I'll Walk You Home pt. 60

Chapter 25

Home Again

Liling sat in the carriage and tried to not touch her face. It wasn't easy. She had never worn makeup before and the dirty feeling on her skin, along with the tightness of her swollen cheeks made her face feel funny and warm and she found her finger tips touching her cheek before she even realized it.

She pulled her hand away again. Miss Cuifen had applied the makeup to cover the redness and the bruising.

Liling moved her hand to the small lump under her clothes near her chest. It was a small cloth purse that Butler Hong had hung around her neck. She felt the five small silver coins in it.

"This is from his Grace, the Grand Duke." Hong had told her. "It is not a gift but a simple acknowledgement of all your faithful service to the Bei Fong family for all these years. These coins are yours to use for anything you want. All the clothing will be paid for by the family. These are for you to enjoy."

Liling had thanked Butler Hong as he hung the purse around her neck. What a strange and exciting day it had become. So many firsts, her first wearing of makeup, her first actual money, her first ride in a carriage, her first trip off of the estate, her first trip into the city, her first time buying something. She was so excited that she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

She pulled her hand away from her face again. Folding both hands together she placing them in to her lap and held them there. She looked across the dark interior of the carriage. Her mistress was sitting on the opposite bench. Toph was not smiling. It struck Liling as odd. Miss Bei Fong had arranged this trip, had gotten permission from her parents for it. And instead of being happy the blind girl just looked bored and irritated, if that was possible.

It took about an hour for them to arrive at the shop Miss Cuifen had recommended. The carriage and the four mounted guards who had been trailing behind the carriage since leaving the estate stopped in front of the shop, and the two girls got out.

"Why don't all of you go someplace and relax." Toph told the driver, the foot man and the four guards. "We're going to be in here all afternoon, and I really don't want a bunch of guys standing around watching me try on clothes."

"Of course Miss." The driver agreed. "I'll just be waiting across the street."

"Better than nothing." Toph replied.

She turned, took Liling's wrist and pulled her into the shop.

All the shop assistants and even the few customers were all waiting when the two girls walked in. The shop owner was just coming out of his office with the manager. They had all seen the carriage drive up and had noted the flying boar coat of arms on the door.

"Good afternoon." The owner said rushing up and bowing to the two young girls.

"Not yet!" Toph told him, without returning the bow. "But it could be a very good one for you."

Toph pulled out her passport and held it up.

"I am Toph Bei Fong, daughter of Grand Duke Lao Bei Fong and I don't have all afternoon." She announced to the assembled staff.

"I am Chao Dong the owner of this humble shop." The man who had greeted them said, bowing even lower this time. "Please allow me…"

"Thank you but I really don't have the time, just add it to the bill." Toph said cutting him off. "I need three outfits like the one I'm wearing but different enough so that my mother can see that I've changed from day to day. I'll also need two nice outfits for evening wear."

"Of course, miss Bei Fong." Dong said with a bow.

He signaled his staff who pulled out measuring tapes and note books and descended on the blind girl. Toph didn't resist, she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. On the trip in she had tried to think the way Sokka did things, and had planned her speech.

She was nervous and unsure of herself which made her rude to compensate. She had only been clothes shopping that one time with Laura at the fair, well she guessed that the day before with Sokka at the fair could be considered clothes shopping. But that had been nothing compared to what Laura had put her through.

"I have a list." A small voice off to Toph's side said.

It was Liling. She had scuttled off to the side, to get out of the way of the shop assistants. Now the young servant had pulled the letter of introduction she had received from Miss Cuifen which had a list of the outfits needed for both her mistress and herself.

Oh fuck! Toph thought.

In her hurry to get this over with she had forgotten about Poor Girl.

"This is…" Fuck! She could never remember Poor Girl's name. "…My Lady's Maid. She needs…"

Toph couldn't remember how many of what Poor Girl needed.

"Three everyday outfits." Liling added cautiously, holding up the list.

"Make it… seven, one for every day." Toph added wanting to make up for her forgetting the other girl. "And… three nice evening outfits… and a party outfit… no make that two party outfits, one fun and one nice."

There was a squawk of surprise as Liling was attacked by two shop assistants armed with measuring tapes.

"And I want to be out of here in half an hour." Toph demanded.

Minh looked back at the column as it moved up the broad avenue. The Avatar had returned as promised and the king and Yun Hee were riding in the saddle while the water bender and the Avatar were riding on Appa's head as the great beast walked along just behind Truong's squad.

Inspector Wong's people were out in front of the column directing traffic. Zhao and his people were marching behind the sky bison.

"Scout returning." Sergeant Hualing called from the head of the column.

Minh looked ahead. The scout was the civilian rider that Gok was sweet on. She had offered Ting the job of civilian scout, a common practice for the cavalry in unfamiliar territory. The young woman had jumped at the chance, and seemed to be having the time of her life, riding ahead of the column and galloping back.

Minh was happy with the arrangement. Ting had given Gok a map of the city, but the new general was sure the civilian was better than any map ever made, since she knew the city and its inhabitants. The civilian was a map and a guide book that could answer questions.

"Sir…" Ting said riding up to the commander.

"Ma'am." Gok corrected her quietly.

"Right… sorry…" Ting amended. "Ma'am there's a group of VIPs getting off of a train at the station up ahead."

"VIPs?" Minh asked.

"They're too well dressed to ever visit the lower ring let alone live here." Ting answered. "Plus there are cops everywhere. I told Wong about it and she's going up to investigate."

"Alright, good job." Minh said, it was as close to a compliment Minh was likely to give the new scout.

"Oh… and another thing." Ting said remembering. "My boss from NAT sent me a message that she has a little gift for his majesty up ahead."

"What kind of gift?" The general asked, she didn't like surprises.

"Not sure, she didn't say." The scout answered.

"Alright…" Minh said, unsatisfied. "Go back out ahead of the column and keep your eyes open."

"Yes sir." Ting said with a bow.

"Ma'am." Gok corrected.

"What?!" Ting asked.

"Never mind." Minh told them, with a shake of her head.

"I…?" Ting said, but then gave up and rode up the column again.

...

A few minutes later Hualing called from the head of the column,

"Group approaching, Lots of police, and Wong is in the lead."

"Well we better find out who these VIPs are." Minh said looking to Ho and Gok.

The three pulled out of the line and rode forward past the head of the column.

Coming towards them was a large group. In the lead was Inspector Wong, behind her was a very elegantly dressed older tall thin man in a long silk robe of dark green with pale green trim. On his head was a round hat with a small green glass bead on the very top and a long peacock feather trailing away to the back. Behind the older man were about ten younger men, all well dressed in long robes with similar hats but lacking the bead and the feather. Half of them were carrying messenger hawks on their forearms.

Behind the civilians were five older men in fancy police uniforms and directly behind the five was a contingent of about fifty patrol officers, men and women marching in rank and file.

The people who lived in the area and who were lining the streets and hanging out of the windows grew quiet as the group passed them.

"General Minh…" Inspector Wong said bowing. "I have the honor to present The Minister for Justice, The Lord Yao."

"Minister." Minh said bowing in her saddle.

"General." Yao said returning the bow.

"Yao is that you?" Someone called from behind Minh.

Well not just someone. It was his majesty the king. Minh sighed with frustration. She turned in her saddle and saw the monarch standing in the saddle of the giant bison. He was holding onto the cantle for support, as the Avatar guided the beast out of the column and right up to the rear of her group.

Her job was to keep the man safe and he was constantly putting himself in danger. She could understand the Avatar and the Waterbender they were just kids, but the king was older and should know better.

"Your majesty?" The minister asked squinting up at the monarch.

"Really Yao… "Kuei said jumping out of the saddle and sliding down the flank of the beast. "You really need to get your own glasses, you can't always be borrowing mine."

His majesty walked past the soldiers and carefully taking his spectacles off his nose handed them to the minister.

Minh was about to have a fit. She was deciding which one of the ministers' people was the most dangerous and who she would take out first.

A large smile broke out on the minister's face as he accepted the glasses.

"Your majesty!" Yao said giving the monarch a deep bow.

The minister's party all followed suit given deep and reverent bows to the king.

When the older man straightened up he turned to the young man directly behind him and nodded. The secretary pulled a prepared scroll from a dispatch case and handed it to one of the men carrying the messenger hawks. The scroll was slipped into the carrier and the bird was flying off in a few seconds.

"I was just letting the rest of the ministry know that the king has returned to the city." Yao explained.

The older man now held the pince-nez up to his eyes and looked at Kuei.

"I see that your travels have not improved your eye sight, your majesty" The minister said handing the spectacles back to his king.

"But perhaps it has helped improve my vision." Kuei said with a smile placing the glasses back on his nose.

"I can believe that your majesty." The minister said with another bow, but then he pointed to the pince-nez again. "Though new glasses may help as well since those are scratched."

"Yes we had small problem with the Dai Li earlier this morning." The king explained while examining his spectacles.

"It might be time to take another look under Lake Laogai." Yao suggested.

"Please do so minister." The king told him.

Yao looked to his secretary and within seconds another prepared scroll was loaded into the carrier and another hawk was launched into the sky.

"Would you care to join me on the Avatar's sky bison, minister?" Kuei asked.

"It would be a singular honor, your majesty." Yao replied with a deep bow. "General I hope you will allow my followers to join your procession."

"It would be an honor." Minh replied bowing in her saddle. "You didn't happen to see any military units heading in this direction during you journey from the palace?"

"Yes now that you mention it, I did see a number of generals and about three or four thousands soldiers assembling in the royal compound." The minister answered. "We got here well ahead of them by taking the train. They are coming by foot which is much slower of course."

