Toph was not in the best attire to be hiding from her palace guards. She wore a white gown with a pale gold sash draped over her shoulders, which matched the silk bow tied around her midriff perfectly. Her hair was curled but pinned back in a high bun. Two strands, one on each side of her face, dangled down from the mass and framed her pentagonal face beautifully.

She wasn't supposed to be wandering around town this late at night, but she was starting to care less of how much trouble she got in with her parents even more than before. Her ears twitched attentively when she heard some rowdy yells come from a building across the street. Toph swiftly tip-toed to the opposite side of the cobblestone road and then slipped into the building without being noticed.

Inside she could sense dozens of tipsy men trotting around the room, their beers held high, as they sang along with the performer on stage. Toph figured a tavern would be one of the last places her guards would search for her, so hiding here for a while would have to do. She sat herself at the bar and on the opposite side stood the bartender, rubbing a glass clean with a rag. Toph's chin planted itself in her hand as she sighed heavily, causing her two strands of raven hair to fly upward.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked politely.

Toph waved her hand, shooing the man away. "No, no, I'm fine," she muttered.

The bartender took a few steps to the right and asked the same question to another man sitting at the bar.

"I'll have a barracuda," the man ordered.

The barkeeper nodded. "Okay, one barracuda coming right up."

Toph's eyes widened in panic when she sensed three of her palace guards enter the tavern. She was so occupied with the barkeeper's conversation that she had not noticed the three men approaching the rundown building. The trio dressed in green armor burst through the bar doors and turned their heads in each direction, scanning the cramped room full of drunk men for Toph.

Toph bit her bottom lip nervously while trying to come up with a plan to get herself out of this predicament. Suddenly, an excellent idea presented itself to her and she didn't hesitate to put it into action. With a light kick to the ground with the tip of her bare toes, a rock jutted out of the floor and tipped a table over. Two men, their arms wrapped around one another's shoulders, were standing on that table. After picking themselves off the ground, they glared heatedly at the drunken man standing in front of the knocked over table. Suspecting that man had pushed it over, causing them to fall off, the two men stomped over while rolling up their sleeves.

"Did you just do that, you little weasel?" one man growled.

The accused man shook his head vigorously, but it didn't matter. All the denial in the world couldn't save this man from the two aggressive brutes. The scrawny man's stability revealed that he had probably only consumed one beer that night. However, the two goons were extremely intoxicated.

Once the first punch was thrown the entire tavern erupted into an all out brawl. Glass shattered everywhere and the bartender covered his head and ducked behind the bar, whimpering cowardly. Toph's plan had proven itself a success when the three palace guards were randomly pummeled by clumsy hooligans. Toph intended to make a break for it, but she was too absorbed in the performance of fighting Gaoling citizens before her.

A man across the room removed a small dagger from his boot and attempted to chuck it at the man, who had punched him earlier, but the inebriated man completely missed and the knife went soaring across the room. The gentleman who had ordered a barracuda spotted the dagger racing towards Toph just feet away from him, and he quickly sprung to his feet. The man grabbed Toph's hand and dragged her into the back room, evading the blade just in time. The man peered over his shoulder to see the dagger dart into the wooden paneled wall and shudder back and forth from its previous momentum.

The two reached the back alley where they caught their breath. "What just happened?" Toph questioned angrily.

"I just saved you from getting stabbed. That's what happened," the man panted.

He was tall and broad with dark skin. The young adult wore a faded blue robe that was tied with thick, white bands of cloth. Russet tights were tucked into his bulky, dried muck covered boots. A leather brown case holding a blue, steel boomerang was slung on his back and a silver sword nuzzled in its sheath hung at his hip. His face was long, with a defined cleft chin and rather large ears. The man's eyes were dark blue but sparkled brilliantly. His brown, shaggy hair was pulled back in a "warrior's wolf tail" and a small amount of stubble was beginning to grow around his neck and chin.

"While your deed was dandy and all, I can protect myself," Toph snarled.

The man retorted, "Doesn't seem like those guards think so."

Toph crossed her arms angrily. "Those kumquats have nothing but mush for brains. They don't know a thing about me."

A small smile appeared on the young man's face. He then cocked his head to this side, examining the young woman before him carefully. She looked so familiar to him but it had been so long the image and name escaped his mind.

He finally paired the two and exclaimed, "Toph, is that you?!"

Toph raised a brow, her nostrils flaring to the sides. "Who's asking?"

"Toph, it's me Sokka!" the man shouted in excitement.

"Snoozles, is that you?" Toph asked in disbelief.

Sokka slapped his palm to his forehead. "Wow, you've changed so much I didn't even recognize you!"

"How many blind girls forced to wear gowns do you know, boomerang boy?"

