AtLA, "Under Roses" (Azula/Toph, Zuko)
Jul. 18th, 2015 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
melodytreeTitle: Under Roses
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Pairing/characters: Azula/Toph, Zuko
Rating: G
Contains: N/A
Summary: Azula finds herself captivated with a small but powerful earthbender beating up the competition in an underground tournament.
Notes: Written for terajk for Trick or Treat 2014
The first time Azula sees her, it's at an underground earthbending tournament. The Blind Bandit is small, tiny, so young-looking – yet with a twitch of her
feet and the smooth motion of one hand she throws a man three times her size out of the arena. Azula remains seated while the crowd erupts into cheers
around her.
The Blind Bandit takes it all in, one hand punching the air in triumph. Azula pays no attention to the annoying prattling of the announcer. She watches the
winner instead, thinking back on how she had moved.
It is screamingly obvious that the girl has a way with the earth, an affinity for her element like Azula holds with fire. She can appreciate someone like
that.
She starts going to the tournaments more often just to watch the Blind Bandit. Sometimes she plays with whoever she's paired up with, letting them exhaust
themselves, making their final defeat – they are always defeated – that much more enjoyable. Sometimes she is played against several opponents at once, and
this can actually challenge her. She darts around the field, shielding herself, dodging attacks as if it's instinct, taking out her opponents one by one
with the sort of efficiency that makes Azula want to pick her up and steal her away.
She is absolute perfection, as far as earthbenders go.
Which makes it so frustrating that there is absolutely no information on her.
~!~
Azula's mom tells them often: there is no shame in being from the Fire Nation, but the people here don't understand that. They are afraid of firebenders
after a hundred years of war. They must hide their true natures.
Zuko rarely complains about it. And it's not that Azula disobeys. But their mom isn't a firebender; she has no idea how hard it is. She doesn't know what
it's like to transmute breath and energy into pure heat and flame. For Azula it's like holding a new life in her hands, holding mastery over power. The
heartbeat at the center of every living thing in her palm, and hers to control.
Hiding it is like hiding the ability to talk. Zuko sometimes slips up a little. He reheats tea, or blows the embers back to life when there is company
around. Azula doesn't, ever. It takes constant attention, though, focus on keeping the energy contained to herself, breathing out slowly when she needs to.
Azula wishes they still lived back home. Mom says that they were in too much danger there, but she never explains fully. At least she approves of
Azula's friends; she sighs and asks Zuko why he can't make any.
That's because Zuko is an awkward loser who doesn't know how to hold a proper conversation. But Azula is good with people. She studies how people interact
and turns it to her charm. Some compliments, a plea for help on homework – even if she doesn't need it – and a few invitations, and she has a circle of
friends.
She comes up with secret crushes to tell them about. They giggle and give her advice on how to make up her pale features and arrange her pitch-black hair.
They think that she's mixed and share pity with her when someone makes fun of her for it. She finds that playing up the hurt sparks more even more strident
defenses of her person.
Still, it might be nice to have friends like in the stories – someone she could share a real secret with. Maybe another bender. It would be wonderful to
have someone other than her slow brother to play and practice with.
~!~
The organizers for the tournaments have no idea about her. Azula pins them down, threatens them until they are almost crying, and still they claim they
have no names or addresses or anything to divulge. They might even be telling the truth.
If she wants anything done right.... Azula takes matters into her own hands.
She wears some of her older clothing and puts her hair up in a common, practical bun. The next time she goes to an underground tournament where the Blind
Bandit is scheduled to appear, she doesn't head up to the stands; she slips into the backstage area instead and grabs a broom. No-one pays attention to the
ordinary-looking girl cleaning the hallways.
The cheering from here sounds distant and rises at odd intervals. Azula moves methodically down the halls until she is near the area used for entering and
exiting the arena. When the Blind Bandit appears at the end of the tournament, wide grin stretched across her mouth, Azula follows behind her slowly,
irregularly. Not in any way that would attract notice. After talking to Xin Fu for several minutes, the Blind Bandit throws on a coat and pulls up her
hood. It's not a good disguise, but it hides her fighting clothes.
Outside, the Blind Bandit turns down a busy market street. Azula finds it hard to keep track of her, especially considering that she's hardly taller than
the Bandit herself. She meanders to a side alley and finds a good spot to climb onto a roof. If the adventures she's had with Zuko have proven anything,
it's that people tend not to look up. As long as she's light-footed and stays on the opposite side of the roof from the market, she shouldn't be bothered
too much.
She tracks the Bandit to the upper district, where she resumes walking on the ground. People here don't even look at her, probably thinking that she's some
servant girl sent out on an errand. The Bandit, however, gets curious glances, some more subtle than others.
Outside the back of the Bei Fong estate, where all the rooms are, the Bandit suddenly makes a sharp turn off the road and makes a tunnel through the wall.
It closes right behind her and Azula has to hold back a curse. There's no good way of following her now.