"Of course." Minh agreed.

"I've just order ten thousand of my city and national police officers to meet us before we get to the inner wall into the upper ring." Yao continued. "Including half of my special weapons and operations teams. The other half will be moving on Lake Laogai in about fifteen minutes. I can recall them if you want me too?"

"No… No, that will be fine." Minh answered.

If there was trouble ahead an extra ten thousand uniformed and trained officers would be a welcome addition to her column, and the people the minister had moving on Lake Laogai should draw any Dai Li out of the streets to defend their home base. Her next and hopefully last challenge would be the military up ahead.

It was closer to an hour before Toph and Liling had finished their shopping. Toph was chaffing and ready to leave. Liling was still in shock.

First there had been all the people touching her and spinning her around and talking about her "look". Then there had been all the clothes.

She was happy that she and Toph had been given a small room for the two of them to change in. She had been worried about that. Stripped down to just her loin cloth the scars on her buttocks and the backs of her thighs would have been seen, which would have been terribly embarrassing. Everyone would have known just how horrible a servant she had been to deserve such punishment.

The evening outfits had been very elegant with layer after layer of clothing and too long sleeves. Liling didn't think she would be able to get any work done while she was wearing any of them.

The nice party outfit had even more layers and the sleeves were so long and the cuffs so wide that she felt like she was wearing wings.

The cute party outfit was… well scary. The pants were so shear and tight that Liling felt like she was naked wearing them. The top robe was three layers with long full wing like sleeves but it was so short that it just covered her butt, and it was open at the neck and plunged down to close only just past her chest. Apparently it was a style that was very au courant in Ba Sing Se. Something about some kind of look that was all the rage.

The shop assistant, that was helping her, told Liling that she would need new underclothes to go with the new outfit. The new underthings weren't clothes at all just some patches of cloth tied together by some light cords. Toph had told her,

"If it's comfortable you're not wearing it right."

Poor Girl only hoped that she would never be invited to a party where she would have to wear the outfit. She would die of embarrassment.

Then there were the shoes. She didn't like to think about actually trying to wear them for more than a few seconds. It would be torture, and the heels were so high, she probably would fall off of them and break her ankle.

Toph refused to try on any shoes and she would only try on one of each type of outfit. Once changed, she would go out into the shop and perform a number of earth bending forms. Afterward she would give instructions for the alterations she wanted. She even ran around the shop once, jumping onto chairs or over them, and then giving more instructions.

Toph asked Poor Girl's opinion on each of the outfits, which surprised and frightened the servant. Liling would describe the colors and how each item looked on her mistress. Even going so far eventually to offering a few suggestions on some of the alterations.

Toph seemed pleased with the help, and incorporated Liling's ideas.

Once they were finally finished Toph called the owner and all his staff together.

"We will be back in a few hours." Toph told them. "And pick up anything that you have ready for us. The rest can be sent on to the estate when they are ready."

"Yes, Miss Bei Fong." The owner said with a bow. "And I will make sure that Miss Liling's party outfits will be finished first and sent to the estate by tomorrow afternoon."

"Good." Toph told him.

She reached into her belt and pulled out a number of small silver coins and began handing them out to the shop assistants.

There was a chorus of,

"Thank you, Miss Bei Fong."

And bows from the young women as they received the coins.

Liling felt for the small purse at her neck and the five small coins in it.

"If any of those men from the carriage come looking for us…" Toph told them as she handed out the coins. "…You're to tell them that we are in the dressing room and have given strict instructions that we will not come out until they have left. Is that clear?"

"Oh yes Miss Bei Fong." The assistants all answered with more bows, and smiles.

"That will not be a problem." The owner said with a knowing smile and an obsequies bow.

"Good." Toph said as she handed him a large silver coin. "Now where's the back door?"

"Right this way." Dong said leading the two young women into the back of the shop.

Toph grabbed Liling's wrist and pulled her along behind the owner. Soon the two were standing in a back alley.

"What are you doing Mistress?" Poor Girl asked.

She was confused and frightened.

"Don't worry." Toph told her reassuringly as she moved into her horse stance. "We're just going to do a little more shopping and have a little fun."

Liling felt a trembling under her feet then Toph straightened up, grabbed her wrist again and began to pull her down the alley. After a couple of streets Toph stopped, tapped her foot once and turned to her maid.

"Don't move!" The bender commanded.

Poor Girl gave a cry of surprise as she felt the ground drop out from under her. She was lowered swiftly down and then came to a hard stop. Toph grabbed her arms and kept her on her feet.

As her eyes adjusted Poor Girl could now see that the two of them were standing in a long tunnel running under the street. There were glow crystals in sconces along the wall. With a gesture from her mistress a chair rose up out of the floor of the tunnel in front of her.

"Sit here." Toph told her patting the back of the chair.

Liling did as she was told. She could sense movement behind her and then she had to hold back a scream, and hold onto the seat of the chair, as it began rushing, it felt like flying, down the tunnel, with Toph right behind holding onto the back pushing the chair along at this insane speed.

Poor Girl guessed that this was earth bending. She had only seen a little of it on the estate, mostly the soldiers training or just showing off. Toph's lessons had been private and she had never seen her mistress do any bending.

Liling couldn't tell how long they traveled through the tunnels. It seemed like a long time. The turns were the most frightening part since Toph didn't slow down at all.

Eventually they did begin to slow. They came out of the tunnel into a large underground area with tunnels from different directions all ending in a central small cavern. On one side were the tunnel entrances and on the other was a large archway over which was a legend reading 'Competitors Entrance'. The archway was filled with a heavy stone slab.

Toph walked towards the blocked entrance and stood before it for almost a minute as though lost in thought, or perhaps she was listening for something.

"Mistress? Is there something wrong?" Liling asked not sure what her mistress was doing.

Startled Toph turned to the servant. With a gesture the chair disappeared down into the ground.

"No, it's just that I can't feel any bending." The blind girl told her with a thoughtful, distracted, almost worried tone, to her voice. "There is always bending here. All the time, day and night, every day."

Toph widened her stance and sweeping her arms down and out stomped her right foot into the ground. The great slab blocking the entrance dropped into the floor. She listened for a moment. Then she turned, took Poor Girl by the wrist and led her into the archway.

It was a long corridor with rooms on either side. Some were open and others were closed with stone slabs for doors. The corridor was dark. There were glow crystals on the walls, and it might have been brightly lit at one time, but now many of the sconces were empty.

Toph pulled her down the corridor at first at a walk but then faster and faster. Her mistress' bare feet slapping against the stone floor. Faster and faster she pulled Liling along. Past rooms, past branching corridors, faster and faster until the servant had to run to keep up with her mistress.

Poor Girl looked ahead and in the dim light saw that they were heading for a dead end. A blank wall that Toph seemed determined to run right into. But with a gesture of her free hand the wall became a doorway as the slab shot into the floor, and they were running over a stone bridge.

Toph finally stopped on the other side of the bridge. Liling almost ran into her the stop was so abrupt. The two of them were standing on a large circular platform in a large dark circular cavern with tiers of benches going up into the darkness. The raised platform they were now on was in the center of the space and it was made of packed earth.

The blind girl released her grip on Poor Girl and walked into the center of the circle of earth.

"Empty…" She said turning slowly in a circle mimicking the arena itself.

She stopped and lowered her head lost in thought.

"You kids can't be here!" An old man yelled from one of the many entrances to the arena. "This place is closed!"

Liling jumped at the sound of the voice, ready to run for her life.

Toph dropped into a low aggressive stance facing towards the old man, then a smile broke out on her face as she straightened up.

"If you were doing your job old man we wouldn't be able to get in here." Toph called out in raucous challenging tone.

The thin little man squinted into the darkness.

"Bandit?" He asked, surprise and hope joining together in his voice.

"Who else was always getting past you?!" She called out to him.

"The Blind Bandit!" The old man yelled in glee. "I never thought I'd ever see you again!"

Toph pounded her foot into the floor and the old man was launched into the air by an earth pillar. He gave a shout of surprise as he flew from the stands out over the fighting area. Toph took a different stance and a great earth hand rose up and caught the old man and gently lowered him onto the ground.

"I could have walked." The watchman said wobbling a little on his feet.

Toph just laughed in reply.

"I'm Chian." The old man said, bowing to Poor Girl.

"This is… Laura." Toph said jumping in before Liling could respond. "She's a friend of mine."

"Any friend of the Blind Bandit is always welcome at the Earth Rumble Arena." Chian told her with another bow.

Liling bowed in reply. She wasn't sure what was going on. There had been rumors after Toph had left that the young noble woman had been sneaking out and fighting in underground Earth Bending tournaments. Poor Girl realized that this must be the place where the tournaments were held. And her mistress must have fought under the false name of the Blind Bandit.

"Where is everyone?" Toph asked gesturing to the arena. "There always used to be benders around here, training and working out."

"Well you left, and you were the biggest draw of all the fighters. Then Xin Fu shut the place down while he was out of town for months." Chian explained. "By the time he got back The Boulder and the Hippo had left. All the two of them said was that they had gotten a message from you and were going off to fight in the war. Well after that most of the other benders decided to join in the fight against the Fire Nation too. And without the benders there were no tournaments."

"But now that the war is over and with you being back everything can return to normal." The old man crowed clapping his hands in glee.

Toph felt a thrill of pride course through her at the thought that these professional tough guys had gone off to fight in the war because of her. An idea struck her at that point that caused her to laugh out loud.

"What?" The old man asked, looking at her.

"I was just thinking that I would have liked to have been there when 'Fire Nation Man' tried to join the Earth Army." Toph answered, still laughing.

