Chapter 7? Yes I think that's right.

Wow, I haven't updated in a looooooooooooooooong time...do I still even have any readers out there? heheh, maybe I should have warned you guys (that are still there) that I'm prone to extreme writers block and will go AWOL sometimes... yeah...

Um...I guess all I can say now is-

Enjoy!


When Toph awoke the next morning, she made it her goal of the day to get her wanton friend to fess up. She was already cranky because Zuko and Katara kept her up for half the night. Well now she was going to bug the shit out of Katara.

"Sugar Queen!" she called loudly as she made her way to the common area where Katara was busy stirring a pot.

She hardly looked up. "Hmm?" she answered, adding dashes of this and that to the porridge. "You're up early Toph. Usually I have drag you out of the bed."

Toph spat on the ground and scratched her head. "I decided to wake up with you now! Well, I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"And why's that?" Katara asked, stirring the thickening porridge carefully so as to not splash it. She paused for a minute. "Should I add a little sugar?"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Sure why not?" She plopped down on the ground. Katara's back was too her and Toph tried to get a feel of her emotions this morning. Her heart wasn't going a mile a minute. She didn't feel guilty. Hmmmm. "Well, anyway, I couldn't sleep because I kept hearing things."

Yep, that was a small jump in Sugar queen's heart. "Hearing things?" Katara repeated.

Toph nodded. "Yep, it sounded like it was coming from that hall over there. Voices." Toph pointed in the direction she knew Zuko's room to be.

"Maybe, Haru was up late again talking strategy with Teo." Katara suggested, turning back to breakfast.

Toph narrowed her eyes. So she was going to play this game... "Hmm, you could be right," she thought of another tactic; Getting the guilty to confess with lies of your own. "But I remember it being so detailed and... heart wrenching that I went to investigate. Haru was sleeping like a baby."

She heard Katara's sharp intake of breath. She could almost feel the gears turning in her head as she thought of another excuse. Let her try. "So what do you think Sweetness?" Toph asked happily

Katara opened her mouth to speak when Aang, with the help of his trusty air scooter, breezed into the common area.

"Aang!" cried, half happy that he chose this moment to enter, half weary to see him. Toph narrowed her eyes.

"Hi Katara!" he chirped happily, landing on the ground. "Toph's up too? This is early for you, we usually have to drag you out of bed!" Aang chuckled and Katara laughed uneasily.

"Yeah yeah, Twinkle Toes." Toph spat on the ground again. "Why are you up so early?"

Aang shrugged. "Ever since I started my firebending training, I've been getting up earlier. Zuko says it's a firebender thing. Apparently they rise with the sun because that's their source of energy."

"That's annoying," Toph remarked. She hardly liked getting up in the middle of the afternoon.

"I guess," Aang shrugged. "But Zuko says I'll get used to it. Right now I haven't mastered firebending, but when I do, it'll be like second nature." he frowned a little. "That also means I'll get less sleep too, being a waterbender and all."

Katara nodded in understanding. "Oh right, the full moon and such."

Toph got to her feet. "As much as I enjoy discussing sleeping patterns with you two, I'm going to go and find someone just a tad bit more interesting."

"Don't be rude," Katara admonished.

Toph shrugged. "Just saying," she snapped her fingers. "I know! Zuko's room is near Haru's right? I'll go ask him if he was up late last night talking with anyone. Maybe he'll know more about those voices I heard."

"Toph-" Katara muttered, almost threatened.

The young earthbender wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Unless you know Katara? Twinkle Toes?" if she could see she would be giving Katara the stare down of her life.

Taking a deep breath, Katara shook her head. She turned back to her pot. "I have no idea, Toph."

Toph barely hid the smirk on her face. Happy, but not entirely satisfied, Toph turned away and left Katara, Aang and a very burnt pot of porridge.

….

"So,"

Zuko jumped a little and turned around to see the little blind earthbender leaning against the door frame to his room. "Hello." he murmured, and went back to placing the blankets on his small cot.

Toph cocked her head to the side, trying to get a read on his emotions. He was jumpy, most likely from her surprising him. She waited for his heart rate to go down before addressing him.

"I was wondering if you wanted to sit and chat for a while? What's that? You don't mind? Thanks!"

Zuko could only watch in slight alarm as the girl made her way into the room and propped down lazily on to his new made-turned- messy bed. He sighed and took a spot on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"What's on your mind?" he asked awkwardly, not sure what to talk about- or why she was talking to him in the first place.

"Weeeeelllll..." Toph produced a single blade of grass from her pocket and placed it in her mouth and Zuko grimaced, instantly reminded of the rebel Jet. Toph, being blind, didn't see his look and reclined comfortably on the bed. "you know how I'm blind right?"

