Toph vs Mai (Suki vs Ty Lee Continued) part 1 (Patreon)

There was silence as the dice clattered on the paved sidewalk, the gathered crowd holding its breath. They rolled and bounced, every eye on them. One stopped first, the other balancing on an edge, holding… holding… then fell.

Both landed with the design of a dragon facing up. Double dragon, the highest roll.

“Did I win?” Toph blinked innocently.

Cheers and laughter erupted instantly. Many had come to see the blind little girl with the lucky streak, others having wandered over to make sure no one was taking advantage of her. Her victory was the outcome that pleased everyone.

Everyone except for the street-side gambler she’d just ruined.

“NO!” he jumped to his feet, “That-that’s impossible! That— you can’t have gotten double dragon! You CAN’T!”

Her gray, sightless eyes wide, Toph felt around on the table for her winnings. She fumbled nervously like any blind girl would, worried that she might do something wrong as she felt her way around.

“I can’t?” she raised her eyebrows in surprise, “But… I thought you said the game was called double dragon?”

“It is!” the gamesman shrieked, “But-- but you can’t have gotten double dragon! I KNOW you can’t! It’s impossible!”

Toph groped around on the table for another moment, then abruptly scraped the pile of coins into an already bulging coin purse and cinched it shut.

“I’m sorry, mister, I just don’t understand,” she said, “How do you know? I thought the game was to—"

The gambler’s face flushed red, “Quiet, you little brat! I don’t know how you did it, but you cheated me! I want my money back RIGHT NOW!”

“I… cheated?”

“Don’t play innocent with me! You KNOW you cheated! NO ONE cheats Wei Long! You think you’re smart?! Give my money back right now or I’ll wring your little… little…”

He trailed off as he noticed the crowd. There was no more cheering or laughter. They had grown silent at his outburst, either gaping at him in shock or outright glaring.

Toph clutched the purse to her chest, shrinking back from him in fright, letting her bottom lip tremble a little bit.

“I-I’m sorry, mister!” she sniffled, “Did—did I roll them wrong? Do I have to give the money back?”

It drove the crowd over the edge.

“Booooooo!”

“You keep that money, sweetie! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Shame on you! Scaring a little blind girl!”

“Think you’re a big man?! Think you’re a big man now?!”

Seeing he was surrounded, the gambler quickly changed his tune.

“No, you—you don’t understand!” he pointed, “Don’t you see what she’s doing?! She set me up!”

“Yeah right!”

“We can see what’s happening here just fine, buddy!”

“Listen to me! She’s a cheater!” he protested again, “I bet she’s not even blind!”

Keeping her coin purse close, Toph wormed her way through the crowd and slipped away as it closed in on the gamesman. There was no point sticking around. It just meant answering questions, entertaining offers to escort her home or help her spend her money. She snuck into an alleyway across the street as the crowd continued to harangue.

“That’s low, man. Real low.”

“You’re the cheater! Trying to cheat that little girl out of her money!”

Toph made her way down the alleyway into a thru street between some buildings. Only once she was well out of ear shot of the crowd did she allow herself a broad grin.

“Like candy from a snail possum…”

She tossed the purse into the air then caught it with a mischievous cackle.

The gamesman had been wrong and right at the same time. She really was blind, but she HAD cheated… and so had he. The reason he knew that she couldn’t have gotten double dragon was that the dice were weighted with lead. What he didn’t know was that as the world’s greatest earth bender (and its only metal bender) that allowed Toph to turn the dice just like she wanted. And she didn’t have any problem cheating a cheater.

Stuffing the purse into the sash at her waist, the little girl marched through the alleys of the fire nation city with the confidence of a giant. She was short even for her age, with eyes that were a bit too big for her, her dark hair kept in a globe-like bun. Her bare arms were grooved with a surprising amount of tone and she was compactly muscular, but she still looked like any adult could simply pick her up by the scruff of the neck and carry her off if they so wished.

But if there was one thing that was true about Toph Beifong, it was that her appearance was deceiving.

Stopping in the middle of an alley, the compact earth bending master raised her chin and took a good long sniff of the air. She smelled spices, cooking meat, smoke from grills. The food market was nearby and some of those Fire Nation fire fritters sounded pretty good right about then, particularly when she had the money to buy as many as she liked.

Changing direction, Toph followed her well-tuned sense of smell towards the market, already licking her lips in anticipation. She was only about a hundred yards from as many fire fritters as she could eat, when a fat man carrying several bladed weapons stepped into her path.

“Well, hey there, little lady,” he grinned, “where you off to? You lost?”

Toph barely paused.

