Chapter IV
Zuko shook slightly as he stood outside the door. He had broken his way out of the little earthen mound without much effort, but now he stood outside Mrs. Bei Fong's room shaking, trying to get control of his limbs. The plan was to talk with her and convince her not to disown Toph and that everything was really his fault, but at the moment his will power was failing him. Lacking proper social skills Zuko was just not prepared for this. This required finesse, tact, and subtle cajoling, three categories that he failed miserably at. If only Azula was present at the moment, she would be able to sweet talk her way out of this situation, just like she used to sweet talk her way out of a spanking.
The thought of Azula gave Zuko pause. He had rather neglected her since becoming Fire-Lord, focusing his attention on the immediate duties set before him. Here he was talking about mending broken families and relationships and he was neglecting to do just that. Heck, Jack was giving it a better shot than him, and Azula had tortured him for a couple of years.
What would mother think of all this? He thought. An image of his mother flashed through his mind, her beautiful raven black hair flowing gently in the breeze as they sat outside together underneath the cherry tree, feeding the turtle-ducks. He knew deep down that he was never going to see her again, and that simple truth brought to him the resolve he needed to open the door. Breathing in deeply he reached out a hand, rapping quietly on the door. The sound of someone shuffling alerted him to Mrs. Bei Fong's presence, and a few seconds later she opened the door.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her makeup slightly smudged. She held a tissue in her hand, which she had probably been using to dab at her tears. A look of utter exhaustion and defeat lay on her face, and seeing Zuko seemed only to worsen the mood.
"Ohh, Fire-Lord, I'm sorry, I do fear that the night has went terribly wrong." She said, stepping out into the hall with him, letting the door close shut. Zuko cleared his throat.
"Mrs. Bei Fong, I just wanted to apologize, for everything." He started, but she held up a hand, cutting him off.
"No, don't do that. I know that you brought that girl along just to try and round her out, but there's no use. You can't get through to her, she's as stubborn as the earth she bends." Said Mrs. Bei Fong, dabbing at a tear. Zuko shifted uncomfortably.
"Mrs. Bei Fong, I think that you really upset her tonight." Said Zuko. Mrs. Bei Fong looked shocked.
"I upset her? Was I the one eating in such a disgusting manner or destroying the dining room and her room? I do not think so. No, she has no right to be upset with me. Running away like that and ruining all my plans." She said, looking off to the side. Zuko tried to not point out the whole 'my plans' thing. An idea struck him. He held out his hand.
"Take a walk with me." He said. Mrs. Bei Fong looked at him suspiciously for a moment but eventually she grabbed his hand, if not with some hesitation. He led her down the hall tacitly, making his way back over to Toph's room. It was dark, so he let go of Mrs. Bei Fong and lit one of his fists, illuminating the room.
"Ohh my, that is nice isn't it?" She said. Zuko smiled.
"You like it? I thought that everyone besides firebenders hated firebending." He said, keeping the flame under control. Mrs. Bei Fong smiled.
"All the elements are beautiful in their true nature, it is when one fractures that nature that they become vile and ugly things." She said. Zuko titled his head. That sounded like something his uncle would say. Shaking his head he focused on the reason he had come. He walked over to the shelf with the little dolls on it, motioning Mrs. Bei Fong to follow. He came up to the doll of the blind bandit, picking it up gingerly.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked. Mrs. Bei Fong leaned in close, staring at the dolls.
"Yes, those are the dolls we got for Toph on her eighth birthday. Even after I taught her how to identify the clothing she still persisted in dressing them all wrong; I gave up on that venture long ago." She said. Zuko shook his head.
"That's not what I meant. I mean, do you know what this is?" He asked again, handing Mrs. Bei Fong the doll this time. She looked closely at it, turning it over in her hands.
"This looks like that horrid outfit that Toph wears." She said. Zuko nodded his head.
