trans_9 | Be Prepared (Singing Hyenas Optional) [ Open ]

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Be Prepared (Singing Hyenas Optional) [ Open ]

Sokka had found himself an open spot in the city that seemed it would do perfectly for what he needed it for, and then set to work. He laid his weapons out in the grass and sat, considering them. Sword, spear, knife, war club, boomerang, shotgun, and a newly acquired semi-automatic handgun. He let his hands drift over them a moment before he picked up the spear. It had been a bit too long since he'd really practiced with that, best to stay sharp and focused. He raised the weapon into a guard and set off into a series of lunges, thrusts, parries, and ripostes; advances and retreats against an imaginary opponent. The young man ended with a final thrust, then dropped the weapon back onto the grass, taking in a few deep breaths before picking up his boomerang and jamming it into his belt, then drew his sword. This was good.

When he practiced he didn't have to think about anything. Not Katara and her willing submergence into a strange and foreign culture. Not Aang and the Nightmare King. Not Kelly and...whatever was going on with her. Just the sword and the footwork. He slid forwards into a neat lunge, dropped and turned it into a down downwards slash before it merged into a rising jab with the point, mind focused solely on remembering everything he had been taught. Probably why he didn't hear anyone who approached.

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After a few minutes, Sokka paused in his exercises and wiped his brow, stooping to pick up a bottle of water he'd brought along. He took a drink, than glanced at Katara. Oh, Katara was here. He nodded at here, than took a seat on the grass next to his gear.

"Hey Katara." He reached over to pick up the shotgun and a cleaning. Carefully, he racked the action a few times to clear the chamber, safed the weapon, and began to take it apart so he could clean it.

"What's up?" He didn't look up from his work, intent on cleaning out the weapons innards. He was supposed to clean it out, anyway. Besides, he felt a bit awkward around his sister these days, considering how little they saw of each other and how busy she was with her other projects.

Katara watched him in earnest. She had never seen gun cleaning before, but now that she watched she could see people on the ship she'd talked to before, and how they must do the same thing. Some of them didn't know martial arts, and it was only right that they would have a way to defend themselves. It made her think of Kelly, or Daja as a blacksmith: it all required hard work, and Sokka, like anyone on the ship, was trying to adjust.

"I was just watching you train for a little bit. I haven't gotten to be with my brother in awhile, and you know, I miss you. I'm not trying to avoid you: I get busy, I have to train myself. It takes a lot, and what I have to do is very involved. But like you, it takes a lot of practice."

She smiled. "How are you doing, Sokka?"

"Okay, I guess." He replied, a little short of just a grunt to indicate his current status. He looked down the bore of his weapon, then went back to cleaning it, trying to keep his hands busy. He frowned, finally starting to put the firearm back together again.

"And I know you're busy. You have your new friends and training and everything to deal with. I understand if you don't have time to see me." He might understand, but he doesn't sound happy about it.

Katara sighed. "I don't want you to understand. I mean, I'm glad you do, but your my brother: I do want to see you. Despite all the arguments we've had here since the beginning, I'm glad you were looking out for me. I'd be going crazy if you weren't here."

She sighed. "I know my choices here haven't been the best: I've been impulsive, and I've caused us to lose time in an intense situation. You could say I joined the Bene Gesserit because of that: since I've been here, I could only act on my feelings, and some of that was left over from back home. I guess I could never get over finally ending the war, only to be brought here to find out we practically did it for nothing."

Here, she looked at down. "There's still so much I have to learn."

"I'm not exactly over it either, Katara. I mean, we won. Bad guys were defeated, war was over, everyone was friends again, we had it made. And now we're here and we don't even know how many of our people are still alive and Aang is in trouble again and...it's crazy. I don't like it here, at all. I mean, I live with it but I don't like it. It's too warm and the people here are strange and there's danger every day." He reassembled the weapon at last and picked up his knife, toying with it in one hand.

"I'm learning a lot. But I would rather be home and stuck with my sword than here with guns any day." He sighed quietly. "And besides that, I feel like...I don't know...you're so eager to go be part of something else that it's like being part of the Water Tribe doesn't even matter anymore." He looked down at the ground, cutting idly at the grass.

