Welcome back, my awesome beta ML8991 just went through the whole chapter to polish it. And now I'm ready to share it:)
Constructive critiques or general feedback would be very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: This is a work of Fanfiction, need I say more?
Chapter 3 Unsteady Steps
While Toph walked back to the inn, clearly amused, Zuko was fuming. That kid was just something else. At the same time, chained up as he was, he could only try to evade thinking about what she had said for so long. His mind kept returning to their conversation no matter how hard he fought against it.
He hated being judged, and she'd had the guts to call him out on doing just that. The worst thing was, she had been right. He had judged her, he still kind of did. But in all honesty, he couldn't help it: Her snobby, self-sure attitude, her cockiness, her skill in bending… All that reminded him of Azula, and he resented Toph for it.
She hid her weaknesses all too well, he could not have guessed her as being blind at all by the way she moved. It made his thoughts wander to if Azula had any weakness. She, too, seemed just so perfect. Perfectly deadly that is, he darkly reminded himself. But he didn't want to think about her. He much preferred Toph over his sister, as infuriating as she was. What was she planning though? She obviously had no clue who he was… Could she really be just nice? Hm, she was with the Avatar, the Avatar who kept believing that they wouldn't need to be enemies. Zuko supposed that maybe Toph really was just nice. Still an enemy though…
Zuko hung his head, too tired to keep up a facade. Like it would matter, he was at his lowest point. Considered traitor to his homeland, betrayed by his very own sister and a captive in the midst of the badgermole's den, he bitterly mused. His body may have been weak but he could still feel anger pent up in him. He'd tried everything, everything to be accepted by his father, only to always be overlooked because of Azula. But he'd still loved her, he still had wanted to be her big brother. And then, one compassionate slip of tongue had changed his whole life.
He'd tried everything, and he'd only had the lives of his people in mind. Yes, he saw that how he'd handled the situation had been rash and unthoughtful, he knew that now. But ever since the incident where Azula had tried to trick him into going home, he wondered if his punishment had been fair? Banishment: he'd known it would be difficult to obtain the Avatar, but he had known he could do it. However, the past years, chasing after the Avatar, both before and after his reappearance from the iceberg, had worn him down greatly. The ongoing failure to capture that which he needed so desperately, to gain that which he had lost, combined with all the trials and danger he had put himself through had spread him thin like butter on bread. The battle at the North Pole had just been the final nail in the coffin which allowed the fragile hold he held on his resolve to crumple.
But to be considered a traitor, for failing? He understood perfectly well that being the heir of a nation, the future ruler, was a big responsibility. But how could he have learned without making any errors? Well, Azula had seemed to manage it,… but she was at Father's ear, too, which he'd never been. He sighed. Like all that mattered right now, standing here shackled in the freezing air of the night, somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.
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The others didn't inquire about her whereabouts when Toph got back, which she was happy about. She thought about telling them about the captive at the square. But then again, Katara and Sokka hated firebenders with a personal passion. And Aang was very likely to just adopt anyone.
"So how is Twinkletoes doing?"
Katara looked up from the scroll she'd been reading intently. "Pretty well, I think we can leave the day after tomorrow, or so. So I guess we'll head for the market tomorrow to restock."
Toph considered the information. Seems like she didn't have much time left to decide if she should save Sparky. But she could discuss it with the others at the market, where they could actually see what she was talking about and why she thought it necessary to take him with them. Thinking about ways to convince the water siblings, she wondered if he was a firebender. She'd just assumed he was, but she hadn't actually seen him bend, and she wasn't sure how serious his spiteful remarks should or could be taken. She really needed to talk to him again. Katara might be able to be pulled to Toph's side by making her pity him, but Sokka wouldn't be so easy.
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Zuko was shaken awake roughly. The guards were there, the sun already above the horizon. Groggily he took note of it. The freezing air was numbing him, making him realize the true worth of a camping fire once again. His wounds still throbbed and his skin itched and stung from his sunburn. Sleep had evaded him till the early hours of morning, but the guards of course wouldn't wait for him to wake up naturally, now that exhaustion had finally caught up with him.
