Chapter III
Zuko awoke with a start, his heart throbbing in his throat. He had had a nightmare of being buried alive, the earth crashing in around him. It had felt so real.
He looked over at Toph, who still slept soundly underneath his coat. It had gotten cold last night, so he had given it to her, after she had fallen asleep of course.
He blinked his eyes, looking at the rising sun. He had fallen asleep, that was not supposed to happen. He looked around, noticing that they were on the ground; Appa must have decided that it if everyone else was asleep then he could be too. He rubbed his eyes, looking at the trees around them. Their glossy red leaves rustled slightly in the breeze, their smooth brown trunks lines up in neat, organized, lines. Cherries hung heavily on the branches, ripe and ready to be picked. Appa must have landed in a town.
Zuko moved to the edge of the saddle, looking about at the smooth stone path. Not just any town, Gaoling. He swallowed hard. He had only been here once before in his travels, long ago when he was still hunting the avatar. The place seemed just about the same as it had back then, suspended away from the travails of the war, protected in a shell of mountains that deflected any harm. He looked down at Appa's slumbering face.
How had he known where he wanted to go? He wondered, giving the big beast a friendly pat on the head. A resounding growl indicated that Appa was pleased with the pat, though it had emanated from his sleep.
"Good job." He mumbled, hopping down off of the slumbering beast. He walked along the stone wall, resting only a few paces from the road. Coming around the corner, he was shocked to see the front gate, with its flying boar seal suspended above in silver metal. They were at Toph's house.
The full weight of what he was trying to pull fell down on him. "Crap." He muttered, running his hand through his hair. Well, guess there was no turning back.
He made his way back over to Appa, grabbing handfuls of cherries and popping them in, chewing on their succulent flesh.
Azula did not like cherry pits. He thought as he ate around them, spitting them out with a slight grin of pleasure. He found them amusing, probably just because he used to order his cherries with their pits still in them, thus forcing Azula either to get her own or eat around the pits which he knew she hated. Zuko smiled to himself, it seemed that Azula was not the only one who could cause trouble.
He walked back to Appa, climbing up with the cherries he had picked. Once up there he sat for a while, eating and spitting, picking more cherries off of the high branches nearest Appa. Soon his mouth was bright red from their succulent juice, his fingers sticky and grimy. He pulled out a canteen of water, drinking some them using some of it to wash off his hands. He looked over at Toph, who was still sleeping. She had been quite exhausted after sobbing in his arms, being emotionally drained, it was probably a new experience for her. He just hoped that she felt better today, that way he had a better chance of surviving.
After a while longer of munching and chewing on his cherries, Zuko that it was time to face his fears and rouse her. He walked over to her, grabbing her shoulder and shaking it in a manner he thought was gentle. All he got back was loud snore. He figured he would have to do a bit more to wake the girl up. He shook her gruffly, calling her name. Still she persisted in sleep.
Zuko frowned; this girl would wake up at the slightest vibration that meant trouble but when it came to a morning's excursion she was as solid as the earth she bent. He went over and grabbed the canteen, having sense enough to pull off his jacket before dosing her in the face. The reaction was immediate.
Toph sat up abruptly, throwing her arms about and howling. She swung her fists at imaginary enemies, daring them to come on. When she heard Zuko's laughter she calmed down a bit, realizing what had happened.
She began wiping the water off of her face, frowning. "Very funny Sparky." She said. Zuko calmed himself, trying to remember the image on Toph's face.
"Sleep well?" He asked. Toph shook out her hair.
"Ya, until some wise guy decided to dump water on me." She said. Zuko went over to her, sitting next to her.
"Sorry, but I couldn't get you up." He said, placing a few cherries in her hand. Toph rolled one between her fingers real quick, snapped off the stem, and popped it in her mouth, crunching on it, pit and all.
"Uhhh, Toph, you're supposed to spit out the pit." Said Zuko. Toph just laughed at him.
"Ya, that's what my Mom used to tell me, but it sure didn't stop me then, so it ain't now." She replied, popping two more in. Zuko winced at the sound of the pits being crushed between her molars. Toph smacked her lips together, finishing of her cherries.
"Say, those are really good, got anymore?" She asked. Zuko handed her the remainder of his supplies, cherry trees only a foot or so away.
"So." Said Toph around a mouthful of cherries and pits. "When are we going to get there?" Zuko's throat dried. He tried to say something but the words didn't come out, just a squeak. Toph laughed.
"What's the matter, got a cherry pit stuck in your throat?" She asked, smacking him on the shoulder blade; she was probably aiming for his back. Zuko cleared his throat.
"No, it's just a bit dry." He said, taking a swig from the canteen. He cleared his throat, turning back to see red juice dripping down Toph's chin, bright red fingers popping in more cherries.
"We're actually here." Said Zuko, trying to not imagine the cherry juice as his own blood. Toph stood up stretching.
"Really? Well then let's get a move on. Personally I could stand for some more cherries, they're just like the ones we had back…" Her words cut off as she landed on the ground, the familiar earth echoing out to her where she was. Zuko landed beside her, waiting to see her reaction. She sat stunned for a moment, her brows wrinkled with confusion. She opened her mouth, taking a second to think of what to say, but all that came out was.
"Home?" Zuko swallowed. This was the moment of truth, if he could not sell Toph here he was done for. He'd probably be in a six foot ditch within the hour, still alive.
"Ya, home. Jack thought that it would be best if you made things right with your parents." Said Zuko, remembering what Jack had told him as well as the time Toph had spoken to him on the subject, though admittedly Zuko was not paying all that close attention. He had hoped that by using Jack's name he could keep her calm, but unfortunately it did not quite work out like that. Instead of keeping her calm it more or less made her cheeks burst into flames as her knuckles creaked in tight little fists.
"You brought me home?" Said Toph, grinding her teeth. Zuko took a step back.
"Yes, yes I did." He said, getting ready for an attack. Toph turned to him, irate.
"Are you nuts!? What in the world were you thinking?! You think I ever want to come back here? I ran away for goodness sake's! My parents are a bunch of nosey, pompous, pretentious, arrogant, know it all's who were constantly in my business, just like you are apparently." She said, poking Zuko in the chest. "Our little fieldtrip, is over. You are going to take me back to the palace and that's the end of that." She said, marching back over to Appa. Zuko held his ground.
"No." He said. Toph stopped, about ready to get back on Appa.
"What did you say sparky?" Zuko tried to remind himself that he was the older one here, but with Toph's incredible bending abilities it was rather easy to forget that she was only fourteen.
"I said no. This is supposed to be a life changing fieldtrip, what can be more life changing than making things rights with your parents?" He said.
"Ya, it sure will be life changing, from freedom to prison." Said Toph. Zuko gritted his teeth.
"Listen, I'll probably never have this opportunity for myself, my father is a crazed mad man and my mother is more than likely dead, I can't rectify things, but you can. Sure they smothered you, but it was out of love."
"For themselves, not me. I was their little dress up doll, something for them to play with. My father had wanted a son, but because I was born a daughter and blind he gave up. Somehow, to him, it was my fault that I wasn't a boy" She said. Zuko stood his ground.
"We are going to go up to that front gate, and we're going to talk to your parents. You're going to set things right, and then we'll leave, not before." He said, readying himself. Toph stepped towards him.
"You certain about that Sparky?" She asked. Zuko breathed out slowly. He was the older one. He was in charge.
"Yes, I am." He said, holding himself erect. Toph nodded her head, as if respecting his audacity. For a moment Zuko thought he had managed to avert danger, but then Toph moved.
