Chapter Text
- ย ย Book Two: To Fall Apart at the Seams ย ย ย -
ย
Zuko had met many nobles in his life. Heโd been surrounded by them: generals, admirals, governors, magnates, advisors, and everyone in-between.
Of them all, Toph Beifong might be one of his favorites.
She sat leaned back in her chair, heels crossed on the table, stamped free of dirt only moments before she put them up there. The bottoms of her feet were visible, the soles of her shoes mysteriously missing. She ate her food with her fingers, unafraid to mention when she didnโt like something or when she did. She had a piece of hair that seemed to fall over her nose in the exact spot she didnโt want it, brushing it aside no less than twice a minute.
โYou know,โ Toph said, not totally finished chewing the dumpling she was working on, โThis was not what I was expecting when I made this trip.โ
Zuko coughed. โNo?โ
She shook her head. โI mean, I was hoping to not get thrown in a cellโnot that it would hold the Greatest Earthbender in the Worldโmaybe get a thank you or two, but this? You guys mustโve really missed her around here. For some reason.โ
Tai snorted. โThereโs a good chance this wouldโve happened either way. Fire Lord Zuko over here seems to have a nasty habit of taking in strays.โ
โWhatโs that supposed to mean?โ Toph asked.
โYou donโt need to tell her,โ Zuko said.
โOh-โ Toph grinned, a bit feral- โNow you definitely do.โ
Taiโs lips split into a wide smile of his own. โI met him by breaking into his office with some of my friends who wanted to murder him.โ
Zuko buried his face in his hands.ย
Toph let out a bark of laughter. โWhat the fuck? Dude, youโre the Fire Lord, why would you keep around a guy you met on a mission to kill you?โ
Zuko, face still pressed to his palms, said, โHe was nice? Look, I havenโt really been on the receiving end of a lot of niceness for a good while now. Lady Kya says itโs why I latch onto people so easily.โ
โAw, Fire Lord, are you attached?โ Tai asked, turning his smile on Zuko.
โI was,โ he replied. โReconsidering it now.โ
โIโm hurt.โ
โYeah, and here I was ready to fast-track our way to being best friends,โ Toph added.
โAgni, when are Mai and Ty Lee getting here?โ Zuko muttered under his breath. Then, he paused and said, โActually, they might just make it worse.โ
As Tai laughed, Toph spoke. โSo, wait, I know who those last two are. Knife Girl and Circus Girl, right?โย
Zuko blinked. โMai and Ty Lee? Iโฆ didnโt know you knew them."
โFought โem a good few times.โ
โ What? โ
โYouโre right, โkicked their assesโ might be more appropriate. Anyway-โ She waved him off- โWhoโs the other person you mentioned, though?โ
โLady Kya?โ Zuko asked.
โYeah,โ Toph nodded. โHer name sounds familiar.โ
โUhโฆโ
โThe Chief,โ Tai said helpfully, and Zuko inclined his head at him.
โThatโs right, her husband is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.โ
Toph jerked so severely she nearly fell out of her chair. โExcuse me, the fuck did you just say?โ
Zuko exchanged glances with Tai only to find a matching look of confusion. โUh, sheโs the wife of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe? I, er, found her in a waterbender prison a while back and now sheโs here and has sort ofโฆ asserted herself as healer of the house. Sheโs scary.โ A beat. โAnd nice. Why?โ
Instead of really responding, Toph simply chuckled, almost in disbelief. โOma and Shu, Sokka and Katara are gonna lose their minds.โ
Zuko sat up a bit straighter. He recognized those names. โYou know Lady Kyaโs children?โ
Toph furrowed her brow. โOf course I do? Kinda hard not to when you spend months traveling together.โ
โMonths traveling together? But Chief Hakoda said his children traveled with the Avatar.โ
โWhat are youโโ Toph cut herself off, fell quiet for a moment, and then that same wild grin, which seemed to be common with her, blossomed on her face. โ Spirits, did you not know? Iโm the Avatarโs earthbending master.โ
It was Zukoโs turn to jerk in surprise. He found himself at a bit of a loss for words, which was fine considering Tai seemed to not be.ย
โOh, shit, you werenโt kidding when you said you were the Greatest Earthbender in the World,โ he said.
