A/N: Okay, first off if you are not okay with original characters, stop reading now. I know it's like sacrilegious (to some people) to add in your own characters. I have TRIED so hard to get this out of my head, you have no idea. I have tried to not write this. I have tried to stop thinking about this story. But I can't. It's like trying to change your eye color or your ethnicity. It's something that can't be ignored for me. It's a part of me. So if you send me hate mail, let me tell you right now, I warned you. This is 90 years after Harmonic Convergence, 22 years after Avatar Korra's Death.

Harmonic convergence in Avatar Korra's time changed the world drastically. Spirits living amongst humans was something new and not an easy change at first, but after having 90 years to adjust to this new living arrangement, it became a natural part of life as the generations came and went. Humans, spirits, and animals; making a life together. Ba Sing Se was no exception. Spirits roamed the streets day and night. Sometimes they bothered the residents, sometimes they were kind and discreet. On the day Tei's journey began, however, they all seemed very tense, sensing the calm before the storm, so to speak.

According to the Order of the White Lotus, the avatar no longer existed. After Avatar Korra's death, the White Lotus searched the entire United Republic and the Earth Kingdom for the next Avatar in the cycle. As the years passed, hope dwindled from what was a certainty down to praying for a miracle. Ten years into the search and they finally gave up. Their understanding was that the separation of Korra from Raava was the cause of the cycle breaking. They believed that even though she reconnected with Raava, it wasn't enough to keep the cycle going. But they were wrong.

X

The sun was streaking over the metropolis of Ba Sing Se, the rays of light just barely reaching over the walls and filtering through the curtains of a home in the lower ring. As the orange glow entered the room it fell upon a young woman, deep in sleep. She was not, however, alone in the house. A massive saber tooth sand leopard was on the prowl through the halls, silently pushing the woman's bedroom door open. She flinched her head back when the door squeaked, the young woman stirring in her sleep. The leopard ducked her head down and waited for the woman to be back in a deep sleep before continuing forward, creeping up next to the high bed, almost eye level with the woman. Her ears went back and she opened her mouth gripping a large amount of the sheets between her teeth. When she was sure she had a good grip, the leopard turned and ran out the door, taking all of the sheets with her.

"Misa, no," the young woman whined as her body was exposed, turning on her side and curling up. After lying still for a few moments, the leopard came back in and propped herself halfway on the bed, licking the woman's side. She laughed and pushed her head away.

"Can't I sleep in for one day?" She complained and turned her naked body towards her friend. Misa growled softly and the woman huffed.

"I know , I know… the shop isn't going to open itself." Misa let out a snort in agreement and got off the bed, her job for the morning finished. The woman took her time sitting up and folding her legs under herself, stretching and yawning with her mahogany hair falling around her.

She fell into her morning routine; retrieving the blankets from Misa's oh-so-obvious hiding place and making the bed, dressing herself in her knee length v-neck light green dress with grass green sash around her little waist, opening the curtains, putting her hair up into a messy bun with her hair spiking up over the crown of her head. She bent her steel bracelet into place, the cool metal wrapping around her wrist under her manipulation. She reached for her locket on her night stand and walked to the bathroom, clasping the metal together at the nape of her neck and the locket fell just at the start of her cleavage. She looked herself over in the mirror and smiled, her olive green eyes lively for so early in the morning. The young woman washed her face and brushed her teeth. Only then was she completely satisfied with herself. She came out of the bathroom and walked down her hall to the kitchen. Misa padded her way in and looked up to her.

"Breakfast?" She chirped. Misa's mouth fell open and her fluffy tail stood to attention, making the woman laugh. She reached into the refrigerator and tossed her a hunk of fresh meat, the leopard catching it without fail, as she did every morning. The woman leaned against the counter and munched on strawberryapple, watching her best friend rip apart her breakfast savagely. She smiled. To her, it was just another day in her content, simple life. Just another morning. Ahead of her she felt was an average day of manning her father's bladesmith shop, left to her after he died five years ago. Her life had seemed so empty when Ryo had died, but the world kept spinning, so she had to keep on living. When she was finished with her fruit headed for the door, grabbing her keys and slipping on her worn leather shoes.