She stepped with a rigid motion, shooting three earthen pillars at him. Leaping to the side, he dodged the pillars, putting together a two punch move that sent fireballs flying in Toph's direction. Pulling the ground up, Toph made a wall and blocked his move, punching the wall afterwards and sending it hurtling towards him. Breathing in, he leapt into the air, performing a spinning kick and shooting out an arc of flame that shattered the earthen wall. He landed on his feet, arms raised and ready.
"We don't have to fight Toph!" He yelled. Toph laughed.
"You're just saying that because you know I'm going to win!" She yelled back, punching the ground and sending a title wave of earth at him. He took two steps towards the oncoming wave, launching himself into the air with a last of fire, throwing himself over the wave. Twisting his torso, he managed to whip his back legs around, shooting a column of flame over at Toph.
Kicking the ground, she made a shield launch up, spinning it in order to block the coming column of fire. After the attack faltered she spun and launched it, sending it spinning at his head. Sliding on his knees, he barely managed to avoid it, a wisp of his hair slicing off as the chunk of earth hurdled past him.
"Hey!" He yelled, rolling back onto his feet. "You could have killed me!" Toph snickered.
"That's the idea sparky!" Zuko gritted his teeth, anger coursing through his veins. Fine, if she wanted to play rough, he'd play rough.
Taking a hard step to the left, he pushed himself right, avoiding the rising pillar of earth aimed at him. As he flew through the air he jabbed two stiff fingers forward, shards of fire shooting forward and coming at Toph.
Acting quick, Toph rolled, creating another wall to block the shards as they pelted against the stone, cracking it. Once his barrage was done she punched the wall, sending it flying right in his path.
Eyes wide with fear, Zuko sliced from top to bottom, creating an arc of fire that cut through the massive boulder, sending it in two halves behind him where it crashed into the wall, pulverizing it and reducing it to rubble.
The two took a second to breath, sweat dripping down their brows. Animosity glowed in Toph's eyes, their milky green demeanor transmitting a wave of rage. Zuko blinked, really hoping that his plan would work, and soon.
Without a word Toph came at him, shooting out pillars from the earth. Zuko made a run for her, trying to dodge the pillars that erupted out of the earth on either side of him. Just ten feet away from her one shot out and hit him in the side, sending him flying through the air. He crashed into a massive hunk of fur, which grumbled at him. Zuko stood up, brushing himself off.
"Sorry Appa." He mumbled. The shaggy bison growled something at him, returning to his nap. He looked over at Toph, who was waiting for him to move away from Appa, she did not want collateral damage.
Zuko took two steps forward, launched himself off of one of Toph's pillars, and brought two flaming whips down at Toph. She created an earth barrier between herself on the whips but they cracked through it, sending debris everywhere. She stumbled back, a bit dazed. Zuko pressed his advantage, launching a barrage of orange flames at her, the thought of accidently hurting her out of his mind. Toph sensed them coming and dove down, disappearing into the earth. Zuko stood tense, waiting for her to reemerge.
His heart palpitated inside his chest, pounding against his ribcage. His breath was hard, salty drops of sweat dripping into his eye. He blinked, wiping his forehead. He was a bit out of shape, now that the war was over. He would have to start a workout routine of sorts when he got back; if he got back. He looked around him, wishing for all the world that he was up in a tree, or somewhere where Toph could not just reach up a ghastly hand and suck him down to the underworld. He breathed deep, the air silent.
A ripple in the earth beneath his feet made him jump back, just in time to avoid a massive pillar of earth that shot straight into the air. Toph stood on top of it, smug as ever.
Zuko breathed through his nose and launched a massive fireball at the base of the pillar. It made contact with a thunderous crack, splitting the bottom of the pillar, sending it plummeting towards the ground. His heart leapt as he realized that Toph was falling off of it. He rushed forward, ready to catch her, but there was no need to. An earthen ramp came up out of the ground, catching Toph and depositing her safely on the ground. She cracked her neck, turning towards Zuko, who had taken up a defensive stance.
"You could have hurt me Sparky." She said. Zuko smirked.
"Me, hurt you? I don't think so." He said. She grinned at him.
"Want to end this princess?"
"Let's." The two charged each other, howling out with rage. A solid glove of earth cracked around Toph's fingers; an irrevocably orange flame sprung to life in Zuko's hand. They rushed each other, fists raised. Someone was going to the hospital.
"Toph, is that you?" The two figures tried to stop, turning towards the source of the disturbance. They crashed into each other, falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and curses. They shoved at each other, trying to separate.
"It is you Toph!" Cried the voice, running up to them. An ornate lady came to her, grabbing her as she lay on the ground, covered in dirt and sweat. Tears leapt into the figures eyes, holding her tight.
"I thought that you would never come back!" She said, weeping. Zuko stood up, brushing himself off. He looked at what could only be Mrs. Bei Fong, dressed in an intricate green and white dress, jewels dangling about her body, hair done up in the latest fashion from Ba Sin Sey. Yup, there was no doubt about it, this was Toph's mother.
Toph struggled, trying to get out of her mother's iron grip. Her mother pulled back, smiling at her daughter with teary eyes.
"Ohh my goodness, look at you! You've grown so much! You're turning into quite the fine little lady." She said, an eyebrow lifting as she looked at Toph's regalia. Toph wanted to mention the fact that she was not aspiring to be a fine young lady, but her mother cut off her objection.
"My, my, what a ghastly outfit child! Don't worry though, I can have you all fixed up in something nice, we'll get rid of those wretched clothes, and we'll give you a bath, whatever you've been doing you must not have had much time to keep up on good hygiene." She said, wrinkling her nose. "Never mind that, I'll take care of it." Toph stood up, brushing herself off.
"Mom, I'm not here to stay." She said. A disappointed look came over her mother's face, all her plans of dignifying her child snatched from her with that one simple phrase.
"You're not? But, I thought that you had finally come home?" She said. Zuko stood back, watching as Toph shook her head.
"No mum, I've got some important things to look after, now that the war's all said and done. I'm still working with the avatar and all, we've got to patch things up now. The only reason I'm here is because my friend here." She said this while jabbing an accusing finger at him. "Insisted that I show him where I had grew up, we were passing through and all, so I wanted to give him a quick look." Her mother turned to him. He offered his best smile, which wasn't all that great.
"Hello Mrs. Bei Fong, how are you?" He asked, trying to be cordial. She gave him a curt nod, obviously disgusted. His hair lay in a shaggy nature atop his head. Perspiration licked at his brow and dripped down his cheek. His clothes were dirty and torn from his brief altercation with Toph. All in all, he did not look like the type of dignified man that her daughter should be spending time with.
"Who is this Toph?" She whispered, thinking herself quiet. Zuko cleared his throat.
"I'm Fire-Lord Zuko, the new ruler of the fire-nation." He said. Mrs. Bei Fong's face lit up.
"The new Fire-Lord? The one we've heard so many good things about?" She said, turning back to Toph. Zuko lifted and eyebrow. Apparently he had made an impression on the regal circles in the earth kingdom.
"Deary why didn't you tell me you were with the Fire-Lord? You should have sent a message ahead, I would have had something prepared." Toph turned red, anger burning her cheeks.
"Sorry mum, it didn't really cross my mind. Probably because we weren't planning on coming by" She said, wanting to reiterate the fact that they were not going to stay. Mrs. Bei Fong waved her hand, making her way through the debris and back towards the house, a massive hole in the wall allowing her access.
"Come, come. I'll have something made up for you two, then you'll have to stay for dinner." She said, ignoring Toph's pleas that they had to go. Zuko walked up by Toph.
"I don't see why we can't stay for dinner." He said. Mrs. Bei Fong turned to him, a radiant smile on her face, going off on all the preparations that needed to be made and how it was so awful that she had not known sooner that her daughter was going to come with the Fire-Lord.
