Book Four: Air

"What do you think he's doing right now? Working up a sweat?" Toph gestured sharply at the soaked Sokka. "He is taking it easy, and having some fun at the same time. You can do that, you know. He can't stay in bed forever anyway."

She passed a glance Katara's way. It missed the mark somewhat.

"You worry way too much. Nothing's gonna happen to him. He's got me to watch his back."

Katara

"You're not invincible Toph," Katara said. "Someone wanted Sokka dead, and now that you're both out in the open, you're helping them out with it. I don't know why you can't see any reason for this being a bad idea."

"I'm fine, Katara, really," Sokka said as he approached his sister. He grinned at her. He was glad to see his sister even if she was ruining his fun at the moment. He stretched, "I'm in perfect health. How's Aang? Speaking of him, how far have you gone with him?"
He asked this last part suspiciously. He was still protective of his younger sister, after all.

"I don't know. Maybe because it's not?" muttered Toph, as Sokka tried to calm down his sister. "Lighten up already."

She had only been a little irritated before, and that was usual with Katara's mothering. Now she was downright angry. How could Katara just accuse her of risking Sokka's life like that? It stung Toph rather badly.

IC: Azon

Azon won round after round, taking each opponent as effortlessly as he had done the first. His style did not seem limited to one form. Each form of the four elements could be noticed within his fighting. He had won the favor of the crowd after his victories, but Azon only ever waved to the two kids that were cheering for him.

He currently had his hand upon the back of last year Champion's neck, moving with him in an obvious form of Airbending Ba Gua.

"By all means," he said to the furious man, "keep trying to attack me, I'm sure you'll hit me eventually."

IC: Mercenaries

Kara returned to their lodgings--a quaint little inn at the waterfront--at long last. She slipped into the room the mercenaries shared and shut the door behind her. Maku grinned and stood to greet her.

"Have you found out anything, my dear?" he asked.

The Water Tribe woman nodded. "Yes. The council is thinking of sending her, with the boy and the Kyoshi Warrior, to the Colonies. With the current situation as it is, they will most likely be leaving very soon."

"That doesn't give us much time then, doest it?" Maku scratched his chin. "We'll need to move quickly."

Katara

Katara glared at her brother. "That is none of your business," she yelled. She sighed and said, "Sorry, it's just, I haven't seen you in months, and when I heard you'd been poisoned, I was worried that I wouldn't get to see you alive again. I don't want to lose another family member, so please be careful, Sokka," she said.

"I already told you he's got me to watch his back!" said Toph. She stood, working to put back up her bun at the same time. "He'll be okay. More than okay! What more assurance do you need?"

"Wait, Toph, it's fine," Sokka said, gripping the blind girl's shoulder, "It's sort of a sibling thing. We both worry about each other too much."
Then, in a rare moment of sensitivity, he hugged his sister, "It's good to see you Katara, but I can protect myself and, even if I can't, Toph's the best earthbender in the world. She won't let anything happen to me."

"You're darn right I won't," said Toph. She beamed at the praise. Toph was rather greedy when it came to compliments given to her by Sokka. She lapped them up and held them close. "No worries, Sugar Queen! I saved him once. I'll just do it again if I have to."

Katara

Katara nodded, hugging him back. "I just wish you would take it more seriously," she said. "Well, I'd ask about how things are going with you, but I should be heading back to the mansion. I need to find out what's gone on in the meeting. I heard about what happened from Zuko yesterday, it's hard to believe that the colonies would actually consider war just because they don't trust Zuko."

"And it's just got worse, too," said a newcomer.

"Suki!" Toph was more than a little shocked, and then she wondered what the older girl would think. As far as she knew, Sokka wasn't wearing his shirt, and she was still soaked. "What're you doing here?"

The Kyoshi Warrior shrugged. "Looking for you guys. There's big news over in the council. They sent me to find you. Come on, let's go."

She led them back into the city. Along the way, Toph asked something that had bothered her since Suki arrived.

"You said it just got worse? How?"

"A new representative has arrived from the colonies. He's a bit more... forceful than Wuong. I don't much like him or trust him." Suki sighed. "Lord Shan has reached something of a compromise, at the moment. There's going to be a council with the Colony leaders, and in the colonies too."

"So, what's so bad about that?" Sokka asked as he put his tunic back on. He was glad that it wasn't wet like the rest of him. He continued, "It should ease tensions, right?"

"Hard to say," said Suki. "Like I said, this Kai person is pretty forceful. A lot more extreme than Wuong. Compromise may only go so far, if the other secessionists are like him. But Lord Shang, and Zuko too, think that this meeting may help relations."

Toph frowned. "What aren't you saying?"

"Well, it's why I came after you," said Suki. "We're a part of the compromise."

They finally reached city hall, where the council was meeting. They were immediately shown in and presented before the council.

"Ah, good, you are here." Lord Shan nodded at them. "I trust Suki has filled you in on where things stand?"

"For the most part," said Suki. "I haven't told them about that just yet."

Shan smiled. "Yes. We can handle that."

He looked back at Sokka and Toph. "There is to be a meeting in the Colonies. The leaders of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom will be speaking with the Colony governers and the secessionts in the hope of reaching a compromise. We have agreed that you, Master Sokka and Lady Toph, should attend this meeting as mediators."

