Chapter 1-Unknown emotions

Chapter 1-Unknown emotions

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep."

-Robert Frost

I trudged on, my eyes drooped and the cold night wind brushed against the gaping holes in my cloths making me colder than I already was. If that was possible. I didn't know where I was or where to go, all I knew was that I had to move, somewhere away from the fire nation. I promised him I would, even though we knew it was over for her. A few seconds at the most was all she had. But I didn't want to feel the pain of saying good-bye. I was already hurting enough. I shuddered, not from the cold but from the memories. The fire, the wind, but most of all the blood. How could any one or any thing bled so much, well it made since for Appa to bleed a lot he was a giant bison. But her, but kat- my thoughts were abruptly cut short, to even think of her name sickened me. I vomited off to one side, then I started walking again, I had to but it was so hard. I stopped and leaned n one of the massive trees that made up the woods; I looked up at the moon. It shone brightly reminding me of everything I had lost to the fire nation, my mother, my sister, and maybe even my father. How could they do that, how could they slowly rip you apart from every thing you ever knew and loved. Why would they do that was the real question, how could a human be so inhuman. I vowed to never have any thing to do with them again if it was helping or hurting them the most important thing was to forget them. That is if I lived. The woods seamed endless and even if they did end, where would they end at? I took 2 more steps before I crashed down onto the ground I had been walking for half the night looking for someone any one ignoring all the pain so that I could ease some one elces and I would die for it. It wasn't fair. I rolled onto my back and breathed slowly, I could feel the blood oozing out of the wound on my arm. It seamed to be trying to convince me that I was dying and that there was no hope. I let the darkness take me.

Zuko's POV

On Zuko's ship.

"I want the boys wounds to be taken care of so that I can question him later, I know he was with the avatar."

As I walked away from the infirmary I rubbed my forehead, he better hurry, I was tired. I walked to my room to meditate but I couldn't go to sleep or it would be impossible to wake me up. As I walked down the gloomy gray halls I thought of the boy. That wound would scar him for life. I touched my own scar and sighed, both caused for stupid reasons, this was all stupid. And pointless. His right arm had been burned badly and then some one had stabbed him in the side, just barley missing a vital organ. I opened the door to my room and found my uncle sitting at a small tea table I smacked my forehead and dragged my hand down my face disfiguring it more.

"Uncle I have no time for tea, I just wanted to-"

I stopped, uncle didn't move. I took a step forward and poked the top of his head; it lolled back on his neck and he started to snore loudly. I sighed again,

"Couldn't stand the excitement could you?"

I walked away and decided to go on deck if the boy woke up the doctor would find me eventual, besides he needed rest. I stopped mid step, what was I thinking? Why did I care if that boy needed rest?! I stomped to the infirmary.

"Well, is he awake YET!"

The doctor jumped, "um yes sir but he needs rest"

For a moment I thought about saving it for tomorrow then I changed my mind,

"I want to see him now."

The boy didn't look at me the entire way as we walked to the interrogation chamber. I told him to sit down in a stern voice; he did as he was told. At least the dog was obedient. I asked,

"What's your name?" in a calm voice

He didn't look up. I stood and walked towards him, I leaned towards him and touched underneath his chin vary gently. He kept his hands under the table but flinched at my touch. I remembered this boy acting tough, or trying. What happened?

"What happened?"

I asked what I thought. He did not respond so I tilted his face up to look at mine. He had blue eyes but not any blue eyes, not normal blue eyes. I had seen most of his tribe and most of them had dark blue or gray eyes. But his matched the sky. The pupils were rimed in silver and they had flecks of silver as well. They knocked the breath right out of me. I straightened up and turned away so he couldn't see my face. I tried to make it look like I was just turning to sit in my chair but for some reason I thought he saw right through me. I Sat down

"So…"

"Sokka."

I looked up at him his eyes were averted down again. "What?"

"My name. Is Sokka."

For a long moment I said nothing he sat stone still he was wearing his water tribe robes still, they had a lot of holes and rips, I could see that he was muscular and very dark skinned. I stopped staring. Why was I staring? My mouth seamed dry so I coughed.

"I'm tired sokka, I don't feel like doing this now. Go to bed."

