A Charming Spell
Author: InfiniteSet
A/N: So yeah, this took like... a million years. Sorry. The writing style previously employed for this task was a bit daunting for Toph's entrance as a speaking character... I mean it was downright impossible to get the three-part chapter to work that way. Then I had to combine two different chapters I wrote to get one good one and...man. I don't want this to be all that long... I can't really write multi-chaptered things...
Also, for the reviews thus far thank you all very much. EmoteControl, who requested this story, actually liked what I've written thus far, which made me really happy!
Finally, not that I think anyone would try this, but don't...pour acid on babies. I mean... Toph would've been dead IRL, most likely... given the types of acid there are and the solubility with water... Anyway, I stretched the truth for the story's sake.
III-It's More Than Just Superstition
Toph struggled to her feet. Sometimes, if she stayed down, the beatings got worse. It was better to endure, because she didn't really have the control yet to move the boulders that painfully smothered her when she stayed down.
"Again," She heard from somewhere to her left. Her legs trembled with the effort to stay standing- and the ground was shaking again, so maybe that played some part in this- and the dull throbbing of pain that shot up and down her arms and legs spiked when she went back to a defensive stance. "A Master Earthbender sees without seeing, Toph."
She didn't respond because she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk without causing the blood that was pooling in her mouth to spill, but she had a lot to say about that particular statement. "Seeing", which was something she couldn't really understand because it seemed almost abstract, without actually "seeing" sounded impossible. She used to ask about it, when she was smaller, but the response was so baffling she learned to just leave it alone. Suffice it to say she could not "see" in any sense of the word, though she was usually aware of her surroundings by feeling around. Apparently seeing was just a method of viewing the world.
For Toph, the world was a confusing disconnect between what was and what seemed to be. She understood, in one sense, that she was living in a world with other people and things in it, but from the moment she was able to understand them, two of the three people who spoke with her told her that she didn't exist in a world that had other people and things in it. Part of what confused her- no, most of what confused her- was that she was unsure about where she was in this world that either was or wasn't. She'd been told that she existed in one place and not in another, but somehow she was interacting with that other place, which meant she must've existed there. Yet she was told that she didn't. But how could she know about things in one world when existing in another? There was no answer to that. But she was an outsider in this other world, the world she interacted with. She lived in a different world, she'd been told. She lived in a Formless world.
She'd asked this many times, but her Formless world was something that she didn't actually identify with. She knew, in a loose sense, what a form was. She knew that forms surrounded her and yet she was told that she lived in a Formless world. Often when asked, one of the three people who spoke to her would tell her many things about what a form was- but most importantly, they would always say, "A Form is a building block upon which the world begins." Then she'd be told her world was Formless and would continue to be that way until she created her first Form. "Something that you can see," they told her. The world was going to be made up with what she "saw", which she had never understood really. Sometimes she was asked what she "saw" around her and, puzzled, she didn't know how to answer. There were many things around her that she could feel... but they never accepted that as an answer.
The first boulder that hit her- well, more like the twentieth or twenty-fifth or so, but it was the first since she'd gotten up- made her choke on the blood and the bile in her throat. So she had to exhale that metallic nauseating liquid and the smell made it even harder for her to stay standing, never mind that those boulders were still flying at her, nicking her arms, slamming into her knees. Air was scarce and always came with a side of filth- sweat and dirt and blood and vomit- that she swallowed only because if she didn't, for sure she would perish. This barrage went on forever, or perhaps it wasn't that long at all- Toph had only recently learned about a concept called time and it was even more confusing than "seeing" was.
She was still standing, though barely, when she realized that she was alone again. Perhaps she'd lost consciousness? She wasn't sure. But she couldn't move... everything hurt so badly she couldn't quite make sense of it. The loneliness was welcomed because when there were others around, she was always in pain.
