Vanished

Dream

    It'd been four weeks since Sokka and Suki started training together. It was the night before they left for the Fire Nation. Sokka was nervous about seeing his husband again, but he was also excited.

    Although he was anxious to see Zuko, Sokka had decided that he wouldn't reveal who he was for a while. He wanted to protect Zuko, and Sokka knew he would be able to protect him better as a Kyoshi Warrior.

    So, he would wait.

    Suki was packing her luggage. Her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, food, casual clothing, and the giant metal crate that would carry her "souvenir" from the Earth Kingdom.

    They were all done packing. Now, it was time for anticipation.

    It was around 9 pm. The boat didn't arrive until the next morning.

    Sokka tried to sleep, but it was really hard. He tossed and turned, closed his eyes tightly, and even counted pig-sheep! Nothing worked! Eventually, though, Sokka recalled the song Iroh and Zuko used to sing to him.

Leaves from the vine,
falling so slow
like fragile, tiny shells
drifting in the foam.

Little soldier boy
come marching home.
Brave soldier boy
comes marching home.

Sokka smiled at the fond memory, and fell asleep.

Though, it wouldn't be a peaceful sleep.

Ten year-old Sokka was playing with his little sister, Katara, in the Southern Water Tribe. They were throwing snowballs at each other. Katara tried to make a snowball with waterbending, but failed. Sokka rolled his eyes. "Why do you even try that stuff, Katara?" He said. "You're just going to hurt yourself."

"No, I'm not!" Katara protested. "...Hey, what's that?"

"What?" Sokka asked.

Katara pointed upward. Sokka followed her hand. It was snowing! No, that wasn't snow. Snow wasn't black. What was falling from the sky?

Sokka looked around. The men of the tribe were all shouting and telling people to run inside. The men grabbed their weapons. Sokka grabbed his boomerang and ran after his dad.

"Sokka, where are you going?" Katara shouted, following Sokka.

"Katara, go back to mom!" Sokka yelled back.

Katara nodded and ran off. Sokka kept following the men of the tribe.

As Sokka ran, the scene shifted. He was still in the Southern Water Tribe, but he was no longer running with the tribesmen. He was running at a Fire Nation soldier.

Sokka hoisted his club high, aiming for the soldier's head. He swung, but the soldier grabbed his wrist and threw Sokka over his shoulder. Sokka landed in the snow.

The scene shifted again. Sokka was yelling at the Fire Nation soldier in the Western Air Temple.

Again, the scene shifted. Sokka opened the door to "the cooler" at the Boiling Rock, and the Fire Nation soldier breathed a puff of fire.

Another scene shift. Sokka was sword fighting with the Fire Nation soldier. The Fire Nation soldier used dual-swords. Sokka clanged his sword against the Fire Nation soldier's crossed swords. He leaned closer to the soldier. The soldier's face looked calm but also stiff. Sokka realized how handsome the Fire Nation soldier was. Sokka leaned in closer, and kissed him. The soldier's swords dropped.