Reborn As Sokka: Awakening Of the wolf's mind

When the whole village gathered, Suki, Aang, and Katara finished devouring the hotcakes I'd made and each went their separate ways: Aang, surrounded by the people of the island, happy as a child, and Katara trailing behind him, worried as always.

Suki and her warriors went out to patrol the village while I went shopping.

I pulled out some Fire Nation coins — loot from an abandoned ship — and started walking through the market. People recognized me, greeted me with enthusiasm, and called me Chief Sokka. Every time I heard that title, I could feel my ego swelling.

I bought way too much: clothes, flour, supplies… I stored everything in the little storage spirit. I still don't fully get how that damn critter works: it swallows whatever I give it, never gains weight, and keeps everything fresh as if time doesn't exist inside it. Damn useful.

With a blank scroll I'd just bought, I sat down to draw some Waterbending stances and moves I remembered. With any luck, Katara would drop her tantrum and use it to learn… and to teach Aang.

I let the ink dry, grabbed my spear, and headed for the dojo to train.

As I walked, I thought about last night with Suki. It was… nice. She's fun, strong, and to be honest, very beautiful. Dealing with her personality is easy. I didn't have to lie to get her to lower her guard, but I didn't tell her the whole truth either. I showed her what I wanted her to see: strength, a bit of vulnerability, confidence. Years of flirting in my other life taught me how to ration what I show. Just enough to keep interest alive.

Small gestures — tensing my jaw, looking away, clenching my fists — did the rest. Maybe she would've fallen for me anyway if I'd been more serious or less charming, but it would've taken longer.

Opening up to her, even just a little, felt good. Telling her about my biggest failure — not saving Kya — was half true. Not because it haunts me every day, but because that's what it was: a failure. My first self-imposed mission in this world went wrong. I needed to get it off my chest with someone, even if it was incomplete. And with Suki, I could.

But my interest in her isn't just romantic, or because I liked her character when I was a kid. No. She's strong — really strong. If I want to end this war, I need her and her group. The stronger they are, the better for me and for everyone.

That's why, when I ran into her again on the way, I didn't hesitate to drop it:

"Hey Suki, have you ever heard of Chi Blocking?" I asked, smiling.

She looked at me, puzzled, and shook her head. Perfect. I suspected it — it was never shown in the series that she knew how to use it. Confirming it just gave me more leverage with her.

Once we reached the dojo, I explained the basics: the exact force needed to strike each point, the speed and precision to block several in sequence. All things she already had in spades.

We trained non-stop for two hours. Suki got so into it that she decided to skip her patrol with the other warriors.

A sharp sound filled the air when two precise strikes numbed my arm. I lost feeling in it instantly: nerves and chi flow blocked.

"Very good, Suki. You're good at this," I said, forcing my chi to surge through my arm until I got the feeling back. A countermeasure I'd developed in case someone ever used it on me.

Suki looked at me with bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

But before I could start flirting again, the sliding door burst open.

"Sokka, I need you," Katara said, looking pissed.

"Can Suki come?" I asked calmly, nodding toward her.

Katara thought about it for a few seconds and shook her head firmly.

"Alright. Sorry, Suki, but big brother duties call," I said, winking at her. Then I handed her a copy of the Chi Blocking scrolls I'd brought from the Southern Water Tribe. "Practice it and teach the others."

Suki nodded, happy, while I followed Katara outside.

She stopped by a pond, where she started moving her hands awkwardly, trying to Waterbend. She kept failing, over and over.

"What exactly am I supposed to do here?" I asked calmly.

"You're going to be my training partner," she said without looking at me.

Brat. If you're going to ask me for help, at least have the guts to look me in the eye.

"Oh, really? I've got better things to do. Like going back to Suki," I replied. I was cruel on purpose. Maybe it would make her talk.

"I'm angry…" she said, like that justified everything.

"And what am I supposed to do about that? You were the one who refused to train with me," I shot back, no filter.

"Well, you're my brother. I thought maybe…"

She looked away at the water, pretending to find something interesting there. All she found was awkward silence.

I ran a hand across my forehead and let out a long sigh.

"Fine," I gave in, leaning my spear against a tree. "What now? You want me to stand here watching you swirl water in circles? I taught you that over a year ago."

