After hearing some exciting news about the Avatar franchise, especially with the creation of Avatar Studios run by Bryke themselves, I'm back again with another Avatar fic. This time, I'm going back in time a bit, writing a midquel that takes place between "Avatar: the Journey of Life" and "Avatar: What are the Chances?" It also takes inspiration from "Legend of Korra: the Day of Humanity" by addressing disabilities, although the focus is more on physical and learning disabilities rather than mental health ones like autism (even though autistic characters will show up here as well). I hope you enjoy this new take on these favourite characters of ours, and let the story begin.
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.
To say that eighteen-year-old Toph Bei Fong had been through it all would be an understatement. Blind since birth, Toph had been overprotected by her parents for as long as she could remember. Even when she developed earth bending skills to make her see, it would not deter Lao and Poppy from smothering her. "Somehow I have a really weird feeling about this," Toph murmured to herself, rubbing her upper arms.
And indeed, the blind earth bender found herself standing in front of the closed doors of an executive office. It wasn't just any office in downtown Republic City, but the very office her father worked in. She knew she had nothing to fear from her father, despite past disagreements with him. They had been on terms ever since she survived a kidnapping with her friend Katara, which should be a lot scarier. But somehow, Toph had a strange feeling in her stomach today, and despite her best efforts to show a tough face, the vibes kept peeking to the surface. "Well, let's see what the old man has in store for me," she decided.
Taking a deep breath, Toph gently knocked on the door. Normally, she would just barge in and make herself comfortable, but somehow she felt she had outgrown that phase in her life. She was no longer the rebellious teenager trying to stretch the limits of everything, but was now a university freshman almost finishing her first year. The least she could do was show she had learned manners that she didn't always liked to use.
When her father finally called her in, Toph opened the door and stepped into his office. The wooden floorboards didn't help Toph much in navigating, as she could not feel where anyone or anything was. She even had to dig through her memory and count the number of steps she took before she stopped before Lao's large desk, which itself was also made of wood. Why did Lao insist on keeping so many wooden objects when he knew Toph had trouble with them?
"Glad you can make it, Toph," Lao greeted his daughter. Putting away the latest set of notes he was reviewing earlier, the older man picked up a new set of notes. "How was school today? Did you do anything exciting recently?"
Toph winced. She didn't hate her current life right now, given how her parents gave her so much more freedom in the past five years. But that was the exact problem, as she did almost everything she could with the freedom she was granted. "If you call my usual routine exciting, then sure," Toph responded, waving her arms in frustration, "But otherwise, I'm bored!"
Lao raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would you say that? You didn't find anything interesting to dabble in for your freshman year of university?" he asked.
"That's exactly the problem. I've dabbled in so many things that I just don't feel like I'm being challenged anymore!" Toph exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air, "I formed a metal bending club and more and more people are joining. I aced my introductory chemistry class, especially the unit about industrial chemical processes on purifying metals. I even volunteered for the university theatre, serving as an understudy to both male and female roles. Heck, I even helped you and Mom set up voice recognition technologies in the house and for my laptop. I mean, what else must a girl do to get some excitement in her life?"
Lao rubbed his chin in thought. "What about the rest of your friends? You do still contact them on a regular basis, if I recall correctly," he commented.
Toph let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Aang and Katara are too busy sucking face with each other, and Sokka and Suki are not that far behind," she described in amazingly precise detail, "Zuko is just finished university and his father's company wants him in control, now that Ozai and Azula are both disgraced. Mai is still figuring things out with Zuko, while Kori is helping her parents run in the next election. The only person I speak with on a regular basis in Ty Lee, and even then she has little time for me thanks to her gymnastics tournaments."
"So, in other words, you feel like getting an interesting challenge? You want to do something you've never done before?" Lao responded. Even though his daughter could not see it, the businessman had a grin that stretched from one ear to the other. "In that case, I have the perfect project for you, one that will make you use all the skills you have."
Toph leaned his head closer to her father, just in time to hear the shuffling of paper. "Toph, my company is sponsoring a bunch of non-profit organizations focused on dealing with disabilities. They include blindness, which is close to our hearts, and other ones as well," Lao explained. He listed off a bunch of conditions, including deafness, physical disabilities, autism, learning disabilities, and speech impediments. "We plan to do a major launch even this summer and I want you to lead the project," he declared with pride.
Toph had an unreadable expression on her face. Lao could only see Toph's eyes narrow and cheeks relax, but her body was still straight and stiff. "You want me to do what?" she replied, not impressed but not disinterested either.
Lao cleared his throat. He knew this expression meant Toph was not rejecting the project, but she required more convincing before committing to it. "You are the perfect person to lead the project, because you are willing to try so many new things," Lao pointed out, "You have acting experience, you have friends from so many different backgrounds, and you know several other disabilities firsthand. Your blindness aside, isn't it true that your friend Teo is a paraplegic?"
"Yes, and he's been in a wheelchair all his life," Toph responded, clasping and rubbing her hands together, "Not to mention that Kori's boyfriend Sneers has a learning disability, although I never found out what it really is. But how does this fit into the project?"