“No.” she said flatly, trying to step around him.

The man stepped into her path once more.

“This alleyway is dangerous, honey,” he leaned down to be closer to her height, “You should know better than to wander around places like this.”

More thugs came out of shadows, surrounding her, wearing nasty grins.

Toph grinned back.

* *  *

About fifteen seconds later, only the original thug was left standing. Several of the others were groaning in misery, piled against the wall like a pile of dirty laundry, another was draped over a 3rd story balcony, while another was simply sprawled face down about a hundred yards back the way he’d come.

The tubby thug that had initially blocked her path gaped. He towered over the tiny figure in front of him, but he was quivering with fear, holding out his dagger as if to ward her away. Still partly in shock he took a clumsy step backwards, looking around for the nearest escape route, clearly moments away from running for it.

Toph gave him a vulpine grin.

“Wow,” she chirped in her mouse-like voice, “You’re right. This alley really IS dangerous!”

Then she stomped her foot.

The stone beneath the mugger’s feet launched him like a catapult, sending his shriek of terror hurtling down the alley way. He landed in a pained heap on top of one of his friends.

It didn’t take long for the group to decide the best course of action. As soon as they got to their feet, they scurried or hobbled away as quickly as they could.

“And remember THAT next time you decide to be butt heads!” Toph yelled after them.

Toph waited for them to scamper off. Once they were gone, she turned her head and spit loudly, dusting off her hands.

Wimps. If they were going to get in her face, the least they could do is give her more of a fight.

Her little mouth screwed up in a petulant scowl, Toph took another moment to reorient herself, then turned back in the direction of the market.

Earth bending probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but the numb skulls hadn’t given her much choice. They’d probably tattle to someone that there was an earth bender around, but hopefully no one would believe a bunch of thugs hanging out in alley ways. The annoying thing was she’d have to tell Katara and then get a lecture about how showing her bending in a fire nation city could put their whole mission—

Something stung Toph in the shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down her arm.

“OW!”

Startled, the little girl swatted at it reflexively, thinking she’d been bit by a bug. Instead, she found a small wooden dart protruding from her skin, only a little bit bigger than a toothpick, small enough that she hadn’t heard it coming and being wood she hadn’t been able to sense it.

Toph had just yanked it out in annoyance, when female voice cooed at her from down the alleyway. It was flat and cool almost to the point of being robotic, like she was

“Mmm… I thought that was you. The little earth kingdom girl that follows the Avatar around.”

Toph whirled around and snapped into her fighting stance, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn’t “see” a heartbeat or any indication of anyone else in the alley; it might as well have come from a ghost.

“I got bored and decided to slum,” it said again, “And there you were, ruining some street carny’s day. Lucky me.”

Toph flushed with anger as she turned one way, then another, trying to find this new attacker. Even though she preferred seeing with her feet, she still had memories of being much younger, before she had her earth bending. Being truly blind, afraid and helplessness. She hated that feeling.

“Yeah, lucky you!” she snapped, “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you what you win!”

There was an infuriating silence. Toph focused her senses to detect her elusive stalker, but all she noticed was a tingling sensation in her shoulder. It felt a little cold, numb and it was spreading down her arm.

Just as she noticed this another dart smacked into her neck.

Toph yelped and recoiled, stumbling back.

“No thanks,” the voice said, “I’m good right here. At least until the venom slows you down some more.”

Toph yanked the dart out and threw it aside with an angry shriek, then threw herself into an earth bending move that launched large boulder down the alley way. She felt it crash and rumble to a stop, but she had a suspicion she missed. It was proven correct when the voice called to her.

“Sorry, I’m not over there.”

Whirling, she shot another boulder in the opposite direction, then turned back again and punched a few more into the air. Crash, smash, crash.

Nothing. And the effort made her more winded than it should, like it was getting harder to move her body. The numbness was spreading down her other arm. Her head was beginning to spin, the alleyway shifting beneath her feet.

Her attacker only sighed heavily, “Not over there either. Are you sure you don’t want to just fall down? This is getting boring.”

Toph shook her head in defiance of her growing dizziness, shoving it out of her mind. There was no way this jerk was standing in the alley, that meant she could only be one place.

With a stomp of her foot, every cobble stone in the alley scraped free of the cement holding it, hovering just off the ground. It took all her effort and focus, the numbing effect making it difficult to even “see”, but Toph kept her grip on the small army of projectiles and thrust her hand upwards. She let out a cry of effort and the bricks shot skyward like a reverse hailstorm, a shotgun blast of earth bending aimed skywards.

