Girls Day Out
It was a sunny day in Ba Sing Se. The members of Team Avatar were getting ready for the day. Aang had slathered a large amount of shaving cream on his head, using a special tool to get rid of any stubble that may have been growing. He did a few strokes down the middle before stopping in the middle. He giggled at his reflection, which made him look like a balding old man before continuing with his chore.
Sokka meanwhile used his machete to cut off some facial hair, running his fingers over his chin to ensure they were clear. He then set down his weapon, gathering up his hair before pulling it back in his usual wolf tail. He then shot his reflection a double finger gun, clicking his tongue in approval.
Xia pulled her head out of a basin of water, wringing out her hair. She let it hang long for a minute before twisting it up in its usual bun. She slid the hair pins into place, then adjusted her bangs so they hung over her golden eyes. Satisfied with her appearance, she gave her reflection a small smile.
Finally, Katara just finished doing her hair, complete with her signature hair loopies. She attached the loops to the small bun at the base of her head. She flashed a smile, then made her way out of the room. She made a point to give Momo a light pat on the head as she went. She walked up to Toph's door, sliding it open. This revealed the earthbender's room to be completely dark, said Earthbender sprawled out on her futon face first.
"Toph, aren't you going to get ready for the day?" Katara asked.
Toph sat up, revealing herself to be in nothing but her underwear while her hair was stuck up in every direction imaginable. She then spit into a nearby bucket, which startled Katara slightly. Toph then stood up and brushed large amounts of dirt off of her.
"I'm ready." she announced.
Xia happened to walk by, stopping when she saw the state Toph was in. She backpedaled, staring.
"Toph, when was the last time you took a bath?" she questioned. "You're covered in more dirt than Momo after he went digging for grubs."
"You call it dirt, I call it a healthy coating of earth." Toph dismissed.
Katara shook her head, then an idea came to her.
"You know what we need?" she asked. "A girl's day out!"
"Really?" Xia questioned. "You sure?"
"Of course!" Katara insisted. "We never got a chance to really hang out while on the road. This could be our only chance."
"Do I have to come?" Toph asked.
"Come on, it'll be fun." Katara insisted.
Toph drooped, realizing there was no way to get out of it.
...
Later, the three girls stood in front of a large building where various ladies were walking in and out.
"The Fancy Lady Day Spa." Xia read. "I can't remember the last time I went to a spa."
"I do." Toph mumbled. "Never."
"Well that's about to change." Katara told her. "You two ready for some serious pampering?"
"I know I am." Xia replied.
"Fine." Toph relented. "As long as they don't touch my feet."
...
Once they made it inside, the girls slipped into some comfortable robes and began their spa day. Katara and Xia relaxed, both leaning back in their chairs blissfully as their feet were scrubbed. Toph meanwhile had to be held down by two attendants as a third tried to scrape an amazing amount of dirt off her soles. The Earthbender grunted and struggled the entire time, feeling as if someone was clawing at her eyes.
From a hallway in the spa, an explosion of earth erupted from one of the doorways. The unfortunate attendant who had been washing Toph's feet went flying out, hitting the adjacent wall hard.
...
Later, the three girls were taking mud baths, cucumber slices over their eyes and towels wrapped around their hair. An attendant carrying a load of fresh towels walked over to check on Toph. Sensing her near, Toph exhaled, earthbending the mud on her face so the cucumber slices extended like eye stalks, and the mud around her mouth rippled and stretched. The attendant screamed in fear before running off, the girls all giggling hysterically.
...
After their bath, the girls reclined in a sauna together. Xia shot a small flame under the pile of steaming rocks in the center. Toph followed by bending a single stone onto the pile, and Katara finished by adding a stream of water. They all sighed blissfully as steam filled the room.
...
At the end of the day, the three girls left the spa. Their hair was styled neatly, including Toph and Xia's. They were all wearing makeup as well, and Toph was wearing a smile on her face.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." she admitted. "I'm not usually into that stuff but I actually feel ... girly."
"Nice idea with the girl's day out, Katara." Xia complimented. "That was a lot of fun."
"I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves." Katara told them. "I figured it was time we did something fun together."
As the three continued walking, they came across three girls walking the other direction. As they passed each other on a bridge crossing a small river. The girls glanced back, smirking.