"It's clear that you care about your friends, and you want them to keep doing well," Lao explained, "But there are others who are not as fortunate. Living with a disability is not an easy task, and sometimes people cannot adapt. Your blindness is mitigated by earth bending, but what if someone doesn't have that skill? The world won't be as safe and welcoming for them."
Toph pressed her lips together while her arms tensed. Despite her complaints that her parents restricted her freedoms too much, it was true that they kept her safe. Just thinking about the technologies in her own home, or the braille keyboard on her laptop, and Toph knew how lucky she was. Moreover, with Iroh and others convincing her parents, Toph even developed her earth bending on her own. Nobody forced her to do anything, and she wasn't hindered in any way. Compared to others with disabilities, maybe this was why life was a breeze for her.
Toph lifted her head up, presumably at the same level as her father. "I'm open to it, but what's my role in all this? How do you want me to lead the project?" she inquired.
Lao smiled at his daughter again. "You can choose the way the project is portrayed, the way it is presented, who should get involved, and what resources to use. Since this is completely supported by my company, we will arrange it in our budget, subject to reasonable rules," Lao described, "Plus, if you do well, I'm willing to make you a consultant in this department. If your heart is in the world of business, this will be a good step for your career."
Toph thought about this and a smile spread across her face. While she was still too young to think about taking over a corporation like her father's, the experience was definitely enticing to her. Being an executive partner or a managing director did sound promising, especially when she could lead the firm and be a game changer. Plus, part of her did like bossing people around, even if she had to do so with tact. If this project got off the ground, who knew what the possibilities would be for Toph's future.
Turning back to her father, Toph answered in the affirmative. "But that said, I have one condition before I commit," she insisted, cracking her knuckles as she outlined her terms.
"And that's ultimately my plan for the project," Toph concluded, closing the laptop in front of her. Luckily, Lao was willing to let Toph use one of his company's boardrooms for hosting a meeting. Toph was then able to get all her friends in here to discuss her idea, which took the better part of an hour. "Do we all agree or are there any questions?"
Despite having no seismic sense on the wooden floorboards, Toph could guess from her end of the table that her friends were stunned. With wave-like breathing sounds from their nostrils, Toph knew the idea hit them pretty hard. But then again, none of them had done something this big and so publicly before, so they would require some time to digest it.
Finally, it was the most public figure of the group who spoke first. "Toph, I like your idea and all, but I'm just wondering if we're playing to everyone's strengths," Kori Morishita stated from directly to Toph's left, "You said you wanted a performance, either in music or drama. None of us have as much acting experience as you do, and even then you're just the understudy. As for music, other than Aang and me playing the piano, none of us play a musical instrument."
"Not only that, but it sounds like you want us to actually write the song or skit," Aang added, rubbing his bald head, "This is a pretty noble goal you're achieving, trying to raise awareness on disability causes. But should we at lease see how we can contribute first?"
Toph snorted at that remark. "Why is everyone sounding like they want to give up already? What past challenge have we faced before that we couldn't conquer?" the earth bender retorted, "Don't tell me you're bigger lily livers than those wimps at my metal bending club!"
"Hold on, Toph," Katara interjected, keeping her voice level and even. She was seated between Kori and Aang, and definitely wanted to be the voice of reason. "I agree that we shouldn't ever turn our backs on anyone in need. This is a huge project for not just your father's company, but all of us who get involved. It's just that we have to do it well and do it right."
"But isn't that why we're all here today?" a young man dressed in blue seated right across from Katara chimed in. The water bender turned to face her brother, who alternated his glance between Toph and Katara. "We have to bounce ideas off of each other, whether we like the ideas or not. If we don't at least discuss, then this thing isn't getting off the ground."
"Okay, Sokka," Toph responded, feeling somewhat optimistic but also wanting to put her friend in the spotlight for a bit, "You're the ideas guy in our group. What suggestions do you have for getting our project together?"
Knowing Sokka would say something crazy, his girlfriend decided to interject. "We should start by seeing if any musician, on top of Aang and Kori, wants to get involved," Suki proposed. She was seated directly at Toph's right, which allowed the earth bender to turn directly to the direction of her voice. "I've been in contact with a group of travelling musicians that I met when I was hiking with Sokka last year. I can see if they want to get involved."
Sokka's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You can't be serious right? Why would you get that bunch of irritating pains in the backside to contribute?" he groaned.
Suki slapped Sokka playfully on the shoulder. "They're not irritating. If anything, I find their carefree attitudes very refreshing," she responded, her eyes almost glittering. Turning to the rest of her friends, Suki recapped for everyone who she referred to. "Their names are Chong, Lily, and Moku. They're just starting out in their music careers and haven't been signed by any music label yet. Sokka and I met them when we were hiking last year, and we explored a cave together. They sang some pretty interesting songs in that cave, and I became a fan afterwards."
"Did you mention that you also exchanged phone numbers with them, and you still call Chong at least once or twice a month?" Sokka retorted through gritted teeth. Slowly dragging a hand down his face, Sokka took a deep breath before addressing the group. "I'll never question my girlfriend on anything, but seeing her go gaga for that group of lunatics is a bit too much for me. I just can't stand their crazy ideas and claiming I have destination fever or something."
