Sokka entered the city, frowning as he watched people pass him. He was depressed. His sister was still in a state of shock from bloodbending two nights prior, and Aang and Toph were doing everything in their power to console and comfort her. But what hurt Sokka the most was that he had become a hindrance that night. She had had to bloodbend to save him and Aang.
He had learned the sword to stop feeling like he couldn't do anything to help, but he still felt that way. He stopped at a grocer and randomly picked up some bread and melons that looked familiar. The shopkeeper gave them to him in a basket with a sad smile on her face.
"Buck up, lad," she said. "Did a family member die in the war?"
He looked at the shopkeeper as for the first time. She was an elderly lady, slender, with grey hair and a smile on her friendly face.
"No," he replied, taking the basket. "Thank you for your concern." He tried to give a soft smile and headed off, slinging the basket over his shoulder. He headed back towards camp when a girl suddenly rounded the corner, looking frantically over her shoulder and ran right into him.
"I'm sorry," she said as the basket fell. She looked back and Sokka saw a man coming their way. The girl suddenly pushed Sokka against the wall and kissed him passionately. He was surprised, but didn't stop her. The man passed without turning down the lane where Sokka and the girl were.
She let up after the man was gone and stepped back. "I'm sorry about that," she said, blushing.
"Nothing to be sorry about," Sokka replied, a real smile forming on his face for the first time in two days.
The girl bent down to place the spilled contents of the basket back. Sokka assessed her before bending down to help as well. She was a little shorter than he was, and about 16 years old. She had light brown hair, almost blonde tied back into a ponytail with a few bangs free and falling onto her face. Sokka smiled as she tucked them behind her ears before looking up at him as he lifted the basket again. She had soft brown eyes, and a beautiful face with high cheekbones. She stared into his blue eyes for a moment before looking down and blushing.
"I'm sorry I did that. I had no right to force that on you."
Sokka smiled. "That's ok, I'm Li. What's going on? You're not in trouble, are you?"
He looked down in concern as she took his arm and started walking.
"My name is June, and I'm trying to hide from my fiancé."
Sokka stopped and stared at her. "Your fiancé?!"
"Yeah. Come on, I'll explain."
She took his arm again and led him through the streets. She told him she was the only child of an old noble family and that her father had promised her hand in marriage to another noble's son when she was just a baby. Her fiancés' father had saved her fathers life and his reputation just before she was born, and so when it was discovered she was a girl, she was pledged to marry Chen, the lord's son.
But she didn't want to get married, she wanted to see the world, not be tied down with a man four years older than her. She had just finished telling him this when she spotted her fiancé ahead. Sokka noticed her hesitation and drew her with him into a clothing shop.
"Thanks," she said as they watched Chen pass by the front of the store. Sokka noticed with a frown that the man wore a sword at his hip, but forgot it as June wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"No problem," Sokka said, grinning along with June. This was fun and he was glad to feel useful again. He led them outside again after a few minutes time and started walking with her on his arm. "So," he started, trying to look innocent, "If you could travel the world, where would you go first?"
He was rewarded with a smile from June. "I'd like to see the Elephant Koi at Kyoshi Island first, but I heard there's a giant sea serpent that preys on them there."
"Yeah, the Unagi, but you can still see them," Sokka said. She looked at Sokka in surprise, as if in a new light.
"You've been there?! What's it like?"
Sokka was startled by her excitement. She was just like Aang, but older, and a pretty girl.
"Yeah, my friends and I have traveled a lot. It's really nice there, you just have to watch out for their warriors. The Kyoshi warriors are all girls and they're very good."
He grinned as he thought of Suki before frowning again. He didn't know what had happened to her, or even if she was all right.
June noticed his withdrawal and laid her other hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry. Did you lose someone close to you there?"
Sokka looked into June's soft brown eyes. They were full of concern, concern for him. He looked at the ground.
"I don't know. I know something happened to her, but I don't know what or even if she's even still…alive." He let the last out in a whisper, as if saying it would make it true.
June squeezed his arm with her hand before stopping and pulling them into a shop. Sokka looked back as they entered the grocery and saw Chen looking around, obviously frustrated. Sokka thought he looked a lot like Zuko, with black hair and pale skin, though his face was different and he was taller than the prince. He turned his attention back to June as she led him deeper into the shop, trying to keep as many things between her and the window as she could.
"Where else have you been?" she asked as they noticed Chen leaving.
"Almost all over the earth kingdom. Omashu was kind of fun at first, but then it got scary. There's also this cave near there, called the cave of two lovers. It was created by the first earthbenders who were in love, but couldn't be together because they were from rival villages."
"I've heard of that cave! There's supposed to be a curse on it. That if you enter without trusting in love, you'll be lost forever and die. What made you go in there?!"
Sokka led her out on his arm onto the street again before answering.
"My friends and I had no choice, there just wasn't any way around it. My friends are also great adventurers like you and couldn't resist the challenge. We went in with some nomads and were found by the giant badger moles that live there and with some music, were led out by the creatures."
June looked in admiration at Sokka. Sokka felt glad to finally be appreciated, and to make someone happy again. Life had been so miserable since Katara had learned bloodbending.
