Into your eyes

Hopeless and taken

We stole our new lives

Through blood and name

-30 Seconds to Mars, 'Kings and Queens'

Toph marched through the camp at the head of her army: two hundred and fifty strong, each with a pack on their back. Her sea foam green eyes were obscured by long black bangs, blowing in the cool night wind. The firelight bounced off of her steely armor, melded perfectly to her form. Zuko's soldiers stood as she passed, warily eyeing the young rebel commander and her stone-faced troops. They noticed she was blind, but most didn't notice her bare soles under a façade of metal boots.

Her hair was longer than Zuko remembered, or maybe it had always been that long, just tied up. It swept the middle of her back in long black sheets, glowing in the firelight. Her armor looked less solid metal and more like quicksilver, moving with her body. She's bending it, he realized. Metal bending. Amazing. She had gotten tall, standing almost at Zuko's height, willowy with muscle. Her eyes never wavered from straight ahead, her face set in a serious mask.

She stopped in front of Zuko, standing with Katara, Sokka, Chi Lin, Suki, and Kaya at the start of the tent line. Her soldiers stopped behind her with only one man stepping forward to stand beside her. This was no ragtag bunch of rebels, Zuko realized at their coordinated steps and uniforms. This was an organized, regimented force. She looked them all up and down, as they did her.

"That's an awful color on you, Sokka." She said, completely straightfaced.

"I happen to like-"

Sokka didn't get very far when Toph cracked up, her eyes squinting shut and she pointed at him. "Oh man, seven years later and I can still get you with that one, Snoozles! Priceless!" Her army relaxed behind her, cracking grins and relaxing their postures. The man at Toph's side gave a lazy smile, though his hand rested on the pommel of the knife in his sash.

Katara beamed and rushed forward to embrace the younger woman. Toph gripped her back, her face sobering a little. Zuko could see the relief, the warmth in Toph's face as she hugged her old friend.

"All right, Sugar Queen, let me go." Toph grumbled, gently pushing Katara off. Sokka approached her next, and she looked him up and down. "You really need a haircut."

"I know." He sighed as he gave her a brief, awkward hug. "Suki won't let me."

"Hi Toph." Suki smiled, coming to stand beside Sokka. "It's good to see you."

"You too." Toph said, smirking. Suki rolled her eyes and smiled, embracing the commander warmly.

Zuko felt awkward standing behind them as his former prey reunited in front of him. The last time he had been near them, they had been broken apart, torn from each other while he watched. Before that, they had only met as enemies.

Toph looked around her chattering friends at Zuko. "You sulking back there?"

Zuko frowned and walked forward. "Hi."

"You're not very articulate for a future Fire Lord, Sparky." Toph smiled crookedly. "That is the plan, right?"

"At the moment." Zuko responded.

Toph looked stared blankly at him, but Zuko had the sense that she was 'looking' him up and down. "You could use a haircut too." She held her hand out and Zuko grasped it. "Well, I guess I could too. Good to be on the same side finally." She stepped back, a melancholy look on her face. "Your Uncle's not here."

It wasn't a question. "He went North with the rest of our village." Katara answered her. "Did you pass them coming here?"

"No." Toph frowned. "I would have sensed him if we had. Iroh's pretty unique."

"That's one way to put it." Zuko mumbled.

Toph chuckled. Her head whipped to the side, a frown on her face. Her blank eyes shifted between Zuko and the space behind him. "Did you know there's a child here who sounds an awful lot like you?" She glanced between Katara and Zuko. "Did you knock Katara up?" She held a hand up over Zuko's protests. "Save it, it's too late." She was grinning. "Oh man, you did! I bet your Uncle was thrilled." She started laughing. "I would have paid so much money to see Sokka's face!"

Fuming, Zuko looked around to see Kaya standing behind him, a discerning look on her face. Chi Lin stood farther behind her, calmly observing the newcomers.

Zuko beckoned Kaya forward and she walked forward to stand toe to toe with Toph.

"Toph, this is…" He glanced back at Katara and she nodded hesitantly. "…my daughter, Kaya." Sokka sputtered behind him, to be hushed by Suki's hand. "Kaya, this is Toph Beifong."

