A.N.: Hey, so quick note, the chapter that had previously been chapter 17 (winding truths and revealing secrets) was a chapter that I realized after I posted that...I didn't like. I didn't like it for many reasons, but most of all, it felt forced. I had written it during a terrible two weeks, and it was rushed, and kinda pointless to the over all Zukka plot and, well, I'm sorry. I got rid of it. Much of the scenes here in the beginning are the same for those of you who would want to jump ahead.
(The new stuff is located just after the bao interrogation scene with Azula.)
Anyway, to apologize for doing that to you guys, I'll also be uploading the next finished chapter. ( I like that chapter, don't worry it wont' get taken down)
So, two finished chapters this week. Huzzah!
Snow drifted softly down around the young Prince's frame. He woke to the stinging cold that nipped at his skin. He sat up in the white tundra, looking about him with confusion and he quickly brushed the wet snow off him. He held his arms and stood, his eyes glancing over the small abandoned village. He shivered, his breath coming out in great clouds before disappearing.
The remains of Southern Watertribe yurts lay scattered and torn along the ground. The communal fire's coals looked as though they had been kicked and scattered. A child's toy lay half buried in snow, its clothing and burlap scorched to the point where the stuffing had fallen out.
"...Hello?" he shivered and looked up and around. The area looked empty, and as he turned he could see why. The wall of snow the villagers used to block off the wind had been brought down, as if someone had run their battleship right into it.
He hugged his frame, trying to retain some warmth as the freezing winds blew over him.
The snow, which had drifted lazily past him, now rode the wind and coated him. The pure white dots turned grey, and then black. Zuko lifted his hand, which was unprotected and red from the frost that covered it. The black ash melted on his skin when combined with the snow, creating black steaks that ran down his face, his hair, his clothing, coating him. He looked up to the sky, trying to figure out the strange nightmarish anomaly.
His attention was caught by the fact that the skies were clear, the blue of them turning a sunset color of red and orange. He'd seen sunsets in the south, had seen the skied turn pink, purple, then a deep night blue. They were not the strange orange color that began to turn red as it crawled along the sky at a rapid pace. That's when he saw it. What he at first thought was the setting sun turned out to be a comet that was now careening across the sky at a terrible rate. The ash continued to fall, the pure white landscape marred by the spots of black that seeped into the frozen wastes.
Something heavier began to fall around him; the bodies of sea birds. They were coated in the ash, unable to move, or dead from impact. The prince heard the small bodies collapse with only a thud, pelting the area around him. He covered his head, running out of the way of the falling bodies and to a mostly standing yurt, whose animal skin covering bounced the bodies off or allowed them to slide gently down.
"What's happening…?" he breathed, his eyes scanning the nightmarish landscape for any sign, any answer.
The oceans were stained with the black color as well, that coated the waters and created oil-slick looking surfaces. Shapes began to surface, fish that had run out of air going belly-up and floating limply along the current, being pushed to shore.
At a distance, along the ice floats, he saw a great creature running toward him. Their feet danced along the surface of the water like the aurora lights and drew closer. Four paws, eyes as cold and distant as stars, he knew this being.
"Iwei…" he whispered, watching.
The bodies had stopped falling, and he wanted to run out, to meet the creature, but a sudden thrum of ice cracking beneath his feet gave him reason to pause. He froze, and to his horror so did Iwei.
The great spirit barked, as if calling for Zuko to run. He didn't dare, too afraid of cracking it further. Yet, another terrible crack, and feeling ice cold water around his ankles spurred him into an all out run. The jaggad crack that had formed now snaked out, as if it were specifically after him. He ran to the ocean, to the black, slick, ice melts, gasping the cold air as if bit at his lung, making every breath burn. Then, as he got to the shore, he leapt for one of the icy platforms, something bursting out from under the surface after him. The great serpentine body of something roared out, its screeching call hurt Zuko's ears and left a sharp headache when it stopped. Zuko's body hit the ice with a "whump" knocking the air out of him. The icy platform shifted from his weight, slowly threatening to capsize and send him into the frozen waters. Iwei was already on their way toward him, and he fought to climb further up on the melt, only for something sharp to clamp down on his ankle, and drag him screaming into the dark depths.
Zuko shot up in bed, yelling, struggling out of the sheets that had tangled him up. It took a moment, as he took in the room, the heat of summer on his skin, and the sound of knocking at his door to shake him from his nightmare.
"What? What is it?" he called.
"Is everything alright, my lord?" called a servant from the hall.
"Everything's...everything's fine," he responded, and used his foot to shove the rest of the tangled, sweat-stained sheets off the bed. He drew his legs up and hugged them to his chest as he sat in the silence.
He sat there as he tried to recall his dream, but in the seconds that ticked by, more and more of it began to fade into the background, and he wondered what had even been the cause of his waking.
Perhaps it was nerves, he'd taken a trip down to the docks last night. After several days of searching he'd found the man known as Zhu-Rin, or the Invisible Bender, as he was known. His specialty was some form of bending Zuko had never even heard of before he'd started asking around. A firebender who could focus his breath and energy with such force that he could launch it a great distance from himself, and then bend it to combust at his target, creating an explosion that only he could control the magnitude of. Therefore he could keep to the shadows, and so long as he had eyes on his target, he could create a deadly blast and easily make his get away in the confusion.
