Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Suki
Day one on Kyoshi Island was boring. There was nothing to do here. It wasn't my village. These weren't my people. So, no one came asking for me to help patch a roof. There weren't hungry children following my steps and asking when I was going to hunt. Being guests meant our own day-to-day work was reduced. Plenty of villagers volunteered to groom Appa. Our meals were provided.
But the others made do just fine. Aang was wanted for posing for paintings, and sharing what little he knew about being the Avatar. He even had a group of girls following him around and gushing if he so much as sneezed. Single-handedly and without any direction, Katara planned and organized supplies for when we'd depart. The only thing she asked for was help carrying the stuff back to our room. And Kaya had been gone since morning. It was only me who had nothing to do; wandering the village aimlessly. Well… Me and Momo. But out of all the humans, I was the only one being useless…
"They said Kyoshi was really tall", Aang talked Katara's ear off. Only occasionally remembering to swallow his dinner. "Not as tall as her statue. But tall enough that people noticed".
"That's great, Aang", Katara said as I stirred the contents in my bowl. It was noodles and something else. Flavorful. Considering it had more ingredients and seasonings than were available back home. "I'm glad you're taking an interest in avatar things". I think there are cloves in here. I can't remember the last time our tribe could cook with cloves. Probably not since the last time traders reached our shores. It was good. But… what sounded good right now was some of Gran-gran's stew.
"Yeah", Aang agreed. Although, I don't think he really did. "Tomorrow I'm going to show Appa to everyone. And then maybe they'll tell me about Kyoshi's animal guide".
Frowning into my bowl, I didn't see it when Katara set hers down. But the soft thump was enough to go by. Don't mind me guys. I'll just continue to wallow in my uselessness… alone. "It is very nice here", Katara said. She left out the 'but' even though it was heavily applied in her tone. "It's just… we can't stay here. The North Pole, remember?"
"We got time", Aang said. "It's just a-" Aang stopped himself from making whatever point he had in mind with the door slid open. "Kaya!" He greeted instead.
My head snapped up. The yellow-haired girl waved sluggishly with her arm bent at the elbow. Most of her hair remained in the braids Katara had tied to frame the top part of her head. But some hairs stuck out in a frantic sort of way. Not that Kaya was acting frantic by any definition. She looked dead on her feet as she tried to balance to take off her boots. It wasn't helping that she had her coat slung over her left arm.
Kaya rarely took her coat off. Even when inside. She was always cold and preferred to burrow herself into the fur-lined garment whenever possible. Except, now. Apparently. Boots off, Kaya dragged her feet as she approached; her shoulders slumped as she sleepily rubbed at one of her eyes. Her face was flushed with a sheen attached to her skin.
"How was it?" Aang asked the yellow-haired girl as she sat next to me and across from him. Folding her legs under her, Kaya sank to the floor with her feet pointed to the left. Like someone who would not be moving anytime soon. I hadn't seen Kaya this lethargic since she first woke up in our tent. What had that Suki girl made her do?
Kaya yawned before answering. Probably involuntarily. But it also gave her time to understand the question. We were fine waiting for Kaya to think. Katara busied herself with filling a bowl for Kaya. Aang had infinite patience when it came to Kaya finding her tongue. And I… I wanted to know. "Suki…good", Kaya said for lack of a better description. "Work hard. Kaya…" She paused again; slowly raising her arm and flexing the muscle in her bicep. "Hurt", she finished; pointing to her muscle to communicate what she meant by 'hurt'. Sore. The yellow-haired girl was sore. Lowering her arm, Kaya looked at me; her expression hopeful. "Go again, tomorrow?"
My mind went blank. Again? Kaya wanted more time with a girl that could hogtie a man. Sure, why not! Because Suki was just such a better warrior than I was. I was only good for teaching people about fishing and getting beat up.
"Yeah", Aang answered for me before I got the chance. A wide grin was on his face as he leaned on the table; either ignoring or not feeling Katara's grumpy look. "We're going to stay a few more days".
While most of the snow was melted, some aligned every path. It made walking anywhere impossible to do in silence. With nothing better to do, I decided to go with Kaya as she left to meet up with Kyoshi's warriors. It was better than sitting in a room all day. And this way, I could at least see if Kaya was learning things that weren't 'water tribe' appropriate. Because eventually, Aang would defeat the Fire Nation (or be killed). And we'd eventually return home (or we'd be dead). And if we made it home, Kaya would have to fit in with the other women of the tribe. She already stood out enough. Adding Kyoshi Island combat knowledge would only make it worse.
Being the one who knew where to go, Kaya led. It was the first time she'd ever led anyone. At least for as long as I had known her. As we walked through the village, she kept looking over her shoulder and smiling. Like she was making sure I was still there, and happy when she saw I was.
Being in the village, it was nice to see other people; men, women, and kids of all ages. A people who weren't divided by war. Families who weren't missing their menfolk. And a culture that was still untouched. But the niceness of this didn't last long. They were only interested in Aang and there's only so much a guy can take hearing about a twelve-year-old who's crushing on your little sister.
