HelloOoOo! Bit of a yikes, I haven't realised it's been a month since my last upload! Everything's been a bit hectic lately and it will probably continue to be like that for another few weeks, so I wouldn't expect regular updates again until at least the end of July.
But I promise I won't let this die, I'm way too invested in this to stop. This story will be finished regardless of how good or bad it turns out, or how far it strays from my original plan, and that's an Avatar promise.
Also, please leave a review and let me know what you think!
; ; ;
Previously, on Avatar:
Suki's back! After reuniting with her and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors, Katara, Sokka, Bato and Kirima were able to repel the Rough Rhino invasion of Chin Village and are now all travelling together towards Ba Sing Se.
Meanwhile, Aang and Ren have escaped Omashu without Bumi, and are looking for a new earthbending master. Will Aang be able to find one, or is he destined to fail?
; ; ;
"Aang, we're almost here! Wake up!"
Ren had been taking the reins while Aang slept. He was tired after an exhaustive day of training, but Ren was happy. Aang was showing a real aptitude for waterbending and he was sure that, given time, Aang would have learnt everything Ren knew. Still, the kid needed to be awake for this.
"Aang, come on!"
Aang grunted, and sat up from his sleeping position, Rubbing his bleary eyes, he yawned out a loud "Good morning!" After yesterday's training, Aang and Ren had decided to travel to Gaoling during the night. Appa had been resting during the day, and Aang and Ren had taken it in turns to navigate and direct Appa. Ren had been hesitant to travel during the day after their Omashu incident, not wanting to be tracked or followed.
They had decided to travel around a really big swamp after hearing stories of hallucinations from some travelling, singing nomads. Neither Aang or Ren wanted hallucinations of the dead Air Nomads or Usama. They decided to risk the extra day of travel and go around.
Aang pulled three apples out of a sack and took a bite out of one, tossing the others to Ren and Momo. "How far away are we?" he said, his voice garbled from the food in his mouth.
"See for yourself," Ren called back. He turned his attention to the mountain range just ahead, and the city that lay just beyond that. The first few houses began to peek over the mountain saddle, their first sight of the city of Gaoling.
"Wow, this place has changed!" Aang said excitedly, peering over the edge of Appa's saddle to see the settlement below. "Those buildings weren't there a hundred years ago!" Ren rolled his eyes.
"Come on. Let's find some shelter then get looking for your teacher. We don't have the time to hang around here for more than a few days."
; ; ;
"IT'S A LONG, LONG WAAAAY TO BA SING SEEEEE, BUT THE GIRLS IN THE CITYYYY, THEY LOOK SO PRETTTTTTYYYYY!"
Uncle was belting out some cheesy song to a stupid earthbender and Zuko had never been more embarrassed. First, he had failed to capture the Avatar at the North Pole. Second, he'd been outlawed from his country. Third, his insane sister Azula was hunting him down with maniacal desire. And now, he and his uncle were forced to take the role of street jesters to make enough money for dinner tonight.
The man Iroh was singing for was still frustrated, whipping out his dual broadswords and swinging them at his feet, catching Zuko's attention. It was one thing to laugh, but it was another thing to threaten he and his uncle. He was so close to snapping and sending a blazing ball of fire right in that man's chest, but there was a crowd quickly gathering around them. Sickeningly, they all seemed to be just as entertained at Iroh singing, "THEY KISS SO SWEET THAT YOU REALLY GOTTA MEET THE GIRLS FROM BA SING SE!" and hopping while swords slashed at his feet.
The man sheathed his swords and tossed a gold piece into Iroh's cupped hands, laughing. "Ha ha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner! Here ya go!" The crowd dispersed, seeing that the spectacle was over, and the man began to walk off. Zuko glared at him, hoping the man could feel his burning stare.
"Such a kind man," Iroh said dramatically, wiping the corner of his eyes with his sleeve. He turned to look at Zuko, and was instantly concerned. "Why the long face, nephew?"
"You let that man make a fool of you!" Zuko snapped, turning his head to face his uncle. "We're no better than some filthy street beggars right now!"
Iroh hummed. "Relax, Zuko. That man did not make me a fool. After all, I am the one going home with a gold piece and a nephew while he goes home alone and without the coin. He is the fool." Zuko just grunted in response. Good enough, Iroh supposed.
The crowds kept on dawdling past them for a while longer, no one sparing the estranged firebenders so much as a empathetic smile. Zuko kept his eyes trained on the house the man wielding dual swords had entered. He wanted those swords. His old ones had been blown up when his assassination attempt went sour, and he felt naked with nothing to defend himself with (firebending was a big no – if he was caught, he would surely be executed).
They had been there about an hour when Zuko's focus shifted. A pair of soldiers, clearly earthbenders judging by their wrist guards and green clothes, were wandering slowly down the street, chattering aimlessly between each other. Their conversation was loud over the sound of the street, and Zuko's ears were trained intently on the sound. He nudged his half-asleep Iroh in the ribs and beckoned discretely to the two men. Iroh's eyebrows raised in understanding.
"You hear about what happened in Omashu?"
"Yeah, real shame isn't it? Avatar was there and everything, and the city is still under Fire Nation control."
"Why would he go to Omashu, though? Seems a little odd."
The other man shrugged. "I heard through the grapevine that he told the freedom fighters that he was looking for King Bumi to teach him earthbending. Apparently they knew each other back in the day or somethin'."
Iroh sighed defeatedly. "So what Pakku said is true then, I suppose. I will be next," he muttered, shaking his head.
"What was that, uncle?" Zuko asked, sparing Iroh a glance before turning back to the earthbenders. They had passed down the street, out of earshot, much to Zuko's annoyance.
"Nothing you need worry about, nephew. Let's go and find some food."
