A Strange Beginning - Sokka x OC

Chapter 5: Simple Choice or Destiny?

Heyyyyyy, I hope you're doing well. Anyways, if you were looking forward to something to read, I shall give you something to read. Enjoy!

I wake up and I find myself in an unusual tent. It's not mine or Koza's. Then I realize after several seconds that this is the tent Aang rested in.

That was just this morning, I thought. What seems like years ago only happened this morning.

I try to sit up and succeed, but not without effort. I take a deep breath and immediately regret doing so. My chest was stabbing me every time I heaved it.

I found that I was wearing a really loose and scrappy blue robe and that the right side of my chest was covered by a huge squared bandage.

I wanted to see what the burn look like. Sure, I'd probably break down, but that's not new. I went to go pick at the bandage.

"Don't do that. You need to wait for it to heal," someone said.

I looked up and I found Katara. She had a look of remorse on her face and was knelt down next to me by the tent flap.

"Hey," I greeted. I didn't know what else to say.

She just gave a small smile back.

"How long have I been asleep?" I said. I was struggling to keep a sentence going.

"About 3 hours and I wouldn't have been surprised if you stayed asleep longer than that," she said.

"How's th-the vi-village doing?" I asked.

"Not bad, everyone is just trying to get camp back into solid pieces," she replied.

We stayed silent. We were avoiding the elephant in the room.

"Um, di- did Zuko take, ah, did Zuko take Aang?" I asked, wincing with each word. "Like did he capture him back when he knocked me out?"

Katara stayed silent with same look of guilt. I closed my eyes.

"Gosh, I'm s- so sorry, I re-really tried de-d-defeating him," I stammered. My chest was on fire.

"No no no, Safiyah, don't feel bad, please. You literally tried everything you had. I just feel guilty because I wish I did more at that moment," she said sadly.

"Oh Kat- Katara please, ugh, there was nothing you could do. I-I mean, this is Zuko, a fire bender and fighter. Un- u-unless you wa-w-wanted to get seriously hurt, there was nothing much yo-y-you could do. You never lear-le-learned how to fight and you barely know a little of water bending. I wa-w-was better than him when I-I was in the Fire Nation and he still beat me," I told her. "No off-of-offense b-by the way."

"Yeah, none taken," she smiled. I smiled back.

We sat in peace for a few more seconds.

"How did you know Zuko anyways?" she asked. I closed my eyes.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now," I said. I said the words quickly in attempt to talk less and feel less pain. It didn't work very well.

"Ok, I understand," she said.

I lied back down and I turned my head to look at Katara.

"Just d-don't feel b-bad about t-this. You c-cou-couldn't do anything then, and you c-can't do an-anything now," I added.

"Actually, Safiyah, the reason I came here was because I wanted to ask you of a huge favor," she stated. "And you can easily say no, because I know in your circumstances it's incredibly risky."