Chapter 7: Onward

"Are you sure it was Yue?"

An exasperated Sokka nodded, having swallowed his gasps and sobs with great difficulty as Aang did his best to calm him down and learn what exactly had happened. Sokka explained all that had transpired, starting with the visitation of a "man" named Soma. The Avatar appeared confused at first, then contemplative, finally skeptical as he asked Sokka point-blank, "Well you were drunk, weren't you?"

"I…"

"Weren't you?"

"Well...yeah, but I still saw her with my very own eyes—!"

"Sokka, please, calm down," Aang rubbed his bald head tiredly, "Look, I'm not saying I don't believe you—"

"But you clearly don't believe me. I was in my right mind, Aang. I saw her…" Gesturing to his own hand as he tried to explain himself, "The light from the moon fell on her hand like this," he tapped his hand for emphasis, "and her hand started glowing. Not like...not like the glow that Katara has when she heals. I mean an actual glow. Like it was actually a piece of the moon..."

And the way he said it with that tremor in his voice, Aang wanted to believe him. It wasn't like Sokka had a reason to lie about this. Then again, it was very likely (if not obviously) the case that the tribesman believed he was telling the truth. Sighing, "Sokka...you've been drinking a lot, lately, and Katara and I are worried—"

"It was real! It was her! I'm not making this up—!"

"I'm not saying you are, I'm saying that you were drunk, so you—"

"I know it was real, I could feel it!"

Indeed, Sokka had been feeling a lot of feelings since the war's end, and Aang admitted that to himself with a strange combination of worry and bitterness. "Okay okay, relax." Deciding to change the subject, "Junjie said he was going to come and see if you were here. Did he stop by? Or was it just that mystery person?"

"That mystery person was Yue, it had to be— ahh..." His hand flew to his aching head.

"Take it easy, Sokka," Aang tried to help him lay back down, but even through the pain that shot through him, Sokka kept shaking his head, insisting on the truth behind his statement.

"I've never mistaken anyone to be Yue to this extent," he rasped. "I usually recognize when something's a hallucination or if it's real. This is real, Aang, I know it." Brushing away his tears as he finally settled back against the pillows, "And now that I think about it…She was here when Kya was born, too. She was the healer from the North. She had to be. Yue's been with us however she could all along."

Aang furrowed his eyebrows, "What healer?"

"You don't remember?! You know, that healer who was with Katara during the birth…The lady who had her face covered..."

"Oh, her. Katara might have noticed, but she probably didn't see her face. And I didn't, either; I was with Katara the entire time after the birth, remember? We were just notified that Kya was healed by a lady—"

"That lady was Yue!"

"Did you see her?"

"Not her face, but I know it was—"

"How can you possibly know without seeing her, Sokka—?"

"I just do! Wouldn't you recognize Katara if you saw her?" He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "It was Yue. Her eyes and...and her skin color and her voice... and…even the way she walked. The conversation we had…They can't be lies, Aang. That's my Yue. I would know. I know her. I would recognize her."

"Fine, maybe she did come and see you last night, but what if it was in a dream? You could've easily been dreaming. You did say you were knocked out after one point."

"She said that you sent her here for me—"

"But I didn't send anyone by the name of Soma, Sokka, I swear. I sent Junjie."

And speaking of Junjie, the man's footsteps could be heard in the near distance. Aang and Sokka turned to the doorway where he walked in, sporting a concerned look on his face. "I came to check on the councilman—"

"Junjie, did you happen to send someone named Soma?" Aang asked. "To check on Sokka?"

The man blinked. "Uh…"

"You said you were going to check on Sokka, right? But Sokka's saying you weren't here last night."

The official panicked internally, cursing his libido for thrusting him into this kind of situation. What was he to do now to save his job? "I...well...I-It's true that I sent someone here, sir—"

"I told you!" Sokka told Aang. "And you kept saying I was just hungover!"

Widening his eyes at the opportunity, Junjie added, "but his name wasn't Soma, sir, it was, uh...Boqin! Yes, Boqin."

"No it wasn't!" the councilman snapped. "Boqin is an Earth Kingdom name. The person who came to see me yesterday was from the Water Tribe and was named Soma! He said that he was named after the moon because his parents were devotees of Yue! But it was actually Yue all along—!"

"Soma?" Junjie frowned, "I don't know anyone named Soma. I clearly sent Boqin. There's been a misunderstanding, sir, you must've been confused in your intoxicated state—"

"I wasn't hungover, you imbecile!"

"Sokka, stop this, now—" Aang began.

"Yue came to see me, I know it!"