; ; ;
They dropped Appa and Momo off in the mountains just outside of the city, and began to walk. It was still morning and the sun had only just risen, so Aang and Ren were treated to the delicious smells of breakfast, scents flowing from open kitchen windows and small eateries. The place seemed more cheerful than other Earth Kingdom towns they had seen; the defensive advantage of having the town situated amongst tall mountains had served a purpose, as there was no Fire Nation occupation just yet. But, Ren noted, there were quite a few guards milling the streets. Perhaps they had heard news of the invasion of Omashu, and were growing wary.
The dynamic between the two had changed tremendously, Ren also thought. No longer did a stiff silence sit between them, threatening the very existence of the mission. No longer did Ren just look at Aang and see nothing more than a liability, an immature preteen who couldn't take his training seriously. He saw him as a friend now, something he'd not realised he was so desperately craving.
They wandered around aimlessly for about another hour, the town waking up around them. A bag salesman had opened up to the street and was advertising a very exquisite satchel with gold trim. Ren thought it best not to waste their money on it, as he was more interested in the flyers the man outside was selling.
"Psst, you! Yeah, you there, in the blue! Your kid there like throwing rocks? He like earthbending? Then go check out Master Yu's Academy!"
Ren looked ready to smash him into the ground. With gritted teeth, he hissed, "He's not my son! He's my friend!"
Aang put a soothing hand on his arm, ignoring the joy he felt at being called Ren's friend. "Ren, relax. He's just trying to help." He turned to the salesman. "One flyer, please!" The distribution man gladly gave over one of the tickets. It was nothing much, just a bit of writing with an address, but it was as good a start as any. Shoving the flyer in Ren's face, Aang pointed at a small text box. "Look! There's a coupon here! The first lesson is free!"
Ren pushed the flyer out of his face. "I don't think that's quite what we're looking for. That seems a bit more… childish than what we need. Let's keep looking."
The rest of the city didn't have much more to offer in the line of earthbending teachers. They quickly took a look at this Yu guy's academy, but they both thought it was a bit… mundane for Aang's needs. There were plenty of children milling about, and Yu didn't seem like the type of fellow willing to drop all to travel with some marauding Avatar.
But what piqued their interest was the two boys over in the corner. "I think the Boulder's going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble VI!" one exclaimed.
"He's going to have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to get a shot at the champ," the other retorted. Ren nudged Aang and they walked over to the pair.
'Excuse me," Aang said, "but where is this Earth Rumble VI? Me and my friend want to go and watch." He plastered a broad smile across his face and beckoned towards Ren, who had his arms crossed with a stony expression. The two boys looked a bit nervous.
"You guys aren't like, Fire Nation, are you?" one of them asked, pointing a hesitant finger at Ren. He just raised an eyebrow. "We're not supposed to let in any firebenders apart from Fire Nation Man."
Ren pulled a sliver of water from his waterskin and bent it into a small whip, giving one of the boys a little flick on the wrist.. He jumped back in surprise and glared. "We're not firebenders," Ren concluded, "so can you tell us where it is?"
The boy who hadn't been whipped looked nervously at Ren's waterskin, before starting. "It's over at the mountain to the north at sunset tonight, and it's a gold piece for entry. Please don't whip me!"
Ren smiled. "Nah I won't. Thank you for your help." The two boys scampered off, leaving Aang and Ren alone. They turned to each other, and grins spread across their faces. "Best earthbenders in the world, eh? I reckon we've found your teacher."
; ; ;
"The Hippo?"
"Nah."
"The Boulder?"
"Probably a no-go."
"Fire Nation Man?"
"I'm not even sure he's an earthbender, to be completely honest."
Ren sighed exasperatedly. It was nearing the final fight of the evening and the two had no success in identifying anyone who might have been able to teach Aang. Ren was hunched over, handling his head in his hands. "Well, if we don't find anyone soon, we'll have to wait until Ba Sing Se to find a teacher easily. So I'd recommend that we make up our mind soon. What about The Gopher?"
Aang grunted. "I hate to be picky, but none of these guys really seem –" His words were cut short over the booming intercom announcement.
Xin Fu stood up on a high pedestal, overlooking the arena and the surrounding spectators and a bright spotlight bearing down on him. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for!" He yelled into a loudspeaker and the crowd went wild. From the opposite corner of the ring to The Boulder, Aang could see three figures. The one in the middle, though it was hard to tell in the lighting, seemed to be a lot shorter than the other two. "The Boulder versus… the Blind Bandit!"
The person in the middle, who seemed like a girl, raised an extraordinarily large, green belt above her head that must've been twice the size of her. She had black hair with a slight fringe covering her eyes, which were a faint green. The two people either side, whom Aang deduced were assistants, took her belt and her cloak and sauntered off the stage, leaving the Boulder and the girl alone.
Ren poked Aang in the ribs, temporarily drawing his attention from the fighters. "I don't think there's much point in staying, Aang. We've got a blind girl who can't be any taller than you facing off against the guy who's been winning fights left, right, and centre tonight. If we leave now we can get to the next town by morning."
Aang shook his head. "Let's stay for a bit. The girl is the champion anyways, so she might be good. You never know." He shrugged. "Besides, staying for the fight won't impact our schedule that much. Come on! I haven't had any fun in ages!"
Ren sighed. "Fine. Just this one last fight. Then we go."
Aang grinned and jumped a good few feet in the air. "All right! Go, Blind Bandit!" He sat back down and wiggled in his seat, looking back out to the arena in anticipation.
; ; ;
Toph wasn't sure why, but she always harboured mixed feelings about her secret life as a pro bender. On one hand, she loved and relished to opportunity it gave her to actually express herself, to be who she was and to let lose all of her pent-up frustration on some jelly-legged benders.