"Wow, great makeup." one complimented.
"Thanks." Toph replied.
"For a clown." She mocked.
All three girls started laughing as Toph's face fell. Katara glared at them as Xia rolled her eyes.
"Reminds me of my sister and her friends when we were kids." she muttered.
"Well I think she looks cute." a second girl remarked. "Like that time we put a sweater on your pet poodle monkey."
The girls started laughing again.
"Good one, Star!" the third girl complimented.
"Let's just go." Katara spoke.
"No, no, that was a good one." Toph agreed sarcastically as she turned towards the girls. "Like your pet poodle monkey."
She then let out a laugh.
"You know what else is a good one?" she asked.
Toph then stomped on the ground, opening up a hole under the three girls. This dropped them right into the river, much to the amusement of both Katara and Xia.
"Now that's funny." Xia agreed. "Katara?"
Katara waved her arms, summoning a large wave that washed the girls away, screaming the entire way. With the bully girls dealt with, they returned to Toph's side.
"Hey Toph." Xia spoke up. "For the record, those girls were wrong about you looking like a clown. I think you look beautiful."
"Agreed," Katara added. "They don't know what they're talking about."
"It's ok." Toph reassured. "One of the good things about being blind is I don't have to waste time worrying about appearance. I don't care what I look like and I'm not looking for anyone's approval."
"That's what I really admire about you, Toph." Katara commended. "You're so strong, and confident, and self-assured."
"And between you and me, I wish I had your 'nothing phases me' attitude." Xia admitted. "It's part of what makes you one of the best people I've ever met."
"Really?" Toph asked.
"Really." Xia replied.
Toph sniffed slightly, smiling at both girls.
"Thanks." she told them.
They resumed walking for a minute before Toph spoke up again.
"I'd return the compliments, but I've never been good at that sort of stuff." she admitted.
She then slugged them both on the arm, the only way she knew to show affection.
Iroh's Special Day
Iroh walked through the markets of Ba Sing Se, looking over the various shops and the wares they had for sale. He eventually reached a small basket shop, admiring the handwoven work. The owner approached him, giving him a smile as he noticed him admiring a square basket among the collection.
"If this is for a romantic picnic, may I suggest this lavender one?" the shopkeeper told him, holding up a basket decorated with carvings of flowers.
"No, it's not a romantic picnic, but it is a special occasion." Iroh informed him, fishing out a coin from his shirt.
He paid for the basket he'd been admiring, then took it and prepared to go. He stopped after two steps, noticing a single flower in a small vase. He pushed it into the shade of the shop's roof, and the flower immediately opened up into a beautiful yellow blossom.
"The moonflower likes partial shade." he explained, giving a bow to the shopkeeper before going about his day.
...
Later, Iroh was examining another shop which was selling musical instruments. He was eying a lute hanging from the roof when the sound of a crying child caught his attention. He turned around to see a boy sobbing the middle of the street, his mother trying to console him.
"It's okay." she told her son, gently patting and shushing him.
The boy continued to cry, but his sobs quieted when music began playing. Both he and his mother turned to see Iroh approaching them, lute in hand as he began to sing.
"Leaves from the vine,
falling so slow.
Like fragile, tiny shells,
drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy,
come marching home.
Brave soldier boy,
comes marching home."
By the end of the song, he was kneeling before a smiling boy, who reached up and gave his beard a yank. Iroh yelped as the boy laughed, straightening his beard as the boy's mother took him from the street. Iroh gave the boy a small before returning the lute to the store.
…
His shopping done, Iroh left the market, walking into a courtyard were a group of four boys were playing Earth Soccer. One of the boys struck the ground with his foot and the ball shot up before coming back down. He kicked it and followed up with some earthbending. A patch of earth rose to create a path for the ball to roll along. Another player earthbended to stop the ball before it reached the goal. This caused the ball to launch up and into the direction Iroh was standing. Thinking fast, he ducked down, letting the ball whizz over his head and break through the window directly behind him. A loud crash and an even louder voice rang out from inside.
"Hey!" the deep, menacing voice shouted.
The boys all looked at the window nervously as Iroh got to his feet. He turned to them all.
"It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur, and seek to restore honor." he told them.
That's when several loud footsteps approached the window, showing a large man that had to bend down to look through the hole. His face was angry, and his voice practically shook the window.
