Nothing much to say.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Blind Bounty

Chapter Seven

The Island…Day One

The first person Toph's going to interview is Aang. He seems to be the closest to Katara, even though they aren't related.

"Can you tell me everything that's happened since the incident?" The bounty hunter asks evenly. Aang is like a frightened cat; any aggressive sounding questions are an automatic turn-off, and will likely pressure him to hold back information. She can't have that happening if she's to find Katara and collect the money for it.

The money. Toph cannot wait to feel the clink of gold in her fingers, more to spend on…

"Right." He takes a deep breath. "Well it all started the day Zuko tried to join our group at the Air Temple." he begins. A solemn quiet takes place as he begins visualizing that hectic day. "We didn't know what Zuko was planning, and we were all strongly opposed to him joining. Especially Katara."

"Why is that?"

"Well while we were in Ba sing Se, the two had been arrested and thrown in the same jail cell. I'm not sure what happened down there, but when I came I saw them standing very…close."

"You don't sound very happy about that." In fact he sounds downright murderous. Toph decides.

"Oh, we've had plenty of run-ins with Zuko before, and I wasn't sure what was happening."

What a lame excuse. Guess they don't teach Avatars how to lie anymore.

"Riiigght. Okay so you guys obviously didn't trust him, so how did he get into your group?"

"Well he had sent an assassin after us; the one that uses his third eye on his forehead to blow things up. We named him Combustion man. Combustion man had tracked us down to the Western Air Temple, and tried to blow us right off the cliff. He almost killed me, but Zuko swung in just in time to knock his aim off, and even told him not to hunt me anymore. At that point I think we knew that Zuko was on our side."

"Alright. Enough about that let me hear what big thing happened next."

"The Boiling Rock. Sokka's father was taken prisoner during the invasion, and he went with Zuko to bust him out. They also found Suki there."

And on it went, Aang informing Toph all of the dramatic happenings, up until the time Zuko and Katara went on another one of Zuko's "field trips" to visit a man named Ron Yah. Then he begins, in a way, closing up to her prodding and questioning. Every time she asks a direct question about Katara, Aang closes up and dodges her question. It's frustrating and slightly angering, and Toph's having trouble not raising her voice at him. She backtracks immediately to a much easier question.

"Where is the island Katara was kidnapped at?"

He hesitates at her sudden switch in tactics. "The one we're at now."

"Good. Then you bring me to the spot Katara was taken." She stands. "We might be able to find some extra evidence."

"Umm, we've already searched there."

She smirks at him. "Yes, but remind yourself who the bounty hunter is."

Thick, tension filled air forms a thick wall between the two. Aang sighs and it dissipates.

"Fine. Fine. Follow me."

Good. I didn't even have to use my interrogation techniques.

It's a mild, breezy day. Toph can hear the sound of Aang's shirt flapping around in the wind, and it's really starting to bug her. She doesn't have her cape on now; someone must have taken it off when she had gotten that fever. It must be on Appa's saddle with the rest of her things.

"We're here." Aang says, stopping right at the sand's edge. The roar of the ocean sounds like a hungry monster waiting to eat her. Toph takes a few steps away from the water, and closer to the whistling grass fields. He points to a spot on the ground, but Toph can't tell where.

"What are you trying to show me?"

"Can't you see-…Oh." Aang corrects his embarrassing mistake, and rubs his neck. "Here let me show you."

A warm hand envelops Toph's small, fisted one, and guides it towards the sand. The fabric of his shirt rubs against her neck and his warm breath is near her ear. She shivers, and jerks her hand out of his.

"I think I have it now." She says, stopping near the sand. That odd tingly feeling in her stomach makes her shudder, but all thoughts of Aang flee her mind as she focuses on the rough, just barely there footprint. It had just narrowly made it past high tide's beating, right on the edge of the ocean. She motions for Aang to stay back, and starts scanning the shifting sand around her.

She notices the area around that footprint has patches of hard dirt. The only thing that makes sand hard is heat.

"Azula can firebend, right?"

Aang nods, and after a moment's hesitation, says yes.

"Okay so Katara was definitely taken by force."

Aang sounds like he's about to say something, and she holds up her hand.

"Wait. Can you confirm that this is Katara's footprint?"

Aang nods, but his heart doesn't quite agree with his thoughts.

She reaches around the sides of the footprint, and digs her fingerprints deeply into the sides. Aang watches in mute amazement and awe as the ground around the footprint begins hardening, and turning into a pale white color. Toph takes her hands out, and pulls a perfectly melded version of the footprint out. She holds it out for Aang to see, then places it next to her on the sand.

"You got to teach me that!"

"Maybe." She puts off his hopes for a moment. "I'll take this to look at later. For now I just want to inspect the area underneath the footprint."

"Okay. Do you need any help?"

"I work alone. You can leave now."

"Oh, right." The avatar moves away from his stationary position, and pulls out his staff vertically to his body. He quickly thumps it on the ground, and takes off in a whoosh of air.

Alone at last.

Toph stoops down next to the sand, and lightly skims her fingers over the grainy surface. At the slightest dip, she stops and feels the width, depth, and shape of it. So far she's found three footprints, all of them Katara's…or Azula's.

Right as her fingers touch an especially defined, gargantuan print, a tall wave of water collapses on her head. The salty, stinging water rushes in her ears, and infiltrates her nose. She snorts out the water, coughing and spluttering curses that can make a sailor turn red.

After shouting nearly every word that should never be said aloud, Toph shakes herself out like a tiger-dillo and tries to get back to where she was. With each step her feet bring up the wet, pasty sand, until she realizes she's stepped all over the evidence.

