A/N
Sorry guys, I've been sick and my stupid dad sold my laptop so I've been having to use my stationary pc. not really working out, so here's a little chapter lump that had to be written, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the ideas I have swarming in my head and my lil sis has been instrumental in the planning for these next few chaps coming up. By the end of this week I'm going to have a little random ficlet up that I got the inspiration for and just had to write. Also soon to come is my sis's manga for the fight scene in ch. 10. So yeah, I do not own avatar or any such things to do with it. Nor do I own bryke…that'd be cool though. =P So here's a snippet, have fun and review! =)
Toph PoV
The stranger ran into the room behind me just after I told Zuko that someone was coming. I had no idea who she was. I couldn't believe that there was actually someone out there who cared for that Loser-lord as much as I could feel that she did. It kind of grossed me out. I focused my energy to feel what was going on in the center of the battlefield. Wow, it was intense. I could feel the ex-Firelord's pulse fading out and I knew that when the lady got there I was in the nick of time. It was probably for the better, I wouldn't like to have to listen to Zuko whine about killing someone. That's just how he is; I guess how everyone human is. So killing his dad really wouldn't be worth the regret he'd feel about it later. The lady yelled out for Zuko to stop, "Let go of him!" she called. I could hear the fear in her voice. Downright genuine fear and anger. Zuko let go of his daddy's throat and I felt a change in him. He was super shocked or something. I figured he must know the woman from somewhere and I was really curious to find out who she was, but I decided to sit back and listen to the situation unfold.
I started to get the feeling that I was trespassing on something that I wasn't meant to be a part of, and I was really glad I couldn't see it. Ozai's pulse and everything started to pick back up and I heard him start breathing heavily. I listened to the woman confirming that he'd be alright. Again, the concern in her voice was sickening and I wondered who the heck she could be anyway.
Zuko PoV
My words caught on the tip of my tongue when I saw her there. It couldn't be… How was she here? Why? It-it was her who set him free? I couldn't make sense of it in my head. I sat paralyzed on the stone floor. Until she looked at me. I watched the recognition light up in her eyes. I didn't know what to feel. I was confused and scared and happy and worried and so many other things all at once and she was just as shocked as I was.
"Mom," I said, my voice hitched with even the slightest use.
"Zuko." And next I knew I felt her hug me and I had my mother back. Her embrace was still so familiar. The kind of hug only a mother could give. It was her comforting and loving and understanding and unconditional portrayal of motherly love. I felt a stream of tears run down my face in the disbelief at our reunion that had come so unexpectedly. I felt a pang in my heart when I realized that her first glimpse of me in the past nine years was almost as a murderer.
"Zuko, my son, I'm here."