…Through Blind Eyes…
…Chapter II…
"Unseen Sights Pt 2"
"I can't get this right, Uncle!"
For what seemed like the thousandth time, another blast of firebending exploded in front of Zuko's face which should have been lightning. Frustrated at his apparent incompetence at mastering Lightning, the boy threw a fist into the ground, causing a small indent upon the Earth.
"Zuko, come sit down and cool off. You must be in the clearest of mind to accomplish this feat. Drink some tea; calm yourself. Peace of mind is the key, Zuko."
"No, Uncle, a peace of mind isn't enough to beat Azula. I must master the forbidden element of Lightning before I face her again. And also as quickly as possible before the 'someone that is working for her' captures the Avatar herself."
"You don't understand my point, Zuko. You cannot master the element of lightning if you remain frustrated and angry. Have a cup of tea with me – just for a while"
Ignoring his Uncle's words, Zuko repeated his stances for lightning. And likewise, the same happened once more. Instead of lightning, quick burst of flames detonated in front of his face, knocking the boy backwards.
"You must not command the lightning – you are only it's humble guide, Zuko. Remember that."
Breathing deep through his nose, the boy began the motion again determined to achieve the deed.
"Zuko, technique before determination. You must not command the lightning."
Taking his Uncle's words to heart this time, a yell of not control, anger, or intimidation this time but sheer willpower resounded about. With that came a spark of lightning that protruded from the boy's fingertips. Smiling at the new milestone in his training, Zuko looked back at his Uncle…who apparently was drinking tea.
"Mm, what a delectable tea! Why do you look at me like that, Zuko?"
………………………………………………………..
The warmth of a new day had barely made its way past the mountains and shone its light when below a boisterous fit of noise shattered its peace. It wasn't the common bustling of birds, communicating to each other in chirps nor was it the unforgiving winds that occasionally went into a frenzy. It was but one simple-minded teenager in amusement.
"Smooch, smoooooch," teased Sokka who had just woken up recently to quite a hilarious scene in his mind – Toph and Aang…in one tent… His face lit up like a bulb, carrying a wide smile and distributing a disruptive yet infectious laughter that would crack even the most tenebrous of attitudes.
Aang, who was aiding Katara in the loading and packing up process, felt a shade of blush coming upon his face but he remained tranquil as if he heard nothing – waiting Sokka out would be the plan. He simply minded his own business until the funny died out. Toph, on the other hand, wasn't so serene about the matter. The girl took an aggressive stance upon her teasing. There was much hypocrisy to that.
"Shut up you idiot, it was nothing like that."
"Sureee, it wasn't." Tears of laughter began to form in Sokka's eyes.
With an easy temper, Toph used actions to express her words, earthbending the ground beneath Sokka, throwing the boy high in the air thereby ending his fit of laughter and replacing them with yelps of surprise. And before proceeding to packing the few of the things she had, Toph couldn't help but smirk at Sokka's expression herself – one which took a 180 from unruly amusement to a clearly illustrated agitation.
Katara, more in the likes of a pacifist, didn't really express anything to the circumstances that she witnessed. It wasn't like she hadn't seen what happened. No, in fact, she was actually awoken by her brother bursting into a raucous sound of loud giggling whilst clutching his sides from laughing so hard. Moreover, she seemed rather shocked into submission actually.
"Okay, so we've got everything done and packed. Remind me where we're going again?" Sokka, who took a turn for the better, opted to forget the happenings he saw and toned down.
"Well…since I've already mastered Water…I think…and I'm set for Earthbending, I believe I'm ready for Firebending. I just need to find somebody to teach me." Aang, silently relieved at Sokka's new attitude, loosened up a bit more. Still though, he couldn't even look at Toph – and when he did, he would blush furiously enough that Sokka would believe he was sick. And though he blushed, it wasn't that he had any feelings for Toph at all. No, she was just Sifu Toph – Toph the friend. The thing was that him standing right next to Katara made him feel like he had committed a heinous crime – a betrayal of some sorts because what he truly loved was Katara herself. After all, didn't the Fortuneteller tell her that she would marry "a powerful bender"? They were destined together after all. Toph…was just a friend. That was it.
"Ookay… but where are we going to find you a Firebending teacher. It's not like we can walk up to a Fire Nation general and request his teaching to the Avatar…I mean the only Firebenders we know that aren't in allegiance with the Fire Nation are Zuko, who is out to capture you to 'restore his honor' and his loony Uncle whom I doubt is even a Firebender – I've never even seen him bend before! And even if he does, he's probably a mediocre bender – remember the fight with the bounty hunter and her pet? He was smelling and stealing perfumes! – while we were fighting!"