"That's because that's supposed to be her. She dressed the doll up like herself because it was the only one that understood her. She set it off to the side because she was all alone in the world." He said, taking the doll back and putting it down away from the other dolls. Mrs. Bei Fong shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, it's not our fault. We did what we could for the poor child, but she's just been so stubborn and obstinate, she never tries to see things from our perspective." Zuko bit his tongue, holding back a disparage against Mrs. Bei Fong. He wanted to tell her straight up that she never tried understanding Toph and that she had been a horrible parent, but he had to be patient, or at least give it a better shot.
"Mrs. Bei Fong, I know that Toph has made quite a mess of things, but you have to admit that you are at least partially responsible for this. I mean, have you ever tried looking at it from her point of view?" Mrs. Bei Fong opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it, thinking for a moment. Zuko pressed ahead while he held the advantage.
"I know she's really stubborn and can be a pain at times, believe me, but she really is sorry for what has happened between you guys. She wants to fix things, but every time she tries to talk to you it all goes back to how she messed everything up and how she's the one causing the problem. I agree that she is part of the problem, but she is not the only problem. Blame has to be taken on your part as well." Mrs. Bei Fong stood still, her face blank. Zuko tried to read her, but there was not even a flicker of thought behind her eyes. For a moment he thought that he might have broken her, but then she burst into a torrent of sobs. She fell down to her knees, sobbing violently.
Zuko took a step back, shocked by her reaction. She had been so stoic at dinner, and even after when she was crying in her room he could tell that she kept it under control, but this, this was just a mess. She balled into her hands, tears cascading down her face as she shook. He reached out a hesitant hand, thinking of what he should do. Eventually he laid it on her shoulder, hoping that it was in a comforting manner.
The two sat like that for a while, until Mrs. Bei Fong began to compose herself. She took in some deep calming breaths, looking up at Zuko with a haggard face, exhausted by the day's events. She shook her head slowly.
"Ohh, Fire-Lord, what am I to do? I really have messed things up haven't I? What type of parent am I? Never once did I think of her. It was always about me and the family name. I was too concerned about how she would represent the family name that I did not even bother trying to see things from her perspective. Ohh, what am I to do?" Zuko tried to not smile to broadly, glee running through him as his plan finally started to work. He bent down on a knee, taking Mrs. Bei Fong's hands in his own.
"There's only one thing to do Mam, and that's to apologize." He said. Mrs. Bei Fong shook her head.
"How can I apologize for what I have done? I do not think there's enough forgiveness in the world to take away what I've done to that poor girl." Zuko helped her to her feet.
"Well, there's only one way to figure out."
Toph strode about in the garden, tears falling down her cheek. She brought the back of her hand up to her nose, wiping it with a loud sniff. How could she do this to her?! How dare she, after all she had done for the earth-kingdom and the world that pompous snob had the audacity to disown her? She did not have the type of status worthy of being a Bei Fong? Well fine, then she was too high a status for them! Heck, a chicken-pig would have too much status for a family like this. They would not want to risk giving themselves some actual respectability, now, would they?
Toph continued storming about the garden, tossing boulders about and marching through bushes. Her mother would have another fit, but she did not care. Her mother could do whatever she pleased, but Toph did not have to listen to her ever again, nor would she. She was not part of the family, and if they did not want her then she did not want them.
When Zuko had first brought her here she was a bit terrified that her parents would not forgive her for how she had hurt them. That was why she had been so eager to leave, she wanted to send some messages ahead so that way she could smooth things over before coming out, but Zuko had other plans.
She shook her head as she thought of him. That arrogant little punk, what was he thinking? She was going to drop kick that guy so hard that he was going to have to clear his throat before he farted.
And Jack, how dare he! Toph thought that out of anyone that she could trust it was him, someone used to being on the outside of love. She had confided in him with some of her most precious secrets and fears, and he turned around and set her up. When she got back she was going to have a little chat with that good for nothing scumbag. He probably was not going to have a family in his life.
Toph continued to fume, stomping and bashing anything that came in her way. She was so frustrated, so aggravated, so pissed off! There seemed no way to make this day any worse.
