Chapter 4:
Toph ran aimlessly through the town; emotions going haywire and bouncing restlessly in her heart. She couldn't push all the feelings down and it was difficult to grasp hold to one and deal with it. Just why was she like this anyways? Weren't these crazy emotions supposed to happen during puberty? Did she manage to skip it? No, obviously not, she can remember being angry and picking on Aang half the time.
She came to a short stop and placed her hands on her knees trying to fill her lungs with air, which it was currently lacking. Aang. Now that she thought about it. It was his fault for these things in fact it was around puberty that she in fact became to change, emotions even now that she couldn't name bounced around when Katara's or Aang's name were mentioned.
These feelings were the source of those times she felt discomfort in her stomach, the knot in her throat, the puncture she felt in her chest when she swore she should've been bleeding. She silently fumed; none of these feelings were good. Then again there were the times she felt really light, when she felt genuinely happy. She'd loved feeling happy to the point where her cheeks flushed, and her stomach felt light, though the thought was embarrassing, it just made her want to relive those moments even more.
However they were becoming harder to suppress, she couldn't just start acting out of character and expect everyone to take it in with ease. Moreover, when she tried to manipulate the way she conveyed it, it turned out for the worst. Just like, it did a moment ago.
'For crying out loud! Why am I the only one who can't figure herself out!?'
She stood up, regaining normal posture when she was pushed into a wet, sticky and yet slimy substance- mud- sure it was earth her element, but still it was mud.
"Stupid girl! Are you deaf!?" Toph eyes instantly narrowed and she snapped her eyes in the direction of two younger boys who acted as if she was doing something wrong.
"I don't know if I'm deaf, but are you sure you want to live to see tomorrow?" The two boys cowered as they looked at her with eyes that question her sanity.
One boy managed to speak as they both slowly but surely backed farther away, "We're very sorry Miss." It was after the apology when they took a speedy take off.
Toph rolled up her sleeves, and glared sightlessly into the direction they took off. "If you run I'll find you little bastards!" As if they can get away.
She ran quickly after them and turned corners wherever they went, following their trail like a hound dog and its prey. By now, she knew she was lost. In fact, she wondered exactly how big this village was for a moment and if she ever would actually see Aang again, 'As if; the bastard's the source of my confusion.'
She angrily shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking about him. She frowned, it only made things worse. However, at the moment she was trying to get revenge. Now that she paid attention, they had both come to a skidded stop. Upon reaching the scene her face grew red with anger, "Just what the hell is wrong with you beating up on some one five times smaller than you?"
The big burly man stopped kicking the already bloody boy when he heard Toph's voice. Ignoring the man for a moment she ran up to the boy who she estimated was about ten years old, she lifted him up; tears running down his face. She smiled, "You're lucky you made me angry or else I wouldn't have come to save you." She looked at his wounds and anger simmered in her, "I'll get you help." She looked up and realized that the town was empty. "W-what? Where is everyone?"
She heard the big man laugh haughtily, "They're all afraid of me and my group." Toph looked at him sceptically, 'What group?' she picked up the scrawny ten year old and turned away from him, "I'll deal with you later."
She stopped when she looked to see the other missing young culprit lying unconscious on the floor, "Geez, does this weak bastard like going after all the little kids?"
"Hey Girl! Don't ignore me!" The man was red with anger, as he pointed an accusing finger at Toph.
Toph kneeled down to nudge the unconscious boy awake. "Shut up! I'm busy!" She yelled, wasn't it obvious she had more important matters to take care of? She sighed when the boy stirred, "Come let's go, we need to tend to your injuries." She steadily helped the boy up and began walking away, "M-Miss." Toph looked down at the boy she was walking with, "What?"
"P-please you shouldn't help us he h-he he's-" Toph looked at him confused.
"He's what?"
