AN: For anyone still reading, THANK YOU! I know it's taken me a while to get this story going again but I really appreciate you sticking with me and for taking the time to review and fave and follow! You rock! \o/

Ch 23- Brightest in the Dark

Leaving Omashu was a much better experience for both Aang and Toph than their arrival had been. Not only were they on speaking terms again, they completed their mission (well, Aang had); acquiring the bells plus miles and miles of silk Suki wanted. Everything was shipped to the South Pole because there was no way the Avatar was making his sky bison carry the heavy load all over the Earth Kingdom. King Bumi insisted on covering the shipping charges himself, even after Toph told him it wasn't necessary. The old king also took it upon himself to send along a huge crate of rock candy in every color and flavor, the majority purple of course.

Aang waved goodbye to his oldest friend, who waved back with as much enthusiasm. Then with little effort, Appa ascended into the sky.

"So where to now?" Aang asked, comfortably atop Appa's head.

"You asking the blind girl for directions?" Toph answered, laughing at him.

"Well, why not?" he smiled sheepishly. "I mean, we have more than enough time to get all the things we need, so maybe we can take mini vacations?"

"After only our first stop, you need a vacation already?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. Though he knew she was only teasing, it had been kind of a rough trip so far. Not only because of their constant fighting, but the wedding stuff was sort of a hassle. The bells had been easy, sure. There was only one kind, but the silk? Aang had never seen so many shades of green in one place. Suki had said a soft-pale-but-not-dull green. He even asked the merchant for that specifically. The lady had looked at him like he was an idiot.

"How'd you get roped into doing all this again?" Toph asked him while getting comfortable and laying back, hands behind her head.

"I didn't. I offered."

"What?" she sputtered and sat up, leaning against the edge of the saddle. She had her arms looped through it for added security. "Why?"

"Because I'm the Best Man."

"Best man?" Toph snorted, then laughed out loud. "If you say so, Twinkles."

Though he gave her an irritated glare she couldn't see, he tried not to let on he was smiling. "Gee, thanks, Toph," he muttered, though it felt good to talk and laugh like they always had. "You know what?" Aang jumped into the saddle to shove something into her hands. "Here. Pick a place."

"A map? You're giving me a map? Really?"

"Last time you asked how long you had to work here before you qualified for vacation time. Well, this time you get to pick first."

Shaking her head at his silliness, Toph ran her fingers over the smooth scroll. The edges kept trying to roll in on themselves.

"Momo, c'mere."

The lemur scurried over. Toph pointed at a random spot on the map.

"What's this place?" she asked, looking like she expected some sort of answer.

"You know he can't read, right?" Aang chuckled, bending himself back onto Appa's head again.

"My point exactly," she grinned, that time letting the map curl in on itself. As quietly (and quickly) as she could manage on a flying bison, Toph crawled over and swatted the back of Aang's head with the rolled up map.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"What was what for?" she countered, her expression the definition of innocence.

Aang rubbed the back of his head, gray eyes narrowed in her direction. There was no amusement on his face that time. As he continued glaring at her, an idea popped into his head. The perfect way to wipe that irritating grin off her face...

They were flying over the mountain range outside Omashu. Without another word, Aang tugged on Appa's reins and Toph's world was turned upside down. Literally.

"Hey! What's going on!?" she screeched, tumbling and reaching for the saddle just in time to hook her fingers through the openings on the side.

...

"Come on, Sokka, try it! Tell me what you think."

Mentally preparing himself, the Water Tribe warrior picked up the spoon, dipped it in the seaweed noodle stew Suki had made for lunch, and prayed he could keep it down. The last meal she tried to make without Gran-Gran's help had Sokka's otherwise strong stomach, sick for a week. In her defense, she kind of forgot that ocean kumquat had to be stewed longer than sea prunes.

Sokka's hand trembled as it carried the spoon past his lips. The warm liquid filled his mouth and the mix of unexpected flavors exploded on his tongue. Smiling in relief, he mumbled a 'this is tasty' as he shoveled the rest of the stew as fast as possible. After asking for seconds, the conversation turned to a certain plan he had only come up with the other day.

