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~The Beach (Part 2)~

Ryuu POV

Parties - along with beaches - were two things I severely disliked. I expected to be left with Li and Lo seen as I'm a servant, but Ty Lee grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door. Then she stopped, pouted and analysed me. I squirmed under her gaze. She squealed and ran upstairs. A few minutes later, She came down with a party dress - sort of like hers.

A white sheath skirt that had a slit right up the side (I blushed when I found that out) and a cream crop top with lantern sleeves and a rather low v-neck collar (Ty Lee's version of a low collar). I pulled them on grudgingly and clenched my fists.

I definitely couldn't fight in this. Ty Lee then attacked me further by pulling the ribbon from my hair - making it cascade to my shoulders. Now Fighting would be impossible! Stomping down the stairs to join the others, I mumbled a few curses under my breath.

"Wow, you look georgeu-!" Zuko started but was elbowed in the stomach by Mai - her scowl deepened.

"Come on, Let's go get this party over with..." She sighed solemnly. We followed Azula out of the house and towards the party - Well... I got dragged.

...

Boldly, Azula hammered on the door knocker. Chan answered after a while, he stared at us and ground his teeth. I turned to glare at my feet and took a couple ragged breaths - preparing to be bombarded by people and noise.

"Um ... You're a little early. No one's here yet."

'Oh, Thank Kyoshi! ' I fist pumped, 'No people... yet'.

Azula screwed her nose up and crossed her arms. She lectured the poor guy on how we were the perfect party guests because we had arrived at the specified time (I.e Dusk). Her lack of familiarity with the phrase wanted to make me scream out with laughter. But I managed to limit it to a quiet chuckle.

Chan gave up and invited us in. He pressed his lips together and glanced cautiously around the room. Apparently, his dad was an admiral. Back at the Palace, I had heard a General mention Admiral Chan and an important meeting with the Fire Lord - that's why we were here. To be kept out of thier way.

"That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful. You could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea, because it's so sharp," Azula attempted to flirt. Behind her, I was dying from trying to contain my laughter.

Chan's mouth twitched, "Um... Thanks?"

He called over his buddy, who had been previously checking his hair in a mirror. The boy - Ruon - smiled calmly and winked at Mai:

"Hey! First ones here, huh?"

Zuko and Mai took up a position by a table and, from infront of Ruon, who had come over to attempt a little small talk and a lot of flirting, I heard them arguing. When Zuko demanded if she liked him - Mai scoffed and retorted with 'What about you. Do you like the Servant girl?' Before rushing away from him.

Ruon leaned foward. I laughed nervously. This was one of my nightmares - being flirted with a guy I didn't even like. A knock on the door was a welcome interruption. Chan was occupied with talking to Ty Lee and Azula, so Ruon had to answer the door. I sighed and tried to stop my heart from hammering and breath from racing at the thought of so many people.

...

There was no way I could possibly avoid getting flirted at by a random guy. I sat in the corner of a stool and tried to blend in, but a guy in a muscle shirt and starter stash put one arm at me side and leaned over me. I gritted my teeth and tried to look stuck up and someone that you'd instantly hate.

"Hey, babe, Can I offer you a drink?" He winked.

"Nope. Not thirsty."

The guy flexed his muscles, "So... are you expecting someone? You look to good to be left-"

I burrowed my eyes into his, "Yes. My boyfriend. "

He chuckled, "But he's not here now, is he?"

Across the room, I spotted Zuko pushing through the crowd with food for Mai. I was tempted to point at him but I didn't want to drag him into this - so I pointed over at a random guy. He looked quite shy and meek. Yet convincing enough. Starter stash stared at the guy.

"Really? I think I'm a better match. I'm handsome - you're pretty. I'm strong - you're weak. I'm intelligent - you look a bit dim but together our children-"

'Weak?! Dim?!'

I grabbed his collar and slammed his back against the wall, "You have no idea what I have been through. Things you couldn't even imagine, " I lifted him up a bit - he whined at this as his feet left the ground, "So run along or you'll regret ever calling a girl weak."

That put the fear of Kyoshi into him. As soon as I let go, he fell to his knees and crawled away rather rapidly. I sat down again as if nothing had happened. Scanning the room, I noticed Zuko was gazing at me - blushing, his eyes wide in either fear or awe. Mai grabbed his collar as Zuko coughed and turned to Ruon, who had been talking to Mai.

"Hey!" Chan yelled, "Who broke my Nana's vase?"

Roun smirked and pointed at Zuko. The latter balled his fists - that meant he was going to try Firebend at the guy. Chan growled.

"That's it, you're out!"

Zuko was visibly steaming, "I was just going."

...

"Ryuu," Ty Lee battled through the crowd, "We were just going to look for Zuko. Want to come? "

I nodded, grinding my teeth together. Ty Lee took my hand and lead me through the rammed room towards the exit. A couple guys followed us, but as soon as we were out of the door, Ty Lee chi blocked half, I knocked out the rest.

