"I don't think Boomerangs' coming back, Toph. It looks like this is the end."
Sokka held onto Toph's hand as tightly as he could. They were dangling on the edge of the catwalk near the base of the airship. Even though his arm was growing numb from the pain, Sokka could still feel Toph's warm fingers slipping from his own. He gripped her tighter. He gripped her harder. He held on with all his might. His leg was throbbing in pain, the broken bone only adding to his distress. He was shaking all over, a cold sweat breaking out and sliding over his bronze skin. Sokka's fingers curled around Toph's and he twisted his neck to look into her clouded eyes. Tears rained from those eyes, tears Sokka wished he could reach down and wipe away.
Toph's heart sped up in her chest and she couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't do anything. She could only hang there, her life hanging with her. She wished she could see Sokka. She wished she could look into his eyes and reassure him of everything. She wished she could see the world before leaving it forever. To know colors and shapes. The wonders her blind eyes couldn't see. The hot tears spilled out faster and faster until she began choking with sobs. Sokka sighed and a teardrop of his own fell, hurtling towards the hard ground below.
"Sokka," Toph said quietly, her body falling limp in utter defeat.
Sokka looked down at her, his eyes wide in horror and his mouth hanging open.
"No! Toph, I won't let you go!" he cried out in despair.
"Sokka," Toph repeated, slowly sliding down Sokka's hand. "Let me go, Sokka."
Sokka tried to get a grasp on her arm, but he couldn't move without her falling to her death. The ground below looked so hard, so menacing, so deadly. It wasn't the right death for Toph. For a young girl who had only begun to live. For a girl who new so much about the wonders of the world -knew so much about people- without ever seeing them. Sokka couldn't let her die this way. He couldn't let her die with so many mysteries left in her life. He couldn't let her die without telling her.
"Toph, I love you." he whispered, his voice breaking on her name. He knew this was the end. He knew that if he didn't let her go, she'd plummet to the earth anyways.
Toph fell silent. She loved him, too. But she wouldn't burden him with that when she was about to die. "Let me go."
Sokka released her and she fell, her body flipping through the air gracefully before it disappeared, leaving Sokka on the airship with an empty hand and a vacant heart. "I love you." he mouthed.