SOKKA POV
It's been a day since we boarded the stolen Fire Nation ship and Aang was still out cold. Katara says it could be weeks before he wakes up and we just had to wait it out for now. While I was worried for Aang (like everyone was) I was also worried about (Y/N). Whenever we had all boarded Appa after the events of Ba Sing Se, I could tell from the moment I saw her something had happened. She had this dull look in her eyes and barely spoke as we boarded the ship.
Katara had given me a brief summary of what had happened down in the catacombs below the Earth King's palace. I knew that (Y/N) was burned by Azula's flames and how Zuko had left to go back to the Fire Nation with his sister. While I was sure she was also distressed over Aang's condition, I also knew that it was Zuko's departure that had (Y/N) looking so . . . lifeless.
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I got up from my bed in my temporary quarters on the ship, ready to get some answers from (Y/N). She hadn't left her room in three days and I was growing more and more anxious by the minute. I stomped down the hall, clad in my Fire Nation armor, and knocked on her door.
When she didn't answer I yelled, "(Y/N)? I'm coming in!"
I opened the door slowly, peaking my head in to make sure she wasn't indecent or asleep. I looked to her bed and saw her curled up in a ball, her eyes droopy and her mouth in a small frown. I made my way over to her bed, taking note of the meals that Katara had dropped by that were untouched on the ground. Her blanket was thrown haphazardly on the floor and it was obvious she had barely left her bed, her sheets wrinkled as well as her clothes.
I sat down on the bed and turned to face her. She stared up at me with darkened eyes which had bags underneath them, telling me she hadn't been sleeping. I opened my mouth to speak, trying to make my words as soft as I could, "(Y/N) . . . I know what happened in Ba Sing Se hurt you. Everyone is worried about you and I don't want you to feel like you have to keep your emotions to yourself. I know you probably think you'd be a burden if you told someone your feelings, but please don't bottle it all up. You can talk to me and I will listen. I'm here for you."
I took my hand and placed it on hers in a comforting manner. I looked at her arm and traced the burn scar that swirled along her forearm to her mid-bicep with my eyes. Katara had tried to heal it with water, but all the water did was make the burn turn into a scar faster. I felt bad knowing (Y/N) will always have this reminder of what happened in those catacombs on her body forever.
(Y/N) still hadn't spoken or moved; she just stared up at me, her eyes scanning mine for what felt like forever. Just as I was about to leave her alone and give her space, I heard her choke out a sob. I immediately pulled her up against my shoulder, just letting her cry there for as long as she needed. I had seen (Y/N) let out a stray tear here and there, but never had I seen her cry this hard. Her body was wracked with sobs and she shook against me. My heart broke for her, my best friend, the girl who had seen me at my lowest after Yuki died and who had been there for me those late nights when the moon was her brightest.
After she got all of her tears out, that was when she told me everything that had happened to her in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. Not only that but she also told me of her reunion with Zuko and Iroh, revealing to me that was where she snuck off to everyday. She also told me of her vision in the swamp which now seemed like ages ago but was in reality only a few months. How she had realized her feelings for Zuko, only for him to betray her in those crystal caverns below the palace. As she spoke, she would pause and grimace while allowing a tear or two to slip, like the memories were physically hurting her to recount.
Once she was done I held her tighter, whispering, "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. You have us and we are always going to be here for you. You are strong and you will bounce back from this."
She pulled back and wiped her eyes, attempting a small smile, "Thank you, Sokka, you always know what to say."
"I try," I smiled back at her before becoming serious, "Now, I'm going to leave and get you some food .Then I'm going to come back and you're going to eat it, even if I have to force feed you like a baby bird."
She rolled her eyes, "Ew, Sokka don't put that image in my brain."
I laughed and left the room, closing the door softly behind me. I made my way over to the kitchen but was stopped by Toph and Katara on my way there.
Toph spoke demandingly, "So? Is she okay?"
"She's far from okay, but I think she's slowly coming back to being her normal self. We just have to give her time."
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It's been a week and a half and (Y/N) has almost completely returned to her usual self. After I had consoled her, she had spent another day in her room before finally leaving. The first thing she did was visit Aang's room, sitting beside him for nearly two hours before finally joining everyone else on deck. The dull look in her eyes started to fade as the days went by and was replaced by that shine that once inhabited them. She went back to her usual ways, joking around with Toph, braiding Katara's hair, and combat training with me. But, if anyone were to mention what happened in Ba Sing Se or Zuko she would get a far off look in her eyes. I was still worried about her, but knew that she still needed more time.
NORMAL POV
It's been two weeks, two weeks and Aang still hasn't awakened yet. I spent every morning by his side, staring at his face, like I was trying to make his eyes open using my mind. Everyday, nothing happened, much to my disappointment.
