A/N: Hey so I'm gonna be a bit more serious than usual for a second. I just wanna remind y'all to appreciate what you've got. Appreciate your friends, appreciate your cars, appreciate your family. Appreciate all of life's gifts cuz when iss gone; it is gone.

Also, this whole week has been a bit crazy so this chapter came out a lil weird so I apologize in advance.

Kay enough of that. Here's the chapter!

Chapter 3: Trial by Earth

The work had been much easier lately in his boundaries. He had to deal with some snakes within his business and lay off some workers here and there, but it wouldn't be anything too daunting. The real trouble would be with the new competitors coming into his sector. Thankfully, he already had a strong hold on most of the good mineral sites, but it never hurt to be cautious.

"Lao?"

Lao frowned at being interrupted from his work but turned to see his wife standing in the doorway. His concern shot through the roof once he'd noticed her misty eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He quickly made his way to her side, putting his arms around her, seemingly giving her little comfort. "Poppy, dear. What's wrong?"

"It's Toph! She's gone."

Lao felt his heart stop. He muttered a soft curse. "Are you certain?"

Poppy nodded weakly, hiccuping slightly. "N-No one has s-seen her since yesterday! Oh Spirits, why did this happen?!"

Lao frowned, squeezing her lightly. "We need to go to the police at once. Who knows where she could be right now!"

"A-Alright, I-I'll send a servant!"

Poppy brushed at her face as she made to leave. He felt his heart ache at her saddened demeanor. She was always so much happier and lively. "Poppy?" Lao muttered.

She turned, somewhat stiffly. Her eyes were still red. "Yes, dear?"

"We will find her. I assure you."

Poppy smiled slightly with a nod before heading out.

"We need to get some food 'cause I'm friggin' hungry!"

Gohan sighed. "Can you wait it out a little bit longer? I don't wanna spend money all willy nilly."

"Hello?! Are ya forgetting that we have an heiress here? She's loaded!"

Gohan glanced back at said heiress, who was wriggling her pinkie around in her ear. "Well yeah, but I don't wanna burden her, you know? It just feels wrong, and I dunno how much money she brought, so-"

"I didn't bring any."

Gohan and Shen whirled on her, absolutely bug-eyed. "YOU WHAT?!"

Toph gave a loud yawn, followed by a long stretch. "I thought you said you didn't wanna burden me, huh? What happened to that?"

Gohan felt his ears redden. Her half smirk didn't help matters either. "I mean, yes, but-"

"You're rich," Shen interrupted, "and you expect a bunch of orphans to pay for this shit?!"

"Language, but what she said."

Toph had the nerve to blow out her bangs at him. Granted, he wasn't entirely sure if it was an insult, but it seemed pretty dismissive. "I could understand, Mr. Cooked Rice over there, but I thought you were supposed to be the fun one?"

"Cooked rice?!" Gohan exclaimed. He knew his parents had agreed on the name in honor of his late grandfather, but some part of him felt like Goku had just been hungry while naming him. "And Shen stop laughing."

"Ho boy," Shen wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry-"

"Uh huh."

"But that was hilarious. I've gotta use that more. But I'm with Gohan on this one, we're gonna need some rich people money for this. Gohan can eat people outta their house, home, and neighborhood with his appetite."

"You make me sound so horrible," Gohan grumbled.

Shen patted him on the back. "Don't ya worry, kid. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I don't see what's the big deal. We can just get money by winning contests."

Shen's nose scrunched in that familiar way. She was no doubt upset that she hadn't realized that herself. "Fair enough. Ya got any idea where we can find a contest?"

"Earth Rumble IV isn't the only earthbending competition with money. There are smaller ones all over the Earth Kingdom. We'll find one in no time."

Gohan couldn't help but feel impressed. "You sure do know a lot about this stuff."

Toph shrugged with a small grin. "I hear a lot of things."

"Alright, enough about that!" Shen said. "Where're we gonna find equipment to get the kid stronger?"

Before Gohan could protest, Toph had already scoffed. "How should I know? I don't have the super alien powers!"

