A/N—Hello everyone! This is a special chapter. I need to rewatch parts of Book 3 just so I can integrate Ursa into the storyline as best as I can without completely changing the storyline. I decided to write this for a Christmas present to all of you (or late Chanukah present, whichever holiday you celebrate). It's going to be a little long, but I hope you all like it!

"I'm so bored." Bumi complained, sprawling out over a rock near the greenhouse.

The sun was setting over the water of Yue Bay, making the water sparkle a multitude of colors. Kya, Bumi, and I were lounging outside, watching the sunset and trying to avoid our parents as we talked. They always interrupted our conversations, wondering what we were doing or if we needed anything. We were all almost adults. Staying outside while they all chatted inside was our best bet at not being interrupted.

"Then why don't you think of something to do, genius?" Kya shot back, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Dad said we can't leave the island."

"What do you do in the palace, Izumi?" Kya asked me.

I shrugged, mimicking her pose on the rock I was sitting on. "Study, practice firebending, and try to find something fun to do. You guys are so lucky to have siblings." I sighed. I looked over my shoulder and noticed two members of the Royal Guard trying to act casual as they lingered a few yards away. I shot them a look and they both hurried away. I knew my father had sent them to keep an eye on me.

"Yeah, it's nice sometimes. Until Tenzin tells on us." Bumi frowned.

Kya nodded and rested her chin on her knees. "It was better when he couldn't talk."

"Hey! I have an idea!" Bumi exclaimed, shooting up and looking at us.

"If it's something to do with keeping Tenzin quiet, he's almost nine now. I don't think it would work." Kya told him.

"No, not that. I'm still thinking about that. I have an idea on what we can do!" Bumi grinned manically. Whenever he got that look, I knew he was going to do something crazy.

"And what's that?" I asked, suddenly interested.

"We can go to the bending matches! Come on, let's go." He said, starting to walk towards the docks.

"Mom and Dad said we can't leave the island without their permission. And I doubt Zuko would let Izumi leave without his permission either." Kya pointed out.

"Kya's right. We'll get in trouble." I said.

"Not if we don't get caught. Come on, it's your last night in Republic City. We need to make it memorable." Bumi told me.

"Why?" I asked.

"You don't know when you're coming back!"

"Next year."

"Quiet. We're going to make this fun."

"Your 'fun' usually gets us in trouble or hurt." Kya frowned.

"That's what makes it fun! Izumi, go into our rooms and get our packs." Bumi ordered.

"A please would be nice." I frowned. "And why me?"

"Sorry. Please. And because you know that acrobatic stuff. You can sneak past everyone." Bumi argued.

I sighed and stood. "Fine. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I ran silently to the female dormitories, sneaking into Kya's room and grabbing her bag before heading to the male dormitory. I jumped through the window of Bumi's room, almost gagging when I smelled his dirty socks. I pinched my nose closed before grabbing his knapsack and jumping back out the window, climbing onto the roof of the building. Now came the hard part. The main building, where my room was.

I slung Kya's bag across my body and Bumi's sack on my back before entering the main building through an open window on the ground floor. I could hear all the adults laughing and chatting in the dining hall. The moment of truth.

I crept slowly down the hallway, pressing my back against the wall to the right of the dining hall door. I peeked inside. My parents' backs were to the door, and the rest of the group was laughing too hard at something to notice if I walked past. I took the opportunity and leapt past the opening. Toph had to have felt that. But when she didn't say anything, I ran to my room, grabbed my bag, and jumped out the window before running back to Kya and Bumi.

"Here." I said, handing Bumi and Kya their bags before slinging my own over my shoulders.

"Do you even know where the matches are tonight?" Kya asked.

"Wait, tonight? Have you been before?" I asked.

"Yes." Kya and Bumi answered at the same time.

"Wait, how often?" I demanded.

"Not every night, but at least once a month." Bumi explained as we walked towards the docks.

"Are you sure we won't get caught?" Kya asked when we finally reached a small boat.

"As long as we can make it off the island and back before our parents notice." Bumi said, climbing in and helping Kya into the boat.

"Guys, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this." I said as I lingered outside the boat.

"It'll be fine, Zumi. Trust me." Bumi told me, smiling as he reached out his hand.

Damn him and his smile.

I took his hand and sat down in the middle of the boat.

