castleinthemist | 06

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atla: toph bei fong [ou]

06 - Open

Early morning. The sun wasn't due up for another three hours, at the minimum.

Still, the shadows were up and about, moving around, seeking and searching for the poor lost souls that happened to be caught out at such an inconvenient time. They were easy prey, and the shadows had a quota to meet.

And Toph? Well, Toph had barely gotten the hang of being human, much less being a shadow. Some inkling of her former self remained intact under the darkness and it plagued at her repugnant coating of evil.

As she had been, Toph was hard headed. She didn't give up and was tough as nails, even against something that destroyed her from the inside out AND outside in. Even as more and more of her was consumed by the shadows taking over her being, something kept screaming at her to get help, get better. She was unsure how for the most part.

Then, a hunting trip took them closer to the fountain than most of them willed to go. The water, it burns! they warned, hissing amongst them and to her. Warn the new shadow. Teach the new shadow.

The new shadow didn't listen. The new shadow only remembered the safety and security of the fountain and the magic healing it provided for her and her friends when they'd been attacked. Maybe, just maybe, it could do the same once more. Would it lend a wayward, lost shadow relief?

She ignored the hissing and screeching as they called to her. She didn't want what they had to offer. She wanted healing. When she fell into the water, it was a bit more than she could handle.

Early morning, before the sun was even in the sky, a loud, blood curling scream echoed through the halls and rooms adjacent to the fountain. It was a painful experience for a shadow- feeling the darkness molded to the body and soul tearing away, melting, being cleansed and bleached and cauterized and torn to shreds.

By the time the screaming faded into deep, gasping breaths, the young girl was on her hands and knees in the water. She was dripping, more with sweat than fountain water, and something she couldn't identify. Something heavy, radiating a strange cold heat and nothingness that seemed to evaporate more than it dripped.

She noticed it was silent. No more could she hear the constant chatter, hissing, screeching, roaring and barking of the shadows on their own level of hearing. Had it worked? Had the fountain worked? After all that, it better.

The small Earthbender dragged herself to the solid stone, collapsing against the wall and curling in on herself. Her body ached all around. She couldn't tell if anything was bruised or broken on the surface, but from what she could feel, everything was whole and healthy... just... she could feel the sting in her neck and the ache in her limbs from events she couldn't recall.

She was tired and weak. Without anything left to run her, the girl quickly and quietly drifted off to sleep.

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Duo awoke with a start. Outside it was drizzling, so he wasn't going out there no matter how much that dragon wanted him to. As for him? He was starting to feel a bit...under the weather. He was getting sick. His muscles were sore, his head felt heavy as a rock, but he wasn't sick yet. His body was still trying to decide if it was strong enough to fend this one off.

"Hmmng." Duo said, rising to sit and take a long drink of the cool water by his bedside table. That's when he heard it. A scream. He thought it was his imagination. He's been hearing plenty of that, dreams or no here and there. It was his imagination. Had to be. Fevered and delirious.

So here he is. Sitting here on his bed, the noise beginning to register with his brain. Fuuuck me.

He stood up and shoved out of his room, passing into the common area and heading back towards the fountain. Once there? He saw her. The weak little lump of Earthbender, and in a moment, despite his sluggishness, he was at her side. "Toph!"

The girl didn't respond at first. She wasn't even sure if it was really him or just her sleepy mind fooling her.

Still her consciousness swam through her groggy, drowsy state, following his calling voice until she was able to open her eyes. It was more reflex than anything. It certainly didn't help her see or even help her wake up, but still her sightless eyes opened.

"... Duo?"

It was still another short time before she was examining her surroundings through her Bending again. Finally she knew where she was, and who was hovering over her. It was...

Her heart leaped before turning to lead and falling again. She didn't deserve his help after what she'd done, but she was so happy to find him okay.

"Duo," she would have shouted if she had the energy, but instead, all she could do was offer him a half-powered grin as she tried to force herself to sit up, with little progress.

"You're okay."

He pulled her into a brief hug but only after she responded to him and sat up, only after she asked if he was okay. Was he okay? What about her? That's all he cared about just then. So he sat with her for several moments, shaking nodding.

"Hmm. Yeah. More or less, but I'm alive." He said. He wasn't gonna ask what or why, even if she remembered. Only get her back to a bed some how.

"What about you?" His shoulders drooped a bit, his exhaustion betraying his feelings in his bodylanguage.

The hug was surprising, but nice. She was sad and happy when it ended. When she was released, she leaned forward, holding herself up.

