The Royal Barge was no longer as uncomfortable as it had been the first time she boarded it, but Toph didn't enjoy being on the ship either way. While she had grown used to wearing her shoes, they certainly limited her already limited sense of her surroundings when it came to solid metal. She relied exclusively on her hearing to get around, and it had worked so far: still, she couldn't wait to return to solid ground again. Ships were almost as unpleasant as flying on Azula's dragon.
She sighed, waiting by the vessel's rim, arms propped on the metallic railing. They were scheduled to reach the Slate today, but she couldn't muster much patience until they did. Her anticipation was rising as her anxiety receded, somewhat. The thought of the exciting battle ahead was starting to drive away her fears, even if she knew it wasn't wise to face this new challenge recklessly.
She heard heavy footsteps approaching but failed to recognize them; her shoes hindered her ability to tell people apart by their walking rhythm alone.
"How are you feeling?"
Toph's ears perked: she hadn't expected those footsteps to belong to her new sponsor. They had been cordial so far, but they hadn't crossed paths often. She bit her lip, not knowing what to make of the man yet. She could sense Azula wasn't entirely fond of him, but was Azula genuinely fond of anyone other than Sokka? Toph smiled at the thought and shrugged towards Zhao.
"Tired of this stupid floating cage, if you want the truth," she said. "I know, I know, I'm going to get stuck in another stupid, floating cage in a few hours, but still…"
"Not fond of ships, are you?" Zhao asked. "I suppose it makes sense, if what I've heard and seen of your skills is true. You do rely on your earthbending as your eyesight, don't you?"
"Yup," said Toph, sighing. "So metal isn't really fun for me. But at least I've learned to get by with mostly just my hearing. Sometimes I even think I feel some things through metal, but I'm probably kidding myself…"
"Maybe," said Zhao, shrugging. "As for myself, I rather enjoy sailing."
"Yeah, well, you're an admiral," said Toph, smirking. "If you didn't, you would've picked the wrong job."
"Certainly," Zhao conceded, with a soft chuckle.
"Weird, though, that some firebender would like to sail," Toph commented. "Isn't that a bit contradictory?"
"The Earth Kingdom used to have a navy too, you know?" said Zhao, raising his eyebrows. "A weak navy, yes, but it existed all the same. At any rate, the Fire Nation navy isn't too popular, especially now that the airship fleet is being built, but we needed to make use of every advancement at our disposal to attain victory."
"Right…" said Toph, with a shrug. Zhao raised his eyebrows.
"I… suppose that can be a sensitive topic for someone from the Earth Kingdom," he said, frowning. Toph snorted.
"Honestly, I never cared who was ruling," she said, surprising him. "I didn't feel much of a difference between the old Earth King's rule and the Fire Nation's. If anything, you guys took Earth Rumble and turned it into something better, meaning, the Gladiator Business…"
"Your only priority in life is to fight, then?" Zhao asked, confused. Toph shrugged.
"I wouldn't say the only one, but… what's so wrong with that?" she asked, tapping the ship's railing with a finger. "Some people like to drink, others like to read, some enjoy art… I like fighting."
"A very straight-forward way of thinking," said Zhao, with a small smile. "So, you ascribe to no ideologies, no beliefs?"
"Hell, I don't even believe in spirits," said Toph, with a proud smirk. "I also don't believe people who always rave about what they can see. I have no idea what it means to see, and I can get around mostly fine without eyesight. So, when I hear people rambling about how beautiful this or that is, horrified about how ugly something else may be, how these colors and those colors mean different things… it just makes me roll my useless eyes, really. As far as I know, you're all pulling pranks on me with all that talk of beauty and colors, because I can't tell if they even exist or not."
"Fair enough, but it would be unlikely for the entire world to join forces to pull that sort of prank on you," said Zhao, with amusement. "Still, I understand your suspicion. If I had never experienced one of my senses, I would also question those who claim to have it."
"Right? And yet a lot of people don't get it," said Toph, sighing. Zhao chuckled.
"You're quite a curious fellow, I'd say," he said. Toph raised an eyebrow.
"In what sense?"
"Merely, you're the kind of gladiator worth sponsoring," said Zhao. Toph tensed up. "You have interesting philosophies and going by your impeccable record, it seems you're a reliable fighter. I think I'll enjoy sponsoring you."
"Really?" Toph asked, biting her lip. "For how long can you do it, though?"
"Some time," Zhao said, shrugging. "The authorization has no expiration date, after all. And I won't be needed in the north yet, so, for as long as I can stay here…"
"And what will we do if you are needed?" Toph asked. Zhao frowned.
"Well… if General Iroh hasn't relinquished his right to sponsor you yet, I suppose we'll have to resort to powers greater than our own. The Princess might be able to sway the heads of the Gladiator League's executives to make exceptions of some rules for you, given your record as a fighter and your dedication to the League."
"Exceptions like… what, could she get me out of having a sponsor?" Toph asked, with an amused grin. Zhao laughed.
"I'm afraid that's not likely," he said. "But she might be able to demand that you obtain a new official sponsor, yes, even if General Iroh doesn't default his position as your prime sponsor. It's certainly not the best way to do it, but sometimes…"
"Eh, screw the law," said Toph, smirking. "I've never liked following rules anyways."
"Then that should suit you fine," said Zhao. "I'm sure you'll have quite the crowd of potential sponsors to choose from, if things come to that."
"I'd look forward to it, but… wouldn't it be kind of embarrassing that I would've gone through four sponsors?" Toph grimaced. "Not a lot of gladiators would have needed so many. Am I that difficult to deal with? Or am I just unlucky?"
"I can't say," Zhao shrugged. "But I do suspect your first two sponsors simply weren't good enough for you. Giving you up as a gladiator is something only a fool would do. I was quite impressed by your performance when you fought the Blue Wolf…"
"Oh? You watched that?" Toph asked. "It wasn't my finest, really. You should've seen me when I first fought him. Kicked his ass, broke a few of his ribs…"
"How atrocious," said Zhao, with a smile. "And despite that, you've become friends?"
"He's a masochist, what can I say?" Toph explained. Zhao laughed again.
"I told the Princess back then that she needed a stronger gladiator than him, if she wanted to progress further in the League," Zhao said. Toph raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect her to heed my advice, but just now she really is missing a bright chance with you. You are a far more threatening gladiator than the Blue Wolf, as much as he's no weakling, but…"
"But she won't sponsor me," said Toph, with a small smile. "I don't mind. I like fighting him, really. He keeps improving somehow, you know? Without counting whatever might happen in the Slate today, my most threatening rival is him. He's unpredictable, always has been. And Azula has invested so much time and work on him that she refuses to give up on him just like that."
"I know that," said Zhao, nodding. "But I still wonder if she can expect to rise much higher with him. While I don't doubt that she is aiming for greatness, he may come short when it comes to the high tier of the League."
"And I wouldn't?" Toph asked. Zhao smiled a little.
"You seem to fit right in with the rest of the top tier, truly," he said. "You're probably the most talented earthbender I've ever seen."
