A/N: This is my contribution to an in-progress collaborative project on AvatarPortal. The premise is that the members of the Gaang (and other various characters) have been separated and living separately for the last fifteen years; now they are each taking on a student. This is Toph's story. Disclaimer: I do not own anything on Avatar. (p.s. if you would like to read the parts of the project written by the other authors, go here: http://avaportal. )
To anyone watching the young woman stepping off the boat, it looked like she was awestruck by the great walled city before her, that she was struggling to see it all at once. But there were two problems with that observation. Toph Bei Fong was rarely awestruck, and never by Ba Sing Se. And there was the small problem of her being blind. Though it may have looked like she was staring in amazement at the city, she was actually trying to remember her directions.
"Sometimes I really miss that fluffy cowbug," she grumbled as she boarded the train that would take her into the heart of the Earth Kingdom capital. The last time she'd been here, she'd had friends to metaphorically lean on, and she was able to bear the worst of this stifling city. But now she was on her own.
Forcing them from her mind, she turned again to the forgotten directions. She was trying to find the Bei Fong family house, but asking around would lead to uncomfortable questions. "Oh, are you Toph?" "The Toph?" "The Toph who taught the Avatar?" "Can you teach me?" "You're the only metalbender in the world?!" "Can you demonstrate for us?" "Can you teach me?!" "Can you teach me metalbending?!"
Toph had tried to teach metalbending to some unfortunate souls who showed promise, but they were never good enough. They relied too much on their eyes, and the skill eluded them again and again.
So she swore never to take another student, at least not until she was over 100. And without an obnoxious student, she was free to travel the world, to take on everyone, earthbenders and non-earthbenders alike, who thought they could best her in battle. Victory was too easy, and soon these glory-seekers completely avoided her. Oh well, who needed them?
Now she was forced to come to the worst city in the world, all because of her family. Toph's cousin, a very important asset to the family because of her political ties, had disappeared. Just vanished. And the rest of the family didn't care.
She remembered this cousin. They had only met three or four times, but she had been the one person in Toph's life who hadn't treated her like a fragile, blind flower, and Toph was determined to return the favor.
She felt the vibrations of a woman coming to stand in front of her. "Miss Bei Fong?"
"Who's asking?"
The woman bowed. "I am a servant in your family's House. I have been sent to bring you home."
"I can find it myself," Toph grumbled.
"Please, Miss. It is my duty to -"
"I said, I can find it myself!"
"Forgive me, my lady, but I was given explicit instructions -"
"Yeah, that's right!" Toph cried, jumping to her feet. "Let's lead Toph around by the hand because she's blind, and we wouldn't want her to get lost!"
The woman seemed confused. "Precisely, my lady."
Toph narrowed her eyes. Then she felt a tug on her sleeve. "Excuse me, miss," said an old man sitting next to her. "Are you the Toph?"
With a groan, she slapped her forehead and thought Welcome back, Toph. Welcome back.