Peace or Not (Avatar Roleplay)

"Both true statements," Sokka told her with a shrug and a small smile, "I'd have died by now without you and you'd be stuck attending those boring rich people parties without me."

Toph made a face. "Thank goodness for small miracles, huh?" She closed her eyes and fell quiet, though she was not really asleep. She was just tired.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed with a grin, falling silent before his stomach started to growl. He blushed and asked, "Does anyone want breakfast?"

"Breakfast sounds good," muttered Toph, not moving an inch. "I'm starving..."

Sokka nodded before leaving the room, arriving soon enough with a platter filled with fruit, eggs, meat, and moose-cow juice.

"Dig in," he staid with a grin.

Toph sniffed and grinned, her stomach growling. "Smells great!" she said. She tried reaching for the trap, but ending up waving her hand in the air. She frowned. "I think I might need some help," she said, flushing.

"At your service, milady," Sokka told her with a grin, but not joking further. He knew how Toph got about being helped. He offered her a mango.

She took the mango from him. Toph bit into the fruit and chewed slowly, almost thoughtfully. She swallowed and smiled again. "Now that's the stuff," she said. She had always liked mango. She took another bite, and a third.

It did not take long for her to feel a little queasy.

"Ugh..." She set aside the rest of the fruit. "I'm done."

Sokka nodded and began to eat some food himself, mindful of what Katara was always telling him. Thus, he ate some fruit along with a helping of meat and some rice. He leaned back and smiled at Toph.

"Hmm... Us eating civilly. Katara would be proud," he joked.

Toph pulled a face. "Let's not tell her. She'd just be smug," she said. She leaned back into her pillow and sighed. "This is so stupid... I can barely eat, and now I'm tired again."

"Such is the way of a concussion." The old healer walked into the room. "But it will pass, in time."

"I just wish Katara was here. No offense," he added hurriedly to the old woman, "Her waterbending really helps, even if it defies all logic. Whoever heard of water miraculously healing you..."

He paused mid-rant about the weirdness of the world before continuing, "Anyway, I get hit on the head all the time and Katara's water magic always helps. But we shouldn't tell her that either."

The old woman chuckled. "Yes. Waterbenders have a great gift. But I'm afraid no waterbenders come this way. At least they have not for some time."

Toph began to snore.

"I'm not surprised. The Water Tribes have gotten smaller since the war. We're rebuilding, but it'll be a long time before our numbers are back up," Sokka mused, remembering what his father told him about their people before the War. Would they ever be restored to their former glory? Would he ever live to see the day?

He rolled his eyes when he heard Toph's snores, "And she calls me 'Snoozles.'"

"Does she now?" She chuckled. "Well, do not hold it against her. She will tire easily, in these first few days. Frankly, I am surprised she has been awake at all since you brought her to me. I suppose it is that stubborn strain again."

"Yeah. She's stubborn alright," Sokka muttered dryly, though he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Shizuka kept quiet and exited the room. She felt out of place in there. Neither Toph or Sokka was her friends. Barely anyone she was with before was. Zuko once was and may still be and Li.... welll Shizuka wasn't sure what they were.

She went to the porch and sat down, staring up at the sky. She let her memories of her childhood with Zuko play in her mind. It made her smile. But her memories were shattered as a loud voice yelled at her.

"Shizuka!"

Jet, followed by the others, ran over to her.

"We found you guys at last. Wait Toph and Sokka are here right?"

"Yeah they are inside."

"Good to know, I'm assuming Toph's okay," Li noted with a smile once again hidden behind his mask, "Good. If I couldn't kill her, Random Grunt #1 shouldn't be able to."

"Oh, visitors?" The healer poked her head out of the door. She smiled at the group. "I take it these are friends of yours, Shizuka?"

"Yes," Shizuka said, looking back. "Well they are all our friends, kind of." She looked back at the group and she realize something. "Where's Haru?"

Zuko looked down at the ground. Jet looked upset. Shizuka looked confused.

"What happened? Is...is he ok?"

"We don't know. We had to leave him behind."

"What?! What do you mean you left him behind?!!!" Sokka exclaimed with a frown.

"It was either that or we all get killed captured," Li told him bluntly, "We had no choice."

"You still could have rescued him!" Sokka argued, "Who knows what could have happened to him?!!!"

"Hey you don't think I don't know that," Jet yelled. He looked like he might either attack someone or start to cry. Shizuka wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how.

"It's ok Jet. We'll get him back."

"Well, now." The healer cleared her throat. "It seems this little town has some excitement going on, and I'm right in the middle of it." She gestured for the group to return inside. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but you are welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"Thank you," Zuko told the woman. He motioned for the others to head inside. Jet hesitated but followed the others. Shizuka opened her mouth to say something to him, but he just passed her by.

Sokka frowned, feeling bad now as he followed the others. He had to remember now that Jet had changed since he first met him and so had Zuko. It just went against his instincts to let someone get captured. Maybe it was from growing up in the Water Tribe where there were few enough people as it was thanks to the hostile environment and, until the War ended, Fire Nation raids.

He entered into the house and looked around, waiting for the others to tell him and Shizuka what had happened.

Zuko looked at Sokka and Shizuka. "After you left we kept on fighting. They started to lose and so they used this sleeping gas. I ordered everyone to retreat, but Haru must of inhaled some of it because he was unconscious. I knew if I let Jet go back and get him he would be caught too or it would slow us down. So I made a choice and left him behind." He shot a look at Jet who only turned away.