This is going to be two chapters in one. This is also going to answer all your questions about Zuko and Mai's relationship.
"How long have you known?" Katara asked
"I don't know. We did it a day or two before Ba Sing Se fell." I said
"So you are at least a few weeks along." Katara said
"Are you mad at me?" I asked
"What of course not. I'm worried, but that's about it. Is that you waited so long, because you scared we would be mad?" Katara asked
"Yes, I was scared that you would hate me. I have clue how I'm going to tell Aang, or Sokka." I said
"What about Toph?" Katara asked
"She knows. She said she could feel the difference. She said that I was weighed more" I said
Katara started laughing.
"It's not funny. I'm going to get huge." I said
"Yes you will. But don't worry we will all be here for you." Katara said
Zuko's Pov:
Ty Lee, Mai, Azula, and I are sitting on a small ferry. I look over the edge to see a large sea lion emerges from the water and the creature is shown to be pulling the boat. Azula is leaning her back against a railing with her arms crossed, and Ty lee, who is looking out in front of us. Mai is sitting next to me.
"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island. It's going to be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing." Ty Lee said
"Doing nothing is a waste of time. We're being sent away on a forced vacation. I feel like a child." I said
"Lighten up. So Dad wants to meet with his advisers alone, without anyone else around. Don't take it personally." Azula said
"Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?" Ty Lee asked
"We used to come every summer when we were kids." Azula said
"That must have been fun." Ty Lee said
"That was a long time ago." I said
I turn my head and see various houses along the cost of the island shore. We stop at a dock and climb off the dock. Lo and Li are on the dock.
"Welcome to Ember Island, kids." Lo and Li said
I look upwards to see the smallest of the beach house. We all look a little disappointed. We head inside the house.
"It smells like old lady in here." Zuko said
"Gee, I wonder why." Mai said sarcastically
Ty Lee looks at a painting of two young women in yellow bikinis posing bac-to-back. Lo and Li walk towards her.
"Who are these two beautiful women?" Ty Lee asked
"Can't you tell?" Lo asked
Lo and Li stand like the girls in the pictures.
"It's Lo and me." Li said
"It's Li and me." Lo said at the same time.
We all look at them a little disturbed. I cover my mouth with my hand. Ty Lee lies down on a bed that is covered in pink sheets and blankets.
"Ooh, I love the seashell bedspread." Ty Lee said
"Are you serious? It looks like the beach threw up all over it." Mai said
Lo and Li are standing to the left of us.
"We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend." Li said
"But Ember Island is a magical place. Keep an open mind." Lo said
"Give it a chance." Li said
"And it can help you understand yourselves and each other." Lo and Li said
Lo grabs a smooth rock.
"The beach has a special way…" Lo said
Li takes the rock from Lo.
"…of smoothing even the most ragged edges." Li said
Lo and Li clap their hands twice.
"Time to hit the beach!" Lo and Li said
They tear off their robes to reveal that they are wearing loosely-fitting bathing suits. Mai covers Zuko's eyes from the sight.
Kida's Pov:
Katara hadn't told Sokka or Aang, thought she did give me looks of worry every now and again. We were currently at a hot spring. The water felt good. I was only starting to get bigger.
"Aang, I know swimming is fun and all…" Toph started
Katara is wringing water out of her hair, Aang swimming in the background, Sokka is fishing, and I'm just sitting in the water the only thing above the water is my head.
"…but do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that? Cover up." Toph said
"What? I'm wearing trunks." Aang said
"I know. It's your tattoos I'm worried about. What if someone sees you?" Toph asked
Katara and I look at Toph.
"There are walls all around us. It's completely safe." Katara said
"Every time you say that something goes wrong." I said
Aang and Momo continue to float back. Momo chitters and he and Aang both notice something. It looks to be a tunnel. Aang jumps over a rock and disappears from sight. I can Aang yelling as he goes down the tunnel. Aang is gone for a minute or two before I see him emerging from the tunnel.
"Have fun?" I asked
"Yes you want to go?" Aang asked
"Sure, why not." I said
I swam over to the entrance of the tunnel and rode down it. It was like a giant water slide. Once I got to the bottom I used my waterbending to get back to the top.
