The rest of their trip went relatively smooth; some harsh waters were the most of their troubles.
Republic City came into view.
Sokka had to admit, it was a beautiful piece of land. Tall mountains framed the city. The first time he had visited the former Cranefish Island; the buildings were sad, poorly-made structures, and would fall apart at the slightest of bending. Now, they were starting to take shape. There was still much work to be done, but time and care would do wonders for this place. He knew it.
Sokka beamed over to Zuko on his ship. The Fire lord nodded back. For most of their journey, Sokka remained on his and Mai's craft; it wasn't until the last stop that Sokka ventured back over to his crew. They had discussed politics practically the entire trip. Mai, at one point, threatened their lives if they didn't shut up; even retrieving 2 of her throwing knives to add emphasis.
Yes. Sokka did love discussing political matters back home, but they were always one-sided. For the good of the Water tribe. He could practically see Megussuk's crinkled face contorting in his mind, saying the words with a hand trying to tame his stringy beard. Unsuccessfully, I might add.
The 2 men were always at odds with one another. They had different point-of-views about the world. About what should stay the same, and what should change.
Tradition is important, but so is growth. Balance of the 2 is what the world needs right now, and that is what Avatar Aang is trying to do. Sokka had once told the elder council member. Megussuk simply grumbled something under his breath, rolling his beady little eyes.
Sokka breathed in the warm, clean air. He felt taller for some reason. Excitement billowed through his entire body.
As they neared the dock, he could see the familiar shape of his best friends and his sister. He wanted to shout out their names, but he fought the urge. A crowd had obviously followed the Avatar and his companions to greet them. Cheers rang out from each end of the dock. Only the Avatar, the master benders at his side, and an enormous sky bison blocked them from coming closer to the edge.
Like the diplomatic leader he was, Zuko properly waved at the people with the smallest of smiles on his face. Mai was at his side, waving as well. No smiling for the Fire Lady though.
"It's beautiful," he heard Yura say wistfully at his side, taking everything in. She looked mesmerized by the vast difference from their usual snow and frigid weather.
He smiled and gazed as well, "yes. It is."
Stepping off the boat was a great relief. Sokka felt as though a weight was lifted from his shoulders as his feet touched the wood.
"Sokka!" Katara's voice carried over the noise. They both sprinted the rest of the way to hug one another. It felt strange hugging her; he was afraid to hug her too tightly. He knew from her letters that she and Aang were expecting their first child, but he hadn't imagined her obvious appearance change. She was only a few months along, but even her baggy clothing couldn't hide her little bump.
A strange, protective feeling overcame him. He pulled out of his sister's embrace and placed his forehead against hers. "I've missed you."
Her light, blue eyes rolled. She chuckled despite herself. "I've missed you, too."
Smirking, he pulled away and shouted past her shoulder. "Aang! Have you been taking care of my sister?!"
Before she could reprimand her brother, Toph chortled and smirked wickedly. "Obviously."
"Toph?!" Katara scolded; Aang turned crimson by her remark. Even the tips of his ears were turning pink.
He's not as naive as he used to be. Sokka thought, hiding the spout of laughter bubbling in his throat.
Man, I've missed this.
He was in heaven. While jerky was one of his favorite treats - well, just meat in general - trying new foods from the other 3 nations was always exciting. Even some of the Air nomad food was bearable and even kinda good. Though, some arctic hen or puffin-seal would add wonders!
After the first meeting had come to a close, the previous members of 'the gaang' decided to catch up over a vast meal. The smell of tofu and mung bean curry, sweet buns, steamed dumplings, sea prune stew, pan-fried noodles, stalknose mushrooms, and mochi filled the room along with their chatter.
"I wish we were able to do this more often," Aang said from his place on the floor, a sweet bun nestled safely in his grasp. "-It's just not the same without you guys." Sokka and Zuko smiled appreciatively at the Avatar.
Between a mouthful of noodles, Toph snorted. "For once, I can actually agree with you. Hardly anybody in this stupid place can keep up with my superior quips."
Katara glanced over at her companion, making a face. "That's because your 'superior quips' are often too much for people to handle."
"Hey! It's not my fault people are too sensitive."
Small crescendoes of laughter rippled through the room, before settling into a comfortable silence. The only sound coming from the occasional slurp of a noodle or a hushed whisper.
Sokka felt more at peace than he had in a very long time. He had almost forgotten how easily conversation flowed between their little group; even after such a vast amount of time. He had noticed during the meeting, the other council members seemed off-guard at how well they complemented one another. They almost spoke as though they were one person. He could only dream that one day his council could be as efficient in making decisions.
