Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Plans ❯ Her Story ( Chapter 2 )

CHAPTER TWO: HER STORY

 

Toph knew it wasn't going to be a good morning as soon as she woke up, but that was probably because she had been roused from her sleep well before she had wanted. The young girl had tried to silently sneak into the bedroom to wake her, but Toph knew she was there from the moment she stepped into the room. She sat up on the futon and carelessly kicked the blanket off to the side.

 

“What is it Miyu?” she asked in a less than thrilled voice.

 

“Another one.” Miyu replied with a sigh. Toph scratched her head and ran her fingers through her long messy hair before jumping up off the floor and landing with a resounding thud. Miyu handed her a brown and gold robe, which she casually shrugged over her shoulders and left hanging open.

 

“Fifth one this month.” the girl continued. “Your folks seem to be getting more insistent.”

 

“What's this one like?” Toph was already heading for the door, while the younger girl followed behind her. She rubbed her temples and thought of how the whole fiasco began.

 

It started when she had returned home after the war. Her parents swarmed her at the gates and showered her with hugs and praise. Her mother had been in tears. It was a nice reunion, she supposed. They were so happy to have her home that they promised her the freedom that she had always wanted. However, after a while, they started going back to their old ways. They dressed her up like a china doll, only this time they dragged her around Gaoling like some prize, showing her off to their wealthy friends. After the first couple of years of that, she had already had enough. Her parents were driving her insane.

 

Luckily, Toph's hometown had been so proud of her accomplishments that they had offered her anything that she wanted. She had turned them down at first, not really wanting anything but to go back to her home. That changed, and she requested to be given Master Yu's Earthbending Academy, which had fallen into disrepair after he failed to return, as well as a sizeable plot of land up the hill from the academy. The heads of Gaoling graciously agreed and she hadn't gone home since.

 

It took her a while, but she managed to fix the place up and reopened the Academy, catering specifically to daughters of the wealthy families of the city. She had also had her own small estate constructed on the hill top. It was in the perfect spot to allow her enough room to live the way she wanted. Still, her parents worried about how she would take care of herself and had sent Miyu, an orphan of the war who was only three years younger than herself, to work in her home as a maid, and whatever else their daughter might need. Toph hadn't liked it at first, but Miyu had become an invaluable companion as well being a talented earthbender that Toph had trained personally.

 

Still, her parents were overprotective and thought that their daughter still needed someone, a husband, to look after her. It wasn't long after she'd moved that the suitors started lining up at her door.

 

“This guy is more pushy and demanding than what your parents usually send.” Miyu said, trailing behind her teacher. “I suppose they've finally realized that sending suitors who come here and plan to sweep you off your feet with their charm and good looks doesn't work.”

 

“Hm…how to execute this then?” Toph thought out loud before turning back towards the younger girl. “Strategically aimed rock javelins?”

 

“That would be good, but you've been favoring those lately. You need something that packs a real punch.” Miyu pointed out as she balled her left fist and punched her right palm with it. “I know! Encase him in a boulder and send him rolling down the hillside. You haven't done that in a long time!”

 

“I think you've been hanging around me for too long, but it sounds like a good idea.” Toph said with a smirk, mussing the girl's hair as she went to the door. She swung it open and came face to face with the latest of her parents suitors. Miyu glanced over Toph's shoulder at the man, waiting to see him helplessly careening down the hill.

 

The man smiled at her and bowed down. “Ah, Miss Bei Fong, I am Huang Ze and your parents…”

 

“Stuff it.” Toph interrupted, stomping the ground and raising a bunch of dirt that quickly crammed into the man's mouth. He stumbled back and started spitting out the dirt. Toph took a stance and slammed the other foot down, sending slabs of rock jutting up from the ground. She lifted them and sent them flying at Huang Ze, but was surprised when he deflected them with a protective wall of earth.

 

“Heh, an earthbender? That's a change.” she said, leaning on the doorframe. The man flung his arms up pulling boulders from the ground and sent them flying towards her. She dodged just in time to avoid being slammed and the boulders went crashing into the house behind her, and through two of her walls.

 

“Great!” she growled unhappily, clenching her fists and throwing off her robe, tossing it to Miyu who had backed away to a safe distance. “Now I have to fix that.”

 

Toph stormed out into the early morning light, wearing nothing more than a reddish-brown pair of calf-length pants and a white wrap around her chest. The man laughed and called out. “I can see you're not modest! How charming!”

 

“You're really on my nerves.” she spat back, raising both arms up and swinging them down, sending the ground rolling like a wave at him. This disrupted his balance and sent him crashing through the gate. He got to his feet quickly and sent the earth beneath her feet flying up. She went rolling out the gate and down the hill. Now more pissed off than before, she dug her hands deep into the earth and stopped herself before she rolled right down into the city.

