DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NICKELODEON'S AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER OR ITS CHARACTERS. I just toast the fire flakes for the Ember Island Players' performances

"Welcome home! Oh, welcome home!" Ming was almost beside herself with excitement as she ran out to greet Fai and Lan Chi. She gave her husband a hug and a kiss, and turned to take Lan in a deathgrip of a hug.

"I have missed you both so much!" She put Lan away from her. "You've grown!" She poked her niece's breast experimentally, and Lan gave a squeak of protest. "My, how you're grown!" Her brows arched up.

"Aunt Ming!"

"Welcome home," Fai said under his breath, and turned to speak to the coachman.

Changda climbed down from her perch, and bowed to Ming. "Good afternoon, my lady."

Ming put a hand on Changda's arm. "Welcome home, Changda. You must be tired. Why don't you go inside and get yourself a cup of tea? All of the servants are dying to hear about your adventures."

Changda nodded gratefully, and went inside, and Ming gave Lan another hug. "And you must tell me about all of your adventures, as well!" She turned to Fai. "Shall I put a pot of tea on, Fai, my love?"

"Yes, thank you, dear. I'll be in as soon as I get this all sorted out." He always took responsibility for making certain that the transcripts and law books were transported safely, and now wanted to oversee their removal to his study.

"Good. That will give me a chance to chat with Lan Chi." She smiled at her niece.

"You mean interrogate her." He said dryly, and turned to Lan Chi. "She's more excited to see you than she is to see me!" His words were serious, but his twinkling eyes were not.

Ming slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "That is because Lan Chi is not nearly as vexing as you are!"

He laughed, and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "I am glad that you have not lost your cutting wit, being left here alone."

"Who says that I was alone?" She replied archly, and dragged Lan into the house. "I am so happy that you are home, Lan. It has been dreadfully boring without you here." She stopped by the kitchen to order the tea, and all the servants gathered there greeted Lan with glad greetings and hugs. "Excuse us, but I must show Lady Lan Chi the sitting room."

"Oh, yes!" Lan waved as Ming Yi propelled her away, "I forgot that you were going to redecorate."

"Not redecorate, my dear. Re-imagine."

Lan's eyes opened wide as she entered the sitting room. "Oh, my, Aunt Ming, it's – beautiful." The sitting room, which had been quite lovely, done in all dark woods with the traditional Fire Nation red for upholstery, now had its furniture upholstered in a stunning gold, with red only in the accents.

"Thank you. Literally. I have you to thank for giving me the courage to use a color other than red."

"Me?" Lan looked at her, astounded.

"Yes. You always wear the colors that you like, not what others think that you should wear, and I decided that, if you can do that, so can I. Besides," she smiled, "my very good friend, Chou, is going to be green with envy. And that, dear girl, is my favorite color."

Lan laughed. "Oh, Aunt Ming, you are terrible."

She shrugged. "I have been told that. Rather recently, in fact. But I ignore them." She smiled again.

A maid brought in the tea, and Ming poured for them.

"You must tell me absolutely everything – everything you did, everyone you saw." She took a sip of tea. "Whether Fai flirted with any of the wives."

Lan nearly choked on her tea. "Uncle Fai? Flirt? Aunt Ming, you must have him confused with someone who does not live in terror of you."

"Oh, well!" Ming seemed offended.

"I'm just kidding. Actually, no, I'm not. But, besides being a little scared of you, he also loves you desperately."

Ming smiled. "Really?"

"Of course. He missed you terribly."

"Did he?" She asked in wonder.

"Of course? Did you ever doubt that?"

She looked sheepish. "I suppose not." She had a dreamy smile on her face for a few seconds, then she shook her head, as if to clear it. "Now enough about us! Tell me, how did you like the all of the colonies? How did you do with the transcription?"

Lan obliged her, telling her all about all of the towns and cities that they had gone to, as well as her adventures as Fai's scribe. Fai came in during this time, and joined in the conversation, relaying witty anecdotes about their journey.

"My goodness, look at the time!" He finished his tea, and stood. "I must let the courthouse know that I have returned. They will want me to get them all of the transcripts as soon as possible."

"Do you need my help, Uncle Fai?"

He shook his head. "No, no. Not at all. You organized them for me marvelously. You just sit with Ming a bit longer. Let her talk your ear off." He pressed an affectionate kiss to his wife's cheek, and walked across the room. He stopped in the doorway, and turned to her. "By the way, I like gold."

"Ha! I knew that you would!" Ming called after him, and, from the hallway, he laughed.

Ming turned to Lan Chi. "Wait until he sees the bedroom. I hope that he likes brown."

"What color do you hope I'll like, Aunt Ming?"

