Well, here we are with another chapter. I just realized I forgot to add one of those disclaimers, but, yeah, though I own the dvds, I don't own the show and stuff.
Chapter 2
When they came out, Mai was talking with Iroh, while holding Aang's new hat.
The crew had already secured the ship, and were now working on getting the personal belongings, primarily Zuko and Iroh's, off board.
Mai didn't seem to mind the interruption, but just handed Aang the hat.
He took a moment to look at it first. It was a normal, huge, plain hat. He knew that back in the old days, lots of people used them if they wanted to hide in a crowd. Or even if they just wanted to hide from the sun. It had a huge shadow, so the chance of getting a tan while wearing one was near zero.
"Can you just put it on?" He was shot back to reality by Toph's remark.
"Sorry, I got lost in thought."
"Scary."
"But, ah, I was just thinking," he said as he put it on, "what about Appa?"
"Oh. Right. Appa." Zuko suddenly remembered.
"What's an "appa"? Azula asked, disliking this new development.
"He's my flying bison," Aang said, like it was the most obvious thing in world.
"You have a flying bison?" Toph asked, suddenly interested, excitement shining in her eyes.
"You forgot to mention that," Azula said to Zuko.
"Yeah," Aang answered. "You ever seen one?" he asked.
"Well, no," she said, her tone implying it was a blind joke. "But, I was taught earthbending by badger-moles," she added. "Flying bisons are the airbending counterpart to badger-moles, right? The original benders?" she asked, a tiny bit cautious.
"I forgot, alright?" Zuko said.
"Yeah, they are," Aang said, smiling.
"Fine," Azula said, still displeased. "Get the bison," she continued, interrupting Aang and Toph's conversation. "And Toph, find a road where people won't see us."
***
Toph found a road like that and if anyone were close enough maybe see anything, she bended a high wall of earth.
Azula realized it made the hat point moot, and allowed Aang to take the hat off. While walking, she spent the time figuring the right way to present this to her father.
Iroh had stayed behind to help direct the crew, and had ignored Zuko's offer to help by saying that it was his big return and that his father was sure to want to talk to him as soon as possible.
Zuko tried to start a conversation with Mai, who wasn't really helping him. She answered whatever question, she even deemed worthy of an answer, as shortly as you'd think possible.
It went a bit easier for Aang when he tried to speak Toph.
"Won't people be surprised when they see earthbending here?"
"Actually, no," she explained as she rose a new wall. "The thing my parents trade most with is labor force."
"That doesn't fit with what Zuko told me," Aang muttered confused.
"It is pretty new development," Toph said. "There weren't that many earthbenders here when he left, and I doubt he's had any contact home."
They managed to reach the palace without anyone seeing them. They decided not to use the main entrance, but instead Toph bended an entrance through the palace walls. Aang, who was wearing his new hat now, kept being surprised by how good the little girl was.
While the spot the new entrance entered up to wasn't overrun, there were still a fair amount of servants running around.
Azula started assigning orders; "You, go tell my father I bring important news. You, get a room ready for our new guest. And you, get this" she motioned towards Appa "a place in the stables." A pause. "Now!"
The first pointed at, the messenger, hurried of in the direction of the Fire Lords chambers. The second servant bowed before Aang and he figured he should follow her. Aang also figured he should give Appa's reins to the third servant, and did so, sending him a smile.
"Now, Zuko, I'm sure you'd like to go see your old quarters. And you must have plans too, right girls?"
Mai nodded. "I have some time booked on the training court," she said before leaving.
"And I was unpacking before this whole harbor adventure," Toph agreed before leaving.
"Shouldn't I go with you?" Zuko asked Azula, before she could leave. "I know more about what Aang knows and doesn't."
"Actually," Azula started, "I haven't even told him that you were returning."
"WHAT!?"
Azula couldn't help but smirk at his explosion. "I wanted to make sure you hadn't just made some kid play the part. I wouldn't bother him with trivialities like that."
"You can't do that…" Zuko started before trailing off.
"Besides, I trust that you have told me everything important about Aang's knowledge of the war," Azula said.
"Of course."
"Then you'd be useless anyway," she said with a smile, before walking calmly towards her father's chambers.
Zuko waited until she was out of sight. Then he sighed. He turned around and went towards his childhood home.
