Part Two: Spring
Chapter Eight: The Bei Fong Ball, Part Three
So still, the night, that flies like years
Blurred, a sea of white and green
Nightmares within abstract nightmares
Wretched dreams within a dream.
Who is this girl? He asks himself,
Who is the lady that he sees?
And she replies, with one blind stare:
"A girl I never want to be."
They wanted to be anywhere but here, and it was this fact that the princess relished. They were standing before her, one slim, elegant shadow of a lady and one pink-clad bundle of half-masked nerves.
Mai and Ty Lee. Her childhood friends; her adolescent cohorts.
She knew that around every corner, there were allies: nobles still bitter from the nation's loss, generals who had been stripped of their rankings. They were people she had once controlled, but had now fallen like scattered little pieces on a Pai Sho table.
They were so weak, those pawns. Nothing more than moldable clay.
Mai and Ty Lee were pawns as well.
She knew that both understood how strong she had been, because they were still there. They feared her again, though Azula had been rid of her bending, the prestige stripped from her. Yet, nobody else had to know that her power had gone, too.
Mai and Ty Lee had already experienced the full extent of her strength, and evidently believed she still held it. And yet, the irony was that if they ever dared to double-cross her, if they ever dared to betray her again, Azula could just as easily tear them down again with the alliances she had forged through the two of them.
Simple, wasn't it? Manipulation. And it was so easy, what with Ty Lee's compassion and Mai's intricate comprehension of Fire Nation nobility. She could build a nation through them and, if they failed, she could just as easily tear them down.
Compassion had never really been Azula's strong point, after all. It was a sign of imperfection.
--
Ty Lee and Mai knew that Azula had allies everywhere. She had inspired fear in the guard that brought her food and unwavering admiration from the people who had remained loyal to her father. They knew that Azula realized the prescence Iroh had among his people. They were divided between loyalty and hesitation, which the princess would take advantage of for the time being.
She would attempt to do so through the two of them. Their loyalties were unquestionable. Unfaltering. They had been the closest to her, and knew what she was capable of. And Azula had been the closest to them both, tearing her way through layers and facades until she knew each girl's weaknesses, her desires, her struggles. She was a sly and conniving worm, wriggling its way through an apple and rotting it. Making it hers.
Mai and Ty Lee were Azula's spies. Her co-conspirators. It was only now that they realized what their roles truly meant.
She didn't look up at them, just kept her gaze on the floor, contemplating something. At last, after an uneasy silence, her head rose and her eyes studied both girls before she fixed them on Mai.
"You've been corresponding with Zuko, haven't you?"
There was no malice in her voice, just a sugary-sweet query. Mai fought the impulse to glare at Ty Lee, who had blanched as soon as Azula set her gaze on her companion. The sixteen-year-old just stood her ground, then, trying to take advantage of the split-second silence that accompanied the question.
If she said yes, her entire relationship with Zuko was in jeopardy. Then again, it already was.
"I have been," she answered cautiously but resolutely, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"And what, Mai, do you think that will accomplish?" Came the equally prying question. Ty Lee gulped, and Azula shot a look at her. The be-quiet-while-the-princess-is-interrogating-somebody look. And it was then that Mai realized that somehow, the pink-clad girl had managed to take all the information that Mai had entrusted her with and given them, willingly, to the prisoner behind bars.
"It will accomplish nothing," Mai found herself saying, the words forming themselves in her mouth before she could think. "I need to keep writing to the idiot so he won't suspect anything from us."
"Yes, of course," the prisoner submitted then, studying her fingernails like she used to do when she reigned as a princess. "But I've heard that the both of you aren't exactly the best of companions now, are you? Perhaps long-distance relationships aren't his forte."
The sixteen-year-old didn't know how to answer this, and Ty Lee, torn between the two, wasn't in any condition to take sides. Azula studied them both until the silence overwhelmed the three.
"If this is to work, Mai," she then spoke, her voice coming in a deep little murmur, "I need you to mend your relationship with Zuko. Convince him- and his traitor uncle- that there is nothing to worry about here in the Fire Nation. Let their guards down. And as for you, Ty Lee-" she glanced at the acrobat, who was practically quivering. "How am I to trust you when you've already told me so much about Mai? Who am I to know exactly what you're telling Iroh?"
"I'm really sorry, Azula. But I haven't been telling them anything. I swear."
Ty Lee's voice came out in a little whisper, and Azula's eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly in surprise. Mai gave in, and shot a look at her companion. Maybe it was simply on impulse, maybe Ty Lee just got carried away by the situation, but contradicting Azula was sure to make the former princess even more deadly.
Perhaps their betrayal of her, so long ago, it seemed, had heightened Ty Lee's self-assurance. Either way, it was sure to come to a bitter consequence.
"I need to be sure of it, Ty Lee. I need to be sure of everything," Azula muttered, glaring at the two. "Mai, I want you to start bringing me my brother's letters. I know his handwriting; there's no use in forging anything." Her eyes penetrated the sixteen-year-old, who knew perfectly well that Azula meant it. "And Ty Lee, our business is strictly confidential. If any news of what we're doing comes back to me by somebody other than you two, I will know exactly who told them."