Sokka scratched the back of his neck and chuckled. "One too many, I guess."

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you either. I normally never forget a voice," Toph remarked. "And man, your's has deepened a lot since we last saw each other."

Sokka shrugged, slightly embarrassed, "Puberty or whatever."

"So what have you been up to? Why are you here in the Earth Kingdom?" Toph asked.

Sokka explained, "I'm here on vacation with my wife, actually."

Toph's enthusiasm decreased. "Oh," she said.

Sokka continued, "Yeah, you remember Suki, right?"

Toph grumbled, "How could I not?"

"Yep, she and I are happily married," Sokka sighed, stretching his arms up in the air.

"Glad I got an invite to the wedding," Toph seethed sarcastically.

Sokka winced, not realizing his fault until after announcing the news. "Sorry about that… I didn't think you'd be interested in dressing up and going to some boring, formal occasion." Sokka mimed holding a tiny tea cup with his pinky sticking out. "I say, good sir, this wedding you have thrown together has been quite the smashing gala."

Toph cracked a smile before punching Sokka roughly on the shoulder.

"Ow," he murmured while rubbing his shoulder.

"I let you off easy this time, meathead. Next time, don't forget about me," Toph warned.

"Enough about me, how has the fabulous Toph Bei Fong been doing? It's been at least two years since we last saw each other," Sokka asked. He then added, cheeks rosy, "And you've changed a lot."

Toph gritted her teeth. "In a good way!" he quickly corrected. "I mean- you look great."

Toph smiled. "Thanks, Snoozles. I'd return the compliment but I'm not even sure what you looked like before. Anyway, not much has changed since two years ago. My parents are still sheltering me like I'm four years old even though I'm nineteen."

"Have you talked to Aang or Zuko in a while?"

"Aang visited about a year ago when attending a Peace Council meeting in Ba sing se, but that's about it," Toph informed him, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Aang visits Katara a lot- I mean A LOT," Sokka embellished.

"Hold on, I think the guards found their way out of the tussle going on in the bar. They're heading out here right now," Toph reported, her hand pressed up against the cool, stone ground.

"How 'bout I walk you home?" Sokka offered as the two stepped out of the alleyway and onto the street. "If we get moving maybe we can beat them back there."

"Where's Suki? Isn't she gonna be worrying about her husband being gone for so long?" Toph questioned teasingly.

Sokka waved his hand reassuringly. "I told her I was going to the bar. She knows I'm out. No big deal."

Toph shrugged. "If you insist."

Sokka followed Toph to her bedroom window and helped her climb through it. Toph dusted off her dress once having both of her bare feet safely on the ground. She placed her tiny hands on the frame of the window and smiled.

"Thanks for walking me home, Ponytail. It was very gentlemanly of you… and kind of weird to be honest," Toph joked.

Sokka took a step closer towards the side of the mansion and whispered objectively, "Hey, I can be classy and fancy."

Toph snorted.

"Didn't you see me holding that tea cup before?"

Toph kindly pointed out, "You mean the imaginary one?"

Sokka nodded his head with a crooked grin. "My pinky was out and everything. Now that's class."

A soft voice came from the hallway. "Toph, is that you?"

"That's my mom. Scram, fancy pants!" Toph shoved Sokka to the ground and spun around. She cleared her throat loudly to cover up Sokka's squeal of surprise. There was a loud thud from outside her bedroom window and muttering followed. Sokka crawled away on his hands and knees, trying his best not to be seen by the dozens of Bei Fong guards surrounding the perimeter.

Toph's father and mother entered her room. Her mother gasped in relief, "Toph, darling, you're okay!"

Toph huffed in annoyance, "Yes mother, I'm perfectly fine."

"Where have you been, young lady?" her father pressed with a stern expression. Years of stressing over their daughter's unruly behavior had taken effect.

"I've been home all night," Toph lied.

Lao quickly argued, "You most certainly have not. We couldn't find you anywhere! We sent ten guards to search for you all throughout town."

"It's a big house," Toph simply replied.

The man's face burned red with rage. "We've told you on countless occasions we don't want you out any time after dinner. That means just before sundown you are to be in this household, understand?"

Toph didn't respond. She had given up on arguing with their demands years ago. Now, she just ignored them.

Toph peered over her shoulder, even though she knew Sokka wasn't there. He had fled by then. Toph couldn't help but turn her head towards the spot where Sokka previously stood, wishing he was still there. It was strange, even after all these years the two could still joke around about Sokka's nonexistent manners and classiness. It was as if nothing changed. However, there was one thought that couldn't escape Toph's mind. Sokka was married to Suki, and that was that.

