Falling
By Toph
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did, I would be in the show,
as Zuko's girlfriend.
"Why do you have to be such a wuss?" muttered Sokka.
"What? I'm just a kid. I'm innocent." said Aang.
Sokka thought for a while
"Yeah... what ever." Sokka shoved the flowers to Aang and pushed him out of the bush they were hiding in.
Unfortunately, Toph happened to be passing by and the second Aang got to stopping was right in front of her. Their noses were only inches away.
"Um, Toph, I was walking by and-" Aang looked down at the flowers he was holding.
"Watch it, Twinkle Toes," Toph snapped while pushing him away. Aang stared after her as she stomped away. "I've found a deserted village in the middle of the forest." Her voice was weary and sounded like she hadn't had any sleep the past day. Why? Because she really didn't. Being chased by Azula and her psychotic followers took a lot out of her and what sucked more than that is that she had to continue teaching Aang or have to defend herself in a fight she usually picked (Or Katara picked) in the middle of the night.
Katara really got on her nerves sometimes. Sometimes Toph was purely innocent. She was carrying her own weight and she helped once in a while. Not only that, but Aang liked Katara, even admired her. That was something every one could see, even a blind girl could. Only Sokka would be too oblivious to notice.
Sokka, oh, Sokka, he could be such a piss over. A pervert, too.
She remembered having to go take a dump out in the forest and just about when she was going to lower her pants, Sokka was there. Toph remembered slapping him so hard and how she had given him such a tongue lashing. He really didn't know she was there. Heck, he didn't even know she had woken up. All he knew was that he was getting up, gonna sit on a random boulder and think about Yue. Toph didn't listen, oh well.
But the truth was that Toph really couldn't understand Sokka. She didn't know what he went through at the Northern Water Tribe or what happened to his and Katara's mother and how he missed his father, Hakoda so much.
"Toph, where are you going?" Aang called after.
"I'm gonna go explore the village." said Toph. Her tread lightened.
"Oh, that sounds like fun," said Aang. He had to jog a bit to catch up. When he did, he didn't say anything.
"..."
"..."
"So..." said a curious and anxious Aang. "I brought you these." He held the flowers out to Toph who took them slowly and smelled them. Aang smiled a bit to see that Toph was enjoying them. Seeing Toph happy made him really feel good inside.
"They smell sweet." mumbled Toph. She really had no idea of what to say. All the hell she knew was that they smelled good and that they weighed about 12 ounces. "But, what am I gonna do with them?"
That question stuck to Aang. He slapped his forehead. Toph felt a little down hearted. That was such a dumb question and Aang just did that 'What an idiot!' forehead slap that Sokka did.
"Damn! I should have known!" Aang muttered. "I can't believe I did that!"
"Here." Toph shoved it back to him.
"Wait, I just-"
"Whatever." Toph ignored him and started to run.
"Hey! You're going to fa-"
"I don't ne-yaah!" Toph shouted frantically. Aang quickly went to her side with his airbending and helped her up from falling. Toph gripped his hand and shivered with her teeth chattering. Her eyes were wide with fear.
"Are you okay, Toph?" Aang asked. "You seem scared. It's just the water."
"Water? You mean I almost fell in the water?" Toph shivered.
"Yeah, and I think we found that village you were talking about, Toph," Aang said. "Come on, let's go look around."
"So, I have to cross the water?" Toph asked. She gripped Aang's hand harder.
"It's not that deep," Aang reassured her. "I'll walk with you."
"Just don't let me fall, or I am gonna hurt you so much!" Toph threatened, trying to not sound so helpless.
"I know, Toph. You're gonna kick my ass." Aang said flatly without even looking at her. "I won't ever let you fall, Toph. Never."
Toph blushed and tried to hide her red face by lowering her head. She smiled a bit inside and out.
Course you wouldn't, Aang, how can I not trust you? Toph thought.
"Careful. I don't want you to slip on the moss," Aang said.
Toph glanced up at Aang and frowned.
"I mean, it's not like I- well, I'm not insul- I just don't want you to-" Aang stumbled over words. "Never mind what I said..." he said quickly.
"Yeah, what ever." Toph hopped up onto the dry land and pulled away from Aang. She continued on. "There is this weird-"
"Spirit?"
"I wasn't going to say that but that could be it." Toph said. "Any way, I feel something in the earth that doesn't feel normal... Wait!"
Aang froze and Toph's ears twitched.
"There's people here... I think three." mumbled Toph. She quickly kneeled down and felt the earth.
"Three people?" Aang asked quizzically. "Maybe it's those-"
"Yes and they are coming closer." Toph said.
"I know that, Toph." Aang said, almost sounding irritable. Toph stood up beside Aang and said, "Well, that's something! Hee, I'm sorry."
"Yeah," Aang muttered. Three people were standing before the two benders. They were simple folk. One was a full grown man, another was a full grown woman and the other seemed to be a child but wore a veil on her face.
