I THink this chapter is deep at one point torwards the end. It involves zuko Anya and a dead person... don't worry it's cool
"It is nice to meet you Anya." Lord Bei Fong smiled at her as she bowed. "This is my wife and daughter Toph."
"Toph." She bypassed his wife and shook his daughter's hand. Her blind eyes stared straight ahead, "I have heard a lot about you. It very brave of a girl such as yourself to try and learn Earthbending."
Her eyes flashed angrily and Anya turned to Lord Bei Fong.
"May I speak with your daughter alone please?" She asked kindly and he nodded and walked away. "I know all about you, Blind Bandit."
Toph froze and looked at her.
"So you were just feeding my parents crap?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
"Of course." She nodded, "I'm skilled at that. Lies are one of my best qualities."
"I like you already." She sniffed and smiled, "You said your name was Anya right?"
"Yes." She smiled at the blind girl who shifted her foot and smiled back. "I heard that you were going to be defending your title tomorrow and decided to pop in for a visit."
"You'll be coming?" she asked quietly as her father came back.
"Of course Toph." She nodded, "My brother is blind as well and he's not even close to where you are, and he's older than me. You must be very proud Lord Bei Fong."
"Indeed I am." He inclined his head putting an arm around his daughter's shoulders, "Are you a bender?"
"I got a little of my father's ability." She nodded, "But not much. I do believe that your daughter might be better than me."
They laughed together and Toph gave a half smile.
"Now I must be going." She bowed to them both, "I thank you for your hospitality."
"Any time." He smiled and she walked out her pants scuffing the ground.
"Up front seats awesome." Sokka smiled as they sat down at Earth Rumble, an Earthbending competition. Katara sighed with a smiled and Aang just smiled. The first event started and Aang heard footsteps stop behind them. A thin cold finger tapped his shoulder.
"Mind if I sit with you all?" a familiar voice asked in his ear. He turned to look and his face broke into a board grin. Katara looked and squeaked happily hugging Anya close. Sokka turned to tell them to shut up but smiled when he saw Anya as well.
"Where have you been?" Aang asked practically jumping up and down in his seat. Anya smiled and put a hand on his shoulder trying to still him. It didn't work.
"Calm down Aang." She giggled as a man looked at the little girl he was supposed to be facing, "You should be watching this."
"The Boulder is conflicted about fighting a little blind girl." The man said in third person and Katara blinked.
"Did he just talk in third person?"
"I don't know either." Anya shook her head as the girl spoke, Ah Toph.
Anya watched as her friends watched the little girl beat the crap out of a grown man. Aang went up to talk to her and Anya tried to send her a message but it didn't work. Toph was blown off stage and left angrily as the others rushed on stage to get Aang. With a sigh Anya stood brushing off her pants and going down the steps to the bottom floor where Toph left.
"What was that?" She asked Aang who hung his head and kicked up some dirt. "Now you have to forcibly get her and she'll hate that…"
"You know her?" He asked perking up.
"I met her last night when I knew you were coming here." She admitted and he raised an eyebrow as Katara and Sokka came down. "I was there in the swamp with you but you didn't notice."
"Sorry." He bit his lip and Katara raised an eyebrow.
"Come on guys." She waved everyone together, "Let's go see if we can get Toph another way."
"Good thinking Katara." Anya looked pointedly at the young Avatar who blushed. "I have to go anyway but I'll see you before you leave kay?"
"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.
"I have a friend I need to see." She looked at Aang whose eyes flashed with disapproval but nodded. "Later guys."
"Bye bye Anya." Katara called with a wave, "Be careful."
"I will." She called back. She ran out of the room and closed her eyes tracking the prince to a town not far away. Going off in a run she smiled with Tiki running beside her. Then the dog ran her off the road as a giant ostrich bird ran down the road its rider looking familiar.
"Zuko!" she called and the man pulled back on his reins sharply turning around to see who called. Anya caught sight of his mostly hidden scar as his amber eyes swept the area suspiciously. She stepped out of the bushes with a smile. "There you are."
"Anya?" He asked jumping off she ran up to him and gave him a flying hug. "How did you…. Where did you….?"
"I was just trying to find you." She smiled up at him and he smiled back. "Where's Iroh?"
"I left him." His smile fell and Anya hugged him tighter. "Anya I had these weird dreams since you disappeared…"
"Someone told me you thought I died?" She looked up at him and back up so she had a hand on Tiki. "And that something else happened that involved your sister?"
"I had this weird dream with you in it." He blurted out holding the reins of his animal. "And you told me you were dead."
"Why would I do that?" I asked him trying not to laugh.
"I don't know." He said slowly and I knew he was lying.
"That's a lie." She laughed at his look of shock. "What happened in the dream?"
"Well…" He started awkwardly looking at the ground.
"I'm here." She lifted his chin gently with her pointed finger. His eyes flashed lightly and she smiled tenderly, "What is it?"
"Um…" He was at a loss for words as her grey eyes flashed light blue.
"You're so cute when you're flustered." She tapped his nose and turned whistling to her dog. Tiki barked and she leaned against her flank. "So what was the other one about?"
"You told me you weren't dead and…." He trailed off again.
"And something awkward happened didn't it?" Anya asked thinking back to what happened. "Did we…um…. "
There was an awkward pause in which Anya realized how awkward it actually was. She lowered her head blushing and Zuko bit his lip looking away. Tiki whined and Anya knelt by the animal gently shushing it. Zuko sighed.
Might as well. He thought pulling her up gently by her arm. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Why are you just staring at me?" she asked and that clinched it he kissed her and she froze. Then she leaned in and kissed him back as she did in the dream. "Is that what happened in your dreams?"
"Yeah." He admitted smiling down at her after he pulled back. "Where are you going next?"
"I'll stay here for a few days." She nodded to herself thinking, her mind scrabbling for an answer. "Then leave with some friends."
"Who?" He asked and she closed her eyes.
"I'm not gonna lie to you Zuko." She bit her lip and spoke slowly. He raised an eyebrow, "But I can't tell you."
"Why?" He asked confused and his anger flaring a bit.
"Because you know them, "she whispered. He backed up a bit and blinked.
"Anya," He warned, "Who are they?"
"Well," she tried to keep the tremble out of her voice. "One is my age and the other two are older… one is a year younger than you…"
"Anya just tell me." He snapped and she grabbed Tiki's hair to steady herself. He's going to be so mad at me.
"Sokka, Katara and Aang." She whispered and he recoiled, rage flashing through his eyes.
"You're traveling with the Avatar?" He shouted, "And you didn't tell me!"
"Well I met up with him the day you came to my Inn." She recounted. "And we were friends when we were young so I couldn't betray him…"
"You let him escape?" He was trembling in anger and she shied back a bit. "That is the single stupidest thing that…."
"I didn't know you then." Anya finally snapped. She hated being yelled at. She clenched her fists and Tiki growled. "For all I knew you were a jerk and a mad man trying to find the Avatar to regain your honor at whatever cost."
He flinched back slightly blinking in shock.
"And then you helped me." She looked him in the eye her own going slightly red, "and I noticed that you just wanted your father to love you. And I noticed that you could be kind and gentle and loving. I told Aang that you were a good person. I told Aang, my best Friend and someone I would never lie to that I trusted you."
He was silent and she stood fully glaring at him.
"Apparently I was wrong." She shouldered her bag violently and snapped to her dog that was still growling. "And since I'll never see you again hopefully I'll tell you who I really am. My name is Anya and I am the Avatar's Companion. I am an Airbender that has little control over all the elements and now more control over Fire."
"Anya…" He began to speak but she sent a wave of Air forcing him against him animal.
"I never want to see you again Prince Zuko." She snarled but felt a prick in the corner of her eye. She was crying, "And I'm sorry to have led you on."
"Anya please…" He tried again his anger draining quickly and slight fear going into his eyes. "I don't want to lose you….."
Her tears fell and he internally cursed himself his hands heated up and he saw a small flame light the grass to his left
Just leave it Zuko. His Father's cruel voice sneered. She doesn't want you anymore. Leave her alone.
I can't. He told it back trying to catch her attention as she bowed her head anger flashing through her eyes.
You were wrong to trust him Anya; she heard her mother's gentle voice in her head. Any man that won't trust your friends isn't worth your time.
But Mom I can't just leave him! She shouted at herself.
Why? Her mother asked and she couldn't answer
"Goodbye." She said abruptly bowing to him and he caught her hand sadly.
"Goodbye Anya." He bent at the waist and kissed her hand his eyes straying to her mark. "I do hope that your opinion of me changes in the future."
"So do I Your Highness." She sighed and pulled her hand back. She jumped onto Tiki's back, something she hasn't done in years and clicked her tongue setting off in the way she was headed at the beginning, towards Zuko but now it was away from him and her tears.
Zuko watched her leave and kicked the dirt angrily, his hands sparking.
Why did you let her leave Zuko? It was his mother's voice this time, gentle and kind.
I don't know. He admitted watching he go. He saw something glitter on the ground and bent to pick it up. It was Anya's necklace, one with a bead for each nation. He looked at it and sighed tying it around his hilt and securing it with a piece of leather rope. With that he mounted his animal and gave her one last look before heading off in the opposite direction.