Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Water, earth, fire, air... Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But, when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed and the new Avatar, an air bender named Aang, was discovered. Now traveling by his side are Katara and Sokka of the southern water tribe, and Ashlynn: an ex-member of the fire nation, and Prince Zuko's lifelong companion...
After several days of unbearable flight, Aang finally decided it was time to land Appa and resupply their necessary items. The team was getting low on food, and needed a new sleeping bag, since they'd lost one when they were attacked by the Rough Rhinos. So, Aang landed Appa outside of a large and busy city, and the team set to work.
"Who knows, maybe I'll find an earth bending teacher here," Aang said as they entered the bustling city. "That'd be great, but seems almost unlikely," Ashlynn responded as she eyed a shop filled with expensive clothing.
"I wouldn't say that, we could find one at any given moment," Katara reminded her, and Ashlynn shrugged.
When the kids departed from the food shop, their bags filled with an assortment of nuts, dried meat, and various makings for tea, a man approached them. Ashlynn eyed him warily, wondering what he could possibly want.
"Hey, you kids like earth bending? You like throwing' rocks? Then check out Master Yu's earth bending academy," he said with a confident grin, and handed each of them a card meant for advertisement. After he'd given them their cards, he ran off and vanished from sight.
"Hey... there's a coupon on the back, Aang. It says first lesson is free," Ashlynn told him, and Aang turned his card over and examined the coupon. "Hey, maybe this is the teacher you've been looking for Aang. We should go check it out," Katara suggested, examining the coupon too. "Sounds great!" Aang said with a grin, and then the companions walked off in the direction of the academy.
Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn waited outside the doors of the academy while Aang went in for his first lesson. People walked past them consistently, giving them curious yet rude glares and glances. Ashlynn glared back at some of them, but remained silent all the while.
"So... How do you think the lesson is going?" Katara said after several minutes of silence in an attempt to make conversation. Sokka and Ashlynn shrugged together, and continued eyeing the people. "Yeah, me too. I hope he will be willing to teach Aang though, since he's the Avatar and all," Katara said, and Sokka and Ashlynn nodded, still keeping silent. Katara frowned at the both of them, but perked up when Aang walked out the doors and approached them.
"How did it go?" Katara asked hopefully. Aang hesitated before answering, and then said "I don't think he's the one..." Katara frowned at this, but tried to maintain her optimism.
"I think the Boulder is going to win Earth Rumble 6 this year."
"Well he's going to have to fight through the world's best earth benders to even have a shot at the champion."
Ashlynn, Aang, Sokka, and Katara paused in their conversation to eavesdrop on two boys nearby, who were speaking about a sport containing earth bending. Aang found this most intriguing, since he wanted to be taught by the best earth bender he could find.
"Excuse me, but where is this earth bending tournament?" Aang asked interestedly, and ran over to the two boys. "Wouldn't you like to know?" they sneered, and kept on walking, leaving Aang in the dust. Aang's face sank with disappointment as he failed to summon the words to press them further for the information he inquired.
"Ashlynn, come with me. Us ladies can handle this," Katara said, and winked at Aang. Ashlynn grinned, and followed Katara as she ran after the two guys. "Hey strong guys, wait up!" Katara yelled after them as they turned a corner into an alleyway.
They turned around as Ashlynn and Katara turned the corner as well. They gave each other confused glances, but then smiled slyly at the two girls. Ashlynn put her hands on her hips and popped one hip to the side, maintaining a flirtatious stance. Katara crossed her arms across her chest and popped her hip too.
"Hey ladies, what're looking for?" one of the boys asked smoothly. "Oh, nothing really- just wondering where that Earth Rumble 6 is taking place; I just love watching guys fight so seriously," Katara said innocently, and released a dreamy sigh. "What about you?" the other boy said, and nodded his head in Ashlynn's direction.
"Pretty much the same," Ashlynn responded with a grin. "So you ladies want to go then? You could come with us, since we're going," one said, and eyed the other mischievously. He grinned, and said "Yeah, how 'bout it?"
"Aw, that's too bad... We were already looking to go with some people; we just don't know where it's at!" Katara responded helplessly. Ashlynn frowned, and said "Yeah, and since you guys know where it is, would you please tell us?"
"I don't think we should!" one of the boys laughed. Katara instantly dropped her act, and drew water from a barrel nearby, and force the two boys against the wall, making the water turn to ice so they'd stick. "Woah- Okay! It's an underground arena on the other side of town. Please, don't hurt us!" one said, and the other whimpered pathetically. "Thanks boys," Ashlynn said, winked at them, and ran out of the alleyway. Katara followed close behind her, not letting her captives free.