There were three others and she only knew them by 'Mother', 'Father', and 'Master', and of those three the worst was Mother and the best was Father. In as much as she enjoyed being alone, her mind was a scary place and she wanted to talk to someone. Mother never really spoke as much as she just threw rocks at Toph and told her she wasn't good enough yet and Master only ever taught her about Earthbending. Father had to talk to her in order to teach her about all the other things she was supposed to know... mostly he just taught her how to speak correctly and talked a lot about what he called politics. He taught her about logic, which apparently would be able to help her when she was older, which she applied almost everyday when she found herself unable to move from the various aches and pains that came from practicing Earthbending. He also spoke about something he called "philosophy", which seemed to just be thinking a lot. Toph liked philosophy and logic a lot more than anything else she was supposed to be doing. Father was nice because as far as Toph could tell, he couldn't bend at all so he couldn't hit her. Still, Father tended speak in a way that was hurtful. But she didn't care as long as someone talked to her. The loneliness was unbearable just like having others around was unbearable, but they were unbearable in different ways. Loneliness at least wasn't nearly as awful as bending.
Bending was something that Toph had come to hate with a steaming, seething vehemence that caused her headaches. It was all she was good for, though. That's what she'd heard anyway. She could only bend and outside of that she had no purpose. There was something wrong with her, something that made her useless except for that fact that she could bend. She wasn't sure what it was that was wrong with her because Father and Master never told her and Mother only really ever said things like, "Instead of thinking of worthless things, create new forms." She'd learned that forms were created through bending and that she somehow had the ability to do such a thing- to create new forms- and that lead her to think that perhaps all the pain was necessary.
Someone was there, suddenly, talking to her. "...Toph." They finished. This voice... Master. She opened her mouth to talk, but she couldn't find any words to say and she couldn't get her voice to come. "You don't need to talk," He snapped. "You just need to move."
Her body responded slowly, but at least this time it responded. Once she'd tried to move only to find that she couldn't and Mother had yelled at her for days. Also she had to go without food for a couple of days because no one would feed her and she couldn't make it across the room to get her food. Even when she did manage to reach the food after about two days of starvation and exhaustion, she found that it was all old- because no one had changed it- and she'd had to dunk her bread into her stagnant water to make it even chewable. She'd had to flat out throw out some other things- the usually warm sticky substance she didn't know the name of had wriggling things in it and she was skeptical about eating those and there was some kind of meat that she couldn't stomach the smell of and nearly vomited on when it touched her tongue. Needless to say she didn't want to go through that again, because there was no lower hell than being hungry and aching all over.
She wandered over the place where she slept because lying down sounded like a great thing to do at the moment and was stopped by Master's voice. "You need to be bandaged, so don't lie down yet." So she waited, because this was one of the things Mother, Father, and Master did not make her do herself. Master bandaged her quietly, then scolded her for a while about defensive maneuvers and how the foundation of Earthbending was the ability to solidly defend while attacking or attack while defending, and then left. She collapsed onto the ground, softened by her Earthbending, without a second thought. She didn't sleep- she wanted to but every now and then she'd register pain when she was moving to get comfortable and it woke her up completely- and once again she was alone with her thoughts.
"Toph, today's lesson is important." Toph nodded at this, settling in her seat. He body was throbbing in pain, but she could handle that if it meant she'd get to talk to someone. Father's voice was as calm and measured as always. "Do you remember yesterday's lesson?"
"Yes!" Toph said, after a thought. The last lesson had been odd...not about manners, but about bending. She'd thought she could trust Father not to talk about bending, but it looked like she was wrong.. "Yesterday we learned about all the different kinds of bending and their opposites. Earth and Air... Fire and Water." She smiled, pleased with herself.
"Good girl," Father praised. "Of course of all of these types of bending, which is strongest?"
Toph didn't hesitate, because that was easy. "Earthbending."
"Do you know why that is?"
"Why?" Toph frowned now. She'd never thought about it. She'd just been learning Earthbending for her entire life, so she just assumed that Earthbending was the strongest. Besides, outside of just raw power, earth was constantly surrounding all things. She'd learned that life came and returned to dust, and dust was an earthly thing, was it not? "Um," She said, thinking hard. "I...don't really know." She admitted.
Father made a clicking noise, the kind she made when she was disappointed with Toph. "Earth is a powerful element because it encompasses all things. It is perfection, you see."
"Perfection?"
