"Do you really have to leave so soon, Aangy?"
Aang winced upon hearing the pleading voice that came from behind him. He'd slipped out early this morning to prepare Appa for their journey back to the Earth Kingdom mainland, and he'd hoped none of the villagers would be awake yet.
He gave one last tug on the ropes wrapped around Appa's right horn, took a deep breath, and hopped back down onto the ground, landing gently in front of the gaggle of girls that had been attempting to follow him everywhere the past week and a half.
"Well, I need to keep searching for an earthbending teacher," Aang replied with an apologetic smile. "So we have to go back to the continent. I'm sorry, Koko."
The tiny girl did not seem to like this response, immediately pouting and folding her arms. "It's not fair, Aangy. We've hardly gotten to see you at all since you got here!"
"Come on," one of the older girls, who looked to be around Katara's age, added, grabbing hold of his arm. "Suki still has one more healing session with Katara today, right? Come hang out with us!"
"I… Well…" Aang began, feeling a tug of guilt in his chest as many of the girls stared at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"Ahem."
The girl holding his arm jumped back with a squeak, and as Aang looked to his left to see none other than Zuko leaning against one of the nearby trees, his heart skipped a beat.
"The Avatar and I have some things we need to take care of today before we depart," Zuko said coolly, pushing himself off the tree. As his sharp amber gaze surveyed the group of girls, several of them regarded the Fire Prince with a fearful look, while others simply appeared annoyed.
"Like what?" another girl demanded.
"Important… Avatar stuff," Zuko replied, straightening his posture.
Koko narrowed her eyes. "But it's not fair! You're always hanging out with Aangy!"
Before the Fire Prince could answer, Aang grinned and sauntered over to Zuko, slinging his arm around the other boy's shoulders. "That's because Zuko here is my personal bodyguard, and he takes his job very seriously." With his other hand, he patted the firebender lightly on the chest. "Don't you, hotman?"
"Uh… Yeah," Zuko, ever the terrible actor, replied awkwardly.
"He's just doing his job," Aang continued, removing his arm. "You guys understand, right?"
Several of the girls were now looking at them with confused expressions. After a brief moment of murmuring amongst one another, the girl who had grabbed Aang's arm earlier was the first to speak up.
"...Come on, everyone. If the Avatar says it's important, we should be respectful."
With that, to Aang's surprise, the girls began to disperse back towards the village, and he sighed in relief.
However, a handful lingered, each giggling amongst each other until one of them—a pretty girl with shining green eyes—stepped forward.
Aang groaned internally and opened his mouth to insist that the small group of stragglers head back to the village with their friends, but stopped short when he saw that the girls' attention was not focused on him.
"Um… I just wanted to say that it sounds like you have a pretty cool job, being the Avatar's bodyguard," the girl said shyly, pulling her long dark hair over her shoulder. "You must be really brave."
"Oh," Zuko replied, blinking several times. "Uh, thanks?"
The girl and her friends giggled again, while Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion.
Aang felt a painful sting of jealousy pierce his chest, and his mood abruptly shifted from playfulness to irritation.
"Okay, that's enough, everyone," he said, stepping between the girls and the Fire Prince, putting on a wide, fake smile. "We have very important Avatar stuff to discuss, remember?"
The girls appeared taken aback by Aang's sudden interruption, but did not protest. As they turned to walk back towards the village, he could have sworn he saw one of them shoot a dirty look at him over her shoulder.
"Phew," Aang sighed again, slumping his shoulders. "Thanks for the rescue. How did you know where I was?"
"There's only so many options on an island this size," Zuko replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. "I decided to check the most obvious place first. I'm sure that's what those girls had in mind, too."
"...I guess I am kind of predictable."
"And you're too nice," Zuko added, folding his arms again. "You could have just told them no."
"I do feel bad, though," Aang replied, slumping his shoulders. "They're right. I've been avoiding them the entire time we've been here."
Zuko sighed and pinched his nose bridge. "Aang… you don't owe them anything. Those girls don't care about the real you. They only care that you're the Avatar."
A grin appeared on Aang's face as he saw another opening for teasing. "Sounds like someone's jealous," he replied in a sing-song tone as he nudged the Fire Prince with his elbow. "Don't worry, hotman. Before you know it, you'll have your own Kyoshi Island fan club."
"What exactly makes you think that?" Zuko questioned, raising his eyebrow.
"Well, let's see," Aang hummed, lifting a hand to count Zuko's attributes on his fingers. "You're smart, brave, passionate, handsome..."
Zuko appeared to do a double take before looking back up at him, his amber eyes wide with clear surprise. "...I am?"
At that moment, Aang suddenly felt a prickle of heat begin to radiate from his face down to the rest of his body.
"Uh, yeah," Aang replied quickly, turning away from the firebender to fidget with Appa's reins again. "I mean, that's probably what those girls were thinking just now."
"Oh... They were?"
"Yep," Aang muttered with a frown as he yanked to tighten the ropes, jealousy burning in his chest again. "They didn't exactly bother trying to hide it…"
After a moment of awkward silence, Zuko eventually cleared his throat.
"...Well, either way, I don't care what they think about me," the Fire Prince said, and Aang looked to his left to see him toss his bag up into the saddle. "I personally could deal without a fanclub."
Aang felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips again as his mood began to lighten back up. "Well, that's too bad, hotman," he replied, leaning against Appa. "Because I just started the Zuko fan club, and I'm the president."
Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes lightheartedly. "I guess you do follow me around everywhere."
"Says the person who literally followed me out here, just now," Aang teased. "Maybe you're secretly the president of my fan club."
Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line. "I can assure you, I'm not," he muttered.
"Deny it all you want," Aang replied, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly.
"...What are you guys doing?"
Aang opened his eyes to see a curious-looking Sokka approaching, a half eaten apple in hand.
"Just getting Appa ready to fly out later today," Aang replied.
"You know, I just passed a group of very sad-looking girls on my walk here," Sokka said, coming to a stop and taking a bite of his apple. "I didn't know you were such a heartbreaker, Aang."
Upon hearing this, Aang felt a twinge of guilt in his chest again. Could it really hurt to spend just a little bit of the afternoon with the girls?
"I already told him that he doesn't owe them anything," Zuko replied with a frown.
"Oh, I see. Did Mr. Angry Face over here scare them away?" Sokka joked.
"I very politely provided an excuse for Aang to get out of having to entertain them," Zuko grumbled.
Aang sighed. "Thanks, Zuko. But I really think I should go and hang out with them. It's the least I can do before we leave. Who knows when we'll be back?"
Zuko's brow furrowed. "Aang…"
"Come on, buddy," Sokka said, slapping the firebender on the back. "We can go hang out with Katara and Suki in the meantime."
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Aang asked as he turned to face Suki. She stood at the front of the crowd of villagers, many of whom were sniffling as they gathered around Appa in front of the village gate.
Suki shook her head. "I promised my sisters I would reunite with them when I was healed. Oyaji already sent out a message—they should be here to pick me up in a couple of days."
Aang nodded in return. "I know you guys will help a lot of people."
"Thanks," she replied with a smile, giving him a hug. "You know, I'm kinda glad you got arrested. I honestly never thought I'd see you again."
Aang laughed. "I guess it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"
As he stepped back, Zuko stepped forward. "Uh, thanks again, for believing me about Aang," he said, bowing curtly. "And for giving me a second chance."
"No problem, Zuko," Suki replied kindly, nodding to Iroh, who waved at her from where he sat in the saddle. "I'm glad you and your uncle are doing the right thing. Take care of Aang, alright?"
"I will," Zuko replied with a small smile.
