"I'm sixteen; just a year younger than you," were all that Kong would say for now. These were not the sorts of questions she had intended to be asked during this session, but somehow things had changed. Yes. Between the library found in the Middle Ring to her own home in the Upper Ring, Shi Yang's intentions had completely changed. She didn't want to just know more about the Northern Water Tribe... she wanted to know more about Tenshio.

"So, where did you learn your Water bending? Were you self-taught, or did you have a master or anything? I'm curious, because I've had to learn my Earth bending all on my own, for the most part, and you seem so much more at ease with your element that I do," was what the young Earth bender had calmly said next, sipping from her dainty porcelain tea cup. She was trying to read his emotions as they sat next to one another - trying to pick up on the pace of his heartbeat. She couldn't seem to pick up a read on it. She felt it, though, and that meant he was alive... that was a good sign. First it was fast, and then slow, and then sporadic, and then slow again. It was confusing her just trying to hone in on it, let alone read it. If Tenshio could just tell her what he was really feeling while sitting beside her, it would certainly save her the trouble of trying to read him.

Reading text books was easier than reading people.

Kong would nod her head as Tenshio began talking. His explanation as to why he was at the library earlier that day seemed reasonable enough. And then she sullenly bowed her head to sentiment that learning a new technique from a book was a lot easier said than done; a reassuring hum meant that she had been there and done that. Upon mention of him searching for a Water bending teacher, Kong took a sip of tea. She herself had often thought about what it would be like to train under the tutelage of an advanced or master Earth bender. Though it was frowned upon in this society, she had heard too much about great female Earth benders to make her want to abandon her gift; if people like Toph Bei Fong and Avatar Kyoshi could do it, then so could she.

And then, the young Water bender said something about traveling. He expressed notions of going to other places, something that the green-eyed teen had also wanted to do. Of course he was a traveler; him, a tribesman, being in Ba Sing Se was proof enough. Kong put her tea down onto the china plate laying on the table before her and then turned to Tenshio, saying, "It's always been a dream of mine to leave Ba Sing Se and travel, too. If you haven't noticed already, there isn't much keeping me here." She would laugh at the joke that was almost as stale as the mid-day life of the Upper Ring. "Tell me, where have you traveled to so far? Or is Ba Sing Se your first stop on your way to world touring?"

The young brunette looked on as Tenshio sipped his tea. She was glad he liked it; most people didn't find the taste of tea appealing for some reason. But Kong knew that those who did enjoy it usually had a straight head on their shoulders. Her shoulders pulled back as the Earth bender tried to straighten out her seating posture. Earth Kingdom nobility (and anyone with a proper set of manners or formal etiquette training) had always been taught that if someone gives you respect, you return it. The Water bender was definitely being very respectful of Shi Yang and her household. She aimed to do the same by him.

She listened as he expressed his desire to traverse the reaches of the world, and was almost relieved to hear that Ba Sing Se was only the first stop on his journey. It meant that she was not too late to hop on this train, too.

He wanted to see the rest of the Earth Kingdom, huh? It was practical enough. Kong could not really say that she had been outside of Ba Sing Se - for she had not gone further than just outside of the wall. It was once. She had been with her father when she was young, and he had arranged for her to look beyond the wall... beyond the capitol city. These were still the days of the Shi Yangs living in the Lower Ring, and Mr. Shi Yang was hoping to strike fear into Kong's heart; the concerned father did not want his little girl to ever have thoughts of running away. By showing her the desert just outside of the wall, he thought he could discourage her from ever leaving the most protected place known to their people. Little did he know that he had done just the opposite, for a young Kong refused to believe that all that lie beyond the wall was barren wasteland. This is when literature became a major component in her life, for it told the entire story of what she couldn't see herself.

But this was the time to see it for herself. That is, if her acquaintance would allow her company. But how could she propose the question without sounding desperate, or naive, or even immature? She figured the best approach would be one that was direct and well articulated; she couldn't have Tenshio thinking that he would bringing along some dumb little girl. It couldn't very well help her chances of him saying "yes."

