For me, it's always night, always dark. Blindness has never been a problem, though; I can "see" perfectly well. But lately, I've begun to wonder if I'm blind in other ways…
I've known Zuko for a long time. At first, he was just some angry freak with a ponytail and a waste of oxygen. We were enemies, you know? I didn't really bother to look past all his anger and hatred.
Then he came over to my side-the side of good. Not just my side, Katara and Aang and Sokka and Iroh's side. That changed a lot. Yeah, right. Zuko was just as angry and hate-filled and difficult as ever.
At first I thought he ignored me or thought I was just a stupid 12 year old. Then, I commented that Princess (his nickname) was actually not half bad at bending, for a deaf hog monkey.
To my, and everyone else's surprise, he just sighed and said, "You know I hate to admit it, but you're actually starting to grow on me."
As time passed, Zuko was eventually accepted into our group, more or less. Probably had something to do with the fact that Iroh, Aang's Firebending teacher, kept telling us about all the goofy things Zuko did when he was a kid. Or maybe it had more to do with finding out about Zuko's scar. Either way, I was starting to grow on Zuko, and he was starting to grow on me, too.
The day of the eclipse came. We were all gathered together as a group, for what could be the last time. "Well, I-I guess we should say goodbye. Just in case, I mean." Katara's voice shook. One thing I do regret about being blind is that I'll never be able to tell what people are thinking by their expression. Somehow, though, I thought Sokka would have looked very sober and that Aang would have had this really sad look in his big, round eyes.
At that moment, I knew that in a way none of us would ever come back. We had all reached a crossroads, a place of no return. Whatever happened here, no tracks could be retraced, no lives relived, no mistakes fixed.
"No," I said firmly, "Goodbyes are for people who aren't coming back." Yet I still hugged Sokka, Aang and Katara. Zuko…well, I gave him a friendly punch in the arm. Everyone just looked at each other, or so I imagined. Then, Aang determinedly turned away and ventured into the battle. Sokka and Katara followed him, leaving Zuko and me together at the Edge of the World.
"So," he finally said, "I guess this is it. No turning back now." It was strange how his words echoed my thoughts. "I just want you to know, I've always thought you're a great Earthbender."
I nodded, deciding not to say, "That's Miss Best Earthbender in the World to you."
Zuko took a deep breath and charged forward, letting out a deep battle cry. I lingered a little longer, wanting to stay there forever and not have to know or care what happened next. But I knew that there was no running from whatever lay ahead. I only hoped that we could all escape with our lives. I took a running leap forward and began taking down Firebenders right and left.
Somewhere in the midst of all that fighting, I heard a voice scream. A voice I recognized. My stomach tightened and I immediately began making my way towards where the noise had come from. I prayed that I was wrong; I prayed it wasn't him.
But deep down, I already knew the answer. Death was coming.