On the other, she hated the fact that it had to be secret. Because of her blindness, her parents kept her locked up inside the walls of their property and had her training privately with a frankly awful earthbending 'master'. She was never allowed out, never had the opportunity to make friends, never even got to go to school because her parents thought that it was too harsh for their weak, small, innocent girl. All she had for herself was the arena, and the desire she had to be able to live this life of freedom full-time was so all-encompassing that she ended up hating the idea of having to keep it a secret.
But of course, no one knew that. No one cared enough to ask.
She could sense The Boulder fluffing about on the opposite side, waving his arms in the air to his fans, but all with a nervous composure, judging by his heartbeat. She smiled. Another easy victory for herself.
The Boulder spoke first. "The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl."
Toph just laughed and pointed at him. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!"
She couldn't see his facial expression right now and she wished she could so bad, judging by the pause until he spoke again. "The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you screen in a rock-alanche!"
"Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" She threw her head back and laughed.
"It's on!"
Now, focus. Toph stopped laughing and breathed slowly, waiting for The Boulder to make any sign of – ah, there it was. She heard his ragged breaths from the other side of the ring, snapping her to attention. Shock waves ran through the ground and right up her body. She felt The Boulder take a heavy step onto his heel, moving towards her, slightly elevated heart rate, other foot moving up onto its metatarsals to take another step. She smiled. It was so simple, it was almost unfair.
She swung her right foot in front of her body and lowered her stance, waiting for the perfect moment. The muscles in The Boulder's leg flexed, and he prepared to stomp the ground with his other leg to send a rock flying. But Toph was prepared.
Reflexively, she kicked out with her foot, sending a ripple of earth careening down towards The Boulder. His foot hit the ground and met the shockwave head on, forcing him out into a painfully wide split. He let out a painful squeal, and Toph almost smiled.
Her fun was finished, though. She chopped the air with her hand and sent three stalagmites towards The Boulder, hitting him well off the stage and into the wall below the grandstand.
She smiled smugly, another win under her belt. It would only be a matter of time until the jig of her career was up and people found out who she was but right now, she had to relish the moment. "Your winner, and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced over the loudspeakers.
; ; ;
Ren tugged on Aang's sleeve, but he wouldn't budge. "Aang, come on. I said one more fight and we go."
Aang didn't seem at all fazed or interested by Ren's words, instead smiling maniacally down at the blind girl. "Did you see that! She waited and listened, just like Bumi said! She's got to be the one!"
As they argued, Xin Fu had jumped down to the arena, catching his fall with earthbending. "To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" He raised a green bag in the air for the crowd to gawk at, but everyone was silent. No one really wanted to get rolled by the Blind Bandit. "What? No one dares to face her?"
Aang was itching to put his arm up and volunteer, but Ren wouldn't let him. "Aang, I know you want to, but we can't attract attention. You're the Avatar, you've got to lay low." Aang huffed and crossed his arms, slightly annoyed, and sat back down in his chair.
A tentative hand poked Ren on the shoulder, causing him to turn around. A timid peasant was grinning ever so slightly, and staring at Aang. "Is your son there really the Avatar?" A few other spectators turned their head, and gasped at the sight of Aang.
Ren sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. "Yes he is, but he's not my–"
All of a sudden, the villager's hand shot up and yelled to Xin Fu, "This guy will fight you! He's the Avatar!" A few of the surrounding villagers smiled and started yelling and hooting for Aang to go and fight. He just shrunk into his seat, nervous about all the sudden attention.
"Everyone, please calm down," Ren shouted, trying desperately to be heard over the chanting, but it was much too late. Almost the entirety of the spectators had caught on, and Xin Fu's attention had been drawn to the young boy with the arrow tattoos.
Xin Fu bowed his head and raised a fist in the air, indicating the crowd to silence. He waited until the last echoes of the chanting had died down, and then looked up and pointed at Aang. "The Avatar, eh? I hear you're a pretty wanted man in the Fire Nation. How about we have a special little fight, huh?"
Aang stood up out of his seat and looked at Ren, who could do nothing but sigh exasperatedly. Turning back to the two earthbenders, he shrugged. "I will, I guess. Can I talk to the Blind Bandit, though?"
The girl just laughed. "Sorry, pal. No interviews until after the fight."
Aang shook his head. "No, no, it's not that at all, I –"
"I have a proposal!" Xin Fu shouted, interrupting their conversation and drawing the attention of the crowd once more. "How about this: you versus the two of us. If you win, you get these gold pieces and can talk to the Blind Bandit to your hearts content. If we win," a devilish smile appeared on his face, "we get to turn you over to the Fire Nation and collect your reward!"
"But that's two on one? That's not fair!"
"Fine! Bring your buddy over there in blue along as well," Xin Fu, said, waving his hand dismissively. Ren grunted.
Aang turned to Ren, a pleading look in his eyes. "Come on, Ren. This could be my only chance to find an earthbending teacher!"
Ren grumbled. "Come on then," standing up and pulling Aang up with him, "let's get it over with. We're getting you a disguise after this."
Aang and Ren walked down a set stairs to the arena, the crowd jeering around them. Xin Fu stood confidently on the platform, arms crossed and staring down the pair as they walked up onto the fighting ring. The Blind Bandit barely moved a muscle, instead scrunching her eyebrows.
"I can barely feel that kid's footsteps," she muttered to herself, a slight wave of uneasiness washing over her.
"NEWCOMERS, THE RULES ARE SIMPLE!" Xin Fu boomed, lulling the crowd to an excited hush. He waited a moment, letting the silent tension fester. "Once a fighter is knocked off the platform, they're out. Headshots are allowed. No weapons, just bending. So, Avatar, if you wouldn't mind putting your staff away…"
Aang obliged, jumping down off the side of the arena and rested the glider against the wall. He airbent himself back up and nodded.
