The Iron Empress Chapter 1, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

And here is chapter one of the Iron Empress. It's a bit of a political mystery type story... it will eventually be Toph/Zuko, but it starts out with the canon pairings intact. I hope you all enjoy it!

--
The Ember Island Theater was crowded. Love Among the Dragons was an immensely popular show, and one that rarely came to town, especially in recent years. Tickets had been sold out months in advance, and only the most privileged could count themselves among the lucky viewers. Backstage the actors were nervous, running lines last minute, and quickly adjusting make-up and costumes. One man, playing the legendary Gafu, stilled shaking hands with a few quick sips from a flask of Earth Kingdom brandy.

Outside the theater, Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Mai sat within their palanquin, arguing.

"Zuko! The Fire Nation is a warlike country. This has always been so. By showing mercy to your sister--to your father. The people will see that as a sign of weakness." Mai's voice, though still its usual monotone, had a hint of anger in it.

"It has been seven years since the war. Surely the people see that they are no longer any threat, there is no reason for meaningless bloodshed." Replied Zuko. His face was drawn, tired. The years since the war had aged him. Certainly, they had been prosperous years, but the fact remained that the Fire Nation was not a nation of farmers, they were ill-disposed to sit quietly and raise crops.

"Underground factions have been rising in popularity--there has been talk of putting Azula back on the throne. Zuko you must do something!" Her voice was flat, emotionless.

"I will not kill my own sister."

"If it must be done, Zuko, it must be done."

At that moment a guard's head poked out from between the curtains of the palanquin.

"Begging your pardon, Lord, Lady," He inclined his head toward Zuko, and then toward Mai "But the bell to begin the show has just been rung. I believe it is time for you to take your seats."

Mai nodded, and swept out through the curtains, her elegantly embroidered robe glittering in the torch light. Zuko watched her retreating form for a second.

"Thank you Quin. I shall only be a minute." The guard nodded and withdrew his head.

Zuko took a deep breath and slumped slightly. What had happened to him and Mai? What had gone wrong? The first two years of their marriage had been wonderful, and now they found themselves arguing at every turn. They no longer slept in the same room for Agni's sake! All they talked about now was politics, and when had she become so ruthless? He shook his head slightly. They were not the same people they had been at their marriage. But had they changed? Or was it they could each see the other a little more clearly now?

Quin once again stuck his head through the curtains of the palanquin, he seemed nervous at interrupting again, but he squared his shoulders and spoke.

"My Lord, I believe the first act has begun. Lady Mai awaits you in your private box."

"Certainly Quin, thank you." And with that he gathered his robes around him and made his way towards the theater.

He entered the box and took his seat next to Mai. She glanced at him cooly for a moment before returning her gaze to the performance. On stage, the opening aria had begun. Zuko watched silently for a moment, enjoying the haunting notes of the song and the colorful movements of the dancers.

After a moment, Mai leaned nearer to him, keeping her eyes trained on the stage as she whispered. "Now, Zuko. I realize that your time with the Avatar made you a little more...soft hearted than most, but you must understand that the Fire Nation is a nation of aggression. They will not respect anything other than an aggressive leader."

"Mai, the Fire Nation respects ruthlessness and mindless aggression because it is all they know. For three generations, our people have been hellbent on the destruction of others. But it doesn't have to be that way, things can change."

Gold hit gold as their eyes met, and for a moment, Zuko saw the old Mai, the girl he had loved, but her eyes hardened and the moment was lost.

"Your nation is on the edge of civil war, your own nobles are rebelling against you, saying that you are weak, and that you should be deposed. You must act now and execute your enemies before they gain too much power. This is no time to be a bleeding heart, Zu--"

The end of her sentence was lost in a cry of pain as she doubled over and clutched her shoulder. Zuko had time to glimpse a shining iron blade protruding from the wound before several more came hurtling directly towards him.

He crouched low, pulling Mai from her chair and shielding her with his body. He heard the blades sink into the wall and he tried to pinpoint the direction they were coming from...There! Men in black masks and clothing swarmed the catwalk over the audience. Pushing Mai further behind him into the box, Zuko planted and made a swirling motion with his arms before shoving forwards, loosing a blast of fire at his attackers.