"When I'm through with you kids, the window won't be the only thing that's broken!" He swore.
Iroh blinked once.
"But not this time." he amended. "RUN!"
The kids and Iroh scattered to the four winds. Iroh ran right back into the marketplace at a pace few would expect from an older man. Soon, he took cover in an alley, leaning against the cool stone and letting out a sigh. He then set down his basket, looking out of the alley to make sure he had not been pursued.
"You!" a voice behind him demanded. "Give me all your money!"
Iroh turned around to see a man standing behind him wielding a knife. He was worried for a moment before noticing the horrible stance he was in. Iroh turned around, shaking his head in confusion.
"What are you doing?" he questioned.
"I'm mugging you!" the man replied.
"With that stance?" Iroh asked, pointing at the man's feet.
"What?" The man let out, glancing down at his stance. "What are you talking about? Just give me your money, old man!"
Iroh did the opposite.
"With a poor stance, you are unbalanced, and you can be easily knocked over." he explained.
He then darted forward, grabbing the man's arm, divesting him of his dagger before shoving him in the chest. The man fell on his butt, looking up at Iroh who was twirling his dagger nonchalantly. For a second, the man feared he would be beaten for his attempted mugging, but Iroh merely offered him a hand up. The man took it in surprise, looking even more so when Iroh handed him his dagger back.
"With a solid stance, you are a much more serious threat." he went on, demonstrating the proper stance.
The man mimicked the pose, Iroh adjusting it slightly with a light kick. He looked upon the final stance, beaming with pride.
"Much better!" he complimented. "But to tell you the truth, you do not look like the criminal type."
"I know..." the man admitted, sliding out of the stance and looking at Iroh with genuine confusion and defeat. "I- I just don't know what to do."
...
Much time had passed and the two had gotten to talking. The man, whose name was apparently Tycho, told Iroh about his life before Ba Sing Se, and his dreams of working in a massage clinic. Iroh had listened intently, pouring the man some tea and offering him advice and encouragement.
"So you really think I could be a good masseur?" Tycho asked.
"Of course!" Iroh insisted.
"This is so great." Tycho beamed. "No one has ever believed in me."
"While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing." Iroh told him.
Tycho smiled warmly, then the two continued drinking their tea.
...
Dusk arrived, and Iroh made his way up a small hill where a beautiful tree was sitting. He set down his basket, removing his conical hat before kneeling down. He then erected a small pile of stones, draping a blanket over them before putting a few fresh vegetables and fruit on either side of the small structure. He then pulled out a piece of paper, lingering on it for a moment before placing it down. His face seemed more somber as he pulled out a pair of incense sticks, using firebending to light them. He placed them in a small incense holder on the freshly constructed memorial shrine to his son.
"Happy birthday, Lu Ten." he told the picture. "If only I could have helped you."
He closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks as he began to sing. His voice cracked badly and his frame shook with sobs.
"Leaves from the vine,
falling so slow.
Like fragile, tiny shells,
drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy,
come marching home.
Brave soldier boy,
comes marching home."
Aang's Day at the Zoo
Aang flew on his glider, searching for Appa. He landed in a small street in the Lower Ring, twirling his glider back into a staff before beginning his trek on foot. The street was lined on both sides with various cages and pens built into the rock. Aang passed each pen and looked in to see different creatures looking sad and depressed. His expression matching theirs as he sighed in sympathy.
He stopped for a few seconds and looked up into a cage with a group of dragon flies, the small creatures buzzing forlornly. He then looked down into another pen, a pit holding an elephant mandrill. It was lying on the ground, looking very bored. In another pen, an armadillo lion was gnawing at the bars of his pen, looking up as Aang approached.
"Hey there fella." he said as he held out a hand. "You look hungry."
The armadillo lion roared, causing Aang to jump back in surprise. The creature then curled up and rolled deeper into the pen. Aang came out of his surprise as an older man walked by with a broom. His apron said 'Kenji's Zoo' on it, and from the way he looked around the zoo, it was clear he was Kenji.
"They are hungry." he announced forlornly.
Aang looked at Kenji, seeing the sorrow on the man's face. He then began walking, Kenji explaining his troubles to Aang.
"The Dai Li won't give me any money because the kids stopped coming." he explained. "And the kids won't come because my zoo's nasty and broke."