"Firebender." Toph froze, h-how is that possible? Didn't they get rid of them? The war is over; aren't they all imprisoned? Toph's heart refused to continue beating and her eyes widened when vibrations told her he already took a stance, he already moved before she had the chance to defend. Toph wanted to scream but the boy next to her already did.
His scream pierced in the air and all was silent, "Take the kids to get tended."
Toph was stuck, she couldn't move, 'How can I be so stupid?' All three of them could've died if it wasn't for Aang. The heart in her chest squeezed.
"Toph! Now!" It was then that she started moving. She could tell that more people came and she realized the said group he spoke of really existed. She didn't worry though Aang could handle it himself, but still, she berated herself continuously. She rushed to a building she assumed was a small clinic and sighed with relief when she walked inside and smelt sterile instruments everywhere.
"Oh dear!" A middle-aged woman hurried up to them.
"Please they've been hurt badly." Toph followed the nurse to the back half of the clinic and placed the ten-year-old down on a bed. She smiled at him as she wiped his hair out of his face. The boy looked at her wearily, "You're blind aren't you."
Toph was surprised by his comment, "How'd you guess?"
"First; your eyes are different from everyone else's." He slowly lifted up two fingers, "Second, you don't look into people's eyes when you talk to them."
Toph was slightly shocked and it showed, "But don't worry though you have pretty eyes."
Toph stood up and smirked, "Don't expect me to swoon over you just because you commented me."
The boy also smirked, "I don't like old hags anyway." Toph looked at him with irritation and was deciding whether or not to punch him.
"I think she's pretty." The small voice came form the smaller boy who had been unconscious. Her vibrations told her he was about eight. Toph smiled, "That's a first. But I'll never see myself to judge."
A nurse around Toph's age ran in, "Sorry about the wait, many patients."
Toph stood up to let the nurse tend to his wounds, "Well as long as they're not injured too badly, I'm just glad they're alright."
The nurse placed a warm cup in his hands, "This should take away the pain and make sure that you're back to your full strength." she then turned her head towards Toph, "I am surprised though, how you seemed to be uninjured since He was there."
"Do you mean that firebender? Yea well-Wait! So you're saying everyone knew about these two boys getting beat up like rag dolls and nobody did anything!?" Toph faced her infuriated, how can a whole town ignore these helpless boys.
Just thinking about it made her want to cause pain to everyone who heartlessly gave them cold shoulders; that and the fact that this probably happened everyday and many people were injured everyday because everyone was too scared to stand up to them.
She sighed, "Don't bother the problems been fixed."
The nurse looked at her with a questioning gaze, "What do you mean?"
Another young nurse walked in smiling excitingly, "There's this very cute boy walking down to this room this very moment! And he just got rid of the group that's been terrorizing the town!"
Toph's heart dropped and suppressed the terror that wanted to appear on her face; she can't face Aang; not now or ever. Only until she could figure out what was wrong with her feelings. Toph looked over to the newly arrived nurse, "Is there a back exit?" The nurse looked at her confused, "Yes, over there," she point to a door that Toph didn't recognize earlier, "But-"
"Thanks." Toph rushed to the door, "See you boys later." And she was gone.
Both nurses looked at the door then at each other, "Odd girl." They both smiled at each other and laughed. They stopped when they heard voices,
"I cant believe you we able to rid of that gang."
"Well it wasn't much of a big deal. They made me angry anyway."
"What did they do?"
"Try to kill a friend of mines."
"You mean the young lady who came in with those two young boys? black hair, right?"
"Yes ma'am"
Both nurses in the room looked at each other worriedly and bit their lips. The girl with black hair, didn't she just leave?
They heard the ten year old laugh, "That girl is funny, she left when she heard he was coming." They looked at him as they realized he was probably telling the truth.
"They should be in this room."
Aang and the middle-aged nurse walked in, "Here are the boys but-" She looked at the nervous expressions of the nurses and her eyes narrowed, "Where is she?"
They both laughed nervously, and one pointed the back door, "She went that way."