Instead Azula scales a nearby tree and frowns down at the front garden. The Bandit must be the daughter of a servant who lives on the estate, or perhaps
from a minor branch of the family. She's come all the way out here; she might as well wait a little while and see if the girl comes outside.
Besides, she doesn't want to go home right now, even though it's getting dark. There'll be plenty of moonlight to find her way home by, and the thought of
a sickening family dinner makes her stomach turn. Zuko will talk on and on about what he's learned in school lately, and Mother will coo over the
stories from his after-school martial arts club. Ugh.
~!~
"Why do you put up with them?" Zuko asks her once.
"Whatever are you talking about, dearest brother?" she replies, holding her schoolbooks to her chest. It's late afternoon, and she lowers her eyelids to
keep the sun out.
"Those girls you were with. You say they're your friends, but you don't seem to have anything in common with them at all."
She rolls her eyes. "Zuzu, you don't need to share hobbies to be friends with someone."
"Yeah, but--
"All you need to do is learn the right things to say to each other."
He gives her a strange look at that.
"What? It's not as if they really care about me, either."
He doesn't bring the subject up again. At least he doesn't talk to mom about it; mom would want to have a discussion and talk about herconcerns, which she does enough when she thinks that the two of them are frustrated with their situation. That isn't wrong – sometimes Azula feels
as if the energy inside her will push its way out without her will, that she'll burn the whole city down just to let it out. Instead she vents it little by
little, tamping the inferno in her heart down each long school day.
~!~
The moon is risen when a small figure appears in the garden.
Azula perks up and peers over. Same dark hair in a bun, same short height – though she's too far away and the light is too dim to tell any more than that.
She watches as the girl slowly approaches the direction of her tree, stopping to touch different things and run her fingers over them. At one point she
sticks her hand in the pond and pets the koi, giggling. As she wanders closer Azula can take in her face – yes, it's the same, though she looks so
different in her fancy clothes. She must be related to the Bei Fongs, then.
Azula shuffles down her branch and jumps down to go scale the fence. She ascends it lightly, with hardly a sound, but the girl still looks up immediately.
"I thought someone was following me!" she exclaims. "What do you want?" She shifts into a low stance.
"Oh, nothing in particular," Azula replies, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. "I just happen to be a huge fan of yours. There aren't enough
girls in the tournament, but at least we have someone like you to represent them."
The flattery works; the girl loosens up a little and grins. "Yeah?"
"You're of a much higher grade than any of the other competitors. It's always a pleasure to watch you fight."
"That's nice and all, but most fans don't follow me to my house."
Azula shrugs. "I tried contacting you other ways. This was the only one that panned out. I just wanted to chat with you for a while. Honest," she
adds, though she isn't. She wants more than that. She wants to spend time with this girl, memorize the way she utilizes the power running through her
limbs, spar with her.
The girl frowns a little but slowly slides back up into a standing position. "If you stay up there for much longer, the guards will see you." Then she
adds: "You're telling the truth, but if you get up to anything I can scream and a bunch will come running to help."
"I don't doubt it." Azula slides down the wall and into the garden. The ground here is soft, a little springy. It's very well cared for. "By the way, my
name is Azula. Might I ask yours, or shall I keep calling you 'the Blind Bandit'?"
The Bandit laughs. "I'm Toph. So tell me more about why you put in all that effort to find me."
It's surprisingly easy to talk with her. They sit by the pond and efore too long they start talking about the differences between the different
tournaments, how some are set up and structured and other are true free-for-alls. Then they somehow manage to skip onto more personal topics; Toph
complains about how overprotective her parents are.
"They won't even let you have proper earthbending lessons? But you're blind, not weak."
"That's just it!" Toph throws her hands in the air, kicking so hard that the water splashes and the koi scatter away. "They don't see the difference!"
"But you must be almost a master by now."
"Pfft. I am a master, or at least as much of one as my teacher is."
"If it's an consolation, I can relate," Azula finds herself saying. "I can't show anyone my bending, either."
"Why not?"
Azula makes a small flame in the palm of her hand. It dances there, a pretty, hot blue. She feels the pulse of it radiate down her fingers and can't help
but smile.
"Well?" Looking confused, Toph reaches her hand out until she must feel the heat. "Woah." Even blind, her eyes widen. "You must be from the colonies,
then."
"Mm." She snuffs the flame out. All of a sudden, it feels cold.
"We should practice together!" Before she can say any more, though, or before Azula can reply, a servant comes out calling. They whisper a quick promise to
meet at the next Cracked Earth tournament and Azula slips away.
~!~
She starts slipping out at night to spar with Toph. Not every night, but enough of them to make her tired at school more often than not. It's so, so worth
it, though. Her old circle of friends is starting to bore her; she finds it more difficult to feign an interest in the conversation any more.
It isn't long before Zuko catches her, of course. "What are you doing?" he hisses, jerking her arm.
"Going to meet a friend. Let me go."
"In the middle of the night?"
"We can't meet any other time. Her parents wouldn't allow it."