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment, though I've never seen any earthbenders myself," said Toph, smirking. Zhao frowned, gazing at her in confusion.
"What? Surely you have fought earthbenders before, or is it you…? Oh, wait. Well, quite the sense of humor you've got there," he said, smirking as the joke dawned upon him.
"I hope that fits with the top tier too," said Toph, snickering.
"It might, with some of it," said Zhao. "At any rate, I do look forward to working with you. I don't know how far we might go, but if you reach your full potential you might even become the second gladiator in the league…"
"Second? Why not the first?" Toph asked, smirking.
"As you well know, that position is taken by my other gladiator," said Zhao, with raised eyebrows.
"Well, sometimes you need some new blood when it comes to competitions like these," said Toph, stretching her arms as she grinned proudly. "He could just step down and leave me to take care of everything, right?"
"I doubt he'll want to," said Zhao, chuckling. "All the same, when you meet him you ought to ask him about that."
"Will do!" Toph declared.
They carried on chatting about the future, unaware of the keen eyes observing them from one of the windows in the Barge's tower. Azula's eyebrows were raised, her arms folded over her chest. Sokka smiled as he stood beside her, leaning on the windowsill.
"Seems like he's trying to get along with her, huh?" he said.
"That's truly surprising," Azula said. "They're about as opposite to each other as it can get. But alas, I suppose we've proven that's no reason for two people not to be partners in the Gladiator League, haven't we?"
"Yeah, as if. Like it or not, Princess, we're not all that different, you and me," he smirked, winking at her. She snorted.
"If you start rambling again about how much of a prince you are, I'll shove you out this window," Azula said. Sokka chuckled.
"Really, how aggressive. Can't handle the truth, can you?"
"Can't handle your delusions, is more like it," she said, smirking. She sighed afterwards, though, sparing another glance at Toph. "Still… it might just help if she feels she has a supportive sponsor. Even if he's just here as a substitute."
"Everything helps when you're about to head into that insane place," said Sokka, biting his lip. "To be honest, I can't say I like sitting on the sidelines of gladiator fights. Some absurd instinct makes me think I have to be fighting in there, too, despite I know I don't… and I think I'll feel that again when Toph fights today."
"It's not as absurd as you think," said Azula, shrugging. "If you're in the fight, you can have some control over what's happening. When you sit in the stands, all you can do is twist your hands, yank your hair, clutch the armrests of your chairs and feel appalled when the fighter you support is being pummeled…"
"Huh. You probably know the feeling much better than I do," said Sokka, with a sad smile. Azula grimaced.
"You have no idea how many times I've wanted to jump off that balcony and deal with your enemies for you," she said. "I shouldn't be so protective of you, but I suppose it's not so bad, is it? That a sponsor would try to look after her gladiator as I do…"
"I can't see anything wrong with it," said Sokka, smiling gently. "I do wish I wouldn't worry you as much as I do. You're happier when I win fights easily, always have been."
"Hm. Yes, no doubt, as it was the first time you ever fought," Azula said, with a small smile. "I have to say… you really impressed me that day. I was too euphoric about getting out of the arranged marriage to actually give you the credit you were due… though, all things considered, I didn't want to give you that much credit at the time."
"Heh, you sure didn't," said Sokka, with a crooked grin. "We were one very mismatched set back then, weren't we?"
"And yet we've learned to balance each other out," said Azula, smiling back. "Aren't we disgustingly corny."
"Oh, we very much are, my Princess," Sokka smirked, his gentle eyes and smile inviting Azula to do something she shouldn't do right now, in broad daylight.
She huffed and shook her head, trying to undo the spell his charm could cast upon her senses. Sokka smiled, almost apologetically, and Azula nodded in his direction.
"Well, I suppose it's best if we get ready to disembark," she said. "We'll be at the Slate shortly, I believe."
"Alright, alright," said Sokka, standing upright again. "I'll go get my… oh, wait, never mind."
"Forgot you're not fighting again?" Azula asked, smirking. Sokka blushed.
"It's a little odd, heading into an Arena without having to wear my armor and weapons. Especially one like the Slate," he clarified.
"It's quite alright, Sokka, you don't need to bring weapons or armor. I'll protect you if need be," she said, mockingly. "There could be many dangers for a spectator of a fight, after all. I mean, you could stub your toe against a wall, or get scared by a spider…"
"Scared? I'm not scared of spiders!" Sokka pouted, following her downstairs as she smiled broadly, pleased as ever by his silly responses to her taunts.
The teasing didn't stop until they reached the deck, and by then Toph noticed their approach upon sensing their voices even before they left the tower. She smirked and Zhao raised an eyebrow, but she jerked her head towards the approaching pair and his unasked question was answered soon enough. He smiled too, watching as Azula strode proudly towards them, Sokka hounding her with a pouty frown.
"Dog's not very happy, huh?" Toph asked. Azula smirked at Sokka.
"He's just feeling awfully vulnerable, heading into an Arena without carrying any weapons or armor of his own," she said. "I've been trying to list whatever dangers he might face and so far I can't come up with anything to justify wearing armor. I suppose there's tripping with his own feet and falling on his face…"
"But heck, even his helmet wouldn't help much there, since it doesn't cover all his face," Toph pointed out. Azula smirked.
"Ah, true enough. See? Turns out there's no point in wearing any armor at all!"
"I said it was force of habit! I'm not worried about tripping over my own feet or anything like that!" Sokka growled, shaking his head. Zhao chuckled, and Sokka looked at him hopelessly. "What, you think it's funny too?"
"I'm only relieved to see someone else as the butt of jokes of a royal, for a change. Ozai never fails to make me the target of all his teasing," said Zhao.
"Well, rest assured, I'll target the Dog much more than I'd target you," Toph told him. "Though I'm not royal, but still…"
"You were born to a noble family, it counts for something," said Sokka.
"Ah, certainly," said Zhao, raising his eyebrows. "Ozai did mention you were a Beifong when he first told me you were staying at the Palace. A lot of commoners dream of reaching the status of nobility, and yet you chose to discard it to live like a commoner instead…"
"Well, now, I lived in the Palace for years. It was classy," Toph said, but she smiled and shrugged soon enough. "Still, I do like living in an earth tent instead. I'm fine with luxuries but… I don't really need them."
"All you need is to fight," said Azula, smiling. "A crazy, reckless attitude to have. And yet you're happier this way than most power-grabbers and greedy nobles who can't have enough riches and lands to feel satisfied."
"See? I'm humble in my own way," said Toph, beaming.
"Yeah, so humble," said Sokka, snorting. "I'm sure the Air Nomads would've thought you were enlightened, what with how few attachments you have…"
"Indeed!" Toph declared, smirking.
"Not all attachments are towards physical things, though," said Azula, leaning over the rim of the barge and watching as a strip of land appeared in the horizon. "Sometimes you can be attached to incorporeal things…"
"Such as… what, my bending?" Toph asked, pouting. "Well, maybe I'm not that attached to it anymore. I've had to stop relying on it so much because of this fight…"
"You haven't wanted to, though," said Azula, chuckling. "Still… attachments aren't always such a terrible thing, Dirt Worm."