"Ready to go, Misa?" She hollered into the house, hearing her large paws thump against the wooden floors as she ran to the door. The woman opened the door and Misa ran out into the street, turning to wait for her owner. She came out and locked the door behind them and started their trek to the shop, walking in step together.

During the first few hours, business was slow; only a few browsers stopping by. As afternoon came, the shop got busy with a couple actual customers and a few kids at the same time. The kids she didn't mind, it was the men gave her constant trouble. One of the men took a sword off the wall and came to her counter, setting it before her while a smile danced on his lips.

"My, you are looking beautiful as ever ,Tei." He said, his eyes raking over her body hungrily. She smiled back and leaned forward, her weight on the counter.

"True as that may be, flattery does not buy a sword, Riko." She replied and batted her eyes. He didn't seem too dejected.

"How about a trade then? One weapon for one date?" He leaned forward, opposite her.

"Oh, if only a date with you was worth that much." She purred and pursed her petal lips.

"Sugar, don't be like that." He said with his lids heavy, easily under her teasing spell. "Your prices are just so high."

"Highest quality in Ba Sing Se, Riko. I forged it myself, I should know." Tei defended and skimmed her fingers across the counter to run a hand down the beautiful weapon, shining like a mirror.

"But 2,700 yuans? That's a little steep." He bargained.

"And I am taking a loss at that price." She said firmly, removing her hand from the masterpiece and looking back up at him. He huffed

"You are so much like Ryo. I am starting to guess how you got that scar." He spat and motioned his hand towards her face. She flinched back and her left hand reflexively ran down the pink line that cut into her eyebrow and stopped at her cheekbone. Misa, who had been laying idle behind the counter saw her reaction and was on all fours instantly, baring her intimidating teeth at Riko. Tei frowned.

"How I got this scar is none of your business - Hey!" She shouted to the kids that were playing behind Riko, swinging daggers wildly at each other. "Put those down right now or spirits helps me I'll make sure your mothers know all the trouble you lot have been causing around town!"

The boys dropped the daggers and ran out of the shop, having felt Tei's wrath more than once. She sighed and turned back to the man before her, looking down at the sword.

"Fine, 2,500, and that's only because you buy here regularly." She said curtly.

"Deal." Riko smiled and reached into his pockets, pulling out a green, rectangular booklet.

"Riko, you know my policy, Cash only. I don't like those paper slips." She motioned to his checkbook. He sighed and put it away, pulling out all the he had and placing it on the counter. Tei counted it quickly. "You're fifty short."

"Can you hold it for me? I'll go home and get the rest."

"Yes, but if I get a better offer, it's gone." She sang to him, waving the money in the air.

"I'll be right back." He said and hurried out of the shop. Tei took the sword off the counter and leaned it against the wall behind her. She head the familiar ringing of a bell that sounded when someone else had come inside and she turned to greet them, turning pale when she saw who it was. It was one of the spirits that likes to cause havoc on her little life. As it came towards her, she held her hand out to stop it.

"Yen, no. I am really not in the mood today for your antics." She said and pointed towards the door.

"I am not here to cause trouble. I promise." It responded in a childlike voice she had grown all too familiar with.

"Well you don't need any weapons and I highly doubt you just want to chat, so what do you want with me, exactly?" She spat, venom in her words. The spirit took no notice to her tone and stood at her counter, seeming very tense. It didn't speak for a few moment and Tei realized something was off about the situation. "What's wrong, Yen?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck. I know it's going to be hard, but I know you can do this."

"Um… what?" Tei asked, completely confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forget, you humans can only see past and present. Oh dear. I might have made things worse. I should go-" It turned it's translucent light body towards the door.

"No, wait!" She said and propelled herself over the counter, reaching out for the spirit, unable to grasp it.

