Sokka heard muffled voices on the other side of the hatch. Quickly, he rolled to his feet, then had to pause to nearly hack up his lungs. The sickness was still in him, might never leave, but he was getting better day by day.
Katara wasn't.
He sometimes thought Katara didn't want to, not after they lost Aang.
The locking wheel turned and the door was pushed open. A Fire Nation boy Katara's age stood there. He wore armor as fine as the princess's, but unlike hers and all the adult's, his was pulled up into a high horsetail. Maybe it was the light, though, but he looked an awful lot like Azula.
"They are just Water Tribe," one of the two old women said, reaching for the boy's shoulder.
"Of no interest," added the other.
"They're the Avatar's companions," the boy said softly. "That makes them interesting."
"Zuko!" the princess bellowed, anger roiling like the blue in her flames. "What are you doing on my ship?"
For a flash of an instant, the boy looked annoyed. Then he put a smile on his face and turned towards the oncoming princess.
Her armor was gleaming and glossy, her hair perfectly arranged in a topknot, her lipstick the precise shade of red to make a man think of blood. She should have been gorgeous, but all Sokka could think was that she was scary.
"I came to see what happened," Zuko replied, his voice suddenly more childish and young-sounding. "Father's so mad at you, and he's never mad at you."
Anger hardens the princess's expression. "Admiral Zhao captured the Avatar with the Yu Yan archers. It is to the glory of the Fire Nation that he was captured at all. Now I can turn to more important matters, such as the conquest of Ba Sing Se."
Zuko's head bobbed in acknowledgment, then he reached out to clasp his sister's forearm. "Don't worry, Azula. I'll get the Avatar for you."
Younger!Zuko; Azul is the elder sibling, destined for the throne. What does Zuko have to fight for?
Katara wasn't.
He sometimes thought Katara didn't want to, not after they lost Aang.
The locking wheel turned and the door was pushed open. A Fire Nation boy Katara's age stood there. He wore armor as fine as the princess's, but unlike hers and all the adult's, his was pulled up into a high horsetail. Maybe it was the light, though, but he looked an awful lot like Azula.
"They are just Water Tribe," one of the two old women said, reaching for the boy's shoulder.
"Of no interest," added the other.
"They're the Avatar's companions," the boy said softly. "That makes them interesting."
"Zuko!" the princess bellowed, anger roiling like the blue in her flames. "What are you doing on my ship?"
For a flash of an instant, the boy looked annoyed. Then he put a smile on his face and turned towards the oncoming princess.
Her armor was gleaming and glossy, her hair perfectly arranged in a topknot, her lipstick the precise shade of red to make a man think of blood. She should have been gorgeous, but all Sokka could think was that she was scary.
"I came to see what happened," Zuko replied, his voice suddenly more childish and young-sounding. "Father's so mad at you, and he's never mad at you."
Anger hardens the princess's expression. "Admiral Zhao captured the Avatar with the Yu Yan archers. It is to the glory of the Fire Nation that he was captured at all. Now I can turn to more important matters, such as the conquest of Ba Sing Se."
Zuko's head bobbed in acknowledgment, then he reached out to clasp his sister's forearm. "Don't worry, Azula. I'll get the Avatar for you."
She laughed in his face.