"She left?" Aang looked at the door with confusion and anger. Why did she just leave like that? What's wrong with her? He couldn't possibly understand why she's so eager to leave. He gritted his teeth, she just seemed to make him angrier than usual.
Both young boys stared at him until the eight year old spoke up, "I don't think she hates you," Aang looked at the small boy startled by what he said. "She's just doesn't like you- Ow!"
A fist laid on the young boy's head as the ten-year-old spoke, "Sorry what my brother meant to say is that you should hurry up and go after her before you never see her again."
Aang gave a strained smile before he rushed through the door. Now that failed to make the situation better he concentrated, using the technique that Toph used for her own vision. And he was glad to feel that she wasn't far away. He airbended himself on a roof and ran. There was no ways she could outrun him.
He soon reached his target who managed to leave the town and was closing the distance when Toph turned around and bended a boulder at him. He deflected it and realized she wasn't going to make this easy as he saw her retreating back. He ran and used the humidity in the air to freeze the ground below her. He winced when he saw her slip and fall.
He had been standing in front of her when she finally managed to stand. She glared at him, "Cheater."
He returned the gesture, "What are you doing Toph? What is with all this jumping up and running off?"
She crossed her arms, "I don't know."
He looked at her as if she just said that in another language, "You don't know?"
She closed her eyes with a brief nod, "Nope."
He gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed her hand, "Let's just go." He looked back when she yanked her hand away.
"I'm not going." She had her fists clenched at her side. Silenced passed with the time and Toph soon let her crossed arms fall to her side. She knew he was frustrated by now, and she sighed inwardly, 'If it was Katara this situation would be totally different.'
Aang placed an irritated hand on his head; his patience running thin, "Look Toph, I don't have the time to-"
"I'll meet you at the house later." Aang's eyes widened when he felt the slight breeze from Toph walking past him, it was a whisper but he heard it. He looked back suddenly feeling guilty when he saw her break off into a run.
Toph soon found herself back at the hospital sitting in front of the two young boys. The room was silent as she sat on the bench against the wall. Toph was brought out of her dead gaze when a small hand was placed on her shoulder. It was the eight year old.
"My name is Nez and my brother's name is Taki." He smiled, "What's your name?"
Toph smiled, "Why? So you can stalk me or thank me for saving your lives?"
She heard Taki laugh, "Who'd want to stalk an old hag like you ."
Toph smiled cynically, "Care to repeat that?"
"Old. Hag." Taki grinned as placed his hands up in defence as Toph came up to him place him in a headlock and rubbed her fist on his head. He put his hands on her arms to lift them off and did so successfully, "You know if you want to cry, you can."
Toph paused, Nez by then was sitting on the bed and looked at her with sad eyes. Toph forced a smirk, "W-What are you talking about?"
Both boys closed their eyes, she was crying before she even asked. Toph sat back in the bench hands on her face, elbows on her knees. Silent sobs came out of her and her chest squeezed with pain. She knew it, she knew he didn't have feelings for her. It's just that she placed that thought at the side ignoring it for a while. You know maybe. Maybe. But it never was going to happened, and now that it slapped her, it hurt. It hurt so much that crying couldn't even express it.
The boys were silent sitting on the bed looking at their hands and after a while Toph lifted her head eyes staring at their general direction. "Don't ever described the events you just saw or your dead." Both vigorously nodded their head.
Toph sniffed, and wiped her puffy eyes. "I'm going to stay here for a bit longer." She sat cross legged on the bench.
Nez looked firmly at her, "Do you want me to beat him up?"
Toph looked at him puzzled, then broke into laughter, he was talking about Aang. "No-No that's okay. I doubt you could even if you tried." She sighed, "Thanks for the offer." She sat silently awed at how perceptive this little boy was.
"Then," Taki started off hesitantly, "He didn't hurt you?"