"Please, I need to go, I've made a mess of things." And with that it was out of the door, leaving just her, Misa, and her thoughts. She looked to Misa and scoffed.

"What the hell was that about?" She asked and crossed her arms, Misa giving her head a little tilt. Tei frowned and hopped back up onto the counter, sitting and crossing her legs, waiting for the rest of the day to pass by. And it did, rather uneventfully after that. Riko came back and paid for his sword. The boys never came back to browse or roughhouse. Yen stayed away from Ryo's shop, in fact she didn't see another spirit during business hours. When closing time came, they left after tightly locking up the gated windows and door.

Her walk home in the dark was usually not a problem, especially with such a fierce beast at her side faithfully. Somehow, Misa was no comfort to her as she noticed the lack of people and spirits that usually crowded the evening streets in the summer, even on a beautiful hot night like it was. Misa could sense the eerie calm too and her eyes darted around corners, her bushy tail straight as a board. Tei's stomach began to knot and an uneasy feeling passed through her intestines. She walked closer to her friend, her waist to Misa's shoulders.

She felt like she could finally breathe when they were both inside and safely locked away from the world. She clung to the doorknob and let out a soft sigh, feeling the anxiety slowly start to melt away. This day had been off. Something wasn't right with the world. Something was wrong and she just couldn't figure out what it was. It had to be simple, something she was missing. A holiday? A ceremony? Was this all because of the solstice? She turned to look at the foyer of her small home, kicking off her shoes and walking towards the kitchen to make dinner. She didn't get far. Suddenly the wooden floor beneath her felt like it was shaking, wobbling from side to side with a lack of seismic activity. She tripped and caught herself on the ground. Misa was at her side almost instantly, hovering protectively. It wasn't her house or the earth, it was her. She was off. Realization poured over her as she tried to figure out what exactly was wrong, but her mind became a playground of fog. Her body grew weak, her limbs shaking and her vision blurring. Misa made a concerned growling and Tei tried to lie, tried to say she was okay, but her throat closed up as she collapsed onto the floor of her entryway, Misa trying to nudge her back into a conscious state with her head.

X

She wasn't sure where she was. Everywhere she turned in the bright light of day was sand. Just sand, stretching on for miles in every direction. An ocean of rock and her abandoned like a ship lost at sea. The sky was a cloudy bright haze of yellow, the sun at her zenith. She couldn't remember traveling to the desert, or which way was home, so she tried to use her wits to get herself out of this situation. With the sun at its highest she couldn't tell which way was east or west. So she walked right for the sun, hoping to see it lower in an hour. She did so and the sun indeed lowered to the side, indicating west. She smiled and went to wipe the sweat off her brow, having walked at least a few miles, but there was no sweat. In fast she wasn't out of breath, hot, thirsty, or tired. These thoughts and more occurred to her. Such as, if she was in the Si Wong Desert, she was southeast of home. Meaning she needed to head northwest to get home. She smiled at her own little victory and walked accordingly. Tei walked for what seemed like hours, maybe even days, but sun lowered slowly. Just as it was about to head over the horizon, it seemed to change direction, moving back in the sky the way it had came.

"No. No! That's not possible! You're supposed to go down!" She cursed at the sun in frustration. No sooner had her words left her mouth did the sun all but disappear, leaving her in pitch black darkness. No stars, no sand, no air, no sound. She felt like she was choking and closed her eyes, terrified and lost. She tried to swallow but couldn't. She tried to feel where she was but she wasn't anywhere. Not standing, not floating, just existing. She tried to keep calm and focus on the beating of her heart, the only proof that she was still alive. Days passes. Weeks could have gone on in this state, there was no time. Only the beating of her heart.

