Chapter Two: The Choices We Make

Toph stood on the home island of Avatar Roku, on the ash that covered the once existent village, gazing down at the floor, wondering how Sozin could just betray his closest friend like he had done, what was wrong with these people? Twinkletoes had returned from his spirit world journey a few minutes ago and explained all he had seen to her, Katara and Sokka. Her thoughts were constantly trying to comprehend all that had happened in Aang's former life, and how some things had even managed to stick to his current life.

"Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" She had asked to no one in particular, remembering Monk Gyatsu befriending both Roku and Aang. Instead of a verbal response, Aang simply came to her and took her hand, she suddenly flushed and was momentarily stunned for what to do, but in the end her mind just remained blank of all but the feeling in her palm, and her mouth hung open ever so slightly, breathing shallowly.

"I don't see why not" Replied Aang as Katara then grabbed her other hand and the three stood there linked, just caught up in the moment of friendship and the other's touch.

"Toph I need you to do something for me" Aang said suddenly, she turned to gaze at him questionably, even though they both knew she could not see. Her mouth still hanging slightly open she prised him for more details with a look on her face.

"I need you to wake up for me."

Toph was unbelievably confused at his remark, she was standing right next to him, could feel his touch. "I am awake Twinkletoes, have you been hitting the cactus juice this time?" She snickered quietly.

"Please Toph, just wake up." Her look turned from one of humour to one of incomprehension, and outlined with a trace of fear.

"Twinkles, I am awake, I just told you, I'm looking at you now."

"Wake up Toph, Please, you have to wake up now!" Her face was now stained with worry, she tried to let go of his grip and step backward but he followed her, placing his other hand on her shoulder, she kept trying to back away from his alien words, but his grip just clasped her tighter and tighter each time she tried to recoil. His voice had become a shout now, urgency in it's tone.

"Toph! Wake up! Wake up now!" And with a very real shudder against her form from an unseen force, she did.

She was not sure if she had blacked out, or awoken, or was even in the real world right now. She could no longer see, the darkness firmly veiling her sight from everything, She could suddenly feel something hard hit her though, and she knew she had woken up just in time to see her end.

But she did not cease to breathe, to think, or to sense. She felt around for rock, but instead she found skin, toned muscle hidden underneath, her mouth opened wide in shock and her eyes flared into giant circles, as she placed her hand on the top of several bumps, then traced shakily with her fingers upwards, to a smooth wall, then to a smooth and oddly textured dome, her breath caught in her mouth, escaping only as a curious whisper.

"Aang?"

She could feel the form supporting her shift slightly, feeling an awkward sensation in her, she knew he was staring into her face. She begun letting her fingers droop down the front of his crown. She felt safe in his arms, and continued to let her hand fall to see his face as the air rushed through her hair, and suddenly her fingers froze with shock.

The air! She was still moving, but horizontally now instead of falling, but if anything faster than when she was dropping. Instinctively she clutched her arms to her chest and tucked her knees in like a ball. She suddenly felt herself turn swiftly in the air, his arms wrapped around her waist and upper back holding her fragile form close to his chest, enveloping her. As she felt a rippling surge hit him from behind, and she heard the shatter of more rock. The concussions continued to strike him in his spine as she held onto him tighter and tighter, he returning the contact with seething breaths in between strikes.

The barrage continued for several seconds, though the amount of times he must have crashed through the rocks must have been much, much more than the amount of time. Her body jumped slightly as they both crashed to earth, his arms holding her to him more tightly than ever now. And a voice whispered raggedly into her ear.

"Toph, I need … you to ugh...help slow us" Though for a second she looked confused at the voice, as if an animal had just spoke her language. The voice issuing the command was not Aang's, or at least it was filled with layers of voices on top of his. Maybe it was not him after all, maybe she her senses had only told her what she wanted to feel, maybe she never really was caught-

"TOPH! Now!" His hissing wince of pain mixed with the sound of scraping on the ground below her, shooting her senses back into her brain, she loosed her arms and tentatively lowered one to his side, touching the floor slightly to get a feel of the earth.

Before bringing it back up yelping with pain as she felt the graze on her finger began to form, she panicked suddenly, they were going too fast. But a voice in the back of her head snapped at her Come on Toph! You are the greatest earthbender of all time! Aang needs you right now and your too scared to even help him? Where's your force? She suddenly felt a great resolve take hold of her, and once again she held her arms to his side, then drove them into the ground, grasping it like the claws of a falcon, trying desperately to get a hold, to slow their sleep, willing anything to happen that would end the hissing monk's pain.

As she felt the rush of air begin to subside, her fingers grappled the ground with renewed vigour, they were slowing down dramatically! Toph, you rule replied the voice in her head, a faint smile began to curve her lips, then it all ended abruptly when they hit another wide needle of stone, but this time, the airbender did not go through it. Her fingers in the earth felt the vibration clearly, and the imprint his back had left within the base of the rock She could feel his grip loosen around her, as she rolled from his arms to the earth.

"Aang..."

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His vision was overthrown by a curtain of red dropping over his sight, his already half closed eyes causing even more of a blur to affect his vision of the girl's mouth moving in front of him, but he could not hear any sound, it was like his ears were submerged in water, he could only hear her sounds with a loud hum, gurgled and distorted words assaulted his mind as his face tried to make sense of what had happened, what was happening now. His hand extended to the panic-stricken girl in front of him, then recoiled when he saw the dull arrows on his arms, no longer glowing back at him.

He heard a sound like air being shot directly into his ears, grasping them to stop the sensation, then released them when he could hear the words clearly.

"Aang! Aang! Speak to me!"

"Toph... I... " His eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the sea-foam eyed girl in front of him, her face lighting up with joy as she leapt forward, pouncing on him with a tremendous hug. He sat there stunned momentarily shuddering from the pain of her hands on his scar, then slowly switched to a smile, placing his arms around her waist, returning the hug. He smiled serenely, the pain temporarily forgotten, his head over her shoulder, breathing in her scent and visualising silent prayers thanking the gods she was alive. He opened his eyes to take in their location, then his orbs widened in horror as he witnessed the crackle and flash of arcing lightning approaching them.