Sokka's triumphant return, though marred by his injury, was met with a mixture of awe and concern. The giant arctic hippo-fish was a testament to his skill as a hunter, a clear demonstration of his value to the group, but the deep gash on his leg was a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked in their unforgiving world.
Alec, seeing the blood-soaked bandage Katara had hastily wrapped around Sokka's leg, felt a sharp pang of guilt. His earlier joke, his lighthearted jab at Sokka's lack of bending, now felt cruel and thoughtless. He hadn't known, of course, that Sokka would take it as a challenge, that he would push himself to such dangerous lengths to prove his worth. But the guilt remained, a heavy weight in his chest.
"Sokka," Alec said, his voice quiet but firm, "sit down. Near the water."
Sokka, who had been gritting his teeth against the pain, looked at Alec, surprised. "What for? I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
"It's not just a scratch, Sokka, and you know it," Alec replied, his gaze unwavering. "Just... trust me."
Sokka, though still a little wary of Alec's strange abilities, saw the genuine concern in his eyes. He limped over to the edge of the frozen lake, where a small pool of water remained unfrozen, and sat down, his injured leg stretched out before him.
Alec knelt beside him, his expression solemn. He took a deep breath, focusing his energy, and slowly, tentatively, began to bend the water. A gentle stream rose from the pool, swirling and shimmering in the pale light, and moved towards Sokka's leg. It was a delicate, controlled movement, a stark contrast to the raw, untamed power he had unleashed earlier.
He carefully submerged Sokka's injured leg in the swirling water. The sudden cold made Sokka yelp, his body tensing, ready to jump back. "Whoa! That's cold! What are you doing?!"
"Stay still," Alec commanded, his voice calm but firm, his gaze fixed on the wound. "It will help."
Sokka, though shivering, held on, his trust in Alec overriding his initial fear. He watched, fascinated, as the water began to glow with a soft, ethereal blue light, the same light that had emanated from the ice ball, the same light that had surrounded Alec during his impossible display of dual bending.
Alec's face was a mask of concentration. He looked at the deep cut on Sokka's leg, the torn flesh, the dark, clotted blood, and his guilt intensified. He had to fix this. He had to make it right. He poured all his focus, all his energy, into the healing process.
He remembered Katara's words – feel the flow, become one with the water. He let the water guide him, his hands moving instinctively, his touch gentle yet firm. He could feel the torn muscle, the severed veins, the damaged tissue. He coaxed the water to cleanse the wound, to soothe the inflammation, to knit the flesh back together.
It was a slow, arduous process. He had never done this before, had no memory of ever possessing such an ability. But it felt... right. It felt natural. He became more proficient with each passing moment, his movements more confident, his control over the water more precise.
Katara and Aang, drawn by the strange glow, came closer, their eyes widening in disbelief. They saw Alec, his face a mask of intense concentration, his hands moving with a grace they had never seen before. They saw the water, glowing with a soft, healing light, swirling around Sokka's leg. And they saw the wound, slowly, miraculously, closing, layer by layer, leaving behind smooth, unblemished skin.
It was an unforgettable scene, a moment of pure magic.
"Wow," Aang whispered, his voice filled with awe. "That's amazing! Where did you learn to do that?"
The question, innocent and well-intentioned, shattered Alec's concentration. His head started to buzz, a familiar, painful thrumming that signaled the return of a fragmented memory. He saw himself, not in the icy plains of the Southern Water Tribe, but in a warm, sun-drenched courtyard. He was healing someone else, someone whose face was obscured, lost in the haze of his forgotten past. He felt the same sense of concentration, the same flow of energy, the same deep, abiding need to heal.
The memory was gone as quickly as it came, leaving Alec weak and disoriented. He swayed, his body trembling, the energy he had expended suddenly catching up with him. He had healed Sokka, but the effort, both physical and mental, had taken its toll.
Katara and Sokka, seeing his distress, immediately rushed to his side, helping him regain his footing. "Alec! Are you alright?"
Aang, realizing his question had triggered Alec's distress, looked mortified. "I'm so sorry, Alec! I didn't mean to... I was just so amazed..."
Alec brushed it off, a weak smile touching his lips. "It's nothing. I'm just... a little tired."
He then turned to Sokka, his eyes filled with a genuine remorse. "Sokka, I'm sorry. For what I said earlier. It was a stupid joke. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Sokka, his leg now completely healed, looked at Alec, his own eyes filled with a newfound respect. He had been a warrior, a hunter, but now, he had been healed by a power he couldn't comprehend. The tables had turned, and in that moment, he felt a deep, abiding gratitude.
"It's nothing," Sokka said, echoing Alec's earlier words, a wide, genuine grin spreading across his face. "I'm just... a little tired."
A wave of laughter, spontaneous and heartfelt, erupted from the group. The tension, the guilt, the fear – it all melted away in the shared moment of humor and forgiveness. They were a strange, mismatched group – a waterbender, a non-bender, an airbender, and a dual-bending amnesiac. But in that moment, as their laughter echoed across the icy plains, they were more than just a group of individuals.