Authors Note: Good News

Authors Note: Good News! I fixed my computer! No more viruses! So that means I should be writing much, much more. This story is halfway done! Isn't that amazing! Not that you really needed to know that. Well anyways, to the story.

Chapter 7

.: Everyone Has a Secret :.


With Toph and Sokka

It didn't take him that long to find Toph. In fact, all he had to do was follow the humongous crowd out to the entrance. She was in the center of it all, basking in the glory she obviously deserved. "'You showed him what's boss!" and "I love you Blind Bandit!"" was being shouted all over the place. Sokka elbowed his way to the middle of the crowd, and soon found himself right behind Toph. He was about to tap her shoulder when she turned around to face him, a victorious grin on her face, "I told you I wanted to show those armature benders how it's done…didn't I."

Sokka smiled and looked at the ground, "I guess you did."

The crowd around them started to diminish, Sokka grabbed Toph's hand and pulled her towards the restaurants and bakeries in town, "Come on, after that, you must be hungry. I got hungry just watching it!"

Toph nodded and let him lead her, "Yeah I am a little hungry."

They walked in silence for awhile, just observing the people around them. "How'd you learn to do that?"

Toph looked up, surprised at the sound of his voice, "Do what?"

"Earth bend like that. I mean, you got him on the ground screaming in four seconds flat." He threw up his hands in exaggeration.

"Badgermoles." Toph stated simply.

"Huh?" Sokka looked back at her, confused. For a girl of many words, she sure wasn't speaking much. Maybe it was the fact that he was holding her hand and pulling her closer to him without even realizing it or maybe it's because he wouldn't stop praising her. Either one left the faint shade of red on her cheeks. But of course, Sokka was oblivious to all three of these facts.

"Once, a long time ago when I was younger, I ran away to a cave. My parents were being more protective than they had ever been and it frustrated me, so I left for awhile. When I was in the cave a couple of Badgermoles found me, I think they could sense I was blind too, and they showed me how to connect with the earth."

"Connect with the earth?"

She gave him an annoyed sideways glance, "Your interrupting. Anyways, as I was saying, they showed me how to see with my feet. I pretty much taught the rest to myself but,"

"You taught yourself how to earth bend? Really? You didn't…"

"Sokka. You're interrupting again. As I was saying, my parents got me a Si-Fu, but they only wanted me to learn the basics. It didn't really help me much."

There was a long, awkward silence, Toph chuckled and sighed, "You can talk now Sokka."

Sokka laughed and glanced at her, "I'm out of questions."


With Aang and Katara

There happened to be a torch sitting right inside the entrance in the cave. Aang picked it up, lit it with fire bending, and continued walking. It wasn't anything special at first, just your regular cave made of rock and dirt.

"I'm assuming you have a destination, right?" Katara asked, looking around, Aang smiled and answered without even looking back, "Of course!"

"So you've been here before?"

"All the time. It was like…my special thinking place." He looked down and softened his grip on her hand.

"What made you want to come here and think that much at the age of…what, 16?" Katara laughed.

Aang smiled, but it wasn't the usual grin he had on his face, it was a soft smile, a fake, she could already tell it was fake. Like he was remembering something. "15. And a lot of things happened to me when I was younger, before I met Toph and Zuko, or Ty Lee and Mai."

"Things like what?"

He looked down; Katara squeezed his hand in encouragement, "The death of my parents."


With Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko

"No Appa! You can't eat that!" Zuko ran after him, leaving Mai and Ty Lee behind.

"Remind me why we brought Appa." Mai rolled her eyes.

"Because silly, Aang will be sooo happy to see him! Plus we can't leave Mrs. Wither watching him all the time; she's like, a bah-jillion years old!"

Appa came bounding back to them, stopping by Ty Lee so she could pat him on the head, "He's such a good boy! Yes he is, isn't he?"

Appa barked and wagged his tale, Zuko scoffed, "Good? You must be kidding me!"

Ty Lee pulled the meanest face she could manage, which ended up being a small frown, "Don't listen to them Appa, you're the best dog ever!" She went back to her usual cheerful self, "Come on Appa!" she yelled, running ahead.


With Toph and Sokka, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee

"Could you move to the right a little, the suns in my eyes." Toph asked.

Sokka glanced at her and moved so that his shadow was covering her face, "Thanks." She smirked.

"No prob-" Right in the middle of speaking, a giant, furry, fluffy, hairy animal came bursting around the comer and knocked right into Sokka. It ended up on top of him, and was now licking his face like crazy. A shadow was cast over him, and he looked up, "And to think that would have been me! Come on Appa, up."

The dog immediately jumped off of him and over to Toph, giving her a light lick on the hand and enjoying the scratch behind the ears she gave him. Sokka sat up and wiped the spit off of him, "You know that thing!"

"This thing happened to be a very cute dog named Appa. He's Aang's."

Sokka froze, "There's no way that's staying in the palace."

Toph laughed, "Aww come on, loosen up a little."

Before he could reply Ty Lee came bounding around the corner, calling for Appa. Once she spotted Toph, she slowed down to a walk, "Oh good, you caught him."