" Well I've noticed and-"

Toph chuckled. "Silly me of course you know. What I mean is do you know that I have super enhanced abilities?"

"Super enhanced...abilities?" Zuko repeated, unsure.

"You got it Hot Spot."

Zuko shook his head. "Hot Spot?"

Toph sighed wearily. "Yeah, I'm toying with ideas for your nickname. Hot Spot just isn't clicking. Don't worry I have a long list."

Zuko felt his face redden. He hated nicknames. He sincerely hoped she would never think to call him...Zuzu. Agni he hated his sister.

"Anyway," Toph continued, chewing her blade of grass. "since I can't see, I naturally have more sensitive senses than anyone else. It's a biology thing."

"That's um, good to know." Zuko added. "Can I ask what exactly you want? I was kind of cleaning and and minding my own business here..."

"I'm getting to the point." Toph snapped. "Hold your ostrich-horses Fireball," Toph shook her head. "Nope, not feeling that one either."

Zuko cleared his throat.

"ANYWAY," Toph removed the grass from her mouth and adjusted herself on the pillows. "I have super hearing, and to be honest, it makes me cranky as hell."

"And why is that?"

Toph shrugged, "Just knowing that there's always something you're going to hear that you really be be better off not knowing." Zuko could understand that. Often hearing what you don't want to hear.

"Understandable." Zuko nodded.

"I know," Toph remarked. "But you know what else makes me crankier?"

Zuko shook his head, then answered when he realized she wouldn't see the movement. "No?"

Toph sat straight up on the bed and turned towards him. Zuko could swear she was looking right at him. "People who keep secrets that need to be told."

Zuko raised a curios eyebrow. "And what makes you think these secrets need to be told? They must be secrets for a reason."

Toph smirked and reclined back once more. "Oh trust me, I know they're secret for a reason, but that reason alone isn't enough to break someone's heart in the process."

For an odd reason, Zuko felt a hollowness in the pit of his stomach. "So why does this make you cranky?" he asked, drawing a knee up to his chest.

"It keeps me from sleeping." she answered simply. Zuko, about to ask her why, was cut off by Toph sliding off the bed to begin pacing. "I'll give you an example Flame-On, let's say there's a guy, we'll name him...Taang, yes that's a random name. Now Taang has a huge job to do- he wants to, I don't know, end world hunger."

"Um sure." Zuko said, not quite sure where this was going.

"Now, Taang is a very well rounded person- but he's got one major human flaw."

"And that would be...?" Zuko asked, part of him humoring her the other half genuinely interested.

"Self deception," she replied matter-of-factly. "You see, he's totally focused on his goal, but he keeps getting distracted by his very nice and very wanton friend. Her name is...Zatara! Yes that fits nicely. So Zatara distracts Taang, and she knows he has feelings for her, but she keeps going on with her life like she has no idea. And since she doesn't warn Taang off of his advances, he keeps on thinking she likes when he plays sweet with her."

"Plays sweet?" Zuko questioned.

"You know, random kisses, giving her goo-goo eyes...begging for her affection. Which, mind you, she gives him because she doesn't know how to tell him she's just not that into him."

"Seems rather selfish." Zuko mumbled. Toph heard him loud and clear.

"Oh it's terribly selfish." Toph said seriously. "You know why? No? I'll tell you. Because he has a job to do. End world hunger. And she's the one positive force he feels he can completely rely on. He loves her. Do you hear me? He loves her. And he thinks she feels the same. And he knows she wants to end world hunger just like him, so he keeps going on just for her, because whenever things go bad she's always there to pick him back up. He knows that when he ends world hunger, there's a high chance that she'll finally say yes to being with him. For good."

"Her love is his driving force." Zuko said to himself. He was no fool, he know exactly what Toph was talking about.

"Yes." Toph nodded. "Now let's say Zatara decided that she didn't love Taang as much as she thought she did. Instead she found love with another guy, we'll call him...Kuzco. Now Taang and Kuzco used to fight a lot because Kuzco's family would steal food from already starving people and take it for themselves. And that didn't sit well with Taang. But finally, after much convincing, Kuzco saw the error of his ways and came to the good side. With Taang. Now they both want to end world hunger. So they fought together against other greedy people, both believing that one day they would end world hunger."

"And what of Zatara and...Kuzco?" Zuko asked.

