Seven The Runaway

Aang stood in the middle of the field, blindfolded. He couldn't see them, but Katara and Toph were somewhere around, both ready to attack. Zuko would be as well, but Aang's firebending hadn't progressed much farther than deep breathing exercises.

"Okay, I'm ready for some training!" He stamped his foot down, and tried to feel the vibrations, the same way Toph did.

He was able to see the columns of rock that came his way, and avoid them, grabbing the water that hurtled toward him, recoiling back toward Katara. In the same movement, he sent a chunk of stone spinning toward Toph.

Toph caught it with ease. "Good Job, Twinkletoes! Visualize…then attack!" She sent the stone flying back to Aang, who spun, corkscrewing into the ground.

Following the laws of physics, the boulder-sized stone followed its trajectory, and knocked Katara down.

She picked herself up. "Maybe you should follow your own advice!"

Toph snorted. "What's the matter? Can't handle a little dirt, Madam Fussybritches?"

Water poured on Toph, and Katara grinned. "Oops…did I get you wet, Mud Slug?"

Aang looked around, still blindfolded as the two girls surged toward one another, riding their respective elements.

They crashed, and feel down into a mudpit shrieking at each other. Aang spoke up, "Are we taking a break?"

"Sneak attack!" Sokka shouted, jumping at Aang, who bent a pillar of stone in the way.

"Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud." He said, pulling off his blindfold. The carnage he saw caused his jaw to drop.

Toph kicked mud into Katara's face. "Hungry for a mud pie?"

Katara glared under the mud. "I'll give you a mud pie!" She bent the water in the mud, slogging the wet earth all around Toph.

Toph sprang out of the slick mud, and bent the earth up, throwing Katara onto her back.

Katara got back to her feet, and the fight would have gone on if Aang hadn't spoken.

"Guys, I thought we were supposed to be training me!"

Katara sniffed, and mustering her shredded dignity, responded. "Very well, Pupil. I believe we've had enough training for one day." She walked off stiffly.

Toph snorted. "Good. While Katara cleans up, let's go have some fun."

Aang and Sokka cheered, and they followed Toph down the path to the nearby city.

Zuko sat, watching all this with a stunned expression. Finally, he spoke to the air. "You all are crazy."

Katara came back to the camp to find the fire stoked, and Appa munching on a pile of grass. She paused by the fire to sniff at whatever was stewing in the pot.

Zuko sat nearby, checking the edge of his swords. "What was that earlier?" He asked.

"What?" Katara sat across from him.

"That fight." Zuko replied, sheathing both blades. "I thought you and Toph were friends."

"We are." Katara answered quickly. "Its just…sometimes…"

"Both of you snap?" Zuko suggested.

"No!" Katara protested. Changing the subject, she waved at the fire. "Thank you."

Zuko shrugged. "It needed done, and you were busy."

Katara smirked. "What, you wouldn't have done it otherwise?"

Zuko glanced away. "I would have." He said softly. "Whether you ask or not." He laid back, stretching out on the grass.

Katara glanced at Zuko out of the corner of her eyes, trying to gauge his mood. "What will happen when Aang stops your father?"

Zuko took a moment to reply. "I don't really know for sure. I doubt the war will end, because Azula will still be around."

Neither of them saw Appa shuffling away from his fodder. He stopped right behind Zuko, and the prince followed Katara's look in time to get a face full of Appa-tongue.

Zuko glared at Katara, who was laughing. "You think this is funny?"

"Yes!" Katara managed, then her eyes widened when Zuko crossed the space between them, still dripping with drool. "Don't touch me!" She warned.

Zuko smiled deviously. "Come here. Let me spread the love."

Katara began to back up. "I mean it Zuko!" She turned heel, and ran, Zuko hot on her heels.

He managed to catch her, but as fate would have it, they tripped, and Katara was pinned under Zuko.

She looked up, meeting his eyes…

"Whoa…I did not expect this." Toph spoke up.

The two looked guiltily over to where Toph, Sokka, and Aang were standing, arms full of supplies. Aang and Sokka were staring, open-mouthed.

Zuko pushed himself up. "I…uh…yeah, I need a bath." He walked away to the river.

Katara snorted. Coward. She eyed the provisions. "Where did you get the money for all of that?"

Sokka and Aang snapped out of their stupor, wide grins covering their faces. Aang waved his arms excitedly. "Toph got us money! She scammed one of those guys in town who move shells all sneaky-like."

"She used earthbending to win!" Sokka agreed. "Classic!"

