CHAPTER RATING: M (Language, Imagery concerning self-harm)

A/N: "Stop making announcements by Author's Notes. You don't stick to them. "

"Yeah...Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, everybody."

Disclaimer: I do not advocate the use of suicidal methods and/or forms of self-harm to try and master the art of metalbending. I am merely doing it because I didn't have any other ideas.

Chapter 37: Iron

*Ahem* (Avatar Roku's voice) PREVIOUSLY, ON AVATAR…

Chapter 19: One Night in Ba Sing Se

"Whoa." Aang's jaw dropped. His eyes scanned the scarlet-stained walls, soft black carpet, and large, King-sized bed that sat in the middle of the impossibly large room, painted in a soft white light. "Okay. Something weird is going on here. This room is way too big for such a small inn."

…

Aang stumbled out into the courtyard, dressed as neatly as he could manage in his current state of mind. His thoughts were clouded, obscured by the scenario that played in his dreams as if they were reality.

But it couldn't have happened. They'd left two months ago, and for all he knew, they were gone. His mind reached back towards the strange man he met in the Boundless Sky.

"..."

If they were gone, maybe he could master flight.

"HEY, TWINKLETOES!" He turned around faster than ever. "Guess who's back?!" Toph's voice made the palace rumble. Standing beside her, the two women that he'd dreamed about. One smile, kind and loving. The other smile, Confident and seductive. And yet another smile, brash and cocky.

Katara's arms wrapped around him before he could even speak. Just feeling her warmth lifted the burden in his mind.

"I missed you so much." She whispered into his ear.

"I missed you, too." He said.

"I promise that I'll never do that again." She gave him another tight embrace before pulling away. Azula walked up to them, and with her devilish smile, chuckled to herself.

"It's good to be back." She whispered. "But since some people don't know about our little arrangement," she looked over her shoulder at Sokka and Zuko. "I guess I'll have to save my display of affection for later. So tell me, Avatar... How was your dream last night...?"

Blood flooded his cheeks as he recalled the dream, turned, and walked away.

"Why did you bring that up?" Katara lightly pushed Azula.

"What? I wanted to see his reaction, besides who else..." Katara pointed to Toph. "Oh, her? She doesn't matter, you already told her, right?"

"You two are a kinky couple, aren't you?" Toph mocked. "ANYWAY! It's my turn to spend time with him! But don't worry, I'll keep my lips closed." She smirked, turned, and ran towards Aang, leaving his two Sugar Mommas in surprised, and amused awe.

...

Toph could feel it, even from the few feet back she stood from Aang. His heart was racing with anxiety, confusion, and even...Passion. A passion, a yearning, and a desire for something.

Azula must've forced that dream on me. The dialogues ran through his mind. She's done it before, and she probably did it again. He stared at his hand, his body uncharacteristically excited, his fingers twitching with a nervous haze around his mind. But it felt so real...

He sat and shook his head. I've got to clear my mind. There are bigger things to focus-

"What's wrong?" His heart jumped when Toph's voice broke his thoughts. "And don't try lying."

"I-I don't really want to talk about it." He sulked. "Is there something that you want me to help you with?"

"No, but I think I have something that I can help you with. Something new that I could teach you, but on one condition."

"O-Okay, and what's that?"

"You take me away from here, somewhere we can be alone. And make it look 'good.'" She winked.

"And by look 'good' you mean...?"

"I know the deal you have with Sugar Queen and Sugar Tits." His pulse quickened. "And I want to make them jealous."

"Why?" Aang asked.

"I just like messing with them! That's all!" She stepped back "Don't you dare assume that I'd want something else!"

"Okay, okay! I wasn't assuming anything." He laughed. "Here." Aang opened his glider, and turned around. "Grab on."

Toph walked up to him, and wrapped her arms in an embrace around his shoulders, locking her hands around his chest. She wondered if he could sense her pulse at this moment.

"You're shaking. Is there a problem?" He spoke up.

