Chapter 14: The Earth Rumble
"No way!"
"How did you manage to get that many tickets—and front row ones too?"
Haru grinned as he pocketed the Earth Rumble tickets and motioned to the "keep quiet" sign posted in the library. "So I take it that you two are going along?" he asked Sokka and Aang.
"Of course! I've been waiting for this!" Sokka said excitedly.
"It's a school night, but sure, I'm in," Aang said cheerily. "Hey Zuko, are you coming too?"
Zuko did not put down his political science book. "Try me."
Haru and Sokka exchanged knowing looks. "Still moping, I see," Sokka said, going over to where the sulky firebender was seated.
"Go away, Sokka. Aren't you supposed to be someplace with Suki?" Zuko said rather bitterly. It had been three days since the fateful "discussion" with Jin, and since then Zuko felt as if he had come undone. "It's because I began to rely on her being there…began thinking that for once things could be normal," he had rationalized once. Still, the guilt refused to stop gnawing at him.
"For the nth time, I'm not seeing Suki. The two of us are just taking things easy till we get our heads on straight, as my sister likes to put it." Sokka said.
Zuko slammed his book on the table. "Do I have to spell it out to the three of you? Leave me alone!" he hissed.
"What seems to be the problem Sparky?" Toph greeted as she walked up to them. The blind earthbender put her things on the nearest table, but did not sit down.
"Great, now I have to deal with her too?" Zuko thought. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I've got tickets to the Earth Rumble," Haru explained. "I've already invited Teo, Aang, and Sokka. There's still more to go around."
"Earth Rumble?" Toph laughed. "I've had my ticket for the longest time. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Front row?" Haru asked.
"Of course. How else will I "see" what's going on?" Toph asked, stamping her feet for emphasis. She turned towards Zuko. "Honestly, you're more of a sissy than I thought, Sparky."
"Sissy?!" Zuko sputtered. "Where did you get that idea?"
"Well, something screws up and you go on for days feeling so awful," Toph said. "You do nothing but sit there nowadays. You'd probably burn the feet off anyone who walked by if you weren't as careful. No wonder why Sweetness is practically putting you in therapy."
The mention of Katara brought an unbidden smile to Zuko's face. "Come to think of it, why does she?" he wondered. He knew that if he wanted some psychological care of the more sound type, he could have gone to Aang or even his Uncle for help, their individual quirks withstanding. "Yet I talk to a waterbender of all people," he mused. However, what time he had left to contemplate that suddenly evaporated as said waterbender entered the library.
"Did I miss something?" she asked her friends as she set down her things next to Zuko's elbow.
"Not very much," Zuko would have said if the others did not break out in their simultaneous explanations. Katara shook her head before looking at him. "You. You're terribly quiet."
Zuko looked up at her, though he was aware that just a few paces away, Aang's eyes were narrowing dangerously at them both. "Don't tell me you're going to the Earth Rumble."
Katara put a hand on her hip. "Is this what it's all about?" she asked her friends.
"Yeah! They say a lot of the best competitors are coming," Aang grinned.
"It's just a bunch of guys throwing rocks—" Katara began.
"Glad someone shares my opinion," Zuko muttered.
Katara glanced at him knowingly. "—but I suppose I'll go if Toph's going."
Zuko noticed Aang's triumphant expression. "Fine, I'm in then," he blurted out.
"So much for guy-time," Sokka muttered.
Haru shook his head with dissatisfaction. "After what you did to Jin--" he said threateningly to Zuko.
"Don't rib me about it," Zuko said. "She broke it off after all, not me."
Katara rolled her eyes. "You boys sometimes," she said, giving Zuko a sympathetic look. "Haru, please."
Haru shrugged philosophically. "Let's meet up at six tomorrow. We need to take a car, since Teo can't go all the way there on a wheelchair. Don't worry Zuko, Teo's not bringing Song with him."
Zuko nodded. "Does this mean I'm driving?"
"Any alternatives?" Sokka asked.
Zuko sighed resignedly. "Six then in the parking lot. And I won't tolerate latecomers."
Toph bit her lip. "My class ends a little early tomorrow, so I think I'll go on ahead and just meet you guys at the event."
