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Ye Chang Meng Duo: Chapter 9

[Disclaimer: Nickelodeon (and all others) own “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”  I own whatever I write/create.  Don’t steal and don’t sue.]

[A/N: This is a collaborative work between myself, and the artist Mag (fortheloveofpizza.deviantart.com).  Please make sure to visit Mag’s deviantArt page for artwork that is, not so much inspired by this story, as the story is inspired by Mag’s exceptional imagination.  The title is Chinese for, “The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.”]

As he cast out his fishing line for the fifth time that morning, Sokka sighed.  Behind him, Suki did not pause, continuing to move through the forms of the Kyoshi martial arts.

“I think I know why Katara goes shopping for food,” Sokka muttered.

“Still no fish?” Suki asked.

“Nope,” Sokka replied.  He shuffled back from letting his legs dangle over the rock wall at the edge of the courtyard, crossing his legs and propping the fishing pole in the crook of one knee.  He leaned backward, tilting his head to watch his wife.  He smiled at the upside down image of Suki without her warrior’s makeup and garb, clad only in a loose white dress and a dark green shirt.  She continued to practice, lips curling in a smile when she noticed Sokka’s gaze.

“Not worried about the fish anymore?” she asked.

“You’re more fun to watch,” he said in return.  “And I know you won’t get scared off.”  Suki’s smile grew broader, her arms returning to her sides as she walked to where Sokka sat on the ground.  She knelt beside him, her eyes closing as he leaned to kiss her.  They parted after a time, Suki laying her head on Sokka’s shoulder.

“Keep doing that and you’ll never have to worry about me getting scared off,” she said.  Sokka grinned, draping an arm over her shoulders and squeezing gently.  They sat together, the fishing line moving only when breezes from the sea tugged at it.  Sokka, fingers rubbing idly at Suki’s upper arm, did not notice the footsteps that slowly shuffled up behind them.  Suki glanced over her shoulder, her smile still in place.

“Good morning, Aang,” she said brightly.  Sokka’s hand stiffened on her arm, but she did not look at him.  “How are you?”

“I’m—all right,” Aang mumbled.  “I guess.”  His hands fidgeted, curling into fists and loosening every few moments.  He twisted the fabric of his pants close to his hips between thumb and forefinger, staring at the ground with his eyebrows knitted.  He glanced at the man and woman before him, aiming his eyes at the ground once again when he thought of the four years they had been married.

“Do you guys know—have either of you talked to Toph and Katara?” he asked.  “I mean—you know, in the last couple of days?”  Suki looked at Sokka from the corner of her eye, biting the inside of her cheek at the small frown on his face.  Aang sighed without waiting for an answer, chafing his hands though his fingers were warm.

“I think I need to talk to them,” he said.  “I think something is wrong, and they aren’t telling me.”  He lifted his head once more, and Sokka turned to look at the young man.  “Have they said anything?  Has—has Katara talked to you?”  Sokka drew in a deep breath, taking hold of the fishing pole and lifting it from the curve of his leg.

“If Katara has something to talk to you about, she’ll be the one to tell you,” he said.  “Not me.”  Aang sighed and frowned, his head falling forward.  He rubbed at the back of his neck, fingers pressing on the blue line of his tattoos.

“Do you know where Katara is?” he asked.  Suki glanced at Sokka, who closed his eyes slowly.

“She went off to find Toph early today,” she said.  “I think she went north.”  Aang lifted his head and looked toward the mountains and hills just in view.  Nestled in those hills was the small house he had made for Toph, and the sight of it tightened his throat.  He looked back at Sokka and Suki, nodding his head in a single up and down jerk.  Without another word, he started away, his hands balling into tight fists.  Suki turned to Sokka, who only sighed and began to wind the fishing line back around his hand.

“Katara did talk to you about something, didn’t she?” Suki asked.

“It’s not up to me to say what Katara has to,” Sokka replied.  He checked the hook at the end of the line, frowning at the fact that the bait had gone without a twitch to the pole.  He rummaged in the small bag at his side, retrieving a small piece of meat.  As he carefully pierced the meat with the hook, he said, “She just better say what she has to and get everything over with.”

