It was on the third day of visiting Fire Lord Zuko's palace that Toph decided:
Insanity is just a word.
Words don't really mean anything.
Rules aren't just meant for breaking; they're meant for shattering into tiny, tiny, minuscule fragments.
She would use her power over Aang to bend him around her little finger.
She wants to ride a Kimodo Rhino before she dies.
And really, she argued when she was later scolded by Katara, it was their fault. Everyone in the gaang knew that the first rule of travelling was that under no circumstances was Toph to be left alone when they were on a quest to impressother nations and noble persons. And leaving her with Aang so that the Avatar might exercise some control over her wasn't better at all-- if anything, it encouraged her.
The meeting had been going quite well with Katara and Sokka conversing, negotiating and planning with Zuko and the other Fire Sages. Aang had been excused from the meeting as it had soon become evident that the Avatar had no experience in the world of material possessions and objects for trade, money, politics and he didn't like the biscuits they were offering as refreshments. Too spicy.
There was, of course, no way in hell that Toph would be made to sit through one of those meetings. And the Water Tribe siblings and Fire Lord really should have heard the danger bells ringing when Aang had casually said "I'll go hang out with Toph, then."
They had almost reached an agreement regarding growing crops and trading within Fire nation territory and waters when the east wall collapsed. They lost sight of eachother in the storm of dust and debris and all they could hear was, "Twinkles, I think we hit something."
Pinning the blame on the stable hand was useless. No way could they expect the meek, frightened stable boy to stand up to the Master Earthbender-- even if he was eleven years older then her. After all, it was Toph Bei Fong-- the thirteen-year-old girl who was known to make grown men cry. And Toph insisted that the Kimodo Rhino's had been on a rampage and she and Aang had been trying to stop them before they could do serious damage, like, say, collapsing a wall on a group of very, very important Fire Sages and ambassadors.
Aang just stood there and quailed beneath Katara's gaze.
After everything had been cleared up, apologies been made, high fives been initiated between Toph and Aang (and a discreet one to Sokka), and the Terrible Two scolded and told that everyone was "Very disappointed with the both of you" the meeting was relocated to another room-- this one as far away from the stables as possible-- and the negotiations started anew.
Toph and Aang had been left under the watchful eye of Sokka. It didn't really work. The second rule of travelling was that Sokka wasn't much better at supervising Toph then Aang was.
Needless to say, the shinnanigans had soon restarted and the palace was in complete havoc.
It wasn't a very productive day for the world.
Oh, crack fics. How I've missed you so.