Two reviewers, A711owner and Kelev, read and reviewed last chapter. From this chapter onward, I can truly say that we will start discussing the more "important" or "popular" characters. In my mind, all Avatar characters are pretty well developed, but I'm starting to move on to ones that are more commonly used. Let's see if I can get anyone to think differently of them, starting this chapter with Suki.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.

"Sorry ladies, didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson." A male voice echoed from the doorway. I was in the lead position, meaning out of everyone, I got the best view of the smug mug sticking his face into our hut. We all paused from our exercises and looked at the teenage boy clad in blue, unimpressed with his tone and attitude. To him, we might look like a dance troupe, but what we did was more than entertainment.

But still, it was best to remain civil, given the status this character had in the world. "Sorry about yesterday, I didn't know you were friends with the Avatar." I told him in a sincere tone. When we were told that the Unagi, a large eel-like creature that lived on the bay surrounding our island, was going crazy again, our village elder Oyaji sent my group to investigate. What ended up happening was that we discovered the long-lost air bending Avatar, Aang, and two Southern Water Tribe siblings, the sister Katara and the brother Sokka. Given that our island was named after a past Avatar, Kyoshi, we decided to let them stay as guests, allowing them access to all our facilities.

"It's alright. I mean, normally I'd hold a grudge, but seeing that you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception." Sokka responded in a condescending tone. He was stretching out his arms and legs, eager for a workout with us. Apparently, from the reaction he showed yesterday, he wasn't too happy that my group, an all-female fighting team called the Kyoshi Warriors, bested him, and was probably demanding a rematch.

I glanced around my team, and saw most of the ladies had the same response I did. Giving his chauvinistic attitude, perhaps letting Sokka in on the fun would be a good way to show him up once more. At least, if we beat him, he probably wouldn't dare to say such arrogant things. Turning back at him, I tilted my head and answered coyly, "I should hope so. I mean, against a big strong man like you, we wouldn't stand a chance!"

"True," Sokka retorted, rolling his head on his neck. The shameless arrogance of this Southern Water Tribe warrior knew no bounds as he continued bragging. I stayed patient and let him talk away his defences, but I heard snickers under the breaths of my teammates. "After all, I'm the best warrior in my village." He boasted, crossing his arms.

"Best warrior, huh? In your whole village," I dipped my head in his direction, my hip leaning so far forward that my headpiece nearly looped down over my eyes. I could tell that the hook was baited, and the question was if Sokka would bite. "Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration?" I suggested. "Come on girls, wouldn't you like him to show us some moves?" I waved the rest of the warriors over.

The concerted giggles behind me only bloated Sokka's confidence even more. "If that's what you want, then I'd be happy to." I stood in the middle of our training room as Sokka approached me. He stuck out his chest and flaunted his arms around, almost like he was invincible to any weapon. "Now you stand over there, and try to block me," he instructed, keeping me in my position and waving his left hand in my face.

In one swift motion, Sokka twisted his body around and shot his right fist at me. I still had my two fans, which were crucial to the Kyoshi fighting style. Watching his fist, I responded by jabbing out my left. I nailed Sokka right in the shoulder, freezing his move and sent him reeling back. Watching him grimace and wince, I dropped my arm and smiled as casually as possible. "Good," Sokka stuttered, rubbing his shoulder in pain, "but of course, I was going easy on you." He assured me, his eyes flashing frantically.

Smirking, I taunted him some more, telling him I expected him to go easy. "So let's see if you can handle this!" Sokka shouted, advancing in with a wide leg kick. Like I had done it every day of my life, I merely ducked under the kick and whipped my right fan around. That collapsed the extra weight Sokka had on his remaining leg, sending him reeling across the room. Luckily, he managed to land on the mat, or else his back and rear end would have some serious bruising for the next few days.

I could see Sokka blink a few times in surprise, before he became consumed in frustration. "That does it!" He yelled, his voice cracking. In his most bull-headed move yet, he rushed at me, one fist held right before him. I must say that, with all the taunting we heaped on him, Sokka's finally lost his cool, and was resorting to random flails.

But randomness like this was the easier technique to defend against in the Kyoshi fighting style, as I merely used Sokka's strength against him. Grabbing onto his extended arm, I spun him around in circles, using his own momentum to drive out his energy. The only sounds that could be heard were Sokka's screams as he whirled around me, his body nothing but a blur as I toyed with his position. Then, in one smooth motion, I halted my motion, yanking Sokka's arm right behind him as he screeched to a stop. The ride was wild enough, although it was probably nothing compared to what the Unagi could do.

Then, in my final act of humiliation, I undid the white belt on Sokka's waist and brought it to his hand. Sokka was still only on one leg, a great position to pull off this trick. With some quick tying work, I bound his left wrist to his right ankle, leaving him in an awkward position. Letting go of him, I only watched giddily as Sokka bounced around the room, trying helplessly to return to a fighting posture. After a few more seconds of pathetic hopping, Sokka finally dropped to the ground.

I approached the fallen figure amidst the giggles of my team. I could heard Sokka hyperventilating, partially because of the exercise that left him in this state, but also due to the great indignation that he was bested twice by the same group of, you guessed it, girls. Placing my hands on my hips, I dipped my face lower again, asking Sokka with a smirk, "Anything else you want to teach us?" Hearing that, the girls burst out in laughter.

I decided to keep Sokka like that for a few more minutes, hearing him plead and beg us to spare him, just to torture him a bit. To me, there was no excuse or justification for being that mean-spirited towards the female gender, even if he claimed he was the chief warrior left in his village. If the great Avatar Kyoshi, a female and the longest-living Avatar, was so active in defending our land from Chin the Conqueror, an invading warlord that was just as cruel as the current Fire Nation, then there was nothing that girls couldn't do as well as guys. So, for Sokka to barge into our training hut and declared that he was going to teach us lessons on fighting, I was not going to let that pass.

