Well, me reviewing is about 3.5 years overdo. Seriously. I‘ve not only come back to this story repeatedly, it also inspired me to start developing my own fanfic ideas and lead me to write on them for many hours to flesh them out, it‘s been a great journey, so thank you for that also. Just as warning, I‘m an OCD analyzer, hope it doesn‘t bother you, have fun reading some bits through my eyes ;) if the review gets truncated, I‘ll post the full version on Ao3 instead. If not, then well :) here it is.

You start of comparing Sokka‘s sense of belonging with his reached maturity, an excellent start into it that gives the story depth from the very beginning.

Another excellent aspect on your writing is your character development, especially keeping in mind that this is only a oneshot. You show Hakoda being a dad, and then it subtly(until it is not) shifting to a horror scenario.

There‘s a certain appeal to question the goodness with characters that originally were the good ones, especially one like Hakoda, who is in a position of power and all. Though I really like Hakoda in the original, I appreciate the exploration you did here.

- The shackles around his wrists were strung too high to allow him to sit, and—Oh spirits, Sokka could count his ribs. Every single one. -
For one, I love the wording, I love that you just kinda inserted Sokka‘s mental startle. On the other hand, just admitting to you, however late I am… some of this imagery also influenced the imagery of my fanfic.

- "Yes," Hakoda answered, and there was a measure of satisfaction in his voice. The same one he had when he's done a job well done. "We know." -
what stands out to me here is the way you describe the action. The way he says it, the way you compare it, and how you tie it to the actual content of the story.

- Zuko's gaze was still locked with Sokka’s. His eyes seemed too big, too bright for his face. And Sokka couldn't tell if he was trying to subtly shake his head, or if he was just shaking. -
for one, you‘re strictly staying in Sokka‘s perspective, but have him observe pretty closely. I also love that it‘s not clear if he‘s shaking his head or not, as reader, you are just as unsure. Your imagery is very clear, you really paint a picture with those elements you mention and the way you mention them.

- Zuko shifted slightly, making the chains rattle. "You," he rasped. He seemed incredulous. "You're related to… to this monster? The girl too?" -
and keeping Zuko in character :)

- The sun outside was warm on Sokka's skin, the air cool with just a hint of salt. -
You describe the change of stage very brief but telling, and you use the sense of touch and smell to do it too :)

- Guilt gnawed at him like a polar-dog with a bone, -
you keep track of his emotions and show them very tangibly.

-This is Prince Zuko… He's an evil, hateful jerk. Dad knows what he's doing. You can't hold a firebender prisoner on a wooden ship. This must be the only way they have to keep him under control… -
trying to keep his world in tact :) and failing.

That they don‘t guard him, not let him down to sleep. it‘s very telling to how things are for Zuko. Zuko‘s reactions to his appearance and everything are too. Especially his expectation that Sokka‘s coming to gloat… he obviously didn‘t think Sokka was rotten before, but he expects the worst by the time he gets back and it‘s night and bad things happen then.

- Spirits, this guy was such an asshole. "Maybe." -
Sokka‘s not really looking behind the facade, reacting to it instead, which is pretty understandable, since he has no idea what‘s going on.

-Sokka could see his thin ribs expand with the movement… and he really hoped those were just smudges of dirt on him, and not an impressive collection of bruises. Why wasn't he given a shirt? It was cold and clammy in the cave. Had to be, even for a firebender. Did he burn it off? Could he use it as a weapon? -
again, description with thought inserts/interpretations and then contemplations and trying to right what is obviously wrong in his mind. I love how you describe the thought train.

-"Are you hungry?"
Zuko's eyes snapped to his again, and there was wariness that Sokka wasn't expecting. "What do you mean?"-
-He didn't like the way Zuko's shoulders slumped in relief. -
I think when I read it the first time, I only slowly clued in on what was going on. When i reread it, i appreciated how I could now interpret the hints, that I recognized but couldn‘t fully and surely comprehend before because I didn‘t have the context yet….

