Warrior's Heart

By Sasha H.

Chapter 12: The Deal

Katara sat, playing with her trembling hands and watching the sky through the windows of the healing hut. It should have been morning, she thought. They had been sitting for what seemed like hours and yet the moon still clung desperately to the sky, giving an illusion of false time but offering no true feelings of security. Within the hour that Sokka had been gone the small space had purged itself of all but two healers, the majority of them returning to their homes as they came to see the situation as futile, leaving the unlucky remainders with the task of supervising the girl's untimely end. The couple sat with silent respect by the healing table while Katara watched them from the other side of the room.

The women wore callused frowns, so used to the loss of the young in this unforgiving environment that the girl before them became nothing more than a small check in a wide count of disappointments. Katara could sense their detachment from the creature before them and it made her sick. These were the two most unskilled healers in the tribe. From the day they had arrived, she had seen them do nothing but menial tasks, and yet they were the ones assigned to watch over Suki as she died? Perhaps in a more rational state of mind, Katara could have seen the logic behind this. After all, Suki's was a lost cause; it mattered not who watched over her now, for her fate could not be changed, and These women were there purely for supervision—with enough knowledge to handle any fresh emergencies that should arise, and no families at home to tend to, they were the natural choice to stay. However, Katara could not bring herself to be sensible and she found herself blaming them for the tears welling up in her eyes. She glanced quickly over at the two beside her and their eyes betrayed their mirrored emotions. Aang, allowed in to the hut only because of outstanding circumstances, had been watching Katara curiously and turned quickly away as she caught his gaze. Toph sat very much to herself, caught up in her own personal musings that Katara could not even begin to guess.

She felt individual fingers fumble over her own, seeking silent entrance to her trembling palm. Glancing down and seeing the delicate blue lines that wove across the skin of the intruder, she opened her hand, welcoming Aang's grasp. He clasped her hand confidently, his expression far more mature than she had seen it in the past. It was clear that this was no representation of the juvenile crush she knew the boy possessed, but simply the solemn comforting of a friend in a dark moment. Both benders looked intently down on their interlocking fingers intently and the shaking of her hands quieted. Katara was about to speak when a noise from outside the hut startled her. She looked up to see Sokka coming through the entranceway, destroying all remnants of peace and silence in the room. He panted loudly, as if he had run a great distance, and the healers watched him with suspicion, turning quickly when he looked their way. Sokka did his best to quiet his labored breath, and allow the respectful silence he had chased away to return

Sokka struggled to maintain any air of collectedness as he passed by the healers, knowing well That every step he took was being scrutinized by biased eyes. Doing his best not to meet their gaze, he walked to Suki's side. She was much the way she had been when he had left, speaking less and taking shallower breaths, but still awaiting the same impending fate. He thought that Koh had been right: Suki was not faring well, but he was happy to simply see her alive. It wasn't too late.

"Sokka", Katara called him softly. He turned , examining her swollen eyes and the hand she shared with the boy beside her. With glance back at Suki, he stepped quickly to Katara and kneeled before her, his head bent low in the imitation or prayer and his voice barely above a whisper to keep his words with his sister private.

"I think I can help her," he said softly, and Katara looked wearily down at her brother. She felt so tired; tired waiting, and of sorrow, and of playing this wretched game with a boy who could not count his losses. Still, it was obvious to her that nothing made any difference now. Suki was gone, and Sokka was lost to her. Yet it seemed to her that one final indulgence and the realistic consequences that would be born from it could bring her brother back to reality, or, if nothing else, avoid conflict in the future and keep her from blame in her brother's eyes.

"How?" she asked simply, trying hard to dispel the anger and frustration that had plagued her the last time they had spoken. Sokka looked up, his eyes meeting with hers, and the moonlight shifted across his face. Katara reeled backwards, the hand that had once been in Aang's possession now rising to her mouth in alarm.

