A/N: The last chapter to this little adventure, so I hope you enjoyed it. I have been in the mood to write Toko lately, and I'm going to try and get a few chapters for Fight or Flight out soon. We'll see. Thanks again for reading!

Chapter 3

Toph was amazed and awed at the depth and workings of the pyramid and its miles of mazes. It was wonderful, and for an earthbender such as herself, it felt like she had come home. Everything was either stone or connected to stone, so she could feel it all. The people, the pets. Even the insects that lived here and the few animals that craved the dark tunnels that had fled to the lower reaches when the people had taken back the main living quarters. She barely paid attention when they were introduced to the chief's family and the elders, making the proper remarks as it had been ingrained into her since birth, but all she could focus on was the maze of stonework surrounding her, and the heartbeat of her companion. She knew she and Zuko had almost kissed back there in the room, and she was still questioning herself as to how she had let him get so close to her, and it hadn't even been a whole day they had been together!

But every movement he did drew her in. Every word, every time she heard a smile in his tone when he turned her way or spoke about her, she felt it. Just as she felt the five thousand-ish people walking around, she felt Zuko. She had been half paying attention to a family of mole rats twenty feet below them when she heard a frown enter Zuko's tone as he leaned forward to listen to an elder across the table from them.

"We believe they are after the stones," the elder said, to the surprise and a few heated whispers from his companions. "Ah, monkeyfeathers! This young man held one, he ought to know."

"What's really going on?" Zuko asked, a scowl starting to tint his tone.

"The stones," the chief stated slowly. "They are given to us by the masters, for safekeeping, until the time is right."

"And several of us are seeing the signs!" the elder declared again. "The times are coming, and that monster out there knows it and is trying to steal the reason we live away from us!"

"Hush, Dongu," another elder seethed. Toph thought that this one was called Nease, or something like that, and he certainly hissed like his name did. "The signs could be false. And we don't really know what those men want."

"Well, why don't we go and find out?" Toph asked and that stopped all the chatter.

"Toph, what are you thinking about?" Zuko asked, and it sounded as if he were suspicious, but also that there was a smile for her.

Toph started grinning, and it felt good, as if she were twelve again and pulling a prank. "Let's go and scare these jerkwads and maybe even bring a few statues to life. And if Tawn is there, I get to nail him to a statue, or even better, the front of his balloon as it flies away."

The plan was set into motion easily and quickly, leaving Toph impressed with the sun warriors. They were skilled and quiet and ready to move at a moment's notice, some things that even the most highly trained groups in the world couldn't even do. The pair became part of a group of fifty surrounding the interloper's camp half an hour after all the plans were made, which was half an hour after Toph had proposed it, and she was ready to get some action. Tournaments were fun and all, but nothing could compare to a real fight. Zuko laid a hand on her arm, and she realized she was practically bouncing on her toes as they waited for the rest of the men to get into position. She would have the hardest part, bringing several statues to life to scare the snot out of the camp, but several firebenders, including Zuko, would be making the statues even more lifelike. The dragons would look like they were on fire and breathe fire as well. Toph almost wished she could see it.

"Steady there, Toph," Zuko whispered to her, and she felt a thrill at how close her was. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and some part of her wanted it to envelop her, to hold her close. "No need to rush in."

"Fine," Toph sighed since this was the third time he had calmed her, shaking off the need for Zuko to touch her. "I'm just so bored. Hey, Xiou, right?" she whispered to the sun warrior with them. He nodded and she smiled before continuing. "Why do all of you defer to Sparky here so much. Everyone, even the chief and elders call him 'Lord'. I noticed a few others you call 'Lord' too. What gives?"

"He has faced the masters," Xiou said calmly. "It is a right not many get to face, and even then, some do not make it back."

"Wait, you mean not everyone in your culture has faced the masters?" Zuko asked, suddenly interested.

"No, it is a right, and there are many trials that must be faced before even attempting to approach the masters. It is a five year training period; most of us go through nearly to the end, before we find another calling. Only those truly dedicated to the meaning and origin of fire see it through to the end."

"But Aang and I, we were young, outsiders. We knew nothing of your culture. How could you let us just walk in to see them?"

