I'll Walk You Home pt. 52

Chapter 18

pt. 1A

Parents

XXX

"We're here!" Toph said, a little sadness coloring the tone of her voice, where she sat in front of Sokka on Shuffles' neck.

It had taken the Badger/Moles about an hour, as best as Sokka could determine, to arrive at this destination.

The tribesman, from the empty feeling in his stomach, estimated that it was sometime around noon.

.

They, Sokka and Toph, had awoken that morning, at least he assumed it was morning, in the giant nest, as the beasts had begun to wake and move about.

The two humans had eaten what was left of their food, and then the two of them had been nudged out of the nest by two giant noses. Toph had told him,

"They want to play."

Play meant that Sokka sat on the cold stone floor of the assumed cavern and had listened to the screams of delight and the laughter of his friend, while the earth shook under him. He had thought about pulling some sticks from the nest and making a fire, just for the light, but decided that being underground the light would be minimal and the smoke would be a real problem. So he had just sat there in the dark and listened.

The young man was feeling rather left out and bored by the game and was thinking about taking a nap when he felt himself being launched into the air by an earth pillar.

It was terrifying. To be completely blind and flying through the air was the most frightening experience of his life. He screamed. He didn't hold anything back. He screamed.

His inner ear told him as he passed through the apex of the arc. He was falling now and the hard stone of the floor of the cavern would be greeting him soon. He pulled his arms around his head and curled his legs up assuming a fetal position, in the hopes of limiting the damage he would suffer on the landing.

When he finally hit it wasn't a hard landing. The stone under him did not act as stone but more like the skin of a drum head. Giving beneath him and absorbing the shock. It rebounded, and then oscillated a few times till he was lying on hard stone again.

The experience reminded him of a game the tribe used to play when he was a little boy. The villagers would take a large skin, usually a Snow Bear's skin since it was so big, and each member of the tribe would hold the edge while someone jumped into the center. Then the people would pull the skin taught and launch the person in the middle up into the air, catching them in the skin when they came down.

Sokka loved that game, but that had been back home, in the daylight, here in the darkness with only stone to land on, the game was not as much fun.

As he lay there he heard Toph screaming and laughing with joy somewhere above and to his left. The sound was getting closer, fast. He rolled onto his back and held his arms out to catch her, when she fell out of the nothingness onto his chest, which he caused him to respond with a loud,

"OoooFFF!"

"Are you ok?" She asked breathlessly lying on top of him. "You sounded scared."

"Scared is an entirely inadequate word to describe what I was feeling." He told her in a strangled voice as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her very hard. "A little warning would have been nice."

Toph threw her arms around his neck and hugged him back.

"Snuffles really liked the noise you made." She laughed against his neck.

"Glad I'm appreciated." He told her easing his grip slightly.

"They think you're really fun." She reassured him smiling.

Sokka felt the stone beneath him begin to soften and could sense that he was beginning to descend.

"Warning." Toph laughed.

"Thanks." Sokka replied.

The floor rebounded and the two were launched into the air. Toph wrapped her legs around Sokka's waist as he hugged her tighter. It wasn't as scary this time. Having Toph with him made all the difference. He knew that she would always protect him. So instead of a scream of terror he gave his high pitched war cry as they sailed through the air. Toph's laugh and scream of delight adding a counter point to his own cry.

After landing they were launched again. Sokka wasn't sure if they were the ball in a game of catch or of keep away, but he suspected that the Badger/Moles just enjoyed the screaming.

When they landed, Toph jumped up, out of his arms, and he felt a strong thrum through the earth. Above him, traveling from his left to his right he heard a surprised grunt, and then, somewhere around the middle, a loud sneeze. Nearby he heard Toph's maniacal laugh.

He felt the earth begin to fall away beneath him. He braced himself for the launch into the darkness.

"Oh yeah!" Toph shouted as she landed on Sokka's chest.

The earth rebounded and the two were flying again. The tribesman giving his war cry, it helped to relieve the terror churning his stomach. Toph added her own scream of delight.