Katara didn't answer. For a year now, she'd refused to train with anything I taught her. Now she was here, venting her anger on me. Fine.

Her movements were clumsy, tense, like she was trying to dig with her hands. Her water sphere kept falling apart every time she lost focus.

"Look," I said, standing up. "If you're going to train, train. If you're going to vent, do it already. But don't try to do both badly at the same time."

She shot me a glare full of hate, but at least she looked at me.

"I need to practice with someone," she said, her voice shaking.

I stayed silent. I didn't want to be here calming down the most stubborn person I know. But she's my sister.

"Fine. Half an hour," I said, spinning the spear between my fingers.

Katara took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, and started again. Her movements got smoother. The pond water followed her. At first, it formed an unstable sphere that collapsed whenever she lost concentration.

"Relax your shoulders," I told her. "I told you before: you don't bend by forcing it. Guide it."

She shot me a look full of annoyance but obeyed. She moved her wrists more gently and the water responded.

"I saw Aang do it when Zuko captured him," she murmured. "After that, my bending got better."

I nodded. There it was: jealousy, frustration. I got it. But I wasn't about to hit her with a poor you.

"Stop thinking," I said. "Breathe. Move. The water won't obey if you're a tangled knot."

Katara grumbled, took a breath, lifted a larger sphere of water. She held it steady. Closed her eyes. Held it.

"That's it," I murmured.

She opened her eyes, exhausted but satisfied.

"Sorry for dragging you into this," she said quietly.

I walked over, ruffled her hair.

"It's fine. Even if you're a pain, you're still my sister."

Katara let out a small laugh.

"Thanks… I guess."

I turned around, picked up my spear, and breathed. That was enough for today.

"You know. If you need something, find me. I've got more interesting things to do now," I said.

"With Suki?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I didn't answer. Instead, I tossed her a scroll. She caught it, surprised.

"It's a Waterbending scroll. Where'd you get this?"

"I made it. Show it to Aang when you're done."

Katara looked at me, confused.

"Why didn't you say you were a Waterbending Master when we talked to the mayor?"

Didn't see that one coming. I smiled.

"I don't want to show all my cards. Not even to allies."

"Not even Aang?" she pressed.

"Nope. He didn't even notice I dragged his iceberg to the tribe. He was… distracted," I said, flashing a mischievous grin.

Katara blushed, splashed water at me, which I dodged by pure reflex. I didn't even let her yell: I vanished in a blur.

I sat on the shore's sand, breathing in the salty breeze. I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes.

For a year now, I've been trying to break into the Spirit World to pull out something useful: weapons, an allied spirit, anything. Not today. Today I wanted to refine something else: Bloodbending.

I made a cut in my palm. Channeled my water chi into my blood. I felt it, guided it, shaped it. Formed a small sphere connected to me by a thin blood thread, reshaped it. The moment I let go, it dropped. Controlling someone else's blood was impossible, but mine… that was enough: healing wounds, sealing organs, reattaching limbs. Endless possibilities I'd share with Katara someday.

When I felt my chi drop by about ten percent, I stopped. Sealed the cut with Waterbending.

My next training was Chi Control. Reinforcing my body: enduring cold, heat, pain. My danger sense had improved since Aang's attack — from half a second to 0.8 seconds. Useful, but it cost me two days of headaches.

I focused again. Guided the chi into my arms. The muscles tensed. If before I could dent steel, now I could break it. But an overload was poison for my tendons.

A fair price to be able to kill with a single blow.

To make sure no one was secretly watching me, I closed my eyes and expanded my chi through the surroundings. I let it blend with the environment until I could sense the life force of every living being within reach.

I saw points of light everywhere and, in seconds, recognized them all.

In my mind palace, I drew a map of the entire Kyoshi Island and linked the chi points that represented each person.

Simple — or complicated — like that, I had a damn digital map in front of me. Sure, it was with chi and my mind palace's help. Extremely useful… and, at the same time, useless if I got caught in a fight with no time to focus.

But this time, it was gold. I could see more than a dozen points closing in on the island; I didn't need confirmation to know it was Zuko and his crew.

On the Kyoshi village shores, a Fire Nation ship gently ran aground, and soon a dozen lizard-rhinos emerged. Huge beasts, skin like rock, their weight trembling beneath their feet.

