Disclaimer: "An ounce of blood is thicker than a pound of friendship."
(An: ...An unfortunate thing happens when I write action-y scenes: logic must be discarded. In this case, though, there's actually a reason, one that will eventually lead to Tokka. Bear with me, please. Also, someone informed me a while after writing this story that Gaoling is nowhere near where I thought it was. I just assumed Toph went to the Cave of Two Lovers for her badgermole meeting. I made too many references to it to feel like changing it. I'm lazy. Formatting issues fixed! I fail, I know.)
Toph couldn't see fire. She could feel the destruction it wreaked on buildings, feel her skin stretch and crack when she got too close, hear it devour everything in its path, but she could never see it, and that left her at a distinct disadvantage. And it wasn't one she could throw a sarcatic comment at; unchecked fire was one of the few things Toph bowed to. But still she came running the second she realized her parents' house was burning.
The heat on her face was the only way she learned her house was on fire. There was no one around to tell her: Sokka and the rest of their fighters were back in the city, fighting off a battalion that had attacked a day early. She'd helped, yes, but once she was sure they had things under control, she came running home.
She broke through the stone wall that divided her parents' estate from the city. Everything in her told her she should run away, not toward—someone else, someone who saw with eyes, not their feet, could go inside, take care of things. And then she heard her mother scream, and all her thoughts and fourteen-odd years of ill will vanished like water off hot stone.
"Mom! Mom, I'm coming!" Toph yelled. She only felt the flames and smelled smoke when she got to the edge of her house—that meant the fire was still small, right? She could go inside. She came to the wall of her house and touched the stone. The roof was shuddering, but other than that she could tell nothing about the state of her home. Didn't matter. Toph punched a hole in the wall, just large enough for herself, and ran inside. "Mom! Dad! I'm here!"
Her panic almost swallowed her when she heard no response, but she forced herself to calm down, find her center. She shifted into a deeper stance and sent her sight out as far as it would go. What did she feel? The wooden walls were shaking; somewhere in the distance, walls collapsed. The main fire was still far away, to the east—her parents' house was huge, after all.
There! Movement, where the smoke came from!
Toph turned and ran without thinking. It didn't matter what happened to her—she would not let her parents die, not before they could see what she had become. Not before she could make up for leaving them.
O-o-O-o-O
Just a day ago, she'd been in this house for the first time in almost two years. She'd even dressed as a proper Earth Kingdom lady of breeding; getting her parents to listen would be hard enough without her mother commenting about how she'd lost all sense of propriety.
Still, though, she hesitated at the front gate. A servant had gone in the house to announce her and Sokka already, and she knew where her parents would be waiting for her, but... she couldn't. Then Sokka's arm came around her shoulders, his callused fingers rasping against the silk. "Please don't say you're nervous," he said softly.
Toph reached over and clenched her fingers around his rough cloth belt. He'd taken to wearing an Earth Kingdom uniform; it was less conspicuous than his warrior's garb. Toph couldn't tell the difference, of course. Colors meant nothing to her fingers. "...I'm not nervous," she said after a moment. Her voice was too weak. She cleared her throat and threw her head back—she was a Bei Fong, not some gawping barefoot commoner! When she was confident she could speak in her usual brassy tone, she continued. "I'm just worried you'll make an ass of yourself in front of my parents. Yes, you're supposed to be a soldier, but even they have better manners than you do."
Sokka snorted. "Whatever you say, Toph." He paused, tilting his head toward her. "...What are you going to tell them?"
Toph set her jaw. "I'm not telling them anything. This meeting is strictly business. The only reason I evencame was to make sure they'd let you in." She turned her face toward the ground. Her fancy slippers were bottomless, even though she hardly needed her earth sight to know her way around grounds she'd been exploring since she was old enough to crawl. "...If they want to know what I've been doing, they have to ask me. Me. Toph, the greatest earthbender ever—not Toph, their little wilting lily." Scowling, she tugged at the hem of one of her sleeves.
