Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The blind bandit

As she enters Earth Rumble VI, Katara knows full well that she doesn’t belong there.

There are countless spectators cheering excitedly at the prospect of watching other men fight. Personally, Katara doesn’t find it very entertaining.She can understand some of the appeal of earthbending, with its powerful movements that shake the entire arena and its unshakable stances.

The place certainly lives up to its name. It’s an imposing arena carved into a mountain, its peaks and jagged formations making it rather intimidating. Hundreds of gems overhead illuminate the entire venue, while the stone bleachers surround a large stone arena. The host’s booming, masculine voice carries effortlessly throughout the place despite the deafening cheers of the crowd.

Sokka, on the other hand, seems to be having the best night of his life. He won’t stop shouting insults and taunts at every fighter except The Boulder.

To keep herself from dying of boredom, Katara decides to focus on helping Aang find a potential teacher who can teach him earthbending. Still, both of them have their doubts about the talent many of these fighters possess, both in the ring and as earthbenders.

Katara lets out another bored sigh as, for the fourth time, she watches a fighter dressed ridiculously and spouting outlandish lines get crushed beneath a giant boulder.

I don’t know if coming here was such a good idea, she thinks.

___

Toph knows it’s important to practice patience.As the great earthbender she is, she’s well aware that earthbenders are guided by neutral jing—the principle of waiting and waiting until the right moment to act. She has often followed those teachings without even realizing it, like when she waits until everyone at the estate is asleep before sneaking out, or when she waits for her opponent to attack first.

However, being backstage can get a little boring.

Through the vibrations beneath her feet and the cheers of the crowd, Toph can sense how the matches are unfolding in the arena and just how destructive they’re becoming. That annoying Xin Fu is always ordering the fighters to tear the place apart and put on as big a show as possible to drive the fans wild. “Remind everyone why this place is called Earth Rumble, got it?”

Suddenly, the movement of the rocks stops after a tremendous crash, followed by victorious cheers and the loud ringing of a bell. This brings some relief to the young earthbender, as it means she’s getting closer and closer to going out there to fight and defend what’s hers.

She feels a badgermole make its way onto the field and start moving all the debris left behind. She feels sorry for the ones that have been domesticated. She knows how cruel humans can be, and she always hates hearing about some unfortunate badgermole being forced to live away from its own kind. But that badgermole will have to wait a little longer to be set free. The mysterious “disappearance” of the previous badgermole had left Toph as one of the possible suspects. One of the fighters had sworn he’d seen her spending time with the animal quite often, and it certainly didn’t help that she was one of the most private people when it came to her personal life and true identity.

A pair of soft, delicate footsteps pulls Toph from her thoughts.

“Hi, sweetheart. Bored?” asks Ling, one of the two girls who parade around with a sign announcing the beginning and end of each match. She and Fei seem to have taken Toph under their wing ever since they first met her. Xin Fu would even tease both Toph and Fei for never leaving her alone. “You just have to accompany her whenever she makes her entrance. You don’t have to be her shadow,” he had once said.

“Guess,” Toph replies exasperatedly.

At first, she thought the two girls considered her helpless and weak because of her blindness. It had annoyed her that, even after she’d humiliated everyone with her natural talent for earthbending, they still smiled at her affectionately and patted her on the head as if she were a pet rather than a real person.

But she has to admit she was wrong. Ling and Fei are far more perceptive than she expected any of the adults she’s dealt with to be. Fei had calmly explained it to her once:“We really like you, Toph. It’s amazing having such a young and talented fighter like you with us. That’s all.” And once Toph realized the woman was telling the truth, she allowed herself to enjoy their company—the sweet cadence of their voices and the warmth of their friendly hands.

Being with them, listening to them complain about Xin Fu’s plans to shorten their dresses and how uncomfortable Gecko’s vacant stare made them feel—“Oh! But we’re not comparing him to you, Toph. Your eyes are so big and pretty that your gaze is nothing like his.”—all of it makes Toph want to stay backstage a little longer and keep talking to them, even if it means risking getting home before anyone notices she’s gone. It’s embarrassing, and she’ll never admit it out loud, but remembering the conversations they’ve shared drowns out the lonely silence that always fills her room when she’s alone.

Ling hums in understanding. “The good news is that there’s only one more match before you get to go out there. Fei shouldn’t take too long to show up.”

“Are you two talking about me? Should I be worried?” Fei interrupts their little conversation. Compared to Ling’s footsteps, Toph would describe Fei’s gait as more calculated, yet flirtatious. Sometimes she imagines Fei as one of the ladies who come to the estate for a party or gathering. She’d fit right in.

“Don’t worry. We say much worse things to your face,” Toph jokes.

Fei lets out a soft laugh. “Well, you little brat. Changing the subject, I think we have some outsiders here. I saw them sitting in the front row. It’s hilarious—every time I turn to look at them, there are more rocks and debris piled around them. I don’t understand why they have no sense of self-preservation.”

“Or common sense,” Ling adds.

“Hmph… Or maybe you just haven’t seen a real show from a true earthbending master.” Toph rises from her seat, as confident as ever, when she hears the bell announcing the end of the match once again.

As the undefeated champion, she knows exactly what she has to do. Fei takes her place to her left and Ling to her right—a formation she’s grown accustomed to for her dramatic entrance and the best part of the tournament.

Out of sheer habit, she lets Ling drape a cape around her shoulders while Fei hands her her belt—one of her most prized possessions, if she’s being honest—and the three of them begin walking toward the arena.

“Ugh, I feel like I can’t breathe in this outfit,” Fei complains under her breath, making Toph smile for a moment. She understands her better than Fei could ever imagine.

The fans’ cheers echo in her ears, but Toph likes it. She knows many of them recognize her strength, and that’s always like a balm to her already-inflated—but more than justified—ego.

The three of them stop just after passing through the hallway that leads to the arena.

“The Blind Bandit!” Toph announces dramatically, raising the large belt high while the women pose beside her to give her entrance an extra flair. After a moment, Toph turns to hand the belt to Fei while Ling removes her cape.

No one but Toph can hear the woman’s sweet voice as she whispers, “Have fun, sweetheart. We’ll be rooting for you.” And Toph knows that no one could have noticed Ling’s brief caress on her head, hidden beneath the billowing cape.

Toph simply nods in gratitude and inhales the faint trace of perfume the two women leave behind as they walk away.

The young earthbender doesn’t bother moving from where she stands. She doesn’t need to put on a whole show to prove to everyone what she’s made of.

That belt will remain hers.

___

After what feels like hours of endless shouting and unimaginative insults, the last fighter to enter completely captures Katara’s attention.

The host can’t stop raving about her greatness and strength, and for a moment, the young woman thinks she’s watching a parody when she sees a little girl step into the arena.

Accompanied by two beautiful women and holding an ostentatious belt, the host introduces her as the Blind Bandit.

Blind.

That immediately piques Katara’s interest.

“She can’t really be blind. It’s just part of her character, right?” If she really is blind, Katara thinks it’s in incredibly poor taste for someone to pretend to have a disability just to entertain people at a fighting tournament.

But when she takes a closer look…

The young woman is surprised to see that the girl in the ring really is completely blind. Her large eyes have milky-white irises, and her glassy gaze doesn’t seem to focus on anything in particular.

“I think she really is” Aang adds, just as astonished as she is.

Sokka and the other die-hard fans don’t seem bothered by it at all. They start shouting all sorts of nonsense, urging the fight to begin already.

Katara and Aang aren’t particularly thrilled about seeing such a tiny, short girl fight men three times her size. Heck, even the women who accompanied her during her entrance were much taller than she was. The girl barely reached their hips.

A girl like that, fighting in a place like this.

Katara still can’t believe it.

The girl’s features are so delicate that they remind Katara of the dolls she’s seen for sale in the villages they’ve visited. Her skin is noticeably pale compared to everyone else’s, as if she’s never been out in the sun. Her black hair is pulled tightly back, and her bangs are so long they nearly conceal her large, milky eyes.

The waterbender doesn’t know why she can’t take her eyes off her. She wants to believe it’s simply because she’s the most interesting thing she’s seen all night.

___

“The undefeated champion! The Blind Bandit!”

Well, Katara has to admit she was wrong to think that girl was defenseless and weak. Hearing her brother cry his eyes out is just another bonus.

She has no idea how the girl managed to defeat her opponent—well, obviously, with earthbending. But the real question is: how did she know when to attack?

And she takes back comparing her to a doll. The Blind Bandit’s smug smile is dazzling enough to make Katara never want to compare her to anything delicate again.

She’s a walking contradiction. Despite her slender figure and short stature, she still has the broad shoulders and imposing posture that many people from the Earth Kingdom possess. Her delicate features are transformed by sharp expressions and threatening looks. She uses her youthful voice to laugh maniacally and hurl insults at her opponent.

Katara is fascinated by how someone so small can possess such incredible strength.

“She waited and listened” Aang tells her excitedly.

When the host challenges a volunteer to fight the Blind Bandit, Aang doesn’t hesitate to make his way toward the arena. Katara thinks another option would have been to wait until the tournament was over and approach her to talk things out like civilized people, but, well…

As it turns out, Aang ends up winning the match, and the Blind Bandit disappears without a trace.

