-13 days ago, at the Bei Fong residence-
"So, you can bring my daughter back home?" said a hopeful Lao Bei Fong.
"I will undoubtedly bring her back to you, Mr. Bei Fong." replied a confident, older Shuga. "As you know, I've stayed at an earthbending school for three and a half years to improve my bending ever since I heard the news that your daughter Toph ran away from your estate. As you may have guessed, I still hold a fascination to her."
Lao sighed in relief, "That's good. That's what I admire about you, Shuga. You're very persistent on having a relationship with my daughter and giving her a chance."
Shuga nodded with a smile. "I am determined to sweep her off her feet if I have to."
Lao chuckled, "Good, good…" his expression then turned solemn. "…I was beginning to lose hope that I'll never see my daughter again…or my wife." he said sadly.
"Hm…yes, I am indeed sorry to hear about your quarrel you had with your spouse." Shuga said 'sympathetically'.
Lao sighed, "Thank you…" he sat in the chair behind his desk. "Well, let's get down to business then."
"Indeed." Shuga said as he took a seat as well.
Lao was in his study with Shuga, the last suitor that he lined up for Toph. Shuga requested his presence to Lao for a discussion on how to retrieve his daughter back, which Lao gladly welcomed with open arms. He could go with any idea at this point.
"So…I heard you put up a…'wanted' poster of your daughter to bring her back unharmed for 30,000 gold pieces?" Shuga asked cautiously.
Lao sighed once more at the memory as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes…yes I did. I think I caused a racket in the bounty hunting community by doing that. I was quite hopeful that at least some of these bounty hunters would be able to try and locate my daughter and bring her back here…that was four years ago now." He said in slight aggravation. He then frowned, "I really hope my daughter wasn't roughhoused by any of them…I actually don't know what kind of trouble they're causing her…" Lao groaned in desolation. "…Perhaps that wasn't my best idea to retrieve her."
"Well, it seems these bounty hunters haven't brought her back to you anytime soon. They must've felt her wrath, so I wouldn't worry about her being in any harm." Shuga reassured.
Lao smiled at that, "Heh…yes. I learned that about her. She does know how to, um…'put the hurt on them' as she says it."
Shuga slightly smirks, "Indeed she does."
Lao cleared his throat and said, "Well, back to the subject at hand. How do you plan on catching my daughter?"
"Ah yes. I'll do have you know, that I came rightfully prepared for this hunt." Shuga explained, "In addition of my excruciating earthbending training, I've also hired two bodyguard earthbenders, just in case things get out of control if she doesn't agree to come back."
Lao nodded in approval, "That would seem wise. But…that doesn't explain how you'll track my daughter."
"Well…let me ask; do you have any bounty hunters that come over to your property with shirshus' by their sides?" Shuga asked.
Lao blinked, "Um…yes. They would let their shirshus' track my daughter's scent by using her comb." He lowered his head in thought, "I haven't heard from them in the course of those four years though."
"Excellent! In that case, I'll let my shirshu use that comb to track her down."
Lao now blinked in surprise, "A shirshu? You have a shirshu!?"
Shuga nodded, quite pleased with himself. "Yes, I do. Bought it quite some time ago."
"Is…is it tamed? I don't want it to hurt her..."
"Indeed my Jusen is. Do not worry, I know your daughter's safety is your top priority. Everything will be absolutely handled by yours truly. Rest assure, I will see to it that I'll bring her back to you." Shuga said confidently.
Lao smiled, pleased with that answer, "Well, that's good. Thank you for reassuring me, Shuga. I have total confidence in you."
Shuga nodded once more with a smile, "Thank you. I'll begin my journey tomorrow morning."
As the former suitor was about to get up from his chair, Lao spoke out, "Uh…what time will you be going?"
Shuga lifted an eyebrow, "Um…as soon as morning breaks."
Lao bit his bottom lip in thought… "…You…you wouldn't mind if I joined you on this quest, do you?"
Shuga blinked in surprise. "…Um…w-well, are you sure? I mean, you have a company to run…"
"Yes, yes I do have a business to run. But…" Lao sighed desolately, "…I feel like I should at least try to talk her into coming back home …and I really want to see her. I really do miss my daughter…and my wife…b-besides, I can have a temporary replacement to fill in my position! My vice-chairman, he knows what to do!" he said, eyes full of hope, "Please let me accompany you, I won't be a bother! I just want to see my daughter again, and perhaps convince her to come back home."
Shuga had an odd expression that looked to be of strange disappointment. He stood there for a while, thinking…until he let out a sigh, "Very well. If you want to come in order to…convince her, then I won't stop you. But you do know that this will perhaps be a long search on finding her, do you? Maybe weeks, months even?"
Lao has a determined look on his face. "My wife told me once that I need to realize what a good father I needed to be…I need to be there for my little girl."
The last former suitor just looked at him…he averted his gaze and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed once more. "Okay…just pack whatever you need. We'll be roughing it for a while."
