Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Runaways" by All Time Low
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: The Gaang is almost completely assembled! And fair warning that next chapter is a doozy, so be ready ;)
Chapter 9: The Blind Bandit
I was so bitter,
'Til you came along,
Why don't we just run away,
Never turn around, no matter what they say,
We'll find our way,
When the sun goes down,
On this town,
There'll be no one left but us
"Are you feeling alright, Katara?" Sokka asks as they unload their supplies from Appa and set up camp. "You've been kind of quiet since we left the swamp."
She shakes her head and continues setting up her tent.
"I've noticed it, too," Aang says. "You can talk to us about it."
Katara shakes her head. She can't stop thinking about how Zuko might be dead. It's just too unreal. But she's even more afraid that if she says the words out loud, they'll somehow prove to be true.
"Are you upset that we're like third cousins twice removed from Due and Huu?" Sokka questions. "Because I wouldn't worry about that. We're not gonna end up living in a swamp and wearing leaf diapers."
And that is the second reason Katara doesn't want to talk about it: she's worried they won't take it seriously enough. She loves Sokka and Aang, but she's often the most mature person in the group.
Aang surprises her. He says in an uncharacteristically serious voice, "Katara, if there's something seriously bothering you, shouldn't Sokka and I know about it? We're here to help you, but we can't help you if you won't let us."
He has a point. Besides, Katara will eventually have to learn firebending, and she'd kinda always thought that she'd learn from Zuko. But if he's really gone, they'll have to find some other firebending master who is willing to betray the Fire Nation to help the Avatar. And that won't be an easy task.
"Alright," she admits, sitting down and leaning against a fallen tree trunk. Sokka and Aang sit next to her. "Remember how Huu told us that everything was connected? And then I used the tree root to find Appa and Momo?"
They nod. Katara continues. "Well, later I tried to find Zuko using it. But I couldn't find him. All I could see was the Fire Lord looking at me and laughing as if he was mocking me."
"Are you sure that wasn't just a nightmare?" Sokka asks. "Maybe you're subconsciously really worried about having to face him."
She shakes her head. "No. I wasn't asleep."
"What do you think it was, then?"
"I think…" Katara takes a deep breath. "I think it means that Zuko is dead. And that his father killed him for helping me escape."
The boys are silent for a long time. Saying the words out loud only makes Katara feel worse.
"I'm sorry, Katara," Sokka finally says.
Aang frowns. "Wasn't he kind of a bad guy, anyway?" he asks.
She looks over at him sharply. "He's the only reason Sokka, Suki, and I were all able to escape. He knew he was potentially sacrificing his life but he still did it."
"But he's the reason you were in that jail in the first place, right?"
Katara stands up and walks a few feet away, trying her best not to explode at him. She knows Aang is just being protective. He never met Zuko, and she can understand how he made his opinion on Zuko based off Katara's story. Even Sokka, who was there when Zuko saved them, has no real attachment to him. Sokka doesn't feel bad about Zuko's death at all. He just feels bad because Katara is hurt.
She wishes she hadn't said anything. They don't understand how complicated Zuko was. To them, everything is black and white, right or wrong. Sokka was raised in a loving family in a loving village. Aang was raised by pacifist monks, hidden far away from war and suffering. Katara grew up in the exact same circumstances as Sokka, and she could only understand Zuko because she was with him so long and met his father and sister and heard his entire story. She experienced a piece of his world and it was horrible.
Sokka and Aang think that good people make good decisions and bad people make bad decisions. It's that simple. But for Zuko, good decisions had deadly consequences and bad decisions were rewarded. He was always taught conflicting morals. But despite all of that, he was a good person. He was a good person who made bad decisions.
Katara suddenly stops. When did she start thinking about him in the past tense? It feels so final.
She hears footsteps behind her. "I'm sorry, Katara," Aang says, catching up to her. "I didn't mean to make you feel worse. I didn't know him."
"Apology accepted." Katara sighs. "It just doesn't feel real, you know? And yet, I can't take my mind off of it."
Aang nods. "I understand. But remember what Huu said - death is an illusion. Everything is still all connected." He spreads his arms and motions to the forest around them.
Sokka approaches. "I'm making a supply run in the nearby village," he says. "Are you guys coming or not?"
"It would be a good distraction," Aang points out.
Katara nods. "You're right. Let's go."
Katara and Aang check the local billboards in the village center while Sokka debates on whether to buy a new satchel or not. Ever since Katara revealed herself to the Earthbender prisoners and news of the Avatar's return spread throughout the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Lord has given up trying to keep his search for her in complete secrecy. Depending on whether the town or city has been captured by the Fire Nation, they can sometimes find wanted signs for Katara.