"You ready to find your trainer? Cause we're going to Earth Rumble 6!" Katara exclaimed happily to Aang, who was leaning with Sokka against wall. "How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang asked, bewildered.
"Oh, we have our ways," Ashlynn responded coolly, and her and Katara giggled together. Ashlynn thought she saw Sokka give her a slight glance filled with jealousy, but she ignored it for the moment.
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The team found the hidden tournament after a little while of searching. It was late at night, and the tournament had just begun. They filed one by one underground, and claimed front row seats, where no one else happened to be sitting. They soon found out why no one else was sitting there, as a massive boulder flew right in their direction and narrowly missed them, crushing the seats beside them. Ashlynn cried out in terror, and grasped Sokka's arm for protection. He laughed, and patted her sympathetically. "I swear if we die here..." Ashlynn said, releasing her grasp on Sokka while still shaking.
"Don't worry Ashlynn, I doubt anything will happen to us," Aang reassured her. She raised one eyebrow in disbelief, and then turned her gaze to the fighting arena before them. Currently, there were two men there. One was well toned, and had brown hair that was tied up above his head. He had plenty of facial hair though, to make up for his lack of hair on his head.
The other man was an overweight, fearsome man, who was missing plenty of teeth. The reason for this was probably because he continued to eat rocks as he stared down the other man. He stomped one foot heavily upon the ground, causing the whole room to shake. Ashlynn shuddered, hoping the ceiling wouldn't cave in.
"Our first fight is The Boulder facing The Hippo!" yelled the host of Earth Rumble 6. The crowd cheered, and most chanted for The Boulder.
Almost effortlessly, The Boulder lifted The Hippo high into the air with a thick slab of stone, and thrust him out of the arena. Ashlynn screamed again as The Hippo's massive weight caused an enormous rumbling throughout the area. Dust and rock particles fell beside her, and she once again worried about the ceiling caving in.
"How about the Boulder? He seems pretty good," Katara suggested. "I don't know... Bumi said I had to find someone who waits and listens. He's just listening to his bug muscles," Aang responded hesitantly. Katara shrugged, and turned to watch the tournament some more.
The next man up was a man clad in red, waving about a flag with the fire nation symbol upon it. Everyone booed him, including Sokka, who cheered loudly for The Boulder.
"Everyone, please rise, and listen to the fire nation's national anthem! Fire Lord... My flame burns for thee!" he shouted to the crowd, and broke into song. Ashlynn grinned, and began to hum the rest of the national anthem. Sokka and Katara glared at her in disbelief, and she giggled in response.
Before the man of the fire nation could make a move, The Boulder sucked him right into the ground, and earth bended him right out of the ring. Ashlynn, who had finally freed herself of her paranoia, began to cheer with Sokka. They stood up together and insulted the fire nation man as he collided with the wall right beside them. Katara and Aang stared up at them, wondering how they could've become so riled up.
And so, the tournament went on, and The Boulder continued to win every round. Sokka and Ashlynn rooted for The Boulder each time, and booed all of his contestants. By the time the final round came about, however, Ashlynn was exhausted, and sat down to watch patiently with Aang and Katara. Sokka, on the other hand, continued to cheer.
"And now... the moment you've all been waiting for... The Boulder versus your champion, The Blind Bandit!" the host of the tournament shouted, and a small girl walked out into the arena, and held up her trophy, indicating she'd won the last Earth Rumble game.
"Wow... She looks so young. She can't be older than Aang, in a manner of speaking," Ashlynn said, staring at the girl, and wondered how she'd ever managed to win. "Yeah, she can't really be blind, can she?" Katara asked, thinking the same thing as Ashlynn.
"I think she is," Aang said, and everyone aside Sokka gasped at Aang's comment. "I think she is... Going down!" Sokka shouted, and cheered for The Boulder some more. Katara glared up at him, and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl," The Boulder said, trying to convey his emotions in third person. The girl grinned, and said "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder." Ashlynn gaped at her, blown away by her bravery, despite her petite figure.
"The Boulder is no longer feeling conflicted, and is ready to take you down in a rockalanche!" he shouted, and went into a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" the Blind Bandit responded, and released a loud and high-pitched laugh.
