The Best Romances
Deserve Second Chances
Chapter 14
"The Hunt"
Is it me, or have my chapter titles like not correspond with the chapter? I'm losing my mind.
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Toph and Sokka were sitting in silence, albeit a comfortable silence at the restaurant.
"Toph." Sokka said, testing the waters.
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
Sokka did as he was told and bit down on his tongue. Minutes passed by, the same silence flooding over the couple. Multiple times Sokka opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly pushed the thought away every time. Soon, he picked up enough courage and broke the silence.
"To...ph?" he stuttered as he saw Toph get out of her seat, grab her small hand bag, and leave.
Sokka followed in pursuit after his prize, and he gave a walking chase to catch up with her. The streets were a glow from the full moon and the lanterns that were in strands over the street. Sokka finally caught up to the girl, and he put a hand on her shoulder, ceasing her walking and ending the hunt.
"Toph, help me here. What's wrong with you?" he genuinely inquired.
"Sokka, do you really mean what you promise?" she said turning to face him.
"Of course, with all my heart".
Toph started to cry, the tears beading down her soft cheeks, and tracing her feminine jaw line to her chin the tears pooled and fell free from her face. Sokka thought he had hurt her in some way, shape, or form and drew her in for an embrace. He heard her muffle something into her body, but he couldn't make out what she had said. Sokka loosened the embrace, and questioned as to what she had said.
"I said, 'I love you'. I mean that from the bottom of my heart".
Sokka stood there, dumbfounded. His mind was racing, trying to process what he had heard from the girl's mouth. He did what did best as any hunter would do, act on nature's instinct.
"I love you too, Toph." and they hugged each other harder.
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"Zuko, do you know what this means?" Inu said as she took hold of his hands across the table.
"I can't believe it. The letter says that she will arrive at the Palace in two months." Zuko let tears of joy flow freely from his face, "so that means I two months to end this..."
"You can always end the plot some other time, Zuko."
"No! I will end it before my mother comes to the Palace, because if I don't they might get to her."
"Zuko … you pushing yourself to hard. Calm down, take a break".
"Are we ready for the bill?" their waiter interrupted.
"I'm Fire Lord Zuko, put it on my tab".
"Yes, sir right away sir." and with that the waiter was dealt with.
Inu sat there, but Zuko had other things on his mind. He was watching a suspicious fellow in the corner.
"Inu, I think we should leave, now".
"All right." Inu was hoping for them to go back to the hotel and get to know each other much better.
They got up, Zuko was still watching the fellow in the corner, and noticed other figures converging on Inu's and his location.
"Quickly, with haste." he whispered urgently into her ear.
Outside of the restaurant, Inu's high heels made a whip crack at every step that echoed throughout the damp cobblestone streets and alleys. Zuko peeked over his shoulder and noticed seven figures following them.
"Whatever you do, don't look behind us. Just keep walking." Zuko said as he hastened his pace.
Zuko calculated his chances: One, he was horribly outnumbered. Two, Inu wasn't the best fire bender, let alone not in the best get up to fight. Three, he doesn't want to put Inu in a place of danger.
"Zuko, tell me what's going on".
"Don't worry, it's under control. Here let's go into that park." Zuko pointed out the park in question.
Zuko checked on the followers, and they appeared to be even closer, than last time.
"Look, it's Sokka and Toph." Inu said, drawing Zuko's attention forward.
The two parties merged together, and exchanged pleasantries. Zuko got the group back on track to get to the park, the only place with trees in the city.
"Zuko, someone is following us." Sokka whispered into Zuko's ear, as he shifted Toph's figure on his back.
"I know, that's why we are going to the park. I'm going to try to lose them in the trees".
Sokka agreed that hiding out was the best plan of action. The group marched deeper into the park as they tried to create more distance between their followers and themselves. They came upon a small lake, with a rock grotto on an island in the middle of the lake. Sokka commandeered a small raft, while Zuko set ablaze the rest of the rafts, and once they made land fall on the grotto, he burned the last raft.
The grotto was black on color, but no one can be sure as the clearing around the lake was surrounded by oak trees. Like dark hands the branches choked all light from entering the clearing. The grotto was safety in the darkness, and the lake made the moat. Inside the castle, the group found refuge and made fire. Their safety was thought to be assured amoung the group while inside their castle were quickly dashed away from the voices outside.
"Zuko, we know you are in there. Come out, and fight." the voice said.
"What's going on Zuko?" Inu asked.
"I don't know, let me see who's out there." Zuko replied, playing stupid for Inu, as he already knew who was out there.
Zuko crept to a small window and scanned the lake shore, where he could barely make out the same seven figures that followed him.
"I made out seven people, but I can't be sure".
An explosion rocked the grotto and loose pebbles were jarred free from the ceiling.