Zuko replayed the memory of their meeting in his mind, how quiet the assassin had been, how he'd not responded to a thing Zuko had said, except to nod when asked if he'd accept the job. He'd given him instructions, specific instructions, to not hurt the Water Tribe boy that traveled with the Avatar. He did now know if he'd trust him to do such a thing- but what choice did he have, he wondered, feeling himself turn cold in the mid-morning heat.
There was another knock at his door.
"I said everything's fine!" he yelled.
The door opened all the same, and he saw his sister standing in the doorway, looking down on him in his disheveled mess. Her lip curled at the state of his room before returning her gaze to him from over her nose.
"Living outside of the palace has changed you. Didn't know you lived like an animal now."
"What do you want?" he shot back, sitting up and allowing his legs to cross before him.
"Jeeze, so hostile. I was wondering if you were going to come have breakfast. Mai and Ty Lee are here, and seeing as how you're dating one of them, I figured you might actually want to come along? Don't say I never did you any favors."
"Breakfast with the princess, what a favor," he shot back with dark sarcasm.
"Sorry, am I interrupting your plans to go hunting on all fours like a rabid dog? What are you, a southern water peasant?"
"Don't call them that," he said, his voice raised.
Her expression shifted from disgust to intrigue; one eyebrow raised in cruel interest as her gaze became more sharp.
"Sorry...what was that?" she asked. "Don't call them...what? Dogs? Peasants?" she stepped in. "Aww, Zu Zu, do you have a soft spot for the lesser peoples after all that time banished?"
A moment passed between them before he turned and shot out of bed, storming over and past her to his closet. She snorted at the display, clearly un-threatened.
"Your time in exile really has changed you."
"I don't need you here to point that out," he muttered, opening his closet to rifle through what remaining nice robes he had left that were strewn about the floor. "I'll come to breakfast if it'll get you out of my room," he said, pulling something off the hanger.
"Then I'll get the royal valet to dress-"
"I'm not a child. I don't need someone to dress me."
"It's not about if you can dress yourself or not. It's a symbol of status-"
"It's annoying," he snapped back.
She stared back at him, her arms still folded, but with a flat look on her face.
"You are intolerable before you've eaten," she said.
"You're intolerable always," he muttered as he pulled himself and his things behind a large dressing screen. It seemed she wouldn't leave, and she was much easier to handle when she had the distraction of her friends. "Why are you still here?"
"Because I still have business with you," she continued, stepping further in and looking around.
"What about?"
"About what exactly you were doing returning to the palace so late last night."
Zuko froze in his actions, the sash he wore to sinch the lower pant part interrupted by her comment. His mind raced with what to say.
"I...visited Uncle again."
"I've warned you about that."
"I understand the warning, but he's family," he deflected, remembering how he'd told the old man to rot for all he cared.
"No, Zuko," she said, wandering closer to his small standing table just under his mirror. "He's a traitor. You have to do something about your soft heart for the old dudder before it ruins your reputation."
"What do you care for my reputation?"
Her foot nudged against something then, a small back book. Her eyebrow quirked in interest and she bent down.
"I care for the sake of family. The whole country looks to us, Zu Zu, or have you forgotten what being a Prince even means?"
"I haven't forgotten. In fact, I'm tired of all the peacocking, the feasts, the free time. I feel less like a prince and more like a palace pet."
She snorted as she opened the book, her eyes glancing over the lines of poetry with sudden disinterest.
"Oh please, what makes you say that?"
"The meetings. I haven't attended a single one since I've been back."
"What interest could you have for stuffy old men talking politics?"
"The same reason you seem so keen on attending almost every meeting as well," he said, stepping around the screen. He was in his royal red silks with the shorter sleeves, but still wearing at least four layers. A black fan was stuffed in his thin gold embroidered belt that tied in the back. He went and stormed over to his small mirror, taking up his hair ties and began work on pulling his black strands back. "I've been out there in the world, Azula. I have knowledge and intel on people, and places. I could be of use to the council."
She snorted at this.
"I'll let father know the next time he wants to conquer an Earth Kingdom farm house."
The sound of a page flipping turned Zuko's gaze to her actions. He abandoned his hair and rounded on her. His heart leapt into his throat as he watched her turn to the front page. He snatched the little book out of her hand so fast that it shut around her finger pinching it a moment before he yanked it fully from her grasp.
"Ouch," she said, flatly, simply waving the pain off.
"Are you ever not a pest?" he demanded, stuffing the book into the fold of his robe.
"Temper, temper, my goodness. No need to hide that you like poetry so much."
He didn't answer, only crossed to his mirror and finished tying up his hair. He set the small golden crown atop it, and using a long, sharp, golden hair pin, set it in place.
"There," he said, half expecting her to be rummaging through his things once more. "I'm dressed. Let's go."
"Finally," she muttered, and they left.
"A meteor shower!" exclaimed Aang. "It's when you get to see tons and tons of shooting stars go flying across the night sky," he smiled.
The team were currently sitting around a campfire, enjoying the late afternoon with an early dinner of fish Katara and Sokka had managed to pull from the river not far from them. The fish were now roasting over the open fire, sticks jammed into their mouths. Aang had opted for the tofu they'd packed from the last village.
"Wow. Sounds fun," muttered Toph flatly.
"Maybe we can describe them to you," suggested Aang, apology clear in his voice. Toph huffed out air with a shrug.
"What's the point?"
"So that you can know what they look like."
"No thanks," she said.