Aang stopped, noticing a strange creature in a small pen.
"What kind of animal is that?" he asked.
"That's a rabbaroo." he explained. "I wish I could get her a big open prairie like she likes. I'd let her hop away to happiness."
Aang looked at the rabbaroo, letting out a sigh. Then, he perked up, an idea forming.
"Let's do it!" he cheered.
"Come again?" Kenji questioned.
"There's a big open space right outside the Inner Wall." Aang explained. "If we can get all these animals out there, I could easily construct a zoo big enough to suit the needs of the animals, as well as neat enough that the kids will come!"
"That's a nice idea, but these are wild critters." Kenji reminded him. "How're you gonna transport them all?"
"Don't worry." Aang brushed off. "I'm great with animals."
…
The Lower Ring was awash with chaos. Hog monkeys were tearing about a pottery shop, smashing things and tossing anything they could get their hands on. The shop owner was forced to chase them off with a broom, screaming about her destroyed store as they ran off. No sooner had they left, the elephant mandrill came charging through the street.
The dragon flies swarmed around another group of people as a platypus bear managed to scare two groups of people at once, rearing up on its hind legs and roaring. It chased one group down through an alley as the armadillo lion rolled in and chased another.
The rabbaroo was enjoying herself as well, gorging herself on a stack of cabbages. It was her first meal in a while, and she devoured the pile with gusto. The owner of the cabbages, none other than the cabbage merchant, tried to save as many as he could. Unfortunately, he just couldn't hold that man, and ended up dropping a good portion of them.
"My cab-!" he began to yell before the rabbaroo looked him in the face, crunching down on another cabbage. He met her eyes, then turned away and tossed the only cabbage he had in his hand over his shoulder. "Oh forget it."
Aang managed to catch up with the swarm of dragon flies, using airbending to blow them away from the people they were harassing. He herded them down the street as the crowd ran in the opposite direction.
"This was so much easier in my head." he admitted, wracking his brain for an idea.
After a minute, he snapped his fingers, pulling his bison whistle from his shirt. He took in a deep breath, literally sucking up the air from the street. He then brought the whistle to his lips, blowing on it so hard that a literal wave of sound washed over the Lower Ring. Each and every animal heard the sound, dropping what they were doing and rushing off to find its source.
Aang kept blowing the whistle, riding on an air scooter as fast as he could. Not far behind him, a literal stampede of animals were hot on his trail, even a turtle seal. Still, he kept at it, rushing towards the Inner Wall where Kenji was speaking with two of the guards.
"But you have to open this gate!" he explained.
"Or what?" one of the guards questioned.
"Or that!" Kenji answered, pointing behind him.
The two guards looked to see Aang's approach, the cacophonous sound of animals stampeding filling their ears. Their jaws dropped at the sight, but they recovered quickly.
"Open the gate!" the second guard shouted before he and his partner took off in opposite directions.
Kenji watched them go, then the gates began to open behind him. He quickly ran out of the way as Aang finally stopped blowing the whistle, using his glider to fly over the animals and through the newly opened gate. The animals poured out of the city, spreading out across the massive pasture land, relishing in their freedom.
Knowing time was limited, Aang got to work. He released his glider, hopping on his air scooter once again before earthbending a wall around the entire herd. With them all now contained, he jumped into the center, dropping a square portion of the ground deeper. He then summoned up three earth pillars, each of varying sizes, then punched a wall, separating the animals.
He did this several time, creating various walls, plateaus, pits, and other small things to keep the animals happy and contained. By the time he was finished, the massive zoo was ready for business. Aang had even flattened out some paths, and added a gate to welcome in the kids. The guards and Kenji stared in amazement, other people coming through to see the new zoo. Kids raced past the adults, enjoying the sights. Aang was especially happy to see the rabbaroo hopping around, three little kits poking out of her pouch.
"Not to toot my own tsungi horn, but I think the kids will enjoy your new facilities." Aang beamed.
"I agree, Avatar." Kenji replied, smiling as he put his hand on Aang's shoulder. "You should think about working with animals for a living."
That's when a little girl's voice reached their ears.
"Mommy, Miss Snowflake got out of the house again." she said, pointing into one of the pens.
