Toph lay on the grassy ground, staring up at the bright blue sky. Aang hadn't shown up that weekend, but she could venture a guess why. Her family had been very protective when she was alive, so she wouldn't blame him for being absent.

Still, she was lonely. She had been for a while; ever since her fight with the bald boy. Having only one friend could do that sometimes. Plus, begin around him so often had made her forget what life (or death) had been like without him. It seemed like she had always known him.

"I wish he would come here," she thought, eyes closed to the sky above. There were no clouds, and pure blue wasn't very interesting to look at. Besides, she liked the familiarity of blind darkness. A gentle breeze blew by, moving the leaves and the grass but having no affect on her. Sitting up, she savoured her sightless moment a little longer then opened her eyes to search for something of interest. Not far away, a boy was walking in her direction. He was bald, about her height, and about her age. He looked like...

"Aang!" she shouted, waving happily.

He continued forward, at the same slow speed.

Tired of waiting, Toph got to her feet and rushed toward him. Once closer, she noticed that he kept his gaze to the ground, eyes out of sight. It worried her. Was he upset? Had someone gotten hurt?

"Hey, Twinkle Toes, what brings you out here so early?" she asked, trying to hide her concern.

Then he met her gaze, revealing glowing blue eyes and giving her the feeling that this was not her friend.

XxXxXx

Aang paced in circles, chewing his lip and fending off a panic attack.

Roku had taken control of his body, and now he was stuck in Spirit World. Now that the wise elder Spirit had a physical form, there was a wide array of things he could do to Toph, most of which were unpleasant and involved permanent banishment from the realm of the living.

His stomach churned with worry and anger. How could Roku do something like this? He was the former Avatar! He was supposed to be just and fair, not strict and heartless! Balling his hands into fists, Aang made a silent vow never to become like that.

Continuing to pace, he struggled to think of a way out of the Spirit World. One major problem was the fact that his body already housed a Spirit (Roku, to be exact), meaning he had no physical form to go back to. He could try returning anyway, but it was highly unlikely that one body could hold two Spirits. And if it could, there were bound to be complications. They could become trapped in his body forever, or trapped in the Spirit World, or maybe on stuck in his body and the other in the Spirit World. Either way, something bad would happen.

Well, if Roku's Spirit could enter a foreign body, maybe his could too. But where and how could he possibly corpse close to the school? Sure, there was a cemetery a few blocks away, but everything in it 

was decayed and underground. The closest morgue was at least a twenty minute drive away, so that was out of the question, too.

Maybe he could possess someone? No, that would be wrong, and probably have the same complications as trying to enter his own body while Roku still occupied it.

Then he thought of Toph. She had no physical form, but she could wander the living world with no problems. Maybe he could do the same. But how? Was it the same as entering the Spirit World – just letting his Spirit drift away?

Deciding to give it a shot, he seated himself on the ground, closed his eyes, and focused.

XxXxXx

"You're not Twinkle Toes!" Toph cried, backing away from the look-alike.

The boy followed her, his expression blank but terrifying. What did he want from her? What had happened to Aang? What was she supposed to do?

"Toph BeiFong," he said, voice echoing and unsuitably old, "It is time you left this world."

A memory flashed through her mind. Aang had said his mentor, Roku, wanted her to move on, didn't he? Maybe he hadn't been lying. Maybe this is what he had been warning her about.

"Get away from me!" she yelled. "I'll never leave!"

Roku lifted his hands, fingers poised like a puppeteer's. Suddenly, Toph's body felt stiff and restrained, despite possessing no physical form. A knot of dread grew in her stomach as she struggled to gain control of her limbs, wondering what this person had done.

In her peripheral vision, she saw a bright blue flash. A figure appeared, bald young, and surrounded by a shimmering glow.

"Aang, why the hell are there two of you?" she demanded, turning her head toward him, it seemed to be the only part of her body she could control.

But Roku, in Aang's body, had begun chanting. It was a quick, menacing sounding mantra that the real Aang recognized as a banishment technique. Some techniques required a traditional ceremony; others could be done on the spot. The only difference was risk of complication.

That didn't matter, though. Both would get rid of Toph forever.

A circle of light surrounded the dead girl's body. Acting on instinct, he ran forward and tackled her, only half registering that he couldn't touch her. Both were surprised when he made impact, knocking her out of the circle.

The light now surrounded Aang, slowly fading away when Roku stopped chanting.

"Get out of the way," he commanded.

"No! If you want her, you'll have to go through me first!"

Roku shook his head. "I can't do that. If the Avatar's Spirit vanishes, the entire Spirit world will be thrown into chaos."

"But it's okay to do the same thing to anyone else?"