Sokka said nothing as he ate, watching the awkward exchange with a hint of amusement. Toph was not one to take help easily, and knew Aang's nature was to help endlessly. There were problems when Aang would do his best, accidentally over-stepping Toph's boundaries to try and help more than was necessary at times, especially when it came to things like viewing the stars, reading, or even describing the landscapes they flew over. For Toph's part, she seemed like she'd rather not know about it than know what she was missing out on all together.
The conversation continued, and Sokka was content to listen to the happy noises of his friends, when he felt his sister nudge him.
"Seems like you're in a better mood."
"Are you kidding me?" he smiled over at her, "Of course I am. No more pollution-filled fish."
He was referring to the town they'd just visited, whose fishing hamlet were suffering from the industrial factory that had filled their waters with pollution, choking the fish, as well as the residents. Due to Katara's meddling- or rather her kind heart- the Gaang had managed to scare off the polluters, and saved the hamlet.
"Aaaand, we're back on schedule," he smiled, pulling up a long scroll he'd kept by his side that had their itinerary down to the minute. Katara pulled a face and gently pushed it away.
"Great…" she chuckled awkwardly.
"Hey, I know it's not exciting stuff, but this schedule keeps us on track to go and kick serious Fire Nation can," he said.
"What would we do without you," she muttered into her fish.
He rolled his eyes. He knew they knew the importance, even if it was boring, hard, or placed them on a time crunch. Speaking of which, he thought to himself, he checked his schedule,and gasped. This drew the attention of the others.
"What? What is it?" asked Toph.
"Oh no, this is bad!" said Sokka, quickly rising to his feet.
"What? What's bad?" asked Aang.
"We're five minuets behind schedule!"
Everyone looked back at him flatly.
"Hey, this is serious. You guys want to actually make it to the eclipse, right?"
"Sokka...I don't know if five minuets makes that much-"
"No time to argue- I didn't pencil that in- we gotta start loading everything back up on Appa, now," and with that he began to kick dirt on the coals of the campfire.
"Hey!" said Aang, using his hand to shield his plate of tofu from the flying dirt.
It seemed he hadn't heard him, as Sokka was already running toward Appa, ready to reload their things onto the bison, which they'd taken off simply to allow the creature to rest. Aang followed after him, grabbing the pack that Sokka carried before he'd toss it back on Appa.
"Hey- um, Sokka? Don't you think you're taking this scheduling thing a little too far?"
"No way," he said, shaking his head, "making sure we get to the rendezvous point is top priority. We've been delayed because of that academy, the dance party-"
"That you also danced at," Aang reminded.
"...yes. And then Katara delayed us for three days,"
"Helping a village that was dying out that we saved,"
"So we've already taken up all the free time I planned- and then some."
"Sokka," sighed Katara as she and Toph walked over. "Look, you're great at keeping us on track, really. But I'm starting to think this scendual is a little...pointless?"
"Pointless?" he balked. "Hey, if it weren't for the schedule, how would we know when a good time to collect resources, when we need to reach the next town, or how long it's going to take us to get somewhere before dark?"
"Those parts are good and fine, but look at this," she said, holding up the schedule. "You've even tried to schedule arguments and when to resolve them?"
"Hey, we're a tight-knit team, but we get on each other's bad side sometimes. The least I can do to help is make it time-efficient."
"Oh, look, I have an appointment to make a joke with my airbending in half an hour," blinked Aang, looking over the schedule.
"Am I on the schedule?" asked Toph.
"Yes," sighed Sokka, "five o'clock, make burping jokes after the meal."
"What time is it?" she demanded.
Sokka turned his gaze to the afternoon sky.
"Mmmmm...Five."
Taking in a deep breath, Toph let loose a deep guttural belch that forced Katara to turn her head away and gag in response.
"That's disgusting!" Katara exclaimed, waving away the stench.
"But punctual," shrugged Sokka.
Katara sighed, rolling the scroll back up.
"You have to know that this is ridiculous, even for you."
"We don't have to stick so-so closely to it, just as close as we can make it," he replied. "And I can always re-work it to make sure it all fits in."
"Give me another burping appointment!" laughed Toph.
"I can pencil that in," he nodded.
"Sokka," Katara insisted. "Seriously, we've always been on time in the past, we'll be on time again. We don't need such a strict schedule."
"Yeah," sighed Aang, "I don't know if I can do another two minuet bathroom-slash-snack break. It might make me lose my appetite completely."
"Then it would just be a bathroom break."
"Thinking about it now," started Toph, thoughtfully, "I want to be able to make jokes on my own time. When you expect the punch line, it's not as funny."
"I...okay but that's…" he looked around to his friend's faces. "Alright, maybe I've been a bit too strict."
"So we're staying for the night?" asked Katara.
Seeing that they wouldn't budge, he sighed and bowed his head.
"Fine, we can stay," he grumbled.
"Alright! Meteor shower viewing!" smiled Aang, and began running up the hill to make sure it was the ample spot.
"I'm always down for more free time," said Toph, heading off in some other direction.
"Thank you, Sokka," smiled Katara.
"It's fine," he sighed, tossing their things off to the side.
"I know you're worried,"
"Worried? This whole thing is my plan. If I weren't there to help the others- if I missed it and let dad and everyone else go on without me and we lost and they all got hurt or captured- I'd never forgive myself…" he turned away, grabbing his arm.
She watched him a moment, seeming to comprehend his attitude and actions now. She placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping it firmly.
"None of us here will let that happen. We're all ready and willing to fight and end this."
He remained quiet, thoughtful.
She gave a playful scoff.
"You're not alone in this, you know that, right?" she asked.