"Toph..." Father paused, leaving Toph in a confused haze. How was earth perfection? And was she supposed to figure this out from her previous lesson? Was there something in the last lesson that made this... obvious? "Earth is an element that defends and attacks at once."
"Defends and attacks..." Toph frowned. Her body seemed to ache worse upon hearing those words, the same ones that Master constantly repeated to her. "But so does any element," She thought aloud. Another clicking noise made her wish she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Water is defensive. Fire is offensive." Father said. "...and Air no longer exists."
Toph frowned. That was something she was confused about too. A long time ago, apparently, all the Airbenders vanished. Father didn't say much about it, but seemed as though he didn't care one way or another. "But... when it did, didn't it also defend and attack at the same time?"
"No," Father said, as though he was brushing off the idea entirely. "Air is a cowardly element. It does not defend and attack. It simply dodges."
"Dodges?"
"Did you forget yesterday's lesson?" came an immediate scolding. Toph inwardly groaned and waited for him to continued. "You could say that both Earth and Air are countering elements. But while Earth is immovable, Air is flexible. That is why they are also weak." Father sounded upset. "An Earthbender must be strong. Dodging... trickery. That is the way of the meek."
"And Earth isn't meek?" Toph asked, although she wasn't particularly sure what 'meek' meant.
"Earth is assertive. It is bold." Toph frowned and tried to digest this. She was sort of aware of what assertive meant, and she knew what bold was. "Some would say it is domineering."
Toph wondered if it was worth it to ask for definitions to these words. She stayed quiet, thinking, and then finally said, "Is that why we have to come up with new forms?"
"We?" Father said. "No Toph. Only you."
"Only... me?"
"You alone can do this task. So you mustn't fail."
"I don't understand." She said. She always said this. After all, she didn't know anything about anything. And this isn't really helping. She thought restlessly. "Why is it only me?"
"Toph, you are the vessel through which the power of the Earthbenders must shine through. And all eyes are on you to come forth and create a new Form." Toph had heard this so many times in her life and yet it was still as foreign as the first say she heard it.
"What I don't understand. What's a Form? How do I make one?" Father clicked his tongue again and Toph's protests died on her tongue.
"This is something I cannot aid you with."
But why is it me? Toph asked petulantly. I don't know anything. I don't even live in a world WITH forms. So how is it that I am going to create form from nothing?She heard Father's voice and tuned back in.
"...by this, we mean of course, absolute perfection." Father said. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Toph lied. Father started talking again and Toph drifted off. If I die, then, is Earthbending... done? She wondered with a start. The rush of unbridled glee that followed this thought was startling, though Toph seemed to have controlled her reaction. There was always talk about war, about fighting. But Toph had never really thought about the implications of creating forms. But if I did create one, a new form... then, wouldn't we use it in war? To win? And if I don't make one, will we lose? Toph paused her overactive mind for a second, rolling this thought about in her mind. If I don't make one... She repeated to herself. It meant that everything depended on her, didn't it? So I can't mess up, because if I do then Mother and Father and Master... they'll all go away. To war. Or maybe they'll just die? She couldn't say she was happy with that ending. Maybe being lonely wouldn't be as bad if I wasn't always hurting...? No...I still won't be able to talk to anyone. How many other people are there? There mustn't be that many if I've never met any... So, if Mother and Father and Master leave... She tried not to think about it anymore, but a question popped into her head and she rolled it around before finally deciding to ask. "...Sir?" Toph interrupted.
Father's voice, a calming even sound, came to an abrupt stop. Then, "What is it?"
"...What if I can't do it?"
"Can't?" Father asked. He laughed, a harsh bark that made Toph wonder if she ought've just let him continue talking. "There is no "can't". You simply will."
"But what if it's impossible?"
"Nothing is impossible." Father said. "If you give up now, then you must want all of us to die."
Toph balked at that. She had entertained the thought of giving up a few times after brutal Earthbending sessions, but she didn't want them to die. She couldn't interact with their world...she had to rely on them. Even if she wanted them to die, she couldn't let them die. "No!" Toph said, firmly. Father's voice was as pleasant as ever, though. "I don't want that!"
