Disclaimer: This has been made purely for entertainment purposes, and is not meant for commercial gain. Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters, places and concepts are copyright of Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

Ten years after Sozin's Comet

The Fire Nation palace

Sundown

Toph sat alone on the red silk-lined luxury of her palace bedroom, staring without seeing out the grand window. Fading sunshine warmed her pale, lovely features and danced on her jade colored kimono. She twined her cold fingers together, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

Helpless. There was nothing they could do anymore but watch. Even Katara, a master in the art of water healing, could not prevent the inevitable.

Toph rose, walking barefoot to the window and pressing a slender hand on the cool glass. The others were there. At his side each moment, letting him know he was not alone. Talking to him, though he couldn't hear their words. Holding his hands, though he couldn't feel their touch. And they would stay with him until the last.

Until it was all over and done.

But Toph couldn't bear it. She couldn't just wait in that room, standing silently as she felt his heart slow and weaken with each passing moment. She didn't want to know the faces of her friends as they watched one of their own slip quietly away.

Despite the summer heat, a chill ran through her small body. How much longer did he have? A couple hours? Minutes, even?

He no longer knew the pain of the sickness that had brought such a great war hero to his deathbed. What had started as a mere cough and aching bones just weeks before now left him only able to sleep his last hours away.

Toph felt the warmth leave her face. The sun had set.

She heard the slow, tired footsteps in the hall before she felt them. The door opened, but she didn't turn around to greet her visitor. His heart told her everything she already knew before he even opened her mouth.

"He's gone."

Toph nodded, standing rigidly to keep her composure.

"Are you okay, Toph?" Sokka asked, approaching her from behind. He must have noticed she was trembling. She gripped the windowsill.

"I-I'm fine." Her voice shook.

"Iroh was a good man." Sokka whispered, standing next to her at the window. "He was like a grandfather to all of the us."

"Sokka…" Toph choked. He turned to look at her, concern in his red-rimmed eyes. "Sokka, I…" A single tear slid down her smooth cheek.

"Oh, Toph." Sokka took her in his arms, running a strong hand up and down her back soothingly as she cried against him. Sobs wracked her body, tears staining his shirtfront.

Toph clung to him, breathing his warm scent in the circle of his arms.

"It's gonna be okay. It's okay, I'm here, I'm here."