"You sure?" Katara asked concernedly.
Toph nodded obstinately. "You don't have to mother me, Sugar Queen."
Something about Toph's idea did not ring right in Zuko's ears. Still, he found himself agreeing. "Suit yourself," he said.
000
"You're shaping up to be a powerful bender, Katara," Madame Hama said proudly as the young girl threaded a ribbon of water from the vapor in the air.
Katara smiled as she tossed the ribbon up, letting it form a globe. "Ma'am, why don't you teach waterbending with Master Pakku?" she asked quizzically.
Hama's expression soured. "A lot of people believe that waterbending is the weakest of all bending. If I were a teacher here, they would think otherwise," she muttered. She looked at Katara intently. "I have been told that the school has no use for my talents."
"They're wrong about that," Katara said, feeling indignation well up within her. "You have so much to teach!"
A smile flitted over Hama's face. "If you do not know how to fight for what is rightfully yours, you will lose it too easily, like I did," she said. "There are a few things I still have to show you. Did you say you were going someplace?"
"I'm meeting my brother and my friends to watch the Earth Rumble." Katara replied.
Hama nodded knowingly. "I hope you enjoy yourself."
Katara bowed. "Thank you for today's lesson, Ma'am," she said, picking up her schoolbag before racing to the parking lot.
Zuko was also walking to the van when he caught sight of her. He gave her a nod of acknowledgment as he reached the car and leaned against the hood.
Katara went up beside him. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
"Better," Zuko said, crossing his arms. He gave her a sideways glance. "And what about you?"
"Waterbending lessons."
"Whatever happened to hanging out with Jet?"
The mention of her miscreant crush pinched Katara slightly from within. "Zuko, must you bring him up now?" she asked him tersely.
"I was just wondering," Zuko said defensively. "Anything wrong with that?"
Katara crossed her arms. "I don't know actually. I don't want to think of him when I've got huge problems to deal with. Like for example, the fact that I think your sister may know more than she let on," she said, looking at him pointedly.
"I didn't tell her anything, if that's what you're implying." Zuko said, raising his lone eyebrow.
"I know," Katara said. "It's just that it doesn't make sense. How did she know that the Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se?"
"My father has spies everywhere." Zuko said darkly. "I've ferreted out at least one of them." He restlessly checked his watch. "What's taking the rest so long?"
Katara shrugged. "Want to go look for them?"
Zuko shook his head. "Too much trouble."
"Not like Zuko to want to stand still," Katara noted. "You don't strike me as the type to actually watch Earth Rumble."
"Nor do you."
"It's an opportunity for me to hang out with my brother and the rest," Katara said. "And you?"
"My uncle says I should get out more," Zuko admitted. "I was just starting to enjoy that when that incident happened."
"It will take some getting over," Katara said, touching Zuko's shoulder.
"I know," Zuko said. "Jin was nice…pretty…but she just wasn't--"
"Are we late?" Aang's voice suddenly cut in. Zuko and Katara turned to see Aang running up a few steps ahead of Teo, who was freewheeling in his wheelchair. Sokka and Haru trailed behind, making sure that the crippled boy would not hurt himself.
"Not overly," Katara said before Zuko could reply.
Teo glanced at the boys. "So she's the only girl coming? Cool."
"Actually, we're meeting up with Toph later," Sokka explained, opening the passenger door. Teo hoisted himself in before quickly collapsing his wheelchair with a flick of his wrist. The other teens piled into the car, but before anyone could say anything, Katara had slipped into the front passenger seat.
"You know, there's still room in the back!" Sokka called to her.
Katara glanced back at him. "I'll sit there when we bring Toph home, okay?" she said reassuringly, not missing the odd looks that all the other boys were giving her older brother.
"Okay, this is getting complicated," she told herself as she adjusted her seatbelt.
000
The first thing that got to Zuko when they arrived at the Ba Sing Se stadium was the smell of freshly smoothed over earth mingled with the pungency of too many earthbenders and fans packed in one place. "Can't say I like the element a lot," he thought wryly. He handed a scarf to Aang. "Use this to cover up the arrow," he advised.
Aang deftly tied the scarf over his head. "Thanks."
