I have a Zutara drabble thing, but I am newly obsessed with Tophang and that is what this collection is. Mwah!
Aang was puzzled over why Toph had taken him to a beach to practice earthbending.
Beach means water which means Katara.
Lovely Katara...She was the object of the Avatar's affection. She was quite pretty.
However, Aang had noticed that Toph was pretty too. If only she were sweeter.
The lesson started almost instantly as they arrived at the ocean's edge.
Toph spoke softly, which startled the boy.
She spoke of the waters soft edges and flowing movements.
A good earthbender, she mused, can move gracefully as well as sharply.
If Aang wanted to master Earth, he needed to master combat. He needed to flow.
He understood- The Earth and the Air were the Great Allies- Air connected Earth to Fire, and Earth connected Water to Air.
Aang focused on the Earth under the sand, and felt the water pulse at his feet, and flowed his hands about, every once in a while twisting sharply to thrust the boulders he had controlled away from him. His step was quick as though he was airbending, his body as fluid as a waterbenders, and his punches were sharp like Toph's.
The blind girl couldn't see, but she could sense the perfection in Aang's movement.
She stopped him with a gentle hand.
He smiled and laughed and brought her hand to his so she could feel the wrinkles that indicated his glee. She smiled too.
And then she turned to walk back to camp.
Aang stopped her, wrapped his arms about her, and whispered sweet thank you's into her ears. She let her voice ring out softly one last time, a gentle nothing, and then called out sharply. "More lesson's tomorrow." She marched away to camp.
The boy's thought drifted back to his earlier pondering about Katara's loveliness versus Toph's...Toph-ness.
Yes, Aang thought, Katara is pretty...But no where as interesting as that girl.