Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Viacom.

A/N: Takes place at the beginning of Season 1.

Thanks go to Birdbrainblue and Daneel for Beta-ing!

The Last Earthbender

91. Answers

When the glow subsided, there was a girl lying in the rubble. She couldn't have been older than thirteen.

"Don't get near her," said Azula, as soon as she was back on her feet. "It's a trap."

"I wasn't going to get near her," replied Zuko, affronted. "And how do you know it's a trap?"

"Never trust something you can't explain, Zuko. It might-"

"She's moving!" interrupted Zuko.

"What?"

The girl sat up and rubbed her head, groaning. Her clothes were covered with rock dust, but under the layer of grime they were clearly green and beige.

"No sudden movements!" Azula's demanded, voice snapping like a whip. She jabbed a finger at the girl. "Who are you? How are you alive?"

"I dunno," the girl huffed, holding her head with one hand and pushing Azula's finger away with the other. "Gimme a second, I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of camelephants."

Zuko frowned. "Azula, she's a kid."

"How is that relevant?" Azula focused her attention back on the girl. "What are you doing here?"

The girl got to her feet. "What happened?"

Azula's eyes narrowed. "We were wondering the same thing. Who are you?"

"I'm Toph Bei Fong." The girl sniffed, then spat on the ground. "Why, who are you?"

Azula's nose wrinkled. "You are speaking to Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, daughter of Prince Ozai."

"I'm Prince Zuko," added her brother. "What were you doing in that rock?"

Toph shrugged. "Never heard of you. What are Fire Nation royalty doing all the way out here?"

"That is nothing you need to know," snapped Azula. "We are the ones asking questions. Like what were you doing in that rock?"

Toph snorted. "I dunno. I must've gotten caught by the lava while I was trying stop the volcano."

"Volcano?" wondered Zuko. He looked at Azula, but she didn't return the glance. "How could you have been caught by lava? There haven't been any eruptions in this area for decades at least."

"Uh, I don't know where you've been, but it just erupted."

Azula's eyes narrowed. "How did you survive, then, if you claim to have been buried by lava?"

"Well…" the girl smirked. "I guess I'm just that awesome of an earthbender."

Azula stared a moment, then turned to Zuko. "This is obviously a trap, and not a well-thought out one."

"She doesn't look Water Tribe, Azula," replied her brother. "What if she really is?"

"That means nothing. Think for a moment, brother. An innocent little girl, inside a rock, on a deserted island, found by us? These things don't just happen, Zuzu."

"Hey!" snapped Toph, hands curling into fists. "Who are you calling an 'innocent little girl?'"

"Oh, don't take it personally." Azula's tone was flippant. "It's all a relative matter. A great, hulking Water Tribe savage in an exploding rock wouldn't go over nearly as well, would it now? Though I admit she's not doing a good job of winning us over."

Toph shook her head. "What are you even talking about? And what's with you and waterbenders? Do you really expect to see any out here?"

"Waterbenders could be anywhere," said Zuko, looking out at the horizon. "This is contested land."

Toph frowned for a moment, then said; "Oh, I get it now. Why nothing you say makes sense, and why you claim to be Fire Nation royalty but don't have names that I recognize. You're both insane."

"We're not crazy," growled Zuko, and Azula rolled her eyes.

"I have to agree with my brother. We are both quite sane."

"Whatever you say, Princess. Nice job naming yourself after baby Azulon, by the way." Toph sighed. "This is just my luck, isn't it? Surviving the volcano only to be found by the local nut jobs."

Azula glared. "Who are you working for, Toph Bei Fong?"

"I'm not working for anyone, Princess Paranoia. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be going." The girl turned around and left.

Azula smirked. "Yes, do enjoy the rest of this very tiny island with no food or fresh water."

"Whatever." Toph walked down the slope, stepping assuredly with bare feet across the sharp volcanic stone. After a moment, Zuko followed.

"Zuko, what are you doing?" snapped Azula, but her brother didn't acknowledge her.

As soon as her toes touched the lapping waves at the base of the slope, Toph froze. "What?" she whispered, then yelled; "Why in all the Spirit World is there water all the way up here?"

