GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN DAY
DAY 12
The constant knock on the door woke her.
Azula covered her head with the pillow trying to ignore the knocking. She had just gone to sleep, for crying out loud! But the knocking kept going.
She grunted, opening one eye, and looking through the window. It wasn't even dawn, yet! She covered her face with an arm thwart.
"What?!" she snarled. She was going to kill whoever servant was disturbing her this early. "What?" she repeated sitting on the bed, no answer, "Agr! Come in."
This better be a life or death matter, she cursed.
The door cracked open and a head peeks thru.
"Did I wake you?" Sokka asked when he walked in.
Azula rubbed her eyes, "Sokka? What are you doing up so early?"
She asked curiously, after exchanging more kisses here and there, and after explaining the whole mask situation, they had gone to bed really late; if she was not mistaken only a couple of hours before.
She could still fill his lips pressed on hers, and the adrenaline of the moment. It had been something intoxicating, and something she knew will be needing more of it. More of his lips, his touch, his scent, all of him.
Sokka scratched the back of his neck, blushing, "I-It's just… after what happened I couldn't sleep." he admitted.
After parting ways all he could do was to wish to see her again, to touch her, to feel her, to kiss her. His mind had been so busy replaying their kiss that it had been impossible for him to fall sleep.
Azula dropped herself on the pillows smiling but covered her face with her arm again, so he wouldn't be available to see her blush, "And may I inquire, why did you think it was a good idea to wake me?" she asked, "Couldn't you just suffer alone? I was having a pretty good night of sleep."
She felt flattered about the fact that he was still so shaken about their interchange that he hadn't been able to fall asleep, but also a little annoy to haven been woken so early, overall with just having had a couple of hours of rest.
"Sorry," he apologized, "Should I just leave then?"
She huffed, "No. Now there is no way I would be available to go back to sleep. Thank you very much," she complained, "But, can I ask you something?" she looked at him, sitting on the bed.
"Yeah," Sokka nodded, taking sit at the end of the bed.
"Did you had to wake me before dawn?" she whined, "Couldn't you just wait a little bit?" she ran a hand through her hair, she had been way too exhausted to put it in her usual ponytail before bed.
"Sorry, it's just… I wanted to see you," he admitted, blushing deeply.
Azula shook her head, amused, she reached for him and pulled him closer, right next to her. "You are unbelievable," she smiled holding his hand, "But shouldn't you be getting ready for your training with Piandao?"
Sokka denied with his head, "I told him yesterday what I was planning to do, and he proposed to let me -one exception, one time only- cancel today's training so we could…"
"We could, what?" she asked prying.
He caressed her knuckles before placing a kiss on it, "We could have a date."
"A date?" she quirked a brow
Sokka nodded, "I wanted us to do something."
"Don't we do that every day?" she asked confused.
"Yes, but this time, it will be different," he stated, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Azula had come to realize she loved that gesture of him.
"How?" she quirked an eyebrow, maybe she was still too sleep that she couldn't quite understand what he was trying to propose.
"Because I will get to kiss you."
Azula felt the red rush to her face, she bit her lower lip trying to contain a smile. "Okay," she muttered, "Let's go on a date."
"Okay," he muttered and his eyes widened, "O-Okay?"
In all honesty, Sokka had thought she would refuse, and that he would have to insist even more, but that will give him some time to think about something he wanted them to do, right now, he had nothing in mind.
The Princess nodded, and shrugged, "Yeah, what are we going to do?"
"W-Well, we could… w-we could.."
Azula frowned, "Wait, you have nothing planned to do?" she inquired, amused.
Sokka scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Being honest, I thought you will say no, and I would have to convince you." he admitted.
"And have time to think about what to do, right?" his intentions were crystal clear to her.
She had figured it out, his plan, all of it. How could she read him so well? She was truly amazing, it's like if she could read his mind.
"Yeah… You know me so well…" he smiled, "So… Want to go for a walk?" he proposed.
"Okay."
"And tomorrow during the festival I want you to try this thing that is call chapssal, which is a small but tasty dessert, and then the next day we can…" he stopped, when he realized the way she was looking at him, "What?"
"Nothing... Let's do all that," said Azula, with a soft smile, before leaning in and giving him a kick kiss on the lips, "Good morning."
Sokka caressed her cheek again with a smile. "Good morning." He whispered before leaning in and kissing her again.
After a short make-out session, Azula had to force him to get out, so she could get change so they could head to whatever Sokka hadn't planned for their "date".
She looked at herself in the mirror, even though at the lack of sleep, she looked radiant; she was happy; she was fully truly happy.
All those silly feelings she had had the day before, were gone like if they had never been there in the first place. Now, everything seemed so silly.
Twelve days ago, she had told herself, this was going to be the worst month of her life, but it turned out to be the best one, so far. She snickered at the memory of the day at the welcoming feast;
`Spirits bless, the poor naive girl that ends up with you´
`Spirits bless, the poor bastard that ends up with you´ they had screamed at each other, and now, she was the naive girl, and he was the poor bastard that were head over heels for each other.
That gods damn day of them being trap in the Library, turned out to be the day that gave them a chance to get each other. Maybe if they hadn't been a trap, there they would have never found out they had much more things in common than they thought, and also things that made them so different, `It's not trying to find your other half, It's more like, two whole people that complement each other.´
Her brush slipping through her fingers brought her back to reality.
