That night, Toph and Ren made camp a few miles from Omashu. Toph had not intended to stop, but she and Ren were exhausted from their search of Omashu and she sensed that it was in their best interest to take some time to rest. Ren seemed to be grateful for this, though she said nothing to confirm Toph's assumptions. It seemed that the excitement of their discovery had drained Ren of her energy and she was now too tired to speak. Toph had to admit that Ren's dedication to their pursuit was admirable, especially considering how much of a burden she had been when their alliance had begun. Still, there was something about Ren that made Toph just a little uneasy and it was then that she realized what that something was. She still knew virtually nothing about Ren and she realized that if there was ever to be complete trust between them they would have to learn more about each other. But it wasn't just a simple lack of knowledge about her companion that was making Toph curious. There was also the scar she had felt on Ren's abdomen when they were in Omashu. That scar had come from somewhere and Toph wanted to know where.
A short time later, after they had made camp and eaten, Toph turned her sightless gaze towards Ren and asked her question. "So, where did you get that scar on your abdomen?" she asked, her tone casual.
Ren stiffened, her whole body going rigid with shock. "I...what scar?" she asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"What have I told you about lying to me?" Toph asked, her tone suddenly serious.
"That it's pointless, because you can tell when I'm lying." Ren answered.
"Then why did you just lie to me?" Toph asked, her head cocked to the side in speculation.
"I didn't." Ren said, a note of fear in her tone. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any scars."
"Yes you do." Toph said. "I felt it when I stopped you from walking off that cliff in Omashu. I could feel it through your shirt."
"How?" Ren asked, deciding not to lie again. "How'd you feel it through my shirt?"
"My sense of touch is extra sensitive, remember?" Toph answered, with a smile.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Ren said. "Sorry, I forgot."
"It's okay." Toph said. "So, where did you get the scar."
Again Ren stiffened, as though the answer was unpleasant. "It's...well, it's personal." she said, after a moment of silence.
"I promise I won't tell anyone." Toph said, her tone calm and her expression comforting.
"It has to do with my past." Ren said, though she still seemed like she didn't want to talk about it. She paused for a moment, her whole body trembling. "I'm sorry." she said a moment later. "I can't talk about this, it's too painful."
Toph hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted to question Ren further. But ultimately her curiosity got the better of her and she spoke, her voice calm and reassuring. "It's okay Ren." she said. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But, you should know that I won't judge you and we should share at least a bit of our pasts with each other. It doesn't have to be this though. How about you tell me where you're from."
"You already know that." Ren said, after a moment of silence. "I'm from the Fire Nation."
"Yes, but where in the Fire Nation were you born?" Toph asked.
Ren hesitated a moment before answering. "I was born and raised in the town of Shu Jing in the eastern Fire Nation." she said. "It's way out to the east, on an island near the border between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom."
"I know." Toph said. "Shu Jing is the home of the great sword-smith and master swordsman Piandao. My friend Sokka trained there."
"Huh, that's interesting." Ren said. "So, where are you from originally?"
"I was born in the Earth Kingdom city of Gaoling." Toph answered. "It's in the southeast corner of the Earth Kingdom and is well known for its earthbending tournaments which I competed in when I was younger."
"What about your family?" Ren asked. "What are they like?"
Now it was Toph's turn to hesitate. She hated talking about her parents, but she had opened this can of worms and it would seem like cowardice to try and worm out of it now. Sighing, she fixed her sightless gaze on the ground and spoke.
"My parents were among Gaoling's elite." she said. "The Beifong family has been one of the most important families in that city for years, so I guess you could say I was born into the elite of society. I grew up in large house with servants, but it was hell. My parents treated me like a helpless, fragile doll just because I'm blind and I hated them for it. They wouldn't let me go anywhere without an escort, so, when the opportunity presented itself I ran away from home."
"You ran away from home?" Ren repeated, shocked by this revelation.
"Yes." Toph answered, her tone still calm as if this was no big thing.
"How old were you when you ran away?" Ren asked, still in shock.
"I was twelve." Toph answered. "But I could take care of myself. I've always been able to take care of myself. My blindness has never been a hindrance in any way. In fact it's only helped me become a better earthbender."
"But what about your parents?" Ren asked. "Didn't you give any consideration to how you'd make them feel by running away?"
