Chapter 27 - Left In Ruins
Zuko opened his eyes, surprised to find himself in pitch blackness. The last thing he remembered was visiting with Toph's parents in Gaoling, but from a certain point there seemed to be a worrying gap in his memories. He shifted slightly, immediately realizing that he had been lying on the floor, which for some reason was now covered with bits of trash and rubble. A gentle flame lit at his fingertips, as he used his bending to examine his surroundings, Zuko gasping at the sight that opened to his eyes. It appeared that he was trapped somewhere in the Beifong estate, in some tiny chamber, surrounded on all sides by walls, almost like immurement.
He lowered the flame a little, starting to look around for the others, almost jumping when his eyes fell on Toph nearby. The young earthbender was kneeling, a tense look on her face. It seemed as if she was trying to focus hard with her earthbending senses, trying to reach out as far as she could. "Toph?" Zuko whispered hoarsely. "What happened?"
"I collapsed the estate, that's what happened," Toph snorted in reply.
"But... why?" Zuko gasped, incredulous.
"See to the others first so that I don't have to explain it three times," Toph replied. "I can feel their heartbeats... they should be alright."
Zuko rose to his feet and immediately bumped his head against the ceiling that had sagged frighteningly low, forcing him to move around in a crouch. It didn't take long for him to stumble upon Suki, lying prone near the remains of the dinner table. After some prodding, Zuko managed to rouse Suki awake, and he helped her up into a sitting position, letting the girl gather her wits. He let the flame illuminate the small space further, shuddering when its light fell on a pair of man's feet, sticking out from under the wall, stuck in a puddle of blood.
"Shit!" Suki gasped, instinctively pulling back from the horrific sight and bumping right into Zuko. He put an arm around her shoulder as they both turned away. "Who was that?" Suki asked in a trembling voice.
"I think I can guess," Zuko replied grimly. "But let's find Katara first."
"She's over there," Suki quickly darted to the opposite side of their little tomb, behind the remains of the dinner table. "Come here, Zuko."
Zuko did as he was told, and they both tried their best to prod Katara awake, but to no avail. It was then that Suki realized that her hand which she had used to shake Katara's shoulder, had come away covered in blood. "Damn it... she's injured," Suki managed worriedly.
"Toph said her heartbeat is stable... I hope that means it's not serious," Zuko gulped nervously. Between the two of them, they conducted a brief inspection, finding a cut on Katara's temples, either the result of her falling down, or being struck by one of the many stone shards that littered the floor.
"It doesn't seem to be too bad," Suki concluded a while later. "But I suspect we'll have to carry her out. I mean... we can get out, right?" she added nervously.
"I'll clear a path for us. Eventually," Toph said curtly.
"Why not now?" Zuko asked. "Anyway, I think it's time for you to give us some answers, Toph... just what happened here?"
"You're not going to believe it, but... my parents cut a deal with your dad, Sparky," Toph spoke with a steely sharpness to her voice. "They'd get me back, with official pardon from the Fire Lord. And Ozai would get you and Katara to play with."
"They... they wouldn't..." Suki gasped, looking absolutely flabbergasted.
"Oh, and how they would," Toph laughed darkly. "I had forgotten just how controlling they could be. And they didn't give two shits about you, so why wouldn't they cut a deal?"
"I... guess that makes sense," Zuko frowned. "So all this talk of Gaoling invasion... it was just a ruse? A bait to lure us in?"
"Yeah. And we fell right for it," Toph snorted. "Still, I had the last laugh. They never truly realized how powerful my earthbending was until it was too late for them."
"You... you collapsed the estate?" it seemed as if Suki could barely string together a sentence, she was so shell-shocked. Pointing towards the pair of feet sticking out from under the wall, she spoke weakly. "Then that is..."
"Lao Beifong," Zuko nodded, unable to suppress a shudder running through him from the thought that Toph had just buried her parents under a ton of rubble, together with their entire household staff and the guards. "Well... shit."