Yes, she liked him. Yes, he had feelings for her, and vice versa, but she had to remember herself, it was not forever, this, them together... It was only temporary.
At some point, their time would be up and he would have to return to the south, to move on from her; maybe find a girl and get married, as well as she would have to find a nice, nobleman with decent looks and brain to wed.
But now, she was willing to enjoy it, to be happy, to create the memory, she would later care about the future. Right now, she was going to enjoy it, make the most of it, and worry about their imminent future later, because in the end, she knew, she would have to let him go, she would have to let Sokka go…
She would have plenty of time to worry about a broken heart, later.
"I was thinking," said Azula, closing the door of her room, now fully ready, "There is something I want to show you, something you will enjoy."
"What?"
"You will see," she said, amused, pulling him by the wrist. "It's a surprise."
…
"Careful," said the Princess, as she walked on the roof again.
"What are we doing here?" Sokka asked curiously.
They were back on the same roof where they had spent the Moon Festival.
"Just wait and look. The sun is rising" they both stood quietly next to each other, looking at the horizon, "Now, close your eyes," she told him.
Sokka quirked a brow, "Are you going to push me off the roof?" he teased.
Azula rolled her eyes, "You just discovered my evil plan, damn…" she said sarcastically, "Close them." she repeated.
"Why?" he was really curious about why she had brought him there.
"Do you trust me?" it was all she had to ask before he closed his eyes, of course, he trusted her. "Opened them when I tell you," The sky was changing his color, getting lighter as the sun raised by every passing second. "Now."
Sokka did as told, and it took him a second to be available to difference the figure in the sky, it was a line that it was turning bigger and bigger, and then, a ton of other lines appeared, and they keep coming closer and closer until he was capable of seeing them clearly.
Dragons.
The dragons were flying back to the Fire Nation, in every direction. Dragons of every color, green, yellow, red, black, and different sizes. One of them even flew really close to the roofs of the Palace.
"Oh my gods!" Sokka exclaimed, overjoyed like a little child.
She laughed at his reaction; she knew he would like it.
The next day of the summer solstice, seeing the dragons flew back was quite a show. She used to love seeing it when she was younger.
Sokka surrounded her by the shoulders and placed a kiss on the top of her head, as he continued to watch the dragons flew. "It's amazing," he exclaimed.
They stood there for a while, watching the sky until the very last dragon disappeared.
...
After seeing the dragons, Azula remembered the fact that now, she had her own little dragon.
"Your parents gave you a dragon?" Sokka asked as they walked towards the sanctuary.
"Yeah. Every royal member who is also a fire bender, gets a dragon when they turn 21, it's tradition," she explained.
"And I was thinking about getting you a hairpin," he teased, "You guys take to another level the gift-giving thing."
"Shut up. It's not like I get a dragon every year," said Azula, "It's an only in a lifetime thing, and it's a bond for the rest of my life."
"So, technically if your dragon hates me, I'm screwed?" he asked warily.
Azula made a grin, "Pretty much." she nodded.
"It's a joke, right?" Sokka asked, hoping it was.
"If it makes you feel better...Sure." said the Princess walking inside the sanctuary, while Sokka held the door for her. "And just for the record… I would have liked the hairpin, even if it had been ugly."
A roar welcomed them.
Sokka smiled, joyous, "Good thing I'm good with the animals, right Appa?" he said patting the head of the huge bison, -the Avatar flying bison- who roared again. "Azula meet Appa, Appa meet Azula." he introduced them, "Isn't she gorgeous buddy?" he asked the bison which roared in response.
"He is huge and hairy…." said Azula, taking a step closer towards the beast but before she could get closer to the bison, this one took out his tongue, and licked Sokka from head to toe.
"Ugh!..." he complained, "Appa!" he whined and the animal response was another roar.
The Princess made a grin of disgust, "So, either he likes you or he thinks you are delicious." she said.
"He likes me," he stated, "As the air nomads, they are vegetarian. So, he likes me," he said, "Right, buddy?" of course the animal didn't answer.
A different roar from the bison's one made them turn their heads.
"Hey, Seiryū," she greeted the yellow, sleepy dragon, who exhaled smoke from his nose. "By any chance have you seen Ao?" the dragon made a nod with his head and two small dragons, one blue and one red came out from his back.
They were having a brief fight, but for the looks of it, Ao was winning, biting one of Druk wings.
The yellow dragon roared again, and the two little ones stopped their brief fight.
"So, this is your father's dragon?" Sokka asked amazed, approaching rapidly, ready to pet the dragon's head.
"Sokka, wait…" Azula turned quickly before Sokka was too close to Seiryū, but the dragon quickly raised his head, in a defensive matter.
"A-Azula…" muttered Sokka, when he saw the way the dragon was watching him like he was the enemy. "W-What is happening? Why is he looking at me like… like he wants to singe me?"
"Adult dragons tend to be really distrustful with humans they don't know. You have to approach them very wary." said the Princess.
"O-Okay, so...What do I do? What do I do?" he asked frozen in his place. The dragon exhaled smoke from his nose again. The dragon was looking at him with dangerous, deadly eyes. He hadn't thought this thru.