I tried to busy myself, throwing all of my energy and attention into my training. I had to drag Sokka out of bed everyday to train with me and when he was exhausted I would then go to his father and ask him to spar with me. Hakoda was a brilliant soldier and an even more skilled fighter. Everytime we spar he would beat me, but he gave me little tips here and there on how to improve my technique and soon, I could last about ten minutes with him in a fight before he would ultimately take me down (this was a win in my book, seeing how I could barely last a minute a week ago).
Besides training, I would spend time with Katara and Toph. Katara was more worried than anyone about Aang, but I tried to take both of our minds off of it by teaching her how to play Pai Sho with a board I had found in a storage room below deck (although there were some pieces missing). Toph seemed fine, but I knew she was worried too but choosing not to show it. She and I would usually wrestle around or simply talk about fighting styles. These tasks kept me from getting too swept up in my own thoughts.
However, there was nothing I could do about the eerie silence that overcame the ship at night. One would think that the sound of the ocean would lull me to sleep, but it had the opposite effect. All it did was remind me of the months I spent on the ship when I fled the Fire Nation palace all those years ago. These memories would cause me to think of my time in the Fire Nation, bringing back now painful memories of my mother and, worst of all, Zuko. Memories of my mother, while painful, were laced with a feeling of nostalgia and love, blanketing me in the warmth of her memory. Meanwhile, memories of Zuko were nothing but painful. Anytime I tried to think of our happy memories as children or the weeks we spent in Ba Sing Se, all that would flash across my mind was Azula's blue flame and Zuko's emotionless stare as he chose his nation over me.
One night, I couldn't take these thoughts anymore and decided to go to Sokka's room. I had fallen asleep curled up in his bed, our backs to each other. Just knowing he was there made me feel safe and was able to finally sleep peacefully. I had been doing this every night since then, most nights I'd sleep in Sokka's room but I had also spent the night in Katara's room a few times as well. (I'd tried Toph's room, but she kicked hard in her sleep and I woke up with bruises).
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It was late at night, me and the other two girls were at the railing of the ship watching the islands that passed as we sailed. Since we were on a Fire Nation ship, everyone had taken some Fire Nation clothes to better disguise ourselves unless someone passed us. I was wearing a suit of armor, similar to the one Sokka was wearing, and had opted to leave the suffocation helmet back in my room. I felt at peace, standing here with my friends and the only thing that would make it better was if Aang was here with us.
"Momo?"
I turned around and saw Aang kneeled on the floor, Momo wrapped around his neck. I smiled wider than I had in a long time and rushed over to him, "Aang! You're awake!"
Aang sounded groggy as he spoke, "Are you sure? I feel like I'm dreaming."
Katara rushed forward and hugged the boy, "You're not dreaming. You're finally awake."
"Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy," Sokka hugged the boy still wearing his armored getup, helmet and all.
"Sokka," Aang spoke weakly before he began to sway.
Toph spoke quickly, "Somebody catch him he's gonna-"
Aang fell back onto the deck of the ship and passed out. What he saw when he woke up was enough to make anyone pass out and I guess we should've been more prepared for when he woke up. We all gathered around him and, after a few minutes, he finally came to.
He sat up and I placed a small blanket over his shoulders as he asked, "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Why is everyone dressed this way? And why am I the only one who's completely out of it?"
Over the course of the past few hours, everyone had given Katara and Aang some space so she could heal him a bit more. After that, Aang came back to the main deck for lunch, which I had prepared. Apparently everyone was eating fish stew the entire time I was hold-up in my room. It was apparent they were thankful for the change in diet. As he ate, he listened intently as Sokka explained the events that had occurred while he was out.
When Sokka was done Aang looked up, "So what now?'
Hakoda answered before Sokka could, "We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan."
"It's Sokka's invasion plan," Katara spoke disdainfully as she ate her noodles.
"Yes, Sokka's plan," Hakoda looked at his daughter incredulously before continuing, "We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable."
"So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into pipsqueak and the duke," Sokka gestured over to the two.
"Good to see you again, Aang," Pipsqueak commented with a mouth full of food.
"And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage," Sokka lowered his voice, "We have a secret. You."
"Me?"
"Yep, the whole world thinks you're dead. Isn't that great," Sokka pumped his fists in the air and Aang looked horrified.
"The whole world thinks I'm dead? How is that good news? That's terrible!"
Sokka explained, "No, it's great. It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. And even better they won't be expecting you on the day of black sun."
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Aang held his hands up, "You have no idea. This is so messed up."
Just then, a large ship's horn rang out around us. I looked behind me to the back of the ship and saw another Fire Nation ship approaching us.
"I'll handle this. The Avatar is back," Aang winced as he deployed his glider.
