scene with Sokka earlier, I decided it would be better if I wasn't there. Besides that, I couldn't leave Katara alone to be the responsible one, so after washing myself in the lake and changing into my own clothes, I joined her in the market.
"How about these?" I offer, holding out an odd-looking green fruit to Katara for inspection.
The young girl considers the fruit with a dubious look. ". . . what is it? Are they supposed to have spikes like that?"
I furrow my brow and consider the object in my hand. "No clue. I was hoping you would know. Is this even a fruit?" Katara and my eyes' meet and we burst out in laughter. This has been going on for almost the entire time we've been shopping. Apparently, neither one of us recognizes the vegetation from around here. It is so bad that we almost packed a decorative house plant and some vegetable-looking rocks until a local elder had questioned us.
"We are so bad at this," Katara laughs as she places it in one of our many baskets.
"Yeah, we kinda suck," I agree as I collect a few loaves of bread and add it to our haul.
Katara blinks in confusion. "'Suck?' What are we sucking?"
"Oh, uh. . ." I frown at the realization that I let slip a partial swear from my world. "It's just a saying from my, um, village. It technically means something – uh – indecent, but here it just means that we are bad at doing something," I try to explain, my cheeks flushing slightly.
Katara's eyes grow wide. "What do you mean 'indecent?'"
Luckily, I am spared having to respond by the arrival of Aang, who taps on Katara's shoulder expectantly.
Jumping from surprise, Katara turns towards him, her mind switching gears at his appearance. "Oh, good! Can you help us carry these back to the room? It's a little too much for Shan and me to handle on our own."
"Actually, I can't right now," Aang says, putting his hands up to reject the basket.
Katara frowns in irritation. "What do you mean, "you can't?"
"I promised the girls I'd give them a ride on Appa. Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun!" Aang offers, his eyes alight.
Contrary to Aang's hopes, Katara rolls her eyes and turns back to filling our baskets. "Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun," she informs him.
Aang frowns, offended by her remark. "Well, neither does carrying your basket."
Katara turns to Aang in annoyance. "It's not my basket. These supplies are for our trip. I told you, we have to leave Kyoshi soon."
"Katara's right, Aang," I add. "It's dangerous for us to stay in one place for too long. Prince Zuko and the whole fire nation are searching for you."
As expected, Aang brushes off both mine and Katara's words.
"I don't want to leave Kyoshi yet. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something I really like about this place," the young avatar deliberates, while a school of young girls calls out to him from afar. Beside me, Katara begins to seeth in annoyance.
Sighing, I grab what I can and make my way back to the saddle to store what supplies I can carry on my own, not feeling up to dealing with Katara's boy drama as well as my own. I could use some alone time to practice the sets Iroh taught me in conjunction to the fans that Suki gave me. Zuko should be showing up soon and I have a feeling he won't be too happy to see me.
Sokka's POV
After Suki had left, Sokka had taken the time to reflect, not only on Suki's words but on his behavior in general, especially towards Shannon.
With every passing moment, with every memory he recalled, the worse he felt and the more disgusted he became with himself. Looking back, Shannon had been nothing but nice to him, even when he acted like a jerk. Sure she would tease him on occasion, but it was always good-naturedly, and if he was being honest, he enjoyed it – especially the way she would smile at him afterward, making his heart beat uncomfortably in his chest. She didn't seem to have a mean bone in her body. Even if her background is suspicious, she had proven herself not only as a friend but also as a warrior.
Sokka frowns as remembers how Shannon hadn't hesitated to throw herself off a flying bison over a hundred feet in the air to save Aang, paying no mind to her own safety. It had been terrifying, and he only watched. Ever since then, she had been taking care of our group, taking up the role of a mom so that Katara didn't have to. Shannon had been the one to make sure that we stayed for Aang when he almost threw them all off the mountain, the one who rescued Aang from the fire navy ship, the one who always seems to know what the right thing to do is. The only reason they had gotten this far was because of her, and he had just told her that they didn't need her, that she wasn't family – all while knowing she had lost her own family as well.
Yeah. He really messed up.
But what really seems to upset him is that he hurt her – really hurt her. Through everything, even when he was being a dufus or a 'sexist idiot' as Katara put it, he had never actually made Shannon cry until now. Seeing her colorful eyes well up in tears had shaken him and the crack in her voice broke his heart. He had seen her cry at the Air Temple and it was a gut-wrenching sight, but this was a thousand times worse because it was because of him, all because he was angry and embarrassed that she turned out to be a better warrior than him. It wasn't her fault that he didn't recognize her until after the fact, or that everything felt more humiliating because it was her . It was his own immaturity, his own inability to accept that a girl could be a warrior, too. He was learning his lesson the hard way.