"Nothing here," Aang says. "I think we're safe."
"As safe as we can possibly be," Katara amends.
"Hey!"
They both turn around to see a man holding a poster. He motions towards them. "Yeah, you! You kids look like you need something to do."
"Uh, we're just -"
The man shoves the poster into her hand. "Do you like Earthbending? Do you like violent and dangerous sports? Then don't miss the Gaoling Earthbending Tournament!"
He walks away as quickly as he had appeared, chasing down another pair of travelers.
"Who was that?" Sokka asks, returning to them.
"I don't know," Aang says. "But he gave us this poster."
Sokka reads it out loud. "Earth Rumble VI. Hm. Sound interesting!"
"And look!" Aang points to a character highlighted by a yellow star. "Featuring the best Earthbenders in the world!"
"Maybe you can find someone there to teach you earthbending!" Sokka says.
"I don't know," Katara admits. She thinks about General Fong. "We haven't had such good luck with finding an Earthbending teacher."
"Worst case scenario, we miss one day of travelling," Sokka says. "Best case, you can start learning Earthbending. It's not a big risk."
"Plus it would be a good way to take your mind off of Zuko!" Aang adds.
Katara doesn't think it will help but the boys look excited and there is always the slim possibility that they'll find her an Earthbending master. So she finally nods.
"Alright. We can go."
Aang jumps in the air. "Yay!"
"And it will be the perfect opportunity for me to show off my new bag!" Sokka exclaims, holding it in the air. Momo flies by and lands neatly inside. It's the perfect size to carry him in.
"What time does it start? And where exactly is it?" Katara asks. "We probably need to get going."
Kodakah was right. Once Zuko started hanging around him, the other prisoners didn't shoot him bad looks. He knows they probably still think bad thoughts, but Kodakah has enough influence that they don't treat him badly anymore. That being said, they aren't exactly friendly, either.
Zuko didn't expect anything different. He's just glad his life isn't constantly threatened anymore.
And then the day came. It started like any other day. Then the guards blew their whistles and shoved past the other prisoners and escorted Zuko towards the Warden's house. And this time Zuko knows exactly who is waiting for him.
Kodakah locked eyes with Zuko as he was dragged away, but, as influential as he is, even he couldn't do anything to protect him. Nobody can protect him against this threat.
Azula is waiting for Zuko when the guards sit him down. It's been long enough since her last visit that most of his bruises have faded and the scratches have scabbed up.
"Having a hard time trying to find the Avatar?" Zuko asks, looking up at her.
The corner of her lip curls up in amusement. "Not at all."
"Then why are you here?"
"Finding the Avatar isn't the problem. It's catching her." Azula motions for the guards. They grab Zuko's hands and chain them together behind his back. He struggles a bit but doesn't fight them. There's no point.
"Mai and Ty Lee have done an excellent job of tracking her down for me. She has no idea she's being followed."
"What, you don't think you're strong enough to take on the Avatar?"
Zuko feels indestructible right now. He knows he's not, but he also knows that she won't kill him. Not yet, at least. She kept him alive for a reason and now she's using him. She won't allow any serious harm to be done to him until he's fulfilled his purpose. They both know that.
"Oh, believe me, brother. I am strong enough to take on and out the Avatar. However, she does have some annoying friends and I don't want to make a scene. After all, martyrs only strengthen rebellious causes. But sell-outs smother the flame of mutiny."
Zuko knows what her play is. It's smart. He hates that he's being used for it. He hates it so much that he wishes she had delivered him up to their father.
"What if I don't cooperate?"
Azula laughs. "You don't have a choice. I own you, brother. You should know that by now. But should you try to make a move, remember Mai."
Zuko narrows his eyes. "You wouldn't. She's your best friend."
Azula looks him straight in the eyes. "You sold out your girlfriend for our father. What's keeping me from selling out one of mine? Don't you understand, Zuko? We're exactly the same."
No. We're not the same. That's what one part of Zuko's mind says. But the other part knows it's just a lie he tells himself so that he can sleep at night. He's just as bad as Azula is. Maybe even worse, because their mother fought harder and longer to protect him from their father and yet he still did horrible things.
And now he's about to be used for yet another terrible thing.
It's almost like Zuko can't possibly be good. No matter how hard he tries, he still hurts people.
He has too much of his father inside of him.
The beat of drums fills the air and vibrates up through the floor. The kids enter the dimly lit arena and head for the stands - although stands is a generous term. The seats are just hewn into solid granite.
"Hey, look!" Aang says. "Front row seats!"
