"Hey, cave!" Amaya said, pointing. "That'd be a good place to stop for the day."
"Shh!" Sokka hissed sharply. "Keep it quiet!"
Appa dipped down and landed on the small stretch of volcanic rock between the mouth of the cave Amaya had seen and the water. Amaya disused the cloud she and Katara had whipped up to disguise them with a burst of air that irritated all the birds in the immediate vicinity.
"Great job on the cloud camo guys, but next time let's try and disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that can keep its mouth shut," Sokka said as he pressed his back against a rock and peered around the edge suspiciously.
"Hmm, yeah, it'd be horrible if a bird heard us chatting up there and turned us in," Toph said sarcastically.
"Hey!" Sokka said sharply. "This is enemy territory. Those are enemy birds." A bird hopped onto his head and Sokka scowled while everyone laughed at him. He shooed the bird away and lead the way into the cave with a series of dramatic espionage moves.
"Well, this is how we'll be living up until the invasion!" he said cheerfully. "Living in cave after cave… after cave… after cave…"
"There's no need for us to become cave people," Katara said, shaking her head at her brother's drama. "What we need are new clothes!"
"Yes!" Amaya said cheerfully. She was sick of going around with nothing more than bandages and a scrap of cloth across her chest. "Fire Nation disguises would keep us just as safe as becoming cave-dwellers."
"Plus, they have real food out there. Who here wants to squat in the dirt and eat cave hopper, show of hands?" Toph slammed the wall with her fist, triggering a burst of the insects that Momo dove on eagerly.
"That's on for squatting, three for new clothes," Amaya grinned. "The clothes have it."
It didn't take them long to find a laundry. Clothes hung swinging in the breeze next to the waterfall where they were washed, the owner dozing in the doorway of the shop.
"I call the silk robe!" Katara yelled, running across and grabbing articles of clothing from the line randomly. Toph and Amaya did the same while Sokka sorted through shirts to find one in his size. They came away with a pretty decent selection, sorting through it and picking out what they wanted before separating to change.
Amaya came away with a shirt that came to just under her breasts, a halter top with a mandarin collar concealing her necklaces. She paired it with a floor-length skirt of the same deep red, slipping a pair of knee-length rosy pants on under it. She kept a shorter skirt to wear when things got violent. She grabbed a vest to cover up with when it got cold and pulled it on, buttoning it high. She slid on a pair of armored boots and stared down at herself as she stepped from behind the rocks she used for cover.
"I should wear shoes," Toph mused as she sat down beside Sokka. Both of them had already changed. "But I won't see as well. So…" She ripped off the sole of the shoe. "Finally, a stylish shoe for the blind Earthbender."
"Very nice," Amaya approved. Katara stepped out from behind the rocks.
"How do I look?"
Amaya gave her a thumbs up, then frowned. "Mother's necklace," she said.
"Oh," Katara said somberly, touching the carving. "I guess it's pretty obviously Water Tribe, huh?" She pulled it off and tucked it inside her blouse for safekeeping. "And your arrow."
Amaya sighed dejectedly as she took the piece of fabric Sokka proffered, tying it around her head.
"We can get new bling in town," Sokka suggested. "I mean, a warrior's wolf tail isn't really standard Fire Nation, so we'll need something to fix our hair with."
"Is it sad I'm not surprised he brought that up?" Amaya asked curiously as they walked into town.
It didn't take long to find a stall selling accessories. Sokka found something to pull his hair into a topknot, Toph grabbing a more Fire Nation appropriate headband. Katara grabbed a necklace to keep her neck from feeling bare. Amaya, who already had a Fire Nation-themed hair accessory from Roku, came away with two thick gold rings to go around her upper arm. They fit well with the bracers and gloves from Kyoshi Island she had taken to wearing again. With her glider gone, any fighting she did would be bending or hand to hand, and the guards would definitely give her an edge. Thankfully, her fans had made it, so she also had those to help her in a fight, tucked safely in a sash about her waist.
"Okay, food!" Sokka grinned as they arrived outside of a restaurant advertising various forms of meat on a stick.
"Oh," Amaya said dully. "Meat."
