Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last airbender
"I don't want to do this." Toph said looking at the new fire lord and then at the house that belonged to her parents that she hasn't seen in a year.
"Yes you do, you're the one who said you wanted to go here." Z replied. The young earthbender was quiet for a moment and started bending a pebble.
"Well maybe I changed my mind." She said breaking the silence. "Toph, if you're worried they won't be happy to see you or won't accept you, stop because I know they will. Some families wouldn't, like my father, but yours will, I know it or my name isn't Sparky." Zuko said with a reassuring smile. Maybe after all these year he finally learned to give some good advice like his uncle.
Toph stared at him for a moment then said, "You better be right or you will have to deal with the Blind Bandit's wrath." She said with a smirk as she threw the pebble at him.
"What? Who's the Blind Bandit?" Zuko asked confused but Toph was already making her way to the door of the house. Zuko walked quickly behind, catching up to her. She knocked on the door a couple times and a boy opened the door.
"How may I help you?" He asked.
"Um, Hi we're here too see my parents, uhh Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong." Toph said awkwardly, Zuko almost laughed but knew this was not the time to do that. The boy nodded and let them in.
"I will tell them they have company." The boy said and then disappeared down a hallway.
Toph then turned to Zuko and laughed. "This is so weird."
"Yeah it sort of is but it'll end up okay." Zuko said. Minutes later the boy reappeared and led the two to a room where Toph's parents were.
"Oh Toph! You came back!" Her mother happily exclaimed, hugging Toph. Zuko watched the family and smiled to himself.
Her mother let go and Toph was relieved that her parents seemed very glad she was home, "Sorry that I left but you have to understand, I needed to do this and help Aang and the others." Toph said looking at them.
"Not to mention she helped save the world." Zuko said, he was beginning to feel awkward standing there and decided to chime in.
"That too, I guess. By the way this is Spar-I mean Zuko." Toph said smiling as she introduced the young Fire Lord.
"It's nice to meet you." Zuko said. Toph's father looked at her with mixed emotions.
"I'm glad to have you back Toph, I hope you had fun on your little adventure but I am not allowing you to leave this home again. You will have to stop your earthbending non sense." Her father said sternly. Both Zuko and Toph were shocked.
"But I proved I'm not some weak little girl! I helped take down Fire Lord Ozai! When are you going to understand that I can make my own decisions, live my own life? Besides earthbending, or any bending for that matter isn't something you can just stop, it becomes a part of you." Toph replied, she was both angry and distraught.
"My decision is final." Her father said. Toph then gave a pleading look to her mother.
"I'm sorry honey but I think your father is right, it's for your own good. We don't want to see you hurt." Her mother said gently.
"I can't believe this." Toph muttered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Zuko noticed this and went to stand next to her, glaring angrily at her father.
"Your decision is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. You say you don't want to hurt your daughter yet her she is almost crying. I have no idea-" He was going to say more but he was interrupted by her father.
"This is none of your concern."
Wiping her eyes Toph also decided to comment, "Sparky, I'm fine. I'm just frustrated that they still want to treat me like some fragile porcelain doll." She said quietly.
"This is a family matter; we will not be discussing it with the like of you." Her father said, annoyed at Zuko.
"He's my friend and I will talk about whatever I want with him." Toph replied.
"Besides Toph is like the nice, more sane little sister I always wanted. She is free to tell me whatever she wants to tell me. She doesn't need arrogant idiots like you telling her she can't bend anymore. She's one of the best earthbenders I've ever seen, she's even beat me a couple times. You should really get to know your own daughter before you pass judgment." Zuko said, glaring at her parents. Toph smiled at him.
"What do you mean one of the best, I am the best." She replied, hitting his arm playfully.
"Ow." He said.
"That may be true but she is still staying here and following my rules." Her father growled, angry at how outspoken Zuko was towards him
"Actually Toph I was going to see if you wanted to be my ambassador to the Earth Kingdom. I was going to bring it up later but.." He trailed off, awkward ruffling his hair a bit.
"What do you mean ambassador to the Earth Kingdom?" Both her parents asked at the same time.
"Well Sparky is the Fire Lord, he needs ambassadors I guess. Also it's understandable, him wanting me and all, after all I am the best." Toph said with a smirk and Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Will you do it?" He asked.
"Sure, sounds fun." Toph shrugged. Her parents were still slightly shocked that the Fire Lord was standing in front of them and they didn't know.
"You're the Fire Lord?" Her father asked.
"Yes. When I travel outside the Fire Nation I like to wear plain clothes also it's better to blend in. Besides I've grown to liking my hair loose instead of the ponytail." Zuko grinned and ruffled his hair a bit again. Toph just shook her head, laughing. Zuko could be such a dork sometimes.
"Hey Toph I was thinking we could stay at my uncle's for a while, if that's alright." Zuko said.
"My daughter is staying here." Bei Fong said. Zuko looked like he was either going to scream or burn the house down, both of which would be bad so Toph interceded.
"Look I love you guys, I really seriously wish things would be different, that you guys would accept me for who I am. I want to be family but I can't stay if I'm not allowed to leave the house or earthbend." She said looking at her parents.
"Very well if that is your decision then you are no longer welcome here." Her father said with no emotion in his voice. He then left the room, followed by her mother.
"Come on Toph, we'll go talk and maybe have some tea or something." Zuko said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Okay." She replied, walking away.
About an hour later the two teenagers decided to sit by a stream. They were both quiet, unsure on what to say and heard the sounds of nature until Toph began to talk. "Did you really mean all that back there?" She asked looking down at the ground.
"What? That I really like my floppy hair? Yeah I do like it." He joked, smiling at her. She threw a small pebble at him.
"Your jokes have gotten better but I was talking about the sister thing, you really think we are like family?" Toph asked.
Zuko nodded, "I do, after all we've been through and although I know I used to chase you guys I think we've all grown really close. Aang and Sokka are like brothers to me, our own little dysfunctional family. I know it sounds sort of weird." Zuko said.
"Well Sugar Queen can't be your sister or that would be really strange." Top said as she put her hands behind her head and lay down in the grass.
"Why would it be strange?" Zuko asked a little nervously.
"Oh come on Sparks, I've known you two like each other, it's pretty obvious. I got it! You two could be the parents of our dysfunctional family." Toph said laughing at Zuko who turned a light shade of red.
"Toph be quiet or I'm taking everything I said back." Zuko replied jokingly.
"Too late, you can't get rid of me Sparky. You're pretty much stuck with me." She stuck her tongue out at the firebender and stood up. "We better get to your uncle's; I don't want to miss music night!" She exclaimed happily.
"Oh I would never want to miss music night." Zuko sighed with a smile.
Yup there's my story, it was actually really fun to write this during one of my classes because you could tell the girl sitting next to me wasn't an Avatar fan and was trying to figure out why I was writing about Zuko and Toph when were suppose to be doing stuff about discrimination haha. Anyways please review!