They grabbed his shackled hands, causing bolts of pain to course through the raw abrasions on his wrists, jamming in the keys and letting him fall to the dirty ground. Soon, he was stumbling towards the sewer, bare feet lagging. Already, flies had gathered around him again, their incessant buzz an annoyance he still couldn't ignore. Great, another day of torment on the busy market square, he grumbled in his thoughts as he was lead back to his personal spot of torture. They actually let him sit down for a few minutes, getting him water and even a piece of not yet stale bread.
Toph's words from the day before came to mind: that he should be washing his wrists. Yeah, he wished he could, he really should have done it when she had said it, because he knew she'd get him more water later, now he didn't have that luxury. Would she come tonight? He sighed tiredly, he shouldn't think like that, he didn't want her help. But… why had uncle not shown up yet?
Zuko didn't want to acknowledge it, but he knew his time was running short. He knew, generally, you could survive just about anything, but he also knew that a little infected cut could kill if you didn't treat it. Especially when you were running on your limits, and he knew he was. He had no delusions about that.
Did he even want to live? He couldn't go back to what he had been. He wasn't able to move forward. And what awaited him in life even if he went free? A fugitive, forced to hide who he was, what he was…
A hand shot out and reflexively he winced and moved back, or rather tried. He looked up. The guard was hovering over him. He backed away, fear spiking suddenly, uncontrollably. He was too weak to prevent them from doing anything. He was too weak. The pain of being hauled and having his arms locked back up made him yelp.
"Oh come on, don't stare at me like that, bastard."
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The market was as lively as ever when the three of them entered its streets. Aang was on bedrest, his ankle still slightly swollen, as Katara had focused on mending his ribs. The siblings were bickering as usual, this time about which food to buy. Katara was angrily shouting at Sokka that she would be the one to cook it. Toph just shook her head at them. They had restocked most of their food supplies when Sokka spotted the captive's arch.
"Hey Katara look! That's what I wanted to show you!" Enthusiastically he ran ahead, pulling her along. Toph frowned, but followed them anyway. Soon they stood in front of the podium the arch was located on. Katara stared:
The young man was caked in dirt, grime and whatever else. Rivulets of sweat ran down his body, leaving little tracks in the dust. He wasn't standing properly, instead visibly hanging into his shackled wrists for support, which caused him to sway as he fought to keep his balance. Trails of mostly dried blood ran down his arms. Some of it clearly had dripped onto his chest. Shocked, she searched for the face, but there was a blindfold covering parts of his face and the grime that had accumulated on the rest made it impossible to guess his age. What had he done to be treated like this?
In the meanwhile Sokka had grabbed a stick that was lying around and poked the captive with it none-too-gently. The captive visibly winced but didn't make any noise.
"Eh Fire Nation scum? Pleasant stay, huh?" The man had frozen up at the voice. Now, he moved his head away from them. Toph approached, too, ignoring the stench of his unwashed body, as did Katara.
"Hey Scum, I'm talking to you, don't ignore me!" He took a stick and held it to the prisoners chin, forcing him to raise his head towards them. The rag around his eyes really did cover a lot, must have been a handkerchief at some point, judging by how it was folded and wrapped around his head. Surely annoying to have it lapping over his nose, Sokka mused with satisfaction.
Katara noticed his heaving chest movements. The man was breathing hard, his position clearly painful.
"Got nothing to say?"
A growl through gritted teeth.
Sokka was just about to hit him when Katara grabbed his arm: "Stop!"
Sokka shook her off and approached the prisoner once again. Chains clattered as the shackled man tried to retreat to the side, tried to gain a better footing. Sokka took note of the chain connecting his feet and hooked his stick in it, smirking maliciously before he pulled. There was a suppressed cry as the man fell, his wrist taking on all his body weight. Breathing loudly, he tried staggering to his feet.
"Sokka stop, you're hurting him." Katara's voice didn't quite reach him. Sokka drank the pain he had caused. He'd hurt the Firebender! Memories were haunting him… really stabbing at him, making him want to push everything away, there was finally a victim to lash out at.
