Chapter 29
No One Beats Toph
The town that Toph lived in was one of the cleaner ones we had visited. It was only bested by Aunt Wu's village who had used flower beds to hide the lack of plumbing. Actually it was rather clever what Aunt Wu had done putting flowerbeds under each window so that when someone dumped out the chamber pot or bath water it was dumped into the flower beds. It was a natural fertilizer and it kept the town clean and beautiful. This town had ditches carved into the sides of the road where the much could drain away into the sewers. To cross the roads there were large square rocks at the corners of the 'sidewalks' short enough and with enough space that carrages could pass through easily.
As we walked through the streets Sokka's eyes were drawn to a shop. In the front was a green bag with the earth kinngdom coin sown onto the front. He was inside the shop quicker then I could say avatar. Katara, Aang and I looked at each other and followed him in. While Aang debated with Katara and Aang over getting himself the bag I allowed my thoughts to wander. It had been two days since the swamp and I couldn't get that little girl out of my head. She looked like me, so much like me it was hard to try to figure out who her father was. There were so many men that could potentially be the one. My closest hints were what she was wearing, a blue dress and red ribbons. This was frustrating, for all I knew her entire outfit could be gifts from her family. I could totally see Sokka doting on any of our kids. I shook my head, I was seventeen and thinking about my child. That made me pause, actually according to what I figured I was probably almost eighteen if I wasn't already. My mind drifted back to my daughter with one question floating through my mind. What was her name? What had I named her? Would I have more children? Would I have a boy?
"Pala? What do you think?"
"Sure." I replied absentmindedly. The normal names I had wanted back when I had been in my world weren't going to work to well here. David and Mariah were pretty clearly not from this world.
"You aren't even listening." Sokka pointed out. I looked up at him.
"The bag is nice. Buy it."
"Okay now you're just cheeting off your knowlege aren't you?" I sniggered slightly before vanishing back into my thoughts. What would be my top names be for children here? June was an option, it was a name from my world as well as this one. However it reminded me to much of the bountyhunter and I wasn't excatly a fan. After a few more moments I realized all the names I was coming up with belonged to someone in the franchise. Giving it up for a lost cause I dragged myself out of my thoughts. Sokka was buying the bag, Aang beside him. Katara though was looking at me thoughfully.
"So what are you thinking about?" She asked causually. I opened my mouth and realized that I didn't really have an answer. After all saying 'I'm thinking about the guy I'm going to marry' wasn't excatly the sign of a strong independent woman.
"My daughter." I replied after a moment. Katara nodded thoughtfully. I had told my friends about seeing a little girl who called me mom. as my vision. I couldn't excatly not tell them after Katara had admitted to seeing her mother.
"You want to know who you had her with?" Katara asked. I blinked in surprise looking at her questioningly.
"How do you know?"
"Because that's what I would be doing in your situation." She explained, "Besides, you probably want to get married soon, right? And if you can figure it out then it will make everything a lot easier." I frowned.
"Why would I want to get married..." I trailed off, remembering. Already I had been called an old maid by someone. At the time I had thought he was just insulting me. Now however it occured to me that women got married a lot younger here. Technically Katara was old enough to actually get promised to someone or even married. By sixteen most girls were married in the earth kingdom. You were considered unable to be married if you were thirty or older. A perminant old maid.
"I'm not sure I'm ready to marry yet Katara. Back where I come from if you marry when you're twenty it's unusual. Most people marry when they're in thier mid twenties to thirties. We have pretty long lives though because of our technology so we have more time then the average person here." I paused.
"Actually for some reason benders live to be about the same age as people in my time or even older." Katara's eyes became distant as she thought about what I had said. A smile tugged at my lips.
"So what about you and Aang?" Katara jolted out of her thoughts. Turning to look at me I noticed her face had become slightly darker and gained a red tone. She was blushing and quite heavily.
"I... I don't know." She admitted with a light stutter. It remineded me how old she really was. Katara was only fourteen, she was going to feel awkward when approching a relationship.
"I've seen the way you look at him. You like him." I stated frankly. Katara's blush deepend. I chuckled and gave the young teen a break.
"You know the way you look at him reminds me of the way he looked at you when he first met you." After dropping that little bomb I walked over to talk to Sokka, leaving the gobsmacked waterbender behind me.
Even though the deed was done and Sokka had bought the bag he was still debating on whether it had been a good choice or not. An earthbending teacher was advertized but Aang had turned it down, instead asking if there was an earthbending master about his age. The guy had laughed, proclaiming that the only earthbending master who was teaching was Master Yu. Aang wandered away, disappointed.