Xiou shrugged. "Many expected you to die. Some of the elders say they can understand the voices of the masters and say it was their wish to see you, to examine your hearts. They are the masters; it is their choice whose heart is true to the fire. Come, they are drunk, our time is near."

Toph nodded, more curious about the masters now, and those supposed stones the elders had talked about, but now it was time for some action. She was almost disappointed she didn't feel Tawn in the camp, but then again, she knew she couldn't get everything she wished for. She felt everyone in position and then Xiou gave the cue and she stood, digging her toes into the ground, feeling the lay of the land and concentrating on the closest statue. It was only a medium sized dragon, the head as big as an ostrich horse's body and Toph used the surrounding earth and remains of the body to form a body. She kept it as close to the true body form she had felt on the other statues as she could and made it stumble awkwardly into the camp.

No one seemed to notice until it was almost upon them and then the camp erupted into confused screams and yells as she felt heat form along the statue from the sun warrior closest to the statue. Still making sure the first moved towards the camp, Toph brought another statue to life, one that was within the camp. More yells erupted as drunken men were awoken to find that the statues they had taken apart were coming to life and breathing fire onto their tents. Toph smirked and brought a larger one to life and Zuko moved, bringing the new one to life with fire surrounding its head as it ambled towards the camp.

Toph almost smirked as the few earthbenders in the camp tried to destroy the statues with earthbending, but they were drunk, and she was far better than they were, even controlling three massive dragons.

"Are you sure that those people should be out there?" Toph asked Xiou when she noticed a few sun warriors chasing a few of the people to their balloons.

"They are dressed in headgear and paint and do not appear human," Xious stated with some humor to his tone. "And these men are far too concerned with your dragons, great Lady."

"Nice to get some respect now," Toph remarked, smiling at Xiou.

"I think they underestimated you," Zuko said, a smile evident in his tone before he froze and Xiou did as well.

"What?" Toph asked. "Guys, what's wrong, the men are running. If you don't tell me, I'll turn these things on you."

"There's a balloon heading towards the chamber of the Dance," Zuko muttered darkly. "And it's not from these escaping balloons."

"It is the outsider, the monster," Xiou seethed.

"He's mine," Toph stated, ready to set the statues down, but Zuko laid a hand on her shoulder, and strangely, that seemed to calm the fury that had come upon her that Tawn inspired.

"We must finish here, then we'll both take care of him," Zuko said in a calm, stern voice, but Toph heard a softness to it and nodded, knowing that she had a job to do. It only took about ten minutes to get the rest of the men to flee and take off in their balloons, but it felt like hours to Toph. Finally Zuko told her they were gone and she let the dragons collapse and pounded a fist into the ground, searching for the creep she loathed.

"He's in the chamber," she told Zuko and Xiou. "Along with another man."

"His right hand man, a firebender," Xiou stated coldly. "How one who can control the fire of life be so cold is lost to me."

"Me as well, my friend," Zuko stated sadly. "Toph, anything else?"

"He's carrying something. It feels like it should be stone, but isn't. What's going on?"

Xiou stood frozen, as well as a few other sun warriors that had come to congratulate them. And it felt like Zuko was getting frustrated.

"All right, so what are these stones anyways?" Zuko gritted out. "What's so important about them?"

"They are entrusted to us by the masters," Xiou said, and several others tried to hush him, but he waved them off. "They have a right to know, especially if they can stop him. They are the children of the true firebenders."

"Toph, we're going. Now," Zuko stated and grabbed her wrist, and started running back towards the pyramids. "Xiou, have your warriors meet us there!"

Toph barely felt Xiou and the other warriors nod and bow to them as she struggled to keep up with Zuko's longer stride. "Sparky, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll pound you into oblivion," she gritted out as she tried to keep up.

"They're children, Toph. Children of the masters," Zuko said and he was furious. "They're dragon eggs! And if Tawn gets only one and it hatches…"

"He'll have a dragon, the only dragon the world will know about," Toph said, seeing where Zuko was going. "And he'll keep it caged and make a fortune. Nothing deserves to be caged, let alone a baby! Hold on Sparky!"