"All right." Sokka's voice could be infuriatingly understanding sometimes. Their time spent wandering the Earth Kingdom seemed to have made less of an idiot of him, at least where she was concerned. He still made a fool of himself around every other girl. Which pleased her, but she'd die before admitting that. "Come on, Madam Earthbender. Your parents are expecting us."
Toph sighed and let him guide her up the front walk. Ordinarily, she never would have allowed such a thing—she only let him coddle her when she couldn't see—but... she was afraid that if she kept standing there, she would admit the real reason she was waiting. That she didn't hesitate because she was afraid, but because she wished with all her heart that her parents would care enough about her to break the rules of engagement and come running as soon as they heard her name.
O-o-O-o-O
Sokka and Toph usually fought back-to-back. This was a good stance not only because it meant both of them could look out for each other, but because it meant that Sokka always knew where she was. It was so easy to lose track of her. She was fourteen now, but she'd barely grown at all, and her small body could vanish among the sea of green-dressed refugees so quickly...
That night, he couldn't decide what to feel guilty about: that he'd allowed himself to lose track of her, or that he cared more about her safety than the town's. He knew she could handle herself—she was the one who saved the day more often than not, after all. His work was most pre- and post-battle; Toph was the one who really shone in the heat of things.
But... she was all he had left. The only thing of their old life, the only scrap of hope he allowed in this broken world. And he cared about her more than he'd ever admitted to himself.
He broke away from the pack of their ragtag soldiers—they could handle themselves. He and Toph had turned them from a motley group of earthbenders, soldiers, and people with grudges to a real fighting force. He had to let them stand on their own sooner or later, and later could be the difference between finding Toph alive and finding Toph dead.
Not that he thought for a second she could be dead. She was too strong for that. But all the same—he needed to see her.
He ran out into the empty main street of the city... and his heart dropped into his stomach. The Bei Fong estate was burning. "No," he whispered. "No, she wouldn't!" The only place Toph could not handle herself was in the midst of fire. Her earthsight could tell her when a building would collapse, but it couldn't warn her of a flare-up, couldn't tell her if there was fire in a room if the door wasn't hot.
But he knew she'd be there anyway. He'd do the same for his father, even if they'd had the same tainted history. And it seemed that he couldn't run fast enough.
O-o-O-o-O
Yesterday, the Bei Fong estate had seemed like a bastion of sanity. The town was in a panic. They'd heard the news of an approaching Fire Nation army, and no one could calm down enough to do anything about it. If the Bei Fongs had learned of this—and doubtless they had, judging by the heavy spears their guards carried nowadays—they didn't seem at all bothered.
Instead, Toph's father and mother were waiting for them in their reception room, filled with fancy vases and plants. Sokka had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking. Ozai's assault during the passage of Sozin's comet had left thousands without homes or even workable land, but these two were still rich as the king. Richer, considering that the Earth King had been spirited away to a secret location that was incomparably defendable but lacked the comforts he was used to.
There was one surprising change: instead of the dais, Toph's parents were sitting on silk mats. A tea service was set out in front of them; a butler stood a respectful distance from them, waiting for any sign from Toph's father. Only the too-tight grip Toph's mother had on his hand betrayed any feeling at all. Sokka bit back a scowl. She was their daughter. Couldn't they dismiss noble graces for two seconds?
If it bothered Toph, she made no sign of it. Rather, she bowed low—too low for family meetings. Sokka copied her, going a few inches lower. He was, after all, just a common Earth Kingdom soldier. He doubted the Bei Fongs would recognize him. When Toph straightened up, her face was pleasant but blank. "Hello, Mother, Father." She clasped her hands in front of herself. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
The Bei Fongs exchanged a glance that betrayed well-hidden confusion. After a moment, Toph's father got to his feet. "Toph, dear, why all the formality? Come, sit. Tell us what you've come here for."
Toph's mother studied her daughter's face with such an earnest expression that Sokka almost forgave her for trying to stifle such a strong, vibrant spirit. "Please say you've finally decided to come home, darling. Come here and let me see you." She held out her arms, clearly expecting Toph to obey, but Toph just smiled blandly and sat down on the mats opposite her parents.