Slowly, as she got her anger out, she began to calm down. Finally, when her rage had almost fully subsided, she found a little stone bench, taking a seat on it. She shook her head, her hair bouncing about. Wiping her cheeks she took the time to think long and hard about all that had happened.
Sure Zuko had had no business doing what he did, but he had only done it because he had cared. He just had wanted to see her broken relationship mended, that's all. And as for Jack he probably was just looking for the same thing. They had only meant to help, but instead they messed things up terribly. Sighing, Toph leaned on her hand.
Well, maybe that was not true either. Things had only gone the way they did because of the way she had acted. Even when she was free and about with Aang and the others she had never acted like such a slob. Sure, she had burped and scratched and picked her nose, but not in such an excessive manner so as to annoy someone. Thinking back on it she probably had not been all that fair to her mother. Sure she had no right trying to arrange a marriage for her, but that did not mean she had the right to act like a little brat. There was no saying how much damage she had caused with her little tantrum.
She shook her head. If she had just forgiven them and put the burden on them then she would not feel the way she did now. She would have felt better, maybe not happy, but at least she could say that it was not her fault that the relationship was not working. However, right now, she was pretty sure that it was all her fault. She had been the worse child in history, save maybe Azula, but she was basically the worse person in history, so there was not much saying about that.
Toph sighed. She guessed that she was going to have to go and apologize for ruining everything. She shook her head. Why was it when it came to doing anything outside of her family she could succeed, but as soon as her family was involved she messed thing up so bad that you could not see top from bottom.
Standing up she determined to go in and apologize to her mother, and, if necessary, she would actually beg for her forgiveness. She would not stay with them, but at least she would try to set things straight. Walking back down the path towards the house, she let her hands run through the bushes, feeling the drying leaves as the time came for them to fall. Coming across one bush she felt a sharp prick on her finger. Retracting her finger with a little yelp she put it in her mouth, the metallic taste of blood seeping onto her tongue. She did not remember there being any bushes with thorns in the garden.
Suddenly Toph realized that she was not alone. Her mother stood in front of her, her hands folded neatly into her sleeves. Toph froze. She had just planned on finding her in order to apologize, but that idea vanished as her anger came back. She just could not help it, she felt so much rage towards her mother, especially now that she was here.
Turning around Toph crossed her arms, putting her back to her mother.
"I don't remember there being any plants with thorns in the garden." She huffed. She could feel her mother as she came closer, bending down on her knee. She tried to reach for Toph's hand, but she pulled away, turning to face her with the best scowl she could muster. Mrs. Bei Fong sighed.
"I understand now Toph." She said. Toph could feel the rage coursing through her body.
"Now you understand? Now, at the end of everything, now you understand? Anyone can get it now that I don't need protection!" Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she let her anger out.
"I needed you to be the first one to believe in me, to encourage me and help me. You were supposed to help me with my disabilities and aid me in my strength, but instead you were detrimental to both!" Toph took a second to wipe away her tears. "You didn't understand me when I needed you most, and now, now when I have finally struck out on my own, now you understand. Now you offer aid, but I don't need it. You're my mother! How could you do this to me!?" She cried, turning back around and crossing her arms, crying softly. Mrs. Bei Fong hesitated for a second, then looked at the rosebush, an idea popping in her head.
"When I was your age." She started, standing behind Toph. "Your father bought me those roses. They are a very special type of rose, with green and white petals, though I know you cannot see them. He did it as part of our courtship, and in the end my parents chose him. Not because of the flowers, of course, but for different reasons. His status and wealth, things such as that." Toph snorted, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve.
"If some guy gave me some fancy flowers I'd just smash them. All he was doing was trying to smooth things over with your parents in order to be their favorite, and it looked like it worked." Mrs. Bei Fong shook her head.
"No, that wasn't it at all. When he brought the roses, it was just one small flower. He planted it in the backyard without me knowing, and every night he came over and took care of it. Eventually, when I found it bursting in full bloom, there was a note attached to it. It said that like this flower, he would tend to our love until it burst into full bloom." She said, a smile on her face as she recalled the event. Toph tried to roll her eyes, but it did not turn out all that well.
