The Jaded Princess - A Sokka Love Story

Chapter Twenty-Five

The sun had set and come again, and Aang had yet to speak a word to Orzala. Instead, he found himself pacing on top of Appa. Sokka, having sensed the airbender's frazzled state, had offered to steer for a change. Orzala was beginning to wish he hadn't though, because Aang obvious avoidance was starting to frustrate her.

Her jade eyes snapped up to him as he approached her, feet shuffling as he wrung his hands. The princess let out a huff as he turned away from her again. "Would you sit down?" Sokka called, voicing Orzala's thoughts. "If we hit a bump, you'll go flying off. What's bugging you, anyway?"

Aang snapped his attention to the boy. "It's what Avatar Roku said!" His gaze flitted to Orzala for a moment, but he quickly turned away. "I'm supposed to master all four elements before that comet arrives!"

"Well, let's see. You've pretty much mastered airbending, and that only took you a hundred-and-twelve years. I'm sure you can master three more elements by next summer!" Aang's eye bulged, and he went into a wild panic, clutching his head in his hands.

"I haven't even started waterbending and we're still weeks from the North Pole! What am I gonna do?"

Sokka gulped as Orzala's dangerous gaze turned toward him, watching as she stood and walked to the boy. After a final dangerous stare, she turned to Aang, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The airbender was hyperventilating, but his breathing slowed slightly as he met the princess's green eyes.

"You can do this, Aang. I believe in you. You're only twelve and you've already mastered your bending style. It takes other people years to do what you've done. You're very powerful." The avatar smiled slightly, but it quickly fell as another wave of guilt washed over him.

"Orzala, I need to tell you something-" He was cut off by Katara, and his shoulders slumped.

"She's right, Aang. It's gonna be ok!" The waterbender pulled him down next to her, grasping his hands with her slender fingers. "If you want, I can try to teach you some of the stuff I know!" The boy's face lit up, and she couldn't help but smile.

"You'd do that?" He asked, beaming at her. Katara sent him a small nod before standing and looking down to the earth below them.

"We'll need to find to find a good source of water first." Orzala knelt beside them, eyes searching for a suitable practice area for the two. Sokka only scoffed.

"Maybe we can find a puddle for you two to splash in." He flinched again as Orzala whipped around to him, narrowing her eyes.

"You better be glad that I'm not an airbender, Sokka, or else you'd be flying right now. And I don't mean on Appa." He turned away from her quickly, scanning for a place for Aang and Katara to practice.

"Ok, ok, I think I see something. We're going down." As they began their descent, Orzala stood once more to gather her things. She turned to Aang, ready to ask what he had wanted to say earlier, but it seemed he had gone back to avoiding her. A huff left the girl's lips, and she decided it better not to press the subject.

The group landed, and Orzala found herself in awe of the beauty that surrounded them. Towering waterfalls crashed into a large spring, and the princess let out a laugh. She didn't wait for anyone to join her. Instead, she simply took off in a sprint toward the spring, stripping to her underclothes as she went.

Appa seemed to have the same idea, flying up next to her and splashing into the spring. The raven-haired girl snorted, not minding that the bison had splashed her at all. Aang beamed at them from the shore, preparing to go join them, but he was stopped by Katara. "Don't forget why we're here!" She called, making the airbender stop in his tracks. He pouted, turning to her reluctantly.