After an eternity in nothingness, the choking stopped. She could breathe again. Warmth was crawling over her skin and seeping down into her bones. Light was just beyond the barrier of her eyelids again. She hesitated but opened her eyes, seeing a clear blue sky above her, the sun shining like it had never left. She took in another breath and it was becoming more and more real as the seconds ticked by. She was out of the dark. She was back in reality. She sat up slowly from the laying position she was in and looked around her. She was laying in summer wildflowers, similar to the ones that grew inside the first ring back home. Tei was in a meadow, a forest on her left, a mountain range on her right. Mountains she didn't recognize. Her logic was becoming useless the more time she spent in this odd dimension. Between the desert, the darkness, and now this field she was done trying to figure it out.

"Hello?" She called out, standing up out of the flowers. Her voice echoed off the forest and mountains, just to come back to her own ears. She kept hearing her own voice call out dozens of times. No animal sounds, no breeze to rustle the trees, just silence. She fisted her dress at her sides and started to panic. Before her heart was pounding too fast, a response finally came.

"Tei."

She turned to see a woman standing behind her. She appeared a little older than herself. Her pallet of clothing was all shades of blue with white fur and brown leather thrown in. It was clear; she was of watertribe descent.

"Where am I?" Tei asked, filled with anxiety that a perfect stranger knew her name; that she had gotten so close without hearing her approach.

"You are in Ba Sing Se," she spoke softly, "at least, your body is."

"I don't understand," She said and her voice raised an octave, clearly feeling her heart beating in her chest, the pumping of blood, the expansion of her lungs. She was real, she was there.

"You are in the spirit world. I pulled you here."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Korra. I am the Avatar before you."

Her words hung in the air, precariously tipping Tei near the edge of a full blown panic attack.

"Avatar Korra, you mean 'the Avatar before my time', right?" She asked.

"No Tei. You are the Avatar after myself."

"That-that's not true. The Cycle died with you, everyone knows that. I can't be."

"You are." Said another voice. A strong low, authorizing woman's voice echoed around the two women, seemingly coming from nowhere. "You must accept this responsibility."

"And you are?" Tei called out, trying to find the source.

"I am Raava, the spirit of light, the same spirit that is inside of you right now."

Tei held a hand to her chest and looked back to Korra. She had been told all her life about the great spirit Raava, the legends that Korra left behind. It left her star struck and sea sick at the same time.

"No… it can't be true, it just can't be." Tei argued, shaking her head like a child.

"It is important that you understand who you are, where you came from." Raava continued.

"Why? Why now? Why wasn't I told? Why were there no signs?" She challenged, her fear becoming anger and rejection.

"You are the first Avatar to be born in this new cycle." Korra explained." The signs the world had always depended on weren't there. They couldn't manifest. You are only connected to me and therefore would not be able to choose toys from your past lives or show any other signs of any other life other than mine. There were signs Tei, but no one was looking for…"

"No one was looking for me." She said and it hurt. She closed her eyes and tightened her fists. She hadn't been special enough. No one knew who she was because she wasn't extraordinary in any way. "Why?" Her voice cracked. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

"We had hoped for you to find out on your own, just as Korra did when she was young." Raava's voice echoed through the field.

"But you didn't. You are very different from me. But this is besides the point, you need to know now. There is an urgent matter at hand and the summer solstice will not last forever." Korra reasoned.

"What do you mean? The world is at peace. The Avatar isn't needed." Tei replied.

"That is what it would seem, but things are about to take a turn in the wrong direction soon." Raava's voice echoed. "The leader of your own nation is about to start a war."

"That's ridiculous. King Qiang is way too passive for something like that. And who would he even war against?"

"Qiang is planning an attack on the United Republic. He truly believes the United Republic has stolen Earth Kingdom soil and wants to fight for it back. He wants there to be four nations again." Korra explained.

"It's all a façade, young Avatar-" Raava agreed

"Stop calling me that. I'm not the Avatar! You're wrong!" Tei rejected.

"I have been around for millennia, before your time of existence, before the time of the Avatar! Mind your place, human!" Raava retorted and Tei flinched at the scolding. Korra came closer to her.

"Tei, you can do this. You have to."

"I-I'm scared. I don't know what to do, where to go…" Her fists gripped her dress again and her chest felt tight.

