Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. :)
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Chapter 24: Proof
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--Two Weeks Later--
"Is this your attire for the celebration, Your Majesty?" a young woman asked, falling into step beside the Fire Lord. He was currently on his way to the ballroom to seat himself on his throne, and he quickened his pace so that the woman might be discouraged and leave him alone. She didn't take the hint.
He nodded. He was wearing elaborate handmade red-and-gold robes; it was only slightly more extravagant than his usual wear, but the change was symbolic, or so one of his advisors had insisted. A simple change in clothes still represented change as a whole, and this was the message that he wanted to convey. Change, a change for the new, a change for the better. Now everyone could rest easy at night, for a rebellion had always been a probable possibility, but now that it had happened, they believed they would be safe. After all, who would be brave enough to take the path Azula had taken? Who would actually deem themselves powerful enough to succeed where the infamous daughter of Ozai had failed? If they had won with Azula as the rebellion leader, was there anyone they couldn't defeat? These were questions that many had asked themselves or would ask themselves over the coming days. They believed that only a fool would take on a project that Azula had failed, and would it be so hard to best fools? Surely not.
"The, uh, food has been prepared and set out, and Akai is working the door to make sure only those who have been invited are entering the palace. Avatar Aang and the other honorable guests that he travels with are in the anteroom; they'll enter the celebration from the staircase, just as you requested. The ballroom decorating has been completed, and the first guests are beginning to arrive." As she spoke, she checked certain things off on a piece of parchment. Just as Zuko thought she was leaving, she murmured, "Lady Toph has agreed to formal attire, but she refuses to wear shoes, Your Majesty..."
Zuko nodded. "It's fine, it's fine." He and Toph had already been through this; he said that she would have to attend to party, that she would be required to wear formal clothes and - Spirits, no - shoes, and that associating with nobility would be essential. Toph refused. Zuko couldn't very well allow her to roam the palace alone - not because she was blind, but because she could be terribly destructive when unsupervised, and "all in the name of entertainment," as she had said once -, so he decided to meet her halfway (she had to attend - he wanted her surrounded by witnesses so that she wouldn't pull anything). She could go barefoot and do whatever she liked instead of speaking with royals and other important figures, but she would have to attend, and she would have to wear a dress, and, if she preferred, Katara could help her get ready instead of a few of the palace maids. Zuko knew Toph had trust issues, and despite his general distaste for the earthbender and her attitude, he wanted to make her comfortable. Toph had reluctantly agreed, though she thought Katara enjoyed curling her hair more than anyone should like such an activity.
The young woman at Zuko's heels didn't seem to take kindly to the fact that the Fire Lord was okay with Toph's lack of respect for proper celebratory attire. "But... but going barefoot wouldn't be... it isn't proper!" Zuko turned his head slightly so that he might glare a her. "...Your Highness," she added quickly.
"She'll wear shoes if she wants them, and won't if she doesn't, and I highly suggest you speak with her yourself. I'm sure she'll be glad to explain why she isn't wearing what you would consider to be 'proper celebratory attire.' I also highly suggest you never advise me on what is and isn't proper. Maids don't have such privileges, and if it ever happens again, you will find yourself in a place you would rather not be."
The maid shook her head. "Never again, Your Majesty," she murmured, scurrying away.
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Aang pressed his ear against the door. "The speaker's talking now," he informed his companions. "He's saying something about..."
"Bravery," Toph said disinterestedly. She was sitting on a stool, her chin in her palm, looking rather bored with the entire ordeal. "He's talking about how brave we all were." She nudged a tassel of one of the many rugs that covered the floor of the anteroom with her toe. "He should call us any minute..."
Aang straightened up and reached for Katara. She joined him behind the double doors, and someone on the other side opened them, allowing the light from the celebration to spill warmly into the dimly lit anteroom. Sokka stood a few of paces behind the couple, and Toph, with an exaggerated sigh, moved to stand the same number of paces behind him. Aang and Katara began their descent; the crowd was smiling in admiration, and Katara noticed that they were practically glowing because of all the positive energy. This only made her smile brighter and more genuine. Aang was beaming; once they had completed their descent, the mass of people welcomed them happily. The speaker introduced Sokka. The warrior gave Toph's arm a reassuring squeeze, which made her frown flicker a bit, and then began his journey down the steps.
Sokka walked down the staircase with a little less flair than Katara. He tried to keep his focus on Aang's bright orange robes so that he wouldn't look at the expectant crowd; it wasn't that he was nervous. He just wasn't used to be the center of attention. He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. His hair was still fashioned in his choice Warrior's Wolftail, but Zuko had insisted that Sokka wear blue robes; this had amused Toph, and also helped convince her to agree to attend the party. If she had to wear fancy clothes, Sokka did, too; he couldn't help but wonder how his discomfort could possibly make her more willing to do something she didn't want to do, but Zuko said that he'd be surprised, and while Sokka pondered these words, he did not pursue the subject.
