Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ When Ice and Lava Meet ❯ A Game of Master Thief ( Chapter 16 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: crescentmoon 
Sometimes things don't go as planned when you're playing a game of master thief.
Read and review please. Thanks!
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.30.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 315 | Status: Work In Progress
Sometimes things don't go as planned when you're playing a game of master thief.
Read and review please. Thanks!
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.30.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 315 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don’t own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.
By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.
Chapter Sixteen
It had been over a month since Katara and Zuko last saw each other. The summer weather had settled in, still spring wasn’t over yet. The days were so hot and humid. It promised to be an extremely hot summer.
Toph was in a bad mood. She didn’t enjoy humidity, unlike her roommate. Plus she had really loved those fights. She couldn’t even ‘watch’ them fight as the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. She only found out about his missions after he had returned the item lately. It was adding to her bad mood. She hated being in the dark like that.
The only things that kept her from hurting someone was teasing people, her scams and sneaking off the earth-bend every other day. Although she went to earth-bend yesterday if she didn’t get some good news soon, she would leave to earth-bend again today. Or perhaps she’d just hurt someone. No, she needed to earth-bend and not put Katara through another ‘daring escape from town.’
So when she heard a rumor from a very unreliable person she jumped on it. The rumor this gossip-monger was spreading was that an honorable lady had a necklace that her husband gave her stolen by a fishmonger. Not only that but that the Blue Spirit had been contacted to return it before her husband came home from a long meeting with the Fire Lord.
The rumor was amazingly enough mostly true. But the thief wasn’t a fishmonger but an ex-blacksmith who married an old rich lady. He stole the necklace from around her neck when she refused him He planned to show it to her husband when he returned and claim she gave it to him so he wouldn’t tell anyone about a secret love affair she was having with his messenger boy.
Truly she was a very faithful woman and she feared what her husband might do to her if he believed the dishonorable blacksmith. He would have every right to have her executed for not being faithful. The necklace would be all the proof the judge would need. If her husband believed that horrid man she would die in dishonor.
‘Now,’ thought Toph smugly, ‘Is it true that Zuko has been asked to retrieve the necklace? How do I find out this time?’
Moving Toph went to sit by the estate of the unfortunate woman. She hoped maybe a servant or the lady herself would walk around talking about it. She would settle for someone mumbling to themselves about it. Toph sat there for three hours before anything interesting happened.
“My lady! My lady! Mr. Daffodil is here!” cried a young maid as she rushed inside.
The lady of the house came out of her mansion glaring towards the gate. There a guard was holding back a well-dressed man with a commoner’s accent.
“What do you want Mr. Daffodil?” she sneered. She was a young woman and it looks like she had a fierce temper. Yet it was evident that she was lacking the physical strength to back it up.
The man smiled deviously. “I came to inform you that if you don’t call off your hired spirit then I will leave town.”
“Good!” she snapped at him.
“You didn’t let me finish. I will leave town and go straight to you husband.” He laughed at her stricken face. “Of course my ‘other’ offer still stands.”
“I would rather die for committing the crime, than commit it!”
“Even if I offer you the assurance of you life?”
“You are a coward and a crook! All your promises are nothing but deceptions! You lack the honor required to fulfill your promise. And yet you still sink deeper. You lack the honor of even a lowly chicken-pig boy.” She then backed away two steps. “Take this wretch away. He is a disgrace and is not welcome here.”
“You’ll regret this when you hang!” he yelled back to her. “Expect you’re husband’s wrath when you see him next!”
She whispered, “I will never regret being honorable.” The lady stood up tall and proud, until he was out of site. Then the poor girl sunk to the ground and her maids helped her into the building. She had exhausted herself in her fury.
“My lady, I fear he will leave at first light. He may not even wait that long.” whispered a maid who helped her mistress.
“I fear that also… Hasa take Dolo and find the Blue Spirit and inform him that there has been a change of plans, he needs to retrieve the necklace tonight.” That was the last Toph heard. She had to strain her ears but she caught the words. It was all she needed to hear.