With a gentle hand the young woman would push her hair back, and behind her ear. She looked down, thinking about what she wanted to say before she said it, as she had done before. Something this serious required eye contact. She looked to him, saying, "Neither will I. In a way, I guess Ba Sing Se is my first stop, too. But the stories of travelers and the stories found within books tell me of other things that I wish to see. I long to visit the city of Omashu, and its famed Cave of Two Lovers; to study the unique bending arts of the inhabitants of the Foggy Swamp; to look over the Great Divide; and to even visit the Island of Kyoshi, the home to the late Avatar Kyoshi. These places are only of the Earth Kingdom, so there's even more to see. I can truly say that I am unsatisfied here. Politics rule, and there is no way that I can grow as a person. My own person, anyway. I guess what I'm trying to do, Tenshio, is tell you that I wish to accompany you. Would that be too much of a bother?"

The way Kong would hunch her shoulders and slightly curl her lips immediately after asking her question was sort of humanizing. She talked as though she had studied grammar and vocabulary scrolls extensively, but to see such lax body language was nice. All the girl could do now was wait for an answer to her question. She would not be surprised if her question was answered with more questions, like what would her parents say. She didn't care enough about what either of them had to say to let it sway her decision if Tenshio were to say yes, anyway.

While awaiting his reply, the butterflies tumbled about in her stomach, brushing up against the walls of her belly. And then he began to speak; this was the moment of truth! His stammering words did not calm her restless spirit of anticipation, and his "but" only did more damage. She didn't care about what her parents thought. If she had minded her parents' every words, she would have never visited the library of the Middle Ring, would have never met Tenshio, would have never invited him home for tea, and would not be sitting at where she was right now.

Tenshio showed obvious signs of concerned, worrying about Kong's parents and their relationship as acquaintances. She was anticipating a decline to her proposal, and was prepared to accept it with grace and dignity. But then, she thought she heard a murmured word that almost sounded like the word "yet." But he couldn't have said that, for it fit nowhere in is argument. Were the Earth bender's ears playing tricks on her? Oh, how her heart began to pump and thump — if only Tenshio would give a straightforward answer. Yes or no?

And then, it came. Like the sun's rays over the horizon, it came. The response she had been praying for. The Ba Sing Se native had stuck her hand out in companionship and the tribesman had finally grabbed onto it with his own. A smile was the sixteen year old's first thanking gesture, and then a small bow of the head followed. But in her elation, she could not help but address what Tenshio had said; her parents were indeed a part of this equation.

But she was too happy right now to let the thought of their disapproval kill her buzz! Why did she even have to ask them? The girl was old enough, and perfectly capable (in her eyes, at least) to take care of herself. "Tenshio, I believe that we will make outstanding traveling companions! And if you are worried about my parents approval, you need not be. My mind is set and will not be altered."

Shi Yang had listened to the question, nodding her head at it. What time would be best for her, since Tenshio was ready to go at a moment's notice? Of course she would want to bring a few items with her, but she knew the importance of packing light; she didn't want to burden herself or slow down the more physically prepared Water bender.

First she would change clothes; get out of her luxurious robes and slip into something more comfortable and weather-resistant. Food should be brought for herself and her new friend (Kong should get used to thinking of this Northern Water Tribe citizen as such, considering the amount of time they would now be spending together). And her savings should be brought too, to buy supplies on their next stop.

"The last thing I want to do is keep you waiting on me, Tenshio. Let us leave tomorrow morning, if you have no matters to attend to," were the words to come out of the Earth bender's mouth. She could pack away in one night's time.

"Tonight I will say goodbye to my parents and gather my belongings. Tomorrow morning, I will travel to the Middle Ring. We can meet in front of the library - the place where I first saw you. From there we could perhaps go down to the marketplace of the Lower Ring for last minute supply shopping. And then, it is wherever you wish to go." Hopefully, the young Earth bender wasn't being seen as pushy. If she wanted this to work, she would need everything mapped out precisely. In fact, she was trying to think of a way to politely ask Tenshio to leave the house - she was growing more and more conscious of the time. She had no idea when her mother would be back, and her father was due home in perhaps another hour or so.

Kong looked at the clock hanging from the wall. There was enough time. If she thought about it too hard, she would only end up worrying herself for no reason. Even worse yet, she might jinx the situation.

Mmmmmmm, calming Jasmine tea. As she sipped from the petite cup and taste just how lukewarm the beverage had become, it became apparent just how much time the two had spent together ... talking ... planning.

"So, Tenshio, does the idea seem doable to you?"

