Toph's POV
I remembered the trial as if it were yesterday.
Of course, that may be because it technically had been yesterday.
It was also pretty much the most boring day of my life, filled with sobbing parents, cranky judges, and one retired Fire Nation general that spent the entire time chuckling to himself. Let me tell you, I'm not above throwing out all of his precious ginseng tea first chance I got.
Odds are, though, they'd have declare that a breach of international peace treaties and tossed me in jail for the next twenty years of my life. Not that I'd actually stay in jail, but it was more the fact that I'd be hunted for the rest of my adult life that bugged me.
Then again, I was sure my status would definitely have gotten me into all the top bars, and that was something I was having a bit of trouble with at the moment. Bartenders tended to reject anyone widely known of demolishing the tavers and bars of anyone that insulted one of her friends.
Sighing, I leaned my head against the wall of my bedroom. Never had I heard worse words. "Toph Bei Fong, sentenced to a month's reform on Kyoshi Island." Dammit! The only thing that needed reforming was that stupid bar owner. He had me convicted for destroying his stupid tavern!
My tournament money could've paid for it and still given me enough to live on for fifty years, but no. Apparently I was a "menace to society" and "dangerous to my fellow man." Woman. I am a woman, or would you like to check?
And the damn place could've been rebuilt in three months, easy.
Besides…I ground my teeth. The guy had it coming to him. Could they not see that? Hey, the Avatar in question was too busy screwing Katara to care, but I sure as hell was going to do something when some loud mouth went off insulting Aang.
Of course, in the end, I only got sent to this sucky place. I mean, what do they do? Send out fliers with "Kyoshi: Send All Your Tavern Destroying World Saving Nineteen Year Old Delinquents Here!" Assign a goody goody two shoes leader to their girly dressed warriors that so happens to know me and volunteers the island as a replacement reformatory to jail?
...Wait, don't answer that.
"Miss Toph, we're approaching Kyoshi Island."
My doom was approaching, apparently—and quickly.
Scowling, I slammed my fist into the wall of the metal ship. "Wow. That's just the best news I've ever heard."
He cowered. Wimp. "The c-captain says will arrive in five minutes," he stuttered.
"Damn." I frowned. "Why couldn't Kyoshi have made this stupid island three hundred miles farther away?"
"I don't know, Ma'am," he whispered. "Maybe…she d-didn't have enough energy...t-to move it any further than she did..."
I snorted. "Huh. You think? Well, I guess I'll just have to check with Twinkle Toes next time I see him," I said scornfully. Now that I though of it, Aang was the whole reason I got into this mess.
The shipmate's voice became a high squeak. "Yes. Well, I'll be going now." The door clicked quietly after him.
As soon as he left, I began tossing my belongings into my bag. My hand closed around a hard piece of earth (well, space earth) and for a split second I froze.
Oh, yeah.
That.
I hadn't worn it for two years, practically, ever since I realized it was too much to wear right out on my sleeve—literally.
It hadn't helped that ever time I put it on, I couldn't help thinking about him.
I let out a slow breath. There was one thing I've been forgetting about Kyoshi Island:
Sokka.
He'd just come to stay there a few months ago. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew it couldn't be good—for me, at least. She was probably thrilled.
But I wouldn't fall for Sokka—not this time, not ever. I was on Kyoshi for a month—if I could stand to stick it out—and that was all. The only person I'd have to deal with was Suki.
No. One. Else.
I was done convincing myself, though. There was nothing more I could do then keep a handle on my own feelings and stay the hell away from Sokka. I wasn't making any promises—I didn't need to.
No matter how I felt about Sokka, it wasn't going to change anything. I was sure that my wayward heart could understand that, at least. It was always better to have never loved at all then to love and be disregarded by the person you cared about most.
The ship knocked against shore with a large jolt. It was time for my punishment to begin.
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I threw my bedroom door open and marched right to the ramp of the ship. But I didn't use it—I just made my own bridge out of the ship itself.
By the time I reached dirt, sweet dirt again, there was a hole the size of the island right in the hull of the ship.
