Castle in the Mist

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.

Scraaaaaape. Scraaaaaaaaaaaape. Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape.

Ker-KLUNK Ker-KLUNK Ker-KLUNK

...

Scraaaaaaaaape...

If one were to follow the sound, they'd find a small girl working her hardest at pulling a large lump of metal- probably twice her size or more- down the hall, towards her room in the living area.

Although it was obvious it took some effort for her to move it, it seemed as if it wasn't taking too much out of her and she was getting some distance with it.

Soon, though, she determined that it was break time, and relaxed her hold on the chunk. She leaned against it and panted, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Geeze. How much farther until she got to her room?

[Ooc: Toph's still willing to make weapons if anyone wants any! :D]

Toph knew she found the courtyard through various senses. She could smell the fresh air, hear the birds, and feel the warm sunlight and cool breeze. The hard stone from the castle faded into softer walkway stone as she moved out into the yard. When her feet touched the grass, she smiled to herself. No longer was the resonance of vibration from the earth surging out and back at her with all its strength. Instead, it met resistance and the grass muffled her senses as it tickled her feet, creating a sort of static for her until it gave way under her soles to let foot meet soil and allow the reverberations communicate to her nearly half a second later than solid ground.

It was a strange sensation, but she welcomed it. It calmed her, and she continued to smile while she moved to what she thought was a nice spot.

She breathed calmly and evenly as she took her stance. One move, another, and then a third, and a perfectly shaped chaise rose up from the ground. She felt proud of herself as she moved to it and lay down, body lying comfortably against the contour of the grass-covered reclining seat.

Once decidedly comfortable, Toph pulled a flask from her belt and took a drink from it. Nice, cool water. She'd stolen the idea from another castle inhabitant and had made one out of a chunk of metal ripped from her bed frame. He used his for naughty juice; she used hers for water.

Toph felt a little guilty. Most of the castle was trying to figure out how to get out of there. She, though, wasn't putting so much effort into it. Sure, she wanted to leave, but what could she do? She'd promised a new friend that she wouldn't go far without eyes to help her spot the monsters she couldn't detect. While she wanted to do her part of the exploring and searching for a way home, she didn't want to be useless in a fight against a flying shadow with claws.

There were very few times that Toph would admit her blindness to be a hindrance. A skirmish against the monsters that moved without contact or sound was one of those very few times.

"I'll just wait for a friend," she told no one before closing her eyes and laying her head back against her arm.

The only indication Toph had of her small, stuffy prison finally breaking open was the rush of cold, fresh air that surged in around her. Oh, thank the badgermoles, she thought as she carefully moved out of the sarcophagus and onto hard, cold flooring.

The annoyed, pained grimace fell from her face as her worst fears were confirmed- she couldn't see. Her bending was gone! But how?! What happened?! Where was she?!

All she could remember was finishing up her bedtime tea and relaxing in her room to the sound of the old general playing his-

Her thoughts stopped dead.

"Uncle? Uncle!" Nothing but her own echoes. She tried not to panic- maybe he was outside? But where was outside? Forget that, where was she? This wasn't the tea shop! It didn't smell like it. It didn't sound like it. It didn't even feel like it. Had she slept through being attacked and captured? "Sokka? Aang? Katara? ... anyone?"

No answers. She felt exposed and frightened. How many years had it been since she was this alone, this disconnected from the earth and her friends? Not without incident, she made her way to the wall, limping now, as she tried to find a way out. A door? Window? Anything?

Maybe she'd only traveled a few feet, one wall, or even an entire room. She couldn't tell through the pain in both her head and her knee. The bewildering silence and humbling lack of bending didn't improve matters. The instant she found a nice corner, she sat, back pressed firmly against the wall, feet and hands flat against the floor. If nothing else, she could wait it out, see if something happened.

[Ooc: I do not believe Toph has a tag yet, but the instant she gets one, I'll come in and fix it. ^^; ]