The next morning Toph was disturbed mid-drool by one of their housemaids who, oddly, was making her bed while she was still in it. Each one of Toph's limbs was stretched in a different direction. Toph's head was hanging off the side of her bed upside down, so the saliva dripping from her mouth was seconds away from sliding down her forehead. This event was thwarted when a heavy blanket covered her face, making it difficult for her to breathe. She shot up and glared at the offender. The cleaning lady left once realizing her mistake, and allowed Toph to get dressed. However, Toph decided to postpone dressing herself and instead went into the dining room to get some breakfast.

As Toph neared the dining room she sensed a familiar presence seated at the rectangular, stone table. She could feel her parents sitting across from them, calmly sipping their morning tea. She shuffled into the dinning room and yawned.

"Good Toph, you're awake," her mother, Poppy, said.

Toph scoffed, "Yeah, only because the brainless maid started making my bed while I was in it. I guess they don't teach foreigners the difference between a bed with a person in it and a bed without-"

Her father interrupted intolerantly, "Toph, that is enough. Our employees are like family and should be treated as such."

Toph asked as she plopped down one seat from the visitor, "How's it goin' over there, Sokka?"

Sokka replied with a mouthful, but it was unclear of what he said.

After taking a nibble from the biscuit on her plate, Poppy dabbed her lips lightly with a napkin. She then smiled, hiding her disgust, "Toph, you never told us your friend had such… an appetite."

Sokka beamed, revealing the bits of meat caught in his teeth. He was clenching a giant knife that he was using to cut his ham steak. In his other hand were a biscuit and a silver fork that speared a clump of egg. Sokka had five plates piled with food in front of him, and he planned on eating it all. The more he ate the more food the servants would bring out for him. He only wished it were like this back home.

"Toph, I'm thinking about moving in with you just so I can eat like this everyday," Sokka muffled, his cheeks filled with egg and rooster ham.

"Oh no, I'm afraid Toph won't be courted by just anyone," her mother said, not realizing it was a joke.

Suddenly, Sokka started to choke. His eyes practically popped out of his head as he pounded on his chest. He hacked and coughed, attempting to expunge the chunk of food from his throat. Toph slid her right foot across the ground, making Sokka's chair jerk forward. Sokka's stomach rammed into the edge of the table and the moist, chewed piece of food shot out of his mouth and could've taken off someone's head. The glob stuck to the wall and both of Toph's parents turned their heads to stare at the hunk, which had just flown between them seconds ago.

Sokka coughed violently numerous more times before replying, "You're daughter is a lovely woman but I'm not here because of that."

"Well, regardless, we're only allowing Toph to wed someone from the Earth Kingdom," her mother enlightened. "And from the look of it you don't appear to be from around here." The woman stared at Sokka's filthy, blue robe in slight repulsion.

Loa rested his forearm on the table and raised a brow at Sokka. "Are you here just to mooch food off my family?"

"Dad, Sokka's been my friend for years, and while he may eat an abnormally large amount, he would never do that," Toph assured the man. "Why are you here, boomerang boy?"

Sokka swallowed before answering, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Earth Rumble tournament with me today."

"What about Suki?"

Sokka explained, "Suki said she'll pass. She'd rather not watch a butch of muscley, sweaty guys chucking rocks at each other for other's entertainment. So I thought, 'Why not invite my old pal Toph?'."

Lao immediately disallowed, "No."

"What?" Toph snapped.

The man shook his head. "I will not permit you to return to that vile place. Do you not recall what happened last time? All those men ganged up on you."

"They didn't gang up on me." Toph crossed her arms.

"Mr. Bei Fong, I assure you that Toph will not be participating in the competition. We're going for mere fun and entertainment," said Sokka.

Toph murmured to him, "It doesn't matter what you say."

"Huh?" Sokka gave her a look of confusion.

"They're not gonna let me go. No point in arguing about it."

Sokka turned back to her parents with a resolute expression. "Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong, please, I guarantee Toph will not be put in harm's way. I give you my word," Sokka told them sincerely. He was trying his best to yank Toph's parent's unwillingness away from them, but it was useless.

Poppy responded, "We appreciate your genuine effort, young man, but we have made up our minds."

Sokka glanced at Toph to see her bowing her head and frowning, but unexpectedly she winked at him and cracked a smile. Sokka stood from his position at the table and thanked the Bei Fong family for their munificence. He then followed Toph out of the room and the two walked down the hallway together.

"Meet me in the alley behind the bar after sundown," Toph arranged sneakily.

"What? Why?" Sokka asked obliviously.

Toph grunted, "Ugh, because we're going to the Earth Rumble tournament, duh."

Sokka spoke softly, "But you're parents said you couldn't go."

Toph stopped and placed her hand on his broad shoulder. "Snoozles, you should know by now that I don't play by the rules."