"First calm down, they can smell fear."
"I-I'm not afraid," he lied, his voice sounding a little squishy. "I-I'm totally cool."
"You are terrified," Azula stated, "Even, I can smell your fear!"
"Not helping!" he squealed.
"Sorry," she said as Seiryū lowered his face to look at Sokka more closely, "He is going to take a look at your soul and evaluated if you are trustworthy. If he thinks you are, you will be fine."
"And if he doesn't?" Sokka inquired, getting really worried about the fact that the dragon could burn him in a blink.
"He will… Well, we would get to that, if that happens," she said trying to sound confident.
"Azula!" Sokka squealed, trying to not make any sudden movements, as the eyes of the dragon were looking at him vividly. He gulped.
"He, more likely will… eat you."
"W-What?!" Sokka yelled.
Seiryū looked at him warily and growled.
"Nice dragon, nice enormous dragon, who could eat me at any moment," Sokka muttered.
The dragon roared, opening his mouth and showing some of his teeth.
Sokka closed his eyes instantly.
But the dragon didn't eat him. Instead, just like Appa had done previously, he licked him from head to toe.
"Urg!..." Sokka widened his eyes, when he realized he was alive, and felt on the floor, his legs still shaking, "Phew!... I was never afraid." he lied.
Azula chuckled, "Oh please, you were terrified." she mocked.
"Of course, not. I knew he wasn't going to eat me," he bragged, brushing his clothes as he stood up.
The Princess raised an eyebrow and glanced at Seiryū. "He was terrified," she said to the dragon, "You almost peed yourself." she mocked, and the yellow dragon nodded.
"I was calm all the time." Sokka pouted, crossing his arms.
Azula rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure." she petted the yellow dragon head, "Also, did you bath in syrup or something? Why does every animal want to lick you?" she asked, when Ao landed on her shoulder, she petted him too.
"No clue," he admitted, shrugging, "So, this is Ao." he said looking at the small dragon, "Huh, they don't look as scary, when they are this size," he muttered, caressing the dragon who roared.
One second later, Ao sneezed and settled his sleeve on fire.
Sokka squealed again, shaking his hand to try to extinguish the fire. Azula rolled her eyes, snickering, and with a flick of her hand, the flames were gone.
"You know, I take that back." Sokka uttered, "No matter the size, you still equally scary."
…
Azula had forced Sokka to take a bath after the constant licking he had received, complaining, and treating him that she wasn't going to let him be around her if he didn't bath.
He had acceded under the condition that she was going to wait for him in his room while he bathed. She agreed to do so.
His room was a little messy. He had stuff all over. It surprised her he could even find anything in the mess.
But there were two things that got most of her attention as she wandered around. In his desk he had a ton of schematics, or at least what it looked like schematics… his drawing skills were, for a lack of a better word, awful.
Moving a few scrolls aside, she found a little notebook which she knew she should respect his privacy, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help it and flipped through the pages of it.
"Do you think the breakfast would be…" Sokka asked as he walked out of the bathroom, but he froze in place when he saw what she was holding.
He had totally forgotten to put it away.
Azula smirked, looking at the pages, "I didn't know you like to write." she said.
"I-I don't."
She read one page, she smirked, "Correction, I didn't know you like to write poetry...Oh my, my, haikus?" she quirked an eyebrow.
"Azula. Don't!" he said in a serious tone, trying to get close, but she managed to move away.
She smirked mischievously, "Let's see."
"Azula," Sokka again tried to reach her, but she moved to the opposite side. "Please, don't. It's embarrassing," he begged.
"Now, I want to read all of them," she said sitting in the bed, Sokka facepalmed, the wrong choice of words. "Oh, come on, just one," she insisted, snickering, "Here is one; Your eyes are fire, Their image burnt into my soul, Scarred by…"
Sokka had technically tackled her into the bed to make her stop reading.
She squealed amused, as he got on top of her, trying to get his hands on the notebook. Azula laughed, as he was having a hard time trying to get it.
"You are evil, you know that?" said Sokka, dropping himself defeated, next to her in the mattress.
"I know. That keeps me awake at night," the Princess snickered, before returning him the poems, "They are good. Well, the ones I got to read," she said, "For how long as you been writing about me?" she asked, brushing one of his wet hair locks of his face.
Sokka eyes widened, "H-How did you….? How did you know?" he asked blushed, were they that obvious?
"The `your eyes are fire´ part says it all." said Azula, giving him a little peek in the lips, before sitting on the mattress, "Subtlety, it's not your thing." she mocked.
Sokka rolled his eyes, and before she could stand up, he surrounded her waist and pulled her back into the mattress.
The Princess chuckled again, "Sokka, stop! Your hair is wetting my clothes," she complained, "You remind me like a wet wolf, right now," she mocked, and a second later Sokka was shaking his head, vigorously. "No!" she squealed amused.
…
"You know, you should feel special," she said while Sokka pushed her in the swing.
They had gone for a walk before the festival, and they had come across with the tree with the swing again.
"Is that so?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I used to come here with Lu Ten before he would leave in his military trips." Azula explained, "And I have brought no one here."
"Really?"
