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The Firebender blinked slowly at them, his eyes flickering over every face, almost as if he was trying to take everything in. His fingers twitched almost non noticeable besides his sides, but it was enough for Sokka to tense. But there were no sparks, no heat of fire and his eyes remained slightly dull, as the crease in his forehead became deeper and deeper.
“Who-”, Zuko began only to interrupt himself as his eyes moved once again over the faces, something concerning now very present in his eyes. “Who are you?”
His voice was rough and broken and the always hostile hint it previously had was nowhere to be found.
The Water Katara had bended to her side to protect them if it became necessary crashed loudly to the ground. It splashed over all over their feet but not even Sokka found it in him to complain.
The situation was just too bizarre.
A scoff rolled over Sokka's lips as he pulled his eyebrows into a tight line.
”Is this a trick?”
Zuko only blinked at him again, his forehead furowed in confusion. “...Trick? Like a card trick?”
“What the- No, I mean-”, Sokka grumbled as his fingers gripped his boomerang more tightly.
“Sokka.”, Aang interrupted him, with a stern expression on his face. A earnest look didn't suit him well - Sokka thought absently - Aangs face was much to soft for that and his eyes to big. “I don't think this is a trick.”
“But it must be! There is no way-”
This time it was Katara who interrupted him with a single raising of her hand. She stepped exactly two steps in direction of the fire prince and crouched down, far enough to react fast enough if he tried something but close enough to talk to him in a comforting way.
“Zuko.”, she spoke but there was no reaction, only more bitter confusion in his face and even deeper creases in his forehead. “What do you remember?”
“I-”, Zuko stooped himself after one single Sybille. A thick cloud of silence surrounded them and there was no following answer, not even after they gave him enough time to think, to sort his thoughts.
For Katara, that was answer enough.
'Nothing' a voice in Sokka's head whispered, even he had his troubles to truly believe... whatever this was.
It couldn't be-
This must be one of his sick schemes, to get Aang. Sokka was sure. There was no way that this was real.
No way.
Okay- probably no way.
“I still don't believe it.”, Sokka huffed with narrowed eyes at Zuko.
Zuko, still confused by his surroundings but more interested in the soft fur from Appa then in them, paid him no mind and simply continued to pet the bison.
He was oddly… excited about Appa.
Almost like he had never seen him before.
He was a good actor Sokka needed to admit. He would give him credit for it if the other boy wasn't – probably – trying to drag them to the Firelord.
Katara looked troubled as she crossed his arms in front of her chest. “I'm not sure if I can believe it either but...”
“He's petting Appa and Appa lets him.”, Aang supplied helpfully, as if such a little statement was the answer to all of their current problems. “I believe it.”
Sokka gave him an incredulous look. “Cause he’s petting Appa?”
Aang nooded. “Yeah. Appa wouldn't let Zuko pet him if he's still trying to catch me.”
Sokka only gave him another look.
“What? Appa is a good judge of character!”
A tired sigh escaped Kataras lips. “Somehow, I'm not doubting that, at least.”
Sokka pulled on his own strands of hair as a frustrated sigh slipped past his lips. “No. Just, no!”, he grumbled. “I cant- We need proof! We can't just assume this- this jerk lost his memories because he told us he doesn't know who we are.”
Zuko's froze in his petting motion at this. He turned his head slowly in Sokka's direction to glower at him.
“I think you offended him.”, Aang whispered way to loudly.
Sokka was sure Zuko would try to roast him now – but nothing of these sorts happened. Zuko simply huffed – and yes, it did sound offended for whatever reason – an turned around to continue with the petting. Appa, who had already started to press his wet nose in Zuko's side as said boy had stopped to give him attention, gave them a satisfied growl.
“This is ridiculous”, Sokka scoffed.
“So… proof?”, Aang said, his voice more questioningly than anything else.
“Yes! We need to prove it! He could be lying, obviously.”, Sokka added the last part a little bit more quieter, with a quick glance in Zuko’s direction. Said Fire bender was staring right into his soul, with a slight furrow in his forehead.
Sokka immediately jerked his gaze back, trying to ignore the eyes burning into the back of his head.
This was suspicious. Very suspicious!... right?
Katara sighed, but it sounded uncertain. “Look, I get where you’re coming from, but don’t you think you’re exaggerating?”
“Exaggerating? Me? I think you’re not taking this seriously enough! We’re talking about Zuko after all! The Zuko!”, Sokka hissed, perhaps a little louder than necessary.
“Uh, yes?”, Zuko called as he heard his name – or at least what he assumed to be his name.
Sokka’s hand meet his forehead with a loud slap. “No, not you-“
“Oh.”, Zuko mumbled as he stepped in their direction in a very… not dangerous way.
He’s not stomping, not breathing ash like a god damn fire pit, not emitting the usual heat like usual.
He was just walking – like a normal human being.
And it was driving Sokka mad.
“So… Zuko is not my name? What’s my name then, if not Zuko?”
“Yes! I mean- No! It’s- Urghh!” Sokka was about to pull his hair out of his scalp in exasperation.
Zuko blinked at him. “My name is ‘Urghh’?”, he asked drily and obviously not very impressed. Neither with his name, nor with Sokka.
Just besides Sokka, Aang was completely losing it and laughed like a madman. Even Katara – the traitor – was chuckling.