Upon landing Toph broke away again, the earth shifted under him and he was flying again through the darkness. Without the blind bender in his arms it was much more frightening but he gave his war cry to relieve the fear, trusting that his girlfriend would save him. Just below him he heard the happy growls of the two badger/moles as they flew beneath him, all three of them reaching the apex at the same time.

Landing was again on rebounding stone, and before he could catch his breath he was launched again, his yipping cry echoing off the cavern walls and ceiling which he seemed to be skimming. Added to the happy grunts of the badger/moles beneath him was Toph's insane laughter coming straight for him. At the apex of the flight he felt a strong punch on his arm as the young woman passed him.

Ok! The young man thought.

He flipped himself in the air, without the grace or elegance of the acrobat who had trained him, but it still worked, so he would land feet first this time. He wasn't sure where the floor of the cavern was but extended his toes to feel for it and once in contact contracted his knees and legs absorbing the landing and on the rebound launched himself to have more control over his flight this time.

Giving his high pitched yipping war cry he listened for the grunts of the badger/moles, and more importantly, for the happy scream of the blind earthbender as she approached him in midair. He could hear her coming at him fast; he rolled onto his side facing where she would pass him at the apex of their flight, his right hand raised. Her punch would be his signal. He just hoped that she would be face down as she went by, or this could be really embarrassing.

He felt the punch land on his chest and he brought his hand down hard and fast. His palm met firm round cloth covered flesh, with a satisfying smack, and an even more satisfying squawk of surprise from the young woman.

He spun himself in the air again to land feet first, a large smile on his face, and triumph in his war cry.

This time instead of landing on a snow bear's skin, it was more like landing in the swamp. The ground instead of giving way just swallowed him up to his neck and then froze into sold stone again. He was completely trapped.

It wasn't long before he heard the flapping of cloth coming at him out of the air. Then the ground sank and rebounded around him, though the area he was in did not soften in the least, he was still trapped.

He heard bare feet approach, then a shifting, and then he felt and heard someone just in front of his face as their breathing slowed from obvious exertion.

"Very funny." Toph said lying down with her face only a finger's width away from the tribesman's.

"Toph, have I ever told you what an amazing bender you are?" Sokka asked.

"Not often enough!" She replied, a touch of anger evident in her voice.

He felt her finger touch his forehead and begin to trace its way down to his eyebrow.

"You slapped me on the butt!" She accused him.

"Toph have I ever told you that you have the greatest butt that will ever be?" He asked.

"Greatest?!" Toph angrily retorted.

"Nicest?!" He replied with fear evident in his voice.

"As in the most wonderful, amazing, fabulous, beautiful." He continued nervously. "Toph you are beautiful and perfect in every way, which is why I love you so much."

A second finger joined the first on his forehead. The two hands began to trace the line of his eyes, down to his high cheek bones, then joining on his strong nose down to the slight stubble on his upper lip, around his mouth and down to the stiff hairs on his chin.

"Well I have to admit I have one perfect thing." She told him, her hands moving up to capture his face.

"Everything about you is perfect." He told her with feeling.

"The one thing I know…" She told him shifting forward a little. "…Is that I have the perfect boyfriend."

Her lips where on his, and he kissed back with all his admiration, and love, and passion for the most beautiful, the most amazing woman that would ever be.

Sokka was frustrated. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, touch her, crush her to him, but he was trapped so he tried to put all his love and desire into the kiss. Toph responded with her own love and need, and the kiss went on, and on.

.

There was a danger that the two of them might have died that way, due to lack of air, then water, and eventually food, had not a large wet nose nudged the two heads.

"Yeah…" Toph sighed, breaking the kiss. "We should probably be going."

The blind girl stood up and walked with Shuffles back towards the nest, where Snuffles was waiting for them. They had only gone a few steps when a plaintive,

"A little help here."

Was heard behind them.

Sokka heard a bare foot slap against stone and he popped up and out of the floor onto his feet again.

"Thanks." He said, holding onto Shuffles tail to find his way to the nest.

.

