Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of ATLA but I use them for my own enjoyment.

Author's Note: I'm sure some of you know of my previous fanfiction "Winds Of Fate" or those of you who don't, well you'll learn now. After much deliberation, I decided to remove it but against my better judgement (And a few messages) I decided to bring it back. I decided to give it a reboot. So if you notice familiar scenes and chapters you'll know why.

o-o-o

Fated Meeting

Between

Air & Stone

o-o-o

Toph was an only child who belonged to the world's most prestigious family, the Bei Fongs. Anything she wanted would be handed to her without any second thought. She often read the story Rapunzel because she had been so similar to her that it hurt. She was a princess that was locked away in her room. But unlike Rapunzel, she was pampered and cared for every second of the day. She was waited on hand and foot. She didn't want to be a princess. She just wanted to have some fun. She was given what wanted but with all these luxuries came a price, a heavy price. Her freedom was stripped away from her. She couldn't play any further than her houses gates. She had no friends. She was watched every second of the day leaving her with little privacy. Oh how she loathed it. It drove her insane.

Her parent's were also concerned with the fact that her sight wasn't as great as everyone else's. As a baby, she was born blind. When she turned three, the doctors insisted on having surgery. Eventually her parents gave in and they went through with it. Her eye sight was restored but it still wasn't perfect. They babied her because they were afraid one day she'd have a relapse and returned to her blinded state. She could understand why her parents worried but they were taking it too far.

She always had the ability to sense things around her, if she focused hard enough. Maybe it was an ability she learned when she was 3. She didn't give it much thought anyway. With this ability she could tell when people lied when near her. She didn't physically feel anything, but it was a 'feeling'. Being a pampered girl like her, people seemed to do that a lot.

Even though she yearned for freedom, the outside world was nothing like what she had hoped. She could understand why her parents kept her 'locked up'. The outside world was filled with nothing but the love for money. Humans were greedy, manipulative and controlling beings. To them money was the most important factor of living.

To Toph, there was no such thing as kindness in the world. Everything came with a price. The police and firemen whose duty was to 'save' people only did it because they were paid to do so. People were only kind because they wanted something in return. Everyone wanted something! The world revolved around money and nothing else.

Toph had been kidnapped when she was younger. And like any other kidnapper, they demanded a ransom for her safe return. For the week that Toph had been gone she could only listen to the horrid conversations about their plans with the money. Was money all they really cared about? Were those two really the only people who had thoughts like that? Her parents willingly accepted the demands and paid for the safe return of their princess.

But the damage was already done, Toph began to see the world in a new light. Toph realized the 'kindness' people were showing her was only an attempt to gain favor with her parents. They weren't being nice, they only wanted her parent's money. Toph wanted nothing to do with the people of the outside. Before Toph knew it, she began to hate the world that revolved around money. She hated the people even more.

She yearned for freedom, yet she hated the world. Complicated, I know.

Toph hated being stuck in the house. It was horribly boring. At the age of 13 she had done everything she could have possibly done. How sad was that? She marched up and down her room until something in the corner of her eye caught her attention, her family's oak tree. Feeling a bit mischievous Toph sneaked through her window, down a makeshift path of vines that grew in her mother's garden and finally she was on the ground.

Mom really needs to put this garden somewhere else. Someone could get to my room so easily this way.

She rushed across the garden hoping that no one would see her. When she got to the tree she began climbing slowly. Oh God I suck at this, she thought as she struggled to make her way up. Eventually, she succeeded. After a quick breather, she turned and stared in awe. The city was more amazing than she had thought. The glass skyscrapers, the various blimps that flew through the air and most importantly the vast blue sky above it all. She inched closer to the amazing sight but as her luck would have it before her vision darkened she heard a loud cracking noise. The branch broke and fell, her along with it.

When she regained consciousness, an immense pain radiated through her body. Most of it was concentrated on her legs. Did I break them? Damn. When her eyes flashed open, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She had lost her glasses. She was as blind as a bat without them. Ignoring the pain, she felt around for any sign of her glasses only to find broken shards of glass. Great,just great.

She couldn't see and her legs were killing her. Well today has been awesome.

"God! I'm an idiot for even wanting to come out here! I hate this place! I hate this place so much..." Toph could feel her cheeks becoming wet. I'm crying...? Toph hadn't shed a tear in what felt like years to her. She didn't know where she was, she felt helpless and she hated that. It was like she ws proving her parents right. She wasn't some baby meant to be watched. She could have taken care of herself! But...I can't do anything now...Someone help me...please...

"Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Toph heard a small boy. He had literally appeared out of nowhere. She couldn't see his face (or him for that matter) but she could hear the concern in his voice. She quickly dried her tears and turned her face away.

"Did you hurt your leg? Where does it hurt? What's your name? How did you get here?" He barraged her with a seemingly endless stream of questions.

Annoying…

"Does it hurt bad? I'm here by myself but I can go call someone to help. What do you think?"

Really annoying…

"Hey hey answer me before it gets worse!"

"Will you just shut up!"

"Oh…sorry."

"My name is Toph! I fell from the wall and now I'm stuck! I broke my glasses and I can't see without them. Yes my leg hurts because I think it's broken! Happy?" She shouted back at the boy. He didn't respond.

"Ugh, look I'm sorry, if you want to help that's all dandy but don't do it by asking so many questions!"