"I understand," Ty Lee murmured, and Mai, who was somewhat shakened by the fact that Azula knew about her correspondence, just nodded once and said nothing.
"Good. I knew it was wise to trust you," the prisoner intoned, the sweetness crawling back into her voice. "You may leave."
--
When had he been truly honest with her?
The entire ship was asleep, and he fought to stay awake, his eyes half-closed in tiredness. He had unrolled some parchment, set the ink and a brush aside, and sat there. He straightened the paper for the fifth time in a row, then stifled a yawn.
Usually the words just came to him, but they couldn't this time.
It felt as if every time he explained to Mai about his job, his duty, his honor... she didn't care. She was harsh in her rebuttals, ambiguous in her remarks. As the miles stretched farther and farther between them, it felt like he knew less and less about who she was. He found himself forgetting how it felt to see her smile.
He forgot what it felt like to make her smile.
"Dear Mai," he tried, but it sounded too familiar. He wasn't like that anymore with her. The ink slid off the brush in smooth, ebony drops, flecking the paper with careless black splotches until he realized what was happening and drew the brush away haphazardly.
Mai, who are you? Why are you doing this to me now, when I've already told you everything?
It was the question he longed to ask, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He imagined her, miles away in the Fire Nation. It was as if he was writing to some stranger, a lady he was forced to be nice to.
"Mai," he started, testing the syllable of her name under his breath. He picked the brush up, and quickly wrote her name down, as if it would leave his memory as swiftly as it came.
Mai,
Immediately, a torrent of ideas came to mind. He scrawled down the usual: "Send Uncle my greetings." And he paused for a moment, trying to organize the swirl of words in his head into sentences.
By this time you recieve this, I'll probably be in Ba Sing Se. You remember what we did there. The people of the Earth Kingdom are strong-willed and stubborn. They never forget. This time, I'm a direct relation to the downfall of the city. I'll likely have a bad reception.
They were only thoughts, only rudimentary sentences, but he wrote them down nonetheless. He read through the letter, then noted that it bore an uncanny resemblance to some admiral's war log. Just a collection of facts, ones that held little sentiment and hardly meant anything.
Be a good little prince and shut up, he remembered her saying. Shut up about what? About the truth?
The wet ink glimmered in the pulsing firelight. The text glared at him, black and etched in the parchment like carvings in stone. What would he have wanted her to say to him? How could he expect her to open up to him when the truth was, he had cared less and less about her as the world tore them apart? And yet, something held him back- the feeling that she wouldn't care, would fail to find the meaning in his words if he were truly honest. If he opened himself to her, would she regard those words as lies? Would she take his sentiments and throw them back in his face?
He loved her, once. He didn't know what it felt like, so he didn't know if he still did. And yet, wasn't having that little flicker of uncertainty gnawing at him better than realizing that he didn't love her at all?
I don't know what you want to hear, Mai, but I'm trying. I'm guessing, but to be honest, it gets harder and harder. We're miles apart, and I've all but forgotten what we used to say to each other. I feel as if I'm treading with caution every time I write to you.
He didn't care anymore, didn't care what Mai was going to say to this. If she found fault with it, she was finding fault with his honesty.
I love you. I hate you. I miss you. I don't care anymore-
The words flew through his mind, then, at lightning speed. All those days of surpressed emotion, of thoughts that he had denied and denied before- they clamored for release in the form of words, compelling him to write everything down on that piece of white parchment. He struggled to discern what was right and what was wrong, what was the stark truth and what was just embellished flamboyancy. Mai saw past all the lies, all the fake "I love you"s and the "I miss you"s that he had placed in his letters to appease her. He realized, then, that all she wanted was something real.
The ink was dripping again. He sorted his thoughts until his head was as clear as it could possibly be. In slow, unwavering strokes, he painted the words that swarmed in his mind in one simple sentence.
Why had it taken him so long to realize that he needed the truth, too?
Has Aang made any progress? I'm nearly at Ba Sing Se, so I want to make sure. If you need any assistance, you can always ask.
Katara recieved Zuko's letter that night. His handwriting was rushed and hasty, just like him. He had asked about Aang's progress and what he could do for her. She thought about how to reply to that, but the only thing she could think of was a steadfast "No, thank you, Zuko. I don't need your help."
She knew she was taking control of things again. Being overprotective of Aang, thinking of him as if she were the only one who could revive him. After all, she had barely done a thing to aid Aang since she had stepped foot on the North Pole; his progress had all been attributed to the work of the healers. And maybe, swallowing her pride was going to be the best thing she had ever done for him. She knew she needed help if she wanted to help Aang in turn. The only thing hard about it was admitting that she did.
He's the one dying, not you, she told herself, footsteps crackling as they crunched through sloshing ice. He needs you more than you need your self-assurance.
