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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33524 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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Chapter 67
After reaching Ember Island, Iroh and Toph had made themselves rather comfortable posing as servants sent to prepare the Fire Lord’s summer home. He fielded all of her questions about how soon could they leave with the simple and truthful answer of the “I’m sure Ozai is looking for me since I escaped prison. We need to wait a little longer so he can extend his search farther.”
On the seventh day of hiding out the state run newspapers cover story was “Fire Nation Victory: Avatar and Companions Captured by our Heroic Prince and Princess”. The article showed several pictures of the bald monk and the Water Tribe boy in chains. The Water Tribe girl was shown unchained. She was sitting on a chair in Fire Nation robes with Prince Zuko’s hand on her shoulder. The main article detailed a victory tour of the Earth Kingdom before they would be returned to the Fire Nation and placed in prison.
Iroh sighed heavily and sat down beside his companion, “Miss Toph, I’m afraid, I haven’t been completely honest with you. It is true that I was waiting until my brother’s search parties to go elsewhere before moving to our next location but I had an additional reason. The Avatar was captured on the day of the invasion. I saw the bison falling on the way to Ember Island. I wanted to wait and see where my brother was taking them so we’d know where we needed to go to rescue them.”
“You’re lying,” Toph said, even thought she felt the truth in Iroh’s statement. His heart rate was steady.
“It was in the newspapers today that Zuko and Azula are taking them on victory tour of the Earth Kingdom. We will go there to retrieve them,” Iroh said sadly.
“You’re lying Old Man, you’re lying,” Toph cried running out of the house before he could see her tears. Her vision was blurry running on the sand but since it wasn’t getting damper she kept moving forward until she could see again.
It wasn’t long before she starting picking up bits and pieces of conversations, “I wonder why they’re taking them to the Earth Kingdom first? It makes more sense to bring them here.”
“Nah, it’s a psychological warfare tactic. Demoralize your enemy by shaming their leaders in front of them. It weakens their spirit besides; they paraded them around the capital city twice. My brother saw them.”
“I hear Prince Zuko has taken the girl as a concubine.”
“No, he’s planning on auctioning her off to the highest bidder. The proceeds will go to the widows of the battle at North Pole.”
“How distasteful, I can’t imagine how any man would find that barbarian attractive.”
Toph crumbled to the ground sobbing in what must have been town square. Then the conversation shifted to her, “Why is she crying?” “Is she an Avatar sympathizer?”
Toph felt the Iroh’s sturdy footsteps before being lifted in the air. “Ursa, I was looking all over for you. Why did you wonder off?”
“Thank you for your kindness towards my blind granddaughter. I was afraid some ill had become of her. She is all that I have left in the world,” said Iroh bowing and deliberately shielding his face from a richly dressed onlooker who turned sharply at the mention of the name Ursa. He picked Toph up hiding his freshly dyed hair and trimmed sideburns beneath Toph’s free flowing mane.
“You there, with the little girl,” a cultured female voice called to him.
Iroh stopped and bowed again, shifting Toph sideways to accommodate the action, “Yes, Milady.”
“Take this. I hate to hear children crying. Buy a nice treat for her,” Lady Sakura said pressing two of the gold coins Ozai had given her into Iroh’s hand before stroking Toph’s bangs back from her forehead.
“She’s a beautiful child even without sight. Here, use this for her dowry.” She said pressing her purse into Iroh’s hand, “I’m sure she will attract the wrong kind of man. Every little girl should have option of finding someone kind and not accepting the first offer of courtship.”
“Thank you, Milady. Thank you,” Iroh said lowering himself to his knees. “Ursa please thank the wonderful lady. Her generosity towards us has been most kind.”
Toph raised her head and moved it around aimlessly before settling on a direction far to Iroh’s opposite, “Thank you milady,” she sobbed, reaching wildly for their benefactor with both hands.
Lady Sakura stepped into her path and pulled her into an embrace, “Sir, your granddaughter is most precious. Here is my card. Teach her my address. Please come to me should you ever need anything. I am unable to have children and I would be honored to add the two of you to my family.”
Iroh prostrated himself and guided Toph into doing the same as he thanked his brother’s mistress profusely and promised to keep her in mind. He waited the customary ten seconds after she departed to pick up Toph and rush towards his brother’s summer residence. Toph, the world’s best Earthbender, sobbed on Iroh’s shoulder and let him carry her home. For the first time in her life she felt every bit like the helpless little blind girl everyone assumed she was.
Iroh held her until she cried herself to sleep then he began pulling out his escape kit. He’d begun preparing for Ozai to kill him ever since Zuko was born. For the past six years he’d mailed several maps and certificates of deposit for all types of currency to his invalid friend on what was most commonly called Roku’s other island.
Iroh used a house the former Avatar had built to disguise his underground Earthbending arena as a staging area. No one thought anything of Iroh adding a fresh coat of paint and a mail slot. The groundskeeper he’d hired was paid handsomely to maintain the property and not disturb its reclusive imaginary resident. Lady Sakura had just given them enough to get to his funds without touching the money he’d hidden among junk in the attic. He decided to leave it just in case Zuko ever came to his senses.

Iroh prepared the maps while cooking dinner and then woke up Toph. Once she’d finished her meal he set the maps in front of her.
“Hello, blind girl,” Toph replied automatically waving her fingers in front of her face when she heard the rustling of paper.
“I know,” Iroh replied, guiding her fingers to the pinpricks he’d added to the map. “We are here. Your friends were captured here. We have to stop here to get supplies before we can go to the Earth Kingdom. These ports are under Fire Nation control and will most like be among Azula’s stops. Do you and your friends have a code established to use in times of distress?”
Toph’s mood lightened as she read Iroh’s map. Each location was marked by a different number of dots and there were raised and indented lines to indicate Azula’s likely path and the path they would take. “We have a code all right.”
“Gramps, can you mark, Makapu village, Kyoshi Island, the Serpent’s Pass and the Si Wong Desert on the map?”
Iroh marked the places indicated and placed her hands over them. “Miss Toph, we are leaving this island tonight. That kind lady we met in the streets is Lady Sakura. She is my brother’s mistress and the money she gave us no doubt came from his personal funds. Do you mind dressing as a boy occasionally until we get out of the Fire Nation. I do not know what she was doing on Ember Island, but I do not want to risk her telling him she met a doddering old man and a helpless little blind girl. She has not seen me in years but I am sure my brother will have no trouble recognizing our descriptions.”
Toph raised her head to the direction his voice was coming from. She cockily asked, “So you’re telling me we’re hiding from the Fire Lord in the Fire Lord’s house, the Fire Lord’s girlfriend just gave us the Fire Lord’s money and we’re going to use it to escape from the Fire Lord?”
“Yes, Miss Toph, you are very astute indeed,” Iroh replied with a chuckle.
“Sweet!” the little Earthbender replied. “Just make sure whatever clothes you pick don’t make me look as lightfooted as Twinkletoes.”
“Twinkletoes?” Iroh asked perplexed before remembering that’s what she called the Avatar.
“I assure you, you will look very fierce. I am certain that with your commanding presence I can pass you off as the hidden son of the Fire Lord himself,” Iroh laughed.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story