Sokka takes a deep breath, his thoughts weighing heavily on him.
Who is Shannon Hale?
He still isn't exactly sure.
Shannon is a mysterious girl full of contradictions, but first and foremost she's a friend and a fellow warrior. It just took him getting beat up by a bunch of girls to see it and hurting her to understand it. Now he can only hope that she'll forgive him – and that he isn't too late. But first, there's something he needs to do.
A few minutes later, Sokka approaches the training hut where he can see Suki leading the Kyoshi Warriors through a route. Gulping nervously, he walks up the steps, knowing that this won't be easy. Just words won't be good enough, but hopefully, action will be.
A few hours later, Sokka heads out in search of Shannon dressed in the traditional uniform of the Kyoshi Warriors, facepaint and all. After presenting his case and apologizing to Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, he had received their blessing to apologize to Shannon and to receive their tutelage as well – under the guise that he must follow all their traditions. It had been unsurprisingly difficult to convince all of them, but once he had explained himself and his new outlook (and allowed each of them to spar with him – all of which he lost horribly), the girls had come around and given him their blessing.
Eventually, Sokka finds Shannon in a small clearing just off the beach nearby where they had first landed here and not too far from the dojo. When he finds her, he approaches slowly, nerves eating at him, but before he enters the clearing he stops, his eyes wide at the scene in front of him.
No longer in the Kyoshi Warrior's uniform, Shannon stands in the middle of the clearing bare-faced in her 'sports bra', or so she called it, and the tight black pants that she loves, barefoot on the soft grass where the snow had already melted. Her hair is pulled back once more in a traditional water tribe braid and a small choker with a lotus flower rests at her collarbone, but none of this is why he pauses, unable to call out to her and unable to look away.
Heart in his throat, Sokka watches the gracefulness of her movements as she strides through the grass with two gilded fans, moving her smaller frame like water through the patches of sunlight streaming through the trees. He watches in amazement and wonder, unsure what he is looking at. Her movements are not the routes Suki has been training the Kyoshi Warriors in (and subsequently him for the last few hours). If anything, it's like she is dancing – and it's stunning.
No, not just stunning. Intimidating.
Once more, he begins to question himself about the girl in front of him. Why does she always make him feel so overwhelmed, so insignificant? She is mesmerizing and he hates it.
Frowning, Sokka shakes his head. He is here to apologize, not fall down this rabbit hole again.
Swallowing nervously, he steels himself and steps forward. Despite being so far away, his movement startles the young girl. Abruptly, she turns towards him, her fans raised, only to lower them in surprise when she sees him. What surprises Sokka though, is that instead of shrinking or becoming guarded or angry, Shannon greets him with a soft smile, albeit a little hesitant.
"Sokka?" She calls out, relief and amusement evident in her voice.
Anxious, Sokka takes a step further into the clearing. "Hey, Shan. . ."
"Hey. . . Nice dress," she grins as she looks him over, but he notices a tone of hesitation. "You look good."
Blushing, Sokka rubs his neck. "Oh. Thanks. . . Um, do you think we can talk?"
As though expecting it, Shannon nods and puts away her fans. "Sure."
Sokka watches silently as she steps towards a small pile of rocks, where her shirt and shoes sit along with her pearl dagger and a small towel. As he draws near, he notices a small stream that flows by, leading out towards the ocean. Taking the towel, Shannon pats at her face and neck before sitting down on the grass, motioning for Sokka to do the same.
After a few moments of silence, Sokka gathers his courage to speak.
"Listen, Shan. . . I'm sorry," Sokka starts, his eyes on the small stream. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that, and I never should have underestimated you just because you are a girl. It was wrong of me."
Beside him, Shannon brings her knees up to her chest but remains silent, waiting for him to continue. Her lack of response causes Sokka's anxiousness to increase. Silence isn't necessarily a good sign.
"I also never apologized for the I've been treating you since we met. It wasn't fair to you. You've been nothing but nice to me – to all of us – and I've been acting like a jerk. I thought I had to be the big strong guy that protects everyone, and if I wasn't, I was a failure. But I get it now. Just because I'm a guy and you're a girl doesn't mean that I have to be better than you at fighting – or anything really. I should've been treating you like an equal, not tearing you down because I was jealous or embarrassed – "
But he doesn't get to finish as Shannon reaches out and pulls him into a tight hug, cutting him off. Taken aback, it takes Sokka a moment to return the hug, holding her close in relief.
". . . Does this mean you forgive me?" The water tribe boy manages to ask after a few moments.
"Of course," she whispers thickly into his neck, giving him goosebumps. "We're family, right?"
Filled with a sense of warmth, Sokka nods. "Yeah. . . Family. But. . . why are you being so nice to me? Anyone else would have kicked my butt after everything I did – the Kyoshi Warriors sure did," he adds, pulling back to massage the bruised muscles that were steadily forming all over his body.