Toph replaced her piece of grass with a new one and shrugged. "They decided, for some stupid reason, that they would keep their love from Taang even though they both knew of his affections for Zatara. But one day, they got caught doing some very...naughty things. Taang was furious. He was angered that his new friend would revert back to his old ways and steal what wasn't his. But most importantly, he was sad, because the girl he thought loved him so much was too afraid to tell him that she didn't love him at all. Because of their betrayal, he severed all ties with Kuzco and his family and they began fighting. You know, emotions make people crazy. So because he lost focus because of a silly crush on his end and a few lies on their end, the world went hungry because he lost his drive."

Zuko gulped. Now he knew the girl was trying to send him a message. "That's really unfortunate."

Toph got up off the bed and stood right in front of him. She leaned down close to Zuko's face and he could swear her milky green eyes could see right through him.

"And you know what sucks most about it?" Toph said quietly.

"What?" Zuko was honestly afraid of what the girl would say.

"She doesn't deserve him. There are other girls out in the world who would do anything for him to just spare a little of his time for them, ones who would love him unconditionally and never, ever lie to him. But he'll never realize it because he can't let her go. And she doesn't deserve him at all."

Toph's words were filled with such emotion that all Zuko wanted to do was reach out and comfort the girl. But from what he knew of her short temper and brashness, she would never allow it. Instead he settled for the only thing that seemed appropriate to say at the moment.

"I'm sorry Toph." he said softly. He meant it.

"Toph straighted up. "Don't be sorry." she walked over to the bed where the covers where strewn about. Feeling around, she managed to straighten them out over the small cot.

Zuko got to his feet but didn't follow her as she made her way to the door.

She spoke over her shoulder. "Just don't be as stupid as the people in my story. Either stop it before it gets out of hand, or be a man and tell him your intentions."

At a loss for words, Zuko just nodded. She left the room and Zuko collapsed on the bed.

…...

Mai sighed audibly as she looked out over the railing of the war zeppelin. In the distance, a large boiling lake emitted a constant cover of steam.

"Why are we visiting the Boiling Rock again?" Mai asked Azula. The regal fire princess was busy staring out at the prison, a cruel smile on her face.

"Because Mai, there are a few people there I'd think would prove useful in our pursuit of the Avatar."

Mai rolled her eyes. "No offense, but aren't you a little tire of hunting down the Avatar? I know I am."

Azula narrowed her eyes and turned towards her friend. "Stop complaining Mai. Maybe you don't realize that if we do not capture the Avatar and end him for good, he could be the downfall of everything the Fire Nation has fought for."

"Aren't you excited to see your uncle Mai?" Ty lee said cheerfully as she balanced on the railing of the zeppelin.

Mai gave her a deadpan look.

Azula gave her a curious look and turned around to completely face her friend. "Look Mai, I thought we agreed that you would come with me on this final mission? Once we find the Avatar, we'll find Zuko. Then I can convince him to join us again like he did in Ba Sing Se and you can get your prince back." Azula scoffed. "Of course, you can give up now on being Firelady because father would never make him Firelord."

"But Princess Mai is better than just Lady Mai isn't it?" Ty lee added with a grin. "I would love to be a princess. Mai you're so lucky!"

Azula gave Ty lee a cold smile. "Don't worry Ty lee. When father passes the crown to me, I have a special title for those who have stuck by me loyally."

Ty lee clapped her hands excitedly and jumped from her perch on the railing. She put a comforting arm around her dark friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Mai, I'm sure Zuko misses you. Maybe it's just a phase he's going through. I know when I ran away from home my parents thought I was going through a phase, I kind of thought I was too. But then I realized that I loved the circus! I loved the adventures and all the new friends I made. I'm happy they didn't look at me weird because of how flexible I am. I think that's why I didn't make much friends at the Academy. There was this one girl who would always tease me. Was her name Rai? Ren? Hmmm..."

Mai groaned out loud. She shoved Ty lee's hand off of her and went inside the zeppelin. Ty lee frowned at Azula, a hurt look on her face. "Was it something I said?"

Azula gave her a look. "Don't about Mai, Ty lee. She'll come around." She gave Ty lee one of her rare, sincere smiles and Ty lee laughed.

"You're right. When is Mai ever not gloomy?" she said with a small laugh.

Azula knew the answer to that question. She narrowed her eyes as she eyed the approaching boiling lake. Whenever Zuko was around.


A/N

Whew, I knew that I had what it takes to keep going with this story!

I really hope I still have readers and reviewers out there, and for

anyone new, just jump on the bandwagon!

I don't know why but I just went back and looked at previous reviews

and somehow that just made me want to finish this story.

So pat yourself on the back if you were a part of that...

It's still early, barely 10:30 am, maybe a can even get another chapter

in today. Bear with me please, and thanks for your reviews :)

-kye*