While Sokka jubilantly hugs them after winning the bag of gold and the coveted belt, Katara can only offer Aang a sympathetic smile. He’s deeply disappointed to realize that he’s once again lost the earthbender he’d been searching for.

___

“Damn it!” Toph yells, slamming her head hard against the mountain.

After such a humiliating defeat, she doesn’t want to see anyone. She just wants to smash things.

She’s always been a sore loser—she can admit that—but she would much rather lose after an epic, all-out battle that forced her to give everything she had than be shoved aside like nothing more than a leaf blowing in the wind.

Her pride, her victories, and her winning streak have all been tarnished by that… that… that stupid twinkle toes guy.

And as if humiliating her in front of everyone wasn’t enough, he had to walk up to her and start asking her to teach him earthbending, as if it were some twisted joke.

“Idiot! Stupid twinkle toes!” the little earthbender cries angrily, slamming her head against the mountain again and making the enormous crater she created in her rage even larger.

In the distance, she detects the anxious footsteps of Fei and Ling.

She considers leaving, but a selfish part of her wants to stay just a little longer.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Ling asks in such a concerned tone that it stirs something inside Toph.

The girl wants to speak, but she only shrugs and pouts. “Shouldn’t you guys be with the new champion?” she asks, trying to change the subject, but she ends up sounding far too jealous. Damn it. She’s supposed to be up there, being recognized for her strength and applauded for her greatness, with Fei and Ling at her side, holding her prize and her belt.

“We don’t think they’ll notice we’re gone,” Fei explains. “Besides, our place is with you, not next to some loud, cocky fighter,” she adds, moving closer and waiting a moment before resting her hand on Toph’s shoulder.

How embarrassing. Just a few words and their mere presence are enough to make Toph feel so much better. She feels warmth spreading across her cheeks, and Fei and Ling notice the growing blush on her face.

“You’ll beat him next time. The good thing about falling is that the only thing you can do is get back up.” Ling says, trying to cheer her up.

That last part makes both Toph and Fei look at her strangely.

“Who taught you that proverb?” Fei asks.

“Yeah, you sound like one of those wise old people from fairy tales” Toph teases.

“Hey! My grandparents came to visit me recently and gave me some really good advice.”

The three of them snort, their amusement soon turning into laughter.

“Cheer up, sweetheart. Let us treat you to some meat buns. It’s a little late, but if we hurry, we might still be able to get some,” Fei suggests, enthusiastically backed up by Ling. “There’s nothing better than some hot buns!”

But Toph doesn’t hesitate to turn down their offer.

“I’m sorry. I have somewhere else to be.”

No matter how much it hurts, she’s been away from home for too long, and she doesn’t want to risk being discovered. She’d rather spend time with them, even if she only gets to see them a few more times, than never see them again. It’s something she has to do, no matter how much she wishes she didn’t have to.

Toph can feel their postures shift and their breathing slow considerably, but she doesn’t sense that familiar look of pity she’s lived with for as long as she can remember.

“All right. We understand,” Fei says resignedly, realizing she can’t push the matter any further.

“But the offer still stands,” Ling adds, trying to lighten the mood.

“Thank you…” Toph wants to say something else. She hesitates for a moment, but decides she has to say it now. They won’t see each other at the tournament for a long time, and she knows Xin Fu will make her pay for all the money he lost. “I like being with you guys… It means a lot to me.”

“Aww, sweetie!” they both exclaim in unison, pulling Toph into a tight bear hug. They both have to crouch down and lean over to rub their cheeks against hers.

Toph feels overwhelmed by the sweet scent of their perfume and a closeness she has never experienced before. “We love you, too.” “We really enjoy being with you” they murmur sweetly, tightening their group hug even more.

The words of comfort and affection leave the poor black-haired girl completely overwhelmed—and more than happy—and redder than the symbol of the Fire Nation.

When Fei and Ling start kissing her cheeks, Toph wants to slam her head against the wall again.

(On her way home, hidden in the shadows, she touches her cheeks very carefully, afraid that the warm sensation might fade away.)

___

Sokka made quite a scene after winning the grand prize—well, clearly, it was Aang who actually won it. They went to an inn for dinner and decided to spend the night there. “We have to celebrate your victory, Aang. And what better way to do that than by eating until we burst and sleeping in a soft bed?”

Sokka’s good mood quickly rubs off on them. The food is delicious, and a soft bed will always be better than sleeping out in the open. They agree to get a single room with the biggest bed to save money. The three of them have been traveling together for so long that sharing a bed doesn’t bother them at all.

But Sokka insists that Aang sleep in the middle because he doesn’t want the first thing Aang sees when he wakes up to be his sister’s face.

The oldest of the three snores like a platypus bear and undoubtedly hibernates like one after eating himself into a food coma.

Katara knows that Aang is awake just like she is, so she turns to look at him.

Their eyes meet, and they seem to be thinking the same thing.

“Don’t worry, Aang. We’ll find her. We’re lucky Gaoling isn’t that big. And I don’t know many short, blind earthbenders—do you?” she says, trying to cheer him up.

Aang smiles at her joke. Even in the quiet darkness of the night, his smile can light up any place.

“That’s a good point. She’s a pretty unique master.”

Katara can’t resist adding, “I think she’s more than that. I think she’s truly a prodigy. How can she defeat all those men if she… well, can’t even see them?”

The waterbender hates to admit it, but not even the good time she had with her friends could make her forget the Blind Bandit. Something about her draws Katara in—her small, deceptive frame hiding a strong personality and a devastating mastery of earthbending. Is she being selfish for wanting to find her just so she can see her again? It’s a good thing Aang’s many abilities don’t include mind-reading. That would be embarrassing.

“I’ve been thinking about it, too, and maybe it has something to do with earthbending. Every time my feet left the ground, for a moment it seemed like she couldn’t find me. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

Katara smiles in agreement.

“When we find her, we have to ask her about it. I’m dying to know.”

“That is, if she doesn’t pulverize me first.”

They both try not to laugh too loudly so they won’t wake Sokka.

___

Toph hasn’t had a good morning.

First, she barely slept at all after returning home. Everything she had experienced kept replaying in her head like a loop. The bitter taste of defeat and humiliation lingered on the tip of her tongue.

Second, at breakfast, the servants regretfully informed her that the cooks hadn’t prepared any meat buns, and that before they could serve her some, they would have to ask her father for permission.

(For Oma and Shu! Who the hell needs permission to eat some simple meat buns ?)

Third, her parents were being especially demanding today. It was as if, deep down, they knew what she had been up to, so they wouldn’t let her walk through the gardens alone. Instead, they had assigned two—two!—guards to stay with her at all times.

Toph was about to smash her head against the nearest rock when she sensed three strangers sneaking toward the estate walls.

Great. This couldn’t get any better, the little earthbender thought irritably when she recognized one of them as the boy who had ruined her chance of remaining undefeated.

Without much delicacy, she flung them into the air so they would land in some bushes a little farther away, outside the guards’ line of sight. Fortunately, most of the guards assigned to watch her quickly lose interest when she pretends to stroll slowly through the garden.

As she approaches them, she gets a better sense of who they are. Two boys and a girl.

“What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?” she demands, completely exasperated.

“Don’t answer her. It’s not manly,” the other boy scolds him. He sounds older, but Toph figures the age gap isn’t that big.

A third voice, feminine and exasperated, teases him.

“Says the guy wearing a belt that matches his purse.”

Toph has to fight the urge to laugh at the comment and keeps a straight face.

“How did you find me?”

For a moment, she can’t sense the boy with her seismic sense. It’s only a brief instant, but Toph doesn’t miss it. Not knowing why she can’t track him makes her even angrier. She’s the best earthbender in the world. Nothing should be able to slip past her!

“A mad king told me to find an earthbender who knew how to wait and listen. Then I had a vision in a swamp where I saw a—”

Kings and swamps? Was he making fun of her again? It wasn’t enough for him to humiliate her as the Blind Bandit. Now he shows up when she’s just Toph Beifong—the poor, blind, defenseless girl—and tries to make her angry all over again.

The girl seems to sense her growing anger and intervenes. “What Aang is trying to say is that he’s the Avatar, and if he doesn’t learn from an earthbender, he won’t be able to defeat the Fire Lord.”

Toph doesn’t hesitate to interrupt her.“It’s not my problem.” She isn’t meant to help the Avatar win a war that has lasted a hundred years. Toph knows her place in the world all too well. And it isn’t out there as an important part of the Avatar’s adventure. It’s here—as the Beifongs’ hidden daughter, so miserable and broken that it’s better for everyone if they don’t even know she exists.

“Get out of here, or I’ll call the guards,” she threatens.

She feels deeply annoyed by these three who think they have the right to barge into her home and tell her that she can be more than a mere decoration on the estate—who invite her to become part of something much bigger than herself.

The older boy steps forward. “We all have to do our part to win this war. And you have to teach Aang how to be an earthbender.”

She doesn’t allow herself to dwell on his words. She can’t. She mustn’t imagine a life beyond Gaoling—a life of freedom, with a mission as important as being the Avatar’s teacher.

In a burst of impulsiveness, Toph starts screaming for the guards. She naturally adopts that helpless voice and fearful expression so that when they arrive, they’ll continue to see her as the Beifongs’ little daughter.

The three kids quickly run away and jump over the wall to avoid being caught.

The guards escort her safely back to her room, gently scolding her as if she were much younger than she actually is.

