Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > Aftermath
Warrior Girl
Toph walked with confidence, only putting out a hand once and a while to slap away an errant branch or creeping bush. The sun rose over the horizon, finally ending one of the most difficult nights of her life. She'd slept, but it had been fitful and she was more tired now than she was before she went to sleep.
Aang's groans and Katara's constant movement from her bedding to where he laid had kept her awake. Toph had wanted to tell her to just lie next to him but she'd bitten her tongue, not wanting to cause either of them anymore pain than was necessary. Katara seemed intent on keeping her distance from them all and Toph could understand that she needed her space. As for Aang...no one seemed to want to go near him other than Appa. He was too injured, too broken and this frightened all of them.
The fear had made Toph curl up into a ball and hide herself behind a thick slab of earth but there was no hiding from her own thoughts and imaginings if Aang didn't make it through the night. Anxiety filled her nightmares with fire, blood and the deaths of all those she loved. For the first time in her young life, Toph was truly afraid of the future that was waiting for her and the ground beneath her feet was not as steady as it once was. She didn't know what to do because she'd never felt like this before-so hopeless and lost. Her spirit was as injured as the Avatar she followed and she needed it mended fast before it was time to fight again. She needed to be steady to be able to fight and defend her friends. The knot in her gut and the weight on her shoulders had no place on the battlefield.
The gentle, steady rumble of the river flow reached Toph before its sounds did and Sokka's familiar heartbeat beckoned to her before his heavy sighs did. As short and idiotic as her capture had been, there'd been moments when she let the fear take hold and it was no surprise that she'd wished he was at her side. Being reunited with him had made her feel whole and safe-even though she was now undoubtedly one of the most powerful benders in the world. It was a different kind of safe. The kind that soothed her often riotous thoughts and softened her more stubborn impulses. It was the kind of safe that let her feel...and put what was broken back together again.
She needed that now.
So as to not frighten him, Toph kicked a small pebble at Sokka and allowed herself a small smile when he reacted with a characteristic flare of temper. She didn't have to see to know that he was rubbing his head and looking around to see who had done it.
"Good morning to you, too, Toph," Sokka said irritatedly.
"Good morning," she said. "Catch any breakfast yet?"
"A while ago," he replied as she started to sit next to him and he silently removed the fish she was about to sit on. "Is anyone else up yet?"
"No. Katara was almost up the whole night taking care of Aang and the Earth King is out like a light. You wouldn't think he'd be able to sleep after what happened today but considering how his kingdom's been run...I guess we shouldn't be surprised."
"Can't blame the guy," Sokka said with a shrug. "It's not like he knew there was anything else he could do."
There was a flatness in his voice that made Toph tilt her head inquisitively.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Seriously?" he snorted.
"I mean, besides what happened. What's wrong with you?"
Toph heard him blow out a breath and take in a deep one as if he were steadying himself. She could feel his heart beating fast and the restless tapping of his finger on the ground.
"I saw my Dad. Did I tell you that?" he said slowly.
"No."
"He looks a lot older now than he did when he left, but stronger, too. He invented this bomb that sinks Fire Nation ships and he was going to use them to protect Ba Sing Se from the incoming navy. I didn't want to tell Katara because she had enough to worry about with Aang and he's the priority right now. Anyway, Dad probably already met the Fire Nation and fought with them by now," Sokka swallowed hard. "I just want to know if he's okay."
Toph put a hand on his, stopping his now frantic tapping. "Sokka..." she stopped, brow furrowed thoughtfully when the words she knew he needed to hear got stuck in her throat.
"Aren't you going to tell me he's going to be alright?" he said tightly, almost accusingly. "Aren't you going to say that we'll see each other again when this is all over and Aang saves the world?"
Tears burned in Toph's sightless eyes. She couldn't say those words because suddenly it was hard to believe that anything would be right again. She lifted her hand from his and wiped at her tears, angry at herself for letting them fall at all. At that moment, she wasn't the greatest Earthbender in the world; she was a twelve year old girl who needed comfort, if only for a little while.
Perhaps seeking out her safety net hadn't been such a good idea after all.
"Yeah," she said, starting to stand. "All that."
But this time, he gripped her hand in his and tugged her back down. It took only another tug to have her in his arms, her face pressed against his shoulder.
"I've never seen you cry before. You're a rock, Toph. A warrior girl. I didn't think you ever cried," he said softly as he patted her back gently. "But it's okay. You need to be able to let it out now or else you might let it out when you shouldn't and crush me under a boulder or something."
"I shouldn't be the one crying," she said, struggling to stop. "You're worried about your Dad. I should be comforting you."
"Don't get me wrong, you have a lot of great things going for you, but you're about as comforting as a pebble in my boot."
Toph let out a snort of laughter even as she cried. Sokka held her at arm's length and mopped up her tears with the bottom of his tunic.
"Don't tell anyone," she sniffed.
Sokka wiped his own eyes. "Only if you don't."
