I would like to thank:
mrgirmjaw,Denise530, and Alexandra for reviewing this story
KaliAnn for reviewing Chapter 3-6
Twin Masks, KaliAnn, xXimmortalXx, xxTikTokxx, TomMaier, and The 21st of March for adding this story to their story alert list
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Flying almost all night to put as much space between whatever was closing in on them (not that Aang knew he was correcting in assume it was Azula) the group set down on top of mountain somewhere with the only thing visible around them as far as the eye could see were other mountains. Hoping that this was a safe spot to set down Appa. Once the Sky Bison had set down that was it he was out like a light from exhaustion and the lack of sleep himself.
"Have a nice sleep, buddy" Aang told his already sleeping bison while rubbing him on the head.
Not really want to disturb him he informed Katara and Sokka that he was leaving his saddle on they left most their stuff on him. After all they had managed to catch up on their sleep while Appa was flying all night long.
The newest member of their group that Aang had managed to find and decided for himself that they would be his Earthbending teacher. Toph was still clinging to Aang still even though she was fast asleep. The fear that was once clearly visible on her face was gone as she seem pretty peaceful and content. She was also clung to Aang strangely enough in a manner that did not limited his mobility at all.
Once Sokka and Katara finished stretching and yawning from their slumber, the older water tribe sibling was just chuckling at the blind girl rather softly.
"Toph you can let go of Aang now?" Katara told her reach out to the sleeping girl.
However she quickly pulled back her hand as the younger girl snapped at her literally. You could hear badgermole girl's teeth clatter as she missed biting the older girl's hand. Those around wondered how she managed to realize that someone was close to her as she was not only sleep but off the ground as well.
"Toph!" Aang told her popping the girl on the head as she whimpered a little before letting go of him.
Yawning she did not snapped at Aang or anything just look at him scratching the back of her head.
Katara narrowed her eyes at this as she snapped at her yet for Aang she does not and was about to say something when Sokka who had walked off came back saying that he managed create a spring. Of course the three benders found this to be rather hard to accept, even Toph who even with her animalistic mind could tell Sokka was different then Aang or Katara.
Seeing the said spring Sokka claims to have 'created' cause various reaction between the three of them. Aang and Katara just stared in shock over the fact that the oldest member of their group was not lying, Toph did not seem that shocked. Though how she managed to even notice the spring was there is mostly because she was able to hear the sound the wind made as it passed across the water.
"Sokka did you merely trip over a rock that just happened to connected to water source that created this spring" Aang asked after Toph told him about the rock that apparently removed from a hole.
"I still created it though" Sokka claimed
"Come on Sokka you need to dry off and I help you" Aang told him
"Just do not over do it" the water tribe warrior replied guessing that he probably use his airbending.
Not that he did not trust Aang it just they were on top of mountain and Appa was asleep. He rather not have depend on Aang and his gilder to save him should be accidentally blow off it.
"I am an airbending master after all so no worries" he told him
Toph starting following after them only to stopped by water whip around her ankle. Growling she looked over at Katara as she stopped her from going with Aang.
"You need a bath as you can not keep going around like that after all" the waterbender told her.
Though this was not the only reason she stopped as there was a part of her that merely wanted her to be apart from Aang at least for the moment after being literally stuck to him for most of the night. Not to mention really that she was covered in dirt that even a surpass what even most earthbenders would not consider reasonable.
If Katara's motions for what she was doing this was not slightly just her wanting to separate Toph from Aang. She might have realize that her method of giving Toph a much need bath. Using her own bending to force it upon her was not going to end that well at all…not at all.
A few minute later…
Aang was done drying off Sokka and noticed their two girls of there group did not follow after them.
"Hey you two what taking so…whoa" Aang said as Katara plowed into him.
Looking out over the spring which apparently was not as deep as they thought or maybe this just how skilled Toph was at earthbending. For she was in the middle of the spring on all fours in angry badgermole stance on top mount of earth she must have summon up somehow, while another was a pillar that she must used to launch Katara.
"Why that little! I was just trying to give her a bath and she act like this!" Katara thinks to herself out loud.
