One:
"Fire Lord Zuko?"
Zuko stands outside of the door to his meeting room, his hand pausing on the door. His nerves have begun to get to him, as they often do before important discussions. It doesn't matter how well he's gotten to know the general or the minds of the Fire Nation – he is still nervous. Knocked out of his stressful thoughts, Zuko turns to the sound of the voice. He is shocked to see a woman standing before him, her black hair held back by a slim black band and her grey eyes empty. Toph.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko asks, and Toph smiles slyly.
"Have you been listening at those meetings? General Jong decided it would be best if I helped with the destruction of the borders separating the four nations. He wanted me to come in and discuss this with you all, principles and all that jazz," Toph says.
"Well," Zuko pauses, staring at his old friend and feeling a little irritated, "thanks for coming."
"No problem Sparky." Toph says.
"Any news from anyone?" Zuko says, wishing he kept better correspondence with his friends.
"Nothing in particular," she says, and Zuko is suspect of the grin on her face but she and enters the room, hip-checking him as she passes. Zuko's face turns red, and he enters the room after her. Apparently all customs fly out of the window when Toph appears. A few moments later the room is filled with people. Each person remains standing around the long wooden table and bows. Zuko sits, and the others follow.
Song-Li of the Earth Kingdom wastes no time. "If we wanted our barriers down, we would take them down ourselves. We need no princess telling us what to do," she says, jabbing her thumb in Toph's direction.
"The war ended four years ago! You're just holding a grudge," Toph says. The conversation quickly becomes violently angry and rude words are thrown around. Zuko takes a deep breath, counts to fifteen, and exhales, smoke leaving his nostrils.
"Silence," Zuko says, aware of his power when everyone quiets.
"When I became Fire Lord, I made a promise to each of you," Zuko begins, his eyes resting on a represent from each of the four nations, his own included. "I told you we would find peace, and success, in each other. I intend to keep that promise," Zuko says gravely. "Song-Li, if you could speak to Toph on your own terms I am certain you will come up with a compromise. She is the greatest earthbender in the world, and it would do you well to recognize that." The woman nods curtly, her eyes resting on Toph, who grins and crosses her muscled arms. "Lahno," Zuko addresses the representative of the Southern Water Tribe. Aware that her husband, the representative of the Northern Water Tribe is too ill to be with them, he tries to keep his expression soft. The woman nods her thanks, and Zuko continues.
"I request that we remain in correspondence on the subject of the standing of bending in education. We must not offend the elders, who may hold some fear at the thought of their young having their bending strengthened.
The representative of the Air Temples remains silent through the entirety of the discussion. Aang was unable to attend, as his wife, a waterbender and student of Katara's grandmother, could go into labor at any minute. In his place sits a firebender selected by Aang himself to join him as a monk. Not wanting to frighten the boy, Zuko makes sure to give him a small smile.
"Aiko, I trust your trip was not too difficult," Zuko says, trying to engage in small talk. Aiko smiles at him and nods. "The Air Temples are being rebuilt at Aang's request. We can only hope that he and Lai are able to produce some airbending babies," Zuko says, and Aiko blushes and nods.
"I will speak with the spirits," Aiko says.
Zuko turns to his own representative, Mai. The woman's face gives nothing away, but Mai's eyes reveal that some part of her still longs for him. Still, she remains still and businesslike as he directs her.
"With your help, I know we can improve the state of our nation. We must start with the commoners, and the children. They are our hope," Zuko says simply.
"I could not agree more," Mai says, and to Zuko's surprise she smiles at him.
The meeting ends with more calm discussion, and Zuko stands.
"Thank each of you for coming. For those of you who plan to stay at the palace and leave in the morning, my servants will set you up. Dinner will be especially grand this evening, if you would like to join," Zuko says. He bows, and everyone gets up, speaking kindly to each other and guessing what will be for dinner. On the way out, Song-Li catches Zuko's attention.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she says.
"Certainly," Zuko says. They pause and wait for the room to empty, and Song-Li shuts the door.
"I feel the need to warn you of something," Song-Li says, scratching at the back of her neck, her long fingernails catching in her short black hair.
"What's that matter?" Zuko says, already feeling adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"Nothing. Calm yourself, Fire Lord," Song-Li says, her voice harsh. The phrase is almost humorous, how rarely it is used – who has the gall to tell the fire lord to calm down? Still, she must have thirty years on Zuko. He knows by now to respect his elders. "You are not with any partner at the moment, correct?"
Zuko stares at her. His jaw lowers and then shuts. He considers that she may be hitting on him, but judging from the typical severity in her eyes, he's quite certain that isn't the case. "No. I am alone."
"Is there anyone of interest?" Song-Li says, and Zuko pictures big blue eyes and dark brown skin. He wants to explain, to sit down with Song-Li and share his heart with her. Suddenly he is desperate for someone to share his feelings with. He has Uncle, but he's been spending more and more time at that tea shop in the Earth Kingdom. Plus, he'd never let him live it down if he realized Zuko's feelings for Katara. Katara. Zuko's entire body warms just thinking of her.
Zuko doubts Song-Li is interested in hearing about his unrequited love.
"No." Zuko states plainly.
"Thank you." Without another word Song-Li bows and leaves the room with Zuko standing, eyebrows raised, alone in the room.
"What was up with Wrinkles?" Toph catches Zuko when he leaves the room. Zuko holds back a chuckle.
"Wrinkles?"
"Come on, Sparky. You know it's true. She must be forty, but she looks ancient. Must be all of that snarky yelling." Toph turns down the hall and Zuko follows her, not really paying all that much attention. His thoughts have been thoroughly drenched in Katara. Just her name, it really gets to him. "Sheesh, what did she hit on you or something? Your heart is pounding."
Zuko clears his throat and tries to slow his heart rate. "No, not at all. She did ask if I was seeing anyone," Zuko says, watching as Toph enters the kitchen.
"What a weirdo!" she calls over her shoulder as she sidles around the servants as they cook dinner and yanks a cloth bag from the pantry. She sneaks past the servants and yells a loud, "Thanks!" before she returns to Zuko, shoving fireflakes into her mouth by the handful.
"I see you're used to them now," Zuko says.
"I built up a tolerance. I've taken a liking to these Fire Nation boys, sparky. Gotta get used to their cooking." She snaps up a few more to make her point, her teeth clicking together with a crunch.
"You haven't settled down?" Zuko says, and Toph grows quiet.
"Eh, you know," Toph says, and he does. On a rare occasion when Zuko went to visit his uncle in the Earth Kingdom, he and Toph got mixed up with a bottle of fire whiskey and spilled their guts to each other. He told her about Katara, and in exchange she told him about Sokka. They'd both been mortified the next morning and never spoke of it again.
"I do," Zuko says.
"Hey! Can we go pet the turtle-ducks?" Toph says, and Zuko smiles, reminded of the young girl who forced him to carry her on his back.
"Of course," Zuko says, and Toph punches him in the arm, her own way of saying, "I'm glad to be here."
He pinches her cheek, making her whine, his way of saying, "You're the little sister I never had."