Chap. 14
The Gathering of Earth Part 3
""Looks peaceful doesn't it?" Tierra said, as he looked over the small town of Gaoling before him. The two Earth Kingdom guards, Li Han and Karti nodded in agreement. The group had been traveling for almost a week since leaving Ba Sing Se, using the earth itself as their vehicle. Even then it had been a long and harrowing journey from the city to this little town that sat before them. The group had been bereft of most basic comforts on the trip, such as good food, comfortable beds, and many, many other things. But now, they had reached civilization and things were beginning to look up.
Of course, not all of them felt that way. "You guys done staring at nothing yet, or are we going to do this thing?" Toph muttered as she stomped up to them. Or rather, as she tried to stomp up to them, as she got tangled in Tierra's cloak for at least the fifth time that day and fell to the ground.
"How do you move in this stupid thing?" Toph muttered, as she struggled back to her feet.
"For one thing, it's fitted for me." The dog replied dryly.
"Ha ha." Toph snapped.
"Look kid, I understand you want to get in and out quickly and quietly, but you're making this harder then it needs to be." Tierra argued, not for the first time either. "You could just stay here and we'll go down and find the Boulder ourselves."
"Yeah right. You don't even know where he hangs out. You'd be down there all day looking for him, and I wanna get out of this place before sunset. So I'm coming, whether you want me to or not." Toph snapped back.
"Fine, but then can you stop being so damn paranoid about being found out? For heaven's sake Toph no one in that town even knew you existed! Even if things have changed, they're not gonna suspect some girl walking around with a few farmers if we don't make it obvious your blind."
"You don't know my father. He's gonna have sentries all around, looking over any sign of me. So I have to be disguised, and this is the best we've got, since your all-powerful magic can't help me."
"Watch it Toph." Tierra growled, but he knew it was useless. Since the announcement of their journey at Ba Sing Se, Toph had been angry and short-tempered about coming here. As the group had gotten closer and closer to the town, her attitude had only gotten worse. She had become impatient with everything and everyone, snapping at anything that delayed their progress and pressing them onwards when even Tierra was exhausted. The guards were already tired of her, and Tierra was struggling to resist his urge to grab her and shake her like a rag doll. Part of him understood that Toph was fearful of what could happen if her parents found that she had returned home. Being locked up again after seeing so much of the world again would've been worse then death for the dog. Seeing new things and having new experiences was all that he had left to live for. That was why he had acquiesced when Toph had asked for his cloak and hat to disguise herself when they got into the city. He may not have liked her attitude about, but Tierra understood her fear, and had no intention of letting it come to pass. But even so, Tierra's patience was being severely tested by Toph, and he didn't have much of a fuse to begin with.
"Come on all already, let's do this before I die." Toph snapped suddenly, as she wrapped herself in the cloak, pulled the hat down over her head and marched towards the town. "Move it already!" she yelled again after a minute.
"And you two having been traveling together for how long?" Li Han asked as the trio started after her."
"A few months, but I'm starting to think it won't be much longer." Tierra answered back, as he watched the cloaked Toph walk inside the Gaoling gates.
Being inside Gaoling was quite pleasant after the long stretches of empty land the group had seen before. Tierra and the guards smiled as they revealed in the smells of sounds of civilization once again. A few people turned and stared as the group walked through the town square, but ironically, most stared at the cloaked form of Toph. Li Han and Karti had acquired farmhand-esque clothes earlier in their journey and blended in perfectly. As for Tierra, he appeared to be nothing more then a regular farmer, thanks to the shadow-illusion that Rastla had placed on him at his creation.
"You blend in perfectly, you know." He whispered to Toph as they continued to walk.
"I'm not trying to blend in, I'm trying to keep people from figuring out who I am." Toph snapped.
"Blending in is usually a good way to do that."
"Oh will you shut up!" Toph hissed.
"Perhaps we should focus on finding the Boulder and restocking our supplies." Li Han suggested in an effort to prevent another argument.
"Good idea." Karti agreed. "But first, we will need to find out where the Boulder is now."
"Too bad the Architects couldn't be more specific." Tierra added. "They love their mystery too much sometimes."
"It doesn't matter if they do or they don't." Toph said. "I know just where the Boulder is. He'll be back at the stadium."
"Are you sure?" Li Han asked. "You said that you defeated all the Earthbenders there."
"Doesn't mean that Xin Fu would stop the tournament." Toph answered. "He loves the sound of money more then anything else."