Finally, my good side took over, and I undid the knot in pity for him. Sokka glanced at us, his eyes wavering and slightly watery. Dipping his head in shame, he hurried away from us. While I genuinely felt better about teaching him a lesson, I also felt somewhat sorry for him. He suffered a lot of embarrassment in that battle, and I was certain he would have doubts about challenging females again. Sighing, I could wish he would be more open-minded should he return, as I hoped to show him some of our skills.

"Hoping for another dance lesson?" I asked, unimpressed as Sokka made another appearance in our training grounds. We thought after being humiliated twice, he would finally learn his lesson and take his chauvinistic thoughts elsewhere. But it seemed like he wasn't about to let up, as he popped in on us in the middle of our routine again.

But there was something about Sokka this time, as he didn't seem as strong in his efforts to talk to us. His eyes shifted around, his hands fidgeted, and his back slouched as he struggled for words. As we continued observing him, he did an unexpected thing: he got down on his knees and begged before us. "I would be honoured if you would teach me," he stated in humility, his eyes never leaving the ground.

I pursed my lips, not sure what to think. After all the nastiness that he hurled our way, we weren't about to forget his sexist comments too easily. That being said, if Sokka were to show true remorse for his actions, perhaps it was worth a chance. Trying to test him out, I asked bluntly, "I teach you? Even if I'm a girl?"

"I'm sorry if I insulted you. I was wrong," Sokka replied, his tone barely above a murmur. It was evident that he was still coming to terms with women being capable and strong fighters, but at least it was a start. "I won't let you down." He assured us, doing a full kowtow as his forehead dipped to the mat. Whatever doubts the girls and I still had regarding his intentions, they were all erased with this powerful gesture.

Finally conquering my stubborn side, I relented on my position. "Alright, but you have to follow all of our traditions," I responded, "and I mean, all of them!"

Within minutes, my teammates brought out a traditional Kyoshi Warrior uniform for Sokka to wear. We had many extras in our wardrobe, and we found one that we felt was around Sokka's size. Sokka protested for quite a bit as we prepared to dress him up, ranting nonstop even when the final act of applying the face paint was done. "Do I really have to wear this? It feels a little, girly." He complained, completely slouched over.

"It's a warrior's uniform, so you should be proud." I declared, quickly describing what each piece of the uniform stood for. Avatar Kyoshi first donned such clothing when she served the world, and despite centuries later, there were only a few modifications from the original. Emphasizing that honour and bravery were among the most important traits from our island's namesake, I reminded Sokka never to forget what that meant.

Before long, the girls had finished their training, and were about to head home for the day. With the training grounds empty, I decided to stay longer and teach Sokka the basics. Making him do repetition after repetition of the basic steps, including movements of the fans, I tried to install the fundamental skills of the Kyoshi fighting style into Sokka. Even in his first day, I could see him being very sincere in learning the skill, his every step and pivot filled with concentration to the most precise detail. "You're not going to master it in one day," I pointed out, "even I'm not that good."

"I think I'm starting to get it," he assured me, waving his right fan while kicking out his left foot. With three spinning pivots, he gathered his momentum and shot the fan out of his hand. While the throw was strong, it was extremely out-of-control, as the fan sailed out of the room and slammed into a tree outside. The snow from the leaves shook loose and slumped to the ground, burying the fan in white fluff.

Alternating my eyes between the buried fan and a tired-looking Sokka, I decided to clarify. "It's not about strength. Our technique is about using the opponent's force against them. Think of the fan as an extension of your arm." I stood in a fighter stance, my right fan closed and pointed straight at Sokka's face. Sokka returned the gesture, his painted face in complete seriousness as he watched my movement. Continuing with my description, I told him, "Wait for an opening, and then…"

I tried to thrust forward, but Sokka caught my arm in time. In one smooth motion, he yanked me by the fan and shot me forward. I was in total shock as I lost hold of the fan, letting it bounce to the ground as Sokka turned his arm and shoved me back. I landed on my rear end, sitting on the ground and looking up helplessly. For some strange reason, I felt like Sokka in the morning, when I shamed him before my team. Now, the shoe was on the other foot as Sokka exclaimed, "I got you! Admit it, I got you!"

Getting back to my feet, I could feel my face flush with embarrassment. Earlier, it seemed so much fun trying to set Sokka in his place, but now the tables had turned. Still, I did admire the way he learned the trick so quickly. Maybe with more lessons, we could show him the real ways of our world, and hopefully changed his views permanently. "Okay, it was a lucky shot," I conceded, grabbing Sokka's outstretched fingers, "let's see if you can do it again." I challenged, prepared to use more advanced techniques.

Returning to our fighter stances, we circled each other and prepared to spar. To be honest, while I was busy condemning Sokka's close-minded view on women, I had to say the Kyoshi Warriors didn't exactly have a record on open-mindedness that we could be proud of either. For the entire century that the world had been at war, all the warriors did was to hide from trouble and refuse to take part. Oyaji said the reason was our isolated location made it possible for life to still go on, and we could declare neutrality while still being part of the Earth Kingdom. But how long could we sustain that? Was it right for us to stay in the corner and watch the world be engulfed in flames? Mulling this over, it was an issue worth discussing with my team later on. But for now, my attention returned to Sokka as he advanced. I wanted to show him the true power of the Kyoshi fighting style.

"Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" I heard a loud booming voice echo through the village as I rushed down the hill from the training facility. Sokka and I were so caught up in going over basic Kyoshi style techniques that we soon lost track of the time. Sokka really picked up his skills quickly in this first day, so much so that I had to say it would be great if he chose to stay and continue training, in hopes of becoming the first ever male Kyoshi Warrior.

But our fun was about to be interrupted as Oyaji, our village elder, requested my team to help the people, as fire benders reportedly landed on our shores. It seemed like my earlier prediction of needing to remove Kyoshi Island from splendid isolation and into the war came true. We might not be interested in trouble, but trouble was interested in us, as a fleet of Komodo Rhinos stood at the edge of the town. There were three rhinos with two Fire Nation soldiers on each, and one with only one person on, presumably the team leader. As the three soldier rhinos slowly trudged forward, I signalled my team into position, hoping to ambush the invaders from the side.

There was complete silence as the setting sun cast its rays across the mountainous exterior of the island, creating long shadows across the land. It placed a perfect silhouette on the leader of the group, whose face was in complete darkness. From my angle, it was like he had horns from his head, the Fire Nation helmet resonated his ferocity. On our way here, Oyaji told me that he already requested the villagers returned to their homes and locked all doors, and it was up to the Kyoshi Warriors to protect them from harm.

Seizing the opportunity to strike, I signalled my teammates to surround the rhinos from the side. Being in the middle of the village meant we could come at them from all sides, and that was exactly what we did as warriors leapt onto the fire benders from each angle. The soldiers were caught off guard as they were disarmed, with some being kicked off the rhinos overall. With my team keeping the front three rhinos busy, I made a beeline for the group leader. With my fans spread and a determined look on my face, I raced to the lone rhino and rider in the distance, ready to repel him off the island.

Immediately, a barrage of fire rained down on me. Even with my armour and face paint, I was getting close to being burned. All around me, orange balls of flame battered the ground, the projectiles becoming brighter than the waning sun. At the last possible second, I leapt into the air, away from the flames and straight at the rider. I figured that once I could knock him to the ground, he would be at a disadvantage, as my speed and evasiveness would make it difficult for him to hit me with fire. Twisting my body, I had my feet whipped forward, ready to shove them straight into the rider's chest.

But it was me who miscalculated, as I did not expect the Komodo Rhino to be used as a weapon. The rider simply yanked the reins and spun the creature around. It was like everything slowed down as the tail of the large animal made its way towards me. The next thing I knew was that I had been sent into the air like a rag doll in a windstorm, my body limp and in immense pain as the hard tail bones of the Komodo Rhino made full impact with me. I landed hard onto the ground, creating a neat sand trail with my skidding. I could feel my teeth rattle, and had it not been for the armour, I was sure to have several broken bones by now. Wincing, I tried to get up, but to no avail.

I could only look on in horror as the rider glared down from the rhino, his fists clenched and ready to attack. My head still spun in pain as I barely saw him reel an arm back, ready to send another wall of fire at me. But then, everything slowed down once more as a blurry figure jumped before me just before the large orange blast smacked into me. The mysterious saviour swung an arm around, batting away the flames with a fan. I looked more carefully and realized that the Kyoshi Warrior before me wasn't a female; rather, it was Sokka, who bravely stared down the fire bender as he fiercely defended me.

My concentration was finally interrupted with one of my teammates jumping at the Fire Nation invasion team leader, knocking him off the rhino while we were all still stunned at what happened. Sokka, after making sure I was alright, immediately charged in to provide backup for my teammates. As I tried to crawl to safety, I could see a third Kyoshi Warrior joining Sokka and the one who originally knocked the rider off the rhino surround him. I couldn't make it out quite clearly, but I could feel flames shooting out in a circle. The fire bender swung around and knocked everyone back, their backs slamming into walls and pillars. I couldn't see Sokka, so I could only hope he got out alright.

But Sokka became the least of my concerns as the fire bender stepped into the middle of the village again. "Nice try, Avatar," he shouted into the skies, "but these little girls can't save you!" In my weakened state, I felt so helpless. Everywhere around me, there was fire flickering. The Fire Nation invaders, despite being few in numbers, did a lot of damage to this place, and showed us just how strong of a fighting force they were. In my mind, there was a genuine fear that our homes would be destroyed.

Luckily, the Avatar finally stepped out, standing defiantly on the other side of the village. With his air bending skills, he managed to stall the assailants just in time. In the midst of the confusion, it was decided that the Kyoshi Warriors would do everything to hold off the attackers while the Avatar got off the island safely. "There's no time to say goodbye," I told Sokka, who managed to find my hiding spot. He had taken a huge hit by landing hard on his back, and even as he recovered he was still in some pain.

"What about 'I'm sorry'?" he responded, "I treated you like a girl when I should have treated you like a warrior." There was genuine regret in his tone as we urged him to catch up with Aang, who was in the process of getting Appa, his Sky Bison. Somehow, from this experience, I truly felt Sokka was ready to abandon his chauvinistic ways.

"I am a warrior, but I'm a girl, too," I replied. Leaning in, I gave Sokka a peck on the cheek. I saw the stunned expression on his face as I pulled back, as Sokka rubbed the side where my mouth met his face. Maybe that was my way of change, as I had lots to learn to incorporate myself in the real world. While it was great to work with an all-girl fighting team, meshing with the other sex, even other cultures, was more important.

The ensuing battle was quick, but at great cost to our village. The fire benders all but razed our land as they went on the retreat. Guessing that chasing the Avatar was the highest priority for them, they weren't about to stay for long, but the cruelty they showed to us was unmatched as they chose to destroy whatever debris left on the island. Had it not been for the Avatar, who got the Unagi to spray water over our village, there would be nothing left. Sighing, I realized that this was the price to pay to get involved in the world. There was no way Kyoshi Island could progress without some sacrifices, but if it meant bringing forward long-term peace by fighting the Fire Nation, then it was worth it.

