Okay, first try at a songfic. :) Not sure if I succeeded or not… but whatever. Oh, this was supposed to be Riia's request (which was Taang) but its kinda sad :( So I'll write something better for her. 3
AtLA is NOT mine.
Life Got in the Way is by Sister Hazel
(Aang's POV)
And I wanted you so much
Just like I do right now
I wanted us to be the one the poets write their books about
I wanted it to last
I wanted to grow old
But life got in the way
--
I can remember the day perfectly.
'I sighed contently. I was watching Toph practice her earthbending in the gardens through the window. Her bulging belly signaled are coming baby. I remember when I was younger, after the war, reading books about the past Avatars and their families. Someday mine would be like that too… someday.
I heard a knock at the door. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Toph stop what she was doing and turn to our small house. I opened the door. A man was standing at the door, fully dressed in armor. "May I help you?" I said. The man lifted his helmet. It was Sokka. His expression was grave, and I cocked my head inquisitively. "Aang…the rebellion. We must leave. Now."
"Now?" I repeated. He nodded. "The rebellion has already destroyed a whole town in the Fire Nation. Get a few troops on Appa, we must leave quickly."
I nodded gravely. "How long will we be there?"
Sokka cocked his head back and forth. "A few weeks maybe?"
I sighed. "I'll tell Toph."'
We hadn't been there just a few weeks.
--
We walked around in a heavy haze
We were stuck in days of so much warring
We got lost in a tricky maze
Yeah a tricky maze that was so scarring
How come you can't remember
How dare you walk away
Then you start to add the little things
Add the little things and trip the mighty
Now we got a little bitter thing
A little bitter thing that grew like ivy
And how dare you not remember
How dare you walk away
--
A long year we had spent, reliving the war that had haunted our young lives.
'Bombs. Smoke. Blood.
It was horrible.
It was horrible, knowing Toph was still waiting for me to come back.
Toph was still at home, waiting for me to come back, as she raised our child by herself.
I tried to write her as much as I could. And usually someone could help her write back. But after several months she stopped writing back. She was mad at me. And I understood that.
A month later Zuko had received a letter from Katara. The letter read;
'Zuko, send Aang back NOW. I don't care about the rebellion right now. I care about my BEST FRIEND and her BABY who has gone MISSING. And if you don't… I swear…
XOXO Katara'
Heh. Toph had defiantly rubbed off on Katara.
Toph.
I had gone back as soon as I could. But she was gone. Long gone…'
And now she's here.
My best friend. My sifu. My wife.
And she doesn't remember.
None of it.
Not me, the gaang, the war, nothing.
I tried to grab her hand, to sit her down and explain it to her. But she pulled back. I was just some stranger to her.
"Please, just listen to me…" I said. "…I'm your best friend; you have to remember me… please." I begged. I begged for her to remember.
But she didn't.
She turned and began to walk away.
I could hear her mutter something under her breath.
"Toph…" I said.
She froze in her tacks.
That name… the one she had heard in her dreams so many times… that voice.
It was so farmilliar.
A young girl came out of a nearby house. So farmilliar… Dark hair. Grey eyes.
The small child looked back and forth between her mother and me.
"Mommy?" She said. Her voice was strong, but gentle, as a child's should be. A voice that could someday command armies.
"Mommy." She said again, but more sternly. She looked at my desprate expression. She gave me a kind smile. She came over to me, seemingly skipping on air. "Well I remember you, daddy." She said quietly.
I felt a smile creep up my face. I scooped up the little girl, and she squealed as I spun her in circles.
"Get your hands off of my child." Toph said threateningly, raising a boulder from the ground.
Not wanting to make a bad 'first impression', I sat the little girl on the ground. But she didn't leave. She raised her arms in the air and stood on her tippy-toes, wanting me to hold her.
"Twinkle Toes, get your butt over here right now." She said. I looked up, thinking for a second she was talking to me. But the little girl reluctantly walked over to her mother. They both began to walk away.
"So…" I said. "…she stole my name did she?"
Toph turned around again. She told the girl to stay there, and marched up to me. She stopped inches away, pointing a finger in my face. Apparently she didn't forget her attitude.
"Who are you and why do you keep appearing in my dreams? How do you know of that name, and why do you keep bothering me?!" She yelled.
I saw a few people stop to watch.
A woman came out of the same house as the little girl had come out of. She was middle aged, her light brown hair in a sloppy bun, and an apron around her wide waist.
