Disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar…no matter how much I want to.

Read on…

************************************************************************

Aang's Pov

"Ow," I moaned as I tried to orient myself to my surroundings.

I flipped over and I had the sudden sensation that I was falling. When I hit the ground with a thud I groaned. I could feel sunlight on my skin and I could see the orange behind my eyelids; it was very, very bright.

"Ugh. It wasn't a dream," I mumbled. I was referring to the falling "sensation".

I tried to recollect my thoughts but they were so twisted and jumbled up inside my head that I couldn't form a coherent thought. What happened?

…wait…wasn't I…with someone? My breathing picked up and I opened my eyes to the blinding sunlight. I took a while for my eyes to adjust but when they did, the sight before me was one that I wished so desperately that I could erase from my memory.

"Toph? Toph!" I yelled.

I tried to get up but a pain in my side and the lightheadedness that I felt were too much and I had to lie back down.

Toph was laying face-down on the red earth next to me. Her arm was near her head and the other I couldn't see. The way her legs were spread out made it seem like she was sleeping. What was bothering me is that if she were just sleeping, then she'd be so irritated at how many times I was saying her name that she'd earthbend a two ton boulder at me. But she wasn't doing that. She wasn't doing anything.

I yelled desperately at her non-moving body, "Toph, please, wake up! Do something!"

I heard her groan and I sucked up the pain and crawled over to her.

"Toph," I said, completely out of breath from the tortuous exertion I just went through trying to get to her body that was only ten feet away.

"Toph, are you okay?"

I grabbed her shoulder and was about to turn her around but an ear-splitting shriek froze me. The scream was only a second long but the after shock was still with me like an echo in my mind.

"Toph. Toph. What's wrong? Are you okay? Please answer me!"

She muttered an, "Ow" and I heard a sound from her that I had never heard from her before: a sob. I was scared before, I admit it. But now, I was just terrified. How was I supposed to handle this? I've never had to deal with anything like this before. I didn't know how to deal with a girl crying. And not just any girl, Toph.

Softly I asked, "Toph? Answer me. Are you okay?"

She sniffed and rolled over to me; I couldn't help but notice how she kept her right arm carefully secured with her left, over her stomach. I looked up at her face and I was instantly saddened at the sight before me. Her usually pale face was splotched with red and her eyes were puffy. How long had she been crying?

This is all my fault! No, seriously it is. I mean, if I hadn't asked her to come with me then none of this would have ever happened. She would be safe instructing new Fire Nation Recruits in the Fire Nation with Katara and Zuko. She wouldn't be crying. She wouldn't be hurt and lying on the ground like she's broken. She'd be safe. As Avatar, it was my job to keep people safe, but if I couldn't even keep my best friend safe, then how was I supposed to keep complete strangers safe? I can't believe I did this. To my best friend, nonetheless. I should have kept her safe. I shouldn't have even asked her to come. I should've just come by myself. Why did I have to drag her into this?

Her voice pulled me out of my chagrined and regretful thoughts.

"I think I broke my arm. Where are we? Where's the water? Where'd the voices go?" she asked in a breathless fashion.

"I'm so sorry, Toph. So, so, sorry. I didn't mean to. I shouldn't have brought you with me. I'm so-so-so sorry," I said with my voice filled with the regret that was threatening to consume my every pore.

"If I could, I'd hit you right now. But since I can't, I'll just yell at you. What is your problem? I agreed to go. It's no one's fault, Airhead. It's just a broken bone, they heal. I'll be fine as long as I stop talking," she said that all in two breaths with a strained voice that made me feel guilty. But I couldn't let her know that.

"Yeah, okay. As long as you're fine—you are fine, aren't you?"

"Been better," she breathed. "You?"

"I think I'm fine. Still bruised," I teased. She smirked. I carefully stood up. My bones felt like an old rickety door and I was sure that Toph could hear the creaking and hinging that I felt like they were making. "But other than that I'm—Oh, Spirits!" I started hopping on one foot while holding my right knee up.

"What's wrong? What's happening, Twinkles? Don't leave me in the dark!" Toph said as she began to panic.

I had to calm her down. "Toph, it's fine. I think I just sprained my ankle. It's nothing."

She heaved a sigh of relief and then a look of confusion crossed her face.

"Where are we?"

Holding my injured foot in the air, I looked at our surroundings. Everything was…green. And there was a fountain that had water flowing straight from the top and surrounding it was a flow of water that flowed outward. It seemed like Toph and I were on a construction site for something. That would explain the red earth we were in. But where was this?

"Somebody's coming and from their heavy footsteps it sounds like they're mad," Toph warned.

Maybe they'll help us though, I thought hopefully.

"Hey," yelled out a female voice from behind me. "Who are you guys? This is private property."

I turned around and saw a girl with dark brown curls coming towards us. Behind her stood a man a foot or so taller than her with black hair that was in his face, kind of like Zuko's when he was traveling with us.