The tall earth bender knelt down to Kaya's eye-level. They examined each other, sea foam green meeting glinting gold.

"Your eyes are funny, like pond water." Kaya said. Katara started to admonish her, but Toph interrupted.

"They work just about as well as pond water." She said, waving a hand in front of her face. "I see with my feet."

Kaya giggled. "I know."

Toph frowned. "What?"

The girl leaned forward to whisper in her ear, much to the surprise of everyone. Toph's eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she jerked back from Kaya. "Oh." Her blind eyes turned to Zuko. "You and I are going to have to talk later, Zuko." Her voice dropped so only he could hear her. "I can tell when people lie, you know."

"It's kind of late, Toph." Katara said. "Can we save war councils for the morning?"

"Yeah." Toph said, still kneeling, facing Kaya. She stood up, her quicksilver armor not making a sound, not even a clink. "Turn out!" She roared. "Don't trample shit."

The line of soldiers behind her dispersed neatly, splitting off into groups and pulling tents and bedrolls from their packs. They mixed with Zuko's army, trading friendly greetings and jokes as they bedded down. The only soldier to stay was the man beside Toph.

"This is Min Ki." Toph said without ceremony, jerking her thumb in the main's direction. "He's my sidekick. Or maybe mascot…" She smirked. "I just call him Minky."

Zuko was impressed that the man didn't even blush at the slight. Instead his lips quirked up as he looked at Toph affectionately, his hand leaving the pommel of his blade. He offered his hand to Zuko and the two men shook, clasping each other's forearms. He was taller than Zuko with a lean wiry build and high cheekbones. His skin was almost as dark as Katara and Sokka's, with darker hair pulled back into a loose knot. His eyes were dark green, almost black, and glittered with intelligence. He was dressed simply for a second in command in loose brown and green clothing. Zuko's sharp eye caught the outlines of knives hidden in the folds of his clothing. They reminded him distantly of Mai. The thought slid through his mind easily, not lingered on.

"Nice to meet you, Fire Lord." His voice was calm, quiet, with a light drawling accent. Zuko noticed the eyes of both Katara and Suki roaming over him. He guessed some could call the man reasonably good looking. If they had to.

"Back off, girls, he's mine." Toph said. She blushed lightly, much to the bemusement of Katara and Sokka. "Not…like that, I'm just saying he's my soldier."

"Uh huh." Katara said, smirking. She picked Kaya up and noticed Toph's eyes following her. Kaya smiled at Toph, waving at her.

Toph smiled back but didn't wave. "See you in the morning, kid."

"We have a lot to catch up on." Katara said to Toph, laying her free hand on Toph's shoulder.

The other woman touched it with her own. "I can tell."

Katara smiled and walked off with Kaya, Sokka and Suki following after saying their own goodnights.

"Zuko." Toph's voice had turned serious. "We need to talk. Now. Without our shadows." She gestured to Chi Lin, standing behind Zuko, trying to look inconspicuous.

"I don't ask him to do that." Zuko looked at Chi Lin who nodded and left in the direction Katara had taken. Min Ki took the hint as well, fading into the background but within earshot.

"He really likes you." Toph said, pointing after Chi Lin.

"I could say the same about yours." Zuko replied, waving Toph to a nearby fire. They sat beside each other, close enough to whisper without being overheard.

"Kaya told me she's the Avatar and that Aang told her about how I see." Toph said bluntly. "And I can tell that you were lying when you said you were her father. But you sound like her." At Zuko's blank look she squinched her mouth to the side. "Everyone sounds different; their heartbeats, way of standing, way of breathing. It's like…"

"Seeing the resemblance." Zuko murmured, understanding.

"Sure." Toph shrugged. "Except they sound alike. She sounds like you, so she's related to you." She grimaced. "I'm scared to ask how."

"it's not for me to tell you." Zuko said, looking into the fire. "You'll have to ask Katara."

"But you claim her."

"Yeah."

She grinned. "I knew I heard love in the air! You're boinking Sweetness."

Zuko colored. "If that's how you want to put it."