"That was awesome." I said
"Let' go again." Aang said
"Kida be careful." Katara said
"I will be." I said
Aang and I went down the water slide a few more times. Before it was time to get out.
Zuko's Pov:
We are all walking on the beach. Azula is carrying a blanket, Ty Lee is carrying a bag, and Mai and I are carrying an umbrella. Azula steps on a sandcastle two children had built. Azula and Ty Lee look down at them intimidatingly. The boys run away screaming. A boy approaches Ty Lee.
"Hey, you need some help unpacking?" boy 1 said
"Sure. Thanks." Ty Lee said
Ly Lee hands her bag to the boy, the sheer weight causes him to fall over. He 'helps' Ty Lee unpack by throwing out random thing until he finally finds a blanket. I see Azula look away in annoyance and jealousy as Ty Lee sits on the blanket. Ty Lee gestures with her hand, because she is squinting from the sun.
"Could you scooch just a little bit more to the -" Ty Lee said
The boy moves to the side to block the sun and give her shade.
"Perfect." Ty Lee said
Mai and I sit under the umbrella, sitting on our won blanker. A boy runs by laughing.
"Tell me again why we are out here in the sun and heat?" I asked
"Because it's better out here than in that house with Lo and Li." Mai said
A boy walks pass and picks up a shell and hands it to Ty Lee.
"Wow! Thanks. This is so pretty." Ty Lee said
"Not as pretty as you are." Boy 2 said
The boy that had been blocking the sun moves so he can glare at boy 2.
"That shell's not so great." Boy 1 said
"Ahem. Shade. Shade." Ty Lee said
I left to go get some ice cream. I come back and sit down and hand one to Mai.
"Since it's hot I got you some ice cream." I said
Mai takes the ice cream, but the ice cream falls out of the cone and lands on her lap. She glares at the ice cream then up at me, I try not to laugh.
"You so planned that." Mai said
"I swear I didn't." I said
"Don't worry, I'll get you back." Mai said
I turn away from Mai to see a few kids playing kuai ball. The ball is sent flying. I see Azula watching and wearing a sly smile. She turns around to face us, then she looks at the people playing.
"Hey, beach bums, we're playing next." Azula said
She turns to Ty Lee, who has a third boy holding up a blanket to give her shade.
"Ty Lee, get over here, now." Azula said
Ty lee does a handstand and walks on her hands over to Azula. I stand up and take my shirt off and throw it to the ground. Is a group of girls blush and giggle at me. We all huddle together.
"See that girl with the silly pigtails? When she runs toward the ball, there's just the slightest hesitation of her left foot. I'm willing to bet a childhood injury has weakened her. Keep serving the ball to her left, and we'll destroy her and the rest of her team. Dismissed." Azula said
Azula throws the ball into the air. Azula leaps up and kicks the ball. The ball goes flying past the other team. I sprint forward, slide down to kick the ball up. Azula runs forward and hits the ball away as it falls. A teenage girl who attempts to dive for the ball, but misses. Three other teens as the ball flies over one of them.
Two teenage boys sitting down as the ball rolls to a stop next to them. Ty Lee leaps up and kicks the ball down, and lands on the net. The two boys, Chan and Ruon-Jian. Mai runs forward and she kicks the ball. Chan thoughtfully rubs his chin. Azula jumps on me for a boost and kicks the ball. The ball it rockets forward. The ball expands slightly before the ball explodes, setting the net on fire. We all look at the opposing team.
"Yes! We defeated you for all time. you will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation. Well. That was fun." Azula said
Two boys walk up to us.
"I'm having a party tonight. You should come by." the boy said
"Sure. I love parties." Ty Lee said
"Your friend can come, too." a different one said about Mai
"Uh…what about me and my brother? Aren't you going to invite us? You don't know who we are, do you?" Azula asked
"Don't you know who we are? We're Chan and Ruon-Jian." Chan said
"Yeah." Ruon-Jian said
I walk towards them but Azula stopped me.
"But, fine, you're invited. Just so you know, though, some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party, so try and act normal." Chan said
"We'll do our best." Azula said
We all head back to the beach house. When we arrive back to beach house Lo and Li have dinner ready. We sit down to eat.
"Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asked
"I guess I was intrigued. I'm so used to people worshiping us." Azula said
"They should." Ty Lee said
"Yes, I know, and I love it. But, for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat is if they didn't know who we were." Azula said
"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate." Li said
"Ember Island reveals the true you." Lo said
Lo and Li stand up, clap, snap their fingers twice each, and point upward.
"To the party." Lo and Li said
We arrive at the beach house, I feel like we are early. Azula knocks using the door knocker. The door opens to reveal Chan.
"Um…You're a little early. No one's here yet." Chan said
I was right. We are early.
"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk 'till dawn. It's dusk, so we're here." Azula said
"But that's just an expression." Chan said
"We are the perfect party guests. We arrive tight on time, because we are very punctual." Azula said
Chan shrugs and gestures them to follow as he turns away. Azula and Ty Lee enter first, followed by Mai and I.
"All right, listen. My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party, so don't mess anything up." Chan said
"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 said
I shake my head and try not to laugh at her horrible flirting skills.
"Um…thanks." Chan said
Chan walks away. I see Azula's smile change into a look of disappointment. I see Ruon-Jian looking in a mirror fixing his hair.
"Hey! First ones here, huh?" Ruon-Jian asked
"He thinks he's so great. Well, what do you think of him?" Zuko asked
"I don't have any opinion about him. I hardly know him." Mai said
"You like him, don't you?" I asked
Mai sighs and walks away. I look at Ruon-Jian. I move and sit down on a chair and wait for the party to start. It doesn't take long before other people start to show up. A few more moments pass before the party is in full swing. I see the boys from the beach they are surrounding the TyLee.
"So how do you know Ty Lee?" boy #2 asked
"I met her at the beach today. She was pretty impressed by a sand pagoda that I made for her." boy #3 said
"Well, I met her first." boy #1
I count the boys there are five of them.
"Look, i-it doesn't matter who I met first, 'cause I like you all." Ty Lee said
"But which one of us do you like?" boy #2 asked
"Yeah." boy #3 said
"Tell us." boy #2 said
"I don't know. I don't know." Ty Lee said
She kicks and punches out. The teens all fall over after being chi blocked. She then cartwheels over the tees. Ty Lee then walks over to Azula.
"Oh, I'm glad you're here. Those boys won't leave me alone. I guess they all just like me too much." Ty Lee said
"Come on, Ty Lee. You can't be this ignorant." Azula said
"What are you talking about?" Ty Lee asked
"Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them. You're not a challenge. You're a tease. It's not like they actually care who you are." Azula said
Ty Lee starts to sob. Azula's voice changes to a softer and gentler tone.
"Okay, okay, calm down. I didn't mean what I said. Look, maybe I just said it because I was a little…jealous." Azula said
"What? You're jealous of me? But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world." Ty Lee said
"Well, you're right about all those things. But, for some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them." Azula said
"But you probably would do something horrible to them. I'm sure they're just intimidated by you. Okay, look, if you want a boy to like you, just look at him and smile a lot and laugh at everything he says even if it's not funny." Ty Lee said
"Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid…Let's try it." Azula said
"Okay. Hey there, sweet sugar cakes. How you liking this party?" Ty Lee asked in a deep voice
Azula laughs loudly. The entire party stops and stares at her. I shake my head, Mai sits down next to me.
"I'm bored." Mai said
"I know." I said
"I'm hungry." Mai said
"So what?" I asked
"So, find me some food." Mai said
"Sure." I said
I got up and went looking for some food. As I'm waiting to get the food I see Azula walk up to Chan.
"Chan, I'm ready for a tour of the house." Azula said
Chan rubs the back of his head and hands the girl he is talking to his cup, leaving her upset. Azula places her cup on the girl's head before they walk away, angering the girl. I see them walk out onto the balcony.
"Good luck, Chan." I said
Once I'm done filling the plate up, I turn around and some walks into me making me drop the plate of food. I turn and look at the boy who bumped into me.
"Hey, watch it! That was for my cranky friend." I yell
I point to Mai. The teen looks to the side I look to the side as well to see Mai talking to Ruon-Jian. I walk over to her. They stop talking.
