A/N: Another oneshot I wrote for Sukka month, with the prompt for this one being "Fear". I based it on what I imagined was going through Sokka's head during his clash against the Fire Nation fleets with Toph and Suki in the "Sozin's Comet".
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
Those Who Fight
Fear was an emotion Sokka had become more than familiar with throughout his brief fifteen years of existence.
From a very early age he'd been faced with little other choice than to bury this emotion down as best he could. As any semblance of the innocent, childhood he had once experienced was shattered by the harsh reality of the world they lived in.
For the sake of the his home, his tribe, Sokka had been forced to grow up quickly, taking on a role well beyond his years.
Certainly there were times when he'd doubted himself, or his ability. Certainly there were moments where he had been afraid. But it was in these times of desperation that he truly thrived. That adrenaline became an entity upon which he depended. It fueled his determination and drive as a warrior, to fight, to survive, and to ultimately protect. While there was breath in his body, he resolved to do everything in his power to prevent harm from coming to those he loved.
However, there were only so many battles that he could take part in, and only so many obstacles that he could face head on.
The greatest fear within him had always been elicited by circumstances well beyond his control. Situations in which he was helpless to plan for or defend against whatever danger ensued. As it was the harshest and most horrifying moments of his life that had been governed by this lack of control, and inability to act.
A Fire Nation invasion taking the life of his mother, the traumatic memory that haunted his family everyday. The impending war tearing his father away from Katara and him. The anxieties he harboured over his failure to protect Yue after she sacrificed herself to give life back to the Moon Spirit.
Not to mention the battle that loomed imminently upon their horizon, the duty of his young friend Avatar Aang to restore balance to the world.
The knowledge that in spite of the rigorous training he and his friends had endured; in spite of their improved strength; they knew nothing of what their inevitable clash with Ozai and the Fire Nation would entail. There would be no way of knowing if their preparation had been enough. Let alone if they would all come back alive.
They knew nothing of what their future would hold, or if they would even have one at all.
His mind seemed to struggle to dispel his, albeit irrational, anxiety that, during this conflict, something awful would happen to Suki, the young, independent woman who had grown to be an integral part of his life. He grew frustrated at these thoughts constantly entering his mind, chastising himself with the reminded that she too was a warrior, and more than capable of fending for herself.
Yet he couldn't help the doubt that gnawed at his subconcious.
He was overcome with a bone chilling terror, clawing mercilessly at his very core, as he was forced to watch the airship disintegrate between them. The section upon which he and Toph stood breaking away from its body, separating them from her. A tremor rattled through his body at the realisation, and the abrupt, startled cry that broke her lips as she fell.
In that moment, Sokka saw his greatest fear unfolding before him once more.
His hand lashed out instinctively, a helpless gesture to find reassurance in the grasp of her own. His rational side knew that the action was pointless and there was no way he could have possibly reached her, but it was drowned out by his overwhelming urge to protect her. He had to try.
The distance between them was too great.
He couldn't afford to lose her. Not again.
His stomach lurched as he watched her tumble from the crumbling section of the Fire Nation ship, eventually regaining her footing on the one beneath her. Smoke billowed and falling debris collapsed around her, the cacophony of groaning metal almost overpowering the sound of her voice.
"I'm okay! Just finish the mission!"
His heart dropped at the implication. Suki's words had soothed him momentarily, reassuring him of her safety. Yet a relapse in his uncertainty was triggered at the prospect of their separation.
He couldn't possibly leave her. He refused to.
Sokka could feel Toph grabbing his arm, concern tinging her voice as she warned him that they needed to jump. Before he knew it, he was weightless, their bodies plummeting rapidly from the front of the ship as it spiraled out of control, exploding above them.
He landed roughly against the beneath him; the breath knocked from his body; yet he leapt instinctively to shelter Toph within his arms. His body protecting her own from the scraps of metal and wood raining down upon them.
Acting unconsciously on the urge to protect his friend, Sokka was reminded of the need to surpress his doubts and carry on fighting. He knew that there was no time to linger over his worries, otherwise it could cost them dearly. They needed to finish the mission, they had a responsibility to Aang. Suki would be alright.
She would come back.
He wouldn't fail again.
.
All the fear and all the cares of the world
Never forced themselves into my arms
It was your fear that helped me
Your fear that got me to move
Straight from your heart into their sight
A/N: The lyrics featured at the end are from the song "Fear" by Evans Blue. Anyway, what did you reckon? Let me know! :D