Many, many apologies for the long delay! Life got in the way *sigh* and I only got around to typing this up a few days ago. I hope you all enjoy it! :) Oh, and thank you, thank you for all the favs and alerts and reviews! They made me happy when not much else did! XD

Now on with the next chapter! Please let me know what you think! ;)

Chap 6- The Cave

Tiny drops of rain hit Toph's face and arms. Gently at first, but the faster Aang flew, the harder the rain assaulted her skin. And he was flying freakin' fast now. As much as she yelled for him to stop, he didn't listen! He was determined to catch those stupid rainbows he kept hallucinating.

Even flying on Appa bareback wasn't this frightening; he at least had tons of fur to grab a hold of. All she had at the moment was a scrawny airbender keeping her from falling earth only knew how far down, which is why she clung to him for dear life! Her face was buried into his shoulder, her arms were secured around his neck, her legs around his waist, and if that wasn't bad enough, the thunder drowned out her screams. Toph was certain lighting would strike them down soon enough, too. Crazy monk was going to get them both killed, she had to do something.

"Look, Twinkletoes, the rainbows went down there!" she yelled into his ear, hoping that her voice was loud enough for him to hear and that in his compromised state he would believe her.

"Where?" he asked, "By those trees?"

Land! Thank the spirits! Toph was afraid Aang had flown them right off the Fire Nation somewhere over the ocean; the smell of sea air was so strong and the air currents were starting to get violent.

"Yeah, right by the trees! Right down there!"

"They're not getting away that easy!" Aang laughed his melodious laugh and started descending at such a high velocity, Toph couldn't help but scream at him to slow down.

He didn't, of course, and as they went down, she's not sure if he lost control or the winds were too strong or what, but they hit something that sent Toph one way and Aang another.

...

Suki watched her boyfriend eat with a mixture of awe and disgust. "Sokka, I think it's time we leave the kitchens. We've been here for hours! Besides, I really want to take a bath."

"Yeah, okay, okay." He shoved one last spoonful of his slice of Fire Cake into his mouth before rubbing his very full belly. "Ah, those were some tasty treats, am I right?"

Suki shook her head. "I didn't eat anything."

Sokka shrugged, she sure missed out. "Okay, I'm ready now."

Relieved that he was following her willingly and she wouldn't have to drag him out kicking and screaming, Suki thanked Kyoshi.

"Wait! Just let me get one last handful of fireflakes."

"Sokka! You're going to make yourself sick eating so much!" Suki insisted.

"What?" He looked slightly appalled at his girlfriend, "It's like you don't know me at all!"

...

For a moment Toph had no idea what had happened. Then all too quickly it came back to her. She groaned as she sat up.

Stupid Avatar.

"Twinkles!" she growled as she stood. The side of her leg hurt and when she reached down to touch it, it stung. She had scrapes along her right arm, too. She must have hurt herself as she skidded off after they crashed landed. But the stinging pain wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was she couldn't sense Aang anywhere.

"Twinkletoes!" she yelled again.

Even though it hurt to do, she stomped on the ground furiously and focused desperately on the vibrations branching out as she tried to find him. It was still raining and that wasn't helping at all, but she wasn't giving up.

"Aang!" she yelled. Fear began to lace its cold fingers around her heart, but she shook it off. "Get over here so I can kick your butt!"

Every step she took she reached out as far as she could with her earthbending, but she didn't recognize any of the landscape she continued to discover. The only thing that prevented her from worrying was she knew the Fire Nation was made up of many tiny islands and they probably landed in one she'd never been on before. It was a small comfort.

"C'mon, Twinkletoes, where are you?" Toph whispered. Her feelings of anger were long forgotten and all she wanted was to find her friend.

She walked on trying to look for him. Then, she heard something and stopped to listen intently. Through the constant pitter patter of rain, she was sure she heard someone splashing water, though it could have just as easily been the heavy rain.

"Twinkletoes!?" she yelled anyway and ran towards the sound.

"Hey, Sifu Toph!"

Relief washed over her. "Where on earth are you?" she called out.

"Just going for a swim. I thought I saw a lion turtle...but I was wrong."

"Get your butt over here!"

There was a small, not quite graceful thud and he was standing next to her. He was usually so light, it was hard for her to hear him, so he must be really messed up. And, how could he 'go for a swim' while it was raining? He could've been hurt. She was so scared that he had been, it was hard not to wrap her arms around him now to make sure he was okay.

In his intoxicated state, he didn't think twice about the hug she gave him.

"By the way, did we get them?"

She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Oh, yeah, we got them," Toph humored him. "They're over there. I'll take you right to 'em."

Leading him to a small cave she found while trying to locate Aang earlier, the tired and bruised earthbender limped through the sand and rain. Her plan was to keep him in there until he was himself again. Plus, her leg and arm were starting to throb painfully and it was getting colder by the second.

Once they were in the cave, she sealed most of the entrance leaving only a handful of small openings to allow air in.

"I don't see them," Aang complained. "Actually, I can't see much of anything."