Katara picked herself up. "Ah…so she cheated."

Toph frowned at the disapproving tone. "Hey, I cheated a cheater!" She responded hotly. "What's wrong with that?"

"I'm just saying, this isn't something we should make a habit of doing." Katara replied, checking the stew.

"Why?" Toph snorted, and answered her own question. "Because you hate fun, that's why."

Katara grabbed Momo, and put him on her head. "I don't hate fun. See, fun?" Momo flew off with an annoyed squawk.

Aang spoke solemnly. "Katara, I will personally make you an Avatar promise that we will not make a habit of scamming."

"Go Toph!" Aang cheered as Toph won a dice game, cheating with earth bending, of course. Of course, that was after a several day succession of scams, including winning a strongman contest and extorting a merchant after he 'ran' Toph over.

Katara, of course, was not pleased.

"Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen." She remonstrated, Sokka and Aang looking guilty. Toph, of course, was her usual self.

"Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up?"

Katara turned to her. "Oh I'm sorry! You think I should be more like you…a wild child!"

Toph snorted. "Yeah, maybe. Maybe then, you'd see how great we have it. I mean, look at us. We're traveling around the world, making easy money, having fun, with no parents to tell us what to do."

"Ah, I see. You're acting like this because of your parents." Katara nodded sagely.

Toph crossed her arms dismissively. "Whatever."

Katara pressed her point. "They were controlling over you, so you ran away, and now you act like your parents don't exist. You act like you hate them, but you don't. You just feel guilty."

Toph stomped her foot. "I do hate them!"

"I don't think so. I think you miss them. But you just don't want to deal with that, so instead, you act like this crazy person." Katara said simply.

"Look, I ran away to help Aang!" Toph nearly shouted.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. These scams put us all at risk, and we don't need that. We've already got some third-eyed freak after us." Katara declared.

Sokka cut in. "Speaking of that third-eyed freak…I think I've come up with a name for him. What do you think of…"Sparky-Sparky Boom Man!" Even Zuko groaned.

Sokka managed to look offended. "Just think about it."

"We have enough money. You need to stop this!" Katara looked at all of them, but it was Toph who replied.

"I'll stop when I want to stop, and not when you tell me!" The younger girl stormed off.

Sokka grinned. "Speaking of money, I'm off to spend some."

Sokka stepped out of a shop in Fire Fountain village, a messenger hawk perched on his shoulder. He spoke to it, the intelligent bird looking at him.

"Hawky, welcome to Team Avatar. My name's Sokka, and I'm your new owner." The tribesman began. "And as such, I should warn you that there's already a lemur in our group, so I don't want to see any fighting."

The bird squeaked, and Sokka gently poked it, cooing. "Good wittle messenger Hawky. Who's got pwetty feathers?"

As Sokka walked, he passed a wall of mounted wanted posters. He stopped, and skimmed down, passing images of Zuko, Jeong Jeong, The Blue Spirit, and others, and settling on an image of Toph.

Hawky chirped, and Sokka nodded. "You're right, Hawky. This is bad."

"Toph!" Sokka called walking up to his diminutive friend. He unfurled one of the wanted posters. "When I was in town, I found something you're not gonna like."

Toph counted out stacks of money as she replied. "Well, it sounds like a sheet of paper, but I guess you're referring to what's on the sheet of paper."

Sokka blinked. He had once again forgotten Toph was blind. He read off the poster. "It's a wanted poster. Of you. They've nicknamed you 'The Runaway'."

Toph grinned, suddenly enthusiastic. "A wanted poster? That's so great! 'The Runaway.' I love my new nickname. Is there a picture of me? Does it look good?"

Sokka compared. "Well, actually it does look pretty good…but that's beside the point. Maybe Katara was right. These scams are drawing too much attention."

Toph picked up a large sack of money. "Don't be such a worrywart like your sister. Think of it this way. Now you have plenty of money to help with the invasion plan."

Sokka looked at the jingling sack, tempted. "Well, that is true. I had this idea to make armor for Appa…"

Toph grinned. She'd hooked him…money was a good bait. She handed him the entire sack. "Here's a little extra so you can get yourself a nice map of the Fire Nation." She considered. "You know what…make it an atlas."

Sokka hefted the weight of the bag. "I do like expensive atlases."

Toph snatched the poster from his waistband. "I know you do. And that's why this is going to stay a secret between us."

She walked off before Katara, Aang, and Zuko joined them, heatedly discussing bending techniques.

