Avatar: And When the Gauntlet's Down: Chapter 9
Title: And When the Gauntlet's Down
Rating: K+
Characters: Sokka, Toph, Iroh
Summary: While the main players are making their moves, Sokka and Toph and Iroh attempt to regroup and see what they can do.
A/N: This is another chapter from me "Zuko as a crazy assed Fire Lord" soap opera AU, more information which can be found out in this entry here.
This chapter is the third of what turned out to be five chapters of flashbacks, about a year or so into Zuko's reign as Fire Lord, before Iroh's death. Toph would be 13 here, Sokka 17, and Iroh merely old. It's the beginning of Zuko's downward spiral.
Chapter 9 - I Will Not Lie Me Down in Such a Storm
“Toph.” Sokka’s voice was gentle as it rang through the air. “Sit down. I’ll take care of this.”
For a moment Toph hemmed and hawed before finally relenting, turning the teapot over to Sokka before returning to her seat, curling up on the cushion next to Iroh and turning her teacup over so Sokka could serve.
It was midweek, and it was also mid-afternoon, which meant that Toph was sitting down to her weekly tea with Iroh (with extra sessions snuck in on weekends and some days after dinner, if both are feeling restless), and which also meant that Sokka was having tea with Toph and Iroh.
What had once started out as a chance to relax outside of court and gossip and discuss things without worrying about the ever-prying ears had taken on a much more serious function: Toph was no longer a confidant of Aang’s, and when Sokka had tried to get information out of Katara he’d learned that the Avatar was holding back even from her. Neither dared approach Lord Zuko - once, the relationship between the three had been filled with banter and bickering, but as Zuko’s stress level rose, his health declined, and his temper with it. Iroh was the only one who could tell the pair exactly what was happening in the court that they’d become tangled up in.
Today’s tea was particularly important - something big had gone down. Toph had been able to tell by the way both Aang and Iroh’s vital signs had picked up, and by the slump of relief that had taken in Zuko’s shoulders.
Sokka poured the tea and got himself settled on his own little cushion next to Toph, and Iroh turned to her and asked quietly, “How do things look?”
Toph braced her feet on the floor and scooted back, off the pillow to the edge of the throw rug on the floor, lifting it and putting one hand down as she concentrated.
“The closet people nearby are a couple servants in the eastern hall,” she reported, eyebrows smoothing. “They’re well out of earshot. I think we’re clear.”
She returned to her seat, and not for the first time Sokka found himself terribly unsettled that Iroh was so worried about being overheard - and, even worse, not just overheard, but spied upon - in his own private quarters.
When Iroh finally began to speak, it was in a low, anxious tone. “Things are not going well for my nephew,” he said quietly, staring down into his teacup as if it might house all the answers to his questions. “Reports are saying that the rebels are moving closer to the palace, and his advisors are recommending harsh punishments in order to set an example.” He paused for a moment, then added, almost sadly, “I can advise him to do nothing but wait and he is growing sick and impatient with my answers. Punishment is looking like a better option to him.”
“I told you,” Toph groused, blowing back long bangs from her nose. “You should have let me take care of them when they first started popping up. It wouldn’t look as bad if Aang or I was the one who took care of them.”
“It would look worse if Aang took care of them,” Iroh said harshly, though there was no real bite in the retort. It was an old argument between them. “It would look bad to Fire Nation citizens who are used to sitting on top of the world, and it will only give the rebels more ammunition.”
Silence fell between the three, broken only by Sokka rudely slurping his tea, and then Iroh said thoughtfully, “It has become a matter of respect for Zuko. He no longer sees the rebels as citizens of his country, but as flies that he needs to swat away.”
Sokka gave Iroh a worried look. “Aang can’t possibly be supporting this, can he?” It was an impossible suggestion, a peaceful air nomad supporting controversial interrogation and punishment, and yet -
- yet Katara’s most recent information had come from Zuko himself, and not from Aang, who’d been tense and nervous and snappy and secretive.
Something struck him square in the forehead. Taking a moment to rub the wounded area, he quickly turned a useless glare at Toph, who looked entirely unapologetic as she recalled the stone fragments she had tossed at him into the original form of her bracelet.
“Aang has other things than the Fire Nation to worry about, Sokka,” she snapped. “Lay off of him. I’m sure Katara is questioning him all the time and you doubting him isn’t helping either."
Normally Sokka would be chagrined, but instead he continued to frown at Toph. “Why are you defending him, Toph? You got the latest letter from Bumi, you’ve heard from your parents, you know what’s happening back in the Earth Kingdom.”
“Yes,” she barked. “I know. I know exactly what’s happening, and Aang does too, but the Earth Kingdom has two kings and the Fire Nation only has Zuko and a slew of bloodthirsty advisors. If Zuko isn’t listening to Iroh anymore, then Aang needs to stay and back him up.”
“And get us all into trouble?” Sokka snarled.
“You read those letters from home too, Sokka!” Toph was leaning over the table at this point, her tea long forgotten in favor of planting two hands and doing her best imitation of an angry bullmonkey. “The Dai Lee are reforming and nobody’s money is worth anything! The earthbenders are going to start rioting! It’s no safer there than here, and we’re needed more here!”
For a moment Sokka was so frustrated with her he could have grabbed her by the shoulders in a physical attempt to shake some sense into her stone skull, but Iroh chose that moment to put his tea cup down with a soft clink and say quietly, “That’s enough you two.”
He couldn’t have gotten a faster response from them if he’d struck them both with lightning. Instantly the pair settled back onto their cushions, still pouting at one another even if they were mercifully quiet.
“The situation in the Earth Kingdom is troublesome,” he said slowly, looking at Toph. “Zuko does not know the full extent of it.”
Sokka’s frown grew deeper. “Aang hasn’t told him?” The Avatar told the Fire Lord anything and everything he knew, despite Zuko’s temper and health.
“Aang doesn’t know the full extent of the situation either,” Toph said in a low voice, tilting her head and curling her toes, her own version of avoiding eye contact.
Both Iroh and Sokka just looked at her, and finally Toph snapped, “Look, Aang doesn’t talk to me anymore, alright? I can’t even get close enough to him to make him understand everything that’s happening, but he has to have some idea because Bumi said that Aang’s not responding to his letters.”
“Are we sure Aang is receiving his letters?” Iroh responded, and silence fell over the table again. The three just looked at each other, and then slowly, deliberately, Toph scooted back off of the cushion once again, and put one bare palm to the stone floor, looking for eavesdroppers.