Part 8. This one took a looong time. Overall I like it quite a bit.

71. Ah, couldn't think of one that REALLY FIT for this one. Oh well, this one works too. (contains Maiko)

72. Hehe. The Blind Bandit and the Angry Jerk unite!

73. This one's sort of a summary of how I view Sokka's relationships. (contains Tokka)

74. Buahahaha. This is sort of a companion piece to #13.

75. TOTALLY picture this one happening. xDD

76. Sweeet. :3 (contains Maiko)

77. Aang's gonna have whiplash now. (contains Kataang)

78. This was originally with Ozai's Angels and Zuko, but I deciced that I liked the Freedom Fighters better. (contains Smellershot)

79. Poor Sokka. I almost felt bad writing this one because the noobish writers always portray Sokka as being nothing but a glutton.

80. This sums up Smellershot for me. (contains Smellershot)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, that entire trailer at Comicon would be about Maiko, not just two seconds.

071. Obsession

Zuko was in the library of the Palace. He'd started to go there, not for a great love of literature and knowledge, but simply to get away from the three women who had come again into his life.

'Uncle was right,' he mused silently. 'A little tranquility does a person good.'

"So this is where you've been hiding," a voice said suddenly. He nearly fell out of his chair in surprise. He looked up wildly to see a woman standing there, her robed arms folded under her chest. She was just-barely smiling at him, barely detectable on her porcelain face.

"Mai," he said, nodding at her. He turned his face back down to the scroll he had propped open, willing her to leave.

"You know, Azula's been trying to find your hidey-hole for nearly two weeks," she drawled casually. "It's all she's been doing… she thinks you're plotting a grand escape, or something. She never thought to look in the library, though. She thinks you're an idiot."

"So why are you here?" he asked mildly. The 'idiot' comment didn't surprise him; he was starting to think similarly of himself.

"Why are you?" she returned. He looked up at her. She was quirking an eyebrow at him.

"To get away from Azula," he said. Wasn't that obvious?

He smiled her invisible smile again. "Me, too."

072. Mischief Managed

"But the question is: how do we get it to look like Sokka did it?"

"Oh, ye of little imagination. Think carefully, Zuko."

"…We put his boomerang by it?"

"Too obvious. Katara's smarter than that."

"… We put meat by it?"

"Sokka wouldn't abandon meat, even if it was on the ground."

"…Footprints!"

"Exactly. Now, you go get the bowl of warm water, and I'll go get his boots."

073. I Can't

Sokka dropped his bag on the ground as they reached the pier. A large boat, Water Tribe, was docked there. Smiling faces looked out at him, and called him over. He smiled. He was going home.

The gang was there to see him off. Even Zuko had managed to get away from his royal duties.

Katara tackled him in a tight hug. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. "Sokka, we'll miss you," she sniffled, squeezing the breath out of him.

He made a choking sound, and she released him with a slight laugh. He grinned at his little sister. "I'm only going away for half a year, Katara," he laughed good-naturedly.

Aang grinned broadly at him. "Doesn't mean we won't miss you." Sokka grabbed him by the neck and gave him a hard noogie. Aang cried out in pain, laughing.

Zuko strode up to him, and stared at him levelly. "Water peasant."

"Fire brat," Sokka replied coolly, staring back at him.

Zuko's face broke out into a smile. "Don't stay too long."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sokka smirked.

Toph punched him soundly in the arm. Sokka was quietly pleased that he only flinched a little. "Don't forget about us, Meathead."

"Like I could," he laughed. He spread his arms out widely, and the group tackled him in a huge hug.

After they broke up, Toph looked up at him seriously. "I mean it, don't forget about me. Don't go chasing some Water Tribe floozy 'cause I'm not there." There was a fierce sort of desperation in her voice that brought a smile to his face.

He hugged her separately, burying his face into her mass of black hair. "I could never."

074. Are You Challenging Me?

"Hey, Iroh, you know, I'm not bad at Pai Sho myself."

"Is that a fact? Well then, would you like to play me?"

"I'd love to."

075. Mirror

Katara frowned at the mirror. She poked and pushed at her hair, she straightened her dress, she tried different angles, but no matter what she did, that crease of consternation between her eyebrows would not go away.

"Whassa matter?" Toph said lazily, shuffling into the room. She was still dressed in her underclothes, and her hair had taken on a life of its own.

"Did you just wake up?" Katara scolded, still studying herself in the mirror.

"Does that really matter right now?" Toph yawned. "Anyways, what are you stressing over?"

"These stupid Fire Nation clothes," she huffed, staring at herself angrily in the mirror. "They don't… fit right."

"They fit fine," Toph sighed in exasperation. She'd heard this one before. "If Aang's staring hadn't tipped you off…"

Katara seemed to not hear this last comment. "I don't know… they just don't… LOOK right."

"Well, stop fussing in front of the mirror. It's annoying," Toph sighed.

"I can't help it," Katara grumbled sheepily. "It's there; I have to look in it."

Toph shifted into a steady stance and swiftly Earthbended a small rock into the mirror, shattering it. She smiled cheerfully at Katara, who was now gawping at her in horror. "Now, it's not!"

076. Broken Pieces

Mai was broken. She was fragile and unsteady, and he had dropped her.

Now, sitting in the shade of the apple tree, he was putting her back together.

077. Test

"Say, Aang," Toph suddenly said loudly.

Aang looked around curiously. "What?"

Toph walked up to the young Avatar. She stared him in the eyes, a feat she'd been able to master with uncanny accuracy. "Katara's taking a bath, naked, in the stream right now."

Aang's eyes widened in shock, his mouth dropping open. Toph waited a moment, a look of slight concentration on his face. Then she smiled sweetly at him and walked away, a bounce in her step.

"What are you gaping at, Aang?" Katara's voice asked kindly to his left. His head whipped around so fast you could almost hear the vertebrae cracking. His face saddened a bit as he saw she was fully clothed and dry.

078. Drink

"Come ON, Longshot. It's just cactus juice. It won't kill you."

"C'mon, have a little fun."

"Lighten up! You're gonna get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that."

He raised an eyebrow at Jet, who smiled sheepishly at him.

"I knew you were too much of a wimp to drink."

Smellerbee suddenly leant over and brushed his hair aside, putting her mouth to his ear. His eyes widened suddenly, and he seized the cup and drained it in one gulp. They all whooped with excitement as he set the cup back down, scrunching his face up slightly. Smellerbee leant back into her chair, satisfaction dancing across her face.

079. Starvation

"Guys… go on without me…" Sokka fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain. "I can't go on… too… hungry…"

Katara turned around, sighing. "It's been half an hour since lunch, Sokka."

"EXACTLY," he cried out, clutching at her skirt.

She raised an eyebrow and lightly kicked him off of her. "Fine, stay here, we'll just go to Toph's house by ourselves. Y'know, where there are three-course meals, prepared by professional, world-class chefs…?"

Sokka sprang up, miraculously cured. "I can go on."

"What a trooper," Katara deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

080. Words

"Smellerbee, I-" he began, but she cut him off with a soft, long kiss.

She smiled at him once they broke away. "I know."

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