Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.

The Six Rules:

Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.

Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.

Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.

Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.

Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.

Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.

Chapter 31:

The Choice, the Game and the Saddle

Alec POV

I woke up the next morning and saw the sun shining through the window. Strange, the window in my room faced the west. Why was I seeing sunlight? Suddenly, I noticed the warm weight in my arms. I looked down.

That's right! I wasn't in my room.

Ty Lee was snuggling me with a big smile on her sleeping face, and had her arms locked around me. I figured it wasn't a good idea for the others to see us like this. The teasing would be awful. I tried to gently pry her arms off me, but she was too strong. She shifted her weight and snuggled even more into me, still blissfully asleep.

"Mmm, Mr. Fluffles. You're so warm." She murmured.

Who was that? I didn't have time to worry about that. I needed to wake her up so I could get out of here. I stroked her cheek gently. "Ty Lee, it's time to wake up." I whispered.

Her silver eyes fluttered open. She yawned cutely. "Good morning." She said quietly.

I smiled. "Hey, I'm sorry to wake you up like this, but I think I should go back to my room now." I said.

She tilted her head. "Why?" She asked.

"Well, if the others see us like this, the teasing will be relentless." I pointed out. "If Mai doesn't kill me first."

She blushed a little. "Good point." She slowly let me out of her hug.

"I'm curious, who's Mr. Fluffles?" I asked. "You muttered about that in your sleep."

She got even redder. "He was a huge stuffed toy platypus bear I had back in the Fire Nation." She admitted. "I didn't have enough room for him in my bag when I ran away."

I smiled at her. "You sound like you miss him." I said.

She nodded. "He was one of the few things I had that set me apart from my sisters." She said, before she looked down sadly. "Sometimes, my parents couldn't even tell me apart from them."

I hugged her, trying to make her feel better. "It's okay." I said. "Maybe I could try to find you a new one?" I suggested.

She shook her head. "No." She smiled. "I don't need a stuffed platypus bear to cuddle. I like cuddling you better." She leaned up and kissed me. Her lips were so soft and sweet.

"Has anyone seen Alec?" I heard Katara ask from outside. Oh no. We broke the kiss.

"He's not in his room?" Aang replied. Ty Lee and I looked at each other, eyes widening.

"Ask Kitten." I heard Toph suggest. I knew from her tone that the little traitor knew where I was.

The door slid open. Sokka didn't even bother to knock. "Hey, Ty Lee, have you seen…ALEC!" He exclaimed suddenly, before he slammed the door shut. I heard Toph laugh.

Dammit. We'd been caught. I looked at Ty Lee. I took a deep breath. "Wanna go outside and face the music?" I suggested with dread.

She shook her head. "No, but we can't stay here forever." She pointed out.

I sat up. "This is gonna suck."


Ty Lee and I walked to the dining room. Each step filled us with dread. My cheeks felt so hot that you could fry eggs on them. I opened the door. Most of the group was there, except for Mai, Zuko and Iroh. That was slightly comforting. At least I wouldn't die from knife wounds. Just from embarrassment.

I looked around the table. Toph had the wickedest grin on her face. Suki was smirking. Sokka was torn between embarrassment and amusement. Katara and Aang blushed and couldn't make eye contact with me or Ty Lee.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, eager to get this over with. "Go ahead." I groaned. "Make your jokes."

Surprisingly, Suki went first. "Alec, how bold of you!" She exclaimed in a fake-scandalized tone, pulling out a war fan from her belt and fanning herself. "You certainly move fast."

Sokka tsk'd. "Alec, what would Gran Gran think?" He fake-scolded.

"You're one to talk." I retorted. "You opened a lady's door without knocking. Plus, I don't think it's a coincidence that your room shares a bathroom with Suki's."

Sokka blushed. Suki just smirked and nodded, completely unashamed.

Toph chuckled. "I could feel your heartbeats even through the mattress, Hand Slicer." She taunted. "And Snoozles wasn't in War Fans's room last night."

Katara hesitantly looked between both me and Ty Lee. Our faces were beet red. "Please tell me you two were at least careful." She said.

Before I could explain what really happened, I heard a voice behind me that made my blood run cold.

"Careful with what?"

Ty Lee and I turned around slowly. Standing in the doorway was the last person I wanted to see right now. Mai. She gave me a suspicious glare. I opened my mouth to explain myself, but Toph beat me to it. "Hand Slicer slept with Kitten last night."

Mai glared and took a step towards me. "I should have known." She growled. "Is that all you were after?" She accused. "Trying to get my best friend to sleep with you?"

I held my hands up defensively. "No!" I quickly said. "We did sleep in the same bed last night, but all we did was cuddle! She asked me to!"

Mai stopped. She turned her gaze to Ty Lee. "To keep the nightmares away?" She asked in a much gentler tone. Ty Lee nodded. "I see." She said. She turned her gaze back towards me. "That was good of you to do." She said to me, before she narrowed her eyes again. "Assuming that's the truth."

