Blue Eyes {Sokka x Reader} (ATLA)

Chapter 4

🥀(Y/n) P.O.V.🥀

I sit alongside Zuko while he meditates, mirroring his lotus position. I'm not up for meditation, my mind too crowded with thought to even begin clearing it. But I am bored, and even when if don't always get along, we have to be each other's safe space. We know exactly what the other is going through. The four white candles burning in front of us have flames that expand and constrict with his breathing. The door opens and Uncle Iroh enters the room.

"The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar." Zukos says. His voice is surprisingly calm, but it still has its dangerous edge. I look back to see Uncle carrying a map. "Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset."

"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure that I can take it." I roll my eyes at my brother. "Right, because you are always so level headed." He glares at me, but Uncle speaks before he can reply. "Okay, then... we have no idea where he is." Zukos and I hop up together, exclaiming at the same time, enraged, "What!" The four candles flare to the ceiling with Zuko's wrath.

Iroh turns away from the flames and raises his arm to protect his face. As the flames subside, he pulls a fan out of his robes. "You really should open a window in here." I scowl at his remark as I snatch the map from his hands. "Give me the map!" Zuko yells, trying to take it from me. I ignore him and open the scroll. It marks the sightings in order. It's a strange and nonsensical pattern.

"There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down." I frown. "He can't be. We have to find him."

"How am I gonna find him, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering."

"That or he's a dumb kid with no plan, you saw him. If anything, that makes finding him even more difficult. There's no pattern, he's winging it." Zuko looks like he wants to snap at me for embarrassing him, but has no retort to make. I roll the map back up, looking away from him. "We will find him. Not you."

~~~~~

A few days pass. Zuko and I hardly speak. It's lonely, but I am so angry at him for continuously excluding me from connection to this cause. I don't know if it's because I'm not a bender or because he wants the credit for himself. But neither of us are the type to talk our feelings out. The girl that would have died a long time ago.

I sit at a table with Zuko and Uncle. "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?" Zuko stands and leaves the room. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time." I stay seated, not bothering to argue about it. Uncle points at Zukos fish. "Are you going to finish that?" Zuko walks back in, seething. He snatches his plate from the table. "I was going to save it for later!" And he storms off. Uncle pouts for a moment before noticing me. "You're quite silent. I'm surprised you're not taking after your brother."

"Maybe I'm not always so hotheaded." I snap. Yeah, great way to make a point. He merely smiles in amusement. "Princess (Y/n), you are many things. And hotheaded is in fact one of them. Surely, you haven't lost interest in the Avatar?" I clench my hands in anger. I don't want to snap at him, that isn't fair, and yet it is my natural reaction. Zuko still thinks highly of our father, but I know the truth. I know that I will always have more loyalty to Iroh. But I want to go home. Why does Zuko think I'm not capable? "No, Uncle. I haven't. Excuse me." I grab my plate and make my way to my private quarters.

I lock the door behind me. I bitterly tear the clothing away from my scars. Ugly and wrong despite being healed. I resent everything and everyone everytime I look at my own flesh. How could I love it? How could anyone? A banished, honorless princess who can't even bend. I spot the dual swords hanging on my wall. I pull my clothing back over the scars, and grab the swords. I start harshly practicing my already perfected stances, leaving the fish to be forgotten.

~~~~~

A knock at the door breaks me from my trianing. I run to unlock it. "What?" I shout. It's on of the crewmen. "W-We're approaching the island. The prince has begun getting prepared." I nod, and close the door. After a moment of processing, I open it again, and run to the armory where crewmen are dressing Zuko.

Zuko and I ride out of the hull, as soon as the prow is lowered, on the back of a war rhinoceros. We are accompanied by a few men also on on rhino mounts. "We need the Avatar alive." I call. Our small army marches inland. When we get to the town, the streets are deserted. "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" Zuko shouts. The quiet response is eerie. "Find him." He orders. We begin to walk down the streets. I feel on edge, like we're being watched. My hand instinctively flies to the hilt of my swords. A green form blurs by in my peripherals. The fan warriors attack the army, a red headed girl headed directly for me. I steer my rhino away, and she is swatted out of the air by its tail. As she hits the ground, Zuko aims a fire blast at her. Another warrior with a ponytail steps in between her and the fire ball, deflecting it. Zuko, taken by surprise, falls off his rhino.

"I guess training's over." I hear the familiar voice say. It's the water tribe boy. I jump from my rhino to help Zuko fend the incoming warriors off. I parry with a few, but manage to make them fall in their tracks. It's clear they haven't fought a real battle in a long time despite being well trained. One by one, we dismantle them. "Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can't save you." I clench my jaw in annoyance, but don't voice it. "Hey! Over here!" Zuko and I whip around to see the bald child. "Finally."

Zuko lets loose three consecutive fire balls from his hands, while I throw two precise knives. The avatar dodges them and, using his staff, flies toward us. Zuko shoots another blast of fire, which knocks his staff out of his hands. The avatar leaps away and picks up two discarded fans. I run full speed at him, drawing the sword. He uses the fans to throw an enormous gust of air at us just as I get close enough to slice the blade at him. The air knocks Zuko through the wall of a building, and I am thrown down the street. With a groan, I look up to see him flying away over the now burning town. I start to get up and notice the water tribe boy running after the avatar. I follow after him toward the shore where the avatar, giant bison, a lemur, and the water tribe girl awaits.

"Sokka, look out!"

I sweep his legs out from under him, and he yelps in surprise. I hold the my sword between his eyes. He looks at me, wide eyed and stunned. I look back up to the rest of the group. "I need the avatar. I just need the avatar. No one else needs to get hurt." I growl, coming off a bit more pleading then I mean to. Before any of us can say anything else, I'm knocked off my feet by a wave of water. The girl is a water bender, idiot. Despite my disoriented vision, I see Sokka run up the bisons tail, and they fly off. I yell in frustration.

I start running back toward the town, picking up my sword, to meet with the crew. It begins to rain, or so I thought until I look up to see a massive creature spewing water on the down, putting out the fires. I look at it in almost wonder, and enjoy the feel of the water fall on my face. It's the little things I suppose. Today was yet another failure, but we got one step closer to the capture of the avatar. We will succeed. The fire nation will see honor. For now, I walk back to the ship alone, letting the crew come to me.