Three large barrels of water were hoisted up onto the arena by some assistants, upon Xin Fu's command. He shrugged. "Gotta give you two a chance. Alright, fighters ready!"
All four took fighting stances. Ren pulled a large stream of water, wrapping it around his arms like large whips. Aang stirred up an air scooter beneath him, ready to pelt off at a moment's notice. "Fighters ready?" Xin Fu bellowed. The crowd began to whistle and cheer loudly, and Aang and Ren nodded, narrowing their eyes in concentration. "GO!"
"You take the girl! I'll handle Fu!" Ren shouted, moving quickly to avoid a quick moving boulder sent his way, sending a dagger of ice in return. Aang nodded, zipping over to where the girl stood, waiting.
"Hey, I'm Aang! Nice to meet you!" he said brightly, scooting in circles around her. He could see small beads of sweat gathering on her forehead from concentration. He hopped off the scooter, landing on the ground with the lightest of footsteps.
Faster than he would've thought imaginable, she whipped around and stamped a foot in the ground, sending a shockwave of dirt right to Aang's feet. He jumped instinctively, only just missing the large slab of earth that had jutted out of the earth where he just stood. Aang floated around to the other side of the girl, lifting himself with air. Taking a quick glance to the side, he could see Ren fighting Xin Fu. And despite the clear abundance of earth all around them, Ren seemed to be dismantling every one of Fu's attacks, and had frozen his left foot to the floor.
Aang landed back on the ground with the softest of footsteps. The girl turned to him, an upset expression plastered on her face. "Someone's a little light on their feet!" she exclaimed, sending a boulder hurtling through the air at him. "Come face me like a man, Twinkle Toes!"
Aang jumped, narrowly avoiding the rock. "Miss Bandit, I need to ask you something!"
"Do you always talk this much when you're fighting?" she snarled, sending two more boulders flying towards the sound of his voice. "What do you want?"
"I think you're meant to be my earthbending teacher!" Aang panted, tired from all the running and avoiding. He wasn't sure how much longer he could have kept it up, but thankfully she had stopped, momentarily confused.
"Me? Why?"
"My friend Bumi told me I had to find an earthbending sifu that waits and listens, and that's what you're doing. So if we could please –"
Their conversation was cut short. The Blind Bandit was pushed harshly off the arena surface by a large blast of water, sending her flying towards the wall. Aang whipped his head around to see Ren poised in a fighting stance, with Xin Fu nowhere in sight. The crowd around them went into a frenzy, cheering and yelling and clapping their hands, clearly jovial at the arrival of a new champion.
Ren stood straight and smiled a little bit, basking in the glory for a brief moment before turning to Aang. "Let's go get our reward," he said pridefully, walking down the steps of the arena. Aang followed suit, slightly frustrated at Ren interrupting his conversation.
The Blind Bandit had stood up and brushed herself off, while Xin Fu remained slumped against the wall, groaning. They were both drenched head to toe from Ren's attacks, and both appeared equally annoyed. "We'll take that money now, if you wouldn't mind," Ren said blissfully, holding his hand out expectantly to Xin Fu. He just groaned and threw the sack of gold at their feet.
"Well, I hope you're happy," the Blind Bandit said from behind. Aang and Ren both whipped around to see the girl there with her arms crossed and her eyebrows scrunched together in an expression of discontentment. "Your little distraction cost me the match!"
Aang shot a withering glare at Ren. "It was never meant to be a distraction, I swear," he pleaded. "I seriously was just trying to talk to you!"
'Well, you've got your chance now. Better make it quick, I'm not waiting around for you dunderheads." With that, she spun on her foot and began to walk back towards the wall of the arena, leaving Aang and Ren no choice but to run after her.
"I'm looking for an earthbending master, and I think it's supposed to be you," Aang explained, catching up to her and matching her brisk pace. "I wanted to ask if you would teach me." He half expected some miraculous confession of surprise, or perhaps even just a small smile. In contrast, the Blind Bandit just snorted and laughed, much to the bewilderment of Aang.
"I'll pass. There's much better things I could be doing than teaching some newbie Avatar how to earthbend. Forget it." Reaching the outer wall, she stamped her foot into the ground, causing a portion of the rock to slide down and reveal a small, earthen hallway, much too low for Ren to fit in.
Ren was shocked. "'Forget it?' We're in the middle of a hundred year war and now that you've been presented with the opportunity to help end it, all that you have to say is that?"
"I gave you my answer. Now get lost!" she yelled, before entering the hallway and slamming the doorway abruptly in Aang's face. Both of them could do nothing but stand there with gaping mouths, and stare shockingly at the wall the girl had just disappeared into.
; ; ;
Iroh realised exactly what Zuko wanted to do before he even went. It was all too obvious the way he had glared at that soldier who had made Iroh dance for money, and in the linger of Zuko's gaze on the dual swords after the man had left. He knew how much his nephew loved wielding weapons, and the lengths to which he would go to get his way. Determination was most certainly one of Zuko's finer attributes.
On the contrary, though Iroh never enjoyed identifying weaknesses in others when he himself was flawed, Zuko was often hot-headed. He had dove into this pursuit for those swords and revenge and had failed to consider the repercussions of his actions, namely the nature of his choice in reference to his epiphany at the North Pole.
Iroh had been quite happy when Zuko questioned the bellicose foreign policy of the Fire Nation at the North Pole. "What he did, with the Moon Spirit… that was wrong, right?" Zuko had said, following his duel with Zhao and he and Iroh had been reunited. It was nothing to gawk at on its own, but it was evidence that Zuko's traits of benevolence and pacificism inherited from Ursa had not been forgotten. It showed that maybe Zuko could right the wrongs set by the Fire Nation and that he could choose to do better than his comrades.