"Avatar Aang, I'm speaking the truth," Junjie told the airbender, using his best efforts to sound serious, "I sent my buddy Boqin here so he could look after the councilman. I was going to come here myself, but I was summoned by the Earth King's personal guards for a security issue. I was going to tell you earlier but I never got the chance to, and frankly, I thought Boqin would mention it to you. It must have slipped his mind."

"You really sent Boqin?"

"Yes, sir," he held his head high. "I would never abandon the councilman in a time like this. If you'd like, I will bring Boqin over here myself and confirm it."

"That sounds good." Aang turned to Sokka just as Junjie hurried out of the room, "See? It was Boqin—"

"He's lying," Sokka hissed, "Yue was the one who came here, and she came as Soma. There's no way Junjie's gonna bring anyone here if she...disappeared." Swallowing the lump in his throat, "And even if he does bring someone here, they won't be telling the truth—"

"Junjie is a trusted official, Sokka," Aang told him. "That's why I specifically asked him to watch over you. He arranged to have someone take care of you even on his day off. That's how much he values your friendship—"

"Junjie doesn't give a fuck about me! He never did! If anything, he's lying—!"

"Well he still reached out! And what reason would he have for lying?"

"So I'm the one that's lying? What reason do I have?"

"I'm only saying you're emotionally disturbed—"

"That doesn't mean I'm crazy!"

Aang did not respond right away, keeping his hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. Following a few more seconds of silence that allowed Sokka to breathe, "Just take a deep breath, Sokka. Let your anxiety out, and then let it go. Think reasonably for a minute."

They did not say much after that statement, both caught up in silence as a tense air lingered over them. Sokka was especially invested in this incident, determined to prove to everyone that his feelings for Yue were reciprocated, that he wasn't just wasting his life for someone who didn't care about him. He hated their pity despite knowing they wouldn't have any other way to react to his loyalty. And most of all, he needed everyone else to be given a strong confirmation that Yue still manifested here on earth. It wasn't impossible. She was the one who saved Kya, she was the one who kept getting them all out of trouble or misfortune in some form or fashion. She was the one who had healed him several different times over the years, and she was the one who came to see him last night albeit in a disguise.

And as per his suspicion, Junjie brought in someone different from the person who came to visit last night.

"This guy's not Soma," Sokka huffed, "And he can never be Soma if Soma was actually Yue! He doesn't even look like—!"

"I told you to take it easy, Sokka," Aang turned to the newly-visiting official, "You're Boqin?"

"Yes, sir," the man bowed. "I was here with the councilman last night. You see, I prepared for him a concoction that my grandmother taught me to make. It's a really good aide for hangovers, but it leaves you feeling kind of fuzzy for several minutes. That's how you know it's working on you." Turning to the councilman, "I believe I told you this last night, sir, but you don't seem to remember—"

"So that explains it," Aang said. "It's likely the concoction, Sokka. I'm sure you were just feeling the after effects—"

"No, it wasn't any concoction! Yeah, I drank some medicine, but Yue came and gave it to me!" Sokka said vehemently as he turned to Boqin, "Fuck off, you didn't do shit—"

"Stop it, Sokka," Aang turned to the two men, "I'm so sorry he's like this—"

"Don't apologize to them, they're lying!" The tribesman sat up in bed, his voice reaching higher octaves, "It! Was! Yue! I know it, I could feel it!"

"I think it's best if we finally get the councilman to a good therapist, sir," Junjie sighed.

"You think I'm crazy—!"

"No, sir, I just think you have a lot of things bottled up inside of you—"

"Get the hell out of my sight! Both of you!"

Junjie and Boqin shared "confused" looks as Aang ended the conversation with, "Alright, let's forget everything. We'll deal with this later, Sokka, we will. Let's just not talk about this in front of Katara, okay? She's not going to let you go to the North if she sees you like this. She'd be too worried." Taking a deep breath, "Yue is in the Spirit World, and she's watching over all of us. This much is the truth."

They left the councilman to sulk in his solitude. Aang, now worried more than ever for his brother-in-law, turned to Junjie and his friend, "I apologize on Sokka's behalf. I know he shouldn't be like this towards you when you've done all that you can to help him."

"Don't worry about it, sir," Boqin said. "We understand the councilman has been in a difficult place for a while now. We are only concerned for his well-being. I personally think it's best if he gets help."

"He's been weathering his issues by himself for so long now," Junjie added, feigning concern, "At one point, it becomes too much."

"Thank you so much for your help and understanding."

From there, Junjie and Boqin left Sokka's apartment and rounded the corner of the street. When they were sure they had no chance of being eavesdropped by anyone important, Junjie broke the silence, "You did good out there, Boqin."

"Oh, this is nothing compared to what you've done for me, sir," Boqin said.