Toph did not say a word, she just punched him, knocking him over as she stalked off towards the house. Rocks began to zing around as she kicked them, sending them flying like arrows from the string. Zuko got up, dusting himself off and following them inside; this was going to be a hard sell.
Aang awoke, tangled in his sheets, another fearsome nightmare playing at the edge of his mind. He shook them off, sweat dripping down his forehead. His heart pounded in his chest as the nightmare slowly receded. He could feel his chest tingle from where the blade had entered, carving into his flesh. His hand gripped the edge of the bed, steading himself as he drew in deep breaths. Eventually the terror ceased, and he was able to focus once more. He got out of bed, throwing on some simple garments from his desk, the one piece of furniture that he had managed not to brake within the past two weeks.
Aang left his room, surprised that Momo was not waiting at the door for him. He walked down the empty halls, wondering what time it was. Sunlight peaked through the windows, partly obscured by a gloomy sky. Leaves scattered about on the wind, bringing with it the smell of rain. There was going to be a thunder storm later on.
He walked down the hall, following the whims of his stomach and making his way towards the dining hall. He opened the doors himself, the guards receiving the day off, direct orders from the fire-lord, or, replacement fire-lord, as Iroh was in charge at the moment while Zuko was gallivanting about. He went in, looking down the long table.
A solo figure sat alone at the end, hunched over a plate of food. Sokka sat in his normal attire, minus the hand-wrap. He poked at his meat, a countenance on his face worthy of matching the weather's dull look. He sighed, looking up as Aang walked over.
"Hey Aang, how you doing?" He asked, setting his chopsticks down. Aang walked over to him, sitting beside him and stretching out.
"Not too bad, just a bit thrown off. What time is it exactly?" He asked, suppressing a yawn.
"It's a little past noon." Replied Sokka. Aang looked at him.
"Serious?" He asked. Sokka nodded his head, taking a sip from his glass.
"Ya, really. The clouds started rolling in about an hour ago, think we're getting a storm tonight." He said, his mind somewhere else. Aang nodded his head, deciding that he really was not that hungry.
"Have you seen Katara around?" He asked. Sokka shook his head.
"The only person I ran into today is you, besides Momo, but I'm pretty sure he's off on some bug hunt at the moment. Wish I had joined him." He said, pushing his unfinished plate away. Aang was surprised, as Sokka was not one to waste food, especially meat.
"Everything all right Sokka?" Asked Aang. Sokka laughed, sharp and caustic.
"No, not at all." He said, pushing his chair back and standing up.
"Want to talk about it?" Asked Aang. Sokka shook his head.
"No, thanks though." And with that he walked out of the room, closing the door with an ominous boom, leaving Aang alone in the dining hall. He sat alone for a while, pondering Sokka's queer behavior, associating it with his and Suki's altercation last night. Perhaps he should go check on him again, he probably could use some company. He stood up, then sat back down.
Well, Sokka might be in one of those moods where he did not want to talk to a bender. His nose itched as he remembered the last time he had approached Sokka in such a mood, winding up with a broken nose. He did not want a repeat experience, so he decided that it was probably best if he just let Sokka sort things out on his own.
Aang leaned back in his chair, sighing.
"Something bugging you kid?" Aang jumped at the voice. He turned and saw someone standing in the doorway to the kitchen, someone he did not recognize. The figure stepped forward.
"Don't worry avatar, I don't bite, much." Said the stranger, his sinister voice rippling with false civility. The man stepped forward in heavy black boots, his black pants clinging tightly to his gaunt frame.
"Well, this is a bit awkward, isn't it?" Said the man, itching his bumpy nose.
"It is." Said Aang, standing up. The man looked at him, starting at the bottom then coming to the top, running a bony hand through his slicked back blonde hair.
"Where's the arrow pointing?" Asked the stranger. Aang furled his brow.
"What?" He asked. The man laughed, slapping his knee with his pale, white arms. Scars ran across his forearms, the sign of knives and needles quite apparent.
"Just messing with you kid. I love to do that to airbenders." Aang raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the last one." He said. The man smiled, missing two of his yellowed teeth.
"Ya, well, ain't you special?" Said the man, crossing his arms. Aang's eyes widened as he noticed the two fire-nation brands, one on each shoulder, melted into his flesh. The man looked down, running a finger over one.
"Like em?" Aang swallowed, not knowing what to say.
"They're…interesting." He said. The man nodded his head, hooking his thumbs in his black belt, a buckle shaped like a rose studded with rubies clasping it together.
"They've got a whole story behind them too." Said the man. Aang blinked, shaking his head.
"Wait, who the heck are you? And why are you here?" He asked, suddenly realizing that he had no clue who this man was or what in the world he was doing in Zuko's palace.
"Ohh sorry, where are my manners? I'm Joshua." Said the man, unhooking one of his thumbs and reaching out a friendly hand.
"I'm Avatar Aang." He replied, grabbing the pale hand. It took him in a vise, iron wrapped in skin.
"I know who you are." Said Joshua, his voice dropping with a menacing growl. Aang took a step back, startled by the change in the man's demeanor.
"I've been watching you for some time now, and I have to say, I'm actually impressed." Continued Joshua, pacing around Aang.
"Well, thank you." He replied, tracking the man as he walked. Joshua shook his head, a frown crossing his face.
"Don't thank me kid. Thank your masters, they're the ones who taught you how to do all of your bending. Me, I'm just giving you my honest assessment." Aang raised an eyebrow.
"Assessment, why, are you evaluating me?" He asked, his suspicions growing. This man was too unsettling.
"I could tell you, but that would ruin the surprise." Replied Joshua, walking over to a chair and taking a seat. The man leaned back in the chair, plopping his muddy boots up on the table.
"Ask yourself this question; what does Azula deserve?" Aang blinked.
"What?" He asked, walking over and taking a seat a few chairs down. Joshua picked something out of his teeth.
"You heard me. What does Azula deserve?" Said Joshua, reiterating his question. Aang fumbled around for a few moments, trying to see where this conversation was heading.
"Well, she wasn't exactly the best person." He started. Joshua shook his head, smacking his palm across his face.
"Wasn't exactly the best person." Repeated Joshua, groaning. "Kid, do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth? Do you know what she did to prisoners?" Aang swallowed, sweat pouring out of his palms.
"Well, ya, I guess so." Joshua rolled his eyes.
"You guess so?! What is this, some kind of game!? Let me tell you straight." Said Joshua, pointing a finger at Aang. "Azula is a psychopathic nut that deserves to die in one of the most painful and slow ways imaginable."
"I don't think anyone deserves that." Replied Aang. "Everyone deserves a second chance." Joshua stood up, chuckling cynically.
"You got to be kidding! You're kidding right?" Said the man, coming over to Aang with a wild look in his eyes. "Give her to me!" Aang stepped back as the man came closer, his voice demanding and his pupils bouncing.
Aang put a hand behind his back, accumulating a ball of air. "I can't do that, it's up to Zuko. He's the one who put her there in the first place." He said.
Joshua threw up his hands, screaming towards the ceiling. "You got to be kidding! Zuzu is just as guilty as she is! He shouldn't even be ruling!"
"What do you mean?" Asked Aang. Joshua froze, turning back to Aang.
"None of your business." Replied the man, staring at him queerly.
"Zuko's my friend, it is my business." Said Aang. Joshua stroked his chin, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked over to Aang.
Joshua placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, making him twitch. "So you're saying you won't give me Azula?" Aang shook his head.
"I already told you that I can't. Even if I could what makes you think I'd hand her over to you?" Joshua licked his lips.
