"It's pricey...but I really do like it."

Xiaodan rolled her head to the side and stared up at Sokka blandly as the Water Tribe boy stared ponderingly at the green satchel they were all gathered around. The four had arrived at the village or Gaoling a few hours ago to buy more supplies when Sokka had spotted the green satchel in an outdoor shop and he had spent the past half an hour debating on if he should buy it or not. Aang and Xiaodan had both taken a seat on the ground while Katara stood next to her brother with her arms crossed and Momo perched on her shoulder.

"Then you should get it." Katara urged her brother, "You deserve something nice."

"I do, don't I?" Sokka said then sighed and looked the other way, "But no, it's too expensive. I shouldn't."

Xiaodan groaned quietly and tilted her head backwards, quirking a brow when she saw a man with long, shaggy hair trying to talk to a passerby while showing him a flyer.

"Alright, then don't." Katara stated exasperatedly then she walked away.

Aang and Xiaodan quickly jumped to their feet and followed her, eager to finally leave the shop. Sokka hesitated then trailed after his sister and friends, his eyes never leaving the bag as he left.

"You know what?" Sokka said suddenly as he ran back to the bag and picked it up with a pleased smile on his face, "I'm gonna get it."

Xiaodan groaned again and slapped a hand to her forehead, shaking her head in amused exasperation as she waited with Katara and Aang down the street while Sokka paid for the bag.

"Psst, psst! Hey!" The man Xiaodan had seen passing out flyers earlier whispered at them as he showed them the flyer in his hand, "Hey, you kids love Earthbending? You like...throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy!"

Xiaodan quirked a brow as the man handed a flyer to Aang then walked away from the three teens and back down the street. Katara and Xiaodan peered over Aang's shoulder as he read the flyer then he turned it over, his eyes lightening up.

"Look! There's a coupon on the back!" Aang said excitedly, "The first lesson is free."

Katara smiled slightly at Aang, her hands on her hips, "Who knows? This Master Yu could be the Earthbending teacher you've been looking for."

"It couldn't hurt for you to go for the free lesson, in any case." Xiaodan mused idly as Sokka rejoined them, the green bag in his arms as he peered dubiously over the white-haired girl's shoulder at the flyer.

Aang looked around Master Yu's Earthbending Academy with a perplexed expression on his face, dressed in an Earth Kingdom outfit and a green hat. The young Airbender looked around again then stuck his finger in his ear and wiggled it a bit then he sniffed his finger. He noticed he was standing in a row of younger, but serious looking kids and instantly straightened his back just as Master Yu walked towards the two rows of students. Aang glanced at the man then at the row of serious looking kids across from him, his gaze briefly landing on the rocks in front of the kids.

"Take your stance!" Master Yu ordered and the students shifted into fighting stances, with the exception of Aang, who just stood there blankly.

"Now, strike as if you're punching through your opponent's head!" Yu barked as he demonstrated the move he was talking about.

The pupils lifted their rocks into the air and Aang stared them in surprise before his attention was pulled to the young boy standing across from him as the boy fired his rock at Aang. Aang moved to lift his arms but he moved to late and the rock hit him in the stomach, sending him flying into a vase shaped like a teapot.

"So, are you ready to commit to more lessons?" Yu asked eagerly as he approached Aang's dazed form, "If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt!"

Aang shook his head slightly and stared up at the man, covered in so much sand and shards of pottery that only his eyes, nose, and right were visible. The sand shifted suddenly and completely covered Aang's face, leaving only his right hand visible.

Xiaodan perked up and turned her head when she noticed Aang walking out of the Academy with the other students.

"Ehhh, he's not the one." Aang said as he stopped in front of his friends and sister then smacked his right ear a few times, causing sand to fall out of his left ear.

Xiaodan gave him a curious look but he just shrugged his shoulders with a sight.

"I think the Boulder's gonna win back the belt in Earth Rumble V." An older boy said to his friend as they walked out of the Academy.

"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best Earthbenders in the world to get the chance." The second boy said eagerly as he and his friend walked down the street.

"Excuse me," Aang called out to the two boys after overhearing their conversation and he ran up to them, "But where is this Earthbending tournament, exactly?"

"It's on the Island of Noneya... 'Noneya' business!" The first boy replied, he and his friend laughing loudly as they walked away.

Sokka laughed and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, "Oh, I got to remember that one!"

Xiaodan rolled her eyes and shared a look with Katara. The dark-haired girl smiled slightly at her then turned to Aang.

"Katara and I'll take care of this." Xiaodan stated with a grin.

"Hey, strong guys Wait up!" Katara called out as she and Xia ran after the boys around a corner, leaving Sokka and Aang to stare after them curiously.

Sokka suddenly held out his new back and stared at it, "What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag! Why did you let me buy this?"

Aang gave Sokka a weird look as he dropped the back on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest while Momo hopped off his shoulder and into the bag. The lemur turned around a few times inside the bag then settled down and closed his eyes just as Katara and Xiaodan came running back.

"You ready to find an Earthbending teacher?" Katara asked Aang with a grin, "Because we're going to Earth Rumble V!"

"How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang asked curiously as he looked at the two girls in surprise.

"Oh...a girl has her ways." Xiaodan replied airily as she and Katara exchanged sly smiles.

