Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or anything associated with it except my fanfiction
Recommendations:
The Beifong Bandits by user HighQueenChickenhead - Toph with siblings. What more to say?
The Hero of Gaipan by VenusUberAlles - Sokka returns to Gaipan and lines between friend and foe are blurred.
Avatar: The Legend of Krypton by MegaBob452 - Crossover where Superman *lands in the Avatar world* (sorry for the misinformation - Superman *does not* become the Avatar in this story)
Thanks to Matheus Bezerra de Lima for bringing my attention to these fanfics and writers!
Also, some of my personal recommendations:
Tale of a Freedom Fighter by smolrockbb. Their writing really stands out to me. It's about Jet's path to being leader of the Freedom Fighters. Grammar and conventions aren't perfect, but his writing gets across well.
Novel - first draft. Kataang Week fiasco - done.
No excuses now - except for real-life obligations...
That's not stopping me, though.
Also since it's been so long there may be inconsistencies. Sorry.
"Nice bag," Sokka blurted out as they walked past an open-air store.
Aang looked quizzically at Sokka. "Want it?"
Sokka's face fell. "You know how things are. What money we have won't last forever, and that bag will severely deplete -"
Aang put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Come on. You haven't done anything for yourself since..." Yue did not count, as love was as much for one as it was for the other. Furthermore, Sokka's proposal had been months ago. The watertribe teenager had been the reluctant chaperone of Aang ever since the fall of their ship, and things became especially exacerbated with Zuko's departure from their group. Team Avatar had shrunk from a well-rounded trio of males to an odd duo trying to make their way to the Earth Kingdom, all while having Aang master the elements and trying to find an earthbending teacher. Although they were hopefully headed their way for a prospective mentor, they were traveling too far south, which meant they would either have to cross the formidable Si Wong desert, or circle around - making their journey all the longer. This meant that they had to be mindful of their modest budget, which would be difficult to replace. Hence Sokka's hesitation at the bag.
"You haven't had anything to yourself. Enjoy the bag."
"You're right. It's high time I enjoyed something for myself. But,"Sokka stalled. "We also have to face logistics and reality, which are screaming at us to turn our backs."
"Well I say that either you buy it or I'll take it," Aang bluffed. Truthfully, he never would do such a thing. But he was hoping Sokka's morals and innate, human selfishness would prevail, which it did indeed.
"Alright, alright, no need to be so lawless about it!" Sokka huffed. "The last thing we need is another nation hunting us down!" But Aang could see the spark that finally lit up Sokka's eyes as he practically pranced with the bag to the shopkeeper.
"This was such a huge mistake! Our money gone, and it doesn't even go well with my fit!" Sokka bemoaned, trying his best to compress the bag into invisibility but failing.
Aang shook his head, swiveling around to survey Gao Ling, where they had finally ended up. Unassuming in height, the city nonetheless sprawled across a large area of land, with buildings condensed but not compressed along the streets, with the typical hustle and bustle of a thriving village. Amidst this crowd were several stores and stalls that offered various paraphernalia, from the elaborate bag Sokka eyed to various restaurants and groceries to odd accessories and necessities. A vendor stood at one corner, confronting everyone within eyeshot or earshot, and offering them a flyer, which was swiftly rebuffed. Yet the man never lost momentum, quickly rushing up to Sokka and Aang.
"Psst, psst! Hey, you kids love earthbending? You like ... throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy." With an uncanny grin, a flyer was practically shoved into Sokka's arm, but unlike his former audience, Sokka and Aang perked up at the mention of earthbending. Turning the flyer around, Sokka almost lost the sheet to Aang's excited hand, pointing at a small rectangular box.
"Look! There's a coupon! First lesson is free!"
Sokka curled his lip. "I don't know, Aang. Seems more like a marketing sham than the moon."
"We have Zuko," Aang countered. "And you're engaged to the moon."
"That!-" Sokka hung his head. "Can't believe I was beat on a case of technicalities."
At the very least, the outfit would match Sokka's new bag rather well.
Aang dug his hand into his ear, pulled it out, and curiously sniffed it. Armed with a tunic, baggy pants, and a spikeless salakot, he was a sky bison amongst a sea of pupils, towering over the crowd of children barely half his age, who were filled with determined looks as they stood in two lines waiting for Master Yu. Yu - a wrinkly, unattractive man with a monumental forehead, beady eyes, and a three-pronged beard - marched his way around the students, his eyes narrowed into impish slits.
"Take your stances!" he exclaimed animatedly. Immediately, all the students assumed the exact same stance - except for Aang, still observing the class he was supposed to directly experience. The rocks that had been left for each column of students levitated, ready to perform its bender's bidding. "Now, strike as if you're punching through your opponents hand!"
Sokka winced at the ironic wording, looking to Aang for a reaction just as the airbender's opponent's missile slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of Aang's lungs (a difficult feat to accomplish), and sent him hurtling towards the wall. A vase was fortunately in the way, so instead of breaking of few ribs, Aang instead got to enjoy the feeling of shards of ceramic threatening to pierce his tunic. With a groan, Aang mustered himself up, to be greeted by a grinning Master Yu.
"So, are you ready to commit to more lessons? If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt!"
Sokka could have sworn Aang was already a master at earthbending, the way the sand sifted to bury his face again.
"That was -" Aang struggled to string words together.
"A scam. It's one thing to require people to pay for knowledge. It's another thing entirely to pretend there are shortcuts to said knowledge when in fact there aren't any, and then to try and capitalize on the idiot's deposit. That was a trap if I ever saw one."
"Yeah, I was about to say," Aang said, much relieved. "I didn't feel like he was right, anyways."
Just then, another student - roughly the same age as Sokka - swept past them, talking a flurry with their friend. "Man, the Blind Bandit's something, isn't she?"
"Just completely demolished the competition! In fact, everyone thought it was all rigged, so another Earth Rumble was organized for today! A redo of a sort. All the best earthbenders in the world - invited once again to the tournament of the year! Winner of today is the real winner of the Sixth Belt. It's gonna be one wild night! Parents gonna let you leave?"
"Psssh, I'm not the one who wrecked my living room walls trying to reenact The Boulder getting owned by the Blind Bandit. Besides, I think the Boulder still stands a decent shot. No way one of the best earthbenders in the world loses to a girl one-third the size of your length. See you there - if your grandmother doesn't go full badger-bear on you!"
Chortling, the boys were clearly annoyed when Sokka jumped into the conversation, having perked at the words "best earthbenders." Trying to gain the boys' favor, he lazily drawled, "So, where exactly is this Earth Rumble?"
"It's on the island of Noneya..." the student shot back. "Noneya business!"