IC: Azon

"Here," said Azon, dropping the bag into the boy's hands.

"Five-thousand gold pieces."

The boy and girl looked up at Azon with open mouthed amazement, looking from the bag of gold pieces back up to Azon's hooded face.

"Y-You're just giving it to us?"

Azon nodded.

"I don't need money. You said you were hungry right? Well go on..."

The boy and girl nodded, and hugged The Sage's legs before he could react.

"Alright, alright...get going now."

The boy nodded, taking the bag with one hand and his sister's hand with the other. The two hurried back down the street, and Azon looked around at the stunned faces of the civilians watching him, most from the stands who had just watched him fight.

Azon said nothing simply choosing to walk the other way down the street.

To his credit, Sokka hid his surprise as soon as they entered the city hall. He knew it wouldn't do him or the others any good if he looked unprofessional. He bowed his head like Piando taught him, "We're honored to be part of this and hope to do our duty."

Toph was just as surprised as Sokka, though she did not share his professional enthusiasm. "Yeah. I like being shoved around, and all that," muttered Toph.

Suki cleared her throat, irritated. Toph stood up taller and sighed. She grinned.

"Same here."

"And I will be happy to serve as well," Suki. "Anything to help along a compromise."

Shan nodded. "Very good. And we thank you. It has been agreed that the meeting will be held as soon as it can be managed. You three will be leaving tomorrow, at noon, so please pack and be ready to go by then."

They were then dismissed.

As they were walked out of the building, Sokka dropped his professional expression. He sighed, "Wow, just because we're war heroes, people suddenly think they have the right to order us around.... Where's the logic in that?!"

Toph grunted in agreement. Suki only sighed.

"There is logic in it," she said. "People expect us to do what is best for the world, and this may very well be it. The Colonies do not trust Zuko. They are not too keen on the Earth Kingdom either, from what I understand. But they do like us."

"I'd like someone who saved my butt too," said Toph.

Suki spared a small smile. "Yes, well, that is the point. The council here, and Zuko and Aang I'll have you know, is hoping we might help the Colonies and the other leaders reach a compromise, and one that doesn't involve war. Who knows? Maybe they will listen to us when they will not listen to anyone else."

"I still don't like it," said Toph. "I'm tired to being dragged everywhere."

"Don't be so selfish, Toph," said Suki, now irritated herself. "This will help Zuko and Aang." A bit more gently, she added, "It's going to be fine, trust me. Sokka and I will keep you company."

Toph shrugged. "I'm going to go pack then. Not that I have much of a choice..." She stalked off.

Once Toph was gone, and out of earshot hopefully, Suki brushed Sokka's hand with her fingers.

"I was hoping that we might have a night to ourselves. You know? Before we have to go back to work?" She smiled at him. "Come dancing with me tonight, Sokka. We'll stop by that meat reastaurant Toph treated you to yesterday, if you want."

Sokka smiled at his girlfriend, suppressing a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach. It was probably nothing, right. It had been a long time since he spent some quality time with Suki, anyway. He grinned a little at the mention of the restaurant, "Sounds like a date."

"I think it does," she said. Suki leaned forward to kiss him. She rubbed the back of his neck, playing with his hair, as she pulled back. "Go and pack first. I'll meet you out in the courtyard later, okay?"

She kissed him again.

"Don't worry. We'll have fun, Sokka."

Looking incredibly pleased and happy, Suki smiled at him as she walked down the street back for the mansion and her rooms there.

***

"So it's a go?"

"Yes. They will be leaving at noon tomorrow."

"Then we need to move now."

Sokka grinned as he followed her. He decided that he wanted to sleep for a few more hours. He was looking forward to his date with Suki. He wasn't, however, looking forward to facing hostile secessionists. Nonetheless, that could wait.

Aang raised a hand after the Council had politely addressed him before sitting down in an empty seat. He spent the next forty minutes quietly listening in, not saying a word. Even when his friends had come in Aang did nothing more then smile and wave until they left a few minutes later. Aang sat still for a few more minutes until he realized that the meeting had ended for now.

With that the Avatar stood up and politely bowed to Lord Shan as one would to an equal, and then he left to go explore the city to find his friends.

IC: Toph

She shoved odds and ends of clothes into her small knapsack. Toph never carried much with her. She washed what she wore on her back, when the smell got so bad that even she couldn't stand it, and anything else was just extra weight. But since this was a meeting, and an important one, she knew it would be best if she brought several changes of attire.

But she was unhappy and did little to fold or put away her clothes neatly.

She did not want to go. Sure, it was important, and Aang and Zuko were counting on her, and all that jazz, but still. Toph didn't like being dragged around and told what to do. She wasn't some tool, though everybody seemed to think so. She was tired of not being asked what she would want. She was tired of being uprooted and sent to where people wanted her to go.

Why couldn't she enjoy time with her friends here? It had been so long since she had a chance to be with them like she wanted to!

It was more than that, though... What if... What if her parents were there?

Toph shuddered.

IC: Azon

Azon watched her grumble to herself, watched her shove a small amount of clothing into her bag. For his own safety he crossed to the other side of the bed before he became aware to her sight as if he had just appeared from thin air.

"You're leaving," he said, "but not willingly. The price of strength never seems to be repaid, does it?"