"At the time, no, I didn't." Toph answered. "In the years since I have and I'll admit, sometimes I regret doing it, but you have to understand that I wasn't being allowed to be me. I was forced to be something I had no desire to be and I couldn't take it any longer. Still, it would be nice to know how my parents are doing. I haven't seen them since I left Gaoling. I'm twenty two now, so I haven't seen my parents in ten years."
Ren was shocked by this. She could imagine not seeing her parents for ten years, but not because she had chosen to. "How can you have willingly ignored your parents for ten years?" she asked, staring at Toph in horror.
"I just have." Toph answered. "Why is this such a big deal for you? What were your parents like? Weren't they controlling of you like mine were?"
"No, they weren't." Ren answered. "My parents were great. My father owned a shop where he made and sold tools and my mother grew crops which she sold to the other villagers. It wasn't ideal, but I never once had a desire to run away from home."
"Well hooray for you." Toph said, her tone bitter. "You had a great family, so what? I had a shitty family, but at least I had a grand adventure."
"And you think that makes up for the fact that you haven't talked to your parents in ten years?" Ren asked, her tone incredulous.
"I do actually." Toph answered. "Though, as I already said, I will admit that it'd be nice to know how my parents are doing. I don't even know if they're still alive."
"Well that's nice." Ren said, her tone sarcastic. "So, what was this grand adventure you went on after you ran away?"
"It was an adventure that changed the world." Toph answered, a hint of pride in her tone.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ren asked, confused.
"When I left home, I joined Avatar Aang on his quest." Toph answered. "In fact, I'm the one who taught him to earthbend."
Again Ren was taken aback by Toph's words and for a moment she was too stunned to speak. "Really?" she asked a moment later, having finally found her voice again. "You trained Avatar Aang? You traveled with him? You fought alongside him?"
"I did." Toph answered, doing her best not to sound smug. "I fought alongside him and I helped him defeat Fire Lord Ozai. In fact, Aang is one of the friends we were looking for in Omashu."
"But the Avatar wasn't in Omashu when it fell." Ren said. "He was in Ba Sing Se."
"Yeah, that's why we're headed there next." Toph said, with a knowing smile.
"How do you know he'll still be there though?" Ren asked. "I heard he was killed by Azula after the war."
"Aang wouldn't go that easily." Toph answered. "However, to answerer your question honestly, I don't know for sure that he's still in Ba Sing Se. But there's only one way to find out. How'd you know he was in the City of Walls at the end of the war anyway? You're to young to have fought in the war against Azula, so how did you come by that information?"
"My parents were extremely loyal to Fire Lord Zuko." Ren answered. "They fought against Azula's forces, like all true Fire Nation citizens did, and I picked up on a few things from them. I'm not stupid, you know?"
"I never assumed you were." Toph said, smiling. "So, your parents were loyal to Zuko, and by extension, Aang and that's how you learned these things? That's quite impressive, as the way I understand it, one has to be pretty important to be able to rub shoulders with the Fire Lord."
"I won't deny that." Ren said. "Though it helped that we lived in the same town as Piandao, who trained Zuko in the art of swordplay. When the war started, my father helped Piandao make weapons for the non-benders in Zuko's army."
"Yeah, I can see how that would help." Toph said. "So, where are your parents now?"
At this Ren became suddenly very quiet, as though Toph's question had triggered some sort of bad memories. "They...they're dead." Ren answered, after a long beat, her voice choked with emotion. "They died in the war."
"Ren, I'm sorry." Toph said, her heart sinking. "Truly, I am."
"I know you are." Ren said. "But it's not your fault."
Toph had no response for that. True, it wasn't her fault Ren's parents had been killed, but somehow it felt like it was. It was an absurd, illogical thought and Toph knew it. She hadn't even known Ren back then, so how could it be her fault that Ren's parents had died? And yet she felt guilt, despite all the evidence that told her she didn't need to. All of the deaths from the war were in some way her fault, hers, and Aang's, and Zuko's, and everyone else who had survived. The blood was on all their hands because they hadn't been able to stop Azula. And in that moment Toph realized that the only way to wash that guilt away was to succeed now where they had failed then.
"Why were your parents killed?" she asked, still curious despite her newfound resolve.
