"Zuko
An: Ha! What did I tell you! I finally got to updating and preacher-daddy-dearest has no clue.
Disclaimer: Seriously if I owned the show would I be writing this on ff for no profit?
"Zuko! Wake up!"
Zuko was jerked awake from a dream about a certain blue-eyed brunette when a rock-or rather what felt like a rock rose from under his sleeping bag and hit him in the back of the head repeatedly as the disembodied voice continued to nag him.
He opened his eyes and groaned at the familiar figure before turning his back to her and closing his eyes again.
The earth prodigy laughed and even though he welcomed the sound right now it sounded irritably annoying.
"Aren't fire benders supposed t rise with the sun?"
Zuko groaned as another slab of earth got acquainted with his head.
"You know its stereotypes like that start wars like this in the first place"
Toph rolled her eyes at the fire bender. "Zuko, come on Get! Up!" she said kicking the earth a few more times for good measure.
"Ow! Ok ok I'm up I'm up…I'm down"
"Zuko!" Toph sad getting exasperated.
No response.
"Zuko. Katara said that if you didn't get up I could earth bend you out of there right in front of everyone."
Zuko sat up. Underneath his sleeping bag he lay in nothing but shorts-since it had been a warm night. Being away from his homeland for 4 years had really softened his tolerance for warn weather.
Even thought Toph was as open-minded and unjudgmental as ever and Katara always treated him nicely. Always looked him in the eyes…always had a warm smile to offer…
Zuko felt his face go hot as he imagined the outcome of Katara watching him shoot out of his tent and out into the open in nothing but the pair of shorts he was wearing.
Not to mention Sokka and Aang. They'd never let him live it down…and that could lead to him not letting them live period.
"….2..."
"Alright! I'm going!"
"Well hurry up!"
Zuko let out a series of words he truly hoped the 12-year-old didn't hear before getting his clothes.
A few minutes later he came out in the same outfit he'd worn on the battle with the earth kingdom-since the sleeveless shirt made him feel better under the heat. He then put on the sandals that he had been able to salvage when he and his uncle had been on the run. Made to travel the sandals were practical not to mention practically indestructible-He'd used them on every battle since becoming a "traitor" to his nation and they were still intact. They looked more like combat boots since they went up to a few inches above his ankle and the only indication that they were sandals was an opening in the front.
The material was sturdy and made for every climate and purpose1
After running a hand trough his hair and wondering whether or not it was getting too long he stepped out of his tent to meet a rather annoyed Toph.
"What took you so long? Even sugar queen doesn't take that long to get ready."
Zuko rolled his eyes irritably. Contrary to popular belief not all fire benders were morning people, especially him. His mood didn't improve when he saw Sokka still fast asleep a short distance away from the Earth King also fast asleep The King could sleep till kingdom come for all he cared Sokka however…Sokka was another matter entirely.
Zuko turned to Toph with a smirk, Hoping, if not knowing, she could see it
"Boomerang Boy's not up why should I be"
Toph answered the question with a smirk of her own and Zuko started to wonder if she could see just as good if not better than everyone else. For what must've been the thousandth time since he joined the Aang Gang-no that anyone but Sokka called it that or could say the Name with a straight face for that matter. Toph's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
"I was thinking we could wake him up together"
Zuko felt the strange surge of affection he felt for the earth bending child get a power boost. He knew that, in his mindset he saw Toph as what Azula would be like if things had been different…If he d somehow been able to reach her, get trough to her, do something! Instead he'd done a bonehead move that had gotten him banished leaving Azula alone with whatever had been changing her…when she was around Toph's age. The guilt at failing at the one task he shouldn't have failed at... That he d promised himself and his mother-the spirits rest his soul brought a wave of guilt that was so strong it threatened to overwhelm him.
Forget guilt wave this was a wave guilt Tsunami.
"Hello? Earth to Zuko?!"
Toph waved a hand in front of him annoyed and a little worried-not that shed ever admit it. She could tell that the fire bending prince was starting to feel depressed like he usually did when he spaced out... Not knowing what else to do and going against every instinct in her being she grabbed Zuko's arm making him look down at her.
"Please Zuko?"
Zuko looked down at the earth bending child in front of him. Truth was, in his mind, he knew that this wasn't going to help his relationships with either boy since apparently Sokka and Aang were tight--knot close. Could he risk loosing the only hope he had of finding his uncle on a childish prank…?
Actually, he was surprised at how easy it was.
Nodding at Toph before realizing she couldn't see it. Zuko mumbled an affirmation and couldn't help but smile at the look of pure mischief that he found in Toph's eyes.
Kicking the earth hard with her heel Zuko watched mildly impressed as a slab of earth rose from the ground and sent Sokka shooting out of his sleeping bag with a surprised shriek.
As he came down he landed on the leftovers of last nights fire which Zuko made sure were hot enough with a subtle fire bending move.
Sokka glared at the pair before realizing just what he was sitting on and leaping in the air once more with a yell/
"OWW!ZUKO!IM GONNA KILL YOU! TOPH! STOP LAUGHING! THIS IS NOT FUNNY! PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT!"
SPLASH!
Zuko barely had time to jump back as a wave of water hit Sokka. Despite himself he found himself trying not to laugh. Toph never the one to bother herself with discretion was laughing right out loud.
"Sorry Sokka" Aang said getting off of a water bending pose. "I tough you were on fire'
"I never aid I was on fire Aang" Sokka said loosing patience with the younger boy. "I SAID IT BURNED! "
"Well like there much of a difference anyways!" Aang protested meekly. A growl was all he got from the other teenager.
"Now Sokka….why are you looking at me that…"
Instead of finishing the sentence Aang leapt out of the way as Sokka lunged at him. Sokka unable to hold back his own momentum landed a rather unceremoniously face plant on the ground. Zuko watched entertained as the 2 boys wrestled in the ground. Katara hadn't been kidding when she said they were like brothers.
It was then that Zuko noticed that Aang wasn't wearing a shirt. Meaning heed been water bending. Meaning…
"Sokka! What are you doing to Aang!"
Everyone looked up at the direction the familiar voice had come from. Including Zuko.
It was, without a doubt, the worst mistake he ever made.
AN: Dun Dun Dun Dun! What did Zuko see? Find out on the next chapter of "Crossroads of Destiny"
I'm already working on the next chapter (I know how many times I've said that but I truly am trying to kick the procrastination habit….I think I may actually need advice for this one)
Read and Review please!