Summary: In the Avatar the last air bender world, Toph has left before Aang and the gang could get to her. She ran away from home and is known by many names throughout many different villages of the earth and fire nations. She is her own, independent, tough as boulders 15 year old chick. Zuko Was banished from the fire nation to find the avatar. Tired of his uncle's supposed wisdom and lectures of finding his true self, Zuko departed on his own, determined to find his own path and be free from his annoying uncle. Making a life for himself where ever the road takes him, yet still determined to find the avatar at 17. What happens when these two meet? What happens when they begin to support each other and help each other? Will they form a relationship and begin to rely and trust each other? Will love blossom between the two? Who knows. READ to FIND OUT!
Genres: Angst, adventure, humor
Pairings: TophXZuko Toko.
" ' S-cuse me? 's-cuse me? I, i need to cross the road, but I'm blind. Can somebody please help me? I, i can't see." A frail, confused and nervous looking girl spoke softly. Everyone around grew concern for this girl as they listened and looked at her. She seemed so fragile, as if she needed everyone to help her.
"Of coarse ma'am," said a middle class male walking up to the young girl, "where are you headed, I will guide you there."
The girl became overjoyed, "really? Oh thank you! I was walking with my grandmother back to her house but we got separated." "You can't be walking around like this without someone to help you! We'll find her," the man promised as he began to lead the innocent girl across the street, holding onto her.
"Thank yo-!" She shouted as she tripped and fell into him. The two of them toppled down onto the road. The onlookers from every direction came running to help the frail girl up. She graciously accepted the help with a chorus of "thank you"'s. While everyone was asking each other about if they knew the old women the innocent girl had described, she slipped through the crowd and dashed down the street, snickering. The "innocent, fragile, scared" girl that everyone seemed to think was her, was simply a very good act. Her true intentions were very sly, very sneaky and mischievous. She ran into an empty ally, although she could not see with her eyes that the ally was empty, she could see with her feet and knew it was.
"Yes!" The actress rejoiced, removing the multiple bags of money she had stolen from all the people who believed what they saw, and vegan counting and weighing each bag. "Ha! They never see it coming, but i see it all," she grinned. This mischievous actress was known by many names in different towns. One of her most popular nick names was "The Blind Bandit". Although posters advertised her heinous crimes and scams to steal money from the community people, no one ever suspected it was her. No one ever caught her. No one knew who she really was. But she knew.
Toph walked down the street, a slight skip in her step. She had stolen enough money to last her a few weeks. Toph was also praising herself for the way so many people believed her act and never knew she was stealing from them. She began to think to herself, 'how much stupider can people get? That wasn't even one of my best acts! Yet they all true to help the "oh so fragile" girl they all thought i was. WRONG!' Lost in her thoughts, she was not paying attention to her surroundings. Toph only focused within five feet of her in all directions. She did not realize the burglary happening down the road. She did not realize that the burglar was rushing in her direction. And she was not paying attention when the burglar looked behind him to check if he was being chased and crashed into Toph.
"HEY! WATCH IT!"
"That's him! He stole from my shop! Took four cabbages without paying! My poor cabbages!" Police began to close in on the two. The burglar jumped up and tried to run.
"Oh no you don't!" Toph called for rocks to come out of the earth and grip the boy's ankle, gluing him to the spot.
"Let me go!" The burglar demanded as he struggled to free himself.
"No," Toph replied defiantly, strutting up to him, "you ran into me, knocked me down, and didn't even apologize before trying to run off again! You're going to make up for that!"
"No," the black haired burglar said desperately, " you don't understand! They're coming after me and I don't want to-"
"I don't care if a raging pregnant tiger-bull is chasing you, no one treats me like that," Toph snapped, cutting him off.
"Please! Just let me go!" He begged. But it was too late. The police had already caught up to the two.
"Finally. We have you Lee," one officer said, placing the burglar in hand cuffs.
"Who's this? Your partner," another officer questioned.
"I don't know who he even-" Toph began to reply to the cop.
"Seems like it," another officer said, picking up a few money bags off the ground, "she's dropped all this. And for the way she dresses, it can't be hers."
Toph's anger boiled by the insult that was directed at hers. But before she could retaliate, metal cuffs were placed on her wrists. "What? No! Let me go! You don't know who you're messing with!"
"Yeah, yeah. We never do. Yet you low lives always end up in the same place. Shut up and cooperate." An officer replied, guiding Toph with Lee next to her away. Toph kicked and struggled and spit profanities at the officers. She was enraged that they would insult her and confuse her with the street rat Lee, whoever he was. Toph was also enraged that Lee did not struggle or even try to. They were led to the town jail and out in a cell together. Immediately Toph tried to bend herself out, but the cell was made of metal, and element that was not able to be bend.
