Chapter Text
There is a cruel irony in having a soulmate, or of a person being blessed by the spirits, as his mother would always say. They, the spirits, had no business meddling in peoples lives and choosing who would bear the other half of their soul.
At least that's what prince Zuko now thought. He, himself, was a whole person and needed nobody to complete him. While his mother was still present, and she would read him stories of epic loves, of soulmates finding each other in most inopportune and darkest times, of soulmates on opposite sides of the war defying all laws to be with each other, he would allow himself to dream about his soulmate. He would dream of them meeting, sharing quiet, little moments, realizing they were soulmates one day and a weight would fall off of his chest because someone out there was truly destined for him and he was never alone.
Maybe his soulmate was a noble, Fire Nation girl he had never met, but would one day and he would get his happy ever-after. Maybe his soulmate was Mai, one of his sisters' friends. She was a bit quiet and a bit gloomy, but looked adorable with her raven black hair tied up into two buns on her head. Maybe it was somebody completely unknown to him, someone from the colonies, although that would be a tragic love story, because, as a prince, Zuko was only allowed to marry royalty. That is what his father told him anyways.
However, his dreams of soulmates didn't die the night his mother left, nor did they die the day his father banished him. At those times he still held out hope that he would meet someone who understands him without words, someone who he will share his life with.
His dreams of soulmates died the night that those faithful words appeared on his hand.
As it is in the world, on your fifteenth birthday, words appear tattooed on your arm. Those words represent your soulmate's first thoughts upon seeing you. For most people the phrases on their arms read out something like Wow he has such beautiful eyes or You are so beautiful and I really hope you are my soulmate. For most people the words are something beautiful, radiant, something they would be proud to display. It's a bit like sending a message to other people saying: "Yes, look at my tattoo. I have a soulmate, I love them and they love me." After all it is their soulmates first thought about them.
Not for prince Zuko, no, his words just had to be I will kill you or I will die trying. And really, who thinks stuff like that upon first seeing their soulmate. Who thinks about something so violent, so savage, so inhumane.
So the irony of soulmates being something wonderful, while he had such a ferocious message wasn't lost on him.
Sokka's hatred for the Fire Nation began early on. It began when he was only ten years old and a fire nation fleet invaded the Southern Water Tribe. They came in search of the last waterbender of the tribe and, as faith, destiny, spirits or whatever was ruling his life would have it, the last and only waterbender of the tribe was his little eight year old sister, Katara.
Not that the fire nation soldiers would know it, or anyone outside of the tribe really. It was a secret well kept, so well kept in fact, that Sokkas' mother sacrificed herself in order to protect his sister.
That was the day that Sokka vowed to never forgive the Fire Nation for what they did to his family and countless others across the world.
It was a hard truth to accept, his mothers death. At first, he would often wake up soaked in cold sweat, a chill working its way down his spine, tears pooling in his eyes as he realized he dreamed about his mother. Though as the years passed Sokka realized that the memory of his mother was gradually fading away, that he was slowly forgetting the sound of her voice, her face, the feeling of her gentle hands as she would cares his face before placing soft kiss on his forehead while tucking him into bed.
Sokka's hatred for the Fire Nation only grew three years later, after his father and the other men of the tribe were forced to go fight in the war. He had wanted to join them, to prove himself, to, in a way, avenge his mothers' death. But alas, as his life was one gigantic cosmic joke, he was too young to fight, to witness the horrors and atrocities of war. Sokka was left behind in the southern pole as the only man of the tribe, if anyone could even consider a thirteen year old boy a man.
So him and Katara had been raised by their grandmother, Kanna, and, even though Sokka had them, he would often find himself feeling lonely. Not really having anyone of his age to talk to about his troubles, worries and dreams. Not really having anyone to connect with, someone he would call a friend.
He made it work though, he took great care of his sister and grandmother, going fishing and hunting for food, watching over his sister if she were to get sick. Sokka had even learned to braid Katara's hair when their grandmothers hands had started to slowly shake and the braids turned out messy.
