Chapter Text
Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Wander have been traveling for nearly a week straight deep underneath the ocean's surface, having left from the Northern Water Tribe. They've just emerged a couple hours ago and for the first time in a long time of being able to breathe clean air, they decided to walk for a bit.
Currently, the four were making their way through a deep, green forest of the north western tip of the Earth Kingdom with thick trees and loud animals.
"Do you guys think anyone's heard about what happened in the Northern Water Tribe?" Sokka heard his sister ask from a couple feet behind him
He assumed that by anyone she meant the Earth Kingdom and by what happened she meant that Toph had kicked major ass and single handedly forced thousands upon thousands of Fire Nation soldiers out of the Northern Water Tribe in the span of a couple minutes, "Maybe" He said
"Maybe the Earth Kingdom's gonna come to their senses and start taking me seriously!" Toph leaped, punching the air
Sokka rolled his eyes , "I know you're an all powerful being and I still don't take you seriously," Toph shot him a little glare but he wasn't fazed, "I mean, look at you! You don't even come up to my neck and you still bring that stupid banjo everywhere!"
As Katara chuckled, Toph took her banjo out from the strap on her back and held it tight, " You leave my banjo out of this! This doesn't concern them!"
"It does concern them when I'm the one who has to hear you play it all the time!"
"You act like you don't love my music!"
How has he put up with this for so long already? How has he not ripped out all his hair and just murdered the annoying half pint himself? Sokka may never know the answers to these questions. All he does know is that if she plucks one more string he's gonna-
Twang dee dee!
Okay, he's gonna kill her.
Sokka wrapped an arm around Toph's neck from behind and dug his other closed fist into her hair, giving her a harsh noogie, " GRR, I'M GONNA BREAK THAT STUPID BANJO!"
" HEY! QUIT IT!" Toph struggled for freedom in his tight grasp, her head jerking back and forth to stop him from messing up her hair or scrabbling her brain any further
In the corner of his vision, he saw his sister begin to walk ahead with Wander by her side, "Alright you two," He heard her giggle through the screams of the small Avatar in his hold, "We can't spend our energy fighting, we barely have anymore water left"
The Water Tribe boy groaned and let go of Toph, giving her a boyish shove forward, to which she quickly returned back, both of them knowing Katara was right. They continued walking side by side, giving each other the occasional push or strike of their elbows. Katara remained in the front now and whether she knew they were doing it or not, she barely gave them a bat of the eye.
"I guess we can keep going for a bit until-...." Sokka began before his eyes became fixed on… what was that? "Uh..."
Katara and Toph turned to him, "What's up?" His sister questioned
Sokka didn't answer, he only started walking forward, "There's something on that tree over there" He squinted and- oh Spirits, not this again
"Oh, not this again!" He whined after walking close enough to realize what exactly was nailed to the trunk, he agitatedly yanked the piece of paper, " Another wanted poster!"
The two girls made their way over to him, Katara huffed, "I guess the Earth Kingdom still doesn't like you, Toph" They were all used to it at this point though
"Well how do I look? Did they get me right?" The Avatar asked eagerly, leaning against Sokka's arm
"You don't look half bad, though they did get your nose wrong," Sokka scratched his chin. He knows he should be worried that they had gotten a pretty good description of Toph, just a little different from the one they saw in the village during the Dōngzhì Festival but he had to admit, the skill was good. Plus, it's not like they're in any sort of civilization at the moment, they were virtually in the middle of nowhere if his map was correct, "Hey look, there's reward money this time!"
"Woah really! How much?"
Katara snatched the poster out of Sokka's hands, " No , don't get any ideas," She warned before her eyes scanned the paper, "Wait- this isn't by the Earth Kingdom. This is Fire Nation"
" Fire Nation!?" Sokka exclaimed, "Wait, dead or alive?"
