In an alternate universe...

Lao Bei Fong was not a bender but he was considered the strongest non-bender alive. Able to fight on par with any bender of any element and kick their asses from Omashu all the way to Ba Sing Se. Novices, Master, even Grand Masters when they went up against Lao Bei Fong he found a way to beat them. Those that managed to score a win against him it did not last for very long as he would come back and kick their ass twice as hard.

Mastery of every form of fighting even various bending styles as one does not have to be a bender per say to learn their style of fighting. Taking to movements of each style and working them into his own he was able to fight with the best of them and even once beat Aang while in the Avatar State.

Poppy was a tomboy through and through as she never would a dress a day in her life. Whenever present with one she would merely laugh in their face and if they would not take no for an answer she introduced them to her two friends, her right fist and her left fist. Never knowing her parents she grew up on the streets and always liked messing around with the guys. Laughing at girls that seem so taken by things that were girly along with other things normally associated as female.

When Lao and Poppy met it was during a battle and Lao could her attention when he punched her in the gut with his full power. Sure it broke some of her ribs but bones heal and that was first time someone had struck her with everything they had. Which cause her to fall in love with Lao and their versions of date was guys that they wanted to beat up.

While she was pregnant with Toph she continued to travel around with Lao and even afterwards when she was born. Lao did not settled down because he was tired of traveling around. It was because he got bored and decide that people should come to him to attempt kicking his ass which most people failed.

With these kind of parents Toph was now...

With Lao and Poppy as there were in this alternate universe, Toph was still born both blind and with a natural talent for of earthbending. However this was discover far earlier as she was training with her parents from the moment she was able to do so. She taught how to hold a stance before she was even taught how to walk and they discovered her talent for earthbending that when Lao taught her how to see with it.

In addition to having mastery over the general fighting style of all four form of bending that Lao could learn for humans. He also learned everything he could form what people consider the original benders as well. When it came to badgermoles he learned how to see without his eyes which was the reason why Toph was taught how to how a stance before she was even taught how to walk. The first lesson she got as an earthbender was how to see with basically her feet instead of her eyes.

Thus by the age Toph would have originally learned bending in this alternate unvierse she already master level by the age of around six years old. Able to beat that were three times her age mostly because she was getting trained by her father and badgermoles almost everyday. Training with her father was something she in enjoy even though she could never beat him as he was always over a dozen steps ahead of her able to even attack from angle that could be consider her blind spot. Since she was still had problem with airborne attacks that were not earth base. Thus her training for her mother was how to overcome this weakness as best she possible could.

Toph had very loving parents that not only wanted the best for their daughter but also listen to her and looked out for her well being. They did not shelter her from the world claiming it was her for her own good. They were a close knit family unit however there was something that Toph felt was missing though even with how great people would always tell her that her parents were.

That being that she wanted to express her emotions and talk about them as that something that she could not do with her parents. They were not that good with their emotions as they did express them but it was only through how you expect a guy like her dad and tomboy like her mom to do so. Thus when Toph came to them with a desire to talk about her feelings and such. As she found such things amazing wanting talking about what she felt beyond just combat, fighting, and other related things.

Never being sheltered away from the world exploring was something she did whenever she was not training with her parents. Experiencing everything she could and soaking it all in Toph wanted to talk about them with someone as loved to fight as that how she felt close to her parents but she wanted to share everything else she experience as well yet could not because of how her parents were.

The city of Gaoling had changed as result of a very different Lao and Poppy having made it their home. There were constant challenge to Lao and later on Poppy as they were two of the strongest known fighters in the Earth Kingdom. As result the city which would have been ignored because it lack of strategic importance. It did become targeted by the Fire Nation as people as powerful and skilled as Lao and Poppy were seen as possible threat.

That what people would have thought however the city was attacked only once back when Lao and Poppy first arrived and made the place their home. After that the Fire Nation seem to avoid the city and never seem to go near it again. There were various rumors that spread across the Earth Kingdom about what happened and why they were not attacked ever again afterwards. Though there was no one talking about what happened back then.

Also since Lao was all about a good fight other then those coming to Gaoling merely to challenge him or set up shop in the city to do so regularly. Fighting against him was not the only reason that drove people to Gaoling though. Benders and non benders alike that looked up to Lao came wishing to learn from him. Not really wanting to deal with crowd and after meeting up with a guy that wanted to setup a tournament. That how Earth Rumble was born as it not only became the premier sport of the city but something that used by Lao to scout those he or Poppy might be interested in teaching personally.
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"Are you sure this right place" Katara asked as the group arrived in Gaoling just in time for Earth Rumble VI.

"I was told by Bumi to look for someone that wait and listen. Then in the swamp I was only one to see someone I did not know" Aang told

"Are the two really connected though as what does waiting and listening have to do with earthbending anyway" Sokka asked.

"Mostly neutral jing as that really what I am looking for. Someone that is good at that according to Bumi" Aang replied.

Asking around town the group was told to go watch this year's Earth Rumble as that probably be a good a place as any to find someone that matches what they are looking for. The more unique the person and style the more of a chance they had of getting a chance to be taught by Lao or Poppy personally.

The arena was located in the center of the city where numerous fighters that were both benders and non benders fought it out for the title and the chance that could possibly come with it. Though Sokka became interested in fighter known as The Boulder. Aang was not as the only thing he seem to listen to was his muscle…at first. Though as the fight continue to get tougher and tougher Aang was seeing that The Boulder did do more then listen to his muscle but still that was not enough. There was something still missing as this was not what he was looking for and he could tell.

Since this was a official event that held every year there was more then one arena and Team Avatar was merely watching the one that meant for benders. There was however one just for non benders and the winners from both would fight against each other for the title.

"The Boulder will this in rock-alanche!" he declared after being deemed the winner of the benders barrack

A girl around Aang's age appeared from where the non-benders were fighting and stood before her next opponent.

"This is the year that The Boulder will finally win again" he declared to her.

The girl merely held up three fingers to them which seemingly pissed off the large man as he went to attack but right when he the girl attack managed managing not get the jump on him but use his own movement against him. Though this where The Boulder smirked as he managed to counter her attack before she land what would have been the final blow of the match.

What follow was amazing match where the girl just seem know where the attack would come from most time and even evade or counter them using the unique fighting style that allow her to do.

"Too bad she is not a bender as if she was then would not she fit what you are looking for Aang" Katara said as Aang just nodded.

After beating The Boulder who she then had held out four fingers to him.

"For the three year in row the winner of the Earth Rumble VI is the Blind Bandit" the ref announced "Now is there anyone that wishes to take on the champ before they disappear again for a year"

That how things went as the Blind Bandit wins then disappears only to appear again the follow year thus making so that no one new could get the chance to be train by Lao or Poppy.

Pleased that they had done what they accomplished and seeing that she had made so no one wanted to challenge her she was about to leave when Aang was about enter the ring as despite not being bender he still want to see if she could as he heard about Lao being able teach bender despite not being one himself thus this girl might be able to do it. He recognized that laugh she let out after winning.

Before he could Lao appeared and sent the girl flying crashing into Aang in the process.

"So you are the one that has been preventing anyone from truly winning the last three years" Lao said

"Might I ask what the meaning of this is" the ref asked.

"The last match must be considered void as this girl should not have been allow to fight" Poppy looking down at her as they had been knocked out from how they crashed into Aang.

The covering that prevent the Blind Bandit from being recognized was removed to reveal that it was their daughter.

"See that why as Toph might have won the non-bender barrack fairly. She was not allow to enter the formal tournament in the first place given the rules. That no Bei Fong is allow to enter since we run the thing" Lao said.