Something about the way she'd said that put Gohan off. Almost like she didn't entirely believe in him. Granted, if that was the case, it would make sense. He was claiming the existence of aliens and all.

It still hurt. "Um, I know my Dad wore weighted clothing! Maybe we could find some for me?"

Shen shrugged. "Better than nothing. C'mon!"

The girl broke off into a sprint, leaving the two in the dust. Toph just humphed. "Does she do this often?" she asked.

Gohan sighed. "Too many times to count. We should probably start running. Who knows where she'll end up?"

Gohan and Toph were sent on a wild chase after the child. Shen had very nearly given him the slip, multiple times. It was only thanks to Toph's extraordinary senses that he was able to keep up with Shen.

What he would've given for his father's nose, he found himself thinking.

Thankfully, after an hour of racing around, Shen had finally begun to settle down. Unfortunately, she decided it was necessary to piggyback on his back.

"You'll need weight training while we look for real weights," she'd reasoned. "Just think of this as preparation." Toph had found it all remarkably amusing.

So Gohan found himself walking for two next to Toph. The heat of the sun did him no favors. He was working up a sweat and an appetite now. "We should probably find something to eat. It's gotta have been a couple of hours."

Gohan had a near heart attack as Shen let go of him to fist pump. "Yes, finally!"

"Grab back on, you maniac!" Gohan shouted. "You might fall off!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

The trio headed over to a nearby stand and paid for some water and biscuits. To her credit, Toph took the meager food without complaint. As a matter of fact, she seemed absolutely unfazed by the new territory.

No, he corrected, she'd done this before. He tried to imagine running away from his parents. Sure, his mother had been overbearing at times, but he still couldn't picture willfully leaving them. They were his parents, and the only source of safety that he'd ever known.

There had to be some serious stuff in her life to just up and leave them twice.

"Got any visions yet, Riceball?"

Gohan shook his head before realizing his mistake. "No, I haven't. I usually don't have them this frequently."

Toph didn't say anything much after that.

Gohan wasn't able to hold his curiosity, however. "How do you see? Like whenever you fought, you looked completely in your element! It's amazing!"

Her lips twitched upwards at that. "In my element?"

Gohan winced. "Yeah that came out weird."

"Remember the badgermoles?" At Gohan's response of affirmation, she continued. "They taught me how to see with my feet. I feel the vibrations through them. In a way, I can kinda see everything around me."

Gohan looked down at her feet, finally noticing that she was barefoot. "That explains the lack of shoes."

"They make it harder to sense."

"What's being rich like?" Gohan asked. "My mom was a princess and my grandpa was a King, but I never really got to live the rich life."

Toph shrugged. "It's not bad, but it could be better. My parents don't let me do anything because they think I'm just some fragile, little girl who can't do anything on her own! It's so frustrating! I just want them to see me!"

She'd increased in volume with each passing sentence. It was the most passionate he'd seen her since he'd met her. She looked angry, but deep down, there was a sadness there. Gohan felt an ache in his heart that made him turn away. "My mom was a little sheltering, too. Not because she thought I was helpless or anything, but she didn't want me to get distracted from my studies. She wanted me to be a great scholar."

"What about your Dad?"

Gohan smiled softly. "I'm pretty sure he wanted me to be a fighter. Mom wouldn't let him train me, but he snuck me out sometimes to explore the wilderness. The dinosaurs were scary, but being with my Dad made it better."

Toph huffed. "Lucky."

Gohan smiled. "Well, we can enjoy our freedom now, I guess?"

Toph finally cracked a smirk. "Absolutely."

It was dipping into the afternoon now. Shen had finally worn herself out (the Spirits did grant miracles, after all) and laid quietly on his back. It had been an uneventful journey so far; a couple of food vendors here and there but no contests like Toph had banked on for their money. He was starting to get a little bit antsy thinking about how long they'd have to sustain their tight budget.

Thankfully, the spirits seemed to be feeling generous.

"Come one, come all! We've got a little match today! Yaton vs Quake!"

