Sorry this is late. Between paper due dates and exams, I was too lazy to do any editing. But here it is. It's a bit longer this time, too.
Enjoy~!
Oh: Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Really, I swear.
(March 23, 2011 Edit: Did you do something with your hair? You look good. No, really stellar. I'm not just saying that. Now, for anyone interested, I'm not dead (I think), and neither is this story. I'm working on it, honest I am. I'm gunning to finish writing the whole story by the end of the month, and I'm posting April 31st, whether I like it or not. So hide yo kids, hide y-)
Three days had passed since Toph's capture, and she was starting to feel the effects. Her stomach growled, wanting more substantial meals. Her body felt weak; her mind was beginning to blur the hours. Worst of all, her body sported a number of burns, Azula's way of "having fun", it seemed. All in all, Toph was not happy.
What marked this day as special relative to the others was that, for the first time since leaving the Bei Fong estate, they had stopped. In the distance Toph could hear voices. She was leaning against the cage bars, straining to hear, but so far she had gotten nothing. Azula's odd poem had settled on her mind after that first night, and Toph wanted to know what it meant. It sounded ominous; Azula's voice had been almost inhuman. There was also the added distress that the words had sounded eerily familiar. From her dream, she knew. But that must have been coincidence.
Toph heard footsteps approaching, and she casually shifted back to the center of the cage. It didn't matter, really - Azula's firebending could reach her anywhere. She felt safer in the center, though. Less vulnerable.
The cage suddenly lurched, and Toph heard a loud thump and a cry, as though something heavy had been tossed in. Toph pushed up to a kneeling position, steeling herself to take whatever surprise Azula had for her this time.
"Meet your new cell mate," Azula said in an almost bored voice. Curiously, Toph reached out, and sure enough her hand rested on the back of another person. The new captive jerked at her touch, scrambling to the cage's edge. Azula chuckled. "You two have fun now. Or actually, I'd rather you didn't." Her laughter faded as she strolled from the cage.
"Who... who are you?" a male voice asked. It trembled, heavy with fear.
"Toph..." she replied, crossing her arms. If first impressions were anything to go by - and her father had always said they were - than this man would be of no help to her escape. He sounded more frightful than a pack of DeerSheep. He'd probably be more a hindrance than anything.
"Toph... You mean, the earthbender?" the man asked. Toph nodded. "Oh thank the gods. If there's anyone who can get us out, you can!"
Toph rapped her knuckles against the wooden floor. "Can't bend in here. And the wood is too hard to break through manually."
"I'm sure you'll think of something," the man quickly interjected. Toph could tell that he needed the hope, so she just shrugged.
"I'm Qin," the man continued, some strength returning to his voice. "I'm a waterbender."
Toph perked up. Perhaps she had been wrong about Qin. He might be useful after all. Toph recalled the last time she had been imprisoned in a wooden cage. Katara had bent her own sweat and cut a way out. Hopefully this Qin could do the same.
"A waterbender, eh?" Toph smiled. "Well, we'll have to see what you're made of. I might have an idea. But it'll have to wait 'till dark." Toph hated having to wait. Another day in this cage and she would go insane. She was not the patient type...
Qin gave a sigh of relief.
"So, what're you in here for?" Toph asked after a moment's silence. What could Azula possibly want with Qin?
She heard the man sigh again. "I don't know, really. Me and my master were passing through to Ba Sing Se, when he just... up and sold me to that..." Qin trailed off, apparently unable to think of a suitable insult for Azula. Or too afraid Azula might hear.
"Your master sold you? Ouch, harsh," Toph said sympathetically. "Mine trapped me in a metal box once. But he was a lousy teacher anyway."
The cage lurched forward once again. They were moving. Toph sat back down, resting her head in her hands. At least she would have company now.
"I don't know why he did it," distress seeped into Qin's voice. Waterbender or no, the man was certainly emotional. Toph hoped he could control it when necessary. "He always called me his best student. Which is saying something! And only for a few Earth Kingdom coins..."
A skilled waterbender, eh? Toph's mind began to crank gears. First Azula had captured Toph, and then a waterbender. She had initially assumed that capturing her had been to incite Zuko somehow. Then Azula had told Toph that she was simply "bait" for Aang. And an "ingredient", what ever that meant. Was this man another part of Azula's plan? Another "ingredient"? What was Azula planning? Thinking about it frustrated Toph. The schemes of an insane woman doesn't make sense. How bloody surprising. But she knew there had to be something there. Something she wasn't picking up on.
Toph could hear the crickets beginning to chirp, telling her that dusk was falling. The air was starting to cool, and even a PidgeonOwl had hooted a couple times. Sitting up straight, Toph whispered Qin's name, and was immediately met with a quiet, "Hmm?"