"I'm okay," she told him, a tinge of discomfort in her voice though she was obviously trying to hide it.

Oh, what she wouldn't give for a nice warm and relaxing bath.

"I feel like I haven't moved in forever. Or I've been moving too much." She rubbed her legs up and down. She was referencing the sting and burn of muscles being used too strenuously, drowning in a build up of their own lactic acid. Most with a better understanding of physiology than her would be able to comprehend her soreness.

Still, beyond all of her stiff body and tired mind, she braced a hand against the wall and pulled herself to her feet. Bed. Bed sounded great. And she wanted a bed. The floor was always her place of comfort, but she needed something soft. And safe.

Okay, Toph. On the count of three. One... two... whooo... no. No, she wasn't walking anywhere too fast, not if one step obviously had the potential to drag her to her knees. She was too dizzy.

Duo got to his feet, pulling her up with him gently. And with that, he picked her legs up as well, holding her ac cross his arms. He grunted as he did so, feeling a bit tired and weak on his own. Just get her back to her room and everything'll be just fine.

Right?

His gut churned, a bit of apprehension filling him. It didn't fit. It didn't make sense. She was a shadow and now she wasn't. Wait. She was soaked, the spring! He looked back to the water, still crystal clear.

Figures. He turned his head down to look at the girl in his arms. With that, he started walking back to her room.

"It'll be okay." He'll make sure of that.

Being picked up caught her off guard. She was tense for a short moment before relaxing between his strong arms and chest. She adjusted herself until she could wrap her own arm around his neck to help with the load, and to help secure herself. It was somewhat awkward and she hoped her cheeks weren't as hot as she thought.

The grunting and exertion on his part weren't ignored or unnoticed by Toph. She felt bad. Was he hurting because of what she'd done to him under the influence of the castle? She was worried about him.

"W-what's with all the noise? Getting old on me... you... old man?" Oosh. Slipping with the retorts. If that wasn't a sign of how out of it she was, then what was?

"...Nah. Just as young as I was a few days ago. Not been getting much sleep though." Duo said as he carried her back to her room.

"And if it makes you feel better, my wit's escaped me the same. So don't worry. We can be unfunny together." He said with a soft chuckle. In no time at all, Duo had arrived at her room, letting the door open for him before walking in and setting her down on her bed.

Quatre rolled over when Duo came in with Toph. He hadn't really been sleeping, more like dozing on and off and Duo's voice and footsteps had been enough to wake him. He sat up, trying to make out who was with Duo in the dim light. It had to be either Ratchet or...Toph.

"Duo?"

Duo's words were at least comforting for Toph. She was still embarrassed, both at her situation and what she'd done to Duo as a shadow. However, his all too joyful attitude shined through again and it warmed her tired mind and aching body.

But she still couldn't fight back the guilt.

"I'm sure the casket didn't help, huh?" She said it softly, lowly, facing away from him and wringing her hands uncomfortably.

She turned her attention away from him as she realized she knew the path they were taking. Back to her room?

"Probably not a good idea. You're going to wake up-" she winced and sighed when she heard Quatre's voice. "- my room mates."

Oh, but she quit arguing without further ado when she hit the soft mattress. That was almost enough to knock her out where she lay. Almost.

"I don't blame y'for it." Duo said, setting her down onto the soft bed inside the room. When he heard Quatre's voice, he looked between her and his old friend.

"Yeah. Sorry to wake you, Quat." He said, sitting beside Toph on the bed.

He shook his head and stretched. "Its okay, I was probably going to wake up soon anyhow." He said in a low voice. "Its good to see you again Toph. A lot of us were worried...that...well its good to see you're going to be okay."

"It's good to hear you again, Quatre," she told him, groping around until she could find her blanket and wrap up in it. The castle was cold enough as it was, but her body fighting to put the warmth of the living back into it was making things worse.

She'd been gone a long time, hadn't she?

"I wouldn't know about seeing you, though."

A modicum of humor. A good sign, yes?

Duo looked down at the mention of being worried. Of course they were.

"Quatre, you heard about what happened? Her being a shadow all this time?" Did they even know that could happen?

He smiled at the joke though, he was still feeling pretty severe, and tired. Annoyed. This place was going to get them all killed. Or worse.

"I heard." He said, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "And seeing or not, its really good to have you back."

"Thanks, Quatre," she muttered, hugging herself tight. If either of them spoke to her, she wouldn't hear it. Her mind was on other things.

Her body, while sore and tired, was otherwise perfectly fine. The sting in her neck was unfounded as there was nothing to show for it. Her bones and muscles felt like she'd taken a tumble but nothing was broken. Physically she was in as good of shape as she was when she arrived at the castle.

