The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
A/N- I realize that some people don't like the part where Sokka accepts Prince Zuko because
1. He's a firebender and
2. He's, well, Prince Zuko.
But what other choice does he have? He's not going to make his sister feel even worse by not accpepting him. He loves her too much to hurt her feelings (besides, he feels awful because of the Zhao situation). SOKKA IS NOT ACCEPTING PRINCE ZUKO WITH OPEN ARMS, HE'S ACCEPTING HIM WITH AN OPEN MIND. He wants his sister happy and he will do anything to succeed...even if it means having the Prince of the Fire Nation as a brother-in-law.
After reaching the small island, Prince Zuko went into the small town to ask the villagers if they had seen a small Airbender boy. But as he kept on asking, he kept on getting the same response from every person…no. No one had seen a staff-carrying boy with a blue arrow tattooed on his head. No one had seen a white lemur or bison. No one had ever heard the name 'Aang' mentioned by any Water Tribe teenagers.
After searching the whole morning and a few hours after noon, Prince Zuko gave up. There was no use asking any more people, The Avatar…and Katara, were long gone by now.
"Water. Earth. Fire and…" Katara smiled. "Once again, I am victorious," she announced proudly as Aang lost their hand-clap game. "I'm telling you Aang, I own this game. You can not beat me." She crossed her arms and smiled defiantly at the young boy.
The Avatar growled. "One more time. I can win. I know I can," he challenged and rubbed his hands together.
"Forget it Aang, she's right. There is no way that you can beat her," Sokka said with a smile. He walked over to his pack and grabbed his boomerang.
"Where are you going?" Aang asked as he watch Sokka shine the weapon with the hem of his shirt.
"I'm going to go walk around for a little while. I need to think about things," he answered and began to walk towards the forest undergrowth.
"Well, don't think too hard or else you'll hurt yourself," Katara teased.
Aang began to laugh. "Good one Katara."
"Seriously though, be careful," she warned and waved goodbye.
Sokka made a small 'humph' sound and walked away from their campsite. It wasn't long after he left when he reached a small sandy beach. He walked along the shore and sighed as he glanced at the blue sea beside him. How was he going to tell Aang about Prince Zuko and Katara? Will Aang be hurt like Katara predicts he will be? Or will he understand? Sokka growled and threw his boomerang in frustration. What was he going to do?
Where are you? Prince Zuko thought glumly as he walked closer to his small Fire Navy ship. He had spent the entire day trying to find Katara (and the Avatar) and nothing. Not even a single clue as to their whereabouts. What a complete waste of time…and hope.
…Whoosh…
"What the…" He turned around sharply and gasped when he caught a glimpse of silver fly through the air. "A boomerang," he muttered with a smile. But not just any boomerang, it was that idiot's boomerang. Zuko began to run after the weapon, as soon as he saw it turn midair and head back its' owner. He hoped with all his might that it was Katara that threw it in a rage with her brother, but as he approached the end of the weapon's course, he was disappointed to see that it was not her, but Sokka. Either way, relatives count, and a giant wave of happiness filled him when he saw him sitting on the sand.
Sokka indolently turned his head to face whoever was approaching him. "Kata--," he began but stopped abruptly when he realized that it was not his sister but Prince Zuko. He quickly got to his feet and faced him with his boomerang in hand.
"I followed your weapon," Zuko said calmly, not knowing why he had explained himself to somebody who probably didn't care how he was found.
Sokka became angry with himself, I just had to throw it. "Oh," he answered and tightened his grip on the tool. "Why are you here?" the warrior asked, a little annoyed by the silence between them.
"Avatar business," Zuko answered and looked over at the ocean. "Seen him lately?" he asked stupidly. Of course he's seen him, you moron. Climb down that cloud you're on, and FOCUS!