"Is it dark out?" she asked.
"Erm... not really. Not yet," her companion captive replied. "Can't you-. Oh, wait. Right."
She waved a hand in front of her face. "It's always dark." She smiled to take the guilt out of the statement. She had gotten used to people forgetting her eyesight.
Toph motioned Qin closer and, after Qin made sure there was no one within earshot, began to explain her plan to Qin.
"Okay, here's the plan. You don't have any water on you, do you? No? I didn't think so. Okay, when it gets dark, I want you to do a handful of sit-ups or push-ups or whatever. When- don't interrupt me! When you've gotten all sweaty, bend your sweat, and start slashing at one of the cage bars. You should be able to cut through it. Be quiet about it, though. If Azula finds out, we're dead."
Less than an hour passed in silence before Toph heard the low grunts of Qin working up a sweat. Toph kept her ears sharp, listening for any signs of Azula's approach. She had gotten better at listening for the woman over the past couple days - she walked almost as lightly as Aang did. Nerves tried to grip her, but she ignored them. If this didn't work, they might not have another shot for awhile. She needed to remain completely calm.
The sound of water slashing at the wood started up. It sounded much too loud for Toph's liking, but she knew there wasn't much she could do about it. As long as Qin got through the bars before Azula heard. Then Toph could get onto the ground and earthbend their way to safety.
"It is working?" Toph whispered impatiently. It was taking a lot longer for Qin to get through than it had Katara. Admittedly, Toph didn't think there were many waterbenders as strong as Katara. Still...
"The wood is strong..." Qin replied. His voice sounded strained. "It's cutting, though."
Toph jumped at the sound of an owl hooting in the distance. Cursing, she forced herself to calm down. She needed a level head in case things went awry.
"I'm... almost there..." Qin gasped out.
"Hmm, not quite." Toph sat up straight. Azula. She had snuck up on them completely. Maybe her approach had been hidden by the sound of the water cutting. It didn't matter. They were screwed now.
Toph felt a searing sensation as fire scorched her skin. She winced, gritting her teeth through the pain. Qin fell to the cage floor with a pained cry a moment later.
"Trying to escape, are we?" Azula gave an amused sigh. "It's no use. You're too precious for me to get sloppy."
"Screw you," Toph growled. She spat in Azula's direction. "We'll get out, and then I'll make you wish you had rotted in Zuko's dungeon."
Despite her position at the center of the cage, Azula's hand grabbed Toph's arm and pulled, slamming her into the cage bars. The touch burned hotter than ever, branding Toph with the woman's hand-print. Azula squeezed down hard, pulling Toph's arm. Toph felt her shoulder pop out of its socket and let out a cry of pain. What the hell kind of monster was this woman?
"You are going to give me powers beyond imagining, brat. And then I'm going to revel in torturing you until you beg for my mercy," Azula pressed her other palm against the back of Toph's neck. Toph felt her mind begin to shut down from the pain. "When I'm done with you..." Azula released Toph with a satisfied "hmph", and she collapsed onto the cage floor, breathing heavily. Rather than finishing her threat, Azula disappeared, once again mumbling to herself under her breath.
As soon as she was gone, Qin crawled over to Toph. He took her disjointed arm in his hands. Toph let out a hiss of pain, pulling away instinctively.
"Hold still," Qin ordered. "I know a little first-aid." A moment later Toph felt the pain of her arm being shoved back into place. She bit back another shout of pain. Her brain protested the constant abuse. The burn on her arm festered agonizingly, and the back of her neck throbbed.
Qin helped Toph into a sitting position, then sat beside her. "That woman is insane..." Qin whispered, more to himself than Toph.
"Hmm, yeah," Toph replied through the pain.
"Are you okay?" asked Qin lamely.
Toph let out a small chuckle. "I'll live. I guess that plan didn't work..."
"It was a good one," Qin said. Fear had returned to his voice.
Toph simply nodded, then let herself slide down the bars to the floor. She needed some rest...
Clouds drifted above Aang's head, swirling in the early morning breeze. He was curled up in the fur of Appa's head, his eyes still adjusting to the sunlight. Dawn was just breaking, and Aang could feel Appa shift below him. He would have to get moving again if he wanted to reach Kiyoshi Island by that evening.
With a deep yawn, Aang grabbed a small gourd and hopped off Appa, strolling to the lazy stream they had bedded beside. He sat on his haunches and cupped his hands into the cold water, splashing it in his face. The chill shocked him to wakefulness. He sighed, wiping his face and scooping another handful of water to drink. The warm summer sun dried his face quickly despite the chill island air.