And for perhaps the fourth time that day, Toph wants to smash her head against a rock.

___

Well, Katara has to admit that their second encounter with the earthbender didn’t go as they had hoped either.

After escaping the guards by jumping over the walls, Katara brushes the dust off her clothes and looks at Aang. “I hope you have another backup plan.”

The monk gives her a mischievous smile, and she knows he won’t give up easily. He seems absolutely certain that she’s the one.

The earthbender—whom they now know is named Toph—is a walking contradiction. Even more so than Katara expected.

During their brief encounter, she noticed the beautiful hanfu she was wearing. The fine fabric and exotic embroidery practically screamed wealth and a high social standing. The elegant bun she now wears, adorned with a delicate tiara, makes it even harder to believe that just hours ago, this girl was considered the undefeated champion of a seedy fighting tournament.

Ignoring her furious glare and rude demeanor, Katara continues thinking about the princesses from legends and the dolls sold for little girls.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Katara asks as the three of them head toward the imposing entrance to the Beifong estate. The beautiful architecture and lavish decorations make her feel like a mere ant standing before those two enormous doors.

“Don’t worry, Katara. No one can say no to the Avatar,” Sokka replies with complete confidence, speaking for Aang.

Katara suspects it’s because that belt and matching bag give him far too much confidence.

___

They are welcomed with open arms. At first, the guards and servants seem somewhat skeptical about whether the Avatar actually exists. But after seeing Aang’s tattoos, they seem to confirm his identity pretty quickly.

It all happens in a blur. Now her little group is sitting in the Beifongs’ large dining room, surrounded by dozens of steaming dishes.

They’re waiting for the youngest member of the family—Toph.

It doesn’t take long for her to make an appearance. But the boys notice that a maid is leading her by the arm until she is seated.

Katara finds it deeply disconcerting. She had seen the dark-haired girl walk so confidently across the tournament arena, yet now she looks completely dwarfed by the clothes she’s wearing, dragging the fabric behind her as though she were drowning in it. She moves so delicately and submissively that, for a brief moment, Katara wonders if they actually have the wrong person and this isn’t the girl they were looking for.

Once Toph is settled into her seat, her father signals that the meal has begun.

They seem quite friendly. Mrs. Beifong smiles warmly at them and deliberately ignores Sokka’s terrible table manners. Mr. Beifong tries to strike up a conversation so the silence doesn’t take over the room.

But Toph doesn’t say a single word. None of the three adults present asks for her opinion.

Two maids flit around her like vultures, ready to assist her with whatever she needs.

“I’d like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer… but I can’t do that unless I find an earthbender first.” Aang’s voice snaps her out of her reverie. Katara forces herself to listen to the conversation and stop staring at the young woman.

Lao Beifong recommends the earthbender sitting with them, but Aang continues hinting at his daughter’s help.

“Then she must be a great earthbender—good enough to teach—OUCH!” Aang startles everyone with a sudden cry of pain, which he quickly hides behind an awkward smile. Katara could have sworn she saw him jump out of his seat.

For some reason, everyone’s attention falls on the small, black-haired girl, but she continues eating her rice calmly, prompting the others to resume their conversation.

“Toph is still learning the basics,” Master Yu explains.

“Yes, because of her blindness… I don’t think she’ll ever become a true earthbender,” Lao says sadly, looking at his daughter with pity.

The Avatar Team exchange confused glances.

So they really don’t know how strong their daughter is. The question is, why?What makes Toph think it’s better for them not to know about her natural talent as an earthbender? Wouldn’t her parents be happy to know that their daughter is actually strong and independent?

“Well, I’m sure she’s better than you thi—HEY!” Out of nowhere, Aang’s face slams into the bowl of food in front of him, completely covering him in it and once again making a fool of himself in front of everyone.

For it to happen twice is far too suspicious, and the small, mocking smile on Toph’s face makes it clear who is responsible.

Aang doesn’t take long to retaliate. He sneezes so hard that he knocks over all the food and dishes. Toph’s bowl flies straight into her face, leaving her in the exact same state as Aang.

Katara feels a sense of déjà vu as she watches them fight. She wonders if this is what Gran-Gran had to put up with during mealtimes with her and Sokka.

Toph frowns and abruptly gets to her feet, rattling the silverware with the force of her movement. “What’s your problem?!” Seeing her this furious feels much better to Katara than watching her act like some melancholy noble girl. This feels more like the Toph she saw at the tournament.

Aang reacts in exactly the same way, standing up and shouting: “What’s YOUR problem?!”

Katara and the others have no idea how to react. There go their chances of convincing Toph to become Aang’s earthbending teacher. From what little Katara knows about her, one thing is certain: Toph absolutely hates being made to look foolish.

Poppy Beifong tries to remain calm and suggests that everyone move to the sitting room for dessert.

Katara is tempted to pinch Aang and tell him to behave and stop bothering Toph. None of this will get them anywhere if they keep making an enemy out of her.

The six of them eventually settle into the beautiful sitting room of the estate. Servants fill the table with sweets and pastries and serve everyone a cup of tea.

“This tea smells delicious,” Katara comments, wanting to maintain a cordial atmosphere with their hosts.

“It’s the finest jasmine tea available. It’s imported,” Poppy explains.

While Katara chats with the matriarch of the family, she notices out of the corner of her eye that the monk is acting a little suspiciously.

The boy looks around erratically, as if making sure no one is watching him. He waits until Toph brings the cup to her lips before blowing an icy breeze toward her tea. The column of steam rising from the cup disappears almost instantly, and the delicate porcelain becomes almost completely covered in a thin layer of frost.

The girl’s eyes widen as her lips stick to the cup for a moment. She has to struggle to pull herself free.

Katara loses track of her conversation with Poppy, worried about how violently Toph will react to Aang’s prank.

“My mother was quite an enthusiast of the art of tea-making, and I’ve always hoped that Toph would come to enjoy it in the same way…” The older woman stops when she notices Katara’s bewildered expression and looks at her in confusion. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing, I’m sorry. I was just impressed by, um… the presentation of your desserts! You must have a very skilled pastry chef, Mrs. Beifong.” Thank Tui and La that seems to convince Mrs. Beifong. Otherwise, she might have noticed that the Avatar had just turned her only daughter’s cup of tea into a frozen popsicle.

“Excuse me, young Avatar. Do you already have somewhere to spend the night?” Lao asks.

“Oh, well, we slept at an inn last night, but tonight I think we’ll probably sleep outside.” Aang scratches the back of his head and laughs casually, as if it were no big deal—which, to them, it really isn’t. They’re more than used to it.

But his answer gets exactly the reaction the three of them were hoping for.

The couple immediately looks alarmed at the thought of the Avatar sleeping out in the open.“Oh, no, please. It would be an honor for us to offer you a place to rest at our estate” Lao says, clearly distressed.

“Are you sure?” Aang asks. “We’ve already taken advantage of your hospitality with the delicious meal you’ve given us.”

“Please, we insist. You may stay for as long as you wish. You are our honored guests,” Poppy insists.

Aang pretends to think about it for a moment. He even exchanges glances with Katara and Sokka as though asking for their opinion before letting out a long, theatrical sigh. “All right. We are deeply grateful for your hospitality.”

The Beifongs are delighted by the news and immediately begin ordering the servants to prepare a room and everything else they might need.

In the middle of all the commotion, Katara catches Aang sending a small gust of wind toward Toph just as she is about to eat a powdered cookie. The girl ends up with her face covered in white. Katara isn’t surprised when, a moment later, Aang’s chair suddenly jerks beneath him and the young monk has to suppress a painful groan.

Tui and La. Give me patience.

___

Night falls over the estate, and soon everyone is asleep in the guest room the Beifongs offered them. Well, everyone except Katara.

The young girl can’t fall asleep despite lying in an incredibly comfortable bed. She would like to blame Sokka’s snoring, but it’s probably just another sleepless night.

It’s been years. Why does it still affect me so much?

Katara considers going for a walk to clear her mind.

Not far away, she can sense the call of water. It must be a body of water larger than a pond, but still close enough for her to perceive it. She can faintly sense its stillness and tranquility, disturbed only slightly by the wind howling through the night.

The brunette finally decides to get up and explore the estate.

Before they retired for the night, their hosts had given them a brief tour of the grounds so they could familiarize themselves with the place, making it fairly easy for her to find her way to the garden.

The moon shines brightly overhead, and Katara smiles. “Hello, Yue.”

“Who are you talking to?”

The sudden childish voice makes Katara yelp and spin around toward its owner.

Toph stands in front of her with her arms crossed, completely unfazed by the fact that she has nearly given Katara a heart attack. Seriously, she had no idea an earthbender could be this quiet.

“For the spirits, Toph! You scared me half to death!” she complains, momentarily forgetting that she’s supposed to be nice to Toph if they want to convince her to join them.

Toph simply ignores her. “Katara, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Who were you talking to? We’re the only ones here,” she insists.

“No one.” Katara doesn’t feel comfortable sharing the whole story behind Yue and her connection to the moon.

“You’re lying” the little earthbender declares with such certainty that Katara is caught off guard.

“Y-you… how do you know?”

Toph gives her a mocking smile. “I’ll tell you if you tell me who you were talking to.”

Katara can’t help returning the smile. “I’ll tell you if you agree to become Aang’s teacher.”

