child up. His mind didn't question the words Sezja spoke as it normally did. He knew what everything meant for some reason. He ran down the tunnel, the lantern held in one hand and the child cradled in the other arm.

Sezja carefully stuffed the thick bandages into the wounds, she would dress the wounds properly after the bleeding was stopped and they were safe at the inn. With a wince she carefully pulled the man's arm over her shoulder and then carefully lifted the woman to where she could pull her arm over her other shoulder. With a small grunt of effort Sezja began sprinting down the tunnel, the handle of the lantern held carefully in her teeth. Soon the inn came into view. She struggled to the door and propped it open with her foot, knowing someone would probably come and help her open it all the way.

Sigmund pulled the door the rest of the way for her, holding it until she passed him with the two unconscious people.

The inn keeper looked nervous, "Sezja, it's been awhile. Now, just follow your nice guy friend to the room that boy is being healed in."

"There's a healer here? That'll save me some trouble. Won't have to wait for these wounds to heal or worry about this poor woman being a mute," Sezja spoke breathlessly around the lamp as she climbed the stairs after Sigmund.

"They boy is fine," Sigmund said, "They healed? him."

"That's good," Sezja panted as they reached the room and Sigmund opened the unlocked door.

The boy was asleep on a cot that had been brought in. A young man with short, carefully trimmed and combed brown hair and tan skin sat, a water-pouch hung over his shoulder.

"These three are very lucky you two found them," the man commented. He seemed to be a few years older than Sezja, "And that you had something to stop the bleeding with."

"Are they all gonna be okay? I mean, they're really beat up," Sezja fidgeted as she remembered a similar experience she had, only no one had helped her.

"They'll be fine," the man chuckled as he streamed water from the pouch and let it spread as a cushion across his palms. He places the water on the woman's throat and healed it flawlessly. He then moved to the man and carefully healed his wound.

"They'll be fine once they wake up. Is there anything else I can do for you all?" the man asked.

Sezja nodded, "Awhile back I got stabbed in the tunnels and it never healed properly. It keeps reopening. Could you heal it?"

"Of course, just come here," the man gave up his seat and let Sezja take his place, she delicately unbuttoned the bottom of her shirt to reveal the bandages and unwrap them. The wound still oozed blood and blackish scabs had almost formed but having broken they only crusted the sides of the old wound, "How long has this been here?"

"Almost a month, to be honest. It never healed because it always did this, it split again," Sezja frowned.

The man healed her side, the wound closed easily, not even leaving a scar.

"Thank you," Sezja gave a small nod as she re-buttoned the bottom few buttons of her light green shirt, "And, one more thing; do you know anything about amnesia? Or total memory loss?"

"No, I'm sorry. Would I be too intrusive to ask why?" he shook his head.

"A friend of mine can't remember a thing. I mean, he knows _some _words and he can figure some out on his own but most words he doesn't know or understand. I just wanted to help him," Sezja smiled. _What the heck are you doing?! You know who he is now! Why would you want him to remember that?!_

"I'm very sorry to hear that, I wish I could help. Tell him I hope he remembers soon," the water-bender gave a kind smile. He stood to go back to the common room.

The young boy stirred. He only seemed two or three years younger than Sezja. His eyes opened, revealing dull blue eyes, "Where am I?"

"You're at the Lost Inn. Are you feeling okay?" Sezja asked worriedly.

The boy nodded, he studied the room. His eyes seemed to brighten when he saw the living forms of his traveling companions, "Did you save them?"

"I brought them here, but I'm not the one who healed them. I'm not a water-bender; however, there was a healer in the common room when my friend Sigmund arrived here with you."

"Thank you, thanks so much!" tears welled in the kid's eyes, gently dripping down his face, "I was afraid we were gonna die."

"I know, I've been in a similar situation before. Are you hungry at all?" Sezja could feel her stomach building up to growl, hoping that no one else noticed.

The boy nodded.

"I'll go see if there's any food prepared at the moment. I'll be back soon, kid," Sezja smiled, substituting kid for his name, which she did not know.

"My name is Sandrino, if you don't want to call me kid," he seemed so perky for someone in his situation.

"Alright, Sandrino. I'll go see if there's any food prepared," Sezja smiled. The bag of various, salt packed meats was still slung over her shoulder. She stood and walked to the door, opening it and walking down the stairs.

* * *

A/N: Okay, Imma end it there because it just seems like a good place to end it. Yeah, I was originally gonna kill of the kid's friends, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, I wanna hear what you think, plus, reviews make me really happy. I love to hear from you all :) Please R&amp;R, thanks for reading! Thanks a bunch for favoriting or following. And sorry for the wait, I was on vacation and while I did have my kindle it has a really suckish autocorrect that makes me mad. I didn't want to scream and throw it at a wall so I decided to just write this when I got home :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA, seriously, if so then there would've been something much like this :)

* * *

Chapter 6

Sezja walked down the creaky stairs to the empty common room. The Lost Inn had recently suffered from two cases of the epidemic, making it a last resort for travelers.

"Innkeeper?" Sezja looked around.

The rather plump man looked up, "Oh, Sezja was it? That young man referred to you as that."

"Yeah, is there any food prepared in the kitchens? The boy we brought just woke up and he's kinda hungry," Sezja asked, trying to ignore the loud grumble her stomach released.

"Yes, there's plenty," he smiled.

"Can I get some to take up to him and my friend? And a plate for myself?" Sezja asked as her stomach gurgled.

"Of course, stay here and I'll be right back out," he grinned. He waddled to the kitchen and opened the swinging door. He returned a moment later with three plates of food.

"Thank you, and I have something to trade for the food and another room for my friend and I. I'm also covering for the three travelers' room," Sezja, before she took the plates, let the bag drop from her shoulder. She loosened the top and pulled out three waterproof fabric wrapped objects. She gently unsealed the fabric to show large slabs of red meat, coated in salt to preserve them.

"This is too much, I can't accept it for so little!" the innkeeper insisted.

"Yes you can. I've asked far too much for so little," Sezja smiled, resealed the packages, tightened the rope on the bag and slung it back onto her shoulder. She then reached out to accept the plates, "Thank you."

She then turned towards the stairs, "Uh, could that also be used to get another meal for the healer?"

"Certainly," the innkeeper nodded.

Sezja smiled and began to walk up the steep, splintering stairs. She opened the door to see that Sandrino was sitting up. He seemed perfectly fine aside from the recent trauma.

"I brought food," Sezja smiled as she handed one plate to Sandrino, another to Sigmund, and kept for herself. She sat down on the floor, too lazy to bother searching the room for a chair. The plate held a small amount of food, consisting of some sort of red meat with small amounts of green, leafy, unnamable vegetables.

Soon the three had finished their food and were chatting randomly. Sezja knew she would have to ask Sandrino about who attacked him eventually, but the topic arose sooner than she would have liked.

Sezja had just asked what had happened. She hadn't meant to. Her thoughts slipped.

"I was on guard duty, my sister and her boyfriend had taken guard duty for the past three nights. Then I heard someone coughing farther up the tunnel. As they got closer, I noticed something seemed off about all four of the men who approached. They all looked ill and drunk. They had the epidemic, I was afraid that we'd catch it so I was going to wake up sis and Hagan so we could move further down the tunnels. I turned my back on those men for a few seconds when I felt something hit me in the side. At first I thought I'd just been kicked, but then I noticed how much blood was on my clothed. I was too dazed to react as they went to kill sis, but I managed to get a grip and keep them from slitting Hagan's throat too," Sandrino had pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on his arms set across them, "They got pretty mad and stabbed me again before they turned around and stabbed Hagan in the chest. Then they took the food and money we were carrying."

"Was there anything else memorable about them?" Sezja asked. Part of her job as one of the few people willing to forage and hunt was also finding murderers and thieves in the tunnels.

"No, but they're probably already dead," Sandrino answered, "They looked pretty sick."

Sezja nodded, letting a calm silence fill the room.

Little noise came from the common room, only the sound of a few plates being set on tables.

* * *

Sezja and Sigmund had gone to their own room less than an hour later.

"Siggy, you should get the bed this time. You slept on a cot last time, it's my turn to give up the bed," Sezja insisted as she propped the door open with her foot; her hands were full with a thick blanket she'd "borrowed" from another room.

Sigmund had spent most of the time arguing, but he finally gave up and accepted Sezja's offer.

Soon both had settles down, leaving the other to assume they had fallen asleep.

_Zenjiro? Sezja was scared? of that name. Did I do something wrong? _for the past three nights Sigmund had thought of this instead of sleeping. His mind wouldn't stop and he was exhausted. He rolled over on the lumpy straw mattress.

Sezja had her back turned towards his side of the room, the blanket pulled up over the back of her head.

_I'm sorry? Sezja. I did something wrong, didn't? I? _Sigmund looked at the way Sezja's sides rose and fell. This was the first time he had seen her sleeping peacefully. Normally she tossed and whimpered, talking and occasionally screaming in her sleep. Soon Sigmund's own thoughts slowed and stopped, leaving his mind in blissful, thoughtless darkness.

* * *

Sezja awoke cold, she had kicked her blanket off in her sleep. The small lamp in the room had burned itself out, leaving only the slit of light from under the loose door to see by. Sezja's side didn't ache when she awoke. Her mind then registered that she had been healed. She glanced around the room, only to see Sigmund fast asleep. For the first time she realized that she'd never seen Sigmund asleep. He always woke before her or was woken up by her nightmares.

Sigmund rolled over, yawning. His green eyes caught the light that filtered from under the door.

"Good morning," Sezja said, staring at the ceiling.

"Morning?" Sigmund questioned, yawning wide again.

This caused Sezja to yawn before she responded, "The time of day when the sun rises, normally when you wake up."

"Wake?" Sigmund yawned again after seeing Sezja yawn.

"Go from being asleep to awake," Sezja yawned again.

Sigmund didn't question her explanation, though it still made no sense to him.

"We probably need to leave soon. I want to make it to the next hunting ground before sunset. It'll take us a few hours though," Sezja had already stood up and stretched her arms above her head.

Sigmund nodded in agreement.

"I'm gonna go see how Sandrino is doing and tell him goodbye, wanna come?" Sezja asked as she headed towards the door.

"Gonna? Goodbye? Come?" Sigmund asked, unfamiliar with the words. He had already stood and was following Sezja down the stairs.

"Gonna means going to, we are going somewhere to do something. Goodbye means uh, when you're not gonna see someone again or for a long time that's what you say to them. Come means to follow someone somewhere," Sezja did her best to explain. Soon they reached the common room. Sandrino and the girl and boy from before were sitting at a table eating.

"Sezja!" Sandrino cheerfully called the older girl over through a mouthful of some type of meat.

"How are you feeling, Sandrino?" Sezja smiled.

"Great! Sis and Hagan wanted to thank you too," Sandrino grinned as he swallowed the large mouthful of food.

"Thank you for saving us all," the man, Hagan, smiled.

"What type of person would I be if I didn't help you guys?" Sezja smiled.

"We really mean it. I'm sorry if you had any trouble because of us," the young woman smiled.

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I had a similar situation in the tunnels recently and I don't want anyone to be alone when they're injured," Sezja assured, her hand unconsciously drifting to where the injury on her side had been, "Sorry for the short meeting, but I've really got to get moving."

"I hope we meet again," the young woman smiled as she held her hand out to shake.

"The tunnels are small, I'm sure we will," Sezja smiled.

Sigmund and Sezja turned to leave.

"See sis?! She's so polite! I love her!" Sandrino grinned once he thought the two were out of ear range.

"What's that, your fifth crush this week?" Hagan taunted the younger boy.

"Sezja, what does love mean?" Sigmund asked once they were in the tunnels.

"_That _will be hard to explain. The way I see it there are two kinds of love. There's love for family and friends, then there's when you love a certain person. When you love family or friend it just means you care about them, you want them to be safe and you enjoy spending time with them. Then there's the second type of love," Sezja was glad the dim shadows cast by the flickering lantern flames hid the blush spreading across her cheeks and her ears, "It's when you want to spend your entire life with someone and you never want them to leave you. You feel like you'll do anything for them and it makes you happy to be around them. You want to hug them and kiss them."

"Family? Friend? Care? Safe? Spending? Entire? Life? Happy? Hug? Kiss?" Sigmund asked cluelessly.

"Family is people who you grow up with, like Wyman is almost my family. Friends are people who you can count on and have fun with. Care is when you, uhm, want the best for someone because they mean something to you. Safe, we're safe in inns. Spending is just the time you're around someone. Entire means all of. Life is the time you're living and breathing. Happy is the feeling you get that makes you want to smile. A hug is a way to express friendship or love. And a kiss, is, er, um, well, it's," Sezja's heart beat the tiniest bit faster at the last explanation, "This." Sezja balanced on her tiptoes and let her arms rest against Sigmund's shoulders before she let her lips meet his. As soon as she had kissed him she pulled back.

"Sezja, are you okay?" Sigmund noticed how red Sezja's face was.

"I'm fine," Sezja quickly assured as she picked up the lantern she had set on a rock and began walking quickly, leaving Sigmund to scramble trying to catch up.

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch if you read this boring chapter. I know, the end was cheesy. Believe it or not this whole story was just supposed to be SezjaXSigmund, no death, blood, murderers, disease, or any of that, but then my mind had to come in and kill that fun stuff. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think! :D


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA, however I do own all of my lovely ocs.

* * *

Chapter 7

Sezja and Sigmund continued along the tunnels in silence.

Sezja had stopped, her nose turned to the air as if she were trying to pinpoint a scent.

Sigmund almost gagged as the smell reached him, his stomach tossed and churned.

"Looks like we found the thieves," Sezja gagged, looking at the dead bodies in front of them. The smell of urine filled the tunnel, as well as the smell of feces, "They died pretty recently too."