Gohan stared at the crowd of people, only barely able to catch sight of the two combatants.

Or barely spot one of them at least.

One of them was a giant man built with rippling muscles dressed only in baggy shorts while the other was built more modestly. His body was slender and short, not quite one would expect from an earthbender.

A quick glance over at Toph confirmed that she was just as curious as he was. Without a single word, the trio surged through the crowd to gain better visibility.

"Begin!" bellowed the announcer.

A small piece of stone went skidding along the ground as a crash rang down the street. Gohan finally caught a sight of the fight and stood in awe. The shorter man was zipping through the larger man's attacks, sometimes aided by a quick earth wall to block some stray attacks. In a blinding display of speed, the small man struck the ground to send a crawling attack the giant's way.

The giant was toppled in seconds.

The announcer returned from the safety of the crowd, raising the man's hand. "The winner is the undefeated Yaton! Are there any other takers who'd like to try their luck against the champ?"

The crowd fell silent as they looked amongst one another. The announcer gave a mock pout. "No one? Not even for the Grand Prize of 400 gold pieces?"

Gohan frowned. "There's no way anyone would be dumb enough t-"

"I'll do it!"

Gohan gawked at Shen, who had hopped off his back, hardly noticing the crowd part for her. The announcer laughed. "You sure about this, kid? Yaton won't go easy on you just cause you're a kid."

Shen just grinned and cracked her knuckles. "I expect him not to."

Before Shen could take a step forward, Gohan yanked her arm, pulling her back. "Are you insane?" Gohan hissed. "You're going to get destroyed in there!"

Shen rolled her eyes and wrenched her arm free. "You're not the only one who needs to get stronger. We'll be fighting by your side, too, kid."

With that bit of wisdom, she was off on her way to the fight. Gohan wanted to absolutely tear his hair and pull her back again. He might have succeeded if he didn't find his feet rooted to the ground.

He glared over at Toph who's eyes were still innocently trained on the fighting grounds. "What are you doing? We need to stop her!"

Toph scoffed at him. "Relax. She was right. She'll need to get better since we're fighting super-aliens."

"We aren't. I am!"

"If you are then you're gonna need to grow a pair! Let her handle this. Besides, no one ever dies in these street fights anyway."

Gohan stood unable to retort as he watched Shen step into the ring. Shen didn't look like she was wavering in the slightest against such a powerful opponent. She had the same confidence and drive that he had seen in his father. They both carried themselves with so much certainty and hunger that it felt like no one could bring them down.

Until, he reminded himself, it happened.

"Are the fighters ready?" asked the announcer.

Shen was grinning like a madman. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

Yaton didn't look impressed. "Hm."

"The rules are simple. Don't kill anybody. We don't need the police breathing down our necks, you here? OK. . . Begin!"

Shen thrust a fist at Yaton, launching a sizable stone his way. Yaton stretched out a hand and stopped the racing projectile, sending it back Shen's way. It all happened so fast that the poor girl never stood a chance.

Shen yelped as the rock shot into her ankle. Gohan might have given a scream himself. Toph still didn't let him go so he was helplessly stuck.

"Give up," muttered Yaton. "You are much too young and inexperienced, girl."

Shen was biting her tongue now; Gohan could see it in her intense stare and watering eyes. However, he only barely caught those signs. He was more aware of her bruising ankle than anything else.

He felt a rage stir in his chest like nothing he'd felt before. How could that bastard do that to Shen?! Did he have no soul? He was gonna have to give Yaton a piece of his mind.

Just before he could do anything, Shen got to her feet, albeit unsteadily. "Ya can save it for someone who cares! I ain't giving up!"

Shen sent another stone Yaton's way, but he redirected it, much like previously. This time Shen was ready with a rock wall.

As the stone splintered, Shen pushed the wall towards Yaton. He easily split it in half with a raised earth column. In a feat of blinding speed, Yaton's arms and legs flashed. The ground underneath Shen threw her into the sky, maybe a couple of feet or so, as Yaton went up to meet her. With a devastating elbow to the gut, Shen was driven back into the earth.

