Words cannot describe the pain of loosing one's mother, so Sokka had never tried to articulate it. And even though he was silent on the subject, it didn't mean he hadn't been hurt.
His mother had been a dazzling creature. She was beautiful and charming. She was kind and forgiving and strong. And she was always smiling. But she never laughed when Sokka came back with cuts and bruises (most of which he had accidentally caused himself) after playing warrior. She would simply bandage him up and tell him that he was a brave little warrior, her hero.
She would always indulge his attempts to be a warrior, no matter how pathetic they may be. She even allowed him to defend her from those rabid, vagrant penguins that roamed the tundra with his little toy sword (as long as he promised not to actually hurt them).
But most importantly, she always knew the right thing to do or say to make him feel better. When he was having a bad day, or when he was pouting because Katara had ruined one of his games (again), she would some in and sweep him up in her arms. And though he squirmed away, protesting that he was not a baby, he secretly relished the safety and comfort he felt in her arms.
But then, all of the sudden, she was taken from him.
He remembered hearing the sounds of the battle outside and grabbing his little toy sword, ready to fight the evil minions of the Fire Nation. But she stopped him. He protested loudly, he wanted to fight, he was a warrior!
She bent down and clasped his shoulder. He was startled by the desperation in her eyes.
"I know you're a warrior, Sokka," she said in her soft, sweet voice. "And I know you want to fight. But I need you to be brave and do something for me. I need you to protect your sister." Sokka nodded mutely, persuaded by the urgency in his mother's voice. He allowed himself to be hidden behind the bed with Katara.
The two children peaked over the edge of the bed, watching their mother. She didn't even flinch when a fire nation soldier burst through their door.
"Get out of my house," she commanded, teeth barred. Her brutal tone was so uncharacteristic of her calm nature. Sokka could sense something terrible was going to happen. He pulled down Katara and they both lay on the floor, trembling. He needed to protect her.
It seemed like hours before their father finally came and found them, huddling together, tears of fear streaming down their cheeks. Sokka could see the deep sadness in his fathers eyes, and he knew. He knew his mother was gone. Katara knew it too, and she began to cry loudly. Sokka was silent, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He would not forget his mother. And he would not forget the promise that he made to her so long ago. He would be a brave warrior. And he would fight for the Water Tribe, for peace. But most of all, he would always, always protect his sister.
A/N: This is the first time I've ever written anything for Sokka, so I hope it turned out okay. Next I'm going to attempt one for Toph, but so far I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas. Well, as always, please review!