Book Two: Earth
Chapter Six: The Blind Bandit
"It's pricey … but I really do like it."
Xena sighed and rolled her eyes. The had been in Gaoling for at least two hours now, mostly because Sokka couldn't make up his mind. Aang kept shooting her glances every three seconds, worried that she's going to have some sort of mental breakdown. It annoyed the crap out of her. She wasn't fragile and being in Tami's and Tamsin's hometown while saddening wasn't enough to make her lose her shit. Although her mental cursing and annoyance could probably argue against that.
"Then you should get it," Katara urged her brother to make a decision. "You deserve something nice."
"I do, don't I?" Sokka said then sighed and looked the other way. "But no, it's too expensive. I shouldn't."
"Alright, then don't," Katara stated exasperatedly, walking away.
Aang happily jumps to his feet and both the airbender and guardian willingly follow her. Sokka started to follow as well, but suddenly turned back.
"You know what? I'm gonna get it."
Xena sighs and shakes her head in exasperation.
"Psst, psst! Hey!" A man ran up to us to show us the flyer in his hand. "Hey, you kids love earthbending? You like…throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy!"
He handed Aang the flyer and walked away. Xena frowns at his back before shaking her head slightly and reading the flyer over Aang's shoulder.
"Look! There's a coupon on the back! The first lesson is free."
Katara smiled slightly at Aang. "Who knows? This Master Yu could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for."
"And it's free," Xena added.
He gives her another concerned look and she glares at him just as Sokka rejoins them, sporting his new bag.
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"Eh, he's not the one," Aang said, rejoining them outside the Academy and shaking sand out of his ear.
Xena twists her head towards two of the leaving students, hearing the familiar name of the competition Tami had made.
"I think the Boulder's gonna win back the belt in Earth Rumble Six," A boy was saying to his friend.
"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to get the chance," The second boy said eagerly as he and his friend walked down the street.
"Excuse me," Aang called out to the two boys, overhearing their conversation as well. "But where is this earthbending tournament, exactly?"
"It's on the Island of Noneya… 'Noneya' business!" The first boy replied, he and his friend laughing loudly.
"It's about a mile outside of town," Xena tells Aang to the surprise of everyone else. "East of here in an underground cave."
"How'd you know that?" One of the boys asked in surprise.
Xena stared at him blankly before responding similar to how he'd replied to Aang. "Noneya business."
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"So how did you know where this was at?" Katara asked as they walked down stone steps to find seats.
Xena glanced over at the other girl. After the events in the swamp, Katara had made more of an effort to get closer to the older girl. It was nice, Xena had to admit. Before all she really had was Aang.
"I was friends with the creator, Tami, most commonly known as the Stone Warrior," She explains as they take seats in the front row. "Her twin sister was the nonbender that trained me in the Earth Style sword fighting."
"Hey front row seats!" Aang said with a grin. "I wonder why no one else is sitting here."
A boulder suddenly hit the seats next to Sokka, causing the other three to jump up,
"Does that answer your question?" Xena replies, resting her chin in her hands.
"Welcome to Earth Rumble Six!" A muscular earthbender shouted as he raised his left arm high in the air, "I am your host, Xin Fu!"
"This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?" Katara asked with a sigh.
"That's what I paid for," Sokka replied happily as they sat back down.
Xena glances at her and smiles. "It usually is just guys although you get the rare girl occasionally."
"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" Xin Fu shouted then leapt up to a podium above the ring where he rang a bell. "Round one: The Boulder vs. The Big Bad Hippo!"
"Tami would have had all these guys out of the ring less than a second after the bell had rung," She says, watching the Boulder's posturing as he knocked the Hippo out of the ring after a five minute duel.
"The Boulder wins!" Xin Fu exclaimed into his microphone as the Boulder raised his arms victoriously.
"How about the Boulder?" Katara asked Aang as she watched the muscular earthbender. "He's got some good moves."
"I don't know," Aang replied with a shrug. "Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles. What do you think, Xena?"
