Gradual Changes

Endings and Beginnings

"Hey," Toph greeted. "Come to think of it, Hot Head and Psycho Chick here should have known where I was. Your guys' uncle was there too."

"How was I supposed to know that you would be there?" Azula asked without sitting. "I didn't even think you were going to show up. I mean, why would you want to go to a fireworks show anyway? You can't see them."

"Azula, do you know what the word 'tact' means?" Zuko asked with a stern voice.

"S'okay, Hot Head. I'm here for the same reason you are," Toph told Azula. "Talk as tough and uncaring as you want, but you aren't here for the fireworks either."

Azula turned her nose up to the others before looking away from them.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said as she started to make her way back to Sokka and his calamity waiting to happen. Toph just smiled victoriously.

Aang's eyes were finally focusing on Toph's frame in the dark. She was wearing what looked like it had been a fancy white dress before the snow and dirt had gotten to it. Down at the hem of the dress, Aang could see a pair of loose fitting blue jeans sneaking out. He could not help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Toph asked.

"Not a thing," he continued to laugh. "Have I told you how wonderful you are?"

"Not lately," she smiled. "Why? What brought that on?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "Nothing at all."

"All right!" Sokka screamed. "Heads up!"

A quiet "pop" then "shoom," and finally a large blast lit up the night sky. Cheers erupted from the small group as more fireworks shot up into the sky. Even Azula seemed to be enjoying the show, clapping after every few colorful explosions. As she had said though, Toph was not enjoying the fireworks themselves. She smiled to herself as the sound of her friends' laughter and and cheers filled her ears.

"Hey, who wants to help me?" Sokka called out. "We can set off a bunch at once if I have another set of hands!"

"I'll do it!" Aang answered as he ran over. "What do you need me to do?"

"Be careful, you two," Suki warned with a chuckle. "I only have one first aid kit with me."

Sokka and Aang lined a series of rockets and mortars next to each other, carefully entwining their fuses. Shortly after lighting the wicks, a series of light streams fired into the sky and triggered a multi colored blast. A collection of "oohs" and "ahhs" followed along with the sight. Toph flinched a little at the collective sound of the bangs. The blasts were near deafening, and she did not like how close they sounded to the ground, but tried not to let her worry show.

"That was great!" Aang exclaimed. "Let's do it again!"

Sokka's excitement rivaled Aang's as they began to line them up once again. Aang could barely contain himself as he wrapped the wicks together while Sokka put the fireworks down in a row. Once the line was complete, Sokka flicked open his lighter and warned Aang to step back. Aang was hopping on the balls of his feet in anticipation. The nagging worry in the back of Toph's mind was prickling at her brain too much to ignore.

"Aang, maybe you better back up some more," Toph warned. "I don't want Sokka to blow you-"

It was more incredible than the mightiest of thunderclaps. Toph groaned as she found herself lying down in the cold snow, knocked over by the sheer force of the explosion. She could not feel anything except the throbbing in her head, and muffled, fuzzy vibrations reaching her palm as it pushed her from the frozen cushion she had landed on.