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The Price of Peace	By : Looneyluna Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 19136 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Summary – The nations gather for the summit. Meng testifies and Toph recognizes a familiar laugh.

Chapter Nine –

Chewing the side of her cheek in apprehension, Meng watched the people on the mezzanine from her seat in the balcony. She messed with the folds of her new kimono and grinned as she rubbed the rusty orange silk. It was a gift from Aang. At least, she liked to pretend it was a gift from Aang. There hadn’t been a note with it, but it had come with a single yellow flower on top of it.

She peered over the ledge. Various Earth Kingdom delegates stood on one side of the room as the Fire Lord and his uncle spoke with the Avatar. The two Water Tribe delegates sat stoically at the round conference table, waiting patiently for the conference to begin.

Aang looked up to the balcony and his gray eyes met hers. A blush tinged her cheeks and she quickly looked away.

A bell rang and the delegates took their places and the balcony began to fill with “concerned citizens.” Aang sat in a tall chair, inscribed with the three twirling circles symbolizing the Air Nomads. An old woman with ornamental feathers adorning her hat sat in the chair opposite Aang. It was marked with the Earth Kingdom symbol. A man who was dressed in white robes with a flying boar symbol on his chest sat next to the woman.

The Fire Lord and his uncle stood next to their chairs and waited for all to be seated. People filled the balcony, crowding her and Aunt Wu to the edge of the bench.

“Hi, Meng!” Sokka smiled in greeting as he led a blind girl to the bench next to them. “Mind if we sit here?”

Meng was too busy watching Aang to pay much attention. “Yeah, sure.”

An ominous silence glided over the crowded room and Meng held her breath. Aang said he would come and get her when it was time to testify, but she was still afraid.

Before Fire Lord Zuko could offer a formal declaration of commencement, the Earth Kingdom delegate next to the old woman sprang from his seat and slammed his fist on the table.

The blind girl sitting next to her groaned loudly. “What the hell does the village idiot think he’s doing?”

“Three more attacks!” shouted Mongi, Toph’s bodyguard and quasi-representative from the Bei Fong family province. “How can you sit there in welcome while your soldiers attack Earth Kingdom villages?”

Fire Lord Zuko looked taken aback and dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”

“I have had disturbing reports of Fire Nation soldiers attacking defenseless outposts along our western border!” Mongi growled. “They call the fire from the Earth and destroy everything in their paths!”

“We are aware of the attack at Mt. Mahaku,” Iroh stated, giving the Water Tribe delegation a sidelong glance.

“I am not speaking of that attack,” the man replied with venomous spittle flying from his mouth. “I am speaking of the attacks along our western border! The ones where Fire Nation soldiers have been seen! The last attack happened three days ago at Shoshu Village.”

“We were unaware of the latest attacks,” Iroh sighed, shaking his head in sorrow. “You have the Fire Nation’s deepest condolences and any necessary supplies for aid.”

Zuko nodded his head slowly in agreement.

“If Fire Lord Zuko cannot control his people…” the Earth Kingdom delegate fumed, letting the accusation go unfinished.

--

In the balcony, a low murmur spread through the crowd as the tension grew.

“Let’s see the Fire Lord worm his way out of this one,” a man chuckled softly.

Toph poked Sokka, who was sitting next to her, in the ribs. “He’s here,” she whispered, recognizing the man’s laughter.

Sokka winced, trying to put some distance between himself and the Earthbender. “Who’s here?”

“One of the men who tried to kill Katara,” she hissed, searching the crowd with her useless eyes. “Come on, you smarmy bastard. Laugh again.”

“Which one is he?” Sokka glared at the group of men and women.

“He’s an Earthbender,” she said, her frustration growing. Up in the balcony, she was too high to “see” well. The floor was made of wood and processed metals. “Look for someone without shoes. Look for someone smiling or grinning.”

--

“Think before you speak,” Aang warned slowly, his voice edgy and raw.

All delegates turned their attention to the Avatar, the last Air Nomad and only survivor of his people.

“Think before you insult our host. Wars have been started for less.” Aang’s fists were clenched on top of the table. “Think before you accuse the Fire Lord of anything.”

--

“I don’t see anybody matching your description, Toph,” Sokka hissed between clenched teeth, trying to look inconspicuous.

“Are you blind as well as dumb?” she retorted, pointing toward the group. “There’s a crowd over there. At least one of them is an Earthbender. Find him!”

--

“You say they call fire from the ground?” Aang questioned Mongi.

“That’s impossible,” Zuko defended. “Firebenders can’t manipulate lava.”

“It was fire,” Princess Wan challenged, finally speaking out on behalf of her kingdom. “The reports say it was fire from the earth.”

Aang stood up and circled the table, his frustration clearly evident. “I refuse to stand by and let the misconceptions of these attacks lead to war! Don’t you see what is happening? Somebody is using you!” He motioned to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

“They are pitting you against one another, hoping this will escalate.” He ran his head over his shaved head.

--

“I still don’t see anybody matching your description,” Sokka retorted.

