Crossroads
AN: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I got in a car accident a few weeks ago and I have been in so much pain. I will try to post twice or more a week. Just bare with me. I hope that you like it. As you already know, I fired my beta-reader/sister, because she wasn't taking this seriously. I already asked two awesome and potential beta-readers to help me with my story. I received a reply from one of them, and from next week on, you can enjoy cleaner grammar. I know that this story will be amazing with their help... Anyhow, I shall let you go. Let me know how you feel about the story.
-Mercury Serenity
Upheaval
The sun was setting behind the canopy of the trees, leaving behind a trace of beautiful golden orange-yellow tones, muted pinks, and soft blue hues on the horizon. Rae reached for Toph's hand and sighed, as they slowly walked down the inn's hallway. He tightened his little hand around his mother's hand and tugged at her arm, hoping that his action would make her walk faster.
"The parade is about to start," Rae said, as he hopped, trying to see out the windows. There were people gathering around the streets, chatting and laughing merrily. Just another hour and he would be able to see the Avatar performing airbending in the town parade. He'd seen him practice, and he was fascinated with the Avatar's ability to manipulate four elements. He was anxious to see the parade and to eat cotton candy. "Sokka said that there are going to be fireworks too, Momma," he said in a sing-song voice.
"Yes, after the parade is finished, the festival will start," Toph said, nodding her head, as they slowly made their way down the corridor. "Are you hungry, Rae?"
"A little, but I'm waiting for Katara to bring me cotton candy," he chuckled excitedly. "Can we walk a bit faster, Mom?"
"Sure," she said gently.
"Thank you," Rae smiled thankfully, when his mother quickened her steps. He hugged her waist. "Thank you, Mom, for letting me come with you," he said gratefully.
"You are welcome, son," Toph ruffled his hair and felt her heart boast with pride. "I'm glad that you are here with me."
They continued walking down the stairs, as Rae told her how excited he was to see the parade, the firework display and how anxious he was to taste cotton candy. When they stepped outside the inn, Rae inhaled the afternoon air. The sun was still high; the warmth of the afternoon penetrated his pores and he felt recharged. He smiled pleasantly and held on to his mother's hand. Toph carefully placed her feet on the ground, her legs parted, as she memorized the street, using her seismic sense.
"Ready?" she said, looking down at her son.
"Yes, Momma," he skipped impatiently around his mother. Toph chuckled and brought her son closer to her. They trudged down the sidewalk, their hands joint. There were countless children running amuck, giggling merrily, and enjoying the atmosphere.
"There are kids around us, son, do you want to go and play with them, Rae? You can play, as long as you keep the bracelet on," Toph said, tracing soothing circles on the back of her son's hand. He shook his head and tugged at her skirt with his free hand.
"No," he said animatedly. "Not now… maybe later, Momma. I want to be here when Katara brings me cotton candy." He said, looking up into his mother's opaque green, sightless eyes.
"Just let me know when you want to play with them, Rae," she said, closing her eyes and inhaled. She placed her hands on her son's shoulders and sighed. "Katara wanted us to wait for her near the fountain. She shouldn't take long."
"We shouldn't keep her waiting, either, Momma."
"Okay,"
They sauntered over to the far corner of the street, away from the large crowd. Rae guided her towards the fountain, running his small hand over the surface of the water. He smiled happily and shook his hand to remove the excess water before they sat on a bench near the fountain and waited for Katara. They remained silent, waiting for the waterbender and her brother and the rest of their friends. Rae remained quiet, staring at a young family: a mother, a father, and their young daughter, playing and laughing. He sighed dejectedly. He loved his mother, but he knew that there was someone missing in his life. He needed a father. His mother rarely spoke of him, but when she did, she would mention that he was a powerful firebender. She would seldom describe him. He knew that his father's skin was fair and had dark hair that sometimes fell down to his shoulders. According to her, he was tall, broad shoulders and muscular.
"Rae," Toph said softly, attaining his attention. "You'll meet him someday. I promise," she said seriously, her eyes fixed on the ground. She flicked her wrist and the ground around her feet began to move. Two small pebbles rose to the air, and suspended in front of Rae.
"How do you know?" Rae stared wide-eyed at his mother and gulped heavily. "How do you know I was thinking of him?"
"I know everything about you," she chuckled despondently and sighed slowly, moving the rocks in an undulating manner. "You are too much like him."
"I know, that's what you are always telling me," he said, looking down at his hands.