"It stinks?" Sigmund sounded out the word, hardly able to speak without retching.

"Yep, that's the right word," Sezja nodded as she pinched her nose closed, "Siggy, go ahead to the next inn."

"Why, Sezja?" Sigmund asked, pinching his nose shut against the stench too.

"I'll catch up, don't worry," Sezja assured.

Sigmund nodded and continued down the currently narrow tunnel, lamp held in front of him.

Sezja set down the bag of objects she carried and pulled out some various bits of fire wood and the box of matches. With the objects in hand she set the bag far away as she set up a large fire pit. Soon she lit the body sized stack of wood and walked to the corpses. Just before she reached down to drag one of the bodies she pulled a scrap of green fabric from her pocket and tied it over her mouth and nose; this was her attempt at caution. With a small grunt of effort she lifted the first, heavy body towards the crackling fire and threw it onto the burning wood. Fabric lit up in smoke and skin slowly blistered to ash. Bone remained, turning similar colors to the branches fueling the fire. She dragged the rest of the bodies to the fire, burning all four of the infected corpses.

With that out of the way Sezja returned to the bag and put the matches back in their place. She untied the cloth over her mouth and nose and began to follow the turns of the tunnel towards the Protector Inn. The smell of ammonia was finally getting to her and made her head pound. Soon the old building, built into a hole in the wall, came into view. Lamp light spilled from around the jaggedly build door as she extinguished her own lamp. She opened the door, thankful that the various smells cleared her sinuses of the lingering stench.

Sigmund was sitting at a table by the stairs waiting for her.

_He's like a puppy-cub, _Sezja thought with a smile at her friend. He looked like a loyal puppy-cub waiting for its owner to return.

"Did they have any open rooms, Siggy?" Sezja asked as she reached where he was sitting.

"Yeah," Sigmund nodded, "We got the last room."

"That's good," Sezja smiled, sitting at the small table next to him.

"Sezja!" the innkeeper exclaimed as he ran over to hug the earth-bender.

"Hi uncle," Sezja quickly stepped out of reach of the hug, "How have things been?"

"Not good, I got a message today that brother's inn had seen a case of the plague. He'll probably lose more money and food," the thin man shook his head sadly. His hair was graying but he looked no older than twenty-five. He stood taller than even Sigmund.

"Is Wyman okay?" Sezja's body tensed in fear.

"Yes, him and Asim are fine. It was only one person and they dealt with it swiftly but you know the rumors down here," he tried to brush it off and laugh, but it came out as more of a wheeze.

"Dealt? Swiftly? Rumors?" Sigmund questioned.

"Dealt means to handle, like how I took care of the injured water benders. Swiftly means quickly. Rumors are stories spread about something, they may or may not be right," Sezja explained.

"This must be Sigmund," the innkeeper studied the boy at the table, "Wyman told me to send a message once you two arrived here, saying you're safe. I better go do that."

"Thanks, Toan," Sezja bobbed her head in thanks as she followed Sigmund to the empty room Toan had showed him to before.

"It's your turn to have the bed, Siggy," Sezja said once they'd entered the room and she set the bag she carried down.

"Are you sure?" Sigmund asked, not remembering who had slept on the bed at the last inn.

"Yep," Sezja nodded. She knew in advance that the Protector Inn kept no cots so whoever didn't get the bed got the ground, "We should probably get some food soon. We'll need to leave early tomorrow, again. I want to get back to the Bender's Friend as soon as possible to check on Wyman. Dang, even if we didn't stop and rest at all it'd take a week going the entire way around the tunnels. Would you be alright if we turned back tomorrow, Siggy?"

Sigmund nodded in response to her question.

"Good, let's go get some food and then get to sleep," Sezja smiled as she walked to the door.

Sigmund followed.

The common room was louder than most, gamblers dotted various tables of the room, crowding around one table or another and talking rather loudly. Friends and families sat at tables enjoying food and conversation. A rather unusual addition to the room, however, was a young woman playing a harp and singing a tale of the benders' time before they were pushed from the surface to the tunnels.

Toan wandered from table to table, occasionally breaking up fights and scolding friends for the length between visits. He turned as he noticed Sezja and Sigmund, "Sezja, would you like a meal?"

"Yes please, Uncle Toan," Sezja smiled, following him to the kitchen and chattering the entire time. This left Sigmund alone in the middle of the loud, brightly lamp lit common room. He suddenly felt afraid. He didn't know why but he felt insecure and lost when he was alone. With a small yelp he made his way to the kitchen too, following Sezja.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk across the room," Sezja glanced over he shoulder as the kitchen door opened to reveal Sigmund entering.

"Wanted to," Sigmund mumbled as he walked over to stand next to Sezja.

Sezja shrugged as she turned back to her conversation with Toan, "Gleb really came through here? Hope I don't run into him on the way to the Bender's Friend. I might just lose my temper this time."

"He even had a girl with him. A girl even younger than you," Toan shook his head.

"He's a creep, we all know that much," Sezja shrugged as she accepted the two plates of food Toan handed her, "I'll see you tomorrow before I leave, Toan. I promise I won't forget to say goodbye."

"Send a message over once you reach Wyman's inn, okay?" Toan reminded as Sezja led Sigmund back to the common room.

"You might have to remind me tomorrow, too," Sezja rolled her eyes as she propped the door open with her shoulder, allowing Sigmund to pass, "Toan's ridiculous sometimes."

"Ridiculous?" Sigmund tilted his head in question.

"I'm not really sure how to explain that. It's like when someone does something with no reason and they do this often I guess," Sezja puzzled, unsure how to explain.

Sigmund accepted the explanation, though he was still deeply confused.

"Siggy, you know that if you ever just want to go back to the surface or stay at an inn when I go, you can. It won't upset me or anything," Sezja said as she set the plates of food on an empty table.

"Upset?" Sigmund asked.

"Hurt my feelings," Sezja said, "I've noticed the way you've seemed to linger behind me, as if you want to stay somewhere. If you ever want to just tell me."

"I've been, thinking? I have just had a lot? on my mind? recently?" Sigmund sounded out the words, a look close to worry plastered on his face like wet paper.

"Okay," Sezja gave a small, relieved smile, "Whatcha been thinking about?"

"Dreams. I have been having more dreams recently. They seem? like memories?" Sigmund played with the food on his plate, pushing it around with a fork and occasionally taking small bites. He seemed more interested in the conversation than in the food.

"What are they?" Sezja's face paled at this statement.

"I always? feel weak? and hurt? in them. I'm coughing? up blood? and people? call me a traitor? One girl? seems worried? about me and defends? me. Then I always wake up?" Sigmund sounded out the words as he took a small bite of his food.

"Do you remember anything else?" Sezja felt sickness rising in her gut as she made herself ask, afraid of what he would answer.

"Non-benders?" Sigmund sounded out the word.

_Okay, why doesn't he remember killing? He remembers this all so clearly, but he can't remember all of the people he murdered?! _anger boiled within Sezja as she thought, _No, Siggy isn't Zenjiro!_

"Sezja, are you okay?" Sigmund asked.

"Fine," Sezja said in a detached voice, finishing her food and leaving the plate to be gathered later with the rest by Toan, "I'm gonna go get some sleep. Come up when you're finished eating."

Sigmund nodded and quickly finished his food, scampering behind his friend.

When they reached the room Sezja grabbed one of the two blankets off of the bed and flopped onto the floor, her arm substituting a pillow. She ignored Sigmund's questioning look as he flopped onto the bed.

"Night, Siggy," Sezja yawned.

She earned no response.

* * *

_Pain pulsed through Zenjiro's body as he clutched his chest, gasping for air in his weakening lungs. Deep cuts covered his arms and legs, his clothes were torn and he could hear shouting behind him._

_"Nobody wants this kid, I don't see why they don't just let us kill him now," a voice scoffed._

_"Something about him knowing valuable information," another voice sounded as if the owner had shrugged._

_"I think we should just kill him. The kid's already too sick to save anyway," the first voice sounded indifferent._

Just a little farther. Please, body, just a little farther, _Zenjiro's eyes began to close, his mind desperately trying to move his body. With no luck he fell back against the tree he was near. Pain pulsed through his entire body as darkness enveloped his mind._

Sigmund opened his eyes. The room was dark and Sezja mumbled in her sleep, occasionally whimpering about her side hurting. He stared at the ceiling, wishing he could force his mind to settle down.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I was being lazy. Thanks a bunch for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 8

Sigmund lagged behind Sezja's unusually quick pace through the dark tunnels. Exhaustion dragged at the edges of his mind, "Slow? down, Sezja."

"Oh, sorry. I just wanna get back to the Bender's Friend quickly," Sezja chuckled as she stopped long enough for Sigmund to catch up. She began walking a bit slower, "You look tired. Y'all right?"

"I'm fine," Sigmund nodded, yawning. His toes caught on a rock and sent him jolting forward, catching himself before he fell.

"Sure about that?" Sezja laughed.

Sigmund nodded, his eyes half open from exhaustion.

"Lets go above ground and camp out for the night. Sound like a plan?" Sezja suggested.

Sigmund happily agreed to this offer.

Soon the two had a small camp set up. The sun was only barely starting to go down.

"You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" Sezja asked as she stared at the reddening sky.

"No," Sigmund answered.

"Any reason?" Sezja asked.

"Too much on my mind," Sigmund answered simply.

"For how much you claim goes on in that head of yours you never really talk about it," Sezja smirked at him.

"Claim? Never?" Sigmund questioned.

"Say, make others think is right. Does not happen," Sezja explained, having almost forgot about his lack of memory.

Sigmund nodded, taking in the new words.

"You should probably try to get some sleep, don't want you so tired tomorrow," Sezja smiled.

With a nod Sigmund laid down, his back facing Sezja.

Sezja sat silently, looked ahead at the sky. Blood red faded to pink and orange and yellow to purple and blue across the sky. It seemed like hours had passed as she stared at the sky. Soon it darkened to a blackness that was uncomfortable. Soon stars appeared and gave dim light to the darkness. A sliver of moon hung in the sky. The air had taken on a chill when Sezja finally laid down, stretching across the rough, dead grass under her.

* * *

Voices were the first things to awake the sleeping earth-benders. Loud voices.

Something made rough contact with Sezja's side. Without a single thought she was on her feet ready to fight. A boy, no older than nine, lay where she had been. It looked as if he was what had run into her. Blood dripped from the kid's nose and the corners of his mouth as he rolled over, looking past Sezja's side at a tall girl.

The girl appeared to have lived on the surface for a long time, while the younger boy appeared to be from the tunnels. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight and he held a look of almost comfort in the dark lighting of the night.

"Give it up, kid. I found your entrance to the tunnels and you can't hide it by leading me away," the young woman barked a laugh. She was tall, with a fit build.

"It's worked so far," the kid almost hid behind Sezja as he spoke.

"You're a non-bender, aren't you? A spoiled, surface dwelling non-bender?" Sezja gladly stepped between the two, taking up an earth-bending stance.

"At least I'm not some tunnel grub," the non-bender spat.

"If we're grubs, then you must be slugs," the boy narrowed amber eyes at the woman.

"You think that was clever, don't you? Hate to tell you it was lame, kid, but it really kinda was," the non-bender rolled her eyes at him.

"Kid, what's your name?" Sezja asked over her shoulder, eyes still on the non-bender.

"Aman," he answered, "I think her name is Thao."

"Alright, thanks Aman," Sezja grinned.

"Why are names so important?" Thao asked.

"I just like to know who I'm protecting. And who I'm beating to a bloody pulp," Sezja smirked arrogantly.

Sigmund had stood and was now standing at Sezja's side.

Thao's eyes widened as she recognized Sigmund, "If it isn't our little escapee. So this is where you've been hiding."

"Escapee? Hiding?" Sigmund questioned.

"I'm surprised those benders even let you down into the tunnels. Didn't they want you dead?" Thao laughed.

"Shut up, Thao," Sezja snapped, immediately growing protective.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Thao felt she had found a useful weakness.

"Shut up and get ready to fight," Sezja had already sent a rock hurdling in the woman's direction.

Thao dodged. She held a spear in her left hand. With the spear outstretched Thao charged forward.

The three benders scattered, the spear missing all three of them.

Thao turned to attack Sezja, only to be met by a blast of fire sent by Aman. She stumbled back as the fire heated her face, searing the tip of her nose. Pain flashed through her left forearm and blazed across her shoulders.

She shrieked and writhed, wishing to escape the maddening, endless pain. Finally she could withstand the pain no longer and her thoughts turned to black in a flash.

"Good job, Aman," Sezja said, "Did someone close up the entrance she claimed to have found?"

Aman nodded.

"Good, lets leave her here for her companions to find," Sezja smiled and picked up the bag she always carried, "If you're headed back to the tunnels, Aman, so are we. If not we can accompany you wherever you need to go."

"I'm going back into the tunnels. I got what I needed when I came up here," Aman assured.

"Alright, lets get going," Sezja looked around quickly, assuring there was no one around, before she opened up a hole in the ground, "After you."

Aman nodded and slipped into the hole in the ground, followed by Sigmund then Sezja. As she fell Sezja closed the hole above them.

Aman landed with surprising grace, followed by Sigmund crash landing with a loud _thud_. Sezja landed on her feet beside Sigmund and waited for her fellow earth-bender to get up, "You still need to work on that landing, Siggy."

"Landing?" Sigmund asked, still slightly dazed from the fall.

"Yeah, what we just did," Sezja knew he'd understand that explanation.

"Miss, what're your names?" Aman asked politely as they began walking down the tunnels, lamps in hand.

"I'm Sezja, he's Sigmund," Sezja introduced.