"Depends on the attachment, I'd say," Zhao nodded. "Being attached to life is certainly a good way to ensure your survival even in the direst circumstances."
"And being attached to your friends means you'll look after them for good," said Sokka, hands on his hips. "The same is true for being attached to those you're responsible for. Simply put, if people had no attachments, we probably would have never moved forward in the history of civilization at all."
"So… it's a good thing that I'm attached to my bending! Ha!" Toph exclaimed. The others smiled and shrugged.
"As long as you can detach from it for an hour, I think you'll be fine," said Azula.
The progress towards the island was easy and steady. The ship captain was maneuvering to slow to a halt at the rudimentary docks by the bay, and the four passengers waited patiently amid a few royal guards, watching the black rocks that comprised the Slate's island. Zhao breathed in deeply as their destination loomed closer, his nostrils flaring at the scent of sulfur. He smiled fondly, bringing Azula to look at him with curiosity.
"Did you miss this place, by any chance?" she asked. "Combustion Man must have conquered every enemy he fought here, but I didn't think that sort of memory would make you sentimental…"
"Judge my sentimentality as you wish," said Zhao, chuckling. "But in truth I wasn't thinking of Combustion Man. I was thinking of the first time I ever came here, instead."
"It wasn't for the Slate, then?" Azula asked.
"No, not at all," said Zhao. "Do you know this island's history, Princess?"
"Not quite," Azula admitted. "I've heard it's an uninhabited island, though. And I've wondered if it's because of an eruption…"
"Well, it certainly was because of one," said Zhao, nodding. "A catastrophic eruption that annihilated everything in its path. Including one of your ancestors."
Azula frowned, as she took in what Zhao meant. She only knew of one ancestor of hers who had died over the eruption of a volcano, and she did wonder, long ago, if this might have been the island in question… but she had never expected to confirm such suspicions. She eyed Zhao warily.
"Are you serious?" she asked. "How do you know this?"
"I traveled with your father many years ago, Princess," Zhao said. "Where else to start seeking the Avatar's trail, other than in his past life's former home and resting place?"
Azula bit her lip. That made enough sense: aside from having read Sozin's manuscript after tasking Rui Shi with finding it many years ago, her father had begrudgingly revealed her heritage to her during her teenage years, refusing to speak further about her mother's family, just as he refused to speak much of Ursa ever since she disappeared. That heritage was the main reason why her father had married her mother: their children were supposed to be the result of the merging of two extremely powerful firebending bloodlines. But his pursuit of the Avatar predated his marriage to Ursa: in his younger years he had investigated the previous Avatar thoroughly, hoping to track down the next reincarnation.
"Huh?" Sokka's voice brought Azula out of her musings. "Did some Fire Lord die here, then?"
"A Fire Lord?" Zhao repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you said something about her ancestor, right?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula with confusion. She glanced back at him. "What else could that mean?"
"Well, as much as you might think all my noteworthy ancestors were Fire Lords, that's not the case," said Azula, sighing. "I didn't know this for some time, but some years ago my father revealed to me that my mother was a descendant of Avatar Roku."
"Of Avatar…? Woah. Woah! Wait a minute, what?!" Sokka exclaimed, looking at her in disbelief. "You're… you're the descendant of an Avatar?! What the…?!"
"Hush now, it's not nearly as unexpected as you might think," said Azula, looking at him skeptically. "There's been thousands of Avatars, for all you know you're related to one as well."
"Well, maybe, but I don't know for sure if I am!" Sokka said, still staring at Azula with wide eyes. "You're…? Goodness, wasn't it enough to be royal, you had to be related to an Avatar too?"
"What can I say? I'm just one of a kind," said Azula, with a mocking and proud smirk. "Or, well, I would be if I were an only child. Zuko can boast of the same heritage, after all."
"Eh, that doesn't mean you're not one of a kind," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows.
"Especially seeing how you seemed to obtain all the benefits from the bending heritage," said Zhao, smirking. "While Prince Zuko isn't a hopeless bender anymore, he's nowhere near your level of talent and skill."
"Indeed," said Azula, looking at Zhao with amusement. "Sadly, he had enough bending heritage to defeat you, it seems…"
"Oh, not you as well," said Zhao, grimacing as Azula laughed softly. "Isn't it bad enough for Ozai to mock me about it?"
"I'm afraid you'll find no mercy here, Admiral," said Azula, watching as the ship finally halted by the docks.
Toph had been anxious as they pulled in, only listening half-heartedly to the conversation as the island loomed closer. She rushed to wait near the ramp, eager to climb off the ship. Once the soldiers had set the ramp in place, she raced down and smiled brightly once she was safely past the wooden docks, almost kissing the black rocks beneath her.
"Sweet, solid ground!" she exclaimed, beaming, but her face changed when she placed a hand on a rock. "Uh… woah, that's creepy."
"What is?" Azula asked, the first to reach the earthbender's side.
"Well… you said something about how your ancestors died here or whatever?" Toph said. "I think I'm feeling their houses. There's… a lot of stuff buried in here. An entire village."
"I suppose so," said Azula, glancing up at the volcanos that caused the tragic destruction of the island's civilization. "I guess you might even sense a few skeletons somewhere in those rocks, too. I don't think everyone escaped on time. At least, one man didn't."
"I guess not even an Avatar can fight nature, can he?" Sokka asked, standing by Azula's side as he glanced about the island. "Roku was the last known Avatar, wasn't he?"
"Indeed," said Azula. "Fire Lord Sozin saw his death as an opportunity to set out on his campaign of conquest. Without the Avatar to stop him, who would?"
"No one, I guess," Toph said. "Not if you consider how things went for the Fire Nation after a hundred years."
Sokka sighed but nodded. Azula glanced at him with uncertainty, but he didn't seem as irritated as usual. Perhaps hearing of the tragedy of this island for the first time was more heart-wrenching than his long-standing resentment towards the Fire Nation. Grief superseded his displeasure, at least for now.
"Did you and my father find any clues, though?" Azula asked Zhao, turning to look at him. He had lagged behind the other three, walking slower through the pier. "Was there anything worth uncovering about the Avatar here?"
"Actually, no," said Zhao, stopping behind her and Sokka. "Ozai had thought perhaps a new Avatar would have sought out the dying place of the previous one, whether to forge some sort of spiritual connection, or perhaps just out of curiosity. There was no sign of that, though. At the time, this place seemed utterly empty. When the heads of the Gladiator Business requested permission to create a special Arena here, Ozai was all too happy to provide it. He thrives in building new things where old ones perished."
"Well, making an Arena is hardly that bad, is it?" Toph asked, shrugging. "It's better than making another village here, if anything. If the volcanoes erupted again, the only casualty would be the Arena's building, right?"
"True enough," said Azula, nodding. "And speaking of the Arena… shall we move on already, or will we stay to chat about volcanoes just to pass the time?"
Toph pushed herself up to her feet and nodded, starting on the way to the only functional building she could sense. The only metallic enclosure, rather, for she could hardly feel anything past the first layer of metal. Just approaching the building filled her with a deep sense of foreboding, and her blood curdled as she hoped all her preparation would pay off. Everything hinged on her performance today, and she didn't want to come short in this fight, of all fights.
