Date: Sunday, May 6, 2012
CHAPTER SEVEN
Toph entered the house and called out to her mother. No one answered. She couldn't sense anyone in there and then a metal box suddenly contained her.
"Hey, who's there? Let me out!" she said while pounding on the metal.
"We finally got you at last."
They dragged the container out from the house into the road heading towards the Bei Fong estate.
Li followed the address and found the house empty. He wondered where she could have been. Someone had been there but now, nothing... no one.
She must have headed to her own house. He looked around the streets hidden listening to people. It took quite some time before he found out where she lived. It was in the upper ring, a place he really shouldn't be as the first one he went to.
In the shadows of the streets, he swiftly ran towards the house at the back and entered through the open window. He looked around, she wasn't there. He decided to wait first before doing anything he shouldn't like he already hadn't by sneaking inside the house of someone else. He waited until the doors opened but he made sure he was hidden.
"I believe we need to go right."
"What are you talking about? The Bei Fong estate is this way."
"I'm quite certain, you are mistaken."
"Hey! Can you two old ladies quit your bickering for a second?" said Toph as she kept banging on the metal. "I gotta go to the bathroom."
"Oh, you better make it quick."
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Very sneaky, Toph. You can't fool me."
"Get me outta here so I can kick you butts!"
"You may think you're the greatest earth bender but even you can't bend metal."
This guy just gave ideas to her. What element did metal belong to? It's still earth but different. She tried and tried until she sense the tiny bits within the metal.
She used metal bending to escape and get back at the two who captured her.
The sky bison was up in there with Aang and Sokka on top of him.
"What is that?" asked Sokka pointing out.
"It's Toph. Let's go," Aang said as he directed Appa towards the earth bender. "Yip,yip."
"Need a ride?" said Sokka.
"Wha- " Toph lost control and fell when they were suddenly at her side.
"That's gotta hurt,' said Sokka.
They stopped and landed Appa near her.
"What are you doing here?" asked Sokka. "What happened?"
"Come on. We need to get to Katara," said Aang who couldn't control himself. He was that worried.
They all got on the bison that took off.
They rushed towards the palace
"Where's Katara?" asked Aang as they entered the room.
"Well, she met with the generals to plan the invasion and since then she's with your friends, the Kyoshi Warriors."
"They're here! Suki's here," said Sokka. "They're probably back at the apartment right now talking about make-up or something."
They went back to the apartment to meet up with friends. They had been a few days early to have heard their arrival. There is so much to talk about but when they got there, the apartment was empty.
"Katara isn't here but someone else is," said Toph.
"She is in trouble," said Aang.
"Wait. Some one else is here? How? The doors were locked," said Sokka. "Who?"
"Relax, Snoozles. We know him," said Toph. "You better come out, Sneaky."
"Sneaky? Uncle asked me to see if you're safe. Jin thought it suspicious. You were gone long. And the window's open?" he said while getting out from his hiding place.
"What are you doing here?" said Sokka with surprise. "And the windows?"
"I just said why," said Li slightly irritated by Sokka's loud voice. "You really should close those."
"Where's Katara?" said Aang with seriousness.
"Katara?" asked Li with confusion. "Who is she?"
"What are you playing at, Zuko?" asked Sokka.
"I'm not playing at anything. And my name is Li, not Zuko," said Li angrily. "Will you quit saying that? Why are people even calling me that?"
"You can't fool-" said Sokka but was cut off by Toph.
"He's not fooling you guys. He's Li, okay? And he's not lying. He thinks he doesn't know Katara cause he's been here as a refugee for a long time," said Toph into their ears after pulling them both by the sleeve to make them listen.
"I can tell you though that if she is in trouble, it didn't happen here. Where was she last or expected anyway? Didn't you look there?" asked Li.
"We already checked the palace."
"The palace? She works there? Uncle said you were a noble, Toph but a friend in the palace?"
"She doesn't work in the palace. She's a water bender, my sister and teacher of the avatar."
"The avatar? He was gone for a hundred years."
"I am back. I'm the avatar and you should know that."
"I'm his teacher too but on earthbending," said Toph.
