lizbee | Prompt me?

I'd love to see Azula and Toph interacting.

Appa wins at everything.

Heart of Stone

Azula's heartrate increased as Toph entered the room, and her fingers drummed restlessly against the arm of her chair. But her voice sounded as smooth and confident as ever as she said, "What, have I been passed further down the chain? I didn't think the water peasant would give so quickly."

"Get your things," said Toph. "We have a job for you." She paused, letting the silence stretch a moment too long. "If you're up to it."

"Has my brother finally decided to return the throne to the rightful Fire Lord? Because that's the only job I'm interested in."

"Suit yourself," said Toph. "I said it was a mistake. Way I hear it, you spend more time talking to the wall than training these days. When you can bend at all."

She didn't bother to dodge the wall of heat that Azula threw at her. It was no warmer than a candle.

Aang said it was a block in her chi, a barrier that Azula had created herself, that only she could destroy. Toph figured that was Avatar-speak for choking, like those Earth Rumble contestants who had competed for years, only to walk into the ring one day and just -- stop.

"Did my brother send you?"

"Nope."

"The Avatar? The peasant?"

"No and no." Toph leaned against the wall. "Has Katara been doing the motherly thing? Believe me, that gets old fast, even when you're not wolf-batshit crazy."

"I don't have a mother. I don't need one."

"That's what I kept telling her."

Azula's heartbeat had returned to normal. She was pacing, running her fingers over the walls and furniture.

Toph said, "There's a platoon of renegade Fire Navy ships at the North Pole. Pirates, basically. The waterbenders have them encased in ice, but they want someone to come and take them off their hands."

With a snort of disbelief, Azula said, "And Zuko's sending me?"

"He doesn't need a firebender for this." And as long as Azula's bending was in this weakened state, she was no threat to Zuko. Not even the most desperate rebels would put a weak firebender on the throne. "What he needs is someone who can talk stupid and desperate people into doing things they swore they wouldn't, and making them think it's their own idea."

Azula's pacing slowed. Toph thought her footsteps felt more thoughtful.

"Also," Toph added, "Zuko's still unwelcome in the Northern Water Tribe. Something about being part of the invasion force that killed the moon spirit. He's pretty pissed about that, actually."

"Poor Zuzu."

"Yeah, my heart bleeds."

Azula stopped her pacing at last. For the first time since Toph had entered, she was perfectly still.

"Who else is he sending?" she demanded. "Uncle? Mai?"

"Two old ladies called Li and Lo."

"To spy for him?"

"They volunteered. I'm going to spy on you."

"By my brother's standards," said Azula, "that's almost subtle." She walked to the door. "I don't need anything from here. Let's go."

end

This is so great!

Social Dynamics of the Air Bison, or, Appa Thinks Aang Is Way Too Nice For His Own Good

"Come on, buddy, meet Mai. We're friends now."

"We are?"

This girl was part of Blue Fire's herd. Blue Fire had the bright girl who flew and the cold one with the knives, and this was the cold girl.

Appa growled, deep and low, warning her off.

"No, no." His Boy petted him, long, reassuring strokes over his face. Reluctantly, Appa relaxed. Just a little. "We're friends now. She's with Zuko."

Zuko was what His Boy called the Fire Boy, who had freed him from the caverns. Appa had other, more distant memories, of being chased with heat and flame, but Fire Boy had released him from the caverns, a memory as vivid as the first time His Boy gave him food.

So he considered the Cold Girl again. She smelled of metal -- metal all over her body, hidden by her clothes -- but she made no sudden movements, nothing that might threaten His Boy.

"Give him this."

His Boy handed her a cabbage, the biggest and juiciest cabbage Appa had seen in--

Oh, cunning Boy. Appa rumbled, to indicate that he was aware of the trick, and merely chose to cooperate because he did not want to let good cabbage go to waste. Momo, on His Boy's shoulder, chittered with disappointment.

It was very good cabbage. He licked the Cold Girl's hands.

"Oh, gross," she said, wiping them on her sleeve, so Appa licked her face as well, just to show that he could.

"See?" His Boy said, "he likes you!"

"I guess," said Cold Girl." Her hand touched Appa's nose. She smelt of cotton and steel and Fire Boy. "Is that it? Are we friends?"

Appa rumbled.

"Yes!" said His Boy. "That means he likes you."

Appa sneezed.

It was a long way to the koi pond, but his aim was perfect. Cold Girl stood up, dripping with water and bison snot and bits of cabbage.