"In fairness, you were more interested in just getting out of that cave, rather than exploring it outright," Suki countered, pulling out her cellphone and flipping through her contact list, "I think Chong and his group should meet Aang or some other air benders. With their carefree and nomadic ways, I think they should get along with Air Nomads."
A couple raps on the desk from a knuckle belonging to a certain blind earth bender got everyone's attention again. "I am a little sceptical about this group, but I'm willing to at least hear them out," Toph decided, "But is there anyone else with any ideas? I haven't heard from the two sitting further away from me, and if anything I think they have the most to contribute."
Indeed, seated at the other end of the boardroom table was a certain paraplegic scientist. All eyes descended onto Teo, the only other member of their group with a visible disability. "I definitely want to get involved, as we have two types of disability right here," Teo suggested, "But with many types of disabilities, where do we find a member of each group you mentioned?"
"Well, you and I already know someone with a learning disability. Recall when Jet and his gang were harassing my father's shop, and we ran into a boy he tried to recruit? He called himself Duke, and if I recall correctly, he had a speech impediment when he was younger," Haru described, still recalling when him and Teo comforted the Duke after Jet pushed him around, "I know he worked hard on getting rid of his stutter, and that's why I think he'll be a good choice."
Toph nodded, opening up her laptop once more. She kept in touch with the Duke on a sporadic basis, but didn't do so as often after she graduated high school. In fact, they didn't speak to each other at all throughout the past year, and part of her wondered what he was up to. Making a note to contact the Duke again, Toph turned once more to the young woman seated to her left. "And since we're talking about past Freedom Fighters, what if we get your boyfriend involved?" she asked Kori, "Doesn't Sneers have a learning disability of sorts?"
Kori nodded. "Sneers has a lot more success learning by being hands-on, but anything like theory or abstract ideas, he struggles with it," the earth bender answered, "He also has slight dyslexia, meaning he has challenges with reading and writing. If we want to include people with these types of issues in the project, Sneers can be an option along with Haru's friend."
Toph rubbed her hands together. Despite their reservations earlier, this project got off to a better start than expected. "I can also reach out to Zuko and Iroh and see if they have any ideas. It's just that, with Zuko's family company in a state of flux, I don't know if it'll look good for me to invite him in here," Toph elaborated, "I'll talk with them both privately and try to get them involved as well. But for now, we have some good ideas and we should proceed with them."
Toph closed her laptop again and lifted her head. Again, nobody said a word nor moved a muscle. That immediately got a reaction out of Toph, who tightened her grip on the table. "Well, what are we all waiting for? Let's get to work!" she hollered.
"I didn't expect you guys to drop by," Toph remarked, realizing that Sokka and Suki had entered her living room. It was the first weekend after Toph recruited everyone into her father's boardroom, and Toph had already gotten to work on the project. While the group members, including Sokka and Suki, did contribute, she didn't expect those two would visit today. "How was your date? Where did you guys go?" she inquired.
It was Suki who initiated the response. "We were at the museum to see the premiere of the new Kyoshi Island exhibits," she announced, "Apparently, some Kyoshi Island artefacts have been re-examined and it stirred some very interesting discussion. Do you want to hear about it?"
Toph nodded, picking up her laptop from the coffee table. She moved it, along with herself, to the single sofa at the side of the living room, yielding the entire couch to Sokka and Suki. "So, what did they discover that sparked this much discussion?" the earth bender asked.
Sokka and Suki took the couch, thanking Toph in the process. "Believe it or not, for someone who founded an entire island and civilization, Kyoshi is a surprisingly private person. There aren't that many artefacts pointing to her past, and even then the items are sparse," Suki explained, "One of those items is a large mural called 'the Birth of Kyoshi' depicting Kyoshi standing on a hill while leading villagers onto the island. But recent restoration work done on this mural had uncovered something pretty shocking."
Sokka nodded. "Apparently, standing next to Kyoshi was a figure resembling a Fire Nation soldier," he added, "Researchers did more digging and confirmed with colleagues in the Fire Nation that the individual was named Rangi. She was supposedly Kyoshi's bodyguard and companion, and she had a huge role in founding Kyoshi Island. Did you know that the special type of martial arts that originate from Kyoshi Island was based on her style of fighting?"
Toph's eyes widened, greatly exposing her nearly colourless irises. "A Fire Nation soldier invented a United Earth States fighting style? Now that's pretty neat," she commented, placing her laptop on the ground next to her feet, "But what's with the secrecy around Rangi? If her role is that important, then why didn't they tell her story with Kyoshi's?"
Suki winced. "If you recall, about a hundred years ago, the Fire Nation and the then-Earth Kingdom had some battles going back and forth," the Kyoshi Island native explained, "Let's just say some on Kyoshi Island didn't want to look like they are sympathizing with the Fire Nation. So when time came to defend the Earth Kingdom, they decided to rub poor Rangi out."
