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The sun started to stream in from the window. Aang didn't notice this, it would take a lot more than that to wake him up this morning. Lucky for him Toph had just quietly crept into his room, with a idea for waking the hungover airbender. She tip toed over to the bed, as not to make any noise. Once she was standing by the bed, looking down on Aang, if she could see, she let out a small laugh. Then lifted the jug of water she was carrying, pouring it over Aang.

The cold water sent Aang's body into shock. He jumped up and scrabbled to get out of the bed. Getting caught up in the sheets as he did. Toph took a step back away from the bed. She didn't want to be hit by Aang's flaring arms and legs. She had just moved back, when Aang caught in the sheets fell to the floor. Landing just at her feet. It took all of her self control to hold back the laughter that was fighting to get out. She ended up having to bite her lower lip, as the laughter started to escape.

When he was free from the sheet, Aang rolled over onto his back. He looked up to see Toph standing over him. She was wearing the something she had worn the night before, except she had rolled up the trousers to her knees. Her hair was also down, with a slight wave from being held in a braid for so long. He could tell that she was having a very hard time trying not to laugh. In a way he was glad about that. Slowly as not to fall over, he pulled himself up. Toph finally spoke with a grin on her face. "Get dressed. The earth king wants to see us." As suddenly as she has arrived she left. Leaving Aang to change and make his way to the throne room.

Toph was waiting for him out side the throne room when he arrived. She was leaning against the wall, with a odd look on her face. It was then that he realised that he didn't know what had happened last night. He had no idea if she had found out what she wanted or not. He would have asked her, but she didn't look like she was in the mood to talk. He would find out soon enough though. The earth king had probably asked to see them to get a report on their progress. Like the day before they entered the throne room and walked towards the king sitting on his throne. Aang's dislike for the earth king had only began after the war. Before that he had thought of him as a young man forced into a situation he knew nothing about, but was expected to know all the answers. He was a little like him. However he had taken to his new power in a time of peace very well. Unlike the day before Aang noticed the earth king didn't have his adviser by his side. Instead there where two men standing of either side of the throne. They wore long dark green robs. Little like the robs of the Dai li. Not so much so though that it would seem like they were the same.

"Avatar Aang. General Toph." He waited till they stood a little closer before he continued. "I trust you have made some progress."

There was nothing Aang could say, he had to leave this up to Toph. He glanced over at her. She looked like she was staring down the two men either side of the throne. As first he didn't understand why she would do that, if that was what she was doing. Then he remembered the name she had just been called, General. She must have played a part in training these men, at the very least worked with them at some point. Now she probably felt they were turning on her, siding with the king. That really didn't make much sense though. In this case to his surprise she and the king were on the same side.

"I'm afraid not. We were unable to get any real leads on the ware about of the jade bandit." Her head fell to face the floor while she spoke. Aang was darting his grey eyes between her and the king. He wondered who would be the first to crack. Let there true feeling of distrust and annoyance out.

"I see. While then I'm afraid too, that you have left me no choice. Guards."

Before either Toph or Aang could move, the two guards at either side of the throne raise their arms. Bending a pillar of earth behind the avatar and the general. Each pillar then sent of a stream of earth that pulled Toph and Aang back against it, holding them tightly. The guards then using the earth at their feet jumped into the air, landing between the pillars. The one closest to Toph pulled out a long chain, about four feet in length. At the end of the chain was a handcuff, which was fastened around Toph's right wrist. The other guard closer to Aang then picked up the chain. Aang didn't have to guess what was on the other end of the chain. Quickly before either of then could get free, the other handcuff was placed around Aang's left wrist. The guards then jumped back, out of the way before bring the earth pillars down. Freeing Aang and Toph, but not from each other.

"What do you think your doing." Despite the anger in her voice, Aang saw her fight very hard to remain in control. He moved to reach out a hand to pull her back, stop her from moving any closer to the king. As he did though he pulled on the chain, forcing her back, almost knocking her over.

The earth king tried to look as confident as he could, but if you looked close enough you could see the hesitance in his eyes. "I said that I would give you one more chance to catch the jade bandit. You have had that. I'm now taking charge. You and the avatar are to be chained together till they are caught, or the emerald is found. Which ever comes first."

"You can't do this..."

"Yes I can."

Aang felt her about to snap back and stepped in to stop her making things worse. This kind of back and forth argument was like a pair of children, not a king and general. "With all due respect, I really don't think this is the best way to deal with this." Like Toph, Aang was now trying to remain calm.

"Avatar, do you trust her."

"Yes. I trust her with my life. To always do what she believes is right." He glanced over at Toph as he spoke. She didn't show any sign of having really taken in what he was saying.

A grin now crossed the kings face. "She is not stubborn, reckless and opinionated. With a natural ability to act without thinking and getting herself in trouble."

Aang's mouth had opened to speak, but found that he couldn't. He was right, all the thing she said about her were right. There therefore was only one thing he could say. "I trust her with my life. To always do what she believes is right."

He didn't have to look at Toph to know she was rolling her eyes. He hoped she might see the funny side of it, but doubted it. He worried that he must have hurt her feelings. The earth king now had a smile on his face. He wasn't a bad natured person, but he did find the way things had worked out a little funny. "There is to be a banquet tonight. You two are to attend. The chains will be removed for that. They will be attached again tomorrow morning." The tone of his voice told them that he was done talking to them and they were now to leave.

Quickly before or he said or did something they would regret, Aang pulled on the chain. Dragging Toph with him as he left the throne room. Toph let him pull her out of the room, but he could feel a cold stare on his back. He pulled her so hard that just before they left the room, she lost her footing. Nearing falling, she had to reach out placing her free left hand on Aang's back to keep her up. Once outside the throne room, Aang moved faster. He tore off along the corridor and down the staircase. He didn't stop till they where in a corner of the main hall of the palace. There was no one around. The servants would all be in the kitchen or the large dinning hall getting ready for tonight.

