AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I haven't finished this story yet, but I have a really good idea on where I would like it to go. I'm sorry for not having Katara and Aang in this chapter, but hopefully you'll understand by the end of the next one. Reviews, critisisms, and praises are the best, and I am willing to take suggestions on anything you might think would make the story better! This story is going to focus A LOT on overcoming personal obstacles and finding comfort from the people around the characters. There will NOT be any incest or gay/lesbian relationships, but there will be T rated content. The first chapter starts out kind of slow. It's just setting up the events for the next few chapters. I love reviews. :)

BURNT

Day dreaming had never been something Toph did often. There had never been any time to. When she wasn't fighting her parents as a child, she was earth bending. That had been her escape. She knew people would never expect anything out of her, the poor little blind girl, but Toph wanted people to respect her, not pity her. So she had trained until her feet bled and every muscle in her body ached, and she had become the best earth bender the world had ever known or would ever know.

Yet, here she was, sitting atop the wall of Ba Sing Se looking over a countryside that she couldn't see. Toph never pitied herself for being blind. It had made her stronger than everyone around her, but sometimes she imagined what it would be like to be able to see things, in color: to know what the sunrise looked like or to see a man's face and know he was handsome. She ran her fingers over her face wondering if she was pretty or if any man would ever be able to love her.

"I'm turning into Katara," she huffed. "I need to go beat something." Or someone. She grinned mischievously. The practice fields would be the perfect place to settle her emotions. Besides, as Second-in-Command to the Earth Kingdom Army, it was her duty to make sure her soldiers were getting the best training possible, and she would give them the best training possible.

She jumped over the ledge and landed easily on a slab of stone ten foot down. She bended her way to the ground and landed with a loud thud. She was now in the Outer City of Ba Sing Se. It was a residential area for the middle class of the city. The further you moved in, the bigger and more extravagant the houses became. In the center of Ba Sing Se and within another set of walls, was the Inner City where the richest and most powerful made residence. It was also the center hub where merchants and shopkeepers made their living.

It was the middle of a weekday so most of the inhabitants of the Outer City were within the Inner Walls trying to support their family. Since the end of the war, times were hard. Everyone who had profited from the fighting, and that was most of Ba Sing Se, was out of business. Almost a forth of the city's workers didn't have a job. Soldiers who had been hailed as war heroes five years before were now reduced to the lowest jobs and some them were even beggars. It was a despicable way to live, but they couldn't help it.

Toph heard babies wailing from different houses. She wondered how many of them were hungry and wouldn't get food because their family couldn't afford to eat every day. She was doing everything in her power to find a solution to the problem, but there weren't enough jobs to support the city's population. The rest of the Earth Kingdom wasn't doing any better either. If something wasn't done fast, the entire economy would collapse. It didn't help that the Earth Counsel still refused to trade with the Fire Nation or accept any of its help. From what she heard, Zuko wasn't fairing to well across the sea either.

Someone was walking across the street towards her. Toph guessed it was a man by the heavy footsteps. She hesitated before stopping. Some citizens still remembered how she and her friends had ended the war and respected her for it, but most had short memories. Those citizens loved to give her and anyone with any command an earful every chance they got. Toph prepared herself, reminding herself that these people were just scared for themselves and their families.

The man walked passed her though without so much as a hesitation. Toph let out a long breath. She was one of the most powerful people in the Earth Kingdom, in the entire world for that matter. Why was she scared of a peasant? She started walking again, but something made her stop. A split second too late she realized that the man had taken a battle stance. She tried to tighten her hand and send a boulder of earth hurtling towards him, but something pricked her left shoulder. Flames erupted from the spot and scorched through her body too fast for her to react. Toph screamed and fell to the ground.

She felt the fire burning away not only her flesh but her very existence. Her mind wasn't working. She could only feel the pain from the flames. She wanted to scream to relieve some of her torture, but smoke clogged her throat. She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to breathe; oxygen would only fuel the fire. Toph had never felt pain like this before. She wanted to die, but some part of her that she couldn't fully comprehend was still aware of her attacker and his exact location.

Toph couldn't think through the flames, but she felt anger so white-hot it rivaled the fire's intensity. Her hands were nothing but burning embers, but she was going to kill the person who had done this to her. She felt his footsteps approaching her. Without hesitation, she swiped her arms together. The movement sent torrents of new pain through her body, but she heard the sound of stone hitting stone and bones breaking.

She grinned with singed lips and allowed herself to fade into a burning unconsciousness.