The two strapped on their packs and duffels and Toph bent them both up onto Shuffles' neck, she sitting in front of her boyfriend. Sokka wrapped his long arms around the small woman, and kissed her neck under her ear.

"Toph, I love you." He whispered to her.

Being in the dark last night and this morning had given him new respect for and one more reason to love this amazing girl.

She turned her face to his and found his lips, giving him a long, loving kiss in reply. She could not believe that this amazing and wonderful man could love her.

Shuffles grunted and the two humans broke their kiss and grabbed onto the beast's fur, as she carried them into the darkness.

.

The giant beast lowered her head and the two slid down, out onto her nose, where she flipped them up and off. Toph gave a happy laugh and Sokka gave a high pitched war cry as he flew blindly through the dark.

"Good bye Shuffles." Toph said, tears evident in her voice, as she embraced the nose of the animal. "We'll be back soon."

The young tribesman rose painfully to his feet and felt for the badger/mole, shuffling towards the sound of Toph's voice. When his outstretched hand met with the furry muzzle, he positioned himself and licked the nose of the giant. He received a loving wet lick in return.

"Thanks for all the rides and everything, Shuffles." He told the animal.

"Bye Snuffles." Toph said from somewhere behind Sokka. "We'll be bending again sometime soon."

The tribesman turned and felt for the other Badger/Mole and licked the male's nose. Sokka dodged to his right when he heard a snuffle from the giant beast, but was only hit with a long wet tongue in reply.

"Thanks." The teen said with feeling.

Sokka heard the shuffling of large heavily clawed feet near him and a grinding of the earth somewhere above him.

"Sokka, over here." Toph called.

The young man moved, cautiously reaching out, towards the sound of his girlfriend's voice. Her small hand grabbed his large one and pulled him to her. They stood together hugging and then were launched into the air on a pillar of earth.

The sunlight was blinding. Sokka shut his eyes against it. Toph grabbed his hand and began pulling him along.

"Come on!" She insisted in a harsh whisper. "The guards will be here in a minute to investigate the bending."

"I can't see." He explained trying to keep his feet under him as he ran behind her.

"Duck!" She commanded.

He did as he was told, raising his eyelids to just slits enabling him to see, blurred by the tears flooding his eyes, a low hole in the wall in front of them. He followed her inside. With a hand movement she closed the opening and the two were in a narrow dark corridor.

"This way." She said pulling him through a small wooden door.

They were on a narrow flight of dark stairs going up. There was a small landing and a second flight continuing up.

"Why are these stairs so narrow?" He asked trying to not trip on all his bags and weapons, as he followed her.

"They're for the servants." She explained pulling him up the stairs.

There was another door and then they were in a long wide carpeted corridor with paintings and tapestries on the walls and glow crystals in sconces. There were identical wooden doors along each wall with golden handles and hinges. Beneath the carpet he could feel that the floor was hard stone, or bent earth.

Toph dragged him down the hall to the last door on the right, opened it and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them. He heard her give a sigh of relief as she leaned against the door.

"So… This is your room?" Sokka asked.

The room was spare. Deeper, maybe ten long strides, than it was wide. The door they had come in was in the center of the shorter wall. The far wall was made of three, floor to ceiling windows, heavy curtains were tied back on the sides, the center window being the widest and having a double door in the center which led to a wide balcony.

In the far end of the side walls were two wooden doors, one in the left hand wall and one in the right. The walls themselves were unadorned plaster, painted in a quiet green. Evenly spaced along the walls were golden sconces that held glow crystal lanterns.

Against the side walls were two couches, more cushioned benches really, with filigreed wooden backs. At the far end of the left couch was an embroidered sash hanging from the ceiling. Opposite on the right hand wall was a medium sized iron pagoda stove, the chimney running up into the ceiling. Near the stove was a hook, from which a long straight stick was hung by a leather thong.

The floor was covered in a heavy intricately patterned carpet, the primary color being a dark, almost black, green. Under the carpet, from what Sokka could tell the floor was solid stone, or compressed bent earth.

On either side of the door they had entered through Sokka was surprised to see two book cases. The one on the left facing into the room, contained no books, but the shelves were crowded with various vases and figures and boxes. The right hand one was full of books which immediately caught the young man's interest.