"Yes, because if she doesn't leave the world will be thrown out of balance and the cycle of life will be broken. If you let one Sprit stay, none will leave."

Toph, who had listened to the whole exchange, got to her feet. Her friendship with Aang was that dangerous? It seemed impossible, but something about Roku forced her to believe it – he didn't seem like the type to lie.

"Aang," she said uncertainly, "maybe it's best if I do leave..."

He turned to her, wide-eyed "What? No! You don't have to do that!"

"Let her make her own decisions," Roku said sternly, though the face of Aang's body remained neutral.

Aang looked from his friend to his mentor and back again. "But... that's not really what you want, is it?"

"I dunno," Toph said, breaking away from his gaze. "I like it here, and I like my life – well, death, whatever... but I don't want to hurt anyone by staying."

"Are you sure?" he asked, silently pleading she would say 'no'. He couldn't give her up, not after how strong his feelings for her had become.

She nodded. "Yeah. Plus, I get to start over, right? Maybe I'll like my new life."

"Yeah, I guess," he said, smiling sadly.

"So," Roku said, interrupting their moment, "you're willing to move on with life? No matter the cost?"

Keeping her gaze to the ground, refusing to look at Aang, she said, "Yes."

Aang felt a painful lump growing in his throat and wondered if Spirits could cry. He had never witnessed such a thing, so he couldn't be sure.

Turning to Roku, he asked, "Could we have a minute? You know, to say good-bye?"

The elder Spirit sighed, but consented, allowing the pair a moment to themselves.

Awkward, said silence surrounded them as they both struggled to think of what to say. Aang fidgeted, trying to distract himself and forget what was happening.

Finally, after a long silence, Toph murmured a quiet, "Thanks."

Startled, he looked up, eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. You protect me from whatever that guy was gonna do. And you were my friend."

"That was nothing," he said, shuffling his feet. Then, hesitantly he asked, "So... Do you still want that hug?"

Her only response was to smile and spread her arms wide. Aang stepped forward, and they embraced.

It was odd, hugging a Spirit. Neither of them had bodies, so there anything to feel. Nonetheless, an odd sensation overwhelmed him, whether a result of emotion or mingling energies, he did not know. It just felt nice, and he was content with simply enjoying it.

"I'll miss you," she whispered.

"I'll miss you, too."

Roku cleared his throat. Pulling away from the embrace, Aang shot him a glare. Was it really necessary to rush their already short moment?

Taking a step away, Toph hesitated. Then, without thinking, she moved closer and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Goodbye," she murmured. Then she hurried over to Roku, wanting the whole horrible situation to end as quickly as possible.

"Bye," he whispered, watching as the former Avatar told her to close her eyes, take a deep breath, and let go.

In a bright blue flash, she vanished. It was then that he noticed his cheeks felt warm and wet, eyes blurred and stinging. Swallowing around a lump that seemed to obstruct his throat, Aang realized he was crying.

Roku, still in Aang's body, looked toward the sobbing boy. Despite his expression never changing, his gaze seemed to soften.

"Don't be distraught," he said, walking closer. "This is not the end. When love is real, it will find a way."

Then the body he posses went limp, the glow disappeared to reveal white, rolled-back eyes. Aang felt himself being tugged forward, his Spirit magnetized to his body. A surge of energy shot through him, and everything went black.

XxXxXx

"Aang!"

The voice called out to him, but it sounded far off. He ignored it, content to stay in his dreamless sleep.

Something grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly as another, more masculine voice continued to call his name.

Awake, he squinted his eyes open, seeing three worried faces.

"Wha?" he mumbled, struggling to a sitting position. He felt stiff and sore, but didn't know why. Maybe it was a side-effect of being possessed.

Immediately, Katara pulled him into a bear-hug. "We were so worried! You weren't in your bed, and you didn't leave a note, or take your shoes or your coat, or, or... What were you thinking?"

"I guess I slept-walked," he said, head spinning. It was easier to lie then explain the long, complicated story.

Sokka frowned, looking concerned. "You sure you're okay? You've never been much of a sleep-walker."

"I'm fine," he assured them, forcing a smile.

"You should stay home," Kana suggested as they helped him to his feet. Aang made no objection, his sore limbs and dizziness not being the ideal conditions to go to school with.

Once home, he crawled into bed, running through the previous night's events in his head. Toph was gone, but Roku said it wasn't the end. Did that mean they could meet again?

'Yes,' his instinct told him. 'Friendship transcends lifetimes, love always finds a way, and time us just an illusion.'

Author's Notes: So, last chapter. It was kinda hard to write, and I'm not sure about certain parts, but I think I did my best. Thank-you to everyone who left reviews. Your support and advice has been great. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.