((AN: Yeh, an Avatar one-shot. Don't worry, I'm still getting ideas for To Muse on Parenthood, but this short little tale doesn't seem to fit in the collection, so I'm having it as its own separate thing; it does take place in the same line of events, though.
I just had the idea of going into what Toph might be doing at the end of the war. I also liked the idea of going into the issue of herself and relationships-people always like to pair her with somebody, no matter what story I read about her. But Toph's a very independent sort, so I doubt she'd easily like to get distracted by things like that, especially when she's older and most likely gets over the puppy-love crush she has on Sokka. Still, as the creators joked about the pairing of Doph, I did notice that she had quite a cute friendship going with The Duke from the start of season three. So, it's a drabbling going into this friendship and how I think it rather works well. x3
I just hope I don't get flamed for my choice of canon pairings, even ones that the creators just joke about; I do respect others choices, and these are just my own opinions.
Enjoy this brief trip off the beaten path with my muse. Remember, I don't own all that follows; Mike and Bryan do. ))
To say that Toph was bored out of her mind was an understatement.
It was the middle of the night somewhere in a dense Earth Kingdom forest, the hour of which the blind 19-year-old Earthbender could only guess. She knew it was night by the way the light in her foggy eyes didn't seem as bright as it would be during the day; plus the animal sounds were different. Various insects were crooning a very loud song to each other, and in the distant shadowy trees a cat-owl screeched as it hunted. Its prey (a meadow-vole, perhaps) scurried with swiftness through the fallen leaves and let out shrill squeaks when it was eventually caught.
But whether it was dark or light didn't matter to her. Thanks to her Earthbending sight, everything within its large radius was perfectly clear, so long as she kept her feet on the ground. It also made her one of the perfect people to night-watch, for she could stay up for quite a long time if she willed herself not to pay attention to the distinctions between night and day.
Because of which, it was her turn at that void-filled hour to keep vigil over the campsite where her small group of followers were sleeping. Long ago, the group would have comprised of a goofy-but-smart warrior, a compassionate too-mothering Waterbender, and a fleet-footed Airbender who also happened to be the all-powerful Avatar. There would have perhaps even a few others, like a clever female fighter and a once-feared Firebender.
Now though, like herself, all of her friends had moved on with their lives after the end of the war. They would all come together more often than not to share their memories, for they were still a family no matter where they were. The Avatar and the Waterbender, Aang and Katara, had married and were living at the Southern Air Temple, expecting their first child. The warrior and the fighter, Sokka and Suki, were also married and traveled between his home of the Southern Water Tribe and hers of Kyoshi Island with their daughter in tow. The Firebender, Zuko, barely left the confines of his palace; as the new Fire Lord, he had a Nation to rebuild and watch over.
Only Toph kept traveling. Many had told her that it was a good idea to settle somewhere, maybe open an Earthbending school; certainly as the Avatar's former teacher and the world's only Metalbender, any Earthbender would have given anything they owned to study under her. But, the young blind woman never wanted to settle anywhere. It was her dream to travel the world—it was first realized when she became the Avatar's Earthbending teacher, and it was still her dream long after she was no longer tied. The only Earthbenders she'd teach were ones that only she deemed worthy; Metalbending in the wrong hands, after all, was a dangerous skill; with it, in the long run, the Earth Kingdom had the potential to become another Fire Nation.
Meanwhile, she was happy living up to her long-lived nickname of the Blind Bandit. Toph was a vagabond, living off the land to be close to her element and to constantly prove herself a capable survivor. She was just as happy alone as with anyone…but traveling companions were always welcome. And she'd found them in the form of the Freedom Fighters, Jet's old gang, who also continued to travel and live off of their wits…for it was all they knew how to do. Together they made a formidable team of rogues who fought for the good of the world. If there were still any towns repressed by their leaders, or that were taken over by rebel Firebenders, they roamed the Earth Kingdom taking care of them in the name of peace.
Oftentimes it was Toph who played the leader; but she also shared the title with The Duke, who was growing up quite fast. Having had to live and survive mostly on his own since before he turned eight, the young Freedom Fighter was a capable warrior, a veritable strategic genius, and a leader as charismatic as Jet had been…but also far more compassionate to the weak. Though he was the youngest of all of them, he eventually helped to unite the remaining members of his only family and earned enough respect among them.
Toph blew out a sigh, which briefly moved her lengthy bangs from her face, and picked a blade of grass to idly chew on. What the heck are we doing out here anyway? I don't think we'll find any rebels moving in on the village at THIS time of night.
Just then, there was a rustling in the bushes behind the boulder she was sitting on. She didn't move, though; she already knew who it was that was approaching.
"Hey, Toph," The Duke greeted in a quiet enough voice not to hopefully wake anyone. "Anything happening yet?"
"Not. A. Thing," the Earthbender groaned back to her friend. "It's too quiet. I already picked my feet three times and my nose once in the last hour. When are we supposed to expect these Fire Nation troops to meet us again?"
