Book Four: Air

Katara/Zuko

"Hello Zuko," Katara greeted, setting down a fish. "Hello Katara, hello Aang," Zuko greeted, sitting down at the table. "I know you two just arrived here, but I'm afraid I need to tell you about the disasterous meeting today quickly." Katara raised an eyebrow, and said, "was it really that bad? Can't you and the Earth Kingdom come to some kind of agreement?" "We haven't even been able to argue about that, because the colonies want to secede and become their own nation."

IC: Toph

She could not bring herself to say anything. Toph was much too shocked by what had just happened to her. Breathing deeply, unevenly, her eyes watered and her mind whirled with questions.

Had what she thought just happened... really happened?

Had she just be able to see? Truly see?

But that couldn't be possible. It just couldn't... No one could do that...

And even if it was true, it had not lasted nearly long enough. It was over, and she was already forgetting what she had seen, if she had seen at all.

Her head ached. Toph suddenly felt sick.

"I... I need to go..." she sputtered, standing from their table. "Thanks for... hanging with me, Snoozles."

She jolted the table as she practically ran out of the restaurant.

"Wait. What'd he'd do to you?!" Sokka asked in surrprise. He was unable to stop her, though, so he could only watch her leave. Reaching into his pocket, he paid for their dinner and ran after the Runaway. He needed to make sure she was okay.

IC: Toph

She ran all the way down to the beach, leaving the more populated areas of the island behind. This part of the cove was silent and a little rockier than the rest of the populace. She felt more at ease here, even with the water so close.

Toph stooped near a creek, which fed into the ocean a few yards down from where she now stood. She splashed her face. The cool water helped her calm down a little, and she sighed.

She was shaking.

Toph scowled, hating this show of weakness, even when she was alone. She rubbed up and down her arms and sat back against a rock.

IC: Azon

"Little child of the wind, feel the breeze upon your skin."

Azon was heading down the street, having watched Toph run past him in the direction of the beach.

"The flowers sway and dance for you, and the sky will never change from blue."

He placed his hood back up, covering his blindfolded eyes.

"Let your thoughts be glad and calm, feel my face upon your palm."

He headed off down the street.

"The turtle doves will sing for you, and just for you, I will too."

Finally, after what felt like decades of running while the world spun around him (courtesy of the cactus juice), Sokka reached the cove Toph ran to. Well, to be fair, he tripped over one of the rocks, banging his head. He spoke, "Toph, are you around here?"

"I'm right here."

Her voice came not far from where Sokka had tripped. Toph sat in the lee of some stones, close to the creek. She leaned against the rock wall, eyes closed. Her face was a little paler than usual. She took in deep breaths.

"That sounded like it hurt," she said.

"I think that I'm bleeding a little," Sokka complained, trying to lighten the mood a little. He got up and approached his best friend with a concerned look on his face. He spoke, "Are you okay? What'd the guy do to you?"

"What!?" Aang asked in shock as he heard the colonies intentions. "But that's crazy, don't they know that could start another war?" He asked, not realizing that Zuko obviously knew all these things already. "I can't believe these people are so selfish that they would risk more fighting just to be another country." The Avatar continued to rant before looking up at Zuko, realizing there might be more to the story then he knew.

Zuko/Katara

"Yes, their representative even threatened war against us, hoping we would relent and let them secede. He says that the colonists don't trust me because my father almost burned down their lives when he tried to destroy the Earth Kingdom. Just being related to a madman is reason enough for people to hate you, I guess, even when you've tried to repair the damage they caused," Zuko said. "That's terrible," Katara said. "The colonies really aren't willing to give you a chance?"

Aang

"Then we'll just have to talk with them tomorrow, I'll vouch for you of course." Aang answered as he stood up. There was a determined look on his face even though the plan itself was most likely useless, the airbender would still have to try.
------------------------------------
Mai


"Well I suppose that's enough time I've wasted for now. Back to the old boring job I guess." Mai reminded herself as she walked out of her room. The girl dreaded having to explain to her husband's advisors what had happened, but she knew she had to and thus it was time for her to start writing the explanation out.