Azula nodded, "You are the first guy I bring here," she said
"Why?" Sokka asked, now positioning himself in front of the swing.
Azula shrugged, "No reason."
"Come on, tell me," he begged, making puppy eyes.
"That's the worst puppy eyes I have ever seen." she mocked.
Sokka rolled his eyes, "Tsk! Tell me!" he insisted.
"You are the most querulous person I have ever meet."
"Maybe, but you still like me like that," he smirked, leaning a little to steal her a kiss. "It's my natural charm," he said before stealing another kiss before when the swing returned.
"Natural charm my ass," she replied, "You are just like Ty Lee."
"How come?"
"You two flirt with everything that moves," Azula said, "You are a womanizer, admit it!"
"I'm not!" Sokka denied frowning.
"You are."
"Na ha." he held the swing steady, and he stared at her right in the eyes, "But if I was a womanizer - which I'm not- you would totally be a stealer."
"Why?" she quirked a brow.
"Because you totally stole my heart," he said before kissing her on the nose and letting the swing move.
"Y-You… you…" she huffed blushing, "Damn you!" she muttered making Sokka chuckled, "Don't try to change the subject!"
"I'm not. But I'm not or was a womanizer."
"Fine," said Azula, "Then answer me this…"
"Shoot."
"How many girls you dated before me?" It was not that she was jealous or insecure, she was just genuinely curious.
Sokka's eyebrows twitched, "I-I..." he was speechless. Maybe he hasn't realized that he had dated a few girls.
"Did you date many girls, didn't you?" she narrowed her eyes.
He pouted, "W-Why girls always ask that? If I say yes you will get mad, if I say no you are not going to believe me." he pouted.
"I rest my case," Azula said cockily.
"Come here, smartypants," he says before picking her from the waist and raising her from the floor. They both snickered. "Gods. You are gorgeous," he said, brushing one of her bangs away from her face and tucking it behind her ear before kissing her.
…
They returned to the Palace shortly after the ceremony ended it, deciding to skip the rest festival when Azula saw Sokka nod asleep a couple of times during this one, remembering that he didn't have any of sleep the night before.
"Sorry, for having to reschedule our date night." he apologized as they walked in the hallways of the Palace.
"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who suggested," Azula said, "You are obviously tired and I could also use a little bit of extra sleep, being honest."
"So, you are not mad?" he asked.
Azula denied with her head, "No. I'm just mad because you are an idiot and stayed awake all night last night."
"I told you I couldn't sleep because…" he blushed
"You kept remembering how you were kissed by the most beautiful girl you have ever seen." she teased.
"Damn right!" he smiled surrounding from behind by the shoulders and placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Tomorrow is a water tribe festival, let's go grab something before the lanterns." he proposed.
"I don't know," she made a grin, "The food from the tribes is so weird."
"Oh, come on, you liked taiyaki and everything else I have made you taste," he looked over her shoulder. "Come on," he kissed her on the cheek, "Please…" and again he kissed her, "Say yes,"
The Princess chuckled, "Sokka, stop! It tickles" she whined amassed, but instead of stopping he placed more kisses faster.
"I would stop if you agree," he said placing kisses on one cheek and then doing the same in the other.
"Fine, fine you win." she agreed snickering.
Neither of them heard the footsteps approaching, they only noticed they weren't alone anymore when someone cleared his throat.
"What?" Azula raised an eyebrow. There was no answer, "What Zuko?"
"N-Nothing is just... Is this what I think it is?" he asked, and his eyes studied the way Sokka was holding his sister, "It is isn't?"
"Leave them alone," Suki scolded him, "But yes, I also saw that too."
Azula sighed and rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she said before tiptoeing and kissing Sokka in the cheek, "Good night."
"Good night," he said doing the same, not pleased either with the idea of kissing in front of Zuko and Suki before Azula headed towards her room.
"Good night," Zuko said, but he didn't get a reply, then he glanced towards Sokka who already was trying to sneak out. "Sokka!" he called him in a stern tone.
"Y-Yeah?"
"You are not going to give him `the overprotective older brother speech´ aren't you?" Suki asked, quirking a brow.
The Prince huffed, "Noo…" he crossed his arms, "I was just going to say, you hurt her… I kill you…"
"Zuko" Suki scolded him.
Sokka breathed out relieved, for a moment he had thought Zuko was going to tell him to stay away from her or something horrible like that. "Buddy, don't worry, I'm sure she would do it."
OCEAN SOULS
DAY 13
Sokka felt like almost if his heart was about to come out of his chest, he could feel the sweat running down his back, and his gasps filled the Library.
In a weird turn of events, one thing had taken them to the other one. The atmosphere temperature around them had raised fast.
"Faster," The Princess said in a mix of beg and command, "Sokka, faster." she repeated and Sokka groaned, "For how you bragged earlier I thought you would have more stamina," she mocked feeling the muscles of his back tense even more, "After all, you proposed this couple activity." she reminded him.
"I have plenty of stamina," Sokka replied between gasps.
"Then, prove it," Azula replied, "Faster."
Sokka speeded up his movements between groans, "I will prove it," he snarled under his breath, "When I proposed you to do a couple of activity, I didn't have this in mind." he commented speeding up his push-ups.
"What did you had in mind?" The Princess asked while being sat with her legs crossed and reading her scroll on the top of his back.
