Long Overdue - A TAANG Story

[Author's Notes: In the TV series they leave many things unresolved, and I think that what happened at the library was one of those big mistakes. It was an opportunity for Aang and Toph to grow even closer. (Maybe that is why they did it, or they would have added some TAANG to the series) This story isn't an offshoot of 'A Kiss in the Night of Ba Sing Se,' and so Aang and Toph are not involved. Young men can be dense and thus need to be prodded into understanding just because things aren't said, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Time has passed, and now Aang is ready to make amends. How this plays out… well, read on!

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender

So as always… On with the Story!]

Chapter 8

Illusions of Multiplicity

Toph slowly exhaled as she tilted her head back. "An illusion, like some magic trick?"

Aang started to see the stress building on her face. "No Toph, this is no trick. There is just one source of bending, but it's like looking through a prism."

"Hello, I'm blind Twinkle Toes! You talk about this like looking through piss! I can't see through anything. What you're saying makes no sense!"

"A prism, not piss, Toph. Ugh, but I was really stupid giving you a visual example."

"Stupid isn't the half of it."

"Okay, sorry. Eh, well, I think this will help you get what I'm talking about," he exclaimed, reaching for the water pouch. "Hold out your hand."

As the earthbender stretched out her hand, Aang poured some of the contents on it.

"Water? Why did you pour water on my hand Twinkle Toes?"

"Well, think of this water as the source of all bending."

"Waterbending?"

"No, all bending, all types of bending flows from it."

"Then wouldn't the pouch be a better example of the source," she countered.

The Avatar's face scrunched up as he slapped his forehead. "Fine Toph, the pouch is the source of the bending, happy?"

She smiled mischievously. "Well doesn't that make more sense?"

Aang sighed, "I guess, whatever works for you."

"Well, it's better than looking through piss."

Aang palmed his forehead harder. "I said prism, not piss!"

Toph turned her face to the side. "Whatever, you don't have to get all, pissy, Twinkle Toes."

It took the Air Nomad a few moments to regain his composure before continuing.

"Toph, my love, can you just let me demonstrate what I mean?"

"As long as you make sense, sure."

"Fine, okay. Let's pretend that the water bag holds the power of all bending. In this bag is the ability to bend all the four elements and three more."

Toph's brow furled. "Three more, why three more?"

This time the Avatar smiled. "Ah, I guess this something Sifu doesn't know!"

"Duh, why do you think I'm having a moron like you attempt to explain all the Avatar mumbo-jumbo in the first place if I already knew this? Gosh, you can be so boorish, Twinkle Toes!"

Aang felt as if the wind had been cut out from beneath him now. Once more it took time to calm his anger as well as his ego.

"Are you just going to sit there staring at my tits, or are you going to start explaining this illusion stuff, Twinkle Toes?"

"I wasn't staring at your tits!"

"Liar."

"Okay, I was a little, but they are freaking awesome."

Toph's cheeks flushed lightly. "Of course they are. So I get there are four forms of bending… well, I guess five if we count that weird ability that turtle gave you."

Aang got excited over Toph's summation. "That's right! Currently, there are five types of bending, and I'm the only one who holds two of them."

Toph crossed her arms over her bare bosom. "I don't think so Mr. Smarty-pants. I'm not only an earthbender, but I can bend metal too!"

"Do you bend the metal, or do you bend the earth within the metal Toph?" Aang asked already knowing the answer. "It was like that swampy water guy with the vines. He was bending the water in the vines, or seaweed, the same way you bend the earth in the metal."

"So, what's your point flyboy? You saying I'm not actually a metalbender?"

Toph takes off her armband and has it morph into various shapes. "What do you call that, Twinkle Toes?"

"Basically. You're an amazing earthbender that can find the weakness in metal! That still awesome, but it's not true metalbending."

"I think you're just trying to say you're better than me again, Twinkle Toes."

"I'm not better than you at anything!" Aang snapped. "Sheesh, you're smarter, braver and prettier than I am!"

"Okay, I accept your apology."

"Ah, I wasn't…" Aang stopped talking as Toph's face dropped. "Thank you, Sifu. May I continue?"

The small smile that graces her lips lets him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sure, you may continue," she replied, uncrossing her arm.

The sight of her full, well-formed breast derailed his train of thought for a few seconds.

"Well? I thought you were going to continue, Prof. Twinkle Toes."

The monk corraled his thoughts once more, checking his lust. "Yeah, alright… huh, where was I at again?"

"Staring at my tits."

"Yes… well, I am… I mean I was… eh, I guess."

"If having me naked is too much for you, then why don't I put on some clothes," she offered.

