Warning: Occurs during "The Kyoshi Warriors" and contains spoilers.

Eleven

Suki really didn't know what to think. After a year and a half of relative peace and calm, mediocrity and routine, it was bound to be confusing and startling to discover that, quite suddenly, that period of boredom was over.

She and her Warriors had kept their pact; even though the borders were closed and Oyaji refused to change his mind, the Warriors still kept fit and kept the traditions alive. Suki really didn't have high hopes that Oyaji would rescind his edict any time soon, but she still felt that someday, like she predicted, it would catch up to them all eventually.

So when one of the border scouts – men and women who monitored the activity on the shores and kept an eye our for ships and traders – burst into the dojo and shouted out her name so loud that it caused her to drop her fans, the furthest thing from her mind was that someone had arrived and the time was now.

"What, Keiko?" Suki snapped, irritated that she had been interrupted in the middle of a form.

"I'm sorry, Suki, but there's a group of people on the shores!" Keiko answered, her face pale.

Suki frowned. "Well, so?"

"They're outsiders, Suki!"

Suki stared, not quite sure if she had heard right. Slowly, she turned to look at the others, who were already staring back at her with the same bewilderment she felt.

"How many?" Mikku broke in, stepping forward.

Keiko winced. "Three, some kind of monkey, and some huge furry thing!"

"Huge furry thing?" Sakana snorted. "Are you sure you don't have sunstroke?"

"Like…like a huge…I don't even know what!" Keiko threw her arms up in the air. "With arrows…and one of them is riding the koi!"

Suki's eyes widened, a faint chill going down her spine. Wordlessly, she turned to the others, who still stared at her, clearly waiting for her orders. "Did they come on ship?"

Keiko shook her head. "We saw no hint of a ship anywhere."

"Does Oyaji know?" she asked.

Keiko nodded slowly. "Yes. The other scout ran to tell him."

Suki pressed her lips together. If Oyaji knew, he would, without a doubt, feel panic or fear at the news. She had to reach the shores first, just in case these visitors were only visitors.

But then, she thought darkly, Kyoshi's luck hasn't been that great.

"Suki," Sakana's voice broke into her disparaging thoughts. "Your orders?"

Suki met her gaze, noting that if things were normal, Sakana would have coupled that with something sarcastic. It woke her up, and she stood up straighter.

"Keiko, go alert the other villagers and keep them out of the way." The other girl bowed, then ran from the dojo. "Iru, Sakana – take the left side of the beach. Mikku, Azaki – take the right. Zayi, you're with me – we'll take the middle. Eyes on me, wait for my signals, and do not allow Oyaji the first move. Understood?"

All five nodded, sharing the look of fear and trepidation, but also showing iron strength. It was how Suki felt, too.

"Let's go."

"They can't stay."

Suki frowned, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowed. "Oyaji, they have to stay. One of them is the Avatar, the only hope for our whole world!"

"So he claims."

"He's an airbender, Oyaji. No one else in this whole world can airbend. Of course he's the Avatar!"

"Suki, they can't stay." Oyaji's eyes went hard, boring into hers. "Outsiders bring nothing but trouble."

A stab of resentment and fury shot through her. She slammed her palms onto the table before him, losing her temple. "I'm an outsider!" she shouted. "And so was Burin! Am I – was she – nothing but trouble, too?"

Oyaji winced, looking away.

"I understand your fear, and I respect that. But we can't push them from our shores." She sought his eyes again. "With the Avatar here, we're safe. He's our last hope."

Oyaji sighed deeply. He said nothing for a long time, and Suki was close to losing it again. But he finally spoke. "Very well. They can stay as our guests, and we will welcome them as such. But I will be wary, Suki." He closed his eyes. "I can't help it."

"I know," she said softly. "And I promise, in the moment of trouble, we will be there."

Suki's exposure to the opposite sex was rather sporadic. Other than Suihou, no boy had ever expressed intent or interest in her – and even Suihou's interest was platonic. She was plain, she knew, and she also was a bit anti-social, since her thoughts were always on being a Warrior, and thus her mind had very little room to spare for boys.

Therefore, when Sokka knelt before her and her Warriors hours after being verbally and literally spanked by her, she was surprised. She didn't know what to make of him, really; his sexist attitude and arrogance was reminiscent of Ranku, but there was also a kindness in him, one that showed around his sister, Katara and the Avatar, Aang.

And wasn't that enough to deal with? Having to be hospitable to the Avatar who had been rumoured to be dead for a century, without having to wonder about foreign boys who knelt in front of her in complete submission?

But – and this was a huge but – it took nerve and guts to not only come back to the place of recent humiliation and apologise, and it took even greater guts to admit ignorance and beg to be educated.

However, Suki also knew that outsiders had to follow tradition – like it or not.