"That's why we are here. But there is one thing, you have to keep who you are hidden. "

"What?"

"I'm sorry, you have to conceal your identity. It's the only way for you to be safe while you train." Korra murmured.

"How am I supposed to defeat a King with an entire army by myself?"

"You are never alone." Raava said kindly, in stark contrast to her tone before. "We have always been with you and that will never change." Tei looked down and nodded to herself.

"Okay then," She lifted her head and meet Korra's eyes, "Where do I start?"

"You need to leave for Republic city. Find General Tashi of the United Forces. He can be trusted. From there he will guide you to a firebending master. That's where you'll start."

"Alright." She said meekly. Korra put a hand on her shoulder.

"You can do this." She encouraged with a smile that Tei returned it.

"Good luck and goodbye." Raava echoed as Korra's hand left her shoulder.

"Goodbye?" Tei asked and suddenly there was darkness again. Black, thick, choking darkness, squeezing her throat and chest. She couldn't breathe. Abruptly, her eyes flew open and she gasped for air, finding herself on the floor of home. Misa, who had never left her side, nudged her shoulder with her head as Tei panted, feeling like she had been holding her breath for too long. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, her body feeling weak as she strained to look for the wall clock. It was almost 2am. What had felt like an eternity to her had merely been a few hours. Tei sighs as Misa's massive head lay in her lap, her hand automatically petting her between the ears.

"Our lives are going to change Misa…" She murmured and Misa purred at her touch.

X

The next morning they fell into their routine for the last time, getting ready for the day with uneasy stomachs. She opened the shop early and marked down her merchandise as low as she could, hoping to sell most of it. It didn't take but a few hours for the news of her low prices to catch attention and people started coming from all over the city, lower and middle ring alike. Swords and knives were flying off the shelves so quick she barely had time between each customer, her little shop filled with people. One customer questioned the prices.

"What's going on? Are you moving or something?" Riko asked her over the noisy shop.

"Something like that," She whispered and couldn't meet his eyes. He raised his brow in suspicion but placed the money on the counter. He was about to walk away when something in his head stopped him.

"You know, your father… Ryo was a great man. One of the best men I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. Honorable, genuine, and strong. Just… keep making him proud."

She was blind sighted by his comment, her chest filling with both love and pride for her father.

"I will, thank you, Riko." She said and her voice cracked, her heart touched. With that he left, three swords in hand and a few daggers to boot. Most of her weapons were sold by closing time, which was early that day, and she took the remaining ones and locked them in the tiny back store room. Tei took a sack cloth and emptied her cash box into it, slinging it over her shoulder and putting the cash box under the counter. Misa walked her out and she pulled the gates down, locking up everything like she normally would. As the lock clicked into place, she wondered how much dust would collect while she was gone. And how long she would be gone for that matter. Months? Years? Not knowing weighed her down. It made her anxious, the thought of her life out of balance, unpredictable from this point on. She wanted so badly for things to stay the same. To stay home and just ride out the war that was supposedly coming. But that wasn't her destiny. She didn't know what that universe held for her anymore. And nothing scared Tei more than not knowing.

Her and Misa walked to the bank in the middle ring, wanting to cash in all the money she had made. While waiting in line she pulled out her Yuan card and frowned at it. She didn't like technology much and using a thin piece of plastic to buy everything she would need along her journey felt so foreign to her. When the teller called Tei to the counter, she heaved the heavy bag onto the countertop and smiled.

"I would like to make a deposit, please."

The teller's eyes looked down at the bag and swift fingers undid the leather tie, her eyes widening when she saw the amount of money in the bag.

"Uh, um, your account number?" She stuttered, trying not to draw attention. Tei smoothly slid her card over to the teller. She took the card, looked from the money to Misa and back up to Tei, of whom had a smile on her face. The teller was very confused about who this girl was, why that behemoth of a creature was at her side calmly, and why on earth she had so much money in cash.

"21-8802." Tei replied.