Aang flinched a pick, tentatively peeking over into a pen that seemed to be holding all of the household pets he'd accidentally dragged along on his zoo mission.
"On second thought," Kenji amended, "maybe you should stick to saving people."
Aang nodded in agreement, laughing slightly.
Sokka's Haiku Battle
Sokka walked down the streets of the Middle Ring at dusk, throwing his boomerang in the air out of boredom. He cut through an alley, where some people were struggling to get an ostrich horse to cooperate. Hoping to scoot by them, he moved closer to a building. He passed by a window, stopping when he noticed a gorgeous girl standing on stage, reading a handwritten haiku.
"What's this?" he questioned, leaning into the window.
What he didn't know was that he was watching the Five-Seven-Five Society's class. What he did know was that the girl's poem was almost as beautiful as her.
"Through all the long night,
winter moon glows with bright love,
sleet her silver tears."
He let out a sigh, reclining further on the window.
"Ahh, poetry." he let out dreamily.
As he watched on, the ostrich horse behind him continued struggling with his handler. In an effort to escape, it kicked backwards, sending Sokka flying partially through the window while dislodging the window frame. He yelped, drawing the attention of the girls. He saw their startled faces, immediately turning red.
"I am so sorry." Sokka apologized, crawling out of the window. "Something struck me in the rear." He then slid the window frame off of his hips, stepping out of it. "I just… wound up… here."
The girls all laughed and applauded at Sokka's unintended haiku. He looked surprised at first then grinned widely. That's when the class' teacher, Macmu-Ling, stood up. Though she was applauding, it was clear she was not as easily impressed as her students.
"Five, seven, then five,
syllables mark a haiku.
Remarkable oaf."
She bowed towards him, clearly issuing a challenge. Sokka's eyebrow twitched slightly, then he thought for a moment before coming up with a reply.
"They call me Sokka,
that is in the Water Tribe.
I am not an oaf."
He counted the last five syllables on his hand to be sure, smiling when the girls laughed again. Macmu-Ling remained unimpressed, her eyes narrowing at the warrior.
"Tittering monkey,
in the spring he climbs treetops,
and thinks himself tall."
The girls let out a collective 'Oooooh' at their teacher's burn. Sokka remain unfazed, looking down at her with a smug grin.
"You think you're so smart,
with your fancy little words,
this is not so hard."
Now the 'Oooooh' was directed at Macmu-Ling, who walked up on stage to face Sokka head on.
"Whole seasons are spent,
mastering the form, the style,
none calls it easy."
Sokka pointed at himself with both thumbs, immediately responding/
"I calls it easy.
Like I paddle my canoe,
I'll paddle yours too!"
For emphasis, he turned around and slapped his butt in her direction. This alone got all of the girls practically squealing with laughter. Macmu-Ling was getting extremely irritated, and reached into her sleeve to pull out a plum.
"There's nuts and there's fruits.
In fall the clinging plum drops,
always to be squashed."
She dropped the plum and squashed it for emphasis, going so far as to dig the toe of her shoe into the mushed fruit.
"Squish, squash, sling that slang.
I'm always right back at ya,
like my... boomerang!"
He drew his beloved boomerang from its sheath on his back, holding it up as the class laughed. Macmu-Ling stared at him for a moment, then silently returned to her seat amongst her students. Sokka replaced his boomerang, turning back to the girls confidently.
"That's right, I'm Sokka,
it's pronounced with an 'okka',
young ladies, I rocked ya!"
This time, however, his haiku was not cheered at. Instead, it was met with silent, unhappy expressions. Sokka blinked for a minute, going over what he'd said. The first two lines were fine, but his last line contained six syllables instead of five. As realization dawned, a large security guard approached and grabbed him by the collar. He was lifted up so he was looking the guard in the face.
"Uh, that's one too many syllables there, bub." He told him before picking him up and throwing him out.
Sokka went flying through the front doors, landing face first in the dirt as the doors slammed shut behind him. He picked himself up, rubbing his head before sighing.
"Poetry..." he let out glumly.
Momo's Ba Sing Se Adventure
A very tall tree towered over a vast forest, so much so that it even stood above the clouds. Appa flew up through the clouds and over to the tree, Momo perched on his head. Fruit hung in sets of five over the duo, ripe for the picking. Momo flew up and began eating some of the fruit, tossing some down for Appa to eat. As Momo continued to chew on one of the fruits, Appa suddenly roared very loudly.