The healing center was a short walk away from the infirmary. Everything seemed to come back in a blur as she remembered stepping through the same doors, a silent rage burning in her veins, the quiet indignation still coursing through her mind at Pakku's words. Women couldn't fight. Women couldn't train. And yet, hadn't Aang been the one to help her, then? The one to teach her and guide her, though it led her to a bitter consequence in the end?
It had been enough, though, to prove that he was willing to do anything and everything for her. Even during the first time they had set foot on the North Pole together, she had loved him. Back then, he was both a beacon of hope and a great friend. And now, he was reduced to a suffering adolescent, unable to move, unable to stand up tall and celebrate his victory, a young boy who desperately needed whatever she could do for him.
Twice, you've failed him. You were weak in Ba Sing Se, and Azula took his life. You were stupid and ignorant and made the same mistakes this time.
He had almost died under her hands, and she never wanted that to happen again. Aang needed anything and everything she could offer him.
--
When Katara came by, she would always tell him stories of what had transpired before and after the war, how he had been "brave" and "strong" and "deserving of so much more". Aang just lay there and took it, but he was inwardly biting back the impulse of asking why he was here, then, his strength ebbing away by the minute, if he had truly been a hero.
Katara had lay out a few of his birthday presents by his bed, and they stood there, little figures of what had been before the world went wrong. Aang had held the little sky bison carving numerous times, quietly turning the wood over in his hands and tracing the little cracks and nicks that patterned the faded mahogany. He had tried to imagine Appa, Sokka, and Toph in Gaoling, hoping that they were safe. He imagined what he would say to them once they came back and visited, and a faint little feeling of hope pulsing in his heart was keeping him wishing that by that time, he would be able to stand up and laugh with his friends like he had done before.
Things would never be the same, though. Aang understood this from the scars that burned on his arms and legs and the shattered bones that would repair but would never really be whole. He understood this from the irreparable damage that had been done to them all. The young Airbender could see it in Katara's faded smile and could hear it in his own voice, gravelly and weighed down with the gravity of pain. Their souls had been brushed with lost innocence, because they had killed and suffered and their childhood had died with the bloodied bodies on the palace floor.
He couldn't make sense of the world outside the four walls that confined him, outside the bed that he lay on and couldn't escape from even though nobody was stopping him. Maybe Katara's pain was larger and more jarring than he had thought it to be, and maybe the tears she shed weren't solely for him. Maybe Toph and Sokka were gone for good, and Katara was only lying to him and making him think that they were a world away, safe in Gaoling, when they were a world away and dead.
Aang wished that he could be a world away too, comatose and floating in the dark and flowing universe. His eyes would take the world in and the world would take his spirit away. And maybe then, he could be free from the pain and free from the platonic bounds of Katara's affection for him. He would love from afar, and he wouldn't feel guilty about it, and he could pretend that Katara had loved him all along instead of hearing the cold, dead truth of her words.
I just can't love you to I've always loved you. And floating in a realm of unconsciousness, Aang would believe it instead of living, full awake to Katara's sorrow and whatever truths were written in her eyes, and listening to her tell him otherwise.
What brought him back was the truth that Aang loved her. What was the point of living if that didn't matter anymore?
Obedience had consumed my childhood, and Zuko had consumed my adolescence. What was I to do, now that everything was gone?
It's interesting, though. I was beginning to think that my sacrifice for him would've opened his eyes a little. Showed him that I did care. That I wasn't just in it for physical attributes or royal connections, because I could care less about Fire Nation nobility.
Zuko turned my pathetic life into something meaningful. Maybe I relied on him too much, and Agni knows how well that turned out. Letters and lies, and Azula's stupid air of superiority. And Ty Lee, being all sympathetic. It was an artificial sympathy, because she, like all the other stupid girls who held steadfast to the belief of "true love", knew "things would work out in the end".
Because things always "work out in the end". Not necessarily in my favor.
Things had been tense after the war ended. Ty Lee and I were freed with the other prisoners of war, and Zuko and I pretended that nothing had happened. That plan resulted in failure. Heart-to-hearts were never my strong points, and he never expected us to talk. The silence was louder than words.
I pretended that Azula had never torn us apart. That there wasn't a rift between us, and there never had been. He pretended that it was for the best, that his decision to join the Fire Nation after defeating the Avatar at Ba Sing Se had been justified. So had his letter.
He told me that if he hadn't turned traitor on his uncle, we would have never loved each other. I could tell that he still regretted not choosing the former above me. He told me that if he had faced me before he left to join the Avatar, he would never have found the will to leave me. I knew the words in his parting letter to me were the only ones he could think to say.
It was this that made me bite my words of adoration back; they wouldn't be reciprocated. I couldn't ask so much of Zuko, and I knew he didn't expect much of me. We knew we could never go back to what we were before, or what I had imagined we were. Because back then, we were ignorant and naive. Thought only of ourselves.
There was a world out there, and Zuko had experienced the full extent of it. I could give him nothing of that, so I refused to spend time with him. Palaquin rides and fruit tarts were stupid. Lying on couches doing nothing all day was pathetic. He was a war hero, and I was a spoiled nobleman's daughter. When he tried to console me, tried to give me everything I had wanted before but hated now, I was angry at him.
