Reborn As Sokka: Awakening Of the wolf's mind

Sorry for the delay

Sokka, Aang, and Katara were traveling on the massive flying bison heading toward Omashu. The boy had spent the last few days talking non-stop about that place and his friend Bumi.

Sokka lay reclined, trying to ignore Aang's chatter while silently training his chi sensing, focusing on expanding the reach of his technique and detecting anything useful.

He reflected, with a hint of annoyance, on how the show never showed the real time it took them to travel from one place to another, nor the stops they had to make. In practice, they'd already had to stop at least three times in different villages to get supplies.

In each of those villages, Sokka had spread the rumor about how Commander Zhao had lost an Agni Kai against Prince Zuko — an exiled prince, according to his story — and how Zhao had dishonorably attacked Zuko from behind. He did all this disguised in the uniform of a Fire Nation soldier he'd "borrowed" from an unconscious man.

His intention was simple: ruin Zhao's reputation, the man who could cause him the most trouble in the short term. If he managed to discredit him, he hoped Ozai wouldn't take him so seriously and that he'd lose credibility among his subordinates.

However, as Aang descended to avoid being spotted by a Fire Nation watch post, Sokka sat up abruptly.

"Aang, land here," he ordered, wearing a serious expression.

"What? What's wrong, Sokka?" asked Aang, confused by his friend's tone.

"I said land now!" Sokka growled.

Aang and Katara flinched at his harshness. But before they could say anything else, Sokka jumped off Appa mid-flight.

Below, in the village, people watched in horror as a squad of Fire Nation soldiers began to ravage everything, capturing or killing anyone who dared resist, bender or not.

A mother and her children had tripped while fleeing the chaos. Trapped in a dead-end alley, they watched as a soldier approached with a cruel smile, taking an attack stance. They knew this was the end. They'd heard rumors of the invaders' brutality, but living it was worse than any nightmare.

Resigned, they shut their eyes, waiting for their end. But instead of fire, they heard a crash and felt something hot splash across their faces.

When they opened their eyes, they saw a young man with tan skin and a cold stare, standing over the crushed body of their attacker.

The mother's heart filled with gratitude toward their unexpected savior, who now gave them a reassuring smile.

"Everything will be fine. Go find shelter," Sokka said firmly.

To them, that young man looked like a miracle. The sun, positioned behind his head, completed the image. And before they could thank him, he vanished in a blur of dust and blood.

Sokka, with his spear in hand, had focused large amounts of chi into his legs to land without injury. Now he moved forward, determined to stop the rest of the soldiers, no matter if he had to kill them.

The soldiers, furious at the death of their comrade, charged at him. But soon their bravery turned into desperation.

Whoosh.

The wind whistled as Sokka swung his spear, slicing off one soldier's arms in a single sweep. A scream of agony rose, alerting everyone to the new demon in their small hell. Before the mutilated soldier could react, Sokka knocked him out with a clean blow to the face.

Several blasts of fire shot at him. Sokka moved like a shadow, dodging, blocking, and dissipating the ones that threatened to reach the villagers.

Only the sounds of sharp blows, sparks, and breaking stones could be heard, until Sokka paused for an instant, looking at the burned bodies around him. His expression darkened. And then he vanished again, propelling himself with brutal speed.

He appeared in front of another soldier just as he was about to strike. Sokka grabbed both his arms with an iron grip.

"Things that exist only to destroy are pointless… and must be erased," he declared.

The man, paralyzed by fear, barely managed a whimper before his bones cracked. Sokka had broken both his arms with ease. Before he could scream, a sharp blow to the jaw knocked him out cold.

"You bastard!" the soldiers shouted, surrounding him.

But Sokka no longer heard them. One by one he took them down. Arms, legs, broken bones, clean cuts… limbs that would take years to heal — if they ever did.

Finally, he stood before the officer in charge, a man who'd stayed back, giving orders safely from behind. The moment Sokka saw him, he knew exactly who he was.

"P-please… forgive me! I-I'm just following orders!" the man stammered, trembling.

Sokka looked at him with contempt. He knew a coward who only cared about his own skin when he saw one. But he also knew how to use that.

"Cauterize your men's wounds," he ordered coldly. "Save them from bleeding out. Burn them the same way they wanted to burn this village. It's more than they deserve."

The man, pale, had no choice. He knew that if he refused, Sokka would kill him without hesitation. So, shaking, he began cauterizing his soldiers' wounds. The screams of pain rose like a sinister offering as severed limbs were charred to stop the bleeding.

When Aang and Katara arrived again on Appa, they saw Sokka pinning the captain's back to the ground.

"I'll let you live long enough to return your men's belongings to their families when this war is over," Sokka told him, increasing the pressure on his spine.