"This is the school room." Toph explained, pulling the tribesman out of his thoughts.

The way she said it obviously held no joy at her return.

"Through there…" She pointed to her left towards the far door. "…Is the bathroom, and past that is the bedroom. Over there…" She pointed to her right. "… Is the play room."

It was easy to hear the bitterness in her voice.

"Nice." Sokka said, just to acknowledge the information.

"You can dump your stuff anywhere." She told him walking into the room. "I'll be back in a minute."

With that she opened the door to the bathroom/Bedroom and went through it.

Sokka divested himself of all his bags and packs, dropping them in the corner by the knickknack bookcase. Even pulling off his coat and hat and laying them on top of everything else. He kept his weapons belt on, more out of habit than anything else.

He went to the book filled bookcase and looked at the spines. He was surprised and impressed to see that they were actual bound books for the most part not scrolls. From his own shopping experience he knew that books were far more expensive than scrolls.

He noticed that there wasn't any dust, anywhere. Everything was polished and spotless, even the stove. Someone must come in everyday and clean the room.

He began to scan the spines. The top shelf seemed to be books on etiquette and the lineage of noble families.

On the next shelf were books on grammar, simple mathematics, the language of flowers and how to arrange them, and one on the language of fans. He pulled the last one from the shelf and opened it at random. The book was heavily illustrated and described ways to use your fan, you being a young lady at a royal ball, to flirt with young men and communicate with other young women. He could see where some of the Kyoshi fighting techniques originated as he scanned the pages.

He returned the book to its spot and squatted down to read the spines on the third shelf. These seemed to be literature. Romances for the most part. But one book caught his eye. "Tales for Young and Old". He pulled the book out and scanned the contents page. The volume was broken down into parts.

Part one was "Fun Tales". One of the stories was "A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig", which sounded very interesting to the hungry young man.

Part two was "Tales of Romance and Love". He saw "The Cave of Two Lovers", among many other stories listed.

Part three was "Tales of adventure". The stories seemed to be about earthbenders and their amazing feats, including one on Avatar Kyoshi.

The fourth part was called, "Dark Tales". This section seemed to be mostly ghost stories, and stories about the spirits. One story called "The Boy Who Drew Cats" intrigued the artist in the tribesman. Then there were stories of "Kho the Face Stealer".

The last part was just called "Prophecies". The last tale was called "The Dark Twins of Tui and La and the End of the World". He was just flipping to the story when he heard the door behind him open. He put the book back, straightened up and turned to see Toph reenter the room.

"Everything ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah…" She answered unhappily.

She stood by the table for a moment, thinking.

"Might as well get this over with." She said making a decision, she walked to the sash and pulled it down then released it.

"What's that?" Sokka asked walking over to her.

"It's a thing you pull for a servant." She told him.

He examined the sash, seeing that it was attached at the top to a small chain that disappeared up through a hole in the ceiling. He reached out to pull it, but Toph slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch it!" She ordered. "You only have to pull it once."

"I just wanted to see how it works." He answered defensively, while rubbing his stinging hand.

"If you pull it more than once they think you're a little child playing with it and someone will be punished." She explained testily.

"Sorry." He told her. "Just curious."

Sokka sat on the end of the couch/bench staring up at the chain and the hole in the ceiling wondering what happened up there, using all his willpower to restrain himself from pulling on the sash again.

Toph paced the room.

There must be a crawl space up there. The tribesman thought staring at the grommeted hole in the ceiling.

He pulled up the image of the main building from his first visit. It was two stories with a peaked roof, which meant that there was plenty of room above them. There was probably a ladder or something to get up there, just for maintenance of the system, that he could use to examine exactly how it worked.

He was still thinking of how he could get up there when he heard the door from the main hallway open. He looked to see a young woman a few years older than himself standing in the open door looking back at him. She seemed surprised to see anyone in the room, let alone a heavily armed, travel stained, water tribesman.

