As Airina navigated through the crowded tavern, her eyes scanning the faces of the patrons, she couldn't shake the heavy weight of guilt that had settled upon her since the fall of her beloved city. The noise and chaos of the tavern seemed to drown out her thoughts, leaving her feeling adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Among the rowdy crowd, she noticed two figures that stood out from the rest. One was an older man, his gentle demeanor and wise eyes reminiscent of someone she had seen before, perhaps in an old portrait hidden away in the archives of her family's palace. There was a sense of warmth and familiarity about him, like a distant memory waiting to be uncovered. The other figure was younger, his presence exuding an air of quiet intensity. His features were sharp and angular, his amber eyes holding a depth of emotion that sent a shiver down Airina's spine. She felt a strange connection to him, as if she had glimpsed his face before in the depths of a feverish dream, fleeting yet unforgettable.

As she watched the two men from across the tavern, her heart pounded in her chest with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. She didn't know them, yet there was something about their presence that stirred a sense of longing within her, a longing for answers and understanding in a world turned upside down.

For a moment, Airina hesitated, unsure whether to approach these strangers or retreat into the safety of her own thoughts. But as she glanced back across the street at the tea shop, where Ethan and Lily laughed and talked in animated gestures, she knew she couldn't ignore the pull of fate any longer.

Summoning her courage, Airina made her way over to the two men, her steps slow and deliberate. She didn't know what she hoped to find – solace, perhaps, or maybe just a fleeting glimpse of the truth buried beneath layers of forgotten memories. But as she drew closer, she felt a strange sense of recognition wash over her, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place after years of being lost.

"Excuse me," she said tentatively, her voice barely audible above the din of the tavern. "Do I... know you from somewhere?"

The older man, with a twinkle in his eye, turned to her with a warm smile. "Ah, my dear, it's possible," he replied in a voice as soothing as a gentle breeze. "In a world as vast as this, the threads of fate often weave together in unexpected ways. But tell me, what brings you to Ba Sing Se?"

Airina met the older man's gaze, finding comfort in his wise eyes as she spoke. "Destiny," she echoed softly, the word heavy with meaning. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. Destiny brought me here, to Ba Sing Se, seeking... seeking something I can't quite put into words."

The man nodded understandingly, his expression filled with a sense of empathy that made Airina feel as though she was being seen for the first time in ages. "Ah, destiny has a way of leading us down paths we never thought we'd tread," he mused. "But fear not, my dear. Sometimes, the answers we seek are closer than we think."

Beside him, the younger man remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Airina as if trying to unravel the mysteries hidden within her soul. She felt a flicker of unease under his scrutiny, but also a strange sense of familiarity that defied explanation.

"I apologize if this seems forward," Airina began tentatively, "but you both seem... familiar to me, somehow. I feel as though I've known you before, though I can't quite place where or when."

The older man's smile deepened, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Ah, the mysteries of fate are indeed curious, my dear," he replied cryptically. "But perhaps our meeting is no mere coincidence. Perhaps it is the hand of destiny guiding us towards a shared purpose."

Airina's heart quickened at his words, a glimmer of hope igniting within her chest. Could it be possible that these strangers held the key to unlocking the secrets of her past, to helping her find the answers she sought?

Before she could dwell further on the thought, a commotion erupted from the other side of the tavern, drawing their attention away. But as Airina turned to face the source of the disturbance, she couldn't shake the feeling that her encounter with these two enigmatic strangers was only the beginning of a journey that would change the course of her destiny forever.

From the dimly lit corner of the tavern, Jet's narrowed gaze followed the exchange between Airina (or Kia as he knows her) and the two strangers with a mixture of suspicion and resentment. He had known Airina a few years back, and he harbored deep-seated animosity toward her for what he perceived as betrayal – her failure to support the "Freedom Fighters" in their misguided endeavors.

As he watched the older man and the younger one, Jet's mind raced with thoughts of conspiracy and danger. He is sure that the two of them are Fire Benders. Were they here to sow discord and chaos in the heart of the Earth Kingdom? His eyes darted between Airina and the newcomers with a steely resolve. If they were indeed firebenders, as he suspected, then it was his duty to protect the people of Ba Sing Se from their treachery, no matter the cost.