"Hand Slicer's telling the truth." Toph said. Then she grinned again. "But I can tell by their heart rates that they wanted to do more."

"Shut it, Shrimp!" I growled. Ty Lee and I sat together at the table. We grabbed some breakfast dumplings from a bowl in the middle and started eating. Mai joined us. Ty Lee turned to her. "How's Zuko doing?" She asked.

At the mention of his name, Mai's expression softened. "His fever broke about an hour ago." She said quietly. "Hopefully, he'll wake up soon."

Interesting. His fever seemed to take less time than it had in the show. I wonder if the fever dream was the same? I heard the door slide open, and I looked up from my breakfast. Zuko and Iroh stood there. Iroh was beaming supportively at his nephew, and Zuko was looking around at the rest of us awkwardly.

"Um," He rubbed the back of his head, "Can I talk to you all?"


Zuko POV

I sat down at the empty chair at the other end of the table. The Avatar ("Aang" I told myself. "I need to use their names, not just titles or descriptions.") and his friends stared attentively at me. Luckily for me, they looked like they were willing to listen. This was going to be hard for me to say.

"Um," I began, "I had a dream last night. A really weird dream."

Mai moved her chair closer to me and put her hand over mine, urging me to continue. "I saw the past three years flash before my eyes." I said quietly. "And, now that I'm not hunting you anymore, I noticed things that I hadn't noticed before." I looked up at Aang. "When I first started hunting you, I went to all the Air Temples. I didn't pay much attention to anything at the time, because I was so focused on finding you." I swallowed. "I noticed something at all the Air Temples." My voice quieted to a whisper. "I never saw anything that resembled an armory, and I never saw anything like a weapon except for a few glider-staffs." I looked him in the eye and swallowed. "The Air Nomads didn't have an army, did they?" I whispered.

Aang sadly shook his head. "No, we believe all life is sacred. We don't even eat meat." He confirmed.

That's what I was afraid of. I noticed all the others giving me curious looks, but Alec looked…hopeful. I continued. "I came across one room in the Western Air Temple." I continued. "It was hidden behind a tapestry, and at first I was excited, because I thought I found your hiding place." I shuddered. "When I didn't see you there, I just left angrily. But looking back at what I saw in that room, I can't believe how cold I was."

"What did you see?" Aang whispered.

"Skeletons." I said, shuddering at the memory. "Skeletons in burned Air Nomad robes, holding each other." I shook my head. "Spirits, some of them were so…small. They had to be younger than Toph."

Aang's eyes were wet. Katara grabbed his hand comfortingly. I turned to Katara, Sokka and Alec. "I remember when I found your village." I said. "I thought it was so small, that what I was taught in school about the Water Tribe had to be right." I shook my head. "But the only reason it's so small is because the Fire Nation raided the South for years, isn't it?" I whispered. "It should look more like the North, shouldn't it?"

Katara shook her head. "I don't know." She admitted. "Not even Gran Gran can remember what it was like before the raids, anymore."

I had to keep going. I turned to Suki. "I remember Kyoshi Island." I said. "I remember being so obsessed with capturing Aang that I burned down your village." I looked at her pleadingly. "Please tell me nobody died!" I begged.

Suki looked at me with shock for a few seconds, but she shook her head. "Nobody was killed." She said. "The worst injuries were a few bruises, and we rebuilt the village after you left."

I let out a breath. "That's a relief." I said. I couldn't begin to atone for what I'd done if I'd killed someone. "I'm so sorry for what I did."

Suki looked at me with wide eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you." She said.

I swallowed. "I remember the Northern Water Tribe." I said, turning back to the original four members of the group. "When you took us to the boat you gave us, I saw all the dead, on both sides." I muttered. "I remember the ice was stained red, and I could smell the dead everywhere."

Alec nodded grimly. "Aang and I made a funeral pyre for the Fire Nation soldiers." He grimaced. "Well, the ones that weren't lost at sea." He clarified. "There must have been thousands of them in that pile. It took hours to burn, and the Northern Water Tribe almost ran out of whale oil."

I nodded sadly. "I heard pieces of what you all said when I had that fever last night." I said, turning to Uncle. "Something you said reached me: 'Nothing that causes that much torment can possibly be right.'." Uncle nodded. He seemed sad, but hopeful.

I turned to Alec. "You told me last night about my mother, and you asked me what I want to do now." I swallowed. "I want to protect my mother, like she protected me." I said. "I want people to not have to live in fear anymore. I want this war to end. I want to go home." I took a breath. "But none of that can ever happen while my fath…I mean, Fire Lord Ozai is on the throne." I said. I turned to Aang. "So, I want to help you defeat him, if you'll let me."

Stunned silence ran around the room. Toph was the first to break it. She grinned. "He's telling the truth."

Alec grinned. "Should we take a vote?" He suggested.

Aang smiled and nodded. "I vote yes."

Katara gave a small smile. "Yes."

Sokka nodded. "I say yes."

Toph smirked. "Fuck yeah!" "Language!" Katara chided.

Suki gave me a nod. "I can tell you're serious about this. I vote yes."