The emerald-eyed young woman watched as her guest stood up, bidding her goodbye. She could tell that he wasn't sure as to what he should do next. With a final sip of her tea, she stood up as well. "You are right. Without sounding impolite, it would be best if you left now," were the words to escape Kong's mouth. Without sounding impolite? Of course that sounded impolite. It was downright rude! But she hadn't meant it to sound so harsh; did that count for anything? Hopefully after spending more time with her, Tenshio would learn that some of the meaner sounding things said by Shi Yang were not intended as vindictive. It only came from a lack of interaction with other young persons.

The Earth bender showed the tribesman to the door, and then walked him all the way to the front gate of the yard. "Just follow this path and then take the second left. You will run directly into the monorail." Hopefully her instructions had been simple enough to follow; she had put them in terms simple enough for a child to understand because this was Tenshio's first time visiting the Upper Ring. And it was getting dark.

Dusk was settling in and the crescent moon was fairly visible in the sky. Without looking over, Kong could feel the soft pitter-patter of a family of frog-opossums exiting their nest stationed in a bush in the Shi Yang's yard. They seemed to be heading in the same direction in which Kong had just instructed Tenshio to go. They were going off to forage for scraps for supper.

The morning sun was just peeking over the great outer wall of the Earth Kingdom's capital city. Anticipation had kept Kong up for a huge portion of the night, but she knew that sleep would be needed for the big day ahead of her. At the first glint of light shining on her face, the hazel haired girl awoke. She first went to the bathroom and proceeded to brush her teeth, , wash her face, and then comb through her brown locks. With a look at her own reflection, she decided she was as ready as she would ever be as far as looks were concerned.

Dressed in her night gown, she went over to the pine wood wardrobe. Upon opening it she gazed at all of the silk robes she had hanging about - she couldn't go out wearing these robes. More importantly, she did not want to. The robes, though always flowing and dancing in the wind, symbolized restriction. When she wore them, Kong had to abide by a certain set of rules. These rules had tormented her for years, making her slave to the political corruption and bias of Ba Sing Se. There was no way she could adorn herself in these clothes again. Kong dropped to her knees and pulled out a bottom drawer, setting her sights on a yellow shirt and a pair of brown pants - both made of cotton. She dressed herself. And then she slipped into a pair of custom made shoes with an extremely thin sole in them, to enhance her connection to the crust's soil. It would help her bending (something she planned on doing a lot of on this journey).

Now that she was ready to go, she looked at her room one final time. Her bed had been made, the floor was swept, and everything was organized and neat. Just as she liked it. This was how she would leave it, and this is how it should be upon the girl's return.

She walked over to her bedside night table. The letter to her parents that she had written in her pre-sleep anticipation lay there. Without picking up, Kong read it over once more for any errors:

Dear Father and Mother,

By the time you read this, I shall be miles away from the city of Ba Sing Se. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The time for me to start living my life is now.

For half of my life I have lived in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. I have stayed strong through all of the degrading looks and criticizing words; endured the viscous attitudes of people who claimed that we did not really belong here. Those phased me, but did not stop me.

I want to travel the world, and experience all that is to be offered. As any good daughter would, I have thought about how my parents would react to the news. I assume you will not be too pleased. This thought has phased me, but it, too, will not stop me.

Do not focus on my leaving, and do not worry about how I shall make it from day to day. Just know that I will. I plan to write when I can, and cannot wait for the day when I return home to you both a woman.

I am of age now. This is the life I have chosen.

Love,
Kong.

Reading it over again, it did sound a little business-y. The departing daughter had wanted to stir up emotions and make a lasting impression, not inform them of a hiatus she was taking. Oh well. It would have to do. As the sun rose higher it meant that Kong was running out of time before her father awoke to prepare for work. She remembered how her mother had come home mere moments after she had sent Tenshio away. When questioned about the two tea cups that had been set on the table, the quick thinker had fibbed and said she had invited a girl from up the street home. Her mother then expressed feelings of joy, happy that her daughter was finally coming around.

Kong was just happy she dodged the lethal bullet.

The teenager with the expecting future walked over to her window. She looked out at it, longingly. She could look out over the Middle Ring from where she stood. A tingling sensation in her feet let her know that the monorail was coming in for the first time this morning. Kong took a deep breath. This was it. She placed her hands on the ground and pulled the Earth apart, creating a hole - a portal to the outside, and a doorway to her future. She climbed into the hole and then closed it back. The bender then opened up another hole and climbed out on the outside of her home. With a well placed stomp she filled the tunnel back up with dirt. She turned and broke out in a light jog in an effort to make the tram.