"No, definitely not. Could you imagine traveling with him? He talks in the third person," She says, shaking her head.
The Boulder defeated four more opponents before it was time to face the champion. The lights in the arena dimmed and a spotlight shone on Xin Fu, standing on the podium above the ring.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for," Xin Fu said dramatically as the stadium fell silent. "The Boulder vs. your champion…The Blind Bandit!"
A young girl wearing a green cape came into view, holding the championship belt above her head while two female assistants stood on either side of her. One of the assistants removed the cape while the other took the belt and they left the ring.
"She can't really be blind," Katara said skeptically. "It's just part of her character, right?"
"I think she is…" Aang said quietly as he looked at the girl curiously.
Xena tilts her head to the side quietly. The girl seems familiar.
"I think she is…Going down!" Sokka exclaimed as he pointed downward with both hands.
"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl!" The Boulder stated, making large gestures with his arms as he spoke.
"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder," The girl retorted mockingly as she made a mock scared face at him.
The Boulder glared slightly at the girl. "The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanche!"
"Whenever you're ready, the Pebble," She taunted with a wide grin as she pointed at the Boulder then she laughed maniacally.
"It's on!" The Boulder shouted before stomping down.
The blind girl kicked her foot and the earth moved under the Boulder's foot just as he steps down, forcing him into the splits. He lifts his head and howls in pain. The Blind Bandit shifted forward and swung her arm, knocking him out of the arena with three rock pillars.
"Your winner, and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu shouted and the crowd cheered while the blind girl raised her fist in the air victoriously.
"How did she do that?" Katara asked in shock.
"She waited…and listened," Aang said in quiet awe.
Xin Fu leapt down from the podium and landed beside the Blind Bandit, a bag in his hand.
"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu called out to the crowd. but was met with silence. "What? No one dares to face her?"
"I will!" Aang said eagerly, jumping into the ring.
Xena face palms in exasperation. What kinda person jumps into a earthbending match when he can't even bend earth yet? Oh that's right, Aang.
"Go, Aang!" Sokka cheered with a grin. "Avenge the Boulder!"
"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" The Blind Bandit asked sarcastically and the crowd 'oohed'.
"I don't really want to fight you," Aang replied as he held his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I just want to talk to you."
"Boo! No talking!" Sokka booed.
Xena reached over to slap the back of his head.
"Don't boo at him!" Katara scolded, slapping him as well.
Aang took a step forward and the Blind Bandit slid one foot forward rapidly, creating a small pillar that lifted Aang into the air. Aang glided behind the girl and landed lightly on his feet.
"Somebody's a little light on their feet! What's your fighting name: the Fancy Dancer?" The Blind Bandit snapped as she whirled around and launched another pillar at Aang, lifting him into the air again. "Where'd you go?"
"Please, wait!" Aang pleaded as he landed behind the girl again after gliding through the air again.
"There you are!" The Blind Bandit snapped and whirled around, earthbending a rock from the arena floor and launching it at Aang.
Aang gasped then jumped up and blasted the incoming rock with a strong gust of air, accidently knocking the Blind Bandit out of the ring and leaving the audience stunned. Aang shifted out of his bending stance and looked around as the crowd began cheering. He ran after the girl.
"Please, listen!" Aang called out to the girl as she stormed away. "I need an earthbending teacher and I think it's supposed to be you!"
"Whoever you are, just leave me alone." The girl snapped angrily over her shoulder then she earthbended a door in the stadium wall.
"Wait!" Aang called out again.
Xena sighed and watched as he walked dejectedly back to Xin Fu. Sokka jumped into the arena and hugged Xin Fu quickly then he took the belt and the sack of gold and held them up.
"Way to go, champ!" Sokka praised Aang gleefully as he wrapped an arm around Aang's shoulders. Xena shakes her head slightly at his antics and offers Aang a comforting smile.
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"I gotta admit, now I'm really glad I bought this bag," Sokka commented happily. "It matches the belt perfectly."
"That is a big relief," Katara stated sarcastically.