I knew he was showering me with extravagance so we could somehow mend our relationship with trivial, pointless material objects. I knew that he hated them, but simply wanted to buy my affection.
Because I knew that the world had opened his eyes. Made him realize that no, I couldn't satisfy him anymore. So I stopped bearing everything and tore it all down.
It wasn't like he cared. Those letters he sent, what seemed to be affection, were really just things to make me love him again. My mind hated him, but my heart didn't. It was so incredibly pathetic of me to even consider forgiving him; yet, a part of me took it and loved him all the more for it. For even bothering to put up with me.
It was a matter of honor to him, but pretending comes easier to me. I can pretend that I actually mean something to Zuko.
Agni knows I've made it hard for him.
--
The acrobat trembled as she took the dark steps down to her friend's confines. Shuddering, half from the cold and half from the fear, she felt her way down the murky blackness.
"What have you learned?" Came the low murmur, deadly even though it came from behind bars.
"The resistance is sending some forces to Ba Sing Se," she murmured, swallowing hard. She tried to keep her voice from wavering, knowing that one sign of hesitation would bring upon severe consequences. "Next week."
"Really?" Azula mused, and Ty Lee could sense genuine curiousity in her words. "And tell me, what is your opinion on sending a certain friend of ours along with them?"
"You mean..." The girl's eyes widened, and she fought to keep her voice steady. "Azula, don't you mean to send both of us?"
"Of course not. I need you here with me," the prisoner whispered, the malice giving way to an artificial sweetness. "You're the most trusted out of all my allies, Ty Lee. I need your companionship, your loyalty. You would never betray me, would you?"
"Of course not!" She replied quickly, and paused. An unearthly quiet permeated the dank air. "But what about Mai?"
"Mai's not like you, Ty Lee. She's always been one of my confidants, but I can sense that her affection for Zuko hasn't faltered yet." She glanced at her visitor, who looked on with a hint of trepidation. "You told me that Zuko's approaching Ba Sing Se. Sending Mai there will test where her loyalties truly lie."
"But what if she fails?" she whispered, and Azula's eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly.
"You know full well that failure is not accepted," she replied simply. She remained silent, letting Ty Lee mull this over, before the pink-clad girl murmured,
"Azula... what are you planning? I thought this was about Iroh, not about Zuko, and-"
"Having Zuzu out of the way will destroy his chances of ascending the throne after Iroh's downfall, of course. And who better to do that than the person he leasts expects will betray him?"
The shock sent waves of trepidation down Ty Lee's spine. She refused to believe it, and yet, the hard truth of it pressed down on her from all angles. She was powerless against Azula, powerless against the resistance. What could one girl do to hundreds of people?
"What do you mean?" she managed, Azula's malice paralyzing her until she was frozen in place. Ty Lee knew perfectly well what Azula was planning, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. She just couldn't.
"Isn't it simple?" Came the low, triumphant reply. "Isn't Mai the perfect candidate for ending my brother's life?"
If he had been an unsuspecting suitor, Sokka would have guessed that whoever stepped out of the Bei Fong estate at that moment was a woman twice Toph's age. Powder was scattered like snow across her face. Layers of silk were draped across her small frame. It was as if some princess-toddler decided to play dress-up with a little blind girl and had strewn extravagance over every square inch.
The worst part was that Toph couldn't even see herself. She could only feel the pain and bear the humiliation, and maybe even that was too much for her. Throw a mirror and a sudden ability to see into the plethora of injustices and Sokka knew that she would burrow herself in the earth and never come out again.
He remembered the Earth King's "ball" at Ba Sing Se. Why hadn't Toph looked so awkward then, when she and Katara had dressed up in finery? A sudden primal instinct came over him, tempting him to rush over, snatch the porcelain Toph-doll away, and get a move on out of the estate. Glancing at Poppy and Lao Bei Fong, hovering like birds over their cornered prey, he knew why his fists were clenching and why the rage coursed through his veins.
It was because in Ba Sing Se, Toph had wanted to be made into a lady. It was funny to her, a trivial thing. This was real, and against her will.
War heroes were never meant to be punished in the first place.
Apparently, the string quartet had finished setting up. The first twangs of a mandolin filled the musty spring air, and Sokka found his head starting to hurt as the noblemen, noblewomen, and noble-whatevers started to bunch up together, crowding against each other to get a closer look at Lady Bei Fong. He stayed back, observing the scene casually and with a faint air of exhaustion, when he suddenly realized that he was a suitor and he was a nobleman and he had to haul himself over there and swarm around Toph like the rest of them.
Half-tripping over his too-long robes, he huffed under his breath as he made his way over. So far, he had blent in perfectly, the green hues of his stolen robes just another wave in the emerald sea. Glancing up at Toph, he knew that she sensed his vibrations among the thirty-or-so suitors that had made a point to crowd around her.