Sokka looked at the Prince strangely. "No. I haven't," he replied sarcastically and looked at the silver boomerang in his hand. I won't be needing this, he thought and let it drop on the sand below him. He remembered the mental note that he had made the day before but decided that it wouldn't be the perfect time to say thanks, considering that this Prince was not on Earth at the moment. Instead, he snapped his fingers in Zuko's face. "Are you OK?" he asked. "You don't seem your mean-self today"
Prince Zuko stared at the well-crafted piece of metal that was on the sand, to think that if used properly, it could cause serious damage. Zuko lifted his gaze and looked straight at Sokka's light blue eyes uncertainly. Why did he drop it? Does he think I won't attack him? he wondered uneasily but those thoughts soon faded when he realized how much Sokka looked like his sister. He missed her so much. "How's Katara?" he asked randomly, completely forgetting where he was and who he was talking too.
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "She's fine, but why do you care?"
Prince Zuko was suddenly taken aback as he snapped back into reality, and realized that he had just asked about Katara's well-being. He straightened his posture and exchanged his blank expression for an angry one. "I don't," he answered sternly and mentally rebuked himself for being so damn stupid.
"You don't?" Sokka asked incredulously. "So even if I told you that I was lying, that she really isn't fine. That she seems sad most of the time. That every couple of minutes she looks over her shoulder, thinking that someone is there…watching her. That whenever Aang grabs her from behind she freaks out. That last night, I heard her crying. Tell me, Prince Zuko, would you still not care?"
Prince Zuko's pulse quickened with worry. Was Katara that unhappy? She wasn't miserable when she was with me, he thought. He looked at Sokka with disgust, he's suppose to take good care of her. He is her brother for heaven's sake. She is his flesh and blood!
"Well?" Sokka asked, realizing that Zuko had taken too long in answering such a simple question. "Do you care or not?" He crossed his arms and waited for the Prince to answer. Don't lie to me…
Of course I care. I love her! he screamed inside his head. But I can't tell you. I can't tell you that I love your sister, or else you'll try to murder me. I can't even tell you that I care about her. Zuko shook his head guiltily. He felt so awful. He knew that lying was wrong, but there was no way that he was going to confess to some peasant that he had fallen in love with his sister.
"I see," the warrior said calmly. "I see clearly now. You prefer your pride over my sister. That's so sad. So very sad." He picked up his boomerang and placed it in its' case, behind his back. "I actually thought, you were going to tell me the truth. But I was wrong. Let me tell you something, Prince Zuko, just because you deny the love you have for my sister, doesn't make you look like a strong man. It makes you weak. For only the weak…lie."
"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked nervously. "What makes you think that I love Katara?"
Sokka smiled at Zuko's uneasiness. "Katara and I ran into Admiral Zhao yesterday in the village. It was a nasty encounter. He was verbally harassing her and well…it got to the point where he left happily. Anyways, last night…I spoke to Katara, and she told me what happened with him. How he had tried to rape her twice, but you came just in time to save her." He paused for a moment to reflect back on everything that his sister had said. "That wasn't the only thing she told me, but I don't think I need to remind you of what happened on your own ship."
"Just because I helped her out of her situation, doesn't mean I love her."
"And yet, you continue to deny it. Do you enjoy lying? Is it your hobby?" Sokka asked.
"Why are you so stuck on me loving your sister?"
"The real question is…why are you so stuck on denying it? What do you have to lose?" He was losing his patience. Prince Zuko wasn't helping him with anything. Is he that stubborn? Hurry up and admit it. I don't have all day!
Zuko sighed in frustration. This foolish boy was getting on his nerves. "Get out of my way, I need to find the Avatar." He shoved Sokka to the side and walked past him.
Sokka regained his posture and turned around. "I know about things," he yelled after him and smiled when Zuko stopped in his tracks.
The exiled teenager turned around, anger swelling inside him. "Stop talking half way. Tell me what you know," he demanded and began walking back towards Katara's brother. "I don't have time for your stupid riddles."
"I know lots of things. What exactly do you want to know?" Sokka asked smugly.