He took the final step onto the palace's grand ballroom floor and looked up to watch Toph endure the discomfort he'd had to go through. Surely she would be just as uncomfortable as he had been, if not more so; he knew that she was more than a little self-conscious when she was supposed to be dressed up. If she felt out-of-place, however, she certainly didn't look it. She descended the steps slowly and deliberately, with every bit of grandeur as Katara and Aang, radiating the sort of elegance that had been stowed away since her days with her family and had only been revealed on rare occasions. Rare occasions like what Sokka was witnessing at that moment. He decided that she was actually quite pretty, with her hair as black as the darkest night and the tiny, sparkling pins reminding him of stars, and her curls spilling over her shoulders. That dress seemed like it was made for her, and it probably was, from the prevalent pale green that matched all too perfectly with her eyes to the emerald sash wrapped around her waist, to the way it was just long enough to shield her bare feet...
Sokka suddenly noticed two things: One, he'd been staring, and two, she'd already completed her descent. She was standing before him, one eyebrow raised and arms crossed in a mix of confusion and frustration. "Earth to Snoozles! Hello? Anybody in there?" She flicked him.
"Yeah, yeah, uh... right." His cheeks were red from embarrassment. Who else had caught him staring? He looked around and noticed his sister grinning at him from behind a group of nobles, and it was obvious that Toph hadn't been the only one.
He dashed toward the buffet table and began to pile a plate with random foods. He figured that Toph was at his heels, as they were always together and it would have been befitting to their custom for her to be somewhere nearby, but when he finally stopped walking and leaned against the wall, he found that he was alone. He frowned and scanned the crowd, looking for his companion, but he could not see her anywhere; even though he knew what she looked liked, he wasn't exactly sure if he'd been able to spot her if she had been in plain sight. His mind registered Toph as the girl wearing that tunic she liked so much, with her hair in a bun and her bare feet proudly displayed for the whole world to see. That Toph he saw coming down those stairs- that wasn't the Toph he knew, and suddenly he felt the same way about celebrations as she did. It felt good to agree with the real Toph, like he had made a connection to her, never mind that he had no idea where she was at that moment.
Why had she simply snapped him out of his trance and vanished? Had he offended her in some way? I annoyed him that she had just disappeared without at least giving him some indication as to where she could have gone. He turned in the direction of his sister, but she was completely immersed in people- at least, that's what he thought. There was a thick clot of guests crowded in one area, so he simply assumed that she was in the midst of it, probably trying her best to breathe.
He noticed that he had finished his plate of food. He couldn't remember being that hungry, but he never questioned himself when it came to food. He simply shrugged to himself and made to give it to a random servant passing when he felt a tug at his arm. Curious, he turned to see a girl wearing blazing red Fire Nation robes; she was smiling at him, and before he could say or do anything, she had asked him to dance. It was better than looking alone and out-of-place, so he nodded, but he really didn't want to. The most good he could think of that might come of dancing with this girl, who he vaguely realized had already told him that her name was Tora, was that he might catch a glimpse of Toph. He seemed powerless against the determined grasp she had on his arm as she led him onto the dance floor, and he didn't struggle. He just kept a lookout for Toph.
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Toph didn't see herself as ditching Sokka. She saw her actions as perfectly and utterly rational; she couldn't see the festive decorations or the happy expressions. She knew it was a joyous occasion, but the throbbing warmth of everyone's body heat in one space - a small space in proportion to the amount of people - reminded her of a Fire Nation prison, and that made her think back to the war. It was behind them, and she knew that dwelling on things that were already over was pointless, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't her fault that so many people crammed into one space brought back ugly memories that she knew she would never be able to forget, no matter how much she tried.
She had escaped the palace and was in the courtyard, embracing the warm evening air. Several other guests had joined her, but no one was speaking. That would ruin the peaceful ambience that the courtyard offered. Those that wanted to return to the happy festivities simply returned to the party, and soon enough she found herself alone. She figured that they all wanted to be a part of the celebration marking the end of the rebellion and the actual, true death of Azula.
Toph was sitting on a stone bench by the grand fountain she herself had made, a gift to the Fire Lord created of her own accord. He knew of her superior earthbending skills and she knew that he liked having nice things, but he had not flat-out asked her to make it. She just had, and even though Zuko never uttered a simple thank-you, she knew he appreciated it.
The party was behind her, the doors between the ballroom and the main courtyard gone for the time being; a grand archway separated the celebration from the courtyard. It was that simple, and Toph found herself appreciating simplicity. Her mind wandered to the strangest things when it was left to think what it pleased.
Sokka had been dancing, but he had stopped. She imagined him giving his dance partner some lame excuse, like he needed to go to the bathroom. She smiled at the thought of him. She knew that while dancing, he had caught a glimpse of her; he had this certain heartbeat when he was around her, a little quicker than usual but in the most relaxed kind of way, something that she barely understood herself. She had recognized that heartbeat then and knew that he'd seen her. She was glad of it; even if she enjoyed being alone and having time to herself, she liked being around him.
Sokka pushed his way through the crowd and found himself directly under the archway, light from the ballroom falling over his outline and giving him the darkest of shadows. He knew that she was aware of his presence.
He continued to stand under the archway, wondering whether he should continue. Toph was angled away from him, but of course that didn't matter at all; she knew he was there. If she wanted him to come forward, she would say so.