"You look lovely today, Miss Bei Fong!" a daring suitor called, and was immediately silenced by a warning look from Lao. The head of the estate, dressed simply in ivory robes sewn with gold trim, was stately and silent, a prescence amidst the swarm of men. His fingers were firmly intertwined with Toph's, squeezing hard. If she cared, she seemed not to show it, but just stood there with her mother and father like a quiet statue.
"Spirits, Toph," Sokka thought inwardly, half out of annoyance and half out of pity. The music had swelled until the noise was almost unbearable. The incessant dronings of the chaperones coupled with the pathetic compliments of the suitors made it almost impossible to think. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other until he had magically wormed his way through the group, maneuevering himself through the throng of courtiers almost effortlessly.
The ease could've been attributed to the fact that his chestplate was enormous and was capable of shoving people aside pretty efficiently. Yeah, Sokka reasoned, it's probably that.
It was pretty ironic how things worked out. On his thirteenth birthday, Sokka had been treated to a meager dinner of stewed sea prunes. Katara had given him a new pair of socks she had made herself, and he had groaned, muttering about how he wished he could've gotten a huge celebration. That was before the war, and he had wanted so many things. He had wanted to fight, wanted to train, wanted to be the warrior everybody relied on. He at least wanted to go ice-dodging with his father.
On Toph's thirteenth birthday, she had been mobbed by rich people and treated to all the fattening gourmet food she wanted. She hated it, hated her father and mother and wanted to get out of there. It was Sokka's paradise; it was Toph's living nightmare. And she was blind, seeing only black while greens and golds spun past her and noblemen shouted and queried and shot their artificial compliments at her and her father and mother were holding her in an invisible death grip, choking her until all resistance was gone and only the lifeless porcelain doll was left.
Sokka seemed to have missed something while he was absorbed in his train of thoughts, because the silence came abruptly and took him by surprise. Lao Bei Fong, with one simple gesture, had quelled the noise for a brief moment. The warrior was inwardly grateful, but his relief was short-lived when the man cleared his throat, let go of Toph's hand, and extended his arms as if trying to envelop the estate in an embrace.
"I, Master of the Bei Fong Residence, welcome you to our estate," came his voice, stately, like a king's. "In honor of my daughter's thirteenth birthday, we have the honor of housing all the young men who have come to seek her hand. We must celebrate a new year for her, celebrate the end of years of fighting, and celebrate the forging of a new alliance between the Bei Fongs and one of the most prestigious families in the Earth Kingdom."
At this, a wave of murmurs spread throughout the suitors, and Lao made no attempt to quell the conversation. Sokka had to keep himself from rolling his eyes; did the guy really expect Toph to choose one of these kiss-ups? He cast his gaze upon Toph, who was staring out straight, unflinchingly, into the crowd of suitors. Did all of them know she was blind? Did they all want her just to steal her family's fortune and estate?
He knew the answer. He just didn't want to believe it.
"From the prestigious men gathered at our estate tonight, Lady Toph Bei Fong will choose only one to be her betrothed," Lao continued. Poppy glanced at him, a sugary-sweet smile plastered onto her face, and he cleared his throat. "So, gentlemen, impress my daughter."
A suitor in front of Sokka snorted, and he could feel himself smirking. All the "impressing" these guys could pull off couldn't eclipse Toph's hatred of her imprisonment. He couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for all the noblemen who had their hopes up, but it would be vastly entertaining to see them destroyed.
--
Sokka had successfully evaded the prying questions and complaints of the other guests and had tried to find Toph in her maze of a garden all night. It had been one hour into the festivities, and so far, he had only caught snippets of conversation that concerned her. He had grinned when he heard news of her "sweating like a pig" and being "a demon child" and other "strange occurences" that involved suitors getting mysteriously pushed into ponds. The majority of suitors, however, didn't care and were still trying to win her over because of the money that was involved.
A lucky guess had led him right to her. He grinned, rushed over as quickly as he could without tripping, and she whirled around and smiled.
Toph tried to restrain her excitement at seeing Sokka again. It was all she could do to keep herself from flinging herself at the teenager and pleading him to take her away from here. Of course, that wasn't possible, but feeling familiar vibrations was a small comfort in the stupidity of the world.
"Oh, welcome to our estate!" Toph replied in a strikingly fancy manner, just imagining the bemused expression on Sokka's face and trying not to laugh because of it. "You must be The Earth King's nephew! I've waited so long to meet you!"
She put every ounce of flamboyance into those words, so it came as a surprise when Sokka hesitated for a minute. Did he forget he was supposed to respond? Instead, he cleared his throat and leaned slightly forwards.
"Wait- but um, Toph, didn't I, uh, 'meet you on your travels'?" Sokka murmured, eyebrows raised. Toph's eyes widened; she had forgotten that little excuse she had made up when the guards wouldn't let him in.
"Yes, I meant meet you again," she corrected herself, a strange smile on her face. "Why don't we go somewhere? The old oak tree, perhaps? It's very relaxing there."