Lao smiled, "Thank you! I promise, I won't be a bother to anyone!"
Shuga looked up at him as he forced a smile and nodded. "I'm sure you won't." He then exited the study. When he closed the door behind him, he groaned quietly and shook his head as he walked away in resentment, "You're almost there, Shuga. Just deal with this a little longer. Soon, and hopefully very soon, Toph Bei Fong will be mine…"
-Right now, far off from the town limits-
Once again, it was close to nighttime. The forest was quiet, save for the trotting footprints of rhino-horses and a shirshu coming through. Three men on three rhino-horses, and one on a shirshu, with hanging lanterns on each of the animal's left side, were taking a pathway that leads to the next town. Two of the men on the rhino-horses, who looked to be twins, where huge and burly, each of them shirtless and wearing dark green pants, their hairs in ponytails. Their facial features look stoically hard, even as they were riding their steed, acting like they were going off into war. The other man, who was on the shirshu, was nicely built as well and dressed in casual hiking clothes, complete with pants and a short sleeved shirt that was showing off his muscles. He was a refined young man, sitting straight up while riding his animal up front. The last one riding the rhino-horse was in his early forties, wearing his casual hiking clothes as well. He was riding his steed behind the others, looking around his surroundings with only the lantern illuminating his vision.
"Um, d-do you know how far we are to the next town?" the older man known as Lao Bei Fong stuttered uneasily to the person up front of everyone else.
"I would suspect a few more minutes." The man known as Shuga said in a calm demeanor, but had a slightly irritable undertone. "Relax, Mr. Bei Fong. The animals begin to sleep at this hour."
"Oh, um, alright…" Lao said, feeling a little bit calmer, but still quite nervous. He then started to say, "We've been traveling for quite some time. Thirteen days to be exact. Are we going the right way?"
Shuga sighed through his nose, "Not to worry, Mr. Bei Fong. Jusen here found enough scent from your daughters comb to let him travel for days." He said as he pet the shirshu on the head.
"Well, yes, that's true, but…again, it's been thirteen days, and…I just don't want to feel like we're going around in circles." Lao admitted.
"Do you want to see your daughter again, Mr. Bei Fong?" Shuga asked sounding evenly, but on the inside he was grinding his teeth. Lao has been asking questions like that daily, and it was getting on the former suitor's nerves.
"U-um, yes, more so!" Lao said.
"Then, do not worry. I have full confidence in Jusen that he will find your daughter, as well as I." Shuga reassured.
"Oh, uh, a-alright…sorry, I, uh…I just can't wait much longer anymore! I mean, I haven't seen my daughter in four years! That's a long time! …I hope she's taking good care of herself. Her mother would have a fit if she didn't…" Lao smiled slightly, but he soon sadly frowned and sighed dejectedly, "Poppy…I miss my wife so much too. I miss everything about her! The way she smiles…the way she laughs…the way she stirs her tea…the way she eats so delicately…the way she kindly offers the servants some tea snacks, my daughter also offering…the way she nibbles-"
"Mr. Bei Fong." Shuga said monotonously, irritation concealed in his tone, "…Not to interrupt your reminiscing, but we must focus on the road ahead."
"Oh!" Lao exclaimed, snapping out of it. "O-of course! S-sorry, I just-"
"-Missed her. Yes, I know. And you also miss your daughter, I get that as well. But we must be strong if we'll be able to find her. Then you, Toph, and your wife will be a family again." Shuga said, saying the same thing to Lao whenever he would say how much he missed his wife and daughter as they traveled around every part of the Earth Kingdom. It was getting annoying to him how much he had to rehearse those stupid lines, but he needed to be on the father of his future wife's good side. It always works in the end…even for a little while.
Lao nodded his head, a serious expression on his face. "You're right. I must be strong. I have to do this for my family!" he smiled again, "Thank you, Shuga! You always know the right things to say! I still believe you are definitely the best man for my daughter!"
Shuga smirked out of Lao's view in smugness as he kept riding his shirshu towards the dirt road. As they traveled further, they see a wooden sign. Looking at it as his lantern's light shone on it, it appeared to be a town welcoming sign.
Welcome to Jong Swe!
"Alright, we've just arrived in a town. Let's find an inn and rest for the night." Shuga advised the three.
The two buff men nodded, while Lao said, "Oh good! I can't really stand to sleep outside again. I don't know how my daughter does it."
The shirshu named Jusen, however, perked up and started to go a little faster.
"Whoa! Jusen, slow down!" Shuga ordered him.
The two huge men then started trying to catch up to Shuga's steed. Lao, surprised at this sudden exertion from the others, ordered his steed to catch up with them as well.
The shirshu was rushing towards the scent, picking up the now more noticeable smell of the Bei Fong's daughter. The animal seemingly passed the town and into another path made by the community. As the shirshu traveled down the road, Shuga questioned on what Jusen was doing…only to realize that maybe his pet is probably getting closer to the scent, and to the former suitor's goal.