"Okay, and you?" he said to Sokka.
"I'm the plan guy," said Sokka proudly.
"Sure. Well, how long have you been here anyway? Care to explain the situation a bit more? I might help a bit with what I know. Uncle would have made me anyway."
"You're going to help us? What?" asked Sokka.
"Just shut up and explain the situation. He might now where she could be. He's obviously good at tracking, remember?" said Toph while making a point. "I didn't even tell him that we're staying here."
"Yeah that and around half the world makes him really good."
They started explaining what happened and the things done.
"Have you seen the Kyoshi warriors?"
"Yeah, they're our friends."
"No, I meant have you seen them now?"
"No."
"They could be impostors."
"Don't go calling Suki an impostor. She's good."
"Do you even know if it's her? They're the only new factor besides the Dai Li. And you said their leader is locked up."
"You have a point."
"Check on them then. I'm going. Uncle's going to be worried if I'm gone long," said Li as he headed outside the door.
"Wait," said Toph. "Can you help us? Just in case. You're good with those swords We might need all the help we can get."
"I-"
"Please," she asked pleadingly. It was one of her acts but Li didn't know that.
"Fine."
She grinned.
"I knew it," said Li annoyed. "You're the sneaky one."
"But it's different, Grumpy."
"Stop that."
"You sure about this, Toph?"
"He might be able to help us find Katara where ever they're keeping her," said Aang. "Let's just go."
"Wait. There's a Dai Li agent going to our place," said Toph. "I'll get him," she added while using her earthbending skills to catch him.
They went outside and interrogated the captured Dai Li.
"Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the earth king."
"My sister. Where are they keeping Katara?"
"In the crystal catacombs of the old Ba Sing Se deep beneath the palace."
"That will do. Let's go."
"There is an ancient city down there," said Toph enthusiastically. "But it's deep."
She stood up after sensing the ground then opened up the earth.
"We should split up," suggested Sokka. "Aang, you go with Li and look for Katara. And I'll go with Toph to warn the earth king about Azula's coup."
"What are you doing, Li?" asked Aang curiously as Zuko broke a tree branch and lit a fire with a match that he conveniently had in the small bag Jin threw at him. Besides the match, there were a few medical supplies in case any of his wounds hurt again.
"It's going to get dark as we go down," he reasoned.
"Why don't you just fire bend?" Aang asked curiously since why would a fire bender need a torch?
"What are you talking about? I'm not a fire bender," said Li defensively.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Let's just go," said Aang after realizing his mistake and then they entered the tunnel Toph opened up.
"Yeah, let's go."
Walking down, Aang noticed something odd about Zuko. Besides denying that he is a firebender, he looked shaken and on guard. It was getting darker as they go deeper and Zuko looked tensed and reliant upon the fire. He looked like he would loose it if it disappeared.
"Are you alright?" asked Aang with concern.
"I'm fine. Just do whatever you're doing with the earth," said Li defensively. He didn't know why but being in the dark somehow scared him. It reminded him of a place so dark and cold. He didn't want to go back there. He was afraid of going back to such a place and he can't even remember why.
He doesn't even know the kid. He doesn't need to tell him that. They'll just go get that girl name Katara and go. He'll be back where he's uncle was. The only reason he is here is due to his uncle. He made a promise to help Toph and he never goes back on his word. He may not remember much but he knows that he never breaks his word.
"Sure, and don't worry. They said it's called a crystal catacomb. There will be enough light there when we reach her," Aang said while trying to light the tension.
Johari: Hello! Hope you like this one. Opinions are generally welcome. Constructive criticisms are appreciated for further improvement of writing. Please do tell me what you think of it. I would be really grateful and thankful if you did.
doglover500, dragonwitch250 and CrazyDyslexicNerd, thanks for reviewing :)) Zuko didn't find Toph in time but at least she still discovered metal bending ^_^
Thanks everyone, have a nice day or night depending on the time your reading this. ^_^ I'll try to update the next one as soon as I can. Please review :)
I'm looking for a Beta Reader for this fanfic entitled 'My name is?'. Anyone interested, please do message me.
I've been having careless mistakes that needs help.
