~Chapter 14~

I couldn't earthbend. I was helpless and useless. I couldn't see, couldn't fight, and couldn't defend. I was alone and scared.

I heard footsteps coming towards me; nearer and nearer. I gulped and tried not to show my fear. I was brave, I was strong, I was Toph. I was the Blind Bandit, the greatest earthbender in the whole world and the only one who could bend metal. I had an image to maintain.

I didn't know who or what was coming.

They stopped just inches from me, and I wanted to get in an earthbending stance to try to fight them, but I was petrified. My fear was paralyzing my body. I couldn't control myself.

They knocked me down, as if hoping for more of a challenge.

I curled into a ball and tensed up. I knew what this was. I knew what would happen next. I would be beaten by a drunk idiot, then probably raped as well.

I felt wetness roll down my cheeks, and didn't care. Maybe if he saw what he was doing to me...if he knew how he was making me feel...maybe, just maybe...he would stop before he started.

I scurried away from whoever it was, not really that eager to find out if he was friend or foe. But I was stopped by what felt like a wooden barrier. No...it wasn't a barrier, nor was it placed here to stop me. It was a wooden wall. I was in an alley! I was being backed into a corner!

"Don't hurt me!" I begged. "Please!"

I felt the tip of his shoe ram into my stomach. It hurt so badly I doubled over in pain.

"Why are you doing this? What did I do to deserve this?"

The evil man just laughed and kicked me again, harder this time.

I curled back up into a ball as my only means of defense. All I had to do was wait this out...if I lived through it.

I felt him yank the collar of my shirt and lift me up, half choking me in the process. Instinctively, my hands reached out to grab his, trying to pry his hands off my throat. I couldn't do it.

I shot up and hit my head on the side of the tent. Or...no, wait...it wasn't the side of the tent, but it was just as hard. It was Sokka's head. I'd headbutted Sokka. From what I could feel, he had been holding me down and trying to wake me up again. I must've been doing something in my sleep that gave away my distressed state.

I tried to put a hand up to my forehead only to find that my arms wouldn't move.

"Toph, are you awake?" Sokka whispered.

I nodded and opened my eyes to prove to him I was conscious. "What happened?" I mumbled. "Why are you on top of me?"

"You freaked out in your sleep. I tried to calm you down, but you wouldn't wake up. You kept raising your arms, like you were trying to shield yourself from something. And you were sweating like crazy and crying and you kept screaming. When I finally got you in this position, I had to sit on top of you just to hold you down. And even then it was hard because you kept squirming so much. I don't know why you didn't wake up from all that," he supplied.

He got off of me and let me sit up.

"Is something on your mind, Toph?" he asked.

"No, I just keep having these nightmares about that village."

"How often are you having these things?"

"Almost every night. But this is the first time I've ever woken to someone sitting on me because of it."

There was a strange silence for a few moments, then Sokka summoned up the courage to ask, "What exactly happened to you in that village?"

I breathed in and out. "Basically...I was raped and beaten, over and over and over."

I wiped away my wet, salty tear trails.

"I don't...I don't want to think of what happened..." he said. "I wish I'd gotten to you sooner, Toph... I'm so sorry..."

I wished he'd gotten there, too. I hated that village and all its residents. That place was evil, pure evil. What had I done to deserve all that punishment, anyway? I hadn't killed anyone! I hadn't done anything wrong!

I felt Sokka pull me extremely close to him. He said, "Toph, I promise you, I'll never let something like that happen to you again. Not under my watch."

I fell back asleep like that, with him holding me so close to him.

When I woke up the next day, or what I assumed to be day, Sokka was gone. I didn't know how he got out of my earth tent, nor did I care. I was sleepy and tired. But then...I was like that every morning.

I yawned and pushed my rocks back into the ground in one quick motion. I passed by everyone's empty tents, including Sokka and Aang's, as if nothing had happened last night.

I felt everyone around the fire. The fire was dying, that is, until Zuko lent a hand in lighting it again. Soon fiery, wild, but also soft vibrations pulsed against my feet. The wound on my side had just about healed all the way. Katara was even going to let me wear my normal clothes. I was looking forward to that.

"Hey, Toph, we need some more supplies before we get going," I heard someone say. I couldn't identify who said it. We were leaving? But...why? Oh...of course...Aang's 'Avatar journey'. Right...

"We need to go back to that village, though. There are miles and miles of forest and it'll take at least a day to get out, even with Appa's help. You wanna stay here and have us pick you up before we go?" It was Katara.

"No, I'll be fine going with you. We can get out of the forest quicker if we don't stop to get me," I answered.

I could tell everyone was worried about me and how I would react when I got to that horrible place, but I was confident that I would be fine.

