Chapter 5: Turmoil
Everyone else believed that Sokka was getting better or was at least making strides toward healing. Reality would disagree and say he was struggling to be strong for Aang and Katara's sake, for the sake of his trip to the North that he fully intended to fulfill. For as long as the sun was out, he did his best to scour the vastness of the Earth King's palace, which continued to appear new to him in spite of the many times he'd been here for negotiations over the years. He quickly lost interest, though, and tried to divert his attention to the various delicacies arranged to his liking, such as the meaty dumplings filled with infinite kinds of stuffing, rice cakes, and other exotic dishes and fine delicacies of Earth Kingdom. His tongue had lost all taste for these kinds of things, however, and he ended up not finishing any of what he tried, becoming more and more frustrated for a reason he couldn't name. He decided to see himself out when a woman in overbearing silks and ostentatious jewelry came up and gestured to a chair next to him.
"Is this seat taken, handsome?"
Sokka raised his eyebrows, unamused as he could already sense her flirtatious vibe. "No. Please, have a seat."
She seemed new to the area and obviously rich according to her fancy robes and all, likely even younger than him by quite a few years, but she certainly didn't resemble her regal manner with that overly coy glance of hers. She blinked excessively at the councilman, showing off her refined lashes and dark red lips. "You must be a close acquaintance of the Avatar."
It was amusing how she had no idea who he was when he was one of the honored guests. Of course, having beauty didn't always mean being free of ignorance. "I'm actually—"
"Oh, pardon me for digging into your personal life." She played with her hair— an unnecessary move on her part which most definitely didn't serve the purpose of attracting someone. "Either way, I'm sure you must have heard of the Lee Wong family. I am their firstborn, Mingxia."
"Sorry, but I'm not sure if I do," came the rash response.
"Never mind that, then." She wasn't subtle at all with how she seemed to undress him with her eyes, and Sokka found himself getting very uncomfortable and annoyed. One thing he didn't really like about being a "close acquaintance" of the Avatar was that he couldn't be as sarcastic or pissed-off as he wanted to be with people, and while that rule usually didn't get in the way of his bouts of anger every now and then, they were at the Earth King's palace, of all places, and him snapping out of control wouldn't be so... professional. He wasn't going to give his sister and Aang a reason to prevent him from going to the North.
"Quite shy, I see," the woman pulled out her fan and brushed aimlessly at the air around her. "Though you also seem like a ladies' man. Are you in a relationship?"
"I'm taken," he snapped, "now please leave me alone—"
"Who is that lucky woman?"
"I'm afraid that's not your concern," he scooted further away.
"It seems your girlfriend's not even here. You wouldn't be sitting here all by yourself if she was, would you?" She leaned closer to him. "There's no way she can find out about this if she's not here." Her hand reached for his thigh, but he scrambled out of his seat with a glare.
"Oh, come on, good sir. Perhaps it won't be as bad if we spent some time together." She winked. "What do you say?"
"I need to run some errands."
It had been, what, more than twenty years since his grief turned him so grim and stern with regard to these kinds of things? It was bad enough trying to overcome so much sorrow and coping with the demise of his could-have-been father-in-law. And the universe thought that having him receive unwanted attention and be honored in the ladies' court would just wipe away his misery? With a huff, he ambled past the next few tables and saw Katara in the distance, who was struggling to keep Kya in one place while balancing Tenzin in her lap.
"Uncle Sokka!" The little waterbender tackled her warrior uncle with a hug.
"Missed you, kiddo," he managed a smile and ruffled her hair.
"Oh, you're back," Katara said. "How was the food? Do you feel any better?"
"Maybe," he pulled out a peach from the folds of his tunic and handed it to his little niece, whose eyes grew nearly as wide as the distance between the North and the South. She immediately began nibbling her treat, her gratitude muffled in her bites. Sokka chuckled, brushing the juice off of her shirt. "Where's Bumi?"
"He's with Aang," Katara said, gesturing to the young nonbender who was sitting on his father's shoulders. The tribesman smiled for a moment but leaned back in his chair, letting out a slightly irritated huff.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Katara asked in concern.
"Just out of it."
"Did Mingxia give you any trouble? I saw her headed your way. She kind of seemed interested in you."
"So you knew? Were you trying to set me up with her or something?"
"Of course not! I was going to come get you to warn you personally, but my hands were full. I also tried to tell her that you're not interested, but she has this confidence that she can win any guy over."
