Prompt: Sokka/Toph/Singing Nomads

Requester: RubyT

Words: 858

Voices

"No."

"Oh, come on, Toph, it won't be that b—"

"No, Sokka."

The warrior abruptly closed his mouth at the tone of her voice.

Sitting across the campfire, twiddling his fingers across the surface of his mandolin, Chong lounged with his back propped against a boulder. He struck a chord invitingly. "Come on, little lady! Sometimes the only way to let loose is to loose the warble-bird inside you!"

Toph sniffed. "There is no sort of bird inside me. Unless you count the turkey-chicken I ate for lunch." The surly little earthbender crossed her arms over her chest.

"Speaking of chickens," Sokka pouted, and had Toph been able to see, she would've thought that the expression was very out of place on the warrior's face. As it was, however, she simply glowered at him from beneath her black bangs. Chong, oblivious to the earthbender's obstinate denial, played another merry chord, humming a few notes to a song he knew.

"Singing is easy," Lily piped, from where she sat cross-legged beside her husband. "You just let your voice roll—" she made a wave motion with her arm, "—along the swells and dips of your feelings."

"…Don't fall in love with the travelling girl…" Chong chorused, his fingers dancing expertly along the strings of his instrument as everyone ignored him.

"My feelings have neither," Toph replied monotonously, in a desperate attempt to drag the conversation away from singing. Beside her, Sokka knitted his brow, thoughtful.

"…She'll leave you broke, and broken-hearted…"

The water tribe warrior's eyes lit up. "Your feelings just need a little encouragement," he nudged the earthbender with his elbow, grinning. "Give us a song you know."

"I'm not into music," Toph muttered, though Sokka could tell by the slight twitch of her lips that she was just being difficult. He scooted closer to her, and, with an obnoxious look of childish excitement on his face, he bent over and whispered something that the nomads couldn't hear.

"Why that one?" Toph snorted.

"When we all were in Ba Sing Se—you and Iroh sang that together out on the awning. It clearly means a lot to him," Sokka lifted his chin to look at her pointedly, "—and to you."

"It's not that special," the metalbender grumbled, though she thought back on the memory Sokka had mentioned with a fondness in her heart. It was more the man singing the song, rather than the song in and of itself, that made it significant to her. Iroh had become almost akin to a father to her over the past few months— especially after the war had ended and Toph had yet to restore her relationship with her parents. The young earthbender sighed.

"Sing it," Sokka prompted.

This brought forth a chorus of encouraging words from their nomadic companions.

"You can do it!"

"I'll pick up on the melody and play along with you!"

"Let's hear that pretty voice of yours!"

Toph hesitated, for what reason, she didn't know. She wasn't a spectacular singer—then again, neither was anyone else present. Chong could hold a tune, but that was as far as his vocals went. Lily oftentimes occupied herself with her tambourine and Moku with his drum. What she felt was—was that fear? It clutched at her throat, refusing her even the ability to speak.

Toph blinked angrily. She was an earthbender! Toph, the Blind Bandit—powerful, fearless—what was this wall—this…embarrassment? It was just singing! She was among friends. Maybe her parents had been right. Maybe she was just a tiny little blind girl in need of protection and isolation. Maybe by branching out, she had become what she had always been told she was—helpless.

She felt Sokka's knuckles brush her arm, and he leaned over once more, murmuring, "Go ahead. I'll sing with you."

A moment passed in silence, and he didn't take his hand from her arm, as if he was trying to supply her with his courage.

Toph straightened, suddenly empowered and determined. She was not helpless. She was not weak. Sometimes, like every strong person she knew, she needed support from others to stay strong—to push forward. So she sucked in the next breath, and with the resulting exhale, sang out vibrantly in a quivering mezzo-soprano:

"Leaves from the vine,

Falling so slow,

Like fragile, tiny shells,

Drifting in the foam…"

Quietly, Sokka joined her, in his own off-key harmony, as Chong plucked on alongside their melody and Lily and Moku kept beat.

"Little soldier boy,

Come marching home,

Brave soldier boy,

Comes marching home."

Toph's cheeks were damp as she finished, the deep note resonating in the still evening air even after her lips fell closed. Impulsively, she fell into Sokka's arms, and he received her sympathetically (though her behavior slightly confused him), wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He tried to comfort her with the embrace and awkwardly patted her back as she trembled, tears falling steadily but silently. Grateful for his care, she was liberated to set her mind on what she knew she needed to do. Mom and Dad, she thought,

…I'm coming home.

A/N:For all who may have gotten this story alert and thought "Who is this person? Oh...wait...yeah...", well, yes, I'm still alive! Oh the busy-ness of life that prevents fanfics from being written. I promise I haven't given up on this series or any of my others. As per usual, this chapter was not beta-ed, so feel free to go all Grammar Nazi on me in a review. For any of you that are reading this-thanks for sticking with me!