Sokka rubbed his chin, impressed. "Ahhh, so you were just pretending to act all depressed so they wouldn't suspect you're gonna sneak out."

"Shhh!" Toph covered his mouth with her hand. "They're just down the hall." Toph put her hand back at her side when a palace guard passed by. "Don't forget," Toph reminded the boy before walking away.

----

A woman wearing a black, hooded cloak stood in the dark alleyway. A thin layer of mist hung in the air and her shadow shifted back and forth. She paced up and down the alley, waiting for the person she was expecting. Her raven hair was pulled back with a golden headband and the rest was tucked behind her ears. No skin could be seen but her face, hands, and the tips of her toes poking out from underneath her black pants.

Her ears twitched when hearing the scuffling of boots against the cobblestone. She turned. A stranger's shadow stretched down the lane. They slowly stalked towards the woman and she flashed a smile of anticipation.

"Fancy seeing you here," the man said jokingly.

The woman replied, "Fancy… feeling your vibrations here."

He laughed. "Alright, Toph, let's get going. We don't want to stay in one place too long."

"Were you seen or something?" Toph questioned.

Sokka answered, "No, but better safe than sorry. Nice disguise by the way."

Toph extended her arms out, allowing the boy to get the full view. "You like?" she asked.

"Very."

"Thanks."

The two arrived at the stadium. The arena composed solidly of russet-yellow earth looked the same as it did the last time they were there. Rows of stone benches surrounded the elevated platform of rock in the center of the enormous room. The roar of a hundred men echoed throughout the stadium.

"Man, it feels good to be back," Toph sighed contently. She placed her feet on the back of the seat in front of her and put her hands behind her head.

A tan man covered in muscles jumped into the center of the fighting ring, causing the area of earth around him to bend downward. He pulled the earth upward, creating a post for him to stand on. He threw his fist in the air and everyone in the stands cheered boisterously. Sokka was surprised to not see Xin Fu as the master of ceremonies, but then he remembered how long it's been since last time. The man had probably gotten arrested by now. Next to him, Toph smirked victoriously, recalling the time she trapped Xin Fu and Master Yu in a metal box. Sokka had no idea they were probably dead.

"Welcome one and all to the Earth Rumble Tournament! I'm your host, Prithu. Are you ready to rumble?!" the host shouted.

"YEAHHHHHHH!" Toph and Sokka stood and screamed.

"Without further ado, let's bring out our first challengers of the evening! In this corner, it's the Mountain Warper and in this corner it's King Stone," Prithu introduced.

He then rocketed himself in the air, landing in the stands. The two contenders strutted out onto the field. Mountain Warper was a short, yet burly man. He wore a helmet similar to a construction hat. He also wore green pants with a brown belt with a pick and axe hanging from his belt loops.

King Stone was an extremely tall man with a crown made of stone on his head. He had a lengthy, brown beard that went all the way down to his bellybutton.

"Begin!" Prithu declared.

The men charged at each other, shouting like wild animals. King Stone bended a rock from the ground and hurled it towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper removed the pick from his belt and destroyed the flying rock with his weapon. Mountain Warper then dug his pick into the hard rock, causing the entire stadium to shake. Without warning, a giant spike jabbed King Stone in the abdomen, almost sending him off the edge. He quickly rebounded by pitching another boulder towards Mountain Warper, but the man was so short it went flying right over his head.

"What was that?!" Sokka yelled.

Toph hollered tauntingly, "Who taught you how to throw, your grandma?!"

Sokka added obnoxiously, "Yeah, the point is to hit 'em, not miss completely!"

King Stone growled at the two and sent six rocks soaring towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper hit the ground with his axe, creating a large mountain in the middle of the ring which he stood atop of. Each of King Stone's boulders crumbled after colliding with the small rock formation. Mountain Warper finished his adversary off by pounding his fists to the floor, making the battle field suck the mountain back in and kicking King Stone off the platform. Everyone cheered for the bender's victory.

The next challenger walked onto the turf. He went by the name "Despair". He was a pale, gangly man. His black, greasy hair swooped in front of his eyes which had purple bags hanging under them. He wore black tights with a leather vest and a spiked belt around his waist.

"Despair? When I look at you I don't feel despair. The thing that comes to mind is pity!" Mountain Warper mocked.

Despair said nothing. He just had that same, gloomy expression. Soon, the battle ensued. Mountain Warper bended another mountain out of the ground and punched numerous stones out of the mountain towards Despair. Despair bent his knees and whipped his arms to the side, lifting a rocky shield that protected him from the attacks. Despair then kicked the shield, sending it towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper used his pick to crush the flat rock. Next, he rolled speedily towards Despair.

"Get him, Mountain Warrior!" Toph cheered.

Sokka yelled energetically, "Show Despair you know how to tear!"