"Don't stop on my account, I was just letting you know that I was leaving." I said
Mai nodded. I turned and left the house and walked down the beach. I stop in front of our old beach house. I think about one of the times I was a baby playing with Iroh and Lu Ten. I try to open the door only to find out that it is locked. I kick the door, and they bust open, I walk up the stairs, and see our family portrait. I look at Ozai, then myself, then to my mom Ursa. I reach forward and pick up a stone that had my handprint on it from when I was a baby.
Kida's Pov:
We slept on the ground that surround the hot spring. I was woken up by Toph.
"Guys, you're all gonna think I'm crazy, but it feels like a metal man is coming." Toph said
Aang groans, I look over to him to see a light shining in his eye. We both follow the light up to see a man. He had a metal arm and leg, his arm was reflecting the moon light. Sokka grabs his sword, the assassin looks down at us. He has a tattoo on his forehead. The man in hales, his stomach tensing. Then the assassin's face as he fires, the combustion wave becomes shot out. Aang attempts to block the attack with earthbending. The earth he moved in the way of the wave explodes and sends us all falling back. Toph manages to steady herself and begins earthbending. I cushion the fall of Sokka, Katara, and I. Toph sends rocks at the man. As the rock approaches the man sends out another wave. Toph moves out of the wave and Aang uses airbending to make a shield. Aang is knocked back by the force. Katara stands up and runs forward, she waterbends a wave at the assassin. The assassin shoots another wave, the water makes contact with the wave, causing another explosion. I pull up water from the hot spring and freeze it and send it flying at the man, he tries to shoot them all but can't, they end up pushing him over.
Zuko's Pov:
I sit down on the stairs of the beach house. I see Azula walk towards me.
"I thought I'd find you here." Azula said
"Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed." Zuko said
"Comes down to the beach with me. Come on. This place is depressing." Azula said
I stood up but left the stone on the steps. We approach the beach, I see Mai and Ty Lee are already there. I sit down next to Mai.
"Is anyone cold?" I asked
"I'm freezing." Ty Lee said
"I'll make a fire." I said
I look up towards the house.
"There's plenty of stuff to burn in there." I said
Kida's Pov:
"Let's get going." I said
We run to Appa, but as we go to climb on there is another blast that hits the wall, causing an explosion.
"This is cray. How can we beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?" Sokka asked
"I don't know. Come on lets go." I said
I climb onto Appa, followed by Toph.
"We can't! Jump on Appa. I'll try to distract him." Aang said
Sokka and Katara climb on as well. Before any of us can say anything Aang is gone. Appa takes off we follow after Aang but staying out of sight. We see and explosion and a rocks falling from the sky, as well as Aang. I see the man looking ready to fire another attack at Aang. I quickly freeze the man in ice. We fly under Aang so he lands on Appa's saddle.
"I'm okay." Aang said
Momo then jumps on his shoulder.
"Well, that was random." Toph said
"I don't think so. I get the feeling he know who we are." Katara said
"Did anyone notice that he never fired at Kida?" Sokka asked
"He fired at me." I said
"If you say so." Sokka said
Zuko's Pov:
I throw the picture into the fire, I picture of me is the first to burn.
"What are you doing?" Ty Lee asked
"What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked
"But, it's a painting of your family." Ty Lee said
"You think I care?" I asked
"I think you do" Ty Lee said
"You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business?" I asked
"I know you." Ty Lee said
"No, you don't. You're stuck in your little 'Ty Lee world' where everything's great all the time." I said
"Zuko, leave her alone." Mai said
I don't I start imitating her.
" 'I'm so pretty. Look at me. I can walk on my hands. Whoo!'" I said
Ty Lee is upset. I do a handstand, then I fall to the ground.
