A/N: This is a longer chapter than some of the previous ones. Writing some completely AU characters (Shaepa and Natima) has been entertaining! I can really mold them however I want. I'm using them, at the moment, for a storyline I've crafted for Momo. It's actually quite silly, now that I think of it, that I'm writing out a storyline for Momo. My muse doesn't want to let go of any part of the Avatar Universe, apparently

I will be double posting today, so expect to see another chapter up in a few hours! The next chapter will be back to Aang and will, hopefully, give you some answers as to how little Raja can be an air-bender!

By the way, there is some swearing in this chapter. Just a few spots, I think, so it should be easy to avoid if one's offended by it.

Big thanks to everyone reading and following this story :) I write for you!

Disclaimer: I do not even deign to think that I have any ownership of this franchise. Don't sue me!

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The village trees their summits rear

Still as its spire, and yonder flock

At rest in those calm fields appear

As chiselled from the lifeless rock.

One tranquil mount the scene o'erlooks-

There the hushed winds their sabbath keep

While a near hum from bees and brooks

Comes faintly like the breath of sleep.

Well may the gazer deem that when,

Worn with the struggle and the strife,

And heart-sick at the wrongs of men,

The good forsakes the scene of life;

Like this deep quiet that, awhile,

Lingers the lovely landscape o'er,

Shall be the peace whose holy smile

Welcomes him to a happier shore.

~'A Summer Ramble', stanza's #12-15, William Cullen Bryant


Zuko looked uncomfortably at the people around them and he slowed his pace, waiting for Katara to catch up so she was right next to him. The crowd on the streets was thick and only now, a mile down the road, were they able to walk side by side. When she joined him, he reached over and smoothed his hand across her lower back. Katara merely blinked over at him with raised eyebrows and kept walking. He didn't answer her unanswered question; he simply wanted to keep her close to him.

The two of them arrived in Fuschen just that morning and took a few hours to rest up before heading to the streets. The water was choppy and neither got much sleep as it swayed and the skies thundered. A storm was moving in but, luckily, they seemed to have passed it. Fuschen was still on the mainland – or, the largest island that comprised the Fire Nation – and was their first and only intermediate stop before sailing off for the island and city of Jarro.

Iroh had told him, before they left Ba Sing Se, that he had an old friend in Fuschen with whom he contacted about the investigation into Ursa's whereabouts. The man had known him in the military but never met Ursa – a good thing, as it gave him an easier perspective when searching for clues. It was this man, named Jinhai, who alerted Iroh to his mother's multiple identities, Zuko recalled. Zuko found it oddly amusing that his mother changed names. He couldn't imagine her without the name 'Ursa'.

"I think this is it. One-twelve, right?" Zuko nodded and they walked up the steps of a modest bungalow. He rapped on the door when Katara nudged him. She pointed to a doorbell and he just shrugged.

Footsteps thundered on the other side for what seemed like minutes before the door flew open to show a jovial looking man with a low gut and sporadic mustache. "Is that damn doorbell broken again? I just got it fixed!"

"Sorry, sir." Katara interrupted. "And, uh, no, it isn't. We didn't see it first, is all." She smiled sweetly and the man visibly relaxed and instantly wore a grin. Zuko wondered how she did it, calming people with her presence. Whatever the trick, he wondered if she knew it worked on him, too.

"No need to apologize, pretty lady. What can I do you both for?"

"I believe you know my Uncle, Iroh? He pointed me in your direction." Zuko said. "You recently helped him with an investigation into an old missing persons, correct?"

The man narrowed his eyes at Zuko, trying to place him. "Yeah, that's right. You said you're his nephew?" Zuko nodded. "Well, shit! That makes you the Fire Lord! Come in, please. Sorry for my manners. I usually don't have such, um, high presences in my living room." The man ushered them in and guided them to a small sitting room.

