Zuko walked across the garden and sat on a rock near a tree and a small pond well out of the way of any visitors. He needed a moment to himself without anyone expecting anything of him. It was a long meeting; it went on for hours on every side. More of a debate than a negotiation, really. The Earth Kingdom wanted its territories back and wouldn't back down. The Fire Nation though had several colonies that were already well-established and happy, and most of its citizens had no want to become part of the Earth Kingdom. They were Fire Nation and were causing no trouble with their benefactors or their peers. There was bad blood still though, that much was clear and neither side wanted to give in to the other. The Avatar and the Fire Lord sat on either side, trying to remain as neutral as they could in a very biased argument from delegates of the Earth King and the colonies. They thought the Avatar was being too soft and believed the new Fire Lord was too biased and were afraid he'd turn out to be like his father. An observation that couldn't bother Zuko more. Aang finally called a ceasefire of sorts and decided to reconvene tomorrow, though the Fire Lord had his doubts that anything would change then. They were no further towards a solution at the end of the day than they were at the beginning, and nothing showed him that anyone would think any different with a good night's sleep.
At least they could sleep, thought Zuko. Both sides, especially the Earth Kingdom representatives, had no problem accepting the offers and amenities of the palace during their stay; their own sort of passive revenge for the atrocities that had been committed. As if having food brought up to them a dozen times a day made up for the towns that were burned to the ground. He didn't complain though, they had every right. The Fire Nation as a whole was indebted to the world in its plea for forgiveness. It was no easy going, though everyone thought that once his father was taken down things would change. They were wrong. It was a new kind of war now; less blood, but just as emotionally powerful. And just as exhausting. He stood and took a few steps over to the water and peered in at his reflection. I wish Uncle was here, he thought, he always knew what was best. But he agreed not to bother him with such things. He was old and out of shape, and he deserved some peace and quiet at his tea shop. He could always talk with Mai, but things have been tense between the two since he's became Fire Lord, as it has with everything else. She was staying with her parents now, who, like so many other Fire Nation citizens, were unsure of Zuko's reign and not exactly "against" the war he ended, nor were they supporters of his father's imprisonment. My father… Zuko's mind wandered. But he couldn't ask him, and he shook his head trying to wipe the thought from his brain. The boy could hardly recognize himself in the water, he looked like an entirely different person. With a sigh, Zuko took off his crown and looked at it, wondering if he was truly cut-out for the job.
"You know I could bend that into something more appealing, if you'd like." The voice startled Zuko and he almost dropped the golden flame he held into the pond below. He didn't hear her coming, but somehow the young girl knew that Zuko was there and fiddling with his crown though she couldn't see a thing. He both found it both admirable and a bit intimidating, and quite often very surprising.
"Oh, hey Toph. I uh, didn't see you there," he said while placing the royal signifier into his robe's pocket for safe keeping.
"It's ok Sparky, I didn't see me coming either," she said with a grin, sitting down on the rock. Though there was room for only one person to sit, she simply bended the earth below to make another spot for him.
"Toph, please," Zuko began, dusting off his Fire Lord gown. He wanted to be alone and she was invading his personal space and he didn't enjoy it.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Sparky, I'll be leaving soon."
"My name's not Sparky!" Zuko shot back.
"Oh yes, "Fire Lord" Sparky, I forgot," Toph answered sarcastically and with a flourish. She must have felt him glaring though, because she quickly added, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm not trying to set your hair on fire."
"It's fine," he replied curtly, "Is there something you wanted of me?"
She started kicking her bare feet, bending a small pebble with her hand and said after a pause, "Can't a girl just sit with her friend without a fuss?"
"I don't know, can she?" he said snatching the pebble away.
"Hey! All right, fine. I wanted to talk to you about the meeting today," Toph said seriously.
"I'd really rather not." Zuko got up and began to walk off towards the palace before Toph rose a wall of stone in front of him, blocking his path. "You're messing up the garden!" he shouted back at her, probably too loudly as he saw a servant in the distance look in their direction and then quickly scurry off.
"Just listen for a minute, will you?" she asked him, without changing the inflection of her voice. Zuko didn't answer, but he turned around and sat back down, still upset, and she lowered the wall back into the dirt. She did it carefully and in such a way, you'd never have even known it was ever there.
He steadied his breathing and said, as calmly as he could: "What is it?"
She waited a moment, and then two, her eyes blankly staring off into the distance. She finally sighed and began, talking both fast and more seriously than the Fire Lord was used to with their time together. "They're just tired of being pushed around. You Fire Nation types aren't the only ones with a sense of honor, you know. We have it too, and after struggling for so long to get what we want, it looks as if things aren't going back to normal so much as they're just continuing, just more passive-aggressively. They feel as if you're still taking their land and their pride, even if it isn't by force this time. Earth Kingdomers come from all different backgrounds as merchants and workers and officials, but first and foremost, they live off the land. It's their nature. It's what keeps us strong and resolute and has helped us survive after everything that's happened, and it feels sometimes as if you're pulling the ground right out from under us instead of working with us, even if that isn't necessarily true. You don't have to bend over backwards for them, and I wouldn't expect you to. You're the Fire Lord for Kyoshi's sake; you have your own duties and responsibilities to your own people, just… try to see where they're coming from. We're a war-torn and damaged people, but our self-worth and sense of community is as strong as ever. I don't think they want their way so much as they want respect. Their voices went so long without being heard and now, really, they just want to be listened to. I know you're trying and it must be exhausting, just please keep that all in mind as you deal with them."
The Fire Lord looked at her in awe, unknowing of what to say. Zuko forgot sometimes that she was from the Earth Kingdom, and from a prominent family at that. And what's more, he forgot that for being such a young girl she was wise beyond her years. He saw her sneak into the meeting after it began and sit in the corner with her eyes closed, but he assumed she had been sleeping. It appeared that the assumption he made was wrong, as many of his others probably were about people from the Earth Kingdom.
She turned to him and he nodded, but in case she didn't notice he added, "Sure, I'll keep that in mind, Toph. Thanks, you're right." He said it in a low, quiet voice, still thinking and reflecting as he said it.
"Of course I'm right," she said, reverting to her normal cocky voice. She pulled the stone from Zuko's hands with her bending and walked away towards the kitchen, casually swirling the rock around her hand. "Also, don't be late for dinner, Katara's a bit cranky and she's not afraid to show it, if you know what I mean."
"All right," he said to her as she walked away. Zuko sat there until she went inside and then stood and nodded to himself, feeling surprisingly humbled from their chat. Sometimes he took his friends for granted, and he made a quiet promise to himself to not let that happen again. Reaching into his robe he took out his golden crown and with another sigh, replaced it atop his head. The Fire Lord then strolled off towards the kitchen as well, hoping the young water tribe girl didn't make her special fish stew again, but, as he's well learned, you can only wish for so much.