Avatar: Mage of All Elements

The little girl had grown up. She had grown up, and it was obvious that she hadn't abandoned Earth Magic, but was actively practicing it. And in a very special way. Maximum efficiency. Minimum movements, maximum results. And if you consider that she has a big reserve, she's a little monster. And it's going to grow even stronger.

Even though she has a lot of power, she's no match for me. So it wasn't a surprise when she started to run out of breath and at the end, so she wouldn't fall, I caught her and hugged her.

The complete surprise, for me and for everyone, was that she cried. I don't know how typical this is for her, but just in case, I covered us with the dome and waited for her to calm down.

It was a relatively short wait. About ten minutes, and there she was, practically calmed down.

«So what are you doing?» I asked, stroking her head. Somehow it had worked itself out.

«You left me!» she said accusingly, and coupled with her crying face, it was strong, and the sting of guilt I felt.

«And what was I supposed to do? Kidnap you? Take you away from your parents? Remember, I was teaching your mother, and I didn't want to hurt her.»

«And you ended up hurting me! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me? I was like in a cage!»

«At least you had parents and didn't starve! You didn't have to kill to eat!» I really freaked out. But I pulled myself together in time and continued, but much more quietly, «And I had to, and if I had taken you back then, I don't know if you'd be alive now or not. But even if I had known all that, I still wouldn't have changed my mind.»

«Why?» she asked quietly, and just as I was about to answer, she shouted the rest of the sentence right in my face, «Why did you leave?! You could have stayed! My mom told me about you! You would have been welcome and you could have been there for me!» she finished with tears in her eyes.

«I found my way», I shrugged, «Thanks to the fact that I left, I saved an entire village. A lot of people would have died if I hadn't left. And after that, this place became my home. A home where everyone loves and respects me», when I saw that Toph was about to say something, I cut her off and quickly continued, «I realize that I could have gotten all of that on your estate as well. But this is different. Maybe in time you'll realize that», I ruffled her hair, «If you want, you can come visit me when the war is over.»

«I want to», she said in a normal voice and pulled away from me. She sent a pulse, made a hole in the dome, and walked toward the sea, «And I will.»

I got up and walked over to her, ruffling her hair again, «Are you going to tell me how you got on the Avatar team?»

And what followed was an emotional and somewhat confusing story. It felt like we were running out of time, and she wanted to tell it all in as little time as possible. In some places it was funny, and in other places I was amazed that they were alive at all.

The sad thing was that they got to the library, but it was either destroyed or buried by the sands. I'll have to go and see if it's still there and I can still get in.

As we walked to the sea and back, Toph's mood returned and she became like a child. It's a funny look. It suited her well. Washing her was fun, especially when she snorted. While I was doing it, I had an idea.

«Toph, I want to see your eyes. Do you mind?» I decided to try to cure her.

«No», she replied calmly.

«Good. Then lie down on the sand», well, it didn't take her long to fall on it, «Don't move yet.

Her blindness is a birth defect, as she's been that way since birth. But I wondered if I could fix it. Upon examination, I realized that she wasn't just blind, she was missing several areas responsible for vision. And in such a way that even transplanting someone else's wouldn't help. I saw only one option.

Except you'd have to blind a bunch of babies to grow the right nerves. And it's one thing if it's a grown man or woman, you can always find scum you don't feel sorry for. Like the children, whose nerves I took, because they were basically unharmed. But children. I could hardly condemn them to such a fate.

«Perhaps I can give you sight», I ventured, still telling the truth, «But I would have to blind some infants.»

«No», came the immediate reply, «Don't do it. Not at that price.»

«Eh, I understand. It's disgusting myself», I shrugged, «But don't worry. Maybe I'll find another way, safer and more humane», I ruffled her hair, «Okay, let's go or your friends will be worried.»

She jumped up and we walked to the rest of the group. Soka and Katara were talking to their mother and didn't want to be bothered by me, so I left Toph to them and went over to Aang. He was sitting on the other side of the island, looking out at the ocean.

«Do you miss?» I asked, sitting down next to him.

«What do you mean?» he asked. I got a twitch of excitement.

«I mean your parents.»

«I miss them», he said sadly.

«What happened can't be undone», I decided to philosophize. «Let go of the past and build the present.»

«Uh, I wish I understood what you meant...»

«Ahem...»

«...you», he caught me, «I'm fourteen and everyone thinks I'm a hundred and fourteen.

«And you're not?» I asked with a smile. Some of the details I had time to learn when the Avatar was on Kyoshi Island.

«It is.»

«Eh, young people. Everything needs to be explained to you», I sighed feignedly, «You see, you don't have to dream of going back. Family, friends, loved ones can't be brought back. You have to let them go. Not forget them, but let them go and keep them in your heart», I scratched my beard. «As for the second part of my sentence, it's even simpler. To be happy, you have to make it yourself. Make friends, find a girl. Get married, build a house, plant a tree, have a baby. It's all small, but it's happiness. But our life is made of small particles, and we decide what they are. If you see everything in a positive light, your life will be bright and happy, and vice versa. It all depends on you», I said, looking out at the ocean, and when I turned to Aang, he looked at me with his eyes wide open. I'm the first one to explain this to you, I guess», he nodded like a dummy, «Heh, you're funny. Just know that some people talk to talk. Others speak to convey meaning. It doesn't matter what the meaning is. The important thing is to see it and understand it. Do you understand?»

«Yes», he thought, «It's like a coconut. Some have milk in them and some don't.»

«Uh... yeah», a strange comparison, sure, but at least he understood «Shall we go to the others?»

«Okay», already with a smile, he said.

Apparently the Avatar has some kind of aura. Feeling it makes me want to philosophize. Because I can't explain my impulse any other way.