The Boulder growled, hesitated a moment, and then took a single step forward towards his opponent. She merely stood still, and waited. As he began to lift his other leg towards her, she moved forward sliding her feet upon the floor, and opened her arms as she waited some more. As his other foot came down upon the ground, she kicked one foot forward, and uprooted the ground in a single line. It stopped right where his foot landed, and he slipped upon the uprooted earth, and fell over. He cried out in agony as his legs split apart from each other.
The Blind Bandit then effortlessly cast one hand aside, and sent three horizontal pillars of earth at The Boulder, and threw him right out of the arena. Ashlynn gaped at her, admiring how flawlessly she'd defeated The Boulder, who had been the champion of the entire evening.
"Your winner, and still the champion, The Blind Bandit!" the host cried out, and the girl grinned. Some of the crowd cheered, and some booed. Sokka cried in disappointment, and punched the wall behind him. Ashlynn couldn't help but smile at how animated he was.
The host of the tournament, who was a muscular man with long black hair, stepped out onto the ring to present the Blind Bandit's prize to her.
"How did she do that?" Katara pondered out loud. "She waited... And listened!" Aang exclaimed, and Ashlynn knew he wanted the Blind Bandit for a teacher.
"To make this more interesting, I'm offering this sack of coins to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" the host shouted, and held up a sack of coins. Aang instantly stood up, and volunteered. He walked onto the arena, and said "I will!" The host grinned, and went back to his seat as he awaited Aang and The Blind Bandit to fight.
"To people really want to see two little girls fighting up here?" The Blind Bandit threatened, showing off her tough disposition. "I don't really want to fight you, I want to talk to you," Aang responded calmly, and took a single step towards her.
Thinking that Aang had made a move to fight her, the girl cast a small earthquake in his direction, attempting to throw him up off the ground. However, being an air bender, Aang glided off the rock and floated behind her. When Aang touched the ground, the girl turned to face him and said "You're a little light on your feet."
She turned about, and cast another rock up from the ground in an attempt to throw him out of the arena. He glided behind her again, hovering in the air a little longer than before. When he landed, she turned around again and threw one massive rock in his direction. He rolled away from it, and sent a gust of wind at her. She cried out as she flew backwards and fell out of the ring.
Sokka and Katara cheered, but Ashlynn saw how Aang hadn't wanted to upset the girl. As the crowd cheered at him, he ran down the steps off the arena, and ran after the girl. Sokka, Katara, and Ashlynn walked out onto the stage to claim Aang's prize for him. Sokka snatched the belt, and Katara took the money. Aang, looking more disappointed than ever, re-entered the arena to present himself to the crowd.
Everyone cheered Aang on, amazed he'd managed to beat The Blind Bandit without even trying. Aang, however, wasn't glad at all. Ashlynn frowned, unsure of what to do.
"Come on. Let's go find a place to stay at, and then tomorrow we'll go ask around, see if we can find anything out about The Blind Bandit," Ashlynn said. Aang looked up at her, gave her a forced half-smile, and nodded. Together, the four friends left the tournament, and went to find an inn where they could sleep for the night.
"Ashlynn?"
"What?"
"Thanks."
Ashlynn groaned as Sokka woke her up with his whispering. He'd grown very fond of having late night conversations with her. She didn't mind, but she always felt more tired in the mornings, and since they'd already been up late watching the tournament, it was nearly unbearable for him to wake her up now.
"What are you thanking me for?" she whispered back, trying not to awaken Katara or Aang. "You made that tournament more fun for me by cheering with me and stuff. It was fun," he responded quietly. Ashlynn allowed a moment for silence, and then said "No problem. Go back to sleep."
Sokka remained silent after that. Ashlynn felt slightly guilty, but soon fell back into a deep slumber.
"If we want to find out more about The Blind Bandit, the academy is the best place to start," Aang said the following morning. His team followed him as he walked towards the academy, hoping to find out anything he could about the girl.
Ashlynn frowned with frustration as Sokka avoided her gaze for the third time that morning. She didn't think he'd take it too personally when she told him to go back to sleep, but he had. Things were more awkward than ever, and Ashlynn hated it. Their kiss remained so far in the back of Sokka's mind, it seemed, that he'd completely forgotten about it. Ashlynn sighed to herself, wondering if he'd ever bring it up.
"Oh great, it's you guys," came a familiar voice. The two boys Ashlynn and Katara had picked on were at the academy training. As much as the group disliked them, they were their best bet in finding out something about the Blind Bandit.