They made their way through town and entered a park, still arm in arm. Sokka felt June slow and saw her attention diverted to a statue of a soldier on his knees.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he saw the sad expression on her face.
"That's the statue of the fallen soldier. My uncle died in the war and every time I see that statue, I think of him."
"I understand. I lost my mom, and then a lady much like yourself."
June looked into Sokka's eyes, searching.
"What was this lady like?"
Sokka sighed. It was hard to talk of Yue still, but he knew he had to. "She was brave and courageous and loved her people. She loved me too, and I loved her, but she sacrificed herself to save her people. I miss her."
He sank onto a bench. His heart felt lighter, though it still pained him to think of Yue. June sat next to him and intertwined her fingers with his. She reached up with her other hand and turned his face to hers and leaned in for a gentle kiss. Sokka kissed her back. This wasn't the passionate kiss she had first given him, but a gentle, almost friendly kiss that told him that she understood his loss.
He was about to pull her in deeper when he heard a mans' voice behind them.
"Get your filthy hands off of her!"
Sokka separated from June and turned to see Chen coming towards him with his sword drawn.
"Run!" Sokka cried as he jumped up and drew his own sword. He met Chen head on and their swords sparked as they clashed. He jumped back as Chen's sword swept to his feet and jumped onto the bench he had been sitting on as he swung at Chen's head.
Chen ducked and struck again. Sokka parried the thrust and jumped back onto a patch of grass as Chen struggled to climb over the bench, fury still on his face.
"You'll pay for that peasant!"
"Why does everyone call me a peasant?" Sokka asked as he parried another thrust from Chen.
Sokka kept backing up as Chen swung relentlessly at him. They were both on the same level of swordmanship, though Chen had more height and force behind his thrusts. Sokka noticed a creek that wound through the park and headed there. He ducked under a close swing of Chens before jumping the stream and used his sword to drive sand and water up to Chens' face.
"Arrrgh!!" Chen cried as the sand and water hit his eyes. He dropped his sword and brought his left hand up to Sokka.
Sokka saw the flames forming around Chens' fist and knew there was no way out. There just wasn't enough time or room to dodge it all. He dove towards the creek as June stepped in front of him, holding her hands out.
Sokka stared at her as she bent the fire away from her and Sokka.
"You had no right to do that!" she yelled at Chen.
Chen wiped the sand from his eyes and fell to his knees as he saw June standing between him and Sokka, glaring at him with her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry June," Chen said, his voice and eyes pleading. "I couldn't help myself. I love you and would never hurt you. Please, forgive me."
Sokka stared at Chen, then at June. Her shoulders sagged as he asked forgiveness and she turned to look at Sokka with a soft, sad look before turning back to Chen.
"I forgive you, but I don't want to get married now. I want to see the world."
"Then let me come with you. We can see the world together."
Sokka stood up and sheathed his sword as he watched June consider it. He stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Go with him," he told her softly. "You can't find love like that every day."
June nodded and gave Sokka a smile over her shoulder before turning back to Chen. "Ok, but we go where I want to go, and then we'll come back for the wedding when I'm older."
Chen grinned as he got up and wrapped June in a hug.
"Come on, we'll start the preparations," he said as he withdrew and held her hands.
"Give me a minute, I want to say goodbye to Li."
Chen frowned at Sokka, but nodded and walked away to give them some privacy.
June turned to Sokka, but they both were speechless for a minute, staring at the ground and at their hands.
"Do you love him?" Sokka asked finally.
"Yeah, I think so."
He cupped her chin in his hand and lifted it until they were eye to eye. "Then enjoy the world and love him everyday."
June reached up and planted a soft kiss on Sokka's cheek before hugging him. He hugged her back.
"If you ever make it to Kyoshi and meet a girl named Suki, tell her…tell her Sokka says hi."
June looked at him, puzzled for a second before grinning. She wiped away the beginnings of tears from her eyes and hugged him again.
"I will, thank you."
Sokka watched as she walked and joined Chen. He took her hand as she approached and they both glanced back at Sokka. June waved, smiling, to which Sokka waved back while Chen frowned, but nodded his head in understanding. Sokka grinned as he watched them walk away, glad he could help. He picked up his basket of supplies again and headed back to his friends.
When he arrived, he noticed Toph was off to the side and playing with some rocks while Aang tried to cheer Katara up with his marble trick. Sokka walked right over to Katara and wrapped her in a hug.
"You did what you had to do, and there may come a time when you have to do it again, but don't think you're a monster for doing it," he said as he held her at arms length after the hug. He looked her in the eye. "You are the strongest, bravest, most compassionate person I know, so don't change, ok?"
Katara smiled at her brother. "Ok," she said in a whisper before hugging him again.
Sokka grinned as she wiped the tear streaks off her face and went to prepare dinner with the supplies he had brought. He then rubbed Toph on the head as he passed her and started practicing his sword forms.
"What happened to you today, Snoozles?" Toph asked, perplexed.
Sokka stopped and smiled at the earthbender. "I had a good day," he said before continuing his forms. He was glad to have met June and hoped she and Chen had a wonderful life together, and that perhaps, someday, he would find Suki again.