Despair stopped Mountain Warper right in his tracks with a stone wall and then snatched the man's axe. Despair had the axe above his head, ready to swing it and make a rock guillotine-like trap.

Mountain Warper opened his aching eyes to quickly recognize the man approaching to attack him. He rolled to the side and evaded the attack and then caught Despair off guard by striking him with a rock. Despair skidded across the ground and was inches away from falling off the edge.

"Despair is looking pretty desperate," Sokka ridiculed.

"C'mon, Mountain Climber! If you're a man then hit 'em again!" Toph yelled.

Sokka corrected, "Uh- Toph, it's Mountain Warper."

"I don't care what his name is as long as he wins."

Despair got up slowly and then knocked out Mountain Warper with a boulder. The audience was shocked that Despair had won but everyone still applauded exuberantly.

"What was that?!" Sokka cried, stretching his cheeks downward with the palms of his hands.

"Did I tell you to just lose like that?! No. I did not!" Toph bellowed angrily.

The next contestant was Steel Mandible. He was another tall, pale man with a metal contraption around his jaw. This man easily knocked out Despair and continued to make his way to the top.

"Congratulations, Steel Mandible for coming so far. Now, you are to face off against our champion! Everyone please welcome back, The Slammer!" Prithu announced.

Toph and Sokka stayed seated whilst the entire stadium stood up and cheered rowdily for the title holder. It was the most cheering they had heard all night. At the sound of his name, a large, hefty man stomped onto the platform. He was probably three times the height of Toph and his gut was huge. The Slammer wore a brown vest and matching tights with his Earth Rumble champ belt fastened around his large waist. The man also had a large turtle duck shell strapped to his back.

"Ready to slam!" The Slammer boomed.

Prithu declared, "Fight!"

The Slammer raised his flabby arms in the air, lifting the ground below Steel Mandible. The Slammer lobbed the mass of rock, along with Steel Mandible who was standing on top, out of bounds. As easily as Steel Mandible walked onto the field, he lost. All his exertion working to the top was proven a waste when The Slammer tossed him aside like yesterday's newspaper. Sokka's jaw dropped in disbelief and disappointment. Toph sat there speechless, unable to fathom how a brainless fool like The Slammer could be the champion. In her mind, he poisoned the good name of being Earth Rumble Champ, a title she possessed in the past.

----

Toph's mother crept down the hallway in her night gown. She was feeling a tad guilty for being so hard on Toph earlier in the day.

"Toph, darling, are you awake?" her mother asked softly after knocking gently on Toph's bedroom door.

When Toph did not answer she opened the door a crack. The door opened to expose a pitch black bedroom. Mrs. Bei Fong tucked her arm between the door and the door frame, allowing her candle to dimly light the room. The woman gasped when looking to Toph's bed and seeing no one was there. Poppy dropped the candle as she rushed down the hallway to deliver the news to her husband.

She hurried into their master bedroom where her husband was in bed, reading by candle light. He looked up from his book.

"Toph's run away," Poppy reported in a pant.

Lao sighed, "Again?"

Poppy hung her head. "Yes."

Lao shed the layers of heavy blankets off the lower half of his body and followed his wife out of the room, a candle in his left hand. They reached a guard which was patrolling the hall, attending to his duties.

Lao greeted his employee, "Sir."

The sentinel saluted his superiors. "How can I assist you, Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong?" he asked.

"Toph snuck out again and we need you to search the city for her. Bring a couple of other men as well," Toph's father instructed.

"Yes, sir," the guard obeyed.

----

Back at the Earth Rumble tournament, The Slammer had just defeated Steel Mandible without breaking a sweat.

"The Slammer has defended his title successfully and remains our champion!" Prithu declared, holding the victor's fist in the air as high as he could. Prithu then paraded across the platform, shaking a brown sack. "I am offering this sack of gold pieces to anyone in the audience who thinks they can beat our champion. Any takers?"

"Toph, you could totally kick that guy's butt," Sokka told her.

Toph agreed confidently, "I know, right?"

"So why don't you?" Sokka asked.

Toph drew back with uncertainty. "I don't know if that's such a good idea-"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Sokka squirmed, pointing excitedly at Toph who sat next to him. "She can! She can! She can!" Sokka squealed.

"Way to go, brainless. Now everyone in the stands is staring at me. One of our main objectives on this outing was to stay hidden, remember?"

Sokka looked at Toph. "Wasn't it you who said earlier that you don't play by the rules?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Young lady in the cloak, come on down!" Prithu invited.

Toph scaled to the top of the platform and made sure her hood covered her eyes, hiding the fact that she was blind. Once someone spotted that noticeable characteristic somebody could possibly recognize her and reveal her true identity.

