Revenge-bending

Toph never liked to admit when she was afraid. Fear, she had decided long ago, was the reason that she had been locked up and non-existent. Fear was what she was supposed to have, according to her father. It was a part of that weak, helpless persona she had gotten so good at acting but was most definitely not her.

There were times though when, to her shame, she was afraid; when she couldn't see.

The first time that there was no earth under her feet, only hard cool metal, it was like the world had gone dark. She could still hear, of course, and hurl insults at her captors, acting like they didn't have her afraid, but it was only a bluff. Inside she was screaming. Panic sat heavy in her head, like a dark building pressure.

For once she was grateful of the stupid breathing exercises Master Yu had made her do. Fortunately the bluster and bravado paid off. She remained visibly calm for the time she was in the cage and then she really made them pay for what they did to her. That felt good – revenge bending.

She swore to herself that she was never going through that again, that she was never going to put herself in a place where she couldn't see or bend. That was just before she decided to travel with the Avatar. Apparently the intrepid team had a real problem with walking on solid ground. They flew everywhere! Except, of course, when they were trekking across a desert, where she couldn't see, or skidding across bridge of ice, where she couldn't see, or falling into giant lakes, where she not only couldn't see but couldn't swim, or asking them to join her in the belly of a giant metal monster, where, you guessed it, she couldn't see.

Nice job Twinkle toes.

She couldn't decide if they did it deliberately or whether they were just that stupid. She had a funny feeling it was the latter.

The second metal cage though was most definitely entirely her fault, and this time she was completely alone. She had never really wanted anyone, had gone along with this trip to run away from being stifled, not to seek company, and yet somehow she had become part of a team. She wished they were here now - Twinkle toes or Sugar queen or Hairball or Sokka – because she was alone and she was trapped. She was scared.

Her bending was useless, and the more tricks she tried and failed, the more her insults bounced back at her ignored, the more the panic grew until it felt like Appa was sat on her chest and her head went light. The air was not enough for her heaving lungs and she sank to the floor of the cage with a dry sob, pressing her forehead to the cool metal, trying to regain control. She was that helpless little blind girl again. Couldn't see. Couldn't bend. Her identity torn away from her.

"You may think you are the greatest earth bender but even you can't bend metal."

The words they'd taunted her with broke through the fog that had settled on her brain and she lashed out in frustration, hitting the metal hard with a yell. It took her a moment to realise she'd heard something whisper back. It was as though a solid rock had appeared in the flow of fear. She clung to it desperately, the one clear thought in the flood and felt the panic lift slightly. Still there but no longer in control. Again she hit the metal and again she listened, and she heard the cousin of earth whisper back. A few solid punches later and she could see the whole cage with her bending and she smiled to herself. Toph – the greatest earth bender. Her head was clear and her limbs were free to breath. With one final punch she dented the metal and felt the relief wash over her in a soothing balm followed by a gleam of satisfaction

Revenge bending was about to occur.

Those morons wouldn't know what hit them.