Ming's hands flew up to her cheeks. "Oh, that's right. You haven't seen your room yet!"

"I'm a little scared to."

"Scared? Don't you trust me?"

"Implicitly. I just don't want to walk into a sea of – pink, or something like that."

"That would be funny. But no – I wouldn't do that to you."

"Thank you. Not that there is anything wrong with pink." She hastened to add.

"You just don't want to be awash in it."

"Exactly."

"Well, let me finish this cup of tea and I will reveal to you the magic of your room." She brought the cup to her lips.

"Deal." Lan, too, took a sip of her tea, and, when she put the cup down, there was a thoughtful look on her face. "Aunt Ming, you haven't – heard from Uncle Iroh or – Zuko," she looked at her aunt hopefully, "have you?"

Aunt Ming shook her head ruefully. "No. I'm sorry."

Lan shrugged. "I didn't think that you would. I was just – hoping."

Ming laid a hand on Lan's. "Perhaps for your birthday next month."

"Maybe." She sighed.

"I'm certain that Iroh will send you some – word."

"Yeah." She looked down at her hands. "I'm sure he will."

"But not Zuko?"

She inhaled and exhaled a long, deep breath. "No. Probably not. And, if the only thing he sends his best wishes, I'd rather hear nothing at all."

"It's hard when love dies."

Lan gave her aunt a fulminating look. "Thank you, Aunt Ming. I needed to hear that."

Ming had the good grace to blush. "I'm sorry, dear, it's just that," she sighed, trying to find the right words. "When you forget about Zuko, you seem as if you could be happy. But, whenever you are reminded of him, you're thrown back into this deep – funk, and I don't like it."

Lan flushed angrily. "Well, pardon me if my misery displeases you."

"Oh, Lan, do let's not fight. I just mean that I want you to be happy, and its upsets me when you are not."

Lan gave a deep sigh. "I know. I try to be happy. I really do. But – I still love him, Aunt Ming. I haven't stopped. And, if he has stopped loving me – I don't know what I'll do."

Ming put her hand on Lan's cheek in a gesture of comfort. "You would do what you have been doing for the past year. You would live. You would work with Fai, and ride your horse, and practice your martial arts and archery, and you would learn to cook. And, sooner or later, you would find someone else to love. Someone who loves you back so much that you would not even think it possible. And you would remember your time with Zuko as just a pleasant memory."

Lan shrugged. "I don't know."

"Give it time. You have enough of that, after all."

"Yes, I suppose I do."

Ming patted her cheek gently. "Now let's go see your room."

Lan was pleasantly surprised by her new room. She had new furniture in a light wood, and the linens in the room, as well as the upholstery, were shades of light blue.

"Oh, Aunt Ming. It's beautiful!" She ran her hand along the vanity.

Ming beamed at her. "I thought that you would like it."

"I do. Thank you."

"It's so much brighter in here than it was."

"Yes, it is. Happier." She smiled at her niece.

"All part of your plan?"

"Yes. My dastardly plan to make you happy."

"You are evil, Aunt Ming. Absolutely evil."

"I have been told that."

Lan, with Ming pushing her, resumed her schedule. She was actually glad to do so – she found that, with a busy life, she had little time to think about Zuko. In truth, she was thinking about him too much, and she attributed that to her conversation with her aunt and to the fact that Zuko's birthday was in a few days. His second birthday without her. Come off it, Lan Chi, she told herself. He had nobirthdays withyou. You never celebrated with him, after all.

That, of course, did not mean that she had not planned to celebrate with him, for the rest of his life. She had planned to share everything with him. Now she shared nothing.

Upon her return from progress, Ming had noticed that most of Lan's clothing was a bit too tight on her, and so decided that a new wardrobe was in order.

"Oh, not again!" Lan groaned.

"What do you mean? I've never bought you more than a few things, here and there."

"I just got a whole new wardrobe from Uncle Iroh."

"Really?" Ming was skeptical. "And when was this?"

Lan stopped to think. "When – I came home from the academy."

"A year and a half ago."

"Well, yes, but –" she indicated her closet, "all of my clothes are in very good shape, Aunt Ming. I didn't even get any ink on them while I was gone!"

"Well, that is true, but, to be frank, Lan, they don't fit you anymore."

"They do."

"Lan Chi Sun! They do not! Your breasts are about to pop out every time you reach for anything!"

"They are not. I wear breast bindings."

"I think you need bigger breast bindings, too."

"Aunt Ming!" Lan was scandalized.

Ming threw her hands up in frustration. "It's a part of life, Lan Chi! You have gotten breasts and hips, and you can barely close your robes – even with breast bindings on." She pointed at Lan. "And be prepared, young lady. You are going to attract the attention of every young man in Lao Hai."

