Chapter Text
The turtleduck was friendly, at least, until Sokka announced his plans to cook and eat it.
Traveling into the woods had been a success. As had luring the turtleduck in with seeds.
It was a fluffy little guy, and when Sokka put the turtleduck on his shoulder, it snuggled up against his neck.
Sokka had crouched down, and began striking sticks together to start a fire, as you do. Then he started talking to the meat.
"You're cute and fluffy."
"Quack."
"Its a shame that I'm going to eat you. If Aang saw you, he'd probably adopt you and make you sleep with Momo, and you'd help take down the fire nation, but I'm not Aang."
The turtleduck pecked Sokka. And it hurt.
"F-" Sokka yelped, grabbing the turtleduck with both hands. "That wasn't very nice. I thought you were a cute little duckling."
The turtleduck bit Sokka.
"Ouch-" Sokka shook his hand. "I take it back. You aren't cute. You're evil. And I won't regret eating you."
If birds could smirk, this one would've. Sokka looked it in the eyes, and it looked back. It was a little unsettling.
The turtleduck's eyes were almost human. They were golden, the brightest eyes Sokka had ever seen. Sokka could have stared into those eyes for hours.
Then, the turtleduck turned into a turtle-demon. It quacked. It screeched. It pecked.
It bit Sokka a total of three times before he dropped it.
"Alright alright, I get it. You don't want to be eaten." Sokka's hand was throbbing. He checked it, but it wasn't bleeding.
The turtleduck ruffled its feathers, but allowed Sokka to approach slowly."
"..yet."
Sokka was pecked again.
It was at this point that Katara and Aang arrived, summoned by the screams and quacks.
"Sokka, are you okay?" Katara was already getting water out of her waterpouch. "Did you burn yourself?"
"No, I-"
Aang picked up the turtleduck. "This is the cutest Turtleduck I've ever seen."
"Careful." Sokka warned. "He's possessed by an evil spirit."
Katara snorted.
"This little guy?" Aang stroked the bird's head. "No way."
"Yes." Sokka waved his hand. "Look what that creature did."
"Its just a scratch." Katara was trying not to laugh. "I can't believe you got attacked by a turtleduck."
Said turtleduck quacked angrily in her direction.
"I just wanted to make dinner, and he really didn't want that. He can really put up a fight."
The turtleduck quacked, in agreement.
Aang held the bird at eye level. "I think I'm going to call you monkeyfeathers."
He got pecked in the face. Hard.
"Pretty sure that's a hard pass on monkeyfeathers." Sokka shrugged. "I guess we can call him dinner."
"No. I'm going to give him the perfect name."
"And you settled on MonkeyFeathers?" Sokka sighed. "You had every name in the world and you settled on MonkeyFeathers?"
Aang frowned. "You are not eating Fluffy."
"Fluffy?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "That's what you're naming him?"
"Unless you have a better name suggestion."
"I thought Dinner was a good Name."
Both Aang and Katara glared at Sokka.
"Could you at least try to be sensitive?" Katara asked.
"I am sensitive. In a funny way."
"Fluffy it is." Katara clapped. "Did you get any real food Sokka?"
"Fluffy was going to be my food." He groaned.
"No. He's my friend." Aang held Fluffy close. "And I'm not actually sure about the Name Fluffy."
"Well, if not Fluffy, what would you call it? DemonSpawn?"
"I like the name Feathers?"
"Thats not a name, that's a noun."
"Fluffy it is." Aang pet Fluffy's head. "I'm gonna show you where you can sleep, with me and Momo. I'll protect you from Sokka, and Sokka will promise not to eat you."
"I will?"
Katara gave her brother a look. The look that said: Cut Aanq some slack he's 12.
"Fine." Sokka frowned. "I won't eat Fluffy.... yet. I can find some plants, or-"
"Actually, I caught some fish." Katara smiled. "Could you cook those?"
"Yes, I can." Sokka crouched down and began rubbing sticks together again, to create a fire.
"Great." Katara set the fish down next to Sokka. "You can cook these if you get a fire started."
"Great." Sokka gritted his teeth. Why couldn't Aang just firebend. It would make everything easier.