She scarcely registered how Azula and Zhao were welcomed by excited staff members, who were thrilled to see the Princess again even though she wasn't sponsoring a fighter this time. Toph only acknowledged the Arena's staff with curt nods and followed them inside the confusing maze of metal they led her into: sounds rebounded through the corridors and rooms, distorting everything that reached her ears. She twitched, uncomfortable and uncertain about her perceptions. Echoes and footsteps, voices and whispers, all were too close and too far, too clear and too confusing.
"You alright?" Sokka asked her, as they stopped at the Slate's underground vestibule. Azula and Zhao were speaking with the Arena's chairman, leaving the gladiators alone for now.
"I… I don't know," Toph admitted, frowning. "Maybe we forgot training me for how confusing it is to be inside a metal building like this one. I feel… I don't know, like I'm in a dream. Nothing makes sense."
"Yeah, I figured it wouldn't be comfortable," said Sokka, grimacing. "The shoes aren't helping either, are they?"
"No, and these heat resistant clothes are making me sweat more than they should," Toph huffed. "Did I really need the clothes to cover all my body like this? I can't say I like it…"
"I know you like shorter pants and short sleeves too," said Sokka. "But this is the only way to keep most your body safe from bad burns. You'll be grateful later."
"I hope you're right," said Toph, sighing. "So? Where's the bastard whose head I have to crack?"
"We're early, looks like," said Sokka. "He's not here yet."
"Well, he'd better stop stalling," Toph huffed. "I don't have all day. If he got shipwrecked in the sea I'm going to head out to where he drowned and spit into the ocean at his corpse for dying like a wuss instead of fighting here…"
"Heh, that's a very convoluted story you just cooked up," Sokka pointed out, with a small smile. Toph pouted, her cheeks reddening. "It's okay to be nervous, Toph. I was always paranoid when I had to fight here."
"So much that you didn't want to do it anymore, huh?" Toph asked. "You shouldn't have quit the Slate so easily…"
"I shouldn't have, then? Because if I hadn't, that would mean you wouldn't have to fight in it now?" Sokka asked, teasingly. Toph bit her lip guiltily, and Sokka chuckled. "I get it, really. I was horrified when I had to fight here for the second time, I had thought we could give up the right to challenge whenever, but we couldn't… so, if you win and you want to give it up, make sure to do it right away, alright? As soon as you return home."
"That's… a lot to hope for," Toph muttered. Sokka frowned.
"Don't assume you won't win just because it's hard," he said. "I mean, I assumed I wouldn't. I ended up winning on a technicality the first time, no doubt, but… don't give up just yet, Toph. You're a much better fighter than me, after all…"
"Am I?" Toph said, unusually dubitative. "I… I don't really know how to lose, Dog. I don't… I might really lose out there, and I can't help but wonder what I'll do if that happens. What's worse is I might even…"
"Stop," said Sokka, a hand on her shoulder. Toph swallowed dryly. "I know we warned you it was dangerous, but we've trained you as best as we could. You can withstand the Slate's heat, we've seen to that. You're as ready as you can be to pull this off."
"But, say that I don't… won't I lose everyone's respect if I survive, but lose my streak?" she asked, with a sad smile. "It'd be… pathetic."
"It wouldn't be," said Sokka. "Heck, I'm hoping to take the top spot in the ranking and I've lost a bunch of times, myself. Not a lot of gladiators can boast of their perfect records, and a lot of those who have those victory streaks only fight weaklings they know they can defeat. You, Toph, are doing something unthinkable for many. You're about to make history in there, no matter what happens. And I, for one, feel honored that I'll watch it happen."
Toph gulped, her cheeks still tinged crimson. Sokka smiled encouragingly, but winced when she punched him in the shoulder, hard.
"Stop saying that sort of stuff. It's only adding to the pressure!" she growled, pouting again. He chuckled.
"Fine, fine. You want me to say the opposite thing? It might encourage you to fight at your best so you can shut me up," said Sokka. Toph snorted and laughed.
They had to wait for another hour at least until Toph's opponent arrived. While the time provided her with a chance to grow accustomed to the metallic building, her impatient anxiety had turned to irritation by the time Storm's Edge and his sponsor finally crossed the threshold into the vestibule.
Storm's Edge was a short man, clad in black clothes that contrasted against his pale skin. It surprised Sokka to see how much makeup he wore, accentuating his facial features as if to make him more menacing: a meaningless scare tactic to use on someone who was blind, though. The man was barely taller than Toph, and his hair was styled in spikes. Sokka couldn't help but wonder how many hours a day would he spend fixing his appearance into what it was.
"Ah, do excuse my lateness, I… wait," said Storm's Edge's sponsor, frowning as he gazed at the people in the room. "What? Princess Azula? Admiral Zhao? Where is General Iroh? I was certain he was the one to challenge me today?"
"He was, but due to other commitments, I'll be sponsoring his gladiator for today," said Zhao, smirking and stepping towards Storm's Edge. "It's been some time, Xinya. I can't remember the last time we met."
"Oh, it was forever ago, yes," said Xinya, smiling politely and shaking hands with Zhao. "My gladiator was still a work in progress back then."
"I can see he's grown, well, buffer. He's still not very tall," Zhao said, smiling a little. Xinya laughed, but Storm's Edge didn't seem to find the remark amusing.
"It can't be helped, some people are simply not meant to grow much in that area," said Xinya, before bowing his head respectfully towards Azula. "I'm surprised, but honored that you will watch the fight, Princess. Are you having second thoughts about surrendering the right to challenge, perhaps?"
"Not at all. I merely have been keeping an eye on my uncle's gladiator," said Azula, nodding politely at Xinya as he stood upright again. "My presence shouldn't be an inconvenient, I trust."
"Oh, not at all," said Xinya, smiling and turning to the Slate's chairman. "Well, then… when do we begin?"
Toph's breath caught in her throat, just as Storm's Edge smiled with malice. He walked past Toph, scoffing towards her as he moved to his stand-by room. The earthbender didn't notice the gesture.
"Alright…" said Sokka, putting a hand on Toph's shoulder again. "Just remember every bit of advice I've given you. Avoid the borders, try not to touch anything on the ring with your bare hands, and be as agile and nimble as you can be…"
"I know, I know," said Toph, nodding as the group of staff members, and Xinya, took to the stands.
Zhao made to follow them, too, but he stopped to glance at Azula and Sokka. Once he realized they were exchanging a few last words with the Blind Bandit, he decided to give them more privacy, and followed Xinya without interfering.
"Whatever happens now, Dirt Worm…" Azula said, once she was standing before her friend. "You're one of the greatest gladiators in this League, and that's not up to contest. You have it in you to get the better of this guy, whether you know it or not."
"Heh. I hope you're right," said Toph, with a small smile. Azula grinned at her, placing her hand on Toph's free shoulder.
