Chapter Three
Keeping the Memories

Again, I do not own anything of Avatar. (tear)


Strangely, Sokka did sleep in the darkened cave. It took him many long moments, even an hour or so, but at least he was silent in the process. The warrior made sure of it.

But in his slumber, Sokka felt something different in the air. It seemed as if a presence of some sort was floating around him, and a familiar presence at that.

He was alone. None of his close friends were near, and his shadowy sword had gone missing as well. A thickened forest surrounded the warrior and a night sky hovered above. Frigid air crawled up and stabbed his spine.

Sokka glanced up at the moon. It was full and seemed to glow in the darkness. Clearly, it took over the scenery and the stars were not able to be seen. He sighed, allowing his warm breath create a cloud, then smiled at the large designed in the sky.

The warrior blinked a few times then stared at the moist grass. Where was he? Where were his friends? Questing kept on adding and adding.

Looking back up at eye level, her face was seen.

"Yue?" Sokka heard his breath say.

"I'm sorry." The spirit sounded.

"For what?" Sokka questioned, "you didn't do anything."

"I'm sorry for leaving you."

Sokka grew silent. She did leave him, but she needed to, and it was forgivable, wasn't it? He was unsure on everything.

"But, you…They…I…" Sokka rambled.

Before he could say another short word, Yue pushed her lips against his. It didn't last long, but at least it silenced him, for a short moment.

"All right, now I'm only confused." Sokka thought aloud, "you were just apologizing, and then you went around and just kissed me? No offense, Yue, but you've gotten crazy while being up there on the moon."

Yue could do nothing but laugh a little. She terribly missed his humor and needed it to lighten things up. Quickly, she tenderly touched her lips on his cheek. "And that's why I love you; you can be serious, but make everything funny at the same time."

Sokka shrugged, "Well, whatever works for you."

A smile formed on the girl's lips as she blushed. Sokka was no longer alone. A love of his life was next to him, and there was a hope of togetherness in the air. Unlike before, the bitterness of the cold seemed to disappear and a warmth of sympathy and compassion replaced it.

"Sokka," another voice sounded with a depressed tone from afar.

Looking over his shoulder, the warrior saw a different familiar face. Her visual title of a Kyoshi Warrior was smeared all over her face as tears streamed down her eyes. Disbelief and sorrow was written all over Suki as she witnessed the kisses.

"Suki, I…" Sokka stuttered, stepping towards her.

Remembering the spirit, Sokka glanced back to the other who seemed as if she lost an important aspect to her life. One of his hands reached for Yue, as the other headed for Suki.

Sighing in distress, the Moon Sprit shook her head and stared at the ground. Tears began to build in her eyes after she figured Sokka could not make a decision between her or the other girl. Eventually, her ghost-like figure and face began to disappear in the thin air. The frigid feeling returned to Sokka when she was nowhere to be seen. And following the return, a choking feeling took over his throat that time.

He turned to Suki. Her face was buried in her hands as the tears spilled out. Sokka wasn't quite sure on whether she was tearing happily for the departure, or sorrowfully of his unmade decision.

"Suki," Sokka spoke, reaching out for her, "you know nothing could separate us." He wrapped his arms around her.

"But you kissed her." She bitterly replied, making way out of his grasp.

"It didn't mean anything, Suki." Sokka tried.

The girl wiped tears away from her face. She couldn't decipher if what he said was only something she wanted to hear, or if it was something she needed to hear. "You really mean that?"

Sokka nodded. "Of course. You're a beautiful person, inside and out." He feathered out for her hands.

Trusting him, Suki placed her palms atop his. "Is she a part of your life?"

Sokka gulped. He still had strong feelings for Yue. But, there was something about Suki that made him want to keep her close. "No, she was only a minor chapter of me. You're the only one who completes me, Suki."

She blinked a few times, and delivered a bashful smile. Sokka carefully took two of his fingers and swiped the colors from her face onto his own. It trailed from one of his eyebrows to his jaw line.

Suki changed her smile to a compassionate gesture. Though she had to dig deep, she could find Sokka's meaning; that they were connected, no matter how different they were.

"Will you forgive me?" Sokka questioned.

Suki chose her words vigilantly. "Of course."

The two smiled at each other. The frigid air seemed to melt away and the choking sensation paused. Sokka let go of Suki's hands and wrapped his arms around her. Suki responded by loosely wrapping her arms around his neck and rested them upon his shoulders. Her eyes glistened under the moonlight and broke away the smeared colors on her skin.

Their eyelids lowered and their necks longed for each other's. After a few short moments, their lips touched. The world seemed as if it was pause. They held the kiss for as long as they could, finally reuniting with one another and hoped that nothing would separate them again.

Once their lips were apart, and their arms were at their own side, Sokka turned his back towards Suki. Guilt began to over power him and everything else.

"Sokka?" Suki questioned in a concerned tone.

"Sokka? Sokka!" Katara's voice chimed in, "wake up, Sokka!"

Soon, he rose his eyelids to see the cave's mouth opened and his sister hovering above his face. "What?" he shot his head upward, "where's Yue? Where's Suki?" he looked on both sides of him.

"Yue and Suki?" Katara questioned, puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

"They were in-" he cut his own voice and put his fingers on his face where the paint had been. He felt nothing, only a dark, empty canvas.

"If you two would hurry up, we'd be leaving by now." Toph annoyingly said atop of Appa.

Quickly, bundling his blankets together, Sokka threw the package in the saddle and climbed up.

Outside the cave was much more different than before. Darkness filled the sky, but warmth was still held. The Fire Nation seemed to have an eerie glow, but is was all dead at the same time. Few guards roamed, and no citizens were seen. Above a prison held the same ghost-like scene.

"If we're correct, Suki should be in on of these," Sokka alerted, pointing at two prisons on a map.

"If? I don't want to be searching all my life for this one girl, you know!" Toph complained.

"We'll head for the closest one. That way, there will be more time to search tonight." Aang broke the bitterness as he lowered Appa in front of the building. After everyone stepped off him, the bison was instructed by Aang to return as quick as he could when the whistle blew.

Katara's eyes widened with fear as she stared at the outside of the prison. It was a circular shape, and airless as well. Heavy chains were on each side of the opening of the prison, and a large metal down was formed as an entrance. Cobwebs coated the outer fixtures and every head-sized window was thickly barred. She knew her brother's compassion for Suki, but was she even alive? Was all of this worth it?

The four walked through and alerted of any guards. Toph kneeled over and placed her palm on the cold, metal floor as they came to a cross section of halls. "She's not here." She solemnly told, getting back to her feet.

Sokka ignored her and chose the western hall.

"Sokka, what are you doing? Toph said Suki's not in here." Katara harshly whispered, trying not to create a distraction.

"She also said that she doesn't want to look for her!" Sokka paused his steps, but didn't look back.

"I said that I didn't want to search my entire life!" Toph stated her defense, "and I'm telling the truth when I say 'she's not here'."

The warrior didn't speak. Instead, he began to continue his way down the hall.

"Sokka, wait," Aang caught up to him, "we'll search for her here tonight. But it would work better if we went in groups." He looked back at Katara and Toph, "they'll search with each other and you and I will search together, all right?"

Sokka glanced from Aang to the girls. "All right." He nodded.


Author's Note: Terribly sorry for the delay to post Chapter Three up. From angered parents, to school, all of it adds up. My bad.

Another Author's Note: Thanks for pushing me to continue The Warriors' Love, everyone! I've been trying to include all the details I need, type it up, and post it on FanFic quickly, but without you peoples, I'd never be able to do this! Thankies!

StandUnderMyUmbrella