Toph had always won. Always. She didn't know what it was like to fail.
Now, sitting in a prison cell, she realized that might have changed. And she didn't like it at all.
Rope bound her to a wooden chair, and the walls, floor and ceiling of the cell were all out of reach. She needed physical contact to bend metal.
Stretching her toes as close to the ground as she could, Toph cursed her shortness. Struggling against her binds, she cursed her weakness.
"Don't bother struggling. You can't escape," a familiar voice said, its owner the very person who had defeated the earthbender.
Azula.
Toph felt her blood boil with rage.
"Though, I must admit; you were quite an admirable opponent. Well, for a blind-girl, anyway."
"Rrrghh!" she growled, lurching forward. She wanted to say something, to make a witty comeback in response to the firebender's taunting. But nothing came to mind.
"Feisty, aren't we?" Azula said, her tone telling of the smirk she wore. "That's more than I can say for the Avatar."
Toph's heart sank with dread.
"What did you do to Twinkle Toes!" It was a demand, not a question.
"Exactly what needed to be done. After all, we couldn't risk having the Avatar defeat us from the inside."
"No!" Toph wouldn't believe. She couldn't. Failing herself as one thing, failing her friends was far worse.
"Oh, don't be upset," Azula said mockingly. "You're other friends are still alive. Well, most of them, anyway."
"You're lying!"
"Actually, for once, I'm not."
Toph bowed her head, squeezing her unseeing eyes shut and doing something she rarely did: crying.
Author's Notes: So... I wrote a Toph-centric, and it ends in her crying. Dx What is wrong with me?!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.