“Does it have something to do with Toph and Aang?” Suki asked.  Sokka cast out the line, watching as the hook and its bait sank into the water as deep as the line would allow.

“Yeah,” he murmured.  “It does.  And I hope that it doesn’t go as badly as I think it might.”

----------

Toph had not been in her stone house when Katara went up the hill just as the sun crested the horizon.  Katara had listened for the sounds of stone moving and rumbling, but her search of the nearby flat areas where Toph typically practiced did not produce the other woman.  She had been on the verge of returning to her home and going into the city when the coastline caught her attention.  The flat platforms that Toph had pulled from the sea for them to walk upon were still in place, the brown stone made dark by mist from the waves below.

Katara made her way along the path, ignoring the spray as she strode forward.  As she drew closer to the cove, she could hear rhythmic splashes over the wash of waves against the shoreline.  She tilted forward when the hills sloped sharply, almost walking on her toes to peek into the cove.  Another fist-sized rock rose high in the air before hitting the water, and Katara began to jog when she spotted Toph sitting with her legs drawn up to her chest.

“Toph?” she called out.  Toph’s head lifted, her chin rising from its place on her knees.  Katara let her feet fall flat and hard on the ground as she went into the cove, smiling as Toph unfolded her legs and stood.  She was met halfway, Toph hurrying to wrap her arms around Katara.  Katara returned the embrace, but blinked at how firm Toph’s hold remained as the seconds passed.

“Toph?” she repeated.  Toph shushed her, a puff of air pushed between her lips onto Katara’s hair.  She ran the fingers of one hand through the loose strands of Katara’s hair slowly, each inch passed over by a callused fingertip.  Her other hand found its place on the small of Katara’s back, fingers rubbing in the dip of her spine so gently that Katara drew a surprised, pleased breath as her face began to burn.

“What is it?” she asked, lifting her hands from Toph’s waist to touch her shoulders.

“I haven’t gotten to hold you for days,” Toph murmured.  “I’m going to smash a mountain if I can’t hold you right now.”  Katara smiled, nuzzling against Toph and resting her head against the other woman’s chest.

“What, no kisses?” she asked.

“That comes next,” Toph replied.  “For now, you’re mine.”  Katara continued to smile, letting her eyes close as Toph’s hand roamed up and down the length of her back.  Toph sighed quietly, the tension in her shoulders dissipating under Katara’s fingers.  She let her fingers curl, running her knuckles against Katara’s back on the upstroke and gently trailing her short nails downward.  Katara hummed and put her arms around Toph’s waist, breathing deeply and listening to Toph’s heartbeat.

“I want to say something,” Katara said after a time.

“Do I have to let you go?” Toph asked.

“No,” Katara said, grinning and shaking her head against Toph’s collarbone.

“Then I’m good,” Toph said.  Katara giggled once more, burrowing her head under Toph’s chin to press a light kiss against the exposed skin of her neck.

“I talked to Sokka last night,” she explained.  “I asked him what he would do if he had to tell Yue that he wanted to be with Suki more.”

“Is Yue the one that turned into a fish?” Toph asked.

“She became the moon, Toph,” Katara said with a smile.

“Sorry,” Toph said, shrugging one shoulder as she lifted her hand to continue petting Katara’s hair.  “I can’t keep track of Sokka’s love life.”  She laughed at the gentle pinch Katara gave to her upper arm, kissing Katara’s hair with the same softness.

“That’s not the point,” Katara said, words broken by giggles as Toph’s fingers began to skitter lightly over her sides.  She caught Toph’s hands in hers, lifting them and pressing a kiss to each palm.  She laced her fingers in Toph’s before she continued and said, “He gave me advice.”

“What would that be?” Toph asked.

“That Aang is going to be hurt no matter what I say to him,” Katara said.  “And I have to be the one to tell him.”  Toph opened her mouth to speak, but Katara laid her fingers over the other woman’s lips.  “I know that’s what you been telling me, and I’m sorry that I haven’t listened.”  Toph smiled and kissed the tips of Katara’s fingers.

