A/N: Hey everyone, this is my first avatar fic. I originally wrote it 4 years ago on another site and decided to re-write it with improvements and changes including adapting it to the results of season 3 (I wrote the original after season 2.) I hope everyone likes it. I do not own A:TLA or any of the characters from that show.

Please please PLEASE REVIEW! Without reviews, I assume nobody is reading and will not want to write anymore, so if you like it and want more chapters please review! Even if you hate it, tell me! There is an original character who plays a huge role, sorry if you hate that.

Ok sorry for blabbering, here we go! Please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Familiar Landscapes

It is now a little over a year after the original series ended. Aang is 13, Toph has just turned 14, Katara is 15, and Sokka is 16. The reconstruction of the world started off very well. There had been several revolts and uprising from the fire Nation, but nothing major. Then, with Azula still missing, reports began circulating of Dai Lee agents raiding and destroying camps and villages, taking prisoners and recruiting new members under an unknown leader. Now, as Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara are in the Fire Nation repressing a revolt with Zuko, word gets out from Ba Sing Se that Dai Lee agents have been spotted darting around the city. Fearing the worst, the gaang immediately leave Zuko's palace to investigate…

"I still think you should tell him, twinkle toes." Toph whispered rather loudly to Aang as they flew over the green plains of the southern Earth Kingdom. She had been sitting next to Aang on Appa's head(clinging so tightly to his fur that she had pulled quite a lot of it out) and for the past three hours was trying to convince Aang to tell Sokka about him and Katara.

"I dunno," replied the Avatar nervously "Katara's his sister, he might get pretty mad."

"Not as mad as he's going to be if he catches you guys." Toph said, getting impatient. "You guys have been sneaking around for what, a year now? This is just getting ridiculous. What if snoozles walks in on you guys kissing one day? What's gonna happen then?"

"Yeah I know…"

"I think you should just be a man and just tell him already. What's he gonna do, you're the avatar, he can't do anything to you."

"He could stop being my friend." Aang said dejectedly

"No he wouldn't. He'll blow up, but he blows up at everything. Remember when we tried to wash his sleeping bag?"

"Haha yeah." Said Aang, brightening up a little. "But still, this is different, I really think he might not forgive me or leave the group or something."

"There's no way he would." Or would he? She thought to herself. It had never occurred to the young earthbender that any of the group would ever leave, but now that she thought about it, she realized that it was technically a possibility, one that she did not want to become a reality.

Toph had grown even closer to her friends over the past year. She realized that if she lost any of them, she would be devastated. She loved her friends and valued each of them more than her own life. They were the ones who had been there for her the way her parents never were. They cared about the real Toph, and they let her be herself.

Well, they tried to get her to stop being so dirty, but they didn't put that much effort into it, especially after she bended mud on all of them last time they complained to her about it.

She really couldn't put into words what they meant to her. They had after all, saved her…

She had never told Aang, Sokka, Katara, or anyone exactly how bad her life was before they showed up. She was literally imprisoned by her parents. She had no friends at all and nothing to do. She spent all day sitting in her room alone wondering what it was like to have friends and real lives. Earth Rumble was the only thing keeping her spirits up, and even that had gotten boring. She could beat anyone in one move, and while the glory was nice, it was hollow knowing that nobody even cared who she was, just that she beat the crap out of huge earthbenders for their entertainment.

She was so lonely that at the time the gaang showed up, she really had wondered what the point of everything was. She didn't think she was going to kill herself or anything, but she had wondered more than once whether or not her life had any point at all.

"Here we are!" Aang said loud enough to snap Toph out of her deep thoughts. She smiled to herself, knowing that she no longer had thoughts like that in her head. Her life was wonderful now, all because of her friends.

"Well don't just sit there ponytail, help me down." Toph complained as they landed

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Aang asked, concerned. They had landed in a beautiful, lush, green valley a few miles west of Toph's home town of Gaoling. The hills were so high that they couldn't see the city, but they needed to take the shortest route possible to Ba Sing Se.

"Quit your whining, I can easily feel the town from here. You guys get your butts to that stupid city and go beat up some Dai Lee losers for me."

"It's probably nothing." Sokka relpied casually. "Well be back in a week just like we said we would."

"Yeah," said Katara. "We'll be back before you know it."

They all said their goodbyes and soon Appa was soaring away, and Toph was alone for the first time in a while. Still, she was happy. She knew they would be back soon, and besides, she needed to patch things up with her parents. She wasn't looking forward to it, but at least she could count on her friends backing her up when they returned. Besides, her parents couldn't tell her what to do anymore. If they did, she would give them a little taste of why she was the world's first and only metal bender.

Toph smiled to herself as she walked toward her hometown, not noticing the bright blue sky and beautiful scenery of lush green grass and many assorted wildflowers. She wasn't paying attention to anything around her until she reached the edge of the town and felt something strange.

Gaoling felt different to her. It sounded different too. It sounded… silent. She stepped onto the street and realized…

Nobody was there.

There was rubble all over the ground, houses were destroyed, and there was not a sound to be heard. Then Toph felt some familiar metal laying on the ground which she recognized as Dai Lee handcuffs. Then the thought popped into her head.

"Mom, Dad!" She yelled as she sprinted toward her house…

A/N(again): There it is! I'm sorry it's kind of a lame setup chapter, but trust me, it's about to get much more interesting. As for Toph's extreme depression before the gaang arrived: I know it seems extreme, but is it? In the show she seemed really depressed in several scenes related to her past and it is never told just how sad she was before Aang and everyone showed up. If what we've been told is true, then I believe the thoughts I described are plausible. I also feel very personally connected with her situation as I had a friend in a very similar position to Toph's. If you don't like it or disagree with my portrayal then please let me know in a review or a message. I will not be offended at all.

Anyway sorry for more blabbing, I like to talk too much.

PLEASE REVIEW! I am very thankful to each and every one of them and will reply to any and all questions or concerns.

Next chapter should be up early in the week.

Thanks, and have a great weekend everyone!