But that was only how I felt when I was on solid land, where I could see. When I got on Appa, I started getting a little bit nervous. Then when we got in the sky, I got even more jumpy. Then we landed about a meter away from the village... I was practically a wreck. But I pushed it aside, somehow, and walked toward the town that punished me for...well...uh...something, I supposed. It had to be punishment. Why else would I be tortured so mercilessly?

I stiffened as soon as I stepped foot in the village. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. Suddenly all these memories came rushing back to me in one fell swoop. All the brutal things I'd endured...especially being branded. Now I was back where it all happened, where it all took place, where I just barely got by with my life.

I felt the uncontrollable urge to find shelter. I had to find a wooden building. I needed to follow it. Granted, I could 'see' now, but...what was wrong with me?

My body moved of its own accord. I bit my lip so hard it started bleeding in three seconds. I felt no pain. Like a mindless zombie, a drone of the undead, I walked seemingly calmly to the nearest wall, feeling for the comfort of wood. I shuddered slightly at the feeling of wood under my hands, but it brought only the littlest bit of comfort. I pressed myself against it and slumped down, not exactly sure why.

I felt my heart skip a beat and I instinctively held my breath when I felt someone coming.

"Toph, you okay?" Sokka asked.

My mouth was dry and there was a knot in my throat that prevented me from speaking. I just nodded a little, and he left to go back wherever he came from. I didn't bother to feel for them; my focus was on the senses I used here the first time I came here. Hearing and touch, mainly, were my senses that I could use most. So naturally, I had to go with them.

But my earthbending was still in effect.

Two people...no, two men...were peeking at me from around the corner of the building. They drew their heads back, and I tried to listen in.

"Hey, isn't that the blind girl we got?" one of them said.

"Looks like she's gained a little weight. She looks ten times better than before," the other observed.

"Think anyone will pay now that she looks this good? The boss might want her back, and...well, she's already been branded."

My eyes widened in fear. I couldn't relive that, I couldn't go back there!

I didn't even realize I was running until I was far away from my friends. I must've been going ten times faster than Appa at his full speed in the sky! I couldn't even feel them anymore! Come to think of it...I couldn't even feel the forest anymore. Where was I? I was...I was lost again. Oh, no...I was lost again!

Sokka turned to see two very buff men lingering around where Toph had just been. Glancing quickly in every direction before jumping to conclusions, he couldn't find her. His girlfriend was missing, and he was sure they knew, or at least had a good idea, of where she'd gone.

He walked cautiously up to them. If they were wielding some kind of weapon, he would be at a great disadvantage.

"Have you guys seen a blind girl around here? I'm trying to find her," he said.

Both of them turned to look at him and grinned slyly.

"Well, well..." the first one said, "Is she really that good-looking? We might be able to help you...for a price." The man rubbed his fingers together.

Anger crossed the warrior's face. "She's missing! She ran away! Do you know where she's at or not?"

This time, the second man laughed and spoke. "You're pretty young, but I wouldn't blame you. She's a looker. We think she went that way." The man pointed down a long walkway that led directly to the heart of the town. "But if you find her, be sure to check the mark on her neck."

A puzzled feeling came over Sokka. The mark on her neck? What did that mean? Was it a riddle? Did she run away to a club or something? The mark on her neck, the mark on her neck... It sounded so familiar... The mark on her neck... A mark...and it was on her neck...but he had to check it...? His eyes widened as realization hit him.

"The mark is the brand! YOU TWO BRANDED TOPH!" he screamed, fury seething inside his very soul.

Both of them jerked back slightly at the scream, not prepared for all the noise. But then they shook their heads.

"Nah, we just held her down," one of them said, as if it was no big deal. "Our boss said she was worthless, so we were obliged to throw her out. But seeing how great she looks, I'm sure he'll think twice about it. People will pay big money for her!"

"WHAT?" The Water Tribe warrior pulled his sword from its sheath and held it up to one of the men's throats, pushing him against the wall and not letting either of them make a move. "Why would you do such a horrible thing to such an innocent girl? She has nightmares every night about this village and she didn't even want to come here!"

The victim of Sokka's sword raised his hands in defense and answered, "I-It's our job! I swear! Besides, the pain doesn't last long! It's like branding an ostrichhorse!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!" he yelled. "You two are disgusting! I'm going to find Toph for reasons that apparently, you can't understand!"

With that, Sokka released his hold on the man and sheathed his sword. He wouldn't kill anyone, not even these men. They could rot in this place; it was a much more severe punishment. He went on his way to find the lost earthbender.

I crouched against an alley, hoping that the person I felt coming toward me would simply pass by. I huddled up in my defensive ball, as close in my little corner as possible. I felt myself trembling uncontrollably. I had to stop, otherwise, this person might notice me. But I couldn't stop.

The next thing I know, a knife is right in front of my face, stuck in the wall next me. This guy had magnificent aim.

The man was coming closer, but the only thing I could do was stiffen and hope for the worst...because I'd been through worse than the worst.