"Really? Every young man? Please don't exaggerate."

"I'm not. Let me see." She held up her fingers. "You're beautiful." She ticked it off.

"I am not!"

"Don't protest too much, Lan Chi. It makes it seem as if you are fishing for compliments."

Lan gave an aggrieved groan.

"You're rich."

"I am rich." Lan acknowledged.

"You come from a very good family."

"If you do say so yourself."

"Exactly. And, you have incredible connections through Iroh."

"Right." Lan held up her own hand. "Let me tell you what else I have. The Fire Lord as a sworn enemy." She ticked it off.

"Oh, well."

"Freakishly red hair."

"It's not freakish – unusual, perhaps."

"And a Water Tribe mother."

"As if anyone besides Ozai cares about that."

"Well, if they knew, they might care."

"Why should we tell them? Besides, once they got you into bed, they wouldn't care about anything but that!"

"Ah! Ming! Why are you torturing me like this?"

"Torture?" Ming rolled her eyes. "Lan Chi, I would be remiss as your guardian if I didn't teach you the facts of life."

Lan groaned. "I know all about how babies are made, thank you very much."

"Well, of course you do. But the true facts of life."

Lan Chi looked at her blankly, and Ming sighed. "Women have very little power in our world, Lan, despite what you may see. Sure, there are women officers in the army, and women in the work force. But power, true power, for women, comes through their men."

"Well, I'm out of luck, aren't I? Because I haven't a man – nor shall I."

"You do not have one now. But pretend, for the moment, that you have one – let's say it's Zuko, since that seems to be your fondest wish."

"Aunt Ming, I don't know if I want to –"

"Hush. Listen to your elder."

"Fine." Lan said truculently.

"There is an old Fire Nation saying that you may not have heard."

"I may have. Uncle Iroh is full of them."

"Uncle Iroh is full of a lot of things."

Lan giggled.

"Now listen. The saying goes: nature has given women so much power that the law has wisely given them very little."

"That's horrible!"

"Yes, it is. But, although we have so little legal power, we do have immense power in other ways. Power over men."

"Sounds a bit like witchcraft."

"Don't be foolish." She smiled. "It's much more powerful than witchcraft."

Lan was wary. "Oh?"

"If a man is attracted to a woman, whether it be his wife or concubine, she can own him, if she so desires."

"So you're saying that I can get Zuko – my pretend husband – to do anything I want him to do because he is attracted to me?"

"Basically."

She crossed her arms. "Well, then, real-world Zuko must not have been attracted to me, because I wanted him to choose me over his father, and he did not."

"Hmmm. Perhaps Zuko was a poor example."

"He's the only example that counts, to me."

"Of course, you were both only thirteen at the time."

"So?"

"So – I'm talking about men and women, not children."

"You're very confusing."

"I'm not trying to be. Let me see if I can put this more simply." Ming thought on it a moment, then snapped her fingers. "Sex."

"Oh, dear."

"Sex is the root of a woman's power over a man. Our ability to allow it or withhold it. You may not know it now, Lan, but sex is the thing that occupies men's minds. It influences their behavior. It controls their actions."

"Even Uncle Fai?"

"Yes, even Fai. Even Iroh."

"Ewww. I think we need to change the subject."

"My point, Lan Chi, is that a woman can bend a man to her will. And a woman behind a man of power has much, much more power than anyone could ever imagine."

"And you want me to be that – a woman behind a man of power?"

"I don't want that, Lan. You want that."

"No, I don't."

"Don't you want Zuko?"

"Of course. More than anything."

"And isn't he to be the most powerful man in the world?"

"So you want me to try to control the future Fire Lord?"

"You should want that. You can effect change, Lan Chi. And you can make your dreams come true. If you're willing to use what the spirits have given you."

"Sex."

"Your body. Your intelligence. Your feminine charms. They can influence much – including men who don't have an overt attraction to you."

"I don't understand."

"There are men who will defer to you just because you are a woman – men who idolize women, who put women on a pedestal. And, as a beautiful woman, you are apt to have even more men than most falling over themselves to do your bidding."

"It's like mind control."

"Ha! If you want to think of it that way. It's definitely control of something!"

"Aunt Ming, why are you telling me all of this again?"

Ming was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Because you need new clothes?"

"We have a surprise for you."

Lan looked up from her dinner, a smile on her face. "Aunt Ming, my birthday isn't until next week."

Her aunt turned to Fai, and patted his hand. "You remember Kang, Fai's scribe?"

"How could I forget? How are his arms?"

"Wrists." Ming corrected.

Fai interrupted. "Better."

Lan nodded. "Good. That's wonderful."

"And, while he was sick – laid up, he had a frequent visitor – his fourth cousin, Cho Hee." It was Ming again.

