Chapter 8: To Find The End Of A Circle

"OK, what just happened?" Zuko asks bewildered, and as he says this Toph's knees fall weak and she drops to the ground. But Zuko catches her just in time.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have made you run that far."

"It's OK," she replies breathlessly. "That woman back there, she's the one who taught Katara to blood bend."

"Oh, I knew there was something wrong about her! Sokka told me about that story."

"And I'm sure he overreacted it ten fold and made himself out to be the saviour?"

There's a pause.

"That's what I thought." Toph says knowingly.

"OK well never mind that now. I found a map!"

"Please tell me you're better at reading maps than Sokka?" She laughs despite herself half-heartedly as she still hasn't fully regained her energy.

"Toph, anyone can read a map better than Sokka. Even you could, and that's saying something." He grins. "So how are you feeling now?"

"Better, but not great. I think that run didn't do any help. But thanks for everything, the carrying and what not."

"It's fine, really. You wouldn't have made it two steps without me."

"I probably wouldn't even be feeling like this without you." She smirks.

"Whatever. You would've been killed by that Morio guy if I didn't save you on that bridge."

"Save me?!" She lets out a breath. "I saved myself! Anyway, moving back from that you would've been still stuck in quicksand if it wasn't for me! Then you would've died from starvation."

"Well, uh…how did we get onto this conversation?"

"…I have no idea."

"OK, well let's just say without each other we'd be dead. Deal?"

"Deal…except I probably still would've been alive."

"No way! You can't just agree and then change it in the same sentence."

"I just did."

"Hmph."

"Aw poor baby can't take it that a girl is more fit than him to keep alive in a forest."

He rolls his eyes. "Fine, I guess you can walk by yourself then if you have enough energy to argue with me over that." He smiles proudly to himself.

"Well as you can plainly see I'm so out of energy," she retorts sarcastically but Zuko seems to miss the sarcasm.

"Fine," she replies with the utmost haughty tone she could muster.

Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.

Over and over again. Once again every tree seeming to be an exact replica of the last. Sometimes Zuko wished he was blind so he didn't have to concentrate on the blur of greens and browns they were constantly passing. It is extremely boring.

He knew they'd eventually pass all this and reach the Water Tribal area. But when? He wasn't sure.

But secretly he had to admit, despite the dull, reduplication of the colours and elements, he never really noticed before how beautiful and tranquil this forest really is. He guesses he just got caught up in the whole 'Oh no we're lost how will we get out' pandemonium that he never stopped and looked. Just like the dim hues of the moonlight glistening elegantly on Toph's features…But this is not the time to pay attention for the Fire Lord to be admiring this…admiring her beauty. He really did need to focus back on the 'Oh no we're lost…' pandemonium. Because honestly, he didn't how long he could stay in there for, even if in its own way is was beautiful.

If he didn't have Toph by his side he would surely have gone insane and began cursing his Uncle…but that'll have to wait until he gets home, for now Zuko need to lead them both out of there.

He feels constricted in the confines of this unknown forest. He is always constantly keeping a sharp eye out for any attackers. Of course he knows Toph can sense them from a mile away, but even so, he still feels the need just in case. He can't help it; he was always on the alert in the midst of the war.

He sneaks a sidelong glance at her, and knows she is slightly struggling to keep up with his pace. But he figures she is getting over her sickness; he would not give in to offer his help. Must have just been a 24-hour or so flu he decides.

But none the less he feels the urge to just reach out and take her delicate hand in his and hold it tight, to tell her they are going to get out of here. But deep inside of him he knows that half the reason for doing that is because he needs to prove it to himself, to tell himself that they will get out of here. For her to reassure him that they will.

If only he could reach out for comfort. To comfort each other and talk about the old days.

He wonders what will happen to them both when they get out of here. Will they spend time with each other knowing what it was like being apart for so little time? Or will their worlds slowly drift apart once again.

"Not again," Toph interrupts his thoughts.

"What?" He inquires, not really paying attention.

"None other but a pack of sabre-tooth Moose-lions are coming our way. Just great, that's all we need."

He is suddenly interested and wary. "Are they close?"

"They will be shortly. But why they are in this forest I don't know. They are only in the Southern parts of the Earth Kingdom. Unless you read the map wrong and we have done a loop and come straight back to the place I want to be as far away as possible from..."

"I guarantee you that I did not read the map-"

"JUMP!"

Zuko with a look of pure confusion doesn't question it and jumps up, grabbing onto the branch above him just as he hears a rumbling sound coming toward him. As soon as he catches sight of the so called sabre-tooth Moose-Lions he immediately swings his legs up onto the branch and clings onto it for dear life.

Looking like he is impersonating a Hog Monkey he looks around for Toph expecting her to be seated safely on the branch next to him but is not. He immediately begins to panic and looks down upon the herd of sabre-tooth Moose-Lions still stampeding beneath him.

Zuko expects the worse. But she warned me to jump. Why would she not move herself? Please don't be caught up by those creatures. I would never forgive myself if you were trampled by a pack of them. Please be OK.

When the stampede has finally passed he instantaneously jumps down and rushes along the track the Moose-Lions had previously made as if chasing after them, looking for the figure of Toph. In the back of his mind he hopes that he doesn't find her. That she is riding on the back of one of the Moose-Lions - that are already too far gone - laughing wildly as he scours the land, and soon she'll return to him. He doesn't want to see her body strewn out in front of him.

It'll just be like his near death in the quick sand…well that's how he saw it. This would be another simple death. An embarrassing one. She would've absolutely pounded Zuko if she knew he was going to let her die pathetically like that. Her dream would be to die in the war, defending her nation around her friends…not to be trampled. No, not like this.

She had been through a war, and she was going to die from being trampled. It just wasn't right.

A tear begins to slide down his cheek as he stares along the path with no sign of her petite figure. He gives up on running, he doesn't have the strength. She is nowhere to be found. And it is now that the worse he had feared may actually be true, that she is strewn out, dead, metres away just beyond his line of sight.

He rests his head in his hands and bites his lip, daring not to cry. But he has a right to! No one is going to know. He doesn't care anymore. Fire Lord or no Fire Lord, he wasn't going to hide behind his mask.

Zuko calls out her name half-heartedly one last time expecting no such response.


Naw, what an unhappy ending. I'm ashamed to say it, but I've been very much uninterested in fanfiction lately. I have no idea why. But I have been piled down with assignments. They couldn't wait to give us more work after exams. Hopefully as my holidays come round I'll come on more and be more interested (it's a strong possibilty). So, for those who are still reading, thank you. It means a lot to me. Though, as I have moved on through my time in fanfiction I've learnt that reviews aren't everything :) It's good to write something and know that it's gone to some use...filling up space on the internet hehe. So, if someone is reading, well, I guess it fills my heart with joy! Cyas!