Kaya took us away from the heart of the village. Up a winding path and resting on the tree line, rested the Kyoshi training hall. Built on top of short stilts, the structure was wooden with matching stairs to reach its porch. The sliding door was open and the hall was already occupied.
"I can't believe a bunch of girls beat me", I grumbled under my breath as Kaya took the stairs with a bounce in her step. This time, she didn't look over her shoulder as she crossed through the doorway. "Hey Kaya. Glad you made it back", someone greeted.
Peaking into the room through the open door, none of the girls noticed me. Too busy waving their fans around. Except for the girl who broke away to talk with Kaya. They had moved over to the corner of the hall where Kaya pulled off her coat and the girl talked her ear off. It wasn't Suki. This one's hair was too long.
I had to admit it. This was a nice training hall. Tall ceilings. Good ventilation. Plenty of weapons to practice with. Even if most of those weapons were fans. Maybe I could've taught the boys back home more warrior stuff if I had a place like this.
Suki stood out as the leader as the girls moved through their katas. Something you could only see because she stood with no one behind her or in front of her. On her left side, her comrades waved their fans in sync. If their lines were uniform, a leader wouldn't have stood out. They were quiet. Only the sounds of whooshing fans could be heard. Well, that and the girl who greeted Kaya. From their corner, she was walking Kaya through some stretches. Talking more than was needed. No one noticed me.
"Oh, Sorry", I announced myself. "Didn't know there was a dance class going on". As soon as I stepped into the room, the girls stopped and folded their fans. Some crossed their arms. Some scowled. Kaya and her friend didn't seem to notice. "Kaya wanted to come back and I didn't want her getting lost".
"How kind", Suki replied. Her voice came out thick. As if she had to force the words out. Turning her head slightly, Suki looked over in the corner where Kaya and her friend sat across from each other; knees straight and feet together as they pulled each other's arms to stretch out their backs. "But it doesn't look like she needs you". This was said with a pleased smile. A smile that made my frown twitch.
"So, what are you teaching Kaya, anyway?" I asked as I took a step further into the room. "Dance moves are okay", I said; waving a hand at the fans the girls clenched in their hands. "But I don't want her getting hurt".
Shrugging, Suki answered like I wasn't bothering her. "Blocking, breaking holds, hitting targets", Suki listed off. "You know. Everything she needs to protect herself without having to rely on… pinecones".
The girls standing behind Suki giggled as my chin dipped and I glared. "Pinecones haven't failed Kaya yet". And they never would. I was… er… Pinecones were very capable.
Suki raised an eyebrow. Which was something I didn't think should be possible for someone wearing that much make-up. "That's not what happened yesterday".
The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. "Yesterday was a fluke", I said; pointing my index finger at the girl. In front of the other painted faces, Suki placed one of her hands on her hip. Over in the corner, Kaya and the other girl finished their stretches. Now, they were turned towards us; watching. Kaya's face was perplexed. Her friend looked unimpressed. "I'm the best warrior in my village". I'm the only warrior in my village. "You just caught me on a bad day".
"Really?" Suki asked without actually asking. "Best warrior in your village. Wow". She sounded anything but. As she briefly looked behind her, the other girls started giggling again. Why do girls do that? Giggling in a group like how viper wolves howl as a pack. "Maybe you can teach us a thing or two", Suki suggested as she returned her eyes to me.
…What? "Oh… Well… I-"
In the corner, Kaya and her friend climbed to their feet. Picking up on the tension more than the words (or maybe she was picking up both), Kaya nervously glanced around the hall; holding her scarred hands close to her chest. While her friend leaned her weight on her; an arm resting over Kaya's shoulders with the same unimpressed look on her face as before.
"Big, strong man like you", Suki kept going. "I bet there are loads you can teach us".
A challenge. That sounded like a challenge. Squaring my shoulders, I picked up my chin. "Sure", I agreed. "If you really want me to". The girls with the fans and the make-up were watching. Kaya was watching. I moved one leg behind me and used the other to stabilize my balance as I lowered myself into a practice stance. One I never thought I'd use on a girl. If Dad knew what I was doing, he'd… but when in Kyoshi Island. "This may be too much, but try to stop me", I directed before bending low and striking forward; aiming a blow at Suki's abdomen.
The hit never landed. I never touched her and Suki never gave an inch. Without forming a defensive stance before I struck, Suki still managed to throw me off. By holding out her left arm, her closed fan jammed into my shoulder before I could make contact. It was a sharp sort of jarring impact that forced me to gasp as I staggered backward; my momentum being used against me.
"Not bad", I relented once I was able to stand still. The girls kept giggling as I rolled my shoulder; trying to rid myself of feeling the blow. All except Kaya, who silently remained under her new friend's arm. "For a beginner".
