…Through Blind Eyes…
…Chapter III…
"Turns of Endearment Pt 1"
It was a cold, abnormally serene night that day – half a day of flying can accomplish that, wearing one out even without having them do anything but watch the infinite clouds hover by. Ironically, such quietness seemed to have wrecked everyone's mood. But Toph especially didn't like it, without the ability to "see" with her feet, being naturally blind, and traveling ever so quietly, the situation truly felt uncomfortable – like an inevitable death was slowly creeping upon her only waiting for the correct minute and time to pounce. It was only natural of her to begin fidgeting.
"Toph! Can't you stay still? I know we're all a little bit tired but restless for flying for half a day, but there's no need to attract attention to yourself." Katara, who kept her thoughts perhaps to herself the whole time until now seemed to be the only one with the attitude for an argument.
"You don't know what it's like to not be able to see or hear anything right now when it's just so quiet."
"Oookay, I'm closing my eyes and it's not that bad. And look, Toph, I'm not fidgeting around!"
"Look! Over there, that's a nice place to set up camp. Don't you think?" Sensing a coming fight, Sokka shrewdly interrupted the two and it worked beautifully. To that statement, there was an entire reversal of moods.
"Yip-Yip, Appa." Aang skillfully maneuvered Appa into the obscure area that Sokka had pointed to – next to a flowing river and likewise near steep mountain terrain, convenient for waterbending and earthbending training.
"Well, I better be going to sleep now before Sugar Queen over there goes all awol on me again." Before Katara could even reply, the girl hopped off the air bison and set up camp with her earthbending.
Storming directly up to the sealed door entrance of her rock tent, Katara, once more, blew her top and Aang could only watch. Sure, he had seen slight animosities between them when fatigued but this one had no comparison. It seemed like everything one said to the other would spark a fire.
"How can you be so infuriating!"
"Go back to sleep!" That said, cracks underneath Katara began to form until a jagged spire formed throwing her yards away from the rock tent.
"You know what?" continued Toph inside her tent. "I think I'm going to go for a walk; I haven't been able to do that for the whole day." Blowing the entrance or exit of the tent off, Toph reappeared in the middle of a yawn. "Maybe just a quick one."
"Toph? A walk? At this time? I don't think it'll be safe," said Aang. So he finally came out of that shell since the "accident" earlier that day. A wry smile appeared on Toph's face, featuring some kind of cleverly shrewd plan.
"Well then, Twinkletoes, if you're so worried, why don't you join me for a walk?"
"I –"
"Toph, we're all pretty tired right now, I think the last thing that Aang need is a walk with you." Still showing evidence of her bitterness towards Toph, Katara purposefully emphasized the "you" part of the sentence. Toph, in reply, opened up her mouth for some witty remark but Aang, quickly butting in before a fight could happen, suggested otherwise.
"Katara, I actually think a nice brisk walk with Toph is a good idea. It'll be…refreshing."
"Twinkletoes, come on, let's go." Avoiding Katara's glowering stares of what could only be classified as "being upset", Aang hurried alongside Toph, who hadn't even taken so much as a glimpse back toward her camp. The last thing Aang heard from Katara was a deep sigh of "It's Kyoshi Island all…over again."
"You know, Twinkletoes, it's nice having somebody around to finally walk with; it gets boring when I go alone." Inhaling the air in deeply, Toph began to stretch out her limbs as if just waking up from a satisfying nap. Aang watched her stretched when he noticed a panda lily nearby – it was some time since he saw one.
A Panda Lily! I never knew there were panda lilies here. Picking up the flower, Aang shoved it quickly in his pocket unnoticed by Toph before continuing the conversation.
"You've done this before? I mean….taking walks." After seeing the panda lily, Aang couldn't help but feel that little thing called a "Conscience" calling out to him and shoving in images of the disgusted look on Katara's face when he agreed to take a walk with Toph.
"Sure, every morning sometimes, mostly at night though. Well…it's not like I can tell the difference between day and night anyways, they're all the same to me except the sounds different times of days make and what I can 'see' around me. That sort of stuff."
"Really? Like what." A little bit more intrigued in the conversation, Aang forcefully shoved back those ever-reminding thoughts of Katara into the corner of this mind.