His sister's voice drug him out of his trance. He lifted his head and stared at her. "Hmm?"
She chuckled, "I said, how are things back home?"
"Oh! Ugh-" he dropped his bowl into his lap to give her his full attention. "-It's good! A lot of work still needs to be done, of course. But trades are becoming better. Our people are growing by the day, making better livings for themselves. I've never seen everyone so happy."
"That's wonderful," Katara said, a huge smile gracing her features. "-But I meant you, Sokka. How are you doing?"
Sokka felt all eyes go to him, and heat rose to his cheeks in embarrassment. He recovered quickly, relaxing his muscles. "I've never been better."
The moon shone brightly against the darkness of the night; the stars adding to the overall beauty. He used to feel extreme sadness gazing up, thinking of his loss. Now that he was older - now that time had passed - he grew to love staring up into the night sky. When he was feeling troubled or lonely, he would simply talk to the moon; to Yue.
He didn't know if she was listening, but it brought him comfort none-the-less.
His hands pulled at the grass beneath him. The blades felt waxy and stiff in between his fingertips; very different from the familiar texture of snow and ice. The air was cool. His exposed arms reveled in the freedom from their usual coverings of thick furs. He had also let his hair down, allowing the wind to tug at the individual strands.
Out of the corner of his eye, a pair of bare feet came into his vision. He traveled up to the face of his friend. She stared blankly out toward the horizon, not feeling the need to 'look' down at him. "Hey, meathead."
He puffed through his nose and smirked. "Hello to you too, badger-mole."
She smiled, her choppy bangs dancing in the wind, and showing more of her pale eyes. "Touche."
He felt an easy smile tug at the corners of his mouth as he looked out at the glimmering waters. She sat down next to him, winding her arms around her legs and keeping her feet planted on the ground. Casting a glance her way, he analyzed her a moment. 8 years had changed them all, but most notably for her and Aang.
12 to 20 made for a vast appearance jump versus everyone else in their group.
They were both much taller for instance. That, and now that Toph was an adult she had a more 'womanly' figure. With training from her academy, she had also built more muscle. She still kept her hair wound in a tight, up-do fashion. But she had replaced her former green and yellow clothing for some metal armor lined with gold trim.
He had to admit; she was very pretty.
Toph sighed. Her arms traveled up to the top of her knees, and she laid her chin against a metal bracer. "You do realize that everything's going to change?"
Her statement threw him off. He noticeably flinched and did a double-take. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she said turning to face him directly. Her pitch dropped, "-the choices we're making are going to have a lasting impact. More than we may even realize. We have to be careful about what we say and do. Our actions have weight that even I can't handle on my own."
Sokka's eyes widened. He was in shock. Not for a moment would he had ever imagined she'd say something like this. He had to stop himself from saying the first thing on his mind; else he'd stutter and babble like a fool.
Before he could begin to think of a response; Toph continued, "-you have to decide what you want, Sokka. And not what you think everyone wants you to do."
"I really don't know what you're getting at, Toph," he admitted finally. His mind was in a panic, and he didn't know why. His heart was beating wildly. He stood, feeling too anxious on the ground.
Toph lifted herself slowly and stood firm. "You lied to Katara."
His mouth dropped. An unintelligible noise escaped his throat without permission, "I - No, I didn't! I don't understand what you're getting at."
"You told her that, you've never been better." She frowned, but remained soft somehow. "-Look, I don't know what you're struggling with, or why you felt the need to lie. But don't you dare stand there, and try to tell me that I'm wrong! You're not fooling anybody, anyway. So why are you trying to fool yourself?"
Silence. He stilled his racing heart as best as he could; anger rose within him. His fists clenched and he grit his teeth. First Zuko, and now Toph?!
"I don't need to explain myself to you, Toph, or to anyone else for that matter."
"I'm not asking you to explain yourself!" She huffed.
Lowering her head, she sighed and let her voice grow quiet. "-I found my purpose, Sokka. I love what I do. But do you think for a moment that my parents were pleased by my choices? I will never meet up to their expectations! And I've just had to accept that. I'm asking you - don't let other people's expectations rule your life."
Alright, y'all! See you tomorrow with chapter 4! ;)
Also! Question for you, lovelies! Does anyone know what the problem is with pictures on this site (Like cover art, profile picture, etc.)? Is anyone else dealing with this issue?
Thanks for reading!