Katara chose the couch and he silently thanked her, glad that he didn't have to worry about her sitting in a lone chair flanking the two loveseats. He didn't know this man and didn't trust him – even if his Uncle did. Besides, being in a stranger's home, he learned, made some think they were entitled to act more personally. Zuko didn't like being anything but polite and stiff around strangers.

"So. Has your Uncle told you everything?"

"No." Zuko shook his head. "He said you told him you found something but he was unable to send me the report – we left before he got it."

"Damn mail system. I send anything to Ba Sing Se and it gets lost for a month." Jinhai shook his head and grabbed a few extra tea cups from a flanking cabinet. "'Guess that's our fault, though. We did destroy 'em pretty good. Tea?"

"Yes, please." Katara took his with a small smile. As he poured, she enquired, "You were in the military?"

"'Course I was! That's where Iroh and I met – man, he was great at commanding. Had the whole presence thing down to a pat. None of us were much surprised when he got promoted so quickly. But then, he's also royalty, you see? They get all the privileges." The man held up his hand and blanched over at Zuko. "Not that I'm insulting. Your Uncle's a nice guy. Even got me a good pension when I retired a few years ago."

Zuko just nodded and tried to steer the conversation back to what they came for. "It's alright – I understand your opinion. Now, about what you discovered recently. Was it anything new?"

"Well-" Jinhai grunted and shifted, leaning back in his chair. "See, I told Iroh a while ago how there wasn't much else concrete beyond those request records I found in the shipyards – a request for travel to the Earth Kingdom from an 'Ursa'. But, it never amounted to anything and it's been quite a few years now. I can't just go asking people on the street – they'll think I'm talkin' 'bout a ghost.

"So, I went through some of the, uh, what are they called? You know, those documents that keep track of all the tourists?"

"Travel visa's?" Katara piped up and he nodded vigorously.

"That one!" Jinhai smirked. "I missed it the first few times I went over 'em, you understand. Anyway, then Iroh asked me to look into anagrams 'cause all the neighboring towns didn't have someone under the name of 'Ursa' after that one ship request. So I did and found somethin'.

"The name is 'Raus'. R-A-U-S. I told your Uncle 'bout it, but didn't think anything of it. That's usually a boy's name, you know? I checked it out anyway, and ran across this food stand where people knew of a woman going under the name of 'Raus'. They said she's been gone for years now, but one of 'em had a sketch.

"I didn't ask why and they didn't say." Jinhai spoke hastily when Zuko's fast clouded with disbelief. "I still got it here somewhere. Hold on."

Zuko exchanged a looked with Katara as the man shuffled around a few drawers by the windows. "This is good. See?" She smiled and whispered. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Got it! Here you are."

Zuko looked down at the sketch and the breath caught in his throat. It looked just like his mother in all of the photographs and paintings and memories he had of her – but it was different. She wasn't smiling and laughing like in his memories, nor was she sad or neutral like in some of his others, and all of the paintings he saw of her.

Here, she was smiling. Simply and shyly as she looked across a field. Zuko wondered if she was even aware of the sketch taking place. He doubted it, knowing the great lengths of paranoia she went through to keep her identity secret all of this time. There was something about his mother's expression in the picture that wasn't about happiness, though. It was tinged with sadness; a darkness.

"She's beautiful, Zuko." Katara squeezed his hand this time and Zuko opened his mouth to ask about keeping the sketch but Jinhai beat him to it, seemingly already knowing what he was going to say.

"Don't worry about it. I was just keeping it for you, anyway." He turned his attention to Katara. "And isn't she? Doesn't look like she's aged one day from what Iroh told me." Jinhai filled his tea cup and gestured to the others. Katara placed her cup down but Zuko just shook his head. "It's quite cute how you brought your girlfriend along, Fire Lord." Zuko almost choked on the tea. "I wish that Uncle of yours would've warned me. I could've got you some lovely flowers. They're not as great as the ones that bloom over on them islands but a woman should always have a pretty environment for tea and chats."