-take the meat with his teeth. No hesitation. No embarrassment. He seemed too ravenous for embarrassment. -
speaks for itself about Zuko‘s state of mind. Also wondering if and how well Zuko would digest meat after having been starved like this…

- because it looked like Zuko was ready to lick Sokka's finger's clean. There's only so much a man could take. -
Cause Sokka‘s the one who would get hurt, haha. Nah, very good wording again, strong.

- "Why?" His voice broke on the word. -
so an impactful detail.

- Zuko had stepped back as far as his binds would let him. He didn't say anything, but the rapid sound of his breathing echoed strangely loud in the cave. -
panic attack, I admire how you manage to describe it so perfectly with so few sentences.

-…. You used to give me and Katara pony-back rides when we were little! -
impactful detail. The whole paragraph shows well how the horror grows in Sokka.

Sokka‘s ears take up on Zuko‘s panic again. He stops between Tatum and Zuko and all.

- Tatum's blue eyes narrowed. "Does the Chief know about this? 'Course he does," he growled, before Sokka could answer. Then, unexpectedly, the leer was back. Wider now. Tatum laughed. "Watch yourself, Sokka. The little shit bites." -
growl, then sneer. Before, it was the look of someone just getting caught… the details… and then bam. Tatum assuming that Sokka‘s there for that very same reason… probably to reassure himself and further encourage Sokka to go for it but with caution….

-Then he staggered over and braced himself against the wall. Now Sokka was the one who was breathing hard.
"I'll kill you."-
you describe the emotional impact of the situation to both Sokka and with showing Zuko‘s reactions very well. Zuko of course is too expecting of the worst to really analyze Sokka‘s reactions. And I love how you describe the way he says it like a chant, a thing he says merely to hold on, to keep his sanity somewhat intact.

- Oh Spirits… The decision was made and Sokka acted on it before he had time to really think it through. Not usually like him, but then again… Sokka figured he's had a weird night.-
Again, you show the impact by having Sokka very believably act against his habits, and even having him realize it. And of course he doesn‘t inform Zuko of what he‘s gonna do, though he probably wouldn‘t have believed him anyway.

The whole part of how you describe Zuko‘s non-escape. So close, so unreachable, the realization. Tangible, horribly realistic.

Zuko refusing the support and prefering to prop himself against the wall. And then curling in and hiding his body reactions to the defeat. We see it through Sokka‘s eyes, he colours our perception, probably quite accurately, yeah, maybe the shaking of was a pride thing, maybe it was fear of being touched. It does well for Sokka to keep his distance after it.

Sokka still tries to hold on to his faith in his father, sadly enough, a realistic thing. And Zuko then quashes it, speaking out his horrible truth, in brutal honesty, leaving little room for interpretation on how he sees himself: - he trailed off, lifted his head to stare at his hands and wrists which were skinned raw. The words 'He's right' floated in the air afterwards, unsaid. -

Then goes for the kill with accusing Sokka‘s father, trying to get a hold of a shred of control and risking estranging the one person that has been kind to him in the process… no foresight, very realistic for after he has gone through and also fitting to Zuko‘s character in general.

Hearing about Iroh and the crew‘s fate is sad, and I know a lot of people were focusing on that, but I‘m more interested in all your descriptions of reactions :) you wrote them really well.

Zuko once more points out that Hakoda knows, Sokka totally isn‘t making excuses and Zuko shows compassion. I absolutely love that exchange, including the „shut up“ and so on.

-as if sleep took him by surprise and there just wasn't enough left in him to fight it off. -
love that bit of description!

-"Let me see the sun," he said. "Just one more time. Please." -
I think that‘s the line and what follows is probably what gets me the most every time. Zuko vulnerable, pretty much a dying wish. Admitting defeat, having accepted that he isn‘t going to escape… The implications of how this must be for a firebender so strong, cut off, knowing that he would be dying alone.

Sokka tells him why he does what he does, but does disregard Zuko‘s one wish and Zuko regaining some strength to fight due to that. - He made Sokka win every inch back into the cave -
Sokka realizing that leaving is the worst thing he‘s ever done. Your narration is absolutely brilliant.