Toph started earthbending and was soon dragging Zuko to where she felt Tawn was. He was coming out of the chamber and she felt rage envelop her again. She was going to make sure the creep didn't force anything on anyone ever again. Whether it was her or a baby dragon, no living thing deserved to be forced into a life of servitude and a cage, no matter how nice it looked! She knew the rumors, had almost experienced them herself, and she knew Tawn was dangerous. He was the type that struck out when he didn't get what he wanted, and people got hurt.

"Toph, wait," she heard Zuko say as they reached the chamber and she stopped earthbending. "We don't know what he could do. You can't face him like this. Not angry. Toph, calm down!"

"Oh, she has a right to be angry," they heard Tawn say as he came out of the chamber and Toph felt him holding the egg with a spear of earth in his other hand pointed at the egg. "I almost got her, several times. But it's a surprise to find you both here, a Fire Lord and an earthbender. Why, the scandal this must bring!"

"Shut up, Tawn Feng," Zuko growled, moving to stand between Toph and Tawn, almost as if he were trying to protect Toph. She knew Tawn was pushing them, trying to get a response, but she was just so angry with him! He had made her feel helpless as she had never felt before, but Zuko was right. She couldn't just run into a fight, not with a dragon egg at stake.

"Ah, I see that sweet little thing told you about me," Tawn said in a smug tone.

"No, I research everyone who does business with my country, especially the Feng family. I have dealt with your cousin after all. He wasn't from the merchant side of the family and struggled to rise to his position in the Dai Li. But while he wanted the throne, you aimed higher. Nothing better than to be rich, but also tied with a prominent family, and then have something the world hasn't seen in ages. Am I right, Tawn Feng?"

Toph started feeling better as Tawn started losing his cool and actually seemed to be getting angry at Zuko, who was standing there calmly, though Toph could feel that Zuko was tense.

"I propose a deal," Zuko stated. "You hand over the stone, and I let you leave peacefully."

"No," Toph hissed. "He deserves punishment. I challenge you to an Earth Duel, Tawn!"

"Hah! As if I would fight you, my dear little Toph," Tawn said, laughing and Toph cringed slightly as it was the same laugh he had done while she had been helpless. He seemed to love seeing her helpless to do anything. "No, I won't fight you, but your dear friend here. You went easy on him and yet still pounded him yesterday. What say you, Fire Lord. Will you fight me? And if you win, I'll leave the 'stone' here and leave peacefully."

"And if you win?" Zuko asked, trying to remain calm, though his voice was more gravelly than usual.

"I not only get the stone, but that lovely little lady as well."

"No deal," Zuko said, a little bit of a growl in his tone. "Toph is not something to be bartered. She is her own person, and my friend. She chooses who she is to be with. You can have the stone, if you win, which I highly doubt."

"Very well. Lung, hold this," Tawn said as he handed the egg and stone spear to his companion. "And if the little lady or anyone else tries to interfere, destroy it. As well as those sun warriors that are encroaching."

"Xiou, have your men back off," Zuko called out. "I will handle this."

"Very well, my lord, my lady," Toph heard Xiou say from on top of the chamber and the earthbender felt a little better. She still wanted to fight, and maybe she would get her chance, but she also knew that what Zuko was doing was the best thing they could do to get the egg back safely.

"Sparky," Toph said, laying a hand on Zuko's back. "Be careful."

"You know me better than that, Toph," Zuko said with a small smile. He surprised her by suddenly turning to her and hugging her. She held onto him, knowing they both wanted more, but couldn't with the impending fight and their observers. He left just as quickly as he had hugged her, leaving Toph feeling cold from the sudden drop in temperature, but she concentrated on Lung, the firebender holding the egg. The man stepped back a little when Toph turned to give him an evil smirk, but he steadied himself when she didn't make a move. She was concentrating on Tawn and Zuko, but kept some of her concentration on Lung and the sun warriors as the men waited to see what would happen.

Both Tawn and Zuko were facing each other, but both were silent. Toph could swear she could feel smugness coming from Tawn, but a controlled fury coming from Zuko, like how he felt when they were searching for Aang or when he was about to face his sister just before the comet. Suddenly both men went into action, Tawn earthbending, and Zuko firebending, each at the other, and blocking each other as well. Toph was surprised at how skilled Tawn actually seemed to be, but she knew Zuko was better. Sure, she had gone easy on Zuko at the tournament, but he had held back on her as well, and here with Tawn, he wasn't holding back anything.