"So… it was nice to meet you," Sokka said, clearing his throat awkwardly as he stepped up to the warrior next. "And uh, now that you're close to being fully healed, maybe the next time we meet you can show me some of those Kyoshi Warrior moves you were talking about?"
Suki laughed. "Maybe so, Sokka. And maybe you can teach me some Water Tribe warrior moves sometime, too."
Sokka grinned. "Yeah! I mean, totally. I can definitely do that."
Suki smiled back at the warrior before peering over his shoulder, her gaze moving to Katara, clearly expecting her to come forward next.
However, when Aang turned to look at the waterbender, he saw that she was staring quietly at the ground.
"Katara, are you alright?" Aang asked, growing concerned at the unusual sight.
"I'm fine," Katara replied, folding her arms and avoiding Aang's eye.
"Hey…" Suki said softly, making her way over to the waterbender and placing a gentle hand on her upper arm. "Is this why you were grumpy this morning during our healing session?"
Katara remained silent as her gaze slowly looked up to meet the Kyoshi Warrior's own. After a moment, her lip quivered, and she threw her arms around Suki's neck, embracing her tightly.
"I'll miss you," Katara said, her voice strained.
Suki blinked in surprise for a moment before softening and returning the waterbender's embrace. "I'll miss you, too."
"I'm sorry," Katara sniffed, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve as she pulled back from the hug, her expression slightly embarrassed. "It's just… it's been a long time since I've had a close friend. A friend who's a girl, I mean," she added apologetically to Aang and Zuko. "Someone I can relate to, in that way."
Suki smiled kindly, taking the waterbender's hands in her own. "I promise this isn't goodbye forever, Katara. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it."
Katara gave a small smile in return and nodded. "The next time I see you, I'd better not find out that you went and got yourself hurt again," she warned lightheartedly. "Be careful, okay?"
Suki chuckled. "I'll do my best," she replied, giving Katara's hands a squeeze before releasing them and turning to Aang. "You should probably leave soon if you want to make it to Gaoling before nightfall. Hopefully you'll finally find yourself a teacher there."
Aang nodded, recalling what the warrior had told him several days prior about the city being home to many earthbenders. "Thanks, Suki. I hope so."
With that, he airbent himself onto Appa's head, and his companions climbed into the saddle.
"Goodbye, everyone!" he called out with a wave to the sullen villagers.
"Goodbye, Aang," Suki called up as she and Oyaji waved back. "And good luck!"
"Psst, psst! Hey, kid!"
Zuko frowned slightly as he looked up from under the brim of his bamboo hat to see a scruffy-looking man holding several paper fliers. He'd not been expecting to be spoken to, as he'd purposefully chosen to lean against a discreet wall as he waited for his companions to peruse the local shops of Gaoling the following morning.
"You love earthbending? You like… throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy."
Before Zuko could reply, the man shoved a flier into his hand and promptly disappeared into the crowded streets.
With an annoyed grunt, Zuko looked down at the flier in his hand, which depicted a man in an earthbending pose, a boulder hovering above his fist. The advertisement on the page read:
Master Yu's Earthbending Academy is the best school in the entire country. Guaranteed everything taught will be learned.
"What's that you've got there, hotman?"
Zuko looked up to see Aang—who was once again wearing his own bamboo hat—and Katara approaching. He peered over their shoulder to see that Sokka and Iroh appeared to be engaged in an animated discussion at the shop across the street.
"Some guy just gave me this," he replied, pushing himself off of the wall and holding up the flier for them to see. "This Earthbending Academy is supposedly 'the best school in the entire country'. Don't know how much I believe that."
Aang's eyes lit up upon seeing the flier, and he quickly snatched it from Zuko's hand, his eyes scouring the page thoroughly. He turned the flier to the other side, which depicted a smiling portrait of a middle-aged man, and read it. "There's a coupon on the back! The first lesson is free!"
"No, it's not," Zuko said, taking the flier back and squinting at the page. "It says you have to buy your own uniform. So you still have to pay something."
"Well, I'm sure we have more than enough money for that. Right, Katara?" Aang asked, turning to the waterbender.
"Thankfully, yes, thanks to Chief Oyaji's generosity," Katara nodded as Momo chirped from where he sat on her shoulder. "And who knows? This Master Yu could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for."
"But what happens after the first lesson?" Zuko asked, folding his arms. "It doesn't even say how much it costs after that. Isn't it a bit sketchy?"
"What's sketchy?" Sokka asked as he and Iroh joined the group at last.
Zuko saw that the warrior seemed to have purchased a gaudy-looking green and gold bag, while Iroh was holding what looked to be an entire basket of items, and he frowned.
"Uncle, how much did you just spend on all of that?" Zuko questioned, narrowing his eyes.
A slightly sheepish look appeared on the old man's face, and he chuckled. "We still have plenty of money left over, if that's what you're worried about."
"That doesn't answer my question," Zuko muttered. "We shouldn't be spending money so recklessly on things we don't need." He turned to Katara. "And I thought you were in charge of our funds."
"I thought they deserved something nice, so I gave them both an allowance," Katara replied defensively, folding her arms.
"Trust me, nephew," Iroh said excitedly. "It was well worth it. I even found something for you!"
He set the basket down at his feet and unpacked an ornate-looking golden teapot, what looked to be a stone carving of an ape-like creature with rubies for eyes, and, lastly, two thin rectangular boxes.
"Here," he said, standing back up and presenting the boxes to Zuko, whose brow furrowed in confusion.
"What is…" Zuko trailed off as he lifted the lid on the top box. When he saw what was inside, his eyes widened.
Packed neatly in a row were five brushes of various sizes, each looking to be of high quality. In a small compartment below the brushes, there was a black inkstick that had been pressed into a design reminiscent of lotus flowers, a bar of charcoal, and a small grinding stone.
"There's more," Iroh nodded excitedly, gesturing to the second box.
Not knowing what to say, Zuko opened the second box. Inside was what looked to be a green and gold-bound book, once again, seemingly of very high quality. Zuko carefully lifted the side of the book and flipped through the pages, all of which were blank. It was a journal.
Zuko shook his head slowly. "Uncle, you really didn't have to… " he murmured. "How expensive was all this?"
"It doesn't matter," Iroh replied, holding his palm up. "The shopkeeper said no returns, so you'd better make good use of it."
"I…" Zuko breathed, a feeling of delight beginning to bubble up within him as he observed his art tools again. It had been so long since he'd gotten to draw anything. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed it until now. "Thank you, uncle."
Iroh smiled affectionately at him in return, his amber eyes sparkling. "Of course, nephew."
"Wait a minute," Aang interjected. "Zuko, you're an artist? "
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Zuko quickly shut both boxes and shoved them back into Iroh's arms. "I'll… look at these later," he muttered.
"Prince Zuko is indeed quite the gifted artist and calligrapher," Iroh answered, still smiling as he bent down to pack his things back into the basket.
"Really?" Katara asked, her blue eyes widening with intrigue.
"It was a long time ago," Zuko replied, fidgeting with his sleeve. "I haven't done any of that in years now."
"Well, now you have an opportunity to pick it back up," Iroh said jovially.
Zuko grunted, feeling his face grow warm with further embarrassment. He wasn't even certain why he felt this way. Maybe it was because he couldn't help but hear his father's voice in the back of his head, berating him for it.
"Zuko," Aang said, and he looked up to see a serious-looking expression on the airbender's face, his gray eyes staring at him intently. "I can't believe you never told me you were an artist."
Zuko raised his eyebrow at his best friend. "It never seemed important."
"Not important?" Aang scoffed dramatically, feigning offense. "All this time, I could have been asking you to draw stuff for me!"
