Chapter 4- Questions and Confessions

The trio made it to the waiting ostrich-horses without further incident. They took stock of their supplies: Two tents, three sleeping bags, several changes of clothes in typical Earth Kingdom styles, and enough rice, jerky, and biscuits for a three week journey. Toph found an outfit similar to her old earth rumble togs. "Sweetness!" she breathed in approval. She began to remove her dress and stopped when she felt Sokka's eyes on her.

"Turn around, Meathead. You're not getting a free show!"

Sokka and Piandao turned their backs to give Toph her required privacy. "Why are you changing now? It'll be dark soon and we gotta get moving," Sokka whined.

"1- I hate wearing dresses. I only wore it to blend in better at the casino. 2- Its bad enough I'm gonna have to ride that …thing. There's no way I'd be able to do it in a dress. 3- There's only us for miles, so I have enough time to get comfortable. There, all done."

With that, the men turned around. "And seeing as how we have some time, I have a few things I need to straighten out," she said. She walked over to Sokka, cocked her right arm, and slugged him in the gut. Doubled over in pain, he gasped, "What the hell was that for?"

"That was for disappearing for two years without so much as a letter or a smoke signal to let your friends, your family know you were even alive! Do you have any idea what your sister and father have been through? I know for a fact you sliced off Commander Han's ugly noggin in Gaoling. Didn't it cross your mind to stop by and give your old buddy Toph a 'Hey, what's up' between beheadings?"

Sokka recovered partially and straightened up. He looked at his friend, and was shocked to see tears streaming down her face. "Toph, I'm sorry. When Suki died, something died inside of me as well. I didn't want to feel anything anymore. I guess I never reached out because I was ashamed of what I had become."

"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said, Sokka. And I've heard you say some really stupid shit," Toph deadpanned.

She then turned on her heel and marched to the waiting ostrich-horse. "Well, let's get going. Swordmaster's not getting any younger."

As they began to mount, Piandao whispered to Sokka, "I think it best I lead Miss Beifong's horse." "Yeah, probably so," Sokka sighed.

They had ridden quietly for several miles when Toph broke the silence. "So, Master Piandao…where, exactly, are we going?"

"To the coast," he answered. "The Earth Kingdom won't be safe for you until certain…arrangements are completed, which may take several months. We'll meet a freighter at the coast which will take us to the Fire Nation, to my home. Unless, of course you change your mind and decide you want to marry. In that case we'll take you to your home."

"Not a chance, Swordmaster. No way am I gonna marry Dufus Moneybags."

"I thought as much. A marriage at this time does not lie along your path."

"Hmm, Uncle Iroh said something about finding my path when he gave me this," she said indicating the lotus tile on her neck. "He invited me to join the Order, didn't he?"

"He did," Piandao confirmed. "He's quite fond of you, and cares for you as he would his own child."

"Yeah, I like that tea-loving old sap a lot, myself," she chuckled. Her demeanor then took a more serious tone. "You said something about certain, arrangements. I don't want Moneybags killed, I just don't want to marry him."

Piandao chuckled softly. "No, Toph, nothing that drastic will happen to your betrothed. The Order's influence is far and deep. Especially in banking and the financial markets. Let's just say that a series of financial setbacks will make 'Moneybags' an unsuitable husband in your father's opinion. He'll break off the arrangement, and by then you'll be of age and your father will be unable to force you into marriage."

"The Order can do all that," she mused. She then spit in her right hand and thrust it toward the master swordsman. Bemused, he took it with some reservation. "Suh-weet," she grinned as she shook the older gentleman's hand. "Count me in!"

…..

The trio set up camp in an open clearing a few score of yards off the main trail. After a quiet meal, Toph announced in her signature sarcasm, "As stimulating as this conversation is, I'm going to bed," and disappeared under her rock tent.

Piandao took a sidelong glance at Sokka. "She cares deeply for you, you know," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, that's why she punched me in the gut," Sokka deadpanned.

"Go to her. You need to talk. Just the two of you."

"Master, I don't believe you've ever woken Toph up before. I have. It's never pretty. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly her favorite person right now. Besides, I just ate. Another gut punch like the one I took earlier and that supper will be all over this camp."

"Sokka," the Master's impatience showing in his voice, "Stop. Listen. She's sobbing. Reach out to her. Show her you care for her as much as she does you. Your destinies are tied together."

Sokka was incredulous. "What's that supposed to mean? You expect me to believe that the White Lotus teaches you some mumbo-jumbo that lets you see the future?"

"No, not at all," Piandao began. "One of the things you'll discover playing Pai Sho is how to see possibilities. How, while the move a single tile may seem insignificant, it can change the entire character of the game so that you can only win, or make it impossible to win. The same is true in life. You'll begin to see how a decision you make now will make it possible, or impossible to obtain harmony and balance in yours, or another's life. This is what I see: Yours and Toph's personal balance and harmony depend upon your friendship. In her way, she gave you an opening today. The next move is yours. Take it before the opportunity slips away."

Sokka nodded in agreement, or perhaps defeat. He walked over to Toph's earth-tent. He heard her sobs as he approached. "Toph," he called out gently, "It's me, Sokka."

"I know who it is, dumbass. Go away, I'm trying to sleep."

"Toph, I heard you crying in there. Please, let's take a walk and talk. I can't stand seeing you this way."

"All right, if it will make you feel better. But I swear to Oma and Shu if you say anything stupid I'll…"

"Rockbend my skinny ass all the way to Ba Sing Se," he said, finishing her sentence.

"There might be hope for you yet," she grumbled. "Let's go. Swordmaster doesn't need to hear this."

They walked in silence for about five minutes, stopping at edge of small pond.

She started, "For what it's worth, I'm glad it was you that came and got me. I was afraid I'd never see you again…figure of speech. I was afraid you didn't want to see me. I don't hate you Sokka. I was just so scared I'd lost you. That there's nothing left of Sokka and all that was left was this Blue Wolf character in a Sokka suit. "

"Is it true, Sokka?"

"Is what true?"

"What you said earlier, about not wanting to feel anymore. That Suki took that part of you with her, that you had nothing left for anyone else. That's not the Sokka that was my best friend, my partner in crime. That's not the Sokka I loved."

"Toph, it's not true. I figured that out today. I didn't know until I saw you this morning that you were who we came to rescue. I now know why Piandao didn't tell me. I was afraid that I'd lose anyone I cared about. So I was afraid to care, then I stopped caring. I convinced myself that I was protecting them by keeping my distance. Then I saw you, all grown up, and womanly, and beautiful, and Toph. It woke up something inside me. I wanted to care for you. I wanted to protect you. I wanted my friend, and I wasn't thinking about the bad things that might happen."

She took his hand in hers. "You're not lying." She said quietly.

"Nope."

She dropped his hand, and punched him in the arm. "Don't ever lose yourself like that again."

"I won't. Does this mean we're OK?"

"What do you think, Idiot?" as she punched his arm again.

"I guess so."

"Yep. Well that was emotionally traumatic. I really am ready to go to sleep now," she said.

They walked back to camp in silence. They found Master Piandao already in his sleeping bag in quiet repose.

"Night, Toph."

"G'night Snoozles."