She feels surrounded,

Not in a bad way,

Just a bit,

Overwhelmed.

She's happy though,

Happier than she's been in a long time.

But,

She's also sad,

The tightness in her chest,

The pain,

So deep,

She feels like its consuming,

Her,

Soul.

She lets her friends distract her.

She's not ready for that pain,

To enter,

The front,

Of,

Her,

Mind.

"So this is the Firelord's room then?"

Suki is more than willing to postpone the pain.

She is grateful.

"Its not the Firelord's room, it's just his room. It's always been his room."

It's important they know it's his,

Not,

His title's.

"Its nice, looks good."

"Thanks Toph, I'm sure he..."

Giggles.

She realises,

A joke has been made.

It's been a long time.

"Very funny Toph."

And somehow,

Despite everything,

They laugh.

She can barely breath,

And they're all clutching their sides,

Rolling around the bed

And suddenly.

She's not laughing,

And neither is Suki

And neither is Toph.

The pain has hit,

Pushed,

Coerced,

Forced itself,

To the front of their minds.

The pain demands to be felt

And she feels it.

It's all so very real now.

The war,

The death,

Is she an orphan?

Is she alone?

It's not fair.

None of it is fair.

Where is her father?

Where is Aang?

Why does Zuko have to be Firelord?

Why did Azula have to burn her?

Why

Why

Why

Why,

Her?

She cries for a long time.

At this,

She is not alone.

They take his room for the night.

She doesn't ask,

He doesn't argue.

She can't help but feel,

She is excluding him,

Shutting him out.

She does anyway,

It's her brother that's dead after all.

They share stories.

The best,

The worst,

The sarcasm,

The meat.

The bravery,

The plans

And schedules

And the art.

Everything that made Sokka,

Sokka.

They celebrate,

They laugh,

They cry.

She realises they all loved him in their own way,

They,

Includes,

Him.

But tonight isn't for him,

It's not for her father,

Or Aang,

Or any of the men.

Tonight is for the women.

Sokka's girls.

They kept him in line when he stepped out,

Saw him through heartbreak

Taught him to love again,

Teamed up to cause mischief.

They cooked

And protected

And healed

And fought alongside him.

She misses him.

So do the others,

But she was more than his sister.

Even though she was younger,

She played a hand,

In raising him.

She raised everyone really.

Everyone,

Except him.

Tonight isn't about him,

She shouldn't be thinking about him,

Tonight is for another him,

For her brother.

No other boy,

Man,

Should be on her mind.

She hates him for being there,

For intruding.

And she hates herself for wanting him here.

So she focuses on her brother.

They were a team.

Bender and boomerang.

Now,

Just,

Bender.

So she does all she can,

She speaks,

And,

She cries.

And finally,

After the others have gone quiet,

She sleeps.