Balance | Old Version

Chapter 57

Elua's POV.

Aang and Toph hadn't come back for a while, so we had gone looking for them only to find some kind of imprints on the ground and Aang and Toph missing. Sokka walks over to the imprints on the ground and picks something up from the ground.
"Whoever took Aang and Toph left this," Sokka says as he holds out a note to me. I frown as I take the note, unroll it, and begin to read it out loud.
"'If you want to see your daughter again, bring 500 gold pieces to the arena.'," I read to the five people that stand around me. "It's signed 'Xin Fu and The Boulder.'" I state.

"I can't believe it," Sokka says in disbelief as he takes the note, but his expression quickly turns to one of excitement. "I have the Boulder's autograph!" He shouts, making me sigh and shake my head.
"Master Yu, I need you to help me get my daughter back," Mr. Beifong says.
"We're going with you," I tell him as I turn to face them.
"Poor Toph. She must be so scared," Mrs. Bei Fong says sadly as she kneels down in front of the imprints on the ground.

Later.

We walk into the arena to see Aang and Toph are hanging from the ceiling in metal cages, Xin Fu and The Boulder standing in front of where they are imprisoned.
"Toph!" Mr. Beifong shouts in worry for his daughter.
"Heres your money, now let them go!" Sokka shouts as he drops a bag of money and Master Yu earthbends the bag over to Xin Fu. He looks inside the bag, nods his head, and they let Toph go. She runs over to her father and they begin to walk away, but they don't give us Aang.
"What about Aang?" Katara asks them.

"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar," Xin Fu says as he holds up a wanted poster of Aang. "And the Nadir," He says smirking as he holds up another wanted poster, this one of me. Suddenly, The Boulder bends the earth from behind me and pushes me forward with it, making me stumble and fall. I look up and glare at them both angrily.
"Now, get out of my ring," Xin Fu shouts to Katara and Sokka as all his men take fighting stances.
"Go, we'll be okay!" I tell Sokka and Katara, they seem unsure but they turn and runoff. Only to come back a few minutes later, with Toph.
"Let him go. I beat you all before, and I'll do it again," Toph tells them smugly. our captors throw Aang's cage to the floor and then push me over to him.

"The Boulder takes issue with that comment," The Boulder says threateningly as they all take bending stances. Katara and Sokka get ready to fight, but Toph stops them.
"Wait, they're mine," Toph tells them. They look at her unsure but as she starts to fight, they rush over to Aang and I. Sokka picks up a rock from the ground and starts to hit the lock on the cage Aang is stuck in with it.
"Hit it harder!" Aang tells Sokka.
"I'm trying!" Sokka shouts. After a few more tries, he breaks the lock and we get Aang out. We turn around ready to fight, but all we see is everyone on the floor and Toph standing in front of them, having just defeated all of the earthbenders on her own.

That Night.

We all sit behind Toph as she stands in front of her parents, they both didn't look very happy with who their daughter really was.
"Dad, I know it's hard for you to see me this way, 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," Toph tells him. "I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me a secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me. But, I'm twelve years old and I've never had a real friend," She says as she hangs her head for a moment.

"So now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me," She says with hope and sadness in her voice.
"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph," Mr. Beifong says. "It's made me realize something," He begins to say.
"It has?" Toph asks with a tone of hope.
"Yes. I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on, you will be cared for and guarded 24 hours a day," He says. I look at him in shock, that was not what I was expecting.
"But, dad!" Toph shouts in objection.

"We are doing this for your own good, Toph," Mrs. Beifong tells her softly.
"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome here," Mr. Beifong tells a few guards as we all stand to our feet.
"I'm sorry, Toph," Aang says sadly as we begin to walk out of the room.
"I'm sorry, too," Toph says as she hangs her head. "Goodbye, Aang," She says as a tear rolls down her cheek. We walk down a hall, making our way out of the Beifong household, but I stop.
"Elua?" Sokka says, confused as to why I've stopped walking.

"I'll be right back," I tell him as I turn around and quickly walk back into where The Beifong family stands. They look at me in annoyance, Mr. Beifong seems to be ready to call for the guards but before he can, I speak. "One day, you will regret being so controlling of your daughter. Because one day, she will realize that she's powerful, smart, and worth more than her parents ever told her she was. One day, she will make her own decisions, and she will leave, forever," I say as I stand tall and hold a calm expression as they look at me shocked and offended. I look over to Toph and walk over to her, putting my hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.
"I hope to see you after we end this war," I tell her with a kind smile. "Goodbye, Toph."

Later.

We were now on a rocky cliffside that overlooked the village. We had packed up everything and were now ready to continue our journey, sadly without an Earthbending teacher.
"Don't worry. We'll find you a teacher. There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there," Katara tells Aang, trying to reassure him as he looks at the village in sadness.
"Not like her," Aang says sadly as we walk over to Appa and hop on. We're about to take off, but we hear something behind us. We all look into the forest and see Toph running over to us.
"Toph! What are you doing here?" Aang asks her in surprise and happiness.

"My dad changed his mind! He said that Elua was right, he said I was free to travel the world," Toph tells us smiling. Sokka and I look at each other, knowing she was probably lying.
"Well, we'd better get out of here," I tell her, not asking questions.
"Yeah. Before your dad changes his mind again," Sokka tells her with a small smile.
"Good idea," She says grinning.
"You're gonna be a great teacher, Toph," Aang tells her smiling.

"Speaking of which, I want to show you something," She says slyly.
"Okay," Aang says as he airbends off Appa, right as he lands Toph earthbends him into a tree. "Ah!" Aang shouts as he flies into the tree.
"Now, we're even," Toph says smirking. "Um, I'll take the belt back," She tells Sokka as she holds out her hand. Sokka takes off the belt and tosses it at Toph, hitting her in the head and making her fall to the ground.
"Ow!" She shouts in annoyance.

"Sorry."