"Wait a second…" Sokka's voice was something of a squeal, muffled by the privacy screen set up for him in the dojo. "This is a dress!"

Beside her, Sakana twitched. "Oh, let me kick him," she hissed into Suki's ear. "Please?"

Azaki smacked Sakana's shoulder, even when the other girls sniggered.

"You want to learn? You have to learn just like we did," Suki answered Sokka, her voice impassive.

The sound of a groan, followed by rustling and curses, followed.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Iru whispered. "Teaching an outsider like this, and a male, no less?"

Suki shrugged. "We'll dress him up, humiliate him, and then dash any further thoughts of learning our ways." She raised an eyebrow. "It takes years to master our art, remember? And I'm starting him in full robes and paint. Of course I'm not serious."

"Seems kind of mean, don't you think?" Zayi broke in softly. "Making him think we're sincere, only to pull a prank on him."

Mikku nodded. "I agree. It's mean."

Azaki pressed her lips together, looking away. In that, Suki knew she felt the same.

Sakana, however, smirked. "I think it's brilliant."

That was like a splash of cold water, needless to say. "Okay, all of you, get out," Suki snapped, waving her hands and pushing them away and towards the door. There was a flurry of protests, but Suki added, "I need you to make sure the village is still safe and that the Avatar is comfortable, okay?"

It was true, and they knew it, so they – grudgingly – complied.

When they were gone, Sokka poked his head out from behind the screen, his dark face pale and pinkish. "Are we alone?" he asked in a tiny voice.

Suki had to swallow her giggles. "Yes, come out."

He did, gingerly; the robes fit him but were a little long, and his body, though slight and thin, was proportioned all wrong for the robes to fit perfectly.

And, it didn't help that he looked miserable. "Do I really have to wear this?" he wondered, looking and sounding like he was suffering under a form of torture.

"Yes," Suki answered flatly, walking over to the corner of the dojo and opening a cabinet. Within was a chest of spare paints, made for post-workout touch-ups. She pulled it out and went back to him. His icy blue eyes followed her every move with some wariness.

"What's that?"

"Paints."

He paled, then backed away, holding up his gloved hands. "No. Way. I'll wear the dress, but I'm not wearing some kind of girly-girl makeup!"

Suki glared at him. "That's rich, coming from a man of the Water Tribe."

Sokka blinked in surprise, his hands lowering a few inches. "What?"

"It's not girly-girl makeup. It's war-paint. We don't wear it to look pretty – we wear it to ready ourselves for battle. The same thing that your men do before war!"

"Hey, it's not the same thing!" Sokka protested. "We…ah…assume the guise of a mighty arctic wolf. It honours the spirit and cunning of the beast that knows more about war better than any man. You…there's no animal that looks like that!"

"Avatar Kyoshi wore these paints to signify that she was like a spirit, herself," Suki explained tersely, unable to keep the bite of annoyance from her words. "Red was for both the passion and thrill of the hunt as well as the blood that would spill. White was for purity as well as the paleness that comes with death. Kyoshi knew what war was, and, as her Warriors, so do we!"

Sokka lowered his hands completely, his face paling. Suki hadn't realised she was yelling until that moment, and while she was a little embarrassed, she couldn't help it; insulting her martial art was insulting her whole way of living.

Suddenly, it wasn't about humiliating him anymore. All she wanted now was to teach him, just like she had been taught. She wanted to teach him the beauty and deadliness of her martial art. She wanted him to understand and to learn something from it.

"I'm sorry," Sokka said softly, and he looked it, too. "You're right – I shouldn't have judged without knowing."

"That's right," she snapped. "You shouldn't have. Now sit down and shut up."

Surprised and without any protest he did so, kneeling down in front of her and looking up with large eyes. With a frown, she sat down, setting the chest beside her and opening it. She stirred the paints, tested the thickness, then picked up a brush and held it up, her eyes on his.

"You need to sit still and stay quiet," she said. "Can you do that?"

Sokka's eyes sparked a little; clearly, he wanted to say something in response, but wisely, he merely nodded.

She reached out and took hold of his chin, leaning in close. She dropped the brush into the cream first, gently brushing it over his skin. She kept her eyes narrowed, finding herself slipping into a kind of comforting reverie that always came over her when she painted. Because of this, she missed the darkening blush on his face, the increase of his pulse under her fingers, the nervous swallowing, and the slight shifting of his legs.

Despite these small moves, Sokka kept himself relatively still while she painted his face. The dark skin disappeared beneath a coat of white – even the shaved sides of his hair stood out and became more defined against it – and his eyes, already so light and bright, seemed to shine against the red and black.

When she went to paint his lips, he jerked back, uttering a kind of embarrassed giggled. "Okay, that's good, don't you think?" he wondered, his voice high.