"Come on Amaya, everyone here eats meat!" Sokka said.
"Yeah, I'll go get some lettuce out of the garbage," Amaya said, wincing at the thought of meat. Sokka had convinced her to try it once. The all-night vomiting fest convinced her to leave it alone. "You guys go ahead."
Amaya stood outside, leaning against the wall as the others went inside to eat.
"You there, hold it! We've got you!"
"Say what?" Amaya blinked as she was suddenly faced with three annoyed-looking guards.
"It couldn't be plainer that you don't belong here," an older man sneered at her.
"Oh it probably could," she muttered under her breath.
"Here's a tip," one soldier said. "Next time you play hooky, leave the school vest at home."
"Huh?" Amaya said blankly. The soldiers just rolled their eyes and scoffed at her as they grabbed her, hauling her down the street and into an institutional-looking building. They threw open a set of doors and Amaya blinked at the honest-to-Agni classroom that was revealed, with a teacher and students at their desks and everything.
"What's this?" the teacher asked sharply. She was a hateful-looking woman with a tight bun and thin, scowling face. "A new mind ready for molding?"
"We'll go with that," Amaya said as she was thrown inside the classroom.
"Wait!" the teacher snapped as the soldiers turned to leave. She came forwards, circling Amaya, who hunched down in an effort to seem less conspicuous. "You're clearly not from the Fire Nation."
Oh crap.
"You must be from the colonies," the teacher sneered.
"Uh yeah!" Amaya said, pleased she had been handed a story. "The colonies in the Earth Kingdom." She watched from the corner of her eye with relief as the soldiers left.
"Your manners are deplorable!" the teacher snapped. "In the home country we bow to our elders, like so!" She demonstrated and Amaya bowed, copying her hand gesture precisely.
"Very well. Do you have a name, or shall we just call you mannerless colony slob?"
"Er, Kuzon," Amaya blurted without thinking. The teacher cocked an eyebrow.
"Kuzon is a boy's name. And take that headband off, we don't wear head coverings inside!"
"Tell that to my parent, they're the ones that wanted a boy, and… I have a scar," Amaya said softly, brushing off a skill she had honed back at the temple and BSing her way out of trouble. "Our village was attacked by rebels, and well…"
"Very well," the teacher said again. "Take a seat."
Amaya sat awkwardly and fidgeted. She was the first person out the door and into the courtyard as soon as they were released, gasping for air as she checked in Momo tucked safely inside her vest.
"Well, we made it buddy," she muttered. "And…" she beamed. "It was sort of fun!" Imagine, that could have been her life. At the moment, it didn't seem like such a bad alternative.
"Don't let the Headmaster catch you with that monkey."
"There's no monkey here!" Amaya snapped, whirling around to see a slightly younger girl standing there behind her grinning. "Oh er, I mean…"
"It's fine. Nice headband, by the way. I'm Anji," the girl said, sticking out her hand.
"Am- Kuzon," Amaya corrected swiftly, shaking the hand. "I'm Kuzon."
Something shoved roughly into her shoulder and Amaya looked to see a tall boy wrapping his arm around Anji's shoulders.
"Come on Anji," he said, sneering at her. "You don't have to babysit the new kid."
"Haven't had a babysitter since I nearly killed the last one," Amaya said sharply. "And you are?"
"Listen colony trash, I'll say this slow so you can understand. Anji's too good to hang around with you, so don't start clinging to her to get in good here."
"Alright, think I understand. Now listen here, mindless bullying idiot. I'm not going to scare that easy, so you can take your threats to someone who'll scamper away with their tail between their legs. You want to worry me, come back when you've stepped it up a bit," Amaya finished, shoving him sharply in the shoulder and then turning on her heel and striding away with her nose in the air. Bullies? Yeah, they hadn't bothered her much at the Air Temple. Mostly because they knew she could take them. In fact, it got to the point where any attempts at bullying amused more than frightened her.
Amaya went 'home' quickly, knowing her friends would be worried, and ducked into the cave, whistling cheerfully.
"Where were you?" Katara demanded when she came in. They had gotten a fire going and were sitting around it talking. "We were worried sick!"