"...And maybe that's one of the reasons why I didn't tell you," Zuko replied with a slight smirk.
"Zuko, if you're not gonna use the paint stuff, can I try it out?" Sokka interjected. "I'm somewhat of an artist myself, actually."
"You, an artist?" Katara snorted. "Are you sure about that?"
"Art is subjective, you know!" Sokka argued defensively with a glare. "And besides, I won't get better if I don't practice!"
Zuko exhaled through his nose with slight amusement. "I didn't say I wasn't going to use them," he replied. "But maybe I can let you borrow them sometime."
"If you're giving lessons," Aang interjected with a grin. "I could use some help with my calligraphy. The monks always said my brushstrokes were nearly illegible."
"I'm not sure that's something that I can fix," Zuko replied with a small smile. "But I can try."
Zuko blinked curiously as he peered around the side of the entryway to the training grounds of Master Yu's academy that afternoon. In the courtyard stood Aang, dressed in his new uniform, and several other students, all of which appeared to be at least four to five years younger than him.
The Avatar sported a bored look as the master himself paced between the two rows of students, his eyes staring absently into the distance. When his eyes drifted over to meet Zuko's own, however, he perked up, signature crooked grin appearing on his face as he gave a small wave. Zuko flushed slightly as he smiled and waved back.
"Take your stances!" Master Yu instructed. "Now, strike as if you're punching through your opponent's head!"
Without missing a beat, the students across from Aang's row lifted their boulders and made a punching motion as instructed. Zuko's eyes widened as one of them flew forward and struck the distracted Avatar in the gut, knocking him back into a ceramic pot that exploded into a dust cloud on impact.
Alarmed, Zuko immediately ran into the courtyard, intending to make a beeline for Aang, but was stopped by Yu, who stepped in front of him with a disapproving look.
"If you're here for the lesson, you're late!" the master chided, wagging his finger at him. "And you need to purchase a uniform if you don't want to pay."
"I'm not here for your stupid school," Zuko snapped. "I'm here to make sure my friend is okay!"
Thankfully, his ferocity seemed to startle the skinny man, who immediately backed away, and Zuko was able to make his way over to Aang, who appeared to be trying and failing to extricate himself from the pot of sand.
"Aang, are you alright?" Zuko asked as he crouched down next to him and grabbed one of the airbender's outstretched hands. "Let me help you…"
He pulled with all of his might until at last, he was able to pull Aang out of the sand. The Avatar stumbled forward into Zuko's arms with a grunt.
"So, are you ready to commit to more lessons?" Zuko heard Master Yu ask from behind him as Aang steadied himself. "If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt!"
Zuko's nose twitched with irritability, and he whipped around. "He's not paying you anything," he growled, causing the man to shrink back once more. "Come on, Aang. We're getting out of here."
With that, he grabbed hold of Aang's hand and pulled him out of the courtyard and onto the street, where Katara, Sokka, and Iroh were sitting on a ledge next to the stairway leading into the academy.
"Uh oh, Zuko's angry," Sokka observed. "What happened?"
When the Water Tribe boy's curious eyes looked down at Zuko's side, he suddenly realized that he was still holding Aang's hand, and quickly let go of it. "That joke of an earthbending teacher just let a kid hurl a boulder directly into Aang's abdomen," he muttered.
"What? " Katara exclaimed with a frown, jumping to her feet.
"I'm okay, you guys," Aang said, knocking the side of his head with his palm as sand fell out of his ear. "I just got the wind knocked out of me. But Zuko's right… He's not the one."
"Are you going to the Earth Rumble match? Some of the best earthbenders in the world are competing tonight."
"I was, but then my mom found out... She said it's too dangerous for me to go to go outside the city after dark."
Zuko glanced over his shoulder to see two boys around Aang's age chatting as they exited the academy. As they passed by, they very pointedly gave both him and Aang a dirty look.
Anger quickly blazed within him again, but before he could react, Aang jogged over to the boys with an eager look on his face.
"Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament, exactly?"
"It's on the island of Nunya… Nunya business! " the freckled boy replied sarcastically.
As the two boys laughed, Sokka laughed along with them, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, I've gotta remember that one!"
When Aang wilted slightly, Zuko's anger was stoked again, and he marched up to the freckled boy and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"I bet you think you're really funny, don't you?" Zuko growled. "You wanna repeat that joke for me? I didn't quite catch it."
While the boy initially appeared taken aback, unfortunately, he didn't seem to be as spineless as his master had been, and a mocking smirk appeared on his face.
"Well, well. Look who's back to rescue his boyfriend."
This specific terminology startled Zuko, and he let go of the boy's collar in shock. "He's- I-I'm not-" he stuttered.
"Come on, Gi," the other boy, noticeably much more skittish than his friend, sniffed as the first boy smoothed his uniform. "Let's get out of here."
With that, the two shot Zuko another dirty look before continuing down the street.
"I'll take care of this."
Still dazed, Zuko blinked rapidly as Katara ran past him after the boys.
"Hey strong guys! Wait up!" she called out in a flirty tone as she rounded the corner they had disappeared behind.
After a few moments, Katara reappeared, a satisfied smile on her face.
"You ready to find an earthbending teacher?" she asked with a grin as Aang looked up hopefully. "Because we're going to Earth Rumble Four!"
"That… was the greatest thing I've ever seen!" Sokka gushed as they followed the crowd of Gaoling citizens out of the arena that evening.
"It was literally just a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other," Katara replied, rolling her eyes.
"That 'Fire Nation Man' guy was a bit much," Zuko added with a frown. "He didn't even sing the national anthem right."
"Aang, you should ask The Boulder to teach you!" Sokka exclaimed excitedly.
"Sorry, Sokka," Aang replied, shaking his head as he recalled how flashy and impulsive the wrestler had been. "But he's not what I'm looking for."
Sokka frowned. "He's the reigning champion. He's got the big belt and everything! Where are you gonna find someone better than that? "
"Get out of here, kid. You don't belong in a place like this."
Aang's brow furrowed as they exited the cave, turning to see the announcer, Xin Fu, standing to the side, a scowl on his face. In front of him stood a small girl.
"But I want to compete in the next fight!" the girl argued.
Xin Fu laughed loudly. "A tiny thing like you would be crushed in an instant."
"That's what you think, dunderhead," the girl muttered.
"Excuse me?" Xin Fu replied, his smile disappearing.
"Nothing," the girl replied quickly.
The announcer's eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms. "You would do well to return to the city with the rest of the spectators, little girl. I hear there are bandits out on these roads at night."
"Whatever," the girl grumbled before spinning around and marching away. "I can take care of myself."
Why does she seem so familiar? Aang wondered as he watched the girl leave.
"Aang? Are you feeling alright?"
Aang shook his head and turned to Iroh, who had just spoken from next to him.
"Yeah," Aang replied, turning to look back towards the girl. However, she seemed to have already vanished into the crowd. "I just thought I saw… Never mind. It's nothing."
"We should get back to the inn," Zuko said, folding his arms. "Something tells me this isn't a great place to stick around in for too long after dark."
"Actually… can I take a bathroom break first?" Sokka asked apologetically.
Zuko sighed and waved his hand, and the warrior disappeared into the nearby bushes.
By the time Sokka returned, the crowd of people had almost completely dispersed, leaving them virtually alone in the light of the nearly full moon, the cool air of early autumn rustling the leaves in the trees as the hoot of a cat-owl could be heard nearby.
"Okay. I'm ready," Sokka said, straightening his shirt. "Let's get back on the roa—"
"Help! "
Aang immediately perked up upon hearing the cry of distress, his eyes darting around for its source. "Someone's in trouble!"