Ty Lee smiled at me. "Absolutely!"

Mai gave my hand a comforting squeeze. "Of course."

Alec grinned and stood up. "It's unanimous." He announced. He walked over to my end of the table and kneeled next to me. "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!"


After Alec said that, I blushed. "Please don't do that." I muttered, completely embarrassed. I heard a sniffle. I turned to my left and saw Uncle in tears. Before I could react, he wrapped me in a massive hug. "I'm so proud of you, Zuko!" He said. "You've finally found your own path!"

I awkwardly returned the hug. "But, don't you want to take your rightful place on the throne?" I asked. "Fire Lord Ozai stole it from you before the Agni Kai."

He shook his head. "No." He said. "It has to be someone new. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you."

"But, I've made so many mistakes!" I protested.

Alec went back to his seat. "Even when Ozai said you had no honor, you acted honorably." He said. "You agreed to Aang's terms to leave our village alone if we surrendered. Even when we escaped, you didn't double back and burn down the village." He frowned. "Someone like Zhao would have done that, if not just destroyed the village after we surrendered for shits and giggles."

"Language." Katara said.

Alec ignored her and kept talking. "You left Kyoshi Island after we did, instead of staying behind to burn it down for good." He said. "At the North Pole, when I yelled at you to avoid hurting the koi fish, you stopped and moved the fight away from the pond." He smirked. "Good choice, by the way."

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't want to hurt innocent animals." I said. "Were those koi fish important, or something?"

Aang, Katara and Sokka laughed. "I'd say so." Alec said with a smirk. "They're the mortal forms of the Moon and Ocean Spirits."

I paled. I almost hit the Moon and Ocean Spirits with a stray fireball?! "And, when we agreed to heal Iroh, you kept up your end of the deal, and didn't try to attack us in our sleep or capture Aang." He said with a smile. "You've always had honor. You never truly lost it."

He believed in me that much? I was surprised. I didn't feel like I deserved it. "Thank you." I said quietly.


Alec told Uncle and I the 'Six Rules', and we agreed to follow them. After he was done, I started eating breakfast. A million thoughts ran through my head at once. Mai noticed. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

I looked into her dark eyes. I hadn't seen her in so long. She'd become even more beautiful during that time. She had a regal elegance, beautiful skin and dark hair, and, even though it was rare, when she smiled, it was so amazing. I shook my head. "So many things will have to be done if I take the throne. I don't know where to begin." I admitted.

"Make a list." Alec suggested.

I blinked and turned to him. "What?"

"Make a list." He repeated. "Before I was in this world, I had a desk job with a ton of responsibilities. I would make a list of everything I needed to do, then I would prioritize them, and then I'd get them done." He shrugged. "Maybe that can work for you."

I looked at him. "Could you give me some help with that?" I asked.

He nodded. "Sure. About time some of the skills I had in my world were relevant here. Can we do it tomorrow, though? Your head will probably be clearer."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

Uncle cleared his throat. "There's something else we need to discuss." He said, before turning to Alec. "I assume the plan is not to stay in Ba Sing Se forever?" He questioned.

Alec nodded. "It's not, but we have a while before we definitely need to go anywhere, why?" He asked.

Uncle stroked his beard. "You see, Zuko and I are late for work. So late that our jobs are probably forfeit." He admitted. "And, our apartment is not in the safest neighborhood. So, our possessions have likely been stolen."

Uncle was right. I still had the swords that I stole from that guy who made Uncle dance, but that was all we had besides clothes on our back. Alec nodded. "Well, that's fine. You can stay here. We're plenty loaded, so we can probably get anything you need." He said with a smirk.

Uncle raised an eyebrow. "How did you manage to get so much money?"

Sokka, Aang, Toph and Alec laughed. Katara shook her head. "It's pretty easy to make money gambling on fights when you know the outcome." Alec said with a smirk.


Iroh POV

Alec was quite something. He certainly seemed intelligent, but I wanted to see what he was truly capable of. As we cleared the table after breakfast, I looked him in the eye. "Tell me, young Alec, do they have Pai Sho where you come from?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No."

I smiled. "Would you like to learn?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Sure. I was going to train today, but that sounds like fun!"

Fortunately, we found a Pai Sho table in one of the closets. We set it up in my room. I briefly explained the rules to Alec, and then we began to play. I had the first move. I decided to test his knowledge. I placed a white lotus tile in the center of the board.

Alec looked at it and grinned. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit." He noted. "Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

So, he did know. I thought as much. I smiled at him. "Those who do can always find a friend." I replied.

Alec rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know the exact moves to finish that secret handshake of yours, but I do know about your club." He admitted. He placed his tiles down on his end.

So, there were limits to his knowledge. Interesting. "How much do you know about them?" I inquired, making my move.

He thought briefly, before he responded. "I know they've been around at least since the time of Avatar Kuruk." He stated, moving a tile. "I know they believe in sharing knowledge and philosophy regardless of national boundaries. And I know the identities of five other members: Bumi, Jeong Jeong, Pakku, Piandao, and Xai Bao."