I waved.

"Hi, I'm Aang. Do you by any chance know what this place is called?"

The closer they got to us, the more I saw the beauty in the brown haired girl. I liked the fact that her face was animated, just like mine. They stopped a foot in front of me and the guy who was in the back moved closer towards the front.

"Like, the city?"

I shrugged, "I guess."

"Phoenix. Now, what are you guys doing here?"

I ignored her question and focused on the answer.

Phoenix. Phoenix? I gulped and braced myself for the answer to my next question.

"Phoenix as in…Phoenix King?"

Wasn't Ozai in jail? What if he got out? What if he escaped? Wait…what am I worrying about? He can't bend anymore.

But he could always have allies. Isn't that why Toph was in charge of new recruits? To make sure that they would keep from thinking themselves superior? And to keep them from following what Sozen started but Ozai continued?

"Phoenix King? What kind of dumbass name is that?" The girl elbowed the guy in front of her who looked like he was trying to keep from falling down with laughter. "Did you hear that? Who has kings anymore anyways? Oh –" she looked behind me at Toph who hadn't moved. "What's wrong with your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend! But I think she broke her arm from the nasty fall we took."

The brown haired girl looked around.

"Fell from where? And you never answered my question from earlier."

I frowned slightly. "I don't really know how we fell. And I don't know what we're doing here either."

I don't know why but this seemed to make the girls' day. Her honey eyes were bright with renewed excitement.

"Oooh – oooh! Are you guys like foreign exchange students? That is so awesome! Well, I've been rude haven't I? Let me introduce myself: I'm Analese-Victoria Lovington but call me Ana. And this is my best friend, Toe-jam." She gestured towards the black haired buy in front of her.

He held out his hand for me to shake.

"The name's Todd Radcliff. Who are you again?"

"Aang."

"Do you have a last name?" asked Todd.

"Um-Aang Pipenpadalopsocopolis." I've been waiting to use that name again. It's just so much fun to say. Their eyes widened in disbelief and amusement when I finished saying my last name.

"And I'm Toph Bei Fong. Well, if we're done with introductions can you help me up?" said a very irate voice from behind me.

I started for her but Todd beat me to it. He put a hand behind Toph's shoulders but before he could put a hand anywhere else Toph said, "Who is touching me? Twinkles, who is touching me!"

"Can't she see that it's only Todd?" asked Ana.

I sighed. "No. She can't see who's touching her." I caught the shocked look on Ana's face and nodded. I said to Toph, "It's only Todd, he won't hurt you."

"I wasn't afraid of someone hurting me," Toph sneered. "I was just wondering who was touching me." She grumbled something else about taking care of herself but I didn't ask her to elaborate.

"Is it okay if I pick you up now?" Todd asked Toph.

"Whatever."

Todd put his other hand under Toph's knee and picked her up. Toph's breath hitched and I saw her mouth set in a tight line and her eyes were shut like she was in pain. He set her gently on the ground but when her left foot touched the ground she yelped without opening her mouth. Todd put her back in his arms. I don't know why this bothered me so much. I mean, I was perfectly capable of holding on to Toph. Plus this guy didn't even know her.

"What's wrong?" I asked Toph while avoiding eye contact with Todd.

She muttered, "Today better not get any worse." Out loud she said, "I have a broken arm and I think I sprained my ankle." The tone of voice she used sure made it sound like she was irritated.

Todd shot Ana a look and she nodded.

"We're going to take you to the hospital. Is that okay?" Todd asked Toph.

"Just give me something for the pain and hurry up with the cast okay, Toto."

Todd shot her a look of disgust for the comment but walked Toph back into the house. I stayed behind with Ana.

"Did you sprain your ankle too?"

I looked down at how the toes on my right foot were barely touching the ground. Smiling sheepishly, I shrugged.

"I don't know. But it doesn't matter. Let's take care of Toph first." I hobbled towards the door but something kept getting in my face. I ran a hand through my hair and – whoa, wait a second. Hair?

Toph's POV

Oh Spirits this hurts! I was going to get up and tell everyone to stop talking about me like I wasn't here. But when the girl asked Aang what was the matter with his "girlfriend", I froze and, I can't believe I'm saying this, I blushed. I actually blushed. But I quickly tried to get rid of it, especially when some unfamiliar vibrations were coming closer towards me.

I would've moved away but my arm hurt quite enough. I wanted to scream when some unknown arm put itself around my shoulders and the motion caused my left arm to jostle a bit. But I didn't and that made me angry.

I hate it when strangers touch me!

"Who is touching me? Twinkles, who is touching me!"

"Can't she see that it's only Todd?" asked this really high and peppy voice.

I heard Twinkles sigh. "No. She can't see who's touching her." Behind him I waved my left hand over my eyes and I hurried to put it back under my right arm so it could support the broken arm better. "It's only Todd, he won't hurt you."

I mentally scoffed.