Thus, on his fifteenth birthday, when the soulmate tattoo appeared on his arm it was in a way comforting. I don't believe you are all alone, it read, and in reality he wasn't all alone. He had his sister, his grandmother and his father, even though he was currently fighting in the war somewhere Sokka believed he would see him again someday, and that was enough for him.
The day Sokka's life would change began like any other and ended like no other.
There he was, in a small canoe, holding his spear and trying to catch his lunch, Katara sitting next to him, looking bored out of her mind, staring into the water that surrounds them.
Just as Sokka was eyeing his future lunch, a fish swimming innocently next to the boat, he heard his sister shout behind him, "Sokka look!"
"Shh! Katara, you are going to scare it away." His stomach grumbled at the thought of the fish roasting over a fire; he could smell it already.
Raising his spear, Sokka was preparing to strike it. His eyes opened wide and focused only on the fish swimming below, his tongue sticking out slightly from the corner of his lips.
"But Sokka I already caught one!" Katara exclaimed. The words not even registering with Sokka before he was soaked in sea water.
"Hey!" he looked at his sister accusatorily. "Why is it every time you play with your magic water I get soaked?" he grumbled.
"It's called waterbending Sokka," Katara said, crossing her arms in the process, "and it's-"
"Yeah, yeah, it's unique in our culture, blah, blah, blah," Sokka interrupted her, mockingly opening and closing his hand in a manner of speaking.
And, oh boy, did that not go over well with Katara, Sokka thought to himself. She was always easy to anger and jumped at every chance to argue. Moreover, they were siblings and what else is there for bored-out-of-their-mind siblings to do, besides arguing. So they did, often, including now.
Therefore, it wasn't really that surprising when Katara's water magic, waterbending, or whatever else she called it, went from simply weird to officially freakish, bizarre even, as she managed to unknowingly split a whole iceberg in half. Well, it also looked kind of cool and extremely powerful, not that Sokka would ever tell her that.
The wave made by the iceberg falling into the water sends them back and, arguing forgotten, they hold onto each other and the boat as to not fall in.
"Did I really do that?" Katara asks, tone of amazement present in her voice.
"Yup," Sokka nudges her with his elbow, "congratulations."
Their exchange was cut short as bubbles started appearing all around them and they could see a glowing light in the water.
"What the actual-" Sokka started saying jus as a huge glowing orb surfaced from below them.
It could be another iceberg, Sokka reasoned, but icebergs weren't usually perfect spheres and they didn't glow and they sure as hell didn't have monstrous shadows inside of them.
"Look Sokka! There is somebody inside of it," his sister said, pointing at the iceberg.
Getting a better look at where his sister was pointing he could see a small humanoid shadow. It seemed like a small man, or a child, was floating inside the iceberg. There were some kind of arrows - tattoos maybe, Sokka thought - all over his arms and one on the top of his shaved head. It looked like nothing he had ever seen before.
The boy in the iceberg, as Sokka had decided on calling him, abruptly opened his eyes. Sokka's breath was caught in his throat, the boy's eyes emitted a brilliant light form them. He could hear his sister gasp next to him.
"He's alive! Sokka we have to help him!" Katara cried out, grabbing a paddle that laid on the side of the canoe and began moving them towards the iceberg.
"No, Katara! We don't know what that thing is," he hissed at his sister.
She acted as if she didn't hear him and just continued on paddling to the iceberg. When they got close enough, Katara jumped form their canoe and onto the ice surrounding the sphere.
Oh spirits, Sokka, you and your protective big-brother instincts, you can't let her go alone, he thought to himself; and so he grabbed his club that was laying in the canoe and jumped right behind her. Passing in front of her he took on a fighting stance, holding his club with both of his hands next to his head, his legs spread apart.
Before he could process it, Katara quickly snatched the club from his hands.
"Hey! Give it back," he yelled after her but to no avail. She had already started hitting the iceberg, trying to free the boy trapped inside.
First hit, and Sokka didn't know what he was expecting, but nothing happened except a few cracks appearing on the ice.
