dust and ashes part 12
masterlist
summary: you made your choice, and you have to deal with it.
a/n: i know ive already said this but we finally on the road!!!! spoiler but not rlly spoiler we finally have some gaang time and boy have i missed writing for them. and ohhhh whats that a small zuko pov? wow. hope you all enjoy!!
wc: 6.1k
warning(s): death talks, injuries, r going thru it but SOKKA is finally here
“Will you stop pacing?”
“No.”
“Zuko—”
“She should’ve been back by now.”
“She’s seeing her family again,” Azula says. “You know how she feels about her brother.”
“But she’s been gone for a week,” Zuko insists. “That’s weird!”
“You don’t have to worry about her like this just because she’s your fiancee,” Azula says idly.
“I don’t know why you keep bringing it up,” he says. “You were furious the first time around.”
“That’s because my best friend was engaged to my idiot brother,” she says, rolling her eyes. “At least this time, it’s keeping her around.”
“So you wanted us stuck in an engagement because you’re too scared to talk to her about Ba Sing Se?”
“Watch your mouth,” Azula snaps. “The only reason you are accepted here is because of my word. I groveled at Father’s feet so you didn’t have to.”
Zuko rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”
“I’m sure.”
“It’s a gut feeling.”
“And those have gone so well in the past, haven’t they?”
“Why are you acting like this?” Zuko marvels, turning on her. “You just said she’s your best friend, and something terrible could’ve happened, and you don’t even care?”
Azula huffs an incredulous laugh. “This is why I’ve been able to survive here and you haven’t.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“What do you think?” she questions. “You can’t hide anything, Zuko. You’re a walking time bomb, on the verge of exploding every time someone says something you don’t like. If I wasn’t here to help, Father would have already banished you again.”
Zuko scowls and Azula shakes her head. “There you go again. You can’t even hide your distaste for me, and you’ve had your whole life to practice.”
“Because you never stop pushing,” he snaps.
“Oh, get over it,” she scoffs. “If you’re going to be Fire Lord someday, you’re going to deal with a whole lot worse. Honestly, you should be thanking me.”
Zuko grumbles as he turns around, but he frowns when he catches sight of the most unexpected thing—your father, having just turned the corner in a haste.
“General Haruto?” he calls, and the man stops in his tracks, eyes widening when he sees Zuko before he schools his expression back to normal.
“Prince Zuko, Princess Azula.” Your father bows and places his fist below his open palm before he stands up straight. “I have been looking for your Highnesses.”
Zuko frowns as he says your name. “Where is she?”
General Haruto’s face falls, but he manages to make eye contact with Zuko. “I am so sorry, my prince.”
He sees Azula’s eyes widen before she can stop it, and she shoulders her way past him. “What does that mean?”
“My son was promoted to commander recently, as I am sure you know. He takes immense pride in his ship, and he took my daughter on a short ride at her request. But,” he sighs, “they got caught in a storm that none of us expected. Perhaps they could have weathered it with Commander Kezu’s crew, but it was just the two of them. They…”
Your father trails off, and Zuko swears he sees steam curling up from his sister’s head as she glares at your father.
“Just spit it out,” Azula demands.
“...They were lost,” he manages. “My son’s body washed up on shore this morning. His crew will remain on the water until we find my daughter’s remains.”
“What?”
Zuko’s yell bounces off the walls as Azula takes a step back, your father’s head bowed.
“Th— that can’t be right,” Zuko insists. “If— if you haven’t found her, then she’s still alive! You can’t possibly be sure that she’s dead if she’s still out there!”
“...This washed up as well, my prince.”
Haruto holds out his hand and Zuko recoils.
It’s the flame pin he gave you the first time around. You wore it every day since, even during his banishment, even after you met again in the desert…
Even when you died.
Zuko wishes he didn’t listen to you. He wishes he threw his weight around a little bit more, insisted that as your fiance and the crown prince, you couldn’t stop him from coming with you no matter what.
But you were so upset the last time he used his title and the engagement, and you’re right, truly. Neither of you wanted this engagement, but Zuko can’t go against his father again—and you’re far from the worst person to marry. You kissed once as kids and again the night before you left to go to your father’s base, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t think about it more than he should.
Zuko loves Mai, sure—but he loves you too, in a different way. You’re a part of him, no matter what happens between you, whether you’re engaged or not.
