Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.
Chapter Seven
The group was now traveling on foot, which they had decided to do every now and then. It made for a nice change of pace and lessened the burden for Appa. Most importantly, they hoped it would help to throw off anyone who might be trying to track them through the air. Currently, Zuko and Aang were walking in the lead with Toph and Katar a bit behind them. Iroh and Appa were at the rear with a sleeping Sokka tucked in Appa's saddle.
"…and so we ended up zigzagging all over the place before we finally found Kyoshi Island where the elephant koi were," Aang explained, getting excited about the memory of riding those giant fish.
Zuko ran a hand down his face. "I should have known," he mumbled with a hint of irritation. "I don't know what possessed me into ever believing you were a master of evasive maneuvering when the truth was you simply had no idea where you were going."
Aang laughed. "I had just woken up from a hundred-year slumber. What did you expect?" Comparing notes and reminiscing the chase and run days neither of them would care to repeat had become the two boys' choice of pastime as of late. The fact that they could talk about it so casually…in Zuko's case, analytically… told Aang they had definitely put that past behind them and were taking a step in the right direction. "All right, here's something I never figured out. What in the world were you doing in the eye of that huge storm in the middle of the ocean?" But when he looked over, the prince appeared as though he was lost in thought and most likely didn't hear his question. "Hey, Zuko!"
Zuko snapped out of his reverie, but the frown was still on his face. Something had been bugging him for a while now. "Aang, I see you practicing waterbending and earthbending quite a bit, but I can't help but notice you're not firebending at all. Did you not speak with my uncle?"
"I did," the young monk replied, trying to sound as natural as possible. "But he thinks there's someone else better suited for the task." He gave Zuko a sideways glance, curious what his reaction might be.
"Is that so?" the prince said, keeping his eyes on the road, thoughts focusing inward once more. He knew this someone else was most likely himself, but he wasn't even a master, yet. What could his uncle be thinking? More importantly, was Iroh trying to make him choose?
At this point, Zuko was beginning to get an uneasy sensation, like he could feel someone's eyes on him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Katara, who had in fact been watching him…glaring at him, promptly turn her head to the side. The prince couldn't help but smirk contently to himself.
Katara silently berated herself for getting caught. She hated that look he gave her. That 'I won so you can't bother me anymore' look. That 'I'm here and you can't do anything about it' look. That 'I know you hate me but you have to put up with me and I'm loving every second of it' look. She huffed in frustration and mumbled incoherently under her breath.
"Are you all right, Sweetness?" came Toph's relaxed voice from beside her. "What are you grumbling about?"
Katara turned her head sharply to face the earthbender and all but hissed, "How can you stand him?!"
Toph arched a brow, her teeth playing with the straw in her mouth. "Who? Sparky?"
The waterbender furrowed her brows even more at the nickname. "And how can you be so friendly with him?! I just don't get it!"
Toph shrugged and folded her hands behind her head. "I like him. He's fun."
Katara couldn't even begin to fathom how Zuko translates to fun. "He's a pompous jerk."
"He's not really that bad. He's just sort of…" Toph tilted her head a little as she tried to think of the right description. "…half asleep." A devious grin spread across her face. "I just looooove messing with him."
"What?" Katara frowned, unable to comprehend.
"See, that's where you have problems. You just don't know how to have fun. Observe." Toph spit out the straw she had been chewing on and picked up her pace to catch up with the pair ahead.
"Toph! Wait!" Katara called after her friend with a strained whisper, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Toph wedged herself between the two boys with an urgent look on her features. Turning her head up she pointed to the sky. "Look out!"
Zuko turned to look, then immediately cursed himself for falling for the same dumb trick again. "Will you stop doing that?!"
The blind girl folded her arms and smiled smugly. "I can't help it if you're dense."
"I fell for that one a couple of times, too," Aang laughed.
"So, since you lost, Sparky, now you have to do something for me," Toph stated as though it was the most reasonable thing to do.
"That wasn't even a competition," Zuko argued evenly.
Toph only snorted to that. "You fell for the most basic trick in the book. I consider that a loss."
Zuko narrowed his eyes irritably at her, despite the fact that she couldn't see it.
"Oh, come on," Toph continued. "It's nothing difficult or embarrassing or anything like that. I'm starting to get a bit tired, so I just want to hitch a ride on your back for a while, that's all." A sly grin made its way to her lips.
"You will do no such thing!" Zuko exclaimed with dignity.