"I'm just worried that something will happen, I'm not exactly used to not being able to see." She stuttered.

"Don't worry, Toph. I won't let anything happen to you." He smiled to himself, and took off with a running start.

He looked back to see if her plan had worked, only to notice that Katara and Azula weren't even looking, instead they were watching a duel between Sokka and Zuko. He laughed, and then felt heat rush through his muscles. Toph tightened her grasp around him when she lost all sight of the world around her.

With her breath falling upon his back, she took in the blissful blindness of flight, and felt invincible.

"Hey, Toph. I think you should know that Katara and Azula didn't see any of this."

She didn't reply.

She couldn't care less.

And he didn't mind either.

...

"Okay, we'll be landing soon. Get ready." Aang whispered, and touched down as soft as a cloud onto a ledge.

"Okay!" Toph let out a breath while refocusing on the world around her. She shook her arms and legs, trying to remove the heavy burden of...of whatever it was that she felt. "Nice spot, Twinkletoes. I like the view."

"Yeah, I thought it'd look nice." Aang looked out from the cliff they stood on, Be Sing Se was nothing but a blurred silhouette obscured by a haze of earthen fog on the horizon. He paused, looked at Toph, saw how she was looking in the opposite direction, took a breath to protest, and then thought better of it, and closed his mouth.

I'm sure she doesn't need another reminder...

"It sure is a breathtaking sight." Toph turned around.

"Uh...Yeah." Aang exhaled.

"Did you get your breath back yet?"

"What?"

"Spit out what you were trying to say."

"Well...I just wanted...Well, I didn't want to say it, it's just, you were looking in the wrong direction." He shrugged.

"You know as well as I know, Twinkletoes." Toph slammed into the ground, the Earth shook, and a small canyon in the shape of her foot sunk into the ground. "I can see nearly everything." She grinned. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that those two Sugar Mommas are throwing a fit right now."

"Right. I'm sorry. Sometimes I just forget that it's actually amazing that you can see anything, and everything."

"It's alright. I'll forgive you." Toph replied, and with a swift lift of her arms, a table and two chairs formed from rock shot up. "Have a seat, and we'll be able to take care of business."

Toph placed her hand on the table, and reached behind her and revealed a knife.

"Whoa! What are you doing?!" Aang jumped up to his feet. "Look, Toph, I-"

"SIT DOWN!" Aang's heart stopped, an unseen force pushed him back into his chair. "Sit down, and listen to what your Metalbending Master has to say!"

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry." He slid back into his seat.

"As I was saying." She turned the knife back to her forearm. "This is what I think you should-"

Aang popped back up and swiped at the blade, knocking out from her hand.

"Look. If you're not going to listen, then why don't we just go back?"

"Okay. I'm sorry, I won't do anything anymore." He leaned back into the chair. Toph nodded, earthen arms sprouted from the ground, and wrapped around him. "Okay. Now I'm sure I won't be doing anything anymore."

"Good." Toph opened her hand, her fingers twitched, and the iron blade came whistling back into her palm. "Now sit back, and watch."

Aang watched with a morbid curiosity, both in fear, and intrigue. The point of the knife pressed into her wrist, a bead of red pushed up from the contract.

Aang's muscles tensed.

Toph took another deep breath, and dragged the blade down towards her elbow.

The blade cut in deep. A droplet of red formed at its point, dragging with it a stream of blood that fell to the sides of Toph's arm. A crimson waterfall.

"Toph...?" Aang whimpered. She twitched with the sharp pain, but kept silent. Another deep breath entered her lungs with a release of the blades handle.

A metallic crash rocked against the stone table. With droplets of crimson liquid forming under her arm, Toph closed her eyes, focusing on every unseen, metallic atom within the river of blood. A single finger slid across the stream.

Aang filled with worry when he saw her twitch with heavy breath. He wanted to speak, but protesting now would only make her angry, and that would lead to more blood.

