Not dead yet.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my words.
(Newfound Family)
Chapter IV (Surprise)
Toph blinked in surprise and Zuko felt a small bit of satisfaction at having finally done something that startled a reaction from her. She took everything in stride so well that he had started to wonder if she knew his words before he spoke them. Not this time, however.
She took a moment to compose her features before stuttering out a weak challenge that they both knew was just a ritual of formal surrender.
"C-com'on, Sparky. What're you talking 'bout?"
Zuko noted that while she had reverted to the broadest of country language, she had purposely kept the inflections of aristocratic speech. She knew she was caught and was now only presenting some token resistance to lessen the sting of discovery.
Which is also an aristocratic tendancy.
He continued to stare levelly at her with a diplomat's expression of polite skepticism that even the blind can feel. She waited slightly than court manners dictated one should wait when caught in a lie before replying with an mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
"So how'd ya figure me out, Sparky? I've been pretty careful, and I hadn't pegged you as the most observant type, but you got it after only a few minutes. I'm impressed."
High praise. He smiled to himself before answering.
"I had my suspicions from the beginning. Your friends may only know of the Bei Fongs as a rich family, but I know better. Most influential families have surnames, though royalty always leaves it off. Technically my name is Zuko Agni-Sun because the Fire Nation royal family is descended from the Agni, the first firebender who became a spirit."
She cut him off with a gesture. "I don't want, or need, a genealogy lesson, Sparky. Anyone can know my name. I'm asking what confirmed your suspicions."
Shrewd for her age… for any age really.
He shrugged and gave her a little shove on the shoulder. "Fine, Toph. I'll get to the point. Basically, even though you hide your accent and education very well, I still saw through it. I traveled around the Earth Kingdom posing as a peasant for several months with my uncle. I'm very familiar with what it sounds like to hide the ingrained inflections of aristocratic speech. Despite your time at the Earth Rumble Tournaments and your travels, you still can't hide it completely. Aang, Sokka, and Katara haven't noticed because they grew up with different cultures, but I've seen Teo and Haru cast you some confused glances when you use a word well beyond the educational level of a preteen earthbending commoner using the inflections of high society."
He paused and gave her a smile. "Especially a blind one."
She gave a half smile accompanied by a half shrug. "I had a very expensive education with some very expensive tutors. If I did well at my lessons, they would end early, allowing me to sneak out to my Earth Rumble matches." She grinned at him. "Not that they knew, or cared, where I went, of course. All they knew was that I completed a day's lesson in a third that time, they got paid for spending half their working day in town, and I didn't say a word to my father."
Zuko chuckled with her. He had known such deals himself.
"They were probably very sorry to see me go."
"I know what you mean, I played similar games with my teachers of history, law, and diction."
As their laughter subsided, Toph gazed steadily at him with a curious look on her face.
"Not firebending?"
Zuko felt the heat of a blush on his cheeks that still burned from his shame standing in Azula's shadow.
"No… I wasn't so good at that…" he gave a short sigh. "I was well above average, but when your little sister is a prodigy, that doesn't mean much. I never skipped firebending lessons. I practiced all I could and was barely keeping up."
They were silent for several moments.
Toph is a master earthbender, a metalbender at twelve years old. She's a prodigy herself. Comparing myself to Azula is like comparing Haru to Toph. How could she understand?
Zuko worried into the stillness of the air. He liked and respected Toph; he wanted her to like and respect him. If she saw him as a second-rate bender that would never happen.
He looked up in surprise when she started to speak, far quieter than before.
"I met her you know, on the Day of Black Sun."
She raised her head and looked directly into his nose.
She was probably aiming for his eyes, but he gave her credit for effort.
"What did you think?" he asked cautiously.
She sat up, leaned forward, and met his eyes. "Actually, I believe the question is what do you think? Now it's my turn."
A/N: I'm going to finish this story if it kills me. So you'd best review or I'll kill you.