Zuko/Toph Avatar The Last Airbender

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing of the Avatar or it's characters

Dreams Are Nightmares

Zuko hated dreams. Or rather he envied them. They were so distracting and pleasent. They were lies. And Zuko knew lies all too well. So for him, every dream was a nightmare, depicting places he only wished he could be. Wanted to be. To escape the Hell he lived in. He never considered any of his night visions to be beautiful...except one.

Zuko was young when it occured. A child of no more than seven. As young as he was, though, Zuko had been exposed to many things a child should never be subjected to. Killings for entertainment, killings for punishment, beatings to "improve a person", the cruelty of words and lies, blood-curdling screams, corpses of all kinds and ages, and even to the war that happened around him.

Zuko's mind was never at ease. It raced around relentlessly and was plagued by never-ending questions. His sleeping habits were ill as well. He would roll around for hours on end, trying for sleep, begging for it, and only in the wee hours of morning would his body relax and fall into darkness. And once again, his mind was battered by horrible dreams, no matter what they showed him...good or bad.

But on one fine spring evening, the sky began to darken with plump purple clouds, signifying rain. Zuko's gold eyes trailed over the horizen, watching them roll in. His sister was lying next to him, following his gaze.

"We should go inside." Azula said flatly. Zuko looked over at her, his hair, undone from it's pony-tail, was hanging about his face.

"I suppose..." he sighed, getting up and stretching. He had felt exhausted all day (with his sleeping habits, it wasn't surprising). Maybe it WAS best if they went inside. He could try and take a nap. TRY, there was the catch. Azula stood beside him, her own face looking haggard.

The two of them ambled slowly inside.

Dinner passed in silence, as usual. And with brief kisses and "good-nights", Zuko and Azula had parted from their parents and each other. Once, in his room, Zuko collapsed onto his bed. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Upon his windows, the first patters of rain fell on the glass, seeming to play a soft lullaby. It was comforting...and for what felt like the first time, Zuko fell asleep instantly.

The dream was...staggering. Confusing. But it was...sweet. Zuko woke with a start, the warmth of the sun on his face. He was startled. He'd never slept a whole night as far as he could remember. But what shocked him was the dream...nothing had ever been so frightening and beautiful. Scrambling from his bed, he made a mistake...he went to go tell his father.

His father was dressing with practiced carefulness, his wife, Ursa sat on the bed, her robe wrapped tightly around her. She kept her eyes to the floor, and he kept his eyes on her from the view of the mirror. He knew what she was feeling, dirty and used, but he didn't give a damn. Ursa wanted to start crying when her son burst into the room. Ozia's eyes never left Ursa's face, even as his son came in.

"Father! Father!" he cried eagerly. Ozia did not reply, only continued buttoning up his formal attire. Zuko was quiet for a moment, waiting for his father to respond. He frowned when he didn't.

"Father?"

"What, Zuko?" His father spat venomously. Zuko flinched, Ozia smiled, and Ursa whimpered silently.

"Can I tell you about...well...about my dream last night?" Zuko asked hesitantly. It seemed like a stupid question now, but it had been asked. Ozia's hands froze for the tiniest moment...then they kept moving.

"I really have no interest in the type of visions your mind plays for you at night Zuko." His father said sternly.

"It was...sad. " Zuko whispered.

"I don't want to hear it." Ozia scowled, drawing some of his hair into it's regal pony-tail. He gestured for the golden crown of fire...Ursa retrieved it without a glance to his face. She stood silently behind him.

"I think she's hurt," Zuko went on as if he heard nothing, "She seemed to be upset. I don't think-"

"I said-"

"She could see me. She kept trying to find me, calling my name and stuff. She was scared, I could tell. So I held her, and she said she felt better when she was with me."

"Zuko what did I just say?"

"She was awfully pretty too. She had this intense black hair, and these watery-green eyes. I think she may have been blind."

"Zuko, listen to your father...please." Ursa begged, but her son didn't pay any attention. He was unaware of his mother's concern and fear.

"She seemed lonely too. She was nice though," Zuko went on sturdily, despite his father's growing aggitation, "She said she liked me. I liked that part of the dream."

"Zuko-"

"Oh and you know what else!? She said she knew-"

-SLAP-

It was a loud sound. Like the crack of a bullet, echoing of the walls of the room. Ursa's cry of terror was devoured by it's volume.

Zuko had fallen to the floor from the force of his father's hand. He sat on the floor, his nose bleeding, his lip cut, and a dark bruise beginning to form on the left side of his face (where in the years to come, his father would conflict a terrible scar on the same side...). His eyes wide, he stared up at his father, cowering in fear. The sick man smirked evilly, anger still marring his eyes.

"I said, I don't want to hear it," Ozia said, "Ursa...clean him up." And with a swish of his robes, he was gone from the room.

Ursa came quickly to her son's side, a wet cloth in one hand, and the other holding him tightly to her bosom.

"My son...oh my son..." Ursa sobbed, her tears falling onto his hair. Zuko remained quiet, wincing whenever his mother dabbed at a tender area. She cried as she worked, tears staining her cheeks. She kept repeating how sorry she was, how she didn't want to see him hurt, that she just wanted-

"She said she knew what was happening to me." Zuko whispered. Ursa stopped and stared.

"What?" she asked, pulling away the rag, and taking her son's head in her hands.

"She said she felt bad...and when we see each other someday...she'll give everything back that father gave to me...ten times worse." Zuko said, his voice thinning and breaking. Tears welled in his eyes and began to spill over. Ursa kissed him gently on the forehead.

"That sounds like a lovely dream."

"It was...nice." Zuko sniffed. Ursa held him tighter, and began to rock steadily back and forth.

"Did she say her name?" Ursa asked. She wanted to tell him it was just a dream, but seeing Zuko so broken made her hold her tongue. He needed to dream. He needed the hope.

Zuko was quiet for a long time. Then, slowly, he shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. Ursa's face fell. She felt bad. How could he meet someone whose name was a mystery. And then Zuko spoke,

"But...she called herself...the world's greatest bender..." Zuko whispered, "And that's all I'll need to know..."