Filling the gourd with water for their trip, Aang airbended, jumping back up onto Appa's head. They took off into the sky, skimming the underbelly of the clouds. The terrain rushed by below, rolling hills topped with trees flattening into a vast mountain range that spanned miles. Against the horizon Aang could see the ocean. They would reach it in an hour or two, he figured, then cross the ocean to Kyoshi throughout the afternoon. He hoped to be greeting Sokka and Suki by early dusk.
Aang's stomach growled loudly, telling him it was past time for breakfast. Crawling up Appa's back, he pulled himself into the saddle and grabbed the package Katara had given him the morning before. Inside he found a some of Katara's cookies and a large loaf of bread - both of which he downed hungrily - and a separately wrapped package. As Aang picked up the second package, a paper fell from the wrapping, nearly blowing away in the wind. Aang snatched it out of the air.
Setting everything else in his lap, Aang slowly unfolded the paper. Katara's perfect handwriting ran along the paper. Aang scanned through it quickly, then sat back to read it again in depth:
Aang
I hope you enjoyed the food, and are safely on your way to Sokka's.
I just wanted to apologize. I know you're the Avatar, and that my decision to remain in the city would force us to remain distant, but I had no right to snap at you when I found out about... well, you know. I suppose I knew all along, anyway. It was sort of obvious. I don't know why I'm saying this now, and I know this apology should be in person, but I hope you understand. I hope you can visit more often once you return to your regular routine. We really don't see much of each other these days!
Please, take care of yourself. And thank-you, for everything.
Katara
Aang smiled slightly to himself as he folded the letter and pocketed it. He didn't know where the apology had come from, but he felt as though a small bit of stress had lifted from his shoulders. In all honesty, he thought he was the one that needed to apologize to bring about closure, but... He shook his head. He and Katara would probably have a very heart-felt talk next time he saw her. Perhaps they could truly progress towards being the friends they once were.
Unwrapping the other package that had been tucked within the first, Aang found a roll filled to the brim with berries. Juice dripped out of the end, forming a stain in the cloth wrapping. Aang bit into it, the taste of half a dozen different berries oozing over his tongue. He moaned in satisfaction. Katara certainly knew how to make his tongue do back-flips - when she avoided the ocean cuisine, that is. As he was savouring his second bite, however, he was nearly thrown off Appa's back. The Sky Bison had made a very sudden, very sharp left turn.
Placing the roll down, Aang leapt out of the saddle and grabbed Appa's reins. Appa pulled up, merging into the clouds. Just before his vision was obscured, Aang saw a streak of fire sear the air under Appa's belly.
The clouds before him suddenly flared red. Aang pulled on Appa's reins, forcing him to bank left again. He felt the heat as fire scorched his left chin. A second blast roared over his head, forcing him to duck.
What the hell? Aang scanned the cloud-cover, attempting to spot his assailant. It was no use. The clouds were too think to see far. He was all but blind.
Standing up on Appa's head, Aang grabbed his staff, preparing for the next attack. The wind whistled in his ears as he strained his senses, watching, waiting.
There was a distant shout of exertion, and a torrent of fire threatened to encircle them. Aang bent the air around them, fanning the fire out, dissipating it. He twirled his staff, bringing it down in the direction the fire had come from. A shot of air extended from his staff, spliting the clouds momentarily. He saw a shadow shift in the distance before the condensed fluff surrounded it again.
Leading Appa down below the cover of the clouds, he watched their underbellies, waiting for his attacker to emerge. Fire shot out of a cloud a few hundred yards away, angling away from him. It dissipated before reaching the ground. Then, in a swirl of cloud, emerged a beast unlike any Aang had ever seen. It was large - nearly as large as Appa - and almost lizard-like, with two enormous wings. It's body fanned out into a large tail-wing that it used to push itself forward. Teeth lined ferocious jaws, and it snapped hungrily as it descended toward him.
Atop the beast was a man dressed in all-black. He moved, fire flying from his hands. Aang twisted his staff, deflecting the blow.
"Head to the ground, buddy. I'll be there in a minute," Aang told Appa. He leapt off the Sky Bison's head and, with another twirl of his staff, released the glider within. He bent air up, pushing the glider and himself up into the air, toward the oncoming beast. He dodged fire blast after fire blast, quickly closing in on his attacker.
With a shout Aang landed on the back of the lizard-like creature. It stopped, twisting, trying to snap at it's new cargo. Aang ducked below a torrent of fire, and formed a shell of air around himself. He pushed, forcing the air out. It knocked the man off balance. Aang took that opportunity to throw his own fire assault. Two concentrated blasts. The fire caught, igniting the man's black robes.
