The painted lady and the blue spirit

Change

The next morning, I woke up in bed next to katara. Last night, before we landed, katara had fallen asleep so I had to carry her to her bed. She cried in her sleep from time to time so I had to stay with her. I couldn't lose her. I failed with my sister but I'm not giving up on katara.

I woke up to find her gone. I sat up and walked outside. I found her at the fountain trying to waterbend but couldn't. Her hands were too shaky, she started sweating, and her breathing got heavy.

'Katara. Deep breaths.'

As katara meditated, Sokka walked in. He 100% did NOT have a good sleep.

'Sokka...we need to talk.' I gestured towards his messy room.

'Can we come you guys? Me and toph are bored.' Aang walked towards us with toph right behind him.

'Fine.'

We walked in and found places to sit. 'So Sokka...you seem really down....is that....cactus juice???' I asked while reading the writing on the bottle Sokka was drinking from.

'Yes. It is. You got a problem?' He glared at me.

'Sokka. Put down the bottle. Why are you even drinking it?' I questioned.

He shot another glare at me. 'Because it's the quenchiest. It'll quench ya. Nothings quenchier.' He rolled his eyes sarcastically before taking another sip.

'Sokka. Why do you need to act this way?'

'Because zuko, you saw what I did out there with katara! The way I ripped her heart out! I almost tipped her over! I'll never forgive myself for acting so stupid.' He yelled.

'Well at least katara is strong enough to pull herself together! Right now, my little sister is at a mental institution, gone crazy thinking that our mother never loved her!' I shot back.

'Will you two stop bickering like old ladies?!?!' Toph shouted over our arguing and pointed to Aang who was sitting with his back turned to us and you could tell he was crying. Toph put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug.

'You guys have really tough lives and all, but have you ever wondered what it's like being the only one left of your kind? How my entire nation fell. Died. And how every second of the day, I feel monk gyastos presence. Knowing that I could've saved him? My entire life was burned up in flames. Literally.' Aang cried out.

'Now that I look at it, my life seems easier than yours. But it isn't. At least..' she sniffed and wiped her eyes. 'At least you knew one of your parents loved you.' She sobbed. 'My parents always expected the best from me. They shaped me into what they wanted. But not what I wanted. To this very day, I sit here knowing that even my own parents don't really love me. The real me.'

'We love you Toph. The real you.' Aang said as we all came in for a group hug.

I suddenly heard footsteps retreating from the doorway. Katara. I ran to her room and opened the door. 'Kata-'

'Everyone all seem to run away from me. First mom. Then dad and Sokka and my whole tribe. Then you. Now the whole gaang can't seem to stand having small talk with me. But hey, no biggie. I'm just the emotional girl who needs help all the time. The "damsel in distress". That's all I am.' Katara slumped on her bed. 'But it's not who I WANT to be.'

'It's not who I'm meant to be.'

'Katara I-'

'I'm leaving. I'm not running anymore though. I'm leaving. And none of you can stop me. I'll be found when I want to be found.' She said as she took her bag and walked away.

That's the last I saw of her in a long time.