Sokka kneels. Set seven years later.

What is duty?

Sokka and Toph were currently between jobs and at least a two weeks journey away from the nearest city (and more work). For the time being they were perfectly content to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Scorched Plains (which were actually quite green) from atop their horses. These particular steeds had been liberated from a stable three days back; Toph justified the acquisition by pointing out that the horses were old and had been marked for slaughter. Sokka was just glad to get off his feet for any decent period of time.

In fact, he was glad to be back on dry land, period.

They'd spent the last two years overseas after making one too many enemies here at home. It was surprising how many (powerful) people one could piss off in nine years of adventure-seeking, bounty hunting, mercenary work and doing odd jobs. So Toph and Sokka had boarded a ship headed for the West, a journey that took six months to make (so in actuality, they'd been gone for three years). The duo visited the fabled lands of Eiropie, the birthplace of Christianity, and got holy relics (or so they were advertised) as gifts for Aang. Later they went south to Afrian, where the ruins of ancient civilizations proved popular for travelers and treasure hunters alike, and the pair had spent a fair amount of time in the company of the latter. As luck would have it, they made excellent treasure hunters and even better treasure guards, as thieves and rival gangs quickly discovered to their great misfortune. The rewards they received for their finds (that is, those finds they didn't sell on the black market) were…exceptional, to say the least. Their saddlebags now contained roughly a dozen pieces made of rare and precious stones; after all, it was much easier to cart around an armful of gems than bags or chests of gold.

The two rode so close together that their legs were pressed in between the horses; Toph's hand rested on Sokka's thigh and unconsciously traced patterns across his linen trousers, and Sokka's thoughts turned inward to the most important development of the last seven years.

True to her word, Toph did not become "clingy" or "attached" after he'd taken her maidenhead – far from it actually. The experience had seemed to kill (or at the very least, give her control over) the insecurities that had prevented her from exploring her sexuality. She was very particular about the men (and two exceptional women) she'd bedded, but whenever an opportunity arose she usually took it, and there was plenty of opportunities for someone as unique as Toph. He'd listen to the tales of her exploits with relish and laughed along with her at some of the more embarrassing moments. They would occasionally add to those tales themselves, as Toph made good on her offer of (occasional) casual sex, something Sokka usually capitalized on during long, isolated travel routes. She would always brag about him as an excellent bedmate and teacher (which only helped him in making his infamous conquests).

But as time went on, Sokka found himself becoming more and more attached to Toph, at least where the sex was concerned. As a result, he became increasingly uncomfortable when she told him about her various escapades. At first he'd felt guilty – Toph had put up with his dirty stories for years, and probably with no small discomforts of her own. Why should he not suck it up and give her the same courtesy shown to him? But after some careful thinking Sokka finally realized (or admitted, take your pick) what the problem was.

He was afraid that Toph was sharing her heart.

And he knew better than that. While on the surface, Toph seemed like a very open, readable person, Sokka knew that she kept things very close to the chest – even around him. She had sex, but only for her own pleasure, never for sentiment. But he understood her thinking – he had acted much the same way for years, though he suspected it was for very different reasons. But there was always the chance that someone would find the chink in her armor and work their way in. And then he would have to share her affections – not just as a friend, but as a lover.

And so one night, while Toph lay naked and sweaty and asleep in his arms, Sokka had acknowledged the awful, painful truth.

I'm in love with Toph. Utterly, irrevocably, completely in love.

His taste for other women faded as time went on. Oh, he kept up appearances; his flirtations continued in abundance, and every so often he would pretend to disappear for the evening. But the truth was that Sokka had long forgotten the last time he shared his bed with anyone other than Toph. No woman, no matter how pretty or alluring, had been able to rouse his loins…or his heart. Not even her memory moved him now – just Toph. Only Toph.

His Toph.

All he wanted to do now was love her. Care for her. Live each day by her side. Protect…well, she was more likely to be protecting him. But it was the sentiment that counted, right?

She saw something in the trees and laughed, and Sokka couldn't help but smile at the joy he knew she was feeling.

Duty is love.