The entire first few rows are completely empty. It makes Katara suspicious but the boys forge ahead and claim their spots so she gives up and follows them. If anything bad happens, well, she's a master Waterbender and Aang is a master Airbender.
The area where the contestants fight is a giant rectangular slab raised off the ground and separated from the stands - to protect the audience, no doubt.
"I wonder why nobody's sitting here," Sokka says as they take their seats.
Almost instantly a rock comes flying their way, crashing into the seats just to the left of them.
"Huh. Guess that's why," Sokka says as they stand up and finds seats farther away.
An Earthbender with long black hair dramatically enters the arena, raised upon a pillar of rock. He raises his fist in the air. "Welcome to Earth Rumble VI!"
The crowd goes wild. Katara plugs her ears. Aang looks around in wonder. Sokka cheers with the crowd.
"I am your host, Xin Fu!"
Katara leans back against her seat. "This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?"
Sokka grins. "That's what I paid for."
"The rules are simple," Xin Fu continues. "Just knock your opponent out of the ring and you win!"
He blasts himself out of the arena and onto a podium above. The first contender steps into the ring.
"Round One! The Boulder verses the Big, Round Hippo!"
A man with a small bun and a muscular body raises his arms at the first name. The second man is a towering, wide man with a tiny burst of hair on the very top of his head. While the first man - the Boulder - waves his arms and hypes up the crowd, the Big Round Hippo just glares.
Katara watches in a sort of odd and sick fascination. She doesn't want either man to be her Earthbending teacher but she's also curious.
"Listen up, Hippo," the Boulder says confidently. "You may be big, but you ain't bad. The Boulder is gonna win this in a landslide!"
"Hippo mad!" the Hippo responds in a deep, booming voice.
The Boulder summons up a sizable rock and shoots it straight towards the Hippo. The Hippo takes the hit without budging. When the dust clears, there's a huge chunk of rock in his mouth. Without hesitation he chomps down on it and then spits out the smaller pieces.
Katara glances at the boys. Aang's eyebrows are raised. Sokka is leaning forward, watching in intense concentration. Momo, snuck in in Sokka's new bag, cowers.
The Hippo starts hopping up and down, upsetting the balance of the ring. The Boulder stumbles backwards on the tipping platform.
"Unbelievable, Ladies and Gentlemen!" Xin Fu narrates. "The Hippo is rocking the boat!"
Just as the Boulder is tumbling off the side, he earthbends a platform to spring back forward off of, using his momentum to chuck it forward towards the Hippo when he's upright again. The rock crashes on the Hippo's back and he turns around with a growl.
The Boulder pounces back into a more secure spot on the ring and then earthbends the entire slab of rock that's holding the Hippo. He brings it high into the air and then, with a groan of effort, chucks it over the side.
"The Boulder wins!" Xin Fu cries.
The crowd goes wild, Sokka included.
"How about him?" Aang asks. "He has some good moves."
Katara shrugs. "I think he's just listening to his muscles. I need someone who can teach me in a way I'll learn."
"Next up." Xin Fu announces. "The Boulder verses Fire Nation man!"
A man waving a Fire Nation flag steps into the ring. The crowd boos him.
"Please rise," he says in a heavy (fake) accent, "for Fire Nation National Anthem."
He gets down on a knee and starts singing. "Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee -"
"Boo!"
The audience rains down rock on him. Sokka stands up and chucks on of his own. "Go back to the Fire Nation!" he shouts.
The Boulder buries him chest deep into the ring. Then he creates a tall pillar of rock under his feet and rises into the air, towering above the other man.
"No, please," Fire Nation man begs.
The Boulder jump down. When his feet hit the ground, a pillar of rock shoots the man into the air. He lands in the front row where the kids had been sitting not ten minutes ago.
"Whoohoo! Yeah! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt!" Sokka shouts gleefully.
Aang and Katara trade glances.
"Is he all right?" Aang asks.
Katara shrugs, watching her brother. "He doesn't get out often."
A mole badger clears the ring for the next pair of contestants. A group of assistants come and carry away the half-unconscious Fire Nation man. A beautiful Earth Kingdom woman walks across the ring with a sign for Round Three.
The event continues. Katara's eyes start to become bleary as one Earthbender after another is defeated by the Boulder. She rests her head in her hands. Sokka gets roudier and roudier as the night goes on. Aang starts to get into it a little, but nowhere near as wild as Sokka.
After watching more rounds, Katara suddenly has no desire to learn to Earthbend anymore. It just looks like a lot of pain and muscular, egotistical men. This was definitely not the place to find her an Earthbending teacher.
