Chapter Text
"Katara. Katara! Hurry up, we gotta get to the boat before we waste any more time than we have because of you!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Calm down, Sokka!"
"I will not calm down! You ruined my whole schedule because of your playtime!"
"It isn't playtime. It's Waterbending and it's-"
"Yeah yeah, I know. It's sacred part unique to our culture "
The two young siblings walked through the thick snow, making their way to the snowy shore, where they would take their canoe out into the ocean to catch fish. Sokka, the 15 year old boy, trudged ahead dragging a spear behind him as Katara, his 14 year old younger sister, followed a bit further off.
"Tell me, Katara. If it's so special your magic water, then why can't I do it? Or Gran Gran? Or literally anybody else in the tribe, huh?" Now, he didn't need to be so mean but then again, he was the older brother. It's practically his job to knock his sister down a couple notches every so often, "I swear, you girls do the weirdest things and try to slap a name on it"
Katara's face flushed red with anger, "Gran Gran's wife's brother was a Waterbender! And I got it from him!"
"Oh please, tell me how that makes sense. Tell me how controlling water can be genetic!" They were about 100 feet to the boat now
"It just is! And you're just jealous that you aren't a Waterbend… Huh ?" Katara stopped mid sentence and squinted. Off to the far, far right in the distance was a… silhouette. Two silhouettes? "Sokka, I see something over there, I think it's people!"
Sokka didn't even turn to look at his sister, "Please, I'm not falling for that trick again. Not for the fifth time"
Katara jogged up to him and tugged on his thick coat sleeve, "No, I'm serious this time!"
He groaned, "Katara, there isn't anyone here besides the tribe for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles"
Growing tired of his stubbornness, she grabbed his head and jerked it in the direction where she saw it, pointing there as well, " Look!"
"HEY! Watch it-!" He stopped, spotting the dark, slowly moving shapes, "...Huh..?"
"I told you! Let's check it out, if they aren't from here, they might freeze!" Katara said, not waiting for an answer and already running towards the silhouettes
Sokka stayed there for a moment, "Uurgggh, we were so close to the boat… Katara!" He whined before chasing after her
The brother and sister ran and ran for 15 minutes straight before being able to make out the figure, well, figures. Upon closer examination, they realized that there were, in fact, two of them. One was a person and the other was… well it was something. It was huge and darkly coloured (And frankly terrifying). She guessed it was an animal?
Katara was able to reach their destination first with Sokka lagging behind (It was hard to run in a parka), " Katara, watch out! They could be dangerous!" He called out
The Waterbender ignored him, not turning back and keeping her attention on the silhouettes, "Hello! Are you alright? Are you lost?"
She stopped her travel when she was a couple feet away, close enough to get a good look at the person. And they were...
A kid…?
A girl with dark hair that couldn't be any older than herself, the ground underneath the snow was lifted, pushing the snow away and creating a frozen dirt path for her and the giant animal walking by her side.
And what kind of animal was that anyway ? It looked kinda like a Polarbear-Dog but brown and probably as big as a sky bison!
Katara stared at the beast in awe, " Woah…"
The girl then turned to face the Waterbender. She was hugging herself tightly, standing extremely close to the mysterious animal. Her teeth were chattering.
The first thing she noticed was the pale yellow coloured strap that was slung over her left shoulder with something attached to it on her back.
The stranger wore a thin, green jacket that was covered in dirt with dark pants and… no shoes- is this girl fucking insane?!
" H-...Hi..." She said, her nose bright red
"Uh, hi..."
Who was this girl? How did she move the snow to create a trail like that? What kind of animal was that? Was that her pet? How in the world did she get here? Is she actually fucking crazy?
"Katara! Wait up!" Sokka cut off Katara's thoughts, running up to her, out of breath, "What… What did I say about… Talking to strangers- I think I'm gonna throw up"
Sokka bent over, struggling to catch his breath. After a solid minute of that, he finally stood back up straight, only to be met face to face with the giant, seemingly tame animal before them.
He shrieked, "AACK! WHAT'S THAT?!" He jumped back several feet and readied his spear, shoving his sister behind him
Katara lightly pushed Sokka to the side and hesitantly walked up to the black haired girl, "Are you… Alright?"