Sokka shot to his feet, to be polite. The servant took a step back at the movement. Her long green silken robe whispering as she moved. Sokka noticed a winged boar embroidered over her left shoulder.

"Who are you?! The woman demanded. "And what are you doing in Mistress Toph's room?!"

"He is my guest!" Toph told her in a harsh voice.

"Mistress!" The woman exclaimed after a second's pause, as she looked at the young earthbender.

The servant bowed low to Toph, which the blind woman acknowledged with a slight nod of her head. Sokka bowed in answer.

"Please inform my parents that I have returned." Toph commanded. "And convey my request for an audience with them at their earliest convenience."

"Yes Mistress." The servant said, never rising from her bow.

Still in the low bow the woman backed out of the room and closed the door.

"Well now the fun will really start." Toph said with a sigh.

The blind twelve year old began to pace the room again. The tribesman sat again on the couch watching her.

"Any chance that next time we could get some food?" Sokka asked in a quiet voice.

That got a laugh from Toph, and she walked over, jumped into his lap and hugged him.

"Sure!" She told him. "Next time we'll ask for some food."

"Thanks!" He told her, then he pulled her close and kissed her.

She kissed back, letting her fear flow out of her.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you." He answered, giving her another kiss.

She replied in kind, settling into him.

.

The woman rushed down the hallway as quickly as she could without appearing too indecorous. She was in her mid thirties, with her long black hair bound up in a tight bun at the back of her head. Two long silver pins were driven into the bun to hold it in place. Her long silk robe was split down the sides revealing her long dark green silk pants and embroidered green slippers. Her face gave no sign of her agitation, being a mask of disapproval.

Behind her chased a thirteen year old girl. Her long black hair braided into a very tight cue down her back. She was dressed in a dark green jacket that ended just below her waist, that was embroidered with the winged boar on the left breast. Her black loose silk pants ending just above her simple black slippers.

The woman stopped at the door to the class room and prepared herself. Her beautiful, delicate little flower had returned. She banished the happy little smile that had begun to creep onto her face. Although she was ecstatic, it would not do for anyone to see such a breach of etiquette.

She settled her face into the, what she felt, was a neutral expression, but to any other observer was her permanent scowl. She checked on the girl behind and to her right. The girl took a half step back expecting a blow, and trying not to grimace. But she had passed inspection, apparently, since she was not struck.

The woman grabbed the door handle with authority and pushed the door open.

"Mistress..." The woman said, as she bowed her way into the room, but then, as she straightened, she saw her refined little charge, straddling some dark skinned, obviously foreign, road stained, peasant, or worse yet some minor soldier, or Oma forbid, a mercenary Water Tribesman, and kissing him.

At the woman's voice Toph jumped off of Sokka and landed on her feet, by the table, her hands folded delicately in front of her. Sokka shot to his feet, startled by the voice and the sudden movement of his girlfriend.

"What is That?!" The woman demanded pointing to the young man. "And what is it doing in your room?!

Toph said nothing, hanging her head and staring at the carpet.

"My name is Sokka." The tribesman said with a small polite bow.

"No One is talking to You!" The woman said in a seething voice, dismissing him.

The dark skinned teen was taken aback for a second by the abruptness of this strange woman. He did not remember her from his previous visit to the estate.

"Madame Wang." Toph said in a quiet voice, her head still down, as she bowed to the woman.

Oh ho! Sokka thought. So this is the famous Madame Wang.

This new knowledge made his decision for him.

"But I am talking to you!" The tribesman said with authority.

This was not the sheltered teen of a year ago speaking. This was the leader of Team Avatar. A warrior who had led an invasion, and destroyed an air fleet, who had fought and killed many times his number in battle.

"I am a guest of your mistress, and you will treat me with the respect you owe to her." He told the woman, shifting his weight onto his right leg and resting his left hand on the grip of his sword.

"How dare you?!" The servant spat out at him.

"You!" Sokka spat back silencing her. "Do not want to know what I will dare, but if you don't return your mistress's bow and my own you are going to find out."

With this last the tribesman rose to his full height, almost a head taller than the older woman.