Wondering why she would react this way to Katara left him stumped for awhile but then an idea came to him. She mentally saw herself mostly as badgermole so she probably had that type of mentality towards bathing and from that quickly realized how things went very bad. As for Aang was even aware of this given this was not something related to his element at all in fact it was the polar opposite of his own. Well the Air Nomads were said to be spiritual so they were all taught about the original benders for each nation and various things about them. Though the reason he was shocked to learn that moon and ocean spirits were a pair of fish is because people were taught their literal self were the original benders. When asked he would respond it was someone that watched the moon and the ocean thus they were the original waterbenders Strangely enough the only bending art where the originators were one inanimate(the moon and ocean itself were watched not the spirits) and two well two as not a single. Earthbending was learned from a badgermole(though Oma and Shu were the original HUMAN earthbenders though), firebending from a dragon, airbending from a Sky Bison.
Seeing that she was pissed and spooking her would not be that good of an idea. Managing to keep Katara quite he got Toph's attention who immediately perk up noticing Aang's voice. Working his way over to where she was, he was focused on merely trying to calm her down. Drawing upon his experience of having been Earth Kingdom before in his past a century ago. He used the knowledge the monks taught him about how to care for badgermole when giving one a bath.
Again so focus on the task at hand he actually treated Toph more like a badgermole then person. They were on top of mountain and Appa was out cold. He could not afford his earthbending master knocking someone off this mountain. What he did notice was that once he had gotten all that dirt off her body he could see that she had rather pale skin tone compare other Earth Kingdom natives. Which to him at least gave the impression that she must have been from a noble family. A strange thing he noticed when traveling back with his people is that those from the Earth Kingdom of a lighter complexion were mostly those from noble family.
Though her hands and feet were permanently seemingly dyed the color of dirt. Leaving a strange yet interesting contrast to the rest of her skin now. He then took noticed of her hair which was litter with rocks, dirt, and all sort of other things. It seem that her hair that went down the majority of her back served as kind of shield of sorts. How she managed to live the life of badgermole with hair this long was amazing but still he had to clean it. Not wanting to screw up and anger her, he used a combination of air and waterbending to clean out all the stuff out her hair but also to keep the water itself clean. Once she was clean he carried her out the spring and dried her off rather quickly with his air bending. He was about doing something else when heard Katara speaking to him.
"How long are you going to be dealing with Toph like that, Avatar" Katara asked in questioning tone where underlying anger could be heard. Something that threw him off as he was wondering why she was referring to him by his title and not his name.
"Hey Aang you might want to take a look at Toph as you apparently not realizing something" he told him having overheard his sister coming to see what cause her sudden change in how she referred to Aang.
"What are you….oh…oh my" the airbender said as his face turned completely red as he noticed that Toph was standing before completely nude and realizing she must have been like this entire time as Sokka held up the rags she was wearing before.
The blind bender merely cocked her head in confused as she did not see the problem and was even more confused when she swept off her feet again. Once she realized she was on the ground again he was present something while apologizing over and over again.
you are weird Aang managed to translate from Toph told him in respond along what are these towards the clothes he was trying to give her.
The clothes which were a pair of baggy green pants and pale yellow shirt. Two things which Aang himself was given to someone when they in this large town located within a mountain range in the southern Earth Kingdom. Already having an outfit and not really wanting to buy something after Sokka bought an expensive and flashy bag. However the merchant did not take no for an answer just gave him the clothes for next to nothing.
"Aang you do not expect her to dress herself do you. Really she been underground with badgermoles for who know how long. The girl obvious can not dress herself" Sokka told him
"Yeah, Avatar" Katara told him.
"Looks like someone is angry" Sokka teased.
"I am not angry, brother" she said in tone that immediately cause Sokka to shut up and drop the topic.
Despite what she said he could tell she was angry. Apparently Toph could as well and decided to motion for Aang to teach her, claim this was part of their deal. He is taught by her and she is taught by him, currently she was in need of learning how dress herself. Not really sure what the purpose was of clothes but Aang and the other two with him wore clothes so the must serve some purpose. Also she noticed it made the girl he was with angry thus Toph saw it was payback for earlier.
Once dressed Aang pulled out a headband that also given along with the clothes and managed to put up Toph's hair into a bun. One that really hid most of her hair but left bangs that cover her eyes, not that it really matter given she was blind.
"Now once Appa awakes we can probably get started on my first lesson" the Avatar said.
"Yeah the Avatar's earthbending master the one that waits and listens has mastered earthbending yet seem that potty training has eluded her" Katara said.
"What are you talking about Kat *Seeing Sokka pointing to Toph* oh I see what you are talking about" the last air bender said.
There stood Toph with her face rather confused as there was growing wet spot in her pants.
What…What are you staring at me for Aang translated from Toph's badgermole speech. However he said nothing as he merely motion her to the side as he apparently had a lot of work ahead of him in teacher his earthbending master on how to act more human then he originally though.