Chian laughed with her.

"His name is Lee Po." The old man told her growing reminiscent. "He was born and grew up in Gaoling. He loved the tournaments, and used to sneak in to watch when he was a little boy. His bending was never that good, but he figured out if he was 'Fire Nation Man' he could get in the tournaments even if he lost all the time. The crowd loved seeing him lose. So he made that outfit and made up that ridiculous accent, he had no idea how people from the Fire Nation actually sounded."

"What happened?" Liling asked

"Well he enlisted as Lee Po and the army took him with no questions." Chian explained. "The last I heard was that he got hurt in a battle and was captured."

All three were quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

Toph reached out and took the old man's sleeve.

"Chian I need to ask you about a place the guys used to talk about." She said as she pulled him off to the side of the dais.

Liling couldn't hear what they were talking about. She was standing in the middle of the ring and looking out into the arena wondering what it would be like to the be the center of all those tens of thousands of people attention. All of them looking at her, and cheering, loving her.

She was still standing staring into the huge space when Toph grabbed her wrist and pulled her along back the way they had come.

"Come on!" The bender said breaking into a run. "We don't have a lot of time."

Sokka moved quietly but quickly through the woods of the Be Fong Estate. He had left the walled compound and moved into the wooded area to accomplish three things. The first to try and forget about the letter from Suki and his complete failure as a boyfriend. The second had been to hunt birds. He would need the feathers when he met his father and the rest of the Southern Tribesmen in two weeks. The last was to make supplies for the fishing trip tomorrow.

The first he had been unable to do. It still scratched at his mind.

The second had been much easier. These woods had not been hunted in generations and the animals in it were not afraid of humans. They probably hadn't seen many. They were timid around him. But they did not flee at the sight or scent of him.

His boomerang had done him good service and his game bag was bulging. But there was one more bird he needed before he could move on to the last reason he had come into the woods that afternoon.

It was a Raven/Eagle. He had seen it circling off to the west and had been working his way towards it for over two hours now.

General Fong raised himself up in his saddle and looked over the roughly three thousand men and women that comprised the Iron Brigade. He had run them through almost half the length of the city. From the Inner Royal Ring, through the Upper and Middle Rings to here. The gate from the Lower Ring into the Middle Ring.

Most of the troops were doubled over, panting, some were on their knees throwing up. It was the hottest part of the day and they had been running in full armor and with a full combat load of equipment and weapons.

Fong had pushed them hard but he had won. He had taken this gate before the Royal procession had arrived. Now he could overwhelm the small force guarding the monarch and put them all under arrest before they could enter the Middle Ring, and those who should rule would continue to rule.

"Sir?" Fong's aide, Colonel Shen asked, getting the general's attention. "General Wei sir."

Wei was a young man for a brigadier general. He was tall and heavily built like so many earthbenders. He bore a nasty burn scar on the side of his face and neck from the battle of the High Pass, where he had led the infantry charge that had driven the Fire Army back long enough for the rest of Fong's army to escape. That was why he now commanded the Iron Brigade.

"General." Wei said with a bow in his saddle as he approached the Army Commander.

"I have to tell you General that I am disappointed in the conduct of your troops." Fong said in an angry tone, while gesturing towards the exhausted soldiers.

Wei bristled at the rebuke, but quickly got himself under control.

"General Fong, my brigade has done everything you have asked of it. I defy to you to find any other unit in the army, large or small, that could have done that run as well as, and with as few stragglers as we have."

"Just how many stragglers were there?" Colonel Shen asked pulling out his note book and dry pen.

"Twenty percent." Was Wei's sharp reply. "They are still catching up and within the hour will have rejoined their units."

"Twenty percent." Fong disparaged the unit. "From a little run?"

That earned Fong a look from the brigade commander. But the younger man was able to keep his temper under control and replied with a simple.

"Yes Sir. From a little run. Sir." He had no intention of giving Fong the satisfaction of offering an excuse. "Speaking of which I'm going to send details from each company to fill canteens. The troops need water."

"Wei, you have to get your brigade under control." Fong ordered, not hiding the distain he felt for the younger officer. "Your troops don't need water they need discipline. Now get them in hand. I want them deployed and ready to fight in five minutes."

"Fight who, sir?!" The brigade leader demanded. "The war is over, the Fire Army is in retreat. We are occupying our own capital. There is no one to fight except our own people."

"Wei this war isn't over until I tell you it is!" Fong nearly shouted at the younger man. "And your troops will fight whoever I tell them to fight. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." The brigadier said with a sharp bow in his saddle.

Wei turned his ostrich/horse and galloped back to the front of his command and began deploying his battalions.

"Make a note." Fong told his aide. "Wei is too fond of his people, he'll have to be replaced."

"Yes sir." The colonel said making the note in his book.

After another terrifying, but mercifully short ride in an earth chair, Liling found herself standing with her mistress on a street corner in an older, poorer section of the city.

The block to her left seemed to be mostly stables and repair shops of one kind or another. To her right were shops selling old second hand clothes, and also some displaying newer and much flashier clothing, there were also a few art and book stores. One book store caught her eye with a garishly painted sign for apparently a new book called 'The Dark Twins' stating that it was 'Heavily Illustrated'.

Liling wasn't sure what a few of the shops sold. She looked at the names but they provided no clue to her.

"Look for a place called 'Inky, Dinky, Do'" Toph explained standing next to the young Lady's Maid. "Chian said it was the best in town."

Liling suddenly realized that her mistress couldn't read. Then it struck her that she had forgotten that Toph was blind. The young bender had been so confident and had moved so purposefully through the day that the young servant had forgotten all about her employer's inability to see. She began to scan the signs on the shop fronts.

"He said it was next to a shop called…" Toph began but was cut off by the young servant's voice.

"Just Passing Through?" Liling asked, pointing down the block.

"That's it!" Toph declared.

The blind girl became hesitant for a moment then came to a decision.

"I don't want them to know who I am." She explained to Liling. "I don't want any complications. So… when we get there don't call me Toph, or Mistress, or anything like that. Call me… Misty, ok?"

"Of course Miss Bei Fong." The servant replied.

Toph looked to the ground and just shook her head quietly.

"I mean Misty." Liling amended.

"Good." The younger girl praised. "And I'll call you Laura. Got it?"

"Yes Misty." The servant said.

"Sweet!" Toph said taking the other girl's wrist and pulling her across the street.

Inside Liling saw that the shop was long and narrow as if it and the shop next door, which to the servant, from what she saw in the small window, seemed to sell jewelry, had all been one shop at some time and had now been divided down the middle by a thin partition, into two shops.

Inky, Dinky, Do's had three chairs each paired with a low stool. Each pair seemed to be set up at a station with a counter and a good mirror on the partition wall, dividing the two shops. The counters were covered with small colored vials.

The back wall and all around the mirror were small pieces of paper with art work on them. Most where monochrome but some of them were very colorful. Each station seemed to be in a different style.

The entire shop smelled strongly of ink, and alcohol.

In the first chair by the door was a very drunk looking young man, who gave the two young women a large, toothy, wet smile. A very large man was sitting on the low stool and was tapping something next to the young man's upper arm. The artist stopped and wiped the arm leaning back to get a better look.

The large man doing the art was wearing a sleeveless dark green coat and black pants that ended just below his knees. Liling at first thought the artist was wearing a tight odd shirt that was covered in blobs of faded blue paint. But after looking closer she realized that it was the skin of his arms that was painted. And then she finally understood that it wasn't paint but actually ink that had stained his arms in various artistic pieces. Some were snakes, she saw a skull and other symbols that she could not really see clearly.

The idea of staining yourself that way frightened her.

Liling looked to the young man in the chair and could see that on his arm was a painting of a ship under full sail cresting a wave right towards the viewer. Beneath the painting were the words 'Homeward Bound'. Although the last word was just in outline. It was really quite a beautiful painting, from what Liling could see of it.

The large man had been doing something with one of the implements he was using and now that he was apparently finished turned back to the young man in the chair and the tapping started again. The young man's smile became forced but he held it on the two young women. Giving them a wink.

"'Can I hep ya tuu." The man sitting in the next station asked.

Liling looked and was quite shocked to see a thin little man with a leaf hat on his head, which wasn't so bad but the only other clothes he seemed to be wearing was a skirt also made of leaves.

He was covered in black geometric shapes that circled his arms, his body, his legs, and even his chin had marks on it, as though he had been eating something that had spilled down his out of his mouth.

He had a strange way of pronouncing his words that Liling had never heard before. He obviously was not from Gaoling. Another thing that struck the girl were his eyes. They were dark blue like Master Sokka's but his skin was light like her own and not dark like the Watertribesman.

"That there is Dinky, on account of his peteet size." Leaf man said with a chuckle pointing to the large man on the stool.

Dinky growled but continued to work on the young man's arm.

"Amm Du, my specialialitee is tribal art, since Ahm a tribesman an oll." He told the two holding up his arms to display the art work on them.

"An bahk thar is Inky. She duz fancie dragons an tigars an such, with lotsa coloor." He pointed to the back of the shop where a woman was sitting in the chair at the third and last station.

He stared a Toph for a moment and then scratching under his leaf hat, a look of understanding flashed across his face as he pointed to her and asked,

"Sayyy don' Ah know yuuu?"

"I don't think so." Toph answered. "But you can help me. I need this here."

With this last she pulled a round piece of marble from her belt, and with her other hand pointed to the center of her chest.

Du looked at the piece of stone and then turned towards Inky and called out,

"Gaht wun a yuur specialls Inky."

The woman looked up and motioned the two girls to come back to her station.