I nodded. "I see. Tell me, does anybody else outside of your group know your secrets?" I moved a tile forward.

He nodded. "Just one." He replied. "Bumi figured it out, even though I didn't tell him." He moved a tile.

I laughed. "Of course he did!" Bumi was the only person who could have guessed something as outlandish as Alec's origins. I moved another tile.

Alec frowned. It seems something occurred to him. "Tell me, do any of your members work in Fire Nation Intelligence?" He asked, moving his tile.

Interesting question. "No." I admitted. "Not exactly." I moved a tile forward.

He raised an eyebrow and moved a tile. "What do you mean, 'not exactly'?" He asked.

I looked him in the eye. "The Source somehow has access to files in Fire Nation Intelligence, as well as up-to-date reports of comings and goings from the Palace." I chuckled. "In fact, they know more than I did about the Palace when I was living there." I moved my piece.

He tilted his head in confusion. "What's 'The Source'?" He asked, moving a tile.

I moved a tile. "The Source is the codename for the person in charge of all our correspondences and information exchange. They're also our primary source of information from the Fire Nation." I said. "They joined the organization four years ago."

Alec gave me a curious look. "Who is it?" He asked, moving his tile.

I shook my head. "I do not know." I admitted. "They contacted me four years ago and offered their services to the White Lotus. They only communicate through dead drops and messages. One condition of their help was that they remain anonymous. Nobody in the organization has ever met them in person, but their information has always been of the highest quality." I shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not certain if they are a man or a woman." I made my move. "Whenever the White Lotus has meetings, The Source always sends a proxy, The Mask: A fairly well-built man wearing a plain wooden mask with holes over his eyes and a slit over his mouth. The only thing I know for certain is that The Source is one person. In every correspondence, the handwriting has been identical."

"Huh." Alec said. "I wasn't aware of The Source or The Mask from the original story. Then again, the story didn't go into a lot of detail about the White Lotus." He made his move, then frowned. "Something strange is going on." He added.

I made my move, and jumped a tile of his. "What is it?" I asked.

He added a piece to his board. "Mai and Ty Lee told us that Azula had Fire Nation Intelligence dig up all the information about us that they could find, and send their findings to her." He said. "Apparently, the dossiers listed all of us as extreme threats to the Fire Nation."

I was curious. "Where are you going with this?" I asked, moving my piece backward.

Alec frowned. "If they think we're extreme threats, why isn't Ozai taking us more seriously?" He wondered. He moved a piece into formation with his others. "We all know Zuko was never supposed to succeed. Ozai did give Zhao 131 ships to conquer the North Pole and catch us, but Zhao seemed far more focused on the former." He shook his head. "I mean, we weren't even Azula's original targets. She was sent after you and Zuko. She just happened to bump into us in Omashu and decided to hunt us, too." He smirked. "I suppose I should be thankful that he isn't taking us seriously, but a small part of me is insulted."

I laughed and moved a piece. "I remember when I was headstrong like that." I recalled.

Alec moved a piece forward. He frowned. "The thing is, I know Ozai's cruel and petty, but he's not an idiot." He said. "Ignoring Aang is a stupid move, especially after the Siege of the North." He added.

"So, what do you think is happening?" I prompted. I wanted to see how his mind worked. I jumped one of his pieces.

Alec's frown deepened. "That's just it." He said. "I don't know." He looked up. "Can I ask you a few questions about how Fire Nation Intelligence works?" He jumped two of my pieces. Clever boy managed to lead me into a trap.

I smiled. "Certainly." I was still in the lead. I claimed the piece that jumped two of mine. "What would you like to know?"

He moved a piece of his forwards. "Does Fire Nation Intelligence tell the Fire Lord about potential threats proactively? Or do they wait for the Fire Lord to ask?"

I moved a piece. "The former." I answered. "They submit reports to the Fire Lord regularly regarding potential threats."

He frowned again, and took one of my pieces. "If that's the case, Ozai should have read those reports and put more effort into hunting us." He shook his head. "It's almost like Ozai read a different report than Azula." He looked thoughtful. "Who runs Fire Nation Intelligence? What can you tell me about them?"

I nodded. "His name is Rezok. He's forty years old. He joined the military when he was sixteen. He served under me briefly, as a scribe. I noticed his intellect and recommended him to Fire Nation intelligence. He worked his way up the ranks, and was promoted to the position of Intelligence Minister ten years ago. He's clever, polite, and dutiful." I said. I sprung my trap, triple-jumping his pieces and putting me back in the lead.

Alec frowned. "Any family? Spouse, kids, siblings?" He asked. He jumped my piece.

I thought for a moment. "He told me he has a sibling. A brother, if I recall correctly, but I don't know his brother's name." I said. "He never married or had children. He always seemed like he was married to the job, if you're familiar with the expression." I jumped his piece.

Alec nodded. "Why would he give the accurate report to Azula, and nothing, or at least a report that underestimates us, to Ozai?" He wondered.

