Toph
She sighs as Katara tries to heal the wounds.
They had another run in with Azula and her companions. They were able to get away, but not before taking quite a beating. Toph hated having to run. She wanted to face them head on!
But even she got tired.
Maybe she thought it would be simple. No parents, no rules, just freedom. She didn't really expect all of this. She didn't expect to get bags under her young, unseeing eyes. She didn't expect the aching limbs or the cuts and bruises.
She also didn't expect the harsh nightmares that came with it. She woke up more than enough nights to the worried faces of her friends. But they understood, because they had them, too.
Toph didn't really know when she had realized that they weren't kids, they were soldiers. Soldiers in a cruel world.
"Is that good?" Katara asked after healing Toph's wounds to the best of her ability.
"Yeah, it's fine." The answer was short, but to the point. Just like her.
They huddled together in their sleeping bags and hoped for a better day tomorrow. As Toph heard the soft but steady breaths of her friends, she realized something.
Even soldiers need a break.
Sokka
He pouted.
He felt so useless. He was the only one without bending. The only one who couldn't use the elements to his advantage. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he have been blessed by the spirits with the ability to bend like his sister?
She was a prodigy. She was good at everything.
All he had was a boomerang.
And then it happened.
They had been attacked by Azula, and her friend (Mai?) was in perfect alignment to hit Katara. Her bending had been rendered useless by the acrobat. Sokka threw the boomerang with all his might. He was able knock the knives out of her hand and possibly injure it.
He had saved her, not the other way around. He waited for some kind of praise or thanks. But they walked by, never even noticing his presence.
And then he realized something. They all saved each other on a daily basis. There was no need to thank someone because they would save you tomorrow or the next day. They all knew that the other was thankful. It was common knowledge.
Sokka finally realized that even if he couldn't bend, he could still be useful.
After all, he was a soldier.
Zuko
He had done terrible things. Unforgivable things. But they still forgave him.
How could they forgive him? He didn't deserve forgiveness. He deserved to be hated! Despised even! Why couldn't they hate him?!
What had he ever done to deserve there friendship? He had hunted the Avatar for three years, and now he was his... Friend? It went against everything he believed in, his very nature.
What would his mother say? Would she be proud that he was doing the right thing or devastated that he had betrayed his family?
He had finally overcome his inner turmoil, only to doubt himself now? No! Zuko was nothing if not persistent. He had chased the Avatar all over the world, gained his honor, and then gave it up to help the very person he had terrorized. Yes, he was very persistent.
"Hey, Zuko," Aang yelled from his spot near the fire. "You want some soup? Katara made it!"
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, letting a small smile grace his face. "Um, sure. I'll be right there."
He walked over to the fire. He finally realized that a good soldier was nothing without their fellow comrades.
Katara
She tried the motions once again. She needed to perfect this waterbending move! She needed to be able to protect them! If she failed, they would all fail. She would fail them just like she had her mother.
What if she wasn't strong enough? What if she was a second to slow? She didn't have any more spirit water. If something happened, she would never forgive herself.
She tried so hard, some might even call her a prodigy. But she wasn't! She was just one girl! Why couldn't she just get it right?!
She had released Aang from the iceberg, she had started all of this. It was all her fault. She should have left with Aang, she should have kept her brother out of it. If she hadn't released Aang from that iceberg, they would be safely tucked away in their igloos in the south pole.
And then she remembered.
They might be tucked away, but they would never be safe. Not as long as the war continued.
So come to think of it, she had done the world a service by releasing Aang. Who knows where they would be without him?
Even one soldier could make a difference.
Aang
They were counting on him. Not just his friends, the world.
The world was on his terribly small shoulders. What if he couldn't beat the Fire Lord? If he failed? It would all be over.
He was also the last airbender. He would have to preserve an entire species. If he didn't, airbenders would go extinct and the Avatar cycle would be broken and the world would be forever thrown off balance!
This wasn't what kids were supposed to do; they were supposed to run and play and have fun. Children were supposed to be happy, not insane with worry.
"Twinkle toes?" Toph snapped her fingers in front of his face, causing him to look at her.
"What?"
"I asked why you were being so quiet." She was getting impatient, Aang could tell.
"Just thinking," he answered. It was the truth. He had simply gotten lost in his thought.
"Oh. Well, you should really practice your earthbending. You're really getting rusty."
He smiled. He then remembered that he wasn't going into this alone. His friends would be with him every step of the way.
After all, even one soldier couldn't save the world alone.
Okay, how was it? This is my first attempt at writing an ATLA fic. Did I butcher the characters? Tell me in your review!