"Well, that sure explains nothing." She said. Mrs. Bei Fong took in a deep breath.
"There's a reason, if you' just give me the chance." Said her mother. Toph was half tempted to walk away, but she could sense Zuko standing off to her right, about a hundred feet or so away; his arms were crossed. Sighing, Toph stood still, thus signaling her mother that she could continue.
"When we had you, and we found out you were blind, I had the servants remove all the plants with thorns in the garden, especially as you became more and more fond of it. However, when it came to this bush, I told them to cut the thorns, and leave the plant. You see, it meant so much to me that I kept it, despite the risk it might mean for you. However, as I realized, I did not do it out of love for you, but rather love for your father, and not wanting to hurt his feelings. And as the years went by with you by our sides that became a pattern for me. I would do things to accommodate your father, not you. I'm sorry to say, but since you were born blind, your father became bitter, and the only solace that he found was in recreating the time before you existed, when our love was our only focus. That is why we treated you the way we did; it was never for you, it was only for us." She said. Tears slowly trickled down Mrs. Bei Fong's cheeks as she gave her confession, laying it all out before her daughter.
"I know that the last thing I deserve is your forgiveness, and that you have every right to hate us, especially me, but after hearing about what you have done, not just for the earth-kingdom but the whole world, I feel that perhaps you have the strength to do what we could not. We could never forgive ourselves for having a blind child, and I've hated every single day that I wasted trying to change you, but I did not have the strength to forgive myself, and neither did your father. I humbly ask for your forgiveness, though I do not expect it." Mrs. Bei Fong sat silent, her head bowed in respect to her daughter's decision, no matter what it be.
Toph stood silent, unmoving. Her breath was calm, and controlled, her muscles loose and relaxed. It seemed that she was undisturbed by her mother's words. After a few more moments of silence Mrs. Bei Fong arose.
"I am sorry Toph, truly I am. Please, leave this place, do whatever you wish, my only desire is that you be happy." And with that she walked away, leaving Toph behind on the path. Seconds passed by, and Toph did not move, her form still and vacant of any activity. All of nature held its breath, and Zuko was starting to lose all hope. Then, right when it seemed that everything was lost, she turned. Reaching out a hand she called out.
"Mother!" She cried, her voice tight. Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her face. She ran after her, running full into her mother's loving embrace.
"I forgive you. I forgive you for everything!" She cried, her voice choked with emotion. She squeezed her mother with all her might, unwilling to let her go ever again.
"Please, please, can't you forgive me?" Her mother held her tight, tears falling down her face.
"I forgive you, I forgive you. It's all right Toph. Everything is fine, my love." She cajoled softly, wrapping her arms around her daughter. Off in the background, watching closely, stood Zuko, pumping his fist in victory.
Aang and Katara sat behind a pillar, waiting for Mai to vacate the area. They had been following Ty-Lee and Mai forever, but they wanted her alone. If they confronted her with Mai by her side she was liable to play dumb or disregard their claims. Alone, however, she was a much easier target, as she did not function well without an authority figure close at hand.
They stood quietly behind the pillar, holding their breaths. Mai was currently looking out the window, just as she had been for the past five minutes, not speaking a word. Ty-Lee stood languidly by her side, bored with their current activity, voicing as much.
"What are we doing? This is boring." She griped, sighing. Mai ignored her whining, consumed in thought.
"We've got to tell him." She replied.
"Who?" Asked Ty-Lee. Mai turned around.
"Who do you think? He's got to know. If that lunatic is out and about you know he's not just going to stop at asking for Azula, he's probably already trying to find a way to break in. He's always over there, we've got to go warn him." Said Mai, starting off. Ty-Lee stood back.
"I don't want to go." She said. Mai stopped, turning back around.
"What do you mean you don't want to go?" She asked. Ty-Lee shifted uneasily on her feet.
"I don't like being around her when she's like that. She's meaner than usual. It makes me scared." Said Ty-Lee. Mai sighed, putting a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Alright, you can stay here, just go hide in your room for the moment; try to avoid the others. I still have to think it all over. Perhaps he'll have an idea of what to do." She said, turning and walking away.