But the question of where her Father-in-law had gone continued to pop up in her mind. At this point she guessed that Ozai had done the smart move and gone to join the rebellion, or that he might have foolishly gone after his son for revenge. No Mai certainly didn't stop to think that maybe the ex-Fire Lord was waiting down the street, plotting for the throne with his firebending returned.

"Are you ready to return home milady?" The head of the royal guard asked her as she walked out.
"Of course." Mai simply replied before lifting her hand to inform the servants who held her carrier that she wouldn't be needing it. "It's only a few hundred yards, there would be no point to riding in it the Palanquin now."

Wuong

Wuong took the message from the bird. As he read on, his face grew paler and paler. After finishing the message, he sat in thought for some time. He made a decision and walked to his door. He opened it and called the nearest servant around. He request the servant to send a message to the Fire Lord. Wuong wanted to meet in private with Zuko, and as soon as possible. The events that had just transpired needed to be discussed.

Zuko

"I'm glad you'd do that Aang, but I think it's useless. I don't know if the colonie's citizens really do want to secede or if it's just the officials, but it's unlikely anything here will help," Zuko said. "Anyway, this is a minor concern compared to what else has happened." He took a breath and said, "My father, Fire Lord Ozai, escaped from prison."

IC: Toph

She sighed, her brow furrowing.

"I... I'm not sure. I mean... I don't know!" said Toph, exasperated. She threw up her arms. "It was so weird, though, Sokka." She used his name, so she was being serious. "I've never felt like that before."

She subconsciously scooted closer to him, and her hand brushed his knee. "But I think... I think he made me see. You know, really see."

***

IC: NPC Servant

The servant dashed to the western wing of the mansion. The Fire Lord was dining with Avatar Aang and Lady Katara, and while he had requested not to be disturbed, this message could not wait.

He rapped on the doorframe, ignoring the glares of the two guards stationed outside the dining room, and slipped inside.

"Pardon the interruption, Fire Lord Zuko," he said. He nodded towards Aang and Katara. "Avatar. My Lady." He cleared his throat, and bowed. "Representative Wuong has asked for an private audience with your Majesty, Fire Lord Zuko, and as soon as you can manage it."

***

IC: Mercenaries

Kara sipped her tea. She stared at her companions: Chan, the former soldier, and Jing, the strange new ally. Their quarry had dashed out only moments ago. She had considered following the girl, but had decided against it. They had plenty of time to watch her. And for now, it would be beneficial to discuss what they may have learned from the brief spying.

"So... What have we learned?" she said.

Chan grunted. "Nothing."

"You are wrong. We did learn something," said Kara. "But leave it to a man not to notice." She took another sip of tea. "The girl is infatuated with the boy."

Iroh kept walking upstream. The sun was getting hotter and hotter by the second. Thank God there were some trees to provide him with shade. Iroh didn’t stop, he couldn’t take the risk of getting caught. For 3 long hours the old man walked up stream and no one to be found. Not even a single person!

But this didn’t make him slow down, he still had hopes, and so he kept going on.

"What?" Aang asked as his day just got worse. "Well he wont be much help to the rebellion except as an icon, but even that will just slow down the path to peace even more." Aang admitted as he looked up at Zuko, feeling very worried.

"Bu-" Of course Aang was then interrupted by a servant who looked like they had urgent news themselves. After the servant had informed Zuko of Wuong's request Aang put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll talk later then, good luck with ...him." Aang said as he let his friend know that he didn't mind that Zuko had to leave.

Zuko

Zuko sighed and stood up. "Ok. Aang, I think we have our work cut out for us now. It may be that ending the war was easier than keeping peace," he said and left, and quickly walked down the halls. When he reached Wuong's room, he found a large tribal man standing outside it. He frowned, and walked closer to him. "Who are you, and where is Toph," he asked.