Sokka almost let them leave in his hysterics. "Wait! Ha-ha! That was actually a good one! Wait!" The boys turned, clearly itching for a fight out of sheer annoyance. Aang almost pulled Sokka's sleeve to make them leave, but Sokka was not having it. "It kind of is my business actually. My cousin here comes from up North. You know the type. Anyways, he thinks he's the hot stuff, and wants to try and get in on this Earth Rumble tournament thing. Thinks he'll own the place. Even bet pricey over it. And -" his voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's about time that little twerp got a rude awakening, dontcha think?"
The two students took one look at Aang and bust over laughing. "Seriously? That kid?"
"The one who took Master Yu's beginner class, got outclassed by a bunch of seven-year-olds, and quit?" Sokka laughed uneasily along with them. Aang, deciding to go with the act, raising a fist as he angrily shouted,
"Yo! You haven't even seen anything yet! I'm not wasting my talent in a shoddy fool's daycare court!"
That did them in. "Yeah, right," they snickered. "Well, then. Lucky for you, I took a spare flyer as a spare for this daisy la-la-land idiot over here -"
"Bro you watch your mouth before I -"
"Hush, demolisher of houses! Besides, bros help bros. Including this one." With the double victory scored, the kid who had sarcastically dissed them off before handed them a rolled up sheet of paper. "You didn't get that from me." They rounded the corner and were gone.
Sokka sighed. "You didn't happen to grab a spare uniform from Master Yu for me, did you?"
Aang blinked, let go of his staff, and grabbed it again just as it was about to hit the ground - with a pile of Sokka's request snuggled under his other arm.
"You deserved it. Thanks for the help. All of it." Sokka hesitated, beamed, and then stuck the clothes into the bag, almost skipping before remembering his surroundings.
Nightfall. Aang and Sokka, after circumventing a entire mountain, belatedly realized the event was, in fact, inside said mountain, so when they finally entered the long-winded tunnel - only opened after the flyer was presented to a disgruntled security guard - they were already well into the tournament, with only the best players remaining.
Aang's jaw nearly dropped at the size of the arena. Bumi's little enclave had nothing on the ring - which Aang couldn't even see the end of. The seats stretched up higher than his keen airbender eyes could pick out, and he wondered just how people could enjoy the spectacle at the top when they couldn't see anything to begin with. He spotted a vast number of vacant rows near the actual fighting ground - which also happened to be scored with a number of varying boulders, from round to jagged and ginormous - some half the size of Appa. He rather did not want to be slammed by a force comparable to Appa's, so he made his way to a recently-carved crater, and made himself home there.
"You're crazy," Sokka said flatly.
"I need the best view possible," Aang responded. "First, I need to look for a great earthbender, who can - in light of Bumi's words - "wait and listen" - which means that unfortunately, we're just going to have to accept the risk of becoming Earth Rumble pancakes."
"You won't have to. You got your airbending hooligans to whisk yourself away."
"True. And I'd carry you with me. I'd rather tote a Sokka than a pancake."
"Oh..." Sokka tried to find a comeback, but in the light of Aang's intentions, he merely mumbled a "thank you" and decided to relax and watch the show before realizing Aang might be doing the same. A quick check proved otherwise, for though Aang was watching the ground below, his entire body was tensed, as though ready to flee or - Spirits Forbid, fight - at a moment's notice. He looked so tense for a twelve-year-old that Sokka almost told him to loosen up when he realized Aang knew that they couldn't afford to lose anything in trying to find an earthbending teacher. Silently groaning, he stopped leaning back and nearly dug a crater into the arena with the focus of his eyes.
"Stop making that face. I can see you out of the corner of my eye, and it's really distracting."
Sokka scowled, before it came to him that especially under the lighting, his focused face likely distorted itself to be even more clownish than his sister ofttimes would tease. "Fair. Don't know why you chose a crater too, though. You know isolated incidents have no effect on overall outcome when it comes to independent probability."
"Um. You mean we still stand a chance of our spot being further ravaged by some incoming earth?" before Sokka could answer in the affirmative, Aang yanked Sokka off his feet and sped them both towards an adjacent bench. The flyer that had accompanied them to the tournament fluttered briefly from Aang's tailwind, then more so when the ensuing boulder planted itself smack dab where Aang and Sokka had been sitting.
"M-maybe we should just focus on the ring," Sokka stammered, focusing on the rock that almost ended his miserable, if seemingly-improved, life. "Took off a patch of my shirt..."
"Good idea," quipped Aang, already returning his gaze to where the boulder came from. "And don't you also have another outfit to wear?"
"Oh! Right." Aang turned briefly to wink at him.
A chiseled, hulking behemoth whose body seemed made almost entirely of muscle struck a theatrical pose, fists raised in the universal sign of victory while the crowd roared him onwards. A billowing cloud of dust wafted upwards from a distant crater, likely made by what could safely be assumed was the current combatant's former opponent. "The Boulder wins!" a voice boomed from above, and the crowd cheered.
"What just happened?"
"Someone won and someone lost."
"Thanks, Captain Obvious."
"We have an earthbender to find."
"..."
As the tournament wore on, The Boulder showed himself to be the favorite of the crowd. Egged on by the crowd, the Boulder followed grander and grander finishes, from standing on giant pillars to toss himself to the ground, to flexing individual muscles, which caused a surprising number of the crowd - mostly male - to swoon and faint.
"He sure is strong," Sokka commented passively.
"The muscles are kinda bulky though."
"They are a nice show that he's strong."
"Is he, though? His feats seem magnified by the crowd, but in reality, the very essence of his moves are... underwhelming."
"Oh, really? You try hurling a man by levitating the rock below him and tossing them both over."
"I dunno. It just seems-"
"I see your cousin's still at it," snarked a voice. A shadow passed over them, and Sokka and Aang looked up to see the two boys from before. "Have a good time?" one asked good-naturedly.
"Yep. Something's not getting through this rubble-brained stickbug over here." Sokka jabbed his finger into Aang's ribcage. Aang involuntarily winced. "See? Can't even handle my finger. Now imagine handling a boulder... or The Boulder. The guy's putting the hurt in the dirt!"
The lead boy cracked a grin. "Well said. Gotta remember that for later. Anyways, we're just making our way through and saw you two on our way. Nice seat you chose."
"His idea. Like it or not, I still have a responsibility for him, no matter how much of a liability he is. Family is family, after all."
"That's true. Sometimes I wish I could get rid of my brother... but he's my brother. Besides, sometimes they aren't too bad."
"I've yet to see that with this guy here. My sister's fine. This isn't." Sokka clamped a hand down on Aang's shoulder, but beyond the coarse theatrical gesture he put up for the sake of the boys, Aang felt a reassuring quality in the motion, a sort of camaraderie and genuineness that showed that, on some pure level, that Sokka did intend what he said on caring for Aang, that he was family, and that they'd stick together. And the mention of Katara...