Sokka nodded grimly. "That's right, Rangi became history's first victim of cancel culture," the young man from the Southern Water Tribe inserted, "It's pretty sad too, because rubbing her out makes Kyoshi Island's history so incredibly patchy. Even if Kyoshi isn't that private, I can't imagine her story can be fully told without alluding to Rangi."
Toph fumed, pressing her lips together. She heard about the cancel culture phenomenon, but didn't realize it existed that far back in time. She had always believed that the antidote to a bad idea was a good idea, meaning different positions should be shared and challenged. Heck, her entire life was about challenging bad ideas about disabled people, especially the blind. If a blind girl could thrive in this world with earth bending, wasn't that enough to silence the critics who claimed she couldn't survive? Why was there a need to silence and stifle them?
"I can understand the mindset of those people who rubbed Rangi out, to an extent," Suki commented. She rubbed her upper arms up and down, while her usually sharp eyes became dull. "I guess they don't want to be reminded of the atrocities the Fire Nation committed against their fellow Earth Kingdom citizens. Their close association with the Fire Nation through Rangi put them in a difficult spot, hence the systematic attempts to erase her. But if Rangi didn't actually do anything bad to Kyoshi Island, is it right to do such a disservice by erasing your heritage?"
Sokka nodded wholeheartedly. "I think history should be a learning tool for us to build on the good and correct the bad," he stated in an unusually serious tone, "All individuals have good and bad traits, and you have to take both in order to assess people. We should cherish the good they show, and give the bad a good wack-a-pow!"
That got everyone chuckling, which lightened the mood significantly. "But that says a lot, don't you think?" Toph pointed out, "Kyoshi is an island, where the sea surrounds every shore. They also have Fire Nation influences through Rangi, almost like the United Republic when it was first formed. That means the islanders are living between two worlds, both geographically and culturally. Somehow I find that really suitable for the theme of our project."
Sokka and Suki leaned in, watching intently as Toph picked up her laptop from the ground. "I see those living with disabilities as the same way. They are regular people like you two, but they don't live in this world the same way," Toph described, typing away on the keyboard, "It's almost like the seashore, which is a part of the land that the ocean can claim. And like the seashore, it can be dangerous for them if the waves come in a wash them away."
"Right, and staying on the theme of fire, you can also imagine a candle in the wind or a fire in the rain," Suki suggested, rubbing her hands together now, "Without appropriate supports, disabled people have nothing to cling to. But with those supports, they will become strong."
"But even then, you can't dismiss or downplay their significance in society, because they are human beings too," Sokka chimed in, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend, "So it's really about seeing the human in them, all the while taking steps to help them."
Toph snapped her fingers. "And that's why you're the ideas guy, Sokka," she replied, her fingers quickly dancing on the keyboard. For the next few seconds, only the clicking on the Braille covered keys were heard. "The sea meets the shore, fire in the rain, seeing the humanity in people, all these can go into our song. All we have to do is compose lyrics, and presto!"
Sokka and Suki nodded with intrigue. Even so, they were still hesitant in that there were only two people in their group of friends who had musical backgrounds. Other than Aang and Kori, it was highly doubtful that any of them could come up with music and lyrics that matched the theme well. Maybe Suki should reach out to Chong and his merry band for help, much to Sokka's chagrin. What mess would they make if they took control of the project?
"Alright, I just put everything in my notepad here," Toph turned her laptop around and waved at the monitor, where a list of things to do was shown, "I'll have to talk to Iroh and Zuko about getting them involved, potentially seeing if they can do anything about the fire theme. I'll also have to chat with Kori about song writing, and maybe she'll give me some inspiration."
Toph pulled the laptop back before Sokka and Suki even finished reading, closing it and placing it on the coffee table. "Do you guys want to get a snack?" she offered, "My parents are meeting some long-time clients at a dinner party, and they've already gone to the venue. They won't be home until after dinner, and other than the housekeepers, I have the place all to myself. We can get something to eat if you don't have to head off soon."
Sokka and Suki glanced at each other and shrugged. Why not stick around for a bit and see what other ideas could develop? Waving at Toph, they asked the blind earth bender to lead the way to the kitchen. Who knew what would happen next once more people got involved?
"You know, ever since the news of my father's company having internal problems, you haven't really dropped by," Zuko remarked, taking a sip of the tea before him. The fire bender thought it was unusual when Toph requested that they met at the Jasmine Dragon, and things got stranger when she requested Mai and Ty Lee joined them. "I know about conflicts of interest and all, but Uncle Iroh isn't part of that company, and has absolutely no skin in the game."
And that was where Toph found herself, sandwiched between Zuko and Mai to her left and Ty Lee to her right. The blind earth bender also brought her special laptop with her, her fingers flying through the keys. "I know I haven't visited, but things kept getting in my way," Toph huffed, "With school, my dad's company, my metal bending club, and now this new project, I didn't have time to visit. That, and like you said, the optics of us being seen together."
"Hey, it's not Zuko's fault that his lowlife father is so abusive," Mai pointed out, twirling a butter knife around her free hand, "Plus, with Azula still in prison for that attack on Gyatso with a vehicle, the negatives in Zuko's life have really gone by the wayside."