"What's your name, courageous one?" Prithu asked her, like in a pre-game interview.

"The Blind Bandit! She's the Blind Bandit!" Sokka shouted from the stands, his hands cupped around his mouth.

The crowd gasped in amazement. "The Blind Bandit is a legend. I do not believe a fragile, tiny girl like you could be the renowned Blind Bandit," Prithu remarked, crossing his arms in disbelief.

Toph swung her right foot out in front of her and low to the ground. The earth below Prithu crumbled and cracked before launching him into the audience.

"How about now?" Toph sneered.

The Slammer questioned, "Blind Bandit? Wasn't she unstoppable when she was the champion?"

"Yes-sir-ee, and I still am," replied Toph with a self-assured smirk.

The Slammer flexed his muscles and grunted, "You will no longer be unstoppable! I will bring the Blind Bandit down!"

The Slammer yanked a slab of rock from the ground and hurled it at Toph. Toph turned the side, avoiding the flying rock. She stomped her left foot forward, causing a stone to rocket out of the ground and peg The Slammer in the gut. The Slammer flopped onto his side, moaning in agony. Toph twirled, throwing her flattened palm in the air, which sent The Slammer high in the air.

The heavy man landed on his stomach, shaking the arena thunderously. He picked himself off the ground and while doing so Toph sent a boulder that struck him in the hip, causing his mass amount of weight to bring him back down. The Slammer made one last attempt to get off the ground. Once standing, he body slammed a slab of rock, causing it to bounce towards Toph. She stopped the sheet of rock right in its path and punched it towards The Slammer's feet. The Slammer pitched another boulder crashing it into the one Toph had backfired. He then sent himself soaring upward and descended towards the platform with his stomach down.

"He's gonna do a belly flop on the field! He's insane!" a spectator cried.

The Slammer plummeted towards the fighting ring and landed on his stomach, shaking the whole stadium thunderously. Pointed rocks shot out of the ground all over the ring randomly. Toph easily evaded each one and when her opponent was back on his feet, she turned each rocky dagger on its side and bended them at The Slammer. The Slammer went flying out of bounds and his back hit the front of the stands. He slid down the side of the wall, groaning in agony.

With Prithu still far off in the stands, all the viewers stood up and cheered without an official call. The Slammer had definitely lost and Toph had regained her title. It feels good to be champ again, she thought.

Toph was standing in the center of the ring, basking in all her glory, when she heard a shout come from the stands. She then realized two of her palace guards spotted her. Toph retrieved her winnings from Prithu and hurried over to Sokka.

"We gotta skedaddle, now!" Toph informed him.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.

Toph pointed across the stadium. "That."

Sokka's smile fell from his face. "Great," he commented sarcastically.

"There she is!" a guard yelled, waving towards Toph to the other man.

Toph grabbed Sokka's hand and dragged him up the steps, racing towards the upper level's exit. As they dashed through the entryway, Toph could hear one of them shout "Follow her". The pair found themselves outside the Earth Rumble arena and continued running until their backs were pressed up against the cold, brick wall of an alleyway. Sokka had no idea what side of town they were in or how close they were to Toph's house. If they made it there before the guards did then they'd be safe. Besides, it wasn't like Toph could be put under anymore restrictions if they did get caught. She was already being watched basically twenty-four hours a day by servants.

Toph could feel the men nearing them, so they were forced to flee once again. This time they made it to the alley behind the bar where they had met up with each other earlier that day.

"I think we lost 'em," Sokka wheezed.

Toph replied in annoyance, "Ugh, not quite. They're coming this way."

"Are you sure it's them? It could happen to be some other men dressed in heavy Earth Kingdom armor," Sokka proposed.

Toph asked, "Willing to stick around and find out?"

Sokka imagined what would happen if they did. "No, not particularly."

"Then let's head the opposite way around and take a few shortcuts to my house," Toph planned.

Just when the two friends had lost the stubborn palace guards, they were intruded upon by some new visitors. They rounded a corner into an intersection of four alleyways. Men crawled out of every crack and surrounded the pair. Toph got into her battle-stance and Sokka wrapped his fingers around the handle of his sword, prepared to remove the shiny weapon from its sheath.

By this time the moon was high in the sky, the slender crescent being the only provider of light in the streets of Gaoling. A chilly breeze blew flyers and other garbage about the road, but other than that the area was still. The five men encircled Toph and Sokka. Each of them growled quietly as their glares intensified.

Sokka examined each one thoroughly, wondering if he had ever run into one of them before. Two of them were identical twins, but one had black, sketchy tattoos scribbled all over his arms. The brothers wore matching caramel colored pants with numerous holes in them. Their long, silver hair was tied back in natty ponytails and a few of their teeth were silver as well.