"Miss?" Sigmund questioned.

"The way he just used it is a title for an unmarried woman. The other version is when something doesn't go where you want it to," Sezja explained.

"I know I sound a bit intrusive, but why doesn't he know these words?" Aman asked.

"He has memory loss. When I found him he didn't know what anything was and I had to give him a name. But I'm glad I did," Sezja smiled, the shadows across her face hiding her bright pink cheeks.

"Hey Sigmund, what type of bender are you?" Aman asked.

"Earth?" Sigmund sounded the word out.

"Good job, Siggy," Sezja smiled at him.

"What were you two doing on the surface?" Aman asked.

"I'm one of the material hunters. We were camping up there for a night on our way to the next inn," Sezja answered.

"Whoa! You're really a material hunter?" Aman's eyes seemed to sparkle in amazement.

"Yep, I've been going up and hunting for about six years now," Sezja grinned.

"Cool! What's it like spending so much time on the surface?" Aman seemed to bounce on his heels as he walked.

"It's pretty good, but it always feels like you've run a mile when you come back down here and realize you're safe from non-benders. The best part is being able to look up and see the sky, and know that some day everyone may be able to live up there again," Sezja couldn't figure out how to describe the big part of it. It was a feeling unique to being a material hunter, "You also feel free. Like at a time before you were a bender. I have to admit, though, it is dangerous to feel that way on the surface. To let your guard down and take in that feeling could also mean death or captivity. That's probably our biggest downfall."

"The leader of my old travel group used to be a material hunter. I think he said something like that too. Then one day he never came back down," Aman wondered if he truly should follow that dream to become a material hunter.

"He probably got captured. We're considered rather high value to the non-benders when we're brought in alive and coherent. We know about the tunnels and we know all of the entrances so they always take interest in us. That's why most material hunters go in groups on the surface. The other loners like me are the ones who usually get caught," Sezja confirmed.

"Have you ever seen the prisons where they keep benders on the surface?" Aman questioned.

"No," Sezja answered.

"Yes," Sigmund answered, something in his voice sounded different, off.

"Really?" Sezja asked.

"I was held in one for a month or two, along with my travel group," Sigmund nodded, "They're not as bad as people make them sound, especially for someone who's sick. They give you food and you don't have to worry about murder and thievery. You aren't separated from your loved ones, either. They keep you together as best as they can. It's a rather nice place for an outcast."

"Siggy, are you feeling alright?" Sezja's mouth had gone dry at the tone in his voice. It was detached and empty, with a small spark of hatred.

"Fine," Sigmund smiled, the tone gone.

"I think we're getting close to the Lost Inn, let's hurry up," Aman rushed ahead of the two.

"Slow down," Sezja jogged after the fire-bender.

Sigmund scrambled to catch up.

* * *

The Lost Inn came into view around the corner, spreading a thin fan of light across the ground from under the crooked door.

"Is this where you needed to be?" Sezja asked Aman.

"Yep! This is where I left from my travel group to go find something. They should still be here," he grinned.

"It's good to know that you're not traveling on your own. I was getting worried about that," Sezja smiled as she held the door open for Sigmund and Aman.

As soon as Aman entered the room he was tackled by two younger girls, both squealing and giggling.

"Hey guys," he smiled and ruffled their hair, "Sezja, Sigmund, these are my sisters, Bronka and Aderes."

"They're adorable!" Sezja squealed as she picked up Aderes in a hug.

Aderes had long black hair tied back into a braid that reached the middle of her back. She had pale skin, as did most of the tunnel dwellers. She squeaked as her feet left the ground.

"You're so cute," Sezja grinned as she set the small girl down.

"Aman, the others were getting worried. Did you find what you were looking for?" Bronka asked.

"Yep!" he grinned as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small package wrapped in butcher paper. He handed it to the two girls, "Happy early birthday!"

The girls carefully unwrap the bag to reveal candy. A small pile of candy.

"Thank's, Aman," Aderes smiled widely at her brother, showing off her gap toothed grin.

* * *

A/N: So I found that to be a good ending point :) Thanks a bunch for reading! :D Tell me whatcha think and whatcha wanna see and I'll be sure to work on it. R&amp;R.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA. Or my brain. Wait, what brain?

* * *

Chapter 9

_I really don't wanna sleep on the floor tonight, _Sezja though. Her back was sore from that morning whenever Aman had landed on her. In fact, her entire body just ached, _But I don't wanna make Siggy give up the bed. _

"Sezja, whose turn is it to sleep on the floor?" Sigmund asked.

"Mine," Sezja answered without thinking.

"Are you sure?" Sigmund's features creased in thought.

"I'm sure," Sezja answered.

"Wait, why don't we just share the bed?" Sigmund suggested.

"No, I'm fine with the floor," Sezja's cheeks heated to a shade of red.

"I thought you slept on the floor last time, though," Sigmund pointed out.

"No," Sezja assured.

Sigmund looked deeply confused for a moment. He finally dropped the subject, following Sezja up to the empty room they had been loaned.

"I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep," Sezja said. She laid the bag of various objects she carried down and used it as a pillow.

Sigmund didn't respond.

* * *

Sezja stared at the ceiling. Her head hurt from the various ways she had tried laying to fall asleep. She estimated it had been an hour since Sigmund's breathing had evened out into the calming patterns of sleep. Sighing, Sezja rolled over yet again. She had long ago kicked the blanket she was using away. Glancing over at the bed she noticed that there was just enough room for her to lay beside Sigmund and not fall off of the bed.

_That'd be really awkward though. Stupid inn! Why can't you have one free room with _two _beds for once?! _Sezja internally battled with herself over what to do. _I need sleep, I don't even care!_ Sezja silently stood and climbed onto the bed, curling into a ball to take up as little room as possible. She almost immediately felt her mind slipping away into sleep.

* * *

Sezja opened her eyes and noticed that the lamp hanging on the wall had be relit. She sat up and noticed that Sigmund was sitting on the floor, playing with a small rat-spider that had gotten into the room.

The rat-spider scuttled across his hands and up his wrist until he redirected it carefully with his free hand.

"Good morning," Sezja yawned, hoping she didn't startle him.

"Good morning," Sigmund glanced up from watching the creature climbing on his arm.

"I see you made a friend," Sezja giggled. She slid off of the bed and sat next to Sigmund.

"It's cute," Sigmund gently petted the rat-spider between the ears.

"Yeah, it is. Most people don't think fondly of these little guys, in fact most people hate 'em. I like them though. They keep the bug population down here pretty low," Sezja held her hand flat in front of Sigmund's wrist, allowing the rat-spider to climb onto her own hand. It walked up her arm, resting by her elbow. Chuckling, Sezja carefully turned the rat-spider to walk back down her forearm, "We probably need to get breakfast and leave soon. I'm feeling a little anxious about being away from the Bender's Friend."

"Okay. Fondly? Anxious?" Sigmund pondered the meanings of the words.

"Fondly means to think kindly about something. Anxious is nervous," Sezja explained.

"I think I know what nervous means," Sigmund thought even harder about the meanings of the words. He finally nodded as if he decided he knew the word.

"Let's go eat," Sezja smiled as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Sigmund followed her to the common room where they quickly ate, paid for their meals and stay with some of their gathered food, and left.

* * *

Sezja and Sigmund sat beside a small camp fire. Small, unknown rodents roasted by the fire.

"Good job hitting that squirrel-chipmunk," Sezja praised as she took one of the cooked rodents away from the fire, "If I didn't know any better I'd have thought that you'd hunted a lot before."

Sigmund blushed at the praise.

"We should get to the Bender's Friend the day after tomorrow," Sezja added, her thoughts skipping around, "Hey Siggy?"

"Yeah?" Sigmund answered.

"How come you keep coming with me and following me. Don't you have anywhere to go?" Sezja asked. She really wondered if he remembered anything.

"I don't know," Sigmund fell eerily silent at that. He had felt his memory slipping even more lately.

"Still don't remember? Oh well, I guess we'll figure something out eventually," Sezja gave a reassuring smile.

* * *

Almost a day had passed since Sezja and Sigmund had set up their last above ground camp. They were making better progress than Sezja had initially thought and were going to be to the Bender's Friend in the late evening.

"Sezja, I have to go to the bathroom," Sigmund stopped.

"Alright, I think I saw a hidden tunnel back there," Sezja pointed it out to Sigmund.

Sigmund nodded before he walked that way.

Sezja bent a small rock out of the ground to sit on, _I wonder how Wyman is. What if he got sick too? I hope not. Please be okay, daddy._ Sezja let her mind lose itself in thought. She only looked up when she heard footsteps.

"A material hunter on her own," a voice chuckled.

Three people stood in front of her. A girl, nineteen at the oldest, stood behind two men who looked to be in their early twenties.

"Find another material hunter to threaten for free food," Sezja made a small, shooing gesture with her hand, "I only trade and sell to people without blood on their hands."

"We don't bother threatening anyone," the girl shrugged. She blasted fire at Sezja, "We just kill them."

Sezja growled almsot silently as she scurried out of the fire's way. She lifted the ground beneath the three, only to find herself being buried in smaller rocks from above. Her chest tightened at the trapped feeling as she inhaled a mouthful of dirt and pebbles. The ground beneath her had dropped, leaving her in a hole which was now being covered. She freed herself, desperately spitting out dirt and small, rough pebbles.

"So you're an earth-bender, that's good to know," she felt ice close around her wrists and ankles, effectively keeping her from running or bending. The dirt that had remained in her mouth now filled her lungs with each breath.

"This girl's a skilled hunter," the earth-bender was going through Sezja's bag. The clear giveaway that she was a material hunter.

"We'll be eating good for awhile," the girl saw the various salt packed meat. There were also a variety of berries and other edible plants stashed away in the bag.

The water-bender pulled a knife from a sheath on his belt, "We just have to kill her for it."

"Please, I'll let you take all of the food and everything in that bag, just don't kill me," Sezja pleaded, "I promise I won't rat you out, just don't kill me."

"Aren't material hunters supposed to be brave enough to face non-benders and not beg for freedom?" the water-bender brought the knife down at Sezja's chest, but Sezja managed to squirm enough to free one wrist and push the knife away so it would only puncture the side of her chest, not her heart.

"Everyone begs for freedom," Sezja trembled as she felt blood drip down the side of her chest.

The water-bender slashed at her with the knife again; he seemed to be playing with her like a cat plays with a mouse.

The knife caught the other side of her chest and tugged free, slashing across her left bicep as well.

Footsteps echoed around the tunnels.

Sezja's eyes widened as she realized it was Sigmund.

The three attackers, upon realizing they could catch another possible material hunter, hid behind the rocks around the edges of the tunnels.

"Sigmund, run!" Sezja's voice was much quieter than she had expected.

"Sezja?" Sigmund had just seen her.

"Run!" Sezja warned as she watched the earth-bender sneak up behind him.

It was too late, the earth-bender had already slammed him to the ground.

"Leave him out of this! He's not a material hunter. He's just a stupid earth-bender who doesn't know anything. Please don't hurt him," Sezja begged as the earth-bender stepped harder onto Sigmund's shoulder. A sickening pop rang through the tunnels, "Please leave him alone! Stop! STOP!"

"You seem to care about him," the fire-bender observed, "Why is that if he's just a 'stupid earth-bender who doesn't know anything'? He must have something very important for you to care that much."

"I care so much because he's my friend!" Sezja growled as she finally broke the ice around her wrists. "Get away from Siggy," Sezja had completely freed herself and approached the other earth-bender threateningly.

"What can you do about-" the earth-bender was cut off as he was thrown back by a thick pillar of rock slamming into him.

"Never hurt Sigmund, or I'll kill you," Sezja growled, _Why am I being so defensive of him? I know who he is! What is wrong with me? Why don't I just run away and get home as soon as I can. I can make it before I bleed out._

"I think we struck a nerve," the fire-bender let a small flame ignite in her hand. She pointed it towards Sigmund.

Sezja caused a long divide to open in the ground between Sigmund and the fire-bender. The ground's trembling knocked the fire-bender deep into the ground, "Are you okay, Siggy?"

Sigmund was staring at where Sezja's shirt was torn to reveal deep wounds.

"Siggy, is your shoulder hurt?" Sezja gently prodded his shoulder, earning a wince. She glanced up as she saw slight movement. She had forgotten about the water-bender from before.

"You actually killed her," he seemed impressed that Sezja had managed to kill the fire-bender, "We underestimated you."

"I don't want to kill you too, so step back," Sezja growled, she stood from where she had crouched beside Sigmund.

"That shouldn't be a problem. I don't plan to die easily," the water-bender took a few steps forward. A spike of ice formed in his hand as he suddenly rushed forward and hit Sezja directly over the heart with the spike of ice.

Sezja gasped as she looked at the ice in her chest. She swallowed hard as she forced herself to drop the ground beneath the water-bender. She closed it above him, leaving him to suffocate and never be found. Glancing again at the ice, Sezja wondered how deeply it had gone, "Sigmund, I don't think I can make it to the inn. I think I've lost too much blood."

_Blood? _Sigmund seemed to understand she needed help, so he didn't bother asking what blood was. Without really knowing what he was doing he picked her up and started walking towards the inn.

"Thanks, Siggy. Is your shoulder doing okay?" Sezja asked. Her voice seemed different than normal. It didn't hold its usual bright cheer and sarcasm.

"It's fine," Sigmund assured, though it hurt him badly.

"That's good..." Sezja's voice trailed as her eyes slipped closed.

Sigmund continued towards the Bender's Friend.

* * *

A/N: Hehe, I'm sorry about the ending of this chapter, but I just had to. Thanks a bunch for reading! :D


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 10

Wyman nearly panicked as Sigmund carried Sezja through the door. She was unconscious and blood stained her thin shirt.

