"Faster!" Zuko yelled from the courtyard as the sound of flames licked the walls and ground. Aang picked up the pace, although a bit grudgingly, if Toph knew anything from Aang's movements. Today, he was particularly slacking and his heart beat a bit slow. No, doubt a bit tired because of the lack of breakfast today. We were due for a quick trip to town.
Toph sat to the side with the Kyoshi warrior Suki, the water bending master Katara, and the self proclaimed 'Idea guy' Sokka, as they watched this morning's practice. Toph sat on her side, offering bits of criticism here and there, making sure 'Sparky' was getting it right while Katara threw in words of encouragement.
"Aang, don't push yourself to much." She said setting her coconut drink down on the step. "And Zuko, you shouldn't push him so hard, he's been training every single day on all four elements. I doubt even you have that stamina." She called out, standing and bringing over the two fire bender's drinks.
Aang halted his activities and rushed to Katara's side immediately talking the drink she offered and slurped it down, quite loudly.
"Katara you shouldn't baby him! The comet is weeks away, and you're suggesting we train him less?" Zuko said, throwing his arms up.
"For your information, Zuko," She said his name, annoyance creeping into her tone. "I was not suggesting we train him less, but train him without training him to death!"
These two people had an odd liking to fighting each other. Each day they found at least something to argue to death that wasn't even worth arguing over. More than once it ended up in a duel between the two opposite elements. But, most often it ended up being solved in ones favor, but the rest of the day was spent with the other subtly trying to get back at the other.
One day, the argument had been about whether or not Zuko should attend their trip to the market. Katara was trying to make the point that if someone wanted something, they should get it themselves with their share of their money. This way, everyone could efficiently get what they want. Zuko, on the other hand, insisted that it wasn't necessary for the entire gang to go. 'Too conspicuous' he would say. Besides, he and Aang should still train while the sun was at its highest. This one was brought to an end by Suki, who tugged Katara to the market talking some sense to her on the way. Sometimes Suki was the only one with common sense among them.
When they came back, everything seemed fine. Food was restocked and torn clothes were replaced. It was only at dinnertime, did the chaos erupt.
"You got me pink socks?" Zuko half shouted as he stormed into the dining area.
Toph snickered into her hand. Although she didn't know much about colors, she knew pink was the color of flowers that girls liked the most. It was the color a girl's cheeks turned when she was embarrassed. And it was the color that went 'oh so well with her complexion' according to her mother. Of all things girly, pink could definitely be classified as such.
"Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't quite sure what you wanted since you weren't there to specify." Came Katara's devious reply.
"I—I can't believe you would sink this low! Pitiful." Zuko shook his head, trying to regain his composure. Katara triumphantly took a bit out of her fish dinner and stuck it into her mouth in reply. Suki held her head in her hands while Sokka sat beside her watching their exchange curiously. Aang sat next to Toph, his body attentive to their conversation.
Zuko promptly reached with his chopstick to pick up his morsel of food and stuck it into his mouth, and he spat it out almost as fast.
"What is this?" He asked before taking his water and gulping it down.
Katara smiled and couldn't resist the laugh that burst forth from her. "I wasn't sure what you wanted for dinner so I just got you what I would normally eat—seafood." She said between giggles.
Zuko clenched his fists in anger and stood up swiftly, chair sliding to the back of the wall. He stormed out of the room without another word. Katara took a sip of water before continuing with her dinner, seemingly unaware of the looks she was receiving from the rest of the group.
"Was that necessary?" Aang asked
"Katara your messed up." Sokka said before shoving the rest of his fish into his mouth.
Katara swallowed and then set her eating utensils down. "I suppose he brings out the worst in me." She admitted sheepishly realizing her faults.
After a few more seconds of staring, Toph spoke up. "Even I know you have to apologize sweetness. Or should I say bitterness?"
Toph smiled, while Sokka slapped his hand on the table. "Haha! That's a good one!" He said, although his laughter was halted by a slap on the shoulder from Suki.
Katara sighed before standing up and following the disgruntled Fire Bender she seemed to have a knack for angering.
"Their flirting is hilarious." Suki offered up to the silent dinner party.
Sokka spat out the liquid he was drinking and coughed. "My sister and the Fire Nation Prince?" He said, staring at his girl friend in disbelief. He shook his head. "When pigs fly."
"Actually…" Toph began to refer to her family crest, the flying boar, but Sokka began his protests anew.
"They never get along. Even after she forgave him!" He said as if it was as simple as that.
"No offense Suki, but it doesn't exactly seem like they're 'buddy buddy'" Toph kicked in, now interested in this conversations turn.
"Don't you guys know anything?" Suki said looking at all the lost faces looking at her like she was the crazy one. "When someone likes another someone, they hurt each other. Nothing serious of course, but enough to get their attention. You know?" She said.
