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Even with the statue still taking shape, Zuko recognised it immediately: black hair tied back with a messy fringe, diminutive stature (though he would never say that to her face) and permanently bare feet. It was really a remarkable self-portrait, he thought, as his gaze turned to the sculptor.
Within moments the sculpture was finished, yet another monument to the world’s greatest Earthbender. Of course, it was difficult to call them landmarks when she left them virtually everywhere she went. By this point it was practically a calling card.
Suddenly she spoke. ‘So Sparky, what do you think?’
Zuko was a little taken aback. ‘It’s quite a likeness.’ He replied. ‘How did you know it was me?’
‘I recognised your footsteps.’ Toph replied. ‘Speaking of which, you really need to fix this floor. It’s way too bumpy.’ She ran her foot over a stone surface which to the naked eye seemed perfectly flat.
‘Really? We’ve never had any complaints.’
‘Tell that to someone who doesn’t wear shoes.’ Toph replied, folding her arms.
For a few moments they stood there in silence. Zuko was finding it increasingly hard to suppress a grin, and he knew Toph was fighting the same losing battle. Within seconds the façade fell apart entirely, and the two burst out laughing. Zuko ran over and swept Toph up in a hug.
‘It’s good to see you, Toph.’
‘I wish I could say the same.’ She quipped without missing a beat.
Zuko set her back down.
‘So, how have things been with you, Mr Fire Lord?’ She asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. Undoing the effects of over a century of war was never going to be an easy task, even without having to deal with the resulting bad blood from the other three nations. Despite the army of political advisors at his disposal, for the most part it had been a non-stop headache. He had been thinking about taking a break for a while now, so Toph’s timing had been impeccable.
‘About what you’d expect.’ He answered eventually. ‘What about you? What’s the legendary Blind Bandit been up to?’
Toph shrugged. ‘A bit of this, a bit of that. Mostly travelling. I was in the neighbourhood, so I figured I’d drop in. Can I buy you lunch?’
Zuko raised his eyebrows, feigning shock. ‘The Fire Lord and the Beifong heir out in public together? What would the people think?’
Toph raised an eyebrow, along with her hand. In a swift motion she clenched it into a fist and the statue exploded into a shower of dust and rubble. ‘Let them think what they want.’ She said dismissively. ‘Now come on; I’m starving.’
Zuko tore his gaze away from the wreckage. ‘I know just the place.’
When Zuko had first taken the throne, it had been nigh-impossible for him to go out in public and get any sort of privacy. Out of desperation he had pulled some strings and had a new restaurant constructed on the outskirts of the city, a private little venue where he could go with Mai or any other guests.
Now their meal was finished, and Zuko was giving Toph a full update on what had been happening in the year or so since the war had ended.
‘It turns out running an entire country isn’t an easy as it looks. Shocking, I know. And then there’s trying to deal with the council.’
‘If only you knew someone who could sense when they were lying.’ She leaned back in her chair and rested her feet on the table. ‘My offer’s still on the table.’
‘We tried that, remember? You stormed out after five minutes because everyone was lying!’
She pointed a finger at him. ‘You included, Sparky. Why does the Fire Lord need to lie about how he likes his tea?’
Zuko felt the rest of his face turn red. ‘Point taken.’