"Or you could always become vegetarian, like me and Fluffy-"
Or not. Even if Aang could firebend, he wouldn't use his abilities to cook meat. A waste of power, if you asked Sokka... not that anyone was asking Sokka.
If Aang had asked Sokka for his opinion, Fluffy would have been roasting over an open fire, seasoned with smoke and the jar of salt Katara kept in her bag.
Unfortunately, Aang didn't ask for Sokka's opinion, and for the time being, Fluffy was friend. Not food.
Sokka glared at Fluffy. "You may have won the battle, but I will win the war."
...
Weirdly enough, Fluffy ate meat.
When Sokka and Katara were eating fish, and Aang had assembled a salad of sorts, Fluffy took two bites of salad before waddling over to Sokka and pecking him.
"I think he wants some of your food." Aang decided.
"Sorry little guy." Sokka pet Fluffy's head condescendingly. "This is my fish. You can catch your own."
Fluffy pecked at Sokka again.
"You can't just let him go hungry." Aang cried.
"Actually, I can." Sokka frowned. "Its his fault that I'm going hungry."
Fluffy bit Sokka's hand.
"Ouch! Bad turtleduck. No biting!"
"Just give the turtleduck a piece of your fish Sokka." Katara sighed.
"Surrender to the turtleduck? Never." Sokka stepped back. "This is war."
"Its a hungry turtleduck."
"Fluffy is my friend."
Sokka took another bite of fish and-
Katara stole his fish and gave it to the turtleduck. She placed it on the ground and Fluffy immediately began pecking at it.
Sokka tried to pick it back up, but was viciously attacked.
"It'll be okay." Aang smiled. "Turtleducks don't even eat meat."
Well, this one did. Or at least it was.
Sokka placed a hand over his heart. "Woe is me. Betrayed by my own sister. Now I must search the world for my own food, lest I starve."
Katara hit him. "Stop being dramatic. I caught more fish."
"Hurrah! I will survive another day on this sustenance."
Katara threw the fish at Sokka's face. "Shut up."
"Thanks." He roasted it over the open flame.
"No guys, seriously TurtleDucks don't eat meat." Aang frowned. "Should we take the meat away?"
Fluffy paused his feasting to glare at Sokka and quack loudly.
"Nope. Not me. I don't want to be attacked again."
"It's probably fine. He seems to be enjoying it." Katara shrugged. "Besides. Birds can eat fish."
"Yeah, but it's weird."
"You're the avatar, who was frozen in ice for 100 years and is trying to learn the elements." Sokka shrugged. "This is hardly the weirdest thing we've come across."
"But-"
"Maybe turtleducks have changed in the last 100 years."
"Maybe." Aang looked unconvinced.
"We can watch, and make sure that Fluffy doesn't get sick tonight. If he does, it will be a vegetable only diet. If not, I guess we can give a portion of Sokka's meat to Fluffy every meal."
"I did not agree to that."
"Too bad." Katara folded her arms. "Those are the terms."
Sokka sighed. "First he takes my food, what's next, my bed?"
"Sokka," Aang shook his head. "Obviously we aren't going to let you sleep with Fluffy. I know about your late might snacking."
"What???" Sokka chuckled. "I only eat food at regular times."
"Yeah right." Katara snorted. "All of our seal jerky just mysteriously goes missing at night."
"Yep." Sokka nodded. "My bets on Momo."
"Well," Aang picked Fluffy up off the ground. "I'm not letting Fluffy be your next midnight snack."
"Fine." Sokka smirked. "I guess-"
"You are not eating Momo."
"But-"
"Or Appa." Aang took a deep breath. "If you eat any of my friends, I will resume the avatar state and cannot be held responsible for whatever happens to you."
"But I need to eat meat. Protein is important... and if it's between me and Momo-"
Aang closed his eyes. "Don't make me choose between you and Momo."
"What?" Sokka laughed. "No. Really?"
Aang shrugged.
"I can't believe this." Sokka turned to his sister. "You agree that we need to eat meat, right?"
"Actually, I've been thinking about becoming vegetarian."
