I'm sorry that there isn't much Zutara in this chapter! I have to settle some issues before I continue with their story. Again, I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of it's characters.
It was three days later that the ship drew into the bay at the Northern Pole. Streamers flew from every tower and trumpets blew when the sentries recognized the sigils of Hakoda and Master Pakku flying from the mast. They were fast bringing down the ice wall and letting the ship into the fort. Katara slipped into her new thick furs. The feel of the soft fur against her face reminded her and reinforced that she home. Home at last. After so long traveling and running, she had finally found a safe place again. She stood on the deck of the ship and saw a crowd waiting to greet them and in the very front was her Gran-Gran. Katara didn't wait for the ship to stop and dock. She jumped off and got a large wave to carry her to her grandmother. She grabbed the old woman and hugged her so tight that she was afraid she may break her grandmother's bones.
She pulled away and felt tears streaming down her face. She wiped them away quickly and saw a shocked expression on Gran-Gran's face.
"What's wrong, Gran? Some might think you didn't miss me."
"I have missed you so much, my child, but when you left you couldn't bend a sphere of water. That was… impressive."
"That? That was nothing. I'll have to show you want I can really do in the next few days. First, Sokka and I have something we need to do. Sokka stumbled onto the deck and hugged Gran-Gran as well. Katara and Sokka pushed their way through the crowd and up to the palace. They greeted Chief Arnook at the Palace gate and asked him for permission to get into the palace walls. They moved to the secret door in the side of the palace and found themselves back in the Spirit Oasis.
Katara passed Sokka a short gold and silver dagger and a small bundle. He knelt in front the small stone tablet with Yue's name and a beautiful engraving of the moon on it.
"Hi, Yue. I miss you, so much. Sukki's doing really well and she told me to say hi to you. We did it. We won the war and you're still not here to celebrate with us." He stopped and took a deep breath. Katara could see his shoulders shaking. She wanted to reach out and help him, but he had insisted that he wanted to this himself. "Katara and I brought some things for you This knife is supposed to honor the service you did for both the water tribes and the fire nation. The second one, is a miniature of the statue that is going to be put up in the courtyard of the fire nation palace part of the war memorial. It's you." He stopped again and turned to his sister. "I don't know what else to say."
Katara walked forward and bent a wreath of ice crystals to sit on the grave. "It's all thanks to you, your highness. Aang never would have made it out of here without your sacrifice. There would not have been any chance of balance. We owe you so much." Katara turned to Tui and La who were still swimming round and round as large koi spirits. "And to both of you, I hope you are keeping our lovely princess safe and happy in the spirit world." Sokka stayed kneeling for a little longer before he stood up and walked back through the doors with Katara trailing him.
"She would have been really proud of you, Sokka."
"Thanks, Katara."
Zuko found himself sitting in a plush sitting room in Gaoling. He was was growing anxious watching Toph pace back and forth and wearing a ditch into the thick rug of the room. Above her hung a large bronze statue of a flying pig. Toph's actions were kind of scaring Zuko. Suddenly she dropped down into one of the armchairs and seemed to be slowly curling into herself.
Toph was usually the most confident and obnoxious girl in the world. Zuko couldn't even remember thinking of her as a blind little girl. He did remember developing a healthy fear of the girl early on. The girl he had been so frightened of was not here now. He had noticed a change in her as soon as they had come into sight of the Earth Kingdom. She had started laughing just a bit too loud and her finger often twitched. When they had entered Gaoling she was constantly moving and her body language seemed to suggest that she wanted to take flight and get away. As soon as their entourage and left them in this room, she had dropped all her pretences. He had tried to speak to her several times, but she never responded. She was turning slowly green by the time a butler entered the room to lead them to the dining room to meet the Beifong family.
They all stopped in front of a pair of tall oak doors. Toph didn't look like she was in any rush to enter the room, so Zuko patted her shoulder and pushed in first. He was greeted by an elegant couple wearing emerald green flowing robes. They both bowed deeply to him, but when they rose and saw their daughter hovering in the doorway, they dropped their pretenses. They stumbled forwards and grabbed their baby girl and her tightly.
