Thanks guys, for the reviews and just for reading too! 3

Thanks to Meneldur for the Beta offer! I didn't think anyone would take me up on it, hah hah. And for the review too! Tell me what you think of this chapter and then we can talk shop, maybe?

Hazelstar for your review =]. I'm glad you think it's interesting! I love the idea of being the first to write these guys as a pair. Let's hope I can pull it off! lol

And to Up In Arms100 thanks for your reviews! The one on the chapter before last gave me a well needed kick in the bum. I like that you like the Toph/Kuei dynamic!

In general, please forgive the jumpy tense. I've never been good at sticking to one. Truthfully I write because I really like to, not because I'm good at it! Hah hah.


The block around Toph's house shook with tiny tremors. She stood in a wide, earth bending stance in the back yard, shooting massive spikes of rock into the night sky with great stomps. King Kuei had appointed her head of a strike team, commissioned to go out in search of the fugitives. It was what she had wanted a week ago, but now the earth was the recipient of her sudden frustration. She struggled to find the reason behind her anger, and though she was loathe admitting she felt it, her fear.

'Mountains should fear ME!'

A stomp.

'Hills are fodder, valleys are ditches!'

Her strikes were relentless.

Toph could see in her minds eye, the team she was leading searching high and low. And worst of all she could picture their search bearing fruit. Ty Lee's exuberance dimmed by terror, Azula's unshakeable confidence, shaken. And Jun, her unreadable façade cracking, letting fear snake through. That was all it took for Toph to realise with aplomb that she didn't want to find them.

The revelation threw her off completely and the earth rebelled under foot to throw her backwards into the wall of her house. She was too stunned to admonish herself for a rookie's lack of concentration. Worry doubled her over and her strong hands grappled her ankles as she fought the urge to wail like an infant. Kuei's kind words, brotherly companionship and gentle guidance warred against Toph's sudden sympathy for the three women she had only known briefly. Two of which had actively tried take her out.

She groaned and then let a sob shake her. It came from a place of futility that seemed to be rapidly expanding in her chest. Could she lead the rest of the world against those girls? They, who with a second chance could probably prove everyone wrong? Or could she mislead the nation that was her own, her dearest friends and a man who was practically her brother for the sake of women who could potentially cause more damage to a world that was still recovering? If the saying, 'between a rock and a hard place' had been literal, Toph wouldn't have had a problem. It was the figuritve, the metaphorical, the intangible, emotional aspect that threatened to overwhelm her.

She had three days before she and the 50 person-strong team were due to leave Ba Sing Se in search of the fugitives. She choose not to languish in her abject indecision and instead spent her time acquiring provisions, getting to know her team members and putting up the most convincing front of anticipation she could manage.

When the morning of her departure dawned Toph was awake to see the sun rise. Sleeplessness had plagued her every night since her introspection and she felt the weight of it drag her down as she pulled on her general's garb in preparation for leaving. Precisely two hours after the sun had a risen and Ostrich-horse drawn carriage rolled to a stop outside her door. She was taken through the upper ring to the palace, where her team, the other generals, King Kuei, Aang and Katara were already waiting. Toph stepped out of the carriage and onto the earth of the courtyard, feeling all at once the presence of everyone assembled. The carriage pulled away behind her and she walked purposefully to where Kuei and the generals stood. Dropping into a low bow before the king Toph submitted to the weight of her duty.

"My King."

The speeches were given, by Kuei and Aang, along with blessings and it was all too soon that Toph found herself standing before the outer gates with her team behind her. The mighty stone wall parted, withdrawing into the stone around it to reveal the way forward. Katara stood by, her hands clasped in front of her. Toph could feel her concern through the rapid beat of her heart and increased respiration. It made Toph feel even more conflicted.

"Katara." She said, turning to her childhood friend.

Apparently that was all the prompting the other woman needed, for she burst into a run and wrapped Toph up in a tight hug. Toph hugged back firmly, terrified of what circumstances might affect their reunion.

"Please, be safe Toph. You know how dangerous she can be."

The warm concern was marred by the venom in the word 'she', and that unsettled Toph even more.

"Of course." She murmured over Katara's shoulder, her voice rough.

Slipping free of the embrace she braced her trembling hands against the straps of the pack on her back, turning to the gate once more.

"Bye Katara."

Calling forth a wave of earth Toph darted forward, followed closely by 50 Earth Kingdom soldiers. They surged together, the morning sun warming their backs.


TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu/TyZula/ToJu


They had passed the two days of Azula's 'nap' by traveling with virtually no breaks. The former Fire Nation princess was once again astride Nyla between Jun and Ty Lee, the former unable to help the trickle of fear she felt whenever Azula's fine nose bumped against her shoulders as they rode.

