Here is chapter two. I forgot the disclaimer on the last one, so just remember that I don't own Avatar or anything.
And thanks to my two wonderfull reviewers! I appreciate your comments very much!
Now on with the story.
--
Traveling to the Earth Kingdom by Royal Airship was generally a matter of hours, and though Zuko generally would have preferred to travel in that manner, he found himself moving along the dusty road to Ba Sing Se on foot. Air travel hadn't seemed the best of choices, considering that he would be attempting to remain incognito while in the city (to allow himself freedom of movement), and showing up in official Fire Nation transportation would probably result in great ordeals of pomp and circumstance that he certainly did not want to deal with.
Instead, he had taken two ships, a ferry, an ostritch-horse, and a farmers cart to reach the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. He was dirty and dusty from his trip, but somehow, the seemingly endless parade of unusual people and conversations and methods of transportation had uplifted his spirits. He felt alive again.
Zuko had never realized how much he missed traveling with the Avatar and his friends. Training, fighting, having a purpose...those had been the days. That feeling of teamwork, of kinship, it was a lot to miss.
He stopped, having reached the outer wall of the city. He had already decided that any legal entrance into the city would result in endless formal dinners and talks about the rogue Fire Nation raids on Earth Kingdom borders, something he wished to avoid at the moment. So, making sure that he was well away from any guard towers (the guards had become much more lax since the war's end but there was no need to take any chances), he made a circular sweeping motion with his hands before arcing them into fists and shoving down wards. Red flames shot out from between his clenched fingers, propelling him upwards into the sky. He maintained them steadily, skimming up the outer wall of the city before summersaulting neatly onto the cobblestoned edge.
Relieved that he had made it without a commotion. He took a moment to enjoy the view of the city before continuing along the wall, strolling casually in order to avoid suspicion. He also shed his traveling cloak, under which he had worn Earth-Kingdom style robes, and tucked it into his pack.
Now, it was time to find the Jasmine Dragon.
--
"Toph?" Iroh knocked on her bedroom door. "Toph. Tozu is waiting. He's been here for twenty minutes. You need to come out now, if only to tell him you're not going."
The door swung open slightly and Iroh took that as an invitation to enter. Inside, he found Toph's room to be in its usual messy state, and Toph herself not much better. She was lying on her palette, face pressed down into the blankets, chest heaving slightly.
Iroh knew better than to ask if she was crying. He would only receive a rock to the head, Toph hated any reminder that perhaps she wasn't as tough as she thought she was. Instead he eyed the room more carefully, hoping to determine the cause of her upset. His eyes panned over walls, piles of clothes, and several chunks of metal she had been practicing with before...there. Her dresser table. Laying open on it was the makeup kit Toph had received from Katara several years previously. Powders and creams lay haphazardly over the table, an experiment by someone who obviously had no idea as to how they should be used.
Hearing Iroh make his way to the dresser, Toph sat up. He could see now that she had used pink shadow on one of her eyes, and blue on the other, and that the kohl she had used to line them extended far past where it should. And he was pretty sure that rouge belonged on the cheeks rather than the nose, but one could never be sure. He also knew better than to say anything.
Toph could feel his heartbeat quicken in surprise when he saw her. Despite his attempts to keep it steady. She hung her head.
"I look horrible don't I?"
Iroh chuckled a bit and she glared at him. "Well, you said it, not me." He pointed out.
That gleaned a smile from her, and he felt he was safe for a while. Safe enough to take a risk;
"Here, why don't I help you?"
He could see her visibly stiffen at the word help, but he could also see her fight to control her reaction. She nodded, and for a moment he felt pride fill him. She had come so far this girl. So far from the hard-headed stubborn child she had been. And the fact that she trusted him enough to let him help her meant more to him than all the tea in the world. He smiled.
"Well why don't I just..." He took a washcloth, and gently wiped the powder and cream from her face. "There. You look beautiful."
"But you haven't put any makeup on me."
"That's because you don't need any. You are perfect just the way you are."
She smiled half-heartedly. "But Tozu..."
"Tozu has seen you everyday in the shop without any, it doesn't seem to bother him. Besides, I thought you didn't like him."
"I don't." She replied quickly. "It's just...nice. To have someone to like me as a girl."
Iroh smiled. "I think you forget sometimes that you are not the same girl you were when you traveled with the Avatar. I think if a certain someone saw you now, he would have perhaps had a different reaction, and the two of you would be living quite happily at the South pole."
She frowned. "Thank you Uncle. But I doubt it would have worked out that way."
"Now. Tozu is waiting downstairs. I shall distract him, and you finish getting dressed."
--
Downstairs, Tozu waited. His normally spiky brown hair had been slicked back for the occasion and he was wearing his second-best robes (his best ones were in the wash). In his (slightly sweaty) palm, he clutched the stem of a white lily.
--
Outside, Zuko made his way down the crowded streets in the direction of his Uncle's Tea Shop. At least, what he hoped was the right direction, that cabbage merchant had been a little edgy with the details--there it was. The Jasmine Dragon, a different location than the original, but the crisp lettering on the sign was definitely his Uncle's hand. He went inside.
