They flew through the night, passing over the endless stretch of sand dunes on the back of the phoenix. The creature's tail feathers left streaks of flame like a comet in the night sky and illuminated the air around them.
Katara was exhausted. She knew Zuko must have been too, but he was putting on a brave face. Moments like this made her miss Appa with his broad saddle. They could have taken turns sleeping. But Dagny, for all of her size, did not boast a saddle big enough to sleep in, so they were forced to stay awake despite the weariness that pulled at their bones. Her only solace was the comforting warmth of Zuko's arms around her.
Zuko had already offered to let Katara sleep, promising not to drop her while she dozed. But she didn't want to leave him with no one to talk to in his exhausted state, in case he fell asleep too. She felt it was better for them to keep one another awake.
They had made the decision to fly straight across the desert to the Misty Springs Oasis. It was the quickest route through the desert. And, Zuko told her, there were members of the Order there. He could contact them and have word sent to Iroh and Jee.
"Do you think the rest of the world knows what's happened?" Katara asked while they flew. She had to yell to be heard over the wind that threatened to whip her words away.
"I don't know. Maybe." Zuko sounded troubled. "I guess there's only one way to find out."
Dagny flew faster than Appa, and by the time dawn's first light tinged the horizon, they could see the Oasis coming into view. Katara couldn't believe that it had taken them a week to travel through the desert and yet only a night to cross back over it. It didn't seem possible.
"We can rest for a few hours, but then we need to go," Zuko told her as he brought the phoenix down just outside of the small outpost. "I'll find the Order and pick up some supplies while you get some sleep, and then we'll trade."
They had been able to scavenge some supplies from the desert. Apparently, the assassins hadn't been interested in what they had been carrying, but they still needed more food and water.
Katara nodded. "With as fast as Dagny flies, how long do you think it will take us to reach the Fire Nation?"
"If she keeps it up, I'd say it'll only take us a week or so," Zuko replied. His brow furrowed. "We'll get there before the Equinox, at any rate. We might even make it back before the assassins reach the Fire Nation with the Conduit. There may still be time to stop the rest of my sister's plan."
Zuko slid out of the saddle before he held his hand out to Katara. He helped her down, and, after thanking Dagny, together they walked into the small town that surrounded the shrinking patch of ice. The block of ice that lay in the center of the outpost glittered in the early dawn light. The rest of the town was quiet.
They walked over to the inn and stepped inside. Several patrons lay sleeping across tables. Even the barkeeper was dozing at his post behind the counter. The man startled awake when Zuko dropped several coins onto the bar counter.
"We'd like a room," Zuko said.
The man blinked drowsily at the two of them. "Yeah, yeah. Down the hall, third door on the right." His eyes closed.
"Isn't there a key?" Katara inquired.
The bartender opened his eyes. "Ma'am, there's barely a door. Money's tight around here, alright?" He settled his head against his hand. "Don't leave your valuables layin' around."
Zuko and Katara exchanged a look and shrugged. They walked down the narrow hallway. The barkeeper was correct: some rooms only had rough-woven blankets for doors. Thankfully, the one he had assigned to them did have a door. Zuko pushed it open. They were presented with a barren room. There was a dusty sleeping mat spread out across the dirty floor, and a single wooden chair was positioned in the corner.
"I don't even care." Katara shrugged her shoulders as she crossed to the mat, her eyes already half-closed. She slid her feet out of her boots and dropped onto the mat. "I'm too tired to care."
Zuko nodded sympathetically. He was dead on his feet, but he had things to do. He knelt down beside her and brushed the hair back from her eyes. Katara turned her face toward him.
"Get some sleep, princess."
He made to go, but Katara fisted her hand in his shirt and stopped him. She pulled herself upright and planted a kiss on his lips. Zuko readily returned it, reaching out to cup her face. When they pulled back, Katara's eyes searched his face.
"I love you," she breathed.
Zuko kissed her softly. "I love you, too." He gently pushed her shoulder, and Katara laid back down. "I'll be back, hopefully soon."
"Okay." Her eyes were already closed.
Zuko left the room and shut the door behind him. He left the tavern and made his way to the small florist's shop on the far side of the Oasis. That was where he and his uncle had found help the last time they were in the desert. The Order had members there, and they had secured fake passports to get them into Ba Sing Se back then. All of that felt like a lifetime ago. Zuko had gone from exile, to fugitive, to Fire Lord in the span of a year. And now, five years on, he found himself walking through familiar places. But nothing was the same as it had been.
