Hey. Thank you for reading, I hope you will like this story. This is part nine in the on going story I am writing. This is also the second of the five new parts that I am adding to the story. The story in this part will deal with Aang taking on his first young airbending student, with Toph's help. As this is a new part I don't have it all locked down yet. I have the start and end worked out, and a few bites in the middle. So if anyone has any ideas for the story training ideas or anything I would love to hear them. It goes without saying I think for those that have read the other eight parts before this one, but all comments and ideas are very welcome.
It was a cold fall night and Aang more than anything wanted to be in his warm bed. Instead he as quietly as he could possible be walked along the dark narrow corridors of Bumi's palce in Omashu. He and Toph had spent the remainder of the summer in Omashu after they had dealt with Long Feng. Toph had a lot of work that she had to catch up on with Bumi. It seemed that when Aang had arrived to ask her for her help in dealing with Long Feng, she had been in the middle of important meetings with the king regarding her training of the new recruits of the earth kingdom army. There was also another issue that she and Bumi had been discussing. They had told Aang about this issue a few night ago, when he had been trying to make plans with Toph about where they should go next. His reaction to the issue and his view on it was very different to what Toph had expected.
Aang waited behind a pillar in the main hall of the palace, as he waited to be alone in the hall before he moved again. Aang had been unable to sleep, and as he looked out of his window, onto the grounds at the back of the palace, he found his attention focused onto the long window on the ground floor that lead along the back wall of the palce. It was a corridor that the servants mainly used, as it linked onto all the main rooms on the ground floor like the main hall, dinning room and kitchen. The corridor also lead to one of two small staircase that lead down to the hidden part of the palce. This was were Bumi held meetings of the order of the white lotus or other equal important meetings. There was also a small library down there too, it was in this library that Toph had found the scrolls that taught her how to bonebend. As he looked into the corridor he saw a figure moving along the corridor. This in it's self would not be strange, but the figure didn't seem to have any real shape to it, because it was wearing a clock. Why would someone wear a clock inside, unless they didn't want to be seen.
When he felt the servant that was crossing the main hall after finishing cleaning the dinning room leave the hall, Aang slipped out from behind the pillar and crossed the main hall to the door that lead to the other staircase down to the lower level. He was sure this was where the clocked figure was going. By taking the other staircase he would be able to head them off. As he turned from the staircase onto the long narrow corridor that ran right under the palce, Aang saw the figure turning into the library a few feet ahead. The clock most be very long as it trailed along the floor for a long time before it completely entered the library. Letting out a quite sigh Aang bent the air under his feet to carrying him along the corridor, so he wouldn't be heard by the figure. He wanted to keep the element of surprise, especially now that he was starting to put everything together.
As he looked into the small library, that's walls were all cover by shelves of scroll, Aang saw the clocked figure kneeling down in the centre of the room. There were two scroll on their left side, and one they were pulling open now. Taking in a deep breath, Aang using the air around him moved in a split second to be standing on the left hand side on the kneeling figure. His right hand was held out straight by his side, with a small dagger in his hand. The blade was held out away from him, resting a inch away from the figures throat. "What are you doing here."
The figure could simply move away from the dagger at their throat, it was no real restraint. Aang just wanted to make his presence felt more strongly. He may not want to really hurt the person, but he did want to stop what they were doing. The figure moved their head a little closer to the dagger, as they answered Aang's question. "What you should be doing."
With almost the same speed as Aang had entered the room with, the figure spun on their heels, ducking there head under the dagger then took hold of Aang's right wrist, before lunging themselves off the floor. Forcing Aang back a few steps till he was pushed up against the wall, with the dagger still in his hand and held up to his throat, because of the hold the figure still had on his wrist. In the course of their movements the figures hood had fallen down, to reveal a head of black hair most of which now fell over their shoulders, and covered most of their white face. "It's your job after all."
"It's not that simple." Aang tried to find her eyes under her hair, but was having little luck. "Toph."
He had been almost certain the figure was Toph since he saw her enter the library.
Toph tighten her grip on his wrist, moving the dagger a little closer to the avatars throat. Unlike when he had held it to her throat, he couldn't easily get away from the dagger, without hurting her. Which he really didn't want to do. "How is it not simple, it seems pretty straight forward to me."
His grey eyes finally found her faded green ones. "Of course it would, you don't understand..."
"I understand that you are a coward. That you have two things that yo have to do as the avatar. Both of which ultimately are about bring balance to the world. You have done one, but she are being a coward..."
"I'm not a coward." Aang was starting to feel the anger washing over him. He institutionally moved his head closer to hers, but was stopped by the cold feel of the dagger on his throat. She didn't try and move his hand back as he move closer to the blade. This scared him a little, but also made him angrier.
"Fine, your not a coward. Your just lazy then." Everyone had a limit, a point that they can be pushed too until they react. Toph was getting dangerously close to reaching Aang's. No one else, except the former fire lord had pushed him this far. No one else would dare too. Toph wasn't scared of him, avatar or not. She had made that clear when they had been searching for Long Feng. What she realised was what he needed someone to tell him what they really thought of him, when he was making the wrong choice. Most people were to scared of his reaction to this kind of information so they wouldn't to it. Toph in a way saw this as her new role with Aang. At first she had been his teacher, now she had to be a trusted adviser that would tell him the truth no matter what. She didn't want this role, but slowly she started to realise she was the only one that was willing to take in on.
