Through My Life, Unarmed
It takes four years before Toph goes home.
To a place that she's not even sure she'd still be welcomed, because of what she's become, but more because of what she'd been.
Aang offers to take her back on Appa. She loves Appa, she does, but traveling on him should be done when only absolutely necessary. The trip home will be from Bai Sing Se, plenty of earth from here to there.
That's the explanation she gives. Even more than that, she needs to do this on her own.
She's sixteen, recently, but long before that able to take care of herself. She's one of the greatest earth-benders alive (probably ever), currently beyond even Aang's ability-maybe even always beyond him in earth-bending. Toph is the sort of girl who doesn't need anyone to take care of her, but still needs a family to accept her.
(She already has that. She knows it. She still has to do this.)
At one point her father wanted her back, by any means necessary. Essentially placing a bounty on her head for her safe return. After that failed, she hadn't heard from him since. Not a visit. Not a message. Maybe he had realized she didn't want to come home and resigned himself to waiting. Maybe he'd decided he didn't want her.
It's about time she found out. She knocks on the doors leading into the Bei-Fong property.
The guard recognizes her, and she smiles to hear the voice of one of her old keepers. She'd never held that against them. Her well-being had mattered to them. (And, occasionally, she'd exploited that for the attention she craved. It is hard to be a secret from the outside world.)
He takes her to the sitting room, announcing her quietly before retreating.
She knows they're in here, the soles of her feet tell her what she can't see. Neither are speaking, though. She wonders if they are trying to hide from her-underestimating her abilities.
"Even if the guard hadn't spoken to you, I would still know you were in here. I'm blind, not stupid."
"Toph, you know better than that-we're just shocked to see you again… after so many years."
She feels guilty, that she waited this long. It's just that she had never been ready before. She'd wanted to be a woman before she came back.
Still. "I'm sorry."
She speaks softly, because Toph has learned that strength is more than being tough. Four years is a long time, and a lot of world had been covered in that time.
Her mother finally murmurs, "We've heard amazing things, Toph. It's almost too much to take in. I-" she falters, "I don't know why you came back."
She'll never admit her devastation from that one sentence.
"I came back because I thought you were waiting for me. I guess I was wrong." Toph turns to leave, to go back to her family and leave this one behind.
Again.
"Don't go," her father's voice sounds almost broken, like he's been crying.
"Please stay," he's pleading. "If only just long enough for us to show off our beautiful, strong daughter to the entire village. Toph… it's been a long time coming."
Toph remembers hearing singing, feeling dancing, and longing to be among the festivities that marked every event worthy of a cheer. Events of unity, joy, acceptance. She remembers telling herself she didn't care until she almost believed it. Wondering why she shamed her parents so much that she had to be hidden away.
"We've all waited long enough."
Three days later, she is presented as Toph Bei-Fong to their village, the world outside walls.
She joins hands in the dance circle, smiles. Dances until even her feet are tired.
It's time, she thinks, to rest them a little.
Author's Note: Written for theavatar100 on LiveJournal, the challenge was "celebration". To which my brain replied "oh, time for angst."
Also, title taken from the song "Angry Anymore", by Ani DiFranco.