Pyrophobia || Sokka x Reader

|Chapter 1|

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"Finally.." My brother's voice left his mouth as only a whisper. I flinched at the sight of a blue light appearing from beyond the horizon.

"Uncle, do you realize what this means?" A beacon of light had appeared in the distance, signaling the presence of the Avatar.

"I won't get to finish my game?" A small grin of amusement flashed across my face at my uncle's words. It quickly disappeared. Iroh caught sight of it and smiled back, remembering how I used to smile daily. The small smile I had shown was rare and made him feel somewhat accomplished.

Zuko rolled his eyes in annoyance "It means my search is about to come to an end." Uncle Iroh only sighed, attempting to finish his game. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source!"

"That's how it seems to work.." I thought, looking down at my burnt wrists. I had many scars up my arms, legs, and back.

"It has to be him!" Zuko was sure that the Avatar had returned. My uncle, not so much.

"Or it's just the Celestial Lights," he shrugged, "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing."

Zuko was boiling with anger, refusing to accept our uncle's words.

"Why don't you join your sister and me for a nice cup of calming jasmine tea." Iroh offered, noticing how I perked up at the mention of tea.

"I DON'T NEED ANY CALMING TEA!" Zuko yelled at uncle, anything but calm. I flinched at the sight and sound of my brother raising his voice, taking a step back. Zuko didn't notice my response and continued to yell, "Helmsmen, head a course for the light!" He pointed at the now dissipating column of blue before turning around.

Zuko stormed off, fists clenched in anger. We saw him walk off deck and slam the door behind him.

I sat down next to Uncle Iroh with a sigh. He smiled reassuringly at me and offered me a cup of tea. I thanked him and took a sip. I felt the warmth flood through my body, down my throat, and into my fingertips. I hummed at the pleasant feeling.

It was quiet for a moment before I spoke, setting down my teacup. "Uncle?" my voice was soft and quiet, yet still monotone. He hummed in response, still drinking his tea. "I don't... I don't know how I feel about all this. Finding the Avatar, I mean."

Iroh set down his cup, "What do you mean, Y/n?" He sent me a questioning look.

I looked down at my hands which were sat in my lap. "I'm not sure. I feel as though I don't belong here. It's not because of my bending, I just..." I trailed off on my sentence, not exactly sure what I was trying to say myself. "I'm broken, Uncle. They've broken me." I looked up from my hands, surprised to see my uncle wearing a look of understanding.

He reached across the table and set a warm hand on my shoulder. "Y/n, the task to find the Avatar was assigned to your brother, not you. Ask yourself this, who are you and what do you really want? You're strong, whether you realize it or not."

I thought on his words a bit before responding, "I'm... I'm not quite sure what I want, Uncle. I want to write my own destiny, but I don't know what I want it to be."

"That's alright, Y/n. No one's destiny is set in stone, not even the one you write yourself." I smiled at him slightly before standing up.

"You're right, Uncle. Thank you for your wisdom." I paused "And the tea of course." He smiled at this. I walked away to my quarters for some time to think to myself.

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"Should I really be doing this?" I asked myself, not sure if I should go through with my plan. Even though I was wearing a pair of thick gloves, my hands were already getting cold. "Of course. I've already come this far."

I looked over the side of the ship, the drop looking much larger in the dark. If I left the ship normally, I would draw too much attention to myself. I would have to jump. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should have left a note. "No, my gifts will suffice."

I quickly braided my hair, not wanting it to get in the way. I held my breath and jumped over the edge of the ship, plunging into the freezing waters. A painfully cold feeling shot through my body and it took me a moment to remember I was still under the water. I swam up and resurfaced, my muscles stiff in the cold. I gasped for air, desperate to fill my lungs. I paddled myself to the icy shore as quickly as I could, my joints locking. I laid there on my back, taking a long moment to catch my breath. My chest rose up and down and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

I looked down at my hands and summoned a small flame in each, using it to heat myself. It wasn't strong enough to completely dry my clothes, but I was able to move my legs again. I stood up, still slightly shaky.

Then I started to walk. I trekked through the icy terrain, only slightly regretting my decision of leaving the ship. It had been about a day of walking when I found a small cave on the side of a mountain. The sun was setting by then. I had no time to sleep.

I only lit a small campfire using the materials I had in my bag. I sat by the fire and rubbed my hands together. The friction created almost as much warmth as the fire itself.

My legs had ceased their shaking and my cheeks had returned to their original color. It had only been a few hours, but I set off again, not quite sure where I was headed.

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(edited)