"I know you're just trying to help, but I can take care of myself." I insisted to Sokka as we sat under a rock arch. It was a beautiful spring night, with the breezes from the bay tickling our skin as we stared into the dark but cloudless sky. Because of Aang's team, the entire Kyoshi Warrior team was inspired to help others less fortunate than us across the Earth Kingdom, and we decided to leave the island to search for opportunities. One arose at the Full Moon Bay ferry terminal, where refugees were waiting to get onto the ships heading for Ba Sing Se, the only safe haven for the Earth Kingdom for now.

And that was when we ran into Aang's group, who happened to be escorting a couple to Ba Sing Se. The wife, Ying, was pregnant, and they wanted to get to the Earth Kingdom capital to raise their family in peace. Unfortunately, their passports were stolen from them, meaning they were not authorized to board the ferries. In a desperate move, Aang decided to guide them through the Serpent's Pass, which was a very dangerous area. Not only were there steep cliffs and Fire Nation patrol boats, there was also a large sea serpent, comparable to the Unagi that lived in the waters. We already dodged an attack by a patrol boat earlier, and it wasn't about to get any easier along the way.

"So why are you acting so overprotective?" I demanded to Sokka. To be honest, he had been like that since we first reunited at the terminal. At first, I could sense he had some doubt about letting me on this journey; even without him voicing it, I could feel it from his posture and tone. Next, he was completely in panic at the Fire Nation attack, so much so that he didn't even notice Toph, the newest member of their team, save us all from danger. Perhaps he was scared for Toph, since she was blind, so much so that he became worried for anyone, but I had to stop this obsessive behaviour before it worsened.

Sokka sighed, biting his lower lip as he tilted his head upward. There was a full moon tonight, and its brightness shone through the line of rocks we traveled on. "It's so hard to lose someone you care about," Sokka murmured, his eyes never leaving the bright circle above us, "something happened at the North Pole, and I couldn't protect someone. I don't want anything like that to happen ever again." He turned away from me, refusing to even look my way. I figured that, whatever it was, it must have impacted him greatly.

Seizing the moment, perhaps it was time for me to tell him the truth about my personal feeling. "I lost someone I cared about. He didn't die, he just went away." I described, my eyes tilting back and forth between Sokka's ponytail and the ground. A part of me felt this probably wasn't right, as Sokka's subdued tone and slouched posture painted a scene of mourning, but maybe it was the perfect chance to cheer him back up and let him start anew. "I only had a few days to get to know him, but he was smart and brave and funny…" I listed off the traits, hoping he would notice.

Immediately, he shot up, demanding who this mysterious person was. Chuckling, I got to my feet as well. "It is you, stupid!" I declared joyfully. At this time, our eyes were on each other, not moving an inch away as our faces grew closer. I knew it was a moment we both longed for. I had this feeling for Sokka since we first met in Kyoshi Island. He sure changed a lot since I first met him, as not only did he gain respect for the other gender, he also developed into quite a warrior in his own right. Hopefully, by being sincere with him, I could get him to truly move on with life and fight another day.

But just before our lips met, he pulled back. I could see the moonlight illuminate one side of his face, but it was all I needed to see. Sokka's face completely drooped, his eyes close to tears as he stepped away from me. "I can't," he merely stated.

For the rest of the night, I was totally sleepless, wondering what I did wrong in that incident. Maybe I was overly ambitious in thinking he had already recovered, and was ready to let go of whatever past failure he experienced. Still, I realized that it was my fault, and I figured I must make up for this mistake. But for the moment, I decided to keep my distance from Sokka, trying to focus on the task at hand. Even as we crossed a section of the Serpent's Pass that required going underwater, I remained calm, letting Aang and Katara create a water bubble for us to breathe while I watched the family.

We were almost through completely when we were rudely interrupted by the pass's namesake. The aquamarine, scaly serpent reared its fearsome head over the water and hissed at us, its mouth armed with razor sharp teeth as it scanned our group. In an effort to buy time, Aang offered to distract it while Katara used water bending to let the others cross. Hurling his glider into the air, the bald boy leapt up and headed off.

My eyes alternated between the Serpent and Katara, who created an ice bridge from our land piece. Standing in the middle, she hurried us across to the other side. I only had Ying in mind as we gingerly stepped on the ice, hoping nobody would lose their balance. Luckily, Katara made it so thick that it wouldn't crack, but it wasn't enough to get a certain blind earth bender to cross. "Toph, come on!" Sokka called.

Toph was extremely hesitant, as her blindness did not allow her to navigate on anything other than solid rock and earth. Earlier in the morning, I had a casual chat with Toph, who told me that she used earth bending via her feet to see the area, so it was likely that ice prevented that from happening. With the Serpent nearby, Katara decided to take off and help Aang subdue it, leaving Sokka and I to guide Toph across the bridge.

As the short girl with misty eyes carefully side-stepped our way, we kept calling out directions to make things easier for her. Just as she was about halfway across, the serpent was pushed back by Aang and Katara, and unfortunately its tail snapped the ice into bits. Toph screamed as her body was thrown into the water. "Help, I can't swim!"

My instinct took over as I propelled myself into the water. The surrounding ice made it cooler than usual, the chill biting onto my exposed skin and numbing me. But I ignored the uncomfortable feeling as I propelled forward, taking long strokes as I reached out to Toph. I pulled her out of the water just before she went under, letting her take in a few breaths of air before pulling her back. Toph, completely relieved, leaned over and kissed my cheek, thinking I was Sokka. It led to a rather embarrassing situation where I had to reveal my identity, to which she replied, "You can let me drown now."

