The Legend of Percy: Book 2 - Through Grief

2. Leaving the Gaang... For Now (His Horse, Peace and a Stray Princess)

Percy stayed on the deck of the ship for a while after that. Being company to the rather out-of-it Sokka. It was always rough, and he wasn't lying when he said it never got easier. You just became number. War was war, and indirect deaths were probably something he'd dealt with, but this kind of personal death, it was crushing. Percy knew that all too well.

After comforting him for a while, Katara and Toph came over to sit with the two of them. Percy stood up, leaving Sokka with his sister and friend, and got back to work. The soldiers moved all their prisoners below deck with Percy's help and began their journey. Their Water Tribe ships flanked the Fire Nation vessel before they were deposited in a secluded cove, away from all the prying eyes of the patrols of the Eastern Fleet.

Quickly, with all their crew now on board the one metal boat, they made their way back up the river, towards the lakes and then the Fire Nation. The days-long journey of monotony broken up by strategic meetings and spending quiet time with the kids. When they entered the West Lake, they diverted for the quick stop at his residence over by the side of the lake.

It didn't take too long. What with the frequent healing sessions of Aang, and just the general mood of the group, meant that the few days passed with a stagnation of anything interesting. The repetition of healing a welcome distraction, using Percy's ability to try and create more 'spirit water' as he'd heard Katara mumble a bunch of times. She still hadn't broached that topic with him, nor the fact that he could create hurricanes, but he figured that that was due to the fact that Aang was still very much unconscious.

The waterbender was deeply and overtly worried about her friend, that much was clear. The times when she wasn't forced to sleep by her friends and father, or healing Aang, she was either pacing the deck and checking up on him. Percy felt for her. It was always hard when your friend was critically injured and you felt you could've done something to change that. The guilt was always overwhelming, and in this case, the demigod felt it too.

If I hadn't left them in Ba Sing Se, if I'd have done more... No, it won't do anything to dwell on it.

Percy also had to take regular dips in the ocean, just to get his strength back. He didn't know what it was about his spirit water creation but it took a whole heap of energy out of the demigod, even though he'd only managed it a few times.

Toph and Sokka seemed unaware of his other skill of creating a storm, but the earthbender had picked up on something based off of the weird hovering she'd do around him. Like she wanted to ask a lot of questions.

But in no time at all, and with barely any words spoken, the group landed where Percy had directed. By that time, Aang's back seemed quite healthy. The mark was mostly gone, and he'd began to move around and mumble in his comatose state. Percy and Katara both took them as good signs.

With the airbender still unconscious, he would have to say goodbye to the group without him. Percy slipped into the kid's room before they landed ashore and gave him a goodbye. He wanted to write something with Riptide but it would've been quite useless. This world clearly didn't use English as a written language. He was still confused as to why they did use it as a spoken one but he'd long since decided not to question it.

Percy left the boat, noticing how Hakoda and Bato stood off to the side. He didn't particularly mind but he was going to have to fight with them at some point, so he gave them a respectful nod as he walked up to them. The awake members of the Avatar's group stood on the shore, giving him a small opportunity to speak with the Water Tribe soldiers.

"Hakoda," He went up to them. "look, I get it."

"No, Percy. You were right. It... wasn't the right thing to do or say."