"Uh.." Katara reread it again, "Just says dead. I guess it's become a widespread hunt now"
"First Zuko, then Zhao, and now the entire Fire Nation? Does it ever end?" Toph groaned, moving from Sokka to Katara, "Maybe the Earth Kingdom likes me now?"
"Maybe, but we can't take any chances here," Sokka had taken his club out from his back and scanned the area as he continued to walk, "If there are wanted posters by the Fire Nation, that means they were here and that they're looking for us. We have to keep moving"
The group continued their journey through the woods, prepared to jump on Wander and burrow underground at the slightest sound. Toph felt the occasional heat of sunlight on her face that had forced itself through the millions of leaves on the tall trees. She could predict that there's going to be a lot more fighting and double the amount of fire in her future. Maybe she will be able to pick up a few tricks?
Toph knows that there is good in the nation, it just may be hard to find. An actual teacher to help her learn could be difficult to come across (but not impossible, she reminded herself).
Toph wondered if she would ever come across Zuko again, after the whole thing with Zhao (something she doesn't ever want to think about again), by the time she had come down and was back in control, he was gone. Everyone was so caught up in the sight that they had forgotten about Zuko. He must have woken up and snuck away. She hoped her words to him throughout the time they've encountered each other stuck; he sounded like he had a pretty terrible life, and she knows it doesn't excuse what he has done to her, but… Maybe he could possibly change?
Maybe he could realize that the things he's been chasing, this dream of going home- home doesn't exist, at least, not in the way he imagines it to.
Home isn't where your dad says you were lucky to be born, home isn't where you have to kill someone in order to return for some reason. Home is wrestling, and cheek pinching, and empty meaning smack talk. Home is where the people who you love are, and they love you just as much as you love them.
Toph hoped he comes to that thought and finds peace with it.
"Okay how about this one," Toph stomped a foot on the ground and in an instant, a sculpture of rock shot out from the ground; it was of a big, muscular man who had a large grin. She swayed her arms and the water from Katara's canteen flowed out and froze around the man, creating a belt of ice around his waist, "Not bad right?"
"Hmm not bad, not bad at all…" Sokka scratched his chin and inspected it carefully, " Though , if you're gonna make anything- make me!"
She sensed Katata come up from behind her and tug on her ear slightly, "Hey, we can't waste the last of the water like that and," Katara tried to sound annoyed but it failed, "Who said you can use my bending water?"
"We're both Waterbenders, I think I have as much of a right as you do!" Katara melted the ice belt and allowed the liquid to motion back into her canteen. Toph forced the statue back underground and it mended back into the Earth
"You're the Avatar, that doesn't count" She scrunched up her nose in a smile
And so maybe her and Katara have gotten just a little closer since the Northern Water Tribe. Not anything big but Toph couldn't help but notice they've been a little more handsy with each other lately. The idea of something more made her feel giddy and embarrassed.
"Of course it counts-!" She laughed before freezing
She felt something.
Or rather somethings.
Wander stopped too, he felt it as well. In an instant, she jerked her hands up to stop either of them from moving any further, causing the two siblings to give her curious glances. It felt like a couple not so heavy structures- like a hut or a tent or something. It was accompanied by people, she could feel their footsteps and the water sloshing around inside their bodies.
"What's wrong?" Sokka practically went into warrior mode with her uncharacteristic sudden silence, taking out his boomerang
Toph hesitantly let go of them, "It's nothing big. Just a couple people and a camp or something," She tried to rationalize that it probably isn't anything to worry about, "I just figured since we're kinda on the run, we should watch out for it"
"Well where are they?" Katara inquired. The Avatar pointed straight ahead to her left
"It's that way, behind all those bushes and stuff. They're by a stream of water"
"Alright, if we stay clear of that way we can- KATARA!" Sokka cut himself off with a whisper-shout
" What?" She whispered back, " We have no water. We'll keep walking far enough until they can't spot us, then we'll get some"
" And if they try to hurt us?!" Her brother shot back, chasing after her and Toph had quietly followed
" They won't hurt us if they don't see us" Katara said, continuing to walk
Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in frustration, "Am I actually going along with this?"
