The Realization

"Sokka." Aang said, walking up behind the sulking figure sitting at the edge of the camp.

"Yeah Aang?" he grumbled, looking down at his feet. "What?"

"You can't act like this forever- it's been two days. What's wrong?"

"The SwordBending." he muttered.

"Wait, I thought you were happy with how the SwordBending turned out?" Aang said, remembering Sokka's triumphant grin.

"What?" Sokka turned and looked up at him bewildered. "No, of course I wasn't; he knocked me on my face nine times!"

"Yeah, but didn't you say something about losing the battle of swords, but winning the battle of words?"

Pouting, Sokka turned his head back to his feet. "Yes.. but then he beat me in Haiku, which brought back memories of SwordBending." He glared down at nothing.

"So?.."

Sokka jumped to his feet and turned his glare to the young avatar. "So he beat me at words too!"

"..Oh."

"So now I need.. I need.." Suddenly eyes became distant as he paused, frowning. "So now, I need to beat him in a battle of swords to make it even again."

"What? But Sokka.. he had years of training with Piando, where you only had a week."

"Master Piando told me that I was more worthy than any other of his past students though, probably because I came at things from odd angles.. so I just need to set up the fight before I challenge him in a spot where I know I can win..." Sokka wasn't paying any attention to him anymore, and Aang watched his expression change to the one seemingly reserved for strategy while he looked around the slightly hilly field.

Aang, now thoroughly confused, decided that he needed a translator for what Sokka had said, because though he didn't want a brooding Sokka, a seemingly conspiring one was likely worse. He set off to find Katara; she was his sister- she should know how to deal with him.

He quickly found her alone, in the middle of camp, laying out vegetables and meat on a stone counter that Toph must've EarthBended for her."Hey Katara," he said, walking up to her.

"Hey Aang." she replied, pulling a large kitchen knife from it's sheath, about to start cutting up a carrot on the rock counter. But then she noticed his face, and asked, "What's up- is there something wrong?"

"Actually, I'd like your help understanding Sokka."

She stopped after cutting just one slice of carrot and stared at him. "Me.. understand Sokka?" Aang nodded hesitantly. Katara just sighed and continued slicing up the carrot. "Go find Toph; I'm sure she'd be more helpful than me."

Aang looked at her confused. "Why?"

"Because they have a lot more in common, being loud, sarcastic, and meat-obsessed together, she has more of a chance understanding him than I would."

"Oh." He thought about it. "I guess you're right." He turned around to begin looking for Toph.

It took a few minutes of searching as she turned out to not be in the camp, but he finally spotted her starring at Sokka from a distance, who had also apparently left the camp. He walked up to her. "Why are you starring at him?"

Toph, clearly not surprised by his voice, answered, "It feels like he's thinking." She shook her head slightly in bewilderment. "I had to find out what it was."

"Then why not just ask him?"

"Because talking to him would cause him to lose his thought process, Noodlebrain, and I don't trust him enough to find it again."

"Ah." Aang said, not knowing how to reply to the rather harsh, but casually given insult to the guy she was effectively stalking. Then he remembered why he had searched for her. "Oh, I meant to ask you about him actually."

Toph groaned at the distraction that was Aang, and ignored him.

Ignoring the hint, Aang continued. "I talked to him earlier to see what was wrong, and he just brought up the SwordBending and Haiku matches he had with Zuko."

Toph suddenly brightened, and turned to him. "So that's what this is about?" she asked. "Him and Sparky?"

"I think so." Aang replied. "But halfway into his complaining about it to me, he seemed to get distracted, and mentioned something about Piandao."

"The sword master?"

"Yeah. And then something about planing ahead, and using the terrain, and other things I couldn't understand the reason for."

Toph frowned and faced Aang with blank eyes. "What do you not understand?" she asked.

"The parts about Piando, terrain, planning, and.. well, most of it actually."

Toph sighed. "Stop being so painfully ignorant." she told him. He started to respond, but she held a hand up and interrupted. "Just go back to Sweetness and help her make lunch; I'll deal with Sokka." A sly grin appeared on her face. "If it's terrain he needs, I might be able to enjoy- help him more."

Aang watched Toph's smile as she turned away from him and started walking off towards the pacing, mumbling Sokka. He had always considered himself the peacemaker of the group- being the avatar and all, that was his duty, but sometimes.. sometimes he thought it best to not get too involved. Seeing the entirely unsettling grin now stuck to Toph's face convinced him this was now one of those times.

He turned to go help with the vegetables.

Notes: I think this one was much better; this was originally supposed to be the first chapter, with only mentions of the Haiku match, which.. might've been better, but either way, I feel like the comedy of Aang trying to understand and help Sokka until it becomes too dangerous -by means of Toph- is something that's funny, and suits the characters of everyone involved.

Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please review if you have time; let me know your thoughts.