"Don't be such a sore loser," she said as she tried to walk around to his back. "Trust me, it's not that bad."
Zuko kept turning to keep his back away from Toph, unable to believe how quickly he got sucked into another one of her bizarre whirlwinds again.
The earthbender continued to circle the prince with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. But soon she slowed and eventually came to a stop. Frowning slightly, she said, "Wait…I feel something." She crouched down and placed her palm on the ground.
"What is it?" Aang asked, suddenly worried.
"Shh!" She cocked her head and knitted her brows in concentration. Then getting back to her feet, she said, "We better hurry. I recognize that rumbling. Azula's nearby."
"What?! Where?!" the two boys echoed each other.
"That way," she said, a concerned frown still on her face as she pointed behind the boys.
When both boys turned, Toph saw her opening and jumped onto Zuko's back, locking her arms around his neck. "You really are gullible, Sparky," she laughed.
"Why you little… Get off!" The frustrated prince tried to pry her off, but for someone so small, she had an amazingly strong grip and simply wouldn't budge.
Toph yawned. "I'm bushed. Goodnight!" She closed her eyes, dropped her head, and immediately began snoring loudly.
Zuko was literally breathing fire by now. He threw a glare at Aang. "Get this THING off of me!"
Aang gave an apologetic laugh. "Sorry, Zuko. Toph's probably even more stubborn than you are. If she wants to do something, nobody can stop her. Seems she's really bent on hitching a ride."
"Then I just won't move," Zuko grumbled as he folded his arms. "We're not going anywhere until you let go, you hear me?!" He couldn't believe what he was doing. He couldn't believe what he was saying. He knew full well how childish this whole thing was, but it was like the girl was contagious and he couldn't help but respond in kind.
Aang tried not to laugh out loud as the scowling prince stood rooted to the ground with folded arms while Toph draped down his back, her feet dangling. As far as the young monk was concerned, this was probably one of the strangest and most amusing sights he had ever seen.
Toph made no response. In fact, her breathing became more even, and her obnoxious snores died down to a more natural and quiet one.
Aang raised a brow. "Maybe she actually did fall asleep."
Zuko only deepened his frown. He wasn't buying it this time.
Then Toph's grip began to loosen, and she started to slowly slip lower and lower down his back. Eventually, she let go and began to fall, but Zuko reached back and caught her before she hit the ground. With a push, he had her back up on his back, her arms wrapping around his neck and holding on instinctively.
Zuko sighed, exasperated at himself for giving in. Why should he even bother to worry about her falling? It wasn't like she, an earthbending master, would have been hurt.
With her eyes still closed, Toph chuckled lightly behind him and said in a quiet voice, "I love riding things."
The prince grumbled. "I'm not an ostrich horse." That only earned him another laugh. "You're lucky you're still just a child, or I would have burned you down to ashes," he added, though the anger in his voice had already dissipated.
Toph smiled to herself. "I'll keep that in mind." When Zuko didn't protest anymore and began to walk, she turned to Aang and flashed her victory grin.
Behind them, Katara's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "Surprised" and "shocked" couldn't adequately describe the incredible disbelief she was experiencing at that moment.
Iroh laughed as he caught up to the waterbender who seemed to be stunned frozen in place. "A charming little rascal, isn't she? Seems even my nephew can't resist her."
"I just can't believe that arrogant jerk is being so…docile about it," Katara said, still somewhat dumbfounded.
The old firebender chuckled. "He's probably not as unhappy about it as he may seem." Stroking his beard, Iroh mused about how his nephew had developed the habit of putting on a front, shielding his true self away. However, Toph, though blind to things on the surface, had the ability to see what was underneath. On some level, it must make Zuko very uncomfortable. At the same time, her acceptance despite the fact that she could see him was probably like a breath of fresh air to him. It was a show of faith that the boy rarely received. "Toph does seem to have an interesting effect on him," Iroh said. After another moment's thought, he added, "So does Aang. Even you."
Katara cocked an unconvincing brow. "Me? What sort of effect?"
"I'm not sure," Iroh said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Only time will tell."
"REMATCH!" He lay on his back panting, not believing the outcome. He tried to retain as much dignity in his features as possible as she stood over him in full gloating mode. Sitting up, Zuko checked the gash on his right arm. Damn icicles…
She got him good though, he couldn't argue. Which was precisely the reason why it was so irritating. But that wasn't to say she was completely flawless. He frowned in thought. "You should guard your left side more. You leave it way too open for attack."
