Mirth

When they decided where they were going next, they liked to do it properly.

"There," Toph said.

"The swamp," Aang mused, rolling up the map. "Are you sure?"

"Hey," she pointed out, grinning dangerously, "I haven't been wrong yet."

Aang shrugged. Part of him wants to say, no, I don't like it there, they told me I was going to lose you one day. Unfortunately, the part that's in control of him today is the half that just likes to smile and nod and not ever make much of a fuss about anything.

"Okay, then," he agreed. "The swamp it is."

This time, when the tornado hit, Aang was far more prepared for it. He tossed Toph Appa's reigns and yelled for her to hold on while creating a shield of air around them both.

But somehow he was falling, falling, falling once again, and found himself knee deep in swamp water before he knew it.

Aang dried himself off and went looking for Toph, whom, it seemed, was nowhere to be found.

He didn't expect to have to chase her again, but when Aang did see Toph's small form darting among the trees and here her giggle and laugh just like old times, he didn't hesitate in running after her.

"Toph!" he called, sprinting as fast as he could. "Toph, it's me!" Yet she did not stop hiding, and crouching, and running from him again.

"Why are you running away?" Aang demanded in frustration, coming to a slow halt. Shoving a swath of vines out of his way, he stepped into a small, dimly lit clearing.

Squinting around for any sign of the earthbender, Aang sighed, turned around to look for her again, but—

He couldn't. He couldn't, because someone was blocking his way and oh spirits was it actually truly really her?

Deep within him, something clicked, and Aang suddenly knew—suddenly, Aang knew her.

Before him, in all her beauty, was Kuruk's love. It took a moment to register that the unbridled emotions rising deep within might be because, in some way, she was his love as well.

"Kuruk never found you," Aang whispered, a chord striking in his chest. Swallowing, and unable to tear his eyes away from her rounded face and full red lips, he called up to her, "What can I do to help you back to him? Is there anything I can do?"

She tilted her head, and began to shimmer—to change. Aang's heart thudded louder and louder in his ears, until—

"Toph," he said, awed, gazing up at the ghostly form of his earthbending teacher hovering above him. But it couldn't be Toph.

Not with that smile he used to know so well. Not with that dark, flowing hair that hung down to her hips—the hair that smelled like flowers and lavender and home. And it shouldn't have been Toph at all—

But it was.

Just like that, he was crying—no, sobbing. His shoulders hunch and his eyes scrunched up and even though he didn't know why he couldn't stop weeping, couldn't stop grieving even after so long without her.

"Toph." Aang choked out, "Toph, Toph—!"

The tears in eyes turned his vision blurred and hazy, but somehow she was crystal clear—and there Toph was again, changing again right before his eyes. In a matter of moments, she was before him again—Kuruk's love, his love, his Ummi.

The sobs grew louder, and Aang realized through the haze of overwhelming sorrow that—that—

"Toph," Aang realized slowly, hardly daring to believe it, "Toph, are you…Ummi?"

She did not answer, but simply smiled down at him with such pure love in her eyes that Aang felt holy only to be in the presence of it.

Aang, Ummi said, speaking in a way that somehow remained unspoken, be free.

And just as quickly as she had come, she was gone.

Aang could not have said how long it took him to stop crying, only that it felt like an eternity. At last, his tears subsided, and he found himself wiping his eyes at last.

When Aang was sure he had himself under control, he rose shakily to his feet and set out to find Toph.

He discovered her sitting cross legged on one of the huge roots closest to the expansive tree that was the swamp, and was greeted by a feeling of immense relief.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes," she greeted, a strangely thoughtful expression on her face. "Did you get lost, too?"

"Yeah," Aang answered truthfully, after a moment's pause. "I did. But…I found you," he said, awed by the gravity of his achievement.

Toph didn't seem to realize the hidden connation of his words. "I think I was lost at first, too, but somehow I found my way here."

Pressing her hand against the root of the tree, an expression of such peace and tranquility occupied Toph's face that part of Aang felt like breaking into hysterical laughter. He never would've have expected it, but somehow, the look fit.

The leaves above rustled and sent a dapple of sunlight down to rest on Toph's face, flickering across it and highlighting certain features he otherwise would've missed. For a moment Aang could've sworn that it wasn't just Toph, it was Ummi and she was right in front of him and finally he'd found her—

But then the light succeeded, and Toph was Toph again.

Aang's breath hitched in his throat as Toph's eyes opened, gazing blankly ahead. "It called me here," she said quietly. "Is that normal, Twinkle Toes? I didn't even have to wander around at all. I just felt this tug right here…"

Guiding her hand to rest on her heart, Toph continued, "At first I didn't want to go anywhere near the tree, but for some reason, when I did, I could still see. And then, when I sat down here and waited for you, somehow…" She trailed off.

"Somehow?" Aang prompted, sitting down beside her.

"Somehow I knew you'd come," Toph shrugged, obviously bemused. "Weird, huh?"

"I don't think it is," Aang said slowly, gazing down at the roots of the tree in deep thought. "Remember what I once said…that I thought friendships maybe can transcend lifetimes?"

She nodded. "I do." Grinning, Toph added, "It was pretty mushy, Twinkle Toes, even for you. What about it?"

"I think…" Aang hesitated. "I think I was right."

"I think you were, too." Toph gave the root of the tree one last pat, then said with a touch of regret, "We should probably get going, shouldn't we?"

"Yes," Aang agreed, as regrettfully as she had. It would have been impossible to distinguish which soul in him yearned for this place more; his or Kuruk's. "We probably should."

He reached down for her hand, and there the sunlight was again: shifting, changing her features into Ummi once more. But it wasn't Ummi, it was Toph, and Aang could've sworn that for the smallest of moments there was something like her laughter ringing in his ears, echoing from beyond this world and maybe a little way to the next one.

A/N:I am not proud of this fic, and I know most of the time people only say that to get sympathy, but I swear to Agni it's true. I was kinda-sorta inspired by Soul, an absolutely beautifuloneshot by Hawkeye116, and out of nowhere this popped into my imagination.

Yes, I normally ship Tokka and think of Taang as just a little bit incestful (Toph and Aang are like siblings, dammit), but the whole Kuumi-Taang reincarnation theory is what makes it epic :)