#And Aang is so tired and his body he knows is aching for his family

[rllymilerlly]

IM DEAD THIS IS SO FLIPPING CUTE!! And exactly how I pictured it! Now I raise you this:

Mamma Bear Toph

HCs: Taang

Height Difference. This is very important to me, for some reason. Toph’s a little shorter than Aang when they meet, then they kinda even out at 14 – and for a while, it actually looks like she’s gonna surpass him, but then he has a massive growth spurt, and just … doesn’t fucking stop growing again. So, Aang tol, Toph smol. 

PDA. Aang is a touchy-feely person. He likes to hug and cuddle and kiss and hold hands, and be hugged, cuddled and kissed. Toph likes all these things, too. In fact, she loves them. Just … not particularly in front of other people. Holding hands, fine, a kiss on the cheek, too, but everything else is reseved for home. 

Travels. That’s honestly basically it. They travel, a lot, not only because I’d imagine it makes Aang’s job as the Avatar easier, but also because they both are very free spirits, and the world is big, and there’s much to see and explore. 

The Best. I truly believe Aang and Toph are able to bring out the best in eachother; they are able to give eachother what they need, if not necessarily always what they want. Toph helps him to stand his ground, to square up and not back down. Aang help her see that that isn’t always the best way to go about things. He gives her freedom, she gives him stability, things they desperately crave/need when we meet them. 

Chores. Aang is much more likely to do most of them; he has more fun cooking, he doesn’t like it if things get too messy, and letting Toph do the washing is not a good idea. Toph helps out when he asks or when she can see that he doesn’t have the mind to do it at the moment. 

Diet. Expanding on Aang doing the cooking, I also imagine Toph being mostly vegeterian when they’re together. Not out of conviction, though. If they’re with friends/family she will happily eat meat. But I don’t see her going out of her way to cook it herself when Aang’s preparing dinner anyway, and he definitely won’t serve her steak. 

Children. They’d both be pretty hands-on parents, I think. By no means perfect, but doing as best as they could. I can see Toph being a little too lenient, not making that many rules initially (’cuz she had too many), but Aang’s there to somewhat balance that out. (I can’t imagine the Air Temples just being complete chaos; they must’ve had structure and rules, and it didn’t hurt him. There is such a thing as too few rules.) They make a good team. And good parents.

[felidlycanthrope]

Bandages

zuko x reader

fluffy bliss w maybe a teeny bit of angst if you squint

The battle raged on for far longer than any of us were used to. I felt like Zuko and I moved like a finely tuned machine-bursts of fire and water flew as enemy soldiers surged from the wings.

It seemed like hours until the battle was won and we were finally able to trudge home (or at least back to the patch of ruined Western Air Temple that we set up camp at).

“I’ve never been so tired in my entire life,” Aang groaned as he sunk to the ground. He curled up in a ball as Katara gathered a few logs and sticks from the pile we’d accumulated in the corner beside my all but abandoned tent.

“At least we know that village is safe for now,” Katara sighed, “they won’t have to worry about their rations mysteriously vanishing

After a while, the silence became mind-numbingly painful. Katara was the one to break it in typical Katara fashion: “It’s been a long day, we should all catch some sleep while we can.”

“Who am I to argue with that?” I laughed half-heartedly. I looked over to see Zuko pretty much falling asleep beside me with his empty bowl still in his hands. I stood on aching muscles and turned to face him. I brushed a strand of hair from his face, jolting him awake. “Sorry- it’s just..you should get to your tent. It’s not safe to sit by the fire like this.” I held my hands in front of me in offering.

He grunted in agreement, taking my hands with what little energy he seemed to have left. I halfheartedly pulled him to his feet, lacing my fingers with his. We said our goodnights to the remaining members of the group and retreated to the corner of the temple we’d claimed as our home.

It wasn’t until Zuko lit the lantern near his tent that I noticed a small patch of blood that had seeped through his shirt. “You’re hurt, you idiot,” I hissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, obviously trying (and failing) to hide the pain that the movement seemed to cause.

“I’ll go get Katara, she can heal some of the deeper ones real quick before they all-“

“No!” His voice pierced the quiet of the night. “I mean, no thank you. I don’t want her to…I don’t want to be…I’m fine, I promise.” He tried to lift the flap of his tent, but paused for a moment as he doubled over, clutching his right shoulder.

“At least let me try to bandage some of them,” I pleaded, “so they don’t get infected. I know for a fact that you haven’t washed this sleeping bag since last week.”

He paused for a moment, trying to hide the rolling of his eyes. He sighed and replied, “fine. Do whatever.”

He tried to shrug his shirt off with a wincing groan. I pulled it back the rest of the way when his arms slumped to his sides, brushing against my thigh in front of him. I discarded it to the side as I examined the damage. Scrapes and bruises littered his torso and arms, but it wasn’t until he turned around that I saw a painfully large burn covering his right shoulder blade.

“There’s a little jar in my pack,” he mumbled as he laid down on his sleeping bag. He shuffled around for a moment before decidedly shoving his face into the pillow.

I stood up from my position kneeling on the edge of his sleeping bag to oblige. A sea of clothes and trinkets covered my prize- a tiny red clay pot, wrapped carefully in sinew-y ropes and tied with an impossibly neat little bow. It even seemed as if it were polished; its surface was much more smooth than any handmade pottery I’d seen before.

“A little bit should do,” he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow. “Aloe and clay from the swamplands outside the palace. Uncle made it.”

“It definitely smells like it’s effective.” The moment I opened it the smell of eucalyptus and mint burned my nose. I grabbed the bandage that was tucked beside it, and shuffled back toward him. I settled beside his body, sitting cross legged. I uncapped the vial again, scooping a small amount onto my fingers and gently brushing it onto the bloodied surface.

He groaned, clutching the pillow. “Guess I forgot how much it stings.”

It broke my heart to see him in such pain, especially knowing it was probably because he was concerned with protecting me. I also knew he would never admit it.

A silence washed over us as I continued to clean and dress his wounds. The lantern was barely flickering by the time I finished maneuvering a very fragile battlefield. “You know you don’t have to hide this kind of thing,” I scolded him. I patted his less bandaged shoulder, motioning for him to sit up. “You’re all patched up. You’re welcome, by the way.”

He fiddled with his thumb for a moment before responding. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

“You’re actually welcome,” I emphasized. “We’re a family here, we take care of each other. If you’re hurt we’re not going to exploit it and add to your emotional trauma, or whatever it is that Azula does with papercuts.”

He let out a small chuckle before flicking a hand toward the lantern. The flame responded with a fervent uptick before settling at an enthusiastic pulse. Shadows danced on the walls of the tent past the darkness of the night, painting a portrait of the awkward silence that enveloped the room.

“You should get some rest,” I said, trying to break the silence, “it’ll help you heal faster, or something. I think. I’m not really sure, Katara usually makes the healing recommendations around here.”

I started to stand before a hand around my wrist stopped me in my tracks.

“Stay, please,” he said. “I don’t know what happened the other night but…it helped a bit. Or something.”

I couldn’t help but let a smile creep across my face as I settled down beside him. He lifted the covers as I shuffled closer to the warmth of his body. His head hit the pillow with a satisfying thud. He tried to hide a wince, but failed absolutely miserably. The pain crept across his face, contorting his features.

“You’ve gotta be more careful, you idiot,” I scolded him. “Just.. scoot over a little bit more. Carefully.”

He obliged with a pained chuckle. He settled back into his position, staring at the ceiling before letting his eyes drift shut.

The cold assaulted me through the thin fabric of the tent. A shiver ran through my body; I could feel Zuko’s side eye after a few blasts of wind filtered through the flap of the tent.

He turned onto his side- this time without so much as a twitch of the eye. “Come here. I don’t get cold easy. Should be warmer.”

“No, no it’s fine,” I assured him, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or-“

“It’s not uncomfortable, promise,” he replied.

I wasn’t one to turn down a human fireplace- I obliged with cautious enthusiasm. I laced my fingers with his right by his side, pressing my chest flush with his side and wrapping my other arm over his waist. I maneuvered my hand over a battlefield of cuts and scrapes before settling over his other hip.

It wasn’t long before his quiet snores overwhelmed the croaking badgerfrogs and chirping cricketmoths. And it was even less time before his steady heartbeat and admittedly gloriously warm bedmate.

[amberskywrites]

Soulmarks and Surprises

First fic for this fandom! A bit iffy on how well it turned out- but! Hopefully as I write more for this fandom the more comfortable I can become with the characters and writing fics with them! Anywho- enjoy!

Masterpost

Pairing: Zukka

Fandom / Genre: Avatar the Last Airbender /  Fluff

Summary: Soulmarks and soulmates were something that was pushed to the back of people's minds once the fire nation attacked... Suddenly, it was no longer a priority to find the one you were supposedly destined to be with, all according to black images somewhere on your body. 

Well, Sokka at least doesn't have to look too far to find his soulmate.

-------------------

Sokka had noticed the mark a long time ago, when they were staying in Ozai's old house. He was watching Zuko teach Aang firebending one day, and couldn't help searching the prince's torso for that telling mark. He was curious if Zuko even had a soulmark.

He never usually thought much of soulmarks. They were common, but often overlooked at this point. It was difficult for most to find their soulmate after the fire nation started trying to take over the world, and suddenly soulmates weren't the most important thing in cultures anymore. But with the war hopefully ending soon… Sokka wondered if people would become more determined to find their soulmate.

Suki wasn't his, he knew that. The two had compared their marks late one night when they had become curious, and although they looked kind of similar, it was clear they weren't the same. Sokka's was a wave that crashed and turned into flames, and Suki's were flames being blown into a night sky by a fan.

Sokka had never seen Katara's soulmark, and Aang… Aang didn't seem to have one. Sokka assumed it was because he was the Avatar, so maybe he just wouldn't ever have a soulmate. And Sokka hadn't tried seeing Toph's.

But he was curious about Zuko's soulmark. And so, watching him train Sokka observed and searched until he spotted it. It was on the same side his scar was on, on his lower back, easy to hide if he wanted. And Sokka's heart stopped beating for a few moments as he stared at the mirror image of his own mark.