"Yeah...yeah. Sorry, It's not that I don't trust anyone, I just…"
"Can't turn off big brother mode?" she asked, folding her arms.
"What does that mean?"
"You can't stop looking out for us."
"Maybe," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck.
"Well try and turn it off for one night. Come look at the meteor shower with us and take it easy."
"Well, I've got no choice now," he shrugged.
She laughed and headed away toward the hill, and he followed after her.
It was mid-noon, and Zuko was in the dining hall, alone with his sister as lunch (breakfast for him) was set for them.
"Remind me why you've dragged me out of my room," said Zuko, one hand clutching a cup of tea while the other held his hanged head that guarded from the sunlight.
"If I allow you to ferment any longer in your room, we'd have a side dish for a Prince," said Azula, evenly, as she made herself a plate.
It had been several days since she'd barged into his room last. He'd hoped that after the last unpleasant conversation they'd had she wouldn't be so inclined to bother him again. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't unpleasant enough, for her at least.
The sun may not have been so high yet, but the heat and humidity was already unbearable.
"Has there been any word from Father?" he asked.
"You're obsessed," Azula muttered to herself, just loud enough for Zuko to hear.
"It's important."
"No, it's not."
"What would you know?" he demanded, but was careful to keep his temper from yelling. Yelling at Azula never ended well. Whatever he did to her, he knew she always paid back ten-fold. That just who she was.
"You're right," she sighed, "what would I know? After all, I'm not the one who spoke out of turn and got himself banished for three years," she said, idly, as if it were a conversation on the weather. "So I suppose all I know is how to be at Father's side and not the family embarrassment."
She turned her severe golden eyes on him, knowing her words cut him to the quick, his temper silenced and replaced with a cold emptiness.
"Now quit. Pouting. And eat." she demanded.
He eyed her, his quiet moment of defiance, before giving in and picking up his utensils.
"Mai and Ty Lee will be joining us soon," she continued.
He didn't respond, but the suspicion was palpable. Azula was not a family-oriented person, nor should she have any real interest in Zuko spending anytime with one of her best friends. Her reason for doing this was either that she was forced- which was hard to believe given that no one can force Azula to do anything- or that she was looking for something. For what, he could not fathom.
He ate, quietly, his mind turning over what scheme she was planning with this strange breakfast, when the servants stepped forward. They took away the empty plates, most of which had been dined on by Azula, and only picked at by Zuko. They then set down the familiar shapes of large, steamed bao.
Zuko stared at them, he could feel Azula's eyes on him.
"What's wrong?" he heard his sister ask.
He glanced at her, confused, and irritated.
"I heard this was something you shared with Mai," she said, innocently enough. "Do you not have a taste for it now?"
"I'm already full," he answered, curtly.
"Oh. What a shame. I was so hoping you'd like them…"
She reached out, ignoring the golden serving spoon that was next to it, and instead, grabbing a bao with her bare hand. She took it up to her mouth and gently tore into it. The gesture would have been benign to anyone else, but to Zuko, he couldn't help but feel threatened in some way.
Well, at least they weren't poisoned, he thought, and reached out to take one. He bit into the warm, comforting, spongy, texture, but as the flavors hit his tongue, he couldn't help but put his hand to his mouth as the sweet, and salty flavors played over his tastebuds, the pulled pork and chives creating a familiar medley he neve thought he'd taste again. It was exactly the same as the ones they served at the tea shop. It struck him cold.
"Good, right?" he heard his sister ask, but didn't dare look at her.
"...yes…" he answered, fighting to swallow the bite as his stomach turned.
"It wasn't easy to find, you know," she continued. "The recipe, I mean," she said, ripping into the spongy bread and allowing part of it to fall away. "First, we had to use the Dai Li and it's records to get some clue just where exactly it was you and Uncle had been working- such a tawdry little tea shop, really, I almost feel sorry that you had to work in that hovel. Next, we had someone go in and demand that recipe from the owner- which wasn't hard, after all, the man was practically an open book about anything we wanted to know…" she said, setting the bao down, as if suddenly disinterested in it. "And afterward, it was a matter of delivering it to the cooks and making sure they had enough time to allow the meat to stew…" she said, her eyes drawing slowly up from the plate and to him, her hands folded before her, her fingers laced.
He felt a sense of dread that threatened to turn his stomach and filled his veins with ice.
"What...do you want," he said, his voice low and angry, but holding himself back.
"What do I want? Zu Zu, I want you to be comfortable here," she said simply, with a single shrug of her shoulder. "I want you to step into the future with us, and not be so hung up in the past."
"That's a lie."
"If you say so," she sighed, "though it does break my heart to hear you say. As your sister I just want what's best for you. And what's best is not sulking in your room like some heart-broken dog."
He stared at her, his eyes widening slightly, and doing his best to hold himself back from leaping across the table or running out of the room. He could feel the weight of the little black book in the fold of his robes, and felt himself starting to perspire.
She couldn't know.
There was no way she could know.
He forced himself to think logically, and returned his gaze to the plate. That's right, she couldn't possibly know, not the full picture, and not that he had a tether. It was possible she could have seen Sokka's name before he could snatch the book from her, but then again, she might not have. If she did, he reasoned quietly, she'd be slightly more direct in her approach of letting him know she knew. Instead, she'd used the Dai Li to scrounge up info about his stay in the Earth Kingdom, and the shop owner did not know Sokka, nor had he really seen him while he managed the back of the shop. So these little baos and the dog comment he'd reacted to several days before had been a ploy, he thought with a small smirk, a ploy to unnerve him and force him to reveal more than she knew. She'd done it before, with the guards and his uncle. She must think him really stupid, he mused.