"Oh hey- You're the kid that beat the Blind Bandit," said one boy, and they both grinned together. They ceased to earth bend, and walked up to Aang to speak to him. "We need to talk to her. Do you know where she lives?" Aang asked hopefully.
"The Blind Bandit? Nah, she's a mystery. She shows up to fight, and then disappears. No one knows where she goes, or who she really is," he said, and Aang remained silent as he thought about the boys words.
"Oh, I'm asking about the wrong person. I once saw a girl in rich clothing with a pet flying boar. Know anyone like that?" Aang asked, and Ashlynn found it nearly foolish to reveal he'd had such a vision. Yet, the boys responded respectfully, saying "A flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family. They're the richest people in town."
"Yeah, but they don't have a daughter," said the other boy. "Well, that's good enough for me. Let's go," Aang said, and exited the academy. Sokka followed him, and Katara gave the ones one warning glance before following her brother. Ashlynn eyed the boys up and down, and turned around to follow Katara, leaving the boys behind.
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After an hour of search, the group finally got a lead on where the Bei Fong lived. Following the directions given to them by an elderly woman, they walked over to the house of the richest family in town. The house itself was huge, but it also had a massive courtyard and garden. It was heavily guarded, and the front door had the flying board etched into it.
"This has got to be the place," Aang said, gazing over into the gardens, unwilling to take the front door entrance. "I don't want to cause any trouble. I just want to find the girl, and get out," Aang said, and hopped over the wall into the gardens.
His companions followed hesitantly. Yet, right as each hit the floor- they were thrust right into the air. Ashlynn, thinking quickly, air-bended her way to soft ground before she could suffer any bruises. She turned about, and saw the Blind Bandit standing before Aang.
"What are you doing here, twinkle toes?" the girl asked, still facing Aang. "How did you know it was me?" Aang asked, and got up to face her.
Ignoring his question entirely, the girl asked "How did you find me?"
Katara got up and stood beside Aang. Much to Ashlynn's surprise, Sokka stood beside her, but still made no attempt to speak or look at her. Ashlynn wondered to herself whether or not he was standing beside her for comfort, or to protect her.
"Aang's the Avatar. He needs to master all four elements, and he needs an earth bending teacher. If he doesn't find one soon, he won't be able to defeat the fire lord," Katara explained, trying to take an appropriate approach in convincing the girl to teach Aang. "It's not my problem. Now get out of here, or I'll call the guards," she said defiantly, and began to walk away from Katara and Aang.
"Look, we all have a part to play in this war. Your part is to teach Aang earth bending," Sokka said, backing up his sister. The girl stopped in her tracks, turned around and cried out "Guards! Guards, help!"
Scared of what could happen to them, the group quickly climbed back over the wall and out of sight, just as two guards came to the Blind Bandits rescue.
"That was a close one," Ashlynn said, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "We're going to have to try a different approach. Let's try talking to her parents," Aang suggested. Katara nodded in agreement, and so they walked about the house to walk to the front door and greet the Blind Bandit's parents.
"What do you kids want?" asked a guard as they approached the door. "We want to speak to the Bei Fong's," Aang responded respectfully. "They don't allow random visitors to just barge in on them in the middle of the day. Come back another time," the guard retorted, and refused to budge.
"But you see, sir, I'm the Avatar, and it's very important I speak to them," Aang explained. The guard eyed him for a moment, and when he believed Aang was the Avatar, he went inside to seek permission to allow Aang and his friends inside.
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Eager and honored to have the Avatar visiting them, the Bei Fong family had a grand meal prepared for Aang and his companions. Aang sat across the table from their daughter, whose name they found to be Toph. Toph looked entirely stressed and frustrated that they'd come to visit her even more, and she could do nothing about it.
Ashlynn sat next to Sokka, who seemed to be forgetting the night before. They said a few words to one another, and Ashlynn was happy for the moment.
"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you here," said the mother of Toph as the servants brought out their platters of food and bowls of soup. Ashlynn silently sipped the soup from her spoon as she listened to the conversation.
"In your opinion, how long do you think the war is going to last?" asked the father. "Well, I can't say for sure. I'd like for it to be over by the end of summer... But I can't do that without finding an earth bending teacher first," Aang said, and grinned across the table at Toph. She frowned at him, but said nothing.
"Well, Master Yu is the greatest earth bender in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was very young," master Bei Fong answered. Ashlynn looked over at Master Yu, who was sitting beside Toph's mother. Ashlynn assumed he spent a lot of time at the Bei Fong house.
