Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. :)
llllllllll
Chapter 3: Hello, Good-Bye
llllllllll
Toph had immediately gone home and packed her things without hearing or speaking another word. She couldn't stay in Ba Sing Se. She'd only been there for a little over a month, but she'd caused more than her share of problems and chaos, and the city had rendered a few years' worth of heartache unto her.
Toph didn't really have a set idea on where she'd go, though. New Omashu was booming. She figured she might become a solid traveler like in the days before Aang's proposal, moving around the rest of her life, but her blindness would leave room to question in regard to her safety when she was in terrains with excessive water, sand, or ice.
"I figure I'll just find a forgotten Earth Kingdom town somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Start over," she muttered to herself. It saddened her that she'd probably never meet her friends again. She wished she could at least meet Sokka, but she didn't even have a clue where he was.
Sixteen and dangerous. She smirked at the thought. Sixteen and on the run... from what? Myself, she decided.
With her small pack over her shoulder, she stepped out of her home. It was a nice place, the outside designed with green and pure gold in beautiful, intricate patterns. Of course, that meant nothing to her. The inside was plush and fancy, with ornamental painting of famous people and breathtaking landscapes. She knew they were wasted there. She pitied the soul who had slaved away for hours on end to make his or her painting perfect just to get it placed in the home of a blind person.
The sun shone brilliantly down on her face, and she pushed her bangs back. Suddenly she picked up a strange scent. It was... familiar, but nothing she'd ever expect to find in Ba Sing Se. It was... flying bison?
It couldn't be. A smelly breeze flowed past her, laden in the thick, unsavory scent, and she knew that it was. She cringed a little as she felt the huge creature land with a thud. Vibrations flowed to her... and she knew that he was carrying passengers. Four. Three people she knew better than anyone, and a small creature. A lemur.
"Toph Bei Fong, long time no see," Sokka grinned.
Toph smiled in return. She'd already basically thrown her life away in Ba Sing Se, and she prayed that they were here to take her away from the dreaded place. Upsetting a society woman would no doubt have taken its toll sooner or later, and she shuddered to think it would probably be the former.
She felt Aang and Momo hop down, then Katara slide to the ground via Appa's leg, and finally Sokka fell not so gracefully off the massive creature. Aang spoke. "So how's your life here in Ba Sing Se?"
"It's... complicated. Being an earthbending teacher wasn't so bad, but I think I've pretty much messed up that job. Snooty society women aren't really my type of people. So how're you guys?"
"Not so great, actually," Katara replied. "You see... well... you tell her, Sokka."
Sokka glared at his sister. "Why do I have to be the one to say it? Why can't you?"
"Just say it. Aang told me, I told you, and now it's your turn to tell Toph. Can't you just follow the order?"
Sokka grunted, then said, "Okay, whatever. So Toph, we've been hearing of a dangerous uprising in the Fire Nation-"
"Count me in!" Toph exclaimed. "When do we leave? I'm already packed. Can we go now?"
"Whoa there! Hold on! I didn't even explain-"
"You can explain on the way. Can we just get out of here?"
Katara raised an eyebrow. "We were kind of wondering if we could stay with you for a day or two. You know, give Appa a rest. And maybe see a little bit of the city."
Toph scowled. She did not like the sound of any plan that involved prolonging her involvement with Ba Sing Se. Of course, she did kind of want to say good-bye to Lotus and Jiro. She doubted she'd even be able to get near Jiro because of his eccentric mother, but she wanted to try. They were her favorite students, after all, and she had to admit that she would miss them, even if they were just children.
"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "I guess you guys can stay just one day. But there are a couple of people you have to meet."
Toph allowed her friends to unpack, then they took Appa to a nearby facility where he would be taken superb care of. The first thing they all agreed they wanted to do was get something to eat.
"Got any suggestions, Toph?" Katara asked. She looked around good-naturedly, comfortable at the city life.
Toph shrugged. "Not really. There's nothing good to eat here. There is this one merchant who's got some decent fruit, but..."
"That sounds great!" Aang grinned. "I haven't had any good fruit in like, a month! C'mon you guys!" With that, the four went out and got dinner, and Toph led them into the outskirts of the city, where the poor lived. There was no longer any wall dividing the people of different social status, but there might as well have been. Lotus and her mother lived near the city's entrance in what appeared to be, upon first look, an incredibly dilapidated shack-like... thing. Everything was supposed to have been rebuilt after the city's reclamation, but that place looked like it had been built the day Aang was born. It probably wasn't nearly that old, but it certainly could have passed for it.
"Why are we here?" Katara asked, glancing around nervously.