Katara blinked a few times but recovered much faster than her counterpart. "Oh, that's alright. Besides, we're just friends. I am best friends with the Avatar, you see."

"You don't say? What a lucky boy, that air-bender is!" He hooted at some inside joke.

Zuko cleared his throat loudly and interrupted. "Thank you for your help and services. Did you find any other details that could be of help?"

"Sorry." Jinhai shook his head. "Wish I could've."

"Thanks for your help." Zuko set five coins on the table and the older man slipped them into his pocket quickly.

"So, why aren't you two coupled? At the very least, you should be courting her. A beauty never stays on the shelf for long." Jinhai winked over at Katara.

Zuko stood and nearly dragged Katara up from the couch. "Okay, we're done here. Thank you for the tea."

Katara finally recovered from her appalled expression and managed to squeak out, "Yes, you have a lovely home", before stumbling out the door behind Zuko. The man just laughed behind them.

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I ask of thee, love, nothing but relief.

Thou canst not bring the old days back again;

For I was happy then,

Not knowing heavenly joy, not knowing grief.

~'I ask of thee, love, nothing but relief', by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge


It had become awkward. There was no other way to say it. Toph's parents came by every day for the next three days and each time she rebuffed them. The first day and a half, Iroh had tried to talk sensibly with them. Serves him right, she thought. All he had to do was ask Aang and he would know that my parents don't take no for an answer.

After that, Iroh made up excuses to take a wide berth around them as well. He continued to apologize occasionally to Toph, whenever it seemed that she would allow it. Sometimes she said nothing. Sometimes she nodded. Sometimes, Toph just felt like crying.

Truth was, she was tired. So damn tired. Peace was found and then ripped away a few weeks later because of her parents – the ones that wanted her 'safety' and wanted her 'home'. Toph wanted to scream at them that her home isn't with them anymore. She loved them to pieces and would up to her dying breath but, with them around longer and longer, she had scary thoughts that her death would come at her own hand if they agitated her enough. They weren't scary to Iroh; she didn't tell him about them – mainly because they didn't much speak anymore. No, they were simply scaring her.

The memory of the night before – when her parents refused to leave when the shop closed – sent a chill of resolution down her spine.

*Flashback – Evening Prior

"I'm sorry, but we're closing up shop." A nice, young girl that worked at the tea shop part time said to Lao and Poppy Bei Fong. Toph couldn't for the life of her remember the girl's name but she had always been timid and charming in her demeanor. Now, she wished she had warned her against going to that particular table. But, it was too late – and, she was the only person left cleaning up (Khan, the shop's manager, had to leave early for something she didn't bother to remember, either).

"My daughter lives with the owner of this shop and I will leave when I wish to. Until then, would you mind sending her out?"

When Toph heard the waitress mumble something incoherent and scurry back towards her, in the kitchen, she knew the girl must've recoiled at the cold tone. She didn't blame her. It was still something she was becoming used to. A loving and bright household hers wasn't.

"Uh, is there anything else to help with?"

Toph shook her head from her seat on a stool by the back door. "No. Thank you."

"Your, um, parents are still out there. They wouldn't leave. Should I get Iroh…?"

"No, no. I'll talk to them."

"Oh. Okay. Well, um, have a good-night then."

The girl slipped through the backdoor after getting her bag and Toph stood to lock the door behind her. She sighed. Confrontations like the one that was about to happen was exactly what she had been trying to avoid since the first day they arrived. The tension in the air when she walked out into the main room was so thick it could be lit and the whole building would explode.

"You look unhealthy, dear. Come home with us and sleep in your proper bed – those baggy eyes will be gone in no time!" Poppy said sweetly.

Toph sank into the chair across from them. "Why should I care? I'm blind – in my mind, I'm flawless right now."

Her mother stayed silent at the sarcastic remark – probably because she took it to be true. Toph didn't take time to envision herself. She liked to think that growing up blind gave her a whole new perspective that growing up with vision would have given her – all of the girls her age that she heard of were staring at themselves in the mirror for an hour a day, at least.