"You think you have it so bad, hmm? You know what happened with my mom?…"
"Go away!" The quiet, hoarse voice sounded tired. Sokka ignored it. The response only fueled his anger.
"She died in a raid! Burned alive. You Firebenders did it…" Sokka got more worked up with every word. Years of pain transformed into merciless stabs.
"Shut up!" he got interrupted, the voice hardly louder, having taken on an angry quality, however..
Sokka growled and raised his stick once more: "Because of you, my sister had to hide who she was! What she was! Because of you she grew up without a mother! The body was burned beyond recognition." His voice shook, he was just shy of shouting now. Finally he stopped his rant to breathe. Images running through his mind still. He hardly felt Katara's hand on his arm.
"Go away…" The Firebender's voice cracked. He still breathed heavily. "... or I'll tell them that the Avatar is here."
The word 'Avatar' finally caused Sokka to halt.
"What?"
The captive didn't bother looking up, not being able to see, anyway.
Sokka saw the steely muscles in the arms that kept the man standing. Then the cracked lips started moving as if talking to himself: "Bother me any further and I'll announce your's and the Avatar's presence here."
Sokka paled. How could this guy possibly know who they were? Who was this? Had this guy been on Zuko's ship? Unthinking, Sokka reached out, touching the hem of the rag that covered the prisoner's eyes, wondering if he'd recognize him. The body in front him recoiled. A screech, barely recognizable as the prisoner's sore voice, accompanied the movement. Sokka pulled his hand back in shock, the body in front of him was panting now.
"Keep ...away... from me!" The voice breaking due to more than just hoarseness. "Keep away..."
Sokka felt a hand grab his, pulling him away. He barely registered Toph's firm voice:
"Come on Sokka, give him some space, you've done enough."
Katara in the meanwhile stood there, frozen. How could Sokka do this to a defenseless person? Obviously, this man had been bothered by people a lot. The other thing that held her attention had been his voice. The mention of the Avatar, but also that panic-filled sound he'd made. She didn't quite register that Toph had pulled Sokka away, that she had been left behind.
She observed the young man. Eyes covered by fabric, he didn't even try to look up. His breathing had calmed down a bit, but she could still see his skin slide over each rib while he breathed. She also registered some wounds that were oozing pus. None seemed to be properly treated and he clearly was in pain.
"Go away!"
Katara looked up. How had he known she was still here? How had he known about the Avatar anyway? He couldn't even see…
"… I am warning you, I will announce the Avatar's presence here. Just leave me alone." he whispered.
"Your wounds need medical attention." Katara took a step closer to him, planning to assess him.
"Yeah, so what? Just leave." His near-whispering had taken on a mocking quality. He swayed, trying to keep the balance on tired legs.
"They can get life threatening if you don't get them looked at soon."
"Does it look like anyone here cares?… do you? Don't give me that shit…you…."
"I do!"
"pfff, right!…" He chuckled darkly, painfully. "Maybe you do care, maybe you care because you feel guilty… for society,… for your brother…. Pitiful!"
Katara stared at him, he hadn't just dared to say that, had he?! "Wouldn't you care, if you were in my position?"
"Once, I did,...I learned not to." His fingers curled on nothing but air, his head turned away from her as if trying to avert his gaze. His arms, she stared at them once more, were coated in trails of blood, some of it days old, dusty and cracked; some still new and glistening. His hands were bound just a bit higher than his head, rendering his arms useless to use for anything other than keeping him upright when he couldn't stand. He seemed to be ignoring her now, as he said nothing else. He probably hoped she'd get the hint and leave...
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Zuko became lost in his thoughts, old, bitter memories taking hold. Compassion was dangerous: The court had been a deadly game. It was all about being on the right side and snake-ing your way through. You had to develop a good instinct, know whom you could trust, and sometimes you only had luck. Your friend one day, might backstab you the next. In the end you could only trust yourself. Hadn't Azula proven that? Not even family could be trusted. He… he trusted Uncle though… right? Uncle was different...
"... hey… hey you…"
He violently recoiled as something touched his face.
"Don't touch me! Leave me alone." He said panting, pain evident on his face.
