11 Chapter 11: Power Couple

(A/N: Cannon will change in major points of the story, not minor ones.)

"You think you're so tough?! Why don't you come up here so I can wipe that grin off your face!"

Xin Fu looks up with a scowl.

"I'm not smiling."

We've been here about half an hour now, and Toph just keeps taunting Xin Fu non stop.

I laugh at some of her exclamations, making her smile and insult him more harshly.

"Toph!"

I see Lao, Yu, Sokka, and Katara on the ring. Sokka has the money in hand, a bigger bag than in the show.

Probably my share as well.

Yu earthbends the money to Xin Fu's feet.

Xin Fu then signals for someone to release Toph and I.

He leaves Aang hung up there.

Toph runs to my side and we make our way to Lao.

I don't exactly want Lao to think badly of me just yet, I wait until Toph initiates the fight.

"Hey, what about Aang?!"

"I believe the Fire Nation will pay a heftier reward for the capture of the Avatar. Now, get out of my arena."

Xin Fu shows us a wanted poster of Aang.

The Beifongs and I make our way to the exit.

I hear all the wrestlers come up to the ring as Sokka and Katara stay and fight.

A few seconds later, Katara calls out from the start of the tunnel.

"Toph, Lu Chen! We need a master earthbender! We need you guys!"

Lao turns around in anger.

"My daughter is blind, and fragile, and tiny and helpless! She cannot help you!"

Toph just stands there not saying anything.

Looks like I have to convince her.

I on pull her arm gently.

Toph looks up at me, somehow understanding what I want to say.

"Yes, I can help. We can help."

Toph takes my hand and leads us back to the arena.

As the wrestlers, along with Aang, leave the arena, Toph blocks their path with a rock wall.

"Let him go! I beat you all before and we'll beat you all again!"

"The Boulder takes issue with that statement!"

All the wrestlers then begin running towards us as Sokka and Katara get ready for a fight.

Toph signals to them to stop.

"No... They're ours."

Toph looks to my direction and smiles.

She wants me to fight with her.

She knows that she can take them on by herself, but she wants to fight together.

I kick off my shoes and Toph bends the ground and makes a giant dust cloud.

Since Toph and I can just use earthbending to 'see', we don't need our eyes.

I close my eyes and wait with Toph, our backs sticking together as we take our stances.

...

I can feel major vibrations coming from under the ground in front of me. It's The Gopher.

I can feel him come up and throw a rock towards my face.

I punch the rock and destroy it, then bring my foot down and raise both my hands up in the air, causing a large rock pillar to launch The Gopher to the stands next to where Yu, and Lao are sitting.

I hear Headhunter coming down from a rope holding a rock while yelling.

What's the point of a sneak attack if your just gonna yell? Toph has great hearing.

Toph, without even turning her body, brings both of her arms to Headhunter, bending a large rock to his gut, also launching him to the stand , landing on The Gopher.

The Gecko, the only one seemingly trying to sneak up on us, unsuccessfully tries to hit us with a couple of thrown rocks.

Toph and I, as if mirroring each other, Take the same step dodge and defect the rock with our left palm, take a step forward, then throw out fist upward in an uppercut motion, bending an extra large rock pillar to The Gecko's chin, sending him flying to the same spot The Gopher and Headhunter were.

"Raaah!!"

After finding us through the dust, I feel the Hippo, Fire Nation Man, and The Boulder start running towards us.

Mirroring each other again, we crouch slightly down and throw our hands in a palm strike, bring up countless rock pillars up, with most of them striking the trio, launching them comically to the other three out of the ring.

After defeating all the wrestlers, Toph pulls down her hands and disperses the dust clouds.

Xin Fu stands a few meters away, cracking his neck, thinking he can take us.

"Hey, Toph, this guy looks like he wants a piece of you. How about you show him what you're made of?"

"Ptooh."

Toph spits on the ground and smiles.

I retreat a few feet away and watch the 'fight' unfold.

Toph starts walking around the arena while facing Xin Fu and waiting him to strike first.

Xin Fu starts walking in a stance as well.

Getting impatient, Xin Fu does a series of earthbending attacks, kicking the rocks to Toph.

Toph bends up a shield and blocks all of the incoming rocks, then sends a portion of the shield to attack Xin Fu.

He dodges by leaping to the side, then strikes his fingers into the ground.

Toph senses this and dodges the rock that was cannoned to her head, then quickly strikes the ground, producing a rock wave, sending Xin Fun crashing just below Yu and Lao's feet.

Sokka looks shocked, his mouth open, and Aang and Katara look excited.

I walk over to Toph and wrap my arm around her neck in a friendly, slightly teasing, manner.

