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Aang woke up suddenly hearing crying.He yawned and rubbed his eyes.He sat up and looked behind him.He was shocked to see who was crying.Toph,of all girls,crying?He saw that her back was turned to all of them,and Katara,Sokka,Appa and Momo were asleep.They were in the camp they had set up..He gentley airbended his way over to Toph,hoping that she wouldn't turn around.He put his hand gentley on her shoulder.
"Toph?What's wrong?"he asked her,worriness and concern in his voice and shown on his face.She stopped crying.
"Nothing,Aang.Please go away."she said,wiping the tears away.
"I know something's wrong,Toph.I've never seen you cry before,so I know something's bothering you."he told her,not taking his hand off of her shoulder.
"I told you there's-"she started angerily,but then stoped herself and sighed."I've been having nightmares,Aang.Involving you,Sokka,Katara,Appa,Momo,and me,too."she told him,her voice shaking from the tears that were threatening to come out."I had no Earthbending powers,and the Fire Nation kept attacking us,one attack after another,not leaving any time for us to rest at all.You couldn't Earthbender either,and they killed Sokka,Katara,took Appa,killed Momo,and kidnapped you and me."she told him,and took a deep breath.
"Toph,how long have you been having these nightmares?"Aang asked her.
"A few weeks or so.It was always the same dream,but it would continue where it left off the night before."she told him,wiping away a tear that had managed to escape."I didn't want to tell you guys,I thought you'd think that I wasn't tough anymore,and that you'd stop respecting me.Especially Sokka."she told him again.
"We would never do that,Toph.Even Sokka wouldn't do that,even though he might seem like he would."Aang told her."So,what happened to you and me after they captured us?"he asked her,wanting to know more about those nightmares she was having.
"They tortured you,and made me watch."she told him.This confused Aang.
"But you're blind."he said.
"They tortured you on solid ground,and I can basically see with my feet and hands,you know that.They had me chained to the wall,with my feet chained to the ground,and I was crying,begging them to stop.I felt the heat of fire rush past me,then I heard your unbearable scream of pain.I felt your body hit the floor.I smelt burning skin coming from where you were,and I didn't feel your heartbeat.And I knew they had just killed you.Then,they sent a flame at me,and I felt the heat of the flame getting closer and closer,and right before it hit me,I woke up."she was sobbing by the time she finished telling him.
So Aang did the only thing he felt he could do for his friend.He pulled her close to him,and held her in a tight embrace,and she held him back,quietly crying into his shoulder.He knew it was so suddenand he knew he had to let go soon,but it felt so right being there with her in a tight embrace like that.
"That'll never happen,Toph.I won't let it happen.Never."he told her quietly,slightly rubbing her back,to show he cared about what was happening to her.He cared about her more than she knew.He suddenly realized she had stopped crying.He smiled.
"I'm so sorry that you've been having such horrible nightmares,Toph..."he said,but his smiled faded when she didn't answer him."Toph?"he said,and turned her to face him.She had cried herself to sleep in his arms.He gave a weak smile,and gentley laid her down where her sleeping bag was.
He yawned.He was still tired.'Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a few seconds...'he thought,and laid down next to Toph,not caring that he was lying on a rock.He closed his eyes,and fell asleep.
He suddenly awoke to the sound of shouting,and he sat up quickly.He lookedaround,and saw that no one was at the camp.'They're not here.'he thought,and heard the faint sound of shouting once again.He could barely make out what the people were saying.He realized one of the voices was Toph.
"Get away from me!I'm not going back to my Mom and Dad!Why can't you just leave us alone?!"she shouted.A man then laughed."Master Yu,why are you even doing this?"she yelled again.
"Because-"he started,then stopped."I...I don't know,really."he said.
"Because your father paid us a handsome amount of money,you little brat!"shouted another man,and Aang realized it was Xin Fu.
He got up and ran using his Airbending to get there quickly.Seconds later he was standing there.In front of the men who were trying to capture his friend.
"Get away from her!"he shouted angrily,and used his powerful Earthbending skills to knock them fifty yards away.He ran to Toph quickly,and unlocked the big metal cage they had just locked her in using the key Master Yu had dropped.
"Toph!"he said as he saw her face.It was stained with her tears.She hiccuped and threw her arms around him.
He hugged her tight."It's alright,now,Toph.You'll be okay."he said to her quietly as she sobbed into his chest.
Then she was suddenly thrown from him.She yelled as she hit the ground hard,and Aang felt tears prick at his eyes as soon as he saw her lying there,her head bleeding.He turned to face the person who attacked her.Xin Fu was standing there,smirking at him.
"You hurt her!"he yelled at the top of his lungs,and used all the power he had to Earthbend.Attacking the man one boulder after the other.Xin Fu dodged the attacks easily.Aang stopped,breathing shallowly,sweat dripping from his forehead.
Xin Fu laughed."Is that all you've got?And to think you're the Avatar."he said.Aang then realized that Master Yu was unconcious on the ground.
"Why are you following us?"he asked Xin Fu.
"Don't you play dumb!"he said.
"Seriously!Why?"Aang asked him.
"Because you kidnapped Toph and her father paid us a good amount of money to get her back!"he shouted.
"I didn't kidnap her!She said her Dad changed his mind!Why would you-"he stopped himself when he realized what was going on.She had ran away,and told them her father changed his mind.He gasped."She ran away...She ran away,that's why her dad thought I kidnapped her!"he said,and smacked his hand to his forehead.
Xin Fu eyed him carefully."You're lying."he said.
"No!I'm not,I swear!"Aang said,and he sighed.'She lied to me...She lied to us all...But...She did it for a good cause,right?'he thought.
"Aang?"Toph said weakly.Aang turn around and ran to her.
"Toph!Oh my god,Toph!I'll get you back to camp.Then,I'll have Katara heal you."he told her.He examined her injury.
He gentley picked her up,and started toward the camp.
"Come on,Xin.Let's go back to our town and tell Toph's father the truth."Matser Yu said suddenly from behind Xin Fu.He turned around to look at the Master Earthbender.
"Fine.Whatever,let's just get out of here."he said angrily.They walked away off into the distance.