Hello. This is the 1th part of the on going story. It isn't essential to have read the parts before this one, but it would make more sense if you did. Hope you like it.

It had been almost a year and a half since Aang came to Toph in Omashi, asking for her help in tracking down Long Feng. They had been more or less travelling together for all of this time. They where both now seventeen almost eighteen, and finally on their way to the southern air temple. He had first brought up the idea of taking her to see the southern air temple, the place he grew up in a long time ago. It was a trip that to him seemed to be over due. The closer they got to the air temple the more he became aware of how different things where now, from the last time he had been there. Their was no Katara or Sokka . No Zuko chasing after him either. In the year and half they had been travelling they had really seen anyone else from the group. They had been a little preoccupied by escaping war criminals, new students and aliases.

It would be great to see everyone again. To all be in the same place again. They all seemed to be settled into the lives they had created for themselves, settling down into family's of their own. They found where they were meant to be, and what they were meant to be doing. Aang was pleased for them, but he felt like a child compared to them. He was still travelling around, like be had been doing for nearly five years. Nothing had really changed in his life, he had stuck to the only way of life that he knew. Having Toph with him helped, knowing she was in the same place as him. Not quite ready to fully settle in one place, with one job. That must be why she had to so many jobs, and titles that went with them.

Maybe this too was changing. Before they left Ba Sing Sa, she had accepted a bracelet from Lord Toro. The bracelet they had decided didn't carry with it the meaning that it normally had to the nobility of the earth kingdom. That he was making his intention to ask her to marry him one day known. They had chosen to, when they met again decide what this gift meant to them. Aang had been very surprised by Toph's acceptance of the bracelet, before he knew what it would normally mean. It didn't seem like her. So maybe she was starting to think about settling down herself. The image of her married with children, he just couldn't picture. If it did happen he would be happy for her. He would miss her though. Like he missed everyone else. He missed them all when he was gone. There was just something inside of him that kept him going anyway. He was a nomad after all.

Appa was getting closer to the air temple. Aang was almost sure he could see it in the faint light of the morning sun still a little far off in the distance. Toph was still sleeping in the saddle. Her sleeping hadn't gotten any better in the year and half of travelling. She still tossed and turned for hours before only finding sleep in the wee hours of the morning. Making her sleep till the sun had completely risen. He turned round to look at her sleeping her blanket pushed away, Momo resting by her head.

He turned back, but turned round to face her again a second later. As with a low yell she awoke and quickly shout up to a sitting position. "That dream again."

she shock her head. Moving her loose hair from her face. "No."

"Toph." He had gained an authority in his voice that she couldn't say she was pleased with.

A few night ago while they had been in Ba Sing Sa Toph had woken in the night, screaming so loudly that Aang heard her from his room. He came running, despite the fact they were fighting at the time. Her dream had been that she felt a presence, then all of a sudden she felt a sharp hot stabbing pain in her stomach. It was the fact that the pain felt so real that she woke up screaming. This was their second night travelling, and she had woken up from the first night in much the same way.

"It was the dream, but I woke up before...the pain." She had stood up and moved closer to the edge of the saddle nearest him, so she could hear him better over the roaring wind.

"We're here" Toph had never heard that tone in his voice before. She wasn't sure if it was childless joy, or he was trying to hide his fear. She was hoping for the former. Holding onto the rim of the saddle she prepared herself for their descent. No matter how much flying she did in her life, she knew for a fact that she would never get used to it. She couldn't see how anyone could.

Toph was the first one to touch down onto the ground after Appa landed. Wanting to be on solid ground again, as soon as possible. The second her feet hit the ground a cold chill ran through her whole body. This please was not like the other air temples, it felt like death. She felt Aang getting something from the saddle. She was glad he wasn't touching the ground. She didn't want him to have to feel what she did. She wanted to speak to say something, but there was nothing

She crossed her arms, rubbing her arms trying to keep warm. She was not very well dressed for this cold climate. She had tried to be, what she wore had been to warm for late summer, but she never thought it would be too cold from early autumn. While travelling she had put on her grandfathers brown leather gauntlets, for extra warmth. Not that they did her much good now..

"Here." Aang had bent himself down next to her. He handed her a brown clock of his. Aang was prepared for the weather. He was still wearing more or less the same thing he wore nearly five years ago, only he was wearing a long sleeved white top under his robe. That was enough for him, he was used to his. It was his home after all. "It matches you boots."

"How would you like the print on the soul of my boots to match the bruise on your butt. Air head." While she spoke, she gladdy too the cloak from him, and pulled it tightly around herself. Even though they argued a lot, they had found a balance they knew how to wind the other one up, but they also knew when to draw the line. They had seen the worst side of each other. Despite this they had still chosen to keep travelling together. If that wasn't real friendship what was. Not that either of them would really call the other friend to their face.

After she fastened the clock in place, Toph knelled down. She placed her right palm on the ground. She was trying to get a better idea about the earth around her, it just didn't seem right."This was the first place the fire nation attacked, wasn't it." She tilted her head to face Aang. She had never been taught anything about the hundred year war, and Aang never talked about it. His past before Katara and Sokka found him was also held tightly to his chest.