Which is why moments like these, when Zuko had snuck out to 'find food' (Iroh knew it was just a ploy to disguise his intention to get the swords for himself) Iroh found himself annoyed. Zuko failed to recognise the hypocrisy in his actions, chastising the Fire Nation for abusing their power whilst doing exactly the same to further his individual agendas. He needed to help his nephew find his way.
He was preparing a pot of tea when Zuko returned to the campsite. The pot was brewing over an open flame as Iroh poked at the glowing embers with a stick, careful not to use his firebending even whilst in the wilderness alone. It was easier to keep up the charade of them as non-benders if it was practised even in secrecy, Iroh deduced.
"I brought us some things," Zuko said upon his arrival. He wore a full black body suit with a rucksack slung over his right shoulder, and the hilts of two swords jutted over his other shoulder. He reached into the bag and pulled out a loaf of bread along with some dried meats and a canteen of water, tossing them onto the ground beside Iroh.
Iroh feigned delight, picking up the objects and admiring them. "A delicious feast! Zuko, where did you get all of this?" Iroh asked, knowing full well where it had come from. It was written all over Zuko's expression that they were stolen.
Zuko ignored the question, and just grunted. He slung his rucksack down by the rest of their bags and their ostrich horse, before sitting around the campfire with Iroh, swords still slung over his back.
"Those swords look like the ones that man had earlier. Where did you get them?" Iroh asked, careful not to use an accusatory tone.
"Does it matter where I got them from?" Zuko snapped. An uneasy silence fell between them.
Iroh sighed. "Do not feel ashamed of our current position. As long as we can be satisfied with what we already have, we will be happier than the greedy man who owns many things. There is a simple honour in poverty, Zuko." He didn't respond immediately, instead grabbing two cups from the side of the fire and pouring himself and Iroh some tea. Iroh accepted the brew graciously.
"There is no honour for me without the Avatar," Zuko said, interrupting the silence. He idly swirled his tea around his cup.
Iroh took a sip. "There is something you can do to restore your honour, you know."
Zuko glanced over to Iroh, who sat with an innocent expression on his face. "What?" he hissed.
"You could apologise to the man you stole those swords from, and return them?"
"What? No!" Zuko exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"
"Deadly," Iroh replied, taking a sip of his tea. "Swallow your pride, young prince, and apologise. There is honour within humility."
"But they're mine now! I earned these swords. Consider it retribution for how he humiliated us earlier!"
Iroh sighed. "I agree that what the man may have done was not right, yes. But it did not warrant you stealing from him and threatening him. There is a difference between justice and revenge, Zuko. Revenge is to retaliate, and is hateful in nature; justice is to restore, and is an honourable deed. Do not confuse the two." He tried to keep his voice carefully controlled and calm, but it did little to calm his nephew.
Zuko yelled and threw the contents of his cup into the campfire. Standing up, he pointed and shouted at Iroh, "Why is this such a big deal to you? They're just some swords!"
Iroh's voice raised. "You thought the same thing when you took that lady Song's ostrich horse. What's next? A homeless man's money? A farmer's land? Someone's life? Think about what you are doing, prince Zuko! You cannot give in to this despair!" Zuko was silent, and turned away from Iroh. His mouth was closed tight in a thin line, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Iroh relented. "In the darkest of times, hope is something you give yourself. This is the meaning of inner strength."
Zuko turned to face Iroh, who had a sad expression on his face. He could see the feeling, the empathy, the love in Iroh's eyes. Abruptly, Zuko stood up leaving his tea cup discarded in the dirt.
He pulled himself free from Iroh's grasp and dashed off into the surrounding forest, grabbing the rucksack of items as he went. He kept running away and away from the campsite, not daring to look back to find out what Iroh was doing. As he travelled, he slipped his mother's blue demon mask from the sack and slipped it over his face, concealing his face entirely.
The Blue Spirit went back out into the night, and even he himself was unsure what he was going to do.
; ; ;
Aang and Ren did nothing much for the rest of the day besides wander around aimlessly. Aang tried to keep up his veil of hopefulness, secretly praying to whatever spirit would help them find the Blind Bandit again. Ren spent most of the day silent, aimlessly wandering between lines of shops, looking for nothing in particular. Momo had decided to join them on their walk, and was currently chattering into Aang's ear from his shoulder.
They stopped by the earthbending school, hoping to see if the girl might be there. She couldn't have been any older than Aang, and might've come here for lessons, Ren had deduced. They asked some of the kids loitering by the front entrance of the dojo if they had seen a blind girl enter before, but they all said no.
"A blind girl earthbending?" one kid snorted. "You're off your rocker, Avatar. There's no way someone could be an earthbender and be blind. Trust me, even the Blind Bandit isn't. It's just a way for her to make more money out of sympathy or whatever."
Aang groaned. He didn't have much longer before he would inevitably have to keep flying towards Chameleon Bay, maybe three days at a maximum. He couldn't continue this search forever and would be forced to find someone else to teach him earthbending, despite the nagging voice at the back of his mind telling him that she was the one.
"I'm sorry, Aang," Ren groaned as they left the dojo. "I just don't think we're gonna be able to find her. I mean, it sounds like no one has ever seen her outside of those stupid fights."
Their prayers were answered sooner rather than later, when a man dressed in a long, dark green blazer with a flying boar insignia on the lapel came running up to the two of them in the middle of the street. He seemed harmless, and wore a small pair of spectacles. Aang raised an eyebrow.
"Can I help you sir?" Aang enquired, unconsciously gripping onto his staff a bit tighter.