As we made our way to safety, I could see Aang and Katara create a huge vortex that trapped the Serpent. The monster would have difficulty swimming out of this hole as it became lodged in the currents. The Avatar and the water bender rejoined us on the thin land bridge, our nerves finally calming as we left the danger zone for good.

Just as we got back on land, Ying's stomach couldn't hold it any longer. Yelling that the baby was about to come out, we had to quickly improvise a scheme for delivering it. Katara, with her quick thinking, asked Aang and Sokka to fetch rags and water while Toph created a large earth tent around the family. I went into the tent with Katara as we watched Ying hyperventilate. I helped hold onto Ying as Katara instructed her to breathe deeply. "You're doing great, Ying. Now get ready to push: one, two, three!"

The new bundle of life plopped out of Ying, its cries filling the air. Holding the infant, Katara told me to cut its umbilical cord and check its health while she took care of Ying. I followed her instructions, making sure the baby was generally well off. "It's a girl, by the way," I called out as I examined it carefully. It might be a regular birth, but it came at a time significant time. All of us went through a rebirth of sorts, especially Sokka and me. So maybe this experience was telling us that life could always restart, even at the most unexpected time. Returning the baby to Ying, I stepped out of the tent.

It would be another hour or so before we finally got going again. Aang wanted to get to the city to see if he could find Appa, who was supposedly kidnapped and taken into Ba Sing Se. As his glider shot towards the wall in the distance, I approached Sokka again. "I came along because I wanted to make sure you got through the Serpent's Pass safely. But now I need to get back to the other Kyoshi Warriors," I explained gently.

Sokka was in shock, as he didn't expect me to tag along to protect him. The whole time, he thought he had to protect everyone. Taking a deep breath, I clarified the last case for him. "Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. I just got carried away, and before I…"

I never had a chance to finish that sentence, as Sokka lunged forward and closed his lips onto mine. There was no need to describe what happened, as it was evident that Sokka regained his composure again. As we wrapped our arms around each other, I knew that it was a new beginning for us. Maybe, when the war was over, we could continue to move forward with this relationship. But for now, I was just enjoying the moment.

"We'll never make it onto the gondola. There are too many guards." I pointed out. It was several months since I last saw Sokka, having returned to the ferry terminal after escorting the pregnant family across. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse, as in a scouting mission around Ba Sing Se, my team was captured by the Fire Nation army. There was a fierce battle with the Fire Nation princess, Azula, and her two minions. Even as we outnumbered them, they managed to overwhelm us and took us prisoners. The girls were placed in a separate prison near the Fire Nation capital, but I was considered to be a dangerous prisoner. So, they took me to the high-security prison, the Boiling Rock.

"Let's say by some miracle that this all works and we make it onto the gondola. The warden will still just cut the lines, even if we have a captive." I continued opposing the escape plan Sokka envisioned. For some reason, Sokka sneaked into the prison in hopes of freeing his father. He did manage to reach Hakoda, and together they thought up of a crazy plan to cause a prison riot to distract the guards while kidnapping a prison staff member as hostage. Even without hearing all the specifics, I had serious doubts about it.

"Not if the warden is the captive," Sokka quickly retorted, placing a hand on my shoulder. Earlier, Sokka already tried a riot by having me fight with another prisoner. And believe it or not, said prisoner was Prince Zuko, heir to the Fire Nation throne. I had no idea how he did it, but Sokka convinced Zuko to join in on the activities. He told me that Zuko had a change of heart and decided to join our group. I still had reservations, as a former enemy was now in our camp. Moreover, given that Zuko tried to burn down my village, I didn't feel quite comfortable trusting him yet.

But whatever time I still had to think things over was smashed as several guards marched past my cell. Sensing that something unusual was about to happen, Sokka told me he had to leave, but would find me before the riot. I gave him a hug, wishing him the best of luck as he marched out. As the door slid shut, I was all to myself.

I took a seat at the small bench which also doubled as a bed. I had been here for several months now, and it really gave me some time to think. The war was definitely near its climax right now, as I heard a planned invasion of our forces into the capital. It supposedly failed thanks to Azula going undercover into Ba Sing Se as a Kyoshi Warrior and overhearing the plans. Now, it seemed like nothing was stopping the Fire Nation from world dominance, and our escape might not really matter.

But it also raised a whole new set of issues: let's say Sokka managed to get me out of here, and that Hakoda and Zuko, two experienced war planners, were available resources for us. What was the next step? Even if Aang was still alive, and had mastered his bending, there was no telling that he could reach the battlefield in time to stop the Fire Nation from advancing. Even here in prison, I heard ample news of Fire Nation military advancements, to the point where they had made contact with almost every corner of the world. With only a few isolated patches untouched, it almost felt like the end was near.

No sooner had my mind begun its battle between optimism and pessimism, the cell door slid open again. I recalled Sokka's instructions and slipped out to the central open area, the sunlight shooting into my eyes as I filed through the crowd of people. I could hear confused chatter of prisoners as they glanced at each other, wondering what was going on. Sensing that there was uncertainty, perhaps things might work out. I took a long look around, and finally located Sokka near a wall away from the tower. Hakoda was with him, and so was another prisoner, a tall man with a small goatee named Chit Sang. Knowing that they needed a riot, Chit Sang promptly grabbed another person and lifted him into the air, shouting for the crowd to cause some mayhem.