"You get sad when you see family that has a father, Rae," she said softly. He knew his mother was able to detect a person's mood by the beats of their heart despite her blindness. "Do you want to talk about him?"
He nodded. "Yes, please. But, won't it make you sad?"
"I don't think so," she paused. "You'll meet him sooner or later, Rae. Why prevent the inevitable," she said to herself.
"If I were to see him," Rae said, finding the correct words to use. "How will I know it's him? How do I know that he is my father?"
He wanted to meet his father so badly, but he just felt so guilty whenever he spoke about it with his mother. He wanted to meet his father, whose name he did not know. He wanted to have a family, similar to the one that was a few meters away from them. He wanted his mother to be happy. Maybe his father was the missing piece in her heart.
"You are so much like your father, Rae. If you were to see him, inspect his face. He has a scar on the left side of his face. It covers his eye," she said, tilting her head to the side. "You have his same eye color; amber. But you are also so much like me."
"That's good, right?" he asked nervously. "I'm more yours than him."
"It's not bad, and yes, you are so mine," she shrugged. "You are a perfect combination of your parents."
"Mm-Hmm," he said, nodding. "Do you think that he will like me? If he sees me, can he guess who I am?" he asked curiously.
"I wish I could answer those questions, Rae," she said, standing up. "We can talk about him later. Come on, let's go look for Katara. If we don't find her in the next ten minutes, I'll buy you two bags of cotton candy, deal?"
"Deal, Momma! But, before we go, can I ask you a question?" he said seriously.
"Sure,"
"Will he be mad at you for keeping me from him?"
"Um," she said, the pebbles that were suspending on the air collapsed on the floor and her jaw dropped. "I-"
"If he gets mad at you, I don't want to know him."
"Why, Rae?"
"Because you are the best," he said, hopping off the bench. Rae was about to hug his mother, when a chubby earth kingdom kid bumped in to him; accidentally stepping on his foot.
"Ouch," Rae said, crouching down to touch his foot. "Someone stepped on my foot, Momma!" he said, wincing in pain. "That kid stepped on my foot,"
"Watch where you are going!" Toph growled angrily and picked Rae up in her arms.
"Don't talk to my son that way!" A large woman said, glaring at Toph. "Your kid was on his way! He should apologize to my son."
"My kid wasn't in his way… Teach your kid some manners!" The young earthbender shouted irritated.
"Are you telling me how to raise my child?" the lady said, moving closer to Toph, trying to intimidate her.
"If you don't move out of my way, I'll bury you so deep in to the ground that the best earthbenders won't be able to find you," she said, moving her hand, causing the ground beneath the lady to tremble. The woman took a step back and rushed to her son, dragging him with her.
"Let's get away from here. It's getting crazy," Toph said, sensing the people around her. Her tone of voice changed as she spoke to her son. "Better?" she asked soothingly, smiling gently at him, as they walked away.
"Yes," he nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder. He watched the street become distance from over her shoulder.
"The parade should be starting in a few minutes. I just want to go to a quiet place for a little while, Rae. I promise that you'll not miss it, okay?"
"I understand," He said, observing the world from a distance.
"Is your foot better?"
"Yes," he muttered.
"I just need five minutes away from all this noise, son," she said tiredly.
"Okay,"
"After the parade is done, we are going to eat dinner, and then we are going back to the inn to rest. Tomorrow is a very important day, Rae; we are going to search for an old friend of mine."
"Who?" Rae asked curiously, placing the palm of his hands on her cheeks. Toph remained silent, as she knowingly walked among the swarm of people. She didn't care about the world, because the most important thing in her life was in her arms. Rae meant everything to her. He was her sun and thanks to him, she felt alive.
"Rae," she paused, gnawing at her lip. "I know that you want to meet your father," she said, trailing off.
"Momma, you don't have to tell me now," he said, his bottom lip quivering sadly. "You can tell me when I'm older. You get sad when you talk about him,"
"Zuko, he's name is Zuko." She said in a quiet voice.
"Zuko?"
"Yes, Rae. You've heard of him." Toph leaned closer to her son's ear and whispered lowly. "Sokka told you about him."
"He's the Fire Lord, Momma." He said puzzled, looking in to her eyes. She sighed and turned her face away, avoiding her son's glance. "He's a firebender, just like me. Your friend is my father?"