"Good luck. Do your best out there today. And don't be afraid to try a new thing or two," said Azula, smirking. "Sokka even discovered my sword has extraordinary properties after using it here… who knows? Maybe you'll actually unlock the secret to lavabending if you try it now."
"Heh?" Toph said, chuckling. "That'd be convenient. I'll keep that in mind, if nothing else works."
"Go, then. Kick that loser's butt," said Sokka, messing with Toph's hair. She chuckled.
"Damn right I'll do that," she said, with a small smile.
Both Sokka and Azula watched her walk towards her stand-by room, but to their surprise, she stopped halfway there and ran right back towards them.
It wasn't every day that Toph would hug people, despite she had embraced Azula a few times before. But she threw her arms around both of them, hugging them tightly and making them smile. Toph gritted her teeth, holding them tightly as they returned the embrace weakly.
"Thank you," she said, breathlessly.
Azula rubbed Toph's back gently before the girl pulled away. Toph walked to the stand-by room steadily now, no longer stopping halfway there, but not with the confidence they always had associated with her. The two of them followed her with their gazes until she vanished from sight, and it was then that Sokka noticed his shirt was somewhat wet where Toph had pressed her face.
"Was she…?" Sokka asked, looking at the stain of water on the fabric. Azula frowned.
"Well, either that or… she spat at you," Azula said. Sokka snorted and rolled his eyes. "Hey, she's far from classy, we know that…"
"Seriously, though," said Sokka, biting his lip as Azula sighed.
"Yes, she's terrified," Azula said. "Maybe we should've boosted her confidence some more back when we were training her…"
"Maybe," said Sokka, gulping. "She has to make it, though. I mean… what the heck would this League be without her?"
"Well, it'd certainly be far more boring, I'll say," Azula whispered, her gaze on the metal floor.
Sokka reached for her hand and urged her to head to the stands with him – and Azula swallowed hard but and nodded. The contact between their hands ended begrudgingly just before they were within anyone else's field of vision.
Toph breathed deeply as she stood in the stand-by room. Her hair fell as disorderly as ever over her face, and her tense shoulders were set as she waited for the staff to extend the bridge that would lead her to her fight. She swallowed hard, wiped her eyes and nose, and waited again. Tapped her feet on the ground and continued to wait.
She didn't know for how long she stood where she was, her heart racing, her hands mildly trembling: she had never fought like this, never feared a fight as much as she did right now. Because yes, as much as she had taken this fight for granted at first, she couldn't do the same anymore. She understood the dangers she was about to face, and the truth was that maybe she wasn't all that prepared for them. Maybe…
"Right this way, Miss Beifong."
She almost jumped when she heard they were calling her. She nodded and followed the voice of the staff member and reached out with her hands to find the bridge that she'd use to cross into the platform. She took deep breaths as she walked through it, hands always on the ropes that served as support.
She stepped inside the metal ring at last, and the apprehensive feeling only increased. She stiffened, her stone shoes letting her know that her enemy was in front of her, but she could hardly make out anything else. She could hear his breathing, every shift of his body, and perhaps that way she might be able to predict what he'd do… but without her bending, it would be a harder gamble than ever before.
"Welcome, Bandit," said Storm's Edge, with a sneer. "How's it feel to fight somewhere completely out of your element, eh?"
"I suppose I'll know in a bit," she said. "Maybe I could ask you the same question too, after I dump you into the lava down there?"
Storm's Edge tensed, glaring at Toph. She raised an eyebrow before turning towards where she knew the stands would be.
"I was promised I could bend some earth. Where is it?"
"It's being brought in," the Arena's chairman replied from his seat, and Storm's Edge flinched.
"What?! She's getting earth…?" he asked, warily. "Why?"
"It's only fair," said the chairman. "Orders from the higher-ups, kid."
Storm's Edge cringed, as men filed inside the platform, carrying two sacks of earth with them. Toph nodded approvingly: she had trained with less than that during her last weeks at Ty Lee's place. She should be able to work with this.
Once the retractile bridges were drawn, the fight was set to begin. Storm's Edge glanced at the judges, and they readied themselves to turn the hourglass around.
"The fight is starting now!" one of them announced, so Toph would be warned.
She took a defensive position immediately, sensing the shift in Storm's Edge stance. The man summoned a blast of fire and shot it in her direction. The acrid scent compelled her to jump out of the way quickly, and she drew and tossed a knife towards Storm's Edge, in the kind of smooth movements that Mai had taught her. Storm's Edge yelped and twisted his body to dodge it.
"Not fond of knives? Too bad," said Toph, with a smirk.
Storm's Edge grunted and cast a new barrage of fire towards Toph, but it was stronger this time. An initial attempt to evade it proved futile, and shielding herself against it was difficult, if not impossible. Toph shrunk in her frame, letting her fire-resistant clothing take the brunt of it, but the fire licked at her body regardless. She cringed, knowing she would have to resort to the earth for defense after all.
"Not so cocky now, are you?!" Storm's Edge asked, snickering as he launched another offensive.
But Toph wasn't going to take it without fighting back this time. She summoned the earth out of the first sack and wrapped it around herself neatly. The fire rebounded against it, as it worked the way a perfect armor would. The resistant clothing underneath was enough to keep her safe from burns, too.
Storm's Edge clenched his fists but snickered. He prepared another attack, but not before Toph could throw her arms out and launch the earth on her body around the platform, seemingly for no reason. Storm's Edge winced, protecting against it, but the small bits of dirt that clashed against him were next to meaningless. He frowned.
"What? You discard your armor, just like that? Unwise," he said, with a vicious smile. Toph smirked.
"Oh, so unwise," said Toph, drawing her hammer now. "Look at me, I'm so scared…"
"You should be, you little shit. You should be!"
A crackling sound made Toph frown. She had heard it before, barely a few days ago, and knew what it meant: fortunately, she was ready to face what was coming.
Her free hand summoned the second earth bag, bringing it close to herself, but as frontal armor only. Storm's Edge waved his arms around in careful motions, smirking as the electricity soared through his body until he lifted his hand to direct the blast of lightning.
He didn't expect Toph to launch her apparent armor towards him, instants before he fired. His concentration broke, as the lighting flew out to crash into the solid defense Toph had cast at him. But further threads of lightning shot out in different directions, too: some of it hurt Storm's Edge, some of it shot downwards, to the platform, some of it to the metal railing that surrounded the platform. Toph clenched her fists.
When the first spark reached her, she knew she had to jump. But by then it was too late to avoid all the effects of the lightning. She did her best to jump anyways, trying to keep the worst of it at bay, but her body didn't respond as well as she hoped it would. Both gladiators paid for the lighting blast, as bursts of pain accompanied the brief paralysis that struck their bodies.
Toph collapsed on the platform, as did Storm's Edge. If she had any eyesight, she would have glared angrily at the bastard for this, at least once the lightning had dispersed enough to let her move. It did eventually, and she rushed angrily at Storm's Edge, her hammer in tow. He was still recovering from being stunned when he noticed the small earthbender was right in front of him, wielding a hammer that would break his bones if it smashed into his body.
"You piece of garbage!" Toph yelled, swinging the hammer and catching Storm's Edge's thigh with just the tip of her hammer. "What's wrong with you?!"