But now you’re gone. He failed again. But it’s worse this time—he failed you.
Zuko only stays standing through pure force of will. There’s a distant ringing in his ears growing steadily louder as he takes the pin, the metal glinting in the light. Azula’s hands shake at her side, and Zuko’s eyes soften. Through all the fighting and showboating, it’s easy to forget his sister is just a kid. But Azula will always be his younger sister, and he’ll always love her, for better or for worse.
“This is your fault,” she spits, and he sees the rare glimmer of tears welling in her eyes. “I will have you demoted! I will have you banished! I will—”
Her voice breaks and she shakes her head. Zuko reaches out for her shoulder, but she rips out his grasp as she blinks away tears. Azula’s eyes dart between the two of them, manic in her anger, then she turns and runs.
Azula never runs from anything.
“I will make you privy to any funeral arrangements once we find her,” Haruto says, and Zuko only partially hears it as he looks back at him. “I am so sorry for your loss, Prince Zuko. I know you two were close even without the engagement.”
He nods, but he doesn’t really feel anything. How could you actually be gone? “I’m sure my father will provide you with the necessary resources.”
Haruto nods with a sad smile. “That is why I am here.”
“Good luck,” he says, almost numb.
Zuko doesn’t want it to be true. You’re one of his only friends, and you’ve stuck beside him even through not one, but two unwanted engagements.
But why would your father lie about this? He lost two children in one night. Zuko’s amazed that the man is still standing. Uncle barely made it through one loss.
“Thank you, Prince Zuko,” your father says quietly. “I am only sorry this is the way we had to meet again.”
He walks away, leaving Zuko alone as he stares at the flame pin in his hand. All he has left of you is a stupid gift that you never even wanted in the first place.
You’re gone.
You’re really gone.
-
Everything is too much.
You don’t even feel anything at first, fully numb to the world until you begin to slowly regain consciousness—a shock in itself.
Immediately, pain shoots from your head to your toes and everywhere in between. When you try to move, you’re only able to groan. Your hair is plastered all over your face, completely torn out of its topknot. It feels like a tank train has plowed straight into you. You can’t open your eyes because the full force of the sun is beaming down upon you. Even the sand scrapes against your skin like knives.
It takes all the strength you have to push yourself up onto one shoulder—then you see a boy standing across from you, and you scream and fall back down.
“I’m sorry!” he exclaims, his eyes widening. “Oh wow, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!”
“Holy shit,” you breathe, placing a hand on your chest where you feel your thundering heartbeat. You try to calm down as you brush your hair out of your face and stare up at the perfectly blue sky, but the incessant ache through your whole body makes that difficult. “Where am I?”
“A beach.”
You groan. “Where?”
“A beach in the Fire Nation,” he says, and you frown. There are no beaches at your father’s army base, just endless forests with an abrupt start to the docks.
You manage to sit up again with considerable effort, biting back all your grimaces. The boy looks even younger than you, wearing nothing but swim trunks with slightly damp hair and blue lines running across his arms and legs and ending in a point on his forehead.
That’s when you realize—they’re not blue lines.
They’re arrows.
“Oh, spirits,” you whisper, “I really am dead.”
“What? No, you’re not!”
“You’re the Avatar,” you say faintly. “The Avatar is dead.”
He frowns. “I’m not either.”
“You’re not the Avatar?”
“I’m not dead!”
You feel faint. “But Azu—”
You stop, not wanting to reveal yourself to the Avatar of all people, but he just gives you a wry smile.
“It’s okay. I recognized you pretty quickly. It’s hard to forget the people who try to kill you multiple times.”
You grimace. “Sorry about that.”
“Well, what are you doing here?” he asks.
“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?”
“Honestly, yeah. You don’t look like you’re in great shape.”
“I don’t feel like it,” you admit. “I don’t even know how I would’ve gotten here.”
“Are you saying you don’t remember anything?”
Your brows pinch together as you try to go through your mind, but it’s a weary mess right now. All you can really gather is the revelation in your father’s office, reading letters and realizing he’s been lying to you— and then it strikes like lightning as your eyes widen.
“Kezu,” you realize in muted horror. You push through the pain as you struggle to your feet and stumble to the shore, water coming up to your ankles as you stare out across the horizon.