"Hmm...I think you're on to something," Suki replied as she served him more. "It would make it easier for Toph to move around while she's here."

"I thought so too. I'll tell dad and the others after lunch."

...

Toph held on to the side of the saddle with all her might. Her feet dangled freely and fear shot through her when she felt her grip slipping. All she could do was imagine falling blindly into the nothingness of air, dropping until she plummeted to her death somewhere below because she had no idea where they were.

Barely containing his muffled laughter, Aang flipped them over soon enough so that the sky was above their heads once more and Toph had the insufficient security of the saddle to sit on again. The teasing words on the tip of his tongue died there when he looked over at her. Toph's face was deathly pale and instantly his laughter faded away.

"Aang, get me down."

Head lowered, she had whispered the request, but he felt as though she had screamed it in his ear. Appa's descent began immediately.

Not waiting for the bison's six feet to touch down, Toph jumped off. She knelt on the ground, her hands buried into the dirt as she tried to take some comfort from the vibrations she could sense around her.

Aang felt horrible. Why would he think it would be funny to do that to her?

"Toph, I'm sorry! I didn't think-"

"Shut it, Twinkletoes," she snapped, holding one hand up. His actions had taken her completely by surprise. Had she not thought she was going to die in that brief moment, she might have congratulated him on his ingenuity. "I can take as much as I dish out," she assured him. "Just wasn't expecting that."

To his surprise, she didn't try to retaliate, she simply stood after a few moments and dusted herself off. Wary, he followed behind her aimless direction.

"Don't worry, though, I'll get you back...eventually." The evil little smile that appeared on her face made him gulp. "Right now, let's walk for a bit," she suggested, not letting on how rattled she'd been or how shaky her legs still felt.

"I wouldn't have let anything happen to you," Aang promised, walking next to her. And he wouldn't have. "No, really," he added when he saw the disbelief cross her features. "I would have jumped after you if you fell off."

"Yeah, I bet," she snorted, some of the natural color returning to her face. Knowing she really was okay, Aang could breathe easy once more. "Like you could even carry anyone who wasn't Momo's size," she added snidely.

Toph was teasing him, calling him weak again. Aang just needed to show her how wrong she was.

"Well, since you and Momo are pretty much the same size, it wouldn't have been a problem."

Toph paused misstep and faced his direction. One corner of her mouth curled up.

"There's hope for you yet, Twinkletoes."

When she laughed, Aang laughed with her.

They walked a little more, she plotting revenge, he about to dig himself into a deeper hole. It was becoming obvious Aang did not care if he lived past the day or not because he did something rather unexpected yet again. That time by sweeping Toph off her feet, in the most literal sense of the word.

"Put me down, you dunderhead!" she cried, too surprised by his actions to hit him.

"Not until you admit I can carry you!" he laughed, running around the mountain top at full speed, Toph cradled in his arms bridal style.

Bored by their antics, Appa laid on the ground and closed his eyes. They'd wake him up when they were ready to go. Momo followed the bison's lead and decided for a nap as well.

Toph ordered Aang to stop, but he didn't. He was having too much fun. Besides, if he was completely honest with himself, he kind of liked having her at his mercy (and rather close to him) so he kept right on running.

It wasn't as bad as flying, that much she would admit. And there might have been something comforting about being pressed against a muscular chest... For a flighty airhead, Aang felt sturdy and strong. Suddenly, Toph's stomach was doing funny things and it wasn't just the nausea.

"If you don't stop, I'm gonna be sick," she muttered into his shoulder.

That got his attention. And when he put her down, Aang was rewarded with a swift punch to his bicep.

"You deserve that and more," she growled and he supposed she was right since he kept her from her precious earth just now and dangled her in the air not too long ago. If anything, he was getting off lucky.

Toph sat where she stood and let her stomach settle down.

"So, where to?" he asked, tugging on the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun.

"Quit it."

Aang was grinning unabashedly. "Make me," came his smug reply, knowing he could easily outrun her. And with his glider at his disposal he could simply take off and that would be the end of that.

Twinkletoes was getting far too brave, Toph thought, knowing she had to remedy that. Still sitting, she punched the ground and sent him flying into the air with a surprised yelp. Before she could continue paying him back, she felt those old familiar vibrations. Toph stopped breathing, frozen on the spot.