"Toph." Lao's voice held warning in it and she subconsciously straightened. "You cannot fault us on being suspicious. We do not know this person that you are… living with. At one point in time, that man was the heir to the Fire Lord throne. Can you blame us for being worried?"

"Yes." Toph said simply.

"And why is that?"

She ignored her father's hardened voice and did so to her own with each new word. It was a talent that she learned from the best. "I blame you for me having no life. I had no friends, no goals, no future, and not even any hobbies when I was living with you two! My own parents. I've said it before – I understand you were only trying to protect me and that you love me. I love you both too; so much it hurts sometimes. But it hurts more when you open your mouth and dictate my life.

"I have one now and I won't throw it away. You may not trust my friends but I thought you trusted me." Her voice broke, even as she tried to keep it strong. "I thought you trusted my judgment and respected my voice. If you don't want me living here, then just say so! But don't force me to come home with you, Mom, Dad. Can't you see that I am not a child anymore?"

The silence echoed. Toph wished she had a match with her so she could test the explosion theory. She waited nervously for one of them to respond.

"You will always be our bab-"

"No." Lao cut off his wife. Toph gulped. "You want freedom? Fine. We both assumed you would see the error of the world on your own, but maybe more encouragement is in order. How will you marry and raise a family, Toph? Your earth-bending protects you now. When you aren't a child anymore, you will see how cruel people can treat their 'equal'." He pushed back his chair roughly and stood. "We are leaving."

Poppy stood and paced a few steps, seemingly uncertain. But she didn't stand up to her husband. Instead, she simply hugged her daughter briefly and walked out the door. For the first time in the last few days, her daughter let her.

Toph felt numb. She desperately wanted peace between herself and her parents. I want them to understand me! I'm your daughter! She wanted to scream it at them but she already had before and received no results for it. What is the point anymore?

She shuffled back to the kitchen and startled when she sensed Iroh there. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Perfect. Top of the moon." Sarcasm dripped from her clipped words.

"I'll lock up and then make you some tea. How about we experiment with a new recipe? Khan ordered a new blend with the latest shipment." Iroh offered, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.

She smiled faintly at the older man. "Great."

He walked out of the room.

*End Flashback

Today, Lao Bei Fong and Poppy Bei Fong didn't grace the Jasmine Dragon with their presence. Iroh was busy with customers as the weekend approached and people resurfaced from their work and homes more often. He checked in on her from time to time and Toph was glad for it. She wouldn't have time to say goodbye.

The kitchen was busy and everyone was doing their own thing. She sat on her stool by the door and waited until a lull hit. Two of the people around her went out with full trays once more and the one left went to the bathroom across the back hallway.

Feeling under a broken cart they had yet to fix, she pulled out a bag. It was clunky and old, something she'd gotten at a bargain price during the Fair weeks earlier when the whole Avatar gang had visited Ba Sing Se. The first night her parents showed up, Toph had packed it. She was angry, disjointed, and worried.

Now, she felt the same as she did yesterday – but worse. The home she had been trying to make once more in Ba Sing Se – in Iroh's Jasmine Dragon tea shop – evaporated in a snap. It wasn't home, it didn't feel comfortable, and it certainly couldn't keep her from being in conflict anymore. Conflict was what she was good at – hell, she had to be. But Toph didn't want it after the War. She wanted that dream everyone was searching for – the love, the home, the contented life.

It would be different than others' visions, sure, but, then again, she had a different… view on things. She loved to rebel and speak her mind and dress like a man more than a woman. I have rights! She would argue.

At the end of the day, she was still human, though. She still wanted that peaceful environment that she could disrupt at her own free will – and fix with her own hands and words. Someone else coming in and ruining it for her just left her feeling violated and annoyed.