"I can tell. So immature," the warrior rubbed his aching head. "How old is that kid anyway? Fifteen?"
"Twenty-two."
A looming thought formed in his distant mind and ended up flying out of his mouth, "Had Yue been here, and had I proposed to her after the war, we would've been married for twenty-two years by now."
"Yeah...I suppose so…"
The warrior then noticed the worried frown on his sister's face deepening. He reached out and gently held onto her hand. "Don't worry too much."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Apart from being so emotionally worked up over memories of Yue, he was still in the world of the living, so he must be okay. He had to be. This wasn't the time to vent if he wanted to go to the North in peace and not have people stop him on the grounds of his "unstable" mindset. And besides, he couldn't afford to see his sister be so worried. "I will be," he smiled, "if you let me hang onto Kya for a bit."
So he spent most of his time trying to shrug off his irritation by babysitting Kya. The waterbender was so much like Aang, running around excitedly and not staying in one place. Running after her was a job Sokka didn't easily get tired of, and it was something that kept up his spirits for a while. Soon enough, the red-orange palettes in the sky, reminders of the setting sun, cast blankets of warmth over the little girl, and being a waterbender, she naturally turned to the nearest window and looked up into the sky. "Uncle Sokka, the Moon Princess is coming! We have to go say hi, remember?"
Sokka managed a sad smile and a nod. "Yeah, kiddo."
"You said the Moon Princess will come see us more quickly, right?" she jumped up and down, "Because it's winter?"
"That's right."
So the little girl dragged him outside just when the sun was on the verge of setting. Sokka sat his niece beside him, and from there, they kept their eyes glued to the late autumn sky, which would rapidly welcome the moon in the next few minutes.
"Uncle Sokka?" the girl briefly looked at him. "Does the Moon Princess like me?"
"She loves you, Kya-bear," he said softly. "Very much."
"Then why is she not coming to see me? Mommy says she saw me when I was a baby like Tenzin. Does she only like to see babies?"
"Just because she's not here with you doesn't mean she doesn't love you, sweetheart." This statement tried to convince not only the little but also his own heart weakened from hopelessness. "The Moon Princess is the nicest, most beautiful princess in the entire universe. She loves everyone, including you."
"She really loves me?"
"Of course! That's why she made sure you and your mommy didn't get sick when you were being born."
"If she loves me, then why isn't she here, Uncle Sokka?"
"She must be really busy, that's all," his voice cracked a little as he looked back up at the sky for a moment. "Taking care of the world is a big job. She's a princess and a goddess, remember? She needs to make sure everyone in the world is safe. She needs to make sure bad people don't hurt good people. She needs to help all the waterbenders bend well and help the ocean move the right way. You know, so all the teeny fishies in the water can be safe and live their lives."
"Wooow," Kya gazed at the sky, fascination flowing in her eyes, "That's a lot..."
"Exactly. She works so hard. She doesn't even sleep…" he trailed off, feeling his eyes brimming, "She...she doesn't eat...she just...all she does is think about others. She never has time to think about herself... and she does it all by herself…"
"Mommy says she's not alone. She says La is always with her."
"Your mom doesn't know a thing," Sokka scoffed, blinking back his tears. "La Schmha. He's pretty useless if you ask me—"
"Mommy says you can't be mean to La! The Moon Princess might get mad."
"The Moon Princess is never angry, Kya-bear."
"But Mommy said—"
"Alright, I won't say anything," he managed a chuckle. "Whether La's there or not, we still need to make sure she's not lonely. That's why we need to be with her every night. That way, she'll always have us. So she won't ever have the chance to be lonely. If we're always here for her, then she'll realize that we really love her and care about her, and one day, she might even come and visit."
"She will?"
"I have a good feeling she will," he reassured. "But you gotta be patient. And you should always believe in her."
"You said the Moon Princess helps even people who don't believe in her."
"Well yeah, but if you want to actually see her, you should always believe."
"I believe in her!"
"Then she'll definitely come before you one day," he said with a wistful look on his face. She'll come before me, too. One day. Clearing his throat, he treated his niece to another peach, smiling a little as she burrowed her teeth through the fruit, the juices smearing over her face. The delight on her face matched the delight that Sokka once held for food— long ago when he had an actual appetite. Keeping one hand over Kya's shoulder, he stared at the sky. He could see it in the far distance— a circular speck of white resembling the moon, coming into view as the last of the sun's rays disappeared, and as the darkness set in, so did his memories.