The two boys stared wide-eyed at the mouth of the alley where the two girls had disappeared, both of them encased in ice on opposite sides of the alley with the tops of their heads touching.

"Hey front row seats!" Aang said with a grin as he and his friends walked past an empty row of seats close to the arena, "I wonder why no one else is sitting here."

The four sit down and a rock suddenly landed in the front row next to Sokka. Xiaodan, Aang, Katara and Sokka jumped to their feet and stared at the rock in shock.

"Well, that would explain why no one else is sitting here..." Xiaodan commented drily and the four teens turned to look towards the center of the ring as the event host raised an earthen platform before bringing it back to the level of the rest of the arena.

"Welcome to Earth Rumble V!" The man shouted as he raised his left arm in the air, "I am your host, Xin Fu!"

"This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?" Katara asked with a sigh as she began inspecting her nails boredly.

"That's what I paid for." Sokka replied happily as the four sat back down.

Xiaodan cast a sideways glance at the dark-haired girl and quirked a brow, "Did you really expect anything else, Katara?"

"I suppose not..." Katara sighed again and Xiaodan smirked slightly as she looked back at the ring, where Xin Fu had begun to speak again.

"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" Xin Fu shouted then leapt up to a podium above the ring where he rang a bell, "Round one: The Boulder vs. The Big Bad Hippo!"

The Boulder, a tall muscular man with a beard and a large badgermole tattoo on his back lifted his arms into the as Xin Fu spoke and turned to face the cheering audience as the Hippo entered the ring. The absolutely massive man opened his mouth wide, revealing only four teeth as he roared loudly at the Boulder.

"Listen up, Hippo." The Boulder shouted as he pointed at the much larger man, "You may be big, but you ain't bad! The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide!"

"Hippo...mad!" The Hippo roared as he threw his arms in the air and stomped one foot.

Momo squeaked and lowered himself further into Sokka's bag in fear. Xiaodan quirked a brow as the Boulder stomped his foot and lifted up a bunch of rocks from the arena for then he launched the rocks at the Hippo. The massive man didn't even move as the rocks struck his body and dust briefly hid him from view before clearing away and revealing the Hippo with one of the rocks in his mouth. The Hippo growled lowly as he chewed the rock up and spit it out then he began jumping up and down, causing the whole ring to tilt.

"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen!" Xin Fu shouted into a microphone as the Boulder lost his balance and stumbled backwards toward the each of the ring, "The Hippo is rocking the boat!"

The Boulder nearly tumbled off the edge of the ring but managed to save himself by Earthbending a part of the ring into a small platform beneath his hands as he bent backwards. The Boulder straightened and chucked the thick sheet of earth at the Hippo, who was busy entertaining the crowd. The slab of rock hit the massive man in the back and the Hippo whirled around to look at the Boulder, just as the other man Earthbended the section of earth the Hippo was standing on and tossed him out of the ring. The Hippo crashed into the lower area around the arena and the crowd cheered loudly.

"The Boulder wins!" Xin Fu exclaimed into his microphone as the Boulder raised his arms victoriously.

"How about the Boulder?" Katara asked Aang as she watched the muscle-bound Earthbender, "He's got some good moves."

"I don't know." Aang replied with a shrug, "Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles. What do you think Xia?"

Xiaodan shrugged and rested her chin on her fist, "He listens to his muscles..."

Aang nodded then looked at Sokka, "What do you think, Sokka?"

The Water Tribe boy merely cheered loudly as he stood on his seat, waving his arms around wildly.

"Next match...The Boulder vs. Fire Nation Man!" Xin Fu called out as Fire Nation Man entered the arena while happily waving a Fire Nation flag.

The crowd and Sokka began booing the new fighter loudly, causing Xiaodan's brows to rise nearly to her hairline.

"Please, to rise for Fire Nation national anthem!" Fire Nation Man called out in a strange accent as he began to sing, "Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee!"

The man sunk down to one knee and stretched out one arm while the crowd began throwing rocks and booing at him.

"Go back to the Fire Nation!" Sokka shouted and threw a small rock at Fire Nation Man, hitting him in the head.

Xiaodan peered around Katara and Aang to stare at Sokka curiously, "You do realize, it's doubtful that he's actually from the Fire Nation right?"

Sokka just made a face her briefly then turned back to the arena as Fire Nation Man recovered from the rock hitting the side of his head just as the Boulder used Earthbending to sink him into the floor of the ring, turning the other man around to face him as he did so and causing Fire Nation Man to drop his flag.

The Boulder rose high above the other man on an earth pillar and Fire Nation Man stared up at him fearfully.

"No, no please!" The trapped man begged but the Boulder merely grinned then jumped off the pillar with his knees facing downward, grasping his ankles behind his back.

Xiaodan winced and flinched back slightly when the Boulder slammed the surface of the ring, creating a pillar under Fire Nation Man that ejected him straight into the air and out of the arena. The four teens watched as Fire Nation Man soared through the air and landed upside down on the large rock that was embedded in the stands next to them.

"Yeah! Whooo!" Sokka cheered as he jumped from his seat and thrusted both fists in the air then pointed at Fire Nation Man, "The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt."