What surprised me the most was the people actually listened. As fists, feet, and fire balls were launched through the air, we tried to locate the warden, who was in the safety of the tower. While Zuko and Sokka griped over who should do what and why no one thought it through, I decided to take action into my own hands. Leaping into the air, I raced onto top of everyone's heads, heading straight for the tower where the warden was. "Men," I murmured to myself, "why can't they be more decisive in crucial times?"

The entire process of kidnapping the warden took less than a minute, as I scaled the tower and made quick work of the guards surrounding him. With the warden bound and gagged, we made our way to the gondola in relative peace. We loaded up the cab and Zuko made sure they couldn't stop the machine by destroying the brakes. For a while, I could truly breathe easier. "We're on our way," I assured everyone.

"Wait, who's that?" Hakoda, who was at the end closer to the prison asked. We dashed to his end and saw two teenage females in Fire Nation costumes racing towards us. One was using a set of handcuffs on the line and propelled herself to us with fire bending from her feet, while the other leaped onto the top wire and charged at us.

As they came nearer, I could get a better look at their faces. It was Princess Azula and one of her friends who ambushed my team outside Ba Sing Se. Knowing that this was a chance to get some payback, I insisted on battling them head on, particularly the girl on the top wire, who disabled many of my fighters by blocking their chi. "This is a rematch I've been waiting for," I spat, climbing out of the cab and onto its roof.

Zuko and Sokka would soon follow, deciding that they would go after Azula. That left me with the acrobat Ty Lee, who jumped off the wire and stared me down. The hot steam mugging our bodies only made it more uncomfortable as the girl and I refused to move, knowing that the first blow could turn the battle.

The sounds of flames being shot behind me prompted my battle to begin as I advanced on Ty Lee with a series of jabs. Her amazing stealth and coordination let her block most with ease, causing me to fight defensively as well. Her chi-blocking was a factor in my mind, as I would be thrown into a disadvantage should any part of my body be frozen. As my blows came fast and furious, my opponent somersaulted underneath the open carriage, going through the interior before appearing on the other side. It almost proved to be costly, as my sudden lapse in concentration nearly allowed her to ram a knuckle into my spine, which could paralyze me completely. As I pulled my body to the side, I kept to the centre of the gondola, avoiding any blows that could throw me into the boiling waters below. We were evenly matched, and were evenly tired.

But the unexpected happened as I heard the voice of the warden call to his troops. I had no idea how he did it, but he undid my knots and removed the gag from his mouth. Leaning over the side, he yelled, "Cut the line!" Before anyone of us had a chance to react, the gondola screeched to a halt, nearly throwing us all off balance.

There was silence for a few seconds, but a rhythmic buzzing sound could be heard from the prison. We leaned over and saw the guards operating a huge saw, eating away into the cable and threatening to drop us to our doom. As Sokka and Zuko tried to regain balance, Azula and her friend bailed the doomed gondola, hoping onto one parallel to us. As they descended back to the prison, I heard Azula sneer, "It's time to leave."

We could only look on nervously, waiting for the inevitable as the cable would snap any second now, sending us into the boiling lake below. But as we climbed back into the cab, it unexpectedly started up again. We could only watch in shock as Zuko told us Mai, the usual third member of Azula's team, disabled all the prison guards and turned the engine back on. I was totally caught off guard by this incident, as I understood the risks one took to defy the Fire Nation princess. What could Mai be thinking by letting us go like that? What reason did she have sending known fugitives to their freedom?

Either way, we got ourselves out safely, tossing the re-tied and re-gagged warden back on the gondola as we hurried out. Zuko managed to locate a giant airship, the same one Azula used to get here, and used it to take us to their hiding place: the Western Air Temple. As I mulled over the actions of everyone, I realized that not all hope was lost. If Sokka could free us from prison, Zuko truly changed completely, and the Fire Nation princess could be defied, then the battle could still be won. Balance must be restored to the world, and even with a sliver of hope, I would do my part to make it happen.

"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know if I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war." The ever wise General Iroh explained to us. It was days after I was freed from the Boiling Rock, and I managed to rejoin everyone at the Western Air Temple. It was there that I found out Fire Lord Ozai planned a large scale attack on the remaining parts of the Earth Kingdom, using Sozin's Comet to boost fire bending powers. Zuko told us that there was no time to wait, and Aang had to face the Fire Lord as soon as possible.

But for some strange reason, Aang disappeared from us just days before the Fire Nation attack, leaving us scrambling for a solution. Zuko recruited a bounty hunter named June to try seeking out Aang via his scent with a pet Shirshu, a large mole-like creature with an extremely keen smell, but it was fruitless. June reported that the Shirshu could not locate Aang, as if he disappeared off the face of the planet. So, Zuko turned to a final resort, and asked June to locate his missing uncle, General Iroh. Ever since Ba Sing Se fell, Iroh had been taken prisoner, but Zuko found out that Iroh had escaped prison on the day of the eclipse. Given that Iroh was probably the only one that could match Ozai's fire bending strength, it was our final chance.

We finally located Iroh in a secret camp outside Ba Sing Se, where a group of rather elderly individuals resided. These people, calling themselves the Order of the White Lotus, planned to liberate Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation, and they considered Iroh their leader. After letting Zuko reconcile with his uncle, we told him of our plans, to which he calmly but firmly refused to participate in. "History will see it as more senseless violence," Iroh commented on having him face Ozai, "a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat him."

Iroh took it even further by refusing to take his rightful place on the throne. Since he was Fire Lord Azulon's eldest son, the position of Fire Lord was Iroh's to begin with. But even as Zuko offered it to him, Iroh flatly denied the request. "Someone new must take the throne, an idealist with pure heart and unquestionable honour," he stated, giving the position to Zuko, "only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation."