He makes her promise up and down that she isn't doing something stupid. He never trusts her promises, though, and she's pretty sure that he follows her
that night, although she doesn't catch him at it. After that night he doesn't say anything, and mom never notices.
Sparring with Toph is different than sparring with Zuko. In many ways, it's better. Toph doesn't have so many obvious weaknesses, and she doesn't hesitate
at anything, and she's not weak. Azula starts coming home covered in bruises, back sore where she's been thrown against the ground or a tree, but
it's worth it for the way her blood heats up. There's no challenge, no real point in defeating Zuko; she only wins against Toph some of the time,
and Toph's expression is always hilarious.
Sometimes they talk, afterward, sitting in a clearing where Azula can watch the night sky or leaning up against a tree so Toph can map its roots over and
over. They rant about their families and their lessons, or chat about the places they want to go. Toph wants to see the world she's not allowed out into,
and Azula wants to turn her vague memories of the Fire Nation – Ember Island and the Palace, mostly – into solid ones, see how others of her people live.
She has distant memories of being told that fire is the superior element, but mom has told them differently since then, and there's the glaring example of
Toph right next to her.
She's the imperial princess, isn't she? She ought to be able to go home and claim her rightful throne, not hiding and skulking in a random Earth Nation
city. This war is useless; industry is where they should be dominating others and proving their might, not destruction.
She doesn't tell any of this to Toph, of course, only falls quiet in her planning until Toph asks why her heartbeat is speeding up. "I'm thinking of how
I'll beat you next time," she says.
Toph laughs and says, "Bring it."
~!~
One night Toph is ranting about how she wants to go out during the day, when the shops are open and people are doing things, when Azula hatches an idea.
"Would they let you out with a chaperone?" she asks.
"Sometimes, if I'm lucky," says Toph. She is picking at her toes, which makes Azula shudder a little (it's so disgusting!) which only makes her do it more.
"Sometimes they won't, even with someone to babysit me."
"I have a plan."
"Yeah?"
~!~
Azula dresses up like any generic Bei Fong servant, with a little red to her lips and black on her eyes. She trails after Toph and when they meet with her
parents she keeps her eyes demurely down and her hands folded neatly in her lap. It's almost insufferable.
"Can I please go out for a little while?" Toph begs. "She'll come with me."
"Where were you thinking of going, ah..." The question is directed at Azula.
"Areum, sir. And I was thinking of either the perfume market – it shouldn't be too crowded, and carts aren't allowed there. Either that, or the temple a
little ways to the north? It doesn't have many stairs, and I was thinking that Mistress Bei Fong might enjoy the garden there."
Then she sits back and lets Toph argue it out with her parents. They go back and forth for a while before Poppy puts her hand on her husband's arm. "Dear,
I worry about her too. But Master Yu said that Toph has been progressing wonderfully in her breathing exercises, and her tutors say she's been doing well.
Surely letting her go out for one afternoon is a good reward? It's not like we'd be letting her go alone."
Toph's father capitulates. Of course, they have to be back by sunset and they can't walk to the perfume district, even though it's close. But it's
something in the daytime.
~!~
They day they planned for arrives. Toph has that wide grin of hers on again, the kind she always gets when sneaking out. It's creepy, but Azula is starting
to find a charm in it.
They climb out of the carriage at the head of one of the market streets, the air infused with so many scents that Azula can't begin to distinguish them.
The driver climbs down and ties the horses up, then begins to follow them. Toph puts on her best sweet smile and says to him, "We're going to be looking at
stuff for a really long time. I'm sure it's going to be boring for you. I have Areum with me, so why don't you go enjoy yourself for a while?"
The man frowns. "Mistress, the Master ordered me to--"
"I know, I know. But I won't tell him, and Areum won't either. We'll be back in a few hours, and we're just going to be around here. Do you notwant a break?"
"That's not..." Toph's frown makes his own deepen. "Oh, all right, Mistress."
Toph claps her hands. "Okay! See you soon!" She starts to dart off down the street, but Azula grabs her hand.
"Mistress! Be careful. We don't want you getting hurt."
Toph huffs, but turns her hand to rest comfortably in Azula's. It's nice and warm. "Fine. Let's get going."
They wander through a couple of the perfume and incense shops, just to make sure that no-one is following, and then they duck into a side alley. While
Azula attempts not to retch at the horridly florid scents coming from next door – lily and rose and lavender and jasmineand peony do not go together well – Toph earthbends herself a little room. A few minutes later, the stones slam back into the earth and Toph is
dressed like a normal person again. She shoves the fancy, delicate silks at Azula. "Come on, let's get going."
Azula huffs but puts them in her pack and turns to the south. "We live this way."
They stop several times. Twice it's to buy street food – Toph hardly ever gets to eat it. Azula would think that rare meats and a personal chef would more
than make up for it, but apparently not. Once is because a bunch of bratty young boys are getting too rough with their earthbending in the middle of the
street. Toph puts them in their place and then Azula has to drag her away before she lords it over them too much. They only have so much time, after all.