"Well, for example, if I see Sokka up and about, it's probably daytime as he's a pretty late sleeper." Aang, chuckling mildly at the statement began to feel quite a little more sociable now compared to the awkward compelling feeling to sprint back to the campsite as fast as he could.
"If you don't mind me asking Toph, how does being blind feel like?" Sure, it was a reversal of moods but Aang took the chance – it was simply a curious question from a curious person. Plus, there had been an awkward silence that passed by that he had to fill in.
"Twinkletoes, that was a pretty stupid question, even from you. Here, like this." Using her two hands, Toph covered both of Aang's eyes from behind him. Although a slight blush fashioned onto her face while masking his eyes, Toph nevertheless kept a steady voice.
Aang felt a little sorry for the girl but he knew that Toph didn't like that – the Toph he knew expressed herself as independent and self-sufficient yet…
"It must be miserable living like this, it's really dark in here."
"Yea, just stay like that for the rest of your life but it's not that bad, well, once you get used to it. But it's still pretty sad once you think about it." There was a hint of self-pity in her tone as Toph said this and for that she mentally slapped herself in the face.
"How do you mean?" Aang, who had noticed that Toph took a seat down dangling her feet along the edge of a precipice overlooking the sinuous river, followed her example and sat beside her.
"Well, you know, the only thing I ever see is the color of black; I don't even know how certain things look like, you know – being born blind and all. In fact, I don't even know how I look like – my dressers would do my hair, my clothes everything like that." Toph's face turned toward Aang's demonstrating that though she shifted her head, she couldn't see anything. Her eyes seemed empty and fathomless; Aang felt an ounce of pity for the girl.
Attempting to brighten the mood among the two, Aang made a wide smile until he realized Toph couldn't see the smile.
"But…that made you a really good earthbender – the best I know of."
"Yea…but for what? It gets tiring the only way I ever know that you exist is by the vibrations that you make with your feet. I get tired of fighting all the time…sometimes…I really wish I wasn't blind." Toph's remark came quick and blunt as if she had been pondering the same for a long time under the tenebrous expanse of her eyes. Taking a deep inhalation of oxygen, she turned her head toward Aang once more as if waiting for some reply, comment, or answer to the remark but there came none. Unconsciously leaning in toward Aang, Toph decided to continue herself. Mirroring her example, Aang leaned toward Toph likewise.
"Twinkletoes, sometimes…I wish…I could just settle down…and.." A brief silence came between them as Aang took in those words.
Toph…was…just…a…friend…Sifu Toph…
But the boy couldn't help himself not look away…Toph was…well… Diminishing the distance between their lips, Toph's had barely touched Aang's lip before the reminder of Katara came screaming back to him. Harshly pulling his head away from Toph, the 12-year-old boy instinctively backed away from her.
"Toph, no, I can't…I can't do this… Katara…" Normally to such a given situation of these sorts, Toph would have felt embarrassed to some extent but this time…Katara…that really triggered something within her.
"Katara! What's up with you and her anyways. That's all you ever say. Katara, Katara, Katara!. Seriously, Twinkletoes, she's not the only girl around here you know." Not even carrying a least bit of embarrassment with her, Toph had blown into full out rage. She had given everything to the boy and he had rejected her for…Katara.
"I'm destined to be with her." Remarking something with another statement proving more outrageous, Toph's head only got hotter.
"What!"
"The Fortuneteller… she told Katara that she would marry a powerful bender."
"So what? She's a fortuneteller. You believe that kind of stuff? You might not be the powerful bender – there's lots of powerful benders out there. You're basing it just on that?" Pointing a finger right at Aang's forehead, Toph's eyes began to water.
"But I'm the Avatar! I'm going to know all four bending elements. Toph…you don't understand, Katara and I…"
"You know what? Just shut up. Just. Shut. Up. Forget anything happened or was about to happen at least. I'm going. Good night." Toph, in all her frenzy, started off walking away, half-expecting Aang to chase after her. Seething with hate half of which was for how illogical Aang had been but mostly for Katara, Toph stormed away leaving Aang behind, completely dumbstruck and speechless. That was the case – until a range of blue lightning streaked across the vicinity where they had set up camp.
"Katara!" Not knowing about the ambush in their camp, Toph, then and there, completely lost it.