"I got caught up at school," Amaya shrugged, pulling the headband off and letting her arrow breathe.
"At what?" Sokka shrieked, bolting upright.
"I may have been enrolled in a Fire Nation school," Amaya said innocently. "And I'm going back tomorrow." To get a slice of normalcy before I go to war.
"Enrolled in what?"
"School."
"Enrolled in what?"
"Sokka," Amaya groaned, sitting down across from them at the fire.
"Okay Amaya, I'm trying to be mature and not immediately shoot down your idea… but it sound really terrible."
"Yeah, we've got the new clothes, what do you need to go to school for?" Toph snorted.
"Every minute I'm there I learn more about the Fire Nation," Amaya reasoned, reaching into the pocket of her skirt. She pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. "See? I already have a detail geographical map of the Fire Nation. And I made this one myself," she added, showing a sloppily drawn copy of the map. Katara frowned at it.
"Why are there little Zs on that one part?"
"Those are mountains!"
"And why it there a tree in the middle of that island?"
"It's a volcano!" Amaya said defensively. "Okay, so art's not my strong suit, moving on!"
"It's impressive, I'll admit," Sokka allowed. "But I still think this is a horrible idea!"
Amaya sighed dispassionately, tipping her head forwards to hide a mischievous smile. "Too bad. I guess we'll never know about the secret river that goes all the way to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it tomorrow, but…"
"I am a fan of secret rivers," Sokka mused cautiously. "Fine. A few more days, then we're gone!"
"Whoo!" Amaya cheered happily, jumping up and spinning herself in a tiny cyclone of air.
The teacher marched in a barked, "Recite the Fire Nation oath!"
Amaya stood with the rest of the class, trying to look like she actually had a clue as to what she was doing, and turned to face the gigantic picture of Fire Lord Ozai covering the back wall of the classroom. The students around her began talking, at first Amaya tried to keep up, but she hadn't a prayer of blending in so she winged it.
"Firebenders. Fire Lord… Oh screw it!" she exclaimed just as the other stopped talking. Her voice echoed in the silence. The class giggled at her faux pas. "Oh drat."
The teacher's pointer hit the desk, cracking loudly.
"Since it's obviously hilarious to mock our National Oath, we will begin today with a pop quiz on our Great March of Civilization."
The class groaned as they took their seats. Amaya had no idea what a pop quiz was, but it sounded painful. She pulled the book of paper supplied and pulled it towards herself, ducking her head to try and make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
"Question one: What year did the great Fire Lord Sozin battle the Air Nation Army?"
Amaya's brain immediately responded with ? She raised her hand, completely confused.
"Kuzon?" the teacher asked. Amaya stood.
"With all due respect ma'am, huh?"she asked. "Is this a trick? The Air Nomads didn't have a formal military. They were all monks, they hated violence. Sozin only beat them because he ambushed them."
The class gaped at her, the teacher spluttered. "Well- I don't know how you could know more than our national history book. Unless you were actually there a hundred years ago."
Amaya beamed. "You got me. I'm the Avatar. Take me away." She held out her wrists. The class snickered and the teacher snorted.
"Perhaps if you spent less time dreaming up fantasies and more time studying, you'd know the answer. Now sit!" This was accompanied by a smack of the pointer. Amaya sank back into her seat and began writing down the true answers, free of Fire Nation propaganda. Well, why not? She'd be gone in a day or so, best give the teacher some truth.
Amaya was actually excited about music class. She adored music from all the nations, though a slight edge had to go to the Air Nomads of course. However, she was incredibly nervous when she was handed a sungi horn and sat in the back of some risers. The fat man with grey-streaked hair conducting to class raised his baton, and the playing began. Wincing visibly, Amaya took a deep breath and began to play, her feet dancing across the bleachers to keep her from focusing on how bad she was.
Suddenly she realized that her horrible sungi playing was the only noise in the class. Opening her eyes she looked around to see the entire class staring at her like she had just announced… well, that she was the Avatar. Again.
"Yeah, sorry," she apologized. "The sungi horn isn't exactly my forte."