"It's coming from further down the road," Zuko shouted, unsheathing his broadswords.
"Please, I don't have anything valuable on me, I swear!" the distressed voice wailed.
"Shut up! You had enough money for some nice seats at the match. If you empty your pockets, maybe we'll let you go with all of your bones intact."
As Aang and his companions ran down the path, at last several figures came into view. On the ground cowered a lone, middle-aged man dressed in relatively nice clothes. Above him stood a large, gruff-looking, partly-balding man wielding two large hammers, and four other men armed with various other melee weapons.
"Leave him alone!" Aang shouted, preparing to shoot a blast of air towards the earthbender.
The bald man's head whipped to face him, his scowl deepening when his eyes met Aang's own. While his attackers were distracted, the victim managed to scramble to his feet, running as fast as he could down the road leading back to Gaoling with a yelp.
Upon realizing that his victim had slipped away, the man with the hammers bristled with rage. "You're gonna regret that."
He slammed one of his hammers into the ground, and to Aang's surprise, two rocks rose from the earth, which the man sent flying towards him and Zuko.
However, before the rocks could reach them, a slab of earth shot up from the ground, blocking the attack.
"Uh, Aang…" Sokka questioned in astonishment from behind him. "Did you just earthbend?"
Aang shook his head. "I don't think so…"
From behind the wall of earth, several grunts could be heard. Within seconds, two of the muggers were sent flying off in different directions.
"Show yourself, coward!" the voice of the hammer-wielding man shouted. "Or are you not man enough to face me?"
"Maybe I'm not a man at all, dunderhead."
With a rumble, the barrier in front of them receded, and Aang's eyebrows rose in realization as a tiny, familiar looking girl emerged from the woods.
"What is this?" the man muttered in confusion. "Some kind of joke?"
"No," the girl replied confidently. "I'm the real deal. So you'd better back off, or I'll send you flying just like your friends."
"I'm not about to be intimidated by a little girl," the man snorted.
"I'm not just any little girl. I'm the Blind Bandit."
"I don't have time for this," the man scoffed, jerking his head forward to indicate to his subordinates that they should attack.
With a quick movement of the girl's hands, however, two pillars of earth shot up, each striking the attackers as they charged. As the two men flew into the bushes on either side of the road, she laughed almost theatrically, and suddenly, the memory of the small girl in a fancy dress and a flying boar flashed in Aang's mind.
It's her!
Now the only one left, the man with the hammers roared in frustration, and as he lifted a hammer again and slammed it to the ground. However, with a stomp of the Blind Bandit's foot, it sunk into the earth, causing the man to stumble forward. The girl took her opportunity at this moment, sending three cylindrical pillars directly into the man, who flew backwards.
"How did she do that?" Katara wondered aloud in disbelief.
"She waited… and listened," Aang replied, grinning in awe.
As the man groaned in pain, the girl marched triumphantly over to him, her hands on her hips. "Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll take your friends and get out of here."
Clutching his stomach, the man glowered at the girl as he pushed himself to his feet. "Come on," he ordered as the other muggers, also bruised and beaten, shuffled after him down the path.
"That was amazing! " Aang shouted, letting out the breath he'd been holding.
Upon hearing his exclamation, the girl spun around, and he was surprised to see that she wore a fearful expression on her face. Before he could even take a step forward, she darted back into the woods.
"Wait! Please, listen!" Aang shouted, jumping after her. "I need an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you!"
Unfortunately, he was unable to go far, as the canopy of trees blocked much of the moonlight, making it extremely difficult to see. It seemed the girl had disappeared without a trace.
"Who was she?" he heard Zuko ask as the firebender ran up beside him. "I've never seen anyone earthbend like that."
"She's a master, that much is certain," Iroh said, holding his chin. "She moves as though she is connected to the earth."
"I have to find her," Aang murmured as he stared into the darkness of the trees. "She's the one."
"If we want to find the Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy is a great place to start," Aang said as he led his friends up to the moon gate entrance to the academy courtyard the following morning, where the same two boys they'd spoken to the day prior stood in front of two large pots, repeatedly plunging their hands into the sand.
"Oh great," the freckled boy with the semi-bald hairstyle muttered with a sneer. "You again."
Aang heard Zuko growl from next to him. However, Katara got to the boys first, and they both jumped back in fear at the sight of her glare.
"Nicely done," Sokka nodded approvingly.
"Have either of you heard of a person who goes by the name of 'the Blind Bandit'?" Aang asked.
"The Blind Bandit's a myth," the freckled boy replied, folding his arms. "A local legend. They say she was raised by wild badgermoles, and prowls the forests at night looking for prey."
"Nuh-uh," the boy's messy-haired friend argued. "She's real, and she helps people! Jingyi said he saw her last week!"
"Jingyi's full of shit, San."
"Let me handle this," Katara sighed as the boys continued to argue amongst themselves before marching up to the messy-haired boy—San—and pointing her index finger into his chest. "You're not telling us everything."
"No, no, I– I swear it's true," San stuttered. "Don't listen to Gi. She's real, but no one knows who she really is."
Aang shook his head slowly. "We're asking about the wrong person," he mused. "In my vision, I saw a little girl in a white dress with a pet flying boar. Know anybody like that?"
"Well, a flying boar is the symbol of the Beifong family," Gi replied as San hid from Katara behind him. "They're the richest people in town. Probably the whole world ."
"Y– yeah, but they don't have a daughter," San added.
"A flying boar is good enough for me," Aang replied with a grin. "Let's check it out."
Aang narrowed his eyes as he peeked over the hedge of bushes that stood across the road from the large gates of an opulent estate, where two guards stood on watch. Emblazoned above the wooden doors was a golden symbol of a flying boar.
"This has to be where she lives," Aang whispered.
"What are we supposed to do if we find her?" Zuko asked quietly as Aang led him and the rest of their companions through the brush towards the back of the estate.
"I just need to find the girl and talk to her for a few minutes," Aang replied. "I'm sure once I tell her I'm the Avatar, she'll listen."
Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line, his expression appearing uncertain.
"All right," Aang said as they came to a stop next to a quiet portion of the estate wall, where several crates were stacked. "I'm gonna go find her. You guys stay out of sight. There's too many of us to all sneak in at once."
"Fine by me," Sokka replied, plopping down to sit on one of the boxes.
"I'll go with you," Zuko said.
Aang sighed, but did not protest. "Alright. Let's go, hotman."
With that, he wrapped his arms around Zuko's waist from behind, shooting them both into the air and over the wall, where they landed gently on the garden lawn. Upon landing, Zuko looked at him over his shoulder, his face only inches from Aang's own. They both stared wide eyed at one another for a moment before Aang quickly separated from him.
Aang shook his head rapidly as he willed his pounding heart to slow its pace, and gestured with his arm over to a cluster of shrubbery.
Zuko blinked several times before nodding, and they both darted over to the shrubs.
Aang carefully peered around the edge of the bush, eyes scanning the garden. Strangely, there didn't seem to be any guards.
Without warning, however, the ground beneath them jutted upwards, sending both him and Zuko flying into the air, and he felt himself crash into a bush with a grunt.
"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?"
"'Twinkle Toes'?" Aang repeated confusedly.
He looked up to see an upside-down but familiar-looking girl standing over him with an annoyed scowl on her face. As he pushed himself to his feet and helped Zuko up as well, he saw that the Blind Bandit looked quite different different from what he'd seen last night: she was dressed in an expensive-looking pastel green hanfu with pink floral accents, while her hair was styled much more femininely, exposing her full face. His eyes widened when he noticed that the girl's irises appeared to have a gray sheen to them.
Is the reason she calls herself the Blind Bandit… because she's actually blind?