...
Momo jolt up from the windowsill of the gang's house, startled by the thunder that filled the sky. Still somewhat afraid, he leapt into Sokka's Earth Kingdom bag that was hanging nearby. After a few seconds, Momo poked his head out, a tuft of white fur stuck to his face. It was a clump of Appa's fur left over from their misadventure in Tu Zin. He pulled it off, sniffing it longingly, looking out the window.
Outside, a shadow that was very similar to Appa's crossed the ground. Momo's ears perked as he wrapped the bunch of fur around one of his front legs and soared out the window. He flew towards a tree and darted up it to get a better view. As he reached the top though, the shape he thought was Appa turned out to only be a cloud.
Disappointed, he held his arm up and looked at the fur tied to it, but chattered a bit as he noticed something. He looked over to another houses roof and saw what looked to be Appa's horns. He chirped and vaulted over several rooftops to get a closer look, only to find it was branches sticking out of a white cherry blossom tree. Momo landed on one, sulking and chirping forlornly.
...
Knowing sleep would not find him this night, Momo soared above the streets of Ba Sing Se, eventually landing on a water barrel for a drink. As he did so, his wagging tail accidentally knocked over a stick sitting nearby. It fell to the ground with a noise that alerted three pygmy pumas who were rummaging in the garbage nearby. They growled ferociously at the lemur before trying to pounce on him.
Momo scrambled to get away, taking off on all fours. He ran into a small box with an opening just big enough for him, but not for the pygmy pumas. They surrounded the box, growling and snarling as one tried to get its paw through the hole. Another swiped through a crack in the top. Knowing remaining in the box would be deadly, Momo made his escape through an opening in the back, flying off with the pumas hot on his tail.
The pygmy pumas chased him by running on rooftops. One of them managed to push him to the ground, but the lemur didn't stay down for long. Momo got to his feet and ran straight into a group of people. As he suspected, the pumas did not follow him. He continued to try and make his escape, but something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
He panicked for a second, until he realized it was a man. The man placed a small green hat with a string on his head, dropping him into the middle of a pair of dancing monkeys. Some music was already playing and the monkeys were enjoying themselves. Momo stood there for a minute, then joined in with his own unique form of dancing that had the crowd going wild.
As he danced and the crowd cheered, the pumas found an opening in the circle of people. They pounced on Momo, who was in the middle of a balancing act with his impromptu dance partners. The pumas knocked him off balance, throwing the monkeys in every direction as Momo tried to take off. Unfortunately, a puma was holding onto him, weighing him down. The other two quickly ran to help their partner, all four of them crashing to the ground.
Momo found himself pinned to the ground by one of his the predators while the other two stood ready to strike their catch. However, before they had a change, a net flew in, capturing all four of them and dragging them off. They were thrown in separate cages in an animal control wagon, the cages locked with metal pegs. As the cart began to move, Momo rubbed the clump of Appa fur still tied to his arm against his face, wondering if he would ever see his friend again.
...
The cart pulled up to a butcher shop, the officer in charge of it going inside to haggle with the butcher. Though Momo couldn't understand what they were saying, it was clear they were in the middle of an argument. The pygmy pumas scratched and clawed at their cage, trying to escape their deadly fate. Momo, however, had a different approach.
He reached through the bars of his cage, pulling the peg free. The cage swung open and he went to make a run for it. However, he stopped, looking back at the pumas. Though they had been trying to eat him, he couldn't in good conscience leave them to suffer a similar fate. He leapt up, opening the cage for them. By the time the two men finished their haggling, the animals were nowhere to be seen.
...
The four creatures made their way to the rooftops of the city and took a moment to sit and watch the clouds. All animosity between the creatures was gone, Momo accepting nuzzles from the pumas as he gave them pets in return. Suddenly, one of the panthers grabbed the bunch of Appa's fur from his arm and ran off with it, the other two following after. Momo chirped angrily, taking off after them
The pumas raced down the street, but the one with Appa's fur seemed to wait, as if making sure Momo was following them. This went on for a bit before the puma deposited the fur onto a divet in the ground shaped like Appa's paw. They took off as Momo reclaimed the fur, returning it to the spot on his wrist. He held it close before curling up in the hole, a gentle patter of rain falling over him as sleep finally overtook the lemur.