"E-Excuse me?"
The midwives, who were gathered around a lady in a long cloak and a face-covering, their backs to the door, turned around upon hearing the voice. They simultaneously caught sight of the councilman, who had surprised them with his presence. The last they saw him, he was babysitting Bumi, repeatedly asking them about his sister's progress.
"Is little Bumi with the Avatar, Councilman?"
"Yeah, he's with Aang…" Sokka looked over to the lady in the cloak, who didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. She went on with what she was doing, her gaze resting on a bundle that squirmed around and whimpered as she swaddled it in warm blankets.
Sokka felt his heart softening, knowing that it was his niece who was over there. Then again, he felt an unknown clutch on his chest as he looked at the lady who was tending to the infant. He caught a glimpse of the woman's hands— very light, very gentle in their movements. Her face was nearly covered all the way, but her eyes were filled with compassion and warmth. Baby blue— baby blue!— in hue. Sokka felt his world stopping. Was that…? That couldn't be…? Was it…? "Y-Yue?!"
The lady did not look up. She would have if she was Yue, right? But she didn't, focused on the bundle of life in front of her. Everyone else gawked at Sokka instead, sympathy flaring in their gazes.
"Councilman Sokka?" one of the ladies asked, bringing him back to reality. "Is everything alright?"
"That…" he gestured to the cloaked lady, "Who…?"
"She's not Princess Yue, Councilman," the lady sighed pitifully at him, having known of his condition for a while now. "She's a healer from our sister tribe. She's the reason why Lady Katara had a safe birthing experience."
"Oh…" he gulped and brushed away the sweat from his face. It hadn't been an easy couple of days; a complication that was likely going to affect the birth had kept Katara preoccupied with worry the past week and had shaken up Aang and Sokka. The master waterbender had supposedly been reassured by Yue, who had appeared to her in a dream just before she'd gone into labor. The Moon Spirit had touched Katara's belly and told her that no complication was going to prevent baby Kya from having a long, fulfilling life. In spite of that, Aang and Katara still battled with anxiety, and the Avatar had never left his wife's side, sweating out his worries even amid the harsh South Pole winds. Sokka, though, had been confident; a sign from Yue herself wasn't something to be ignored, and just as expected, the danger had passed, and both mother and daughter had made it through with no problems.
"I'm guessing everything's okay? Katara seems fine. Is my niece…?"
"She's perfect," another lady smiled, gesturing again to the woman in the cloak. "All thanks to her. She seems to be a master healer."
"Oh," Sokka blinked, looking back to the woman. Master healer. Wasn't the moon a master healer herself? He felt his pulse racing as the healer lady leaned forward and took the infant into her arms, her grip snug and secure as she nuzzled the child's forehead. He caught a glimpse of his niece then; her eyes were closed, but she waved her little fists and cooed in the direction of the woman, snuggling close to her. It wasn't until the woman turned around that Sokka felt that he would give out from so much anticipation. This woman...she so strongly resembled Yue that he… Could Yue herself have come down to oversee it all?
No, it can't be her. She had never paid a visit to anyone other than Aang. There was no possible way she'd be here...
BUT…
The woman did not look up at Sokka. She turned to the midwife beside her and told her something that Sokka couldn't quite hear given the pounding in his heart that drummed through his ears because everything about this healer lady seemed just like Yue, oh universe...
"It seems the Avatar is sharing a moment with his wife," the midwife told the woman. "Perhaps you should tell the councilman about this, ma'am."
"That won't be necessary. You may tell whoever you'd like on my behalf."
Her voice. Soft, quiet, a little wavery in places. It was Yue's voice, oh it just had to be...! But... she can't be Yue, right? She didn't acknowledge him at all.
"I-Is there a problem?" Sokka rasped.
"No, Councilman Sokka, it's nothing like that," the head midwife assured. "Just a few things to keep in mind, that's all. Ma'am, I still think it's best if you spoke to the councilman. He's Lady Katara's brother after all."
"I need to clean the workstation and head right to my next appointment," the woman said. "I don't have time for a conversation. No offense."
Sokka gulped, telling himself that this feeling of familiarity around the healer could be anything. Anything but what it truly felt like. A trick of the light or...or perhaps a cruel play on his mind, or...maybe he was imagining random people to be Yue because she appeared in Katara's dream and reassured her. It could even be that his impending insanity was finally snapping or something of that nature… "Th-thanks for looking out for my sister and my niece, ma'am."
