Title: Dance Inside
Chapter Title: Journey
Word count: 614 Rating: G Warnings: the ramblings of Sokka
Notes: Just a little drabble on what Sokka was thinking while he was stuck in the crack in the earth during the episode, "Bitter Work". It ties in nicely with the rest of my drabbles as well. Again, I'm trying to incorporate character other than Zuko and Katara in these drabbles—but it's hard because there are so many drabbles you can do using just them! Anyway, here's one with my favorite dry-humor and sarcasm guy, Sokka.

Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two. That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable.


Journey

The stillness of the air was disturbing. The baby saber-toothed moose lion cub was sitting on his head and he was stuck in a crack in the earth. How he had gotten in that situation was beyond him. All he knew was that he had been hunting the little creature and had jumped down from a tree only to land in a crack in the earth, falling in further the more he tried to get out of it. It seemed like cruel revenge from those he hunted—as he was stuck in a crack and couldn't move an inch, much less hunt an animal for food. So there he was there, stuck, immobile and pondering about his life so far with his sister, Aang, and now Toph. And what a life they had been leading. He smiled, thinking of how fate had intervened that day in Katara and his lives.

It amazed him how one day of going fishing, losing their boat and getting stuck on an ice raft was the first day of the rest of their lives. He, of course, had said some not so nice comments to his sister and she had gotten seriously mad at him. Like, if she had been a firebender, steam would have been coming out of her ears and she would have fried him by then. She had then burst the iceberg, she had been so mad, and they had discovered Aang, the Avatar that had been lost to the world for a hundred years.

From then on, Aang's destiny had been intertwined with theirs and their lives had never been the same. They had gone on a whirlwind trip that was still going on right now—and wouldn't stop until they went to the Fire Nation and Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai or at least died trying. Sokka shuddered. He really didn't want to think of that right now; he wanted Aang to win so the world could live on in peace. The war had been going on for way too long—and their trip to the Fire Nation would end the war, whether they won or they lost the final battle—though he really hoped their side would prevail, because the world would never be the same if the Fire Nation won.

And this trip would determine the outcome of the war. They had to go all over the world just for Aang to be able to learn from three masters, three people that would teach him the three remaining elements that he had to master so he could defeat the Fire Lord. Katara had taught Aang basically all there was to know about waterbending—so Aang was basically a waterbending master—and Toph was now teaching Aang earthbending, which he still was working on mastering. All that was left was to find a firebending master before Aang could be able to defeat Ozai. (But who?)

Sokka sighed. It was exhausting thinking of all the places they'd been and all the places they would probably have to go soon on their trip. But he was happy. At first he didn't like the fact that he had been dragged on a trip just for Katara—because she had wanted to go with Aang to the North Pole to learn waterbending and it was his job to protect her—but now he was happy and excited that he had come along. Their travels across the world were exhausting, but fun. He had never realized what traveling across the world in search of something was really called; he never realized he would be doing it. But here he was, doing it and finally realizing what traipsing across the world meant. He could sum it up in one word.

Journey.