"Good boy." Shuga said to his shirshu with a devious smirk.
Toph was propping her feet on the table while sitting and leaning on her chair as her legs crossed one another, waiting for her three knuckleheaded 'brothers' to come down to tell them the news. Hunji was cleaning glasses and plates near the bar, while Kusa was sweeping the floor.
Toph, feeling relaxed and excited at the same time, thought more about 'seeing' the rest of the friends again. She couldn't contain the smile on her face…
As Kusa was sweeping dust, she briefly glanced out one of the windows…
"Hm?" Kusa hummed in question.
Hearing her surrogate mother's tone, Toph asked, "What's up, Kusa?"
Staring out at the window, Kusa said, "Well…it seems someone is riding an animal and is heading towards the tavern…at a very fast pace, might I add."
Toph raised an eyebrow in query. 'A person riding an animal and heading towards the tavern at a fast pace?' she repeated in her head. She then put her feet on the ground…
…Her eyes widen a bit.
'Oh no…'
Those footsteps felt familiar…but she had to make sure, even if she had the gut-wrenching feeling that she might be correct…and she wished she wasn't.
"Kusa…what does the animal look like?"
Sensing her 'daughter's' concern, Kusa studied the animal thoroughly this time. "…It's…a shirshu…" Now Kusa's eyes widen in shock.
Hunji turned to his wife with a look of surprise as well and exclaimed, "A shirshu?!"
Toph told her 'parents' to keep an eye for shirshu's, especially when there's a rider on it. She dealt with bounty hunters on shirshu's a few times in the past four years, and they were not easy to avoid. She always has to act quickly when encountering these jerks who ride them, what with not being able to see the animal's tongues come at her. She was just lucky to come out unfazed during those encounters.
But now, it would seem another one is perhaps trying to locate her…
"Toph, go hide in the kitchen!" Kusa ordered.
Toph did just that as she scurried into the kitchen through swinging doors. Hunji and Kusa continued on with their work, pretending like nothing has set them off, although they were a bit nervous.
Although Toph hated to hide like some damsel in distress, she didn't want to start another confrontation with these thugs on their shirshus'. As much as she likes to think that she's well fit enough to fight these goons, she's afraid she'll over-exhaust herself from all the jumping she has to do to avoid the animal's tongue.
As she hid in the kitchen, the animal's footsteps were getting closer…
The footsteps soon stopped in front of the tavern when it got close enough…
Toph listened closely near one of the swinging doors to hear the conversation that was about to unfold.
…It was quiet…
She heard the entrance doors swing open…
"Oh, hello there!" Kusa's voice greeted. "I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night!"
"Hm hm." The newcomer chuckled. "I actually came here for something else. Excuse me for intruding, but is someone here by the name of Toph Bei Fong is in this establishment?"
'Wait…this person sounds like…' Toph's eyes widen in shock, "No…it can't be him! …Shuga!?'
"Toph Bei Fong? You mean the earthbender girl that fought in the Hundred Year War?" Hunji asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes. That would be the person that I'm looking for." Shuga confirmed.
"Really? Why would you think we would have a celebrity like that in our tavern?" Kusa asked, also feigning ignorance.
Shuga chuckled again, although this time, it sounded almost threatening. "Please, let's just make this easy for all of us and tell me where she could be hiding."
Toph could guess that Kusa and Hunji were frowning at Shuga. "Young sir, we don't have her here." Hunji said firmly.
"I think you do. You see, I'm tracking her down by shirshu, and it seems that my pet has tracked her here. You two wouldn't happen to be hiding her by any chance, now would you?" Shuga asked calmly.
...A beat…
"…Why would you be after her even if we did have her?" Kusa challenged him.
"That is no concern of yours." Shuga answered simply.
The couple was silent once more…
"Well, you're wasting your time, young sir. We don't have her here." Hunji said again, a little roughly this time.
Toph could guess that Shuga was frowning. "Enough of this. Where, is, Toph?" He also sounded like he was losing his patience.
"I don't like your tone, young man." Kusa scolded at him.
Shuga growled. "Listen, if you can just tell me where she's hiding around here, I will pay you generously. Do 10,000 gold pieces sound nice?"
Toph could imagine Kusa and Hunji looking at each other at the amount of that sum.
"That would sound nice…if I knew where she was." Hunji said.
Toph smirked at that remark from Hunji.
Shuga snarled. "You listen to me, you backwater hicks! If you don't tell me where Toph is right now, I will level this place to the ground!"
'Level this place to the ground? Is he attuned to eathbending now?' Toph thought in curiosity.
Kusa gasped, offended. "Well, I never!"
"Young man, I'm going to have to ask you to lea-" Hunji said roughly, but was cut off.
"Hey, what's going on down here?" said a new, familiar voice that Toph recognized it to be Fin. He and along with other familiar footsteps were coming down the stairs.
"Who's this guy?" Yoshu asked.