"O-oh yeah, just fi-fine," She gave the older girl a forced grin through chattering teeth, rubbing her arms quickly over her shoulders and pulling her jacket closer to her person, "Tell me some-something, you're real right? I'm not just hallucinating from the- from the cold?"
Katara blinked, an interesting question to ask a stranger but the cold can make you say some interesting stuff so she can't judge. She smiled a bit, "Yeah, I'm real"
"Thank Oma and Shu, we made it" That was the last thing the girl said before abruptly passing out face first into the snow either from being so ill prepared for such low temperatures or from sheer exhaustion
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Toph stirred a bit, beginning to feel consciousness once again.
Holy shit, she was alive ? Well that's a great win in and of itself, considering all the crap she had already gone through to make it… uh…
Where was she now?
"Why are we keeping her here?! She could be a spy for the Fire Nation!"
Toph stayed still and quiet, not yet opening her eyes in an effort to eavesdrop on the conversation of a slightly familiar voice.
"Sokka, she was unconscious. We couldn't just leave her there"
"Yes we could! This could be a cover up! Maybe that's why she had such thin layers, because Firebenders can warm themselves up!"
Wait, that's the boy who screamed like a wild Flutterbat from before! Funny voice boy!
"That probably isn't why-... Wait, can Firebenders actually do that?"
And that other one. The girl who came up to her first. Did they take her? Did she pass out? Where were they now?
"Probably! It makes sense!"
"Both of you, quiet down. She's starting to wake up"
Okay, now who's that?
Toph slowly sat up, her joints felt stiff and her movements were extremely restricted. Where the fuck was she now?
The last thing she remembered was burrowing out from the ground and walking through that horrible frozen tundra for hours (spirits, she hates the cold) before those two came up to her.
"I went through your stuff. Had to make sure you weren't carrying any weapons," The boy threw the small bag she had into her lap, "The only thing I could really consider there a weapon was… this.." He groaned and she assumed he was holding one of her things
"You went through my stuff?" Toph opened her bag and blindly skimmed over the little that she had; frozen solid fruit, a couple of coins, and a few rocks
All was there and accounted for except she couldn't feel the comfortingly familiar weight on her back. Where's her…?
"Is that my banjo?"
"Yes it is, and it could be considered a weapon so I'll be holding on to it!" You could hear that he toughened his voice up a bit
Jeez this guy was mean.
She felt soft cush underneath her, was she on a futon? Toph opened her eyes (not that it did anything), and she didn't feel the biting chill of the wind anymore, they must have brought her back to where they live, inside. That was nice of them considering one of them wanted to leave her for dead and-
Wait,
Was she wearing shoes?
Toph felt herself, her jacket was replaced with a thick coat that was about two sizes too big and burly, heavy boots. She lifted her leg and blinked, "Uh, why am I wearing these?"
"You didn't have shoes on when my grandchildren found you. You're lucky you didn't have frostbite" The voice that she didn't recognize said, it sounded like an older woman. This was Funny Voice and Girl's grandma
"Uh, I appreciate it but I can't wear these"
"No, we don't mind at all"
"No not because of that, I literally can't wear these. I can't see without my feet"
She was greeted with a confused silence, Toph chuckled a little, "I'm blind and I use Earthbending to see," She explained probably for the millionth time in her young life. While she spoke, she was unlacing the boot, already trying to take them off (aw jeez, they put gloves on her too?), "But I need my feet to be bare to get a clear look at things. If they aren't, things get all fuzzy and it's harder to get around"
A gloved hand was placed on her's as she was undoing her boot, "I understand, but you need to keep those on. Your feet will freeze off if you don't" Granny said
Didn't she hear a word she said? She can't keep these on! Everything is fuzzy when they are. But...
It is a good point. Her feet wouldn't be much use for her if they froze and fell off.
Dammit.
The Earthbender stopped unloading the boots, "Okay, fine"
Toph then stood up, stretching her arms. How long was she out for? It felt like 100 years, she hoped she didn't waste too much time being passed out.