This was Azula guessing, grasping at straws, and using fear tactics. She had nothing but suspicion.
"You know," he said, his tone suddenly taking on a smooth confidence that caused Azula's eyebrow to quirk upward, "you're right. I have been sulking," he said, and lifted the bao. "I'm lucky to have such a generous sister who'd go to such lengths to make me comfortable after my exile," he tore into the bao, staring at her. He made a noise, a praising one, to how delicious the little steamed bun was, despite wanting to throw up. "These really are good." he said, after swallowing. "Let me know if you dig up any more food from my past," he said, and rudely licked his fingers, an act that made her lip curl and she calmly averted her gaze.
Before anything more could be said, Mai and Ty Lee's presence were announced. They gave each other one last glare, before they lifted themselves from the table and walked out to meet their guests.
"Hey!" called Aang.
Sokka turned back, turning his head to look past his shoulder and his new blade that was strapped to his back. A meteorite sword he'd only just received from a master swordsman. He was fresh out of training and feeling more confident. They were all walking about in a small town.
Katara and Toph turned back as well, and were greeted with the sight of Aang coming forward with several sticks of yakitori, and two skewers of tofu.
He could hear his sister off to his right laugh.
"What's the occasion?"
"Sokka's graduation," smiled Aang, handing the food out to everyone, keeping the tofu for himself.
"Hey, this money's suppose to be for supplies only," objected Sokka, but without much passion as he immediately tore into the grilled chicken. Sesame seeds had been sprinkled over the shoyu glaze, and his stomach immediately felt gratitude for having something in it.
"I know, I know," smiled Aang, happy to see Sokka already eating, "but we never really had a celebration for it, you know? The monks in my temple use to have a big celebration when one of the students finally graduated to get their tattoos. It was seen a moment of celebration, and, well," he shrugged, "we didn't get a moment to celebrate, and I know we're on a strict schedule, so...congratulations, Sokka!" he said, and lifted the skewer. The others lifted their skewes, ecchoing Aang.
"Congratulations, Sokka," smiled Katara.
"Yeah, way to go, ponytail."
He looked to his friends with surprise, but then relented and laughed, lifting his skewer as well.
"Thanks guys. I just hope it'll come in handy during the- well, during the you know."
"I'm sure it will," smiled Katara.
After this moment of celebration, they continued walking through the town, collecting supplies and keeping an ear out for any rumors or news.
Eventually they finished and were heading back to where they had hid Appa and Momo. Aang and Toph lead the group, involved in some discussion about earthbending tournaments that kept them distracted. Sokka and his sister walked together quietly, his mind wandering, thinking about the Invasion, when his sister's voice knocked him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
He looked over to her, adjusting the large bag of rice on his shoulder as he gave her a nod.
"Sure, what's up?"
"You've sent dad out to collect all the allies we made along the way, right?"
"Sure did. I already made sure to tell him how to contact those swamp people we met. I'm pretty sure they'll come in handy as another element of surprise."
"The firebenders will certainly be surprised. But, what about your contact?"
"Who?"
"The one you had in Ba Sing Se?"
"O-oh! My, er, contact? What about them?"
"Well, will they be with us? Will we finally meet this mystery person?"
"Oh...uhhh, no. I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Well...ah… It's complicated."
"How complicated could it be? I mean, they're okay, right?"
"You could say that."
They went quiet, and he had hoped that his sister wudl drop it for the moment, but he felt a spark of irritation as she spoke up again.
"The last time you met up with them was when they freed Appa. Whatever happened to them?"
"I don't know," he lied, swiftly averting his gaze adn to the ground. This pulled a disgruntled noise from her.
"I don't understand why you're making this into such a big secret…" she muttered.
He didn't answer.
"Did something happen? Are they an enemy now? I mean, why won't you tell us anything about-"
"Look, it's not a big deal," he said, waving her off. "Can we just drop it?"
"But if they're in trouble, or if you're in trouble-"
"What makes you think I'm in trouble?" he asked.
"Nothing- well- you're just kinda quiet sometimes. Like, you just tune us out or-"
"So I can't have a moment alone in my head?"
"That's not what I said."
"I can't be expected to be the funny guy all the time."
"That's not what I'm saying."
They'd stopped walking by this point, and the other two turned back.
"Look, it's nothing," he defended.
"If it's nothing then you wouldn't be keeping this big secret about who this person is."
"I don't have to tell you everything-"
"When it comes to secret contacts I think we have a right to know," she demanded.
"What's going on?" asked Aang.
"Nothing!" both siblings snapped at the Avatar, who defensively smiled and held his hands up, showing that he did not mean to offend. Toph folded her arms, blowing out a puff of hair that disturbed her bangs slightly.
"Here we go…" muttered Toph.
"Sokka, I don't ask you for anything, really," said Katara. "Just the truth. I wanted you to have privacy- but the whole time we were in the city you kept blowing us off and running to meet this person."
"Why are we even talking about this now?"
"Because- I wanted to talk about it before, but, after everything that happened- look, you're keeping something from us."
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I the bad guy now? Me? The guy who's currently planning the Inva-"
"Shhh!" insisted Aang and Toph.
"I know it's a secret!" he snapped back at them, to which only Aang stepped back with an apologetic laugh. "So, what, Katara? Is that it? I'm hiding some big-bad secret from you?"
