He ran.
La had deposited Aang, close to the Spirit Oasis, releasing the boy from his hold.
While Katara had shouted and moved right away, Sokka was numb. Numb. And... Aang wasn't moving.
The boy who always bounced back, was not moving.
No.
He sprinted.
Fear spiked sharply across the cold numbness of nonono of Yue, refusing and shock that felt deeper than any degree of cold Sokka had ever experienced in his life.
He could feel the fear.
No.
His body rebelled again.
No.
He's not breathing! Aang isn't breathing!
No.
His sister's voice paused. Sokka could feel the older man, Prince Zuko's uncle, just behind him. No words. Silence. For a world splitting moment.
And then, Katara breathed out.
He's so...cold.
Numb, that fear being the one feeling Sokka could feel, he moved. Removing his gloves, shedding off his parka, mutely handing them off to Katara. She accepted them, hands moving. Water swirling, pressing and pumping Aang's chest.
Not moving.
Not breathing.
Cold.
Numb.
Fear.
No.
Tui.
Yue.
Aang.
No.
And then Sokka's mind stuttered.
The Avatar.
The Fire Nation.
The war.
All the people.
The world.
No.
No.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
His head spun.
Eyes latching on to the glow.
Weird magic glow, so easy to spot and find and he ran.
La did this.
La should fix this.
Tui.
Sokka's throat clenched.
Yue.
Tui was fine.
Ignoring the sight of Zuko was easy.
Sokka barely noticed.
Pushed past the stunned prince of the Fire Nation, who stupidly stood with arm outstretched to a man who didn't want it.
Something inside of Sokka felt vicious glee at Commander Zhao being dragged down, down, down. Deeply appreciating La's revenge. Good.
The moment passed as he meet the sharp burning of polar water.
Diving down.
Down.
Pushing.
Reaching.
Stretching
Darker and darker the further he went.
Light fading.
A flicker.
Frantic, Sokka propelled himself faster.
Flicker.
And gone.
He pushed, hoping, lungs burning, the weight of the water pressing upon him.
So dark.
La gone.
No!
Burn, burn, burning.
He floated in the darkness.
Eyes searching.
For a flicker.
For a sign.
A smallest glint.
Realizing in a panic what it was, Sokka took off after it, lungs screaming as he knowingly swam further downwards. To catch it before it sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
A necklace.
The one he'd made.
Tucked into his pocket.
Thinking, maybe, and yet...
Got it!
At least, at least I didn't lose that, he thought.
Looked in the direction of up.
Moved.
So far.
He'd gone so far down.
No.
Katara.
He couldn't...
Air.
Head pounding, heavy, barely able to see, barely able to move. Heavy. Everything was so heavy. Him, his clothes, the necklace, every limb and finger, the water. So heavy. He strained to keep his head in the direction was pretty sure, hoped was up, trying to move, to not lose direction, to move quickly before he...
I'll always be with you.
Yue?
Everything stilled.
Peaceful.
Unfrantic.
Heavy.
Comforting.
There.
Past the air bubbles in front of him.
Light.
Subdued light.
But there it was.
Strong in its own right.
His eyes soaked it in.
Yue?
Darkness gone.
All he saw was the light, bubbles drifting away and out of sight.
Air.
Oh no.
Sokka.
The light, once a pleasant warmness, became something firmer.
Flushing quickly through him.
Grounded him in place, weightlessly.
That makes no sense, he was scarcely able to think.
And heat seared through his body, his veins, warmth and tingling and liberating and all encompassing and he was not alone.
Image that prompted this, evelina-maar on tumblr, Feels like we're finally going forward.