"So where is she?" He asked me. I smiled lightly.
"Don't worry you'll find her soon enough. Trust your gut." Aang nodded, thinking back to what he had seen.
"I think The Boulder is going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6."
"He's going to have to fight his way through some of the best earthbenders to do it though." Aang's face lit up like the fourth of july.
"Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament excatly?" He cried as he rushed over. The boys grinned. I knew they weren't going to give Aang anything.
"On the island of nonya - none of ya business." The boys walked off laughing. I watched a knowing smirk on my face as Katara chased after the boys.
Earth rumble six was actually surprisingly easy to find. It was in a cave, down a passageway into a huge underground cavern which had been adjusted by benders to suit their purpose. No one sat in the first fifteen rows, choosing to sit back almost near the top of the cavern. I understood their reasons but I found myself sitting with my friends in the seventh row.
"I wonder why no one sits here." Aang stated. I flinched away as a boulder at least ten times as large as I was slam into the seats beside us.
"Maybe that's why?" Sokka suggested. Katara sent me a worried look.
"Is that going to happen again?" She asked nervously.
"No, we're fine." Katara nodded and settled back. The leader of the ring, a big man with a cruel face and long black hair that fell in greasy strings took center stage, bending a pedistil for him to stand on. Something about his appearance unnerved me. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew he was eventually going to be hired to chase down Toph.
"Welcome to Earth Rumble Six!" He bellowed, his voice echoing through the cavern.
"I am your host, Xin Fu." Katara twitched beside me. Turning curiously I raised an eyebrow to my friend.
"What's wrong?"
"This is just going to be a bunch of guys throwing rocks at each other isn't it?"
"That's what I paid for." Sokka proclaimed in excitment. I laughed then turned to Katara.
"To be honest that is exactly what it will be at first. However they really do save the best to the last." I added, smiling slightly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aang perk up.
Despite my pleasure at seeing Aang's reaction I quickly zoned out after the Hippo's arrival. It just wasn't interesting for me. Aang and Sokka were both quite interested but just like me Katara wasn't particularly interested. It wasn't until Xin Fu shouted that I came out of my reverie.
"The Blind Bandit."
"That's her!" I exclaimed, jerking out of my half-unconscious state. Aang grinned.
"I know." Katara straightened, eyes drifting back to the ring.
"Wait, she can't really be blind... can she? I mean it is just part of her character."
"Nope," I corrected. "Toph's really blind, its what ends up making her the best earth bender in a few hundred years. She also creates a new form of bending."
"She what?" Katara asked me in shock. I didn't reply.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl." The Boulder stated. Toph grinned wickedly and pointed right at the Boulder.
"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." The Boulder frowned as though unsure of how to treat the attack. Finally he replied.
"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" Toph snorted.
"Whatever you say... The Pebble." Then she laughed and any doubts that Aang might have had were gone.
Toph
I smirked at my cue, hefting the cold metal above my head, my fingers pressed against the cool firmness. The etchings stuck out forming the symbol of the Earth Kingdom, a symbol I knew well. A platform of earth pushed me up from the cavern below the ring. Dirt imprinted itself into the soles of my feet and Xin Fu's old, rough, voice blared as I passed the earth that formed the floor of the ring.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion..." Xin Fu's overpowering voice rang out. He always liked hearing the sound of his own voice.
As the earth I was on joined seamlessly to the rest I could feel the racing hearts, the roar of the crowd. Exhilaration. I narrowed my focus, I could feel the two girls beside me. Holding something and judging by the lack of extra weight probably feathers or cloth.
"The Blind Bandit."
"It's her!" I heard the voice of a young woman cry. There were four people sitting in the seventh row. I snickered. Pretty brave sitting that close, some matches could be quite physical. The feeling of the girls moving brought my attention back to the ring. Judging from the change in the way they stood, they were dropping their arms to reveal me. I was still holding the belt but two of the girls approached, taking the belt and fastening it around my waist. I couldn't remember their names, not that they were really that important. The familiar form of the metal pressed against my stomach. I could feel the weight of The Boulder standing almost directly in front of me, four strides away. He needed to lose some weight soon, otherwise he and The Hippo would become impossible to tell apart. A wicked smile twisted my lips. I was ready to get started. Of course The Boulder couldn't help but put on a show.
"The Boulder feels conflicted fighting a young, blind girl." He wanted a show? Sure, why not. I'd give him his little show.
"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." I teased. I was on my game.
"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" I snorted. Really, a rock-a-lanch? Was he kidding? He didn't deserve a retort.