The audience below screamed and began a panicked rush for any available exit, trampling each other in an attempt to get out. The assassins quickly fled, using ropes and hanging lights to catapult themselves into nearby boxes and then exiting the theater into the summer night.

Zuko let them go, turning his attention to Mai, whose wound was bleeding heavily. He scooped her into his arms and exited the booth where he saw the two guards who had been on duty dead outside the door, throats cut. He made his way to the palanquin, where he was relieved to see that Quin and the others had survived. He placed Mai gently in her seat, and they made their way to the palace.

Back in his rooms, was hurriedly shoving clothing into a pack.

No one outside of the Royal Guard had known of his and Mai's plans to visit the theater, which meant that the attack must have been an inside job. After Mai's initial injury, nothing more had been thrown her way, from which he could assume that he was the target of the attack, and that the assassins had only wished to stop her from protecting him.

There was a knock on the door. Zuko quickly dropped the pack and kicked it under his bed, making sure that no part of it was visible, and laid one of his broadswords on the table, turning the handle to be within easy reach before opening the door. It was Fu, another of the Royal Guards. He was holding an iron knife in his hands.

Zuko's instincts instantly went into overdrive, he grabbed the broadsword and within seconds had Fu on the ground, the iron blade skittering across the floor out of his reach, and sword point at his throat.

"Wait--my Lord--wait."

"Explain quickly Fu."

Fu gulped against the metal at his throat. "I was bri--bringing you the blade from the attack. It--it had a message tied to it, around the hilt."

Zuko peered at the blade, which did indeed have something wrapped around the hilt, and released Fu from his position on the floor.

"I apologize, Fu. My actions were unwarranted."

Fu's face was red from nervousness. "No apology necessary, Sir. I should have realized that you would be on edge after an assassination attempt."

Zuko nodded. "Still. I apologize." He dismissed Fu with a wave and turned to the knife.

The note was simple parchment paper, tied with a gold cord. Inside, in neat bold strokes was the message:

The Iron Empress Sends Her Regards.

He folded the note and tucked it into his tunic. It only reaffirmed his plans. There was only one man he trusted enough to ask for help. One man who was an expert in reading people, who was a master of gathering intelligence, of gossip and of secrets, he would know what to do.

Zuko finished packing his bag, wrote a note explaining where he had gone and that he would return as soon as knew more about the assassination attempt, adding that he hoped Mai would recover quickly, and reminding everyone that she ruled in his absence. Though he was nervous about leaving the country in her hands, he knew that, whatever other faults she might have, Mai was rational, and not prone to rash or hasty decisions, she would suffice for as long as he was gone.

Now, it was time to find Uncle.

"Toph?...Toph, it is time to wake up. The tea will not serve itself, you know."

Iroh waited at the door until he heard a groan, and the sound of someone shuffling out of bed to start the day. He placed the tray he had been holding on the floor outside the door. A hot cup of mint tea and several sticky buns were always a good way to start the day, and he hoped they might even make his ward a little more personable. Mornings were not her best time. Satisfied that she was indeed awake, he smiled and went downstairs to resume serving his morning customers.

The Jasmine Dragon was not the most prosperous tea house in Ba Sing Se. Though it certainly had some of the best tea in any nation, the locals preferred to keep it their own little secret. The same crowd could be found there almost every morning, enjoying a cup of steaming tea, eating a delicious dumpling, or perhaps playing a game of Pai Sho with the owner.

Tozu was among this usual crowd, but unlike the others, he had no great love of tea, or dumplings, or even Pai Sho. No, Tozu came every morning to catch a glimpse of the pretty girl who sold the tea; Toph. Though she was always carefully introduced as Iroh's niece, the tea shop regulars had all heard the story of Toph Bei Fong, and though Toph was a common enough name in the Earth Kingdom, they couldn't help but wonder if this was perhaps the same girl.