Aang's mouth opened ready to defined himself, but she spoke again. "You just want to take a break. You have been doing so much for so long. You need a rest." Their was a tone in her voice that he wasn't used too. She was mocking him, but with such a caring voice. "Well tough. We have all been working, some more others." This was a insult directed right at him. "I have at least thirty-five students right now. Katara has sixteen. You are being asked to take on one."
This was what all of this was about. One of the first things Bumi had done after he was crowed king of Omashu, was to collect any information he could find on any air nomads that had escaped the attacked by the fire nation. There went many but there was a few. The majority of them created new lives for themselves in the earth kingdom, where is was safest. Some married and had children, and now grand and great grandchildren. None of these descendants of air nomads had show any signs of being able to airbend, but that didn't mean they couldn't if they had a teacher. Bumi had kept new records of this new generation, he hoped that when he returned Aang would use them to find and teach a new generation of airbenders. This was not the kind of thing you bring up out of the blue, he needed to really talk to Aang about it, so he waited for the right time. Toph had come across the records while she had been learning to bonebend. After talking to Bumi about it all, she had started her search for Aang, to bring him back to do his job. This of course was only part of why she searched for him.
When all of this was explained to Aang a few night ago he had been shocked. He didn't believe it at first. Once he finally did, he let them know that he didn't want to have anything to do with there plan. Of course he wanted one day for there to be air nomads again, but he also believed that bending whatever element was not something you force on someone, it had to come naturally. The fact that none of these proposed students had shown any sign of airbending was a sign that the world wasn't ready for airbending to come back fully yet. There was also a more personal reason for his choice as well. Gyatso had been the one to teach him most of what he knew about airbending
that information was only now known by him. To him it was the last link he had with his first sifu, and he didn't want to lose it by having to share it with anyone else. He also had great faith that the world would find another way to rebalance it's self in time.
"This isn't the only way." His voice came out weak, when he had intended it to be strong. He let his head fall back till it hit the wall behind him. That was how he felt right now, like he was hitting his head against a brick wall. He couldn't understand why he kept finding himself in this position, fighting with Toph over what they felt was the right course of action. "I don't want to fight with you over this."
"Neither do I." Her head seemed to lower a little as she spoke. "But I will never stop doing what I believe in, even if it's against you I will always fight for what I believe is right."
Her voice was laced with steely determination, he knew she meant every word she said. She had softened a little since he cam back. Gone was the tough tomboy, she was now a poised caring, yet still determined strong, young women, and avatar or not he couldn't afford to underestimate her. The worst part about this was that they both fully understood the reasons for the others actions, and felt for them but wouldn't change their own. He knew that in her own way she was trying to help him. Getting him to form a bound with someone through one of the most important things to him, airbending. He was still not going to back down though.
"I know, and I feel the same." Despite being the one held with a dagger at his throat, his words still came out as a threat. Letting her know that if he had to he would fight her too. Toph didn't miss this, she didn't let it scare her though. In fact in a way she was a little thrilled by the idea of facing Aang again. She had always liked to push herself, and what could be more of a test for you strength than to go up against the avatar. She still didn't see him as much of an earthbender, but she wouldn't make the mistake of underesmating him.
She couldn't hide her frustration though, letting out a loud sigh out of sure annoyance, she lowered her hand, that still held Aang's wrist and pushed it towards his chest as she let it go. Turning to leave before she did or said something that she may regret later. Aang had moved away from the wall, and was about to reach down to pick up the two scrolls that remained on the floor, when he turn to watch Toph leave. He saw her standing with her back to him facing the door. Her right hand was held out her palm facing upwards, like she was waiting for him to hand her something. A small smile crossed his face as he caught onto what she meant. Turning to face her back, he lifted the dagger up and throw it to hit the half open door in-front of her. It ended up hitting the door an inch above the level of her hand.
The dagger was the dagger that Toph had taken from the fire nation noble man, that had tried to threaten her with it so she wouldn't marry Zuko. In the end she hadn't married Zuko, but that had nothing to do with being threatened like that. Aang had stopped at Toph's room on his way to the lower level, if she had been there he would have asked for her help, if she wasn't then he would know for sure if it was her he had seen or not. The room of course had been empty. He had noticed the dagger on the table by the door, and without fully knowing why picked it up.
Toph moved forward removing the dagger from the door, and attaching it to her belt. "Stay out of my room." She didn't turn to face him as she spoke she just kept walking. Again feeling himself getting worked up, Aang moved to pick up the two scrolls from the floor. When he was standing with them in his hands a unpleasant realisation hit him, there had been three scrolls. She had taken out three scrolls, and now walked away with one. Throwing the scrolls on the ground with more force than he had intended, Aang took off after Toph.
When he reached the main hall he stopped, leaning against a pillar. What would running after her now achieve, what could she do with one scroll anyway. As he started to gain control of his breathing Aang looked out of the large glass double doors at the back of the hall. He saw a light pouring out from a window at the top of one of the palace towers. He knew that the room the light was coming from was Bumi's private study. He had to put a end to this once and for all, and if Toph wouldn't listen then he believed Bumi would. Pushing himself off the pillar Aang mad his way up the main staircase that would start to lead him to Bumi's office. He had to make his position on this matter perfectly clear so there would be no mistaking that he was not going to be swayed in away way.