"Whatever you say... The Pebble." My finger pointing at him. His voice, along with the weight in his feet let me know exactly where he was. I couldn't help myself. The jibe was just to easy. He was setting himself up for failure with a name like that. Just for effect I added a laugh. I wasn't scared or intimidated by him. I could beat him in his sleep.
"It's on." I fell silent. Becoming serious and focusing in on what was about to happen. He started one of his battle cries. I could feel all his weight shift onto his back foot. The second the heel of his front foot impacted, sending vibrations through the earth, I took action. The vibrations told me exactly where he was and based on his position I knew what his attack would be. More importantly, I knew the quickest way to take him down. I flipped the palms of my hands face up and swept my left foot over the ground, the thick, hard pads rasping against the rock. My vibrations were more subtle then his, for now. I could feel them reach him, not that he was aware. He wasn't in tune with the earth, he just moved it.
I could feel his weight shift again. He was about to thrust his foot into the ground to create a boulder. His signature movement from the time I had 'watched' him. The opponents weren't supposed to know the moves of the challenger but I had the advantage. No one was really careful because I was blind and no one really knew how I could bend so well without sight. I was able to pick up a few things just by standing under the ring. My foot slid off the ground and rose into the air before I thrust it into the ground. I could feel the soil creeping under my toe nails and the lines in my feet as well as the force pushing through the ground to meet his foot as it lowered. He was swung to the side, forced painfully into the splits by my bending. He howled in pain and I struggled to keep my face passive. He sounded like a sick gopher-dog. I remembered how when I was younger my father had made a similar sound when I had rushed to hug him and slammed my head into a particular part of his body. Apparently men not only treasured that part, it was also extremely sensitive. Huh, and they think girls are weak. I allowed him to nearly finish his cry before I ended it, sliding across the ground and sending three pillars of dirt to throw him out of the ring. He hit the wall with a resounding thud. I allowed my cold demeanour to fall away as I grinned. No one could beat me.
"You're winner and still the champion the Blind Bandit." I threw my hand into the air. Sure the entire thing was rigged except the last battle but I didn't care. I had been champion for three rounds now, ever since I beat the previous champion. I had come down here to watch the Earth Rumble Three. When the option for a challenger arose I took it in a heartbeat. I kicked that guy off the stage almost faster then I had The Boulder.
Xin Fu jumped down from his podium. I ignored his entrance. I knew the drill by now, he would offer gold to someone who could beat me, I would beat them. Though really no one had challenged me for the last two Earth Rumbles. I doubted anyone was about to anytime soon.
"I'll do it." Maybe I was wrong. I reached out with my bending and realized it was one of the people in the seventh row. A boy about my age based on his voice. As he walked up I noticed how light he was. A featherweight was challenging me? Maybe I should go easy on him, I didn't want to hurt the kid after all. Well, perhaps I could make him back down. If he changed his mind I might let him go.
"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" I proclaimed. The familiar sound of the crowd oohing in response to my mocking just made me grin wider.
"I don't really want to fight you." Was he kidding? Or was he giving up so soon?
"I want to talk to you." He was serious.
"Boo! No talking!" Another guy in the seventh row cried. It sounded like this guy's friend wasn't the supportive type. I felt the boy step forward. Well, I might as well finish this off right away. I moved to send him flying into the air... and he disappeared. While he should have done that, something wasn't right. There hadn't been any weight under the small pillar. I should have felt him go flying. Instead it felt like he had just stepped off and into thin air.
It was only the faintest of vibrations that alerted me to the touch of his feet directly behind me. He might actually be a threat.
"Someone's a little light on their feet. What's your fighting name, The Fancy Dancer?" I shot out. I didn't bother to make my voice loud enough for everyone. This was just between him and me now. I didn't let him reply, sending another pillar of rock, this one much larger under him. This time I did feel him get shot away. He didn't impact. I turned my head, trying to feel where he was while at the same time my ears strained for the slightest sound.
"No where'd you go?" I muttered to myself.
"Please wait." He was behind me. I hadn't even felt vibrations on the ground that time. He was defiantly a real threat and I wasn't going to play games anymore. My reputation relied on me winning this challenge. If I lost that would be the end of my career and Xin Fu would be furious. I could care less about Xin Fu but I didn't want to lose this. It was the only thing stopping me from going crazy up there.