"She's hurt?" Sigmund sounded out the word, desperately hoping it was the right word.

Wyman wordlessly took Sezja from Sigmund's arms. She suddenly seemed so fragile to both of them.

"What happened?" Wyman noticed the way Sigmund's arm hung limp. He didn't waste any time scurrying up the stairs to one of the empty rooms.

Sigmund stayed silent at the question, too many unknown words buzzed through his mind, "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, these injuries are pretty severe. You got her here quickly, though, so she should live," Wyman assured. He laid Sezja on the single bed in the room and rummaged through his pocket until he found a small rolls of gauze, soon followed by a needle and thread. He continued searching through his pockets until he found a few clean scraps of fabric (A/N: Wow, Wyman has big pockets, wonder if he keeps a library in them?) He stored the needle and thread within one of his pockets again and carefully pressed a scrap of cloth to the worst of Sezja's injuries. Soon he had bandages every injury tightly, successfully stopping the immense bleeding.

"Sigmund is your arm alright?" Wyman asked, glancing at Sigmund's injured arm.

"No, I can't move it and my shoulder? hurts?" Sigmund sounded out the proper words.

"What happened?" Wyman asked as he inspected Sigmund's shoulder, carefully turning his arm in circles and watching the way his shoulder moved, "Your shoulder's fine, just really bruised. You'll be able to move your arm once the swelling goes down."

Sigmund sat wordlessly, trying to put the fight into words he didn't understand.

"I'll just ask Sezja what happened when she wakes up. Can you stay up here and come get me when she wakes up?" Wyman was already out of the door before Sigmund could respond.

* * *

Sezja's eyes opened weakly. Her body ached aside from the throbbing stab wounds. She felt weak and she felt an annoying tickle in the back of her throat. She coughed a dry, hoarse, barking cough.

"Sezja?" Sigmund was leaning over her.

"We're at the Bender's Friend?" Sezja asked quietly.

Sigmund nodded.

"Thank you, Siggy. You saved my life. I thought I was gonna die," Sezja smiled gratefully up at him.

"Die?" Sigmund had never heard that word before.

Sezja's face paled at the question, "Nothing. I'll tell you later."

"What does die mean?" Sigmund asked again. He was tired of her always answering that way.

"It's when someone stops breathing. They won't wake up ever again. Their life is over. It can be caused by injury, illness, old age, or murder. But you should know that, right? Zenjiro, you should know that so well!" Sezja snapped. Her thoughts were fuzzy, as were her senses. She wanted to stop herself from speaking but she couldn't, "You've _killed _plenty of people! I'd say close to fifty. You've made so many benders, your own kind, suffer until they died!"

Sezja had never acted like that around Sigmund. It scared him, seeing her that upset.

"But your oh-so-innocent mask keeps you from remembering it, doesn't it? Why I helped you in the first place is beyond me!" images of that day so long ago flashed before Sezja's eyes. The small travel group she saw slaughtered when she was too young to help. They were mercilessly stabbed and left for dead, all bleeding into a large, collective puddle on the ground.

Sigmund darted from the room.

As Sezja collapsed back to lay down she realized her injuries had reopened. Blood soaked the bandages and made her mind even fuzzier than before. She laid her head back and coughed again, harder this time. Her throat ached and her chest felt tight. She heard the door open.

"Sezja, are ya alright? Sigmund seemed terrified," Wyman noticed the blood soaking through her bandages.

"I'm a terrible person, dad," Sezja murmured, "I shouldn't have said any of that to him. I shouldn't have talked to him like that."

"Tell me what happened while I change yer bandages," Wyman carefully removed her bloody shirt and bandages before he began packing each wound with gauze.

"Sigmund asked me what 'die' means. I-I answered more than I should have," Sezja murmured in near silence.

"How so?" Wyman asked, still oblivious to Sigmund's identity.

"I can't tell you," Sezja said quietly.

"Alright. Is anything else wrong, besides that and yer injuries? Your face is awfully red," Wyman said.

"I don't feel good," Sezja answered.

Wyman felt her forehead with the back of his hand. His eyes widened, "Sezja, have ya been coughing? Does yer throat hurt? Are ya achy? Is it hard ta breathe?"

"Yeah, why?" Sezja suddenly realized what he was saying, "N-no, it can't be. I couldn't have caught it. No! I don't want to die like this."

"Calm down," Wyman's voice quaked, "Sezja, are ya well enough ta make it ta the surface?"

"I might need a little help, but Sigmund should be plenty capable of helping me," Sezja swallowed hard.

"I need ya ta get ta the surface quickly. If it's found out ya're sick ya'll be separated from Sigmund and taken ta one of the 'hospitals'. Do ya understand?" Wyman explained.

"Yes," Sezja nodded.

"I hope ya recover. When ya do, come back home," Wyman smiled sadly. He wanted to hug her, he wanted to assure her it would be okay, but being in the room with her even this long was dangerous, "I love ya, Sezja. Goodbye, daughter-o-mine."

"Goodbye, father-o-mine," tears welled up in Sezja's eyes as she had to resist the urge to hug him, "I'll remember to bring you some food when I get better."

"I'll go tell Sigmund the plan," Wyman stood up as tears silently escaped his eyes.

_I'm sorry, Wyman, Toan. I promise I'll come home. I'll come home with enough food to feed all of your customers for a week. I'll bring dried plants and meats, I'll bring fresh water, everything you'll ever want and need. I promise that I'll see you two laughing together over my elongated sentences. But for now, goodbye, _Sezja forced herself to stand on weak legs and pick up her material hunter bag. She carefully pulled on her torn, bloody shirt and buttoned each button. She opened the door and walked to the common room, wondering if this would be the last time she would see the familiar stairwell, the tattered doors, or the over crowded common room. As if it were an omen, the normally bustling common room held only two people. Sigmund and Wyman. Business had already dropped from the last case of the epidemic.

"Sigmund will take ya ta the surface. We can only hope ya heal from this on yer own," Wyman said.

_Would he really trust Sigmund with his daughter's well being if he knew who he was? How can I be thinking that right now?! _Sezja wobbled unsteadily on her feet for a moment. Before she even knew what was happening Sigmund had picked her up, "I'll see you later, dad."

"I'll see you later," Wyman assured.

* * *

"Sezja, is this a good spot to set up camp?" Sigmund had stopped at a familiar clearing. A large, shallow pond hung to one side and trees surrounded the area.

"Yes, very good," Sezja nodded her head against his shoulder. He was carrying her piggy-back style.

Sigmund carefully set her down.

"I don't think we'll need a camp fire, tonight. The weather's warming up," Sezja smiled. Truthfully, she was afraid the smoke would worsen her already progressing cough.

"Okay," Sigmund sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry for earlier. I don't know what came over me," Sezja apologized, "Thanks for staying by my side even when I snap like that."

"It's okay," Sigmund assured her.

Sezja coughed, a deep sound from within her chest. A few small clumps of mucus clung to the hand she covered her mouth with. She wiped her hand on the grass beside her before laying down. Her breathing became more difficult with this motion, and she sat up.

"What's wrong?" Sigmund asked, almost sounding out the word 'wrong' but not quiet using his normal tone of question.

"Laying down makes it hard to breathe," Sezja said. She laid her head against Sigmund's shoulder, shifting most of her weight onto the side of her hip. Her eyelids soon grew heavy and closed.

Sigmund barely noticed the way Sezja was shivering. In the recent fight with the three benders one sleeve of Sezja's shirt had been torn clean off of her shirt, leaving every inch of skin on that arm exposed to the cool air. Her fever made everything seem so cold. Sigmund carefully pulled a blanket from the bag Sezja carried and draped it over her.

_What do I do now? How can I help? her? _Sigmund thought.

* * *

A/N: I'm gonna leave it there :) Thanks a bunch for reading! :D I really wanna hear what y'all think of this.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep saying this? Really?

* * *

Chapter 11

Sezja's body shook from the force of her coughing. Over the night her breathing grew labored and her cough grew more forceful. She tried to draw in breath between coughs, resulting in her choking on air.

"Are you alright?" Sigmund asked uncertainly. He couldn't think of any way to help her.

"Fine," Sezja's voice rasped rawly, "I just hope no non-benders hear me coughing like this. It'll be a dead-givaway on where we are."

"Sezja, are you gonna get better?" Sigmund's voice sounded scared, almost helpless.

"Of course I will," she answered with a wheezing chuckle. She knew how quickly people died of this disease, but to feel so bad so soon after she had showed symptoms was surprising.

"I heard people saying no one's ever lived through this epidemic. What if you don't get better?" Sigmund asked again.

"Then you'll have to go back to the Bender's Friend and tell Wyman. You'll have to live on your own and fend for yourself, that's why I plan on living," Sezja answered, her raspy tone held a strong sense of finality.

Sigmund fell quiet. The sun hadn't rose, but the edges of the horizon were painted with licks of pink and orange.

"Siggy, we probably need to start moving again soon. If we stay in one place too long we risk running into non-benders," Sezja weakly tried to stand, but the action led to a series of coughs. She staggered to sit back down, her head throbbing and pulsing with pain.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Sigmund offered.

Sezja nodded, too weak to vocally respond.

Sigmund helped her climb onto his back. She rested her head against his shoulder and loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm sorry I'm so worthless right now, Siggy."

"You're not, worthless? you still matter? to me more than anything," Sigmund replied firmly.

"You're so much smarter now," Sezja smiled slightly, "You hardly even need me around anymore."

"Don't say that," Sigmund said.

"I just need you to promise not to do anything stupid if I die, alright? Keep living and make a life for yourself," Sezja coughed.

"I promise," Sigmund nodded in response. For some reason he wasn't following the normal route he and Sezja took when above ground.

"Where're you going, Siggy?" Sezja observed the unfamiliar terrain.

"I don't know. I just feel like this is the right direction?" Sigmund answered, his brow knitting together in confusion.

"Okay," Sezja nodded, her eyes drooping shut, "I think I'm gonna sleep for awhile."

"O-Okay," Sigmund nodded. The sun made the exposed skin on his arms and face ache and sting. His arms grew tired, his muscles cramping from supporting Sezja's weight. He wondered how much time had passed. A small cluster of trees beside a stream provided a small area of shelter. He walked towards the resting spot. He carefully laid Sezja down in the shade, sitting against a tree beside her.

Birds hopped between branches of the tree, chattering and cheeping. Grasshopper-flies buzzed through the grass in the warm sunlight.

Sezja coughed in her sleep, the action shaking her body and causing her breathing to turn into wheezes.

Sigmund carefully propped her up, keeping her upper-body almost vertical.

Soon Sezja's breathing quieted, her coughing stopped, and the wheezing lessened.

_That sounds painful? It sounds so familiar, _Sigmund thought. Soon he began to doze off, his thoughts growing sluggish before disappearing completely to a light, easily disrupted sleep.

Footsteps caused his eyes to snap open. His eyes met those of some animal, an animal with long, deer-like legs and a gentle, elk-like face. It walked closer to inspect to two new additions to its territory. Long stripes covered its sides, they were an off white that stood out against the rest of its fur. It finally stood just feet away from Sezja and Sigmund, studying them carefully. It was some cross between deer and tapir, its pattern gave that much away.

Sezja coughed, a rough, barking sound.

The creature raised its ears in alarm and dashed off.

_Even animals know to avoid the ill, _the thought didn't feel like his own. It felt like something he had said in a long-past time. That single thought left an unfamiliar pain in the back of his mind; it made him want to laugh and scream at the same time. He sighed and looked at the leaves rustling above his head. Spots of light danced across his vision as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Days had passed since Sezja had first fallen ill. Each day she seemed to get ten times worse, and by the ninth day she was coughing up blood on a regular basis.

"Sezja, are you doing alright?" Sigmund asked, he had fallen into the habit of asking if she was okay every few minutes. Fear gripped him whenever she didn't answer immediately.

"I'm fine," Sezja's voice was barely audible. She was hardly able to breathe or speak anymore.

"There's a house ahead, I know we're trying to avoid non-benders, but it looks familiar. Something makes me think we'd be safe there for awhile," Sigmund said as they saw a small house buried away in the forest.

"Alright," Sezja wheezed.

Sigmund carefully set her down in the shade of a tree and went to the front door of the house. He knocked on the door.

An elderly woman opened the door. She had thick glasses on, showing that age had affected her vision.

"What do you need?" the woman asked harshly.

"My friend's really sick, can we rest here for awhile?" Sigmund fidgeted nervously under the woman's harsh glare.

"Of course," the woman smiled and opened the door the rest of the way.

Sigmund quickly scampered off and returned carrying Sezja a moment later.

"How long has she been sick?" the old woman asked, she knew Sezja didn't have long to live.

"Nine days," Sezja answered weakly, "I might just outlive the record for the longest life after first symptoms."

"It's a small chance, but I might be able to help you," the woman assured.

"R-really?" Sezja looked surprised.

"Yes," the woman nodded. (A/N: I just realized I never really made clear how long it's been since the end of the 100 year war, this takes place in almost modern time above ground. So they have normal medicines like you'd see in a pharmacy today.) "The epidemic below ground is as simple as a cold up here on the surface."

"So many of us are dying, but there's a cure for it," Sezja's voice broke off into a rough fit of painful, lung jarring coughs. Blood speckled her pale hand.

"Hush, sweetie," the woman helped Sigmund lay her on the couch that lay parallel to the back wall of the room.

"So there have been survivors," Sezja murmured quietly.

"Yes, many of them. I'm sorry about what's happened to you benders," the woman laid a blanket over Sezja.

"It's fine," Sezja murmured, exhaustion washing over her, "You didn't make the laws against us."