His introspection was suddenly shattered by a frantic yell coming from somewhere in the distance.

Toph's hand immediately left his thigh and grasped the hilt of her sword. "Please tell me I didn't just hear someone yell."

"You heard someone yell," he replied firmly.

"Shit. But there's nothing out here, though," she said, her eyes frantically searching for the source of the sound. "I mean there's literally nothing on the map besides the landforms – there's no towns, no villages – no one uses this road, not even bandits-"

But then they heard the yell again, and Toph suddenly pointed ahead of them and shouted "look!" as a figure came bounding over the nearby hilltop, its horse galloping like hell itself was behind it. About ten seconds later a dozen riders in black emerged as well, clearly in pursuit of the lone figure. After the briefest exchange of glances, the two warriors kicked their horses into a gallop and prayed they would reach the lone rider in time.

(***)

Kuei was going to die.

Kuei was going to die and no one would know and it was all because he was a fool, a trustful idiot and a poor judge of character.

They were gaining on him, gaining steadily and purposefully and he could not outrun them much longer. He yelled, screamed for someone, anyone to lend him aid. But there was only silence.

Is this how it all ends, Lord? he thought silently. He glanced around him (but not behind him), to see the rolling hilltops, the nearby mountains, the brilliant blue sky overhead; he felt the wind whistling in his ears as the horse tried in vain to keep him ahead of his pursuers.

At least He picked a beautiful day for me to die.

He should never have agreed to the summit. But he had to. Ozai's power and influence had been steadily growing over the last sixteen years. In his naïvety Kuei had assumed that Ozai would settle down, abandon his aspirations of glory, but now he could no longer afford to ignore the man's mad lust for power.

Fortunately, Ozai's antics had managed to alienate many of his vassals, and they were itching for an excuse to go to war against their liege lord. He had his chief adviser Long Feng send secret missives to each one requesting that they attend him in Ba Sing Se to discuss the situation.

All of them refused to leave the Scorched Plains – Ozai's suspicions flared any time one of them was summoned to the capital. But Lord Fist had a small estate near the borderlands – very quiet, very secluded. It wasn't even listed on any maps; Fist's forebears had built it as a hideaway during the conquest of Chin the Barbarian and kept it a family secret, until now. If the king wanted to call a council of vassals, it would be done there, and no one would be the wiser. To throw off suspicion, a large procession with a lookalike had been sent off to the Icereach for "a vacation and trade negotiations." In actuality, Kuei travelled west in disguise and only brought a handful of the King's Knights with him along with General Sung, head of the western army division. Kuei felt apprehensive and nervous and a little silly to be honest, but he had a duty to quell Ozai's malice before it got out of hand. He only wished he'd had the balls to deal with it before now.

Unfortunately the burgeoning alliance would never get that chance.

The lodging was attacked on the second day of talks.

Over a hundred assailants struck in the early morning hours just before the changing of the watch. The King's Knights and the vassals' retainers made a valiant effort to defend the building, but secrecy had demanded they bring as few bodyguards as possible, and they were quickly overwhelmed. Kuei barred himself in his room with two of the King's Knights, and could only seize up in fear as he heard the dying screams of the nobleman throughout the mansion. Oh God, not like this. Please, not like this…

The door to his room was kicked open, and to his relief Lord Fist appeared, his face pale and bloody. "Your Majesty, you must come with me now."

He led the trio through a secret passage that came out at the stables. He slew two of the unknown foes that were guarding the horses, and had Kuei and his escorts mount up. "This has to be Ozai's work, though we'll never be able to trace it back to him. He's too smart for that," muttered Fist as he buckled the saddles.

How did he know? How did he find out? was all that Kuei could think.

"Go. We'll take as many with us as we can. Ride straight for the central farmlands…hopefully you can lose them in some of the bordering forests. You can't ride for our holdings; Ozai will have stationed men there, and there are no towns anywhere near this region." Fist swallowed. "It...will be difficult to lose them." He looked to each of the knights. "Do whatever it takes to keep him going."

They nodded in response.

"May God protect you in this dark hour," finished Fist. "Now go!"