"Even for a favor?" Said the man. Aang blinked.
He wasn't sure that this man was all there. "You are understanding what I'm saying, right?" Joshua nodded his head.
"Alright, alright, I'll do you a favor anyways, but just because you asked so nicely." Aang gripped his ball of air a bit tighter. This guy was off his rocker!
Joshua leaned in close, pressing his mouth against Aang's ear. "How about I tell you about Jack?" Aang stepped back, the ball of air in his hand disappearing from the shock.
"Tell me about Jack? What do you know about him?" Joshua shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I know quite a bit, but I think there's a better person for you to go to." Said the man, stepping back up to Aang. "Of course, I'll tell you who."
Aang looked suspiciously at Joshua, not liking his proximity but too intrigued to pass up the opportunity. "Okay, who?" Joshua smiled, sighing dramatically.
"I'm sorry things had to end this way. I guess we'll have to go to war." Aang blinked.
"What?!" He demanded, utterly confused. How did this man travel between thoughts? A sharp prick stung the back of his neck, Joshua pulling back his hand with a sinister grin.
"Wa… What's happening?" Asked Aang, spots dancing before his eyes as his mind clouded over. Joshua smiled at him, his eyes glowing red.
"Don't worry kid, you'll wake up with a big, nasty, headache but other than that you'll be ship shape, for a while." Aang tried to throw a blast of air at Joshua, but he missed wide, sending a chair flying instead. He stumbled forward, knocking into another chair, falling to the ground, his world spinning. Joshua kneeled down next to him, his face dripping blood.
"Things are going to get a little hectic soon, and I'm sorry to say that you, and all your little friends are going to have to pay. And later, when my friend kills you, you can just sit there and thank yourself as you go on to your next life, remembering that you got all your friends murdered" Aang looked at him for a moment longer, watching as black ooze began to drip out of his eyes, then everything turned black.
Toph and Zuko sat awkwardly in her old room, Toph sitting on her large fluffy mattress, arms crossed, staring blind eyes at Zuko who sat on a stone chair by a marble table. Toph had managed to avoid both a bath and a change of clothes, but only with Zuko's aid. She did not seem very appreciative though.
She just sat there in her green, silken, sheets, staring at him with a milky green death glare. He could feel the intensity of her gaze as beads of sweat began to trickle down his neck, the silence becoming painful to bear. Eventually he stood up, striding about the small room. He walked over to the window sill, a row of dolls lines up across it. He picked a few up, all of them dressed in what was no doubt some fashionable time for the era. He shook his head; he found the idea of Toph playing with dolls just as terrifying as Azula playing with dolls.
Setting them back down, he noticed a young girl doll set off to the side, adorned similarly to that of Toph's blind bandit outfit. He reached out a hand to grab it, but a growl from Toph made him think twice. Perhaps it was best to leave some things at be.
Toph hopped down off of her fluffy seat, walking over by Zuko and shoving him out of the way. She ran her hands over the dolls, checking them. Finally, coming to the one set aside, she grabbed it, walking over and setting it on a shelf across the room from all the others. She then walked over to Zuko, who was standing by her table. She ran a rough hand across the smooth stone.
"You know, when I was first learning Earthbending, I broke my other desk. When my parents came in and saw what had happened I told them that I had been sitting on it and it had broken." Zuko raised an eyebrow.
"That had worked?" He asked. She nodded her head.
"Ya, they believed it. I got in trouble, you know, you're not supposed to sit on the furniture. They yelled at me a little, but that was about it." She snorted.
"I can't believe they were stupid enough to believe that I broke a marble desk by sitting on it. I mean, come on, what did I weigh, fifty-pounds, at the most?" Zuko was reluctant to join in on the conversation, afraid that he would set her off. Toph nodded her head, curling her fingers into a fist.
"No, a fifty-pound girl couldn't break a desk like this, but the blind bandit sure could." She said, raising her fist and bringing it crashing down on the marble desk. It shattered into a thousand pieces, debris flying everywhere. Zuko's ears rang as the thunderous clap left, dust settling on the perfectly ordered room. The sound of feet scuttling outside the door reached his bleeding ears. Mommy's coming.
Mrs. Bei Fong rushed through the door, looking around at the mess. "What in heaven's name happened child?" She asked, looking at Toph. Toph shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't rightly know mummy, I was just sitting on the desk, and it broke." She said. Mrs. Bei Fong raised an eyebrow.
"Do you think me a fool child?" Toph snorted.
"What do you think?" She replied scathingly. Zuko cringed at the animosity, noticing the pained expression on Mrs. Bei Fong's face. She opened her mouth, then shut it, apparently choking on emotion.
"Supper will be ready soon." She managed, her voice choked. Her footsteps echoed down the hall as she scuttled out of the room, leaving Toph and Zuko alone once again. Zuko looked at Toph, her shoulders slumped. He stood up, moving to speak, but Toph held out a hand.
"Hold it right there Sparky. You better think long and hard about what you're going to say, because if it don't come out right you may find yourself a more permanent fixture in this house." Zuko had no clue what the threat meant, but it was spoken so matter-o-factly that he assumed it was something nasty. He stopped and thought for a moment, praying that the words he was about to speak would not be his end.
"Toph, I know that you've been hurt by your parents. And, believe me, I know what that feels like, but you can't treat them with such contempt." He said, hoping Toph would respect his audacity. She didn't.
She whirled on him, anger burning in her eyes.
"What would you possibly know about being smothered, huh? You were an outcast, your own father disowned you. He threw you out and left you alone in the world. My parents, on the other hand, never showed me such a kindness. They kept me locked up, dressing me up and parading me around just like one of those stupid dolls!" She said, pointing over to the window sill.
"You don't know what it's like to be me, so stop pretending. Compared to me your life was a cake-walk." Zuko's hands began to shake, his ire rising. He knew that Toph was upset, but she had no right making a stab like that at him, not after all he had been through.
"Look, I don't know if you've forgotten or never knew, but for your information I have a blatant scar on the side of my face!" He shouted, taking her hand and putting it over his deformed eye.
"Now you can call it a luxury being humiliated in front of the hierarchy of your nation, you may call it a gift to be disowned, scarred, and thrown out by your own father, and you may think it fun to be sent on an impossible task in order to try and redeem yourself, but I don't! So if you think for one second that I don't know what it feels like to be abused by my parents then you're damn wrong!" He yelled.
"You better get your act together kid, because your parents aren't always going to be here, and when their gone, and you can't make things right anymore, you won't have anyone to blame but yourself." He said, stalking out of the room. The door rang as he slammed it shut, making his way off to the backyard. He needed to blow his lid before supper.
Marching through the garden, he came to the wall, the large hole on the other side of the property. He climbed over, making his way to a glen of trees. He needed somewhere secluded.
Walking through the trees, he found a bubbling brook, willows hanging over the water on either side of the bank. Smooth rocks met his feet as he jumped into the water, taking only a second to make sure that no one was around. When he was satisfied he began to pour his frustrations out on the water, throwing fireball after fireball into the hissing liquid, letting his anger fuel him once more only so it could be drained.
After exhausting himself with an unending barrage of fire he sat down in the water, panting, steam billowing up around him. Jack had told him that when he got angry he usually slipped into a tirade of profanity. Thankfully, he did not suffer from such a shortcoming, but when he became excessively angry or upset he found it easiest to just use a release valve. And for him, that release valve was trying to destroy water with his firebending, which he never succeeded at, thus allowing him to pour out his frustrations without damaging anything.