"Ah, the 21st district. I didn't know you could make money like this down there." The teller said casually, typing away on her computer.

"You can if you sell out your bladesmith shop." She sang, knowing the teller was being nosy. "Can you please transfer everything from the savings account to the main account too? The one connected to that thing?" Tei sang pointing to the plastic card. The woman just nodded and finished on the computer, emptying Tei's sack and handing it back to her.

"Would you like a receipt?"

"Yes, please." Tei grabbed her bag and waited patiently. The yellow slip of paper came out of the printer and was handed to her with an obscene amount of money on the paper. Tei laughed nervously under her breath and put the paper and the card in her bag.

"Thank you, have a nice day!" She said and gave a two-fingered salute, turning and leaving the teller with the most suspicious look on her face, Misa in tow.

Their journey home took a while, even though they closed shop early just to go to the bank, not arriving home until a little passed 10pm. They both ate a quick dinner and Tei took a shower before plopping onto her bed, her hair still damp. She covered her naked body with the thin sheet and Misa creaked the door open, letting out a growl. Tei motioned to her and Misa climbed up on the bed with Tei, happy to have the company. She found her fingers raking through the thick fur around her neck and down her back absentmindedly, listening to her best friend's breathing. So many things were running through her mind. So much of her life she wasn't going to be able to control. It felt surreal. It was like watching one of those movers that she sometimes got way into and she just couldn't shake the plotline from her head. But this was a story that couldn't be put down. She wasn't sure if this was a nightmare or a dream come true. Tei was flooded with so many emotions at once that she had to let her body go numb just to sleep.

X

Morning came all too soon for the young Avatar, finding herself waking before the sun had peaked over the walls, the sky a light lavender. She lay in bed for a while, glancing at the clock every few seconds, but the numbers wouldn't change. 5:17am. Eternally 5:17 in the morning. Her eyes darted from the clock to the ceiling what felt like several hundred times before the 7 turned into an 8. When it did she let out a frustrated growl. She wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. Not after she remembered what today held for her. She uncovered herself and the movement woke Misa, earning her a look of 'why are you up so early' that, under any other circumstances, would have made Tei laugh. But not today. She padded across the wooden floor over to her wardrobe and got dressed for the day, putting her hair in her signature style and every accessory in place, locket, metalbending bracelet, and adding her favorite silver hoop earrings her father gave her for her sixteenth birthday. It was a special day after all.

Tei dug deep under her bed and grabbed her large brown leather bag, flipping open the top and packing the necessities; bras, panties, worn leather boots, long-sleeved under shirts and leggings for warmth, a few other main dresses, gloves, a hat, bathroom items, and her smaller bag that held her account info and her Yuan card. Even after checking the house twice for anything she might have missed, it was still only half passed six. She sighed and grabbed a strawberryapple, walking to her room and laying on the bed and eating her breakfast in silence on her back. Something she loved most about strawberryapples; no waste. When she was finished she licked her fingers clean and Misa stretched our her back, her claws extending into the sheets but not ripping them.

"What do you think, girl? Walk to Republic City, or take the train?" She asked and Misa turned to her, crawling to her and plowing into her body as she rubbed her face all over her shoulder, purring.

"Yeah, I think the train too." She smirked and rubbed behind the overgrown cat's ear before sitting up and grabbing her bag off the bed. Misa followed her and just watched her. She threw the bag near the door and did a bunch of chores around the house that one would normally do when about to make a very long trip. She threw Misa her breakfast and then disposed of any perishable foods. Wiped down the counter tops and plugged the sink in both the kitchen and bathroom. Tei went to the circuit box in the pantry and turned off everything, the sun finally showing into the house and giving her light. She swept, mopped, cleaned windows, scrubbed the oven. She did things like this when she was nervous. Busy work. Something to focus on so her thoughts couldn't run. On her last round of checking the house she locked all the windows, closed the curtains on the windows that had coverings, and started to straighten the jars of dehydrated food in the cupboard before she realized she had gone a little too far. Her chores had indeed kept her busy though, and it had helped to pass the time. She looked to the clock and it was almost nine. Her heart started to flutter and she left her breathing become short.

