A new, the fourth, chapter of Revelations! Again thanks to FullMetalPrincess for beta'ing! c: Today (May 20st) it's my birthday, so I decided to treat you on another chapter, even though the last one didn't get many reviews; please leave a review? I would really like to know what you think of it; what you like or don't like so much, anything!
Anyway; here is the fourth chapter;
Enjoy! c:
Toph closed her eyes and rested her chin on her crossed arms that were on the edge of Appa's saddle, the warm air rushing by caressed the skin of her face. She couldn't 'see' anything, she hated not being able to pinpoint where exactly they were. The only thing she could do was try to hear or smell anything that would maybe tell her something about their current location. A sigh slipped through her parted lips, a moment or two later she felt a hand on her shoulder; Katara.
"What is it, Sugar Queen? Am I being too lazy again?" Toph snapped and froze, that wasn't supposed to get out of her mouth. But instead of getting a sneer back, Katara chuckled under her breath, softly.
"No, you aren't. In fact, you look a little tense to me, is everything alright?" Katara asked calmly as she sat down beside the earth bender. Toph looked up, directly into Katara's eyes.
"How do you—?" Toph mumbled and shook her head. "No. I mean, yes, I'm perfectly fine."
"Are you really sure about that, because I'm not…" Katara spoke softly and glanced over her shoulder to see Sokka and Aang discussing something with a lot of arm-, and hand gestures on Appa's shoulders.
"Ye—"
"Toph, I may not be as gifted as you are, but I can also tell right now that you're not telling the truth." Toph was taken aback, this girl was learning fast, but she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. The blind girl sighed again and slumped her shoulders, she wasn't being honest, and that was true. But she knew she couldn't tell the truth either, not the whole truth at least.
"Okay, you're right. Satisfied?"
"No, but if you don't want to talk about it, just tell me. But don't pretend there isn't anything going on, because I can tell there is," Katara's voice was very calm and soothing. She wasn't pushing Toph to tell anything she didn't want to, but instead just offered her help and support if Toph did want to tell. That gave Toph a very pleasant feeling, someone cared about her, enough to leave it up to herself. It made Toph trust Katara a little more than she already did.
"Thank you, Katara," Toph whispered, head bowed down. She was so caught up in her thoughts that Toph didn't even noticed Katara moving, without a warning she felt Katara's arms around her, hugging the blind earth bender. It took Toph by surprise and caused her to freeze, but quickly she relaxed again and let Katara hug her. She buried her head in the water bender's hair that hung loosely over her shoulders, on her chest. Katara looked up, a little surprised, but then smiled and caressed Toph's hair slowly, soothing. Whatever it was that the blind girl didn't want to tell her, yet, it wasn't just something. Katara could tell by the way the earth bender suddenly clung to her, she noticed soft sobs from Toph, but didn't mention it. Instead Katara just continued to hold her friend and caressing her black hair.
"Hey sis, tell Aang that I'm right. He doesn't want to admit tha—" Sokka got cut off by his sister.
"Shh, not now Sokka. There's more important stuff right now for me to focus on," Katara said and saw her brother looking at her and Toph, raising an eyebrow.
"One second they're about to get into a catfight, the next they're best friends forever. Girls are weird," Sokka said to Aang who laughed and just shrugged his shoulders. He was happy already that the two girls seemed to have made up again and weren't fighting or arguing any
"Just leave them for a while, Sokka. I'm sure they'll appreciate some privacy right now," Aang said and turned around again to make Appa turn slightly to the left before going straight forward again. The way the two girls were sitting together told Aang that there was something going on with his earth bending Master that was for now only trusted to Katara.
"Thanks, Aang," Katara whispered softly as she glanced towards the Avatar. He had his wise moments, even though he was only twelve, he was the Avatar after all.
.
Katara looked down at the blind girl's face that was half buried in her hair, shoulders quivering, soft sobs muffled by the earthbender's fists that she held in front of her mouth, clutching Katara's clothing. Katara just kept caressing Toph's hair and back, hoping to give her friend a feeling of safety and comfort. It hurt the waterbender to see her friend like this, wishing she could do something to make Toph feel better, somehow. She rested her cheek on top of Toph's head as she continued trying to comfort her friend.
"Oh Spirits, I wish I could do something," Katara thought to herself and sighed. She wanted to help her friend more than herself, she wasn't so important. She herself would come later, as long as she could make Toph feel better, because this was, to Katara, more painful to watch than her own confusion and problems. If she could help her friend not feeling sad anymore, or whatever it was her friend was feeling right now, she'd be happy, satisfied. Katara had always cared more for others than for herself, just like her mother who was 'taken' by the Fire Nation. Katara looked a lot like her mother, more than she knew herself.
Katara looked at Toph in surprise, her friend wasn't sobbing anymore and her grip on Katara's clothes had loosened, her breathing was steady and even. Toph had fallen asleep, face still half buried in Katara's hair against her chest. Katara's lips curled up slightly into a smile, her friend must've been really exhausted, she didn't blame her. Especially after last night, all the hours they'd been at the small lake, talking. Toph's chest was rising and falling lightly, the even rhythm of Toph's breathing put Katara even more at ease. Without taking notice, Katara was slowly drifting away into sleep as well, still holding the earthbender in her arms, her head still resting on Toph's.
