Arctic Fire
Sokka sat in quiet contemplation inside the tent he'd setup for the night. Despite being from the water tribe he couldn't help but find the rain outside depressing. For it wasn't the brisk, refreshing rain; no this was the hard splattering kind that turned the ground to mud, and promised only two things, to make the next day damp and miserable and soak you if you were caught outside. Thinking back on the events that led him to abandon his life with Suki, Sokka groaned in regret.
It had all seemed so perfect during the war when he was travelling with Aang. After it had all ended Sokka had decided to go settle down on Kyoshi Island with Suki. Three years had passed since then and it had been long and painful. Sure there were the good times when Suki had actually spared a moment from the warriors to be with Sokka and just do anything as long as they were together. More and more often though it seemed as if Suki simply didn't have the time of day to do anything anymore. The first real blow to their relationship was surely when Sokka defeated Suki in a sparring match almost effortlessly in front of her warriors. Suki spent the night yelling and screaming at Sokka that it would take forever for her to bring the morale of the warriors back up, for if their leader couldn't even take on one water tribe goofball how were they, the students, supposed to defend themselves from soldiers and benders. After that the silences had begun to take their toll on the relationship as Sokka and Suki became less like boyfriend and more like two people that happened to live in the same house and sleep in the same bed. That was until Sokka could no longer bring himself to sleep in the same bed with her, as he would stay up all night either being angry or depressed so he started sleeping outside in his sleeping bag. Sokka had always thought that relationships ended with a bang a loud argument or a fight. It wasn't to be with his relationship with Suki, since it had probably been dead for a year or two and was not just quietly being buried. He'd told Suki that he was leaving and she just walked away to train, after three years it all meant nothing. So Sokka had begun a trip to get to Ba Sing Se where he hoped to meet up with at least some of his friends from the war.
For despite being a bit angry and bitter with Suki, Sokka remembered that whenever Aang, Katara, Toph, or heck even Zuko would come to visit it'd vanish in an instance and things would be like they used to and Sokka realized that until he figured out what to do he'd be happiest cracking spectacular jokes with his friends. Now Sokka was finally getting close to Ba Sing Se, he figured another day or two and he would reach the outer wall. Sokka smiled thinking back to their adventure with the drill, poor Ty Lee, she was an insufferable flirt back then and to his knowledge nothing had changed seeing as how Suki had kicked the poor girl out of the Kyoshi Warriors for flirting with Sokka, although Sokka had a feeling it was less because Suki cared and more because she had to be in control. 'Well nothing to do now except get a restful night's sleep I suppose' Sokka thought to himself as he curled up into his new sleeping bag, having outgrown the classic one from their adventures nearly two years ago.
Meanwhile in Ba Sing Se
The Avatar Aang, Katara, Firelord Zuko, and Lady Toph all sat inside a small but beautiful room. "I didn't discover mind bending, almost die repeatedly, and spend all my available time since the war trying to establish peace only to have it all blow up in my face" ranted Aang. Katara looked concerned for Aang since he rarely got this way, Zuko looked contemplative on the dilemma clasping his hands in front of him and looking down, while Toph just looked bored leaning her head into right hand while scratching her hair with the left hand. "I'm sorry Aang" Katara started "But I just cant seem to reason with the water tribes, father won't just forgive the transgressions of the Fire Nation and neither will the northern water tribes." Zuko sighed, "well I can't just ask the Fire Nation to give up its colonies in the earth kingdom, things are just to fragile I'd have a revolution on my hands and who would know who would come out on top then." It all seemed so pointless, after one hundred years of death, seige, and attempted extermination of the water tribes, the earth kingdom, their respective benders, and their entire way of life, the fire nation just seemed unredeemable in the eyes of many. Meanwhile many in the fire nation had preferred the war life, opposed to their current predicaments in peace where many were starving since with the earth kingdom no longer being forced on the defensive, the fire nation trade caravans and thus a way to get food and supplies for an overpopulated fire nation were falling under attack from rebels.
"How about this" Toph started "The Earth Kingdom is only really stirring up trouble because they think that when push comes to shove that the water tribes will join them in a war with the fire nation correct?" "That's correct" replied Katara seemingly confused about where this was headed. "Well the water tribes surely wouldn't attack the fire nation if there were water tribe 'royalty' married into fire nation royalty right?" Katara face palmed as she instantly figured out what Toph was thinking when she used quotation marks for water tribe royalty. "I don't understand for starters I'm with Mai and I thought the water princess became the moon spirit in the fire nation's siege." "I wasn't talking about you getting married Sparky, I was talking about Snoozles and Azula." The faces of Aang and Zuko were nothing short of shocked. "Sokka is with Suki though" Katara quickly pointed out. "Actually I got a messenger hawk from Sokka a couple days ago, he said him and Suki had broken up and that he was coming here…sorry I guess I forgot to tell you with all the excitement." Aang, for the most powerful bender in the world was starting to look very small and frightened in the presence of Katara not being informed of a large change in her brother's life. "Well I don't think Sokka would do it regardless, and I don't feel inclined to try and force marriage with Azula of all people on anyone" said Zuko. "Well Sokka understands that if another war breaks out that'd it would be horrific, and you never know, it'll give him his first real exercise since the war just trying to survive being with Azula" said Toph laughing towards the end. "Well we'll ask him when he gets here" said Aang "for now lets all just get some shut eye".
A/N I got the inspiration for this story from Days of Summer, but that writer decided to stop rolling with it I guess so I made some changes and picked it up but it's the same general theme of an arranged married between Sokka and Azula. This is my first Fanfiction so I appreciate your feedback, sorry if any of the grammar is wrong I'm not exactly a writer or college student I work on a farm and hardees lol. Anyway just want to also do a shout out to the writer of Story of the Moral, its basically the best ATLA fanfiction I've ever read, partially biased since I like the Sokkla pairing but its also masterfully written and if you havent read it I suggest you go do so. Well that's all for now I should have another chapter up soon, sorry no Azula in this chapter, she'll be in the next one I promise (not with sokka though I want to establish what shes been up to since her defeat) Sokka and Azula's first encounter will probably be in chapter 3 or chapter 4 but don't worry I plan on trying to update tomorrow and Friday and if I have the energy again on Saturday.