Responses to Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: I think Netflix is way ahead of both of us there.
Zigzagdoublezee: the Fire Nation may have the initiative, and technological superiority, but that does not make the other nations helpless. I have a very definite idea of what the South has done to counter them.
Erikbassey: Thanks! It's great to hear that you're enjoying it.
As Always, Please Review!
Night was falling, and as the moon rose high over the South Pole Sokka made his excuses and walked deeper into the Palace. The last time he had been here, he was a mighty Prince, dressed to impress and fully embodying the dignity of his office and the hopes of his family and tribe.
And now...
He wasn't sure. He was still a Prince, unlike Yue he didn't have to renounce anything. There was even the possibility that he might even be the new Chief.
He quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. What would have to happen in order to make him Chief was too awful to bear thinking about for long. But the last few months had been a lot. Gone were the fancy robes of a Prince and now he wore the plain blue of a commoner. He was sure he must look terrible, a result of long weeks on the road. All he knew was that he needed a bath, and he definitely needed a nice long sleep in his own bed. It was only now he was actually home that he realised how much he had missed it, and how truly tired he was. Servants bowed and scurried to one side as he passed, doing his best to return their greetings.
Even his etiquette was getting rusty, although that had never been a priority for Southern Royals in the same way as it was for Fire or Earth Monarchs, or even their Northern sister tribe.
Finally, he reached his room and the door swung open. The room he was confronted with was aggressively normal. A large bed stood in the centre of the room, draped in plenty of warm furs. A fireplace stood opposite it, although the fire had not been lit. Above it were mounted several ceremonial weapons, like clubs made of the bones of animals they had hunted and slender metal swords, diplomatic gifts from foreign nations eager to curry favour.
He stepped inside, and threw himself down on the bed unceremoniously. He would help his sister convince Pakku to train her, he promised himself. In the morning.
In the morning...
There was a knock at the door.
Annoyed, Sokka got up and stomped over. But when he opened it, he found Yue standing there.
"Oh, hello," he said, awkwardly.
There was a moment's pause.
"You forgot your bag," she said, holding it up. He snatched it.
"Thank you."
Another pause.
"So this is your home, is it?" Yue asked. "It's very nice."
"Yes, it is," Sokka agreed. "Have you had a place to stay sorted out yet?"
"You're not trying to get rid of me, are you?" Yue asked.
"Of course not!" Sokka replied hastily. "I just know they weren't expecting us to be here."
The corner of Yue's mouth tugged upwards into a barely perceptible smile at that.
"Yes," she said, "your mother has already seen to it. I have one of the guest bedrooms, apparently."
"Good," Sokka nodded, satisfied. "So, what do you think of home? Was it as good as I promised?"
The Avatar nodded. "It's lovely here," she said. "Definitely my second favourite water tribe."
Sokka let that comment go. The fact that there were only two water tribes hardly seemed important.
"What are you going to do about Pakku?" He asked instead.
"I don't know," Yue said. "Is there anyone here who can train us if he refuses?"
"You, definitely," Sokka grinned. "You're the Avatar. Every master in the South will be tripping over themselves to say they trained you. Katara though..."
He trailed off.
"If Pakku didn't listen to your orders to train her, our masters could ignore mum's, or even mine. All they would need to do is claim they need dad's approval and we're stuck."
"Why?"
"Dad's still the Chief until we find out what happened to him," he said. "Mum's only the regent, and I'm only the Prince."
"It's worth a try though, isn't it?" Yue asked hopefully.
"I don't see why not," Sokka nodded. "But in the morning. All the southern masters are going to be in bed, and I can't blame them."
"I agree," Yue took a step backwards, but seemed hesitant to leave. Sokka couldn't help noticing that in the moonlight, filtering into the corridor through a high window, her white hair and clothes caused her to take on an almost ghostly appearance.
"Avatar?" He asked.
"Yue," she corrected him quickly. "Please call me Yue."
"Oh, sorry," he apologised. "Too formal?"
She didn't answer.
"What's the matter?"
She still didn't answer for a second. Then she looked at him.
"We're going to win," she said quietly.
Sokka blinked.
"We are?"
"Against the Fire Nation," she clarified. "We're going to win."
"I hope so," Sokka agreed.
"I know so," Yue told him firmly. "You have my word. The word of an Avatar. The word of a friend! I will not let what happened to my home happen to yours."
The Prince was dumbfounded. Where was this coming from? But, as he looked into her eyes, he knew that she meant it.
He grinned.
"Then Zhao is doomed," he said simply. "Goodnight, Ava-Princ-Yue. Goodnight, Yue."
He saw the look on her face.
"And yes, now I am getting rid of you," he said jovially. "I need my sleep! Tomorrow could be an interesting day."
"Alright," Yue grudgingly accepted what he was saying. "See you in the morning."
She moved off down the corridor. Sokka watched her go for a moment, admiring the way the light played on her hair, and then closed the door.
He sat down on the edge of his bed for a moment. Then he threw himself down upon it, pulled the furs up over himself, still fully dressed because it was cold with no fire in the room, and within moments had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep.