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Sokka could hardly believe his eyes. When Iroh said his nephew had been being trained personally by Ozai for the past three years, this is not what he pictured. If there was a way to make the waifish boy in front of him less like the image in his head, Sokka couldn't think of it now, because…
Turtleducks.
Turtleducks everywhere.
And in the middle of them all…
“Hello.”
His voice was raspy and quiet. Small. Like him. Sokka had never seen someone so pale and sickly looking be allowed out of bed. It made the massive scar on his face stand out, red and angry. Aaaaand he was staring like a massive creep.
“Hi. Nice to meet you. And your fluffy little friends."
Thank the spirits for Toph. Nothing ever seemed to leave her tongue-tied. Aang and Katara were still goggling in shock.
When they showed up at the palace on Appa to request (demand, really) an audience with the Fire Lord, they expected to be led to an intimidating throne room if they were let in at all. None of them could have forseen being taken to a tranquil garden with a pond in the center, only to have the least intimidating person on the planet be introduced as Fire Lord Zuko. There was a lap desk in reach in the shade of the tree his back rested against, and he couldn't move to greet them without dislodging the cluster of fluffy turtleducklings sleeping on his robe. One grown duck was perched on his lap, head tilted to the side to rest on his abdomen in sleep. She clearly had no problem with her fluffy babies snuggling in a cluster around the leader of the evil fire nation. And was that a wheelchair parked around the other side of the tree?!
Aang seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. “You've collected a lot of turtleducks there. Have you been out here long?”
“They’re very tame. Umm… I… I could get up? It's just, they fell asleep… and I didn't want to disturb them. I wasn't expecting visitors today.” The boy trailed off as color rose in his face.
Aang pulled Katara to sit with him across from the scarred teen. “No, no. I love animals. We can stay here for now. Maybe later you can come meet Appa and Momo!”
“Whatever, Twinkletoes. I'm not in any hurry to leave the ground any time soon. I hate not being able to see when we fly.”
She flopped gracelessly back onto the dirt. Zuko jumped back in what Sokka could only call a flinch, causing disgruntled peeping from his passengers. Sokka chuckled at the adorable noise as he folded himself cross-legged on Zuko's good side. Maybe since Zuko was so different from the I-Got-My-Butt-Kicked King, there was a chance for peace after all.