Sokka had trouble sleeping that night, but with the comet arriving soon, Sokka decided that he could bring up the soulmark another time.

-

The day before Sozin's comet, Sokka finally pulled Zuko aside. He couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of one of them dying and Zuko not at least knowing that they were soulmates. Sokka thought he had a right to know, so that if Sokka did die and Zuko lived Zuko could at least not spend years hoping to find his soulmate. 

Zuko tilted his head at Sokka, frowning slightly. "What's going on with you?" he asked. "You're more jittery than usual."

Sokka let go of Zuko's arm, instead folding his own arms over his chest. "I… I really need to talk with you about something, something that I've known for a bit now." Sokka didn't meet Zuko's eyes as he spoke, trying to gather his thoughts.

Zuko waited patiently, watching as his friend worried at his bottom lip. He'd never seen Sokka appear this nervous before, really. "It's about soulmarks, specifically yours."

Zuko stiffened slightly at that, frown deepening. He thought no one cared about those anymore… he certainly didn't like them, especially knowing he had one and that some poor soul was quite possibly destined to be with him. As a child, because of the water mixing with flames in his soulmark, Azula would tease him because his soulmate would probably be a waterbender, or from one of the water tribes at least, something not really sought after in his family.

"Yeah?"

Sokka nodded.

Zuko also really didn't like the idea that a stupid mark told him who he would end up loving, if they ever met at all-

"I um, I have the same one."

Zuko blinked at Sokka in confusion, his thoughts having come to a sudden halt. It took a moment for Zuko to process what Sokka had said, and he was shaking his head at the water tribe boy.

"No, you don't."

Spirits, Sokka had to be lying. Zuko couldn't think of why Sokka would lie about being his soulmate, but there was no way Sokka was Zuko's. Zuko knew Sokka was destined to be with someone much greater.

"I can show you if you don't believe me." Before Zuko could say anything, Sokka was moving his tunic aside and turned slightly, showing the back of his shoulder. Black swirled together in a pattern Zuko very easily recognized, and he felt his throat closed as he stared at the mark. Sokka took a deep breath as he shifted his clothes back in place. Zuko shook his head again, trying to catch up with his thoughts. "This was probably the worst time to tell you- I should have when I first found out but I couldn't cause I wasn't sure how to bring it up or how you would react or even feel about that, but you deserved to know, especially if things go south and something happens."

The silence was worse than any rejection Sokka could have imagined, it just felt so tense and Zuko looked blank, and Sokka needed just some sort of reaction.

"Zuko, say something, please," Sokka didn't speak loudly, taking a hesitant step towards Zuko. Zuko didn't move away from him, instead, he glanced towards where the others had all made camp. When he returned his gaze back to Sokka, something seemed to switch and he reached out for the young warrior and embraced him tightly.

Sokka was frozen for a moment before he returned the hug, feeling Zuko bury his face in the crook of Sokka's neck. "Don't you dare let things go south," Zuko mumbled, pressing closer. "I want to be able to properly talk about this when we aren't gonna go end this war in about a day."

Relief washed over Sokka for a moment, and his arms tightened around Zuko. "Will definitely try."

-

Things luckily worked out in the end. They talked in the infirmary of the palace and had agreed to try dating, see if they were actually a good match, but they also wanted to take it slow. Things were already moving so quickly in their lives, they didn't need another thing to pile on.

That was roughly three years ago, though. Zuko had been crowned Firelord, and after Sokka healed he returned to the southern water tribe to help rebuild and to also help improve his tribe's home. They exchanged letters for those two years, each letter growing sappier the longer they were apart.

Zuko was reading over a document, one he was planning on proposing to the school administrators soon to change curriculums. He was so focused he barely registered the loud knocking on his door. It was fairly late, he realized as he rose from his desk, back stiff and aching, and he wondered who would even be up at this hour besides some guards.

The knocking continued until he finally opened his door, sighing, about to scold whoever for possibly disrupting some visiting ambassador's sleep. Zuko snapped his mouth shut though at the grinning face in front of him, and the smile was infectious.

"I thought you weren't going to be able to make it for another week?"

Sokka shrugged. "I couldn't help myself from making a surprise visit," and he nodded towards Zuko's room, a silent question. Zuko moved out of the way, letting Sokka inside and Zuko thanked the guard who had escorted him before closing the door.

Sokka was already settled on Zuko's bed and he reached out, beckoning his boyfriend over. Zuko rolled his eyes as Sokka started making grabby hands instead, and he shrugged off his formal robes. He had started wearing more comfortable clothes underneath them so he could feel a bit more relaxed in meetings. Zuko put the robes in a hamper, knowing the servants would come and retrieve them by morning, and he accepted Sokka's embrace, practically melting into the water tribe boy's arms.

"You've been working too hard," Sokka muses as he kicks off his shoes before shifting them both under Zuko's blankets. He did it with ease, Zuko curled up on his lap basically made it easier for him to move and lie down. Zuko nestled into his chest, and felt Sokka remove his hair from the bun he always kept it in. The crown was also taken out, set on the nightstand near Zuko's bed.

"I've gotta if I want to keep improving the fire nation," Zuko says, listening to Sokka's steady heartbeat. Sokka hummed knowingly, fingers combing through Zuko's hair. Zuko sighed at the touch and relaxed further.

"Missed you," Sokka mumbled, and Zuko nodded slightly in agreement. "I can stay longer than I did last time, too."

Zuko glanced up at him, curious. "How long, exactly?" Last time, Sokka was able to stay for about a month. But that was last year. Sokka grins down at him, hand not in Zuko's hair moving down Zuko's back and slipping under Zuko's shirt, tracing the soulmark there.

"As long as I want, if you'll let me."

Zuko returned to his previous position, and he nodded slightly. "Of course, you could stay forever if you truly wanted."

Sokka laughs at that, and he presses a kiss to the top of Zuko's head. "I'll keep that in mind. You look tired though, so how about we sleep, and tomorrow over breakfast you can complain about the boring meetings like you do in your letters."

Zuko huffs, but doesn't object to sleeping and he falls asleep faster than Sokka thought he would. Sokka doesn't mention the pendant he made, that's something he could bring up after he caught up with his soulmate.

[wolfy2109]

Tokka Week 2020: Family💖💖

(just another one-shot)

It's been months since I've seen her, I left thinking it'll be a matter of weeks. The councils of both the tribes had agreed and even I didn't anticipate a resistance. I wondered from time to time how she felt when she got to know that I'll be kept longer and was in a civil war of sorts again,if she'll show up in her metal armour again. The thought of how that armour clings tightly around her upper body was enough to make a grown man day dream. He thought about how soft her cheeks and lips were,all he wanted to was kiss her, passionately. He thought about holding his baby girl in his arms and kissing her forehead,she was the brightest child in the world according to him. He hoped Toph hadn't been too hard on her.

By the time he reached the door step,his every muscle was torn from tiredness,his head hurt from the long hours of sleepless travel(troubles in the ship). But his heart was so full of happiness,his mind full of thoughts and activities to do with both of his girls. He knocked the door and one of his known servants opened the door, thankfully. "Bo, it's so good to see you. Can you get some guys to put all this luggage in my room?" Sokka said,he was the kind of guy who treated servants with more respect than anyone,water tribe had engrained these values of compassion for one and all in him well enough. However,Bo didn't match his enthusiasm,he looked rather flustered, uncomfortable. He didn't meet his eyes when he answered "Sure sir,welcome back. I'll get right at it. ". Sokka was a chief,a strategist and a warrior he knew damn well that something was going on,he raised an eyebrow at Bo,to which Bo replied "did the news reach you?". Sokka worriedly replied "what news?. Is Toph okay?. Is she gone for another dangerous case?. Is Lin-" ,he was then cut off by a "nothing, she's just in an important meeting and will be late,your daughter will be in the study as of now,you can meet her."

Bo then rushed off and Sokka knew something was off but he didn't care,he was seeing Lin after 6 months,he entered the study and saw her dedicatedly reading some book on the history of earth kingdom,when she looked at him,her eyes sparked up with excitement. She ran to him and hugged him,he picked her up. "You're getting bigger,young chief" he told Lin. She giggled and gave him the biggest kiss on the cheek. They spent the entire afternoon talking about how he had fought cleverly and bravely and stopped a civil war and how Lin had aced the basics of earth bending forms. They were laughing like two six year olds,one of them was and well the other was, let's just say not six at all.

Nonetheless they talked like equals,like a true father and daughter duo. They both were fascinated with each other's stories,proud of their achievements and blissful to be back together again. Sokka told Lin that she didn't have to go to any class today, she'll be home spending "quality time" with her father and Lin was more than pleased with this offer.

Sokka went to take a bath after his lunch with Lin and found the two servants who were supposed to bring his luggage up to his room chatting. "I don't know how it's going to be like when he finds out. He has no idea." .The other servant replied "only a matter of time before it all blows up in her face,the nasty attitude,the bringing a guy in the house a week after he left.". Sokka couldn't believe what he had just heard,his body was paralyzed. He felt like he could no longer function. When he had gotten together with Toph he knew it was real,she made him the happiest man on the planet,their comfort with each other was unparalleled. He had been gone longer and she too,why didn't she wait this time. He was no Kanto,he was Sokka,her long time friend,her colleague,her family. He immediately stopped the thoughts from going any further and consuming him. He believed in her and her love. After his bath,his distress had still not eased.

As much as he didn't want to involve Lin in this he had to. Reassuring and horrible thoughts kept gushing his mind,the thoughts had reached the brim of his mind. He went to Lin,she was in her room playing with some of the toys he had got from his home,her fascination with them lit up her face. She was the most adorable child he had ever seen and also the smartest,he took great pride in raising her.

Sokka taught her how to use some of the toys and after five matches of Pai-sho which he deliberately let her win,Lin was tired. Sokka sat next to her,he didn't want to involve her in this and get to know how insecure her father is being right now but he had no other choice. "Lin,has some man been coming home lately?." ,he asked. His tone was a semi-friendly one but it masked fear,a lot of it, nervousness and denial to believe anything other than no. "Yeah,there has been. He has been coming every week since you've left. He is amazing,he brings me these amazing gummies and-", before Lin could complete,Sokka got up and told her to go and play with some of her friends for a while,he had some work to do. Before Lin could stop him and cling to him,he stormed out of the room.

