Carved In Rock || ATLA

Numb

The Tales of Ba Sing Se/Appa's Lost Days/Lake Logai

"Can't you see that you're smothering me, holding too tightly, afraid to lose control 'cause everything that you thought I would has fallen apart right in front of you. Every step that I take is another mistake to you. Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow. And every second I waste is more than I can take." - Linkin Park

🌊⛰️🔥🌪️
Previously

"Did you have to hit me that hard?"

"Maybe you should've been faster."

"Maybe you should- fuck me! Aelita that hurts!"

"Quit being so dramatic." The Akira rolled her eyes as she continued to work the healing waters down Sokka's spine, lifting her fingertips off his skin to pull out another large knot. "There now, all done. Are you ready to admit I won?"

"Over my dead body." Sokka jerked his shirt back over his head and quickly pushed himself to his feet in the yard behind the house that had quickly turned into their training grounds. He picked up the discarded bokken the two had been using all evening and tossed one to Aelita. "I'm not going down without a fight."

Aelita caught the wooden sword with one hand and smirked. "I'm not so sure I'd call it a fight, more like a one-sided beating."

"Yeah yeah." Sokka returned her sly grin. "Shut up and dance with me."

The two began to move in a slow circle around one another with their training blades held firmly before them. This was their dance and they had performed it ritually every day when the sun just began to skirt the horizon. The pain of losing Yue was still fresh enough in their hearts to encourage them both to push one another to stay as strong and sharp as they could be, even in this stalemate the team had currently found themselves in. When he first asked her to work with him on his swordsmanship and she referenced the act as a dance Sokka was skeptical but it quickly began to make sense.

'Maybe you should've been faster.'

Fine, Sokka could be fast. He made the first move to close the space between them and the two locked weapons with one another. Swords by far were not the weapon of choice in the South Pole but most non-bending Fire Nation soldiers carried either spears or blades so Sokka figured why not learn to beat them at their own game.

"Where did you learn to fight like this anyway?"

"My dad taught me the basics." She explained casually. She took a half step back and let up on her bokken. Sokka's momentum took him forward as she spun her sword back to now come at him from above and this time he was left to brace himself against her move. Sukomo had not only been her parent but her first and favorite firebending master. During those lessons, he stressed the importance of not always relying on one's bending, and thus they began working on kenjustu.

"But Master Piandao's the one that taught me how to dance." Aelita continued. She spun out and away to come at Sokka from the side but the more practice they had put in the faster his reflexes got and he easily blocked her blow. She couldn't hide her smile as she saw the wheels begin to turn in his head as he pressed forward step after step, move after move. This time he was on the offensive and she was following his lead.

Sokka loved how much she was enjoying this, her smile well worth the blows to his ego she had dealt to him just a short while ago. He loved it even more when she let her guard down just enough for him to corner her against the house. With a wall of rock at her back and a rather proud Sokka before her, Aelita had nowhere else to go. The look of surprise glinted in her eyes and now it was his turn to smile. Strength beat speed and the older boy was able to knock the practice blade out of the Akira's hands, their chests pressed together as he closed the space between them.