He wasn't exactly comfortable leaving Katara alone at that skeevy tavern, but she was too tired to be dragged along with him. And he would only be gone for a short while, he tried reassuring himself. Besides, Zuko knew that if anyone tried to mess with an exhausted Katara, it would be their head. With that thought, he felt a little better.
He stopped outside of the small shop and knocked. He had kept the white lotus tile in his boot throughout their journey. He felt like it was too important to store with the rest of their belongings.
A moment later the door opened. Zuko recognized the elderly man who had helped them before. And clearly, the man remembered him as well. His eyes widened.
"Fire Lord Zuko?" The man's tone was nearly reverent. He looked around to make sure that there were no listening ears. But then something registered in the man's face. "Your uncle sent word across the Order that you and the Water Tribe princess were in the Earth Kingdom, and to assist you if you needed it. I'm assuming that if you're here, you need help."
"That's right. I do." Zuko breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the man.
The man stepped aside. "Then please come in and tell me what I can do for the Fire Lord and our Grandmaster's nephew."
Aang's eyes snapped open and the first thing he saw was Toph sitting in front of him. Her head rested on her chest, and their foreheads were pressed together. He knew she would be coming around momentarily. They had crossed back over from the Spirit World together.
He put his hands on her shoulders and sat up carefully. Toph slouched forward, and Aang held her upright.
"Aang?"
He looked over and found Iroh was standing on the far side of the garden by the gate. His tea-making apprentices, Keiko and Rumi, were with him. And all three of them were staring at him like he had just sprouted a second head.
Iroh started to make his way across the garden with Keiko and Rumi close behind. Iroh paused on the other side of the pond. He was looking down at Toph, his face pale.
"Is she…?" The Grandmaster swallowed hard.
"No." Aang looked down at Toph and smiled. "I found another way."
Iroh closed his eyes and released a shaky breath as relief washed over him. "Blessed spirits, I am so glad you did." He then opened his eyes and looked back at the Avatar. "You never cease to amaze me, Avatar Aang. Well done."
Toph stirred. She raised her head and blinked owlishly. To Aang's disappointment, the milky film was back over her eyes. He hadn't truly believed her new-found sight would follow them, but he had hoped. And, by the disheartened look on Toph's face, she had been hoping, too.
"I take it from the lovely view that we're topside again," she muttered.
"Yeah," Aang said. "We are." He climbed stiffly to his feet and stretched before he took her hand. He helped her stand up and slid his arm around her waist to steady her. He didn't let her go, and she didn't back away. He looked back over at the others. "Did anything happen while we were gone?"
"Why don't we return to my home? I'm sure the two of you must be worn out," Iroh said. He folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes. "And I'm sure we have much to discuss."
Aang nodded. He was exhausted, although he didn't think it was a physical exhaustion. His spirit energy had been taxed in the Spirit World, and it would take some time for him to recover. He glanced over at Toph. Physically, she looked fine, but he was certain she was just as tired as he was.
They walked back over to Iroh's house. Aang, Toph, and Rumi settled onto cushions in the living room while Keiko and Iroh set about preparing tea and something to eat. Rumi was watching the two of them with wide-eyes.
"What?" Aang demanded to know, his brow furrowing.
Rumi blinked as a blush rose in his cheeks, as if he had just realized he was staring. "Sorry. It's just...you were glowing. Your tattoos, I mean. It was incredible. I've never seen anything like that."
"Oh." Aang swallowed. He hadn't realized that had happened. Something about their journey into the Spirit World must have triggered it.
Iroh and Keiko came into the room bearing trays loaded with tea and food. They sat down on the cushions and Keiko poured the tea. Iroh looked at Aang and Toph, his expression pensive.
"Did you learn what you needed, Aang?" Iroh asked. Aang glanced at Keiko and Rumi. Iroh followed his gaze. "Oh, forgive me. I have informed my apprentices about what is going on." He gave them a stern look. "They stumbled upon what we've been up to accidentally."
"Sorry," Rumi said sheepishly.
"It was my fault," Keiko said apologetically. "I was just worried about Iroh, is all."