"Focus." She spoke more to herself than to him with snother labored breath, and was nearly panting with exhaustion. This was a new discovery, and even Toph herself needed some more practice. This test would only prove how badass she really was.

The liquid spread, nearly covering her entire arm in a thin blanket of red. She twisted her hand above her arm. Aang saw that the blood appeared to be coagulating, solidifying right before his eyes.

With a muscle shaking force, Toph closed her fist, and her makeshift cast solidified into an iron gauntlet that closed around the wound like a metallic bandage.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Aang's jaw dropped. He looked up with glowing eyes, but felt a creeping sense of worry. "Are you alright...?" He asked.

Toph nodded through a light head, pale complexion, and uncharacteristic exhaustion. Her head swayed back and forth, her opaque, foggy eyes unfocused, and she fell backwards.

"Toph?!" Aang jumped up to his feet, his restraints crumbled into dust as he ran towards her, casting his hand to create a platform of air. Toph fell with a crash that almost broke through the cushion. The blood began to drain from her face, the iron cast on her arm shattered into pieces before evaporating into a thin red mist.

Panic.

How much blood had she lost? He placed the back of his hand on her cheek.

Cold.

Almost as cold as the iceberg he was trapped in for the last century. He had to make it back. He had to get help, reaching into the lining of his robe, he grabbed at the small wooden whistle, brought it to his lips, and blew into it.

Crumbling. Cracking.

Panic.

He looked around again, the wound from Toph's arm was now flowing like a stream. Aang ripped at his robe, and wrapped a piece of orange fabric around it, coating the orange with a hue of crimson.

The glider.

It leaned against a tree, just a few feet away. He picked up his Metalbending Master, tied her hands together around his shoulders and chest, took a deep breath, and leapt off the cliff. The harsh wind flowed against him. Even with his mastery of air, it seemed defiant.

It wasn't letting him pass.

Frustration.

Anger.

The earthen haze of the land only roared up into the air. It became thicker with every passing second. The emotion boiled up inside of him.

Fire.

Heat flashed from his palms, the glider burst into flames, embers showered over him while black ash fluttered above with his descent. He began careening down towards the Earth. With a deep breath, and a short prayer, he turned around, and wrapped his arms around Toph.

Seconds passed in an instant with the Earth's pull forcing them down. Aang took another look back, and prepared himself. He tensed with a small buffer of air forming at his back.

They landed with a light fall, the released air, pushing away all flora around them. He looked to his left and saw a path. An unusual path in a huge, untouched forest.

She lay in his arms, and he limped on the trail, and at the end of that path, there was a familiar sight.

A plain-looking, peaceful inn that brought a chill down his spine. He took a deep breath. Looked at his pale, unconscious friend, and marched towards the entrance.

"What the hell do you want from me?!" He broke through the front door and confronted the woman with long black hair, and blood-red eyes.

"Oh. Well, hello Avatar. How are you this fine, fine day?" She laughed.

He was seething with her-with its sarcasm. But his anger would need to wait. There was something...someone more important now.

"I...I need your help." He begged. "Toph needs your help. She-"

"She overexerted herself while trying to teach you a technique that even she doesn't understand yet. Of course I know! Have you forgotten who I am?"

"You can create worlds, and control time. Can you help? Please." He bowed.

"Hmm...Alright. I'm in a good mood, and since it's been so long since I last saw you, I won't barter for anything."

"Thank you." He wheezed. "Thank you."

"Bring her here." He stepped closer. A single finger touched Toph's arm, and heart. Aang's face brightened with hope. The bleeding wound on her arm sealed instantly, leaving behind no scar or mark. Toph finally took a breath, and filled her lungs with air.

"There. She'll be fine." The innkeeper nodded. "The little Earthbender will need to rest." She pulled out a key, and placed it into Aang's hand. "Remember the room?"

"Last door on the right." he sighed

"And while you're at it. Why not do a little training? You don't have much time left." she grinned, and slid a needle across the table.

