Title: Hope in the Future
Author: ayziks
Rating: K+
Summary: Baby Hope and her parents Ying and Tahn appeared in three episodes, and played a key role in two of the (Katara showed her midwife skills in delivering Hope and Hope herself brought back Aang's sense of caring and when Zuko was going to rob the couple when he was on his own, his conscience prevented it seeing Ying then pregnant with Hope), and backdrop for another episode in which the new family witnessed the Fire Nation invasion of Ba Sing Se after Azula's coup. I have always been interested in this commoner couple's fate in the Avatar world just simply living as a family and envisioned something special about Hope beyond her name.
…
There was a pretty big crowd at the booth and tent just set up in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. A big banner over the kiosk announced their presence to the populace:
"New Republic City Police Force Recruiting Here Today! Be part of the new world"
It was a bit formidable for sixteen year old shy Hope, unusual for an Earth Kingdom girl, with so adults many dark uniforms with bands of leather and metal armor. Ying and Tahn urged their teen daughter forward. A big crowd of spectators formed around the police as well as interviewees. It was hard to tell the difference. With the heat of all the bodies in close proximity at the height of the summer doldrums, it felt claustrophobic to her.
But it always felt claustrophobic in Ba Sing Se, which is why Hope and her family, stuck for sixteen years in the Lower Ring in menial jobs, given the chance, had to get out. Hope had never known the peace of a small village that her parents - childhood lovers Ying and Tahn - had grown up in, but then after being burned out of their village six months pregnant with Hope to seek the big city as refugees.
Ying, with her shiny black hair, cuddled a little boy toddler by her side, as she spoke words of encouragement to her older daughter, "Over there. See? That is one of them. One of the people who saved us at Serpent's Pass. She's an earth bender. And a lot more. And a girl. Just like you. You can do this and rise above this squalor on your very own. I know you can."
"But Mother…"
Thirteen years earlier
Ying and Than, then only 20, learned very quickly that their baby grown to toddler age had the gift of earthbending. That ability hadn't been seen in either of their families for decades. It was nerve-wracking at times when Hope liked to play in rain and mud-bend herself into a 'mud monster' scaring all her little non-bending friends, but earth benders were commonplace everywhere.
But she had another gift that at first concerned her parents one night.
"Hope, eat your vegetables," Ying urged. It was about all they could afford, despite her father's trade as a carpenter and who seemed he was always working.
Hope hated celery. That was all her mother could afford that day to fill their bellies.
"No Mommy," stiffening her lip.
Her mother took a spoon and scooped up a bite to force feed her. Hope kept pushing the chop sticks away, dropping and wasting the meager food.
"You must eat. You'll never grow up big and strong if you don't," her mother asked desperately. Hope was too thin already.
"No! No! No! I don't like this," shouted Hope in her tiny voice.
They struggled a bit more. Hope grimaced hard, and the spoon curled up into sphere, spilling the vegetables on their meager table.
Tahn shouted, "Hope!"
The two parents just sat open-mouthed at each other.
"Hope. You're a metalbender!" her mother said, with some trepidation as well as excitement.
"Is that a bad thing, Mommy?"
Ying explained, "No dear. That is a very special thing. We've known one other and she was a very good woman. She helped you come into this world with another sweet woman who was a midwife and a waterbender."
"But few will understand your special gift. You can only do it around us," ordered her father.
"OK, Daddy. It's kinda hard to do anyway."
In the destitute corners of Ba Sing Se, they had no idea how to get word to Toph about their daughter. They couldn't afford a messenger hawk.
Ten years ago
Little Hope, at public school a few years later at six years of age, learned more about her gift. She read about Toph's history, how her metal bending helped save the world, and that it was a rare gift. She read about the dojo, and the first students and how they avoided a war between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. She understood their actions started the world toward the United Republic of Nations and its capital Republic City with the Avatar and the Fire Lord.
"Mommy can I go here to Toph's school?"
"No dear, we can't afford it," Ying said sadly.
But it didn't stop Hope from reading everything she could about metal bending technique and Toph's dojo. She discovered there were others like her, and they served an invaluable role as policemen in Republic City. But she kept her secret. She'd heard her friends talk about the 'freaks' who were metal benders, and looked down their noses at police in general, and especially those who were metalbenders.
One day she had enough of that, but kept her secret, and ran in tears to her mother.
"Is it bad to be a metalbender?"
"No honey. It is a blessing. I told you that when you were little."
"But all my friends think people like me are freaks."
"Did you let them see you bend?" Ying fretted.
"No Mommy, but they talked about it. They made me feel bad. Because I know I am one. I wanted to defend myself and the others who are like me."
"They are just jealous because they can't do it. And don't want to serve humanity like police do with this gift you also have."
Mother and daughter hugged and Ying dried Hope's tears.
Hope was cheered by her mother's smile, "I wish they could see how much fun it was."
Immediately she caused her mother's simple metal utensils and pots and pans to spin around and clang together, and her few pieces of jewelry to float up and dance in the air in their small apartment.