Inky was wearing a sleeveless tunic and short pants that ended just at the top her legs. She was also covered in ink stain art work. On her right leg was a green dragon with red eyes that circled around her leg. On her left was an orange and black tiger climbing up and looking out at whoever was looking at the young woman. They were very beautiful but still scary to Liling.

Inky got out of the chair and looked at the stone and then at Toph.

"I don't do drunks." She told her.

"I started this a week ago and he was cold sober when he commissioned it." Dinky called from the front of the shop.

"Yeah, yeah." The woman replied dismissively, waving her hand.

She tuned back to Toph.

"And I don't do kids." Inky told her. "And you look pretty young."

"Shee were old enouff to risk hear life invadin the Fire Nation." Du said from the next station. "Ah finilly r'memmbered wheare Ah had seeen hear bforrr. Ah haff to thank yu fur that. If'n I hadnnt been cotched and thrown inta thaht thar prison camp Ah never woulda learneed abou this here art style, an Ah'd a been back in tha swamp righ now."

"She was there with you?" Inky asked the swamp man.

"Tharrr… Hell shea wus leed'n the arthbenders." Du replied.

"Well I guess you're old enough to get a little art on your skin." Inky conceded.

The artist held out her hand and Toph handed over the half sphere of marble. Inky examined it closely for a minute.

"This is not just a piece of art this is something special." Inky told the young woman. "It means something. It means a lot."

She pulled her robe part way open and showed a black lotus tattooed on the center of her chest.

"She's showing you a flower painted on her chest, mistr…. Misty." Liling told Toph.

"I know what it means." Toph told the artist. "It means I can't be bought or sold, not even by my mother. That I belong to myself and on the last day I will fight by his side with all my sisters."

"Alright…" Inky allowed.

She stared at Toph for a moment and working up the resolve she finally asked.

"Can you see?"

"I'm the Blind Bandit." Toph told her. "Emphasis on the blind. That's why she's here." She pointed to Liling. "This is my friend Laura, she's here to make sure you do a good job."

"Ok, you the friend you set up that screen." Inky told Liling pointing to a folding screen leaning against the wall. "The boys always seem to need something from this end of the shop whenever I do one of these."

"Are you going to want one too?" Inky asked as Liling went to get the screen.

"What?!" Poor Girl asked, pointing to herself. "Me! No!"

"Sorry I just thought…" The artist said pointing to the young girl's face.

Liling touched her face and then looked at herself in the mirror. The makeup Miss Cuifen had put on her that morning was mostly gone now and the red marks on her face had turned purple and blue, and the swelling was even worse.

The young girl flushed seeing herself.

"I'm fine." She said to the artist dropping her chin to hide her face.

"Ok…" Inky replied though she didn't seem to think that it was ok.

"You need to strip to the waist and get in the chair." She told Toph handing her a towel. "You can drape this over your neck and cover your important bits with it."

Liling unfolded and set the screen in place shielding the station and then helped her mistress undress. This all seemed very odd and wrong and dangerous to the young servant, and very, very, bad which gave it all a thrill of adventure. She was amazed at how free her mistress was.

Toph was being bombarded with second thoughts about getting this tattoo. She wanted to make a stand against her mother but was this it? She slowly started to undress. Thankfully Poor Girl started to help her which was reassuring. She wished Sokka was here. Then she blushed deeply as Poor Girl helped her take her top robe off. Maybe it was better that he wasn't here right now.

"Alright." Inky said as though beginning a prepared speech, which indeed she was. "This is going to hurt. You've picked one of the most painful spots on your body to get work done. It's thin skin right over the breast bone. I recommend you do it in two or even three sessions spread over about a week. Also this is not just some decoration. This symbol means something, something important so you better be sure you want it on your chest for the rest of your life."

"I'm sure!" Toph answered not sure at all but with as much bravado as she could muster, which was quite a lot actually, in her voice. "And I need it finished this afternoon."

"It's gonna hurt." Inky warned.

"Then let's get started and get it over with." Toph told the artist while pulling her under tunic over her head.

Liling draped the towel around Toph's neck so the tails would cover her breasts, then she helped her mistress take off her breast wrapper.

Inky had been staring at the marble disc the blind girl had given her.

"So… Do you want this?" The artist asked holding up the disc. "Or do you want my usual?"

With that Inky held up a sheet of paper.

"Sounds like a piece of paper." Toph said, climbing up into the chair.

"It's a painting of a lotus blossom all in black, Mistr…ty." Liling explained.

"Right, sorry, I forgot." Inky said. "The one I normally do is larger and has less detail then the impression in the stone you gave me."

"I want it just like the one I gave you." Toph told her in a dead serious tone. "Laura, make sure she does it just like the one in the stone."

"Yes, Misty." Liling replied with a small bow.

"Alright." The artist said. "Let's get started."

Inky kicked the low stool over to the chair and then pulled a lever dropping the back of the chair down till Toph was lying vertically. Liling deftly arranged the towel so that it continued to cover the blind girl's breasts.

"Nice." The artist said pointing to the naval piercing. "Did you get that next door?"

Liling gave a little gasp of surprise, not having noticed it before.

"What?" Toph asked.

"Sorry, your piercing." Inky explained.

"Oh, no. I got that a while ago someplace else." Toph explained touching the chain.

"Nice!" The artist said again sitting on the stool and pulling a small table over to within easy reach. "Oh… now that's really nice, where did you get that?"

"She's pointing to your necklace." Liling explained.

"It's a gift." Toph answered. "A friend got it for me at a fair."

"Nice friend." Inky commented sitting down on the stool.

Toph felt the cold marble of the disc with the impression of Spring Rain's pommel on her chest just above the line of her breasts. She took an uneasy breath.

"I'll draw the outline and let your friend check it to make sure it's what you want, before I ink it." Inky explained. "I know it's hard but the more relaxed you are the better it will turn out."

"Right." Toph said taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I'm ready!"

General Fong was sitting on his Ostrich/horse near the head of his troops by the gate into the middle ring. The animal was becoming restive, being tired after carrying him for so long. But he felt he could not dismount and rest the beast. That would put him on the same level as the enlisted infantry which was no place for a general. His troops had to be able to see him.

Another dispatch rider approached, and handed Colonel Shen a message.

The problem with messages was one that Fong had not thought of. Reports from other units were being sent by hawk to the general's headquarters up in the inner ring. Then they had to be brought all the way down here to the lower ring by dispatch riders. Orders had to go back the same way which, even with the riders going as fast as they could through the city, was causing a long delay in receiving and sending dispatches.

"Another report about the Metropolitan Police leaving their stations and marching as units towards this gate." Colonel Shen explained handing over the dispatch.

"What's the estimate now?" Fong asked his aide.

"At least ten thousand, out of a force of about forty thousand." The colonel replied. "And still no reports on the Special Earthbending and Tactics teams."

"What about the Royal Mounted Police?" The general asked next, asking about the national police force that was headquartered in Ba Sing Se but would normally range all over the kingdom.

"No word except for a company of ceremonial lancers that have joined the procession."

Minister Yao is pulling out everything he has. Fong thought.

There was a growing rumble of earthbending from behind them. The general deigned to look at the sound and saw that a large body of troops were earthbending themselves along the top of the great wall. They were coming from both directions and had to be at least two brigades worth of soldiers.

They joined the troops already assembled above the gate. Then a ledge of earth jutted out from the top of the wall and a contingent of troops with what looked like a general and his staff walked out on the ledge, which then dropped to the ground.

The Fong could see that it was General Sung, member of the ruling council and commander of the wall division, his staff, and what Fong recognized as the Terra Team, supposedly the best earthbenders in the city and Sung's personal pets, that had just arrived on the scene.

"General." Sung said with a small bow as he approached.

"General." Fong replied with his own small bow from his saddle.

"I received a number of reports from my people that the King's procession will be here soon." Sung told the field officer.

"Are we certain it is the King?" Fong asked.

"The Avatar seems satisfied as well as Minister Yao. One of my companies has already acted in defense of his Majesty." Sung explained with some pride. "Your experience with the Avatar was quite a bit different than mine has been. But I'm sure you trust his judgment, as do I, as will General in Chief How."

"The Avatar is only a boy, and can be easily fooled." Fong replied with some heat.

"Ah yes…" Sung said thoughtfully, tapping his chin for effect. "You fooled him once, didn't you? Something about burying his companion alive. How did that work out for you?"

"It was necessary for the war." Fong told the other man.

"Yes… And I'm sure that the Avatar will trust your judgment just as much now as he did at the end of that incident." Sung said with a smile.

Fong didn't reply.

"Well I need to join my troops." Sung said with a small bow. "Who are already doing their duty, guarding his Majesty."

Sung marched towards the broad avenue leading off to the south, followed by his staff and his elite company.

There were more dispatches after that. Scouts reporting that more civilians had joined the end of the procession. At least twenty thousand by now. And that more and more people had lined the parade route. Thousands and thousands. That the King, the Avatar, the Waterbender and Minister Yao were now riding on the Avatar's sky bison.

The cheering of the crowds could now be heard coming up from the southern avenue. There was a sudden increase in the cheers.

"That must be General Sung acknowledging the King." Colonel Shen observed.

"Idiot!" Fong cursed.

"Another dispatch General." Shen said pointing to the gate.

The rider galloped up to the aide and handed over the message. The colonel signed for it and tore it open.

"What?!" Fong impatiently demanded from his aide.

"There's been a raid sir." The colonel responded his face ashen. "A large detachment of the Royal Police supported by SET teams and four battalions of Riot Control companies of the metropolitan police force have raided the… establishment under Lake Laogai."