"What is this place?"

Aang, landing gently a few feet away, could hear the wonder in her voice.

"I can feel them!" she whispered in awe.

Looking around at the mountain top and not seeing anything but dirt, grass, and trees, Aang asked, "Feel who?"

Toph jumped onto her feet. "I know what I want my mini vacation to be," she said, looking happier than she had in a long time. "You up for it?"

There was something in her expression that told him he shouldn't agree, but Aang was still feeling guilty over his earlier decision to have Appa fly in a loop and scare her way more than he intended, so he felt like he pretty much had to along with whatever she wanted. "Okay. What is it?"

"Sweet! Let's go!"

...

Zuko couldn't make a reply. Words simply failed him at the moment.

"I'm sure you won't even notice I'm gone," Katara said, trying to laugh it off.

How could he not notice her absence for three long months!? "Probably," he replied, forcing a weak laugh.

Katara wanted to be insulted. But something told her she had no grounds for it. So what if they had been working together everyday, having dinner almost nightly, running into each other throughout the palace. They were friends. Friends had dinner. She and Aang had dinner together all the time in the Earth Kingdom. And, Zuko had told her he and Toph ate together often enough, so it wasn't all that special an occurrence. But, something in the back of her head told her this was different.

"You probably need a break from me anyway," Katara smiled not trying to be self-effacing at all, but knowing they fought often enough, neither relenting until they got their point across. Yue knew Katara sure needed a break from him, especially when she kept thinking she was really going to miss him.

"When do you leave?"

"In a week."

"So soon."

It wasn't a question. Rather he seemed to be talking to himself.

The silence stretched on and both continued to avoid the others' gaze.

Without much more to say, Katara wished him a good night and excused herself. She left his study feeling oddly disappointed.

...

Toph said it would be fun. Aang wouldn't have called it fun at all. Frightening was more like it. Terrifying was another apt description.

His eyes were shut tight, which wasn't necessary since it was pitch black, and though he had excellent balance, trying to stay upright at the moment was proving difficult.

The airbender didn't want to panic, he absolutely didn't, but he was. How could he not? They were in the mountain. Actually inside the mountain. Not walking along a path, not climbing it or flying over it, but stuck in the middle somewhere.

"Still scared?" Toph asked, incredulously, as if he had no right to be.

"No, I'm-"

"Yeah, you're scared," she finished for him, her tone on the brink of laughter. "How's this for payback, Twinkletoes?"

Giving up all pretenses, Aang defended himself. "I didn't know where you were, Toph! I couldn't see anything or feel anything that wasn't rock."

When Toph earthbended herself into the ground, Aang did the same, not thinking things through. That was his first mistake. As he earthbended himself after her, the air and sky vanished above him and eventually, he was in complete darkness. When he firebended a small flame in his palm to see better, he realized he was surrounded by earth at every turn. He couldn't see beyond the wall of earth that encased him and he could practically feel the air running out. He didn't mean to panic, but he had.

Toph spun in front of him to jab her index finger into his chest. "You don't need to!" Came her quick reply. "I taught you how to see and move without relying on any of that!"

"Yeah but I felt like...like I couldn't breathe. Like I was running out of air," he admitted, embarrassed.

Without any hint of pity, she snorted. "Serves you right for forgetting all I taught you."

He blinked at the nothingness before him. "Thanks, Toph," he deadpanned, "I feel so much better now."

"Quit your whining! We can drop you off here if you like?" she offered. Because she wanted to enjoy the moment and if he wasn't having fun, she wasn't going to be able to either.

"No, it's okay, I'm okay," he assured her. He was kind of curious to see where they ended up. After all, he had never traveled like this before.

Only moments before, Aang had let the small fire burn out when the narrow space grew too warm. All he wanted to do was burst out of there! The air was all practically gone and everything was so dark, he was a second away from panicking into the Avatar State when he felt her hand.

"Relax," Toph had whispered. "You'll scare them away."

"Scare who?"

"Just trust me."