"Right, and Zuko's aura is brighter than ever," Ty Lee chimed in, leaning her head over Toph's shoulder to see what she typed on her laptop, "So stop worrying about not dropping by and just come whenever you like! I'm sure Iroh will always welcome you, even if Zuko, Mai, and I can't be here."
"No doubt about that," a baritone voice stated. Everyone except Toph glanced up to see a heavyset bearded man approach them. Iroh placed several dishes down, filled with some of his classic snack recipes. "I assume you have something special for us today, Toph. May I inquire as to what the special occasion is for today, where you asked me to personally come out?"
Toph finally stopped typing and glanced up. "I figure I should make it up to you guys for keeping you sidelined for so long," Toph stated, tilting her neck from side to side, "My father has a new project to fund some non-profit organizations that support those with disabilities. It's not just for blind people like myself, but for a whole host of them. Deafness, speech impediments, learning disabilities, autism, you name it and it's there."
The entire group nodded, which was Toph's signal to show everyone her laptop. "I've been typing notes all day of ideas I've come up with on promoting this project, and we decided to do a musical number of sorts," she explained, gesturing at the computer screen, "Thanks to Sokka and Suki, I've decided on the theme of the song, and it'll be 'Fire in the Rain.'"
Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee all widened their eyes, surprised at the callout to their Fire Nation heritage. "How did you figure that one in?" the scarred fire bender asked, "And I'm guessing we're involved because of our natural element."
Toph shrugged. "There is that, but also because I want this to feature all four ethnicities, including those of mixed ethnicities," she described, cracking her knuckles again, "We also plan to write our own song for this, based on some existing music and melodies."
"If you're asking for any help finding someone with a disability or a mental health issue, I have a person for you," Iroh proposed. The large man took a seat at their table directly across from Toph, clasping his hands on the tabletop. "Do you remember a few years back when I was pet-sitting for a friend? He owns a cat named Goldblaze, and I took care of the cat for a while?"
Everyone nodded, and Iroh continued, "Goldblaze's owner is a writer who published a series of children's books on cats, but he's also diagnosed with autism since he was a child. He also has a friend who is autistic, and I can try asking them if they want to participate."
Toph and Zuko nodded, realizing how this can add to the project. However, there were still uncertain points with the entire project. "What other roles do you envision?" Zuko asked, as he too leaned his head over to look at Toph's laptop, "And how do you want us to contribute?"
Toph rubbed the bottom part of her face. "I'm still figuring that out," she murmured. She took out a set of earbuds and plugged them into her laptop. Clicking a couple of buttons, she had the laptop sound out her notes back to her. "If we're going with the theme of fire and rain, then I think we should have both these elements in the final product. I also want to incorporate some aspects of each disability, like sign language or something. Do you guys have any suggestions for which group I should include?"
"If you want to include a dance sequence, I may have some ideas," Ty Lee chimed in again. They all turned to the acrobat and chi-blocker, who flashed the biggest grin at everyone. "I know this dance group that features only deaf dancers, and some even have backgrounds in gymnastics. I met some of them when I competed for university, and I still have their contacts."
"That can be an interesting addition," Mai commented, placing down the butter knife and folding her hands over her chest. She heard a little about this group when she and Ty Lee were both still in university. She had not met up with them since graduating, but at the very least they could bring them back for this performance. "Do you want them to just do an interpretive dance, or maybe even put sign language into the actual dance?"
Toph shook her head. She did have a dance sequence in her notes, but she also had some time for sign language. "I want the dance and sign language parts to be different," she clarified, tapping a finger on the bottom of her keyboard, "There should be one part completely dedicated to sign language, maybe even signing out the lyrics of the chorus instead."
"But if the lyrics of your song aren't complete, there's really no point to include that yet," Iroh responded, taking a sip from his teacup, "There's an old Fire Nation saying that went, 'knock on a stone bridge before crossing it.' It basically means that even sturdy structures like stone bridges can still collapse if the foundation is weak. You should really consider how the foundation of your project should be first, before you build on top of it. Without a clear direction for your performance, worrying too much about details will create a product of inferior quality."
Toph pursed her lips, realizing Iroh's logic. While she was excited about the project, it was also true that she didn't think too much about the foundation. She just took her usual approach of letting the chips fall and figuring things out along the way. However, with her getting a leadership role, it might not be as simple as it seemed. And with so many moving parts since that meeting in her father's boardroom, maybe she had to go deeper into discussing with certain members first. A certain biracial earth bender of earth and fire descent who was quite talented at the piano already met with Toph, and Toph wanted her to help write the song.
"Whatever your decision on this project, know that Uncle Iroh and I will be honoured to help you out," Zuko declared, placing a hand on Toph's shoulder. From their either side, Mai and Ty Lee also nodded, to which Zuko had to explicitly point out. "I'm sorry about the floorboards of the Jasmine Dragon. I know wood is not your favourite construction material."
Toph chuckled. She definitely had a couple of good resources in Zuko and Iroh, and she also knew Mai and Ty Lee were reliable as well. Closing her laptop, she put it into her bag on the ground and turned to the snacks. "I'll definitely keep you guys in mind, but in the meantime, why don't we dig in?" she announced. Slugging Zuko's right shoulder with her left fist, she made sure Zuko felt her love before grabbing the first set of chopsticks before her.
