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Magma 50

by Mikari 0 reviews

Eruption 50: Second Thoughts

Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender - Rating: PG - Genres: Drama,Humor,Romance - Characters: Zuko - Published: 2009-12-13 - Updated: 2009-12-13 - 1778 words - Complete

1Funny
Here's a recap, Iroh has been transformed into Zuko by pixie magic and is taking his place at the Fire Nation, while Zuko is traveling with Toph. Toph can transform Zuko into a cat by saying "I love Lucky" and back into a human by saying "I love Zuko."

Magma

Eruption 50: Second Thoughts

Zuko and Toph's travels took them from one beautiful destination to another. Though the tension could be felt on occasion, overall, the world was recovering and entering a new peaceful era. Zuko often found himself transformed into a cat to blend in with the crowds and pass by unnoticed.

Sometimes Toph's seeing eye cat act was accepted and she was allowed into restaurants, theatres and various places that did not allow pets. Other times people remembered having heard about her ability to see through earth bending and questioned the need for a guide, though they let her in anyway, just because she was the famous Toph Bei Fong.

The pair was like a couple on their honey moon, exploring the world together and enjoying every tourist attraction they came across. Eventually, their travels led them to Kyoshi Island, where they expected to find Sokka and Suki, or at least the latter if the first had gone off to visit his South Pole home, but neither was to be found. Apparently they had gone to visit the Earth Kingdom. Thus Zuko and Toph headed back to her parents' place and received an unexpected and suspicious surprise.

"A visit from Sokka and Suki?" Mrs. Bei Fong did not expect the question, "why no, we haven't received any messages about that."

"How unusual," Mr. Bei Fong commented, "they always stop by when they're in the Earth Kingdom. Anyway, since you're here, why don't you stay over for a couple of days or weeks or months?"

"Oh yes, do take this opportunity to prolong the visit, I take it they don't let you out of he palace often now days, do they Zuko? You must be so busy with meeting after meeting," Mrs. Bei Fong agreed.

"Yes, I have been busy..." though it was Iroh who was attending those meetings in his place now.

"That reminds me, wasn't he Earth King heading over to the Fire Nation to discuss some official business?" Mr. Bei Fong recalled.

"Yes, I believe you're right, but if that is so, wouldn't he be arriving today? Yet Zuko is right here with us," Mrs. Bei Fong wondered if she had simply heard incorrect information, it had to be, after all, Zuko wouldn't miss such an important meeting.

"That's taken care of," Zuko wasn't truly lying, it was taken care of and it made him wonder for how long Iroh would be able to keep up his Zuko act before someone would figure out the young Fire Lord was acting so much like his conveniently journeying uncle, because of something more than the product of being trained by said uncle.

"Excellent, in that case, I would like to have a word with you, man to man," before Zuko could say anything, or even take in the full meaning of the request, Mr. Bei Fong dragged him to another room.

Toph exchanged glances with Terra, the Bei Fong family maid, who was secretly also a powerful bodyguard, Toph and Zuko had already learned her story. Terra nodded lightly as she served tea, confirming Toph's terrible suspicions, then left the mother and daughter alone to talk.

xoxox xox xoxox

Zuko sat nervously on a fluffy elegant couch, absorbed in admiring the elegant embroidery of golden thread on the green fabric. The door was locked, not that he would ever live it down if he made a run for it anyway, but it was a clear sign of Mr. Bei Fong wanting no interruptions. There was a window open, however, that particular window was rather small, not big enough for a human, but certainly big enough for a cat. Zuko found himself missing being a cat. A cat would not receive a speech from his father-in-law to be, or have to endure his questions. To think the announcement haven't even been made yet.

"Are you serious about my daughter?" Mr. Bei Fong's sudden stern voice made Zuko jump in his seat, as the other man stopped his previous pacing and stared right at him.

"Of course I am, sir." Zuko managed to choke out, he thought he was over this irrational fear of causing a bad impression. He was on good terms with the Bei Fongs now.

"Then why aren't you two married yet? Do you have any idea how much I worry about her? If Toph had a child to look after, she would have a lot less time to get into trouble."

Zuko's jaw dropped, eyes filled with surprise, "a child?" He blushed bright red.