"Oh?" Father chuckled. "Then stop with your foolish "what ifs" and focus on your lessons."
"..." Toph fidgeted. "Sir..." She said, slowly, "When I create a new form, then what? What happens next?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... I mean, what if I make a form that's... useless? Or what if I make the wrong one?"
He sounded disapproving. "If you make something useless, then you'll die." She said. Toph balked. "Of course," He went on, apparently not noticing Toph's horror, "once you become old enough you will be sent to war."
"But I"
He interrupted, "Do you know the method to create a new Form?" He asked.
"Well... I..." Toph mumbled.
"We have been studying the ancient texts to help you. And yet here you are, ungratefully assuming you can't do it," He scolded. "The key to creating a new form is epiphany."
"What's an epiphany?"
"It is like a discovery..." Father trailed off, seeming thoughtful. Toph paid rapt attention. She wasn't able to read the ancient texts- whatever they were. Still, if there were texts that had any ideas about how to get her out of her current situation, she was all ears. But I don't really get it, Toph thought. A discovery is all I need?"But an epiphany is more like a discovery brought on by something."
"Oh." Toph said. That didn't sound too bad. It was a little vague... but not bad. She could have an epiphany right now, if she knew how to do it. Then it would all be over! "So I just have to have an epiphany?" She asked, growing a bit excited.
"Hmm." Was the response. "Yes, I suppose you just have to have an epiphany."
Internally Toph squealed with glee. "Okay. So how do I do that?"
Father clicked his tongue. "You're rushing." He said. "Though I cannot blame you. If you fail, you condemn the rest of us to death." He shifted in his seat.
That's why we should be rushing, isn't it? Toph wondered. The long silence that followed those words frightened her. Toph wasn't really aware of very many people. From her childhood on she hadn't met many and she wasn't that old now. She didn't know many things, so she couldn't say, but based on the way her parents talked there were lots of other people out there, some of them who couldn't even bend. Toph was their savior. She was a beacon of light in a dark world. If we don't hurry, then they'll die. It'll be my fault. We have to hurry.When she voiced these thoughts, Father laughed.
"No. This is precisely why we must take our time. Rushing makes way for error. Errors lead to failures. I am trying to prevent you from becoming a failure. You should try too."
Toph nodded furiously. "But how do I have an epiphany? How do I create a new form?"
Father chuckled warmly. "If I knew the answer, Toph, I would tell you." He said. "That's the nature of an epiphany, anyway. It is like a surprise."
"But what if it comes too late?!" Toph worried.
"That is up to you. If you don't study hard and work, then you'll fail."
That doesn't mean I'll be successful if I do study hard and work... Toph thought. Studying is painful...but if I don't study, I'll die. And if I do study, I'll probably die anyway. Why me?"...Do you think I can do it?" She asked.
"..." Father was quiet. "...I know you will do it." He said, finally. "You wouldn't let us down."
Toph swallowed heavily. Somehow these words had failed to assure her that she could do this thing that she was meant to do. No... it made it worse. Father was concerned with so many people all the time... if he said that he didn't want Toph to let some collective "us" down... It's not just Mother and Father and Master... it's everyone Father is protecting too. She was scared. But she didn't speak up again. She just let Father's words wash over the trembling empty shell that was her body as her mind wandered over and over what would happen when she failed.
Condemning them all to die.
A Form is the beginning of all things. There exist many things, but all must be shaped by a Form, and only by combinations of Forms can new things come into existence. All Forms are created using the elements as building blocks, however, the elements exist separately from the Forms. Earthbenders create Form, however there have been few Earthbenders who can create an altogether new Form.
If one can imagine a Form, then it is created from two Forms that already exist. A new Form must be an Unimagined Form; it must be Formless. In this way, once one becomes a part of the Formed World, it is difficult to create something that was once Formless.
In the end, Earthbending is an ever growing process, one which is much more powerful and wondrous than other forms of Bending. An Earthbender with a powerful core can shake the foundations of the Formed World and the people who live on it and can change even the rotation of the sun and moon.
-Chikyū no Sakusei