* * *

A/N: I know, I'm awful, I'm horrible, please don't kill me for writing such a short chapter solely about Sezja suffering :) Thanks a bunch for reading, R&amp;R.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't, never have, never will, never plan to or have planned to own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 12

Sezja had fallen asleep, her quiet, wheezing breathes threatened to interrupt the conversation that Sigmund and the old woman were having.

"Why would you befriend a tunnel dweller, Zenjiro?" the woman asked quietly.

"I'm a tunnel dweller, and my name is Sigmund," Sigmund shook his head, "I'm not even sure who Zenjiro is, Sezja always panicked when she mentioned that name and she'd be rude to me, but I still don't know who that is."

A look of sad realization hit the woman's features, "I knew something bad would happen when you ran from here."

"I've never been here before, I don't see what you mean," Sigmund pointed out.

"Nothing, nothing," the woman waved his question away, "My name is June. Why did you bring your friend to the surface?"

"Because they would've taken her away if I hadn't," Sigmund answered.

"Ah, I see. I suppose things have gotten bad down there, yes?" the woman asked.

"What does suppose mean?" Sigmund questioned.

"It means to think something," the woman tried to explain, caught off guard by the question.

"Yeah, they've gotten bad. People who are sick are taken to a 'hospital' and left to die with the other sick people. Murders," Sigmund answered, stopping occasionally to sound out words.

"Ah, that sounds bad. What happened to your friend to cause those injuries?"

"We got in a fight with other benders," Sigmund answered, "They wanted to steal what she'd gathered."

"She's a material hunter?" the woman would never have guessed based on Sezja's appearance. She was scrawny, pale, and looked helplessly weak.

"Yes, she is," Sigmund nodded.

"Odd, I always imagined all of them would be strong, ruthless men. I've only ever run across one material hunter, in my old days as a bounty hunter," June sighed, as if remembering a happier time (A/N: yes, I just did that.).

"Bounty hunter?" Sigmund blinked in confusion.

"Someone paid to find and capture or kill someone," June explained.

"Oh," Sigmund said.

"I should probably give your friend some medicine, stay here," June said, standing and walking to another room of the house. She returned a moment later, a small cup of water and a pill held in her hands. She shook Sezja's shoulder until the younger girl woke, "Sezja, do you think you can swallow this pill?"

"Yeah," Sezja sat up, hardly able to get her head off of her pillow, and took the small cup and the pill. She swallowed the pill with a mouthful of water and then chugged the rest of the water gratefully. She was glad to have the soft blanket wrapped around her now, instead of being chilled by the wind.

"You can go back to sleep now, if you need," June said.

"Thank you for taking care of us," Sezja smiled before laying back down and closing her eyes.

"You're welcome," she smiled.

Sigmund had laid his head on the table in front of him. He was starting to doze off.

"You look like you're exhausted. Wait just a minute and I'll get the couch in the other room set up for you," June smiled and walked into yet another room in the house. Soon after she returned from the room and Sigmund followed her back. It was a small room with a couch tucked away in one corner and a few chairs in the other corners. One wall was made of windows.

"Thank you for letting us stay," Sigmund smiled.

"No problem, dear. Just come find me if you need anything," June smiled sweetly.

Sigmund nodded before tiredly laying on the couch. He was exhausted.

He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, for the first time in a long time he was sleeping deeply.

* * *

Three days had passed since Sezja and Sigmund had found June's home, and Sezja was constantly awake, alert, and feeling much better.

"I'm so glad to be alive right now," Sezja grinned happily, practically basking in the warm light that spilled through the window behind the table. She was still having lung issues and would take a long time to recover her strength, but she was feeling better and that was what mattered.

"I'm glad you're doing better," June smiled at her.

"Thank you so much for taking us in. You have no clue how much this means to us," Sezja smiled at her as she ate the oatmeal placed in front of her.

"Sezja, I do have one thing to talk to you about. Your friend Sigmund," June was tired of how much they both thanked her. She had failed Zenjiro, or Sigmund, already. She didn't have a reason to be thanked, "Were you aware that he was Zenjiro?"

"Yeah, I was," Sezja nodded sadly, "I figured it out not too long ago, and I promised myself that I wouldn't treat him like Zenjiro, if I could help it. I'm afraid of what the others will do if they know who he is."

"That is a valid concern," June nodded, "Before he lost his memory I was a close friend of him and his family. He was almost like a grandson to me."

"I'm also afraid he'll regain his memories. I'm so afraid he won't be Sigmund anymore," Sezja whispered quietly, "I don't think I'd be able to live without him. He's become such a huge part of my life."

"It's a scary thought, isn't it?" June sighed sadly.

"Is Zenjiro truly as bad as the other tunnel dweller's say? I know I've seen him kill more than a few people, but is he a bad person?" Sezja murmured quietly.

As June opened her mouth to answer, a loud knock sounded on the door.

Sezja stood quickly and ran as fast as her weakened body could take her towards the back room where Sigmund was.

"What's wrong?" Sigmund looked up as Sezja stumbled quickly into the room.

"Nothing, but someone was at the front door and I didn't want to be seen," Sezja answered breathlessly. She sat heavily on the couch beside Sigmund. He was reading a book.

"You can read?" Sezja asked. She didn't know how to read more than names and she could hardly even spell most names.

Sigmund nodded, "This is a good book."

"What's it about?" Sezja asked, looking over his shoulder. She couldn't read a thing.

"The way benders used to live," Sigmund answered with a small smile.

"Can you read it to me?" Sezja asked.

"Maybe," Sigmund nodded. He marked his page and flipped back to the first page, "Benders used to populate the earth as widely as non-benders, they divided themselves to different areas based on their bending. Earth-benders lived in desert areas with canyons and mountains. Fire-benders live in areas of many volcanoes, mountains, and forests. Water-benders lived in areas of ice and water. Air-benders, thought extinct, are known to have lived in tall mountain temples. This story will follow a bender from the Earth Nation as they go through their life in the war-"

"Sezja, Sigmund, run!" June commanded from the other room.

Sezja stood quickly and grabbed Sigmund's wrist, she ran to the window and opened it. They ran, but they weren't quick enough. A non-bender grabbed Sezja's wrist with a bone-breaking grip. Sezja cried out in pain as she was jerked back.

"I'd surrender now, boy, unless you want her dead," the non-bender smiled threateningly, holding a knife to Sezja's throat.

Sigmund rushed forward with uncharacteristic speed and grace. He snatched the knife and plunged it into the non-bender's neck, drawing a wheeze of breath and a gush of blood. Sigmund turned on another non-bender who had rushed into the fight. He dug the knife into his abdomen, watching with cold eyes as the non-bender fell to his knees. A non-bender silently approached from behind, hitting Sigmund over the head with a butt of his gun.

Sezja bent the ground out from under the non-bender and slung Sigmund's arm over her shoulders. She ran towards the trees. Her chest burned and she could barely draw air into her lungs when she finally reached a clearing. It was the place she had met Sigmund. A lake, shallow and flat, stood in between them and a field of tall grass. Trees of the forest stood behind them.

"Siggy, you okay?" Sezja gasped desperately for air. She lowered Sigmund to the ground before she herself crumpled to her hands and knees. Sigmund stirred, "Sigmund, how's your head?"

"Who the heck is Sigmund," he asked harshly, standing and glaring down at Sezja.

"Siggy? Are you alright?" a sense of dread built in her stomach.

"I don't know who Sigmund is, but you're that girl who tried to kill me three years ago, aren't you?" he crouched to be eye-level with her, "What's wrong? Not as threatening as you used to be?"

"B-but, Sigmund, what are you talking-" she was cut off as Sigmund's fist slammed into the side of her head. She crumpled forward against Sigmund's shoulder and chest, the last thing she heard was Sigmund talking.

"I don't normally tell people my name, but since you'll probably die here soon, I'll go ahead and tell you that my name is Zenjiro," he stood. Normally he would have killed her, afraid she would tell other benders of his location, but he didn't. He couldn't. He stood and walked away, leaving Sezja to die to the elements.

* * *

The End

A/N: Not really! :D There is still more to come :3 Please R&amp;R.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 13

"It's clear, go to the next thicket," Aman spoke quietly to the rest of the benders in his group. They nodded and quickly ran over the clearing to a thicket of trees that stood a few yards away. Aman followed at the back of the group. He may have been too young to be a material hunter, but he did know the world above fairly well. When they reached the edge of that clearing they all stopped.

A body lay limply beside a lake that stretched between the clearing and a field. They could all only see short brown hair and the green shirt the woman was wearing.

"That's Sezja," Aman recognized the hairstyle.

"I'll go see if the girl's alive," a man, the oldest of their group, spoke. He walked out of the cover of the thicket to where Sezja's body was. He lifted her limp arm and felt her wrist for a pulse. She had a strong pulse, but it was unsteady. He picked her up bridal style and hurried back to the thicket where he set her down. A large bruise spread across the left side of her forehead and her left temple; a small bit of blood dripped from the split skin.

Sezja groaned but showed no other signs of awakening.

"I wonder what happened to her. And Sigmund, she wouldn't go anywhere without him," Aman looked down at her.

"We probably need to get her to an inn," another person of the group said.

"Her father's the innkeeper of the Bender's Friend. We could take her there," Aman recommended.

"We can make it there by nightfall if we reach the next marking post soon," the man who had picked Sezja up looked at a map of the surface land-marks.

"It's not too far to the next landmark," Aman nodded.

* * *

Her head pounded. She felt weak, and her head throbbed. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't even open her eyes. The strength had been sapped from her body. She groaned quietly as she finally forced one eye open.

The ceiling above her was made of dusty wood. She was on a straw mattress with a blanket pulled up to her shoulders. The room was dimly lit, but she couldn't open her left eye. It felt like something was covering her left eye. She lifted a shaky hand to her head and ran her fingertips over the rough bandage that was wrapped around her head, overlapping with the upper-lid of her left eye. The familiar sound of loud laughter and talking of an inn seemed to drift around the room.

The door to her room quietly opened but the person who entered stopped, quickly turning and dashing back down the stairs. He returned, and Sezja realized it was Toan.

"Sezja, what happened to you?" Toan asked.

Wyman ran up the stairs into the room, "Are ya okay, Sezja?"

"Head...hurt," Sezja's voice was weak and quiet.

"I bet it does, sweety," Wyman nodded sadly, "Does anything else hurt?"

"Where's Siggy?" Sezja asked shakily, hoping that the memory was just a horrid dream. Hoping that she had only had a nightmare of being betrayed.

"We don't know," Toan spoke quietly, as if he were afraid talking at a normal level would make Sezja's head hurt more.

"I have to find Siggy," Sezja whimpered, tears filling her eyes.

"Do ya remember what happened?" Wyman asked quietly, trying to take her mind off of it.

"I remember getting better, June helped Siggy and I. Then non-benders came. Sigmund killed them, he killed them. Then, daddy, he's not Siggy, he's Zenjiro," Sezja could hardly keep any one train of thought for more than a few seconds. Her head throbbed even more and she wanted to sob, "He took Siggy away from me."

* * *

Zenjiro paced in the area of bushes. He had come back to check on the girl, he couldn't stop worrying about her, but she was gone. Someone had found her! He growled and drove his fist into a tree nearby, sending scraps of bark to the mossy dirt at his feet. He growled as he continued pacing. To say he was ticked off was an understatement. He was lost, and the last thing he remembered was nearly dying from the bloody illness. He punched the tree again, growling loudly as his knuckles throbbed. He turned on his heel and paced back. Not only had the girl disappeared, but he couldn't remember where the prison was. He couldn't find his family if he couldn't find that prison! He had to show them he was no traitor! He lashed out at a leaf that had was falling in his way. He finally sat down on the ground. He would have to think for awhile about where the prison was.

* * *

Sezja whimpered, holding her head. It had been two days since she had awoken. Her head still hurt terribly at the slightest movement and she still couldn't stop thinking about what Zenjiro had done. She stood up and walked down to the less-crowded-than-usual common room. Wyman rushed over, ready to scold her for being up and around so soon.

Sezja had her material hunter's bag slung over her shoulder, "I'll be going to the surface. I'm going to look for Siggy."

"Sezja, ya can't do that," Wyman rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Well I'm going to," Sezja said, "I don't care if it gets me killed. I have to know that Siggy's gone before I try to live on without him. I don't want to leave him behind, he'd get lost."

"Sezja, ya said it yer self, he's not tha same as before," Wyman pleaded, "Don't go, just wait a little longer until you're feeling better."

"Bye, dad," Sezja smiled, hugging him and walking out of the door of the inn into the dark tunnel. She bent a ramp of stone up to the ceiling of the tunnel and opened an escape route to the surface. The sunlight blinded her and made her head hurt worse, but she still continued. She remembered she had made it to the thicket where she'd first met Siggy before he knocked her out. She would start searching there. She walked, not even careful to hide as she would normally be, towards that thicket. That life changing thicket and lake. That's where her heart had been healed after being broken by her ex-boyfriend, but it was also where that newly mended heart had been shattered into a hundred pieces. She finally saw the trees and sped up a little.

She was met by something crashing into her. She was held to a tree by her throat.

Cold green eyes glared at her, "I see you survived."

"Siggy," Sezja whispered, "Siggy, what happened to you? Why did you attack me?"

"My name isn't Siggy," he growled, slowly lowering her feet to the ground by her neck.

"Sigmund, I gave you that name. You didn't know what a name was then," Sezja reminded, "Don't you remember any of that? Any of it?"

"My name is Zenjiro, not Sigmund," he hissed into her ear, "I don't appreciate nicknames, either, so even if I had accepted the name Sigmund I wouldn't have accepted Siggy." He stepped back, looking at her from head to toe.

"So, you're a material hunter?" he smirked, "You look awfully fragile for that profession."

