Spring was fading, and Toph Bei Fong knew what that meant.
She had to leave.
She had joined the group at the request of Aang, to be his earth bending teacher, and she had 3 months to do that. She had the season of spring, when it was the best time for earth bending, to teach him, to help him master it, and she had. She remembered it so clearly, since it was only 3 days ago, but she knew that she would remember it even if it were 30 years ago.
Aang got ready to copy Toph, ready to try again one of her most advanced and difficult moves. He took a stance, legs apart and hands out front clenched into fists and slouched slightly. He took a deep breath, and started. He took a leap forward, rising a boulder from the earth, and pushing it toward his target, Toph. Just as she got ready to avoid it, he swerved it upward, into the sky. It grew into a small dot in the distance, until he swerved it behind him, unnoticed by Toph. She was about to attack, when he jumped, and the same boulder flew under him, aiming for Toph. She had pretended (since she knew what would happen) to be surprised, as it gathered speed. Just as it was about to hit, Aang stopped it, astonished at his own power.
"I DID IT!" He yelled, punching the air with his fist. "WOO HOO! I MASTERED IT! YES!"
And Toph knew that he hadn't just mastered the move, but earthbending. Sure, there was more, but he was so advanced now, that he could teach himself. Toph knew that her purpose was over, and that she wasn't...needed.
Toph had never liked people thinking that she always needed things because she was blind, but she liked the feeling that she was needed. It felt like it gave her purpose, but now, that purpose was gone. Although he had mastered it two days ago, she had issued a 3 round battle, earth bending only, to make sure. And she was.
She contemplated these things as she sat on a large rock, at the base of a tree. She breathed in, smelling the lush grass, the warm sun, the wildlife. Yes, Summer was definintly coming with haste. Just as she was just about to return to camp, she felt the unmistakable rthym of Aangs feet.
"Hey, Twinkle Toes" Toph greeted.
"Hey" he replied, sitting next to her. "Watch'ya doin?"
"Thinking."
"About?"
"Leaving."
She felt Aang, tense beside her for a moment, before relaxing again.
"Haha" he laughed, though somewhat nervously. "Very funny."
"Then I must be hilarious when I really am joking" Toph tried to joke. She felt Aang tense up again, and felt his head turn to look at her.
"What?!" He cried, jumping to his feet. "Why?"
"Face it, Aang. I'm not needed here anymore." Aang breathed in sharply. She really must be serious if she used his real name.
"You are! What about my earth bending lessons?" He demanded.
"You've mastered it. There are still more moves, but you can self teach them." She forced a laugh. "No more need to deal with Tough Toph, huh?" She tried to force another laugh, but it came out like a whine from a toothache.
"But...but..."
"Listen, Aang, the spirits gave me this life for one reason. To help prepare the avatar, to help prepare him save the world, and to teach him, the way no other earth bending teacher could. And now, Spring is ending, and you've mastered the art of the earth, and I...I'm no longer needed." She couldn't help her voice crack a bit at the end, as her eyes filled with unshed tears.
"But, I-"
"-Am perfectly capable to move on and learn fire bending, now that summer has arrived" Toph finished.
"No, Toph, you're part of our Gaang! Its not the same without you!"
"I'm sure you can get along fine" she shrugged.
"But we need you!" He objected.
"For what?" A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "I'm sure you need me to help gather fire wood, and keep Momo company, and whine and complain, and call you names."
"NO!" Toph was stunned. She'd never heard Aang raise his voice like that. Her Aang was peacful, fun-loving and balanced her out- wait, her Aang? Let's not get carried away here. "We need you" he said softly. "Katara needs another girl in the group, Sokka needs someone to give him a backbone, and I...I..." Aang trailed off.
"And you?" Toph demanded, curious.
"I need you for you" he said, even more softly. So softly, infact, that it was practicly a whisper. "I need you for you" he repeated. "I need Toph. I need your strength, I need your company, I need your push." His voice lowered even more, if that was possible. "I need Toph. I need my Toph."
Toph could feel her face lighting up so much, that it was practicly a beacon to the fire nation. "Really?" She whispered.
"Yes" he replied, moving closer to her, and wrapping his arms around her petite frame, so that she could rest her cheek and hands against his chest. He had gone through a rather subtle growth spurt, so subtle that she hadn't even noticed until now. "I don't know what I'd do without you, because Toph...I...I..."
"Spit it out, Twinkles" said Toph, hope rising in her.
"I love you."
She looked up and he looked down, and they're lips met. The thrill of Tophs first kiss ran through her body like electricity, only better. Because you can't wrap your arms around electricity, or have electricity hold you tight, and can't shed tears onto electricity without getting electricuted.
The kiss was long and sweet, and lead to another kiss, and another, and they found themselves sitting together, Toph between Aangs legs, with her head resting on his chest, and his arms wrapped around her.
"Now do you believe that I need you?" he breathed into her ear.
"I don't know" she replied with a smirk. "Maybe I need more convincing."
"Gladly" he said, leaning down to kiss her.
And, she relised, that he didn't just need her, but she needed him, like the earth needed the air, and Yin needed Yang.
Because there's some things in life that you just need.
Well, there it is, short n' sweet. It just popped into my head, and I went with it. If you wanna flame, then flame, but I'll take it and just spit it out. And possibly roast marshmallows, or make smoors... I don't care if you review, I just write cuz I like it.