 

Huang Ze came barreling down the hill, grabbing Toph before she had a chance to get away and held her to the ground. “You want to give up yet?”

“Never!” Toph replied, struggling to get loose.

 

“Then how about a little proposal.” he said, gripping her wrists. “If I win, you have to marry me.”

 

“And if I win?” she asked, getting a leg away from him, using it to kick him in the stomach.

 

“I'll leave you alone.” Huang Ze said flatly, releasing her.

 

“You're on.” Toph said, twist away from the man. She stomped to her feet and bolted for the Academy. The young man turned and watched her racing away, startled when Miyu raced past him to.

 

“You'd better catch up with her before she barricades the place!” Miyu taunted, sticking out her tongue at him and disappearing down the hillside.

 

Huang Ze made chase and crashed in through one of the walls of the Academy, scaring the local citizens who cried out in fright as rocks went flying. As the dust settled he could see Toph waiting for him, wearing a suit of earth. Her little assistant was standing on a raised platform of earth cheering for her teacher. “Go get him Sifu!”

 

“Let's start this!” Toph called from across the way. “First to be knocked through the walls loses!”

 

“For being the Avatar's sifu, I expected a challenge, but nothing this fun.” he said back, cracking his knuckles. “And maybe after a few lessons in manners you'll make a pretty wife for me. Then we'll have a nice story to tell our children!”

 

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Aang had been traveling south for a few weeks through the Earth Kingdom. He really didn't have an exact plan for where he was going, but he knew the first place he wanted to visit was his former home at the Southern Air Temple. Of course, he'd stopped in a few small villages along the way. While his “leave of absence” was truly intended to just get him away from Ba Sing Se, he wasn't going to make a liar of himself and not help the people who needed him. He had spent two or three days in each place, helping with crops or building new homes. He had even been asked to bless a newborn baby.

 

Now he had just cleared the Si Wong Desert and Appa was in dire need of a break. He instructed the bison to land in a clearing just outside a small city near the coast. He led Appa into the large gate and was met with a flurry of people who were clamoring to meet him. He said a few words and settled the crowd, who quickly dispersed back to their activities. After that he found a place where Appa could nap and eat some hay, before venturing out into the city in search of supplies.

 

He found his way into a small market filled with vendors selling everything from fruit and vegetables to rugs and curtains. He stopped at one vendor and appraised some apples on the display, all the while hearing the quiet whispers that the Avatar was there and he could sense the stares of several people. It seemed that word was spreading of his arrival and he was sure that whatever officials there were in the town, they would soon find him and tell him how honored they were that he was there. That's how it was in most of the places he had been. Then he would help with their problems and move on. He was dearly looking forward to nothing but peaceful solitude with just him, Appa, and Momo in the Southern Air Temple.

 

“And how is your daughter, Yu Lin?” said a soft-spoken old woman to the vendor.

 

“Oh, she's quite well. Been training her earthbending skills.” laughed the vendor. She reminded him a bit of Aunt Wu with the streaks of gray through her brown hair. “Hold for a moment. Hello dear, may I help…oh my. My, my, my, if it isn't the Avatar.”

 

“Hello, it's nice to meet you.” Aang said, bowing to the woman.

 

She giggled and went over to her elderly friend. “Look Mrs. Ling, the Avatar has come to buy fruit from my stall.”

 

Both of the women giggled like little girls before the vendor woman came back. Aang smiled and scratched the back of his head. “How much for the apples?”

 

“Oh ho ho,” said the woman in a chipper tone, stuffing some of the apples into a sack and handing it to him. “Here. No charge. It's not often we get a celebrity visiting our humble city.”

 

“I couldn't possibly…” he started, digging into his pockets for his coin pouch. Before he could managed to get it open, the ground rumbled and the fruit in the vendors stall bounced around wildly.

 

“Ah, sounds like it's happening again.” Mrs. Ling said, rubbing her wrinkled hands together.

 

“What's going on? Is everything okay?” Aang looked around, searching for the source of the quake.

 

“Oh my, it's nothing to worry about dear.” Yu Linn told him, adjusting her fruit. “They've been up to that all morning. Poor sap should know better than to challenge the Academy's sifu.”

 

“I'd better go see if I can help resolve this dispute.” he said, stuffing his coin purse and the sack of apples into a bag at his hip before he snapped open his glider and took off. “Thanks for the apples ma'am!”

 

“Wait! Poor fellow.” Yu Linn shook her head. “It's one thing to challenge the sifu. It's another to interrupt her when she's having fun.”