"Hey, where's Little-" Hu Gow began to say until Hunji interrupted him.
"Boys! This man is threatening to demolish our tavern because he thinks we're hiding Toph Bei Fong in here!" Hunji said to his sons.
"Huh?" the boys said in confusion, but they instantly get the hint. "Oh!"
"…Wait, he's going to destroy our tavern?!" Yoshu asked in shock.
"Hey man, who do you think you are, huh!?" Hu Gow asked Shuga angrily.
"I don't know what you're on, but we ain't got no Toph Bei Fong here!" Fin said to him, playing the part.
"SILENCE! This has gone far enough! All of you quit this stupid charade right now, and tell me where my future bride is!" Shuga exclaimed at them in fury.
"Shuga!" a new, yet other familiar voice entered in Toph's range of hearing.
This time her eyes were wide as saucers. 'Wait…no…it can't be…it couldn't be…'
Shuga jumped and addressed the voice. "Mr. Bei Fong!"
'DAD!?'
"Huh?" Hu Gow questioned.
"Say what!?" Yoshu inquired in shock.
"Wait, who now?" Fin asked in confusion.
"Shuga, is this where she is!?" Lao Be Fong asked hopefully.
Toph also identified two more heavy footsteps. She didn't recognize any of them, but judging the way their footsteps weigh, they were pair of big guys.
"Mr. Bei Fong! What are you doing here?" asked a suddenly calm Shuga, although he was slightly surprised.
"To see my daughter, of course! Is she here?" Lao said, looking around the place. He notices the people inside and says, "Who are all of you?"
"Wait a minute, you're Toph's father?" Hunji asked in shock.
"Y-yes I am! Do you all happen to know where my daughter is? Please, I'll give you anything you want, I just need to know where my baby girl is!" Lao said in desperation.
'Wow…dad sounds really distressed.' Toph thought.
Before anyone could say anything else, Shuga interfered, "Mr. Bei Fong, you should wait outside! It could get dangerous in here!"
"I'm sorry Shuga, but not until they tell me where she is!" Lao turned to Hunji, "Please sir, where is my Toph!?"
"Uh, um…" Hunji stuttered, at a loss of words.
"E-excuse me sir, but, I'm afraid we don't have your…daughter?" Kusa said hesitating, feeling a little strange for lying to Toph's real father.
As all of this was going on, Toph felt a twinge of guilt, thinking about how she had made her father worry like this.
'Wait, why am I feeling guilty? It was his fault in the first place! …But my dad does sound worried.' She thought as she bit her lip. 'Also, I don't know how long Kusa, Hunji, and my brothers can keep this up. Kusa and Hunji are starting to falter, and my brothers aren't really the best liars…'
"Lao!" Shuga said loudly to him, surely getting his attention now. Everything was quiet. Shuga told him, "Don't worry. I have this under control. Wait outside with the steeds."
"B-but…" Lao stuttered.
"Lao…" Toph could hear Shuga approaching to him. If she could guess, he would be grabbing onto his shoulders to calm him down. "I can handle this. Don't worry. Just leave it to me, along with Kue and Ojo."
It was quiet again…until Lao said, "Okay…I trust you…"
Toph heard her father's footsteps going out of the tavern…
"Close the door." Toph heard Shuga said softly to one of the big guys.
'Wait a minute…he's not really thinking of…' Toph thought in wide eyed horror.
Shuga was aggravated. All he wanted to do was to retrieve Toph, be on their merry way, get hitched, and lived happily ever after. Now these people from lower society are trying to make a fool out of him! Well, he'll see about that!
"Now where were we? Oh yes. Where's Toph?" he said, barely trying not to grit his teeth.
Kusa backed from the bar counter, while Hunji, who was behind her from the counter, firmly said to his sons, "Boys, show these men out the door."
The Bowling Boulder Brothers, Fin, Hu Gow, and Yoshu, happily complied, walking towards them.
"You just made a big mistake walking in here and acting like you own the place." Yoshu said to them threateningly.
Shuga smirked. "Kue, Ojo, take care of this."
The big men known as Kue and Ojo walked around Shuga and up to the three men.
"You gonna let your bodyguards do the job?" Fin scoffed, "I thought you can earthbend?"
"Indeed I do, but Kue and Ojo never had much time to earthbend, and well, I am a gentleman, so I'll let them go on ahead with their exercise." Shuga motioned to the two larger men.
The twins smirked at the three brothers and simultaneously cracked their knuckles.
"Oh, they're earthbenders, huh? Heh, could have known they were what with their size, but I'm still bigger and better then these two combine! Let's see what they got!" Hu Gow smirked, eagerly ready to pound these guys to the ground.
"Oh, you'll see…I'm certain you'll handle this, boys?" Shuga said to the twins.
