Road to Ba Sing Se | Zuko

39

❃ The Great Escape ❃

"We need to get out of here!"

"Where's Appa?!"

"Katara! Is he still alive?!"

"I think we're reaching the top soon! We should be out of the palace if I move us more to the East-"

"-I can't tell if his heart is still beating, Sokka! What should I do?!"

"Appa is still outside the Western gate! Toph, can you get us there underground unseen?"

"Sokka- please, I can't tell if Aang is still alive!"

"I'll try my best to get us there unseen. Sokka, help your sister. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out for our new friend."

"Right! Katara, do you still have your water reserves?"

The Gaang yapped and yelled at one another with barely contained panic. Scrap that- they were fully panicking. Their leader, the Avatar himself, had just been defeated while in the Avatar state. This wasn't just a threat for his own life, but for the Avatar cycle as a whole! Not only that, but Ba Sing Se had fallen into the hands of the Fire Nation. Their enemies had just conquered the last remaining free city in the Earth Kingdom.

With this horrid turn of events, the small troop of teenagers had unintentionally taken on another passenger during their escape; a raggedy airbender from the Earth Kingdom.

Keya walked behind them silently. Her pale grey eyes were still glazed over with grief and shock after the traumatic events that had just taken place. Betrayed by her lover... ripped from her father figure...

All because she was too weak to stop them...

All her travels had taught her so much over these past few months. She thought she had grown stronger and how could she not? Her arms were no longer as frail as they used to be, she was no longer the same naive little village girl that she had once been, and she had learned so much about herself. Yes, so much had happened... And yet, during the most critical moment in the catacombs, the result had been the same: she had lost once again. Lost to her enemies, lost her loved one, lost due to her own lack of strength. What had she been doing all that time? Why hadn't she trained more? How could she have let herself get so distracted by Zuko- the enemy?

The questions and self loathing accusations raced through her mind and kept her too occupied to bother with the other teenagers' plans of escape. Keya's fingers twitched with desperate rage, begging her will to give in; to let them twist their element and rip out every last firebender's breath, until none were left but Iroh.

Oh, poor Iroh...

Would he be safe? Would his life be taken for his betrayal? The fact that she could neither predict nor influence the fate of her surrogate father hurt more than the defeat itself. But, oh, how much the defeat hurt.

If only Zuko had protected them... If only she had seen his betrayal coming... If only she had somehow been able to stop him, plead with him some more, or even overpower him...

If only she had been enough for him... She had been charmed by his beautifully eloquent words. His royal upbringing had surely helped him develop that skill, she was sure of it. His love confessions, combined with those passionate eyes, she had been too weak and inexperienced to protect herself from his trap.

"I burn for you." -How could he have ever meant those words if this was how easily he had changed his mind?

"I never want to hurt you." -How could he have ever said those words, knowing he would give her up without a second thought?