Book 4: Winds from Tomorrow [Action: May 30th-June 1]

[savedtheworld]

[Action: Days 5-7]

[It's odd for Aang, waking up in House 56. What is this, some sort of bunked bed? He can't remember whatever led him to sleep there. Doesn't this violate his decision to maintain some distance from his younger friends? He slips out of the house early in the morning, or tries to. It's possible that anyone else in the household could have caught him before he was able to leave.

Aang spends the rest of the day and the next two days going back to his daily routine. He meditates in the forest near Avatar House. He goes through town, either casually strolling or zipping through on his Air Scooter, to stay social. On Day 5, he also has to set up his tent near his meditation spot again. Where could his old tent have gone?]

[ooc: Aang is aged up (kinda)-canonically to around his 40s. He also remembers Luceti in an alternate way where he was brought here at this age. The shift has also caused some memory fluctuations (who's that Yakone fellow again?), although the possibility always remains that he's actually from a somewhat alternate version of canon (aka my handwave if my few assumptions get jossed)

Replies come from beardofbalance.]

Comments

[rockspurt]

[That's...amazing. And shocking. Almost improbable, from her point of view. Starting a family was something she had wanted to do, but with the way things were, she hadn't given it much thought.]

...What's she like?

[beardofbalance]

She's... precious. She's almost like a little you, just with an extra sense. She's even an Earthbender. And... Lin's shown signs of metalbending, too. She makes a real great little buddy.

[rockspurt]

[Just like her, knows earthbender and could learn metalbending...sounds exactly like the type of kid she'd want to raise.

It's a little dizzying. She needs to focus on something else for a moment.]

And--you? You said you had kids, too?

[beardofbalance]

[He laughs warmly. Considering she's from another future, he feels safe being more open with future info.]

Yes, Toph, there are babies all around. Me and Katara have had three lovely children of their own. Kya, Bumi and Tenzin. They're all wonderful in their ways. And Tenzin... he's an Airbender.

[rockspurt]

You had an airbender? [A world where he wasn't the last airbender...ha. It's almost unbelievable.

Though, this gives her pause for a moment.]

Did you...tell Katara about that?

[beardofbalance]

Yep, an airbender. I can't be prouder.

And... well, not exactly. She's from a time before her feelings for me developed. So that makes hearing this news from a me who's thirty years older... pretty weird.

[rockspurt]

[She nods. Understandable.]

I bet. But hey--I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Maybe with all this weird time stuff, things will end up correcting themselves somehow anyway.

[beardofbalance]

Yeah, that's true. It's hard to tell how all of this works. But I am sure that I won't be here at this age for much longer. Still, it might have been nice for them to have switched her for my time's Katara as well, if it was only for this week. [He hated to wish it, but it seemed preferable in these circumstances.] I guess the younger me will just have to deal with this for the time being.

[rockspurt]

I wonder if I'll stick around like this. [Part of her wants to. If she shouldn't exist then...the normal Toph should be left to remember things the way they're supposed to be. But it's hard for her to picture everything she remembers as one big lie.]

...Hey, Aang, will you promise me something?

[beardofbalance]

[He just looks on uneasily. He knows enough of this place to know that this Toph's stay most likely will be as temporary as his own. He hates to imagine this Toph ceasing to exist in any way... but he also hates the same applying to the Toph he knew and loved as a friend.]

Yes, Toph?

[rockspurt]

If I'm not around--I mean, if I'm different, when this is all over...don't tell the other me about the world I came from.

[beardofbalance]

[He gives a reluctant nod.]

Assuming I remember, I won't tell you. But for what it's worth... I don't want to forget. I'd like to remember how brave you've been in that other life.

But I have a favor to ask you, in return.

[rockspurt]

[It's nice of him to say. She just wishes she could want to remember.]

What is it?

[beardofbalance]

[He smiles warmly. He never thought he'd miss it.]

I know I'm over 40 now, but... can you please call me Twinkle Toes again?

[rockspurt]

[...And then, she smiles. It's something so simple, but so personal, too.]

Not a problem, Twinkle Toes. [Man, it's been so long since she used that nickname.]

[beardofbalance]

[For a second, he almost felt like he was with her older counterpart in the streets of Republic City again. His heart feels warmer, and he clasps her shoulder.]

Thank you, Toph. Now I know for sure that you're still the same Toph at heart. And I know that destiny will be on your side in the future of your world, since it sounds like it owes me one there.

[rockspurt]

[Her head drops. She doesn't want to see her eyes brimming with tears.]

Thank you. We'll figure something out.

[beardofbalance]

[He can still get a sense of what's going on and frowns. He keeps his hand there.]

It's alright, Toph. I don't want to hold you up here. [I know you need to cry these tears, and that you don't want me to see.] But you're also welcome to join me in meditation.

[rockspurt]

[She hesitates, taking a deep breath before answering.]

You know? I've been fighting for a long time. A little meditation sounds pretty nice right now.

[beardofbalance]

[He smiles and pulls his hand back after giving a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder. Then he sits down in a meditative position.]

Some calm could do you good, old friend. And it's not too far off from waiting and listening.