The man next to them took his battle stance low to the ground. He looked like a tiger ready to pounce and his attire matched his stance. The man wore an orange jumpsuit with three black stripes painted across both of his cheeks. On his hands were black gloves that had extended claws attached to them.

The man that appeared to be the leader of the pack was huge. He had tattoos swarming all over his body and his head was bald and pale beside a ginger poof ball at the tip of his cranium.

His sidekick was almost as tall as him, but very lean. His oddly green colored hair was cut in a way that revealed three strips of skin across his skull. He wore dark green shorts and a brown vest with chains ornamenting the fabric. This particular man grasped a thick sword in his left hand.

The last man was average looking and didn't look like he'd be a gang banger. He fashioned Earth Kingdom robes and his jet black hair was held up by a fancy, golden pin.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sokka questioned immediately. He plastered a firm, obdurate look on his face, trying his best to appear as intimidating as the batch of hooligans around him.

The leader stepped forward. "Whacha' got in that bag?" he asked, licking his bottom lip like it was a mouthwatering piece of meat.

"No asking questions until ours are answered first," Toph demanded.

One of the twins responded maliciously, "Our identities won't matter when we're taking the cash out of your very hands."

Toph raised a playful brow. "Oh, really? And how do you plan on doing that? You're rightfully outnumbered."

The thugs erupted into laughter.

Sokka turned his head rapidly in each direction, scanning the ground for the missing members of their party that Toph could possibly be speaking of. "Uh- Toph, actually we're the ones outnumbered," Sokka pointed out nervously.

"Your threats are cute, but they won't do you any good," the other twin cackled.

The first added, "So, just hand over the gold now, and no one gets hurt."

Toph continued to string them along. "How do you know its gold? How do you know its even money?"

The lead crook noted, "If it ain't money then why your boyfriend clinging to it so hard?"

Sokka began to explain through lies, "Well sir, it's our last bit of food and we-"

"Enough!" the boss hindered. "We don't have time for your shenanigans. However, I do have a proposition for you."

"What's that?" Sokka asked, easing his grip on his sword.

"If you think you can beat all five of us so easily then prove it. We saw you knock out The Slammer which was so obviously a scam. So we'll see if you can really fight," the leader derided.

The man with claws joined in the revelry and mocked, "Ya know, your boyfriend's been awful quiet. I bet he couldn't even pick up his sword if you weren't there by his side."

The first twin snickered, "He probably couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag!"

The average man held his ribs which ached from laughter. "I bet he couldn't beat us even if we had our hands and feet tied together!"

Sokka cringed as each insult hit him like a slap in the face. His eye brows and upper lip quivered with fury. He shook, ire coursing through his veins. Sokka removed his sword from its sheath and surprised the closest ruffian by tripping him with the weapon and then elbowing him to ground. The man groaned in agony as he lied on the cement, finding himself unable to move. Sokka turned towards the other four men with a fire in his eyes.

Sokka challenged, "I'll take you on! I'll take you on right now all by myself!"

Toph placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sokka wait, are you sure about this? I can help you whoop these guys' butts no problem."

Sokka answered, without turning back to look at her, "That's the thing, Toph. I need to do this alone. I need to prove myself worthy. I'm finally gonna prove myself to everyone… and to you."

Toph hesitated before replying, "You don't have to prove yourself to me. I already know that you're a genius and completely awesome at sword fighting. And I know there's more to you than that, so you've already proven yourself."

"I still have to do this."

Toph nodded. "I understand."

"You two gonna keep flirting or are we gonna get this over with?" the green haired man jeered.

With that, Sokka charged towards the green haired goon, holding his sword back over his shoulder. Their swords clashed and Sokka quickly jabbed the man in the ribs with his right elbow before slashing his sword out of his hand. Sokka saw the twins approaching him swiftly from the rear. He removed his boomerang from its case and chucked it high in the air. The silver boomerang twinkled in the moonlight before spinning back around and clonking both men over the head.

Sokka reached up and captured his boomerang in the palm of his hand. Three down, two to go, he thought. Suddenly, both the leader and the tiger man were attacking Sokka and sending assaults every which way. It all happened so fast that the rogue with claws was able to cut Sokka across the hip. Sokka bent over to clench his stinging side, which was a major mistake. The tattoo covered leader bended a large boulder out from under Sokka's feet, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Sokka!" Toph cried. As the scuffle grew longer Toph found it more and more difficult to keep herself from assisting Sokka. However, she respected his wishes to the best of her ability.

Sokka lay on his back, cradling his burning wound. Blood stained his blue robe and fingerless gloves from holding his hip. He opened his eyes, knowing if he stayed still any longer the two men left would maul him. His vision was blurred. So much blood loss in so little time was beginning to have an effect. Luckily, he spotted his sword inches away. He crawled towards it but the tiger man swiped it away. The clawed man next sliced Sokka on his extended forearm. Sokka unleashed a piercing cry from his lips that made Toph cringe.