Prince Zuko growled and sent a ball of fire towards the water. He grabbed Sokka by the shirt and pulled him closer. He furrowed his brow and looked straight into the boy's eyes. They held no fear. The warrior was obviously trained well, but that did not stop Zuko from holding back. "I'm only going to ask you this once. What makes you so sure that I love Katara?"
Sokka began to laugh. "You of all people should know. …And let go of me." He pushed Prince Zuko away and dusted imaginary filth away from himself. "Think back to every single moment you spent with my sister. Every moment, whether she was awake…or asleep." That should help him.
Zuko's heart skipped a beat when Sokka mentioned the word 'asleep'. He's bluffing. He doesn't really know, he thought anxiously. He can't know.
As though reading his mind, Sokka nodded. "That's right Prince Zuko, I know. I know that you walked into Katara's room and told her that you cared about her. I know that you wish that she'll marry you, and that you'd even try to get along with me." He lowered his voice down to a whisper and continued, "I know that you told her that you love her." He crossed his arms and looked at Prince Zuko disappointedly. "I was hoping that you would admit it to me, but I see that pride clouds your vision much. Try to work on that. It won't help you in life (at least that's what my father says)."
"How…what…who…ugh," Zuko said and placed his hand on his head. How does he know that? Was he there? Is that how he rescued her? Did he hide in her room and wait the whole night? he asked himself. He was so confused…then it dawned on him. "Katara," he muttered. "She was awake, wasn't she?" He took his hand off his head and looked at Sokka angrily. Not because he was angry at him, but because he was angry at Katara. As soon as he observed the first sign of a nod, Zuko sent a fiery punch towards the sea. "So this is how she plays, huh? That dirty wench. I tell her that I love her and this is what she does to me? She goes off and tells her stupid brother so he can mock me. No! No--"
"Stop!" Sokka yelled. "First of all, I'm not stupid. Secondly, my sister is not a dirty wench. Thirdly--"
"Haha. Save it! Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Yes," Sokka answered immediately, interrupting Zuko's rant. "I think you are extremely stupid, but that's besides the point. I'm not mocking you, if that's what you're thinking. I'm facing you like a man, and asking you face-to-face if you love my sister. You are the one lying to me. You are taking this way out of prospective. Listen to me, and listen to me close--"
"No! I don't want to listen to you. I don't want to listen to anybody! Just leave me alone. Alone!" he yelled and sat down on the sand. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "She wasn't suppose to know," he whispered hopelessly. "You weren't suppose to know."
Sokka sighed and took a seat beside him. He looked out at the blue ocean. "How do you expect to live a happy life if you hide how you feel?"
"I tried to tell people how I felt a long time ago. You know where it got me? It got me banished. It got me this scar. I don't feel very happy," he said scornfully.
Suddenly Sokka felt a fleeting stab of sympathy for Prince Zuko, but that soon went away when he realized that he was his enemy. And enemies don't have pity for one another, no matter what the consequences are. "This is different. Katara isn't going to give you a scar, and she can't banish you from anything or anyone."
There was moment of silence before Zuko decided to speak again. He was deciding on what to say next, it seemed to him that Sokka had answers to everything. "Why didn't she say anything?"
"I couldn't really tell you why, you'll have to ask her that question. My guess is that she was afraid," he concluded, a little upset that he hadn't asked that question to his own sister. It must've just slipped his mind.
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Zuko asked a little perplexed by that answer.
"I don't know. But, I don't want you to think that she told me what you said, so we could make fun of you. She told me, because I asked her about something and that led into the answer of what I had asked her," Sokka said and sighed. That was confusing.
"What did you ask her?"
He hesitated. By answering that question he would be risking the trust that his sister had in him. But things needed to be sacrificed, his sister needed to be happy, and she would understand a little slip of the mouth. "I asked her if you knew that she loved you too," he answered softly and turned his head, ready to watch Zuko's reaction. He held his breath and waited patiently for the Prince to say something.
Prince Zuko froze. The beat of his heart began to get faster and he felt his windpipe get smaller. Breathing was now a chore. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. His brain was still trying to swallow the information it had just received. Then, without even thinking, he opened his mouth and one single raspy word escaped: "What?"
