"Ah! How I've missed stepping on the ground! Sweet, firm, delicious ground!" Toph exclaimed, sinking her feet into the soil. She was happy to finally be free from the tedium of living on a ship.
Although she already had some visual ability thanks to her technique, she was accustomed to perceiving the world through vibrations. She could do that on the ship, but it was nothing compared to not having her body constantly sway.
"Toph, don't walk barefoot!" Katara warned sternly, her hands on her hips. She looked at the young woman, who seemed to want the earth to swallow her whole because she was constantly sinking into the ground.
"No! I missed this so much," Toph declared before making the ground move backward and avoiding Katara's hand. Katara was trying to grab Toph to prevent her from sinking into the ground.
"You should let her be. She's built up a lot of restless energy," said Mai, who stood next to Katara. She looked at Ty Lee, who jumped from tree to tree, laughing like a little monkey.
"Besides, you're not her mother, Katara," Sokka commented. This caused his younger sister to look at him angrily. The warrior visibly cringed before walking over to Suki.
"Is there really a fortune teller in the village near this city?" Sokka asked quietly. Suki nodded and began to fan herself with one of her metal fans.
"I've heard of it, but I've never visited. They say it helps the villagers avoid having to constantly climb the nearby volcano to check the lava level.
Does Shisui want to know something about the future? What could it be? Wasn't Princess Azula able to tell the future using fire?" asked Kyoshi Warrior, genuinely intrigued by the matter.
"Know the future? Shisui? Ha! He probably has something else in mind. If anyone among us despises everything related to destiny, it's Shisui," Petra replied, flexing her body.
"The Sage's contempt for fate is commendable," said Raava, whose body floated several inches above the ground. She watched as the Fire Nation entourage carried the necessary supplies from the ships to the aircraft.
Although Appa was an excellent means of travel, his lack of space was a significant limitation. Thus, the Fire Nation arranged for one of the latest airship models in the port, belonging to one of its colonies.
Aang was also watching, but he was more focused on the population. He noticed that many people were from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, as well as the Water Tribes.
Had I seen this scene in the past, I surely would have noticed the inequality that existed in the colonies. By that time, however, the two populations had mixed so much that they seemed to be one people.
This statement became more real as Shisui's influence began to materialize in the real world. They were on the continent of the Earth Kingdom, but the flag hanging in the city was that of the Fire Nation.
The culture present seemed to be a mixture of both nations. The population did not seem to be any different, except for a few details in their clothing. The Avatar saw a group of children playing together. One of them was a girl who was clearly a Firebender, and another was an Earthbender. However, there was no friction, just pure fun.
In the past, the idea of returning these territories to the Earth Kingdom when the war ended may have crossed his mind. But he realized: Which kingdom did these people really belong to?
Although he had seen this mixed population at the South and North Poles, it was here that he truly realized what it meant to be unable to distinguish a clear line. Shouldn't the Avatar strive for that? For people to understand each other so well that they could easily coexist?
"Looks like you saw it," Azula said, approaching Aang and patting his shoulder. The Avatar gave her a nervous smile. After all, he felt that the pregnant princess had been a bit abrupt lately.
"I can see it. It reminds me of when I was a child. I traveled through the nations with my people once. I played with Bumi and spent time with Kuzon. But the three of us in the same space? That would have been impossible before, but now children seem to be able to share more easily," Aang murmured, lost in his memories.
"These people have their own culture. The games they play? They're a mix of the games I played as a child and the ones in this city," said Azula as she pointed to the group of children.
"I don't justify what we did in the past. No one can erase those mistakes. But Shisui has at least made us realize that we've been ignoring these people, who are also our people." The princess's words were cold but true.
The Fire Nation's treatment of its colonies depended on the level of resistance encountered there. The Fire Nation's goal was always the vast territory of the Earth Kingdom, only occasionally attacking the poles to prevent them from getting too involved.
This particular city had been conquered in the early years of the war. Although there was some inequality, the population did not resist, and over time, they truly blended in with the Fire Nation.
"In the future, we probably won't be able to call ourselves the Fire Nation anymore. Perhaps other nations won't need to have an element in their names. But until then, I am still the princess of the Fire Nation," Azula said. She patted Aang's shoulder several times before looking into the distance, where Zuko and Shisui were talking to what appeared to be the mayor of the city.
"That would be interesting to see," Aang replied, genuinely eager to live to see that possible future.
"Don't worry, Azula. I'd still love you even if you weren't a princess," said Ty Lee, who had just stopped playing in the nearby trees. She hugged her friend tightly, causing the latter to frown.
"You're sweaty, and you smell awful!" Azula, who could tolerate many things before, now felt disgusted by almost everything due to pregnancy. Would her words stop Ty Lee? Never!
The girl backed away, though, when she saw blue flames in the princess's eyes. Then, her attention fell on Aang, and a smile spread across her face. She wrapped her arm around Aang's neck.
"Hey, Aang, do you know the best way to quickly master earthbending?" She whispered to the Avatar as if she were an evil spirit trying to possess a human.
