A/N: Huzzah, more Sokka/Suki... and a Sokka/Yue hint as well, if you look really closely. Oh, the pairings I'm going to put in this series... (Hint: Note where the performing troupe is from...)
Set Ten: Time
Part Two: Troupe
Sokka, whenever he can, travels out to Kyoshi Island. On the times that Katara comes with him, she notices that both Suki and he always disappear for hours on end. When they are seen again, Katara doesn't say a word to them—but she has her suspicions. She wonders if Sokka even remembers that the moon always shines overhead during his disappearances. (The rains these days have subsided for a bit, but the world is always so cold and cloudy...and it rains with more force than it did before the end of the war.) But all the same, Katara doesn't really care.
On one of the trips to Kyoshi, a small fleet of ships crewed by merry, colorfully dressed people docks in the harbor. Katara visits the fleet to learn more of their circumstances. They welcome her heartily onto their ship, and offer her dinner. She learns that they are a performing troupe from the Fire Nation. They wander around the world, trying to foster peace between the Nations, by order of the Fire Lord.
Suddenly the candied leechi nuts in Katara's mouth taste incredibly sour. She swallows them painfully, a frown crossing her face. "The Fire Lord?" she asks weakly. She hasn't seen him in nearly half a year, but the feeling of betrayal lingers fresh in her mind.
"Why yes, as a matter of fact," states the troupe leader proudly. "We have a very important mission. World peace is of the essence. We weren't going to perform until tomorrow night, once we've rested up a bit."
Katara forces a smile. "Thank you for your hospitality," she says hoarsely, and makes her way hastily off the ship.
As she walks away from the harbor, the waves grow larger and fiercer, even though the harbor is protected from the deathly ocean. The waves slam on the shore over and over with a passionate hatred that has never been known to Kyoshi Island.