Mentally, though, she was torn.

She was Toph! She was the greatest Earthbender there ever was and ever would be! She'd fought armies. She'd fought crazy Firebenders. She'd fought professional Benders for sport, because she was bored. She taught the AVATAR. She invented Metalbending, and even had a place in King Bumi's court!

But yet...

She'd died.

She hadn't just gotten hurt or sick or injured.

Toph had died.

And while she was dead, she had little to no control over her actions. Yet she could see it all.

She hurt Duo. She hadn't beaten him but she'd restrained him and left him to die in the Queen's clutches.

The thought of it made her a mix between sick and angry and it all came out in tears. She covered her head with her blanket and clutched at her pillow.

She'd hurt Duo. She'd almost hurt Sokka. And what became of Harth?

Without another word and as much thought, she was slowly sliding off her bed until her feet hit the ground. She paused for a long moment, using the bed to support her as her body established its balance.

"I... gotta go check on Sokka and Harth." She needed to know they had gotten out alright.

Duo just sat there silently for a little while, at the end of her bed looking down at the young girl next to him. She couldn't see him, but he was dead tired, both physically and emotionaly. When she got up, he caught her, a hand around her waist.

"No you don't, Toph. Not yet. I'll tell Sokka you're okay but you need your sleep." Yep. She wasn't getting off the hook for her friends.

"Quatre, can you watch her a while?"

Quatre nodded and moved over to Toph's bed. "Yeah...but you should take it easy too Duo." He couldn't help but notice how worn out Duo looked. Though honestly, most of them were starting to get that look. They couldn't afford to get sick here, with next to no medicine or medical care.

The hand startled Toph. She flinched, grabbing his wrist tightly at first. Her grip loosened as reflex died down.

When Quatre began to move, she gave out a rough sigh and forced Duo's hand away. She didn't have much strength at the time and he was much stronger than her anyway, but she gave it her best and it was at least enough to move away from him.

"I don't need watching. I need to know for myself that Sokka and Harth are okay."

She needed to talk to them, hear their voices, feel their movements... and... maybe even lose herself in a strong water-tribe hug.

Just hearing Duo say they were fine didn't cut it for Toph. She glared at nothing as she put in more effort to stay on her feet and not collapse. It was becoming easier and easier but that didn't mean anything more than a stiff breeze would have an issue knocking her over.

"You stay here and rest. I'll join you when I get back."

Duo didn't let up, he moved to stand in front of her, putting his hands on both shoulders. "Toph, you'll see them in the morning, but right now I just need to make sure you get your sleep, okay? It's non negotiable."

Because someone had to be the adult here. He sighed, pulling her over to him as he sat on the bed into a hug. "I don't wanna be the badguy here but I don't wanna take any chances right now."

"Why don't you go get Sokka...and Harth, and bring them here? Is that a decent compromise?" Quatre asked the both of them.

Toph let out something just short of a growl and struggled against Duo. It was almost pathetic struggling, really. She was tired and weakened and he was physically stronger than her on a good day. It was clear he wasn't going to let her leave that easily.

When Quatre spoke his suggestion, Toph finally put in the extra oomph and shoved away from Duo. The force made her fall back on her rump but that didn't bother her. She preferred the ground anyway.

"That's fine with me. I just want to know they're okay."

Then she thought back to what Duo had said.

"... wait, morning? What time is it now?"

"...It's dark out, I don't even know anymore." What time it was day to day. Days were long, nights were short. He was tired and irritable. There was just so little he wanted to deal with these days.

"I need to sleep myself." Duo said, looking down at Toph, then to Quatre. He stood up and headed for the door. "Stay here, I'll look for those two."

He rose to his feet and headed for the door.

"Its early morning." He told Toph, leaning back on his hands and watching as Duo left the room. "How are you feeling Toph? Do you have any injuries?"

Toph turned her head towards Duo's departure. Once he was gone, she sighed and relaxed. Well, slumped, really.

She heard Quatre speaking and turned an ear towards him.

"I'm fine, as far as I know. Nothing feels broken. It's sore and I might have taken a beating but I don't think there's any real injuries."

She was quiet a moment.

"Is Duo okay?" You have the working eyes, Quatre. Duo may not lie, but he's not above hiding things, now is he? She trusted the older man not to fib to her, but she didn't trust him to be entirely truthful. She knew what she'd done to him. She just wanted to make sure he was truly alright.

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06 - Open

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