"Hi," said Aang. "I'm Avatar Aang and this is my girlfrie- I mean friend, Toph," Aang explained. Toph glared at him at his mistake of calling her his girl friend.
"Yeah, we're looking for stuff and we don't want nothin' disturbing us." Toph said forcefully in her fighting stance. "Now, claim yourselves!"
"Please, please," said the man peacefully. "My name Odasu and this is my wife, Junko. We live here in this deserted village and we come in peace. We were just about to see what was happing"
"Yes, the spirits told me of two powerful benders coming to our little village. We thought we should see what was happening," the woman said.
"Feh, spirits? Telling you that we were coming? You must have just heard us coming by and now your trying to butter us up so we won't bring you any harm," Toph snorted.
"Hey, hey, hey, who said we were going to hurt you?" Aang insisted nervously. "We were just going to explore the land a bit and we'll be off in no time."
"First, take off that veil, so Aang can see."
There was a shocked expression on the woman's face. She looked up at her husband but he just gave her a reassuring smile. The woman pat the child's shoulder. The child looked up but the woman said it'd be okay. The kid took her veil off.
Aang almost gasped.
"We found her in the forest one day. We thought that we should take care of her. So, when we stumbled upon this empty village, we decided that we live here. We live here, away from people who want to hurt her." said the woman. She looked down at the deformed girl.
"But, there are spirits who reside here as well. They help us from harm. They guard our child most of all," said the man.
Toph lowered her face so it seemed like she was looking down at the ground.
"We keep our child from harm. We keep her from people who think she's different and want to hurt him. That's why we can never go out into the city," said the woman.
Toph finally raised her head and pointed a finger at them.
"You're just like my parents! I hate that!" Toph shouted angrily. "She may be different but that doesn't mean she's completely helpless, right? She probably has a good enough chance as the next person! I hate it when people treat other kid's like they can't do anything! I hate it how my parents treat me!"
"How do you know what it's like to suffer, Toph?" the kid asked.
"Na?" Toph pointed her thumb at herself. "I know what it's like because I'm blind. I can't see but I don't need people looking after me. I don't need any one at all!"
The kid smiled. "You're a rebel. I wanna be just like you."
A smile melted onto Toph's face. She had an admirer. That felt really great.
"Thanks," Toph said, "Just one more thing, what's your name?"
"I'm Myeko-chan," the girl said.
"Myeko-chan? I think the 'chan' part is just your mother being all sweet on you. I'll call you Myeko." Toph said.
"Okay, Auntie Toph," Myeko said.
"Come on, Myeko-chan, let's go home," the woman pulled the Myeko's hand. Myeko nodded, put her veil back on and followed.
The man bowed and said nothing as they walked home.
"Toph, what was that all about?" Aang asked. "You made those parents feel bad. Not everyone's really like you, Toph. Not everyone's as strong as you."
"Is that a compliment, Twinkle Toes?" Toph smirked.
"Yes."
"Thanks."
"So..." there was another silence. "What are you actually looking for, Toph? They just said that this place is spirited. That's it." Aang said as they walked down the streets.
"You're right. See? I was thinking like an airbender. What's said is said." Toph said.
"I was thinking, Toph, about what you said." Aang had rather hastily switched the subject on her as soon as she said the word, 'airbender'.
"Yeah?
"You said you don't need anyone. Does that mean you don't-?"
"You worry to much, Twinkle Toes!" she ran away and stuck out her tongue at him.
"Hey!" Aang jogged after.
"Think fast, Twinkle Toes!" Toph earthbended up a rock and threw it at Aang who quickly dodged. Aang threw one after and she caught it and threw it back at him as they ran.
"Hey, Toph! I bet you can't dodge th-"
"Aieeee!"
Aang and Toph immediately stopped to listen. It was a woman screaming from a distance but possibly not out of the village. Her voice was bloodcurdling and shrill. It belonged to none other than Myeko's mother.
"What was that?" Aang asked urgently.
"Do you have to ask?" Toph snapped. Aang didn't say anything but grab Toph's hand and run.
"J-junko is-"
"Dead," said Azula, finishing the man's sentance. "That's what happens when you don't give me what I want. So, you girl, take off that veil so I can see your face."
Myeko looked up at her father who had eyes set on Junko's unmoving body. She was electicuted by Azula who had almost punched a hole into her body. Myeko didn't do anything but cry.
Azula heard her sob. Her lips twisted into a scowl.
"You better shut up and tell me if you've seen the avatar!" Azula shouted.
"No! I won't!" myeko sobbed. She fell down to her knees to her mother and hugged her body close to herself.
"Feh!" Azula snorted. "Mai? Do us the honors."
"Gladly to." Mai rode up to the girl. She pulled out an kunai knife out of sleeve. "Death is not really essential. All that matters is wether you go to hell or heaven. It's not my fault you go to hell."