Zuko rode one of them, stiff as an untempered blade. Beside him, Iroh rode his own beast, although he seemed to have more trouble calming it than steering it.

"Oh, easy there. Did that tea I gave you earlier upset your stomach?" Iroh cooed to the rhino as if it were a spoiled cat.

Zuko rolled his eyes, annoyed as always when his uncle opened his mouth. Sometimes he wondered how in the world that cheerful old man had once been the terror of Ba Sing Se.

"Uncle, you didn't have to come. You could've stayed on the ship, drinking tea and napping."

"Prince Zuko," Iroh replied formally, lowering his voice so the soldiers would hear, "one must never fear trying something new. Life becomes terribly boring if you always stay within what you know."

Zuko just grunted. Arguing with Iroh was like fighting the wind: he always ended up tired, confused, and unsure if he'd won anything.

"Whatever. Just don't get in the way."

The soldiers marched behind them, making sure Iroh wouldn't roll off if his rhino decided to rebel.

"Listen to your uncle, young prince," I said from up in a tree. "Many would kill to have an uncle like him."

"Oh, please. You'll make me blush," Iroh replied without losing his smile, tilting his head at me.

There I was, hanging like an elegant sloth.

Zuko didn't even bother replying. He let out a huff and shot fire straight at my tree trunk. The idiot even smiled, convinced I had no escape stuck on that branch.

But to his surprise — and my satisfaction — I slid down like a spider, four limbs pressed to the bark, descending headfirst as the fire whooshed past. The branch cracked and caught fire.

"Careful, prince. If you burn down this forest, you'll have to replant it all by yourself," I laughed, unsheathing my spear. A quick slash, and the burning branch dropped to the ground in splinters. Even the flames got cut, fizzling out in a soft crackle.

Iroh squinted at me, studying me like he was judging a fine tea. But the smile never left his face.

"Your spear work is… fascinating."

"Yeah?" I tilted my head, still hanging upside down. The spear rested perfectly balanced in one hand. "Old man, do you think if I become the best spearman in the world, I could beat you?"

"Oh, I'm just an old man. At my age, even a baby could beat me," Iroh joked, chuckling in that warm tone that would fool anyone.

"Sure… why don't I believe you? You shouldn't be so humble."

I let go of the branch, planted my feet, and shot forward like an arrow. The plan was to land right on top of them before they could reac

t, but a wall of fire rose up in front of me. If I kept going, I'd end up roasted. I was midair, nowhere to dodge.

For most people.

drove my spear into the ground. The metallic clang echoed. I hovered there, a few inches away from the fire.

You know, there are kinds of people in this world whose jobs are obviously dangerous even if they don't look like it. Like a certain Fire Nation general who nearly took down Ba Sing Se without breaking a sweat. Imagine how many battles that man had on his back.

The blast of fire that grazed my face reminded me of that with perfect clarity.

I stepped sideways and the flame curved like a hungry serpent. It almost got me, but my danger sense screamed at me 0.8 seconds ahead and gave me just enough room to roll.

I was tempted to use Waterbending. It would have ended this in seconds and left everyone speechless, even the old man. But no. I liked Iroh. He helped me hide my tribe's location, so this was just paying him back.

Of course, the old man wasn't holding back. He burned leaves, stirred hot wind, tried to box me in his improvised oven. Too bad for him—I was already playing one step ahead.

"Young people these days… stronger and stronger," Iroh complained, as if apologizing to the older generation.

He wasn't fooling me. Maybe Zuko and the soldiers, but not me.

"And old men should be sipping tea instead of getting in the way," I shot back, testing him.

It was like fighting a level 99 boss on the first floor of the dungeon. Zuko and ten more soldiers lined up to roast me alive. I had to dance through flames like my life depended on it—because it did.

"You're right," Iroh said, dropping his hands. Just like that, he stepped out of the fight.

I froze. Even I hadn't expected him to take the joke so literally.

"Uncle!" Zuko spun around, furious.

The general just shrugged, massaging his shoulder. "Age, Prince. Even dragons get old."

Damn living legend. One glance was all he needed to know I wasn't here to kill them. And if Iroh ever became my real enemy… well, best not to think about that. Lucky for me, he was too peaceful for that.

Without Iroh, the pressure vanished. And me? I was nothing but pure speed.

"Don't blink," I warned them.