The crowd cheered loudly and Xiaodan sighed quietly as she shook her head at Sokka's antics. The four teens watched with varying degrees of enthusiasm as the Boulder defeated several more fighters consecutively: The Gopher got slammed between two rocks, The Gecko got hit in the stomach by a broad pillar of earth mid-jump, and the Headhunter got hit with an earthen coin. And between each of his victories, The Boulder entertained the cheering crowd making his pectoral muscles move.

Finally the lights in the arena dimmed and a spotlight shone on Xin Fu, standing on the podium above the ring. Xiaodan straightened from her slouched position and leaned forward slightly, her interested suddenly peaked.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for." Xin Fu said dramatically as the crowd fell silent, "The Boulder vs. your champion...The Blind Bandit!"

A young girl wearing a green cape suddenly came in view, holding the championship belt above her head while two female assistants stood on either side of her. One of the assistants removed the cape while the other took the belt and the two women carried both out of the ring.

"She can't really be blind." Katara said skeptically as she looked at the young girl, "It's just part of her character, right?"

"I think she is..." Aang said quietly as he looked at the girl curiously.

Xiaodan leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the girl's milky, greenish colored eyes then sat back, her hands resting behind her head.

"I think she is...Going down!" Sokka exclaimed as he pointed downward with both hands, causing Aang to recoil slightly from his show of enthusiasm.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl!" The Boulder stated, making theatrically gestures with his arms as he spoke.

"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder." The girl retorted mockingly as she made a scared face at the older man.

The Boulder's expression turned sour and he glared slightly at the girl, "The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-alanche!"

"Whenever you're ready, the Pebble." The Blind Bandit taunted with a wide grin as she pointed at the Boulder then she laughed manically.

Aang's eyes went wide as the girl's laughter reached his ears and his mind instantly flashed the vision he had in Foggy Swamp of a young, blind girl laughing as he chased her.

"It's on!" The Boulder shouted.

The Blind Bandit waited passively as she listened carefully for the Boulder's movements, detecting them using seismic sense just as the man slammed his heel into the ground. The blind girl raised her hands palm up and slid forward, her feet never leaving the arena floor as she sensed the Boulders movements. She then kicked her foot into the ground, sending a small wave of rocks at the Boulder, disrupting his first step and causing him to slip into the splits.

Sokka's ecstatic expression fell as he stared at the ring shock and dismay just as the Boulder tossed his head back and howled in pain. Xiaodan stared at the arena in surprise then tossed her head back and laughed loudly. The white-haired girl jumped to her feet and cheered loudly when the Blind Bandit pulled an arm back then shifted forward and swung her arm, sending up three pillars of earth that slammed into the Boulder's back and ejected him from the arena.

"Your winner, and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu shouted and the crowd cheered while the blind girl smirked gleefully and raised her fist in the air victoriously.

"How did she do that?" Katara asked in shock as she stared at the girl while Sokka watched in dismay.

"She waited...and listened." Aang said quietly, his gaze never leaving the blind girl standing in the middle of the ring.

Xin Fu leapt down from the podium and landed beside the Blind Bandit, a bag in his hand.

"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu called out to the crowd but was met with silence, "What? No one dares to face her?"

"I will!" Aang said eagerly as he walked into the ring.

Xin Fu turned and blinked in surprise at the boy then he shrugged and jumped back onto the podium while the boy walked forward.

"Go, Aang!" Sokka cheered with a grin, "Avenge The Boulder!"

"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" The Blind Bandit asked sarcastically and the crowd ooh'd.

"I don't really want to fight you." Aang replied, slightly nervous as he held his hands up in a pacifying gesture, "I want to talk to you."

"Boo! No talking!" Sokka booed then yelped when Xiaodan reached around Katara and smacked him in the back of the head without looking away from the ring.

"Don't boo at him!" Katara scolded with a scowl then she turned back to face the ring.

Aang took a step forward and the Blind Bandit smirked. She slid one foot forward rapidly, creating a small pillar that lifted Aang slightly in the air. Aang blinked in surprise as he glided behind the girl and landed lightly behind the Blind Bandit.

"Somebody's a little light on their feet! What's your fighting name: the Fancy Dancer?" The Blind Bandit snapped as she whirled around and launched another pillar at Aang, lifting him into the air again, "Where'd you go?"

"Please, wait!" Aang pleaded as he landed behind the girl again after gliding through the air again.

"There you are!" The Blind Bandit snapped and whirled around, Earthbending a rock from the arena floor and launching it at Aang.

Aang gasped then jumped up and blasted the incoming rock with a strong gust of air, the blast accidently knocking the Blind Bandit out of the ring and leaving everyone stunned.

Aang shifted out of his bending stance and looked around as the crowd began cheering. His eyes widened when he realized he had accidently knocked the girl out of the ring and he ran after her.

"Please, listen!" Aang called out to the girl as she stormed away, "I need an Earthbending teacher and I think it's supposed to be you!"

"Whoever you are, just leave me alone." The girl snapped angrily over her shoulder then she Earthbended a door in the stadium wall.

"Wait!" Aang called out again, running over to the wall just as the girl Earthbended it shut behind her and he slumped in defeat then he made his way back to the ring where Xin Fu was standing with the belt and sack of gold.