Aang and Katara listened closely as Mai walked away from them, her footsteps receding until the sound of a door being opened echoed out. It slammed against the wall, a fierce wind blowing it back. Eventually the door shut, and the palace was quiet again. Ty-Lee sighed, slowly making her way towards her room.
Aang looked over at Katara, nodding his head. She gave him a reassuring nod, then they came out from around the pillar, walking up behind Ty-Lee.
"Ty-Lee." Said Aang, startling the poor girl. She jumped, spinning around with her hands up in a defensive position. Katara rolled her eyes.
"We're not going to hurt you moron." She said. Aang glared at her. They did not need to insult her at the moment, they were trying to get some sensitive information from her. Turning back to her he offered his biggest smile.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there, I just wanted to talk." He said. Ty-Lee got nervous, her hands falling to her side.
"Ohh, well, uhh, I kinda have to get to my room at the moment." She said, turning and walking away. Aang hurried up in front of her, leaning on the door frame.
"I just need a minute." He said. Ty-Lee shook her head.
"No, I really need to go." She said, doing a flip over his arm and into the next room. Aang gritted his teeth, using his airbending to get in front of Ty-Lee again. He held out his hand, stopping her.
"Look, Ty-Lee, this is series. Lives could be at stake, including Azula's. You don't want to get her hurt, now, do you?" He asked. Ty-Lee froze, a debate raging in her mind. Aang contained a smile, knowing that he hit a nerve. Eventually she opened her mouth.
"Alright, what is it?" She said. Katara came up besides Aang.
"What do you know about Joshua?" She said. Ty-Lee blushed, shifting on her feet.
"Joshua, uhh, nothing, I don't even know that name." She said. Aang shook his head, the lie obvious.
"Ty-Lee, we know you know him. You're a terrible liar; besides, he left me with a piece of paper saying that he knew you." Said Aang, stretching the truth a bit. Ty-Lee shook her head.
"Sorry, but I don't know anything about Jack's friend." She said, slapping a hand over her mouth after the words came out. Aang and Katara exchanged a shocked glance, turning back to Ty-Lee.
"Wait, what?!" Said Katara. Ty-Lee shook her head, pushing her way through the two of them.
"Sorry, got to leave!" She called, running down the hall and away from them. Aang and Katara stayed behind, watching as she disappeared.
"We've got to get her to talk." Said Katara. Aang nodded his head.
"Come on, let's go get Sokka, he'll know what to do." Leaving Ty-lee to go back to her room the pair went off in search of Sokka. After searching his room as well as the kitchen they found him in the library, a book on his knees. He seemed to be distracted, staring off into the fireplace instead of the rather large text on fire-nation history. Sighing he turned a page, not bothering to look at it at all. Katara and Aang came up to him, disrupting his melancholic mood.
"Sokka, we need your help." Said Aang. Sokka looked up at them languidly.
"What is it now? Can't you see I'm busy being depressed?" He said, letting out another long sigh. Katara rolled her eyes.
"No time for that now Sokka, we need you to get Ty-Lee to talk." She said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you two are getting all nosy and trying to find out who she likes so you can set her up?" Said Sokka. Aang shook his head.
"Sokka, this is serious!' He said. Sokka shrugged his shoulders.
"So is love. So, what's up?" Replied Sokka.
"You know that guy I said knocked me out?" Said Aang. Sokka put one leg on top of the other.
"You mean the guy we just got done talking about only an hour ago? Don't worry, I already sent a description to the guard, they'll have a poster of him up and running within a couple of hours." Katara paused.
"Wait, you didn't try to draw the picture for them?" She said. Sokka let out a caustic laugh.
"What good is my drawing skills? If I had made the picture they would be looking for a scarecrow or something of the sorts. Who knows, they might mistake Zuko for the guy." Sokka shook his head. "No, this time I left it to the professionals." He said, looking down at his book and turning the page. Katara shook herself.
