Two and a half weeks later…
Zuko's ankle had healed, but he had to get used to walking again. So what did Sokka do?
Prod the poor Fire Prince with his boomerang whenever he stopped.
About four hours of that while walking (Appa was a dead giveaway. The others had agreed that they'd fly him every three days), Zuko turned around and snatched the boomerang from Sokka.
"Hey! Gimme that!" Zuko shook his head.
"You're lucky I haven't fried you yet, you stupid peasant. Anyone else would have," Zuko threatened. Sokka imitated someone talking with his hand and tried to snatch the boomerang from Zuko; the Fire Prince held out of his reach. "I don't think so."
Aang, who had been watching, rolled his eyes. He walked over to Zuko and swiped the boomerang. "I'll take this," he said and put it in his pack. "Saves a fight later."
"Thank you! Scarface and Snoozles were starting to annoy me," Toph said, still walking. Katara giggled and went on as well. Aang followed her, Zuko coming shortly after. Sokka was left standing there with a stupid look on his face for a few seconds, then he hurried after them.
How did that blind brat know he had a scar? She couldn't see! Someone must have described him to her. And the next time she called him "Scarface",…Zuko shook his head. He had to learn to keep his temper in check. That was what had alerted Azula to Iroh and him.
"Zuko? Did you even hear me?" Zuko blinked. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Katara speaking. "I asked if you thought this was a good spot for camp."
"Why ask him? He's the enemy for cryin' out loud!" Sokka said. Katara glared at her older brother then turned back to Zuko.
He looked around. They were in a small grove, more like an oasis, with a small pond of water. He shrugged. "It seems fine to me."
"See? He doesn't even care!" Katara turned to her brother.
"Sokka, I love you to death, I really do. But could you do me a huge favor, and just shut up? I really don't want to tick Zuko off right now," she added in a whisper. Sokka rolled his eyes but nodded and shut his mouth.
Everyone threw down the packs they had been carrying and Aang collapsed. "Wake me up when it's time for Earthbending practice," he moaned. "Walking stinks."
"You've said that before, Aang," Katara reminded him as she looked around for firewood. "Consider it exercise."
"Exercise stinks."
"What do you call Earthbending, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked. "Dancing?"
"Yes." Toph turned to Katara, and the two girls started laughing.
"Aang, do you even know what dancing is?" Katara asked. Aang sat up, indignant.
"Yes!" Toph grinned.
"A better question, Katara, is does he know how to dance," she said tauntingly.
"I'm a monk! I'm the Avatar! Dancing isn't really high on my list of really important things to learn!" Aang exclaimed. Toph and Katara continued to laugh uproariously. Aang rolled his eyes and turned to Sokka.
"Are all girls like this?" Sokka shrugged; Zuko surprised them both by answering.
"At their age, yes." Sokka gaped at him.
"How the heck would you know this?" he asked, awed. Zuko gave Sokka a cold look.
"I have…a sister," he said. "She and her friends took they're pleasure from aggravating me." Still do, he thought bitterly. Sokka shrugged and turned to where his sister and Toph were standing.
"Am I going to have to raid the supplies for dinner?" he asked. Katara rolled her eyes and finished getting the firewood.
"Zuko, could you…?" She motioned to the firewood. Zuko didn't respond, just sent a small blast of fire at the wood. "Thanks." Katara smiled at him, but Zuko merely shrugged and walked off.
"Where's Scarface off to?" Toph asked.
"Probably sulking somewhere," Sokka replied, rolling his eyes.
"Sokka, will you please stop? You keep talking about Zuko like that and I'll be minus one brother in a few days," Katara said as she began to prepare dinner.
"Why do you keep doing that, sis?"
"Doing what?"
"Speaking out for Zuko! For the love of Yue, he tied you to a tree and nearly killed Aang!" Sokka started waving his arms and pacing.
"Sokka, there's no proof that he almost killed at any point in time, and you know it. I speak out because I really don't see the point in driving him nuts," Katara said.
"He's already gone loony," Toph muttered to Sokka. Sokka nodded.
"Anyway, maybe once you stop aggravating him he'll help Aang with Firebending!" Katara added, a little bit louder than before. She had heard that last remark.
"And I have a funny feeling Zuko's gonna be with us for a lot longer than you think, Sokka, so might as well be somewhat pleasant," Aang put in. Sokka groaned. "I'm not saying you have to be best friends with the guy! I'm just saying stop annoying him."
"But I'm bored!"
"So am I! So is Aang!" Katara cried. "Toph's probably bored from all this traveling and running as well. You don't see us aggravating you, huh?"
"Actually…"
"Sokka, just stop it, okay? I don't think Zuko is all that bad, to tell the truth."
Zuko had been behind a few trees, listening to the conversation. He had no idea, earthly or otherwise, why the girl was telling her brother to knock it off. "I don't think Zuko is all that bad, to tell the truth." Where had that come from?
In all actuality, Zuko was, dare he say it, happy that someone didn't think he was totally evil, even if it was the Waterbender. He shook his head and sat down, intent on meditating.
It was about an hour later that Zuko stood and reentered the campsite. "Oh, there you are Zuko," Katara said when she noticed him. "I'm almost done with dinner." Zuko nodded and sat down on a nearby log.
Suddenly, Zuko was thrown forward by a flying rock hitting his back. Katara stopped what she was doing and kneeled by Zuko. "Oh, are you okay?"
"Other being rendered momentarily breathless," Zuko gasped as he attempted to sit up again, "and a sore back, I'm fine." He looked up and met Katara clear blue eyes. They locked gazes for at least a minute.
"Sorry!" Aang's cry snapped the two teenaged benders out of…whatever. "I, um, missed."
Katara rolled her eyes and helped Zuko up. "I guess I should warn you; Aang gets overzealous and can lose control of whatever he's bending. I can't count the times he drenched Sokka when I was teaching him Waterbending. Though it was on purpose every once in a while."
"Yeah, well, he'd best learn to stay focused if he's ever going to learn Firebending," Zuko muttered. "I'm not saying I'll teach him, but someone's going to have to sooner or later." And it'll probably end up being me, anyway, he added mentally.
Okay, school starts in week for me, so my updates (which are already coming slower than I'd like) will be a little slower. (Is high school really that hard?)