I shook my head. "I do not know." I admitted.

Alec gave me a questioning look. "Could he be The Source or The Mask?" He inquired.

I shook my head. "No." I denied. "Rezok was my scribe for a few years. I know his handwriting. It's different from The Source's. And he's too short and wiry to be The Mask."

Alec looked at the board. "He sounds like he has his own agenda." He said. "He doesn't seem like he's on Ozai's side, but we can't say for sure he's on ours."

We finished the game. I won, but only by three pieces. Alec was a fast learner. At the conclusion, he bowed. "Thank you for the game." He said. "And the information."


Alec POV

I went to the training grounds and found Aang hard at work with Toph. Suki was also there, putting Sokka through his paces. Mai was throwing knives at a pillar. Ty Lee was talking to Katara. Zuko and Iroh were still upstairs.

I walked over to Aang and Toph. "Aang, can we talk?" I asked.

He nodded. "Sure, what is it?"

"I've been thinking." I said. "Appa's saddle is too small to carry ten people, their camping supplies, and their food. Could we get someone to make a bigger one?"

Aang frowned. "Maybe." He said. "But I don't know where to look for that."

I shrugged. "Maybe we could take a look around for some woodworkers." I suggested. "There has to be someone in this city with enough talent to make one."

"If you're looking for woodworkers, try to find the Mùtou family in the Middle Ring." Toph said. "They're known as the best woodworkers in the Earth Kingdom."

I gave her a questioning look. "How do you know about them?" I asked.

Toph snorted. "My dad bought a lot of furniture from them." She explained.

"Are they really that good?" I wondered.

Toph nodded. "They once brought us a new dining room table." She said. "One time, when nobody was looking, I tried to break it for a laugh." She shook her head. "Even though the table was light enough for me to lift with one hand, I couldn't break the thing, even when I covered my fist in rock."

My eyes widened. I turned to Aang. "That sounds exactly like what we need."

Aang and I left the training grounds.


Ty Lee POV

As Alec and Aang left the training grounds, I noticed Katara's eyes following the Air Nomad. She had the biggest crush on him. Why was she in denial, though? I wanted to find out.

"So." Katara continued. "The major chi pathways are in the same location as Aang's tattoos?" She asked for confirmation.

We'd been talking about the chi pathways for the last hour or so. Katara's healing worked by bending water through them. I nodded. "Yep, and hitting the pressure points can change the flow, or stop it temporarily." I added.

She gave me a curious look. "Who taught you how to chi-block?" She asked.

I smiled. "My mom taught me and my sisters. She could see auras too. My sight makes it easier to see the chi pathways and pressure points."

She shook her head. "It's a little weird how you can see what other people are feeling." She mused.

I gave her a knowing look. "Like how I can see the affection you feel for Aang?" I teased.

Katara blushed worse than Alec and I had this morning. "Um, well, of course I feel affection for him!" She stammered. "He's a good friend."

I laughed. "I can tell the difference between platonic and romantic feelings, Katara."

She blushed even brighter. I kept talking. "But, what I don't understand is why you two aren't together?" I asked. Katara bit her lip, then she looked down and muttered something. I saw her aura turn bluish-gray. She was sad about something. I leaned closer. "What did you say?" I asked gently.

She looked me in the eye. "I'm afraid of losing him." She whispered. "Aren't you afraid of losing Alec? Isn't Suki afraid of losing Sokka?" She asked.

I gave her a gentle smile. "Of course I'm afraid of losing Alec." I said. "But if I lost him before I told him how I feel, I would spend the rest of my life wondering 'what if?'."

"Also, we're the Avatar's friends. If we lose, it's unlikely that any of us will live long." Mai said, clearly having eavesdropped on our conversation. "There's no point in waiting."

"Mai!" I chided.

Mai shrugged. "I'm just saying."

Katara shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway." She mumbled. "I'm not even sure if he likes me."

I burst out laughing. I rolled around the floor of the cavern with tears filling my eyes. I knew Katara couldn't see auras like I could, but how could she miss all the signals Aang was giving off? I even heard Mai chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I heard Suki ask. I blinked the tears away from my eyes and saw Suki and Toph standing over me. Sokka was still at the other end of the training area, practicing some moves Suki taught him.

I grinned at them and stood up. "Katara just said she's not sure if Aang likes her!" I said, quietly enough that Sokka couldn't hear.

Suki burst out laughing, holding her sides and barely managing to stay upright. Toph shook her head. "And they call me blind?"

Katara looked at us and pouted. "What's so funny?" She demanded to know.

Suki got her laughter under control. "Katara, I saw Aang making eyes at you back on Kyoshi Island." She said with a smirk.

Katara blushed. "But, we'd only known each other for a few weeks." She muttered.

Mai shook her head. "I saw you two exchanging looks back in Omashu." She countered. "I thought you two might have been a couple, even back then."

Katara's blush got brighter. "I was trying to make sure he was ready to go if we got in a fight." She protested weakly.

"Liar." Toph challenged with a grin. "I feel your heartbeats go crazy every time you practice waterbending together."

