Dragon At Heart

Chapter 3

3. Save the Avatar, Save the World

"Sokka, I know you are angry at Aang for putting the village at risk, but he just sacrificed himself to save us. And he is our friend. And he is the Avatar, the world's last hope. So I can't just sit around and do nothing. I am going to go save him from Zuko, and don't you even dare try to stop me!"

Sokka felt both annoyed by and proud of his sister, all at once. He rolled his eyes. "Of course we are going to save Aang. Why do you think I'm packing the canoe with... Wait. Save him from whom?"

"Zuko. Still remember him? The evil Fire Nation soldier threatening to burn our village down?"

"Huh. I was kind of engaged in combat back there, and thus might have missed a detail or two, but I don't remember the jerk introducing himself. Though... it doesn't matter. That creep threatened my sister, and he will pay for it once we catch up", Sokka added in a lighter tone to cheer Katara up.

To Sokka's surprise, she still looked sad and almost guilty.

"'Sis', you okay? I mean, this Zuko guy didn't, like, hurt you or anything. Right?"

"What? No! Or... I don't know. He did... something. It didn't hurt but it felt weird. And scary. And I don't want to ever go through it again. I mean... it is bad enough the Fire Nation is out to conquer the world, but a person's past should be hers and hers alone", Katara concluded, now with characteristic resolve. "Let's just hurry, okay? I have a feeling Aang is in more trouble than he realizes."

Sokka did not like what he was hearing, but Katara refused to clarify on what exactly had happened between her and the Fire Nation soldier.

"And where do you two think you are going?" a familiar voice asked. Gran Gran had managed to sneak up on them.

Sokka and Katara got busy thinking up excuses, but Gran Gran wasn't there to tell them they couldn't go. On the contrary: she was both aware of and okay with their little plan to go chasing after the Fire Vessel. Somehow, Kanna and Katara were on the same page on just how important this whole Avatar business was.

Sokka felt relieved. He would have gone either way, but having Gran Gran's approval felt much better than sneaking out behind her back. He felt like he could take on the whole Fire Nation so long as he knew his family was backing him up.

And I guess a plan wouldn't hurt, either.

Little did he know that an answer to their transportation problems was already galloping their way.

ooo

The Avatar was not unlike Azula in at least three different ways: he was a bending prodigy, he loved playing games (especially at somebody else's expense, it seemed) and, most importantly, he lied like he breathed.

In his anticipation and worry for what his return to the Fire Nation would mean, Prince Zuko had overlooked that crucial piece of information.

Zuko was furious. At the Avatar, for going down on his word. At his crew, for their utter incompetence. Mainly though, Zuko was angry at himself. He should have known better.

Aang had lied to the Water Tribe siblings, people he thought he could trust, about whether he knew anything about the Avatar. Clearly, the Avatar wasn't the type of person who held telling the truth in high regard.

Zuko should have been an expert in the various ways of getting deceived by now. He had fallen into this particular trap many times before. It was one of Zuko's greatest weaknesses: he thought people were better, more honorable, than they actually were. He thought that they, when given the opportunity, would not do their worst. And time and time again, Zuko was proven wrong, and had no one to blame but himself.