Here's chapter three, yay.
Zuko and Toph wondered their way through the pitch-black forest, following the dirt path that many people have walked before.
"It's getting dark." Zuko said absentmindedly.
He lit a small fire in his hand. "Is this enough light?"
"Yes, Zuko, I can see clearly now." Toph laughed.
"Oh right. Sorry." He chuckled a bit.
She planted her tiny foot firmly on the ground, feeling their surroundings.
"There's a lake up ahead, want to rest there? It's hot today." Toph ran her hand over her bang covered forehead, whipping the sweat off.
"Sure."
As they arrived, she collapsed onto the bank, smiling.
"Nothing like cool dirt." She laughed, making rock angels on the floor.
Zuko removed his shoes, and dipped his feet into the cold black water.
He stared at it for what seemed like forever, and yet, a second.
"It's painful, isn't it?" Toph asked, staying still and listening to the earth vibrate underneath them.
"What is?"
"You know what." She bent a small pebble at him, knocking the side of his head.
"Ow! What was that for?" Zuko yelled, rubbing his temple.
"Don't make me say it out loud!" Toph yelled, sitting up and clenching the ground underneath her.
"I don't know what you're taking about." Zuko whispered, letting his bangs fall over his amber eyes, staring into the blackness swallowing his legs.
"You're lying." Toph narrowed her gray eyes at him, well where she sensed him, and he sighed.
"I know what you're going through, you know." Toph let herself fall back down, finding little comfort in her element.
"How would you know?" Zuko practically spat out.
"Two things so different…" She started, her eyes stinging a bit with tears. "Two things so different…" Her voice broke slightly, shaking as the words trembled off her parted lips.
"Don't belong together…" Zuko finished, running his toes through the cold mud at the lake's floor.
"Water and Air." Toph smiled weakly, tears actually freeing from her eyes in small streams. "It makes more sense, you know? It makes sense because those elements compliment each other. They go together so well…"
Zuko stayed completely quiet, still kicking up whatever was at the bottom of the lake he couldn't see.
"I'm the earth. I'm the ground. I'm steady, I'm solid." Toph pounded her tiny fist against the rock bottom, causing it to shake violently.
Zuko didn't flinch. Still staring down at the water he made contact with.
"But I'm rooted, I'm stuck. I'm the surface." She grabbed at the rough terrain, crushing it to dust under her fingers.
He still didn't say anything, still feeling the cold against his skin.
He hated the cold, he hated it. He wanted to use his fire to burn away the water, boil it under his touch. He wanted to destroy it, because it was so damn different than him, just like she was.
"I can't even see Twinkle Toes when his in the air, I can't feel him, I have no way of knowing where he is." Toph cried out.
Zuko was surprised at her emotional display, but honestly, Toph felt like Zuko was the only one that understood her pain, and because of that, she trusted him enough to open up, even just the slightest.
"He's the air. He's the sky. He's flexible. He's delicate." Toph spat out in disgust.
She sat up, staring emptily into the space she knew Zuko was in, and though she couldn't see him, she felt as if she did.
"He's boundless. He's free. He's the heavens." She sobbed, bringing her knees up to hug them against her chest.
"And you love him." Zuko leaned his head back to look into the crescent moon above them.
"I love him so much…" Toph admitted out loud for the first time.
Zuko stood up, and walked up to the crying teen, hating just how much she reminded him of himself.
He rested his hand gently on her shoulder, sitting down crossed legged next to her.
"Our elements define our personality." Zuko stated, feeling an aching pain in his chest.
"Do they define our destiny?" Toph whispered into her pants.
"I don't know." Zuko answered honestly.
Toph reached up to run her shaking fingers through her long hair, the silky strands weaving through her fingers.
"I'm the Earth. He's the Sky. I belong the down here. He belongs up high." She chuckled dryly. "Sounds almost poetic."
"But literal." Zuko added.
"So you love Sugar Queen, huh?" Toph said, stopping her tears and reentering her tough girl act.
Zuko didn't say anything.
"Your silence says all." Toph punched him slightly in the arm, though there wasn't much force behind it. "Must suck for you too, being a firebender."
Zuko sighed.
"And what about Mai?"
"I don't know." Zuko admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance.
"You have to get rid of her. It's not fair, you know."
"It's not like I'm going to be with Katara anyways."
"Well actually." Toph smiled slyly.
"What?" Zuko asked, his full attention switching to the blind girl.
"Well…take me back to the festival and buy me some food. Then we'll talk."
"Ugh! Fine." Zuko stood, and extended his hand to her, she took it.
Toph's ear twitched slightly, feeling footsteps approaching.
She took her fighting stance, and slammed her foot down on the floor, lifting a rock and readying it to be launched.
Zuko caught on, forming fire around his fists.
"Relax. It's me." Mai's voice came in.
Toph dropped her piece of earth.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked.
"I can ask you the same thing." Mai narrowed her eyes at Toph.
"Calm your tits." Toph's hands held up. "I'll leave you two alone." She said, feeling the building tension.
"Wait Toph!" Zuko called out, not waiting to be left alone with Mai.
"Later!" She laughed, bending the earth underneath her to run faster.
and that's it. sorry it's kinda short.
While writing this, I kinda wanted to ship Toph and Zuko together, I realized they would make a cute couple, but, don't worry, I won't this is a Taang for a reason. BTW, Taang is the main ship of this story, thoguh it seems like a balance right now. I probably will force more of Toph and Zuko by themselves than with their lovers. I don't really like Katara, so, yeah, I probably won't feature her in as much. I changed the photo to a Zutara photo because there aren't many good Taang pics. If you find one, please let me know ! :D
Until next time, this has been Mechanical Bride, and her kickass fanfic