There was no servant in his sight or he would have beaten the truth out of them. His mind was now an utter mess ,"how could she?.We were so happy,we didn't give it the name of a marriage but we were one happy family. She couldn't. She wouldn't have. Maybe it was Aang,maybe he's in town. Maybe it's the servant who reads her notices and letters. It can't be, I trust her and her love for me." ,all these thoughts were enough for him to stop mid-way and rub his forehead that was still aching from the lack of sleep. He was angry at her,who was this man after all?. He was angry at himself,how can his trust in her be so fickle.

He entered his room,their room. And he saw her. Face turned the other side. She was in her armour but something seemed wierd. She wasn't standing in the attention position she had mastered,she looked fragile. He never thought a day would come when she looked…….weak. "Toph" his voice was full of emotions for a second his mind had forgotten all about this other man,his voice was soft, calming and on the verge of cracking. They both were always on duty,they spent months like these often,Toph would go off and Sokka would stay with Lin and vice versa. But every time they saw each other after their period of separation,they spent the whole night talking, hugging, being happy that they were safe, mocking each other and what not. These memories calmed Sokka down.

He heard a gasp,he could see that she had lifted one hand and probably put it at her mouth?,her face was facing the other side. "Wouldn't you turn around?" He asked her. It was obvious now,he was crying. He heard a muffled sob. "I'm sorry Sokka, I don't know what to do, I'm happy to see you, I am, I really am but I don't know how to say this to you",her voice was cracking after every five words. Sokka's heart sank,so there is another man,he thought. He took a step back,he felt devastated,angry, miserable, heart broken and it wasn't long before he would've started shouting at her,he couldn't handle it.

He did everything right,he loved her right,if she didn't want him home,she could have sent a letter. Hawkie was always here to deliver anyway. "Look me in the eye and say it,Toph.",his voice asserted dominance,she had only heard him talk like this on battle fields to the people who answer to him. But it was not only dominance,his voice sounded like he was repressing anger and pain,a lot of it. So he knew,she thought. She hated his reaction,as scared as she was,she didn't expect THIS.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sokka. It's all my fault,if it hurts you so much get out of here, I've done all this once and I'll do it a second time.",she turned around in fury. Sokka scoffed and was about to say something when he saw it.

Was it a baby bump?. He hadn't seen her in the nine months when she was pregnant with Lin but here she was, standing with one hand on her stomach and the other on her back. She continued in fury "do you know how it was like for me?. A week after you left I found out about THIS. But I thought it wouldn't be as hard for me because now you were here,you would look after our child,Sokka!!". She sat on the bed side and tried to continue screaming when Sokka came down at his knees and touched the baby bump. He kissed it,his touch was so gentle, she had missed it so much. Toph breathed sharply,the gesture came as a surprise to her. "What are you doing?" She said. "Why didn't you tell me Toph, I would've-" he was cut off by Toph,"come right away? That's why. I didn't want to put you in a situation where you had to choose between your duties and your family. Whether or not you would have liked this,you would've been effected by it. You were at war for crying out loud. I was so scared for you,so worried about you-". Sokka shut her up with a kiss that was filled with longing and love and an apology?. She thought. They both leaned in, losing themselves completely in this,cheeks wet from tears and eyes shut close. This moment lasted forever,they took moments off where Sokka stroked her hair and she kissed his hand.

They were then interrupted by a coughing sound and when they pulled away,Sokka saw a man at the door,he carried a small bag and had spectacles. "Sokka,this is my doctor. He makes sure of my health,my mom and dad send him in every 4-5 days because of their paranoia." Sokka kissed her nose and whispered "I'm sorry" in her ear. Before she could ask him for what,he bombarded the doctor with questions "is the child going to be healthy?. Is Toph fine?. Why is her bump still so small?. When is it going to kick?. Will it be a bender or a non bender,does it know that it doesn't matter?. Is it a boy or a girl?.". He spent hours getting filled up on her pregnancy months that he had not been a part of from the doctor, Toph just lay on the bed smiling and grinning. Occasionally saying things like "Meathead STOP,YOU ARE EMBARRASSING!!" and laughing at his replies that went like "then what are you?".

She adored him with all her heart,she finally was with the right man,this one would stick around,this one pushes her to be a better parent everyday,this one means the world to her. Her mind was at so much ease,sometime after the doctor left and Sokka had kissed her and hugged her and jumped around her in excitement and love and also explained what he had thought was going on and got scolded for it,Lin peeked through the door. She thought she was hiding properly but both Sokka and Toph knew she was here. "Lin!!!! Why didn't you tell me?!. You're getting a sister or a brother." Sokka exclaimed,"I'm sorry, I thought you already knew" Lin sounded overly apologetic. "No,no sweetie, it's fine,dad's here,come sit with us". He picked her up and placed her near Toph's belly.

There they were,three of them looking like a real family. No marriage,not even Sokka's biological child but he didn't care,Lin was hers and so was Toph. There was another baby coming and they were a perfect family. They spent the evening getting ready for a fancy dinner at Toph's favorite restaurant(cravings you know),Sokka kept obsessing about just how beautiful Toph was and she kept touching him whenever she could,brushing hands,nose rubs,hugs. Pregnancy had made her soft,she thought. No,it was Sokka,he always makes her this way and she loves it. As Sokka carried Lin on his shoulders,Toph brushed her hair with her hand. Sokka looked at her face with love and adoration, excitement for this new chapter of their lives and she knew he was looking. She even blushed a little. God,how Sokka loved making her blush. "Gonna stare at me all night meathead or are we ever gonna leave?." She smirked and they all went to have dinner. And so just an overly happy family at an overly expensive restaurant with an overly protective man who glared at every man who looked at his woman and kid who looked at his daughter enjoyed their meal in peace or their idea of peace.

[boomeer-aang]

Earth Shattering

You were born into this world a screaming, kicking miracle, daughter of the legendary earthbender, inventor of metal bending. You don’t know your father, you don’t even think your mom knows him. She’s not around enough, but you know she has a very busy job so you try not to get hung up too much on it. But sometimes you can’t help but be made at her sometimes.

The days get longer and longer and mom stops being as caring as she was before Su was born. You start to depend on Katara and Aang and sometimes Sokka, who always seems uncomfortable when you talk about your mom. You can never tell why.

You get older, growing to stand taller than your mom, your bones aching when you wake up sometimes because growing hurts. When Su’s mad at you, she sometimes screams that your just like mom, and that stings. Mom has turned to the bottle most nights, and you worry that she’s gonna leave you for good.

You finally become an officer, and the day you graduate from the academy, you have the biggest smile on your face. Aang, hobbling on his little cane hugs you, pride in his eyes. Katara and Sokka follow, and Zuko sends his regards. The only adult to not congratulate you is mom, but then again, you’re used to it.

Sometimes you hate Su so, so much. You weren’t even surprised when you thought she was a member of the triad. You were 21 when Su scarred you for life, crying out in pain when the metal contacted with your face, tears springing in your eyes. You haven’t cried in a long time, not even in pain.

Kya is the one who patches you up, a soft smile on her face when she tells you it will heal, for the most part. She listens to you vent about Su, before she has go see another patient. You wish you say her more.

“What were you thinking?!” Toph says, the question aimed at the two of you, as you sit in her office, you with your arms crossed and walls up. She scolds you for arresting your sister, and though she doesn’t say it, you know mom thinks your a disappointment.

She sends Su away and leaves you in Republic City with her. A few years pass, and you start spending nights on Air Temple Island, growing closer and closer to Tenzin, eventually dating him, and sometimes you can’t tell what the fluttering in your chest is.

But like everything, he broke up with you, and of course he had to it in his mother’s garden. You destroy it, and later deeply apologize to Katara about it.

You were at Air Temple Island when Aang passed. As his health worsened, Kya, who you had become closer too, begged you to stay at the island with her family. Work was tiring, and you practically collapse into bed. You awake to sobbing screams, which you quickly identify as Katara. You, Kya and Tenzin find her sobbing over Aang’s body, looking as though he was sleeping. You stand, frozen, eyes wide. It feels like a family moment and you’re intruding, but Aang was the closest thing you had to father, so you jump to sit with Katara, rubbing her back. You’ve dealt with loss and pain, but death is a new sting you don’t know.

You’re 33 when Toph disappears in the middle of the night and you’re suddenly the Chief of Police. You have lost so much, and your mom had added more on top of that. A swirl of emotions rise in your chest and you’re this close to breaking down completely, but you keep a straight face. You’re alone now, completely alone. Su was sent away and mom left you.

You’re 40 when Sokka dies, defending his city. You don’t know how to take it, and Katara takes it even worse. Kya whispers to you on your last night together that she’s moving to the South Pole to be with her mom. You beg her stay, grasping on the memory of her skin against yours.

You spend 10 years thrown into your work, defending Republic City, from whoever, whenever. You arrest the Avatar, and in her grown up face, you see the baby you protected from kidnapping all those years ago. Tenzin asks for you to release her, and the softness in his eyes is something you miss. You want to say no. When she leaves, you see Sokka in her movements, and it brings a brief, fleeting smile on to your face.

Amon rises into power, and you feel powerless to stop him. He almost killed Korra, and from that moment on, you take a vow to protect that girl goddamnit.

Amon takes the breath out of you when you lose your bending, the very thing that made you strong. You would do it again, 1,000 times over for the safety of the airbenders but it hurt. You felt as though at any given moment your knees were going to buckle out from under you and send you crashing to the floor.

Amon got the airbenders any. Your sacrifice was in vain. In the end, Korra was able to save them and restore your bending. You took a break from Republic City, much to your own dismay, to recover from the 50 years worth of being beat down again and again. You knew it was what you needed.

You remember sitting in the healing tent, worried sick about Jinora while the battle of spirits raged outside. Korra could handle herself, you knew that, but it was still very concerning.

You saw Su again, when Korra almost died. It was a bittersweet reunion. She saved Korra’s life, even if it left her paralyzed. You stood by her, offered a shoulder, even if she wouldn’t take. She reminded you of you, even when she clearly needed help, she tried to stay strong. You wish you weren’t like that, and hoped she would eventually ask.

