Disclaimer: Why should I own Avatar? If Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey can't own Avatar, then why should I? I just own my ridiculous fanfics and posters of Avatar. There's nothing else…
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Chapter 7: Old Friends, Old Enemies
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"Remind me again why we're going to the Fire Nation," Sokka queried.
"Because Azula broke out of that mental health facility slash prison," Aang replied.
Toph crinkled her nose. "How can you be so sure?"
"I have a feeling in the pit of my gut."
"And you propose that your gut can't possibly be wrong?" she snorted.
"I don't know, okay?" he exclaimed. His attention went back to Appa. He held the reins tightly. "I just don't know."
"Well, I do hope your gut knows what its feeling" Sokka winced. Momo kept on scrambling on Aang's bag.
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"We're back at the Fire Nation. Great," Toph groaned. They were walking down the aisles of the Fire Nation. There were a couple of persons staring at them. Probably because of their Earth Kingdom clothes.
"Come on. It can't be that bad," Katara cheered her up. "At least we can get to see all our friends here again."
"And by friends you mean Zuko and Mai?" she stated.
"Shut up you two," Sokka silenced. "I can't stand it with you two are bickering."
"Like you two never bicker," Toph pertained to Katara and Sokka.
He glared at her.
They continued walking.
"This place is quite different than the last time we went here," Aang chimed in.
"Kuzon?" a voice called out.
"I recognize that voice," Aang thought and turned around to find out who said it.
He saw a couple of kids chuckling with glee, some of them gapped at him with their eyes in utter disbelief. Of course, Aang knew them. They were all happy to see…
"Kuzon!" On Ji ran and wrapped her arms around him. "It's so good to see you!"
"Hey. Don't keep him all to yourself," Shoji smiled, happy to see his friend. He made a hand to hand, chest to chest pump with Aang (this is how boy teenagers at the Fire Nation greeted each other). "It's so nice to see you again. Man, you grew taller!"
Aang nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks. You grew taller too."
"It's Kuzon! It's Kuzon!" the schoolgirls squealed.
"Aaahhh… then again, Aang has garnered another batch of fan girls," Sokka muttered.
"(sigh). Girls. I'm ashamed to be one," Toph remarked.
"Remember us?" Khan and Khin waved and made another hand to hand, chest to chest gesture with Aang.
"Of course. I remember you guys. In fact, I remember all of you," Aang claimed. "Why would I forget you?"
On Ji stepped forward. "Um, if you don't mind my asking, why do you have those tattoos on your arms?"
"Yeah. And where's your headband?" Lin asked.
"Busted!" Aang's mind was racing. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do? If they'll find out who I really am, they're gonna hate me for lying." He backed away but Toph stopped him.
"You should better tell them the truth. It's the best and the only way," she told him.
"What truth?" Miaki questioned.
Aang turned to his ex-schoolmates and took a deep breath. "My name isn't Kuzon and I'm not from the colonies. My real name's Aang." He raised his bangs to reveal his arrow. "And I'm the Avatar."
"WOAH!!!! YOU"RE THE AVATAR!!!!!!" Shoji, Hiyuri, Khan, Khin and Ayatsu broke the silence.
"Why didn't you tell us?!?" Miaki shrieked.
Aang rubbed the back of my head nervously. "I can't te-"
"I thought the Avatar's bald," a small girl said.
"It's a funny story actual-"
"So you're the Avatar? Did you really take the Fire Lord's bending away?" a group of boys asked.
"Well, I kinda did," he said lamely.
There were a lot of generous whispers.
The other students were still staring at him in utter disbelief. On Ji's still trying to digest everything he confessed.
"Oh my gosh! We already met the Avatar before we even knew it!" a girl yelped.
"He even threw us a dance party! Thanks by the way. It was AWESOME!"
"Would you mind throwing another one tonight?" a girl asked him.
The students screamed with excitement.
"Is it okay?" he questioned.
"Yeah it is!" Yiu told me.
A boy with a big topknot nodded. "It's our class field trip today and this time, we don't have any teachers tagging along!"