 

“He'll learn soon enough.” Mrs. Ling told her, leaning against the stall. “Especially after she gives him a good wallop. Avatar or not, only a fool would get in her way. Hm, I'll bet you two silver coins he leaves the city with bruises.”

 

“Make it three and I'll bet that he sweeps her off her feet with his sweetness.” the vendor woman said, counting the coins in her pocket. “She may be rough around the edges, but even she can't resist the Avatar.”

 

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This guy is a lot tougher than I thought. Toph was losing her patience. She was a master earthbender, yet Huang Ze was still managing to push her further and further towards the wall. It was pissing her off, because not only did she hate losing, but she hated that if she lost she would have to marry this fool. And that was the last thing that she ever wanted to do.

 

She dug her feet into the earth and whipped around a large boulder, pounding her fists to the ground and making the earth around his feet rise up until he was trapped at the top of a high pillar. He swung his arms down and pulled them up, making the earth spiral up around the pillar and back down to the ground. He jumped and slid down, but not before Toph swung her leg around, smashing a boulder and sending shards of needle sharp rock towards him.

 

He got pinned to the wall, but broke free and sent a barrage of stone towards her. She protected herself by pulling up a wall of earth in front of her. Quickly she back flipped and rolled to her left, smashing her fists into the ground at her feet. She pulled out her fists now encased in stone and used them to punch her way through another barrage of rock from Huang Ze.

 

Then Toph sent the rock fists flying at him and used them to pin his arms to the ground before sending another set to pin his legs down as well. Now immobilized, he struggled to break free while she sauntered over to him and held him down with her foot. She leaned down and smiled at him. “I learned that move from the Dai Li.”

 

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Aang had circled the city a couple of times, finally pinpointing where the ruckus was coming from. Near the edge of the city was a large open arena that looked like it was in shambles from the combat taking place there. He gently coasted down in time to see a young woman with dark fly-away hair towering over a man in fancy clothes who was pinned to the ground. Off in the corner was another girl on a platform jumping around and cheering. Deciding not to throw himself right into the conflict he landed just behind the platform in time to see the man break free of his earthen shackles and send rock shards at the woman, who dodged them just in the nick time.

 

Instead, the shards came flying towards him and the young girl on the platform. Aang leapt in front of the girl and twirled his glider around, knocking the shards to the ground. Behind him the girl gave him a hard shove to the side and gave him a nasty glare.

 

“What do you think you're doing Twinkletoes!?” she shouted. “Just when I was about to get in on the action too!”

 

“Hey, I was just trying to help! You could have gotten killed.” he retorted. The girl gave a disgusted snort and pulled a square slab of rock from the wall and smashed it down on his foot with force. “Ouch!”

 

“I'm an earthbender you putz. I can take care of myself.” she said in a way that eerily reminded him of Toph. And as of yet he was still unaware that the woman in the brawl below him was that same girl that he knew.

 

The shouting from the platform had distracted Toph, and she had turned her head towards the noise, trying to sense out who it was that Miyu was arguing with. Huang Ze used this chance to make a sweeping kick and knocked her down face first. He grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back and forced her to her feet.

 

“Let me go!” she shouted through clenched teeth, kicking wildly and trying to pull away.

 

At this point Aang had seen enough and jumped down from the platform, making his way to the two combatants. “Excuse me!”

 

“What do you want?” spat the man, who gave the struggling woman a shake to make her hold still.

 

“I'm going to have to ask you to release that woman.” Aang answered, standing up straight so he stared down at the man. He wasn't that much taller than him, but it was enough to hope that it would intimidate him.

 

“No. As soon as I shove her through that hole in the wall, she has to become my wife.” Huang Ze told him as he nodded towards the gaping hole in a nearby wall. “Just who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?”

 

“I'm Avatar Aang, and I'm demanding that you release her.” This left the man staring wide-eyed, now taking a good look at him. He wore the clothes of an Air Nomad, in the shades of orange and yellow, and wore a beaded necklace with the symbol of the air element. Quickly he released the woman and pushed her away.

 

“She may be pretty and powerful, but she's not worth fighting the Avatar for.” he said, walking away, mumbling the last few words. “You can have her. What a pointless fight.”

 

Aang waited until the other man was out of sight before he reached down and offered his hand to the young woman. Behind him he heard the pattering of feet approaching as Miyu ran up beside him. “Are you okay?”

 

“Sifu! That was amazing! He was all like crash-bam-smash, and then you were all like kerpow-stomp. And the part with the rock gloves. Ingenious! You're going to have to use those again on the next one.” Miyu chattered on. Aang could only stare blankly at the young girl praising the woman. What kind of person gets into these fights regularly?