The sight of Kya still makes your heart flutter in your chest. You still don’t quite know what to make of those feelings.

You proudly watch a new air bending master. She is strong and brilliant and you know the look on Tenzin’s face is one of immense pride. Jinora is stone face, but you see a smile slip through.

The Avatar disappeared for 3 years. You thought she was recovering at home, but Tenzin informa you she left 6 months before she was supposed to arrive in Republic City. You worry more for her than you ever have in your life.

When she comes back, her hair is shorter, more practical. But she looks so tired. You are glad to see the Avatar again, but the bags under her eyes tells you that she has not recovered as much as you’d hoped. You know that look in her eyes, of traumatized tiredness.

Her bending is not as good as you remember, her limbs not working for her. But she does it, she defeats Kuvira, like every other bad guy she has beat before. Some light starts to returns to her eyes, and when she walks into the portal with Asami, you finally have the courage to tell Kya how you feel.

Your stomach does summersaults when you find her, and spit out a choked confession. She feels the same way you do, and you fall into a comfortable rhythm with her, remembering that night so long ago, the touch of her skin against yours still etched into your memory.

Your life isn’t perfect, but you have so much going for you.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wan High Weeping (Part 25)

Azula stood before the mirror once again, she tried not to think too much about it. She just needed to dress herself, put on some costume makeup, and be done with it. She wished that she had someone to apply the makeup for her so she wouldn’t have to see herself at all. Her hands were still swollen, making the entire process that much harder. They keep her from being able to be as elaborate with her makeup as she desired. But then again, she didn’t quite want to stare at herself for that long. Even so, she had told Teo she’d be at his house within the hour.

 She slipped into her costume and prayed that the zipper wouldn’t catch. It slid up with ease and for the first time in a while, she felt at least somewhat relieved. Relieved but light headed and dizzy. After her last episode she decided to skip a day or two’s worth of meals. Keeping herself up right was becoming a chore but at least she could fit into her costume.

She walked to her bed and dropped onto it, she needed a moment.

 Azula woke up to the doorbell ringing. She checked her phone to see a good influx of texts and a handful of missed calls. It was nearly 6:00. With an ounce of dread, she realized that she had passed out. The doorbell rang again so she texted Teo that she was on her way and thanked the lord that her father wasn’t home.

 “Where were you?” Teo asked.

 “I was taking a shower and getting dressed.” She lied.

 “That was one hell of a shower.” He mumbled.

 “Did your father drop you off here?”

 “He was on his way to eat out with some friends, your place was along the way.” He replied. “No big deal.”

 “Right.”

 Still fighting off the fuzz in her head, Azula gathered her purse and car keys. Frankly, she was nervous to help Teo into the car. She barely had the energy to get herself into it. She wondered if she should just ask him if he wanted to skip the party. She didn’t know if driving was such a good idea. At the same time she didn’t want a second discussion of her eating habits, or lack there of. She was trying to take her mind off of food. Which was just another reason why going to Chan’s party was a dangerous idea. Spite won out though and she helped Teo into the car and slipped herself in. She sat for a moment, simply fidgeting with the keys until the spinning in her head passed.

 “You good?” Teo asked.

 “I’m never good.” She scowled and she contemplates again why he was bothering with her. She was only a source of negativity. She put the keys in the ignition and started the car. She allowed Teo to turn her radio on.

 “You would listen to metal…”

 She couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not.

 .oOo.

 The smell of Chan’s house is familiar and puts an ache in her heart. He was an asshole to the highest, but she missed spending nights at his house watching dumb action movies of his choice. The sofa they used to sit on was now occupied by he and Chu-Leng and a few of the other volleyball stars. Naturally, Usha sat upon his lap. She was probably already tipsy, the girl was such a lightweight and couldn’t handle drinks for the life of her. Azula wondered who would drag her sloppy ass home now that she wasn’t there to do it.

 She could smell candles too, Chan’s mother liked to use them around the house. She’d been there enough to detect the odor of their family dog. She could also smell alcohol and an alluring assortment of holiday treats. Mostly the warm and sweet tang of chocolate and the softer, subtler perfume of freshly baked cupcakes. She was filled with longing and then relief as Teo cut her line of thought off. “So, we’re here. Now what?”

 Truth be told, she didn’t think that she’d make it this far. “Now we avoid Usha and Kori so I don’t…” She trailed off. What was she going to do, she’d be on the floor before anyone could throw a punch. The volume of the party alone was disorienting. She needed to take a seat again.

 “I can get you something to eat or drink.” Teo offered.

 “No thanks, I already ate.”

 He sighed very visibly. “Will you at least drink something?”

 “No soda.”

 “Punch?”

 “Water is fine.” Perfect actually, her mouth was so dry. She spread herself out on an unoccupied sofa.

 He gave his offer one last try. “Can you please eat something. I could bring you a plate of fruit, a really small plate, just eat a little.”

 But that was just it. These days it was never just a little. It started out with the promise of a little but turned into a meal that could probably serve she, Zuko, Ozai, and then some. She couldn’t risk that in front of so many people.  “Just get me the water.”

 She watched Teo make his way to the food stand, feeling horribly alone and exposed. Last year she would have been wholly in her element, making conversation, bragging about her costume, and drinking some. She would have been one of many in the center of attention.

Now she was alone.

Unnoticed.

 She supposed that she would rather be unnoticed. She sighed and rested her head on the sofa. Her stomach muscles were aching from having heaved so much. She felt like death. That would have been a good costume for her. She let her hand dangle off of the sofa. She was fighting to keep herself awake.

She felt a hand on her leg. “Teo…” she murmured. Maybe she ought to take him up on his offer after all. The hand trailed upwards. “Teo, what the fuck are you…” She jolted up and landed a swift smack.

 “You should thank me.” Jet said. “I’m the only one who’ll…”

 She used the last ounce of her energy reserve to grab him by the collar and land another blow. “Pester someone else.” She hissed and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        shoved him away. He stumbled back, apparently, he had already downed his share of liquor.

 “Whatever, I’m not into fat bitches anyways.” He re-adjusted his collar and shimmied away.

 Azula dropped her head back against the armrest. This was a dreadfully poor decision. She hoped that no one was giving Teo a hassle. The boy returned a few minutes later with a cup of fruit punch. “There was no water.”  She sighed again, but her throat could handle no more so she downed the glass anyways ignoring the unpleasant burn it brought.

 “Are you sure that you’ll be okay.” The concern in his eyes was almost painful to look at. Azula chewed the inside of her cheek. He took her hand and the concern seemed to grow. She didn’t have to look to know that he was staring at the raw soars on her knuckles. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

 “I’m not crazy!” She snapped, sending her head throbbing.

 “I wasn’t talking about that kind of doctor. Your hands are really swollen.” He stroked them with his thumbs.

 “I don’t need to see a doctor, I’m fine.”  Even she knew that it wasn’t true, she was growing concerned for herself. More than she already had been.  But she couldn’t see a doctor, not yet. She couldn’t afford to embarrass herself and her father like that. “I’ll be fine I just…” She hesitated. “I just need something to…”

 “I’ll get you something!”

 Azula grabbed him by the arm before he could leave. “I’ll get myself something to eat.” He let him follow her to the concessions area where she grabbed a few strawberries and pineapple slices. They were nowhere near enough. She didn’t think so anyways, frankly she couldn’t even remember how much she used to eat. She was faintly aware that it was more than that though. So she took a few more strawberries. Nobody save for Teo was watching her, so she treated herself to a small cupcake as well. The frosting, was truly divine and rich in flavor. She noticed Teo take one for himself and took another. She hadn’t eaten anything in a while, she supposed that just two couldn’t hurt. The cookies looked rather tasty too, so she sampled one of those as well. The table also hosted a collection of brownies, a few doughnut holes, and a bowl of candy. She couldn’t decide which she wanted to try more. She decided that a small sample of each couldn’t hurt.

She had missed the taste of sugar so much.

So much…

 Apparently enough to finish off another few cupcakes. Way too many of them. Her stomach felt heavy, heavier than it had in a long time. A sickly feeling settled in her belly because she knew Teo had been watching the whole time. She swallowed. Teo and everyone else.

 “Azula.” His voice was soft, she barely heard it over the laughter in the room.

 Usha laughed the loudest, flailing her hands wildly in a motion that could have been fanning herself. Azula could smell it on her, she was already drunk. Next to her Kori gives a slow clap, “good show, Azula.”

 She fought to keep her composure and what little dignity she had left, but she knew that there was color on her cheeks. Her whole face was probably red. Chan stood at the edge of the crowd looking every bit as disgusted as Teo ought to. He reached out a comforting hand. Azula swatted it away, she knew what he really thought of her.

 Their laughter seemed to grow in volume. So many faces; the entirety of both the girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams, Jet’s team, and many other faces she’d seen around the school. They all knew…

She didn’t even spare Teo a glace. She had to get out of there.

She rushed for the door.

 For once she hadn’t meant any harm in giving Aang a shove, he just so happened to be in her path. Truth be told she hadn’t really noticed him at all, he was just another body in a house that was all to crowded.

Just another set of judgmental eyes.

 Azula slammed the door to her car and slumped over the steering wheel. She was so, so tired in all regards. She was tired physically. She was tired emotionally. She was tired of the lack of control. She was tired of her father and his standards. She was tired of her own standards. She was tired of herself. She was tired of her classmates, of school, and of her ex-friends. She was tired of being the outcast. She was tired of being afraid of food, tired of thinking about it so constantly. She was tired of being hungry…

She was tired of feeling how she did.

She was exhausted.  

 Her shoulders trembled as she let out a shuddered cry.

She wanted it to end.

 Her phone buzzed. She knew that it was Teo. She didn’t know if she should answer. She didn’t know if she should answer but she did. She texted him back, telling him that she was in her car. She didn’t understand why he was still texting her. Why he still wanted to be in a car with her.

She was his ride home.

 Azula unlocked the door.

She momentarily forgot that he need her help to get into the car.

She didn’t like the look of pity on his face.

 “I’m sorry.” He muttered, once she had him buckled in. “This is my fault, isn’t it?”

 “Yes.” She answered, but only because it was easier to blame him than herself and her own lack of self-control.

