"Here is your room, sirs and madam" said the servant with a nod of his head before leaving.

"This is the life" Sokka said, flopping down onto a large king sized bed. They had just been greeted by the Bei Fong family and shown to their room, to prepare before dinner.

"I agree" agreed Katara, flopping down onto her own bed. "I never thought I'd miss indoor plumbing as much as I did."

"I'm going for a walk" Aang announced abruptly. He needed to think things over. How was he going to get Toph to teach him earth bending? He knew she was good, possibly the best earth bender in the entire wolrd, but she couldn't just walk out on her family, could she? He lulled things over as he walked through the lush gardens. The pathway was shaded by trees and well-worn. Beautifully manicured flowerbeds lined the path, giving of a sweet scent, while a brook drabbled in the background. His thoughts were interuppted by a sweet sound. Cautiously, he air bended his way into a branch of a nearby tree. A beautiful girl in a white kimono, sat cross legged on a rock by the brook. She was staring at the water while earth bending pebbles to skip. Once, twice, three times.

"Look at me, I will never pass for a prefect bride, or a perfect daughter. Can it be, I'm not meant to play this part? Now I see, that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart."

Aang sat in the tree, entranced by the sound of Tophs voice. It was like rich honey, or a gentle summer breeze, or cool Autumn leaves, floating to the ground. She might've been a siren, her voice was so beautiful.

"Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me. When will my reflection show, who I am inside."

Aang would've been content to sit there all night and listen to her. He would've, if the branch he was sitting on hadn't given way and he hadn't landed with a loud thump! onto the ground.

"Who's there?" Called Toph, all traces of the beauty taken from her voice to be replaced by confidence and anger.

"Uh...sorry, its just me." Said Aang, scratching the back of his bald head in embarrasment.

"Did you hear me?" She damanded.

"Yeah!" Said an enthusiastic Aang. "You're really good! Where'd you learn to sing like that?"

She shrugged. "It just came. With me being blind, my sense of hearing became stronger, so I could hear when I hit the wrong notes, which made me improve. But what are you doing, anyway? Stalking me?"

"No!" Aang said hastily. "I just came for a walk. I needed to clear my head and all."

"Really? I thought its pretty clear. You know, with it been empty."

Aang glared, but there was amusement in his eyes. He walked over and sat next to her. "Are you happy?"

Toph was surprised. Nobody ever cared if she was happy or not. In fact, the only people who knew she exsisted were her parents, the guards and the servants.

"Why do you care?" She snapped back.

"Well...because...I dunno. But, are you?"

She hesitated. "No" she admitted. "My parents keep me a secret. I don't have any friends, and I know I'm not pretty."

"But-" Aang started to protest.

"Don't argue." She interrupted. "I've heard the servants say that I'm nothing special and that I'm plain faced when they brush my hair and help me get changed."

"You are pretty" he said, and he knew that he was been honest.

"Aang?"

"Yes?" He answered. Her voice had suddenly gone quiet and hesitant.

"Will...will you tell me what I look like?"

"Um" he stuttered. "You...uh...you..."

"See! You are just like everyone else. To afraid to tell the truth, don't wanna help the little blind girls feelings! I knew true friends were to much to ask for! I knew it!" He was thrown back by a large boulder that had been hurled his way. He slowed the impact with air bending, but by the time he was up again, Toph had disappeared.

Dinner was horrible. Well, the food was nice, but Toph wasn't. She made it a pain, until he couldn't take it and sneezed a gust at her (and her parents...).

"What's your problem!" She demanded, standing from her chair and thumping her hands into the table.

"What's yours!" He retorted, copying her stance.

She stood up and walked away, like nothing had happened, leaving him in a very awkward situation.

That night as the trio was getting ready for bed, there was a knock at the door. Since it was open, all they had to do was turn and see Toph, leaning against the frame with an air of confidence.

Look, sorry about dinner" she said. "Truce?" She held out her hand.

"Truce" he replied, taking it in his own and giving it a firm shake.

"Walk with me." She said, turning on her heel, without another word.

They found themselves walking along a bridge over the same brook where they had spoken earlier. Well, Aang was walking along the bridge, Toph was balancing on the railing.