Katara didn't have a retort for that. Mai shook her head. "You know, if you keep wasting your time, some other girl might make a move." She said. A hint of resolve flashed across her eyes. "Speaking of which, I'm heading upstairs."

I didn't need Alec's knowledge to know what Mai was about to do.


Mai POV

I went upstairs and grabbed a moon peach from the fruit bowl in the dining room. I went to Zuko's door and knocked on it.

"Come in!" He called. Now was my chance.

I opened the door and I saw Zuko sitting on his bed. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. "Are you hungry?" I asked.

Zuko sighed. "I've got a lot on my mind." He admitted. "All the things I learned yesterday. All the things I'll have to change when we win. It's a lot."

I rolled my eyes. "I asked if you were hungry." I said. "I didn't ask for your whole life story." I teased. I walked over and sat next to him. I cupped his cheek and moved his face over to me. "Stop worrying." I told him.

I pulled him into a kiss. He seemed surprised, but he quickly returned it. Eagerly. We pulled back after a few seconds. "Mai." He breathed.

I put a finger to his lips. "There's something I want to say." I said. Zuko nodded. "Whenever I saw you in the palace, I could tell you were putting on an act, because you were expected to be a prince." I said. I stroked his face. "I could tell you were a good person, and I always thought you were handsome, even though you're awkward."

Zuko shook his head. "You're wrong." He muttered. "I'm ugly." He tried to look away.

I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me. "You're not ugly!" I said sharply. "Do you know what that scar says to me?" I asked, softening my voice. "You got that because you stood up for your soldiers when nobody else would." I smiled at him. "That's a scar to be proud of."

Zuko blushed. "Um, you know, I always thought you were really beautiful." He said quietly.

I smirked. "Alec's right. You are an awkward turtle duck." I teased lightly. I pulled him into another kiss.

"Awwww!" I heard Ty Lee say from outside the room. I broke the kiss and turned to her with a glare.

"Go away, Ty Lee." I growled.

She laughed. "I actually came here to ask Zuko for something." She said with a smile. "It won't take long."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want?" I asked.

She gave Zuko a shy smile. "Zuko, would you consider switching rooms with me?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She blushed. "I cuddled with Alec last night. I want to do it more." She admitted. "It would be easier if our rooms were connected."

I almost laughed. She had it bad for Alec. But, then again, if Ty Lee and Zuko swapped rooms, his room would be connected to mine. That was an enticing thought. I turned to Zuko. His blushing face told me he was thinking the same thing I was. He turned to Ty Lee and nodded. "Sure."


Alec POV

Aang and I made our way to the Middle Ring via train. We started walking through the shopping district, looking for any sign of the Mùtou family business. I heard Aang muttering to himself. I couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked.

He blinked and snapped his head up. "Nothing!" He said quickly.

I shook my head. "It's okay." I assured him. "Keep your secrets. I certainly have plenty of my own." I decided to change the subject. "So, when do you think Mai and Zuko will get together?" I asked.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "You think they like each other?" He asked.

I chuckled. Still so naive. "Did you see the way she hugged him yesterday? Or the way she grabbed his arm to comfort him?"

Aang tilted his head. "But Katara does that to me all the time!" He objected.

I gave him a knowing look. "My point exactly." I saw a shop just to his left. "I think we found it."

There was a large shop. I could smell lumber inside. A sign on the front read Mùtou Family Woodcrafts. This was what we were looking for. Aang and I entered the store. A bell rang, announcing our entrance.

"I'll be right there!" A gruff voice called from the back. Aang and I looked around the shop. The place was full of wood furniture. Every piece was expertly crafted. All of them seemed to be made from the same type of wood, but it wasn't a type I recognized. A man walked out from a door in the back. He wore a brown leather apron over a simple green outfit. He had strong arms and very calloused hands. His beareded face was weathered, but he appeared to be on the younger side. I'd guess he was in his early thirties. He was covered in reddish sawdust. "Welcome to Mùtou Family Woodcrafts, the best woodcrafters in the Earth Kingdom for over three hundred years." He said with a small amount of pride. "I'm Shù Mùtou. What can I help you with?"

Aang and I walked over to him and bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you." I said. "My name is Alec, and this is Aang. We were wondering if you did custom orders?"

Mr. Mùtou's eyes lit up. I could tell we had his attention. "Yes." He said. "What do you have in mind?"

I grinned. "Would you be willing to come to the Upper Ring to give us an estimate?" I asked.

He nodded. "Certainly."


Aang and I escorted Mr. Mùtou to the house. We led him straight to the backyard. He saw Appa grazing and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "What is that?!" He exclaimed.

Aang chuckled. "That's Appa, my flying bison." He said.

Mr. Mùtou turned slowly to Aang. A flash of realization crossed his face. "A flying bison, and airbender tattoos. Are you the Avatar?" He asked with awe in his voice.

Aang nodded. "I am."

Mr. Mùtou bowed. "It's truly an honor to meet you." He said. He straightened up. "So, what is it that I can do for you?"

