Title: Colours of the Rainbow
Character(s): Aang, Toph, Katara, Azula, Zuko, Sokka, Iroh
Pairing(s): None
Summary: Not everything is as it seems. Nothing is ever black or white; it is just a mass of grey. Everything becomes a blur and blends together to make a beautiful picture. 7 colours, 7 characters association.
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. I am a poor college student.

Red- Toph

She was blind. She was tiny. She was helpless. She was fragile. Names upon names tacked on to her because of eyes that cannot see, eyes that were glazed over with a white sheen giving her an eerie aura.

When she was young, younger than she was now, her parents had labored onto what to do. How would she learn the beauty of nature when she could not see? How would she learn manners and table etiquette when she had to grope around the table to reach her chopsticks and bowls and stumbles when walking around the garden?

Confined to the house, she was made out to be a delicate porcelain doll, one that would break if someone as much as touch her. She was small and liked to perch at the windowsills, giving her nursemaids a fright when they discovered her half hanging out a window to smell the citrus blossoms from the tree outside. She was graceful in the way she positioned herself at mealtimes and curtseyed ever so cutely at her guests who beamed at her and say in chirpy voices how glad they were to see her and whispered quiet piteous words behind her back.

She was pious in the way she worked at her earthbending, much to the displeasure of her father and the shock of Master Yu. She woke up early to bend the rocks around the garden and she was usually the last one in the garden at night, throwing pebbles here and there, forming them into coherent shapes.

But the names followed her no matter what. Blind. Short. Feeble. Weak. And when she couldn't take it anymore, she left. Ran away towards the badgermole cave where she was finally able to see for the first time in her life.

And when that happened, she came back with a vengeance, disregarding the proper manners that were expected of her high social status and escaped every night to enter the underground earthbending tournaments where she became the famous champion known as the Blind Bandit.

When she hefted the heavy belt of the championship over her head, cheers erupted around her. Cheers erupted around her for her. Because she was not weak. She was strong, stronger than everybody else.

And at that moment, she had never felt so alive.

~.~.~.~.~

Orange- Iroh

He was an old man. He had accepted that before the next two moons rose up into the sky, he would probably have ceased to walk in this mortal world. His nephew had vehemently rejected this with a snort of laughter although his eyes had glazed over with fear for a brief moment before it wrinkled with warmth that was rarely shown. The young man had pressed a hot cup of tea into his slightly shaking palms before whispering that he had paperwork to do before dipping a nod towards him.

As the door shut gently behind the Fire Lord, the old man in the bed just sighed deeply as he leaned back, sinking even further into the pillows. He knew that time was catching up to him.

His bones ached and his limbs no longer coordinate with him at times. His hands would tremor and his feet would land awkwardly on the stairs, earning him visits upon visits to the healers.

His lungs sometimes rattle when he breathes and his hair was falling out. He couldn't sleep at night, making him toss around restlessly. He forgets things easily and his memories of his earlier days were muddled and hazy. His mind fogged up and he had to blink several times before this thoughts came coherently to him.

He was like the candle that was on his bedside table, giving him light- a fire that was slowly dying. A glowing ember that once illuminated and cast shadows but was now fading away into nothing.

The end is near.

And he welcomes it.

~.~.~.~.~

Yellow- Aang

Everyone looked up to him because he was the Avatar, the one who was supposed to bring peace and prosperity to the war torn land. Everybody expected him to meet their expectations and beyond and were disappointed when they finally met him.

He had delicate features and bones that looked so light and fragile that one hit would break him. His eyes were set wide on his face and his voice had not yet hit puberty. He was a scrawny little thing, his head barely reaching most people's shoulders.

But despite all that, he embraced life. He was the centre of attention and people would flock to him and surround him just like the planets revolved around the sun. He would glow whenever someone praised him and his cheeks would turn pink whenever a gift was lavished upon him. Animals of all kind befriended him and plants flourished under his care.

He embraced life with great gusto and life, in return, accepted him with open arms.

~.~.~.~.~

Green- Katara

All she had ever hoped for, all she had ever wanted, it all rested on the shoulders of the young boy in front of her, his light breath tickling the lemur's ear next to him. And her heart cried out at the injustice of it all, at how the fate of the entire world canpossibly lie upon the powers of a twelve year old boy, Avatar or not.

How was she supposed to help him when she herself has no idea what to do? She may be a waterbender but that was only a name, a meaningless title tagged onto her when she was an infant and, in a temper tantrum, had managed to freeze all the water in the nearby jugs. She was an amateur, only dabbling in the arts bestowed on to her in unsuspecting times- like when she was angry and the waters would churn violently to rock the boat or when she was sad and the sky would open up to rain upon her.