Shannon looks up at him with an amused grin, staring into his eyes. As she does, his heart thuds awkwardly in his chest and he has to resist the urge to look away. Internally he wonders if he's ill.
"Oh, I don't doubt that," Shannon responds, not noticing the faint blush to his cheeks. "But I think you've learned your lesson. You wouldn't be here if you didn't, and I had faith you'd come – eventually. You have a good conscience and you're someone who is able to recognize his mistakes and learn from them, even if it takes really messing up in order to do so." Sokka blinks at her high opinion of him, unsure if he deserves such praise. "But seriously, if you ever try this again, I'll be the one kicking your butt, and I won't be holding back," she finishes with an overly sweet smile that reaches her eyes. It takes a moment for Sokka to realize it's a threat.
Grinning ruefully, Sokka sighs. "I'll be counting on it. Better you than Katara. She might ban me from eating," he admits, earning a laugh from the girl.
They sit in silence a little longer, staring down at the stream and occasionally stealing glances at one another.
"So. . ." Sokka starts, just now realizing that this is the first time he's ever been truly alone with Shannon, that he's never had just a one-on-one conversation with her before.
"So. . ." Shannon repeats, grinning at him wryly, also aware of this fact.
"You – you looked good, uh, practicing. . . out here," he says awkwardly, struggling to get his words across.
Shannon blinks in surprise, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Oh. . . Th-thanks," she says, smiling softly in embarrassment, glancing away.
"It was. . . different," Sokka comments. "From the Kyoshi Warriors, I mean. . . Um, I never asked, but have you, uh, have you been taught before? Self-defense, that is."
Shannon hums in response, her eyes far away as a forlorn smile pulls at her lips. "My master taught me, although I'm still just a beginner. I only studied under him for about a month, but I picked it up rather quickly. Suki says I have a natural talent for self-defense, I just lack strength and practice. I still have a long way to go, though," she admits, tugging at the pendant of the chocker at her neck.
"You're this good after just a month?" Sokka asks in disbelief, his heart dropping to his stomach. Suddenly, Suki's words and attitude towards the girl in front of him start to have greater meaning. No wonder the Kyoshi Warriors were so enamored with her – she's a prodigy. A hint of jealously pulls at his chest, but he bites it down. Jealousy would get him nowhere, especially after all that has happened.
Staring at the girl, he realizes just how little he knows about her, and how he wants to know more. He also realizes that he might need to try harder if he wants to become on par with the girl sitting beside him.
Shannon nods, looking awkward. "I've been practicing on my own, though. Also, Suki has been an amazing teacher."
Sokka frowns. "Still, that's. . . wow."
Shannon blinks at him, worried by the downcast tone of his voice.
". . . would – would you like to practice with me from now on?" She offers hesitantly, as though conflicted by her own words. "We can train together. . . Be sparring partners. That way we keep honing our skills. . ."
Sokka's eyes grow wide, not expecting her to want to do anything with him after the way he treated her. "Would that be okay? Really?" He asks excitedly, hope flickering in his chest. Maybe if he practiced with her he'd be able to become stronger, too – strong enough to protect his new-found family from the fire nation.
Seeing his reaction, Shannon's hesitation clears and a relieved smile pulls at her lips as she stands, holding out a hand to Sokka.
"Of course," she says sincerely. "Come on, let's go see Suki together. It's better to train under someone who knows what they're doing while we can. We've got a long journey ahead of us."
Beaming, Sokka takes her hand and pulls himself up, his eyes gleaming in anticipation.
Shannon's POV
After Sokka's and my little moment in the clearing, we had gone to see Suki again to train, this time together. Once there, Suki had checked with me that he had apologized properly, much to Sokka's embarrassment. Once I had assured her he had and informed her of our decision to train together, Suki had beamed and gotten to work teaching us how to practice with one another on our journey Just from observing the techniques, I could tell that they would be a lot more productive than my practicing on my own, and for that I am grateful.
My only hesitation is the fact that as far as I am aware, Sokka never actively trained like this during the series, at least not until he met his own master. Yeah, he had learned a bit from the Kyoshi Warriors, but not like this. It had given me pause, but seeing the way his eyes lit up at my offer made me relent. Surely this won't change much, at least not as much as anything else I've done or will do.
I will say that as much of a prodigy Suki keeps telling me I am, Sokka might be just as good, if not better. While his movements are stiff and awkward, you can see the way his mind works, how he understands exactly how to apply the moves to his benefit. Thinking back, it makes sense. Sokka is the thinker, the planner, the creative one. That's exactly why his master agreed to teach him in season 3. It makes sense. Right now, his body can't catch up with his mind, but with time, he will become a formidable foe and an irreplaceable ally on the battlefield.