"I guess so" She shrugged and grabbed his arm, tugging him after the Waterbender and Wander nudged his back encouragingly
The hardest part of sneaking past the trees isn't trying to be quiet, but trying to make sure no one spots the three ton Badgermole by their side. Digging would have made too much noise so Wander was forced to practically tiptoe his way by their side.
It went smoothly, and a part of Katara wanted to boast about how she was right to her brother. But she knew she couldn't talk on account of the circumstance.
All they had to do was get far enough until they were out of earshot then she could stick it to Sokka all she wanted.
"I still don't understand why you won't teach him, Jeong Jeong" They all froze at a voice that sounded way too close for comfort
"He lacks restraint," A gruff voice spoke from through the thick leaves, "Firebending requires restraint and if he can't have that then I can't teach him"
Katara's heart dropped.
Firebending?
She turned on her heel and faced the two who were behind her, " Holy shit these guys are Fire Nation!"
"What was that?!" The voice from before shouted
Okay, she probably said that way too loud.
Sokka glared at her and pulled her and Toph down to the ground, Wander kneeling as well.
….
…..
The children held their breaths as it was quiet for a long time. Fuck, why did she say that!? She should have kept going! It doesn't matter now though, if they find them, she's a master now. She could fight, she will fight. For her friends.
Footsteps were heard. It was coming closer to the bush they were all cramped behind. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-
Katara slowly reached for her canteen- but then Toph grabbed her hand. She looked at the girl and the Earthbender shook her head.
"I don't see anything. It must've been an animal"
Toph let go of her hand and they all sighed in relief.
Katara silently held her hands and shook her head, pleading and practically saying 'Sorry!' Sokka huffed and pushed her but then he moved the leaves of the bushes, poking his head through slightly
"They're looking for us" He whispered (much lower than when Katara spoke)
The Waterbender peered over him, resting her weight on his back, " Why don't they look like Fire Nation? Where's their uniforms?"
There were probably a dozen or so men crowded in one area. It wasn't really a camp, more of a single wooden hut right in the middle of the stream. The men all sat around a small, burnt out fire. They weren't wearing the usual Fire Nation Army uniforms though, they were wearing more tattered clothing, like the cloak that Toph wears when they go into villages.
"Aw who cares about the stupid uniform! They're Firebending and that's enough for me!" He said back, " They're probably waiting for us to show up so they can kill us!"
Toph lightly punched Sokka in the arm, " Being a Firebender doesn't make someone bad," She was sitting next to them, not bothering to get a look at the men, why wasn't she- oh right, " I'm technically a Firebender, remember?"
"I don't hate firebenders on a technicality! You weren't raised by crazy people!"
" You know you're right, Sokka," She said, voice dripping with sarcasm, " I was raised by stuffy nobles, then in a cave, and then by six wrestlers!" Toph whisper-shouted, "You can't hate someone over of something they can't control"
"Right, forgive me that I'm not as understanding as I should be considering that the Fire Nation was the one who tracked us all around the world!"
"That was one person! Not all of them!"
Sokka and Toph continued their bickering of wrong and right and where they stood regarding the cursed Nation, Katara would have gotten in on it to join Sokka's side if it weren't for Wander distracting her with a weird face.
She looked at him, his face was scrunched up and his nostrils were flairing. What was wrong with him? It kinda looked like he was about to…
Oh no-
CHOO!
Sneeze...
The other two jerked their heads in the badgernole's direction to-
" OKAY, NOW WHAT WAS THAT!?"
A man pushed back the bushes where they hid, his look of surprise quickly shifted into anger.
"Uh… hi" Sokka grinned up at the man
" What… Are you doing here, children?" He growled
The first thing Katara noticed of the man was his shaggy white hair- it kind of reminded her of Jet. The next was the large scar on the right side of his face, it looked old and she imagined it hurt when he first got it.
