Chapter Eleven:

Sokka watched with shoulders slumped as he watched the last of the ships going away from the wooden port they stood on. He gave a loud groan, holding his head in pain. "Aw man! We missed the ships!"

Toph's ears twitched slightly as she listened to Aki shifting the earth into swirling loops above the ground while at the same time hacking up a spit wad. She spun around into the arms of her fiancé, thinking silently in her dance moves. Toph knew how her teacher acted, always trying to create when she was thinking of a way to conquer things. She was unlike any other earthbender because she actually planned and thought before facing the situations head on. She was artistic and smooth, but also tough and stuck to her goals stubbornly.

She slammed her entire body against the ground, making it crack slightly with her image. "I know how we can get there! Toph there was some scrap metal in a ditch near the loading docks. Sokka go help her haul it! When you get back, Haru and I will have a surprise for you."

Toph giggled slightly, "This should be good. When Power Flower gets an idea its usually great!"

As the young earthbender and water tribe warrior set off to the scrap pile, Haru created a huge block of concrete-hard stone. "What do you have in mind, my dearest?"

"You'll see."

Toph hitched up thousands of pounds of metal in her small arm span where her boyfriend only had a few pieces within his muscular grip. She took them from his hand, leading her way even with it blocking her face. After realizing that she felt through her feet, Sokka relaxed but stood faithfully by her side as always. When they came back to pit, Toph dropped the metal upon sensing the object before her. Sokka's mouth was agape, eyes nearly bulging from his head.

What Aki had created was a life-sized rock train completely functional by earthbending. Haru stood at the front, prepared to leave with arms outstretch as Aki sat in the cockpit. She dangled her legs off the side, smiling tumbling upside down hanging from the edge. "So what do you think Bandit? We can take this train to the North. And once there we can just crumble it up."

Toph pat her teacher on the head, turning her right side up again. "You are crazy teacher…but that's why we love you."

"I was just thinking about how the firebenders move about." She rubbed her hand over her smooth creation, smiling widely. She invited them on, Sokka bouncing happily. "These are so cool! The whole idea of these train things is very intriguing. And you being able to make a functioning one created purely of earth…that genius!" He grabbed tightly onto Aki's neck, and she shoved him down by the ponytail.

Toph lined down the metal in the pattern of tracks, Haru beginning to shove the wheels out onto it. "Bandit just keep recycling it until we get there. It isn't that far."

Aki strapped on her fur-lined parka coat bought from a local shop before they arrive too close, feeling already the cold blizzard breezes. She was excited about seeing the homeland of her godmother, and happy that Sokka would be able to show Toph the sights before they left for their own home. Toph continued to lie down and replace the tracks made from the metal, with the help of her teacher, both standing at the base of the train as it slowly made its way across the land. Aki made the metal float as her student hauled it in front. The two were both sweating heavily, even after taking their shirts off in the full sunlight. "Well never expected this did you Bandit?"

"Could say the same for you Flower." Toph chuckled, slamming down the tracks and being followed by the train, Sokka sleeping silently as Haru bent the earth wheels. She could taste the salt air beneath them, focusing hard on keeping all the weight above the sea. "We will get there." She reassured to her student, "Slowly but surely."

In the last village, Zuko was hovering over his sleeping bride watching as his hand rested on her bulging stomach. "so close and yet it feels so far away. I can't believe I am going to be a father."

"Why does it seem so hard?" Phoenix asked while sitting with him, her cherry red hair glowing in the moonlight beyond. She smiled at him, placing her gentle soft hand upon the scar tissue on his eye. "You are already father to this nation. Iroh is working hard so you do not have so much to worry about when you arrive back home with your wonderful family."

"Are you really going to leave me?" He asked, eyes beginning to water. This woman reminded him so much of his own mother. And he didn't want to lose someone like that again. She held him in a maternal grip and nearly began to cry herself. She brushed his hair from his eyes and looked down upon him with a strange compassion. "Zuko…young Fire Lord. Have you not learned that I am as the nation is? As long as you rule and protect this place, I will always be with you. And if any time you need help, I shall be there for you."

He gave a warm smile, wiping his falling tears away, grabbing onto her tightly. He could feel the warmth radiate from her stomach, placing his head into it tightly like a child would. In response, she pat his back gently and kissed the tip of his head. The morning sun began to rise just as Mai began to shift and turn, moaning in pain. Zuko nearly began to panic looking into Phoenix's red eyes, "What exactly is the mission here?"

"You know what your mission is young Fire Lord. You must deliver your child into this world. You must transform into a father."

Zuko gulped, looking around. They had slept in a cavern the previous night, not being able to receive any shelter. He shook holding Mai in his grip as she opened her eyes, biting her lip in pain. "I think it's coming." She told through the pain. He nodded vigorously, not knowing exactly what to do. So he did the first thing to mind, bringing out his water pouch and taking off his wives' panties leaving only her draping skirt over bare legs. "Don't worry. I'm here for you."

Finally the earth train had arrived to the pebbled beach of the frozen northern city. Nobody was there to greet them, the city looking barren in the midday sun. Sokka was the first to step out, shoulders lowered with disappointment, "Aw…I was hoping GramPaku would be here to see us."