Katara

Katara frowned, feeling guilty now about wasting time before. "Aang, what if Ozai had something to do with the attack," she asked. "If he's with the rebellion, one of the people he'll go after is you."

Sokka instinctively grabbed the hand that was on his knee. He looked at Toph in concern. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised by someone being able to give Toph her sight for a few brief moments, but he'd have thought only someone like Aang could do it. He also knew that Toph was more sensitive about her sight than she let on and that this obviously affected her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.

IC: Azon

"Boy, why are you crying?"

The small child raised his head to look up at the hooded Azon. In front of him was a small Saber-Tooth Moose Lion cub, lying dead upon the road.

"M-My...p-pet," cried the boy, looking down at the cub.

"H-He's d-dead and I c-couldn't s-save him..."

Azon slowly bent down, kneeling on the other side of the dead cub.

"What is its name?"

The boy momentarily halted his tears to look up with wet eyes.

"Y-Yahiko"

Azon watched the lifeless cub for a moment, the reached out to carefully place a hand upon it. The boy looked confused, rubbing his eyes with tiny fists.

"Place your hand here," instructed Azon, and the boy hesistantly obeyed.

Azon gently covered it with his own, and a blinding green light came forth from it. The boy gasped in surprise, but kept his hand still as the light filled the cub Yahiko for several moments. When it slowly faded, Azon removed both his and the boy's hand, and watched the baby cub.

Then, its eyes slowly opened, its chest rose and fall, and the cub pushed itself to its feet.

"Yahiko!" exclaimed the boy, hugging the cub to his chest.

"H-How?" he stammered, looking up at Azon.

Said man merely held a finger to his smiling lips, and stood, heading further into town. A few people were staring after him, having watched the spectacle unfold.

IC: NPC Servant

The man cleared his throat.

"That would be the stranger from earlier. As best I understand it, the Lady Toph left him to take her place while she had a break. She was seen leaving with Master Sokka, Fire Lord Zuko."

***

IC: Toph

"That's just it. I'm not sure!" Toph rubbed her cheek with the heel of her free hand. "It confused me. I didn't... I don't know what was going on, and if I was seeing like you, I had no idea what I was looking at. It kind of hurt me."

She let loose a sigh. It messed with her already messy hair.

"I didn't like it. But part of me did, you know? If it really was happening, part of me liked it and didn't want it to just go away."

Toph would only admit something like this to Sokka or Iroh, and Sokka most of all.

***

IC: NPC

"Hey, old man! You okay?"

A fisherman had glanced up from his work beside the stream. He had noticed Iroh from afar, but it was only when the ragged man came closer did the fisherman grow concerned.

Zuko

"You've gotta be kidding," Zuko said, shaking his head. "What was she thinking? Leaving someone that we know nothing about to guard an important representative? I swear, the next time I see her..." he let the threat hang in the air, and had the servant go announce his presence.

IC: NPC Servant

The servant did as Zuko asked. He rapped on the door and opened it, slipping into the room. He bowed towards Representative Wuong.

"Fire Lord Zuko has arrived," he said. "As you requested, representative."

He left the two men to talk in private.

Sokka simply looked at Toph in compassion. It was cruel to just give her her sight only to take it away afterwards. He squeezed her hand.
"I'm sorry this had to happen," he told her sincerely.

IC: Toph

It was only then that she realized he was holding her hand. And for the second time that day, in fact! Toph felt her face heat up and turned away from Sokka, so that he wouldn't see her blush.

"Why're you sorry?" she said. "It's not your fault. It's not like we can do anything about it now, anyway. I'm fine, Snoozles."

Sokka continued staring at Toph. He had never realized this, but she was truly beautiful, especially in the moonlight. Moonlight? He looked up. There was a full moon tonight. He shook his head, attempting to concentrate on the present.
"I'm just sorry you have to deal with this," Sokka told his best friend, "It was cruel of that guy to do that to you."