Title: Drabbles

Author: overlithe

Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender

Summary: A series of drabbles, each focusing on a different character from the series. First drabble: Toph, Earth Rumble Two

Characters/Pairings: Toph; gen

Prompt: fanfic100 prompt 072. Fixed

Word Count: 250

Rating: K

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and concepts created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon and various other corporations/people. I only own the DVD sets and a copy of the art book, and I'm not making any money and do not intend any copyright or trademark infringement.

Author's Note: Many thanks to muzivitch for going over these for me.

Toph—Prompt 072. Fixed

At first, Toph didn't like going into Gaoling. There were no badgermoles here, no earth enveloping her in every direction like a comforting, familiar quilt. The city was full of things made of wood and metal she still felt only fuzzily, and there were people everywhere, all seemingly unable to spot her until she was almost underfoot.

They were the ones who taught her to stride boldly and speak loudly.

After a while that became the reason why she sneaked into the city; it was no longer just to know that she could.

She was eight when she came across the arena.

'What's going on here?' she asked the person who was closest to her. There was a crowd milling by the entrance to a vast underground complex of caves, where she could feel the rumble of the earth and the stomping of feet.

'Beat it, k—' Then the man's rudeness crumbled, like it often did when people took what she assumed was a good look at her. 'It's Earth Rumble Two.' And here was the tone that assumed she was stupid, right on time. 'It's an earthbending competition. You know, with—'

'All right, gramps, I get it.' She turned around and walked away, getting closer and closer to the arena. Underground, the stomping had given way to chanting and clapping and cheering, an earth-borne rhythm that tickled the soles of her feet. A grin filled up half her face. Just wait until you get a handful of me.