"Yes, a child! You are the Fire Lord, so I can only assume you are expected to have an heir, thus I knew that a child would soon come after the two of you married and that made me feel at ease. I would worry if Toph married someone who wasn't tied to responsibilities, leaving the two free roam the world wildly and postpone the possibility of children. But you must remain in the Fire Nation, I can imagine how much work it took to make time to come here, and as Fire Lady, Toph will be required to become involved in political matters as well. If to all that you add the expectancy from the nation, which will be impatient to hear the announcement of a coming heir soon after the marriage, Toph should be kept sufficiently busy, more so after the child is born and needs to be raised. The two of you will have a full schedule between royal duties and the child."

"Well, I..." Zuko stammered and fell silent, he had no idea what to say to all that.

"Have you not thought that far ahead?"

xoxox xox xoxox

At the door, Mrs. Bei Fong struggled to hear the conversation within the other room through the thick wood. Her daughter managed to talk her into spying; something that a refined lady such as herself would never normally do, but it did give her a mischievous thrill unlike anything she had felt in years. Toph could hear just fine, having much more sensitive ears than her mother. Her jaw was ajar and her pale eyes wide.

"Toph dear, don't make that face honey, it's not very lady like," Mrs. Bei Fong urged, though Toph's face seemed to be frozen. Feeling a cold chill run down her spine, Toph excused herself and walked away, to be called by her mother's quiet voice, "where are you going?"

Toph paused, then grinned nonchalantly, "bathroom," and promptly left.

xoxox xox xoxox

An hour later Zuko and Mr. Bei Fong emerged, the elder nearly bumping into his wife at the door. The lady smiled and pretended she was simply passing by and her husband believed it easily enough. "Have you spoken to Toph about the joy of having many children?"

"Oh yes!" Mrs. Bei Fong nodded eagerly, though the conversation had not taken place, since they had spent their time spying before Toph departed to the bathroom and never returned.

"Where is Toph?" Mr. Bei Fong inquired.

"She is... washing her hands," Mrs. Bei Fong gave the proper polite answer, realizing then that in her distraction, she had forgotten all about Toph and her unusually long trip to the bathroom. She couldn't have gotten lost, not with being about to sense every inch of the house with her earth bending. Did she run off somewhere?

A moment of silence passed, as if they quietly waited for Toph to return, though mostly, all three were lost in their musings. Toph's mother thought of the possible places her daughter might have ran off to, perhaps she was out reviving her Blind Bandit persona. Her father basked in the pride that came from having successfully delivered his speech to Zuko as planned and Zuko remained frozen in shock, unable to speak and looking quite pale.

Finally, Terra arrived, sighing deeply, "I am to inform you, as requested by Lady Toph, that she is perfectly safe and that she will contact you later, thus she asks that you do not try to find or contact her for the time being."

Toph's father shook his head, not too surprised at this outcome and her mother quickly inquired, "where did Toph go and why didn't you say this sooner?"

"It was a direct order from Toph that I do not speak of this until a certain amount of time had passed," Terra paused and spoke frankly, "besides, we all know she would have gotten away even if we tried to stop her, so I thought it would be easier to just let her go, the end result would be the same with less difficulties along the way. Lady Toph departed riding on Epona, she said she would leave the horse at the Lonlon Ranch, I can send for her to be returned to the estate stables if you wish."

The Lonlon Ranch, known as the best lace to train racing horses, was administrated by a young earth bender by the name of Malon, who had met and become friends with Toph after peace was established. It was she who gave Epona, a magnificent brown horse with amazing speed, to the Bei Fong family as a gift.

Toph enjoyed feeling the vibrations caused by the horses as they ran and could always predict the outcome of the race, regardless of what it looked like it would be. Sometimes, her predictions were hard to believe, but as expected, the horse Toph favored would always recover and come out in the lead. It was different when one could see not only the current standing, but the overall conditions of the horses judging by the rhythm of their vital signs.

"Maybe she just wants to ride a horse and relax for a while," Mrs. Bei Fong hoped, more so than she believed, though she cringed remembering Toph's tomboyish way to ride a horse.

Zuko nodded, "yes," he finally found his voice, "I'll go with her." Minutes later, Zuko was speeding away on a white stallion called Cielo.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Avatar, Zelda or Romeo x Juliet. Epona, Malon and the Lonlon Ranch were named after characters and places from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Cielo was named after Romeo's horse from Romeo x Juliet, though that one was a pegasus and the Bei Fongs' Cielo is a horse.
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