"There you are." I spun around, forming a boulder and thrusting it in his direction. Perhaps a new tactic would work. The next thing I knew A strong gust of air knocked me over and sent me sailing into the ditch. I didn't wait, I stood up and began walking away. My physical pain was nothing, but my pride was bruised and I was furious. It was over, I would have to find some other way of bending and I would forever be known as the champion defeated by a lightweight. I was disguised and humiliated. Striding off I headed for the wall and my way home.
"Please listen. I need an earthbending master and you're the one who needs to teach me." Yeah right. Like I was ever going to accept even his name after this. I wasn't going to teach him earthbending. He seemed to be fine on his own anyway.
"Whoever you are. Just leave me alone." I replied sharply. I didn't care, I was getting out of here. I opened a cavern in the wall and slammed it shut before he could reach me.
Maddi
"Well that went well." I stated. Aang was looking downright furious with himself. Sokka too seemed to have become more serious now that Aang seemed to have lost his chance at an earthbending teacher.
"What do you mean that went well?" Aang asked miserably, "I ruined my chances."
"No you didn't." I comforted him, "You have what you need to find her. Just put your head to it." Aang's brow furrowed in thought as he remembered his vision.
"The flying boar." He murmured he hurried over to a young man standing on the street corner.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a girl. Dark hair, a white dress and a pet flying boar?" The man shook his head.
"Sorry I haven't seen anyone like that. But I'll keep an eye out okay?" Aang nodded and moved on. It was his fifth person who made the connection.
"Well the flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family. They're the richest people in town and the only ones who could afford an actual flying boar." Suddenly it hit me and I began to laugh. Why had I never made the connection before?
"What's so funny?" Sokka asked me in utter confusion.
"The flying boar," I explained, "In other words the symbol of the Bei Fong Family is a flying pig!" I couldn't believe that I had never really made that connection when I had watched the show. It was only now that I was living in their world that I realized that. Sokka sent me the strangest look but Aang just shook his head. He was to happy to particularly care.
The Bei Fong estates were huge, sprawling gardens and a huge two story tall house. Inside it was even more beautiful. We were sneaking around when a huge section of earth lifted, shooting us into the air. Katara and Aang landed in bushes while Sokka and I hit the dirt.
"What are you doing here Twinkletoes." I snickered, standing up.
"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked, pulling himself out of the bush.
"Don't answer to Twinkletoes its not manly." Sokka argued as he sat up. Katara of course being a younger sister had to start a bickering match.
"Not manly? You're the one who's bag matches his belt." I could almost hear Toph not caring about us as she continued to question Aang.
"How'd you find me?"
"Well, you see... I had a vision and my friend helped me figure it out." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty smile. A single eyebrow raised from Toph.
"What Aang means to say is he's the avatar and you're supposed to teach him earthbending." KatarToph turned away.
"Not my problem, now get out before I have to call the guards."
"Toph listen-" I started only to have the girl whirl around.
"How do you know my name? Have you been spying on me?" I grimaced. Great, more trouble for us to deal with. At least she hadn't called the guards yet.
"No, listen I know this sounds strange but... I'm kind of Aang's spiritual guide. I'm helping him with all the avatar stuff. Anyway, I know that you're the one to be his bending teacher. Who else could do it but the greatest earth bender of our generation?" I hoped stroking Toph's ego would help somewhat, maybe make her more willing to listen. Toph looked absolutely delighted to be referred to as such.
"I am the greatest aren't I?" She turned back to us, facing me. Her blank eyes staring directly at me. It was a little unnerving but I plowed ahead anyway.
"Yep. Listen Toph, we need you. You're stifled here, you're family thinks you're weak. Maybe you can prove to them that you are strong and powerful and that just because your blind it doesn't mean you're useless." I could see Toph thinking about it. She seemed to lose her pride after a while and she shook her head.
"I need to go. I'll think about it." What had left her so upset? I didn't understand. She turned and walked away leaving the four of us alone.
We were seated across from the table. Toph's father was at the head of the table with his wife on his right side. Toph was on his left side and master Yu to her left. I for some reason had been placed beside Yu while Katara was adjacent to me. On her right was Sokka who had Aang on his right. Each seat had a specific meaning. The top was for the head of the house, the father and the direct right was for the mother. The direct left of the father was for the eldest son which was only given up if the family had no boys. Then it went to the oldest girl. After that the placement was for the guests. The highest for the most esteemed guest, than male guests and lastly, female guests. The food was served, hot and steaming. Toph's meal was served last but her father seemed determined that it was still to hot and told a servant to blow on it. After Aang's little show Ms. Bei Fong addressed us.
