I was inspired by Push and Pull by Satomoblie and two authors who wrote about footbinding toph's feet (chances are if you wrote something about footbinding it was probably you) You are here by warned that this is a savethetag story and very angsty (and also sheds no good light on tophs parents)
Toph didn't feel right about this visit to Gaoling. The letter her parents sent her was too good to be true. They said they missed her and would love to see their granddaughter for a change. Afterall, they had not seen her since she started walking. So there Toph stood, Lin's tiny hand in her's as they stood outside of the Beifong Estate. The metalbending chief shouldered her small pack more snugly on her shoulder and then knelt down to Lin's level. She was five years old as she excitedly told everyone she met. "Alright sugar-plum," she said pushing little black curls out of Lin's eyes. "We're going to meet my parents in just a minute." Toph refrained from telling Lin that they were her grandparents. The little earthbender was still too young to really know how grandparents were related. Lin had been so excited about one day getting to meet her grandparents because all the other kids in preschool always talked about how "cool" their own were. But she didn't know that they were standing right outside of grandma and grandpa's house. And Toph intended to keep it that way. In case something went wrong she didn't want Lin's hopes of having "fun and nice" grandparents crushed. She didn't want to plague her child that way. She sighed in the summer heat and continued. "I don't want you to be scared about meeting new people ok. There are going to be a lot of ladies and men in there serving you food ok? Just remember your manners and be polite, please." Toph started to rise but then remembered one last thing and squatted back down. "And stay where I can see you ok?"
"But mommy, you can't see," Lin said matter-of-factly.
"That's my girl," she smiled standing and taking her hand again.
She took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder in hopes she would see him, but she knew she wouldn't. She had asked Sokka to come along with her, for company... and... aid, should she need it. Toph really wasn't sure what to call their relationship. He practically lived with her and maybe they had had kissed once... or twice... or more. And he was the only father Lin ever knew. But he had never said if they were steady or not and so Toph wasn't really sure what to call their companionship. Anyways, she had asked if Sokka would just keep and ear out in case she needed help. It was a ridivulous notion in more ways than one. First of all, Toph could take care of herself and second, it wasn't like her parents were going to attack her. But there was something niggling away at her mind. Something bad. And so Sokka had tagged along.
"How wonderful!" Loa crowed as when he saw Lin for the first time. "What a lovely daughter you have, Toph!" He cried when Lin curtseyed to him. Toph had been taken off-guard by that one. She had never taught Lin how to curtsey, she suspected Kya and/or Katara were involved in that.
"She looks just like you, Toph," Poppy said in her quiet, gentle voice. Lin liked that very much because she thought her mommy was the most prettiest lady in the world, so that must mean she was too. She gave Poppy and big smile and curtsied again. "Come, let's have lunch," she said taking Lin's hand in hers. Lin was seat right next to Poppy, across from Toph. She was very impressed with her skilled daughter when she ate with little bites and didn't talk with her mouth full like they both did at home. And oh, she was very, very polite. She almost had to stop herself from laughing because she realized Lin would make a great partner in pulling off scams. Lin eyed the servants a little curiously at first. No one had ever served her before except at that restaurant mommy had taken her too once. She really liked Poppy too. She smiled a lot and told her funny jokes when no one else was listening. And then when dessert was served she even gave Lin half of her sweet-bun!
"Lin, darling, how would you like to see the big painting of badger-moles in the sitting room?" Poppy asked when lunch was over.
"I would love it!"
"Well, then , let's not wait a moment longer!" Poppy smiled, standing and leading Lin from the dining room. Toph started to open her mouth to tell her 'no', but shut her mouth. This was her grandmother for spirit's sake, she wasn't going to do anything to harm Lin. Toph leaned back in her chair and tried to relax as her father finished chatting about trade and progress of the nations and what not. She'd heard it a thousand times before. It was silent for a moment, all the servants already having cleared the table and gone to the kitchen.
"Lin is a delight," her father said suddenly. "She's so different from you when you were a child." A pause. "We tried so hard to keep you safe, dear. And teach you the ways of high-society but once you started that earth bending nonsense it was no use."
"Please, Dad. You just wanted to make me as meek as possible so maybe some nobleman just might take a handicapped woman as a wife... and without a massive dowry," Toph said coldly.
"That's not true, Toph. Your mother and I love you and we only want what's best for you, and little Lin." Toph perked up at this.
"And?"
"We just wanted you to be safe. And of course we wanted you to eventually find a husband and start a new life with him, if we let you continue as the rough child you were, that would have never happened for you. Afterall, a benign, agreeable woman is what noblemen expect from ladies of good breeding. "
"You mean a handled, submissive little weakling is what men want," she snapped back.
"No!" he gasped. "Simply a polite young lady with manners." Toph rolled her eyes. "And that is also what your mother and I want for Lin as well. An easy life where she can be surrounded by comfort and never having to lift a finger." Something sounded suspicious in the way Lao had put that. "Now, while she does have some manners, she is still far from being matched with a suitable boy as her betrothed."