"If we want to find the Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy is a great place to start," Aang said as they walked into the Academy, where the two students from the other day were practicing.
"Hey!" One boy said when he noticed Aang. "You're that kid who beat the Blind Bandit."
"We need to talk to her," Aang said in reply, tone urgent. "Do you guys know where she lives?"
"The Blind Bandit's a mystery," The other boy stated. "She shows up to fight, then disappears."
"That's because we're asking about the wrong person," Aang said suddenly. "In my vision, I saw a girl in a white dress with a pet flying boar. Know anybody like that?"
Xema blinked in surprise and leaned forward to slap the back of his head in sudden frustration.
"The flying boar is the Bei Fong crest," She says when he turns to her, rubbing the back of his head. "How did you manage to forget that?"
"Yeah, but the Bei Fong's don't have a daughter," One of the boy agrees.
"Flying boar is good enough for me," Aang stated as he started walking away. "Let's check it out."
"You are unbelievable," She growled at him, stalking past him to take the lead.
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"That's the flying boar from my vision!" Aang said excitedly as he looked at the intricate symbol above the heavily guarded gate to the Bei Fong estate,. "Come on!"
Aang jumped over the wall with airbending while the others climbed over it. They drop into the garden and stop behind a tree. Xena senses her before she earthbends. Pillars of earth launch them into the air and she twists midair to land back on her feet while Katara and Aang land in the bushes and Sokka on the ground.
"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?" The blind girl demanded angrily.
"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked, still lying on the bush.
"Don't answer to Twinkle Toes, it's not manly!" Sokka scolded.
"You're the one whose bag matches his belt." Katara quipped.
"How did you find me?" The blind girl asked in annoyance, not answering Aang's question.
"Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth," Aang explained as he airbended himself out of the bush and stood in front of the girl. "And then I had a vision in a magic swamp, and-"
"What Aang is trying to say is, he's the Avatar," Katara broke in as Aang began to ramble. "And if he doesn't master earthbending soon, he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord."
"Not my problem," The girl snapped as she thrusted a hand in front of Katara's face then began walking away. "Now, get out of here, or I'll call the guards."
"You're Tami's granddaughter aren't you?" Xena asks and she stops walking abruptly.
"How do you know that?"
"Look," Sokka stated interjecting before Xena can say anything else. "We all have to do our part to win this war, and yours is to teach Aang earthbending."
The girl whirled around slightly and called out in a frightened voice, "Guards! Guards, help!"
They scattered and hid in the garden as two guards came running towards the girl.
"Toph, what happened?" One of the guards asked in concern.
"I…thought I heard someone." The blind girl, Toph, replied weakly as she turned to face the guard with a meek expression on her face. "I got scared."
"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph," The guard chided gently then he and the other guard escorted her out of garden.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Xena slapped Sokka in the back of the head.
"Great job, Sokka." She hissed when he glares at her.
"What now?" Aang asked dejectedly
"We stop sneaking around and go to the front gate," Xena declared, staring after Toph with a thoughtful expression.
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"Blow on it. It's too hot for her," Lord Bei Fong ordered when a servant placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Toph.
"Allow me," Aang said pleasantly then sent a small tornado at the cup, cooling the liquid instantly and causing their hosts to clap.
"Avatar Aang, Guardian Xena it's an honor to have you visit us."
Xena noticed the way Toph went ridged at her title.
"In your opinion," Lord Bei Fong addressed Aang. "How much longer do you think the war will last?"
"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer," Aang replied then smirked slightly as he looked over at Toph. "But I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first."
"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land," He praised. "He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
"Then she must be a great earthbender! Probably good enough to teach someone else!" Aang said slyly as he rested an arm against the back of his chair. "Ow!"
Xena eyed Toph across the table, seeing her slight smirk at Aang's pained outburst
"Toph is still learning the basics," Yu told Aang gently, ignoring his previous exclamation.
"Yes, and sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master," Lord Bei Fong said as he looked at his daughter sadly.
Xena looked at Aang alarmed. She had expected him to be like his mother, but he wasn't at all. The only one in the family that was anything like Tami was Toph and she did her best to hide her awesomeness from her mother and father.