"Are you alright? You seemed gone for a moment."
"I'm fine."
"Like hell you are. you're shaking. Here, I can heal…"
"I don't need your help!" Zuko spat. "I don't want it…. I don't need pity… especially not from you."
"You…You… you do so need help. It's not like anyone else here has helped you up till now, no? You look like you've been here a while."
"Yeah, so? It's not like you would just let me go. I'm Fire Nation after all, your little Avatar's enemy."
"Aang wouldn't mind making Fire Nation friends. He doesn't want you to be his enemy."
"Ha, yeah of course, let's all cuddle and be friends, sure… I hate you. I hate the Avatar and I do not want your help, so shut it and leave me in peace."
"You… you… fine, captive… rot for all I care. I'd rather help someone grateful than such a…. a… uugh!" Katara angrily stomped off, towards where Sokka and Toph had disappeared.
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"Really Sokka?" Sokka visibly shrunk under Toph's harsh voice. They were in a side alley not far from the market. Sokka stared at the reddish stone structures, deciding then that he'd not be that easily intimidated by Toph:
"He deserved it!"
"Deserved it?" Toph exclaimed. "Deserved it? Have you taken note of his condition at all? No one deserves that!"
"So he was a bit beat up… how do you think Fire Nation prisoners get treated, how Aang would have been treated? They're keeping the captive alive, what more do you expect?"
"No, they're not keeping him alive, they are draining him, killing him slowly, they just pretend to sustain him. It's cruel."
"You know Toph," Sokka said slowly, "The way my mom was killed, it was cruel, too. How the Air Nomads ended, It was cruel. They didn't deserve their fate, either. Life isn't fair, that's how it is, and I can't be like Aang and believe in the good in everything. If anyone deserves punishment, it would be the Fire Nation. And he even recognized us… what does that say Toph?!"
"He can't be blamed for what the Fire Nation has done."
"He could have refused."
"Maybe he didn't have a choice!" Toph bit out.
"There's always a choice,.." A new voice answered, angrily. They saw Katara approaching. "and I just spoke with him. He refused any healing, even though he desperately needs it, ungrateful brat." Katara was seething. Toph pushed the new info aside, she wasn't surprised, so she answered as if nothing had happened.
"You don't know him at all, how can you judge?"
"I don't care who he is, I don't care! I don't feel like helping an arrogant brat like him." Katara had her hands balled. She looked as if she was close to tears.
"Hey Sis, calm down…" Sokka shortly embraced his sister, wrapping an arm around her back. "It's okay, I understand."
Huffing, Toph waited for them to get a hold of themselves. A few minutes passed in silence.
"We should still save him." She finally said determined.
"We should what? Are you crazy? We can't just go around and save some random prisoners. Especially not Fire Nation ones." Sokka's voice jumped quite a bit.
"If we don't, he'll die." Toph all but spat the words. Sokka replied without mercy.
"Hate to break it to you, but people die every day. Especially because of the Fire Nation. Besides, those we've encountered so far have been strictly loyal to the Fire Lord. What do you think will happen?"
It was quiet for a minute, then Toph spoke up again:
"He is a good person. I spoke with him. I think there have been a lot of misunderstandings."
"Toph, he just threatened to announce who we were. He's not on our side. And you can't expect him to just switch sides." Sokka groaned at Toph's stubbornness.
"Aang would agree with me. Besides: The guy'd be in our debt, he wouldn't disregard that, would he? Honour is a big deal in the Fire Nation, isn't it?"
"He'll be considered a traitor if he is caught or even just seen with us. You can't expect that kind of commitment. And don't dare mention this to Aang, he'd even try to reform the Fire Lord if he got the chance. That kid just is too good-natured for his own good."
"Are you sure you're not just holding on to your grudges? We still need a firebending teacher for Aang. If he is a Firebender, then it'd be ideal."
"No, that is not the way to get Aang a teacher. Besides, Aang isn't anywhere near mastering Earthbending yet. We still have time to find him a teacher for Firebending."
"It's hard to find any willing Firebenders these days. You know that!"