"Well, for instance... when I meant you helping me with…. my training, I thought in... something that would have involved…. more physical contact," he said in breathy breaths.
"Me sitting in your bareback isn't enough?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No." he replied, "Because for starters I could have my hands busier in something more pleasing," he said with a hit of mischievous that it didn't go unnoticed for the Princess.
Azula rolled her eyes biting her lower lip, "And you would like that, don't you perv?" she smacked him in the back of the head with her scroll.
"Of course, and maybe that would take us to something else," Sokka muttered flirtingly.
"You wish, weirdo," she said amused at his innuendo attempt, returning her attention to her scroll.
Sokka had rushed after his morning training to the Library, and Azula had lost the track of the time, so by the time he arrived she was on the first half of her reading. So, when Sokka proposed her to help him train as he claimed to be full of energy, she came up with the idea of him doing a push-up, then he had bragged about who easy it was until she sat on his back which unfortunately for him the push-up ended up being ten times harder, but it allowed her to finish her scroll.
"I'm allowed to dream. How many more do I have to do?" Sokka asked, "I have counted ninety." he said panting tiredly.
"Nop, you are on the fifty-one yet," said Azula sternly.
"What? I have done over fifty." he squealed, he had to make a mental note to never brag about how easy a training was in front of Azula, or else, she would find a way to make it ten times harder.
"You are on the fifty-one. You still need to do at least other forty-nine," she replied.
"I'm sure I have done more than fifty," Sokka whined.
"Just for that, start over if you don't trust me," said Azula bitterly, while shrugging.
"Azula!" he whined.
"Keep complaining and you will start over." she treated him.
"Azula!" Sokka complained in a begging tone, she was going to be the death for him.
"One." The Princess starts to count out loud, "That's the best you can do? Higher! One." she commanded.
"That's two." he pointed out.
"Okay, let's start over. One."
"Remind me why I ask you to help me train?" he inquired re-thinking all his life choices and making the mental note to never, ever ask Azula to help him train again.
"Because you enjoy suffering."
"Oh, right," he grunted under his breath.
…
It was already after dawn, and they were wandering around the streets of the city before heading towards Harbour City.
Sokka had dragged her into the hunt of his favorite snacks from the festival.
"Here! Open!" he says, after finding a spot where someone was selling them and offering one.
Azula makes a grin, "Did you washed your hands?"
"Huh?"
"Did you?" she repeated.
"Tsk! They are clean! Yes, I did!" Sokka pouted, "Open." he insisted once more, and after the Princess rolled her eyes, she leans a little bit and eats it.
"Whoa… it's nice," she says at the slight sweet flavor, "What's the name of it?" she says eating another one.
"Chapssal," says Sokka eating one himself, "So, did you like them?"
"Yeah," Azula nodded, "Can you grab a few more to go?"
"It's an honor that the Princess Azula enjoyed them," the old woman said with a smile bowing slightly, "Please, take as many as you wish, it would be my honor."
"Really?"
"Yeah, take it as a gift." the old woman said with a soft smile.
"No, thanks," Azula said and when she saw the old woman face of confusion she added, "He will pay for it," she said pointing towards Sokka who choked in his chapssal.
"Oh no, Princess, I can't…" the woman tried to politely reject the Princess offers.
"Don't worry he will pay for it…" she assured, taking a few more.
"Huh?" Sokka glanced towards her, "Don't you have money?" he grunted eating his own.
Azula turned to face him, and with her hand on her hips, she grunted, "Can you stop being cheap and be a gentleman?" she spouted.
Sokka pouted, "Fine. We will take it all." he acceded grudgingly.
"Now, open…" she says with a satisfactory smile, offering a chapssal the same way he had done before.
"Did you washed your hands?" he asked raising his eyebrows, sternly.
"Fine," she muttered before eating it.
"What the…" Sokka's eyes and mouth widened, "It wasn't supposed to be for me?"
"Nop. You can have them yourself," she replied, turning around and strolling down the street, after hearing him groan.
"Wicked woman," he grunted, chasing after her and filling his mouth with two chapssal. Azula laughed glancing at him, "What are you laughing at?" Sokka asked after a while walking through the streets, still eating chapssal.
"I think you have to eat one by one," she said amused, at how his cheeks were puffy for eating too many chapssal at once, "If you eat too many at once your cheeks will make you look like a rat-bunny." she made fun of him.
"A rat-bunny?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah…"
"I hope at least a manly rat-bunny," he muttered with his cheeks still inflated.
Azula shook her head laughing, "No... rat-bunny are all but that…" she playfully pinched him on the one cheek.
"Well, mine will be manly…" he stated.
"Yeah, yeah, sure manly rat-bunny."
…
"I never imagine that in your icy land, such a beautiful flower would blossom," said Azula holding her ornamental cabbage made of paper.
They were close to the seashore; they had arrived at Harbour City just a few moments before for the festival.
For the Water Tribes, Ocean souls was a tradition where they would remember and show their respects for all those who are no longer here.
People would usually do an activity their loved one used to love, like hunting, fishing, or building igloos and by the night-time, they would get an ornamental cabbage which was a flower that blossomed in the tribes. It's a flower that resembles roses in appearance, but this one can endure icy temperatures, is really beautiful, and also grows really tall and in plenty of different colors.