"Great," she said. "That's fantastic."

Appa licked her again as she passed, and rumbled happily. Now they were friends.

end

I was going to say Mai and Azula post canon but the Toph fic hits the same button pretty well. So...rebuilding the airbenders.

Zuko, surprised by someone/thing.

Mai! Er. Mai being really awesome?

The Airbending Master

Technically, Aang had been a master since he was ten, but this was his first time as a teacher.

Suddenly he had a lot more sympathy for Monk Gyatso. And Katara, and Jeong Jeong, and Pakku, and Toph, and Zuko.

"You have to detach," he said, for what felt like the fifteenth time that hour. "Let go of everything that holds you down to the physical world. Then let go of everything that weighs down your mind."

For a few minutes, the only sound was the breath of his student and the wind in the temple. Aang closed his eyes. Okay. Maybe this teaching thing wasn't so bad after all.

Then there was a giggle.

He opened his eyes.

"Ty Lee," he said, trying very hard to sound detached and wise and not annoyed, "I'm pretty sure you're meant to be the right way up for this exercise."

"Sorry, Aang," she said, righting herself. The air cushion she created to sit on was almost perfect, considering she hadn't even been recognised as an airbender until she was sixteen. Except, of course, that apart from the elderly or disabled, Air Nomads didn't use cushions for meditation.

As a kid, the monks had accused Aang of turning tradition and ritual upside down. He was beginning to wonder if maybe this was some kind of revenge.

"Aang," said Ty Lee, reaching over and squeezing his arm, "I may be an airbender, but I'm not an Air Nomad. I can't just -- replace myself like that."

But she could, Aang thought sadly: she had run away from her parents, she had travelled across the world with Azula, she had lived on Kyoshi Island. She had come with him to the Southern Air Temple. The culture of the Air Nomads was in her spirit, as surely as airbending was in her blood.

"What you build here will be new," she said. "We can remember and honour our ancestors, but we can't be them."

She didn't say, You have to let go,.

The essence of airbending, he had been told, was flexibility.

He breathed deep and listened to the wind.

That seems like a tautology. Is there any field in which you would like to see her being awesome?

Actually, Mai and Suki gen, or Mai and Toph gen would be great.

Excellent. Let me have lunch and ponder.

This is perfect and you are a goddess of fanfic.

Edited 2011-02-20 03:46 (UTC)

In Which Mai and Toph Are Not Remotely Ladylike

"Are you going to drink that?"

"Here." Mai slid the bottle across the table. "We'd better hope no one tries to kill Zuko in the next few hours, because if I tried to throw a knife, I'd probably cut own hand off."

"You're such a lightweight."

Mai squinted at Toph. "Says the fifteen-year-old."

"Same age Zuko was when his crew got him drunk on cheap sake and took him to the pleasure district."

"Funny," said Mai, "he's never told me that story."

"And he probably never will. I heard it from Iroh."

"Figures," said Mai. Against her better judgment, she reached for the bottle of soju. It was traditionally drunk in shots, but since Toph had problems with pouring at the best of times, they had somehow graduated -- if that was the word -- to drinking from the bottle. "When I was fifteen, I was learning calligraphy and proper ceremonial etiquette."

"My parents never expected me to learn anything," Toph murmured. She lay on her back on the couch, her feet resting on the wall. There were perfect toe marks on the mural depicting Fire Lord Zinha's victory against the Northern Water Tribe. No money in the royal royal treasury for a new paint job this year. Oh well.

"Then my brother was born. I don't think my mother remembered to speak to me for six months." Mai smiled. "I enjoyed the rest."

"My parents kept trying to have more kids," said Toph. "To replace me. Not that they ever put it like that, but what was I supposed to think? They kept me secret from the whole world."

"And now you're famous," said Mai. Or infamous, in the places with strict rules about gambling and illegal earthbending matches.

"Yeah." Toph chuckled. "They must be so pissed."

"You haven't seen them?"

"Not since I left." Toph flexed her foot, and the wall rearranged itself, stones forming an embossed map of the Earth Kingdom. "Are you about to tell me about the importance of family?"

"Yeah, right. I wish there was an ocean between me and my mother."

"Zuko's mom's okay."

"Zuko's mom killed the Fire Lord. Mine," Mai swallowed more soju, "mine probably would have offered to kill me herself, if it'd make him happy."

It was the drink that burned her throat, not tears or anger, or any feeling at all.