"Avatar Aang, it is an honour to have you visit us." Toph's mother was quite pretty, her face usually pale from the white makeup on it. For me it was a little fake, the thick eyeshadow, the pale face and the rich coloured lips were just overdone. However I also understood how in this world pale was beautiful.
"In your opinion how much longer will the war last?" Toph's father added. He wore elegant clothes that were more simplistic than his wife. He had two whiskers that fell from just above either side of his mouth and were oiled so it appeared that one thick hair fell from each side. I twitched in distaste I understood that everyone wanted to get rid of the war but he and his family were thriving, they were not suffering as Haru had. They had no idea how lucky they were.
"Well I'm hoping to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer but I'll need an earthbending teacher to do that."
Toph's father smiled warmly and gestured at the man to my right.
"Well master Yu is the finest earthbending teacher in this part of the earth kingdom. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
"That's a kind suggestion," I broke in before Aang could stick his foot in his mouth, "But I'm afraid we're looking for someone who would be able to travel with us, someone who could be mobile and handle the stresses of being consistently perused." I wanted to make our travelling sound undesirable to him and at the same time interesting to Toph.
"I am sure I can handle whatever a few children can." Master Yu replied. I bristled. Oh he was going down. Sokka seemed to notice my anger because he quickly began shaking his head, warning me away from offending the man. I grit my teeth and gave a very fake smile.
"Oh I'm sure you could handle it. After all, all we have to worry about is the fire nation hunting us, helping Aang master all four elements by the end of summer, and dealing with vengeful spirits." I left it there but I could sense Yu's discomfort.
After dinner we were given two beautiful guest chambers to be split between the four of us. Despite the kindness Katara and I ended up setting up in the boy's room. I hadn't realized it but I couldn't imagine not being close to Aang and Sokka. It made me worried for the future, what would happen after the war? Would I continue to travel with my friends or would I settle down with the man who I was to have my daughter with?
"Can I talk to you?" Aang and I jumped. As our backs had been turned away from the door neither of us had noticed her. Aang looked nervous but nodded once before remembering she couldn't see the motion.
"Sure."
As Aang and Toph walked away I felt a hint of worry. Would they be okay? Should I interfere and change this outcome as well? After a moment I decided against it. I knew how this would turn out and it was needed to show Toph how her father wasn't going to be able to see her as anything more then a child.
The next morning the ransom note was found and we set off to the Earth Rumble stadium. I watched silently as Toph was let down but the fighting group decided to keep Aang as he would earn them a lot of money. It took everything in my power to not interfere and let the events play out as they should. I only got involved to help get Aang out of the metal contraption that held him prisoner along with Sokka and Katara.
Returning to Toph's house was awkward and uncomfortable for me. I didn't like this and was all to happy just to leave right here and now. Toph stood in front of her parents and for the first time in a long time told them the whole truth.
"Dad, I know its hard for you to see me this way, but the obedient helpless little blind girl you see isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender. And I'm really, really good at it. I know I kept my life secret from you but you were keeping me from the whole world." She paused and her head rose slightly.
"You were doing it to keep me safe, I know but I don't want to be safe my entire life. But I'm twelve and I've never had a friend before. So now you see who I really am I hope it doesn't change the way you think about me." I winced as her father spoke.
"It hasn't changed the way I look at you Toph, in fact it had made something very clear to me. You've had way to much freedom. From now on you'll be cared and guarded for twenty-four hours a day."
"Dad!" Toph cried.
"That is final Toph." He turned, looking at us with cold eyes.
"Please escort the avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome at our house." We left Toph crying behind us and walked out the door. As soon as it was closed Aang looked at me.
"She'll follow." I comforted, "Just give her some time."
To my surprise we hadn't even made it to Appa when she came running.
"Toph? What are you doing here?" Aang asked, surprised. Toph grinned.
"My dad changed his mind. I can go." Both Katara and Sokka sent looks at me. I nodded slightly confirming the lie for what it was.
"Well we better get going before he changes his mind again." Sokka added, gesturing to Appa. I laughed, excited that our journey was back on track.
A/N: So I decided to post this chapter early as I was excited to see what you guys thought. For those of you wondering what happened to Avatar Day the truth is that I decided to skip writing it. That part of the story did not partain to my plot and personally I don't particularly like that episode. I decided it would be better to have a chapter that was smooth and well written and was important to the plot then to have one that the author struggled with writing and was choppy and rough. In addition any changes that might have happened there would also not effect the story line. Anyway I want to know what you think. Did I do a good job with Toph? Was she true to character? What did you think of this chapter overall? Thank you.
Princess Kassie Out.
P.S. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. As I now have over 200 reviews.