Interrupting Sokka's rant, Katara took a step in the conversation after evidently pondering the situation of the necessity of a Firebender.
"Well, this might sound crazy, well crazy to just you Sokka, but what if there's more to Zuko's uncle? He was in the Ba Sing Se siege"
"…and lost…"
"Yea but doesn't that prove something? If he was in that siege, then shouldn't he know at least some advanced firebending techniques. Think about it. I say he's probably the only person that'd even contemplate the idea of training the Avatar to defeat the Firelord. And what's even better is that Zuko is chasing us. So why not let him catch up to us and politely request for Aang's training?"
"That's enough, Katara. What are you on and where is it?"
"I'm not on anything. I'm just saying – Zuko's uncle is the best bet we've got for Aang's firebending teacher. It's not like we have a vast selection of teachers that would like to aid Aang in vanquishing the Fire Lord."
"I don't know…there's still Jeong Jeong…" said Aang who seemed skeptical himself about the feasibility of Katara's plan. Attempting to brainstorm harder, Aang pressed his brain for more possibilities. But somehow, the only that was pressed was the matter of…last night.
What was I thinking…doing that…and Katara…she saw me…
"Yea, but we don't know where he is and he's all the way back thereeee. We know for sure that Zuko's on our tail and he'll be here soon…"
"Hm…what do you think Toph?" Mentally slapping himself in the face for communicating with Toph, Aang felt a pang of guilt surge within him. To that, a blush of red was growing while Aang requested Toph's opinions but it seemed he tried best to mask it. "Should I try out Katara's –"
"No! No, no, no. Not Iroh…" Toph's interruption and manner startled Aang for a second. Shaking her head as if dismissing something painful she continued, "Twinkletoes, you really expect somebody, whose nephew wants to capture you, to help you? That doesn't make any sense at all. In fact, I'd actually think we should stay away from Zuko and Iroh."
"Iroh? You…know his name…?"
"Well…yea… it's a long story."
…
"Here is your tea. You seem a little too young to be traveling alone"
"You seem a little too old."
"Perhaps I am."
…
"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it. Thank you."
"My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."
"No, thank you for what you said. It helped me."
"I'm glad."
"Oh, and about your nephew? Maybe you should tell him that you need him too."
…
……………………………………………………………….
"First, to breathe deep…" Zuko, determined in progressing in the art of Lightning took in a calming inhale of oxygen. Following that was a quick flurry of motions followed by an intimidating range of lightning that exploded from his fingertips.
Iroh who stood by his side nodded to his nephew in acknowledgment of his progress after sipping in his tea.
"Your progress is truly remarkable, Zuko." The teenage boy still adequately surprised (and delighted) at his newfound power smiled for a second and continued the motion and practice that he had repeated for hours and hours.
"Determination is good, Zuko, but it leads to obsession, which makes you blind to everything else. And that is far worse than being physically blind… You must learn to relax."
"I will…when I capture the Avatar and regain my honor."
……………………………………………………………….
"That's everything," breathed a weary Katara as she unloaded the final pack onto Appa.
"Alright, so to that Jeong Jeong guy?" Sokka, who had insisted on traveling toward Jeong Jeong for training finally got his way. "Aang, Toph, you guys ready?"
"Yep."
"Yea."
Mounting onto the air bison, Katara observed Aang and Toph. What was this that she was feeling toward Toph that she had began to develop – it was sour and hostile… no… she was just sleepy – that was all, she wasn't jealous…at all. Nope, she was fine…Besides, jealous of Aang? That was ridiculous…it wasn't like she harbored any ulterior feelings for him at all…
"Here, Toph." Aang extended a helping hand toward Toph as he stood upon Appa.
"It's a huge flying dog. I think I can handle it." Swatting Aang's hand out of the way, Toph proceeded quite simply onto sitting on Appa's saddle next to Sokka, who held his head up by his arm out of boredom.
"Aang, Toph, could we hurry it up? That Jeong Jeong guy's pretty old. He could die any second now. I mean I know you're all boyfriend and girlfriend with her, Aang, but really, what's more important here: Bonding with your girlfriend or defeating the Firelord before Sozin's Comet?"
