WILDFLOWERS ⋆ sokka {atla}

02

The two now stood outside the dojo. Well actually Mirai was leaning against a tree waiting patiently, while Sokka paced back and forth, kicking a rock, attempting to motivate himself some before going inside.

Mirai, dizzy from watching him move back and forth, decides to finally say something.

"Sokka-" He cuts her off abruptly and moves to stand in front of her. "My sister said that you are going to show us to the North Pole. Is that true?"

"Yeah, I guess it is true." She answers, still not quite believing it herself.

"And that you have been all over the world?"

"Pretty much." She states, hoping that was his last question and this conversation would be over, really just wanting to go inside and see her friend.

"Why are you traveling by yourself? Where are your parents?"

Her heart dropped at the last question, not expecting to be asked that. She looks down at her feet and blinks away the tears that had started to form, not wanting Sokka to see her cry.

"It used to be the three of us, but now it's just me." She whispers, afraid if she speaks any louder her voice will break.

She refuses to make eye contact with Sokka and continues to focus her gaze on her feet, but she can still feel his eyes on her. "Oh, I'm sor-" This time Mirai cuts him off, desperate to change the subject. "I didn't come with you to be asked my life's story, now stop stalling and go see Suki." She insists, moving away from the tree she had previously been leaning on and pushes Sokka in the direction of the dojo. To Mirai's relief, he doesn't say anything else and stumbles inside the building.

_____________________________________________

Mirai stood to the side of the room with a few of the other Kyoshi Warriors. The girls quietly chatting amongst themselves and observing Sokka's training, who now stood decked out in the Kyoshi Warrior's attire.

(Mirai thought he looked pretty good in the uniform, although she would never admit it out loud.)

"He may have been a jerk a first and still is probably, but you have to admit he has some potential." Jia, one of the Warriors, told the group.

Mirai quietly watched as Sokka moved around with with his fan, attempting to copy a move Suki showed him. His move's were rigid and lacked the proper flow that the techique required, but as she observed more closely, she could tell that Jia is right, he does have potential.

As the group continued to watch Sokka struggle to grasp the fighting style, Mirai began to fiddle with the golden bands that occupied her left arm. The three bands rested from her wrist to right below her elbow and are connected by a thick strip of gold. In the middle of the band that wrapped around her wrist was circle of jade, no bigger than a gold piece, but when pressed, resulted in the strip of gold flaring out into a perfectly round shield.

Her father had designed the shield for her as a birthday gift when she turned twelve and found a blacksmith in the small Earth Kingdom town they were currently staying in willing to bring her father's creation to life. The shield was too big for twelve year old Mirai and constantly slid off her arm, but now at fifteen it fit her with a perfect snugness. Her fingers traced lightly over the gold and around the jade, smiling softly at the memory of her father presenting her with the gift.

Her movements did not go did not go unnoticed however and felt a soft nudge on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Kasumi, another Warrior, gesturing with her head down to the gold that covered her arm.

"The Warriors have got to get themselves one of those." She tells Mirai, making her smile brightly at Kasumi's comment.

"You should." Mirai responds. "I know the Kyoshi Warrior can handle anything thrown at them, but some defense wouldn't hurt."