Toph smirked.
"Aang..." Katara said, slowly. "Don't. She's just playing you."
"You're saying that as if I'm the bad guy." Toph said to her, sensing her expression. "What, you think I'm gonna hurt your little boyfriend? Your Avatar boyfriend? The master of all four elements?" She snorted. "Please."
Katara tensed, her hand nearly balling up as the water nearest her began to rise.
"Katara..." Said Sokka knowingly. As he said it, Aang reached back for her wrist and held it; the water immediately ceased.
"She won't hurt me, if that's what you're worried about." Aang reassured her. "Just a little one-on-one."
"I know." Katara said. "But that's not what I'm worried about."
"Then what are you worried about?" Aang, Sokka, and Toph asked in unison.
"Um...well..." She hesitated. "I'm...worried about...if..." She looked at Toph. "She'll be able to handle me. Or the two of us at once."
Aang's eyes widened as Toph's tightened.
"Please, waterbender." Toph snorted again. "I bet I can take you on with my hands tied behind my back. Less than a minute even!"
"I'll take that bet." Katara told her boldly, stepping forward until she was at Aang's side. "No string's attached."
"Ha!" Toph laughed. "I like to see you try to beat a champion! Sticking up for your boyfriend, huh? Well, since we never really had a good one on one, I might go easy on you."
"Don't hesitate to."
Aang leaned over to Katara and whispered,"Are you sure you want to do this, Katara? Toph can be pretty rough. She might not stop until you're bleeding."
"I'll be fine." Katara said, looking braver than she felt. "In fact, I'll need no help. I'll take the challenge for you, then prove to her that I can be as tough as she is."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Let's get this show on the road!" Toph said loudly and impatiently, backing away a few feet, cracking her knuckles.
"Good luck." Aang muttered.
"Right." Katara said. "But one thing first-" She took his face in her hands and crashed her lips against his surprised ones ,briefly, before pulling away and joined Toph in the center field; determination rang in her ears.
"I don't like this idea." Said Aang.
"I do." Said Sokka as he walked up to him with a bowl of rice. Through chewing:"Howb much you bwana bet? I'd shay Toph, dough Katawa ib my wittle sister."
"No one's betting anyone anything." Said Suki as she stood next to Sokka. "It's already enough as it is."
"Suki's right." Said Aang.
The three watched intently as Katara and Toph got in their proper positions. Katara put her hair in a ponytail.
"Afraid your hair will get tied up?" Toph teased.
"At least I have hair." Katara muttered.
Toph heard, and made a furious move with her feet. Katara saw the earth rush towards her and didn't have enough time to react; she tripped and fell on her face. Laughing until she turned red, Toph got ready to make her next move, which Katara barely dodged. As she skinned her knees, Katara shot a wave of water at Toph, making it freeze on her feet. Toph broke out of it, and sent rocks to Katara's head. Katara used the ice, and the rock and ice broke into rubble on the ground.
"Has anyone told you you're a pain?" Katara nearly yelled at her, splashing water in Toph's face.
"I've been told." Toph laughed, and a boulder, halfway underground, hit Katara square in the chest, and pushed her back. Sokka yelped and ducked as Katara's body flew past him and bumped into the hardness of the house.
She'll be okay, she'll be okay. Aang thought frantically as she got up.
Katara formed a path of ice, and slid across it, as if she had an invisible surfboard, and shot icicles as Toph's head. One hit Toph on the nose and she staggered, but kept her ground.
That's it. Toph thought. No more Ms. Nice Girl.
She became the earth, her whole body turning into rock. Then, she lung herself at Katara, hurting every inch of her she could reach. Katara then knew she couldn't fight her, but she tried. Feeling hopeless, she started to give up. Aang now saw blood across Katara's forehead and her arms too, all bruised up.
"STOP!" He bellowed. Making only one move, a huge boulder hit Toph, causing her to fall down, which made her turn back into her own skin. Aang sent a swerve of air and water at Toph, and she fell back down.
"Cheater!" Toph complained. "Interference!"
Aang didn't care. He was already at Katara's side on his knees.
"EARTH. IS. SUPERIOR!" Toph yelled in victory. Suki started for her, and Toph's face fell blank at once. She knew Suki wasn't one to be messed with.
"Katara-" Aang started, touching her as lightly as possible.
"Aang, I'm fine." Said Katara, her stratchy, bloody hands touched his neck, their foreheads touching ever so slightly. "It's just a little scratch."
"No, it's not. You shouldn't have...you shouldn't have...-"
"Just please." She begged. "Take me inside so I can heal."
Aang obeyed and picked her up in his arms. "I'll do it. I'll heal you myself."
And with that, he carried her inside and headed to their room. He set her down gently on the bed, then sat down close to her, examining all of the damage. He slightly winced as his eyes searched her over.
"Am I that bad?" Katara asked in a quiet giggle.
"Well..." Aang nodded. "Yeah. No offense." He paused, then added,"You're still beautiful."
She smiled. "Really?"
"Really. Now, I'll be right back." He got up. "Don't move."
Katara nodded as he left. She counted to twenty when he returned with a bowl of water. He resumed his spot next to her, putting the bowl between them. With a wave of his hand, the water rose. He put it where the flow of the blood was heaviest, which was on the side of her head. Freezing the water for a few seconds, he then did the same thing to her arms and knees.
"Now..."Aang muttered self-consciously. He got up and went to his drawer and pulled out a few white strips that looked alot like bandages. Returning to her, he wrapped her two arms, separately, in the strips; then her left leg.
He saved her head for last. After wrapping the last strip, slightly thicker than the others, gingerly, around her head, he pulled strands of hair down where they should be, since they were already all over the place because of Toph's doing. When her hair looked just right, he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
"There." He said, quite satisfied with himself.
"Thanks." She muttered. She wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him, fully aware of her sore lips. Aang was aware of that too, and he tried to be as gentle as he possibly could as he kissed her back. They kissed for a minute before Aang pulled away and stood, pulling Katara to her feet.
"No more fights with Toph." Aang told her, his eyes wary. Katara hesitated.
"Okay." She said. "I won't fight with Toph anymore. But she started it."