"What happened to your face, Sokka?" she asked him with frightened concern. She reached to touch the scars that now slid down his cheeks, cautious because of how fresh they would have to be, and curious because of how old they appeared. "What did you do?" she urged him.

"Yue said she could help her," Sokka ignored his sister's question. Expecting this, she let out a long, deep breath. She looked from her brother to the girl on the healing table and her expression softened. If he fought for this girl to the very end, perhaps he would not have as much regret for her fate at the end of it all.

"What do want me to do?" she asked, finally deciding to appease her brother. There was no more damage that could be done.

"Hold them off," he begged her, glancing over at the two women who watched them closely. She nodded and Sokka stood up, walking towards a still seated healer. She looked up as his shadow cast her in darkness, frowning at the boy.

"Where are my clothes?" Sokka asked her quietly. The woman looked about, but then soon gave up.

"They're still wet," she concluded, quickly looking down at her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"It doesn't matter," Sokka told her. She shrugged, thinking for a moment.

"I suppose they might be over there," she said and pointed to a basket with dirty linens. "But you'll catch your death if you put them on."

Sokka laughed bitterly to himself at the thought of such a fear and walked to the basket. It took him a moment of rummaging, but he eventually pulled out his own pair of pants. He reached into the pockets, pulling the contents out and replacing them in the pockets of his ill-fitted trousers, and then set the sopping fabric back with the rest. The woman watched him curiously, looking away when Sokka caught her gaze.

Sokka walked back to the healing table and looked down at Suki who was making small, lethargic movements as she glanced around at the healing hut. Her eyes opened and closed slowly, resting on him for only a moment before moving on, making him wonder if she had even seen him at all. Damp hair clung to her face, and Sokka gently brushed it away. One healer stood and watched him carefully, monitoring his movements. When Katara called the woman's name and distracted her, Sokka picked Suki up quickly in his arms and ran out the door. The healers were not quick enough to catch him but they yelled out at Sokka with anger and tried to run after them, but Katara and Aang were quick to block the doorway so that they could not pass.

"Get out of the way!" the woman yelled and tried to press past them, but they would not budge.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Katara told her. "If she dies at his hand now, would it be any different than if she died in an hour? He's doing more for her than we ever could!" The healer glared at the girl, but backed down. Katara looked back at Aang, with something almost akin to a smile. The battle had been won and all there was left to do was to wait for the end of the war.

x-x-x

Sokka hesitated as he reached the Oasis door, thinking once more on the possible outcomes of his actions, wondering for a brief moment if he was making the right choice. Would it be a better fate to simply allow Suki to die in peace? So much rested on Yue now, and his trust in her had vanished.

He looked down at Suki, realizing that he had no other options, and that, despite all that Koh had told him, Sokka felt that there was humanity in Yue's spirit. Though, if he was wrong, it would haunt him for the rest of his life, he decided that he had to do what he could to save the girl. He pulled the semi-conscious Suki close and held her, allowing himself, for a moment, to fear the worst. He then reached in his pocket, pulling out the moonstone, now transformed into a small charm, and untied the ribbon used to hold back his hair. After a few fumbling tries, Sokka threaded the ribbon through a small hole in the charm, creating a makeshift necklace.

He considered the charm for a moment, running his thumb over it crude carving in the center, the tied it loosely around the girl's wrist, thinking it unwise to touch her neck. It glinted in the moonlight, distracting Sokka momentarily. It was hard for him to move her, to let her go, but when she opened her eyes once more, watching him blankly, he knew he must. The boy then stood up and carried the girl through the porthole into the spirit oasis.

Yue was waiting for them at the center of the pond. Her face was expressionless as the approached, making her seem cold and intimidating.

Sokka stepped into the pond, letting the warm water creep up his legs as he walked towards its center. Yue stood proud and tall, not bothering to move closer as the two approached, but her eyes softened as Sokka brought the girl closer. He hadn't lied: she was in bad shape. Her burns left her skin misshapen and red and upon first glance she didn't even look human.