"Then it is at least a good place to start." Li Han said. "Which way is it?"
"You don't have to worry about it." Toph said. "You're not going."
"Huh? Toph what are you talking about now?" Tierra demanded.
"We need supplies too, so you guys can stay here and get them. I know the Boulder better then anyone, and I know how to convince him to join us. You guys will just slow me down."
"Toph, I did not walk all this way for sit here and let you go off by yourself while you talk to the Boulder." Tierra snapped.
"Why, you don't think I can do it?" Toph snapped back.
"Well, let's see. Last time you two met, you beat the living snot out of him. I don't think he's going to want to listen to you all that much now. I just don't think that you are going to be able to …."
"You listen here!" Toph yelled out suddenly, surprising Tierra and the guards. "I beat the Boulder before, and I can do it again! I've always taken care of myself, and I can always find a way. And I don't care what you think about that!"
Before anyone could even begin to form a rebuttal, Toph spun on her heel and stomped off in the direction of the arena.
"What in the name of God was that about?" Tierra wondered aloud.
"She doesn't seem to like being told that she can't do something." Li Han said. "Maybe that's it."
"But I didn't mean it like that." The dog insisted. "I just meant that…."
"We know that." Karti said. "But Toph does not appear to be thinking clearly at the moment. Let her go, and perhaps she will see her error. In the meantime, we should get supplies."
"Yeah, you're right. We'll need as much as we can in the Fire Nation." Tierra agreed, as they moved in the direction of the town's market.
"Thinks he knows what I can do, I'll show him." Toph muttered to herself as she walked through the streets. How dare he tell her what she was capable of. She'd trained herself in Earthbending since she was six years old. She'd learned to see in a way no one else could. She'd beaten the best Earthbenders that Gaoling had to offer. She'd fought Firebenders and Chirron knows what else. And he thought that she couldn't get the Boulder to listen to her? What did Tierra know?
"He's worse then Dad." Toph muttered to herself, as she crossed the next street. "He never knew what I could do. He'll never understand me." There was a hint of sadness in Toph's voice as she said that last part though. It might have been the sadness of a child for a parent's love, but Toph had no time to dwell on it. With her anger fueling her, she had managed to walk to the arena in record time, as the huge structure loomed in front of her. Sensing it in front of her, Toph nodded, and headed for the large doors.
Toph pushed them open and walked inside, taking a moment to remember all the old memories she had of this place. She could smell the old dry earth that lined the building. She could feel the cracks in the rock floor. But most of all, she could hear the sounds of earth being thrown around and the grunts of Earthbenders. One grunt in particular. She smiled then, as she made her way to the basis of the arena.
"Hippo, the Boulder is going to bury you this time!" the large Earthbender yelled, as he held a huge chunk of Earth over his head. The fat bender in front of him just laughed and motioned for him to bring it. The Boulder howled and hurled the rock at his foe. But the Hippo countered by stepping out of the way, then gaining control of the rock and hurling it back at the Boulder. The Boulder however, quickly made a shield and managed to avoid the impact. As the pieces of rock lay around him, he said, "Good job, Hippo. We'll work more tomorrow."
The fat Earthbender nodded. As he waddled away, the Boulder heard a voice say, "Sounds like you're still giving your moves away, the Pebble."
"Who?" the Boulder said, as he turned around. Standing by the entrance was a small figure dressed in a brown cloak and hat.
"Does the Boulder know you?"
"You should. I beat your butt for the belt before I left. In fact, I don't think you could get it back in any of the rematches, even the cage match."
"Wha… Bandit?" Boulder gasped in shock.
"You bet." Toph said, pulling away the cloak and hat.
"What are you doing here? You can't get into any fights; the Boulder won't let you throw another match!"
"I never did. But I'm not here for a fight. I'm here for you. How would you like to bust some real heads? Fire Nation heads?"
"Hmm… The Boulder is intrigued. Go on."
"There's something big forming, Boulder. And the people in charge want you to be a part of it. Come on, aren't you tired of fighting the Hippo every week?"
The Boulder was silent a moment, then said, "Truthfully, yes. The Boulder is getting tired of all this fighting. But the Boulder doesn't really have a reason to trust you."
"OK. If you don't want to come." Toph said, as she turned and began to walk through the entrance. She smiled as she walked; she knew that given a chance for some new heads to bust, Boulder would be begging to join up, even if she was the one making the offer. All she had to do was give him a few minutes to process it and soon they could get the hell out of this town.