While he had been trying to keep the situation in the throne room under control he realised that the earth king had forgotten about a very important flaw in his plan. "Bend the chain."

"What."

"Its metal. You can bend it, set us free." As he spoke he lifted his handcuffed left hand up in-front of her.

Toph seemed to look right passed this and right at him. "I'm not doing that."

"He forgot that you can metalbend..."

"Do you really think he forgot that."

"I don't know. I think so, it wouldn't surprice me. Just bend us out of this." While he spoke Aang moved his left arm around rather sharply. This in turn caused Toph's right arm to be pushed and pulled as well.

"Ahh, stop that. I've dislocated my shoulder before, I don't want it to happen again."

"You dislocated your shoulder, when"

"When I was helping Zuko find his mother. I fell off a mongoose lizard." Her free hand now went up to her shoulder. Her thump touched the dark bruise on her neck. Causing her to shoulder a little with the sudden pain. Her hand moved to cover her neck, lifting the collar of her robe to cover it more. If he had noticed it at all before this he had said nothing about it. This was a relief, she really didn't want to tell him about it. She was however a little hurt and she couldn't see why. "That's not important now. He thinks that I have something to so with the jade bandit and this emerald. I am not going to give him any more reason to think that. So we are going to do as we are told."

Toph started to walk away, put Aang pulled the chain, forcing her back. "Bend the chain!"

"No." Her voice was cold a steel.

He gave the chain other sharp pull. Toph was now knocked into his chest. Like the night before Toph was pushed to her limit. There was only so far she could be pushed by people that thought the could tell her what to do. Anger flashed across her face, as she kneed Aang in his most delicate area.

He tried to hold it back but he let out a soft yell of pain. He fell to his knees in-front of Toph. Like her anger flashed before his eyes. Her right knee that she had used to knee him with, was still slightly bent. He wrapped his left arm around it, pulling it closer to him. Knocking Toph over, she fell painfully onto her back.

Like Aang she held back the real yell of pain she wanted to yet out. She tried to pull herself up, but her leg was still being held by Aang. "You air head."

"You started it." Aang slipped his arm away from her leg, trying to pull himself up. He was the first one to get back on their feet. He was about to offer her a hand up, then he remembered the chain. Taking hold of it with both hands, he used it to pull her to her feet. This would have been a sigh of a truce, if the handcuff handed dug into her wrist more painfully. With a smug look of her face, Toph clenched her right hand, and punched Aang in the gut. He noticed this in time, and stepped back. Toph however stood on the same spot, so he pulled her forward again. This time he wasn't able to keep his balance, causing them both to fall over again.

Toph landed almost right on top of Aang. As fast as she could she pushed herself up, but fell backward a little. She ended up sitting on the floor at Aang's feet as he pushed himself up. "This is really ridicules." His voice came out through the extra breaths he was having to take. She nodded, her eyes drifting.

With more effort than the last time he got to his feet. He offered Toph his hand. She took it, but then took a tight hold of it. She then let herself fall back onto her back, raising her left leg up, so her foot was placed on Aang's stomach. He was thrown over her landing on the ground behind her. His feet lay next to her head., he tried to sit up. He hadn't expected her or himself to let themselves act this way and for so long.

He noticed Toph starting to sit up. She had banged her head hard on the floor as she had rolled back, so rubbed it once she was sitting. Seeing his chance, Aang pulled on the chain. Bringing Toph's right arm behind her back. He then pulled them to their feet, Toph still restrained. "Let me go."

"Will you stop this."

"Will you."

Toph reached across her chest with her left arm. She took hold of Aang's free right hand. They were at a stalemate. Aang needed his left hand to hold back Toph's right arm. She in turn needed her left hand to hold right arm. Both now took a minute to stop and think about what their next move would be. Toph was the first to move, ducking down she released the tension on her right arm. When she moved to stand again, Aang moved quickly turning her back round, and twisting her right arm, that he still had hold off around her neck.

Toph was now standing with her back pressed against Aang's chest. Her right arm pulled across her chest and over her shoulder. Her left hand was still also holding Aang's right wrist, like before they were in a stalemate again. "On the count of three." Aang's breath tickled her neck as he spoke. Reminding her of the bruise on her neck. For this and no other reason, she nodded agreeing the to truce. She pulled away as quickly as she could once she was free, hoping that he hadn't seen the bruise.

"What do we do now." Aang shock his shoulder, loosening it, as he spoke. He wasn't really looking at Toph.

Toph took a second to regain some composure before she answers his question. "We go to the library. The king has kept recorded about every insentient involving the jade bandit. We should look them over...well you should look them over. I just have to be dragged along with you."

"You hate this as much as I do, why don't you just break it. And why do I have to read up on it."

" For three reasons. One I already read them. Two you nearly just pulled my arm out of its socket, and three, I'm blind."

"You can read...

"I will not bend this chain, because like I said I don't want to give him any more reason to suspect me."

Not waiting for an response, Toph turned and started to walk towards the library. Aang was pulled along behind her, till he picked up his speed so they walked side by side. They look ridicules enough with him feeling like he was being dragged along behind her.

Thank fro reading. The fight and the whole being chained together was an idea I got from death note. If you haven't you should watch the fight between l and light, when they are chained together. The idea for the fight was based on that but I thought that Toph and Aang both know how to fight, so they wouldn't end up hurting themselves when the hot the other person like in death note. Although would maybe have been more fun. Please review and let me know what you think.