A Kiss in Ba Sing Se

[A/N: This is an A/U story. The Toph character does feel inferior to Katara and so in order to compete for Aang's affections pulls out all the stops. Aang is a boy with near infinite power and is being offered love and comfort from the two girls most dear to him.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or titles to the characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender. ]

Chapter 11

Shades of Truth

The sound of the dragon-swallows flying high overhead, catching the rising air currents, echoed lightly off the barren surface of the gleaming rock pit. The two figures at the center, quietly sitting intertwined, under the ever rising morning sun, would have been clearly visible, if anyone else were around.

Neither one of them knew or cared how much time had passed since the incident had occurred. The crying had subsided for both of them, only a few sniffles remained, and this deafening silence.

"I didn't even get as high as the sides of the quarry," he admitted, finally breaking the quiet. "It was like... like there was a string... no, this chain, connecting you and me, right here at the heart. No matter how hard I tried to break it, the stronger it became. I- I then thought, if I broke it, I would... die."

"We would have died," she whispered in a weakened voice.

"Hmm... I didn't think... people could really die of a broken heart, but I guess I was wrong," he breathed out, slightly shifting under her.

"You've never... thought this through... have you... Aang?" she asked, leaning back to face him.

"By 'this', you mean..."

"I mean, the swamp... the tornado... that whole deal!" she gasped, sounding a bit agitated and very tired still. "Why d-did it take all that... to bring you to me?"

His brow scrunched, "Well, I needed an earthbending teacher and you were..."

She chuckled lightly, "If that were so, why didn't you get a blizzard... that whisked you away to the North Pole, and showed you a vision of that... uh... grumpy old fart... what's his name..."

"Pakku.."

She really looked annoyed now, "Whatever... or when you needed a firebending teacher... some strange volcanic eruption, that would blow you and hot pants together? Now that would be a sight," she chortled.

"Ha, ha," he replied sardonically.

"Hey, didn't I have to vouch for his sorry ass," she pointed out. "And after he torched my tootsies too. So, I'm a two for one! You wouldn't even have had him without me." she declared with a bit more energy.

He scratched his head, not knowing quite what to make of it all.

She shook her head, "Shit Twinkle Toes, you're denser than the rock we're sitting on! Sweetness told me what naked tree guy told you all about the visions. She saw her mom, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, still trying to put it all together.

"And she said Sokka saw his first crush, and I guess from that play we saw on Ember Island, she became the moon..."

Aang swallowed hard, "She sacrificed everything for her people. She's a great lady. I hope you meet her some..."

"Already have," Toph stopped him to his surprise, "... but we're talking about us here."

"When did you..."

"Focus, Twinkle Toes, this is us time... I'm really starting to feel much better," she exclaimed stretching against him. I can almost bend again. Never thought I could lose that," she said thoughtfully.

He dropped his face into her braided hair, "I didn't know..."

"Forget it... it's over now," she exclaimed, cracking her knuckles.

He lifted his head, "So-so you forgive me?"

"Hell, no! Are you crazy? When I get back on my feet, I'm gonna kick the ever lov'n shit out of you Twinkle Toes!"

His face sadden, "Oh, I guess, I deserve..."

"Then I'm gonna kiss every place it hurts , until ya beg for more," she laughed.

Suddenly, he had never looked more forward to an ass kicking.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes, what's that sticking me in my back?" she asked, knowing his arms were wrapped around her.

He flushed, "It's my... uh.. ya know..."

Her eyes suddenly got bigger, "Oh, that... okay... I see you're feeling better too."

"We can move if you want?" he offered bashfully.

She nestled further in, "Naw, I like little Twinkles just fine where he is," she remarked deviously. "At least he's an honest little fella."

The monk rubbed his hand hard across his reddened face, "Toph... I've said I was sorry, what more can I say?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno Twinkle Toes, how about... maybe the... TRUTH for starters! That yak shit about, I love Katara and that's it, you've gotta do better than that," she demanded.

She felt the bulge in her back diminish as he breathed out heavily, "You're right. I should have told you the entire truth from the beginning," he admitted hugging her tightly. "It has to do with being an Air Nomad..."

"Wait... is this gonna be one of those long drawn out mystical, blah, blah, cosmic stories of yours Twinkle Toes, because if it is... can't you just cut to the chase?"

He palmed his forehead so hard, it left a red mark around his arrow.

"Do you wanna know or not?" he barked.

"Gosh, Twinkles Toes, ya don't have ta yell," she replied clearing her ears, "I'll listen... just hope this lame excuse isn't boring as hell..."

"Okay, Toph... forget it," he said, truly exasperated. "I lied, I didn't tell you the entire truth, but there is no quick way to explain it... okay. So if you don't want to listen then..."

He felt her hand against his cheek, "Who said I didn't want to listen Aang... I just wanted you to be completely honest."

The look on her face was so sincere and kind, he felt at peace immediately.