Aang came to a small flick on the head. "Yo. Match. By the way, what do you think of the Boulder as a teacher? Rhetorical question, I know. I just want you to say it out loud."
"All muscle. Not that that's a bad thing - it's probably the one thing I need (strength, not pecs! Jeez, Sokka, I'm still not a teenager!) - but I still feel like something's wrong."
"Picky, picky," Sokka almost sang.
"Match." Sokka sobered up. "Also, if we want to save the world, we're going to have to be picky to do it the right way. I don't want a repeat of Fong's base, you know."
"Yeah, I get it. Just wish there was a shortcut..."
"So that my work would be in vain?" Sokka opened his mouth in chagrin when Aang cut him off with a laugh. "Kidding. I wish there was too. Maybe I wouldn't have to learn all the elements to stop Ozai. Maybe it could just be over by now."
"I get it, man. So much responsibility on you... who decided it would be that way? Why force a child to take up the mantle of the most important peacemaker and then make them try to compress decades' worth of mastery into mere months? Talk about the weight of the world on your shoulders! And if we dive right into it, who decided on four elements? Who decided on an Avatar? Who made a cycle of reincarnation and an inherent imbalance of power in the world caused by your existence and the existence of arbitrary nonscientific material manipulation for someone like you to try to resolve? You're just a kid, after all."
"Well, you're just a teenager yourself." Upon this, they laughed so hard that they nearly missed the penultimate announcement of the match - the champion's round.
The lights dimmed as a spotlight shone on the announcer. "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for." the crowd was uncharacteristically silenced through sheer anticipation. The announcer - Xin Fu - himself a former Earth Rumble champion and finely-chiseled - though slimmer at the shoulders than The Boulder - possessed a shrewdness about the eyes that told a tale of schemes beyond the brawn and a business-like mind. Using this to his advantage, he held sway over the crowd, eagerly awaiting the words that would begin the biggest match of the year. "The final proof of worthiness - of epitome - when the preceding champion must uphold their title, and the challenger take it. I present to you... The Boulder versus your champion ... THE BLIND BANDIT!"
Shouts of excitement erupted from the stands as a figure raised what appeared to be the championship belt above her head. This smattering of applause and fanfare quickly died out when the spotlight swiftly revealed a small figure - a girl in fact - who barely reached the waists of the assistants to her sides. She motioned for one of the assistants to take the belt, and then tossed it at them. Aang and Sokka winced - for different reasons.
"Ugh. A small girl like that? Have you seen the other competitors? They're bigger than elephant koi and bulkier than ten Avatars!"
"Watch your use of misogyny, Sokka. Yes, the size is a little strange, but looks can be deceiving, right? She is Earth Rumble Champion. But her attitude. Ugh! You just throw a super massive belt into someone's face?"
"Hmm, that is a show of strength. But you have noticed her eyes, right?"
Aang squinted for a better look, but it was all explained once the girl turned her head in their direction. Her eyes were a green, but they were a murky green, almost as though someone had decided to defile some green tea by pouring milk in it and then mixing the concoction thoroughly. And though she carried herself with grace and clearly had awareness of her surroundings, a certain occasional hesitance in her stance only confirmed what her stage name declared.
"That explains her name, I guess."
"So then how in the world would she even be able to know what was happening around her - let alone fight in an arena - let alone be a champion?"
The Boulder was clearly feeling the same as Sokka. He took a mighty step forward, cracking the floor and letting up a huge cloud of dust. "Once upon a time, the Boulder felt conflicted about fighting a young blind girl." he growled. Aang could see his hands tense up, and he remembered this was not the first time The Boulder had fought The Bland Bandit. Judging by The Boulder's actions, Aang realized that whatever pretenses being blind, small, and a girl offered someone, definitely did not apply to the Blind Bandit, who only smirked and let the big guy talk.
"After last time, the Boulder has gotten over his conflicted feelings, and won't be holding back! The Boulder will bury you... in a rock-a-lanche!" The Boulder snarled as he hunched over and made a sinister crunching motion with his hand.
The Blind Bandit simply laughed.
Chasing a white figure through the twisted trees, the only guide a piercing cry of girlish merriment. A flying boar and a girl.
Aang flinched. "What is it?" Sokka asked concernedly.
"N-nothing. Don't worry - yet."
"We've been over this once. Clearly, your muscles don't extend to the air inside your rock-hard skull that you call a brain. I'll repeat myself again, just so you can remember. The only one going down is you - The Pebble! And you know what? I think your muscles are just for show. I don't even think you can make a rockalanche with what you consider as 'earthbending'."
The crowd gasped. The Boulder's face contorted, and with an insane battlecry, he took one step forward -
Nothingness. That was all she saw. It was all she ever saw.
But that "saw" was one she never relied on.
She could tell he was big large. Heavy gait, heavy voice, heavy drama, heavy everything. It only made it all too easy for her to detect his next step, when it came down NOW.
The waves in the ground - caused by the landing of The Boulder's - no, The Pebble's - foot rippled out like all too obvious skips in a stream. She felt the vibrations with her bare feet - her most prized talent - and knew where the Boulder was, how he was positioned, how badly compromised he had made himself. She grinned. And reacted. Inhumane reflexes forged from the need for spatial awareness in response to her blindness. Rapid answer to the questions that hurled themselves into her face.
He wasn't like her. He might have eyes, but he could never see what was coming.
Aang watched all of this with awe, seeing, comprehending. The resulting blast from her foot skewered The Boulder sideways - his shrill, girlish scream leaving a ringing in Aang's ears - and she promptly utilized her control over The Boulder's legs by deliberately making him tapdance his way to the edge of the ring, where he fell without ceremony over the crater where so many of The Boulder's past victims had fallen in defeat.
The whole ampitheater lay in dead silence, a few coughs. A few chuckles.
Then a raucous applause as the audience shouted their throats hoarse and their lungs out, as Toph triumphantly retook her belt. "Your winner, and now the undisputed champion of Earth Rumble VI - the Blind Bandit!"
Sokka looked wildly at Aang, and it occurred to the airbender that Sokka was incapable of registering the past sequence, not being aware of what to look for.
"What did - how -"
"She waited - and listened. Just like Bumi told me to look for. She's the one. She's gotta be the one!"
"Woah there! You sure it's not just because you want some female company -"
"That's something only you would think about. With a fiancé, too!" Sokka effectively shut up as Aang continued his narrative. "You see, there was Bumi's words, but I never told you what happened back at the Swamp. I saw this girl in a white dress. She was small. She had a pet flying boar. Her laugh was literally the Blind Bandits. She made me chase her all over the swamp. I managed to get a good look at her. Their dresses are different - but they look exactly the same. And when she earthbended - it was like nothing else I ever saw. She waited for her opponent to act - registered what exactly they were doing and how they were doing it - and then she reacted. And the best part? She's clearly a master. She's a champion of the best earthbenders in the world! Sokka - I think she's the one, and -"
"And you don't have to make it sound like you're obsessed with her in more ways than one! Besides, the show's finished, and unless we can catch up to her, we're going to lose her!"