Aang shuffled over Xin Fu while Sokka ran towards the man, Xiaodan and Katara following at a more leisurely pace. Sokka hugged Xin Fu quickly, much to the man's surprise, then he took the belt and the sack of gold and held them up.

"Way to go, champ!" Sokka praised Aang gleefully as he wrapped an arm around Aang's shoulders.

Aang's shoulders slumped further and he bowed his head sorrowfully, causing Xiaodan to give him a concerned look.

"I gotta admit, now I'm really glad I bought this bag." Sokka commented happily as he, Katara, Aang, and Xiaodan walked through the village streets the next morning, his hand one the belt around his waist, "It matches the belt perfectly."

"That is a big relief." Katara stated sarcastically as she gave her brother a dry look, causing Xiaodan to chuckle quietly and shake her head.

"If we want to find the Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy is a great place to start." Aang said as the four walked into the Academy, where the two older male students from the other day were practicing.

"Oh great, you again." The boy with freckles said drily as he and his friend stopped practicing to stare darkly at Aang.

Katara glared at them and Xiaodan crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at them through narrowed orange eyes, causing both boys to flinch backwards.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Katara stated coolly and Sokka smirked at his sister.

"Nicely done." Sokka complimented the two girls.

"Hey!" The second boy said when he noticed Aang and the two boys approached Aang, "You're that kid who beat the Blind Bandit."

"We need to talk to her." Aang said in reply, his tone urgent, "Do you guys know where she lives?"

"The Blind Bandit's a mystery." The freckled boy stated then raised his fist dramatically, "She shows up to fight, then disappears."

"That's not very helpful, boys." Xiaodan sighed as she shook her head then she lunged forward and caught the second boy by the collar of his shirt, "Now let's try again, do you know where she is?"

The boy held his hands up defensively and he stuttered, "No, no, I-I swear it's true! No one knows where she goes, or who she really is."

Xiaodan stared at the boy through narrowed eyes for a moment then she released him and stepped back so she was standing beside Aang again, ignoring the questioning look on Sokka's face as he stared at her.

"That's because we're asking about the wrong person." Aang said suddenly as realization dawned on him, "In my vision, I saw a girl in a white dressed with a pet flying boar. Know anybody like that?"

"Well, a flying boar is the symbol of the Beifong family." The freckled boy replied while his friend hid behind him, "They're the richest people in town. Probably the whole world."

"Yeah, but they don't have a daughter." The second boy piped in from behind his friend.

"Flying boar is good enough for me." Aang said as he started walking away, gesturing for his friends to follow him, "Let's check it out."

"Yeah, you better leave..." The freckled boy muttered quietly as he and his friend sneered at the four teens' retreating backs.

"Hey! I've got my eye on you." Katara snapped as she turned slightly to glare at the two boys then followed Aang and Xiaodan out of the Academy.

"Water Tribe." Sokka said coolly with a smirk as he followed his sister and two friends.

"I'm telling you, The Boulder was standing right there." The Boulder said as he stood in front Xin Fu back at the Earth Rumble V venue, "I saw the kid strike, but there was no Earthbending. Nothing made contact. The Blind Bandit just fell out of the ring. She must've took a dive and split the money with the kid."

Xin Fu slammed his fist against the wall, causing rocks on his feet and he cried out in pain and anger, "Nobody cheats Xin Fu."

"That's the flying boar from my vision!" Aang said excitedly as he looked at the intricate symbol above the heavily guarded gate to the Beifong estate, "Come on!"

The four teens quickly made their way around back, Xiaodan and Aang Airbending themselves while Katara and Sokka climbed over the estate's outer wall and into a gardened area. The four run into the garden and stop behind a small tree, peering around it cautiously. Suddenly the ground beneath them began to rumble and then they were launched several feet into the air by the earth being pushed up from underneath them, causing the four to scream slightly as they began to fall back to the ground. Aang and Katara landed each landed on a bush and Sokka hit the ground between them while Xiaodan landed on top of him with a grunt.

Aang tilted his head back and blinked in surprise when he saw the Blind Bandit standing in front of him in an elegant white dress.

"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?" The blind girl demanded angrily.

"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked curiously, still lying on top of the bush.

"Don't answer to Twinkle Toes, it's not manly!" Sokka scolded as he stared at Aang in exasperation from his sprawled out position on the ground.

"You're the one whose bag matches his belt." Katara commented drily accompanied by an eye roll.

Xiaodan snorted a laugh and rubbed her head as she sat up, still sitting on Sokka's back.

"How did you find me?" The blind girl asked in annoyance.

"Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an Earthbender who listens to the earth." Aang explained as he Airbended himself out of the bush and stood in front of the girl while Katara, Sokka, and Xiaodan got to their feet and wondered over to him and the girl, "And then I had a vision in a magic swamp, and-"

"What Aang is trying to say is, he's the Avatar." Katara broke in as Aang began to ramble, "And if he doesn't master Earthbending soon, he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord."

"Not my problem." The girl snapped as she thrusted a hand in front of Katara's face then began walking away, "Now, get out of here, or I'll call the guards."

"Look," Sokka stated, sounding vaguely desperate as the girl stopped walking, her back to them, "We all have to do our part to win this war, and yours is to teach Aang Earthbending."

The girl whirled around slightly and called out in a frightened voice, "Guards! Guards, help!"