Toph suddenly felt the weight of his body on hers as she fell back to the floor of the gondola. Their mouths locked in a flurry of deep passionate kisses.

"Oh, I see you're ready for business," she exclaimed, lifting her legs to rest upon his hip.

His only response came as a low gasp as he plumbed his member deep into her.

It didn't take long for the amorous pair to finish. Somehow Toph sat astride him, gently flexing her internal muscles against his semi-soft penis.

"Have you come back to your senses Twinkle Toes?"

"Yeah, I really needed that," he sighed.

"You're welcome, now explain this whole, illusion thing to me. This time I won't interrupt you, I promise."

Aang reached up and started to caress one of her breasts, tracing its form.

"I'll try, Sifu. So, the pouch, okay, let's think about the water it holds. You felt it as water… the stuff is wet. But when you freeze it, it becomes ice, hard like a rock. When you boil it, it turns to steam, hot like fire. The clouds, if there were any around here, are made of the same stuff, but like a mist, or fog."

Toph nodded her head. "So the same thing can show up in different ways?"

"Exactly, it is all made up of the same thing. Guru Patik told me that earth and metal are actually the same."

"So I am a metalbender," Toph smugly declared, pushing more of her teat into his hand as she stuck out her chest.

"Only as far as you can connect with the earth in the metal, you've told me Sifu. There is a bending that allows you to move metal, just like you do earth. No matter how pure, it will follow your will."

Toph's eyes widened at his words.

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about Toph. I want to see if you can become a true metalbender, the first of your kind. I'm not talking about an earthbender who can fold metal, but a metalbender who can form any-and-all metals, no matter how pure!"

The earthbender's head rolled back on her shoulders. "Don't you think I've tried that? I've tried to bend the pure stuff, but I just can't connect with it."

"If anybody can, you can do it Sifu!"

"I'm telling you I can't, Aang!"

"You have to Toph! You have to help hold bending in this world! I already told you, if something happens to me, all the bending in this world will stop! This is not a threat; it's a reality!"

The little earthbender stood to her feet, releasing his deflated manhood in a pool of their respective fluids. "So how is me, becoming a … a true metalbender, going to help?" she asked, wringing her hands.

"Toph, I know I'm asking a lot."

"You're asking the impossible!"

"But you make the impossible happen all the time!"

"Not like this!" she declared shaking her head.

Aang sighed as he sat up. "This is not just about the Air Nomads. This is about every bender in the entire world. If air goes away, it's like a hole ripping in the bottom of the pouch. All the bending ability would flow out into another place, and eventually, it would be empty. That's the best I can explain this Toph."

"How do you know?"

"Know what?"

She faced in his direction. "How do you know there aren't more airbenders somewhere? Couldn't there be? Katara told me she was really surprised and disgusted to find other waterbenders living in the swamp. You and Zuko went and found those Sun dudes, and we all know about those lovely sandbenders… so what if…"

The Avatar took in a deep breath. "There aren't any more; I'm the last one, Toph. I thought the same way you did, but the Lion Turtle told me, I'm it."

Toph covered her mouth. "I'm, so sorry, Aang. I didn't mean to bring up such a painful topic."

"It's okay Toph," he replied in a choked voice.

The earthbender moved over to embrace him, hugging his head to her chest. "It's not okay Aang, and I know it's not. You don't have to pretend with me, ever."

"Thank you, Toph."

She held him until his sniffling subsided.

"So Twinkle Toes, the whole bending goes poof if you die? You said there were, what seven forms of bending?"

"That's right. Air, fire, water and earth, and I can bend chi or the energy in people. There is also, metal and wood bending. The lion turtles could give the ability to people, creating the flow into our world."

"Then can't you just make more airbenders?" Toph proposed.

The Avatar rubbed the back of his head. "Wish I could. Even as the Avatar, I'm not strong enough to that. I would lose too much of my life. Even the Lion Turtles became so exhausted they disappeared from our world."

Toph rubbed her chin. "If we lose air, then you said that it's like putting a hole in the pouch. But what about the other two bendings? Are they holes in the pouch?"

"Yep, they are Sifu. Currently, five are flowing into this world, and two are flowing elsewhere, like currents in a stream."

The earthbender shuddered at the revelation. "So, if the flow goes the other way, if it becomes four to three against. All would become a trickle or dry up… to nothing."

"Unfortunately, that's the situation Sifu," Aang confirmed. "The strongest benders will start getting weaker as the majority will lose the ability completely. In the end, the amount of power coming into this world will just be too small."

Toph stood to her feet, running her hands over her thick hair. "How long have you known this?"

"About the bending?"

"Yes, about that!"

Aang closed his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head. "Since… well, since before I fought Ozai."

"WHAT!"