And with that, the king fled his failed summit.

When he looked back an hour later, he could see smoke rising over the treetops.

He tried and failed to hold back his tears. But there was nothing he could do now.

Just ride and pray.

(***)

Toph and Sokka were nearly upon the black riders when an arrow suddenly appeared in the shoulder of their intended victim; he stayed upright for about five seconds before finally tumbling off his horse. The black riders gave a great cheer but then were silenced when they saw the pair barreling down on them. The archer raised his bow but suddenly a knife appeared in his eye socket and he slid off his horse, which trampled the corpse underneath its hind limbs. One of the other men began to reach for his own bow but suddenly screamed as his right hand disappeared and blood began splattering everywhere.

Sokka's boomerang came to rest back in the spot from which he'd thrown it. He'd retrieve it once the battle was over.

Toph got to them first; after launching her horse over the wounded traveler, she leapt off and crashed into one of the other bandits. As they feel to the ground she wrenched her sword was free and before the man could recover she'd run the blade through his throat. She yanked it out and dashed back to the wounded figure. By this time Sokka had dismounted and was kneeling over the fallen figure. "He's alive!" he shouted. "Toph, I need you! Back me up here!"

Toph, who had been about to charge the confused riders, immediately ran back to Sokka; they formed a protective ring around the mystery man, walking in circles to their left and assessing their opponents.

The riders, not wanting to risk their horses getting injured, dismounted and formed a circle of their own around the pair.

"Walk away and say nothing of this, and we'll spare your lives."

"Bring it, fuckface," spat Toph.

The ten men charged, and the warriors went to work.

It was a real bloody mess; the bastards were well-trained and put up a hell of a fight. But slowly and surely ten become seven and then three and then one.

"I got this!" yelled Toph to Sokka. "Attend to our new friend!"

The last man (a woman, in fact) was a nasty bitch in every sense of the word (especially those teeth – damn). She was actually presenting Toph with something she'd not had for years – a challenging opponent. In fact, Toph was so focused on keeping up with her moves (and damn she had moves) that she forgot to mind her surroundings.

She tripped over a rock and went down.

She managed to scramble aside but not before a searing pain erupted through her left side. She felt the familiar sensation of blood leaving her body.

The bitch grinned and pressed her attack even harder.

But time and trials had taught Toph how to channel pain and frustration into effort and soon enough she had the whore on the defensive.

Then came the opening Toph had been waiting for. She swung the flat of the blade down on her opponent's hand with all her might; the bitch yelped and released her grip on the blade for a fraction of the second – which meant she had no chance of recovery as Toph swung her sword at her head.

The decapitated woman fell to her knees and toppled over.

Toph wiped her weapon clean on the grass and sheathed it. She then clutched her side and winced as she allowed the pain of her injury back into the forefront of her mind. She pressed her left hand to staunch the flow of blood from the wound; she would bandage it later.

"Bitch," she muttered at the corpse as she walked back to Sokka.

Duty is service.

His eyes widened when he saw her bloody side.

"You're wounded," murmured Sokka with concern in his voice, and he started to rise. The bottom of his shirt was missing; he must've torn it to bandage up the stranger.

For whatever reason this perfectly normal action made Toph's heart melted a little – in fact, it had been melting at just about everything Sokka did of late.

"Flesh wound," she said, waving at him with her free hand and praying he didn't see her blush. "How's our patient?" she asked as she approached.

"See for yourself," said Sokka, his face unusually solemn. Toph peered behind him and was shocked to find herself staring in the face of King Kuei.

"Your Majesty…" she said, beginning to bow but then remembering she should curtsey, then remembering she was not a lady and tried to fight years of etiquette training.

To say the resulting gesture was comical was an understatement.

Kuei smiled. "Hello cousin. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Twelve years is a long time where family is concerned." He looked sadly at her. "They miss you terribly, you know."

"The Knights didn't need us," said Toph, trying to skirt the issue, "and I'm sure they got on just fine-"

"Toph," said Kuei, firmly.

And for the first time in sixteen years Toph felt guilty about running away from home.

