Incarnate
Toph stumbled along the dirt road, deep in thought. Her head hung low, she constantly had to pull herself from her musings to avoid falling into the ditch. She gave up only after a couple of hours on her journey and fell to the ground. She closed her eyes, and soon she was gone.
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The soldiers clashed. For seemed like hours, fire shot into the sky, the earth rumbled constantly, and the sound of metal on metal rang throughout the courtyard. Finally, after only 30 minutes, the last of the Royal Guard fell beneath Sokka's feet.
"Come on, Let's go!" Sokka led the remnants of the massive Earth army into the castle, Katara close behind. As Aang began to follow, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Aang, wait." It was Toph.
"Yes?" He answered, turning. He had a puzzled, if not agitated look on his face. Of course, she couldn't know that.
"This is it. This is the culmination of your entire journey. Are you ready for this?"
"I… I think so."
"Good. Just remember what I taught you, and you'll be fine."
"Don't worry."
"Oh, and before you go." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, leaving him confused, albeit pleased. "Good luck, pupil Aang."
Aang nodded, and turned. He faced the Castle one last time, and hesitated. He looked to Toph, and then back to the entrance to the courtyard, overlooking the bay. He noticed the Alliance Navy seemed to have pulled back, or, he gulped, been obliterated.
Toph's head jerked up, her attention directed to the arch marking the only entrance into the now-destroyed courtyard. "Go, they're coming. I'll cover the rear." Aang hesitated once more, looking at her, then the entrance. "GO!" Aang took one last glance as the first Fire Nation soldier rounder the corner, only to fall into the massive fissure created by Toph a second earlier. He nodded, then ran into the fortress-castle. That was the last Toph saw of a living, breathing Aang.