The flower means apology and strength of love, which for the tribes it translates into something like "I'm sorry you are no longer here, but I still love you".
During the festival, they make hundreds and hundreds of paper flowers and at night-time, they light them in the middle, to then placing them in the water and let the wave take them into the ocean, to later dissolve in the water.
The flame resembles the souls of the loved ones, who return and become ocean souls for all the eternity.
"Well, it does. And it's the toughest flower from all, the only one that can survive in icy land" said Sokka, finishing writing the characters.
"It's kind of remind me to our lotus festival" muttered Azula, looking at him closely, she had come to notice, that whenever he was really focused on something he would stick out his tongue unconsciously. "Beautiful and sad at the same time."
"Indeed," he replied, looking pleased with his writing. "Aren't you going to write on it?" he inquired when he notices she was writing anything on hers.
"No," she denied, "This is your tradition, we have our own the day after tomorrow."
"Oh…" Sokka muttered.
"Who is it for?" Azula questioned him, reading the characters `Marrok´ on it.
"It's for my grandfather," he said smiling nostalgically.
"How was he?"
Sokka took a moment to remember him. "He was an old curmudgeon. Stubborn, hot-headed, and strict, but he was also the wiser men I have even known. He was the best hunter," he said with proud, "The entire tribe would gather for a feast whenever he returned from his hunting trips. He was also the best story-teller, but sometimes I think he used to exaggerate his tales just for fun," he admitted, as they walked heading to the shore, "He died when I was six. My sister doesn't remember him, but he was incredible. He thought my father everything he knows and I hope one day he will teach me too."
"How did he died?" The Princess asked when they sat on the sand.
"In his sleep," Sokka side smiled, "It's kind of funny you know."
Azula quirked an eyebrow, bemused, "You and I have very different definitions of funny. How is that fun?"
Sokka snickered at her baffled expression, "What I'm trying to say is...all his life was full of adventures, of excitement. His name literally meant `knight thought to be a wolf´ so I always thought he was going to die in some heroic way."
Sokka remembered how it had been his grandfather, the one who had gifted him his first boomerang, one that he still cherished to this day. He couldn't have been more than five when he got it and still remembered the terrifying look his mother had given to his grandfather for it.
His grandfather also was responsible for his hairstyle. After his passing, he had asked to his father Hakoda to help him do it, in a way of him to respect his memory.
They saw a few lights next to them, people were already placing their flowers on the water.
Azula lighted her own with one of her fingers when they were at the edge of the water.
"Would you mind?" Sokka asked her.
"Of course not," she muttered with a soft smile, lighting his.
They placed both flowers in the water and slowly with the help of the wave they started to move away farther in the ocean.
"You know, my grandparent's love story is kind of interesting," said Sokka when they have sat again, reaching for her hand, and then bringing it to his lap to caress it.
"How?" Azula asked with interest.
"Well, according to them, my grandma Kanna came from the North, escaping an arranged married," he explained looking at her fingers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.
She enjoyed his touch, "Really?" she uttered raising her eyebrows and scrutinizing him, as he played with her hand in his lap.
"Yeah," his eyes rose to her face, "My grandfather as the son of the chief welcomed her and he said that as soon as he saw her…." he made a pause, "They hated each other." Azula laughed, she certainly hadn't expected that "Wait to hear how it develops." Sokka said amused, he really likes his grandparents' story, "My gran-gran thought of my grandpa was a spoiled brat with cranky mood, and my grandfather believed my grandma was a cocky bitter nipper from the north who was just making a tantrum."
Sokka leaned back in one of his arms, still caressing Azula's hand with the other one. "They were always at each other throats, making their lives miserable. Until my grandpa was injured on a hunting trip. It was my gran-gran who took care of him and patch him up because she was the best healer from the tribe." he explained, "Then, the story changes depending on the version, according to my gran-gran it was my grandfather who fell in love first, but according to him it was her. My grandfather got a huge scar, but it was the one he bragged the most about because it gave him the most wonderful reward…"
"Reward?" Azula quirked a brow.
"My gran-gran," said Sokka, "Either way, they loved each other till the end."
"It's a lovely story." said The Princess, leaning on his shoulder as they admired the now distant flame of their flower float. The only two blue flames in the middle of the ocean, until they extinguish and turned one with the ocean.
"It is." He muttered, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
ROCK OF THE WISHES
DAY 15
The dinner was as busy and noisy as always.
Azula and Sokka had been stealing each other glances all over the lunchtime across the table, which had gone unnoticed to everyone.
"So, Azula, Sokka do you have anything you mind sharing with us?" Zuko asked, after catching Sokka placing a slice of meat on his sibling bowl of rice.
"No.," she said stoic, without looking at him, and after sharing a small look with Sokka.
"Leave them alone," Suki muttered, scolding him and punching slightly in the ribs.
Azula mentally thanked the girl.
"Suki, I'm just trying to help my sister." the Prince replied, looking at his girlfriend.
"How? And why?" The Princess uttered taking a bit of her food.
"That's what an older brother should do." Zuko answered, "Isn't it?"
Azula made a grin, "Just shut up and eat, the sound of your voice annoys me." she grunted.