"He is my guest." Toph's quiet voice entered the silence in the room.

"Forgive me mistress." The woman said bowing low, to the small bender. "But you are not allowed visitors in your rooms. It is a house rule."

"Girl!" Madam Wang turned to the girl she had entered with. "Fetch the stick."

"Yes Madam." The girl bowed and stepping to the wall pulled the rattan cane off of the wall and handed it to the woman, with a second bow.

"The rules are for all of us, Mistress." The servant proclaimed with a small bow to the blind girl. "And there are consequences for all who don't obey them."

"Girl! Drop you trousers!" Madame Wang ordered her companion.

The thirteen year old girl reached for the waist band of her pants, then with a look of embarrassed horror, realized that there was a man in the room, not just any man but from his look and clothes he could possibly be a Water Tribe Barbarian, and the idea of exposing herself to him froze her in terror. What if he can't control himself?! She wondered to herself.

"Hurry girl!" The woman commanded.

Toph stiffened in fear. She wanted to cover her ears to block out the sounds she knew would soon be filling the room.

Poor Girl began to undress, fear of Madam Wang overcoming her fear of the barbarian.

Sokka saw his friend's reaction and acted.

"Don't!" He commanded the girl.

"You don't give orders here!" Madame Wang nearly screamed, raising the cane over her head.

As she slashed the cane at the young man's face, she saw him move, and before she could react, the cane was twisting out of her hand and flying up into the air. There was a flash of steel as the teen drew his sword and she heard two distinct "tings" as it moved through the air. She stepped back in surprise and just noticed the young man re-sheathing his sword as the cane, now in three pieces, landed on the carpet.

"Madam Wang!" Toph's clear strong voice cut across the sound of steel being slid into its scabbard. "You seem to forget who does give the orders here."

With quick deliberate steps the earthbender crossed to the older woman, and lifting her head to "look" into the face of the taller woman, said,

"I am the mistress here, not you. This man is my guest and as such you will treat him with the same respect you would have towards me, or my father will hear of it."

"Yes, mistress." Madam Wang was finally able to choke out, with a small bow.

There was a light click as the door opened and the young woman from earlier stepped in bowing.

"Mistress Toph." The young woman said from her bow. "Your parents will see you now."

"Come on Sokka, we better be going." Toph said heading for the door.

"Just a second." The tribesman said moving to his gear and pulling on his coat and packs.

"You can leave all that here." She told him.

"Toph." He whispered back to her. "I have a feeling I won't be returning to this room anytime soon."

"Your probably right." She sadly agreed in an under tone.

Once he was packed up, the two of them joined the young woman as she led them down the hall. Madam Wang and Poor Girl followed at a respectful distance.

XXX

To be continued:

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Disclaimer: "Avatar the Last Airbender" the characters and the world were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and owned by Nickelodeon and Viacom or Paramount or some huge corporation. This is purely a work of fan fiction because I wanted to play in their world and I love the characters that they created.

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Author's notes:

Hi All,

Yes very late once again. I am very sorry but this chapter is being a real bear (I know I always say that, but it really is). It has been such a bear that I still haven't finished it yet and I'm at 11,500 words, so I have decided to split it into two parts. This is the first part and I hope to finish the second this weekend.

Thanks so much for reading.

***New FanART;**** Sicksketch has done some wonderful sketches over on Tumblr. Please take a look there is one of Su-Kami and a preliminary of Toph in her dance costume. You can find them by searching the "ill walk you home" tag. Please take a look.

X

Thank you all so much for sticking with my story.

I have to thank everyone for the really generous and kind reviews. You guys keep me going and I really appreciate all the support. I always try to answer all reviews. If I missed any one please forgive me.

I'd like to thank all the guest reviewers for their criticism and support. I really am trying to get better at this and need all the help I can get.

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Once again thank you to all those who have added this story to their alerts and especially their favorites, and a very special thank you to all who have added me to your author alerts and favorites. That is a real honor for me. I hope I have not disappointed you with this chapter.

Thank you to all for reading

All comments and/or criticisms are more than welcome.