The man was doubled over and clearly out of breath. He held a finger in the air to indicate a pause, and took a moment to catch his breath before standing up straight. "Pardon my asking, young man, but would you so happen to be the Avatar?"
Ren stepped in front of Aang, shielding him with his arm. "Who's asking?"
The man chuckled, pushing his glasses a bit further up his nose. "I mean no disrespect, gentlemen. I am a representative of the Beifong family, one of the most distinguished families in the region!" He paused, waiting for some kind of reaction from Aang and Ren, but none came. Ren coughed. Aang raised an eyebrow.
The man sighed, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, before forcing a smile back on his face. "Lord Lao Beifong and Lady Poppy Beifong have heard about your current stay in their city, and graciously offered to host you and your pets during your stay. It is their honour to help the Avatar in whatever way they can."
Ren was about to object when he heard his stomach rumble with almighty roar. He had chosen to save their gold pieces for an emergency but, as a result, had not bought any food today. Sparing a glance at Aang, who shrugged his shoulders in response, he turned back to the man. "Will there be food?"
The representative smiled. "I am sure of it. If you would like to follow me please, I will show you the way."
; ; ;
Aang wasn't one for earthly attachments, but the Beifong estate nonetheless took his breath away. Once they had passed through the main wall surrounding the property, he was met with carefully manicured gardens, a quaint bridge crossing a small pond and large complex of buildings, all situated around one large manor. The land was being tended to by several servants and guards flanked the outer wall. Its appearance was quite a different sight from the rest of the city, where litter resided on the dirt roads and people lived in small wooden cottages.
Aang, Ren, Appa and Momo were led into the complex of buildings by a procession of three guards. The representative that had brought them here beckoned towards the stables, off to their right. "We have accommodation for your bison just there," he said. "We have stocked it full of hay just for him." Appa roared, sniffing the food in the air, and began to trod over to the stables much to the terror of the stablemen. Despite Appa's docile nature, his physical appearance left the poor servants thinking otherwise.
Once Appa was settled, Aang and Ren were led through the front entrance of the main house. The interior was painted with a light green finish, perfectly complementing the rest of the décor and the robes of the two figures sitting at the other end of the room. They seemed regal, emanating a type of grace that Aang had rarely seen, and sat on beautifully woven cushions.
The man spoke first. "Welcome, Avatar Aang. My name is Lao Beifong and this here," he beckoned with his hands to the woman sitting by his side, "is my wife, Poppy Beifong. We are honoured to have you here as guests."
Poppy smiled and nodded, before pulling aside one of their manservants. "Could you go and grab Toph? She must meet our visitors." The man bowed deeply and went off scurrying into the bowels of the house. Poppy looked back at Ren and Aang, who seemed a little self-conscious standing in the middle of the room doing nothing. She clapped her hands and two servants scurried into the room, carrying pillows. "Please, sit," Poppy hummed.
Aang and Ren obliged. "Thank you very much for hosting us during our stay. This is a nice change of pace from sleeping on the ground," Aang joked. Lao and Poppy let out slgithly forced laughs.
"Well we can assure you, young Aang, that you will sleep on nothing but the finest bedding while with us!" Lao declared, beaming.
Just then, the servant sent to fetch the daughter reappeared in the hallway. Clearing his throat to alert his employers, he spoke. "I apologises for the interruption, but Toph has arrived." From behind the man's legs walked a girl no taller than Aang, with long hair tied up behind her head and eyes of a pale green hue.
Aang's eyes grew wide as soon as he put the dots together that this was the Blind Bandit. Ren had the same realisation too, giving Aang the slightest nudge in the ribs. They turned to face each other but Ren put a finger over his lips.
"Gentlemen, this is Toph Beifong, our lovely daughter!" Poppy announced. Toph bowed only slightly and produced a courteous smile. "Toph, let me introduce you to the Avatar and his friend!"
At those words, she instinctively stiffened. Of course, it was her luck that the very people who had been begging her for earthbending lessons the night earlier, so conveniently chose to stay at her home. Had she known that it was these two, she might have been able to prepare herself for the surprise, but those blasted pillows they sat on stopped her from noticing who exactly it was before.
Her smile turned into a strange grimace. "It is an honour to meet you, Avatar. If you'll excuse me, I have to run off and… do… some things…" She trailed off, speaking through gritted teeth. Without another word, she spun on her heel and began to walk back from whence she came.
Lao sighed, resting his face in his palm. "I apologise for my daughter's attitude. She can be quite… stubborn at times. Believe us, we're trying our best to fix her manners." Forcing a smile back onto his face, Lao looked back up. "Anyways, what brings you both to Gaoling?"
Aang fidgeted with his hands, unsure whether to reveal the truth about Lao's daughter to her. "I've been looking for an earthbending teacher, and well…"
Ren, sensing Aang's indecision, piped up. "And we thought we'd stop here to look, given that this is one of the greatest Earth Kingdom cities outside of Ba Sing Se and is likely bound to have a great earthbending master for Aang." He turned to face Aang briefly, who flashed him a grateful smile.
Lao snapped his fingers. "You must meet with Toph's instructor, Master Yu! He would be exemplary as a master for the Avatar. Shall I arrange a meeting with him for you?"
Ren waved his hand dismissively, hoping to get Lao off their back. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. With all due respect, we prefer to handle these matters ourselves but we will most definitely inquire into Yu's availability." Ren had subconsciously reverted back to speaking with a cold politeness, a trait he had picked up from his lengthy term as Arnook's surrogate son and the publicity he had to deal with. He faked a yawn. "I do believe it is time for Aang and I to turn in for the day. We woke up quite early you see, and we need our rest for a big day of training tomorrow."