 He opened his mouth and closed it again. He said nothing the rest of the way to his house. Nothing save for another, much quieter apology. It was hard to make conversation with the taste of sugar on her tongue and the knowledge that she had overdone things in front of everyone. What was wrong with her?

She helped him out of her car. “I was just trying to help.” He murmured.

 But that was just it.

She wasn’t the kind of person that someone could help.

[kataracy]

Blow

Aang develops a trick to make his baby calm down.

  Katara was defeated.

Babies? her speciality; Kids? Her thing; Children? Got along with them just fine!

But, it had been hours, pages from all the baby books they owned had been flipped and flipped again and still Bumi still would not stop crying.

He couldn't be hungry, being fed and nearly bit his mother's nipple off and Katara had checked his cloth diaper every ten seconds before deciding if the crying was due to a tummy ache, whatever was in his tummy wasn't trying to come out anytime soon. So, as Katara sat in the hallway, bouncing her little buddle of joy on her knee as he bellowed notes into her eardrum that promised him a career as a great Soprano one day, she could only conclude Bumi was just grumpy and wanted everyone else to be grumpy too.

Katara could vaguely hear the apartment door open, and thought she saw a spirtual light illuminate behind Aang as he appeared as her savior with a shopping bag full toys and fruits.

Bumi would never know he had effectively reduced his parents to the bribery stage.

Aang took in his wife's disheveled appearance momentarily, caught between worry and some weird, bubbling amusement that this was their life now, and then took a knee in front of them and began holding up items, unifying their cooing until Bumi had swated at every item wiggled between his hands. Shoulders slumped, Katara handed Bumi to Aang for a restroom break.

"Take your time, Sweetie." Aang mouthed and Katara smiled apologetically. They silently agreed this break could stand to be at least 30 minutes.

Aang settled in Katara's warm spot while Bumi's cries now rung his ears, as if noticing in those seconds wasn't the center of their world and Aang cringed at the sound, pulling Bumi away from his ear. Aang grew somber watching Bumi at arm's length, with his little fists balled up and shaking, his cheeks red and wet, his head lolled back as if even he was tired of his crying and really wanted his parents to figure out what he needed. Aang's heart was breaking at the sight.

"Aw Bud, I'm sorry I don't know what to--"

Suddenly, something inate, something instinctual, something inside of Aang spoke within him.

Hey, it said, just blow in his face real quick.

Aang blinked...

Then, his expression turned thoughtful; The world around Aang muted, it was just him and his baby and this new instinct ... and then he brought Bumi closer, thinking offhandedly that maybe this was an airbending thing he never got the chance to hear about. All Aang could be really be sure of in this moment was that he needed to blow in his son's face, like right now. So he did.

It wasn't strong, nor was it rushed. A simple matter of situating Bumi to be cradled, blew in his face. Only when Bumi began to finally calm down to the point of being still did Aang deem himself done and he sat back and stared at his son with a perplexed innocence, getting that same look mimicked on Bumi's face; Bumi's throat was incredibly raw, his face hot and little joints hurt from being so clenched, yet when his Dad did nothing more than provide a cool current, everything felt... better. By some sort of magic, Bumi's head jerked gently from his own hiccups, and then he was silent. Little babbles were escaping him every now and then but nowhere were the ear bursting screeches to be found within his small body anymore.

"Aang! Bumi?"

Katara ran into the room with wild eyes. She had closed her eyes for a quick nap against the sink and had been startled awake by the silence.

The sight of Aang chuckling slightly at Bumi gumming at his chest in search of milk greeted her.

"I think what you want is over there Bud." He spoke in a hushed, goofy Baby Talk voice and looked at Katara's amazed expression.

"Wha-? What happened?" Katara kneeled down beside them with her arms open. Aang slid their nice, quiet son to her, pulled her into a comfortable position in his lap and helped Katara undo her top for Bumi.

He sighed happily, cozy between the wall and his family and nestled his chin onto Katara's shoulder to soak in Bumi's contentment and Katara's bewilderment.

"I just showed him a neat airbending trick."

[jennawynn]

i was messing around with sad headcanons with @coolami69 earlier and...

What if after spending many happy years with Asami, the damage to her body at Zaheer’s hands finally caught up to her again. Her muscles aren’t as strong, she’s not as fast.

Asami would jump into action, despite being recently retired from Future Industries, or maybe because of it. She needs something to do and now she has a goal- save Korra’s life. She seeks out medical treatments, obscure bending texts. The practically move into the spirit world for a while, looking for someone who can help her save her love. Of course part of this is selfish, Korra is the only family she has now. Mako and Bolin have their own families. The little girl they adopted after Korra found her in the aftermath of an earthquake has grown up and taken her mother’s place as CEO and has a family of her own.

Asami is by Korra’s side constantly. When Korra can’t walk under her own power, she designs a new, upgraded version of the wheelchair she’d built immediately after the fight with Zaheer. Korra recoiled from it at first- the memories were too painful- but after a time, she realized that she missed the warmth of the sun (the closest thing she had to firebending), the fresh breeze over the water (the closest thing she had to airbending) and when Asami would help her sit beneath the willow tree at the pond where she could still dig her toes into the dirt.

She once commanded entire oceans, she rent the fabric between dimensions with her bare hands. Now, she barely has the power to send ripples across the surface of the water, ruffling the feathers of the baby turtleducks.

She’s spent a lot of time thinking while Asami works furiously to “solve” Korra’s health and improve her quality of life. She finally sighs and tells Asami it’s ok. She’s tired. She’s happy. She’s lived a full life with Asami by her side. Maybe she’ll get to see Aang again, maybe even Katara and Sokka (how she missed her Uncle Sokka).

She knows Asami needs something. A distraction. A reminder. Something to do. So she makes a request. Find the next Avatar. Help them the way you helped me. Don’t let the White Lotus keep the next Avatar isolated like they did me. Make sure they are loved and allowed to grow and be their own person.

Korra’s hands can’t hold a pen anymore, so on days when she can breathe well enough, she dictates. She dictates to Asami letters that she’ll give the next Avatar- advice to hold them over until they can contact her spirit- and for their daughter. She dictates to Bolin love letters for Asami when he notices she’s particularly low. (She has Ikki write the ones for ‘special’ occasions.) She recounts every memory she has about the other Avatars for Jinora’s collection. On days when it’s harder, Asami takes her for walks around the gardens and the pond. They cuddle at the base of trees like they did so often in the spirit world when they were younger. Asami traces her face and runs her fingers through Korra’s hair as if she’s memorizing the feel of her. Asami tells her stories about when they were just friends and how much she loved her. How hard it was to let Korra decide for herself whether she wanted more from their relationship.

When the day comes, they’re both ready, but Asami can’t help the tears rolling down her face. She may be gray and no longer able to do flips over bandits with her shock glove, but she still feels she’s too young to be a widow at 68. Korra looks over at her with a small, crooked smile on her wrinkled lips, runs a thumb under Asami’s eyelid, and says, “Don’t cry, Sunshine.”

One day, years later, Asami finds the next Avatar. A little boy with tousled hair. Quiet, reserved, nothing at all like her Korra, no matter how hard she looks. She helps him find his way, helps him find the best bending and non-bending masters to teach him. She has nothing better to do, she says when he asks why she doesn’t go home. She made a promise, she explains when he asks why she was arguing with the White Lotus.

Her bones creak as she sits beneath a tree next to a pond in some faraway district where they found a new master to train the Avatar. She’s weary, a kind of tired that isn’t chased away by tea and naps. She remembers the many times she sat in places just like this with Korra and her heart aches. She leans back and closes her eyes, a tear escaping down her cheek. She doesn’t bother moving when she hears footsteps coming closer. She just wants to be left alone.

“Don’t cry, Sunshine.”

[kristallioness]

Healing herself

Summary: Kya discovers that she has healing abilities, just like her mother.

Word count: 2,941

Author's note: I haven't written anything in awhile, so I came up with this short drabble about Katara taking care of Kya. And I can't believe I teared up when I wrote the last things Kya and Katara say to each other. The little waterbender is more of a healer than a fighter, so I like to think that she would've tried to use her waterbending to heal as well (besides learning the basics of medicine), but she had never successfully done it until this moment. The way Kya reacts (grabbing her mother's hand/the stethoscope) when Katara wants to listen to her is something that I found to be quite adorable after I'd stumbled across a random video about a baby doing it during an exam. Also, when I remembered that airbenders have a special breathing technique, which helps them keep their bodies warm, I wanted to turn this into something interesting.. Read and you'll find out. There are *counts*.. four references to my older fics, including "Falling to pieces", "An afternoon at the hospital", "Playing healer" and "Recovery". I feel like my writing has become very rusty.. okay, maybe not that bad. I just need another idea, something that'd actually have a plot. In the meantime, take this or leave it *hides*.

----------x----------

"Kya? Good morning, sweetie!"

A slightly drowsy little girl peeked at her with her left eye before releasing a loud yawn.

"Aaaaahhhh.. morning, mommy!" Kya stretched and turned on her back, rubbing her eyes to clear the blur from their watering. The little waterbender had fallen ill last night and since she'd already been too tired to stay up any longer, her mother had allowed her to go to bed early and rest, promising to give her a checkup the next morning. With Kya being the one who insisted, which usually meant that she felt rather poorly. Hence why she was greeted by three gentle knocks against the door to her room a moment ago.

Katara quietly slid the door open and stepped inside. She was carrying a tray of food and medical equipment, one of which was a familiar shiny 'necklace', decorating her neck. Only the most essential things they'd need. The smell coming from a bowl containing still slightly boiling stewed sea prunes and a cup of hot ginger tea filled the girl's room.

"So, how are you feeling?" Katara asked as she placed the tray on the nightstand next to Kya's bed, then took a seat on her bedside. She had to make room for it since there was also a nightlight, a few children's books and a beautiful framed photograph of their family on the cupboard.

