Okay so this is a random fic I came up with, it was supposed to be a longer story but I didn't have the time to write it. I hope you enjoy it! ;)

Yours truly- Gaining altitude.

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Tales and Hand Holding.

It was a fairly warm day; a light breeze blew through the western air temple and ruffled her hair. Perfect day to just lie around and do nothing, and that's exactly what Toph intended on doing. As she leaned back against one of the pillars on the edge of the cliff all the thoughts that were troubling her all week just drifted away into nothingness. Everything was perfect until…….

"Were you always blind?" Toph sat up when she heard this, Sokka had always been fairly predictable but every so often he would pop something new and totally shock her.

"Uhh…" that one syllable was all she could say at the moment. Her mind blanked for a moment.

"If you don't want to tell me you don't have too." He crossed his arms over the rock and layed his chin on his hands.

"No, I'm fine with it, it was just, not something I expected you to ask." Sokka shrugged.

"I've just always wondered."

"Oh okay." Toph Paused for a second and just looked at Sokka. He looked back patiently.

"No. I wasn't always blind." She finally stated, she hadn't ever really told anyone what happened so it was a whole knew feeling to her. But a familiar sadness that hadn't risen in years.

"How did it happen than?" He stood up and moved so she was on the rock next to her.

"It's complicated, but I guess I have to tell someone sometime." Sokka became worried; Toph was being unusually quiet and peaceful, no harsh tones in her voice or anything. She almost seemed sad.

"It's okay you don't have to tell me." Toph nodded.

"I will, it might be good to get the whole mess out of my system so…" she took a deep breath.

"Do you remember my earth bending teacher, back home?" Sokka nodded, she felt the vibrations and continued. "Well he wasn't my first teacher." Sokka shifted closer urging her to go on.

"My first teachers name was Kamin. He was a real earth bender, one of the best." Toph paused, she had to admit to herself fit was hard to talk with Sokka so close. She felt his breath on her face. It made her freeze up, but none the less she went on.

"I remember how blue the sky was that day."

Flashback

"Little one, you have to curve your foot more to get added strength. You can feel the earth better that way."

Toph did as she was told and sure enough the rock shot out with twice the strength. It was always that way, whatever Sensei Kamin told her to do; let it be bend your knees more or tucking your elbow it always made such a difference.

Sansei Kamin had created three targets for Toph, each using earth banding to either hover or rotate.

With her hair up Toph could feel the sun beating on the back of her neck. Trails of sweat dipped down her face and under the blindfold she was wearing. She concentrated feeling the light vibrations of the targets, it was hard for her, the movements weren't so clear so she had to take her time, suddenly she curved her foot and lifted a large rock out of the ground, in a spit second she shot it forward and smashed in the first target, but instead of taking the time to grab another rock she used the debris from the first target to smash the second and the same with the third. She stood still panting and took off her blind fold.

"Good job, little one. Clever and creative, lets take a break, its hot and you don't want to dehydrate yourself." Toph nodded and sat down next to him against a wall, gulping down her water in a rush.

"Slow down there! I don't want to see you choke." He made her dink slower.

Toph looked at her sensei as he began to describe to her different earth bending techniques.

She took in his long brown hair bombed back, his tattoo on his broad shoulders, muscular body and tattooed arms. Sensei Kamin was Toph's only friend and like a father to her. She loved his technique of teaching her to see through the earth to predict her opponent's moves.

"So wait a second." Sokka interrupted her story. "He's the one who taught you to the whole 'see through earth' thing?" Toph nodded. "I thought that came naturally after you became blind."

"No stupid." She punched him in the arm. "If that were the case all blind earth benders could do that."

"Okay, okay, continue."

"Well, after our break we went back to training, soon it was sundown and I headed home…

Toph shivered in the cool air. She quickened her pace, but soon she heard voices coming from down the road.

'Hurry up there, we don't have all night.' There was a loud noise as three men appeared in Toph's view.
'Do you want to wake the whole city!? Keep it quiet!'

Toph watched the three men load some cargo into a large cart. It was obvious they were up to no good.

This was when Toph decided to be heroic.

'Hey! You three put down the baggage and step away from the cart. Not the most original line.

'Eh? Looks boys, the wee little tyke thinks she can match us?' they burst out laughing. But stopped when a spray of rocks showered them.

