Made for Mummy-Chan on deviant-art. Let me know what you think.
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Storm
By. Halinmonk
Subtle winds or a small breeze can often become more, can build and strengthen, growing stronger with every second until it becomes a storm, a force of nature so unstoppable that it can devastate hundreds and destroy many things. But always there is always something left; that which survives can be proved impossible to destroy, and when in a storm something is broken it can find something else and rebuild, even from a brutal storm something new can be born....
Sunlight drifted into the small cave, playing across the face of the young girl. The girl was black haired with smooth porcelain skin, a barely visible yellow cloth covered her chest beneath the flame red blanket she along with another boy were wrapped in. The boy was around the same age bald with a blue arrow tattoo on his head running down his back. His arms (bearing the same tattoo) where wrapped around the girl protectively, tightly clasping her to his chest bare chest.
As the sunlight pressed on to her face the girl stirred every so slightly, unwilling to break from her comfortable position she drifted back into a deep sleep. But the small motion was enough for the boy (who was a much lighter sleeper) to wake up. "Mmm..." he said as he shifted slightly to hold her closer to him. I clod be like this forever, he thought. It would be nice to stay like this forever, wrapped in a warm blanket holding Toph to my chest...wait, what?
With a sudden lurch he returned to full consciousness, aware of several
things at once; A, they had lived through the apocalypse-like disaster that passed for a storm. B, he was holding Toph for some reason he couldn't fathom. And C; As soon as Toph woke up she would completely dismember and decapitate him. Aang's heart was hammering so fast he was surprised the sound alone didn't wake the blind earth bender. How did this happen? He thought. He vaguely remembered walking on the beach when this storm blew in the got separated from the others, and he and Toph ended up sleeping in this cave. They had tried to start a fire but they had nothing to burn, and Toph did not trust Aang's firebending skills yet.
He also remembered someone-he wasn't sure if it was him or Toph-suggested they share body heat. Well that explains the position; now how do I not have my head torn off by a very lethal earthbender who won't listen for an explanation?
At that exact moment Toph moved ever so slightly, to rest her head gently against his shoulder. Dear Spirits, no. Gently the blind earthbender's eyes fluttered open and Aang braced him self for imminent death.
---
It may seem clich?? but being blind from birth had magnified the focus Toph set on her other scenes, and even in her half conscious state she could feel the cool mooring air drift in from the open mouth of the cave, as well as the gentle day light pressing against her skin. She could also tell vaguely that she was leaning on something soft-another body maybe. She could hear the gentle heartbeat of the other person as well as the soft drawing of breath.
Then to her distaste the other form gave a sudden lurch, not strong enough to wake her up but strong enough to resister in her unconscious mind. A few seconds passed and the slow thump of the other person's heart increased rapidly. In an instinctive response she shifted ever so slightly, but this seemed to have the opposite effect she wanted as his heartbeat increased ten-fold in speed.
In reaction Toph slowly opened her own blind eyes, and activated her atomic vibrations, only to discover that the other form was...
---
"Aang..." Toph said, passing it by her lips like a song lyric. That was
it; no earth shaking rage, no filament deception, just a simple song like declaration of his name.
"Hey sleepy head," she said slyly.
"That's it?" He said, voicing his bewildered thoughts.
"Well what were you expecting a musical number?"
"Actually it was more along the lines of earth shaking rage," he admitted grudgingly.
"Why?" She said raising an eyebrow "It was my idea to share body
heat." Aang opened his mouth to reply, but closed it, again unable to think of a response that was not likely to get him killed.
"You thought," she began suddenly, "that I would just blame you anyway!" She said, disgusted.
"To be honest Toph, you have a reputation for beating people up just cause they look at you funny."
"One time." She said pressing her hand to her forehead "and you people can't let it go."
"He was knocked out for 4 weeks!"
"That is beside the point. I can't believe that you think I would beat you up for my idea."
"You have to admit Toph, you do tend to be unreasonable."
"Save your monk-crap for someone who cares, I don't need some crazy air bender to preach to me."
"Maybe someone should preach to you. You've spent your whole life trying to escape your problems instead of facing them. You ignore your flaws, and run away form instances were you have to face them, just like you ran away from your parents." As soon as he said this he instantly regretted it.
She stood up suddenly, a look of cold fury in her eyes. She immediately tried to walk away but Aang leaped to his feet and grabbed her hand.
"I'm sorry, Toph, that was below the belt."
"Gee, you think?" She replied, her voice dripping with venom.
"I probably shouldn't have brought up you parents but-"
"Shut up, Twinkle Toes," she said, shoving her hand in his face, "and listen. Since I was born my parents gave me every thing, but never let be myself. They could never get past the fact that I was blind; what I really wanted from my parents was understanding. I learned earthbending from it's original source: badgermoles. It was all about standing your ground, and never running away, but it also about being impassive, and unshakable; rocks aren't perfectly smooth or flawless, but by nature we can't be shaken and I guess when we contact with something that shakes us, we have to move away."
"I don't get it," Aang replied.
Toph sighed with exasperation. "Think about it this way. When a tornado hits a rock, the rock either moves or is destroyed. It's the same with earthbenders and issues like that."
Aang pondered for a moment before replying, "I don't think that's a very good philosophe," he finalized. "If you always run from you issues they always follow you; you only reach peace when your issues are resolved."
She sighed and simply said "whatever."
"Looks like Armageddon is over," Aang noted.
"Yah it is," Toph said blandly. Looks like she wouldn't get over this discussion any time soon.
"We should find the others," he said simply.
Carefully they began to gather their stuff. When the storm hit they had been on the beach, during the confusion they had gotten separated from the others and found the small cave hidin between two sand dunes.
"Left or right?" He said, staring at the two dunes, one either side of them.
"Don't ask me I can't see in the sand."
"Right it is."
Just as he reached the top of the dune a very depressing sight meet his eyes and Toph's, well, feet. Standing completely intact about 10yards from them was, to their shock, the Ember Island beach house, with everyone standing outside calling for them.
"If anyone asks," Toph said as quietly as she could, "We just walked 10 miles from the other side of the island."
"Agreed," he replied.
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Gr................
Cant write good Taang. Read and Rewview