Toph tapped her chin nonstop as she sat on a stool next to the upright piano. True to her discussion with Iroh, Toph decided to pay Kori a visit, in hopes that they could get started on their song. And consistent with her discussion with Suki, Toph had Kori play the song that would form the reference for her project. "Can we try the chorus of the song again?" she requested.
Kori stretched her arms over the music rack and placed them on the keys. Shifting slightly on her piano bench, she pushed down on the notes and gently sang out the lyrics.
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind.
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in.
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid.
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did.
When Kori placed her hands back on her lap, she turned to her friend on the stool. Toph counted on her fingers several times, before reaching for her laptop again. "The chorus has two stanzas, and each stanza has four lines," she murmured to herself, typing out some notes again, "I wonder if we can incorporate that style into our song."
"What I want to know is how you can turn 'candle in the wind' into 'fire in the rain,'" Kori's long-time boyfriend Sneers wondered. The heavyset young man stood on Kori's left, opposite to Toph who sat on Kori's right. "Candle in the wind suggests something frail or vulnerable, while fire in the rain suggests surviving hardship and becoming stronger as a result."
"Not to mention that this song was written for a mover star who died about sixty years ago," a voice from behind them chimed in. Kori and Sneers turned around to see a wheelchair-bound young man comment on their idea. "How do you connect a song about someone who died young to empowering those with disabilities?" Teo asked.
Kori positioned her hands in the shape of a T. "It's not just about that mover star. What you said is true about the original version, which was released fifty years ago to commemorate the tenth anniversary of that mover star's death," she explained, "But twenty-five years later, it was re-released to commemorate the death of a Fire Nation princess who was very popular worldwide. And last time I checked, said princess did a lot of work for people with disabilities."
Toph nodded, halting her typing and lifting her head. "Her humanitarian work includes health and medicine, victims of war, the homeless, and yes, sports for the disabled," the blind earth bender added, "In other words, we are continuing part of her legacy by doing this project. And given how popular she is even today, I think this song can still be relevant."
"Speaking of Fire Nation royalty, didn't the Fire Lord Emeritus pass away earlier this month?" Haru queried. The lone male earth bender sat on the couch at the other side of the living room, at the seat closest to Teo's wheelchair. "I don't think they'll do this song for his funeral, since he lived to be almost a hundred years old."
Kori shook her head. "I think this song will forever be synonymous with that princess," she replied, rubbing a hand through her tied-up hair, "Besides, the Fire Lord Emeritus is a very private man. He made it clear that he didn't want anything fancy, including a state funeral."
"So that means we won't be seeing a cremation ceremony on live TV," Sneers remarked, rubbing his chin in thought, "Does that mean he'll be cremated just in front of family?"
Both Kori and Toph shrugged. "I can't see anyway, unless I have dirt or concrete under my feet leading straight to the cremation area," Toph responded, "Anyway, you're right in that we want to turn a candle in the wind into a fire in the rain. Disabled people can be vulnerable without the required supports. That includes empathy, understanding, and empowerment. If we see what they truly are and not by their disability, then they can achieve anything they put their minds to. They can persevere and advance, becoming strong like a fire in the rain."
"It sounds kind of poetic, when you put it that way," Haru commented, shifting slightly in his seat, "But where do we come in? I kept hearing you say you want Teo and I to play a big role. I haven't called Duke yet because you didn't say what our roles are, so what's going on?"
Toph smirked, knowing she was about to make Haru very uncomfortable. "You and Teo are the perfect examples of how 'seeing the true me' operates," she emphasized, gesturing at the two best friends sitting next to each other, "Teo will never shut up about flying things, and you will never leave anything earth-based. On that aspect alone, no way will any person believe you two can be besties. But yet you two have been peas in a pod since you've first met, and that's due to you guys 'seeing the true each other' instead of the superficial traits. On that point alone, you two have a better appreciation of the theme than anyone else I can think of."
"And I guess it also doesn't hurt that I'm in a wheelchair," Teo dryly added, rubbing his hands on the handles, "But still, what is our exact role in the song? I'm getting the feeling that Haru and I will get some pretty big parts, but how exactly will we fit in?"
Toph smirked at Teo's question. "Again, going back to the first song, there are three identical verses," Toph described, "I'm thinking our song should be three verses as well, with the first two verses being longer and the third verse becoming a bridge. So it's either you two split it between yourselves on which verse you want, or you can both sing parts of both verses."
Haru and Teo glanced at each other. With neither having much musical talent, this was definitely a tall task for them. "I guess we can try to sound out some lyrics," Haru stammered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, "But who will do the chorus then?"
Toph slammed a palm onto her chest. "That would be me, and I already have something all typed out," she exclaimed with a slightly boastful tone. She turned the laptop to Kori, who leaned in to check out the lyrics, "I also hope that Kori or Sneers, or even both of them, can do backing vocals on the chorus. It will make for an amazing performance, I can feel it."