"I wasn't afraid of someone hurting me," I sneered. "I was just wondering who was touching me." I grumbled under my breath, "Jeez, I can take care of myself, Airhead. I've been doing it for the past five years."

"Is it okay if I pick you up now?" I figured that the deep voice was referring to me.

"Whatever."

I felt another arm go under my knees and pick me up. I didn't want to scream in front of these people so I closed my mouth tightly and shut my eyes. I've dealt with pain before but this was intense. My breath hitched as he slid me down his arms so I'd be set on the ground. The first foot to touch the ground was my left but when Toto set me down on it, I held my mouth tightly together while I yelped once in pain. He picked me up again and that was the first time in my life that I'd been happy leaving the ground. I couldn't feel anything besides his steady heartbeat.

"What's wrong?" Twinkles asked me.

I muttered to myself, "Today better not get any worse." To answer his question I said in a very irritated tone of voice, "I have a broken arm and I think I sprained my ankle."

After a silence, the same deep voice from last time spoke up.

"We're going to take you to the hospital. Is that okay?"

"Just give me something for the pain and hurry up with the cast okay, Toto," I replied sort of impatiently.

Toto walked and I couldn't tell if he was alone, but after I heard the voice behind us get smaller I groaned thinking just how wonderful it was that I was alone with this unknown guy. What was Twinkles thinking, leaving me alone with a guy I barely know? I could feel someone looking at me from behind but I shrugged it off.

"My name's Todd, you know."

"And…"

"Why are you calling me Toto?"

I groaned a sigh. "I don't know. You kinda remind me of a dog in this play that Blowfish was describing to me once."

"Blowfish?" he questioned. "What play was that?"

"General Lee. And I can't remember the name; it had the word Oz in it."

"The Wizard of Oz?" he asked. I would've shrugged but I didn't want to hurt my arm so I didn't do anything. "My dad's a retired General. Was General Lee in the Navy or Marines or maybe it was the Army?"

What was he talking about? What was a Marine?

"The Army in the Fire Nation. By the way, where is Phoenix in? The Earth Kingdom? It sounds like a place in the Fire Nation but I've never heard of it before."

I could feel confusion radiating off of him. What was so confusing about the question though? It was a simple question really. So why was he confused?

I heard his footsteps change with a new terrain and the air felt cool. I guessed that he had stepped into the house.

Suddenly he started laughing. I bit down on my bottom lip as I tried to keep from making a sound. The way his chest was moving up and down was making my injured arm move too and that was hurting so badly. I could feel a tear in my eye but since I couldn't move the tear flowed freely down my face. He stopped laughing and I could feel his gaze on my face.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Wilst thou ever pardon a beggar such as myself?"

"What – sure, I guess…if that was an apology."

"It was. I'm sort of obsessed with Romeo and Juliet," the last part he said as if he was waiting for a reprimand.

"You mean, Oma and Shu, right? The play between the two cities that hated each other except for two lovers? But their love was forbidden since there was a war going on between their villages?" I said in one breath.

"I take it that this General Lee has been to a lot of plays, right?" I nodded. Blowfish was always into that kind of stuff, but after he retired he's been going to them non stop. And since no one really wanted to hear about them, he talked to me about it. I wouldn't admit it to him, but I really did like the way he described the plays. "But I was talking about the Capulets and the Montagues."

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Where are you from again?"

"Gaoling," I said offhandedly.

"You look Asian. Are you?"

"I guess. I don't really know what Asians look like."

I heard him open a door and we were back outside in the intense heat. Yep, definitely Fire Nation.

"Do you like being blind?" he asked with natural curiosity.

This way he asked the question caught me off guard. Usually people feel pity for me when I tell them I'm blind. Like his friend – what was her name? Ana? But Toto seemed fascinated by it. I didn't really know how to respond so I took a minute to think.

"I've never really had a problem with it. I see with my feet. I can feel all the vibrations in the earth so I can tell where everything is. So, it's not bad and it's definitely not a handicap," I said fiercely.

We stayed in a comfortable silence until we reached something metallic I figured by the way it felt against my right foot – the one that wasn't injured.

"I'm gonna set you in the car for a bit while I go get Aang and Ana. So just stay put and we'll be off to the hospital in a minute."

He set me down in a seat that felt like it was made out of animal skins. I couldn't really feel anything and that made me wary so I strained my ears detect even the tiniest sound.

What was a car, anyways?

************************************************************************

A/N:

Wow. Took me two days to write this!

Oh, Aang got a bit jealous when that guy was handling Toph. Hahaha!

Did ya'll like it? The modern characters are mine, I totally just made up their names. Is it okay? And yeah, I know the girls name is like so long, but I don't know, I just wanted her to be an Analese-Victoria. Nothing wrong with that.

Nine pages people, nine pages. I swear I'm going to get carpel tunnel now!

Anywhoo, review and whatnot!

Love: Lola of the Peaches

=]