"Sokka, remember the Tribe," said Hakoda, standing in a small igloo.
"I do remember, Dad. I'll be back, I promise."
"You strayed too much. Your mother and I are very worried." penguins started running all around him.
"Mom? Is she okay?" Sokka asked, in full Warrior's makeup and wolf's skin.
"She well never be okay, Sokka, you abandoned us all. You've lost Boomerang."
Sokka looked at his hand just to find he was holding Boomerang. He smiled. "What about Katara?"
"We can't make it on our own. The Tribe needs you. A man knows where he's needed the most."
"But you said you understand..." said Sokka, as the igloo began to melt. Piandao was standing outside.
"Sokka, we're losing everything." Yue appeared in front of him.
"Yue? Where's Dad?"
"He's with Mom. You didn't protect him, just like you didn't protect me."
"What?"
Sokka woke up covered with sweat. He glanced at his blue Tribal clothes that laid discarded on the bedroom floor and gazed at the moon with his eyes half-closed. He was wearing a green pajama he bought from one of the stores in Ba Sing Se. He loathed himself that moment.
He was no longer on a quest to save the world, that was rebuilding around him. Katara and Hakoda went to rebuild the tribe down south, and Sokka knew it was his duty to go back home, protect the tribe, regain its greatness.
When the war ended, the Earth King asked him to stay and be his adviser. Sokka accepted, preferred the Earth Kingdom over his own home.
He would have liked to borrow some of Aang's infinite wisdom at that moment, but Aang spent only a fraction of his time in Ba Sing Se, between one broken village to the next.
Suki was sleeping next to him, but still he felt lonely to the core.
"Your Majesty, I think it's time to break the Dai Li. They've shown disloyalty, and they will show it again. They're endangering the city."
"Is that so?" said the Earth King, who slouched on his throne and seemed very unfocused. "What do you think, Bosco?"
The bear drooled.
"Very well, Sokka, you can break the Dai Li."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, don't you think you're accepting this offer a bit hastily?" asked Sokka, pacing back and forth in front of Bosco's glaring eyes.
"What do you mean by that? Considering what happened the last time you were here, the offer seems quite reasonable," said the king and straightened his glasses.
"Yes, but you need to make your own decisions. Don't you want to ask me how I came to this conclusion or who's going to secure the city next? I mean, I won't stay here forever," said Sokka and frowned, "I'll come home soon, when the kingdom's rebuilt. Soon."
"You agreed to stay, and I need your council. How am I supposed to run this city by myself?"
Sokka reflected for a few moments. "You're right, Your Majesty. I'll go write the order to break the Dai Li." he bowed and walked out of the chambers, sighing with relied as he walked passed the fancy doors. Suki was waiting there for him, without her makeup.
"I'm so glad to see you," he said and kissed her, trying to ignore the guards.
"What's the matter? You seem exhausted."
"Yeah... I didn't sleep too well last night, and I think I'm..." he glanced at one of the guards, who ignored his stare. He wrapped his arm around Suki and they left the palace, the magnificent upper ring unfolding in front of them.
"I think I'm Kuei's captive," he finally said.
"That's silly, Sokka. There are no more captives, remember?"
"I can't go home," he said with frustration, "I practically run this city. Kuei doesn't even bother listening to my decisions. You'd expect that he'd learn to think for himself after being double-crossed twice by his advisors."
"That's exactly the reason the city needs you, Sokka. If you won't council the Earth king, someone much worse can come along. The war could start all over again."
"I know. You're right... I just miss the way things used to be. The gang, the Tribe... things are better now, but they're not the same."
"Well, you still have me," she said and kissed him passionately. "Did that cheer you up?"
"Pretty much, yeah. Thank you, Suki, you always know what to say."
Sokka,
things are definitely looking up at the pole. I've been here for a week, I hope it won't take too long for my letter to arrive. Pakku and the Waterbenders have made wonders with the Tribe, I barely had any work to do! And since the men returned, the whole place is filled with life and hope. Dad and Gran-Gran miss you a lot, and me too, of course. I hope everything's OK with the Earth King. Soon the tribe will be restored completely and than I'll come visit. See you then!
Katara
Sokka stared at the straight lines and Katara's neat handwriting and longed to see his sister again. In the last year they've spent every single moment together, and now they're communicating mainly through letters. He hoped Katara would be there soon.
As he folded the letter carefully, one of the palace guards barged in to his room. "Sokka of the Water tribe? The King wants to see you in his chambers. He says it's urgent."
"Really? What happened?" Sokka's eyes were wide with horror and he almost tripped when he ran out the door. When he finally reached the chamber, his green robe tangled between his legs, he found Kuei sitting peacefully on his thrown, a girl bowed in front of him.
"Sokka, you're here," said the king.
"You wanted... urgent," he panted.
"Yes. I want to introduce you to my honored guest, Ty Lee," he said and gestured at her with his hand. She turned around and smiled at him.
"Hey, Cutie! I didn't know you're advisor to the King!"
"Have you met?" asked Kuei confusingly.
"Yes, she blocked my chi at several occasions. She also aided the coup against you, Your Majesty," he said, trying to restrain himself from saying "How can you possibly not remember that? And IT'S NOT URGENT!"
"But I'm different now," Ty Lee said in her regular casual tone, "I joined the Earth Circus."
"The circus manager said she was the best acrobat they ever had! Bosco and I enjoy this circus very much. While it's in town I would ask you to host Ty Lee as a personal favor."
Sokka bowed to the king and said with slight suspicion, "I thought you joined the Kyoshi Warriors."
"I did. But I chose to leave since I realized my calling isn't war- it's happiness. My aura thanked me for this decision."
"Sokka, why won't you show Ty Lee around the Upper Ring?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," he said and fought the urge to roll his eyes. Ty Lee gracefully got up and joined him.
"So... the circus, huh?" he said awkwardly as they left the palace.
"Sure. It's what I did before Azula asked me to join her to capture the Avatar. You don't hold a grudge against me, do you?" she blinked at him.
"Uhh... no... not at all... I guess if Suki can forgive you, so can I. But why did you do all those things?"
"You have no idea how hard it is to be friends with Azula. It's a lot harder than it seems," she said in a melancholy tone that was unlike her.
"It doesn't seem very easy."
"I know. But despite everything she did to me I still kinda... miss her. We've been friends since we were five, and it's almost weird for me to be without her. I wonder where she is now."
"Do you really want to know?" he asked in an ominous voice.
She avoided his glance. A few seconds later Sokka said, "should we start the tour at the industrial district? It's beautiful that time of day."