"And now," Xin Fu says after a few hours. Katara finally perks up. Is it over yet? "The moment you've all been waiting for."
A drumroll starts up. Xin Fu raises his voice. "The Boulder verses our champion, the Blind Bandit!"
At first Katara can only see a short person holding up the championship belt in front of their face. But as the arms raise above the head to reveal the identity of the champion, her jaw drops.
It's a young girl, no older than Aang. She has milky blue eyes and short black hair held back from her eyes with a green and yellow headband. She's wearing a green and yellow dress and her feet are bare.
"That's the girl," she cries excitedly to Aang. "That's the girl I saw in the swamp!"
Aang looks at the girl and frowns. "I thought you said she was laughing," he says. "This girl doesn't look like she's laughing at all."
He's right. The girl is standing with a calm but fierce face. The crowd is a mix of cheering and boos. The assistants take away her robe and championship belt and she turns to face the Boulder.
"It's the same girl," Katara insists. "It has to be."
Sokka turns to them. "That girl isn't really blind, right?" he asks. "That's just part of her character. Cause if she really is blind, then I would feel bad cheering for the Boulder. But I really want him to win."
"I think she is," Aang finally says.
Sokka has obvious gotten over his reservations of her disability because he declares, "I think she is going down!"
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl," he says loudly. The crowd has hushed so as not to miss anything in this final battle of champions.
The girl points to him and grins. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" she declares.
The Boulder makes a face. "The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings and now he's ready to bury you in a rockalanche!"
"Whenever you're ready, the Pebble!" the Blind Bandit mocks. She throws back her head and laughs.
It's the exact same laugh as the girl in the forest. The Blind Bandit is the same girl. Katara has no doubts. But why did she see her? How is a young blind girl important to Katara?
"It's on!" The Boulder is sweating but he widens his stance and narrows his eyes. The Blind Bandit doesn't react.
The Boulder roars and starts lifting his foot to pound the stone. The Blind Bandit shifts her foot ever so slightly. Then she slides it in a small circle. By the time the Boulder's foot hits the ground he ends up slipping on mud and his momentum spreads his legs, making him look utterly ridiculous.
Then the Blind Bandit sends a fist of boulder to punch him into the far wall. For a moment he stays there, embedded in the stone, before sliding down and thumping into the ground below the ring.
Sokka's face falls instantly. He sits back, looking quite numb and in disbelief.
"Your winner and still the champion, Blind Bandit!"
Sokka lets out a cry. Aang grins. Katara watches in interest.
"She waited and listened," Katara says. "She used her head, not her muscles. I think...I think she might be destined to my teacher. Maybe that's why I saw her in the swamp."
Xin Fu jumps down onto the ring next to a pleased Blind Bandit. "To make things more interesting," he says, "I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to whoever can defeat the Blind Bandit!"
No one moves. It's silent for the first time.
"What?" Xin Fu says in feigned shock. "No one dares to face her?"
"I will!"
Katara turns in shock to see that Aang is no longer sitting beside her, but has hopped down into the ring. What is he doing? Did he not see how powerful the girl is? She shoots a worried glance at Sokka, who is too into this event to see reason.
"Go Aang!" he shouts. "Avenge the Boulder!"
"Sokka!" she chides sharply, but he pays her no attention.
Aang and the Blind Bandit face off. The Blind Bandit glances him over and smirks.
"Do you really think people want to see two little girls fighting out here?" she taunts.
An "Ooooohhhh" goes through the crowd. Katara covers her face in her eyes. She doesn't want to watch this. She doesn't think that the Blind Bandit would seriously hurt Aang, but after what happened to the Boulder, she has fears. And it's not because she isn't confident in Aang's abilities - it's because they have no idea how much the girl is capable of. And they're fighting on her turf.
Aang shrugs. "I don't really want to fight you," he says. "I want to talk to you."
Katara perks up. Maybe this can all be solved reasonably. Aang will explain that he's helping the Avatar and the girl will back down. It'll all be okay.
"Boo! No talking!" Sokka shouts.
Katara smacks his arm. "Don't boo at him! He's trying to help me!"
Aang takes a step forward towards the Blind Bandit. She bursts up a platform of rock underneath his feet, sending him flying. But he harmlessly floats down.
She turns around and narrows her eyes. "Somebody's a little light on their feet. What's your fighting name? The Fancy Dancer?"
Aang smiles and shrugs. She sends him flying again. This time he stays levitating a couple of inches above the ring. The Blind Bandit frowns.
"Where are you?" she says quietly. Then, the moment his feet touch the ground - "Ah ha!"
