Tears- Taang

Toph was not one to openly show emotion. She always seemed to wear a smile or a look of utter indifference. She was not gentle or extremely kind. Aang dreaded performing an earthbending move incorrectly because he knew he would have to face the wrath of Sifu Toph.

But Toph also taught him some things he had not expected. He’d never actually felt an element before. Sure, he’d been pretty close, but he’d never really bonded with air, water, or fire. Toph made him curious. He had once stolen from the campsite at night and wrapped his belt around his eyes. He had felt the earth, becoming one with it. He finally understood the magnitude of the simple statement from so long ago, when Toph had told him how she saw.

There was something else she had taught him. She had unknowingly showed him that even her hard outer shell was sometimes penetrated. One night, when the fire had died out and everyone had  gone to sleep, Aang had seen a figure slipping out of the clearing that held their campsite. He saw that Toph's earth tent was empty and climbed a tree to follow her. He moved lightly, hoping he was not sending too many vibrations through the trees. He noticed Toph stop on the bank of a river and collapse on the ground in a heap.

Aang cautiously slid to the ground at the edge of the forest and stood there, watching her. After abut fifteen minutes, she straightened so that she was kneeling. Hunched over, her body began to tremble. It took him a few minutes to realize that she was crying. Toph was crying.

Without thinking, he stood up and went over to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, then sat down next to her. She sniffed, and her tears stopped falling. She leaned on him and said in a quiet whisper, "You better not tell anyone, Twinkle Toes."

Aang smiled, and they both sat there for quite some time, enjoying the silence of the night together.