Title- Revelation

Rating- M for later chapters

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Summary- Remember when team Avatar split up to find Aang and Momo, what if when Toph goes with Zuko, something happens, something better than Toph's idea of a life changing experience.

A/N- Alright so I've been thinking of this for a while now, and I'm going to rewrite this story in its entirety and fix all the problems with it. I've read through it and it's just not what I want it to be. I hope you like the new version of this, because I worked rather hard on it. Please review it'll really help.

The sun rose slowly over the Eastern horizon, the fat medallion of flames burning through the mist and shadows, laying everything bare and bright before it. The light lay through the window, blanketing a room in soft warmth as the occupant shifted and finally woke. Slim hands slid through long locks, fingers catching lightly on the tangles of the night before as the girl sat up with a yawn, not bothering to cover her mouth since there was no one else there.

She flicked the blankets back and got up, padding over the floor toward the mirror and the bowl of water near the vanity. Slowly, she began the preparations for the day, in no rush since the silence of the house betrayed that she was the only one awake.

As the day wore on, that calmness soon turned to irritation, then to panic as she realized that a piece of her heart was missing, and it seemed like nothing could bring it back.

"Has anyone seen Aang?" With her sleek hair pulled back into it's topknot, and her crimson clothing clashing nicely with the deep olive of her skin, it was almost easy to miss the worried expression on her face.

"Not since last night." Sokka said, not bothering to even lift his head from where he was lounging on the beach, his arms crossed behind his head. "Why, is he gone again?"

A soft sigh pulled from Katara at the mention of 'again'. Aang did have a habit of disappearing, but not suddenly like this, and not without any warning whatsoever. He had seemed just fine the yesterday, what had changed since then?

"I think we should look for him." She suggested, trying to hide the almost hopeful tone in her voice, as if she thought her brother might turn her down.

Sokka let out his own sigh before he stretched his arms up, ungracefully jerking his body up off the ground with the sudden movement. He stood up, stretching slightly, tired muscles tensing after being soothed by the warmth of the sun. "Alright, if that's what you want."

Relief flashed over Katara's face, though she tried to hide it, too used to being strong for everyone else to allow herself to outwardly feel anything. As the others filed away from the beach, she allowed herself to turn away, glancing out over the vast world.

"Aang where are you?" The longing in that tone was obvious, and heartbreak would inevitably follow.

"We should split up; we can cover more ground that way." Katara's voice lit over the rest of the group, drawing their attention, though it was Sokka who eventually came up with the plans.

"I'll go with Suki then." He said. "And Toph you can go-"

"I want to go with Zuko!" Her tone was too loud and the way she latched her arms around him was unnecessary, if the others had paid enough attention, they might've noticed the small blush that coloured her prominent cheekbones momentarily, but of course, they were all staring at Zuko.

"I didn't do anything." He said indignantly, discreetly trying to push Toph off of him.

"Not yet." Toph stated. "But everyone else who went off with you got to have a life changing revelation, and now I want mine." She said, stepping back to cross her arms, solid in her choice and reasons.

Sokka just rolled his eyes, still not exactly trusting the hot headed prince, especially not with the girl he thought of as his other little sister. He turned away before he could notice the small blush creeping in to colour Zuko's face as he thought of the sudden hug. No one around here touched him; they didn't seem to really like being in the same room as him, much less within inches of him.

With the plan set, Toph and Zuko split away from the group. He walked somewhat faster than her, if only because he wasn't paying attention. It wasn't as though he wanted to leave her behind. Soon though, she began to speak, and Zuko's steps slowed until he was walking in tandem with her. He listened silently as she told him what he could only assume was her entire life story.

They'd nearly walked around the entire island by the time she trailed off. Zuko wanted to be sympathetic, but he found it difficult. She had parents who loved her, who worried for her, and she threw it all away, and for what? He couldn't understand. For most of his life all he'd ever wanted was to have that love and caring directed at him from his own father. She had everything he wanted, and yet, she still wasn't happy with it.

"I'm sure you've had a tough life." He stated, trying to hide the scathing tone in his voice. "But I think we should focus on finding Aang right now."

The vibrations of his footsteps painted the sonic image of his body, and Toph was well aware of his agitation, and when it had started. She looked away, walking silently behind him, trying to think of something else to say, but nothing came to mind or mouth.

She followed her image of Zuko, head tipped down almost in shame. So her revelation obviously wasn't here, and it speared that she wouldn't be getting one.