Yue looked back to Sokka and immediately regretted it. He watched her with such pleading eyes that she had to look away. The boy was a hopeless mess, his wet hair clinging to his forehead and his clothes muddy. Perhaps most striking of all were the pink scars that now marred his face.

Yue inhaled deeply. She could not think of these things—how terrible the girl looked, or how desperate the boy was—for this was her moment. It was her turn to seek her own desires. She was killing no one, but in fact giving immortal life, so there was nothing to feel ashamed of, she thought.

Suki looked up at Yue blindly, then closed her eyes once more.

x-x-x

Suki found herself within a ridiculous dream; the dream that one always knows is mere trickery of the mind, yet can't seem to escape regardless. She was certain she would laugh at the fantasy when she awoke, but while inside, her dream was unnerving. Everything within it seemed distantly familiar, yet menacing in its lack of mental placement.

She stood in what appeared to be a wetland, and great trees surrounded and encaged her, rising up into the sky, their roots making ominous archways over her head while their trunks hung high above her, waiting to topple. She eyed them wearily and stood silent and still.

The shallow water of the wetland tickled her ankles, rocking her back and forth with the water's motion; the humid air, suffocating her. Looking down, she found herself naked, yet was not plagued by mortal embarrassment. She was not afraid, nor did she feel the need to cover herself. Soon after another more curious realization came to her: she was standing, all by herself. She searched through her memories, and even in the most recent one she could muster, she had found it difficult to stand without pain and support, but there she was now, with neither. She would have smiled if it hadn't been so obvious that it was merely a dream created to mock her.

"Your name is Suki, Correct?" a voice asked, and Suki jumped, having not noticed the newcomer approach. She looked up at the source of the voice, and saw a girl she did not recognize.

Cautiously, Suki nodded, unsure as to whether or not she should return the question . The girl was as intimidating as she was beautiful, with long white hair and eyes filled with disdain, and Suki felt herself shrinking as the girl approached and covered herself with her arms as best she could.

"Where am I?" Suki asked. She was looking around now, looking for an escape route, or a rescuer—anywhere but those dark eyes.

"This is the spirit world" the girl said, and Suki looked down at herself once more.

"So I'm dead?" she asked, and the word weighed heavy on her chest. She had known this fate was coming-By this point she had welcomed and fabricated it-But now, as she spoke the word, she felt the smallest tinge of remorse. Death was so definitive. Unchangeable fates are often hard to face.

"no," the newcomer said as if she cared very little either way, "not just yet."

"You're a spirit?" Suki asked, and the girl nodded. "are you here to help me, then? To save me?" she asked, though she was fairly certain of her answer, just by looking at this spirit's face.

"I never said that," the spirit replied firmly. Suki took in a deep breath and nodded.

"If I'm not here to be saved," she began, trying he best to sound confident, "Then perhaps you could tell me where my sisters are? They left me quite some time ago, and I fear they found their way here."

"The matters of mortals are of no interest to me," the spirit responded coldly, "I have seen no one." Suki was unsure as to whether she should rejoice at this news, or be disappointed. It neither confirmed or disproved the deaths of her sisters, but it provided her with hope and a fresh supply of questions.

"If you don't care about mortals, then why bother speaking with me?" Suki asked. The spirit grimaced, and searched for a sharp-tongued answer.

"If you do not know already, then I suppose it's not my place to tell you," She said, but her words became unsure as her hatred began to soften. It was a difficult façade that she was a long way from mastering. She watched the girl for a moment, completely exposed to her, and looked down at herself. Somehow, despite her fine robes, her position of power over the girl, her feelings of superiority faded and pity rushed into her to replace it. She took Suki's arm, and pulled her down to kneel in the water with her. "look," she instructed.

Suki looked into the water, and saw nothing but her own reflection. And yet, it made her smile. In the reflection of the water, her skin was flawless, unmarred by burns and blisters. She reached up to touch her face, and it felt as smooth as a child's. the sensation was nice beneath her fingers, and was a welcome change from the sore and peeling roughness that had been there before. The spirit pulled her hand away.

