Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar...if I did...I wouldn't be writing fanfics...I'd be spending my money.
"He's the Fire Lord's son!"
"He can't be trusted!"
"Kill him!"
"Stay away! Have mercy!"
"You're not fit to stand among us..."
"Bringing death and destruction is all you're good for!"
"Why would you think we'd give you a chance? After everything you've done? After everyone you've hurt?"
Zuko opened his eyes against the strong sun. He was laying on his stomach in the dirt, his cheek pressed into the ground. The voices and faces of the public remained in his head, reminding him of who he was. Maybe Toph was right, maybe he should start to form his own destiny, and follow his dream, become what he wanted to become.
He pushed himself into a sitting position and dusted his clothes off. Toph was sitting near the fire and tilted her head ever so slightly when he sat up.
"Morning, sunshine!" she said sarcastically.
Zuko uttered "Morning" back, then stretched.
"I'm glad you're awake, actually," Toph's voice had dropped to a mere whisper, and her face had taken a serious expression.
He looked at her, waiting for an explanation.
"Did you...think about what I said yesterday?"
He paused a moment before answering, "Yes."
"Oh," Toph scratched her elbow awkwardly, and turned her face away, "Okay..."
Zuko sighed deeply, "I've decided..."
Toph twisted her body to face him again, "Yes?"
Zuko smiled slightly, even though he knew Toph couldn't see it, "I've decided to-"
"Hello there, fellow travelers!"
Zuko turned to see three people heading towards them, two young girls and an older man. The man waved and called out again.
"Now what?" Toph rolled her eyes and got to her feet.
The threesome stopped before them.
"My name is Rey," the man said, bowing to Zuko and Toph, "These are my daughters, Yunna and Sotha."
Zuko stared in reply.
"I'm Toph," she replied, sounding as polite as she could, "and this is..." she swung her arm towards Zuko.
Zuko opened his mouth before she could say his name, "Lee. I'm Lee."
The man smiled broadly, "Pleasure to meet you Toph and Lee," he bowed again.
Zuko eyed his daughters; they were batting their eyelashes at him and making kisses his way. He held back his disgust; they were, in a word, hideous.
The uglier one approached him and touched his hand, "I'm Yunna." Her hair hung in greasy strands, her face pock-marked and...hairy.
"H-hello," Zuko managed to stutter out. Her father turned to Zuko with a smile and winked, then asked, "You guys heading North?"
Zuko shrugged.
Toph shook her head, "Have you seen anyone around, such as a bald monk or two water tribe teens?"
The man thought a moment, "Actually I think I have," he turned and pointed back the way he came, "that way...we saw them about two days ago."
"Any idea where they were headed?" Toph asked.
The man shrugged, "I think they were heading West," he ran a hand over his hair, "was one of them injured?"
Toph turned to Zuko, "That's got to be Sokka!"
The man smiled, "Friends of yours?"
Toph nodded.
"Well then, glad I could help," he gestured at his daughters, "we best be on our way now. We have a tight schedule and we only stopped to say hello."
"So long," Toph said with a bow. The man and his daughters (who both turned and threw one last disturbing kiss at Zuko) returned the movement and continued on their way.
Zuko stared after them in silence (eye twitching of course, the girls were still grossing him out); Toph turned to him.
"Well," she sighed, "I guess this is it. I'm going off to find Aang."
Zuko was silent, but watched Toph as she stretched.
"You going your own way?" she asked him.
Zuko shook his head, approached her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Truth is; you're the only person I feel I can be myself around," he said quietly and slowly, as though he were planning out each word, "I've decided to accompany you to the Avatar, and, if he wishes, teach him firebending."
Toph gaped in amazement, then smiled and threw her arms around him, "That's great!"
Zuko blushed; he had never been hugged by anyone besides his mother and uncle before.
He patted her back, unsure of how to respond.
Toph tilted her head towards him as she pulled away, "If I wasn't blind, and I was able to see you when you brought me food...would you have been different towards me? Unfriendly, even?"
Zuko shrugged, "I might have been. You'd have known who I was, so you wouldn't have given me a chance, and I'd have lived up to my standards as the uncaring, horrible, monster."
Toph smiled and play-punched him, "I guess being blind does have it's good points...it helped me get to know you."
Zuko smiled awkwardly.
"Now come on," Toph bent earth over the fire, putting it out, "we have to catch up to Aang and the rest of them. They were spotted two days ago, who knows how far they could've gotten?"
"But you're an earthbender, right?" Zuko asked, "We can catch up quicker that way, can't we?"
Toph smiled, "Like hell we can."
A/N: Yeah...the travelers were randomly in there...but I needed a way for Toph to figure out where Aang was...lol.
