Just the Opposite || ATLA, Zutara

five || toph's new friend

TOPH'S POV:

"Hey Appa," I sighed, walking up to the sky bison. He roared, and I laid across his furry tail.

"Yeah, it stinks not being with them, huh?" I asked, giving him a pat. He growled in agreement, and I sighed once more, continuing to stroke his fur.

I didn't feel guilty at all for running off on Katara. She deserved it. She's probably the only person that I can actually talk to about my feelings, but yet, she just knocked me down. Did Katara really know that I liked Sokka? Is it that obvious?

I technically never told her that I liked him... but was she just trying to get on my nerves?

Well, if that was the case, she did it. She got on my nerves, and actually hurt my feelings. But Katara's right. Sokka doesn't like me. He loves Suki, and Suki loves him. And I have a feeling he's not going to split with her for a filthy blind earth bender like me.

Plus, him and Suki are like, the same age I think. Well... maybe Suki's 14 or 15. Sokka's 16. That's a lot closer to 14 or 15 than 13. And I just turned 13.

I turned on my side and groaned. My chest hurt. I didn't know why, but it was killing me.

"You okay?" a plain voice asked, walking towards me. I stood up on the ground, so I could read their vibrations better.

"Mai?" I asked. "Why aren't you in the palace, with the others?"

"It got boring. I came out to ask Ty Lee if she wanted to come to dinner, but I don't know where that girl is. So I took a walk, and saw this big bison, and then I saw you, lying down."

"So why'd did you ask if I was okay?"

"Because you're not with the others. You're out here alone, with Appa," she said, with a small smile etched in her voice. I stretched and smiled real big.

"They're boring. Wnna go practice some bending or something?" I ask, juggling some pebbles. Mai laughed.

"I don't bend, Toph. But I'll practice my knife-throwing while you bend," she agreed, and I nodded. She took me to this place that was a few minutes away from where Appa was dozing. I heard her knifes being thrown, whizzing through the air until it stopped, being stuck into a tree.

I just bended up boulders from the volcano side, and threw them over the edge. It was quite fun.

"So... Toph. I don't know much about you. What was your life like before you teamed up with the peasants and the monk?" Mai suddenly asked, and I couldn't help but frown.

"Katara and Sokka aren't peasants. They were the children of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe," I point out loudly. She laughed.

"Oops, look like I struck a nerve. Sorry," she quickly apologized, and I shrugged.

"Anyways, my life was fine. My parents were like, royalty in Gaoling. Except... they never let me do anything. They always made me stay in the house or on the property, do boring earth bending, and they thought I was helpless. My parents didn't believe in me," I said with a snifle. Mai was silent, and I felt her nod, telling me to go on.

"So every few nights, I'd go to the earth bending arena, and I was known as the Blind Bandit. I was the champion of that place, until Aang showed up, and begged me to become his bending teacher. I agreed, ran away from home, now here we are."

"Wow. That's a lot," Mai finally spoke. I rose an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? What was your life like... before uhm... now?" I curiously asked.

"Not much. My parents were like, the rulers of Omashu after the fire nation took over it. I was an only child until like six months ago, and I got everything I wanted when I behaved. Azula and Ty Lee were my only friends, until Azula turned out to be a bitch. And Zuko's my boyfriend," she said quickly, without any emotion in her voice.

"So... you had no problems in life?"

"Not really. Not until I had to chase you guys down with Azula, that was actually pretty exciting. But man, I couldn't stand that girl. She's kind of has always been rotten to me though, so, whatever."

"Huh," I said, and continued throwing boulders down the slope of the volcano. I heard her go back to her skilled knife throwing.

"So... are we friends now?" I asked her while bending.

"Sure... why not. Friends," she said with a smile, and a tiny bit of emotion. I grinned.

Maybe this gloomy girl who sighs a lot isn't so bad.

KATARA'S POV:

I stood in the background while Aang, Suki, and Sokka had a conversation with Zuko. There wasn't much to do here, and Mai has been gone for over an hour now. I didn't mind, though.

My only worries at the moment were about Toph. I still felt terrible for what I said to her, and I hope she'll forgive me. My stomach growled loudly, silencing the room. Everyone turned towards me, and my face flushed.

"Uhhh... is it lunch time yet, by any chance?" I asked quietly, and Zuko, Suki, and Aang all laughed. Sokka sighed.

"Would stop complaining about food all the time, Katara?! It gets on people's nerves!" Sokka yelled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Says you, meat boy," I say, sticking my tongue out. My brother takes a step towards me, and pulls out his boomerang.

"I WILL throw this at you!" he threatened, and I laughed.

"That boomerang can't hurt a fly!"

"Well, my space sword can!"

"Where is it then, meat boy?"

"All you can fight with is water, you... water queen!" he said, struggling to come up with a nickname for me. I just laughed, and uncapped my water pouch.

"What? You mean, this stuff?" I asked, bending some water out of the pouch. He nodded, crossing his arms.

"Water can't hurt a thing!" he egged on.

I bended the water to him and formed the ice all around his body. He yelped, and tipped over, the ice cracking apart.

I crossed my arms as Sokka groaned in pain. "Water can't hurt a thing, huh?"

He cursed as Suki helped him up, and Aang was dying in laughter. Zuko, on the other hand, just stood there, staring into space with a slight frown on his face.

Zuko walked over to me, and my heart pounded. He grabbed my arm, and pulled me out of the room. "I need to talk to you about something," he whispered, and shut the doors behind us.

___________

Another lame chapter. BUT THE NEXT ONE HAS MAJOR ZUTARA, SO DON'T WORRY!

so now mai and toph are friends... what do you think of that? Comment questions/opinions! Ily! -melea