"But the MP guard posts!" Fong nearly shouted.

"By passed sir." The aide continued. "Either under or around. The… special agents were taken completely by surprise, and most were in custody before they even knew they were under attack. The entire facility was captured intact, all the way down to the dungeon level."

"Everything?!" Fong asked in a low harsh voice. "The records, everything?!"

"From what the report says, yes sir." Shen said reading from the report. "The police must have been planning this for months."

"Yao! You Bastard!" Fong cursed.

Sokka let boomerang fly. The great raven/eagle sitting safely at the top of the tallest tree in the area lazily looked up at the sound. He knew that no predator in these woods could reach him in his high perch. When the bird saw the flying thing it was too late. He didn't even have the time to spread his wings before he was struck and falling.

The warrior snatched boomerang out of the air as it flew back to him then took off at a run towards where the kill had fallen.

He found it with no trouble. It was dead, killed before it had hit the ground. He stood and sang the great bird's death song. He had to make it up as so many things in this brave new world he was now living in.

Once finished he used a cord to bundle the raptor up and tied it to the strap of his game bag slung across his chest. The bag was already full.

Now for the last thing, fishing gear. The Grand Duke had said he didn't know about Southern Watertribe customs, so Sokka was going to teach him, fishing Sokka style.

Minh noticed that she was smiling, which surprised her. The smile quickly fled her face. This wasn't over yet. They were still in the lower ring, and even if they had the police and now the Wall Division, thank you General Sung, on their side, the real power still rested with the regular army troops stationed in the city. But at least now it would be fight. A fight she had to avoid at all costs.

Sung, who was riding on the air bison with the Avatar, the Waterbender, as well as minister Yao, had said that General Fong was waiting just ahead at the gate into the middle ring. And he was waiting with the Iron Brigade which had a reputation for being the toughest fighters in the army. She didn't want to start a battle with them when all she had was a company of cavalry and a couple of platoons of garrison infantry troops. True she had the Terra Team under her command now but even though they were an elite unit with a fearsome reputation, they counted less than a platoon in actual numbers. The police could fight but they weren't regulars. She would need a brigade of her own if it came to a fight. And then the idea struck her.

"Your Majesty." Minh called out to the monarch on the bison. "It might be best if you were to add some troops from the regular army into the Royal Guard. We have the police and the Wall Troops, we don't want to be seen as playing favorites after all."

"That's an excellent idea Minh." The King agreed with enthusiasm.

"Then I have your permission to TDA any units that I choose to the Royal Household Guard?" Minh asked.

Kuei gave her a puzzled look at first.

"The general…" Sung explained, though he gave the title general an odd tone, never even having heard of a General Minh until a few minutes ago. "… Is requesting permission to transfer any troops she sees fit unto her own command on a temporary basis."

"Oh!" Kuei said understanding now. "Of course Minh. Do whatever you see fit."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Minh said with a bow from the saddle.

She looked to her small staff.

"What are you planning?" Ho asked, a puzzled and wary expression flashing across his face.

"We're going to do a little recruiting." She said with a smile.

Minh gave Click Clack her heels and they were off at a gallop for the front of the column.

…

"General How approaching sir." Colonel Shen said confidentially.

Fong turned and saw the General in Chief and his staff riding out of the gate towards him. They were all in their dress uniforms.

"General How." Fong said with a small bow from his saddle.

"Fong." The General in Chief returned the bow. "Have your scouts located his Majesty yet?"

"The claimant and his entourage are just now approaching the gate sir." Fong reported.

"Claimant? Really?" How asked, a skeptical tone to his voice and face.

"He has not been acknowledged by the army yet." Fong explained. "There is still some question as to his legitimacy."

"Well I guess we'll have to see for ourselves." How replied. "You've never actually met his majesty have you Fong?"

"I have not had that honor." Fong answered.

"I served him for years." How told the younger general.

"Yes sir." Fong was well aware of the story.

…

General Wei looked across the square to the southern avenue waiting for the head of the procession to appear. Instead he saw a general and her (He thought it was a her, but it was hard to tell at this distance) small staff ride out at the gallop.

They were in their dress uniforms with the royal aiguillettes on their right shoulder.

Police, in their normal patrol uniforms, were steaming out into the plaza as well, moving the civilians to the sides and clearing the way. The police captain seemed unsure of what to do about the soldiers blocking the gate.

The general had no such trepidation. She rode right up to Wei and his staff as they sat on their orses at the front of the brigade.

Wei could see that the rank on her sleeve (at this distance she was obviously a she, a rather nice she) was superior to his own. He looked to his aide and nodded.

Before the aide could speak he was silenced by a wave of the hand of the superior general.

"Don't bother colonel." She said in a loud clear, parade ground voice, signaling to all present that this was going to be a public meeting, and that nothing was going to be done behind the soldiers' backs. "Is this is the IRON BRIGADE?"

Minh shouted this last and got the response she had hoped for. The three thousand soldiers all gave the famous badger/mole growl of the Iron Brigade.

"Then you must be Old Uncle Wei." She called out pointing to the brigade commander.

It was the soldiers' affectionate pet name for their leader, and was known by enlisted troops throughout the army. That earned a cheer from the soldiers.

"You have me at a disadvantage, ma'am." Wei said giving a small bow to the superior general.

"I'm Minh, commander of his majesty's Royal Household Guard." She explained. Returning the bow.

"And what do your troops call you?" Wei asked, with a smile.

"Ma'am, if they don't want to be cleaning latrines for the next thirty years." Minh replied in a no nonsense tone.

That got a laugh from the troops.

"Is that true, sergeant?" Wei asked Gok who was mounted beside his general.

Minh turned to the non-com and waited.

Gok started looking for a good place to hide but nothing really caught his eye just then.

"Answer the General, sergeant." Minh ordered.

Gok swallowed the terror sticking in his throat. This was a no win situation, and he could feel the new stripes on his sleeve disappearing as he opened his mouth to speak.

"They call her… Mommy Minh." He finally got out.

This elicited a series of,

"Oooooohhhsss."

And

"Mommy Minhs."

And even a few,

"Sweet Mommy Minhs."

From the brigade.

It also earned him a very dark look from his commander.

"Mommy Minh?" Wei asked in a most serious tone.

"Sometimes they call her Mean Mommy Minh." Gok replied trying to salvage the situation. "Some people think they call her that because she's strict with her troops, which she is."

Here he stood up in his stirrups and shouted to the brigade.

"But the real reason is that no matter who you are, or what's your rank, if you mess with any of her little boys and girls she will KICK YOUR ASS!"

That got a cheer from the troops, which earned a smile from Minh, which saved Gok his stripes.

"So what can I do for you Mean Mommy Minh?" Wei asked, once the cheering had subsided.

"Well Old Uncle Wei, I need the toughest, hardest fighting bastards ever to wear the Green Coat." Minh called out. "Troops that never retreat, never give up. That will stand their ground against an army if asked to. You wouldn't happen to know a brigade like that would you?"

"That depends on what you need them for, general." Wei answered.

"The toughest job in the Army." Minh called out, addressing the troops directly. "I'm looking for loyal troops. Loyal to the kingdom. Loyal to the people. And Loyal to the king!"

She waited a heartbeat.

"Long live the king." An old sergeant major shouted out.

The brigade took up the cheer.

"Long live the king!"

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

Three thousand voices shouted. And at the end the brigade added their Badger/mole growl.

"GRRRROWWWWWW!"

…

"I believe that you have just lost you best brigade General." How told Fong.

They were still mounted and along with their staffs were back at the gate. They could just hear the cheers coming from the front of the brigade in the plaza.

"If you will excuse me, General." Fong said signaling to his staff to follow him.

"I will not!" How cut him off.

Shocked, Fong looked to the senior officer for an explanation.

"Have I ever told you about how Ba Sing Se fell during the war?" How asked in a conversational tone.

"Sir?" Fong asked surprised by the General in Chief's manner.

"I was betrayed by the Dai Li." How told him, his voice becoming colder as he explained. "I spent months chained up in one of their dungeons. Questioned day after day, for months."

"I was…" Fong began but was cut off.

"I wasn't released until the White Lotus liberated the city." Fong went on, his anger showing now. "A Fire Nation prince had to free me from my own security forces. I swore I would destroy the Dai Li for their treason. After the war they were disbanded, their agents fled, and I could finally sleep peacefully at night."

"Yes Sir." Fong finally said, taking the safe way.

"But recently my G2 has been telling me of rumors that the Dai Li were back, operating in the city." How went on. "And even worse that elements of the army were aiding them. Supporting them."

"That's hard to believe." Fong told him feeling that his uniform was getting rather warm for such a pleasant afternoon.

"Yes, very hard to believe." How agreed. "And without real evidence there was nothing I could do. But I received a report just before I arrived here that the ministry of justice had raided the Dai Li base under Lake Laogai. The raid was so successful that they captured the base intact. That they even captured all the Dai Li's records. One thing I learned while I was their prisoner was that the Dai Li record everything… everything."

"Yes Sir." Fong said beginning to sweat.

"General Fong." How said in a loud clear voice, so that both staffs could hear him. "The crisis here has passed. Your presence is no longer required."

"Yes sir." Fong bowed.

"You will return to the Royal Enclosure." How went on, giving orders now. "You will assemble your men, strike camp, I don't believe his majesty will appreciate an army camped on his front lawn. And you will march them before the sun goes down, out of the city. You will bivouac outside the walls and await further orders. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Fong said with another bow.

"Carry out your orders." How commanded.

With that the senior officer kicked his mount and rode forward into the plaza.