"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is," Aang commented slyly and suddenly his chair jerked forward, causing his face to fall into his soup.
Everyone stopped eating to stare at him. Xena smiled gently; Toph had definitely inherited Tami's spunk. Aang lifted his head and pushed the bowl stuck to his face onto the top of his bald head. Toph continued to eat again as if nothing was wrong.
Aang wiped the soup from his eyes then he smirked slightly as he sneezed loudly, sending the food flying into Yu, Poppy, and Toph's faces.
A bowl fell from Toph's face and she lurched to her feet, slamming her hands on the table angrily. "What's your problem?!"
"What's your problem?!" Aang retorted just as angrily as he too leaned across the table.
"Well, shall we move to the living room for dessert, then?" Lady Bei Fong questioned lightly, her pleasant smile never wavering despite the odd situation. Xena chuckled slightly, watching in amusement as Toph and Aang leaned over the table, practically nose to nose.
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"Good night, buddy," Aang said as he petted Appa's head through the window of one of the guestrooms the Bei Fong family was letting them stay in.
"She's just like Tami, isn't she?" Xena asked watching him, and leaning against the wall beside his bed.
"She's just as stubborn unfortunately," He agrees.
"It's an earthbender trait," She replied and turned her head to regard the open doorway. "But Tami was a special kind of stubborn, not to mention prideful. What about you, Toph? How much of your grandmother's stubbornness do you have?"
"Enough."
Aang yelped as Toph suddenly entered the room to lean against the doorjamb. He shifted into a defensive position, eyeing her warily.
"Relax," Toph stated dryly. "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?"
Aang stared at her warily for a moment before dropping his defensive position. Toph nodded once then turned around, leaving the room. Xena smiled and sat on the bed as Aang follows her. Toph was stubborn, but thankfully not as stubborn as Tami had been.
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Xena crouched next to the scarred ground, frowning slightly. She looked up towards the roof thoughtfully.
"These were made by something heavy and I bet . . ." She trailed off and scrambled up onto the roof.
The tiles were chipped and cracked as if a great weight had been up here. She hummed thoughtfully and stared over the wall. The ground on the other side was cracked as well. She recognized the effect that an earthbender created when jumping from a height and using earthbending to soften the blow. She turned back to the garden in time to see Sokka remove a dagger from the wall beneath her. A note hung off the tip.
"Whoever took Aang and Toph left this," He stated as he slipped the note off the dagger and handed it to Katara.
"'If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena,'" Katara read the note aloud. "It's signed Xin Fu and The Boulder."
"I can't believe it…" Sokka said as he looked over his sister's shoulder then snatched the note from her hand. "I have The Boulder's autograph."
He then eyed Xena warily, but she was too busy thinking, chin pressed into her hand.
"Master Yu," Lord Bei Fong said walking over to the earthbending master. "I need you to get my daughter back."
"We're going with you," Xena suddenly piped up, jumping down from the roof.
"Poor Toph," Lady Bei Fong whispered brokenly. "She must be so scared…"
I doubt it, I really doubt it.
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"You think you're so tough? Why don't you come up here so I can smack that grin off your face," They heard Toph shout
"I'm not smiling," Xin Fu responded.
"Toph!" Lord Bei Fong said as they stepped into the arena.
Xena's eyes flickered around the arena, heat vision noting the hidden earthbenders. Aang and Toph hung in metal cages over the arena, the airbender looking depressed and the earthbender furious.
"Here's your money," Sokka said as he held up the sack of gold then put it on the ground. "Now let them go."
Yu earthbended the money across the ring to Xin Fu. The man grabbed the money and he signaled for Toph's cage to be set down and The Boulder released her. Toph quickly ran over to her father and he placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder as he led her from the arena, Master Yu following them.
"What about Aang?" Katara demanded as her fists clenched at her sides.
Xin Fu smirked and showed the three teens the Fire Nation wanted poster. "I think the Fire Nation will pay a very hefty price for the Avatar. Now get out of my ring."
