The End of Some and the Beginning for Others
Zuko could not sleep. Lately his nights were restless and lonely due to a now cold bed, his beloved now gone forever. Sickness had taken her and no amount of healing water could have saved her. He was alone. It was at times like these he wished to be cradled in the arms of his mother or to have heard soft consoling words from his beloved uncle, who was traveling now in days of his retirement.
But now there was no one to consol him in his bitter loneliness and he once again began to feel as the once banished prince.
A person he thought was long gone.
He was the Fire Lord now, he was not the foolish and adolescent prince he once was. No, he was not seventeen summers old, he was five summers older, wiser and stronger or so he thought.
Zuko felt his inner fire slowly start to go out.
He knew of only one person who could save his spirit now or at least attempt.
If he were to get through this he would have to move quickly. So Zuko softly padded over to his desk and began to write.
He hoped he would be saved.
……..
" I know Appa I miss them two but we will be their soon okay then you and Momo can play all you want and I'll bet Aang has already prepared you're hay okay."
A mumbled reply was all Sokka heard.
He had just come from Kiyoshi Island where he had visited Suki for a while.
The young man on the bison saddle let out a depressed sigh and looked down at the treasure he had within his hands. The beautiful Azure engagement necklace he had created was of no longer any use. It had taken him just over a fortnight to complete. He spent hours contemplating the design and stone to use as well as the tools for his craft. He was now a man he had become strong and was still lean and he still sported the wolf tail on his head, in is tribe men eventually grew their hair but it just didn't sit right with him. But he was a man none the less. He was of age to take a wife and he had planned to.
When the time finally came, he made the trip to see his lover; he was prepared to spend the rest of his life loving her.
But he was denied.
The water warrior was returning home to lick at his wounds.
It seemed no matter what he had trouble with women. His first was now the moon spirit; the second he suspected was in love with someone else.
For now he would take nap they had only an hour or two at the most till they returned to the Air temple.
With that thought the young warrior fell into a fitful slumber.
When he arrived there was note on the door to the temple.
Sokka,
Aang and I went to the fire nation to visit Zuko. Meet us there. Before you come though pick up Toph at her parents new house in Ba Sing Sae.
-Love Katara
Sokka heaved a dramatic sighed.
It seemed he would not get to mourn by himself for a while.
Turning around he began to trudge back to the bison.
Today was going to be a long day. It would take a little over three hours to get to Toph.
He couldn't get there soon enough.
…..
Toph was no longer the little scrawny girl from the war. She was now a young lady coming upon her seventeenth summer. She was only younger than Aang by two seasons but younger than Sokka by five summers.
Age didn't matter to her, but she new it would for the one she admired most.
So Toph kept quiet abut her affections. She was not going to want what she could not have.
However that was not what left her unsettled this morning. This morning her Father had presented to her new suitors and her mother began to prattle on the makings of a good wife.
Did they think that she would be tied down by some measly impudent man?
She was the greatest earth bender of her time.
Maybe her parents didn't learn when she left them the first time. They didn't know hat she was untamable and wild and meant to be free.
Perhaps it was time to go on another journey.
She smiled grimly to herself. She could get lost so that not even the avatar could find her. Yes, that sounded good. She wasn't going to stick around for this shit that was for sure.
Toph turned her head toward her handmaiden. "Lulu, prepare a travel bag with supplies I'm leaving. I do not wish to be tracked or followed. The servant bowed and left quietly to fetch the items needed for her mistress's journey.
She would leave when she sensed it was dusk so the rest of her journey would be cloaked in the night. Most humans couldn't track at night.
This, she thought, would be easy.
She waited till just after dinner when her parents and their servants retired. She slipped out quietly through the silk screen and padded toward the garden when she heard footsteps and almost immediately she got into her stance but then confusion overcame her. Didn't she recognize these steps, oh yes she remembered these footsteps except back then they were much more casual and almost smug like now they were controlled like a hunter and somewhat depressed like.
"Sokka?" She whispered she hadn't even realized she spoke his name till she heard his voice.
"Toph? Is that you?"
His voice, Gods, his voice almost made her swoon, it was like opium.
He came closer till he could see her.
"Toph let's go Aang and Katara sent me and – I guess your all prepared did they tell you?"
It took her a moment to recover and suppress the urge to blush but almost immediately she spoke.
"No I was leaving."
He smirked to himself.
"Couldn't take civilization then huh?
" No, I couldn't take my goddamn parents buzzing around me I can take care of myself."
He sighed. "Ya, I can see that, well lets get moving Toph.
She moved to the wall getting ready to bend to get over. But Sokka had already grabbed her easing her over his shoulder and lifting her to the top of the wall.
"Toph that would have been to loud, think next time."
She blushed but nodded at his request.
"Hey Sokka where are we going?"
"Fire nation Zuko, Aang and Katara are waiting." He replied as he jumped down from the wall.
He looked at her waiting. She was still sitting on the wall.
"Umm ...Toph?
She blushed.
"I can't get down."
"Jump I'll catch you."
Without a second thought she jumped and true to his word he caught her.
She felt so warm and safe; he made her feel so vulnerable. She felt like she was twelve again being protected by him during the war. Like, she was that tough little girl experiencing her first secret crush.
A feeling that she hoped was long gone.
But all it took was his voice and she was bound again even stronger than the last.
She didn't say anything all the while and he even carried her up to Appa. Toph allowed herself to enjoy these few and far between affections she got from him. It was what she held onto knowing that he would over look her but that was fine as long as she controlled herself it would be fine.
But Toph had come to one conclusion. That she discovered about herself.
'I hate water tribe warriors and their stupid boomerang's '