Chapter Text
An excerpt from Culture and Society in the Four Nations :
The tradition of Two Fates has been observed by generations of leaders in all four bending nations, though the practice is most popular among Earth and Fire nation aristocrats. It stems from a legend about two sons born of powerful men engaged in a brutal conflict; in every story, the boys’ violent destinies are blocked when they are spirited away and raised as allies—two fates redirected towards peace or glory.
The details of this legend vary by region, and its origins are unclear. It may have been told originally as a fable for children, to teach the importance of empathy and connection, or perhaps as a political allegory, to exhibit the power of diplomacy and joined forces.
Today, male leaders from each nation have fostered a peaceful political climate and a stable economy by formalizing a similar relationship selectively among their sons, sometimes from birth, but more commonly at seven or eight years old.
From a diplomatic perspective, this arrangement may signify a promise of military support, trade agreements, or other aid. Culturally speaking, however, many believe that the relationship between Two Fates is profound and predetermined, meant to survive death and span lifetimes.
—
—
A Fire Navy vessel arrived at the South Pole in the spring, just as the ice was starting to thin on the edges of the continent. It wasn’t unwelcome, but it was certainly a surprise. Sokka watched from behind a bended slope of ice, eyes just barely peeking over its edge. His father stood by the opening of their home, waiting.
A soldier in a masked helmet walked into the snow when the ship let down its ramp. The guards manning the docks approached him, tense, but the soldier bowed and removed his head covering. He said something Sokka couldn’t hear, but the guards laughed. One even removed his outer coat and threw it over the armored shoulders of their visitor— he was shivering—before he was escorted towards the village, to the house of Chief Hakoda.
Kya greeted him and offered him a seat on their covered floor, elevated and close to the fire. She laughed, too, a very lovely laugh, when he said, “Th-thank you, K-Kya.”
She called Katara and Sokka to bring tea and fuel for the stove, and after their tasks were finished they stood quietly against the wall, hoping not to be noticed. This close, they noticed the soldier’s hair was graying at the temples. His face was creased and solemn, but with a sip of his tea it broke into a warm, satisfied smile. Sokka could have sworn he looked familiar.
Their father, of course, did notice them. “Kids—why don’t you go outside?”
They wanted to protest, but they did have a guest. So the two of them exited the house and pressed their ears against the wall of the main room, fighting over the best spot to eavesdrop.
“Your home is lovely, Chief Hakoda,” they heard.
“Thank you, General Iroh.”
“As always I apologize for the teeth chattering—we don’t get cold like this in the Fire Nation, but I imagine it builds character.”
The two of them laughed and exchanged a few more beats of small talk. Then Hakoda said, “So to what do I owe the pleasure, General?”
“I come with a request from my father.”
Katara and Sokka could hear the shift in their father’s voice. “Fire Lord Azulon? I see. I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you for saying so. You see, my nephew is turning nine years old next month. Prince Zuko.”
“Oh… that’s great to hear. My boy just turned eight.”
“This pertains to him as well. Your son…?”
“Sokka.”
“Ah, I remember. I haven’t seen him since before he could walk. Is he a strong young man now?”
“The strongest,” Hakoda said, “but don’t tell the Fire Lord I said that.”
They laughed again, but Sokka’s face heated with pride. He whispered to Katara. “Did you hear that? I’m the strongest!”
She just elbowed him. “Sh!”
“Fire Lord Azulon,” Iroh continued, “requests an audience with you, and wishes to invite the rest of your family to attend Zuko’s birthday celebration. The Royal Family will be happy to arrange accommodations and transportation to the capital while you’re in the Fire Nation.”
Katara gasped. “A party! In the Fire Nation!”
She sounded excited, but Hakoda’s voice made Sokka nervous. “... I see. I have to ask, General, is this meant to lead to a more… formal alliance?”
“Yes, I believe those are my father and brother’s intentions.”
“Hm.”
“My apologies. I understand these things are arranged delicately, but of course I wouldn’t want you to feel ambushed by the proposal. I will say this: there isn’t a long history of friendship between our two nations, although the Southern Water Tribe has always shown me kindness, and the tea you serve is always very good. But my father believes that closer ties will be mutually beneficial.”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on two children.”
“I would agree, but to be perfectly honest, Chief Hakoda… It is my concern and love for my nephew that leads me to believe being one of Two Fates would be good for him, and for your son. Lu Ten is nearly a man now, but I wish I had given him an opportunity like this when he was young… It’s hard for Prince Zuko to find friends or equals, but he has a good heart, and kindness to spare.”
There was a silence. Sokka found his ears were ringing, just a little. And then he heard his father’s voice once more.
“We would be honored to visit the Fire Nation. Please give the rest of the Royal Family our thanks.”
