Like always thank you for reading. I hope you like it. Also like always I have not really had a response to the last chapter, so I will just have to take that to mean that adding links to pictures of outfits and other important objects, is ok. No one hates that idea.

Aang had never been to the outer ring of the city before. Sure he had flown over it on Appa or on his guilder, but he had never walked the streets before. He had heard the earth king and other nobles talking about it on a few occasions. Now he was walking through it, he realised they had been overreacting. There was nothing about this area of the city that stood out as being any different from any of the villages he had travelled through. Though the people he had heard talking about this area were not the kind of people he would expect to see in a village at all. They lived in a different world. The more he thought about the place he was now, and were he had come from, the huge difference hit him.

Toph had silently been leading him through the narrow streets. She now turned into a small side street, followed by Aang. Hanging from the wall on the right side Aang saw the sign for the broken sword inn. The sign it's self looked broken, like it was about to fall. Hitting any unfortunate person that happened to be standing under it on the head. Toph was the first to enter the inn, walking under the lose sign. Aang had a urge to push her through the door, so she wouldn't get hit by the sign. That he was now very sure was going to fall any second. He never had the change to act on this urge, as she quickly made it through the door. Now it was his turn. Glancing left to right, to make sure no one saw him, he darted under the sign and through the door. He knocked into Toph's back as he pushed his way into the inn. Toph was able to keep her balance, stopping Aang from falling over as well.

His eyes now lifted up from the ground at his feet to take in the inn. It was different from the one he had last been in. It was crowed to the point were everybody was having to stand shoulder to shoulder. Of the three large tables that where scattered around the inn, there was no space on any of them. They were covered with empty to full pints of ale. One of the tables also had a sleeping body sprawled across it. His eyes feel on Toph, she looked so out of place here. Then again, so did he. The men looked about twice as tall and twice as big as him, and at least three times more so than Toph. Like she had done the since they left the palace, she lead the way towards the bar. She had to pushed her way through all the men, as she did Aang followed close behind her.

Once they reached the bar, she leaned across it, getting the bartenders attention. "Two of my usual." The bartender gave her a nod and turned to pour two small shot glasses with a dark green liquid. Aang kept his eyes of the glasses as they were placed on the bar in-front of them. "Put it on my tap." He finally lifted his eyes to look at Toph.

Everything that had happened since he arrived in Ba Sing Sa had made very little sense to him. Now it seemed to be making even less sense. Not only had Toph been here before and drank here, but she had done so enough that she had a usual and a tap. He was feeling the need for a drink now. He reached out for the glass, but Toph took hold of his wrist pulling his hand away. She slipped a small bottle into his hand "Take a small drink from that first." She never turned to face him as she spoke. He guessed she was trying not to attract any attention to what she was doing. As quickly and subtly as he could he took a drink from the bottle. The liquid didn't have any real taste to it. Toph subtly took the bottle from him and drank from it herself. "Take the shot now." Toph drank first, slamming the glass back on to the bar. Aang did the same. The alcohol slid down his throat. It didn't have the same burning feeling that it normally did. It was like his throat had been coated by a protective layer. That he guessed was the work of the drink Toph had given him.

He noticed Toph's face fall into a frown, as she let out a sigh. "You ok."

"Yeah, fine. I have to go and talk to someone." she moved to walk away, but he caught her arm.

"Who, what are you..."

"Someone that can give us the information we came here for. I won't be long."

His hand dropped to his side, letting her go. He turned to face the bar as she walked away. As he leaned onto the bar, he caught the attention of the bartender. "Same again." Aang nodded.

As she was much shorter than everyone else in the inn, Toph was able to duck under most of the men she walked pastes arms. Enabling her to make her way quickly across the inn the the door at the other end of the room. The door was covered in part by a deep brown curtain. Taking in a deep breath, she went through the door without knocking.

The room on the other side of the door was about less than half the size of the one she had just come from. It was also much quieter, all the noise from the bar was drowned out. In the centre of the room was a large table. Surrounding the table were five men, who had been playing cards before Toph entered. Their eyes run over Toph before she took a step further into the room. "I have a message for Changpu." She tried to hold herself with as much confidence and authority as she could, but her uncomfortability with the way she felt them looking at her made her come across as a frighted little girl.

The man sitting on the far right of the table got to his feet. His eyes ran over Toph again as he slowly walked towards her. She knew he expected her to step back, that way he would have her backed up against the way. She stood her ground, not backing down. She felt his eyes burning on her. Disgust welled up in her stomach. She had expected this kind of thing, that was why she wore what she was wearing. She wanted to be as less intimidating as possible. These kinds of looks she had had before, but she would never get used to them.

When he finally reached her, standing right in-front of her, he lifted his right hand. Placing it under her chin he lifted her face up to look at him. He noticed her eyes looking in the opposite direction from him, as he walked over to her. He wanted to make her look at him, and get a better look at her face at the same time. When he looked her in the eyes he realised that she must be blind. "What is the message, beautiful."

"They say to kept hold of it for now. They'll get in touch with you themselves soon to pick it up."

"Who is this they, your talking about." His face leaned in towards her. The alcohol on his breath, caused her to pull back.

"You know. Or do I have to spell it out for you. Is it the alcohol or are you just a simple minded moron." She knew she shouldn't bite back when he was trying to whined her up. She just couldn't help it. She had played the obedient little helper to Aang and the earth king for that past two days, she was so sick of it. She had to kept the pretence up with them, but she didn't have to in-front of Changpu.