She tried to steady herself as she walked towards the door, grabbing a coat and stuffing it into her bag while slinging it across her body. Tei slipped on her shoes and grabbed her keys, the familiar jingle alerting the saber tooth sand leopard that it was time to leave finally. As they walked out the door and she locked it up, her hand rested on the door, dark green with the paint peeling around the brass handle. She had lived in this house her whole life, spending countless mornings with her father. She took her first steps in the kitchen. Her growing height was measured on the frame of the door to what had always been her bedroom. She had had countless breakdowns and joyous occasions here. She had grown into a woman in this house. All those memories, all those times together with Ryo were preserved in the plaster on the walls. She frowned and felt something other than anxiety choke her. When she was home she could pretend he was just in the other room or down at the shop or anything but gone. Now that she was leaving, there would be nothing but the locket around her neck to preserve him. How had five years passed by so quickly? She still remembered his laugh so clearly, loud and deep, shaking the windows easily. His murmured lullabies when she couldn't sleep, even when she was a teen. She sighed and tried not to cry, it was like saying goodbye to him all over again. Tei said a silent prayer that her house would be safe while she was away. She patted the door and adjusted her bag, walking away with Misa faithfully at her side.

The walk to the train station didn't take long, however the farther she got from home the more weird looks she attracted. It took her a while to realize it wasn't her people were staring at, it was the monstrous fluffy leopard next to her; her sharp, oversized teeth and sheer size intimidating despite the tame behavior and green leather collar with tags. Not many people had these large creatures as pets, usually because of their vicious demeanor. But she had had Misa since she was a cub, and had always been sweet unless provoked or is she felt Tei was in danger. Tei watched as people cleared a path for them, scared to death of Misa. She had to hold back a smile, proud of how big and strong her baby had gotten in just a few years. They both entered the station side by side and walked up to the ticket booth. Tei riffled through her bag and grabbed her card, slapping it on the counter and grabbing the cashier's attention.

"Two tickets to Republic City, please."

The man looked down at Misa and his eyes grew wide in fear.

"Um, Miss," he stumbled over his words, "You can't buy a ticket for a wild animal."

"She's not wild! She's my companion!" Tei defended, acting appalled but secretly still proud.

"I'm sorry, no pets allowed." He amended, firmer.

"Well, there is 1,000 Yuans that says she is allowed." Tei said and slid the card towards him, leaning onto the counter and giving him an excellent view of her cleavage.

"S-Security!" He yelled, flustered.

"Misa! Time to go!" Tei said and grabbed her card to stuff into her bra, seeing men in black outfits running towards her. She ran towards the doors, Misa right behind her, and down the steps outside, rounding the corner of the station and hiding in the ally. Tei crossed her arms and kicked a rock, leaning against the brick wall of the station.

"Great, now what?" She huffed and looked to Misa. She, however, was looking around the opposite corner at the end of the ally. Tei raised a brow in curiosity and walked down to where her friend stood, following her eyes. There, at the end of the train headed to Republic City, was an old, rusted cargo car with the door wide open. She smiled.

"Are you serious?" Misa gave her head a tilt when their eyes met.

"So what, you just want to start out this whole journey as a hitchhiker? Like a train hobo?" Misa just gave her blank look, as if to say 'um, yes?'.

"Alright, I'm in!" She shouted with both fists pumped at her sides. They sneaked low through the weeds and reached the tracks without being spotted. Tei bent an earth ramp for them and Misa went first, Tei following her lead and bending the ramp back down. She grabbed the door and pushed it until just a sliver of sunlight was coming in. As their eyes adjusted they say that it was completely empty, probably having to pick up cargo from Republic City. Misa lay down on the dusty floor and Tei leaned against her, resting her arms on Misa's strong, sand-colored body.

"Republic City, get ready for us."