"Don't you need assistance? I mean, you're blind and all." He glanced around the walkway, trying to spot any other suitors. It seemed as if they were isolated save for a few chaperones hanging around and making idle chat. Sokka nodded and looked back at Toph, who was a little bit irritated but compliant nonetheless.
"Of course. You're so thoughtful," came the emotionless reponse, and Sokka found himself wondering exactly what to do. During their travels, Toph had usually clung on to a companion's arm if she couldn't "see" and depended on them to guide her. But he imagined what the noblemen would say if they saw Lady Bei Fong clinging on to the arm of the Earth King's nephew, and he shuddered to think of the repercussions that could have on her.
Instead, he took her hand. She hesitated for a moment, then her fingers relaxed and held onto his. He led her along the narrow path lined by tall bushes, walked past the suitors that were eyeing him with envy, and walked straight ahead, green shoes tapping on the paved walkway. Toph followed along blindly, knowing that she was perfectly capable of finding the tree on her own, but let herself be dragged like a limp doll for the sake of pretending.
The old oak seemed like the only place that was really secluded. If any suitors had thought to follow them here, Sokka saw no signs of them. It was dark here; the lanterns hadn't been lit, and it was perfectly dark in the back of the estate. The old oak tree was the closest place of interest to the gate, and they were both relatively sure that they were alone. Moon-crickets chirped, and the loud noise of the ball had receded into a low hum as the two cut through the grass, wormed their way through the shrubbery, and slumped down together at the base of the tree.
"Well," Sokka murmured, letting go of Toph's hand and rubbing his temples, wincing. "That was a... loud sort of thing."
"I'll say." Toph leaned against the bark of the tree, eyes closing in exhaustion. "I never want to do this again."
"Yeah." He peered behind the tree, trying to survey the area. "Feel any nobleman-ly vibrations?"
"Nope. They're all in the center of the garden or eating." She groaned and kicked off the fancy slippers that pinched her toes. "This is the worst form of torture my parents can put me through. No, second only to marrying me off." She fixed her blind stare on Sokka, who had relaxed for the moment and was leaning against the oak tree alongside her. "Anything interesting going on?"
"Yeah. I've heard about the things you did to some of the suitors." He sighed and glanced at the white walls of the estate, glaring and looming over them as if saying they could never get out. "The Tai Pang fiasco was the best I've heard so far."
Toph laughed a weak little laugh, exhaustion riddling her voice. "I'll say. That was gold." She wriggled her bare feet, sighing. "I'll have to get back to the center of the garden once the dancing starts. Right now, they're supposed to be watching the traveling circus, and I don't even care."
"I know. They're probably wondering where we are." Sokka threw his hat to the ground and slumped to the floor. "And to think that this is the kind of life your parents wanted you to have."
"It would be the best life for a lady. Problem is, I'm not one of those prissy, stuck-up dolls."
"Well, you could've fooled me tonight," he stated matter-of-factly, and Toph scowled and punched him in the shoulder.
"Take that back or I'll Earthbend you into oblivion."
"But you hit me, the Earth Kingdom's nephew! I could tell my uncle to execute you!" He retorted weakly, and the girl laughed halfheartedly.
"Sure, Sokka. Try that."
A peaceful silence washed over the two of them. In the distance, music was playing and life was going on. Between the two of them, there was just a quiet, lulling serenity. The calm before the storm.
"I got your escape present with me," Sokka stated quietly. Toph just nodded mutely, eyes shut with exhaustion. "You can bend it. That's all the clues you're getting."
"Don't give it to me now," she murmured, the tiredness creeping into her voice and making Sokka want to fall asleep too. "Give it to me when we're free."
"Yeah... " he leaned back, watching the sky. Stars dotted the night. "We'll go to the North Pole, and then we'll go everywhere. Maybe even take you to the South Pole."
"Maybe go find Suki," Toph mumbled, and Sokka nodded, a faint sort of melancholy in the gesture. They lay like that for a minute more before the girl sighed, her eyes fluttered open, and she gathered her shoes again, forcing them onto her feet.
"Gotta go, I guess. We've been here long enough. People'll get suspicious."
"Guess I need to come with you." He grunted, stretched, and picked the hat up off the ground, fixing it up on his head in a prim fashion. "Look alright to you?"
"Ha, ha, very funny," came the retort, accompanied by another light punch to the shoulder. He grinned slightly, despite the faint pain, and followed her out of the shrubbery, past the grass, and back onto the walkway.
Under all the layers of silk and makeup and finery, she was still good old Toph inside.
--
Toph had run off before him, stating that it was more important for her to be there early, and had left him alone on the walkway. He decided to take his time on the way back to the center of the garden, since she had told him that the dancing was going to take place there. They had been by the oak tree for about ten minutes; the traveling circus should've been done by now. He sighed and dragged his feet along, exhaustion sapping his energy though it had only been about two hours after the ball started.
As he approached the center of the courtyard, the sounds that he had yearned to get away from came flooding back into his ears again. The swell of instruments made his head hurt as he pushed his way through a circle of guests and suitors, trying to get a closer look. The people had formed a circle around what seemed to be an area for dancing, and he caught a glimpse of Toph in the center, a blank expression on her face. Behind her, Poppy and Lao Bei Fong were mingling with the chaperones, socializing with the suitors, and ignoring their daughter completely.
