Standing in the doorway of her room, Katara let her eyes roam over the sparse furnishings. There were only a few nights left that she would sleep in her own bed, listening to the gentle sound of the wooden wind chimes Aang had made for her when they still lived in the Western Air Temple. Would she ever wake up with the cheerfully bright sun shining directly on her face after they left? Would this be the last home she knew?

And what if it wasn't? What if she survived – would it be a world without war and full of friends, or a world filled with corpses of loved ones that the Fire Lord ruled with an iron fist? Neither option seemed possible – it was unfathomable that there could ever be an end to the war or a universe where her friends didn't exist. Both had been a part of her life for far too long to just stop.

And yet, they were both entirely plausible. They would win or they would lose; one had to happen. That was the scariest part.

"Katara?"

She jumped, so caught up in her worries that she hadn't heard Aang walk up behind her. Though, given the fact that he had been dubbed "Twinkle Toes", it was possible that he simply hadn't made a sound.

Shaking her head slightly, she wondered why even the simplest of things had to have multiple explanations. Imagining possibilities was tiring.

"What is it, Aang?" she asked, turning to face him with her widest smile in place. There was no sense in worrying him.

He shrugged, scratching the back of his bald head. "I just came to say goodbye."

"Oh . . . I thought we were all supposed to see you off together?"

"Yeah, well, I, uh . . . I wanted to say goodbye to you privately."

"Oh." She paused, letting the meaning of his words hit. "Oh."

He took a step closer, wringing his hands but managing to look her in the eye. "I just . . . I wouldn't want to go off into battle without . . . telling you. And now seems like the best chance I'll get."

Every word was like a stone tied to Katara's heart, pulling it farther and farther down until it hammered away somewhere near her kneecap. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was going to tell her, and though she was clear now on her feelings for a certain scarred ex-prince, there was no way she could outright refuse Aang. Not now – he couldn't go off to fight Ozai with a broken heart.

But how much worse would he feel if she led him on?

"I love you," he blurted, the words rolling from his tongue with startling ease. He ploughed on before she could respond. "And it's okay if you don't feel the same way. I mean, I'd definitely prefer it if you did, but . . . I get that it won't be the end of the world."

"Aang, I-I . . . Are you –? This is just . . . sudden," she lied, trying to avoid his gaze. It had, admittedly, taken her a lot longer to figure out his feelings than should have been necessary. As the weeks had dragged on, she had grown more and more aware of his advances – his eagerness to practice with her, the not-so-subtle compliments, the way he always tried to sit beside or directly across from her at meals and meetings. She had been something of an enormous idiot for not noticing sooner.

And now, here he was. Confessing. What was she supposed to do?

Reading her astonished expression like an open scroll, Aang grinned and said, "It's okay if you don't feel the same. Mastering the Avatar State taught me a lot more than how to glow on command."

"I –" a million responses tumbled through her mind. Did she apologize? Lie and say she didn't know how she felt? Tell him who she did have feelings for? As her thoughts swirled dizzingly, she finally chose one at random and blurted, "Aang, whatever happens, however the war ends . . . I want you to know that I'm really proud of you."

He smiled, though the corners of his lips seemed weighted with sadness. "Don't worry. If I'm brave enough to risk rejection, I can handle anything Ozai throws at me."

Laughing, she drew him into a friendly embrace and said, "Just . . . Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Well . . ." He stepped back, gaze dropping as he became seemingly enthralled with watching his toes scuff the stone floor. "I decided to do this so I wouldn't go into battle with any regrets, so –"

Katara couldn't help sighing, not so much out of annoyance as the sheer predictability of his next words. Her smile never wavered. "Let me guess: you want a kiss?"

His gaze lifted, reddening cheeks and bashful smile in place. "If that's alright."

"Go ahead," she said with a playful roll of her eyes.

Beaming, Aang took another step closer and, resting both hands on her shoulders as he raised himself on tip-toes, planted a brief, nervous peck on her cheek. Then he hastily stepped back, flushing bright red and rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncertain of what to do next. Katara couldn't help appreciating the fact that he didn't take "I guess you can kiss me" to mean "please stick your tongue in my mouth" like certain other boys.

