Tells (Toph's suspicions)
An unofficial (for now) sequel to The Airbender and the Noble. Reference to Mai/Zuko. They are not dating at the moment. You can feel free to have this be a break Zuko and Mai are having before finding each other again or have this be a low-drama break up and ship whatever you like. I just don't feel like addressing romance directly.
There was something weird about Mai. Toph was sure of it.
She wasn't about to voice her suspicions to Zuko. The guy wore his heart on his sleeve and she didn't need her seismic sense to know he trusted the young noble. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him without evidence and backup.
"I'm telling you guys, something's up with her." She insisted to Sokka and Suki. They were the least likely to do something stupid with her sense of unease (unlike Aang who would tell Zuko or Katara would would confront Mai).
"You've said," Sokka sighed. "But I've been keeping an eye out and I haven't seen anything weird about her."
"You know, except for staying friends with Zuko." Suki added.
"It's not that weird to stay friends with an ex." Sokka protested. "Besides, they're taking 'a break', that's different."
"That's not it." Toph growled. This wasn't about the dating-not dating thing. It was something else.
"Then what is it?!" Sokka flapped his arms in some exasperated gesture.
"Think back to those moments you feel suspicious." Suki cut in before they lost track of the conversation without further bickering. "What's the last time you felt something weird about her?"
Toph frowned. "I guess it was when she stopped that assassin." She scowled in their direction. "And yes. I know that stopping an assassin is the opposite of suspicious behavior but that was the last time I felt really strongly that something was off about her." It was always there a little bit, but that was the moment that Toph felt her hair raise with unease and she'd slammed a wall up between (Fire Lord) Zuko and the perceived threat. It was really only luck that Mai was in between him and the assassin, everyone had written it off as Toph protecting Zuko without impeding the knife thrower instead of Toph mistaking the knife thrower for the dangerous one.
"Okay, go back to that moment." Sokka said. "Think about it."
"Something changed." Suki added. "What was it?" Toph took a deep breath and sat down, propping up her feet so she could focus better without distractions from the world around her.
She'd been walking with Zuko and Mai. She'd tried to squeeze between them, but when that hadn't worked she'd started tugging his sleeve, wanting to take him somewhere, show him something, she didn't remember.
Someone shouted. An assassin in the rafters. She couldn't detect him in the rafters. Mai threw a knife. Blood splashed on the stone floor, followed by the assassin, armed to kill- wait...
Mai threw a knife.
Mai threw a knife and something changed.
Mai threw a knife and became less connected to the earth...
Mai threw a knife and...
"She moved like Aang." Toph blurted out her realization before she could think better of it.
"What?" Suki asked, confused.
"Nothing." Toph said quickly, her mind racing, but they were too smart and the implications of what she'd just said was obvious.
"Toph..." Sokka said slowly "Are you saying that Mai moves like an airbender?"