And that was his second mistake because the next thing he knew, he and Toph were riding on the back of a badgermole. Somehow Aang let her convince him to ride bareback atop a blind badgermole making its way through the pitch black mountain where they could crash into something he wouldn't be able to see and the while he was forbidden from firebending lest he accidentally burn his ride.

"I mastered firebending like three years ago," he reminded her with a sullen whisper, but it made no difference to anyone except him, so he sat behind Toph, holding onto nothing, and tried not to fall off. They were being flanked by two other badgermoles on either side, which only served to put him further on edge because if he fell off, one of those two would probably crush him.

When the badgermole they rode made a sharp turn, Aang reached forward and latched on to the only other thing there with him: Toph. He grabbed her left elbow and her right arm.

"Sorry," he said, but didn't let go.

"Here," she told him, moving his hands to her waist, which Toph thought would be less awkward, but she was very wrong. Luckily, it was too dark for him to witness her reaction.

"I ride Appa with you all the time! You're telling me you can't ride Bruiser this once?"

"Bruiser?"

"Yup!"

"And he's Champ over there. And on the right, that's Tank."

Aang could practically see her toothy smile. When he sighed, his breath tickled the back of her neck. Toph's posture grew rigid and she became even more aware of how close he was to her.

"But Appa has a saddle," Aang pointed out. And then a thought suddenly occurred to him as he was riding a badgermole in the dark without any idea where it was heading, blind in every sense.

"Is this what you feel like on Appa?"

"No, if I could see this much, I'd fly more."

"You can see right now?"

"Not as clearly as I can when I have my own feet on the ground, obviously but, I can pick up on some of Bruiser's vibrations. She's not moving too fast, so it makes it easier."

"Wow, really?" The awe was clear in his voice. Here inside an unknown, huge mountain surrounded by darkness, when everyone else including himself would be scared beyond reason, Toph was completely at ease befriending animals she had never met before. "You're amazing, you know that?" he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Aang?" If she was blushing before, it was nothing compared to now. "What are you doing?"

"I was hugging you," he replied, letting go.

"...Why?"

"Because you could have come to visit the badgermoles by yourself, but you let me tag along. Because even though I panicked, you reminded me there was no reason to. Because you show me you trust me every time you ride Appa. And because—"

"Forget I asked," she cut him off, trying to hide her smile from him even though it was too dark for him to see anything.

Wolfbats flew overhead without incident and they rode on in silence for a while. They were in a huge opening of some kind and Toph wondered if it was nature-made or badgermole-made. Then, the smell in the air changed when they entered a different chamber.

Bruiser and the others stopped suddenly.

"I think she wants us to get off."

"No duh, but why here?" Toph frowned. They hadn't traveled very far. Not in her opinion anyway.

Once they were off, Bruiser nudged Toph's hand and was rewarded with a few gentle caresses. Tank sniffed Aang's head and grunted its displeasure.

"I don't think this one's warmed up to me yet."

Champ, the youngest one, licked both of their faces.

"Thanks for the ride," Toph told them.

"Yeah, it was fun," Aang added, wiping his face dry with his sleeve.

All three badgermoles turned to go and were soon out of the chamber.

Walking forward to the edge of a platform, Toph couldn't make out their location. She knew they were near the base of the mountain and could sense some stairs, statues, and designs along the wall of whatever huge enclosure they were in, but couldn't make out what it was. It seemed like a tomb.

"Any idea where we are?"

"Is it okay if I firebend now?" Aang asked, lighting up the area.

Toph figured it didn't matter where they were. If Bruiser and the others earthbended their way there, she and Aang could just as easily earthbend their way out.

"Let's race outta here!" she said. "Last one back to Appa and Momo buys dinner."

"Hold on," Aang stopped her, looking around and recognizing the place. "I've been here before."

"Say what now?"

"Yeah, I was here with Katara." For some reason he felt the need to add, "And Sokka and Chong and the other nomads." It wasn't exactly a lie since they all entered the cave together... "We're in a tomb," he explained. "Have you heard the story of how the City of Omashu got its name?"

...

"Are you sure this is necessary, son? We still haven't finished with the other structures you came up with."

Sokka looked at his dad.

"I know it's a little extra work, but I'm sure Toph will appreciate it."