And holy shit , did she feel like she was hit by a giant rock, her whole body ached and she was freezing, even with all the extra layers-
"What's your name? How'd you get here? Is that giant furry animal your pet? How old are you? You look our age, and you said you're an Earthbender?" Girl bombarded her with a million questions, jumping in front of her all of a sudden
"Uh..."
"Forgive my weird sister," Funny Voice said before she felt something sharp press to her throat, "Blind or not, I know you're a Fire Nation spy! Why'd you come here?!"
"AH!" Toph shoved him away and took several steps backwards until she bumped into the old lady
The grandma rested her hands on her shoulders from behind her, " Sokka, Katara," She spoke in a warning tone that reminded her of a parent speaking to their kids (at least she knows their names now), "I apologize, they've never met someone so close to their age before, they're just a little excited"
"NO!"
"YEAH!"
They said simultaneously (I bet you could guess who said what).
"How old are you?"
"12," Toph said, holding her head high, "I'm Toph. What's your name? Because even though I got no problem calling you old lady, I'm told it's rude"
"Just call me Gran Gran" Okaaaay , were all these people crazy? Maybe she really was just hallucinating and she died on the way here-
Wait, crap. She was here for a reason, stop getting distracted.
She made it! She really, really made it! After all that traveling she made it! And it didn't take her nearly as long as she thought it would!
Toph began smiling so hard that her face started hurting, "Wait a second, we made it! We made it all the way here!" She punched the air in celebration
"Um, made it… where?"
"What do you think here is exactly- OOF " Funny Voice (or Sokka ) asked but was cut up by Toph hugging him tight, surprisingly strong from someone three years younger than him
When she finally pulled back, she was beaming up at him, "The Northern Water Tribe, duh!"
….
….
Silence
"What?"
Katara spoke up, "This isn't the Northern Tribe,"
"It's the Southern Water tribe."
……….
………
"WHAAAAAAAAAAA-
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-AAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
Toph screamed, grabbing her head and tugging at her hair, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
The three watched as the young Earthbender paced the floor, shouting to no one in particular, "How did we go the wrong way!? South is South, North is North! AURGH! HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?! I knew that island was way too close for it to be North! How could I've done this! I'm SCREWED!"
Toph snatched her banjo out from Sokka's hands and slung it by the strap behind her back, "I-I I gotta get outta here. I gotta leave, now," She briefly stopped at the igloo's entrance, "It was really nice of you to make sure I didn't, you know, die. And I'll definitely return the favor one day, I swear it, just not today"
"Wait, even if you do plan on traveling to our sister Tribe, the temperatures are the lowest they'll be all year right now. If you go, you'll freeze" Gran Gran protested
"Gran Gran's right, you should stay. At least wait this out" Katara said, taking a few steps forward
The girl shook her head, "You don't understand. I need to get there. I've wasted enough time as it is. I've gotta try"
Toph charged out of the hut and Gran Gran turned to Katara, placing a hand on her back, " Please talk her out of this"
The Waterbender nods then Sokka cut it, "I'm coming too! I still don't trust her. She's too strong for a girl, she's probably a spy!"
Katara flicked Sokka's nose before running out.
The siblings left the igloo and followed the trail of Toph's voice, she was shouting for something.
" Wander! Wander! Where'd they put you, buddy!" Toph screamed, her gloved hands cupped to her mouth as she walked aimlessly around the village, the villagers giving her odd looks
"Hey! Toph! Slow down!" Katara catched up to the Earthbender and walked by her side. She listened to the girl call the name a few more times before asking, "Is Wander the mammoth you were with?"
" Mammoth? Wander's no mammoth! He's a badgermole. You ever heard of one before?"
Badgermole. Badgermole. Badgermo- "I think I might've. Don't they live in the Earth Kingdom?"
Toph nodded, "Uh-huh. They're the masters of Earthbending. They're amazing Earthbenders," She said before adding, "Well, besides me. I'm the greatest Earthbender in the world" She began calling for Wander again
"Oh yeah?" Sokka butt in, squishing himself in between the two, "Okay, so why does the greatest Earthbender in the world even wanna get to the Northern Water Tribe?" He squinted suspiciously
"It's complicated and quite frankly, none of your business. I just need to and there's no talking me out of this if that's what you guys are here for," She folded her arms and began walking at a faster pace, away from the two, "Now, if one of you can tell me where the badgermole is, that'd be great"
Sokka and Katara look at each other anxiously before leading Toph to the hut that Wander was currently residing in.