Toph followed the maid, Hasa and the servant, Dolo. They searched for a long time. Occasionally asking someone if they might know how to contact the Blue Spirit.
It was late and the sun was setting. They had looked all day and hadn’t found the Blue Spirit. They did see a young blind woman in their path a lot but they never asked her. Yet she could have led them straight to the foolish boy. The boy who spent his nights playing a game of master thief.
Toph wanted to kick the servants in the head. They really shouldn’t underestimate her just because she was obviously blind. But she knew that was the way of life. Many times she used the common underestimation to her advantage. It was just right now that the belittling way people ignored her or thought she was helpless that she despised. If she weren’t undercover she would despise it very openly.
Finally the servants were heading back home and fortune smiled on them.
Toph, the superior blind girl, ran off and grabbed ‘Sparky, leader of the not being where your needed gang’ because he wasn’t too far away.
“Uhh… Mai Ling where are you taking me?” Zuko asked as he set an expensive tea set down so the shop owner wouldn’t call him a thief.
Toph pulled him down as they sped walked through a back road. “I know your secret Sparky. Well, one of you costumers wants to speak to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your uncle told me remember. So don’t play dumb. Now do a quick change before they get too far away.” Toph pushed him roughly away. Zuko stumbled.
Zuko did as he was ordered. While he did he thought, ‘I didn’t know Uncle told her who I was thieving as. Come to think of it, I didn’t know Uncle knew.’
Following Toph to the people was easy. Zuko was able to get them to pay him a rush service fee, in advance. The day was shaping up to be a very good day. In a few hours he would be returning a necklace and claiming a huge ‘reward’. He smirked as he and Toph walked back the way they had come. He was once again in his street clothes. All was right in his world.
Toph hide her own grin. The day was certain to end in a pleasing way. All was right in her world. Toph celebrated her sure entertainment with a cup of tea served by her favorite old guy, Iroh the Great.
Later when she got home she and Katara had dinner. Katara was a great cook, most of the time. During their dinner Toph told Katara of the poor, helpless girl who would be falsely accused. Katara’s sense of justice and right stampeded her mind and she agreed to help her without any prodding.
Fate or whatever controlled these things certainly was working in Toph’s favor today. Things were looking up.
After sunset’s bright shadows dissipated and the streets were calm Katara roamed the streets. Her disguise as the Painted Lady was as beautiful as it was the first night. Her homemade makeup was very smooth and more comfortable than the Fire Nation gunk she had been using. Tonight promised to be one of her best escapades ever.
Little did the Painted Lady know she was being followed by Toph, underground. Toph didn’t want to miss a second of the new fight between the rested Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit.
The Blue Spirit with his horrible face snuck down the streets like the thief he was. When he made it to the gate he saw the guards were asleep. Things most defiantly were moving for his good tonight.
The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit entered the house from different sides. The Blue Spirit came from the East and from the South the other spirit entered. When they entered the hall that led from one room and gave access to other rooms they were lured by a light. The light poured from a room and made anything beyond the light look like an endless, lightless tunnel.
That is how they came to surprise each other with their appearance out of the inky darkness. Both the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit stepped from the clinging dark matter at the same time.
“What are you doing here?” hissed the blue faced man.
The Painted Lady ignored him and started walking into the room the light emanated from. The Blue Spirit felt snubbed and that upset him. He spitefully pushed past the girl in his way.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” said the voice of the woman standing behind the desk.
The Blue Spirit halted. He blocked the Painted Lady from view, temporarily.
“Hey, lookie here Hasa,” The Painted Lady was vibrated with every sound the man who wrapped her arms around her expelled. “He brought a friend.” The man laughed. The Spirit’s arms were pinned to her sides.
“Oh, do be quiet Daffodil.” Hasa said disrespectfully to Mr. Daffodil.
“If I’m correct it’s the honorable Painted Lady. I wonder if she’s as breathtaking as they say” He leaned down in a way that his breathe rolled in cold drafts across her neck.