"You should stay with us," said Mai, sitting up. Or trying to. When she was upright, and her hair was out of her face, she said, "I mean, you're the honoured friend of the Fire Lord. My parents would eat a live wolf-bat to please Zuko. You could get away with anything."

Toph's chuckle was low and dark as she drank the last of the soju.

Edited 2011-02-20 04:15 (UTC)

Self-indulgently, this is a sequel to this fic.

Family Reunion

Yu Ling was halfway into the kitchen when she realised there was a stranger at her mother's table.

Strangers came to her mother's school all the time -- to ask for lessons, usually, but sometimes to complain because she was teaching poor Lower Ring people how to read. Her mother received them in her little office; they were never, ever brought into the part of the little compound that was their home.

Except, of course, for the old man a few weeks ago, the tea-seller. He had stayed to dinner, and told funny stories until Yu Ling went to bed.

After that, she had heard raised voices coming from the kitchen, and her mother had promised Yu Ling the next day that they wouldn't see him again.

This stranger was a young man, and he was staring at Yu Ling, eyes darting from her face to her hands, her hairline, even her ears. For a second, she hovered in the doorway, tempted to flee, but then she felt a burst of anger at his rudeness and returned it in kind, staring frankly at the scar that covered half his face, only partially concealed by his long, loose hair.

"Who," he said, and stopped.

"Yu Ling," said her mother. It wasn't an introduction, though, because her next words were, "you're covered in dirt."

So she had to explain about the boys from Ba Sing Se Academy, who clustered at the fence of their school and earthbended dust and small stones at the students from the Avatar Kyoshi School as they went past.

"Because they think the school shouldn't be in the Upper Ring, because it takes scholarship students from all the rings," she finished. "And some of the others at my school agree, and blame us because they all get dirt chucked at them." And others went and bended rocks right back at the boys, including Yu Ling's friend Seong-shin. And Yu Ling had followed, throwing rocks with her own hands, until their headmistress had appeared, and she had fled with the rest.

Belatedly, she put her hands, with the tell-tale dirt under the fingernails, behind her back.

The stranger said, "You let her run around alone?"

"I didn't realise she'd get into a class war between school and home. I don't exactly have the Imperial guard to hand." Her mother regarded her with -- disappointment? Anger? ...Amusement? And said, "Go wash yourself up and put on some clean clothes."

When she returned, her mother was making tea. The stranger stood as Yu Ling entered.

"Yu Ling," said her mother, resting her hands on Yu Ling's shoulders, "this is Zuko. Your older brother."

Very gently, her mother gave her a push, and Yu Ling made the bow required of a younger sibling to the older. The stranger -- her brother -- Zuko -- returned it.

"I'm honoured to meet you, Yu Ling," he said. "When my uncle said I'd find my mother here, he--" his glance flicked to Yu Ling's - their mother -- "neglected to mention one small detail."

"I made him promise." Yu Ling's mother poured the tea. "Of course, he also said he wouldn't tell you right away where I was."

"That," Zuko looked faintly sheepish, "was sort of my fault. I mean, I ordered him to tell me."

Yu Ling was watching their mother. Her lips tightened.

"You've been gone for eight years," he snapped. "The war has been over for two. You could have come home any time."

"Zuko," said their mother, "do you really think that?"

Zuko's gaze rested on Yu Ling for a moment. She straightened, trying not to slurp her tea, or stare too much at his scar.

"I guess not," he said softly.

"It would have put you in an untenable position. And Yu Ling."

"Another heir--"

"Another legitimate child of Ozai, young enough to be--" their mother's jaw tightened and her voice was clipped, "taken and turned into a figurehead for a rebellion."

"Are you a firebender?" Zuko asked her.

"Yes," said Yu Ling, "I know all the basic forms up to the third level. Only I can't practice too much, or people will notice." The high walls of their compound protected them from most angles, but there was an even higher tenement next door.

"Her training has become rather stunted," their mother said. "But she shows great promise." In a wistful tone she said, "I would like to see her have a proper master."

Zuko leaned back, absently rubbing his scar. Yu Ling watched him, wondering. His hands were tan and calloused, but not damaged from work, and his clothes, though simple, were better than even the very richest students at her school wore. He wore a ring of gold and jade on one hand. It caught the light as he pushed his hair out of his face.

"Oh," said Yu Ling, realising at last. "You're the Fire Lord."

"...Yes?" he said awkwardly.

She stood up, staring at their mother.

