Blazing: An Avatar AU

Chapter Twenty-Four

Iroh and I were taking a casual walk through the woods. It had been a few days since Zuko left. What a dick.

"So," I said, "Your plan is to follow Zuko, but far behind enough so he doesn't ever see us."

"Yes," Iroh said.

"I don't understand why we can't just get him," I held up my phone, which I was using to track Zuko's location. He realizes that I set up his MePhone and therefore I know how to track it.... right? Probably not. Zuko lacks common sense.

"Because," Iroh started to say, "Zuko needs to find himself, and that's exactly what we're doing. We're letting him find himself. And, when he's done it when he needs us, we'll be right there. Got it?"

"Yeah. I guess so," I grumbled.

"Now," Iroh said, "Let's make some tea," he held up the kettle I bought him yesterday. I have got to stop using my money to get this man tea.

Iroh sat down on the ground, and I laid down next to him. I thought I heard something, or someone, shift

"Hey, Iroh did you hear-" the Earth from underneath us lifted, hitting my back and Iroh's behind. Iroh fell forward, while I was forced into the air, and then plummeted back into the ground, hitting my back.

"Ow, that really hurt my tailbone," Iroh said.

I rubbed my back, "No, kidding," I looked up to see a girl, definitely younger than I was, who was in a fighting stance. She wore jeans and a green T-shirt. Her hair was black and her eyes were cloudy gray, signifying that they didn't work. She was blind. Not that it mattered, with that strength I doubt that her lack of sight hindered her from doing things.

I sighed and looked up at the girl, "Kid, we're not here to fight you, you can calm down," I kept rubbing my back and I got up, "Why don't you join us for some tea?"

She slid down to us on an earth slide (that she created). She looked slightly embarrassed, "Sorry."

I smiled at her and bent water out of my backpack, coating my hand with water and making that water glow. I slipped it under my shirt in the back and started healing my back, "Don't worry about it."

"You're a waterbender?" She asked.

"I'm a lot of things."

We all sat down and Iroh started making tea. The girl made cups out of the earth for us. While Iroh was pouring the tea I looked at the girl, "So, what's your name?"

"Toph," she answered, not looking at me. Then again, she couldn't see, so she was never looking at me.

"Well, Toph. I'm (Y/-) I mean, Rei."

She coughed, "You're lying."

"How did you- nevermind, doesn't matter. You're right, my name's (Y/N)," I really hoped she didn't recognize that name. There was no flash of recognition in her face, so I assumed she didn't.

Iroh poured us tea. I grabbed my cup and Iroh turned to Toph, "Here is your tea," he held out the tea to Toph, who was staring blankly at the ground, "You seem a little too young to be traveling alone."

Toph took the tea, "You seem a little too old."

Iroh laughed, "Perhaps I am. Besides, I'm not traveling alone."

Toph leaned back into a rock, "I know what you're thinking ... I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"No one was thinking that," I said at the same time Iroh said, "I wasn't thinking that."

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!" Toph exclaimed.

"I poured your tea because I wanted to and for no other reason," Iroh said.