He must have firebended a small flame because the cave started to warm up.

"Hey! There aren't any rainbows in here. Let's go back outside."

"Sure, but first gimme your hand."

He complied without question and she secured her meteorite bracelet around his wrist.

"Hey!"

Then, she bended the rest of it around her own. There. Now, he couldn't do anymore stupid things to endanger either of their lives. Her right leg and arm were really hurting and she sat down, pulling him down, too.

"Uh...I don't get it."

"You need to sleep this off. So sleep!"

"But I don't wanna sleep," he whined. "The world looks so beautiful! I want to see everything!"

Well, I can't see anything, she thought with a sigh. Toph felt so tired all of a sudden, so she didn't hit him like she knew he deserved. Nah, she was never to tired to punch him, so she did.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Cactus juice," she explained, "You drank it. Even though I told you not to drink anything! And then you flew us here through the rain and lighting and thunder and I don't even know where here is! I can't sense anything but sand and rocks! There's no one else on this stinkin' island! And all because you were following some stupid rainbows!"

Aang was quiet for a while.

"But rainbows aren't stupid, Toph..." When she growled, he smiled at her. "Heh. You sound like a platypus bear. Or, maybe like Bosco. I still can't believe he's just a bear bear. That's so strange, don't you think?" He didn't give her a chance to reply, not that Toph cared to. Aang continued talking, "What other kinds of bears are there? Let's see..." He spent the next few minutes trying to come up with all the different types he knew and Toph leaned down to rest until he spoke to her again. "Can we go outside now, please? Maybe we'll find a friendly bear we can play with." He tugged her good arm. "Come on, Toph, I won't chase anymore rainbows. Avatar Promise."

"No."

"Please, Toph! Please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeaase!"

Toph was pretty sure she was going to kill him before the rain stopped outside.

...

Zuko paced his study. There were times (like now!) when he wondered if he made the right choice in offering a young earthbender refuge in his home. Sure he'd come to enjoy (and even look forward to) Fight Night and he liked having Toph there, he could always count on her not to mince words and tell him like it was. She reminded him a little of his uncle. She was very wise, though his Uncle Iroh would never call him a Hotheaded Noodlebrain when trying to get a point across. And even though she had a tendency to return late to the palace, she always came back no matter the hour. She and Aang had been away the whole night! Still, he was certain she'd make sure someone of such high reverence as the Avatar came back safely.

Oh, who was he kidding? Toph did whatever she wanted, when she wanted, with whoever she wanted. He just wished they were back already. Especially since there was a group of Fire Nation nobles wanting a word with Aang.

The knock at the door startled him and Zuko tried to come up with another excuse to stall for more time.

"Come in."

Fortunately, it was only Sokka. The Water Tribe warrior stepped inside and Suki followed.

"Hear anything yet?"

"No," Zuko stopped pacing. "No one's seen or heard from Toph or Aang since yesterday. That tavern she frequents, they claim she hasn't been there since the day before you all arrived."

"What could they be doing?" Suki asked.

"Knowing them?" Sokka replied, "Either having a blast or creating one with their bending."

Zuko massaged the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," he groaned.

...

Toph's sleep was not a tranquil one, she tossed and turned often. And, she felt hot and cold by turns. For some reason she couldn't explain, she knew she was dreaming, but could not wake up.

It was silent all around and Toph was running. Her legs burned from exhaustion, but she kept moving. She heard something coming up from behind and tried to earthbend herself away, but she couldn't. Then, her legs stopped responding altogether to her command and she was stuck in place. Whatever that noise was she heard before sounded again.

"Stop!" she ordered.

She felt something slither around her. She couldn't make sense of what it could be.

Then, she heard someone move closer and that same someone laughed.

Another shift in the space near her and she sensed him.

She knew his graceful movements.

She knew his buoyantly light footsteps.

She knew his contagious, cheerful laughter.

He was lovely.

"Aang, stop!" she yelled, "Don't come any closer!"

But he only laughed again.

The slithering around her legs continued, slowly moving up to her waist, keeping her rooted to the spot. Still, she did not know what held her. When she least expected, Aang was standing right in front of her.

The pleasant moment was all too brief and his laughter soon faded. Toph knew why. It still hid from her but whatever kept her in place now slithered surrounded Aang as well.

They were suffocating.

Aang reached for her hand and she took it. There was nothing they couldn't defeat together.

"Remember when I said, 'we'll meet again'?"

Toph froze, a cold chill shooting down her spine. It was a creepy voice that made her shudder.

"It is time, Avatar."

She did not know that voice. That eerie, horrible voice. However, Aang seemed to.

"Twinkletoes…?" Toph whispered, her hold on his hand tightened. Fear, like nothing she'd ever experienced before tangled with his own dread.

She tried to think of a way out, but in the blink of an eye, the landscape shifted and she was suddenly standing knee deep in water and there was a peculiar smell to the land nearby. She could sense it clearly. Relief washed over her, they would be fine.