"No kidding, Sparky," the young earthbender added. "Oh, and Suki, I will be able to get us out, but to do that right now might be a little too dangerous. There's a whole detachment of Fire Nation soldiers, going through the rubble nearby."
"Oh..." Suki remarked. Her head was starting to spin from all these revelations, and she was forced to sit down on the floor again, next to Katara. "What if they manage to dig us out?" she asked worriedly.
"Nah, I think they'll give up soon," Toph replied. "They're already slowing down."
"Hmm... they will probably report back to my father that we have been crushed to our deaths in the ruins of the estate," Zuko realized. "That could be advantageous for us... though, I wish none of this would have happened in the first place," he added hastily.
"Don't worry, Sparky, I'm not going to fall to pieces because of this," Toph said, trying to put on a brave face. "As soon as the soldiers leave, I'll get us out. I just hope they haven't managed to capture Appa..."
"I'm sure Appa wouldn't let himself be captured by some soldiers," Suki exclaimed confidently. Her eyes then widened a little as she watched Zuko reach inside Katara's clothes. "Uh, Zuko... any reason why you're pawing at Katara's breasts?"
"What?" Zuko blinked, his cheeks darkening instantly. "I was just retrieving this," he raised her hand to show the bison whistle resting on his palm. "I figured I better get it before I have to carry her out."
"Right," Suki said, taking the whistle. "You could have just asked me to get it, instead of... you know," she winked at him, watching his embarrassment grow.
"Hey, don't blame Sparky for making use of an opportunity," Toph laughed. "Anyway, the soldiers are starting to leave. So, we should probably get ready to do so as well." Suki held on to the bison whistle, while Zuko tenderly gathered Katara into his arms, the two of them waiting on Toph's command. Once she had deemed it safe, Toph began to work on opening a passage for them to escape through, straining with the effort of her earthbending.
As soon as they emerged from the ruins, Suki blew on the bison whistle, and much to their relief, less than a minute later Appa was heading their way, landing in front of them with a roar that appeared to convey relief. With Suki helping Zuko get Katara up and onto Appa's back, they were soon on their way, Suki taking the reins, Toph holding Katara's hand, and Zuko... Zuko was simply looking down at the smoldering, completely ruined, once idyllic Beifong estate, a place where Toph had grown up and which must have meant a great deal to her, despite her denials.
Just like he had felt once already, when watching the savage butchery of the invasion forces on the Day of the Black Sun, Zuko once again felt grateful for the small mercy of Toph not being able to see the full picture of the fall of the House of the Flying Boar.
Azula sat by the mirror in Li and Lo's estate which she and Ty Lee had occupied without the notice of her former mentors and advisors. Following a relaxing soak in the bath, Azula remained naked from the waist up, a pained expression on her face as she examined the ugly scars that now marred her body. There was a large dark red blotch of burned skin, the epicenter of Ozai's lightning blast, a couple of inches to the left from the solar plexus. Angry tendrils spread out all across her upper body from the epicenter, like a spider's web crisscrossing her body, a couple of scars reaching up all the way to her shoulders, a few traveling down almost as low as her thighs.
Katara's bloodbending had broken something inside of her, and Ozai had then finished the job, not only worsening what Katara had started, but also breaking her outer shell as well. Azula smiled bitterly as she recalled her old self, obsessed with perfection, and how she would have found her current physical appearance impossible to accept. Now, as a fugitive on the run, she had no option but to accept that she was no longer whole both inwardly and outwardly, but obviously, observing the ugly scars that marred her once perfect beauty was still deeply distressing. For Azula, to look upon herself and be disgusted by what she saw, was a completely new experience and she absolutely loathed the way it made her feel about herself.
"Azula? Hey, Azula? Where are you?" she suddenly heard Ty Lee's voice outside, her always bubbly friend having returned from her morning swim.
"In here, Ty Lee," Azula called out, quickly throwing a robe across her shoulders.
