~~ Sokka and Katara arrived at the camp just as the sun had set.
"Sokka, go get Toph and tell her the plan while I get Aang ready." Katara said.
Sokka started to go.
"Oh, and knock first this time." she finished.
Sokka blushed and continued towards her tent. Following his sister's instructions, he knocked on the front of the rock tent.
"Toph, we're back. We need your help."
There was no answer. He knocked again.
"Toph? Are you still mad about before? You didn't seem all that mad before we left-"
"What was that Sokka?" Katara asked.
Sokka nearly lept into the air.
"Don't sneak up on people like that!" he exclaimed.
"Oh boo hoo." she replied.
Katara knocked on the front of the tent.
"Toph, if you're mad a Sokka, fine. But don't take this out on Aang and I. We weren't spying on you getting changed." she finished, glaring at her brother.
Sokka rolled his eyes. When there was still no answer, Katara looked back at Sokka.
"Stand back." she said.
She took the cap off her pouch she kept at her side and bended a stream of water out of it. She made a few quick slicing motions and the tent crumbled, revealing…nothing. Toph was nowhere to be found. Sokka and Katara looked worryingly at each other. Sokka ran towards the clearing where they had landed and hidden Appa.
"Sokka, where are you going?" she shouted.
"I'm going to make some sweeps of the area, see if I find anything that might tell us where Toph went."
He suddenly stopped and just stood there, staring.
"Sokka, what's wrong?"
"It's Appa…he's gone…"
"What?"
Katara ran past her brother and into the clearing, and sure enough, there was only an imprint in the grass where Appa had laid. Katara suddenly had a thought.
"Momo!" she shouted.
"What's Momo going to do?" Sokka asked.
"Maybe he can lead us to where Appa and Toph are! Momo!" she called again.
The flying lemur's ears perked up, and he groggily woke from his slumber. He could hear Katara calling his name, but where was she? He opened his eyes, but he still didn't see anything. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, but to no avail. Momo was blind.
"Momo!" Katara shouted again.
Her voice was getting hoarse calling for him. Sokka put his hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be okay Katara, we'll find them."
That's when they heard Momo's screech. Katara looked up.
"That was Momo! He's in trouble! Come on Sokka!"
She ran off in the direction she heard him from.
"Why do I bother?" Sokka mumbled as he took off after her.
~~ Toph felt the wind on her face and blowing through her hair. A normally good feeling, but for a blind person, especially a blind earthbender, it was downright scary. Toph slowly rose to her hands and knees.
"Hello? Guys? What happened?" she asked.
The stranger flying Appa turned to look at her.
"It's okay Toph. You're going to be safe."
Toph didn't recognize the man's voice.
"Who are you? Where am I?" she asked.
"I understand you're probably frightened-"
"I'm not scared!" she shouted.
She got up, but quickly lost her balance and toppled over, tumbling off Appa's saddle. The stranger released Appa's reins and reached out, grabbing Toph's hand and pulling her back up.
"I wouldn't recommend standing up while riding a flying bison." he said.
"Flying bison? We're on Appa?" Toph asked, puzzled.
She wondered how this stranger had learned how to fly something that had been extinct for over a century.
"Indeed. My name is Felix. I was hired to bring you back home Toph, where you belong."
Toph's heart sank.
"You're a bounty hunter then?"
"That sounds awfully crude, but I suppose yes, I am."
His voice was gruff.
"You can't take me back to my parents! I didn't think they even wanted me anymore!"
"My dear Toph, your parents love you. They would never not want you."
"I thought they would have given up after what I did to their last bounty hunters."
"I heard. You metalbended them into a cage that was meant for you. Impressive."/
"Yeah, I know. Just let me off here, and I won't hurt you."
"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. I do however, have a way to make you stay."
The man took a vial from the satchel around his waist and splashed it in Toph's face. Toph screamed and rubbed her eyes furiously.
"What the hell was that f-" Toph started, but she stopped mid-sentence.
The cloud that had covered her eyes for her entire life lifted. She could see.
"Oh my…"
A rush of colors flooded her brain. She could see Appa, and gripped his fur. She could see the sun setting in the west. She could see her hands, covered with dirt. She could even see the stranger that had given her sight back.
"It's only temporary however. In a few minutes, you're vision will be gone once more."
Toph looked up at him.
"No, please! I didn't think I needed to be able to see, but now that I can, I never want to be blind again!"
"The more permanent serum is at your parent's house. They can keep administering you it so you'll always be able to see. But they can't unless you come home Toph."
"Why haven't I heard of this stuff before?"
"It's only recently been finalized. And your parents have a lifetime supply. What do you say?"
Toph thought for a moment. If she agreed to go with Felix, she may never see her friends again. Aang, Katara, Momo, and Sokka. But if she went, she be able to see everything else, forever.
"I'll do it. I'll go home to mom and dad."
The man smiled.
"Good girl."
Appa roared as he flew off towards the mountains, back to Toph's home.
