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"It's been two weeks! Get up and fight me like a man!"
Rae scoffed and shook her head. She got to her feet and crossed her hands, her head switching to the direction of the voice. Her clothes were torn and full of mud from the numerous times she fell in the dirty waters of the swamp. Her hair, long and always neatly tied before, was now a complete wreak. The length had grown in the few weeks since Rae arrived at the swamp, but her grandmother had tried giving her a haircut, which resulted in messy and uneven, unusually long bangs that covered her eyes and ended just above the tip of her nose.
Toph was standing a few feet away, her arms triumphantly in the airs as she threw another boulder at her granddaughter's head. Rae didn't fight back, only stepped away from the trajectory of the flying rocks and, if she didn't have time, she used her Firebending to disintegrate the boulders.
"I'm not fighting you again," stated Rae loudly before she brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and let the light of the moon shine on her features, "We've been doing this since dawn and I'm tired!"
"I didn't raise you to be tired!"
When Rae wasn't attentive, Toph sent a small earthquake towards her. When she was destabilized, the older bender sent three flying rocks at her granddaughter, making her fall in the tarn behind her.
"Ha, I win," laughed Toph while performing a little winning dance.
The Guardian groaned and sat down, her body still in the pond. "Is this how you trained Aang? Because if it is, I understand why Korra didn't like me when she first met me," said Rae, whispering the last part to herself.
Toph didn't listen, only continued her celebration. Rae shook her head and got to her feet, but she froze. "Do you hear that?" she asked, pointing to the sky. Toph stopped dancing and turned quiet.
"I do."
"It sounds like—," started Rae with a frown on her face. But she didn't have time to finish her hypothesis when a gigantic red dragon sneaked between the trees and vines and landed to the two Beifong women's left.
While both women remained confused, Lord Zuko descended from the flying creature. The moment his feet stepped on the muddy ground, Toph raised her arms with a howling laugh while Rae visibly relaxed her shoulders.
"Lord Zuko," greeted the Guardian with a small bow.
"Sparky!"
Rae cringed at her grandmother's excitement. She gave a small smile to the firebender when she sensed him bow his head.
"It's nice to see you too, Toph," said Zuko before turning back to Rae, "But I'm afraid I have come with terrible news, and I require Rae's assistance."
