The Lost Waterbender (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

Back To The Hideout

Two months. That was how long I had to dread over the idea of returning to the hideout. First, four weeks in the Earth Kingdom while we waited for Captain Zhao to leave for the Fire National. I played pai sho, trained, and sat around. Then there were another three weeks of oceans and nausea.

The day we got back I unpacked my stuff and sat on my bed, wringing my hands. Nearly three months had passed since I was banished. I didn't know how they would react to me coming back. They had seemed pretty eager for me to leave.

Piandao called me down for dinner a couple hours later. I sat down and picked at my smoked sea slug.

"Badger, when do you want to leave for the City-"

"I can't do it," I said suddenly. "They won't listen to me. You should go by yourself."

"No," Piandao replied, shaking his head. "I wont be welcomed like you will. I'm an outsider there."

"But they have to repay you," I said. "Remember when you let me and Raikko stay here? They'll have to pay back that debt."

"I'm not doing this because I want a debt repaid. I'm doing it because innocent lives are being put at risk."

"Okay, I don't think you're hearing what I'm saying," I said. "I highly doubt they will listen to me. They hate my guts over there! And there's good reason to!"

Piandao stared into my eyes. "I think you're just scared."

I snorted. "Of what?"

"Of having to face these people, knowing that you caused them a great deal of harm. You don't want to look them in the eye."

You don't know that," I countered.

"Don't I?" Piandao said as he raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you want to go?"

I pursed my lips. "I don't want to risk the safety of the people being kidnapped. If I'm the one asking, Hikura may not say yes. Especially after what I did."

Piandao put down his fork and knife. "How close were you with these people?"

"It doesn't matter. Whether I was best friends or barely knew them, it doesn't change how I acted towards them. They won't hear me out after that."

"I think you're wrong," he said. "They were your family, and family forgives each other."

"Family also doesn't banish each other," I retorted. "Yet here I am with you, and for good reason."

Piandao rubbed his eyebrows. "If you can't go back thinking about facing them, then go back thinking about the lives you will be saving."

I gripped my fork. "Fine. But I won't like it."

{}

So one week later, we boarded Lily and traveled to the City of Refugees. The short trip seemed even longer than usual. Probably because I was dreading it. As we approached the city limits, my stomach flip-flopped and I considered hopping off into the woods. Piandao seemed to realize this and urged Lily to go faster.

Right outside the wall, we put Lily in the woods, where she seemed content. Piandao put his hand on my shoulder, probably to prevent me from running.

He led me into the city limits. I kept my head down and prayed no one from the City of Outcasts was here in the marketplace. We were walking past a large building when suddenly Piandao shoved me into a nearby alley. He garbed something from a wall and examined it.

"You seem to have certainly made a name for yourself."

I grabbed the paper from him. It was the same wanted poster Raiko had sent me. I peeked around the corner and now noticed that they were hung up all over the town. They were on market booths, building walls, crates, and even supply wagons being pulled along the beaten road.