"I know you parted on poor terms. And no, your parents still don't approve of what you did." Toph's face darkened. "But…believe me when I say that all they want to know is that you're safe and happy. It's been difficult for them, hearing all the stories about your exploits and all the mischief you two." Kuei coughed and winced. "But we can discuss that another time."

"We'll take you back to the capital," said Toph. "It's the least we can do."

"And there you will stay," said Kuei. "Both of you," he added, looking at Sokka.

"What?" shouted Toph indignantly.

"Your Majesty, I know we may have broken a few laws here and there-"

"You can't just make us order us, order me…" For the first time in ages Toph felt like crying.

"We are the King!" said Kuei, his voice suddenly louder and harder. "And We will do as We see fit! For too long I have done otherwise, and We are done with it!" His expression and voice softened. "But I do not bring you back to the city for the reasons you think. I see now that war is inevitable, and the Knights have been at peace for far too long. I need men and women who have tasted battle and blood. Your father will yell and scream and twist my ear after this but I just don't give a fuck anymore."

Toph felt a chill of dread and anticipation run through her.

"Toph Beifong, We would name you a Knight of the King, with all salaries and privileges retroactive to the date that you would have taken your vows. Furthermore, We would name you Lord Commander and charge you with the defense of Ba Sing Se, the royal personage, and the citizens of our great nation."

…oh shit.

"Sokka…" Kuei hesitated.

"Son of Hakoda, Your Majesty," replied Sokka, his voice subdued.

"Thank you. Sokka, son of Hakoda, We would also name you a Knight of the King. However, as your departure from the Knights was voluntary, I cannot in good conscience give you salaries and privileges retroactive to your intended date of vows. That is why I also name you as Lord Commander and confer upon you a title and holding of your own, to be held in perpetuity by your progeny and their progeny after them."

Toph was stunned. A title for Sokka? This was something unheard of for someone of his birth, even as a member of the King's Knights. And for her…a dream she had thought lost for twelve years was finally in her grasp again.

But she didn't want it. Not like this.

Becoming a King's Knight had been an escape route. A better use of her talents to be sure, but it was primarily an escape – an escape from a life of duty, or duty as her parents had seen it. When that dream was denied, she and Sokka had built a new dream, a wonderful dream, one of adventure and excitement and so full of life. But now the knighthood was before her again, and it felt just as cold and limiting as her marriage bed might've ever been.

"I…I…Your Majesty…" stammered Toph. "We can't accept. We just can't…"

"You can and you will." Kuei winced as he experimentally moved his injured shoulder. "I am sorry to curtail you like this, Lady Beifong, but you are needed. Both of you."

"Duty is a hard mistress," Iroh conceded, "but it often yields its own rewards."

Toph closed her eyes and swallowed.

I may have aged, she thought. But I never really did grow up, did I?

It seemed that now was the time.

"We humbly accept this burden of leadership and the duties inherent to our station," said Toph quietly. "It is an honor and a privilege to serve our king and his people."

"Good." Kuei smiled. "Good. Then We will speak no more of it. Help me stand." Toph and Sokka grasped him around his back and lifted him off the ground. He dusted himself off with his uninjured limb.

"We should get going as soon as possible. Thanks to those mountains the next town's at least two weeks away," warned Sokka. "We can send a messenger hawk as soon as we get there."

"Good," said Kuei. "Hopefully we'll make it back to the capital before my double." He got a confused look from both warriors. He smiled. "While I am here, King Kuei is also in the Icereach for a month long vacation and trade negotiations with the local lords."

A few of the attackers' horses had remained behind after the skirmish, so the trio switched mounts, and the swordsman sent their old steeds running. Sokka retrieved his boomerang and helped the injured Kuei onto his stallion. "You know, that's a pretty cool trick, having a body double," he said admiringly. "Could do with one myself…"

"In your dreams, Snoozles." Kuei giggled at the nickname and Sokka glared at Toph as never before, but she merely shrugged and tossed her head in the general direction of the capital.

But as the king and his escorts rode off into the distance, Toph shed a silent tear for the dream now lying dead on the hilltop.

Duty is sacrifice.