Toph wasn't sure if she should step in or not. Soon, this brawl could become a matter between life and death.

Sokka wrapped his legs around the clawed man's ankles, tripping him. Sokka then scrambled to his feet and pinned the man to the ground with the sharp point of his sword. This left him with only his boomerang to defend himself with against the leader of the pack. The two stood there for a moment. They simply stared the other one down across the alleyway. After grunting ferociously, the leader punched several boulders towards Sokka. He was able to evade almost all of them and the rest he slashed with the sharp end of his boomerang.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the boss lowered his head and charged towards Sokka in order to engage in closer combat. Sokka slid through the man's legs after spotting an ownerless sword on the opposite side of the darkened street. He snatched the weapon by the handle as he slid by and then used the end of it to help himself off the ground. Right when he stood up he was greeted by multiple rocks flying at his face. Sokka let out his infamous cry of fear and ducked, allowing the boulders to crash into the brick wall behind him. Dust dispersed throughout the area, making it even more difficult to see with the limited moonlight.

Sokka brought the sword above his head and dashed towards his opponent, screaming nonsense. The thug pelted Sokka in the ribs with a giant boulder, sending him falling on his back. A sharp, tingly pain quickly trickled its way up his spine when he made contact with the hard cobblestone. Sokka squeezed his eyes tightly, hoping that would suffice instead of belting out another unnecessary howl of pain. The leader pinched Sokka between two slabs of rock so he was no longer able to move.

Sokka shook in fright. He and Toph both knew this man would not be afraid to kill him and he was desperate enough to take another's life for whatever could be in that sack. The mugger slowly made his way over to Sokka and glanced down at the man he had defeated. A victorious smirk crept across the thug's face. He brought both his hands back to deliver the final blow. Sokka shut his eyes and gulped, knowing this could possibly be his last few seconds on earth.

Suddenly, Sokka heard the shifting of rock. A soft grunt followed and Sokka opened his eyes to see the thug being launched over the roof tops. He looked aside to see Toph in her fighting stance and a boulder sticking out of the ground. Toph hurried to his aide, first removing the two wedges of stone that pinned Sokka to the ground. The slabs withdrew back into the earth and Sokka sprawled out in agony and relief.

Toph knelt down beside him, an unfamiliar look of concern and compassion on her face. Typically at a time like this, Toph would say something like "Get off the ground you baby and be a man. Suck it up", but this time around she was genuinely worried for Sokka's well-being.

Sokka muffled feebly, "Thank you, Toph."

"Are you okay?" she asked, not realizing the stupidity of her question.

Sokka answered jokingly, "Yeah, I'm doing pretty good. I'm a little hungry but other than that…"

Toph scowled. "Watch it, buddy. I'm only this nice once in a blue moon so appreciate it. You don't want to wind up in worse condition do ya?" Even though she masked a tough attitude, she felt relieved that Sokka was still able to kid around despite his physical state.

"Let's try and get you off the ground," Toph suggested, slipping her hand behind his sore back in order to help him lean forward.

Sokka winced in the process. The injury that caused the most discomfort and pain was his hip. Three deep, long scratches across his hip bone made it nearly impossible for him to move the lower half of his body without an incredibly agonizing twinge. Toph bended a rock slowly and steadily out of the ground to help get Sokka off the ground. Finally, Sokka was draped over her shoulders and the two started making their way out of the alleyway.

"Let's get you back to your hotel," Toph requested, not looking forward to dragging this man across town.

Sokka objected abruptly, catching Toph by surprise, "No! No! Your house is closer. Let's go there."

"You realize that I'm gonna have to sneak you in, right? That's a lot more work than just going to your hotel across town," Toph pointed out, a bit annoyed that she'd now have to sneak Sokka in her own house and find him an unused bedroom without the guards noticing. "And what about Suki?"

Sokka assured her, groaning from the throbbing ache in his side and forearm, "She won't notice that I'm gone for one night. She probably wants a break from me anyway. I'll explain it all to her tomorrow. She'll understand."

Toph sighed, "If you say so."

A/N: The main plot won't set in until a couple more chapters, but I assure you that the next few are still relevant and worth reading. They're just leading up to the whole thing with Toph and Sokka becoming pirates. Which is gonna be totally awesome and badass.

Thank you to my two incredibly awesome betas: Leona629 and PetertheChameleon!

On a side note, why does almost ever Avatar fic have Sokka getting hurt in it? I think he just makes it too easy for us.

Please review! Did you like it? Was it a total disaster? Should I continue? It's all up to you.