"What was that?" Sokka whispered.
"Great, they are fire benders." Zuko muttered to himself.
"Toph, see if you can sense anyone from here." Sokka ordered.
Toph took a knee, and placed a palm on the dirt, her bending reaching far, but the lake proved to be to wide and to deep for her to see anything at the shore line.
"I can't," she scolded, "I can't reach that far".
Two more explosions shook the grotto at it's foundation. Zuko fired back from the small window he used to spy on the figures in retaliation.
"Toph, I have I plan, follow me." Sokka beckoned, and he picked up his glider.
"Sokka? What should we do?" Inu asked stricken with fear.
"Fire bend back, and hope you hit them." Sokka called back, his voice echoing.
More explosions rocked the grotto, while Zuko and Inu searched for higher ground. They climbed up a winding staircase that was carved into the grotto. The staircase lead the two of them to the top of the middle turret, where Zuko and Inu could see where their attackers were shooting from. Inu and Zuko fired at where the fire blasts originated from on the lake shore, but in consequence they revealed their own position a top the turret. Soon, Zuko and Inu found themselves under attack, having to find cover from the licking flames that were shot at them.
Sokka and Toph went to find another exit in the grotto apart from the one they used to enter the grotto. They found their opening, and Sokka opened his glider for it's first use. The cloth that made the wings were black, with white orbs resembling the moon, on the underside of both wings.
"Toph I want you to shoot me into the air, just how you did it when you shot at the war zepplin at Wulong Forest."
"Right."
Sokka took the glider onto his back, and gave Toph an okay for flight. He shot out of the grotto at full speed, the glider picking the air and making Sokka fly. He aimed to land in one of the tall trees, and like an arrow being shot from a skilled bowman, he found his mark. He sat atop of his perch overlooking the battle field, his mind formulating a plan. His thoughts turned to panic as he saw Toph launch herself out of the grotto, heading straight for him. Sokka swung his legs so that the branch was under his knees, so he could swing down under the branch to catch Toph. Toph had put all of her trust in the fact that Sokka would catch her, and she stuck her hands over her head, and Sokka latched onto her hands as she flew by. The scene was that of the last day of the hundred year war, the same day the war was won. This time Sokka pulled Toph onto the branch, and went back to surveying the battle. By now, the attackers were firing upon Zuko and Inu at the top turret, which gave Sokka the best opportunity to sneak down the tree, and fight off the attackers. Sokka carefully maneuvered to put Toph on his back, while he whispered his plan to Toph. He jumped down, branch to branch, being a quiet as it allowed. The shaking of the branches caught the attention of one of the attackers, who fired upon the tree, setting it blaze, but the attackers aim was always at where Sokka used to be, and he couldn't see Sokka, only the shaking of the branches.
Sokka touched ground, and at the same moment let Toph free, and she quickly went to work. She felt for the position of all the attackers, and fire upon the attackers with her own element. Sokka drew his sword and charged at the fire bender who previously tried to catch Sokka on fire in the tree. Sokka slinked his sword deep into the figure's mid section, the serrated edge ripping flesh free from muscle. Toph worked on the left side of the lake, while Sokka made his way right. Toph and Sokka dealt with the remaining attackers, dispatching them easily, as the night covered their movements. With the last foe down, Sokka called for Inu and Zuko to come out of the grotto as peace filled the clearing. Zuko and Inu had to swim the lake to reach Sokka and Toph, but they all were glad to finally be safe again.
"I bet they were sent from Harley." Zuko said as he dried off his clothes.
"Do you really think it was her?" Inu questioned.
"Yes, I really do."
"Look, we're safe." Sokka logically commented.
"Yeah, for now. What are we going to do if they attack us when sleep tonight?" Toph asked.
"We'll be at sea. We leave tonight, no exceptions." Sokka ordered, and everyone was in contempt except Inu.
"I can't go with you anymore Zuko. I have to return to the Palace."
"I understand, you stay safe okay?" Zuko said to Inu.
"I promise, and stay safe as well. I'm sure your mother can't wait to see you when you come back." Inu said as Zuko and her shared a hug.
Toph, Sokka, and Zuko parted ways from Inu at the dock, and Sokka raised anchor and set sail for Volcanic Reef.
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Hey, gang. It's been awhile. I've been really busy. School, theater, chess, guitar, new car, Soccer, homework, Cleaning the house, studying, other clubs at school, have really been sucking up my time for writing. I know this chapter is somewhat shorter than others, but I have to get back in the stride of writing again. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take this long to get up again, but who knows.
I stole the grotto idea from the book The Last of the Mohicans. We are reading that book in English class, and I really like the idea.
Comments and reviews, faves, and story alerts are all welcome here. SO PLEASE COMMENT they make write faster.
Thanks for reading follow me on twitter WmitchW