"I'm home," Azula calls when they finally step over the threshold to their house. It's small, with enough room for three people, but it's about the size of
Toph's own set of rooms.
Mom is still out at work; only Zuko responds. His eyes linger on Toph as she steps around the room, touch various things, while Azula makes tea. She
doesn't bother putting the pot on the stove. Zuko's eyes narrow at her as she puts the tea set down, and she smiles back.
"Don't worry, Zuzu, this is my friend – she knows."
"Neat," Toph says, grabbing her cup and sitting back with her feet propped on the table.
"Feet off the table."
"Why?"
"It's my house. We have rules here." When Toph doesn't move she adds, "If you don't take them down I'll put you outside. You know I can."
"Yeah, right. But geez, all right, Princess." Toph shifts her feet to the next chair over. Good enough.
Zuko lifts an eyebrow at her. She lifts one back and smirks.
She spends the afternoon hoping Zuko will leave them alone, but he's obviously interested by Toph, so the conversation stays between the three of them
until they have to leave. She and Toph barely get back on time; it's only half an hour before the sun sets when they meet the carriage driver. "Did you
enjoy the shops, mistress?" he asks as he helps Toph climb in.
"Oh, yes."
When Azula finishes trekking back home, it's almost dinnertime. Mom still isn't back, so Zuko is frowning over a pot of soup that bubble even though
there's no wood in the fire. "I can see why you like her," he says.
"Oh? That's a first."
~!~
One night they abandon their bending to spar hand-to-hand, rolling in the dirt until they're sweaty and filthy. Azula manages to win with her slight
advantage in weight and larger advantage in having wrestled with her brother before. She ends up straddling Toph's waist and pinning her down. Toph can't
get enough leverage to shake her off.
"Fine, you win," Toph says.
Then she uses earthbending to flip their positions over.
"Cheater."
"Hey, I thought we were done!" Toph throws her head back and cackles. Azula shoves at her, but she doesn't budge.
They settle down after a few moments. Toph still isn't moving. Azula tilts her head back and watches the leaves dance in the moonlight. The grass is soft,
but the drying sweat and dust is starting to make her itch, and she probably stinks. She wants to have a bath.
"Are you going to get off me some day?"
"I kinda like it up here."
Toph isn't as heavy as Azula thought she would feel, and though the hands resting on her stomach are small, Azula can still feel the power in them.
"Hey, your heartbeat's going up again. What're you thinking of?"
"How to get you off."
"Liar." Toph shimmies down a bit and lays down on top of Azula, folding her arms across Azula's chest so they're almost face-to-face. "What are youreally thinking about?"
Toph's misted-over eyes are quite pretty, actually. "This." Then she reaches up, grabs Toph by the hair, and smashes their mouths together..
It doesn't go very well. They end up clicking their teeth against each other and someone's lip is bleeding and Toph is squirming too much. Still, both of
them are breathing heavily when they part again. Azula lets her head fall back.
"Ow," says Toph.
"Try again?"
They try it again, a little gentler. Toph's lips are soft; no wonder all the romance novels use metaphors about petals and pillows. They're quite warm,
too, as are her cheeks under Azula's hands.
After this one Toph rolls off Azula and lays down beside her. "Were we supposed to bite each other the first time?"
"No." Not as far as she knows, at least.
"Oh. Good. 'cause the second one was better. You need more practice."
"So do you."
"Gee, I wonder how I'll ever get some."
"I'm sure you'll find a way."
~!~
One night Toph shows up on her doorstep. In tow are a couple of Water Tribe kids and a... is that the Avatar?
"So he needs an earthbending teacher, and I'm the best around so I'll do it," Toph is saying. "And he needs a firebending teacher, so I reckoned I'd ask
you guys."
Mom goes white. Zuko says, "Not so loud, would you? These wall aren't that thick, you know."
"Why are you so desperate for teachers?" Azula asks the Avatar.
They explain about their mission, and by the end of it Azula is lighting up with glee. They want to kill her far-off dad, the Fire Lord – they're
practically paving the path for her to take her throne. "I'd be happy to help," she purrs when they finish.
Zuko claims she's a terrible teacher and offers his help as well, which the group doesn't seem to have a problem with. Then they all turn their eyes on
mom.
Mom is wringing her hands in her lap, but then she closes her eyes and breaths out. Shoulders straightened, she tells them how brave they are and that they
can choose to stay or go.
~!~
Azula's stomach drops as the flying bison lifts off and the ground falls away. Then it starts trying to climb its way out her throat. To her left, Zuko is
looking green. Toph must be having it worse though, not being able to see anything –
A hand finds hers and starts squeezing it so hard that Azula is afraid for a moment that one of the bones will break. She glances to her right to see Toph
staring straight ahead, breathing evenly but too deeply. She squeezes back and resigns herself to the loss of blood flow.
It's late, though, and soon Azula slips off to dreams of factories and lightning like potential dancing in her hands. Before she does, Toph's hand loosens
on hers and curls down around her pulse point instead.