Just the Two of Us
Business at the tea shop was as busy as ever, Zuko and Iroh working as hard as they could. The former poured tea for a set of customers as a familiar voice spoke up behind him.
"Is this where the finest tea maker in all of Ba Sing Se works?" Xia asked.
Zuko whirled around, nearly dropping his tea pot.
"You!" he hissed.
"Me." she replied.
He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to the rear of the shop so they could talk in semi-private.
"Where have you been?" he questioned. "It's been days since you just up and left. Now you suddenly show up, acting as if everything's okay? I was worried sick!"
Xia winced.
"I know, I know." she replied. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't expect to be away so long but-"
She cut herself off, looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Confident it was safe, she spoke again in a softer tone.
"The Dai Li, the 'cultural protectors' of this city found out I'm the Guardian." she supplied. "They're keeping me as an 'honored guest' in the Upper Ring, but you might as well say they have me in a gilded cage. I've been tailed for days now, and I got lucky in losing my tail long enough to come see you."
"I see…" Zuko conceded.
"I never wanted you to worry." Xia reassured. "I just couldn't risk drawing unneeded attention to you and Uncle. Please understand."
"I get it." Zuko told her. "I was just worried about you. I just got you back, and-"
"Yeah." Xia interjected. "I get it..."
There was an awkward silence between the two, then Xia perked up.
"How about this?" she suggested. "I come by the apartment around sunset. You and I can just walk around and catch up. It'll be nice without an impending battle or an injured Uncle to tend to."
"What about your tail?" Zuko asked.
"If anyone asks, we'll say we're just hanging out as friends." Xia supplied. "It's more common than you think, Zuko."
"Alright." Zuko agreed. "Sounds good."
"Great." Xia grinned, giving her brother a hug. "See you then."
She then headed out, giving Iroh a wave.
"Bye Mushi!" she called out before disappearing through the door.
Iroh watched her go as Zuko emerged from the back.
"So, 'Min' decided to pay a visit today." Iroh noted.
"Yeah." Zuko confirmed. "We're going to spend the evening together tonight."
"That is wonderful." Iroh commended. "You'll need to make sure to clean yourself up. Maybe even do something about your hair."
Zuko gave his uncle a sideways glance as the old man grinned.
...
That evening at sunset, Zuko emerged from the apartment, his hair combed in perhaps the dorkiest way imaginable. As Xia approached from behind, she couldn't help but laugh at how her twin looked.
"Holy Spirits!" she cackled. "You look ridiculous!"
"Hey!" Zuko responded. "It took Uncle ten minutes to do my hair."
"I can tell." Xia remarked.
She reached up and ruffled it, returning it to its usual style. He batted her hand away, but the damage was done.
"There, much better." she declared, nodding slightly.
He gave her a small glare, one she elected to ignore.
"I managed to get us a reservation at a local restaurant." she informed him. "They serve perhaps the best roast duck in the city."
"Better not tell uncle." Zuko quipped. "Food money is scarce as it is."
"Don't worry." Xia assured him, taking his arm in hers. "My treat."
...
Once they reached the restaurant, the waiter sat them at a small table in the corner where they could have some privacy. As they were handed their menus, the waiter gave a small bow.
"Would the lovely couple like a candle for their table?" he asked.
The two blushed in response, hastily explaining over one another that they were not a couple. Though their words were garbled together, the waiter got the message and withdrew. Xia almost immediately put her face in her menu, letting out a low groan.
"That was awkward and uncomfortable." she muttered.
"Totally." Zuko agreed.
They remained silent for a while, trying to decide what they wanted. Trying to lighten the mood, Xia spoke up.
"How's life been while I was away?" She asked.
"Busy." Zuko replied. "Uncle and I spend most of our day at the tea shop."
He let out a snort before continuing.
"Uncle practically runs the place, even if he's only getting paid a waiter's wage." he told her.
"Maybe he should get his own tea shop." Xia suggested. "I bet everyone in the city would flock to his doors for a cup of his famous jasmine tea."
"Yeah..." Zuko let out, setting down his menu.
Xia noticed a sad note to his voice, setting down her own menu. She looked over to see him staring off in the distance, his eyes unfocused.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"It's just-" he sighed, facing her again. "This isn't exactly the life I pictured for myself."