"I really wish I could have seen Sokka's face!" Toph crowed. "Did he try to kill you?"

"Not exactly."

Toph chuckled to herself. "And she's the Avatar. Oh man, if you do end up marrying Katara, you're gonna have a seriously powerful family." There was something Zuko hadn't considered. If he and Katara were to marry, their children would be future heirs of the throne. And his 'illegitimate' daughter would be the Avatar. Powerful indeed. "Who else knows she's the Avatar?"

"Just me and my Uncle."

"Not even Katara, huh?" Toph sounded thoughtful. "Don't think she can handle it?"

"I don't know." Zuko frowned. "My Uncle and Kaya don't think so."

Toph shivered. "That's weird about Aang. It's like he's a ghost haunting us."

"That's what Kaya thinks she can't handle. That she won't see her anymore, just a way to talk to Aang."

"Makes sense." Toph shrugged. "She is an emotional bag of crazy sometimes." Zuko frowned. "Oh calm down, Sparky." She stood. "Dawn? Talk armies and shit?"

"Yeah." Zuko stood. "You need anything?"

Toph shook her head. "I'll be fine." She strode off without another word, and Zuko felt the rumble of her constructing a tent from the earth. He watched as Min Ki took a stance outside, his face calm. Zuko wondered how long he'd be outside her stone tent.

He walked slowly back to his own tent, replaying his talk with Toph in his head. He nodded goodnight to Chi Lin, standing outside his tent, and pushed aside the flaps. He heard Chi Lin settle outside, sitting in front of the tent's opening. As he put his arm around Katara's sleeping form, lying close against her, he grumbled to himself about overprotective allies and their cock-blocking natures.

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

"No!" Toph shouted, shooting up from the makeshift table. Zuko was leaning over the other side, his hands clenched into fists, his jaw tight. "We're fighting for our homes, not for another tyrant to take over in place of his father!"

"I'm not a tyrant!" Zuko roared. Faces on the side of the table flashed back and forth between them. "We can do this without you if you don't want to help."

"I want to help!" Toph shouted back. "But I'm not letting you take half my troops on a suicide mission! It's stupid."

"How is it more of a suicide mission," Zuko ground out, the heat of his hands starting to leave black marks on the table. "than anything else we're doing? That you've been doing? Defying the Fire nation in any way is a suicide mission."

"You want them to go into Ba Sing Se, where all benders are killed on sight!" Toph yelled, stamping her foot. The table shook. "I don't care if you and yours go, but me and mine have spent enough time in danger there."

"Never took you for a coward, Beifong." Zuko snarled.

"I never took you for a reckless sociopath." Toph bit back. "Oh, wait, yes I did. When you chased us around the world for a year!"

"That was a long time ago!"

Soldiers were starting to trickle out as the yelling continued. Katara sat dozing against Sokka's shoulder as he sharpened a knife. Suki sat on his other side, looking bored. Chi Lin and Min Ki stood together by the entrance, gazing in at the two commanders bristling at each other across the table. They seemed at ease with each other.

"Not that long, Sparky."

"Toph," Katara's weary voice brought both their heads whipping around. "just tell him what you want." They both stared at her, Toph's lips twitching. Katara rolled her eyes. "We all know you're being stubborn so you can get what you want. Just tell him so we can move on."

"You had to ruin it, Sweetness." Toph smiled crookedly. "I wanted to see if he'd beg."

"Princes don't beg." Zuko ground out.

Toph shook her bangs out of her face. "Whatever you say. I want Omashu."

"What?"

"I want Omashu. When we win. I want to name it Tophapalooza."

Zuko ran a hand over his face. "Don't they have royal families or dynasties or lines of succession or something in the Earth Kingdom?"

"You grew up as a Prince and you don't know that?"

"History hasn't really been my focus these past few years."

"Yeah, screwing Sokka's sister has been!"

"Hey!" Sokka's head shot up, glaring. "Leave us out of it."

"Please." Katara groaned in agreement with Sokka.

"Just sayin'." Toph shrugged, grinning.

"Look," Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. They were supposed to have left hours ago. "when we restore peace to the world, you can challenge whoever has claim to the throne. It's your country, not mine."

