A/N: This one is a bit different as well. It has the introspective Suki moments, but with little vestiges of a plot. Review for me, I certainly need the input. 

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Denunciation

When she married Sokka, Suki promised to be the sister that Katara never had. To protect and comfort and soothe her husband's only sibling was only a natural part of her life. It was such a relief that the women were fond of each other that the entire nation made them something like Water Tribe royalty, and praised the small family as old heroes to worship anew.

Now, however, Suki is beginning to regret her promise.

She is known for teaching lessons the hard way, but she treads the most delicate line when dealing with her sister-in-law that she can hardly speak her mind for fear of breaking her heart. What kind of Waterbending Master cries at the drop of a hat? Katara clamps down on her trembling lip when she realizes that Suki's hazel eyes are upon her, and she offers up a faltering smile as an apology.

On Kyoshi Island, that kind of behavior would not be tolerated. The girl in question would have been locked into the training room with Suki and they would have fought until there was simply not a problem anymore. Women can bawl their eyes out when they have broken fingers and bloody noses, and Suki refuses to let her warriors cage their frustrations. She could force out secrets without speaking a word, and she knows it always ends for the best when emotions come spilling forth in relief. After spending a few years in the Fire Nation, she is noticing that her methods seem a bit barbaric, but she brushes it off. This is the way that Avatar Kyoshi solved her conflicts, and it is embedded in Suki like her wide grin or the way she talks. And it's not like the Fire Nation has room to criticize, she reminds herself. At least her version of the Agni Kai doesn't leave people permanently scarred.

Katara needs this, she thinks. Push her harder until she snaps, let her beat you senseless until she shrieks at the top of her lungs, let her be a furious bloodbender for just a second so she can forget that she is becoming the Avatar's unwilling wife.

As angry as she is right now, Suki would kill Katara for her stupidity if she were any less disciplined. She would rip out a chunk of chocolate hair and claw at her blue eyes for causing Sokka so much pain, but the Kyoshi girl is not thoughtless enough to believe that this would fix their situation. And honestly, Suki doesn't think Katara would be much of a challenge at this point anyway. The Waterbender looks so defeated that she is hardly the same person that fought alongside the Avatar six years ago.

Clutching Sokka's newest sword in her hand as she observes her movement in the mirror brings Suki a sense of calm. She parries her invisible enemy with the blade and drops into a split that could baffle even acrobats like Ty Lee. Her spinning legs sweep the feet of no one and she rises with a slash in the air.

The sword is a bit too heavy for her, but she likes this straight shape over the curved blades that Zuko is fond of using. Now that Toph is here, she may ask the metalbender to create a spare of the right size until Sokka can get around to forging one.

"Poor Toph," she sighs. Katara doesn't know what she's doing when she spends time with the Earthbender. She does not mean to drag her along like a puppy on a leash, but there they are, walking around the palace grounds as master and mongrel. It's degrading to see.

And, though she doesn't like admitting it, Suki misses Toph's attitude. Something about her sharp wit is gone and she seems more dead than alive when they talk about anything other than Katara.

She knows why.

Suki sets up a target across the room to practice her projectile aim. Mai lent her a set of sharp throwing knives and offered to train sometime, but the Fire Lady never gets the opportunity. Ty Lee laments this fact to no end, but Suki forgives her for rambling about it. After all, she can complain up the dead from their graves when Sokka is overworked.

The knives stick with quick thump into the wood, but Suki doesn't congratulate herself. Her focus is gone now that Sokka has come to the front of her mind, so she puts the knives back into their leather case and wearily hangs the sword on the wall. Against her best wishes Suki of Kyoshi wants to cry, sitting on the matted floor.

The outside door swings open and she thinks for a moment that her husband has returned home, but a second glance reveals her almost-sister. Katara stands alone in her bending clothes, without shoes, and she asks quietly, "Can I train with you for a little while?"

Fury rises, and is forced down. Suki must control herself.

She must control herself to fix her sister.

Suki doesn't want to cry anymore.

Her Kyoshi Warrior mentality returns in an instant, "No Waterbending." Katara nods and extends a hand to lift the sitting woman. She takes a fighting stance and says, "I think I did something to offend Toph." Yes, thinks Suki. This is the real reason she's here.