Her sibling smirked, amused, "Maybe I should say it?" he quirked a brow.
"Maybe you shouldn't," said Azula, before bailing her chopsticks to the table right neck to her brothers and, "If you want to end this meal with ten fingers," she whispered in a menacing tone.
"Why are you always so mean to me?" he pouted.
"Why are you always annoying me?" she grumbled, then turned her attention to her brother's girlfriend, "Suki, what did you see in my brother? Seriously, I mean…" she glanced at her brother with scrutiny.
"W-What the… What are you..." Zuko raised his eyebrows gawked.
"I mean, he is a Nah fire bender," The Princess made an unimpressed grin, "He isn't as smart as he actually thinks he is, is looks are ... decent, but has a horrible personality, so what? What did you saw in him?" she asked Suki.
"Azula!" the Prince scolded her in a vexed tone.
She glanced at him, "What? Did I lie?" she inquired in an innocent tone.
Zuko pouted, "Sokka, what do you see in her?" he asked to the boy across the table, without looking away from the defiant eyes of his sibling.
Sokka rushed to swallow his food, as he realized that the eyes of Katara, Aang and Suki were on him. "Na ha, I don't want trouble with any of you," he replied shaking his head.
"Smart boy. And don't get him into this." Azula said, not glancing away from her sibling and snarling at him.
"Then stop bullying me!" the Prince whined, returning to his meal.
"You are the one who started it!"
"Na ha..."
"You did!"
Suki sighed, they were fighting again, "Okay, okay, enough both of you," she intervened, "I used to though Katara and Sokka fought quite a lot but damn, I was wrong." she said in a stern but calm tone, "Now, both act like grownups and behave."
"Like if he could," Azula muttered under her breath, taking a bit of her meal.
"I heard that!" Zuko squealed.
"So? Are you going to tattle tale on me like when we were kids?" she mocked with a smirk.
"No." he crossed his arms pouting, "But I will tell father."
Azula huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest, "And I would tell mother."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
"Okay! Enough both of you. You are driving me crazy!" said Katara, "Can we have one enjoyable meal together?"
"Sweety, calm down." said the Avatar with the most calmed tone he could come up with, seeing the vein in her forehead throb.
"Yeah, Katara, calm down," Sokka intervened, "They are the Fire Nation Royals for gods' sake! Behave."
Katara looked at her sibling with killing eyes, but he ignored her.
"Sokka, hush." Aang shout him up, and then turned his attention to the sibling across the table, "Why don't you just say `I'm sorry´ on the count of three and move on?" he proposed, there was no answer, "Please"
"Fine" both royals said at the same time.
"One," said Azula
"Two." Zuko counted.
"Three," they said at the same time, but there was silence.
"Great! Now I'm disappointed in both of us," uttered Azula, before returning to her meal, settling the issue.
After that, the meal went almost smoothly, until...
"Hey, mochi." greeted Lu Ten with a silly smile, sitting next to her.
"Hey," said the Princess, realizing her cousin's eyes were going from her to Sokka, and then back to her, over and over, "Why are you looking at us like that?" she made a grin.
"When were you going to tell me, huh?" he asked with his eyes really open and a big smile.
"Tell you what?" Azula quirked a brow.
Lu Ten pointed at Sokka with a finger and then at her, "That you are together." he spouted.
Her and Sokka's chopstick felt loudly on the table.
"H-How did you find out?" she questioned him.
She had been trying to not share the topic with her family yet, so they would not start making inappropriate comments about it, and also because she didn't feel ready yet to share the news.
"Aha...told you," Zuko spoke proudly.
Lu Ten eyes widened, and his jaw fell to the ground, "I-I was joking! It's just I-I say…. YOU TWO ARE FINALLY TOGETHER?" he said elated, standing up and attracting the attention of the entire dinner.
The Princess's head hung forward, before resting it in the table.
"Pay up," said Zuko.
Azula straightened up as soon as she heard those words, "What are you...?" it baffled her of why Katara, the Avatar, and Suki were giving money to her brother, "What the…? Did you beat on us?" she grunted.
"I honestly didn't think it was going to work." her sibling said counting the money, pleased.
"I thought he was going to be clueless all the month about it," said Katara nodding towards her brother.
"So, you beat on my romantic life?" Sokka snarled at her sibling.
"Oh come on, like if you never did before," she replied.
"I know you did it a few times, so don't dare to complain," uttered Zuko when he saw his sibling about to complain.
"I...And all of you were part of it?" Sokka asked, feeling a little insulted.
"Ty Lee too. Mai didn't want to be part of it." Zuko explained.
"Azula, Zuko." the voice of their father resounded the entire room, all eyes fell on the Fire Lord, "A word. Hallway. Now." he commanded, frowning.
"Did father seem angry about it?" Azula muttered to Zuko.
"He seemed angry about it," he replied confirming her suspicions.
She sighed, "Damn it."
…
The Fire Lord scrutinized at both of his children with a deep frown in his face. He didn't say a word for a moment until he sighed and closed his eyes.
"Here you go, Zuko," he said placing some coins on his son's hand.
"Y-You too?" The Princess inquired to her father. That was just too much. He shrugged. "I'm done with this family!" she shouted, walking away.
