The Jaded Princess - A Sokka Love Story

Chapter Fifty-Two

"Katara!" 

Orzala's voice was hoarse from calling out to her friend. Still, the younger girl paid her no mind as she ran. Her sobs twisted the princess' heart with guilt, and she pushed herself faster as the younger disappeared from sight.

"Katara, come back!" 

The raven-haired girl whipped around in the clearing, green eyes scanning every possible direction that her friend could've disappeared in. "Katara!" Orzala's shoulders slumped, eyebrows furrowing as her frustration grew.

A rustle erupted behind her, and the princess whirled around. Her gaze turned bewildered as it met Jeong Jeong's, his amber eyes burning with a grief that she knew all too well. "I don't know where she went," she told the firebender quickly, running pale, lanky fingers down her face as she sighed. 

The old man did not respond. Instead, he laid a firm hand on her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow. "Go back to your friends. I will find the girl."

"But--" 

"I don't remember asking, Orzala." The princess's frown deepened, but she offered him a slight bow before begrudgingly turning back the way she came. Her heart reached out to Katara, thumping wildly in her chest as she thought about the possibilities of her powers and the dangers it brought. 

The thoughts brought an icy chill to her veins that had her shaking like a leaf.

The feelings didn't dissipate when she reached the camp, though she could feel the chill giving way to a more subtle burn beneath her skin. She didn't want to think about the comfort that it brought her, or the way it steadied the trembling of her hands. It felt as if the sun itself was burning inside her, causing the ice that had overtaken her veins to thaw away. Orzala glanced at her hands once more, half expecting to find them glowing.

"Orzala?" She started, green eyes snapping up toward the voice. Her hands snapped behind her, and she flashed a nervous smile to Sokka. He was standing mere feet away, rucksack in hand, and the princess allowed her gaze to drift toward the pile of belongings behind him. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing. Where's Katara?" 

"I don't know. Jeong Jeong sent me back. He said he would find her." Sokka only nodded, jaw tense as he returned to packing their things. "Where's Aang?" The boy scoffed, jerking his head toward the lone hut by the river. "He's been in the hut since Jeong Jeong left. If you ask me, he should've been looking for Katara, too, not moping around by himself in the dark."

Orzala's frown deepened, gaze flickering momentarily toward the hut. "He's probably scared," she said softly, causing the boy to pause once more. She didn't meet his eyes, opting instead to play with a golden fray at the end of her cloak. "He's probably confused. He's got this big destiny that he's trying to live up to, with an insane amount of power. And everyone he meets already expects him to live up to that. But how would you feel, if one day you woke up, bestowed with this incredible power-- power that you're supposed to use to help people-- but knowing that it can also bring pain to those around you?"

Sokka's brows furrowed in concern, icy eyes fixated on the girl-- noticing the slight tremble of her lashes as she looked down, refusing to meet his gaze. "Zala--"

She looked up at him them, gaze hard but sad at the same time, and she took a shuddering breath. "Wouldn't that be hard to live with? Knowing that the very thing that's inside you, this thing that everyone keeps telling you is so great, could also be your downfall? That it could hurt everyone you love?"

He didn't know what to say to that. What could he say? He racked his brain for words of reassurance, for anything to steal away the distraught look marring the princess's face, but he came up empty. So they stayed silent, just staring at one another until Orzala finally broke with a shake of her head.

The princess cleared her throat, shaky hands raising to brush away some of the dark baby hairs that had fallen over her face, wiping at her burning eyes as she did so. "Um--" she cleared her throat once more, motioning toward the hut. "I'm going to go. To talk to him."

She darted away, not even giving him the chance to call after her.

It was dark in the hut when she entered, and Orzala had to squint to see Aang even with the firelight. The candles had dimmed, seemingly similar to the avatar's mood, their flames waving weakly as she entered. "Aang--"

"Jeong Jeong tried to warn me. He said I wasn't ready." Orzala quirked an eyebrow at that, not disagreeing, but said nothing. "Is this what you feel?" He asked quietly, turning slightly to glance up at her as she approached. "This fear of losing control?"

The girl drew a deep breath, stepping hesitantly over the candle ring and sinking down beside him. She felt his shoulders sag slightly as she leaned against him, resting her head on his own. "I think it's more than that," she breathed after a moment, eyes fixated before her, "but yes? I think. I feel it building up inside me, itching to come out. But I'm scared that once it does, not only will it burn those around me, but that it will burn me, too."

Aang was silent beside her, and she pulled away to study his face. His brows had furrowed, the skin of his forehead wrinkling slightly with his concentration. She reached up, smoothing the line out with warm fingers. "Stop frowning like that. You're only twelve and you're giving yourself wrinkles," she said, a teasing lilt to her voice. "And you don't have hair to cover them up once you get old."

The avatar released a watery laugh, nudging her shoulder with his own before shaking his head, face becoming serious once more. "I'm never going to firebend again." His words were barely more than a whisper, but Orzala still felt her heart clench. She wrapped an arm around the boy, pulling him closer.

"You'll have to, you know? Eventually. Take this as a lesson and let it guide you in the future." She felt Aang shake his head against her shoulder. "No. Never again." Before she could reply, light filtered into the hut from behind them. The princess gasped, scrambling up from her spot on the ground. Aang let out a small grunt behind her, just barely keeping himself from falling as her weight disappeared.

"Katara!" The girl dashed forward, wrapping the younger in a tight hug before pulling away to examine the burns that should have marred her hands. She shook her head in confusion, green eyes snapping up to Katara for answers. "How are you healed? Are you ok?"

The waterbender gave her a tight smile, nodding. "I can explain later, but right now we have to go. Zhao and his soldiers are attaching by the river. They captured Jeong Jeong!"