Tahn and Ying and Hope had a good laugh at that, "Someday you can entertain a little brother or sister like that."
"Are you going to have a baby, Mommy?" she asked happily.
"No honey, not yet. We can't afford anyone but you right now."
She resolved to make her mother and father happy by helping find a way out of the city to make more money. She wanted a sibling.
…
But inevitably the tender love of Tahn and Ying for each other did produce an unplanned baby, and it made things harder, despite their love of the new child. Hope had to drop out of school.
Hope had to find other metalbender police and join them, and take her family out of Ba Sing Se, and get her and her family out of poverty. She could not afford a tutor for her earthbending, but watched other benders practice and read the scripts at the public library between jobs. She eavesdropped on the dojos, but got chastised and run off their premises.
But little by little she did learn earthbending. Metal bending she just had to try to make it up. Nothing was written of its technique and little more was said.
Present Day
Like a gift of the spirits, when she saw that the brand new Metal Bending Police Force would be recruiting in the neighborhood near to where they lived, it could be up and out for all of them.
And now standing before her was the very leader of Republic City's Police and the world's first metalbender. One of the saviors of the world. Toph Bei Fong. Daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Ba Sing Se. She had turned her back on that wealth to save the world with the Avatar, and be exactly who she wanted to be, not a rich socialite.
Dressed in very dark outerwear, with a headpiece covering her unkempt shoulder length brown hair and bangs in her eyes, the powerful woman pulled back the tent flap, and disappeared inside.
"Mom… I… I am afraid. I don't know if I can do this. Everyone is so much older. And bigger."
The crowd around the booth were mostly big, burly, hairy Earth Kingdom men. Including Ba Sing Se police, wanting a new chance at a new career. She'd never get selected over veterans.
Her mother tried to soothe her, "You needn't be worried, Hope. You have every bit of the talent as they do. You are what you are. They want people like you. There are very few of you in this world."
Any sign of authority was still intimidating to anyone in the Lower Ring. Bad memories persisted. The Dai Lai had been everywhere, and every wall had eyes. If that wasn't bad enough, the Fire Nation Army had marched through the streets where they lived, taking over everything they wanted. Not just property and food, but any woman they had cast their eyes. As an infant, the teen had an instant dislike to them, and one soldier threatened her and her mother. Only the calmness of her father's dealings with the angry soldiers and one well-placed, milk-filled breast of her mother's quieted her and saved them all from arrest or death.
Tahn reminded his family, "Remember, Toph and her friends you see there at the booth were on our side. Remember that this very woman you saw rooted all the Dai Li out. She saw through their lies. Unlike the multitudes of brainwashed Joo Dees, she could see their duplicity. The Dai Li were purged and peace returned to the city, especially when King Kuei actually decided to rule Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom himself with no middle men. People could rejoice, despite their reticence with the new leaders in charge. The war was over and the good guys won. We were with the 'goodest' of the good guys. Toph, the Avatar, and his wife Katara. She brought you into this world, daughter."
"Go on, Hope. It's time. Maybe she will remember you and that will help you too," urged Ying, hugging and kissing her beautiful teen daughter.
She approached the recruiter station as it opened, and got in line at the end behind fifty others.
"Next!" the gatekeeper shouted, time and time again.
Surprisingly it was not a long wait. She made it to the front of the line, sighed, and turned to her parents who gave a supportive nod to her and smiled. Her fidgety little brother waved enthusiastically.
She began to be worried. Almost every person that went into the tent had nervous anticipation, but exited dejected. Ony three were accepted.
"Next!" The gatekeeper barked again, "C'mon girl, we haven't got all day."
She overheard the police in uniform mutter,"This ought to go fast."
It gave Hope stronger resolve. Boys shouldn't underestimate girls. Her mother said the lady inside proved that time and time again in her life.
The policeman took all her information down. There really wasn't much to tell. As citizens of the Lower Ring, life had not much improved for those with little hope, even for a girl with beautiful jet-black long straight hair and matching coal black eyes. She never committed a crime. She was petite of build, hardly intimidating as a candidate to be a policeman handed her the paperwork back. There was not a written word on the paper. Just bumps and holes made on the sheet by the stylus. Why?
Another policeman ushered her forward, and peeled back the tent flap. She was standing alone.
From behind the tent, Toph had her blind eyes closed. She felt the next candidate young female candidate and felt her, "Heartbeat – nervous, but not panicked. Anxious - but not impatient to the degree of being rude. All good. Well it's time we meet."
The police chief entered the tent was formidable in her apparent strength, but was hardly taller than Hope. That was encouraging.
Her demeanor was even more formidable, "You. Sit down."
There was nowhere to sit down and no chairs.
Toph felt her reaction. The girl was startled at her volume and brashness, but was not freaked out. Most girls were.
She started to sit on the ground, but she then understood. She bent a column of stone underneath her to sit that perfectly fit her bottom.