Kya had accidentally knocked the photo off the table by throwing one of her pillows at it once, breaking the glass and even cutting her finger while she attempted to clean up the mess. She'd recently turned two years old and had a huge argument with her daddy, about him not being home so much. It was all an unfortunate train of events, Aang really did have to visit Republic City during that time. Kya felt so sorry and was afraid that because of what she'd yelled at him, her daddy had left their family behind. A 2-year-old's logic, after all. Of course, Aang had already forgiven her and offered her unconditional love when she apologized while crying. Katara had helped heal her boo-boo, comforted her during the day and fixed the glass by replacing the shattered one with a new one. The little waterbender has been extra careful with it ever since.

"A bit warm," Kya answered her mother's question, watching intently as she laid the cool palm of her right hand against her temple. The heavy feeling in her forehead dissipated a little, even without Katara doing anything - a healer's touch, as everybody liked to say. She went into a short coughing fit while her mother pondered. That was the first symptom, along with weariness, which had appeared the previous evening.

"You are a bit warm.. do you think that we should take your temperature?" Katara wondered as she reached for the thermometer on the tray. The current reading was a bit too high probably due to the last measurement, so she began swinging it in the air to force the mercury to go down to its normal level. Kya hummed and nodded in agreement, allowing her mother to fiddle with her sleeve in order to place the thermometer under her right arm.

"Let's keep it under there for a few minutes.."

"Okay, mommy," Kya said as she laid her right hand on her stomach to make sure it didn't slip anywhere, just like her mommy had taught her.

"While we wait, why don't you tell me what else is bothering you besides that nasty cough?"

The only reply Kya gave to her mother was a very loud sniff.

"Ah-haa.. a runny nose?" Katara raised an eyebrow playfully, Kya nodded again.

"Nothing else? No tummy ache? You're not feeling sick?" the master waterbender tenderly ran a finger across her daughter's abdomen, slightly tickling it, which helped cheer the little girl up by making her laugh.

"Nuh-uh!" Kya shook her head and smiled back at her mother, who reached for the wooden tongue depressor next.

"Good.. but since you've been coughing a lot, do you mind if I take a look at your throat?"

Kya simply opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue, which was all Katara needed to proceed.

"Say 'Aahh!'," she ordered after a couple of seconds of observing.

"Aahh!" the little waterbender repeated.

"Well, it is a little redder than normal, but that's probably because you've been coughing all night long," Katara gently touched Kya's neck to be sure there wasn't any swelling, which would've indicated an infection. She was pleased that she couldn't feel anything.

"You know, Kya, we talked last night and your daddy promised that he'll go to the hospital as soon as the pharmacy opens."

Since it was a Saturday, the biggest pharmacy in the city, which happened to be in Katara's hospital and had the largest variety as well as supply of drugs that could be kept in specific conditions, didn't open until noon.

"But I don't want daddy to go! I don't need any medicine," Kya pouted, breaking eye contact with her mother as she stared blankly at her stuffed Appa plush, which was among her other toys on the carpet.

"Kya.. it's not just any medicine we're talking about. It's frozen wood frogs," Katara joined Kya's right hand with her own, softly grazing the back of it with her thumb.

"Exactly. I told you - I don't wanna suck on frozen frogs!" she whined.

"Daddy will go anyway. I tried to tell him, but he's already made up his mind about this. And who knows, maybe you'll change your mind when he comes back," Katara said as she moved on to stroking her daughter's head. She merely puffed out an annoyed breath, which sounded more like a pathetic cough.

"I'll remind you that if you eat the substance, you'll be cured within a day or two, otherwise you'll be sick for a few more days before you start to feel better.. Think about it. I sucked on some of those little critters when I was sick. And you being my healer certainly helped, too."

"I remember.." Kya sighed sadly. It wasn't too long ago when their roles had been switched - Katara being the patient and Kya her healer.

"So, will you let me be your healer now?" Katara tilted her head, gazing into her daughter's eyes, a loving smile on her lips.

"Sure, mommy," Kya eventually gave in, prompting Katara to release a short chuckle.

"Thank you, sweetie!.. I think it's ready," Katara stated before she pulled the thermometer out from under the little waterbender's right arm, then stared at the result. Her facial expression remained somewhat neutral, yet relieved, meaning it wasn't anything serious.

"37.5 degrees, that's a normal fever there," she put the medical instrument away, then grabbed that pretty and long shiny 'necklace' of hers.

"Would you like to lie down or sit up while I listen to you?" Katara wondered as she rubbed and breathed on the metal end of her stethoscope to warm it up in the meantime.

"I don't mind either way," Kya shrugged.

"Alright, in that case, I'll listen to your lungs while you're lying down. Okay?" she said while undoing the two buttons on her daughter's shirt. The little waterbender nodded.

"Would you take nice deep breaths through your mouth for me?" Katara asked once more. Kya complied, knowing exactly how thoroughly her mother would go through this procedure.

"Good girl, go on..." Katara praised, moving the diaphragm from left to right while going downwards to compare the sounds of her lungs.

"Cough," the elder waterbender ordered once she'd reached the lower half of her chest. The little waterbender coughed twice so her mother could listen to both sides.

"Nothing abnormal so far.. I wanna hear how well you breathe just a little bit longer, so would you mind sitting up now? Come sit with me," Katara smiled and patted her lap, inviting Kya over. The little waterbender slowly rose from her bed, then crawled closer to her mother, who helped by lifting her into her lap. Katara removed Kya's shirt completely and put it on the blanket, then pushed her long hair to the front and continued auscultating from her back. Kya also continued to breathe very deeply as well as slowly.

There was one thing her mother had to admit - she definitely had the proper breathing technique of an airbender, which sounded clearer, was really calm and collected. Kya must've been born with it because Aang hadn't taught her anything related to it yet, which made it even more impressive. Katara was very much aware of that. All those nights sleeping on Aang's bare chest like it was her personal pillow, feeling it rise and descend along with her own head as he breathed, the soft thumping echoing the beats of his heart into her right ear. She'd recognize an airbender anywhere based on the way they breathed to keep themselves warm.

"And one more time?" Katara finally asked, after which her daughter released a slightly rattling cough. She actually needed to catch her breath after that last one.

"Very good, sweetie.. Muah!" the elder waterbender gifted her with a kiss on the top of her head for being such an obedient patient.

"You can breathe normally now, I'm just gonna listen to your heartbeat," Katara explained while she softly pulled Kya's thick hair on her back again, which provided her with some warmth, too. She carefully ran the fingers of her free hand through her daughter's locks to comb them straight. Having taken the diaphragm into her left hand, she placed the stethoscope on the girl's chest, this time to listen to her heart. Kya gently grabbed Katara's hand with both her own, holding on to it whilst her mother moved the diaphragm around above her ribcage. Every time Kya did that, it reminded Katara of how she used to do it when she was just a baby.

Aang would have her in a cradle hold in his arms while Katara carried out her regular checkups. Kya's tiny cerulean eyes were rarely open, being close to her daddy always helped her calm down and fall asleep easily. The quiet room of a healer's office also helped along, which only simplified the examination for the healer herself. So one time - when Katara wanted to listen to her heart - as soon as she'd laid the round end of her stethoscope on the baby's chest, Kya's small fingers had grasped it and held it down pretty strong, even when Katara had finished and wanted to pull it away. Aang gently nudged Katara when he'd noticed the first time she did it.

"Hey, look! She's even trying to assist you," he joked in a whisper, making his wife giggle, too. Kya stopped doing it after she'd turned about a year old, becoming more alert and timid of the process. But once Katara allowed her to listen for herself for the first time a few years later, she discovered a new exciting side to it, one that amazed her and felt rather comforting at the same time. Now - whenever Katara was about to finish - she'd ask the same question every time, knowing just how eager her daughter was.

"Sweetie? Do you wanna listen, too?"

And Kya would nod happily, a silent 'Mhm!' escaping her mouth.

"Just a moment.." Katara placed the diaphragm on the spot where the beating was the loudest, mostly palpable as well.

"Okay, hold it right there," she added, then removed the earpieces and put them into Kya's ears. The little waterbender's room remained silent for almost a minute. Katara wrapped her right arm around her small body, slightly pulling Kya closer into her embrace. She didn't mind, although she did notice it and looked up at her mother, who had a big grin on her face.

"Mommy?" she asked in a quiet tone.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Can I listen with the.. the..?" she pointed at the metal chestpiece, but she'd forgotten how the other side was called. Katara helped her out by pretending like she was holding something in her hand and sort of tinkling it.

"The bell?"

"Sure.. here, let me help you," the master waterbender took it in her hands for a moment to turn it around before offering it back to her baby girl. Kya gently pressed the hollow side of her mother's stethoscope on the same spot to listen for another minute. Katara had been teaching her other medical terms and life-saving skills too, including how to wrap up a smaller bleed or wound. Obviously that would've been much easier to heal, but since Kya hadn't shown any signs of having healing abilities, she couldn't practise it.

The little waterbender's cerulean eyes grew wide when she heard a sudden loud grumbling, Katara couldn't help but laugh.

"Looks like someone's hungry, your tummy growled," she tickled her daughter's stomach again, which made her giggle, too. Kya handed the medical instrument back to her mother, who hung it around her neck.

"Time for breakfast," Katara declared while helping Kya put her shirt back on, after which the little waterbender crawled back onto her bed, climbed under the blanket and lay down on her two pillows.

"I hope you like stewed sea prunes, cause that's what you're having," she handed Kya the bowl along with a spoon.

"Can I have some fruit pie, too?" the little girl pleaded.

"Of course, after you've eaten this and gulped down at least half of that ginger tea. Besides, I'm not sure, but I'll probably have to check if we have any left over.. And I suppose if we don't, daddy can help me bake some more for dinner. Agreed?"

"Mhmm.. yummy!" Kya nodded while slurping some of the delicious broth. Katara helped her put the empty dishes back on the tray once she was finished. By the time she was beginning to drink her tea, she also began shivering.

"Are you cold? Aww, your fever must be rising," the elder waterbender checked her temple.

"I'll go find my pouch and bring some cold water to lower your fever, be back in a few minutes," Katara stood up from her daughter's bed and, in a slight quicker pace, left her room to head to the healing hut where she'd most likely left her water skin. Kya tried her best to finish her tea sooner when she suddenly remembered that there should be some fresh water left over in her own pouch.

"Mommy!" Kya called for her, but her mother was probably too far away to hear her. Since it didn't sound like a very desperate cry either, she probably wouldn't turn around and come back.