"Wow, she must be a great earth bender then!" Aang exclaimed, and winked at Toph, who didn't find him humorous in the slightest. "Well, Toph is still learning the basics," Master Yu responded as he ate from his bowl of rice. Mimicking him, Ashlynn began to eat from her own bowl of rice.
"Yes... It's tragic. Because of her blindness, she'll never be able to become a true master," Toph's father said sadly, and refrained from eating his food as he took his daughter's situation into serious thought.
"Well, I'm sure she's better than you think," Aang said happily, and Toph continued to angrily glare at him. Aang frowned at her, and Master Bei Fong swapped his gaze between the two of them, wondering if there was more than meets the eye.
"Well... shall we move to the living room for dessert?" Mistress Bei Fong asked. The family stood up, and escorted Aang and his companions to the living room, hoping to reduce the amount of tension in the room.
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After dessert, the family and Master Yu went down to sleep, offering the living room as a sleeping place for Aang and his friends for the evening. They accepted his offer gratefully, and Aang politely bade them goodnight.
As the group sat down to talk, Toph entered the living room. Aang jumped, startled to see her. "Listen, let's call a truce. No more hostility, okay?" she asked. Aang nodded, and grinned at her.
"Come on, I want to show you something," Toph said, and left the living room. Aang turned back to look at Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn for permission. Katara was already fast asleep on the couch, and so Sokka and Ashlynn nodded their approval. Aang bowed to his friends, and left the room.
"If we're lucky, maybe Toph will agree to teach him," Sokka said to Ashlynn. Ashlynn looked over at him, and nodded. He stared at her for a moment, and then looked away.
"Listen... I'm sorry about last night," Ashlynn said, and blushed from embarrassment. She knew she'd been rude and foolish. "It's not that big of a deal, I just made it a big deal. I'm sorry too," Sokka said, and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I just... Didn't think you'd take it so personally. I was just tired is all. If you want to talk, I'll talk," Ashlynn said, and smiled back. Sokka dropped his smile, and looked away from her. "I've been thinking..." he said, and paused.
"Thinking about what?" Ashlynn asked curiously. "About... About the incident in the cave," he responded, and still didn't look at her. Ashlynn blushed madly, but turned her face away from the light so he wouldn't see. "What about it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"About if it meant anything, or if we just did it for our survival," he said, and Ashlynn thought she saw him blushing too. "Well, it was originally meant to get us out of there..." Ashlynn reminded him.
"Did it mean anything to you?" Sokka asked, and finally looked over at her. "I..." Ashlynn went to respond, but was interrupted.
"Come quick!" Master Yu said as he ran into the living. "What is it?" Katara yawned sleepily as she stirred from her slumber. "I heard a scream from the gardens, it sounded like Toph," he responded, and ran away. Toph's parents followed him a few moments later.
"Where's Aang?" Katara asked as she sat up, preparing to follow the Bei Fong's and Master Yu. "With Toph..." Ashlynn explained. Katara gasped, and ran after the adults. Ashlynn followed her, and Sokka trailed behind.
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There were two large imprints in the ground in a corner of the gardens, and a single knife with a note attached to it. "It seems they've been kidnapped, and whoever kidnapped them left this," Sokka explained, and unraveled the note.
"If you want to see your daughter again, bring 500 gold pieces to the arena. Signed Xin Fu and The Boulder," Katara said, reading the note out loud as Sokka held it. Toph's mother began to weep with worry, and the father turned to Master Yu.
"I need your help getting my daughter back," he told the earth bending master, and he nodded, vowing to get Toph back. "We're coming with you," Ashlynn said, knowing that they needed to rescue Aang too.
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"Toph!" cried Master Bei Fong as they entered the arena. Toph and Aang were suspended in the air, being held captive in metal cages. Xin Fu, the host of the tournament, and The Boulder stood beneath them, and turned around at the sound of Toph's father's voice.
"Here's your money, now let them go," Sokka demanded, and held a bag of coins forward. He set it down on the ground, and Master Yu bended it towards Xin Fu. He opened the bag, counted the coins, and allowed Toph to be brought down. Toph fell from the cage, and ran to her father.
"What about Aang?" Katara asked, and looked up at Aang's cage, which was still hanging in the air. "I think the Fire Nation will pay much more for the Avatar," Xin Fu said with a sneer. Ashlynn, Katara, and Sokka made a move to fight him and The Boulder, but halted when more earth benders entered the arena, defending Xin Fu.