"Come on," she said after a moment of awkwardness. Slipping past him into the hall, she gestured for him to follow. "You still need to say goodbye to all the others."

They made their way through the ancient corridor together, out into the courtyard bathed in moonlight and across a bridge that connected to another mountain. Even from the other side of the bridge, they could see all their friends grouped together, a few waving to them excitedly.

"This is it," Aang murmured as they made their way over to the other side, the world below falling away to mist. "After I leave here, everything will be different."

Studying his solemn expression and anxious grey eyes, Katara felt her heart pang. As much as he may have matured since the start of their journey, he was still just a little kid. It didn't seem right for him to imagine his world crumbling.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she forced him to slow to a stop and face her. Smiling broadly, she looked him straight in the eye and lied for all she was worth. "Everything's going to be fine, Aang. You don't need to worry. You'll beat Ozai, Zuko and I will save Toph and kick Azula's butt, and everyone will be safe when we're through. The only change you have to worry about is how happy the world's going to be – like old times."

"Yeah. You're probably right." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was better than nothing.

They soon reached the other side of the bridge where their hodgepodge family waited. In an instant, the unease of the earlier moment dissipated and the air filled instead with hugs and "Good luck"s and promises no one was sure they could keep. But, somehow, despite knowing none of the things anyone said was really guaranteed ("One day, I'll introduce you to some real firebending masters," Iroh told Aang while sending Ursa a not-so-subtle wink), Katara found she wasn't afraid anymore. All the anxiety had seeped from her bones.

"Where are you going?" Aang asked, gesturing Ursa's travelling pack.

"Around," came her vague response, gaze flicking over the crowd. Then, noticing her son frowning disapprovingly a few feet away, she sighed and elaborated, "I can't help much on the battlefield, but I know plenty of people who can. I'm finding them and sending them your way."

"How? You're not –"he made a face at the mere thought of his next words "– walking, are you?"

"Well, I had planned on catching an ostrich-horse somehow . . ."

Aang shook his head firmly. "No way. No one on my team is gonna be stuck travelling the world that way. Take Appa."

"What?" she cried, eyes instantly growing owl-cow wide. "No! I can't – you need –"

"I'm going to The Mechanist for airships and stuff, anyway. We won't need him; you do."

There was a finality in his tone that was hard to argue with so, with a sigh and a small shake of her head, Ursa conceded. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and raising her eyebrows slightly, she looked him straight in the eye and said, "You're going to do wonderful things for this world."

He shrugged modestly, trying to hide his discomfort at the reminder of the world's dependency. Glancing toward the dark sky spread out around them, he half-heartedly laughed, "I do what I can."

With the sun finally hidden below the horizon, the stars were able to shine dimly while the moon took center stage, a slight chill filling the air. Rubbing her arms as she, too, stared out at the darkness. Ursa frowned, worry lines forming on her brow. "Are you sure it's safe for you to go that far on your own? Maybe I should fly you over on Appa."

"No, no, that's not –"

"It's just a big risk to take this close to the Comet."

"What is?" Sokka asked, moving closer to the pair. Katara had wandered off to talk to Iroh and Zuko, standing just out of earshot and leaving Aang and Ursa in relative privacy.

"Nothing," the Avatar assured him. Gesturing to the sky, he told Ursa, "It's night time; no one will see me."

"And what if they do? Your friends will be stranded without transportation, plus defeating Ozai will be hopeless even if they do get to Ba Sing Se."

"But –"

"You're coming with me," she said, tone carrying that same finality his had moments earlier.

"I think she's right, Aang," Sokka said, having nodded along with everything she said. For a moment, he paused to think, then – eyes widening slightly – added, "Actually, maybe I should come, too. I mean, if The Mechanist has any half-finished war balloons lying around for us to take, it'd probably be smarter to take me to them instead of the other way around."

Aang huffed, but agreed nonetheless.

After all their farewells were said and last minute changes arranged, the trio climbed onto Appa's back, waving to their family one last time before Aang flicked the reins and shouted, "Yip-yip!" The bison took off, gliding away from the temple and steadily higher into the sky until he was just a vague silhouette on the almost-full moon. He groaned as if to say "goodbye" before disappearing completely into the night.