Ty Lee immediately burst into the room, like a smiling and giggling tornado of happiness, throwing herself down next to Azula by the mirror, only then noticing that the exiled princess was in a deeply downcast mood. "Oh... something wrong, Azula?" she asked softly.
Under any other circumstances, Azula would have brushed Ty Lee off and insisted that she was perfectly fine. But lately, that softness and comfort in Ty Lee's widening eyes, was for some reason making Azula open up and speak about what was worrying her. At first she had thought it a weakness, had loathed it with all her heart... until she had realized how good it actually felt to unburden herself. Especially to someone who held her unquestionable trust, someone as fiercely devoted as Ty Lee.
"I was just..." Azula began slowly, letting her robe part briefly and allowing Ty Lee to gaze upon her scars. "Just lamenting my ugliness."
"Your... ugliness?" Ty Lee gasped, shaking her head fiercely. "Azula, those scars don't make you ugly at all! You're still the most beautiful girl in the world."
"Ah, come on, Ty Lee," Azula frowned. "You're laying it way too thick, we both know that's no longer true."
"Well..." Ty Lee seemed to be pondering something, then gathering herself with newfound resolution radiating from her. "If my words won't convince you, maybe this will," she said, leaning towards Azula. The exiled princess found herself frozen from utter shock and surprise as Ty Lee's lips pressed against hers in a soft, sensual kiss, accompanied with light nibbling on her lower lip before Ty Lee pulled away again. "Would I still want to do this if I didn't mean what I say?" she asked.
"I..." Azula appeared lost for words. "Ty Lee... have you felt this way for long?" she eventually asked.
"For years, Azula," Ty Lee replied softly.
Azula spent a good while in thoughtful contemplation before speaking up again. "All those years during which I treated you like a... like a lesser being," she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I can only imagine how hard that might have been for you. How could you... still feel that way even with how I acted towards you?"
"I don't know," Ty Lee shrugged. "These things don't always make sense, Azula."
"You're the most..." Azula began, pausing as she searched for a word, unable to find it. "What do you call someone who does something for another person without hoping to receive anything in return?"
"Stupid?" Ty Lee winked at her.
Azula laughed, playfully punching the other girl's shoulder. "I guess that's what I would have said before, fair point."
"You probably mean selfless, though," Ty Lee smiled.
"Yes, that," Azula nodded. "You're the most selfless person I've ever known, Ty Lee. And I didn't think I would ever appreciate such a quality in anyone. I guess all of this needed to happen to me so that I could learn this lesson."
"I'm going to say something that will probably make you mad, Azula," Ty Lee spoke somberly. "But a part of me is glad that all of this happened. I love how it has changed our relationship. That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone through all of this." Of course, Ty Lee would have been even happier if Azula had kissed her back with vigor and pronounced having similar feelings for her, but that was probably asking for too much too soon. She knew she needed to take baby steps with Azula. Also, Azula hadn't turned her down outright, and she decided to take that as an encouraging sign.
"It's hard to argue with, Ty Lee," Azula let out a deep sigh. "When you're cast down from the dizzying heights of being a heiress to the throne... the perspective from down here is so completely different. It's like... everything I thought I knew is wrong. It's fucking with my mind, Ty Lee. It's really messing me up."
"You'll have me, Azula," Ty Lee smiled softly, embracing her friend. "You'll always have me. I hope that helps."
"More than you might think, Ty Lee," Azula replied, hugging the other girl tightly. "More than you might think..."
Their first stop on the long flight back to Ember Island was Kyoshi Island. Tents had been pitched, the campfire had been started, and a recovered Katara, still moving a little sluggishly, was working on preparing a simple meal for the group. Zuko was sitting by the fire, waiting for the food to be ready while keeping an eye on Toph, sitting close by, impassive. Suki was the only one absent, having gone in search of one of the secret Kyoshi Warrior equipment stashes hidden on the island, aiming to replace her lost fans and perhaps other pieces of gear as well.
"Ugh, this is so irritating!" Toph suddenly exclaimed, angrily throwing a ball of dry grass into the campfire.