I stood up and walked towards the door, the guards came in and started to help sokka up to take him back to the infirmary. I paused before leaving,

"And ask for some decent cloths."

As I walked to my room I thought, no matter how good looking the muscles are.

Aangs POV

The clearing in the woods after sokka left

I tried to sleep but it was pointless I lay next to kataras motionless body waiting for her heart to stop, as I knew it would. Sokka was not coming back he had also died and I had not only failed the world again I had also failed my friends. That seamed worse to me some how. I was an odd person, with odd priorities. Just like everyone had said. I settled in for a long, painful night.

Day 2, Zuko's ship

I opened my eyes to see uncle looking over me, he was smiling

"I heard you went easy on the boy last night?"

I breathed out some fire. The smile abruptly faded and he turned around and walked out complaining. I got up and got dressed in my less formal cloths just work out cloths. After I washed up and ate I started walking towards the deck, I just happened to walk by the infirmary and hear voices…

Sokka's POV

The old man who was apparently Zuko's uncle was babbling on about how Zuko was really a nice person under all of his false pretences and how he would love it if his nephew would actually have a friend. I watched him for a while as I sipped tea, he was very animated when he talked, it was funny. Until he asked me a question,

"So what friends did you have in your village?"

I put the tea down "not many most of the men left when I was young. They went to fight in the war."

The man looked down, "I see, not many boys your age"

I took a sip of tea, "no."

Zuko's POV

I watched the expressions on his face change from amused to sad, it made me sad too. I had walked in a few minutes ago, unnoticed. Now I stepped forward.

"Uncle I need some help on that technique that we were working on yester day."

He looked up from Sokka, "what technique?"

I nodded towards sokka "you know that one technique with the ummm…"

Suddenly he understood "o that technique let me go help now."

He jumped up and walked out of the room I lingered a little longer though. I hadn't seen his eyes to day, his hair was out of the ponytail and it had covered half of his face. I waited, wanting to do something to make him look up but I wasn't sure what to do. Suddenly he looked up and locked eyes with me…

Sokka's POV

I looked into his golden eyes they were not like the other firebenders I had seen. I could still recognize the innocence even if it was broken. I knew his uncle was right, Zuko was a good person, I sincerely hoped he still was because those eyes were just too innocent, even if one was almost completely covered with scar tissue. He needed to see the good in the world again or find some other hope besides capturing Aang. He needed to be loved even if it was just a friend I thought it would change him completely.

Zuko walked away without another word, he did not smile or even say good-bye, he just left. I thought about how I had almost wanted to help him, wanted to make him hopeful. But he was not my concern I had to find out where we were and than go back to Aang and…her. I wasn't sure what to do though, I was still injured badly and from what I could tell by the rocking motion of the room we were out at sea. I would have to steal a boat as soon as I could or maybe I could trade something, Zuko wanted Aang I could give him that and then Aang could escape. But did I really want to go back, to find outfit they were alive, maybe they were both dead. I had to find out.

Zuko's POV

His room

I was sitting in my room meditating when he knocked on the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" I yelled, "I'm busy!"

I heard a low voice answered, "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I need to talk to you."

It was sokka, why was he here? Why was he out of bed? I stood up and started towards the door but caught my reflection in a mirror on a table. I picked it up and wondered why I was checking to see how I looked. Before I opened to door I took a breath. Sokka was standing there looking down as usual I invited him in without thinking. He walked in and examined my room. It was dark and impersonal; he looked back at me, his blue eyes almost shining against the dark background.

"Very cheery."

I scowled, "did you come here to insult my room?"

He shook his head, "no that's just a bonus"

I sighed and said "then why are you here?"

He sighed too, "well see I have a bit of a problem, before you found me wandering in the woods I was with the avatar…and my sister."

I took a step forward. "The water wench?"

He darted towards me "don't call her that!"

I smiled lightly "my sincerest apologies."

He just growled "look I need help. And you'll get something in return."

Now I was listening. "Would that something be the avatar by any chance"?

He looked down "if that's what you want I don't care what it is I need to get to them, fast"

I got closer to him, we were inches apart now "one problem"

He looked up quickly and for a moment I saw something odd in his eyes he was startled by my closeness but something else was strange. I thought I saw longing in his eyes. But maybe it was just the thought of seeing his sister.