Soon enough they met up with the others and after a short conversation that could be summed up with 'We didn't find him', they all clambered back onto Appa, and with a flick of the reigns and a 'yip yip' they were on their way back to their hideaway.

"We should start again at dawn tomorrow, we have a long flight." Zuko said softly from where he'd taken his usual seat away from everyone else, toward the back of the saddle.

Toph was near him again though, he could see her just from the corner of his eye, and something seemed off about her. She seemed rather down about something, and that thought was proven right as they landed. Toph was the first to get down and she quickly jogged back toward the house, slamming the door behind herself.

"What did you do to her?" Sokka growled at Zuko, obviously blaming him for Toph's strange behaviour.

"Nothing." Zuko defended. "I didn't do anything to her."

Sokka let out a hissing breath, obviously not believing a word that Zuko said, but unable to prove him wrong. The young water tribesman turned on his heel, stalking back toward the house with Suki and Katara trailing behind him. The firebender let out his own sigh, collapsing back against Appa's side to sit down, ignoring the guttural groan that escaped the great beast as he was disturbed from the sleep he'd already managed to succumb to.

The evening was restless, the night sleepless, and tempers were ready to flare by the next morning.

"Alright, so Suki and I'll go to the front lines, where they need us most." Sokka said. "Katara, you go with Zuko-"

"No."

The voice was from the back of the group and they all turned to see Toph there, her arms crossed over her chest, clouded eyes appearing unusually focused. "I'll go with Zuko, Katara can go with you."

"But-"

"Waterbending is no match for Azula's fire." Toph sighed. "I'll go."

The stubborn tone in her voice was recognizable, and Sokka knew there was no talking her out of it. "Fine, then Katara can come with us instead, and Toph you'll go to the capital."

The room was dimly lit, only a few candles lit in the large chamber of shadows. A frustrated sigh cut through the silence as the princess struggled to pull her hair up into its usual top knot. Normally, there would be others to help with this, but the others were gone, and all that was left was the dishevelled princess.

Azula's mind had grown dark, but not in the manipulative way. She was breaking under the strain, the weight that she put on herself and the weight others insisted she carry. The war outside the walls of her city was nothing but a squabble between peasants compared to the war raging inside her own mind. She tried to be her usual immaculate, manipulative self, but she just couldn't. She couldn't focus.

The soft sheen of a pair of scissors cut through the dim light, and tears stained over pale cheeks as the blades cut through the silky strands of her hair, cutting it off in such a way that the only way to repair any damage would be to cut it all off short. She didn't think of that though, just pulled her hair up into an unusually messy knot, letting her lopsided bangs hang into her face.

"What a shame, you always had beautiful hair." A voice floated from the shadows.

Azula closed her eyes tightly, recognizing her mother's voice. But she couldn't be there, could she? In Azula's cracked mind, it was impossible that Ursa was anywhere else.

"What are you doing here?" Azula asked, the sharpness gone from her tone, only longing and pain left behind.

"I didn't want to miss my own daughter's coronation." Ursa replied with a smile, her hands folded in front of her.

Azula grit her teeth. "Don't pretend to act proud; I know what you really think of me." She hissed out. "You think I'm a monster."

She looked away, and somewhere in the depths of her pain, she knew… she knew that she was a monster, and everyone hated her for it. Even she hated herself for it.

"I think you're confused. All your life you've used fear to control people, Like your friends Mai and Ty Lee."

At the mention of their names, Azula felt physical pain, an illness in her stomach, an ache in her chest. What had she done? No, it was them that had betrayed her. They'd left her, and they were the ones to blame for what she had become.

"What choice do I have?! Trust is for fools, fear is the only reliable way! Even you fear me."

The words burned her throat like whiskey on the way out, setting flame behind her eyes and causing another crack to spider web its way across her already tarnished mind.

"No, I love you Azula, I do." Ursa assured, but Azula didn't believe a word of it. Pained tears dripped down her face as she denied the words with every fibre of her being. No! Her mother had always hated her, always chose Zuko over her! She was lying, and Azula wouldn't stand for it.

The wooden brush didn't have much weight, but in the usually capable and strong hands of Azula, it easily smashed the mirror, and suddenly, she felt alone. She dropped to her knees in pain and tears, feeling abandoned, betrayed, and worst of all, confused.

Why? Why did her mother hate her so, and why were her friends so quick to betray her as if she were nothing? The coronation was a few hours away, but even so, Azula still wouldn't be ready. She collapsed in her agony, lying on the plush carpeted floor, tears streaming down her face as her own self loathing consumed her.