Tawn hissed suddenly and Toph smirked as she felt him holding his left arm as if he had been burned, but then they were facing off again and then Zuko grunted in pain as a boulder glanced off his side and he stumbled once.

"Ah, so you didn't get away unscathed last night after all," Tawn remarked smugly.

"And you're not going to get away at all," Zuko gritted out before he started firing at Tawn again, and he didn't let up. Toph almost cheered him on, but just smirked as Tawn had to keep backing up as Zuko continually fired on him. Tawn seemed to be getting desperate, but then created a barrier and simultaneously sent a boulder at Zuko. Zuko was put on the defensive, but continued to exchange blows with Tawn, but the creep was starting to get the upper hand.

"Now, Lung!" Tawn suddenly shouted and Toph felt Lung move something around in his mouth and then a small piece of metal was flying towards her. She shifted and sent a pillar at Lung, trying to shake him and ran forward as something struck her arm, trying to catch the egg as her pillar knocked Lung onto his back. Something strange started happening to her as Lung dropped the egg as he was thrown backwards and Zuko was suddenly emitting a lot of heat and Tawn was cowering behind a small barrier. Toph started feeling woozy and was losing her bearing, but was able to catch the egg and rolled with it, though she did hear a crack when she caught it. She barely felt Zuko break through the barrier surrounding Tawn and heard a cry for mercy from the creep, but it was all going black and she was truly becoming blind.

"Toph!" she heard Zuko cry out, and felt several other people rush to her, but then she fell into oblivion. She started coming back to reality slowly, and started reaching out when she realized she didn't have the egg in her arms. But then two strong, warm hands were in hers and she started feeling better.

"It's ok, Toph," Zuko said in calm, soothing tone, and Toph relaxed. She sat up and smiled at him, knowing he was feeling better and suddenly felt an urge and just acted on it. She grabbed his head and pulled him to her, kissing him soundly.

XXXXX

Zuko was surprised, even amazed to have Toph kissing him, especially since all he had been thinking about was that he hadn't kissed her the entire day before, especially before his fight with Tawn, but this was nice. His hands started roaming around Toph's back and hers were roaming as well, until he hissed as she touched the bruise on top of a bruise that both earthbenders he had fought with in the past twenty-four hours had caused.

"Sorry," Toph muttered against his lips, and when he looked down at her, he saw her smiling, and that the shadow seemed to be almost gone from her eyes. "So, what happened? Where's the egg?"

"You caught it. Tawn was burnt and won't be dealing in any trade again once we get back home. In fact, he and his companion may never be found again, lost to the jungle." Toph chuckled at that, and Zuko smiled. "You know, I didn't expect you to let me fight him. I know how much you wanted to."

"Can I face him, just once at least before we leave?" Toph asked, turning those beautiful green eyes up to him. Those jade colored eyes were so full of emotion, so full of pleading, that it melted his heart. Suddenly Zuko realized why Sokka got away with so much, seeing as how he did this to everyone he knew, even to Zuko. Toph's eyes were so large, so innocent, that all he wanted to do was say yes and make her smile, make her eyes come alive again and stay that way.

"Yeah," he said and was pleasantly surprised when Toph hugged him.

"Wait, what's that?" she said, pulling away from him and pointing to the corner of the room.

Zuko grinned and gestured to the little one waiting in the corner. "That is the child you saved," he said as a little dragon crept forward and started a low rumble in its throat that sounded like a purr. It laid its head in Toph's hand, being the size of a large cat, though its body was long and serpent-like.

"He's beautiful," Toph said, amazed as she ran her fingers over the smooth golden scales of the dragon, drinking up his features.

"His name is Wei Lai," Zuko said, scratching behind the little dragon's ears, causing the creature to lean into his hand.

"An appropriate name," Toph said, smiling up at Zuko. "Well, um, where do we go from here?"

"I don't understand," Zuko said, studying Toph. All he really wanted to do was kiss Toph again, but she had a look of intense thinking on her face, and he wondered what she was thinking about. "We go home. This little guy is going to stay here and help his parents teach the others as they hatch. Chief Zhe told me there are thirty eggs, waiting for their proper time. They've been waiting for over thirty years, since my uncle came here, to bring back the dragons."