The little waterbender decided to take matters into her own hands, so she put the almost empty cup back on the tray, jumped out of bed and went to pick up her water skin from the floor, where many of her toys were also located. As soon as she'd made herself cosy in her bed, she waterbended some of the liquid on her tiny palm and pressed it against her forehead. She attempted to move it around in slow circles, or at least in a similar motion that she'd usually feel when her mother does it. She did feel a little better, but she wasn't certain if she was doing it right.

When Katara finally returned, she'd been waterbending for two minutes.

"Sorry I was gone so long, sweetie. I heard you calling me, but I was just on my way to-"

Katara's sentence was cut off by a sharp clatter, which startled Kya, and her mouth dropped wide open. She'd dropped the porcelain plate with the only piece of leftover fruit pie she'd found in the kitchen, whereas her daughter would've almost lost control of the water she was bending. It was a good thing she didn't.

"What's wrong, mommy?" Kya wondered, a bit scared and confused. Katara remained standing there like that for another few seconds before she managed to take a couple of hesitant steps closer until she reached the bedside and could take a seat. She gazed at her daughter, her diamond blue eyes still wide from the surprise and shock. She could hear the familiar humming sound, she witnessed the radiating glow. She was definitely not dreaming.

"Kya.. y-you.. you're healing, sweetie."

"Huh?" she found that hard to believe.

"Look," Katara summoned some of the ice-cold water she'd filled her pouch with, which was hanging near her waist. She froze the fluid into a thin layer of ice, an alternative for a mirror, and showed Kya a reflection of herself. The water on her forehead, around her hand, was glowing brightly. The little waterbender's cerulean eyes grew just as wide as her mother's had been moments ago. Actually, her mother's eyes began to tear up now.

"You have healing abilities, sweetie!" Katara exclaimed in delight. She quickly melted the ice back into its liquid state and waterbended it back inside her own pouch, letting her daughter do the same with hers. Then she tenderly cupped Kya's cheeks and placed a big kiss on her wet forehead, pulling her precious baby into a full embrace. The little waterbender was still busy processing what had just happened, so she said the most irrelevant, or rather the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh.. sorry about making you drop the plate, mommy. Can I still have some fruit pie?"

"Oh, my silly little waterbender! You can have all the fruit pie you want!" Katara choked through her crying.

[shadow-wasser]

WIP Fic Whenever: Atlamorphs 10

Might as well start doing this again. WIP Fic Friday Whenever is a place where I will put a ‘quick and dirty’ first draft of either a short story or a chapter from a longer story. This will hopefully encourage me to improve my writing output. An Animorphs/Avatar: the Last Airbender Crossover. Yes it’s strange.

Love For The Daughter

I seethed inwardly as Avatar Twinkletoes began to hint at my earthbending career. I was seriously considering bending him into the floor when, out of nowhere, the boy Sokka, who had been eating like a cowpig, suddenly collapsed into his soup.

Everyone paused to stare, and the girl, Katara, stood up, her pulse racing. “Sokka!” She was beside him instantly, running her hands over him.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” my father lied. “Perhaps he is tired after your long journey?”

“No,” said Katara. “He’s not fine. There’s something weird in his system.”

“Stomach ache?” said the boy Aksi, who I suspected wasn’t all there in the head. He opened his mouth wide in a yawn, then faceplanted.

That was when everyone began shouting.

“He’s fine! We’ll call for the physicians-”

“Aski! Wake up!”

“Will everyone be quiet? I’m trying to heal!”

“Well, this is unexpected,” said my mother, but she was lying too.

I frowned. This was weird. Dad was lying, which meant that he knew Sokka wasn’t fine. Which meant he’d known it would happen. Which meant he’d done it. Well, I wasn’t worried. The boy wasn’t dead. I could feel his pulse and deep breathing. He was just asleep.

“Won’t everyone just calm down? I’m sure everything will be fine!”

“No! My brother and cousin are unconscious!”

I quirked my brow. That was a lie. He wasn’t her cousin. What was he?

The guards rushed in, hearing the commotion, and walked up to Aang and Katara. “Please calm down,” one said.

“Why? What did you do?” Katara was quickly becoming hysterical.

The Avatar was facing my father. “What did you do?” he echoed.

Then, the guard reached out and touched Aang, a small, almost undetectable piece of metal in his hand. The Avatar gasped, then his pulse slowed, and he collapsed.

“Y-you!” started Katara, and her hand reached towards the table. Then the guard touched her too, and she fell.

I pressed my feet onto the floor, not believing what I was feeling. There were four prone, unconscious bodies lying around the dinner table. It was surreal.

“Dad?” I asked finally. “What just happened?”

“I’m sorry you had to be here for that, Toph,” he said. “But the Avatar is too dangerous. He is a threat to us, to our family.” He straightened. “Guards, please escort Toph to her room.”

As I allowed the guards to lead me out, I tried to process what had just happened. My father had just attacked the Avatar. And won. Well, it wasn’t like it was a fair fight, but… why?

As soon as the guards had left me in my room, I buried my feet into the floors of the manor, feeling out what was going on. The Avatar and his friends were being carried down into the cellar, being tied up. Something was really weird. Was my father going to sell them out to the Fire Nation? I hadn’t thought he was like that… but who knew, anymore? He lied about everything, he could easily be keeping secrets.

Well, I’d had enough. I was going to find out what was going on.

I walked over to the corner of my room, behind my bed. There, clear as anything, was a portion of the floor that had been cracked and reformed so many times that stress fractures were etched deep into the stone.

I stomped, breaking it open and revealing my personal tunnel network. From here I could go anywhere in Gaoling, from the outskirts where the badgermoles lived to the bending arena. I jumped in, sealed the top, and skated through the tunnels until I was underneath my parents’ room. I pressed my ear to the ceiling of the tunnel, and waited.

Eventually, my parents walked in. “We need to notify Visser Three,” said my mother.

Visser Three? What in the world did that mean?

“Yes, and make sure they do not escape this time,” agreed my father. “We must be vigilant. It is possible that some Andalites have survived the crash, and are giving the Avatar their aid.”

“Andalites!” spat my mother, with more venom than I thought was possible for her. “How is it possible?”

“Nepthil one-three-two tells me that the Avatar had help from an unknown source in Chin Town. An Andalite may have been masquerading as Visser Three to free him. And pieces of Andalite metal were found in Kyoshi.”

I frowned. What were they talking about? Was this some kind of code?

“Ugh! I hate those Andalite scum!”

“As do we all,” growled my father. “But I shall call the Visser.”

My father walked over to his drawer, and withdrew a complex metal device that had been inside. I had no idea what it was.

For a few moments, there was nothing as my father fiddled with the device, then a voice said, out of nowhere: “Gresh nevelet huvvel Visser Three?”

Yes, I know that’s nonsense. But that’s what it said. And when I say it came out of nowhere, I mean it. There was no one else in the room, yet there was a voice. It was unnerving.

“Escref one-four-six reporting,” said my father. “We have important news for the Visser.”

“Dargif tithrel?”

“We have captured the Avatar.”

There was another pause. And then, a fourth voice came, also out of nowhere.

“Escref one-four-six. This had better be worth my time!”

I guessed that this voice was that of the mysterious Visser Three. And let me tell you, it wasn’t a nice voice. I can tell. He sounded like he stomped on kittens for fun, and ate babies for breakfast. Seriously.

“Visser," my father said quietly and humbly. Which was weird, since ‘humble’ wasn’t a tone my father often took. “Escref one-four-six of the Ibith Markep pool submits to you. May the Kandrona shine and strengthen you."

“Get on with it.”

“We have successfully captured the Avatar. We hold him hostage and unconscious at this very moment, and await your instructions.”

“Excellent. Infest him immediately with any Yeerk you have; we can use a more important individual later.”

“Yes, Visser.”

“I will be arriving shortly.”

“Yes, Visser.”

There was a pause, and my father again fiddled with the metal device. Then he turned to face my mother.

“We have another problem.”

“What is it?” asked my mother.

“Toph. She saw what we did. She may suspect.”

I frowned. What might I suspect? Suspect that they were working for some weirdo named Visser Three? Who was he, anyway? How did he speak without being there?

“What should we do? We cannot infest her. It is a part of the agreement.”

My father paused. “We cannot. The thought angers my host greatly. And she is blind. Useless as a host. But she can still speak, and warn the humans. We may need to kill her.”

Kill her.

Kill her.

I felt like my blood had turned to ice. I couldn’t have heard what I thought I'd just heard, could I? My parents weren’t going to kill me. No, they-

“True. No one outside the household knows she exists. She will not be missed. We shall kill her.”

Oh, crap.

I was frozen in place. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was trapped in some awful nightmare.

Then, something in my father’s vibrations changed. He began to twitch like he had been drinking too much chi-enhancing tea, or like he was mentally ill. His hands were trembling, and his face contorting.

“Agh!” he said. “My host is- is fighting me!”

“He is?” My mother leaned forward, then her head abruptly snapped back. She cried out. “Mine too! Ah!”

“No, Lao!” snarled my father. “No! You will not win. You will never win. No host has ever fought off a Yeerk. I- will- win! I-will- break you!”

My parents had gone mad. This was the only explanation. They were talking to themselves, gasping and jerking, stumbling. I felt sick, but I couldn’t stop listening.

“Poppy, I will destroy you,” said my mother. “You will be nothing! You- ack!”

Now my mother was strangling herself, her own hand around her throat.

But it didn’t last long. In less than a minute, they had regained control of themselves, their shaking had ceased, and they were standing straight, breathing heavily. Without another word, they both left the room.

I sunk to the ground, feeling tears run down my cheeks. My parents were crazy. They wanted to kill me. What could I do? Where could I go? My tunnels could take me away. Far, far away from Gaoling. But after that, where?

I only really saw one option.

--------------------

“Hey! Twinkletoes! Wake up! Up! Rise and shine, weenie!”

I kicked the Avatar, and he didn’t react. Oh come on! What had my dad drugged them with, anyhow?

Fine. We’d have to do this the hard way. My parents were coming.

I ripped up the floor beneath the unconscious teens, and they fell down into my tunnel. I quickly resealed the hole above us, and began the process of pushing the ground beneath them to get them out of the house.