—
What was all this about a formal alliance and a delicate arrangement? Who was Pukko? What did this have to do with Sokka?
After Hakoda sent Iroh on his way, he reentered his home and was met with these questions in quick succession.
“Sokka. His name is Zuko.”
“That’s what I said!”
“You said BUKO, dummy.”
“Go away , Katara, I’m trying to talk to Dad!”
“Katara, please don’t call your brother names.” Hakoda gently shooed her out of the house, and then sat his son in front of the fire.
“Sokka, do you remember that story about the two boys from the North and South pole?”
Sokka blinked, and sifted through a head full of oral history. “... You mean the one where their dads are fighting so they get sent away to live in the ocean?”
“... Yes, that one.”
“I remember. Oh, no—” Sokka put his head between his hands, “Dad, are you sending me away to live in the ocean? Please say no.”
Hakoda laughed. “No, son. I bring up that story because there’s a custom that— well, a custom that the Southern Water Tribe hasn’t taken part in for quite a long time. And it comes from this story.”
“Well, if the Fire Lord doesn’t want to send us away, then what does he want with me and Zuko?” Speaking about the Fire Lord as if he were a real person scared Sokka, as if Azulon could hear him and see him and judge him from his throne across the sea. Sokka’s mind retreated to an image of “Zuko”, who he had never met, but apparently he was a boy around Sokka’s age. That felt familiar, safe, and real.
“Nothing too difficult, I think. Maybe that you two can become very good friends, so that when you’re older, you can help each other if you’re ever in trouble.”
“... But he lives in the Fire Nation.”
“Yes.”
“And I live at the South Pole.”
“Yes, Sokka.”
Sokka threw his hands up. “But that’s so far! How are we supposed to be friends?”
“Well, I’ll discuss it with his father. But it might mean that you stay with their family for some part of the year, and Prince Zuko will spend time here with us.”
“I have to go over there? What about you?”
“Me? Well, I’ll have to stay here, Sokka, with your sister and mother.”
Sokka’s lip began to tremble, though he looked down at the toes of his boots. Hakoda pulled him into a hug. “Sokka, believe me. The time you spend there will fly by. You might not even want to come back.”
“Yes, I will!” Sokka tightened their embrace. His mouth was a thin line when they pulled apart. “What if… what if I hate him?”
“We’ll be going for a visit, soon. You’ll meet him then. If you don’t like him, then I can always tell the Fire Lord no. It’s all up to you. Either way, it’ll be fine.”
“... What if he hates me?”
Hakoda smiled softly. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, son.”
And so a few weeks passed, and another Fire Navy ship arrived to take them to the capital.
—
Kya made Sokka’s formalwear herself. It had the thickness and warmth of their lighter clothing, but the sash around his waist was wider, and the collar was higher. The fur-lined cape he’d been given was the nicest thing he’d ever owned—shiny and soft and white as snow—but at that moment, among a sea of red-robed guests, it felt hot and heavy and itchy.
Sokka was currently in the largest room he had ever been in. Everything was crimson and black and gold—the polished obsidian floors, the gilded pillars, the high ceiling. He didn’t know what he was eating; when he expected sweetness, it was spicy and salty, and when he expected salty, it was spicy and sweet. He had also expected this celebration to feel more… celebratory. But the guests were mostly adults, and the children that were there were dining quietly and either very obviously ignoring him or very obviously staring at him.
“Sokka.” Katara was sitting between him and his mother. She took his hand in hers under the table. “Why do you look so scared?”
“I’m not scared,” Sokka whispered, though he allowed his hand to be held. “All these Fire Nation kids are just weirding me out. They’re just eating so slow and their backs are so straight and they keep looking at me and not saying anything.”
“Well, maybe you should stop staring at them .”
“I’m not—”
A brass horn blew a single note that echoed through the dining room. All of the guests stood suddenly, and Sokka followed their lead, though a few beats late. The next sound was of the heavy double doors at the east end of the room being pulled open. The guest of honor had arrived.
His skin was pale, like he’d spent his life under the shade. His hair was ink black, tied in a knot at the top of his head and adorned with a polished gold hair decoration shaped like a small flame. But the strangest were his eyes—Sokka would begin to see that color everywhere. But this time, the first time, all he could think of were the eyes of a wolf.
“Prince Zuko!”
His name bounced off of the walls, and everyone in the room bowed low from the waist. Prince Zuko bowed, too. “Thank you all very much for attending. I hope you have a wonderful time.”
“Wow,” Katara said, hand to her mouth. “He sounds… very mature.” And then she looked at her brother worriedly.
In another circumstance, Sokka would have told her that he was mature, too. But the image he had conjured of Zuko—a boy about his age, his new friend, just like him—had been ruined. He didn’t sound like a kid at all. Sokka sank into his chair. Great. What if Zuko was as boring and stuffy as the rest of this party?