XxXx

Sprawled across her bed on her back, Toph let the familiarity of silk sheets and an ultra-plush mattress sink in. It was just like being home again, surrounded by luxury, the best of everything money could buy, but deprived of what she wanted (needed) most. A brief sense of helplessness tugged at her; what if she was never able to escape? What if she had just gotten lucky with her parents?

Shaking the thought from her head, she reminded herself that things were different this time. For one thing, she had a lot more freedom than her parents would ever consider giving her.

Oddly enough, as Azula seemed to sink further and further into madness, she gave Toph more and more privileges, to the point that she now had her own room and could go almost anywhere she pleased in the palace, no guards or shoes required – a massive relief, especially with her feet healed and seeing at full strength. It was both incredibly awesome (sabotage was a child's game when she didn't have to worry about guards peeking over her shoulder), and incredibly off-putting.

Because, well, there had to be a reason for it other than "Princess Psycho has lost her marbles". What was so special about Toph that she was trusted above all the guards and servants? She hadn't done anything for Azula except listen to her seethe about Mai and Ty Lee and rant about the joy of world conquest and promise to stand by Azula as the world fell to ash . . .

"Toph!"

The girl in question jumped, unable to sense princess' footsteps through her thick mattress. Getting up off the bed, she managed a smile and said, "Yes, Firestorm?" The nickname was Azula's idea; it was hard not to cringe just hearing it.

Striding across the room, Azula plopped down on the bed, crossing on leg over the other as she declared, "Father has left."

Understanding dawned instantly – with Ozai gone, Azula was in control and free to make what she deemed desperately needed changes. This mostly meant she was going to fire (Toph wasn't sure how literal the term was in this context) over half the palace employees. Ever since she had realized this opportunity, Azula hadn't been able to shut about it. Every day was filled with whispers of "He'll have to go" and "Maybe she can stay" and "These palanquin bearers are quite pathetic, don't you agree?". Anytime someone would make a promise to Azula she would nudge Toph in the ribs, prompting her to nod true or false based on heartbeats. It was almost enough to drive her crazy.

"We're going to have to hire a whole new set of mechanics and engineers for our warships," she said, inspecting a chipped fingernail with a squint and a frown. "Father's flight was delayed half an hour because so many of the ships were half broken."

"Oh really?" Toph asked, trying to sound innocently intrigued. She plucked at the new Fire Nation garb Azula had insisted be custom made for her, appreciating the quality of the soft material. "That sucks."

She sighed, seemingly in agreement. "Now the fleet being sent for the invasion is pathetically small."

It was hard to keep her face neutral as she asked, "Do you think it'll affect the outcome of the battle?"

"Oh, Agni no," Azula snorted. "Even if your little Avatar friend does show up –"

"He's not my friend," she forced herself to blurt, the words like nails on slate to her fine-tuned ears. Her gut twisted as familiar loneliness fell over her.

A subtle vibration suggested the princess had tilted her head, maybe raised her eyebrows, her voice betraying a small smile, "Of course. How could I forget?"

Toph remained silent, unable to spit out a sentence around the lump settling into her throat.

"As I was saying – even if the Avatar does show up, he won't stand a chance against the combined power of father's fleet and Sozin's Comet. No one does; that's why we planned for so many extra ships to fly with him. He was going to lead attacks against strong holds all over the world. I guess now we'll have to settle for torching the important ones."

A cold, heavy feeling spread through Toph's limbs, seeming to anchor her to the floor. "Wh . . . Where else . . . ?"

"Well," Azula said, head tilting as if in thought as she leaned back on her hands, legs still crossed. The pose was too casual for the news she delivered. "We had hoped to conquer Ba Sing Se as well as the Northern Air Temple, those Freedom Rebels or whatever their called that run around in the woods near Gaipan, and the Northern Water Tribe, but . . . With our current fleet size, we'll just have to settle for Ba Sing Se and the Northern Water Tribe."

