Within the southern part of the Earth Kingdom, build on top of few acres of land was large estate. One that belong to family that could be the most wealthiest and influential civilian family in the world. The Bei Fong Family.

Wondering around the home using the wall to help guide her along. A small five year girl that was hungry and heading toward the kitchen to ask for something to eat. The reason she was using the wall as guide was because she could use her normal method of getting around. The sound of her shoes as she walked as she had been born blind. When she was much younger she been taught the count the number of step to where she wanted to go and memorized them until it became second nature to her. However things like hungry and other feelings threw off her sense. She never used walking stick because she was told Bei Fongs do not need them by her father. Though he seem to have no problem with her using the wall as guide so she did. Nearly half way to the kitchen she stopped and pressed herself up against the wall as she heard some guards talking about something.

"Man! I really can not wait for my shift to be over. I am hit the street of Gaoling cause I got some coins burning a hole in my pocket" a guard said

"Idiot! You know that we are suppose to talk about the town while on duty. It one of the main rules that we were told when we were hired in the first place" another guard said.

"Stop being so paranoid as that girl is not around so we do not have to act like Gaoling and the world beyond this place does not exist" the first guard said.

However what the two did not know was that the she was around and listening very intently about something she had no idea existed until they decided to carelessly talk about it. Amazed by the wonders of what she heard about the outside the estate that had been entire world until now. Her hunger was forgotten as she rush as fast as she could toward where her dad might be.

So excited she started running and stopped paying attention to where she was going. Literally running blind the young girl crashed into her father.

"Toph!? What have you been told about running in the hallway. What if you got hurt? You are not hurt right now are you?" Toph's father, Lao asked worriedly.

"I am fine but I learned something new today" she said rather excited and proud

"What would that be?" he said kneeling down to her level.

She then went about telling him about how she learned about the Gaoling and her desire to venture out into the city.

"So can I go into town as it sounds amazing" Toph said trying to look the direction she thought her father was with her sightless eyes attempting to give him what heard was know as the puppy dog eye look.

"No you can not go as leaving this estate is too dangerous. You are blind and the city is far too dangerous a place for you" Lao told her.

"But…" Toph to argue yet her father interrupted her.

"You can not and this is final!" he told her not even changing his mind after seeing how crushed his daughter had become. Something he would later look back on and regert just how he handle the subject.

She would try a few more time after this and learn things that were clearly to see even for a blind girl like herself. One was that she realize that she was trapped in her own home and no one outside seem to be aware that she existed. She knew that her family was very well known thus assume that she was equally known as her parents only daughter. Not the case as she recall how guards and maids were always shocked when they first saw her, thinking at first it was her blindness but now realizing they did not know she existed. Another thing was that her mother was no help as she always gave up and follow her dad on everything. She had a feeling if her mom spoke up more often she would not be so restricted and things would have been difference even if only a little. The third was they saw as helpless child that need tend too at all times. Once she realize this she began turn away the maids that help her get dress and other things. They were not normal actions like she had thought and did not want treat like helpless girl because of her blindness

Anger start well up inside her at her parent for what they had done. This was not normal and she just want to be treat like she was normal. None the kid she heard about in the stories and lessons she was taught were treated this way even if they had rich parents. Claim that she was unable to head outside become she would be too helpless and it was far too dangerous. The reasoning they used did not really make sense to the young Toph Bei Fong.

So what if she was unable to see that has not really stop her from explore around the estate. It was strange how they were so obsessed with not letting her outside however allow her just freely roam around their home. It took awhile but she has managed to got around as she just memorized how many steps things would take. It was not something that came easily as she had bump into a lot wall and doors in the process of learning. Her parents never seem to care about her safety then but then again they were here a lot of the time so it mostly the maids and such that dealt with her bumps and bruise.

So if she could learn to get around her own home despite being blind. Then how hard could be to do outside was what her five year old mind thought. She would prove to her mother and father that she was a capable daughter despite her blindness.

'I got it' Toph thought as thought ran through her head 'I just prove I am capable girl by running away and coming back. Then they have to accept I am not helpless '

Getting pass all the guards was not easy but she came up good idea of hiding behind the bushes in the garden. Get behind the bush was pretty simple for her. Just feeling along the estate back wall and she managed to sneak around avoiding the guards. What she could not have expected was that pit hole that when she step on it, cause her to fall through into a underground tunnel. The guard heard noise but thought just they were heard things thus ingored it.