Just another minute should do it. Toph thought. But she didn't have another minute. Without warning, something suddenly whistled through the air and connected with her skull. Toph cried out and fell to the ground, her body already going limp.
"Uhh…"
"Shh honey, it's all right." A voice said gently, as it brought a cool cloth across Toph's forehead.
"Huhh…. Mom?" the girl said, as her mind came back into focus and she was able to place the voice.
"Yes dear. You're home again." Madam Bei Fong said to her daughter, as she cleaned the small wound on the girl's forehead.
"B-But how did I get here?" Toph asked. "The last thing I remember I was in the arena talking to the Boulder."
"The Boulder shouldn't concern you anymore Toph." Another voice said from the side. As Lao Bei Fong entered the room, he said, "I told him to inform me if you ever returned to the city, but I see it took another to bring you back here."
"What? Who?"
"It doesn't matter." Lao said. "You are back with us, and the bending tournament has served its purpose. I only funded it to see if it would bring any word of the Avatar to me, but it seems you were able to escape on your own Toph."
"Escape?" Toph repeated, as she pushed aside her mother's hand and arose from the couch. "Dad, the Avatar didn't kidnap me. I ran away!"
"Toph, you don't need to protect him." Lao replied. "Even if that were true, all that matters is that you are home and safe again, and that now you will never leave again."
"No, I'm not." Toph answered back. "Dad, I came back because I needed to find the Boulder and get him to join the army."
"Army? What army?" Madame Bei Fong asked.
"The Army of the Avatar." Toph replied. "We're planning the final attack on the Fire Nation. We're going to end the war!"
"What? Absolutely not!" Lao gasped in shock. "I will not allow them to take you to the Fire Nation and put you in danger!"
"Dad, I have to go. They need me!"
"I do not care what they need. I care about keeping you safe, and there is nothing I will not do to insure that."
"God, what trouble did she get herself into now?" Tierra muttered as he and the guards walked through the streets. They had been waiting for Toph at the square for almost an hour after getting some supplies form the market. At first, they had been accepting of the fact that it might take time to convince the Boulder. But given Toph's disposition, Tierra had become more and more worried that she had made a mistake, and had decided to pay a visit to the arena himself.
"I'm sure she is fine, but I hope you have a plan if I'm wrong." Li Han said.
"I can command the earth not to obey them. I think that's all the plan we'll need." Tierra answered as they turned onto the last street and came to the arena. The dog marched up to the doors and began to push them open, but as he did, a large hand snaked through and grabbed him….
"Dad, you can't keep me here anymore!" Toph yelled. "This is bigger then you and me. This is about the entire world!"
"Don't you raise your voice to me, young lady!" Lao said sternly. "I don't care about anything but your safety. You're too young to realize that now, but someday, you will understand why am I doing this."
"When are you going to learn? I don't need your protection." Toph countered. "I've been out in the world for months now, and I'm still here."
"You were with the Avatar. He protected you." La said, dismissing the rebuttal with a wave of his hand. "You are a child Toph. You don't know what's best for you. You don't know how dangerous the world is."
"Because you never let me see it! All you ever did was keep me inside this house and never let me out. I didn't have any friends, anyone I could talk to, because you were scared."
"That is enough!" Lao declared, and with a clap of his hands, he called two guards into the room. Toph turned in their direction, but before she could do anything about them, they snuck behind her and lifted her off the floor. Disconnected form the ground, Toph could only struggle as they held her in mid-air.
"Take my daughter to her room, and make sure that she does not escape." Lao said. "I am sorry I have to do this Toph, but I know what's best for you. I am your father and I will do my duty."
"I don't think you understand what that means, numb nuts." A voice said suddenly from behind the door. Lao turned, only to watch as the wooden door suddenly exploded in a cloud of debris. Everyone shielded their eyes, and when the cloud had vanished, they saw a man holding a small stone hammer, two other men in Earthbending stances at his sides, and behind them…
"Boulder! What are you doing?!" Lao cried out in surprise at the sight of the huge Earthbender.
"The Boulder has been thinking." Was the reply. "The Boulder feels like doing something else with his life, something more important. Then the Boulder met these men, who told him about an Army that is going to fight the Fire Nation. And they explained to the Boulder how the Bandit lost that fight before, and The Boulder decided that he should try to make it up to her. So he told them about your plan and how to get in here."
