A teapot was picked up by Lao. Lao and Poppy sat on a sofa drinking tea.
Lao took a sip of tea. "I'm pleased to hear that Reiko's private lessons are going well. But I want to be sure she's not trying anything too dangerous."
"Absolutely not. I am keeping her at a beginner's level. Basic forms and breathing exercises only." Yu said.
"Very good." Lao said
A servant came in.
"Excuse me, sir, but you have a visitor." Servant said.
"Who thinks they are so important they can just come to my home unannounced?" Lao said.
"Uh ... the Avatar, sir." Servant said.
Reiko's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
Lao and Poppy lookEd at each other. The servant went away. Reiko blew her hair in annoyance.
They were inside the dining room, where the Beifongs, Yu, and Team Avatar gathered for a dinner of soup, tea, roast duck, and tea. Aang sat across from Reiko. Sokka devoured his food. A Servant brought a cup of soup to Reiko. Lao noticed.
"Blow on it. It's too hot for her." Lao said.
"Allow me." Aang Sent a small tornado at the cup. Everyone clapped.
"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us." Poppy said.
"In your opinion, how much longer do think the war will last?" Lao said.
"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first." Aang said.
Reiko had an annoyed look.
Lao chuckled. "Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Reiko since she was little."\
"Then she must be a great earthbender! Probably good enough to teach someone else!" Aang said. Reiko sent a fissure under the table at him. "Ow!"
Aang sat up a little. Lao cast an odd glance at his daughter who merely ate her soup.
"Reiko is still learning the basics." Yu said.
"Yes, and sadly, because she lacks talent, I don't think she will ever become a true master." Lao said.
"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is." Aang said.
Reiko sent another fissure at him, causing his face to fall into the soup. Everybody stopped eating. Aang rubbed some soup out of his eyes and sneezed on purpose, sending the food flying at the Beifong family.
"What's your problem?!" Reiko said angrily.
"What's your problem?" Aang said angrily.
Lao and Poppy wiped their faces with napkins.
"Well, shall we move to the living room for desert, then?" Poppy said.
Later that night, the four were in a guest room. Appa was outside the window and Aang was patting Appa.
"Good night, buddy." Aang said.
Reiko entered, causing Aang to move into a defensive position.
"Relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" Reiko said softly. Aang let down his defensive position and the two headed out to the yard. Reiko walked along the side of a bridge. "I was adopted into this family, and despite the fact that I gained earthbending from the spirit of Inari inside me, they never saw my talent, never saw me as anything but a posh little lady. And then I saw my sister Kurai; saw that she had moved past her destiny. I guess I lost it a little. I got jealous. I can't even face her. I feel the vibrations in the Earth, and I have the power of Synthesis granted by Inari. But I can't speak to my own sister."
"She wants to see you." Aang said. "Kurai always thinks about you. She turned her back on the love of her life for your sake! She said she did it for me, cuz I'm the Avatar—but we all know it's for you; for her sister!"
"No one understands." Reiko said. "They all treat me like I'm helpless. How do I know Kurai doesn't see me that way too?"
"Is that why you became the Vixen?" Aang asked.
"Yeah." Reiko said.
"Then why stay here where you're not happy?" Aang said.
"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?" Reiko said hopelessly.
"You could come with us." Aang said.
"Yeah. You guys get to go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do, that's the life. It's just not my life." Reiko detected something and touched the ground. "We're being ambushed!"
They tried to run, but got cut off by underground digging from The Gopher. They were imprisoned in metal cages. The Hippo jumped onto the two cages and started stomping. The rest of the Earth Rumble wrestlers jumped down onto the ground.
"I think you kids owe me some money." Xin Fu said threateningly.