"Come on! Out out out!" Sokka gestured as all the women and a few guards ran past him. The earth beneath them was shaking and Sokka looked up as he swallowed.
"You think they'll be all right down there?" Katara asked and of course Lao next to her was nearly fainting.
"Dude. This is Toph and Zuko!" Sokka said. "Have you ever met two more stubborn, resilient and just stupidly strong people?!" he asked.
"Good point." Katara said. "Zuko survived a swim through arctic waters. Why would I even be surprised if he can also survive a swim through lava?" she commented in a rather dead panned tone.
"Maybe I should head down." Aang commented. "I can enter the avatar state."
"No." Sokka said. "It's a last resort! We still don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves. If you get too worried. We can't stop you. But just wait a bit. These two are just… too stubborn to die. We need to move to higher ground. Come quick!" he gestured.
Together they helped the woman up the steep cliffs, some of the women were perfectly fine of jumping up on their own with incredible athleticism, so much so that they helped the others, who were older and more worn down.
Lao kept looking worried at the mine entrance and then finally a final group of women exited. One younger woman who looked to be in her teens holding up a slim delicate looking woman whom looked to me more in her mid thirties.
Lao gasped. "Poppy…" he shouted from above. "POPPY!"
The woman with long black hair looked up, her cat like eyes going wide. "Lao?!"
Lao smiled as tears fell from his eyes, the younger woman helping Poppy up and Lao reached down a hand to grab his wifes hand and drag her up.
"Lao." Poppy gasped. "You're…" she shook her head. "Toph." she turned to the mines.
"She's still down there?" Lao asked horrified.
"She said she would be right behind us." Poppy cried with tears in her eyes.
And Lao let out one of his usual girly screams, only to suddenly.
'Slap'
The sound of the slap rang through the air and Lao blinked as the red hand print of a small delicate hand formed on his cheek.
"Honey. Remember what we talked about when it comes to hyper ventilating. It doesn't help." Poppy said.
Stunned Sokka, Katara and Aang looked at it. It looked like it had worked. Lao had calmed down, and it looked like Poppy wasn't surprised at all. Like they had gone through this exact thing many times before.
"Our girl is down there! Now think rationally!" Poppy grabbed the front of Laos tunic. "What. Do. We. Do?!" with each word she shook him.
Laos mouth opened and closed. "There's… There's nothing we can do." he gasped.
"Think of something Lao!" Poppy demanded. "Man up!" she exclaimed shaking him an extra time and then let go.
"Well…" Sokka blinked. "Now we know who Toph get her personality from."
"Yeah." Katara commented.
"Looks like it." Aang agreed just as the ground shook under them. "Okay it has been long enough now!" he stated. "I'm going into the avatar state!" he exclaimed. "Stand back! I'll get them out!"
He didn't get that far though as the entire ground shook and then suddenly, the ground burst and up came not just lava but what looked like a big ball of rocks which flew up into the air. Then as it was up in the middle of the air the rock ball shattered to reveal two figures in the air.
A young girl and a teenage boy.
Quickly the boy grabbed the girl and put her on his own shoulders as they fell back down towards the lava now flooding the ground beneath them.
The boy reached out and seemed to suck the heat out of the lava turning it to stone which the girl grabbed and spread out to make a platform the boy jumped up on, just in time for them all the land in the lava like it was a raft.
Toph still on Zukos back and Zuko standing on their home made stone raft.
Zuko inhaled a deep breath as he seemed to talk to Toph and she jumped down as Zuko took a stance, dragging in heat with one arm and releasing a big cloud of steam with the other as Toph stamped into the ground and suddenly a big bridge of stone raised in front of them and then Zuko just picked Toph up again as he ran as fast as he could carry the both of them before the lava would just melt the rocks all over right below them.
"ZUKO!" Aang screamed from where they were. "UP HERE!" he shouted and Zuko made a jump as both Aang and Sokka held out their hands in response and he grabbed both hands allow them to pull both him and Toph in where they fell to the ground and rolled around in each their direction.