"Will you back me?"

"Fine."

"Sweet." Toph grinned, sitting back down with her arms crossed. "Alright. I have two hundred and fifty with me, and there's three hundred and fiftyish back in Ba Sing Se." She added more green colored rocks to the map in front of them. "Most are benders. How do you want to do this?"

"Sokka and Chi Lin-" Zuko stopped as Chi Lin stepped forward. "What?"

"I believe I have found my replacement." Chi Lin said, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes shining. "Commander Bei Fong's skills as a leader far exceed my own."

Zuko glared at him. "We could have four armies."

Chi Lin shook his head.

Zuko ground his teeth.

"Zuko," a gentle hand on his arm calmed him down. He turned to meet Katara's cool blue eyes. She smiled softly at him. "maybe he's right." Zuko searched her face, trying to understand. "People will recognize Toph. She has connections and ties to the Earth Kingdom that you can never have. The name Bei Fong alone used to be powerful enough to gain access to the Earth King."

"Still would," Toph muttered. "if there was one."

Katara shot her a glance and continued. "Chi Lin is well respected here, but he would just be another Fire Nation general invading, despite the mask and what side he's on. Sokka's water tribe. You taking Ba Sing Se is right: Ozai has taken that for his stronghold. For this to turn out right, Earth must save Earth. Fire must defeat Fire."

Zuko sighed, knowing she was right and thinking she sounded like his Uncle. "Fine." Chi Lin ducked his head, avoiding Zuko's eyes. Zuko had never seen him contrite. "Go…make sure Kaya's okay." Chi Lin left, Min Ki trailing after him.

"And the shadows unite." Toph sighed. "They totally pout when they go against you."

"He's not my shadow." Zuko said, his voice raspy. The sun had barely been up for a few hours and he was already exhausted. He sat beside Katara, running a hand through his hair. "Sokka, are you willing to go East?"

"Yeah." Sokka shrugged. "Fire Nation is Fire Nation. I'll fight 'em wherever." He grinned up at Toph. "That leaves you free to reclaim Omashu."

"Tophapalooza." Toph corrected smugly.

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

Zuko felt like he had seen this all before. People hugging, crying, touching faces that they wouldn't see again for a very long time. Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Kaya stood together in the middle, Min Ki and Chi Lin standing together to the side, muttering. Zuko looked to his side to see Kozan approaching him.

"Fire Lord." The other man reached out to clasp Zuko's hand with his. "Good luck in the North."

"Good luck in Omashu." Zuko replied, his voice low. Toph had agreed with Chi Lin's choices of Kozan and Hohots as her lieutenants, with Min Ki as more of a bodyguard. Not that, she had hastily explained, she needed a bodyguard. It was just a good idea. "See you at the eclipse."

Kozan nodded, giving his young Fire Lord a small smile. "Looking forward to it, my Lord." He strode off, collecting his fellow officers as he went.

Toph had sent orders to her troops in the North with their destinations, instructing that they were to obey Sokka and Zuko as they would her. The generals had decided to send their extra troops back North to Zuko for the eclipse. It would be their 'big reveal' in front of the whole Fire Nation.

Zuko hesitated before walking over to the small group of his…friends? Allies? Whichever. As he approached them they fell silent, turning to him. Kaya ran to him, grabbing his leg.

"I don't want them to go." She said, her voice muffled.

He picked her up, settling her on his hip. "I know. Me neither."

"That's a lie." Toph joked. Zuko glared at her. "Oh simmer down. You know you'll miss having me."

"After only a day?"

Katara shot him a glare. "Of course we'll miss you, Toph. We've missed you for years."

Zuko sniffed.

"We'll see you again soon." Sokka clapped Toph on the shoulder. "After we kick some Fire Nation ass."

Toph grinned, her murky eyes glittering. "You wanna make a bet?"

Sokka scoffed. "I'll top you any day. Girls aren't as good at war as men."

"We'll see about that, Snoozles." She held out her hand and he grabbed it. "Someone else has to keep count for you, so you don't cheat."

"I never cheat!"

"Sir!" Bae, Sokka's second lieutenant, came walking up with Suki.