"I was afraid the Avatar would believe the councilman's words."

"The only thing that saved both of our asses is the fact that the councilman was drunk." Boqin then turned to him with an inquisitive look, "Do you really think the moon visited him, sir?"

"That's ridiculous. He must've been hallucinating or something. If his moon lady didn't visit him all this time, then why would she do it now? 'Cause she's dead, that's what. She won't ever come back no matter how many tantrums he has."


"The ship is ready, Sokka," Aang told his brother-in-law with slight hesitation, "You'll be leaving in an hour or so."

Sokka sighed, folding his coats in haste. "Did the council get my message?"

"Yeah. It's convenient for you since you're going as a diplomat."

"Good."

The warrior had insisted on leaving for the Northern Water Tribe about a week early and had prepared a request for early leave right after Junjie and Boqin left yesterday morning. It was all a last-minute arrangement.

"Why do you want to leave now? You were scheduled to leave next week."

Sokka shoved the last of his belongings into his bag and looked up, showing no real emotion. "I just want to focus on work. I can't stand it here in Ba Sing Se."

And Aang couldn't blame him. He felt bad for the councilman, but he figured it would be for the best if Sokka left the Earth Kingdom provinces and focused on his given task. If being around Yue's birthplace was going to help suck his brother-in-law away from vexation, he was more than willing to let him leave early. Then again, the incident from yesterday still weighed heavily on the Avatar's mind. Sokka needed help, and it couldn't have been more obvious to him.

"Besides, the longer I stay here, the more drama those idiots are gonna play to save themselves," the warrior huffed.

"There is no drama, Sokka. There's no need for one." Looking at the warrior with utmost sincerity, "Look, I'm not going to call a therapist on you or send you to an asylum or anything like you're fearing. If you don't trust Junjie, then I'll have him transferred and send someone else with you—"

"I don't need anyone coming with me to any place. All I need is for you to believe that it was Yue who came to see me. She cares about me. I mean, it's not like it's impossible." Feeling a lump swallow his throat whole, he choked out, "Besides, she was seen at T'Sou-Ke Kenji, wasn't she?"

"Sokka, you've got to forget about T'Sou-Ke Kenji if you want to have a peaceful stay, you understand?" Aang sighed. "And fine, let's just say it was Yue who came to see you last night. What was the lesson she wanted you to get from her conversation? To move on." And after receiving a glare from Sokka, "Which you're clearly not going to do…"

They both heard Katara's footsteps trailing behind them and dropped their conversation then and there. Aang cleared his throat, "Well, if you need to talk about anything, Sokka, I'll be here."

"I'm fine, Airhead, don't start fussing like Katara. Sounds like you've been around her too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara said, walking in with Tenzin in her arms.

"Speeches about hope and tearbending and all. You know, the usual," Sokka shrugged, taking the baby from her and tickling him for a bit. "Alright, Tenboy, Uncle Sokka's gonna be back soon, okay?" the tribesman managed a smile, "You can be as rowdy as you want with your mom, but be good to your dad, or he'll go Avatar State on you."

"That's some deep advice you got there," Katara crossed her arms, earning a chuckle from her brother that seemed more forced than anything else.

The Avatar placed his hand on the warrior's shoulder. "But seriously, I don't want you to start acting like how I did when I lost Appa in the desert. It's okay to miss Yue, but don't forget that we're here for you and that we care about you."

"Nobody forgets family, Aang. It's impossible."

Katara hugged her brother, and Aang joined in afterward with Tenzin babbling throughout the cozy group hug.

"I can't believe guys are still into giving hugs," the councilman rolled his eyes, "I'm almost forty-"

"Shush up, Sokka. I know you needed that hug," Katara smiled knowingly, hugging her brother tighter.

"Okay okay, don't squish me."

Bumi then raced towards them, and Kya ambled behind him.

"I made you something, Uncle Sokka." The young nonbender held a black necklace up in the air. It had a fairly large shark tooth attached to it. "You know, for good luck and all."

"I love it, kiddo," Sokka rumpled Bumi's hair and knelt down so the kid could drape the necklace over his neck.

"Don't lose it. It took me a whole week to put it together."

"Of course I won't. I'm not like your mom— oww!" he yelped as Katara stomped on his foot, "I was just kidding, Katara!"

"Yeah, you needed that," Aang chuckled.

Kya trotted up to her uncle and handed him a few peaches. "You'll probably need these on the way, Uncle Sokka."

"You little squirt, you," he kissed her forehead and plopped the fruits into his bag. "Uncle Sokka will bring you guys back something awesome."

Tenzin cooed, pulling at Sokka's goatee.