Shen screamed.

Gohan lost it.

Later, he'd have no idea what had happened. One second he had his feet trapped in rock, and the next, he had his fist buried in Yaton's gut. The bender was launched from the ground, like he was shot out of a cannon, and zipped through the wall behind him.

Gohan looked down at his fist in amazement. He felt a little light-headed at the sudden burst of power still tingling in his veins. He only realized the shocked eyes upon him once his haze had finally cleared. They looked absolutely terrified of him, some of them had started to back away.

"Well, it looks like Yaton lost." Toph made her way towards the stupefied announcer without a hitch in her step. "So, we'll be taking that." She grabbed the bag of money from his hand without a complaint. "You might wanna check on Mr. Undefeated over there. He's not looking to good. C'mon, Gohan."

Gohan stared at her blankly, before carefully scooping Shen up. The trio speeded away from the scene before the stupefied crowd could react.

Gohan still felt more than a little bit shell-shocked. He hadn't been that angry since Raditz. He could still feel the aftershocks of the power roaring in his blood. The jolts of power were nothing against the sobering faces of the citizens. The people he was supposed to save had been afraid of him. His father wouldn't have made them fear him; he would've known exactly what to do.

He wasn't his father. He could never be.

"What the heck was that?"

Gohan glanced at Toph only to quickly return his gaze toward the ground. "I-I don't know. I just got angry whenever he hurt Shen. I just didn't wanna lose her."

His hoarseness startled himself, but Toph took it in stride. "Has it happened before?"

He hesitated. "One time. The day my Dad was killed."

Thankfully, Toph didn't give him the usual condolences. She just gave a simple nod and that was that. Until, she spoke again. "Do you think there's a way to bring that out?"

"The power? You mean regularly?"

"Yeah."

Gohan exhaled and bit the inside of his cheek, carefully shifting Shen on his back. "Maybe. I think I need to do it through training. I'm not sure If there's a better way."

"Where will you find a teacher?"

Gohan sighed. "I'll figure something out."

Toph just hummed in response.

He chanced another glance at the master bender. She had her usual unfocused stare out in front of her. She had no hitch in her step and her arms swung freely by her side. She looked like the definition of relaxed. "You're not afraid?" he found himself asking.

Toph cocked her head slightly, never breaking pace. "What? Why would I be?"

"I just- I don't know. . . everyone else seemed afraid of me back there. Kinda figured that you would be, too."

Toph snorted. "They're a bunch of pansies. You're a little too soft to be scary anyway."

Gohan felt a surge of happiness despite some inward indignation. "I'm not soft."

"Sure, Rice Cake. Sure."

"Have you found anything?"

"Not quite yet sir, but we're searching."

"Damn!" Lao cursed. "Why did this happen?"

The chief placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "We'll find her, Mr. Beifong. There's bound to be some kind of signs around here."

"Hey, I found something!"

The two men spared a glance at each other before rushing over to an officer bent over a hole. He waved the down before pointing down at it. "It looks like a tunnel. It's small, but this looks fairly well-made."

Lao searched deep within the whole, feeling his hands go numb. It was dark inside, but he could make out an opening to what looked like a branch of tunnel.

The chief frowned. "Do you think the girl did this?"

Lao scoffed. "My daughter is blind and fragile. Besides, she has only taken beginner's courses. There's no way she could've made a tunnel of this caliber."

The chief nodded before glancing over at the other officer. "Get me some men and some torches down into that tunnel. I wanna know where this thing ends up. Make note of any clue you find. We've got a kidnapping on our hands."

A/N: Dunno if ya noticed, but Toph calling Gohan 'Riceball' is an Easter egg to another fanfic in this category (Gohan: The Last Super Warrior). I liked it a lot, and it actually inspired me to write my first ATLA fanfic, so I thought it'd be fun to do XD

Anyways, thanks for reading. Feel free to follow, favorite, or review!

Uploaded: April 8th 2021