-fin-
Toph walked with confidence, only putting out a hand once and a while to slap away an errant branch or creeping bush. The sun rose over the horizon, finally ending one of the most difficult nights of her life. She'd slept, but it had been fitful and she was more tired now than she was before she went to sleep.
Aang's groans and Katara's constant movement from her bedding to where he laid had kept her awake. Toph had wanted to tell her to just lie next to him but she'd bitten her tongue, not wanting to cause either of them anymore pain than was necessary. Katara seemed intent on keeping her distance from them all and Toph could understand that she needed her space. As for Aang...no one seemed to want to go near him other than Appa. He was too injured, too broken and this frightened all of them.
The fear had made Toph curl up into a ball and hide herself behind a thick slab of earth but there was no hiding from her own thoughts and imaginings if Aang didn't make it through the night. Anxiety filled her nightmares with fire, blood and the deaths of all those she loved. For the first time in her young life, Toph was truly afraid of the future that was waiting for her and the ground beneath her feet was not as steady as it once was. She didn't know what to do because she'd never felt like this before-so hopeless and lost. Her spirit was as injured as the Avatar she followed and she needed it mended fast before it was time to fight again. She needed to be steady to be able to fight and defend her friends. The knot in her gut and the weight on her shoulders had no place on the battlefield.
The gentle, steady rumble of the river flow reached Toph before its sounds did and Sokka's familiar heartbeat beckoned to her before his heavy sighs did. As short and idiotic as her capture had been, there'd been moments when she let the fear take hold and it was no surprise that she'd wished he was at her side. Being reunited with him had made her feel whole and safe-even though she was now undoubtedly one of the most powerful benders in the world. It was a different kind of safe. The kind that soothed her often riotous thoughts and softened her more stubborn impulses. It was the kind of safe that let her feel...and put what was broken back together again.
She needed that now.
So as to not frighten him, Toph kicked a small pebble at Sokka and allowed herself a small smile when he reacted with a characteristic flare of temper. She didn't have to see to know that he was rubbing his head and looking around to see who had done it.
"Good morning to you, too, Toph," Sokka said irritatedly.
"Good morning," she said. "Catch any breakfast yet?"
"A while ago," he replied as she started to sit next to him and he silently removed the fish she was about to sit on. "Is anyone else up yet?"
"No. Katara was almost up the whole night taking care of Aang and the Earth King is out like a light. You wouldn't think he'd be able to sleep after what happened today but considering how his kingdom's been run...I guess we shouldn't be surprised."
"Can't blame the guy," Sokka said with a shrug. "It's not like he knew there was anything else he could do."
There was a flatness in his voice that made Toph tilt her head inquisitively.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Seriously?" he snorted.
"I mean, besides what happened. What's wrong with you?"
Toph heard him blow out a breath and take in a deep one as if he were steadying himself. She could feel his heart beating fast and the restless tapping of his finger on the ground.
"I saw my Dad. Did I tell you that?" he said slowly.
"No."
"He looks a lot older now than he did when he left, but stronger, too. He invented this bomb that sinks Fire Nation ships and he was going to use them to protect Ba Sing Se from the incoming navy. I didn't want to tell Katara because she had enough to worry about with Aang and he's the priority right now. Anyway, Dad probably already met the Fire Nation and fought with them by now," Sokka swallowed hard. "I just want to know if he's okay."
Toph put a hand on his, stopping his now frantic tapping. "Sokka..." she stopped, brow furrowed thoughtfully when the words she knew he needed to hear got stuck in her throat.
"Aren't you going to tell me he's going to be alright?" he said tightly, almost accusingly. "Aren't you going to say that we'll see each other again when this is all over and Aang saves the world?"
Tears burned in Toph's sightless eyes. She couldn't say those words because suddenly it was hard to believe that anything would be right again. She lifted her hand from his and wiped at her tears, angry at herself for letting them fall at all. At that moment, she wasn't the greatest Earthbender in the world; she was a twelve year old girl who needed comfort, if only for a little while.
Perhaps seeking out her safety net hadn't been such a good idea after all.
"Yeah," she said, starting to stand. "All that."
But this time, he gripped her hand in his and tugged her back down. It took only another tug to have her in his arms, her face pressed against his shoulder.
"I've never seen you cry before. You're a rock, Toph. A warrior girl. I didn't think you ever cried," he said softly as he patted her back gently. "But it's okay. You need to be able to let it out now or else you might let it out when you shouldn't and crush me under a boulder or something."
"I shouldn't be the one crying," she said, struggling to stop. "You're worried about your Dad. I should be comforting you."
"Don't get me wrong, you have a lot of great things going for you, but you're about as comforting as a pebble in my boot."
Toph let out a snort of laughter even as she cried. Sokka held her at arm's length and mopped up her tears with the bottom of his tunic.
"Don't tell anyone," she sniffed.
Sokka wiped his own eyes. "Only if you don't."
-fin-
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