Katara put a hand on her flask and Sokka reached for his boomerang. Fire Nation Man suddenly appeared in an earth tornado, The Gecko jumped down from the ceiling, The Hippo leapt into the ring and smashed a boulder with his face, Headhunter jumped into the ring from the stands, and The Gopher popped up from the ground.
"Go," Aang urged quickly. "I'll be okay."
"Not gonna happen," Xena growls and then look at Xin Fu. "You mess with the Avatar you mess with his Guardian."
His eyes widen at her declaration as she unsheathes her swords. It is still not widely known that the Avatar's Guardian was alive and served well for surprising an enemy with the announcement. Katara and Sokka back out of the arena and Xena steps forward slowly shifting into the first stance Tamsin had taught her, a stance she had created after watching Tami bend. Xin Fu and the Boulder step forward while Aang's cage is lowered down to The Hippo. The large babyfaced man takes the cage and turns to leave when a large rock spike appeared in front of him.
"Let him go!" Toph ordered behind Xena. "I beat you all before and I'll do it again!"
"The Boulder takes issue with that comment!" The Boulder snapped and the Hippo tossed Aang's cage to the side.
Katara and Sokka prepared to attack, but Toph held her arms out to stop them.
"Wait! They're ours," She says, stepping up to Xena's side before slamming a foot down and slowly raising her hands. "Let's show them who's boss, Sky Dragon."
"With pleasure."
Toph pulled her arms in close to her body and stomped her foot against the ground again. The ground rumbled and shook beneath them, sending up a massive cloud of rocks and dirt that exploded outwards and sent the wrestlers flying to the other side of the arena. They both step into the dust cloud and Xena closes her eyes to keep the dust out of them, relying solely on her heat vision. Toph attacks Fire Nation Man first, leaving Xena to go after the Gecko, who's crawling along the floor of the arena..
She fires a flame past his head with a simple jab to catch his attention. The Gecko jumped into the air as soon as he sees her, firing two rocks in rapid succession. She drops under them, led outstretched as she creates a blade of fire that strikes him in the gut and throws him backwards out of the arena. Toph takes out the Gopher when he appeared behind her for a surprise attack. Xena tips her head in her direction in thanks.
The Boulder stepped close to them still unable to see and Xena kicks (Spartan style) him hard in the gut, sending him out of the dust cloud to join the Hippo, who Toph had already removed. The two girls step out to face them and Xena reopens her eyes warily. Headhunter suddenly swung in from behind us, a rock in one hand as the Hippo and the Boulder charged towards them in an attempt to distract them.
"Turn the coin," Xena whispers to her, knowing that she can't see the Headhunter in the air.
She does as ordered without replying and the Headhunter collides with the charging wrestlers instead. Toph stood several feet in front of the downed wrestlers and a smirk curled the corner of her lips as she quickly earthbended them out of the ring and onto the other three defeated wrestlers below. Toph clears the dust next revealing Xin Fu standing alone.
"Together," She says.
"Together," Xena agrees and then twist her swords to her forearms.
Xin Fu cracked his neck then shifted into a bending stance and Toph spits off the side before shifting into her own bending stance. The three begin to circle around the earthen coin still embed in the ground, watching for who is going to make the first move. Xin Fu stances shifts as he kicks a large rock and two smaller rocks at them before beginning a rapid succession of even smaller rocks. Toph quickly brought up an earth shield in front of them, deflecting all the rocks then launched part of the shield at the man. Xin Fu dodged the attack and launched his own. Xena lunged forward out from behind the shield, scrapping the hilts of her swords against each other to open them and bends a stream of water to cut through the rock. Toph creates a fissure in the ground unbalancing him and Xena runs forward, jumping and spinning to deliver a hefty kick to his chest that sent him flying out of the arena.
"Nice one, Sky Dragon," Toph complimented as the other girl lands back on her feet.
"You're as good as your grandmother if not better," She compliments back.
Xin Fu pushes himself up between Lord Bei Fong and Yu.