"Is that all you can say? Katara? What's the matter with you!"
"No, Toph, there's lightning streaking across the campsite. Sokka and Katara are in danger! We have to go!" With that statement, Toph's eyes widened in astonishment and a little of fear. She guessed what had happened – it had to be…her…
"Azula…," whispered Toph softly under her breath. The name struck fear within her, shoving away all the frustration of Aang that she had felt earlier.
"Quick, Toph hold onto me, I'll fly us there with my gli- Toph?" By the time Aang had reached the word "glider", Toph was gone. Confused for a split-second, another range of lightning that emerged was all it took for the 12-year-old boy decided he hadn't the time to worry about it and set off flying for their campsite.
"Katara! Sokka!" Aang, reaching the vicinity of the camp, found a battle that had taken place already. Puddles of water from Katara's waterbending gourd littered the ground. Toph's rock tent had been completely knocked over and worst of all, Sokka and Katara were nowhere to be found.
"I know that Azula wouldn't have left without capturing me…that's for certain" the Avatar reminded himself.
A lightning bolt hurtled toward Aang. Airbending quickly past it, the boy swiftly. Close one. The attacker still hadn't shown herself though. This time, cautious for incoming lightning bolts, the 12-year-old Avatar took a fighting stance, prepared for battle.
"Show yourself," commanded Aang but he didn't really expect the ambusher to truly show themselves to his word. It was more of a "I have courage to fight you" sort of expression.
He paused, listening for movement – the crackle of electricity on his left causing him to instinctively jump towards the right, glimpsing at what would have hit him pass by. A smell of his own sweat filled the air around him keeping him ever more alert but not alert enough.
Another bolt of lightning darted toward him striking the boy square in the chest. Clutching at the new wound, Aang noticed blood had been spilled. His muscles tensed as the pain slowly sunk in. Staring at the ground too concerned in sucking up the agony, a silhouette jumped in front of him.
"I'm shown." A man, scarred on the left side of his face, stood before the Avatar, smirking in victory.
"Zuko," squinting his eyes in hatred and lifting himself back to standing ground, Aang used his staff to blow a cyclone of air toward his attacker.
It was swiftly parried and broken through by barrages of lightning from Zuko's fingertips which made contacts upon Aang's left shoulder, impacting him back yards away. Already injured and energy-expended, he struggled to get back up to his feet and fight.
To that, the boy already knew he was outmatched; Zuko had mastered lightning, something that Aang hadn't any experience of – the match was capture or escape and he preferred escape. Bolts after bolts rushed by as the Avatar did his best to time his dodges and rhythms in evading, adrenaline rushing through him assisting him ignore the pain in his tensed body.
"You can't dodge forever!" Doubling his effort to strike the Avatar, Zuko aggressively darted his bolts in a progressively faster rate attempting to bypass Aang's defenses.
Finally catching the Avatar wincing in current pain, unable to evade quickly enough, Zuko's attack struck the boy's right shoulder. Wearied, bloodied, and out of breath, the Avatar laid there unmoving.
"Who would've thought that the mighty Avatar, master of all elements would be so susceptible to lightning?" Smirking, Zuko prepared another stance for a subsequent lightning strike and all Aang could do was grimace for the impending pain – but it never came.
A ridge of rocks spiked and traveled through the ground toward Zuko finally reaching a spot underneath him which promptly shot up into a large spire, forcefully knocking Zuko back before the lightning reached Aang.
Aang weakly sighed in relief. "Toph…" The girl had appeared overhead riding Appa with an unconscious Sokka and injured Katara.
"Aang! Grab my hand" Katara extended her hand to Aang who was lifted onto the flying bison. "You're hurt. Let me heal you."
Mustering up the last bit of energy to weakly nod to the voice, the Avatar then fell unconscious.
……………………………………………………….
"Um, how are you throwing streaks of lightning coming from the distance if you're right here, Azula?" Ty Lee, innocently as ever, who boringly observed the sky in the tank-train when traces of lightning began to dart through the sky. Pondering for a few seconds, Azula came up with a logical response.
"Zuko…has mastered the element of lightning? Well, this certainly is interesting…"
"Won't that pose as a problem? It'll be that much easier for him to capture the Avatar."