"How did you know we were here?" Zuko demanded, sounding cautious as he stepped in front of Aang.
"Easy, Grumps," the girl replied, shaking her head with an exasperated sounding sigh. "You two are a lot louder than you think."
"Loud?" Zuko repeated confusedly, an offended look appearing on his face. "We were virtually silent."
"Doesn't matter—the moment you two landed in the garden, I heard you both loud and clear."
Zuko's brow furrowed. "Heard what? "
"How did you find me?" the girl questioned, ignoring Zuko's question.
"Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth," Aang began, trying to explain things as quickly as possible. "And then I had a vision in a magic swamp, and—"
"He's the Avatar," Zuko interjected. "And he's been searching for an earthbending teacher so that he can master all four elements and defeat my father."
The girl did a double take, unseeing eyes widening. "Defeat your father?"
By the look on the Fire Prince's face, it seemed he had not intended to phrase his sentence in such a way. They exchanged a glance, and Aang simply shrugged to indicate that Zuko might as well tell the truth.
"...Yes, um… so, my name is Zuko, and I'm the son of Fire Lord Ozai," the firebender quickly explained. "But I'm with Aang now. I mean, I'm on his side. And we're working together to defeat my father and the Fire Nation so we can end the War. I know it may seem difficult to believe, but—"
"I believe you," the girl interrupted, holding up her hand to the Fire Prince's face as he blinked in surprise. "But what does any of that have to do with me?"
"I think you're supposed to be my earthbending teacher," Aang explained. "I had a vision, and you were in it. And I saw how you defeated those thugs last night. You waited, and listened."
The girl's brow furrowed as an uncertain expression appeared on her face. "You really think I'm supposed to be your teacher?"
"I do," Aang replied emphatically.
The girl bit her lip for a moment as she gripped the fabric of her hanfu in her small hands.
"...I'm sorry, but I can't help you," she said at last, turning away. "Now get out of here, or I'll call the guards."
"What? Why not?" Aang questioned anxiously.
"Guards!" the girl shouted with feigned fearfulness. "Guards, help!"
With that, Zuko and Aang exchanged a wide-eyed look and made a beeline for the wall. Once again, Aang's arms wrapped around Zuko's waist, and he hopped on top of the roof, where they both crouched down, out of sight.
"Toph, what happened?" one of two guards asked as they rushed over.
"I… I thought I heard someone," the girl—Toph—replied, her voice now high-pitched and shaky. "I got scared."
"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph," the other guard scolded.
So she won't listen to me now, Aang thought, his fingers tapping the roof tiles repeatedly. Is it because she thinks her parents won't let her teach me?
He squinted his eyes, and a smirk stretched across his face as he cooked up a plan.
"So, what did she say?" Iroh asked from below. "Is she open to teaching you?"
"Not yet," Aang replied as he and Zuko both landed on the ground. "But I think I know how to convince her."
Zuko did not expect to find himself eating a grand meal with one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom that evening, but he supposed stranger things had happened. He looked down at his steaming cup of soup and raised it to his lips as he awkwardly surveyed the collection of individuals sitting on the other side of the table.
One of these individuals was Master Yu, who happened to be sitting directly across from him. The man glanced at him for a moment, and Zuko narrowed his eyes, causing Yu to nearly choke on his own soup.
"Blow on it. It's too hot for her."
Zuko's gaze moved to the end of the table, where Toph's father—a stern-looking man dressed in golden robes who had introduced himself to them as Lao—appeared to be frowning at the servant behind his daughter.
"Allow me," Aang, who was sitting next to Lao at the end of the table and directly across from Toph, interjected politely as he sent a small cyclone of air over to Toph's bowl, cooling it instantly.
Aang's party trick appeared to fascinate their hosts, who murmured and clapped quietly.
"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us," Toph's mother, Poppy Beifong, said. "And of course, your… colorful companions as well," she added somewhat awkwardly as her gaze moved to Sokka, who was scarfing down his rice loudly as though he hadn't eaten in days.
"I must say, this might be the best roast duck I've ever tasted," Iroh praised with a grin as Poppy nodded politely.
"That's because we employ the best chef in the region," Lao replied proudly.
Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he set his soup down and used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of roast duck and place it into his rice bowl. Thankfully, it seemed Toph's parents weren't going to be bothered to ask for any of their names or backgrounds—Aang was the only person they were interested in right now. At least this meant he wouldn't have to worry about explaining who he and his uncle were.
"In your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?" Lao asked, turning to Aang.
"My plan is to defeat the Fire Lord as soon as I master all of the elements," Aang replied, sitting up straight and folding his hands in front of him as his eyes moved to Toph, whose brow twitched with clear irritation. "But I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first…"
"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land," Lao replied, gesturing down the table. "He's been teaching Toph since she was little."
Zuko had to restrain himself from making an audible snorting noise upon hearing this. Somehow, he doubted the "master" had taught the girl anything.
"Of course I would be honored to train you, Avatar Aang," Master Yu said in a flowery tone, smiling at Aang. "I only wish you'd revealed your identity to me sooner! I'm sure you'll be happy to know that, as the Avatar, you'll get a discount on lessons—we can discuss payment plan specifics later this evening, if you'd like."
"That's… kind of you to offer," Aang replied with a polite nod towards the man before his eyes moved back to Toph. "But I bet Toph must be a great earthbender if she's been training for that long. Probably good enough to teach someone else– Ow! "
Aang jumped slightly in his chair and immediately glared at the small girl across from him, who innocently took a small bite of her food.
After a brief moment of confused silence, Master Yu was the first to speak.
"Toph is still learning the basics," the man stated. "Basic forms and breathing exercises only."
"Yes, and sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master," Lao sighed, shaking his head slowly.
Aang exchanged a glance with the rest of his companions for a moment. "Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is…"
Suddenly, Aang's chair jerked forward, and his face smacked down into his bowl. He lifted his head slowly, dragging his hands along his cheeks as he wiped the food off. After a moment, a mischievous look appeared on his face.
"Aang…" Zuko cautioned through gritted teeth.
"Aaaa… choo! "
With this "sneeze", a gust of wind sent not just Toph's bowl flying, but also the rest of the table's food, splattering Toph, her mother, and Master Yu.
"What's your problem? " Toph demanded angrily, shooting up from her chair and slamming her hands on the table, startling her father.
"What's your problem?" Aang echoed, standing up as well.
"Forget it," Toph huffed before storming away from the table.
"Please accompany her to her chambers," Lao called out to one of the servants next to the doorway. "She might run into something!"
Come on, Aang, Zuko groaned internally, his eyes following the girl as she disappeared down the hallway. This is not the way to go about this…
Suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind.
"Um, I've gotta go to the bathroom," he declared abruptly, standing up as well.
"...It's just down the hall," Lao indicated with a confused look, almost as if this was the first time he was even noticing Zuko's presence at the table.
Zuko bowed politely and shuffled over to the doorway that Toph had disappeared through.
"I already told you, I don't need any help! I just want to be alone!"
Zuko immediately followed the sound of the girl's voice, nearly bumping into a servant as he went and bowing apologetically.
"Toph?" he asked as he peered around the corner at the end of the hall, just barely managing to catch sight of a sliding door that seemingly led outside slamming shut.
Very cautiously, Zuko crept down the hallway and slid the door open.
"Why did you follow me?" Toph muttered from where she sat on the stoop in front of him, her shawl discarded to the side. The lanterns hanging from the roof bathed the porch in a warm, yellowish glow, though the air itself was somewhat chilly.
"You… seemed upset," he replied awkwardly as he slid the door closed behind him. "Is… it alright if I sit here?"