"Sometime soon, I think," The Duke answered as he lithely flipped up next to her on the rock. He sighed and took off the helmet that he'd been wearing since forever, running his hand through his messy hair. "They never said exactly when. They just said 'tonight' they'll meet us to lead them to the village before the rebels show up. But I'm getting tired of waiting, too."
Toph nodded, sparing him a sideways grin. "What're you doing here anyway, Duke? I hope you came to relieve me of watch duty."
The young man didn't bother to correct her on his name; he knew nowadays that sometimes people found it easier to shorten it. He smiled back. "Nope; just wanted to come and watch with ya. I couldn't sleep."
"Pipsqueak still snoring like a platypus-bear with a cold?" Toph snarked.
"You got it," The Duke dryly replied as he replaced his helmet. "Plus, it's better to have a few more alert eyes; some of the others are falling asleep at their posts. And I have no idea where Longshot and Smellerbee went."
The Earthbender self-consciously lifted her feet from the ground and rested them on the boulder. She knew exactly where the two were—and what they had been doing—but she thought it better to spare her teenage friend of the details. "Eh, I'm sure they'll be back soon," Toph waved dismissively. "They always arrive at some point. Trust me, I'll spot 'em a mile away."
"Heh, no doubt of that," The Duke smirked.
With that, they fell into silence as they kept their watch on the forest around them. The noises of the deep night did their best to fill the darkness with presence, and it was easy and almost comforting to listen to them. The two young survivors knew that if the animals weren't calling out and making those ever-annoying noises in the woods, then something was very wrong.
Toph blew at her bangs again, and The Duke glanced curiously toward her. "Whatcha thinking about?"
"What makes you think I'm thinking?" Toph grumbled.
Used to her attitude as he was, the boy chuckled. "You sigh like that only when you're annoyed or thinking. I was just curious, is all."
"You're too curious for your own good," the Earthbender hummed and rested her cheek on her fist. "I wasn't thinking of much. Just all my old friends. I sometimes wonder what they're doing when I'm not around."
The Duke nodded understandably; he always thought of Longshot, Smellerbee, and Jet when the Freedom Fighters had separated long ago. The news of Jet's death had broken his heart; he was the big brother that he never had. Undone not by a Fire Nation soldier, but a corrupt Earthbender. To say that there was no justice in war was a harsh lesson for him to learn as he grew up.
Toph continued, feeling it curiously easy to unburden herself around him. "I just miss them all sometimes, you know? I love traveling and all, it's my dream…but without them, sometimes it just gets empty." She smiled. "But, I'm glad they all found happiness. Did you know Aang and Katara are having a baby now?"
"No way," The Duke's eyes widened.
"Way. I found out when I visited two months ago." She leaned back on her arms and stared forward in the almost-empty way she had. "Old Twinkletoes, a dad. It's like only yesterday I was trying to teach him Earthbending, and I was yelling at him for being a pansy."
Her friend barked a laugh at the image. "I can imagine you being a pretty tough teacher."
She smirked proudly. "Hey, you gotta be tough, or you don't get anywhere. I had to be hard on him, or he wouldn't have learned anything."
"Seems he turned out okay though," The Duke shrugged, "Seeing as he saved the world and all."
"Yep," she admonished. "He's still a pansy, but I'm proud of him."
The Duke snickered. "It must have been fun, traveling all over the place with the Avatar. I know I liked it the short time I was with all of you guys. I just hope me and my group make good companions for you too, now."
"Well, you don't replace Team Avatar, that's for sure," Toph answered in her bluntly honest way as she picked her toes again. "But you and the others are pretty cool too. I'm still living my dream of traveling the world and kicking butt with some good friends while I'm doing it. May not be the same friends, but still friends." She grinned. "And I'm the only bender, so I totally kick more butts. I don't have anything to complain about."
"Hah!" The Duke laughed mirthfully. "Yeah; if you didn't Earthbend, I doubt you'd have a chance against all of us."
"Watch it," Toph warned, clenching a fist. "I can still punch pretty hard."
"I'm watchin' it, I'm watchin' it!" the young fighter laughed in return, cringing a little.
"That's better," the blind Earthbender smirked as she turned her attention to the forest around them again. Still no sign of human life save for them and their scattered band nearby. She groaned in low annoyance.
A few more silent moments passed. The Duke pursed his lips in thought, glancing periodically toward Toph every now and again.
Her friend's demeanor wasn't lost on her. "Your heart's racing," she idly pointed out. "Something up?"
The Duke shyly tilted his helmet, blushing. "No! Um, well…yeah." He took a deep breath, wondering why it was suddenly so hard to speak up. She was his friend, and on top of that, it was just a simple question.
"I was wondering if you'd…um…like to do something tomorrow," he finally spat, rushing the words out a little.
Toph blinked, not moving her steadfast stare ahead of her. "Like what?"
"Mm-m-mm," he shrugged, resting his arms behind his head. "Just something. Like…well, there's a festival tomorrow night in the village. Might be fun for us to go." He paused. "Well, all of us. Doesn't have to be just you and me, but if you want…"
"Duke," Toph interrupted, quirking an eyebrow. "Are you asking me on a date?"