Aang got the hint, and similarly imitated tiredness. "Uh, yeah, I need to go to sleep as well." He stood up and bowed deeply to Poppy and Lao. "Thank you once more for letting us stay at your home. See you in the morning!"
Poppy smiled. "The pleasure is all ours, Avatar. Servant, would you show these two to their rooms?"
As Ren and Aang stood up and collected their few belongings before tailing the servant to their sleeping quarters, they shared a glance at each other and an unspoken message passed between them. They needed to find some way to get Toph to train him, but not let those parents know. They clearly had no idea what their daughter was capable of.
"Still don't think we can find the Blind Bandit?" Aang whispered in Ren's ear as they strutted off to their rooms.
"Shhh! I never said that!"
; ; ;
Aang was just on his way out of the bathroom when Toph finally caught him. Holding his razor for his scalp in one hand and a small toothbrush made of fine fur from Appa, he was confused to find the blind girl standing in the doorway.
He stood to the side of the room and splayed his arms to reveal the room. "Oh, my bad, if you need to use the restroom I'll get out." He tried to awkwardly squeeze through the doorframe without touching Toph before she grabbed a bundle of his shirt and threw him back into the bathroom.
"What are you doing, Twinkle Toes?" she asked, her mouth settling into a deep frown. Her arms returned to their crossed position.
Aang sheepishly smiled and itched the back of his neck. "Well, your parents invited me to stay, and right now I was just –"
"No, not that, you idiot. What are you doing? I already told you that I'm not joining you."
Aang straightened himself up and sighed. "I know. You told me as much yesterday. Why, though? As far as I can tell, you hate this place!"
"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?"
Aang shrugged. "You could come with us?"
He swore could see an expression of consideration cross her features, but it passed so quickly it could well have been a trick of the light.
"Can't. My life is here." What life? A voice in the back of her head said. You can't even leave the property walls! She shoved those thoughts to the side.
"Okay, fine. I won't ask you about it again. But…" he hesitated, nervous as to if the question was too touchy. "How are you so comfortable when moving?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly having no idea what he meant. "You're going to need to elaborate a little better, Twinkle Toes."
"You're blind, but you can walk and fight just as well as any other person with sight. How do you do it?" Aang asked.
Toph shrugged, gradually losing her tough posture. "Haven't told many this before but I might as well tell you. Probably owe the world at least that much anyways, seeing as I'm not training the Avatar to end the war." She paused, thinking of perhaps the best way to articulate herself. "Even though I'm blind, I've never had a problem seeing. I see with earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the earth, and I can see where everything is. You, the walls of the house…" she crinkled her nose and poked her tongue out, "even the lemur thingy taking a Number One on the roof."
"Oh, Momo," Aang chuckled, shaking his head. "But, wow… that's amazing. I've never heard of that before."
The crazy thing is, when he said it, Toph could tell he was actually being genuine. His voice didn't change, nor did his heartbeat. Unlike the few people who saw her 'seismic sense' as just a ploy, or the admirers who would spill praises in hopes of taking advantage of her, Aang didn't view her blindness as a hinderance, or her sight as some novelty. He saw who she actually expressed herself as, and that was just of a very talented earthbender. He was actually interested in her sight just for the sake of it, Toph realised.
A little shaken, she frowned and replied, "Uh, thanks." Suddenly overly uncomfortable, she stepped forward. "Alright. My turn in the bathroom. Get out."
Aang just grinned, strutting around Toph and out of the room. Before heading off down the corridor to his room, he poked his head around the doorframe, and said in a cheery goice, "Night, Toph!"
"Yeah, yeah, goodnight. Whatever," Toph said dismissively, too lost in thought to conceive a proper reply. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying her all to stop thinking about Aang's question. "You could come with us?" he had said, such a simple statement to him yet he could never understand the repercussions it would have on her. For most of her life, all Toph had wanted to do was to get out of this prison she called home. Her parents never let her do anything, she had non friends, and her earthbending 'teacher' was holding her back. She was coddled, pampered, and watched at every turn and she hated it. And once again, she had blatantly passed up the opportunity to leave this life and start anew and once more, it had been squandered by her stubbornness. She tried desperately to stop these ideas.
But as Aang wandered down the hall, carefree as ever, those thoughts starting soaring through her head faster than ever before, as if her last chance of escape was walking away forever.
Her house suddenly seemed more like a prison than ever before.
; ; ;
"Dinner is ready!" Xei's wife called out from down the corridor. Xei sighed, swinging his feet off the bed from his lying position and pushing himself up into a seating position. He winced as his back screamed in pain, a result of an earlier altercation.
"Coming, honey!" he yelled with gritted teeth, careful not to yell out in pain as he stood up. He clutched the right side of his abdomen, where most of the bruising had occurred, and dawdled down to the hallway. He used his other hand to keep balance against the wall as he walked, down towards the delicious scents of dinner.
The events of the day kept swirling through his head. He was a big believer in karma, which is why he wasn't too surprised to get jumped by a man in a blue mask on his journey home, especially after how he had treated those two homeless men earlier. The mugger was quick, ruthless, and had taken away his swords, his most prized possession as a member of the local garrison. Apparently other locals had been stolen from as well, and had named the serial thief as 'The Blue Spirit.' According to some rumours, it was the very same person who released the Avatar from a top-secret Fire Nation prison.
Xei was in bad shape when he arrived home. His torso all bruised, his wife had immediately taken to lying him on the bed and applying ointments to his wounds. Thank the spirits that she was a herbal pharmacist, the inflammation had already died down drastically. Yet despite the bandages enveloping his body, he still winced with every step. In the morning, he'd surely have to send a letter to his boss and tell him that he'd be MIA for a few weeks, and that he'd need a new weapon. He'd be careful not to say that he lost his swords in a mugging, rather, they were taken as spoils of war as he took on ten firebenders all at once, and narrowly lost to the very last, who had spared his life in respect.