Toph’s smile grows wider.“You’re kind of funny, Katara… just a little.”

“Thanks?”

The black-haired girl seems to sink into her thoughts for a moment, as though considering something.

“Wanna do something fun?” she suddenly asks.

Katara is surprised by the sudden change of subject.

She assumes Toph might be planning to sneak somewhere, since she is no longer wearing the delicate hanfu from earlier. Now she has changed back into the clothes she wore during the tournament. She seriously considers it. She could return to her room with the others and spend hours trying to fall asleep even though she knows she won’t…Or she could go somewhere unknown with this earthbender she barely knows.

“All right. Sure.”

___

Toph manipulates the wall in front of them, opening a doorway-sized gap for them to pass through. “I know the guards’ routines, and I know which places they patrol the least,” she explains as they enter the forest, slowly moving farther away from the Beifong estate.

“I suppose you’ve been sneaking out for a long time, huh?” The trees are densely packed, and on any ordinary night the chances of tripping over a root would be incredibly high. But tonight, Yue is smiling down on them, and the moonlight filters through the branches. Katara appreciates the sight. The landscapes of the South Pole will always have a place in her heart, but one of the greatest gifts this journey has given her is the chance to discover the beauty of other nations.“Longer than I can remember,” Toph says dismissively.

Katara dares to ask, “How do you keep from tripping over the roots?”

The black-haired girl continues walking but turns around to give her a teasing look.

“Do you really wanna know?” she asks.

“Well… yeah, of course. Ever since I saw you in that fight, I haven’t stopped wondering about it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“That’s because you’ve never seen the world’s greatest earthbender before,” she boasts arrogantly.

The worst part is that Katara can’t deny it.

“But it’s also because of this…”

Toph stops in front of what appears to be a valley. It isn’t very deep, nor does it look particularly impressive, but what catches Katara’s attention is a large metal cage hanging in the middle of the valley. It swings like a pendulum, suspended from a very thick chain attached to a structure made of stone and rock.

“What’s in there, Toph?”

“A badgermole,” she answers solemnly.

“Seriously?” Katara turns to look at her in disbelief. Even though her long bangs hide most of her eyes, she can tell Toph isn’t lying. “Poor thing.”

They quickly make their way down the valley and approach the enormous cage. Calling it a cage is almost an understatement. It’s more like a gigantic metal box with only a couple of holes to let air in. Katara can hear the poor creature breathing and notices the subtle swaying of the box caused by its movements.

“Xin Fu’s an idiot. He tries to domesticate them and use them as glorified pets to clean up the messes after every tournament. I freed the last one, but…” Toph hesitates. “Because of me, they decided to replace the wooden cage with this piece of crap metal one.” Katara can hear the guilt in every word she says, and somehow, she feels as though she is seeing a new side of Toph.

“You did the right thing, Toph.” Katara moves closer to the cage and notices a sort of latch underneath it. It most likely opens the bottom of the box, allowing the animal to escape. Katara smiles triumphantly. “And tonight, you’re going to do it again.”

She quickly explains her discovery to Toph and suggests a plan to free the animal.

“What! I didn’t know you were a waterbender. I thought the water I heard inside your waterskin was because you were always thirsty or something.” Katara really enjoys the astonished expression on her face.

“You don’t know everything about me, Toph.” Okay, that sounded pretty cheesy, even for her.

She decides to stop embarrassing herself and uses her water to freeze the latch completely.

With ease, Toph hurls a rock hard enough to break the latch, and the two of them step back as the bottom of the box gives way and begins to open.

A badgermole lands safely on the ground. Katara watches in awe. Its massive front paws, accompanied by sharp black claws, are still as intimidating as ever.

Without the slightest trace of fear, Toph approaches the animal and lets it smell her. Its large snout ruffles her hair and wrinkles her clothes. “Badgermoles use their sense of smell to recognize each other. Hey!” The badgermole interrupts her explanation by enthusiastically licking her face.

Toph bursts into laughter. It’s nothing like the manic laugh she lets out after defeating an opponent. This one is sweet and almost melodic.

Katara is a little bewildered when she sees Toph lick the badgermole back, but decides not to comment on it.

“This one’s pretty young and small. It might have wandered too far away from the others and gotten captured,” the earthbender comments, continuing to pet him.

“Don’t tell me that’s considered small.” To Katara, the animal looks just as huge and intimidating as the other two she encountered in the lovers’ cave.

“Oh, yeah. An adult badgermole’s claw is almost as big as I am.”

Katara can only pray she never has to face one of them again.

The badgermole gives Toph one final friendly lick before beginning to dig into the earth, moving the soil in such a way that the hole it initially made disappears without leaving a trace.

“Whoa…” Katara can’t put into words how amazing it is to watch it move the earth as though it were nothing.

“Pretty cool, huh? They’re the original earthbenders… and they’re pretty good at teaching it, too.” Toph murmurs the last part, and for some reason, Katara gets the impression that she sounds a little unsure of herself.

“Teaching? Is that how you learned earthbending? That’s pretty amazing, Toph!”

Toph seems relieved by Katara’s reaction, and her proud façade returns in full force. “They’re the original earthbenders. I met them when I got lost as a kid. They taught me everything I know about earthbending.”

“That explains why you’re such a talented earthbender.”

Toph clearly enjoys the praise. It seems to fuel her, encouraging her to keep talking, and suddenly she can’t seem to stop. “Earlier, you asked me how I knew we were the only ones in the garden and how I can get around so well without tripping. The badgermoles taught me how to use earthbending to ‘see.’ It’s like having another sense. Thanks to the vibrations in the earth, I can tell where everything is.m You, the stone bridge supporting the cage, even the ants walking around.”

“Toph, I never thought earthbending could be used like that. Now I understand how you were able to move so perfectly through the arena and the forest.”

The sincerity behind Katara’s words affects Toph in a way she hasn’t experienced in a long time.

The earthbender lowers her head again, as if shying away from Katara’s attention. “I… It’s the first time I’ve ever told anyone.”

Katara considers her words. “You don’t trust anyone enough to tell them… like your parents?” She silently prays she hasn’t crossed a line.

“No. They wouldn’t understand. They only see me as helpless, someone they have to take care of.”

Katara takes a step forward and places a hand on Toph’s shoulder. “I hope that someday you’ll find the courage to tell them. They’ll be amazed by your talent and strength. But either way, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. It means a lot to me.”

Toph smiles at the brunette’s words. The uncertainty and fear she always feels when thinking about talking to her parents begin to fade, and for now, she chooses to hold on to Katara’s kind words. Toph can tell the difference between words spoken out of pity and words that truly come from the heart.

She doesn’t need her seismic sense to know that Katara is being honest with her.

___

The two return to the Beifong estate with Toph acting as their guide.

“It’s really late. All the guards are asleep at their posts—or at least losing the battle,” Toph jokes as she strolls calmly through the gardens.

Seeing Toph so relaxed keeps Katara from feeling nervous about being caught sneaking around with her. Toph had explained that she could detect the presence of anyone from great distances, meaning she would be the first to know if someone was approaching.

“That’s how I knew you were in the garden. I felt your footsteps,” she had explained.

Katara was ready to consider their little adventure over when an idea occurred to her.

“Come on. Come with me to the stables,” she tells the earthbender.

The other girl looks at her curiously but follows her anyway.

When they were invited to stay with the Beifongs, Aang had explained that he couldn’t leave his flying bison alone, so they offered to let Appa spend the night in the stables to put the Avatar at ease.

The stables are a little farther away from the main house and the servants’ quarters. They are large enough for Appa to rest comfortably.

“Did you know I’m forbidden from going into the stables?” Toph comments as they get closer. She lowers her voice slightly because they are near the servants’ quarters.

“According to them, I’ve never set foot in here because it’s too dangerous. It doesn’t even make sense. They don’t keep any animals in there because they think I might be allergic.” She snorts.

“Well, let’s find out if you’re actually allergic to animal fur” Katara jokes lightly.

When they enter the stable, Appa is already beginning to wake up.

Maybe he heard their voices from a distance, or perhaps he’s simply excited to meet someone new.

“Hello, handsome. I hope I didn’t interrupt your nap.” Katara approaches Appa and gently strokes his head, receiving a rumble that sounds more like a yawn. “This is Appa, Aang’s bison.”

Toph begins closing the distance between herself and Appa. “Wow, he’s huge.”

Appa looks at her curiously and nudges his snout against Toph’s small body, making her look even tinier by comparison. “I think it’s because I smell like a badgermole.” Toph can’t help laughing at the attention she’s getting from the bison.

Slowly, she reaches her hand toward the space between his eyes and places it there. “He’s really soft.” When she senses no discomfort from the animal, Toph begins patting him.

Katara smiles fondly at the interaction between the two.

There is a moment of comfortable silence before Toph finally speaks. “When I was younger, my mom insisted on teaching me as much as she could. One of those things was clouds.”

Katara listens attentively, and even Appa seems to be listening.

“She told me they’re in the sky and that they’re white, and that they look soft. Obviously, that doesn’t mean much to me, so she gave me some cotton and told me that’s what clouds are like.” Toph pauses. “Appa feels just as soft as my mom described clouds. And it makes me wonder…” Toph turns her head toward Katara. The waterbender is slowly getting used to the fact that those milky eyes never quite look directly at her. “Are clouds really as soft as cotton?”