"This is it. This is how I go. Tell Tui and La that I'm ready. Take me away." Sokka facepalmed. "I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with an air bison who may eat me-"
"He's vegetarian."
"A flying lemur with similar sentiments."
"Also vegetarian." Aang added.
"A turtleduck that wants to kill me."
"Fluffy is innocent."
"The avatar who cares more about a lemur than me."
"I care about all creatures. I'm the Avatar."
"And my sister."
"What did I do?" Katara summoned water from the earth. "Hurt your ego?"
Aang shrugged. "More or less."
"I don't have an ego." Sokka groaned. "I'm just the only one here with some common sense. If Suki were here-"
"She'd agree that Fluffy is cute and you're paranoid."
"But I have reason to be paranoid. Why hasn't the Firelord sent assassins after us. Or spies. I thought this journey would be more exciting."
"Traveling across the world isn't exciting enough?"
"I guess not." Sokka frowned. "I just thought it would be different."
"Well, if you want excitement, I can randomly push you off of Appa when we're flying over the ocean." Aang suggested, a twinkle in his eye.
"We are not doing that. Katara, we are not doing that."
Katara looked at Aang. "We don't want Sokka to drown. We are not doing that."
"Not yet."
Sokka gasped. "What do you mean, not yet?"
"Well, I have a theory-"
"If it involves pushing me into the water I'm out. Automatically." Sokka stood up and walked towards his tent. "If you need me, ill be sleeping. Good luck."
"I don't need luck. I'm the avatar."
Katara sighed. "I need patience."
"Fluffy says goodnight!" Aang shouted.
"Turtle ducks don't talk." Sokka looked back over his shoulder. "And I don't deal with evil spirits."
"Are you an evil spirit?"
Fluffy quacked.
"That's what I told Sokka, but he won't listen. You were probably just upset that he ruined your home."
"Quack."
"I know."
Katara stared. "Can you actually... understand the turtleduck?"
"No." Aang laughed. "I just wanted to mess with Sokka."
"So, that's a regular duck, but Sokka thinks it's cursed?"
"Yep."
"Aang. We have an incredible opportunity."
"We do?"
"It's prank time." Katara snapped. "Sokka won't see it coming."
Due to unfortunate circumstances (Momo tried go eat Fluffy), Sokka was assigned to be tent-mates with the demon duck.
Aang had created a small bed for the bird, but it was ignored, and Fluffy chose to sleep on Sokka's pillow. Specifically to spite him.
Sure, when Aang and Katara were around, Fluffy just acted like a turtle duck, but at night-
He was so much worse.
Sokka thought about eating him once, and got pecked and bit. By the time the moon had fully risen, Sokka was in tears, and the turtleduck was left looking very smug.
"You know what?" Sokka huffed. "I'm sleeping outside. You can keep the tent."
Sokka looked at the sky, at the moon, and closed his eyes. "I can't do this right now. Its almost a full moon. Its been almost a month since we lost her. I don't want to be outside. Or alone."
Fluffy, understandably, had no response, but allowed Sokka to remain in the tent.
"I mean, my first girlfriend turned into the moon. What am I supposed to do?"
The turtleduck shrugged.
"Great, the only one who will listen to me is a bird." Sokka paused. "Did... did you just shrug?"
The turtle duck nodded.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Nod.
Sokka's eyes widened. "I knew you weren't a regular duck."
Nod.
"So what are you?"
"Quack. Quack."
"This is insane. I'm going to tell Aang that you understand everything I'm saying."
Fluffy quacked, but it almost sounded like a laugh.
Sokka yawned. "Right, I'm sure Aang is asleep, like any reasonable person."
"Quack."
"Lets make a deal." Sokka erased all images of eating turtleduck from his mind. "You and me, we stop fighting."
Fluffy pecked Sokka's leg.
"That was on purpose, you bastard."
Fluffy shrugged.
"I know you're a bird and you exist to create chaos but could you just stop for a moment, and not do that?"
Fluffy shook his head.
"If you'll let me sleep, I promise I won't eat you."
Fluffy quacked.
"And I guess I'll give you some of my food. But you're on thin ice."
"Quack."