They both nodded, smirks still on their faces. The twins then suddenly pound their foot on the stone floor, raising and taking apart moderate pieces of it and shoot the rocks at Fin and Yoshu. The younger and older brothers punched the rocks, debris flying everywhere. Before Fin and Yoshu could say anything, the twins shot forward at the other two by using their earthbending to propel themselves, and punched the two brothers in the face! Yoshu and Fin flew back to the wall, knocking them out. The twins were now next to Hu Gow.
Hu Gow, who was caught off guard by this, turned around to see that his brothers who were knocked out. "BRO'S!"
As soon as the twins landed next to Hu Gow, they briskly turned around in a choreographic style to face the bigger brother, while swinging their other fists hard into his stomach. The combined power of their fists made him double over in pain.
"Urk!" Hu Gow moaned.
Then the twins lift their same fists and brought them down onto the back of Hu Gow's head as he was doubled over. They pound his head and Hu Gow went straight forward to the ground.
"BOYS!" Hunji and Kusa said in a panic.
The Bowling Boulder Brothers were all knocked out…
"Very good, gentlemen!" Shuga congratulated them. He turned to the married couple with a smirk, "Now…if you would be so kind as to tell me where Toph is?"
Hunji glared at the young man, "Who do you think you are!?"
"The man who will marry Toph!" Shuga spat back.
Kusa glared at Shuga as well, "Even if we do have her here, we would never give her away to someone like you!"
Shuga frowned, "Then I'll have to take matters into my own hands…"
He walked over to Kusa and Hunji in an intimidating matter. Kusa kept giving him a hard look, while Hunji pulled up his sleeves, looking ready for a fight.
"WAIT!"
Shuga stopped. Kusa and Hunji gasped in surprise and turned to the voice behind them.
Toph emerged from behind the kitchen door…
Shuga's eyes were wide in shock.
"I never thought you stoop this low, Shuga." Toph said venomously.
"Toph!" Kusa and Hunji both said, in fear for her safety.
"Sorry guys, but I can't hide around much longer. Shirshu or not, no one messes with my family." Toph says to her foster parents.
Shuga, who was still in a trance of Toph's grown look, said, "T-Toph…is-is that you? You look…breathtaking."
The twins Kue and Ojo blinked in astonishment at the women before them and glanced at each as if thinking, 'we're here to retrieve this BABE?'
"Can it, jerk!" Toph snapped at him. "You think you can come in and wreck these good people's establishment just cause you're so caught up on me!?"
Snapping out of his daze, Shuga composed himself and smirked. "My dear Toph, I think it would have been a little necessary to use force in this situation. You would have done the same."
She scowled at him, "To jerks that need an ass-whoopin' I would!"
"Ah, still feisty I see." Shuga said, still calm in demeanor.
"Why did you bring my father along!? Just so you can guilt trip me?" Toph said as she gave him glare.
"Well, to tell you the truth, he asked if he can come. I never really wanted to bring him along the journey, but he insisted that I take him with me. He was very worried about you. You must have heard his pleas on finding you."
Toph felt that pang of guilt again, but forced it down as she scoffed, "Shove it, Shuga. It was his fault for not believing you were a hack."
Shuga shook his head, "Please Toph, I'm doing this for your own good."
"And what would that be!? Dragging me into a life of bondage to you!?"
He sighed, "You know, if you're not willing enough to cooperate, I will have to send Jusen here…"
"Why don't you try fighting me like a real man instead of getting your stupid pet and minions to do it for you!? So far I don't see you doing these big bad earthbending moves, so maybe you're just talk and no action like the wuss that you are!" Toph exclaimed.
Shuga eyes widened for a bit in surprise. He then narrowed them in irritation. "You know, I tried to be a gentleman, but if you want to do this the hard way…then fine." He went into an earthbending stance. "I didn't want to hurt that pretty little face of yours."
Toph scoffed, "The feeling is mutual. Oh, wait! Can't tell if you have one or not!" she briskly took an earthbending stance as well.
"Hey, is everything okay down here? What's the commotion about?" said a new male voice. Toph heard the light pitter-patter of Aang's feet coming down the stairs.
When Aang arrived, he saw the collapsed forms of the Bowling Boulder Brothers, and some new faces; two of them were big guys that were standing next to the staircase, while he saw a nicely dressed and strongly built looking young man who was the same age as him near the entrance, doing an earthbending stance. Lastly he saw Toph doing the same stance, looking ready to fight.
"Uh…Toph? What's going on?" Aang asked in confusion and concern.
Shuga however, noticed his arrival and his eyes popped out of his skull, as did the twins Oje and Kue.
"T-The Avatar!?" Shuga exclaimed in shock.
Toph couldn't help but smirk at the sound of his surprise. "Oh, whoops. I kind of forgotten that I have the Avatar here with me."
Aang blinked, "Um…who's this guy, Toph?"
"This guy here is Shuga. He's part of the reason why I'm running away from my Dad." Toph said simply.
Shuga, whom the male suitor snapped out of his amazement, began saying, "A-Avatar Aang! I-It's an honor to be in your presence!"
Aang looked at Shuga with suspicion. "What's your relation with Toph?"