Katara glanced at her phone. "No message from Toph yet."
"Maybe we should call her up," Aang suggested.
The waterbender dialed the younger girl's number. After a few minutes, she shook her head. "She's not picking up."
"Try her landline," Teo said over the cheers and roars of the crowd.
Katara tried to make another call, but to no avail. "Something's up."
"I'm sure Toph has a perfectly rational explanation," Sokka said calmly.
"Sokka, it's not like Toph to just not pick up," Katara pointed out.
Zuko watched this impassively. "This girl worries too much," he thought as they found their seats. They sat in this order: Sokka, then Katara, then Zuko, then Aang, followed by Haru, with Teo closest to the aisle.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the annual Earth Rumble!" the announcer hollered from the sound booth. As applause rang through the stadium, several figures carrying placards and banners vaulted over the arena walls.
"Citizens of the Earth Kingdom, listen!" Jet shouted from the middle. "Tonight, we need you to hear us, for the sake of your people!"
"Get these kids out of the arena!" someone shouted.
"No! You must listen! The very future of this realm is at stake." Smellerbee insisted. "Right now as we speak, the Fire Nation is sending envoys not to the Earth King, but to the Dai Li! Only we can stop them!"
Murmurs and boos coursed through the auditorium as some security agents went to collar the People's Rights Party members. Pipsqueak glowered at the two puny agents who tried to grab Duke. Longshot pulled Smellerbee behind him while Jet leaped forward with his two hooked swords.
"Should we help them?" Haru asked Katara worriedly.
"We can't do anything now," the waterbender shook her head bitterly.
"Anyone who cares, please listen to us!" Jet pleaded as he was knocked down. "The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se, and he can help us all!" he added before he was quickly gagged and dragged out with his companions amid the heckling of the spectators.
"Don't look at Aang, whatever you do!" Zuko ordered in an undertone.
"We have to find a way to get them out," Aang said. "If what they're saying is right…"
"Aang, be sensible. If we jump in now, they'll get us too," Teo said as the crowd began to calm down. "Even though we should do something."
"As I was saying before I was interrupted, welcome to the Earth Rumble!" the announcer continued. "Tonight, you will see the most amazing earthbenders in the world fight it out for the title of the champion. Tonight will be a contest of the type you have never seen before!"
"Look, it's the Boulder," Sokka said, pointing to one of the fighters on the sidelines as the fights proceeded. "They say he's the best fighter here."
"Yeah, and it's going to be a great match between him and the Blind Bandit, last year's champion," Haru said, sounding a little subdued though excitement still tinged his voice. "My money is on the Bandit."
"No way. No one can beat the Boulder," Sokka said haughtily. "What do you think, Zuko?"
"I don't follow these things," Zuko said before a deafening shout drowned out his next words. Sokka, Aang, Teo, and Haru joined in, giving the poor firebender cause to plug his ears.
Down in the arena, an earthbender had already encased his opponent in a mound before blasting him out of the ring. "Alright, take that!" Sokka crowed.
"Psh, freezing him would have worked fine," Katara muttered.
"So would have burning," Zuko noted.
"Does the Fire Nation have something like this?" Katara asked him.
The closest equivalent that Zuko could think of made him shudder. "Trust me, you would not want to see an Agni Kai."
"I wonder what the Boulder will do," Aang said.
"He's not very precise though, from what I hear," Teo pointed out. "Still, deadly."
"Here he comes!" Haru shouted. Sokka whooped as the famed fighter strode into the ring.
"The Boulder meets his challenger!" the earthbender proclaimed before flinging a rock at his unwitting opponent.
"Alright!" the boys chorused while Katara winced at the sound of cracking bones. Even Zuko found himself watching intently as the Boulder took out challenger after challenger by either propelling them away with rocks or blasting them out of the arena using mounds of earth. "I only know a few firebenders who can hold up to someone like that," he told himself.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," the announcer bellowed as yet another unfortunate earthbender was carried out of the arena. "Last year's champion, now defending her title, the Blind Bandit!"
"The Blind Bandit's a girl?!" Aang sputtered.
"Not just any girl!" Katara exclaimed, pointing to the arena. "Look!"