Nobility was very highly prized in Ba Sing Se. The common folk followed the intrigues of the courtiers with great interest, and so, despite the fact that her family lived in Gaoling, the story of the Bei Fong heiress had rapidly spread through the city. A previously unknown daughter? A girl who had traveled with the Avatar? Who had returned and willingly given up her nobility to avoid an arranged marriage? Girls of all classes clasped their hands and sighed at the sheer romance of it. Boys all over town harbored fantasies of discovering that their girlfriends were secretly the Bei Fong heiress and of convincing said girlfriends to return to Gaoling and claim their large inheritance, thus allowing them (and their boyfriends) to live in fabulous wealth for the rest of their lives.

It can be said for Tozu, however, that the idea that Toph might in fact be the Bei Fong heiress had never really preoccupied him all that much. He was one of those happy few to which everything comes easily. His family had made a large fortune during the war by operating a secret ferry service, his earthbending, though not the best, had always come naturally to him, and he had been described on many occasions as being very, very handsome. Unfortunately for Tozu, however, the girl upon whom he had fixed his attentions was blind, and therefore no amount of good looks could hide his self-centered stupidity from her.

At that moment, the girl of Tozu's dreams was in fact getting ready to begin her day at the tea shop. She quickly splashed water over her face and grimaced at the cold. Taking a brush, she wet her hair slightly before pulling it into two low braids and tying them off. Slipping out of her training clothes, (she hadn't bothered to change into pajamas the night before, preferring to simply collapse into bed), she pulled on her work uniform, a simple green kimono-like robe over a darker green tunic and pants. A cream-colored sash tied around her waist, and a fan for cooling the tea hung on a gold cord over that. She smoothed her hands over the outfit before opening the door and stepping outside. Noticing the tray, she took a few gulps of tea and snagged a sticky bun before making her way downstairs.

"Toph!" Iroh called jovially from across the room, making his way towards her. Toph groaned inwardly. Uncle's voice was far too cheery for the early hour, especially considering the late night she had had previously. "It is a lovely morning is it not?"

She merely grunted in reply and moved into the kitchen, grabbing the necessary ingredients for a fresh batch of dumplings. Iroh had been careful to include a carving on the outside of each jar, so that Toph could easily tell them apart by skimming her fingers along the outside. It was little touches like that which made Toph appreciate how much her guardian had truly done for her.

Though she was entirely self-sufficient, and her earthbending meant that vision would never be a problem for her, Iroh had helped her learn things that she otherwise wouldn't have. He had taught her the art of remaining silent, something her brash younger self had never mastered, of being able to understand more from the times when people did not speak then from the times they did. He had taught her strategy, even carving a special Pai Sho set in relief so that they could play together, but mostly he had taught her discipline and compromise, not by forcing it upon her, but by respecting her, and her independence. Plus he made great tea.

As if reading her mind, Iroh entered the kitchen with two steaming cups. Handing her one, he leaned on the counter next to her and spoke.

"Late night? I didn't hear you come in." She didn't reply straight away, instead unsnapping her fan and using it to cool the scalding tea. He smiled at her actions.

"Oh drink up, its the new Vanilla Orange Blossom. I just finished unpacking the stores yesterday." She took a sip and made a face.

"Ugh. Not our best."

Iroh smiled. "Dear girl, I believe you are learning. A year ago you would not have been able to tell that tea from our best Jasmine Blend. But back to the point, how is training going? Have you mastered the new moves we worked on?"

The other day when she and Iroh were sparring in the little courtyard behind the shop, Uncle had reiterated to her an old dream of his, to combine moves from different bending disciplines in order to create more powerful combinations. He shared with her the way he had discovered the technique for redirecting lightning; by studying waterbenders.

"And that one was difficult" He had laughed. "Water and fire are opposites. I think with fire and earth we will perhaps have more luck. They are complementary elements, you know. He took a bending stance. Now. Firebending comes from the breath, and earthbending is rooted in the legs. You focus on your breathing and I shall concentrate on my feet, and let us see where we go from there."

That day Iroh was able to incorporate several earthbending movements into his bending. The wider stance and strong postures gave him a different edge in their sparring match. He even claimed that the smoother movement of the legs allowed him to hold his fire-whip for much longer than he usually could. Toph however, struggled with the adjustment, and at the end of the match she felt that she had done more poorly than usual.

