The gang came across a valley filled with rock columns.
Aang, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Suki had been walking for days. Appa was sick and unable to fly them. They were low on water and Katara wanted to wait until she could find some more water before trying to heal him.
"I don't know if my feet can take anymore," Toph sighed, after observing the area with her feet.
"Can you wait until we find a nice spot to camp for the night?" Aang ask, looking up at the sky. It was turning a dark orange and blue with the setting sun.
"My feet hurt so bad," Toph said. "You gotta remember that I'm barefoot."
"Let me carry you," Sokka offered. He helped Toph onto his back and he carried her piggy back style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on top of his.
Suki didn't seem to care.
"I'm tired too," Katara said, glancing hopefully at Aang. He didn't make any notion of hearing her.
"Here," Zuko said, scooping her up in her arms.
Halfway through the valley the rock columns were closer together, providing a better shelter.
"We'll camp here," Aang announced.
Everyone set to making their tents while Toph sat on the ground and made a rock tent around herself.
"Do you want to put our tents together, Aang?" Katara asked him, pulling him aside from everyone else.
"Why would I wanna do that?" He asked coldly. Hurt, Katara moved to find another place.
"There's a spot over here," Zuko offered, gesturing towards an empty space towards his tent.
When Suki noticed that Sokka had placed his tent next to her, she sighed and rolled her eyes.
When they were done, Zuko made a fire and they ate dinner. After that, they all went to their tents to sleep.
Sokka lay in his, rolling over and over, unable to sleep. Quietly, he crawled out his tent and snuck over to Toph's.
"Toph, are you awake?" Sokka whispered through the rock wall.
Suddenly, the rock wall slid down in the ground again. He could see Toph sitting inside with the moonlight.
"What do you want?" She asked in her normal, rough tone.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
She sharply gestured him inside and he did go in. She brought the wall back up, leaving them in darkness with only a little light coming in through the cracks.
"What's up?" She asked.
"I wanted to check on your feet," he said.
"They're fine, thanks," she said.
They were sat quietly for a few moments.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked him. "What's been going on with you and Suki lately?"
"I don't know," he admitted. Lately, Suki had been acting like he annoyed her and she had been kind of avoiding her. "I used to think she really liked me, but now I feel like I'm only a nuisance to her."
"Do you have any feelings left for her?" Toph asked.
Sokka thought for a moment. "No… I don't think I do."
"Well, that's good," Toph sighed, falling backwards and laying down on her back.
"Why's that?" Sokka asked skeptically.
"Oh nothing," Toph blushed, but Sokka could still see it. Smiling to herself, he lay down next to her on the ground. He was only there a few seconds before Toph was curling up next to him, her head on his chest.
"Sometimes I wish you weren't blind so that you could see how beautiful you are," he whispered to her, kissing her on her forehead.
Sokka tried to sneak out of Toph's tent the next morning before anyone else had woken up, but Suki caught him.
"Did you stay in Toph's tent last night?" She confronted him after dragging him into her tent.
"Maybe," Sokka shrugged. "Why does it matter? It's not like you like me anymore!" He snapped at her.
She thought for a moment. And then spoke.
"I think I'm a lesbian, Sokka," she said, tears forming in her eyes.
"What?" He gasped.
She leaned in and kissed him hard. She pulled back and shrugged.
"See? I felt nothing there. Boys don't…excite me anymore," she cried.
"I…I don't know what to say," Sokka said.
"I'm going to go back home," she said. "After I pack up my things I'm going to back to my Kyioshi warriors. I want to be with them. I think they're what I want. You go be with Toph."
"I can't believe Suki left us," Katara said, watching Aang pack up his things. "I wonder why?"
"Something about her and Sokka not being able to date," Aang said, standing up and looking at her. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Katara asked.
"Look, I know you like me," Aang said. "But we just can't date. I'm the Avatar! I can't be worrying about girls. I need to worry about the world."
Katara nodded and looked down, tears in her eyes. She understood.