Xiaodan, Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked at each other briefly then they scattered and hid in the garden as two guards came running towards the girl.

"Toph, what happened?" One of the guards asked in concern as he came to a stop in front of the young girl while the other began looking around warily.

"I...thought I heard someone." The blind girl, Toph replied weakly as she turned to face the guard with a meek expression on her face, "I got scared."

"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph." The guard chided gently then he and the other guard escorted her out of garden.

Aang peered at the girl and the guards from the rooftop he had hidden on, a sly smile appearing on his face as he quickly climbed down from the roof.

Lao and Poppy Beifong sat in their reception room, drinking tea as they met with Master Yu. Lao took a sip of his tea then carefully put the cup down as he addressed the Earthbending master.

"I'm pleased to hear Toph's private lessons are going well. But I want to be sure she's not trying anything too dangerous."

"Absolutely not." Yu replied with a small smile as he looked at the young, blind girl sitting beside him, "I'm keeping her at a beginner's level. Basic forms and breathing exercises only."

"Very good." Lao said with a nod before his attention was pulled to the servant that had entered the room.

"Excuse me, sir, but you have a visitor." The servant reported to Lao, his head bowed respectfully as he spoke.

"Who thinks they are so important they can just come to my home unannounced?" Lao asked, sounding vaguely annoyed.

"Uh..." The servant stammered slightly, "The Avatar, sir."

Lao and Poppy shared a surprised look, not noticing the way Toph's eyes widened and she straightened slightly in her chair.

Lao sat at the head of the dining table, smiling slightly as he looked from where his wife and Master Yu sat beside Toph on one side of the table while the Avatar and his friends sat on the other side of the table.

"Blow on it. It's too hot for her." Lao ordered when a servant placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Toph.

"Allow me." Aang said pleasantly then sent a small tornado at the cup, cooling the liquid instantly and causing Lao, Poppy, and Yu to clap.

"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us." Poppy stated graciously as she picked up her spoon to eat her soup, while Xiaodan and Katara gave Sokka disgusted looks as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"In your opinion," Lao addressed Aang suddenly, pulling the young Avatar's attention away from Sokka's grotesque eating habits, "How much longer do you think the war will last?"

"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer," Aang replied then smirked slightly as he looked over at Toph, "But I can't do that without finding an Earthbending teacher first."

"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land." Lao said with a light chuckle, "He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"Then she must be a great Earthbender! Probably good enough to teach someone else!" Aang said slyly as he rested an arm against the back of his chair while Toph's face remained blank as she shifted her bare foot underneath the table and sent a fissure of earth at Aang, causing him to jump slightly in his hair with a yelp, "Ow!"

Lao gave his daughter an odd glance, but Toph merely began to eat her dinner. Xiaodan gave an amused giggle which she quickly turned into a cough when everyone turned to stare at her and she continued to eat her own food, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Toph is still learning the basics." Yu told Aang gently.

"Yes, and sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master." Lao said as he looked at his daughter, not noticing the stunned looked Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Xiaodan exchanged.

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is." Aang commented drily and Toph used Earthbending to jerk his chair forward, causing his face to fall into his soup.

Everyone stopped eating to stare at him, Xiaodan muffling her giggles behind her hand. Aang lifted his head and pushed the bowl stuck to his face onto the top of his bald head. Lao looked between Aang and his daughter strangely, but Toph simply continued to eat again as if nothing was wrong.

Aang wiped the soup from his eyes then he smirked slightly as he got an idea and he sneezed loudly, sending the food flying into Yu, Poppy, and Toph's faces.

A bowl fell from Toph's face and she lurched to her feet, slamming her hands on the table angrily, "What's your problem?!"

"What's your problem?!" Aang retorted just as angrily as he too leaned across the table.

Lao continued to look between his daughter and the Avatar, his chopsticks paused halfway to his mouth while Yu cleaned his face with a napkin and his wife smiled pleasantly.

"Well, shall we move to the living room for desert, then?" Lady Beifong questioned lightly, her pleasant smile never wavering.

Xiaodan snorted quietly into the teacup she was about to drink from, her lips quirked in amusement as she watched Aang and Toph scowl at each other over the rim. She really like the spunky younger girl.

"Goodnight, buddy." Aang said as he petted Appa's head through the window of the guestroom the Beifong family was letting them stay in.

Xiaodan stood beside him and pressed an affectionate kiss to Appa's nose, "Sweet dreams, big guy."

Suddenly Toph entered the guestroom and leaned against the doorjamb. Aang yelped and shifted into a defensive position when he turned around and saw the blind girl in the room.

"Relax." Toph stated drily, "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?"

Aang stared at her warily for a moment dropped his defensive position. Toph nodded once then turned around, leaving the room. Xiaodan smiled then nudged him forward by bumping him with her hip and Aang made a slight face at her at then he followed after the blind girl, leaving Katara, Sokka, and Xiaodan alone in the guestroom.

The two headed out in the large yard of the estate, Toph balancing along the edge of the bridge while Aang walked beside her.

"Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing." Toph said suddenly then she jumped off the bridge and landed on the ground easily, "I see with Earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the Earth, and I can see where everything is."

"You," Toph said then tilted her head slightly to indicate the tree not far from her, "That tree...even those ants."