Azula eyed her target. She felt her power coursing under skin. She itched with it. It needed to escape or she would explode. She grinned relishing in the feeling of being strong again. The fire burned passionately just inches from her fingertips. The flames' blue lights reflected off the metal walls of the training room casting shadows across the field. Her fingers twitched in anticipation. "Come on, Zu-zu, let's play."

Zuko smiled at his little sister. He could see it in her eyes again, the will to survive. Fire sparks from his fingertips. "No mercy," he laughed.

Azula chuckled. "Never." She made the first move. She ran in an arc to his right. His left hand had always been weaker, but he read it and kicked a jet of fire just to the side of her forcing her back straight. Blue flames glided under her feet as she rose over his head in a tornado of fire. She watched his eyes grow and laughed. Azula rained fireballs down on him until a red torrent erupted in front of her knocking her off balance. The tornado disappeared, but she landed easily on the floor. The room crackled with energy as both benders summoned lightening.

Azula's body tingled with energy and competition. "I see you've been practicing, Brother."

Zuko only smiled back at her. He knew that she wasn't going to let him win, but neither was he going to let her. He felt the electricity whizzing around him. It was dangerous to use it with so much metal around them, but no one else was in the training arena. "Are you going to shoot or just blab all day like a little girl."

"I'll show you girl," she yelled over the snapping of lightning. The sudden power surge was exhilarating, but she had to let it go or it would kill her without a second thought. It shot from her fingertips heading straight for Zuko's heart. As soon as he began to redirect it though, Azula changed game plans. She clasps her hands together with her index fingers pointed out and slammed her fists against the ground. A gush of blue and green flames covered her vision and nearly blinded her.

Azula stood their panting, waiting for the smoke to clear. There was no way Zuko could redirect the lightning and block her flames. She began to walk forward confident in her victory when she felt more energy being redirected. She ducted just in time to avoid getting a face full of lightning. "How?" She screeched searching the smoke for her opponent.

Zuko jumped out of the ashes nearly landing on her shoulders. Azula moved her burning hand across his chest leaving a trail of torn fabric. Both siblings summoned flames from each of their appendages. "No more lightning?" Zuko half-smiled. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Only because I don't want to kill you…yet." He made the first move. Azula saw the opening. She faked towards his right but swiped her legs knocking him to the ground. It wasn't until she was in the air and almost on him that realized the trap. He kicked both feet in the air sending two jets of flames right at her. She split through them but wasn't able to recover in time to catch herself. She landed on him and rolled onto her side.

Azula was prepared to continue the fight until she heard him guffawing beside her. "What's so funny?" She tried to calm her adrenaline, but there was a fight to be won. And Zuko was laughing. She gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself from torching him to ashes.

"I'm sorry. It's just…you should have seen you're face when you fell on top of me. Priceless." He looked over at her. His arm was under her shoulders, and their bodies were touching. He wrapped his arm around her. "It's almost like you were scared or something."

Azula rolled her eyes. "I've never been scared of you. You being Fire Lord doesn't change that." She waited for his witty response, but he just kept looking at her. "What?" She said self-consciously. "Did you burn my hair?"

Zuko chuckled at his little sister. "No, I just…I'm really glad to have you back. That's all." He half-smiled at her again. It wasn't until very recently that he realized how much he missed her laugh and smile. He'd almost forgotten there'd been a time where they had been just brother and sister not arch rivals hell-bent on the other's destruction.

"Oh, c'mon, Zuko, don't start getting all mushy on me." Azula smirked nervously. Feelings and emotions stilled made her uneasy especially with Zuko. "I never really left I just…okay, yeah, I totally checked out, but that's over. Right?" She grinned up at him, ready for his confident remark about how they were going to change the world.

Zuko nodded. "No one is ever going to take you away from me again." He kissed her forehead knowing how uncomfortable that would make her feel. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat." He stood up and held out his hand. She took it happily. Azula in that moment, felt more whole than she had since she was a child. How was it that the person she had hated for most of her life, had become the one person she could love? He was her rock, the only family she had left. And as far as she knew, the only family that had ever truly cared for her.

"Zuko," she said uneasily.

"Yeah?"

She glanced at him. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but-" that's when she saw it. A chance look in the right direction and it was there. "Assassin!"

"Assa-" but Azula pushed him to the ground. "What the he-" he shook his head and looked up at her. She was staring down at him, but her mouth was set in a silent scream. He had never seen so much pain in a human's eyes before. A small dart stuck out from her chest.

"Zuk…Zuk…" she wavered before falling. He lunged to catch her.