But despite it all, she knows what she wants underneath all her rambling and chaotic mind. The only thing she clings to now as she covers the boy before her with a blanket is that peace will come.

Peace must surely come, maybe later than everyone thought but it will come, slowly and steadily, until it swallowed them whole, just like water ebbing and eroding away at a stubborn rock.

The war will end.

And peace will begin.

~.~.~.~.~

Blue- Zuko

He was a sad one even when he was a child. The emotions would creep up on him when he least expected it and he would feel as if he was the loneliest person in the world.

Surrounded by people who gave him false smiles and fake comforting words, he would also put on a cheerful mask while hiding his real emotions behind it.

When his younger sister was named heir-apparent over him and he lost the title of Crown Prince, all he did was smile politely and congratulate her on her well earned position. He swallowed his bitterness and immersed himself in the art of the sword, working day and night. When he was banished and his face felt like a shirshu had ripped off half of it, all he could do was vow that one day he would return into the services of the empire he so loved and would die for. He clung to honour and valour despite knowing deep down that he was chasing broken dreams.

Reality slammed into his face when the news of the Avatar reached him. How people had helped him and were journeying with him to keep him safe. How villages had harboured him and refused to give him up even under the threat of punishment.

And he wonders to himself what went wrong. How come no one had reached out to him when he needed assistance? When he had nowhere else to turn to, all he could hold on to was that one thought that his father would someday be proud of him, just as proud of his sister who had one-up him ever since she was born.

He was a sad one, not even noticing the hefty sighs from his uncle who would try to reach out to him only to be brushed off.

He was a sad one, desperately clutching on to hope that never was his in the first place.

~.~.~.~.~

Indigo- Sokka

He was a good strategist, always a thinker. His insight astounded those around him if they had pause to take to heart what he said.

He covered it all up with bright smiles and sarcastic jokes that got everyone to laugh merrily or face palm in annoyance. But if anyone looked closely, they would notice that his eyes would look sad whenever he spied a glimpse of the moon and his hands would tighten on whatever he was holding whenever he saw golden fans. His sadness ran deep and made furrows in his forehead at night when he couldn't sleep.

His younger sister would try to help him but she had problems of her own and he didn't want to push more burden upon her already heavy shoulders. He was the big brother. He was the one supposed to protect her, not the other way around. But fate laughed in his face when she was the one twirling water around them effortlessly, shielding them from the fire that rained on them, and all he could do was stand back, holding a boomerang in his hands.

He had never felt so helpless. And so he took up a sword and perfected the art of war, of strategy. He put his mind to use and he became aware of his successes when rare prideful smiles lit up on his father's face.

He cherished those moments and in time, he would come to accept his losses and move on. He would marry the girl who wore green instead of blue, who wore makeup on her face instead of leaving it plain, who was strong in a different way that the first girl he ever loved was. But he understands now that that is all there is to it. Life throws unsuspecting obstacles in his way and he has to soldier on like the good warrior he is.

And he nods and gives life a salute.

~.~.~.~.~

Violet- Azula

She always lived in a very straight linear world. This was this and that was that. There were no in betweens in her eyes.

Red was the fire she first produced from her fists when Zuko had spilled tea on her dress when they were young. Red was the fire that ravaged her brother's face, twisting their relationship. Red was the blood that coloured the ground when her opponent had been too slow to dodge her attack. Red was the outfit she wore, the crown she settled deep into her hair every day.

Blue was the lightning she first shot out from her fingertips three weeks after her brother was banished. Blue was the hot flames that licked the straw and ignited an inferno that engulfed a village while she watched on with gleeful eyes on top of her steed. Blue was the ocean that cocooned her when she was at sea; surrounded by vast openness that drove her mad. Blue was the colour of the enemy from the North and South Pole, the peasant clothing they wore that she could spot from a mile away.

Everything has its place. Everything is in its place. Her world is in perfect balance, red and blue in equilibrium with each other.

Never does she think that she herself is a contradiction. Never does she think that she is the only one who is flawed in that world of hers.

She was tainted from the very beginning.

Red- Toph may not know colour for she has never see it before in her life but she knows revenge and vengeance. Thus red.
Orange- Iroh because he is an old man and his flame is coming to an end.
Yellow- Aang because he is the sun.
Green- Katara because she wants peace. And peace is always green.
Blue- Zuko is just a very piteous character. Thus blue.
Indigo- Sokka is a deep thinker and his philosophy grows and is as deep and vast as the ocean.
Violet- Azula because she's just one huge contradiction. She could have had it all.

Reviews are much appreciated.

Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.