"Nothing-!" Katara yelled
"Just passing by-!" Toph shouted
"And then we saw you and-!"
" Enough," He raised a hand at the two before turning to Sokka, " You. You're the oldest, what are you and your friends and this... badgermole doing?"
Oh no, they were dead. Sokka is a terrible liar. Please don't fuck this up. Please Sokka. This guy has no idea who they are, please just say something like they were wandering through the forest and had gotten lost.
"We were uh… " Beads of sweat began forming on his head and oh spirits, they were dead. Katara steadily reached for her canteen, keeping her stare on the scared man, "We're just… lost?"
The man eyed them suspiciously, looking between the kids. Dammit, he didn't believe a single word. Time to fight-
"Alright," He said, turning on his heel and walking away, cloak lifting slightly from the movement, "Come here, we have a map you can use to find your way back home"
The three exchanged glances. It would look chary of them not to go, "Stay here, Wander" Toph told the badgermole before grabbing Sokka and Katara's hands and dragging them to the small gathering.
Katara watched the man sit down on the ground, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes and began breathing deeply. What's he doing?
Sokka walked up to one of the men, "Do you guys have a… a map?" Could he be any more distrustful?
"Chey, give the boy the map and let them be on their way" Then man said, not moving from his spot on the ground
Toph walked up to the meditating man and stood by his side, "What are you guys doing out here in the middle of the woods?"
"I could ask you the same thing," He said, "After the Northern Water Tribe I suspected you'd be in the Fire Nation right about now looking for a Firebending master"
The Earthbender's eyes widened, "What're you talking about?"
"I think I'd remember the face I've seen a dozen times. This forest is littered with your wanted posters," He explained, his voice never wavering over monotone and his heartbeat at a surprisingly fast rate, "How many blind children with a badgermole do you know?"
He didn't feel angry, actually, he was really calm. Didn't he care that she was the Avatar? Was he a good person of the Fire Nation like she believed? Was she right?
Toph chose her words carefully, "Not a lot. I think if there were more, it'd make my life a whole lot easier," She joked and heard him exhale from his nose, "Is your life easy?"
"Such a strange thing of a child to ask a stranger- Avatar or not. What do you want to know really?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "You're a Firebender in the Earth Kingdom and you haven't tried to kill me yet. You tell me"
"I'm not concerned with the trivial matters of the Nation I've separated myself from"
Why'd he separate himself from the Fire Nation? "Oh," She supposed all will be revealed, "Can my badgermole come back then?"
"Fine"
Toph nodded and ran back.
____________________
Hours have passed and it had felt much cooler than earlier so Toph assumed it was dark now, Jeong Jeong had allowed them to stay for the night.
Sokka and Katara were weary at first, more so considering that all these Firebenders had known she was the Avatar. It's not necessarily that Toph had trusted these men, it was more that she knew that they weren't going to attack or turn her in. But the siblings believed in her word that they were safe, even if they did choose to stray a little from the group because of their own experiences (but she couldn't blame them for that).
Her, Wander, Katara and Sokka sat around a small fire that cried and crackled every couple of minutes, reminding everyone of its presence. The Firebenders have either gone to sleep or were up practicing. (Her friends' heartbeats sped up at the sight of the fire, she gently moved closer to them).
"So what's happening?" Katara began, "If this Jeong Jeong guy's a Firebender, are you gonna ask him to teach you?"
Toph scratched behind Wander's ears, allowing his huge head to rest on her, "It's not that simple. I can't just go up and ask him, that's weird. I gotta be patient about this"
"We don't exactly have the time to be patient right now, Toph" Sokka said and Toph couldn't help but agree. He was right, they don't have time. The comet is coming this summer and now they have probably their only opportunity to learn Fire
"But what do you want me to do? Go in his hut and just ask him?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Okay that was a dumb question, she could admit that.
