While things seem to be going somewhere with Katara, Sokka feels like she made no progress. The warriors still won't let Sokka join them, despite Katara totally proving that girls can fight just as well as guys can fight. However, Sokka doesn't have a magic necklace that will make whoever she challenges decide to teach her, so on that front she's pretty much hopeless.
She's pretty much hopeless around Yue too. Sometimes the girl will want to meet in the night to kiss and cuddle, but during the day she'll act as cold as the ice they're surrounded by. Other times she won't meet Sokka at night, but she'll spend the day with her instead, showing off her home. It turns out to be one of those days.
"So they don't have palaces in the Southern Water Tribe?" Yue asks.
Sokka, who had been walking along the top of a bridge's wall, sits down on the ledge. "Are you kidding? I grew up in a block of ice. It's not exactly a cultural hub. Katara's the best thing to come out of there."
"Oh, Sokka," Yue places her hand on Sokka's shoulder. "I think you're the best thing to come out of there."
"And I think you're the best thing here." Sokka says looking up at her from under her lashes.
"Sokka, this is wrong."
"What's wrong? We're just taking a walk!" Sokka protests. Yue still looks conflicted. "I know what you need. You need to meet my good friend Appa."
Soon the two are up in the sky. Yue seems impressed. Soon they move closer to each other and are cuddling again. It's something that doesn't usually happen during the day, so Sokka enjoys every minute of it.
"It's so beautiful up here." Yue says blushing.
"Yeah…" Sokka agrees. "But not nearly as beautiful as you." They both lean into each other and kiss, but soon Yue pulls away.
"Oh, Sokka. I wish you were a boy." Yue admits.
"Yeah, so does every body else." Sokka says with a sigh before she turns herself away from Yue.
"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that." Yue puts a hand on Sokka's shoulder to turn her back towards her. "I wouldn't like you nearly as much if you were a boy, but…"
"But what?" Sokka says giving Yue her full attention.
"Well, I was going to say that if you were a boy maybe I could marry you. But that's not true. The truth is that I'm already engaged."
Before Sokka can even formulate what to say to this, she notices the black soot starting to fall from the sky. "Oh no…" She says nervously.
Sokka explains to Yue what the soot means and heads back to the tribe. But when they get to the steps, Yue stops. "What's wrong?" Sokka asks grabbing her hand to bring her along. "We have to go!"
"No, Sokka." Yue says dropping Sokka's hand. "I can't see you anymore. Not at all."
"Why?" Sokka protests. "We're just friends." She leans closer to Yue. "It's not like we could ever really be together anyway. You made that clear."
"I wish we could just be friends, but I like you too much and it's too confusing to be around you."
"It's confusing for me too." Sokka admits. "But I want to be with you. Even if it's just as friends."
"It couldn't be just as friends Sokka, I already like you too much. It's so hard to have to keep remembering that I have to be with somebody else."
"You don't love him, do you?" Sokka doesn't like how vulnerable her voice sounds. "You don't even sound like you like him."
"But I do love my people." Yue says with an air of finality.
Sokka objects. "You're not marrying them."
Yue tucks a piece of hair behind Sokka's ear and then pats her face. "You don't understand. I have duties to my father, to my tribe."
"And you think I don't?" Sokka says jerking away from her angrily.
"I have to do this." Yue says turning away. "Goodbye."
Soon Sokka is with everyone else in the chief's Royal Palace. When Chief Arnook asks for volunteers, Sokka stands. "Count me in!" She shouts.
"Sokka," the chief says with a serious face. "We do not have any women warriors."
"I know more about the modern Fire Nation than any of you do. I've dealt with them before. My sister has shown that women can fight. I want to prove it to you too."
Sokka's beyond surprised that he doesn't stop her. Soon she finds herself getting the three marks that the other warriors are getting.
"Men," Sokka tries not to take offense. "You'll be infiltrating the Fire Nation Navy." Arnook explains. "That means you'll all need one of these uniforms."
When the young man comes out in the uniform, Sokka bursts out laughing. "What's your problem?" The young man says angrily.
"Fire Navy uniforms don't look like that." Sokka explains with a giggle.
"Of course they do." He says irritably. "These are real uniforms captured from actual Fire Navy soldiers."
"When, like, a hundred years ago?" Sokka asks sarcastically.
"Eighty-five." Chief Arnook replies.
Sokka walks over and flicks one of the spikes. "The Fire Nation doesn't wear shoulder spikes anymore. The newer uniforms are more streamlined."
"Why should we trust you?" Sokka can almost hear the 'you're a girl' in the tone of the young man's voice. "Such bold talk for a new recruit."
"Sokka is from our sister tribe, Hahn. I'm sure she'll prove to be a capable warrior, and I value her input." Arnook's words give Sokka the confidence to shoot Hahn a smug look. "Now, our first objective is to determine the identity of their commanding officer."
"His name is Zhao. Middle-aged." Sokka traces imaginary sideburns with her fingers. "Big side burns, bigger temper."
"Sokka, I want you to tell everything you know to Hahn. He's leading this mission." Arnook turns to Hahn. "Hahn, show Sokka your respect." The chief starts to walk away. "I expect nothing less from my future son-in-law."
Sokka's shocked to hear this. "Princess Yue's marrying you?"
"Yeah, sorry sweetheart, I'm engaged." Hahn says in a condescending tone. Sokka can already tell she's going to hate having to work with him. "Why do you care?"
"I don't." Sokka says turning away from him. "Congratulations."
Inside the warrior's base Sokka is stuck next to Hahn and some other boys close to her age. She sharpens her boomerang against one of the grindstones.
"Let me tell you guys, I've courted a lot of girls, but Yue is the finest and she comes with the most perks." Hahn says smugly.
"Perks?" Sokka says annoyed. "What does that mean?"
"Ah, forgot you were there sweetie." Hahn says with a mean grin. "Don't go gossiping to her about this." Hahn turns back towards the group of guy's. "I mean, Yue's nice and everything, but the points I'll gain with the chief aren't bad either."
Sokka huffs. "Princess Yue is wasted on a self-absorbed creep like you!"
"Whoa, don't get your binding in a bunch. What do you care?" Sokka looks away angry. "You're just a simple little girl from the Southern Tribe. What would you know about the political complexities of our life? You just have to worry about which one of your Daddy's warriors your gonna marry if they ever come back from the war." Hahn smirks. "No offense."
Sokka shouts and tackles Hahn to the ground. "You're just a jerk without a soul, so offense!" The two roll around the floor trying to get a few hits on the other. With no other ideas, Sokka starts to pull Hahn's ponytail, and Hahn does the same thing to her.
Arnook comes in and suddenly separates the two of them. "That's enough! Sokka, you're off the mission!"
Sokka's long hair is loose and hanging in locks. She crosses her arms angry. "All right, fall in men!" Hahn puts extra emphasis on the last word. "Everybody listen to what I say and we'll take out this Admiral Cho in no time!"
"It's Admiral Zhao!" Sokka says irritated.
Sokka ends up staying in the warrior's base, sharpening her boomerang even though she's been doing that for what feels like hours.
"Is something wrong, Sokka" Arnook asks.
"Oh, no. I mean, I thought I was gonna go get to fight with the warriors and help prove myself to you, but it's fine. I wanted to keep sharpening my boomerang anyway." Sokka says sarcastically.
"Listen to me. I took you off the mission for selfish reasons." Arnook admits. "I have a special task in mind for you."
That's how she sends up being Princess Yue's guard.
Unfortunately, it would have been better for her to be Aang's guard, because by the time she finds Princess Yue, Aang's been kidnapped by that jerk Zuko.
Sokka hopes they find him soon.