"And as for you. This arena was created by The Stone Warrior, Tami Bei Fong. I don't know how it is that you came to own it, but I do know that it belongs to her descendents. If I discover that you're still in charge next time we pass through, I won't hesitate to kick your ass all the way to the Spirit World. Got that."
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"Dad, I know it's probably hard for you to see me this way," Toph said gently as she stood in front of her parents in their reception room. "But the obedient little helpless blind girl that you think I am, just isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender, and I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me, but I'm twelve years old and I never had a real friend. So, now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."
"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph," Lord Bei Fong replied calmly as he stared at his daughter. "It's made me realize something."
"It has?" Toph questioned in surprise.
"Yes," He said and his voice became stern. "I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-fours a day."
"But, Dad!" Toph protested, her eyes going wide.
"We're doing this for your own good, Toph," Her mother said gently.
"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out," Lord Bei Fong ordered one of his servants as he got to his feet. "They are no longer welcome here."
As the servants stepped forward and her parents begin to leave the room, Xena steps forward quickly intercepting them.
"Out of my way," Lord Bei Fong growls.
"You are a disgrace to the Bei Fong name," She growls back, startling him.
She stalks forward causing him to retreat. "I knew your mother and I knew her family. They were proud to hold up the meaning of the Bei Fong name and the crest, but you … You are a disgrace to their hard work. You live in this mansion safe in your own little bubble and you expect everything to go the way you want it. You feel safe in your wealth and are naive to think it will always be there."
She points at Toph. "You say you're doing this for your daughter. But you're only doing it for yourself. You're so ashamed that she's blind and that it'll reflect badly on yourself that you can't see what's right under your nose. She is an amazing earthbender, who doesn't let her disability stop her. She is someone to be proud of, but your head is too far up your ass to see it."
"Get out of my house now," He says, suddenly standing tall and pointing at the door.
"Xena," Katara says pleadingly, voice shaking slightly.
She steps back never taking her eyes off of him. Aang grabs her arm and continues to pull her back as the leave.
"I'm sorry, Toph," He murmured quietly and regretfully.
"I'm sorry too," Toph replied sadly. "Goodbye Aang."
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"Don't worry, we'll find you a teacher," Katara told Aang comfortingly. "There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there."
"Not like her," Aang replied sadly before they headed over to Appa.
Katara climbed into the saddle beside her brother while Aang jumped onto Appa's head. Xena stopped suddenly, looking back in surprise.
"Toph!" She exclaimed in surprise as Toph stopped next to her and Appa.
"What're you doing here?" Aang asked.
"My dad changed his mind," Toph lied. "He said I was free to travel the world."
"Well, we'd better get out of here, before your dad changes his mind again," Sokka commented in understanding and Toph nodded.
"Good idea."
"You're gonna be a great teacher, Toph," Aang said to the girl from atop Appa's head, a grin on his young face.
"Speaking of which, I want to show you something," Toph said with a smirk.
"Okay," Aang said eagerly, jumping down and his feet barely touched the ground before Toph sent him flying into a tree with an earth pillar.
"Now we're even," Toph explained and held her hand up. "Um, I'll take the belt back."
Sokka frowned and unbuckled the belt from around his waist then tossed it down to Toph.
"Sokka," Xena said to late as it hits her on the head and knocks her over.
"Ow!" Toph yelped and Sokka cringed.
"Sorry." Sokka apologized weakly.
Aang fell out of the tree landing on his head with a soft 'ooph'. Xena shakes her head and helps Toph to her feet.
"Thanks, Sky Dragon."
"Again with that nickname," Katara says in exasperation.
"Wait, you mean you don't know about how she got it?" Toph asked as the older girl helped her onto Appa.
"No."
"She fought the only airbending dragon and won."
"Airbending dragon?" Aang asked, recovering from his fall jumping onto Appa's head.
"It's a long story," Xena says, climbing up into the saddle. "But I think I have time to share it.
I loved doing this chapter. Toph is so fun to write. Next chapter is a noncanon.