A dry crack came before the man's muffled scream.

Katara ran toward her brother, not caring about anything else.

"How could you jump off Appa like that!?" her voice cracked, betraying the knot of tears in her throat.

Aang, meanwhile, was paralyzed. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing: Sokka, the sarcastic brother, surrounded by wounded and dead bodies, with the look of someone who had crossed a line.

Sokka approached them, impassive.

"Aang… you got here a bit late, but I managed to stop them from killing more people."

"Stop them? Sokka, those soldiers are dead! You weren't supposed to kill them!" Aang shouted, horrified.

Sokka looked at him blankly, a hint of irritation on his face.

"Do you really think I was talking about them?" he shot back, pointing at the fallen soldiers. "I don't care if they live or die. The ones you should care about are the villagers. They almost died because of these men."

Aang opened his mouth to protest, but Sokka cut him off, relentless.

"Would you have preferred I left them half-beaten so they could come back and attack again? If they're dead, it's because they deserved it. They burned and killed people with smiles on their faces. If you want to blame me for something, blame me for saving this village… and for letting these bastards live, because leaving them alive is more than they earned."

Sokka looked at Aang's face. He knew he didn't understand his point — that he didn't care. And that infuriated him. Dealing with him would be hard, but Aang's immaturity just made it worse.

With a sigh, Sokka forced a smile and spoke in a firm voice:

"Listen! You have nothing to fear anymore. This village has been freed by Team Avatar."

His words surprised Aang and the villagers alike.

"You're the Avatar?" a woman asked, incredulous.

Sokka burst out laughing and shook his head.

"No, the Avatar is this young Airbender. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have passed by to save your lives and stop these invaders."

Sokka's smile widened as he saw the villagers start to tie up the defeated soldiers. The squad captain sobbed, unable to move his legs.

"Your village will be safe for a long time," Sokka continued. "The main troops are moving north, leaving only this squad to control this area."

He spoke calmly, reassuring them they were no longer in danger and, at the same time, making it clear the Avatar had returned. Katara and Aang exchanged looks, surprised at how well Sokka had calmed the entire village.

They decided to stay there a few more hours, at Sokka's request, to make sure there were no more problems. Meanwhile, he instructed the few remaining Earthbenders on how to build a rock prison to hold the prisoners.

Sokka himself cleaned the wounds and reset the broken bones of the Fire Nation soldiers, making sure they didn't die too soon, while the villagers buried their loved ones. Each scream of pain from his enemies brought him a satisfied smile.

When he approached the squad captain, Sokka showed him a map of the area, a gift from the villagers.

"Show me where your watch post is." His voice left no room for argument.

"Why would I?" the man spat back, full of rage.

"Because I can make your stay here much worse than it already is."

The captain, trembling at the sight of his executioner's cold gaze, realized he wasn't bluffing.

"H-here…" he pointed fearfully. "But there are more men there…"

Sokka watched him for a few seconds, impassive, before leaving. He knew he was lying; when Appa had flown over the area, he hadn't sensed anyone there.

On his way out of the village, he spoke with a few men:

"I advise you to put on these soldiers' uniforms and stand guard at the entrance, just in case. It's unlikely they'll send another squad, but they'll almost certainly send two or three scouts to check things out. I know you can handle them," he told them calmly.

They nodded, determined. Finally, they cleared the way for him to head to the Fire Nation watch post.

It only took him a few minutes at top speed. Inspecting the camp, he found supplies, money, and tools. He took it all, storing more than half in the small spirit.

When he returned to the village, he handed over what he hadn't kept from the supplies.

"This will be enough for you to repair the place and not worry about food for a few days," he assured them, bidding them farewell with a calm smile.

When the last stone of the improvised prison was sealed, Sokka dusted off his hands. The villagers surrounded him, patting him on the back, bowing their heads in respect, thanking him in murmurs for giving them a bit of hope back.

Katara approached, wiping sweat from her forehead. Beside her, Aang absentmindedly petted Momo, already sitting on Appa, silently watching Sokka give final instructions to the village men.

"Is it done?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow as her brother turned to them.

"They'll handle it," Sokka answered, casting one last glance at the improvised prison and at the villagers, armed with spears and wearing the defeated soldiers' armor, standing guard.

Katara opened her mouth, looking for something sarcastic to say to him, but just sighed. She settled for giving him a gentle punch on the arm, reminding him he didn't carry it all alone.

Aang, from above, watched them. He took a deep breath, as if finally making a decision.

"Come on up already," he said with a small smile, patting Appa's side. "We're leaving."

Sokka arched an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? And where to, Avatar?"

Aang met his gaze with more resolve than usual. "To Omashu. I used to have a friend there — I want to visit the place."