I rushed towards him, holding my hands out, "Aang, remember they don't know we're not Fire Nation. There's no need to get involved in a fight, yet."
Aang was sweating bullets from his overexertion and relented, closing his glider. Hakoda announced, "Everyone just stay calm. Bato and I will take care of this."
We all went through our usual procedures for when another ship would pass. Pipsqueak and The Duke concealed Appa with a large blanket. Sokka and I ushered the kids down out of sight while Bato and Hakoda prepared for the ship to be boarded. I watched as the men exchanged pleasantries with the commander who boarded, impressed by Hakoda and Bato's ability to lie their way out of suspicion.
Just when I thought everything was going well, the commander and his guards heading back to their own ship, I saw Toph's eyes widen before she yelled, "THEY KNOW!"
Toph acted quickly and destroyed the ramp the commander was on with her new metalbending ability. All three men were sent into the water below and Katara moved to the edge of the ship. She mustered her strength and used a large barrier of water to separate us from the other ship. She then pushed the water towards the other ship, jerking them to the side and causing water to spill onto their deck. The ship sped off in the direction it had been heading before. Just when I thought they were retreating, two large fireballs scraped the side of our ship. Toph destroyed one of their cannons with a large rock, but the ship shot a piercing spear into the side of the ship, causing water to pour in through the hole it created.
Katara used her bending to conceal the hole with ice yelling out, "I'm going to give us some cover!"
She created a huge cloud of steam which enveloped both ships. Another fireball was sent towards us and it hit the deck of the ship.
Sokka and I were making sure Aang stayed put as the action ensued. I was itching to go out there and help, but knew if no one was here to watch Aang he'd do something reckless.
Aang finally had enough, "I can't just stand by and do nothing!"
He ran out and Sokka and I followed, Sokka grabbed onto his staff and Aang looked angry. I tried to reason with the boy, "Aang, you're still hurt and you have to stay a secret. Let us handle this, please."
Aang's gaze softened a little at my words and he yanked his staff from Sokka, "Fine."
More and more fireballs were being sent our way and Katara tried to put out the flames as fast as she could. Toph yelled above the sounds of battle, "How are we doing?!"
"Things couldn't get much worse," Sokka yelled back. As if on cue, the Serpent, which we had faced all those months ago on our way into Ba Sing Se, shot up from the water and cut through the battle sounds with a loud growl. "The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"
"You make it too easy," I say back to him, bracing myself for the Serpent's attack.
Just then, a fireball from the other ship hit the side of the serpent's face and it roared, turning its head to the enemy ship. It dove in the water and shot back up, wrapping itself around the other ship. We all watched, dumbfounded as the events unfolded.
Sokka spoke first, "Thank you, universe!"
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Aang was gone. Earlier tonight we had asked him if he would like to come into town with us, as long as he concealed his identity by covering his arrows and he got mad. We had left him and Katara, but I guess they got into an argument and he left. Katara says Aang had the idea in his head that he had to save the world on his own, so he probably left to do that.
We all rode on Appa's back searching the sea and the small islands around us to try and spot the boy. My panic was starting to grow more and more. Aang wasn't strong enough to fly on his glider and we had passed a bad storm as we flew. I frantically looked at the shore of Crescent Island (one of the man islands in the Fire Nation with a huge volcano), spotting a body laying on the shore.
I pointed, "Guys! It's Aang!"
Sokka steered Appa towards the island, landing him in the shallow waters near the shore. We all unboarded Appa and rushed towards our friend. Katara got to him first, enveloping him in an embrace. I followed, squeezing the boy gently and kissing his head. Sokka and Toph joined the hug too, even Appa and Momo cuddled into the group hug as well. I closed my eyes, relishing in the blissful moment with my friends.
Aang was the first to pull away, "I have so much I need to do."
"I know, but you'll have our help," Katara assured him.
Toph jokes, "You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?"
"What about the invasion?"
"We'll join up with my dad and the invasion on the day of the eclipse," Sokka nodded, assuring Aang everything would be fine.
"Hey, what's this," Toph pulled Aang's burnt glider from the water, "Oh, it's your glider."
Aang took it and looked down, "It's okay. If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now no one knows I'm alive."
He then flew up and planted the glider into the ground and we all watched as it erupted into flames from the lava flowing from the volcano. What Aang said was true, we had a lot of work to do before we would face the Fire Lord. We were officially in the Fire Nation, a place foreign to everyone else but familiar to me, but I still didn't feel at home here. Instead, I felt uneasy for what was to come, but knew, as long as I had my friends by my side, we could conquer anything.
A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little boring and short. I promise there is more to come especially since we're in the Fire Nation! Anyways thanks for reading! :)