Truth and Lies chapter 6

Chapter 6
Lost and found


“Aang are you sure you don’t know where it is?” Sokka whined and he searched through all of the bags.

“Sokka we’re trying to stop a war and you’re too busy thinking about a sock.” Aang said has he held the reins in his hands trying to pay attention to where they were going.

“It’s my lucky sock!” Sokka shouted. “If I loose it I have absolutely no good luck whatsoever.”

“Who said you had any luck to begin with.” Aang mumbled to himself. “Just look for it later. You’re supposed to keep watch in case the enemy finds us.”

“Speaking of that, wouldn’t you think that psycho would have found us by now?” Sokka asked. A horrible sting of fear crept through Aang.

“You’re right.” Aang said. “That means Katara’s in trouble.” Aang didn’t hesitate to change directions and they headed back towards Toph and Katara.


“Katara come on give it back.” Toph mumbled. Katara stood dangling Toph’s head band in the air. “You know what, one day I’m going to be taller than you and you’re going to regret doing this.”

“Really?” Katara giggled. “Well the day you’re an inch taller than me will be far from now. So I’ll just enjoy this.”

“Give it back.” Toph sighed.

“Give me my necklace back.” Katara said. “Why’d you take it anyway?”

“You’re always touching it, so I wanted to see what it looked like.” Toph said brushing her fingers over the water tribe symbol.

“Well now you’ve seen it. Hand it back.” Katara said. Toph opened her palm allowing Katara to take it back.

“I still don’t see what the big deal is about it.”

Katara took her necklace and put Toph’s headband in the younger girl’s palm. Katara placed her necklace around her neck once more as Toph put on her headband. “The real reason my necklace is important to me is that it was-,”

“Your mother’s, I know.” Toph interrupted.

“What’s the deal with your headband?” Katara asked. Toph lowered her head her small hand coming to one of the puff balls on her headband.

“It was the only thing my mother gave me that she actually made.” Toph said. “It showed me that I was more to her than just a blind daughter.”

“You know she sees more than that in you Toph. She has to, because I can.” Katara smiled placing a warm hand on Toph’s shoulders.

“Why did we lie to each other?” Toph smiled. “It was stupid. All that time we could have been happy instead of depressed.”

“Yeah, well…nothing we can do but enjoy it now.” Katara said.

They turned and began heading down the path. Part of them didn’t want to continue heading down the path, because eventually it would lead them back to the real world. They weren’t ready to face other people yet. They weren’t ready to lie.

“I…I made you something.” Toph said and removed something from her pocket. Katara couldn’t quite see it until Toph opened her palm. In it was a crystal bracelet. “I just thought I should give it to you.”

“Thanks Toph, I love it.” Katara smiled as she slipped it onto her wrist. “Now I have something to always remind me of you.” Toph’s smile grew wider and she took a step forward continuing to move down the path. Katara’s soft hand grasped Toph’s catching the earth bender off guard but in a pleasant way.

Everything for once in their lives seemed to be perfect. There was no more hiding, at least not from each other. This moment had come when they needed it the most. Nothing could ruin their day.

As they continued to walk the sound of thunder echoed in the distance. Katara could see the storm clouds coming in. Suddenly the rain decided to fall and when it did it poured. They were soaking wet. Toph headed towards a tree to prevent from getting even wetter.

“Why are you hiding from the rain?” Katara laughed as she held out her arms and tried to catch rain drops with her tongue.

“Why are you standing there getting soaked?” Toph laughed.

“You’ve never caught rain drops with tongue before?”

“What?”

“Come on try it!” Katara said grasping Toph’s hand and pulling her back out into the rain.

“Okay, what now?”

“Stick out your tongue and try to catch the rain.” Katara said. Toph let out a sigh. This was a little odd. She stuck out her tongue and waited for a rain drop to fall onto it. She waited and waited. “Move around.”

Toph shrugged again before taking a few steps. Then a tiny droplet fell onto her tongue. It tickled it felt like a tiny wet kiss. Toph couldn’t help but give a light chuckle. “That feels funny.”

“I know doesn’t it?” Katara smiled.

Toph moved around faster trying to catch another. Since Katara was looking up she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going neither was Toph. Both of them knocked into each other. They fell onto the muddy road. At first they were silent, before they burst out in laughter.

“I think we got a little carried away.” Katara laughed lightly as she stood up. Katara looked around. Suddenly she saw something familiar lying in the middle of the path. She walked over to it and picked up the soggy piece of clothing. It was a blue sock. She dared to smell it, she regretted doing that. “Phew! That’s defiantly Sokka’s. But what are they doing so close to us?”

“Maybe they were chased.” Toph said. “I’m sure their fine Katara.”

“I hope so.” Katara said hugging the smelly blue sock.

“If they were chased and close by we’d better get a move on before we’re found.” Toph said. “I don’t know about you but I can’t see very well.”


“I don’t see them anywhere!” Aang panicked as they flew over the path Katara and Toph had taken. Sokka looked around but was only getting annoyed by the rain as he was getting pounded, while Aang was perfectly dry.