The healer only nodded in response and handed Kya over to the midwife, who then approached Sokka. The midwife frowned worriedly at the warrior. "I think you need to sit down, Councilman. You're not looking too well."
"It's okay, I'm fine...sorry…" he brushed at his eyes, telling himself that it can't be Yue who was here because she would in the very least address him by his name. "Is everything really okay? I-Is there a reason why her...her face is covered…?" he said regarding the healer. "Is there something…? Usually if something's serious, the healers cover themselves with all this—"
"It's nothing like that. They're just precautionary measures. So there's no risk of infection for the baby." The midwife held the infant out to him. "You may hold your niece, if you'd like."
Sokka tore his eyes away from the woman and looked at baby Kya. "They'd probably want to hold her first. A-Aang and Katara, I mean..."
"They already held her."
"Oh...okay…" He carefully took Kya into his arms, occasionally looking at the healer who was a few feet away, the slivers of baby blue in her eyes that reminded him so much of Yue's and sent goosebumps trailing across his skin.
No, no, it can't be. He turned back to his niece, reminding himself, "Okay, hand under the head…there we are…" He gently rocked her in his arms the way his sister taught him when he first held Bumi. The infant waved her fists again, this time gently prying her eyes open. As if she was being called or attracted by some force, she turned her head to look at the healer, cooing and sniffling.
"Hey, little lady," Sokka sang in a low, soft tone, earning Kya's attention. "It's me, Uncle Sokka."
The rumble of his voice seemed to soothe Kya, but despite that, she kept turning to look at the healer, whining every now and then.
"Hey...shh...hey, Kya-bear...you're safe…" he shifted her more comfortably in his arms, "Yue's always gonna keep you safe. I know it."
The healer woman seemed to pause what she was doing for a moment, but she said nothing, looking away. Kya, on the other hand, settled in her uncle's arms, drawing out her whimpers and coos as if comforted by the words.
"She looks just like Katara…" Sokka noted, swallowing the lump in his throat and looking back at the midwife. "The healer...she wanted to tell me something...?"
"Your sister seems to be worried about what complications might arise with her future pregnancies," the midwife said. "Please be sure to tell her that she has nothing to worry about. The healer assured that her deliveries should all be normal."
"Yeah...of course."
"She has also been quite stressed in the last few weeks. I'm sure you're aware of this."
"Yeah, but she'll be fine now. Everything's fine…"
"Well yes, everything's fine. It's just that she's been showing early signs of postpartum depression. Not severe signs or anything, just something to be aware of."
He blinked. "Post…?"
"Due to certain physical or emotional factors, some women fall into depression after giving birth. Given the increased stress levels we've noticed in Lady Katara, we think there's a good chance that her worries can trigger this condition."
"But everything's fine now."
"Yes, but she's still disturbed. She was saying something about seeing the Moon Spirit in her dream. She seems to be very worried about that."
"Why would she be worried about that?" Sokka asked, casting another look at the healer. "She should be happy that Yue gave her and Kya her blessings."
But the healer seemed quite determined to look at everything else but him.
"The last time someone was saved by the moon, they ended up succeeding Her," the midwife said. "You know the story better than everyone else, Councilman."
He stiffened. The tears he fought to keep in rushed back to the forefront.
"Anyone who knows the story of the princess would naturally be worried if their child was also touched by Tui," the midwife said, frowning.
"But Yue would never do that," Sokka said resolutely. "She isn't someone who takes back the lives she saved. She's not an opportunist. If it's true that she gave up everything to save the world for our sake, then it's also true that her compassion would not take an innocent life."
For a very brief second, the healer turned her head in the direction of their conversation, but she was quick to look away again.
"Well the healer says that regardless of theological issues, it's best if Lady Katara doesn't trouble herself with those kinds of worries. The only thing she should be focused on right now is healing and bonding with her baby, not holding onto superstitions that can potentially cause her to lapse into anxiety-induced depression, especially when it can still be prevented at this early stage."
Sokka tried to gather himself together and nodded. "I...I'll take care of it…"
"We understand that you've been sensitized by the Siege to a much greater degree than other tribespeople. That's why we were a little hesitant to talk about this. But we trust that as her doting brother, you'll be able to reassure her. You know what this means, Councilman Sokka. You need to pick yourself up, too."