โTo be fair, almost everyone is lying when they say that about themselves.โ She drummed her fingers casually against the armrest. โAlmost everyone.โ
Anything else that might have been said was cut off by Mai and Ty Lee appearing in the entryway of the room. They stopped there for a moment, seeming to drink in the sight of the table.
Finally, Mai asked in a level voice, โZuko, care to inform us as to whatโs going on?โ
At her words, Toph jumped, a hand moving to press against her chest as her feet quickly slid off the table and landed on the floor. โOma and Shu, warn a girl, why donโt you?โ
โUh, Mai, Ty Lee,โ Zuko said, just a bit awkwardly, โThis is Toph. Sheโsโโ
โThe Avatarโs pet earthbender,โ Mai finished. โWeโve met.โ
โHey, if anything heโs my pet Avatar,โ Toph said. โAnd heโs not here, either way.โ
Mai raised an eyebrow, Ty Lee hovering over her shoulder. โYou expect us to just believe that?โ
โMai,โ Zuko said, more softly than he had actually intended, but perhaps that was what drew her attention. โSheโฆShe brought Azula back.โ
The two girls froze. Ty Lee was the first to speak, her voice trembling a bit as she asked, โAzula? SheโSheโs home?โ
Zuko nodded. โShe is.โ
There was silence for a long moment, and then Mai took Ty Leeโs hand firmly in hers and said sharply, โWell, we donโt want to see her.โ She dragged her friend over to a chair and pushed her into it before sitting down herself.ย
โThatโsโฆ fine,โ Zuko said after a moment. โSheโs in the medical wing, with Kya and Master Piandao.โ
โMaster Piandao?โ Ty Lee repeated, brow furrowed. โYour old swords teacher?โ
โ Swords teacher?โ Tai asked, turning to Zuko with slightly-wide eyes. โYou know how to use swords?โ
Zukoโs face flushed a bit. โI used to,โ he said. โIโm a bit out of practice. And, yes, Ty Lee-โ He nodded to her- โThe very same.โ
โWhy is he here?โ She propped her elbows up on the table, resting her chin on the back of her hand. โWasnโt he, like, a traitor or something?โ
โDouble traitor, now,โ Toph said. โWe didnโt like what the White Lotus was doing, and so here we are. Thanks for not kicking us out, by the way. Weโve definitely got a good thousand-gold bounty by now.โ
โYeah,โ Zuko said, just a bit dazed by how nonchalantly sheโd said that. โNo problem.โ
โHave you told the Avatarโs fan-girl her friend is here, yet?โ Mai asked, accepting a roll from Ty Lee without looking.
โโThe Avatarโs fan-girl?โโ Toph parroted.
โThe Kyoshi Warrior,โ Mai said.
โSuki!โ Ty Lee added.
Toph jerked. โSuki? Suki is here? What the fuck?โ She turned to Zuko. โGot any more surprises youโd like to share with the class, Fire Lord? I swear, next youโre gonna say fucking Jet is here or something.โ
Tai and Zuko exchanged glances.
She sat up straighter. โNo fucking way.โ
โI mean, heโs not here now,โ Tai said. โYouโre talking about Freedom Fighter Jet, right? I know he knew the Avatar and his friends, so Iโd assume so.โ
โYeah, โFreedom Fighter Jet,โโ Toph nodded, her tone a bit hysterical. โThe guy who, supposedly, fucking died.โ
โOh, yeah, he didnโt,โ Tai waved her off. โWhatever youโre thinking of is probably what gave him his limp, though. He never told me about it, even though he insisted that he got it โ fighting the good fight โ or whatever.โ He shrugged. โI just assumed it was against firebenders or something.โ
โEvil brainwashing earthbenders, actually,โ Toph corrected. โSo, wait, he was the one trying to โkill the Fire Lordโ that you came here with?โ
โHe was indeed.โ
She snorted. โYeah, all right. I only knew the guy for, like, four hours max , but he definitely seems the type to almost die and immediately decide his next mission should be to take out a dictator.โ She paused, and then angled her head toward Zuko. โNot that youโre a tyrant. Your dad, I mean. He sucked. No offense.โ
โNone taken,โ Zuko said. โHe very much did.โ
Toph grinned. โSee? I knew I liked you.โ
โYou met me like two hours ago.โ
โIโm a very good judge of character.โ She popped another dumpling into her mouth, but paused in her chewing halfway-through. Cocking her head to the side, another smile grew on her face, though much warmer than pretty much any of the other ones heโd seen thus far. โHoly shit, is thatโโ
โToph?โ
Suki stood in the entranceway, jaw dropped, eyes wide. She stared at Toph as if she was scared sheโd disappear when she looked away.