The Painted Lady got the message and didn’t like it. To spare herself, she did what she must. With one of her feet she kicked Mr. Daffodil’s sword, in its sheath, into his shin. It happened to be a metal tipped sheath, and hit really hard. The man dropped her with a yelp.
Hasa rolled her eyes. “Can’t you even keep a hold of a child? I swear you’re even useless as muscle.”
“What about your plan to marry me to this old woman for her money. I executed that perfectly.”
Hasa said disdainfully, “So once in your life the spirits blessed you with a miracle.”
“Twice in my life Hasa. They brought us together as well.”
Hasa smiled. “And that is why a keep you around.”
The woman didn’t notice until he was right in front of her that the Blue Spirit had been sneaking up while they were talking.
He reached up to yank the necklace off her neck. Unfortunately she noticed in time and jumped back and out the open window she had prepared as an escape should it prove needful. The necklace still dangled around her neck. “No-no. This necklace is mine now.” She touched the necklace as if to show it off. “It looks better on me then it ever did that sickly, little baby.” Then she addressed the other man in the building. “Lo, catch that little one; I’ll handle this big boy. We can hand them over to the Fire Squad together and gain a greater reward.”
“Right.” the big lug nodded.
The Blue Spirit leapt through the window. Then ran after Hasa as she ran off.
The Painted Lady ripped the curtain from the wall when Lo Daffodil charged her. She caught Lo in the curtain effortlessly. She tied the curtain rope around the bundle she made. When she let go he fell out the window.
The Painted Lady looked out at him surprised. He was struggling to untangle himself. His face was nowhere to be seen. The Painted Lady climbed onto the window seal and slipped gracefully onto the downed man’s back.
After she made it safely to the ground she took off after the two departed souls. The Painted Lady watched them trade blows. She was waiting for the perfect moment to step in.
She waited too long. The Blue Spirit managed to rip the necklace from his opponent's neck. “See ya.” He yelled as he began to run away.
The woman screeched. She unleashed her fire bending while his back was turned. Before this point she hadn’t used it. “I didn’t want to turn you in injured but I will!”
The Blue Spirit turned when he heard the fire coming but he wouldn’t have been able to block it in time. He saw the water that sizzled it away. It shocked and relieved him.
Someone stepped between them. “Have you no honor at all?” questioned the younger woman of the two in a quiet voice. Her voice spoke on more levels then if she were yelling.
“Honor! Ha! Honor is something only the wealthy can afford!”
“You are wrong, honor is the only thing the poor cannot have taken from them.” said the Painted Lady.
The Blue Spirit realizing that he could get away while this interaction was taking place turned to run.
When Hasa noticed him running away she yelled, “Lo! You fool, he is escaping!” Then she remembered the other spirit was still there. “I may have lost the chance at his reward, but I will not end this night empty-handed.” She broke out a pair of handcuffs she was hiding on her person.
When the Blue Spirit didn’t hear feet running after him he turned to see why he was not pursued. He saw the woman bring out the handcuffs and begin slipping closer to the unsuspecting spirit. He turned to continue running but his conscience pricked him. The Blue Spirit groaned and started running back.
‘Ha! I’ve got her!’ thought Hasa.
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Here it is everyone. I’m sorry it took so long. I will try to be better about getting them out. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Special thanks to all my reviewers; zutara-fan-forever, zutararules777, phili91, num1avatarfan, mannie258, aquadore, Annika-Kisha, monkeycrazyfish and Bambi428 from DeviantART and to Kaydreams and Alice Prince from fan fiction()net. Thanks a heap, if you all didn’t give me your encouragement this chapter and all the chapters too come might not have been put up or even written.
Q&A: zutararules777 asked if Toph knows that Zuko is the Blue Spirit, the Answer is Yes she does, it goes with her abilities.