Her question catches Katara somewhat off guard. Toph seems to interpret her brief silence negatively, and after opening up to her so suddenly, she retreats back into her shell.

“Forget it. That was stupid.”She immediately takes it back, her voice sharp and harsh.

“No, Toph. What you said isn’t stupid, I swear.” But the girl doesn’t seem convinced, or at least she hesitates to let herself believe her. “Your question just caught me off guard. It’s something I wondered about when I was little, too—whether clouds were really as soft as they looked. That’s all.”

Toph says nothing for a moment. She stops petting Appa, and the giant furry bison nudges his snout against her again, looking for more affection.

Another moment of silence passes. “I just… I always hear everyone talking about clouds, and I want to know what the big deal is about floating cotton” she says, trying to excuse herself. For the first time that night, Katara knows she’s lying.

“Well, Toph, to answer your question, clouds don’t feel like cotton.” Katara tries to think of the best way to describe them. “They look like cotton, and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The first time I flew on Appa, I tried to touch one, and I was surprised to find that it wasn’t fluffy at all. When I ran my hand through it, I could feel the condensation inside, kind of like the steam rising from tea. It doesn’t have any weight to it.”

Toph simply plays absentmindedly with Appa’s fur.

“You could touch a cloud if you came with us and agreed to become Aang’s teacher,” Katara suggests casually.

The shameless offer makes Toph burst out laughing, and her guarded demeanor seems to disappear. “Not a chance. I’d be completely blind up there. I’m out.”

“Oh, well. It was worth a try.”

They both seem to realize how late it has gotten, so they say goodbye to Appa and head off to bed, hoping to get at least a little rest.

“I hope you’ll consider our offer, Toph. You said it yourself—you’re the best earthbender there is. We’d be fools to let you go.”

Yue is the only witness to their conversation. Bathed in her pale glow, Toph looks almost like a beautiful spirit to Katara.

“It’s not as simple as it seems.”

And so their little adventure comes to an end. They say goodbye and head to their respective rooms to try to get some sleep. Katara dreams of large white eyes and a laugh that, for once, doesn’t sound manic.

___

Toph barely sleeps at all, despite considering sleep one of the most enjoyable things a person can do.

Everything that has happened since Earth Rumble VI has felt like a complete 180-degree turn in her life.

She never imagined that annoying kid would go so far as to sleep at her estate just to convince her to become his teacher. (She respects his determination a little, but she’ll never admit it out loud.)

The Avatar’s teacher.

No.

She can’t even allow herself to fantasize about being outside the estate walls. She knows her place here. Her parents have made that perfectly clear, so she can’t understand how those three idiots don’t see it.

She is the Beifongs’ only daughter, a poor, helpless little girl who might be useful for nothing more than modeling whatever clothes her mother chooses and, if she’s lucky, serving as a bargaining chip in an arranged marriage someday.

All she has are the badgermoles, Fei and Ling, and the intoxicating feeling of fighting and winning in the tournaments.

That’s enough for her.

“Good morning, young lady. I hope you slept well.” A maid’s melodic voice brings her back to reality.

She definitely didn’t sleep well, and if it were up to her, she’d stay in bed until late. But the annoying presence of the Avatar and his friends means her mother has probably arranged a breakfast she’s expected to attend.

“Good morning,” she mutters as she reluctantly allows the woman to start getting her ready.

When she reaches the dining room, the annoying boy and his friends haven’t arrived yet. The maid accompanying her guides her to her seat. This time, she won’t be sitting beside her mother. Instead, she ends up sitting beside the empty seats reserved for their guests.

Speaking of whom, she can hear them walking down the hallway and entering the dining room.

Toph grins mischievously and moves Aang’s chair with her earthbending at precisely the right moment, sending him crashing onto his backside. The nice thing about the estate is that most of it is made of stone. Her bending comes in very handy for pranks like this.

The boy—Sokka, if she remembers correctly—laughs at his friend while Katara helps Aang up and asks if he’s all right.

“Avatar Aang, are you all right?” her father asks, clearly confused.

“Yes, Mr. Beifong… I’m perfectly fine.”

Aang sits down beside Toph and gives her a poorly concealed angry look.

Toph pretends she isn’t dying of laughter and starts eating.

Her mother resumes whatever conversation she was having with Katara, while Toph tries not to slam her face into the table from sheer exhaustion.

Suddenly, Toph feels Aang’s foot kick her shin.

Oh. He isn’t even trying to be subtle anymore.

In response, Toph gives him a hard pinch on the arm, making him drop his chopsticks.

Aang quickly retaliates with an elbow to her side.

Toph smacks his arm just as he’s about to drink from his cup, making him spill it all over his clothes.

Aang pulls her hair.

Toph grabs his ear because he doesn’t have any hair to pull.

A loud clearing of a throat abruptly puts an end to their fight.

Toph doesn’t need to see to know everyone is staring at them.

“Toph, Avatar Aang, is something wrong?” her father asks slowly, sounding like he’s about to scold them.

“He/she did it!” they both shout at the same time, pointing accusingly at each other.

___

Night falls, and the Avatar and his friends have barely returned to the estate.

The three of them decided to explore the town. Right after breakfast, Katara had approached Toph and asked if she wanted to come with them.

“I’m not allowed to leave. People don’t even know the Beifongs have a daughter,” she had explained bitterly hours earlier.

While her parents attend to things she couldn’t care less about, Toph takes a well-deserved nap and steals a couple of sweets from the kitchen. She tries not to think about how much fun it would have been to go exploring with them, or how much she wishes she had run into Fei and Ling at the market so they could eat some meat buns together.

Toph walks through the hallways until she reaches the guests’ room.

Aang screams like a girl and immediately takes a fighting stance when he sees Toph leaning against the doorframe.

The little earthbender laughs at his reaction. “Relax. I’m sorry about what happened at dinner… and breakfast. Let’s call a truce, okay? I want to talk to you.”

The two of them eventually make their way into the large garden.

This is Toph’s favorite place in the entire estate. Not her bedroom, where she feels like she can’t breathe, and certainly not the dining room, where the maids have to blow on her food so it doesn’t burn her mouth.

“Even though I was born blind, I’ve never had any trouble seeing.” Toph walks along the bridge railing without caring that she’s getting her clothes dirty. Aang listens attentively.

There’s something about him that makes her want to tell him everything that has been on her mind, just like she did with Katara the night before. Toph likes to think she’s a good judge of character, and she has the feeling that Aang and Katara aren’t as bad as she initially thought.

Telling Katara about her seismic sense had felt like finally screaming after holding everything in for years. She felt relieved and lighter.She’s spent years imagining having that conversation with her parents, going over every possible scenario in her head about how they might react to finding out that she’s an earthbender.

But maybe telling these two is enough, because Toph needs them to leave. She’ll make it clear to Aang that she won’t accept his offer, and hopefully their paths will never cross again. Then everything can go back to the way it was.

“I can see through the power of earth. It’s like I can see with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the ground, and that tells me where everything is.”

Aang turns toward her. She can’t see his face, but she can feel the excitement radiating from him. “That’s incredible.”

“My parents don’t understand. They always treat me like I’m useless… like they’re ashamed that I’m their daughter.”

Toph doesn’t know how to interpret the look Aang gives her. It isn’t pity. She has become an expert at recognizing pity in people’s faces. Maybe it’s sympathy. Or understanding.

“Is that why you became the Blind Bandit?”

Toph nods in confirmation. “Going to the tournaments is all I have.”

“Why don’t you leave if you’re unhappy?” Aang dare to ask genuinely confused.

“I can’t leave them. Besides, I have nowhere to go.”

“What if you came with us?”

“I wish I could. You guys can go wherever you want, and nobody tells you what to do.” Toph doesn’t dare turn around to face Aang. “But that’s your life. Not mine. That’s just how things are. My place isn’t out there. It’s here.”

Aang says nothing.

“That’s why I refuse to be your teacher, Twinkle Toes. Find someone else.”

“Toph, I—” Whatever Aang was about to say becomes irrelevant in an instant when Toph senses dozens of furious footsteps heading toward them. The weight and speed of their steps tell her they must be grown men.

“It’s an ambush!” Without hesitation, Toph grabs Aang by the hand. Together, they run in the opposite direction from the path of the footsteps she can sense approaching them.

But it’s useless. An earthbender intercepts their escape, bursting from the ground and ready to attack.

Toph and Aang take fighting stances, but it does them no good when metal cages suddenly crash down over them, leaving them completely defenseless against their attackers.

Toph hears them crossing the estate walls and stopping in front of them, but without her seismic sense, she can’t tell exactly how many there are.

“I think you owe us some money.”

Toph doesn’t need her seismic sense to recognize that damned voice.

“Xin Fu, you bastard! Let us out!” the black-haired girl shouts, jumping slightly to reach the opening in the cage so she can lean closer and make sure her threats are taken seriously.

But the man isn’t intimidated by her bravado. He knows the cage completely blocks her earthbending. And besides, watching her struggle to reach the bars is pretty funny.

Aang, meanwhile, decides to call for help.

“Guys! Katara! Sokka! Help!”

“Let’s go. Leave the message. We don’t want to attract attention too early,” the man orders the other fighters.

They begin using their earthbending to hurl the cages over the other side of the wall. They aren’t particularly careful about it, and the kids cry out in pain—and Toph in anger—as they hit the ground.