Toph vaulted over the armrest of the chair she was in and moved swiftly toward Suki. They were embracing only a moment later, a hold so tight it was like it was the last one theyโd ever have.
โSuki, holy shit, it is so good to see you,โ Toph said, and then chuckled and added, โOr, wellโฆโ
Suki laughed, wiping at her eyes. โSweet Oma, Toph, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.โ She cleared her throat. โIsโฆIs anyone else here?โ
Tophโs shoulders slumped a bit. โJust me. Sorry.โ
โJust you?โ Suki asked.ย
โYeah.โ Toph shrugged, but there was tension there that hadnโt been present before. โWent on a bit of a traitor arc, you know how it is.โ
Suki furrowed her brow and stepped back, a sharp eye observing Toph carefully. โTraitor? What are you talking about?โ
โIโฆโ Toph rocked back on her heels. โ... May or may not have gone on the run after breaking Azula out of prison. Sheโs here now. Sorry.โ
โAzula?!โ Suki cried, reeling back. โThe Fire Nation Princess Azula? Toph, sheโs the one who threw me in the Boiling Rock to begin with!โ
โThatโs why I said sorry!โ Toph shot back. โI know sheโs done shitty things, okay, but sheโs also, like, the same age as Katara, and was objectively doing bad in the dungeons! No one would listen to me, and I wasnโt just gonnaโgonna leave her there!โ
โYou should have,โ Suki hissed. โSheโd deserve it, after everything she did. She locked up her own friends.โ She gestured wildly at Mai and Ty Lee, watching the exchange stoically. โShe hurt so many people!โ
โYou werenโt there!โ Toph exclaimed. โYou didnโt see her! You canโt feel her. They fucked her up and then they just left her there to rot! How are we supposed to call ourselves the good guys when we treat our enemies the same way they treat us!โ
โAn eye for an eye,โ Suki said, voice low.
โKyoshi Island,โ Toph scoffed. โAlways quoting the words of your Lady. You know, Aang talked about how Kyoshi just kept telling him to kill whoever was in the way of balance. Aang.โ
The name was spoken with quite a bit of weight, and based on the words surrounding it, Zuko could easily presume that this was the Avatar she was talking about. Aang.
Sukiโs lips pressed into a thin line. โForgive me for having little sympathy for someone like Azula.โ
โThis isnโt about sympathy,โ Toph said. โI donโt even like her. But sorry if itโs a little hard for someone like me to look at her and not help.โ Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, hard. โThis isnโt just being imprisoned. She lost her bending.โ
There was a bang, and Zuko realized a moment later that it was him, the table and chair shaking from the speed with which he stood.ย
โAzula lost her bending?โ He asked, voice hoarse.
Toph was silent. Then, slowly, she nodded.
Zukoโs fingers tangled in his hair, tugging for just a moment until he felt capable of thinking again. โI need to go to the medical wing.โ
The journey was a bit of a blur. Zuko left the rest of them behind, mind fully occupied with his sister and her apparent lack of bending. Just how long was she imprisoned? There was no way it could be as long as he had been before he lost his own connection to Agni, but perhaps the requirements were different? He hadnโt yet had a chance to research Elemental Deprivation and its effects, and he bemoaned it now, as he was rather in the dark.
Still, when the door opened to Azulaโs room in the medical wing, revealing Kya, Piandao, and his sister on the other side, Zuko knew that he couldnโt just wait to speak with her.
