The Fearful Prince (An Avatar the Last Airbender Fan Fiction)

Chapter 3

As Hakoda walked through the halls of the air temple, he could hear faint laughter. He towards the sound and soon found its origin in an open courtyard. He hid behind a pillar as he watched the scene play out.

"Dive Zuko!" Aang yelled.

Zuko tumbled onto the ground and hit the ball right before it touched the ground. "All you Sokka!"

Sokka jumped into the air and spiked it over the net. Managing to score a point. "That's 6 points team Aang, and 5 points team Katara!" The Duke held up a sign with the numbers.

"Yeah!" Sokka and Aang each gave Zuko a high five. "Nice dive man!"

"Yeah dude, that was the perfect setup for me to just go Kablowy!!!" Sokka recreated him spiking the ball over the net.

Zuko laughed at Sokka's antics. "Where have these volleyball skills been this whole time? you might have actually won a couple of our fights if you used them." He teased and everyone laughed.

"Hey, I resent that remark! Team Avatar beat you like, every time!" He argued.

"I distinctly remember, Aang, Katara, and Toph doing most of the heavy lifting." He countered.

"Ouch! Do you need Katara to make you some ice for that burn?!" Toph laughed.

"Well... Well at least..." Sokka stuttered. "At least my hair wasn't as stupid as yours!"

Zuko's face turned red in embarrassment, "It was a phase ok?! All teens go through them! You children wouldn't understand!"

"Why I outa..." Sokka jumped onto Zuko who let out a very unmanly yelp. "It is time that I reclaim my honor!" he put on a fake Zuko voice and put a hand over one eye. "I shall fulfill my destiny and capture the Avatar!"

"Oh yeah?" Zuko kicked him off and stood up. He grabbed his hair and held it like it was in a ponytail. "Look at me, I'm Sokka, I'm so funny I'm the only one who gets my jokes! Have I told you about my boomerang? It's super cool!"

"Oh my gosh, that is the perfect impression!" Katara was wheezing from how hard she was laughing.

"Ugh, laughter is so trivial." Sokka continued. "Angst is what really matters. I'm so angsty and depressed all the time. I just hate fun!"

"I don't hate fun; I just know how to act mature. Unlike some people!" However, to prove his point, he stuck his tongue out at Sokka.

Suki chuckled, "Oh yeah, real mature..."

Sokka stuck out his tongue too, and they both started blowing raspberries at each other.

Hakoda continued watching from his hiding spot. It was clear that Zuko wasn't nervous when he was around the other kids. It seemed like he only acted like that when he was around. To test his theory, Hakoda stepped out of the shadows. "This sure is the strangest game of volleyball I have ever seen."

"Oh, hey dad!" Sokka turned and smiled at him.

Katara shook her head and laughed, "Yeah, it kind of fell apart..."

The smile was wiped from Zuko's face, and he was staring down at the ground. As Hakoda observed him, it almost appeared like he was shaking. "Zuko, you do an exceptionally good impersonation of Sokka. Very impressive." Everyone started laughing. Zuko on the other hand seemed to be shaking more vigorously now.

"I uh... thanks..." he was twisting and wringing his hands together. "I uh... I need to go..." he quickly ran off back towards the temple.

Aang watched as he left, "huh, that was strange..."

Hakoda sighed, "I do not think your friend likes me very much."

"Who Zuko?" Katara asked. "Why do you say that?"

"He seems to be really skittish around me," Hakoda replied. "Every time I walk into a room, he becomes very defensive."

"We really don't know much about Zuko's past do we?" Toph said thinking out loud.

"No, we don't..." Aang looked down. "He's not exactly big on sharing though... He mostly keeps things like that to himself."

"I'm sure he'll get used to you," Sokka assured. "It's probably just 'cuz he doesn't know you very well."

Hakoda thought it over, "Yeah... maybe..." but he wasn't sure.

(A/N - Hey guys, thanks for reading! :) Flamio Hotman!)