"You're hiding something alright, and you're being a real jerk about it too," she argued, folding her arms.
"Who I see and who I talk to is none of your business."
"You're not alone," she demanded.
"Yeah- I get it. You'll be there for me if-"
"No. You don't get it. We're risking our lives here. We're a team and we need to trust each other. Which means you can't keep these kind of secrets from us."
The siblings went quiet, with Katara crossing her arm, as if waiting for her obstinate brother to relent and tell her everything. He hiked the rice bag higher up on his shoulder, and started to walk again.
"Sokka!" she demanded, offended.
"What...are they talking about?" asked Aang to Toph.
"They're arguing about Sokka's contact in Ba Sing Se," she answered.
Sokka gave her a look of warning that he realized in the next moment was lost on her.
"You knew about this too," Katara remembered in that moment. "If he won't tell us anything, maybe you will," she said. Toph shrugged, as if bored with the conversation.
"Look, it's really none of my business."
"Isn't it?" asked Katara. "It doesn't bother you that he had you cover for him back at Lake Laogai?"
"Not really," she shrugged.
"Why?"
"Because your brother had a crush and they broke up."
Everyone, including Sokka, whipped their head around to look at Toph with unabashed shock.
"What?" gasped Aang, amazed.
"Toph!" hissed Sokka.
"You had a what?" asked Katara, looking to Sokka.
"That's why he doesn't wanna talk about it," she shrugged.
"Oh, but he told you?" Katara demanded.
"Uhhh, yeah. Well, no, I figured it out because, you know, it's impossible to lie to me," she said with a smirk.
"Well...well that's it?" she asked, stunned, "You both saved Appa and then he broke up with you?"
"Pretty much," he bluffed, resisting the urge to give a side-long glance to Toph. The earthbender said nothing to object.
"Oh...oh then…" Katara suddenly grew embarrassed, hiding her face from everyone looking at her. "Oh my gosh...I'm so sorry Sokka. I never meant to...to pry…"
"Can we drop it now, please?" he asked.
"Right, yeah, sorry," nodded Katara. "Well...if it's any consolation, he must be a pretty big jerk to break up with you like that."
"I don't wanna talk about it," he muttered, being the first to turn and continue on to camp. He took the lead, despite having the heaviest load to carry. Aang and Toph hung back with a rather embarrassed Katara, leaving Sokka to stare ahead.
The mood had soured entirely for the rest of the day. The team was cautiously quiet, and their caution grated on his nerves. While not in the mood to crack jokes, he did the next best thing, which was to remove himself from them so that the mood might improve.
He merely sat on the other side of Appa, distracting himself by sharpening his meteorite sword.
"Hey."
He hadn't heard his sister until she'd spoken up, but didn't bother to look at her.
"Here to yell at me some more," he muttered.
"...no…" she said, her voice lowered, her gaze cast down. "I...I wanted to say that I was sorry."
"It's no big deal," he returned.
There was a moment of silence, before Katara took another step toward him.
"I know that...it's a painful subject," she started. "And...and I guess I just wanted to know...why you don't want any help with this?"
Because if you knew, he thought bitterly, you'd probably waterbend me into the next century. He sighed and took up the small rag he used to clean off his sword with, quickly wiping it off before sheathing it and putting it aside.
"Look, Katara, I know you want to help. I'm sorry I worried you, but talking about it...it's too much. I made a mistake, I got lost in the city with some guy, which is humiliating enough to admit, and trust me when I say I won't ever make that mistake again."
"This person...they really hurt you."
"Yeah," he said, gripping the sheathed sword, his gaze pointed at the ground. "They did."
He listened as she edged closer, and sat next to him. She leaned against Appa and looked to the ground.
"I'm sorry," she said. "And, I'm sorry I pushed it."
Silence.
"You know...I guess...I just get worried. Aside from dad and Gra-Gran, you're...the only family left. You're the only family I have out here. It worries me when you won't talk to me. If something was bothering me, you'd want to know, wouldn't you?"
He frowned as he considered her words, realizing she was right.
"And if someone broke my heart, well…"
"I'd beat them up," he sighed with a nod. She laughed and he smiled. "It...it was stupid to hide it from you," he sighed. "And, I'm sorry I did that."
"We could have helped you through it."
"It's like you said, there was no time, especially after everything that happened, when Aang was hurt…" he winced at that and rubbed the back of his neck, allowing it to then tilt back and lean against Appa. He looked to the afternoon sky, white-orange clouds lazily drifted by, and he watched them as he spoke. "I guess...I just threw myself into everything else. The Invasion...training...I just never want to feel that dumb or helpless again."
"Hey, you're not dumb, and you're definately not helpless," she said, gently throwing an elbow into his bicep. He clicked his tongue at her smiling. "You just need to let us in sometimes."
He nodded, quietly.
"So...do you think...maybe...you can at least tell me how you are?"
He looked over to her, his mind turning over his emotions for a moment, before quietly coming to the conclusion:
"I'm...I'm not great," he admitted with a chuckle, but it bordered on sad.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Yeah...it's fine."
"It's not."
She was right.
"Yeah...no, it's not," he gave a short laugh again, shaking his head. He sniffed, feeling his emotions threaten to spill out from his eyes. He turned away. "He was...umm...he was a jerk," he laughed again, but hid the sadness that spilled down his cheek.
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah...me too." he sniffed again. "I...I really...I liked him," he laughed again, but this time it was hard to differentiate from a sob. He wiped at his eyes, feeling his sister's hand on his shoulder. He drew his legs up, hugging his knees to him, and left her put her arms around him.
