Gradual Changes

Visitor

Visitor

A man walked down the halls of the Bei Fong manor with his long black braid swishing around his legs. His step was quick with purpose and his golden eyes reflected determination as he carried a small silver tray towards the room third from the end on the left side. Knocking ever so quietly, the man let himself in and glanced around. No light penetrated the room's blind covered windows and no sound could be heard.

"Miss Toph?" he whispered. "It's me, Kuzon. I've brought you some breakfast."

No reply. Kuzon was not surprised. After Toph's sudden return the previous evening he did not expect her to be feeling very well. He had just started tidying up for her when she burst into her room and latched her arms around his waist, crying as he had not seen her do in four years. Back when her young friend Aang had first moved away.

"You really should eat, Miss," he whispered a little louder. A shuffling sound told him that she was still buried under her comforter on the bed. He placed the tray of food on the small desk by the window and opened the blinds, letting the sun's early morning rays light the room for him. She groaned from under her shelter at the sound.

"Your mother is worried sick about you," Kuzon tried again. "You were so distraught last night when you came home." The comforter rose slightly from the bed. "No, I have not told her what you confided in me, Miss. But I certainly hope that you plan to."

Toph pulled the comforter tighter around herself and flopped back onto the large bed. She was clearly not going to be speaking to anyone anytime soon.

"I will inform your parents and the school that you shall be staying home today." Kuzon heard what he interpreted to be a grateful grunt from the pile that was on the bed. "I shall be back to check on you later. Do please try to eat something."

Kuzon returned to his young mistress' room as the sun neared its peak that day. When he entered, the first thing he noticed was that Toph was now partially above the covers, sitting up against the head of her bed. The second was that her breakfast tray had remained untouched. He allowed himself an exasperated sigh as he ventured closer to her bedside. Her hands were lightly gliding over something in her lap.

"It is good to see that you are at least up, Miss Toph," Kuzon said as he tried to get a better look. It was a shirt. A green one with yellow tiger stripes and much too large to be one of Toph's. It did not take very long for Kuzon to realize who it had belonged to. "All of the guilt in the world means nothing if you do nothing."

Toph gripped the shirt tightly in her hands before turning her head away from Kuzon. It was strange to see her like this. She was always so lively and rowdy. This quiet Toph was unsettling. It was as though she had actually become the daughter that her parents had always thought that she was.

"You should bathe," Kuzon said as he gathered the still full tray. "And then you should eat. Do not linger in bed for much longer. It is not good for you."

Not long after, Kuzon was pleased to hear the sound of running water issuing from the bathroom. A good refreshing shower was just what she would need to clear her mind.

The hours of the day rolled by. Toph was still not speaking to anyone and she had not yet eaten anything either. She was, however, out of her room and wandering around the estate. Wearing that same shirt that Kuzon had noticed earlier no less. The blank look on her face reminded Kuzon terribly of when she was a young girl. She seemed so incredibly lonely back then. The only time Toph showed any signs of happiness before Aang was whenever Kuzon's daughter would come and visit her.

"Maybe I should have her over after school," Kuzon said to himself. "Perhaps Miss Toph will feel a little better."

By the time the afternoon sun was peaking in from the western windows, Toph's mood had not improved. Kuzon found her walking aimlessly in the garden on the eastern side of the estate. This was where she always disappeared to when she was lonely or upset. Kuzon often wondered if this was where she had been on the day she met Aang, but had never asked. Toph turned to acknowledge him when he came outside and greeted her.

"I have brought someone to see you," Kuzon said.

A pair of vibrations reached Toph. A pair of happy vibrations. A pair of happy and bouncy vibrations. Happy, bouncy, annoying, vibrations.

"Tophy!" Ty Lee screamed as she wrapped her arms around Toph's shoulders. "Oh, Tophy, it's so good to see you again!"

"Don't call me that," Toph groaned under Ty Lee's embrace. At least she was speaking.

"But it's so cute and perfect for you!" Ty Lee explained. "Hard on the outside, but yummy and delicious on the inside! Just like the candy!"

Kuzon laughed quietly to himself as he watched Toph start to chase his daughter around the garden. Ty Lee always managed to get Toph up and running whether she really wanted to or not. The two were near complete opposites, and yet they got along so well in Kuzon's eyes. With that thought, he returned to his duties in the manor.

"You bubble brained loony! Get back here!" Toph yelled.

"Wow," Ty Lee said as she cartwheeled out of Toph's reach. "You don't seem upset. Daddy told me something was bugging you today."

Toph's pace slowed to a walk and her face fell at the reminder.

"What's wrong?" Ty Lee asked as she approached Toph on her hands. "You haven't caught me yet."

"I don't wanna talk about it," Toph answered.

"Aw, pwease, Tophy?"

"Stop calling me that! I don't want to talk about it cause you could never understand! You have all these friends at your school where you're so popular and so perfect! And how is that even possible when your so incredibly annoying?"

Ty Lee's smile faded a little as she tumbled down onto her back and looked up at Toph.

"I have faults," Ty Lee said. "A lot of my friends tell me I'm annoying. And weird. But it's okay, cause they're my friends. I know that no matter how annoying I am, or weird I act, my real friends will still be my friends no matter what."

Ty Lee's words panged at Toph's heart.

"Even if you mess up real bad?" she asked.

"Even if I mess up real bad," Ty Lee smiled.

"And what if you hurt someone?" Toph asked with a shaky voice.

"You mean like if I crash into them with one of my somersaults?"

"No," Toph shook her head. "Much worse. Like really really hurt them."

"I guess I would say 'I'm sorry'," Ty Lee answered. "I would say I was sorry for hurting them, and try to make it better."

"What if they don't accept your apology?" Toph was visibly starting to shake a little now, but Ty Lee ignored it.

"There's no question about that," Ty Lee smiled. "Friends always forgive each other, even if they don't say so right away. Sometimes it just takes a little time for the hurt to go away before they can forgive you."

Toph sat down on the soft grass of the garden and pondered what Ty Lee had said, hoping that she was right. Ty Lee crawled around behind her and draped her arms over Toph's shoulders as she rubbed her forehead on Toph's hair.

"You'll see," she said soothingly. "Aang will forgive you."

Toph nodded her head silently.

"Wait a second. I never said anything about Aang."

"Of course you didn't," Ty Lee laughed sarcastically into Toph's hair. "You're moping around about hurting Zuko or Katara's feelings."

Although she would never admit it, Toph was glad that Ty Lee was there, stroking her hair and laughing. Ty Lee was annoying beyond reason and she said the most random and odd things most of the time, but sometimes the perfect thing would slip out and surprise Toph.

"Can I braid your hair now?"

But only sometimes.