Xia sighed in sympathy.
"I know what you mean." she told him.
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life as Lee the refugee and tea server." Zuko went on. "Pretending to be someone I'm not, cutting off a part of myself..."
"Finding yourself forgetting what having a home felt like, wondering how people back home remember you..." Xia added.
Zuko let out a small 'hmph'.
"Guess I'm not the only one with doubts about the future." he commented.
"I'd be lying if I said I never thought about it." Xia replied. "I mean, I don't regret what I did. I don't regret freeing Min or helping Aang."
She held up her hand, sliding off her glove and showing her Guardian mark.
"But I never asked for this mark." she said. "And ever since I've gotten it, I've felt like there's a war going on inside me. Like two halves are fighting for dominance: the Princess and the Guardian."
Zuko took her hand, giving her a kind smile.
"You know, Uncle once told me that there are always two tigerdillos fighting inside of you." he recalled. "One is good, and one is evil. I asked him which one wins, and he said, 'the one you feed'."
"And if you don't know which one is the good one?" Xia offered.
Zuko paused for a minute, then drooped.
"I've got nothing." he admitted.
Xia giggled a bit, giving her brother's hand a squeeze.
"Thanks for trying at least." she told him.
...
After dinner the two walked through the streets, just talking about anything that came to mind.
"Wait, wait, wait." Xia insisted. "Uncle made tea out of the White Jade bush? Isn't that extremely poisonous?"
"He thought it was the White Dragon bush." Zuko explained.
"You'd think someone who enjoyed tea as much as him would know the difference." Xia remarked.
"You'd think." Zuko agreed.
The two shared a laugh at that, settling down on a candle-lit fountain. As they sat there, Xia let her thoughts drift.
"You know… I don't think Uncle would have been happy as Fire Lord." she suddenly declared.
That caught Zuko off-guard, turning to his twin in surprise. As if sensing his confusion, she explained further.
"Think about it." she told him. "After what happened to Lu Ten, he was a different man. I mean, he was always far kinder than dad ever was, but he became more… sage-like. He pours tea to strangers and gives advice freely. Does that sound like a Fire Lord to you?"
Zuko paused for a moment before answering.
"No… I suppose not." Zuko admitted.
"What dad did, stealing the throne and all, was a cruel trick." Xia admitted. "But in the end, it allowed Uncle to do what he loved. His pain and betrayal allowed him to become a stronger, better man. Maybe… maybe that's what's happening to us."
"You think this is helping us?" Zuko asked in slight disbelief. "It feels like all this is doing is just humiliating me in new ways."
"Hey, I never said it was easy." Xia told him. "But like uncle always said: Nothing good ever came easy. Things will get better. I know it may not be what you pictured for your ultimate destiny, but keep an open mind. You may be surprised."
"Maybe." Zuko replied. "We'll see."
Xia patted him on the shoulder, going to say something else. However, that's when she spotted three pygmy pumas racing across the street a distance away. When she saw Momo dart after them, her eyes went wide.
"Right." she said in somewhat of a rush. "Look, I had a great time. I hate to cut this short, but I got to run. Bye!"
She then took off down the street where she'd seen Momo. Zuko watched her go, eyes narrowing in confusion before following after her. It began raining as he did, but he ignored it as he prepared to round a corner. He stopped dead when he saw Xia bending down and picking up a now sleeping Momo.
"What are you doing all the way out here, Momo?" she chastised the sleeping lemur.
She cradled him in her arms as Zuko just stared. As she turned around, he quickly ducked back behind the corner.
"Come on, let's get you back to Aang and the others." She told him. "I'm sure he's worried about you. The last thing we need is for him to lose another friend."
She then carried the lemur out of the street. Zuko hid himself as she walked past, his feet frozen as she disappeared. Once she was gone, he just stood there, the rain hiding the tears of betrayal in his eyes.
...
By the time Zuko returned to the apartment, he was completely drenched. He stormed past his uncle towards his room.
"How was your night?" Iroh asked.
The door just slammed shut behind him, hard enough that it shook the frame. Inside, Zuko yanked his window shut, ensuring he was truly another. Only then did he allow himself to scream, flames issuing from his mouth as he did. When he was done, he just fell to his knees, punching the ground in anger and despair.