She summons up and shoves a large boulder his direction. Aang jumps in the air and uses a blast of wind to shove it back her way. She tumbles backwards with a cry, flying off the edge of the ring and landing with a thud.
Xin Fu blanches. The crowd goes silent. Katara lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Sokka grins.
Then the crowd erupts in cheers. Aang runs over to where the Blind Bandit had fallen off. He's yelling something that Katara can't make out over the din of the audience.
Katara and Sokka meet Aang back down on the center of the ring. Xin Fu is holding the champion belt and the sack of gold. A few security guys are holding back the wild crowd.
Katara looks eagerly at Aang. He shakes his head sadly. She knows he means that he lost the Blind Bandit. Katara hadn't been expecting to find an Earthbending teacher here, but she had been so close. And now she feels as though she's back at square one.
Sokka doesn't seem to notice their sour mood. He hugs Xin Fu tightly before grabbing the gold and the belt.
"Way to go, Champ!" he tells Aang, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
Aang and Katara are silent on the walk back to their camp. Sokka fills the quiet, babbling on and on about the Tournament. Katara is glad that at least one of them had fun.
After Sokka goes to sleep, Aang walks over to where Katara is sitting in front of the slowly dying fire.
"I'm really sorry I blew it," Aang says. "I was just trying to get her attention for you. I thought that would be the best way. I was wrong."
He seems really upset about it. Katara thinks he might be taking it even harder than she is.
"It's okay," she says. "If that girl is meant to be my Earthbending teacher, we'll find her again. You were just doing what you thought was best to help. I really appreciate it."
He looks up in surprise. "Really? You're not mad at me for just jumping in the ring without talking to you first?"
She shrugs. "Look, Aang, you've proven yourself. Sometimes it feels like there was never a time when you weren't with Sokka and I. Of course I'd prefer it if you talked with us first, but I trust you to make your own decisions. So no, I'm not mad. I was worried about you, but not mad."
His eyes widen. "You were worried about me?"
Katara rolls her eyes. "Of course. You're part of the gang. I worry about everyone."
Aang looks at the fire and smiles. "But I looked pretty good out on that ring, didn't I?"
She laughs. "Yeah, you did. The people from that crowd will be talking about the - what was it she called you? - The Fancy Dancer! Yes. They'll be talking about the Fancy Dancer until the next big tournament."
She stands. "We should get some sleep. With all that gold you earned us tonight, I think we can afford to do some shopping in the morning."
"Now I'm really glad I bought this bag," Sokka says, looking down at his outfit. "It matches the belt perfectly!"
He's wearing Aang's green and gold championship belt with his green satchel at his side and strutting along the streets of the village proudly. Katara wonders when and where he started caring about fashion. Maybe after Suki dressed him up like a Kyoshi Warrior and he spent a month with only girls.
"What's that?" Aang says, pointing towards a sign up ahead.
"Master Yu's Earthbending Academy," Katara reads out loud. "I don't think an academy is how I'm meant to learn Earthbending."
"No, but maybe this Master Yu knows something about the Blind Bandit." Aang's eyes grow wide. "Maybe he taught her himself!"
"It's not a bad idea," Sokka agrees.
They wander into the courtyard, where two teenage guys are doing some Earthbending exercise. They look up and their eyes widen.
"Hey!" One says, pointing to Aang. "You're the guy who beat the Blind Bandit."
Aang smiles. "Yup!"
"We're trying to find her," Katara says. "Do you know where she lives?"
The guys exchange glances. "The Blind Bandit is a complete mystery," one explains. "She shows up to fight, then disappears."
"No one knows who she is or where she goes," the other one adds.
"Maybe we're asking the wrong question," Aang says. He turns to Katara. "How did you see her in your vision? Did she look exactly the same or was there anything different about her?"
Katara thinks hard. "She was wearing a white dress," she remembers. "And there was a flying boar next to her." She turns to the guys. "Does that sound familiar at all?"
"A flying boar is a symbol of the Beifong family," the first guy says. "They're the richest people in town. Probably in the whole world."
"But they don't have a daughter," the second guy says.
"I think we should check it out anyway," Aang says. "Just to make sure."
Katara nods. "We don't have anything to lose by paying them a visit."
They leave the academy grounds. Katara doesn't have high hopes for this investigation, but Aang seems more than happy to lead it so she doesn't see a point in stopping. Plus, if they really do find the girl, Katara might be able to start her Earthbending lessons by tomorrow. If they don't find her, they'll just keep searching for another teacher.
On the outskirts of the town they find a huge property with multiple buildings and a large garden. The front door is guarded by two men with expressionless faces. A sketch of a flying boar is in place above the door.