"I'll bend us over there." Kya announced, standing as Bumi sat down next to me.

Bumi and I had been close our entire life. But a few months ago, something had changed between us. It was a good change, but there was a different feeling between us now. I didn't quite understand it yet, but I had a weird fluttering in my heart whenever he smiled at me now.

Maybe I was starting to like him.

No, that was impossible. He was my best friend.

With Kya's waterbending, we arrived in Republic City in less than half an hour, and we had arrived at the warehouse less than an hour after we left Air Temple Island.

"It's so loud in here!" I yelled to Bumi over all the noise. I could hear a band somewhere playing music, but it was barely audible over all the people in the warehouse and the noises of the fights going on in the ring.

"I know! Isn't it great?" He grinned.

I shook my head, covering my ears and smiling as Bumi rolled his eyes.

"Come on, let's place our bets." Bumi said, grabbing my hand and leading the way to a very haggard looking man sitting at a table covered in all different kinds of money.

"What currency?" He yelled over the din.

"Yuans." Bumi answered, digging into his pocket and handing over twenty yuans. He wasn't letting go of my hand.

"What team?"

"Badgermoles."

"And you?" The man asked, looking at me.

"I'll bet on the Komodo Rhinos." I told him after looking at the board listing all of the teams fighting tonight. "Fire Nation money." I gave him ten silver coins.

"What about you?" He asked Kya.

"Twenty yuans on the Badgermoles." Kya handed him the money.

"Enjoy the fights." He told us as we walked away.

"Let's get a spot up front." Kya said. We managed to wiggle through the crowds until we made it ringside.

I still had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about being here, but I ignored it as I watched the first bender get knocked out of the ring. This was one of the most exciting things I'd ever seen.

"Enjoying yourself?" Bumi asked, leaning over to me halfway through the second match.

I had already gained what I had bet three times over. And considering the fact that the Komodo Rhinos were on their way to another victory, I would have even more money. I turned to him with a grin.

"You have no idea. This is one of the best things I've ever watched." I gushed, turning back to the match. I threw my hands in the air with a loud whoop when the Komodo Rhinos had another knockout.

"It's nice to see you let loose for once." Bumi commented, smiling at me.

"What do you mean? I can let loose." I frowned, putting a hand on my hip as I looked at him.

"Really? You go out at night when you're back home and do things like this?" He smirked.

"Well, not exactly. But I do things that are fun." I said, trying to defend myself.

"What, like reading? Hanging out in the garden? Painting?" He teased.

"I explore the Dragonbone Catacombs all the time." I scowled.

"Wait, what are those?"

"The tomb of Fire Lord Sozin. It's lined with dragon skulls. I found a maze a few years ago. I explore it when I can't sleep. I still haven't found the center."

"I'd like to see that someday." He mused, turning back to the game.

"If you come and visit soon, I'll take you." I told him.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"This isn't some trick to lure me to the Fire Nation so you can trap me there, right?" He asked, smiling.

"You'll never know." I said, giving him a sly smile.

After a few matches, there was a commotion outside.

"Clear out! The police are here!" Someone yelled.

"Are these bending matches illegal?" I asked Bumi.

"No, they're not. But we'd better get out of here." He said, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards the back exit with Kya.

"Bumi, the Triple Threat Triad is here!" Kya said as we ran out of the building.

"That must be why the police are here." He said. When we finally made it out, we ran into a dark alleyway to catch our breath.

"Were they rigging the bets?" I asked.

"They must have been, if the police were there." Kya said.

"But a lot of people in that gang are wanted. They'd want to break it up to get to the criminals." I pointed out.

"Then there's another reason to drag them in." Bumi frowned.

"There are more of them! Get them!" A voice yelled down the alley. We all looked towards the voice. A group of metalbending officers began to run at us.

"Run!" Bumi yelled. We all ran through the back alleys with the metal benders hot on our tails.

When we turned another corner, they weren't following.

"I think we lost them." I said, smiling as I looked at a panting Kya and Bumi.

"Let's not celebrate so soon. We need to get out of here." Kya said, straightening.

"Good idea." Bumi agreed, turning towards the opening to the street.

A wall of earth suddenly appeared at the end of the alley, blocking our exit and eliminating our chance of getting away without being caught.