Xin Fu grins mockingly at their complaints. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

___

Damn it. Toph hates the feeling of not being able to perceive anything. Those idiots have hung their cages in the center of the fighting arena, like a championship belt for the other fighters to try to reach.

Being trapped inside metal walls is starting to make her uncomfortable. She can feel the entire mountain surrounding her, calling to her. It’s more than frustrating to be unable to reach it, like having something right there within reach and yet impossibly far away.

Toph dislike feeling helpless. She prefers knowing that she’s in her element and in control of the situation.

When she gets out—and she will—she’ll bury every last one of them under gravel and—

“Toph?” Aang’s gentle voice pulls the little earthbender from her thoughts.

“What?”

The two of them don’t talk much while they’re being taken to the mountain. Toph spends most of the time shouting insults and threats, while Aang tries to calm her down whenever one of the fighters gets annoyed and threatens to hit her.

“I’m really sorry this happened.”

The girl doesn’t know what to say. Aang has always struck her as the kind of person who apologizes even for things that aren’t his fault.

“I shouldn’t have entered the tournament and made you lose by using my airbending. I didn’t realize how much it meant to you. I should’ve found another way to approach you. I got so caught up in finding an earthbending teacher that I didn’t really listen to what you were saying, and I kept pushing. I’m sorry.”

The boy’s voice sounds so sincere that Toph is grateful she’s short enough that her face is hidden behind the bars, so Aang can’t see the expression she’s making. She doesn’t even know how to describe it.

Once she regains her composure, Toph jumps up and grabs the bars of the small window so she can talk to Aang. “Stop apologizing so much.”

She hears Aang laugh softly.

“You and your friends are the most entertaining thing that’s happened to me in months.” She smiles confidently. “We’ll get out of here, and I’ll teach those idiots a lesson.” Because she’s Toph Beifong, and some stupid metal box isn’t going to stop her from getting her revenge.

“You’re right. They shouldn’t have messed with you.”

Silence settles between them.

“Listen. I talked to your friend Katara yesterday, and I’ve been thinking about what you told me, too…” She pauses. “I’m not promising anything. But I’ll consider it. Becoming your teacher.” Toph’s voice sounds unusually soft, and she doesn’t like it. She’s grateful no one else is around to hear her trying to comfort the boy. It would be the end of her.

“Thanks, Toph.” She can tell he’s smiling.

“It means a lot to me.”

Toph allows herself a small, affectionate smile before saying:“Okay, enough girl talk. I’ve had enough of that with Katara.”

The laughter of the two of them echoes inside their cages.

___

Time keeps passing, and Toph starts getting impatient. Aang had told her he was sure his friends and her father would come to rescue them. The two of them had overheard Xin Fu talking about the ransom they would receive for the kidnapping. But Toph doesn’t want to be rescued like some damsel in distress. She wants to be able to break that damned cage with her own strength.

Stupid metal.

“Think you’re tough? Come over here so I can wipe that smile off your face!” she shouts at the two men she hears approaching the cages.

“I’m not smiling,” Xin Fu complains, thoroughly fed up with her.

“Toph!” Her father’s voice interrupts whatever insult she was about to throw at her kidnapper.

“That’s your dad!” Aang whispers excitedly. “Your teacher, Sokka, and Katara came too.”

“Here’s your money.” Sokka throws the bag onto the ground. “Now let them go.”

Toph hears a footstep and the scrape of earth. Then she hears the jingle of coins.

Toph’s cage begins to descend with the creaking of the chains, but she can’t hear Aang’s cage coming down with hers.

“Aang?” she asks worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Toph. It’s fine.” The monk tries to sound calm.

Toph doesn’t like that answer one bit.

When her cage is almost at ground level, the bottom hatch of her little prison opens, and her feet finally touch the earth.

Now that her seismic sense has returned, she confirms that Aang’s cage is still hanging above them.

The girl runs to her father, and the man wraps an arm around her shoulders. Toph can feel him resisting the urge to hug her. He seems more eager to get out of the place first.

But she doesn’t want to leave. The airbender is still in the hands of those gravel-heads, and knowing Xin Fu, he must already have something planned.

“What about Aang?” Katara demands.

“The Fire Nation will pay a good price for the Avatar’s head. Now, get out of my arena.”

Her father’s grip tightens as the ground begins to shake, announcing the arrival of the other five fighters working under Xin Fu.

“Toph, we need to go. Now,” the Beifong patriarch orders urgently, intimidated by the other men’s earthbending and threatening presence.

Toph starts walking with him, but she can barely force herself to keep going. She can’t take her eyes off Aang’s cage. He’s annoying, sure. And he froze her tea cup. But he doesn’t deserve to be handed over to the Fire Nation for a handful of coins.

What her heart is telling her completely contradicts what her father wants. If she wants to help Aang, she’ll have to reveal that she’s an earthbender.

They’ll be so disappointed of her. They’ll feel betrayed because she hid such an important part of her identity from them, and she doesn’t even want to imagine the consequences.

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

“We’re not leaving you behind, you know that,” Sokka says, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice.

Could her parents ever truly understand her? Would they ever be proud of having an earthbender for a daughter?

Toph doesn’t know if she’s willing to risk finding out. They’re the only thing she has, and she doesn’t want to disappoint them any more than she already has since the day she was born.

“Toph, there are too many of them.” Katara approaches her, sounding completely desperate. “We need an earthbender. We need you!”

Her father ignores them and firmly grabs her hand, pulling her away from the arena.

“My daughter is blind. She’s disabled, small, and fragile. She can’t help you,” her father argues.

But Katara approached her.

Not Master Yu. Not anyone else. She knows what Toph is capable of, and she sees beyond what the world has taught Toph to believe is a curse and a disgrace. For the first time in her life, someone needs her. The opportunity is right in front of her: to use her bending for something good and prove her strength and power.

Toph makes her decision.

For a brief second, she enjoys the warmth of her father’s hand, the difference in size between his hand and hers, and longs for the times when they used to walk through the garden holding hands.

Then she gives a sharp tug, forcefully freeing herself from his grip, and steps forward.

“I can.” She declares it to her father before leaving him with Master Yu to help her friends.

___

Toph walks toward the men with confidence, completely unfazed by their feeble attempts at intimidation.

“Let him go! Or I’ll take you down one by one.”

Katara anxiously watches the little earthbender step forward. Her brother seems slightly excited at the prospect of watching a great fight between her and the other earthbenders.

Katara isn’t worried about the girl losing. She has proven time and again that her earthbending is superior to everyone present. What really worries her is her father’s reaction.Katara’s first impression of Toph had been that of the Blind Bandit, the champion of underground tournaments: loudmouthed, rude, and impossible to intimidate. But her father clearly sees her in an entirely different light. This is bound to have a profound impact on their relationship, and Katara can only hope it won’t be for the worse.

“The Boulder didn’t like that very much,” the fighter Sokka had picked as his favorite complains. At once, all six earthbenders charge toward Toph.

As they begin rushing forward, Katara and Sokka move toward Toph to support her, but she stretches out her short arms and stops them.

“Wait… they’re mine.” She says it with such savage fury that she sounds like a predator that has already chosen its prey.

Katara and Sokka physically recoil at the impact of the black-haired girl’s words. She’s no longer acting like the Blind Bandit, taunting her opponents and playing with them until she defeats them in humiliating fashion. There’s a weight on her small shoulders now, along with a threatening aura that seems to pour from her in waves.

The men charge toward them like a stampede of animals.

Toph stomps hard and throws her arms outward. With a deafening rumble, the stone beneath them rises against the men like a massive avalanche. The sheer force of the attack sends all of them flying like rag dolls.

A gigantic cloud of dust fills the arena, and Toph disappears into it.

Katara hears the sound of rocks colliding and the men crying out in pain, but she can barely see anything. Her brother grabs her hand and begins leading her toward Aang’s cage.

“We have to free him while they’re distracted.”

Katara remembers the cage that had held that badgermole and knows exactly what she needs to do if she wants to help her friend.

Skillfully, she freezes water around the chains holding the cage in place. “Sokka, throw your boomerang and break the chains.”

In the background, the sounds of battle continue: war cries and rocks being pulverized.

Her brother does as she says, and they both wince when they see Aang’s cage make a brutal fall into the trap. “Sorry, Aang,” Katara murmurs guiltily when she hears her friend groaning in pain.

They each grab a couple of stones from the rubble left behind and start smashing the locks keeping the lower compartment shut.

The cages seem to be old or rusty because, fortunately, it only takes them a couple of minutes to break the locks completely and free their friend.

Aang bursts out like a whirlwind and immediately takes a fighting stance, looking ready to join Toph—until Sokka stops him.

The older boy only has to point toward Toph, who is finishing off the last three fighters still standing. On one side of the ring, the six men who dared challenge her now lie in a battered heap of bodies.

But the fight still isn’t over.

With a sweep of her arms, Toph completely clears the smoke covering the arena, revealing the last man standing. Xin Fu.

The two begin slowly walking toward each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Xin Fu attacks first. He gives it everything he has, sending dozens of rocks flying toward Toph at incredible speed.

The girl dodges the first few rocks before raising a wall to protect herself. Once Xin Fu’s attack ends, she sends a barrage of rocks toward him, which he also manages to dodge.