"…Right." Aang replied with a raised eyebrow, took the needle, and with Toph in his arms, proceeded to a familiar room, in a familiar building, created by a familiar trickster spirit.

...

Toph lay on the bed with an expression of carefree peace. Aang sat next to her at a table, his fingers twirling around a thin needle that shined with an urge to taste blood.

She'll make it. He nodded to himself, and questioned if he could really emulate the amazing act she had done. He brought the needle to his finger.

But then stopped, he didn't even know how to bend metal. He didn't know the principles. He didn't even know how Toph had done it. How could he possible transform his own blood into iron?

And then an idea struck.

He remembered something that Monk Gyatso had told him so long ago.

"Life for us is simple, and the answer to every question is always...simple."

With another deep breath, and the sun beginning to fall, he set the needle down, and focused. Then, he felt it. Impurities within the iron, impurities made of earth and rock. Earth was something that he could bend. A single finger rose, and the needle shifted.

He looked up.

…

"And while you're at it. Why not do a little training? You don't have much time left." she grinned, and slid a needle across the table.

"…Right." Aang replied with a raised eyebrow, took the needle, and with Toph in his arms, proceeded to a familiar room, in a familiar building, created by a familiar trickster spirit.

With another deep breath, and the sun beginning to fall, he held the needle in his hand, and winced when it entered the tip of his finger with a sting.

He waited.

A small bulb of blood began to form, he looked at it, unmoving, and undeterred. His other hand waved, and a single droplet of blood was floating as if it were air itself. He closed his fist, and the droplet solidified into an iron marble that fell down with gravity, crashing into the desk, and breaking into dust.

He looked up.

…

"And while you're at it. Why not do a little training? You don't have much time left." she grinned, and slid a razor blade across the table.

"…Right." Aang replied with a raised eyebrow, took the blade, and with Toph in his arms, proceeded to a familiar room, in a familiar building, created by a familiar trickster spirit.

With another deep breath, and the sun beginning to fall, he held the razor in his hand, staring intently at his wrist. He nodded, looked away, and ran the blade across his flesh. The cut was shallow, but he could feel every small fragment of iron flowing in his own blood. He lifted the excess into the air, and lightly closed the wound with the rest of the coagulating liquid. The airborne blood solidified into a pure sheet of black iron.

He turned towards the wound, and closed his fist. With another deep breath, and closer analysis he noticed a small shine within is wrist.

There was a solid piece of iron…in his wrist.

He looked up.

...

"And while you're at it. Why not do a little training? You don't have much time left." she grinned, and slid a knife across the table.

"…Right." Aang replied with a raised eyebrow, took the knife, and with Toph in his arms, proceeded to a familiar room, in a familiar building, created by a familiar trickster spirit.

With another deep breath, and the sun beginning to fall, he held it in his hand. It's blade shined orange with the sun's hue, pointing at his forearm. The hesitation was gone now. For some strange reason, he didn't fear it anymore.

A quick stab, the point sunk into his arm.

Pain.

Pain wasn't present. Pain didn't matter now, he had more important things to worry about.

Slowly, he ran the blad down to his elbow, it cut into him, opening a wound like Toph's, blood flowing out after every lift the blade made. He nodded when the red liquid ran like a waterfall down his arm, forming rivers of blood that pooled into the table before staining his robe.

The knife dropped with a clang. He focused, and ran his hand over the wound.

A metal began to form. A metal bandage that closed the wound in an instant.

He looked up.

Toph was still asleep, the state of peace still present in her expression. Aang looked down again at his arm, an iron cast that was as hard as Fire Nation armor. He stood up, and walked towards the door. When he opened it, his glider fell before his feet. His bison whistle reappeared around his neck.

And he was met with the amazing sight of a hazy Ba Sing Se. Running out to see where he was, he turned around to see a that he had just emerged from a small earthen hut. Engraved into the side of the building were the words:

"No tricks. Just treats. I"

PUBLISHED ON: 09/04/2015

A/N:

Thanks for reading!