Chapter Text
Zuko remembers the look in Kiyi’s eyes when she had first seen Toph.
The sparkle in her eyes, the gasp drawn from her mouth, and the absolute awe that radiated from her gaping expression.
And he remembers thinking, this isn’t good.
Of course, he stopped himself right after that thought, questioning the very reason as to why his first reaction was more akin to apprehension rather than contentment.
After all, why wouldn’t it be good?
This is his sister, meeting one of his closest friends. The only one she hadn’t met from their gang, formed when they were children with hopes far beyond what the world believed of them after suffering through a century-long war.
When Kiyi had realised Aang was the well-known Avatar, she was absolutely elated by his offer to go riding on flying dolphin fishes.
With Katara, she was downright fascinated by how quickly she could bend water into ice, eagerly asking whether she could make snow as well.
As for Sokka, Kiyi had not been as impressed by his friend’s showy attitude, but eventually grew curious of the many designs he made for inventions that she could barely wrap her head around.
And Suki, she was quick to compliment the warrior on her beauty, even in the midst of a somewhat rushed transfer between ships.
And during all these times, the messy rush of emotions that he felt was nothing but welcomed. Elation at being reunited with his family, both known and otherwise. Relief at how well his blood family took to the one forged through friendship and war. And contentment, at finally doing something right for his family.
But for some reason, even with all these moments piling up, he finds himself unable to identify the reason for his initial doubt when seeing how Kiyi reacted to Toph.
Perhaps Zuko is rushing through it all too quickly, maybe he needs to take a few steps back to how it all began.
Only a couple days ago, a scroll had been received by the guardsmen of the royal palace. It was read by Zuko with his very own hands, in the comforting privacy of his bed chambers rather than in the endless space of the palace throne room.
For the sole reason of who had been the one to send such correspondence.
His father in all but official titles, his uncle Iroh.
The scroll had informed Zuko about his planned trip to the fire nation in the following weeks. Supposedly he planned to travel all the way from the Earth Kingdom, from the Jasmine Dragon that Zuko once called home as a refugee.
It was a welcomed surprise, one that had Zuko quickly setting up the dark ink and fresh parchment for his own scroll back to refine the details of Iroh’s plans.
The time that passed before his uncle’s estimated arrival had dragged like the last few missives of a prolonged council meeting. Negotiations over trading routes, tax collections, land entitlements and such were more than happy to distract him from such a wait. In a way that only brought endless nights in his throne room reading over various accounts from his many advisers.
Which is why, when the day for his uncle to arrive at the palace had finally come, Zuko felt less than energised after a night with little sleep and many scrolls.
He exited from the throne room, following the end of a council meeting. One of many for today unfortunately, with the unfavourable way this one has ended. Too many debates fought and too little decisions made.
Upon his exit, he saw his mother approach him, with Kiyi and Noren standing off to the side in their own chat.
“Oh, Zuko dear. Did you get enough sleep? We didn’t see you at dinner last night.” Ursa approached with a worried frown on her face, one that he instinctually reacted with a smile to reassure the woman of her worries.
“I’m sorry Mother, I had been too consumed in my work by the time I realised I missed dinner.” Zuko confessed with a hint of guilt. However, his words only made the frown on her face grow, her concern marking the lines on her face even deeper. And such a shift in her expression made the familiar hole of guilt settle even farther within his chest.
“I hope you had something to eat at least, both last night and this morning.” Ursa emphasised strongly, and Zuko was quick to nod his head to soothe such tension.
“Of course, Mother.” He promised, one of many he has made to her since their time together has grown more sparse. “But please, don’t worry so much about me.” He quickly moved on, more than willing to discuss anything other than the topic of his own health. “What are you here for? I wasn’t expecting to see you all.”
Fortunately, his mother relinquished her questioning of him, glancing over to where Noren and Kiyi stood.
“We had just received news from the capital that Iroh was seen in the city this morning. So, we all came over to see whether you were free to go greet him upon his arrival.” Ursa explained with a smile growing on her face, which Zuko shared upon the reveal of such news.