Snapping back to reality, Aang hastily grabbed Sokka's collar, and they sped off towards the girl, walking by herself out a side entrance.
When they saw her talking to Xin Fu, they hastily retreated to a corner.
"Hey. You're a pretty darn good fighter out there."
"No kidding, genius. Those fighters are easy to humiliate."
Awkward silence. Then, "I won't lie - I never knew you existed until you came here last year and took away the title from Badger."
"Now he was competition. Too bad they've gone to seed since then."
"What I meant to say was - well - you're a Beifong? Family member of the illustrious flying boar? A blind daughter of Lao and Poppy?"
"Good to see you know the most prominent family in town. Well, they try to keep me a secret. They see me as too fragile and the like."
"I see..." Xin Fu said. A jangling of coins. "Well, this bag was meant for you, but if things really are secretive as you say..."
"Keep it. It's good business. I prefer the tournament over some money that would sell me out."
"Well said. And I agree. Although I'm sorry you couldn't capitalize on your earnings more."
"No prob. See you around next year."
"Hopefully you'll find the competition more palatable then." It was clear that despite Xin Fu's courtesy, a disdain was harbored for the upstart who monopolized his tournament against his favor, and rudely asserted her opinion of its quality under his supervision.
"Not likely, but still. See ya." A small, slithering shake ended the conversation, and all was silent.
"Interesting," Aang said. "Someone who's shut away in a castle, who desperately needs reprieve from what others consider reprieve..."
"Now is not the time for tongue twisters. What did they say, about the Beifongs?..."
It was dark and quiet when they finally found The Blind Bandit.
She was dressed in the garb Aang instantly recognized from the Swamp. He quietly mentioned this to Sokka, who shrugged and whispered back, "Hey, I'm not the one who needs an earthbending teacher. You do you."
She was sitting cross-legged near the trees, and Aang could see that her feet were bare - likely to feel the earth as well as the human-engineered nature that flourished around her. Complete with a fountain, a stream, and a bridge, her massive private enclosure was easily half the size of Kyoshi village - perhaps more. Aang was about to wonder aloud how to best approach the blind girl when suddenly she turned to face them and said, "Get off my wall."
They hopped down to walk to her, but they quickly found themselves stuck in the grass as the dirt moved itself around their ankles and locked them in place. "Wrong side, dunderheads. Get off my grounds, or those stay in while I call the guards."
"Please. We need your help. I'm the Avatar and need to learn earthbending -"
"I don't care who you are or what you want! Just. Leave. Me. Alone." the dirt tightened around their ankles to the point where Aang couldn't feel them any longer, and then suddenly they dissipated, with Aang and Sokka falling heavily to the ground. "Listen. I don't want any trouble. Just leave. Once you regain the use of your sorry legs. You two are sooo clumsy - guess that comes with all men though, after what I fought, too," she whispered. "I will say though - you," she pointed at Aang, "have an impressively like step. Almost like a pansy or something." Aang could tell Sokka was suppressing a laugh as blood rushed to his ear. "Oh, nice! Got your heartrate up. Sorry, but true. Hmph... Twinkletoes and... generic dunderhead. You should be able to move, right? Get off my yard."
"But -"
"Get off."
"Please listen to us. We saw you tonight. You were amazing. Twinkletoes here - he. Ah." Aang balled his fists up in silent resignation. "He needs an earthbending teacher. Now he would have asked his friend to teach some, but his friend - wasn't good enough, you know? So his friend tells him to find someone who waits and listens. Like you're doing now. You see, Aang here - who you call Twinkletoes - has searched the entire Earth Kingdom for someone - anyone - who fits his friend's description. Master Yu, Earth Rumble fighters - literally anyone and everyone who could earthbend, we paid attention to. You were the only one who waited and listened, and as Xin Fu said, you won the tournament of the best earthbenders in the world. Only you are good enough to teach the Avatar what he needs to know. Only you -"
"GUARDS!" she yelled, faking a convincing panic and fear that made Aang's blood freeze. "GUARDS, HELP!" Swiftly, he and Sokka managed to climb over the wall just as two guards rushed to Toph's aid.
"Toph, what happened?"
Toph. Her name is Toph. Toph scowled slightly - perhaps in acknowledgement of Aang's and Sokka's presence - before saying, "I ... thought I heard someone. I got scared."
The guards sighed. "You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph." Together, they escorted the girl back to the building the oversaw the outside estate, a majestic building of stone that was a far cry from the wood structures that seemed little more than shacks compared to it. Toph never appeared so frail or small compared to the size of her guards, her now-meek demeanor, and the looming mansion that swallowed her into its dark maw.
Sokka groaned as soon as the guards were out of earshot. "There she goes. We can just as well kiss our chances of teacher Toph goodbye!"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Aang said with a growing smile. "I might have an idea..."
Lao Beifong and Poppy Beifong were reprimanding their daughter when a servant bore news of an unexpected visitor.
"Seriously, Toph. You of all people should know how dangerous it is outside! Especially during the night! Who knows what nefarious ruffians might be roaming about? Forget about being blind, being young, and being a girl - you're still so helpless even with the patience of Master Yu's esteemed tutelage! You should know better, Toph! From now on, I forbid you from stepping foot outside without being accompanied by at least two guards!"
It took all of Toph's effort to not make a face at her father's pomp. He would never know, would never deign to recognize who she really was. So no matter how much it went against her blood, she remained as prim and passive as the dress she was suffocating in, though light a burden it was intended to be. At the very least, something could be done to circumvent her father's new order. Thanks to her maid, -
"Lei Yang has been dismissed. She has proven to let her cloud her partiality for you cloud her judgement."
"You what?"
"Silence, young lady! As I was about to say when you so rudely disrupted me, you have a new maid, one who will most definitely look after you in a most satisfactory matter."
"You mean lock me in a prison cage for all eternity," huffed Toph. She remembered a conversation just like this, after the original Earth Rumble VI. She swiftly donned her nightdress and leapt onto her bed - only for her mother to rush into the room and touch her hand to Toph's forehead. Of all the things... she wished she had at least had the forethought to press her head onto the pillow so as to soak up the sweat from her nerves and the night. So she was caught, and subsequently reprimanded. She hated it. Hated her life as a caged bird, not only in being unable to experience the colors everyone else bore witness to, but also literally being locked up day and night like some stupid frilly princess in a castle. Granted, her status happened to be as close to a princess as one could get in her town - which only bothered her more. Why make her someone locked up all day? She wanted to be free. And now with her father's dismissal of her only true friend - the one person who understood her desires and stood up for her and covered for her while she attempted to catch a blind glimpse at the notion of freedom - everything was over. Tears stung her eyes as she balled her fists at the source of all misery in her life, unable to contain her anger. Even Earth Rumbles would be impossible to attend. Whatever she enjoyed in life was gone. "How could you?" She screamed.