'The Northern Water Tribe?' Toph thought, dread continuing to spill over her. Would the others be able to get there in time? How would they even know? She had to warn them somehow, let them know the full extent of the Fire Lord's plans. But how? It wasn't like she could send them a letter – Azula would intercept it, plus she didn't even know how to –

Wait . . .

"Can I . . ." she started, choosing her words carefully. "Can I write a letter? To my parents? I ran away from home to join Aang and . . . Well, they're probably freaking out, but I want them to know I'm alright."

There was silence for a moment as Azula seemed to eye her. Then she rose to her feet and headed for the desk. "What do you want to tell them?"

Moving so fast she almost stumbled, Toph practically leapt onto the chair to prevent the princess from seating herself and taking authority over the writing process. As she scrambled, she explained, "I can write! I'm an Earth Kingdom noble, so I had a lot of personal tutors for this kind of thing."

'You're blind."

"Yeah, well, my attendant guided my hand the whole time, but I think I can remember the patterns." As she spoke, she struggled to recall the forms Zuko had helped her carve into her bedroom wall. A stab of homesickness hit once more as she said, confidence in the statement overwhelming, "They'll be able to read it. They know me."

There was a pause before Azula conceded, voice laced with scepticism. Toph didn't hesitate in setting to work, rolling out a sheet of parchment and grabbing a brush and an inkwell. She dipped the bristles in the tiny pot, hating that she couldn't see how deep, then – feeling along the top of the parchment with her free hand – pressed it against the sheet, dragging it down in a gentle stroke. When she moved to make another line, however, her sleeve dragged through the fresh ink. Cursing, she gingerly fingered the wet spot on the paper, determining that it was incomprehensible even as a simple line.

"Here," Azula said from beside her, reaching for her arm. Wrapping the sleeve around Toph's wrist, she pinned it in place with a hairpin so it was flush with her skin and had no chance of dragging. There was uncharacteristic gentleness in the action, sending questions spiralling through Toph's mind. She pushed them aside, tried to concentrate on remembering shapes that made sounds.

While she wrote, Azula returned to her place on the bed and talked. Not about war or politics or incompetent people. Instead, she talked about family.

"I wonder what it would be like to be the eldest sometimes," she mused idly while Toph focused on the strokes of her first word. "For one thing, I would have the right to the throne by birth, especially if my younger sibling was a sister. There'd be no fighting for it with someone as unworthy as Zuko."

Fury knifed through her veins. Toph forced herself to take a deep breath and just listen.

"I could teach her things. Firebending, military strategy, how to put her hair in a topknot . . . Useful things. I would be in charge of her, make sure she didn't make the same stupid mistakes as Zuzu . . . We would never abandon each other."

Silence descended again as Toph continued to write, pausing on occasion to press her fingertip to the desk and try to remember the pattern of carving a certain word. After a moment, Azula resumed speaking. "Mai has a younger brother, you know. She doesn't really care, though – he's far too young to do much of anything with. If I had a sister, I'd want her close to my age. Ty Lee has sisters, too – six of them, I think. They all look the same and are a bit . . . eccentric." There was another pause, a slight shift in posture. "Do you have any siblings?"

Toph's mind immediately turned to her friends, faces and words flying through her thoughts – Katara (overbearing, protective, dependable), Sokka (goofy, clever, obnoxious), Zuko (patient, stern, warm) . . . . She wasn't sure Azula would understand it, the loyalty that could be earned without using fear to control, plus she had her cover to worry about, so she just shook her head.

The strangest sense of contentment filled the air at that, reigning supreme as Toph made her last brush stroke. Sitting back, she tried to picture the words she had written as she waited for the ink to dry.

"Ozai. Attack. Ba Sing Se. North Pole. -Toph."


Author's Notes: Sorry for late update. xP I just wasn't really sure how much I liked this chapter - I considered completely rewriting it, but in the end I decided it was fine the way ti was. I hope my choice wasn't a mistake!

And for those of you who don't know, Zutara Week starts tomorrow, so you can expect drabbles from me then. =D

Disclaimer: "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and all of its characters are property of Nickelodeon, which I am in no way associated with.