Toph picked up the bag with resolution and walked out the door. She hadn't been able to write a note – what with being blind and all. Iroh – her confidant, her friend, her mentor – would be able to sense it, all the same. Checking the apartment first would be on his mind but his eyes would probably swipe over her room and miss how unnaturally tidy it is. He would catch it on the second time through – maybe when he would go to sit in her room, worried and confused. Toph gulped away the thought.

She would write a note the second she could find someone to help her with it – someone she trusts.

Toph had considered asking the young woman waitressing at the Jasmine Dragon who had an unfortunate first encounter with Toph's parents, but she refrained. The girl was a loose cannon – could have told Iroh before she had time to leave. Big no-no.

She felt the hot gust of air brush against her face when she stepped out into the alleyway and her earth-bending senses branched out, alive completely once more. She heard the shuffles of people's feet and the sighs of voices and was able to, more or less, locate each person on the brick street. Toph wondered where to go. The shipyard at Bane's Port sprung to mind, as it did when she left the Fire Nation the prior month and went to that nation's port.

The shipyard holds good potential, she thought.

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It gains the more it gives

And then it rises with the fall

So hand me that remote

Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow?

Such boundless pleasure

We've no time for later

Now you can't await

your own arrival

you've twenty seconds to comply.

~'Let Go' by Frou Frou (lyrics)


"Here it i- Shh! Pay attention, I want to know how it sounds! Okay, here goes.

"'Dear Captain-'"

"Why 'Captain'?"

"Because that's what everyone called him! Now shut up, will you, Natima? Ehm. Here goes.

"'Dear Captain,

Before we all left, I understand that the Pet Adoption services and the Ba Sing Se Zoo were recovering nicely. If you can, I would like to enquire after owning a Koala-Sloth. A female, please, and preferably not more than three years old. I know how fast they can grow!-'"

"That line's stupid."

"Shut up! Now, where was my place? Right. Okay, you interrupt one more time and I will sock you over the head with my basket.

"'I can afford to pay within the 70 copper to 1 silver and 10 copper coin range. If you can find it in your time to acquire one, it would be much appreciated and the cost will be included in your next payment. (Oh, and any costs going into the ownership, aside from the initial buy, can also be covered up to 2 silver).

"'Thank you and have a safe voyage.' So, what do you think? And please don't be a sarcastic ass about it!"

Natima shifted the rough basket on her hip. "It's alright. It will certainly get the job done. Why do you even want this beast, anyway?"

"She will not be a beast!" Shaepa said, horrified at her friend's thought. "Koala-Sloth's may sleep a lot and seem like dead weight but they can move fast and are actually quite docile."

"Where did you read that? The Ba Sing Se Zoo directory? They always lie!" Natima snorted.

Shaepa frowned at her friend and finished hanging up the clothes she had just washed on the line. She turned and walked the long trek down to the shore with Natima. The wind on the island really was unfortunate with where the best washing cove was located. "No, I read it in one of the Animal Dictionary's in the library. And I am getting the girl for the same reason as was last week – for Momo! That poor boy is flying around so alone sometimes. And some of the kids on this island aren't the nicest to him, either."

"You talk as if he is a child."

"He might as well be!" Shaepa argued. "No one his age or his race to play with. It's got to be traumatic."

"He's full grown in lemur years!"

"Oh? And who's consulting the Animal Dictionary now?" Natima frowned at that but didn't offer up a response.

"Are you two still arguing over that letter?" Shaepa's mother called as they reached the seaside again. The middle-aged woman with an exact, but older likeliness to Shaepa, loaded their baskets with some more clothes. She had already soaped them and let them sit. Now, it was the girls' job to rinse them, ring them out, and hang them up on the embankment.

"We're not arguing." She corrected her mother.

"No." Natima agreed. "I was simply trying to assess your daughter's sanity."

"Hey!"

"I can't blame you." Shaepa's mother shook her head mockingly at the two of them. "Who would ever want to waste their saved and hard-earned money on an animal – which one has to feed, and house, and groom – when they could spend it on candy and chocolates?"

"You two are horrible." Shaepa scowled as her best friend and mother giggled playfully.

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