Chapter 2

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It was finally their mach and Aang and Toph where lead to the door they would enter through. They could just make out an announcers voice through the stone gate.

"Give it up for a local favorite the duo of dirt Kinok and Tinok." The crowd could be heard cheering.

"And the challenging team the complementary outlaws the Blind Bandit and the Bald Brigand."

"What? Bald Brigand?"

"I needed a fighting name for you and it went so well with mine. I could have used Fancy Dancer or Twinkle Toes. No time to argue lets go."

Walking in to the ring they where assaulted by half cheering and half heckling. "Bite me" was the Blind Bandit's response to the later. The outlaws could now see their opponents. At first Aang was worried at the sight of the two muscley men in matching sleeveless robes. Then they stepped forward and took their stances, they where not one in the way team Ourea was.

"Begin"

Rocks flew and the ground heaved. For the first minutes of the fight both teams where testing each other, figuring out the limits of the other team. The dust cleared from the firs exchange, no real injuries where taken and Aang decided they would be the firs team to step up the pace.

"Just like we talked about."

Toph needed no other explanation, taking a stance next to Aang and started bending medium sized rocks into the air in front of him; he in tern launched them toward their foe in what looked like a constant stream. This caught the opponent off guard, but when they split he could only follow one with the attack. Then he felt the ground turn to water beneath his feet. Toph had felt the attack coming and thwarted it for herself, but Aang didn't have sonar feet, so the rocks she continued to bend landed in the bleachers where nobody sat for fear of just such a mishap.

Seeing an opening the duo of dirt attacked with their own team move. The rock they flung must have been four tons and was propelled by not one but two earth benders. Aang barely recovered in time to do anything.

"I have an idea, you crack that thing and leave the rest to me."

And she did. The bolder split but rocky shrapnel flew forward. Aang launched himself into the deadly shards bending them towards the ones who had originally launched them. The sudden wave of rock and dust through Kinok and Tinok off the ring.

"The winners are Blind Bandit and the Bald Brigand!" this time there where only cheers.

"That wasn't so hard was it Twinkle Toes." She said smiling broadly at him.

He just chuckled and smiled back, feeling more alive than he had been in a while.

Their next two matches would be tomorrow so they did not linger after the last two matches of the day. Though they did learn in that time that the team they defeated was one of the top three ranked to win.

That night Toph slept more soundly than usual and Aang slept more restlessly.