Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Maybe I should just tell him", Rya finally blurted out after countless sights that had made Clodagh look up with curious but also worried eyes. Through the half hour that the girls had been cleaning up the restaurant, the waterbender kept glancing at her, waiting for the girl to finally speak up what was bothering her.
With a small smile on her lips, Clodagh finally settled the broom she was using against a wall and turned to her, raising an eyebrow, "Ye should tell who what?"
Rya let go of the rag she had been cleaning up a table with, yet with another sigh, and dropped to the nearest bench, rubbing her tired amber eyes.
"I was thinking of telling Shay that I'm a…" she trailed of, looking to the side. Clodagh encouraged her to continue with a reassuring smile. The exasperated girl continued after a small groan of frustration, "… that I'm a firebender".
"What? Yer jokin' right?" a nervous laugh escaped her lips as she settled into the chair opposite to her friend's. Rya shook her head and a few moments of awkward contemplative silence passed.
"Why?"
"It's just that… I really hate lying. And I… we… hum, me and Shay, sort of had this… moment on my rooftop the other day and I was thinking that, since I'll be leaving in the next few weeks, I should probably tell him the truth. I think he and Kanto deserve it… I probably wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't tell them", the girl burst out, finally breathing as she stopped talking.
Clodagh quizzically stared at the girl in front of her. Through her confession she had stood up and was now walking around the room in small circles.
"Well, can't say I'm surprised you n' him had yer… moment", she air quoted with a knowing look, "though I'll be damned, I owe Pao five coppers now", she finished with a roll of her eyes. Rya stared at her, her mouth agape. It took two seconds more for the waterbender to process the rest of the information, though.
"Wait, yer leavin'!?" she exclaimed, jumping from her seat as well, the bet completely forgotten, "Why're ye leavin' Rya?"
Suddenly Rya remembered she had never told Clodagh why she was in Ba Sing Se, in the first place. She never did ask.
She leaned against a table, "I never told you, but I haven't come here for a new life like most people. I came here to collect some very important information about a possible spirit library. Maybe there'll be something there about this very special ability I have, which I haven't also told you about…"
Rya sadly realized how much of her life she had concealed from her friend as a small flame of bright green fire spurted from her opened palm.
Clodagh watched this, mesmerized at the different hues of green that were contained in such a small flame, when all of a sudden, Rya extinguished it with the flick of her now shaking hand. The crash Rya heard was repeated again making both girls turn to the entrance. The deep green cloth that was usually hung there when there were people in the restaurant was swaying.
Another small crash and Rya was violently shaking with anxiety. The waterbender chanced a look at her and frowned, running towards the door, slivers of water coming from the kitchen.
In a moment a much disoriented and half frozen Shay was pushed inside the restaurant.
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This was an awkward week, he thought. Why? Shay would have also liked to know…
He didn't understand why Rya was avoiding him so much. Or why she suddenly canceled all training practices with him and his brother.
He figured it was probably because he had maybe pushed her a bit too much on that morning, though he had a feeling it wasn't really that.
He was on his way to the restaurant Rya and Clodagh worked to finally set things straight when he walked in on something he was starting to regret seeing. Of course he made a run for it but the freshly delivered barrel beside the door though differently, and he landed on the ground covered in wine and then was dragged inside, enveloped in something very cold.
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When he opened his eyes again, afraid that, something else would happen to him, he came across Rya, who was at the verge of tears, and a very pissed of looking Clodagh. The latter moved her arms and Shay felt the coldness leave his body as he noticed the water, which was once around him, floating in the air.
He stood up cautiously, eying the two girls. Clodagh was still in an attack position with a crazy look on her face that told him not to move too quickly, or else…
"I knew there was something off about you", he snarled. He was hurt, the firebender could tell.
For his insolence, the waterbender bent some water towards him but Rya was quicker and created a barrier of fire to protect him. Once again they saw the green fire, Rya thought to be cursed with, dissipate as the water turned into a soft mist.
"Don't hurt him, please", she pleaded with a trembling voice as she wiped away a tear that had finally slipped.
"Is it normal? Fer yer fire to be green?" Clodagh questioned, her stance a bit less offensive. Rya shook her head, "No, I don't think so. I'm still not sure".
Shay had other things on his mind though. It was forbidden any talk of the war in Ba Sing Se, yes, however the Dai Li were extremely well informed on this subject and this member certainly wasn't the exception. "Are you here to overthrow the King?" he asked difficultly. He didn't want it to be true. Yet he still took an earthbending stance.
"NO! No, no…" she backpedaled, hurt. He would attack her. Someone she cared about… would attack her… again.
Rya stared into wounded green eyes before she turned around and ran to the small backyard, disappearing into the Lower Ring's now bustling streets, with an almost inhumane speed.
Clodagh eyed the male in front of her, dropping her Waterbending stance. "You n' I are gonna have a nice lil' chat. And yer gonna help me clean up t'is mess".
Author's Note:
Is there any worth in trying to appologise for the time I've spent without updating? I really don't think so...
Just know that I haven't forgotten this story. I just had some really busy months this summer, which is very unusual. To add to that I really wasn't feeling inspired for this chapter. It wasn't comming out the way I wanted it. I had to re-write it three times before it made any sense to me.
On to other things.
There will be a great reveallation when Rya goes to Wan Shi Tong's Library, other than finally understanding why she has green fire, so I'd like to see if any of you can guess what it'll be. I've left small clues along the story.
Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R. It really helps me out.
Bunas out.