Shuga blinked, "I-I was just trying to propose her to be my wife."
The Avatar looked around Fin, Yoshu, and Hu Gow's unconscious forms on the floor. He looked at Shuga with a hard stare. "What happened here?"
Before Shuga tried to lie his way out, Kusa intervened, "He sent his two lackeys on my sons!"
"Be quiet!" Shuga yelled angrily.
"Hey, you shouldn't talk to a lady like that. And I got all I need to know about you and your friends here." Aang said firmly as he walked beside Toph. "Let me guess, he's one of your suitors?"
"Yep. He's the worst of the bunch." Toph confirmed.
"Hm. Want me to help you?"
"Maybe. You can take care of those two guys, will ya? They hurt my brothers."
"I'll make sure of it."
Shuga growled as his right eye twitched, "Well. This will be troublesome. I really don't want to fight you Avatar Aang, but, if it is to gain my future bride-to-be, then I must. Ojo, Kue. Do not falter in your attempts to retrieve Miss Toph Bei Fong because of the Avatar. I will pay you handsomely if one of you can get to her."
Ojo and Kue broke out of their awed trance, and both of them nodded firmly at Shuga.
"Yep. Don't like this guy." Aang said with a frown.
"Makes you want to deck him, huh?" Toph said.
"I'm not the one for violence, but I'll make an exception seeing how he's part of the reason you had to leave."
Shuga glared at the two, "If you're done making petty insults, then shall we get started?"
"E-Excuse me, Shuga, I-I just thought of something that I can-" came the timid voice of Lao when he opened the door ajar.
He didn't finish what he said when Shuga turned to the door and yelled, "I TOLD YOU TO WAIT OUTSIDE!"
Lao jumped, "Oh, uh-uh, um-"
"Dad!" Toph called out to him.
"Huh?" Aang blinked in puzzlement, "Wait, your Dad's here?"
"Toph!?" Lao opened the door to look for his daughter. His eyes found her, and he stopped to look at her for a moment. His eyes began to tear up. "Toph!"
He ran past a dumbfounded Shuga and wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter, catching her and Aang off guard. "Oh my darling daughter! You're alright!"
Toph blinked as she looked flabbergasted, "U-Uh, Dad…hey, um…"
"Here, let me look at you!" Lao pulled back to take a look at his daughter he hasn't seen in four years. "…Oh my…well, you certainly inherit your mother's genes."
Toph blushed a tad bit, "Um…"
"Oh that's right, your mother! Oh goodness, this will be wonderful! We can be a family again! She'll absolutely-"
"Lao!" yelled Shuga in frustration. "What did I tell you!"
Lao turned to Shuga, "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just thinking that maybe I can get her out of hiding! I am her father, and I thought that communicating with my daughter like a father would work!" he then looked around the place and noticed two things. First it was Aang, "W-Wha-the Avatar!?" he said in shock.
"Uh…hey." Aang awkwardly waved.
"Wha-what…" he then noticed the three unconscious bodies on the floor, "…Um, Shuga? What happened here? Did they attack you?"
Toph shook her head to clear away the shock, "Dad, these people were taking care of me! He just attacked them so he can get to me!"
'Time to see if my Dad changed at all during these four years.'
Lao turned to his daughter, "What?"
"Don't listen to her! She's lying once more! They attacked me, and I defended myself!" Shuga lied.
"Oh that's funny! Cause from what I witnessed, you let your pig-dogs take care of my brothers!" Toph snarled.
"Brothers?" Lao asked in confusion.
"It's true Mr. Bei Fong!" Hunji spoke up, "This man ordered his men to hurt my boys!" Kusa confirmed it with a nod.
Lao turned to the three men who were on the ground, whom they look to be stirring and groaning back into consciousness. He looked at Shuga with questionable eyes, "Shuga, is this true?"
"It's very much true, Mr. Bei Fong." Aang said, gaining the attention from Lao, "I met up with your daughter recently today. They have been taking good care of her like she was their own daughter, and these men treated her like she was their sister."
"Don't listen to the Avatar! He just wants to try to bed with Toph just because his ex-girlfriend dumped him!" Shuga yelled angrily.
Toph's eyes widened in shock, but soon her look hardened into contempt. She was about to say something when she felt a powerful 'whoosh' next to her. Aang's feet were not on the ground anymore, but he then landed on the floor again to be in front of Shuga. He stood there very still…
Shuga's eyes were wide in fright as he looked up at the Avatar, him being taller than he is. Aang had the most hardened glare he could ever muster and it was directed at the suitor. "You listen here, you creep. I would never, ever in my life take advantage of someone like that. Toph is my dearest friend, and I would never degrade her in such a way. So you can take that atrocious lie and shove it right up your pompous ass."
Shuga looked like he was about to crap himself.
Toph on the other hand, listened on in shock and awe. 'Wow…go TwnkleToes.'
