Our true destinies

Banished

'Last night, Kya, daughter of Firelord Zuko and Master Katara, killed one of my people. We have quiet a few witnesses to prove it.' Chief Arnook said. 'And after hearing their stories, drastic measures should be taken.'

'Chief Arnook, she's just a kid. She's too young to be sentenced to death. Please.' Mom said. Chief Arnook thought for a moment.

'The least I can do for this girl....is to banish her from this tribe.' Mom gasped but didn't argue. Everyone else including, Dad, Kuzon, and Iroh stayed silent. They wanted me gone?

I huffed. 'Fine! I'm leaving!' And I stormed out. 'Kya, wait!' I heard Tenzin call out. He stopped in front of me. 'Out of my way, Tenzin. I'm not asking twice.' I tried moving around him but he used his arm to block me.

'We'll take Oogi.'

'What makes you wanna come with me? I'm a murderer who's parents don't even want me around anymore. I've got no purpose in life from now on. I'm just the banished princess.' I spat.

'Please?' He gave me this puppy eyed look.

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'I have no idea how you got me on this thing with you.' I sat on the saddle of Oogi while Tenzin drove. 

'Well, I guess I found your weak point.' He shrugged. I looked at the ocean below and how it rushed past us.

'What might that be?'

'You give in when I give you that look.'

'What look?'

'This one.' And he looked at me with the big puppy eyes and smiled hopefully. I scoffed and looked away. 'Gotcha.' He said and turned back around.

'Where are we going?' I asked.

'I was thinking maybe we could go to Ba Sing Se....or will we be unwanted there?.......let's make our way to Ba Sing Se!' He announced.

He acted as though nothing happened. I frowned and opened my bag. Inside were my necessities. And my mothers necklace. She said it was made by her grandfather for her grandmother who passed it down to her mother, who died when mom was a little girl, and she passed it down to mom....I think that's how it went. Yesterday before I left, she gave it to me, telling me to put it on and never forget her. How could I not? She allowed me to get banished. She knew she might never see me again. And she just kicked me out and closed the door.

I clenched my teeth. I placed the necklace in my palm and looked at the rushing ocean and looked back at the necklace.

'Kya? What are you doing?' Tenzin walked into the saddle and kneeled next to me.

'Throwing away this necklace that belonged to my great-grandmother.'

'What? Why would you want to do that?'

'Because my mom gave it to me and told me to never forget her. After she threw me under the bus like that.' I didn't bother looking at Tenzin and just stared at the horizon. 

'She doesn't care about me. No one does. My family would've fought the entire world to keep me safe. I know I would.' Tears formed in my eyes.

'Kya, that's not true. They do care about you. I just know it. And if it makes you feel any better, I care about you.' I sniffed and jumped into his arms. He hugged me back tightly. I let it all out and cried. 

I sat there, still in his arms, sniffling. My eyelids felt heavy and I closed my eyes.

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I woke up. I was leaning at the end of the saddle. I felt someone next to me. Tenzin. My head rested on his shoulder. His head rested on mine. I averted my eyes down to my hand. Tenzin hand held mine. I stared at our hands for a while when I felt Tenzin wake up. I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

I felt the hand that was holding mine tense. He rubbed his thumb on my hand for a while and stood up. 'Tenzin?' I slowly sat up and rubbed an eye with my palm. He turned around.

'Oh! Morning, Kya.'

'Where are we?' I asked.

'We're almost at the northern air temple.'

'Why should we head to Ba Sing Se? What will we do there? I want this to be about fun.' I snatched the map he was looking at and pointed.

'There. Let's go there.'

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We landed at the Misty Palms Oasis. There were little houses made out of mud and a frozen fountain that was melting. 'Here? In the middle of nowhere?' I asked Kya.

'Mom and dad told me stories about this place. I just had to come and see it for myself. A desert. Nothing like the South Pole.' I smiled to myself. 

She ran out and took a deep breath and removed her parka. 'Phew, it would be weird wearing this thing out here.'

'Should I set up camp?'

'Of course!' She said as she took off her boots and socks and wiggled her toes in the hot sand. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. 'You not hot at all?'

'Nope! I've always wanted to run away from the cold and now here I am!' She said cheerfully. I gave her a strange look. 'Okkaaayyyy then....'

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We sat outside Misty Palms Oasis in front of the campfire, talking about the troubles of my life. 'Tenzin, just remember that you are your own person. You can't let your parents or your brother or even my family stand in the way.' I stared into her golden eyes. My pulse quickened as she looked at my lips. I put my hand on hers, closed my eyes slowly and leaned in. She closed her eyes. Just as our lips touched, we heard Oogi roar in panic.

I turned to him and saw that he was surrounded by sandbenders who were swinging ropes with bags of sand tied to the end. 'Hey! Stop!' I ran to them with my staff and airbent one away. 'Oogi! Fly away!' He roared in protest, not wanting to leave me here. 'I'll be alright, buddy! Go!'

He roared and flew up. Me and Kya held off the sandbenders until Oogi was out of sight. 

'Your gonna pay for that.' One of them said. Kya grunted next to me and fell on the sand. 'Kya!' But something hit me on the head and I blacked out.