"No child, the hullabaloo going on with your feet. Is that a nervous disorder?" the conductor asked. Amaya frowned.
"You mean dancing? I know, some people look like they a disorder, but…" She saw the blank looks she was getting. "You don't dance in the home country, do you?" she said glumly.
"Young people must have rigid discipline and order. Dancing is not conducive to an educational atmosphere."
"Don't you guys express yourselves?" Amaya blinked.
"I know we are sometimes so moved by our pride in our great nation that we simply can't control ourselves," the conductor said, and Amaya looked at him askance. Was he serious? "Very well. If you can't control yourself, you may march in place quietly the next time you feel the need."
"Okay," Amaya said glumly. She played a few notes with the rest of the band, but mostly she just sat there wondering if the Fire Nation even knew what fun was.
All eyes were on her at the end of school, and dancing was the subject of the gossip. Amaya hurried off though the courtyard, anxious to get back to the cave. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Bad teachers she could handle, she'd dealt with Kyro for years. Bullies, okay, everywhere had them. Rampant propaganda was expected. But being in the spotlight? Yeah, that had to go.
Amaya blinked and recoiled as a figure stepped in front of her from the crowd.
"Anji," Amaya said blankly, remembering the girl from the day before.
"Hey Kuzon," she said cheerfully. "I thought that whole dancing thing you did in class today was pretty cool."
Amaya beamed. "Thanks. I could teach you, you know, I- eep!" Amaya jumped forwards and fire tickled at her back, making mischief with her braid. She turned to see the big bully from yesterday.
"No one talks to me like that!" he snapped. "And I told you to keep your colony trash self away from my Anji. I don't care if you're a girl, I'm calling you out!"
Whatever he was expecting, be it crying or pleading, Amaya bursting out laughing in his face was definitely not it.
"Oh spare me," she giggled. "If you last five minutes against me I'll personally draw grafitti on the picture of Fire Lord Ozai in our classroom." The kids around them gasped at her audacity and the boy grinned.
It takes twice as much energy to swing and miss as it does to swing and hit.
Amaya recalled Gyatso's words as the boy swung. She slipped under his blows, dancing around him and taunting him, tweaking his nose once as she dodged his attacks. She skipped behind his back and pressed herself against him in a classic Airbending move, grinning as he tried frantically to get to her. Finally he had the sense to pull away and turn on her, so she slipped between his widely-placed legs, too widely-placed actually. It was easy to kick the back of his knee as she went. He dropped to the ground, then shot up and lunged at her. Amaya ducked under his wild swing, laughing, and hooked her foot around his ankle, dropping him again. She stood over him and smiled.
"And you thought I was…?"
"Picking fights on your second day of school?"
"Oh drat."
"We'll need to have a conference with your parents," the headmaster said as he picked the boy up. Amaya gaped. "Bring them to my office after school. Don't be late."
"I shall try and contain excitement," Amaya said, sweeping a grand bow. The headmaster looked down at her.
"Your attitude needs some serious adjustment."
"So does your face," she muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing!" Amaya sing-songed. "I'll go right and get my parents sir!"
"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs…"
"Fire," Sokka said, twiddling with his new mustache and beard. "Wang Fire. This is my wife, Sa Fire."
"Sapphire Fire, nice to meet you," Katara smiled, patting her 'pregnant' belly.
"Well then, Mr. and Mrs…. Fire. Your daughter Kuzon has only been here two days and already she' argued with her history teacher, disrupted music class, and roughed up my star pupil. And she continues to forget parts of her uniform!"
"My, that doesn't sound like our Kuzon," Katara said, placing her hands on Amaya's shoulders in a motherly gesture. Amaya winced as the girl's strong fingers dug into her.
"That's what any mother would say ma'am," the headmaster said sympathetically. "Nonetheless, if she acts up one more times it's off to reform school with her. By which I mean the coal mines."
"You have nothing to worry about Mr. Headmaster sir, I'll straighten this girl out something fierce!" Sokka said in a loud, obnoxious voice. He turned a roared in her face. "Young lady, when we get home you're going to get the punishment of a lifetime!"
