Chapter 50: Chapter 50
I'm very lucky to have water magic. Seriously. It's very versatile. There's blood magic and healing in it, and traveling on water with it is a pleasure. And when it's hot, you can always freeze some ice. But during my time on the island, I was only happy because I could heal. If I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to walk. Not after my students found out where I was going.
It was as if they saw me for the last time and wanted to take at least one more piece of me. I was certainly not against it, in fact I was very much for it, but I will always be grateful for the opportunity to treat myself. Nevertheless, twenty of my disciples were no longer interested in being with me one by one, and came to visit me three and five at a time.
It was an interesting experience, so much so that I stayed on the island for ten days and was now actively sailing toward the meeting place. I had to forget the conspiracy and sail again on a machine of my own construction.
If I had been alone, I wouldn't have bothered and would have sailed in something smaller, but I had to take Kaya with me. Still, this might be their last chance to meet. Anything could happen. Since I didn't know the exact place, I had to wander around looking for it, running from the Fire Warriors' ships, confusing their cartographers with my twists and turns and choice of directions.
But things turned out to be a bit easier. Not far from the Fire Lord's palace was a small island. That's where everyone gathered, and when I realized that, I threw off the surveillance and sneaked in quietly. How quietly? We jumped onto the island at full speed because there were rocks all around. Although the landing was rough, no one was hurt.
«Is everyone okay?» I asked my passengers. They all had green faces because we had only stopped a few times in those few days, and the rest of the time we were looping through fire country. It was clear that we had been accompanied by Fire Nation ships, but whether they were low on fuel, or whether I had become stronger from all these adventures, I managed to evade them all quite successfully.
Only the speed was appropriate, from which all faces were green «I understand you», getting out, I destroyed the car, or rather, plunged it into the ground «Welcome to the land of fire».
First we have to see if we're in the right place. A moment to gather momentum and send it into the ground with a kick of my foot. The island, though small, was a good place to hide. But I had enough strength to quickly explore the entire island. And yes, we were in the right place. I sensed Soku and Katara. Yes, and Appa stood out because of his size, which could not be mistaken.
«Your children are waiting for you», I said to Kaya. She perked up and quickly cleaned up.
Just in time, because the children were almost there, but one girl decided to stand out and started attacking me. I knew immediately that it was Toph, so I accepted her game.
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POV Toph
«So how long do we have to wait?» asked Toph lazily.
«Three days», Katara said just as lazily.
«It's going to be a long three days», Toph replied and just as she was about to annoy Soku again, she felt the strongest pulse on the island. Laziness was lifted like a hand «Alien!» shouted Toph and sent her pulse to look at the stranger «Or not?» she whispered uncertainly and after a little hesitation, she ran towards the stranger.
«Toph, stop!» Katara shouted along with Aang. Looking at each other, they all jumped on Appa and flew after Toph.
But she didn't listen to them. And to be honest, she couldn't. All her thoughts were occupied with the hope that this was exactly who she thought it was. And the closer she got, the clearer his image became. With every step she took, she sent out a pulse to make sure. There could be no mistake. It was him.
Giving in to emotion instead of reason, she attacked. With all her strength and skill, she would prove it to him! Prove what? It didn't matter, just prove it.
Time slowed down for both of them and they collided. She attacked him and he gently pushed her away to avoid hurting her. It was as if Toph was a wave, or rather a whole tsunami, and her opponent was a mountain. A mountain that couldn't be moved.
A mountain so strong that not even time could stop it. But gradually, time after time, the wave weakened, and the last time it hit that mountain, it did not push her away, but simply embraced her and pressed her against it.
This was something that her dam of emotions that she had held all her life could not withstand, and it broke into pieces. And she wept. And with her tears came all the pain she'd felt.
When she was on the estate, when she was traveling, all her worries and fears came out next to the one who had understood and accepted her for who she was, next to the one who had become her role model, next to the one who had become her father, if only for one day.