"Look further," she instructed. "Beneath the water". Suki did as she was told, bending low towards the water and looking as far as she could. After a moment, the silt-base of the pond seemed to disintegrate, opening over what appeared to be small pond. At the center of the pond stood a boy, whom Suki later recognized as Sokka, holding out a large, bundled package to no one in particular.

"What's he holding?" Suki asked, narrowing her eyes and looking as hard as she could.

"You," the spirit said plainly. She stood and waited for the girl to follow suit, but Suki did not rise from the water. She tried to find her features in the image, but she could not. As it became clearer and clearer that this bundle in the boy's hands was in fact a human being, she could not, as hard as she tried, distinguish it as herself. She looked at it in awe, unable to believe what she saw before her, and finally understood why the healers had never let her see her reflection before. She choked, feeling sick. The spirit pulled her away from the image, and silt covered the hole.

"That's enough" the spirit told her, worried the mortal might start to cry and would make her loose her resolve. Suki looked down at the water where the hole had been. She touched her face absently, and then turned to the spirit.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Why are you showing me this?"

"I'm Y-"The spirit stopped herself. "I am the Moon Spirit," She concluded firmly. She avoided answering the second question, and waited for recognition to dawn on the mortal, but none came. The spirit became disheartened, and the last remnants of hatred she had been saving to help her get through with what need to be done faded, but her original plan remained.

"May I ask you a question?" Suki asked. The spirit sighed.

"You may ask whatever you like, but I will answer at my will." She replied. This act of hers was becoming hard to keep up. She sat down on a large, low-hanging tree root, and waited. Koh had told her that the moment to act would present itself to her, though she knew not yet what signs she was looking for.

"I heard a story about you once," Suki said, "I just want to know if it's true."

"What is your question?" the spirit asked, anticipating a question about the previous moon spirit's acts that she would not be able to answer.

"Were you a mortal once?" Suki asked. The spirit was slow to respond as she looked for the answer within herself.

"I was" she said as she conjured the memories and realized how distant they seemed; "Once." She thought. "My name was Yue. They call me La now."

"And you took the moon spirit's place to save the mortal world?" Suki asked. The spirit nodded.

"That was very brave of you," Suki said.

"It was my duty. I had no choice." She said quietly. " I was not brave."

Suki shook her head. "You're stronger than most. That sacrifice isn't easy."

"I had no choice," Yue repeated.

"You did," Suki told her. Yue was quiet.

"It's not wise to argue with the spirits," Yue concluded bitterly, and Suki apologized.

"I have one more question," Suki admitted.

"you may not ask it," the spirit told her quickly, but Suki disregarded her.

"This is all because of Sokka, isn't it?" She asked softly, and the spirit stiffened. After a tense moment, she opened her mouth to speak and then seemed to think better of it. Suki wheezed, the heavy air becoming more and more difficult for her lungs to grasp. She kneeled in the water, looking through her reflection to the silt bottom and let the ground give way before her eyes back to the pond—to her mortal form and to the boy. "He brought me here," she mused, "to ask for your help? " the stories all began to come together in her mind. Yue stood over the girl's shoulder, looking into the pond. A small detail caught her eye that she had not noticed before. She willed the item into her presence and a small carving strung on a ribbon appeared in her hand.

"Come here," Yue commanded. Suki did as she was told. Yue looked her over appraising her in her mind, when she noticed something glint at her wrist. She took the girl's hand and admired the charm she wore, clumsily tied to her wrist.

"What's this?" she asked, curious to see if the girl would even know. Suki looked down at the charm for the first time.

"It looks like Katara's necklace," Suki concluded in bewilderment.

"But it isn't." Yue responded, hearing the confusion in the mortal's voice.

