I decided to do a one shot prompt series for Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra let me know if you guys want that. This is a multi chapter fic so I'll give you the verses after each Chapter. I strongly recommend listening to the song before or right after reading the fic.
Cannon Divergent (Toph is aged up a year /etc.)
Prompt: The song "In the name of love" by Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha
Ship: Toph/Azula
I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER or the song "In the name of love"
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Azula was cold, alone and only had a torch on the other side of the bars for light. She was chained to the floor by her hands. The chains were long enough for her to move about her small room and to lay on her bed. Yes she may be cold, alone and broken but at least she could still bend. Her bending was spared as long as she stayed in the freezing room. She had doctors and her brother would visit occasionally. It had been years since she had seen the sun. Three years to be exact and she was always exact. She was convinced she was better and her doctors agreed that she was no longer quite as broken but she still had nightmares and panic attacks but so did Zuko and the others. No, She knew why she was still here but she wouldn't let that get the best of her. Every day she would go through her bending formations the best she could with the chains then she would work on her physical mass….she had lost to much muscle during her recovery.
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Toph has been busy the last few years training her students in metal bending. A Lot has happened in the past three years but she was still bored and a little lonely.(Not that she would ever admit to it.) So when Zuko said that she could stay at the palace with Mai, Izumi and him she gladly accepted the offer. That is why a week after receiving the invitation she was at the door of the Fire Lord's palace. Never one to knock she strolled right in and started to walk around. She had been walking around the palace and turned towards Mai's heart beat. She knocked on the door and heard the familiar voice. "Who is it?"
Toph smirked and opened the door. "Why the Melon Lord of course." She felt the paddle of feet coming toward her.
"Toph! Toph!" Young Izumi had run up to Toph and clung to her legs. "Toph! Toph!" Toph smiled.
"Hey matchstick! What are you up to?" Izumi managed her way into Toph's arms and pointed to her fingers (not that she could see it.)
"Fingers! 1...2...3...4...5" Then she lifted her other hand as if to show Toph. "6...7...8...9...10!"
Toph laughed and swung Izumi on her hip. "Good job! Matchstick you're pretty smart." Mai nods and walks over to them.
"Momma! Bocks pwease! Bocks pwease!" Toph looked slightly confused as Mai goes to the closet and pulls out a box. "Only if Toph wants to play." Izumi turned to Toph.
"Wanna pay bocks?" Mai seeing that Toph was puzzled opened the box and took a wooden block out and handed one to Toph.
"She wants to play blocks with you. Toph holding the engraved cube with one hand and setting down Izum with the other she turned to face Izumi.
"Of course I'll play blocks with you." She had learned about blocks a while ago while they had something similar to them in the earth kingdom but they were made of earth and much different shapes. She sat on the floor next to Izumi and reached for the box knocking it over. The blocks spilled onto the for and Izumi reached for some and started building. Mai walked toward the door.
"Toph can you keep and eye on Izumi for a few minutes? Zuko wanted me to let him know when you arrived." Toph simply nodded as she stacked another block onto their tower. Mai had quietly left the room and went to Zuko's study and knocked on the door.
"Come in." She opened the door and strolled in. "Hey Mai." Zuko smiled.
"Hi Zuko, Toph is here she is playing with Izumi in the nursery."
"I'm sure Izumi was excited." Zuko stood and gestures for Mai lead the way.
" Yes she was ecstatic when Toph came in proclaiming she was "Melon Lord" Mai stressed trying to imitate Toph. They reached the nursery as Zuko laughed at Mai's version of Toph when they heard a crash from inside the room. They rushed in only to find a very frustrated Toph and a laughing Izumi in the middle of a big pile of wooden blocks.
"What happen?" Zuko walked over to Toph. Mai picked up Izumi as Toph growled in frustration.
"Nothing happened the stupid blocks kept falling over!" Toph blew out some air and her bangs flew up for a moment.
"Toph silly! Silly Toph!" Izumi was clapping her hands and trying to get down. Mai let her down and gracefully sat beside her daughter.
"What do you mean Toph is silly?"
Instead of answering, Izumi built a small tower. Giggling she looked at Toph and point to the tower. "Build Toph Build!" Mai and Zuko both turned to Toph who nervously nodded. Toph put her hand on the ground and guided it to a block and picked it up. Now came the hard part. While Toph could see the tower was there she couldn't tell how tall it was with the carpet and the blocks being wooden. She sighed as she went to guess how tall the tower was and place a block on top. This attempt has been as successful as the last 21 attempts and she miscalculated and completely destroyed the tower. Izumi laughed and clapped cheerfully. Zuko and Mai had struggled not to laugh more so Zuko than Mai. Toph's face harden as Zuko finally and let out a chuckle.
"It's not funny Princess." Toph stood and left the room and disappeared before Zuko or Mai could stop her. Zuko had finally managed to find Toph in her guest quarters. He walked in the room and found Toph had stolen the blocks from the nursery and was trying to stack them. As soon as the tower got higher than five she would knock over the tower.
"What do you want Princess?" Zuko sat next to her and stacked the blocks.
"You know how I invited you here?"
Toph knocked the tower over again. "Yup." Zuko stacked them again.
"I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?" Toph again knocked over the tower.
"Shoot your highness."
Zuko repeated stacking. 'I….I...was wondering if you...you would..maybe I guess…-" Toph had knocked over the block tower again.
"What Zuko?" Zuko spoke as he stacked.
"I was hoping you would visit my sister."
Toph dropped the block she was holding. "Azula?" Zuko guided her hand.