Zuko's jaw dropped in horror as the gates to the arena opened, revealing a small figure wearing a green sparring dress. "Agni no…it can't be!"
The crowd was cheering wildly now, save for the shocked teenagers who could only watch as Toph Bei Fong calmly walked into the arena and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Her black hair half-covered her pale green eyes, effectively making her identity quite hard to guess.
"The Boulder feels hesitation at having to fight a small, defenseless girl!" the burly challenger mocked.
"Boulder? More like pebble," Toph said coolly.
"The Boulder's hesitation is now overcome," the now irate man said, pelting a rock towards Toph. A whole second passed, as if Toph was unheeding of the danger coming towards her. All of a sudden, the petite girl bent away the rock before twisting her foot to send a ripple of earth up under the Boulder. The shrieking challenger was hurled out of the ring amid the yells of some and the gasps of many.
"La, this is even more than what she does at school!" Katara remarked as another challenger went for Toph. With a smile of glee, Toph stomped her feet to uppercut the other earthbender with a wall of earth. She took out one opponent after another calmly, barely evading anything. Once, she got knocked down, but she recovered quickly and managed to bury her opponent as she stood up. With this last move, the buzzer sounded.
"Once again, the Blind Bandit wins the title of the Earth Rumble Champion!" the announcer said ecstatically. "This has been the most amazing show yet!"
"So that's what Toph means by having to act like an earthbender instead of an airbender," Aang said rather reflectively.
"At least you're sure that your earthbending teacher is the best there is in this city," Haru said.
Just then, Katara's phone suddenly rang. "Toph?" she greeted. "That was awesome! Oh yeah, won't spill the beans. Sure, we'll meet you outside."
Sokka glanced at her. "We're picking her up?"
"Yes, out the back entrance," Katara said.
"Seems to me there is much we really don't know about Miss Bei Fong," Teo said as they filed out with the other spectators. By the time they located the back entrance, Toph was already seated there, having changed her sparring clothes for a more commonplace dress.
Zuko hung back as Haru, Katara, Sokka, and Aang practically crushed Toph in a hug. "That was awesome! Where did you learn to do all of that?" Haru asked the younger bender.
"At home." Toph said. "Can we get out of here now?"
"Why weren't you answering your phone, even at home?" Zuko asked.
Toph let out a sigh. "My concierge tried to lock me in. Orders of my parents. They freaked when they heard from a friend that I was doing this Earth Rumble. The old woman even took my phone and cut my line."
"Oh no." Katara said. "So how did you manage to get out?"
Toph's smile grew wide. "I bent metal to get me out of the flat, and to fix my phone."
"You bent metal?" Haru said in shock. "But most earthbenders can't get out of metal restraints!"
"That's because people don't know that metal has little impurities of earth in it," Toph explained. She reached into her pockets and brought out a very deformed padlock. "I just see them, or sort of. So that's why I'm able to bend."
"I wish I could do that," Aang said wistfully.
Toph grinned at him. "Get basic earthbending right, then I'll teach you."
"Thanks, Sifu Toph."
Katara's eyes narrowed. "You never called me Sifu Katara."
Suddenly, a blur of blue and white rushed to their group "Sokka!" Yue greeted breathlessly. "Were Jet and his party here tonight?" she asked.
"Yeah, and they got taken away," Sokka said. "Why?"
Yue took a deep breath. "We have to bail them out."
"Yue, do we have to?" Zuko asked, feeling the very idea turn metallic in the back of his mouth.
Yue nodded, bringing a folded manifesto out of her pocket. "Suki found this on campus and showed it to me. I think that whatever they're saying needs some investigation, simply because they might be right. Sokka, I need you and Suki to help me," she said. "The rest of you too," she said quietly.
"Azula is going to come after me when I find out what she and her friends are really doing here," Zuko thought. He cleared his throat. "I think this has to do with what happened to the political prisoners, and with those facts about the Fire Nation spies."
Haru gave a start. "You could prove that?"
"So there really are spies here?" Sokka asked.
"That makes matters worse." Yue winced. "I hate to say this, but if Zuko's right, I think we're all in for some very big trouble."