"Thank goodness, you are alright. You gave us such a fright sweetheart," Lao Beifong whispered.
"Oh, my baby. We missed you so much," Poppy sobbed.
"I'm fine Daddy. I missed you too, Mom."
When they released her, Toph's mother immediately reached her hands out to help, to lead Toph to the table. Toph tore her arm away from her mother and walked to the table herself with her head held high. She tried to cover her reaction to the snub and bowed to Zuko.
"Fire Lord, won't you sit down. We wouldn't want the food to get cold." Zuko was glad to look away from the intense family scene and find his own seat. The food was served and they all sat in a certain measure of awkwardness. Despite this, Toph's anxiety seemed to gradually fade away. She still sat straight in her seat and used all the proper silverware, but she started talking to Zuko with her mouth open and punching him affectionately on the arm. Zuko was happy to see her acting normally again and relaxed. Toph was like the little sister he would have liked to have and her relaxation was also making him feel more at home. He saw Toph and her father trade stories about the war, but he didn't see her mom's smile grow fixed as she kicked the table with her swinging her legs. He saw Mr. Beifong's eyes twinkle as he remembered Toph's baby days, but he missed Mrs. Beifong's fingers tighten around her fork when Toph called Zuko scarhead. Zuko missed her shaking when Toph wiped her mouth on her sleeve, because he was busy talking politics with her father.
After the meal, Zuko and Toph were feeling almost at home.
"So, Fire Lord Zuko, I understand that you wanted to discuss your plans for the decolonization. Why don't we step into my study? I'm sure my wife would like to welcome Toph back home properly. We could just step into my study." Zuko looked to Toph and she nodded at him and took her mother's arm to lead her into the parlor.
Mr. Beifong led Zuko to the study and they had just sat down to glasses of brandy when the house began to shake. Mr. Beifong seemed shocked, but Zuko was fairly sure he knew what had happened. He stumbled down the hallway and could hear Poppy Beifong's voice long before he reached the parlor.
"I raised you to be a lady! How dare you walk into this house in those rags and with you hair so plain! You have been gifted enormous fortune! The fire lord himself is here as a your guest and you teased him and PUNCHED him. You have forgotten every table manner I ever taught you. I spent years teaching you poise and grace! What are you doing? You are a BEIFONG. You came into this house and snubbed ME? How dare you refuse my hand. Where are you shoes?" The scolding went on and one and the house kept shaking. Zuko burst into the room to find Toph crouched in the corner with tears in her eyes. Poppy loomed over her and she looked up when she heard Zuko enter the room. He dashed forward and placed himself between Toph and her mother.
"Fire lord. I'm so sorry you had to hear that. Just a minor mother-daughter dispute. A family dispute, you understand…" Zuko couldn't even look at her. Poppy stepped back, patted her hair, and rearranged her dress. She tried to step back into the role of diminutive and elegant housewife. She disgust him. Zuko bent down and lifted Toph and wiped the tears from her face.
"Yes, a family dispute. And it seems you have rather upset someone I consider part of the only family I have left. I'm afraid I will have to keep her away from you until she sees fit to forgive you. I myself don't think you are deserving, but perhaps she will be a better person that I am." He turned to Lao Beifong who was just stumbling into the room. "Mr. Beifong, if you ever wish to get in touch with your daughter, please reach out to my household. I will also be in touch and I think your advice and counsel will be invaluable over the next few months."
Zuko stalked out of the manor, as the land continued to shake all around him. He stepped into his carriage and lay Toph onto the bench.
"Breathe, Toph. Just breathe." Toph slowly stopped trembling and the ground stopped moving. Zuko leaned in to hear her wavering voice.
"I thought she would be proud. I just wanted her to be proud."
Zuko rapped on the window to get the carriage and then shut the drapes. He turned to look over Toph's broken form and set his mouth in a hard line.
"She should have been."
Ok, so I really wanted Sokka to go up North with Katara and Toph to go with Zuko to the Earth Kingdom. Of course, that means reminding Sokka of Yue and Toph doesn't really have the war excuse to avoid her parents anymore. I will try for more cutesy stuff next chapter.. We'll see.