I have a QUESTION for KAYDREAMS, you said in you’re last review that you were keeping score, what is the score now? (Previous score was Katara: 6 Zuko: 0)
If you all know what was to come in the next chapter you would flip out! It’s that awesome! I lie not. =D
Please review. Thanks. Write again soon!
By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.
Chapter Sixteen
It had been over a month since Katara and Zuko last saw each other. The summer weather had settled in, still spring wasn’t over yet. The days were so hot and humid. It promised to be an extremely hot summer.
Toph was in a bad mood. She didn’t enjoy humidity, unlike her roommate. Plus she had really loved those fights. She couldn’t even ‘watch’ them fight as the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. She only found out about his missions after he had returned the item lately. It was adding to her bad mood. She hated being in the dark like that.
The only things that kept her from hurting someone was teasing people, her scams and sneaking off the earth-bend every other day. Although she went to earth-bend yesterday if she didn’t get some good news soon, she would leave to earth-bend again today. Or perhaps she’d just hurt someone. No, she needed to earth-bend and not put Katara through another ‘daring escape from town.’
So when she heard a rumor from a very unreliable person she jumped on it. The rumor this gossip-monger was spreading was that an honorable lady had a necklace that her husband gave her stolen by a fishmonger. Not only that but that the Blue Spirit had been contacted to return it before her husband came home from a long meeting with the Fire Lord.
The rumor was amazingly enough mostly true. But the thief wasn’t a fishmonger but an ex-blacksmith who married an old rich lady. He stole the necklace from around her neck when she refused him He planned to show it to her husband when he returned and claim she gave it to him so he wouldn’t tell anyone about a secret love affair she was having with his messenger boy.
Truly she was a very faithful woman and she feared what her husband might do to her if he believed the dishonorable blacksmith. He would have every right to have her executed for not being faithful. The necklace would be all the proof the judge would need. If her husband believed that horrid man she would die in dishonor.
‘Now,’ thought Toph smugly, ‘Is it true that Zuko has been asked to retrieve the necklace? How do I find out this time?’
Moving Toph went to sit by the estate of the unfortunate woman. She hoped maybe a servant or the lady herself would walk around talking about it. She would settle for someone mumbling to themselves about it. Toph sat there for three hours before anything interesting happened.
“My lady! My lady! Mr. Daffodil is here!” cried a young maid as she rushed inside.
The lady of the house came out of her mansion glaring towards the gate. There a guard was holding back a well-dressed man with a commoner’s accent.
“What do you want Mr. Daffodil?” she sneered. She was a young woman and it looks like she had a fierce temper. Yet it was evident that she was lacking the physical strength to back it up.
The man smiled deviously. “I came to inform you that if you don’t call off your hired spirit then I will leave town.”
“Good!” she snapped at him.
“You didn’t let me finish. I will leave town and go straight to you husband.” He laughed at her stricken face. “Of course my ‘other’ offer still stands.”
“I would rather die for committing the crime, than commit it!”
“Even if I offer you the assurance of you life?”
“You are a coward and a crook! All your promises are nothing but deceptions! You lack the honor required to fulfill your promise. And yet you still sink deeper. You lack the honor of even a lowly chicken-pig boy.” She then backed away two steps. “Take this wretch away. He is a disgrace and is not welcome here.”
“You’ll regret this when you hang!” he yelled back to her. “Expect you’re husband’s wrath when you see him next!”
She whispered, “I will never regret being honorable.” The lady stood up tall and proud, until he was out of site. Then the poor girl sunk to the ground and her maids helped her into the building. She had exhausted herself in her fury.
“My lady, I fear he will leave at first light. He may not even wait that long.” whispered a maid who helped her mistress.
“I fear that also… Hasa take Dolo and find the Blue Spirit and inform him that there has been a change of plans, he needs to retrieve the necklace tonight.” That was the last Toph heard. She had to strain her ears but she caught the words. It was all she needed to hear.
Toph followed the maid, Hasa and the servant, Dolo. They searched for a long time. Occasionally asking someone if they might know how to contact the Blue Spirit.