Toph’s opponent had no choice but to spring from her perch and the little earth bender felt it the moment that happened. They leapt back and landed on something else, still suspended above the ground.

Clotheslines. The alleyway had numerous clotheslines stretched between the rooves overhead. Balancing still on one of those thin lines they had been able to hide from Toph’s feet, but now that they moved, and she knew what to look for she could pick them up just fine.

She fired another large rock in that direction, but her opponent simply leapt onto another clothesline, then again at her next attempt.

“Wow,” Toph’s stalker said, “That was actually impressive. But how long can you keep this up?”

Finally, fed up with the game of cat-and-mouse, Toph simply planted her palm on the wall and sent a ripple down the alleyway. All the clotheslines popped loose like overstressed guitar strings. Her opponent fell, but as she did another dart hit the earth kingdom girl in the thigh.

Toph yanked out the dart, panting heavily, shoulders drooped with exhaustion. She tried to raise her hands in her earlier fighting stance, but she was shaking, her body wavering. All that bending had taken it out of her and she was only getting weaker.

“Just surrender,” her opponent said, “You lost. Admit it.”

Toph’s vision was beginning to fade in and out as the numbness threatened to take the feeling from her feet, but she caught glimpses of her opponent as they strode towards her. Slim with smooth features, wearing flowing clothing, moving with an aloof grace.

The voice made it click. Toph’s eyes widened.

“Yuh…” the earth bender rasped, “Y-you…?!”

Mai strolled towards her, in no hurry, checking the nails on one hand.

“Yeah, me. Now… hurry up and pass out.”

Toph stomped the ground, managing to drag another hunk of rock out of the sidewalk.

“I… don’t… lose!”

Toph punched the rock at Mai, but the fire nation noble easily ducked to the side and let fly with another dart. It hit the earth bender directly in the chest, drawing a grunt of pain.

Mai rolled her eyes and continued to advance as her smaller opponent tottered drunkenly, clearly having to fight to stay upright.

“Seriously,” she groaned in annoyance, “Just… give it up. I don’t want to use up all my darts. They take forever to make.”

Toph’s mouth hung open as she gasped for air, her eyes growing wide with desperation. She was the best earth bender in the world, not afraid of anyone. No one could take her in a straight up fight! But she also couldn’t deny that she was slowing down. She couldn’t see farther than 10 feet around herself and even that was getting fuzzy. That familiar fear, the fear of being helpless, was creeping up on her.

On instinct she threw up a shield of earth. She was lucky this time; she heard a dart clatter harmlessly off it.

“You’re just being annoying now,” Mai said, “Fall down already.”

Toph shook her head violently, as if she could physically throw off the dizziness and fear. She would NOT lose. She wasn’t some harmless little girl, she was Toph Beifong! She would bring down this whole alleyway if she had to, but she wouldn’t kneel to some prissy fire nation barbie doll, no matter how many darts she had!

“You want me to… fall down?!” she panted, “Fine!”

With that she leaned forward and let herself drop, face down into the sidewalk. Rather than landing in a heap, she sank into it like quicksand, the solid concrete molding around her. She was slow to get up, still huffing and clumsy, but when she did she was encased in stone, entirely covered except for a small hole around her mouth.

The now concrete-armored earth bender resumed her fighting stance, the rock cracking and splitting along her joints as she moved.

“Round two, princess!” Toph balled her fists under the stone arnmor, “Let’s… see your toothpicks get… through this!”

Staggering forward, she thrust an earth-endowed punch at Mai’s stomach. The fire nation girl skipped back to avoid it but Toph continued attacking, forcing her to retreat. The rock armor made her even slower and clumsier, requiring constant concentration to bend each segment, but while she was wearing it, she was invulnerable to the darts.

Mai side-stepped the assault and tried to jam a dart into the one of the cracks in the armor, but it simply snapped in her hand. Then she had to spring back before a rock encased arm could catch her in the ribs.

“So annoying…” she sighed, before ducking another swing.

Toph didn’t have the wind to retort. The armor was getting harder and harder to keep up, crumbling off one leg before she forced it back into place with a surge of willpower. She knew she had to be faster, but even with all her effort she was only getting slower. She could barely see any more, attacking mostly on instinct, but she wouldn’t give up.

She lunged again and Mai retreated a step, then again and Mai simply leaned back, letting the blow whiff by harmlessly.

“Such fast-paced action,” the fire nation girl said, “I wonder who’s going to win…”

Mai wasn’t even trying to attack any more. She stood right in front of Toph, her crossed her arms under her breasts, her stare flat and bored. She leaned away from a blow, then took a half step to avoid another. The next punch was so badly aimed she didn’t have to move at all, but the little earth bender still refused to fall.