"I don't know, but I feel like you're planning something sinister," Aang said bluntly. This caused Ty Lee to narrow her eyes like a fox. Then, the girl took a deep breath before shouting,
"Petra, Toph! Aang says he wants to fight you using only earthbending!" Ty Lee shouted, causing everyone to look at her and focus on Aang, who looked nervous.
"Wow, I never thought I'd see you challenge those two like that. Good luck, buddy," Sokka said with a smile, but then Suki whispered something in his ear.
"He probably fell for Ty Lee's trap." Suki's words made the warrior raise his eyebrows in surprise before he burst out laughing.
"Looks like you finally have some guts, Twinkle Toes," Toph said as she slid the rock under her feet and quickly reached the Avatar, almost at the same time as Petra, who had also done something similar.
"How about a no-holds-barred fight? That way, you won't be under much pressure, and I'll get to fight Toph. I've wanted to do that for a long time," Petra added, excited about the idea.
"But I've barely mastered Earthbending!" Aang exclaimed, causing the two Earthbenders to look at him strangely.
"You really need to be more assertive, Aang. Otherwise, you won't grow much as an Earthbender," Petra pointed out. The Avatar frowned slightly at that comment, feeling uncomfortable.
"Fighting will really help you improve! Believe me, when your movements become second nature due to the pressure of conflict, you'll know you've reached a milestone." Toph, a multiple champion of Earthbending fighting competitions, could attest to this.
She had learned Earthbending from the Badgermoles, but her style had constantly improved in these competitions, where any false move could result in injury. After all, she had been quite weak back then.
...
Based on these two arguments, the two girls dragged Aang to an open space. News of the Avatar's arrival in town had already spread, and now he was about to fight using Earthbending against two other women. This caused many curious people to come and watch.
Several Earthbenders present helped create a makeshift combat arena with a large ring for fighting and rock seats for the crowd.
Seizing the opportunity, street vendors began promoting their products. One cabbage seller promoted his wares with the slogan, 'The best snack to enjoy the entertainment.'
Surprisingly, it worked. By the time Shisui realized this, many people were eating cabbage, lettuce, and other vegetables. The most interesting thing? Azula handed a cabbage to her fiancé.
"They're really good. I bought them for you, and they don't make me want to throw up," Azula declared to a stunned Shisui. He simply shrugged and began eating the vegetable.
"Hey, it really tastes good," the sage muttered incredulously with his mouth full as he watched Zuko act as referee for the upcoming match.
"No deadly attacks on sensitive areas or brutal attacks," said the prince seriously. This made Toph laugh. When he and the other two fighters looked at her, she shrugged.
"Don't worry, Prince. I won't hurt the Air Nomads' hopes," said Toph, making an obscene gesture referring to the Avatar's private parts and causing many people to laugh.
"Yeah... Anyway, just don't kill each other or break any bones, okay? Begin," Zuko declared before propelling himself out of the arena. He positioned himself on a stone pillar from where he could watch the fight and intervene at an opportune moment.
After Zuko spoke, the earth shook under the influence of the three fighters. Knowing he was no match for either woman in earthbending, Aang decided to act quickly.
The earth cracked beneath her command, forming two lines that rapidly moved toward the girls. They did not stand still and watch her act, however. Petra stomped her foot, but instead of the familiar Earthbending effect on the ground, something else happened.
The earth liquefied under her power! This stopped Aang's attack, allowing her to use the ground's current consistency to propel herself toward the Avatar. She sought to defeat him in hand-to-hand combat.
Toph was much more direct. She ignored Aang's attack and, instead of devising a defensive countermeasure, launched her own offensive against him. She brought minerals up from the ground and threw them like shrapnel at the Avatar's possible escape routes, forcing him to face Petra directly.
'I won't let you stand by and watch or do nothing! I want you to be more assertive, Twinkle Toes! Feel the pleasure of the fight!' Toph thought, a cheerful smile spreading across her face.
She wanted to see how Aang would react. The Avatar did not disappoint. Although he wasn't an excellent fighter like the two women, he had quick reflexes and instinctively wanted to use Airbending.
Of course, he soon remembered that he couldn't use any element other than Earth. But who says movements related to Airbending can't be used in Earthbending? Many people had already proven that it could be done.
His body spun at high speed before coming to an abrupt halt. His hands were placed parallel in front of his face. The earth beneath his feet turned to sand and rose sharply, swirling around him like a tornado.
The threatening sand made Petra give up her attempt to approach. It also protected him from the projectiles Toph threw. It forced Petra to create a wall of earth to protect herself from the loose mineral fragments.
He took advantage of this to manipulate the sand, forming 'sand whips' with which he attacked Petra's wall. He used not only the impact created by the sudden agitation but also the sand's erosive capacity to create large holes in the defenses.
He did not neglect Toph, either. He stepped on the ground, lifting a rock that he threw at her. This two-pronged attack earned the Avatar many cheers from the audience.
As expected of the Avatar!