…

"Yes there will be a lot of standing around looking pretty." Minh continued trying to hide the relief she was feeling. "Which will suck the big hairy wet one."

That got a laugh from the troops.

"But that won't be the tough part." Minh went on. "Because the world has changed. The war is over, and the tough times are just starting."

That got her a puzzled murmur from the soldiers.

"After we lost Ba Sing Se." Minh told them. "The king was without a home. Just another refugee trying to make his way in a kingdom that was losing. He didn't run to some noble's palace. Or hide with some army. He traveled his kingdom, disguised as a commoner, living and working with the common people. Earning his way, with his own hands, and his own wits. Just trying to make it through to the end of each day."

"It changed him. He carries a sword now. You may have heard the story of how he was given that sword. It was in a small mountain village far to the south."

She turned in her saddle and pointed in that direction. She could see that the head of the column was now entering the plaza.

"About how deserters from both armies had decided to take what they wanted."

That got a reaction. The Iron Brigade were soldiers who had been with the army for years. Had joined because of the war, and had fought in some of its toughest battles. They prided themselves on their courage and discipline. They hated deserters, saw them as cowards and scum.

"But then one morning a man in black, and girl in white came to that village. And the man recognized his majesty and gave him that sword. And the king used it to fight for the people of that village and for the people of his kingdom."

"It's not some fancy ceremonial piece of silver covered in jewels. It's the same sword issued to every private in the army. A common soldier's sword!"

With that she reached behind her and pulled out her own sword. The one she had been issued all those years ago. Her private's sword. She flourished it above her head.

"The king carries it to this day, because like you he has a duty to perform. To protect his kingdom just like you. And to protect his people, just like you."

She paused for a moment and looked at the sword in her hand.

"This morning, as we entered the city, we were ambushed by a team of Dai Li, trained assassin earthbenders. Do you know who the first person to draw his sword was? Do you know who the first to run TOWARDS the enemy was? Do you know who the first to fight was?"

She paused and listened. There were murmurs among the soldiers. Quiet and questioning at first but then more confident as it went on.

"The king?"

"Do you think?"

"Don't be stupid…"

"I'll bet you a bronze it was."

"Really… The king?"

"His majesty charged the enemy?"

""I'll bet you a silver it was."

"The king."

"The king!"

"The king!"

"I'll bet a gold it was the king!"

"WHO?!" Minh called out.

"THE KING!" Three thousand voices answered.

"Yes the KING!" Minh shouted, quieting the brigade.

"Which is why this is going to be the toughest job in the army." She went on. "Because he won't be hiding in some palace. Oh there will be plenty of ceremonies and parties. But that will be just a small part of the job.

"His majesty is going to be out in the city. Out in the country. And where ever there is trouble that's where he will want to go. And the tough part of the job will be getting into the fight ahead of him."

"So Uncle Wei that's the job I've got. Do you know any troops strong enough, and dumb enough to want to take it?"

Wei had listened to the speech and had carefully watched the speaker. He had never heard of this general Minh before. He had assumed she was a political appointee. Someone who had gained her rank because she was some noble's daughter.

But seeing the scars on her face, and the way she carried herself, and how she used her sword. But most of all in how she spoke to the troops he could see that she was a soldier. She bore no academy ring. She had earned her rank, probably in battle.

The name her troops had given her told him a lot too. Mommy Minh looked out for her people.

He remembered what the troops called General Fong. To the soldiers he was Fong the Fucker. The general who cared more for glory then he did for the lives of his soldiers.

He searched the faces of the soldiers around him. They had been mesmerized by this young general. They trusted her, something troops rarely did.

He had to decide which would be better for his people. Serving under Fong the Fucker, or Mean Mommy Minh. To Old Uncle Wei the choice was clear.

An idea struck him and he searched for a face he might recognize.

That one! He thought seeing the face of a very pretty young private (the fact that she was young, pretty, and female was probably why he remembered her).

"Private Wong!" He called out, figuring that even if her name wasn't Wong there had to be at least one Private Wong nearby, maybe he should have used Lee instead.

She turned her lovely face up to him as he sat on his orse.

"Sir?" She answered snapping to attention.

Wei unslung his sword and offered it to the young private.

"Fair trade." He called out.

His was a very good sword. It had cost as much as five years of a private's pay. But it held no sentimental attachment for him. He never took anything into battle that he would not be willing to throw away if it gave him an advantage.

The private looked at him not understanding.

"Give him your sword." A sergeant nearby told her, reassuringly.

"Oh… yes sir." She replied unslinging her own weapon and tossing it to the general.

Wei tossed his own sword and scabbard to her, and caught the simpler weapon. He held it for a moment looking at it, then at Minh, and finally he surveyed his troops.

Pulling the sword from the scabbard and holding it high over his head he shouted out.

"I pledge my sword, my honor, and my life to his majesty the KING!"

It was quiet for a moment. Then the plaza was filled with the sound of three thousand swords being drawn.

"I PLEDGE MY SWORD." Three thousand voices shouted. "MY HONOR, AND MY LIFE TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING!"

"There's your answer." Wei told the younger general.

"Sir. General in Chief How." General Wei's aide said as the older man rode up.

"Iron Brigade Atten-tion!" Wei ordered.

How joined the two generals in the plaza. He only had his adjutant with him having told the rest of his staff to stay back.

The older general stood in his stirrups so the troops could see him clearly. He was a large vigorous man and was well known through the army.

"If you're going to announce me, you should learn to do it properly." The General in Chief called out.

How had been watching and listening from the rear of the brigade for some time.

"They call me Howling Mad How!" He shouted out to the assembled troops.

That got him a laugh and a cheer from the soldiers.

"So Mommy Minh…" How continued, which got him a few hoots and chuckles from the troops. "It looks like you're stealing my best brigade."

"Sir," Minh answered. "If you're going to steal. Steal the best."

That got a cheer.

"Well you might as well take the whole division now." How offered.

He wanted to see what she would do.

"Sir," She said looking over the brigade. "If I have the Iron Brigade I don't need a division!"

Which earned her another very loud cheer from the troops, and a smile from the General in Chief. She had passed his test.

"General Wei, is that a new sword?" How asked pointing to the private's weapon hanging on the brigade commanders back.

"Yes sir, and I am proud to carry it." Wei answered.

How unslung his own sword and held it up.

"This was given to me by my wife." He announced. "And if I show up tonight without it I will be in a world of shit!"

That got a loud laugh from the troops.

Minh began to unsling her own sword but was stopped by the army commander.

"No Minh, you'll need it more than I will." How told her.

He re-slung his sword onto his back.

"Colonel." He announced to his adjutant. "Record that from this moment the Iron Brigade has been transferred to the Royal Household Guard of his majesty, under the overall command of Major General Minh."

The troops cheered when they heard this.

"Who's your mommy?" General Wei shouted.

"Mean Mommy Minh!" The troops shouted back, and then they added their famous badger/mole growl.

"Well, Old Uncle Wei, Mean Mommy Minh." How said giving small bows to each of the younger generals. "You have work to do, and I have to see if his majesty has room on that flying carpet of the Avatar's for at least one more old soldier."

"Yes sir." The two chorused returning the bows.

"Make the army proud!" He called out to the brigade with a wave.

Which earned him a cheer.

"When all this settles down." He said in a quiet voice as he rode by Minh. "Come and see me so we can have a little talk. Good job."

"Yes sir." Minh replied.

They watched as How rode into the plaza towards the flying bison that had stopped at the large contingent of troops blocking the gate.

"General Wei." Minh called out.

"Ma'am." Wei acknowledged with a bow.

"Assemble your brigade. They will escort his majesty to the royal palace." Minh ordered.

"Yes Ma'am!" Wei bowed.

"Iron Brigade form line of march for the royal palace." Wei ordered. "And move it. No excuses because I'm sure you all know the way."

That earned him a laugh from the soldiers. Orders from the regimental commanders were called out as the troops began to move.

"Music!" Wei called out.

"Sir." The leader of the brigade band answered.

"Sound the Royal Fanfare. Followed by the Royal March."

And to the sound of trumpets the Iron brigade led the procession through the gate.

…

Minh let a little smile tug at her mouth. It might actually be over. She turned to look behind her as she entered the gate into the middle ring. She could see the Avatar and the Waterbender riding on the giant bison's head. And behind them in the saddle were the King, Yun Hee, General How, General Shen, and Minister Yao having an animated conversation.

Ahead of her was the Royal Banner, and beyond it the Iron Brigade marching to the sound of the band playing.

As the banner moved out into the afternoon sunlight the thousands of people lining the avenue and hanging out of the windows of the tall buildings began to cheer.

Minh looked up and was surprised to see little pieces of colored and white paper begin to float down out of the sky almost as if it were snowing.

"I told you we had a lot of scrap paper in our business." Ting the civilian orse woman said from where she rode in Minh's staff. "My boss told me she had a surprise for us. This must be it."

A great cheer went up from the crowd as the sky bison with all the dignitaries cleared the tunnel through the wall. The flurry of paper became a blizzard, even long thin streamers came falling out of the sky.

Minh smiled.

Toph stood on the street outside the shop and took a long deep breath and slowly let it out.

Her chest still hurt but it was calming down now. It was more of a burning pins and needles feeling. Before while the artist was doing the fill in it had hurt so much Toph had felt tears leaking out of her tight shut eyes. Poor Girl had wiped them away, but the blind girl was still embarrassed that she had shown so much weakness.

But that was over now. She took another deep breath.

Poor Girl was standing next to her. She really had been invaluable to Toph during the whole ordeal. From wiping away the tears. And telling her what each stage looked like. To telling her that the final product was,

"Really beautiful, Misty. Really very beautiful. Like a piece of art."