"That looks just like in my vision!" Katara exclaims. She turns to Aang. "What do we do now?"
He motions for them to follow him. He leads them around the front door and then flies over the wall. Katara and Sokka have to climb over it the hard way, but eventually they land safely on the other side.
They hide behind a large bush in the garden to scout out the house. Before they can see anything the ground shoves them upwards into the air. They cry out as they land in a pile, Aang on top.
They all look up to see the Blind Bandit standing above them. She's wearing the white silk dress from Katara's vision. She crosses her arms and stares at Aang.
"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?"
"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asks.
From the bottom of the pile, Sokka's voice floats up. "Don't answer to Twinkle Toes! It's not manly!"
Katara shoves Aang off of her and regains a standing position, straightening out her clothes. "You're the one whose bag matches his belt," she shoots back.
"How did you find me?" the girl demands.
"I had a vision of you in a magical swamp," Katara says. "And then we thought we might find me an earthbending teacher at the Tournament, and when I saw you I knew you were the one destined to teach me!"
The girl narrows her eyes.
"What my sister is trying to say," Sokka says as he stands up, "Is that she's the Avatar and she needs to learn earthbending soon so that she can defeat the Fire Lord."
The girl shoves her hand in the direction of Sokka's face. "Not my problem," she says. "Now get out of here before I call the guards."
"We all have to do our part to win this war," Aang says. "You're part is to teach Katara earthbending."
The girl suddenly turns around with a helpless expression, the kind one would assume from a young, blind girl. "Guards! Help!"
Aang, Sokka, and Katara scatter. They hide behind a hedge and peer through, watching as two guards come running.
"Toph, what happened?" one asks in a gentle voice.
"I thought I heard someone," she explains. "I got scared."
"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph," the other guard says, gently placing a hand on her back and guiding her towards the house.
"What do we do now?" Katara asks, watching them walk away. "We can't just walk up and ask to speak to them!"
"Why not?" Aang asks.
"Because we're not rich or distinguished."
Aang stares at her for a long moment. "You do realize that you are the Avatar, right?"
Katara feels so strange in the presence of high society. She does her best to sit up straight in her chair and keep a pleased expression on her face at all times. Aang doesn't seem to have any trouble with it, and unlike her, he doesn't seem to notice the status difference. Sokka, on the other hand, is acting like a total barbarian. Katara keeps kicking his leg underneath the table.
Toph, her parents, and Master Yu sit opposite of them. To them, high society is effortless. They've probably never been without food or servants in their life.
A servant sets a steaming soup in front of the Blind Bandit - or Toph, as she's called outside of the ring. She's stayed completely silent the entire time, a neutral expression with the slight hint of a smile on her face.
"Blow on it," her father says. "It's too hot for her."
"Allow me," Aang offers. He sends a tiny tornado towards her soup bowl which instantly cools down the soup. Toph's parents clap quietly.
"I've never met an Airbender before," Toph's father says. "Your skills are exquisite."
Toph's mother turns to Katara. "Avatar Katara," she says. "It's such a high honor to have you here with us."
"In your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?" Toph's father asks.
Katara shrugs. "I plan on challenging the Fire Lord ss soon as I master all four elements. However, I'm having a tough time trying to find an earthbending teacher."
Across the table, Toph scowls.
"Well, Master Yu is the finest Earthbending teacher in the land," Toph's father says. "He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
Katara glances at Master Yu. He's dabbing his moustache daintily with a napkin.
"Then she must be a great Earthbender," Aang says. "Probably good enough to teach someone else!"
Toph resumes her neutral expression as everyone turns to looks at her. Under the table, she sends up a small pillar of rock so that Aang's chair is roughly tilted up and then back again.
"Toph is still learning the basics," Master Yu says.
"Yes," her father agrees. "And sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she'll ever become a true master."
Katara, Aang and Sokka look at him in shock. Toph continues to politely eat her rice.
"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is," Aang pushes before Katara can diffuse the tension.
Toph sends another pillar of rock, this time tipping the back legs of his chair up and causing him to faceplant in his bowl of soup. Aang glares at her and wipes his face with the back of his hands.
Katara opens her mouth to change the subject, but before she can speak Aang sneezes, sending a blast of wind to blow up everyone's bowls into their faces.
She sighs and sits back, knowing there is no way to salvage this situation. Especially when Toph stands up and plants her hands firmly on the table.
"What's your problem?" she demands.
"What's your problem?" Aang shoots back.
Toph's mother puts on a forced smile. "Well, should we move dessert to the living room, then?" she suggests.