“Why don’t you do that for the both of us?” Sokka whined as he watched Aang water bend the rain out of his way.

“Do what?” Aang said. “Sokka right now you can be a little less selfish and a little more looking.”

“I’m not the one being selfish, Air Head.” Sokka mumbled to himself as he looked down searching for his sister. “First my sock, now the rain, what’s next?”

“Sokka watch out!” Aang said. Sokka turned around to see what Air Head was screaming out. When did he was smacked across the face by his boomerang as the wind carried it off.

“NO!” Sokka screamed in agony as if someone had died instead of his boomerang flying off. He lowered his head. “Boomerang…no…how could you leave me?”

“Oh stop crying Sokka!” Aang said.

“I’m not crying!” Sokka pouted. “My face is just wet!”

Sokka turned around he saw his boomerang coming towards him. It was moving too quickly for him to try and catch. He ducked and it flew passed him but then it smacked Aang in the back of the head.

“OW!” Aang shouted.

“Sorry Aang guess I should have warned you.” Sokka said. Aang shrugged it off as he rubbed the back of his head. Sokka waited and watched as the boomerang was coming back. He got ready to catch it. It came towards him he reached out. A gust of wind came knocking the boomerang an inch out of reach and sent it towards Aang again. “It’s coming after you!”

“What?” Aang turned around then the boomerang smacked his nose. “OW! Sokka would you get that stupid thing?!”

“I’m trying!” Sokka said. “It’s not that easy.”

“Argh! Do I have to do everything around here?!” Aang stood up on Appa’s head and made a circular movement creating a gust of air behind him. He shot through the rain like a bullet heading directly for the boomerang.

Aang soared closer to the boomerang using the wind as his friend instead of enemy. He flew closer to it and stretched out his arm. He caught it and before he had time to fall to the ground, he created another gust of wind and flew back towards Appa. Aang landed roughly in the saddle and handed Sokka his boomerang.

“Here and don’t loose it!” Aang said and sat on Appa’s head again.

“Since when could you fly without your staff?” Sokka asked.


It was getting dark, they decided to find a dry spot (which was extremely difficult to find) to set up camp. Katara removed the water from the ground so they could make a fire. Now that the sun was setting being wet when it was getting cold wouldn’t be pleasant.

Once the fire was going, she sat down next to Toph. The air was getting so cold Katara could see her breath. She began to remove the water from their clothes. Now that they were dry they weren’t freezing anymore.

“Are you cold?” Toph asked. “I’m freezing.” Katara smiled she knew Toph was just coming up with an excuse. Katara wrapped her around Toph’s small shoulders and hugged her head with hers. “Ahh…much better.”

“What do you think will happen once we met up with them again?” Katara whispered. Toph shrugged she didn’t want to think about it. “We’ll have to hide…and lie.”

“We’re not going to worry about it until it happens.” Toph said. “We’re alone now. Nothing to worry about, except bears.”

Katara gave a light laugh. Now that they were sitting so close together the air around them didn’t seem so frozen. Katara closed her eyes enjoying having Toph in her arms.

“My sock!” a voice came from the woods. Katara looked to where voice had come from and saw someone coming up to them. She could vaguely tell who it was until they came closer. Katara stood up nervously.

“Sokka!” Katara smiled as her brother stepped out of the darkness of the woods and into the light of the fire. “You’re okay!” She ran over to her brother and gave him a hug.

“Of course I’m okay.” Sokka said. “I’ve got my lucky sock back!”

Katara turned to find another person running through the darkness to them. “Aang!” They ran towards each other and exchanged a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you guys okay?” Aang asked.

“We’re fine Twinkle Toes. Nothing’s happened to us.” As if I would let anything happen to Katara. “What are you doing here?”

“Azula wasn’t following us so we thought-,”

“Rephrase that Aang you were the one who assumed they were in trouble. I didn’t say anything.” Sokka said as he smelled his lucky sock.

“I don’t care what I said before. We shouldn’t travel separated.” Aang said. Toph could tell how desperate he was to be with Katara again. Her hands curled to fists. Katara’s mine Twinkle Toes.

Aang couldn’t help but notice. Something was different. Toph was getting angry mostly at the fact he hugged Katara. Even Katara seemed a little nervous. Something had happened between them. But what?

“Toph are you okay?” Sokka said. “You look a little angry.”

“What?!” Toph squeaked. “I’m fine.”

“Come on guys let’s go.” Aang said.  


She waited until Aang and Katara were the only ones awake as they flew through the dark sky. Toph opened her eyes. She could hear Sokka snoring loudly and Aang’s gasping. Aang was very tired and whenever he started to fall asleep he gasped and woke up. Katara was completely silent.

“You’re quiet.” Toph whispered. “Too quiet.”

“I’m just a little tired I guess.” Katara whispered.

Toph reached out and soon Katara grasped her hand without hesitating. A warm smile came over the earth bender. “I love you.” Toph whispered.