"I know, I know." Sokka sighed. He turned to his sister. "We have to go."

"I know." She smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes. "I…I just found you."

"It'll be okay." Sokka enfolded her in his arms. "We'll see each other soon."

"Toph," Katara turned to her. "I…"

Toph grabbed her in a bear hug, surprising everyone. "Take care of the kid. And your kid." Zuko glared at her. She released Katara. "And stay safe. I don't wanna hear that you rushed in and did something stupid." She narrowed her eyes. "I know how you like to play the savior."

"Are we still talking about me?" Katara asked.

"Nah. Too much effort to pretend to look at Zuko." She smirked. "Seriously though, you all stay safe."

"You too." Sokka and Zuko chorused. They looked at each other sideways.

"This is weird." Sokka said. "Being on the same side."

Zuko nodded. "We're fighting for the same thing. Always have been: to get home." He shifted Kaya on his hip, looking at her. "It's just always been from opposite sides." She traced his scar with a small, gentle finger. "Now it's the same side."

"Yeah." Toph replied. "Unreal." She sighed. "If we don't get moving we'll lose the light. I know that for you lesser creatures it's important."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Maybe I won't miss you so much."

They all laughed. Kaya reached out her arms to Sokka, giving him a hug around his neck. The look on his face was blissful as he set her down, patting her hair. "Be good for your mom."

She nodded. Katara took her hand and pulled her gently to her side. Zuko moved to stand on her other side, looking back at the three solemn faces across from them. Toph. Sokka. Suki. Older than he remembered. Taller than he remembered. Changed in ways he could never ask or imagine. As he himself had changed.

Sokka led his army out first, half of Toph's two hundred and fifty troops going with him. They began heading West, intending to take the old Pohuai Stronghold as their own. From there, they would spread North and South, freeing the villages along the coast.

Toph headed out with the remaining half of her troops, heading South towards Omashu. She knew best of them all the secret ins and outs of the city, having made frequent trips there from Gaoling. She strode out, Min Ki at her side. Her troops fell into columns behind her, their quicksilver armor glinting in the morning sun.

Katara stood between Zuko and Chi Lin, Kaya on her hip, as the armies filed by. Sokka waved until he was out of sight while Toph strode past without a sideways glance. Katara knew she wanted to look tough in front of her troops, but it still made her lip quiver.

"You're getting too big to be held." She whispered to Kaya, shifting her weight.

"I know." Kaya leaned her head against her mother's, watching the last men and women of Toph's army disappear into the treeline. "You can let me down."

Katara set her on the ground and watched her scamper away into the camp. She wrapped her empty arms around herself, tears coursing through the dust on her cheeks as she watched after the direction her brother and friend had taken.

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

Strong, warm arms folded around her from behind. A shaggy, black haired head rested on her shoulder as he sat down behind her. She had retreated to the small pond behind the camp, folding herself into a small ball as she watched the turtleducks swim and eat in the shallow, reedy water.

He had left Kaya with Chi Lin and set out to find her. She wasn't hard to find; she always went to the water. He could tell she was upset; she had gotten her family back only to lose them overnight. He knew it was worse than not knowing if they were alive or dead. Now that she knew, she would always wonder if they were in danger, hungry, captured. Alive.

He felt her lean back into him as he slid his knees to either side of her, providing a warm body for her to lean against. Her hands went to cover his, taking comfort in his presence. She loved how he always knew when she needed him. And when she didn't.

"There were turtleducks at the palace when I was growing up." His voice was a rumble against her back. She closed her eyes, feeling the wet clumps of her lashes brush her cheek. "My mother and I used to feed them pieces of bread. They would swim close and take it from our hands. Their beaks felt funny." Katara snorted. Zuko hugged her tighter. "They'll be okay."

"The turtleducks?"

He rolled his eyes behind her back. "Obviously."

She smiled and elbowed him in the stomach. He grunted. "Shut up."

He pulled her so into his lap so she sat sideways to him, her legs bent over his. "You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." She stroked his face gently with her palm. "You?"