The shop was mostly empty, with only a few stragglers left, enjoying the remains of their evening tea. Zuko looked around for his Uncle, who was no where to be seen. Guessing that he was probably upstairs, Zuko made his way over towards the staircase. He was about to start climbing when a cold voice behind him made him halt.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?"
The voice belonged to a young man, well-dressed and clutching a somewhat wilted flower. He had slicked back his hair in what he obviously thought was a suave style. Zuko raised his eyebrows at the boy's tone.
"I am looking for my Uncle. What are you doing, exactly?" He indicated the flower. "That can't be for him...can it?"
At the mention of Iroh the boy relaxed. "Oh. Your Uncle? Well that's all right then." Then, having realized what Zuko had been implying about the flower he was suddenly riled again.
"Of course this isn't for him! It's for his niece!" He suddenly smirked in a very satisfied way and leaned in towards Zuko as if sharing a secret, "We're going on a date."
Zuko nodded in a noncommittal way. Iroh's niece? What was this boy going on about? Iroh's only niece was most certainly locked away in a prison cell. He realized the boy was probably just an idiot and decided to excuse himself.
"Well...uh... it's been great meeting you..uh..."
"Tozu." The boy smiled.
"Yeah, Tozu. But I really need to be seeing my Uncle now, so...I'm going to be going."
Tozu nodded brightly. If you see her, could you send her down?
"Uh..sure thing." And with that, Zuko hurriedly made his way upstairs.
--
Zuko met his Uncle halfway up the staircase. After his initial surprise, Iroh quickly embraced his nephew.
"Zuko. It is so good to see you. It has been ages since we have last spoken."
A little guilt wormed it's way into Zuko's heart, he really had not been very good at keeping up on correspondence.
"So, how is my nephew? Iroh continued, How is your wife? I haven't heard any rumors of Fire Nation heirs yet, but I keep hoping you'll make me a great-uncle someday soon."
His nephew's silence and tightly drawn face alerted Iroh that perhaps this was not the best subject to be remarking upon at the moment. He quickly changed tactics.
"So, did you run into young Tozu in the main room?"
"You know him?" Zuko grimaced. "He was quite rude before he realized I was coming to see you--he seemed to think that he was going on a date with a niece of yours...?"
"Oh, yes. She should be ready at any second. She is running very late."
At that moment, a black haired blur tumbled down the steps. Hesitating only to give Iroh a peck on the cheek and to call out, "Bye Uncle!" the girl was gone as quickly as she had appeared.
"Uncle? What exactly is going on?" Zuko's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "You don't have any other nieces or nephews." He hesitated. "Do you?"
Iroh chuckled. "No my boy. But here, come into the upstairs sitting room, and I will explain."
--
Toph nearly barreled into Tozu as she tripped her way down the last third of the steps. Standing up quickly, she brushed out the wrinkles on her second best robe, (her best ones weren't in the wash, but she hadn't felt that Tozu really deserved them), a cream colored kimono with a pink trim and a pattern of lotus flowers.
She could feel his heart-rate quicken, and she blushed. It was nice for someone to think she was beautiful. Even if that someone was Tozu, and an idiot.
"Well, shall we go?" She asked.
"Certainly my dove." He replied, slipping his arm through hers. "I have arranged a picnic for us on the wall of the city, where we can watch the sunset together."
She rolled her eyes, but continued to walk on in silence.
--
In the sitting room of the Dragon, Iroh had just finished explaining to Zuko the circumstances under which Toph had come to work for him.
"And so, it was just easier for us if we introduced her as my niece, that way, there would be less of a chance of connecting her to the Bei Fong family."
"So, wait. That was Toph that ran by?"
Iroh nodded.
"I didn't even recognize her. She looked...different."
Iroh smiled. "You haven't seen her in seven years. You can't have expected her to remain the same little girl she was."
"No, of course I didn't. She just looked so--" He paused, and seemed to realize he was speaking out loud. "So--so her family kicked her out onto the streets? Just because she didn't want to marry some guy?"
"The Bei Fongs are not the most forgiving of people, Zuko. Toph came to find me after it happened, knowing that I was now living in Ba Sing Se."
"But why didn't she go to the others? She and Sokka were the best of friends, I've no doubt he and Suki would have taken her in. Or Aang and Katara, though I've heard their home is getting a bit crowded nowadays."
Iroh looked slightly uncomfortable, "Well... I'm not sure. She's never directly answered the question, but I get the feeling that something...something happened between her and Sokka, something that she doesn't want to talk about, and that I wont press her too. But really, all that matters is that she came to me two years ago and started work in the Tea Shop."
Zuko nodded. "Well, it will be nice to speak to her again. But now Uncle, the reason I came--"
"Oh Zuko. You've only just arrived. There will be plenty of time for that later. And I need to clean up the kitchen. Why don't you go for a walk? The outer wall is absolutely lovely at this time of day."
Iroh would hear none of Zuko's protestations as he gently shepherded his nephew out of the shop, smiling widely. "And don't come back till after sunset."
Grumbling, Zuko shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way towards the wall.