"Um…" Toph said, attempting to start a conversation. It was one week since Toph had injured Aang, and it was time for his first rock-bending lesson since then. "Today, you're gonna break a boulder into tons of pieces, and get it right the first time."

"You tried to kill me, didn't you?" Aang asked, voice more calm than is probably should have been.

"Shut-up Twinkle-toes. Copy me," she said, standing in front of her own boulder. She got in her horse stance, brought her arms up, then to her sides, put them flat together, and thrust them forward as if she were using her hands to cut through something. After holding them there for a second, she split the apart quickly, which in turn made the rock explode violently.

"Toph, sorry."

"Just shut up, never talk about it again," teeth gritted, "I said copy me!"

Aang repeated what she had done with ease, only not as violently, for fear of hurting someone.

"OK, now try it from a farther distance, and two at once. When I say you're done, you can go splash around with Katara."

For the next three hours, Aang had come back to camp four times complaining or asking whether or not he was done.

It was the fifth time Aang came back when Toph finally lost it. "Can't you go one hour without coming back!? And stop whining, you're never gonna be a rock-bender or get anywhere in life like that! Now go back, I said I'll call you when you're done!"

"Aw, but I already broke every boulder out there!"

Then make new ones! Break rocks! You're nothing but a pitiful baby! How could you be the Avatar? Now get back to work!"

Later on, in the water-bending class, Aang seemed a bit distracted. He was jumpier and had much more energy, but still distracted.

"What's on your mind?" Katara asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing" the boy answered.

"OK, but you seem somewhere else."

"I'm just not concentrating, I'll try a bit harder."

"Are you tired from Toph's class?" she interrogated.

"No, I think I'll be fine." Aang's brain was now is full gear.

"Just checking," Katara said with a sly voice, right before whipping a stick of bamboo at his face.

Aang attempted to create an ice wall in the air with his right arm, but the bamboo sailed through the ice unscathed, and hit Aang right in between the eyes.

"Wow," he said, rubbing the sore spot, "That's some strong bamboo."

Ty Lee jumped around Aang, weakening his chi, depriving him of his bending. Ty Lee's face soon turned into Katara's. Aang jumped back in horror. Ty Lee/Katara backed off into the shadows. Aang's breathing became labored. Flames lit up the dark areas, and in place of Ty Lee/Katara was Fire Lord Ozai.

Aang shot up out of his resting place, panting, sweat dripping off his chin and wrinkling his nose at his own sour smell.

He had been sleeping on Appa that night, who was unusually quiet and still. Aang looked out over Appa's saddle, only to see a snoring Sokka, and as usual, a very peaceful Katara.

Katara would never hurt me, he thought.

Aang gazed farther out, and there was Toph again, on the outskirts of camp, sitting on a boulder.

By the time Aang was within ten feet of the girl, she had already said, "Back off Aang."

"Thank you for using my real name."

"Fine, if it makes you feel better, back off Twinkle-toes," sarcasm flowing out of her throat.

"You've been teaching me earth-bending for about a month now, right?" Aang's question seeming to lead nowhere.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Ever since I finally got rock-bending, you seemed a bit different, and when Appa started shedding three weeks ago, after we got away from those girls, you acted different around the group. Why? Why'd you change so fast, and why'd you change at all," Aang finished.

"Maybe it-" she stopped, for Aang was gone. She hadn't even noticed the absence of his breathing.