"Wander! There you are! Didn't you hear me calling your name?" Toph exclaimed, running ahead of the siblings inside the hut where the badgermole was laying in, they had even given him a large tarp to use as a blanket. Toph used the Earth to launch herself up into the air and land on his face, hugging him. He raised his head slightly, yawning, "Oh, were you sleeping? Sorry"
She jumped off and stood in front of him, Sokka and Katara watched from off to the side, "I know you're tired, but we gotta go. This is the Southern Water Tribe, not the Northern, we went the wrong way!"
"How do you even mess that up- ow!" Sokka whispered over to his sister, who in turn silently ribbed him in the chest
The 12 year old gasped at her animal friend, "What do you mean 'I told you so!?' You were the one who said it was this way!"
Wander groaned at her, "We weren't taking a boat! I get motion sick, you know that!" She shouted
She continued arguing with him which understandably puzzled the siblings. Toph was talking to the badgermole as if she could understand him by the grunts and groans he responded with.
So not only was Toph an Earthbender in the South Pole for some reason, she can also talk to badgermles? Or really, maybe jus t this badgermole? Overthinking the situation frankly made Katara's brain hurt.
A little while later, Toph was with Wander just outside the Southern Water Tribe's short walls, getting ready to leave. Katara walked up to them.
"Just think about this for a moment, Toph"
Toph wasn't facing her, she was busy securing the tarp the villagers graciously allowed her to keep around Wander, "I have thought about it and my duty to get to Northern Water Tribe outweighs any survival instinct"
"Can't you at least, I dunno, burrow under the ground or something?" Katara knew it was helpless at this point, Toph was going. But it would go a long way to make sure she was safe, "You're an Earthbender, aren't you?"
"I would if I could, honest. But the ground is frozen solid, it's hard enough to lift a rock , let alone dig underground," After the Earthbender finished securing the tarp, she turned to face Katara, "But we'll be alright. Once we get to a little warmer place, we'll be able to just fine"
The two stood in silence for a while. Why did Toph even need to get to the Northern Water Tribe anyway? Were her reasons so complicated as she said that she couldn't at least try to shed some light on the situation. To at least try and give Katara some clarity before she goes?
But she won't, and Katara knows it. They don't know each other, they had practically taken in a stranger. They're strangers. She doesn't owe Toph anything as much as Toph doesn't owe her anything.
"Here," Toph shuffled in her bag for a moment before handing Katara the last few coins she had, "Take this. It's not a lot and I have no idea what your currency is or if it's different from the Earth Kingdom but thank you for saving me and Wander"
Or maybe Toph did owe her something? Katara thought, shifting the coins around in her hand.
"Well, you were the most interesting thing that's happened here in awhile" The Waterbender pointed a thumb to all the villagers huddled around the walls of the Water Tribe, watching them. Even Sokka was there, eyeing the two of them.
Toph laughed and pressed her clenched fists' knuckles together, bowing her head slightly. Katara assumed it was some kind of Earth Kingdom greeting or goodbye thing.
Then, they left.
Katara watched them go. Watched them trudge off into the snowy distance with no intent of ever returning.
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The wind was harsh and the bite was unforgiving. Toph felt Wander shiver as a chill ran through him.
They had to keep going. To keep pushing through the cold because it's all they could do now. Continuously lifting the ground to move the snow, carving a path for then to walk and see through.
Toph felt herself shaking, even through all the extra lays the Southern Water Tribe had given her, "We have to keep going dammit," She clenched her teeth, "We're Earthbenders, we're stubborn. We have to persist, this is no-... nothing"
Fuck.
She should've waited. She should've stayed. Why did she leave? Where had her patience gone? Hundreds, thousands of Earthbending spirits were looking down at her, shaking their heads.
She needed to stop.
She needed to wait.
She needed to listen.
She was so scared of wasting more time, she hadn't stopped to think if she'll live. That old lady was right. Funny Voice was right, Katara was right
She's an idiot.