"I…! I'm going to win this fight! And I'll do it, no matter what it takes!" Storm's Edge claimed, somewhat nervously, but he buffeted Toph with a burst of fire now. She swept it away with her hammer, though, and launched forward for another attack.
The surge of anger in the earthbender had been a surprise, and one that Storm's Edge wasn't responding to very well. He clearly wanted to cast better firebending attacks against the enemy, but Toph was giving him no respite: spending any time flowing between stances was simply impossible. The ferocious girl would take advantage of any openings and leave him with shattered bones if he gave her a chance to reach him.
Yet a small moment of respite arrived for Storm's Edge indeed, once a loud, jarring sound made Toph flinch and lose her focus briefly. A wave of heat rose around them, slow and steadily: the earthbender felt the air around her thickening with sulfur and steam. She gritted her teeth: the gates to the lava had been opened, as Sokka had warned her they would be. Storm's Edge snickered.
"Let's see how long you can keep up that barrage of attacks now, bloody midget!" he snapped, jumping to cast a powerful kick of fire at Toph.
She tried to sweep it away with her hammer, but it wasn't as easy this time. For a moment she feared the lava was making her opponent stronger, but those flames simply weren't like the ones before, either. They were steady, unfaltering. She flinched, wondering if this was the condensed fire Sokka and Azula had warned her about.
"That's right, cower, you little…!"
A knife flew out and caught him in the shoulder. Storm's Edge gasped and recoiled, blood bursting from the wound and trickling down his arm. He pulled out the blade and threw it back at Toph, and she jumped out of the way of the projectile, but she couldn't evade the fire he shot at her next.
It was an inferno of powerful fire, even if launched through a single arm. Toph flinched and tried to swipe it away, but it was futile. The flames weren't deterred by her opposition, and they caught her hair and some of her exposed skin. Toph screamed and stumbled, falling on the burning platform. She broke her fall with her hand, and recoiled soon when the metal burned her, too.
The scent of singed hair permeated the air, and the blood pulsated at full speed through her veins as it rushed to amend the burns she had just suffered. Toph gasped, breathless and unprepared for the wounds she had just sustained. She tried to get back on her feet, but her strength failed her. She had never been hurt in this way before, and Storm's Edge knew it.
"What? That's all? No one had ever plucked a single hair from your sorry head?" he sneered, punctuating the final word with a fire blast.
Toph bolted to her feet and scrambled away from the fire, tossing another knife desperately at him. Her aim wasn't true this time, her nerves and pain causing the projectile to soar and fall over the edge of the platform. Storm's Edge laughed.
"You should be ashamed of the sorry show you're putting on, Blind Bandit!"
He showered her with fire once more, and once again Toph tried to flee from it: the overpowering heat pouring in from below was tiring her out fast, and yet it seemed to have little effect on her opponent. She was down to two weapons, and even though she had tried to get closer to Storm's Edge, she hadn't managed to land a single blow through hand-to-hand combat techniques.
"Why the hell did she do that with the first batch of earth…?" Sokka growled, looking down anxiously. "If she still had it, she'd stand a chance…"
Had Zhao not been sitting beside them, Azula would have grabbed her lover's hand and tried to set him at ease. For now, all she could do was brush her leg against his while answering him.
"She's using the earth to track him down," she explained. "She can't sense him easily through the metal, so she senses his movements whenever he kicks the earth she scattered across the platform. It's not useful for fighting, no doubt, but… it was the best she could do to know where he is. She'd be doing a lot worse if she'd done anything else."
"But she's losing her chances," Sokka said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "At this rate… hell, how do you endure the urge to jump in the ring and fight the bastards yourself?"
"I ask myself the same question more often than you imagine," Azula admitted, giving Sokka a meaningful look before focusing on the fight anew.
Toph was breathing heavily as the gate below her closed again. The respite from the heat source below was welcome, but it wasn't enough of a relief: ten minutes had gone by. It was only ten minutes, and she had been more hurt than ever before in a gladiator fight. Or in any fight, to be perfectly honest. Even her clash against Azula had been lighter than this.
Storm's Edge seemed to be taking a short break as well, circling Toph carefully without attacking her yet. The earthbender turned wherever he went, ensuring she would be able to respond to anything he did, one way or another. But her body was worn out, and her strength was failing her in ways it hadn't before. She knew she was faltering, a foreign feeling entirely. Was this how everyone else felt when fighting her? Was this sensation of despair what she seeded their hearts with? She usually took pride in it: right now, she wished she had been a little more merciful with those she had fought with before.
But if someone wasn't about to show mercy, it was Storm's Edge. He wasn't deterred at all about fighting a small, blind girl: he didn't care about who she was, or what her conditions were. The urge for carnage and battle was so strong in him he couldn't be bothered to slow down, to even consider giving his rival a chance. He wasn't afraid or worried about killing her. He didn't plan on holding back at all: if she died, he would merely shrug it off, if not celebrate it outright. Toph could tell as much.
Was this what the top tier of the Gladiator League was comprised by? Murderers who used their power without restraint, who tried to intimidate each other into submission? Were all of them as cruel and heartless as this firebender was?
Because, if that was the case… two could play the same game.
Toph wasn't traumatized by the experiences of the Amateur League the way Sokka was. She didn't think she would enjoy killing, but she certainly wasn't about to hold back from doing it if someone was trying to kill her. She wasn't some moralist preacher, who would think she had to prove to be the bigger, better person: they were here to fight, and if that bastard was going to kill her, she would ensure to drag him down with her, if nothing else.
"Caught your breath yet, brat?" Storm's Edge asked, smirking. "It's the last time you will, you know? I'm thinking it's time to stop pretentious bitches like you, you see… so damn tiresome hearing about up-and-coming fighters who think they can take over the League. I've been here for the last nine years, you hear me, little bitch? I've been here since it started! And scum like you won't ever rise to my level if I can help it!"
"Yeah… too bad you won't be able to help it, 'little bitch'," Toph snapped back, before lunging forward.
Storm's Edge shot out a new onslaught of fire, but to his surprise, Toph only kept walking, even when her hammer wasn't enough to dispel the flames. She slowed down when the blasts reached her, but she held up the weapon and it protected her face, at the very least…
The brightness of the fire would have been blinding, but Toph couldn't see anyways. Storm's Edge, on the other hand, relied on his eyes far more than he should. His barrage of flames was so intense he failed to see the fourth and final knife, soaring through the fire towards him.
"AGH! YOU LITTLE WHO-…!" he yelled after the blade slashed through his left flank. He jerked it out with a hand…
But he couldn't finish his sentence. A hammer swung from below him, and it slammed into his chin so powerfully his mind fizzled out for a moment or two.
Storm's Edge collapsed, stumbling back. The blow had been so powerful he had barely managed to stay upright. He regained his senses soon enough, and he kicked fire at Toph before she could attack anew. He fired wildly, out of focus, but he was dangerous regardless: his attacks forced her to duck and cower away from the fierceness of his fire.