"Auwww." Both groaned before suddenly there were screams.
"TOPH!" Both Lao and Poppy was all over the little girl and Katara took the opening to look at Zuko.
"Zuko are you okay? Do you need healing?" Katara asked.
"Just… really sore." Zuko groaned. "We combined our bending to manipulate the lava." he said and them fell down on his back. "Auuwww."
Katara smirked amused. "I can see you'll live. I'll give you a healing session later though, it might help."
"Thanks." Zuko sighed.
"Toph!" Poppy cried as both she and Lao hugged the girl from each their side. "I was so scared! How did you get here?!" she asked as she let go only so she could hold Toph's face. "You just vanished from home! Lao said you had been kidnapped! But you… You just."
Toph frowned annoyed and then slapped Poppy's hands away. "For the last time I wasn't kidnapped!" she exclaimed. "I ran away! I'm the worlds best earth bender and I am teaching the Avatar earth bending! Whether you like it or not! I'm doing it I…"
"Toph." Lao spoke and Toph quieted surprised by his voice. "Toph listen… I…" he tried as Tophs empty eyes turned towards him. "I can't imagine anything worse in this world. Than loosing you." he swallowed. "And… It seems like I have been unfair. In the past." he said as he sat up. "If I have hurt you. Then I apologize… I can see. I can't stop you, from doing what you want. I just… I ask of you please." he asked. "When you're done… Come home." he asked. "And at least send some letters. So we know you're okay! And… And…"
Toph was quiet. "Dad." she gasped.
"It seems like there's a lot of things I don't know about my daughter." Lao swallowed. "I want to make up for that. There's still time right? If you just come home. I promise I'll listen! I swear I…"
"DAD!" Toph screamed as she jumped right at Lao and embraced him tightly, wrapping her arms around her neck and cried.
Lao gasped as Toph clung to him and then he smiled as he wrapped his own arms around Toph and he closed his eyes.
Poppy smiled as well and she moved in. Toph grabbing her too and all three of them were collected in a big group hug.
Zuko sat up and smiled as he saw the reunited family.
"It's nice Toph could figure it out with her family." Aang smiled as he sat down next to Zuko crossing his legs.
"Yeah." Zuko nodded as he smiled. "I'm really glad."
"Avatar Aang!" One of the younger girls exclaimed earning both Zuko and Aangs attention.
"Nice seeing you guys again."
Aang blinked. "We know you?"
"Well we never met formally. My name is Nani. We are all Kyoshi warriors. We met at Kyoshi island and then at the port!" The girl grinned.
"KYOSHI WARRIORS!" Aang shouted as he jumped up. "You're okay?! That's amazing!"
Suddenly Sokka was there as he screamed. "Does that mean Suki is here?! SUKIIII!" he shouted.
Nani looked at Sokka. "I'm sorry. As our leader she was taken to a higher security prison than this, we were separated." she informed.
Sokkas face fell. "You're kidding me right?" he asked.
"Still. We found the Kyoshi warriors. That's great news." Aang smiled. "They can help us with the invasion!"
"Invasion?" Nani asked.
Zuko stood up as well to face the young women as he nodded. "We're taking the fight ot the fire lord himself. To the capital of the fire nation."
"Well if that is the case." Nani said. "Count us in!" she exclaimed and the girls all shouted in agreement.
Aang beamed. "That's great!"
"You can meet with us at the rendezvous point before the invasion!" Sokka grinned. "I'll give you the coordinates and erhm… maybe could we ask you to. Look after Mr and Mrs Beifong?" he asked. "Sorry. We just kind of… have our hands full as it is."
"Consider it done." Nani winked. "They are earth kingdom citizens after all and so are we. We'll look after them until we find a place where they can be safe." she winked. "And then we'll head to meet you all at the rendezvous point! I am sure that's what Suki would want!"
Sokka sighed deeply. "Suki…" he dropped his head.
Zuko glanced down but didn't speak.