"Toph! That is no way to speak to your parents, let alone your father!" her mother commanded. "All this time, you've been an ungrateful little brat who doesn't appreciate what privilege she has in life."
"'Privilege?' You call being bedridden by force 'privilege?'"
"Your mother is right," Lao spoke sharply. "Despite our patience with you, you simply do not understand how dangerous the world is. The fact is, that -"
The footsteps Toph detected while she had stood up now increased in strength as a bedraggled servant rushed in. "My sincerest apologies, sir, but you have a visitor."
Lao was clearly displeased. "Who has the utter audacity to think that they are so important they can just come to my home unannounced? In the dead of night no less?"
The servant stammered, clearly put in an uncomfortable position. "T-the Avatar, sir."
The air in the room quickly changed. Lao and Poppy swiftly stood and rushed to verify the claim themselves, while Toph stared into space in shock, not even noticing the stray strands of hair that floated their way into her gaping mouth.
"We are so sorry for disturbing you at such a late hour, but you see -"
"Oh, no need to apologize, Avatar. We are honored to have you as our guest. Tea?"
"Oh, um, no thank you -"
"But we insist!" Poppy cried. "It is only right that we treat our guests with the utmost hospitality. We insist that you accept the tea!"
"O-okay... if you insist..." Aang said slowly. Immediately, a steaming cup of emerald liquid was served to him. Meanwhile, Sokka had started sipping his second cup of tea, and an empty plate of crumbs sat next to him.
Toph seemed morosely silent, her eyes staring resolutely ahead. Aang thought he saw a red tinge under Toph's eyes, but a shake of her head, and the tinge disappeared. Aang assumed it was a trick of the light. A tiny cup of tea was served to Toph, but before she could pick up the dainty china, Lao called out, "Blow on it. It's too hot for her."
A brief bout of surprise nearly broke on Aang's face, but he managed to recover quickly enough to interject. "Allow me," he said, mustering all his innocent cheer as he sent a small funnel of wind to break up the steam on Toph's tea.
With the spectacle done, and the group applauding, Aang took a brief moment to glance at Sokka, who looked back at him. The strange mannerism of Lao Beifong over his daughter explained Xin Fu's words from earlier, and why she was so curt with them.
"So, Avatar, how long do you think the war will last?"
Aang made a face. "It depends. Hopefully I'll take down the Firelord before the end of summer, but I'd need to master all the elements first. As of now, that means I need an earthbending teacher." Toph made a choking sound, but recomposed herself before her parents' scrutinizing eyes landed on her. Aang now felt the utmost sympathy for Toph, to have parents who hovered so uncomfortably close - with swift and arbitrary action for anything they saw out of line. Aang was glad for nomadic upbringing - it was as far a cry from Toph's predicament as philanthropy was from Firelord Ozai.
"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
"Really? Well, then she must be a great earthbender!-" Aang would have spoken more, but a small jab at his back forced him to pause and diagnose its origin. He flicked his eyes towards Toph, who had her head down.
"Do either of you -"
"No, we do not. Toph's bending is small compensation for the state she was born into. Fortunately, bending does not matter to us with our influence and wealth. We were lucky to be able to provide adequately for our young daughter." Aang could almost feel the floor quivering in repressed retaliation. "Imagine the horrors if we were not able to protect Toph so..."
"So she only keeps to the house?" Sokka interjected.
"Oh, no. Of course not. We have a wonderful large estate for Toph to gallivant in - when circumstances permit, and when she has an ample number of guards supervising her." Aang's quietly dug his nails into his palms. The tea had cooled off, long forgotten. "Unfortunately, given the extraordinary amount of precautions we must take for such a helpless blind girl, I'm afraid that excursions onto the streets are not feasible. In fact, we try to hide the fact that we have a daughter, except to our closest confidantes -" a short pause to breathe seemed to further emphasize how highly the Avatar was revered. "We do our best to keep Toph happy, and for the most part, it shows."
Aang blinked. How was it possible that such narrowminded parents existed in the world? Aang had a sneaking suspicion that Toph might not have been the blind one in the room. He was so livid that it took all he had to bite his tongue and keep his composure, let alone properly respond to the nobles. Fortunately, Sokka took over the conversation for him.
"It was a very nice conversation we had. It was intriguing to hear about your daughter. We're very thankful for your hospitality at such a late hour, but I'm afraid our time draws near -"
"Oh no!" cried Poppy. "You must stay at our home!"
"Yes," Lao agreed quickly. "We would be honored to have the Avatar stay at our humble accomodation!"
Stay? Humble? In any case, it was clear that the adult Beifongs were trying to win his favor, but this would only alienate him further from Toph, who understandably refused to look anyone in the eye. Additionally, Aang was not in the mood to stay with people who imprisoned children and believed it was the right thing to do. "I'm grateful for the offer. Seriously. But unfortunately, although I am extremely delighted to have visited you and your illustrious family -" at this the Beifongs beamed. "- unfortunately I must continue my search for an earthbender. I regretfully must take my leave -"
"Nonsense! You can afford to stay a night! Or several! With all your hard work and traveling, surely you must need to take a break, no matter how small! It would only be for a night or two, for you to replenish and rejuvenate, and hopefully make the road ahead of you a little smoother. We would provide for you to end this war, and of course, that would give you more time to peruse our humble town! Perhaps we could even try to invite Master Yu over, or if that fails, you could try finding him out yourself. And we have many more earthbenders than Yu, although he is the finest teacher in the land. So we beg you to reconsider our humble offer of hospitality, Avatar."
Before Aang could decline again, Sokka hastily jumped on the offer. "Of course! We'd love to!"
"Excellent!" cried Poppy, clapping her hands together. In their excitement, the Beifongs were too occupied to notice the glare Aang aimed at Sokka, who matched it with his own condescending expression.
They were almost instantaneously ushered by a servant into a room filled with many fancy ornaments and decorations. After the servant told them to make themselves comfortable and subsequently closed the door, Aang unleashed his impatience on Sokka. "Why?" he half-whispered, half-yelled.
Sokka sighed. "Don't you get it? By staying here a few days, we get to interact with Toph!"
"I doubt it. More like she'll find a way to never cross paths with us again."
A young, effeminate voice called from the door. "Or maybe she's changed her mind and is waiting at your door to call a truce." Toph leaned against the door, eyes staring at the opposing end of the frame. "Let's talk."
"Once upon a time, I really was blind and helpless."