Lan was confused. "All right..."

"It seems that Cho Hee had quite a little crush on him when she was a young girl." Ming continued.

"That's – nice, I guess."

"Anyway, they hit it off, and, well, they're getting married!" Ming was all smiles.

Lan looked between the two of them. "And that's my surprise? I guess I should say – thank you?"

Ming laughed. "That's not your surprise."

"Aunt Ming, I am very confused right now."

"Well, Kang's father is a judge living in Caldera, and he wants to give Kang a job so..."

"So?" Lan prompted.

"So they are moving to the capital!"

"I still don't see how this relates to a surprise for me."

"Well, Fai no longer has a scribe – at all. And..."

"And?" Lan prompted her again.

"And Fai would like you to act as a scribe on a permanent basis!"

"Really?" Lan turned to her uncle.

Fai was smiling. "Yes. I would like you to. If you want to, that is."

"Yes, I would." She turned to her aunt. "But, Ming, how do you feel about it?"

Ming reached out and grabbed her hand impulsively. "How do I feel about it? I think it's wonderful!"

"But – but I'll be away from you!"

Ming looked confused now. "What? Oh, no, Lan! You misunderstand! I will be going with you!"

Ming looked at Fai and smiled, and then turned back to Lan Chi with the same smile.

Lan wasn't certain, but she thought she saw her uncle grimace.

"Prince Zuko, I do not think that we can avoid it anymore."

Zuko gave his uncle a distracted look, and removed the kitten from his lap. "I know. She gets on the table entirely too much."

The cat, whom Zuko had named Taxiao, walked over to Iroh.

His uncle chuckled, and scratched the animal behind the ears. "No, not that."

In the weeks since Zuko had found the cat in Yu Dao, she had more than tripled her original weight, and, although the cut by her eye had healed, a small scar had been left behind. She had easily found many admirers among the crew, including the cook, who had declared that she was an answer to a prayer, since the rat population on the ship had become larger and more daring.

The cat, of course, was still too small to catch anything but the tiniest rodent, but the cook had high hopes for her.

She also, inexplicably, liked tea, and so she had found a companion in Uncle Iroh, who allowed the little cat to lap from his cup. And, serendipitously, she preferred ginseng, which endeared her to Iroh even more.

Still, despite all of her allies onboard, she preferred to sleep with Zuko. And, had Zuko admitted it, he liked her presence. It gave him a measure of comfort to know that there was another living creature in his cabin, and it gave him a measure of self-confidence to know that she preferred his company to all others.

Iroh did not object when Taxiao leapt onto the table and began drinking from his cup. "It's Lao Hai."

Zuko stiffened. Lao Hai was where Lan Chi lived. "What about it?"

"We avoided going there the last time we were near, but I do not think we should do so again."

"I don't want to see her. How many times must I tell you that I have no interest in seeing her?"

"Be that as it may, Lao Hai is at the base of a mountain range that could very well be hiding the avatar."

At this, Zuko was silent. He could not refute the truth in that. He had noticed those mountains on maps several times, and had wondered at his own wisdom in refusing to go to Lao Hai. Still, he could not see Lan Chi. He could not. He did not know what he would do. Break down and cry? Still be so besotted that he would throw away his mission for her? Drag her to the nearest registry office and marry her? Drag her to the nearest bedroom and make love to her until they were both insensible? Spirits knew that's what he wanted to do – all of it. But he could not. He was prince of the Fire Nation – one day to be Fire Lord, and that was what he would offer her. She deserved to be a queen, married to a man who would rule the world, not to an exile who ruled only an obsolete war ship. If she even wanted him anymore. He now looked so ghastly that he could not believe that she would ever consent to even touch him again, let alone marry him.

He shook his head. "I can't, Uncle. I just can't."

Iroh had been prepared for this. "You need not see her, Zuko. She is not everywhere in Lao Hai, and she will not, of course, be in the mountains."

"And you?" Zuko looked at him, his eyes piercing and clear. "Would you see her?"

Iroh stroked Taxiao idly. "I do not see why not. It is her birthday soon, after all, and I would like to surprise her."

Zuko looked down into his teacup. "You would not encourage her to – to see me?"

"If you do not wish it."

Zuko stood abruptly. "I do not wish it. But I'll have Jee set the course." He left quickly, his heels clicking sharply and stiffly as he walked away.

Author's Note: Ming Yi decided to give Lan Chi some sage advice – be the power behind the throne, keep men twisted around her finger, etc. Let's see if Lan takes her advice to heart. Of course, she has no one to "twist" right now. By the way, the "old Fire Nation saying" actually came from Samuel Johnson, in his letter to Dr. Taylor (18 August 1763).