Aang walked over to Appa. "You see, Appa's saddle doesn't have enough space for all of us." He explained. "We need something big enough for ten people, camping supplies, and food. It also has to be lightweight and strong, and we don't want it to drag in the wind."

Mr. Mùtou nodded. "I see." He said. "May I see the saddle you're currently using?"

Aang took him over to Appa's saddle. Mr. Mùtou immediately ran his hand over the wood. He leaned close and took a sniff. "Ash." He said. "Grows high in the mountains, reasonably hard despite its weight. It makes sense that the Air Nomads would use it."

Toph wasn't kidding. This guy knew his stuff. He turned around. "I think I can get you what you need." He said with a small smile. He pulled a sketchbook and a piece of charcoal out of his satchel, as well as a long tape measure. "I'll need to measure Appa first."

Luckily for Mr. Mùtou, Appa was pretty easygoing. Mr. Mùtou measured the length and width of Appa's back, as well as the circumference of his middle. He jotted down the numbers in the margin of his sketchbook. Then he sat down and began to draw, using the old saddle as a starting point. He finished after a few minutes. He showed the drawing to me and Aang. "What do you think?" He asked.

The design for the new saddle looked like the old one, just slightly bigger, and a little more streamlined. The edges of the saddle were curved up to make it more aerodynamic. Aang looked thoughtful. "How much heavier will it be?" He asked.

Mr. Mùtou smiled. "It'll actually be lighter." He said. "I plan on making it out of redwood. They're giant trees that grow in the Agrarian Zone. The wood is light, but extremely durable. It's also fireproof, which should be helpful for…" His eyes widened slightly and he caught himself before he said something that would get him in trouble. "Well, it's nice that it won't accidentally catch fire." He said.

I nodded. "Yeah, campfires have a lot of mishaps." I said. "How long will it take, and how much will it cost?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, it'll take a week. I don't like charging the Avatar, but I need to make money or I might lose the family business." He said. He swallowed. "With materials and labor, it'll come down to 9,100 gold pieces."

Aang's eyes bugged out. "Over 9,000?!" He exclaimed.

I had to bite down on my own tongue to avoid screaming "What?! 9,000?! There's no way that can be right, can it?!" Instead I smiled. "Thank the spirits I won all that money gambling." I muttered. "We can afford it." I said with a nod. "We'll pay you on delivery."

Mr. Mùtou and I shook hands. "A pleasure doing business with you."


Aang POV

That night at dinner, I looked around the table. I saw Mai and Zuko sitting closer together than normal, and occasionally stealing glances at each other. Mai was smiling, which was something I didn't ever expect to see. Alec noticed this too. "You seem happy, Mai." He smirked. "Something good happen?"

Ty Lee, who was sitting so close to Alec they may as well be sharing a chair, laughed. "I'd say so." She said, giving Mai a teasing grin. "I walked in on her and Zuko kissing earlier."

Huh. Alec was right about them after all. Mai rolled her eyes. "What are you, five?" She snarked.

Ty Lee shook her head and smiled brightly. "No, I'm happy for you." She said. "Your aura is so much brighter already. You really needed to lighten up a little."

Iroh smiled. "The same could be said for Zuko."

Mai glared at Ty Lee. Zuko glared at Iroh. Alec nodded at them. "All kidding aside, we're happy for you." He said. Everyone around the table nodded. I noticed that Katara looked sad. She stood up and excused herself from the table, leaving the dining room and closing the door behind her. Alec locked eyes with me briefly, and he gave me a small nod. I got up and followed after her.


I found Katara in the sitting room on one of the sofas, looking down at her feet. It hurt so much to see her like that. "Katara?" I asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"

She looked away from me. "Nothing's wrong." She said quickly.

I didn't need Toph's senses to know she wasn't telling the truth. "Something is wrong." I said, sitting down beside her. "Talk to me."

She looked at me. I could see the sadness in her eyes. "I'm a coward." She admitted quietly.

I tilted my head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

She swallowed. "I see Alec and Ty Lee together, Sokka and Suki together, and now Zuko and Mai are together." She shook her head. "They seem really happy. I'm jealous of them, but I'm too afraid to lose someone to do something like that." She laughed bitterly. "Nobody could love a coward like me."

I grabbed her hand in mine. "That's not true! I love you!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Her eyes went wide. "You…love…me?" She whispered.

Monkey feathers! I didn't want to tell her like this, but it was too late to back out now. I swallowed. "When I first met you, I thought you might be a spirit because you were so beautiful." I said. I had to keep going. "You're so compassionate and kind and strong. Whenever I want to give up, I push myself to keep going, because I know that's what you would do."

I looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "I thought a lot recently, about whether I could have done anything differently to stop the war. I realized something important." I took a deep breath. "If I had the power to go back in time, I wouldn't do it, because it would mean losing you."

Katara seemed stunned for words. Oh no! I'd said too much! I looked down. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "That was way too much to drop on you. I'll leave you alone."