Katara raised a disbelieving brow, a hand on her hip. Is he actually giving me advice? "Are you sure it's wise to be giving me pointers? I did just win, if you recall."
Zuko shrugged as casually as he could muster. "It will make for a more interesting rematch."
Katara kneeled beside him and held out her hands, her features unreadable. "Let me see your arm."
Zuko gave her a distrusting look. He wasn't about to simply comply with whatever she said.
Tired of waiting, the waterbender pulled his arm forward with one hand and began healing his wound with the other.
Zuko jerked his arm away from her, narrowing his eyes. "I don't need your healing. I can take care of it myself."
With a smug grin on her face, Katara reached out for his arm once more and continued with her work. "I just don't want you to have any excuses when I defeat you again." When the prince glared, her grin widened. She leaned in challengingly. "I'll take you up on that rematch. Tomorrow. Same time. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you don't speak to me at all." Finished healing by now, she got to her feet and simply walked away.
Zuko let out an exasperated breath of flames, seething in silence. Damn infuriating waterbending peasant!
"All right, people," Sokka said, getting everyone's attention in an impromptu high-altitude meeting in Appa's saddle as he rolled up the map he had been studying. "We're out of supplies, and we have no money. There's a mid-sized town not too far from here. I think we should stop there for a few days, earn some money, and get more supplies. Any objections?"
The Water Tribe boy looked at everyone in turn. They didn't seem too pleased about what he had said, but at least nobody was complaining. Not even Zuko. Sokka had thought for certain that angry jerk would protest, being the spoiled prince that he was. However, Zuko remained surprisingly silent. "Well…good." Turning towards Appa's head, he yelled over the winds. "Aang! Did you hear that?!"
"Yep! I'm on it!" the monk replied as he tugged on Appa's reins. "Take us down, boy!"
They landed in a wooded area near the outskirts of the town where Appa and Momo could wait for them. Before taking off, Aang gave the giant bison a loving hug. "We'll be back soon, buddy. Stay out of trouble." He put on the straw hat Katara had dug out for him to hide his tattoo with and went to catch up with his friends.
"We're pretty high profile right now, especially after Iroh's rescue," Sokka said as the group got closer to the town. "If we walk in all together, we'll definitely scream 'Avatar group'. Let's split up into pairs. That way we can still watch each other's backs without drawing too much attention to ourselves."
"Good idea, Snoozles," Toph said. "It's been a while since you and I spent some quality time together so, let's go." She tugged on his wrist and dragged him off to the left. "See you guys later!" she said as she waved her other arm in the air.
Iroh and Aang exchanged looks.
Feeling a bit helpless, Sokka shrugged and waved as well. "We'll meet back at Appa's tonight!"
"Hey, Aang," Katara began. "Let's—"
"AAHH!" Aang exclaimed as he held up his index finger, cutting off Katara before she could say what he knew she was going to say. "I…umm…Well, Iroh and I have this great idea for what we're going to do. Right, Iroh?"
"Yes," the old firebender responded, not missing a beat. "It will be perfect for the two of us. Let us be on our way, Aang," he said with a big smile.
"Right," the boy nodded. "So, we'll see you guys later. Good luck! And don't forget to watch each other's backs like Sokka said!" With that, he and the old man headed to the right.
Katara huffed in speechless frustration at being the one stuck with Zuko, who only gave her a half-bored glance and continued forward. Reluctantly, she followed.
The streets were filled with people, and the town was bustling with activity. Though trying to take in the sights, Iroh did not miss the look on the young Avatar's face. "What troubles you, my boy?"
Aang scratched the back of his neck, uncertainty written all over his face. "Well…do you think it was a bad idea to force those two to pair up? I hope Katara's not mad at me. But more importantly, do you think they'll be all right?"
"I believe there are two likely outcomes," Iroh stated. "One: they kill each other."
The airbender winced.
"Two: they get to a point where they can at least be somewhat civil around one another, and the rest of us can finally get some peace." It wasn't that Zuko and Katara bickered constantly…in fact they avoided each other if at all possible…but the silent tension was at times overbearing and more than enough to make those around them rather uncomfortable.
"I really, really hope it's the latter. What am I supposed to do if my waterbending master and my firebending master hopeful were to take each other out?!" The boy was beginning to panic.
"If we let them continue as they are, it will likely come down to that anyway," the old man reasoned calmly. "It's well worth the risk," he said with a smile.