"She's the little one who likes to hit people, right?" Hakoda asked and Sokka nodded. "Very well. If your friends will find it useful, let's get started."

...

"I think the badgemoles wanted you to see this, Toph."

"Ha. Ha."

"No, I'm serious. Look," Aang took her hand and led her down to the tombs that told of Oma and Shu's story. Pictures and words were engraved into the stone along the side. Toph traced an image with her fingertips.

"That's a mountain," Aang explained. "Do you want me to tell you the story?"

She was about to refuse, he could see it in her eyes. "I don't mind," he assured her. "Besides, what would Bruiser say if you didn't learn it?" The gentle squeeze he gave her hand only reassured her further.

"Tell me," she nodded, turning her face up to his. The fire burning in his other hand cast dark shadows along the smooth skin of her cheeks, over her eyes hidden by her bangs and the slight frown pulling on her lips.

She hated relying on anyone, he knew. She hated appearing weak. He understood that too.

Aang closed the palm of his hand and the flame ceased burning.

"What happened?"

She must have felt the heat of the fire disappear. Aang smiled at her in the dark. He wanted to see the story like only she could, so he removed his shoes and socks, then took her hands to place them on the first picture.

Aang closed his eyes as he stood behind her. The vibrations their heartbeats created reached the ground they stood on, then out in waves across the Lovers' tomb. He could see Toph in front of him, trying to figure out what the image meant. His fingers ran over the words while hers focused the engraved pictures.

"Do you know what these say?" he asked, guiding her hands to the words carved into the stone.

"Some," she answered honestly. Not enough, was left unsaid. The fact she had been trying to learn didn't surprise him.

"They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages," Aang began. "The villages were enemies, so they could not be together. But their love was strong and they found a way." Aang led Toph's hands to the next image. "The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles...they became the first earthbenders."

Impressed, Toph was smiling now. "Sweet."

"They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly."

"Nice."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth." Aang leaned over her shoulder. He was going to ask her if she'd heard the Secret Tunnel song, but they reached the next image. It was of the couple kissing.

"Are they...?"

"Uh-huh."

Aang was still standing behind Toph as they moved to the picture, their hands traveling in unison. Hers settled on the images first, but his soon joined hers. Their fingers brushed in passing, grazing the other's along the way, lingering on warm skin, a stark contrast to the cool stone.

"What happens next?" Toph asked, her voice a soft whisper.

Aang swallowed, very aware of how close they were to each other. Her back was only inches from his chest, but their arms and hands were in constant contact. The heat of her skin was making him feel dizzy and he found he couldn't immediately answer. Maybe it was a good thing he had been there with Katara once before because it made retelling the story much easier. At the rate he kept getting distracted, he would've found doing any first-time reading nearly impossible.

"One day, the man didn't come."

Her hands stopped moving.

"He'd died in the war between the two villages." Toph traced the carving of the woman weeping by a grave, while Aang continued. "Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power. She could have destroyed them all. But instead, she declared the war over."

Toph led Aang to the next picture.

"Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace," he read. "The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love."

Toph could feel tears in her eyes for some reason. She wiped them away before they could betray her.

"There's more on this side." It was his turn to guide her as they turned to face the large carving of the kissing couple. "Can you see the inscription?" Aang asked Toph, his eyes still closed. As they stepped closer to it, his seismic sense allowed him to see the carving become more distinct until it was almost like he was looking at it with his eyes.

"Yeah, but..." Oma and Shu sure kissed a lot, Toph thought, laughing internally at herself for focusing on that. "I don't think I'm reading it right." Without actually touching the words, it was more difficult for her to distinguish them.

Aang came up to stand at her side. He didn't need any fire or light to see, he remembered the inscription all too well. At the time he hadn't given the words any thought beyond possibly getting the chance to kiss his boyhood crush, but as Aang felt the vibrations in the earth, focusing on Toph's above all others, he was starting to think there was so much more to them.

"It says, 'Love is brightest in the dark.'"

AN: Just wanted to mention I borrowed the name 'Bruiser' from The Crushinator's amazing story Half Asleep. It was just too cool a badgermole name not to use! ;)

Also, October 3rd! Who's ready? I'm not and yet I can't wait! XD