"Well everyone knows what I'm scared of" Toph said "Flying!"
She grinned as the other's laughed at the memory of her first experience flying.
"What about you Sokka?
Aang laughed, "We all know his greatest fear is running out of food!"
Sokka glared at the young boy and tried to respond, opening and closing his mouth like the fish he loved to eat. But eventually he sighed and let them laugh while turning to Zuko, the only one not laughing at him.
"So why aren't you laughing?" Sokka asked.
He still had a very poor opinion of the fire bender and he saw what looks his sister gave to him which only made matters worse.
Zuko's small smile disappeared as Sokka's face formed into a smouldering frown. He blinked uncertainly at Sokka's question and desperately searched his mind for an answer.
But Katara saved him.
"Leave him alone Sokka, he's just being kind and not laughing at you! There's no need to be angry at him!"
Sokka turned and looked at his baby sister. She was slightly frowning at him but in her eyes he could see she was pleading. She wanted them to get along but how could he when he didn't fully trust him … with Katara. But nonetheless he sighed his anger away and dropped the matter, for her.
Sokka could see Aang giving him a strange look but he paid no attention to the monk. He knew he was being too sensitive. He probably would have yelled if Zuko had been laughing.
"So." Katara said nudging Zuko. He turned his face to her and Sokka's heart beat faster causing Toph to glance his way. He ignored her and waited for Zuko's answer, his muscles tightened and ready to spring.
"So what?" He asked.
"What's your greatest fear?" Katara asked gently teasing him.
A small smile danced around Zuko's lips causing Sokka to clench his fists and force himself still.
Zuko sighed and shook his head, "I can't say." He said.
"Do you-" Sokka started to ask if anyone wanted to know his but he was shushed and interrupted by Katara.
"Why?" Katara pressed.
Zuko shrugged. "Is it Azula? Your father?" She asked.
"No." Zuko replied blankly.
Katara looked at Toph and she shook her head. "He's not lying."
Katara and Aang exchanged confused looks. "Then what is it?" She asked laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Sokka felt his blood boil and burst the question out to Aang, startling them all.
Aang's shocked eyes darted around at them all. Zuko forgotten he was now the centre of attention.
"Well … uh I guess it's fighting the Firelord." He said.
"You seem uncertain Aang, are you sure there's nothing else?" Katara asked.
Aang looked into her beautiful blue eyes and his biggest fear became clear. But he couldn't say. Not in front of everyone.
"Yeah, I'm sure," He said air bending himself off the ground at the same time so Toph couldn't tell he was lying. "Hey," He said to Katara, "Do you want to spar some more?"
Katara glanced once around at the group then accepted Aang's offer. They left wandering off to find another fountain to spar in. Sokka immediately jumped up.
"I'll go catch us some food." He glanced down at the remains of their dinner, "For … eh, breakfast! Toph, wanna come with?"
Before Toph could answer he grabbed her arm and pulled her up and away, wandering off in the opposite direction to Katara and Aang. Leaving Zuko alone.
Sokka dragged Toph a far distance away before stopping and plonking himself on the floor, dragging Toph down with him. He sat, eyes ablaze and hands curled into fists.
"What?" Toph said.
Sokka couldn't help but spill all that was bothering him.
"It's Zuko!"
Toph sighed, frustrated. "What is it now? I thought you all trusted him now."
Sokka glared at her but the look was lost on her. "I do," He said "Just not around Katara."
Toph opened her mouth but Sokka interrupted. "That's my greatest fear. That he'll do something to her and I won't be able to help. That I'll turn out to be even more useless than I already am."
Sokka hung his head but felt a little better from saying something to Toph. He knew she wouldn't tell anyone.
"You have to tell Katara this." Toph bluntly stated.
"No." Sokka said. "She'd say I was being too protective or something. Just keep this a secret will you?"
************************************************************************
"Aang? What's wrong?" Katara asked.
It was Aang that suggested they spar but now he was barely trying. He let his water fall back into the pool with a splash.
"I'm sorry Katara,"
He glanced up, nerves almost getting the better of him as he looked at her kind, caring face. She smiled, sensing he had something on his mind.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Aang nodded and wandered out of the pool and sat down. Katara sat next to him and waited.
He took a deep breath and then spoke, "You know when I said I was sure that fighting the Firelord was my biggest fear?"
Katara nodded silently.
"Well it isn't. There's something else. Someone else."
He looked at Katara, hoping she had got the hint but she merely gave him a confused look and told him to continue.
"Well there's this girl. And I really like her but I'm scared that if I tell her how I feel then she'll reject me, and we won't be friends anymore and that she'll think I'm a complete idiot and-"
"Aang!" Katara interrupted him as he began to shout. "Calm down. Look I'm sure this girl will understand, even if she doesn't like you the way you like her, I'm sure she'll stay your friend. If she's really your friend she'll understand."
Aang gazed into her gorgeous sapphire eyes and a lazy smile came to his face.
"You're right, she is the understanding type." He said and leaned towards her.
************************************************************************
Zuko sighed as he watched Sokka drag Toph away. Was he really that unbearable to talk to?
'I thought they all trusted me,' he thought.
He lit a fire in the palm of his hand and looked into it, as if the answers to all his problems lay in the thing that had created them.
"You cause more trouble than you're worth." He thought out loud.
He extinguished the flame and lay on his back, looking at the stars. The stars used to irritate him, but now they brought him calm and happiness. Finding constellations his mother taught him made him happy and peaceful. Relaxing muscles he wasn't aware he had been tightening he watched as the stars above danced for him. Twinkling in the night sky he finally saw how his mother and uncle could stare at them all night. He felt so close to them.
"I'm sorry," He whispered into the air.
To everyone, and anyone he had ever hurt. But the fear never went away. The fear that they would never totally forgive or trust him and that he would mess it all up again. Zuko closed his eyes and wished, pleaded almost, for forgiveness from the world. A gentle night breeze trickled over him, ruffling his hair and cooling him but the fear did not leave his body. He would never be at rest until he had fully repaid each and every one of the people he had hurt.
"I won't let anyone down." He muttered to himself.
He would conquer his greatest fear.