Chp. 4 Preparation

Zuko looked up from his position. Toph smirked and helped him off the bed roll. He gave her his tell-me-what-happened-or-else look. Zuko mentally shook his head. The girl wouldn't see his expressions.

"How long"

"You're the last one up."

"See, my tea did help."

"Well, it was my tea. Yours smelled nasty, remember?"

"Pft. Whatever."

Zuko brushed himself off and left the room. Toph followed behind him before running after Aang for a sparring match. Zuko glanced in the poor boy's direction and decided to join in on the fun.

He ran after past Toph and overcame Aang with a fiery punch. Aang didn't dodge in time and took a brunt hit on his bare shoulder. His shoulder was burned, but he turned around and was able to dodge Toph's boulder. Katara, who was beside Aang, chose to attack with Zuko and Toph. The three looked over Aang for a split second.

Katara dashed forward at Aang and he backpedaled away from her to avoid getting hit with her two tentacle arms. Zuko leaped over the couple and steadied himself on the ground. He kicked out a flame. Aang leapt to the side to avoid a tentacle whip and the flame. The stream of fire sizzled out as it was doused with water tentacle.

Toph stretched out her hands and shook the ground as Aang landed. Aang did a small dance to recover his balance and winced slightly as he moved his shoulder too quickly. Zuko showed no mercy as he swept Aang's feet from under him. Aang went further backward as he bent air to carry him farther away as Zuko knocked him off his feet. Katara's water-whips missed him as he dropped the air current carrying him. He landed on the ground and rolled over on his good shoulder to avoid an earth spike, courtesy of Toph.

Aang swept a strong air current at Zuko with one arm. He handed on his other arm and rolled to his feet and leapt away from another spike. He made an air scooter and started after Toph, while avoiding blasts from Zuko and lashes from Katara. Aang jumped off his air scooter and took a water whip from Katara. He froze Toph, before he landed and sunk Katara into the ground up to her neck. Zuko smirked and ran towards Aang.

Aang shot out spikes from where Zuko landed, but Zuko just used them as stepping platforms. Aang grinned and pushed the ground in to make a hole. Zuko's eyes widened as he fell towards the ground. He landed in a shoulder roll, so he wouldn't hurt his legs. He stood up after his momentum died and looked up.

"Wow, what a hole."(A/N: I couldn't help myself)

Aang's head popped out of the side. He grinned down at Zuko before pushing the earth back up. Zuko looked at Katara's head and a freezing Toph. Toph finally asked, "What happened?"

Zuko looked confused and asked,"You didn't see?"

"No, I'm blind, dimwit! Freakin' ice all over my feet."

Zuko choose not to respond and turned toward Aang who had just pushed Katara from the ground. Zuko watched as Katara healed Aang's burn. She glared at Zuko. Zuko in response raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you burn him?" Katara snapped.

"I was attacking as a fire nation solider would if there was a sneak attack. He needed the experience. Besides, you can heal him," he said.

"It's okay, Katara. I appreciate Zuko's teachings. One can't learn by sitting around and theorizing things. I need to build up experience," Aang said. Katara was still a little doubtful of Zuko.

Zuko turned around and started toward his cliff. It was a lovely overhanging cliff. There were small flowers that managed to survive on the stone. He could lie on his back and think. Zuko decided that he needed a strong resolve if Azula was going to mess with his head.

He took a deep breath and had an informal meditation session just laying down on the ground and thinking. Mai was on his mind. He couldn't help but think of what she must be going through. She must feel betrayed and lonely. Unless, she's moved on. He shut his eyes tightly. Mai loved him. He had seen it with his own eyes. She had shown emotion to him after he told her how he would love it if she expressed excitement. He could see her soft smile in his mind's eye. Her soft laughter was beautiful. He had told her how special her laugh was to him. He missed her so much. He loved her. Would she love him?
Azula smiled pleasantly as she finished up her morning routine with the little tortured girl. She washed her hands silently in a basin and fixed her hair. After smoothing down her uniform, she looked at Ty Lee, who was walking out of one of the prison barracks. Azula turned her head, and Ty Lee approached her. Azula was too proud to wave her friend over. Ty Lee handed her cosmetics over to Azula. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"It's a little bit better, and should be gone tomorrow." Ty Lee informed Azula.