It’s a relentless exchange of attacks, each one delivered with astonishing brutality and force. The three of them are so captivated that they completely forget to seek shelter or move away as the battle continues.

Neither one seems willing to give up any ground. But Toph emerges victorious when she dodges Xin Fu’s final attack and sends him flying with a wave of rocks.

The three of them stare in amazement as the horrible man crashes into the stands and passes out from the impact, becoming the ultimate loser. Sokka faints from the sheer shock of it, but Katara and Aang couldn’t care less. They run toward Toph and nearly suffocate her in a hug, but stop when they see her take an uncomfortable step backward.

Katara and Aang aren’t discouraged. They shower her with praise instead.

“You’re the best earthbender in the world! I’ve never seen anything like that!”

“I can’t believe you took down men three times your size like it was nothing!”

“Thank you for helping us, Toph. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

The black-haired girl gives them a small smile at their enthusiastic praise. Her breathing is slightly ragged, and a couple of strands of hair have escaped her tightly secured hairstyle, but other than that, she doesn’t look particularly exhausted.

“I just hope he thinks the same.” Her milky eyes turn toward where her father is standing. He has watched the entire fight.

___

The atmosphere on the way back to the Beifong estate is uncomfortable and tense, to say the least.

Because of the urgency, they didn’t take a carriage to rescue Toph and Aang. They ran through the forest to reach the mountain as quickly as possible, so they’re now walking back along the same path.

Sokka leads the way, guiding them through the forest—a skill Katara is very grateful for—with Aang beside him, telling him everything that happened. Behind them are Lao and Master Yu.

Toph and Katara walk at the very back. Well, not too far behind the others, since Toph’s father keeps glancing over his shoulder at her every so often, as if he’s afraid she might disappear again.

Katara can feel all the tension radiating from Toph and can’t even begin to imagine everything she must be feeling or thinking. It must be incredibly difficult to hide such a vital part of yourself and spend your entire life being treated like someone weak and incapable of doing even the simplest task.

Katara, on the other hand, feels as though she experienced the exact opposite. When she discovered she was a waterbender, her small family and community supported her so she could keep their culture and traditions alive, always cherishing the memories of what so many of their deceased relatives had possessed. And when her mother died, she had to do everything. Cook, clean, and look after the remaining members of her family. Everyone expected her to do everything perfectly—not only to fulfill the role her mother had left behind, but to do even more.

The young girl glances sideways at Toph, unsure of what she can say to cheer her up. They’ve only known each other for a few days. Yet Toph had been honest with Katara and told her something deeply personal and important to her. She had also practically saved Aang from being sold to the Fire Nation. Katara desperately wants to do something—anything—to comfort her possible first female friend.(Aang doesn’t count. He’s a boy.)

She reaches toward Toph’s hand, making an attempt to take it.

Toph flinches slightly. So lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t know how to react to Katara’s attempt at comforting her.

Katara doesn’t try to hold her hand again until several minutes later. She doesn’t want to overstep her boundaries or bother Toph in any way. All she wants is to show her that she isn’t alone.

It only takes Toph a few seconds before she returns the gesture.

Her hand is smaller than Katara’s, but she can feel slight calluses on some of her fingers, the result of the effort and training she must have done in secret.

Can she say anything else? She can’t promise that everything will turn out fine, that her parents will accept her, or that all her fears and doubts are unfounded.

Can she promise that they’ll be there for her? Her little group carries the burden of having Aang master all four elements so they can finally put an end to this war. If Toph doesn’t become the earthbending teacher they need, then at best, they’ll simply look for another earthbender in another town.

Will Katara’s words really have any impact on Toph?

“Relax.” Toph’s voice brings her back to reality. The little earthbender squeezes her hand for a moment. “I’ll be fine.” She comforts her, as though Katara were the one who needed the reassurance more than she did.

Katara smiles at her words because there’s nothing else she can do. “If you say it with that much confidence, I might actually start believing you.”

That earns a small laugh from Toph.

___

The walk from the mountain to the Beifong estate is a route Toph knows very well. Dozens and dozens of nighttime trips to explore and participate in the tournament have made her memorize every turn along the way.

It would be completely ordinary to be walking back from the tournament to the estate, except for one thing:

She’s accompanied by her father.

It was a little jarring to see him there—with his perfect posture and expensive clothes—standing in the arena. It’s just as strange seeing him walking along a forest trail.

When they arrive at the estate, everything becomes a blur.

Her mother is the first to greet them. She tackles Toph with a tight hug and covers her in kisses, murmuring about how worried she had been about her poor, helpless baby.

The estate is in complete chaos. Every servant and guard is on high alert, and everyone wants to know what happened during the hours they were gone. There’s an anxious buzz in the air that Toph can sense—dozens of people waiting expectantly to find out what will happen next.

Thanks to her seismic sense, she can feel different groups of workers and servants gathering away from them, whispering about what’s going on.

Her father orders them to prepare a private room so they can discuss everything in peace.

Before she even realizes it, Toph is standing in front of her parents.

If there’s anything comforting about the situation, it’s knowing that the three kids are standing behind her. Even Sokka, the idiot.

“Dad, Mom. I know it must be hard for you to find out that your daughter—the small, helpless, blind girl—isn’t really who you thought she was. Especially you, Dad. I imagine you wish things had been different.” Toph can feel five pairs of eyes on her, listening carefully. Even the guards standing watch outside the room pretend they aren’t eavesdropping. “I love fighting. I love being an earthbender.” Toph can’t stop a genuine smile from appearing on her face. It’s been a long time since she’s smiled like this. “I’m really good at it… It’s who I am.”

She takes a breath.

“I know it was wrong to keep it all a secret, but you’ve been keeping me a secret from everyone. I know you did it to protect me, but I’m twelve years old, and I’ve never had a single friend. I’ve never gone to school or attended any of the town festivals.” The girl has to force herself not to get carried away by her emotions. There are so many things she’s been keeping bottled up over the years, but the best thing she can do is speak clearly and remain calm.

“So now you know who I really am. I hope that doesn’t change how you feel about me.” There’s an underlying fear in her voice as she says the last part. She’s finally said it out loud—the fear of being rejected because she’s an earthbender, of betraying their trust, and of completely destroying the image they have of her.

“Oh, sweetheart,” her mother murmurs sympathetically.

“Of course that doesn’t change how we feel about you, Toph. In fact, I’ve just realized something.”

Toph’s heart allows itself a tiny flicker of hope.

Did her father finally see past her disability and recognize her strength and skill? Would they finally give her the freedom she had longed for so desperately?

“Really?” she asks excitedly.

Would they let go of the prejudices their upper-class world held against earthbenders and finally accept her for who she was?

“Yes. I’ve realized we’ve given you far too much freedom.”

Toph’s heart stops for a moment.

“From now on, you’ll be watched and supervised twenty-four hours a day. Forget your lessons with Master Yu and your walks in the garden.”

“But, Dad!”

Toph can’t stop herself from shouting in frustration.

Normally, she would simply lower her head and refuse to argue. But she’s had enough.

“We’re doing this for your own good, Toph,” her mother explains.

“That’s not true!”

Toph lashes out at them, anger boiling through her veins like molten lava. She’s spent so long hiding what she truly feels and thinks that now it all comes pouring out like an unstoppable avalanche. “You’re just ashamed of me! That’s why almost no one even knows I exist. What you want for me isn’t a life. Could you stand never having any privacy, never having any freedom, or never being able to follow your dreams? I’m not asking for much, please!”

“Enough, Toph. It will be as I say,” her father reprimands her. “Escort the Avatar and his friends to the entrance. They are no longer welcome here.”

And just like that, Toph realizes that everything was pointless.

They’ll never listen to her. They don’t see her as a person with dreams and desires.

They only see her as a decoration that needs to be kept locked away in the estate because she’s defective.

At her father’s command, the guards in the room escort Aang, Katara, and Sokka outside.

“I’m sorry, Toph,” Aang murmurs, his voice filled with guilt. But Toph doesn’t blame him for this whole mess anymore.

“I’m sorry, too.”She can’t stop a traitorous tear from silently slipping down her cheek.

Just one night ago, she had felt like she was on top of the world. She was the undefeated champion, an earthbender so skilled that she made every other fighter who challenged her look small by comparison.

Now, she has never felt so small. She stands before her parents, yet they completely ignore her. Her father speaks to the head of the guards, ordering them to double their shifts and patrols. She hears them discussing replacing the latch on her bedroom door, locking it every night, and raising the estate walls several more meters.

Her heart hurts so badly that she feels like she can’t breathe.

There are so many thoughts racing through her mind that she can’t form a single coherent one.

Her feet move on their own, carrying her toward the estate’s great doors.

The guards are finishing escorting the people who were the closest thing she had to friends.

She can feel Appa’s heavy footsteps a few meters away as he’s being brought out of the stables.

Aang is the first to notice her presence in the doorway. He approaches her hesitantly, and Toph hates that. “I wish you had come with us. Not so you could teach me, but so you could see the world.”

Toph gives him a mocking smile. “And how exactly am I supposed to do that if I’m blind?” Her joke catches the boy off guard.

He laughs at it, but Toph can sense that it isn’t entirely genuine. At least he tried.

“Take care, Twinkle Toes. I’ll be fine.” Toph holds out her hand, but Aang surprises her with a quick hug. The boy is only a few inches taller than her, with a slim, agile build. For a second, the young girl is overwhelmed by the display of affection. She isn’t used to such casual gestures at all. Those kids wear their hearts on their sleeves.