"Well, good for you for finally admitting your faults but that isn't why we're here." She said. Sokka shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, you're the one's that brought it up." He said.
"Sokka, focus!" Said Aang, losing his patience. Sokka closed the book, setting it on the table next to him. He looked up at Aang, folding his hands in his lap and giving his friend his undivided attention.
"Alright, what is it you need my help with?" He said.
"Alright." Said Aang, relieved that he finally got to start. "So, when I was sitting there telling you guys about Joshua I noticed that Ty-Lee and Mai seemed rather attentive once I had mentioned that the guy had blonde hair. After you guys had left I found a piece of paper in my hand with her name on it. Since he had told me that he was going to point me in the right direction about Jack I figured that Ty-Lee must know more than she's letting on."
"As hard as that is to believe." Muttered Katara. Aang shot her a look then continued on with his story.
"When Katara and I went to confront her she sat there being all evasive, but we did manage to get her to slip up. When I asked her about Joshua she said that she knew nothing about Jack's friend, then she ran off." Finished Aang, looking at Sokka with an excited smile. Sokka stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about what he had said.
"So, you think that Ty-Lee knows more than she's letting on, and you want me to get it out of her." He said, summing it up. Aang nodded his head eagerly.
"We need the plan guy." Said Katara, stroking his pride a little. Sokka perked up at being called the plan guy again. He smiled, nodding his head.
"Alright, alright. Don't worry about it, the plan guy is on it." He said, standing up and slicking his hair back. He cracked his neck and left the room, leaving Aang and Katara to exchange a quick giggle.
They followed him out into the hall, walking a little behind him as he sauntered over to Ty-Lee's room. They had no clue as to what he was planning on doing, but hopefully it would work.
Coming up to her room, he fixed his shirt, straightening it out. Looking over at Aang and Katara he held up a hand, motioning for them to stay away and out of sight. They obliged, making their way behind a pillar across the hall. Once they were out of sight Sokka knocked on the door, putting on his most charming face. After a few moments the door opened hesitantly, Ty-Lee's face poking out from the crack.
"Who is it?" She asked. Sokka gave her a friendly smile.
"Hey, it's me, Sokka. I was just wondering if you could clear something up for me." He said. Ty-Lee opened the door wider, a bit flustered by his presence.
"Ohh, hey, uhm, how are you? I mean how can I help you?" She said, her cheeks blushing. Sokka leaned on a post, trying to look cool. Katara and Aang had to keep themselves from laughing.
"Well, I'm just a little confused, and I figured that you'd probably be the best person to see, you know, you're pretty good with stuff like this." He said. Ty-Lee opened the door all the way, stepping out.
"Stuff like what?" She asked. Sokka stood straight up.
"You know, smart stuff. I mean, you were the one coming up with the plans in the group right? I always thought so." He said, laying on the suave. Ty-Lee turned as red as a beet.
"Well, actually it was Azula who came up with most of the stuff." She said.
"But certainly you added a lot of the good stuff, right? Interjected Sokka. Ty-Lee brushed her braid back, a shy smile on her face.
"Well, I did help on occasion." She said, twiddling with her fingers. Sokka smiled.
"I thought so. That means that you can help me out." He said. Ty-Lee nodded her head, then realized she should probably say something.
"Ya, yes, I can really, uhm, I mean definitely help you out, with your problem." She fumbled. Sokka gave her a reassuring smile. Aang watched, trying to not feel a pang of guilt as he saw Sokka play on her emotions. It really was not all that fair for Ty-Lee, as Sokka was already in a relationship, but he really did want the information, and Sokka was doing such a great job, he was just going to have to let it play out.
"Well." Said Sokka, leaning back up against the pillar. "It's just this thing with Aang, and that guy who was in here. I was sitting there listening to Aang, and then I noticed you. I saw you sitting there staring at him with those big, intelligent eyes and I saw a spark in there. I don't know how much information you were rooting through in that half second but I knew it was a lot, so I thought that maybe you could help fill me in on the details of this Joshua guy." He said, laying the compliments on thick. Ty-Lee giggled, shifting on her feet.
