The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic)

A New Ally

In the early morning air Appa soared across the horizon while an exhausted Toph was seated upon his back with her broken right arm currently encased in an earthen cast.

Soon the sky bison was dropping down over the commandeered airship while the earthbender slid off onto her bare feet.

And waiting for her was ironically enough was Zuko.

"Toph!" Zuko exclaimed with concern in his eyes while the short woman dropped down onto the steel catwalk.

"Hey there, Sparky. Quite the welcoming." Toph quipped with a trace of her usual wit in her voice after she stepped forward.

Even though she cannot 'see' as well on the metal surface she was still experienced enough to know that Zuko was the only one on the catwalk.

And the large sky bison released a happy yip as he nuzzled against her face while she reached up to pet him with her hand while the grimacing firebender approached her.

"The others have been very worried about you but they haven't had the chance to leave Katara's side. She hasn't woken up from her surgery just yet." Zuko commented as he shifted with his arm in a sling while the woman tilted her head in concern.

"Surgery?" Toph pondered in a wary voice while she sensed her once enemy breath heavily in anger.

"Between...Azula striking the tendons in her arm...and the damage that she incurred from the exploding mines...they had to perform an emergency surgery so she could keep her arm." Zuko revealed in a disgusted voice while Toph listened in returning anger.

Toph stood speechless with her mouth open in a numb sense of shock while Zuko grasped the rail of the airship as it continued to soar in the air.

"She'll...be able to keep her left arm. But the doctor believes that Azula may have damaged her tendons beyond repair. He said that she might have difficulty using the arm as she did before. As for how great the injury will hinder the use of her arm...he couldn't say." Zuko explained with his teeth clenched in guilt while he gripped the rails of the airship.

And all the while he continued to despise himself for helping all of this come to be six years ago when he assisted his sister in striking down Aang.

"I...see. At least...she'll be able to use it." Toph muttered lamely with anger in her expression while the firebender nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Zuko replied in a voice of intense self-loathing while Toph also grasped onto the rail with her good hand.

"I should have hit the bitch." Toph grumbled with a fist pounding the rail while her friend gazed at her in confusion.

"You encountered my sister after you got separated from us?" Zuko asked in an alarmed voice while the earthbender nod her head.

"I got separated from you guys on purpose." Toph admitted while Zuko blinked his eyes in puzzlement.

"What?" Zuko answered while he held his injured arm against his chest.

"When Sunshine fell underground...I saved her life. And I jumped in after her." Toph remarked in a casual voice while Zuko nearly fell over in disbelief.

"The girl...Elle...you saved her life?" Zuko questioned in a stunned voice with his good hand falling to his sides.

It was just mind boggling that this girl had such a great power at her disposal.

And she still needed someone to jump in after her.

It was an intriguing clue to say the least.

"She would have died if I hadn't. What! She's a good kid. She hasn't done anything to a single one of us!" Toph exclaimed after she sensed that the firebender was staring at her in uncertainty.