But before he could act on his suspicions, a sudden disturbance erupted in the tavern, drawing the attention of everyone present. A group of rowdy patrons had begun to argue loudly, their voices escalating into shouts and threats.

Without hesitation, Airina sprang into action, her movements swift and decisive as she moved to defuse the situation. With a few calm words and a reassuring smile, she managed to quell the tension and restore order to the tavern, earning murmurs of gratitude from the relieved patrons

As the chaos subsided, Airina turned to face the two strangers once more, a determined glint in her eyes. Ignoring the lingering stares of suspicion from Jet, she approached them with a small bundle cradled in her arms.

"I apologize for the disturbance," she said earnestly, her voice tinged with sincerity. "Allow me to offer you a token of welcome to Ba Sing Se. As your new neighbors, I thought you might appreciate these spark rocks – to make some tea these are a necessity."

With a graceful bow, Airina presented the gift to the older man and the younger one, her heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and hope. 

As Airina's gaze swept across the tavern, she froze as her eyes landed on Jet, recognition flashing between them like a bolt of lightning. Dread washed over her as she realized that her past had caught up with her once again.

With a heavy heart, Airina approached Jet, her steps faltering slightly as she braced herself for the confrontation that she had long feared.

"Jet" she murmured, "I told you to get out of my business. You should forget that you ever saw me and get as far away from me as possible."

Jet's eyes narrowed at her words, his expression a mixture of confusion and anger. "Why should I get away?" he demanded, his voice tinged with bitterness. "What are you hiding from me, Kia?"

He started laughing in mockery, "What a dumb question, you are always lying and hiding something."

Airina winced at his words, but his words couldn't hurt her. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to say next.

"If you ever come close to me again..."she said firmly, her words ringing with determination. "I won't hesitate to hurt you. Do you understand?"

There was a moment of stunned silence as Jet processed her words, his expression darkening with realization. Slowly, he nodded, a glimmer of understanding dawning in his eyes.

"I understand," he said quietly, his voice tinged with regret. "I won't bother you again, Kia. But know that I'll always be watching, waiting for the day when you're ready to face the truth of who you really are."

With that, Jet turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Airina alone with her thoughts and the weight of her secrets pressing down upon her. She knew that she had made the right choice in pushing him away and that one day she would be ready to confront the demons of her past, no matter the cost.

✧

Jet's memories stirred as he sat amidst the clamor of the tavern, the echoes of a past betrayal still ringing in his ears. He remembered the day Kia, the skilled waterbender he had once trusted with his life, had revealed her true power – the power of bloodbending.

They had been planning an attack on a contingent of Fire Nation soldiers passing through a small Earth Kingdom village. The plan was straightforward - strike hard and fast, deal a blow to the enemy, and liberate the village from their oppression. But Kia had seen something they hadn't – the vulnerability of the village, the fragility of its old artifacts and buildings, and the lives of the elderly inhabitants who would be caught in the crossfire.

When she had intervened, using her bloodbending to immobilize them, Jet had felt a surge of betrayal and anger. He couldn't understand why Kia would go against their cause, why she would choose to hold them back when victory was within their grasp.

"You could have helped us win," he had accused her, his voice thick with disappointment and disbelief. "We trusted you, Kia. We thought you were one of us."

But Kia had remained silent, her eyes haunted by the weight of her actions. And in that moment, Jet had known that things could never be the same between them. The bond of trust they had once shared had been shattered, replaced by a chasm of resentment and regret.

As he sat in the tavern, surrounded by strangers and memories alike, Jet couldn't shake the feeling of loss that lingered in his heart. He had lost more than a fellow Freedom Fighter that day – he had lost a friend, someone he had once believed in with all his heart.

And though he knew he should let go of the past and move on, a part of him couldn't help but wonder what had become of Kia, the waterbender who had betrayed them all. Had she found redemption for her sins, or was she still out there, burdened by the weight of her past actions?

As the tavern bustled around him, Jet made a silent vow to never forget the day Kia had changed everything, for better or for worse. And though he may never understand her reasons, he knew that her betrayal would always linger in the back of his mind, a reminder of the dangers of trust and the fragility of loyalty.