"We need to have a talk later," Ozai uttered.
…
A few hours later, the Princess was staring at the lakeshore where people were doing the `ritual´.
You are supposed to take one of the special rocks, write a wish on it and then share it with someone you cherish and then proceed to try and break the stone and if you succeed in keeping the biggest part, your wish would come true, if not, you have to make a small pile of rocks at the shore of the nearest lake to try to have the spirits conceive your wish.
Sokka had been gone for a while, he had gone to get some rocks for them to write, while she had stayed near the lake watching some people already build their small piles near the lake.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the steps approaching, she only felt the hands on her shoulders, before Sokka startled her, "Azula!"
She was so jolted up that her fist went intuitively to his face. She heard him whine, "Oh my god! Sokka!"
"You punched me in the face!" he whined holding his face in his hand feeling a sharp stinging pain, "I think you broke my nose," he said when he felt something warm running down his nose.
"Sokka! Why would you scare someone like that?" Azula said, sitting him next to her, to take a look at his face.
"I wanted to startle you." he replied, blinking fast to disappear the water from his eyes, "Happy?" he muttered.
"Let me see," she asked him to verify if he was going to need to get checked by a physician.
His nose wasn't broken, thankfully, but there was a little thread of blood coming out of it.
"You are fine. It's just a little of blood," said Azula.
"Remind me of never try to startle you again." Sokka said wiping his nose, "So? What do you think? Incredible, huh?" the Princess tilted her head and quirked a brow confused, "Even though I'm hurt, I still look handsome right?" he teased.
Azula snickered shaking her head in disapproval, he was truly unbelievable, "Yeah, sure, whatever lets you sleep at night."
"Thanks… Hey," he squealed, then pouted, "Tsk. Anyways, here" he lent her what he had gone to get.
They both proceed to write their wishes on them.
"Let do mine first." Azula offered him her rock to break it.
"`See the world´," Sokka read from her rock, "It's a good wish. I'm sure it would come true soon." he mumbled.
"Come on, let's do it" she insisted again, before applying a little more force and having the rock break in two, "Oh," she pouted, "I guess it wouldn't come true." she said shrugging, holding the smaller piece of the rock, "Let's do yours."
"Here." he leaned to her, and repeated the same, "I guess my wish would come true," he said with a proud smile, looking at his bigger slice.
"Lucky dolt," she muttered under her breath, "What did you wish for?"
"Na ha. It's a secret" he said with a playful smile, "If I tell you it would not come true."
"But I told you mine!" Azula whined.
Sokka shrugged before kissing her on one cheek and then in the other one, rascally. "Let's see if the spirits grant you a wish," he said before surrounding her by the shoulders and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
Having the people at the Palace found out at their relationship had made them available to have little shows of affections more openly in public.
They made their pile next to the other ones a few times, trying to find the perfect angle and because they would keep demolishing it accidentally...
"I'm going to get some hodo," he said.
"Don't try to scare me again." she reminded him.
"Never again," Sokka said, winking an eye.
As soon as she saw him leave, she reached to their pile and look for the one with the clumsy writing. If he didn't want to tell her, she might find out on her own.
Take Azula to see the world, she read.
Her heart stirred reading his wish. She could even feel some tears accumulating in her eyes.
She had initially thought that it was some dumb or embarrassing wish, like getting a bigger cock or something like that, but he had `used´ his wish on her, she didn't believe in wishes or anything like that, but the fact that he had done something like that - at silly as it was- moved her, and made her fall in love with him a little bit more.
He was the best thing that had to happen to her.
"That ninny" she muttered with a smile, placing the piece back to where it was and vanishing any trail of tear from her eyes.
N/A:
Gone but not forgotten: Totally invented festival.
Ocean souls: Totally invented festival.
The ornamental cabbagge is a flower that can grow in really extreme cold temperatures, and is really beautiful.
In Mexico we have the Dia de los Muertos, tradition, and I believed in many, many countries of Asia they also like to remember their loved ones that are not longer with us, so I thought about how all the different ways the Nations would celebrate. And also I know the Earth Kingdom's one have noting to do with it, but I think they were like the least spirituals from the four nations, so that why.
Rock of the wishes: small tradition in Seju Island, I believe.
It came to my mind this random image of a very, very young Sokka, sat around a bon fire, with an old man next to him telling hunting stories, while being teach to how properly net a fishing net or hunt whatever animal.
Marrok: I don't know if Legend of Korra was a character named like that I believe it wasn't. And I need it a character for Sokka to remember, and I thought that for most of us grandparents are a huge part of our life, (Or at least in my case) and also they teach us so many things, and they are also the best story-tellers.
Also I believe in the show, we never know how he got his boomerang, (but I have the little suspicion he gets it during the last souther raiders attack, when his mom died maybe? not fully sure), any ways so I thought it would be adorable for him to have get it from someone he really respected and that was also one of the reasons why he cherished so much.
Chapssal: Korean doughnuts made with glutinous rice flour. The mildly sweet doughnuts are often filled with sweetened red bean paste and coated with the mixture of sugar and cinnamon powder.
Hodo: look and taste like walnuts. The outside is a breading made with crushed walnuts and wheat flour that's similar to a pancake in texture, and the inside has red bean paste and more walnuts.