"This means no pecking, no biting, no screaming." Sokka frowned. "In return, I won't eat you."
"Quack."
"So, we're in agreement?"
Fluffy nodded.
Sokka nodded. "Great. We are at an impasse."
Fluffy settled into his spot, and Sokka crawled back into his sleeping pack.
Sokka stared at Fluffy until he was certain the creature had fallen asleep, before relaxing and falling asleep himself.
By the time he woke up, Fluffy was cuddling Sokka, hiding in his pocket for warmth. It would've been cute if it wasn't... terrifying.
Sokka was too scared to move a muscle.
He knew that Fluffy could wake up and choose violence at any minute.
Sokka remained frozen, until Fluffy woke up, and immediately pecked him.
Sokka yelped, scooping the bird out of his pocket. "That was on purpose you bastard. That violates our treaty."
Instead of responding, Fluffy stared at Sokka.
Sokka was pretty sure that if turtleducks could smirk Fluffy would be. He looked just a little too smug.
"You know that that means legally, I can eat you."
Fluffy pecked Sokka again.
"We had an agreement." Sokka exhaled. "Look, I know you understand me, but I don't know if you understand the legal implications of what you've done-"
"Quack."
"Well, I guess technically we are outlaws, but that doesn't make our agreement any less binding."
"Quack."
"What do you mean contracts signed by a minor are not legally binding?" Sokka blinked. "I never told you how old I was. Can you read my mind."
"Quack."
"I don't believe you."
"Quack."
"What number am I thinking of?"
"Quack quack."
"Lucky guess." Sokka folded his arms. "I can't conceptualize past the number two."
"Quack."
"I thought we were bonding, over shared trauma and loss. The tragedy of war."
"Quack."
"I feel that." Sokka nodded. "I wish there wasn't a war."
"Quack."
Katara and Aang, who had been watching this interaction since the screams, finally spoke.
"You can't... actually understand the turtleduck, right Sokka?"
"We have a simple system of yes and no." Sokka patted Fluffy's head, which was met with an angry bite. "Ow! We have a... complicated relationship. We had a treaty, but he violated it."
"I think Sokka's losing it." Aang whispered. "I'm gonna take Fluffy for a while. You take a nap."
"I'm not crazy. Fluffy understands everything I tell him, don't you?"
Fluffy started pecking at a rock on the ground.
"I'm serious." Sokka sighed. "I know he's just messing with me right now, but he understands us. He isn't a normal bird."
"You aren't a normal person." Katara muttered.
"I heard that."
"Sokka," Aang spoke gently, "I think you might be seeing things that aren't real."
"I'm not making it up. I swear. Last night, he was shrugging."
"Last night, you were sleep deprived."
"Maybe." Sokka frowned. "But I know what I saw. The turtleduck understands me. And I understand him."
Sokka did not eat Fluffy, despite his violation of the treaty.
It was pretty privilege. Sokka couldn't eat the turtleduck when he was so cute. Also, after spending time with Fluffy, it felt wrong, like Sokka would be eating a sentient being.
Instead, Sokka ate some fish and berries, which didn't talk to him, and as agreed, a portion of that was given to Fluffy.
Fluffy sat in his pocket all day and quacked loudly enough that he chased off any potential food. Which was a shame. Sokka just wanted to catch and cook some rabbit-pigeon, was that too much to ask?
Apparently.
While Fluffy had stopped personally attacking Sokka, he continued to do everything in his power to inconvenience him.
From quacking obnoxiously, to making Katara think he was going insane, Fluffy was quickly making his way up Sokka's list of mortal enemies.
So far the list was:
- FireLord Ozai
- Zhou (who killed Yue, but then died so karma)
- Fluffy
It wasn't a long list, but it was satisfying to write out in the dirt, with a stick. When Sokka finished writing, he signed his name.
Then, Fluffy leaped out of his pocket and began pecking out his name, until the list read:
- FireLord Ozai
- Zhou
Fluffy
Sokka let out a chuckle. "Are you saying you aren't my enemy or your name isn't Fluffy?"
Fluffy shrugged.
"Can you write? If you know how to spell your name, I can stop calling you Fluffy." Sokka offered.