That night we had gone to bed thick as thieves, chattering away excitedly about everything we had learned. It made my heart warm to be fully accepted by the water tribe boy. It was like a weight had been lifted from my chest. I was officially a part of Team Avatar.
The next day, after helping Katara gather some more supplies, Sokka and I headed to the training hut bright and early where Suki and the other Warriors were waiting for us. After greeting one another and finishing warm-ups, Suki pulls me aside, leaving Sokka to train with the other warriors. It also seems as though Sokka must have made a deal with the Kyoshi Warriors because he was once again dressed in their uniform and face paint whereas I've been allowed to remain in my yoga pants.
"There's something I want you to try," Suki says as she brings me over to a small table where an intricate box sits, embellished in green and gold.
Intrigued, I watch as she opens the box and reveals what looks to be a long silk green sash with elegant golden embroidery. As Suki pulls it out, I notice that one end is weighted with a large, dull metal dart. As I study it, Suki begins explaining.
"This is a Sash Dart. It's considered a 'soft' weapon that is used for self-defense. It's not super popular because of its difficulty to master so not many of the Kyoshi Warriors study it, but you seem to be very adept with sashes considering you hog-tied Sokka and me with our own belts," she explains as she takes a step back to demonstrate.
I watch in wonder as she unravels the sash and begins to swing it around, her moves graceful and dangerous as the metal end flies around her. At certain points, she throws the dart end out like a projectile, and I instantly know that if someone were to get hit by it they'd be immediately incapacitated. It's haunting and mesmerizing to watch – and yet, it's somehow familiar.
Once she finishes she hands the sash to me. "Let's get started."
A few hours later I'm drenched in sweat and bruised in more places than I'd care to admit, but nothing can wipe the smile from my face.
I had been able to pick up the dagger and the fans relatively easily, but they had always felt somewhat awkward in my hands no matter how long I practiced with them. That's why when Suki had handed me the long silk Sash Dart, I expected it to be the same – but I was so wrong. The moment I swung the sash according to Suki's instruction I realized how right the odd weapon felt in my hands, how the metal weight of the dart at the end was perfectly balanced.
"I thought you said none of you were able to master any of this in one day," Sokka comments at one point, frowning at Suki, who is staring at me as I attack a nearby tree, unaware of their conversation.
"We can't," Suki replies meaningfully. "It's weird, it's almost as though she already knows how to do it in the first place, but she insists she's a beginner. I would say she was lying if not for her poor muscle definition and coordination. You can't fake that."
As those words leave her lips, I once again overestimate my ability to move out of the way as the dart comes flying back at me and it hits me in the stomach, sending me flying backward and knocking the wind out of me. I groan loudly as Sokka rushes over.
"Shannon! Are you alright?!" He cries as he stares down at me, his hands hovering over me awkwardly.
Struggling to take a breath, I give him a strained smile. "Just. . . Just peachy. . ." I wheeze as I lay there in the dirt.
"I think you need to slow down," Sokka comments as he offers me his hand. " You've been at this for hours. If you're not careful, you're gonna seriously hurt
yourself."
Taking his hand, I pull myself to my feet and give him a wry smile. "I could same to you. You and Suki have been sparring nonstop."
"That's different," Sokka brushes my words aside with a frown. "We're just doing hand-to-hand combat. You're working with a deadly weapon . What if you hurt yourself?"
"Awe, is someone worried?" I tease him, trying to smile through the pain.
"Yeah, I am," Sokka admits bluntly. His frank words make me blush. I hadn't been expecting him to answer.
"Oh. . . Thanks," I mutter, pulling at the end of my shirt.
"I'm serious, Shan," Sokka continues, brushing off my thanks. "You're still a beginner. You shouldn't be taxing yourself too hard or you're gonna break. You need to take it slower."
I frown as I contemplate his words. Truth be told, I am pretty worn out and I'm covered in injuries from pushing myself to my limits. My muscles have been screaming at me for days, but I've been ignoring them.
The reason I've been pushing myself so hard is that I'm scared of what the future holds. I know exactly how many battles where the GAang barely make it out alive and I cannot be the reason that one of them gets hurt. I need to be strong enough to stand on my own.
As I open my mouth to say just that, the village chief comes rushing towards us, a look of panic in his eyes. "Firebenders have landed on our shores! Girls, come quickly!"
Anxiety washes over me as the girls all rush from the training grounds. Any chance at training is over; it's time for a very awkward reunion.
Beside me, Sokka frowns at the chief's statement. "Hey, I'm not a. . . oh, whatever! Let's go, Shan," he says as he takes off after Suki and the rest.