"Circus freak." Zuko said
"Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want. You want to know why I joined the circus?" Ty Lee asked
"Here we go." Azula said
"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. 'Circus freak' is a compliment." Ty Lee said
"Guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too." Mai said
"I'm sorry, what?" Ty Lee asked
"Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now." Mai said
"Well, what's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for fifteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray…" Ty Lee said
"I don't believe in auras." Mai said
"Yeah, you do not believe in anything." I said
"Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you." Mai said
"I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all your feeling bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?" I asked
"What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted…as long as I behaved and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep put pf trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about." Mai said
"Well, that's it, then. You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself." Azula said
"You want me to express myself? Leave me alone." Mai yelled
"This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out." Ty Lee said
"Bad skin? Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson my face." I yelled
"Sorry, Zuko, I…" Ty Lee said
"For so long I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home now, my dad talks to me. Ha! He even thinks I'm a hero. Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not. I'm angrier than ever." I said
"There's a simple question you need to answer, then. Who are you angry at?" Azula asked
"No one. I'm just angry." I said
"Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko?" Mai asked
"Everyone. I don't know." I yell
"Is it Dad?" Azula asked
"No, no." I said
"Your Uncle?" Ty Lee asked
"Me?" Azula asked
"No, no, n-no, no." I said
"Then who? Who are you angry at?" Mai asked
"Answer the question, Zuko." Azula said
"Talk to us." Ty Lee said
"Come on, answer the question." Mai said
"Come on, answer it." Azula said
"I'm angry at myself." I said
"Why?" Azula asked
"Because I'm confused. Because I'm mad. I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore." I said
I just keep thinking about the way Kida looked when we were down there.
"You're pathetic. Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone." Azula said
"I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula? Because you're just so perfect." I said
"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 was right, of course, but it still hurt." Azula said
"What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves." Ty Lee said
She picks up a rock and rubs it, smiling.
"I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this." Ty Lee said
"You know what would make this trip really memorable?" Azula asked
We all smile and head back to Chan and Ruon-Jian. Once we arrive Azula knocks on the door. Chan opens the door.
"We've got some bad news, Chan." Azula said
"Party's over." I said
We enter the house and start to trash things. I break a table in half, Mai throws some knives. The knives cut through some paintings hanging on the wall. Ty Lee is on a support beam, she flips off the beam and flies forward. She grabs on to a chandelier, jumping on to another before it falls. Chan has tears in his eyes. Once we are done with that we head back to Lo and Li's. Mai and I are walking next to each other.
"You miss her don't you?" Mai asked
"Who?" I asked
"Don't play stupid. The girl with white hair, that can bend two elements." Mai said
"I do, very much. Leaving her was one of the hardest things I ever did. I thought I needed my dad's approval that I needed him to give me my honor back. Now I know she was the one that gave it back to me, then I left and I lost it." I said
"You love her." Mai said
"I do and she said she loved me, but after what happened down in those catacombs I don't think she feels that way anymore." I said
"Maybe one day you will find out if she still feels that way." Mai said
"Maybe." I said
Kida's Pov:
A few days passed since the man attacked us. One day Aang woke up and woke and said he had talked to Roku.
"We need to go back to Roku's island." Aang said
"Are you sure?" I asked
"Yes, Roku said he needs to show me something and the best place for him to do that is at his home." Aang said
"Okay, then let's go." Sokka said
It took us only a few hours to arrive at Roku's island.
"There it is. That's Roku's home." Aang said
We land Appa, and all climb off Appa.
"But, there's nothing here." Katara said
Toph jumps from Appa's saddle, as her feet touch the ground.
"Yes, there is. An entire village, hundreds of houses… all completely buried in ash." Toph said
Aang moves and sits down on a big rock, and starts to mediate. It's been a few hours since we arrived on the island. We heard a noise and turn to look at Aang. Aang stands up on the rock, then squats and begins to groan, before smiling with relief. We all look at him disturbed.
"Do they have bathrooms in the Spirit World?" Katara asked
"As a matter of fact, they do not." Sokka said
"You went to the spirit?" I asked
"Yes, I was taken by a forest spirit named Hei Bi." Sokka said
"Sweet." I said
We continued to wait for Aang to come out of his mediation state. When he was done we told us everything that happened.
"You mean, after all Roku and Sozin went through together, even after Roku showed him mercy, Sozin betrayed him like that?" Katara asked
"It's like these people are born bad." Toph said
"No, that's wrong. I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me at all." Aang said
"Then what as the point?" Sokka asked
"Roku was just as much Fire nation as Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the First Lord and the Fire Nation have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance. And I also think it was about friendships." Aang said
"Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" Toph asked
"I don't see why not." I said
"Well, scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that…" Sokka said
"Oh, Sokka, just hold hands." Katara said
We all grab ahold of each others hand's. and smiled at one another.
