Several days after Aang's rescue, Team Avatar traveled a great distance to get away from Azula's army.
Sokka had slowly recovered; his chi and physical strength were at 55%, but his body still ached, and he felt an almost insatiable hunger.
Katara watched her brother, who sat while examining some broken, burnt arrows.
"What's wrong, Sokka?" Aang asked, curious.
"This," Sokka replied, pointing at the ground and the burnt trees. "It was from a battle between Southern Water Tribe warriors and firebenders."
Aang and Katara's eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
"The fight went downhill toward the beach," Sokka added, holding his left side, his serious words tinged with fatigue and pain.
The forest filled with footsteps and young voices.
"Do you think Dad might be with them?" Katara asked excitedly as she spotted a damaged wooden ship.
"No, this is definitely from the old fleet, but it's not Hakoda's ship," Sokka answered calmly while analyzing the vessel's condition.
"Old?" Aang asked.
"Yes, these ships have been in service for years, and the few I've built surpass them," Sokka said bluntly. "We'll rest here today. I don't think the firebenders will come back, but I can't say the same for our tribe."
"I hope Dad is here with the others," Katara said, thrilled.
Aang smiled along with Katara's excitement, but Sokka didn't add anything more to the topic.
"Katara, Aang, practice waterbending. Shape the water, mold it. Katara, heal Aang."
"And what about you?" Aang asked.
"I'll go hunt for meat," Sokka said before disappearing into the forest.
Katara nodded and began healing Aang, then trained for several hours. Everything was quiet; Katara was thrilled, but Aang seemed distracted.
In the forest, Sokka calmly searched for a large animal to regain his energy. Hours passed without finding any prey, so he decided to use his chi manipulation to heal his body.
As chi flowed through his wounds, an indescribable relief washed over him. The freshness and lightness in his body were exactly what he needed. An hour later, Sokka had freed his body from pain and injury.
Katara was good at healing, but she was still a novice who would need weeks to fully cure him. He knew that in the North Pole, she would become the best.
Sokka clenched his fist, testing his restored strength. His gaze fixed on a thick tree trunk, and with a spinning kick, he brought it down with a crash. He smiled, satisfied. His strength, even without chi enhancement, was monstrous. But a faint growl, almost a whisper, interrupted his thoughts.
Turning his head, he saw a figure at least three meters tall, massive, radiating raw power: a black lion-bear. A smile spread across his face.
"Finally, something to eat."
His words came out confident, amused, and as if the beast sensed danger, it charged at him with killing intent. Sokka watched eagerly, his smile growing with each step of the creature. When the lion-bear opened its jaws to strike, a loud impact resounded through the area.
The beast fell, its lower jaw hanging limp. Sokka looked at it with pity, grabbed its neck, and began absorbing its chi. The creature weakened as its energy was stolen. Sokka calmly manipulated the chi, integrating it into his own.
"I'm sorry," he said serenely. The beast was already dead. Sokka lifted it over his shoulders as if it weighed nothing, along with the fallen trunk.
On the beach, Katara and Aang trained waterbending. Katara moved the water with excitement and joy, while Aang wore a thoughtful, serious expression.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked.
"I'm worried about Sokka…" Aang replied.
Katara looked at him, confused. "What do you mean? Because he's hurt? He just needs to eat and regain energy."
"It's not just that… it's everything. That new weapon he has, that chi attack he used earlier. It's strange. A human shouldn't be able to do that. A human can't do that."
"What do you mean?" Katara asked, irritated.
"You know what I mean, Katara. He's my friend and I care about him, but I can't deny what I see. He's not human, he can't be…"
Bam —a crash interrupted Aang.
"And yet I am," Sokka replied, his voice cold.
"I-I didn't…" Aang stammered, frightened.
"You think only the Avatar can do such things?" Sokka said, annoyed. "Or spirits?"
He paused, and Aang stayed silent.
Saying that left Aang motionless.
"You think I'm an evil spirit? You think I don't know how you see me?"
Aang lowered his head.
"I'm not the enemy or a spirit, and still you see me as worse than fire soldiers."
"Then how do you have those abilities? Why don't you sleep?"
"I trained! I learned chi control on my own! I've spent my entire life training, practicing to master these skills, to protect."
Aang's face twisted with irritation, as did Katara's.
"Why are you saying these things, Aang?" Katara asked, upset. "He's cared for us, taught us, and saved us."
"I don't know. Roku says that…"
"Roku?" Sokka interrupted.
"The same Roku who did nothing to stop this war?"