Toph had pushed Poor Girl gently up against the outer stone wall and asked her to repeat what she had said. She had been telling the truth, which was a great relief to the blind girl.

She had also been the one to listen to all the care and feeding instructions that Inky had told her while Toph was getting dressed.

When Toph tried to pay the artist Inky had asked for the stone disc that had the impression of the lotus blossom in it in place of silver. The artist had asked about it the whole time she was working on Toph's chest. The blind girl had no more use for it, so she had happily given it to Inky, who seemed to handle it like it was a sacred object, placing it on display at her work station.

Now it was all over, and Toph let the breath out slowly, savoring it. She felt full of energy. What she'd like is for about ten earthbenders to attack her right now. Kicking ass would be great!

Or better yet, if Sokka was here, the two of them could take on every bender in the city. That would be fun. She really whished that Sokka was here right now.

The thought of her boyfriend's arms around her, sent a wonderful thrill through her. The thought of touching his warm skin, with all those hard muscles underneath, his strong hard lips on hers, the feel of his tongue against her own.

Liling saw her mistress shiver as they stood outside the shop.

"Are you alright Misty?" She asked concerned.

"What?!" Toph asked pulled out of her thoughts. "We've gotta go."

She grabbed Poor Girl's wrist and nearly pulled her off her feet as she dragged her across the street towards the hidden entrance to the underground tunnels.

…

"Here they come." Sun told the carriage driver.

"Finally!" Cai responded to the footman, sitting up and looking across the street.

He could see Miss Bei Fong and Miss Liling coming in his direction. The servant struggling with a large number of paper wrapped parcels.

"Help with the packages!" Cai told the younger man pushing him toward the two girls.

Sokka looked up at the sound of the door to the dining room being opened. He was hoping it was Toph and was disappointed to see that it was Rong being ushered in by Butler Hong.

The warrior gave a little smile and a bow to the officer, then returned to his own thoughts. Which were mostly about Toph and how much he missed spending time with her. He used to spend all day with her, now he only saw her at meals, or when she came to his guest house at night.

…

Liling checked her mistress one last time. Toph was wearing one of her nice evening outfits, which consisted of a dark green pair of loose fitting pants with a long robe of the same color with pale yellow trim over it. Over that was a long pale yellow robe with light green trim and very full sleeves. And over that was a long gossamer white robe.

The Lady's Maid had also brushed her mistress' hair out so it was straight and slick. Liling had seen a number of sketches and paintings that were hanging on the walls of the clothes store that afternoon, which had given her the idea for how to do Toph's hair. Part was in a high bun held in place by a head band matching the color scheme of the outfit. The head band had a high pointed crown in the center so it looked to the servant's eye like a tiara on her mistress. Toph's bangs were pinned to the sides to frame the young girl's face. The rest was in a long sheaf down the younger girl's back held by three ribbons matching the color of the three robes. The dark green on top then the pale yellow and a small white bow at the bottom.

Next Liling checked Toph's face. She had tried some make up for the earthbender. Not too much just enough to make her eyes and cheeks stand out a little.

Satisfied the servant looked in the mirror to check her own face. She had washed off the makeup from earlier, and had applied a new coat to try and hide the bruising on her cheeks. It wasn't the best but it would have to do.

…

"Miss Be Fong" Butler Hong announced as he opened the dining room door for Toph.

"Whoa…." Sokka said in appreciation when he looked up. "Really nice Toph. You're always beautiful but I forget how elegant you can be when you want to."

Toph dropped her head at the complement to hide the blush that rushed to her cheeks.

"Yes Toph." Lao said looking up. "That is a lovely outfit."

The father gave his daughter a little hug.

"Let me join the chorus." Rong proclaimed, holding up his arms for his own hug. "You are beautiful tonight Toph."

Finally it was Sokka's turn to receive a hug from the young woman. And he got a little kiss from her as well.

"Her Grace The Grand Duchess Be Fong." Hong announced opening the door as Poppy swept into the room.

"Oh dear…" She said with a frown looking at her daughter. "Well the only saving grace is that no one that really matters will ever see you in that thing."

That set the tone for the rest of the dinner.

…

"Nicely done." Butler Hong told the young servant waiting in the hall. "And you look quite nice yourself Miss Liling, If I may say so."

"Thank you." Liling replied with an embarrassed bow.

She was wearing one of her own nice evening outfits as well. It was a simpler outfit. A White single breasted jacket over white pants, with dark green pants and jacket over that. The jacket had full sleeves and wide cuffs which Liling had problems keeping them under control. She looked very nice in it.

Minh and Ho were waiting in an anteroom, of the royal palace. His majesty had asked to see them. The two officers stood at ease each lost in their own thoughts. All Minh could think of was all the supplies she would need for all the troops now under her command, and how to secure the huge palace.

Then the answer came to her. She would dump it all on Ho. After all that was what second in commands were for. She smiled to herself, sneaking a look to the lieutenant.

Ho was trying to figure out where he was going to billet all these troops and animals, let alone how to feed and organize them. He wanted to take this load off of Minh's shoulders.

Then the idea came to him. He could dump it all on the Quartermaster of the Iron Brigade. That would be the perfect solution. He smiled, sneaking a quick look at Minh, and caught her giving him a nasty little smile.

That smile cause Ho to think of something, which led to something else which led him to say.

"You know there is a little room."

"What?!" Minh asked completely lost by his response.

"I've been reading some of the police reports on the raid under Lake Laogai. Ho explained. "And there really is a little room."

Minh, still lost, just looked at the lieutenant, her smile no longer on her face.

"His majesty will see you now." Sergeant Tam told them from the door of the small audience chamber.

Tam and his squad were acting as security and also as servants to the king.

The two officers marched into the room and bowed to the king seated on a throne on the dais, at one end of the room. Yun Hee was sitting in a chair just to his majesty's right, and Minister Yao was sitting just to his left. Yao had a number of his aides standing behind him, taking notes.

"Ah Minh and Ho, I've been looking forward to this meeting." The king proclaimed rising from the throne and going to embrace the two soldiers in turn. "I am only here because of the hard work you two have done. Now it is time for your reward. Ask for anything. If I can grant it you will have it."

Minh looked to Ho who nodded in ascent. They had talked about what they would do if this subject came up at some time.

"Your majesty…" Minh said with a deep bow. "…we were only doing our duty and need no reward."

"That was expected." Kuei said stealing a look to Yun Hee. "And we decided that it would not be acceptable. If you don't ask for something then it will be up to me and my advisor to come up with a suitable reward for you."

"In that case your majesty…" Minh said with another bow. "…speaking for myself all I ask for is to be returned to my previous rank of First Sergeant. I've never felt right being an officer, let alone a general.

"I'm truly sorry Minh." The king said with a sad look. "But that I cannot grant. I need you as my commander, as my general."

"I will serve in any capacity your majesty requires." Minh said with another bow.

"And you Ho?" Kuei asked. "What do you require?"

"Nothing your majesty, except to serve you." The lieutenant replied with a bow.

Kuei turned to Yun Hee and the minister.

"It's people like these that make this job so difficult, and yet so rewarding." The king told them.

Yun Hee handed his majesty a sheaf of prepared scrolls.

"Well since you ask for nothing that I can grant you, you will have to accept what I can." He said holding up the scrolls. "Lieutenant Ho you are here by promoted to the rank of Major General, and placed as second in command of the King's Household Guard."

Kuei hand the scroll to the new general.

"General Minh, General Ho, I hereby raise you to the noble estate of Court Barons, with an annual stipend of two thousand gold pieces each."

The king handed over the scrolls to the two officers.

Minh and Ho accepted them but they both had questioning looks on their faces.

"I should explain." Kuei told them noticing the looks. "Court Ranks convey all the rights and privileges of the rank but no land, therefore in place of a barony for each of you, you will receive an annual stipend as an income. This will be in addition to your salary as military officers."

"Thank you, your majesty." The two officers chorused as they bowed.

Fuck! Minh thought looking at the scroll in her hand. Not only was she stuck being an officer, a general no less, but now she had been turned into a fucking noble woman on top of that. It was probably all that little rich bitch's fault. Life really wasn't fair. Then she had an idea for getting even.

"Your majesty…" Minh said with a small bow. "These rewards are too much for what little service I did for you. The ones who truly deserve your thanks are the swords man and his earthbending companion. It was all his doing that any of this happened, even if they were half a kingdom away."

"Oh don't worry. I have not forgotten and have something very special in mind for our watertribe friend." The king replied with a smile.

"Actually I was thinking more about his earthbending companion." Minh said confidentially, leaning in to the monarch.

What passed between them could not be heard by the rest of the court, until the end when his majesty proclaimed.

"That is an excellent idea Minh!"

"Thank you your majesty." The general replied with a bow and a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm glad I could be of some help."

Sokka was in his loin cloth, lying on his mattress in the guest house, reading a long scroll. The replica of the ancient library was dark, the only light coming from the oil lamps Sokka had set up so he could read in bed. He could have used glow crystals but the green light given off by them made it hard to read so he had asked and was given a number of candles and oil lamps. It was fairly late by that point and most of the guests, more had arrived that day, the family, and the staff were asleep in the big house.

"Glad you got rid of the bed." Toph said as she walked into the room.

Sokka had Shen, the servant assigned to him, remove the bed frame that afternoon, and now it was just the mattress lying on the earthen floor.

"Glad you're glad." He said dropping the scroll off to the side.

