Sokka ground his teeth hard, trying to tame the fury in his gut. He glanced over at Toph—her head was ducked low, but he didn't miss the red rimming her glassy eyes. He swore under his breath.
"You can say that again," Toph said quietly.
When Katara told them what had happened, he couldn't believe it. He might not love Suki the way he did once, but he still loved her as his friend. He owed her a lot, too—without her, he might still be the bull-pig-headed chauvinist she'd first met, not to mention he and Toph would have died a fiery death on that airship.
Whoever did this is going to pay, he thought.
Sokka looked back at the door before them, glaring at the dark wooden panels. "You should stay outside," he said, reaching over to touch Toph's arm. "If the poison's on something in there…I don't want you exposed, too."
She pursed her lips, but just nodded. They both knew the poison couldn't hurt him like it could her. "I've already felt out the room, anyway. Didn't sense anything weird," she replied.
He gave her arm a squeeze before letting go and pushing his way into the dark bedroom. He moved towards the window and tore open the curtains to let the late day sunlight in. His eyes scanned the room, mind picking up on any detail he could see.
If it's in this room, it must be something only Suki, and not Ty Lee, came in contact with. Her sheets and clothes were obvious guesses, except they'd already cleared the maids during his and Toph's interrogations. He doubted someone could poison the laundry without having at least one accomplice on the inside.
He moved towards Suki's nightstand, trying to ignore the obvious awkwardness of the situation as he opened the drawer and checked inside. Several seashells rolled towards the front, and a small silk pouch was tucked into the back corner. The rest of the drawer was occupied with letters, the strips of parchment carefully flattened and stacked in a neat pile.
Maybe her mail is being poisoned? Sokka thought anxiously. He lifted up the top letter and checked the date. It was from a month ago. Not recent enough, he frowned, setting it back carefully and shutting the drawer. He quickly peeked under the bed and mattress, finding a few dust bunnies but nothing of significance.
As he stood, he glanced towards the hearth. What about the fire? They could have coated the logs with something that vaporized when burned, he reasoned, moving quickly towards the small basket of wood by the fireplace.
No, wait, he realized, stopping abruptly. Ty Lee would be exposed to that too.
Sokka exhaled deeply. You're overthinking this, he berated himself. It's probably right in front of your nose. He took in a deep breath and looked around again. This time, something caught his eye, sticking out from under a blanket abandoned on the soft rug by the fire. Moving closer, he pulled out a long roll of parchment. He then ducked down and noticed that a few more scrolls had rolled under the couch.
Unrolling the first one, he read aloud, "Visual Culture and the Imperial Archive in the Chan Lin Dynasty: Addressing the Moral and Spiritual Symbolism of…Ugh!" he exclaimed, sticking out his tongue. Who's reading this garbage? Couldn't be Ty Lee.
Sokka's eyes widened. No, definitely not Ty Lee.
"Toph!" he shouted, moving towards the door.
She opened it and poked her head inside. "What's up?"
"Go find Zuko...I think I'm onto something."
Zuko woke slowly, the late afternoon sun glaring in on him through the open window. He tried to open his eyes, but his left one was too swollen to be of much use. He was suddenly aware of Suki's thin body pressed against him under the heavy bedding, legs tangled together in the warm sheets. It was the first time he'd gone under the covers with her, but he hadn't wanted it to be like this.
As memories of the morning flooded over him, he squeezed his eyes shut, wishing for sleep to overtake him again so he wouldn't have to feel. He held Suki's sleeping form gently against him, desperate to fix what couldn't be undone. He ran his fingers along her neck and shoulder, feeling the curved lines of her lightning scar as his face contorted in shame. How much had she sacrificed because of him?
His anguish slowly morphed into rage as he thought about those who had done this.
"Whoever was behind this believed you would never go forward with a marriage to someone who couldn't produce an heir to the throne."
He swore quietly through gritted teeth, but soon felt his heart drop into his stomach as another old man's words echoed in his memory.
"I've always done my best to ensure the continuation of a strong and pure line of Fire Lords."
Right eye growing wide, Zuko tried to breathe as realization set in. Oh Agni, how had I not seen this before?!
He carefully untangled himself from Suki and slid out of the bed, tucking her in before moving quickly out of the room. He spotted Ty Lee and Jaya, still at their posts but looking half-dead as they slouched against the doorway.
"Z-Zuko!" Ty Lee choked out, coming towards him. Before he could stop her, she'd wrapped her arms around him, sniffling into his robes. "I-I'm so—so sorry. I can't believe—this is my fault. I'm her roommate, I should have seen—"
"Ty Lee, this is not your fault," Zuko said, hugging her back briefly before pulling away. "I do need your help, though." She nodded anxiously. "Can you stay inside with Suki until I come back? I don't want her to wake up alone."