There were two seats at the north head of the table. One was for Zuko, on Sokka’s left hand side. Sokka could see the gazes of the other children at the table following the prince as he sat down, and it occurred to him that the cold stares they’d been giving Sokka all evening could be attributed to the seating arrangements, rather than to his outfit. It was probably both.
The other seat was for Prince Ozai, who had disappeared to another room on the other side of the palace to meet with Hakoda and the Fire Lord, leaving behind an empty chair. A woman took the seat across from Sokka, on what would be Ozai’s right side. He’d been playing with his food ever since they had retaken their seats, but he gathered the courage to peer up at her without raising his head. Her smile was gentle, and he guessed she was Zuko’s mother.
Next to her was a girl with painted nails and perfectly arranged hair, about Katara’s age. She seemed dead set on catching his eye, and when she finally did, she giggled like something was funny. It did not put Sokka at ease.
“Hello.”
And then Sokka looked, finally, at the boy sitting next to him.
“I’m Zuko. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Hi,” Sokka said. He smiled sheepishly; Zuko was less intimidating up close. His cheeks were slightly pink, and his eyes were actually round and shiny, like coins. “I’m Sokka. And, um, you too.”
“Thank you for coming to my party.”
“You’re welcome.”
Katara gave him a kick under the table. “I mean,” Sokka amended, “thank you for inviting me. And happy birthday!”
Zuko smiled like he didn’t do it often. “Thank you.”
Several members of the palace staff appeared as if conjured to their end of the table. Sokka watched as Zuko lifted his arms so they could place a cloth on his lap, how he nodded and shook his head when they offered him food, and the way he picked up his chopsticks to begin eating the moment his plate and cup had been filled. The staff had vanished as quickly as they had come. It was as if it had been choreographed.
“Wow,” Sokka said. “Um, that was nice of them.”
Zuko stared at him, and then down at his plate. “Oh. Yes, I guess it was.”
There’s a pause between them, though Sokka had plenty of questions lined up, like who all the guests were and why no one was dancing or playing or why all the food was served so hot, but he felt like if he asked any of those Katara would kick him again. So he asked, “So do you know how to firebend?”
Zuko’s eyes lit up. “I do!” And then he looked a little embarrassed. “I mean, sort of. I’m learning. … Do you know how to waterbend?”
“Um… no.”
Sokka’s cheeks burned when Zuko’s face fell. “Oh. That’s okay.”
The two of them looked down at their laps.
“I know how to spearfish, though,” Sokka said, remembering his pride. “And bait a hook, and tie a bunch of different knots, and carve a turtleduck, and, um…”
He stopped before he could start naming things on his chore list. But Zuko said, “Really? I’ve never done any of that stuff before.”
“Oh. Oh, yeah! I mean, it’s not easy , but you can probably learn!”
Zuko smiled like he was getting used to it. Sokka smiled back.
—
“Thank you for meeting with us, Chief Hakoda.”
They were in a sitting room on the east wing of the palace, at a table sculpted from volcanic glass. It would have been improper to see an invited guest in the throne room, much less the chief of a tribe of another bending nation, but Azulon’s chair was the tallest and most ornate of the three. It was still his palace, and he was still the Fire Lord.
“We were happy to receive the invitation, though it was a little unexpected.”
Azulon nodded. “Our nations have not been social in the past. I had hoped communicating through Iroh would have made you less wary… I understand he’s established a rapport with you.”
Hakoda was wary. That’s what kept him sharp. He needed to stay sharp in this place. “Yes… He’s been very good about providing trade and supply escorts when we’ve asked. And he’s always a gracious guest.”
“I see. I hope these small gestures have shown you how a stronger alliance between us may prove valuable to you.”
Hakoda’s fists clenched and unclenched under the table. “Are you referring to why my son was invited?”
Azulon did not move, but his eyes flitted to Ozai, who spoke up. “Yes. Our sons are of appropriate age and position to be matched as Two Fates.”
Age and position? Is that all? Hakoda thought.
The Fire Lord spoke again before he could answer, maybe having sensed his unease. “Lu Ten, the son of my firstborn, Crown Prince Iroh, is in line for the title of Fire Lord. However, Prince Zuko will someday have an important place among our council, as he is a member of the Royal Family, if that is your concern.”
Hakoda saw Ozai’s eyes narrow ever so slightly at the words Crown Prince . But it may have been a trick of the light. “No, I… Forgive me, I understand that the Fire Nation has resources to offer the Southern Water Tribe, so I have to ask—” What’s in it for you? — “could it be the palace is experiencing an ice shortage?”
The room was silent. Kya and the kids would have laughed. Hakoda swallowed dryly. “I noticed all of your drinks were served very warm, is all.”
