After the war

Bending match pt. 1

Suki was sat holding her hands up to her face with Ra sat on her palms. She was cooing at the dragon while the others worked to bring a slab of earth up from bottom of the sea. Suki scratched Ra's chin and listened to him purring happily, Zuko had instructed her and Sokka to look after him while he worked to help the others.

Toph decided she wanted earth surrounding her, and with Katara and Aang's help she lifted some earth from the bottom of the sea. Their plan was going smoothly so far, Katara and Aang parted the water so she could feel where the earth was, then Zuko and Katara went under the water and pushed the earth slab up from the bottom while Toph and Aang pulled it up from the surface. When the benders were done and Zuko and Katara were dry and warmed up after their stint in the cold water, there were two high columns of earth beside them and the largest slab of earth Toph had ever lifted sat under their icy island that Katara had made for them.

Suki returned Ra to Zuko's head and the group sat in a circle and discussed how the match was going to work.

"I think it should be winner stays on" Zuko said pulling the Firelord headpiece out of his top knot and putting it in his pocket.

"Good idea" Sokka said distractedly looking at the way the stray hairs, that were no longer being kept in check by Zuko's headpiece, framed his face.

"Sokka can you stop staring at your boyfriend for five minutes and focus!" Suki tried ridiculously hard to suppress her laughter.

"I can stare at who I want thank!" Sokka huffed and folded his arms.

"OI! There is a point here! Let's get to it!" Zuko yelled, blowing a hair out of his face while Sokka stared at him with his jaw on the floor.

"Yeah! I've got royal firebending butt to whoop!" Toph yelled, earthbending herself up to a standing position and pounding her fist into her other palm.

"I feel threatened" Zuko's eyes widened in mock fear.

"Good!" Toph laughed.

"I vote we put Toph up for adoption" Zuko narrowed his eyes at the earthbender while he placed Ra into Sokka's hands, instructing his boyfriend to take care of him.

The two benders took their place in the arena.

Katara had stretched the ice out into a huge platform from the arch. On the platform Zuko had burned a line in the shape of a large circle which was to serve as their battle ground. Suki had devised the rules this time, Aang stuck to airbending, lightning was banned, winner stays on and to win a match the player has to get their opponent outside the line.

Zuko and Toph got into their stances waiting for Sokka to tell them to begin the match.

"Scared Sparky?" Toph grinned evilly at Zuko pounding her fist into her palm.

"You wish!" Zuko smirked at the earthbender.

Sokka watched as the two benders got into their respective stances and prepared to begin the match.

"Ready"

Zuko sank back into his stance.

"Set"

Toph shifted her feet slightly.

"GO!"

As soon as Sokka shouted 'go' the two benders sprang toward each other. Zuko stamped one foot, hard into the ground and shot up into the air.

"Ready to see a new trick Beifong?" He yelled down at Toph with a crooked smile on his face.

Once airborne Zuko clawed his fingers and shot bolts of fire down at his opponent. He watched as Toph whipped her head up in his general direction. The earthbender threw her arms up in defence creating an umbrella of earth over her head. Zuko had invented this move to confuse his opponent so that when he plummeted back into the ground, they were caught off guard. However, he hadn't accounted for seismic sense.