"They didn't have a change to get away." It was the way he spoke so cold, that upset her more than what he said.

"Sorry" She didn't know why she said that. She pulled herself up, rubbing her hands on her trousers as she did. "This place is so pretty. Once we rebuild it like the others It is going to be my favourite, despite the weather." He knew she was trying to chance the subject, and exaggerating. To stop him having to thing about it. It was this fact and not what she said that made him smile a little.

"Would you like the tour." He bowed, and spoke in the formal voice. He knew she hated.

"I already got the tour when I touched the ground, but if it makes you happy twinkles. lead the way." She gesture with her hand out towards the main entrance to the air temple.

Aang lead her through what remained of the temple. It had been a lot essayer than he thought it was going to be. Mainly because Toph was doing anything she could think of to take his mind of the more painful aspects of the place. She had him tell her every detail of the game of air ball he had with Sokka. She had then demand a demonstration. This was not essay with one person.

"You know, I think even a blind player would be better than Sokka. Care for a game." Aang held out a hand for Toph, to help her onto the platform. Rather than taking his hand, she crossed her arms, causing the cloak to fall over her shoulder more, completely covering her. Making her look a little more fierce, matched with the unblinking look she shout in his direction. "Sorry." he let out a slight laugh, as he launched himself into the air. He flipped over mid-air, before landing a good few feet behind Toph. She spun round very quickly to face him again. "Come on."

He started to walk back into the temple again. Toph started to follow him, but stopped. Her heart was racing. She felt strange, she didn't want to go into that part of the air temple. It didn't take her long to figure out why. "I'm starving, let's go back and eat."

"Yeah, sure it's getting late any way." Aang noticed something odd in her voice, but he was getting hunger too. Before he could tell her that caring on the way he was about to take them, would take them back to the camp they had made up outside the main entrance quicker she had had taken of back the way they had come, at a very fast pace.

After they had eaten. It was still not late enough for they to go to sleep, so they talked. They thought about bring Aang's first airbending student Yunru, here to train once they had made the temple more liveable. That would only take them four, five days max, then about ten, eleven to go and collect Yunru and get back to the air temple. By then autumn would be well under way. Aang bent a fire to keep them warm. Toph held the cloak even tighter around herself, pulling her knees into her chest.

When it was late enough for them to go to sleep, Toph bent an earth tent to sleep in. Aang found that a little odd, she hadn't slept in an earth tent the whole time they had been travelling. They had stayed in inns and palaces most of the time though, and it was very cold. Any way to keep a little warmer would be welcome. He was also tiered after travelling for almost two days straight, so he was glad of the early night, and didn't say a word.

Once she was sure he was asleep, Toph pulled down the earth tent, and headed to the back to the section of the air temple she had pulled them always from. She pulled the hood of the cloak over her head. This had become a bit of a habit of hers. Walking away from him when he was sleeping. She had done it a lot in Ba sing Sa. She had had good reason to that, this time though she felt like there was no way that what she was doing could he turned against her, like her actions in BA Sing Sa. Thought she wouldn't change them, she would do the same thing again.

The temple had the same air of death that it had had when she got here, in the day light. Now in the darkness, it seemed to be amplified. Not that it being dark really had any affect on her. This was actually the first and only time in her life that she was a little uncomfortable with knowing that it was also complete dark around her, as well as in her head. She felt lost in an endless dark void. She felt her mouth open a little, but she didn't make a sound. She guesses that maybe she had been going to call out his name, but she couldn't do that. He couldn't know what she was doing. She started to walk a little faster.

The hall she had been heading for, was where most of the air nomads had been when the fire nation attacked,where they became trapped. It was where many of them had died. There was still traces of this in the hall. Toph hadn't wanted Aang to see that. She was going to bend the earth to bury the remains. It was a small thing, but it was all she could do. She hoped by giving them a proper burial it would give them dignity, which they deserved.

She pulled her hood down before she entered the hall. Then walked till she stood in the centre of the hall, holding her arms out in-front of herself. Her finger twitched a little still she pulled them into a clenched fist. When she was done, she let her arms fall to her side. They become hidden under the cloak again. "Rest in peace." She turned and started to walk away, when she felt a pair of feet land on the floor in front of her.

"Where you spying on me."

"You gave me reason too."

"I should have told you but…"

He finally cracked, and the smile he had been trying to hide finally crossed his face. It was very small, but still there. Not a smile of happiness, but of contentment. "Thanks Toph." He placed a hand on her shoulder. He was about to lift his other hand to pull her into a hug, when she moved away from him.

They started to walked back to the camp-site in silence. Toph feeling a little happy that she didn't have to the return journey back on her own. Also that she wasn't going to have to keep things from him again.

"You now, I was going to ask for your help in doing something like that Tomorrow." Toph bent her right leg round so she could kick Aang, who was walking on her right side. She only managed to hit just above his knee, but it was enough.

Thank you for reading, hope you liked it. I was worried that the part at the end didn't work with the change in tone. But as I am written this I have to try and work in what I had already done. Please like always let me know what you think, and keep reading. It will get more interesting. Also this is the 96th chapter of the story as a whole, so there is something big coming up.