He allowed himself to relax, or at least, to the best of his abilities, which was limited. He let his thoughts turn once more to Toph, wishing now that he had not been so short with her. He just could not help himself. She was being a little brat, and when it came to family issues he did not have much tolerance for surliness or aloofness. With his own family so disparate he had trouble containing himself when someone else encountered a family discourse that had a rather simple resolution. In Toph's case all she had to do was swallow her pride and apologize, hopefully opening the door for better communication between both parties. However, thinking of the solution and actually getting Toph to act out on it were two entirely separate things. You could lead an ostrich-horse to water, but you could not make it drink.
Zuko dragged his hands across his face. If he had it his way he would beat the girl until she complied, but that was not the way that his uncle would want him to do it. Besides, he was pretty sure that if he tried that method he would be on the receiving end of the beating, not the one giving it. He groaned.
"Why is this so complicated?" He said aloud to himself, watching as a little green bird hopped about from branch to branch above him.
Zuko watched closely, trying to keep his eye on the nimble little creature. It moved about with grace and agility, bounding from one branch to another without any real purpose. All of a sudden a larger form of the bird came up to it, calling out to it. The little bird turned and flew away, following the larger one to who knows where. A thought struck him at that moment.
What if he was doing it wrong? Instead of forcing the little one to her parents, what if he forced her parents to the little one? Zuko stood up, giving a silent prayer of thanks for this new development in tactics. He would not get Toph to start it, he would get her parents to, thus putting all the pressure on Toph to make amends. She would have to make things right once her folks make the first move, or, at least, he hoped.
Zuko went to Appa and retrieved a dry pair of clothing, changing and hoping that nobody was taking sneak peeks at the weird kid changing on top of a furry beast. After he had rid himself of his wet cloths he hopped off, making his way back towards the house, surprised to see that the debris from his and Toph's scuff already been cleared away with repairs being made to the wall. He made his way to the house, walking through the back door just in time to hear Toph's voice.
"What do you mean he can't make it?! I'm his daughter for goodness sakes! Besides the fact I helped save the world and all! You'd think he show a little decency and set some time aside for me." Zuko made his way towards the dining hall, the source of the noise. He heard Mrs. Bei Fong's subdued voice echo in response of her daughter's fiery tone.
"I'm sorry dear, but he has his business to look after. He's in an important meeting at the moment, and you never did contact us" Zuko could hear Toph's irritated grunt.
"I sent a message how long ago."
"Yes, but that wasn't about this visit. Besides, you're father tore it up." Toph's voice came back low, and soft, suppressed pain vibrating with every syllable.
"Whatever, not like I wanted him to be here anyways." Zuko shook his head, having no clue what type of mess he was going to get himself in. Taking in one last breath of peace he entered the dining room, walking through the open oaken doors.
He found Toph and Mrs. Bei Fong at opposing ends of a large marble table, Toph with her arms crossed and her mother sitting quietly with her hands folded in her lap. Animosity was crackling in the air.
He stood at the entrance awkwardly for a second or so, wondering if he should not just go back the way he came. Mrs. Bei Fong noticed him, a plastered smile spreading across her lips.
"Fire-Lord Zuko, please, do join us. We were just waiting for you." She said, standing up and bustling over to a chair beside her daughter, pulling it back and offering it to him. Toph snorted.
"Mum, I think that the Fire-Lord can managed seating himself." She said. Mrs. Bei Fong shot her daughter a look, though she could not see it. She turned back and continued smiling at Zuko.
"Please, don't mind her, I am just being a good host." She said. Zuko walked up and sat down, thanking Mrs. Bei Fong for her hospitality. He leaned in and gave Toph an elbow.
"Behave." He hissed. Toph grunted, folding her arms and sinking down into her chair further, her shoulders slumped. He rolled his eyes; this wasn't going to end well.
Mrs. Bei Fong walked to the other side of the table and sat down, clapping her hands. Servants began bustling in and out of the dining room, carrying with them silver platters, golden trays, and marble chalices, studded with emeralds. One of the servants came over and placed a chalice before him, a dark crimson liquid swishing around in the glass. He picked it up, swirling it around and raising it to his nose. Wine. He put the chalice to his lips, taking a sip of the tart, fruity, drink. Expensive wine!
Another Chalice was placed before Toph, this one with the Bei Fong family seal on it engraved in silver. Toph picked it up, smelling it and placing it back down with a frown. Zuko looked over, taking a glance at the purple liquid. It seemed that she had received grape juice. He almost laughed, then thought better of it.
The trio soon began to dive into the elaborate dishes, all served on expensive plates and platters. Meats, fruits, soups, vegetables, tarts, and just about any other item that you would expect to find at a palace banquet was present, all cooked to the upmost perfection. It would have been a pleasant meal, even enjoyable, if it hadn't been for Toph.
She tore into her food with her hands, eating with her mouth open and burping several times without excuse. Chunks of food she found unsavory she merely spat out, washing down the bad taste by grabbing Zuko's chalice. Her mother raised an eyebrow.
"Young lady, we have company." She said. Toph laughed, responding with her mouth full.
"Like it would make much a difference if we didn't. You'd still yell at me." She said, continuing to eat in such a manner. When again she reached for Zuko's chalice he pulled it away, unwilling to share the intoxicating liquid.
"Hey, give it here sparky." Said Toph, holding her hand out and snapping her fingers. Zuko shook his head.
"No, drink your grape juice." He said, taking a dignified sip from his wine, returning to his meat with knife and chopsticks. Toph frowned.
"I don't want grape juice, I want wine. Give it here." She said, lunging for the chalice. Zuko pulled it out of her reach.
"Toph, I do not think that you are old enough to have wine." Said her mother. Toph sat back.
"What, afraid that I'll get blind drunk?" She said. Her mother froze, shocked at the comment. She sat back, her face downcast. Zuko leaned over, elbowing her hard.
"Lay off of it." He hissed, next to her ear for emphasis. Toph ignored him, slumping down in her chair, arms crossed. Zuko bit his tongue. Why was she so stubborn? He was sick and tired of dealing with this but he had to get something rolling here, it just felt as if at every turn he was getting outdone by Toph's grumpiness. This was going to take a little more finesse.
Mrs. Bei Fong looked up at the two of them, setting her chopsticks down with a slight clatter.
"So, uhm, how long have you two been together?" She asked. Toph prodded at her plate.
"Ever since sparky here decided to stop being a dip and help us out. He was the one who trained Aang in firebending." Her mother nodded her head slowly.
"And how long have you two been dating?" She asked. Zuko choked on his wine. Toph hacked up a piece of meat, coughing.
"We're, we're not together." Stammered Zuko. Toph nodded her head.
"Ya, we're definitely not together, I mean, come on mom, I'm only thirteen." Replied Toph. Her mother shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry, I just figured since you two had come all alone, without the avatar, that you two were together." Zuko looked at Toph, who in turn was sticking out her tongue. No doubt the same thought was rushing through her mind; them, together, it was just so disturbing. A shiver passed through Zuko's body, which made Toph pause.
"Alright sparky, you can stop pretending it's that bad." Said Toph. Zuko blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry." Her mother looked over at them, then picked up her chopsticks, returning her attention to her meal.
"Besides, you will be of marrying age in one month, so I guess I just thought that you had sorted it all out on your own." Zuko had a bad feeling in his stomach, and he was fairly sure it wasn't from the wine. Toph took in a deep breath as her mother spoke.
"Apparently you have not." Said Mrs. Bei Fong, continuing on. "So I will have to give my attention to that issue once more." The sound of Toph grinding her teeth made Zuko cringe. The pair of chopsticks in her hand snapped in two, one of the pieces smacking him on the forehead.
"Excuse me?" Said Toph in a low menacing voice. Her mother did not meet her blind stare.