"I'll be fine too." He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger. She closed her eyes, leaning harder against him, her hand clutching against his neck. He felt the desire in her grip, in the sudden quickness of her heartbeat. She pulled herself up so she sat straddling his hips, facing him. her hands moved over his face, his shoulders, re-exploring him. His hands caught and held in her hair, pushing the loose strands back from her face.

She brushed her lips against his, hands curling behind his ears. He moved forward to capture her mouth with his own, kissing her gently along her lips, her jaw, her cheeks. She smiled and he smiled back, captured by her radiance in that moment. She was so beautiful, her hair turned to fire in the sunlight, blue eyes sparkling as they gazed back at him with strength and love shining from their depths.

As he laid her down in the grass, the thought crossed through his mind that he was lucky, so lucky, that she hadn't turned away from him that first day. Her hands wandered across his chest, inching lower, and all solid thought fled his mind.

***Line break***Line break***Line break***

Villagers raised their heads as masked black-clad figures darted across the rooftops, their footsteps as light as rain. They watched, confused, as they darted from roof to roof, moving in perfect synchrony, their movements mirroring each other. They watched until mixed forces of the Dai Li and Fire Nation soldiers knocked them aside in pursuit, yelling and charging after the black forms.

The smaller figure looked over her shoulder, panting as several Dai Li soldiers sprang onto the roof behind them. Her mask slipped, obscuring her vision and she tripped over a loose shingle, cursing. She ripped her mask off, letting her dark hair stream behind her. She caught up with her partner, following as he took a sharp turn, leaping onto a lower roof.

"Put your mask on, Katara!" Zuko shouted, glancing over his shoulder.

"I can't see with the damned thing on!" She yelled back, sending an icy stream of daggers at their pursuers. She heard one yelp and smiled darkly, hoping he had fallen.

"They can see you." Zuko mirrored her, shooting small bursting fire balls at the swarming soldiers. They dodged, but not fast enough. Half of them fell, clothing flaming, landing on the streets of Ba Sing Se. "Put it on!"

"We're almost back." Katara panted, seeing the end of the rooftops just ahead of them. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Zuko grunted, ducking a stony projectile fist. "Take my hand."

Katara clasped his gloved hand as they jumped, landing safely three stories down in a hay-piled cart. They rolled quickly, ducking to hide behind several massive rain barrels. They watched, trying to calm their breathing, as the Dai Li copied them, landing in the hay cart and rolling out, stabbing through it with sharpened stone daggers.

Zuko tapped Katara on the shoulder and they silently crept down the dark alley, shedding their masks and dark outer layers. Katara pulled off her slim pack and unceremoniously stuffed their disguises into it. Beneath their black clothes, they wore regular, though tight fitting, street clothes of green and brown. Katara's leggings had several tears in them, but it wouldn't matter in the lower tiers. No one paid much attention to peasants.

Zuko turned to Katara as she tied the pack closed, his chest calming. Her cheeks were flushed from the chase, her eyes sparkling. She tied her dark hair into a tight, Earth Kingdom knot behind her head as footsteps and voices came from the alley entrance.

"That was good." He said. He backed her into the wall, pressing his body against hers. "Really good." He leaned in to kiss her, but stopped short. "You shouldn't have taken off your mask."

Katara frowned at him, laying her hands on his shoulders and kissing him as two Dai Li agents charged past them. She cracked one eye open to make sure they were gone. Zuko had both eyes open and she poked him in the face. "It was fine. I'm not as distinctive as you are." She nudged his scar with her nose. "Can we go?

"What, you're not having fun?" Zuko grinned, moving his body closer to hers.

She rolled her eyes. "No. Doing it in an alley while they're searching for us isn't really something that puts me in the mood."

He smirked. "Yeah." He pushed off the wall, springing back from her. "Let's go."

He grabbed her hand and set out in the opposite direction the Dai Li agents had run, only to find the alley blocked.

"Well, well," A deep, low voice came from the mountain of a man blocking the way, flanked by two others. "what have we here?"

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A.N.: Sorry for the late update Work has been slammed this week getting ready for a big event.

Thank you all for the reviews! :D Especially, as always, Kat-Tastrophe.