"Stop right there." A familiar voice said. We looked slowly towards the source and saw Toph standing there, a dozen metalbending officers in ready position behind her.

"Where do you three think you're going?" Toph asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We are in so much trouble." I whispered.

"Running around Republic City when we specifically told you not to leave the island! And going to illegal bending matches! Do you know what kind of people are there?! Criminals! Do you know what could have happened to you all?" Aang said, pacing in front of us.

We had returned to Air Temple Island after being released when the police found out we had no idea about the bet-rigging, and that we had no association with the Triple Threat Triad. Toph had taken us back to the island, where my father had almost exploded at me before my mother could stop him. Thankfully, she was able to, though I could see disappointment and a hint of anger on her face when she looked at me before trying to calm my father down. Aang and my father had been tag-teaming in lecturing us for the past half-hour. Katara and my mother were standing behind them, frowning at all of us. Sokka and Suki were also there, but standing a little ways away from our parents. Toph was lounging in the corner of the room on a chair, looking like she wasn't paying attention, but I knew she was.

"Pro-bending isn't illegal!" Bumi objected.

Aang held up a hand to silence him. "Did I give you permission to speak?" He asked, glaring at Bumi.

Bumi frowned and glowered at his shoes, slumping down in his chair.

"So. Whose idea was it?" Aang finally asked.

We all sat in silence. Kya and I weren't going to rat Bumi out, and Bumi certainly didn't want to get into more trouble with his parents. He was one broken rule away from being shipped off to the Southern Water Tribe to live with Katara's family.

"What's going on?" Tenzin asked, rubbing his eyes as he came into the room.

"Tenzin, go back to bed." Katara said, starting to usher him out of the room.

"Are they in trouble again?" He asked.

"Go back to bed, Tenzin." Aang ordered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'll take him back." Sokka said, pushing off the wall and steering Tenzin out of the room by his shoulders.

With Tenzin finally gone, Aang focused back on us. "Well? Is anyone going to own up to it?"

Silence.

"So you all just came up with the idea to sneak off the island and go into the city at the same time. Impressive."

We all looked at each other, trying to figure out what we were going to do.

"Don't look at each other. Face forward." My father ordered, stepping up next to Aang.

"It was my idea." I blurted.

All eyes turned on me. I could see that Bumi and Kya's jaws had dropped out of the corner of my eye.

"Izumi didn't do it, it was—" Bumi began to say, but I cut him off.

"Stop trying to cover for me, Bumi. I need to take responsibility for my actions." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"When we were out today, I heard about the underground bending matches. They sounded like fun, and I wanted to go. Kya and Bumi weren't sure about leaving the island, but I convinced them to. It was my idea to sneak out, not theirs. I made them." I said, wringing my hands.

"Is this true?" My father asked, coming to stand right in front of me.

I looked up at him, looking him right in the eye and nodding before hanging my head.

He sighed heavily. "Come on." He said, holding my shoulder as he guided me out of the room.

We kept walking until we reached the training pavilion. My father sat down on one of the steps with a sigh, looking over his shoulder at me.

"Sit." He ordered, turning his head to look out over the bay.

I sat down hesitantly next to him, wrapping my arms around my knees. My stomach was in knots. My father wasn't well known for keeping his temper in check whenever he was mad. He had yelled at me before, but he never laid a hand on me and always let me know he still loved me, even though he was upset. He had a rough childhood with his father, and I knew he was trying to be the exact opposite of him as a father to me.

I risked a glance at him. He was still looking over the bay, a pensive look on his face as he rested his forearms on the step behind him. I looked at the ground to keep from looking him in the eye. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep lying if I looked at him again.

"You lied." He stated simply, looking over at me.

My head shot up as I met his gaze. "What?"

"You lied. It wasn't your idea."

"How did you know?"

"I'm your father. I can tell when you lie to me."

"So I guess you know that I really did break that vase."

"Actually, one of the servants told me you did. And that you buried the fragments in the garden so no one would notice."

"I'm sorry."

"It happened years ago. It's fine. And it was an ugly vase. It wasn't missed. Well, your mother missed complaining about it." He said, smiling.

We sat in silence, looking out over the water before I finally broke the silence.

"So what's my punishment?" I asked quietly.

"A month without leaving the palace." He answered simply.

"That's it?" I asked.