Sensing the change as well, Aang laughed again. She squeezed his hand. He would never let go, she heard him promise, but his words didn't matter. Not here.

An uncomfortable, troubling feeling she could not stop enveloped her. The slithering tightened its grip around her and she was ripped from his grasp.

"No!" She could hear Aang scream after her, "No..."

But it was too late. Toph was stolen away, leaving him behind, alone.

"It was inevitable," the creepy voice explained.

When she looked towards the voice, she felt pain, sharp, excruciating pain.

...

Toph screamed and sat up. She was drenched in a cold sweat. Her breathing came rapidly and she dug her hands and feet into the ground beneath her to steady herself.

"Toph!" Aang jumped up as well. "Wow, you screamed really loud," he said, "It was so quiet. I think I was sleeping..."

He lit the room and watched as Toph took quick, uneven breaths.

"What happened? Something bite you?"

It was obvious he didn't have a clear head yet. She didn't know if she was relieved because of it (he probably wouldn't even remember this happened) or not (the dream felt so real, she almost wanted to tell him about it).

"Yeah, something bit me," she lied, wiping away the sweat on her brow with the back of her hand.

"Animal bites hurt," he agreed, nodding, "Once, at the Eastern Air Temple..."

He continued with his tale, but Toph wasn't paying attention. She couldn't if she had wanted to. She was too busy trying to shake away the dread her dream left her reeling from. The sounds, the feelings, that thing, it was all so clear in her mind... She shuddered.

...

Apparently, Aang talked himself to sleep once more and after snoring lightly for a few hours, finally stirred awake. Toph, unable to rest after that nightmare, simply sat there listening to the fading rain outside and trying to map out the island in her mind's eye.

"Come on," Toph said suddenly, standing. She pulled a groggy Aang up with her, which was easy since her meteorite bracelet was secured around both their wrists.

"Whoa! Slow down, Toph!"

There was no way she, Toph Bei Fong, the World's Greatest Earthbender, only Metalbender, badass Sandbender, was letting a stupid little dream rattle her. "Time to get outta here."

"Yay!" Aang cheered. "Maybe we can get something to eat, I'm starving!"

After she stepped out of the cave, she turned to him.

"I take it you're feeling better?"

"Yeah," he chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "About that..."

"I don't wanna talk about it," she snapped and punched his arm. When it fell to her side again, he noticed the scrapes along her shoulder and forearm.

"What happened? To your arm, I mean." His eyes scanned the rest of her and he caught sight of her injured leg. "And your leg? That looks pretty bad."

She crossed her arms over her chest and even though it stung a little, she didn't let it show.

"You happened." His heartbeat spiked. "We crash-landed, or don't you remember?"

He took a minute before replying.

"Sort of, not really. How long have we been here, anyway?" He stepped out of the cave after her. Grey clouds littered the sky and the sun was just above them when he looked up. They left the palace after a late lunch, so...

Toph told him what happened. She didn't say she was scared out of her mind while they flew over the ocean and she didn't tell him how frightened she was when she couldn't sense him anywhere when they first landed on the island. And, of course she didn't say anything about her stupid dream, but everything else he now knew. She finished by adding, "And because of all that, you owe me, Twinkletoes."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Tell you what? First, I'll fly us off this island and then-"

"Oh, no! I'm not flying anywhere with you! Besides, you don't even have your glider!"

Looking around, he wondered where his glider could have ended up. "Hmmm, well, I can still get us off this island."

"Yeah? How?" she challenged.

"I can see the Fire Nation port from here, so we're not too far."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting us over there?"

"On an ice-"

"Stop right there, Twinkletoes! I'd rather strap two sea turtles together to hitch a ride off this island before I walk on ice again."

Aang made a face. "What's a...sea turtle?" When she didn't reply, he asked, "Did you mean a lion turtle because I don't think-"

"No, you dunderhead! Now come up with a better plan! Or we'll be growing old on this stinkin' island." She plopped down on the sand, crossing both her arms and legs.

He must have misunderstood what she said. Years later he would still wonder what made him say what he said next. Sometimes he was sure the cactus juice wasn't completely out of his system.

"You saying you want to grow old with me, Toph?"

"WHAT!?" A soft pink colored her cheeks despite herself. "That is not what I meant!"

Aang's smile grew. He wasn't expecting her to react like she did. Making Toph lose her cool exterior was fun, he decided, though probably not the smartest thing he could do.

"That's what it sounded like to me. Not that I can blame you," he added, grinning and trying his hardest to keep from laughing at the horrified expression on her face, "I am the Avatar."

"Avatar this! You crazy, bald monk!" She sent a violent hail of sand his way. Aang finally laughed out loud as he airbended himself out of the way. "Get back here!" Toph growled, but there was no way he was going back until she calmed down. In the meantime, he jumped from treetop to treetop, careful to avoid the sand and rock attacks Toph kept sending up into the sky.

Anyone catch the PoTC reference? I always thought Toph and Jack would be the awesomest of friends! ;)