It was late and the sun was setting. They had looked all day and hadn’t found the Blue Spirit. They did see a young blind woman in their path a lot but they never asked her. Yet she could have led them straight to the foolish boy. The boy who spent his nights playing a game of master thief.
Toph wanted to kick the servants in the head. They really shouldn’t underestimate her just because she was obviously blind. But she knew that was the way of life. Many times she used the common underestimation to her advantage. It was just right now that the belittling way people ignored her or thought she was helpless that she despised. If she weren’t undercover she would despise it very openly.
Finally the servants were heading back home and fortune smiled on them.
Toph, the superior blind girl, ran off and grabbed ‘Sparky, leader of the not being where your needed gang’ because he wasn’t too far away.
“Uhh… Mai Ling where are you taking me?” Zuko asked as he set an expensive tea set down so the shop owner wouldn’t call him a thief.
Toph pulled him down as they sped walked through a back road. “I know your secret Sparky. Well, one of you costumers wants to speak to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your uncle told me remember. So don’t play dumb. Now do a quick change before they get too far away.” Toph pushed him roughly away. Zuko stumbled.
Zuko did as he was ordered. While he did he thought, ‘I didn’t know Uncle told her who I was thieving as. Come to think of it, I didn’t know Uncle knew.’
Following Toph to the people was easy. Zuko was able to get them to pay him a rush service fee, in advance. The day was shaping up to be a very good day. In a few hours he would be returning a necklace and claiming a huge ‘reward’. He smirked as he and Toph walked back the way they had come. He was once again in his street clothes. All was right in his world.
Toph hide her own grin. The day was certain to end in a pleasing way. All was right in her world. Toph celebrated her sure entertainment with a cup of tea served by her favorite old guy, Iroh the Great.
Later when she got home she and Katara had dinner. Katara was a great cook, most of the time. During their dinner Toph told Katara of the poor, helpless girl who would be falsely accused. Katara’s sense of justice and right stampeded her mind and she agreed to help her without any prodding.
Fate or whatever controlled these things certainly was working in Toph’s favor today. Things were looking up.
After sunset’s bright shadows dissipated and the streets were calm Katara roamed the streets. Her disguise as the Painted Lady was as beautiful as it was the first night. Her homemade makeup was very smooth and more comfortable than the Fire Nation gunk she had been using. Tonight promised to be one of her best escapades ever.
Little did the Painted Lady know she was being followed by Toph, underground. Toph didn’t want to miss a second of the new fight between the rested Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit.
The Blue Spirit with his horrible face snuck down the streets like the thief he was. When he made it to the gate he saw the guards were asleep. Things most defiantly were moving for his good tonight.
The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit entered the house from different sides. The Blue Spirit came from the East and from the South the other spirit entered. When they entered the hall that led from one room and gave access to other rooms they were lured by a light. The light poured from a room and made anything beyond the light look like an endless, lightless tunnel.
That is how they came to surprise each other with their appearance out of the inky darkness. Both the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit stepped from the clinging dark matter at the same time.
“What are you doing here?” hissed the blue faced man.
The Painted Lady ignored him and started walking into the room the light emanated from. The Blue Spirit felt snubbed and that upset him. He spitefully pushed past the girl in his way.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” said the voice of the woman standing behind the desk.
The Blue Spirit halted. He blocked the Painted Lady from view, temporarily.
“Hey, lookie here Hasa,” The Painted Lady was vibrated with every sound the man who wrapped her arms around her expelled. “He brought a friend.” The man laughed. The Spirit’s arms were pinned to her sides.
“Oh, do be quiet Daffodil.” Hasa said disrespectfully to Mr. Daffodil.
“If I’m correct it’s the honorable Painted Lady. I wonder if she’s as breathtaking as they say” He leaned down in a way that his breathe rolled in cold drafts across her neck.
The Painted Lady got the message and didn’t like it. To spare herself, she did what she must. With one of her feet she kicked Mr. Daffodil’s sword, in its sheath, into his shin. It happened to be a metal tipped sheath, and hit really hard. The man dropped her with a yelp.