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Pairing/characters: Azula/Toph, Zuko
Rating: G
Contains: N/A
Summary: Azula finds herself captivated with a small but powerful earthbender beating up the competition in an underground tournament.
Notes: Written for terajk for Trick or Treat 2014
The first time Azula sees her, it's at an underground earthbending tournament. The Blind Bandit is small, tiny, so young-looking – yet with a twitch of her
feet and the smooth motion of one hand she throws a man three times her size out of the arena. Azula remains seated while the crowd erupts into cheers
around her.
The Blind Bandit takes it all in, one hand punching the air in triumph. Azula pays no attention to the annoying prattling of the announcer. She watches the
winner instead, thinking back on how she had moved.
It is screamingly obvious that the girl has a way with the earth, an affinity for her element like Azula holds with fire. She can appreciate someone like
that.
She starts going to the tournaments more often just to watch the Blind Bandit. Sometimes she plays with whoever she's paired up with, letting them exhaust
themselves, making their final defeat – they are always defeated – that much more enjoyable. Sometimes she is played against several opponents at once, and
this can actually challenge her. She darts around the field, shielding herself, dodging attacks as if it's instinct, taking out her opponents one by one
with the sort of efficiency that makes Azula want to pick her up and steal her away.
She is absolute perfection, as far as earthbenders go.
Which makes it so frustrating that there is absolutely no information on her.
~!~
Azula's mom tells them often: there is no shame in being from the Fire Nation, but the people here don't understand that. They are afraid of firebenders
after a hundred years of war. They must hide their true natures.
Zuko rarely complains about it. And it's not that Azula disobeys. But their mom isn't a firebender; she has no idea how hard it is. She doesn't know what
it's like to transmute breath and energy into pure heat and flame. For Azula it's like holding a new life in her hands, holding mastery over power. The
heartbeat at the center of every living thing in her palm, and hers to control.
Hiding it is like hiding the ability to talk. Zuko sometimes slips up a little. He reheats tea, or blows the embers back to life when there is company
around. Azula doesn't, ever. It takes constant attention, though, focus on keeping the energy contained to herself, breathing out slowly when she needs to.
Azula wishes they still lived back home. Mom says that they were in too much danger there, but she never explains fully. At least she approves of
Azula's friends; she sighs and asks Zuko why he can't make any.
That's because Zuko is an awkward loser who doesn't know how to hold a proper conversation. But Azula is good with people. She studies how people interact
and turns it to her charm. Some compliments, a plea for help on homework – even if she doesn't need it – and a few invitations, and she has a circle of
friends.
She comes up with secret crushes to tell them about. They giggle and give her advice on how to make up her pale features and arrange her pitch-black hair.
They think that she's mixed and share pity with her when someone makes fun of her for it. She finds that playing up the hurt sparks more even more strident
defenses of her person.
Still, it might be nice to have friends like in the stories – someone she could share a real secret with. Maybe another bender. It would be wonderful to
have someone other than her slow brother to play and practice with.
~!~
The organizers for the tournaments have no idea about her. Azula pins them down, threatens them until they are almost crying, and still they claim they
have no names or addresses or anything to divulge. They might even be telling the truth.
If she wants anything done right.... Azula takes matters into her own hands.
She wears some of her older clothing and puts her hair up in a common, practical bun. The next time she goes to an underground tournament where the Blind
Bandit is scheduled to appear, she doesn't head up to the stands; she slips into the backstage area instead and grabs a broom. No-one pays attention to the
ordinary-looking girl cleaning the hallways.
The cheering from here sounds distant and rises at odd intervals. Azula moves methodically down the halls until she is near the area used for entering and
exiting the arena. When the Blind Bandit appears at the end of the tournament, wide grin stretched across her mouth, Azula follows behind her slowly,
irregularly. Not in any way that would attract notice. After talking to Xin Fu for several minutes, the Blind Bandit throws on a coat and pulls up her
hood. It's not a good disguise, but it hides her fighting clothes.
Outside, the Blind Bandit turns down a busy market street. Azula finds it hard to keep track of her, especially considering that she's hardly taller than
the Bandit herself. She meanders to a side alley and finds a good spot to climb onto a roof. If the adventures she's had with Zuko have proven anything,
it's that people tend not to look up. As long as she's light-footed and stays on the opposite side of the roof from the market, she shouldn't be bothered
too much.
She tracks the Bandit to the upper district, where she resumes walking on the ground. People here don't even look at her, probably thinking that she's some
servant girl sent out on an errand. The Bandit, however, gets curious glances, some more subtle than others.
Outside the back of the Bei Fong estate, where all the rooms are, the Bandit suddenly makes a sharp turn off the road and makes a tunnel through the wall.
It closes right behind her and Azula has to hold back a curse. There's no good way of following her now.
Instead Azula scales a nearby tree and frowns down at the front garden. The Bandit must be the daughter of a servant who lives on the estate, or perhaps
from a minor branch of the family. She's come all the way out here; she might as well wait a little while and see if the girl comes outside.