Azula nodded and used a small utensil to apply the make-up over her tender cheek. Ty Lee turned around and walked away from her friend a little before she started to stretch her legs. Azula noted her friend's inconspicuous way of giving her privacy. Mai hadn't left her room since she was sent to get Azula. Azula sighed and snapped the small cosmetic kit up.

"Let's go see Mai."

The group ate breakfast together, except for Zuko. The Duke asked if everything was alright. They had come to the conclusion that Zuko was at that time of the month. They had laughed at that. Katara left first with Aang to hang out. The Duke had an enlightened look as he set off to find something after the couple left. Toph laughed at him and looked at Haru. She left with him to train at the bottom of the mountain. Teo and Sokka spoke for awhile, before leaving to make bombs.

Momo sat on the table and picked a fly out of the air. He sat back on his haunches and ate the poor thing quickly. His tail twitched back and forth. Large ears seemed to twitch in time with the lengthy tail. Bored, he set off to go for a nap. (A/N: I love Momo! Feeds Momo a pastry On with the story!)

The rest of the day, for the gang was uneventful. People trained and made bombs. Appa flew at his leisure and Momo ate. Zuko ended up spending the rest of the day at the cliff. The Duke had seen him and waved before leaving to go do something productive. Zuko sighed heavily. He had come to a decision. The group ate and shared their uneventful day. The group then went to sleep. Toph and Zuko had tea before hitting their sacks.

Zuko smiled to himself. If Azula didn't fill in the little sister spot, the he was sure that Toph could play the perfect little sister, while being not so perfect. She was funny and blunt. Zuko turned over on his cot. He had his own little family here. Although they consisted of a mere two member, they were sufficient. Aang could've been his younger brother, if he didn't have all of the air tattoos. Zuko chuckled softly as he remembered the many clueless looks Aang had. Some of which, were forced, but still funny. Zuko slowly drifted off to sleep as the warm tea started to work its way into his system.

The next day was uneventful and went on like the previous day did. Zuko didn't hang out at the cliff that day, but trained with the Avatar. Katara sat on the sides, practicing her waterbending. She would heal Aang and sometimes Zuko when they got hurt. Zuko managed to talk to Katara without getting suspicious glares from the girl. Sokka, Duke, Haru, and Teo were making bombs and couldn't be found. Toph was drinking tea and relaxing. She would occasionally throw large rocks at any of the three benders who were training. The group had no trouble sleeping that night, except for one teenage boy. He had one dream that was playing over and over in his mind.

He couldn't move in the darkness. He put his hands on what seemed to be the ground. After a few curses he gave up trying to find out where he was.

"SOKKA!"

Sokka looked up. No one was there, but he had heard a voice.

"Who is she, Sokka?" asked an angry voice. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it with a person. If only he could see!

"Who is this girl, Sokka? Didn't you love me?" he heard another voice ask. He sighed in frustration that voice was memorable. A thin outline of her figure came before the rest of her followed. Yui looked the same when she was alive. She frowned disapprovingly at him.

"Sokka, is that you?" asked a voice. A girl wearing a green tunic and stockings came into view. Short dark brown hair bounced as Suki came running out of the darkness. Her face was pale and slightly sunken in from lack of food. Her face was clear of make-up and she looked slightly put out to see that it was Sokka she saw. "Oh, it is you. Where were you?" she asked, before she saw Yui standing next to him. "Oh, with her I guess," she said as she answered her own question. "I see how it is."

Sokka looked confused as Suki pulled out two golden edged fans from behind her. She poised to attack and pounced before Sokka could recover from shock. Sokka watched in horror as Yui intervened in the attack and sent Suki stumbling to the ground. Yui glanced sadly at Sokka. Sokka was reluctant to look back at her.

"She was the one before me?" she asked softly.