“I was going to say that your brother isn’t that big of a meathead,” she chuckled.  “And that I want my kisses now.”  Katara laughed aloud, the sound trailing off into giggles as Toph touched her forehead to Katara’s.  Katara’s giggles vanished as Toph’s lips came to hers, though Toph could still feel Katara’s smile.  She put her hands on Katara’s hips, Katara’s eyes closing soon after Toph’s.  They parted only to breathe, and Toph pressed small kisses to each of Katara’s lips amidst quiet laughter when they had.

Toph paid little mind to the ground that was not immediately under their feet.  She concentrated only on the images she felt in her heels when Katara shifted her weight, grinning at the small to and fro sway of the woman’s hips in her hands.  She did not bother to feel out to the mouth of the cove, and the tremors that came from the pathway she had made came from footsteps too light to register on her toes.  Katara only thought to listen to Toph’s breath and soft chuckles, and the nearby waves.  She did not hear the wavering breath that was drawn behind her, but both women heard Aang’s small, confused voice ask, “Katara?”

Katara turned, her actions slow but immediate.  Toph lifted her head though it made no difference, waiting for the ripples from Katara’s movement to return.  She could only notice Aang’s slumped shoulders, and the shallow, swift pattern his breathing fell into.  Katara stared at his face, blinking at the sight of his dropped jaw and widened eyes in turn.  When his jaw began to work and his eyes to blink rapidly, Toph put her hands on Katara’s shoulders and squeezed gently.

“Aang,” Katara said.  “Listen to me.”

“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice still wavering.

“Listen to me,” Katara repeated.  “This is—please don’t.”  She swallowed, throat tightening at the way Aang’s eyes had turned wet and bright.  Toph’s grip remained steady, and Katara lifted a hand to touch Toph’s fingers.  Toph took hold of Katara’s hand, enfolding the woman’s fingers in hers.  Aang’s breath hitched, his brows knitting.

“Aang,” Katara said.  She drew a deep breath and looked at his eyes.  He stared back at her, his gaze flicking to the hand she had given to Toph.  “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Aang demanded, his eyes on Katara’s face.  “How long has this been going on?”

“Aang, don’t,” Katara said.  “Please—I love you both.”

“But you love her more,” he snapped.  “You’re leaving me for her.”  Toph frowned, but kept her mouth closed and her hand wrapped around Katara’s.

“Aang, I’m sorry,” Katara said quietly.  “I don’t want to hurt you.”  Aang looked at her, his eyes wide despite his lowered brows.  His mouth hung open slightly, head tilted in surprise.  His teeth came together, his breath hissing as he sucked in shallow bursts.  Katara bit the inside of her cheek, shifting to press back against Toph and tightening her grip on Toph’s hand.  Aang’s glare moved to Toph, and she did not flinch.

“So this is why I’m not good enough?” he asked, his voice pitched low.  “This is why I have to be more alert?”  Toph remained silent, unable to see the scowl on the young man’s face.  Aang came close to snarling, gritting his teeth to hold back the sound as he closed his eyes tightly.  He took a step forward, opening his eyes as he moved.  The shock and fright on Katara’s face made him pause, but it did not soften the scowl on his face.  The way Toph had parted her feet, lowering halfway into a ready stance, only made his spine stiffen and his face grow darker.  He said nothing, and turned on heel to stride swiftly away.

“Aang, wait!”  His stride lengthened at Katara’s shout, and she did not immediately follow.  She looked to Toph, eyes wide and shining with tears.  Toph lifted her free hand at the sound of Katara’s hitched breath, brushing her fingers below Katara’s eyes to catch the tears that fell.

“Toph, I have to go,” Katara said, voice wavering only because of the tears.

“I know,” Toph replied.  Her head tilted forward, her toes pressing firm against the ground.  “It looks like he’s headed for the city.”

“Then he’s not going to Appa,” Katara murmured.  “He’s not leaving.”  She rose up on her toes to kiss Toph’s lips, wrapping her arms around Toph’s neck for a tight hug when she pulled away.