Lao was dumbfounded himself. He turned to Toph and asked, "Toph…have these people taken good care of you?"
Toph snapped out of her awe and said, "Yes Dad, they have."
"And…the Avatar-I mean…your friend wouldn't lie about this, wouldn't he?" Lao asked.
"No, he wouldn't. He's too good of a friend to do so."
Lao stood there…he glanced at the couple Hunji and Kusa, and glanced at the three groaning men who looked like they were about to get up. He then glanced at Shuga, "Shuga…tell me the truth. What really happened here?"
Shuga, whose fright subsided to look at Lao, said desperately, "What!? Are you serious!? I am telling you the truth!"
Lao looked at him…he then said, "You know, I really shouldn't be asking you. I should be asking my daughter." He turned to Toph, "Toph…before I ask, I just want to say…I'm sorry."
Toph eyes widened in shock once more, "What…?"
"I mean it. I'm sorry. After living in the estate alone for four years, it…it gave me time to think. It made me wonder about my life decisions. It made me wonder how I would've handled the situation better. It…it also made me wonder what kind of father I should've been." Lao said with a sad frown. "I haven't been a good father, your mother told me that…so, I ask for your forgiveness, Toph. Please forgive my foolish ways. I realized that you're my daughter…and, I let status took control my mind. But that all doesn't matter now!" He put his hands on Toph's shoulders. "I just want my daughter and wife to come back home…I want us to be a family again. I don't want to be cooped up in that mansion alone living through my mistake. You can even be yourself from hereon in! You're my daughter, and I love you too much to make you feel like someone you're not! So again, I ask you to forgive me. I...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I even send those bounty hunters at you!" Lao began to tear up again, "I just wanted you to come back home! I love you very much Sweetheart, and I don't want you to hate me.
"Please Toph…I'm so miserable without you and your mother. It's been four years…I'm surprised I haven't lost it. It took me so much hope that you would come back and we could convince your mother to come back home as well." Lao was now shedding tears. "Please Toph, give me another chance! I've changed, really, I have! I'm so, so sorry!"
Toph stood there mouth agape. 'He meant every word…'
She then gave him big hug, trying not to shed tears of her own. "Dad…"
Lao smiled warmly as he hugged her back, "I love you so much, Toph…"
Toph sniffled, "I love you so much too, Dad…"
Aang smiled as he watched the touching scene. Even Kusa and Hunji were smiling warmly at the father and daughter exchange.
Shuga on the other hand, said, "Well, that's good. You've both made up. Now maybe we can just get her back with us-"
"Hold on." Lao said to Shuga. He released his daughter and looked at her saying, "Now Toph, I haven't been here when it happened, and I haven't been there at the mansion when it did happen as well. I'm also no lie detector, but…I want to ask you something."
Toph knew what he was going to ask, but she nodded either way.
"Toph…did Shuga tried to threaten this family?"
"Yes." Toph answered simply but truthfully.
"Alright then…now, four years ago, did Shuga really lie?"
"Yes." Toph answered again.
"Mr. Bei Fong, this is ridiculous! She's obviously lying! Think about all the times she'd lied to you going to Earth Rumble Six when she was little! She's not being honest; I can tell from it over here! We could teach her how to be honest! You wouldn't want her to disgrace the Bei Fong name, do you? She's-"
"Shuga," Lao said firmly as he turned to him, "Right there. Right there I'm beginning to doubt more and more about my decision on marrying my Toph off to you."
Shuga just stared at him in incredulously. "Wh-what!?"
"Why are you so persistent on degrading my daughter like this? You're acting like a child more than anything. She's not a little girl anymore as you can see, she's a grown woman. She has been a woman ever since she escaped the mansion the first and second time. She knows how to live through harsh conditions, how to survive, how to defend herself, and she can befriend people just fine. So let me ask you, why are you being disrespectful to her? I really want to know." Lao asks.
Shuga just stared at him in disbelief, "Ar-are you serious!? Haven't you forgotten what kind of life she led!? Don't you want her to be disciplined!?"
"I want her to be happy." Lao said, mirroring his wife's words. "And you didn't answer my question."
Shuga fumed. Things were not going his way. Well, he'll see about that.
"You know what? Fine! I'll answer you! You think that your daughter is perfect the way she is? Well, you're dead wrong! She needs to know respect, like you used to show her! But it seems you've gotten soft! You became a middle class hick, maybe even lower, just like your daughter right now! I honestly do love your daughter, but she needs to learn how status works!" Shuga then passed Aang(who at this point just looked at him appalled) to walk up to Lao, "And you've seem to forgotten how status works! She shouldn't even be hanging out with these hillbillies! I've tried very hard to 'wow' you and your wife, as well your daughter! But she couldn't handle commitment, so I tried to persuade her! But SHE had the gall to throw me out, because I said something SHE didn't like! So I tried to improve my earthbending for three and a-FREAKING half years, so I can become stronger and take her back to show that I can take her as my wife! And seeing her now, I want her even more. Yes, I want to TAP THAT. You have a very FINE lookingdaughter, so much that right now, I think every man would want her! So I was trying to rescue her from being tainted by lecherous hands, but now that I think about it, I think she wants to be fondled, from the way she dresses! But I guess I have to blame you for that! At least I would've shown her etiquette on how to dress in public, cause right now, she looks like a FLOOZY! In fact, I think she may have already bed people just by showing those jugs of her, so quite frankly for all we know, she could be a TRAMP!"