“Kezu!” you shout, cupping your hands around your mouth. “Kezu, I’m here! Kezu—”
Your voice breaks as a few tears stream down your face, and you fall to your knees in the water. Before your memories were flashes, but now it’s all crashing into you like a wave, strong enough to knock you down.
You were trying to leave together, to finally get away from the Fire Nation, but your father found out. Kezu stayed and forced you to go. The fire from their attacks burns against your eyelids and you choke back a sob. Kezu is strong, but even he couldn’t win against your father’s numbers—and General Haruto is not known for his mercy.
He really sacrificed himself for you.
You only barely hear the Avatar’s voice through the ringing in your ears, but you can’t move. He wades out to you and helps you stand, surprisingly strong for a little kid as he helps you back to the shore.
“I’m sorry,” you say. “You don’t need to help.”
“Everyone needs a little help sometimes. Besides, I think if I let go, you would fall.”
You think he’s right. You feel like a newborn puma goat with your shaky legs. You’re already thinking about how much it’s going to suck drying your clothes out with your firebending, but then the Avatar moves his hands in fluid movements and starts to bend the water out.
“Thanks,” you say.
“No problem,” he says. “Katara and I have to do this a lot.”
You stand in awkward silence until you’re dry. The Avatar sends the water back into the ocean then looks at you with gentle eyes. He’s just a kid—a kid that you spent a month terrorizing. You can’t get the thought out of your head.
“Who’s Kezu?” he asks gently, and you swallow the lump in your throat as you glance away.
“My brother.” You wrap your arms around yourself and let out a shuddering sigh. “I don’t think he was as lucky as me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
You blink back your tears furiously. “Thank you. A- and thank you for your help, but if you let me go, I won’t bother you ever again.”
He frowns. “What? Why would I leave you?”
“Because I’m Fire Nation,” you say. “And I’ve tried to kill you and your friends.”
“But you’re not trying to kill me now.”
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” you frown. “But I— you’re the Avatar, I mean. You have things to do, and besides, I’m fine.”
“I don’t think you are.”
You sigh and look away again. You might be dry, but your skin is still so much colder than you’re used to. You focus and start heating your skin from within, but you stumble at the smallest use of your power. The Avatar moves, prepared to catch you, but you steady yourself and manage a shaky smile.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Maybe you are,” he says. “But one of my friends is a healer, and she can look over you to make sure you really are okay. It would make me feel a lot better.”
“You really think your friends will trust someone from the Fire Nation?” you ask wryly.
“I can vouch for you!” he promises. “And like you said, I don’t think you could hurt anyone right now in your state.
You throw a weak punch to prove a point, but make an equally weak flame. The Avatar smiles.
“I don’t think you want to hurt us anyways.”
“And how’s that?”
“Because you wouldn’t have ended up here if you weren’t running away,” he says gently, and you shiver even with your heated skin.
“How are you just a kid and already so good at reading people?”
“Because I ran away once too,” the Avatar says. “But we all have to face our destinies sooner or later.”
You purse your lips as you look out across the sea. You only see specks of land against the horizon, which you stand absolutely zero chance of getting to on your own.
If the Avatar is here, that means Sokka is here. And if the Avatar is actually alive, maybe that means Sokka is fine too.
And honestly, you would much rather take your chances with the Avatar and his friends than the nation you just betrayed. At least you’ll get to see Sokka again, even if it’s just for a few seconds before he inevitably kicks you out.
“I guess I don’t have any other choice,” you sigh, and the Avatar smiles as you turn back to him.
“That’s the spirit!” he exclaims, and you start walking off the beach into the greenery together. A few seconds pass before you glance at him.
“What’s your name anyways? You’ve just been the Avatar in my head since we met.”
“I’m Aang,” he says. “What’s yours? You’ve just been scary Fire Nation lady in my head.
You give him your name then frown. “I’m not scary.”
“You’re an incredible firebender, and you were trying to kill me.”
“You really think so?” you muse.
“Yeah, I do think you were trying to kill me.”
“I mean the firebending part. Do you really think I’m an incredible firebender?”
“Of course,” he says. “The other part’s true too.”
“Naturally.”
It’s a slow and painful walk back to their camp, but Aang talks your ear off to make the time pass even slower.
He’s a nice kid, nicer than you deserve, but you just received some of the worst news of your life. At least his endless rambling is kind of helping to keep your mind off of it. That sinking dread is still there in your stomach.