"The answer Toph… is no! And it will stay no. Now, I want to hear nothing more about it. Let's go back to the inn." Sokka's voice was stern and left no room for argument. One could see Toph fuming, though she didn't say any more and just pressed her lips together. A moment later she stormed off.
The water siblings just stared after her, shrugging. They knew she'd need to cool off, so they'd let her be for the time being.
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Toph however was already scheming. No, she wouldn't just give up this easily, she was determined, quickly tracking her way back towards the market. She really needed to talk to him, figure out his mind and skill-set. Though, if she was honest: Yeah, she was in denial, so what?! She was already set on getting him anyway.
He just hung there. Arms stretched fully, knees bent and feet dragging on the dirty ground. No one was bothering him at the moment. People hardly spared him a glance and went on with their business as she approached.
"What do you want?" She was surprised when he was the first to speak. He hadn't even moved to look up. His voice had been clipped though, angry as usual. "Can't you leave me alone? Is that too much to ask for?" The hint of despair that had seeped into his voice now, it was somehow new, had never been this strong. It bordered on pleading, throwing Toph off.
It took her a moment to recollect.
"Say, are you a Firebender?"
She heard him move in surprise, lifting his head, then letting it sink again in frustration. She reached out with her Earthbending and noticed something odd. His head felt weird today, as if something was wrapped around it. Why?
"And if I was?" The words were spat, but she had expected the rude tone. He was on the defensive, which meant that he probably had the abilities.
"What is your plan? How do you get out of here?"
"Like I'd share that with you. Leave me alone." She had felt his body's reaction, he hadn't lied but cringed, the taste of fear in the air for a moment.
"You don't have one, do you?" she said gently, hearing the chains rattle a moment later, as he stood up. His arms were now bent, but the wrists still elevated above his head. Anger, overpowering fear, frustration, sadness. It all was present.
"Are you here to torment me Toph? Come to gloat? To remind me how weak I am? Really, is that what you're trying to accomplish? Is that who you are?… I've had enough of that,.. I've had enough…." His voice carried so many emotions, exhaustion present in every word. She hadn't intended to point out his hopeless situation, she'd only wondered if there was any other way out for him. There likely wasn't. He'd have tried already, before losing so much physical advantage.
"I didn't mean it that way."
He didn't reply, and they sank into silence.
She felt for the dust clinging to his body once again. Felt how the breeze, or rather the wind now, moved some of the fine dust particles that didn't stick to his skin. Once again, his face felt weird. By now, she was pretty certain that there was something wrapped around his head.
"Did they bandage your head?" The boy moved in surprise at the inquiry, then shook his head.
"No, someone decided to blindfold me and then left, just this morning. How would you know? Aren't you blind?"
Toph was still for a moment, but then decided to explain. "I see with my bending, there is dust all around us..." then she added, sheepishly: "Didn't expect that, did you?"
"Oh…" The sound was quiet, then a moment later he thoughtfully said: "You know, I should be thankful, the darkness helps with the headache."
Toph was pleasantly surprised to finally have a decently tempered conversation with him. "I bet they didn't realize that." She commented and Zuko felt his lips twitch. But then Toph dropped the bomb:
"Aang will need a teacher, for firebending." she stated thoughtfully.
The prisoner's head shot up.
"Forget it!" The man spat the words, obviously appalled at the suggestion. His whole body had tensed, gone was the semi-pleasant atmosphere they had had just moments before.
"It was merely a thought." Toph couldn't help but feel that somehow, his trust in her had been broken. And it was true. Zuko had wanted to believe that the girl approaching him day after day had only done so to talk to him, hoped so, in some weird way, as she had felt closest to an ally he currently had. But this had wiped it away in one clean swipe.
"I am loyal to the Fire Lord, therefore the Avatar is, and stays my enemy."
"Even though the Fire Lord won't lift a finger to get you out of here?"
Zuko growled at that, a feral sound coming from the depths of his chest. "Don't talk about things you don't understand."
Toph drew back. Somehow these words were filled with more than just spite. There was a darker quality to his voice while saying this than ever before. It was as if he desperately wanted to believe something was whole, when it really had begun to crack.