"I'll be leaving now," the healer interrupted and briskly walked past the councilman, not saying another word to the midwives who tried to trail after her. The lady insisted on being left alone to pursue her further duties as gestured by the hand she held up to stop them and tell them to stay where they were.
Sokka, though, was persistent. "Wait, please," and he followed her down the hall, keeping Kya close to him as she nuzzled into his warm parka. Sokka stopped just a few feet behind the healer, his chest pounding. One sign, just one sign, he thought. Any sign. Because it has to be her, right? Because everything, everything about her seemed—
"I need to be on my way."
"It won't take long, I promise," he gulped. "Is it...is it okay if I take Kya outside? Just for a few seconds."
She did not turn around. "Why?"
"I want her to see the moon."
The air was thick with pause, longer than was probably necessary for a simple question. Eventually, the woman said, "Shouldn't an all-powerful spirit be able to see from wherever it is? You don't need to take the child outside for that."
The voice was indeed very similar to Yue's— in fact, that's how Yue would sound if she was angry— but doubt still clenched his heart because it seemed the woman's tone was so bitter for her to be Yue herself. And yet, somewhere within him was a deep lurch— "Are you...are you really not Yue?"
A groan of frustration followed by a stern response, "The princess of the North is dead, Councilman. This is the reality. Please help yourself to a good therapist. I'll be happy to send a list of people I recommend."
As he watched her storm out, Sokka had never felt so torn. Had it been anyone else who said that, he would've been enraged because Yue was most certainly not dead and was just somewhere else and no fucking idiot was ever going to get away with saying she no longer exists... but this healer was so much like Yue that he found he couldn't be angry. Is it really her? Or were his hallucinations getting the best of him? Her cold tone couldn't possibly resemble the voice of the one who had kissed him goodbye so lovingly that fateful night.
But why did it feel like an inextricable part of him was walking away from him?
A bright ray of moonlight brought Sokka out of his thoughts and back to his moonlit surroundings, but when he turned around, he saw that Kya wasn't beside him.
She was right with me a few seconds ago!
He searched frantically throughout the palace, making sure Aang and Katara didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. He was perfectly capable of finding his niece. Even if she was highly elusive.
"Kya!" he yelled. "Kya-bear!"
But the royal orchestra was playing too loudly, and at one point, there was even dancing, which meant he had to meander his way through hordes of people who glided to and fro. He dodged through people and squirmed under tables. He peeked inside of doors he never knew existed in the palace. He even inquired many of the passing servants. And as the minutes passed, he started growing nervous.
"Where is that kid?" he wondered. "KYA!"
He eventually came across an abandoned room (which he assumed was a storage closet) in the easternmost corridor of the palace beside the royal kitchen, and he thrust his palms against the door, relieved to find the four-year-old chomping away on a peach as if nothing had happened, one hand covered in the fruit's juices and the other digging into a crate housing plenty more peaches. She grinned when she saw her uncle and handed him a peach.
"You should try one, Uncle Sokka," she muffled with her mouth full.
He raced up to her and picked her up, not minding the stickiness in her hands and face. "Are you okay, Kya-bear? You hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm not okay," interrupted an obnoxious voice.
The warrior frowned. The voice sounded familiar. Holding Kya in his arms, he stepped further inside the room and noticed another door, which seemed to connect the room they were currently in to another. The voice was coming from the other side.
"Just because one guy didn't fall for you?" came another. Multiple voices followed in laughter. There was clearly a group of girls on the other side.
"It's not funny! I felt insulted! How dare he turn down Lee Wong Mingxia!"
Sokka then recognized the tone to be that of the flirting woman he met earlier. He sighed in annoyance, starting to walk back out with Kya.
"From the way you're describing this guy, I think you're talking about Councilman Sokka."
Sokka paused. Now he was sure they were talking about him.
"He had a ponytail. His hair's shaved on the sides. Looks like he's Water Tribe."
"Yep, that's him. Very attractive, isn't he?"
Sokka rolled his eyes. "Let's go Kya—"
"He certainly has a way with babysitting. That's something you wouldn't normally expect from someone like him."
"Well, that's the least he could do to make up for not having a family and all. Poor guy probably would've had one if his girlfriend didn't die on him. He knew her for only a few weeks, but he supposedly loved her a lot."