"No," Suki agreed. "No, it's not. This carving is different." Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the water again. She kneeled and looked through her reflection at the boy in the pond and the unconscious bundle he held. Her mortal arms dangled away from her body, yet from her wrist she could see a small, glinting charm. She could not recall Sokka giving it to her, but the proof that he had was in her hand. She found herself smile as she admired what he had given her. She knew what it was for, of course. She had heard the old water tribe healers talk about it enough. Then she frowned. The spirit had told her that she was dying and would not help her. She did not wish to bring this boy any unhappiness, yet it seemed that she would with their unavoidable parting.

"I suppose he made it for me," she said, then stood up. She couldn't help but smile to herself a little over the gesture. Yue frowned as she felt her heart change. She couldn't do it.

"You will take care of him, won't you?" Her heart was breaking. She felt weak and spineless as she realized that she could not take anything for herself. She hadn't the strength to ensure her own happiness. She was breaking into pieces.

"I don't understand," Suki said.

"I want to make a deal with you," Yue replied.

-x-x-x-

Sokka stared intently at the blank expanse of water before him for what seemed like hours. He had promised Yue he would not leave, but the longer he stood alone with Suki in his arms, the more he started to dread that He would stand there for eternity, and to no avail. Eventually, Sokka's arms grew numb, and the warm oasis air made him drowsy. Suki's body dipped slightly into the water, but did not stir. Still, Sokka's eyes did not move from the spot where Yue had vanished, willing her to return.

When Suki opened her eyes, he did not notice, nor when she lifted her head to look up at him, but when she spoke, he nearly dropped her in surprise. Suki laughed. Softly at first, unsure of her mortal body, then louder as reality began to set in around her. Sokka began to laugh with her, as he filled with thankfulness and relief. He let her slide from his arms into a standing position and quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. They laughed together for a long moment before Suki pulled away to look at her reflection in the pond. It was then that she finally stopped laughing. Where she had expected to see the face of the warrior she had been before this ordeal, she instead saw a face marred by pale and faded scars. The marks were minor compared to the raw and blistered surface that had been her complexion only moments before, but it unnerved her none the less. She would never be allowed to forget.

Sokka noticed Suki's distant gaze at the pond and took her hand, smiling at her softly.

"Come on," he said, pulling her away from her distorted image, "The others will want to know you're alright, too." Suki looked up at the boy and saw the scars that ran down either side of his face, but decided against asking him about them, at least for the moment, as he had been kind enough not to mention her own.

"You can walk alright?" Sokka checked, and Suki, taking a few steps forward, nodded.

"Yes," she told him, "And thank you. For whatever you did." Sokka nodded, never really planning to tell her.

-x-x-x-x-

That night, Sokka felt as though he were the only individual in the entire northern hemisphere that was sleeping fitfully. While his companions lay amongst him with contented smiles, satisfied with the unexpected results of their journey, Sokka lay awake, tortured by the thought that all was not as well as it seemed. He feared Koh, whom he had given eternal life in the hopes of saving Yue and Suki, and felt guilty to Yue for the grief and sacrifice he had caused her. Finally, he feared his own future with such a severely shortened lifespan. The length of time he could live ranged widely. He had no idea of his natural expiration date, but could imagine that it ranged anywhere between the ages of thirty and one hundred and twenty (which was a steep age that few in his tribe had lived to see). At the highest severity of his sacrifice, this could mean he could die anywhere between tomorrow and the age of sixty for no apparent cause at all. Kyoshi, however had not said for certain that his life had been fully cut in half. Koh could have merely taken a quarter, or an eighth. Soon, Sokka lost all idea of what he could expect from this bargain. He hoped that eventually it would be a fate that he could accept as others, he concluded, had lost far worse. It was when he considered Suki and thought of the future that he once again thought of this sacrifice as unfair. Not to him, perhaps, but to Suki, if she agreed to marry him once he, some day in the distant future, explained the necklace to her, or to whomever he may marry if she were to refuse. Despite how careful he might be, he could die at any time and no longer be able to provide for her or their children. At this, he became especially solemn. Sokka had experienced life missing a parent, and would want to always be there for his children if he had any. His bargain could hurt far more than just him.