“I’ll be back,” she said, whispering with her lips so close to Toph’s ear.  Toph put her hands on Katara’s waist, balancing and holding the other woman close.

“I know,” she said again.  She nudged Katara’s forehead with her own, tilting Katara’s head back for another kiss.  Katara caressed Toph’s cheek when they parted, lingering only a moment more before she turned and hurried away.  Toph stood, arms crossed over her chest, and felt as the echoes of Katara’s near-running footfalls faded.  She turned her head to one side, an ear aimed toward the hills behind her.

“You can come down now,” she called loudly.  Light footsteps, so light she heard rocks moving underfoot more than she felt reverberations in her soles, came down the hill.  The steps brought the faint image of Aang with them.

“You’re avoiding Katara.”  The beat of Aang’s nod came to Toph although she had not asked a question.  She knew a seeing hand would be slapped away or worse, and so she only vaguely imagined the scowls and frowns that may have been on his face.

“I’m good enough to fight for her,” he said.  Toph frowned, shifting one heel to see.  Aang’s hands were tightly bunched fists at his sides, his spine ramrod straight.  His voice had not wavered when he spoke.  It had been firm, and dark.  Toph turned toward him, shoulders squared.

“We’ll see, Aang,” she replied.  “When and where?”

“Now,” he said.  “We’ll make a ring inside the mountain.”

“Only earthbending?” Toph asked.  His nod was hard enough that he did not need to speak.  Toph blinked slowly, taking in a deep breath in the same manner.  “Katara isn’t going to like this.”

“I know,” Aang said, his voice softened for only a moment.  “But I’m not going to give her up just like that.  I don’t want to.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Toph said quietly.  She stared past him, walking toward the hills.  “Follow me.”  Aang jerked his head in another nod and followed her up the rocky slope.  They walked, the earth shifting beneath their feet to give them level footing as they went.  Toph did not let her focus fall behind her, more content in not knowing where Aang’s gaze was directed.

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Hova never knew when Kailas would sleep, or where.  She was no longer surprised to find Kailas slumped against a tree trunk, or curled on the floor of their small home with Fai flopped over her knees.  It was, in fact, nothing short of a great pleasure, as she could always find a way to sit down near Kailas and coax the other woman’s head into her lap.  Kailas rarely woke, and would only smile vaguely before moving into a comfortable position and falling back to sleep.

That spring day, Hova had discovered Kailas flat on her back, shirt unfastened to let sunlight fall on her chest and stomach.  She had smiled, watching Kailas breathe for mere moments before walking to where the other woman lay and sitting down with her legs crossed.  As she had gently lifted Kailas’s head, the other woman’s breathing barely changed, the lashes of one eye twitching before settling once more.  Hova unfolded her legs slightly, propping Kailas’s shoulders on her ankles and resting Kailas’s head in her lap.

For more than an hour, Hova sat with a smile on her face and her hands in Kailas’s hair.  Once or twice, she wondered where Fai could have wandered to, with his favored napping partner so readily available.  She savored the sight of Kailas’s completely closed eyes, and the small pulls of air that made Kailas’s chest rise and fall.  Curling one finger, she passed her knuckle over the tender purple skin circling beneath Kailas’s eyes.  One side of her finger brushed against Kailas’s eyelashes, so slowly and gently that Kailas did not react.  Hova smiled, tilting her head down to press a kiss to Kailas’s forehead.

The ground shuddered and heaved beneath them both, nearly throwing Hova to one side.  A thunderous crack of rock shattering and separating followed the earth’s trembling almost immediately.  Hova opened her eyes slowly, unsure of when she had closed them tightly out of fear.  Kailas’s eyes were already open, blinking rapidly as she sat up from Hova’s lap.

“What just happened?” Kailas asked.

“I don’t know,” Hova replied, rubbing at one ringing ear.  They both turned at the sound of familiar raccoon-dog barks and yaps, Fai scurrying down a nearby hillside.  He dashed to where the two women sat, skidding and crashing into Kailas’s side in a failed attempt to stop.