"I mean. I could have taught you more about fighting. Yeah, I know I said that before, but I could've taught you how to fight like a Water Tribe warrior. You'd be stronger than, too. And there wouldn't be a bunch of strangers involved."

"YOu're all I have left of home, Katara. I don't want to lose you because of...whatever it is you're doing." Okay, there, he admitted it.

"It isn't easy," Katara said, "But at the same time, I think a lot about why we were brought here to begin with, and what we would do now. Our world is gone Sokka: maybe we'll get it back somehow, but it could be gone forever If that's true, then part of me always thinks that we were lucky, in a way. we got to stop the war, we became stronger than just the chief's two children We grained the strength to change the world, and I think, somhow, thatls why we're here now."

Katara sighed. This was her fault, she knew, for not explaining herself thoroughly, for making Sokka worry. "I'm trying to learn to better use my waterbending techniques, Sokka, not turn my back on them. You know how well I can use waterbending, you've seen it. But I also wanted a fighting style that would enhance what I know and make me faster, quicker. Do you know what Prana-bindu is? That is what I'm learning now: the ability to have complete control over my body, to try to overcome pain. I would never turn my back on waterbending: its everything I am. But I also know that there's more to learn, more strength in me that I can use. If I can learn that, I can use that knowledge to make me stronger. I'll never be a warrior like you are: you've mastered using your sword as an extension of yourself. I know that kind of fighting is for you to know.

"But some of the people on board ARE my friends. They're in this situation like we are, and they help make this a stronger place for me. If there's a way we can help them, and ourselves, I'll do what it takes. But right now, you know where my number one priority is, more than any of this."

"I just..." Sokka jabbed his knife into the soil with an annoyed grunt. He never asked for any of this, right? So why did it have to happen to him.

"I worry that all your friends don't have your best interests in minds, okay? It's my job to worry about you now that we're the only time."

Maybe time for a subject change.

"Aang needs our help. He's trapped somewhere in the city, keeping the Nightmare King back. We have to help him get out of there and I hate just waiting. It kills me. Then tension is just. Ugh." He flopped backwards, staring up at the distant ceiling.

"I understand," Katara said, smiling, "But I also am not going to follow anything blindly either, okay? Everything that's happened up to now has been because I wanted it to. Sheeana knew before I trained under her that I was going to not do certain things that would compromise the person that I am. My teacher has the ruthlessness of a Sisterhood that had to scramble to save themselves from extinction, but she tries. She's like Aang that way: very strong, but not perfect either, and that makes her human. That would be the only kind of teacher I'd want."

But she gave him a smile. "And so you know, it mean a lot to me that you;re concerned even if we don't agree. I'm glad I can count on you, and I'll do my best to not worry you as much in the future, okay?"

But here, Katara blinked. Oh, SO glad for Prada Bindu. No tears. NO tears.

"I know. Sokka, you're not the only one who regrets that...more than you know."

And here Katara let a quiet look of sadness pass on her face. Even she couldn't keep it away all the time, not lingering sadness whenever she thought of Aang.

"We're gonna get him Katara. Don't worry. We're not going to let some dumb Nightmare King keep him anymore than we would let the Phoenix Lord kill him. He's strong. And you help give him some of that strength." He leans over to hug Katara tightly, patting her back.

"We're his family and we're not goign to let anything happen to him. I promise." Sokka would be damned if he let Aang go off and die on them after all this, no matter what the boy said.

Katara sighed. "Everyone keeps telling me to have faith, and I do, but I can't stop worrying Sokka. I don't know all the details of the things they've done to him, how they've made him forget stuff about us. It makes me really mad to think about it, and I want to make sure no one can use Aang like he's a weapon again."

Her face looked serious here, but softened at Sokka's words. She hugged him back tightly, and this time she allowed a few tears to come down. It was an emotional moment, and no matter what kind of training she did, Katara liked having certain emotions get the better of her, especially when they involved her family. "Thank you Sokka. This really means a lot to me. And I'll try to not make you worry so much. Just remember that I'm looking out for you too."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Which reminds me: what's exactly going on between you and Kelly?"

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Be Prepared (Singing Hyenas Optional) [ Open ]

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