"How does hurting someone let them know you like them?" Aang piped up from his corner of the table. "That makes no sense."
"You see, that's why they think they're so clever," Suki continues. "They think it's the perfect way to get that person to notice them anytime they want without seeming like a creepy person who has a huge crush on you! You remember right Sokka? I kicked your butt." Suki said smugly kissing him on the cheek.
"That's not surprising." Toph said concealing her growing tension. She was getting a bit nervous about this conversation...
"Anyway, neither of them can resist the opportunity to bother the other because the other always gives them a big reaction. At least, that's how I see it." Suki said.
"I don't like it." Sokka grumbled under his breath as Suki held his hand.
There was a silence at the table before Toph got up, hoping her bangs hid her face well enough. "I'm going to bed. I'm beat. Earth bending—takes a lot out of you, you know?" She said before taking her leave.
Suki's explanation for Katara's actions was making too much sense and no sense at all! At least to Toph. Katara's behavior around Zuko, her poking and prodding at all the places she knew that angered him… it just related too much to how Toph acted.
The way she knew to get on this one boy's nerve… how to make him work hard, how to make him angry. She could do all of that, with just a bit poking and prodding on her part. This realization was a bit much.
Because she was not flirting with him. Especially not him.
She lifted her bangs up, before letting them rest in front of her face again. Sleep, she thought. Sleep would make this problem go away.
The next day, Toph awoke close to noon. Everyone was already up, and walking about. She yawned and replaced her headband into its usual spot on her head and made her way to the courtyard were the rest of the gang was observing the ending of Aang's fire bending lessons.
Aang and Zuko moved in synch, power in their strides. Toph noticed Fire bending involved a lot more kicking and punching than any other element did. It required a lot of power.
She settled down next to Suki and leaned back on the step.
"Glad to see you're up." Suki greeted her.
"Yes, I am glad you are thankful that I have decided to grace you with my presence." She replied with a smile.
"What a wonderful gift. What was with the hasty retreat last night?" Suki asked scooting closer to Toph.
Toph tentatively scooted away from the Kyoshi warrior and replied "I was tired."
"So it didn't have anything to do with my remark on Zuko and Katara?" She said a bit loudly, but also a bit disappointedly.
This earned her a splash in the face from a disgruntled water bender who hastily got up and started walking towards the kitchen. Suki rubbed the water away with a small smile.
"Nothing at all." Toph said amused with Katara's stubbornness, but not liking Suki's perceptiveness. Suki just looked at the blind girl curiously before Zuko called a halt to their training.
"Good job Aang." Zuko said, walking over to the fountain. He sat down and cupped his hands and filled them with water before splashing himself on the face, trying to cool down. "You have half an hour before you train with Toph."
Aang sighed in relief and took off towards the barn where Appa lay in wait for feeding with Momo. Zuko took his shirt, and strode into the kitchen where Toph knew Katara was doing the dishes that exact moment. She couldn't suppress her laughter.
"Well Sokka and I are going to go on a walk. I'll see you after training?" Suki said. Toph didn't even get to answer, before Sokka had pulled Suki up, and strode out of the fire bending practice place.
Toph was alone in the courtyard. She took a deep breath and got off of the stairs before making her way to the barn. Aang didn't need an entire half hour of rest in Toph's opinion, but before she called him out she hesitated, thinking about what Suki said last night. No, Toph wouldn't bother Aang until his break time was over.
She sat down on a rock, listening to the earth. Aang was sitting near Appa, Momo on his shoulder. He just sat there with his animals, happy as ever probably chatting to them as if they understood. Toph smiled at them, the last of the Air bending culture.
Before she knew it, the half hour had gone by and she grudgingly got up from her comfy spot to drag Aang to lessons.
They began as usual: with a sparring session. This was, in Toph's opinion, the best way to train. You can't simply sit and learn how to earthbend. You had to be active and actively train.
Aang was getting good. He used to try really hard, and didn't get half the moves. But now, he was finally getting it. He didn't run away from Toph's attacks but instead, withstood them and return with attacks of his own. He was getting stronger and better, and Toph was proud.
"Come on Toph, is that all you got?" He taunted across the field. Toph grinned savagely and trapped his feat with stone and charged forward, but instead of trying to break free of it, he disappeared underground.
Toph stopped in her pursuit, tracking him as he tunneled beneath her. When he began to reach the surface again, she stood ready. She would beat him here. He couldn't surprise her with a move like this. Tunneling while efficient of dodging attacks, took time.