Aang sighed and slumped his shoulders dejectedly as he mumbled to himself. "How am I supposed to bring peace and harmony to the world when I can't even achieve harmony within my own team?" He knew they all had to get along before they could truly function as a team. All Aang could do now was pray to the spirits and hope that things will go well.
"Ah, here's a good spot," Iroh said, tearing the boy out of his thoughts.
Aang looked around. They appeared to be in the main street of the town. "Yeah, sure. This looks good."
Finding a nice shady spot on the side of the street, the two of them proceeded with their "great idea". Panhandling. As the old man and monk pair, they figured that would suit them quite nicely.
"Let's see…what's the perfect job for us?" Sokka thought out loud, rubbing his chin as he and Toph wandered down the busy street. He turned his head left and right to look at all the potential businesses that might offer them some work.
Toph simply followed behind, looking bored.
In the midst of the crowd, a girl approached them holding a tray filled with small cups of tea. "Hello," she greeted with a bright smile. "Care to try a sample of our freshly brewed tea? This is our teahouse's special blend!"
Toph shrugged and took a cup. After taking a sip she frowned and stuck her tongue out. "Ack! It tastes weird." She placed the cup back on the tray. "Sorry, but your special blend needs some work."
Sokka on the other hand was already downing his fifth cup. Then he caught Toph making a face at him. "What? I'm thirsty. And broke. And this stuff's free!"
The teahouse waitress laughed. "The Lotus Teahouse is just at the next corner of the street. Please stop by sometime!" she said and moved on.
As the pair continued to walk, Sokka's thoughts returned to the task at hand. "Maybe we can get a job with a butcher. He might pay us in meat."
"That's a great idea, Snoozles. Why don't you do that, and I'll wait for you in that teahouse with the nasty tea."
"What are you babbling about? We shouldn't split up. Besides, you have to work, too, Toph!"
"I'm blind and helpless," she replied calmly. "What do you expect me to do?"
"Oh, so NOW you're blind and helpless when it suits you!" Sokka huffed.
The earthbender shrugged easily. "Hey, gotta take advantage of my disadvantage wherever I can, right?" She gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking off. "I'll see you later."
The Water Tribe boy grumbled and stomped off in the opposite direction.
Toph walked towards the teahouse, but instead of going in, she took a side street and kept walking in search of a less crowded area. She had purposely sent Sokka off, because she could sense that she was being followed almost as soon as she stepped into town. It wasn't just anybody either. It was an old friend. The footsteps were unmistakable. Toph grinned to herself. It just wouldn't be proper bringing a tagalong to the reunion.
They've been walking around for a good while now, Katara trailing a few paces behind Zuko. Simply walking. They didn't look at each other, and they definitely didn't speak to each other.
Katara heaved a sigh with a roll of her eyes. This isn't getting us anywhere. "I don't like this any better than you, but since we're stuck with each other, we might as well cooperate."
There was no response.
"What can you do exactly?"
Zuko kept walking.
"Hey, did you hear me?" she said, beginning to get annoyed.
Still nothing.
Katara stomped on the ground and balled her hands into fists. "Stop ignoring me, you jerk!"
Zuko stopped and turned to face her, his features unreadable. "I'm merely complying with your wish of 'not speaking to you at all'. Is that a problem?"
She gritted her teeth as her own words from the previous night came back to her. Arrogant hog monkey… "Just…forget I said that!" She waved her arms expressively for emphasis.
He frowned and turned his head away. "Fine."
"Fine!" Katara repeated lamely. In order to get her mind off of the uncomfortable silence that fell between them, the waterbender began eyeing the shops and saw something that might be promising. "Hey, maybe we can go see if that place is hiring," she said as she pointed.
Zuko looked and winced as soon as he saw the big sign that read "The Lotus Teahouse". With a sigh of resignation, he said, "Fine."
They headed for the teahouse, but before they went in, Katara gasped when she spotted someone she recognized sitting at one of the tables close to the front entrance of the teahouse. Grabbing Zuko's sleeve, she quickly pulled him aside before he could enter.
"What's the matter?" the bemused prince asked.
"That well-dressed man with the beard sitting at the corner table is Toph's old earthbending teacher, Master Yu," she explained quietly. "Her father hired him to capture and bring her back home."
Zuko followed her line of sight to Yu, sizing him up with his eyes. In all honesty, he didn't look like much. The prince found it rather hard to believe that this man was actually Toph's bending instructor.