Kori sounded the lyrics aloud, but also to let Sneers hear the words. Knowing Sneers had some trouble with reading, Kori knew she had to go slow so he could catch up. In the meantime, Teo inquired about other potential symbolism in the song. "You have fire in the rain in the lyrics, which are opposites. Haru represents earth and I sort of represent air, so all four elements are there. Are you using any other scenes where all four elements will be present?"
Toph nodded. "I already have a dance scene in mind after Ty Lee told me about a deaf dance group," she declared, "I think I'll split a dance scene between our friends and that dance group. Ty Lee will be involved in the dance, representing fire, of course. Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen are great dancers, so they'll represent air and water. As for earth, I'll have to think about it more, but I'm leaning towards Suki right now."
The group soon silenced as Kori turned to the piano, playing some notes to experiment with some sounds. They all watched on while Kori struggled between her fingers on the keys and the lyrics coming out of her mouth. With some encouragement and proposals along the way, the chorus was well on route to being completed.
"I'm starting to think maybe Toph bit off more than she can chew," Katara murmured, her eyes still and boring holes into the dining room table. It was an evening where she and Sokka decided to do a double date, inviting Aang and Suki out to dinner. Now that Toph got Zuko and Iroh involved, the entire team was complete. She just sent everyone a mass text outlining the progress, including finishing the chorus of the song. "I read the lyrics and they're pretty good, but I don't know about all the roles she proposed for us."
Aang, who sat to Katara's right, wrapped an arm around the water bender's shoulder. "Sweetie, when does Toph ever give half-hearted attempts at anything?" the air bender asked, leaning over and kissing his girlfriend's cheek, "Of course she'll go all the way with this, and I can't wait to discuss with her in person about our roles."
Katara pursed her lips, to which her brother, sitting directly across from her, smirked at. "As the ideas guy of the group, I say Toph has some pretty interesting ideas," Sokka pointed out, tapping his finger on the line in question in the notes, "Asking me to do sign language is a new touch, although I'll probably have to get some help in learning the actual signs."
"I'm sure there are organizations that Toph already thought about, and if not then I'm more than happy to look into them," Katara responded, rubbing one hand on her chin. After all, she was interested in medical school after her undergraduate degree. That meant working with all sorts of health matters, including those losing their hearing. "But that's not my main concern right now. My main concern is if Toph has enough support to put this whole thing together."
"If you're talking about music-wise, then I've got that covered," Suki explained from Sokka's left. She pulled out her phone and showed Katara her text messages with a certain band she met while hiking with Sokka. "I contacted Chong again and he is interested in this project. I think we can get him onboard, even if it's just adding other sounds to Kori's piano."
Aang chuckled, realizing that he and Kori were the default choices for piano. They were the only two people in their group of friends who could play that musical instrument. But seeing the notes Toph sent in the mass text, he could understand why Kori was given the pianist role. "I don't mind doing a dance sequence, especially when a certain someone can dance with me," Aang stated, burying his nose into Katara's hair.
"Oh, Sweetie," Katara responded, turning over and catching Aang's lips in a clumsy kiss. Across from them, Sokka made gagging noises again, to which Suki elbowed his ribs. Once the shenanigans ended, Katara grew serious again. "I stand by my concerns at the initial meeting, when I told Toph that I want to do this right. This is a huge project for the disabled community and we have to make sure this is our best foot forward."
"Of course we want this to be our best foot forward," Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms around dramatically. That got quite a few people glancing his way, and unsurprisingly Sokka paid them no mind. "That's why I'm saying we have to throw in only good ideas and throw out bad ideas. Why on earth would anyone think Chong and his merry band will work out?"
"Sokka, please!" Suki admonished her date, smacking him on the shoulder, "I seriously think you should just hear out Chong and his gang. They may have some interesting thoughts for the music. Plus, if Toph and Kori do have to record their song in a studio, they'll have access to the necessary equipment. Where else can you get a studio to record?"
Sokka turned to Suki with wide eyes. "You can't be serious, right? Toph wants an ode to disabled people, not secret tunnels," Sokka described, his body shivering at the thought of the ridiculous song Chong sang, "Besides, why would we need Chong to record? Doesn't Kori have some music recording equipment at her house?"
"Actually, Kori has a stereo set where she can act as a DJ. She has absolutely no music recording equipment at home," Aang corrected Sokka, rubbing a hand on his bald and tattooed head, "But either way, I'm willing to hear Chong out. Plus, I'm willing to give my input into Kori's creation. There's no song that two master pianists can't come up with and improve on."
Everyone chuckled at that remark. Before they knew it, the waiters brought over their dinners, diverting everyone's attention from Toph's song to their food. To no one's surprise, Aang had an all-vegetarian dish, while Sokka had nothing but meat on his. Katara and Suki had something in between, with a little something for all tastes. As the meal went into the night, they covered a variety of topics, mainly regarding Sokka and Suki finishing their final undergraduate year. With graduation on the horizon, they discussed about moving out together, and potentially taking their relationship a step further.