The Beifongs are generous enough to give Katara, Sokka, and Aang a room to stay in that night. They each have their own couch to sleep on. Momo curls up in Sokka's new bag and Appa sleeps outside of the house, right next to the window.
Footsteps sound. Aang jumps into a defensive stance. Katara turns to see Toph leaning against the doorframe.
"Relax," she says. "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" Then she looks at Katara. "We should talk, Avatar."
Katara and Toph go outside into the grounds. The moon is shining brightly, cutting through the darkness. Toph navigates around perfectly.
"Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing," she explains to Katara as they walk. "I see through earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet."
She plants her feet firmly on the grass. "I can feel the vibrations in the earth, and then I know where everything is. You, that tree, even those ants."
Katara looks around for the ants that Toph is speaking about. She finally sees them, but she wouldn't have noticed them if Toph hadn't pointed them out.
"That's amazing," Katara tells her. "I think you can see better than I can in some ways."
Toph continues walking. "My parents don't understand. They've always treated me like I was helpless."
"That's why you became the Blind Bandit," Katara realizes. "You had a place where you could express yourself. A place where you could be yourself. And no one would try to baby you."
Toph nods.
"If you're not happy, then why are you still here?" Katara asks.
"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?"
"You could come with us," Katara offers.
"Yeah." There's a bitter undertone in Toph's voice. "You guys get to go wherever you want. Nobody telling you what to do. That's the life. It's just not my life."
Before Katara can respond, Toph suddenly crouches down and sets her hand on the grass. "We're being ambushed!" she exclaims before taking off. Katara runs after her.
The ground underneath them erupts and a familiar-looking man leaps up. He's followed by two other men. It doesn't take Katara more than a moment to identify them.
"Xin Fu! The Boulder!"
Xin Fu crosses his arms. "I believe you owe me money," he says.
"Money for what?" Katara demands.
He points at Toph. "I know you plotted with that other little kid to cheat me out of my gold! Now pay up!"
"I didn't cheat anyone," Toph argues.
"That's not what the Boulder tells me."
The Boulder pounds his chest with a fist. "The Boulder saw no earthbending when you went flying backwards! That's cheating!"
"That was Airbending!" Katara explains. "You said anyone could challenge the Blind Bandit."
Xin Fu narrows his eyes. "You really expect me to believe that? The Airbenders have all hidden away in their temples! Nice try, little girl."
"There's only three of them," Toph says. "We can take them."
Katara summons up water from the nearby well and bends it around herself. "Get out before we make you," she warns.
Xin Fu laughs. "Did you really think I underestimated your power?"
Two metal cages drop down, encasing Katara and Toph. Inside, Katara rolls her eyes; metal may keep Earthbenders locked up, but not Waterbenders. She uses her water to slice through a hole in the bottom of her cage and she falls out and back onto the ground. Then she does the same to Toph's cage, freeing the girl as well.
"Give it up. Xin Fu," Toph orders. "You know I'm strong enough to defeat you and the Boulder!"
"Do you really think I came here without backup?"
He stomps the ground, sending a tremor through it. A few seconds later the garden wall is broken through as all the other contenders from the Tournament burst through. Katara and Toph stand back to back, totally outnumbered.
It's at that moment that Aang, Sokka, and Toph's parents come running up. Toph's mother lets out a loud gasp and collapses into her husband's side. Toph's father stands his ground.
"You let my daughter go!" he shouts. "She's just a young, blind girl. Leave her out of this!"
Xin Fu laughs. "You're the blind one!" he replies. "Attack!"
Toph stomps the ground, summoning up a large rock shield in front of her and Katara. "I've beaten you all before!" she shouts. "And I'll do it again!"
Katara starts bending her water again, but Toph lays a hand on her arm. "These guys are mine," she says. "And tell Twinkle Toes to stay out of it, too."
Katara hesitates for a moment before deciding to trust Toph. She slips back over to where the others stand to watch.
The other Earthbenders start running towards her. She throws a fist up in the air and the earth under their feet blows upwards, sending them all flying. The first man to recover is the Fire Nation man. He's just beginning to summon some earth when she punches her fists out, a pillar of earth following her command and sending him flying into the garden wall. He slides down to the ground senseless.
The next man has a lizard-like face mask on. He throws two stones at Toph, which she effortlessly deflects behind herself. Then she uses a series of pillars of rock to toss him into the garden wall and right into the Fire Nation man, who is trying to regain his footing.
The man with the mining get-up tunnels under the ground towards Toph. He surfaces behind her, throwing a stone the size of her head. She turns around just in time to catch it in her fist. His eyes widen as she throws it right back at him, sending him tumbling back into his tunnel.
