An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

Three days had gone by and Sokka and Katara both were exhausted. They had been working non-stop to finish all the work they had to get done before they left. It was all worth it when they were able to see one of their dad's oldest friends move into his new home with his wife and two kids. The look of relief and joy on their face was enough to make all the sweat and muscle aches worth it.

"You know, we're only going to be gone for a week or two at the most," Katara said as she stood in the doorway to Sokka's room. He was finishing packing for their trip and according to Katara he was bringing almost everything he owned.

"I know, I know," he said while stuffing in yet another shirt, "you can't have too many shirts though." She rolled her eyes and went to sit down on his bed next to his bag.

"It feels weird to be going back to the fire nation as guests of the fire lord and not enemies," she continued while smoothing out the wrinkles in the clothes her brother had spread out on his bed.

"Yeah," Sokka said with a sigh, "it feels weird even just being back home. So much has changed in so little time and I'm not sure if this place even feels like home anymore."

Katara looked up with a concerned look on her face. "Sokka, are you alright? I've never seen you like this before. You're always the one who's so positive and upbeat and I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine Katara," he said and tried to smile to put her mind at ease. In truth, he had never been more unsure in his life. He had everything going for him, he had helped take down fire lord Ozai, he had amazing friends he would risk his life for a hundred times again if he had to, and he had a family who cared about him. Yet something still did not feel right. He felt like some something important was missing from his life and he could not figure out what.

"Well, you know I'm always here if you want to talk," Katara said. She got up and made her way towards the door. "The boat will be here in twenty minutes, try not to be late," she said and walked out of Sokka's room to finish her own packing.

Sokka finished putting the last few pairs of clothes in his bag and ran over to his nightstand to grab his trusty boomerang. On his way out he stopped and took in the place he now called home. It was a comfortable house made of wood imported from the Earth Kingdom, with a fireplace and a kitchen that always smelled of his favorite foods thanks to Katara. He wondered how long it would take for the place to truly feel like home.

He stopped by his dad's house to say goodbye before making his way towards the recently constructed port, where a small boat awaited him and his sister to take them to the Fire Nation capital.

Katara greeted him with a hug when he boarded the ship, and they took their luggage below deck to their small rooms. They returned to the deck of the ship and were delighted to see their dad waving them goodbye from the dock. It still took Sokka by surprise to see his dad back home, for a long time it felt like he would never return from the war.

The boat slowly pulled away from the dock and out towards the open sea, and as it did their father became smaller and smaller before disappearing over the horizon.

"I'm glad I'm not making the journey alone," Sokka said to his sister. He had no idea what he would do without Katara, she was his rock for so much of his life and he couldn't have asked for a better sister.

"Me too," she said, looking off into the distance at the icebergs bobbing up and down in the calm southern waters, remembering a simpler time when her and Sokka would be out in their small canoe catching fish and racing through the rapids. Sometimes she forgot just how different her life was before they met Aang, but she wouldn't have traded her new life for anything.

The two of them stayed there admiring the beauty of the ocean as the sun set on the horizon before heading back to their respective rooms to get some much-needed rest.

Sokka groggily changed into his pajamas before collapsing onto the cot. As he laid there, head resting on the lumpy pillow, he wondered what it would be like to see Zuko again after a couple months had passed. A couple months that to him had felt like a lifetime. He let the thoughts drift out of his mind as he fell into a peaceful sleep.