“Of course, let us go to the entrance hall now.” Zuko agreed and walked with his mother over to where the rest of his family stood. Their approach quickly caught the attention of the other two. “Kiyi, I hope your studies have been going well since I’ve last seen you.” He greeted with a soft smile but the girl only rolled her eyes at him.
“Yeah, whatever.” Kiyi brushed him off as she spun around, walking down the hall alone and leaving the rest of them to follow. Zuko blinked at the attitude, to which Noren was quick to give an awkward laugh.
“Teenagers, ha ... they get to that age.” He tried to explain, but Zuko glanced over to his mother beside him who gave him a more convincing smile.
“She’s getting to an age where she wants to be more independent. Don’t let it bother you, dear.” Ursa promised and Noren was quick to agree with his wife’s reassurances. And yet, Zuko felt anything but reassured at the sound of it.
However, the two of them were quick to pull away Zuko’s focus from his sister, as they made their way down the royal corridors. Upon reaching the entrance hall, they found Kiyi to be at the tall doors, shut like tight metal from the outside. Only a single guard blocked her way, who she looked to be trying to dodge around.
“Is something the matter?” Zuko asked as he approached Kiyi and the guardsman, who was quick to bow respectfully to them all.
“Of course not, Your Majesty.” The guard responded in a rush.
“The stupid guard won’t let me out to greet Uncle!” Kiyi spat out, irritation growing with every word she spoke.
“Apologies, Your Highness. We’re simply fulfilling the appropriate security checks of your guests before opening the entrance doors.” The guard quickly explained and Kiyi scoffed with crossed arms, her eyes peering over to Zuko with a judging look.
“Aren’t you the firelord? How do you not know your own security protocols ...” She muttered under her breath and everyone quickly grew quiet at such words.
Including Zuko, whose eyes grew just as wide as the guardsman facing him.
“Kiyi, you do not speak to your older brother that way.” Ursa was quick to scold, with Zuko being unsure of how to address the situation himself. So instead, he returned his attention to the guard who pretended to not have heard the grumbling of the youngest princess.
“Thank you for your hard work. But it’s my uncle, I’m sure we can loosen the security protocols to at least open the doors to him.”
And right after his words, the tall doors before them all quickly began opening with the heavy pull of metal latches. A shrill screeching rang out and the wind was quick to breeze through the gap in the doors that grew with each second.
“Well, that was quick.” Zuko commented.
The guard next to him lets out a confused noise.
“Um, that isn’t us.” The guardsman responded back, looking even more lost than the rest of them at the doors. Zuko furrowed his brow at the other man’s words.
If not them, then who else would open the–
BANG!
The doors slammed against the walls loudly as their final declaration, and one person stood in the middle of the now open entrance to the palace.
It was Toph, with a blank expression on her face as if she hadn’t just bended the doors to the royal palace of a nation open. She relaxed from her stance, satisfaction clear in the push of her hip and the loosening of her built shoulders.
Very built, especially since the last time Zuko had seen her.
The fact that her current outerwear was sleeveless did not help either. The cuts in the arm holes were way too low, even with the level of layering in her outfit. Not that he was staring, Zuko was not staring.
His eyes remained stuck on her, even when he could see the figure of his uncle approaching from behind her. However, the only thing that managed to pull Zuko’s eyes from the woman was a sharp inhale that he heard from his sister beside him. Mostly in concern, he glanced over to where Kiyi stood.
Her eyes were wide, entranced in a way that Zuko hadn’t seen since she was ten. And her mouth was just as wide, a gape telling him just how shocked she was.
Because that’s what that look is, right?
It was shock, it has to be shock. What else could it be?
Well, who wouldn’t be shocked upon meeting Toph?
Out of everyone, she tends to be the one who pulls the most eyes, all in varying manners. Even when Aang as the avatar or Zuko himself as the firelord were in close proximity.
With Aang, he always pulled eyes of admiration and amazement wherever he went. The man who ended a war older than himself as a boy. The last living memory of his very people and culture. As for himself, he knew he caught the eyes of many and the title of firelord definitely did not help him in avoiding that. Eyes full of interest in his title, of respect to his work, and even of fear towards his power.