Toph groaned and got to her feet with a dramatic amount of effort. Wander removed his head from her lap and pattered over in between the Water Tribe siblings.
As the Avatar made her way over to the man's weird wooden hut, she knew that it wasn't the right time. That for whatever reason, this guy hates something about the Fire Nation to separate himself from it (even though they raise the children there to be incredibly nationalistic).
If she hated the Earth Kingdom, would she be okay with teaching someone Earthbending? Well, actually yes. In her mind, that wouldn't matter. The Earth Kingdom is a place, Earthbending is an art. They're different things even if one of them originated from the other. Right?
Knock knock
"Hi Jeong Jeong, it's me uh," Crap, did she ever tell him her name? "The Avatar" She face palmed with a cringe
No answer. He wasn't asleep, she could feel him inside. He was wide awake.
Toph slowly creaked open the door of his tint hut. He was sitting towards the back, surrounded by uh… well it wasn't Earth, that much she knew. Sticks? Rods? Something.
She closed the door behind her when he finally spoke, "You should've taken that silence as a go away , Avatar. Whatever you needed could have waited till morning, I thought you were skilled in the Earthbending art of patience"
"I am but I can't really put it into practice right now, I'm kinda on a time limit," She took a couple steps closer to him, "What're you doing?"
"Meditating," His posture improves and he let out a deep breath, "Power in Firebending comes from your breath. Firebending masters must be able to control their breath. As a way to practice, we focus our power into the flames from candles"
So the things in front of him were candles. How does focusing on the tiny flames of those help practice?
Toph had figured that Firebending had come from their fists or something, she would have never thought of their breath. Much like how many (arguably terrible) Earthbenders only listen to their big muscles instead of the Earth.
Maybe she was being closed minded in the idea that she never thought that of course it could come from their breath, Fire needs oxygen in the same way the Earth needs to be heard.
"Do all masters know that?"
"No," His face scrunched up, but then he quickly changed the subject- she allowed him, "You and your friends must be careful regarding the Fire Nation, they've heard about your feat the Northern Water Tribe. The hunt is on more now than ever"
Yeah, she guessed as much if the posters around the forest were any indication, "If they know what I did in the Northern Water Tribe, why aren't they scared of me?"
Maybe that came out wrong. Toph doesn't want anyone to fear her- okay wait, that sounds pretty cool if they were . But they have every reason to be scared, she single handedly took out the entire fleet of Fire Nation ships and banished their admiral to the Fog of Lost Souls (something she still doesn't know how she knows about). Why in the world would they continue to hunt for the child who held that much strength?
"When Firebenders see power, they want it . What you did in the North, it showed much of that. I believe it's turning into a sport," He then held his head, shaking it in exasperation, " This is the dragons all over again…"
"Dragons? What happened to the dragons?" Toph had heard that all the dragons were extinct, her dads and school told her they all just died. No one in the Earth Kingdom knew what happened
"100 years ago, the Fire Nation began hunting the dragons- the original Firebenders. It was sport, if you could kill one, you were a master,"
If dragons were the original masters, why would they kill them? Even if it did deem you worthy of the master title, they had taught their ancestors the bending, why would they repay them by slaughter? That was like if she just began killing a bunch of badgermoles, she already knew she's an amazing Earthbender, why would she bring death to prove it?
"It had gotten out of control and a few years ago, the last dragon was slayed by ex-general Iroh, the Dragon of the West, belonging to the royal Fire Nation family. His ancestors were the ones who began the tradition and he was the one to finish it"
Iroh? Iroh? The nice old man that freed her from her cage back on Kyoshi Island? Zuko's Uncle who stood by her side and agreed with her when they confronted Zhao? One of the handful adults she's met who had a shred of common sense, he's the one who killed the last one? He participated in that fucked up tradition?
