Chapter 6

SURPRISE

Toph was walking around the town wearing her new green lotus embroidery silk chinese shirt and pants combo with a long black dragon printed on the waist of it. She had her hair all tied up in a nice ponytail while her straw-woven bag swayed from her wrist as she walk. She walked along all the corner shops with two bags of clothing, shoes, staffs, and other stuff.

She was on her way back to her house or 'fortune palace' as she called it. Toph walked in to hear Aunt Wu reading fortune to a female villager. She heard Aunt Wu say about future wealth and love about the girl. Toph made her way to her room to place her stuff. She made her way around the corner when she bumped into Meng. Toph fell to the floor and her stuff spilled over the floor. Toph got up but stop when she felt Meng's cold eyes glaring at her.

"Hey! Watch were your going, freak show. Oh wait, You CAN'T!"

Toph patience was wering thin. She hated when Meng and other girls made fun of her blindness. It happen each day, at home, earthbending school and in stores, stupid rumours about her were spread everyday, She was only an insult away from sending Meng into a world of hurt. But Toph knew better then that, even though she was still the hard core rebel she was, she had to behave. Toph just picked up her stuff and face Meng.

"Sorry, Meng. I couldn't feel the vibration of your clumsy feet," smiled Toph as she walk to her room.

"WHAT! WHY YOU LITTTLE..." screamed Meng, but her voice faded as Toph reach her room.

Toph jumped on her bed and took out all her clothing, shoes and make up she bought. The entire village was talking about King Huo-Jiang, the ruler that created a kingdom around the village, party. Huo-Jiang was throwing a royal ball to honor a mystery guest that was going to visit the kingdom. No one knew who he or she was but they had to be important for the King to have a party so that everyone may come. Toph didn't little to get all high fashion about the party, but she still had to look her best for she was a VIP to the king's party since she was one of the most strongest warriors in all the nation. After all, King Huo-Jiang was the brother of Ba Sing Se's king.

Toph was asked to be the host for a very important visitor. Nobody knew who he or she was but they had to be very important for the King to issue a be banquet and make sure everyone in town was there.

She picked up her new dress. It was a long green chinese dress. It had a large, white crane circling her waist while cherry blossoms feel from the crane's wing. The sash was a burned brown color with a pair of shoes to match. Toph removed her clothing and put on her new dress. She brushed her hair and curled it up into two buns on each side on her head.

"Toph, dear."

Toph turn. She felt that Aunt Wu was there, but outside the door.

"Are you ready? The carriage is here."

"Almost, Aunt Wu. I'll be in a few minutes."

As Aunt Wu walked down the hall, Toph started to search for her long, green veil. It was a special veil that the Queen had given her a year ago. It was the softest, smoothest piece of cloth in the Earth Kingdom. It was four feet long with a shiny surface that gave her a sparkling appearence. All the hostess were suppost to wear one like her's. But for her it was hard to find it since it barly made a vibration. After feeling around her drawer, she finally felt a soft cloth. She check to make sure there was little circle piece sewed into it, there was. It was her veil.

She quick put it on and left her room, taking her her gold medallion with her. Toph reached the door and open it and walked outside into the moist nighttime air. She felt the vibration of Aunt Wu, next to the carriage, and Meng, inside the carriage. Toph and Aunt Wu both climbed inside and rode off towards the palace. The driver closed the carriage door and pulled the harness of the two ostrich horse. Meng stared out the window watching the dark senery as Aunt Wu talked about Toph's earthbending.

"Toph, your skills have been improving rapidly. In no time, you will go to the Earth Nation Championship where you may be crown the world's greatest earthbending!"

"Thanks, Aunt Wu," replied Toph, "But to enter the compitition, you need about 2,400 wins! All I have are 2,019 wins. Only the best of the best are going."

"Yeah, Toph," spoke Meng, "Your right, only the best fighters are there. Your just a weak, helpless, blind girl."

"Hush, Meng!" snapped Aunt Wu, "I'm sure you'll do fine. After all, you already won 17 trophies from compitions all around the Earth Capital and you've never lost a fight in your life! Right?"

"Well...acually, I did lost one battle back home...to...an airbender?" said Toph, blowing her head down.

"An airbender?" said Aunt Wu, "But the only airbender around is...Toph, did you battle the Avatar!?"

"Y..yes. I was his earthbender teacher."

"WHAT! YOUR THE AVATAR'S EARTHBENDING TEACHER! AND YOU JUST LEFT HIM! HOW DARE YOU! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD LEAVE HIM WITH TEACHING HIM SOME EARTHBENDING! HE COULD LOSE TO THE FIRE NATION! YOU WORTHLESS FREAK!"

"SHUT UP!," screamed Toph, tears threated to spill.

The carriage stopped and the driver open the door. Toph came running out with tears falling out of her eyes has bad memories flashed before her eyes. She didn't stop, even when Aunt Wu called to her. Toph walked through the doors and kept fleeing down the hallway till she reached the back of the stage were she will be singing.

"Toph?" said two voices.

Toph dried her tears and turned around to find her two friends, twin earthbending sisters, Jin and Lin. Jin was the more active one while Lin was the anti-social, quiet one. But even though they were as different as the sun and moon, they were the top earthbenders, next to Toph that is. They were both had brown hair that reached their back, blue eyes, 5'6', and had tan skin. There were wearing the show's costumes, Jin was Kyoshi, female Avatar, and Lin was Selene, the goddess of the moon.

