"Anyone who walks through my door is already done, is already done for. And if you walk a mile
in my shoes, you'd never choose… you'd never come back here." East Coast Winters, Anthony Green
Xx
Gaoling is a beautiful city, full of bustling shops and lively citizens. Katara isn't entirely convinced that they'll find Aang an earthbending teacher here, but since it's a quick stop on the way to Ba Sing Se, they figure it can't hurt to try. The city is nice, but if she's being honest, it's a little boring. Sokka enjoys the shops and buys himself a nice new bag, and Aang tries a free earthbending lesson hosted by one Master Yu at the local earthbending academy (it doesn't go well), but nothing here is really exciting.
Until they overhear two boys talking about an earthbending tournament.
Katara uses her "feminine charm" to get the information out of them— her idea of "feminine charm" changes quickly when they try to flirt with her, resulting in the two of them iced to a wall with their heads pressed together. In that position, they're much more willing to give her the information she needs, and Katara has no qualms about leaving them there. The sun will melt the ice eventually.
She goes back to her brother and Aang with news of the underground earthbending tournament, "Earth Rumble VI," and they ventured out later that night to see what it's all about. They walk into the show and sit down in the front row; there's a large arena in the middle, with stadium seating all around it.
"I wonder why nobody's sitting in the front row." Aang's question is soon answered as a good sized boulder flings out into the crowd and crashes into the space right next to them.
"Um," Katara gets up quickly. "Maybe we should move up."
They settle higher up in the stands where the rest of the audience is gathered just in time to hear the announcer, a man named Xin Fu, explain the rules and introduce the first fighters. Katara quickly realizes that this is just going to be hours of watching burly men hucking rocks at each other, and mentally checks out for most of the match. Sokka is clearly very invested in the tournament, and latches on to a contestant who calls himself "The Boulder" who speaks only in third person.
"What about him as your earthbending teacher, Aang?" Katara gets the distinct feeling that Sokka just wants The Boulder to teach Aang so that he can fangirl all over him.
"I don't think so." Aang shakes his head. "Bumi said I need an earthbending teacher who listens to the earth, and it doesn't look like he's doing much listening to anything but his muscles."
The Boulder advances through the ranks, Sokka booing anyone that goes up against him. She has to admit, his sportsmanship is admirable, if a little over the top. Soon, The Boulder is set to face up against the champion.
"I present to you..." Xin Fu swings his arm out, gesturing to a dark alcove. "The Blind Bandit!" To all of their surprise, a short young girl, probably around Aang's age, walks out into the arena. The crowd goes absolutely wild as she enters, walking with the champion belt raised high above her head and a bored look on her face.
"She can't really be blind, right?" Katara leans forward in her seat, trying to get a better look. "It must just be part of her act." She can't imagine a blind girl competing in an earthbending tournament, let alone this girl, who is petite and looks about as non threatening as Momo.
"I think she is." Aang is staring at The Blind Bandit with undiluted awe written all over his face. The girl passes off the champion belt to an attendant and takes her place in the arena.
"I think she's going down!" Sokka is much too enthusiastic about a little girl getting her ass whooped by a grown man for Katara's liking.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young girl." He truly does look conflicted, and Katara wonders what the girl's response will be.
"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" The Bandit's tone is sharp and mocking, and not at all what Katara would have expected to come out of her mouth.
"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanche!"
"Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" She throws her head back and laughs, and when Katara looks over at Aang, his eyes are wide and his mouth is slightly open.
"That's her," he whispers, incredulous and open mouthed. "That's the girl I saw in the swamp!"
The match is over, literally, in a matter of seconds. The girl may be blind, but her earthbending skills are phenomenal, and she seems to know right where The Boulder is going to be to knock him clear out of the ring. Xin Fu announces her as the champion, her fist raised into the air and a smug look on her face.
"How did she do that?" Katara is beyond shocked; how could a blind girl be so good at earthbending?
"She waited, and listened."
Aang's face unabashedly displays his admiration and wonder towards the girl. Katara raises an eyebrow at him, but he doesn't notice. Instead, he decides that when Xin Fu extends the offer to anyone in the crowd willing to fight The Bandit, he's going to jump in the arena and give it a go. Katara groans as Sokka shouts his encouragement at Aang. It looks like he's trying to talk to the girl, but she isn't having any of it. He manages to knock her out of the ring with a blast of air, and she stalks off the stage looking down-right pissed off. Aang tries to chase after her, but has no luck. Sokka oh-so-graciously accepts the champion's belt and the large bag of gold on his behalf, and Aang returns to them looking downcast and defeated.
The next day they come across the two boys that Katara had previously iced over, and they tell Aang about the Beifong's and their family symbol of the flying boar.
"The girl in the swamp had a flying boar with her!" Aang is practically bouncing on his feet as the boys scurry away from Katara's glare. "It's got to be her!"
They use Aang's status as the Avatar to have dinner with the Beifong family and Master Yu, who is apparently The Bandit's earthbending teacher. Katara is surprised at the act The Blind Bandit (they learn that her name is actually Toph) is playing; her parents seem to think that she is just a small, helpless, blind girl, believing that her earthbending skill is nothing more than novice at best, and have hidden her from the world "for her safety." Katara is sure that Toph can handle herself, but it doesn't surprise her that she keeps her escapades as The Blind Bandit a secret from her parents.
Later that night, Toph comes to Aang to talk privately— their dinner had been stressful with Aang and Toph seeming to be as close to at-each-other's-throats as they could be without actually touching, the tension in the room thick like the stew they had been served. But when they don't come back, Katara, Sokka, and Toph's parents Lao and Poppy find the courtyard empty, and a hastily written note attached to a dagger poking out of the ground.