"Well?" she said finally. "What is it, Snoozles?"
Sokka jumped at the sound of her voice. She scooted over on her bench to make room for him as her approached her and sat, curious as to why she was alone outside in the courtyard but not motivated enough to ask her about it. "You just looked kind of lonely, so... I figured I'd give you some company. If that's okay."
"Yeah, it's okay." She paused, and her eyebrows furrowed. "What's on your mind?"
"Well, I was thinking... never mind. You- you wouldn't want to, and we can just wait..."
"Oh, spit it out, already! We both know you want to say whatever it is, so just go ahead." She tried to smile to compensate for the bite in her words. He caught the action.
"Uh, I just... you didn't look like you were doing anything, and I know you don't like parties, and I wasn't doing anything either-"
"Point, Ponytail?" Toph's smirk lit up her amused face.
"I just thought you'd like to go ahead and get going, is all." Sokka smiled sheepishly. "You know... to wherever. You won't be able to see the fireworks at the end, and I know you don't want to meet any of the nobles later, so I figured you'd want to hurry and leave. I don't really care about the fireworks at the end anyway."
Toph grinned. "Okay, okay, that doesn't sound so bad. On three conditions, though."
"Three? Oh, c'mon, Toph. I was only suggesting we leave now for your benefit, and you're giving conditions?"
"Three conditions," Toph restated. "One: you write a note to Twinkletoes, Sweetness and Scarface telling them we're leaving. Two: we buy normal clothes in the first town we come to. This dress is all I have, not counting the robes Zuko's lent me for the past two weeks, and I don't plan to wear this thing longer than necessary. Three: you tell me what that kiss was about. You know, the one before we went into battle? I know you've been avoiding the subject."
Sokka seemed to consider her words. "Agreed, they'll all try to stop us from going if we flat-out tell them; agreed, because my other clothes are in rough shape too, and I'm definitely not going to wear these robes for too long, either; and, uh... agreed, I guess. But only if you agree to my condition."
"Hey! You can't make conditions!"
"Can so. The first place we visit has to be the South Pole."
"No deal. Well... only if we can visit Ba Sing Se and New Omashu after that."
"Done."
"Done." Toph grinned. "So about that kiss..."
Sokka sighed. "Ugh... what about it?"
"Why'd you do it?" Toph tucked a curl behind her ear and skidded her toe along the ground. Traces of her grin were clouded by uncertainty, and Sokka knew that she would never let him off the hook if he didn't give her a substantial answer.
He shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. And, well, I kind of meant it... and I just wanted you to know I'd make it, I'd live, you know..."
"Okay... I'm going to pretend that makes sense." She was grinning wholeheartedly again.
"Well, it should make sense, 'cause that's all the explanation I have. I don't know why I did it, I just did, and I don't regret it, either. You just kept talking about how I could die, and I didn't want to leave you without you without knowing..." He stopped. Toph was facing him, waiting for him to finish his sentence, but he didn't; instead he leaned down, and his lips met hers... this time it didn't come as a total and complete surprise. This time she was prepared enough to kiss back.
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Aang grabbed Katara and ducked down behind a pedestal. "Katara," he whispered, putting her hand to the marble floor, "d'you feel that?"
Katara paused for a moment, then decided that the floor was trembling slightly. "Yeah," she replied, pressing her hand down with her own force in an attempt to recognize what was causing the oddity. "Where's it coming from, Aang?"
Aang tried to see with vibrations like Toph had taught him to determine the source. "It's coming from the courtyard," he decided. "I can't pinpoint the exact cause, but that should be enough.
Katara simply nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him through the masses of people with her head down in an attempt to not draw attention to herself; she felt annoyed, however, that Aang kept his head up, and that he was wearing robes of the brightest oranges and yellows she might have ever seen. Despite Aang's obviousness, however, no one seemed to realize they had escaped the center of the clot of people gathered near the bottom of the staircase. Katara was glad, and when she and Aang finally reached the archway leading to the courtyard, she tried to keep him behind her in the shadows. His curiosity was stronger than her will, however, and when he caught a glimpse of Toph and Sokka kissing, he let out a small gasp of surprise.
"So it's... Toph?" Aang asked.
"You're the earthbender," Katara said, "but yes, I would have to say that Toph's causing the tremors."
"Well," he whispered, still attempting to push past Katara, "there's your proof. I guess they're 'together,' now, huh?"
Katara nodded almost imperceptibly, a small smile on her face. "C'mon, we should go." She reached for his hand, but he pulled it out of reach.
"Toph already knows we're here," he pointed out. "It's not like we're spying or anything..."
"We attract attention, and that's the last thing they need," Katara snapped. "Now come on, we have to get back to the crowd before they notice we're missing."
"Should we tell anyone?"
Katara shook her head. "It's not anybody's business. They'll tell people if they want, and won't if they don't. C'mon, we shouldn't be here... Toph may not care who sees them, but Sokka'll kill me if he thinks we're spying. Just remind me to write Dad and Gran-Gran to warn them of Sokka and Toph's arrival- they need to be prepared." Katara grabbed Aang's hand and led him back into the mass of people in the ballroom.
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