Besides, she doesn't want to go home right now, even though it's getting dark. There'll be plenty of moonlight to find her way home by, and the thought of
a sickening family dinner makes her stomach turn. Zuko will talk on and on about what he's learned in school lately, and Mother will coo over the
stories from his after-school martial arts club. Ugh.
~!~
"Why do you put up with them?" Zuko asks her once.
"Whatever are you talking about, dearest brother?" she replies, holding her schoolbooks to her chest. It's late afternoon, and she lowers her eyelids to
keep the sun out.
"Those girls you were with. You say they're your friends, but you don't seem to have anything in common with them at all."
She rolls her eyes. "Zuzu, you don't need to share hobbies to be friends with someone."
"Yeah, but--
"All you need to do is learn the right things to say to each other."
He gives her a strange look at that.
"What? It's not as if they really care about me, either."
He doesn't bring the subject up again. At least he doesn't talk to mom about it; mom would want to have a discussion and talk about herconcerns, which she does enough when she thinks that the two of them are frustrated with their situation. That isn't wrong – sometimes Azula feels
as if the energy inside her will push its way out without her will, that she'll burn the whole city down just to let it out. Instead she vents it little by
little, tamping the inferno in her heart down each long school day.
~!~
The moon is risen when a small figure appears in the garden.
Azula perks up and peers over. Same dark hair in a bun, same short height – though she's too far away and the light is too dim to tell any more than that.
She watches as the girl slowly approaches the direction of her tree, stopping to touch different things and run her fingers over them. At one point she
sticks her hand in the pond and pets the koi, giggling. As she wanders closer Azula can take in her face – yes, it's the same, though she looks so
different in her fancy clothes. She must be related to the Bei Fongs, then.
Azula shuffles down her branch and jumps down to go scale the fence. She ascends it lightly, with hardly a sound, but the girl still looks up immediately.
"I thought someone was following me!" she exclaims. "What do you want?" She shifts into a low stance.
"Oh, nothing in particular," Azula replies, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. "I just happen to be a huge fan of yours. There aren't enough
girls in the tournament, but at least we have someone like you to represent them."
The flattery works; the girl loosens up a little and grins. "Yeah?"
"You're of a much higher grade than any of the other competitors. It's always a pleasure to watch you fight."
"That's nice and all, but most fans don't follow me to my house."
Azula shrugs. "I tried contacting you other ways. This was the only one that panned out. I just wanted to chat with you for a while. Honest," she
adds, though she isn't. She wants more than that. She wants to spend time with this girl, memorize the way she utilizes the power running through her
limbs, spar with her.
The girl frowns a little but slowly slides back up into a standing position. "If you stay up there for much longer, the guards will see you." Then she
adds: "You're telling the truth, but if you get up to anything I can scream and a bunch will come running to help."
"I don't doubt it." Azula slides down the wall and into the garden. The ground here is soft, a little springy. It's very well cared for. "By the way, my
name is Azula. Might I ask yours, or shall I keep calling you 'the Blind Bandit'?"
The Bandit laughs. "I'm Toph. So tell me more about why you put in all that effort to find me."
It's surprisingly easy to talk with her. They sit by the pond and efore too long they start talking about the differences between the different
tournaments, how some are set up and structured and other are true free-for-alls. Then they somehow manage to skip onto more personal topics; Toph
complains about how overprotective her parents are.
"They won't even let you have proper earthbending lessons? But you're blind, not weak."
"That's just it!" Toph throws her hands in the air, kicking so hard that the water splashes and the koi scatter away. "They don't see the difference!"
"But you must be almost a master by now."
"Pfft. I am a master, or at least as much of one as my teacher is."
"If it's an consolation, I can relate," Azula finds herself saying. "I can't show anyone my bending, either."
"Why not?"
Azula makes a small flame in the palm of her hand. It dances there, a pretty, hot blue. She feels the pulse of it radiate down her fingers and can't help
but smile.
"Well?" Looking confused, Toph reaches her hand out until she must feel the heat. "Woah." Even blind, her eyes widen. "You must be from the colonies,
then."
"Mm." She snuffs the flame out. All of a sudden, it feels cold.
"We should practice together!" Before she can say any more, though, or before Azula can reply, a servant comes out calling. They whisper a quick promise to
meet at the next Cracked Earth tournament and Azula slips away.
~!~
She starts slipping out at night to spar with Toph. Not every night, but enough of them to make her tired at school more often than not. It's so, so worth
it, though. Her old circle of friends is starting to bore her; she finds it more difficult to feign an interest in the conversation any more.
It isn't long before Zuko catches her, of course. "What are you doing?" he hisses, jerking her arm.
"Going to meet a friend. Let me go."
"In the middle of the night?"
"We can't meet any other time. Her parents wouldn't allow it."