 

“Damn. I almost had him too. If only you two hadn't been making such a fuss I wouldn't have gotten distracted.” Toph said, pushing Aang's hand away and getting up herself before swiftly smacking him across the face.

 

“What was that for?!” he cried out, holding his cheek. The young woman flipped her head down and shook her hands through her hair, knocking out the larger chunks of rock embedded in there before flipping all her hair back behind her head and staring at him with her familiar pale green eyes.

 

“For ruining my fun.” she said with a smile before lightly punching him in the shoulder. “How you been Twinkletoes?”

 

“Toph? Is that you?” he asked, looking her up and down. It certainly didn't look like that small but tough girl he used to know. This person was a full grown woman. A barely dressed full grown woman. Aang blushed slightly and looked away.

 

“The one and only.” she said, turning away from him and walking away. He stood there and stared for a moment as she and Miyu left him. However, Toph turned back and crossed her arms. “Are you coming?”

“Y…yea.” Aang answered, rushing to catch up before they began the trek back up the hill to Toph's home. “Where are we going?”

 

“My house for a nice cup of early morning tea.” Toph said nonchalantly pointing up towards the small home on the hill.

 

“But it's mid-afternoon.” Aang said in a puzzled tone.

 

“Yea, well, I didn't get an opportunity for tea this morning when I got up.” she said with a laugh.

 

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Once they all had gotten inside, Aang began to wonder even more about what Toph was up to when he saw the broken down walls and scattered rubble in the yard. He asked the girl that lived with Toph, who he learned was called Miyu, and she told him all about the suitors and everything while her sifu had disappeared into another part of the house. She chattered on about some of the different types of men that had shown up at their door over the years while carefully bending the walls back in place.

 

His friend reemerged into the room, now fully dressed in a long pair of dark green pants that billowed at her ankles and a thigh-length, cap-sleeved brown and yellow button down tunic that she had only fastened to right above her belly button. She had even managed to somewhat tame her long mane of hair by tying it back at the base of her neck, then binding it again down near the ends so that it looked broken into two parts. She was carrying a tray with a tan teapot and three matching cups. They all had they symbol of the Earth Kingdom painted on them in green.

 

Toph set the tray down on the low table and flopped down onto the floor, not bothering to use a cushion and patted a spot next to her. Aang paused a moment, but walked over and sat down with her. Miyu finished patching the walls and wiped the dust off of her hands before joining them. The younger girl poured the tea while Toph leaned back on her hands.

 

“So, what brings you to Gaoling? On your way to see Sugar Queen?” she asked with a smile, pointing at him. “And don't lie. Remember, I can tell.”

 

“I remember Toph, don't worry.” Aang laughed. It was surprisingly nice to sit and have tea with an old friend. Even if was a bit awkward to be sitting in a somewhat clean and very nice house being served tea. Somehow, when he envisioned visiting Toph at home, he imagined her living underground like the badgermoles.

 

He picked up the cup in front of him and sipped it before he answered her. “No, actually. I'm on my way to the Southern Air Temple. I just stopped here to let Appa rest and to re-supply.”

 

Toph looked at him with her pale eyes, and even though he knew she couldn't actually see him, it felt as if her eyes were burning holes in him. He wondered if maybe she could tell that he was omitting several details. She smiled and slowly took a drink out of her own cup. “Ah. I'm surprised the big wigs in Ba Sing Se are just let you leave like that. Then again, I'm not one for politics, so you probably have something important to do there.”

 

“Uh, yea.” he said quietly, but looked up as she ticked her tongue and wagged a finger at him.

 

“You're lying. Spill airhead.” she told him outright. And for the next few hours he spilled his guts to her while they sat around drinking tea and eating dinner. He told her about all the problems plaguing the world, his difficult time adjusting to the spotlight, and how he wished he could have done what the rest of them did when the war was over: go home. He told her all about Katara and his failed proposal. Even about his brash decision to leave Ba Sing Se. Toph just sat there and listened, waiting until he was done.

 

She was silent for a few moments while she absorbed the last bits of his story. Then she cocked her head to the side and spoke. “The past is the past. It can't be changed. Stop living for what you've already done and live for what you've yet to do.”

 

“That's it?” Aang asked, a little shocked at her almost cryptic answer. “You sound like Zuko's uncle.”

 

Toph just shrugged her shoulders and got to her feet, wiping her hands on her pants. She picked up the tray of dirty dishes and headed towards the back room. He followed her and stood in the doorway as she plunked the dishware into an empty sink. Then she turned back and looked at him. “What?”

 

“I wanted to ask, what ever happened to that Lasso guy?” he asked her as she brushed by him. Miyu had fallen asleep on the floor midway through Aang's story and now Toph was gently rousing her and coaxing her to go to her room.