I kicked off the tree and shot forward like a predator. I sliced through fire with my spear like it was wet paper.

Crack! A second later, I was standing on top of Zuko's rhino. The beast snorted, restless under my feet.

"Get off!" Zuko yelled, blasting fire at me. I deflected his hand with my spear shaft, sending the flame harmlessly into the sky.

The soldiers didn't fire. Too scared of burning their prince. I flashed them a grin.

"Unlike the old man, your fire is chaos with no balance."

"I'll show you fire!" Zuko roared, sending another blast. I ducked, spun the spear, and tapped his chin.

Zuko dropped like a sack of rice. I caught him by the collar, almost gently, and laid him down in front of—well, his uncle. For a second, with that bald head and beard, Iroh looked more like a grandfather than an uncle.

He shot me a look that could kill.

"You just thought something rude about me."

"Can you read minds now?" I teased, tilting my head.

Even if he could, he'd never crack my head. But I kept that to myself.

"No need to read minds when someone's counting your gray hairs with their eyes," he said, mock offended.

"My bad," I said, trying to sound sincere.

"It's fine. I accept I'm old. But I know you did it on purpose," Iroh chuckled, that sly smile never leaving him.

…What a fox. I'd looked too long. He was right—I'd wanted to see his reaction.

A soldier screamed, "Die!" and shot fire at me. My rhino bucked, I leapt, spun my spear, and threw it blunt-end first.

Bam! Right in the head. The guy dropped like a sack of potatoes. The rhino bolted.

I looked at the rest, shrugged.

"Surrender?"

"Never! A Fire Nation soldier never surrenders!" one barked, eyes blazing.

"Don't fight anymore," Iroh ordered, eyes narrowing. "To catch him we'd need at least thirty firebenders. And even then… it would be hard."

"Well then, we surrender," the same guy said instantly.

So much for fiery passion. What weird guys.

They picked up their unconscious comrades while Iroh snuffed out the last flames with a flick of his hand.

He gave me a sideways glance, smiling.

"You're an interesting young man. Consider this my way of thanking you for your courtesy with my nephew. If you didn't have that personality, you'd be a saint."

"I don't know what you mean by that, but consider this a professional courtesy—my word is good. But you know, if a man's word breaks… bad things can happen."

I looked him dead in the eyes. The soldiers didn't get it, but Iroh did. It was a message—if he broke his promise about my tribe's location, I wouldn't kill his crew.

"Oh, you know, this old man keeps his word," he replied, guiding his men back to the ship.

"What was that about, General Iroh?" a soldier asked.

"Nothing at all. I simply told him I'd like to share tea with him someday, but it seems he didn't like that idea." Iroh lied without blinking, his calm laugh convincing everyone around him.

That old man really was good.

I watched Iroh carry Zuko back to the ship. Once the last soldier was aboard, the gangplank lifted and the ship drifted away from shore.

"Woah! That was amazing, Sokka!" Aang shouted, popping out of some bushes with Katara, Suki, the Kyoshi Warriors… and a handful of villagers armed with makeshift spears, all looking like they'd shown up late to the party.

They stood at a safe distance, far enough that I hadn't noticed them during the fight.

I crossed my arms and locked eyes with Aang, narrowing mine.

"So… you saw me fighting a dozen firebenders, a legendary general, and a hormonal prince… and decided not to help?"

Aang shrank a little, staring at the ground.

"Well… we got here right after you knocked Zuko out. And I didn't want to risk the villagers. I don't want the Fire Nation to track me down so soon… or for people to think the Avatar brings danger just by being here."

I sighed.

"Oh, right. So you did know staying here was a stupid idea because sooner or later the Fire Nation would come looking for us," I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You knew?" Aang looked at me like I'd read his mind.

"Aang…" I shook my head, letting out a dry laugh. "I'm the guy who knows things. That's my only trick."

Aang wanted to say something, but he bit his tongue. And that was fine. He was a twelve-year-old kid carrying the world's weight; I didn't expect him to think of everything. He already had enough trying to act grown when he was still a child.

"Well…" I shrugged. "It's done now. So we better get the hell out of here."

As if on cue, Appa came down from the sky, covered in hay with his head decorated in braids that looked like bored kids had done them.

I stared, blinked, sighed.

"I'm gonna pretend I don't want to know why a ten-ton flying bison ended up like that."