But still, the issue was with Aang, and whether he would make it back in time. Iroh insisted that he must, and that everyone should play their roles in helping the Avatar restore balance to the world. "And that's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," I observed, getting a good look at the different people here. There was a water bender named Pakku, who supposedly became grandfather to Katara and Sokka by going to the South Pole and marrying their grandmother. There was King Bumi from Omashu, which, like Kyoshi Island, was a semi-autonomous region in the Earth Kingdom. There was a maverick fire bender named Jeong Jeong, who Aang originally requested to be his fire bending teacher before meeting Zuko. Finally, there was Piandao, a sword master who taught Sokka the ways of the sword. Seeing the large group of different people from different backgrounds and skills, I realized what it was like to truly integrate the world.

After further discussion with Iroh, it was decided that Zuko and Katara would go to the Fire Nation capital, facing off against Azula to reclaim Zuko's rightful place as the new Fire Lord. Sokka, Toph and I would stall the Fire Nation airship fleet, which was the main tool Ozai would be using to launch the aerial blazing. "The airship base is on a small island just off the Earth Kingdom shore," Piandao instructed us, handing Sokka a map, "you should be able to intercept the fleet within a day's journey."

The three of us mounted on an eel hound, which was the fastest creature to move on land and sea. Glancing at the Sky Bison, where Zuko and Katara were mounted on, we sped off onto the fields, heading straight for our target with only General Iroh's last words in mind. "Today, destiny is our friend, I know it!"

By the time we reached the final body of water between us and the airship base, it was already evening. The sun had dipped to the horizon already, but the skies were still bright as ever, thanks to the comet grazing our planet's atmosphere. Being on the back of the eel hound, I turned around and got a good look at the bright object arriving from the other horizon. "It's weird to say, but the comet actually looks beautiful," I commented. Perhaps this was highly ironic, as such a beautiful object was about to foreshadow the end of the world. With the fleet about to take off, there wasn't a moment to waste.

By the time we reached land, we could see the airships lifting into the sky. The large ominous ovals hovered above us as we fretted nonstop, wondering how we would get on. Toph, suddenly getting an idea, positioned herself right between Sokka and me. With a huge stomp, she used earth bending to send a huge slab of rock up, throwing us into the air and at the nearest airship. I didn't dare to scream despite the terrifying flight, afraid that we might be noticed. But all turned out well as we landed on the airship on the right edge of the formation. "Now let's get to the control room," Toph ordered.

We trudged up to a metal door located at the front. Sokka and I stood to the door's either side as Toph placed her hands on the metallic object. From what I heard, Toph had developed an enhanced earth bending technique called metal bending, which allowed her to feel for the earth-based impurities in a piece of metal and manipulated that. In seconds, Toph crumpled the metal and wrapped it around her body, using it as a shield as she took out the crew inside. Sokka and I stayed outside, ducking and curling our bodies as flames and other debris were sent flying from the room. "She's good, alright," I commented.

Within minutes, Toph emptied the control room of the crew, leaving us with the controls. Sokka originally asked Toph to steer, only to get Toph's sarcastic reminder that a blind girl probably wouldn't make a great navigator. So I offered to take the wheel, placing my hands on the round object as I squinted into the horizon. Fire Lord Ozai was on the large, central ship, and we were quite far away. To make any moves at them, it would bring attention to us and the crew currently onboard. "What will we do about the rest of the crew?" I asked Sokka, realizing that any one of them could sneak up on us.

Sokka, however, had a plan. Instructing me to lower our altitude, he grabbed the intercom and declared that everyone met on the bomb bay, claiming that there was a staff member onboard whose birthday was today. Then, with his eyes on the open area, he made sure all crew members were gathered before yanking on the release lever. All the crew fell into the ocean below, leaving the ship completely to ourselves. "Smart move," I commented again, raising back to our original altitude, "that's why I like you so much."

The rest of our flight was uneventful but anxious, as we realized that we would have great difficulties catching up to the Fire Lord. Ozai's larger airship was way ahead of us, and there wasn't enough power in our engines to stop him in time. As we fretted over the consequences, something unusual happened. Ozai's airship fishtailed violently, causing it to bank into the rocks below. Sokka, who observed the events through his telescope, couldn't help but beam. "It's Aang! He's back!" He shouted.

Within seconds of the announcement, flames and rocks shot into the air. Ozai had finally approached Aang, thus beginning the final battle. In the airship, I was reluctant to do too much cheering, unlike Sokka. "Shouldn't we be helping him?" I demanded.

Sokka shook his head. "The Fire Lord is Aang's fight. We have to stop that air fleet from burning down the Earth Kingdom." He leaned his head outside the window and, after a few minutes of thought, recommended a move called "airship slice." Pointing to the airship formation before us, he instructed me to raise the altitude even more, going higher than the fleet and cutting them down one by one.

I cocked an eyebrow at Sokka, not knowing what exactly he meant. It was best that I gave way to him, allowing Sokka to have the controls while Toph and I braced ourselves for the impact. From my position further back, all I saw was Sokka pulling various controls and levers, causing a massive punch onto our bodies as we were lifted higher. My stomach rumbled nervously as we were far away from the formation, going to the far left as Sokka was a statue of concentration, not even flinching from his pilot seat. As he lined us up for the attack, I could feel intense heat coming from below. "That's a lot of fire, isn't it?" I heard Toph murmur, her usually tough tone turned timid and mild.