"What are you saying? She's not getting-"
"So I think it would be best for her if she stayed with us for a little while, not long only a few years-"
"Are you mad!? I'm not going to-"
"And of course, you may visit whenever you like, she is your daughter afterall."
"Yes! She is my daughter! My child and I decide what's best for her!" Toph shouted, leaning forward in her chair. She started to yell again but her father cut her off again.
"Please Toph, be reasonable. An arranged marriage would be best, she can be assured of financial security for the rest of her life. And she won't be roaming around that city you live it vying over whichever man catches her eye. It would be impossible for her to fall into unsavory situation, like yourself."
"What!? What are you calling unsavory!? That my husband was a coward and abandoned me when I was pregnant!? That wasn't my fault."
"Of course not," he said. "But it is unsavory nonetheless. You are yet married and still you live with a man who is not even Lin's sire. All these things could have ben avoided if you married the boy we betrothed you to. And Lin will never have to suffer this way."
"What do you mean "this way". She's not going anywhere."
It was as if Lao didn't even hear her. "Now, Lin is a lovely girl, but she will need some refining."
"She's staying with me! She's not-"
"I noticed her feet are still unbound," Lao said, still ignoring Toph's snarled defenses of her offspring. "No noblegirl's feet should ever be unbound," he said, looking up and staring straight into her unseeing eyes. And while Toph could not see, she heard the implication in his voice.
"You wouldn't dare," she spat, jumping to her feet, the heavy chair toppling backwards with a thud. Within half a second of eachother, two things happened; Toph felt a crash from the sitting room and a strangled "Mommy!" from Lin's throat. Terror gripped her in ways she had never, ever experienced before. She had fought in a war when she was twelve, dealt with vicious, dangerous criminals every day but nothing like this. Terror made all sensible thought fly from her mind as she tore through the kitchen, desperate to reach her daughter. She was deaf to everything but her baby's cries so it took her by surprise when a huge guard suddenly yanked her backwards onto the floor. She pounded her fist into the floor, a spike of rock shooting upwards at the man but fear distorted her aim and she missed. Somehow she managed to scramble to her feet and she took off towards the sitting room. The earth was suddenly pulled out from under her feet when she reached the doorway to the room as two men yanked her into the air. "No!" She screamed, swinging her arms wildly hoping to hit them or the earthern walls so she could have her element to bend at them. They trapped her arms to her side and one held her tight to his chest, her feet far from the ground. Toph was a powerful woman, but she was also very small.
"Mommy! Mommy it hurts!" Lin cried. Poppy and another servant were holding her in a chair as a woman wound linen around her feet so tight it cut off the blood to her toes. She felt her little toe crack and pain shot through her leg, devouring her foot entirely and clawing its way to her knee. Lin cried out, screaming at the top of her lungs in agony. Never in her five years had she ever been a situation as scary as this, and terror made the worst pain in her life intensify tenfold. "Mommy, Mommy!"
"Let her go!" Toph screamed struggling and clawing away with everything she had. She managed to leave multiple bite wounds on each man as they restrained her. It did not matter what she would have to do to get free, she had to protect her baby. Style was no longer important in this struggle, Toph fought with everything she had, she spit, scratched and bit at any and everything she could reach. "Stop it! Stop! Don't do this to her! Run Lin!" She demanded through tears and screams.
An awful, animalistic scream ripped from Lin's throat as another toe was broken with the increasing pressure of the bindings. Her screams tore through her vocal chords so wildly it made her hoarse in an instant. She was scared, she was hurt and those men were hurting her mommy. The little girl managed to free her other leg and kicked with everything she had, tearing the woman's lip open and blood spurting from her nose. She reeled back, foot-binding forgotten and yelled out. Lin almost smiled. She dug her heel into the ground and small bit of rock and dirt sprayed from the floor. It didn't do any damage but it kept her feet from torment. A horrible shout and a terrifying, high-pitched war cry was heard from down the hall. Sokka came wielding his sword, bowling through everyone who between himself and his two girls. The guards didn't know what hit them as Sokka disabled them quickly and shoved them away from Toph. The young woman stumbled but ran across the room and shoved her mother and the two servants away with her fists and earth. She slammed to her knees, gathering a sobbing Lin into her arms. Sokka didn't know what had happened, but that didn't matter right now. He hoisted Toph up by one arm and led her out off the estate, Lin cradled to her chest.
It was impossible to explain to Lin why those people had done that to her. All Toph could do was hold her shaking baby in the hotel room they rented a few miles away. Sokka didn't know what to do either so he did the next best thing and curled around both of them, holding them both close to his heart.
AN: Alright that was really cheesy and most-likely awful but, hey, what's a girl to do with plot-bunnies?