Aang waved them off. "It's fine. If Iroh trusts you, then I do, too." He took a deep breath and looked at Iroh. "We found the Sieshin Lord, and I found out what I need to do to stop the Conduit."
"It wasn't easy," Toph interjected grumpily. "I thought Aang was going to get himself killed."
Iroh raised his eyebrows, but Aang shook his head. "It wasn't that bad." Toph elbowed him in the ribs and he grimaced as he rubbed the now-tender spot. "Okay, maybe it was for a little while. The Sieshin Lord is a little...eccentric."
"What did he tell you?" Iroh prodded.
Aang pursed his lips. "He told me that there's a way to stop this that doesn't involve me and the Conduit destroying each other. Have you ever heard of Spiritual Fusion?"
"No, I can't say I have." Iroh frowned thoughtfully. "What is it, exactly?"
"Basically, the Conduit and I have to fuse our spiritual energy together. We'll become one, in a sense." Aang rubbed at his temples. He could feel a headache coming on. "He told me how to do it. I think, if what Zuko and Katara said is true about the Conduit, I might be able to do it."
Iroh nodded. "Yes, my nephew seems quite certain that the Conduit doesn't want to destroy you anymore than you want to destroy her. Hopefully she'll be amiable to the idea."
"So I guess the next thing is figuring out where she is," Toph said. She turned her sightless eyes toward Iroh. "Have you heard from Sparky and Sugar Queen?"
Iroh's brow furrowed. "That's what I wanted to speak with you about as well. I haven't heard from anyone in several days. Not Zuko, not Ursa. I find it deeply troubling."
"Do you think something happened?" Aang leaned forward. The last he had heard was that a group of assassins were trying to kill Zuko. Had they succeeded?
"I don't know." Iroh's frown deepened. "Truthfully, I am more troubled by Ursa's silence. We have kept up a steady correspondence since I returned to Ba Sing Se, until now. I have sent her several letters, all innocuous enough in case they're being intercepted, and I have not heard from her."
Anxiety bloomed in Aang's gut. This was not good. What if something had happened while he was away? Maybe Zuko had been wrong about the Conduit. If so, then the knowledge he had gone into the Spirit World to find was worthless.
"So what do we do?" Toph asked. She was kneading her fingers nervously into her thigh. Aang reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Toph then wrapped her thumb around his fingers and squeezed back.
"Maybe we should go back to the Fire Nation," Aang said as he looked back at Iroh. "That's where I fought the Conduit in my dreams, and everything seems to be focused around there. Like the traitors."
Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps. I sent the other Grandmasters there before we returned to Ba Sing Se, for I also felt that the Fire Nation was going to be the location for the final showdown. They should have arrived a few weeks ago, so I'm not sure why I haven't received word from them either. It's all...very foreboding."
"Then it sounds like that's where we should go," Toph said resolutely. "It sounds like everything is falling apart."
"Or together," Iroh mused.
"What do you mean by that?" Toph asked.
Iroh looked back and forth between Aang and Toph. Their hands were still together. "It means that things are playing out exactly as they were meant to. The two of you and your friends have been walking your own paths during the course of the prophecy, but it was always meant to converge. I believe that is what's happening now."
Aang got to his feet. "So, we go to the Fire Nation and find out what's going on. And if it's time for me to deal with the Conduit, I'm ready to do that. I know how to stop the prophecy now."
"We will leave first thing in the morning then," Iroh said. Aang opened his mouth to protest, but the Grandmaster cut him off with a shake of his head. "You and Toph were in the Spirit World for almost a week, Aang. First, you need to finish eating, then you need to take the night to sleep and rest. We'll leave at first light."
Lady Kemeko slipped quietly from her bed and to the window. She turned the lock silently before she pushed it open. A lukewarm breeze that smelled of the sea swept into her bedchamber, and she slipped out onto the narrow ledge before she cast a furtive look around. She could see guards posted along the wall that surrounded the palace, and more patrolled the grounds. She would have to be careful if she wanted to make it out of this alive.
For the past week, she had been a prisoner in her room. She had been woken up in the middle of the night by strange men in black masks who had bound and gagged her before she could even lift a hand to defend herself. She had been dragged through the palace and into what appeared to be the throne room, where she had come face to face with Princess Azula.