"He wouldn't do that" He wouldn't (how would she know that?), he wasn't like that (she barely knows him). Because if he was then what about all the other Firebenders? Iroh made her believe that there is good and sense in the Fire Nation, she wants to believe that. Maybe he was forced? Maybe he lied? Maybe it wasn't-
"What do you know about him, child? He did do it, years before you were even a thought in your parents' head"
Why would Firebenders do that? Why would they disrespect their masters?
Toph walked out of the hut.
__________________
"Did you get to ask Jeong Jeong last night?"
"No"
It was the next morning and Sokka, Katara and Toph were near the burnt out fire from last night. Wander stayed close to the kids, trying to get the bugs out from a nearby anthill.
" What? Does that mean we have to stay here even longer? Did what I said to you last night mean nothing?" Sokka groaned, "We're on a time limit here!
"I know, I know! It's just… I can't do it if it isn't right"
"Well what did you guys talk about then?" Katara asked, Toph knew they both didn't like how she didn't ask
"I… I, it's complicated"
For her it may be complicated but for them? It would just be another reason to hate the Fire Nation, she doesn't want to put them through that.
But why would Iroh do that? Last night, when Jeong Jeong told her Iroh was the one who slayed the last dragon, she was so overwhelmed. Why would he do that? He said it happened years ago, maybe he wasn't always the nice wise man she knew? And since he was the Dragon of the West, she was probably right. He was the one she heard that tried and failed to invade Ba Sing Se. He was a war general.
But he was. He obviously isn't that anymore. She knows she should focus on the present, she has to but, him being involved in the war isn't what bothered her. Why would he join in on the dragon hunting? It doesn't seem right nor in character for him, he was the first one to agree with her in disrupting the spiritual balance back in the Northern Water Tribe. Why would he have done it? Did he learn from it, was he different now? What changed him?
Katara must have noticed she had stuff on her mind because she didn't ask any further questions.
Not everyone in the Fire Nation was bad. Not all of them wanted to kill her, or hurt people, or colonize. The people can be harmless, they can be peaceful . Even if Iroh had done some bad, it didn't make him bad. But the original benders? Toph had learned from the original masters, they taught her, hell, she lived with them for a while. She would never harm the Badgermoles for power.
Iroh had changed, he wasn't like that. Things happen to people that make them do questionable things. Like Jet, and Pakku, and Zuko, and she supposed Iroh. If he and Zuko came from the same family, it made sense that Iroh wouldn't have come out as a functioning member of society, he had to learn. Toph doesn't know the full story, she has to give him the benefit of the doubt. If she didn't, she'd be just as bad as all the people who hated Avatar Kuruk. No one was aware of all the suffering he had gone through, they had no right to judge him. This was the same thing, she can't judge Iroh without knowing his intentions or why he might have done it.
She could tell that neither Sokka or Katara wanted to be here. If she was going to ask, it better happen quick before they get too fed up.
Some time had gone, the sun was beginning to set and Toph could feel it start to become cooler. She and Katara stayed near the stream of the small camp, with Sokka a couple feet next to them, fishing. Katara was able to teach her some Waterbending so things couldn't be all that bad. The Avatar needed a distraction anyway (and they would also refuse to leave her side).
"Waterbending deals with the flow of energy, we let our defense become our offense. You're too stiff, Toph" Katara moved her arms back and forth, body swaying with her movements. Toph was mimicking, her pose just a little too rigid
"Right, right" Toph tried to loosen her joints, having spent a lifetime trying to be hard like rock, now she was forced to be continuous like water.
If Waterbending was flow, and Earthbending was patience. What was Firebending? Anger? The breathing thing? Concentration?
What was the secret of the dragons that will never have the opportunity to reach her ears? Had Iroh heard it?
"I wish I was a Waterbender-"
" AH!"
Jeong Jeong had come out of nowhere and scared the absolute shit out of Sokka and Katara (sometimes Toph forgets they can't sense like her).
"Jeez man! Wear a bell or something!" Sokka held his chest and tightened his grip on his fishing rod.