Another man in a mask scales the top of the garden wall. Toph stands directly in the middle between him and the Hippo and the Boulder, who are both summoning up stones to throw her way. The man on top of the wall leaps towards Toph. The Hippo and the Boulder step closer to her. Just before the man from the wall makes contact with Toph, she sinks into the ground. He flies harmlessly over where she had been standing and crashes into both the Hippo and the Boulder. They collapse in a pile together.
Toph raises herself back up and with sharp, sure movements, sends all of the men flying back over the garden wall. Then she fixes the massive breach in the wall. She does all of that without breaking a sweat.
Katara tears her eyes from the spectacle to glance at Toph's parents. They're both watching with wide eyes. Master Yu's jaw is wide open.
"Your daughter is incredible!" he exclaims. "She's the best Earthbender I've ever seen in my whole life!"
Toph walks over to them. Despite her amazing victory, her head is bowed and her unseeing eyes stare at the ground.
"I know it's probably hard for you to see me this way," she tells her parents. "But the obedient, little, helpless blind girl just isn't me. I love fighting! I love being an Earthbender! And I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me, but I'm twelve years old and I've never had a real friend." She looks up. "So now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."
Her father's eyes shine. "Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph. It's made me realize something." His voice hardens. "I've let you have far too much freedom!" He widens his arms. "From now on you will be cared for and guarded twenty four hours a day."
Toph's eyes widen. "But Dad!"
"We're doing this for your own good, Toph," her mother says gently.
Her father motions to the guards, who have been staring at the entire exchange in shock. "Please escort the Avatar and her friends out," he orders. "They are no longer welcome here."
Katara stares back sadly. Aang looks as though he's about to cry.
"I'm sorry, Toph," he says.
She keeps her head bowed. Her fists are clenched at her sides. She sounds awfully miserable as she says, "Bye, Aang. Bye, Katara."
Appa is waiting for them not too far away. Aang keeps wiping at his eyes as he packs.
Katara is feeling pretty bad, too, but she can see that Aang needs her right now. She goes over to him and lays a hand on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault, Aang," she says.
"Yes, it is." He angrily walks away. Katara follows him. "I was the one who jumped into the ring," he continues. "I was the one who decided to just break into her property, to invite ourselves over, and who antagonized her at dinner. And now she's going to lose all of her freedom."
"It's my fault, too. I could have fought those guys off and her parents never would have seen her power. But I let her fight them alone. And I was the one who was convinced that she was destined to be my earthbending teacher."
Aang sits down on the grass and picks at it aggressively. "It's just not fair! Did you hear what she said in there? She's never had a real friend before! We could be her friends!"
Katara knows that Aang is taking it so hard because he relates to Toph. Aang thrives off adventure and exploring and he loves making new friends. He always felt trapped in the air temples because the monks made the decision to isolate themselves from the world to avoid getting mixed up in the war. When Gyatso told Aang that the Avatar needed his help, Aang didn't hesitate to come to Katara's rescue.
Toph is the same way. She and Aang are very similar. She wants to explore the world and be free to fight and be in control of herself. And she wants to join the gang, but her parents are holding her back. And while Toph is strong and independent and tough, standing up to your parents is on a whole different level. Especially when your parents honestly believe that what they're doing is for your own good.
"Don't worry," Katara says. "She'll be okay."
Aang nods. He stands up. "Let's go. I need to take my mind off this."
They climb up on Appa. Sokka is already seated in the saddle next to Momo, cleaning off his championship belt. Aang takes the reins in his hands.
There's a sound like someone breathing hard and they all turn around to see Toph running towards them. Aang's face breaks out in a smile. Katara leans over and pulls Toph up onto Appa.
"My dad changed his mind," Toph says with a smile. "He said I'm free to travel the world!"
"Well, we better get out of here before your dad changes his mind again," Sokka says.
"Good idea," Toph agrees.
"You're going to be a great teacher, Toph," Katara says.
"I know." Toph suddenly turns towards Sokka and holds out her arm. "I'll take my belt back now."
Sokka reluctantly gives it up. Aang says, "Appa, yip yip!" and they take off.
Toph leans over the side of the saddle, the wind blowing through her hair, and she smiles in pure contentment. Sokka falls asleep, his head pillowed against his new bag. Momo snuggles into his side. Aang has a satisfied smile on his face.
And Katara realizes that in all the excitement of the day, she'd forgotten about her vision of the Fire Lord when she'd been trying to find Zuko. And suddenly she's not as happy as she was before.
She just hopes that learning to earthbend will keep her mind preoccupied.