"That's what I like to hear," the headmaster said contentedly, leaning back in his chair. The trio rose and left the room, Sokka swaggering along behind in a ridiculous 'adult' walk.
Amaya swayed suddenly and collapsed against the wall as her vision flickered.
Zuko stood on the balcony of the Fire Nation palace, staring out at the sunset. Azula slipped frm the shadows and moved to his side.
"You've been avoiding Mai."
"I'm not interested in her anymore."
"Funny, you're not interested in her, yet you're interested in uncle."
"Who told you?"
"You did, just now. Believe it or not I'm trying to protect you. If people find out you're visiting him, you could be suspected of plotting with him."
Amaya couldn't contain herself. Being faced with Zuko time after time when she knew well and good that she would probably never see him again, and if she did, they would be on opposite sides… It was like her own personal brand of hell dredged up by the spirits. Whatever she had done to deserve it, she was sorry.
And this time, no matter what he wanted, she had to step in. Her hand brushed across his cheek, just under his scar.
"Azula always lies," she whispered in his ear. "Azula always lies."
"Is she alright?" the headmaster asked as Amaya came back to herself. Amaya found that she was now stretched out in Sokka's strong arms.
"She's fine sir, just gets these fainting spells sometimes, poor thing," Katara said as they left hurriedly.
"I'm good now," Amaya muttered as the door shut behind them. Sokka put her down, but let her lean against him as they made their way back to the cave quickly.
"No more school for you young lady!" Sokka screamed at her as she sat down. Amaya flinched and looked up at the sudden noise. She stood, sweeping to Appa's side and petting his nose.
"I don't want to stop going," she admitted. "It's a chance to be normal for a few days before I 'go into battle.' You don't know what it's like to want that Sokka, you're always normal." Toph snorted. "These kids are the future of the Fire Nation. What better way to help this place than starting with them?"
"Okay, valid point," Sokka conceded. "But what can you do for a country of depraved little fire monsters."
"Well." Amaya mused. "A little taste of freedom wouldn't be amiss." She grinned. "A dance party comes to mind."
"Go to your room!"
Amaya yanked off Sokka's beard. "Sorry daddy," she teased. "I don't take orders from Fire Nation."
It took Amaya no end of convincing, but soon they were setting up for a dance party.
"I can't believe I agreed to a dance party," Sokka sighed. "It seems so… silly."
"Then don't think of it as a dance party," Amaya reasoned. "It's a cultural exchange celebrating the art of fancy footwork."
"Everybody stop bending!" Toph called suddenly. "They're coming."
"Come on buddy," Amaya said, shooing Appa out of the cave. "You should wait out back." Appa groaned. "Oh, I know. You've got the fanciest feet here. And six of them!"
The band filed in, setting up their instruments on the daises Toph had raised. When they were ready, students began trickling in. They bunched awkwardly along the walls, seemingly at a loss.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Flameos!" Amaya beamed, stepping out in front of the students. Her feet were already tapping and she was shimmying a bit. "Yeah, if this doesn't get them moving I don't know what will."
"Now what do we do?" Amaya turned to see that not one person had started moving yet. They still just stood there, looking lost and confused.
"Well, you dance!" she grinned.
"I don't think my parents want me dancing in caves." Probably true.
"What if someone finds out?" I've got a problem.
"Okay, listen up," she sighed. "Dancing is a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you. It's not something you think about, it's something you do."
"Maybe it was different in the colonies Kuzon, but we don't do that here!"
Amaya snorted. "Of course you do, you have for generations. I just happen to know several classic Fire Nation dance moves." She let her arms flow behind her as she danced. "A hundred years ago this was the Pheonix Flight." She switched it up. "And this was the Camelephant Strut." That was one of Bumi's favorites. Of course, in his case, it was more the Pig Chicken Having a Seizure. Dancing King Bumi was not.
"This is how they do it in the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se," Amaya coached, swaying and waving her arms. She saw Anji standing awkwardly on the side and grabbed her, pulling her in. She positioned her arms properly and then stood in front of her, demonstrating. Anji grinned and joined in. Soon more people were nervously trying to dance.
"That's good, go with that!" Amaya beamed. "Now, everybody freestyle!"
