Story Title: Earth and Air
Rating: T
Pairings: Taang!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avatar: The Last Airbender themes or characters. That is all owned by Nickelodeon.
A/N: Sister story to Fire and Water. In Toph's point of view. This has actually been in my computer for a month now, but wouldn't let me upload it 'till now. So here it is. Not much to say. Enjoy!
-Solar Beam
Earth and Air:
Darkness.
That was all she saw, every day, every night.
Twenty-four seven.
It was always a black abyss, threatening to swallow her whole.
Ever since the first day she had breathed air.
She had never seen the light of day.
She had never seen the stars at night.
She had never seen a tree in bloom.
She had never seen a lot of things.
But she had stuck through.
She had known that she could survive.
She knew that, no matter what they told her…
No matter what they said to her…
No matter what they could keep her from doing…
She knew that she was stronger than that.
Than them.
Than anyone around her.
The earth strengthened her in ways soft words and hugs could not.
She had thought that it was all she needed.
Until, that is, she met him.
He was everything she wasn't.
Calm.
Collected.
Sweet.
Knowledgeable.
He held a power that no one else could.
He held the world on his shoulders.
Everything.
Everything was up to him.
The peace.
The love.
The freedom.
And he was only twelve years old.
He was her age.
And yet, he held the power of a thousand benders.
When she had met him,
On that cool night in the ring,
When he had pushed her out of the circle,
Everything changed.
She had never cried before.
Yet, she cried when he left.
She had never defied her father outright before.
But she had run away from home.
She had never had friends before.
And yet, he had taken the time to try and get to know her.
Somewhere, in that sinister void of her sight,
A light shown.
A light shown…
And it was blinding.
She was the most powerful earthbender ever seen.
He was the most powerful person ever seen.
She had always been one of sarcastic remarks.
She had always been one to push those who cared for her away.
She had always been one to be determined…
To fight.
She felt herself changing.
Going through her own metamorphosis.
Would she be the beautiful butterfly?
Or the misunderstood moth she was always destined to become?
She had always thought that she'd be the daughter,
Always there,
Always living,
But never known to the world.
They had kept her secret.
But when she met him,
She had felt known.
And that was fine with her.
She wanted to be known.
She wanted to be loved.
She wanted to be challenged.
And he challenged her.
He didn't fear her.
Not any longer.
He didn't try and pity her because of her loss of sight.
And she was fine with that.
She wanted that.
And he had been the first one to truly care about that.
They hadn't seemed to care, her parents.
They had pitied her.
They had kept her away from the world.
They had protected her.
But she could protect herself.
…
Couldn't she?
He had brought on this knew light.
A light that burned through the darkness like a beacon.
And she welcomed the light.
She was cautious at first.
Unsure of what this flare would become.
But she was sure now.
She trusted it.
And she trusted him.
He had grown so strong since entering the Worst City Ever.
And she had been the mentor of that strength.
A strength to beat down his breezy ways.
She was proud of that strength.
When they bended the earth, they were one.
Working with the same mind.
Working with the same pulse.
And she loved that.
Only problem was…
She was earth.
He was air.
In fact…
He was the last of his type.
She was pretty sure there was no else out there like him.
But he was the last of his culture.
And earth beat down air.
And air cut rivets into earth.
Into stone.
And she had always been stone.
Never let too much known.
But the quiet little girl.
Grown up blind.
No one will ever know your weaknesses.
But that was before she had met him.
And before he had brought on that Light.