“I know that laugh,” hissed Toph. “They laughed when they tried to kill Katara. Maybe there’s a way we can keep that group of people corralled.”

“And do what? Have laughing auditions? Sokka pulled the Earthbender’s arm down, weaving his fingers through hers and leaning against her. “You’re attracting attention to yourself. Try to act natural.”

Squeezing his hand with all her strength, Toph growled in warning. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Wincing, Sokka pressed his lips against her cheek. “I’m pretending to like you! If Katara’s killer is over there, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go pointing him out. Killers don’t like unwanted attention.”

She tried to pull away, but he held on.

“Stop struggling before I kiss you for real!” Sokka smirked as Toph went deadly silent and stiff. “We’ll get him, Toph. It’s just a matter of time.”

Meng frowned, listening to their interchange and wondering what they were talking about. She wanted to shush them because she couldn’t hear what Aang was saying.

--

“Only a fully-realized Avatar can harness fire from the earth,” Aang huffed as he leapt to the edge of the balcony, startling everyone in the room.

“And I can assure everyone that I had nothing to do with the attacks.”

“But we are not accusing you, Avatar!” Princess Wan declared.

“Why is anybody accusing anybody?” he shouted the question from the balcony, walking the length of the rows until he reached Meng.

“Our concerns are valid!” the princess replied loudly.

Holding his hand out to Meng, Aang smiled. “Come with me. You’ll be okay.”

Nodding her head in awe, the young Earth Kingdom girl stood and paid little attention to the curious stares around her.

“I need you to tell them what you saw.” Aang pulled her against him as he neared the ledge of the upper level. “Hold on tight.”

“Yelping as her feet left the ground, Meng closed her eyes and hugged him tight.

The spectators issued a collective gasp. When she opened her eyes, she was on the mezzanine, standing behind the Air Nomad’s chair.

“We have a witness to the attack at Mt. Mahaku,” Aang announced, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. “They weren’t Firebenders. The people who attacked the village were Earthbenders using the lava to make it look like Firebenders did it.”

Mongi eyed the witness closely, his shrewd gaze raking over her demure figure. “So what did you see, little girl?”

Aang patted her shoulder and offered her his chair. “It’s okay. I’m right here. Just tell them what you saw.”

Looking at her hands neatly folded in her lap, Meng began to speak. “There w-was lots of fire and smoke.”

The Bei Fong family delegate snorted derisively.

“Be quiet,” Princess Wan scolded, slapping his hand. “Please continue.”

Meng sighed, tucking some errant hair behind her ear. “It was dark and the buildings were on fire. People were screaming, trying to get away from the dancing lava.”

“Dancing lava?” Pakku, the Waterbending Master from the Northern Water Tribe asked.”

Nodding, she glanced nervously from the old man to the Fire Lord. “Y-yes. It wasn’t on the ground. It was in the air, forming unusual patterns. Almost like someone was bending it. I saw a man. I think he was wearing a Fire Nation uniform. He wore a hat that was shaped similarly like that of a Fire Nation soldier.”

“Your witness has corroborated all the reports!” Mongi raged.

The air around the room started to stir and everyone stared at Aang. The angry wind seemed to center on the Bei Fong family stooge.

“You will not interrupt Meng again!” Aang said, the inflection of his voice pitched low and dangerous. Just as quickly as the wind started, it died. “Do I make myself clear?”

Mongi nodded and bowed his head.

“Keep going, Meng,” Aang encouraged her.

She gulped, trying to gather the nerve to continue.

“Please continue,” Iroh coaxed her.

Nodding, Meng licked her dry lips. “I saw them. They wielded the lava like a weapon. I don’t know how many there were, but I know one of them was a woman. I could hear her laughing and singing. Fire came from the ground, consuming our homes. Blue flames crawled on the ground, weaving and winding its way though the village. It was almost as though the flames were looking for something or someone.”

At the mention of blue flames, Iroh and Zuko tensed. So there was a Firebender involved – a powerful Firebender at that.

“That’s really all I can remember.” She sniffed, tears welling in her eyes.

“Thank you, Meng,” Princess Wan said, pressing a napkin to her forehead and wiping some perspiration away.

“Tempers are hot,” Iroh announced, glancing at the princess. “Perhaps a short recess is in order. We’ll have refreshments and ice cold water.”

The two men of the Water Tribe nodded in agreement as Princess Wan stood.

“That sounds like a good idea,” she stated.

“Before we convene, I would like to make an announcement!” Iroh’s voice echoed jovially through the gallery. “It gives me great pleasure to announce the wedding of my beloved nephew to the daughter of Hakoda of the Water Tribe. May this union mend the rifts of the past and bring peace and stability to the future!”

--

TBC

A/N – Thanks to MonCapitan for letting me bounce ideas off him and encouraging this story along. You rock! As always, thanks to all who have reviewed.

Yes, yes, I know you all were expecting the wedding. It’s on its way. I swear! I apologize for the lag time in posting. I had to slow down and pay attention to the plot. He he!
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The Price of Peace