"Why'd he leave you? Did he say?"
"No," he said. "Thats...that's kinda the worst part. He just left. No explanation. Just...just dropped me."
"Well he's a jerk!" she said. He laughed. "Who does that? Hey, if you ever see him again, point him out to me. I'll teach him a thing or two. How dare he dump my brother!"
He laughed again, shaking his head.
"Katara, if I did that, I don't think there'd be anything left of him."
"Forcing them to live with their mistakes is the greatest revenge anyone could ever have," she smiled.
"You scare me sometimes," he smiled.
"Why? You're not the one I'm going to freeze into a block of ice and push out to sea."
He laughed again, and when she hugged him he hugged her back.
"We've got your back," she said, softly.
"I know, I just...felt like such an idiot for the longest time...and since I'm leading the Invasion..."
"You didn't want to admit you were doubting yourself."
"I can finish my own sentences," he muttered, drawing a chuckle from her as she pulled away.
"Thank you, Sokka. I'm really glad you decided to talk to me. Can you promise to talk to me about this if it comes up again?" she asked. He opened his mouth to answer, but a flash of some dreadful vision crossed his mind. He saw himself in the Fire Nation robes, his own eyes coldly staring back at him, and he hesitated.
"What is it?" she asked, confused by the sudden look of alarm that had come over him.
"Erm...sorry," he said, "I thought I saw a bee on your shoulder,"
She blinked at him.
"What were we talking about?"
"Promise to talk to me?"
"Yeah- of course," he nodded.
The confidence she'd seemed to hold before had vanished, but seeing as how he'd given her the answer she wanted, she merely nodded and began to stand.
"Dinner's almost ready," she said, offering a hand, "let's join the others."
"Yeah," he said, and grabbed her hand, pushing the image out of his mind as he followed her.
The vision scared him. He knew this, despite also knowing that he had free will that would make sure something like that dreaded future never came to pass. Yet, it still unnerved him. The thought followed him to his dreams, wherein he found himself in the artic wasteland that often served as a meeting ground for him and Iwei. Only, the arctic was still cracked and damaged, remnants of smoke and fog swirled together on the ground. The lights in the sky were gone, along with all the stars, and most disturbingly, the moon.
Something large rumbled beneath his feet, and it caused him to fight to regain his balance. Then, from one of the large icy casams, there emerged the body of the blue dragon, rearing up only to dive back down and toward Sokka.
He could only watch, wide-eyed as the large head came careening down toward him, it's jaws open and ready to sink into him.
The moon appeared in the sky then, called by a distant howl. It's light shown down on Sokka, and acted like a barrier. The dragon had nearly clamped it's jaws around him, but instead, was stopped by the very light of the moon.
It drew back, shaking its head from pain, or humiliation, or some mixture of both. It's deep growl emanated from the creature's throat. It's eyes stared intently down at him.
"Oh...my future lord…" the creature breathed out, "Tis only you…" It shivered, as if regaining control of itself, shaking it's mane. "My deepest apologies, future sire…"
"Don't call me that," he demanded. "Where's Iwei?"
"Iwei? That miserable mutt has turned tail and run off."
"That's not true."
"Oh...you're right, my apologies. Coming to my senses now, I realize that it was you that pushed the sorry dog away and ran straight to us," it quietly hissed the last part.
Sokka eyed the wily serpent as it continued to regain a more civilized tone.
"So...what? They're just not here?"
"Such was your decision."
"No, I didn't decide-"
"Oh no? So it was some other frightened little human that pushed away the light-footed traveler and ran from their light?"
"That wasn't- I was just- you lied! You said you were going to tell me my destiny."
"No lies here. I told you. It's not my fault if you don't like it."
"You expect me to believe that? That I would ever marry a jerk like him?"
"I don't see why you're mad at me, my future lord. I gave you what you wished for, and, in exchange, you decided that we, the fates within the bloodline, should be your guides."
"I never agreed-"
"You think such things are free?" it growled, pressing its face just up against the light, but not quite touching it. The dragon's body coiled up behind it, it's maw open with black smoke rolling out from between its sharp teeth. "You run around, demanding your destiny, and whine when it's not what you wish. What, do you think you can write your path yourself? You? A small, insignificant-"
"Even if I can't I'd never let something like you guide me!"
"But you already have," it laughed, sending waves of black smoke to watsh over the moonlit barrier. "You pushed your tether to us."
Sokka stared back, stunned.
"No I...he made his choice. I didn't-"
It cackled, its head retreating into the smoke and disappearing. He could see through the plumes of swirling darkness and smoke fire lighting up all around him, like small storms. The moonlight flickered, and Sokka turned his head up, worried.
"You pushed him," insisted the blue dragon, "as Iwei and their silence pushed you to us. He wanted his destiny, his real destiny. And it's your fault, really. All these questions of "what do you want" really put his priorities into perspective."
"Stop it."
"You asked. It isn't our fault if you didn't listen."
His eyes widened as he realized they were right. He hadn't listened when Zuko had told him.
"What were you trying to accomplish, little human? Little non-bender. To rewrite destiny?"
He clutched the space above his chest, as if clutching his tether.
"You ignored him, you lied to him!"
"Stop it!"
"It is too late!" it roared out. "It cannot be stopped."
Within the fire storm, the raging orange light, he could see the silhouette of a figure standing not too far off. He stared at the familiar frame as it steadily walked towards him.