"I just said since you will not be attending to your marriage on your own that I will sort it out, you don't have to worry about it." Toph drug her hand slowly across the marble table, deep groves forming beneath her semi-clean fingernails.
"What makes you think I want you to arrange my marriage?" She asked, trying to keep it together. Her mother dabbed at the corner of her cheeks with a napkin.
"It's not a matter of you wanting me to or not young lady, it is tradition; every Bei Fong daughter has been married at fourteen, and to great success. I had persuaded your father to allow you to choose a husband, but since you have so flaunted that responsibility I believe I shall handle it." Zuko braced himself for Toph's reaction.
Toph stood up abruptly, sending her marble chair flying back into the wall, shattering with a thunderous clap.
"How dare you!" Said Toph. Her mother stood up, fury burning in her eyes.
"How dare you!" Toph smashed her hand against the table, splitting it clean in two. Platters and dishes fell to the ground in a thunderous clatter, the only item saved from the fall being Zuko's chalice, which sat grasped in his hands. He put it to his lips and took a long swig. This was the end.
"Silence!" Yelled Toph. Her mother stood stoic, unflinching despite her daughter's outburst.
"Young lady, I will give you till the count of five to collect yourself." Toph gripped her small fingers into little balls.
"Don't you dare." She growled.
"One."
"I'm warning you!"
"Two."
"You'll regret this."
"Three."
"Don't."
"Four."
"That's it." With one rigid movement Toph sent the two halves of the table flying through the walls, a mess of debris shooting everywhere. Zuko coughed, trying to get a breath that was not filled with dust.
Mrs. Bei Fong stood unwavering in the dust, her hands neatly folded into her sleeves. "Five."
Toph shook with rage, her eyes shut as her chest rose and fell. Zuko looked up at Mrs. Bei Fong, noticing her calm countenance, still perfectly fine though her daughter had just destroyed her dining room.
"Young lady, I do believe we need to have a talk." Toph threw up her hands.
"Isn't this what we are doing?!" She cried. Her mother shook her head.
"If you don't mind Fire-Lord, I would like a moment alone with my daughter." Zuko drained the rest of his chalice, then got up to leave. He had done enough damage bringing her here.
Toph stomped on the ground, encasing him up to the neck in earth.
"No, whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of him." She said, pointing a stiff finger over at him as he craned over to watch the conversation develop. Mrs. Bei Fong sighed.
"Very well. Toph, this behavior is totally unacceptable." Zuko cringed; wrong thing to say.
Toph fumed silently for a moment, the only sounds emanating from her were her short breath and the creak of her knuckles as she tried to remain calm.
Finally she spoke, her voice starting low, and menacing. "Unacceptable? My behavior is…unacceptable? What behavior are you talking about mother? This behavior?" She asked, motioning to the room. "Or are you talking about the other behavior, the one where I ran away from you and saved the world!" She yelled, the walls shaking. Mrs. Bei Fong seemed a bit caught off guard.
"Toph, you need to calm down, you are making yourself upset." Toph let loose a caustic laugh.
"I'm upsetting me? I'm sorry, I forgot that I locked myself up for the first twelve years of my life. And it must have been me who prevented me from having a single friend, or trying anything that was too strenuous for my fragile body. It must have been me who forbade me from leaving with the avatar, because obviously I wouldn't like to travel around the world and help people while training the avatar and then stopping the fire-lord later on. Ya, obviously I wouldn't want to do that, I might do something beneficial for society." Mrs. Bei Fong sat stunned, her mouth opened slightly. Toph sensed her advantage and plowed right ahead.
"Wait a minute." She said, mock realization spreading across her face. "That wasn't me, that was you! It was you that locked me up for twelve years, depriving me of everything that makes childhood worthwhile. Heck, I would have preferred we were poor, at least then I might have been able to do something, but no, I had to be born to a pompous, rich family. Well, tell you what, let's settle things my way. You beat me in a fight and I'll stay, I win and I get to move on, sound fair?" Mrs. Bei Fong blinked, recovering herself.
"Toph I'm not going to fight you." She said simply. Toph snorted.
"Damn right you aren't." Her mother put a hand to her mouth.
"Young lady, watch your mouth!" She said. Toph rolled her eyes.
"Geesh mum, wish I could, but, you know, blind and all." She said, pointing to her eyes. Her mother's cheeks burnt bright red.
"Toph, I am not going to put up with anymore of your sass, I think you need some time to cool off." Toph crossed her arms.
"Is that so, mother? Well, what are you going to do about it?" She asked. Mrs. Bei Fong opened her mouth, then shut it, realizing that she had lost any power that she had once held over Toph. She was not the helpless little blind girl that she thought she had been. She was strong, and able to take care of herself, thus severing any fear of her mother, as she did not need her. And since she had not been the idealistic mother she did not have the respect that usually led children to obey, even when they did not agree.
Zuko felt his stomach fold in knots as Mrs. Bei Fong stood there, contemplating her dilemma. He knew what was coming, the final thing that she could throw at her. When she spoke, it came as no surprise.
"I will disown you." Said Mrs. Bei Fong, making Zuko cringe and Toph reel.
"You'll what!?" She demanded, irate. Mrs. Bei Fong held herself with the poise of a dignified lady.
"Your behavior has been unacceptable of late, unbecoming for a young lady. You have flaunted all of our rules and demands, brushing them off. You have possessed deaf ears and an insolent tongue, and so, now that you have shown your reluctance to recant for your actions I am left with no choice but to severe you from the family. The Bei Fong's are of the highest class, and you are not worthy of carrying on that mantle." And then, in a lower tone. "I shall have the papers drawn up in the morning." Toph shook. A single tear streaked down her cheek, hidden by shaggy hair.
"Mother…" Mrs. Bei Fong bowed.
"Goodbye Ms. Toph, it was a pleasure having you for dinner." And with that she left, leaving Zuko and Toph all alone in the destroyed dining room. Zuko blinked, stunned by what had just transpired. It had all happened so fast. He hadn't even had time to implement anything!
His heart raced as he thought of all the vile things Toph was liable to do to him after that fiasco, but she merely turned and walked away, leaving Zuko encased in his little earthen mound. Dropping his head he let it hit against the top of the mound with a thunk.
"Idiot."
A heavy fog lay over his mind, haunting dark thoughts plaguing his sleep. Crying out Aang realized that he had no air in his lungs. Sucking at air all he got back was a thick black ooze. It ran down his throat and seeped into his lungs, making him choke. He thrashed and kicked, the pain seizing him, Fighting he tried to get out, but the ooze had become an overwhelming tide, taking him under. There was nothing he could do, it was the end, he had failed.
"Aang!" The call was distant, bleak, obscured by the ooze. A hand grabbed him, shaking him.
"Aang, wake up!" Slowly the blackness began to subside. The voice became clearer, concern permeating every syllable.
"Aang, please wake up! Come on!" Aang gasped, sitting up straight. His head spun, little dots dancing before his vision. A burning sensation sat in his lungs.
"What…what's going on?" He asked, gasping at air. A pair of warm hands enveloped him, squeezing him tightly.
"Ohh Aang, you're alright!" Said Katara, tears dripping down her face. Aang tried to move, smothered by her embrace. Eventually Katara noticed it, being courteous enough to give him some room.
"Aang, what in the world happened?" She asked. Aang blinked, looking at her face. A vision of bleeding eyes passed through his mind.
"I…I don't really know." He said. He looked around, dazed, noticing that almost everyone else was there. Mai and Ty-Lee stood to the side, concern plastered across their faces. Sokka looked at him with relief, obviously feeling that he was partially responsible since he had seen him last. Katara looked at him, her big blue eyes pleading with him.