Kemeko had heard all about the deranged princess, both from her father and from other nobles. Rumor had it that she had gone crazy from the Comet's power when the Avatar defeated her father. It was a well-known fact that Fire Lord Zuko had imprisoned her, but she had escaped a few years ago and no one had seen her since.
So she was more than a little shocked to find Princess Azula sitting on the Fire Lord's throne, her golden eyes gleaming in the light of the blue flames that lined the dais before the throne.
She had questioned Kemeko. The noblewoman, unsure of what else to do, had answered the questions honestly. No, she didn't know where the Fire Lord had been. No, she didn't know where the Avatar was, either. And she didn't know anything about this person Azula called the Conduit.
Apparently, her answers had been satisfactory, because the princess had told the masked men to take her back to her rooms and guard her until further notice. Ever since then, Kemeko had been watching and waiting for the opportunity to escape.
She suspected that something terrible had happened to Princess Ursa and her closest allies. If Azula was here, that was the only logical conclusion. And where were Akemi and Saura? Kemeko had long suspected those two had nefarious intentions, but their absence was alarming.
She had heard bits and pieces of information from the guards who were posted outside of her door day and night. They said the Fire Lord was dead. Something known as the Kage Noshi had killed him in the Si Wong Desert. And now, Azula was going to be Fire Lord. That made Kemeko's blood run cold.
But the guards said other things, too. They spoke of how Azula sometimes lashed out with lightning and fire at something that wasn't there. How she talked to her dead brother. That the princess had lost what was left of her mind, and that perhaps it was time for their bloodline to end, and for a new one to rise to power.
Kemeko didn't know what to do or what to believe. She knew she needed to escape and send word to her father. She had received a letter from him shortly before the princess had showed up and he told her he was stationed in Gaoling. It was so far away, but what other option did Kemeko have? She was from the colonies. She was a stranger in the Fire Nation. She didn't know who else to turn to.
Cautiously, the noblewoman made her way down the side of the royal palace. A cluster of thick vines grew conveniently on the wall below her bedchamber window, and she maneuvered down them carefully. The wall there was bathed in shadow, but she still had to cross the grounds and find a way over the main wall without being seen.
Her captors had taken her katana, so she was weaponless. Kemeko knew hand-to-hand combat too, but her skills weren't as refined as they were in swordplay.
Kemeko reached the ground and started to pick her way across the palace grounds, staying in the shadows. The pockets of darkness were so deep that she nearly fell into a hole in the ground. Her boots sank into the disturbed earth, and Kemeko reeled back. With her balance regained, she froze, eyes skirting around to see if she had been noticed. The guards continued to patrol, oblivious, and she let out a silent breath of relief.
She moved forward cautiously, straining her eyes to see. It was definitely a hole, large enough for a person to fit into. She could see that the topsoil appeared to be disturbed as it led toward the palace wall. If she wasn't mistaken, it had been made by an earthbender. Perhaps this hole was actually a tunnel, and it went all the way under the wall?
Kemeko dropped into the hole. It was pitch-black inside, and she reached out with her hands. There was damp earth on either side of her, but directly in front of her was an open space. She stepped forward carefully, hoping that there wasn't another hole in the ground, or a solid wall of earth in front of her face.
She moved slowly through the tunnel with her arms outstretched before her, shuffling her feet through the loose earth. It was slow going, but after a time, she realized she could see the faint outline of the tunnel she was traveling through. And then she could smell the salt of the ocean. The tunnel was coming to an end.
Kemeko found herself below an opening in the ground similar to the one she had come across on the palace grounds. She surmised that this was most likely how Azula and her men had gotten into the Royal Palace in the first place, and it was a careless oversight that had left the tunnel open. Perhaps in the rush of overtaking the palace, it had been the least of Azula's concerns. Kemeko thanked the spirits for it.
She dug her hands and feet into the soft earth and hauled herself out of the tunnel. She found that she was just beyond the palace walls, in a small copse of mangrove trees. She scurried through the trees before she was spotted, and she didn't stop until she came up on the wall that separated the upper level of Capital City from the lower half. At this early hour, the gate was sealed shut. Guards were posted in front of it.
Kemeko had no idea how much had changed in her week in captivity. Did the rest of the city know Fire Lord Zuko was dead? Had they all just accepted Azula as their new ruler? She didn't know, but she didn't fancy taking that chance, either. Right now, she had to figure out how she was going to get through the gate.
