Stay Strong

When the rest of the girls and I were ready to leave, our master gave me a map.

"Alright, Suki, so you'll go there, then there, and you'll end up where all of the refugees from the war go."

"I thought we were going to fight," one of the girls said.

"Well, here's the first step, at least, to helping the war effort in the Earth Kingdom. They need workers to help transport refugees into Ba Sing Se. You won't actually go into Ba Sing Se, but you'll work with the refugees and their passports and all."

"And after that?" I asked.

"It's your call, Suki," he smiled. "You'll lead them wherever your warrior expertise is needed."

All the girls bowed and started out of the door, while I stayed behind. "Thank you, Oyaji. You've been like a father to me," I said, bowing to him. He gave me a little hug and said,

"It's amazing what effect the Avatar and his friends had on you."

"Yeah," I nodded, wondering what they were doing right then. Then I walked out the door and the other warriors and I walked down towards the beach. We all looked up at the Kyoshi statue and I smiled, telling them, "We're going to make her proud. Now let's go help with this war, you guys."

We got on our boat and started making our way across the long sea. Then, the Unagi came up from the water and sprayed water on us. It dove for the attack and at the right moment, I pulled out my fans and jumped on the Unagi's back. I got onto its head, punched it on its forehead and it started to sink into the water. I jumped off of the Unagi and onto our boat. The other warriors gaped at me.

"You just took down the Unagi," Yori muttered.

"For a few seconds," I clarified. "Come on, let's go out of here."

When we arrived to start helping with the refugees, we were given new uniforms. The girls and I took off our makeup and I reluctantly put my fans away. How would the Kyoshi warriors be any help with defeating the Fire Nation if we were forced to go around weaponless, helping refugees get to Ba Sing Se? After this, we really needed to get back to fighting. We were warriors.

We came out and went our separate ways, to help people get onto the trains and help them with passports and all. I thought about Katara, realizing I hadn't sent her a letter back. Hopefully they would be finishing their waterbending training soon, because next in the cycle was earthbending, and hopefully that meant I could see them again soon—Katara, Sokka, and Aang were good friends of us, despite our short time together.

I saw a teenage guy with a girl who appeared to be his sister. They reminded me of Sokka and Katara.

"Can I see your passports, please?" I asked. The guy looked at me and smiled,

"Yeah, sure, they're right here."

"Looks good. Are you travelling alone, the two of you?" I asked. It was a personal question, but he didn't seem shaken by my boldness.

"We are," he nodded. "We were separated from our parents by the war, and now we're going back to Ba Sing Se to meet up with them."

"That's sweet," I smiled.

"What's your name?"

"Suki," I answered, looking up at him.

"So you work here?"

"Well, temporarily," I said as his sister went to get some tea for the two of them. "I'm a Kyoshi warrior. All of us came from Kyoshi Island to help with the refugees; after that, we'll go and actually do some fighting."

"Fighting?"

"Give any of us two fans, maybe a katana, and we'd be your worst nightmare," I laughed.

"Wow. I've never met such a brave girl."

"You'd be surprised. We're not so sensitive and sweet all the time."

"Oh?" he chuckled. "Well, it looks like my sister and I are going to be here a while."

"Yeah?"

"There's some kind of delay. You didn't know?"

"Not yet," I muttered, looking around.

"Anyway, would you want to join us for some dinner? It'll be pretty public, but you don't seem like one to mind that."

"I…" I mulled over what he'd just offered. He probably liked me, and he was pretty cute and all, but no matter what Sokka did while I wasn't around, I couldn't just ignore my feelings for him. "I'm sorry. I can't."

"Are you involved with somebody else?" the guy asked.

"Well, sort of," I said quickly, and I turned away, blushing deeply. When the girls and I met back up that night for dinner with the workers, Yori turned to me and whispered,

"I saw you with that cute guy and his sister, Suki." She giggled a little. I grimaced,

"And?"

"You were blushing! Don't deny it, Suki."

"Not for him," I explained, hoping that my indifferent attitude would stop her from pursuing the subject. It didn't.

"I'd be blushing, too, if a cute guy like him were flirting with me."

"Can you be quiet?" I growled. Everyone at the table looked at us. "I'm very sorry. I think I need to go get some fresh air."

I stood up, and saw that Jade was doing the same. I wiped me mouth and ran outside.

"Suki?" she sounded concerned.

"I'd rather not talk about it, actually," I said, forcing a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm upset about Sokka and this princess girl from the Northern Water Tribe, okay?" I snapped.

"He's free to do what he wants with his love life," she pointed out. I turned to her and we leaned on the balcony.

"Yeah? Even if it hurts me?"

"You're a warrior. In fact, you're the best warrior I know. You're probably, in all the years since Avatar Kyoshi's death, the most like her. Are you really going to let a boy get the better of you? The Suki I know is stronger than that and she doesn't let people get to her."

"Sokka can do whatever he wants—go out with this Yue girl—and I'm not saying he can't. It's his choice," I shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be okay with it. I really like Sokka."

"Maybe he doesn't feel the same way…" she suggested. I sighed,

"Well, I kissed him on the cheek before he left the island."

"What did he say after that?"

"Nothing," I admitted. "But you know what? You're right. I'm a Kyoshi warrior. If one guy doesn't like me, no matter how much I like him, I can't let it get me down."

"Or tie you down," she added.

"One day, Jade, we're going to get out of this place and end this war for good. We'll be the real warriors we've always trained to be. And I'll try not to let my feelings for Sokka change me, or blind me," I assured her. We both walked inside, everyone having finished eating, and went to our barracks where we slept. I adjusted myself in the two-by-six foot bed and heaved a long sigh, looking up at the blank barrack above me, secretly wishing that I could have a real home. Not a house for warriors, not a place for employees to stay, but a real home. Or was home a place where there were people you loved? I guess I won't ever know.