He stopped just two feet away from me.

"Undress," he mumbled roughly.

I couldn't bring myself to move. I just lowered my head and prepared for a beating. And sure enough, the heel of his shoe came ramming into my side. I endured it, with only tears to show for my disobedience.

"Do as I say," he grunted in my ear. "I might let you off with nothing more than a few bruises."

My body was extremely stiff from my muscles' tension. I managed only to get up. However, from there on out, my body was nothing more than one giant weight. I felt heavy and weak.

He punched my face, harder than many of those before him. No teeth came out, thankfully, but it hurt so bad. "I said to undress. Do it."

I tried really hard to regain control over my body. But it was so stiff and tense...I just couldn't do it. I was too scared. My heart was racing against something invisible, but apparently it didn't think it was winning the race, because it kept beating faster and faster and faster and harder and harder and harder. I thought it was going to explode at any moment. Part of me hoped it would, that way I wouldn't have to deal with this.

Hands wrapped themselves around my throat and squeezed. My airway was being constricted and I couldn't breathe. I desperately tried to gasp for air, for anything, but I couldn't. I tried to scream for help, but I couldn't. All that came out were these weird strangled sounds. He lifted me up off the ground. The weight of my own body hurt my spine. And...strangely, my ribs. It was impossible to get more scared than I was at this moment.

"Toph! LET GO OF HER!" a voice shouted.

I felt a huge blast of wind and the man's hands were off my neck. I collapsed on the ground and sucked in as much oxygen as I possibly could. It felt good to breathe again. I could actually feel the oxygen refreshing my body. It was alot like being thirsty for an extended period of time, then drinking fresh water.

I felt the man run away and then I felt someone land extremely lightly on the ground, causing almost no vibrations. But being a master earthbender, I caught the ones he managed to make.

I ran up to Aang and clutched his shirt with one hand, trying to assure myself that it was an actual person and not a hallucination or a dream.

"Toph, why didn't you earthbend?" he asked me.

I tensed slightly and shook my head. I did start crying, because I hadn't ever stopped crying.

He picked me up. I had to hold onto him unless I wanted to be dropped. He couldn't use his glider unless all limbs were on it. And I couldn't really be on his back, because that's where his glider rested. So I wrapped my arms and legs around his front and held on as tightly as I could.

He took off and for some reason, I never calmed down. Even when he landed, I wasn't calm. I was still crying my eyes out, my body wouldn't relax itself, my mind was still turbulent, and I was still shaking like crazy.

I heard footsteps and knew immediately that Katara, Sokka, and Zuko had surrounded us to see how I was doing. Well, now they knew.

"Um, Toph...you can get off now," Aang told me.

I knew that, but I couldn't control myself. My arms and legs were already as tightly wrapped around him as they could get, and they didn't seem to want to release him just yet.

"Toph? Hey, Toph? Hello?" Every person tried to get my attention, but I just couldn't answer them.

"Oh, man...I knew it! I knew it had to go deeper!" Katara suddenly said.

I felt Aang give her a confused look. I figured everyone else was doing the same.

"She's in a catatonic state. She's not going to move on her own," she said. "I knew there had to be some kind of psychological damage dealt."

"What? But Toph wanted to come," Aang said. "She said so herself."

"Yeah, to prove she's not worthless," Katara quipped. "But look at her now. She's traumatized by this village!"

"Uh...speaking of traumatized... Can someone please get her off me now?" It was pretty obvious who spoke there.

"I can help," Zuko said bluntly.

I heard footsteps walk up to me and right after, arms wrapped around my waist. I felt someone, most likely Zuko, pull. I tried to let go of Aang, but I couldn't. And my mind...I could hardly comprehend what they were talking about. This village...that was all I could really think about.

"I could use a little help, Sokka..." the firebender grunted.

Aang was standing his ground, trying with all his power not to be pulled with me. "Zuko, this kinda hurts... She's pulling my spine!"

Sokka came up from behind Zuko and wrapped his arms around his waist. It was like a chain now. I really tried to let go of Aang, but I found myself unable to.

After awhile, Zuko moved up from my belly to my ribs. He only had to pull once, and I let go with a loud yelp of pain. I fell to the ground, still in my catatonic state. My muscles were still tensed and I couldn't move. It was so much like being paralyzed.

After just a few more seconds, my arms and legs collapsed and I could move again.

"Why'd you scream out like that?" Zuko asked.

I didn't answer him. My heart was ready to burst out of my chest. My tears were still streaking down my face. I curled up into a ball and waited for the signal that said we could leave this place. This horrid, evil place...

A/N

Yay! Better chapter, hopefully! Sorry for the slow update, guys, but fanfiction was having technical difficulties. Their editing system went haywire on me and I couldn't update ANY of my stories, let alone this one. So enjoy this chapter and the next!

The usual, R&R&stuff.