"But," started the voice, "it doesn't have to be unpleasant…" mused the blue dragon.
Sokka backed up half a step, cautious but curiosity kept his gaze locked on their movement. The smoke cleared and there stood the prince.
"Sokka," Zuko called, eyeing him with a look Sokka had never seen on his face. Interest, with a smile that bordered on sinister, his leveled gaze looking the other over. He was dressed as a prince, his hair pulled up and back, the golden flame ornament tucked into his top knot and giving a dangerous gleam in the moonlight.
"You're not him," said Sokka, shaking his head. "Come on, I'm not stupid!" he turned, calling into the smoke. "You can't use cheap tricks to fool me!"
"Sokka…" Zuko called, his hand gliding along the moonlit barrier as he circled him. "It is me. What can I do to convince you?"
"Oh trust me, if it was you, I'd be on the other side of that barrier, my fist in your face."
Zuko cackled, making Sokka burn with anger at the sound.
"Can you fight me?" Zuko asked, tilting his head in such a way that he seemed almost unhinged "I'd be interested to see that."
"We've fought before."
"And you've lost every time," he said, shaking his head. "You know, I always wondered what it was that made you believe in me? Always made you hold back, always let me get away? It's sweet."
"Knock it off!"
"You must really love me."
"I hate you!"
"Are you sure about that?" he asked, still walking, circling him, his golden eyes locked onto Sokka's until he was standing in front of him, where Sokka was closest to the barrier. "When I left did you cry? Did you weep your eyes out? Was your heart broken? Do your friends know it's your fault the Avatar was hurt-"
Forgetting himself, and without hesitation, Sokka cried out and ran at him. He swung, his fist caught, but he swung with his other fist, which was also caught in the image's iron-clad grasp. He stared fiercely at Zuko as he tried to push him back, but the other pushed him up, and against the barrier that he only just then realized he was on the other side of.
"Oh Sokka…" breathed Zuko, "when are you going to realize, you can't fight destiny?"
"I will never accept this destiny," he said, staring intensely up at him.
Zuko leaned in, whispering into Sokka's ear,
"Then I will drag you," said his voice, with the blue dragon's layered on top, "Kicking...and...screaming."
Smoke washed over Sokka, and suddenly he felt as though he were falling.
Sokka awoke with a start, turning to clutch his sword and turned back with it unsheathed, swiping at the air.
The others were still asleep. The surrounding area was dark.
He was awake, and alone.
He sighed, and sheathed the sword, quietly. He set it aside, andlay back, staring up at the sky, and the moon that hung ust somewhere above the tree tops and out of sight.
He'd foolishly run out of the moon light again. He'd allowed himself to be baited into losing his temper.
He pressed his palm into his eyes, inwardly cursing his foolishness.
In the darkness, he could see Zuko there.
He seethed.
He grieved.
He let out an irritated grunt and rolled over, shutting his eyes and resolving to sleep.
Zuko awove, shivering as if from fever. He fought to steady his breathing and looked around the dark room. He ran a hand through his sweat drenched hair, trying to discern what had disturbed him into waking up. His head felt heavy, he was exhausted, but filled with some strange anxiety that urged him to stay awake. He got up and went to the washroom, taking up a small vase he filled with bason and washed his face quickly.
As he whipped his face, he dragged the towel down his face and looked into the mirror. His reflection stared back at him in the darkness. He remembered when he'd had a terrible fever, back in the Earth Kingdom, remembered that one of the strange dreams he'd had back then. In his dream, he'd washed his face, removing the sweat that made his skin itch, only to pull the towel away to reveal the image of himself as the Avatar.
It was a fever dream. Meaningless.
It disturbed him, and though he couldn't place why, he knew he didn't want to think too hard about it. He turned his thoughts instead to what he'd been dreaming. He clutched the side of the bason, trying to remember. Images of smoke came to mind, the smallest trace of someone familiar. He clutched his head trying to remember something, anything.
He thought he could remember the moon.
He left the bathrooms dn went to his window, looking out and up. The waxing moonlight shone on the earth, but he could not see the heavenly body from where he stood. The moonlight, something about it was familiar. He reached out, allowing the light to play across his skin, studying it. He did remember something, he realized. He remembered an arctic waste. He remembered a Southern Water Tribe village, desolate and abandoned. He pulled his hand back from the moonlight, as if it were a cat about to swipe at him.
He had the strangest feeling he'd seen Iwei, but wouldn't he remember if he had?
He allowed his hand to glide back into the pale light, as if it were that which helped him to remember.
Strangely, memories were drawn back to him. Memories of Iwei, running alogn the surface of an arctic ocean. He remembered black snow. He remembered a terrible pain around his ankle,a dn the sensation of water filling his lungs.
He pondered, the quiet suddenly stifling.
Was Iwei trying to contact him?
Was Sokka in danger?
Was he in danger?
He drew his hand away, allowing it to rest on his chest as he turned these thoughts over. He wondered if any of this was real, or if it simply was his nerves. He couldn't distinguish between a real threat and a silly night mare, and it irritated him, made him feel like a child. He scoffed and turned back to the bed. Whatever that spirit wanted from him it wouldn't get, he thought, crawling under the sheets and laying down.
Still, he felt himself somehow vulnerable, like he were being watched, and not by Iwei. He shuddered and closed his eyes, resolving to sleep.
A.N. Well, there you have it. Thanks again for reading, and don't worry, something like this will not happen again. I've learned my lesson about rushing.