Disclaimer: Alright, and now for my sad excuse. Here it goes : I was drowning in homework, my teachers breath fire, and I swear the staircases move around just to torment me. Oh, and did I mention I only get like fifteen minutes for lunch? well, whatever the case may be, this is weekend and I'm trying to get in my stories in between mountainous piles of homework and stress. here you go. If you flame me, I'll make sure to personally blow up your house. Yea...that's how stressed I am

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Chapter Five: Reunion Party

Ty Lee was trying to see if she could twist herself in a pretzel when the heavy metal door slid open with a tremendous crash and Azula slinked in like a cat, twirling her hair, the familiar look of cold triumph gleaming hard in her eyes.

"I've found them," she said simply, a slow smile stretching across her face. "That disgusting fishing boat that passed us. They gave passage to my dear brother." Ty Lee disentangled herself and stood, gaping. Mai folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall, resuming her eternally bored stupor. Then she spoke.

"Which coordinates?" she asked monotonously.

"Fifty-five leagues south, that little island," Azula pulled out a sheaf of papers and threw them at her friend, then turned to map out the coordinates.

"And this time, they're not getting away that easily. Leave me Zuko," she said, twisting a brass knob and cranking a long turntable. Ty Lee silently folded herself into a seat and stared out through the large window.

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Crit-it-it-eewwww! Crit-it-it-ewwwwww! Iroh awoke with a start, blearily waving his arms and tumbling off the cot. He regained his composure on the floor, and then smiled warmly.

"Ah, the Crying Gale bird, a very tasty dish with a dash of lemon, Camisode herbs, and butter. And if you're feeling especially daring, a pinch of Pandora pepper. Sounds delicious, eh Zuko?" Expecting to hear a disgruntled groan or a badly aimed fire bolt, Iroh was surprised when he heard just the now annoying cry of the Crying Gale bird.

"Prince Zuko?" He clambered up from the ground, dusting himself off and pushing open the flap of the tent. A blast of flame greeted him and knocked him to the ground. Something or someone had arced over him and he suddenly found himself trussed up like a turkey.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Azula stepped out of the shadows, her catlike smile in place upon her lips.

"Azula," said Iroh cheerily. "My, you have grown since I saw you last. Did you enjoy the little doll I sent you from Ba-Sing-Se?"

"I burned it," Azula snapped. Why was this old gasbag still talking?

"Oh, what a shame, a blind earth bender made it with her toes, you know," Iroh went on steadily. "It was a very interesting sight to watch. You might have seen her when you went to burn the city." He frowned a little at the thought.

"With her toes?" Ty Lee broke in. Iroh gave himself an inward smile. Ah, so they brought the pleasant little monkey along as well.

"Yes indeed," Iroh said heartily. "And what was interesting was that she had to find the right fiber—"

"Enough!" Azula shouted, glaring at Ty Lee, who withdrew meekly.

"Tell me where my brother dear is," she demanded. Iroh appeared to be thinking.

"Well, he wasn't with me when I woke up, because if I mentioned food to him he would try to shoot me. Actually, I was about to go look for him. The raft is gone—," Iroh added. Azula gave a start, and then glared at him.

"Do you think me ignorant?" she shouted at him. "How would you know that the raft was missing if we caught you when you were just coming out?"

Iroh sighed. "You didn't let me finish my sentence," he said patiently. "So—"Azula shrieked as Iroh blew her into a tree using his nostrils as ventilation. He burned his ropes off and quickly dodged Ty Lee, who had launched herself at him.

"I suppose you thought to paralyze me," Iroh called conversationally as he burnt a torrent of arrows from Mai to a crisp. He countered Azula's shock of lightning and quickly back flipped behind the tent. Azula blasted the tent to fiery pieces, but moments too late. Iroh had vanished.

"Find him!" Azula roared, her fine face contorted with inexplicable fury. "I will not lose this chance. Ty Lee, go north of the island, Mai, east. I'll go after the filthy traitor." The three elites separated in an instant, each speeding off like lightning toward their directions. Azula felt her blood thundering in her ears as she sprinted away into the darkness.