"True, Mai."
"Die demon." Mai rose the knife over her head as the girl curled up, hugging her mother close to her.
"Please don't let her hurt me, god. Please don't, god." Myeko prayed.
Odasu was about to leap in before Mai thrust the knife but all he heard was Mai shrieking. Myeko peeked out and saw the knife fall down beside her with a 'thuck...' sound.
"OW! Who threw that rock at my hand?" Mai shrieked.
"Come on, whore. Try to get me if you're so mad." Toph said.
Mai clutched her throbbing hand.
Toph earthdended a couple more into the palm of her hand. Aang got into his fighting stance.
Azula's eyes widened. "The avatar!" she smirked. "Girls, get the blind one. The avatar is mine."
Ozai's Angels jumped off of their salamander lizards and towards the two benders. Ty Lee and Mai surrounded Toph and circled her.
"How typical... two bullies picking on a little kid." Toph said.
"Shut up." mai muttered. She threw kunai knives at her that Toph stopped with a wall of earth.
"Oh, come on! Sokka's a better fighter than you!" Toph taunted.
Ty Lee lept from behind Toph and disabled her arms as she was still in the air above her. Ty Lee then landed on the wall that Toph didn't put back into the earth.
A pinch? What the heck? Toph thought.
"That's all?" Toph motioned her arms to push the earth wall straight away but nothing happened.
"Now you die!" Ty Lee lept off the wall as Mai ran around it and to Toph and threw several shrurikens at her.
"Sokka, where's Aang and Toph?" Katara asked as she resumed to packing up her clothes and sleeping bag.
"They went to this deserted village." said Sokka, curtly.
"Really? Without us?" Katara asked quizically looking up.
"Yeah. I think that they wanted some alone time together." Sokka said.
"That's weird. I thought- well, I didn't know that they liked each other." Katara said.
"Go figure." Sokka replied.
"When did they leave?" asked Katara. She took her pack and put it on her shoulder.
"Maybe... about 40 minutes ago." said Sokka thinking for a while.
"That's weird." Katara said.
Zuko would only take me on 15 minute walks and so would Jet... Katara thought. She took off her pack all of a sudden and said, "Sokka, maybe I should go after. Maybe those psychotic girls are back."
"'Psychotic?'" Sokka repeated. "You mean crazy."
"Same thing." said Katara. She strode after on the path lit by the spring sun and covered in falling blossoms.
Maybe those girls aren't there... maybe Toph and Aang are just having a good time together. I mean, they look perfect for each other but what's this weird feeling in my stomach? Surely it can't be jealousy. Aang's cute and all but he's not really my type... Katara thought.
But, maybe it's Zuko there. Yeah, that Mr. 'I'm too good for a water benders help' guy. But, maybe he wanted to be alone... when mom died I hardly spoke to anyone for a week. And the way he had gotten; the way he acted at that moment was something I hadn't seen before. Something purely human.
Katara got up to a jog.
Maybe if he is there, I could see if that old man is alright. And then see what the heck was happening between Toph and Aang.
Katara got up to a run.
And maybe, if Zuko is there, those psychotic girls are flirting with him.
Katara got up to a sprint.
I bet it's that girl with those knives.
Katara stopped.
Now she was way out of line. What the heck was she thinking? First Zuko and now she was dragging that girl in it even though she didn't know anything about her.
I really need to stop having these weird-
Katara looked down at her feet and saw that she had stepped in water.
The river.
I can see Toph and Aang's foot prints still. Katara thought as she crossed the water and almost fell in. The water was pushing hard and so Katara decided to stop the water and just walk across. She did and dried off the bottom of her skirt by kneeling down and wringing it.
There was the sound of someone stepping behind her. She water bended a stream and froze that into an icicle and pointed it at the stalker.
"Step closer and you die." Katara said.
Sokka took his club out and shattered the icicle into hundreds of pieces, falling onto the ground and quickly starting to melt.
"It's just me, Katara! Why do you do this to me? You didn't do that Aang when he snuck up behind you!" Sokka scolded.
"What? He's just a kid. He's innocent." Katara said quickly getting to her feet.
Great... Sokka thought. Katara was already starting to sound like Aang.
"Now, all we have to do is find out were they are and talk some sense into them before they do anything else." said Katara.
"Why do we have to do that?" Sokka complained. "It's not like anything bad is happening."
"Look Sokka, I care about Aang and I just don't want him to get mixed up with his teacher like that. She knows a lot more than Aang and I don't that does not include earthbending," Katara said.
"Feh, like that would happen. I can't really see that happening." Sokka snorted.
"Well, I'm going. I don't care what you think." said Katara.
"...Hmm..."
"'Hmm' what?" Katara snapped.
"Just a 'hmm'," Sokka said innocently.
"Oh, whatever." Katara said.
They started walking down the dirt road of the little town with out a word.
TBC...