"I think I'd like some tea, please," she said in that soft, too-high voice she used for her weak little blind girl act. Sokka wanted to touch her somehow, show some measure of support, but he didn't want to make her parents suspicious. Instead, he just sat down—perhaps a touch too close for polite society, but her parents didn't seem to notice.
The butler stepped over and poured her a cup. As Toph closed her fingers around it, the butler murmured, "It's a pleasure to have you back, Miss Bei Fong."
Toph wrinkled her nose, as though the tea smelled bad—although Sokka had long ago learned that strongly brewed jasmine, the kind in the cup, was her favorite. She took a sip before speaking; her fingers clutched the cup too tightly. But when she lifted her head, her face was smooth. He really did envy her talent for this. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Wei, but I'm not staying."
Her mother made a soft noise of dismay. Her father frowned, but, slowly, he sat back down on the mat and took his wife's hand again. "Please, Toph." His voice was soft, conciliatory. "What is this about?"
Toph took another drink. Sokka couldn't tell if she was drawing this out to irritate or worry her parents, or if she just needed a moment to get her feelings under control. Knowing her, it was probably both. But her voice was pleasant, like she was discussing cherry blossoms instead of matters of war. "I wished to ask you a favor, Father. The Fire Nation is planning a raid on the city—they want to conquer the port. Sokka and I," she nodded at him, "have a plan to deal with them, but we want to make sure the people of the city are safe." She paused. Her fingers trembled, just for an instant. "We want to make sure you are safe."
Her father opened his mouth, but Toph took one hand from the cup and gestured for silence. When he relaxed, she continued. "We have an elaborate escape tunnel beneath the estate—it leads to the Cave of Two Lovers, doesn't it?" Toph's father drew in a sharp breath. "Don't look so surprised, Father. I am an earthbender, after all." Her voice held only a hint of her usual pride. "I wish to request that you and Mother take the tunnel yourselves, then allow the rest of the village to head to the caves through it."
But Toph's father's face had turned to stone the moment she mentioned their escape. During their journey, Sokka had often wondered how such dull nobles had turned out someone as amazing as Toph, but maybe there was something of his daughter in him after all. "Absolutely not." Toph opened her mouth, but her father slammed his fist down on the floor. "The people are free to use our tunnels—we understand the... urgency. Our world is a bleak place these days. But some things are not negotiable."
"What are you talking about?" Toph demanded. The act dropped; she was using her normal voice again. Sokka grinned a little, despite his best efforts—he loved seeing her like this. "You can't stay here! They won't hesitate to kill you just because we're Bei Fongs!"
Toph's father shook his head again, squeezing his wife's thin fingers. "No, they will not. But the fact remains: we are Bei Fongs. And if we flee before them, we are letting them win. That will never happen, not as long as I or any of my family has breath in our bodies." Toph's jaw dropped; Sokka couldn't tell if she was impressed or pissed. Toph's father took a sip of tea as though what he'd said was nothing extraordinary.
Her mother reached across the table to touch Toph's knee. She flinched away, but her mother pretended she hadn't. "Don't gawp like that, dear. It's nothing surprising—your father used to be a lieutenant, you know." She brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. "In a world like this, we have nothing but our pride. If we start running, when will we ever stop? We must make a stand."
Toph frowned. Sokka still couldn't read her. Was she angry? Was she worried? Then, slowly, she got to her feet. "I'd like to tell you that you're both being idiots," she said softly. Her parents looked shocked, but Toph continued before they could protest. "But I would do the same thing if I were still living here, so I have to respect that." She bowed again. "Sokka and I will bring the people once night falls."
O-o-O-o-O
Why did the Bei Fong estate have to be so fucking huge? What did they need all this space for? It'd been a job just climbing over the wall—sometimes, Water Tribe pride or not, Sokka really wished he was an earthbender—but how in Tui's name was he supposed to find Toph in this giant fricking house?
Sokka undid his cloak and soaked it in a fountain. The fire hadn't spread to this side of the house yet, but there was no reason not to be prepared. "Toph!" he yelled as he ran through the front door. He doubted she'd hear him, but he had to try anyway. His heart was beating way too fast—he had to feel like he was doing something or he'd die of fright.