He could just see her in the dim light that reached her from the lamps over his head. She was in his old watertribe robe. Her hair was brushed out and tumbled around her head and down her back in a great black water fall. Her face was clear of the makeup she had worn earlier. To his eye she had never looked more beautiful. She looked free and happy. She looked like Toph. The most beautiful girl in the world.

Toph stomped her foot and launched herself on an earthpillar and with a gleeful laugh came flying through the air towards him. He braced himself on the bed, holding out his arms and caught her as she landed on top of him.

She straddled his belly, with her knees resting on the mattress on either side of him, and her hands leaning on his chest.

She let her hands explore his warm skin, feeling the hard muscle underneath it. The scabs were all gone now so she contented herself with the feel of his heart beating and the texture of his tight skin. She found his nipples and ran her fingers over them, then leaned back drawing her hands down to his taught belly.

He had caught her around her waist when she had flown into his arms. His hands, calloused and hard like hers, now slipped into the large side vents of the sleeveless robe and held onto her bare skin. She only had her breast wrapper and her loin cloth on under the much too large for her robe. His warm hands slid up and down her skin sending little streams of fire into her chest and stomach.

"Did you have fun shopping?" He asked her.

As he spoke she felt herself being bounced up and down as his belly moved under her. It took all her will power to not giggle at the feeling.

"I'm not you Meathead." She told him scathingly, still stroking his belly and ribs. "I don't have fun shopping."

"Well, that's because you didn't have me along." He told her, poking her lightly in her exposed sides.

She gave a squawk of surprise and knocked his hand away. Then she punched him in the chest.

"Ow." He told her in an informational tone.

"If you had gone with us." She said ignoring his protest. "We'd still be there!"

She emphasized the last word with another punch.

"Ow!" He told her with a little more feeling, but still in a mostly informational tone.

"So what were you doing while I was shopping?" She asked him running her hands up and down his chest.

"Hunting." He told her in a husky voice. "Birds, my dad wants to have a big Pow Wow when we meet up with him and the war party, so I need the feathers."

The two were quiet after that. Neither liked to be reminded that Sokka would be leaving in a few weeks.

"But mostly I was missing you." He told her, running his hands up and down her sides.

Her hands on his chest told her that he was telling the truth.

Then he poked her in the sides again.

"Jerk!" She proclaimed hitting him in the chest.

"Ow?!" He responded, with the tone of, you know that hurts, right?

Instead of saying that, he began to run his fingers up and down her sides as though spider/flys were crawling rapidly on her skin. She squawked again pulling her elbows down to protect her sides. This caused her to lose her support and to fall forward onto his chest. She pushed herself back up into a sitting position and punched him in the chest again.

"What part of 'ow' are you having problems with?" He asked popping his stomach muscles in rhythm with his words causing her to be bucked up into the air each time.

"I'm not having any problems." She declared punching him again.

His large hands grabbed her waist and he rolled her over to the side so that he was now on top of her pinning her to the mattress.

He shifted his weight onto her hips, but she wrapped her arms and legs around him pulling him back down on top of her. Toph loved the feeling of his solid weight on top of her. Pressing her into the mattress. Into the earth.

He kissed her then, just a light little kiss on the lips which took her by surprise. As he raised his face from hers she lifted her head in pursuit and after some fumbling found his lips with her own and continued the kiss, only falling back when her neck got too tired holding her head up.

He smiled at her, which of course she didn't see.

"Ow." She said in a sort of informational discovery tone.

"Ow? Really?" He asked, thinking that he had really enjoyed the kiss they had shared.

"Something's poking me in the back." She explained.

Placing his hands on the mattress on either side of her he lifted himself up. With her tight grip on him she came away with him. Leaning on one hand he searched under her with the other until he found the scroll he had been studying earlier. He pulled it out and lowered the both of them back down.

"It's that guest list for your party." He said tossing the scroll off the bed. "I'm supposed to memorize it, but that is not happening."

"It can't be that hard, you already know most of the names." She said settling herself onto the mattress and pulling him down on top of her.

"I don't know any of the names." He told her in a husky voice, lowering his face towards hers.

"You know Aang's and Katara's, and Zuko's and Iroh's…" She said rubbing her nose against his as she felt the contact.

"Well since Aang and Katara aren't on the list, just the Avatar and his guest…" He told her brushing his lips against hers. "And no one else we know out of a list of two hundred names it is a little tough to learn them all."

"What about the rest of our friends?" She asked becoming concerned.

"Not on the list." He said pulling away slightly, sensing her mood change.

"Not even Zuko or Iroh?" She asked in shock.

"Nope." He replied.

She unwrapped herself from him.

"The Duke?" She asked.

"No, and no Mai, or Ty Lee, or The Boulder or any of the rest." He told her.

"So who is on it?" She asked wanting to know now.

He crawled over to the side and retrieved the scroll. When he had moved off of her, she sat up getting irritated now. He sat in front of her and looked at the long list.

"Well some of the names seem to be relatives of yours. So you may know them." He told her turning the scroll so she could see the first part, but immediately realized his mistake.

"I never met any of my relatives." She told him, a little bitterness entering her voice. "Anytime any one came to the house my mother had Madame Wang take me to my room and keep me there."

"Well most of them are distant cousins according to the descriptions." He told her. "That's maybe a quarter of the list. The rest are nobles and business people, and son."

"What?" She asked.

"All the names have notes and most have the note 'and son' added to them." He explained.

"Of course." She cursed. "My mother wants to marry me off and get rid of me as fast as she can."

"No Toph…" He admonished.

"It's true!" She proclaimed. "This is her party not mine. She planned the whole thing and didn't even know if I was going to be here. She didn't even try to ask me who I wanted to come to it. She's got the whole thing arranged. I'm just an afterthought. A decoration for the cake."

He tried to think of something to comfort her but he really couldn't think of anything to say. She was right.

Suddenly she stood up on the mattress and jumped onto the floor of the room.

"Where's your drum." She demanded.

"Over here." He answered getting up himself and retrieving the instrument.

"Play for me." She asked in a nicer tone. "I'm sick of dancing the way my mother wants."

He sat on the edge of the mattress and began tap the drum. Soon he had a rhythm in mind and began to play a simple set of beats in the Traveler style. Toph stood for a moment and just let the sound move through her.

She let the anger at her mother seep away as the music took its place. The movement began in her feet and slowly moved up through her legs to her hips and from there to the rest of her body. She started with small movements then let it grow moving around the floor. Sokka followed her with the music growing louder and faster then, slowing as she changed the dance. The two were connected by the sound of the drum.

Toph finally felt free to be herself.

"This will be your room." Yun Hee said opening the door and showing the room to Minh. "Yours…" She indicated Ho, "… is across the hall."

The three walked in and looked about. The room would make a squad bay back in the barracks. The bed was large enough for Minh, Click Clack and a couple of more people besides.

"That's the bathroom." Yun Hee said pointing towards a door in the far wall.

"It has its own bathroom?" Minh asked walking to the door.

"Yes." The younger girl answered with a smile.

Minh opened the door and looked inside.

"Oma and Shu!"

The two heard her exclaim in wonder.

Toph and Sokka stood on the grass under her bedroom window. It was very late but he would have to be up in a few hours to go fishing with the Grand Duke. They stood and held hands in the dim light of the moon which was just short of a quarter full.

"Gonna miss you." He told her eventually.

"You're the lucky one." She replied. "I'm going to be stuck with my mother all morning."

"We'll be back for lunch." He comforted her. "And Katara and Aang are supposed to be here this afternoon."

"I can't wait till this stupid party is over." She declared.

The two were quiet after that.

"Well… good night." He finally said leaning down to her.

"Yeah, good night." She said lifting her face towards his.

They kissed, and then Sokka rubbed his nose against hers. He let go of her hands and she turned towards the house. With a stomp of her foot she launched herself on an earth pillar into the air.

He waited until she got back into her room before turning and walking back to the guest house.

Madame Wang watched it all. She had been sitting in the darkened room under her mistresses. She had been waiting for hours in the dark. And then she had seen them walk up from the guest house.

She had seen them stand and kiss. Had seen him place his filthy hands on her perfect little girl. She decided that she must save her prefect little one. Her innocent sweet child. She continued to sit in the dark and planned how she would do it.

To be continued:

Disclaimer: "Avatar the Last Airbender" the characters and the world were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and owned by Nickelodeon and Viacom or Paramount or some huge corporation. This is purely a work of fan fiction because I wanted to play in their world and I love the characters that they created.

Author's notes:

Hi All,

I hope some of you are still reading this story. And as always I apologize for taking so long to get an update out. I had a few bad months there for a while and it took me a while to get moving again. Hopefully I can keep this going till I get to the end.

Thank you all so much for all the support. You really do keep me going.

Thanks so much for reading.

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***** NEW FANART *****

There is wonderful work done by ASKNEKOLE on Tumblr, she also has a DeviantArt account as "mLegend24" Please check out her wonderful work.

I am so honored by all the fanart done for this story.

FanART; Sicksketch has done some wonderful sketches over on Tumblr. Please take a look, just search under the tag "ill walk you home" and you will find them.

Fanart on Deviant Art; There is fanart for the story on DeviantArt; Totalfanboy21 has a great picture of an older Toph and Sokka inspired by the story and Abi-chan14 and Cutubulla as well as Kawayui-Kage have created Fanart for the story. I am really honored that talented artists have liked the story so much that they have actually made art based on it. Please check them out.

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Thank you all so much for sticking with my story.

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Once again thank you to all those who have added this story to their alerts and especially their favorites, and a very special thank you to all who have added me to your author alerts and favorites. That is a real honor for me. I hope I have not disappointed you with this chapter.

Thank you to all for reading

All comments and/or criticisms are more than welcome.