"Earth bending is my way of seeing" she explained as she jumped onto the ground. "I feel the vibrations in the ground. I can even feel those ants over there." She gestured to a clump of grass where some ants were crawling around.

"You don't seem happy here" Aang said after a short silence. "Why don't you come with us?"

"I can't just up and leave" Toph said. "I have family here, even if they keep me a secret."

(A/N I know theres a lot more, and its a bit different, but I can't remember it all, ok? And I'm gonna skip the whole kidnapping thing, because I think we all know how that goes. If you don't, go to

)

"I'm not a helpless little girl, father" Toph said, head bowed as she stood infront of her parents. "I can take care of myself, and even if I can't, Aang, Sokka and Katara will be there for me, because I would like to travel with them. And I hope this won't change the way you feel about me."

"You have opened my eyes, Toph" her father replied, and Tophs heart fluttered with hope. He might just let her go! She was about to happy dance, when the next words came out of his mouth. "I have let you have to much freedom. From now on you are to be strictly guarded, and are not to wander."

Toph bit her lip hard, as her heart came crashing down. Stupid hope, it just made it hurt all the more. She had lost what little freedom she had, and worse.

She had lost the possibility of friends.

She was strong, but she wasn't this strong. As strong and independent as she was, she was still human and all humans have emotions. Hope, happiness, sadness. A single tear escaped her sightless eyes, and made its way to her cheek. The first tear she had shed in so, so long. It slowly made its way down her cheek, and she closed her blind eyes behind her bangs. The tear reached her chin and dripped to the floor. She felt the vibration of its impact as it landed, and just like her happiness, disappeared.

"Avatar, you are to leave and are no longer welcome here."

Aang looked one more time at the Blind Bandit. Even though she only shed a single tear, he knew that in that tear was more sorrow, sadness and pain then anyone else in this house. She was a caged bird, trapped and alone, with no way to stretch her wings.

Although Aang wouldn't admit it, he had felt so strong when he was around Toph. She was brave, and kind, even though she was stubborn. The truth was, that even though they had only known eachother for a few days, he felt that he had known her his whole life.

The trio turned and left. As soon as Toph felt their vibrations fade into the ground, she turned and ran, back to her room. She had just closed the door when she couldn't hold it in anymore. She sank to her knees and burst into tears. They flowed down her face like a river, making a wet spot on her bare feet. Never before had she felt like this, never befroe had she felt so trapped and lonely. Even before she was miserable, trapped and isolated. That was before she had learnt that she could sneak out, and have her freedom as the Blind Bandit. Before the Blind Bandit, she was so miserable, so lonely. But now, there was one difference.

She was going to do something about it.

She grabbed her bag and stuffed in some clothes, a spare hairband, and a hairbrush. She stood still, hardly breathing, as she 'listened' to the grounds vibrations. There were...two, yes two guards pacing outside her door, easy enogh. She quietly tip-toed to her window, opened it and listened. The sound of another two guards pacing the ground reached her sharp ears, as she readied herself to jump.

Here goes nothing she thought, as she jumped. She landed cat-like behind a bush, as the guards stopped and looked around. Without thinking twice, she earthbended two rocks together, sandwhiching the guards together, between them. She jumped out and ran.

She didn't think, didn't look back, but followed the faintest vibrations of the Gaang. They got stronger with every step she took, until she could feel them, along with the giant bison she had 'seen' Aang talking to earlier, at the other side of some trees, in a small clearing. She burst into the clearing shouting "Wait! Wait! I can come, my father changed his mind!"

"Toph!" Shouted Aang.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes" cried Toph. "I wanna show you something!"

"Ok!" He leapt down. Toph slamed a slab of rock up from under his feet, pushing him into a tree.

"Thats for knocking me out of the ring!" she shouted.

Aang, despite himself, smiled at the young arth bender. This was definintly the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Hope you enjoyed! It took me a few days, but it was worth it. I thought Mulan's Reflection described Tophs first 12 years of life perfectly, so I squeezed it in, even though this isn't the first story of Toph having a kick-butt voice.