"Actually, Sokka caught him." Toph laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want." Sokka lifted himself off the ground and brushed himself off.

Zuko and Mai came walking around the corner a few seconds later, "What are you doing here?" Mai asked.

"We were on our way to lunch, but we sort of got," Sokka glanced at Appa, "Occupied."

"Oh lunch sounds good!" Ty Lee patted her stomach, "I could go for some roast duck."

"That's sounds good I guess." Zuko mumbled.

"Well we didn't really invite you, but I guess you can come." Toph said and started off the way Sokka and her were going before Appa had run into them.

Mai sighed and hooked arms with Zuko, "Has anybody seen Aang and Katara?"


With Aang and Katara

They hadn't talked for awhile ever since Aang had announced what had made him think so much. Katara thought, it wasn't so much as think, bur to grieve. Her mom had always told her that whenever you feel terrible sadness, or terrible loss, it was best to talk about it. To talk to someone you love. She didn't love him, and he didn't love her. But right now, he just needed a good listener. And she was great at that.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He didn't answer.

"You'll feel better if you do."

Silence.

"It's ok if you don't want to. I know that you've only known me for a little while. And if it makes you uncomf-"

"It happened when I was 10."

He took a breath and Katara silently waited for him to continue, "I was really energetic when I was little, and I got in trouble for it all the time. My dad said it was bad for his reputation, him being a governor and all. One day; I broke a very expensive vase and spilled tea all over my dad's work papers. I got punished, bad, and that night I ran away. The next morning I came back and…" he took a breath, "the next day I came back," he took another breath.

The strong voice he started out with was getting weaker, Katara subconsciously took a step closer to him, "The next day I came back, and they were gone. Soldiers were everywhere; people were standing around gawking like it was some form of entertainment." He squeezed her hand a little tighter, "An official came and took me away. I was put in a foster home for a few weeks, and eventually became a foster child. The first few families were horrible, I was basically a slave. But the last one I had, Gyatso, acted as a replacement father. He was seriously the most wonderful thing I had for a very long time." The smile that had bloomed on his face faded away.

"But no, they had to make me leave. They wanted to take me away from the only person that really cared for me. So I left. I ran. Found this cave and hid in it for awhile. Came out, met Toph, and the rest you can guess." He had a bitter tone in his voice; there was so much pain in his eyes Katara couldn't bear it.

She pulled him into a hug and whispered, "I'm so sorry. Really I am."

He was tense at first, but soon relaxed into the hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they stood there. Taking in the silence. Taking in the sorrow. Taking in life. He was softly crying, she could feel the slow steady drops were landing on her shoulder, but he wasn't bawling. She figured he had had enough of that.

After a couple on minutes he got himself together and pulled away from her, reluctantly he could admit, "But there's a good side to everything."

He took a deep breath and blew out the torch.

"Aang!" Katara jumped and clung to his arm, they were in complete darkness. "What was that for?" she could feel the smile and radiating off of him.

"Just watch."

Slowly but surely, the walls began to glow. It was the most beautiful cobalt blue she had ever seen, "Aang…" she breathed, "I don't know what to say."

She slowly walked over to the walls and touched, what appeared to be, crystal.

"I looked around when I was staying here. I sneezed and the fire I had accidentally went out. At first I was panicking, but then these crystals started to glow, and I found my way out." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise she turned around and hugged him tightly, "So this is your special place you've never told anyone about." He nodded, "Thanks for telling me."


With Long Feng and…

He slowly made his way to the hidden chamber under the palace, stealthily and quickly. When he got to his destination he quickly kneeled on one knee. Somebody was standing in the shadows, her feet was all you could see, "I'm sorry I'm late. But good news, things are going as planned. You are to show up for dinner with your brother tomorrow evening."

"Thank you Long Feng," she took a step closer, he could now see the elegant clothes she was wearing, "Your dismissed."


Good? Bad? In the middle?

Tell me what you think.

If you want my opinion, it was the best chapter I've ever wrote.

Aang's family life was finally revealed.

Here's a little sneak peek for the people that are reading this.

He took her hand and kissed it delicately, "Charmed..."


"I just don't like him."
"Why?"
He thought for a second, "He seems a little shady."
"Oh Aang your being ridiculous."
"I don't care if I'm being ridiculous Katara," he shot her a glance; "I'm keeping one eye open at all times."


She giggled and batted her eyelashes, "So you're the famous Shin."


"You and me. Whoever wins has to do whatever the winner wants them to." She stuck out her hand to shake. Sokka looked at her, grinned, and shook her hand.
"Easy as pie."
Toph smirked, "We'll see about that."


"Zuko," she paused, "I don't know what to say."
"How about yes?"


"I trust you. They will split up."


And that's all I'm going to say.

One more thing before I go eat…

The next chapter is very very important.

Some of the main characters are going to

Be introduced.

Will they be OC's or will they be on

The show? Take your guess.

Also, some major events are going to happen.

Stay tuned.

Chow.

3

-Maegan-