Your brother is gone because he tried to help you, and you have to deal with that for what you think will now be a very short life.
Soon you start spotting tents, and you see a small fire going in the center of their camp. Two figures are sitting by the fire talking, and your chest feels all tight.
Sokka.
By now, Aang is having to support you with your arm over his shoulder, and you feel like you’re about to pass out. You were fine back at the beach, just kind of aching all over, but now it’s like a komodo rhino trampled you on top of the tank train.
Aang uses his airbending to keep you from falling when you stumble, then he starts shouting.
“Katara! Sokka! I need your help!”
The figures at the fire stand up and immediately start running, and you recognize Sokka even from here. Your throat closes up a bit when you see he has his hair down, your legs growing even weaker. You suddenly feel very self-conscious about your tattered clothes and the sand stuck in your damp hair.
You try to comb it out as they get closer, but when Sokka’s eyes lock onto yours, he freezes, nearly toppling over.
“I don’t believe it.”
“Hi,” you say softly, and his brows knit together just so.
His sister stops beside him, her eyes widening as she glares at Aang. “What are you doing bringing someone from the Fire Nation back here? And why are you just showing off your arrows for the whole world to see?”
“Lecture me later,” Aang says. “I found her washed up on the beach, and she’s really hurt.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Katara says. “It’s probably just a ploy to get close to you so she can kill you.”
“It’s not,” he insists. “She was running—”
“Tui and La!” she interrupts, eyes widening as she stares at you. “You’re one of Azula’s friends!”
“Why can’t I ever just be myself?” you mumble. Your vision is swimming by now. Right is left and up and down and this child Avatar is the only thing keeping you standing.
“Wait a minute,” she says, and she turns to Sokka. “Don’t tell me this is the girl.”
His eyes widen slightly and he purses his lips. “I won’t tell you then.”
Katara groans. “I can’t stand you!”
“I wasn’t even the one who brought her back!” he insists. “Blame Aang! He’s the goody two shoes that brought her right into our camp!”
“She was hurt!” Aang exclaims. “She still is!”
“She’s a firebender that tried to kill us!”
“But she felt bad about it—”
“I don’t really think that matters, Sokka!”
They continue to go back and forth, but you don’t really hear any of it as your legs give out beneath you. You slip from Aang’s grasp and tumble to the ground, and the last thing you see before your eyelids flutter shut is Sokka running towards you.
-
“Azula, this is stupid.”
“All you do is complain, Zuzu.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“I’ll stop calling you that when you earn it,” Azula says haughtily. “Besides, you were all set to play when your girlfriend asked you to.”
“She’s not my girlfriend!” Zuko shouts, and you and Ty Lee grin as Mai flushes bright red.
You think Mai has been crushing on Zuko since the first time she stepped foot in the palace, and even though you have no idea what she sees in him, you love teasing her with your friends.
“I don’t know, Zuko,” you say innocently. “I always see you staring at her when you’re walking through the gardens. That’s weird if you don’t like her.”
“How is it weird?” he marvels, eyes wide with exasperation. Ty Lee has to cover her mouth to stifle her giggles. “She’s my friend— am I not allowed to look at my friends anymore?”
“Some noble houses consider a longing gaze a marriage proposal,” Azula says sagely. “Don’t you pay attention in class?”
Zuko flushes and he looks at Mai. “You pay attention in class. She’s lying, right?”
“I don’t know,” she grumbles. “Stop asking me questions.”
“Geez, what’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Mai counters, and Zuko groans.
“This is why I don’t play with you guys! You’re all completely crazy!”
“So you can train with us but you can’t play with us?” Ty Lee pouts.
“At least you don’t talk this much when we’re training!” Zuko complains, crossing his arms with a huff.
Azula gives you a sharp smile and you feel your cheeks heat. You feel bad teasing Zuko sometimes, but he’s the oldest, so he can take it. That’s what Azula says, at least.
Your attention is drawn to the palace doors when someone yells your name. You flinch before you can help it, but when you turn to see your brother, you grin wider than ever.
“Kezu!” you shout, and you sprint across the gardens to barrel into him. He laughs as he picks you up and spins you around until your head is reeling.
“I clearly see who the favorites are,” Lee says wryly, and you laugh as Kezu sets you down.
“You know I love you, Lee. You’re just never here.”