Toph sighed and waved her hand wearily. "Do whatever you want. It's not like I can stop you. You people are harder to get rid of than cockroach-crickets."
Zuko hesitated for a moment before taking a seat next to her, taking care to give the earthbender space.
"He's a good kid, you know. Aang."
"I'd hope so, considering he's the Avatar," Toph replied drily. "'Savior of the world' and all that. His table manners could use some work, though."
Zuko sighed. "I know the way he acted at dinner was… probably not the best way to go about things. I don't think he really understands the reality of the situation you're in."
Toph's brow furrowed upon hearing this. "And you do?"
"Um… well, I think I have an idea," Zuko replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your parents… they don't know about you. The real you. And you don't want them to know."
"Real astute of you," Toph muttered sarcastically. "How on earth did you guess?"
"Look," Zuko sighed, trying not to get frustrated. "I know what it feels like to be treated like you're not capable. Like you're weak."
Toph remained silent, her brow furrowing.
"And I know what it's like to have parents who don't… understand you."
"They treat me like I'm some helpless doll," Toph grunted abruptly, slamming her fist to the ground, where a small crack formed in the pavement. "They always have. I have to wear what they want me to wear and talk how they want me to talk and be the 'ladylike princess' they want me to be..."
"That sounds… not fun."
"It's infuriating! " Toph grunted, throwing her hands up. "And it's not like I haven't tried to show them the real me. But every time I do, they just… crack down harder."
Zuko's eyes moved downwards. That sounded familiar.
"If they found out that I've been hanging out in the woods with badgermoles… That I've been trying to join the arena… That I've been leaving the estate at all… " Toph shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed as a smattering of teardrops fell onto the ground in front of her. "My dad, he'd…"
"I get it," Zuko interjected quietly. "My dad was… similar, in a way."
Toph sniffed loudly as she used her hanfu sleeves to wipe her eyes and nose. "Your dad… the Fire Lord ?"
"Yeah. The evil guy who wants to take over the world is also a horrible father. Who could have guessed?" Zuko chuckled sarcastically.
Toph smirked slightly. "I'm guessing he's not happy that you've betrayed your entire country to join the Avatar, huh?"
"Probably not," Zuko replied with a shrug. "But even before that, he never liked me much. Not the real me. Though I don't think he liked the 'me' I tried to be for him either. That's probably because I wasn't very good at acting... Not as good as you."
Toph smirked. "...It's exhausting, isn't it? Pretending to be someone you're not."
"It is," Zuko nodded in agreement. "But I actually have Aang to thank for helping me let go of that version of myself. The fake me."
"...Twinkle Toes really is a good kid, huh?"
Zuko nodded. "If I hadn't met him when I did, I'd… well, I'd be a much more miserable, angry person."
Toph sighed dramatically again. "Fine, Grumps. I'll talk to him," she conceded before pointing an index finger directly in front of his nose. "But I won't promise anything, got it?"
"Got it," Zuko replied with a small grin.
"Goodnight, buddy," Aang murmured, petting Appa's muzzle through the open window of their guest room.
"That was a pretty long bathroom break," Sokka observed aloud from behind him, and Aang turned to see that Zuko had returned.
"...It's a big house," Zuko muttered as he took a seat next to Iroh, who was sitting at the small table in the center of the room with a cup of jasmine tea in hand. "It's not as easy to find as you'd think."
"Do you think Toph is still upset?" Katara asked, looking up at Aang from where she sat at the foot of Sokka's bed. "Maybe you should try to talk to her again and apologize."
"Perhaps she merely needs some time to consider Aang's offer," Iroh suggested.
Aang shook his head. "I think I really messed up tonight. I don't know if she'll even speak to me."
"I don't know about that, Twinkle Toes."
Upon hearing Toph's voice, Aang jumped with a yelp, holding his arms defensively as he spotted the small girl in the doorway. She was no longer wearing her fancy robes, and instead was dressed in cream-colored pajamas, her bangs covering her face again.
"Relax," Toph said, leaning against the door frame. "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay? Come with me."
Aang slowly lowered his arms, and after a moment of hesitation, followed her out of the room, down the hallway, and out of the house.
"You know, you're lucky you have such good friends," Toph said, as they walked.
"Yeah, I am," Aang replied, brow furrowing in confusion. "...Why do you bring that up?"
"Because if it weren't for Grumps, I wouldn't be here with you right now."
Aang blinked in surprise. "Zuko talked to you?"
The earthbender nodded in reply. "He had a lot of nice things to say about you. So, being the generous person that I am, I decided to give you a second chance."
I'll have to remember to thank him later, Aang thought with a chuckle as he followed Toph into the garden.
"You've probably noticed this already," Toph continued, hopping up onto the side of a rounded stone bridge leading over a section of the garden pond. "But… I'm blind. Even though I was born this way, I've never had a problem 'seeing', though." When they reached the other side, she jumped back down into the dirt. "I 'see' with earthbending. It's kind of like 'seeing' with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the Earth, and I can see where everything is. You, that tree… Even those ants."
Aang squinted as he surveyed the garden, struggling to spot the aforementioned ants in the dull glow of the moonlight. "That's amazing," he murmured, shaking his head with an awed smile as he turned back to Toph.
"My parents don't understand," she sighed, her hands curling into fists at her side. "They've always treated me like I was helpless."
"Is that why you want to fight in the arena?" Aang asked.
"You heard that, huh?" Toph chuckled. "...Yeah."
"It doesn't seem like you're very happy here."
Toph laughed dryly. "You don't think if I had the option to leave, I would? My parents are the only family I have, and I don't have any friends. Where else am I supposed to go?"
"You could come with us," Aang suggested.
"Yeah…" Toph sighed wistfully. "You guys get to go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do. That's the life. It's just not my life."
"Well…" Aang murmured, chewing on his bottom lip. "I know your parents are a bit overprotective. But what if I, as the Avatar, formally requested for you to join me as my earthbending teacher?"
"You can't," Toph interjected, a nervous expression appearing on her face. "They can't know about my true earthbending skills."
"Why not?" Aang questioned confusedly. "You're amazing!"
"Look. I know you mean well, but I told Grumps the same thing: my parents aren't going to change their minds about me no matter what you or I do. You don't know them like I do."
Aang studied the girl's agitated features curiously. Despite being so young, she somehow seemed several years older, standing there in the dim moonlight.
"Toph—"
"Shh," the earthbender abruptly interrupted, crouching down and placing her palm flat on the ground. "We're being ambushed!"
"You talked to the Beifong girl, didn't you?" Iroh asked with a knowing look as he poured Zuko a cup of tea.
"...Yeah," Zuko replied, taking the cup. "How did you know?"
"You've always been good about sensing how other people are feeling," Iroh replied.
"Aang and Katara are good at that, too," Zuko said, taking a sip of his tea.
"What about me?" Sokka interjected, craning his neck up from where he laid on his bed to glare at Zuko, Momo curled up on his chest.
"You have a lot of strong suits, Sokka, but being sensitive to other people's emotions isn't exactly one of them," Katara replied, shooting her brother a look before turning her gaze to Zuko. "Iroh's right, though. That's why you went after her at dinner, wasn't it?"
"I guess," Zuko mumbled in slight embarrassment. "I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. I just… had a feeling that she needed someone to talk to. Someone who could at least somewhat relate to her experience."
"It seems the Beifongs are in the dark about who their daughter truly is," Iroh observed.
"Yeah. But that's not entirely her fault," Zuko replied quietly, setting his cup down. "Based on what she told me, it sounds like her parents don't want to know who she really is."
Iroh nodded in understanding.