She walked among the dancers, looking around. Some were average, some were startlingly good, others were…
"Oh my god it's Bumi all over."
"Hey Kuzon?"
Amaya turned to see a pair of girls standing there nervously.
"What's up?" she asked cheerfully, still swaying as she talked.
"Well, I really want to dance with Chizo," one girl said, blushing.
"And I want to dance with his twin Shizo."
"But we can't seem to get their attention!" the two chorused.
"Can you help us out?" one asked. Amaya grinned.
"Oh yes I can," she smiled. "Come on, just watch me."
Amaya stepped out into a clear place on the dance floor and waited for a new song. The new one was perfect, with lots of drums. She particularly enjoyed some of the more traditional Fire Nation dances, although a lot of them were a bit risqué. Still, very few of them required particularly intense training to get the hang of.
She started by shimmying her hips, then added her chest, and then she began dancing in earnest, dropping to the ground on her knees and rolling her torso fully around, seizing the ends of her skirt. This dance was more flirty than anything, involving lots of skirt flips. Amaya rose to her feet, still wiggling her chest, and raised the edges of her skirt until the fabric spread like wings, then she began to spin. Her skirt flared around her in intricate patterns as she spun and waved her arms. She paused, shaking her hips, to weave the end of the skirt into a complicated pattern, before dropping it entirely and just spinning. Her skirt fanned out widely and exposed her bare legs up to the middle of her thigh. Of course, most of the girls here were still wearing their uniforms, so they couldn't do that.
Amaya shifted gears suddenly, grabbing Sokka and hauling him into the ring. She would have loved to do some of the dances based on bending, but they required a partner who could bend, and she didn't have one of those. Still, she had a Sokka.
"What are you doing, young lady?" he demanded in his adult voice.
"Well, in all honesty, I'm about to dance like a slut, thanks for asking," she grinned, before looping a leg around his waist and bending back until one elegantly draped hand brushed the ground. She snapped back up and then spun Sokka out of the ring. He bumped into a girl who looked all too pleased to catch his eye.
Amaya turned and began shimmying, rolling her body and waving her hands in precise, delicate motions. She froze suddenly, hands out to her side and frozen in a delicate position, hips moving independently from the rest of her body.
Zuko stared in awe as Amaya danced in the cave, surrounded by school children. While the scene was strange, it was definitely worth watching. While fighting, her motions had been graceful and confident enough to be attractive. But this dance she was doing was different, intentionally alluring and drawing attention to every asset she possessed. He felt something leap up inside him and roar angrily when she draped herself off the Water Tribe boy and quickly squashed it. He had surrendered any and all claim to her, he shouldn't be jealous.
She froze suddenly and Zuko blinked, gaping. He didn't know it was possible to do that with your hips… Suddenly her head snapped up and she stared directly at him.
Zuko bolted upright, panting heavily. What was that? He was visiting her now? Was that even possible? One thing was for sure, his personal hell had just gotten a whole lot worse. The sad part was, these days he only felt alive when he felt her. Other times it was just a careful act, one he couldn't let falter or all would be lost. He wasn't him anymore, he was the Prince Zuko everyone expected him to be.
It was becoming increasingly hard to keep from just leaving and going to her side. But would she still welcome him? Would her friends? Would he even be able to get away. He had so many questions and so few answers.
"What do I do?"
Amaya knew he had been there, she had felt his presence just as keenly as when her spirit flew to him. He was visiting her? That was a new twist, and not altogether a welcome one. She knew he didn't want to see her; that must be awful for him. Was she perhaps drawing him there? That was it then, she had to try and keep him out of her thoughts. But as soon as you resolve not to think of something, it becomes the only thing you can think of.
Of course, party-crashing Fire Nation guards provide lovely distractions.
Their little quartet hustled out the back of the cave, and mounted Appa, Momo soaring beside them as they flew off into the night.
So, just to help get an idea of Amaya's dace there at the end, it's sort of a blend of tango, bellydancing, and gypsy dances. Yeah, I'm weird. This is one of my favorite episodes though, I absolutely love Aang and katara's dance.