"Don't worry." Katara said as she put a hand on Sokkas shoulder. "We defeat the fire lord. We'll get Suki out. Right Zuko?"
"Right." Zuko nodded. "All war prisoners will be freed." he sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I'll add it to the list."
And Sokka smiled. "GETTING YOU ON THE TEAM WAS THE BEST IDEA EVER!" he shouted and then just blatantly embraced Zuko in a tight hug.
Zuko looked down. "Do you mind?" he asked.
"No I don't. This is nice." Sokka grinned as he kept hugging Zuko and Zuko rolled his eyes.
It wasn't too far from them. The fire nation guards had abandoned their posts as the mining camp had been flooded with lava. That though didn't mean that all was lost as a guard was quickly scribbling a note.
"Are you sure?" Another guard asked.
"That scar is not to be mistaken!" The guard exclaimed. "That was Prince Zuko! The Princess are sure to not just overlook our transgression but reward us! I'm sure of it!" he grinned as he wrote his letter.
The other guards shifted a bit uncomfortable but finally the letter was written and attached to the leg of a war hawk.
"Fly fast boy." The soldier smiled. "To Princess Azula! We found him." he stated as he picked up the war hawk and then let it loose through the window. Soon after they all watched the war hawk fly away.
"I sure hope you're right." Another guard whispered. "She's going to kill us all if you're not."
The morning after the big rescue after everyone had rested. Lao looked like a nervous wreck as he stood in front of Toph. His wife by his side.
"Toph…" Lao whispered.
"Dad I…" Toph swallowed then Lao fell down on his knee so he was now was at same eye height as her. Not that it meant anything since she couldn't even see. But still Lao reached forward a hand gently touching Toph's cheek.
"Toph… If you were ever in doubt that I loved you. Then I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to doubt that." Lao said. "I love you. I love you so much. That the thought of loosing you is just…"
Toph swallowed. "It'll be okay dad. When we defeated the firelord I'll come home. Just like I said yesterday."
"We'll be waiting for you." Poppy said as she at down on her knees next to Lao. "Our doors will always be open and waiting for you sweet heart."
Tophs eyes filled with water and then she ran forward as she embraced both her parents. "I love you too." she whispered.
Both parents closed their eyes as they hugged her and then finally Toph let go as she stepped back to stand with her friends.
Lao stood up and then he looked directly at Zuko. "You better look after my daughter."
Zuko smirked. "I wouldn't want to be called a hooligan again." he stated.
"Bring our daughter home safely." Poppy asked Aang.
"I will. I promise." Aang said.
"Come on then!" Nani shouted as she waved her hand. "Let's get going."
And the rest of the prisoners started to follow the Kyoshi warrior. Lao and Poppy gave Toph a lost long look and then finally they turned around too and followed their group to a new safe spot.
Toph was left with her own group and she swallowed. Then suddenly out of no-where she hit Zuko right in the sheen.
"AUW!" Zuko shouted as he crumbled together. "What was that for?!"
"It takes a lot of nerve to talk back to me like you did yesterday!" Toph huffed at Zuko.
"You didn't have to hit me because of that!" Zuko exclaimed only for Toph to rush forward and embrace Zuko in a tight hug making Zuko halt.
"Thank you." Toph whispered as her face buried into Zukos torso and Zuko halted.
Zuko smiled and then he put a hand on Toph's head. "You're welcome" he whispered in response.
Then Toph let go and wiped her tears. "None of you will speak another word of this!" she exclaimed ones she was dry for tears.
"Wouldn't dream of it!" Sokka stated.
"Nope not me." Aang said.
"I didn't see anything." Katara agreed.
Zuko shook his head as he chuckled amused. The main thing was that they were fine and really. What else could he be asking for? Well… Zuko supposed. He had a dilemma… Zuko couldn't help but glance at Sokka.
War prisoners… Leaders of different nations who were considered high risk and important. There was one place they would be more likely to be at… Would it be worth the risk though?
Zuko chewed his lip. Should he open his mouth? Would it be worth it to break into the boiling rock?