"There was this guy, he started talking to me." Started Aang. Everyone exchanged a confused look.
"A guy?" Said Sokka. Mai looked at him.
"Was he one of the servants?" She asked. Aang shook his head.
"No, he wasn't one of the servants, he was wearing all black, and he was covered in scars. I think that I would have remembered that." Mai and Ty-Lee exchanged a quick glance.
"That doesn't sound like any of the servants I know." Said Ty-Lee. Mai shook her head.
"It must have been someone from the outside. Maybe one of our guests that have graced us with their company over the past few weeks finally got in." Said Mai, referring to the endless mob of people that crowded at the palace gates, trying to get a glimpse of the avatar. Aang nodded, forgetting the crowd. They had been too busy with the festivities last night to notice the avatar wondering about their streets, well, most of them.
"What did he want Aang?" Asked Katara. Aang looked back at her, remembering his strange conversation with Joshua.
"He wanted to me to hand Azula over to him." Said Aang, half to himself. The others stared at him, befuddled.
"Hand Azula over to him? Why?" Said Sokka, voicing everyone's opinion.
Aang shook his head. "I don't know, but he was pretty adamant about it. He really, really, wanted her." He said, remembering the crazed look in the man's eyes. The others looked at him.
"I can buy that. Can't say I agree locking her up, not after everything that she did. There's been a few times that I wished I had killed her back in that prison, you know, when we broke Katara out." Said Sokka.
"Hey, I remember that!" Said Ty-Lee, pausing as she looked at Katara. An embarrassed look crossed her face.
"Sorry." She said, blushing. Katara glared at her for a second.
"I'm still not over that." She said. Sokka rolled his eyes.
"Girls, come on, let's focus on the issue here." He said. "Some random guy came up to Aang and demanded Azula. What in the world is this about?" Asked Sokka. Aang shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know." He said. Sokka glared at him.
"Well what did you say? Surely you told him that Azula was going to get what was hers, you know, a bit of poetic justice or something of the sort. Justice of any sort actually would work for me" Said Sokka. Aang turned red, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, not exactly." He said. A sharp stab of pain shot through him as he went over a bump on his neck. Wincing he pulled his hand away, regretting that he did not think of the prick earlier. Katara jumped.
"Aang, are you okay, what's wrong!?" She said. Aang resisted the urge to itch the area, now that the pain had passed.
"It's nothing, it's just that guy, he poked me with something on the back of the neck, that's how I was knocked out." He said, turning to Sokka. His friend began stroking his chin.
"What do you mean not exactly?" He asked.
"Well, I kinda of told him no, and that it was up to Zuko, but then he became really angry, saying that putting Zuko in charge after he had done everything he did was really bad." Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"So this guy doesn't like Zuko either?" Asked Sokka. Mai shrugged her shoulders.
"That's no big deal, there's a lot of people who don't like him." Aang scratched the back of his head, letting Katara check out the prick on the back of his neck.
"Well, I think he might know him a little better. He called him Zuzu." Said Aang. Katara's hands paused.
"He used his pet name?" Said Katara. Again Mai shrugged, though this time she seemed a bit more thrown off.
"It's probably some old acquaintance of Azula who's trying to bust her out." She said. Sokka shook his head.
"No offense, but none of this helps us that much. Sure, now we know that he might have been associated with Azula, but that's a lot of people. Let's try this from a different angle. What was this guy like? You said he had a bunch of scars and was wearing black, but what else can you describe about him?" Aang thought for a moment, remembering Joshua's crazed look.
"He was really tall, and lanky, like you." He said. Sokka crossed his arms, offended.
"I'm not lanky, I'm just in shape." Replied Sokka, feeling that his arms were an entirely inadequate size at the current moment. He tried to flex them a bit harder, no one was buying it. Katara rolled her eyes, returning her attention to Aang.
"What else?" She asked.
"Well, he had blue eyes, and two fire-nation symbols, one on each shoulder. I think that they were branded on." Said Aang, wincing at the thought of searing hot metal melting into his soft skin. Mai perked up, taking notice of Aang's story.
"Anything else?" Asked Katara. Aang nodded his head, recalling the oddest fact.
"I can't be a hundred percent certain, but I think that he had blonde hair." He said. Sokka and Katara exchanged a look, not buying it. Ty-Lee's eyes widened, her mouth flying open. A gloved hand covered it. She looked over, noticing Mai, her finger pressed to her lips. Shutting her mouth, Ty-Lee tried to appear normal, but she was still bouncing around, which, albeit, was basically normal for Ty-Lee. Aang noticed the exchange.
"Do you know something Ty-Lee?" Asked Aang. Everyone turned to her. She stuttered for a moment, looking over at Mai for direction. Mai shook her head ever so slightly.
"No, I was just thinking how pretty blonde hair must be!" She chirped, a grin across her face. Katara sighed.
"As usual you're totally useless." Ty-Lee looked hurt by her remark, but Sokka smacking Katara in the back of the head made her feel a bit better.
"Knock it off Katara." Said Sokka. His sister turned around and stared him down, but she did not retaliate. While the others turned back to Aang Mai motioned for Ty-Lee to follow, the two slipping out of the room.
"So, we're looking for a guy with blue eyes, fire-nation tattoos."
"They were brands." Corrected Aang. Sokka waved a hand at him.
"Whatever." He said, moving on. "Fire-nation brands, blonde hair, tall, lanky and likes to wear black. Great, we can make posters of this guy, we'll call him the fire-shadow!" Said Sokka, throwing his arms up in dramatic fashion. Aang and Katara looked at each other, a moment later bursting into laughter. Sokka sat indignantly, waiting for them to get it out.
"You know." Said Aang, recovering himself. "We could just call him Joshua, he told me his name." Said Aang. Sokka huffed.
"Probably was a lie, why would he tell you his real name if he wanted to attack you?" He said.
"He wasn't attacking me Sokka, he was warning me." Replied Aang. Katara sat thoughtfully for a moment.
"Wait a minute, did you say Joshua?" She asked. Aang nodded his head.
"Ya, what of it?" He asked. Katara turned to him.
"Remember when we first got Jack? He was delirious with a fever and he mumbled in his sleep a lot. Remember what name he sat their mumbling over and over again?" She asked. Aang's face lit up as he recalled.
"Joshua." He said. Sokka shrugged his shoulders, annoyed that he had not thought of it first.
"There's probably millions of Joshua's in the world, it can't be the same guy." Aang and Katara stared at him.
"Alright, maybe a thousand." Said Sokka. They continued to stare.
"Alright granted, he might be the only Joshua in the whole world. But how do we know that this is the guy Jack was mumbling about?" He asked.
"Maybe because he came to warn me about him?" Said Aang.
"Wait, what?" Asked Katara, stunned.
"I thought he wanted you to give up Azula." Said Sokka. Aang rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.
"Well, after I said no he told me he was going to help out. He warned me about Jack, and said that he'd point me in the right direction." Katara raised an eyebrow.
"Where did he say to go?" Aang suddenly realized that Joshua had not told him.
"I don't think he did say." Replied Aang. Sokka shook his head.
"This was probably some nut." Replied Sokka, turning and walking away as his interest in the conversation faltered. He would just go make his posters, that should help. Katara looked at Aang.
"You know, Sokka's right. There's really no reason to doubt Jack. He is a diamondbender, and he has amnesia, so there's not much to question about his past since he doesn't remember it. Besides, if he knew that Jack wasn't who he was pretending to be he would have told you who he really was." Said Katara. Aang shifted, noticing something in his hand. He lifted it up, opening his fist to find a piece of paper. Katara leaned in.
