The Traitor Princess

Chapter 67 - Sozin's Comet, Part Two

The sun rose over the large beach house as all of Team Avatar prepared for the comet. Everyone gathered their belongings and started loading their packs on Appa's saddle. The atmosphere was thick with silence–no one was willing to voice their fear or apprehension.

Eziri tied down her last bag before looking off at the house. She climbed down from the saddle and slowly made her way back inside. She ascended the steps and made her way to the familiar room, her footsteps soft along the carpet. The door creaked as she pushed it open. She stood there in the doorway, her mind filled with memories.

When Team Avatar first arrived, Zuko and Eziri told their friends to explore as they pleased, so long as this particular room was left untouched.

She hesitantly stepped inside the room, coughing a bit from the layers of dust. Her hand hovered over a picture on the dresser. It was a small painting of four kids–one much older than the other three.

"I thought I might find you here." Eziri jumped at her brother's voice and whipped around with a hand on her chest. "Sorry." He muttered sheepishly.

She waved him off and turned back to the frame. "It's alright." She whispered. Zuko stepped into the room, seeming just as weary as his sister. He made his way to Eziri's side and glanced down at the painting. "Are the others ready to go?" She asked without looking up.

"Just about." Zuko sighed and brought his eyes up from the frame, looking at the room with sadness. "I miss him." He admitted in a soft tone.

Eziri drew her eyes up to her brother. "Me too." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned around, leaning casually against the dusty dresser. "You think things would be different if he were still here?"

Zuko shrugged. "Who knows?" He put his hands in his pockets. "I wonder what he'd be up to right now."

Eziri smiled slightly. "Sometimes I like to picture him with our little group of misfits. He would follow everyone around all stressed out, complain about how we're giving him gray hairs and tell us we're too reckless."

Zuko breathily laughed. "And every day he would threaten to leave us all but never actually pack his bag."

It was Eziri's turn to laugh. "He would definitely do that." Her light smile turned somber. "I wish he never left that day."

"So do I."

The pair were silent for a few moments. They could faintly hear the voices of their group outside, likely preparing to leave. Zuko took one more look around his cousin's old room and sighed. He pulled something from his pocket and held it out towards his sister. "I came to give you this."

She furrowed her brows curiously and took the object in her hands. She carefully unwrapped the cloth and gasped at the sight. "How..." She shook her head in disbelief. "Where the hell did you get this?"

"Katara said she saved it. She said you–"

"Dropped it in the ocean." Eziri finished. "I dropped it over the edge of the ship." She ran her fingers along the rubies in the hilt. The familiar dagger was a welcome sight. In truth, she regretted throwing the weapon into the ocean as soon as she did it. She acted out of anger and wished there were some way for her to go back and stop herself.

"Katara said she was waiting for the right time to give it back."

Eziri hummed, carefully tucking the weapon into her belt. She made a mental note to grab her sheath from Appa's saddle and give Katara a hug in thanks. "You know, this is the third time you're giving me this."

Zuko smirked. "Yeah, it would be nice if you could stop losing it. I paid good money for that dagger."

She rolled her eyes and swatted his chest. "Oh shut up." She let her eyes roam over Lu Ten's room one last time and nodded towards the door. "Come on, we should probably go."