Chapter 21: Toph Bei Fong
Beijing, China…
The next day, at a port in Beijing, after the SS Soul 'parked' near the harbour, all the passengers board off the ship. After Ricky's group gathered together at the bottom of the ship, Allen said to the group, "Well, here we are, Beijing. Once the capital of a proud country, now a city of slavery."
"I remember what I heard about the city." Rukia said. "After the Faction overtook Beijing, the general who led the invasion, Azula, turned every citizen living in the city into slaves. She forced the slaves to help her turned the city of Beijing into a civilisation of her own. Rumours say she is a psychopath, but no one knows for sure."
"Okay, then I guess confronting Azula won't be easy." Ricky said. "Let's wander around the city for a while and perhaps buy some supplies for ourselves along the way."
"Good idea. I could buy myself a good cheeseburger." Will grins.
"Yeah, and I'll contact you all when I'm able to book ourselves a hotel to stay in." Allen said. He and Will walked off.
Ben turned to Ricky and asked, "What can I do?"
"Um…" Ricky scratches the back of his head. "You guys can just follow the others." Ben let out a depressed sigh. Back in Omaha, he and Ricky used to be close friends. But ever since he met Saber, Allen, Will and Rukia, he felt like…their relationship is drifting apart.
"Okay." Ben said depressed. He turned around and followed Allen and Will.
"I'll follow them too." Saber said to Ricky, now feeling happy again after confessing her past to the boy she now loves last night. "See you around." She kisses Ricky's cheek, making him blushed. Saber then walks off to follow the others.
Ricky then turned to Rukia who nods her head back to him, then looked down at Wall-E and smiled, "I guess that leaves us together." Wall-E nodded. Ricky turns to Rukia, "Are you ready?"
"My life is yours. I'm ready to follow you wherever you go." Rukia smiled as she bows her head. Ricky then walks off with Wall-E and Rukia following him behind.
After leaving the harbour, Ricky, Wall-E and Rukia entered the city. They looked around the city and observed the people. Most people wore tattered robes and always seen carrying tools and cardboard boxes. After walking around the city for a while, Ricky, Wall-E and Rukia decided to stop by at a noodle restaurant. After ordering their food, they all sat at a table outside the restaurant. After the waiter placed the bowls of noodles which Ricky and Rukia both ordered, Ricky paid the waiter and waiter bowed before walking away. Ricky then uses his chopsticks, raises the noodles and took a bite.
His eyes widen in surprise. "Taste good." Ricky said after swallowing the noodles. He looked at his bowl of noodles, then began completely pigging his bowl of noodles.
"Slow down or you will choke." Rukia said before putting her noodles into her mouth. After eating all of his noodles, Ricky puts down his bowl and let out a sigh. Suddenly, he let out a cry of pain as he felt his chest in pain. He began pounding his chest as Rukia sighed. "Told you so."
Ricky quickly grabs his glass of water and drinks it all up. After that, he puts down his glass onto the table and sighed in relief after the pain in his chest is gone. Wall-E laughed at this display.
"Shut up Wall-E. You should be glad that I didn't end up puking all over you if things get worse." Ricky said annoyed. "Anyways, Rukia, is this how the people lived everyday since the Faction conquered the city?"
"Yes. Azula drove her slaves hard. Everyday, it's always work, work, and more work for the slaves. They don't get any rest and they kept working until they are dead." Rukia said before swallowing more noodles into her mouth.
Ricky ponders at what Rukia said to him. He knows that Azula must be stopped. He hates seeing these people suffer everyday and he knows what Azula is doing to them isn't right.
Just then, Ricky, Rukia and Wall-E heard a commotion nearby. They turned their heads and see a girl, carrying a crate on her back, being chased by two bullies named Vicky and Francis. The girl has blue eyes, black hair, tied to a huge bun and wears a green and yellow headband, green and tan robes, brown belt and green pants.
"Go away, you guys!" The girl cried.
"I don't think so, twerp!" Vicky laughed.
"Yeah, get back with that crate!" Francis added. Suddenly, the girl let out a cry as she accidentally fell down to the ground, dropping her crate in the process, much to Vicky and Francis's delight.
"Haha! The crate now ours!" Francis laughed. He opens up the crate, revealing bread and bottles of water.
"No please! Return the crate to me! If I don't send them to them, they will punish me!" The girl cried.
"Well too bad! It's ours now!" Vicky cackled. "So long, twerp!" Vicky and Francis both laughed as they ran away with the crate. The girl sat up from the ground and started crying as tears start to roll down her cheeks.
Rukia got up from her seat and said to Ricky, "I'll deal with those two. You go after the girl."
"Okay." Ricky nodded. As Rukia ran off to chase after Vicky and Francis, Ricky and Wall-E went over to the girl.
"Are you alright?" He asked the girl in concern. The girl turned to him with red puffy eyes.
"Of course I'm not! If I don't deliver that crate to the Faction, I'll won't have any food for a week!" The girl sobbed again.
