Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER! WWWAHHHH!

Another cursed and confusing dream came last night. That stupid dream was reoccurring and made no sense what-so-ever. But she guessed everything in her life made no sense at the moment.

The dream started off like any of her normal dreams, with her standing on top of that same secret hill on her family's old estate, the one the guards never found out about. In all her dreams, she was not blind, although she don't see in color. Everything is so beautifully sketched out in her mind while she rests that sometimes she wished it was real.

Last night's dream began with the gentle breeze of the north wind flowing over her and the hill. The lone beechnut tree hung low to the ground, but allowed just enough space for someone to be able to stand up and look across the farming valley that belonged to our family. She watched as the fall harvesters collected all the bountiful fruits and vegetables that they had tended to throughout the whole spring and summer. It was calming to just stand there and observe how peaceful the valley was.

She knew someone had approached her from behind and just stood a few feet away, trying to observe what she was aimlessly staring at. She could feel whoever it was, inching closer behind her before they wrapped their arms around her waist and shin on top of hers.

Taken by surprise at the actions of the stranger, she was only a half second away from doing what she did best, which was kicking some butt, but the stranger whispered "It's ok, it's just me". It belonged to the "clean" Deon. She called her dream version of him the "clean" Deon, because unlike the one in real life, this one seemed more to her liking. The cocky, wild look on his face was gone and he listened to everything that came out her mouth without cutting her off or getting smart about it.

At the first sighting of "clean" Deon, she was filled with a burning hatred for him having invaded her dreams. But as she started to notice how different this dude was from the real one, she started to grow fond of him. She felt comfortable around him and even told him about how much she missed my friends, something she rarely talked about. He cared about her and was nice. Almost as if he had deep feelings her...but he wasn't real.

Deon and she had spent countless dreams sitting by fires, earthbending, and sharing secrets that she wouldn't have dared uttered to anyone else. All under the beechnut tree on that secret hill.

At some point it had occurred to her that some part of her felt deeply for this man.

That day had been torture. The pain from the goraldalo crap they pushed on her had started way before those stupid healers were even able to figure out what happened. Her allergic reaction was making her feel like a hundred razor –sharp needles were prodding her head. Everyone was bustling in and out the room, freaking out and trying to fix the mistake they had made. The worried look was even worn by Darlene. And of course, her father had overreacted.

Finally, she was so tired and worn out; collapsing onto her bed was really her only choice. She had been hoping to get out of here as quick as possible, but it was obvious that her parents would would make her stay here as long as they saw fit. The fact that her own version of 'seeing' was started to get fuzzier with every passing hour and that things that weren't actually there were appearing to her was certainly cause for concern.

Sleep soon took over as she entered another one of my bittersweet dreams.

This dream was different than the others. They weren't on the special hill anymore but in a dining room. It was different than the dining rooms she had eaten in at her own home. For one, the table wasn't long and covered in food that they barely ate, but was rather a homey dining table with two wooden chairs and was stocked with a basic meal of favorite foods. It was annoyingly cold in the room, though.

She looked over to see Deon sitting next to her. He looked different as well. It was definitely the "clean" version of him, but with an older element, as if he had grown. His features had matured, such as his detailed face and muscles. But some things screamed out it was still him, like his always disobeying hair and famous grin, no longer filled with pride, but with content pleasure.

She seemed older as well, or at least that's what she discerned after looking down at herself. The first thing that surprised her was the robe of fertility, which was worn only by married woman, usually newly-wed ones, that was draped over her older self. I gasped at all the intricate patterns she had always imagined would be on them. She never imagined wearing one, but everyone had always told her how she would look like beautiful on her...not like she cared.

They dug in. She never before had actually tasted dream food before, but it was like the real thing but ten times better.

A mighty meat craving came over her as she scanned the table. She had finished a small piece of lamb shop and found it to be amazing.

That's when she saw he was holding the plate away from her with that same grin. Now usually she would have just snatched it away and hogged it down, but he was keeping it out of reach. her next notion was to just earthbend it out of his hands, but he must have read her mind, because he set the platter down before swiftly taking her wrists in his hands. He looked into her eyes.

"What's the magic word, Toph?" he asked. His face was dangerously close to hers.

"Give up the meat or die."

A raised eyebrow was all she had received from that response. Okay, so maybe a little feigning couldn't heard if it meant dream lamb.

"May I have another lamb chop, Deon?" she said with a coy smile.

"Sure you can, Toph. Here's another lamb chop", he responded in a younger voice this time. A more realistic voice. she didn't quite question why he responded in such a redundant way. Who questions dreams anyway?

I looked into his eyes in saw him and just him. All feelings were decided.

"Thanks, I love you."

She wasn't sure what made her say it, but she did and that was that. It had escaped and was running rampant and she didn't even give a care. At first she thought he would gasp or laugh, but instead he smiled.

And before anything else could happen, his lips met hers and kissed her sweetly.

Nothing out of control or wild. Nothing that would boil blood. But at the heat of the moment, it almost did. A warm feeling washed over her face as she felt the kiss deepen, before suddenly, he pulled away and smiled once again with his eyes closed.

And that was the last thing that she heard before crashing into a much deserved dreamless rest.