"Who are you?"

When she was small, she had discovered that she and her mother were firebenders, hiding in the Earth Kingdom because -- her mother had never properly explained why, except that it was to do with family, and no one could ever know who they were. Then they had come to Ba Sing Se, where Yu Ling won a scholarship to her Upper Ring school and her mother had begun to teach the adults and children of the Lower Ring.

For the first time, Yu Ling realised that she was seven years old, and had no idea who her family really were.

Except that she was the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, and the sister of Fire Lord Zuko, and---

And she must also be sister to Princess Azula, who had captured the city herself. Seon-Shin's father had been a Dai Li agent; now he sat at home and drank and talked incoherently of the bitch fire princess who had destroyed them from within.

"Yu Ling," her mother said, reaching for her.

"Get away from me!"

She didn't mean to firebend, not really, but when the flames rose, she didn't stop them. For a moment it was satisfying to indulge her anger. Her mother's cry of pain broke the spell. Zuko grabbed Yu Ling by her arm, but she wrenched out of his grip and fled into the courtyard, crying.

The sun was setting when Zuko found her at last, in the very farthest corner, behind the stable. He sat beside her on the ground.

"Mom's fine," he said. "You hardly burned her at all."

Hardly at all wasn't the same as nothing. Yu Ling wiped her eyes.

"I always thought it was pretty rough, growing up in this family. I never imagined what it'd be like, just finding out you were part of it."

Yu Ling shifted, putting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just wanted--" He laughed. "I thought that if I could find my mother and bring her home, everything would be easy." He put his arm around Yu Ling. "She doesn't even want to come home. She's worse than Uncle. Half the Fire Nation Royal Family is doing peasant work in Be Sing Se."

He sounded amused.

"So this is what we've worked out," he continued. "You're going to keep on living here, you going to your school, Mom running hers. I'm going to ask Uncle to teach you firebending at the Fire Nation Embassy. It's close to your school, and private. And he's a good teacher."

"A proper teacher?" Yu Ling asked.

"He taught me."

She squinted at him in the semi-darkness.

"Are you good?"

"...More or less," he said, and hurried on. "Mom's going to visit the Fire Nation sometimes. Mostly unofficially, to see -- do you know about Azula? My -- our sister?"

"Some of the girls at school say you killed her."

She felt him flinch.

"No," he said. "She's alive, but sick. In her mind. Mom wants to see her. I don't know how that'll go, but I'm not going to stop her from trying."

Yu Ling swallowed a stab of jealousy.

"Am I supposed to be a princess?" she asked.

"If you want."

"I get a choice?"

Zuko shrugged. "I offered to return Uncle Iroh's titles to him when I took power. He said he'd rather stick with the titles he earned."

"Oh."

"You don't have to decide right away. Mom's right, the court would eat you alive at this stage. You can come visit -- I have lots of friends, no one would notice another Earth Kingdom girl -- and meet Mai -- my wife -- and see how you like it."

"What if I want to--"

"Be named in the succession? We can do that. You'd have duties, tasks. A royal prince or princess makes a pretty handy ambassador, when we need one. That's what the history scrolls say, anyway. The last few generations have concentrated on the army. You could marry a rich or powerful man. Your children would be nobles."

Yu Ling thought of the boys at Ba Sing Se Academy and wrinkled her nose.

"Or you can go unacknowledged, and have your own career, and your own choices. Less power, but more freedom." He squeezed her shoulder. "Either way, you're my sister, and I'll look after you."

He stood up, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on," he said, "Mom said she was making dinner, and I've never seen her cook a meal in my life."

end

I came so close to asking for Scribe-verse. Thank you!

There is nothing about this that is not great.

*________*

That is all. :D

I have recommended this to several people, because ADORABLE.

Maybe I'm a sook, or maybe you're just awesome, but this made me cry. It's so sad and wonderful at the same time.

<3 Aang, <3 Ty Lee.

Oh, thank you! I kind of want to write everything from Appa's POV now. Is that wrong?

^_^

Thanks!

Thanks. I'm just glad it worked out, because I've never written Aang's POV before.

Oh, thank you. *hands you a tissue*

OH, GOOD! Hurray!

ICON TWINS!

And, thanks. I had the exact same reaction to your prompt here as I did for White Lotus -- "BUT MAI IS ALWAYS AWESOME! YOU NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC!" And then I flailed a bit.

Edited 2011-02-21 09:27 (UTC)

Prompt me?

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