I'm smothered; everywhere I go some guard always has to follow along. So far being blind has had its downs and never any ups. "Toph where do you think you're going?" My father always seems to stop me from having any fun. I mean I'm eight years old who's never had any real friends. They keep me trapped in this prison you call a home but I want to escape one day and when I do I'll never look back. Hmmm, I think I am getting ahead of myself with this story so maybe we should go back a little.
"The key is a proper stance young one" Master Yu is my "earthbending" teacher who says he will help me become a great bender but I know that's all a bunch of monkey feet. He's holding me back I just know it, why you ask?
Maybe it is the way he talks to me like I will have a heart attack every five minutes into the lesson or it could even be the fact that we've been going over this stinkin' basic training for the past 3 months. He thinks I have noticed that he's been teaching me the same stances and movements every single day but you can never get past these eyes, well you know what I mean. "Toph are you listening to me?" I'm getting really sick of this guy. I always like to mess with him and play the helpless role. "Huh, wait where you are" my hands are moving all over the place looking for a physical object to rest me hands on. I can already hear him panicking over there, wow Toph you really do rule. Whenever I get tired of Master Yu (if he even deserves that title) I like to poke fun at him just so he can realize who actually the one in charge is.
"Toph has been improving slowly but her blindness is holding her back from reaching potential." Master Yu always has to report back to my dad after every single training session we have. Are you serious? What kind of man bows down to another? If you ask me this whole snitch thing is getting a little bit tiresome and old. My father is a wealthy and known man. In fact our entire family is a legend when it comes to the Earth Kingdom.
The Bei Fong dynasty has always had a history of successful nobleman. With every generation a new heir is needed to claim the title as leader of the Bei Fongs. Obviously a 4'9 blind girl isn't what they were expecting as a rightful heir. Sometimes I think my dad resents me for everything you know? It's like he was disappointed to have a "weak" daughter when he could have a strong earthbending son who could take over. Let's face it I don't think but know my parents resent me why else would they keep me a secret from the entire Earth Kingdom yet alone world. Embarrassed seems like the proper I think. It's not like I really care what they think but still I'm their child it wouldn't hurt to at least show some sort of interest in me besides always crying like screech-squirrel 24 /7 on my whereabouts.
That's why I don't bother telling any of them about the real me. They all think I am helpless but boy will they be in for a big surprise when they find out my secret.
I've been training with real masters not that jabbering old fossil Master Yu. My masters are badger moles. At first thought it might sound strange that I am learning how to do martial arts from a bunch animals but that's just it they aren't normal animals. They can relate with me and my problems. Badger-Moles are blind just like me and not only that but they are able to earthbend through their senses.
They don't rely on their lack eyes but try and use whatever else they have. All it takes is to wait and listen. I've been secretly training with them for 4 years now and they've never let me down yet. Yea, sneaking out is wrong and I know I should probably listen and respect my parent's decisions once in a while but it is just something that is not in my nature. "Dinner is ready" Whenever we eat the table is always quiet. It's not like I have anything to really say but come on, has no one ever heard of breaking the rock? At least my mother always has a smile on her face. That's something I've always admired about her. No matter what the situation is she manages to show joy and happiness.
She was the polar opposite of my dad though no matter it always looks like he's angry. No smile no nothing, it really is frustrating. I can sense a beating of some sort when I start to eat. It's a heartbeat; the thumping pattern is different from those of my parents and Master Yu. It's beating faster than usual normally this is a clear sign of nervousness. I pick up my head and search around the dining room from where the heartbeat could be coming from. Thump, Thump, there it was again.
I turned revolved my head around to see one of the servants. Thump, Thump, there it was again the heartbeat was defiantly coming from this guy. Total creeper if you ask me. How am I able to hear a heartbeat exactly? It is a part of my training with the Badger Moles they have taught me to use my feet to feel the vibrations of the earth. So as long as person is connecting to the ground I can sense any whisper, sweat, breath or in this case heartbeat.
"Is everything all right Ms. Bei Fong?" I snapped out of my trance. The servant was talking to me now; I better try to just ignore my thoughts. "I'm fine" I sighed. I placed my chopsticks back on the table somehow I lost my appetite now. "May I be excused?" my father stared at me for a brief moment "Very well, Zhang can you make sure Toph gets to her room safely" He motioned his hands to the creepy servant guy. Thanks a lot dad. "Why of course Mr. Bei Fong" he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to my room. Once we reached there he placed me on my bed and whispered "Good night Ms. Toph" I don't know why but this had to be the scariest moment of my laugh talk about gross.