POW!
Aang's eyes were wide in shock.
Hunji and Kusa's eyes were wide as their mouths were wide open.
Ojo and Kue blinked in stupefaction.
Toph…was standing there, mouth agape, in shock as well.
Lao…punched Shuga.
Shuga plopped on the floor, holding onto his punched cheek and looking at the man who socked him in dumbstruck disbelief.
Lao blinked and stared at his fist. "Wow…that felt good." He murmured. He looked down at Shuga, "And just to let you know, my daughter isn't dressed that badly. Also, she would never let lecherous people handle her like that. Not without giving them a punch to the face." he narrowed his eyes at the suitor, "Lastly, you can insult me all you want, but you will never insult or call my daughter such derogatory names." he then turned to Toph, "Sweetheart, you were right. Forgive me for not believing you before. As of now, I don't want this man to be your husband."
Toph, who snapped out off her shock, grinned in amazement and said, "That was awesome, Dad."
Lao sheepishly smiled, "Well, I really didn't like how he was belittling you." He turned back to glare at Shuga, "You obviously don't know much about my daughter than you think you do. I know that she's a wonderful young woman who helped the Avatar stop the Hundred Year War, and is a fantastic earthbender, the greatest even. She may be rough around the edges, but that's called personality and she has a lovely one at that. She may have her flaws and quirks, but that's what makes her more unique than any Bei Fong in the family. She's Toph Bei Fong, the Greatest Earthbender, and I love her dearly…and I've never been more proud of my daughter than I am now." He straightened up, "Shuga, I don't need your services anymore. Head back to whatever hole you crawled out of and take your thugs with you."
"Alright, Mr. Bei Fong!" cheered Aang.
Toph smiled with such appreciation at her father.
Hunji and Kusa grinned happily at the turn of events.
The brothers then sat up groaning. Yoshu was the one to speak up, "What happened?"
"You just missed the most epic punch made by my Dad against the suitor jerk I told you all about." Toph said with a grin.
"Huh?" Fin said who was still in a daze, "Really?"
Hu Gow groaned, "Why's the whole room spinning?"
Shuga gritted his teeth in anger, glaring at his so-called future father-in-law as he stood up, "How dare you? You're nothing but low class trash! You think you can get rid of me that easily!?" He turned to Ojo and Kue, "What are you waiting for!? Take these hicks down. I'm bringing Toph with me by force!"
The brothers recovered quickly when they heard that. They stood up and turned to twins that knocked them out. "Oh, no! You ain't gonna sucker punch us again!" Yoshu said, getting an earthbending stance ready as well at the two other brothers, who they were glaring straight at Ojo and Kue.
"You're outnumbered, Shuga." Aang advised with a glare, "Give up while your ahead."
"Oh no…I'm not giving up. I've came too far to back out now." Shuga said as he got a whistle out of his pocket, "Besides, you seem to forgotten about Jusen." He said with a crazed grin as he blew the whistle.
Aang turned around to hear heavy footsteps, and soon, Jusen the shirshu came barging into the tavern. The animal rammed the door open as he came in, knocking its hinges off. With Jusen coming in at an alarming rate, Aang flew backwards to land next to Toph and Lao to keep his distance away from the shirshu.
"Now…who's first!?" Shuga exclaimed to them with a wild glint in his eyes.
Wow…I am so sorry. I haven't updated this in like…three years? I was kind of having trouble with it at some point. But thankfully I went back to writing the half of it (which I finished half of this chapter in a day. I'm not kidding) after seeing that there are NO awesome Taang stories updating or anything. I mean, It's kind of sad; you see Zutarian stories updating, but not Taang stories? Huh. That's very odd to me…but again, I'm really glad that I got inspired to write the next chapter! Also, please tell me if I did a good job or not on the Lao and Toph interaction, as well as how Lao reacted to Shuga. I want to make sure if it flowed well. :O
The reason I didn't post this sooner was because was having trouble with uploading the Microsoft Word files on my Doc Manager. Seriously, I had to download the Open Office Writer program and copy and paste the whole chapter onto a new document. Thankfully it was free! :O
But either way, it's back baby! :D I hope this chapter was worth the wait! :) For the next chapter, we get a (somewhat) epic showdown! And after that, we finally go on adventues! Yahoo! Finally, right? 8D
Alrighty! Now that all that's said and done, please tell me what you think of this chapter with a review! Or if you like it, leave a follow and fave! :D
Well, that's all I have for now! Thanks for reading, and keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP