Chapter Thirteen
Ursa gaped at the tiny dynamo standing in her doorway, half convinced that she was hallucinating. She blinked several times but the vision did not disappear. One moment she had been debating with Komo, rather vehemently, over when she should leave and the next moment the door was swinging wide. Not knowing quite what to think, Ursa spared the equally dumbfounded Komo an uncomfortable, sideways glance.
"Well?" Toph prodded, tapping her foot impatiently. "What are you doing in my room?"
Her insistence only increased Ursa's disconcertion. She had the distinct impression that, though the girl was looking straight at her, she could not actually see anything. Her seemingly keen senses were odd and mildly disturbing. "Ah well, I…I didn't realize this was your room," Ursa stammered awkwardly.
"Of course, it's my room," Toph grated. "It's been my room my entire life!"
"Oh," Ursa gasped in flared understanding. "I see now. You're Lao's daughter. I'm a friend of his. He's been kind enough to let me stay here in your room while you've been away."
"Oh yes, he's just too kind, isn't he?" Toph grumbled sardonically.
There was something distinctively bitter in the young girl's tone, something that said there wasn't an ounce of sincerity behind her words. Ursa frowned. "Well, yes…," she confirmed carefully, "I think he is."
To hear the strange woman sing her father's praises was the last straw for Toph. She could barely keep herself from ranting by this point. "This is unbelievable," Toph hissed to herself, throwing up her hands in absolute disgust. "First, they act like all they want is for me to be home and then they go off judging me and insulting my friends and then I find out that they've given away my room! What's next? Are you wearing my clothes too?" Her tantrum was so severe Toph actually caused two sizable cracks in her bedroom wall. The display was so unprecedented; Komo didn't know whether he should assume a defensive stance or scold her.
Katara managed to obliterate Komo's indecision altogether when she skidded into the room moments later. "Toph!" she cried. "What is the matter with you? Calm down!
"Listen, Sugar Queen," Toph snapped, extending a hand towards Katara's face, "this is not the time."
With an outraged huff, Katara knocked her hand aside. Toph wasn't surprised when Katara plowed on despite the fact her friend was very obviously teetering on the edge of a violent explosion. She had obviously worked up into her usual, righteous lather over the whole thing. "Aang is letting them out of that room as we speak," Katara ground out. "You went too far, Toph! You're out of control!"
Katara's tart admonishment barely had time to sink in before Toph's parents and the rest of their friends arrived. "Toph," her father panted fretfully, a hand pressed to his thundering heart. "It's not what you think!"
"So I'm just imagining you gave away my room?" she screeched.
"Sweetheart, we didn't give it away," her mother sighed expansively. "You must stop working yourself up like this. It can't be good for your complexion."
"My complexion?" Toph parroted through clenched teeth, eye twitching. "I can't believe this! I tried to let it go when you didn't answer my letter, but this just goes beyond!"
"What letter?" her father exclaimed blankly. "We never received any letter."
"Oh, Lao, don't placate her," Mrs. Bei Fong dismissed lightly. "We both know very well that Toph cannot write. She's just being contrary right now. You know how she gets when she's in one of her moods."
What relief and elation Toph might have felt over learning that Hawky was truly inept as his job after all was doused in the wake of her mother's extremely patronizing tone. "One of my moods?" she scoffed indignantly. "Oh Mom, I haven't even begun to show you a mood!"
"Lao," Ursa said, growing more alarmed with the unfolding drama before her, "is there a problem? If my being here is an inconvenience for you, I—,"
"Ursa, it's not an inconvenience," he reassured her quickly. "I'm having a small domestic dispute. But, I assure you, it will be settled in no time. I apologize for putting you in the middle."
Lao Bei Fong could not have brought silence to the room faster. The moment he mentioned Ursa's name all movement, breathing, and blinking came to a screeching halt. Four sets of incredulous eyes swung around to survey the woman convalescing on the bed…and someone gasped.
"What is it?" Ursa queried in alarm, noting the intense stares she received from more than half of the occupants in the room. Stationed at the foot of her bed, Komo also frowned his confusion, his gaze settled in particular on the tattooed boy who watched Ursa closer than all the others.
Unfortunately, her question was met with silence. The gang could only gape in disbelief and Toph's parents were too shocked over the fact their daughter was actually speechless. Only Aang somehow managed to shake the cobwebs from his brain to formulate some semblance of a coherent question.
"Are…are you Ursa, wife to Firelord Ozai and mother of Prince Zuko and Princess Azula?" he asked her slowly.
He could see with his own eyes that she was. Her likeness was exactly that of the portrait which Zuko had given him. It was as if the years hadn't passed by for her at all. Still, even though Aang could see the truth with his eyes, he needed her to verbalize it. He needed to hear the words.
Swallowing, Ursa flicked Komo an uncertain glance before turning her attention back to the mysterious young man in monk's robes with the wide, gray eyes and pale tattoos. "Yes, I am that Ursa," she responded regally. "Who wants to know?"
"My name is Aang," he said, stepping closer. "I'm the Avatar. Your son sent me to find you."
"Well, that was random," Suki remarked as she sprawled across the sitting sofa with a dazed frown.
"And extremely weird," Toph agreed, propping herself up onto the sofa's armrest. "To think we've spent nearly a month searching for her and she ends up in my bedroom. It's creepy."
"I think it was destiny," Aang interjected softly.
Toph made a face at him. "You would."
Sokka leaned a shoulder against the threshold of the bedchamber door, his mind still reeling. "Well, I don't think it was random or weird or destiny," he refuted. "I think it was disturbing. What happened just now in that room was disturbing and sad."
Katara sank into a nearby chair, nodding her head vaguely in agreement with her brother. "I'm in total shock. Was it just me or was she talking like she was still in love with Ozai or something?" she considered, barely suppressing her shudder of disgust.
"Er…yeah," Aang acknowledged reluctantly, "that's what it sounded like to me too."
Abruptly, Suki sat upright, visibly grappling with the events that had unfolded in Toph's old bedroom just one hour earlier. She briefly buried her face in her hands before exclaiming, "This is nuts! It was like she was talking about an entirely different person."
"I don't even know who she was talking about," Sokka snorted. "None of that sounded anything like Firelord Ozai. I know he was a diabolical mastermind but…wow…he snowed her good."
"I can't believe she actually thinks Aang brainwashed Zuko into siding with him or something," Katara scoffed incredulously. "She's insane. Poor Zuko. We'll have to go back to the Fire Nation and tell him his mother is one plum short of a fruit pie." Though Katara might have sympathized with Ursa if she had taken time to consider her own reluctance to shatter Aang with the truth about his people, she couldn't in this instance because she lost objectivity when it came to Aang being hurt.
Aang seemed to understand that and so his tone was mild and lacking in censure when he said, "She's not insane, Katara. She's just confused."
"Well, whatever she is…this is some seriously twisted stuff," Toph muttered with a shake of her head. "I'm perfectly willing to let my parental angst be pushed aside for this."
"Why did you just let her go on and on that way, Aang?" Sokka wondered, straightening. "Why didn't you tell her the truth…that Ozai is a homicidal lunatic that disfigured her only son and drove her only daughter insane? He tried to kill you!"
"Not to mention that whole burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground for world domination thing," Suki threw in dryly. "You'd think that would be a deal breaker."
"The man is a monster," Katara said, turning to face Aang where he stood leaned against the adjacent wall. "That she could sit there and defend him…" She shook her head at the absolute lunacy of such an action. "I don't understand why you let her say those things she did, Aang." Her features softened as she regarded him. "You didn't deserve it."
"What was I supposed to say to her, guys?" he lamented sorrowfully. "Couldn't you see that she had already been through so much? She's recovering from an injury and trying to come to grips with the fact that everything she believed in and loved was a lie. If…if she's in denial…if she needs to blame me for all that right now, let her. I can't see what dumping the truth on her all at once would accomplish anyway."
"It would keep her from blaming you for things that are not your fault!" Katara retorted fiercely. "It's not fair! I know she's had a difficult time of it but so have we, especially you, Aang! It's not right that she paints you as the villain and Ozai as the misguided hero when we all know he's nothing like that!"
"I don't want to tell her anything yet," Aang declared finally, his countenance solemn and resolute. "And I need a promise from you guys that you won't say anything either."
The social gathering at the Bei Fongs' home was unlike any Aang had ever attended and that included the gala for the Earth King that he and his friends had crashed in Ba Sing Se. There were musicians and magicians and jugglers, every form of entertainment and every type of food that could possibly be imagined. Everything was opulent and extravagant and he was at the center of it all. He was surrounded and heralded by wealth, society and power…and Aang had never been more miserable in his life.
He felt like a failure.
Ever since Zuko had made his unbelievable request, a request that Aang had felt humbled and privileged to receive, he'd possessed this crazy notion that finding Zuko's mother would somehow give his friend a happy ending. After all, he had his happy ending. He was a fully realized Avatar, the master of his own destiny, surrounded by friends and the girl he loved. Aang was the very picture of contentment and he had known that was something Zuko would never feel…until he found his mother.
Aang had desperately wanted to give that to him. He had honestly believed finding Ursa would automatically right all the wrongs and fix all the hurt and confusion. Instead, the reality was that it had caused more wrongs and created more hurt and confusion. The Ozai that Ursa remembered was not the Ozai he truly was and she could not reconcile that. Aang sympathized with her inability to face the truth, unfortunately, her refusal to do so put her at direct odds with him and her own son.
He didn't know how he was supposed to tell Zuko he found his mother only to tack on, "Oh, by the way, she thinks you're a backstabbing betrayer!" That would devastate Zuko. In fact, it devastated Aang and Ursa wasn't even his mother.
Of course, his friends didn't seem to understand his conflict at all. They felt he should give Ursa a rude awakening and let the chips fall where they may. Katara, especially, was antagonistic about Aang's decision to keep silent. He knew that she had merely gone into protective mode and anyone she perceived as hurting him was automatically relegated to persona non grata. He wasn't angered by her reaction, only frustrated and dismayed because he would have liked to have someone on his side concerning this very delicate and awkward matter.
However, Aang realized it wasn't the first time he'd had to stand on his own and it would likely not be the last either.
"Avatar Aang?"
Aang whipped around when Toph's father's voice sounded from behind him. "I trust you're enjoying yourself this evening?" the older man inquired politely.
"Yes, very much," Aang returned with equal politeness.
"Your friends informed me that you were a vegetarian so I made sure to alter the menu accordingly."
"Thank you," Aang answered. "Your diligence is much appreciated."
Silence lapsed between them. They shuffled and shifted before each other in an awkward moment. Aang fiddled with the amulet around his neck. Mr. Bei Fong cleared his throat. "I trust you're aware of the disagreement I had with Toph earlier this morning."
Aang didn't bother to deny the assumption though he was quick to reassure the man with, "I wasn't eavesdropping."
"I don't doubt that," Mr. Bei Fong replied. "It would have been impossible not to be aware of the disagreement. We were quite loud."
"Yes," Aang reluctantly agreed.
"I…I only wanted you to know that I, in no way, meant to disparage you or your friends," Mr. Bei Fong explained. "I personally have nothing against the manner in which you live. It's not that I disapprove of you, Avatar. I did, at first… In the beginning, I was leery of your involvement with my daughter, but I can see now that you are not a disagreeable young man."
"Okay…"
"I don't hold any grudges against you," Toph's father went on to explain. "It's simply that, when I envisioned Toph's future, I never imagined this. I never imagined the life she chose for herself."
"Your daughter is a remarkable young woman, Mr. Bei Fong," Aang replied sincerely. "She is one of the strongest people I have ever known and one of my best friends. I don't pretend to know what kind of life you envisioned for her but I can assure you that the one she's chosen is nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud of Toph."
The words had a dual effect, softening and shaming. Mr. Bei Fong regarded Aang speculatively for a moment, as if mulling over the young Avatar's wise words before, finally, inclining his head in a nod of approval. "I am proud of her," he said firmly.
"You should probably tell that to Toph," Aang urged him with a lopsided smile. "Not me."
"Lao!" a guest greeted, materializing from the crowd to clap Mr. Bei Fong on the back. "Will you finally make a formal introduction between me and the Avatar?" It was evident from the man's robes that he was Fire Nation and yet he and Mr. Bei Fong treated each other like old, dear friends.
Aang was happy to witness the peace between them even as he wanted to fidget self-consciously for being at the center of their attention. Mr. Bei Fong smiled and stepped aside to fulfill his friend's request. "Avatar, this is my friend Qiang," he introduced. "Qiang is visiting from the Fire Nation and happens to think very highly of you. Qiang, this is Avatar Aang, a close personal friend of my daughter's." Aang and Qiang exchanged respectful bows while Mr. Bei Fong looked on with smiles. "Avatar, I think you and Qiang will find much to talk about. I don't know if you're aware of it but, he's been kind enough to promise funds for the rebuilding of Earth Kingdom villages and towns."
"Wow, that's excellent," Aang praised. "The Earth Kingdom needs all the help it can get. The war caused devastation in a number of areas."
"Indeed. I merely hope that my willingness to lend my support might also help soften the world's view towards the Fire Nation," Qiang said. "It's been very difficult living down the disgrace Firelord Ozai brought upon us."
"Well, you're making a fine start of it," Aang commended. "It definitely makes my job a lot easier."
He and Qiang shared a laugh over that while Mr. Bei Fong interjected, "You know, Avatar, Earth Kingdom interests aren't the only thing you and Qiang have in common."
Aang favored Qiang with a questioning look. "They aren't?"
"Not entirely. You're actually acquainted with my daughter," Qiang clarified for him.
"I know your daughter?"
Aang hadn't even finished voicing the question before Qiang was lifting his hand to beckon over the aforementioned. The moment his daughter came into view, however, Aang could feel a nervous blush rise up his neck and stain his cheeks. He remembered the last time he'd seen her he had been lying, not just about his nationality and name, but about his entire identity. Now she was less than six feet away and Aang prepared himself to come face to face with her righteous ire over being duped.
"Oh no," he groaned under his breath. He wanted to run and hide but it was too late. She had already spotted him. Her stare was unwavering as she gracefully winded through the crowd and closed the distance between them. Aang stamped down the understandable inclination to squirm as she greeted him with a soft smile. He didn't know if her mild reaction was merely the calm before the storm.
"Hello, Kuzon," she murmured simply.
Aang rubbed the back of his neck in a panicky gesture and favored her with a sheepish smile. "Hello, Onji."
Quathis, quick catch about the letter thing. It didn't even occur to me the first time around because I was going so much in the flow of the argument so I made sure to mention it in this one…though I did throw Hawky under a bus to do it, lol.
Amber Pegasus, thank you again. I'm glad you're still enjoying it.
EvilNor, it's funny that you mention Ursa's behavior because that is actually addressed later on in this fic. As for her reaction to Ozai's war efforts, it isn't so much that she's never seen the ugly atrocities of war, but that she believed Ozai's efforts were noble. She was expecting him to handle things different from the way Sozin and Azulon had. Her reaction in isn't so much about being "mousy" as it is the result of having her self-confidence and self-esteem demolished.
Keep in mind that she's been isolated for the last seven years at Ozai's behest and she willingly put up with that isolation because she loved and trusted him. So what happens when you find out that the person you loved and trusted, not only with your heart, but with your children, played you for a fool? She's disillusioned, confused and in denial. Until her world makes sense again, it stands to reason that she won't come off like the strongest, most confident person…shades of her son Zuko, wouldn't you agree?
Shinobi Bender, I liked writing this part with Toph's parents too, mostly because it gave me the opportunity to view things from her parents' standpoint rather than Toph's. While I understand why Toph felt stifled and unloved, I can also understand her parents' propensity to want to hold onto her so tightly. They may be rich and affluent but, in the grand scheme of things, Toph is really all they have.
Glitterfuck, lol and see above comment. It's been seven years and Ursa's primary motivation in offing Azulon was her desire to protect her family, Ozai included. Now to discover he wasn't worthy of that protection…well, it has to shake her a bit. But that's just the angle I'm approaching this from.
Anon, thank you for that catch. I try to stay on top of things like that, but I guess I'm like Sokka and Aang. I, too, need to be reminded sometimes that Toph's blind, lol. I have now fixed it. Thank you again.
Brendan Aurabolt, thank you again. I'll be sure to check out your fic when you get it up.