“This is like dancing with my great grandfather,” she said, “but less entertaining. Are you done yet?”

Toph threw one more punch and it didn’t even reach. Her punching arm barely extended before her fist dropped, the forward momentum toppling her onto her knees. Cracks split wide in her armor as she fell forward, catching herself on her hands. Rock crumbled to reveal her bare shoulder and she grunted with the effort of forcing it back, but just as she fixed it more began to fall from her head and stomach. Panic seized her; her armor was disintegrating.

She couldn’t be beaten like this, not by some fancy girly girl that couldn’t even bend! She refused to be a vulnerable little prisoner! She would NOT let it happen!

She forced herself to stand.

“You are so stubborn,” Mai slowly shook her head, “You’ve got nothing le—"

With a broken cry, Toph flew forward in a desperate charge. The ground itself propelled her on stationary legs, like a statue skiing across a slippery floor, trying to use what remained of her rock armor to simply run her opponent over. More of her armor crumbled away as she put all her strength into plowing forward, but it would be enough if she could collide with Mai. It had to be!

The rush carried her almost ten yards before she stumbled to a stop. Utterly exhausted, her focus was entirely monopolized by keeping what remained of her rock armor in place. She didn’t know if her attack had worked, but even if it hadn’t she would turn towards her opponent and keep fighting. She would catch her breath, regain her strength, and drive—

Thap thap thap!

Toph let out a squeak of surprise as three stinging pricks stitched a pattern between her shoulder blades.

What… what was that?

Stiff and shocked, the little warrior reached to her back, grasping clumsily at the precisely targeted trio of darts. She looked unsure if she would pull them out or if she was trying to feel if they were actually there. They couldn’t, shouldn’t have been there. Her armor…

Armor crumbled away, revealing her slender shoulders, then off her dark hair bun.

“Finally…” Mai tossed her hair over her shoulder. Some had been flung into her face when she leapt out of the way.

Toph’s balance wavered, her hips swaying while the world twirled around her head. Everything tilted and she stumbled backwards, then forwards as it tilted again, like a ship at sea. The hand pawing at the darts grew impossibly heavy and it sank down to hang at her side.

No. She wouldn’t give up. It didn’t matter how many darts she was stuck with, she’d keep… she wouldn’t let…

The rest of the armor crumbled away at once, falling from her face to reveal her gray eyes, wide with fear and shock. The remains clattered onto the ground, forming a ring around the incredulous girl’s feet.

Mai’s footsteps approached. Toph could hear them, but she was too tired see them.

“That’s it,” the fire nation girl murmured, “Now fall down.”

Toph tried to shake her head, but all she managed to do was bobble it around slightly. Her eyelids drooped, her exhaustion overwhelming even her panic.

“I thought earth benders likeddirt,” Mai continued towards her, “It’s just like a little dirt bed. I bet it will be nice and comfortable for you.”

The words cut deep. Toph hated it when people cooed at her, patronized her. It lit a fire in her tummy. With a surge of willpower, she forced herself to stay upright.

But she fell anyway.

Toph’s legs buckled and she collapsed to the ground with a surprised gasp. At the last second, she tried to brace herself with her hands, but her arms collapsed, her forehead bouncing off the concrete. She was too numb and dazed to feel it and was too tired to do anything about it anyway.

Mai’s footsteps drew closer.

“About time,” She sighed, “No wonder it took so long to conquer the earth kingdom. It takes you forever to realize you lost.”

Toph lay on her cheek, her small chest heaving against the ground. She knew she was lying on broken rocks and it shouldn’t be comfortable, but she wanted to sink down even further. Her head was still spinning wildly, making her want to close her eyes, let her body go limp.

No!

She had to get up. It wasn’t over. She was just… just catching her breath for a second. Getting her strength back. And now…

Toph planted her palms and pushed at the ground. Her body wouldn’t rise so she tried harder, her mousey voice sounding a petulant grunt of defiance.

“Nhh… nrh…”

Her arms trembled with effort. She tried to get her legs under her, but they were clumsy and unresponsive. It took great effort to even push her chest a couple inches, her head heavy and hanging.

She’d barely managed to prop herself up when Mai reached her.

“Sorry, but no,” the older girl told her, “You’re done.”

She lifted her foot then planted it on Toph’s back, the mere weight of her leg putting an abrupt halt to the little girl’s progress. Her arms wavered, starting to droop again before she pushed back with a groan.

“You did your best,” Mai said gently, “But it’s over.”

