A young Toph Beifong crouched outside in her family's garden.
She could hear her parents arguing in the house. They were arguing about her. She did not need her enhanced hearing to know it.
Her father wanted her to start training with a local earthbending master. Her mother was objecting. She said it would be too much stress for their young, blind daughter. Her father said they would be careful, and that Toph needed to learn some bending in order to live. It was the same argument as always.
Toph tiptoed her way further into the gardens, past her dozing nanny. The nannies never paid particularly close attention to her, which she didn't really mind. She preferred being on her own.
Toph made her way past the fountains, slowly but surly, using the vibrations in the earth to find her way. She could feel the rocks, the plants, even the small ants making their way across the path.
Suddenly, she froze, listening carefully. She had felt something, a small animal of sorts. It was there…then suddenly, gone. She held her position, focusing all her energy into feeling the vibrations.
There it was again, but a little farther down the path.
Toph began to walk again, this time more slowly. She could tell the animal was light, whatever it was. Light, small, and a quick mover. Perhaps a grasshopper? But no, it was more delicate then that.
She continued on her way, she could feel it landing again, on the path before her. She could feel four legs, and a fifth one that reached out and probed the ground, looking for something. When the creature did not find whatever it was looking for, it continued on its way.
Toph followed it into the flower gardens, where the aroma of sweet daisies and roses met her nose.
The creature followed the scent as well, landing on a nearby flower. She could hear the stem of the flower bend with the additional weight.
Toph approached the flower carefully, not wanting to scare it off. However, it seemed particularly engrossed with whatever treasures the flower held, and paid her no attention.
Toph could see it more clearly now, it was a fragile creature, with a faint body and long, graceful wings which made up most of its presence.
She knew what this creature was; she had heard of them in fairy tales read to her by her nannies. They were called butterflies.
She heard that they were beautiful and small, and she had never thought she would get the chance to see one for herself. It was magical.
Suddenly, the creature left the plant. She froze for a second, trying to see where it had landed, but it did not seem to be anywhere near her. Perhaps it had moved on for good this time.
Toph felt disappointed at the abrupt departure, and was about to turn to head back to her delinquent nanny when she felt something soft land on her cheek.
It was only there for a second before moving on, but she knew what she had felt.
The butterfly had given her a quick kiss before moving on its way.
Toph nearly yelled in joy.
She could not see the butterfly as it made its way past the walls of the Beifong estate, but she could imagine its path. She shut her eyes and imagined its brightly colored wings as they flapped together and apart, soaring over the rest of the Earth Kingdom.
At least one of them was able to leave that garden, to travel on to the rest of the Earth Kingdom. Toph sighed as she turned away from the flower garden. One day, maybe she too would be as free as that butterfly, soaring above the walls of her home to see new sights and experience amazing adventures.
Team: Fire Nation
Round: 7 (love)
Category: Drabble
Prompt: 9. (Animal/Creature) Butterfly
Word count: 640