Toph lets her eyes drop to the ground, "No, not on purpose." She furrowed her eyes in deep thought before snapping her fingers. "It's like vegetables, you don't like them at first, but there's that one person who does enjoy the vegetables. So then you realize how good vegetables really are it too late because they've already been taken- eaten."
Nez and Taki looked at her with thoughtful calculating eyes and then it seemed to click for the both oohed in unison. They then both looked down thinking for a solution. Taki finally lifted his head and cuffed his fist in his hand. "Do you love," He paused, "Vegetables?"
Toph blushed looking at the floor, "I don't know but I'm pretty sure I do. He's the only person who effect me the most. Simple words or gesture effect me like a ton of bricks." She paused in thought, "He doesn't know how much they effect me but they do. He's probably the only person who can make me cry like I just did." She laughed ruefully, "I guess it's a good thing he doesn't know."
Toph stood up and stretched her arms, "Well I guess I 'd better go." She walked to the door and stopped, "Do you know where a old lady and old man live."
Nez laughed, "There's a lot of them."
Toph smiled, "Guess you're right; lets see, " She scanned her memory, "Oh, a old couple, the old lady has a big garden, uh-"
Nez smiled, "They are the Otaru's; come I'll take you there." He looked at Toph's blind but questioning eyes, "Don't worry I'm not the one stuck in bed."
"Hey, I resent that!" Taki looked at Nez who stuck out his tongue. Toph smiled, "Don't be mad Taki, we still love you." Taki huffed and crossed his arms. Toph walked up to him and rubbed the top of his head, "Thank you. For everything." He grinned in return, "No problem."
Toph and Nez left the clinic with Nez leading the way. They laughed and talked and played around, while Toph listen to Nez speak about his brother and younger sister. They made it to the front of the house she was staying at and Toph gave a knock at the door. She looked down at Nez and nuzzled his head with a hand, "Thanks for the company, and everything."
Nez looked up, "You know Aang's just as stupid as any other boy. Don't worry Toph, your feelings aren't in vain." She paused in astonishment at Nez as his eyes narrowed and he looked at her fiercely, "Be careful. Though I suggest you watch out for yourself," He glanced at the door, "and Aang." The door opened and Toph stood up. "Oh Aang. Er-" Her eyes widened when she no longer felt Nez vibrations. "Where'd he go?"
"What?" His eyes scan the general area, "Who?" Aang's eyes briefly questioned her sanity and ushered in the house. Toph shook her head, "Never mind." It was then that she lifted her had as if she remembered something, 'I never told him my name!' Her eyes landed in Aang's direction, 'Or Aang's!'
"Toph?" Aang and Toph turned their heads to see the old lady quickly approaching them, she grabbed Toph's hand looked at her straight in her blind eyes, "Toph please forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you really. I hadn't known that-" She stopped knowing that Aang was there, "Just please," She looked down "I'm sorry."
Toph was embarrassed, ashamed of herself, how can she let an older and wiser women beg for her forgiveness as if she done something unforgivable. She was too kind. Toph grinned despite her self-condemned shame. "Don't worry about it, it's my fault really." She place an comforting hand on the gray-haired and guided her towards the sitting area of the house, Toph leaned down near her ear, "Besides I've given up."
All she got in reply was wide eyes. Toph help her to an seat and then made herself comfortable across from her, a moment later Aang followed in taking a seat on the floor. "You know twinkle toes something was just invented."
His eyes widened with excited as head leaned eagerly in her direction, "Really?"
"Yea," She closed her eyes and smirked, "A chair."
His shoulders slumped finding the assumed joke unamusing, "Ha, ha very funny, but I prefer the floor."
"What ever monk dude." Toph's smirk faded as she continued to feel concerned vibrations fall her way, she firmly placed her feet on the ground and stood up.
She was annoyed, was demolishing her pointless feelings for Aang really something to worry about? reminded her of Katara. "Don't worry Toph, your feelings aren't in vain."