Not flattered by the compliment at all, Suki crossed her arms her fans still in hand. "I'm glad you think so", she taunted. "Got anything else to show us?"
Oh, yes, I did. I charged again. But... nothing worked. One thwarted roundhouse kick. One stolen belt used to tie my limbs together just like yesterday. Both attempts ended with my face meeting the floor. Both times, the girls laughed; hiding their snickering faces behind their fans. All except Kaya, whose face became more and more crestfallen the longer this went on.
My anger died as my face burned. How could she trust me to protect her now? Provide? Sure, I've proven I could do that since finding her washed up on our shores. But I couldn't stop Prince Scarface from dragging Kaya onto his ship. I couldn't stop a bunch of girls from tying us up. So, what good was I?
As the other girls made little effort to compose themselves, Kaya moved forward; out from under her new friend's arm. It only took a handful of steps for her to reach me. Squatting, Kaya made quick work of freeing my wrist and ankle from my belt. "Sokka?" She asked softly; checking in as I sat up and took my belt back.
I couldn't look at her. I couldn't look at any of them. What good was I if couldn't even stand up to a bunch of girls? And Dad expected me to take care of a whole village… if he could see me now.
"Sokka?" Kaya tried again.
"Don't be late for dinner", was the only thing I could think to say as I pushed myself to my feet. The open door was right behind me. Making it easier to turn my back to Kyoshi's girl army and retreat.
"Sokka!" Kaya called after me. This time louder. I walked away with my shoulders hunched.
"Don't worry about it, Kaya", I heard Suki say. "I want to show you how to use a slingshot. I think you'll be good at it".
Aang and Katara were talking a lot less than they had last night. As far as I could tell, something happened today that made Katara feel that Aang having an interest in Avatar stuff was no longer a good thing. Something about showing off for a bunch of girls. I wasn't really listening. Besides, girls weren't a topic I wanted to discuss right now.
Instead of sharing things from our day, like we would have done if we were sitting around Gran-gran's hearth, we sat in silence with our noses buried in our bowls. Tonight's meal had rice. Rice was something the south pole hadn't seen in many many years.
"I'm going to ride the Unagi tomorrow", Aang announced.
Katara's grip on her bowl tightened. "Have fun".
"Oh, I will", Aang baited. "Dangerous things usually are fun".
"I'm sure the girls will love to see that", Katara returned in kind. What kind of vegetable is this? It's red and sweet with a bitter aftertaste.
"They will", Aang assured my little sister; his twelve-year-old voice rising to match her shrillness.
Where does this even grow? Just like last night, the door slid open and Kaya lumbered in with her coat hanging over her arm. Her eyes were half-lidded as she shucked off her boots and joined us. "Sokka… good?" She asked as she sat next to me; tuning out Katara and Aang's squabbling.
"I'm fine", grumbled into my bowl; weird red vegetables forgotten.
I could feel Kaya's eyes on me for a long moment. Clearly doubting me. "Sokka learn", Kaya spoke carefully. Meanwhile, Aang and Katara were giving each other such short responses that they were starting to sound like Kaya. "Sokka learn and Suki help". Kaya suggested. The grip I had on my bowl tightened. "Suki good at… helping". Teaching. I think Kaya meant that Suki is good at teaching.
"I don't want to", I answered.
At the same time, Aang said, "The girls think everything I do is fun".
Kaya took longer to respond than Katara did. Looking up from my food, I saw her eyebrows scrunched together as she thought. "Why?" she finally asked; having come to the conclusion that that was the word she needed.
I slammed my bowl down on the table at the same time that Katara did. "I'm not like other girls!" Katara exploded.
"Because I don't need some girl teaching me how to be a man!" I yelled at the same time.
The effect of both statements happened immediately. Aang started at Katara with his mouth hanging open; half-chewed food was on display for all to see. While Kaya was startled; falling over her folded legs to get away from me. Her eyes strained wide, glistening. And I… I deflated. Oh, man! Gran-gran would have boxed my ears if she ever heard me talking like that. Let alone to the girl who was wearing my necklace.
"Come on, Kaya", Katara said as she rose to her feet and stalked around the table to the yellow-haired girl's side. "At the market, I heard someone say something about a bathhouse". With Katara holding onto her arm, Kaya climbed to her feet; shooting me alarmed glances throughout the process. "Let's go find it", Katara said as she headed for the door; taking Kaya with her.
The sliding door slammed shut behind them. "What's her problem?!" Aang asked as soon as the girls were gone.
"Us", I realized as my fingers curled into fists as they rested on my knees. Aang hadn't included Kaya in his question. The only problem he was focused on was Katara's. But my realization included Kaya. So, I made sure to add her in my response. No one's ever looked at me like that before. Like they were afraid. Especially not a member of my own household… "We're their problem", I answered with my head bowed. There was something else. Something I was missing. But what?
"How could we be the problem?" Aang asked; sounding genuinely confused. I didn't answer him.