Aang gave an awkward laugh and jumped onto Appa. Katara followed right after, throwing me a worried look but saying nothing.

Suki, though, stayed put, staring at me like she was waiting for me to say something… or do something.

I took a deep breath. A thousand thoughts jammed in my head. Screw it. Since when did I get so insecure?

The village chief came up, handed me a travel bag full of supplies, and nodded silently—like he was telling me, do what you have to do.

I grabbed the bag, slung it over my shoulder, and stepped up until I was face-to-face with Suki. Took another breath. Maybe it was time to say what was stuck in my throat.

I looked her straight in the eyes. I could see her heart pounding like a drum. The faint blush spreading across her face told me she was expecting something big. Something important. Something worth staying for.

…I had no idea what the hell to say. Sure, I'd been in relationships before, but I was never good at being the "perfect boyfriend." Our "perfect" relationship would be anything but. A thousand things would go wrong. And it was too easy for me to drag people down with me.

So I went for the only thing I was good at: brutal honesty.

"I like girls with bigger boobs," I blurted out, face dead serious. "And I'm also someone who might not settle for just one."

The air froze. The perfect bubble we'd built popped like a pin in a balloon.

I could've kept lying, sweet-talking her. But no. Not after hooking her enough to feel things she maybe didn't need to feel.

"I'm not good at goodbyes either, in case you hadn't noticed. Sometimes I can be manipulative, cunning, controlling, and generally an asshole. And I don't even care what you look like when I'm horny. We're young. I have no clue if what you feel for me will last a month, a week, or a second…" I went on, letting it all spill out.

Suki shut me up the only way possible: grabbing my collar, leaning in, and smashing her lips against mine. She tasted like cherries and something that hurt. She bit my lip when she pulled back, eyes blazing with bottled fury.

"Go to hell," she spat, then slapped me so hard my cheek burned. I could see she was about to cry, but she wouldn't let anyone see it.

I rubbed my cheek, breathed, and dropped the last thing I had to say.

"I don't care what you look like on the outside. I'd rather have someone to share everything with when this is over. When our bodies are falling apart and we're old and wrinkled, I want to keep loving you if we're still together."

"And besides," I added, not caring that Suki's face was as red as a tomato, "if you want to keep seeing me after the war, you'll have to come to the South Pole. A place with bad weather, cold nights, but good people. If I were you, I'd think twice—because, well, maybe I'll have other people with me too—"

I felt a hand trying to cover my mouth. I turned my head slightly: Katara. Of course.

She pushed me back for a second to apologize to Suki, but no way was I letting her cut me off halfway. I grabbed Katara by the forehead, gently pushing her back so she'd stop interfering.

"As I was saying," I continued, locking eyes with Suki and ignoring my sister's hand flailing uselessly, "we're young, I have no clue if these feelings will last or not, but when our bodies are wrinkled and falling apart, I want to keep loving you the same if we're still together. Because, honestly, if you strip away the skin, we're all just flesh, bones, and blood. The only thing that really matters is the person inside. That's the only thing that lasts."

Katara let out a strangled squeak like she'd just witnessed a crime. Suki's mouth opened like she was about to say something but closed again. Her eyes shone, captivated.

I let go of Katara. She stared at me like I'd just committed murder. And before Suki could say anything, Appa lifted off.

"Did you really… say that?" Katara muttered, like she was trying not to burst out laughing, crying, or both.

"Yeah. I wanted to be clear." I shrugged.

Katara glared at me, took a deep breath. Aang said something I didn't catch because my sister grabbed my arm like she wanted to chain me to the floor.

"No more weird speeches," she hissed, pulling me to her side.

I grinned.

"You sound like a serial killer!" Katara shrieked, burying her face in her hands.

"Hey, I was honest." I crossed my arms, mock offended.

Aang opened his mouth to add his opinion but Katara raised a finger.

"No, Aang. Not a word. If you ever say anything like that, you deserve to be locked up."

Aang shut his mouth like a fish.

I sighed, letting the wind mess up my hair as Appa flew off toward the horizon. I reached out and ruffled Katara's hair.

"Relax, dear sister. If it doesn't

work with Suki, someone else will show up. The market's wide open."

Katara just shot me a death glare like she was one step away from tossing me overboard.

Eh, let her try. I'd survive somehow.