Fluffy pecked at his name until it was unrecognizable.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
And then Fluffy scratched a single letter into the dirt. It was shaky, but recognizable.
"Z"
Sokka stared. "You're a turtleduck. There's no way you know the alphabet."
As if fueled by spite, Fluffy scratched out another letter. This one rounder, smoother.
"U"
Sokka started to think that he was going crazy, until Fluffy added a name to the top of the list.
Sokka read the name, which was familiar. He tried to place it, but couldn't. "Who the fuck is Zuko?"
Fluffy angrily squawked and pecked at him.
"Alright, alright." Sokka held out his hand. "I'll pick you back up. And we can talk about it."
"Quack."
"I've never met a Zuko before in my life. I don't think we can be enemies."
"Quack."
"I think it's fun that you cross your name out." Sokka patted Fluffy on the head. "We aren't friends, but I'm glad that you don't think we're enemies.
Fluffy retaliated by biting Sokka's hand.
"Ouch, okay, got it. We are enemies."
Fluffy seemed satisfied with that, and promptly fell asleep in Sokka's pocket.
Sokka wasn't feeling tired, so he placed Fluffy in his tent. Against his better judgement, Sokka kissed Fluffy on the top of his head, before he went to sit outside.
Some fresh air would be good for his head.
The moon was full, and Sokka just needed to talk to Yue.
"You're beautiful tonight. I mean, you always are. Were. Are. I just... I miss you."
The moon gave no response.
"I loved you, you know?" Sokka let out a chuckled. "You were engaged, and I never had a chance, in the long run, but I did. I loved you. I've never loved anyone before, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to love again."
The moon seemed to glow a little warmer. The light was bright, but not harsh. It was comforting.
"I wish you were here." Sokka frowned. "But I know you're gone. I know I should move on, but... I can't. We didnt get to say goodbye."
The moon did not say goodbye.
To be fair, that would probably break a bunch if spirit rules. Yue didn't seem like much of a rule breaker.
"So, I guess that's what this is. I'm trying to say goodbye. I can't be stuck in the past. I have so much of my life ahead of me, and it's not fair. If I could give you half of my life, I would, but I can't. Because you're the moon." Sokka laughed. "My first crush turned into the moon. How crazy is that?"
The moon continued to shine.
"I don't know if you can hear me, but Yue, just send me a sign. Something that says you miss me too, and its going to be okay. I know things will never be the same, but it would be nice to know that you're up there, watching."
For a moment, nothing happened.
And then, a cloud moved in front of the moon.
Sokka sighed. Yue couldn't communicate with him after all.
But the weirdest thing started to happen. The cloud aligned with the moon, sending a perfect beam if moonlight on Sokka, and a second one on Sokka's tent.
Sokka looked at himself, then the tent. Then the moon. "You're telling me to go to sleep, aren't you?"
The moon didnt move.
"Yeah." Sokka yawned. "You're probably right. I should sleep. It was nice talking to you."
The cloud passed by, and the moon's light was normal.
"I'm going to go to sleep, but if I can't, I'm going to keep talking to you. Even if you can't respond, it's nice to know that you're listening."
With a final yawn, Sokka walked back to his tent.
Just before he unzipped, he remembered.
Fluffy.
His mortal enemy.
Fluffy was lying in that tent, and Sokka had to proceed with caution. It was life or death.
He took a deep breath, and slowly opened the tent.
Much to Sokka's surprise, Fluffy wasn't laying on Sokka's pillow.
A boy his age was. A really pretty boy, with dark hair and a mysterious scar. He was lying under Sokka's blanket, but from the looks of it, didn't have anything else covering him and-
Sokka shook his head.
Now was not the time for gay panic. It was a time for normal panic.
Who was this guy, and did he eat Fluffy?
Both very important questions that Sokka did not know how to ask.
Yue had shined her light on the tent. Maybe it was destiny.
Maybe, this guy ate Fluffy, when Sokka couldn't.
In that case, he would be Sokka's best friend. Fluffy was an absolute menace.
Sokka whispered. "Hey, stranger. Who are you?"
