Ok everyone, so review time:
Kamil the Awesome: I aim to please Kamil, and I love your responses! Please keep reviewing!
Rooivalk253: Thank you for understanding about the college stuff, and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews as well! Also now that you mention it, I will be bringing Iroh in a bit later in the story, so hope you enjoy a good cup of jasmine tea!
Disclaimer's Notice: I do NOT own Avatar The Last Airbender, or the characters that make up the series, I'm glad we can all be mature and adult about this and… HEY GIVE ME BACK MY COOKIES!
Sokka's Troubles
Chapter 6
Normal Narration
Emphasis
Thoughts
Sokka stared at the pai sho tile that lay in his palm before him. When traveling through the earth kingdom city of Ba Sing Se, he had heard of the legendary secret group known only by The White Lotus Society. Unfortunately for him, that was all he knew as he was just another outsider looking into the group and hoping for more info.
His starved mind flooded with questions as he looked at the Doctor, and then to Ty-Lee, and then back and forth once more as he slowly but surely gripped the tile piece. His psyche was slowly starting to strain after all the abuse that his body and mind was put through from the numerous days in captivity, not to mention the fact of what happened before he was captured.
But this was not the item that held him dead in his tracks from mental exhaustion, no; it was the fact that he was being given information, almost freely in fact. Any smart person could tell you, that those who do not know, speak all the time, and yet those who know, stay silent. The fact that he was being given nearly an invitation into the group was troubling as he held no viable skill in the war other than his intelligence capabilities, and even then, as a young man, that would be useless when older, more wiser and knowledgeable generals would lead rather than him.
No, he was being brought in, because he was a purpose or need of the society that they themselves could not achieve. And in order to figure out what was going on, it was time to play stupid Sokka.
"Why am I being invited into the ranks of the White Lotus?" Asked Sokka with a hint of concern in his strained voice.
Dr. Han looked at Sokka with a smile and yet, it was a serious face nonetheless, because even with the smile on, the good doctor gave the aura of a general in the military.
"Sokka, I'm going to be straightforward and honest with you, because after looking at me and asking that question, I have no doubt that you are gauging me to see what kind of information I have correct?" responded the good doctor.
Sokka nodded in response to this comment and waited for Dr. Han to continue.
"Very well, the short of it, is that you contain a special power, something that even the water tribe healers could not do even if they mastered their craft."
Ty-Lee who was smiling this whole time suddenly decided to lean in and hug Sokka, as if he was going to bolt from the cave. This was smart for her because what was going to be explained next was about to rock the entire foundations of Sokka's life.
"Sokka, you have the power of Chi manipulation." said Dr. Han in a deadpanned voice.
"Crazy doctor says what now?" responded a confused and worried Sokka.
"Sokka, before there were benders of the four elements, there was a more basic and more fundamentally universal form of fighting, as well as healing and understanding of the Human body as we know it. You Sokka are more in tune with your Chi then your standard human being." responded the Doctor, continuing to ignore Sokka's remarks about his sanity.
"Ok, Doc, so your telling me that I have a skillset that's similar to Ty-Lee over here?" nodding his head to Ty-Lee's head that is still hugging him tightly for some strange reason.
"Yes Sokka, however there is good news and bad news to this skill." The doctor said, beginning to look at Ty-Lee expectantly.
Sokka gulped before he responded with: "What do you mean?"
The doctor sighed before sitting down on the opposite side of the cave, grabbing a log and stoking the fire with it before tossing the newly heated log into the hungry flames. He then looked directly into Sokka's eyes before saying the next sentence that would alter his life forever.
"The good news is that you will be able to fight like Ty-Lee, to be able to see aura's of people around you, and you will be capable of healing not only yourself but your allies as well."
Sokka looked at Ty-Lee whose face was still buried deep into Sokka's shirt and he smiled saying "Looks like I won't be the only poky one around here eh?" He then looked at the doctor saying "What part of that was the terrible news?"
The doctor deadpanned and looked at Sokka with an unreadable expression while responding: "Because you are more in tune with your life spirit then your standard human being, you live longer and as a result will die at an older age."
Sokka immediately sobered up, once he heard this. The thought of him, watching as he outlived his father and grandmother was one thing, but his sister? Aang? Toph? It was mind boggling, to be saddled with their deaths at a later time, to suffer and watch as life slowly marches on while he stayed a fixture in that horrible house of fate, it was scary, but not as scary as his next question.
"How long will I live?" Sokka shakily asked
The doctor looked at the ground while he gave his answer: "The shortest recorded lifespan of a Chi User was listed as three generations, and that was due to him being a causality of war, a death that was unnatural."
Sokka slowly responded with his last question for the doctor with a quiet and quivering voice: "And the longest?"
"The longest recorded lifespan was fifteen generations, and the average is about seven." The doctor responded hollowly.
Sokka's mind snapped, it couldn't fathom that he'd have to watch himself outlive his family, to see his friends die before he would. It was too much, so he did the only thing he could do in a situation like this, he broke free of Ty-Lee's grasp and ran to the shore.
He ran as fast as his injured body could take him. As he sped off into the evening, the doctor looked at Ty-Lee with a solemn gaze as he gave her the last instructions for the evening saying: "Go to him, he needs you."
Sokka made it to the shore's edge, listening to the water's lulling song and allowing his tears to flow freely from his eyelids. His pain and suffering greatly increasing as he tried to shut out the people that he would eventually need to say his goodbyes to as his whole concept of the world spun out of control.
Slowly but surely though, a pair of arms slowly intertwined him in a hug that he knew all too well, and between his sobs, Sokka asked Ty-Lee a question that would set into motion some of the most important moments in his life.
"Is there anyone else like me? Are you like me?" Sokka asked with misery and hope dancing through his vocal chords as he stared at the moon.
"Yes Sokka, yes to both of your questions." Ty-Lee whispered back as she slowly but surely lowered Sokka to lay down upon the sand with his head laying on her lap.
"Ty-Lee?" Sokka asked with a timid voice.
"Yes Sokka?" she responded with a warm and kind voice.
"Promise me you'll never leave me?" Sokka asked, scared of the response.
"I promise Sokka" responded Ty-Lee with a warm smile as Sokka passed out again from his injuries as well as the mental fatigue from what he just learned.
Ty-Lee looked at the sleeping man that lay at her feet and whispered: "I promise because you are my angel Sokka, and I am in debt to you…"
Chapter 6 End
Alright everyone! More story, more fleshed out characters! Also a bit of fluff because yes, I do enjoy a good blossoming romance in my stories! Remember! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I want to keep writing more, but I need more reviews, so please keep reading and reviewing! Feedback is great, as long as it's constructive, so please the more info on how to patch up the story, or if you think it's good so far and want to leave that in the message, great as well! Here's to another great chapter coming up soon!
-Gunrose