Sokka pulled his knees up to his chest and let out said breath. He looked at the ocean and smiled at the waves. They seemed to want to reach him, but just as they were about to make it, they gave up and went back into the sea. "Did you not hear me?" he asked.
Zuko's heart beat soon returned to it's normal beat and his breathing was now an involuntarily action. Good, his brain had accepted the words that Sokka had said. He looked over at the sad-looking boy beside him and frowned. "I heard you but I can't believe it."
The warrior didn't say anything, instead he just closed his eyes. Everything had just hit him like a ton of bricks. …Prince Zuko and Katara loved each other… What was going to happen now? Was she going to desert him and run off with Prince Zuko? It all seemed like a dream yesterday, but now it was pure reality.
"You don't seem very happy about it."
Sokka growled and stood up. "Of course I'm not happy about it! How am I suppose to be happy about my innocent little sister falling in love with an evil Prince, who's been chasing us for the past couple of months?"
"Listen buddy," Zuko started and got to his feet, "I'm not evil. If I was, I wouldn't have the ability to fall in love."
"Fine! You aren't evil, but I still don't want my sister to be with you! You're a Prince and she's a--"
"Peasant?" he finished calmly. "So what else is new?"
"Royalty and peasants don't mix. Princes marry Princesses or noblewomen. Then they become Lords and Ladies. My sister can't be a Lady, she's a poor waterbender!"
"Whoa! You are stepping too far ahead. Marriage? Who says-- " He stopped talking when Sokka crossed his arms. "I'm really confused right now."
"Why are you so confused?"
He put his hand over his eyes in complete confusion. "You're talking about marriage now."
"Well, yes. Don't you want to marry her?"
"I do, but…" he lowered his hand and smiled at Sokka, "I didn't know that you were OK with it."
"If I wasn't OK with it, I would have attacked you a while ago. If I wasn't OK with it, I wouldn't have given my sister permission last night. If I wasn't OK with it, you wouldn't found me out here because I wouldn't have been thinking about how to tell Aang that you two love each other."
Prince Zuko crossed his arms and looked at Sokka questionably. "So, you are OK with Katara marrying me, but you aren't happy about it?"
"Correct."
"You realize that even though your sister would be my wife…I wouldn't stop chasing the Avatar, right?"
"That could change with a little nagging," Sokka said complacently.
Zuko smiled at the boy. "I don't think so. You also realize that you wouldn't be able to see your sister, right? …At least until this war is over."
"We could arrange something," Sokka answered quickly. He noticed Zuko think for a minute and smiled when he saw a soft nod. "Do you realize that if you marry my sister, you and I will have to try to get along?"
The Prince nodded with extreme difficult and extended his hand. "Let's start with a hand shake," he suggested and half-smiled.
Sokka shook his hand uneasily. "Lets make this official," he declared and let go of his hand. "Will you take my sister's hand in marriage and swear to take care of her, to the best of your abilities? And by best, I mean, protect her more than your own life," he said, seriousness lingering on every word.
He nodded. "More than my own life," he said and smiled.
"Don't get all smiley about it," Sokka said, making Zuko's grin fade. "I still need to talk to Aang and you still have to propose to Katara."
Zuko swallowed hard and looked at the Warrior nervously. "Pr--Propose?" he asked, a hint of unease in his voice.
"Yes…tonight, after I talk to Aang."
A/N- So far, this has been the most difficult chapter to write. Why, you may ask? Because I had to keep Sokka and Prince Zuko in their characters and it's so hard because of the topic that they're discussing. Marriage. Ugh…I have to admit that Zuko was out of character in parts, but you'll just have to excuse him (and me). I was going to put some more Katara in this chapter but I didn't know what she could've done that actually would have seemed interesting.
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Have you noticed that Trix commercials promote stealing? I have.
Commercial- Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids.
Me- Just give him the damn cereal! -throws a box of Trix at television- Stupid kids.
That was so random, but I hate that company. Why? They are so effen' annoying.
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