"Have you heard of the Order of the White Lotus?" Ren asked.
"Of course I have." Toph answered. "The White Lotus was instrumental in the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai and the end of the Hundred Years War."
"Yes, well, my father was a member of the Order." Ren said. "That's why Piandao asked him to help make weapons for Zuko's army."
"Your father was a member of the Order of the White Lotus?" Toph asked, amazed. "I thought only bending masters could be members?"
"Well, he wasn't a high ranking member or anything." Ren said. "But he was a member and he served a vital purpose. It was my father's job to monitor the activity of Azula's followers and report to the leaders of the Order. Unfortunately, he was discovered and he and my mother were taken prisoner. I managed to escape thanks to them, but I knew they would be killed. So I slipped back into the town and tried to save them, only to see them be publicly executed as traitors, even though it was Azula who was the traitor."
"I'm sorry Ren." Toph said. It was all she could say. She had never imagined that Azula's cruelty was that strong, that she had been branding Fire Nation citizens traitors even before she had won the war. It was enough to make Toph's blood boil and again she reaffirmed her desire to end Azula's tyrannical reign.
"Thank you for your sympathy." Ren said, drawing Toph out of her reverie. "But it is not sympathy I need. After my parents were killed I vowed to get revenge and that is why I was following you, because I cannot get revenge on my own."
"Then you came to the right earthbender." Toph said, her face lit by the dying fire they had used to cook earlier. "Because I want revenge as well."
"Good." Ren said. "I have spent the last six years trying to find allies to aid me in my quest, but you are the first one I have found. I know there is a resistance movement that has been in operation since Azula took the throne, but they are scattered and leaderless. I have resisted Azula alone and that is how I got the scar you asked about earlier."
At this Toph turned her blank gaze in Ren's direction, her curiosity piqued. Ren smiled at this and continued. "I was ten when my parents were killed. Three years later, when I was thirteen, I was captured by men working for Azula. Knowing I was the daughter of a former member of the White Lotus they tortured me, flogging me until I could barely stand. My back still bears the scars of that torture. But, finally, after months in captivity, I managed to escape."
She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "Two years later, when I was fifteen, I was attacked by another group of raiders. I fought them bravely, but they outnumbered me and one of them managed to impale me with his blade. They left me to die, but I was found by an elderly man from the Earth Kingdom who nursed me back to health. It was he who told me of the resistance movement against Azula and once I was healed I set out to find them. It has been two years and you are the only person I have found who is willing to fight. That is my story and this is my mission, to see Azula overthrown and the true Fire Lord returned to the throne. Because only with Zuko's leadership can the Fire Nation atone for its past mistakes."
Toph was silent for a moment following Ren's tale. She had never met a person more opposed to the Fire Nation's tyranny than this girl, which was amazing considering the people she knew. It was inspiring to listen to Ren's speech and for the first time Toph was glad she had met this firebender girl. All that she wanted was embodied in Ren, most importantly a desire to see the end of Azula's reign. Toph could not help feeling proud of Ren's dedication and she knew the others would be as well, especially Zuko, who embodied everything that was good about the Fire Nation. Ren had overcome immense odds to get where she was today and she was still fighting for what was right and in that moment Toph knew that together they would succeed where entire armies had failed six years earlier. Together they would defeat Azula and see the world returned to peace and harmony.
"Okay Ren." she said. "I've heard enough talking. Now it's time for action. Now it's time for us to find that resistance and overthrow Azula once and for all."
Ren smiled. "Yes, it is." she agreed. "Together we will do it. Together we will avenge my parents and find your friends, if they still live. Together, we will defeat Azula for good. Onward to Ba Sing Se."
Toph grinned and together they set off again, both of them moving with a new determination to see the day when Azula's reign ended and a new world of peace and harmony was made.
A/N: Okay, so, now you know Ren's back-story, or at least some of it. There are a few more things that I will reveal in later chapters. Also, in case you're wondering if the information about where Ren was born is accurate, I assure you it is. I did my research, but if you still need proof check the Avatar wiki or check out episode 4 from book three entitled "Sokka's Master" in which Piandao is introduced. Finally, the title of this chapter refers to the things Toph and Ren revealed to each other during the course of the chapter.