I stopped in my room only after making sure it was empty of guards or parents, and only long enough to grab my earthbending uniform. I then slowly made my way towards the outskirts of town, where the badgermoles lived.

I would be safe there.

-----------------------

“Ugggghhhhhnnnnn.”

I sighed and reclined against a rock. It was about time! Too bad the first one to wake up was the idiot.

“Welcome to the waking world, Crazypants.”

“It is night time!” Was it just me, or did he sound a bit panicked?

“Uh. Yeah. You were out for a while there.”

“For how long?” Yeah, definitely panicked. His heart was going crazy.

“I dunno. Half an hour, forty-five minutes, maybe?”

“I have very little time left. Do not be alarmed.”

“Alarmed at what? Wait- whoa! Whoa whoa whoa what the-”

Right there, in front of me, he was changing. His bones were shifting around, his weight and density were changing. Extra legs were coming out of nowhere and- oh by the ghost of my long dead grampa, a tail!

My mouth hung open. I had no idea what it was. This was something completely new.

(Thank you for saving me.)

Now there were voices in my head. Obviously, my parents’ crazy was contagious.

“Okay,” I said. “Okay. What are you?”

(I am an Andalite.)

Andalite. There was that word my parents had used. They hadn’t liked Andalites.

Then, the other boy, Sokka the cowpig, started to stir. “Ooooooof. Oh boy. What was in that soup?”

The ‘Andalite’ walked over to Sokka and knelt down, touching his shoulder.

“Oooh yeah. No kidding, Aksi.” After a several-second pause, the prone boy sat up and turned his face towards me. “Uh, Aximili? Toph is right there.”

There was another pause, and Sokka turned his face towards the 'Andalite,' as though it was talking.

“Um, well, she’s blind, Aksi. She wouldn’t know if you were-”

“I can see you just fine,” I grated, getting seriously annoyed. “And I can also hear you, if you don’t mind.”

“You can see…?”

(Are you truly blind?) the voice of the Andalite asked in my head. It sounded... oddly strained. Disgusted? (By birth?)

“Yeah, what of it? Were you a four legged mind-talking freak by birth?”

“Aximili is… um… from somewhere else.”

“Yeah.” I raised an eyebrow and snorted. “Right.”

We were interrupted then by Aang and Katara waking up.

“Ooooooogh.”

“Aaaaaaaaaagh.”

Cowpig boy helped them to their feet, and they turned to face me. “Um, Toph, where are we?” asked Katara.

I shrugged. “Just on the outskirts of town. No one else knows we’re here.” I paused. Did I really want to go with them? They had a… thing… with them. But it was better than my other option, right? “So, my parents are insane, and want to kill me. I’m going to come with you instead, if that’s alright.”

It was their turn to pause. “They want to kill you?” asked Aang.

“Yeah. They’re totally crazy. But they knew about you,” I pointed at ‘Aksi.’ “They were talking to some weird voice without a body called Visser Three, and then they decided to kill me. They really need a healer.”

The three teens and one Andalite were very still. “Toph,” said Katara quietly. “I think there’s something important you need to know.”

They told me then, about the Yeerks, and the Andalites, and everything. As they explained, a better sequence of the evening’s events came to me. My parents… they had tried to protect me, had tried to keep the Yeerks from infesting or killing me. They’d tried to fight off the Yeerk possession. But they’d failed.

They didn’t want to kill me. They loved me.

My hands clenched into fists, and I grit my teeth. All this time - probably ever since Master Yu’s lessons had stopped - my parents had been controllers.

It made me angry. Really angry.

“We have a lot of enemies, Toph,” Katara was still saying. “The Fire Nation, the Yeerks… they’re everywhere. Almost everywhere we meet one or the other. But we do need an earthbending teacher, and Aang thinks you’re the one. It’s really your choice. We don’t want to force you.”

“I’ll do it.”

I heard Aang gasp, and I lifted my face, so they could see my expression. “I mean it. I’ll help you learn earthbending, and when we find those Yeerks, I want to help you kill them.”

(You are brave… for a vecol.) The voice in my head that time held… what? Curiosity?

I raised my eyebrow. “Vecol? What’s that?”

(A cripple. One who cannot heal themselves by morphing.) There, disgust, mixed with an arrogance that would make any noble take note.

I didn’t like that tone. “Cripple, huh? Well, I guess I am just a poor, helpless blind girl. Can’t take care of myself, can’t help anyone, just a dead weight, right Aksi?”

I let myself smile sweetly, then dug my foot into the ground, twisting the earth under Aksi’s front hooves to the side and sending him to the floor.

“And I can kick your freaky butt any day of the week. ‘K?”

I turned to face the others. “So, how about this ‘morphing’ thing, huh?”

--------------------

It wasn’t that hard. I opened up the mountain and walked through tunnels large enough to hold the entire Bei Fong manor. I sent down a pulse, a call, a ‘hello.’ Badgermoles are curious about new things in their tunnels. They would come.

And when the old female came over to get a good smell of me, I acquired her.

------------------

(This. Is. Awesome.)

My roar was the scream of a demon. My legs were pillars. My claws, lances. My head, a battering ram. I stomped, and rent the earth apart.

(Ohhhhhhhhh yeah!)

-------------------

“I really don’t see the point of this. Why would I need to fly?”

I stroked Momo, who was being very quiet.

“It’s fun!” said Aang. “Flying is so fun!”

Uh, no. Flying on Appa was not fun, and I doubted flying with wings would be much better.

“It’s useful,” said Sokka. “Being small and less noticeable.”

“Fine, whatever.” I let Momo go, and he scampered off.

(It would be wise to prepare yourself. You may experience sensory input that you are not accustomed to.)

“Okay, Aksi. I think I can handle it.”

I stood up, stretched, and concentrated.

For a moment, nothing. Then, I felt my clothes get loose and big around me as I shrunk. I heard cracks as my bones changed, and my ears itched as they expanded. I rolled my tongue around the inside of my mouth, feeling the teeth change and the muzzle form. It was weird, yet cool.

I listened to Katara shifing from foot to foot nervously. What was she worried about? This wasn’t so bad.

I felt a bit more concerned when my earth-sight disappeared. That hadn’t happened when I’d morphed the badgermole. It was unnerving. I felt really, really blind, like I do in those few seconds when I jump into the air. I didn’t like it. How could I see?

Then-

(Ah!)

It was- how could I describe it? It was sharp, and hot, and harsh, and yet none of those things. It was an invasion, a burst, an explosion of sensation. It was motion and depth and form, and a million other things besides. It was overwhelming.

My eyelids flinched shut, and it disappeared. Gone.

Oh, man. Was that sight? No way was that sight. Were people all in a fuss over that… that chaos? How could you make sense of that?

“Toph?” someone- Aang- was saying. “Are you all right?”

(How do you do it?) I wondered. (It’s too much!)

“Do what?” wondered Katara. Spirits, they can be oblivious sometimes.

(Handle all the- the sharp in your eyes?)

“Sharp in your-”

(She is seeing,) said Aksi. (And, as a vecol, she has never seen before. Experiencing a new sense can be overwhelming.)

“Like you with taste?” asked Twinkletoes.

(Yes, like that.) He sounded uncomfortable.

I took a deep breath, as well as I could with my tiny lemur nose. All right. Let’s do this.

I opened my eyes.

------------------------

I had to learn these things. They made no sense to me, and while Momo could react to them, he had no words to describe them.

Blue. The quality of Aang’s arrow, the sky, and Aksi’s fur.

Green. The quality of the grass, the leaves of the trees.

Red. The quality of blood, and fire.

Yellow. Aang’s robes.

White. The clouds, and Appa’s fur.

Brown. The earth

I closed my lemur eyes, and saw Black.

[theotherace]

"I'm tired!", Aang shouts, and Sokka stills.

"Aang–"

"I'm tired", the boy repeats, quietly, and his voice breaks, his lip wobbles. He looks small, all of a sudden. He's always been small, Sokka realizes. Remembers. His fingers twitch. Aang presses the ball of his hand to his eye and turns away. "And it doesn't matter how long I sleep, how well I sleep, because when I wake up, I'm still tired."

He sniffles.

He's thirteen.

Sokka remembers being thirteen and stumbling after his father, remembers the tears making their way down his cheeks, burning away the face of a warrior he'd put on so very carefully. He remembers feeling tiny in the worst possible way when his father held him as he sobbed.

"Everything is heavy. I'm heavy."

Another sniffle.

"And I don't ... I don't ..."

The boy shakes himself. His head. His body.

Sokka breathes in.

He knows that heaviness, he thinks. Knows that exhaustion.

It clung to his body for weeks after dad and the men of their tribe left.

It clung to his mind for months after Yue died.

He's not always sure it's gone.

He finally moves when Aang looks up, his grey eyes a storm, his lips trembling. He moves and grabs his shoulder and pulls him into his chest, and the boy's ear burns against his neck, and his fingers dig into his back, and Sokka holds him tighter.

"I'm tired", Aang says again, barely audible.

"I know", Sokka breathes.

"I want to go home."

His words are a broken whisper, but they couldn't have cut deeper had he shouted, had he cried, had he screamed them at Sokka, because Sokka has been to the Air Temples. He has seen how empty they are, how empty they shouldn't be, he remembers the horror in Aang's eyes as his lit up at the sight of the Northern Air Temple. There is no home for Aang to go back to, and his heart aches at the thought.

His fingers ghost over his friend's head.

"You can come with us", he says, clumsily, because he is sixteen, and not very many people have sobbed into his shoulder before, not very many people have held onto him like he's the only thing real, the only thing remaining. "You're home ... with us. We're your family."

Aang whimpers.

"I know you're tired. I know ... I know you feel like you're filled with lead. I know, because sometimes, I feel like that, too. Sometimes ... sometimes, it's the full moon, and I feel like laying down and never getting up again. But ... I do get up. I always do. And sometimes", his throat is tight, "... it's hard. And if it's hard for you ... you can just ... you can ... one of us will always help you stand up, okay? Always, Aang."

He feels too big for his skin.

His tongue is heavy.

His shoulder is wet.

"I'm sorry it hurts", he says, and closes his eyes.

Aang buries his face deeper in his shirt.