 

“Who?” she asked after the younger girl had stumbled off.

 

“You know, about yay high, scruffy brown hair? The one you brought to Sokka and Suki's wedding?” Aang gestured with his hands. He remembered how happy she looked back then. She had even let him do things for her, like bring her a plate of food or open a door for her. It had surprised most of them that she had even brought a guy with her at all. “You two were engaged right? I'm sure he isn't too happy about these suitors banging on your door every month.”

 

“Oh, you mean Yasuo?” she spoke in a withdrawn quiet voice that wasn't like how she was at all. “He…I…we…we split up. Things changed and, well, they just changed and he's gone.”

 

Aang put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry things didn't work out between the two of you. I know how it feels.”

 

“I'm much happier on my own anyway.” she said in a more confidant tone, shrugging his hand away. “Who needs a husband any how?”

 

Both of them were silent for a minute, until Toph stretched out and scratched her neck “Go get Appa from wherever you left him. I have a large enough yard for him. By the way, you're staying the night.”

 

“Toph, I can't.” he flustered. “I'm on a schedule.”

 

“Liar.” she said, punching him hard in the arm. “Besides, it's already late and I know you don't like traveling at night.”

 

“Fine.” he grumbled, making his way for the door.

When he got back to the house, Toph had already gone to bed, leaving all but a single room in the dark. He assumed that was his room to use for the night and he wandered in and went to sleep.

 

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Toph was glad to wake up of her own free will the next morning. The house was refreshingly quiet and it seemed even Miyu wasn't awake yet. She stretched and yawned loudly as she got out of bed, taking her sweet time to get dressed. After that she wandered out into the yard where Appa lay sound asleep on the grass. She smiled and approached him. He heard her coming and lifted his head to give her a big wet kiss.

 

“Hey you big lummox, I missed you too.” she said, patting him for a little bit while Momo bounded down from the saddle and nuzzled at her neck. She smiled and scratched his ears. “Hi Momo.”

 

After that brief reunion, she took a fighting stance and began practicing her bending movements. Each breath she took was deep and she made sure to keep her connection to the earth. Her movements were fluid and exact, and if they weren't up to par enough for her, she repeated them until they were flawless. It was almost like she was dancing by herself, at least, that was what Aang thought as he watched her from the rooftop.

 

He had gotten up with the sun in order to have peace and quiet to meditate on the day. Normally he did that mid-morning, but he wasn't sure whether or not Toph would get herself into another brawl. She really was different from how he remembered her. Still a little brazen at times, she had grown into a strong-minded woman. Still there was still something about her that was sad. He thought that maybe it was because they really hadn't kept in contact as much as they had promised.

 

From what he knew, none of them had really. Sure, Katara had always sent him letters and he usually ran into Zuko on a frequent basis, but that was because he and Katara were involved. And Zuko was the Fire Lord, his job as the Avatar entailed visiting the heads of the nations often. And because he always kept in contact with Katara, he always knew how Sokka and Suki were doing. But he had nearly forgotten about Toph. Had he ever sent her a letter? He was sure he had, but couldn't really remember. What about the others, did they ever come visit her or write her? He had never asked them.

 

He decided though, that after he got back to Ba Sing Se, he would keep in touch with her more. He might even invite them all there for a nice get together. After all, the last time they had really been together for something fun was when Sokka and Suki got married. And that was already three years ago. He couldn't believe that time passed so fast. He sighed and shook himself out of his thoughts.

 

“Why are you on my roof?” Toph was now standing with her hands on her hips, staring in his general direction.

 

“Meditating?” Aang replied.

 

“Liar. Now get down from there. Miyu made breakfast.” she said coolly and walked off into the house. He glided down and followed her in, finding her already sitting at the table eating. He sighed and picked up the last bowl of rice porridge that was sitting on the table. At least back in Ba Sing Se, the people of the palace waited for him to arrive before they even considered eating the meal. He also missed how everyone was courteous to him. Not that Toph wasn't, but she was just a bit more demanding than everyone else. Even Miyu showed him respect by bowing her head when he walked into the room.

 

Toph had finished well before he or Miyu had, and let out a nice belch afterwards. She then thumped the girl on the back and complimented her on a good breakfast. She then turned to Aang, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her face. “You know, you're going to need some muscle to help you out on your little mission of peace.”

 

Aang swallowed the mouthful of porridge quickly. “No Toph. You're not coming.”

 

“Why not?” she asked, pointing a finger at him.

 

He backed away a bit and answered. “I don't want any help.”