With a shout of surprise, Aang's opponent tried to pat the flames out with his hands. Aang charged. He used a couple bursts of air to keep the flames alive but controlled, and swept his staff at the man's knees, taking his legs out from under him. He fell hard on the lizard's back.
Aang pulled water from a nearby cloud. He used some of it to put out the fire, and the rest formed a pair of ice cuffs around the man's hands. Aang then turned and grabbed the reins of the lizard beast. A few tugs later, and Aang had successfully landed the creature on a large foothill, much to the latter's chagrin. Grabbing his new captive, Aang leapt from the beast's back and immediately bent the earth beneath it, rooting it in place.
Safely on the ground, Aang turned to his captive. The man glared at him, eyes cold and defiant. His face was covered by a black cloth. Only his eyes and hands were visible.
Aang grabbed the face cloth and tore it away, revealing the man's hateful snarl. "Why did you attack me?" Aang demanded. He spat at Aang.
"I'll die before I say anything," the man defied as Aang wiped spittle from his face. Aang opened his mouth to retort when the man began to spasm. Foam built at the mouth. Then the man screamed piercingly, and fell limp. A drop of blood leaked from the corner of one eye, trailing down his face and into the dirt.
Aang couldn't help but shiver. He wasn't sure what he had just witnessed, but he didn't think it was good. The man's death wasn't natural - that much Aang knew. Backing away from the body, Aang let the bindings on the lizard fall and leapt into the air, pulling out his glider. He needed to find Appa and get moving again. Somehow, he felt there was more urgency to get to his friends than before.
Finding Appa behind a large rock jutting up from the ground, Aang landed lightly on his head and grabbed the reins. "Yip yip." Appa leapt into the air. Wind beat against Aang's coat as they ascended. The landscape below flew by. Aang leaned over to watch as plains overtook foothills. The mountain range rose in the far distance behind and to their left, fading rapidly under the clouded sky. The shoreline was only a few minutes away. Crap, Aang thought. They were still quite a distance from Kyoshi Island. He would feel a lot better when he found Sokka and Suki alive and well.
Leaning back against Appa's neck, Aang shifted his thoughts to the man he had left back on the plains. Where had he come from, and what had he wanted? Revenge came to Aang's mind - he had seen a number of rogue firebenders angry that Aang had liberated their Nation, or angry that Zuko was a failed leader. Perhaps the man had something to do with Azula? Aang discarded that as unlikely. She had only been out a week. The attack felt too planned.
There was also the issue of the giant... lizard thing. Aang had never seen anything like that before, and the monks had taught him a great deal about the fauna of the world. The beast had had a feral quality about it, as though it was only loosely tamed. It had frightened Aang more than he cared to admit.
One thing he knew for certain was that the man wasn't working alone, and that worried him greatly. He had given his life to protect the information he held - who he was working with, or for; what his motives had been. Then again, maybe the man had just been insane. Aang sighed. He'd bring it up to Sokka when he got to the Island. Sokka would know what to do. That was, of course, assuming he was safe.
The time passed agonizingly slow. A brief break in the cloud-cover showed the sun angled past it's zenith, a couple hours past noon at least. He pushed Appa to his limit. Another hour passed before Aang could see the hills that bordered the ocean; the island Kyoshi herself had moved so long ago. The sight always filled Aang with a bit of pride, knowing what his past self had accomplished in her life. Reminding him what he himself had already accomplished.
A dark cloud jerked Aang's gaze upward. It was swirling upwards from behind the hill, tumbling over itself wildly. Not a cloud - smoke. Aang's heart began to race as he tightened his grip on the reins, attempting to push Appa faster.
The glow of fire was visible as he topped the hill, and the forms of hundreds of fleeing people soon after. Aang forced Appa into a nose-dive, leaping from his head as they neared the ground. He flicked his staff into his glider and shot toward the town at an alarming speed. Shouts filled the choked air. Aang bent the air around him, keeping the smoke from suffocating him. A swift gust of wind prevented a painful impact as he landed, staff in hand.
As soon as he landed it was immediately apparent what the people were running from. Three firebenders could be seen in the street ahead, flames leaping from their hands. Those buildings not already up in flames were quickly consumed. One of the firebenders turned a hand toward a fleeing civilian, and Aang watched in horror as fire engulfed the elderly man, his cries of torment rising above the cacophony. Rage simmered on the edges of Aang's mind.
Aang noticed one important detail about the men - they all wore black, from head to toe. Only their hands and eyes were visible. Aang shot forward, bending air to amplify his speed. He slammed into the firebender whom had torched the old man, taking him by surprise. He brought his twirling staff down, a crack renting the air as it collided with the man's skull.