"Not to worry, Ty Lee, all's well. We will take care of Zuko and his loony uncle right now, and then we'll chase the Avatar. And if all goes to plan, we have the element of surprise and before he even knows it, he'll be captured."
"If you don't mind me asking, what element of surprise do we have?"
"A little blind girl named Toph will ensure our victory. I've made sure of it."
……………………………………………………….
The fight had finished exactly an hour ago and everybody was settled in their new campsite. Sokka, who wasted no time in falling into slumber held a peaceful grin on his face – one could only imagine what he was dreaming about. Katara, wearied after expending energy healing Aang's wounds, was fast asleep and Toph, who hadn't spoken one word to the boy since the fiasco earlier isolated herself in her own tent. And Aang? Well, Aang had been wide awake, pretend sleeping for Katara's worried sake, during the past thirty minutes, well aware of what would have been the outcome of his battle had it not been for Toph.
"Toph" Aang, who decided to pay her a visit, knocked on the entrance several times.
"Go away, I'm sleeping, thus the closed entrance, genius."
"Toph… about earlier today…"
"Don't want to talk about it. Go away."
"Toph, it's important. I swear."
"Fine." The rock door collapsed upon itself into sand. She appeared in front of Aang. "What is it, Twinkletoes?"
Swiftly taking out the Panda Lily flower that Aang had found earlier, a wide, toothy smile formed as he presented it to her.
"This…is for you…"
"Aang…what is it? I'm blind, remember Twinkletoes? Or did you forget."
"It's a Panda Lily. You don't need to see it. Smell it is enough. Here."
Holding the flower up to her nose, Toph chanced a sniff and presented in return a smile.
"It smells wonderful, Twinkletoes."
"I'm glad you think so."
Then, just as quickly as it formed, the smile dissipated into a frown.
"Maybe you should give this to Katara…it's obviously –-"
Interrupted midway in sentence, Aang planted a kiss right on her lips to disprove her point. Evidently dumbstruck, Toph said nothing.
Aang placed the Panda Lily delicately into her hand.
"No, Toph, it's for you."
So originally, instead of the battle scene between Zuko and Aang, it was going to be a Zutara thing. Here was what I had planned :
So Aang comes back to see what had happened and he finds Zuko & Katara…together. blank spot here later in camp, Aang, heartbroken, gives the panda lily which he planned to give to Katara, instead to Toph. Thing was, I would have done that except there were tooo many holes in the matter.
Firstly, if it was Zutara why would Zuko be attacking the camp. If he didn't attack the camp why did Aang return? Secondly, if that sequence had happened, shouldn't Zuko be in the group? Too many plot holes in that one.
Anyhow, I've decided the story will be an AangxKataraxToph love triangle. And if you don't validate that Katara would be jealous watch that Kyoshi episode again where she was obviously jealous when Aang hanged out with all those girls. If you have any arguments about that, feel free to review and tell me.
Kindly review and tell me what you think. All reviews are appreciated and they will probably better my work in the better chapters. Suggestions are probably used to so if you have any suggestions/ideas that my feeble brain could never possibly dream of, please review and tell me about it : Thanks!
MetalDragonFX : I agree! Taang rocks. It's always nice to see another shipper.
Xnecro : It really did seem that the fic was leaning towards the triangle. Thanks for your supported – you always have the most insightful reviews.
DancingPickle101 : Wow! That was clever, indeed. Yes, the hardest part about having them in your head is transferring them to paper – I know from experience :
Silver Shadow75 : Perhaps Zutara will have a place in the story in the future – off the top of my head, Zuko and Iroh join to teach Aang firebending and somehow hearts collide. Something to that effect. Just keep in mind, Zutara isn't gone forever in this fic.
Zako Lord of Randomness : And thanks for reviewing! Appreciated.
Astronomer : Thanks! I hope you'll like this one even more.
Tophness : Thanks! I do my best of effort to keep them in character especially Toph. What I worry about is Sokka's which I'm still figuring out.
Denisen : Let me know what you think of this one too, they actually kissed in this one and not just accidentally.
Aheyl : "I'm glad you think so" as Aang would stay. I hope you stay in for this chapter also as the Taang is only just getting started.