Sokka and Yue were flying on Appa, talking and laughing like it was any other day. They passed the walls of the northern tribe until they could see nothing but ocean. There was no fire nation fleet today. Sokka peered down into the water, but saw no shadow. When he looked up again, Yue was flying by his side on a second Appa.
She held her hands to her face to hide her smile. As they flew on, the two moved further and further apart. The sky filled with clouds and he couldn't see her anymore.
Sokka reached his hand over the saddle grasping at the clouds. He got too close to the edge and fell off, at least it felt like it. There were clouds all around him, with no way to tell which way was down.
It all happened in a blur, and all he saw was clouds. He never saw the water, but he felt its icy touch surround him.
The cold sensation shocked him awake. Sokka took a look around and found it was dawn. Everyone but Momo was still asleep. The lemur, who'd been waiting for someone to play with him, flew over to Sokka as he stood up.
"Gahh! Momo!"
He pried the lemur off of his face with both hands.
"Do you mind?"
Any drowsiness he'd still felt was gone. There was no use trying to go back to sleep. He took a paper and brush with him and found a spot to write at.
Letter to Yue,
Dreams are cruel.
It's the only place I can see you now, and it's always followed by the realization that none of that happened. Waking up- it just means feeling empty all over again. Going on with my day as if I don't remember what I saw. Some days are like that. You get lucky and forget the whole thing.
Or maybe it's not so bad- Can you choose to visit my dreams? Is that something you can do as a spirit now? I'm not sure if I want that. It'd be great to hear from you, but how do I tell the differece between the real you and what's left of you in my head? You never actually said anything in my dream. You just drifted further and further away on Appa. Can you send a sign so that I know for sure it's you next time? Or better yet- just do it when I'm awake. That way I'll know for sure.
I still haven't written about Omashu. Yeah, that didn't work out as well as we hoped. We barely made it out, and Aang still needs an earthbending teacher. We're heading further inland to find an earthbender. That's probably what we'll be doing this week.
Waiting for a sign, Sokka
As soon as he signed it off, Sokka began having second thoughts on whether he should send it out.
There wasn't much written about their travels, just venting. Besides, what if- what if Yue didn't try to talk back? Could she already read his letter in the daytime? Could she read them at all? It's not like there were rules, he'd just been making this up as he went.
By now it was dawn, so his decision would have to wait. He gathered his things and headed back towards camp before Katara and Aang woke up.
--
"Aang?! Katara?!"
No response. Sokka struggled cutting through the vines grabbing at his arms and legs. The swamp felt neverending. Everything looked the same.
They hadn't been seperated for long, so his strategy for now was to make notches with his club on the trees as he walked by. Either he'd know which way he came, or someone else would find him.
He finally freed himself from the new tangle of vines and fell flat on his face into the swamp water.
Figures.
He got up again and noticed something- no someone- in the distance.
"Hello?"
No. It can't be can it? She got my letter after all? Is this her sign?
"Yue?"
He took a step closer.
"You didn't protect me."
That's her voice, but it seems off somehow. Maybe it's just a trick of the light.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right. The vision was gone.
He turned to leave and found himself face to face with Yue.
"Aah!"
He slipped and fell back into the water. When he looked up again, she was gone. Whatever he just saw, it may have looked like Yue and used her voice, but he knew that wasn't her. She wouldn't have said that, what he heard was just his own thoughts echoed back at him. As for what he saw? It was just a trick of the light. It always is.