Shinji sat, meditating, with Toph near him. Aang and Sokka argued over Sokka's course. They were over the desert, which, though shorter than going around, was more treacherous. As fate would have it, the desert would be extremely treacherous for two particular passengers.
"Nothing's going to happen!" Sokka shouted, and Aang jerked the reins from him.
"What if it does!" Aang said, and Sokka jerked the reins back with more force than he meant, causing Appa to spin. Toph and Shinji, who weren't holding on to anything, fell off, Toph screaming and Shinji assessing the situation at a mile a minute.
Shinji quickly grabbed Toph and forced fire through his feet, cushioning their landing. It wasn't enough, however, and Toph hit her leg on the ground, spraining it. Toph screamed, making the sand all around them solidify, then fly into the air. Aang expertly dodged, but left the couple behind several miles.
"Toph!" Shinji shouted, grabbing the blind girl's wrists. "I'm here! Calm down!"
Toph fell to the ground, sweating and crying. "Are we okay?"
"You sprained your leg." Shinji said, feeling like he failed someone he loved again. "Sorry."
Toph grabbed Shinji's shoulder, pulling herself up to him, as Shinji kept muttering 'Sorry. I'm sorry' until she reached his cheek, kissing him.
"It's okay." Toph lied. She felt terrified, like they both would die in the desert, not that she would tell Shinji that. "But your performance sucked. Are you losing your bending?" Toph asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
Toph felt Shinji's heart skip a beat, and her face sank.
"Oh." Toph said.
"I'm not angry anymore. I meditate, focusing on things I hate, and they don't do anything." Shinji said.
"When we get out of this," Toph said, grabbing Shinji's chin to make him look at her face. "Get lessons from Zuko. This happened to him."
"Alright." Shinji said, and stood. "You can't walk, but I can carry you." Shinji picked Toph up and, using a compass he had and previous knowledge from a couple of bounties from the desert, he walked South, knowing of a town in that direction.
The walk through the desert was long, painful, and silent, neither one of the couple complaining.
Shinji gave Toph more food, believing a full stomach would help her sleep through her pain. Toph, not seeing through the sand, couldn't see Shinji slowly starving. Shinji felt guilty for the trickery, but tried to make rage from the guilt. He couldn't no matter how hard he tried, and thus he kept walking. He stopped, though, when he saw a large circus tent.
'Hm,' Shinji thought. 'This can't be a hallucination. I've seen this before. After losing their star, they became a freak show. Shinji walked up to the man, and he gasped.
"The Ash Bounty Hunter? What are you doing here?" The Ringmaster asked.
"Shinji, have you found a city?" Toph asked.
"Sort of." Shinji said, looking the Ringmaster in the eye. He was a retched man, and would love nothing more than to take Shinji in as a 'performer,' knowing that his past would make many come to see him. So Shinji gave him what he wanted. "If you bring this girl to civilization, I'll perform for you."
"Oh?" The Ringmaster asked.
"If you don't take her to civilization, I'll kill you and every performer you have." Shinji said, his old coldness creeping into his voice.
"Why wouldn't I just take you in? You look like you've been starved. But the girl looks normal. How peculiar." The Ringmaster said, knowing exactly what had happened.
"What's he talking about?" Toph asked when, suddenly, the penny dropped.
"She's a normal girl, but blind. I'm the insane, bloodthirsty Ash Bounty Hunter."
"I agree. I keep my word, you know," The Ringmaster said.
"No! Shinji!" Toph said as Shinji handed her to a sandbender.
"Goodbye Toph." Shinji said, two men walking up to him and clapping iron cuffs on him, knowing he was dangerous.
The sandbenders got onto one of their boats and quickly left.
"You're lucky those sandbenders were ones that believed in karma." The Ringmaster said.
Shinji smiled half-heartedly. "You're not so lucky. That was the strongest earthbender alive, Toph Bei Fong."
The Ringmaster realized he'd been tricked, and a vein popped from his forehead. He tried calming himself by saying "I have the Ash Bounty Hunter, at least."
"I've changed my ways, though, and I can't bend anymore," Shinji said, and the Ringmaster created a fire whip.
"I hope you're as fireproof as the rumors say." The Ringmaster growled.
'At least Toph is safe.' Shinji thought, and the rest of his thoughts were only of pain.