Book 3: Toph

92 Years after the Fire Lord Fell

Toph never expected to live the longest. Age hits her hard. Walking becomes a challenge, with her joints aching every step, weakening her awareness of the surroundings. Living in the Foggy Swamp becomes an obstacle course. Toph regretfully moves back into the city.

Opal, her granddaughter, is the one who convinces Toph to move into her house in Gaoling. Opal lives in the city with her husband, Bolin, and their daughter, Naoki. Opal says she chose Gaoling because she just likes the city, but Toph knows that is a lie. She suspects Opal just wanted to be closeby. She's a good granddaughter; Toph admits this even if she is still hesitant to admit the need for help.

In the morning, the dew on the grass freezes. The air has an extra pinch of winter chill. In their small home near the center of the city, Toph waits by their front door. Opal stands by the door, buttoning her own jacket. She insists Toph wear boots while going outside today. Toph protests, but the battle is lost; she's in too much pain to walk alone, and Naoki won't take her otherwise. With the boots fastened, Naoki guides Toph by the arm. Naoki gossips about her classmates. Twice, Toph is too tired to walk. Naoki pulls a bench of stone straight from the ground where Toph rests for a few moments. Even for a fifth year student, Naoki has becoming a talented earthbender. Despite her incessant chatter, Toph is proud. In the middle of one of Naoki's stories, Toph hears the creaking of a rusty gate. She interrupts to ask: "Are we at the gardens?"

Toph can smell her mother's roses and hear the splashing of turtle ducks in the pond, even in the cold weather. Even before Naoki says, "Yep!" Toph knows the answer.

"Let me sit by the pond," Toph says. She tries to pull away from Naoki; she knows the way to the pond herself. Naoki does not let her go, but guides her over to the bench and helps her sit.

Toph misses mobility, the freedom of walk on her own. She wants to say: "I carry my own weight" like she always used to. Her own weight, her own pride, her own fears - for so long she has carried that all on her own. Not forever though. She remembers the scared little twelve-year-old, masked in a brave face as she ran away from her parents with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. For a few months, they all shared the weight and the fears - they shared everything. They were children fighting a war they were far too young to fight. Somehow, looking back, those months were the best of her life. After the war, they went their separate ways. The more time went on, the less they saw of each other. Toph never did get the chance to tell them all how much those few months meant to her. How, despite her insistence that she could hold her own, their support meant so much to her.

Aang was the first pass away, young and well before the others. Everyone talked about what a surprise it was, how he was only 66 years old. For Aang, though, his death wasn't a surprise. It was at the Earth Kingdom Conference that they last saw each other, three months before he died. Toph greeted him with, "How are ya, Twinkletoes?"

He didn't bother her about the nickname. He just said, "Good. How are you?"

Toph ignored his question. "I know you're lying. What's wrong?"

Aang, with all his spiritual connections, knew when his spirit was ready to move on. He felt it even when his body didn't. His life was coming to an end. "Don't tell anyone yet," Aang said. "I don't want Katara to find out." Toph remembers thinking he should tell her but it was none of her business. I understand now, Toph thinks. She, too, hopes to go quietly.

Unfortunately, Toph never really learned how to deal with death. She still doesn't. How strange, to sit in the cold by the turtle-duck pond, thinking of all those years ago. She had so many years now to learn to embrace death. To think about how Aang must have felt in that moment, admitting that his life would come to an end. What could anyone say to help with that? Anything, Toph thinks. I should have said something to comfort him, instead of standing there stupidly.

Aang must have known that Toph didn't know what to say, because he continued talking on his own. He had plans to work with the White Lotus to prepare for the new Avatar. It had been 166 years since Aang was born. Toph doesn't have that burden. She doesn't worry that the world won't carry on without her.

Toph didn't think that would be the last time they saw each other. They attended the conference, and when it came time to leave, Toph smirked, delivering a swift punch to his shoulder. "See ya around," Toph had said. Looking back, perhaps Aang knew that would be it. When he said, "See you, Toph," there may have been a hint of sadness behind his voice. She wished she'd have noticed it back then.


Sokka died fifteen years after Aang. Zuko lived another twelve years after that, passing away peacefully in his sleep at age ninety four. Eleven years after Zuko, Katara passed away at 103 years old after the birth of her third great-grandchild. Toph attended each of her friends funerals. She's been on her own for fifteen years now.

Toph realizes she has been sitting on the bench by the pond for a while. Her toes are beginning to feel the cold, even in the boots Opal made her wear. Naoki is still next to her, humming softly.

"You're paying attention in school," Toph says. She meant it as a question, but it came of as more of a command somehow. Raising children was never something that came easily to her. She never did get around to actually raising her family. Another regret on her list.

"Yeah," Naoki replies. "We're learning about the war now. Your name is in the book, and everyone said: Beifong? Are you related? And I got to say yes, that's my great-grandma. She was best friends with the old avatar!" Toph smirks. She was always proud that Opal kept her last name. Being a Beifong still meant something in this world - it was the one true constant in her life.

Then, Toph asks: "You read about the war in some book?" It strikes her as funny, even though it makes sense. Toph doesn't mention Naoki's comment about the "old avatar". She knows that Naoki, like so many other young people, idolize Avatar Korra. She is Naoki's Avatar the way that Aang will always be Toph's. She can't blame them for moving on, even when she has not.

"Uh, yeah," Naoki answers Toph's question. The question had confused her great-granddaughter. Toph tries to imagine what a history textbook might look like. What is it like to read about the war? She could ask Naoki to read from the book aloud, but that would only be upsetting. People today don't know what the world was like. Every year, those who truly remember pass on. Of the few who faced the Fire Lord himself, only Toph remains. When I die, no one will be left. No one will remember.

Naoki watches Toph shiver. "It's cold out here, grandma. Maybe we should head back."

Toph rises, letting her great-granddaughter lead the way back home.

The gate of the Beifong residence closes behind them. It does not open again.


The End

Story by: Marina Montenegro

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