"Well, I'm not really supposed to talk about it." She started. Sokka clicked his tongue.
"Ohh, come on, you can tell me. I mean, I know that you've already got this under control, but it would really just put my mind at ease if you'd let me in on the secret." He said, giving her his puppy eyes. Ty-Lee melted, not able to resist his cunning charm. She looked down the hall both ways, then leaned in close.
"Alright." She whispered, just loud enough for the two eavesdroppers to hear from across the hall.
"Joshua is an old friend of ours, and Jack's. When we were younger we…" Ty-Lee was cut off by Mai, storming down the hall at her. Immediately her countenance fell as she took a couple of steps back towards her room. Mai marched straight at Sokka, gave him a gruff shove and grabbed Ty-Lee, bringing her into the room and slamming the door shut. She opened the door again to yell something real quick.
"Get, all of you!" She called out, slamming the door again. Sokka snapped his fingers, so close to getting it out of her. Katara and Aang came out from around the pillar, their faces downcast. Sokka walked over to them, putting his hands on his hips.
"Well, what now?" He said. They sat and thought for a moment, looking back at the door.
"Well, we could always try the direct approach." Said Katara. She looked over at Aang, then at Sokka, who both shrugged their shoulders. Turning back around, she went up to the door, and pounded on it.
"Joshua, you're alive?" Joshua frowned.
"What, you thought I was dead? Really, is that why you never came looking for me after you broke out?" Jack shook his head, shocked to see him here.
"No, that wasn't it Josh, I was just a bit…busy with other things." He said, looking askance at Azula. She stuck her tongue out at him. Joshua shook his head.
"Really, after all we've been through you decide to go play grab ass with Jemnile instead of coming after me?" Jack could feel Azula's frown behind him. She had never been very fond of her nickname.
"No, that's not it…" Started Jack.
"Then what was it?!" Demanded Joshua. "Because you sure as hell wasn't out to get her, I mean, she's still here. And I mean right here!" He yelled, pointing a finger behind him at Azula. Jack turned around to see Azula's smirking face. She was in a room with two people who rightly had the motivation to kill her, and yet she was still playing her hand with that smug look on her face. Jack shook his head. She was lucky he was on her side, for the moment. He held up his hands, trying to calm Joshua down.
"Josh, look, I know that you've been through a lot. Believe me, we've both have. But you need to take a second to think about all of this, about how it used to be." Said Jack. Joshua laughed.
"Are you kidding me kid? Really, what do you think I've been doing for the past three years locked up in the bubbler? I sure as hell wasn't playing patty-cake with the inmates if that was what you were thinking. No, most of the time I was in solitary." He said. "I even got a couple of lovely souvenirs while I was there." He said, turning to let Jack see his brands. Jack grimaced, feeling the rage build inside of him. He let out a deep breath, trying to remain calm.
"Look, Josh, I know what she's done to us. It's horrible, believe me, I know. But we can't bring her back by taking it out on her." He said, pointing behind him at Azula, who was hopefully not sticking her tongue out at the moment. Joshua shook his head, running a hand through his hair.
"You've got to be kidding me. Here I was thinking that you came in here every day to torture her, but instead you sitting here talking about your feelings and reminiscing about the good times? Are you kidding me? Holy damn, I'm in the looney house!" He screamed, turning around and throwing his arms up. Jack shifted his stance slightly, readying himself for an attack.
"How in the whole, good, wide world, can you sit here, and just let her live?" Asked Joshua, turning back around. "She deserves to die so many times over, I mean, we could torture her for the rest of our lives and still not get full retribution." He said. Jack shook his head slowly.
"Josh, it wasn't all her fault. Ozai had a hand in it as well." He said, watching his friend closely. Joshua jumped up and down, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Damn Ozai and damn her!" He screamed, his eyes wild. "I don't give a damn whose idea it was, she was there, she was standing next to her, and for all I care she did it!" He cried, his hands glowing black with flames. "All the royal family has to pay, and they will. I'll burn there house to the ground and piss on the ashes, and anyone who gets in my way is going to burn with them." He said, his eyes zeroing in on Jack.
