And So They Ate Cake
Before: Chapter 3
Important: Okay, so I failed hard. For some reason, I had it in my head that the Earth King in the series stepped down from the throne and decided to live a peaceful life with the "Love Cave Hippies." I learned this to be very untrue thanks to Avatar Wikia. However, sine I've written so much, King Kuei and Bosco are now hippies and a new, less easily fooled man has been appointed to the throne. I apologize and I promise to do my research from now on.
Toph was later scolded by her parents for her unladylike behavior. Despite her praise from the King, they still did not approve of her bending and worried that her display of power and friendship with Zuko could ruin her chances of marrying Prince Fai. They became even more concerned when the Earth King appointed her the position of Secretary General of the Militia. Lao and Poppy weren't the only concerned ones, the King's decision had angered many politicians and generals that firmly believed that such a high position shouldn't be held by a little girl, and they were correct in some sense. Just because Toph was the strongest didn't necessarily mean she was fit to control the entire military of the Earth Kingdom, even she recognized this. Still, no one dared to speak out against the King or the metalbending monster.
One person was excited about Toph's new position though. Prince Fai, reserved, calm, and intelligent, used this opportunity to really talk to her. Everyone knew she was the King's favorite to become Crown Princess, but Fai himself never had a chance to hold a conversation with her. He, like any other young man, was quite taken with her appearance, but he found himself completely captivated when he watched her fight.
"I really don't understand why I'm in the position I'm in. It's a lot of paperwork for someone who can't read or write," Toph mused after a meeting.
"I could teach you," Prince Fai offered kindly.
She frowned slightly, not even her parents could find somebody to teach a blind girl how to read and write. However, she sensed his genuine tone which piqued her interest. "How so?"
"You see through earthen elements, right? Well before scrolls and tomes, there were clay tablets. I think we could figure something out with that basis," he reasoned. "Of course, I guess it would be easier if I were an earthbender as well."
Toph frowned again. "You're not?"
"Unfortunately, a priest concluded that I hadn't been blessed with the skill to earthbend a long time ago," he said with a smile, as if he could hide his disappointment and longing from her.
The young Secretary General bit her bottom lip and then suddenly grabbed the Prince's wrist. She started running while dragging the older teen behind her.
"Honorable Bei Fong!" He exclaimed in shock. Toph kept on running and pulling though. She lead him out into the royal gardens where she finally slowed down. "Honorable Bei Fong," he said again, slightly panting.
"Don't call me that," she slightly snapped, ignoring the manners that had been drilled into her for the past three years. "There's no need for that title, Toph is fine."
"Lady Toph," he began, but read the displeasure on her face. "Miss Bei Fong?" He tried again, she still wasn't happy. "I'm sorry, I've never addressed anyone by their given name alone before," he confessed with a sigh.
"Fai," she said in the plainest, most casual manner. She felt his heart skip a beat. She gave him a wide smirk, making him feel even more uncomfortable and she soaked it all up. It had been quite some time since she had picked on someone in good nature. "Relax, and be thankful that I haven't come up with a nickname for you, yet." She heard him release his breath and thought that despite his kind-nature, he was surprisingly stubborn.
"Hold out your hand," she ordered, which he obeyed although hesitant. She summoned a stone into her own hand and placed it in Fai's palm. Her hand remained on top of the stone with her fingertips brushing against his wrist, making him uneasy about the seemingly intimate contact. "Think 'move,'" she told him.
"Lady Toph, I fail to see why you're doing this."
"Think 'move.'"
"If you think I'm an earthbender, you're mistaken."
"Think 'move' dammit!" Toph growled and inwardly slapped herself for using such a word in the presence of royalty.
"Fine!" The Prince caved, surprising the both of them.
Toph didn't have much time to be shocked by Fai's outburst though. She felt a strong pulse move through her palm and up her arm. A smile crept onto her face before she plucked the rock from his hand and chucked it aside. "I knew it."
"Knew what? I told you already that I can't – Lady Toph! Your robes!" Prince Fai exclaimed as he watched the beautiful young girl fall into a grassy patch and roll onto her stomach as if she were free falling into the ground.
"Calm down, Fancy Pants. Join me."
"But I-"
"Trust me."
He bit the inside of his cheek. There wasn't anyone within sight, and Toph did say to trust her. Cautiously, he assumed the same free falling position while facing her, conscious of the grass grazing his robes. He looked at the girl's face, who appeared to be sleeping soundly like some beautiful spirit. Then he realized how close their fingertips were, almost touching and yet, he felt himself relaxing.
"Close your eyes, and just listen," Toph spoke in a low, soft voice.
Fai let his soft, brown eyes flutter shut. At first, all he could hear was the grass rustling in his ear, but he was patient. Slowly the sound of the grass prickling in his ear faded out and he was met with an entirely new sensation that was indescribable. It was as if his hearing, sight, and sense of touch all combined into one super sense. He was suddenly aware of small creatures burrowing beneath him, and then the continental plates scraping against one another, and finally the magma flowing and boiling in the earth's core.
"Woah," he sighed, still listening to the ground. He was thankful that the girl laying next time him was blind, otherwise she would have seen the few tears that escaped through the corners of his eyes.
Toph simply smiled. She loved being right, but she loved witnessing someone fall in love with the earth even more. Her concentration on the moment broke though when she felt Fai's hand lightly grasp her own. It seemed as if he were moving subconsciously.
"Thank you," his voice trembled.
She hummed in acknowledgment and the pair laid there for the rest of the afternoon until Toph sensed people nearing them. She grabbed his hand an whispered for him to run. They darted between the trees and columns until Toph felt that they were safe. She broke into chuckles, which Fai caught on to, and the two laughed together like old friends.
"So you can teach me how to read and write, and I'll teach you earthbending," she stated rather than negotiated. It began an interesting friendship between the beautiful earthbender and the proper prince.
Author's Note: I like Fai, but I don't like the way I've written Fai.