Ozai cleared his throat. “If you were to agree to the arrangement, Chief Hakoda, we would appreciate your support in future negotiations with the other two bending nations.”
Ah. Hakoda understood. It was a big ask, and regardless of how vague they were being he knew he had the advantage. If it were only about him. “Oh, I won’t be agreeing. I’ll have to ask my son.”
The room was silent again. Hakoda blinked; that hadn’t been a joke.
“‘Ask your son’?” Azulon repeated.
“Yes. Of course, becoming one of Two Fates is Sokka’s choice.” The Fire Lord and his second born stared at him, their faces betraying nothing. So he went on, “I thought it would be best to give Sokka some time to decide. If you could possibly wait until tomorrow, I can give you his answer then.”
And then he turned to Ozai and said something that he knew was an overstep. “Zuko may also need some time, too.”
The two men, the ferocious and the discerning, locked eyes for the first time. “Yes. He may, indeed.”
—
Closer to the end of the night, the room was cleared of the tables and chairs, which along with the wined and dined guests made for a livelier party, and the children were left under little supervision.
Zuko and Sokka had wandered into the garden and were sitting in the grass stacking rocks, pretending they were bending them into place, when they saw Katara being pulled outside by a giggling group of girls.
“Isn’t that your sister?” Zuko asked. Sokka handed him a stone, just slightly smaller than the last. “Yeah. That’s Katara.”
“I wonder what she’s doing with my sister.”
“Probably dumb girly stuff. Don’t worry, she’s good at making friends.”
“Um, I don’t know if she would want to be friends with Azula.”
There was a flash and a bang. Katara screamed, and Sokka stood and ran on instinct, knocking over their stones as he rushed past. Zuko dashed through the grass behind him, eyes wide.
The fire was gone, but a bemused Azula was still standing close to Katara and two other girls, who looked bothered, but not very.
Sokka grabbed her shoulder. “What happened? What did you do to her?”
Azula ripped away as if she’d been stung. “Did you just grab me?”
She had managed to load the question with so much offense it made him hesitate, but he didn’t relent. “What did you do to my sister?”
“I didn’t do anything. She just told me she was a waterbender, so I thought we both could do a demonstration for Mai and Ty Lee. That’s all. We were just having fun.”
“She’s not having fun, Azula.” Zuko stood in between them and glared at his sister. Sokka held out his hand for Katara and pulled her behind them. She buried her face in his cape.
“These people are our guests. Can’t you be normal for once?”
“I am being normal. You’re the one ignoring all the other guests to hang out with a Water Tribe nobody.”
Sokka opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but Zuko was already baring his fangs. “He’s not a nobody. He’s Chief Hakoda’s son, and we’re getting matched. So there!”
The two girls behind Azula gasped, but she smiled like she had found what she’d been looking for. “So it’s true? That’s kind of a big responsibility, Zuzu. Would Father really give it to you ?”
“You’re just mad because he asked me to do something that you could never do.”
That one struck. Azula frowned and put her hands on her hips. “Fine. I’m going inside. You’re not being any fun.” She bent slightly at the waist and looked at Sokka. “Good bye, Water Tribe somebody . If my brother is telling the truth I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.” And then she turned on her heels and headed back into the main room.
Her friends—one with a long thin braid, and the other with her hair tied with ribbons—exchanged a look before following her. One of them even turned back to wave as they walked away.
“Bye, Zuko. Bye, Katara. Bye Zuko’s friend.”
The girl with ribbons tugged her by the hand. “Ty Lee, let’s go. ”
“I hope they do get matched. I like his hair. I think he’s cute. Don’t you think so, Mai?”
“No. I don’t . ”
And then they were gone.
“I’m really sorry,” Zuko said, turning back to the two of them. “My mom says Azula has a hard time with first impressions.” He noticed the little golden flame in his hair had gotten crooked in the commotion and straightened it. “Um, are you okay?”
Katara was still holding onto Sokka’s sleeve, but she was calmer, and maybe a little self-conscious about starting the whole thing. “Yes. I’m okay.”
Sokka was distracted thinking about the exchange that had just happened. His father hadn’t made this party seem like a big deal, but Zuko and Azula seemed to think otherwise. Matched, did they say? Also—that gloomy girl didn’t think he was cute, even though he was. It was all very strange.
“...kka? Sokka, are you okay?”
What was clear, though, was that Zuko had met him today, and stepped up for him and for his sister, who he had barely even spoken to. Even now, he looked worried about them.
“I’m okay. Um, thanks. She’s not always that scary, right?”
“Azula? Not always. Just most of the time.”
They laughed, and then the three of them headed into the grass to rebuild their tower. Regardless of how things would change, maybe it would be fun to stay friends with Prince Zuko.