"Ready?"

"Yes," says the Waterbender.

It has been months since they fought last, and even longer since Katara has battled without bending. Suki rushes in, sending a low kick into her abdomen; Katara loses her footing immediately, but manages to redirect the attack.

"Why do you say that?" Suki asks.

She leans away from Katara's striking palm, and throws a punch that skims past her cheek and into her hair. The dark-skinned woman furrows her brow, obviously frustrated at how rusty she has become. "I haven't seen her all day," she replies. "She was upset-" her words are stopped by a close call with Suki's fist. "She was upset yesterday while we were talking and then she left just- just left."

Suki blocks her long fingers and hurdles her sister-in-law like she's a small child. They fight back-to-back now, looping legs and clashing arms against one another. "What were you two talking about?"

Katara spins in place, hoping to get a hold around her opponent's arm. "The Rice Festival, that new machine Teo built, the wedding, Haru's girlfriend," she says between gritted teeth. Suki clutches Katara's wrists and flips her over, cracking her head on the ground. The air leaves her lungs with a hiss and she lies panting on the floor.

"Get up," commands Suki. Her words come out harsher than she intends.

Her partner rises again and takes a deep breath. This is not the way this usually works, Suki thinks. Katara should have broken down by now, giving in to her emotions from physical fatigue, but she lets no sign of her worry slip away. Still, her eyes are empty.

Suki decides to test the limits of their friendship. Her face contorts when she sharply says, "You know it was the wedding." She attacks suddenly and Katara falls to the ground again, fully feeling the force of Suki's punch to the stomach.

The Kyoshi Warrior gives her no chance to retort. She lets loose with an axe kick to her head, and Katara rolls away in fear. Suki pursues and catches her collar, dragging her back to her feet with a snarl.

"What are you doing?" gasps Katara.

Suki pulls their faces closer, "What are you doing?"

A driving knee puts the blue-eyed woman crumpled on her side and Suki stands above her, breathing heavily; she will seriously hurt her if their sparring continues like this. She sees Katara's lips curl back in the same way that Sokka's do when his friends are in danger.

Her mask is cracking and the tables will turn.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Suki," she spits. Her clenched hand catches Suki in the jaw, sending her reeling backwards. It was an attack she could have avoided, but she knows what her sister needs now; Suki understands the need to pierce and mangle and bruise, so she ignores her reflexes to dodge and simply lets Katara pound in her face.

"We weren't even talking about Aang!" She screams, "She just left me there!"

Katara's eyes are welling up and her attacks are becoming sloppy when she pins Suki to the floor. She punches again, leaving a bleeding cheekbone in the wake. "She's making it worse!" Punch. "She should just go away!" Punch. "I don't want her at the wedding!" Punch. Suki tastes the blood run between her teeth. "I hate him! I hate this! I hate it!" Punch, punch, punch. Her breath is coming out in short bursts, mingling with the hot tears that pour away from her grimacing face.

Without realizing, her fist becomes lined with ice from the sweat of her body.

Katara brings her deadly hand down with a final wordless scream, only to find it jarringly halted by Suki's open palm. Red lips slur, "No Waterbending," and when Katara sees what she almost did, her ice splashes into nothingness.

The water runs down Suki's arm and she releases her grip, flopping her fatigued limb to her side. Katara is slouched and frazzled, mouth forming shrill words. Her eyebrows pull up in horror at the sight of her friend and she immediately tries to heal what damage she's done. Groaning, Suki pushes her hands away to softly say, "You have to pick, Katara."

Her eyes grow wide and frightened, and an unspoken question is written on her face.

"She already loves you. It won't be that hard to tell her," Suki coughs out. She stands up slowly, feeling the parts of her body that are certain to ache tomorrow, and extends her hand to Katara. The Waterbender tentatively takes it, still reeling from the idea that she could have hurt someone so much with her bare hands.

Suki slings her arm around her sister's shoulders with a smile. "Good practice," she says. And they walk out together, fighter and healer, not really sure which is which anymore.

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