Katara was surprised for a second, but then smiled. "Sounds good," she said, climbing onto Appa lightly.

Sokka paused a moment before climbing up, casting one last glance at the village. He watched as a few kids peeked out from behind their mothers, watching their unexpected saviors leave.

Without a word, he pushed off and settled in behind Katara and Aang. He felt Appa's deep rumble vibrate under his feet.

Aang raised his fist, took a deep breath, and shouted: "Appa! Yip yip!"

The bison let out a contented grunt, pushed off hard, and lifted into the sky. The village became a shrinking dot beneath his paws. The cold wind hit their faces, carrying away the tension they still carried.

"No jumping mid-flight this time, got it?" Katara threw at Sokka, giving him a warning look.

Sokka just let out a rough laugh, not bothering to promise anything.

Aang, for the first time in days, smiled genuinely. He looked at the horizon where the mountains hid the secrets of Omashu… and an old friend who might give them the edge they needed.

And so, propelled by Appa's rumble, they plunged headfirst into the next madness the world had in store for them.

POV Sokka

The walls of Omashu rose imposing and indifferent to time and countless Fire Nation attacks.

When we got off Appa — who immediately started munching on some grass — Aang returned to his energetic excitement, talking about Omashu and Bumi for what felt like the third time in two days. I was getting tired of it. I knew he was grieving and hoping Bumi was still alive, but I'd had enough.

"Look, Katara, now I look more my age — this way they won't recognize me dressed like this," he said, wearing a mustache and wig made from Appa's fur.

Katara and I stared at him for a few seconds, Katara amused by the situation.

As for me, I ripped it all off in one go, not bothering to be gentle.

"Hey!" he protested, angrier than usual.

"That's not necessary, Aang. You're the Avatar and this is the Earth Kingdom. We have no enemies here — you should go in as you are and ask the king for support in this war."

Aang nodded heavily, finally understanding my point.

"Come on, Avatar."

I said, giving him a little push toward the gate guards, who had just thrown the infamous Cabbage Man's cart off the cliff.

The guards tensed up immediately. Nothing like seeing a couple of teenagers, a bison, and a flying lemur to ruin their afternoon.

Aang swallowed hard. Pure Air Nomad instinct: flee, dodge, put on a peaceful monk face. Useful for everything except surviving a war.

But he took a deep breath. Opened his mouth. "I'm Avatar Aang! I want to speak with the King of Omashu!"

Good. One step forward. The guards looked at each other as if he'd just confessed he was a spirit disguised as a child.

"The Avatar?" one of them grunted — Pan Li, according to his badge. He had a face that looked like trouble — and few teeth.

"That's right," I cut in before Aang could back out. "We can prove it in front of your King."

"And why not right here?" Pan Li shot back. "Let your friend earthbend."

I sighed. Aang stared at his feet, Katara gave me that usual 'fix this' look.

"Mr. Guard," I said to Pan Li, lowering my voice to my driest tone. "Everyone has the right to be stupid, but you abuse the privilege."

The man stared at me in confusion while his companion nearly choked on his own laughter. Katara shot me a look of pure annoyance.

"Sorry about my partner, the king hired him for his intimidating face. Believe it or not, he's gotten us out of a few situations," the other guard said, amused.

"It's fine. We'd really appreciate it if you'd allow us an audience with your king, please," I said calmly.

The man nodded and let us through, while another guard from inside escorted us through Omashu toward the royal palace.

Aang talked nostalgically about the delivery system slides. One more mention of that and his mouth was going to tear open.

Before reaching the throne room, I reviewed what I knew about Bumi. The guy was crazy, but wise in his own way, as illogical as that sounded. He also had an army at his disposal that — at least in theory — should be well-trained.

When we arrived in front of him, I saw him dressed in purple. If I remembered right, he'd once complained that he preferred green. Maybe if I told him now, things would move faster.

When he saw us enter, his gaze lingered on Aang for a second longer than normal. Then that crooked smile appeared, along with his comically maniacal laugh.

"Welcome to Omashu."

Aang bowed, and I couldn't help but open my mouth to move things along. "Green suits you better."

Everyone looked confused by my words.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I see. That's a shame, because I love purple," he replied with a cackle.

Damn crazy old man. So that's how it is.

"Guards, take them to the cell that used to be a cell and was just refurbished."

At his words, the walls opened, revealing dozens of guards who began surrounding and escorting us.

"Wait, first things first… ho

w old are you?"

A playful smile appeared on his face. "I'm older than most."

Ha. This old man really was sharp. He didn't reveal anything and still said everything. This guy's really something.

"Well, I always wanted to see the Earth Kingdom's prisons."