“I guess General Shinu woke up on the right side of the bed today, because he accepted my request for some time off.” He grimaces. “One day, actually. I have to be back to the stronghold tomorrow. By dawn preferably, actually—”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to make the most of it,” you interrupt with a grin. “Let me go tell my friends, then I’ll be right back.”
Azula is frowning when you run back to your friends.
“What’s going on?”
“Both my brothers are finally able to visit,” you say. “We’re going to have a day out on the town before they have to go back to work.”
“But you’re busy,” Azula says. “You can’t go.”
“We’re just playing, Azula,” you say.
“Exactly.” She crosses her arms. “Tell them you can’t go.”
You frown. “But I can go.”
“Come on, Azula,” Zuko urges. “Now’s not the time.”
“Well, we need four people to play the game,” she insists.
“Then I’ll play,” he says.
Your eyes widen slightly, and Zuko nods. “It’s been forever since you’ve seen them. Go.”
You nod and run off before Azula can blast you as revenge, but you already hear her yelling orders at Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko. Both your brothers look at you when you make it back to them—Kezu with wary concern and Lee with wary interest.
“What happened there?” Lee asks.
“Azula wanted me to play, I said I couldn’t.”
“It seemed like a little more than that,” Kezu says.
“It was nothing. I promise. Now,” you get between them and take one of their hands in yours each, then put on your most authoritative voice, “take me to the festivities, soldier boys.”
“I’m a sailor,” Kezu emphasizes as you start walking together, “not a soldier. Not everyone wants to be an army brat like you and Father.”
“And I’m an archer,” Lee adds. “A Yuyan in training, specifically. It’s a very important title. You know that, right?”
“And I’m Princess Azula’s playmate,” you say wryly. “We’re all very special. Now, what have you been up to? Have you permanently scarred anyone else, Lee?”
He groans, and you bite back your smile. The scar on your cheek has faded a decent amount since the day he accidentally grazed you with an arrow, but you will tease him for as long as you can. “How many times do I have to apologize for that?”
“Until it’s gone,” you say. “And a little bit longer after that.”
“You only have me for a day,” he says.
“I’ll send messenger hawks.”
“General Shinu reads all messenger hawks before passing them on to us.”
“Oh, good! Then you’ll both see it!”
“No, he’ll just throw yours in the trash. Or maybe the fire.”
“Then I’ll just send even more on fireproof paper!”
“That doesn’t exist!”
“How would you know? I’ve burned enough things down to know what’s fireproof or not— all you do is shoot arrows.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“You don’t make sense.”
Kezu sighs, but you don’t miss his smile as he looks down at the two of you, swinging your arm with his. “It’s going to be a long, long day.”
-
Nothing feels real when you wake up.
Your limbs are weightless, your pain is gone. It’s like you’re still in a dream, because you think that’s the only place you could feel like this—but then the lingering soreness comes back, and you know you’re in the real world. It usually fades into the background because it’s so common for you, but now that the rest of you is healed, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
You try to sit up, but you immediately realize you aren’t all healed when you groan.
“Oh, spirits— don’t move.”
You frown at the unfamiliar voice, trying to lift your head to put a face to the name, but a steady hand pushes you back down. A blue glow fills the room and you feel a strange, cool sensation on your chest.
“Didn’t you hear me? Don’t move!”
Your vision finally clears and you see the girl from before sitting beside you. Katara, Sokka’s sister—the waterbender that keeps screwing you over. You let your head fall back against the floor, deciding you don’t really want to mess with her right now.
“Where am I?” you ask, voice raspy from disuse. Your throat is so dry it hurts to swallow.
“Where do you think?” The blue glow subsides along with the cool feeling on your chest, and she slides back. “Okay. You can move now.”
You grimace as you sit up. The action takes a concerning amount of energy, but your splitting headache is gone, and you can think much clearer.
“How do you feel?” Katara asks.
“A little sore, but that’s normal.” You glance at Katara just to see she’s already looking at you, blue eyes drilling through you. “You healed me?”
“It’s a special ability some waterbenders have,” she says. “Aang wouldn’t leave until I promised to help you.”
“Thank you,” you say. “I… honestly don’t know how I’m alive.”
“Neither do I,” she admits. “Aang says you washed up on shore. How’d that happen?”