Finally, the music stopped momentarily, and Lao smiled and took Toph's shoulders. He nodded, and the buzz that had circulated amongst the guests immediately gave way to silence. He cleared his throat, scanned the throng of noblement, and asked, "Who would like to dance with my daughter first?"
A murmur went through the group. For one, Lady Bei Fong had established a very questionable reputation tonight. To make things even more ridiculous, she was blind- how was she supposed to dance? The hesitation seemed to make Lao nervous, and his hold on Toph tightened so much that Sokka was sure she was suffering. Gathering up all his courage, he gulped and raised his hand.
"If you don't mind, Master Bei Fong, I'll be happy to dance with your daughter."
Toph's eyebrows raised slightly, but her parents nodded, brimming to the top with enthusiasm. The suitors in front of him cleared the way, and he stepped through tentatively, all pairs of eyes fixed on him. He bit his lip as the people among him murmured, and as he approached the middle of the circle and stepped in front of Toph, he realized just how idiotic he had been to volunteer instead of seeing what the other suitors did first.
He bowed; she curtsied. "May I have this dance?" He queried hesitantly, sure that it was the wrong thing to say. But Toph immediately relaxed, shot him a look of approval, and took his hand.
How Sokka wished that the dance itself could've gone as well as the precursor. By the first count, he had already stumbled over Toph's toes and was practically tripping across the pavement. Lao and Poppy tried to keep neutral expressions on their faces, the chaperones clucked and shook their heads, and the suitors murmured and snorted in amusement. Sokka gulped and tried to follow Toph's lead; Toph evidently got confused and tried to follow his. The pair wove close together, then moved far apart, and then tripped over each other. The only move they seemed to have no trouble accomplishing was the spin, where Sokka just stood there as he twirled Toph around. They repeated that several times in an attempt to atone for their past mistakes.
When at last, the music came to an end and Sokka had crushed Toph's toes for the umpteenth time, she merely shot a sly look at him, curtsied, and said a "Thank you for the dance" before excusing the bemused Earth King's nephew and recieving another suitor. The gentlemen seemed to be sure that anything they did wouldn't have been worse than what they had just seen, and they were lining up to flaunt their abilities as soon as Sokka left the circle. He took a deep breath, receded into the crowd, and watched as Toph and a suitor named Zhi danced perfectly until the guy somehow tripped, landed on the floor at the girl's feet, then huffed and left the circle impeteously.
As the dancing continued, it was soon evident that Sokka was far from the worst dancer at the ball. The suitors tripped, flew across the pavement, whirled into a shrub, wound up almost crashing into Toph, flung themselves to the floor, and ran into several unfortunate guests. An ignorant spectator would guess that all the suitors were completely incompetent, but Sokka knew that it was the lady, not the gentlemen. She was doing this for his sake and hers; to prove that one, Sokka was not completely inept at dancing compared to most noblemen, and two, dancing with undesired people was annoying unless some pain was inflicted.
When at last, Lao and Poppy had stood up and dismissed the guests with nervous smiles, Sokka realized that the ball was all but over. Only Toph's decision remained, and he knew that it was now or never. The escape present was heavy in his mind, the taste of freedom on his tongue. Let's do this, he thought, glancing over at the Earthbender standing by her parents. Let's get outta here. Now.
As if she had read his mind, the Earthbender sent a discreet nod in his direction, and gave a subtle tug on her father's sleeve. Lao looked down at the girl, who nodded and turned to Sokka, pointing a slim finger in his direction.
"Nice choice," Sokka thought, and sent a grin her way. A hint of a smile played at the girl's lips as she murmured a few more words to Lao, who exchanged some mumbles with Poppy. The three stood like that for a second, and Toph appeared to be extremely adamant about her choice for a husband, enthusiasm coating every word and gesture Sokka caught from their conversation. The Water Tribe boy watched the three converse, bemused and certain that her parents would've been ecstatic about the news instead of standing there, stock-still and silent. When Lao finally looked in his direction, Sokka tried his best to stand up tall, act regal, and pretend that he hadn't heard anything at all.
"Well, then." The master of the Bei Fong estate mused quite audibly, and strode over in his direction. Sokka glanced up then, trying to look cool and collected, when his brain was a mess and all his carefully planned words had flown out of his memory.
"My daughter has chosen you for a husband," he remarked when he had stopped a few inches away from him, studying the boy as Poppy and Toph hung a few paces back. "You should count yourself fortunate. She's unlike any other, isn't she?"
"Of course she isn't... I mean, like any other," Sokka attempted, choosing his words carefully and enunciating them like he was relishing some rich pastry. "She's more lovely than any other lady in Ba Sing Se."
"I see," came the neutral remark. Lao Bei Fong was eyeing Sokka's robes with a keen eye, either showing disdain or interest for it. Poppy clutched Toph's hand in a death grip behind him, and if Sokka had been more focused on the Earthbender at that moment, he would've caught the tinge of red that burned faintly under the white of her face.