But Storm's Edge wasn't alright. He felt blood in his mouth, so much blood… and pain, overwhelming, distressing pain. He cringed before coughing and spitting the blood on the platform, and he cringed at the state of his tongue: the hammer had hit him just as he was in the middle of talking. He had bitten it, almost to the point of severing it in half. His horror was only matched by his outrage.
"Goodness, she's ruthless," said Zhao, eyes wide.
"Aren't we grateful that she is," said Sokka, sighing in relief. Even if Toph had lost yet another knife, she had inflicted serious damage through her latest scheme. Storm's Edge was bleeding profusely in his shoulder, flank and mouth, whereas Toph's burns weren't too severe.
Still, it was far too early to consider this an overwhelming victory for Toph. It was nowhere near close to that, especially not yet. Storm's Edge was outraged, and Toph was cautious but ready to continue shedding his blood. A little over forty-five minutes were left of this fight, and the tides of the battle could turn easily at any point within that time…
"You 'ittle…!" Storm's Edge started, but the pain of talking was too strong to do it anymore. Toph smirked.
"Yeah, I'm blind, but you definitely needed to be mute. What'd you need a tongue for, if all you can spout is bullshit, huh?!" she asked, riling up her enemy.
Storm's Edge roared and launched another stream of flames, and Toph shrunk in her frame while trying to defend against it with her hammer. The hammer wouldn't be enough against the mad rage fueling Storm's Edge's flames, though, and her hair started to catch fire again. Absent-mindedly, Toph allowed herself to think she'd need to cut it once she was out of here… if she got out, of course. She swallowed hard and fueled herself with determination. She would get out of here. She couldn't falter against this bastard. She couldn't fail when this was her first true challenge, against her worst opponent yet.
She started to run forward again, and she meant to slam the hammer into her opponent's body, but he stopped firing at her and jumped away, just so he could cast condensed fire at her feet. Toph gasped and tripped, falling on the overheated metal.
She cried out in pain when the heat seared her hands and face. She pushed herself up with difficulty, not expecting a fire kick to the stomach that flipped her over and left her breathless.
She cringed and tried to stand up again, but she sensed Storm's Edge approaching thanks to the scattered earth on the platform. Toph gritted her teeth and swung her legs around, delivering a low kick at the firebender's shin. He grunted in pain but fired at her anyways, and Toph shielded her face with her arms as she continued to kick at the man…
Her arms. Her arms with empty hands. She had dropped the hammer at some point.
She located it soon enough, but she couldn't reach it yet. She roared and pushed forth, sliding between her enemy's legs and shooting a fist up at his weakest spot. Storm's Edge yelped and stopped bending, and Toph took her chance to push herself up to her feet. The whirring sound threatened to deafen her again, and she flinched as the overwhelming heat surged once more: fifteen minutes had gone by. One quarter of the allotted time for the fight. She could do this…
But she didn't sense Storm's Edge gearing up a fire blast at her back. She fell again when it hit her, and it was strong enough to toss her all the way across the ring, just as Storm's Edge picked up her hammer. She flinched as she helped herself up to her feet again painfully by clasping the railing, but she sensed Storm's Edge moving now… to the edge of the ring, at the opposite end of the platform.
"No… No!" she cried out, trying to run towards him, but it was too late.
The hammer spun after Storm's Edge tossed it, and it rebounded against the metal walls, with a ringing sound that made Toph's insides churn with rage and dread. Eventually she heard nothing more, as her hammer was swallowed by the searing lava below. Storm's Edge only smirked in her direction, despite Toph couldn't see him.
"Fuck," said Sokka, burying his face in his hands. Azula closed her eyes and shook her head.
"It's not over yet," said Zhao, despite he wasn't particularly hopeful either.
"Oh, but it will be," said Xinya, beside him. "I suppose that, from now on, sponsors of earthbenders will think twice before trying to fight battles they're not suited for?"
Sokka growled under his breath and Azula actually had to put a hand on his arm, not in a loving or tender gesture, but to keep him from lashing out at the man. The situation in the ring was bad enough as it was, Sokka didn't need to stir up any more trouble outside it.
Toph was defenseless now. She gathered some of the earth she had scattered earlier, creating a small rock, but it wasn't enough: a lot of the loose particles had been scorched by Storm's Edge's fire, or blown away by the force of the man's firebending. She hardly had enough left to track him down, let alone to fight back with. She was truly helpless now.
"Huck you," Storm's Edge growled, his pronunciation damaged over the wound on his tongue.
He gathered his fists once more. Toph gritted her teeth and shielded herself with her hands as his bending barrage began once again. She didn't want to lose, let alone die, in such a shameful way, she refused to let it happen… but how to help it? She wished she had earth to use, earth to protect herself, to tear a hole in this bastard's stomach, impale him from ass to brain, maybe… but she didn't. She couldn't. There was no earth, not even…
But she remembered Azula's advice and experiments. She had talked about Sokka's discovery of her sword's abilities… maybe it was time to give her theory a try. Maybe in all this desperation, something would finally click inside her, and she would be able to bend the lava after all.
She pushed herself forward and headbutted Storm's Edge. The man kicked her off him, and Toph rolled over the platform before rising to her feet and taking a strong, steady bending stance. To hell with everything. If it could work, it would work now. She only had to feel the earth, and use it to her benefit…!
She struck her arms up, forcefully, powerfully.
Storm's Edge watched in confusion at first, in fear later. Maybe he understood what she was trying to do. Or maybe he thought she had a secret stash of earth hiding someplace down below…
But nothing happened.
No earth, no lava, nothing. Toph's heart sank. Nothing had moved, save for the few particles of earth still on the platform. She tried again, desperate, but nothing. Still, nothing. She didn't bother hiding her disappointment, or her hopelessness: she was lost. She was…
The fire rained on her again, and she hardly did anything to stop it. She tried to shield against it, but her hand was already charred and burned, as was her face. She had no idea if she was bald by now, with how much hair her enemy had burned. She could only endure, and wait, and hope Storm's Edge wouldn't kill her with his flames yet…
It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She wasn't the kind of gladiator who gave up. She felt like crying, overwhelmed by the sense of helplessness that was weighing on her more heavily than anything else. She wasn't the kind of fighter who would stop fighting for any reason. Whatever her weaknesses, she always found a way to be strong. This couldn't be her undoing… and yet it was. It was.
Storm's Edge kicked at her, and Toph flew off, rolling on the burning metal platform again. She cringed, trying to push herself up. Her entire body hurt. Everything was painful. But what was most wounded, no doubt, was her pride. Curse her foolish pride. Curse the day she said she wanted to fight here, just out of a stupid notion of rivalry towards Sokka. Curse the day she decided to fight no matter if Iroh had forsaken her, no matter if he had set her up to falter here and die…
Iroh. She gritted her teeth and tried not to cry at the thought of her sponsor. Would he even know she had fallen in battle here? Would he care if he found out? She didn't know if he would. She was afraid maybe he wouldn't. Would she just disappear, and everyone would move on without her? Her parents, would they even hear of her death? Would Azula send word of it? And then… would any of it matter to her at all, once her life ran out, once her fighting spirit was vanquished for good?