"Do you know how long you were out?"

He shook his head.

"Three days."

Sokka said in a low voice "three days?"

I felt his breath across my face like a breeze. Then he exploded.

"Three days why didn't any one tell me?!"

I took a step back "look we'll go back and look for them it won't take that long we'll go faster this time." I tried to sound convincing.

He was holding his head in his hands "you don't under stand." He looked up; tears were starting to fall from his eyes, it made me think of rain falling from a blue sky.

"You don't understand!" he screamed

I took a careful step forward and touched his shoulder I hated to see him like this.

"Don't touch me!" he screamed, I flinched. "You don't understand, you don't understand!! I left three days ago? Their dead or at least she is. I promised but, but o my god "

He stopped and fell down clutching his stomach with one hand and his head with the other. I tried to get him up or talk, "sokka! Hay hay! Listen to me" but he wouldn't listen. I panicked "Danget sokka don't do this. I'm sure their fine it's not as bad as you think." The moment I realized I had stopped ordering him and started to comfort him I started feeling worse. Which just made me try to make him fell better harder. Until uncle came in.

"What in the world is going on here?"

I stopped yelling and realized that now I was the one making all the noise, sokka had stopped. Now his eyes and mouth were both wide open, suddenly he got up and ran. Uncle and I followed him, once we caught up we found him in the infirmary vomiting into a bucket. At first I started to walk away but I changed my mind and went to him. His hair was falling in his eyes so I held it up and looked away when he vomited. It felt like a sort of motherly thing to do but I felt obliged to because I was the cause of it. When he stopped I let him go, uncle had left to get him some tea. Sokka wouldn't look at me, I couldn't stand it.

"Look I'm sorry!"

"Look I'm sorry!"

We both said it at the same time, I asked, "what are you sorry for?"

He said "I over reacted."

I just shook my head "if what you said is true than your sister and your best friend are…in trouble. And you think you let them down." I felt like I should cheer him up.

I sighed and asked out of nowhere "would you like to eat dinner with us tonight?"

He looked up "what?"

I said "dinner tonight. In the galley."

Then uncle came in, "that would be a splendid idea!"

He was carrying a tray of tea with three cups. Sokka and I took one uncle took the other and sat the tray down. He slowly sipped the tea.

"Will you?"

Sokka thought, "sure?" he said and looked at me.

I laughed. Then I stopped. I had just laughed, uncle was staring at me, sokka hadn't of even been that funny. Sokka looked at uncle,

"So, I made him laugh." He shrugged and smiled "I have that effect on people."

This would be a very…entertaining dinner.

Sokka's POV

Infirmary

I looked at the mirror that was in the infirmary, I had put my hair back up in a pony tail, even though I preferred it out, katara had always said it looked messy loose. I was just warring some casual cloths, maroon pants and a long sleeved maroon shirt with black trim. Not to shabby, as if it mattered it was just dinner with the spoiled prince of the fire nation.

As I waked into the galley I saw Zuko first, he was sitting at the head of the small table, uncle was on his right, presumably I would sit on his left.

"Sit" he gestured for me to sit next to him so I did. His uncle winked at me. Then the food came out, I hadn't seen such good food in my life. There was a large roast duck with spices and stuffing. And three different kinds of soup there was also a salad but I wasn't interested in that. And the best in my opinion was the big bowl of noodles. There was meat and vegetables and some other stuff I wasn't quite sure of but looked good in the noodles.

I moaned "food…"

Zuko looked at me "if they've been starving you down there you can eat with us more often."

I said "not starving per say just a boat load of crappy food."

Than I started shoveling things onto my plat, which I then shoved into my mouth, Zuko and his uncle watched me intently until I stopped to take a break and get some soup.

"So" Zuko said while eating some noodles "where exactly are we headed?"

I threw my hands up, forgetting the soup in my spoon, which flew every where "I have no idea!"

Zuko wiped some soup of his face and asked in an angry tone "so what do you propose we do, walk around the entire island until we find the avatar and your sister?"

I shrugged, "sure."

He just sighed; uncle said "we'll figure it out later for now lets eat"

We ate in mostly silence, uncle usually filled the void but nobody else talked for a long time until Zuko asked a random question in one of the really long silence. "So… what's it like in your um. Tribe" he looked up at me with a slightly embarrassed expression.

