Blazing Crystal

Fates Harsh Truth

The darkness of the cave surrounded me as I listened to the steady breathing of Zuko nearby. For the last three hours I'd been pleading with him for a break. Zuko had been on a steady move ever since he found Appa's fur. We'd followed the trail of shed fur for miles, only stopping when we desperately had to. However, after a whole day of travel, I could see that Zan needed rest. When I told Zuko we needed to stop, he told me I just was trying to gain the Avatar some time. I smacked him on the back of the head in response, and he came to his senses.

We'd made camp inside a small cave that was cool and uninhabited. Zan found a cool spot on the dirt to lay, and Zuko decided to recline against him for the night. As the two slept, I sat and stared out at the dark world unable to sleep. My heart ached as I was conflicted with what to do. I knew I had to stop Zuko, but I wasn't sure what step I should take. When I was riding on Zan, I tried to think of anything I could say to persuade Zuko he was making the wrong choice. I knew trying to reason with him would do no good though.

My eyes shot back over to my two sleeping companions, and I wondered what would happen if they woke up in the morning and found me gone. Would Zuko freak out? Would he be mad? Would he care?

The last question was quickly shaken from my thoughts. I was sure he would care. As much as he desired to capture the Avatar, I knew he still loved me. However, I couldn't feel some type of resentment towards his sudden focus on finding Aang. He clearly had much more desire to please his father than to be with me, and that hurt me. He would be willing to throw our chance of being together away so he could return home.

My eyes watered as I came to the realization that I'd tried not to believe: Zuko loved his honor more than me.

As these words ran repeatedly through my mind, I grasped the necklace he had given me so long ago. I knew as I did, that it was time to choose my path. I had two choices: Stick by Zuko's side, let him capture Aang, and then become a prisoner to the Fire Nation; or rush ahead to warn Aang, stop Zuko, and become an enemy to the man I loved.

The thought of what would come out of my actions greatly burdened me, but I knew the decision had to be now or never. Closing my eyes, I pictured my family, Aang, and Appa... As much as I loved Zuko, I couldn't let him hurt my family and the world.

Standing as silently as I could, I made my way over to Zan who slept soundly. My movements were as light as I could make them, and reaching for the canteen of water I tried not to bring Zuko out of his sleep. To my relief, he didn't stir and I felt I could finally breathe. Taking a quick sip of the canteen, I placed it back on Zan's saddle. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to catch up to the others, so I didn't want thirst to be my enemy.

Once I was ready, I stepped to the end of the cave and stared up at the moon above. A tear slid down my cheek as every piece of me wanted to turn around and go back to Zuko. I restrained myself, remembering that finding Aang and my family was more important. As I started to head away from the cave, I hung my head trying all I could not to look back. If I looked back, it would only cause more pain.

My feet crunched against roots and twigs as I headed towards the grasslands of the Earth Kingdom, and away from my companions. By the time I walked three miles or so, I saw dark silhouettes of mountains form on the horizon. I knew from maps Iroh had shown me that these mountains revealed I was headed toward the Si Wong Desert. Appa's fur appeared to head a straight beeline towards the mountains, and I quickly questioned where my family was headed. Were they really planning on flying across the desert?

Eventually I started to reach a crowd of trees whose dark shapes rose tall above. Just as I was about to continue forward, I stopped walking as the ground below me suddenly began to shake. My eyes widened, and I turned my head in shock. A dark shape was slowly emerging over a hill in the distance. The shape was most definitely the cause of the trembling ground below me.