He makes her promise up and down that she isn't doing something stupid. He never trusts her promises, though, and she's pretty sure that he follows her
that night, although she doesn't catch him at it. After that night he doesn't say anything, and mom never notices.
Sparring with Toph is different than sparring with Zuko. In many ways, it's better. Toph doesn't have so many obvious weaknesses, and she doesn't hesitate
at anything, and she's not weak. Azula starts coming home covered in bruises, back sore where she's been thrown against the ground or a tree, but
it's worth it for the way her blood heats up. There's no challenge, no real point in defeating Zuko; she only wins against Toph some of the time,
and Toph's expression is always hilarious.
Sometimes they talk, afterward, sitting in a clearing where Azula can watch the night sky or leaning up against a tree so Toph can map its roots over and
over. They rant about their families and their lessons, or chat about the places they want to go. Toph wants to see the world she's not allowed out into,
and Azula wants to turn her vague memories of the Fire Nation – Ember Island and the Palace, mostly – into solid ones, see how others of her people live.
She has distant memories of being told that fire is the superior element, but mom has told them differently since then, and there's the glaring example of
Toph right next to her.
She's the imperial princess, isn't she? She ought to be able to go home and claim her rightful throne, not hiding and skulking in a random Earth Nation
city. This war is useless; industry is where they should be dominating others and proving their might, not destruction.
She doesn't tell any of this to Toph, of course, only falls quiet in her planning until Toph asks why her heartbeat is speeding up. "I'm thinking of how
I'll beat you next time," she says.
Toph laughs and says, "Bring it."
~!~
One night Toph is ranting about how she wants to go out during the day, when the shops are open and people are doing things, when Azula hatches an idea.
"Would they let you out with a chaperone?" she asks.
"Sometimes, if I'm lucky," says Toph. She is picking at her toes, which makes Azula shudder a little (it's so disgusting!) which only makes her do it more.
"Sometimes they won't, even with someone to babysit me."
"I have a plan."
"Yeah?"
~!~
Azula dresses up like any generic Bei Fong servant, with a little red to her lips and black on her eyes. She trails after Toph and when they meet with her
parents she keeps her eyes demurely down and her hands folded neatly in her lap. It's almost insufferable.
"Can I please go out for a little while?" Toph begs. "She'll come with me."
"Where were you thinking of going, ah..." The question is directed at Azula.
"Areum, sir. And I was thinking of either the perfume market – it shouldn't be too crowded, and carts aren't allowed there. Either that, or the temple a
little ways to the north? It doesn't have many stairs, and I was thinking that Mistress Bei Fong might enjoy the garden there."
Then she sits back and lets Toph argue it out with her parents. They go back and forth for a while before Poppy puts her hand on her husband's arm. "Dear,
I worry about her too. But Master Yu said that Toph has been progressing wonderfully in her breathing exercises, and her tutors say she's been doing well.
Surely letting her go out for one afternoon is a good reward? It's not like we'd be letting her go alone."
Toph's father capitulates. Of course, they have to be back by sunset and they can't walk to the perfume district, even though it's close. But it's
something in the daytime.
~!~
They day they planned for arrives. Toph has that wide grin of hers on again, the kind she always gets when sneaking out. It's creepy, but Azula is starting
to find a charm in it.
They climb out of the carriage at the head of one of the market streets, the air infused with so many scents that Azula can't begin to distinguish them.
The driver climbs down and ties the horses up, then begins to follow them. Toph puts on her best sweet smile and says to him, "We're going to be looking at
stuff for a really long time. I'm sure it's going to be boring for you. I have Areum with me, so why don't you go enjoy yourself for a while?"
The man frowns. "Mistress, the Master ordered me to--"
"I know, I know. But I won't tell him, and Areum won't either. We'll be back in a few hours, and we're just going to be around here. Do you notwant a break?"
"That's not..." Toph's frown makes his own deepen. "Oh, all right, Mistress."
Toph claps her hands. "Okay! See you soon!" She starts to dart off down the street, but Azula grabs her hand.
"Mistress! Be careful. We don't want you getting hurt."
Toph huffs, but turns her hand to rest comfortably in Azula's. It's nice and warm. "Fine. Let's get going."
They wander through a couple of the perfume and incense shops, just to make sure that no-one is following, and then they duck into a side alley. While
Azula attempts not to retch at the horridly florid scents coming from next door – lily and rose and lavender and jasmineand peony do not go together well – Toph earthbends herself a little room. A few minutes later, the stones slam back into the earth and Toph is
dressed like a normal person again. She shoves the fancy, delicate silks at Azula. "Come on, let's get going."
Azula huffs but puts them in her pack and turns to the south. "We live this way."
They stop several times. Twice it's to buy street food – Toph hardly ever gets to eat it. Azula would think that rare meats and a personal chef would more
than make up for it, but apparently not. Once is because a bunch of bratty young boys are getting too rough with their earthbending in the middle of the
street. Toph puts them in their place and then Azula has to drag her away before she lords it over them too much. They only have so much time, after all.