Maybe she was by the tunnel. They'd already gotten most of the people out through the tunnel when a scout came shouting of Fire Nation troops, but her parents hadn't budged. But where was the goddamn tunnel?
Screams from the east. Please, please, please let that not be a death scream. It wasn't Toph's voice, but even after living his whole life in a war, Sokka still felt responsible for every death he witnessed. The fire was already devouring that part of the house—what if Toph—
Sokka started running. Just as he reached someplace he recognized—the hallway that ended in Toph's parents' bedroom—the roof in front of him collapsed.
O-o-O-o-O
"Toph! Toph!" Her father's voice. "Get out of here!" Metal met metal as Toph rounded the corner to her parents' bedroom. Her father held a heavy guan dao against a Fire Nation soldier. Toph slammed her foot into the ground, and the soldier fell back. Before Toph could crush him, her father stabbed him. "Toph! It's not safe!"
Toph ran over to her father's side. "I'm not leaving without you," she snapped, gritting her teeth, "and you are going in that tunnel with me if I have to knock you out and drag you." Her father made a soft noise, but then the roof above them gave a great groan. "There's no time for negotiation, Dad! The roof's gonna go any second—I can feel it!"
And then it did. Toph stomped her feet and brought her hands together, creating an earth tent that—for the moment—protected them from the worst of it. "Come on, you have to go!" Before he could protest again, Toph slammed her foot down, sending a wave of earth that knocked her father over and down the tunnel. Then she sealed it. If there was anyone else coming, they wouldn't get out this way anyhow.
The hallway outside was blocked off, but rubble had never been an obstacle for Toph. She shoved it out of the way using the walls of her parents' bedroom, and then she felt someone move, down at the end of the hallway. "Sokka?" Her voice came out hoarse, both from the screaming and all the smoke.
"Toph!" Sokka yelled back. "Just hang on! I'll be there in a second!" She felt him try to budge more of the wreckage of the room. Shaking her head—for somebody who always had some genius idea, he was still an idiot—Toph brought her hands in front of her face and down. The rubble sank into a cavern in the earth. Toph shoved one hand forward, making a narrow bridge.
It was supposed to be for herself, but before she could move, Sokka started across it at a run. He hugged her, so tightly she squeaked, and lifted her off the ground. He was still almost a foot taller than her. "Sokka, I can't see!" she yelped.
She felt him shake his head. "Doesn't matter. I know the way out." He started to run again. Toph had no idea which way he was going; she threw her arms around his neck and held on. She hated being dependent on anyone, but she knew he would take her someplace safe.
The air got cooler as Sokka ran, although Toph could still hear the house groaning around them. The house was made to withstand earthquakes and monsoons, not fires; all the bamboo and silk would burn like nothing else. At least her parents were safe. Toph buried her face in Sokka's chest, searching for the wild hammering of his heart.
She felt it when they got outside—the night air tasted different. He ran for a few more feet, and then he slowly set her down on cool grass. "Sorry," he said softly, running one hand over her hair. "I was just... worried." Toph punched him. "Ow!"
"You're a dumbass is what you are! You could have gotten us both killed!" she snapped, but it was more pride talking than anything. Both of them knew that that had been the easiest way for both of them to escape. Toph would probably have had to knock the whole house down otherwise. Biting her lip, she found the edge of his shirt and pulled him down on the grass beside her. This time, she hugged him. "But thank you anyway." Sokka started laughing: deep belly-laughs that were sincere, not hysterical. Toph frowned. "I'll punch you again, you know."
Sokka cleared his throat. "I know you will." He laughed again, just a little. "It's just... you were right. That was stupid." He rubbed his hand over her back in little circles. His voice, when he spoke, was strangely... slow, like he was talking more to himself than her. "But I couldn't... help myself."
Toph sighed, relaxing against him. She couldn't stay mad at him—she would have done the same thing, and he was all she had now. "Yeah, okay, Meathead." She got up and held her hand out to him. Sokka's fingers closed over hers, warm and familiar. "Come on, the fight's not over yet."
(That's that. The next chapter is more about Toph's family issues.)