- They wouldn't do something like that to a prisoner without good reason. He knew it. -
still trying to keep his worldview intact. But the thought train slowly detereorating.

-The big captain gave him a knowing wink, as if they shared a mutual secret. -
uhh, unpleasant thought.

-Sokka nearly cried aloud when Appa appeared over the horizon. Aang was five days early…. It had to be bad news, and at that moment he didn't care. -
and at that moment…. That you used the and instead of but, I love that little detail.

-"We have a rule in my Tribe," he said. "If you save a man's life, then that man owes you a debt of his life in return.”
Zuko was silent for a full minute before he answered. "In the Fire Nation, if you save a man's life, he is honor-bound to pay it back."-
I love how each of them makes a step forward from their own standpoint. Sokka offering, but also trying to make sure it wont backfire, and Zuko not promising anything outright but instead tyign it back to the Fire Nation, showing that he fully understands what Sokka says. And the time he takes to decide, it makes it very believable.

-Well, that was good enough for him. -
and that one always cracks me up for some reason.

The shuddering part of the ending, a neat little detail that is also open for interpretation what it means, thanks.

Over all. Imo. Extremely well written and you got a solid grasp on how the human psyche works and you‘re also able to explore the debths of it, and translate it artfully and also tastefully into words. I appreciate a lot that there‘s no sex scene, you do everything with implications only and I think that actually adds to the impact… Thank you for writing this. Your ending is perfect!

So good, I’d love to se more of this

I think my favourite part here is that it represents a horrific and tragic truth about the world - that a lot of people have no idea what their nearest and dearest are capable of. Many people who are revealed as torturers and sexual predators have had family who doted on them and would never have believed them capable of it. Many of those people have committed cruelties to children and then gone home to pat their own children proudly on the head and see no dissonance between the two, just as Hakoda clearly does here.

I also love how the title and summary imply at first that Sokka comes to realise that Zuko is a much better person than Ozai, but then the truth hits the reader at the same time it hits Sokka - that it's that Sokka is a better person than Hakoda.

Good (sad) story but how dare you insinuate Unclr Irish is dead, omfg poor Zuko I can’t I’m gonna cry

Are you manning on writing more for this one? I would be very interested in seeing a multi chapter version of it after Sokka rescuers Zuko. This was very well written!

AHHHHHHHHHH! No, please...it's so good! And so well written! *Flops on floor* Just so much wonderful angst...I could read 50 chapters worth.

But in all seriousness. This is really well written. I love how subtle things are, how the audience can feel what Sokka is feeling. Really, a brilliant job.

It was good

This was fantastic. Also faintly distressing, if not unrealistic. Another Brother Hakoda would probably kill himself if be saw this.

The story was *really* good and well written. I liked how it starts being all happyness and then suddenly the horror starts when we gradualy discover Zuko's condition. It was heartbreaking thinking about how Zuko's body couldn't keep up with his will and colapsed *so* close from reaching freedon. And how horrible to be so near your element but not allpwed to touch it when Sokka dragged Zuko back. And we know from the show prolonged distance from your element can lead to insanity. Anyway, ai wouldn't mind reading a sequel dealing with the aftermath of this such as Aang's and Katara's reactions, how the GAang plus Zuko deal with it or even telling what happened before Sokka came into the story, how Zuko's crew got captured (and executed), Iroh's death, or Zuko's thoughts of what would happen, what was happening or how he reacted to the loss of his uncle, his crew, his freedom and his father.

Oh, this was dark!

My goodness thats dark. But well written. It made me intrigued.

Ahh I love this so much! Your casual rewriting of the characters we love hurts, but is realistic. Iroh’s death though... ouch.

wow. i love it. it's dark, concise and beautifully written. Poor Zuko, though.

This just broke my heart, and not just because Iroh is dead. Zuko, for all the price in him, goddammit why do they have to treat hin like this? He may be an enemy prince but he's still JUST a KID. I just... I'm crying and horrified ad sad all the same. The writing was absolutely phenomenal but I just can't help but feel pain over it... dammit Zuko doesn't deserve it... Great Job

Omgsh, that was so sad!