“...My brother and I were going to leave the Fire Nation,” you say, and her eyes widen slightly. “Our father caught us, and he stayed back so I could get out. I got caught in a storm, but I don’t really remember anything after that.”
“Judging by the cuts and bruises and the two broken ribs, the sea swallowed you whole and spit you back out. You’re extremely lucky to be alive.”
“Sure,” you say faintly.
“You don’t think you’re lucky?”
“My brother’s dead, and it’s my fault,” you say quietly. “Take a wild guess.”
Katara’s eyes soften. It’s worse than anger, honestly, because you don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve any of her kindness. You deserved to die on that beach for what you’ve done.
She opens her mouth to say something, but she’s interrupted when someone walks into the tent.
Sokka.
You freeze in place, but he doesn’t seem to notice you. His hair falls just below his eyes and he tugs at his ivory necklace, and Katara sighs.
“Sokka—”
“I’ll be out soon,” he says. “I just wanted to—”
He finally spots you and his eyes widen a bit. “You’re awake.”
You nod, then frown. “How long was I out?”
“A day and a half,” Katara says.
“What?”
“You were seriously injured,” she says. “Do you know what internal bleeding is?”
“...Bleeding internally?”
She rolls her eyes. “If Aang didn’t find you when he did, you wouldn’t have made it off that beach.
“I’ll be sure to thank him,” you say. If he let you leave like you asked… You swallow the lump in your throat.
You’re suddenly very glad the Avatar is a very stubborn boy.
“You should thank my brother, too,” she continues. “He saved you from a nasty concussion.”
You look up at Sokka and he glances away. “I just caught you before you fell. Anyone would have done it.”
“Sure,” Katara says. “I was able to mostly mend your ribs, but it’s going to take a couple days to heal. We’ll need to do more healing sessions.”
“Whatever’s necessary,” you nod.
“Can we have the tent?” Sokka asks wryly, and she frowns.
“You want me to leave my tent?”
“That’s what I said. Are your ears okay?”
“I’m not leaving my tent so you can gush over the girl who tried to kill us!”
“How many times do I have to tell you that she felt bad about it?” Sokka complains.
“Until I believe it,” she says.
“Fine,” Sokka snips, and he says your name. “Come on, we can talk outside.”
“Why do you want to talk to me?” you ask.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I haven’t seen you since we were stuck in a cave together and now you’ve just washed up on our beach?”
“...Right.”
“Don’t hurt her, Sokka,” Katara says as you stand and walk over.
“I didn’t know you cared,” Sokka says.
“Oh, I don’t,” she says, and you purse your lips. “I just don’t want all that healing to go to waste.”
“You’re so kind,” he says.
“You know me. Kind Katara.”
Sokka rolls his eyes and walks out. He holds the tent flap open for you, then motions for you to follow. The sun is setting steadily in the distance and you frown. You really were out for a while.
“How do you feel?” Sokka asks.
“Better,” you say. “Your sister’s pretty amazing, being able to heal like that.”
“Yeah. She is.”
As you’re walking past the fire, you suddenly trip over a rock in your way—then you yelp as your feet are encased in rock, nearly toppling you over. It grows up past your ankles to your calves, and no matter how much you tug, it doesn’t move.
“What the—”
“What is she doing here?”
You look over to see a dark-haired girl who looks about the same age—she’s the earthbender from before, the one that completely foiled your plans. This group is really good at that. But most surprising is her blank gaze. She doesn’t look at you when she’s speaking, her hair just about obscures her gaze, and her eyes are glazed over.
“You’re blind,” you mutter.
“Right in one,” she says.
“Seriously, Toph?” Sokka complains.
“We got beaten by a blind girl?” you marvel.
“I don’t need to see to pummel you,” she says. “Sokka, what is she doing here? I recognize her footsteps— she’s one of Azula’s friends.”
“You recognize my—” you mutter, but you stop yourself when you remember she could break your legs in an instant. “Yeah. Sure. Blind girl is the best earthbender I’ve ever met. Why not?”
“You’re awake!”
You look over to see Aang leaving his tent, bright eyes gleaming with a demeanor much kinder than Toph’s, but your shoulders still sag. You don’t have it in you to deal with all this right after waking up.
“Yeah,” you say.
“She washed up on the beach and Katara was healing her,” Sokka explains.
“I know that,” Toph says. “But why is she still here?”