Hasa rolled her eyes. “Can’t you even keep a hold of a child? I swear you’re even useless as muscle.”
“What about your plan to marry me to this old woman for her money. I executed that perfectly.”
Hasa said disdainfully, “So once in your life the spirits blessed you with a miracle.”
“Twice in my life Hasa. They brought us together as well.”
Hasa smiled. “And that is why a keep you around.”
The woman didn’t notice until he was right in front of her that the Blue Spirit had been sneaking up while they were talking.
He reached up to yank the necklace off her neck. Unfortunately she noticed in time and jumped back and out the open window she had prepared as an escape should it prove needful. The necklace still dangled around her neck. “No-no. This necklace is mine now.” She touched the necklace as if to show it off. “It looks better on me then it ever did that sickly, little baby.” Then she addressed the other man in the building. “Lo, catch that little one; I’ll handle this big boy. We can hand them over to the Fire Squad together and gain a greater reward.”
“Right.” the big lug nodded.
The Blue Spirit leapt through the window. Then ran after Hasa as she ran off.
The Painted Lady ripped the curtain from the wall when Lo Daffodil charged her. She caught Lo in the curtain effortlessly. She tied the curtain rope around the bundle she made. When she let go he fell out the window.
The Painted Lady looked out at him surprised. He was struggling to untangle himself. His face was nowhere to be seen. The Painted Lady climbed onto the window seal and slipped gracefully onto the downed man’s back.
After she made it safely to the ground she took off after the two departed souls. The Painted Lady watched them trade blows. She was waiting for the perfect moment to step in.
She waited too long. The Blue Spirit managed to rip the necklace from his opponent's neck. “See ya.” He yelled as he began to run away.
The woman screeched. She unleashed her fire bending while his back was turned. Before this point she hadn’t used it. “I didn’t want to turn you in injured but I will!”
The Blue Spirit turned when he heard the fire coming but he wouldn’t have been able to block it in time. He saw the water that sizzled it away. It shocked and relieved him.
Someone stepped between them. “Have you no honor at all?” questioned the younger woman of the two in a quiet voice. Her voice spoke on more levels then if she were yelling.
“Honor! Ha! Honor is something only the wealthy can afford!”
“You are wrong, honor is the only thing the poor cannot have taken from them.” said the Painted Lady.
The Blue Spirit realizing that he could get away while this interaction was taking place turned to run.
When Hasa noticed him running away she yelled, “Lo! You fool, he is escaping!” Then she remembered the other spirit was still there. “I may have lost the chance at his reward, but I will not end this night empty-handed.” She broke out a pair of handcuffs she was hiding on her person.
When the Blue Spirit didn’t hear feet running after him he turned to see why he was not pursued. He saw the woman bring out the handcuffs and begin slipping closer to the unsuspecting spirit. He turned to continue running but his conscience pricked him. The Blue Spirit groaned and started running back.
‘Ha! I’ve got her!’ thought Hasa.
929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929929 929929929
Here it is everyone. I’m sorry it took so long. I will try to be better about getting them out. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Special thanks to all my reviewers; zutara-fan-forever, zutararules777, phili91, num1avatarfan, mannie258, aquadore, Annika-Kisha, monkeycrazyfish and Bambi428 from DeviantART and to Kaydreams and Alice Prince from fan fiction()net. Thanks a heap, if you all didn’t give me your encouragement this chapter and all the chapters too come might not have been put up or even written.
Q&A: zutararules777 asked if Toph knows that Zuko is the Blue Spirit, the Answer is Yes she does, it goes with her abilities.
I have a QUESTION for KAYDREAMS, you said in you’re last review that you were keeping score, what is the score now? (Previous score was Katara: 6 Zuko: 0)
If you all know what was to come in the next chapter you would flip out! It’s that awesome! I lie not. =D
Please review. Thanks. Write again soon!