Katara broke off. "Sokka, tell me you didn't buy a bird."

Sokka grinned proudly. "Not just any bird! A messenger bird. Now we can send messages everywhere across the world…even to Gran Gran."

Aang peered at Hawky, causing the bird ruffled its feathers to make itself larger. "How does it work?"

Sokka stopped, considering. "You know, I'm not sure."

He looked at Hawky. "Hawky, Gran Gran, South Pole." Hawky flapped his wings, then settled on Sokka's shoulder, shaking its head. "I think he gets it."

Momo peered over Aang's shoulder, spotted Hawky, and hissed, diving at the bird. Hawky shrieked a war cry, and the two chased each other, dangerously close to Sokka's head.

"Hawky, make nice!" Sokka scolded uselessly. "Bad Hawky!" He glared at Zuko, who was laughing.

"Your stance should be firmer." Zuko told Aang, demonstrating the position again.

Aang shuffled his feet, managing a close approximation. "How's this?"

"Sure…that's good." Zuko said, smiling tightly. "If you want to burn yourself. This is a complicated set, Aang, you have to get this right!"

"I can't even firebend yet!" Aang growled. "How can I even know if I'm doing anything right?"

"I've already taught you a lot of forms." Zuko told him. "Your inability to firebend is not my fault. Whatever is blocking your firebending…I can't fix it."

Aang frowned, then looked across the campsite. "Hey, Katara, what's that?" He asked.

Katara scowled at the paper in her hands. Unfortunately, Sokka and Toph walked down the path at that moment, burdened with cash. "Well, look who's decided to join us! Where have you two been…off scamming again?"

Toph glared. "Yes, we were."

Katara crossed her arms, scolding. "And I suppose you don't think what you're doing is dangerous at all?"

"No, I don't!" Toph snarled angrily.

"Well then, what's this?" Katara demanded, flashing the wanted poster.

Toph snorted. "I don't know! I mean, seriously, what's with you people? I'm blind!"

"It's a wanted poster of you." Katara explained. "The Runaway'. Is that what you're called now? Are you proud of this?"

Toph's hands clenched. "Where did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter where I got it.!" Katara replied hotly. "That fact is…"

Toph shrieked. "You went through my stuff! You had no right!"

"It was messy and I was just cleaning up!" Katara lied.

"That's lie!" Toph was more stunned than angry. "You're lying, Katara!"

Katara waved the poster. "Fine! It's a lie! You've been so out of control lately that I knew something was up! I knew you were hiding something, and I was right!" Toph knocked the poster from Katara's hand, and stomped away. Katara shouted after her. "Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!"

Toph turned around. "Oh really, Mom? What are you going to do? Send me to my room?"

Katara grit her teeth. "I wish I could."

"Well, you can't! You're not my Mom…" Toph pointed at Aang, Sokka and Zuko. "And you're not their Mom!"

Katara blinked. "I never said I was!"

Toph waved wildly. "No, but you certainly act like it. You think it's your jobto boss everyone around, but it's not. You're just a regular kid like the rest of us, so stop acting like you can tell me what to do. I can do whatever I want!"

"I don't act that way!" Katara turned to the others anxiously. "Zuko, do I act motherly?"

Zuko swallowed, and then decided that the non-violent Airbenders could teach a lesson or too. He remained neutral. "I'm staying out of this one." Sokka nodded eagerly in agreement, too afraid of both girls to speak.

"Aang, what do you think?" Katara pleaded.

Aang dug at his eye nervously, muttering. "Well, I…uh…"

"Stop rubbing your eye and speak clearly when you speak!" Katara scolded.

Aang stood stiffly. "Yes ma'am."

The two girls glared at other, storming off in different directions. "I can't be near you right now!"

Hawky chirped, and Sokka nodded. "You're right, Hawky. Why can't they get along?"

Sokka sat with Aang and Zuko, watching as they played a simplified form of Pai Sho. "Now that Zuko has explained how to make Hawky work, how about we test him out?"

"What are you thinking?" Zuko asked, blocking Aang's best move.

"We write a message to Katara, and say its from Toph, who wants to apologize." Sokka grinned, pleased with his idea.

Aang grinned just as widely. "I gotta say, you continue to impress me with your ideas."

Zuko snorted. "Its not going to work."

"I know this is from you, Sokka!" Katara shouted, out of eyesight. "Toph can't write! Agh…you're all driving me crazy!"

Aang and Sokka looked at each other. "I can't believe we forgot Toph can't write."