He ducked. Heat scorched the air where his head had been. Turning, Aang found he had attracted the attention of the other two firebenders. A frown creased his face as he stood.
They danced, Aang dodging, the firebenders moving through the forms. Fire filled the air between them, blocking Aang's view. Grunting, he bent a block of earth up, and pressed his back to it. The fire stopped. Bending air, Aang jumped up and over his makeshift-wall. The two men shifted their gazes up, but Aang was too quick. Before they could react he bent the earth again, encasing one in rock. He left a small hole at the top for air. He doubted the firebender would remain alive enough to question, though.
The remaining firebender attacked, a barrage of fire flying Aang's way. Aang twisted his staff, dissipating it with air. The assault continued. He leapt up, over the torrent of fire, and twirled his staff above his head, slowing his fall. He bent a shield of air around him and dropped into the cover of the fire.
When the fire finally stopped, Aang was feet from the firebender. The man gave a shout of surprise, throwing a fireball Aang's way, but it was deflected by his shield. Aang kicked tripping the man with air. When Aang landed he bent earth, encasing him in a box of earth as well. Remembering the first man he had knocked unconscious, Aang turned. The man was getting up, rubbing the side of his head. Aang quickly encased him too.
Sighing tiredly, Aang approached the closest box - the one containing the firebender he had tripped. Preparing himself, he let the earth fall away, and jumped. He caught the man's arms with his hands and straddled him, glaring at his concealed face.
"What are you doing here?" Aang shouted, motioning toward the inferno around him. "These are innocent people!"
The man snorted. "You think I care, Avatar?" he scoffed. His voice was muffled from the cloth, and with the surrounding noise Aang had to lean in to hear him. "They're necessary victims."
"Necessary for what?" Aang asked incredulously. "What could possibly need this?"
"You." A foot collided with the side of Aang's head, and he dropped to the ground. His vision blurred as a headache erupted. Rolling, Aang bent air to right himself, and was immediately met with the feel of cold metal sliding around his neck. There was a faint "chink", and Aang felt the neck-brace lock around his neck. He turned to find another black-clad man standing behind him. Aang bent air and leapt back. Instead of flying through the air like planned, however, he stumbled and fell hard on his backside. The man laughed voraciously.
Pushing himself up with his staff, Aang threw his hand out, bending fire. Nothing happened. Desperately he tried again. Nothing, not even a spark. What the hell? Aang cried in his mind.
The man stepped forward, his eyes smiling behind his mask. As he reached out to grab Aang, a boomerang struck him in the side of the head. He collapsed to the ground with a groan. Aang followed the course of the boomerang as it doubled back. Sokka snatched it out of the air as he ran, waving a hand over his head.
"Hey! Aang!" Sokka called. Behind him Aang saw Suki following, tangling with a firebender hot on her trail. "Nice to see you!"
"Sokka! You're alive!" Aang waved as Sokka approached, then pointed at his neck. "My bending, something's wr-"
"Duck!" Sokka grabbed Aang's arm and pulled him down. Fire flew over his head. Cursing, Sokka launched his boomerang in the direction of the firebender Aang hand attempted to interrogate. There were two there now, the second probably having been the one to kick Aang. The boomerang was dodged easily. Sokka drew his sword as he plucked the boomerang out of the air and sheathed it.
Aang tugged at the metal around his neck. It was fastened on tight. Running his fingers along its length, he found the latch, but no means of releasing it. He pulled uselessly. Without his bending he felt defenseless.
He glanced up to see Sokka dodge one shot of fire, only to be struck by a second. He turned, and saw Suki dancing dangerously with the pursuing firebender. Anger welled up inside Aang, alongside fear for his friends. He could feel the avatar state coming on. He let it, felt the power surge up through him...
And release in an explosion of sound so loud that the remaining rafters rattled. Aang was thrown off his feet, landing roughly on the ground. Pain wracked his body, extending rapidly from the metal choker. It burned hot, branding his neck. Aang screamed. The pain overwhelmed him, tore at the vestiges of his sanity, and all went black.
Snap. Poor Aang. Review if you feel the urge to make me happy. Or visit my dA account for original stuffs (in my FFN profile - hooray for shameless advertising!) Or, you know, you could just leave. That's okay too... ;~;
(March 23, 2011 Edit #2: Oh yes, just soz y'all know, I fixed the scene transitions. Apparently FFN doesn't like the way I mark scene changes, and no one mentioned it, so... yes... It's fixed now. You know, a year after I posted the bloody thing. .)