"He and another man with a grudge against Toph, Xin Fu, tried to take her when we were in Ba Sing Se," Katara continued.
"Maybe we should have a talk with him," Zuko suggested.
"What?" She looked at him like he was crazy. "No, I think we should leave before they know we're here."
"It's too late for that," he replied, his eyes still on Yu. "They already know. Look at him. He's anxious. Like he's waiting for something."
Katara studied Yu a bit more closely and noticed now that the older man indeed appeared restless, turning his head left and right, scanning the streets. She whipped her head around to face Zuko with knitted brows. "Xin Fu must already be after Toph!"
"Let's go," Zuko stated, his emotions still well concealed, and started up the stairs to the teahouse entrance.
"Wait!" Katara said in a strained whisper as she followed after him. "Don't make a scene!"
"I'm not stupid."
Yu didn't even notice until Zuko sat down beside him. Eyeing the unwelcome teen with scrutiny, the man asked, "May I help you?"
Zuko smiled slightly and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Master Yu, it's been such a long time since I studied with you. Do you not remember me?"
Yu frowned in confusion.
Then Katara took a seat across the table from him. "Master Yu!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, catching on to Zuko's tactics. "We never thought we'd run into you here. What a pleasant surprise!"
Yu's eyes widened in recognition when he saw the girl. "You!" He tried to stand, but Zuko's hand held him down.
"I wouldn't make any sudden moves if I were you," the prince said in a low, threatening voice, loud enough for just the three of them to hear.
The older man gulped. "What do you want?"
Katara casually refilled Yu's cup of tea and poured one for herself while she was at it. "Such a nice day for tea, isn't it? Please." She motioned for him to take his cup. They both drank, then Katara refilled the emptied cups.
"Where's Xin Fu?" Zuko demanded.
Yu began to sweat. "We…parted ways."
"If you value your life, you will tell the truth," the boy said, sounding more dangerous now.
Katara placed her hand under her chin, propping it up with her elbow while her other arm rested easily on the table. She watched as the tea in her cup danced to the command of her finger. "Tea is basically water," she said, almost musing to herself. "It's funny how easy it is for me to bend it from one place and hold it in another. Like from the stomach to the throat, for instance." She pointed her index finger upward to bend the tea from her cup into a floating blob hovering a few inches above the cup as a demonstration. Looking up, she smiled sweetly.
Yu gulped harder this time.
Zuko arched a brow, not sure if he should be impressed or scared. "You heard her. Now, talk."
Reluctantly, Yu gave in. "We came to this town a few days ago. It was just luck that we spotted Toph coming in today. Xin Fu is tailing her as we speak."
Katara frowned. "You weren't able to defeat her together. What makes you think Xin Fu can take her on his own?"
"Well…" The earthbender looked around nervously.
Zuko tightened his grip on Yu's shoulder, making the older man wince. "I'm getting tired of asking."
Yu began sweating more profusely. "All right, all right!" He produced a small white vial from within his sleeve. "We put this into the tea and had a waitress here bring it out to her and the Water Tribe boy as samples."
Zuko eyed the vial with a scowl. "What is it?"
"A powerful sleeping powder. Even a full grown platypus bear will succumb to just a small dose, and Toph is still only a child."
"Which way did they go?" Katara asked, getting worried now.
Yu pointed to the side street Toph went through.
"Let's go," she said and hurried out the doors.
When Katara disappeared, Zuko narrowed his eyes at Yu. "I suggest you stay away from Toph. Next time I see you, you will not walk away unscathed." He swiped the vial and left the teahouse.
Yu sat trembling, still too scared to move. That was no empty threat. He could still feel the intense heat on his shoulder. The youth wasn't just anybody…he was a powerful firebender.
Outside the entrance, Katara was waiting for Zuko at the bottom of the stairs. When the boy caught up, he gave her a slightly unsettled questioning frown. "Can you really bend water from someone's stomach?"
Katara blinked, not expecting the question. Then she laughed, unable to withhold her amusement. "You'd like to know that, wouldn't you?" she finally said with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Without really answering his question, she walked off.
Zuko trailed after her, unsatisfied.
A/N: I have a question, if anyone has an answer. What are all of Sokka's weapons? He has a boomerang and a knife that looks like it has teeth stuck to it. What's that club/bat looking thing with a ball stuck in it? Haha! Anyway, time to move the story away from the wilderness for a little bit. Reviews appreciated! Many thanks for reading!
