Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the associated characters.

Summary: See Previous Chapters

TOPH

Toph had never thought that her relationship with her parents could eventually grow and mellow to be like this.

For most of her life, the had believed her weak and helpless, treating her with such delicacy that it seemed as if they feared that she would shatter in a particularly strong gust of wind. That her father had not only changed his view, but was actively encouraging her to Bend, was something that she never could have dreamed.

She still had the sneaking suspicion that he was encouraging her to start a school so she could fight without participating in Earth Rumbles, but nearly a year with Katara's gentle bossiness had finally taught her that sometimes you needed to take things one step at a time. Toph had spent most of her life giving them the impression that she was helpless, and it was difficult for them to have that perception turned on its head.

In all fairness, Toph couldn't really blame her parents for over-reacting when they discovered that she was an Earth Rumble champion. If she had been any less than the greatest Earthbender in the world, or if she had been truly blind, she could very well have been killed.

What would happen after the war had seemed like a foregone conclusion. Sokka and Katara would go home to the Water Tribe, or maybe Katara would go with Aang, who everyone knew was in love with her, and they would wander around looking for any other Nomads that may have survived in between his duties as the Avatar, and Toph would travel, staying as far away from Gaoling as possible.

It was just proof that things almost never went according to plan.

Suki and Sokka were splitting their time between the South Pole and Kyoshi Island, until they decided where they wanted to settle down permanently. Aang and Katara were not in a relationship (much to the young Airbender's disappointment), and the Last Waterbender of the South was talking about setting up a Bending school for Water Tribe Girls. Thanks to her new relationship with Haru (which Toph proudly claimed partial credit for and Aang was still upset about), and the fact that there were benders at both poles, she was setting it up in the Earth Kingdom, where any lost control wouldn't blow up the landscape too badly. Katara had blown up a large iceberg while shouting at Sokka once, and while it had been that incident that led to Aang's return, it could have gone very badly. Apparently, they would spend the winter months in the Earth Kingdom, and go to the South Pole in the summer, to put what they had learned to practical use.

The young Earthbender wasn't sure if she had actually convinced her father into helping Katara set up her school, or if he had already been planning on it, since Toph herself was making similar plans, and after catching onto Toph's competitive nature, decided that it would do both girls some good to have someone they could compete with as equals nearby.

Katara had already received an angry letter from the North Pole, ranting about stealing all of their young women away, as had the Bei Fongs, for encouraging her. Toph's mother had been annoyed at the general tone of the letter, but had largely ignored it. Toph had been flattered when Katara asked her help to compose an appropriately snarky letter back, pointing out that no one was forcing the Northern Tribe women to leave, and it could all be solved by letting girls learn more than healing.

Besides, Master Pakku might have choked on it a little, but he didn't try to stop her, and had actually complemented her as being one of the best students he had ever trained. Given that Pakku's usual response to someone doing well was a complement hidden within an insult (something that Toph actually admired about the old man) it was practically the equivalent of a standing ovation.

Precisely why Katara wanted Toph to stand with her at her wedding, rather than someone like Suki, was totally beyond Toph, but it would only be polite, according to her parents, and Katara was her best friend.

Of course, it could be that Katara just wanted Toph there to make sure that Aang didn't try to stop the ceremony.

Having learned that being strong didn't mean you couldn't relax and be girly on occasion, and not wanting to go through Katara trying to persuade her, Toph agreed.

Besides, Toph was all kinds of awesome at bending, fighting, plotting and sarcasm, so of course she could be the best Witness, as well. Besides, this way Toph could make Katara dress up in a taller version of Toph's old bending clothes if she ever got married.

Two years later, a blind fifteen-year-old, the greatest Earthbender in the world, grinned proudly as she sat next to her parents, using her Earthbending to 'watch' a match between one of Katara's Waterbenders and one of her Earthbenders. The Waterbender currently had the upper hand, but Earthbenders listened, and waited for the right moment…

She had waited, and listened when her parents wanted to start over, and acted… and everything turned out even better than she had planned.

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A/N: So, I originally planned to leave it at just Poppy and Lao, but it didn't quite feel finished, so here is Toph. She might seem a bit out of character, but she is now older, has the responsibility of teaching multiple students (she seemed more serious and responsible when she was teaching Aang Earthbending) and has reconciled with her parents. Eventually, time changes everything.

Anyway, I hope you all liked it, and constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Thanks, Nat