"Good. You've passed the first test", Toph noted, impressed with the finesse of the column that she could sense was form fitting.
"Thank you. Test me further," Hope encouraged.
"Oh, I will young lady. I will," she taunted.
Toph thought further, "Good attitude too. Eager to serve. Police need that attitude."
Toph suddenly said, "Juggle these."
There were three one-pound stone balls that Toph bent unexpectedly from the desk. Almost everyone else had dropped them. Hope intercepted them in mid-air, stopped them dead in front of her, made them rise, spin, twirl around her head. One of Toph's assistants was whispering what the girl did. It made her smile.
Toph held her hand out and ordered, "Stack them in my hand."
She did. One on top of the other and carved little dents in them top to bottom so they stayed stacked. It was perfect.
"Dexterity. Complete control. Inventiveness," Toph thought with satisfaction.
Hope wondered why the police chief had an assistant narrating. It was only then she noticed the late-twenties Chief of Police was blind. She remembered her mother's' stories and that his woman, though blind, could see better than most sighted individuals.
Toph herself escorted Hope out back, and demanded, "Now come juggle these."
There were three enormous boulders, which Hope handled more carefully, but nearly as effortlessly as the stone.
Toph explained seriously, "You are very young to be applying for this job. It will take you far away from your parents."
Hope was firm in her conviction, "I want to serve people and help with their problems. My family and I were helpless against the Fire Nation and Dai Li. I want to protect people who are being hurt by crimes against them. To see bad people get punished by the law, not want they think they deserve by force. I would like my family to come with me. They have always wanted a new life. We have no ties here. My dad is especially good at carpentry. I hear Republic City has lots of construction jobs. We are close and don't want to be apart.
The girl was impressive. As opposed to Toph's relations with her own family, who had not spoke to her in years since taking a 'man's job' as a policeman. Not even a congratulations was offered by them for being the first Chief of Police for Republic City. Not a peep of reply to her note that she'd be in town. This was the wrong side of town for them.
"We shall see, young woman. If you pass the next test."
Toph placed a wooden stand with a metal coin on a table in front of her. It was the same test she gave all metal bender candidates, and the coin was one of the few left from her metalbending dojo.
"Make it move."
Hope, at the pinnacle of what she came her for, froze. She concentrated with all her might, but nothing happened.
"Young woman, you are running out of time," noted Toph impatiently with her arms crossed.
Hope struggled, and she broke out in a sweat. Without this she and her family would be stuck in the giant city forever, penniless.
"That's it. We are done here. Perhaps we'll consider you for a desk…"
"NOO!" Screamed Hope and with the face of long ago when she crumpled her mother's spoon, the coin in front of her exploded in a dozen pieces. They went everywhere. Toph and Hope were both stunned.
"That was a valuable piece of history! How dare you!" yelled Toph at the top of her lungs.
Frantic, knowing she blew it, apologized profusely, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
But Toph realized the raw talent that she had in front of her, "Young woman, you pass. I want you as a Metal Bending Police Officer Cadet. You are only the fourth one here, and the only woman."
She burst into happy tears, "Thank you!"
"What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't. It's on the paper. But it's Hope."
Toph was even more stunned.
"Hope? As in daughter of Tahn and Ying?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes…" she said softly, not sure what Toph meant by that. She was worried they had committed some kind of crime.
"Where are they? Take me to them. Now!" Toph demanded.
It was a happy reunion between the adults with nonstop talk. All the other Police were very puzzled at Toph's unusually chatty and happy tone with these unknown commoners.
"Your daughter is an amazing talent. I want her on the Force. And you three are coming with us back to Republic City. I hear you are a good carpenter, Tahn. I have a whole new wing of the police headquarters that needs an expert carpenter. And there's an empty apartment just down the street. I assure you we are in a good area of town."
He bowed, and said, "I would be honored."
"But Chief Toph, I ruined your keepsake coin," worried Hope.
"It's ok, Hope, I have a few left. As long as I never recruit a metal destroyer again, it will be fine," Toph chuckled.
"But I must fix this," Hope insisted.
She went back into the tent, closed her eyes, held out her hands in a stance, and drew her arms together. All the tiny unseen pieces and shards levitated from where they fell or imbedded themselves into the tent fabric.
The pieces came together. The coin glowed as the edges fused. There on the stand was the whole coin, and it looked as if it had never been split asunder. Toph nervously picked it up. There were no seams, no rough edges, and the back and front were like there had never been damage.
Toph's aide was describing it for Toph, who was astonished at what she was hearing. Her parents looked in awe.
Toph smiled, "I think, Hope, that you may have just jumped to 'the head of the class'. Dinner's on me!"
The family hugged and wept together in happiness and thankfulness to Toph.
They departed Ba Sing Se with Toph, her police colleagues, and the other recruits the next day with bellies so full of food that they had never experienced before. In the passenger area on the giant airship painted in Republic City colors, they could not believe that finally, there was hope for their future as a family. And Tahn looked at Ying lovingly knowing that a third child was now possible.