"Go away, mom. I am still sleepy" Toph mumbled as she felt something licking her face.

When the licking did not stopped and she realized that what it is. Shocked her sightless eyes opened and she was genuinely scared. However that did not last long as while she had no idea where she was at the moment. What she could understand was that she had somehow been discovered by badgermoles. One of her tutors had told her about badgermoles and even informed what they sounded like. So now that she was face to face to a badgermole, she was amazed by them. They were blind just like her but were not treated as helpless animals. Blindness was something these creature had overcome through earthbending and no one treated them as incapable.

Then an idea struck the young Bei Fong as why not just do what the human founders of earthbending did. Learn from the original animal earth bender as no one knew where the badgermoles learned it. However the five year old did not really care as she copied movements her tutor thought when they going over badgermoles. That tutor had been her favorite one as rather then just recite things to her like her current ones did. Her original tutor taught her thought actions depending on the sense she did have beyond just hearing. Touching, smelling, taste they utilized all her working sense to teach her lessons rather then just depending hearing. Of course when her parent caught them walking around like badgermoles one day that when her father fired them. It was the first time she question just how protective her parents were and how restricted things were for her.

As she went about mimicking the movement she been taught, she felt something that she only felt for a moment back then. It was almost like she could 'see' in a sense just like she had been taught that badgermoles use bending to overcome their own blindness. So she continued to the point where she could 'see' the animal that had found her. Once she could Toph could really copy their movements and move just like them without missing a beat. She was really enjoying herself as she was getting dirty and not having to worry about any guards or maids getting in her way. They also were different from when she was younger. That was when they care about her but her parents caught them tending to her once during the many time she had gotten injuired. They went berserk and replaced the whole staff thinking that was not just her tutor that did not care about her safety.

So amazed by her new ability to see she just kept wondering around even after the badgermoles had stopped. In fact one had to literally pick her up and place her down with the others preventing her from moving. This was only until she realized that she was being told it was time for bed and that it was time to sleep. Yawning she realized how tired she was and went to asleep along with the other badgermoles

Toph yawned as she nudged awake once again by the badgermoles. Deciding that she would spent one more day down here before going back the way she came. She was not worried about getting lost as she could now 'see' where she was and how far she had to travel to get home. Though there was one thing she had to do before heading back and that learn how to see use earthbending while standing up. At the moment she only see while walking on all fours and she could not return home like this.

However just as she was able to try standing up something happened that would change her life forever. Above her, group of earthbenders had decided they were going to make an underground area. The distance between them and Toph was great enough that their bending on what they consider the 'floor' was going cause Toph's area 'ceiling' to collapse onto her and the badger moles. Although just how activity on high level can cause thing to come a loose and fall at lower level. A loose rock was on the ceiling of the tunnel Toph was in fell and bashed the girl right as she was about to get up. Thus causing her to her head again as the force of the rock push her back down. Thus she ended up suffering two head injuries and would have had her skull cracked open if she had not had such a hard head.

However there was something wrong with her though as when she nodged awake by the worried badgermoles she been spending time with. She could not recall anything about herself or what she was suppose to be doing. Looking curiously at the badgermoles them nudging her to follow them, she came to think that she must be one herself. So she followed after them becoming a member of their pack thinking this was perfectly normal thing for her to do.

Her parents would search for her even discover the tunnel that she had fallen into. However they never find her instead would come to fear that she might even be dead. As they party that explored the tunnel discovered the place where she had been bashed in the head with rock. Their dried blood there and realizing their underground arena being built distant distance above them but the search party had to be weary of falling rocks. So what they came to conclude was that Toph had been mostly been killed by falling rocks. As result Bei Fong fully came down the arena makers blaming Xin Fu and his workers for the death of their duaghter. Even though no body was ever found Xin Fu was arrested, trailed, and thrown in jail thanks Lao using his connections to ensure this outcome.

Meanwhile miles away an amnesiac Toph was following after who she now consider her family and for the next seven years would live the life of badgermole. Learning how to earthbend, hunt, and all of the other things a badgermole would do and excel at to the point where she was rank right under her 'parents' within the pack. She would have spent the rest of her life living amongst the original earthbender. Just like how chance lead her to be raised by them for seven years it would be another chance that lead to be re-introduced into human society after so long.