An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 4: Return to the Fire Nation

Sokka woke up to the sound of metal being struck repeatedly with some blunt object. He shot out of bed and reached for his boomerang only to see it was Katara banging on a pot with a large metal spoon.

"You just had to wake me up like that didn't you," he said unamused. He set his boomerang back down on the small nightstand and rubbed his aching eyes.

"I thought it was better than splashing you with water," Katara said with a laugh. "We're almost to the fire nation capital, I thought you might like to at least look presentable before we get there."

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked, obviously offended at the implication of him not looking presentable.

"Sokka your hair is greasy and your shirt has drool on it," Katara pointed to the spot on his shirt that was obviously wet.

"Point taken," he said pulling his hair back into the classic wolf tail he had sported his whole life. Katara left and he heard her walk up the stairs to the deck, likely to thank the captain for bringing them safely to the fire nation.

Sokka quickly splashed some water on his face and brushed his hair to make it look less messy. He changed quickly and went to join his sister above deck. In the distance he saw the outline of the palace, a grand building that stood high above the surrounding city. Unlike the last time they had come to the capital, it no longer seemed opposing and dangerous.

"Feels weird to be back here," Sokka said quietly to Katara. "Very," she replied with a small nod.

The ship pulled into the port and the captain expertly lined the ship up with the dock. Katara and Sokka grabbed their belongings and thanked the crew before making their way to the carriage that was awaiting them.

Katara got in first, followed by her brother with their luggage. Sokka looked around the interior in awe. He had never traveled in such luxury before and it sure was an upgrade from an old rusty boat that creaked with each gentle wave.

"I could get used to this," Sokka said with a big grin. Katara rolled her eyes and took a seat across from her brother, looking out the window as the carriage began its journey towards the palace.

They passed by merchant stands and warehouses before moving into a residential district. The houses were small but charming and it was easy to tell the fire nation citizens had good lives in the capital. Sokka hoped one day his people would be able to afford such comforts, but for the time being they had to focus on rebuilding their tribe first.

The carriage moved out of the residential area and began a climb up the large hill the palace was located atop. Merchant stands and shops lined the main road and children were running along playing games and laughing with ease. Sometimes it was hard to believe there had just been a war that had lasted for a hundred years, but if you looked hard enough you could see the scars the war had left on the people of all the nations.

Sokka's mind was pulled out of his thoughts when the carriage came to a stop at the entrance of the palace. Royal guards helped Katara out of the carriage and collected her bags and he followed her out. When a guard tried to grab his bag, he pulled it away and shook his head. "Thanks, but I've got it under control."

He looked up and his heart skipped a beat. Looking back at him was Zuko, although he now had his hair pulled back into a neat bun with the crown sat atop his head. Katara gently hit his arm and he snapped back to reality.

"It's so good to see you two!" Zuko said with the biggest smile Sokka had seen on him in a long time. Zuko gave both of them a hug and motioned for them to follow him. He led them through the palace, pointing out changes he had made to get rid of any trace of fire lord Ozai.

"You've really spruced up the place Zuko," Katara said. Her comment seemed to make Zuko uneasy and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Zuko said not meeting her eyes. "This is the way to your rooms. I had them prepared especially for you two, I hope you like them."

Sokka and Katara gave each other a concerned glance but didn't say anything. They followed Zuko to the end of a long hallway and he opened a door. "This is your room Katara. I had the palace staff replace the sheets and decorations with blue ones," he said scratching his neck, "I hope you like it."

"Zuko it's perfect, thank you!" Katara said doing her best to ease the uneasiness her friend was feeling. She was sure he was nervous to have them here since the last time she was at the palace she had almost been killed by his sister.

"I'll leave you to get settled," Zuko said, "dinner will be ready at five. If you need anything feel free to ask any of the palace staff for help."

Katara thanked Zuko again and walked into her room, noticing her bags had already been brought in and laid in front of the large bed.

"Your room is down this way," Zuko said and motioned for Sokka to follow him down another large hallway. "I tried to get you a room near your sister but most of the rooms still need to be cleaned up. We didn't have many visitors when my father was in power."

Zuko's voice trailed off and Sokka could feel the shame in it. He placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and Zuko looked up at him. "Hey don't worry about it, Katara and I have been spending enough time together as it is and it'll be nice to not have her right down the hall banging a pot to wake me up."

Zuko didn't know what Sokka was referring to, but the smile on his face helped him feel a little less bad about separating them, even if it wasn't intentional.

The two stopped in the middle of the large hallway and the fire lord motioned towards an ornately designed wooden door. Sokka turned the knob and pushed the door open, revealing a large room that despite its size felt extremely cozy and welcoming. He walked in and set down his bags to the left of the large queen-sized bed.

When he noticed Zuko was standing awkwardly by the door he waved his hand towards him. "You don't have to stand there like a mummy," Sokka said with a laugh to which Zuko adopted his signature look of annoyance.

The look didn't last long, and he walked over to where Sokka was unpacking his bags. Zuko was surprised to see how much stuff his friend had brought, and he realized he did not even know how long his friends had planned to stay. He hadn't mentioned any specifics in the letter because he didn't think about it at the time he wrote his letter.

"How long are you planning on staying," Zuko asked as Sokka laid out his clothes on his bed, scratching his neck again out of nervousness.

"We were thinking of staying a week or two," Sokka said without looking over at Zuko, "maybe less if we are needed back home before then."

For some reason that last part made Zuko's heart sink. He didn't know why he was feeling all of these emotions lately, and he definitely didn't know what to think of them either.

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like," was all he could think to say. Part of the fire lord wished his friends would stay longer, but he knew they had important jobs to do too.

"I have an important law to read over before dinner tonight. If you need anything my room is the next door down," Zuko said and made his way to the doorway.

"Zuko," Sokka said as he reached the door and made him stop in his tracks. "Thank you for asking us to come visit, I know you're really busy ruling the fire nation and it isn't easy for you to find time for us."

If only Sokka knew that it was Zuko who felt truly lucky that his friends had made time to come visit him. He had never had friends before he met them, and at times he still felt very alone even in a palace full of guards, staff, and his uncle.

"Anytime," Zuko said and gently closed the door to Sokka's room. For a reason unknown to him he felt at peace again. The weight of ruling the fire nation may still have rested on his shoulders, but he felt like he could handle it as long as he had his friends by his side.

He walked into his room and sat down at his desk. A new law regarding the transfer of war criminals laid before him, but for the first time, his heart didn't go racing as he read through the legislation. For the first time, he felt like there was hope for him yet to make his people proud, to be the leader his father never was.