"That's my girl."

Toph smiles and elbows my side.

"Shut it, Lu."

Toph then stops smiling and stares up toward her Father.

----------

"Sorry you had to see me this way, Dad, but the obedient little blind girl just isn't me. I love fighting and I love earthbending, and I'm really good at both. I know I kept it a secret, but you kept me a secret to the whole world. I know you were doing it to protect me, but I'm 12 years old and I've only ever made one friend. And it wasn't even by my choice."

Toph brings her head up to face her Father.

"So... now that you know, I hope it doesn't change how you feel about me."

"Of course it doesn't change how I feel about you Toph... and I've come to realize something about you."

"You have?"

"Yes. It's that you have too much freedom, Toph! From now on, you will be cared for and guarded 24 hours a day, and Lu Chen will only visit you once a week!"

Blinded by his overprotective nature. At least me getting restricted to visit only once a week might push Toph to run away without me having to convince her.

Toph stiffens up at her Father's statement.

"But, Dad?! ...Once a week...?"

"We're doing this for your own good Toph."

Lao stands and gestures to a servant.

"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome here. Lu Chen, I will have you go home as well."

I nod and make my way out, passing by next to Toph.

"I'll meet you in our usual spot in a few minutes."

I can see a bit of tears in her eyes.

I had already prepared a bag with a few travel supplies and hid it under the ground in the spot where I usually meet Toph to sneak out.

Making my way down the road, I make it seem like I head in the direction of the Chen family residence.

I feel the earth for any signs of people, then quickly open a hole in the ground, and make my way back to the Beifongs and collect my bag.

Waiting in our spot for a few minutes, I sense Toph hop over the wall to her yard.

"Hey, Toph. I see you understood what I was trying to say."

Toph had dressed in her regular sparring outfit and had a bag with her stuff in it.

"Of course. I always know what my fiancé's thinking."

"Then you sure you wanna do this? Run away from home?"

Toph just looks at me and smiles.

"Don't you? You told me when we first met that you want freedom. Changed your mind?"

"Actually, yes. I'd rather sacrifice my freedom in order to be with you."

Toph stares at me in shock.

"Haha, I'm joking. But seriously, if being with you means I have to run away, then I'll run away."

Toph says nothing back. Instead she grabs my collar, pulls me down, and kisses me on the lips.

"You really know how to make me happy, huh?"

Usually, I'm the one who makes her blush, but now I'm on the receiving end.

Not waiting for me to respond, Toph takes my hand and starts running, making our way to where Aang and the Gaang went.

A few minutes later, we arrive just as the Gaang was about to leave.

Holy shit, Appa is gigantic! The show doesn't really do him justice!

Aang looks back at us in surprise.

"Toph! Lu Chen! What're you two doing here!?"

We both stop in front of Appa.

"Dad changed his mind. He said I was free to go with you."

"And I managed to convince my parents, saying it was good experience to have if I'm to take over the Chen family as heir."

Sokka looks at Katara with a bit of doubt.

"Well, we better get going, before your parents change their minds."

""Good idea."" Both Toph and I say at the same time.

"You'll be a great teacher, Toph."

You're goddamn right.

"Speaking of which, I wanna show you something."

Aang jumps down to the ground and is immediately launched into a tree by Toph.

"Now we're even. And uh, I'll take the belt back."

Sokka looks at Toph with petty anger, and removes his belt and tosses it to Toph.

Before it could hit her, I catch it, and hand it to Toph.

"Sorry."

Sokka still apologizes, realizing that she's blind and that it would have hit her, had I not caught it.

"Alright! Toph, Lu Chen, hop on! I hope your not afraid of heights."

Toph and I jump on Appa via his tail, and get into seating positions on his saddle.

It shouldn't be too bad. It's just like a low flying plane, except much windier.

"Yip Yip!"

At those words, Appa flys into the sky.

Since she can't 'see' anything anymore, Toph is a little freaked out, so she just clings tightly to me in fear.

Toph is an earthbender. That means she's extremely strong. She's crushing my ribs.

"Guh! Toph, you're crushing me...!"

"Oh, heh, sorry."

Loosening her grip on me, I put her in a more comfortable position in front of me, and wrap both of my arms securely to her waist.

I can feel Toph calm down significantly.

Sokka looks at us quizzically, then smiles.

"Looove-biiiirrds~"

Katara the slaps him behind the head.

"Don't tease them!"

Aang justs looks at us with an unreadable expression.

He's probably wondering how to get as close as us with Katara.

I wish I could help him out, but the decision to get closer is up to Katara.

I look up to the night sky, lean my back onto the edge of the saddle and close my eyes.