"Azula!" He searched the balcony for their attacker. She had seen it: the assassin. She had seen it, and she had saved him. Her hand gripped his arm weakly.

"Fire…fire…so much…pain…" Azula's throat felt like it was clotting with smoke and ash. She had been around fire all her life, and more than once been burnt by it, but never like this. This was different. This fire started inside her and seared her with more intensity than she'd ever felt. There was so much pain. She wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out. Zuko called out to her, but his voice was a thousand miles away. Her eyes fluttered then there was darkness. She slipped into a searing unconsciousness tortured by fire and ash.

Zuko knew he had to get her out of here. She had been poisoned. She had been poisoned because she saved him. His head was still reeling, but he had to stay calm for Azula's sake. He sent a wall of fire in the direction of the assassin and conjured another next to him and Azula. The doorway was only twenty feet away. If he could make it into the open, he could call for help. He scooped Azula into his arms. She moaned, and Zuko ran faster. His fire walls would have to be enough.

He jumped through the door into an open courtyard. The moon and stars were covered by clouds. He thanked whatever spirits were looking out for him. "Assassin! Help! Assassin!" He shouted sprinting to the nearest entrance to the castle. Almost instantly, four palace guardsmen appeared.

"Fire Lord," one said then he spotted Azula in his arms. He reached for her, but Zuko shook his head. "You three," he motioned, "there may still be an assassin in the training arena. Be careful, he has poison darts. I'll send for reinforcements immediately." They nodded and ran in the direction he'd come from. "You, go to my quarters and check on my family. Get Mai and the children to safety and don't leave their side. I'm counting on you." The guard nodded ran left down the hallway.

Zuko ran forward. "Please, Azula," he whispered through his labored breathing, "don't die. Don't leave me again. Please, sis, c'mon. Stay with me." Her face was turning red, and her neck looked blackened. Zuko prayed it was because of the dim lighting. Her mouth was still opened in a terrified 'O', but her eyes were closed now. "Azula, you don't get to die on me. Do you hear me? I don't care what that poison does. You don't get to leave! Please…" there was no response. Zuko's heart was racing a million miles an hour. He couldn't lose her. He was supposed to protect her not the other way around. "Please, don't do this."

Sokka reread the letter for the fifth time.

To My Dear Sokka,

I miss you more than anything in the world. I want nothing more than to be with you. Every second I'm not in your arms I feel empty, but Kyoshi Island needs me. The people need me. I can't ignore my obligations anymore than you can ignore yours. I know this hurts you, and my heart is breaking even as I write this. Sokka, My Love, I can't come to you. Maybe…Maybe…when things settle down we can see each other. I can't leave them, Sokka. Please understand. I hope you can have it in your heart to forgive me. I will always love you.

Your Love,

Suki.

Sokka wanted to crumple the paper and rip it to shreds, but his fingers wouldn't move. His heart wouldn't let him because Suki had written this to him. It was a good-bye letter, one that finally put into words what they had both been feeling for some time. They would never get to see each other, not soon anyway. Like she said, they both had obligations to their people, but right now Sokka wanted to hang everything that was keeping him from her. It wasn't fair. Suki was the one thing in his life that was solely his, and now it was being ripped away from him.

His heart felt like it was being shredded in his chest and being thrown into a tornado. He almost couldn't breathe through the lump in his throat, and his body was numb. Sokka tried to stitch his heart back together for his people, but his grief slipped through the holes. He didn't know how long he sat in silence thinking about her, but when someone knocked on his door, the sun had set suddenly and the moon was out.

"Come in," he said, but he wanted to damn whoever it was to the abyss for coming to him.

The thick ice door opened, and his assistant Hanna stepped in. "Chieftain, I'm going home for the night. Is there anything I can do to you before I leave?"

She knows, he thought. He didn't know how she knew. The scroll was still sealed when he received, but it was still from Suki. She knew their relationship wasn't going well, and she had probably guessed this was going to happen a long time ago.

"No," he snapped. She flinched at his tone. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You can go home."

She half-smiled nervously. "It's okay. If you need anything…just say so." She bowed ever so slightly and shut the door behind her. Sokka sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. The moonlight shined brightly through his open balcony. It was almost full tonight. He wondered if Suki was looking at the moon right now. He hoped so. Maybe that could be their link until they saw each other next. He knew there would be no other person for him, and he hoped she felt the same. "I love you, Suk-" There was a flash of black and the moon disappeared. Something sharp pricked his exposed neck. Then the black was gone, and the moon glistened beautifully off his ice palace.

But Sokka was burning.