Aang looked around, but he couldn't spot the ants Toph was talking about.

"That's amazing!" Aang said as he grinned at the girl, completely awestruck.

"My parents don't understand." Toph stated with a sigh as she began walking towards the outer wall, "They've always treated me like I was helpless."

"Is that why you became the Blind Bandit?" Aang asked curiously as he walked beside her.

"Yeah."

"Then why stay here where you're not happy?" Aang questioned in confusion as they came to a stop in front of the outer wall.

"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?" Toph retorted like it was obvious.

"You could come with us." Aang offered kindly with a small smile.

"Yeah. You guys go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do, that's the life. It's just not my life." Toph replied drily with a certain amount of sadness.

Toph jerked her head to the side when she suddenly detected something and she crouched down, placing her hand on the ground.

"We're being ambushed!" Toph exclaimed then grabbed Aang's hand as she began running back to the house.

The two were suddenly got off by the Gopher jumping in front of them from underground and Toph shifted into a defensive position with Aang doing the same beside her. Before the two benders could even defend themselves, metal cages were suddenly dropped on them, imprisoning them both inside. The Hippo jumped from the wall and landed on top of the metal cages, which he began to stomp on as the rest of the Earth Rumble wrestlers and Xin Fu jumped to the ground.

"I think you kids owe me some money." Xin Fu stated with a smirk.

Xiaodan crossed her arms tightly over her chest as she began to pace restless around the two large holes in the ground. Lao and Poppy, along with Master Yu stood off to the side with worried and horrified expressions on their faces while Sokka and Katara looked around. Sokka spotted a note attached to a dagger that was embedded in the ground between the two holes and he quickly picked it up.

"Whoever took Aang and Toph left this." Sokka stated as he slipped the note off the dagger and handed it to his sister.

"'If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena.'" Katara read the note and Xiaodan stopped in pacing for the moment, "It's signed Xin Fu and The Boulder."

"I can't believe it..." Sokka said as he looked over his sister's shoulder then snatched the note from her hand, "I have The Boulder's autograph."

"Sokka!" Xiaodan snapped reproachfully as she glared at the boy.

"Master Yu," Lao addressed the Earthbending master as his wife walked over to the two holes in the ground, "I need you to get my daughter back."

"We're going with you." Xiaodan said instantly, her tone brooking no argument as her orange eyes blazed with anger.

"Poor Toph," Poppy whispered brokenly, "She must be so scared..."

"You think you're so tough?" Toph shouted angrily from her metal cage that was suspended high in air above the Earth Rumble V's arena alongside Aang's own metal cage, "Why don't you come up here so can snap that grin off your face."

"I'm not smiling." Xin Fu deadpanned from the center of the ring where he and The Boulder were guarding the hostages.

"Toph!"

Xin Fu turned around and smirked when he saw Lao Beifong, Master Yu, the two Water Tribe siblings and the white-haired girl standing on the other side of the ring.

"Here's your money." Sokka said as he held up the sack of gold then put it on the ground, "Now let them go."

Yu Earthbended the money across the ring to Xin Fu. The man grabbed the money and he signaled for Toph's cage to be set down then The Boulder released her. Toph quickly ran over to her father and he placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder as he led her from the arena, Master Yu following them.

"What about Aang?" Xiaodan demanded as her fists clenched at her sides.

Xin Fu smirked and showed the three teens the Fire Nation wanted poster, "I think the Fire Nation will pay a very hefty price for the Avatar. Now get out of my ring."

Xiaodan growled angrily and reached for her staff while Katara put a hand on her flask and Sokka reached for his boomerang. The three teens paused when Fire Nation Man suddenly appeared in an earth tornado, The Gecko jumped down from the ceiling, The Hippo leapt into the ring and smashed a boulder with his face, Headhunter jumped into the ring from the stands, and The Gopher popped up from the ground.

Aang looked down at his friends worriedly as they stood together defensively in front of the group of Earthbenders.

"Go," Aang urged quickly, "I'll be okay."

"Not gonna happen, little brother." Xiaodan stated matter-of-factly as she prepared to step forward but Sokka grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the ring with him and his sister.

Sokka kept a tight hold on the furious, white-haired Airbender as he followed Katara towards the entrance to the Earth Rumble venue, where Toph, Lao, and Master Yu were still walking.

"Toph, there's too many of them." Katara called out pleadingly to the blind girl, "We need an Earthbender. We need you!"

"My daughter is blind." Lao snapped as he turned around to glare at the three teens standing at the end of the tunnel, his hand clasped tightly around Toph's, "She is blind and tiny and helpless and fragile! She cannot help you."

Toph's brows furrowed as she listened to her father's words then she yanked her hand from his grasp.

"Yes, I can." She stated firmly as she turned and walked back down the tunnel towards Katara, Sokka, and Xiaodan, leaving her father to stare after her in shock.

The four reached the ring just as the Earth Rumble wrestlers were preparing to leave, The Hippo holding Aang's cage over his shoulder when a large rock spike appeared in front of them, preventing them from leaving. The Earthbending wrestlers turned around and stared in surprise at Toph, who was standing slightly in front of Katara, Sokka, and Xiaodan.

"Let him go!" The blind girl ordered firmly, "I beat you all before and I'll do it again!"