Immediately following Toph's comment, our bodies were thrown in another direction, this time towards the front of the aircraft as Sokka made a sudden descent. We had the fleet of airships in our sight, each one raining down fire onto the Earth Kingdom territory below. The strain on the mechanisms of our airship was so great that I could hear hissing, creaking and cracking from the metallic exterior, making me wonder if we could even survive this manoeuvre at all. "It's going to be a rough ride," Sokka called to us through gritted teeth, "we have to get to the top of this thing fast."

Sokka guided Toph out of the control room first, and then asked me to follow her. "Watch each other's backs," he told me before giving me a kiss. Even as my whole body shook in fear, I forced myself on, hoping that we could get out of this alive and together. Just as we scaled the ladder to the top, we could feel the collisions onto the tops of the airship fleet, bump after violent bump making any progress difficult. My muscles strained and pulled as we clenched onto the ladder, with Sokka, the last one to leave the control room, nearly not getting off in time. By the time Toph punched a hole to the top, I could truly see our airship falling apart, flames and smoke emitting from various places.

We finally managed to pull Sokka out from the hole, letting him guide us away from the carnage. Throughout the entire time, he grabbed Toph's hand, guiding the blind girl to the front while I raced on behind them. The metal below my feet creaked and bent some more, and I wasn't sure how much more this airship could take. Just as Toph and Sokka crossed the middle point, the airship fell apart, leaving me on the other side falling away. "Don't worry about me, just finish the mission!" I yelled as they disappeared from sight. In my mind, there was the idea the mission might succeed at the expense of my life.

But my spirits were unexpectedly lifted, as the broken part of the airship fell right onto another airship just below me. The collision rocked both aircrafts, causing me to fall off my ship and onto the one below. I could tell that, from the relative good shape it was still in, that it wasn't among the ones that was hit by Sokka's airship slice attack. Even so, the huge smash it took from the pieces of the broken airship I was on was enough to send its crew scrambling for an evacuation, with many people just diving into the water below. As I struggled to my feet, my eyes alternated between my current position and where the others were. With Sokka and Toph tumbling onto another airship, and this airship being emptied at the moment, this might be my chance to bring an end to this.

I quickly climbed down from the top, hurrying into the control room as the airship dipped dangerously. All these airships had similar design, so it wasn't difficult for me to locate the right switches and levers to pull. Stabilizing the aircraft, I aimed it straight at the remaining airship and went full throttle. I could see several fire benders lining up on the deck, so I figured Toph and Sokka must have fallen onto that craft, and were about to be smoked alive. "Let's hope this can save them," I wished through gritted teeth.

I barely had time to get to the top, as my airship slammed into theirs in the most violent hit yet. I was nearly thrown off the ladder and back into the hold as I landed the hit. Straining to hold on, my entire body felt like boulders as I dragged myself to the top, hanging onto the rudder for support after an exhausting climb. From my position, I could see two figures, the one in blue sprawled to the ground favouring his leg while the one in green looking on excitedly. Even without getting near them, I could sense the relief on their faces. "Are you guys alright?" I yelled as they struggled to get onto my ship.

"I kind of admit I kind of miss the face paint." Sokka commented as we gathered outside the coronation location. A few days had passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, stripping him of his title and his bending. All prisoners of war were declared to have been released, including my teammates, the Kyoshi Warriors. As we waited for the main event, we met up with Sokka, who was nursing a broken leg after falling from one airship to another. "So how does it feel to be back in uniform again?" he asked.

"It feels great!" Our newest member declared, squeezing in between one Kyoshi Warrior and me. That immediately aroused Sokka's suspicion, as said member was Ty Lee, former ally to Princess Azula and had used Kyoshi disguises to invade Ba Sing Se.

Sensing that Sokka wasn't about to ease up, pointing his crutch in Ty Lee's face like a sword, I grabbed the wooden stick and lowered it to the ground. "It's okay. She's one of us now." I told Sokka. We explained to him that Ty Lee met the other warriors in prison, and they really got along after exchanging some battle techniques. When I met up with the others after the fight, we decided as a group that Ty Lee would be a new addition to our team. "Anyway, let's pay attention, because here's Zuko." I pointed to the front.

Indeed, our former scarred enemy, now turned friend, appeared to thunderous applause from the crowd. He spoke of the world being torn apart by the war, and that it was up to all of us to put it back together using peace, love, and hope. Getting onto his knees, he allowed the Fire Sage to place upon his head the Fire Nation royal headpiece, officially signalling the beginning of this new age. There was nothing but deafening roars as we cheered on the new Fire Lord, one that we knew could make a change.

I looked around me, seeing Sokka lean on his crutch. We stared at each other for a while before moving closer, cuddling each other as Aang and Zuko took their first steps as the new leaders of the world. Looking back, the world had indeed changed for me. I went from being the leader of an isolated all-female battle group, jealously guarding the island from any outsiders, whether friend or foe, to a world-seeing individual who not only tolerated other groups, but accepted them for who they were. My boyfriend was from the Water Tribes, the newest member of my team was from the Fire Nation, and we all looked up to an Avatar originating from the Air Nomads.

Perhaps that was what we at Kyoshi Island required: integration. We had been isolated for so long that we were refusing to accept changes, and it was intolerance for differences that created such a war. We could still hold on to our customs and traditions, but we didn't have to be so defensive about it. If Aang and Zuko, two people isolated in their journeys of life, could come together and make the world a better place, then it was only right I played my part too. As I watched the festivities, I thought of one thing.

My name is Suki. That was my story. Those were my rites of passage.

And that's the way it goes for Suki. Personally, I think the relationship she has with Sokka wasn't explored very deeply, so I tried to include that in here. That being said, Suki's not what you consider a "girly girl" as she tends to keep her feminine side to a minimum, so that's why I'm more interested in having her explore the way she sees the world. Please tell me what you think in your reviews, thank you!