The hug ends as quickly as it began, and Toph simply steps away from him and approaches Katara.

As soon as she gets close to the waterbender, Katara launches into a whirlwind of words at an impressive speed. “Toph, I’m really sorry things turned out this way. You don’t deserve this. We only wanted you to be Aang’s teacher, not for things to become even more complicated between you and your parents. If there were some way we could convince them—”

“Katara!” Toph has to interrupt her because she has a feeling Katara won’t stop otherwise. The brunette immediately falls silent and listens. “There’s nothing you can do anymore. That’s just the way things are.”

But that isn’t what Katara wants to hear. Toph can sense her erratic heartbeat, stirred by her strong emotions. “You said it yourself, Toph. That isn’t a life. Not for anyone, and certainly not for you.” Katara takes another step toward her. Toph can feel the warmth of her body and catch her faint, familiar scent. With that soft, gentle voice meant only for her, Toph feels like crying again.

“I know,” she murmurs bitterly, feeling the remaining anger course through her veins like poison. She lifts her head, hoping she’s actually facing Katara. “But I just realized something, too. They aren’t going to listen to me, and they aren’t going to change their minds.”

Katara is about to say something else, but Toph decides to interrupt her again.

“You have to go. Goodbye, Katara. This was fun.” She holds out her hand and takes Katara’s, just as she did in the forest. “Good luck.”

“Yeah. You too, Toph.” Katara tries to hide the obvious sadness in her voice, and somehow that comforts Toph. Knowing that someone would miss her enough to cry over her makes something inside her feel a little less empty.

Toph remains standing in the doorway as they leave the estate, until one of the guards eventually has to ask her to go back inside.

___

Inside the estate, there is now a deathly silence. Gossip spreads with astonishing speed, and every living soul now knows Toph’s secret and the new rules she’ll have to follow from now on.

It’s late, and Toph is exhausted in a way that goes far beyond physical fatigue. Living a double life means there are still parts of herself she can control—her alias in the tournament and the way the earth moves whenever she commands it. But now she feels just as trapped as she did before she started fighting. Her parents decide what she can eat, what time she must go to sleep, and what clothes she has to wear.

I wish you had come with us. Not so you could teach me, but so you could see the world.

Her treacherous mind, as always, reminds her of Aang’s offer.

In the darkness of her room, the girl wrestles with what she should do.

She has a role to fulfill here, she is a Beifong, and she’s expected to do whatever her father demands of her.

But what exactly is her role? She’ll only be useful if she manages to marry someone from a family as wealthy as—or wealthier than—her own and produce an heir to preserve the family line.

What a role, she thinks bitterly.

Motherhood has never interested her, and marriage sounds more like a contract than anything else.

She thinks about the future and can only imagine herself having to do everything she’s told, like some stupid puppet.

“Damn it!” she screams angrily in the little privacy her room offers her.

Is this really what she’s supposed to aspire to?

Isn’t she the best earthbender in the world? What the hell is she doing wasting her talent when she could be the Avatar’s teacher?

The Avatar’s teacher.

Toph suddenly sits up in bed.

She has a gift. She’s a prodigy. She’s allowed to dream about becoming the Avatar’s teacher, about helping him put an end to the war. It isn’t impossible, not when it comes to her.

What is she so afraid of? What’s holding her back? It definitely isn’t the fear of disappointing her parents anymore!

She runs to her wardrobe and starts digging through it until she finds the clothes she wears to tournaments and to her lessons with Master Yu.

She doesn’t have much to leave behind. The first people who come to mind are Fei and Ling. They might worry about her sudden disappearance. If it were up to her, she would have said goodbye properly so she could tell them how much they meant to her.

Once wasn’t enough.

If they knew who she really was and why she was running away, Toph knows perfectly well that they would understand. They would encourage her to do it and tell her she could visit them whenever she wanted.

It’s a small balm for her broken heart.

She also finds her favorite headband among her clothes and doesn’t hesitate to take it with her.

From the way they reacted, Toph realizes that all they want is complete control over her. It doesn’t matter whether she’s blind or not. Even if she had been born without her disability, things would have been exactly the same. She would still be subjected to strict supervision, ridiculous expectations, and an arranged marriage. If her incredible earthbending ability isn’t enough for them, then nothing ever will be.

She reaches behind the wardrobe and pulls out a small travel bag.

Over the past few days, Toph has been given an opportunity to be free.

And tonight, she’s going to take it.

___

Aang gazes at the town of Gaoling in the distance.

Katara is tempted to join him in his melancholy. Her heart is telling her to go back to the estate and make a scene until she can find some way to convince Toph’s parents to give her at least a little freedom.

But for once, she has to force herself to be the voice of reason.

Sokka is sitting on Appa, polishing his belt, while Aang hasn’t said much since they left.

Maybe it’s guilt. Or sadness at the thought of never seeing her again. The waterbender had noticed how quickly Aang had connected with Toph. Between their teasing and constant squabbling, they seemed almost like siblings.

Katara tries to cheer him up, telling him they’ll find another earthbender. But she and Aang both know there’s no one quite like her.

The three of them, along with Momo, are sitting on Appa, waiting to take off. However, Aang remains frozen in place, gripping the reins tightly.Just like he’s waiting for something.

She’s about to ask him if something is wrong when the movement of some bushes catches her attention.

They all turn their heads at once and are surprised to see Toph running toward them.

Aang is the first to react. “Toph! What are you doing here?”

“I talked to my parents, and they changed their minds. They let me travel the world.”

She and Sokka exchange a confused look. They both suspect that isn’t entirely true, but decide not to call her out on it.

“That’s fantastic!” Aang apparently doesn’t notice the obvious lie and jumps off Appa so he can hug Toph.

Aang’s happiness is contagious, and Toph manages to return the monk’s suffocating hug.

The two Water Tribe siblings watch the adorable scene for another moment. Maybe it’s good for Aang to have someone his own age around.

“Well, we’d better get out of here,” Sokka calls to the two children. “We don’t want to stick around in case Toph’s father changes his mind.”

Aang pulls away from Toph and is about to climb back onto Appa when the earthbender asks him to come closer. “I want to show you something,” she explains.

Suddenly, a column of earth erupts from the ground and sends the boy flying, leaving him tangled in the branches at the top of a tree.

Toph laughs maniacally. “Now we’re even. I’m keeping that belt.”

Pouting, Sokka takes off his belt and carelessly tosses it at Toph.

The belt hits the girl in the head hard enough to knock her to the ground.

“Sokka!” Katara immediately scolds him and starts climbing down from Appa to help the dark-haired girl.

“Sorry.” Sokka mutters sheepishly.

“I’m going to make him pay for that.” Toph grumbles as Katara helps her sit up and checks for any injuries.

“I’ll help you.” Katara promises the earthbender. “But first, we need to go.”

Katara swears she hears Toph swallow when she mentions the part about flying on Appa.

The bison might be able to sense her anxiety, because he approaches her and nudges her with his snout in greeting. “Hello, big guy. It’s good to see you again,” Toph says, stroking his fur.

Appa patiently waits for Toph to climb onto the saddle using her earthbending. She feels her way around, touching everything within reach—the others’ belongings, the worn edges of the saddle—and even lets Aang place the reins in her hands.

“All right, Appa. Yip yip!” Aang exclaims once Toph is seated and ready for her first flight.

Even though Appa ascends unusually slowly, Katara can feel Toph tense the moment the animal leaves the ground and begins to fly.

If flying on Appa had been terrifying for Katara the first time, she can’t imagine what it must be like for Toph when she can’t see her surroundings. The sensation of weightlessness and the lack of solid ground beneath her must make it twice as frightening.

Katara slowly reaches for the earthbender’s hand and gives it a firm squeeze, letting her know that she’s there for her.

It takes Toph quite a while to get used to flying. She’s especially tense whenever Appa picks up speed or even changes direction slightly.

“This is worse than I thought,” she announces aloud, making everyone burst into laughter. How strange. She’s only been with them for a couple of hours, yet her arrival already feels like something they needed to make them complete.

“Do you think you can get used to it?” Katara asks.

Toph thinks about it for a moment. “If you keep holding my hand like that, maybe I can.” She gives her a teasing smile, but shortly afterward, she seems embarrassed by her own words and hides her face behind her long bangs.

Katara can’t help laughing and gives her a light bump on the shoulder.

The night is beautiful. Yue lights their way, and Katara has to resist the urge to speak to her aloud. The wind blows through her hair, ruffling it slightly. The night air is cold but not unbearable, it kisses her cheeks and the tip of her nose in a way that reminds her of warmer days back at the South Pole.

Thinking about home and everything she left behind makes Katara worry that she won’t be able to fall asleep.

Then a sudden weight on her shoulder brings her back to reality. Toph seems to be dozing off.

Her small hand is still holding tightly onto Katara’s, but there’s a peaceful smile on her delicate face, as though she’s enjoying the cool night air just as much as Katara is.

Seeing the earthbender so serene and peaceful stirs something new inside Katara’s heart—something she can’t quite describe.

With the warmth of Toph’s small body pressed against hers and the peaceful silence settling around them, Katara can finally close her eyes and sleep peacefully.

Thank you, Yue.