A knock on the front door interrupted his reverie, coming from the entrance at the end of the corridor. His wife poked her head cautiously out of the kitchen into the hallway and shot Xei a curious glance, as if to say "why would someone be knocking at this hour?" Xei could only shrug.
He limped to the front door as his wife abandoned the kitchen and took a quick glance through their makeshift peephole in the door. Xei noticed her body tense up as she did so, and she turned from the door. "There's nobody there, Xei," she spoke, a tense smile forming on her face. "Maybe it was just the neighbour's boy making trouble again?"
Xei knew better. He wouldn't bet on anyone pulling a prank like that while the Blue Spirit was still around somewhere. He walked forward and instinctively put an arm out to shield his wife, edging closer to the door. "Stay behind me," he murmured, his other hand inching closer to the door handle. His pain had been temporarily forgotten, replaced by the rising adrenaline levels coursing through his body.
Quick as he could, he swung the door wide open and dropped into a defensive position, fists raised. Although he had been taught little about hand-to-hand combat with the exception of swords, he would do anything to protect his wife and home. "Who's there?" he yelled, whipping his head around.
It was ultimately unnecessary. After a moment, Xei realised that his front porch was completely devoid of any kind of assassin or criminal, and the street was devoid of all life par the cabbage merchant packing up his sales cart, who was staring at him rather strangely.
"You alright, sir?" the man called out from across the street.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just… did you see anyone knock on my door by chance?" Xei replied, cautiously standing back up straight, eyes darting about.
"Sorry sir, I haven't. Wanna buy some cabbages though?"
Xei waved his hand dismissively. He took one last look around the outside of the house before going to close the front door, and forgetting about this whole debacle. Yet, just as he went to close the door, he noticed it.
On the floor, just in front of where the door was located, were a pair of broadswords sheathed in a scabbard, and were undoubtedly his. Tentatively, he picked them up, and drew them out of their container. They were still in immaculate condition, and their hilts had not been damaged at all, par from the small, one-word engraving on one of its handles.
It simply read, Sorry.
; ; ;
Sometime after midnight Aang was fast asleep, dreaming of adventures with Katara, Sokka, Ren and Monk Gyatso all flying on sky bison in the night sky. He was laughing with endless mirth; happy that for once, the four people who he could happily call family were all here together. Unfortunately for him, the dream didn't last for much longer.
Without a second warning, Aang's door blew wide open, causing him to snap out of his sleep instantly. He yelped and jumped out of his bed, and fell into a fighting stance, but lowered it as he saw who kicked it open.
"Toph? What are you doing here?"
She was dressed in a simple nightgown, and her hair was let loose rather than in the typical bun. Her face, although hidden mostly by the dark of the night, was scrunched up in thought, as if she were at odds with herself. "Shut up and listen," she snapped, effectively silencing any questions Aang might've had. "Look, I thought about your offer again."
A huge smile appeared on Aang's face. "You have?"
"The servants, Master Yu, even my own parents all think I'm weak just because I'm blind. They fuss over me and take care of every little detail of my life, when they don't realise I can probably look after myself better than they can. You and your waterbending buddy are the only people I've ever met who haven't cared about the fact that I'm blind, and actually see me for me."
Aang nodded solemnly. "I get what you mean. Back when the Air Nomads were still alive, the only person that still recognised me for who I was was my mentor, Monk Gyatso. Everyone else wanted to treat me differently after they found out I was the Avatar."
Toph threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. "See? You get it!" Aang grinned, glad they were finally on the same page.
A moment later, though, he was confused. "So what now?" he asked, scratching the top of his head. A devious grin grew across the blind girl's face, and she rubbed her hands in anticipation.
"Fire up, Twinkle Toes. We're gonna get you earthbending."
Aang pumped his fist in the air. "All right! When do we start?"
Toph paused to consider this. "I haven't actually thought that far ahead, to be honest." She stroked her chin with her hand. "When everyone else is asleep, we'll sneak to the caves where I used to learn so that no one will notice. Meet me out the front of the house tomorrow at midnight." And just like that, she turned on her foot and left, kicking a small spike of earth up behind the door as she exited to close it.
Aang smiled, and flopped back down onto his bed. His hand went up to his neck, where Kya's necklace sat, smoothing his thumb over the surface to bring him some comfort and connection to Katara and Sokka. He hadn't realised just how much he missed them until now, and wondered what they'd think of Toph. He let out a resounding yawn and curled up under the blankets, falling asleep with his hand on the necklace and happy thoughts in his head.
; ; ;
A/N: Yay! Toph's here! I'd like to think my story is beginning to take some more shape, and that I'm appropriately integrating all the characters. Still, I know I haven't done much of Zuko, Iroh, and Azula, but I assure you they'll be popping up soon ;)
I recognise that within the original show the Gaang went to the swamp, and that's how Aang knew he had to find Toph, but ultimately I didn't think it was terribly necessary and it wouldn't have been a chapter that would've impacted the story terribly much.
Also, as you can probably tell, Iroh is being a lot more vocal than he perhaps was in the original series, and I do have reasoning behind it. After Zuko's increased exposure and recognition of the wrongs of the Fire Nation at the North Pole, Iroh perhaps thought that Zuko had begun to realise earlier that the war was bad and that his honour could not be given to him by Ozai, hence he is frustrated at Zuko's actions as it feels like a step back.
This section will also be a two-parter, similar to the Siege of the North. I have yet to decide whether Zuko will re-emerge in this next section, or if I will bring in K+S+B+K+S.