"He's probably here, maybe just taking a nap. It is the middle of the day you know." Toph added, finally letting up and quickly putting on her warmest robes as snow began to enter her long black locks. Haru let the remaining train go to pieces, grabbing Aki as she fell limp into his grip. He rose her chin up to his lips, the two kissing making the cold tolerable. Despite that, she quickly put on her parka and gloves, looking to the glowing city with a wide smile. "This is a beautiful place!"

"Why are we here again?" Haru asked looking to Sokka. But he was not there, instead he was being dragged away by a large coat-covered person from the watertribe. They could tell by the blue furry robes that it was a native and he was speechless upon being randomly dragged by this person away from the city. In the other hand the figure was limping on a spear-like staff.

Toph, who's wrist was being grabbed by Aki because it was hard for her to see under the permafrost, shouted to them, "Hey what are you doing?"

The figure turned to let them see the detail. It was a female with warrior paint, a thick hood covering the wolf-like headdress. "Hey!" Sokka said standing up looking closely into her silvery blue eyes, "You're from the Southern Water tribe aren't you?"

She spoke in a slight accent with a beautiful tone, "Of course I am! And I assume so are you by your attire. I have come for a specific purpose and I thought you might be the person I am seeking since you scared all the fish away from me!" She pouted her lip out slightly, huffing loudly while crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry. We were just going to visit my grandfather-in-law up here and ride the giant Stingray. Who are you by the way?"

"You will call me by the name of Warrior!" She shouted, making her body rise above his height slightly. Toph huffed at this woman, she seemed a bit older than anybody in the group yet she was acting like a child.

"Okay then…" He responded, slightly afraid of her already. "Could you help us out here?"

"Yes." She told, slightly relaxing and getting back into a more feminine stance. "Where do you wish me to lead you first? And your names?"

"I am Sokka. This is my girlfriend Toph. Her teacher Aki and her fiancé Haru." All bowed in respect to the woman, and she followed lowering her eyes with her head slightly.

"We'd like to see my grandfather please and then to the stingrays."

The female water tribe warrior began to lead them around the snow city's canals, looking into the glistening waters with a sense of envy. The buildings were extensive and reached into the skies, each sparkling with crystals in the midday sun. They all lowered their eyes to block the glare of the finest building set in the very tip of the city. "He should be in here."

She stepped inside to instantly be ridiculed by a male member of the elders all sitting in a large circle. "Xwei! What has the elder council told you about wearing such attire in the open?"

"I am sorry elder. But I cannot help it. It reminds me so much of home."

"Well take it off soon! You are making us look bad in front of our…guests?" The elder bit his tongue upon seeing that one was from his sister tribe, the son of the great general in fact. He gulped and silenced his own self, resting back into his chair. Paku stood up and smiled, "There's my grandson! What are you doing here at such an hour? Most of us are asleep."

"Oh I just wanted to show my friends around the nation before we get back to the south."

Xwei glared at the waterbending masters, and Aki could feel a terrible aura radiating from her being. As Sokka and Toph talked with the masters, she reached over and touched her shoulder with a sense of care. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine!" She said in a defensive manner. "Just…fine."

Zuko found his hands shaking as Mai's labor was beginning labor, her hands gripping hard onto the sides of the cavern floor. She bit her lip hard, trying not to scream from the pressure entering her lower abdomen. Her legs were instinctively spread, knees bent at an angle. Zuko rested his hand on her head as Phoenix quickly put together a mixture to ease the pain of her childbirth. She gave the mixture to her, wiping her forehead free of sweat. "Do not worry." She whispered, making Mai grip's leave gently replacing her fingers onto her husband's arms. He soon had marks scathing his arm but did not care, trying to help as much as he could during the critical moments of brining his child into the world. He checked upon the progress and nearly fainted upon seeing the water break free from in between her legs. He held his head, moving his hand below the area. He didn't how to instruct her besides, "If you feel like you need to push then do it!"

Mai gladly obliged and pushed as hard as she could, exposing the crown of the infant. Zuko could see small white dots in the corner of his eye, a dizzy sensation beginning to follow. Despite his nauseous overcoming, he gripped the head gently and began to help her by pulling it slowly out. The sound of it wailing made him relax slightly, giving an accomplished grin. "Okay honey, just one more push and she'll be out. Come on you can do it."

Mai simply nodded, following his command and the infant was fully pushed out, the bloody cord exposed. He took out one of his knives and cut it, soon wrapping it inside a blanket handed by Phoenix. Mai rose up from her elevated area, the afterbirth being cleaned up by Phoenix. Zuko looked at their daughter, his daughter…beautiful beyond words. Once he placed a finger near hers, feeling the silky soft new skin wrap around his. Mai held them both, kissing her daughter on the forehead as she began to sleep. "She's gorgeous." Zuko told, tears streaming down his face. "Mai…by God you did such a good job."

"You are just saying that." She joked, giving a slight chuckle in exhaustion. She held her newborn daughter, looking to her husband slightly. "Well I think I came up with a good name for her."

He wiped the tears away, leaning down to listen to the new name, "How about Lina?"

"That would be beautiful." He told, the two resting heads as they stared down at their child. Lina, the princess of the fire nation. Phoenix smiled, knowing that this would be her last sight in the body she inhibited. But she enjoyed every moment, watching with care for the new family.