This time, he thought more about what he was going to say, "I said, what I said, because I wanted to fit in Toph. It may sound funny that the Avatar..."

"No it doesn't," she interjected, "I understand totally. Katara is the popular girl. Being with me would alienate you from those you've come to know as friends and family... in a way."

He was astonished at her insight, "That's right! I felt if I didn't choose Katara, I would lose everything again. She's like... like my people to me Toph. She was the first person I saw out of that iceberg, and when I found out everyone was gone, she offered to be my family. I thought... thought... if I told her... about us, she would walk away from me forever."

"And you would lose your people again..." the blind girl finished biting her lip, "that's pretty heavy."

"Yeah, but now, she's more than that to me. I really do love her, for her, Toph," he admitted candidly. "She's sweet, with a touch of sour..."

"A touch? Try that the other way around," the earthbender smirked.

"Ha, ha, not so funny," he huffed, "you're one to talk!"

"I guess, I'm sweet with a touch of sour as well," she giggled.

Even he had to laugh at that one.

"I was going to tell you about being an Air Nomad... we don't marry. We lived in monasteries, men and women lived separately. Only coming together once in a while.

If a child was born, it was raised by the community. No fathers, no mothers... only mentors. At five I went from the Western Air Temple, with the nuns, to the Southern. I can tell you... I was scared. My first mentor was a young master named Chung. After about a year, he got reassigned to the Northern Temple. I begged to go with him... but they wouldn't let me. My next mentor was an old man... Gyatso. He looked stern and I was very frightened of him... at first. But then we played a prank on the elders. We ran so fast and laughed so hard my sides hurt. He... was like a father to me Toph. He took me everywhere, showed me the world, and pushed me to earn my arrows."

She wiped a tear from her eye, "You really loved him, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah... so much so, when they told me that I was the avatar, all I could think of was that they were going to take me away from him. When I-I overheard them, planning to send me away, I decided to run away instead, and that's when I got caught in the iceberg."

As she rolled over, he laid back, "Now look at you, 100 years later. The last airbender, the last Air Nomad. Sounds very lonely," she remarked as she stretched out on him.

"It is," he conceded, "very lonely at times. "My friends are what make it bearable."

She smiled into his chest, "You know, you almost broke my heart you-you... dunderhead!" she yelled, changing the subject. "I would crush you right now... but I'm still too weak."

He looked down catching the corner of her smile, "I almost tore out my heart as well.. and if I ever get that stupid again, please do crush me. It'll be less painful for the both of us."

"I'll remember that Twinkle Toes, for the next time. But you owe me big time, and this one will cost you. You know, I don't forgive easy, and you shouldn't play with a maiden's heart."

He hugged her firmly, "I know, and I will pay whatever the price you demand. I knew it was a mistake the moment I couldn't be totally honest with you."

She leaned up on him, "Well duh! Took you long enough to realize it! Just like when I was teaching you earthbending." she exclaimed starting to rub his chest.

"What do you mean Toph... I tried really hard, and then I finally was able to move the boulder."

She smiled, laying a light kiss on his chest, "Yes, but you could already earthbend when I met you. I admit, you didn't know anything, but you had a natural talent for it."

He looked totally stunned.

"Wha... wha... it was harder than firebending!" he blurted out.

"Of course it is. Firebending is for sissies." she stated in a superior tone.

"That's not true!" he challenged.

"Okay, ya want proof, Twinkle Toes? she answered with a wide grin. "What firebender can carry a boulder on his back weighing nearly a half a ton... but you did it," she reminded him. "They would've been smooshed."

His mouth twisted, "Well I... huh..."

"And when you stood at the top of those pillars, as I racked them... under any normal person, they would have crumbled, or at least they would have fallen off the base that small... how did you do that?"

"Ah... hmm... well I... ahhh...," he hemmed and hawed.

She continued, "Or feeling the mounds or the spikes as I brought them up before you... blindfolded! You see Twinkles, you were earthbending all along. You just hadn't realized it yet, and that is why..."

"You wanted me to stop the boulder... you knew I could do it because I was already earthbending!" he concluded.

She rested again upon his chest."Precisely! I would have never put you in harms way if I didn't think you could do it."

"Sifu why didn't you just tell me?" he asked, squeezing her tightly.

"Oh, that feels so good Aang," she sighed contentedly. "What was that last question?"

"I was asking, why didn't you just tell me all this stuff."

"Because, my dear pupil, you needed to have confidence in your own abilities, and realize them as they developed in you. I would have failed as a teacher if you had to rely on me to tell you when you had progressed," she explained, rolling to her back and feeling the heat of the sun.

"Wow... you have so much wisdom Sifu. I-I can't believe I haven't discussed this with you before," the awed airbender exclaimed.

"Aang, where is the shelter? Don't tell me, we've been sitting out in the open all this time?"

"Well, yes..."

" Hurry and erect one... I still can't do it. The gods only know how we look right now to any passerby!"