"Toph, there you are," exclaimed Jin, "We were worried you won't come."

"Speak for yourself," replied Lin, "I didn't want to be part of this stupid show. I was counting Toph's blessing for not being here. These costumes are both stupid and tight!"

"Oh, come on, Lin," Jin," How can we put on this show without our 'Fortuna'?"

Lin was pointing at Toph. It was true, Toph was to play Fortuna, the blind goddess of luck and hope and, some people believe, power. Toph was perfect for the part since both the goddess and Toph were blind. Jin dragged Toph to the costume/makeup room to get her ready for the show to the king and the special guest(s).

Toph changed into her costume which was a knee long, thin strap green goddess costume with a rope-like brown belt. Jin put on a light pink lipstick and lipgloss, light brown blush and green eye shadow. As Jin put on Toph's makeup, Lin did Toph's nails and put on gold rings and bracelets. When they were done, they put a green blindflod on Toph.

"Jin, why did you put eye shadow on me when I'm going to be blindfolded?" asked Toph.

"Because at the end, your going to take of your blindfold, tie it around a gold septure, and threw it into the fire as a present to the goddess. Like me and Lin are going to do but with the ribbons in our hair."

"Thats stupid," spoke Lin, "How do we even know if the goddesses are going to get our presents?"

"Come on, Lin," replied Jin, "Women build this village and honored the goddesses, so we shall do the same."

"Ladies," said a handyman, "Five minutes till showtime."

"Okay!"

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"Avatar Aang, we are honored that you have come to our kingdom," said Queen Ming.

"Well we did come once before," replied Katara, "Only it was a small village."

"Yeah, and Katara was caught up in fortune telling from Aunt Wu," answered Sokka, stuffing his face from the King's dinner table which was located next to the stage.

"Oh, so you've meet Aunt Wu," asked King Huo-Jiang.

"Well only me, Katara, and Sokka," answered Aang, "Zuko and his Uncle didn't meet her."

"Well you might see her tonight," said the queen.

"Excuse me," replied Aang, I'll be right back."

Aang got up from his seat and walked through the dinner room to the hall. He was lost in thought on how Toph disappear and left them. He really missed her and though about her every night. After the guy in Ba Sing Se told them she left, they started to look for her. After three weeks, they knew she was gone from their lives. Aang was still deep in thought so didn't watch were he was going.

CRASH

"Owwwwww." yelled a female voice.

"Sorry, miss...Kyoshi!" screamed Aang.

"What? Oh, my costume! No, my name is Jin," replied Jin, removing her headdress and black wig to reviel her brown hair.

"Oh, hello, I'm Aang."

"I know who you are, your the Avatar! I'm so excited to meet you before the show. It's like fate just smile on me so I could some as great as you! Oh, you sould really meet my sister Lin. She might need someone to cheer her up. She so anti-social! She dressed as Selene, the goddess of the moon. Oh and my best friend, shes dressed as Fortuna, her name is Top.."

"JIN!"

Jin and Aang turn around to see one of the handyman...er...women there. She was very angry at Jin and started to yell at her for leaving her place two minutes before the show started and left the other by themself. Jin just rubbed the back of her head and laughed weakly.

"Sorry!"

"Come on, Jin! It almost time for the show! Sorry Avatar, but we must go."

"It's okay. Later Jin!"

"Remember to see me, my sister and my friend on stage."

The stage-women and Jin left in a hurry so Aang decide to go back to the table. When he came back to the dining room, he saw that most of the most boys his age where standing neart the stage like something wonderful was going to happen. He squeezed through the crowd till he fell infront of the table.

"Aang are you okay?" asked Katara.

"I'm fine, Katara," replied Aang, "Why are all the boys in front of the stage?"

"I don't know but there making an insult to men everywhere," said Sokka.

"Oh their just waiting for the singers to come out. From the boys point of view, they think Toph is the prettiest."

Aang and his friends almost choke on their drinks and froze. Aang was the first to speak, "Did you just say 'Toph'? As in Toph Bei Fong?"

"Yes, Avatar," said the Queen, "Have you meet her?"

Before Aang could reply, the music started to play and the curtains went up. Everyone was excited except for Aang and his friends who were currently shocked.

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"Hey girls!" yelled Jin from across the hall.

"Yeah, Jin? What up?" asked Toph.

"I just met our special guest and you'll never guess who he is!"

"Well then who is he?" asked Lin who was giving Toph a vase that was a present from one of fanboys.

"It's the Avatar!"

CRASH

Jin and Lin turned around in alarm. Toph had just drop her vase and it crashed and broke into a million little pieces. Her eyes were wide in fear which was new to the twins seeing as no one has ever seen Toph in fear.

"D..d.d...did you say the Avatar?" studdered Toph.

"Yeah, why?" asked Jin.

"I gotta go. I'm not doing the show," stated Toph.

"WHAT! NO," yelled the twins.

"You can't just leave, were about to go on!" said Jin.

"Yeah, then our parent will complain that all those dance lesson were a waste of time and that we should havd been home doing chores. I hate chores!" replied Lin.

"50 seconds, ladies!" stated a handyman.

Jin and Lin had to pull and drag Toph behind the curtins. Toph kept begging and yelling at them to let her go and that she didn't deserve this kind of treatment. But it was too late. The curtains went up and the audience started to cheer(mostly it was the boys). Toph felt Aang's vibration and stare on her.

"Oh god!"