"The Boulder takes issue with that comment!" The Boulder snapped and the Hippo tossed Aang's cage to the side.

Katara, Xiaodan, and Sokka prepared to attack but Toph held her arms out to stop them.

"Wait!" Toph said as she listened to the vibrations the wrestlers created as they ran towards her, "They're mine."

Toph slammed one foot against the arena floor then she began to slowly raise her hands in the air, the arena beginning to tremble violently under the feet of the still running wrestlers. The shaking became more violent and Toph suddenly pulled her arms in close to her body and stomped her foot against the ground, sending up a massive cloud of rocks and dirt that sent the wrestlers flying to the other side of arena. Xiaodan, Katara, and Sokka watched in shock and awe as Toph walked into the resulting dust cloud, unnerving her father, who was sitting in the stands beside Yu.

Toph came across Fire Nation Man first and the man gasped when he saw her standing across from in the dust cloud. He quickly shifted into a bending position and Toph smirked slightly as she sensed his movements, moving to the side effortless as she dodged stream of sand and dirt Fire Nation Man launched at her. Toph then thrusted her arm forward, Earthbending a portion of the arena floor upward into multiple pillars that slam into Fire Nation Man and eject him from the arena. Lao and Yu watched as the man slammed into the edge of stands then fell to the ground around the arena, their eyes wide with shock as their mouths hung open.

Meanwhile, Sokka, Katara, and Xiaodan were trying to release Aang from the metal cage he was trapped in just outside of the massive dust cloud that had engulfed most of the ring. Sokka was repeatedly banging a rock against the cage while Katara and Xiaodan tried to pry open the bottom part.

"Hit it harder!" Aang said urgently from inside the metal cage.

"I'm trying!" Sokka retorted in frustration as he began hitting the cage harder with the rock.

The Gecko crawled along the floor of the ring as he looked around warily when a pebble suddenly smacked him in the head and he looked behind him with a scowl. His scowl deepened when he saw Toph standing calmly behind him, a smug smirk on her face, and The Gecko jumped into the air, firing two rocks at the girl. Toph easily diverted the rocks to either side of her then she slammed the heel of her foot in the ground, hitting The Gecko with a series of rock pillars she bended up from the ground until she finally launched him out of the arena, where he crashed into Fire Nation Man, who had stumbled to his feet only moments earlier.

The Gopher suddenly tunneled behind Toph, but the blind girl easily sensed him coming and shifted her feet in preparation. The Gopher burst from the ground behind Toph and launched a rock at her head, but Toph spun around and caught the rock in one hand then she threw it back at him. The Gopher's eyes went wide just before the rock slammed into his face with enough force to knock him out of the ring and straight into Fire Nation Man and The Gecko.

Sokka slammed the rock one of the cage's hinges, breaking it off and releasing Aang, who lunged out of the cage with his hands raised in an offensive position as he prepared to fight. Sokka quickly held up his hand to stop the younger Airbender and shook his head, then pointed to dust cloud just as the Hippo emerged, swinging an earthen coin. Xiaodan smirked and hopped onto the cage, sitting cross-legged as she placed her elbows on her knees with her chin resting on her fists.

The Hippo prepared to swing the earthen coin but he was distracted when The Boulder was suddenly thrown out of the dust cloud. The Boulder shook his head and quickly scrambled to his feet then turned around to face the dust cloud while The Hippo tightened his grip on the earthen coin. Toph slid out of the dust cloud, her feet never leaving the ground as she held her hands up at chest level with her palms facing her. The Boulder growled and took a deep breath, pushing his hands together as if he was squeezing something while The Hippo held the earthen coin on one shoulder and pounded at his chest with his free hand. Lao sat in the stands and watched his daughter in terror as he bit his nails.

Headhunter suddenly swung in from behind Toph, a rock in one hand as The Hippo and The Boulder charged towards the girl to distract her, but Toph had already heard him coming and she Earthbended the center of the ring around so that Headhunter was on a collision course with The Hippo and The Boulder instead. Unable to stop, Headhunter slammed into the other two wrestlers, knocking them all down. Aang, Sokka, and Katara stared at Toph in awe while Xiaodan grinned widely from her perch on the empty metal cage. Toph stood several feet in front of the wrestlers and a smirk curled the corner of her lips as she quickly Earthbended them out of the ring and onto the other three defeated wrestlers below.

"I never knew." Yu said in shock as he put his hands on his head then gestured towards Toph, "Your daughter's amazing!"

Lao didn't say anything as he crossed one arm over his chest and rested the other arm against it, his hand cupping around his mouth as he continued to stare at his daughter.

Toph bowed her head as she raised her hands in the air then she brought them down in a single, firm movement, clearing the dust cloud and revealing Xin Fu standing at the opposite side of the arena while Aang, Xiaodan, Katara and Sokka stood at the edge near the middle.

Xin Fu cracked his neck then shifted into a bending stance and Toph merely spits off the side, causing her father to cringe in disgust. Toph shifted into her own bending stance and two Earthbenders began to circle around the earthen coin still embed in the in ground in the middle of the ring. Xin Fu made the first move, his brow furrowing in determination as he bended up a large rock and kicked it at Toph then he quickly brought up two smaller rocks and kicked them at her, then he kicked several more rocks at Toph in rapid succession. Toph quickly brought up an earth shield, deflecting all the rocks then launched part of the shield at the man. Xin Fu dodged the piece of earth by jumping and twisted his body horizontally through the air.