"Hard to imagine. You're a force your parents just seem to deny."
"No need for flattery, Twinkletoes."
"My name is Aang."
"Whatever, Twinkletoes. Anyways, don't interrupt me again. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm ignorant of human anatomy. And I won't be nice about where I hit. Wow, that worked wonders. Anyways, my parents were always like this. Restrictive, suffocating, the works. It wasn't so bad at first, but as I learned to find loopholes in their authority, they would only closed those loopholes up - or worse, restrict me even more - until today, when they finally told me I couldn't even step out of the house."
"Does that mean -"
"No more Earth Rumbles. And they were lying earlier - I can't even access my own backyard now."
"Am I even supposed to say anything to that?"
"You were supposed to shut up."
"Are you sure this place is safe from your parents?"
"I'm not risking it. It's inside the house, but I doubt they ever been here." They were hiding in a crevice in a wall, too small for adults to climb into, but just large enough for both Aang and Toph to squeeze through. Here they sat, discussing Toph's life. Aang, although anxious about getting caught, was captivated by the tough girl's confession of her past.
"So one day, I had enough. I ran away from home. Crying. You almost saw it back there, before you visited and during tea."
"You're good at hiding it," Aang remarked.
"Has its good sides and bad sides."
Suddenly, Toph punched Aang's arm. "Hey!" he complained.
"Oh, you're such a softie. Next one will hit a lot harder if you don't learn to shut your mouth and let me talk. Understood?"
Aang nodded. Then realized his mistake. "Yes," he blurted out.
"Did you just... nod at me? Wait. Don't answer that question. Back to running away. I literally kept running for what felt like forever until I hit a mountain. A mountain, Aang. You'd know from how far the closest mountain to us is - the one for the Earth Rumble tournament. I went to a different one. Completely foreign, but a place to hide from my house and my parents and my stupid life. I was reduced to nothing but a powerless, sniveling huddle of frilly clothes, and I collapsed somewhere inside the mountain, in a network of caves.
"The badgermoles found me. It was odd. Normally you hear stories of their aggression towards people. But above all things, they, too, were blind. And I guess they smelled some of that on me, 'cuz when they came up to me, and I was fully expecting them to kill me and end my miserable life, they licked me."
"And so they taught me how to earthbend. More specifically, they honed my bending senses. I was always able to sense with my feet, my whole life. I never really had a problem with seeing that way. The badgermoles augmented it. They taught me how to use it to sense anything in the earth - in fact, I can sense almost everything in this town, and beyond. They taught me their own form of earhtbending - which complements my need to keep my feet planted on the ground. You remember my match at the tourney?"
"Where you waited for The Boulder to step down before you pinpointed his location and slammed him to kingdom come?"
"I think you mean The Pebble, but yeah, you pretty much got it. Anyways, it gives me a huge advantage over other people who are more concerned with muscles than actually bending and battling, and that, coupled with my power and my training, makes me the best earthbender in the world."
"I don't even think you're bragging," marveled Aang. For someone so young to know and learn so much and be able to effectively apply it to her life - it was no wonder she was such an accomplished bender - nay, master - of her element. "I mean, also, how many people win a tournament two times in a row?"
"Three. The one you watched was a rematch, remember?" Aang nodded. "You did not nod at me again."
"Er - sorry."
"Eh, it's fine. You're better than nothing - which is what my parents give me. You know what? Even with everything I've done - everything I've accomplished - they still don't recognize me. My parents don't understand. They've always treated me like I was helpless. I - I - I just don't know. Actually, wait. I do know. Today was the last straw. I'll teach you."
Aang soared. "You will?"
"Yep. Might as well make sure you don't fall prey to people like Master Yu. Imbecile still refuses to move beyond the basics with me." She snorted. "Up when the sun rises, Avatar. Hopefully with you, the guards and my parents will be a little more lenient with my restrictions."
They were not.
Despite Aang's reassurances that as Avatar he would not let any harm come to Toph, her parents obstinately declined the request.
"You'll understand when you become older, that raising a child is no trifling task. For the time being, I'm afraid you must bear a parent's love and protection for their child."
Aang pursed his lips, but acquiesced, knowing he had no other choice.
Toph pouted upon being relayed the news. "Wonderful. And we couldn't even break out at dawn. Stupid guards around me all the time. And don't get me started on the new maid." She remained nameless, but Aang knew whatever it was, wouldn't be good. He knew if Sokka had been replaced by someone like Hahn, he also wouldn't like it one bit.
"So, yeah. No training." shoulders sagging, she hugged herself on her bed. Then her eyes brightened. "Wait! I got it! Even without something to bend, there is one thing you can learn to do. First, grab some rocks from my yard."
"W- Getting right to it!" Aang scampered in an effort to escape the wrathful gaze of his new teacher.
When he came back, Toph was pacing the room. "Excellent. Find one you like."
Aang hesitated, then settled on one that was pale, and glowed almost like the moon.
Toph nodded. "Not a bad choice at all." She quickly chose hers, a jagged rock of ugly colors and no redeeming value. She splayed her hands, and instantly, the rock reformed into a perfect orb.
"That's for another time. But you know how we talked about waiting and listening?" Everything they said were in hushed whispers, so as not to alert the guards to their schemes. "Brilliant. So what we're going to do is develop a code. Being such a powerful earthbender, I can literally sense the rock in your hand. By doing certain motions with it, we can create a code to communicate with each other from long distances."
"Okay. That's great! So then... how would I do it?" Toph fixated him with a withering stare until his slow brain finally got the message. "Ohhhh."
"Right. We're going to start this face to face. I'll teach you the code, and then we'll practice sending messages to each other."
"And you already came up with a code?"
"Being stuck at home makes you think up of a lot of things."
Aang grinned. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And who knew how useful such a lesson would prove. "Let's get started, sifu!" Toph smirked at the word, clearly relishing its sound and meaning.
It was slow going at first. Aang struggled to learn Toph's crypt, for it was nothing he was used to. It almost came down to Toph losing control of her volume and giving their whole plot away, but eventually he got it. Then came the sensing. Toph took a clean silk kerchief and tied it around Aang's eyes. "Alright. You're almost like me. Except once you pass, I'll give you your vision back. Try to sense me moving my rock."
A long moment passed. "Sorry," Aang said.
"You better be. I literally took a peek outside the room to see where the guards were at, went to the bathroom, and slipped back in, only for you to begin responding now. I literally sent you one word." She sighed, yanking the blindfold off Aang's eyes. He blinked, disoriented by the light streaming into the room.
"Okay, here we go. Concentrate on my rock. You see it? Good. Now close your eyes and try to focus on where the rock was."
Aang stared intently at the rock and began closing his eyes. "No!" Toph said.
"W-wha?"