She could feel his trembling and didn't know what she should do. She'd never been good with comforting people, and so she left, gave him space, as much as he could have in his situation anyway.
That in mind, she made her way to one of the stands selling clothing. She'd take care of some things in the meantime, finalizing her plan of action. In the sky, there was a storm brewing. There was a change in the air. Already, gusts of warm wind howled through the alleys and over the market, and the air grew moist, promising rain, making everyone sluggish. Toph felt there was a storm coming, and soon..
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Zuko was glad she had left. This new revelation was just too much. So they thought of him as a possible firebending teacher!?… he, who still struggled with the basics. He, who had hunted the Avatar,... though he supposed they didn't know that it was him yet. Still… it was just so absurd.
At the same time, he felt alone, abandoned. Toph had been the only one here to treat him with any kindness and apparently unconditional commitment. Well, she had shown her true colours just now…
Zuko wondered though, she had run off at a strange point in their conversation. Disregarding him completely, it was unlike their other meetings. And so the thoughts circled as he waited for the day to end.
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He heard them approach, at least five people. The blindfold was still securely around his eyes, so he had to rely on his other senses. Zuko licked his dry lips, swallowing thick spit. It mildly crossed his mind that his hearing was getting better, his all around awareness of people, too. His senses had become hyper sensitive.
"Hey fire-boy, get up. Don't slack off here."
Zuko suddenly felt something spring to life, a flame, somewhere in their midst.
"I said get up. Pick your feet off the ground or we'll make you."
Zuko stumbled to his feet. Not to heed the command, but to signal that he still had the strength, still had some fight left in him…Someone grabbed his chin and he winced at the touch.
"I think we should let him see this, don't you agree?" the voice from before called out again, too far away to belong to the person holding him.
Various sounds of agreement, then Zuko's blindfold was ripped off. He was forced to stare directly into the flames of a torch. The sight made his legs and head move on its own, recoiling, trying to move away from the flames as memories momentarily mixed with reality.
"Oh yeah, hot, isn't it? Now look at what the Fire Nation caused." The young man in front of Zuko held out his hand and the torch was taken away. The hand was obviously crippled. The skin, an ugly burn scar which had contracted the skin so much, that the fingers couldn't be stretched normally anymore. The guy angrily pulled back his sleeve, where the burn continued up till the elbow.
"And you will pay. I want to see the pain and fear on your face as your own element is turned against you and you can't do anything about it." He started laughing. Again the torch was waved around in front of his face, the flames reflecting in his eyes. The guy wasn't looking though. And Zuko wasn't paying much attention to him anymore, either. Instead, his attention was focused on the flame, trying to stay calm. He could do it, he would snuff out that fire before it burned him. He closed his eyes, feeling for the flame again. There was shouting around him, but he tuned it out. The flame had moved down to his ragged pant legs.
The guy was laughing as the fabric caught fire, but Zuko didn't move. He put all his focus on the flame, trying to frame it, to snuff it, quickly, as he had done in past. Someone grabbed him by the ear though, breaking the concentration.
"Open your eyes, look at it!" the young man demanded.
His hair was grabbed, his head pushed forward and held there. He yelped in pain as his wrists were jolted.
"You see the flames climbing up? Starting to feel the terror that it soon will touch skin?..."
Zuko sucked in air, pace quickening. He could already feel the heat and now desperately stomped his foot. The flames only flickered, climbing ever higher.
"... smell the stench of burned hair and skin… until you're nauseous. Imagine, being trapped in it, smoke filling your lungs… no air to breathe. That's how it felt. I was on the verge of passing out, hear me?!"
The flames were flickering. Every attempt was visible, but it wasn't enough. Zuko twitched his fingers, he could feel the panic coming. Zuko couldn't help but stare at the fire. The hand on his hair had disappeared. Holding his breath, he tried again, his immobility hindering him in addition to his already weakened state. It just didn't want to work. The flames wouldn't obey him anymore, they hadn't for a while.
