Caves and Corridors

The party was loud, but Sokka didn't really hear it. He stood there talking with Suki, his former girlfriend, but he had only a vague idea of what they were saying. The conversation was pleasant enough. Smiling, she had her arm around some other guy. Sokka hadn't bothered to catch his name. He privately thought of the interloper as Jerkface.

Jerkface was saying something about wanting to go dance with Suki. He was asking if Sokka minded. Sokka shook his head no and said something cheerful-sounding about needing some refreshments anyway. He watched them head out onto the dance floor. The music sounded cheerful, too. Of course it would, at this third-anniversary-of-the-peace party. Zuko would hardly have let the band play anything depressing. Which was too bad. Sokka thought he could go for some depressing music right about now.

He turned around and scanned the table area. Katara and Aang would be off dancing, of course, but maybe Toph—oh, there she was, off to the side a bit, kind of in a corner, by herself. Sokka made his way over to her table and sat down across from her.

"Hey, what's up?" she greeted him.

"I just saw Suki and her new… boyfriend." Sokka could barely get the last word out.

"Yeah, I know, I was watching," Toph said. She nodded in the direction of her feet. "They seem happy enough. You, on the other hand, seem like you need a drink."

She motioned toward a busboy and he set down two drinks in front of them. Toph took a sip of hers.

"I can't believe she's got a new boyfriend," Sokka fumed. He took a large gulp of his drink and set it back on the table.

"It has been over a year since you two called it quits, you know. And the breakup was mutual, remember? You have repeatedly told her you were okay with her seeing other people, and she's said the same thing to you. Plus, you've known about this guy for months." Toph took another drink. "What's his name, anyway?"

"I dunno. Jerkface," said Sokka, taking another large gulp.

Toph snorted. "Real mature, Sokka."

Sokka brooded for a few minutes, then, changing the subject, said, "So why are you off here in the corner, anyway? Why aren't you off dancing with some guy?"

Toph snorted again. "Oh, right. Because I just love this sort of thing."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Sokka said glumly.

"But the great war heroes have to put in an appearance, right? Can't exactly argue with that. So this great war hero is putting in her appearance all right. In the corner."

Toph scowled for a few seconds, then downed the rest of her drink and motioned for another.

"I don't like to think about it," she continued after a moment. "Sure, I'm glad the war is over, but a lot of people died, and a lot of horrible things happened. I just don't want to celebrate it."

"We're celebrating the peace, though. Peace is good." Sokka too had started another drink.

"Yeah, sure, but thinking about the peace makes me think about the war."

"Oh," Sokka replied.

They were silent for a bit as they finished their second drinks. This time it was Sokka who motioned for more.

"You know," Toph said, slurring her words just a bit, "you are the only person I can talk to about stuff like this."

Sokka nodded. "You too."

But now he was eyeing the dance floor. Suki and Jerkface sure looked like they were enjoying themselves. He watched them dance for a bit.

"I have an idea," Sokka said suddenly. "Every time I see those two dancing, let's drink. A lot."

Toph laughed. "What do we do if I see them?"

"If you see them," Sokka said, "I think we should run like a hawk-bat out of Ba Sing Se, because the end of the world won't be far behind."

At this they both cracked up and finished their drinks. Then they motioned for two new ones because, as Toph said, it was only fair for them to start on an equal footing.

"Okaaay… go," Sokka said. "I see them! I see them!"

Laughing, they both commenced the "game."

o0o

An hour later, Sokka put his head down on the table. "I think I'm done," he said.

"Does that mean I win?" Toph asked.

"Win what?"

"The game."

"There was a game?"

"Wasn't there?" Toph sounded confused.

"How should I know? And why should I believe you anyway? You're drunk," Sokka accused.

Toph giggled. "You too." The giggling went a little crazy. Then she hiccupped, and it stopped.

They were both silent for a minute.

"It's hot in here," complained Toph. "I can't stand it. I'm leaving."

She stood up and almost tripped over her chair.

"Who moved it? Did you see who moved it, Sokka?"

"You can barely stand up." Sokka got to his feet a bit more steadily. "Let me help you."

Together they made their unsteady way around the fringe of the party, hardly bumping into anyone or anything at all. Then they sidled out the main doors and into the fairly unfamiliar corridors of the Fire Nation Royal Palace.

"Which way is it?" asked Sokka.

"I think it's this way," Toph said, opening a door. "Yeah, I'm sure it is."

"Toph, I think this is a closet of some sort," Sokka said.

"No, this is definitely the way we go. It's just pretending to be a closet right now," countered Toph.

"How can a place pretend to be a closet?" wondered Sokka.

"Just trust me!"

"I am following a blind girl into a closet."

Toph punched him in the arm. "I said, trust me!"

"Ow, okay," said Sokka, rubbing his arm and following her into the corridor that was pretending to be a closet.

They stood there for a few moments.

"Toph," Sokka asked. "When is this hallway going to stop being a closet and go back to being a hallway?"

"Maybe… we have to… shut the door," Toph suggested.

Sokka shut the door, but the closet persisted in being a closet.

"I don't get it," Toph said, confused. "What on earth do we have to do to turn this closet back into a hallway? Sokka, you're the idea guy, you think of something."

o0o

Back inside the party, Aang had spotted his friends leaving it.

"I wonder where they're going," he said to Katara.

"Where who's going?"

"Toph and Sokka."

"They're probably trying to sneak out early again, like they always do at these things," said Katara, exasperated. "Come on, help me bring them back."

Aang and Katara made their way through the crowd of people and out the door, but when they got out into the corridor, it was deserted.

"Wow, they sure moved fast," Aang said. "I wonder which way they went."

"I don't know, but I doubt they could have gotten very far. You go that way and I'll go this way."

Heading down the hallway in the direction she had indicated, it wasn't long before Katara came to a closet.

"Well, I might as well try it, though why they would be in a closet is beyond me," she muttered to herself.

She pulled open the door—and was met with the sight of her brother and her friend making out.

"Aang, I found them," she called, her eyes wide.

Sokka and Toph didn't seem to notice the intrusion. Aang came up beside Katara and stared as well. He seemed unable to speak.

"What are you guys doing?" he finally managed.

"I think they're drunk," Katara said. There was a trace of amusement in her voice.

"That would explain it," said Aang.

Katara grabbed Sokka and Toph by the arm and pulled them out. They didn't seem too upset by the intrusion.

"Ha! See! I told you it would work," Sokka said triumphantly. "Just like my sister and Aang in that cave. With the two lovers. They kissed and then they found their way out. That was before you showed up. I told you!"

"Yep, you were right. The Cave of Two Lovers." Toph paused for a moment, grinning. "That always was my favorite story."

Aang and Katara listened to this exchange with eyebrows raised, then, saying nothing, turned and went back to the party.