"I could make it two months, if you want." He offered, raising an eyebrow.

"No, a month is fine." I said quickly.

Several more moments of silence.

"Why did you lie?" He asked.

"I didn't want Bumi and Kya to get into trouble. I know that I could have stopped them, and thought I needed to take responsibilities for my inaction. I could have prevented it. You taught me that when I become a leader, I have to take responsibility for the actions of the entire nation. And for my own, even if I do nothing." I told him.

"That's very honorable of you. And mature." He responded.

"I want to make you proud."

"Izumi." He said calmly, reaching to turn my face to his before resting his hands on my shoulders. "I will always be proud of you."

He pulled me close to him, giving me a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest. He stroked my hair, kissing the top of my head before we pulled back.

"If your mother asks, I lectured you. Understand?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded, giving him another hug.

He stood, helping me up. "Try to look a little sad."

"You did ground me for a month." I pointed out.

"Right. Think of that and look sad. We need to fool your mother."

"Why are we telling her that you lectured me?"

"Do you want a lecture from your mother?" He asked.

I shook my head quickly.

"That's what I thought." He smiled.

The next morning, we were preparing to leave for home. I stood close to Mother, absent-mindedly holding onto her sleeve as people rushed past us, loading all of our things onto the boat. When I was little, she and Father would always make me hold onto one of them whenever we were near water. Apparently I had almost drowned at Ember Island when a riptide dragged me out into the ocean. No wonder I was still scared of the water. At least I could swim now.

"Izumi!" Bumi yelled, running down to the docks.

"Can I go speak to him, Mother?" I asked, looking at her.

"I suppose. We're leaving in a few minutes though. Make sure you're not late." She warned before going back to speaking with Suki.

I nodded and ran to where Bumi was standing several yards away. We wouldn't be heard this far away from our parents.

"What's wrong?" I asked as soon as I reached him.

"Nothing, nothing." He said, suddenly taking interest in his boots.

"I had a lot of fun last night, even though we got in trouble." I told him.

"I did too." He said, looking up and smiling at me.

"Did your father punish you?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, he grounded me. I think he knew the entire time that it was my idea." He told me, kicking the ground.

"My father knew I was lying too."

"Why did you do it?" He asked.

I looked up and met his eyes for a few moments, then looked down at my shoes. "I didn't want you to get into trouble." I said quietly.

"Izumi! It's time to go!" My mother called.

"Just a minute!" I called back before looking at Bumi. "I have to go."

"I have something to give you first." He said, pulling a parcel out of his pocket. He unwrapped it carefully before he held up a necklace. It was a wooden piece on a long gold chain. I couldn't see exactly what the wood piece was shaped like.

"This isn't a betrothal necklace, right?" I said, smiling wryly.

"No, it's not. Just a gift from me." He said.

"Can you put it on for me?" I asked, turning so my back was facing him.

He placed it gently around my neck, securing the clasp in the back before I turned back to face him.

I looked down at the carving. The wood was a deep brown color, carved into the shape of the Fire Nation emblem, with the symbol for Republic City etched into the back.

"Just something to remember me by." He said, turning a little pink.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." I told him, smiling shyly. Why was I suddenly so shy around him?

"Izumi!" My father called.

"I have to go." I said again, turning to leave.

"Wait." Bumi said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back towards him. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, kissing me deeply.

I tensed up at first, shocked at his forwardness, but relaxed and kissed him back after a moment. This was my first kiss. I wanted to remember this. I felt a tingling that came up from my toes as we kissed, filling my body with a warm feeling as he wrapped an arm around my waist while his other hand rested on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning into the kiss. Was he always this muscular and I just hadn't noticed?

We pulled back after a few seconds, both breathing heavily.

"Stay safe." He whispered, releasing me from his hold.

I was only able to nod as I walked back to the boat, feeling like I was floating. I noticed my father and Aang looking at each other, shock written plainly on their faces, while Katara was smiling at me. My mother herded me onto the boat as Aang and my father gave each other one last hug.

I kept my eyes fixed on Air Temple Island as we sailed away. I swore I saw Bumi still standing on the dock, just a small pinprick when we were almost out of Yue Bay. I clutched the carving in my hand, vowing I would never get rid of it.

Something was definitely different now. I knew nothing would be the same.