Letters: A Tokka Fanfic

1

Toph's P.O.V.

A letter. It's always a letter. Words on a piece of paper, sent via messenger hawk, and delivered to me. ME. The BLIND girl. It's usually kinda funny- especially when Sokka forgets and sends me a painting or something- but this letter? This letter isn't funny in the slightest. This little piece of paper meant my entire future is about to be decided.

A few weeks ago when I'd gone to my parent's house for dinner, my father had (rather cautiously) mentioned my upcoming birthday. I'll be turning eighteen in a few months, and my parents have been hoping I'd entertain the idea of marriage for quite a while now. While the Earth Kingdom doesn't have a particular marrying age, it's fairly customary for upper class women to marry before or by their eighteenth birthday, and I'd been putting off the discussion as long as possible. They knew better than to force me after all these years, but I could tell they were getting concerned. It wasn't so much that I wasn't betrothed, it was more that I had shown no interest in the idea of marriage whatsoever. It's not like I'd never thought about it, but there wasn't really anyone I had an interest in. Well, except for a certain guy with a boomerang, but that was a pointless fantasy that I'd held onto for far too long. That night, I finally conceded that I couldn't keep avoiding the idea just because I was hung up on a childish crush. Which is why I was now running to my parents house in one of the only dresses I'd allowed my mother to buy me in order to meet the man I'm supposed to marry. Something about a formal marriage meeting or whatever. I honestly wasn't paying too much attention when she read the letter, I just caught the 'dress up' part and the day and time and blocked out the rest of the rambling.

"Toph!" I heard my mother's voice as I came up the walkway to my family's house. I could feel her rushing towards me and smiled as she pulled me in for a hug. I'd gotten used to them since our reconciliation. They're not so bad after all. "You look lovely dear, however, would you mind if I helped you with your hair and makeup? I promise not to put too much on."

"Fine. But nothing too complicated! I'm not sitting for five hours just to have my hair and makeup look 'naturally perfect' or whatever." She hummed happily in reply before bringing me inside to her private powder room.

"Are you excited, dear?" She began to comb my hair gently, the action calming my nerves slightly.

"Not particularly, but I am nervous." Her movements paused and I prepared myself for some speech on how elated I should be, but it didn't come. She was quiet for a few moments before she turned me towards her.

"Toph... are you sure about this?" I raised an eyebrow in her general direction, completely confused by her question.

"What do you mean, am I sure? Wasn't this your idea?"

"Well, yes... but I suppose I'd assumed you'd say no. It's not like you to agree to something like this, and I figured that if you ever were to get married, you'd do so out of love- not obligation." I felt a pain in my chest at her words and swallowed hard. I loved how well she'd gotten to know the real me and all, but there was a part of me that hated that she was right. Whenever I thought about marriage, it was always Sokka that I saw standing next to me. Getting ready to be engaged to someone I don't know anything about just seems... wrong somehow. Still, I don't want mom and dad to worry, and it's not like Ponytail is gonna come propose. I haven't even heard from him in years. Katara sends letters pretty often, and Aang will write a note here and there, but the letters from Sokka stopped coming a few months after they left me here. At first I thought he was busy, but over time I realized he'd probably just moved on with his life and forgotten about me.

"Toph?? Dear, are you okay?" I snapped back to reality at the sound of Mom's voice, and tasted salt as I opened my mouth to answer. Reaching up, I felt tears sliding down my cheeks and I quickly wiped them away. Toph Beifong doesn't cry over boys.

"I'm sure. This is the right decision." I knew that probably wasn't very convincing, but thankfully she let it go. It wasn't long before she had finished pleating my hair and had applied some light makeup. She assured me I looked beautiful as we walked down the hall to the room where my potential fiance was waiting, but all I could hear was my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I took a deep breath as we reached the entrance to the sitting room, and with a reassuring squeeze of my hand from Mom, opened the large wooden doors that led to my future.

~ ~ ~ ~

I'm back!!