Beyond Airbending: Return of the Phoenix King
Chapter Three: The Party
Katara stormed out of the war room infuriated. The nerve of that colonel! Calling her a peasant?! Katara was so lost in her angry thoughts that she didn't notice Zuko coming up behind her. Katara's body went rigid as she felt his warm hand grab hers. Startled, Katara immediately went for her water skin, remembering only too late that she had left it in her room.
"Don't worry." The voice spoke. "I'll save you from that general."
Katara, remembering the last time that a captor of hers had said something around those lines all too well, could feel her body temperature rising. With a roar of fury, Katara whirled around, slamming a clenched fist into the man's jaw. As the man fell backwards onto his rear, Katara realized that it was Zuko.
"Zuko?!" Katara's surprise soon turned to anger. "What in the Avatar's name do you think you were doing?"
"I'm sorry, Katara." Zuko replied as he rubbed his jaw. "I was only kidding." He added with a small, but mischievous grin, which Katara couldn't help but smile at.
"No, but seriously…" Zuko stood up, dusting himself off. "I came to apologize for the way that Colonel Shinu treated you in there."
"It wasn't your fault, Zuko."
"Actually, I think it kind of is." Zuko turned away. "Shinu was a supporter of my father's plan to use Sozin's Comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom. I probably should have had him thrown into prison as well, but Shinu was quick to join my cause. In any case, I hope you enjoy the party."
"Wait!" Katara called out. Zuko was starting to walk away, but he stopped in his tracks. "Thank you, Zuko. You don't have to take blame for that man's behavior. But, to be honest, I didn't actually want to come."
"Why?" Zuko asked, trying to keep a hurt look off his face, but apparently Katara sensed it.
"It's not you, Zuko." Katara explained. "It's Aang. I just don't think I love him…I don't know if I ever did."
"Then maybe you should break up with him…"
"I could never do that." Katara lowered her head. There had to be a way to change the subject! Finally, Katara knew how…
"How is the search for your mother going?" Katara asked.
"Terrible." Zuko replied. "My father won't talk. Every time I come in to try to get him to tell me, he laughs. I'm starting to think that I'll never find her."
*$#
A few hours later, Katara got dressed for the party, and together with Sokka and Suki, walked into the Grand Hall. Katara's mouth immediately dropped to the ground at the beautiful sight. There were hundreds of people dancing, eating, drinking and socializing. Two of the dancers that Katara recognized immediately were Aang and Toph. Katara stepped down onto the dance floor as Sokka rushed to the table. Suki sighed.
"I hope he doesn't eat so much that he won't be able to share a dance with me." Suki said.
"Don't worry." Katara told her. "He cares about you; of course he'll dance with you."
Suki smiled at Katara's kind words as Aang and Toph walked up.
"Hey, Aang." Katara greeted him. "Have you seen Zuko?"
"No, as a matter of fact." Aang said, but Toph shook her head.
"He's coming." She answered. "He's with that Mai girl. I can feel it."
Sure enough, when Katara looked up, she saw the Fire Lord, dressed in the fanciest red robes that Katara could ever imagine enter the ballroom, holding hands with Mai. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, turned and roared in applause.
"No, please." Zuko backed off modestly. "This party isn't about that. Tonight is just a night to have fun and celebrate a full year of love and reconstruction."
A slow and drawn out dance soon began, with Iroh playing the Sunghi Horn. Katara watched as Zuko and Mai danced, and for some strange reason, wished that it was her that was dancing. Katara immediately froze and spit out the punch she was drinking. Why would she have romantic feelings for Zuko?
As soon as it had started, the music ended and Aang sat down where Iroh once was as he went to go get himself a cup of tea. Aang grinned at the crowd of people.
"Hello Fire Nation!" Aang nearly shouted. "Hot-men and hot-women! How are you all doing tonight? As of right now, this party is going up a notch! It's time to have some fun!"