Second hit, and it's - still nothing. Third hit. Fourth hit.
Just as Katara was starting to get desperate, fifth hit, an enormous beam of light burst from the iceberg into the sky.
Just what the actual fuck was this, Sokka truly had no idea.
What was trapped in that iceberg, was a really, really weird kid. Who was also apparently an airbender, which really made no sense to Sokka. Because as he was taught, or at least as his grandmother always told him stories, airbenders have been wiped out, massacred, murdered at the start of the war, a hundred years ago.
So maybe Sokka was sick and hallucinating, maybe the sun hit him too hard or maybe he was simply dreaming. Even if there was an airbender he should be a hundred-something years old, not like twelve.
Another reason why Sokka thought that this kid was really, really weird, is because the kid, or Aang as he said his name was, just got out of the iceberg that he has been trapped in for spirits know how long and the first thing he does is ask his sister if she wants to go penguin sledding with him. Who does that, really? On the other hand who gets trapped in an iceberg and actually survives.
Besides, what was that beam of light, was the boy, Aang, trying to signal the Fire Navy or something, someone, else? Sokka truly didn't know, and the kid was of no help whatsoever, pretending that the war isn't even going on. So Sokka decided he should be weary of this Aang, supposed airbender, and keep an eye on him.
However, the kid got the benefit of doubt because he gave them a ride back to their village, on his monster. Aang's air bison, or Appa he called it, although if Sokka was asked it wasn't much of an air bison, seeing as he didn't even fly them back to the village but rather swam to there.
Sokka wouldn't call himself knowledgeable per se, he had never traveled outside of his little village and had hardly any knowledge of the world beyond it. What he would call himself is wise, he wasn't quick to trust some random boy that came out of the iceberg and is claiming to be an airbender, like everyone in his village had been. Truly people, what is wrong with you, his sister especially.
Katara sneaked off somewhere with the kid later on, and spirits, was Sokka going to give her a stern talking to about trusting strangers and weird boys. That was a problem for a later time, when she gets back, Sokka reasoned, for now he was focused on sharpening his boomerang.
He had no idea if the beam of light was noticed by anyone else or if there were fire nation fleets in the vicinity It is always best to be prepared for anything, his mother had always told him, and he took that advice to heart. Always thinking ahead, reasoning and weighing his options before making important decisions.
At this time he decided it was best to be prepared for the worst case scenario, if there really was a fleet nearby Sokka was the only one who could protect his village. Sure, there were boys that he trained to fight ever since their fathers, and his own father, left for war, but all of them were to young to fight yet, ranging for six to nine years old. So if there really was going to be a fight, Sokka would be all alone.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a flare soaring across the sky, and he is really, really going to have to talk to Katara about trusting weird kids.
It wasn't long before Katara and Aang came back to the village, the small airbender sheepishly hiding behind her.
"Katara what the fuck was that?" He asked, pointing a finger at the two of them, hoping he looked and sounded stern enough.
"Oh Sokka, don't worry," his sister stated lightheartedly, "we were just having fun penguin sledding, when we passed the old warship-"
"You went onto the warship?" Sokka exclaimed, voice raised.
"Well not initially, but Aang had never seen one before and decided to go in," Katara said, looking into the ground now. "And I couldn't let him go in alone, so I followed him."
"What is wrong with both of you?" He looked from his sister to Aang, and then back to her, "Katara you really shouldn't trust boys like that, he could be a Fire Nation spy for all we know," he was back to looking accusatorily at Aang.
"But he isn't Sokka, he-" Katara started before Sokka cut her off.
"But he could be Katara, he just signaled the Fire Nation with that flare!"
"No he didn't!" she shouted getting increasingly angrier at her brother. "It was a booby trap that he accidentally triggered!"
"I'm sure that's what he wants you to think!" Sokka yelled back, finger pointing to the airbender who was now standing a bit further back and looked lost in thought. "He has to go Katara," he now whisper yelled to his sister.