"This is where one of my students lives," Toph smiled in return. She thought it funny that being in such a downtrodden part of town brought Katara discomfort. It suited her.
"Who would live in this shady place?" Sokka muttered.
Toph answered by knocking on the door. She heard shuffling, and suddenly a quavering voice asked, "Who's there?"
"Miss Kaori! It's me, Toph."
The door flung open, revealing Kaori and Lotus. Lotus was clutching her mother's dress, but upon seeing Toph, she quickly let go. "Sifu Toph!" the girl giggled.
"Come in, you really shouldn't be out this late," Kaori scolded pleasantly. "Really."
"Thank you," Toph smiled. She and her friends entered. This was when Kaori noticed the Avatar.
"Avatar Aang!" she gasped.
"At your service," he grinned. He was used to that kind of attention.
Kaori suddenly felt very out-of-place. She had light footsteps, though, and Toph knew that Kaori was glad that she'd visited.
Katara looked around. "So where's your husband?"
Kaori flinched, but soon regained her composure. "He passed away, just after Lotus was born. He died in the war."
"Two women shouldn't live in this part of the city without a man around," Sokka told her. His eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail.
Kaori shuffled uneasily and attempted to change the subject. "To what do I owe this honorable visit?"
"I'm leaving," Toph quickly informed her.
"Really?" Kaori asked. "Nothing to do with the earthbending academy, is it?"
"Nah, my friends are here to take me along on a little trip. Something about an uprising in the Fire Nation."
"That's terrible!" Kaori exclaimed.
"Yeah. By the way, this is Katara, Sokka, and well... you know Aang. So I just wanted to say good-bye to you guys before I leave and, well, I want you to have my house."
Panic filled Kaori's eyes and her heartbeat quickened. "I couldn't! Toph, I know you're new here, but things... well, they don't exactly work that way here. My daughter and I live in this house because we don't have a very high social status. I moved here as a refugee seven years ago with my daughter, and we've been living her inconspicuously ever since."
"I'm giving you my house. If anyone tries to stop me, I'll kindly remind them of the reason why I'm the greatest earthbender in the world." Toph sounded definite. "And if anyone gives you trouble, tell them to take it up with me."
"Thank you very much, Sifu Toph," Lotus said before her mother could reply. Lotus's eyes shined with gratitude. Katara eyed the girl fondly and thought it gracious for Toph to give them her home. Toph must really like them, she thought to herself. Sokka and Aang were thinking similar thoughts.
Toph pat Lotus on the head. "Have you talked to Jiro?" she whispered.
Lotus blushed, just a little. Toph felt her shuffle. "He hates his mom fierce. He saw you two fighting. He knows everything," she whispered in return.
Toph grinned. It humored her to know that Jiro was angry with his mother. "Well," she said, "we'd better get moving." She made a quick gesture which clearly meant that Kaori and Lotus were dismissed. When neither moved, she barked, "Get a move on, then. Start packing. We haven't got all night."
Kaori and Lotus packed what few things they had -they were both too terribly afraid to refuse- and then they followed Toph, Sokka, Aang and Katara to their new home. They then bade hurried good-byes, and Toph again warned them to send word if they were objected to.
"Alright. There's one more person." Toph led the other three to an extravagant house, one of the grandest they'd seen in the city. It was colossal, beautiful, and radiated superiority.
"Well the friends you made sure are... different..." Sokka commented.
Toph rolled her eyes. "You have no idea."
She knocked on the door and smirked when she heard Leiko's footsteps approaching. "Who is it?"
"Sifu Toph," Toph replied easily.
She heard more shuffling, then the door opened softly. "Come to apologize?" Leiko asked in a low, arrogant voice. A twisted smile scarred her face.
"Not at all. I was actually hoping to speak to your son," Toph smiled, altogether too sweetly to be sincere. Jiro's mother returned it with a sneer and a quick, nearly inaudible mutter under her breath.
Leiko nodded curtly and disappeared. She returned momentarily with Jiro at her side. "Make it quick."
Toph scowled, then turned to Jiro, her angry look dissipating. "I've come to say good-bye."
"G'bye?" Jiro echoed, confused.
"My friends and I are going on an adventure. These are my friends Sokka, Katara, and Aang, the Avatar."
Jiro nodded solemnly to each of them, then turned back to Toph.
Toph smiled. "I'll be back one day, though, to see how you're doing. And you don't have to mind your mom if you don't want to. And take care of Lotus for me, would ya?"
Jiro nodded. "I will. You wait and see, Sifu Toph. I'll make you proud."
lllllllll