She leaned closer to the metal platform, instead of pushing herself up. And she slammed a fist down on it, hard. She sensed the earth particles, the few that still remained, but she no longer had any plans of using them: this wasn't the glorious death she could have accepted. An unfair fight, in a scenario meant to overwhelm her… and she hadn't been strong enough to overcome it. She didn't want this. She couldn't take this. She had thought she would be at peace with this sort of death, but she had been wrong.
She couldn't die without her bending. She couldn't die feeling powerless and weak, trapped and defeated. She didn't want to. She was terrified to, and yet…
Again she punched the metal in desperation, in self-flagellation, as the heat seared her skin and burned her further. Storm's Edge chuckled, not far from where she was. Of course, he was laughing. If the situation were any different – if they were fighting in Gladiator Rumble – the bastard would be begging for mercy with his half-tongue.
But it wasn't Gladiator Rumble. They were in the Slate, the accursed, damned Slate that she had underestimated so much. She had been arrogant, cocky, thinking no challenge was above her. And she had been wrong. Painfully, stupidly wrong.
One more punch. Earth resounded against her.
But she frowned when she noticed something strange. Some of the particles she had sensed… weren't on the platform's surface. Was she that hurt that she was feeling things that weren't there, or…?
She did it again. And again. One more time…
"Htop it!" Storm's Edge roared over his damaged tongue, and he shot another fistful of flames at Toph.
She rolled away from the attack, thinking she had really lost her mind. She still felt what she had felt earlier, but… it couldn't be. It was madness. She couldn't be feeling earth inside the metal, and she certainly couldn't be hearing someone calling her name, and…
"What's she doing now?" Sokka had asked before Storm's Edge attacked again, noticing that Toph's constant punching of the platform didn't seem fortuitous. Azula shrugged and shook her head.
"I don't know. I wouldn't think much of it, but…"
"Do you think there's more earth left on it than she had thought? Maybe…"
"…-Oph…! Toph! TOPH!"
Azula's eyes widened. Sokka was startled as well, hearing that familiar voice breaking through the Arena just as Storm's Edge forced Toph roll away from him with his fire again.
A shape came rushing out of the corridor that led into the stands, a shape that moved past everyone and clutched at the banister that enclosed the stands. The attention of everyone in the stands, be it staff members, sponsors and guests, was seized by the old man, but he didn't seem to notice any of their presences. His eyes were glued to one thing only, and it was his hurt, weakened gladiator, holding onto what little hopes and strength she still had left when she heard his voice.
"I… Iroh?" she said, frowning. She couldn't be right. She had to be hearing things, because there was no way Iroh would…
"TOPH!"
Her eyes widened. She realized she couldn't be hallucinating that voice when Storm's Edge snapped:
"SHADDAP! WE'RE BUHY HERE!"
It was no illusion, then: that was Iroh. It was him, and he was… he had come back. He had come back for her. To see her one last time, at least, before she lost, or even died, if Storm's Edge decided to be that merciless…
She smiled, despite herself. One of her questions had been answered. Somehow, she felt at ease this way. At least she knew that, even if they'd fallen out as they had, Iroh still had cared enough to come back, late as he had been…
But the barrage of fire Storm's Edge shot out now sent her to the edge of the platform again, threatening to toss her overboard. Fortunately for Toph, the gates below were closing now, so even if she fell, she wouldn't die in a pool of lava… but she might break a bone or two, if she didn't suffer worse injuries. Dying by jumping off places was definitely not the best way to do it, she reasoned.
Yet… her hand found the railing once more, and she struck it with a light fist. Again, she felt it. She swallowed hard, and did it again. Then she slammed her feet down on the platform, and Storm's Edge huffed.
"Ya' danhing now, migyet?!" he bellowed, but Toph ignored him.
Whatever he yelled next sounded very much like an attempted death threat, but his ripped tongue made him too incoherent with complicated words. And as he lifted his fists, coated with fire, Toph lifted her own hand and clutched at the railing of the platform with her last, desperate hope.
Storm's Edge fired, and Toph put all her strength in pulling at the railing. She moved out of the fire's way when the railing receded, allowing her to reel the tubes towards her. The top tube snapped away from the other tubes that comprised the railing with surprising ease. With one wild yank, she tore that tube free, and she was left with a spear-like weapon, one that seared at her hands painfully.
The entire Arena was speechless as Toph stood with the makeshift weapon in her hands. Storm's Edge's bravado diminished quickly, and he shook his head in disbelief. She couldn't have… the railing had been loose, surely. It was weak. She had pulled that tube out of its sockets by chance, because there was no way, there was no way that midget, that tiny little thing, could have possibly used her bending on metal…
"That… how?" Zhao said, eyes wide. It wasn't every day that the Admiral was as deeply shocked as he was right now.
But no one had answers for him. Azula and Sokka were equally speechless and confused. Even Iroh, as emotional as he had been when he rushed into the stands as he had, now stared at the battlefield with wide eyes, and an open mouth.
"Did she just… bend metal?" Sokka asked. Azula swallowed hard.
"That's… I'd never heard of that before but… did she?" she asked, glancing at her partner, confused. Sokka shrugged.
Toph swung her makeshift spear from side to side and rushed towards Storm's Edge, her every step harder, stronger than ever before. The earth in the metal resounded with her footsteps, and she grinned wildly: she could feel it. She could do this. She was doing it already, she was…
Storm's Edge shot bolts of fire towards her, and Toph tried to evade or fight them back, but eventually she grew tired of that and launched her tube towards Storm's Edge at full speed. The man scrambled out of the projectile's way nervously, fearful of whatever the Blind Bandit was up to now. She stomped hard on the metal again, and Storm's Edge finally connected the dots on what the girl was doing…
Toph yelled as she sank a hand into the metal. Her fingers dug inside it, in a way that no normal person could. And then she squeezed, it seemed… and a large wrinkle appeared through the platform, so large that it crossed the distance between where Toph stood and where Storm's Edge waited, staring at her in dread…
The metal, inexplicably, seemed to open around him and tried to trap his feet. Storm's Edge jumped away, but the wrinkles reached him again and again, and Toph's hand remained lodged in the unbearably hot metal… but her lips were curled into the wildest smile now, as she chased Storm's Edge across the ring until he was stuck in a small metal trap.
She stood up, blowing on her hand to ease the pain, but she smirked proudly all the same. Her bangs, or what was left of them, swung when she raised her head towards her enemy, who was struggling to break free from the metal's hold. Toph's hands were clenched into tight fists once more, and the metal platform seemed to tremble as she moved across it.
"Well, well… what do you know?" she said, all trace of fear and helplessness gone from her face and voice. "I suppose… I'm a metalbender."
Azula covered her mouth with a hand, and Sokka actually laughed beside her. Iroh looked at his gladiator with wide eyes, a deep sense of relief born inside him now. A metalbender… a metalbender. Toph was strong, stronger than he could ever dream to be, stronger than most people he knew…
And she was breaking the molds, destroying every limit ever known to her bending discipline. She was doing what no one else had done before her. His gladiator, his friend, was a metalbender.