This is my first Avatar fanfiction. I'm not starting with chapter one, so it might get a little confusing. I will be posting the complete version in one night, so I won't be explaining much about the chapters when I update them. If you have questions please leave a review or send me a message! I would be happy to reply. :)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Nickelodeon/ Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko

PROLOGUE: The Summer Solstice

"Metal," Toph announced. Her usual booming voice shook the windows. "Is a state of mind." She paced back and forth in front of her students, her feet digging into the ground so far they left a deeper and deeper impression with every repetitive step. "You have to form the perception to sense the earth in everything. Man thought they could tame earth by melting it down and turning it into steel." She stopped, listening to the vibrations in the ground. Turning around she shot her fist into the metal sheet in front of her. It cut through the sheet as though it were made of paper. "But they were wrong. The earth is rigid. Despite the name 'Earth-Bending' it bends to no one's will." She gave a slight sadistic smile. "The key," she said, sending the metal flying across the dojo. "Is to feel, not to think."

The students stood in amazement. She could feel their excitement and their fear. This was her favorite part of the job. It was such a thrilling combination. In the three years her academy had been open, she now knew the methods that did and didn't work on the kids. She felt she was getting better and better at it with every go around. Each session, a student learned something faster than the last. Every new year was a learning experience not only for them, but for her as well. Not that she would ever admit that.

She lined her pupils up and placed the sheet of metal in front of them. "Now, this is easy. I want you to put your hand on the metal and feel it. Close your eyes...try to sense the earth within it." The students followed her instructions, calming themselves. Toph grinned. "Now...ram your head into the metal as hard as you can!" She could feel the tension rise. The students all recoiled from the sheet before them.

"Y-you want us to head-butt the metal?" one quivered.

"Can't you die from that kind of thing?" another boy piped up.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Toph grimaced. "I thought this was an academy for earthbenders. I didn't mean to interrupt your little girl's tea party. How rude of me." She got directly into his face, feeling his heavy heart beat. She had learned that even though she couldn't see him, him seeing her unhappy was an excellent motivator. "You've all slammed your heads into a rock before. If you haven't, then I suggest going back to basic earthbending training." She spit on the ground and grabbed the boy up by his shirt. "Now you can either ram your head into that sheet of metal or I'll ram it in for you, how's that sound?"

She let go of him and gave him distance. The boy gulped as he looked at his metal. Running in head first, he slammed his forehead into the solid sheet. As though on a trampoline, his head ricocheted backwards as he collapsed onto the floor, not leaving a dent in the metal. Toph sighed as the boy held his head in pain.

"Well, that's just disappointing," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I told you. You have to be stronger than the metal. It already knows it's earth! You don't have to tell it that." She began to pace again as the other students shivered. "You think that flinging coins and bending pipes with your hands is going to get you anywhere? Well, it's not! You need to be physically and mentally ready to face it head on." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "Maybe we have to develop your strength a little more." The group made a collective sigh as Toph whipped around and gave them another "motivational glare." They quickly changed their apparent attitudes.

Toph dropped a ball of solid metal into each of their hands, hearing them squeal with discomfort as they realized how heavy they actually were. "One hundred reps! Alternating hands! Let's go! One! Two! One! Two!" The students did as they were told, balancing on rocks and moving the metal ball from one hand to another. Next, they passed the balls over their heads. "Come on, Lilly-livers! You think this is hard? Try taking down an entire fleet of fire nation airships! Don't slouch! Stop your whining! One! Two! One! Two! I don't see you sweating!" She smiled triumphantly at her work, and her joke. The glistening smell of sweat was always pleasing to her whether it was hers or some other sucker's.

"Well, you're just as nurturing as ever," a voice came from the other side of the room. Toph froze as she turned to face the direction the voice was coming from. A wide grin formed on her face.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed, running to greet her friend. "What's up, Meathead?" she said, giving him a hard sock in the shoulder. Sokka tried to pretend pain wasn't searing down his arm and grinned.

"Just came to check out the team! Looks like you've got a good batch this year."

"Any batch be a good one if you cook it right," Toph retorted. She suddenly felt the energy from her students drop significantly. Mortified, she spun around. "Did I say you could take a break!" Soon, the energy picked up to its usual level. Toph exhaled, her jovial expression returning. She slapped her old friend on the back and lead him back outside. "So what happened that you decided to come all the way out here and visit little old me?" She elbowed him in the side. "Are Mister and Mrs. Oogles driving you bonkers again?"

Sokka laughed. "Well, it's not just me..." he said. "Hey!" he shouted over the stairs as a girl with short brown hair waved back. Toph felt the vibrations and sighed in a slight disappointment.

"You brought Suki along?"

"I did!" he shouted. He lead her down where she greeted the Kyoshi warrior, who was no longer dressed in her garb, but rather in summer day clothes.

"Hey there, Toph," she said smiling genuinely. "How have things been going?"

"Oh, you know. Breaking bones, creating blisters. My days aren't exactly picnic lunches." Suki awkwardly nodded, unsure of what to say. Of all the friends she had met through Sokka, Toph was the one she could never quite pin down. Sokka brought his arms around the two of them and smiled.

"Isn't this great? My best friend and my girlfriend getting along!"

"Y-yeah," Toph said, trying not to sound sarcastic. It wasn't that she didn't like Suki, it was just hard for her and Sokka to talk when she was around. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a surprise!" Sokka said excitedly. "But you have to come with us to find out what it is!"

Toph's face flattened. "What if I don't care what it is?" Sokka's face fell, disappointed.

Suki put her arm on Sokka's shoulder to console him. "We're going to the beach for the Summer Solstice. Aang and Katara are already there. You should join us!"