I tried to pull my hand away, but Katara tightened her grip on it. I looked at her, confused. "Katara?" I asked.


Katara POV

I looked at him. "Aang, I have something to tell you." I said nervously. I needed to do this now, or else he might think I don't care.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked. He didn't look like he knew what I was going to say.

I gave him a small smile. "When we met, I hadn't had fun in a long time." I said. "That changed when you took me penguin sledding. That was the first real fun I'd had since my mom died." I continued. "Learning waterbending with you, and later teaching you has been the most rewarding experience of my life." I chuckled. "I knew I felt something for you, and for the longest time I thought it was just friendship." I grimaced. "I had been…attracted to Jet…briefly." We both shuddered remembering what Jet did. "But I started feeling something for you after we went to Makapu Village. It just kept growing stronger since then. It wasn't until we made it through the Cave of Two Lovers that I realized what I was feeling." I smiled and felt heat rise to my cheeks.

Aang's eyes widened. "What are you saying?" He asked with a whisper.

I put my free hand on his cheek. "I'm saying I love you, too, Aang." I whispered back.

I leaned forward and kissed him. He didn't react at first, and I was worried I'd moved too fast. But then he returned the kiss with enthusiasm. He put his hands on my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Finally! We knew how much we meant to each other!

I heard the dining room door slide open, but I didn't care. "Hey are you guys AARGH!"

Dammit! It was Sokka!

Aang and I quickly broke the kiss. Aang waved his arms defensively. "Nothing! We're not doing anything!" He lied quickly.

Soon, everyone else charged out of the dining room and took defensive stances. "What's wrong?" Alec asked sharply, expecting a fight.

Sokka pointed at Aang. "I just walked in on Aang kissing our sister!" He said, spitting out the word kissing like it was poison.

This was one of those few times I cursed the fact that Alec was in this world. Instead of one overprotective brother, now I had to deal with two. Alec dropped his stance, looked at Aang and me, and…smiled? What?

"It's about time!" He said with exasperation in his voice.

What?

Sokka looked at him with confusion. The rest of the group looked at us and smiled.

Alec started to rant. "Do you have any idea how irritating it was to watch you two dance around each other for months?!" He exclaimed. He pointed at Aang. "For the love of the spirits, you've been crushing on her since we broke you out of the iceberg!"

I blinked. Aang had been crushing after me for that long? Alec kept going. "I mean, seriously, after the Cave of Two Lovers, I thought you two would get together, but nooo, you had to play the 'we're just friends' game for months after that!"

Aang and I were blushing furiously. "Wait, you knew?" I asked.

He threw his hands up in the air. "EVERYONE KNEW!" He shouted.

I knew all the other girls knew, but this was a surprise. Sokka objected. "I didn't."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Because you're an idiot." He said.

Zuko looked puzzled. "You're telling me they weren't together already?" He asked.

I looked at him with shock. "You knew, too?"

Zuko looked at me. "Even though we only met a few times, and as enemies for most of them, I could tell." He said bluntly. "It was pretty obvious."

Iroh nodded. "The way you feel about each other is quite apparent to those who recognize the signs."

Sokka shook his head. "It doesn't matter, anyway." He said. He looked at Aang. "Look, normally I wouldn't want my sister in any kind of relationship." I snorted. As if he could tell me what to do. "But I know you're a good guy and will treat her well, Aang." He turned to me. "But Katara, as my sister, you really shouldn't be kissing anyone in front of me." He said. "It's your sisterly duty to avoid giving me the oogies."

Okay, he was not going to get away with telling me what to do like that! "You are so immature!" I said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What about you and Suki?!"

Suki wrapped her arm around her boyfriend. "She's got a point, Sokka." She admitted. "Come on, leave them be." She whispered something in his ear. He blushed. I had no desire to find out what she said to him.

Sokka and Suki walked off. Mai turned to Ty Lee. "You know what, I apologize." She said.

Ty Lee cocked her head. "For what?" She asked.

Mai smirked. "For calling you a five-year-old." She answered. "Clearly Sokka's the five-year-old. Who else could come up with 'oogies'?"

We all laughed.


Alec POV

I was lying in my bed that night when I heard a knock on the door from the bathroom that connected my room to Zuko's. I narrowed my eyes. "Come in."

The door slid open, and to my surprise, Ty Lee walked through it. I raised an eyebrow. "How did you get in there?" I asked. "The only way in that bathroom is through my room or Zuko's."

Ty Lee smiled. "I may or may not have convinced him to switch rooms with me." She said coyly.

I frowned. "Wouldn't that put him next to…" I grinned. "Oh Mai, you move fast." I chuckled.

Ty Lee giggled. "So, anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to cuddle again?" She asked. "Maybe make it a regular thing?"

I smiled and turned down the covers for her. She did a handspring and flipped over in the air, before she landed next to me in the bed. I wrapped my arms around her. "Goodnight." I whispered.

She kissed me on the cheek. "Goodnight."

AN: A shorter chapter than usual. The next one will be longer. Next time: firebending.