Katara groaned as Zuko and Mai stopped their dance right by her. Zuko turned to look at her as Aang put his lips to the tip and blew, causing a loud and unnerving type of music to come out as he tapped his feet obnoxiously.
"Ugh!" Toph scoffed. "It sounds like a badger-mole got squashed by Appa!"
"Mai, do you mind if I dance with Katara for a moment?" Katara's head jerked back to the Fire Lord as he spoke.
"Well, actually…" Mai began, but she was cut off by Katara.
"Yes, I'll dance with you!" Katara shouted, for a reason that even she didn't know. As if being controlled by Hama herself, Katara grabbed Zuko by the collar and they started to dance. The dance must have been magnificent, as nearly everyone in the room stopped to stare at the two. However, the audience's attention was taken away as the door to the palace was blasted open by a fire blast. Shocked, Zuko dropped Katara just as he was dipping her.
"What?" Chan stepped into the room. "A big party and I'm not invited? I'm insulted." Ozai laughed evilly as he entered, followed by Qin and Shinu.
"Greetings, scum of the Fire Nation!" Ozai's voice boomed. "We are tonight's entertainment. I just have one question: where is Fire Lord Zuko?"
As he strode into the room, Ozai grabbed a guest by the neck. "Do you know where the new Fire Lord is?" After a beat, Ozai tossed the guest across the room where he slammed into the food table where Sokka was standing.
"Hey!" Sokka protested, despite not taking his eyes off of the food. "That wasn't cool!"
"Are you imbeciles actually telling me that you don't know where the Fire Lord is?" Ozai stopped pacing in the middle of the room. "I don't buy that for a second."
Thinking quickly, Katara bended the punch and froze them into icicles. She then launched and fired her weapons like a projectile weapon. However, all the icicle-spears missed the Fire Lord and instead pierced Chan all over the chest. Ozai grinned as Chan dropped to the ground dead.
"You better work on your aim, you filthy peasant." Ozai snarled as Katara landed in front of him, Aang running beside her.
"Ozai, what are you doing out of prison?" Aang asked.
"Did you actually believe that a pathetic prison cell could hold the Phoenix King?" Ozai roared. "Although you think you won, that battle between you and I was your biggest failure ever, you pathetic excuse for a warrior!"
"I don't think so!" Aang replied, as he launched himself at the former Fire Lord, but Shinu shot a blast of Fire in-between them, cutting Aang off.
"Even without my bending, I'm more powerful than you." Ozai laughed. "No wonder why the Air Nomads were so easy to butcher like the animals that they were. They were spineless; so much for a peaceful fight!"
"Phoenix King!" Katara and Aang turned their heads to Mai as she walked up, clutching Zuko by his hair and holding a dagger to his throat. "I bring you the Fire Lord."
"Mai?" Zuko acted shocked. "Why are you doing this?"
"I told you not to cheat on me again!" Mai uncharacteristically shouted. "And what did you do? Dance with another girl! I risked my life for this? I don't think so! I was wrong to change my alliances!"
"Well done, my child." Ozai grinned. "Hand him over to me and you will be greatly rewarded."
"Whatever…" Mai was back to her old, bored self. "I'm coming with you."
Qin opened the door and Mai dragged the captive Fire Lord out, Shinu and Qin soon following. Ozai laughed and walked out as well. As Ozai turned around, Katara and Aang could see a mad gleam in his eyes before Ozai slammed the doors behind him.
"This is not good…" Aang said. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Iroh walked out holding a cup of tea.
"Did I miss something?" he asked as he saw the body on the ground.
*
Zuko struggled desperately against Shinu and Mai's grips on his body, but it proved to be no use as he was thrown to the ground at the feet of his father.
"I must say that I'm glad that you dedicated this past year to rebuilding the world." Ozai started to pace in front of his son.
"No you're not." Zuko replied coldly.
"Actually, I am…" Ozai turned to face Zuko with an extremely evil grin on his face. "Because now I have a chance to destroy it all over again."
END OF CHAPTER