Sezja smirked back, "That's usually a tunnel murderer's last words. Of course you aren't much- agh!"

Zenjiro had cut her off by punching her in the gut, "Don't compare me to those tunnel thieves. Believe it or not I'm not a tunnel murderer."

"Well I've seen you kill, I know you're a tunnel murderer whether you'll admit that or not," Sezja wiped a trail of spit from her chin with the back of her hand.

"You're just as bad, you know. All material hunters are. You kill murderers and non-benders and justify it as justice and defense. You all are the same as tunnel murderers, but I am of a whole different level of good than you thieves of life," Zenjiro had unknowingly leaned closer as he spoke, his breath brushed against Sezja's face and his nose was only an inch from hers.

"What's your justifications for murder, then?" Sezja blushed at how close his face was to hers.

"Protecting you all. Those people I killed weren't benders. They were non-benders who had found and entered the tunnels. They were setting traps for all of you. They're the reason the epidemic started in the tunnels," Zenjiro grinned, "I was trying to save you all, but what do I get? A rock to the head and a curse out."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Sezja frowned at him, narrowing her eyes threateningly.

Zenjiro shrugged, still almost completely unaware of how close they had gotten, "I can't prove it to you, but I didn't expect you to believe me." Suddenly his eyes widened and he stepped back. He had realized how close they had been.

"Finally realized you'd been leaning in while you talked?" Sezja smirked at him, personally glad to have her own bubble of personal space again.

"S-sorry," Zenjiro grew increasingly awkward as he tried not to act kind or flustered.

"It's fine," Sezja shrugged, "But if you don't mind, I think I'm gonna sit down."

Zenjiro sat down in front of her.

The dappled shadows of a tree flitted around them.

"Do you know where the prison is?" Zenjiro finally asked.

"Yes, I do. If you need directions I can lead you there," Sezja nodded, "I just don't know if I'm up for a long trip right now, though."

"Why? What's wrong with you?" Zenjiro thought she looked perfectly fine aside from the blood-stained bandage wrapped around her head.

"Head trauma and weakness. I just recently got over being deathly ill," Sezja said.

"If you can't keep up with me, I'll just have to carry you. How about we start heading that way in the morning?" Zenjiro shrugged.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Sezja nodded, "I'm going to sleep now."

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch for reading! :D Please tell me what you think.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA.

* * *

Chapter 14

Sezja woke up to someone lightly shaking her shoulder, "We're leaving soon, wake up sleepyhead."

"I'm awake, give me a sec," she didn't want to wake up just yet, her body still wanted sleep desperately. She forced her eyes open and sat up.

"I got us some breakfast," Zenjiro handed Sezja two packages of granola bars, "Take your pick, one's fruit the other's nut."

"How'd you get these?" Sezja asked, handing the fruit bar back.

"That, my friend, is my own little secret," he took the food from her and unwrapped it, taking a bite out of one of the sickly sweet bars.

Sezja glared, "Who'd you kill to get these?"

Zenjiro's eyes narrowed as he looked like he was contemplating killing her for the insult, "Look, just because I saved you benders' sorry hides doesn't mean I go around killing everyone I see!"

"Sorry, I didn't realize you had a conscience," Sezja was too hungry to not eat the stolen food.

"You're just as guilty if you're eating the food I stole," Zenjiro would admit to stealing the food, but not murdering for it.

"Does it look like I've got the strength to get my own food?" Sezja sighed, suddenly not really caring if she won this argument or not, "I can't stay at an inn and endlessly accept food because of old gratitude from the innkeepers and I can't get my own food. That's why I accepted your offer and decided to guide you. I'll try to be a bit less rude about it in the future, I apologize for my comment."

"Well, aren't you trying to be all formal?" Zenjiro laughed at her apology, "Don't worry, I should be used to those comments by now. Hurry up and eat, as soon as you're done we're going to leave."

Sezja nodded in response and finished the granola bar.

"Which way do we go from here?" Zenjiro asked.

Sezja pointed past the pond, "That way. It'll take us three or four days to get there."

Zenjiro was already walking away by the time Sezja had stood, and he didn't notice the way she had to stop walking and lean on a tree for a moment to keep her knees from buckling.

Sezja sped up to match Zenjiro's long legged pace.

Zenjiro glanced over his shoulder, "You look sick. Want me to carry you?" Once again that odd feeling of concern washed over him.

Sezja nodded pathetically, "I guess I'm still worse off that I thought." She walked over to Zenjiro, who had kneeled so that she could climb onto his back. She wrapped her arms carefully around his neck and tried to ignore the feeling that she was about to fall as he stood up. He slipped his hands under her knees and started walking. "Since I can't follow you you're going to have to tell me where to go, okay?" he asked.

"I know, just keep walking straight and I'll tell you when to turn," Sezja nodded her head against his shoulder; keeping an eye out for the familiar landmarks, "Turn left up here."

Zenjiro obeyed. They had entered an area of tall grass that reached halfway up Zenjiro's torso, "How'd you know where the prison is, anyways? I thought you've lived in the tunnels for your entire life."

"Once I got caught on a gathering trip. I had just turned eleven at the time and it was one of my first solo trips above ground. I got caught by two non-benders and they managed to restrain me until they got to the prison. One of them had to let me go to open the door and I took my chance to escape. I marked it on my map and memorized it with the rest of the above-tunnel region I travel. No, I wasn't born in the tunnels if that's what you think. When I was six I was discovered as a bender and fled below," Sezja answered.

"Really? How'd they manage to keep you from escaping the whole trip?" Zenjiro looked surprised by her answer.

"Lots of rope, uhm, a few chains, and lots of man-power. I was only eleven, so I wasn't as strong as I am now," Sezja chuckled, "I was really small too so they could just through me over their shoulders if they really needed to. Of course that tactic got one of the poor guys a broken jaw and the other a black eye."

"I don't see how you could be much shorter than you are now, at least for your age," Zenjiro glanced at her with amused smirk.

"Do you want me to hit you?" Sezja looked extremely unamused, "It's not my fault I'm petite."

"No, I don't wanna be hit," Zenjiro sighed as he readjusted his hold on Sezja's legs to keep her from slipping onto the ground.

"You'll need to go into the trees up here. There should be a dirt path," Sezja directed, "Be careful up here though. A few material hunters like to wait here and rob other material hunters passing through."

"That so? Well we aren't material hunters now are we? Not if they don't see that bag you carry," Zenjiro shrugged, folding the empty material bag and hiding it away in his shirt.

"I guess you're right," Sezja nodded, not being used to not having to worry about how much trouble she could get in for the bag she carried with her.

"So how hard it is to be a material hunter? If I remember correctly you became one when you turned ten," Zenjiro questioned.

"It's really hard when you first start out. You don't know the best routes and you always have to refer to your map. You're easier prey; people always seem to know when someone is new at it and they target those people. Also, we never have anyone to teach us the best way to do things. Other material hunters don't pity younger material hunters. They'll take advantage of their ignorance and rob them blind. They also enjoy leaving them unconscious in heavily populated areas for non-benders to find and capture. I guess even I've done things like that before. It can also get really lonely if you're not in a group. Sometimes the quiet is nice, but a lot of the times it can be really unsettling to be sleeping alone on the surface or in the tunnels. Thankfully the job gets easier as you get more experienced. Once you learn the routes you'll be able to get places quicker and find things easier. You just have to survive and stay free that long," Sezja answered, hardly stopping to breathe throughout the explanation.

"Guess I never thought it'd be that hard. I always thought you bunch were just more spoiled than the other tunnel dwellers," Zenjiro frowned thoughtfully.

"A lot of people who are new or foreign to the tunnels think that," Sezja chuckled, though it turned into a wheeze.

"Did you pass this route a lot? It's giving me the creeps," Zenjiro shuddered slightly as he looked at the dark, shadowy expanses on either side of them.

"Actually, I had to pass through here every other month or so. It's even worse when you're alone," Sezja nodded. She remembered the first time she had reached the forest. She had run all the way through without stopping and nearly passed out when she reached the other side.

Zenjiro shuddered again, "That sounds like an absolute nightmare."

"It was," Sezja agreed. Thankfully the end of the thick trees was visible ahead, "When you get out here up ahead you'll need to turn right."

"How are you feeling? You're a bit more talkative right now," Zenjiro asked.

"Better. I'm still exhausted and my lungs hurt but otherwise I'm good," Sezja smiled as she leaned her chin against Zenjiro's shoulder.

"You said you'd been sick. What'd you have?" Zenjiro asked.

"The epidemic spreading through the tunnels. I thought I was as good as dead as soon as my lungs started breaking up," Sezja answered. She was still terrified of dying because of the weakness caused by it.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you all didn't have a cure for that yet," Zenjiro shrugged.

"June said you had the epidemic. That's what made you lose your memory for awhile. The fever caused temporary amnesia or something," Sezja said.

Zenjiro glared at Sezja over his shoulder, "I would've recovered much better if I hadn't been forced to leave the prison."

"Why did you have to leave?" Sezja blinked in surprise.

"None of your business," Zenjiro's tone grew cold as he realized how much he had already said.

Sezja seemed to respect his limit to revealing information about his past, "Do you think rat-spiders are pests, by chance?"

"That's a stupid question! I hate those things with a burning passion," Zenjiro frowned.

_Sigmund really was his own person, in a way, _Sezja smiled lightly to herself.

"Why would you even ask that?" Zenjiro asked.

Sezja chuckled against his shoulder, "None of your business. Also, turn left up ahead."

"Thanks for the directions, sickly one," Zenjiro rolled his eyes as he turned.

* * *

A/N: This chapter wasn't TOO bad, right? They're sorta happy, right? Thanks a bunch for reading, I'd love a few reviews *wink wink* *nudge nudge*


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA!

* * *

Chapter 15

Sezja and Zenjiro had set up camp in the trees near the prison. They would rest that night and then Zenjiro would break out whoever he was breaking out the next morning while Sezja waited to help him escape.

"What should I do tomorrow to help you escape?" Sezja asked in a hushed tone as she draped her materials bag over her shoulders like a blanket. They had to keep quiet to avoid drawing the attention of the guards.

"I'll need you to create a distraction somehow. Do you think they'd still recognize you from the time they captures you all those years ago?" Zenjiro asked back in a quiet whisper.

"No, I've cut my hair considerably short since then and when they found me I had pretty bad injuries on my face so I didn't look anywhere near this," Sezja shook her head and coughed quietly.

"Then I've got another plan," Zenjiro grinned and pointed to one of the buildings on the prison. A few chimneys rose from it and a thin, steamy smoke rose from it, "That's where there are multiple boilers to keep the place heated and lights running. If you can turn them up to their highest temperature the pressure inside will increase too fast. What you'll do then is use your earth-bending to launch them through the roof. It won't hurt any of the other prisoners or you but it should be a very good distraction. Think you can manage on your own?"

"Will I be able to get past the guards?" Sezja blinked at that part of the building.

"They go past that building one time a day. Directly at noon they pass there but otherwise no one is guarding it. It shouldn't be a problem for you," Zenjiro smiled, "Now get some sleep. You're still weak and you need to be at you best tomorrow. Goodnight, Sezja."

"Goodnight, Zenjiro. Good luck tomorrow," Sezja sensed she wouldn't be able to say that to him in the morning.

Zenjiro simply smirked in return as he leaned against a tree trunk. He had already told her he would make sure no one found them all night. Sezja fell asleep quickly for her; she still wasn't entirely familiar with Zenjiro and still sometimes felt threatened by him so it was especially odd.

* * *

Zenjiro glanced up at the sky. A pale red licked at the edges of the nearly black sky. This was his time to go. He glanced at Sezja. She should be okay on her own until she woke up. He planned on getting in and out of the prison and leaving before she woke up. He turned and crouched behind the thin bushes they were camped behind. There were no guards on that side of the building for the time being. He silently slipped out of his cover and rushed to the wall. It was made of metal. He cursed, only now remembering the small but crucial detail. He glanced around, making sure there were still no guards in that direction, before taking a horse stance and sliding his foot across the ground, pulling the brick on the other side of the metal through until the metal bent and eventually broke. He slipped inside. He knew he would only have until a guard found the entrance. He trusted his memory as he walked down the hallway. The cells were just ahead.

"He's not a guard,""Where's his uniform?""He looks familiar!" Hushed whispers met his ear as he passed cells. He scanned them for familiar faces. Finally his eyes landed on a girl with hair that matched his in color and eyes that matched his in shape. She looked shocked.

He walked to her cell, picking up the keys from the wall on his way.

"Zenjiro!" she grinned at him.

"I came back for you, Etsuko," he smiled back as he unlocked the cell.

"We have to get daddy out too. His cell is just that way," Etsuko said.

"Hey, what about us?" someone from a nearby cell hissed quietly.

"I came to get my family out, not freeloaders," Zenjiro turned, grabbing Etsuko's wrist and walking in the direction she had said their father's cell was in. He was shocked to see a door with guards in that direction, "Are you sure this is where he is?"

"Yeah, they keep him guarded after he helped you escape. They're afraid he'll escape too," she nodded.

A guard came running down the hall at that moment, "Someone's in the boiler room! Someone else broke in. There's a hole in the wall!"

* * *

Sezja looked around the camp. Zenjiro was gone. He had left nothing behind.

_He probably wanted to get in before the guards were really awake enough to stay alert, _she thought as she folded her materials bag and tucked it inside her shirt. She crept forward and looked around. She dashed out from behind the cover of plants and headed for the boiler room. She heard a shout and turned around just in time to trip the approaching guard with an upraised stone. Another one had turned to leave but she caught the back of his head with a rock before she turned and ran into the boiler room. She soon found the temperature controls and turned them up as high as they would go. Soon steam started hissing loudly from any small cracks in the metal. She sent one through the roof. The sound it made was deafening and the ground rumbled. Sezja clapped her hands over her ears as her ears rang. She sent the next one up. She quickly covered her ears before there was another deafening rumble.