The flames flickered again. The heat hurt already, the flames almost licked his knee. He started shaking, didn't hear the talking around him anymore, the laughing, the jeering. He wanted to live, not to burn. He would not beg again, though. It had never helped and he was so sick of it. He had failed, the fire would eat at his flesh, tear into him. He couldn't snuff it out.
Fire meant life. He didn't move, didn't struggle or scream, he only recalled this strong want, no, need to live, as he resigned to this fate, a sense of calmness overcoming him. He closed his eyes, not caring to lift his head…
The heat lessened. He could still feel the flames, the fire was alive… it actually felt more alive than ever. He opened his eyes to stare at his leg. There was a black track on his skin where the heat had left soot. The fabric had shriveled away while burning, falling down in ashes. But what really captured his attention was the fire itself. It had grown darker, the flames now a dark red to gentle orange, not the heaty yellow he was used to. He realized that it was in fact touching his skin, though it didn't burn him. He closed his eyes and slowly breathed out. Looking again, he noticed that it had stopped spreading. It was only flickering in place now.
Slowly, he registered the sounds again: the shouting, the cheering. He raised his head, searching for his tormentor's eyes, capturing them in his own burning gaze.
"Put it out!"
The young man froze.
Zuko spoke with a strange calmness, not cold, rather burning in it's own quiet way. The crippled youth winced. He was staring at Zuko's face. Then Zuko witnessed as the torch fell to the ground. As if in trance, the other slowly turned to grab a bucket of water and in one swift motion Zuko got drenched. The fire died with sizzling noises. Zuko's knees buckled and another painful jolt went through his arms. He felt the other one approach, then two hands grabbed his chin almost gently and made him look up. He felt the rough texture of scar texture, the weird way the hand was held. The crippled hand moved towards the scar, thumb ghosting over it slowly. The youth began shaking… then suddenly Zuko's head was pushed down and the other backed away, shaking his head in shock. He staggered, then turned around, retreating. Others followed him, calling a name.
He breathed out a sigh in relief.
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"I'll be out tonight! I'll meet you at Appa's barn tomorrow, alright?" Toph quickly slipped out of the apartment. It was evening and she still had some things she wanted to take care of.
The winds outside had picked up and the air was unbearably humid. She went to the place she had hidden her backpack with the things she had bought this afternoon. She'd bring them to Appa now, as she could already smell the approaching rain in the air. She didn't want the bag to get wet, so she would place it under Appa's tail or something like that. The city gates would close in an hour or so, so she still had plenty of time, but when she started to go back towards the market square, the drops finally started to fall.
In the meanwhile, Zuko was standing up, head leaned back and mouth wide open, trying to get as much liquid into his system as he could. The rain was still warm, but he knew the thunderstorm hadn't yet started, the rain would turn colder still and the winds would cool. And he would stand there, waiting for the shower to pass, unable to use the water properly. Freezing.
He already felt the wetness running down on him, washing down more than a week worth of grime and sweat. At least the thought was pleasant.
He heard the splashing of steps in puddles behind him. He didn't move until the person stopped and called.
"Hey Sparky!"
Zuko looked up.
"You…" he said flatly. Toph approached slowly and sat down on the dirty ground before him and grinned towards his direction. "Why are you here? I told you, I want nothing to do with the Avatar."
"I'm not the Avatar." Toph was twirling dirt in her hand. Zuko just glared at her for a moment.
"Fine, do what you want, just be quiet and let me be…. and don't come complaining to me tomorrow if you get sick!"
Zuko stared at the ground, Toph chuckled quietly.
"We are leaving early tomorrow morning."
Zuko looked up, but Toph was smiling into nowhere, not elaborating on why she had told him. He didn't know what to reply, so he just let it be and waited.