"'If you want to see your daughter again'," Sokka reads off the note, Lao holding Poppy close to his chest, her eyes filled with tears, "'bring 500 gold pieces to the arena.' It's signed Xin Fu and The Boulder." They all stand in silence, letting the words on the paper truly sink in. "I can't believe it..." Sokka stares incredulously at the ransom note. "I have The Boulder's autograph!" Katara has half a mind to smack him upside the head, but she refrains.
Master Yu, Lao, Sokka, and Katara head to the arena with the 500 gold pieces, proceeding to throw it towards Xin Fu in exchange for Aang and Toph once they get there. They release Toph from a metal cage that had been suspended in the air, and she heads over to Lao, who ushers her towards the exit. Aang is still confined in the matching cage, his eyes just peeking out through the grates to look down at them.
"What about Aang?" Katara doesn't understand; they brought the money, so Aang should have been lowered down with Toph.
"Oh, the Avatar has a sizable bounty on his head." Xin Fu holds up a wanted poster featuring a drawing of Aang on it, a greasy smile sliding across his face. "I'm sure the Fire Nation will be happy to have him, and we will be happy to receive the reward money. Now, get out." The other contenders from Earth Rumble VI materialize from the ceiling and the ground, intimidating them into doing what Xin Fu says.
"It's okay guys, don't worry about me!" Aang, ever the optimist, calls down from the slightly swaying cage. "I'll be fine!" The cage is lowered onto the shoulders of a contender named The Hippo, who begins to walk away.
"Toph, we can't fight them all!" Katara prepares her water, pulling it out of her waterskin in a thick stream, but she knows that just her and Sokka could never beat all of the burly men standing in their way. "Help us!"
"She's just a blind little girl!" Lao turns Toph away from them, trying to guide her out of the arena. "She can't help you!"
"Yes," Toph breaks free of her father's grip and walks confidently forward towards the siblings, "I can." Lao's face is an unflattering shade of purple as Toph steps into the ring. "Let him go. I've kicked all of your asses before, and I'll do it again!" Katara is surprised that Toph's father doesn't pass out on the spot as Toph spits the profanity out of her mouth, using sharp motions of her hands to raise a boundary to cut off The Hippo's escape.
The Boulder growls and begins to charge; Sokka and Katara sink into their fighting stances, but Toph throws her arm out to the side. "Wait," she cracks all of her knuckles. "I'll handle this."
And she does; all of the men go flying out of the ring in under a minute, Toph's precision and odd sort of grace captivating her small audience. Katara and Sokka manage to break open the mechanism locking Aang's cage, his smiling face grateful as he crawls out. Lao and Master Yu are speechless; if their jaws could drop any lower, Katara is sure that they would be on the floor.
"Your daughter!" Master Yu shouts excitedly as Toph walks back towards them, brushing her hands together in front of her. "She's amazing! She's the best earthbender I've ever seen!" Lao looks the farthest thing from impressed as he takes Toph's shoulders and leads her out of the arena.
Xx
Back at the Beifong estate that night, Toph approaches her father with a soft look on her face.
"Dad, I know it's probably scary to see me like this. I'm not that helpless blind girl you and mom think I am; I'm strong, and I love to fight! I love earthbending, and I know that I'm damn good at it!" The color swiftly drains from Lao and Poppy's faces. "I've kept my life a secret from you, but you kept my entire existence a secret to the whole world! I'm sixteen, I'm not a little kid anymore! I just hope this doesn't change how you see me." Her speech is emotional, and Katara notices that Toph is blinking back tears.
"Toph..." her father starts slow, unsure where to begin. "This doesn't change how I see you at all. I've come to realize," he pauses, Toph's face hopeful as she stares up in his direction. "I've come to realize that we have given you far too much freedom." Her face crumples, all the hope she had dashed away in a moment. "From now on, you will be watched twenty four hours a day." Toph's mother looks disappointed, but it's nothing compared to the emotion on Toph's face.
"But dad—"
Lao cuts her off before she can form a sentence. "We're doing this for your own good." Poppy nods silently beside him as Lao turns toward some of their guards. "Please escort the Avatar and his friends out."
"I'm sorry Toph." Aang's voice is broken, disappointment oozing from each word.
"I'm sorry too." Toph's face is turned to the ground, her expression hidden from their view.
They head back to Appa, discouragement a dark cloud over the group.
"I was so sure," Aang says as they finish packing their things onto Appa's saddle. "I was so sure that she was supposed to be my earthbending teacher."
"It's alright Aang." They climb into the saddle, Aang perching on top of Appa's head in his usual spot as Katara tries to comfort him. "We'll find someone else to teach you."
"Nobody will be like Toph." Aang sounds absolutely crushed, and although Katara can't see his face, she knows that the usually bright and lively sparkle in his eyes is dim.
"Wait!" They all turn around to see Toph running towards them, one arm stretched above her head to wave, the other holding a bag close to her shoulder. "My dad changed his mind!"
Aang's face is radiant as he hops off of Appa's head to land on the ground near Toph. "So you'll come with us?" There is a brightness in his voice that makes Katara smile.
"Yes," Toph pants, bracing her hand on her knee as she catches her breath. "But let's get going, like, right now." Aang lets out a short laugh as he takes a step forward, and Toph moves her foot the slightest amount, producing a rock from the ground that shoots Aang up into a tree.
"Now we're even. I'll be needing that belt back, too." Aang laughs as Sokka groans, walking up to Toph once again and scooping her up bridal style to jump into Appa's saddle. She shrieks, panting as Aang gently lowers her onto Appa next to Sokka and Katara. "Don't fucking do that without warning me first, Twinkle Toes!" She sounds flustered and angry, but Katara sees the blush that dusts her fair cheeks as they take off into the night.