"That means you, too, little guy."

"If you run into any trouble along the way—"

"Yeah yeah, Airhead, I'll send for ya." Sokka attempted a more sincere smile, handing Tenzin back to Katara. "You better take care of my sister."

"When has he not?" Katara defended.

"Don't start the oogies already, guys."

The councilman grabbed his bag and made his way out, telling Katara multiple times to watch her health and being tackled by the kids in the process. Aang followed him up to the docks about a few blocks away from the house. The air grew unusually foggy by the time they got to the port. The water was becoming increasingly restless.

"Once Air Temple Island gets situated, we can think about relocating," Aang told him. "I figured you'd like that. It's about time we took a break from staying in Ba Sing Se."

"A permanent one," Sokka muttered. "I should be back by the time you're ready to relocate. You sure you don't need help with the island?"

"It's an attempt at restoring my old life, Sokka. I'm sure I don't need assistance. Besides, I'm the Avatar."

"True that."

"Have you thought about what you wanted to do? You keep saying you don't want to stay with us."

For several years now, the prospect of Sokka's next projects had been looming over them. He was a successful councilman and chairman of the United Republic Council, but he recently expressed a kind of disinterest, having stayed only to accomplish certain things, which included renaming the bay next to Republic City after a certain someone. He didn't seem excited about the idea of going back to the South, either, for reasons Aang couldn't guess. He had offered to stay at Air Temple Island for a few weeks and help them get settled in any way he can, but he refused to relocate permanently, knowing well that Katara and Aang's life together was theirs, deserving of privacy instead of being repeatedly interrupted by his personal tragedy. For Aang and Katara, however, their greatest worry stemmed from a crucial question: How would Sokka fare if he was left by himself? It was already heartbreaking for them to see his refusal to settle down or find a companion. He didn't seem to trust any assistant or official as evident by his bitter demeanor and paralyzing distrust for everyone trying to look out for him, Junjie being one of many such examples. And judging by how the warrior tried ending his life recently, leaving him alone didn't seem like the best option.

"I'll let you know soon," came his vague reply. "Once my head's all clear, I can make a decision."

Aang then reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a scroll. "I was waiting to give it to you now so you won't be so grouchy when you leave."

"I'm not grouchy—"

"You get my point." The airbender proudly placed it in Sokka's hands. "Read it."

It is with unanimous council approval of Councilman Sokka's request that we entitle the inlet of water housing Avatar Aang's new home as Yue Bay. Yue Bay will be considered a major port for citizens who wish to transport goods to other provinces and merge with Mo Ce Sea to reach the Fire Nation. Yue Bay, which already contains multiple spread-out islands, will be deemed as home to Republic City's most prominent landmarks. The actual city, which is located on the shores of the bay, will oversee the establishment of the pro-bending arena. Yue Bay will also be bestowed with the honor of commemoration coinciding with the sixth day of the week-long Moon Festival, the Day of the Red Moon.

In accordance with Councilman Sokka's petition, laws will be placed to ensure sanitation for the body of water. A fine of one hundred gold pieces will be enforced to those who decontaminate the water quality or improperly dispose of waste into the bay. A fine of three hundred gold pieces will be issued to illegal shipments and acts of smuggling if caught in the waters of the bay. Last but not least, prison time will be enforced to those who carry out threatening acts or display any sort of terrorist activity within five miles of the bay.

Sokka's eyes lit up but didn't stay still. His gaze kept jumping over the words again and again.

"What do you think?" Aang smiled, recognizing a bit of the old Sokka in the councilman's wide grin.

"I—" Sokka didn't get to finish as he heard the unusually noisy roars of the waves behind him. He seemed too elated to be concerned, but Aang was perturbed. Just how did the weather turn chaotic all of a sudden?

"Sokka, I don't think you should go just yet. Let's see how the weather turns out first."

"You know you're talking to the best sailer around, right?" the warrior said, rejuvenated from the document in his hands. "Remember that time with Bato?"

The waves were still growing wild. Aang frowned. "It looks like rough seas. You can never be too careful."

"Trust me, Airhead, I got this." He had enough time apart from Yue, and he firmly believed that she was the one who visited him yesterday. He wasn't going to let anything stop him now from going to her homeland and hopefully catching a chance at seeing her again in some form.

Sokka gave the airbender a pat on the shoulder before boarding the ship. The sky began to churn weirdly.

"Send us a message that you arrived safely," Aang said.

"I will."

The starting wasn't exactly the smoothest, but then again, Sokka was more than passionate about leaving. When Aang faded away from sight and the mist swept in, Sokka faced the sea, clutching the scroll as if his life depended on it. I'm coming for you, Yue.