Aang stayed quiet.
"You think he's wise? Intelligent? He says those things because he wants you to kill me."
Katara covered her mouth, and Aang stared at him, shocked.
"That's not true!"
"Of course it is! That idiot thinks I'm like Ozai, like Sozin…"
Sokka's voice was furious, his contempt for the previous Avatar clear.
Aang listened, crestfallen.
"He…"
"What angers me most is that you believed him. Everything I've done is for the good of the people, Aang."
Sokka's words hit Aang's heart. He didn't understand why he doubted his friend. Was Sokka right about Roku? Was Roku manipulating him? Influencing his emotions?
"I'm sorry, Sokka, really…" Aang tried to apologize, but Katara interrupted.
"No, Aang," she said, looking at him with disappointment. "He saved you, and you…"
"That's enough, Katara," Sokka cut in, ignoring the bewildered Aang.
Katara followed her brother, hurt and angry. All her joy at finding her father had vanished.
None of them noticed Sokka's satisfied smile. Good, this way I won't have to worry about Aang suspecting something strange about me, and I'll lessen Roku's influence on him, he thought.
Sokka continued on, chopped wood for a fire, and began skinning the enormous beast to cook it.
"I can't believe Aang thought you were an evil spirit," Katara said angrily.
"He's just a kid," Sokka answered while cutting the bear. "He clings to the idea of saving the world, and Roku took advantage of that. He saw someone doing something he'd never seen and projected his greatest mistake onto me."
Katara listened carefully to her brother's reply, every word, but she didn't understand it.
Sokka looked at her when she stayed silent and gave a small smile. "Roku saw Sozin in me. He thought I was like him, seeking power to dominate, to conquer."
Katara finally understood. "But he's seen you fight for good, you've saved him!"
"Yes, but the old man could still influence his emotions and thoughts."
Katara was worried and upset, but there was nothing more she could do. Aang was her friend too, and she couldn't just ignore or abandon him because of this. She could only endure it.
When Sokka served two makeshift plates of meat and vegetables, his sister began to eat. Aang watched with relief as Sokka served him a salad plate, away from them.
The Avatar tried to apologize again, but Sokka only looked at him with indifference. Katara, however, was different. She wanted to shout at Aang, to scold and question him, but she couldn't.
The atmosphere was uncomfortable until Sokka turned his head. The other two youths followed his gaze, and from the darkness appeared a man with brown skin, blue clothing, and bandages on his body and left arm.
Katara was the first to stand and run toward him. "Bato!" she exclaimed, hugging the man.
Aang was confused; he didn't know who he was, but he could tell he was from their tribe.
"Hello, Katara, it's been so long," Bato said with a smile, remembering the little girl.
Sokka watched the scene with a smile and walked toward them.
Bato… My memories of him are of someone kind and deeply loyal to Hakoda. I don't know how he'll react when he finds out I'm the new tribal chief, Sokka thought calmly. In moments like this, the original Sokka's memories would help. Maybe then it'd be easier to deal with him.
"Bato," he greeted with a cheerful smile.
The man recognized the voice almost instantly; it was deeper, but it undoubtedly belonged to the boy who used to follow his father with the same enthusiasm. He turned his head to find him.
But when he saw him, he froze. The young man before him was nothing like he imagined—average height, but robust, muscles well-defined, and the scars across his body gave him an intimidating presence. Not to mention the aura of pure respect and power he radiated.
"Sokka?" was all he managed to say.
Sokka nodded, amused, and spoke calmly.
"Yes," he confirmed his identity. "It's been so long since I saw you. How have you been?"
"Me? I'm alright, more or less. But look at you! How have you been? How's the tribe?"
"Everything's fine, Bato. Sokka has protected and improved the tribe like you wouldn't believe," Katara answered for her brother, unable to hide her enthusiasm.
"Really?" Bato replied in genuine surprise. "Who would've thought that little boy who couldn't even catch a fish could do that?"
Sokka chuckled and cut off Katara, who seemed about to say something.
"Where are Hakoda and the other warriors?"
"Your father is well. He and the others left to pursue Fire Nation ships."
Sokka nodded, while Katara seemed disoriented.
"Katara could help you with those wounds, Bato."
At those words, Katara's smile fell as she finally noticed he was injured.
"It's true—let me help you!"
"You can heal with waterbending?"
"Yes, Sokka taught me and Aang."
"And who's Aang?" Bato asked, looking at the boy he had never seen before.
"That's him," Sokka replied, pointing at the confused-looking boy. "He's the Avatar."