 

“Who cares about what you want? You need me to keep your butt out of trouble.” She scoffed, picking at her teeth with the nail on her pinky finger.

 

“But I'm sure you've got a busy schedule to take care of. Lots better things to do than tag along with a boring old Avatar.” Aang laughed, trying to make her smile, and failed.

 

Toph snapped her fingers and leaned towards her younger companion. “Miyu, what's on my schedule?”

 

The girl choked on her food and started coughing, before Toph thumped her hard on the back. When Miyu had cleared her throat, she gave her answer. “Sifu, you don't have a schedule. You hate schedules.”

“Exactly. See, no problems there.” Toph said in an easy-going tone.

 

“Ahem, sifu?” the girl said quietly.

 

“Yes Miyu?” Toph answered.

 

“What about the Academy and the students?” Miyu questioned. “Who's going to train them if you're gone?”

 

“Damn, hadn't thought of that.” Toph put a hand to her chin and rubbed it in silence before her right eyebrow popped up in thought. “Why, you will Miyu! You know all there is about teaching the students.”

 

“M…me? No, sifu, I can't.” the girl replied, shaking her head and hands fervently.

 

“Miyu, you're doing it. You've taught these girls before when I was too tired or too drunk to get out of bed. Think of this as a promotion.” the woman was using her most convincing voice and smiled sweetly at the girl. Poor Miyu kept glancing from her Sifu to the Avatar who kept mouthing for her to say no. That was, until Toph gave him a hard punch to the leg.

 

“Fine, I'll do it.” she said in a squeaky voice, burying her face in her hands. “Please Mr. Avatar don't bend me into a pretzel.”

 

That was when both Toph and Aang burst into loud obnoxious laughter while poor Miyu sat there turning a deeper shade of red by the moment. Aang had laughed so hard the tears clouded his eyes and he had to wipe them away. And when he turned to Toph, she had already disappeared on him. “Where'd she go?”

 

“To her room probably.” Miyu said with a groan before she began cleaning up the table. “Sifu is going to be the death of me.”

 

Aang laughed again and patted her head before wandering down the hallway trying to find Toph's room. He found it by listening for the sounds of her clamoring to shove things into a large rucksack. “What in the world are you doing?”

 

“Packing.” was her answer as she grabbed a down pillow and some blankets, stuffing them inside, followed by some clothes that were strewn about the floor. He could also see her carefully sandwiching some bottles of what could only be liquor in between a pair of pants and a bunch of tops. At the very top of the bag she tossed a barely used hairbrush, a headband, and some other various hair accessories.

 

“Ok, I'll just go get Appa ready then.” he said heading out into the large yard and saddling the bison. A moment later Toph came out with the rucksack over her shoulder. She tossed it up into the saddle and then turned to walk away. “Hey wait, where are you going?”

 

“The market.” she told him, digging her coin purse out of her pocket and swung it around on one finger. “I've got to get some eats for this trip.

 

“Toph, I've already got stuff to eat and I'm in a hurry.” he complained, following after as she continued walking away. She could walk fast so he had a hard time catching up with her.

 

“Liar, you're not in a hurry to be anywhere. And, well I don't eat monk food. I eat meat, for instance. Plus I already went through your things after you went to bed. You've got a lot of fruit and vegetables, but nothing to balance them out.” she chided. “You don't even have any rice, for the love of the spirit world.”

 

“Well, excuse me. I've never really had to go shopping before. Katara always did that when we were younger.” Aang pointed out. “And when I began living in Ba Sing Se, they did my shopping for me.”

 

“Well, then I've got some things to teach you, don't I?” Toph and he were down into the city now and she made a sharp right turn, heading toward the market he had visited the previous day. “I told you that you needed me.”

 

Half an hour later, Aang was playing packhorse while his friend loaded him up with bags of rice, cooking pots for traveling, and utensils. He sighed in discontent and asked. “Are we done yet?”

 

“Almost. Come one.” she motioned as she veered off towards a fruit vendor.

 

“Toph. I have plenty of fruit. You said so yourself.” he stated, stopping where he stood. She scoffed and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him along until he apologized.

 

“I'm not here for fruit. I've got to settle some wagers before I leave.” she told him, knocking at the doorway and waiting for the vendor to emerge. Aang noticed that this was the same fruit stand he'd been at the day before, where the two older women had been impressed by his visit. A moment later the vendor woman appeared at the doorway, with her older friend behind her.

 

“Toph, dear, good to see you!” the woman spoke cheerfully. “Mrs. Ling and I were just about to have some tea, interested?”

 

“Not today Miss Yu Linn.” Toph replied sweetly. “I'm just here to settle our monthly bet.”