Suki grabbed his chin again, digging her fingers in, and he winced, adding a couple of whiny squeaks. Cute, she thought, her lips twitching a little…and then she blinked, surprised by her thought. Cute?

But then, even in the paints, as he was squirming under her grip like he was being tortured, it was hard to ignore the fact that Sokka was cute.

Feeling her cheeks heat up a little, she dragged his face back and held him still. "All or nothing, tough guy."

He pouted, but said nothing. With a smirk, she started on his lips, finding that the pouting only helped her with the application.

And, she saw, he has really nice-looking lips…

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she was relieved that her paints hid it. "Stop being a child. You're the prettiest man in all of the Water Tribes."

He groaned, and she laughed. She already considered him one of her own.

The Fire Nation...

All of her life, Suki had feared them. They were brutal conquerors, ruthless and deadly, foes with fire that burst from their very bodies. Nightmares were tamer than reality when it came to them.

And now they're here, on my shores, she thought from her perch on one of the rooftops, her heart racing. It was so easy to claim Kyoshi Island as her own in the face of danger, so easy to forget that she wasn't born here, especially now, when the whole island was depending on her.

She held up a hand. At both sides, her Warriors made themselves visible to her, so silently that her heartbeat eased slightly, the sight comforting. Even Sokka, at her side, was silent, his eyes wide but like steel beneath his paints.

Deliberately, she held up her other hand, holding a closed fan. With one flick of her wrist, it opened, making her threat clear.

And from the rooftops, they descended down onto the threats below.

It took hours, but Suki and the rest of her Warriors managed to finish cooling the buildings that had burned and extinguish the flames on the few embers that remained. Once that was finished, Oyaji began issuing orders to everyone – the first time in years – which effectively kept everyone, villager and Warrior alike, busy.

Deep into the night, Suki was finally able to call the other Warriors back into the dojo. All five looked as exhausted, worn out and depressed as she felt. None of them looked at her, and to her shame, she didn't look at them, either. She felt too humiliated.

After a long time, Suki murmured, "We have a lot to learn."

Sakana was the first to reply, her voice sharp. "We could only learn what we were taught, Suki," she snapped. Suki looked up and saw the fury on her face. "If anyone is to blame for this, it's you!"

Both Zayi and Mikku opened their mouths to protest, but Sakana wasn't deterred. Suki met her eyes without flinching, taking in every word. "You knew that we're in the middle of a war; that much was obvious when we had to bury Duree. None of that changed when Oyaji closed the borders, and you promised we would stay strong for when the war came to us. We were only following your orders, Suki. You should have taught us better."

Suki took all of this without breaking her eye contact with Sakana. Her cheeks burned with humiliation and shame, but she didn't protest or fight back. She couldn't.

"Sakana, no one was expecting the banished prince of the Fire Nation to show up," Azaki murmured. "No one expected anything like this happen."

"We're Warriors, Azaki," Sakana answered, not looking away from Suki. "We should be ready and expect all kinds of battles, no matter what."

"Sakana, shut up," Zayi hissed.

"Seriously, shut your mouth," Iru added, her high voice even higher with stress.

"Really," Mikku agreed. "If it had been you, I'm sure you would have done it the exact same way, if not worse."

"Enough," Suki broke in, sighing and closing her eyes for a moment. She knew that their bickering came from their disappointment, and not from personal hate, but it was still just as painful. Slowly, she got to her feet and opened her eyes.

She held out her hands. "I'm the first one that will admit my mistakes here," she said softly. "I know that I've failed not only Kyoshi, but you as well. I know that it was my fault and there is no one else to blame. You're right in everything you say, Sakana." And here she looked at the older girl – really and truly looked at her – and saw the pain and shame deep within.

"So, if all of you agree, I can step down right now," she said finally, her eyes still on Sakana. "What I have done could have led us all into death. That is not worthy of leadership, and I know it."

"Save it," Sakana snapped without hesitation, her eyes narrowing. She then looked away, her mouth forming a small smile. "You know you're the best one out of all of us. You can't give up now."

"Yeah," Iru agreed, her voice going even higher with sudden enthusiasm. "We all make mistakes. We have to keep on going and push past them."

Azaki nodded slowly with a smile, and Mikku grinned. "But we're only allowing you this one mistake," she teased.

Zayi clapped her hands together in front of her, her smile bright. "She's kidding - we can allow three!"

Deep down inside, a small and selfish part of Suki wanted to scream at them, suddenly. It shocked her, this sudden bubble of fury – You're all so 'confident' in me as leader because you don't want to be in my place! – and dimly, she realised that the whole day's events had shaken her, deeply. She wondered if she would ever get past her this and start feeling okay again…

She kept her face carefully blank despite how sick she felt inside. She loved them all, so much, but this was the first time, she knew, that she had ever resented them.