"Yeah," Toph said, gulped hard. They reached another street and remained near the sidewalk. They remained quiet, as the small child took in her words and made his own conclusions. She felt strange. Rae's reaction wasn't exactly what she'd expected from him. Her child was too mature for his age.
"Do you think that Zuko – my father – will like me?"
"I-"
"Do I really look like him?" he asked quickly. "People tell me I'm cute,"
"You are a cutie,"
"But you can't see me, Momma," he sulked. "How do you know?"
"Because you are my son," she said gently, tenderly tracing circles on his small back.
"Will he like to teach me firebending?" Rae said, bringing her out of her stupor. She chuckled, as he continued to ask many questions.
"I don't know," she shrugged, gently stroking his hair. "We'll find out soon. He's in this town… I have a feeling that will see him soon."
"How soon? I want to meet him," Rae whispered.
"It would be nice for you to meet him," Toph said. "You will see him soon."
"Okay, Momma." He said, dropping the subject and looked in to his mother's green eyes. They remained quiet, listening to the upheaval of spectators that walked past them, talking about the parade. "The parade is about to start… Why don't they hurry up?" Rae asked irritated, as he moved in her arms.
"Who?" Toph asked, resting her feet flat on the floor, receiving the vibration that the ground sent her and studied the hordes of people that surrounded her.
"Aang, Katara, and Haru."
"They left the inn before we did," Toph explained. "Aang is going to be in the parade. Knowing Sokka, he probably went off to buy snacks. Suki and Katara went to reserve a table at a restaurant near the inn we are staying. They'll be back soon. Katara promised you cotton candy, didn't she?"
"She did, Momma. I'm excited." Rae said, snaking one arm around his mother's neck.
The night promised to bring excitement. Sokka's words had painted a marvelous and beautiful picture in Rae's head about how the parade and the festival were supposed to be. The sound of wind instruments and horns could be heard in the distance. They strolled around the plaza, waiting patiently, but Toph's friends weren't anywhere near. "What's taking them so long, Mom? Katara promised me cotton candy,"
"They'll be here, Rae, just be patient."
"But when? The parade is going to start! I want to taste cotton candy." Rae said impatiently, as he looked around their perimeter and sighed. Toph stifle a laugh. Just a few minutes ago, she'd confessed to her son who his father was and now he was complaining about Katara not being in time to give him the cotton candy she'd promised. "Katara said she wouldn't take that long… that cotton candy is delicious and it's made out of sugar... Sokka and Aang said that cotton candy was like cloud… is it true?" He whined and writhed in his mother's arms. She gently placed him on the floor and he moved closer to his mother's leg.
"It is made out of sugar, Rae. Listen, let's just rest for a few more minutes and then I'll buy you cotton candy… then you can taste how great cotton candy really is, son." Toph said nonchalantly. "Just wait a few more minutes."
"What if she gets mad that you bought me cotton candy, Momma?"
"Then you tell her that she was late," Toph said casually.
"Where are they? Can you find them, Momma? Use your seismic senses to see them,"
"Son, there are many people here. They are probably on their way to the parade."
"I can't wait. Can I go and buy myself some cotton candy?" he asked, making an about face and glanced around. There were small food kiosks selling all sorts of unknown things. This town was so different from Song. The children ran unsupervised down the street, they had parades, and it was so much livelier.
"Rae, listen, I need you to be patient and wait a little longer. It's dangerous if you go out on your own. Please, be obedient, son, stay beside me. That's the only way I can keep you safe."
"Okay, Momma," Rae scowled. He remained near her, scanning the area for the Avatar, the southern water tribe siblings, Suki or Haru. He was bored and desperate to taste the delicious confection of sugar and clouds. His mouth watered at the thought of eating something so heavenly. "Momma, is cotton candy really made out of sugar and clouds?" he asked suddenly.
"Why do you want to know?" Toph chuckled.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "May be because clouds are up there," he sighed, pointing at the sky with his free hand. "Cotton candy is fluffy, Mom. How do they grab the clouds from the sky and put them in candies?"
"I don't know, Rae." She said, carefully touching his bracelet. "I've never heard of cotton candy being made out of clouds and sugar."
"Aang said-"
"Oh, the parade is about to start! Let's go and get you some delicious cotton candy." Toph said, giving his small hand a gentle squeeze. "You have to tell me if cotton candies are made of clouds after you taste them, got it?"
"I will," he said contently, looking at the street. They waited in line at one of the kiosk. The child couldn't wait to taste the scrumptious confection of sugar and clouds. The line was slowly moving. Toph held on to Rae's hand, the chattering and whispering of the people in front of the line caught Toph's attention.