 

“Is it that time already? Well come in dear while I get a quill and some paper so we can tally things.” Yu Linn said as Toph and Aang followed her inside. The house had low ceilings, and the Avatar had to slouch to avoid hitting his head. The older woman from the day before, Mrs. Ling, was sitting at a table and giggled when Aang bonked his head on a beam. He rubbed the sore spot on his head

 

Toph casually strode over and sat down next to her, chattering in idle gossip until Yu Linn returned with a sheaf of paper and a quill in hand. She waved them around and spoke in a sing-song voice as she sat down at the table with the other women. “Here they are!”

Curious as to what the three were talking about, Aang inched closer and closer, trying to sneak in without them catching him. He had been taught to respect the privacy of others, but sometimes the temptation was just too much. He had forgotten, however, that Toph could sense his steps and it startled him when she spoke to him. “Twinkletoes, if you want to hear what we're talking about then come sit down. You trying to be sneaky is like and Elephant Koi trying to be a Wood Frog.”

 

He had jumped when she spoke and he thunked his hard against the ceiling. He sat down after that, though he muttered in complaint and rubbed the top of his head. The three women then went back to ignoring him and focused on the matter at had. Yu Lin rolled up her sleeve and dipped the quill in some ink on the table. She divided the paper in two and wrote both her name at the top of one column and Toph's name at the top of the other. When she was done she looked at Toph. “So, the rascal from yesterday was, what, the fourth suitor this month, dear?”

 

“No, no.” chided Mrs. Ling, wagging a finger. “He was the sixth suitor this month.”

 

“You're both wrong.” Toph added. “He was the fifth, Miyu's been keeping track this month.”

 

“Okay, five suitors.” the woman said, making a note at the bottom of the page. “Now, you wagered you'd have them running home before midday, right dear?”

 

Toph nodded and propped and elbow on the table before resting her chin in her hand. “And you said that they were getting tougher and I'd probably be going rounds with them at least until mid-afternoon.”

 

“So, how many did you send packing by noontime?” Yu Lin asked, poised and ready to write the number in Toph's column.

 

“Hm, the first three weren't benders, but there was the one who brought his bodyguard with him, and I dueled with the bodyguard. The last two were benders, but the first one fought like a beginner.” Toph said in thought, counting out on her right hand and rubbing her chin with her left. “So, there's the two non-benders, and the weak earthbender, and I'm pretty sure I knocked the daylights out of the bodyguard because I remember him mumbling about not being paid enough to lose to a girl. So that's four, but that guy yesterday, Huang Ze, he gave me a run for my money. I think I lost that one there. I dunno, depends on whatever time Twinkletoes showed up and got in the way.”

 

The three women then turned to look at him, and Aang gulped and smiled at them. “Me? Uh, it was well past midday when I got here yesterday, so…”

 

He trailed off, but they had already gone back to their calculations. Yu Lin was already pulling her coin purse out as she spoke. “So, how much was the wager amount. I can't remember.”

 

“Beats me Miss Yu Lin. Miyu usually keeps track of that for me, but she's back home right now since I found a better pack mule.” Toph shrugged before giving Aang a sound slug to the arm.

 

“Geez Toph, I think you left a bruise.” he complained, rubbing his arm.

 

“The wager was made at the amount of two gold pieces and three silver pieces per suitor. An extra gold piece if they were an earthbender or if they brought help with them.” Mrs. Ling stated matter-of-factly. Smiling, she continued. “Yu Lin, you also threw in that if she won the wager, but one of the benders managed to knock her down more than once, she lost a silver piece, but earned one for only being knocked down one time or less. If she lost the wager, but stayed on her feet, you earn a silver piece, but if she got knocked down, you lose a silver piece.”

 

The old woman cleared her throat a minute and kept on going. “Now, Toph added that if she won the wager and knocked the suitor through more than one wall, she got an extra silver piece. If Yu Lin won the wager, and the suitor went through more than one wall, she got an extra silver piece. However, there was no penalty if Toph didn't knock him through more than one wall.”

 

“You people are crazy.” Aang muttered, crossing his arms and wishing that he hadn't stopped at this particular town.

 

“Respect your elders.” Toph demanded him, smacking him upside the head. “Now apologize to Miss Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling.”

 

“Will you quit hitting me!” His voice got away from and shut all three of the women up for a moment.

 

“My, someone is touchy.” Mrs. Ling pointed out.

 

“Was he always this way?” Yu Li queried, leaning in towards the younger woman.

 

“I suppose.” Toph replied in an indifferent tone. It was apparent to him that the three were now just outright ignoring him. He harrumphed and slouched as they continued.