"Calm down Toph. When I was on that Lion Turtle, I spoke with a lot of my past lives, trying to figure out a way not to kill the Fire Lord. They warned me what would happen if I died, even if I wasn't in the Avatar state."

"And you still risked fighting that maniac during the comet?"

Aang's jaw stiffened. "You know what he was going to do to your country, Toph!"

The indignant earthbender pointed in his general direction. "I'll have you know, me, Sokka and Suki took care of that issue. We didn't need you! What was Ozai going to do without his big bad airships, walk to Ba Sing Se?"

"You almost died! If Sokka hadn't…"

"I know that! I was the one about to fall! You don't have to explain that to me, Twinkle Toes!"

"Why are you so upset Toph?"

"Because you're a selfish prick, Twinkle Toes!"

Aang now rose to his feet. "Hey, how am I a selfish prick for trying to save the Earth Kingdom?"

"Oh, don't try to play that hero card with me! You were more concerned about not contaminating your, precious soul, than ending that murderous bastard! Ozai was responsible for the deaths of millions, and here you are not only risking your own life, but all the bending in this spirit cursed world!"

"It was what, what I was taught, Toph."

"And how did that work out for the people that taught you? I think we already had that conversation."

Aang flopped down. "Toph, I was just trying to do the right thing. I was young and stupid…"

"I guess some things never change."

"That's not fair Toph."

"Welcome to reality Twinkle Toes. Fairness is like a fart. It's just a smell with nothing to it!"

Aang shook his head. "Please let me explain Toph. I didn't know where you guys were, and I thought I was the only one facing Ozai. I thought no one else would get hurt."

"If you didn't run away, like a pussy, you would have known!"

"I didn't run away! The Lion Turtle took me away!" he corrected her.

"Whatever. You ran away in your head long before that thing ever took you. How convenient you suddenly got a conscience!"

Aang glared at her. "Are you saying that I was a coward!"

"Was; is… I don't see the difference!" she declared.

"How can you call me a coward Toph? How? I fought Ozai! I put my life on the line for all of you!"

"We all put our lives on the line, not just you Aang! Or do you still think that you're the center of the universe, Mr. Avatar!"

"I never said that!"

"But you thought it, Aang. You were willing to let many more people die, trying to keep from ending that reign of terror. All my life, I heard about the war. I attended funerals and heard the people around me living in fear. And then you come along, the all-powerful Avatar, and what did I do? I went headlong into the fight. I thought you were going to put an end to the madness, but instead, you moan like a wimp about taking that monster down! I thank the spirits you didn't have that same resolve when we invaded the Fire Nation. We all got bloodied that day, or maybe you didn't? Is that why we lost Aang? Did you lose your nerve when the sun came back? Were you afraid to face him?"

Aang closed his eyes tightly. "Yes, I was afraid! Is that what you wanted to hear Toph?"

"Finally the truth!" she proclaimed throwing up her hands.

"So you think I'm a coward?"

"I've known that you were a pussy for a long time Twinkle Toes. But, I also know that you put your fears aside when push comes to shove. Truth… we're all cowards if we have any sense."

"Then why are you so mad at me?"

"Because you have been so, so, so damn selfish! You didn't care about Katara or any of us! You only cared about following some long gone tradition of a dead people! Did you really want to join them Aang?"

"Part of me did. I'm not going to lie. It was hard… is hard being the last one. There are days, even now, I wish I could join them," he tearfully confessed. "But, I know if I do, then it would hurt you, Toph. Back when I fought Ozai, I thought, at least everybody would be alive, even if I wasn't. That you all could adapt to a life without powers."

"I'm blind Aang, you don't understand," she interjected.

"I know you're blind Toph, you've been blind since before I met you."

The earthbender stopped and put her face to his holding open her eyes. "No, you don't, you don't understand. While I'm up here, I'm useless! I'm totally and completely useless. I can hear, but it's like being in a bubble where nothing talks back. There's nothing I can reach out and touch, or even see through. When I'm holding you, I can hear you breathing, feel your heart beating next to me, but you're still, dark to me. Sometimes, I think I would be this way, even after we land. You don't know how relieved I am every time I can stand on the ground, and see," Toph exclaimed as her tears fell in big dollops.

"I can only imagine Sifu," he admitted. "It was pretty selfish of me to risk even your earth-sight for my customs. I just felt them going and I was slipping further away. I thought if I could reclaim, hold on to that one thing, then I could still be a nomad, a monk. That my way of life before wouldn't be all gone. Now that I hear me say it out loud, you're right; I was pretty conceited."

Toph gently kissed him. "Young and stupid, you said it yourself."

They embraced as she sat down upon him.

"So, Twinkle Toes, about me becoming a true metalbender…"