A hand clamped over her mouth. Kemeko reacted instinctively. Her elbow dug into someone's ribs, but her attacker wasn't easily dissuaded. A strong arm locked around her waist.
"I'm a friend," a voice whispered into her ear. "I know your father. Admiral Jee. He's with the Fire Lord and the Water Tribe Princess. Come with me, quickly."
Kemeko struggled to look back at the man who was holding her. "Let me go." Her words were muffled in the palm of his hand.
The man did. Kemeko spun around, hands up and ready to attack. But she recognized the man's clothes. The navy and silver robes were the trademark of the Order of the White Lotus, the organization her father was a part of. He hoped that one day she would join as well.
She looked up into the scarred face of the man who had approached her. His hair was an ashy-white color and his eyes were amber. He was Fire Nation, but he was a part of the Order. Kemeko hoped she could trust him.
"I am Jeong Jeong, a member of the Order of the White Lotus," the man said. "Now come with me, quickly. We will give you refuge."
"What were you doing out here?" Kemeko demanded to know.
The firebender nodded toward the palace. "Scouting," he said. "Now come along."
Kemeko followed the man. She had heard of this man. Her father had served under him when he was a young man, when Jeong Jeong was an admiral in Fire Lord Azulon's army, before he became known as the Deserter.
They traveled down dark alleys behind large manors, away from the eyes of the guards who patrolled these streets. Jeong Jeong stopped above a sewer grate and lifted it out of the hole.
"Down here," he whispered.
Kemeko hesitated only for a moment. What if it was a trick? But really, what other option did she have? She couldn't get out of the city to get word to her father, and Jeong Jeong was a member of the Order. She had no other choices right now but to trust him.
Kemeko dropped into the hole, trying not to think about what the sludge that ran down a channel in the middle of the tunnel was made of. The smell was atrocious. The sewer tunnel was narrow, and brown filth ran down a channel in the center of the stonework. Thankfully, there were stone walkways beside the channel.
The man followed her before he replaced the grate. He conjured flames in the palm of his hand and pushed back the shadows.
Kemeko followed the man wordlessly. They walked until they came across a doorway cut into the stonework. It was rough-hewn, and Kemeko estimated that it must have been made by an earthbender. Regardless of who created it though, she was just thankful to be out of the sewer tunnel.
They went down the bender-made tunnel and came out into a room carved from dirt. It was sparsely furnished with just a handful of bedrolls and sacks of supplies. An earthbender had created a table and chairs. To her surprise, there was a Pai Sho game set up on it. And the room was occupied with three other old men, each dressed in identical robes.
"Master Piandao!" Kemeko started toward the swordmaster. She had briefly trained with him when she was younger, when he had come to the colonies.
"Lady Kemeko, I am glad you're alright." Piandao held her at arm's length. "Your father will be happy to hear that as well."
"Have you heard from him? My father?"
The swordmaster nodded. "Yes. We have been in touch with him regarding Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Katara."
Kemeko's shoulders slumped. "Then you know the Fire Lord is dead."
"The Fire Lord is not dead, Lady Kemeko." One of the other old men, one with snowy white hair and ice-blue eyes, approached them. "Azula only thinks he is. And it's imperative that she continues to think that."
Kemeko's brow furrowed as she stared at the other Grandmaster. Fire Lord Zuko wasn't dead? Then how had Princess Azula been able to stage a coup and claim the throne? She was as good as Fire Lord now.
"What's going on?" she asked at last.
The white-haired old man gestured to the table. "Come and have some tea. We'll tell you what we can."
Katara stirred when she heard the door. Her brain was fogged with sleep, and it took every ounce of willpower for her to open her eyes. It could have been anyone, even an attacker, but Katara was so tired she wasn't sure she cared.
"It's me." Zuko's voice floated through the layers of drowsiness.
She managed to open her eyes. "Hi. Did—" She was cut off by a yawn so large her jaw cracked. "—you find the member?"
"Yeah. I got word sent to my uncle and Jee." Zuko crossed the room and sat on the sleeping mat beside her. He slid his boots off. "The guy here is a pretty low-level member, so he doesn't know much about what is going on. But my uncle has been in touch with all the members of the Order, and he knew we were in the Earth Kingdom. But he hasn't heard anything else from the outside recently." Zuko frowned. "I wish we could find out some information before we get back to the Fire Nation. It feels like we're going in this blind." Zuko rubbed his hand over his weary eyes.