________________
KRTCH
KRTCH
KRTCH
"Hey warrior, go outside and check what all that stomping is about"
"I know you called me a warrior -which I am one- but I know by how you said it that you didn't mean it," Sokka stood up from cleaning his spear, raising his nose in the air, "But I'm taking the compliment anyway!"
Sokka, Gran Gran, and his idiotic sister were in their small hut. It was late and after the weird day he had, he was grateful it was soon coming to a close. He was in the middle of cleaning his club while Katara was reading a scroll. Their grandmother sitting on a chair a little off to the side, reading as well.
The boy took his spear and walked out of the home, making sure to kick his sister on his way out.
The sun had already set far below the horizon, the sky dark and vast with nothing but the moon and the stars.
Sokka sighed in relief, this crazy day filled with strangers and potential threats is over. He scoped the area; nothing. He closed his eyes, smiling and dusting off his hands.
"But it's all in a day's work for the best warrior in the vill -AAAAAAAA !"
Sokka screeched as he turned on his heel and was met face to face with glossy, dead eyes, " AAAAAAAAA- Oh, it's you again. I thought we got rid of you"
" I'm so glad you're okay and not a human popsicle . Why thank you, Funny Voice!"
Toph was standing in front of him, hugging herself with Wander standing behind her.
"I knew it was stupid of you to go- wait, Funny Voice?" Sokka growled, " MY VOICE ISN'T FUNNY!"
"Uh, yeah it is"
"RRGG! Well what about you, huh?!" The 15 year old hollered loud enough to wake the entire village. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked on it as hard as he could, "IF MY VOICE IS FUNNY THAN YOU LOOK FUNNY!"
"Look at your hair! You can barely see your eyes and you're so short that I barely even noticed you!"
"Oh yeah?! Well your voice is so high and shrill that you sound like a squealing pig-chicken!"
Katara listened to the voices outside, watching as Gran Gran sighed from her chair and rubbed her temples, " Now there's two of them… Katara, bring them inside before I do"
Fearing for the lives of both her brother and (potential) friend, the Waterbender nodded immediately, jumping to her feet and rushing outside.
They both froze when she came outside. Toph was on Sokka's back, grabbing his cheeks and Sokka had his arms reached behind himself, fists clutching her bangs.
Katara raised an eyebrow, wearing an unamused expressions and folded her arms, " Inside before Gran Gran comes out"
Sokka visablily paled and Toph jumped off his back, the boy ran inside, "Hi Gran Gran! Did I ever tell you you're my favorite grandma in the whole world!"
"I'm your only grandma in the whole world!" The old lady shouted from inside
Toph walked up to Katara and Katara smiled at her, "Gran Gran said you'd be back"
"Well it's cold. And as much as I'm freaking out, the badgermoles taught me patience. I can wait out the cold"
Katara was glad she was back again. She was worried about the well-being of her, trying to travel not only in low temperatures but in low temperatures that she wasn't used to. (And again, she was the most interesting thing to happen to this tribe for a while but that was besides the point).
And apparently Toph knew it as well, she had ignored her inctists. She wanted to ask what made the Northern Water Tribe so important but understood that if Toph doesn't want to talk about it, she can't force her to.
When they walked inside together, Gran Gran glanced at Toph, "Welcome back, Toph"
"Hey there, Gran Gran!" Toph grinned, "How long till the temperature rises?"
"It'll get warmer gradually. The temperature will be suitable for traveling in a couple days, probably a week"
Sokka whined, "She's gonna have to stay here for a week?"
"You say that as if you didn't miss me!" Toph took her banjo out from the strap behind her back, "You haven't even heard me play yet, you'll love it!" Sokka groaned and Katara laughed
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Somewhere across the world, in the Earth Kingdom, in a giant Fire Nation ship, in a dimly lit room stood Zuko, crown prince banished from his home.
He hovered over a map with only a few candles lighting his sight, "Those Earth Kingdom hicks have such big mouths," He whispered to himself before turning his head up towards the open door where Iroh stood, "Uncle"
"Yes, Prince Zuko?"
"Tell the crew to ready the ship again,"
"I know where the Avatar is"