"Y-yes, of course, Zuko," she said, biting her lip. "But…where are you going?"
His expression turned murderous, but he remained silent as he backed away and took off down the corridor.
He ran through the dimming hallways, spotting a line of guards just before the entrance hall. "You two," he said gruffly, pointing at the men closest to him. "Come with me." Their brows crinkled at the disheveled mess of their Fire Lord, but quickly nodded and followed him into the large, dark entryway.
"I-is everything all right, my lord?" one of them asked nervously.
"We're going to the temple," Zuko replied shortly, avoiding the question. Before the guards could assist him, he'd thrown open one of the heavy palace doors and was about to step outside when he stopped in his tracks.
High Sage Rishi stood before him, his wrinkled face contorting further at the sight of the Fire Lord looming over him.
"Fire Lord Zuko, I was just coming to see—" But before he could finish, Zuko grabbed the old man by the collar and nearly lifted him off his feet as he glared down at him.
"You," Zuko hissed, unable to say anything more as his breath grew ragged, each exhale emitting a thick puff of smoke.
"F-Fire Lord?" one of the guards asked. "What's going—"
"…Arrest him," Zuko growled, throwing Rishi to the hard stone ground and turning away before he did something he knew he'd regret.
"Lord Zuko, what is the meaning of this?!" Rishi spat, struggling to stand as the guards moved in to constrain him.
Zuko trembled in place, nails digging into his skin as he clenched his fists. "You really expect me to believe you weren't behind this?" he said darkly, back still turned to the man.
"Behind what?!" Rishi exclaimed, not waiting for an answer before he continued, "I demand you release me at once. You may be the Fire Lord, but you're barely more than a child and as the High Sage, I cannot be treated like a common—"
"How dare you!" Zuko snarled, spinning around as flames engulfed his fists. "Who else was so against my engagement but you?! I know you were behind the poisoning! It's your fault she's—" he stopped, biting his lip hard as his eyes grew moist.
"…She's what, Lord Zuko?" Rishi said, eyes narrowing, not an ounce of sympathy in his expression.
Zuko remained quiet, not trusting his voice as the flames died down in his hands.
"It seems…there is another who shares my concerns," Rishi continued slowly, the corners of his crooked mouth twitching upwards. "But I can assure you, my Lord, my only efforts to prevent this foolish marriage were by powers of persuasion."
"LIAR!" Zuko bellowed, moving towards the man as his hands formed blazing daggers. "You, you bast—"
He stopped as the earth before him shot up, forming a thick wall between him and the sage. Before he could register what was happening, someone was tugging roughly on his arm.
"Zuko! Stop—" Toph said breathlessly. "He's telling the truth."
Zuko let the fire from his fists die away, looking down at his friend as his vision came back into focus. She released her grip on him and sighed, panting a little as she rested her hands on her knees. "Geez, I thought you were going to kill the guy."
Zuko staggered backwards a little, right eye growing wide. "N-no…I wouldn't…I'm not a…" he stuttered, coming to himself. What WAS I planning to do? he thought anxiously, sweat dripping down his temples.
"Well, you didn't, so we're fine," Toph said bluntly, standing upright. "Listen, Sokka thinks he's figured something out. So come on," she said, letting the stone wall fall back into the ground. Zuko looked back to where the high sage stood proudly despite the guards at either side. His expression was dark, though a small smile graced his lips.
Zuko frowned deeply. "…Let him go," he told the guards reluctantly before following Toph back into the palace.
When Suki opened her eyes, it was already growing dark. Someone warm was pressed against her.
"…Zuko," she mumbled softly. She tried to move her arms so she could embrace him, but they were pinned to her sides. She broke out in a sweat as something scaly slid over her, a large weight pressing down on her chest.
Zuko's face suddenly appeared above her, a terrible smirk flashing across his lips.
"You really think a bastard half-breed could possibly be with the Lord of the Fire Nation?" he snarled, his voice deep and ancient.
Suki's heart dropped into her stomach. "K-Koh?!" she cried. "How do you have Zuko's—no! No, this is just another dream," she told herself, squeezing her eyes shut as she begged her mind to wake up.
"And now you're barren," Koh continued, foul breath spilling over her face. "You really think he wants you now? The poor sap's too concerned with his honor—could he overlook that, he'd abandon you in a heartbeat."
"No…no, that's not true," Suki whispered, face contorting as Zuko's hate-filled, golden eyes bored into her. "That's not true!"
"Suki! Suki, wake up!"