"No! Nothing like that!" he waved his hands, and then brought one of them up to scratch his hair beneath the helmet. "…Well…maybe. I dunno." Toph sensed his heart racing again as he spoke. "Is it considered a date if you just wanna hang out with someone you think is really cool?"
Toph blinked a few times in slight surprise, returning her foggy eyes to the darkness of the woods. "Well, that's about the gist of it," she admitted, trying to sound stoic and mostly succeeding. It was an unusual position for her to be in, admittedly, receiving a subtle declaration of being liked in that way. It had more meaning in it, coming from someone that she had been friends with for some amount of years and who didn't see her just for her world-savior title.
Fearing that he had offended her, The Duke bit his lip and turned his eyes away from her. "Um…sorry. You don't have to say yes…I just wanted to ask. It'd still be fun to do as friends, though, y'know?"
"Hey, don't worry about it," Toph quietly dismissed. After a few silent moments, her head swiveled in his direction. "You really think I'm that cool?"
The Duke blinked. "Well, yeah! I always thought you were cool. You were an Earthbender, and a Metalbender, and the Avatar's friend…and you kicked serious butt. And on top of it, you were blind, but that didn't stop you. Doesn't get much cooler than that." He grinned. "And like me, you're a survivor. You don't let your shortcomings get to you, you're tough, and you know how to be fun too. It's hard to describe; you're just admirable," he finished with a blush. "And I'm glad to have you as a part of our group."
Toph took in his words and for once found herself speechless. Sure, she'd heard those words time and time again from other guys after the war…but they were empty compliments. His were real.
From the beginning when they'd met on the Water Tribe ship fleet, The Duke was the only other boy even remotely close to her age (the exception being Sokka, on the older side of the spectrum) that had never shied away from her for what she was. They'd become fast friends and more often than not they stood side-by-side, whether in a fight or just to hang out together.
Before the end of the war, any boy probably wouldn't have had anything to do with her. A seemingly-fragile blind girl wasn't high on their lists to even have as a friend. But not him. He saw her as an extraordinary person and a normal person moreover, if only in the childhood innocence that wouldn't allow him to see differences or bias. As he grew up, he still never treated her as crippled or incapable.
And then there was the issue of love. All of her friends had found someone special to be with…the only kind of affection she'd experienced was her puppy-crush on Sokka. And even then she knew it wouldn't become anything more than that…she'd realized that after Suki had saved both of their lives, while she herself was uselessly dangling from his hand on the edge of an airship surrounded by Firebenders. The two warriors deserved each other and only each other. Toph gladly let them have that happiness, and was otherwise perfectly content with just herself. Her true passions were traveling and fighting; love was just a distraction, however fun it was to tease her friends about it.
Even so, there were things about The Duke that she also found admirable in the years she knew him. He had been forced into a war before the age of eight, and learned to fight and survive by his wits. He was sixteen, younger by three—almost four—years, but age never mattered in the wake of war…when every single one of them had to grow up too fast and to face nightmarish realities. And he faced them all in stride, barely letting his past get to him. He found a bit of fun in life still, and laughed like a child. And Toph realized that she was never as snide and scathing to him as she would be to any of her other friends. If she did snark at him, he'd just shoot right back. There weren't many others outside of her original ring of Team Avatar that could take her harsh and headstrong personality.
Could there be something there? It was possible. But only just. Toph would just have to see for herself. But she at least knew that they'd always be steadfast friends.
After a long period of thought, the Earthbender smiled. "Know what? I'll take you up on going to the festival."
She felt his heart rate shoot up again. "You will?" he asked with a streak of excitement in his voice.
"Why not," Toph grinned back, and then playfully pointed a finger in his face. "Just no gross lovey-dovey crud, okay?"
"Ew, no, 'course not," The Duke laughed back, still blushing slightly. "It'll just be fun to take a break and pig out on fried festival food."
"Bet I could eat the most without throwing up," Toph grinned.
"Oh, right!" her friend snorted. "Put you on a submarine and you'll be asking to borrow my helmet again."
Toph made to retort, when suddenly her expression turned serious. Placing her feet back on the ground again and her palm flat on the boulder, she listened for a moment before speaking up. "There's a group of people coming this way. They're riding on Komodo rhinos."
The Duke straightened up, grabbing his spear from nearby. "The Fire Nation soldiers?"
Scrutinizing the faraway movements a bit more, the Earthbender's head shook. "No; these guys are dressed different…kinda like thieves. I think they're a rebel group."
"Finally, a good old-fashioned fight," The Duke muttered and sent a smirk to Toph. "Let's kick some tail."
"Already on my way," she replied with a laugh as the two rushed out to find the others and to face the rebels.
As she ran by his side, Toph couldn't help but notice among all of her senses that her cheeks were unusually warm.
If my friends found out about this, I'd never hear the end of it, she grumbled to herself.