A/N: Switching between the italics and regular font might be a tad confusing- just know when the font is changed, the scene flashes to a different time in Sokka's life.


Sokka

Warrior

Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle, and twice as big. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed showed something beyond that. Creativity, versatility, intelligence…these are the traits that define a great swordsman. And these are the traits that define you. You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained. - Piandao

You burned my sister! – a protective Sokka


"Be a man…..be a man…stay strong….." Sokka whispered to himself.

The nine year old gripped his boomerang, his knuckles turning white as he stared at the ground, watching the white snow turn red with the blood of war.

Trying not to cry, he glanced over at his sister, to distract himself from the yells and cries of the grieving villagers.

She was standing a few feet away from him, her face pale and her knees shaking.

But although he could see that she was on the verge of tears, trying to keep her face straight as she forced herself to look around, refusing to close her eyes to the horrible images all around, she wasn't crying.

Not one single tear.

And if Katara, his baby sister, wasn't crying, then, Sokka decided, he wouldn't cry either.

As if sensing that he was thinking about her, Katara looked up at Sokka. She stared at him for a moment, as if struggling with something in her mind, and then slowly walked towards him. When she reached him, Sokka looked down at her for a moment, and then reached over and put his arm around her.

They stood there like that, side by side, watching the villagers gathering their dead, seeing them weep quietly.

Sokka looked guiltily down at his hands. Surveying the scene before him, he couldn't help but think that some of this was somehow his fault.

He had always boasted about his fighting skills to anyone who would listen, but when the fire nation actually attacked his home, all of that strength had suddenly left him.

Where was the brave warrior that he had always believed himself to be?

Where was his courage, where was his fighting spirit?

Instead of a soldier, he felt like a foolish little boy who had run away instead of fighting, instead of saving lives…

Standing there, holding on to his sister, he felt so lost, so small, and barely registered that his father was calling to him until Katara pulled on his shirt.

Together, the water tribe siblings walked over to Hakoda, who seemed to be kneeling over something sprawled awkwardly across the ground. Curious, Sokka edged closer, and recognized what his father was looking at.

His mother.

She lay on the soot filled snow, her hair framing her face, half of her body covered in burns.

"Sokka…" his mother groaned.

Surprised that she even had the ability to talk, Sokka stepped forward, stumbling to get closer to his mother.

"Katara…." His mom went on, beckoning her forward.

When she was satisfied that both of her children were standing over her, she gathered her strength and once again began to speak.

"Sokka," She said again, drawing slow, painful breaths.

"Sokka, I know what's coming. Know that I'll miss you, and that I'll always be there." Here she paused, coughing and valiantly trying to keep on breathing.

"I want you to be strong, and…" She shook her head stopping to cough once more before nodding to Katara.

Although he was young, Sokka understood how much meaning had been put into those sentences.

"I want you to be strong…."

As his mother used the very last ounce of her strength to talk to Katara, he saw that by not finishing her sentence, she had showed just how much there was left to say, and that it couldn't all be said.

Walking back to his hut, having been ushered away by his worried father, he realized that it was up to him to take his meaning of his mother's unspoken words, and that the importance of what he took upon himself, what he did from this moment on, would change him forever.


Sokka quickly put the final touches on his warrior's outfit, making sure that his face paint didn't smudge, before rushing out to see his father and the rest of the men from his tribe.

He found them at the edge of his little village, everyone from the town standing with them, wishing them safe travels.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Sokka shouted, causing quite a few heads to turn towards him.

"It's okay now, we can leave!" The men gave him a sad look, before shaking their heads and turning towards the sea.

Sokka's smile faltered. " Hey dad." he said, staring around at everyone else. "When are we leaving?"

"Sokka…." Hakoda faltered. "Sokka…you're…not coming."

"What?" Sokka was shocked.

Of course he had to come! He had to go to war! He was a man, and he was ready to fight.

He was a warrior, and he was strong.

He needed to make up for all of those years that he just sat around, practicing his boomerang, instead of actually being out there.

He voiced these opinions to his father. "Dad, I need to come! I mean, really! Is there a better warrior anywhere in our tribe than me?"

Sokka drew himself up to his full height, putting a triumphant smile on his face. He knew that he had won the fight now. His dad was always telling him how great he was at fighting.

"Sokka, you're not old enough. You need to stay here, to look after all of the villagers." Seeing the shocked look on his son's face, he quickly hurried on.

"I mean, really, who else is going to take care of Katara and Gran Gran?"

Sokka was amazed. "But..that means….you're leaving….and….without me?" Sokka asked, his voice shaking.

"Sokka, I'll think about you and your sister every day. Remember to protect every one. You're the man of the village now. Be strong Sokka."

And with that, he left.

Watching his father sail away, feeling the hole in his heart get a little bit bigger, Sokka thought about his dad's last few words to him.

"Be strong Sokka…."


Sokka glanced at his sister, knowing that she, too understood that they would never hear their mother's voice again.

He studied Katara's face. She was walking with her head down, fingering her newly acquired betrothal necklace.

He knew how hard this had to be for her, and was surprised to see that she still had not shed a tear.

Looking at his baby sister, this little eight year old girl, trying to keep a straight face for the sake of everyone else, after her own mother died, put a new strength in Sokka.

He now knew the true meaning of his mother's words: "I want you to be strong," and realized that she had not meant that he needed to be the greatest warrior, or the strongest man in the world. There were different kinds of strength, and his mother had known that.

And if his little sister could be strong, then so could he.


Thinking back, Sokka realized that he had changed, after all of those years.

He had finally finished his mother's sentence.

He had finally fulfilled his father's wish.

He took care of Katara, and, though he rarely admitted it, she took care of him.

He never forgot his village, he never forgot his people.

He had done it.

He was strong.

He was a warrior.


Before entering the house, he took one last look at his beloved village, now turned battlefield. He saw all of the people in the tribe, his family, helping one another, comforting each other.

Death had not been merciful to his little town.

It had come quickly and swiftly, knocking many down in the process.

Sorrow had touched everyone, and Sokka took one last sad look around the village, before walking inside, away from the sad little scene.

He still wasn't sure whether to consider crying one of the new kind of weaknesses or not.

But his mother's words echoed inside his head: "Be strong…be strong…be strong…"

And so, only when he reached his room, only when he was alone, and only when he could stop and believe in his heart that he could really be strong, then, only then, did he finally cry.


A/N: Thanks you for reading :D

Choices for Chapter 4: Zuko, Iroh, Azula, Ty Lee, Toph, and Mai. (Or anyone else). Let me know :)

Chapter three will be Katara.