A Doubles Match

This was going to go in my Toph and Aang one shot collection but it turned into its own story. Will be light on romance in till around the last chapter (3rd or 4th).

Katara and Zuko are together in the fire nation still in contact with the group. That's a different story.

Sokka left to wander on his own/find himself for a time. That's also a different story.

I picture Aang and Toph being about 16 in this shot.

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"An earth bending contest? Like the one you where in when we met?"

"That's right Fancy dancer, I haven't been in a good fight in quite some time."

"But we spar nearly every day."

"That's not the same it's not a real challenge when you know its just practice."

"Well it shouldn't be a problem. I'll come to cheer you on." Aang said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Actually I need your help, it's a doubles match and I need a partner."

"I would love to help, but I am the Avatar, so we would have an unfair advantage."

"Not if you only use earth bending, it would even be a small handicap to our team."

"Hey I've gotten a lot better at earth bending."

"Ya but you still think too much like an air bender. As I was saying, all we need to do is cover up that arrow on your head and nobody will know that you're the Avatar."

"I don't know."

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The next day Aang entered the arena in earth Kingdome garb with cover up hiding his tattoos. The man at the sign in desk told them that it was a single elimination match over a three day period. The two best teams would fight four rounds total.

Toph and Aang watched the other fifteen teams do stretches and other warm-ups around the elevated ring.

"Wow this is just like the stadium we met in."

"Yep, pretty standard setup really. We're scheduled for the sixth fight of today's eight matches, so we might as well find some good seats and enjoy the show."

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The first two watches where boring for Toph and dull for Aang. Just four earth benders clashing in an arena. The crowd seemed to love it especially when one guy hit his own team mate on accident.

The third battle though, that was something to get the unexcited Aang and Toph's attention. The firs team was like the ones before them, two brawlers teamed up for this one match. But the other team, a man and woman announced as team Ourea, when they moved, they moved as one animal, two parts of one deadly tiger-dillo.

When the match began team average launched a hail of rocks at Team Ourea but the man deftly stopped every thing they threw, as the woman quickly made her way to one of the other team's members. She pulled a slab of earth to hit her victim in the back of the knees causing him to fall, seeing his partner in trouble the other man launched his attacks at her, but they all where stopped short. An earth wave finished the man on the ground throwing him out of the ring.

Then Team Ourea wordlessly switched tasks, the woman blocked the rocks being thrown and the man caught the remaining enemy off guard with an angled earth spike throwing him out of the ring and ending the match.

"Maybe we should be warming up?"

"Ya, lets do that."

Aang and Toph get to fight next chapter.