"Ki, hunny, bring Ea inside, it time to eat. I made the grea-" I saw her stop and look at me and Toph, who still had her finger in my face. "Ki…who's your friend?" She said mischievously, a small smile on her face.
Toph, or 'Ki', scowled. She held out her hand to my daughter, 'Ea'.
"Come on Ea. Its time for dinner. Mommy's hungry." She said softly.
I watched as Ea took Toph's hand and they walked into the house. Through the partially shattered window I could see Toph and Ea sit at a small wooden table.
Obviously they were going to pretend that confrontation never happened.
The woman at the door stared at me for a while. She walked over to me. "Come inside dear. You look as though you could use a good meal."
I began to object.
"Come, please. We have plenty of food. And we could use some company." Her eyes were kind, and her invitation was sincere.
I nodded and followed her into the house.
As soon as my foot hit the floor of the house, Toph stood, and banged her hands on the table.
"What is he doing here?! Out! Now!"
I didn't move.
"Auntie, get him out!" She shouted again.
'Auntie' shook her head. "Sorry dear, but I already invited him over. Looks like you'll have to bear with it."
Toph's mouth dropped.
"You didn't."
Auntie chuckled. "I did. Why? Is there a problem?"
Toph crossed her arms in a huff, and sat down in her chair. Ea smiled broadly.
I laughed. She reminded me of her teenage self, the way she was acting.
Auntie set a bowl of soup in front of each person. I looked in it. "Is there any meat in it?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No, little Ea here refuses to eat meat."
I began to eat. It was delicious. I noticed Toph wasn't eating. She still sat with her arms crossed, blind eyes penetrating my skull.
I decided to test her a little bit. See if I could somehow jog her memory. Or just make her mad. That would be fun too. I'm sure Ea would protect me.
"So…" I started, "…You still don't remember me?"
No reply.
"I'll take silence as a no…" I chuckled. "Appa and Momo miss you."
No reply.
"I never blamed you for losing Appa. I was just mad."
No reply.
"It was the sandbenders' fault anyways…" I trailed off.
No reply.
Auntie was paying close attention.
"Back in the desert… you told me you never forgot a voice. Is my voice farmilliar?"
She squeezed her eyes shut. I was making progress.
"Maybe I should get everyone else to say something as well. Katara… Sokka… Zuko… Suki…" I let the names sink in, looking for any sign of recognization. None.
"Perhaps someone who helped you once? Uncle Iroh?"
She flinched. Good.
"Maybe I'll take you for a ride on Appa. I know you hate flying, but I got a new saddle, and Appa would be thrilled to see you again."
She let out a breath she had obviously been holding.
"Fine…" She said. "…Now it's my turn to ask a question."
I nodded.
"How do you know me? How do you know me, and how do you know of my dreams?"
I blinked.
"Toph…" She cringed at that name. "…those dream people. Well, they're real people. People you used to know, and used to be your friends. I don't know how…but you memory obviously got wiped out…"
Ea piped up. "It was the Dai Lee." She said mater-of-factly.
My eyes widened.
She nodded. "Yup. While you were gone, the Dai Lee took me and mommy. Before they brainwashed her, she asked me to remember you. She asked me to remember everything for her, so she could find you again."
My mouth dropped. "H-How…?"
Ea shrugged. "Just never say the L L word in front of her. She gets really mad."
Lake Lougai.
Ea hoped up and ran to me, whispering something in my ear.
"Tell her what?" I said.
She whispered into my ear again.
"The badger mole can't find solid ground?" I repeated.
"Why? What will that-" I stopped, looking up at Toph.
She held her head in her hands, and she was shaking violently. Muffled sobs could be heard through her hands.
"It worked." Ea whispered.
"Ten months Aang… ten months I wrote to you… trying to be strong for Ea." She shook her head. "It was too long. I-I couldn't do it anymore… I tried to hide Ea before they found her, the Dai Lee... but."
I stood up and walked over to her, pulling her into my arms. Ea smiled, airbending herself over to us, and barely wrapping her small arms around us.
Auntie smiled happily. "Congratulations my dear," she whispered, "You've found your dream."
I smiled though the tears.
I finally had her back.
I hope it wasn't too bad D: If any of that was confusing please let me know. I may write a short drabble of how Toph and Ea ended up living at Auntie's house.
If you R&R I'll love you forever.