"What's that?" She asked. Aang shook his head, opening it up. There were some flowering calligraphy scrawled across it.
Circus freak Ty-Lee
Knows more than she likes to say
Dredge up the past
"What?" Asked Katara, looking at the little brown slip of paper. Aang handed it over to her, waiting a moment for her to read it.
"Ty-Lee? What would she know about Jack?" She asked. Aang shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, but I plan on finding out."
The air was teeming with tension. He could swear that he saw sparks flashing through the air. That, or it was coming from her fingertips. Taking a closer look he realized that it was actually coming from her fingertips. Sparks of blue lightning jumped from her crimson nails, dancing around the edge of her fingers, bouncing from one to the next in a little arc. Jack snorted.
"Show off." He muttered. Azula grinned at him.
"You've always been jealous of my skills." She said, bouncing the lightning from hand to hand. Jack picked up a bit of dirt from the ground. Using his unique set of skills he turned it into a little blue diamond, shining bright, shaped in the form of a heart. He broke it in half, tossing one to Azula. She caught it without looking. Opening her hand she saw the half heart, only to see it turn to ash.
"You did that, you know." He said, showing her the still intact half he held in his hand. She glowered at him.
"If you would try, we could fix it." He continued on. The elements began to collect around the piece, melding into it with a flicker of light. Another half began to form, shaping itself onto the solitary half. A bolt of lightning went clean through it, disrupting the process and sending the other diamond flying. Jack stared at his now empty hand, turning to see Azula's smoking fingertips. She raised them to her lips, blowing the wisps away.
"Like I said, if you tried." He said, leaning up against the wall. He allowed his body to slide down to the ground, where he sat and stared at her, wondering where it all went wrong. Azula looked at him then turned, muttering something to herself. She shifted around for a while, poking around at what was left in her room after her last episode.
Charred items littered the floor, burnt books laying in piles of ash, a fetid stench permeated the cell, smoke. Once a week Zuko had her cell cleaned up and her things replaced, only so that she could destroy them again as the week went by. The only things that ever survived her mindless rage were the bed, and her closet of clothes, which Zuko had been kind enough to send to her. At the moment she was in her outfit from yesterday, the only thing out of place was the state of her raven black hair, tufts of it strewn about wildly, the golden head piece sitting awkwardly to one side, off-balanced.
Jack sighed. He could not help but feel sorry for her when he saw her like this, only a husk of what she used to be, her mind so jumbled from recent events that she could barely think straight, and even when she could it usually came to how everyone betrayed her, and how she was alone in the world. It was truly pitiful.
At the moment she sat at her cabinet, looking through her clothes. She muttered to herself, displeased by the lack of choices, though there must have been at least thirty different outfits. Turning back towards Jack she gazed at him, seeming to play around with something. An argument seemed to come up, between the two sides of her. He had seen this before, it always proceeded a venture into their past lives, something he did not relish. Coming to a decision Azula strode over, carrying herself with the elegant poise she was known for. Looking down at him she smiled, a sweet and tempting look.
"So, you're here." She started. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Azula, I've been here the whole time. I've been here for weeks! I come to see you every day." He said. Azula waved him off, dismissing the notion.
"Please, you may have been here physically but you weren't truly here, you were somewhere else, weren't you?" She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Try to remember Azula, I don't talk crazy. At least, not anymore" A pained look shot across her face and immediately he wished that he could take it back, but it had been said and there was nothing he could do about it now. Azula seemed to brush it off, obviously a bit hurt by his comment.
"What I mean, street-rat." She said, animosity dripping in her voice. "Is that you really have not been here, you've been in the past. All you've been trying to do so far is to move the pieces back, back to another time when you imagined yourself happy." She said. Jack opened his mouth to speak, then thought of it for a moment. Was she right? Had he just been trying to move backwards? Azula kept going, seeing the debate raging in his mind.
"The problem is that the past is gone and dead, you can't have it back." She said. Jack nodded his head. Alright, that seemed logical, he was not going to bring back Amy, no matter how many times he talked to her.
"So the thing you should be asking yourself is not what can you reclaim, but what can you make?" Jack looked at her, noticing a different appearance on her face. It seemed more calm than previously, truth and honesty dancing across it. She actually seemed genuine, as if she was saying this not only for him but for herself as well. Perhaps she was trying to start over, to mend old hurts. Or perhaps she was trying a new ploy.
"Things were pretty bad between us." Said Azula. Jack looked up at her.
"Are." He corrected.
"They can get better." She responded.
"You imprisoned and tortured me." He said.
"And I am sorry for that, truly I am." She said. Jack fought off the rising tide of emotion. His heart was telling him that she was being honest, that she really was sorry for what happened, but his mind was screaming at him not to trust her, to watch out. Half of him wanted to laugh at her, half of him wanted to beat the tar out of her, and half of him wanted to believe her, so one could imagine the ambivalence that he was currently confronting, in possession of three halves of himself. Azula kept on.
"I know that I've done a lot of things that aren't amiable, and to be frank some of them were down right barbarous, but I want to move on." She said, her golden eyes pleading with him. Jack rolled his eyes, a motion that Azula was not oblivious to.
"It's not like you've been such an angel yourself." She replied, reading his thoughts. Jack looked up at her, his heart racing.
"I was receiving the reports Jack. All those mysterious deaths and disappearances, some of them were the earth-kingdom, but be honest here, a lot of them were you." She said. Jack did not object.
"And whatever did happen to Korin?" She asked. Jack twitched, lowering his eyes. Azula nodded her head slowly.
"I see, well, I guess that was to be expected, I was not all that forgiving myself when those close to me began to betray me. Believe me, there were a few times I wanted to execute them myself." She said, offering a slight chuckle. Jack did not look up. She was getting to him, her words were sinking in deep, finding chinks in his armor. He wanted to believe her, he wanted to so bad, but his mind was setting off anything that could ring to warn him, he had to leave now, but he could not, he just could not accept it. This is what he had been hoping for all along, that she was actually sorry for what she did and that she wanted to make amends. Everything she was saying was exactly how he wanted it to be. Not some sappy break down with weepy tears; no that was not Azula, but rather a stiff, yet heartfelt, apology that demonstrated the similarities in their character. It was getting to him, and Azula knew it.
"Look, I know that I've been anything but trustworthy in the past, and I'm the last person that deserves your forgiveness, but perhaps we can at least start anew, right here right now." She said, a gentle smile on her face. Jack looked up at her, tears brimming in his eyes. His body shook violently as he saw her outstretched hand. He wanted to grab it and make amends; he wanted to rip her apart and end it all; he did not know what he wanted and she knew it.
"Azula." He choked, trying to get a grip. She went down to her knees, looking him in the eyes. He looked back at her, staring deep into her sparkling golden eyes, their rich hues swallowing him whole.
"I…" Jack stopped, not able to go on. Azula put a hand on his shoulder, a calm, reassuring hand.
"You don't have to do anything right now, but let's just call this a new beginning." She said, standing up and walking back over to her bed. She sat down, her back to Jack. He watched as her shoulders shook softly, perhaps in sorrow, or was it mirth? He could not tell.
Standing up on shaky legs he made a move to go over to Azula, he did not know what he was going to do. Hit her? Kill her? Hug her? He did not know, but before he could get there he was interrupted by something at the door. A sharp slicing sound echoed in the little cell, the cell door falling down on the floor with a thunderous crash.
Jack and Azula both turned towards the door, stunned. A solitary figure dusted his hands off, a wide toothy grin spread across his face.
"Well, well, well, if this ain't a reunion then I don't know what is. Now look, you don't have to get all teary eyed just because I showed up" Jack looked at the face, recognizing the figure instantly.
"Joshua."