'Oh? So it earth bends does it.' They made her sound like an animal more than a person. Toph went to bend again but the main guy had picked up a bolder and shoved it at her, she wasn't thinking and it hit her right in the middle sender her into a wall.

"I still have the scar from that." Toph lifted up her shirt to show in a large scar under her belly button. Sokka ran his finger over it and she shivered, his hands were warm. She put her shirt down again.

"You still haven't answered my question." He coughed, her hip was touching his she was nearly leaning on him, and he wished she was.

"I'm getting to it."

Toph felt a shudder of pain run through her body. During the time she had hit the wall, a man skinnier than the first one had stepped over her, she kicked at his legs but he didn't budge instead he grabbed her throat and lifted her off the ground.

'What should we do with her boss?'

"Meh, throw the brat in the river.' Toph couldn't breathe. Suddenly a rock pillar came out of the earth and smashed the skinny man grasping Toph in the head. He went flying.

'What the?'

'Sensei!' Toph smiled a toothy grin and ran over to her teacher.

'Stay back little one.' Sensei Kamin warned. Toph reluctantly obeyed.

The battle started off slowly. The sensei was quick witted and talented, he had both men down easily, but, to the earth benders dismay, the two thieves had friends. Before Toph and Sensei Kamin had the chance to think, there were already another twelve thieves surrounding them; and some of them were benders.

Immediately Sensei flicked his wrist and bended a ripple from the earth to knock over one of the men, he fell but reclaimed his balance quickly. Two men shot out pillars at Sensei Kamin, he dodged one but the second smashed into his shoulder, he staggered back and quickly shot out two rocks at the two knocking them over. While Sensei was fighting off another three a sixth thief was coming up behind. Unfortunately for him; Toph was there. She quickly bended two slabs of earth around him and threw him to the side.

'Yes!' Toph cheered gleefully, mostly too her self and decided to have some more fun. She took out one other man with a series of shots and was on to a third when she noticed that sensei was beginning to fall back. She ran to help but before she had the chance, another thief had come up behind her with a bottle in his hands. Sensei noticed this and saw the poison before Toph did.

'NO! TOPH!' he ran to her, Toph spun around to see the man ascending upon her. She screamed but still attempted to bend, so sis sensei. There pieces of earth hit and ended up knocking out the man, and the poison…right into Toph's eyes.

"I remember how much it stung, the pain, I remember crying and sensei picking me up, carrying me to my parents' doctor. I was so scared, when I woke up and everything was dark." Sokka felt Toph shudder against him.

"My parents didn't believe it was such an accident, they blamed Sensei Kamin for my misfortune and had him sent to jail." Toph began to cry.

"It was my fault he was sent away, I was scared to speak up. So I let them send him away to rot." Toph choked on her words, Sokka looked at his friend, trying to maintain control. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He felt heat rise to her cheeks and felt her thin arms wrap around him.

"Toph I'm so sorry I brought it up. It must have been so hard on you."

Toph pulled away, and Sokka brought his hands to her face to wipe away her tears. He face turned red with his palm rested against her cheeks, he left it there. Her eyes were so beautiful, unlike any color he's ever seen, the light jade seemed to reflect the sunlight, he leaned in closer, her hot breath danced across his face, he feel this eyes begin to close as he leaned closer. Toph felt her hand pressing against Sokka's chest, applying just the amount of pressure to feel his muscles tense. She felt his hand slide behind her neck so his thumb was resting in front of her ear.

Toph leaned forward to close the gap, she felt his lips millimeters away…

"What are you two up to?" a voice cut through there moment. They pulled away as Katara stepped into view.

"Nothing!" they both replied, Although Sokka was still holding Toph's hand.

"Alright, well dinners almost ready so don't be long", she walked off.

Toph and Sokka looked at each other and blushed. With there fingers still in twined they stood.

"So..." Sokka coughed, and finally dropped her hand. "I'm hungry lets go eat."

He turned to walk back to where Aang and Katara were when Toph stopped him.

"Sokka, tomorrow it's your turn to tell the story." She grinned wolfishly. Sokka smiled, he couldn't wait.

Ps. Give me some Sorry ideas on your reviews, I'll add them as chapters and dedicate them to the creator. 3