As she sensed him about to break the surface, she stomped the ground, raising a rock behind her, completely ready to knock him down. Just as she was about to send it forward to greet Aang's entrance to the world again, she hesitated, briefly recalling Suki's words about hurting people and flirting and all the other nonsense about Katara and Zuko that muddled her brain. This hesitation proved disastrous, and Aang successfully broke the surface and sent a column of rock into her side, knocking her down.
Toph took the hit and skidded across the ground, the rough gravel scratching her as she went. She gasped in pain and cursed only to find that she couldn't breathe very well. She assumed that her breath got knock out. She reached and clutched her side where the rock hit her and knew it would bruise if she didn't get to Katara soon.
She was so busy trying to regain her breath, she hadn't heard Aang's cry of alarm and suddenly he was there. "Are you okay Toph? I'm so sorry, so very sorry." He apologized profusely. Toph could sense the frantic jumps in his heartbeat even through her pain. "You usually block everything perfectly! I mean—I just didn't expect… your bleeding. Toph you're bleeding." His hands grabbed hers gently and examined them.
Her arm scrapped the gravel pretty harshly and she was sure that was the source of the blood. She rolled her eyes. "Just a scratch." she said, voice strained. She coughed. "I'm okay." She tried to get up but only managed in sitting. She clutched her side again. She almost felt like throwing up. Almost. She definitely wasn't going to throw up in front of Aang.
"Does your side hurt?" Aang asked her. She nodded. He paced around for a few seconds before returning next to her on the ground. "Toph," He said in a soothing and calm voice. "I'm going to pick you up, like I did when your feet were burned then I'm going to walk back to the house, okay?" Toph grimaced, but reluctantly nodded. She didn't think she could walk.
He threaded his arms under her legs and her arms and lifted her gently off the ground. She couldn't help but let a tiny groan of displeasure out and he quickly apologized before setting off in the direction of the house. She looped her arms around his neck, and shut her sightless eyes as they made their way back. She secretly missed being carried around everywhere like when her feet were burned.
There was much ado about her injury once they returned and Katara, being the person she is took care of her right away, told Toph she was happy she was okay, and then thoroughly reprimanded both her and Aang. The worst part was that Toph couldn't walk away or tunnel out of there. She was restricted to her bed throughout the whole thing. However, Katara ran out of words to say and reluctantly left to make dinner for the rest of the group. Aang stayed with her.
"Toph, I'm so sorry." He said for the hundredth time.
Toph threw an extra pillow she had been trying to remove from beneath her at him in annoyance. "You've said that already. It was my fault and I should have seen it coming." Toph told him. She really didn't blame him. She was too caught up thinking, when she should have been fighting.
"No Toph, you don't get it." He sighed before sitting down in a chair next to the bed. "I hate hurting people. Especially the ones closest to me. Especially with my bending." He told her.
Toph's temper quieted but she still replied "You can't not hurt people. It's your job to kick butt in the name of peace." She offered him a smile.
He only shook his head. "I hurt Katara with firebending and now I hurt you with earthbending. How am I supposed to protect people from others if I can't protect you from myself?" He answered.
"You didn't hurt me that bad." She told him. "If it was a real fight, it would have been you on the bed right now." Toph said. When he didn't reply, she tried again. "Aang, look at this way. You're getting better at earthbending. You are learning even faster than I did. Today shouldn't be looked at like a mistake. Think of today like the day you finally beat your master." She said. Aang got over this problem when he began training with Zuko, but she knew it still worried him to know he had the ability to hurt his friends. Not that he ever would, but she knew that sometimes that power still bothered him. He really was born a monk.
He chuckled slightly to himself. "I guess you're right."
She punched him in the shoulder from her spot on the bed. "When am I not?"
They exchanged a few more words before he finally left the room. Toph smiled when he was gone and laid back down. Just as Toph was about settle into a nap, there was a small knock on the door and Suki came in. Toph buried her head into the pillow. Was it so much to ask for a little nap?
"Hey." She said. "Are you okay?"
"Yup." Toph replied.
"That's good."
"Uh-huh" Toph was hoping she would go away so she could fall asleep.
"Well," Suki began, trying to fill the silence. "Do you want dinner?"
"Nah"
"Okay, well good-bye then."
Just as she was about to open the door, Toph spoke up. "Oh, Suki?"
"Yes Toph?"
"Your little theory about flirting is really stupid. Just so you know." Toph remarked. She made a shooing gesture to Suki. She couldn't see her expression for the obvious reasons, but as she left Toph did hear her giggle down the hallway as she made her way towards Sokka's room.
AUTHORS NOTE
This has been on my computer for a while and I just now finished it. I probably won't update any of my stories for a bit while I catch up on my summer homework for my AP class so I don't fail on the first day of school…
I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot. The idea hit me and I couldn't not write it so I did and tada! Here it is for your enjoyment. Reviews drive me onwards in my pursuit of writing my friends!