Ha.
Fix that.
Their leader—Oyaji, I surmised from what the judge had told me—walked forward to meet me. "Lady Bei Fong, welcome to Kyoshi."
"You can call me Toph," I corrected, grinning cockily.
"Yes—Toph." Oyaji smiled warmly. He seemed to be happy to be harboring someone as badass as myself, even on criminal charges. "Did you have a good journey?"
I shrugged. "Eh. It kinda sucked."
"Ah." Oyaji raised an eyebrow. "Well, Suki is here to show you to her home. You will stay in the extra bedroom there, as your…parents…showed objections to the barracks. I'm sure we can get you straightened out."
"Parents," I mutter, "as if you can call them that."
They didn't know what to say, so I just stepped in front of Suki, right beside Oyaji, and asked casually, "So, you gotta place to crash?"
She let out a small little laugh. "Sure do, Toph. Come on—Sokka will be thrilled to see you," Suki smiled, beckoning.
I stiffened, then relaxed. I wasn't gonna allow the head moron to get to me, not this time."I'll be gone by the times he knows I'm here," I said at last. "I'm not in the mood for dragging old relationships out of the attic."
Suki paused for the slightest of heartbeats, then shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's been a while...hasn't it?"
"I'll say," I agreed, abruptly sad at the mention of three years we'd spent away and out of touch. I'd always intended to be friends with Sokka, whether he returned my feelings or not. But in the end...it had all been too much.
It didn't help that he was also the most annoying person on the planet.
"So," Suki smiled, beginning to trace the path to her home, "Let's get going, shall we?"
Wonderful. I could hardly wait. (Not.)
But we didn't get the chance. Instead, we all heard a sudden commotion and shouting from the water. Everyone around me turned their heads to watch, while I prepared to protect their sorry asses.
A ship was paddling franticly across the water, from the sound of it. With the sound of water being sprayed, I heard a shocked call of "Sokka!" and a few familiar shouts from out in the bay. Something about Unagi, whatever that was. Then, right out of thin air, another human body crashed into me. We rolled across the ground, ultimately ending in an...uncomfortable position.
"You're a moron," I said flatly, stradling whoever-it-was' lower torso, and I do mean lower.
"Toph? Is that you?" the man (I was sure of that) exclaimed, squinting up at me. I recognized that voice. So it was Sokka, after all. "Did you come to murder me for some ridiculous and obscure event that took place more than five years ago, such as using your tooth brush without your permission and accidentally losing it to a possum-chicken in a fight?" Sokka asked suspiciously.
Murdering? That didn't sound like such a bad idea, come to think of it. As for the Incident, well...
Let's just say old grudges die hard. "...Maybe."
"Ah," he said weakly. "I can see you're articulate as always," Sokka sighed a moment later.
"You got that right, Snoozles," I smirked, patting him on the head. "And I can see that you haven't lost your sense of dumbassery, either."
Suki cleared her throat, and I jerked my head the tiniest bit in her direction. Gritting my teeth, I let out a low hiss. I'd forgotten they were here. I wasn't sure if I was mad that they did exist, after all, or furious that I wasn't quite following my no-Sokka policy.
"So, Toph...I guess it's nice for you to see Sokka again, isn't it?" Suki offered with a brittle smile. "You two were always such great friends." The message was clear: get off of him. With a yawn and a stretch, I rose up off of Sokka.
"Hey, thanks for the rest, Snoozles," I offered casually. "You're very comfortable to sit on."
"It's my pleasure." Sokka furrowed his brow. "I think."
Suki didn't seem very pleased, either, when she quickly stepped forward and reminded Sokka, "Don't you have some training to do?" Hey, I wasn't too happy myself. Or at least I knew I shouldn't be glad to see the chief oaf himself once again after all these years.
Let's review. I'd just been tackled by the man I was (formerly) in love with, ended up straddling the very same guy in front of his near-fiance, and finished with a nice bout of...confusion, pertaining to the heart and mind alike. Verdict?
Just wow.
What a great way to start off my month on Kyoshi Island.