He speared his hand through the ground and Toph instantly picked up his vibrations, sensing his attack and she turned to the side, easily dodging the rock Xin Fu had thrown at her. Then Toph swung her arm as she twisted back around to face Xin Fu, creating a fissure in the ground that sent the man flying out of the ring where he landed between Yu and Lao.

Sokka collapsed to the ground in utter shock while Katara and Aang are left standing and staring at Toph in amazement.

"Whoo!" Xiaodan whooped, jumping to her feet and punching her fist into the air then she ran over to Toph, Aang and Katara following her a moment later.

"She's the greatest Earthbender I've ever seen!" Yu exclaimed as he stared at Toph in awe while her father looked at her with a stricken expression on his face.

"Dad, I know it's probably hard for you to see me this way." Toph said gently as she stood in front of her parents in their reception room, Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Xiaodan sitting on a bench behind her, "But the obedient little helpless blind girl that you think I am, just isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an Earthbender, and I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me, but I'm twelve years old and I never had a real friend. So, now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."

"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph." Lao replied calmly as he stared at his daughter, "It's made me realize something."

"It has?" Toph questioned in surprise as she turned her head in the direction of his voice.

"Yes." Lao said and his voice suddenly became stern as his wife began to nod in agreement, "I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-fours a day."

Xiaodan felt her jaw drop and she stared at Lao Beifong in disbelief, unable to wrap her mind around what the man had just said to his daughter.

"But, Dad!" Toph protested, her eyes going wide.

"We're doing this for your own good, Toph." Poppy said gently, oblivious to the way her daughter's face fell and her unseeing eyes began to water.

"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out." Lao ordered one of his servants as he got to his feet, "They are no longer welcome here."

The four teens stood when the servant approached them and walked towards the door. Xiaodan suddenly twirled around the servant and ran back over to Toph, wrapping the younger girl in a warm hug that ended a moment later when a servant came over and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Toph. Xiaodan yanked her arm from the servant's grasp and walked over to where Sokka, Aang, and Katara were waiting by another servant.

"I'm sorry, Toph." Aang said over his shoulder as the servants ushered the four out of the room.

"I'm sorry too." Toph replied sadly as a tear slid down her cheek, "Goodbye Aang."

Xiaodan pursed her lips and crossed her arms as she stared at the Beifong estate from the hill several miles away. The white-haired girl glanced to the side when Aang walked up beside her and stared looked at the estate with a sad expression.

"Don't worry, we'll find you a teacher." Katara said in an attempt to reassure Aang as she stood on his other side, "There are plenty of amazing Earthbenders out there."

"Not like her." Aang replied sadly and the three stared out at the estate for a moment before turning towards Appa, where Sokka was polishing the championship belt in the bison's saddle.

Katara climbed into the saddle beside her brother while Aang and Xiaodan jumped onto Appa's head, Aang taking the reins. Xiaodan furrowed her brow slightly and looked behind Appa when she heard what sounded like running feet and panting, her orange eyes widening when she saw Toph racing towards them.

"Toph!" Xiaodan exclaimed in surprise and happiness as the young Earthbender stopped beside Appa, panting for breath.

"What're you doing here?" Aang asked, his voice sound just as excited and surprised as his sister as he looked down at the girl.

"My dad changed his mind." Toph replied easily as she straightened and took a step forward, "He said I was free to travel the world."

Sokka and Katara shared skeptical glanced before Sokka smiled down at the younger girl.

"Well, we'd better get out of here, before your dad changes his mind again." The Water Tribe boy commented and Toph nodded.

"Good idea."

"You're gonna be a great teacher, Toph." Aang said to the girl from atop Appa's head, a grin on his face.

"Speaking of which, I want to show you something." Toph said with a smirk.

"Okay." Aang said eagerly then jumped down and his feet barely touched the ground before Toph saddened Earthbended up pillar of rock and sent him flying to the air, where he landed in a tree a moment later.

"Now we're even." Toph said by way of explanation as Xiaodan laughed loudly at her brother's expense then Toph held her hand up, "Um, I'll take the belt back."

Sokka frowned and unbuckled the belt from around his waist then he tossed down to Toph, accidently hitting her in the head and knocking her over.

"Ow!" Toph yelped and Sokka cringed as he peered over Appa's saddle at the sprawled out girl on the ground.

"Sorry." Sokka apologized weakly.

"I think our adventure just got even more fun." Xiaodan quipped with a laugh as she clapped her hands excitedly, then she laughed again as Aang fell out of the tree.

"I know you two are very different. But I believe you have a common interest." Lao Beifong addressed Yu and Xin Fu, who were standing in front of him, and servant brought out a chest of gold and sat it down on the table in front of the two men.

"The Avatar has kidnapped my daughter." Lao stated calmly, "I want you to do whatever it takes to bring her home."

Yu and Xin Fu glanced at each other then bowed in agreement.

Toph smiled contentedly and closed her eyes as she leaned against the saddle while Appa flew away from her home and towards an unknown destination, her adventures with her new friends just beginning.