"At least she has the skill to convincingly pretend in front of them," Zuko continued with a heavy sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. "I mean, I tried , but it was never good enough for father..."
Iroh's brow furrowed, and he shook his head slowly. "No child should be made to feel as though they have to hide their true selves from their parents. It's the parents' failure for not seeing the child as they truly are and loving them all the same, not the child for failing to be who their parents want them to be."
As he stared at the tea leaves in his cup and processed his uncle's words, Zuko's brow furrowed.
Iroh wasn't his father. But he was more of a father to him now than Ozai had ever been. If he were to reveal to his uncle the truth about himself—about the way he felt for Aang… Would Iroh love him all the same despite his feelings being frowned upon in Fire Nation society?
He thought back to Avu and Piqa again, and how kind Iroh had been to them despite the two women making the nature of their relationship clear. Iroh's actions then, and his words now, indicated that perhaps the answer to that question might be "yes".
His thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt sound of an alarm clanging in the distance, and he turned around to see several guards running past the open window.
"Something must be going on in the garden!" Katara exclaimed, jumping to her feet, and within seconds, all four of them were up, Zuko grabbing his broadswords on the way out the door.
As they ran outside, he saw that the guards seemed to be congregating next to the outer wall, along with Lao, Poppy, and Yu. One of the guards was observing the wall itself, while two more examined strange indentations on the ground.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Lao barked at the man Zuko assumed was the head guard. "What good are any of you if you can't keep my daughter safe?"
"Did something happen to Aang and Toph?" Katara asked.
"The Avatar was with her?" Lao questioned in surprise, his frown deepening. "If he had something to do with this, I swear —"
"Aang would never do anything to hurt Toph!" Zuko interjected angrily, marching up to the Beifong patriarch.
"You dare to address me in such a manner on my own estate?" Lao snapped, glaring down at him.
"Everyone, please, calm down for a second!" Katara interrupted. "Sokka just found something on the ground."
Zuko turned around to see the warrior holding a thin knife with a scroll attached to it. Katara removed the scroll and unfurled it, reading aloud: "'If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the Earth Rumble arena.' It's signed by someone named Gow."
"Master Yu, I need you to help me get my daughter back," Lao demanded.
"We're going with you," Katara said, looking at Zuko, who nodded succinctly.
"Poor Toph…" a sniffling Poppy murmured as she fell to her knees. "She must be so scared…"
Somehow, I highly doubt that's the case, Zuko thought.
"Toph!" Lao called out as Zuko and his companions ascended the stairs leading to the Earth Rumble arena platform, where two metal cages hung from above. Standing below were three men, their backs facing them.
As the men turned around, Zuko's eyes widened in realization when he recognized the faces of the Earth Rumble announcer Xin Fu, The Boulder, and the hammer-wielding man they had fought the night prior.
"The announcer?" Sokka questioned confusedly. As his gaze moved to The Boulder, his eyes suddenly lit up. "And The Boulder? What's he doing here?"
"What do ya think?" Katara muttered sarcastically as Lao strode forward, a money pouch filled with coins in his hand.
"Here's your money," the Beifong patriarch stated coolly, dropping the sack on the ground. "Now give me back my daughter."
The balding man grinned and immediately took a step forward, but was blocked by Xin Fu, who stepped in front of them and used earthbending to propel the bag into the air, catching it in his hand. After a moment, one of the cages was lowered, and the bottom hatch opened, depositing Toph onto the ground, and her father immediately darted over to grab her hand and walk away with her.
Zuko frowned when he realized that no move had been made to release Aang from his cage, and he and Katara exchanged a tense glance.
"What about Aang?" Katara demanded.
An unsettling grin appeared on Xin Fu's face, and before Zuko knew what was happening, he was suddenly encased in a layer of rock from the neck down. He craned his neck to the side and saw that his uncle looked to be stuck in a similar position.
"What's going on?" Zuko barked angrily, struggling to no avail. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar and the traitorous deserters General Iroh and Prince Zuko," Xin Fu replied, unrolling a wanted poster that Zuko had not yet seen before that appeared to include portraits of Aang, Iroh, and him all on one page. "I suppose I'm lucky that my friend Gow here has a keen eye."
"Hey, how come we're not on the wanted poster?" Sokka complained, and Katara glared at him.
"Enough chatter," Xin Fu snapped. "Now get out of my ring, or we will make you."
Zuko grunted as he attempted and failed yet again to free himself. As he tried not to panic, a thought occurred to him.
Where's Toph?
"Toph, there's too many of them for Sokka and I to fight alone!" Katara shouted out over her shoulder, seeming to have had a similar thought to Zuko. "We need an earthbender. We need you! "
He craned his neck to the other side, where he saw that Lao Beifong and Master Yu were beginning to depart through the tunnel, Lao's hand holding Toph's own tightly, as if he were afraid she would blow away if he let go.
"Please listen, Toph!" Zuko yelled. "I know it's scary, but doing the right thing is worth it!"
At last, Lao stopped and turned to glare at Zuko. "My daughter is blind. She is blind and tiny and helpless and... fragile. She cannot help you!"
"You can do it, Toph," Zuko pleaded, seeing the conflicted expression on the small girl's face. "I know you can."
He watched as the girl lowered her head, unable to determine her expression.
"You're wrong, dad," Toph said at last, pulling her arm free of Lao's grip. "I can help them."
"Toph? Toph! " Lao called out, half demanding, half desperate as the earthbender whipped around and marched back up to the arena platform.
With a tap of her heel on the ground, both Zuko and Iroh were freed from their earth encasements just as The Boulder retrieved Aang's cage from where it had been hanging.
"Let the Avatar go!" Toph demanded.
The Boulder raised a confused eyebrow. "The Boulder does not understand this tiny girl's idea of a joke."
"She may look like a tiny girl, but she should not be underestimated," a nervous-looking Gow muttered through gritted teeth.
"You still think you're good enough to compete in this ring?" Xin Fu questioned with a condescending smirk, ignoring Gow as he took several steps closer to Toph. "Well. Why don't we see how good you really are?"
As Xin Fu snapped his fingers, The Boulder tossed Aang's cage to the ground and lifted his fists, though his expression remained uncertain. Upon hearing Aang's grunt of pain, Zuko immediately grabbed the hilts of his broadswords, rage pulsing through his veins.
"Wait," Toph interjected, holding both of her arms out to her sides to block him just as he attempted to move forward to attack.
As the three men began to charge, Toph stayed perfectly still for a moment before speaking again.
"They're mine."
The girl slammed a foot down and lifted both of her arms up, and the ground below them began to shake. Zuko stepped back, waiting to see what incredible feat of earthbending the girl was about to display.
With a flick of Toph's wrists, the ground in front of her crumbled forward, throwing the men several feet backwards and engulfing the entire ring in a thick cloud of dust, which the Blind Bandit walked straight into. Within the span of less than a minute, The Boulder flew into the air and crashed into the stands next to Lao and Yu, who were watching the fight anxiously.
Shaking his head rapidly, Zuko's eyes returned to Aang's cage, which was still laying where it had been discarded. "Come on, we have to try and get him out!" he shouted as he ran over to the cage. "Uncle, can you help?"
"Of course," Iroh nodded, jogging over and kneeling down next to him. Zuko lifted two fingers and produced a small flame, while Iroh did the same. The two applied their fire directly to the lock, and the combined heat quickly melted it. With a clang, the mechanism keeping the bottom of the cage closed swung open, and Aang maneuvered himself out, jumping into a defensive pose before quickly realizing that none of them were under attack.
At that moment, Gow tumbled out of the dust cloud, his hammers flying out into the stands. He roared angrily, lifting a boulder to hurl towards Toph, who had emerged from the dust cloud as well. She easily evaded the man's clumsy attack, and with a flick of her wrist, a pillar shot out of the ground and sent him flying.