Toph growls, grabbing her bangs with fists. She just wants to detonate right now she feels so useless.

And now to make it worse, Suki seems to be coming over to check on her.

Quick as a mouse, Toph wrings her bangs out and pats down some hair that's come out. She crosses her arms, and glares in the direction of Suki. A few moments later, Suki's standing in front of her.

"Hey Toph. You seem a little down."

She snorts, and picks a piece of seaweed off her shoulder. Suki coughs.

"I'm guessing Aang's told you about the… situation then."

Toph's eyes go wide, and she jerks her head up.

"What do you mean by 'situation'?"

"Toph…we can't pay you. Not in full cash at least. We're completely out of money."

Hazy, foggy confusion clogs Toph's thoughts, slowing her actions. Then it's replaced by a sharper, more tangible emotion: fury.

"What did you just say?" she hisses between tightly clenched teeth. Her jaw aches with the strain she's putting on them.

"We can't pay you Toph. All our money seems to be-"

Toph holds her hand, stopping Suki from saying anything else.

"Not my problem. No money, no Katara. I want to be dropped off at the nearest Earth Kingdom sea port."

"But Toph! Please you have to help us, we don't know anyone else that will help us…we've tried everything." Suki's begging is so unbecoming; Toph's upper lip begins to curl in disgust.

"Not happening sugar."

"Why not?" she asks calmly. Toph is a little taken back by her blunt, reasonable question. She ignores her, and begins moving towards somewhere she can be alone. That's it…alone time is what she needs. Away from others and away from problems.

"Toph you can hear me. I need to know why you can't help someone who is in trouble."

"In trouble? Aang is just being a lovesick puppy! Once the war is over-"

"Aang won't be able to do a thing until he knows Katara is safe. You should have seen him before you came. He would just stare off into space, wouldn't say a word over dinner. Toph it scared us." She whispers.

Why is she telling me all of this? Why do I even need to know?

"Toph, look, we aren't asking you to fight an army. All we need is help before Aang or Azula does something drastic."

Toph's emotions are in a battleground of turmoil, confusion, and…pity. She does feel bad for Aang, and can't squish this feeling underneath a rock like she usually does. No, this is something that she can't just leave alone.

Her eyes close, and she presses the cold tips of her fingers to the hot, racing temples on the sides of her head. The ocean crashes and destroys itself behind her.

This isn't a hard decision. Toph isn't, nor will she ever, be the reason why someone can't find happiness in their life.

"Alright. Alright. I'll still work for you."

"That's great Toph."

And for the second time that day alone, Toph is embraced by a complete stranger. Suki gives her a warm, heart-felt hug. The kind that come straight from the heart, and only from there.

Three hours later

Toph is having a lot more difficulty distinguishing between the Azula's footprint, Katara's footprint, and the unrecognizable third one she managed to salvage from the sea. The footprints are all laid out near the grass, far away from that sea. She's trying to concentrate on the depth, length, and overall size, but she really can't do anything with Zuko and Aang practicing their fire bending.

"Hey Zuko, Aang! Keep it down!" she shouts above the barrage of fire. The flames against the evening air sounds like a large funnel of wind sucking up everything in its path.

They don't hear her right away.

A loud "OW!" is followed by another, deeper "OUCH!"

"What was that for Toph?" Aang asks, rubbing his sore bald head. Zuko brushes the sand out of his hair. Toph tosses another hardened sand ball in their direction, sending them scattering for cover.

"I'm trying to work. Take your little bonfire somewhere else."

"But I need to practice!"

"No kidding." Zuko mutters. "You roar like a…" Zuko trails off, rubbing his neck uncertainly.

"Like a what?"

Zuko doesn't say anything, so Toph speaks up.

"I don't care how Aang is suppose to 'roar' he needs to either help or take you and his talentless skill in fire bending away from here."

"Fine." Aang says. He picks up his discarded shirt from the ground, and walks away. Toph sighs, and looks at the footprints again. The only difference she can tell between the two footprints (the one's she believe are either Katara's or Azula's), is a slight dip near the toes. Other than that they are practically the exact same.

She hasn't seen the two in person, and no one knows Katara's weight either.

"Which one is Katara's footprint?"

Toph doesn't jump at the sound of Zuko's voice, as she had seen him coming a few minutes ago. She shakes her head.

"I can't decide. These footprints are the exact same."

Zuko leans in closer, probably squinting at the two molds. He taps one.

"The one on your left, that one is her."

"Katara?"

"No, Azula. Trust me I know my sister."

"I don't though. How did you find out?"

He trails his finger along the front of the print, and stops at the toes.

"Firebenders need to move constantly, so she'll always be on her toes."

"Ohhhh! That makes sense." Toph puts the footprint on the left and holds the right one up. She smiles as she says: "We have Katara's footprint!"

Zuko nods, and begins to stand up. "What about the third footprint? It's big."

"Yes, I'm not sure who it belongs to. They must have a very heavy foot, because it's nearly an inch deep." She gestures towards the front. "The toes are square too."

"I'm not too sure…Let's bring it back to the others."

Dusk

Toph has never been at a dinner table where someone constantly berates her to blow on her food, sit up straight, or chew with her mouth close. Dinner with her parents is like having a drill sergeant breathing down her neck. It's almost as degrading as listening to the Boulder preach about himself.

But tonight? None of that. She even laughs when Sokka burps.

Is this what friends are like?

If so, Toph wishes her parents had let her go to school with regular kids. Even if she did, Toph's certain she couldn't have found a group of people like this anywhere else.