Zuko spoke, standing a few yards back from the strange girl. "It's the ocean. Are you really an earthbender?"

Toph snorted. "Sure it is." She turned, and started to walk along the water's edge, her brows furrowed with frustration. "And yeah, of course I am."

Zuko came closer, following Toph as she skirted the sea's edge. "How did you survive? Are there others?"

"Uh, duh. It's called the Earth Kingdom for a reason." She stopped by a small boulder, and kicked it into the ocean with almost no effort. It hit the surface a few yards out with a tremendous splash.

Zuko looked at her in amazement, then said; "But… it hasn't been called the Earth Kingdom for a century."

Toph straightened, and started off again, this time at a steady jog, her feet leaving indentations in the stone.

"Where are you going?" called Zuko. "If there are others, then where are they?"

Toph paused, and dipped her toe into the water. She turned away with a growl. "I'm looking for the way down, to where things make sense!"

"There is no way down, unless you want to swim for it."

Toph took off running, and the earth shook with her footfalls. Zuko tried to keep up, but slipped and stumbled on the loose rocks as he did.

"Stop! Why are you here? Why aren't you fighting in the war?"

Toph reached the water again, splashing in up to her knees. "Argh!" she cried. "What is going on here?"

Zuko stopped next to her. "Why are you so surprised? How did you get here in the first place? It's an island, you must have come here somehow-"

Toph kicked another boulder, and it splashed down some distance away. "I wasn't on an island before."

At that, a strange thought sparked in Zuko's mind. "You… didn't know it was an island? How long were you in that rock?"

"I dunno. I guess I got hit pretty hard. A few hours? A day?"

Zuko looked at Toph intently. "This has been an island for a hundred years."

Toph shook her head. "No. It can't have been that long."

"It sounds impossible, but-"

"Maybe I was blown into the air," interrupted Toph. "To another… but no, that's not right. This is the same mountain. It's just under water now..."

"I think you were in there for a hundred years at least, Toph." Zuko tried to look sympathetic, but ended up just looking confused.

Toph whirled, expression furious. "I don't know if you're crazy or what, but I need some answers now. What happened here?"

"The Deluge," answered Zuko. "The seas rose."

Toph closed her eyes, and scowled. "The seas rose. To the top of this mountain. While I was sleeping."

"It sounds crazy," replied Zuko. "But if you remember the world before the water rose… it's the only explanation."

Toph opened her eyes, and glared at Zuko's chin. "Okay, this is a warning. If you are lying to me, I will crush you."

Zuko crossed his arms. "I'm not lying. You can see the ocean yourself."

The girl sniffed. "Actually, no."

Zuko frowned, and pointed at the sea. "It's right there."

"She's blind, Zuzu."

Zuko turned, and saw Azula step out from behind the boulder she'd been using to hide. Toph looked unsurprised.

Zuko blinked. "What?"

Azula let out a long-suffering sigh. "She doesn't meet your gaze, her eyes are cloudy with cataracts, and she had to go feel the water to make sure it was there."

"Well, at least someone here is observant," snorted Toph.

"Although," continued Azula. "I do wonder how she didn't trip over all the rocks along the shore, like you did, Zuko."

"She was shaking the earth!" objected Zuko.

Toph shrugged. "I don't need to see, Princess."

The Fire Nation princess smirked. "I suppose you smelled them, then?"

"No. I see with earthbending. Like seeing with my feet." Toph pointed at Azula. "I can see you, that rock, that… there really isn't much on this island, is there?"

Azula's eyebrows rose with interest. "Hm… Well, because you can't see it, I'll assure you that we are on a tiny, uninhabited islet with no other land in sight."

"Listen," said Zuko. "If she's an earthbender, we should bring her to Father."

"Of course we'll bring her to Father," nodded Azula.

"Uh…" Toph raised her hand. "I'm right here, people."

Azula glanced at Toph with a calculating eye. "Especially if there's more earthbenders, where she came from…"

Toph put her hands on her hips. "You two aren't gonna just take me wherever you see fit."

Azula smirked. "Would you rather we leave you here?"

"No." Toph shook her head. "But I am going to have a say in where we're going." The earthbender shrugged and grinned. "I am the Avatar, after all."