At last, her only opponent left was Xin Fu, who scowled at the earthbender as she dispersed the cloud, cracking his neck to both sides. With several grunts, Xin Fu somersaulted into the air, kicking up one, then two, then three boulders of varying sizes towards Toph, who shielded herself with two slabs of earth before sending one of the slabs flying towards the man.
Xin Fu leapt out of the way, avoiding the slab, and his hand lodged itself into the earth. In a split second, he was hurtling another boulder at Toph, who whipped to the side, the rock just barely missing her head. As she turned back to face him, she slammed her right arm downwards, and the announcer was struck with a pillar of earth, knocking him out of the ring and into the stands directly between Yu and Lao, who both jumped out of the way.
As Zuko and his companions marveled at the skill of the earthbender girl, the astonished voice of Master Yu echoed from across the arena.
"She's the greatest earthbender I've ever seen! "
"I… I don't know what to say to them," Toph muttered as she paced back and forth in front of the sliding door to Lao's formal sitting room, where he and Poppy seemed to be discussing something with Master Yu and the head guard of the estate. "Dad wouldn't even say a word to me on the way back here. He must be so angry…"
Zuko placed a hand on the small girl's shoulder, stopping her. It was strange to see her so nervous after the victory she had just claimed, but he could understand her anxiety.
"It'll be alright," Zuko said gently. "We'll all be in the room with you. Whatever he has to say, he can say it in front of us."
"That's right, Toph," Aang added reassuringly. "Friends stick together."
"Friends…" Toph repeated quietly. Then, she took a deep breath and straightened her back. "...Okay. I'm ready."
As she slid open the doors, Lao blinked in surprise, then waved his hand to dismiss Yu and the guard. She strode confidently into the room, stopping directly in front of where her parents were sitting, while Zuko, Aang, Iroh, and the Water Tribe siblings took a seat behind her.
"Mom, dad…" Toph began. "I know it's probably hard for you to see me this way. 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."
Zuko's eyes moved back and forth between Toph's parents as she spoke. Poppy was watching her daughter with a furrowed brow, and her expression was a mix of disbelief and irritation. Lao's expression, however, was more difficult to read. While it was clear he was not exactly happy, he didn't seem angry .
"I know I've kept my life secret from you," Toph continued. "But you were keeping me secret from the whole world . You were doing it to protect me, but I'm almost eleven years old and I've 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."
Zuko bit his bottom lip as he waited for Lao to respond.
"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph," Lao replied, his voice and expression softening.
Zuko sighed in relief as he and Aang smiled at one another.
"It's made me realize something."
"It has?" Toph replied, her voice hopeful.
"Yes," Lao nodded, his brow furrowing. "I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on, you will be cared for and guarded twenty-four hours a day."
Zuko immediately tensed again, bolting to his feet. "What?"
"But, dad!" Toph attempted to argue with clear desperation.
"We're doing this for your own good, Toph," Poppy interrupted firmly.
"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out," Lao stated, standing up and pointing at the door. "They are no longer welcome here."
"You can't do this!" Zuko snapped angrily, marching over to stand next to Toph. "You saw what she can do. Why do you think she's weak?"
"You have no idea what you speak of, boy ," Lao countered, his voice rising. "You are not a parent. I am protecting my child."
"Are you really protecting her? Or are you just forcing her to live in fear of you so she'll do whatever you want?"
"Zuko, stop," Toph interjected before an irate Lao could reply.
Zuko's brow furrowed as he shook his head in confusion. "Toph—"
"All of you," Toph interrupted, louder this time. " Please , just… get out of here."
"I'm sorry, Toph," Aang said quietly as the servants began to push them out of the room.
"I'm sorry, too. Goodbye, Aang."
The last thing Zuko saw as he was pushed out the door was a stream of tears running down the side of the earthbender's face.
"Don't worry. We'll find you a teacher," Katara said as they ascended the slope leading to the plateau they had left Appa on that overlooked the Beifong estate. "There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there."
"Not like her…" Aang sighed.
So this is it? Zuko thought, anger still burning inside him. We're just giving up on her?
He abruptly stopped in his tracks as they reached the plateau. "We can't just leave her like this."
"Don't trouble yourself about it too much, nephew," Iroh replied gently, putting his hand on Zuko's back. "There was nothing more that could be done."
"You heard what her father said, uncle," Zuko argued, pulling away from him. "He's going to lock her up in there and never let her see the outside world again!"
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Sokka replied, folding his arms. "Kidnap her?"
"Sokka's right," Katara added with a sigh. "I don't like this as much as you do, Zuko, but we can't just take Toph away from her parents…"
"Why not?" Zuko retorted, narrowing his eyes. "Just because they're her parents doesn't mean that they can treat her like that!"
"Zuko, I understand you're upset—" Katara began.
"What I don't understand is why everyone else isn't!" Zuko interrupted angrily, shaking his head.
"Of course I'm upset, Zuko," Aang said, his gray eyes somber. "But she was the one who told us to leave. We can't force her to come with us."
Zuko grunted loudly in frustration, pressing his palm to his forehead. "Just because she told us to leave doesn't mean she actually wanted us to!"
"Zuko-" Iroh attempted.
"None of you have any idea what it's like," Zuko interrupted again, staring intently at the ground as his fists shook at his sides. "To live with a parent who expects you to be everything that you're not. To stifle yourself, to give up who you are, or else be punished for it…"
He spun around, cursing the tears that were beginning to well in his eyes as unwanted memories of Ozai flashed in his mind for the first time since the swamp.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, from behind, a pair of gentle arms wrapped around him from behind.
"You're right," Aang whispered next to his ear, his own voice sounding strained now. "You're right, Zuko. I'm sorry."
The sudden shift in Zuko's emotions felt disorienting—the airbender's words made him feel relieved, but his closeness made him feel flustered, his heart pounding more and more fiercely with each passing second.
"Man, you guys are loud."
Zuko's eyes widened, and he and Aang whipped around to see none other than Toph herself jogging up the worn path leading up to the plateau. She was dressed in the outfit she'd been wearing when they'd first encountered her, which Zuko thought suited her much better than the clothes her parents had forced her to wear all day.
"Toph!" Aang exclaimed happily, running up to her. "What are you doing here?"
"My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world," Toph replied with a smile.
Zuko's brow furrowed slightly, and he and Iroh exchanged an uncertain glance. Somehow, he found this difficult to believe.
"...Well," Sokka said, exchanging a similar glance with his sister. "We'd better get out of here, before your dad changes his mind again."
"Good idea," Toph nodded.
With that, their companions began to make their way over to Appa to prepare for departure.
"Hey," Toph said quietly as she pulled Zuko aside. "I just wanted to say… thanks. For defending me back there."
"I thought you were angry," Zuko replied, surprised. "You told me to stop."
Toph shook her head. "I just knew that nothing you said was gonna get through to him," she sighed.
Zuko's brow furrowed slightly. "So… it sounds like your dad didn't change his mind."
"Shh!" Toph hissed, yanking his sleeve roughly. "Don't say anything to those goody two-shoes, got it?"
"I won't," Zuko replied quickly.
"Good."
After a brief moment of silence, she lifted her fist and punched him lightly.
"Ow! What was that for?" Zuko snapped, rubbing his arm.
"It's how I show affection, Grumps," Toph muttered, folding her arms.
Despite his slight irritation, Zuko couldn't help but smile upon seeing the small girl's embarrassed expression.
"Come on, Blind Bandit," he said, patting her on the shoulder. "Let's get you outta here."