"You say that you reside in Ba Sing Se?" The man inquired then, jade eyes penetrating Sokka's. He tried to keep calm, nodding curtly and standing up as straight as possible.
"Yes, Master Bei Fong. I have the honor to be attending your ball as Kuei the Twenty-Seventh, the Earth King's nephew." His voice shook as he pronounced each word, and at this, Lao's mouth started twitching into a grin, Poppy glowed and squeezed Toph's hand even harder, and Toph sent a small smile Sokka's way. A good work, Snoozles smile.
"The Earth King knows about this, then? He's really your uncle?" Lao pressed, his eyes widening with surpressed awe. Poppy looked absolutely giddy with hapiness, and Toph, who had now only realized how hard her mother was clenching her hand, bit her lip in pain.
"Well, yes. And I must tell you, your daughter is positively radiant," he laughed nervously, hoping a full moon wasn't out. "I am honored that she would choose me to be her husband."
"And we are honored that you arrived!" Poppy half-shrieked, which drove Lao to send a glance back at his wife. Toph just smiled at her father, watching with the most enjoyment as she had all night. "He's a true gentleman," she enthused, which seemed to put the icing on the cake.
Poppy's crimson-painted lips curled into a small smile, and she motioned Lao to keep on going, not to scare the prominent suitor away, and whatever else could be communicated through a hurried gesture. He turned back to Sokka, then, who had started slouching with the excitement of the evening.
"Yes, so if you are inclined to accept, we are prepared to offer you our daughter's hand in marriage," he beamed, the nobility dripping off of his voice. "The Bei Fong inheritance will be yours and hers to control."
"I understand that, and under the circumstances, I believe that I am wholeheartedly inclined to accept," he guessed, knowing that either he was blurting out nonsense or being very eloquent with his choice of vocabulary. It seemed to be the latter, as Toph's face broke into a small grin, Poppy gasped somewhat audibly, and Lao Bei Fong, trying not to look too swayed, nodded hurriedly and smiled.
"Congragulations, then, for being chosen by my daughter. It's pleasant to meet you, Kuei, I know that it must have been a long journey, but rest assured-" the man stopped when he saw Sokka's extended hand, trembling with the excitement of the suceeded plan, hovering in front of him. Toph's eyes widened, Poppy's mouth narrowed into a straight line, and Lao started to put two and two together.
Blue eyes. The pride and excitement etched in them quickly turned to a look of hardly surpressed panic.
Brown hair. It hung like a mop under that ridiculous hat, matted with sweat. A few strands were glued against his forehead, and his mustache hung lopsidedly, as if it were about to fall off-
Dark skin. Ill-fitting robes. No royal procession. Hand-shaking.
"Is something the matter?" The boy in front of him pressed courageously, and the master of the Bei Fong Estate heard the truth of it all etched in his words, the words that fell like the lies of a commoner.
The boy. The Water Tribe boy.
As realization flashed through Lao's eyes, Sokka saw the devastation wrought in Toph's face and felt his heart sink.
"You blew it, Sokka," he realized, the silence hitting him harder than anything.
You blew it.
Author's Note: I am not good at cliffhangers. Not good at all. And I'm probably going to get a pretty bad reception for how I left this one off...
But it'll turn out alright. Right...?
Okay, so you've noticed that a huge chunk of this chapter has been devoted to Toph and Sokka's antics. Well, I'll put it this way. I wasn't originally going to do this, but I think I'm going to divide the three or four parts of this story into arcs. Part One, which mainly revolved around Katara and Aang, was pretty much their story arc. Part Two, which focuses mainly on the Gaoling escape attempt, is Toph and Sokka's story arc. And Part Three, which will be the most fun to read and write, will focus on Mai, Zuko, Azula, Iroh, and Ty Lee. Fun, fun, fun. And lots of work for me to do!
As for chapter updates, I'm sorry for not updating sooner. As you can see from the length of this chapter, I had to go back and shorten, revise, etc, because this was going over 8,000 words! Couple that with my procrastination and you've got a bad case of "not-updatinginitis" or whatever you'd like to call an author's bad habit of slacking off. In any case, though, I have Part Two roughly planned out in my head, and thanks so much to Davis 51 for looking over this (and the entire story!). Beta readers are awesome, and so are all you reviewers! I haven't had a chance to address you all yet, but I'm planning to thank you all by the end of the story.
And to all you reviewers who contributed "suitors" for Toph to mingle with, you guys rock! I had fun writing your characters in!
In the Next Chapter: What will become of Sokka and Toph when their plan is discovered and put an end to? Katara's still hesitant about her role in Aang's recovery, and seeks a wise old acquaintance to help. In the meantime, Zuko makes his way to the Earth Kingdom and discovers a mysterious plot, while Ty Lee and Mai, knowing that their loyalties need to be confirmed, join the rebellion and get drawn into a web of lies. However, is Iroh is more than the oblivious figurehead Azula makes him out to be?