"No! Aang isn't going anywhere!" Katara shouted desperately.
"It's okay Katara, I'll go," Aang cut in, looking at Katara with sadness in his eyes. "I've only managed to create problems here," there was a tone of sorrow in his voice and Sokka internally cringed. He wasn't as quiet as he had hoped to be.
As Aang turned away, Katara yelling after him that he didn't have to really go, that she'll talk some sense into her brother, Sokka started reasoning with himself once again. It was better like this, he didn't trust the kid and his sister will get over it soon. It was better like this.
Aang was now on Appa, walking further from the village, and Katara was looking at her brother menacingly. It was better like this, she will forget this ever happened in a matter of months and they would be safe.
Black snow started falling from the sky, and Sokka was going to murder somebody. That boy really was trying to signal the Fire Nation. He looked at his sister as if to say I told you so, but her eyes were growing wide, looking scared and Sokka couldn't bring himself to act smug at this moment.
Instead he turned to the rest of the people in the village, all of them looking terrified and frozen with fear; and his heart broke a little. This could very well be the end of the Southern Water Tribe, because who was going to protect it. Sokka was only one man, one boy really, and everyone, even him, knew that he could do nothing against a Fire Nation fleet. But he sure as hell is going to try and he sure as hell will succeed in protecting them or, the more grim option, he is going to die trying to protect them. Spirits does Sokka hope it's not the latter.
"Everybody go hide inside your homes," he yelled and the sound of his voice seemed to snap people out of the trance they were in.
"Warriors," he called the kids he trained. "Go hide behind the igloos and don't come out until you get the signal!"
The kids scurried off to hide and, oh spirits, they were just kids, Sokka thought. He never will give the signal in the end.
Sokka ran back to his igloo in a frenzy, put on his war paint and grabbed his boomerang and club that were thrown on his sleeping pelts. Running back out, he climbed up and stood on the snowy walls surrounding the village, looking into the horizon, searching for fire nation ships across it.
Not that he could see the horizon, or anything really, as the dark gray fog enveloped the tiny village. So instead of seeing the ship, he could suddenly feel the wall beneath him shaking as the ship began breaking the ice in between them, but Sokka stood his ground. He could never betray his tribe, his people and run away from this fight.
A shadow of the massive ship appeared in front of him, he couldn't really see it yet, but the wall slowly began crumbling as it was slowly but surely approaching. Sokka had never been more scared in his life.
He wasn't this scared when his father took him hunting for the first time and he saw a huge polar bear dog. The creature was in reality, at least now, kind of cute an endearing. However when he was still a small child it was terrifying. Sokka wasn't this scared last year, when once on his solo fishing trips, he stumbled upon a wolf-orca, a creature much more fright inducing and more bloodthirsty than the polar bear dog. He wasn't this scared even when the firebenders last came to his village, just three years ago. At that time he had his father next to him to protect him, but even Hakoda couldn't protect everyone that time. Now, he didn't have his father next to him, nor his mother, his sister was hiding and Sokka was all alone.
The ship came to a complete stop, mere meters in front of Sokka who began raising his boomerang as the bow of the ship started lowering, forming a walkway.
Expecting a whole navy, Sokka was surprised when only one man began descending on the walkway, but he quickly regained his composure, staring viciously at the firebender. His thoughts at that moment were clear, I will kill you or I will die trying.
The, now banished, Prince Zuko had nobody but himself. Sure he had his uncle, who only spoke in some weird riddles and thought everything was a life lesson, was constantly happy and calm; but what could that man know about Zuko's life. And, sure, he had his small crew of fire nation soldiers, who he was always yelling at and wasn't really close to any of them. Last, and possibly the least, he had his soulmate who, as Zuko was sure, was going to kill him or Zuko was going to kill them. On those specifics he wasn't sure.
His mother had left him, his father had burned and banished him and his younger sister was a maniac before he even left the Fire Nation. Spirits, he doesn't even want to think what became of her now.