"Fucking Dickless-Mongol!" Toph yelled into Lee's face, pointing at him. "It's all your fault that I'm in here. If you hadn't knocked me down while being stupid, then my money wouldn't have fallen out and scattered! It's your fault! And now i can't get out! They'll figure out who I am eventually and then my parents will request me to return home! Do you know how awful that place is! I cant BELIEVE you!"
"My fault?!" The boy referred to as 'Lee' replied in indignation, "you're the one who wasn't paying attention. Everyone moved out of my way. But you didn't! Then you held me down! If you had just let me keep running then we wouldn't even be in this mess!" Lee's anger grew also. He couldn't stand being blamed for things that were not his fault, it was not his shame to have.
"Don't turn this around on me! You stole in the first place!"
"You stole too!" Cried Lee, stating an obvious fact.
"RRRAAAUUUUHHGGG" Toph let out a furious yell and plopped herself down on the floor. She sat, trying to ignore the imbecile standing next to her. Lee threw his hands up and turned around, walking towards the wall and leaning against it, trying not to think of the annoying stubborn girl who got him into this mess.
One second.
Two seconds.
Five seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
Twenty five seconds.
Twenty six seconds.
Twenty seven seconds.
Twenty eight seconds.
Twenty ni-
"ARGHA HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Toph screamed in frustration. Lee began to get a head ache. He closed his and rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Look Mr. Carefree, you may have nothing better to do than mope around and steal food, but some of us have IMPORTANT business to get to. So you better think of something to bust us out or else." This girl was testing Lee's maturity and patience. For a 15 year old, sassy, punk bull head girl, she was really pushing him.
"Listen," he growled and took a step towards the obnoxious girl, trying to keep his temper, "if either of us are going to get out of here, we need to work together. I can't be in here for just as many -if not more- reasons than you. So let's just figure this out and then we'll both never have to see each other again."
Toph thought about this for a moment. It made sense. Although she did not want to admit it, she was weak in this situation. Toph could not bend metal, and the bars were far too thick for her to break.
"Alright. You've got yourself a deal. So what's the plan Genius."
He seems satisfied and began to think. "Okay... well... i think i should know your name first."
"Does it matter," Toph snapped back. Lee's anger grew once again by the girl.
He tried his hardest to keep calm. "Just... so.. we... have... a... name... basis... for... my... plan..." he grumbled out.
"Fine. Ill give you my name if you tell me your real name."
This caught him completely by surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Don't try to lie to me coward. I can tell that when anyone calls you Lee, that it's not your real name by your physical reaction. I can see with my feet dumb ass. I may be blind but i see more than anyone else."
He thought about this for a second. "Alright. It's Zuko. Now what's yours."
"That's not important. Thanks. I just wanted to know the truth of your lie." The infuriating girl was saved from being punched in the face by an officer walking towards their cell.
"Hey! What's all this racket about? Quiet it down!"
"Sir," Zuko politely addressed the scrawny officer, "The girl over here needs to use the bathroom."
"She'll have to hold it."
Toph jumped right into her role. "I'm sorry... but sir... it's that time of the month... and I really need to go..." Toph commented in her most innocent and nervous voice. Zuko was mildly impressed by her, although he would never admit it.
"Uh.. Oh.. I see.. Okay," the guard stammered out, his face becoming crimson. He unlocked the cell door, and opened it for Toph to come through. Zuko was behind him and pinned him down on the ground before he could blink. Zuko secured his arms behind his back, and slamming him down on the ground. Toph came over and stomped on his head, knocking the guard out and possibly causing more damage.
"You might have killed him," Zuko said, checking for a pulse.
"I don't care. All these people piss me off. They take one look at me and assume. Then if they've got a problem with me, they'll insult me. That's pay back for the cop who made her smart ass comment earlier," Toph ranted, "why you worried? Does the burglar care for law enforcement? Where's that tough guy act."
Her comments stung and frustrated Zuko, but he didn't have time to deal with this or play her games. Once satisfied with finding a pulse, he stood up and walked down the hall, remembering the way they were brought in. Toph followed closely behind him. The two of them silently turned down another hall, the town jail was actually relatively small and soon the came to the front door. Zuko wondered why there was not more security, it was strange. Toph didn't care about the absence of security.
"See ya Hot Head," Toph called back as she jogged out and down the street.