"What are you doing?!" a voice cried from the doorway.

Sezja glanced away towards the door. It was the guard from earlier. She looked back just in time to see the next boiler about to go.

"Get away from here!" she cried as she created a wall between the guard and herself with the boiler. Too late did she realize her mistake of trapping herself. The force of the explosion rocked the ground and left ceiling beams falling. The lights flashed and Sezja was knocked off of her feet. The next boiler exploded, and the next. A large chunk of the ceiling fell. Pain shot through her back and side as she was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Zenjiro smirked as the guards scrambled at the loud bangs going off nearby. He ran forward while they left and opened the door. There was a singular cell in the room and his father was in it.

"Would a traitor come back for his family?" Zenjiro asked, almost coldly. He opened the cell. The next explosion hadn't come. It should have. Suddenly the ground shook and the lights went out.

"Zenjiro, I'm going to free the other prisoners," Etsuko said before leaving.

"Come on, I know where the exits are," Zenjiro had no problem finding his way in the dark. Worry clawed at his stomach but he couldn't worry about Sezja. A few more explosions shook the ground.

Soon Zenjiro, his father, Etsuko, and the other prisoners were standing outside of the prison. The boiler room ceiling had caved in completely and a startled guard stared blankly at a wall of earth in front of him.

"There was a girl in there. She was trapped when it exploded!" the guard whirled around to cast a desperate glance at any of the prisoners who would help. It suddenly didn't matter that she was a bender. She had saved his life.

"Sezja!" Zenjiro immediately lowered the wall of earth and rushed inside. Dust filled the air and water sprayed from severed pipes on the walls. Light barely filtered in through the ceiling. He saw a pale hand peeking out of a pile of thick cement support beams. He was frozen in place, his eyes wide and his heart pounding. That was Sezja's hand. He was certain of it. He slid his foot out and raised the supports. Sezja looked dead. She was pale and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were half open and it didn't look like she was breathing.

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch for reading! :D


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Me no own AtLA, just Sezja, Siggy, Zenji, and all these other nerds

* * *

Chapter 16

Zenjiro made sure to clear any unstable structures from around Sezja. He had to crouch onto his knees where the ceiling had caved in too low. He felt Sezja's neck for a pulse and was relieved when he found one. He could see her breathing now, and hear it. It worried him slightly, how raspy her breathing was. Blood gurgled in the back of her throat whenever she exhaled. She looked up with glassy eyes. Her pale skin and dark hair matched with those glazed eyes made her look like a fragile, porcelain doll.

"Thank you for letting me live just a bit longer," Sezja couldn't speak, but she mouthed the words. He had let her live a week longer before, and a few minutes longer now. For that extra time she was grateful.

"Don't thank me! I was the one who almost killed you before, and I'm the one who got you into this!" Zenjiro barked.

Dust hung in thick motes in the air, swirling as Zenjiro carefully began trying to pick Sezja up. It was awkward with the low ceiling; he was terrified he would hurt her. He finally managed to pull her out of the low-ceiling area where she had been trapped. He slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders as he carefully picked her up.

She coughed at the movement. More blood gurgled at the back of her throat. Something must have crushed one of her lungs.

"I called an ambulance. They'll be here soon," the guard who Sezja had saved said.

"They won't treat her. They know she's a bender," Zenjiro pointed out. Even though she had been added to the list of benders when she was six they had still seen her and registered her as a bender in recent years.

"Don't worry. The doctor on shift right now at the nearest hospital will treat anyone," the guard assured.

"W-won't he ge- in trouble for helpi-g a bender?" Sezja could barely speak as she choked on the blood in her throat.

"He won't care," the guard said calmingly.

"I went ahead and freed the rest of them," Etsuko pointed over her shoulder at the other freed prisoners.

"Where's Zentaro?" Zenjiro looked around.

"He escaped just after you. I'm not entirely sure where he is," Etsuko shrugged.

"Stupid brother," Zenjiro scowled.

"Who's this?" Etsuko cocked her head to one side as she studied Sezja.

"She helped me find this place," Zenjiro decided not to tell his family about Sigmund or any of that. He doubted Sezja would live to tell them either.

"Zenji," Sezja mumbled quietly as she inhaled bits of blood that pooled at the back of her throat, "I'm sorry for nearly cracking your skull, so long ago."

"Shut up, I don't really care," Zenjiro stated.

Sezja's eyes seemed to be getting closer to closing by the second.

The sound of approaching sirens drew the attention of the prisoners.

"I'm gonna get them all out of sight. Please don't get yourself taken to another prison," Etsuko spoke to Zenjiro before she waved for the rest of the free prisoners to follow.

"I won't, don't worry," Zenjiro smiled slightly before he glanced at Sezja. He hoped that was one fast ambulance. Sezja looked like she was dying, and he honestly didn't want her to die.

The ambulance had pulled to a stop at the end of the street near the prison.

"What is that? It's loud," Sezja rasped.

It occurred to Zenjiro that this may very well be the first time in years that Sezja had seen a car.

"It's a car, it'll get you to the hospital faster than walking," he assured.

The paramedics immediately got Sezja on a backboard, with how she had been crushed there was a good chance she had some sort of spinal injuries. They also put a C-collar on her, "Will you be riding with her to the hospital?"

"Yes," Zenjiro glanced hesitantly back at the forest where Etsuko and the others were hiding. He had to find out if Sezja even had a chance of living.

* * *

It had been a good three hours since Sezja had been taken into surgery. The hospital was closed, except for the ER, and Zenjiro was currently the only person in the empty waiting room.

"Sweety, do you want any coffee? We have a little bit of cake in the staff room," one of the nurses, currently unoccupied, offered.

"No thanks. I'm too worried to be hungry and I can't stand coffee," he tried to keep his voice light but he was terrified.

"Just make sure you at least try to sleep some. Worrying yourself sick won't help anything," the nurse said with a firm yet comforting smile as she walked off to another part of the ER to do who knows what.

Zenjiro listened to her advice and settled awkwardly with his back resting against the arm of one chair and his legs under the other arm to rest on the next two chairs. He had barely managed to fall asleep when he was quietly tapped on the shoulder by one of the other nurses of that shift. He sat up and looked up, seeing the doctor walking over.

"You came in with Sezja, correct?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah. H-how did she do?" Zenjiro asked.

"She's in the ICU right now. She lived through the surgery but to fix everything that was damaged she'll need at least two more surgeries," the surgeon answered.

"What are her chances?" Zenjiro asked; his throat had gone dry.

"Only about twenty percent," the doctor answered, "You can go see her if you want to. We're keeping her in an induced coma to keep her from hurting herself."

"Probably good. She's not used to this type of environment," Zenjiro grimaced as he remembered her initial panic upon being put inside the ambulance, and her immediate fight response upon being brought into the hospital.

"She's from the tunnels, right?" the doctor asked with a knowing look as he walked Zenjiro to the ICU.

"Yeah. She's lived down there since she was six years old. I can't believe I got her into this mess," Zenjiro said.

"I owe my life to you benders," the doctor spoke quietly.

"How so?" Zenjiro asked, keeping his voice low as well.

"When I was young an earthquake nearly destroyed the suburb where I lived. Not many people made it out, but those who did lived because benders helped them escape the rubble and healed them," the doctor answered.

"Were they from the tunnels?" Zenjiro asked.

"Yes. I had only been about five at the time, but they helped my find my parents and they healed my broken leg. They also freed me from the building where I was trapped. I truly owe my life to benders, and that's why I'm helping your friend. All of the workers at our hospital are in a similar debt to you all," the doctor assured.

"I'm no tunnel bender. I may be a bender but I've been shunned from here and the tunnels," Zenjiro chuckled bitterly, "But I managed to drag her into my mess. She just didn't know what she'd gotten into when she saved me, she was too stubborn to leave me alone. I wish I could tell myself it was her own fault, but she was helping me and I couldn't save the idiot."

"Do you know any healers?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah, I have an old friend who knows how to heal and may be willing to save someone I care about if I asked. Could she be taken to the tunnels?" Zenjiro asked.

"Yes, she could. I want to watch her for a few days to see if modern medicine will help her before I put her in danger though," the doctor had reached the door of the room Sezja was in.

"Normally we don't allow people after visiting hours, but I feel this case requires a little different care. Feel free to stay here as long as we're observing her," the doctor opened the door to the room.

The monitors held a steady rhythm and the ventilator they had hooked her up to made quiet sounds at a steady pace. An IV was hooked to the back of her hand. She was completely motionless except for the forced rising and falling of her chest.

"What type of injuries did she have?" Zenjiro asked quietly, almost as if he were trying not to wake her. He knew that she wasn't simply sleeping, but he was almost afraid that speaking too loudly would cause her to wake and panic more.

"She had a lot of internal damage. One of her lungs had been punctured and her other organs weren't any better off. Her arm was nearly severed and her lower back is broken. If she is stabilized enough to be moved I would recommend you take her to the tunnels and find someone to heal her spine. We're not sure quite yet but she may have irreversible damage, that we can't fix, to her mobility. A good healer would be able to fix that easily," the doctor listed off the injuries.

"Sezja you idiot. Why'd you have to try to save that stupid non-bender! If you'd run you could have escaped easily!" Zenjiro growled. Tears found a way past his eyelids and down his cheeks.

"There have been a lot of cases like this. Almost enough of them that we could convince people to lift laws against benders. If only people would listen," the doctor spoke sadly, "If you decide to go to sleep we can bring in some blankets for you. I know the floor isn't very comfortable but it's the best we can offer."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you," Zenjiro nodded.

* * *

Etsuko lead the group of benders through the tunnels. Her father had refused to go below ground and had chosen to stay in a small, abandoned barn near where they had come down. Her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as they reached an inn. It was oddly quiet for an inn, but she opened the door and entered with the half group of prisoners that had come with her. These were all of the people who had been taken to that prison before they could ever reach the tunnels. They were the ones who didn't know the dangers and the safeties or the shortcuts.

"Welcome," the innkeeper, a scrawny fellow with greying hair and a friendly smile, greeted them.

"Uhm, could we all stay here? I can bring adequate trade at a later date," Etsuko tried so hard to keep her voice from trembling under the fear of being underground again.

"No need for that, ya all are welcome for as much as ya can give now and no more," he smiled.

"Thank you so much," Etsuko smiled, "I would like to know your name. I need to know the person who showed such kindness to me and my companions."

"I'm Wyman," he smiled, "Who needs food?"

"We could never bother you for food. I can get food for all of us on my own," Etsuko assured, "I just didn't want them to stay in the tunnels. If you don't have room in your wonderful inn I can always go stay up on the surface."

"You're the first people to come here since I lost my daughter, I will give you all food and beds. I insist. It's good to have customers again," he smiled slightly at them all.

Asim poked his head out of the storage closet where he slept. He looked as if he had been taking a nap, "Wow, that's a lot of people. Are they all staying here?"

"Yes, they are Asim. Go prepare rooms for them," Wyman commanded.

* * *

A/N: Sup y'all :D Thanks a bunch for reading! Please review.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA

* * *

Chapter 17

Zenjiro dozed off in the chair next to Sezja's bed. He blinked to try and keep his eyes open. For three days it had been like this. Zenjiro had hardly slept because he was afraid she would die. If that happened he wanted to be awake enough to at least say a goodbye. Etsuko would have laughed at him for that, said he was losing his killing touch. Zentaro would have clapped him on the shoulder and exclaimed his younger brother had found a nice girlfriend.

The door to the room opened and the nurse walked in, "Zenjiro, you should eat something and then go to sleep. One of the nurses brought take-out food and there's some in the break room."

"Alright. Is she looking any better?" Zenjiro asked as the nurse changed Sezja's bandages.

"A little bit. She should be stable enough to be moved to the tunnels and a healer in a week or two," the nurse assured. Once Zenjiro was out of earshot she looked sadly at Sezja and whispered, "You poor children, both of you. No one should have to go through this, especially not two kids."

Zenjiro walked to the small staff break room and poked his head through the door. Among the small boxes of take out food one had a note taped to it.

_I hope this is enough food, Zenjiro. There's some bottles of water in the mini fridge for you. Make sure to sleep some tonight, I know you've been staying up all night. If something happens we'll wake you up,_

_Signed, Dr. Sato_

Zenjiro picked up the box. It had a burger in it. He got a bottle of water and scarfed the food down quickly. He finished the water quickly as well and threw his trash away.

* * *

This continued for days. He would get food and spend the rest of his time watching over Sezja or trying hopelessly to sleep. One night as he was trying to sleep the door opened.

"Zenjiro?" it was Dr. Sato's voice. Zenjiro had learned that was the name of the doctor who had initially taken care of Sezja, the one who cared for benders.

"Is Sezja okay?" Zenjiro sat up quickly.

"Yes, she's stable enough to move to the tunnels now. I know it's on short notice, but I feel it's best to move her while it's still dark outside," Dr. Sato smiled.

"How are we gonna get her to the tunnels?" Zenjiro asked.

"That much will be up to you," Dr. Sato sighed, "Do you know the nearest route to the tunnels from the hospital?"

"Just outside, actually. If you can get her downstairs I'll open and entrance and take her from there. Thank you for your help, Dr. Sato," Zenjiro said.

"Of course. But we'll need to be quick. Go down and wait until we get her there to open an entrance," Dr. Sato nodded.

Zenjiro ran to the front of the hospital and waited just outside the doors until Dr. Sato wheeled Sezja out in a wheelchair.