"It's okay. I'm sure my friend will get it back for you." Ricky assured, patting his hand on her shoulder.
"Wall-E" Wall-E agreed. The girl turned to the robot and stared at him for moment. She then smiled sadly as she patted the robot's head.
"Cute robot you got." The girl said, now a bit happier.
"Thanks. His name is Wall-E." Ricky smiled. "Speaking of names, my name is Ricky Blade."
The girl turned to him and grins as she introduced herself, "I'm Toph Bei Fong."
"Are you a slave working for the Faction?"
"Sadly, yes." Toph lowers her head sadly.
"How old are you?"
"Twelve years old."
"They disgust me!" Ricky said in disgust. "How could the Faction do this to you? You're only twelve and they're already treating you as a slave!"
"No. Actually, I, myself, turn myself into a slave. I surrendered myself to them." Toph said. Ricky widens his eyes in surprise. Just then, Rukia came over to them with Toph's crate.
"Here you go, little girl." Rukia smiled as she gently placed the crate in front of Toph. Toph looked up at her and smiled.
"Thank you so much! How did you get the crate back from them?" Toph asked, hugging her crate.
"Oh," Rukia looks over he shoulder coyly. "A girl has her ways."
Meanwhile, in an alley, Vicky and Francis both looked stunned and shocked as their bodies are trapped in ice. Rukia has obviously used her shikai attacks on them to get Toph's crate back from them.
"I don't know how to thank you guys." Toph said as she carries the crate on her back.
"Yeah. And I think you better hurry or the Faction might punish you." Ricky said.
"Yeah. I should. Bye!" Toph then ran off with her crate. Ricky watches her with a look of concern and pity.
"What's the matter?" Rukia asked, noticing Ricky's face.
Ricky sighed. "Nothing. It's just that, I feel kinda sorry for her. She's only a child and she's already a slave."
"Let's follow her. We don't want anything else to happen to her." Rukia suggested. Ricky nodded in agreement and he, Rukia and Wall-E went off to follow Toph.
Later, at a Faction prison facility, Toph runs over to the entrance with her crate on her back. She gulps as she sees the Faction prison guard named Zhao standing at the entrance, glaring at her. She took a deep breath.
'Here we go again.' Toph thought. As she walks over to Zhao, Ricky, Rukia and Wall-E poked their heads out from a nearby building. They all watched Toph nervously walks over to the prison guard.
"You're late again, Toph." Zhao said with a growl.
"I know! I'm sorry! I just lost track of time! It won't happen again!" Toph begged. Zhao sneers and slaps Toph in the face, causing her to fall to the ground and drops her box of food onto the ground. Ricky and Rukia gasp.
Zhao grabs Toph by the collar when Toph looks at his face in fright. "Please Zhao! I promise! I'll do better!" Toph sobbed as tears well up in her eyes.
"You know the penalty for being late, don't you?!" Zhao bellowed.
"N-no! Please! Not again!" Toph shuts her eyes tightly as Zhao clenches his other hand into a fist, pulled back and about to punch Toph's face.
But suddenly, someone rushes in and grabs Zhao's arm before he could punch the poor slave girl. Toph snaps open her back and stares at her saviour dumbfounded.
"Leave…her…alone…" Ricky growled as he glares at Zhao. Zhao looks at him with a surprised look. Ricky then uses his other fist and punches Zhao in the stomach, making him drop Toph and stumbles backward. He quickly recovers and frowns at Ricky as he stands up from the ground.
"Why you little-"
However, immediately when Zhao stood up, he gasps when Rukia quickly stands behind Zhao and holds up her zanpakuto to Zhao's throat, making him breath heavily.
"You dare punch a little child? You're despicable." Rukia said to Zhao icily. She puts down her zanpakuto and kicks Zhao in the back, making the prison guard fall to the ground again. He then looks up when Ricky kneeled down to him and grabs him by the collar.
"Don't you ever let me catch you harm anyone again! You understand?!" Ricky snarled in front of Zhao's face.
Zhao glares at Ricky and barked, "Oh yeah?! Well you're a fool! You dare attack me?! No one ever attacks a soldier of the Faction! Whoever does that-" He got cut off when Ricky tightens his grip.
"Will be punished by the Faction. I know that! Because I'm already an enemy of the Faction!"
Zhao takes a closer look at Ricky, then widens his eyes in shock a few moments later. "Wait, I know who you are now…You're the Templar that our high commander is searching for!"
"Yes! And go ahead and send your men to attack me! Because I don't care! I can always take them all! Anyways, back to the girl. Don't you ever do anything to her ever again! GOT THAT?!" Ricky yelled. Zhao nodded nervously. Ricky then loosens his grip and Zhao immediately got up and runs back into the prison facility.
Ricky then walks over to Toph and holds out his hand. Toph just looked at him stunned. "It's okay. It's over now." He assured with a smile. Toph slowly nods her head, grabs Ricky's hand and got up from the ground.
"Thanks for helping me…again." Toph sniffed as she wipes her eyes.
