Fire Heart

Chapter 20

I sit with Uncle and Zuko as we eat our breakfast.

"We have to move on to somewhere else today." Zuko says. I frown, remembering my new friend Rin.

"Could we at least go back to Rin's fruit stand and get some more food?" I ask. Zuko nods. We stand up and make our way back to the stand. Rin smiles at us.

"Take fifteen today. And like we agreed last night, only pay for them with a copper coin." Rin tells me. I smile gratefully at her. I pick up three more mangos, three more papayas, three more dragon fruits, three honeydew melons, and three cantaloupes. I give Rin a copper coin.

"We're leaving today. I wanted to come and say goodbye to you. And thank you for helping us." I tell her and bow slightly.

"It doesn't have to be goodbye, Miwa. I wasn't getting many customers here and am heading to Ba Sing Se for better work." Rin tells me.

"Uh, before we decide to go together...would you mind if we were originally Fire Nation?" I ask quietly. Rin looks at me in shock.

"No. I wouldn't mind. You three are very nice people." Rin replies.

"We've had to hide from the Fire Nation so we went undercover. That's retired General Iroh, Prince Zuko, and I'm Princess Ivy." I tell her. Rin's eyes widen.

"We're still friends right?" I ask. She nods.

"Of course. You can't help who you're related to or who your Father-in-law is." Rin replies. I smile gratefully at her before turning to Zuko.

"Please can we head towards Ba Sing Se?" I plead. He goes to say no, but I give him my best puppy eyes.

"Fine." Zuko gives in.

"So how old are you, Ivy?" Rin asks as she packs up her fruit.

"16. What about you?" I ask.

"15. I know, I look older. My parents tossed me out of their house when they found out I can Earth Bend." Rin tells me. I frown.

"That's horrible." I say. She shrugs. Then something in my brain clicks.

"How did you learn Earth Bending?" I ask.

"From a Badger-mole up in the mountain near the town." Rin replies.

"Do you think you could teach me how to Earth Bend?" I ask. She looks up from the box she was packing in confusion.

"I thought you were Fire Nation." Rin says.

"I am. I'm a master Fire Bender...and a master Water Bender. I still have to learn Earth and Air." I tell her.

"I thought the Avatar was born into the Air Nomads." Rin says.

"Oh. I'm not the Avatar. I'm his guardian." I reply. She looks shocked before bowing to me.

"I would be honored to teach you Earth Bending." Rin says. I giggle.

"No need for that, Rin. We're friends. Let's just think of it as a friend tutoring a friend." I say. She smiles and stands up straight. We start to leave the town. Rin and I talk most of the way. Zuko is in the front and Uncle is behind Rin and I with the Ostrich-like animal.

"Zuko I'm getting tired. Could we find somewhere to rest for a today?" I ask. He looks back at me.

"Of course. We're near another town." Zuko replies. We end up staying in a little cave. I yawn and lay down while Rin makes lunch and Uncle makes some tea. Zuko leaves to get a few things from the market.

"So, do you have any siblings?" Rin asks me. I turn onto my side and smile.

"A half brother." I reply. She smiles.

"That's nice. What's his name?" She asks.

"Aang. He's the Avatar." I reply.

"That's amazing! One sibling has to save the world while the other has to protect the one who saves the world. But how can you do that when you're not with him?" Rin asks.

"If he needs my help, I'll just know." I reply. She giggles and nods.

"Here's your portion." Rin says and hands me a bowl of fruit. I smile and sit up.

"Thank you." I say gratefully as I begin eating. Uncle eats his while making the tea. It's been over an hour and Zuko still hasn't come back. I continue to occasionally glance out the entrance of the cave. Uncle places a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sure he's fine. I mean, he survived an explosion!" Uncle exclaims. I frown and stand up. I walk to the entrance of the cave.

"That didn't come out right did it?" Uncle asks.

"Nope." Rin replies. I place my hands over my stomach and look around desperately.

"Where are you?" I whisper. And as if he heard me, Zuko appears with a fancy tea set. My eyes widen.

"Uncle, I got you something." Zuko says and places it beside Uncle.

"How could you afford that?" Rin asks. Zuko ignores her question.

"Do you like it? I thought it'd be better for you to make your tea in this one." Zuko says to Uncle.

"All teapots are the same, it is how you make your tea that counts." Uncle tells Zuko.

"Uncle, I've been thinking about what you've said to me." Zuko says.

"Really? And?" Uncle asks with a happy look.

"There's nothing for us to gain by traveling together anymore. It's time I found my own path." Zuko says. Uncle frowns and my heart drops into my stomach.

"Zuko..." I begin shakily. He looks at me.

"Ivy, I need you to stay with Uncle and Rin. You'll be safer with them. And you need to learn Earth Bending. I'll see you again soon. Be careful." Zuko says softly and kisses me goodbye.

"Goodbye Uncle. Bye Rin." Zuko says before taking the Ostrich-like animal and leaving. Tears fall from my eyes and I sink to the ground as I begin to sob. Rin and Uncle hurry to my side and they both wrap an arm around me. I can't lose anyone else now.