"Seriously though, will you guys host a graduation reception or something? I'm sure Dad, Gran Gran, and Pakku will be more than happy to help out," Katara pointed out, digging her fork into some vegetables, "Don't forget I'll graduate the year after you, so I might want to do something too. Although with med school on my horizon, it won't be my last year of school."
Aang nodded. "With any luck, you'll be done your first year of med school by the time I graduate, and we have to wait one more year for Toph," the air bender pointed out, "And if you want, you can ask Kori if she's willing to lend you her stereo system again. She brought that thing to her high school graduation pool party, and she used it again for her university graduation party two years ago. It was also when Katara and I had our first dance, remember?"
Sokka made a face at the couple sitting across from him. "Do you have to remind me? There were so much oogies in that dance that I just about passed out," he remarked, immediately taking a swig of water. He rinsed and gargled several times before swallowing it, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "I just hope there won't be as many oogies when you two do your dance in Toph's song, or else I might just forfeit my position!"
"Sokka, really?" Suki asked exasperatedly. Shaking her head, she dabbed her lips with her napkin before glancing back at the group. "If we really want the dance sequence with Toph to go well, I think we should bring some ideas to the table beforehand. Knowing this is about disability and such, what can we incorporate into the dance to make it work?"
While the group contemplated that question, Suki pulled out her phone. She clicked on another string of messages, this time from Ty Lee. "When Toph went to the Jasmine Dragon to pitch her idea, Ty Lee was present," Suki announced, flipping the screen over so everyone else could see, "Ty Lee said she can reach out to a dance group featuring deaf members. I think she may include some sign language into the dance. Do you think Toph has this in mind?"
Aang and Katara both craned their heads in, trying to figure out Ty Lee's ideas. It didn't help that Ty Lee used an excessive amount of emojis, some of which were coloured in ways they couldn't even possibly imagine. "Is colouring her emojis based on her auras?" the water bender asked with a raised eyebrow, "If she is, then I've truly seen everything."
Everybody chuckled at that remark. However, it did not deter them from the goal at hand. There was definitely a way to incorporate various disabilities into their song. And with Toph and Kori already finished with a chorus, they knew it was just a matter of time before building more to it. All they had to do was be creative, and they would be ready for the next meeting.
I have a huge list of acknowledgements to make, so please bear with me as I go through them:
1.) The inspiration of the song and project is from a group in Singapore. They did a project called "Look Beyond my Disability, See the True Me" where disabled and special needs people are humanized and can contribute to society. The lead singer of the song also happens to be blind, and bears a strange resemblance to Toph. There is also a performer in the same song in a wheelchair, which immediately screams Teo. This is why Toph is given the lead role in this story, and Haru and Teo are also brought on board.
2.) SaoirseParisa gets a lot of credit for editing 2 scenes in this chapter, while The Autistic Patriot and Kelev get credit for providing general pointers. None of these 3 have physical disabilities, but both SaoirseParisa and The Autistic Patriot are autistic and have knowledge in dealing with mental health issues. We didn't go into great detail about that, but it's just mainly to address issues of ableism and not wanting to portray disabled people in a bad light.
3.) There is a very liberal sprinkling of the Kyoshi novels in here, especially with the mention of Rangi. We know Kyoshi and Rangi are companions, but nowhere in the Kyoshi Island history was Rangi mentioned in the show. As a way to comment on modern social events, I basically made Rangi a victim of cancel culture, where the Hundred Year War caused the Kyoshi Island residents to cancel her in fear of being seen as associating too closely with the enemy Fire Nation. I have my personal views about cancel culture that I don't want to get into, but all I'll say is that mistakes in history are not fixed by cancelling them. We have to teach them, learn about them, and discuss them so we can be sure those mistakes are not repeated in the future. While you are free to disagree with me, I hope you can at least respect my views on this aspect of controversial topics.
4.) British royalty inadvertently made its way into my fic in the form of "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John, and the death of a royal member. The entire theme of the story is to turn someone who appears weak (Candle in the Wind) into someone who is strong and strengthened by life experience (Fire in the Rain). The mover star Kori referred to that was the subject of the song is an allusion to Marilyn Monroe, who is the original person "Candle in the Wind" is dedicated to. The death of the Fire Nation princess is an allusion to Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997 but has supported sports for disabled people before. The Fire Lord Emeritus who passed away is an allusion to Prince Phillip, husband of Queen Elizabeth who passed away last month. Like the Fire Lord Emeritus in my story, he did not hold a state funeral, opting for a private one with only family and friends attending.
5.) Lao giving Toph projects for his company is from "North and South" where Toph was given executive duties to carry out for Lao's company. The mural Sokka and Suki referred to featuring Kyoshi is the same one from "Avatar Day" when Sokka and Katara visited Kyoshi Island to gather evidence for Aang's trial. Sokka threatening to give someone a "wack-a-pow" is from "the Search" when he threatened to do that to Azula, only for Azula to electrocute him instead. And Ty Lee describing her aura with different colours, including coloured emojis, is from "Return to Omashu" where she claimed her aura was never pinker, meaning she felt very positive.
Again, a lot to take in. It's definitely a different challenge but I'm glad I have so many supportive people assisting me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time when I update.