“Your Name Is Zuko”, she finally decided to intervene.
“Well, that’s good… I think. At least it’s a better name than ‘Urghh”
Aang only laughed more, almost toppling over and there was a clear string of patience in Sokka that just snapped.
“You!”, he balked and pointed at Aang. “If you’re so sure he’s not faking it go and prove it!”
“Huh? How?”, Aang managed to press out between his uncontrolled laughter.
Sokka only shrugged and crossed his arms. He was sure Aang would be able to think of something.
And in the meantime, he would be to occupied by trying to ignore the offended looks Zuko was shooting in his direction – again.
Apparently Sokka's idea of confirming the truth behind all of this was… a little bit different then Aang’s.
The young Airbender had given him a short shrug after Sokka had decided he needed to prove the truth behind Zuko’s amnesia - after Sokka had explained once again that they needed real proof and couldn't just accept all of this because Appa was easily swayed with affection - and answered with an “Alright.”
Sokka felt the incredible urge to crash his head into the next tree as he watched the following situation unfold.
Aang joined Zuko who had moved back to Appa after Sokka’s existence had, apparently, offended him enough, and leaned his back against the thick fur. He started whistling – like an idiot – and Sokka had no idea why the hell he even did it, but he assumed Aang thought it would be smart.
Zuko only raised a eyebrow at the younger one, probably wondering about Aang’s mental state.
“So... I'm the Avatar.”, Aang told the fire prince in the most conversational voice he could offer.
Sokka slapped his own hand against his forehead and surprisingly, Katara did the same.
“Uh.”, Zuko stared blankly at Aang. “My condolences?”
Aang starred back and blinked, slowly trying to process the situation. “It’s- i'm not ill. It’s not an illness.”, he tried to explain.
“Oh. Okay.”, the Fire prince mumbled and looked even more confused than before. “Then... congratulations?”
“...Thanks?”, Aang offered and similarly to Zuko's answer it sounded more like a question than anything else.
Sokka wasn't sure who he wanted to shake more into unconsciousness, Zuko or Aang. Perhaps both. He had a feeling Katara would help him.
After his first attempt, Aang was still pretty much certain Zuko had indeed Amnesia. Sokka, however was not buying it. Not in the slightest.
And Katara… well, Katara was just along for the right, supervising everything.
But there was still a little bit doubt in her eyes, still unsureness in her voice, even though she rolled her eyes at Sokka’s behaviour, but it was more than enough for him to keep pushing.
Attempt two to prove Zuko had truly forgotten everything or, well- was faking it, followed and it was just as pathetic at the first Attempt.
Aang started to do a whole chorography of air bending right in front of Zuko, always glancing in his direction to watch his direction.
Zuko however, was just standing around, a little bit weirdly, like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself.
After they realised Air bending alone was doing nothing, Sokka pushed for more. “Try water bending!”, he called.
“Eh, but I’m still learning-“
“Just try it.”
Aang did exactly that. He added Waterbending and it was looking great-
Until he bended a wave of water right into Zuko’s face.
Zuko, still standing around like stupid tree, was now very wet and very, very unimpressed.
He gave Aang and Sokka the best ‘I kill you-look’ he had to offer, and for a moment Sokka was once again sure Zuko would spit half a volcano in their direction, but nothing happened, and he simply stomped off to-
Sokka blinked, trying to process what he was seeing as Zuko stomped back to Appa to push his face in his white fur and begun to-… scream.
In frustration.
So… at least the anger issues remained unchanged.
After he finished his screaming, Zuku sat down, half burrowed in the thick fur in the next moment.
Was he- was he sulking?
A tiny, little part of Sokka felt bad.
“Uh… I think… you should apologise. Maybe?”, Katara offered.
Sokka gave her an incredulous look, but his sister only crossed her arms in her usual ‘do what I say or else…’-way.
A deep sigh left his mouth.
“Alright, but Aang needs to apologize to!”, Sokka grumbled.
“What? You told me to use water bending!”, Aang huffed, but seemed relatively unbothered by the idea of apologizing.
“Yeah, but I didn’t tell you to waterbed right into his face!”
“Uh… I thought, maybe… it would help?”
“How the-“ Sokka was about to ask, but Katara interrupted him.
“Stop arguing and go apologize, you idiots!”
They both shut up immediately and moved along.
Awkward apology, here Sokka comes.
.
.
.
Seriously, he still found all of this pretty ridiculous.
“Uhm…”, Aang slowly started.
“We are sorry.” Sokka added, and somehow, he felt like he was six again, forced by his father to apologize to his sister for being mean.
“For being Assholes.”, Aang finished.
Sokka could argue they weren’t really assholes, just trying to prove a point, but well, he kept that part for himself.
“Alright.”, Zukko nodded.
“Alright?”, Aang blinked. “So you forgive us?”
“Sure.”
“Uh, nice.”
“Yeah, nice. Cool.”
“Mhm.”
“Uh, so…”
“I really don’t remember anything, by the way. You just could’ve asked me.”, Zuko stated in a matter of factly way, as if it was this easy.
“But uhm... you could’ve lied if we asked you?”, Aang spoke carefully, not trying to offend him again.
“Oh, right. I suppose I could.”
Sokka had really no clue anymore if Zuko was completely serious or simply shitting with them – a lot.
A part of him assumed it was both.