"Hey, I can't let anything happen to you. That's all." Ricky said as Wall-E came over to him.
"Anyways, are you really…a Templar?"
Ricky nodded. "Yes."
"Wow. Amazing. I thought the Templars died out years ago."
"They do. But they forgot one." Ricky smirked and Toph chuckled. Just then, his cell phone rang. Ricky took out his cell phone, activates it and the phone shows a holographic image of Will.
"Hey Ricky. Just want to say that we are all at Hotel Omashu." Will said.
"Allen booked us a hotel already?" Ricky asked.
"No. He didn't." Will shook her head. "The hotel wouldn't accept his…um…age."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T BOOK JUST BECAUSE I'M FIFTEEN?!" Allen yelled at Bumi, the hotel's receptionist.
"I'm sorry but you're not above the minimum age limit to book a hotel." Bumi said to Allen with a bored look.
"Well, just to let you know, I'm the lieutenant of the Royal British Army! If you don't let us book the hotel right now, I'll-" Allen got cut off when Saber quickly runs over to him from behind, covers his mouth and muffled Allen's yelling.
Ben then went over to Bumi and said, "It's okay, sir. We understand. Thanks anyways." He and Saber both smiled nervously at Bumi as they both back away from the counter with Allen.
Bumi shrugs as if nothing happened and gets back to his paperwork.
Will turns back to Ricky at her cell phone and chuckles nervously, "Yeah, I'm afraid we have no where to stay tonight. Anyways, bye." Will then hangs up her cell phone.
"Great." Ricky groans sarcastically as he puts away his cell phone.
"You guys want a place to stay? You can stay at my house if you want." Toph said. Ricky and Rukia turned to Toph, then turned to each other.
"Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we?" Rukia asked.
Ricky turned back to Toph and smiled, "Thanks, Toph."
"Great!" Toph grins. "I'll escort you and your friends over to my house after I finished working." She quickly carries her crate of food and walks into the prison facility. Ricky watched her enter the prison with a look of sympathy.
'She's such a good kid. She doesn't deserve being a slave.' He thought.
Meanwhile, in the prison facility, Zhao rushes into the conference room. Inside the room, every high ranking Faction officer in the building were sitting along side the left and right sides of a long table. Sitting at the end of the table was a woman with jet black hair, tied to a bun and wears black and gold armour. Her name was Azula, a High General of the Faction and obviously, the Faction officer who controls China.
When Zhao enters the room, everybody in the room turned to him. Azula narrows her eyes at Zhao and sneered, "What is it? Can't you see we are having a meeting?!"
"Um…" Zhao said, frightened by Azula's dark glare. "It's the Templar. He's here…in Beijing…ma'am…"
Azula gasps as she widens her eyes. She heard about the Templar from her High Commander. She recalled Oswald telling her and the other officers that the Templar is dangerous as he possesses supernatural powers and wields the Carsomyr, which is a powerful weapon. She narrows her eyes at Zhao. "I see. Did you attack him back?" She asked icily.
"No. He's too strong. And his ally was with him. I was defenceless!"
"Any other reports?"
"No ma'am." Zhao said nervously.
Azula then made a warm smile and said, "Alright then. Don't worry, I will send my men to go after the Templar. You are now free to leave."
Zhao smiled, relief that everything went well. And most of all, he's glad that the Faction now knows of Ricky's presence and they will hunt him down for good. He sighed heavily, turns around and walks towards the doors calmly. But before he could step out of the room however, Azula stood up from her chair, drew out a pistol and shot Zhao in the back; right behind the latter's heart.
BANG!
Zhao groans in pain and fell to the floor. The other officers gasped and edged back. Azula puts away her pistol and said icily to the officers, "I hope this display shows all of you what happens to soldiers who are unable to fight back their enemies! If they don't fight back, they are no longer part of the Faction. And if they are no longer part of the Faction, they are our enemies. Anyways, like he just said to us, the Templar is here. I want that Templar dead. I have no interests in prisoners, so I want people who are allied with the Templar to be killed as well. I have been in charge of this city for almost 5 years now and I do not want anybody in get in my way, not now, not ever! So if you don't kill that Templar, I will not hesitate to kill you all. DISMISSED!"
The officers yelp and look stunned as Azula shrieked the last word. The officers immediately nod their heads nervously, stood up from their seats, salute to Azula and leave the room. After the last officer left the room, an evil smile formed on Azula's face.
"No one will ever make me give up my power. No one." Azula said to herself coldly.
END OF CHAPTER
Ryo: And that's the end of the chapter. And Toph Bei Fong finally makes her debut!
Toph: ABOUT TIME TOO! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR WEEKS TO FINALLY MAKE MY APPEARANCE! (About to jump onto Ryo and beats the hell out of him but Ricky and Allen quickly stops her before she does.)
Ryo: (sweatdrops) Okay, so anyways, I'm planning to put more Avatar and WITCH characters in the China story arc too. So look out for them! Next chapter coming soon so read and review!