Suki gasped, opening her eyes. Ty Lee knelt beside her on the bed, holding her hand tightly and staring at her with bright, round eyes. Suki sighed deeply, sitting up and pressing her free hand into her temple while giving Ty Lee's hand a squeeze with the other.
"I'm okay, Ty Lee. I just—" She stopped as memories of the morning flooded over her. Her chest tightened quickly as the heartache returned. She bit her lip and looked into her lap.
"Oh, Suki. I can't believe—I'm so sorry," Ty Lee sobbed, flinging her arms around her and burying her face in her shoulder. They embraced for a minute, Ty Lee crying quietly while Suki just stared at the door. She'd pretty much cried herself out hours ago.
"Thanks for being here, Ty Lee," Suki said quietly, slowly pulling away. "Did, um, Zuko say where…" She stopped suddenly, nightmare-Koh's words echoing in her mind.
You really think he wants you now?
"He didn't say," Ty Lee replied. "But he hasn't been gone long. Want me to go find him?"
"No, it's okay," Suki said, crawling towards the edge of the large bed and letting her feet drop to the floor. "I could use a little time alone." She stood and moved towards the dresser, opening it to find a stack of beautiful, newly-purchased clothes. Grabbing the first outfit she saw, she slipped off her nightgown and quickly pulled on the soft pants and embroidered tunic before turning back to Ty Lee. "I haven't left the palace in over a week. Now that I can finally move around, I need to get out of here before I lose my mind."
"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" her friend asked anxiously.
"I'll be fine. The walk will do me some good," she replied. If she wasn't feeling so depressed, she might have chuckled at the irony—Zuko said those same words to her the first night she stood guard for him. Before Ty Lee could argue, Suki slipped quickly from the room. She snuck silently past Jaya, who was nodding off on the spot. Suki frowned, wondering how long she'd been on the clock.
Moving through the dim hallways, Suki moved quietly past the other guards and servants she passed in the halls, not ready to interact with anyone just yet, and finally stepped out a side door into the warm evening air. Living inside the walls of the Caldera meant sunsets came early, but tonight Suki welcomed the privacy the darkness granted.
She headed west along the back road leading into the city. Her newfound strength and the fresh air compelled her into a run—she sprinted along the wide, flat path, letting her heart pound, her lungs work like they hadn't in weeks. Once the road split, she turned north and let her feet guide her towards the small lake hugging the edge of the palace walls. She was soon circling the water's edge, legs burning, but she didn't want to stop—the strain of the exercise was the only thing stopping her thoughts from consuming her.
A half hour later, she stood before the capital temple, the dim orange glow of hundreds of lanterns dancing in the darkness. She watched the lights flicker for several minutes as she caught her breath, trying to wipe the sweat away as best she could before climbing the steep steps. Once at the top, she sat down and stared out at the city, watching as small lights slowly lit up the landscape, listening to distant music dancing in the nighttime air. She tried desperately not to think, but the pain soon returned. She brought her knees to her chest, burying her face in her hands.
"Miss Suki? Are you all right?" someone asked.
Suki jumped. "Oh, Sage Ishan," she gasped, holding a hand to her racing heart as she looked up at him. "You frightened me. I thought everyone was gone."
"Just Ishan. I'm not a sage, yet," he replied, smiling down at her. "And, well, some of us stick around after hours. I just feel like I have so much to learn before I'm ready to be a true fire sage," he said eagerly, offering her his hand.
Suki waved him off, standing on her own. "I'm all right. I'm actually feeling myself again, if you can believe it."
Ishan's eyes narrowed briefly, but he soon recovered. "Well, that's good news indeed," he said, moving towards the temple entrance. "So, did you come for some new scrolls?"
Suki blanched a little. "Oh, well, I actually left the ones I have back at the palace," she said awkwardly. "I just came because…" She trailed off, realizing how strange her appearance might seem. "Well, I was thinking maybe I could, um, try out some lighter reading," she fibbed.
"Ah, yes. Those history texts can be quite draining after a while!" Ishan laughed. "I know some wonderful novels, if you'd like to come look through them."
Suki hid a grimace, really just wanting to be left alone. "Oh, no, I trust whatever you pick out. I can wait out here while you—"
"No, no, you must come browse the selection. There are just so many choices! I couldn't decide for you," he said enthusiastically.
Suki sighed. She really didn't have the mental energy to talk her way out of this one tonight. And from her previous interactions with Ishan, she knew the guy had a strange obsession with the ancient texts and was desperate to share his knowledge with anyone willing to listen.
"…Okay," she agreed, defeated. "But I do need to head back soon."
Ishan grinned. "Of course."