The Last Hope ~ Book Two ~ sokka x reader x zuko

The Serpents Pass

we stopped at a waterfall along the way to get some down time

'waterbending bomb! yeah!' yelled katara, jumping from the cliff and spraying the whole area with water.

i quickly got a shield of air to protect me but i couldn't exactly say the same for sokkas scrolls.

'sure, 5000 year old maps from the spirit library, just splash some water on 'em.' he said, holding the dripping parchment.

'sorry.' smiled katara, wringing out her hair and water bending the water out of the map.

'so, did you figure out what route we're gonna take?' asked aang who still thought that id gotten over the dabacle in the desert.

i had infact, not.

sokka pointed out places on the map, 'okay. we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here, and we need to go to ba sing se, which is here. it looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the serpent's pass.'

'you sure that's the safest way to go?' i asked, remembering the last time i went over it.

'it's the only way,' he replied, 'i mean it's not like we have appa to fly us there.'

'shush up about appa. can't you at least try to be sensitive?' hushed katara, glancing up at aang.

'katara, it's ok. i know i was upset about losing appa before, but i just want to focus on getting to ba sing se, and telling the earth king about the solar eclipse.' he said.

i looked away, braiding some leaves into a bracelet.

'oh, well, ok. i'm glad you're doing better.' said katara.

'then to ba sing se we go, no more distractions.' said sokka, rolling up the map as a trio of earth Kingdom civilians appeared.

'hello there fellow refugees!' called one of the men happily

'so, are you guys headed to ba sing se too?' asked aang once we'd walked towards them.

'sure are, we're trying to get there before my wife, ying, has her baby.' said the man who's name was than.

'great, we can travel through the serpent's pass together.' said katara as the travellers gasped in horror.

'the serpent's pass?!' asked ying, fearfully, 'only the truly desperate take that deadly route.'

'deadly route. great pick, sokka.' said toph as she hit his arm.

'well, we are desperate.' he said, defensively

'you should come with us to full moon bay. ferries take refugees across the lake. it's the fastest way to ba sing se.' explained than.

'and it's hidden, so the fire nation can't find it.' beamed ying.

katara looked round at us and said sarcastically, 'hmmm, peaceful ferry ride... or deadly pass?'

what a hard decision.

we chose the ferry ride.

---

and the bay wasn't too bad, but it was absoloutely packed with refugees.

'i can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the fire nation.' sighed katara, saddened by the predicament.

'we're all looking for a better life. safe, behind the walls of ba sing se.' said than

we waited in line and made our way to the mean-looking earth kingdom woman at the desk who was going to give us tickets.

she had a go at a cabbage merchant (who i swear id seen before) and told him he couldn't bring his vegetables into ba sing se.