I couldn't sleep at all that night. No matter what positioned are turned on my bed all I could hear was that heartbeat. Thump, Thump. I could recognize it and know that it was still coming from that Zhang guy or whatever his name was. Why is he still up at this hour I thought? I heard footsteps moving passed my door. I shot up out of my bed and wiggled my way onto ground to "get a better look" I could see him perfectly. He was making his way down the hallway into our family safe. "That little thief" I tiptoed my way up to the door and slowly opened it. He finished packing up all of our loot and put it in his little brown sack, a man carrying a sack? Wow what a man.
He dashed out of the house like a Cheetah-Rabbit. If you think I was going to let this guy just go on willy nilly than obviously you are reading the wrong story. I followed him out of the house, he managed to use his earthbending and leap over the gate without the guards seeing him. Huh this thief actually managed to impress me. He wasn't that slick though, the earthbending he had done created a large vibration that awoke my parents. They must have gotten out of their rooms to check on me and see I wasn't there. I can't be bothered with how upset they are right now but instead how to catch this no good crook.
Zhang managed to make it up to the fields on the outskirts of our village. It looks like he had plans on leaving with this money for good. He still kept on moving not noticing my presence following him but I am not going to make this easy for him. I chucked a rock at his head to catch my attention. Turning his head back he seemed surprised to see me, just the way I like it. "Ms. Toph what do you think you are doing out here, shouldn't you be in bed?" That no good thief was trying to toy with me, I may be little but he still needs to realize who the one with the pedigree here is.
"I can say the same for Zhang, what do you think you're doing with my families values" his emerald colored eyes widened at my words of justice. Next thing you know he was laughing. Are you kidding me? He thinks he has a right to laugh at the great Toph Bei Fong? Well he has another thing coming. "Run along little one your daddy is probably wetting his pants right now" from that point on I do not know why but a tear rolled down my cheek. Who does this low life think he is? I was angrier than before now "No one and my mean no one ever talks about my father and that includes scum like you" He was surprised to see a nine year old talk to him in that way but still his grotesque face crinkled into a smile that could scare a Moose-Lion.
"Playtime is over" he dropped the sack of goods and twisted his hand to form a grip, within moments the ground started crumbling beneath my feet. I was sinking; he made the earth into quicksand. Every single movement I made just made it even easier for me sinks faster. He was intent on killing me and for what? A couple of gold pieces that's why, I've sunken deep into the earth up until my neck. Zhang seemed to get pleasure out of this by going as far as to laughing even grosser than before. "Such a shame isn't it? The Bei Fong family will forever crumble in its legacy because of the birth of an incompetent, weak blind girl" the words he spoke were bitter to me and couldn't bare it any longer.
This can't be the end I thought, my head had just been fully engulfed in thick and slimy sand like substance. If I give up now I will have disappointed my mother and my father. As much as I like to say how I could care less what they think in reality I actually do. I am the greatest earthbender in the world I shouted to myself and there is no way in this messed up world I will let a common thief defeat me. With all the force in my body I shot my hands back up to the surface and managed to make the quicksand solid. With that movement I let out a force to create a crater to free myself.
Zhang turned around to see me there standing in all my glory. He underestimated his opponent and this will be his downfall. "You little—"he pulled his arms back and shot them both back out clenching his fist. The sot out from both side of his body and was lunged toward. I could sense the motion of the earth moving at a fast rate towards me. This is it, I lunged the back of my palms to both sides of the attack and swiftly flicked my hands forward to redirect it back to him. I obviously didn't see that one coming and as an end result got knocked out. Pow right in the kisser! I walked over to his lifeless body on the ground and picked up the sack of money. I stomped on his back and proclaimed my victory "I told you I was the greatest earth bender" Sometimes people just never learn though.
I could sense footsteps moving closer and closer to both of us. "Ms. Bei Fong, you are alright" It was our family's guards. They picked up Zhang and from my guesses is he is going to be spending a long time in the slammer. The guards helped me up as well and carried me home. Once we arrived back I was dreading my parent's reaction. My mother hugged and blabbered on and on about how she was so worried, typical for my mother to get her panties in a bunch, but then that's when I sensed a heartbeat. It was strange because the signals I was getting from it were anger, sadness, and happy at the same time. What's even weirder was the fact that it was coming from my dad.
His body dropped to the ground and pulled me into his arms. He was crying, this was the first time I've ever "seen" him cry before. "Don't you ever leave us, we were so worried about you" I don't know what came over me but I began to cry as well. "I'm sorry dad" he held me tighter and didn't let go. My father didn't care what happened to the money or what happened with me and Zhang. All he seemed concerned about was the fact that I was home safely with him.