As expected, the rain gradually got colder. The first strikes of lightning could be seen and thunder could be heard. Toph occasionally winced at the noise. They were alone on the deserted market square and the weather gave the place a sinister feel. Zuko was starting to shiver. He saw that Toph had made a wall which seemed to shield her a bit from the wind and rain, but he saw that her clothes clung to her frame just like his trousers uncomfortably clung to his. Zuko sank into himself, not having the energy to even care about standing properly anymore, he'd better try to relax and get some sleep. Another hour passed and they were just waiting there. The sky was now dark, only lightning illuminating it occasionally. Toph had kept up with his wish and had not uttered another word to him, meanwhile she was still playing with dirt. Zuko focused on breathing, trying to warm himself a bit with his firebending without success. He had his mouth opened against the sky to catch the precious liquid, but secretly also, to keep his teeth from chattering.
Then, suddenly, his knees touched ground below him, He lifted his head towards Toph in shock. He hadn't felt the structure move at all, but here he was, sitting fully on his shins… With wide eyes he regarded Toph:
"What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? Getting you some relief, helping you lay down." The pace at which the structure was being lowered increased. Soon he was fully kneeling. "You better move a bit so your hands won't be encased in stone, alright?"
Zuko just let his head fall forward, just letting the relief flood him for a moment, before he gathered himself enough to follow the request and scramble backwards a bit. He straightened his back when his shoulders finally were allowed to rotate downwards and bit down on his teeth to keep from moaning at the pain it caused. Finally, he lay on the ground fully, curled into himself, arms held close. He didn't care that he was laying in a puddle of mud and water. He didn't care about the freezing rain or the uncomfortable ground, he was just glad that he was able to curl up. Exhausted as he was, Zuko soon dozed off.
Toph witnessed the young man collapsing from fatigue right in front of her. After he had been lowered to the ground he had quickly brought himself into fetal position, taking deep breaths. Those quickly evened out though. His vibrations were steady now and she knew he was asleep. She continued waiting. When would those guards finally show up?
00000
"Sparky…. Sparky?" Gentle shaking by warm hands woke him up. He groaned, but then noticed that he was laying on the ground and was completely soaked, still there.
"What…?" He opened his eyes, only to be greeted with a faint silhouette that he recognized as Toph's.
"They weren't here already? Were they?"
"Who?" he asked, still rather muddled.
"Your guards, they didn't show up yet, but it's about eleven at night now, so I doubt they will… were they here before I came?"
Zuko turned his head into her direction, letting out a sigh as he realized what had, or rather hadn't happened. "Don't you get it!? They won't come. It's raining, so I have water."
Toph said nothing, so Zuko turned back, fully intending to go back to sleep, but there was a tug at his wrists. His arms were gently turned, then he heard some clicking noises and his wrists were jolted slightly. He hissed at the pain. Then he heard a click and felt the metal give way. Toph gently lifted his hand towards his body and put it on his belly. After that, he felt his other wrist being turned and handled in a similar manner while he just lay there, too startled, too drained to move. Toph walked around him and he turned on his back fully, taking deep breaths. He had neither the energy nor the heart to protest.
So they were desperate enough to get a prisoner to teach the Avatar firebending… they were showing their true colours now. He couldn't help but snort.
Toph looked up. "What is it? Are you okay?"
Zuko turned his head towards her, regarding her, too tired to glare, the gesture would have been lost to her anyway.
"I'm still your enemy."
"I know." She moved the shackles around his legs, causing him to hiss and bite down on his teeth. Another shackle fell away, only one left. "You will be in our debt, you understand what that means, right?"
Zuko let his head sink back down onto the dirty ground, staring up into the clouds and reluctantly answered. "Yeah"
"I don't expect you to change sides, I don't expect you to do something against your homeland… but don't make life difficult for us as long as we are travelling together, alright?"
Zuko only grunted.
She grabbed the remaining shackle around his ankle and opened it also. The young man however made no move, he just lay there, breathing, staring off into nothing.
Toph let go of the shackles and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Come on, let's go!" She urged and only slowly Zuko uncurled and pushed himself up.
"Toph?... Thank you…"
Edit 15.06.2019: Cleaned up this chapter… I'm super excited that Rene d'Herblay is translating this monster of a story into Spanish! This is giving me the neccessary kick in the butt to finally tackle reworking all the old chapters and improving them.. It's been two years, so it really was time to look things over:D
Edit 2020: Went over it with ML8991 as we're going through the whole story for a cleanup together.