"Oh thank you! They were getting on my nerves..."

Chuckling, we made our way to follow Mai and Azula. They were sat on an isolated beach around the cliff from Chan's house. Without a fire, it was rather cold. We sat on raised plinth of stone that had been placed there as seats around a fireplace.

I squatted the other side from Ty Lee on the plinth, to distance myself from Mai. She stared into remnants of someone else's fire while taking a seething breath. I but my figure and apologised to her for anything I'd done wrong.

"It's not you," Mai sighed, "It's Zuko..."

On que, Zuko and Azula descended from the poshest beach house I'd ever seen. As they passed Mai, she hesitated before greeting her (ex-) boyfriend. Zuko snapped at her as he slid in beside her:

"Where's your new boyfriend? Are you cold?"

She slapped him away when he tried to put a hand on her shoulder. I bit my lip and covered my eyes. Ty Lee pouted at this and chimed in, trying to draw attention to her. Zuko got up and went back to the beach house for things to burn. He returned and piled some stuff up, before shooting at it. He picked up a picture of a happy family before chucking it on top and watching it burn.

Ty Lee gasped - "What are you doing?"

Zuko snarled at the burning picture, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But, it's a painting of your family," Ty Lee studied the burning pile. Zuko acted like he didn't care, but Ty Lee turned her eyes to him, answering that she knew he does. The Prince growled:

"You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business?"

The gymnast licked her lips and scoffed, "I know you."

At this, Zuko snarled and began to turn on his friend. He shook his hands and began yelling.

"No, you don't. You're stuck in your little 'Ty Lee world' where everything's great all the time."

Mai tried to defend her friend, but Zuko carried on. He did a handstand and carried on mocking her until he fell over. He toppled over and grunted, before crossing his arms and spitting, "Circus Freak. "

I leapt up and growled, "That's uncalled for!"

Zuko stared at me with a mix of surprise and anger. I went to grab his collar, so I could shake some sense into him, but Ty Lee stopped me. She fell to her knees in the sand and a tear escaped her eye. Chewing my cheek lining, I knelt next to her and patted her back.

"Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want. You want to know why I joined the circus?"

Azula rolled her eyes, "Here we go."

Ty Lee stared into the fire, "Do you have any idea what my home life was like? Growing up with six sisters who look exactly like me? It was like I didn't even have my own name. I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least I'm different now. "

She raised her head, " 'Circus freak' is a compliment."

Mai scoffed, "Guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too."

'Oh, Great. Everything's kicking off.'

Ty Lee got to her feet and put her arms sharply akimbo, "I'm sorry, what?"

Mai remained calm and raised an eyebrow, "Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now."

I decided to keep out of this as Ty Lee pointed at Mai and explained her aura. Mai brushed that off as Zuko snapped at her, yelling that she didn't believe in anything. Eventually a referee would be needed - but not when tempers were this high. I'd be squashed like a bug.

"You want me to express myself?" Mai shot to her feet, "Leave me alone!"

Zuko pressed his lips together and tried to touch Mai. She swatted him away and flopped back down. The Prince sighed angrily.

"My life hasn't been that easy either, Mai."

Mai scoffed and turned her head. Ty Lee tried to be referee but was shut down instantly by a bad skin comment. Zuko pointed to his scar and the flames rocketed up. She rocked back onto her seat and apologised. Tears rolled down her cheeks. This was enough.

"Stop it!" I screamed, "Calm down and stop being a jerk! "

Zuko let the fire die down, but his face was screwed into a positively red with fury. I swept my arm at all of them.

"Look what you've done. For what? Just because you're angry at yourself doesn't mean you should take it out on-!"

A fire ball narrowly missed my head. A singular tear rolled down my cheek in fear, but I stood my ground as Zuko turned his fury on me.

"Always with the Miss high-and-mighty act. You're nothing special. Just a peasant girl with no respect. "

Scoffing, Mai crossed her arms, "Yet you love her more than me."

Silence set over all of us. Zuko gaped at Mai as she turned her head away. I wobbled briefly but maintained my position. Azula clapped her hands as if she was watching a play, which - in a way - she was. Mai burrowed her eyes into me.

"Why are you special?"

I set my jaw and my hand went to Jee's lucky charm, "I lost my leg when I was eight. I saw my father die and mother loose an eye. I was captured by a Bounty hunter with a violent streak. I grew up to fast! I am nothing special! Just an uneducated girl who doesn't belong here!"

Zuko's eyes narrowed and stared into the fire. Azula applauded us for the entertainment, "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone."

We all turned on her, "I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula? Becauseuse you're just so perfect."

Azula folded her hands into her lap and ignored our angry stares, "Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother thought I was a monster. "

She paused and hissed, " She was right, of course, but it still hurt."