Ty Lee for her part spent all of her time with her arms wrapped around Azula's middle, her face pressed into her friend's back, gripping the Shirshu with her calves to stay on. Jun had formed an idea in her head of where she might be able to leave the two girls behind her in relative safety, and it was tempting to just drop them there and flee. And while it was more logical to go with her cutthroat instincts, she couldn't let herself do it. While Azula's sudden bout of madness did scare her, her residual first impression of that girl sitting huffily by the fire as her friend smiled at her adoringly stuck with Jun. So they were headed to an old bandits cave Jun knew of, not far off. She needed time, time she felt she didn't have, to gather her thoughts.

When they arrived Jun pulled Nyla up gently at the mouth of the cave, hidden by undisturbed vegetation. Ty Lee drew Azula further into her, cradling her like a baby as she slid from Nyla's back to land noiselessly. Jun followed her down, drawing her whip but keeping it coiled in one hand as she crept around the side of the cave mouth, beckoning Ty Lee.

Jun's pale hand ran over the dark stone, Ty Lee's eyes following its movement in the moonlight. Then Jun found what she was looking for, and pressed firmly. There was a low rumble as a section of rock withdrew into the earth beneath their feet. Ty Lee uttered a startled cry, her eyes riveting onto Jun's back, which disappeared into the dark interior of the cave without so much as an explanation. Then light spilled out of the doorway and Ty Lee approached cautiously. The interior was cold, but dry. A torch sconce held a simple stick with an oil-dipped rag that illuminated the interior. Toph started towards Jun with a question forming on her lips.


TyZula/ToJu


Jun swung the little hatchet in her hand at the base of a slim log she'd found not far from the cave. It had taken only a moment to explain to Ty Lee that she wasn't an earth bender, and that the trap door had been crafted by a gang of thieves years ago. When she had sharpened the end of the log, she drove it into the ground at the back of the cave, back from the fire that Ty Lee was coaxing to life. The sounds of the frying pan hitting the end of the makeshift stake rang loudly in the cave and Jun's eyes darted over to where Azula sat slumped against the cave wall.

She needn't have worried, the Fire Nation Princess remained motionless, eyes closed and chest barely rising with each breath she took. When Jun had driven the stake in to her satisfaction (she tested its sturdiness with a good shake) she looked to Ty Lee, who remained crouched by the fire, poking the glowing embers with a short stick.

"Ty?" the affectionate shortening of the younger woman's name was unconscious, so when Ty Lee fixed her with a questioning look Jun simply stared back, unabashed.

"Will you help me with her?"

Ty Lee hesitated only momentarily before nodding and together they scooped Azula up and moved her over to the stake. Jun tied the Princess's hands behind her, her feet together and her head to the side as she had in the forest.

"Should we wake her?" The bounty hunter asked, lost, still reeling from everything that had happened despite taking it in her stride.

Ty Lee obliged and jabbed several points in sequence. Azula roused silently. Ty Lee stepped away quickly, not wanting to throw her friend into a rage again.

"…" Azula tried to speak, only succeeding in making hoarse noises in her throat. When she did speak on her next try the broken whisper nearly broke Jun's heart. "Mm,.. mother?"

Ty Lee stuffed her knuckles into her mouth to stop the cry that threatened to come out. Her body became rigid as she fought the urge to comfort her friend. Neither of the women standing spoke, afraid of the consequences. Jun didn't know if it was because of that, or if it would have happened regardless of whether they'd spoken or not, but the next noises the Princess made weren't screams or shouts. Rather they were tiny sniffles, preludes to the sobs that shook her body after a minute or so of near silent crying. Ty Lee was crying too, streams of tears tracking down her face, her nose running and her pretty face grimacing.

Jun turned away, she'd seen a lot of hard things in her time but nothing had ever gotten to her like what was happening to those two girls. The crying turned to wailing and it was very late indeed before any of the women got to sleep. After Azula had cried herself into a natural sleep Jun covered her with a blanket. Then she took a still weeping Ty Lee under her arm and guided her over to where Nyla was laying by the fire. They curled up beside the Shirshu together and Ty Lee tucked her chin over Jun's shoulder. Her tears soaked through the cloth of the Bounty hunter's tunic before she fell asleep, exhausted.


Thank you for reading! I'm sorry for the soft Jun, I can't help it! I just imagine this sweetness under her tough exterior. Though she'll make a return, that difficult side of Jun! Please share with me your ideas of where this might go! I'm so interested to hear :D

The love for ToJu makes me so happy! 3