Katara reached out for him and let her fingers run down the curve of his spine. "I know, but frankly, we don't have time for reconnaissance. We know that what the Pond showed you is how things are, or will be. Your sister has staged a coup, and we've got to take her down."
Zuko laid down beside her and lifted his arm in invitation. Katara shifted until she rested in the crook of his arm with her head resting on his chest. It was warm in the room, but not nearly as unbearable as it had been in the desert.
"I know you're right, but I just—" He cut off suddenly, his mouth pressed into a thin line.
Katara leaned up to look at him. "What?"
Zuko huffed out a breath. "I'm tired, Katara."
"I know, I am too—"
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean I'm tired. It's exhausting, always having to deal with this sort of thing." He waved his free hand through the air. "Assassination attempts, my court questioning my rule...now my sister coming for the crown. It always feels like if it's not one thing, it's another." He snorted out a bitter laugh. "I can't believe that I was naive enough to think that just because the war was over things would be better now."
Katara rested her hand on his cheek and guided his face until he was looking at her. "Zuko, I can't promise you that this will be the last problem you deal with, but I can promise you that from now on, we're going to deal with them together. This, and any others in the future. You don't have to do this alone anymore."
Zuko brushed his hand through her hair as a light smile played across his lip. To Katara, it almost looked a little sad. "Why did I ever let you go? I should've asked you to stay. I never should have taken Mai back." He huffed out a breath. "I can't help but think about how much better things would be if you had been there."
"Maybe, maybe not." She stroked her thumb across his scarred cheek. "There's no use thinking about it. The what-ifs. The maybes. It happened the way it did, and we can't change it. What we can change, is what happens now."
"You're right." His next smile had a touch of humor to it. "I'm starting to realize that I like it when you're right."
"Well, then you should get used to it." She cracked a grin. "Now get some sleep, Fire Lord. We need to leave in a few hours."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes, Princess."
Toph woke up from a nightmare plagued by crimson eyes and two-headed dragons. Her heart thundered against her ribs, but she found she wasn't afraid.
She could also feel the slow, rhythmic beat of Aang's heart pressed against her back.
Toph frowned. She most definitely did not go to bed next to Aang last night. She had climbed into the bed she had been sleeping in, and he had laid down on his bedroll. And she was still on the bed, so he had most definitely joined her at some point. She briefly wondered if perhaps he had a bad dream as well, and that was why he had ended up in her bed.
Things were changing between her and Aang. Their friendship had been tested by the trials of their journey, and Toph suspected that it might grow into something more.
It was strange. She had never thought of Aang in that way before. But knowing the lengths he was willing to go to so he could protect her had shifted her perception of him. And, she had gotten to see his face. It was the first face she had ever seen.
And it had been such a pleasant face to look at.
But now was not the time to think about that sort of thing. They still needed to get to the Fire Nation. Aang still had to spiritually fuse with the Conduit. Maybe when all of this was over, she could entertain these thoughts.
She sat upright and reached back to shake Aang awake. Her hand fell on the muscles of his bicep, and she tried to ignore the way it felt under her touch. "Hey, Twinkle Toes, get up. We've got to invade the Fire Nation today."
He woke with a start, one hand instinctively reaching for her and finding her there beside him. Toph heard his head fall back onto the pillow and the breath he released.
"Toph." He swallowed. "Sorry, I...I had a nightmare. I just—I just had to make sure you were really here." So, she had been right.
Moments like this made Toph glad she was blind. It was hard enough to feel his emotions—the unsteady rhythm of his heart, the way his breath came shallowly, the subtle shifts and twitches of his muscles that gave his feelings away. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing his emotions on his face, not now, not when she knew what he looked like when he was desperate, or angry, or protective.
She might very well fall in love with him.
"It's okay," Toph said. She turned her head toward him. "I was having bad dreams, too." She didn't know what else to say.
Aang sat up and she could feel him close to her. The heat of his skin, close enough she could feel where it almost touched her own. Toph's heart stuttered involuntarily in her chest. Keep it together, Toph, she thought.
"Hopefully once this is all over with, we won't have nightmares anymore," Aang said.
He spoke the words, and Toph didn't even need her seismic sense to know he didn't believe it.