Sokka couldn't speak, so he nodded slowly. Yui sighed again, and took a step toward him. "Did you love her? Do you still love her?"

Sokka thought his answer through carefully, before he nodded again. Yui smiled sadly at the girl. "I don't mind, Sokka. She was your first love. I will never hold a grudge against the girl who stole your heart."

Sokka just stared at the two girls. Suki was still floating in the dark where she fell. Yui was standing close to him, and he could smell winter blossoms in her hair. Yui started to scream suddenly. Her body started to bruise and cuts appeared all over her body. Her clothes ripped in places to reveal cuts, punctures, and burns. Sokka's mind reeled. Burns, Yui was burned, but there was no fire in this dark place. This was not the way she died either. He shook with terror. Is this what's happening to Suki?

A tear slid down his cheek, and then it was over. The two were gone.

Mai slipped in her room quietly through her window. She sighed softly to herself. Her hands ached slightly from the climb. She was sweating lightly under her clothing. She smiled to herself at her accomplishment. Her body begged to be washed, so she slipped out of her room.

Her feet padded softly down the hallway as she made her way to the indoor springs. Slowly, she stripped herself and slipped into the water. She sank into the water and rested her feet against the floor. Her body relaxed with the heat. She leaned her head back to ponder, but was interrupted by a loud squeal of joy that could only mean one thing. Ty Lee had found her.

"Mai, you started with out us! I was just looking for you. Here, get out and get dressed so we can go to the bigger hot springs."

"Actually, Ty Lee, I've sent some maids to get the spa treatment and bring it here. Let's join Mai here," Azula said. She stepped through the doorway with two towels in hand.

Mai blinked. She hadn't seen that one coming. She gave the two girls a soft smile before dunking in underwater. When she returned to the surface, only Azula was there. "Thank you, Azula. You understand me the best," Mai said with a small smile of sincerity on her face.

Azula grinned evilly and left to go change. "Your welcome, dear little Mai."

The three girls enjoyed their day of being pampered. Ty Lee squealed in excitement at a random point in their treatment. "Let's play truth or dare!"

The two girls agreed to the undignified game to appease their excited friend. Ty Lee squealed again and fired a question at Azula. The girl retorted dare and ended up stealing a ring from a visiting duke of some foreign part of the Fire Nation after she got dressed. The three moved to the palace gardens and started to talk there. Azula was perched on a medium sized boulder. Ty Lee was at the base of a tree. Mai was in that tree with a leg hanging over the branch as she propped her back against the trunk. The three girls went on like this for a few hours. Finally, Azula questioned Mai.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"How do you really want to die?"

"I wish to die in a fierce battle against an army. I want to suffer at the end."

Azula smiled in approval. "A good answer from a true noblewoman," she commented with pride. "I don't see why my brother left you."

Mai's eyes widened. She turned her head to hide her pain, but was not fast enough because Azula obviously saw through it. Ty Lee decided to intervene. She didn't want the game to end.

"Mai, it's your turn."

Mai quickly composed herself. Her face slipped into a schooled neutral expression. "Azula, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Azula said easily. She didn't want Mai to ask her to do anything dangerous, as Mai was apt to do now that she was pissed at her.

"How would you want to die?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "How original, Mai. Alright, I would want to die by either your hand or Ty Lee's. I want to know what it means to go through true betrayal, the betrayal of a close friend or family. Since I'm not close to either of my living family, I want it to be one of you two."

The girls' eyes widened at the thought of killing their friend. Ty Lee started to silently cry. A single tear slid out of Mai's eyes, but her face remained impassive.

"Oh, is that so? When would you like to die, Princess Azula?"

"When I'm ready, I'll let you know when to do it."

"Yes, Princess Azula."

Azula looked at Mai questioningly for the sudden name change.

"Sorry Princess Azula, but I believe we have a guest."

Azula got up from her perch. An angry man clothed in red garments was in the garden heading toward Ty Lee. His neat brown bun shook slightly as he pointed at Ty Lee angrily.

"You there-"

"Is there something I can help you with?" Azula said to spare Ty Lee the tirade that was undoubtedly coming. Ty Lee shot her a thankful glance before she stood in the presence of someone with a higher rank than herself.