“What, Fai?” Hova asked.  The raccoon-dog continued to bark until he closed his teeth around one side of Kailas’s open shirt, tugging backward.  He soon let go of the cloth with a whine, turning and looking toward the mountainside a small distance away.  A cloud of gray-brown dust had risen in the sky, occasional plumes strengthening it as it tried to dissipate.  Hova and Kailas stared at the dust, barely hearing Fai’s whines as they slowly rose to their feet.  Another wave of motion rumbled under them, dropping them back to their knees.  Kailas and Hova scrambled to their feet once more and started to run, Kailas without bothering to redo the ties of her shirt.

They made their way to Katara’s home, nearly crashing into Sokka and Suki as they skid to a halt in the courtyard.  A fishing pole lay forgotten on the ground as the four talked over one another.  No answers could be properly given, as no one knew why Toph or Aang would cause minor earthquakes, or why they would be inside of the mountain.  As the rumbling underfoot continued, their confusion and voices escalated.  Fai sat on the edge of the courtyard, whimpering at the shouting and noise.  One question, however, made him look up.

“Where’s Katara?” Sokka and Kailas demanded in unison.  They stared at each other for a moment, Hova and Suki looking at each of them in turn as seconds passed.  Sokka pushed hard at one temple with the heel of his hand, dropping his eyes to the ground.

“She ran by a minute ago,” he said.  “She—I think she was looking for Aang, but he only went north.  He didn’t come back this way.”

“Was Toph with Katara before Aang went to find them?” Hova asked.

“Katara went to find Toph earlier,” Suki replied, speaking slowly as she thought.  “And Aang went to find Katara.”  They all turned to stare at the mountain when another ripple in the ground rattled the cobblestones of the courtyard.  As soon as the ground stilled, and without another word, they dashed from the courtyard, shouts for Katara already on their tongues.

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Mountains were ideal for earthbending arenas.  The most obvious reason for the ideality was the copious amount of rock that could be manipulated at the bender’s command.  A less known reason was the fact that the sheer amount of stone, rooted so firmly to the earth, also provided natural dampening to the shockwaves generated by the earthbending.

As there were no phosphorescent rocks in the mountain, Aang created plinths within the walls of the arena, firelight from the sticks he had gathered and placed in the plinths casting an orange glow through cavernous chamber.  The flames shuddered and rocked, sticks falling against one another and trembling, with every boulder that was ripped out of the ground, walls, and ceiling.  The only thing that did not shake the arena enough to move the sticks, or result in small earthquakes beyond the mountain, was when one of the two fighters was thrown to the ground.

Toph ducked, leaning to one side to dodge the boulder Aang had kicked toward her.  It shot by her left shoulder, scraping small gouges in her skin as it passed.  She kept her balance and continued to run, the dirt under her feet pushing her all the faster forward.  A hard, stomping step summoned stone encasements around Aang’s feet, trapping him where he stood.  Toph pulled back her right arm, fist swinging low by her hip as she slid to a halt.  With a shout, she brought her fist under and up, and the earth moved with her.

Her knuckles, the skin torn and bleeding, cracked against Aang’s jaw, and a column of rock as wide as her fist slammed into his chest with equal force.  She twisted her heel against the ground when she felt the pull of Aang’s legs in their encasements.  The rock shattered, and Aang was thrown through the air.  He grit his teeth at the taste of blood in his mouth, opening his eyes despite the white flares of pain that had appeared behind his eyelids.

As the wall drew closer, Aang twisted with every muscle at his disposal and ignored the pain as many were wrenched too far.  He rolled forward to bring his legs before him, spinning horizontally to look at the ground of the chamber just before his feet hit the wall.  He blinked once to clear away the stinging liquid in his eyes.  Sweat had mingled with blood from a cut on his forehead, slashed open by one of many rock shards that had come too close.  Gravity began to claim him, and Aang leapt from the wall before he could fall.  The rock swelled under his feet, throwing him farther than he could have leapt alone.