"That's not what I mean," Toph said with a small frown. "What happens between us? How do you feel about me?"

Zuko smiled, something that had once been a rare thing for him, but seemed to be becoming a common thing around Toph. "I think this should tell you," he said as he pulled her close and kissed her over the dragon that was falling asleep in her lap.

After letting Toph rest a few more hours after they had finally been able to pull apart, Xiou and the chief led them to the dungeon down in the depths of the pyramid. Zuko started feeling a little uneasy the further they went down, but Toph seemed to be feeling better. All of the sun warriors were now bowing to Toph as well as Zuko, and it probably didn't help that little Wei Lai was curled up sleeping in Toph's arms. The little dragon wouldn't let either one of them out of his sight for long, but seemed to prefer Zuko. The chief had told him that it was because they were both firebenders and both understood the true way of firebending. Wei Lai would stay with the sun warriors until he was five years old, and then would move to the capitol to join Zuko as his dragon companion, showing that the Fire Nation and Fire itself was back in balance. Zuko noticed Toph smirking before she handed the sleeping dragon to Xiou as they approached a metal door.

"I like your creativity, Chief," Toph stated before opening the door. The chief just smiled as Zuko followed the small earthbender into the room, but let a small smirk come to his face as he found Tawn bound and hanging from all four limbs, strong ropes supporting his arms and legs from the ceiling, making sure he couldn't have any interaction with the ground around him. Lung was in the cell next to Tawn, pacing in the near dark. "May I say some words to the captive?" Toph asked, pointing at Tawn.

"Of course," the chief stated, nodding to one of the guards who opened the door for Toph. Zuko almost took a step forward to stop Toph, to ask her if she really wanted to get close to Tawn, but he stopped. He knew she could take care of herself.

"Ah, the sweet little lady," Tawn said, seeing Toph through the bruises and small burns on his face. "I will get out of here and you will be mine. I don't care where you hide, how far you run, all will be mi..."

Zuko winced, as did all the men in the room as Toph promptly raised herself on a pillar of stone, kneeing Tawn with great force in a very delicate area, and Tawn started crying, unable to speak or do anything but grimace, his face contorting in ways Zuko didn't think possible.

"I'm not running, Tawn," Toph said, patting Tawn's broken arm, casing the man to wince again. "Not ever again. If you want to fight me, then come get me, any time, any place, but leave it between us. Don't add others. But, I don't think you'll ever get out of here, not unless they let you. Have a nice life, jerkwad. I've found where I belong."

With that, she turned back to Zuko and smiled at him, and the firebender noticed that the shadow he had seen a few nights before had completely vanished from Toph. She would be ok from now on.

"Come on, Sparky, time to go home," Toph said and Zuko just nodded, meeting her with a small kiss, to which Tawn sent a small glare his way. Zuko just sent a small flame Tawn's way over Toph's shoulder and Toph actually giggled when Tawn flinched, making him sway in his bonds.

"All right, let's say goodbye and head back to the Fire Nation. We can talk out all the details on the way there."

The goodbyes were pleasant, and, with promises to visit again, they were sent on their way with a much better farewell than the reception they had received. The little dragon was sad to see them go, and Zuko felt a twinge as he left without the little dragon, but they all understood that Wei Lai needed to grow and learn from his parents. Once Zuko had the controls set to head back to the Fire Nation, he joined Toph at the railing.

"Some field trip, huh?" he asked and Toph smiled before leaning into him.

"Yeah, but the adventure isn't over yet," Toph said.

"Huh?" Zuko asked, glancing over at Toph. "We're heading back, I have work to do. Toph, I don't want you to feel trapped there. But I really want you with me. But if you want to take it slow…"

Toph stopped him by pulling him into a long kiss.

"I'll take that as a no," Zuko said, trying to regain his breath once they had pulled apart for air. Toph just laughed.

"No, I want to live life, to have that be our adventure. You in?"

Zuko smiled and pulled Toph closer. "I'm in. As long as we get an occasional field trip."

"Sounds good to me," Toph said before kissing him again.

A/N: Thanks all for reading. Wei Lai means 'future' and Zhe means 'wisdom'. Please don't forget to review!