Bato was shocked by the revelation and questioned the monk, who confirmed it by waterbending and airbending.
The man grew excited at this and began asking questions nonstop, such as who had taught him waterbending. Aang replied sheepishly that it was Sokka, which only made him feel worse.
Finally, Bato's stomach growled.
"Sorry, I haven't eaten yet. Do you want some stew?"
"No!" Sokka refused strongly, remembering the horrible taste. "That's not necessary. We've already eaten, and besides, we stopped eating that a long time ago."
"Really?" Bato asked, confused.
"Yes. Honestly, that vegetable stew isn't good nutrition, and the taste wasn't the best," Sokka answered calmly.
The man didn't understand, but Sokka didn't plan to explain further.
Within an hour, Bato eagerly enjoyed the food Sokka had prepared while Katara and Aang healed him.
Sokka looked at the other three with him on the wooden ship.
His sister, who would follow him without hesitation.
Bato, who, though he didn't fully know him, would surely support him.
And lastly Aang—the most problematic, questioning, silent, and impulsive of them. Though now, after what Sokka had said, he would have to go further to regain Aang's trust.
Sokka analyzed the situation and his options. The best way he could think of: a fight against the Fire Nation. But how? Fighting Azula would be a death sentence for the others.
Then he remembered—the Southern raiders. According to the coordinates Azula had given him as Kuzon, the prison ships had to be nearby.
He let the minutes pass as Bato dressed.
"Alright," Sokka said to everyone, holding a map with marked locations. "On one of the many patrols we did, we managed to obtain a map showing several prison ships where some of our tribe are held. I plan to go and free them now that the soldiers are being regrouped into larger platoons." Sokka spoke calmly as he placed the map on the ground.
Bato looked at it with focus and excitement. "This is incredible. We can free our people this way."
But Katara looked at the map, and in her eyes were fear and anxiety.
Just mentioning the Southern raiders made her heart race with terror, as if she were reliving that fateful day.
Sokka approached her gently. "It's alright, Katara. It's not bad to be afraid."
Katara looked at him, her body still trembling.
"I know you're scared. But you must move forward."
"I can't. I can't just stop being afraid."
"I'm not asking you to stop having it. I'm telling you to control it. You must master it—not the other way around."
Sokka looked at his sister. In her eyes there was still fear, but deep down, a small glimpse of determination.
"I—I'll go with you," Katara answered, her voice barely concealing doubt.
Bato wasted no time and volunteered for the raid.
"Good. Pack your things. We leave in 20 minutes, when the sun begins to set."
"I'll go too," Aang said, his voice so timid it was almost unheard.
Well, I thought this kid wouldn't really join, Sokka thought to himself after ignoring Aang.
Outside the ship, unseen by anyone, he began storing large amounts of water into leather canteens using his waterbending.
Well, if I can get Katara to face this situation, she'll surely grow stronger. And Bato, if he sees my strength and skill here, maybe he won't take it badly that I'm the new tribal chief, Sokka thought with a mix of caution and amusement.
Sokka returned inside the ship and handed Katara the leather canteens brimming with water.
"Take these with you, you'll need them," he said with a calm smile.
Then he calmly checked his equipment: sharpened several metal knives, adjusted his spear, and draped his white cape over his shoulders, its fur glowing faintly under the firelight, the lion's head on his left shoulder imposing.
Bato looked at the incredible cloak in surprise. "Amazing, where did you get that?"
"On a raid, I found this monster possessed by a spirit. In the end, I killed it, though it nearly killed me too. As a consolation prize, the tribe made me this cloak," Sokka explained calmly while omitting details.
Bato nodded and began preparing his old spear and a curved machete, moving with the confidence of a veteran warrior, while Aang remained silent, sitting beside Appa. The young Avatar gently petted the flying bison, his gaze distant.
He thought of Roku, of Sokka's words, of his own confusion. Am I doing the right thing? Letting my guilt and hatred be directed at Sokka—is that right? he asked himself silently.
Sokka stepped out of the ship and addressed the three of them.
"Listen," he said, spreading the map on the ground and pointing precisely to a marked spot near the rocky coast. "Here's our target. This is one of the prison ships. It shouldn't have more than thirty soldiers, but they're well-armed and the defenses are heavy."
Bato nodded with determination.
"What's the plan?"
"We'll go in from the water. Appa will take us as close as possible without being seen. I'll go first and take out the lookouts. Then Katara will use the water from the canteens to freeze the soldiers on deck. You and I, Bato, will take care of the rest. Aang… you cover our backs."