Zuko shook his head. "You two are idiots."

Aang scratched his head, thinking. "I guess Plan 'B' is to send a note to Toph saying its from Katara."

Zuko facepalmed, and Sokka shook his head. "I think we'd run into a similar problem." Sokka turned to Hawky. "Sorry, buddy. I think I'm going to have to settle this without your help."

Hawky squawked, and hopped onto Aang's head.

Sokka and Toph sat down on a cliff, unaware that Katara was bathing in the river below.

"Let me guess." Toph began. "You brought me out here to tell me that your sister's not as annoying as she seems."

Sokka grinned. "Nah, she's pretty much a pain." Beneath them, Katara scowled. "She's always got to be right about everything, and she gets all bossy, and involved, and in your business."

Toph snorted. "Yeah, I don't know how you can deal with it."

"Actually, in a way, I rely on it." Sokka replied simply.

Toph glanced at him. "I don't understand."

Sokka looked off into the distance. "When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara, she had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom."

"I guess I never thought about that." Toph murmured.

Sokka looked at her. "I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but honestly, I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like, my whole life; Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there, and now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture."

Below, Katara looked down, overcome by emotion. She felt even more so when Toph spoke.

"The truth is, sometimes Katara does act motherly, but that's not always a bad thing. She's compassionate and kind, and she actually cares about me. You know, the real me. That's more than my own mom." Toph punched Sokka in the arm. "Don't ever tell her I said any of this."

Rubbing his wounded appendage, Sokka grinned. "Hey, my lips are sealed."

As the sun was setting, Katara and Toph approached one another. Katara began, somewhat embarrassed. "Hi, Toph. Um, I want to..."

Toph spoke at the same time. "Katara, stop. You don't need to apologize. I was the one being stupid. These scams are out of control, and I'm done with them."

Katara smiled slyly. "Actually, I wasn't going to apologize. I was gonna say…I want to pull a scam with you!"

Aang, Sokka, and Zuko gaped at her, astonished. Toph blinked. "What? You want to pull a scam?"

Katara's smile widened, and she gestured grandly. "Not just any scam…the ultimate scam! What do you say, just you and me…one last go. You in?"

Aang and Sokka hit the ground, stupefied. Toph crossed her arms, now grinning. "You know I'm in, what's the plan?"

Zuko watched the two conspirators walk off. He looked at Momo, who had flown to his shoulder. "What just happened?"

The lemur stuffed its face with a berry.

"The plan is simple." Katara told Toph later as the sat at the campfire. She tapped the wanted poster. "This wanted poster says you're worth a lot of money… Ten times more than you've made in all your scams. So I'm gonna turn you in and collect the reward. Then you metalbend yourself out of jail, and we're on our way."

"Sounds good to me." Toph cracked her knuckles. "When do we start?"

Toph's small figure ran out from a side alley, breathing raggedly as she hurried away from her trackers. She reached the large statue of Ozai, which eternally burned with flame roaring from it mouth, and a net flew, trapping her.

Toph looked up at Katara, betrayal and hurt filling her voice. "How could you do this to me?" She demanded. "You betrayed me!"

Katara shook her head, hands on her hips. "You brought this on yourself. I had no choice." She replied angrily, then turned her back on Toph, letting the 'domestic forces' take her.

The mayor stood with Katara as Toph was dragged away. "You've done the right thing, turning in the Runaway."

"The right thing is its own reward." Katara said. She looked at the mayor. "But I still want the actual reward."

The mayor nodded. "Of course. Follow me to my office."

Toph hid her smirk. She could feel the stone and metal as she was dragged past the cells. She was unceremoniously tossed into a cell, and then she couldn't see. Toph found her feet, heart pounding.

"Hey, what kind of cell is this?"

A laughing reply came as a female officer leaned close to the bars. "A wooden one!"

Katara followed the mayor into his office, and he crossed the room to a lockbox. The door opened, and the mayor spun, pointing at Katara. "That her! That's the one you want!"

Katara turned to face the intruder, and froze. The assassin was there. Oh, no.

Zuko and Sokka watched as Aang paced back and forth, worried. "Do you think this scam of theirs should be taking this long?"

"I was just thinking that." Zuko admitted. "We should look for them."

"Yeah." Sokka got up, grabbing his sword. As they left, Sokka looked at Hawky and Momo. "You two behave. Appa is in charge."

The two smaller creatures started fighting anyway, but a growl from Appa made them hop away from each other.