Toph fought it, tears starting to sting her eyes as she pushed with everything she had. She was… the greatest earth bender… she wouldn’t…

The older girl leaned on her, just slightly. It was more than enough. With a whimper of despair Toph was pushed back down onto her chest, under her victorious opponent’s boot. There was no way she could try to get up again; it was taking all her strength just to maintain consciousness.

Only then did she finally realize Mai was right.

The foot stayed on her back for a few moments, more a pose than anything necessary to keep her down. When it raised off her, Toph stayed flat on her stomach, slack except for the ragged heaving of her shoulders.

“Mmm, there you go,” Mai cooed, pleased.

Toph didn’t even have the energy to say something back.

It was over.

Mai tapped a finger to her lip, frowning thoughtfully.

Now that she’d won, she wasn’t quite sure what she’d do. She’d spotted the little earth bender (she couldn’t remember her name), saw the perfect place for an ambush, but didn’t have a plan beyond that. She knew she should take the girl prisoner, but usually when she went on missions, she had Azula, Ty Lee, and a squadron of fire benders with her. She was expected to do the fighting, not the clean-up.

So, what was she supposed to do now?

Crouching down, she frowned at the small, beaten figure like she was a puzzle. She supposed she should turn the girl over. She reached out, hesitated for a moment, then continued and took a shoulder and hip, then rolled the little thing onto her back.

Toph’s head lolled towards her shoulder, her mouth ajar. Her eyes drooped, sinking closed before she pried them open again, fighting but losing the battle against unconsciousness.

Mai tended to be aloof to most things, but she found the expression kind of cute on her, like a puppy that played itself to exhaustion.

She stroked the girl’s bangs from her eyes and looked around, considering her options.

Despite all the noise, no one was peaking out their windows. She wasn’t going to meet any resistance in a fire nation city, but no one was going to help her either. If she wanted to get her prisoner back, she supposed she might simply have to… carry her.

Mai cocked her head at that thought. It seemed really simple and even silly, but she could do it. No one would think twice about her helping her, say, little sister home after a day full of too much excitement.

And for some other, subtler reason, the idea of gathering her captive up and carrying her away was very appealing.

She made up her mind. She reached out and scooped under the girl’s shoulders and knees, then gathered her up.

Toph didn’t notice at first. Her thoughts were starting to drift, becoming hazy and shapeless. She only realized something was happening when she was lifted into the air, losing contact with the ground.

“Wh… whmmh…?” she made a small, confused sound, eyes blinking a bit wider at the sensation of floating.

Mai cradled the girl against her chest with a small, pleased smile. The little thing was a bundle of firmness, so much tone in the small body, but so light, easy to pick up. Carrying her back would be all too simple… and even enjoyable.

Toph didn’t clearly understand what was happening, but she knew she was being held off the ground. Even more that other people, she was helpless when she couldn’t touch the earth and even as bleary as she was, panic gripped her.

Her eyes widened and she squirmed, making a small, distressed sound. She weakly kicked her feet, trying and failing to lift her head.

When she managed to say something, it was squeaky, pleading, and scared.

“Leh… lemme… go… st-stoppit…”

Mai couldn’t help but grin a bit more at that. Adorable.

“Hush,” she whispered, “It’s time to go now. No more fighting for you.”

Toph kicked a bit more, but it was exhausting and her momentary panic was fading. Her eyelids began to droop once more. She knew something was wrong, but she was so, so tired and being held was comfortable and warm.

“Put…” she tried again, her voice growing faint, “put me… down…”

Mai felt the girl soften in her grasp, the tight bundle of muscles relaxing.

“Shhh… you’re very tired. Just go to sleep.”

“Mmnhh…” Toph mumbled, melting into the arms holding her. Her eyes drifted close, little face smoothing out as her worries slipped from her mind. Her head finally turned to rest against Mai’s chest, her breathing becoming deep and even as she faded away.

Mai held her for a moment, her cold features wearing an uncharacteristic smile. Ideas were already coming to mind, thoughts that had drifted idly through but had been discarded as silly and unrealistic. And now they were possible and tinged with excitement.

But first, she had to get the thing home.

Moving carefully at first, then with growing confidence as Toph stayed asleep, Mai carried her little earth bender out of the alley and to the street.

No one seemed to notice or care. The entire trip, the only person that stopped her was a matronly woman who had seen Toph’s interaction with the gambler.

“Oh, it’s the little blind girl who won all that money!” the woman laughed, “She must be the luckiest little girl in the world!”

Mai only smiled faintly and said with her usual terseness.

“Yes. She is.”

Then she continued on her way, to where her exciting plans for her new earth bender could come to life.