"Josh, don't do this. If you go down this path this path there may be no coming back. Believe me, I've done it, and there's no fulfillment down that way. Only forgiveness can bring you peace." He said, watching his friend. Joshua appeared to settle down some, slicking his hair back again and taking in a deep breath. He opened his eyes, staring at Jack with a cold, icy stare.
"You don't seem to understand kid, I don't want to have peace. My world was taken from me and burnt to a crisp, all I want to do is return the favor." He said, his hand moving behind his back.
"I had hoped that you would be on my side, and after everything I gathered about your actions over there I figured you were on my side, though you were messing things up pretty good. But hey, you didn't have me." He said with a laugh. Jack was not convinced.
"Look, I know that it's hard for you to take it out on her, after all you've been through, but I'm offering you a shot to let go of all that crap and make a real difference in the world." He said, holding his hand out to Jack. Azula perked up, watching the two closely as her fate hung in the balance. Jack turned around and looked back at her, ambivalence flashing through his eyes. She stared back at him, not with austerity, nor pleading, but just simple resignation. Whether or not that was her play Jack did not know, but it worked, he could not turn on her, not after everything that had happened. He turned back to Joshua, shaking his head slowly. Joshua nodded his head, bringing his hand back.
"Well, I'm sorry that you feel that way kid." He said, his other hand coming back around from behind his back.
"I prepared for an eventuality such as this; though I really thought it wasn't going to be necessary." He said, tossing the items to the floor at Jack's feet. They glinted of gold as they fell through the air, clattering with a metallic ring as they hit the stone. He looked down, recognizing the items.
"Suki's fan-blades." He muttered. He looked back up at Joshua.
"What have you done to her?!" He demanded, taking a step forward. Joshua held up a hand.
"Whoa there little buddy! You ain't getting nothing from me if you attack me. I haven't done anything to her, yet, but I can't guarantee how long she'll last." Jack froze, realizing what this meant.
"I have to choose." He said. Joshua gave him a sinister smile.
"That a boy, way to catch on! Look who's the fast learner!" He mocked, clapping his hands together.
"You can either save your little friend there, or you can keep trying to protect that nut-job, it's real simple." He said.
"Don't listen to him, he probably just stole them out of her room!" Yelled Azula. Jack turned around, startled. So far in the conversation she had not interrupted, save with a smirk.
"That may be so, but what if it is true, what then? Are you really willing to risk her life based on what she has to say? When has she ever told the truth?" Countered Joshua, playing her objection perfectly.
"Besides." Said Joshua. "I'm not like you Azula, I don't lie to my best friend." He said, giving Jack a friendly smile. Jack swallowed hard. He looked between Azula and the fan-blades. Was it truly fair for him to risk her life to protect Azula, after all that Suki had done to help them? He shook his head, his mind beginning to hurt. He felt that no matter which path he chose he was bound to lose this one. He looked back up at Azula.
"I will find you." He said. She took a couple of steps forward, her eyes wide.
"You can't leave me with him!" She said, grabbing unto his sleeve. Her hand trembled slightly, fear seizing hold of her. She was truly terrified, perhaps for the first time in her life. Jack tried to keep control of himself, knowing that he had to remain strong in order to get a victory from this.
"I'm sorry Jemnile." He said softly. Azula twitched, a battle raging in her mind. Her grip on his arm tightened, her nails digging into his flesh, but she ended up relinquishing her grasp, taking a step back, her eyes calming.
"Fine, I can take care of myself." She said, her lips quivering. Jack turned back around, facing Joshua's overjoyed face.
"Alright, how is this going to work?" He asked. Joshua stepped forward, putting a hand on his neck.
"You'll wake up with what you want." Said Joshua simply. A small prick made Jack wince. He stepped back out of Joshua's reach only to have the world around him spin. Lightning and fire lit up his vision, peals of thunder echoing in the room. The images blurred into a single storm of brilliant colors, then he hit the ground, unconscious.