โHello, your grace,โ Kya said, honorifics a bit odd to hear from her but understandable given their current company. โIs there something I can help you with?โ
โIโd like to speak with my sister,โ he managed to say. She smiled gently at him and nodded.
โWell, my work was about done for the day, anyway,โ she said. โI presume you would prefer privacy?โ
โPlease.โ
Kya shuffled out of the room easily, leaving behind just the lightest pat on his shoulder. Piandao followed, remaining as silent as he had since Zuko had entered, but his gaze lingered, as if he wanted to drink in the sight of his former pupil before he left.
The door closed behind them, and Zuko and Azula were alone, for the first time in years.
โWhy the wheelchair?โ She asked before he could say anything.ย
โWhat?โ
โYou walked earlier.โ A small scrap of fabric twirled between her fingers. โWhy the wheelchair now?โ
โCanโt walk for long,โ Zuko replied simply. โIโm working on it. With Lady Kya.โ
Azula snorted. โSheโs the Water Tribesโ mother, isnโt she?โ Zuko didnโt respond, but she spoke as if he had. โThought so. The resemblance is easy to see. Even a child could.โ
She was much more lucid than she had been upon arriving. Zuko probably had Kya to thank for that. She could have that effect on people.
โMaster Beifong mentioned you lost your bending.โ
It was like a switch had been flipped. Azulaโs face, already impossible to read, closed off even more. She scowled at him, eyes flashing. โAnd I bet you just delighted in that, didnโt you, brother? How does it feel, knowing that you only surpass me when the playing field is tilted so?โ
โAzula,โ Zuko said, trying to force as much intent into her name as he could. It must have worked a bit, as her head tilted the smallest amount to the side, her frown deepening. โItโs okay. I lost my bending too.โ
Her whole body twitched. Then, she fell still, eyes flicking to gaze out the window. A moment later, she murmured, โI didnโt know the Avatar had arrived.โ
Zukoโs brow furrowed. โThe Avatar? What does he have to do with this?โ
Azulaโs nose scrunched and she turned to face him. โDonโt be daft, Zuko. You cannot claim to have lost your Fire as I have and in the same breath wonder what that slippery airbender has to do with it.โ
โThe Avatar isnโt here, Azula,โ Zuko said. She observed him with a sharp eye. โAnd I have lost my bending .โ
A few moments passed, and then she said, โYouโve always been a poor liar, Zuzu.โ
โIโm not lying,โ he said, a flash of annoyance shooting through his heart.
โI never said you were,โ she replied curtly. โTell me, then, how is it that your connection was broken, if not by the Avatarโs hands?โ
Oh. Oh. He had wondered how she could have lost her bending in such a small amount of time. It seemed that she hadnโt, at least not in the same way Zuko had. Somehow, the Avatar had snapped her connection himself, something that was far too terrifying to ponder right now.
That meant too, though, that Azula had no idea how Zuko could have lost his own bending. He stared at her for a moment. She was acting how he would expect her to, given their childhoods, but it was a far cry to how she had been hours before. Perhaps this was bravado, more than anything. He didnโt particularly care to find out.
โIโm going to bed,โ he said.
โZuko,โ Azula growled. โAnswer me. Youโre not slick with dodging a question. You never have been.โ
โIโm tired, Azula,โ he shot back. โAnd Iโm the Fire Lord. If I want to go to bed, thatโs what Iโm going to do.โ
His words silenced her. He wondered if she had even realized that he had been crowned. Was that information she would have been privy to? She wasnโt the person he wanted to ask to find out.
As he wheeled himself toward the door, knocking on it so that Lee would know he was ready to go, he glanced back at his sister one more time. She sat perched on the edge of the medical bed, hair wild and shorter than heโd ever seen it. Dark circles were beneath her eyes, so deep they looked like bruises.
โYour old room is open to you, if you want it,โ Zuko said. โIt should be just as you left it.โ
Her lips pulled down even farther as she glared at him through slitted lids.
โWelcome back, Azula.โ
She didnโt reply, but he hadnโt really expected her to, and as he was wheeled out and the door closed behind him, he closed his eyes, dug his nails into the palm of his hand, and focused on the pain rather than the emptiness within his soul where a Fire was meant to burn.

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