He landed in a crouch, his left arm and leg parallel and forward with his right arm and leg bent.  A wave of stone rippled at the dig of his left heel into the ground, rising higher than Toph’s head and twice as wide as her outstretched arms.  She scowled at the vibrations that came to her, immediately raising her guard.  Two slabs of stone came together in a point before her as the wave of earth drew close.  The attack and defense met and held for only a moment before both shattered.  Toph winced and grimaced at the rock shrapnel that scratched and stabbed at her arms and shoulders.  Dust settled in her eyes and she blinked furiously to clear it away and stop the stinging that had begun.

Dirty tears pouring down her face, Toph heard Aang’s bellow before she felt his running footsteps.  Before she could react, his fist had landed in the center of her chest.  No rocks or boulders accompanied the strike, and they were not needed.  All the air in Toph’s lungs was forced out in an enormous rush, and her eyes closed as she fell.  She hit the ground, wheezing as she lay on her back.  There was no time to fully regain her breath, or even to pause and feel if any bones had been broken.  In the back of her head, Toph felt Aang’s foot kick the ground.

She rolled to one side, turning her head away from the pillar of rock that jutted up from the ground.  With a swipe of one hand, she broke the pillar and put her palms flat against the ground.  She pushed with her feet, kicking up to flip backward.  Twin columns of rock burst from the ground, striking Aang’s chest with more force than his punch.  He was knocked from his feet, becoming starkly aware of the two broken ribs when he landed on his back.

As the man lay dazed, Toph regained her footing.  She lifted her arms high over her head, fingers spread wide from her taut hands.  The burning sticks rattled in their plinths, pebbles beginning to fall from the ceiling.  A massive boulder, too large to dodge, was twisted slightly when Toph jerked her hands down and closed.  It broke free of the ceiling and plummeted, directly over where Aang lay on the ground.  He stared for a moment, still unable to breathe, before lifting his arms over his face.

The boulder hit the ground, shaking the entire cavern.  Toph stood, blinking more dust and sweat from her eyes and breathing slowly.  She kept her focus on the stone before her, muscles in her feet and ankles twitching from overuse.  She scowled as she relaxed her feet, flares of coolness and heat alternating up her legs.  She tensed them once more to stop the pain, and spun about at the vibrations she felt behind her.  The ground was ripped in two, and Aang burst from the fissure to tackle her.

He rose over her, one hand closed tight around the collar of her shirt.  His other hand bunched into a fist as he pulled it behind his head, and Toph’s eyes widened.  As Aang’s fist came down, Toph’s hand dug into the dirt.  The rocks she pulled up from the ground rolled up her arm and over her chest, coming to a halt on her jaw.  Aang’s fist cracked against the rocks, the skin of his knuckles breaking under the pressure.  He gave a wordless shout, pulling back his hand.  Were it not for the pain in her mouth, Toph would have grinned.

The rocks on her jaw slid up her face to bunch upon her forehead.  She sat up quickly, jerking her head forward to slam against Aang’s.  The rocks broke through the skin of his forehead, and he yelled aloud once more as he tilted back from the pain.  Toph lifted her arms from the ground and snapped her elbows back against it.  Two boulders popped up and caught Aang just under his arms, lifting him clear off of Toph and throwing him back onto the ground.  Both of them panting, bleeding, and aching, they rose to their feet.

Aang took a hard step forward.  Toph lifted her arms in a guard, but turned her head at the sound of shattering stone.  The boulder behind her had broken apart.  Aang drew his arms in to his sides, elbows at his hips, and began to step in a swaying, side-to-side motion.  Rocks flew from the pile behind Toph, and she spun about to face them.  More stones flew up from the ground to coat her forearms and shins as she blocked each small boulder in turn.  Aang continued to step, barely moving forward, until Toph’s back was completely turned to him.

He stomped down his foot, another wave rising from the ground.  It struck Toph squarely in the middle of the back, lifting her from her feet and throwing her toward a wall.  She was flipped head over feet, her back slamming into the wall.  Stunned, Toph fell headfirst to the ground and lay there, groaning quietly.  Aang sucked in a breath, meaning to walk forward once more.

