To chase a rock

As I stood there, on the receiving end of all the vibrations around me, I couldn't help but notice once again how uncomfortable the darkness was. There were to many vibrations, all coming from different sources that I could not identify. It was starting to get maddening. I was getting claustrophobic, which was unthinkable, since I was never afraid of small spaces. The source was getting nearer by each minute, and as each minute passed I got more nervous, I could not stand it, my brain was overloaded with signals, my nerves were on overtime, something was coming, fast! I couldn't take it anymore, I could not determine what kind of creature was coming at me at that speed, so I lost it. My body, without command started a flow of movements. It was purly a defensive reaction, with the snap of my hands, I crushed the creature with all the earth I could bend. Suddenly, the veil of darkness was lifted from my eyes, and I could see.

The blue ceiling at top of me assured my doubts about me being blind. Even if the nightmare was over, I could not shake away the feeling of some sort of impending doom. The idea of something bad disturbing this peace we had acquired didn't bode well in my mind, infact it was a series of nightmares for me. But what had caught more of my attention was the blindess in which the nightmare occured, why would I be blind in a dream when I could see? There were also those vibrations, I was never one to sense the way Toph did.

''Maybe, I just imagined how she feels things around her.'' I thought aloud.

But even the thought of it being just a dream didn't settle my mind.

Getting up from my 'bed' or rather my sleeping bag, I took care of all the hygienic needs one has to take care of in the morning. After feeding Momo and Appa, I sat down for breakfast. While eating different fruits and vegetables, I started thinking about my friends which I have not seen in a long time. The last time I saw Katara was when she was returning home with Sokka to the South Pole. They were ecstatic about seeing their grandmother and yet saddened at the same time for leaving me, but all turned out well in the end since I did pass by their village from time to time to see how everyone was.

With Toph, things weren't so easy. Our journey back on Appa was most uncomfortable. She was silent and pensive and she stayed that way until we stopped for a brake. While replenishing my portable gourd, I asked her the question that had bothered me since the defeat of the Fire Lord.

''Toph, what do you want to do now?'' I asked with eyes that were willed curious and not nervous.

Lifting her head, she pierced me with her eyes, as if seeing my true motivation for asking such a question. How she could look directly in to my eyes from such a distance while blind was a mystery to me, but still I waited for her response with high anxiety.

''What kind of question is that, Twinkle Toes?'' She yelled with her usual enthusiasm.

I was stumped, I knew that she knew what I was talking about, but she wanted me to be all 'earthbendy' about it, to ask her directly without losing time. And that's what I did, taking a long sight, I reformed my question.

''Toph, where do you want to go?''

All I got for an answer, was an imperceptible movement of her foot before I succombed to the painless darkness.

That was the last time I saw her. After she incapacitated me, she disappeared, all traces were gone, even listening to earth didn't do any good since she was still a better earthbender then I, she could dissipate her tracs with ease since she was always communicating with the earth.

I do not know why she did that, many theories and suspisions were formed in my bald head, but none

held. Soon after, I grew tired of thinking and began searching for her, while having at the same time the burden of capturing Azula.

One of the reasons why I wanted Toph to come with me was to capture Azula. Both were prodigys at their own element and having her with me would have elevated my chances of capturing her. But Azula had to wait for I had different matters to attend to.

It was another journey with another hope dwelling inside of me. I don't know what's the point of finding her, maybe just proving to myself that she betrayed me for a good reason We may not be the best of friends, even if our personalities clash at times we still are friends. I'm not just trying to find her because of Azula, but more importantly because I thought she was a friend, one that would stick with me, travel the world as companions and share the best of our times together, but I guess it was not meant to be.

I cannot dally anymore, something was happening with Toph and if my dream was any indication I was close by. I had to find her!

As the sun set it self higher, my hope soared as if made of air it self, making me believe that today was the day I would find her.

TBC