"I can sense vibrations. That includes you. You're uncertain of yourself. That's not how it works."
"Well then - maybe if I try touching the rock first -"
"No! That's the whole problem! There is no maybe! This isn't airbending where you have a hundred different ways to tackle something, Twinkletoes. With earth, there's one way, and one way only - attack it head on! And when I say head-on -" she took the small pile of rocks Aang collected and condensed them into one large stone. - "I mean head-on!" She smashed the rock into her face, causing it to fragment. One piece ended up in her mouth, which she proceeded to chew on in front of Aang's amazed eyes. "The Big Bad Hippo chewed on a lot more than I did during Earth Rumble, but that's besides the point. There's no hesitating. Period. Just complete certainty and execution. Got it?" Aang nodded. "Now, concentrate on the rock."
Aang did. But this time, he delved deep within himself. Attempted to feel every contour of the rock, every perfection and imperfection that existed on its surface. He delved within, trying to sense the integrity and structure of the rock, how it held up. He sensed its location in space, and in that moment, he knew the rock. Knew it and every aspect it possessed. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.
"Awesome. So much better. Now -" Aang could feel the rock move. So excited he was at his newfound sense of the earth that he almost missed out on what words Toph was trying to spell out.
"About time, Twinkletoes."
He was no longer excited.
"It's Aang," he said loudly. Toph grinned.
Now Aang wandered the markets, seeing if there was anything that caught his eye. Or his newfound sense of the earth. Toph had told him that, after he had mastered the art of "seismic sensing" (as she had called it) that he work on his sense from a distance. At the moment, he was roughly halfway between her home and the edge of the town, which Aang took as progress. In the meantime, his ability to write and receive messages quickened to the point where he could hold coherent - if steadily slow - conversations with Toph. He told her about the crowds and the wares and everything that happened under the sun, and she was surprisingly thankful in her messages to him.
"You're a really good friend, you know that?"
"Not that your parents gave you much opportunity to make any."
"Still, you're a good person." Pause. "Too good. It's almost sickening."
"I'd rather be good than bad."
"Bully for you, I guess. Move further out."
Aang complied. "Anything new?"
"Sokka came by for a visit. He's currently cradling his shoulder and sobbing like a newborn baby."
"Oh."
"And I thought you were soft. Anyways, good work, student. Be home by nightfall - you don't want to miss dinner."
"Wait - why?"
"Because - oh wait. I forgot. You're not me."
"That's actually not even funny, Toph."
"Move out more. Well, it's either joke about it or cry about it. Which one you prefer?"
"You could deal with it."
"I have. Earthbending teacher, right? Even my earth senses don't go too far."
"But -"
"You can smuggle me onto your bison, right?"
"How would I get past your house?"
"Floor's made of stone."
"Oh."
"Not much, but enough. My floor's made of entirely stone. Whoever designed this room had a hunch at its future occupants. Anyways, just makes things easier."
"Sweet!"
"I know. I'm just that good. Move out."
The people had caught wind of news that the Avatar was in town. Many people came up to him, thanking him for his deeds, congratulating him for his feats. Sometimes, though, he saw one especially bitter face, or one clearly injured person, and he felt a small pang of guilt. But at least he was doing something, to rectify his errors.
"Well, it wasn't what we wanted, but we got in good work today." Toph said as they returned to their rooms after dinner.
"Yep! Good night, Toph!" Aang said cheerfully, knowing the guards and maid would be confused at what they said.
As he laid in bed, he concentrated on the stones, and began to communicate with Toph. "So here's the plan."
"You leave at morning. I come with you."
"No. Just me and Sokka. However much I hate your parents, I don't need them after me while we try to save the world."
"But!-"
"We wait a day or two. I'll give you the signal at nightfall, when your family should be asleep. You'll burrow from underneath your room to our location and join us. They'll blame the guards and your maid while we go sailing off into the night."
"Okay. That's -"
"They'll have their suspicions, of course, but they wouldn't really be able to tie it to us. So you won't have to worry about them coming for you."
"Sweet!"
"Glad to have you on the team."
"Of course."
Aang tucked his hands behind his pillow and sighed contentedly. For the first time in a long time, things were actually going well.
It was night when Azula slipped into the greasy thug's room and slid a fire dagger under his throat. She then harshly slapped him to bring him to his senses.
"Who-? What-? Ack- gah!"
"Have you heard the whereabouts of the Avatar?"
"Who are you? How did you get here? I -" the smell of smoke filled the air, and the man let out a pathetic yelp.
"Now, now. I ask the questions here, and you will answer them. Have you heard any reports of the Avatar."
"In town! People have been talking about him all day! I -"
"Any idea where he would be? He probably won't be stupid enough to stay in one place, you idiot. And I highly doubt saying 'in town' narrows my search by a lot. So before this blade accidentally slips -" she relaxed her hold on the knife but pressed against his skin more tightly. "- and ends your miserable existence, maybe it would be good idea to loosen your lips a little."
"At the Beifongs! They advertised it all over town! Please! I beg you!-"
She curled her lip in distaste, tensed her arm - and then slowly relinquished her deathlike stance at the man's throat.
He looked at her in fear. "W-"
Pursing her lips, she shook a small bag from her belt and tossed it to the man. She would have to wash her hands later of this filth. Unfortunate, but this was a solo job. She could only trust herself with the difficulty and importance of her mission. "For your troubles."
Whatever misgivings that were in the man's eyes were quickly replaced by the universal glint of greed as the man eagerly seized the bag. Azula left the scene, not wanting the man to count the number of gold coins she had packed. Money was of no concern to her. Her fame and imminent power once she seized the Avatar - that was a different story altogether.
"Avatar Aang, I am so sorry."
What? He groggily got up - only to be greeted with a spear in his face.
"I'm afraid there has been a change of plans."
He was roughly bound and escorted to the yard. His blood froze.
Toph was trapped. She was wedged between a girl who held her with a flaming dagger. His heart plummeted. The girl was about Katara's age, with a sharp chin, thin nose, and golden eyes Aang only recognized from one other person - Zuko. Her elaborate armor and the crowned ornament fastened to her hair meant only one thing.
"You're Azula?" he gasped.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Glad my brother had the brains to tell you about me - although clearly not enough to warn you. If you had left just hours earlier, you might have escaped. But noooo. You decided to spend two whole days at someone's house, endangering the inhabitants and the rest of the town. Worse will come if you don't come with me quietly."
"Hey, you know what? How about this? We give you some tea, you leave us in peace. Everyone's happy."
"You talk too much, filthy watertribe peasant," she sneered. "Otherwise, he seem to have a miniscule potential for humor.." Azula turned to Sokka, and a spark shot out of her hand. Sokka yelped as the bolt traveled dangerously close to his body.