"Last year's parade was good, but this year promises to be better. The Avatar is going to be here," A young male said excitedly to the girl beside him. "I heard from a friend of mine, that he grew into his ears. She came from the outskirts of town just to see him."
"I doubt it," A girl muttered. "I saw him earlier... His ears are still big. I did hear that his friend, the Fire Lord is in town."
"There are speculations that he's going to be the second guest of honor at the parade. My neighbor – he works at the parade committee – told me that he is staying at the Red Dragon.
Toph's hands got clammy. She grabbed Rae by the shirt and move past the people, ignoring their protest, until she reached the couple that was wrapped-up in their conversation. She cleared her throat and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me," she said through gritted teeth, forcing a polite smile."I'm sorry to interrupt," she paused and gulped loudly. "Did you say that the Fire Lord is staying at the Red Dragon?"
"Yes, that's what my friend said. I'm not sure if it's true. It's just speculations, but I have a feeling it is true. The security at the Red Dragon is pretty tight since last night."
"Where is the Red Dragon?"
They stared curiously at Toph, but she didn't care. It's not like she could reciprocate their stares. "It's on the opposite side of this street. The fastest way to get there is through the alley, pass a clearing and across a bridge. You won't miss it. The letters are big."
"Oh, thanks," Toph said and quickly turned around, dragging her son with her. "Rae, let's go,"
"Mom, where are we going? What about my cotton candy?"
"To the Red Dragon… away from here, Rae," she said sternly, stomping her feet on the floor, creating miniature earthquakes as she trudged.
"What about the parade?"
"It can wait, son,"
"But, Mom," Rae complained. "I want to taste cotton candy! What if Aang or Sokka don't find us. Katara and Suki will be worried."
"Let them, Rae," she said, her voice was strained. "This is important, son. I'll buy you all the cotton candy that you want later, I promise."
They walked to the opposite side of the street, deeper in to an alley, until they came across a clearing. She didn't know where she was going, but she needed to get this over with. She needed to see Zuko. She couldn't wait any longer. She sighed. Maybe she was rushing in to things. What if she was wrong? The sound of the crowd was behind them. She felt a tree nearby and ambled towards it, her son trailing after her. Toph didn't let go of his hand. He kept her grounded, focused.
"Rae," she said, her voice strained with a myriad of emotions. "We have to talk, son,"
"The parade, Mom," he lamented.
"I'll take you there later... you can go to the festival and see the fireworks..." she promised, sitting at the foot of the tree and ran her hands over her face and exhaled."As soon as I can, son. Your mother just needs a time to collect herself. We'll go back, I promise."
"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath as he looked at the gathering crowd from afar. His tiny shoulders were hunched, as he paced around the tree. "Are we going to see Zuko?"
"I don't know,"
"He might be at the parade,"
"Maybe,"
Toph felt sorry for taking her son away from the parade. She really wanted to be a better mother, but the sudden decision to face the Fire Lord sent her world spiraling. She inhaled and let her inner calmness engulf her. She closed her eyes and inhaled softly. She kept her acute senses focused on the pitter-patter of her son's footsteps. The afternoon breeze felt nice against her skin. It was nice to be surrounded by the sound of the night. She found solace in hearing her son's soft heartbeats.
"Momma," Rae noticed his mother's lips pursing. "Mom, are we going to see him?"
"Yes, it's the right thing to do." She nodded, her head tilting to the side, and reached for his face. "Yes, it's what I should've done a long time."
"Are you sure?" he asked, arching a questioning eyebrow. "I won't be mad if I don't see him."
She chuckled and brought him into a tight hug. "No, son, we should do this. I owe it to you and to him. You two need to meet."
"Ohh," he managed to say and sat beside her. "Can you make small models of houses?" He asked, leaning his head against her arm and silently watched the ground around him move. His mother was making the dirt take different shapes. He always enjoyed when she used her earthbending to build forts out of soil. "Ba Sing Se, Momma. Do a small version of Ba Sing Se, please." He said excitedly, forgetting about the parade.
Toph's worries were slowly dissipating. She was thankful that she had such an understanding and forgiving child. Rae was a present from the gods. He had to be, because just as his name implied, he was her ray of sunshine in the middle of her dark and bleak world.