So as a mere teenager, with lots of pent up aggression and traumas, Zuko didn't feel like there was anyone in the world with whom he could be himself with. Truth to be told he wasn't even trying, he gave that up a long time ago.
Currently he only had one goal in mind, his one mission, it wasn't to make friends as he traveled across the world with his uncle and it certainly wasn't to find his soulmate, he was actively avoiding that one. No, his current mission was to find and capture the Avatar so he could return to the Fire Nation, return home.
Those were the terms his father gave him upon banishing him, or at least those were the terms relayed to Zuko by his uncle as the last thing he remembered before the banishment was his fathers hands, melting the flesh on Zuko's face. The next thing he remembered was waking up on a boat, Iroh, his uncle, sitting next to him and saying he needed to capture the Avatar.
For the last three years he had tried to do exactly that, he traveled across the nations, visited every air temple, searched every corner of the world to no avail. The Avatar had vanished a hundred years ago and there was still no sign of him anywhere.
As this faithful day had started, Zuko knew it was going to be unlike any other. There was a heavy feeling deep inside his gut, telling him to be alert and prepare for the day; and for once Zuko decided to listen to it. Maybe being on high-alert the whole day made him a bit more irritable than usual, not that anyone besides his uncle had noticed that.
"Zuko why don't you sit for a bit and lay pai sho with me?" Iroh asked his nephew gesturing with his hand to the seat across of him.
"I don't need to play pai sho uncle! I need to find the Avatar," Zuko retorted, already annoyed at his uncle, even though the sun came out mere hours ago.
They were sailing across the southern seas. No end of the water in sight and the line between the sky and water blurred at the horizon.
Iroh glanced at his nephew, a fond look in his eyes, "Yes prince Zuko, we've been down this road before. You need to find the Avatar to restore your honor and-"
"Hey! Look there!" Zuko cut him off, pointing to a distant beam of light shooting into the sky, "Do you realize what this means uncle? It must be him!"
"Maybe, my nephew," Iroh said, before carefully choosing his next words, "Or maybe it is simply the celestial lights. We are near the southern pole after all."
"No, it has to be him!" he argued getting increasingly exasperated by his uncle's words, but instead of lashing out, he turned towards his crew and yelled, "Set a course for the light!"
For the first time in a while, Zuko could say that he was feeling hopeful. The source of light must have been something powerful, it must have been the Avatar and there was no other explanation about it.
Zuko could feel a thrill rushing down his spine, a weight falling off of his heart as he imagined capturing the Avatar, his father and sister welcoming him back into the palace, welcoming him back home. His father maybe even apologizing and saying he was wrong about Zuko, that he wasn't just lucky to be born, that he was made and destined for more.
He imagined giving a speech to his people about how he defeated the Avatar, how he managed to capture him and bring the Fire Nation to victory. He imagined the faces in the crowd, all of them proud and amazed at his feats, what he, Zuko alone, managed to achieve.
He imagined maybe even reconciling with his sister, or at least her friends, he always did like them better; and he would finally have someone of his age to talk to, someone who would listen to him and perhaps even care about him.
The ship hit the ice ahead of them and Zuko slowly descended below the deck, readying himself for the fight against the Avatar. Oh spirits, what if the Avatar is much more powerful than he is, what if he kills Zuko - and, no, he really shouldn't think like that. He had to capture the Avatar; for his people, for his family, for his father, for himself. He had no other choice if he wanted the life he imagined for himself.
The ship came to a complete stop, the walkway lowered and Zuko stepped out, ready to face the Avatar, to get what he longed for these last three years. As the fog around him cleared a bit, he shot a few glances across the - village? - if you could really call it that considering the fact that all he saw was ten igloos, at most.
There wasn't a soul in sight, except the man, boy it looked more like, standing across from him at a few meters distance and glaring murderously.
I don't believe you are all alone, Zuko thought to himself. This must be some kind of ambush, there must be other soldiers hiding in the snow that surrounds them.
Taking a deep breath, Zuko started marching forward, ready to face the boy and his destiny.
The rest was history.