Sokka wondered if she should simply avoid these types of close relationships with people to avoid causing any more grief. For a moment, the idea struck that he should become a monk, but when he realized he would be forced to suffer an existence devoid of women and meat, he quickly reconsidered.

Suki stirred beside him, and Sokka watched her intently. He wondered what had changed Yue's mind to help her. Whatever it was, he was immensely grateful to her. He supposed that no matter what Yue had chosen to do he would have understood her reasoning, though it wouldn't have kept him from being too upset and disappointed in her to never speak with her again.

Yet, she had done what was right (or at least right by the boy), and he had not even been able to thank her. The rising sun was stretching its golden fingers out over the sky, signaling that the moon spirit's job was done for the night, as Sokka sat up and surveyed the others. They all still appeared to be sound asleep underneath their furs. He stood up, walked quietly to the doorway of the healing hut, and left. Suki watched him as he left, but said nothing to stop him.

This new walk to the oasis was brisk and awkward. He was so used to sneaking around that it was strange to feel like a free man again. He got none of the terrible looks from the villagers he had gotten the night before, and could only assume that word traveled fast of his victory. Soon they'd mess with the story and turn it into some legend, he thought. One in which he was twenty years old, eight feet tall, and the chief of his tribe.

When Sokka reached the oasis, he did not hesitate to enter. He wasn't frightened of Yue as he might have once been. She had proven that, deep down, she was incapable of intentionally bringing any harm to others. However angry she became with him for returning, she would do nothing to the boy.

The oasis was much the way it had always been; warm and calm with the koi circling each other at equal distances. As things returned to their natural state in the real world, so did it seem the same in the world of the spirits. Before Sokka could call out to Yue, her voice rang out darkly behind him.

"What do you want from me?" she asked. Sokka turned to see her sitting at the corner of the oasis by the cairn her father had mode for her. Her skin was translucent, making her almost blend in entirely with her surroundings. "I've given you everything. What more could you ask for?"

"I just wanted thank you," Sokka replied , cautiously stepping towards her.

"Well now you have," she told him tersely, "and now you can leave."

"Please, Yue," he begged her to listen, "I never meant to hurt you, I-"

"You didn't," she interrupted.

"But I-"

"This isn't about you, Sokka!" she told him. "You shouldn't thank me, because I did nothing for you. I did it because I was too weak to take anything for myself."

"Being selfless isn't a weakness," Sokka told her and took a seat by her side.

"But not knowing when to stop is," she replied.

"I see," Sokka said knowingly. "I wasn't worth it anymore."

"Don't act like you were so betrayed," she sighed. "You know very well that in the end, it wasn't about me either. Whatever you did to convince Koh to give my face back, you did it for your own benefit—so I would be around to give you what you wanted."

"Do you really believe that?" Sokka asked her. Yue sat stubbornly for a long moment.

"No," her voice was suddenly quiet, her head hung. Her anger had been all that had kept her going. "You're leaving today, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he told her. "Soon. We have to find Aang a firebending teacher and prepare for the eclipse."

"Yes, I suppose that's wise," Yue replied. She thought silently for a moment. "You know you can never come back here, don't you?"

"Why?" Sokka asked, though he did not sound surprised.

"I think it'd be for the best," Yue told him. "If you ever came back, I don't think I'd remember you."

"So this is goodbye, then? For good?" Sokka questioned, and Yue laughed.

"You'll find your way into the spirit world again someday. Everyone does," Yue said, and Sokka cringed. Perhaps this day would be far sooner than she had planned.

"But until then," Sokka began, "Why don't you spend a little time with Tui?"

"Tui?" Yue sounded incredulous.

"Yeah," Sokka shrugged. "I think he'd like that. And I'm sure he'd keep better company than Koh."

"Perhaps," Yue said as she thought on it, then looked up at the sky. "It's getting late," she said. "You'll be leaving soon." Sokka followed her gaze.