"Why would you wanna be a Waterbender?" Toph asked, Waterbending required moving without thinking. It required either attack or run, there wasn't any third option. Why would anyone want to do that?
In Waterbending, there was no perfect moment to strike, you had to make one. You had to do what Katara said, use your opponents' flow against them instead of your own.
"Why wouldn't you" Katara mumbled
"Water brings healing and life, fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart," That's kinda deep, "Water is cool and soothing and Earth is steady and stable. Fire will spread and destroy everything in its path, you must have both in order to consider the flame that will burn so bright"
"Fires' dangerous?"
"Of course it is, the power we wield is not a blessing but a curse"
Jeong Jeong hates Firebending.
Firebenders can hate Firebending.
Firebenders can hate the Fire Nation.
Firebenders can be raised and grow inside the Nation, but they don't need to agree with everything they are forced to learn.
Firebenders can be like Zhao, or like Zuko, or Iroh or Jeong Jeong. The only similarity they all share is their bending. But fire is different, no flame is the same- although they are all hot, they burn differently. They can harm, they can warm, they can melt, they can do anything.
Fire is Jeong Jeong's destruction, fire is Zuko's passion, fire is positive jing. Fire is charging forward without any rhyme or reason, it's overwhelming and it burns , it burns and it burns and it keeps burning until it physically cannot. It's a burn that tears the skin on her hands and leaves them bloody. It is a continuous hunt for power, for the hottest flame, for the brightest glory.
"Can't it be controlled?"
Fires' original source, the dragons, what had they known? Their people, their students had caused them harm. It was inexcusable, did they understand the consequences of their actions, did they not care, were they not thinking?
"Only with hard work and discipline" He spoke as if burdened by memories, burdened by people he's hurt and by the people who had hurt him. What happened to him?
This was Toph's chance- this was her perfect moment. Ask him, every fiber of her being yelled. Ask him before you can't.
"Teach me," She says, "I know Earth, and I'm understanding Water. Fire's next on my list and it-!"
Toph jerked her head in the direction of the trees.
Someone's there.
FOOOSH
" FIRE NATION!" Sokka screamed, already to his feet and pulling out his club
"Are you KIDDING ME!?" Toph really wasn't having it right now. Yes, she had her full complete realization and fully formed opinion on Firebending and on the Fire Nation as a whole- understanding that it is a deeply flawed and corrupt system but it doesn't mean it doesn't annoy the shit out of her-
A wall of fire shot through the trees and Katara sprayed water in the direction, effectively turning its blazing glory into smoke.
Toph felt nearly 20 Fire Nation soldiers all charge out of the trees and she felt Sokka and Katara get into fighting positions, she did the same. These guys don't get to interrupt her and get away-
"Go"
"What?!" The three kids spoke in unison
"Go," Jeong Jeong repeated. When none of them moved, he snarled, "I said GO!"
"But we have to fight!" Katara tried to argue
"We can't leave you here-" Sokka added
Toph grabbed their hands. Jeong Jeong wasn't going to budge. They'll just have to come back and ask again; Fire is persistent but Earth is stubborn.
"Let's go!" She shouted and began running off, Earthbending the ground so the two launched and landed on Wander's back who was running by her side
__________________
Hours have passed since then, they had continued for a while before stopping a safe distance away where they made sure they couldn't be followed, burrowing underground and away from the outside world.
Well into the dark hours of the night, after Sokka and Katara fell asleep. Toph left.
She had to make sure.
The Avatar returned back to Jeong Jeong and his mens' camp. But no one was there.
The only thing left were the discarded uniforms of the Fire Nation soldiers. She picked up one of the lost helmets and examined it, birds and animals seemed to laugh- as if knowing a secret she couldn't ever possibly learn.
Jeong Jeong beat them. He ran them out of his camp and left right after them, this wasn't his home and it wasn't anyone else's either.
Toph's fingers traced over the Fire Nation insignia.
Fire.