 

“Okay, so here's how it turned out. You got rid of suitors one through four before midday. Of those four, one was an earthbender and another brought help. The earthbender never knocked her down, and the bodyguard knocked her down twice, but she also sent him through a wall four times. Now, you didn't get that last suitor gone till mid-afternoon, so you lose there. And he knocked you down a couple of times. But he only went through one wall, not two since he barreled through the Academy wall on his own.” Yu Li said, scratching down things in each column. Aang rubbed his temples. He had tried to keep up with all of the math involved, but they had some unusual conditions for the wager and it sent his mind spinning. He just knew that Toph had won more than Yu Lin. The ladies seemed to figure it out quickly enough and various sums changed hands between the two.

 

“Now, what'll be the stipulations for next month?” Yu Lin asked with a smile, flipping the tally sheet over and readying her quill. “I'm going to write it down this month and keep track of things so this is a bit easier next time.”

 

“No wagers this month Miss Yu Lin. I'm not going to be home.” the young woman said, already getting to her feet. The two older ladies looked at her in surprise.

 

“Toph dear, where are you going then?” Mrs. Ling inquired in a soft voice, gently taking the girl's hand. “Nothing bad has come up I hope?”

 

“Nothing like that Mrs. Ling.” Toph smiled tenderly at the woman, squeezing her hand and then releasing it. “I just had made some plans to spend time with an old friend.”

 

She then grabbed Aang around the neck, despite the fact that she was at least a head shorter than him, and gave him a hard noogie. He whined in protest before she released him. “Stop doing that.”

 

“Though, if you feel like making wagers, try talking to Miyu.” Toph told the women as she pushed Aang towards the door. “I'm leaving her in charge of the Academy and my estate while I'm gone, so any suitors the folks send will be dealing with her instead of me. And I'm sure that if they're of the same caliber as that Huang Ze, they won't just leave. Hopefully though, the sweet-talkers won't try to steal away my best student. Keep an eye on her for me, will you ladies?”

 

“Of course, dear.” Yu Lin said, getting up and hugging Toph softly. “I'll treat her as I treat you, like the daughter I never had.”

 

“Goodbye.” the younger girl spoke in a chipper tone, waving as she made her way out of the home.

 

“Good times.” Aang said nonchalantly. “Can we go now?”

 

“I suppose so, since you're so damn insistent.” Toph answered, curling a fist as though she were going to hit him again. He drew back from her suddenly. And she laughed loudly before socking him twice. “Two for flinching.”

 

Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling came to the doorway and watched as the two walked away together. Yu Lin sighed and Mrs. Ling raised a palm and smiled to her friend. “He left with bruises, you owe me three silver pieces.”

 

The woman fished the coins from her pocket and plunked them into the older woman's hand. Then she smiled and looked down at her friend. “You might have won, for now, but I haven't seen her this happy since she lost Yasuo. Maybe something good will come from this, after all, I'd hate to see her end up an old maid like me.”

 

“Shush Yu Lin.” Mrs. Ling said. “You're not an old maid until you die alone. Besides, I think we need to worry more about her being hurt again. Didn't the Avatar have a sweetheart from the Southern Water Tribe?”

 

“I had heard that, but I just have this gut feeling that tells me this is her path.” Yu Lin replied.

 

------­------------------------

 

She and Aang had left shortly after returning back to her home. Miyu held a brave face, but Toph knew that the girl would be lonely. That's why she had suggested that her friends from the market look out for her. Aang climbed around Appa's neck and grabbed the reigns, and tried to offer Toph a hand up, but she shirked it off and managed to get up into the saddle on her own.

 

“Yip yip.” Aang commanded, and the bison came up off the ground and flew off. He watched his friend's young companion waving from the yard as they disappeared into the sky. He turned back to her when he heard a noise and saw her clutching the edge of the saddle tightly and saw her hanging her head off to the side. “You okay?”

 

“I forgot what it was like to be on the back of a flying bison.” she said weakly. “By the way, does half-digest rice porridge come out of fur?”

 

Aang laughed loudly and reassured her. They continued traveling south until sunset, where they made camp near the outskirts of a swampy area. Toph, being herself, erected a tent of stone and shut herself up inside after mumbling about recovering from the flight and didn't reemerge until late that night when his late night musing had woken her up.

 

Now the two of them sat next to each other, in front of a blazing fire. And to her, it was just like old times. Just much quieter old times. There was no Sokka telling tall tales or spouting bad jokes. Katara wasn't there to tell them that it was time to eat, or to take a bath, or even go to bed. Toph realized that being an adult and managing for herself was freeing, and what she had longed of having for years. Now she wished that she hadn't taken those times for granted.

 

She heard the sound of quiet snores, and smiled to herself. “G'night Twinkletoes.”