“Because she just woke up? What, do you want us to kick her out right now?”
“I guess not.” She pushes her hands down and the rocks around your legs sink back into the ground. They buckle beneath you and Sokka has to lunge to catch you before you fall, his arms wrapping around your waist as he hauls you back up.
“Sorry,” you say, your face exploding in heat as you look away. “I— I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You just woke up and you’re still recovering,” Sokka says. His hands are cool against your heated skin, and he clears his throat. “Are you good to stand?” You nod, and he carefully pulls his hands away from your waist.
“Have you had your fun, Toph?” Sokka asks.
“Yeah, actually,” she says, and she smiles at the ground. “Now she knows not to mess with us.”
“She’s not going to,” Aang insists. “I wouldn’t have brought her back here if I thought she would hurt any of you!”
“Can we get some privacy?” Sokka complains, looking between his friends. “We need to have a talk.”
“Ooh, I can hear your heartbeat,” Toph teases. “What do you want to talk about?”
Aang grins. “Are you serious?”
“You two are impossible!” Sokka shouts, and he grabs your hand and starts pulling you along, away from the camp.
You stifle a small laugh, but your head is still spinning. You can’t believe these are the kids that have continuously bested Azula. They’re… well, they’re just kids. Sokka looks like the oldest one around, and it’s very clear he doesn’t have the best judgement.
Sokka says your name and brings you back into yourself. You’re a decent way from camp, far enough to keep his friends from eavesdropping.
“So,” he says.
“...So.”
“Where have you been?” he asks.
You grimace. “Do we have to talk about this?”
“If you want to stay here, yeah.”
“...I was in the Fire Nation,” you admit quietly, and Sokka’s eyes widen.
“What?”
“Azula barely gave me a choice.”
“You didn’t seem to have much of a problem going against her when we were talking.”
“This was different!” you insist. “Why does it matter anyways? The Avatar is alive. The world isn’t over.”
Sokka’s gaze hardens and he looks away. “Because for a good second, he wasn’t.”
“...What?”
“Azula killed him,” Sokka says quietly. “Aang was going into the Avatar State to try and save us all, but she struck him with lightning, and he died. Katara saved him with spirit water from the North, but…” he lets out a heavy sigh. “But for a while, it was looking like he wouldn’t wake up again.”
“I’m so sorry,” you whisper. “I— I had no idea. Azula didn’t tell me.”
“I’m sure,” Sokka says. He crosses his arms as he looks back at you. “Why did you go back to the Fire Nation?”
“I told you, I didn’t have a choice.”
“You said she barely gave you a choice. That means she did.”
You sigh and glance away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t get to pull that!” Sokka exclaims. “I t— we’ve trusted you, Katara’s healed you, Aang went out on a limb for you, all because they’re good people.”
“Sokka—”
“But I know you better than they do,” he continues. “I know that you’re capable of lying through your teeth, of smiling one moment and knocking someone’s lights in the next moment. Just because we’ve talked a few times doesn’t mean we’re friends, okay? And I’m fine with sending you out on your own once you’re healed—”
“She said she would kill you!” you exclaim, and Sokka’s mouth clamps shut as he stares at you with wide eyes.
“What?”
“Azula said if I didn’t go home with her, she would kill you,” you say, blinking back tears as you look away. “She had control of the Dai Li, and you and Zuko were trapped down there, and I— I just couldn’t risk it.” You swallow the lump in your throat but your mouth is still dry as sandpaper. “That’s why I went home.”
You start walking away, unable to face Sokka anymore, but he grabs your wrist and you stop.
“I didn’t know,” he says quietly.
“How could you?”
“They were a little rough with me, but I never…” Sokka sighs and shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For whatever you went through back home for my sake,” he says. “...Thank you.”
You shrug uncomfortably. “Anyone would’ve done it.”
Sokka smiles and you find yourself standing up a little taller. He runs s.o much colder than you, but the brightness in his smile is always enough to warm you from the inside out—even one as small as this one.
“But you did,” he says, and you manage a smile of your own. “Now come on. It’s getting dark, and we should get back to camp before Katara starts worrying.”
“She probably thinks I threw you off a cliff,” you say.
Sokka tilts his head. “I kinda thought you would too.”
You laugh a bit and he smiles at the sound. As you walk back to camp together, the tension in your shoulders unknots for the first time in a very, very long time.
