A sigh barely escaped my lips. I heard another sickening crash and tried to get up. It might be him. I thought, rising unsteadily to my feet. I began to walk toward the source of the crash, using a pillar of earth to knock enemies out of the way. I had only one goal; get the four of us out of here alive. I ignored the growing pain in my right foot as I half walked, half stumbled across the room.

"Toph, you're hurt!!" Sugar Queen gushed, running up to me. Crap.

"I'm fine Katara, now let me go save your incompetent idiot of a brother." I muttered, pushing lightly past her. She stared after me, but I had no time to elaborate. My foot still ached, but I pushed that out of my mind. We can worry about that later.

"Toph!! Are you okay?" Twinkletoes asked. Don't you people have something better to do?

"I'm fine." I insisted. "Don't you have a Firelord or evil princess to fight?"

"I can't-nevermind." Aang mumbled. "But you should really have Katara look at that-"

"Out of my way." I interrupted, walking past him. These distractions were wasting my time. Don't call for him. I reminded myself. They'll find you.

"T-toph?" a voice stuttered. I turned my head, despite my urgency.

"What now, Sparky?" I hissed, facing front again.

"Where are you going?" Zuko asked. "The earthbenders are supposed to be over that way-"

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't get the memo, but I'm busy now, so stay out of my way before a shove some earth up your-"

"Okay, okay, sorry!!" Zuko interrupted. He lowered his voice. "The warriors are over that way."

"Thanks for finally helping, Sparky." I said sarcastically before walking off again. I headed to the north; it was not only where Sparky had pointed, but also where I'd heard the explosion.

----

It took me about five or six minutes to get to where Zuko had pointed, and my foot hurt even more. So much, in fact, that I was limping by the time I arrived. There was silence as I walked in.

"Toph?" another voice asked. Sokka...? I'd never felt so glad to hear another human being. After a few seconds, he was standing in front of me. We stood in silence.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He's never quiet. Another silence.

"Suki." he whispered. What? And then I understood. The explosion...No. I closed my eyes and stood on the spot, the pain in my foot the last thing on my mind. I tear leaked down my cheek in spite of myself, and I reached over and hugged Sokka. So unlike him, a few tears dripped onto my shoulder. I awkwardly patted him on the back.

"It'll be okay..." I told him soothingly.