"You're right. Everyone's probably wondering where I am by now." He told her, and he began to feel uncomfortable and awkward beside her. "I ought to get going." Yue nodded and agreed.

It was difficult saying goodbye willingly this time, both knowing they had their own very separate lives to lead and that their paths would never again cross, at least in Sokka's mortal lifetime. They had sacrificed so much for each other; had hated and loved each other. Now, they were forced to separate and face their futures alone. They embraced one last time and pretended that their feelings were strictly platonic. Yue bid the boy farewell, and Sokka left the oasis for the last time.

-x-x-x-

When Sokka returned to the hut he and his friends had been staying at, he found that his companions were all up, and busy preparing for their long, southern journey. They all seemed to be in a strikingly good mood, smiling at Sokka as he entered rather than reprimanding him for sneaking off so early in the morning. Katara was singing a popular Northern Watertribe song she had picked up over their stay, and Aang was singing along with her, making Katara's mediocre voice sound beautiful in comparison. Suki and Toph laughed loudly as the other two fumbled over the words of the second verse, Toph being too tough to ever be caught singing, and Suki waiting for the chorus to sing along with what she remembered. Sokka laughed the loudest of all as he walked in on the scene of unbridled relief in which his companions were expelling all of the negative energy they had bottled up since the beginning of their journey. It was just a moment of happiness, brief as it was uplifting, that they enjoyed before re-entering a tiresome war.

Katara smiled knowingly at her brother, having seen the charm Suki was now wearing around her neck, and tossed Sokka his sack, and he began to pack up his things. Suki helped him, having already finished with her own packing. Occasionally, she looked up from their team effort and smiled warmly at him. He whistled along with Katara and Aang's song. Toph groaned with mock revulsion.

"I'm glad you're warriors and not musicians," Toph commented, still too stubborn and amused to join in on the music. Sokka nearly threw the shoe he was holding at her in playful reply, but stopped himself just before he did, deciding that an aerial attack on the blind might be less than fair.

When their packing was finished, the group of five walked to the healing hut and thanked the healers once more for their help and concern, then thanked the chief for giving them a place to stay. Once they had said all of their obligatory good-byes, the group put their luggage on Appa's back and began their journey back to the earth kingdom. They talked amongst themselves, telling jokes and stories, no one daring to speak of what had happened the past few weeks, instead focusing on any time of happiness that they could recall in order to prolong this feeling relief and victory.

This kind of chatter went on for quite some time before their laughter slowly began to fade away, and their bright smiles dimmed with lack of conversation. The euphoric feeling ebbed away, and the group was left to think to themselves on darker topics. Aang worried about his current inability to reach the avatar state, while Katara fretted over how they would enter the fire nation. Sokka pondered what he would possibly be able to do on the battlefields with no bending of his own, and Toph wasted no time concerning her mind with anything, preferring to drift off to sleep in Appa's saddle instead.

Suki, however, was the only who could not seem to look forward. She was still trying so hard to adjust to what she had experienced in the past few weeks and how it would affect her for the rest of her life. She had made a promise, and now she owed her life to the moon. Should the unspeakable ever happen, she would have to give it back.

End.

(A/N: so….I got a review on this story today all out of the blue, and felt a little guilty that I had never finished it. But I knew I had a draft of the last chapter somewhere, thinking it was maybe a couple of pages and that over time I could just finish this thing so I never had to look at it again. But when I went to go check on this draft, I realized it was pretty much the complete final chapter, and I had just never bothered to post it. So here you go! I don't know if anyone will read this, or even remembers this story when it pops up in their feed [Goodness, I had even forgotten what happened in this story for the most part] but at least it's done now, and I don't have to feel bad about never having completed it. Thanks for all the support it had at the beginning there! I started this thing as a freshman in high school, and I'm finishing it now as a Sophomore in college. It's been fun. Thanks again! Sorry I totally forgot to post this! )