"What's irritating, Toph?" Zuko asked kindly.
"You are!" Toph pointed an accusing finger at him.
"Me? But I wasn't even doing anything!" Zuko protested.
"Right!" Toph frowned. "Don't you think I can't sense the way your heart skips a little when you want to speak out and then pull back at the last moment for like tenth time in a row just now? Ugh, just say your piece, Sparky, and get it over with!"
"I'm sure Zuko is simply concerned for you, Toph," Katara offered soothingly. "And so am I. I know you're going to insist that you're fine, that nothing is wrong, but by the spirits, Toph... your parents! They were your parents!"
"Oh, you mean I should have allowed them to hand you over to Ozai?" Toph frowned. "You speak like I had a choice!"
"There's always a choice," Katara replied. "And now Zuko and I are the causes for the deaths of your parents."
"Katara, no blaming yourself, not this time," Zuko spoke up sternly. "I know it might sound terrible, but we owe Toph a great deal of gratitude. If we were to fall into my father's clutches... we would both be dead, and it would be neither fast, nor merciful. The torturers in his service are... highly skilled, and capable of dragging out the suffering of their victims for months. And in your case... well, you're very pretty, and my father is not above certain methods used with pretty girls. They involve his bedchambers and you being heavily drugged and bound."
"Sparky, that is revolting!" Toph exclaimed, looking absolutely disgusted. Katara had gone completely white in the face and she was struggling with a sudden gag reflex. "Damn, if that's the case... yeah, I needed to stop them. Sorry, but because of how they acted, I'm not even going to feel terribly bad over it. I don't care what that makes me. The last thing I told them was that I have no parents, and I truly meant it. As far as I'm concerned, those two monsters who died under the ruins were not my parents."
"Toph, you are..." Zuko was at a loss for words, while Katara was still struggling to cope with the thought that she had managed to dodge potential sexual assault because of Toph's ruthlessness. "You are truly one of a kind. I'm not sure if I should admire you or fear you... probably a bit of both. You're stronger than any of us here."
"Damn right I am," Toph nodded, beaming and looking pleased at Zuko's words. "You lot all just fall to pieces at the slightest hardship. You need someone like me to keep shit together and stop all this from collapsing, right?"
"Right, Toph," Zuko nodded. He shot a worried glance at Katara. "Are you alright? Maybe I shouldn't have said all that in such explicit terms."
"No... no, I'll be alright... and I'm glad you said it," Katara replied gratefully. "You just made me realize that we can't fall into your father's clutches alive. You had said something similar earlier, but this... this really put it in the proper perspective for me. It will be very helpful for us that he will now think that we're all dead under the rubble of Beifong Family estate."
"Yes, he's now open to a surprise attack," Zuko nodded. "We need to use it to our advantage while we still can."
"Once we return to Ember Island, we'll need to start working on a proper plan. I mean, Sozin's comet can't be too far off anymore," Katara said, Zuko agreeing with a nod. "Oh, and there comes Suki," she said, waving to the approaching girl. "Just in time because the food is ready."
"Look what I found!" Suki exclaimed, arriving back at the campsite while wearing her full Kyoshi Warrior garb, fully armored together with a beautifully carved sword at her waist and holding a pair of fans in her hands. The only thing missing was the exquisite face paint.
"That's great, Suki," Zuko smiled at her. "I just don't know if you'll be able to use the full armor while in the Fire Nation."
"Probably not, but I simply had to take it so that I can put it on whenever possible," Suki explained. "It's been so long since I've worn it, I've almost forgotten who I am. If that makes any sense."
"It does," Zuko replied. "And don't worry, Suki. You'll be reunited with your sisters... soon, very soon."
"Oh?" Suki perked up immediately. "Does that mean we have a plan?"
"Not yet," Zuko smiled as he gratefully accepted a bowl of stew from Katara. "But as soon as we're back on Ember Island, we'll begin putting together a plan. It's finally time to hit my father where it really hurts."