Almost immediately, the boy opened his eyes.
They were golden, eerily familiar. Those eyes had seen things. They stared at Sokka and they knew him.
Sokka stared, trying to place them.
And then the boy quacked.
"I'm sorry, what the fuck?" Sokka glanced outside at the moon. "Yue, what is this?"
The boy looked at himself, and shouted. "Hell no."
"Are you okay?"
"Obviously I'm not okay, look at me." The boy held out his arms, as if there was something wrong with them.
Other than the scar on his face, which seemed like old tissue, he had no visible problems.
"You look fine to me." Sokka resisted the urge to wink. Because damn, that boy was fine.
"I was perfectly happy being a little duck and causing chaos. Why this? Why now?" He looked at Sokka and frowned. "Why you?"
"I don't know what's happening right now." Sokka stepped back. "I left a Fluffy in here, and when I came back, you were here."
"What did you do to me?" He glared.
"Nothing!" Sokka squeaked, "I don't even know who you are."
"I'm Zuko." He said, as if it was supposed to mean something.
Zuko....
Zuko. Where had Sokka heard that name before.
"Ah, I know you." Sokka tilted his head. "You're Fluffy's worst enemy."
Zuko actually laughed. For a moment, he didn't look hostile. "You aren't wrong."
"Well then, I want to personally thank you for destroying the menace." Sokka smirked. "All of his evil finally caught up to him."
"If this is revenge for the chaos I've caused, then I'm more cursed than I thought. Just as I was beginning to enjoy being a turtleduck."
"What?"
"Sorry, let me explain." Zuko frowned. "Actually, it's complicated. You see, I grew up in the fire nation-"
"This sounds like a long story, and I want to sleep. Just say you won't kill me, and we can discuss this in the morning."
"Honestly, I'm debating it."
"Killing me?"
"Yeah."
"Ouch."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "To be fair, have you met yourself?"
"Once again, ouch." Sokka folded his arms. "So talk. We have time."
"I'm not sure that we do. I don't know how long this form will last."
"How long what will last?" Sokka frowned. "Youre being mysterious and secretive."
"You wouldn't believe me."
"My first girlfriend turned into the moon. My sister broke and iceberg and the Avatar appeared. I've seen some crazy things. Try me."
"Fine." Zuko took a breath. "I'm Fluffy, your mortal enemy."
"You're joking, right." Sokka laughed. "There's no way that you're a turtleduck. This is some sort of prank. Hahah Katara, I am crazy."
Zuko did not appear to be joking. "Its not like I chose to be a turtleduck. It just kind happened."
"How does one accidentally become a turtleduck???"
"Long story, my dad tried to kill me." Zuko shrugged.
"Yikes."
"It's been a few years."
"You've been a duck for a few years?"
"Turtleduck." Zuko corrected, "yeah. I was perfectly content to cause chaos and terrorize you. I don't know why I'm human again. I should be dead."
"Maybe, it's because we're supposed to kiss." Sokka closed his eyes, and-
Zuko pushed him away. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to teach the Avatar firebending. The Fire Nation ruined me, now's my chance to ruin them."
"I think you could cause more pain as a turtleduck." Sokka joked.
"Dont test me." Zuko frowned. "I will bite."
"Maybe I'm into that."
"What the fuck, Sokka?"
"You know my name?"
"Yeah, you tried to teach me how to spell it earlier? And you talk in your sleep. I know a lot." Zuko shook his head. "But what the fuck. Did you just ask me to bite you?"
"I'm sorry, you're hot and I have no filter."
"I thought we decided we were mortal enemies, and now you're flirting with me?"
"That was before I found out you were human. You seem much more likeable as a human."
Zuko frowned. "I'm not likeable. I'm a chaotic bastard. I may be human, but nothings going to change. I'm still going to try to make your life miserable. You're going to slowly go insane, and-"
Sokka smirked. "I get it, you're obsessed with me."
"I would peck you if I could right now."
"But you can't. Admit it, you think I'm hot."
"I don't have to admit anything."
"Fine." Sokka tossed his backpack to Zuko. "Put some clothes on. I get the feeling that you're going to be human for a while."