Blind rage swept across Changpu's face. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was being made to look like a idiot, especially not by a little girl. His hand shot up, grabbing Toph by the neck. He shoved her back onto the wall next to the door.

Pain shot through her head, the force had knocked her bun lose, causing the braid to fall over her shoulder. Her hands automatic shot up to grab hold off Changpu's hand on her neck. A look of pure horror crossed her face, as she tried with all her strength to pull his hand off her neck. "No one talks to me like that, you understand." Toph didn't even try to answer. The horror washed away from her face and was replaced with pure rage. "I said do you understand." Like before she didn't make any response. Out of anger he squeezed her neck tighter. She let out a choked cough, but tried to fight it back. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her.

Once again his eyes ravelled over her. As they did she tried again to get out of his hold. Her legs moved forward a little, revelling something he hadn't noticed before. She had a dagger attached to her belt on her right side. An evil grin spread across his face as he moved to take it. Toph noticed his movement and gave one last push to try and release herself before he took the dagger.

His hand was a mere two inches from the dagger, when it froze as a sudden pain shot up his arm. He let out a yell as his other hand dropped letting Toph go. The other four men finally got to there feet around the table. None of them coming any closer for fear of being hurt by what every was hurting Changpu.

Toph rubbed at her sore neck with her left hand. Her right had fallen to her side just before Changpu yelled out. With a truly evil grin and dead eyes Toph took in a breath, straightening herself to stand at her full height. Her right hand that had hang at her side, with all her fingers spread out, now lifted up, and her hand turned to the right. Changpu's arm now twisted almost right round, causing him to full to his knees and let out a louder yell.

"You would have been the third person to use that dagger against me. There was no way I was going to let it be third time lucky for someone like you."

All eyes where now on Toph. Her face only. She really hadn't wanted to use bonebending, but he had left her with very little choice. Her hear raced as the adrenaline rushed through her body. This was what worried her the most about bonebending, the rush that came with it. The feeling of such power. She worried there would be a time when she wouldn't be able to stop herself from going to far, and she would crush someone's heart with their ribs or break their neck.

"Do as the message says and I'll let you go." Changpu tried to nod or say something, but he couldn't get his body to do anything. "What do you say." The words came out through gritted teeth. He lifted his head to look her in the eyes. They weren't looking anywhere in particular. The closer he looked into them, the more dead and cold they looked. His whole body felt cold the more he looked at them. Toph felt him try to say something, so she let her hold on his arm go.

"Ok." His voice sounded hoarse and weak. It took her of guard. Her hands feel to her sides, letting him go. As quickly as she had entered she slipped out of the room.

Once on the other side of the door, she fell back against it as she got her breath back. No one on this side of the door paid any attention to her. They were to caught up in themselves to noticed the troubled girl, leaning against the door. When she trusted herself to keep a calm face when he asked her what she found out, she made her way back over to the bar to find Aang.

He was in the exact same place she had left him, leaning over the bar. When she was by his side, he didn't acknowledge her. She placed a hand on his arm to turn him to face her. His head spun round to look at the person next to him. His face light up a little to see her. "Toph, where have you been." She had to take a slight step back, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

"What have you done."

"I had a few drinks. That guy over there..." He was about to point the person that had bought him the drinks out, but Toph grabbed his arm and pulled it down.

"Twinkles, you idiot." rolling her eyes, she moved back over to him. "You can have to have a drink from the bottle I gave you before every drink you have. If you want to avoid ending up a drunk idiot." She slid her arm under his, wrapping his arm around her neck, to keep him on his feet. With all the strength she had she carried him away from the bar, towards the door. As the stepped out into the street, he stumbled banging his head against Toph's. The laughter that he had been forcing down finally cam out. "What are you laughing at. That hurt."

"You called me twinkles." Toph rolled her eyes again. "You haven't done that in along time." Toph didn't say anything, but she did let a small smile cross her face.

It took longer to get back to the palace, than it had to get away from it. Aang was not overly heavy, but Toph was not in the best frame of mind to be dealing with him now. At first his arm and been held a around her neck, but she let it fall to rest more on her shoulder. An eradication fear that he would some how be able to know what had just happened, by simply having his arm near her neck took over.

For most of the walk Aang talked about the rest of the gang. Before he came to see Toph he had made trips to see all of them. They were all doing well. Sokka and Suki were tired, but happy. Zuko and Katara caught up in the new chapter in their life. Missing each other when she had to return to the water tribe. He was very happy for all of them. He made this point very clear, he was happy for Zuko and Katara. Toph believed him in part, he was just trying to hard to be completely happy with it. He would get there though.

Her left hand that had been holding his right hand that hung over her shoulder, moved to cover his mouth as they entered the palace again through the side door. She didn't know how late it was, but she was sure the rest of the palace would be sleeping by now. Dragging him up the stares, the last part of the walk was by far the most difficult. On two separate occasions she really thought that he was going to fall over and take her with him, crashing down the stars.

Aang's room was the first on the floor, next to the stars, so once they reached their floor all she had to do was open the door and dragg in the five feet to the bed. Where she let him drop. She felt him about to say something, so she quickly left. She really needed to be alone right now. In a way she was glad that he was such an idiot, that couldn't hold his drink. If he wasn't then she would have had to talk to him about what happened in the back room. She knew full well what would happen if he had found out. Changpu would have had a lot more to deal with than a sprained wrist. He was the most gentle person she had ever none, but when one of the group was hurt, he was almost as bad as herself or Zuko when they where angry.