I looked up thoughtfully "um…small? And boring?"

He smiled in a strained sort of way.

"You don't have to laugh," I said

Now he really smiled, after that we tried to hold a conversation about different sports in our nations. I liked to ice board a lot, that's when you take a thick sheet of ice and ride down hills on it while standing up. Zuko didn't actually do sports but when he was little he used to play a lot of tricks on the servants, and his uncle. All in all it wasn't that bad.

After we were done Zuko walked me to the infirmary and we talked about the food, he wasn't a fan of food but there was some that he did like. We reached the door,

"If you need any thing, let me know." he put his hand on my sholder and smiled at me.

I smiled back "thanks." Then I went inside.

The room was dark but I could see my bed in the corner, there were a couple other beds too but they were unoccupied. As I lay down I thought about Zuko, he was so like Kinto, my old friend. He was 2 years older than me and had left with my father. I closed my eyes and saw his face; it brought tears to my eyes. I would always miss him, he was so en emotional, like Zuko, but he had a softer side. And some anger management issues but we got over that little bump in our relationship. I sighed and rolled over to face the wall and go to sleep.

His mangled body lay next to mine, and the others. All dead, all people I loved. Kinto first, then kataras, then Aang, then father, than mother. All were wide-eyed and expressionless, but Kinto looked the worst. His leg was burnt off; his chest was ripped open and burnt from the inside out. I saw the blood stains on his cloths and skin like he ad been here for a long time.

"Kinto?"

I touched his face and he screamed, blood poured out of his mouth, red and sticky it spilled onto my hand. I jumped away and screamed too. Then they were all screaming and bleeding, they all screamed because of me. I backed away

"Stop, please stop!"

As I screamed I lowered my shaking body to the ground "o god."

The tears started flowing and I covered my face with my bloody hands, I could smell the blood. Everywhere. Then it was silent and black. I looked up. Kinto stood there on his one leg, leaning on katara for support. The most recent death, and the one that had hurt me the most. He reached out and touched my face with his cold hand then he grabbed me by the sholders, I screamed. He pulled me close, his face coming closer; there was a scar on one eye that had swollen it shut, shutting away the beautiful jewel like eye.

"I. Am. dead. They. Will. All. DIE!"

Zuko's POV

His room

Sokka stood there his hair out again, his sister was next to him they looked like twins, and the avatar was there too.

"I belong here Zuko."

"No you don't"

He smiled "your not important to me, I don't need you."

I shook my head "but I…" I was cut short by some one screaming from behind me, as I turned I realized who it was. Even under all the blood and bandages.

"Sokka?"

A turned to look for the other sokka but he was gone, replaced with a burning water tribe village, I turned back for a moment he just stood there, then he screamed again

"O god." He fell down.

I sat up, my body was covered in sweat, I didn't scream but I was breathing heavily, then I heard it, he screamed. I jumped out of bed, not bothering to put on a shirt. What was wrong he had been perfectly fine, now he was screaming bloody murder. As I walked into the room, he was laying on one side clutching his head. He screamed again and I watched him curl into a fetal position.

"Sokka!"

I ran to him and shook him awake, he opened his, eyes and almost screamed again but I covered his mouth, he started shaking his head and trying to talk. I took my hand away.

"Kinto…Kinto, Katara, Mom, Dad!" he buried his face in my chest.

At first I wasn't shore what to do but then I tried to comfort him, I wasn't that god but you had to give me points for trying.

"It's ok sokka, she'll be ok."

That was all I could think to say. Eventually he stopped spazing out, he hadn't cried once, he just held on to me and I put my arm around his shoulders. Soon he pulled away, his eyes were scared and his face was grim, he wiped the sweat off his forehead,

"Sorry"

Was all he said, then he lay back down and turned away from me, I put my hand on his shoulder, he was warm. I didn't say any thing I just sat there waiting for him to go to sleep. As I waited I watched him, this was the first time I had really watched him, to see his breathing slow and feel his muscles loosen under my hand was reassuring. Then he fell asleep, his breathing slowed and when I checked his eyes were closed. I leaned down and whispered,

"Goodnight"

Into his ear, for a moment I lingered at the side of his face. Then I left…