Toph lifted her head suddenly remembering Nez, and shifted towards , "What do you know of Nez and Taki?"
"What about them?" All eyes, in Toph's case, vibrations, looked as an old man joined them sitting next to his wife.
Toph was confused by the sudden change of air, her vibration told her that Aang too was confused. "Well I just wanted to know who they were."
"Well they died." The old couple looked grimly into the air as if remembering events from the past, "we were both around their age when it happened."
"They died?" Toph's heart stopped, how was that possible? She just talked to them a while ago, who was she having a conversation with? Nobody!? She ran out the room heading towards the front door.
Aang looked at them and chuckled nervously, "It seems she's making a habit of this." He stood up, "Sorry for the troubles, I'll fetch her." Aang ran out the door and with relief saw her not to far away, he caught her within seconds and grabbed hold of her arm, "Toph! What are you doing!?" He then noticed her heart pacing quickly with panic, one of the things he also learn from his sifu. "Toph?"
She was breathing hard a hand on her knee her eyes were squeezed shut as she struggled to speak, "They can't be dead! You saw them right?"
Aang looked at her with widened eyes, she couldn't be talking about those two boys, "Toph are you sure you're not making a mistake?"
She looked at him angrily and yanked her arm away, "You don't have to believe me!" She stalked off away to the infirmary the boys were at.
"Toph!" Aang walked next to her keeping pace, "I believe you." He paused eyes looking away doubtfully, "Why don't you just come back to the house?"
"Nez, he- he knew my name, he knew your name!" She stopped and Aang looked down at his friend concerned, "I didn't even tell him. If he's dead, I-If they were really ghosts. I mean if they were, what would they want from me?"
Aang placed a hand on Toph's shoulder, "Do you want me to do something about it?"
"No," Toph slowly removed Aang's hand off her shoulder, "I don't know, I mean he said I should be careful. The way he said it seemed a though my life was in danger."
Aang stood dumbfounded by her failure to mention this earlier, "You know I think he was trying to protect you. If I may say this correctly, his- their- spirits linger in this town. Spirits are always lingering somewhere. If I wouldn't know any better I'd say this was a ghost town."
Toph was suddenly terrified and she chuckled nervously, "Really?"
Aang grinned, "Of course not! If it was I wouldn't have received a letter about going to Internal Affairs meeting in the Eastern Earth Kingdom."
Toph grew red with embarrassment and tackled him to the ground she punched him, pulling at his ears until he called mercy, she stopped and sat still on top of him, "That wasn't funny."
Aang frowned, "We'll leave later tonight." Toph sat there still without reaction, "Okay?" Silence seemed to engulf the air until she stood up, "Okay." After she helped him up off the ground they made their way. Aang looked warily at Toph as the premonition he had of her made an appearance in his mind again. What did the spirits want from her? He walked behind her and remembered he had something he wanted to ask her, what was it?
"Speed it up Twinkle-toes. What's wrong?" Aang walked up to her side matching her pace.
"Toph?"
"What?"
"When you left the house earlier, were you crying?"
"What?" She paused, she remembered walking out the house and she didn't shed a tear. It was only when she was with those two boys. "No! Why would I cry?"
"Oh well I heard you sniff and the old lady thought that you cried and well that's what I thought too because well you never cried and it seemed like a sniff would mean that you were crying." Aang said almost blue in the face from saying it all in one breath.
Toph laughed loudly at the idiot who spoke in one breath, "Are you stupid? I sniffed because my nose was stuffy I was just sick you know?" She patted him hard on his back, "No need to be all jumpy about it."
Aang grinned, "I guess you're right."
"I am right."
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So yup this is what i have so far. I'm thinking about what going to happen next right about now i only got about a half a chapter thought up so yea i'll try not to make you wait soo long then agaaaain. I f I fail my economics class I wont graduate.....*shiver* scary...... anyways T_T skool sux.