"Yeah, The doctors say she is getting a lot better and I wanted to see how she would react to seeing someone other than my family or Ty Lee." Toph had stacked the block on top of the tower then reached for another as she thought. She refused Zuko's hand this time and tried extra hard not to decimate the tower. Alas she still knocked the blocks onto the floor and sighed.
"You know what princess?" Zuko looked at Toph. No answer came so Toph tossed a block at him.
"Why the hell not?" Zuko seemed pleased with her answer and they continued the game they had started. While they played they figured that Toph would go tomorrow with Zuko first then if she decided to stay she would visit whenever she liked.
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They approached the prison that Azula was housed in. As they entered Zuko waved them through security and they made their way down several flights of stairs. They entered a hall and walked towards a metal door with two guards.
"A little chilly you think?" Zuko turned to Toph.
"That is the point." He went for the door.
"Ready?" Toph heard her brother outside the door. She decided to sit in the lotus position to wait for him to enter. While she very much despised her brother when she was younger now she enjoyed his visits as it acknowledged that she still mattered to someone. The door open and Zuko strode in…...along with him was a shortish, pale, raven haired girl.
"Hello Azula." She gave a concerned look.
"Hello Zuzu." Toph snorted and Zuko glared at her. He turned back to Azula.
"Do you remember Toph? She traveled with the Avatar."
Azula thought a moment and then remembered. "The powerful earthbender?...Who is blind?"
Toph clapped her hand onto Zuko's back (who winced). "I like her already Hot Head!" Zuko sighed. Azula smirked and decided to scoot closer to the bars. Then she heard Zuko gasp. She had forgotten about the marks. Her hands shot up to her neck but her wrist were rubbed raw and she couldn't help the small hiss that escaped her lips. Zuko stepped forward but Azula scrambled back her heart racing and her breath uneven. Toph looked concerned and asked Zuko what was happening but both of them ignored her.
"Azula…" Azula at this point is having a panic attack and Zuko has no idea what to do for her. Toph shoves him aside and steps through the bars using her bending. She walks over to Azula and crouches close to her.
"Hey Azula I know you don't know me to well but you need to calm down 'kay?" Azula just gasps for breath and her eyes seem unfocused. "Hey….hey it's fine you're fine okay?...Azula can I put my hand on your knee?" Azula struggled for breath and jerked her head in a nod. "Okay Azula I'm going to gently put my hand on your knee…..I need you to try and breath through your nose and out your mouth." Azula tried to to what Toph asked she did she really did but she just couldn't. She gasped desperately and had started to cry. Tears escaping against her will. Toph had gently grabbed her hand and pressed it against her own chest and Azula felt how Toph's breath even and calm. "Okay I know you tried before but it might be easier to just try to copy my breathing 'kay? Just try."
Zuko stood in awe as Azula slowly but surely calmed down but she transitioned into sobbing almost immediately. As shocked as he was of that nothing had prepared him for the sight before him. Azula had turned into Toph's shoulder as she was sobbing and Toph was gently rubbing circle into her back as Azula cried. "It's only gonna hurt; Till you breath.." Toph whispered. They stayed like that for about ten more minutes then Azula pulled away and wiped her eyes looked at Toph.
"Thank you." She spoke very softly. They both turned towards Zuko. "Sorry Zuzu…." Zuko looked at his sister pitifully.
"You have nothing to apologize for Azula…...but what was that I saw on your neck?" Zuko had barely made it through the sentence without crying. Toph looked confused and instinctively reached to feel what she couldn't see and accidentally startled Azula.
"I'm sorry." Toph yanked back her hand.
"No,no it is okay…..I'll...I'll um help you. Azula guided Toph's hand to her neck where she had tried and strangle herself with a hot chain she managed to heat up. Toph gasped, her eyebrows came crashing together and she slowly removed her hand.
"Y...yo….you….what? Why? When" Zuko had entered the cell at this point and crouched in front of his sister. Azula brought her knees to her chest and rested her head in her knees. Zuko has never seen his sister so small before. Azula took a deep breath and turned her head over.
"It had been a while since…..since anyone one had come to visit...and I tried so hard to stay strong while I waited for anyone to talk to.….But I had a nightmare and I thought that no one cared…..the voices….they were just so loud….. I just thought I would do everyone a favor and die." Azula went quiet and looked up her eyes were so hollow and empty. Zuko and Toph both looked horrified. Toph stood up and dragged Zuko out of the cell and into the hall.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Zuko was sputtering for an answer. "I...I...I" Toph slammed him into the wall. The guards were starting to come over but Zuko waved them off.
"I..I..I..IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?! Your sister tried to KILL HERSELF AND ALL YOUR GONNA DO IS SPUTTER!". Zuko was speechless and a little scared.(not that he would admit to it) Toph let go of Zuko and shoved him roughly.
"I'll tell you what your gonna do. You WILL let Azula back into the palace and pardon her for all of her crimes." Zuko once again was silent. Toph growled and walked back into the room. Azula looked up in confusion as Toph angrily ripped apart the bars.
"Come on Princess." Toph stood there with her hand outstretched.
"What?" Toph's heart broke. Azula sounded so broken and confused. "I said come on I'm taking you home.
"But my fire will burn…" Toph stepped into the cell.
"Then control it Princess." Azula grabbed Toph's hand.
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"If I told you this was only gonna hurt
If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn
Would you walk in?
Would you let me do it first?
Do it all in the name of love"
Please R&R and let me know if you would like to see a Atla and Lok one shot series!