.
Katara's eyelids fluttered while she started to wake up from her sleep, a yawn escaped her mouth and she stretched out her arms and upper body. She blinked a few times to clear her sight and looked down, Toph's eyelids fluttered too and the earthbender stretched herself out as well while yawning. She looked confused at the warmth she felt against her skin and poked out in front of her, touching Katara's side. Toph cocked her head, confused.
Had she fallen asleep in the waterbender's arms…?
"Good afternoon, Toph," Katara said with a smile and brushed her hair back, over her shoulders so it fell on her back like a curtain.
"Mornin'," Toph replied and another yawn followed. She felt as if she slept for two whole days, she was well rested but not really awake yet. As she allowed her mind to start up slowly, she found memories of earlier. She'd been sobbing in Katara's hair, while being held in an embrace by the waterbender. Blood flushed her cheeks which colored them a deep pink; she'd been sleeping in Katara's embrace…
"Slept well?" Katara asked in a soft voice and Toph nodded.
"Yeah, you?"
"Me too," Katara answered and looked over her shoulder, instantly alarmed when she didn't see Aang nor Sokka. Momo wasn't anywhere to be found either. It was just her, Toph and Appa.
"What is it?" Toph asked, slowly standing up to stretch out her entire body now, looking at Katara, waiting for an answer.
"The boys, they're gone…" Katara said in a soft, but slightly panicked voice.
"Now you say so, I can't feel them anywhere near, either…" Toph whispered, she'd jumped off of Appa's saddle and was now crouched on the ground, her right foot, left foot and knee and her right hand touching the rocky earth. Panic flooded Katara's body, she wanted to yell the boys' names, but if Toph said they weren't anywhere near, it'd be useless anyway.
"Appa, where's Aang? Where're Sokka and Momo?" Katara asked as she crawled onto the giant flying bison's head. Appa's answer was a soft roar, not really helpful, but what did she expect? Suddenly, a piece of paper around one of Appa's horns caught her attention. Katara carefully climbed down and loosened the cord around Appa's horn and enfolded the piece of paper.
"Toph, look, they left a note." Toph coughed and Katara looked up to her friend.
"Can't read, I'm blind, remember?" Toph replied as she walked towards Katara, who smashed her hand into her forehead. Of course, how could she forget that?
"Right, sorry… I'll read it out loud, it says: 'Hey Katara and Toph, don't worry about us. We're just in the city nearby to get us some food and drinks. we're also trying to find out if we can find a place to stay. We'll be back before sundown. – Aang, Sokka & Momo'"
"I thought Twinkle Toes was worried about getting to Ba Sing Se before the end of the week, and now he's 'trying to find a place to stay'?" Toph noted, confused, one eyebrow raised. Katara shrugged her shoulders, Toph was right, it was odd that Aang would be looking for a place to stay, while this morning he'd shared his worries about getting to Ba Sing Se in time. Something wasn't right…
"Earth to Katara!" Toph said in a load voice, waving her hand in front of Katara's face.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Toph, I was just lost in my train of thought…"
"Well, let me join that ride. What were you thinking about?"
"It doesn't… Something feels off, it's just too weird and nothing like Aang to change his mind so suddenly…"
"Maybe your idiot brother convinced Aang—"
"No, Sokka can be good in putting and holding his foot down, but can't beat Aang in that. Aang's smarter than that, he'd weigh all the pros and cons in his head at least ten times before he changes his mind," Katara said and laughed, Toph chuckled at Katara's comment on the Avatar, but Katara was right.
"Hmm, so what are the possibilities, you think?" she asked the waterbender and sat down on a platform of earth she bent up from the ground. Katara sat down next to her, holding her chin in the palm of her hand.
The truth was Katara had absolutely no idea. It was weird, really weird. It was definitely Aang's handwriting, Katara was extremely certain of that, but the message wasn't like Aang. She looked at the earthbender beside her and took a deep breath, then opened her mouth to reply.
"You have no idea, do you?" It wasn't exactly a question, rather a statement. Katara sighed and shook her head.
"Honestly, no. It's Aang's handwriting, without a doubt. But the message, it isn't like Aang…"
"Should we go look for them, or should we wait here?" Toph asked and Katara thought for a minute.
"Let's wait for a bit, but if twilight sets in and they're still not back by then, we'll go look for them. Okay?" Toph nodded in agreement. For Toph it wouldn't be a difference anyway, day or night; she saw just as much in broad daylight as in night darkness.
"What shall we do in the meantime?" Toph asked and Katara smiled.
"Let's try to relax a bit, I think we could both use it," Katara answered and Toph looked at her with her head cocked to the side.
"Relax? Okay, but what's your definition of relaxing? Because I'm not too sure we have the same ideas about that…"
"Well, you'll see." A smirk appeared on Katara's face as she grabbed Toph's arm and dragged the girl with her. Toph wasn't very fond of surprises, but she couldn't make herself remove Katara's hand from her arm, so she walked along with the Waterbender. She heard some rustling; Katara was grabbing something from a bag on the side of Appa's saddle and continued walking.
"Katara, do you know where we're going?"
"Hmm, sort of—"
"What? Sort of? Spirits, we're going to get lost…"
"No, we're not. You're here with me and you could always 'look' for Appa if we would, which won't happen."