Toph and Katara sat side by side in the wooden cell. Suddenly Toph jerked. "Wait…it's a trap!"

Katara snorted. "Really, Toph? You think it's a trap? Is that why we're in here?"

Toph shook her head. "Not for us, Katara, we're the bait. He wants Aang…or maybe Zuko."

"I can't believe I was so stupid. See, this is exactly why I'm against these scams. I knew this would happen." Katara sighed, slumping.

Toph frowned. "But…this was your idea."

Katara nodded. "I know. I wanted to show you that I'm not so motherly. I wanted to show you that I can have fun too."

"Katara, you are fun. If nothing else, you're at least fun to argue with." Toph replied.

Katara frowned, hesitating before she spoke again. "I know your relationship with your parents is complicated, and I shouldn't have said what I said."

Toph rested her chin on her knees. "It's ok. I was really mad when you said that because; well, because maybe it's true. I try not to think about it, but when I left, I probably really hurt them."

Uncharacteristically, Toph began to sob, and Katara hugged her.

The three boys walked through the city, growing slower with each step. So far, they had seen no one at all. "Where do you think they might be?" Sokka wondered.

Aang stopped. "Where do you think anyone is?"

Above them, the assassin looked over a rooftop. He took a deep breath, and Zuko looked up, his eyes wide. "Look out!" He shouted, throwing the other two down just before the air above them burned.

They found their feet, running off with the assassin just behind them "It's Sparky-Sparky Boom Man!" Aang exclaimed.

"I'm starting to think the name doesn't fit!" Sokka replied. "Run!"

The explosions startled both girls. "What are going to do?" Katara asked.

""I don't know. I wish we had some earth or water." Toph moaned. "We need bendables!"

"What about your meteor bracelet? You could make a saw."

Toph shook her head. "I was worried they might take it, so I left it back at camp."

The cramped cell was hot, and Katara wiped sweat from her brow. She froze, and idea striking her. She jumped to her feet and began to run in place.

Toph couldn't see her, but she could feel the floor vibrate. "Katara…are you okay?" She asked, completely confused.

"I'm fine!" Katara replied, started to pant.

"Then what are you doing?" Toph asked.

"Making my own water!" Katara bent the sweat from her body, slicing deeply into the wooden bars.

"Katara, you're a genius…a stinky, sweaty genius!"

Aand and Sokka hid behind the statue in town square, the assassin chasing Zuko around. He hadn't been quick enough to hide, and was now jumping around, dodging the explosive blasts.

Zuko slid, and the assassin's blast would have taken him…if ice hadn't frozen around his head.

Katara and Toph ran past him. "Sparky, get up!" Toph called.

"Let's get out of here!" Katara seconded. Zuko was on his feet, chasing them.

Behind them, the assassin broke the ice, and prepared a blast, but Toph spun, a boulder flying toward him.

The assassin destroyed it, but a chunk of rock smashed into the center of his tattoo. He flew to the ground, and got up, shaking his head, He spotted the targets, and fired, but the air around him blew up.

Sokka jumped as he ran, whooping. "I got it! How about Combustion Man?"

Toph shook her head. "Good job, Sokka, now let's get out of here before Combustion Man catches us!"

"See it fits so well!" Sokka replied.

Appa grunted, descending to a new campsite miles away. Sokka yawned, and stretched. "Well, I'm exhausted. Hawky, how about you?" The bird looked at him. "Yeah, you're a lazy little bird, are you buddy?"

As the boys set up camp, Toph took Katara aside. "I need your help."

"With what?" Katara asked.

"I need you to write a few things down for me. I want to send a letter to my parents."

Katara smiled. "I'd be happy to help."

Later, Toph slipped her letter into Hawky's message tube, and the bird took off. Sokka grunted, and sat up. "Hey, where'd Hawky go?"

(Note) Next Time on Avatar: Chapter Eight "The Puppetmaster." (Oh yes, there will be blood.)

It's ready to publish, but I'm going to wait a few days. I will tell you Zuko and Katara end up fighting...with an odd twist.

The new chapter for ATBS will be posted at the same time, unless I feel really lazy. Also, the Prologue of my newest story A Broken World will apear sometime between now and next Wednesday. For those of you who voted in my poll, I am researching Jeong Jeong's character now, and his story will be up shortly. As a bonus, I'm going to do a story with Gran Gran as well, though its likely to be short.

My thanks to everyone who takes the time to read my work. Without you...well, I'd still write, but I'd be the only one reading it.

Adversus solem ne loquitor.