But Toph, she pulled all of those eyes, and more.
Not that Zuko was ever bothered by such, why would he be?
He just witnessed such wandering eyes occasionally, and what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t prevent such?
But more often than not, the moment the girl would start speaking in that blunt and sometimes harsh tone, people were quick to lose the sparkle in their eyes at meeting the very woman who had invented metalbending before she was even a teen.
Which was why, Zuko reassured himself that this strange look in his sister’s eyes would quickly pass the moment Toph spoke.
“With the amount of hassling these guards are doing, it almost feels like we’re not meant to be here.” Toph declared without any acknowledgement to what she had just done. Her gaze was pointed downwards as his uncle quickly approached her side with a laugh.
“Haha, I’m sure you’d like the idea of breaking in without permission, rather than with it.” He joked with a low laugh, and Zuko allowed himself one short glance to his sister.
Just to make sure she quickly realised who she was looking at.
And yet, despite Toph finally having spoken, the look on his sister’s face hadn’t changed at all.
In fact, it got worse.
The girl had quickly fixed the gape of her mouth, but the wideness in her eyes was still present. She straightened up her posture in a way that she had never done before, even in the presence of Aang and he was the avatar for spirits’ sake!
“Iroh, it’s so good to see you.” His mother was the first amongst them all to greet his uncle, and Zuko quickly snapped his eyes away from his sister.
“Ursa! Same to you, you look much better than I do.” Iroh returned, accepting the hug offered by the woman with a warm smile.
His eyes lit up upon seeing Noren, greeting the man cheerily. “And Noren, I hope to hear more about that play script of yours. The ideas were quite riveting!” He complemented and Noren waved an embarrassed hand at the older man’s words.
“Please, please. Let’s not make this about me right now.” Noren then glanced over to where Kiyi stood, her eyes still stuck on Toph. “Kiyi, come over here and greet your uncle.”
The girl jumped at the call of her name, turning over to the small group formed by the older adults and walking over shyly.
“Oh, Kiyi. Look at you, you’ve only grown more adorable in age.”
“Usually people say the opposite, Uncle.” Kiyi responded back in embarrassment, unconsciously hiding herself behind her parents.
“No, no! Liars, they are.” Iroh insisted and then, as his uncle’s eyes fell upon him, Zuko stiffened up. However, his uncle’s eyes only softened at the sight of him and Zuko couldn’t help but feel like a little boy once again when he saw such a look. “Nephew, what are you doing all the way over there?”
Zuko stepped forward at the urging, only to suddenly be pulled into a hug by his uncle when he was close enough. And within that instant, he relaxed into the embrace with the comforting scent of brewed tea and hefty ointments making him relax even further.
“Oh, and have I not introduced my bodyguard?” Iroh teased upon pulling away from Zuko.
The older man glanced over to where Toph had been standing, silent as she always was in moments of emotional sentimentality.
“Bodyguard?” Kiyi asks in interest.
Zuko’s brow furrows at the unfamiliar tone of it. That definitely didn’t sound like shock ...
“Bodyguard? More like kidnappee.” Toph quipped back, so casual that it was almost believable. Her words make his uncle burst out in laughter, patting at himself in a way that was only natural to him.
“Like you of all people would let yourself be kidnapped.” Iroh’s words brought a smile to Toph’s face, one that agreed with his words all too much.
“Everyone, this is Toph. I managed to grab some of her time when I was in Yu Dao for a bit.” Iroh explained, as if that was enough to make Zuko understand why the woman herself was here at his very palace doors.
“L-like the Toph, the inventor of metalbending and the reigning champion of the Earth Rumbles?”
Zuko blinked at his sister’s words.
Earth Rumbles? What is that about?
“The one and only.” Toph’s smile grew confident at Kiyi’s words, bringing back that look to his sister’s face. And in that very moment, the dread that Zuko had been trying so hard to ignore since the moment he saw Kiyi’s reaction to the woman before them came rushing out in a single thought.
This isn’t good.