"Thank you so much for everything. I owe so much to you," Zenjiro said before he lowered the ground beneath him and Sezja. They were in the pitch black tunnels. Zenjiro knew how to navigate the tunnels well, and feared discovery far too much to use the flashlight in his backpack. He vaguely remembered the route he was walking. He assumed that he had walked it when he was Sigmund. Something told him to stop outside of the first inn he had come to. A sign above the door read "Bender's Friend" in the faint light that spilled from under the loose doorway. He poked his head in and was relieved to see the common room was empty except for the innkeeper. He recognized the scrawny man.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you know a girl named Sezja by any chance?" Zenjiro asked.

"What do ya know about her?" the man asked.

"I've come to bring her home and find her a healer," Zenjiro pushed the door open completely and walked in. He pushed Sezja in in front of him.

"What happened to her?!" the man asked as his eyes widened.

"She got into an accident. A building collapsed while she was inside," Zenjiro gulped.

"Lay her out on that table. We have a healer here right now," the man disappeared up the stairs.

Zenjiro did as he was commanded and carefully lifted Sezja onto the table. Her breathing was still very raspy and gurgling without the tube forcing air in and out of her lungs.

The man reappeared a moment later with one of the freed prisoners.

"Zenjiro!" the healer gasped.

"Please ignore the murderer, please for just a moment," the man practically pleaded to get the woman's attention onto healing Sezja.

"Her wounds are serious. I'm afraid it may be difficult to heal her completely," the woman murmured as she streamed water from a nearby bucket on the floor. She began to work at healing the torn organs within Sezja's abdomen. After that she moved on to her lungs and her ribs. Finally she looked at her shoulder. She frowned, "I don't think I'll be able to save her arm. Most of the damage is on a nerve-level, and I'm not that strong of a healer."

"C-could you at least try?" Zenjiro asked.

"Anything for you, Zenjiro. You made those days in prison bearable for us all with your kindness. Risking your freedom to bring us books and good food. Of course I'll try," the woman nodded.

The man glanced at Zenjiro. He was clearly surprised that someone with such a reputation for killing could show any kindness.

"So how are you related to Sezja?" Zenjiro finally asked.

"I'm her father," the man answered.

"That means you must be Wyman. I was expecting someone far more intimidating for how well Sezja spoke of you," Zenjiro chuckled awkwardly. He was never good at starting conversations.

"How did _you _know Sezja? If you tried to hurt her-" Wyman was cut off.

"I didn't. Well, I didn't succeed," Zenjiro couldn't lie, "And I guess you knew me before. I was Sigmund. I'm sorry for getting Sezja so hurt."

"What did you do to her, that you didn't succeed at?" Wyman narrowed his eyes.

"Tried to strangle her," Zenjiro mumbled, "But I was afraid! I didn't know how I'd gotten there or anything! I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me!"

"I won't hurt you since you brought her back, heck, I'll even hide you. How does that sound? I'll keep you safe from other tunnel benders until Sezja wakes up and has a chance to say goodbye before I send you back to the surface," Wyman almost sounded sarcastic.

"Th-thanks," Zenjiro's voice was a quiet squeak.

"I think I may have saved her arm. We'll just have to watch it closely. Are there anymore open rooms, Wyman?" the woman asked.

"Yes, one. Do you think it's safe to carry her up the stairs?" Wyman answered.

"Yes. Just be careful," the woman nodded.

Wyman carefully picked Sezja up and carried her slowly up the stairs. He reached the room and opened the door. He laid her on the bed and carefully pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, "I'm sorry this all happened to ya, Sezja."

"Mr. Wyman, I'm sorry I couldn't protect her," Zenjiro whispered. He didn't care either way if Wyman heard and he couldn't tell; he just had to say that.

Sezja moved slightly. Her eyelids fluttered as if she were trying to open them but didn't have the strength to.

"I think she'll get better, Wyman," Zenjiro assured. He didn't dare go past the door of the room.

* * *

A/N: Haha, poor Sezja. I almost feel bad for that. Thanks a bunch for reading, please review~


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA

* * *

Chapter 18

"How's Sezja doing?" Wyman asked Zenjiro as the serial killer came down to the common room of the inn.

"She's not gotten any better, but she hasn't gotten worse either," Zenjiro shrugged. Considering Wyman had to run the inn Zenjiro had been left to look after Sezja while she was recovering. She hadn't showed any signs of improvement since she had been healed.

"I hope she starts getting better soon. A material hunter came by earlier with some good news. They're considering changing the laws against benders. The surface-livers are currently voting on the matter," Wyman said.

"That's good. My family and I will probably be put to death though," Zenjiro chuckled humorlessly, "We've killed numerous non-benders to protect you all."

Wyman sighed, "I'm sorry about how you've been mistreated by us, but you didn't try to make it obvious they were non-benders."

Zenjiro simply snorted quietly in response to that, "Would it be too much trouble to ask for some food?"

"No, I've got some left over from yesterday," Wyman walked to the kitchen.

"Hey Zenjiro, would you mind explaining to me what's been going on?" Etsuko asked.

"A lot. It's a really long story; I'll tell you when I'm eating," Zenjiro rubbed his temples irritably, "So much has happened since I left the prison."

"I'm sure it's not that long. What happened to you? If it had been any other time you would have left that girl in that building to die," Etsuko's voice took on a nearly accusing tone.

"Alright, I was planning on not telling you this, but I guess I will. I went to June's shortly after I escaped. I still had a really high fever when a few non-benders spotted me and tried to arrest me. I tried to fight but I couldn't so I ran. The next thing I remember is waking up in a clearing with absolutely no memory of anything. Sezja, that girl, she saved me then. She gave a name, taught me how to survive down here, then something happened and I regained my memories. I attacked her, and then she helped me find the prison because she couldn't stand the thought that I was no longer her precious little Sigmund. I owed her for saving me," Zenjiro answered coldly.

"Then we can leave now, right?" Etsuko asked hopefully.

"Not a chance. I still owe her. I can't not know if she dies or not," Zenjiro shook his head.

"You love her," Etsuko stated simply on her way back to the stairs.

Zenjiro didn't bother arguing. He was too tired.

* * *

When Sezja opened her eyes she was in a dimly lit room with a rough, wooden ceiling. She recognized this room. Her body ached badly. The last thing she remembered leaving the inn with Sigmund. She tried to sit up but could hardly lift her head off of the pillow. She clenched one hand into a fist, but the other would hardly move. Her toes were just as hard to control. Her throat was dry but she could breathe without tasting blood so she took that as a good sign. The door to her room opened. Someone walked across the room. She looked up and saw Asim.

"H-hey," Sezja managed to wheeze.

Asim jumped, "You're awake! How long have you been awake? Are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt?"

"A few minutes, I think. I'm a little sore, my muscles are a little weak," Sezja mumbled, "Do you know if Sigmund is okay?"

Asim looked concerned when she mentioned Sigmund, "Do you not remember what happened?"

"What happened to him? Is he alright?" Sezja asked, struggling to sit up so she could talk easier.

"Be careful, you're still hurt," Asim gently pushed her back to lay down again, "About a week ago we found you. You had been sick-"

"I know, but how'd I get back here. Where's Sigmund?" Sezja demanded.

"Something happened to him and you were found with a nasty head injury. We brought you back here and you went after him as soon as you woke up. He's not Sigmund anymore, Sezja. He's Zenjiro," Asim explained before she could interrupt again.

"Where is he?" Sezja asked.

"He's down stairs. He saved your life when you got caught in a collapsing building," Asim answered.

"I want to talk to him," Sezja said.

"I'll go get him. Stay here, okay?" Asim left.

Sezja tried to force herself to sit up after Asim had left and had barely made any progress by the time Zenjiro got there, "Hey, you're hurt you idiot don't try to sit up!"

"I feel fine," Sezja protested as she finally sat up.

"Asim said you don't remember what happened. You must not remember the prison then," Zenjiro sighed.

Sezja shook her head, "I just remember you being Siggy."

"Well, I'm not Siggy anymore," Zenjiro scowled.

Sezja's lower lip trembled slightly as tears welled up in her eyes.

Zenjiro frowned at her, "Stop crying. It's annoying, and stupid."

If anything that only encouraged the pathetic tears.

"Alright, stop it. I'll try not to be so rude," Zenjiro said.

"I miss Siggy. He's practically dead," Sezja whimpered.

"Yeah, he is. So stop crying," Zenjiro sighed.

Sezja glared at Zenjiro. The expression on her face honestly made him want to find a nice deep hole to crawl in and die.

"I'm going back downstairs. I'll tell your dad that you're awake," Zenjiro left.

A moment later Wyman walked into the room, "Sezja, how are ya feeling?"

"I'm fine, dad," Sezja answered. Her voice was rather monotonous. It held the same tone it had after she had lost Sigmund the first time.

"What's wrong?" Wyman asked.

"Siggy's dead," Sezja whimpered quietly.

* * *

A/N: Thanks a bunch for reading~


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own LoK

* * *

Chapter 19

Wyman's expression saddened as he walked over and carefully hugged Sezja, "Yeah, he is."

"I don't want him to be gone," Sezja whispered.

"I know, Se. He was never really a real person, anyways, though," Wyman sighed, "But he was a sweet kid."

Sezja nodded.

"I have some good news though, Sezja. Because ya helped that non-bender and got hurt, and because ya all went out of yer ways to keep non-benders safe, they're rethinking all of the old laws. The non-benders are even voting to allow benders to live on the surface and free from prison," Wyman smiled.

Sezja's eyes lit up at the news, "Really? We may get to leave the tunnels?"

"Yeah, but nothing's for certain yet," Wyman nodded.

"But there's a chance. There's a chance that we'll be free," Sezja laughed. It sounded weird, with her voice strained from the pain and effort of sitting up.

"Sezja, ya should try ta rest some, yer still hurt," Wyman advised.

Sezja agreed. She laid down as Wyman left. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and she slept hard.

* * *

Zenjiro tipped his chair back so that his head rested against the wall behind him. He was reading an old book Etsuko had had with her when they escaped. He hummed quietly and occasionally glanced up to check on Sezja. Wyman had left him to watch over the injured bender and care for her if need be, and he was determined to get on the innkeeper's good side.

Sezja sleepily opened an eye and glanced over at the bender, "Zenji?"

"Oh, that stupid nickname. How're you feeling, Sezja?" Zenjiro marked his place in the book before he set it on the floor beside his chair.

"Better. Were you reading?" Sezja asked as she looked at the book.

"Yeah, wanna borrow the book?" Zenjiro asked.

Sezja blushed, "I can't read. No one ever taught me after I came down here."

"Really? I can try to teach you to read if you want," Zenjiro offered.

"You can?" Sezja grinned.

Zenjiro nodded and smiled slightly, "Sure can. Do you know letters?"

"Yeah, I can spell a lot of names and stuff, I just can't read a lot of words or sound out letters very well," Sezja nodded.

Zenjiro dragged his chair over and carried his book too. He sat down next to her bed and held the book open to the first page so she could see.

"Do you know that word? Can you figure it out?" Zenjiro pointed to the word chapter.

"Uh, c-c-c?" Sezja sighed, "No, what word is it?"

"Chapter. If a c and an h are together like that, they make a ch sound," Zenjiro explained, "And then put that together it's chapter."

"Chapter, I can't say I've ever really heard that word," Sezja said.

"It generally pertains to a certain section of a book," Zenjiro shrugged.

For the next two weeks this went on. Zenjiro would help Sezja learn to read, he would read to her, and he was slowly trying to convince her that he wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought. In fact, things were perfect for everyone staying at the inn, until an announcement came.

"Sezja, Zenjiro, Etsuko, I need ta talk ta ya three," Wyman said as he led Etsuko and Zenjiro into Sezja's room.

"What's up?" Sezja asked.

"A non-bender came by earlier. The votes are done, the laws are changed, benders are allowed on the surface. But, any bender who has killed a non-bender, for any reason, is to be executed as exchange for our freedom," Wyman said.

Sezja's eyes widened and she swallowed. Etsuko's knees went weak and she slumped against the wall. Zenjiro's expression was blank.

"I guess it's fair, though," Sezja murmured quietly. The guilt she felt from killing that non-bender on her first outing as a material hunter had haunted her since the event took place.

"But ya worked so hard for freedom," Wyman whispered.

"When will we be handed over?" Sezja asked.

"They'll be coming to all of the inns to pick up any benders who are guilty tomorrow," Wyman answered. With that he left to let the news sink in for the three.

"It's not right, Etsuko, you shouldn't have to die. You've only ever killed one person," Zenjiro murmured, "You've saved so many more."

"Zenji, I'm sure we can figure something out," Sezja assured. She didn't know how, but she would definitely find a way to get them out of it.

The day seemed to move slowly as they went through and said their goodbyes. Soon, too soon, they were being taken to the surface. The entire group was to be executed immediately, but just as they were being lined up to be shot, someone ran over. They had a paper and they handed it to one of the non-benders.

"Looks like you all are free to go. Since you're all officially citizens, you have to be treated by the same laws. And seeing as all of the murders committed were in self defense, you're all free of charge. You all are really lucky," he said after he read the paper, "You all can go ahead and go to the cities, if you want."

"I, I can't believe that just happened," Sezja grinned.

Zenjiro simply chuckled quietly, "We really are lucky. Y'know what, Sezja, why don't you come to the city with us? Etsuko and I have seen cities before, but I doubt you have."

"Sure," Sezja grinned. She had a feeling life was going to get better from there, for all of them.

The End

A/N: Haha, not joking this time. Sorry the story was so lame, but sometimes my characters like to disagree with me and sometimes I have too many stories going. Thanks so much for putting so much of your time into reading, I love y'all. Reviews are appreciated~


End file.