"Sorry. My grandpa tells me that I have so much energy that I need to get rid of it somehow…" the boy paused "Come on get on my back I'll carry you." The boy offered what Toph thought was his hand, but she didn't want or need his help. The boy remembered her saying that she couldn't see without her glasses, so he grabbed her hand.

"Hey! Who said you could touch me!"

"Come on it's the only way to get you back."

"Just go call one of the security guards! I'll be fine here."

"Uh uh, I need to get you in now."

"Why won't you just listen to me?" She pounded the floor with her fists.

"Grandpa always says to never leave a person in need alone. So please?"

He wants to help that badly? No. He is definitely doing it because I'm the precious daughter of the Bei Fong family. God, everyone is the damned same.

"Get away from me! You just want my parent's money don't you?"

"What? I'm trying to help and you think I want money?"

"I am the daughter of the Bei Fong family."

"The who now?"

What? He doesn't know who we are? Does this kid live under a rock or something?

"Ugh! Forget it!" The boy gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her onto his back. He was surprised she didn't resist. "Just hold on tightly, ok?" She did as she was told.

"Not that tight!" When Toph relaxed her grip on him he began walking along the wall.

"Listen, I don't know who the Bay fungus family is-"

"Bei Fong! B-E-I-F-O-N-G!" She screamed into his ear.

"Ok, ok! The Bei Fong family. I don't know who they are but you're a friend in need. And Grandpa always says to help those in need."

"Friend? Who said we were friends?" The nerve of this guy.

"Well, uh, I don't know. 'Strangers are friends you just haven't met yet' by Grandpa."

"…you grandfather has a saying for everything doesn't he?"

"…actually, he kinda does. It's weird."

"You're the weird one…"

"Maybe." The boy laughed.

As soon as it began, the conversation seemed to die. Toph couldn't find anything to say to him. He came to her rescue like some prince out of a fairy tale, began spouting nonsense about him not knowing her family and he did all of this out of the goodness in his heart? What? Not possible. Everyone in this world was rotten. Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Toph wrapped her hands around the boy's neck tightly.

"My name's Aang nice to meet you."

"…Aang? Your name is Aang?" Toph began to snicker. It wasn't long until she burst out laughing.

"Hey! My name is not funny!"

"Yes it is!" Toph covered her mouth trying to stop herself.

"Well Toph a strange name for a girl anyway!" Aang smirked, but then his face contorted with pain when she hit him "Ow! What was that for?"

"My name is cool!"

"No it isn't! Ow! Quit it!" Both Toph and Aang began to laugh.

I could have some fun with this kid. Hey isn't that bad…for a boy.

"Lady Toph! What happened?" No sooner had Aang entered the gates had security guards swarm him. They plucked Toph from his back and glared at him. He had never been so scared in his life.

"Did this punk do this to you?" Another guard, grabbed the back of his shirt and held him up.

"What? No! I found her on the other side of the wall and brought her here!" Aang defended. He looked to Toph and hoped she would bail him out. She remained silent.

"Toph! Come on tell them!"

"Oh? Did you now? I don't remember that happening." Toph grinned.

"Now way…"

"Ok, ok. Let him go guys. The kid saved my butt." The guards seemed hesitant to let him go but they did.

"You're mean you know that?"

"I know." Toph smiled. She really liked this boy. As the guards carried her back into the house, she realized that after today she would probably never see him again. She didn't want that. "Aang!"

"Yeah?" Aang, who was about to leave, turned to her.

"…will you come visit me again?"

"…Sure. As long as I don't get killed by the guards…" They were still giving him nasty glares.

"Don't worry about them. See ya later."

"See ya." Aang waved before he left.

"Young madam Toph, are you sure about this? Your parents…" The young guard who carried her asked concerned with what her parents would do when they found out.

"I don't care what they say. I actually had fun talking to him, even if he was annoying…."

"If you say so, young madam."

After that day, he came back every day to play with her. They played games, messed with the maids and guards and they talked about anything that crossed their minds. Toph had made her first friend. A friend she actually had fun with. He didn't think she was weak and needed protecting because she was much stronger than he was. As long as she wore her glasses, he wouldn't bug her about things she could and couldn't do.

There were her parents to deal with. Although, they were grateful to Aang for saving their daughter but that didn't mean that they enjoyed having him around. They told her time and time again to stop talking to him using excuses like "He was poor, don't give other people strange ideas" and their usual favorite "Don't hang around that filthy boy! He is dangerous". Toph didn't care. Aang was her friend; she couldn't just leave him alone. She had too much fun with him around.

Aang was a brave kid for his age. He had been taught by his monk of a grandfather Gyatso, to respect love and be kind to life. Toph had a hard time believing him. He was the exact opposite of what she thought people were. Maybe that's why she was so attracted to him. She didn't accept his giving nature just yet, but she was sure she would eventually. He was a free spirited kid who was really hard to hate. But sometimes he could have been a real stick in the mud. He always told Toph that she was taking her freedom a little too far but that was just his worrying.

One day while the two were playing, Aang began climbing the very tree Toph climbed before she hurt herself but the way he did it was so different. Toph couldn't believe what she was seeing. The way the boy climbed the tree was so fluently like gravity didn't affect him at all. The soft landing he had afterwards was too light for anyone. It was like he was the wind itself. After that day she began, began to call him Twinkle Toes, much to his disagreement.

This was the beginning of a strange friendship.