OOO

Day 10: Freedom

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Canon Universe

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The moon had already risen and was resting at the top of the sky, and Aang was thankful that the sky was clear tonight. It was always hard to steer Appa through cloudy weather, especially at night. He quietly told Appa that they'd fly for only half an hour more before they landed and rested for the night. He wanted to make sure that he left enough distance between the Bei Fong estate and them before Toph's parents noticed that Toph had actually run away and hadn't made peace with her family.

At first, he thought that they had finally taken the chance to understand her and let her go on to see the world. For a while, she looked incredibly happy, and even fell into a peaceful sleep with a small smile on her face as the group flew on to their next destination. But as the Water Tribe siblings slept and Aang began to feel his own lids begin to droop, he looked back and saw that Toph was wide awake, staring sightlessly up at the sky with a passive look on her face that made Aang think that not everything was the way it should have been. After all, if her parents had really allowed her to come with them, why did Toph leave so suddenly in secret in the middle of the night?

Figuring that the sky was clear enough that Aang could leave Appa to do the navigating for now, Aang decided to crawl off of Appa's head and over to the saddle where the tiny girl was sprawled. She didn't look upset, elated, or even sad. She looked…contemplative. And Aang wasn't sure how to take that.

Aang sat cross-legged next to Toph. "So…you're positive about the fact that we're even right?"

Toph chuckled. "Yeah, I think so. I hit you hard enough for you to feel bad about cheating."

"It wasn't cheating," Aang defended. "It was a reflex."

"Whatever soothes your guilty conscience."

Strange. Toph seemed in good enough spirits. Of course, if you counted her making fun of him being in good spirits. He wasn't really used to this sarcastic, frank nature—not even Sokka was this bad—but this was definitely something he was going to have to get used to if this young girl was going to be his Earthbending master. But there was still something off about her. He might not have known her too well at this point, but he could easily recognize tension and unsettlement no matter who it was.

Aang decided to just go for it. "I know you ran away," he blurted out. "Your parents didn't let you go."

Toph's placid face faltered slightly. A frown was pulling at her features and she turned her head away from his voice. "Does it matter? You have a teacher and I got away. Everyone wins."

Aang stared down at his hands in his lap and bit his lip. "But you're upset."

"I'm perfectly fine," Toph insisted.

Aang pulled his knees up to his chest and sighed. Somehow, he didn't think that communicating with Toph was ever going to be easy. "I know you say that. But…I just wanted to…thank you. For agreeing to come with us. I know how hard it is leaving a family behind. And you were willing. So…thanks," he mumbled.

Aang had never met someone who was blind before. It was interesting to watch Toph's eyes react to what he said. She wasn't focusing on anything, but her eyes were still capable of showing shock and confusion. It was amazing to watch. Thank goodness she couldn't see him staring, otherwise he was sure he wouldn't be able to get away with this kind of observation.

"You don't need to thank me," Toph replied. "I mean…I left on my own. I wanted to get my freedom back and this was the best way to do it and help you."

Aang averted his eyes from Toph and looked out at the mountainside just outside of Gaoling. Perhaps they could find a place on a mountain ridge to set up camp for the night. The lonely night reminded him of a time that didn't feel like very long ago, but had actually been buried in a past he couldn't have back. "Well. Take it from someone who knows a lot about running away. Sometimes, you sacrifice more than you meant to in order to get your freedom. So…I figured I should at least show you that I'm grateful for the sacrifice."

The two of them said nothing. Aang darted his back down at Toph who seemed to be contemplative, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Surely she had to realize that cutting ties cost a lot. Look what running away on that stormy night cost him and Appa? Sometimes, Aang wondered if it was even worth it—the momentary fresh breath of freedom. Look at the mess he caused.

Thinking that Toph wasn't going to respond to him any longer, Aang was about to climb back and take up Appa's reigns again. But Toph sat up suddenly and grabbed a hold of Aang's wrist, keeping him from going anywhere. Aang waited in confusion for Toph to say something, wondering if he had offended her.

Her face turned towards his, her gaze brushing over the top of his left ear. "It doesn't do you any good to regret leaving things behind. But, it's good to appreciate everything you've gained now that you grabbed the freedom you deserve. It's how I see it anyway."

Toph gave the tiniest evidence of what could have maybe been a smile before she turned back to face the mountainside, her arms hanging off of the edge of the saddle. Aang stood there, staring at her in wonder, in amazement that a girl that he barely knew could understand even a fraction of the doubts he always carried with him.

Aang grinned and climbed back over to Appa's head and started looking for a place for them to camp. He couldn't explain why, but he had a good feeling about this girl.