The Half of Me | Zuko

Chapter Fourteen: Bato of the Water Tribe [P2]

Everyone was getting ready to leave, ready to separate after the long journey. Ryoko stood conflicted on what she would do. She stayed with them all, waiting for something to happen when she could leave and go back. And now she has some reason, but she felt the immense amount of guilt when she thought of leaving the kid who ruined his own life. 

Katara goes up to Ryoko, a bag on her back. "You're not going with him are you?" she asks, but Katara already knew by the look on Ryoko's face. She didn't know why Ryoko would be so conflicted, and she wouldn't pretend to know. 

Ryoko holds Katara by the shoulders and looks deep into her eyes, pleading. "Are you sure you want to leave him? Think about it more." Ryoko didn't know why but she kept trying to talk to Katara. She grew fond of the water bender. She didn't want to see any of them hurt, and Ryoko knew what Aang did hurt them all. "You left your home for him in the first place. He did something stupid, he was acting on a terrible impulse, but he felt guilty and made the right decision before it was too late." She pauses and looks over at Aang who sat on Appa alone. Even if he was missing for over 100 years, he was still young. The same age as her when her father forced her to leave and go onto the ship. "And I don't think he just needs you. I think you guys need him too."

Katara didn't know what to say to Ryoko. She thought hate was all she could hold for the firebender, and yet here she was tearing up saying goodbye to her. Katara reaches for Ryoko, pulling her in for a hug. "He also needs you too," she whispers. Katara lets go and goes over to Aang. The both of them spoke lowly from where Ryoko was standing. It looked like a farewell, disappointing Ryoko. She sighs, her eyes finding Sokka. She walks over towards the boy who stood far from Aang and close to Bato. 

"I know what you're going to say, but I already made up my mind," Sokka says when he sees her approach him. Ryoko nods with a frown. She knew he was hurt by what Aang did. She couldn't simply change either of their minds and she accepted it. 

"Just be careful then." Ryoko couldn't say anything else and hugged Sokka suddenly. Sokka sighs, wrapping his arms around the firebender he was growing used to. 

"You too." Ryoko lets go and backs up, a ghost of a smile on her face and passes Katara, heading towards Aang again. She looked up at him and he perked up. Aang was an open book, Ryoko could tell he was expecting a goodbye from her.

"We should get going." Aang barely smiles, but he still appreciated the word we. She wasn't abandoning him. Yet. 

Ryoko climbs onto Appa's saddle, being the only one on it, she stays near the front so she can be closer to Aang. "I'm an idiot, Ryoko," Aang mumbles while Appa walks out of the abbey. 

"You're not an idiot, Aang. You just made the wrong decision at the time. We all make decisions, we have live with them." Ryoko sighs, bringing her knees to her chest. She knew she had to make a decision and live with it, eventually.

---

At the peaceful abbey, the growling shirshu broke through the entrance, the scents of the waterbender and the firebender letting it see everything around. The purple and red colored scents mixed together, swarming around the abbey. The shirshu lets out a growling yell. "We're getting close," June tells the two, whipping her whip to make the shirshu move again, but as they approach the entrance, Nyla halts, shaking its head and looking in two directions. 

"What's happening? What is it doing?" Zuko questions loudly. 

"Their scents are going in opposite directions." Zuko looks in the directions, wondering where Ryoko could have gone. Did she decide to leave the Avatar and get back to the ship? Was Ryoko trying to find him?