“Toph!”  He froze at the terrified shout, turning to look at the entrance of the cavern.  He could see Suki, Sokka, Hova, and Kailas standing there, but they were unimportant.  Katara, wide-eyed with shock, was the person he stared at.  He did not know what he saw in her eyes other than shock, unable to tell if it was worry for Toph or rage toward him.  Aang only stood and stared, and did not notice as Toph shook the pebbles from her hair and white starbursts from her eyes.

Top regained her footing and drew in a deep breath.  She dashed forward, opening both of her hands and sweeping her arms up from her sides.  Near fluid waves of rock rose from the ground, swelling at a high point just overhead.  She stopped quickly, thrusting her hands forward.  The stone came together and rushed at Aang, who did not react quickly enough to dodge or block the attack.  He was slammed against a far wall, buried in the dark stone.

He knew the attack.  He had seen Katara perform the motions too many times to count.  He had mimicked her only a year ago, in an impromptu training session in the sea near her home.  She had laughed about something, though with his lungs unable to find air to breathe, he could not remember what.  Aang knew they had not concentrated on training, and fell quickly to playing and splashing one another.  He wished it was the clean scent of her hair in his nose, instead of the cloying aroma of dirt.  His hands tightened in the dirt, his eyes closing tightly at the idea of Katara and his happiness.

The rock and dirt that had been piled atop of Aang was blasted apart by cyclonic wind.  The burning sticks were extinguished by the same wind, but the cavern did not turn dark.  The unfaltering, pure white light that shone from Aang’s tattoos and eyes replaced the flickering, red and orange glow of the fire, and he strode silently forward with a frown on his face.  Toph, scowling at the wind she had felt, ran at him with a fist raised.

“Toph, don’t!” Katara shouted.  Toph did not listen, aiming her punch at Aang’s chin.  He caught her fist in one hand, closing his fingers painfully tight.  He jerked her arm backward, pulling her stomach into his knee.  Toph gagged, coughing and stumbling back when Aang released her hand.  Aang took a step back, lifting one hand.

“Stop it!”  Katara hurried away from the entrance of the cavern, clambering over and around the rocks that blocked her way.  Aang’s arm swept over his shoulder, slashing down before and across his chest.  A new column of stone shot down from the ceiling, striking Toph in the chest and pinning her to the ground.  She held back a scream behind her teeth, three ribs snapping under the force of the stone.

“Aang, please!  Stop!”  Toph, teeth still clenched, punched the rock and shattered it.  She panted for breath when the weight lessened, and pushed at the boulder that still sat atop her.  She struggled to move, her pulse pounding too loudly in her ears to focus on anything more than the rock.  With a final heave, Toph shoved the boulder away.  Every move jostling her broken ribs, she began to crawl from the small crater her body had made.

“Stop!  Stop hurting her!  Please!”  Aang stopped walking when Toph stood up.  Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth and all the scrapes and cuts she had gained throughout the fight.  One arm curved around her stomach, pressed gingerly over the broken bones.  She began to take a step, and Aang moved.  He pulled one hand in to his chest before thrusting it forward, palm up.  Another boulder ripped free of the ground, striking her in the chest and lifting her into the air.  He quickly brought his arm back, elbow to his hip, and yet another boulder tore away from a wall.

“Aang, don’t!”  The rock slammed into Toph’s back, crushing her against the first boulder.  She screamed aloud as another rib was broken, and all the others ground against one another.  The rocks fell, and she fell with them to the ground.  She did not rise, barely able to breathe for the pain in her body and the blood in her mouth.  Aang strode toward her, lifting one hand.

Katara stopped running when she stood before Toph, and held her arms open wide.  Aang stared at her, his hand still raised.  She held his gaze, tears on her face and her breath coming in fast gasps.  Behind Katara, Toph continued to wheeze and pant, groaning when there was enough air in her chest.  Katara’s eyes flicked downward, her shoulders twitching as if she would turn toward Toph.  She continued to stare at Aang, her arms spread.

Aang’s eyes closed, and the glow of his tattoos faded.  The cavern went dark.

—to be concluded—