"I'm home," Azula calls when they finally step over the threshold to their house. It's small, with enough room for three people, but it's about the size of
Toph's own set of rooms.
Mom is still out at work; only Zuko responds. His eyes linger on Toph as she steps around the room, touch various things, while Azula makes tea. She
doesn't bother putting the pot on the stove. Zuko's eyes narrow at her as she puts the tea set down, and she smiles back.
"Don't worry, Zuzu, this is my friend – she knows."
"Neat," Toph says, grabbing her cup and sitting back with her feet propped on the table.
"Feet off the table."
"Why?"
"It's my house. We have rules here." When Toph doesn't move she adds, "If you don't take them down I'll put you outside. You know I can."
"Yeah, right. But geez, all right, Princess." Toph shifts her feet to the next chair over. Good enough.
Zuko lifts an eyebrow at her. She lifts one back and smirks.
She spends the afternoon hoping Zuko will leave them alone, but he's obviously interested by Toph, so the conversation stays between the three of them
until they have to leave. She and Toph barely get back on time; it's only half an hour before the sun sets when they meet the carriage driver. "Did you
enjoy the shops, mistress?" he asks as he helps Toph climb in.
"Oh, yes."
When Azula finishes trekking back home, it's almost dinnertime. Mom still isn't back, so Zuko is frowning over a pot of soup that bubble even though
there's no wood in the fire. "I can see why you like her," he says.
"Oh? That's a first."
~!~
One night they abandon their bending to spar hand-to-hand, rolling in the dirt until they're sweaty and filthy. Azula manages to win with her slight
advantage in weight and larger advantage in having wrestled with her brother before. She ends up straddling Toph's waist and pinning her down. Toph can't
get enough leverage to shake her off.
"Fine, you win," Toph says.
Then she uses earthbending to flip their positions over.
"Cheater."
"Hey, I thought we were done!" Toph throws her head back and cackles. Azula shoves at her, but she doesn't budge.
They settle down after a few moments. Toph still isn't moving. Azula tilts her head back and watches the leaves dance in the moonlight. The grass is soft,
but the drying sweat and dust is starting to make her itch, and she probably stinks. She wants to have a bath.
"Are you going to get off me some day?"
"I kinda like it up here."
Toph isn't as heavy as Azula thought she would feel, and though the hands resting on her stomach are small, Azula can still feel the power in them.
"Hey, your heartbeat's going up again. What're you thinking of?"
"How to get you off."
"Liar." Toph shimmies down a bit and lays down on top of Azula, folding her arms across Azula's chest so they're almost face-to-face. "What are youreally thinking about?"
Toph's misted-over eyes are quite pretty, actually. "This." Then she reaches up, grabs Toph by the hair, and smashes their mouths together..
It doesn't go very well. They end up clicking their teeth against each other and someone's lip is bleeding and Toph is squirming too much. Still, both of
them are breathing heavily when they part again. Azula lets her head fall back.
"Ow," says Toph.
"Try again?"
They try it again, a little gentler. Toph's lips are soft; no wonder all the romance novels use metaphors about petals and pillows. They're quite warm,
too, as are her cheeks under Azula's hands.
After this one Toph rolls off Azula and lays down beside her. "Were we supposed to bite each other the first time?"
"No." Not as far as she knows, at least.
"Oh. Good. 'cause the second one was better. You need more practice."
"So do you."
"Gee, I wonder how I'll ever get some."
"I'm sure you'll find a way."
~!~
One night Toph shows up on her doorstep. In tow are a couple of Water Tribe kids and a... is that the Avatar?
"So he needs an earthbending teacher, and I'm the best around so I'll do it," Toph is saying. "And he needs a firebending teacher, so I reckoned I'd ask
you guys."
Mom goes white. Zuko says, "Not so loud, would you? These wall aren't that thick, you know."
"Why are you so desperate for teachers?" Azula asks the Avatar.
They explain about their mission, and by the end of it Azula is lighting up with glee. They want to kill her far-off dad, the Fire Lord – they're
practically paving the path for her to take her throne. "I'd be happy to help," she purrs when they finish.
Zuko claims she's a terrible teacher and offers his help as well, which the group doesn't seem to have a problem with. Then they all turn their eyes on
mom.
Mom is wringing her hands in her lap, but then she closes her eyes and breaths out. Shoulders straightened, she tells them how brave they are and that they
can choose to stay or go.
~!~
Azula's stomach drops as the flying bison lifts off and the ground falls away. Then it starts trying to climb its way out her throat. To her left, Zuko is
looking green. Toph must be having it worse though, not being able to see anything –
A hand finds hers and starts squeezing it so hard that Azula is afraid for a moment that one of the bones will break. She glances to her right to see Toph
staring straight ahead, breathing evenly but too deeply. She squeezes back and resigns herself to the loss of blood flow.
It's late, though, and soon Azula slips off to dreams of factories and lightning like potential dancing in her hands. Before she does, Toph's hand loosens
on hers and curls down around her pulse point instead.