However, now was not the time or place. "Thank you," she said honestly, unable to keep a small tremor from her voice. "It means the world to me that you still trust me enough for this, but we all know that the fact remains: we still have a lot to learn."

Iru tilted her head to one side. "So what are you suggesting?"

Suki sat back down. "This is where I speak to you as a fellow comrade and not as your leader. I need your opinion about this, and I want to make it clear that it's a suggestion, not an order."

Mikku smiled her slow and lazy smile. "Well, you've got us interested, now."

Suki smiled back weakly. "I was thinking; we're so inexperienced because we're isolated here. Oyaji made sure of that, but now it's obvious that staying on the island doesn't give us the life experience, let alone battle."

Sakana cupped her chin in her hand. "What are you suggesting, Suki? That we go into the Fire Nation and challenge the Firelord?"

Suki rolled her eyes. "No," she answered, feeling the tension easing – just a bit – from Sakana's teasing and acid wit. "I'm saying we should try and help the other nations, just like Burin thought to do. Right now, there are dozens of smaller targets, hundreds of villages under Fire Nation rule, but the biggest target is Ba Sing Se."

Azaki nodded. "Exactly. If they capture Ba Sing se, they win."

"Right," Suki agreed. "I know it sounds like I'm merely following Burin's ideas and in the end will get us killed as a result, but I have no doubt in my mind that we will not end up that way."

"Why?" Sakana asked flatly.

"Because Duree's death was something that Burin and the others hadn't had in advance to learn from," she answered, her voice hard. "That reality check was powerful and painful, but in the wrong way. Oyaji was wrong, and now we need to get out there, not to fight, but to protect."

"Explain the difference," Sakana answered.

"Burin and the others were intent on fighting the Fire Nation. All I am proposing we do is find ways to help the Earth Kingdom stay strong – act as guards or police or escorts – without direct conflict." Suki clenched her hands on her knees. "Because direct conflict is what killed Duree."

There was a silence, broken only when Iru whispered, "It's scary. I had never thought of it before."

"That's how we know it's been put off for too long," Sakana broke in. "The sooner we head out, the better."

Suki started, her eyes meeting Sakana's in surprise. "So…you would be willing to come with me," she said carefully. The older girl nodded, her eyes like liquid steel, and with a jolt, Suki suddenly understood why; she wants to either find Dajana…or avenge her.

"What about the rest of you?"

Zayi nodded. "Of course. I like new things!"

Mikku rolled her eyes. "You're not going to be able to just ditch us."

Azaki frowned. "Don't even ask or go there."

Iru looked up shyly. "I want to come, if you'll have me."

Suki looked down, her hold on her knees tightening. Her eyes burned, and any last trace of doubt and resentment vanished. When she looked up, her eyes narrowed and she set her jaw. "Then we go," she concluded.

Five smiles met her gaze, and she smiled back faintly.

Oh, Burin, I really hope I really and truly have learned from your mistakes…

A week later, when Suki was sure the village had recovered, she led her Warriors to Oyaji's home and told him of their decision.

Oyaji's face was impassive, but his eyes darkened before closing. Suki stood before him, flanked by her Warriors, her head held high. They all wore backpacks and bedrolls, a line of strength.

"The Avatar and his comrades have it right," Suki said. "Travelling the world and trying to help people, rather than hiding away to preserve ourselves, is the proper way to do things. We can't sit back and do nothing any longer. The Avatar has returned, Oyaji." Her voice was close to a plea. "Hope has returned to our hopeless world, and we need to help in any way we can to maintain it."

The other Warriors were silent, trusting Suki to speak for them in this delicate situation.

"Oyaji-," Suki started again, but he held up a hand, his eyes opening again. He looked very old, and very sad. "I can't stop you, Suki," he said. "No force on this earth can stop you, now. Anything I say would do nothing."

Suki closed her mouth. It was true, after all.

"But please, Suki. Please. When you come across danger, do not fight it. Run away." He stared at her, his eyes so dark in their sorry that it was easy to be held spellbound. "I cannot bear to bury any more Warriors."

Suki shut her eyes briefly before nodding slowly. "I know," she whispered.

"Then I recommend you start close to your home village," Oyaji said, his voice stronger now. "See if they need help, then make your way up to Ba Sing Se, stopping at all towns and villagers on the way. Do not underestimate, and do not linger in dangerous places. Be smart."

Suki nodded again. She bowed, one hand over the other and before her, and her Warriors did the same. "Thank you, Oyaji. We will send our progress to you as it comes."

"Just…stay alive," he answered.

Suki nodded a third time, then turned to look at the others. With that look, her Warriors filed out of the house and towards the shores, ready to board the first ship set to leave the beach in years. But it was certainly not the last.