The angry man quickly turned around. The glare in his eyes melted as he saw who it was. He kneeled on the ground in respect to the princess.

"Forgive me, Princess. I failed to recognize you standing there."

"You have yet to answer my question, good sir," Azula said sarcastically.

"Oh, my Lady, this maid here has taken something dear to me. See the ring on her finger? It belongs to me, and the only way she could have gotten it was if she was in my room cleaning," the man

"She never cleaned your room, Sir. She is my personal maid and has been attending to me ever since dawn this morning. The ring on her finger is mine. I bought it from a vender in the Earth Kingdom."

The angry man stuttered for a moment at a loss of words. He started to twist his hands nervously at Azula's piercing gaze. "Uh, right. Of course! A thousands apologizes Princess."

Azula lifted an eyebrow. "You did not offend me. You offended my maid-servant."

The man stopped twisting his hands. He stood and apologized to Ty Lee. Ty Lee tried not to smile. Key word being tried. It was hard enough not to burst into laughter over the man's plight. She bowed her head in acceptance of the apology and to hide the enormous grin on her face.

The man left after that, not wanting to make a bigger ass of himself. The girls laughed at his discomfort. Azula and Mai let out chuckles, but only Azula's came out evilly. Ty Lee was laughing on the ground. She couldn't believe they got away with that so easily.

"I can't believe he bought that load of BS," Mai mused from the tree.

"Alright, everyone go to the bathroom before we take off. You too, Toph! I do not want to stop anywhere for potty-breaks," Sokka said to the group.

Aang, Toph, and Duke reluctantly left Appa's side to go to the bathroom. Katara giggled at Aang from her perch in Appa's saddle. She stood as Teo rolled up to the saddle and gently water-bended him on the saddle. Sokka had a superior look and climbed onto Appa along with Haru. Zuko rolled his eyes and followed after the two boys. The three teens came into view after a few minutes. They seated themselves on Appa.

Aang strode forward and took up the reins. "Yip-yip!"

The ride was uneventful the entire way through. Aang and Katara alternated as drivers, while Sokka drilled the others for their battle plans. Zuko was silently preparing himself for battle as was Haru. Sokka had taken note of that and didn't drill the two teens.

A large bump alerted the passengers that they had landed. Toph jolted from her seat in surprise. She silently cursed her disability and hopped off Appa to kiss the ground. Enemy territory be damned. It was dirt, and that was good enough for her. Teo chuckled softly to himself at Toph's greeting to the earth. Zuko leapt off almost as quickly as Toph. He straightened his clothes and nodded to Aang as he jumped off as well. Aang gave a small tense smile to Zuko and helped Katara off of Appa. Haru helped the Duke and Teo join the rest of the group. He hopped off at last as Aang relieved Appa of his saddle.

Azula sighed to herself, for the fifth time that day. Mai glanced at the princess and then turned to the large bell. The large bell that hung over the tower looked small from where she stood. A thick rope dangled from it and was suspended on her right side.

"Why are we here again, Mai?"

"We are here because I had a premonition."

"You didn't tell me sooner, why?"

"Because I just realized what it was, Azula. Please forgive me, but I can't really explain it."

Azula eyed Mai skeptically before looking up at the bell. She laughed suddenly at the thought that ran across her mind.

"Since when did you get premonitions?" Azula asked incredulously. "The bell isn't going to fall is it?"

Mai sniffed with indignation. "I've only had two so far. The bell is not going to fall. I would never put my Princess in danger."

Azula smiled at Mai. "Of course-"

A loud crash resounded throughout the city gates. Azula spun around and laughed. Her laugh was drowned out by a booming clang of the bell. She looked over her shoulder at Mai, who was already leaving through the door with her mission complete.

(A/N) Holy crap! It's been a long time since I last updated. Sorry for such a long wait. I think this chapter is a lil' over 3,000 words, so I guess that's okay.

Please tell me what you think. If I made any mistakes, then please bring them to my attention. Tahnk you all so much!