Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Although, if I did, Tokka and Zutara would be being shipped on every waterway! lol.
A/N: his is my first fic. I do have one request before you read this...please review. I don't care if it's positive or negative. Just tell me exactly what you think of it and if you don't like it, tell me what is wrong and what you want to read. I'll try to fix it through out the next couple of chapters.
Enjoy!!
Chapter 1
A Rough Welcome
As Sokka and Zuko stepped off the Fire Nation War Ship, everyone walked over to see them with questions about where they had been running a mile a minute in their heads.
"What is that thing? Where's the War Balloon?" Katara asked.
"It kind of got destroyed," Zuko answered.
"Did you at least get any meat?" Toph asked.
"We got the best meat of all," Sokka said cheerfully, "the meat of friendship and fatherhood."
After he was finished talking, the warship's door opened and Hakoda, Suki, and a stranger stepped out of it.
"Everyone, you remember my father and my girlfriend, Suki," Sokka said as Suki went over and held his hand.
When Toph felt this, she began to feel weird, like she wasn't herself and didn't know why.
"Ohh, and this is Chit Sang," Sokka finished.
"Hey everybody, I'm new," Chit Sang said.
While everyone else went over to greet the new arrivals, Toph went over to the fountain to sit. She still didn't feel like herself and didn't want to talk to anyone and eventually just let her mind wonder off into thought about random things. She was so deep in thought, she didn't hear Katara calling her for dinner.
"Hey Toph! Toph!" Katara shouted at the blind earthbender.
"What?" Toph answered.
"Weren't you listening? I was calling you for dinner?" Katara asked.
"Ohh, sorry. I didn't hear you. I was just thinking," Toph said.
"Are you ok, that's not like you to just loose concentration," Katara said concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine," Toph said, even though she wasn't that sure herself.
Katara followed Toph back to the campfire, staring at her and wondering what was going on in her head.
At dinner, almost everyone was up and about talking. Chit Sang and Aang were discussing firebending, Zuko and Hakoda were talking about the Firelord, Katara was picking up the dishes, and Sokka was introducing Suki to Teo, the Duke, and Haru. Toph was just sitting quietly in her usual place. She still felt weird and not wanting to talk with her mind lost in thought.
When Katara walked up the Toph to get her dish and found her this way, she got worried.
"Toph!" she yelled.
"W…what?" Toph stuttered.
"I came to pick up your plate and found you staring into oblivion. Come to think of it, that is the second time today I've found you this way. Is something wrong?" Katara asked.
By this time, everyone else in the group had stopped talking as was looking at them. Toph could feel this and wished they would all just mind their own business.
"No," Toph said still unsure of herself.
"Are you sure?" Katara asked.
"Yes. Please just leave me alone," Toph said as she handed her empty bowl to Katara.
Katara got up and walked away, thinking of what could be going on with Toph. So, after dinner was over and everyone got up to walk away, Katara pulled Toph over into a corner where they couldn't be heard.
"Hey! What's going on?" Toph shouted.
"Shhh. It's just me," Katara said.
"What do you want?" Toph moaned.
"I just want to talk to you. I've caught you just staring off into space a lot lately and you haven't been talking. I'm kind of worried about you. Do you want to talk, I promise not to tell anyone," Katara said.
"Thanks for the concern, but really, there's nothing wrong. If there is, I promise to tell you," she lied.
"Mmmm, ok. If you say so, but, I'm always here for you," Katara said sincerely.
Toph smiled and walked to her room, asking herself what was wrong with her. She knew perfectly well that something wasn't right. The real question was: what was wrong.
She lay down on her bed and began playing with her finger, trying to figure out what was going on. She knew that all of a sudden, she was feeling like being alone and didn't know why.
"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself quietly.
"Ya. What is wrong with you?"
Toph jumped up to Sokka standing at the door. Was he there the whole time?
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.
"Long enough to hear that you know as much as I do that there is something wrong with you," he said.
'Ya," she said with a sigh.
"The question is what is wrong?" he said as he sat down on her bed.
"That's the thing, I don't know. All of a sudden I just feel like being away from everyone and, once I am, I loose my train of thought," she said.
"Do you want to be alone now," he said getting up.
"No. I need your help keeping my train of thought on its tracks," she said.
"Ok. Well, I came in here to tell you that Aang and Zuko were going to have a dual if you wanted to come watch with us," he said.
"Sure, I'll come," she answered.
Sokka got off the bed and offered his hand to help Toph up. She took and and pulled herself up, blushing a little not knowing so.
They walked to the courtyard where the dual was being held mostly in silence with occasional short conversations that ended within a matter of seconds.
"So, if you have been 'loosing your train of thought' so much lately, what were you thinking about all those times?" he asked.
"I can't really remember. Basically what was going on with me. And, as you can see, no progress was made," she answered.
"Well, if you ever need to talk to someone about it, I'm always there to help, and so is Suki," he said.
At this remark, Toph began to stiffen up, although she didn't know why. As far a she knew, she had nothing against anyone.
"Ok, I'll keep that in mind," she said with a little sigh.
"Hey, you sound kind of…unsure…about it. Does that have anything to do with why you feel so weird?" he asked.
"No, I don't have a problem with Suki," she answered.
"I didn't say it was only about Suki, but you did. Are you mad at her for some reason?" he wondered suspiciously.
"No. I'm not mad at anyone," she answered thing back to when all the weird feelings started and recalled it happening right when Suki got off the warship and took Sokka's hand in hers. No. It has to be because of another reason. I don't have feelings for Sokka. Or, at least I think I don't. UHHHH!
Once they got to the courtyard, Toph decides to try a little experiment. She felt where Suki was sitting and sat next to her leaving just enough room for a person in between them.
As soon as Suki saw Sokka, she waved her arm at him and said, "Over her, Sokka!"
Toph could feel his heart rate increase with every step he took closer to them. Once he finally sat down, he was completely silent. But to Toph, his heart rate said everything that had to be said.
"So, has it started yet?" Sokka asked with a stutter.
"No. We were waiting for you to come back with Toph. Now that you're here, it should start in a few minutes. Zuko was spending some of this extra time to meditate and get his chi flowing or something like that," Suki answered.
"Who do you think will win?" Sokka asked.
"I don't know. Aang's the Avatar, but Zuko is his teacher. Sounds like a pretty fair battle," Suki said.
"What about you, Toph? Who do you think will win?" Sokka asked.
"Twinkle toes may be the Avatar, but that doesn't help him very much here. They can only use firebending in this dual and Zuko is a really powerful bender. I think he'll win. Who do you think will win? Toph said.
She could feel his heartbeat increasing from trying to decide whom to agree with. He looked at Suki, staring at him with hopeful eyes. Then at Toph, who was just basically waiting for an answer.
"Well?" Toph asked, "whom do you think will win?"
Sokka let out a sigh and said in an unsure, nervous voice, "I think it will be a tie."
"Well, if you had to pick a side, whose would you be on? Aang's or Zuko's?" Toph asked.
At this question, Sokka literally heard, 'whose side are you on? Mine or your girlfriend's?'
"I don't know who the pick!" Sokka suddenly shouted out, causing everyone to turn around and stare at the embarrassed Sokka.
"Gees. I only asked whose side of the dual you were on. No need to get all stressed over it like it was the crossroads of your destiny. Sorry," Toph said.
"You know what. I really don't feel like watching this…so…I'm just going to head on up to my room. Suki, you can tell me who wins tomorrow," he said and ran off to his room.
Toph could still feel his heart rate even when he got to his room and knew that something was up with him, too.
I hope you liked it. Remember to review if you want the next chapter!