"Nice Boulder, but you need to drop the character voice." Tierra said.
"The Boulder never talks in character."
"He really doesn't." Toph added.
"Oh." The dog replied quizzically. Shaking his head, he raised his hammer towards Lao and said, "We're not here to cause trouble. We got what we came for, and we're ready to leave. But Toph is coming with us."
"Absolutely not! I will not let you take my daughter again. She means the world to me!"
"You've got a funny way of showing it." Tierra sneered.
"Guards!"
The two guards holding Toph began to raise their free arms, but before they could finish, Li Han and Karti struck first, sending forth two rocks that shot through the wooden floor and pushed the two guards into the wall, knocking them out and breaking their grip on Toph. She fell to the floor, and quickly ran over to where Tierra and the others stood.
"Thought you could handle this by yourself." Tierra said.
"Can't you gloat afterwards?"
"Toph! Get back here!" Lao shouted.
"No Dad. I can't. Not if this is really what you want for me."
"And I don't have any intention of letting you take her." Tierra said, his hammer still pointed at Lao. "Not if you intend to make her your prisoner instead of your daughter."
"What are you talking about?"
"For God's sake man, think about it! You don't treat her like a child, you treat her like an expensive China doll that could break at the slightest touch!" Tierra snapped, his voice brimming with anger. "She's blind man, she's not crippled. She has every right to a full and happy life, and you refuse to let her have one!"
"That's not true!"
"Oh really? What kind of life have you given her so far? She never left this town before we came. You gave her everything she wanted because you thought she was blind and helpless. You wouldn't let her do anything for herself. You denied her any chance to have friends because you were afraid that someone else would hurt her."
"How long were you planning to let this go on? What were you going do when she got older? When she became a teenager? When she became a woman? When you were dead and gone and there was no one left to protect her? What kind of life did you want her to have? Life isn't about just being safe; life is about risks and thrills and excitement too. If you weren't going to let her have that, you should've killed her when you found out she was blind!"
"How dare you!" Lao screamed. "What right do you have to talk to me this way? What do you know about having a child that is different?"
"More then you think." Tierra replied, as he cast off the illusion and revealed himself to Lao. The man gasped as he saw the figure that stood before him and recognized it.
"Dad, please listen to him." Toph pleaded, as she began to cross the floor to where her father stood. "I never wanted to hurt you. I know that you just wanted to protect me. But I don't need protection anymore."
"I want to have my own life." She continued, as she reached her father and took his hand in her own. "I want to choose what my destiny is. But I don't want to leave you out of it. But I can't be your little girl forever. Please Dad. If I have to leave her again, let me leave with your blessing this time."
Lao looked down at his daughter, at the tears that were running down from her pale, useless eyes. He started to speak, but then he heard his wife's voice.
"Let her go, Lao." Madame Bei Fong said gently. "She's right. She's always been right. We've treated her like a treasure that should be locked away from everyone. But she's not a jewel. She's our daughter. And we need to start treating her like it."
Kneeling down, the Madame embraced Toph and drew her close. "You have my blessing, Toph." She said as tears began to run down her face. "Go with them. Make us proud."
"I will." Toph whispered back. The two broke their embrace, and looked over at Lao. The man kneeled down then, and looked at his daughter. Gently, he reached over and wiped the tears from her face.
"I just wanted to keep you safe." He whispered. "I just wanted you to stay safe with us."
"A wise old man once said, "We raise our children to leave us." Tierra said suddenly, the anger gone from his voice.
"Who said that?" Lao asked.
"I don't know. Some old guy, who seemed pretty wise."
Lao chuckled, and then turned back to Toph. Father and daughter looked at each other in silence, until Lao finally said, "We will expect you back for supper Toph."
Toph stared at her father in shock, then the two embraced, hugging each other tightly. Tierra and the guards smiled, while behind them, the Boulder began to cry.
"Thank you Dad. I'll come back soon. I'll make you both proud." Toph said, as she and Lao slowly broke their embrace. Slowly, she walked back over to the others.
"You will keep her safe?" Lao asked.
"With my life." Tierra answered. "She'll come back safe and sound. I swear it on the name of my father."
The Bei Fongs nodded, and Tierra reached into the pocket of his shirt. He withdrew the Thunderstone he had been given, and then, with a crack of thunder and burst of lightning, the Bei Fongs were alone once again. But this time, they knew that their daughter was with her friends, and that she would be safe.