His soft laughter and chuckles began to ease the tension in her heart. She leaned against the tree and moved her hands, creating a small replica of the glorious city of Ba Sing Se. Every detail that she could remember was meticulously displayed on the floor.
"What else, Rae?" she asked, but her son didn't answer. His laughter had died, and he was moving closer to her. He gasped and tightened his hold on her upper arm.
"Momma," Rae muttered nervously.
She felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Her hands slowly fell to her side and she gulped the invisible knot that had formed in her throat. She thought she'd been prepared for this moment, bus she'd been so wrong. She froze. The brave Blind Bandit was unable to react. She was frozen in her spot. Toph held her breath, as the footsteps approached them.
"He has a red cloak," Rae whispered, hiding his face behind his mother's arm. "Dark red and golden, Momma," He said, describing the hooded man that was closing on them. She nodded absentmindedly.
"Toph?" The stranger stopped a few yards away from them and slowly removed the hood he had over his head.
"He knows your name, Momma," Rae whispered closely to his mother's ear. He watched attentively, as the stranger continued to move closer. Rae had to lift his face to have a better view of the person that was in front of them.
"What are you doing here?" Toph managed to say, placing her hands on the floor. "Shouldn't you be ruling the Fire Nation?" she asked sternly.
"Shouldn't you have told me that you bore me a son?" He said angrily, revealing his scarred face, causing Rae to gasp.
"Zuko?" he said, moving away from his mother.
"Rae, don't," Toph tried to hold her son down, but he was quicker than her.
"I'm Rae." Rae said energetically and walked over to Zuko. Toph walked behind her son, but kept her distance from the Fire Lord. Zuko didn't move or answer, he just stared intently at the child. Rae was definitely his. The shape and color of his eyes were identical to his. The softness and innocence of his eyes reminded him of his mother's gentle eyes whenever she smiled. This child was an identical version of him. Zuko's eyes darted from Toph and then to Rae. The child tugged at his cloak, motioning him to get to his eye level. Zuko knelt in front of Rae. "Can you firebend?" Rae asked curiously, placing his tiny hand over Zuko's scarred eye. The child's hands were warmed against the Fire Lord's skin.
"Are you a firebender, Rae?" Zuko asked in a deep husky voice.
Rae nodded. "Yes," he replied proudly, snaking his little arms around his father's neck. "I can show you."
"You don't have to, I believe you." Zuko smiled perplexed, excited, and emotionally perturbed; unable to comprehend what was happening to him. He felt the strangest connection to this child. He felt like they belonged together; they were part of a puzzle that had once been lacking pieces, but suddenly it was completed. He couldn't deny his feeling; perhaps his heart was telling him the truth. Toph gave him a son. He didn't know the reasons behind Toph's decision to hide their son from him. He couldn't fathom an idea as to why he didn't get to see his son grow up. This time he was willing to fight for his son.
"You'll be proud of me," Rae said, staring deeply in to Zuko's eyes.
"I'm already proud of you," Zuko's raspy voice sent a torrent of emotions towards Toph.
Through the vibrations of the ground, she could see Rae and Zuko holding each other. Her heart broke. She'd denied her son a father for so many years. She'd denied Zuko a son and she wasn't sure how the Fire Lord was going to take it. He seemed angry earlier, but as he talked to Rae, his anger diminished, and quickly, it disappeared.
Zuko scooped the child off the floor and effortlessly took him in his arms. He walked up to Toph, towering over her. She inhaled his familiar scent of fire, incense, and ocean breeze. She'd memorized it many years ago. It was engraved in her heart and memories. Her fingertips knew the contours of his face and the texture of the scar that covered his left eye. She bit the inside of her cheeks, preventing herself from gasping or showing any emotion or sign of weakness. She remained stoic, strong, and fearless on the outside, but inside, she was losing control.
"You and I have a long conversation pending," he said through gritted teeth. He turned his attention to the child and smiled. "Where would you like to go, Rae?"
Rae smiled radiantly and looked over at his mother. She looked distant. "Can we all go to the parade?" he asked, his smile dying.
"Sure," Toph said, forcing a smile. "That would be great."
"Yes," Rae said excitedly. He was content. Perhaps his dream of having a family would come true very soon!
AN: By the way, Zuko knew about Rae. Next chapter, you'll know about his reasons to leave the Fire Nation. I think that it's getting good. I love Rae; he's so understanding and forgiving. I love kids. Take care and give me plenty of reviews. More than ten reviews get another chapter for tomorrow.