Chapter Text
And now, you have come to the crossroads of your destiny.
They’d stopped once a while back to drop off Kuei and Bosco and to pick up some meager supplies before they were off again, and now the five young people flew in silence. They put miles between them and the Earth Kingdom—doubling then tripling the distance until it wasn’t even a spot on the horizon.
No one spoke. Everyone was in shock over what had just transpired. Zuko himself could scarcely believe it. The Earth Kingdom had fallen. Zuko’s own sister sat on the throne. And…and…
It’s time for you to choose.
They were all exhausted; the bison’s movements became noticeably sluggish, and Zuko could see the four heads around him drooping then snapping back up, only to droop again. As for Zuko, though he too was exhausted, never let his eyes shut for more than a second. Every time they did, he saw images of that cavern. Of what he did.
“We should land.” The Avatar said. “Appa’s getting tired. He can’t keep going much longer.”
“Neither can we.” The Water Tribe girl said gravely. She’d been sitting in front of him the entire flight and he still felt like he didn’t recognize her.
They flew on until they found a clearing in the woods—small, but room enough for the flying bison and his passengers. The bison collapsed there with a huff that shook the trees, and the Avatar jumped off and went around to pat his nose.
“Great job, buddy.” He said gratefully.
The rest slid off the bison’s back with less grace. The others walked around, stretching their sore limbs, but no one spoke. Their meager packs were tossed to the ground, sleeping backs were unrolled, a fire was prepared. The Water Tribe boy untied the bison’s saddle.
Zuko watched with a distinct sense of unease. He didn’t like the idea of camping with them, though he’s willingly chosen to come with them. The thought of sleeping, utterly defenseless, while his once sworn enemies encircled him was a betrayal to everything he thought he knew.
There was a big tree near the edge of the forest with a hollow between two roots. It didn’t look particularly comfortable, but it was hidden from the others and reasonably well protected. It would be as good a place to sleep as any. He stalked over, claiming the spot for himself, pausing only to gather a few branches for a fire.
A rustling in the leaves alerted Zuko to another’s presence. He turned abruptly and saw the Water Tribe girl, holding a bundle to her chest like a baby.
“What?” Zuko snapped.
She watched him for a moment, expression unreadable. She didn’t look taken aback by his outburst, but it was hard to tell for sure.
“Here,” she said, handing over the bundle.
He didn’t take it, he just glared at it suspiciously.
“It’s a blanket,” she said. “I know it’s probably not what you’re used to, but it gets cold out here at night so I thought…”
She stood awkwardly for a moment, swaying back and forth indecisively like she was deciding whether or not to say something further. Zuko wondered if she was waiting for him to thank her or something. If that was the case, she’d be waiting a long, long time.
After several seconds, she eventually must’ve taken the hint.
“Well, in case you change your mind,” she said, setting the blanket by the tree. He made no move to take it. “Good night, then, I guess. And, er…welcome to the group.”
He watched her walk away to rejoin her friends, settling in for the night around the crackling fire.
He reached out and slowly unfurled the blanket when he was sure she wouldn’t see. It was surprisingly thick and warm; it would be very comfortable to sleep on.
“Zuko,” the Avatar called from the clearing. “Come on over. We saved you a spot.”
He ignored him, laying against the tree on his borrowed blanket, facing away from the group.
“It’s warmer over here,” the boy persisted.
In a surge of rage, Zuko thrust out a palm and set fire to his own stack of firewood. He had to physically restrain himself before the entire thing burned to ash.
“Okay, then.” The Water Tribe boy muttered.
Within minutes, Zuko heard snoring and imagined they were all sound asleep. It had been an exhausting day after all. Still, Zuko waited a few minutes more, just to be absolutely sure, before he let himself cry.