"How he fears for his life! Not yet, peasant. I need the transaction to be completed first. Either the Avatar comes with me to my dear father the Firelord, or dearest daughter here ends up a charred crisp."
"Hey! You can't do that to a blind girl!"
"Silence!" Azula commanded. At the same time, spear tips were palced threateningly on Aang's back. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. How did Azula manage to seize Toph and Sokka? The house was full of guards! Toph had a maid! How were they even apprehended? Let alone without Aang's knowing? "For the record, yes I can. I don't know if you've realized it, but for pretty much several multiples of your life there has been a war going on. Although it's no wonder if you didn't know with your primitive club in hand you call a weapon. Besides, even if you had real weapons or real soldiers, it wouldn't stop me. I ask for one thing, and one thing only. The Avatar."
Aang looked slowly at Toph. At her fear finally showing through her crumbled bravado. The intense heat from the dagger Azula produced - a blue flame that was somehow even hotter than any conflagration Aang had experienced. The smirk on Azula's face. But most of all, her eyes - eyes that glinted with a steely intent and reflected dulled a lack of emotion. This chilled Aang to the bone - clearly, Azula was a cold-blooded person unafraid to carry out the threats she delivered.
He took several steps forward, coming face to face with Azula. "Let her go."
"Why, certainly," Azula smirked, releasing Toph from her grip. But Toph, instead of running to her parents or her guards or anywhere away from Azula, only stayed put, almost as though she had donned on her meek and subservient self. "What -"
Two fingers jabbed into his back, and he felt his hair stand up on end. "One false move and you become a lightning rod," Azula menacingly whispered. She faced the Beifongs. "I apologize for any inconvenience I've caused. But thank you for agreeing to take on my offer."
Offer?
Azula continued. "You see, with the shifting change in power, a Fire Nation victory is simply inevitable. As the superior nation and culture, I feel obliged to share my knowledge and customs to those with merit. As daughter of an illustrious family such as you, I can make certain that not only will your daughter become more refined, but that you also will have guaranteed protection for your child by the Crown of the Fire Nation."
"But - " Poppy weakly protested.
"I know what it is like, to care for a family member and wish for the best. I, too, know what it is like, to have to accept the unknown. I wish you two could come with me. However, A child by themselves might be the single safest thing of this war. Your daughter will learn culture and manners and etiquette of a caliber one simply could not attain from a common town - no offense to you of course. And really, it's for the better. Eventually, Toph will be left parentless. Who will care for her? Obviously our nations, but it cannot be denied that eventually, personal independence must come. For the time being, I will say that I myself have a vested interest in this individual, and that I am not willing to relinquish her to you just yet."
From the bowed heads of Poppy and Lao, Aang suspected such was false. But they had little choice but to latch onto a hope. They could not save their child by interfering, for that would get the child killed; however, by letting her go, they let her face a dangerous unknown with one whom they considered mere days ago as an enemy.
"I swear on my heritage that I will protect your daughter. As for the rest, I must escort the Avatar to my ship and end this war for good, so that peace will once again encompass all."
"Hey! What about me? Am I not important enough to be captured?"
Azula derisively glanced at Sokka, before leading Toph by the hand, and pointing her fingers at Aang.
Once they were far away from the Beifong Estate, Azula made a signal with her hands. Several Fire Nation troops surrounded them. Several brought a tall metal cage and promptly shoved Toph into it.
"Toph!" Aang shouted impulsively.
Azula clucked her tongue. "Couldn't have an escape happen now, huh? I know of her bending prowess through my means, and I know better than to risk an attack from the Avatar and the two-time champion of an earthbending tournament. And I sincerely hope you didn't believe the lies I spun for your parents, little girl."
"My name is Toph, and I'm twelve!" Toph contested hotly.
"Silence!" yelled a soldier, savagely banging on the cage's walls. Azula nodded in approval, and the soldier backed off. Toph was strangely silent.
"I also don't need you meddling with that peasant back there. You could very well attempt to save Aang that way. But now you're stuck and unable to bend - and you're coming with me. Don't worry though, I can guarantee your lives are safe, and that physical harm will be avoided at any cost. On the flip side -" said Azula as another cage arrived. "Prepare for a long journey to the Fire Nation. My father would be so proud of me."
"And Sokka? What about him? You just talked about making sure we wouldn't escape, yet you let a variable loose!"
"Oh, it's no variable," Azula replied with a sinister smile. "I already have it taken care of."
Sokka stomped his way to Appa.
How could this have happened? One moment ready to leave with an earthbending teacher. The next, the Avatar giving himself up to the Fire Nation.
He paused to wearily lean his head against a building. How much worse could things become?
He sagged over. This saved his life. The knife, instead of potentially slicing through important vessels, instead sliced through the handle of his beautiful new bag, rendering it impossible to wear.
Angrily, he turned around, ready to fight whoever threw the knife at him and destroyed his last object of sanity. Then he paled and sprinted the opposite direction as he saw a cloaked female slowly draw three more knives on each hand.
He saw a flashed of pink on the rooftops heading for him and gaining ground. Not good. He churned his legs harder, dodging the whizzing blades and trying to keep abreast of the girl as long as he could.
He needed to reach Appa.
Azula roughly shoved him into his cell. "Make yourself comfortable - it'll be your home for the next months." The clicking of her boots died away as Aang was slowly submerged in darkness.
He gloomily stared at his accomodations. The cell was especially proofed against the elements, it seemed - nothing for him to bend except the air, which was useless. A cot and a bucket were the only things in the room besides him.
And something else.
He slowly pulled out his rock, studying it. Under the dimmer lighting conditions, the pallid glow of the stone seemed sickly - almost dying. In desperation, he moved his rock into familiar motions.
"You alright?"
A painfully long silence followed, and Aang began to fret for Toph's wellbeing. Eventually, however, an answer came - somewhere from above and further towards the cener of the ship. "Cell's metal. Ship's metal. Nothing to bend. Not even the coal. They took too many precautions against earthbenders. We're toast."
Aang breathed in deeply, and looked out the window to once against see the ocean blue. He had his rock. He had Toph. But they could never reach each other, could never set out to finish what they started. And they were in a vehicle heading towards their doom.
He never felt so small or alone.
Oh no. How will they ever cope? The Avatar being delivered to the Firelord? Surely Aang and Toph will be saved. Or, who knows! They're clever and inventive. They'll find a way to escape on their own.
Right?
Right?...
I'm sorry for any mistakes or discrepancies - I'm literally pulling my sleep time to find a chance to write this.
On the other hand, to end on this cliffhanger, I'm pleased to tell you the next chapter will be a filler chapter. Even better - it won't be written until I update my other fanfiction, "Katara Brainwashed Remastered."
MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Despicable though I feel you'll find me, I unfortunately feel like I'll never be as evil as Azula. Let alone Melon Lord.
Until next time.