The three friends were outmatched, and could not rescue Aang alone. Aang told them to go, and they hesitantly followed Toph and her parents.
"Toph! There's too many of them. We need an earth bender. No, we need you!" Katara shouted after Toph, refusing to leave the coliseum. "What? How dare you! My daughter is blind! She is blind, helpless and fragile. How could you dare to think she could help you?" Master Bei Fong said, grasping Toph's hand tightly.
"Because, I can help," Toph said, and pulled away from her father. He stared at her with disbelief as she walked away from him, and joined Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn.
"Alright, give him back! I've beat you all before and I can do it again!" Toph shouted as she walked up onto the arena. The earth benders were already carrying Aang away, but they stopped to face Toph. The Hippo, whom was carrying Aang's cage, tossed it aside as he and his companions prepared to fight Toph. Katara, Sokka, and Ashlynn went to run forward and help Toph, but she stopped them.
"Stay here... They're mine," she said, blocking their path. Katara and Sokka exchanged surprised looks, but Ashlynn had confidence in Toph. She nodded, and ran over to Aang's cage so she could work on breaking him out. Aang and Katara obediently followed her.
Sokka, Katara, and Ashlynn beat the locks on the cage with a large stone, trying to break it free so Aang would escape. Finally, after several minutes of consistent pounding, the lock came loose, and Aang crawled out from his cage. By then, Toph had already defeated most of the earth benders. All that remained was her, and Xin Fu.
Aang moved to help her, but Sokka stopped him. "She wants to do this herself," he explained. Aang considered this for a moment, and then patiently watched the battle.
Xin Fu instantly began to throw massive boulders at Toph, never ceasing to stop fire. He threw them over and over again, but she evaded them by creating a rock wall around her. When Xin Fu paused for a moment, she cast her own boulder at him. He jumped to avoid it, and then threw another boulder at her. While he was distracted, Toph dodged his attack and threw one giant rock at him that struck him head on and forced him out of the ring.
Amazed, Katara, Ashlynn, Aang, and Sokka went to congratulate her. Her father, on the other hand, was not amazed in the slightest, but rather disappointed. He said nothing to his daughter, but forced her to head home. The Avatar and his friends followed slowly.
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"Dad... I know it's hard for you to see me like this, but the helpless blind girl you think I am just isn't me. I love to fight, and I'm really good at it! I'm sorry I kept my life a secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the world. I know you were only trying to protect me, but I'm twelve and I've never had an actual friend!"
Ashlynn's emotions sank as she began to feel sorry for Toph. She was forced to confront her parents about her life, in front of the guards and Master Yu. She was brave for doing it, but Ashlynn knew she didn't want to. Ashlynn could sense the independence Toph craved for, and she wished she could have it.
"Now that you see how I truly am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me," Toph finished sadly, and looked at the floor. "Of course not Toph- In fact, it's made me realize something," her father said. Toph perked up at this, wondering what he could've realized.
"I've let you have far too much freedom! From now on you will be guarded and cared for twenty-four hours a day," her father commanded, forcing his parental superiority over her. "But dad!" Toph attempted to complain, but her mother shot her argument down, backing up her father entirely.
"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out. They're not longer welcome here," Toph's father demanded. A servant came into the room, and went to show the group to the front door. "I'm sorry, Toph," Aang said as he walked away from her.
"I'm sorry too, Aang..." she replied quietly, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
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Aang, Katara, Ashlynn, and Sokka began to pack their belongings and prepare Appa for another long flight in search of a new earth bending trainer for Aang. It was late at night, and Aang was furious, though he remained silent.
"Don't worry, Aang. There are lots of other earth benders out there. We'll find you a trainer," Katara reassured him. Aang said nothing, and hopped onto Appa's back, where Ashlynn and Sokka already awaited him. Katara sighed, and climbed up on top of Appa as well.
Just before Appa took off, they heard someone approaching them. The moonlight shone brightly upon the ground, revealing the person as Toph, who was running at Appa. She carried a pack with her, and was clad in traveler's clothes.
"Toph! What are you doing here?" Aang asked in awe. "My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world," she explained with a childish smile. Sokka smiled back at her, and said "Well we'd better get going before he changes his mind again."
"Good idea," she responded, and earth bended herself on top of Appa. "You're going to be a great teacher, Toph," Aang said, happier than ever.
With a 'yip-yip' Appa flew off into the night sky and each team member fell asleep, eager and excited for Aang to finally learn earth bending.