Toph dug her feet in the sand, enjoying the feeling of the dirt slipping between her toes. While she hated the way sand dulled her 'vision', there were some moments when true blindness was what she longed for. Other people could simply close their eyes and cover their ears, pretending their problems didn't exist. However, Toph couldn't exactly shut off her feet or her sense of touch; she had to get away from the earth to become truly sightless.

Thankfully, she didn't have problems to ignore that day. The little group of friends she traveled with had decided to take one last day to relax before the big battle with the Fire Lord.

So now the young earthbender sat on the beach, allowing the tiny grains of sand to slip between her toes. It was very peaceful, she decided.

"Boo!" a voice cried as hands gripped her shoulders. Toph jumped, and the joyful laughter of the Avatar rang in her ears. Aang was never able to surprise her, so he was going to enjoy the rare occurrence as much as possible.

Toph huffed and, with a simple motion, sank him ankle deep in the sand. Using his own earthbending, Aang freed himself. Then he jumped, gliding over Toph's head with his airbending, and landing soundlessly on the ground in front of her.

"Wanna build a sand castle?" he asked.

"Already did," Toph said, pointing toward a rather impressive structure of sand a few feet away.

"You used your bending to make that, though!" Aang said. "I mean a real sand castle; one you make with your hands."

"What's the difference?"

"Using your hands is way more fun!"

Toph tilted her head to the side a bit, her face remaining mostly blank as she contemplated his suggestion. After a bit of thought, she said, "Okay."

Moments later, the pair was packing sand together in a pathetic little mound, giggling as the played.


Author's Notes: Yeah, completely pointless, but I needed to write some Taang. I don't give that pairing nearly enough love.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.