Sokka stopped mid-step. The words pricked him sharply. He winced, taking a few steps back and feeling a little queasy.
"I heard he will be turning forty sometime soon, and he still doesn't have a girl. It's funny considering how his sister has the most successful relationship ever. And with the Avatar, that is."
Kya, occupied with the fruit in her hands up until now, perked up as she heard the word 'Avatar.' "Are they talking about Daddy?" she asked Sokka innocently, devouring another peach, but having grown weary with sorrow, Sokka didn't even attempt to answer or quieten the little girl.
"The councilman's not married yet?"
"It's because he couldn't move on. Wastes away his life pining for someone he can't have."
"But had he not been in another relationship? With some warrior lady?"
"He broke it off with that warrior lady a long time ago, so a marriage was not possible. I can't say it was really a relationship anyway. It was long-distance, and the councilman actually didn't seem to care. It's all because he couldn't forget the woman that died."
The warrior tried not to hear anything else the women had to say. His attempts, though, were fairly futile because anxiety chewed away at him, keeping him rooted in place.
"Wow, what do you know? And here I thought those were his kids."
"Those are the Avatar's kids."
"Really?"
"Yes. The councilman is a poor man, though. He seems to have been through a lot."
"Oh yes, indeed. A man is at his most destitute if he lacks the wealth of love."
"Not now, Mingxia. Have at least some sympathy for him."
Okay, he had heard enough. It wasn't necessarily the conversation itself that provoked him. Those girls just stated what the universe was thinking about him. Maybe it was best if he didn't stay longer. All they would do is further spoil his already spoiled mood.
"It was rumored the girl he loved was a spirit. The Spirit of the Moon, actually. You've seen that Fire Nation play 'Boy in the Iceberg,' haven't you?"
"Wasn't it deemed inaccurate, though?"
"Not that part of the play."
"So he really dated a princess who was engaged to someone else?" Mingxia's voice said. "Scandalous."
"That must have been quite an affair for Madame Spirit Princess."
Up until now, the councilman had been patient, but this was beyond what he could tolerate. His eyes turned crimson with anger. He tried to calm himself down, tried telling himself that they were immature and didn't know what they were talking about given their youth, but it didn't help. Affair?!
"It's what I call true love, ladies, affair or not."
"True love, my foot! That princess was special to him because she died. If she had been alive, he would have probably broken up with her and moved on, and maybe he wouldn't have rejected me!"
His fists clenched, quivering with rage.
"But if you think about it, that princess must have been desperate. One guy wasn't enough for her."
"Yeah. She probably 'sacrificed' herself because either someone found out or maybe she was knocked up out of wedlock or—"
That was it. He was fuming now. He couldn't hear anymore. These were the people Yue underwent her sacrifice for? This was their gratitude?!
Kya noticed her uncle literally shaking with anger, her juice-drenched lips quivering a little bit from intimidation. "Are you mad at me?" she mumbled. "I'm sorry, Uncle Sokka, I won't run away again."
Fighting the anger that threatened to turn him into a crazed beast, Sokka took a deep breath and, as much as it hurt, calmed himself for the sake of his niece. He stroked her hair, pulling a few loose strands away from her face. "I could never be mad at you, Kya-bear."
He held onto his anger for a maximum of a few minutes as he looked for Aang, but even that was difficult as he had waded too deep into turbulent waters. More than the discomfort of being objectified was the pain stemming from having his and Yue's relationship be considered profane and scandalous. Not because he was targeted necessarily but because Yue was. All that she had given up. The long, happy life she could've had, the nation she could've ruled under her compassion, the prosperity she could've been gifted with...was it all sacrificed for people to speak of her like this?
Sokka finally found the Avatar, who was occupying Bumi and Tenzin with his marble trick somewhat secretively to avoid the fans' attention.
"My little princess is back!" the airbender chirped as he saw his daughter. "Looks like someone has been eating peaches again."
"You want some, too, Daddy?"
"I think I'm good," he chuckled and took Kya into his arms. "Did she stress you out, Sokka?"
"I'll be back in a little while," Sokka muttered, his voice on edge. "Make sure Kya doesn't eat any more peaches. She's had too much already."
Beneath the luminosity from the peeking moonbeams, Aang saw the warrior's face glisten with partially-dry tears. Alarm flared in the monk's gaze. "Sokka, what's...?"
But the warrior retreated without an answer, his face fully red from vexation, fury, and longing.