"Practice, practice, practice. That is all there is to it." She merely grumbled at his cheerful comments regarding her failure. His smile broadened. "I am an old man, if there is one thing I have had plenty of, it is practice."

Though she practiced her earthbending faithfully, and several times had attempted to use her breathing to her advantage, she still felt as disheartened as ever. But Iroh thought it would give her an even greater advantage in the ring, so she doggedly kept at it. Presently, however, she returned her mind to the dumpling mixture, which was nearing the baking stage.

"Oh, I've been practicing Uncle. I've yet to have any luck though."

"Well perhaps it will be ready by the time Earth Rumble XII begins." He was glad to see her smile at that. "Now, tell me exactly why you got home so late last night. And do not try to tell me you were practicing, I know the dojo closes at sunset."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Well, if you must know everything old man, I got in a fight."

Iroh gave her a stern look before remembering that she would be unable to see it.

"Yeah, yeah, spare me your glares Uncle, I know you don't like it. But I really needed a challenge, and the dojo just wasn't giving it to me. I waited till the bars cleaned out and just gave some of the drunks...well, you might say I just helped them sober up."

"Well, I am glad to see that you were not hurt, at least. I can only hope you showed the same compassion to your sparring partners?"

She grinned, "It's nothing that won't go away after a week."

Iroh sighed and shook his head. "Come now. I will finish the dumplings, I believe it is your turn to serve the tea."

She nodded and had almost made her way completely out the door before she remembered. She turned back quickly. "Is Tozu out there?"

Uncle nodded and said that, yes he was but; "Toph, perhaps you should just agree to go on a date with him once. It might solve your problems."

She made a face and shook her head. "A date? With Tozu? Ugh. I'd rather date a rock. At least it wouldn't think so highly of itself." And with that, she made her way into the main room of the tea shop.

Tozu, currently sitting up front and nursing a cup of Vanilla Orange Blossom, glanced up the moment he saw the kitchen doors move. Much to his delight, it was indeed Toph who had just come through them. He downed the rest of his tea, grimaced, my, what an interesting flavor, and made his way to the counter to order a second cup. Preferably of something that was not Vanilla Orange Blossom.

Toph felt him approaching the counter and carefully arranged her features into something resembling politeness. Often the best way to handle Tozu was simply to confuse him with polite mannerisms, and ignore him when he got pushy.

"Toph, my darling little lotus blossom. Your eyes seem especially bright this morning."

She forced her grimace to more closely resemble a smile before replying.

"And how may I help you this morning, sir?"

"Oh, you don't have to call me sir, my sweet. Though it does have a nice ring to it. I can't be much older than you. He smiled in a charming manner. It was lost on Toph. How old are you now? Seventeen? Eighteen? Marrying age?"

"May I recommend the Vanilla Orange Blossom this morning, sir?"

"Yeah sure, give me a cup of whatever. But really, I'd love to take you out some time. We could walk around the city, you know, see the sights."

Such a blatantly moronic suggestion probably deserved some kind of response, Toph had just opened her mouth to give one, when Uncle burst through the kitchen doors, speaking for her;

"You know Tozu, she would love to."

Toph stomped quickly and Iroh received a very sharp rock under his foot, but the damage was done.

"Great! I'll pick you up before dark. Then we can watch the sunset together." He waggled his eyebrows. Toph quickly shoved his cup of tea into his hand, hoping he would take the hint and go. But in a very Tozu way, he hung around, perhaps wishing for more conversation or the promise of another date.

Fed up, Toph shifted her stance and made a sweeping gesture. Tozu looked down to find his feet covered in what looked like earthen shoes...and not exactly fashionable ones. But before he could begin to fathom how they might be improved, (by some laces, perhaps, or pointier toes) they began to shuffle him forwards. After several moments he found himself outside the Jasmine Dragon, staring down at a cup of very bad tea in his hands.

Inside, Toph could feel Iroh shaking with suppressed laughter. She grumbled and went back to work.

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. Please let me know what you think, and what direction you want the story to take. I have a few ideas, but I would love some more opinions.