Blazing Crystal

A New Journey

We'd been adrift for what felt like days, but was actually only a few hours. The water seemed endless, and there still was no sign of land. Zuko slept with exhaustion, the sail shading him from the blazing hot sun that rose an hour ago. Sitting on the raft cross legged, I moved the water at our makeshift boat in a repetitive motion trying to keep us moving. Iroh sat a few inches beside me, watching my movements with concern.

"You've been at it for hours now. You should take a break," he insisted. "You need your rest, just as I told Zuko."

I smiled weakly. It had been four hours since we'd left the North Pole... Four hours since I'd officially become a traitor. Iroh wanted me to take a break, but waterbending was a distraction I didn't want to lose. My mind kept trying to shoot back to thoughts of my family. My mind kept trying to shoot back to thoughts of my dad... Gran-Gran... Sokka... Katara... I'd just betrayed them all.

My heart weighed heavy with confusion and uncertainty. What had led me to such a rash decision? What had led me to betray my people so easily? I knew the answer though. My eyes trailed over to Zuko, who seemed to be more at peace than he had been in a very long time.

Zuko... I'd become a traitor for Zuko...

"I'm okay," I lied to Iroh. "I can keep it up for a few more minutes."

Iroh sighed heavily. He then looked at the horizon before us. We sat in silence for a few minutes, the both of us not having much to say. After a while, Iroh broke the silence. "Thank you, Crystal... I'll never be able to repay you for what you did this morning. Zuko would've been a prisoner if it wasn't for you."

His sincere gratitude startled me. However, I recovered continuing to move the raft through the water with my bending. "He probably could've handled them himself... I just didn't want anyone to get hurt..." My hands stopped their constant movement as I gave my arms a small break. The raft slowed as the extra push of the waves dispersed back into the sea. "I've heard stories from my father about what our people do to Fire Nation men we take captive. Zuko would've been killed or tortured if the North Pole got their hands on him."

He was surprised by this information. "I always imagined the Water Tribe to be a peaceful nation. I can't imagine such brutal treatment coming from your people."

My hands ran through my tangled hair. It was in deep need of a good brushing. Actually, it was in need of a wash. "My people have struggled to survive for many years. Some are still the kindhearted people you're imagining, but others have turned hard. War has taken the best out of people and turned their ways. If my mom were still alive, I have no doubt my father wouldn't have abandoned our tribe the way he did. In his eyes though, revenge towards the Fire Nation became his number one goal. He desired to destroy the people who took away his wife."

Iroh wanted to know more. "So your mother was killed by the Fire Nation?"

Staring down at my crossed-legs, I nodded in reply.

"Is that how you got your scar?"

My hand automatically rose up to my cheekbone where the skin was discolored. I shut my eyes remembering the pain that had coursed through my skin. The smell of burning flesh was unforgettable as well.

"She'd told me to run... When the Fire Nation entered she told me to leave the hut... I was too scared for her to leave her behind..."

I stopped speaking, realizing what was happening. I was telling the one story only my family knew to a man who was supposed to be my enemy. Looking over at Iroh though, I didn't see him in such a way. He was my friend. Actually, he was like an uncle to me.

In my tribe, the people are all close-knit and act like everyone is blood related. For many men in the village, my father calls them his brothers even though our relations are distant in blood. For the women of the tribe, my mom used to call them her sisters. The tribe is designed to be one huge family. However, I never truly felt that way. I suppose after my mom died, I preferred to be more on my own than associate with the people of the South Pole. Looking back, I realized I barely associated with anyone in the tribe apart from my Gran Gran, Sokka, and Katara. Now here I was, calling a man I'd only known for a few months an Uncle figure... I was beginning to feel far more distant from my people by the day.