Aang swallowed hard, insecure, but nodded.
Katara took a deep breath and nodded as well, her trembling hands clutching the canteens.
"Good," Sokka said, folding up the map. "Let's move."
---
Night had completely fallen as Appa slid silently over the water. His massive body made almost no noise, and the sea breeze drowned out any suspicious sound.
Ahead, the silhouette of the prison ship loomed like a black shadow in the darkness.
Sokka was the first to rise. With a quick movement, he adjusted the white cape over his shoulders, covering almost his entire body, and dove into the icy water. His figure disappeared within seconds.
From the deck, two Fire Nation soldiers spotted movement.
"What was that?" one asked, squinting.
Suddenly, a white figure spun through the air like a specter. Before they could react, several knives flew with deadly precision, piercing their chests. Both dropped without a cry.
"Alert!" shouted a third, but he had no time to say more: a mass of water engulfed him and froze instantly. Katara emerged from the ship's side, her gaze firm though her breathing trembled.
Bato climbed up behind her, followed by Aang propelled by airbending. The veteran spun his machete with force, cutting down the first soldier in his path. Sokka, meanwhile, moved like a white storm through the darkness, striking with his spear, hurling knives, breaking bones with kicks and elbows.
The screams of Fire Nation soldiers echoed across the deck.
Aang retreated, deflecting fire blasts with air, while Katara blocked those who came too close, freezing arms and legs. Her body trembled, her breathing ragged, but still she fought on to defend everyone.
Sokka kept an eye on her from the corner of his vision, making sure she didn't fall prey to fear. Meanwhile, Bato roared like a Southern warrior, driving his spear through three soldiers at once.
Each of Sokka's strikes was brutal and precise; each of Bato's blows, powerful and unyielding; Katara's every movement was shaky but determined; and Aang, though nervous, deflected the deadliest attacks.
Within minutes, the ship's deck became a field of unconscious and frozen soldiers.
The deck was chaos of fire and ice.
"An intruder! No, several!" shouted a Fire soldier before Sokka's spinning kick hurled him against the mast.
"Stop them! Protect the ship!" roared a captain from the stairs. He hurled a massive fireblast toward Katara, but Aang leapt in immediately, redirecting the flames with a gust that ripped planks off the floor.
"Katara, now!" yelled the Avatar.
She raised both hands and unleashed a wave of icy water that swept four soldiers into the railing, freezing them solid. Sweat and tears mixed on her face, but her eyes stayed locked on the fight.
"Don't you dare touch my brother!" she shouted, slamming her arm down to harden the ice.
Sokka, draped in his white cape, was like a phantom among the soldiers. He spun, threw knives, and every move ended with another foe down.
From the iron bars below, one prisoner with chained arms cried out in a broken voice:
"They're Southern Water Tribe warriors! They've come to rescue us!" he exclaimed with hope for the first time in years.
"Quiet down there!" snarled a soldier, trying to hurl fire into the cells, but Bato intercepted, slamming his spear butt into him.
Another prisoner, tears streaming down his face, cried out from behind the bars: "Help us!"
Katara faltered for an instant, recognizing the familiar voice, but Sokka roared from above the deck:
"Focus, Katara! If we fall here, they fall too!"
She drew a sharp breath and froze the soldiers surrounding her again.
"You won't get through!" she shouted, raising a wall of ice between the prisoners and their captors.
The Fire Nation soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Who the hell is that in the white cape? He's not a bender, but…!" one stammered before a knife buried itself in his leg.
"He's a monster! He doesn't even seem human!" another shrieked, right before Bato knocked him out with his machete's flat.
In the center of the chaos, Aang fought shoulder to shoulder with Katara, deflecting fire with gusts of air.
"Katara, behind you!" he cried, blasting back a soldier trying to ambush her.
"Thanks!" she answered, snapping a water whip that froze the attacker instantly.
Sokka fought his way to the entrance leading to the cells. His spear spun violently, cracking the helmet of a soldier who collapsed unconscious.
The ship's captain stepped in front of him, flames blazing in his hands.
"I don't know who you are, but this is your end."
Sokka stared coldly, gripping his spear tight.
"My end? No. Yours."
The prisoners below shouted over the chaos:
"Finish them off, please!"
"Don't leave us here!"
The trembling voice of an old woman reached him, and for the first time, his hardened gaze faltered for a heartbeat.
But only a heartbeat.
With a brutal spin, Sokka lunged at the captain, and the clash of steel and fire lit up the deck