Scowling at Sokka for the second time that day, Toph, in her blindness, attempted to move toward him to, perhaps, smack some sense into him or express her own opinion of that statement. Usually, a quick jab in the rear by her earthbending powers would do but there was no earth to bend on the flying bison. Whatever Toph intended to do to Sokka never happened as she collided with a silent Aang as the boy moved toward the reigns of the bison. And contrary to her intended action of quieting Sokka of his teasing, she fueled the fire instead, into a giant blazing inferno by colliding with Aang – right on the lips.
Stuck within an awkward state of affairs, there was nothing but silence. And it wasn't that Toph was embarrassed – sure she was quite uncomfortable and self-conscious in the circumstances but that was a minute part of her trouble. A quick intimidating rebut of "Watch where you're going, Twinkletoes!" would solve that problem. She didn't even know if Aang was there – how he took it. Perhaps, he just dismissed it as an accident. But before Toph could say anything back…
"Sorry, Toph. My bad."
"You should be sorry, Twinkletoes. Watch where you're going next time. You know I'm blind. You idiot."
Pretend grunting in fury, Toph took a seat back down on the bison, replaying what happened in her mind over and over again, slowly and torturously letting the information sink in.
Damn my blind eyes.
Mentally beating herself, Toph remained quiet for the rest of the journey around Sokka's witty banter about what she had just committed and Katara's mumbles and murmurs that were incoherent and indistinguishable – it sure sounded livid though. And much to Toph's own disappointment, Aang hadn't spoken likewise meaning either one of two possibilities: the boy was too shocked to say anything, too occupied with the matter that had just occurred or he simply had nothing to contribute to the conversations and talk that went around.
Oh how Toph hoped it was the latter…
I know this wasn't the 'greatest chapter' ever in terms of Toph/Aang circumstances and it's moving at a glacial pace but keep in mind before you judge it, I have to setup the story before I actually delve into it. Thanks!
Review please. I'd really like some ideas for the upcoming chapters and your thoughts/constructive criticism/comments are appreciated (even if you don't know it ;) Go the extra mile and review if you had the time to read this story.
And also, you may or may not have noticed that I removed the Zutara part. I figured that there wasn't a need for that. This story is about Toph – how being blind, although saying she is fine, can hold her back in countless ways – and how much she's willing to offer in order to regain her sight. So please don't review saying that you may demand the Zutara ship back.
As a previous reviewer said, it's not practical. And to that, I will not add it unless it furthers the plots or acts as a device to lead to the ultimate climax of the story. If you'd like to protest to that, feel free to send me a review about it. Otherwise, Zutara is gone.
The Abriter : Thanks! That makes me feel happy
MetalDragonFX : Next to each other, not in the same bed ;) For Aang's part, he's just a friend…right? And well, Toph's is a little different.
SokkaObsessedChiq : I'm glad you feel that way – more Taang to come!
Denisen : Updated! I hope you feel the same way with this chapter because well, this chapter is quite straightforward. I'm hoping you'll stay in for this chapter also!
Zako Lord of Randomnessness : Thanks! Appreciated review. Hoping you feel the same way about this chapter also.
Xnecro : You are actually the one that convinced me to remove Zutara. Great advice; it probably wouldn't fit in the story.
Blind water bandit23 : I read your story and absolutely love it (I think you know the one I'm talking about). Unfortunately I only have AIM but you can contact me there also if you like.
DancingPickle101 : I actually have half of Chapter 3 done… in my head : I'm hopeful that you'd remain for this one and the next.
Abcde..too longboo : I agree! Thanks for reviewing. It's always nice to see another Taang fan.
Oathblivion : Your suggestion is quite a wise one and I've changed it to an exclamation mark (including the one in my 1st Chapter.) I love reviews like this that help me better my writing.
Astronomer : Short and to the point. Thanks!
Silver Shadow75 : Done! Enjoy, I hope you do.
Bodandly : Thanks, I'm trying to maintain a non-OOC around here cause that would put the story out of wack.
ReckandCardi : Thanks for the review. I'm glad you think that the characters are in character as I tried to shift some focus of my time on that – editing and such.
Rigmus : Yay my first viewer! Aftermath may be picked up in the future – of course after I'm done with this story.
And to anybody I may have missed, thanks for reviewing. I'm, right now, just covering signed reviews. But if you'd like to contact me to talk through AIM or e-mail (preferably AIM) that'd be nice!
Chapter 3 : Toph begins to express her feelings for Aang in walks and talks. Likewise, she feels pangs of guilt occasionally for what has to be done. That said, Katara is also beginning to experience jealousy. You don't appreciate something until you lose it… seriously.