"Is Zuko coming?" she asked, trying not to get her hopes up. Suki shook her head.

"He's kind of ruling an entire nation right now," she explained. "As much as taking a break would be a great thing for him, I don't see it in the cards." Toph swallowed hard, realizing she would be on the trip with two couples.

"Oh...wow that sounds super exciting and stuff, really it does," she said, backing away. "But, I already have so much work to do. Can't leave the lilly livers alone for more than five seconds around here." She began to head back to her students, up the stairs. "Besides...sight seeing? Not exactly my thing."

Suki and Sokka frowned, following her. "You should try to take some time off. You're becoming a workaholic."

Toph chuckled. "Please. Just look around you. Whipping little pigeons into shape is what I do. There is nothing I would rather be spending my hours doing." She turned around to face her sweating, untrained students. "You call that working? You're barely puffing! Twenty more reps! Let's go, birdies! Flap those wings!" She smiled and crossed her arms. "See? I'm completely swamped here." Suki and Sokka watched as the students fell on top of themselves in excruciating agony and cringed.

"Maybe it's not you who needs the break..." Suki mumbled.

"As much as I would love to sit around and listen to you lovebirds make oogles at each other all day long," Toph grinned sarcastically. "These pansies can't afford even a day of absence. Sorry guys, maybe some other time." Suki exhaled deeply.

"Let me handle this," Sokka reassured. He slipped past the his girlfriend right next to Toph. He lifted his eyebrows, surprised at how much taller she had gotten even in the last year. "Ahem. Wow. These benders really know how to pack a punch, huh?"

Toph smirked. "They are being trained by the best."

"You know, it's too bad they haven't had any time to learn how to practice by themselves." He lifted his arms and placed them over his head. Toph stopped, cold.

"By themselves? Are you kidding? They wouldn't last an hour."

"Maybe not," Sokka said, tiptoeing across the dojo. His arms still sat behind his head as he examined each student. "But if I were taking a class for this long, I would get really good at practicing when the teacher was around...but when they left pffft..." he made a farting sound with his lips. "All that practice and skill, gone."

Toph's face fumed. "Excuse me? My metal bending academy is the best earthbending school in the nation!" she grimaced. "Students leave my class with discipline!"

"Really? So someone has graduated the academy?"

Toph froze. "Of course not!" Sokka gave a knowing smirk. "Don't do that. I know what you're doing and you better stop it right now before I shove this boulder up your butt."

Sokka pouted. "No! Really! Your students will be better off if you give them the chance to practice without a teacher! It'll be good for them! I promise!"

"Forget it, Sokka. I'm not going to the beach with you." She walked over to one of the students. "Arms straight, Ping Pong!" she said, grabbing a metal stick and poking the kid with it. Sokka appeared behind her, hands behind his back. "What?" she asked, turning around. Sokka put on his best puppy-dog pout, looking like he was on the verge of tears. Toph cocked an eyebrow. "You know, I'm sure whatever you're doing to get me to change my mind wouldn't work even if I could see it." She marched away then, leaving Sokka feeling stupid as ever. Suki came over, chuckling.

Toph suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, sensing that it was Suki this time. "Listen, Toph. Sokka really wants you to come with us."

The young earthbender drummed her fingers on her arm. "How badly?"

"Um...very very badly," Suki tried to explain.

"...enough to let me burry his face in the sand?"

"I...think so."

"No!" Sokka chimed in. "No! No! NO! You are not getting near my face!"

"Done!" Toph announced, casually.

"NO- Wait, so is that a yes?" Sokka asked gleefully.

She swung her foot down, hitting the solid rock and sending it flying towards a gong in the corner of the room. The abrasive sound shook the dojo as the students dropped to the floor in exhaustion. She cleared her throat. "Listen up!" she projected across the room. "I'm going on a vacation for a couple days! Don't think this means you can get away with anything! I want you all in tip top shape when I get back!"

"You're leaving, now?" one of the students asked.

"Yes, but don't worry. I'll be back to whip your butts another day, little dandelions. In the meantime practice your basics. Don't kill anyone. I'll be back the day after the solstice." Toph said. "DISMISSED!" The rest of the students stood up and bowed to their master before hitting the creek for a bath. Toph readjusted her bun and scratched her head. "Well, what are we waiting for! Let's hit it!"

Sokka looked at Suki, giving her a hostile stare. "She is not burying my face in the sand."

Suki chuckled. "It's just a little dust. I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Speak for yourself," Sokka groaned. "We had to make it a surprise! Hey! I have an idea! Let's surprise Toph and make fools out of ourselves while doing it! Yeah...that's a great plan. Who was the genius who came up with that?"

"That would be you, Honey," Suki giggled. Sokka quickly shushed her.

"Kay, can we keep the oogles and the honey and the sweetie-pateety stuff to a minimum on this trip?" Toph complained. "I feel enough like a third wheel as it is."

Suki blushed. "Sorry."

"My statement still stands," Sokka whined.

"Aww, don't feel bad, Sokka," Toph said, giving him a firm punch in the arm. "I would have exploited you whether it was a surprise or not."

"Thanks. I feel so much better now," Sokka grumbled.

"No problem, Buddy!" she said triumphantly. This was exactly what she needed. Sure, she would have to deal with the lovey-dovey voices of her friends, but it was worth it. It was the first time they would all be together again. And as much as Toph liked to pretend she didn't care about being alone, it was nice to be reminded that she didn't always have to be that way. Her friends were a better family than her real family. For that, she owed them at least a couple days out of the year. It only seemed fair. And if that meant she could torment them along the way, well, that wouldn't be so bad either.