A lot of Woohoohs and Hurrahs broke in.
"Is that why you guys are wondering around outside the school?"
"YES!" they said victoriously.
"Dance with me!" a girl squealed.
"No! This time he's dancing with me!" another girl opposed.
"You're all delusional. He's dancing with me tonight!"
In just a few minutes, an idiotic war between the girl population formed.
"Wait! Stop it you guys," On Ji reprimanded. "We'll worry 'bout who gets to dance with Ku- I mean Aang here. But tonight's the dance party, right? And the teachers will accompany us home tonight! We can't get caught having another dance party. We're getting detention for life!"
"Unless Aang talks to the headmaster or any of the teachers," a boy from the back shouted. "They can't say no coz' he's the Avatar."
"So there's going to be a party?"
"Yup! You got that right!"
"YEAH!" everyone roared. "WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER DANCE PARTY!!!!"
"Okay… not expecting that," Aang thought. Suddenly, someone tugged his collar.
"Can we talk to you for a sec," Sokka told him. They moved a few feet away from the ecstatic group of students.
"We are not throwing another one of your stupid parties," Sokka told him.
"Why not? It's going to be fun," Aang reasoned. "Even you guys had fun last time. It's been a long time since I saw them and I'm-"
The warrior shook his head. "No. I don't want any off-course detours."
"Come on Sokka, it's only for a day," his sister sided.
"We can already be chasing Azula back to mental health facility instead of having a dance party! And you guys actually approve of this?"
Toph and Katara nodded. "It's not a big deal. Besides, I want to see all those tripping, falling and stepping on each other's foot-"
"Why isn't anyone listening to me?!?"
"Please, Sokka! If you'll let us, I'll promise to cook you that grilled turkey you always wanted," Katara pleaded.
"Hmm… What the heck? Okay Aang, You've got one day to throw that party. But no more detours," he gave in.
"Thanks Sokka!" Aang yelped and turned to his other friends. "Okay guys! It's settled."
"HURRRRAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!"
"But how's the headmaster going to react if I told him the truth?"
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"Almighty Avatar, please spare me from your wrath," the headmaster pleaded, kneeling in front of Aang's feet. "I beg for your forgiveness. I didn't know that you were the Avatar. I beg you, please. I am just a humble official of an educational system."
"Now that's saying sorry," Toph grinned.
"Please get up," Aang told him and helped him up. "It's okay. Everything's fine."
"I will do everything you say, just please don't hurt me and sack me from my job," he begged.
"So you'll do everything the Avatar says, huh?" Toph asked.
"And you're very willing to do it?" Katara queried.
"And that includes throwing an enormous party inside the school premises?" Sokka questioned.
"Yes, yes, yes. I'll do anything you ask."
"Well, then. It seems that we have a deal."
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"Let's get this party started!!!!" a boy yelled.
"WOOHOOOO!!!!!" everybody squealed and went straight to the dance floor.
"Ugh. This is one of the most stupid things we've ever done," Sokka commented.
"Quit being a joy killer, Sokka," Toph sipped her orange juice. "Just have fun like Aang told us."
"And how could I possibly ha- Ooooohhhhhh….. Delicious meat!" Sokka ran towards the table filled with food.
Toph shook her head and continued drinking her juice.
"Hey," Shoji whispered to Aang.
"Hey," he replied.
"Look at them," he pointed to a group of teachers. "They must be more bummed than ever."
Aang grinned devilishly. "I've got a solution." He ran towards the center and shouted. "Hey! Isn't it unfair that only the kids are having fun?"
"YEAH!!!" the teenagers screamed.
"Do we want them to have fun?"
"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" the students yelled louder. "DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!"
"Ugh. They're taunting us," Ms. Kwan whispered to the headmaster.
"What kind of teacher would like to dance?" the headmaster whimpered. Suddenly, the school's music teacher settled on the dance floor and made surprisingly good moves!
The students cheered. "UH-HUH! OH YEAH! UH-HUH! UH-HUH!"
The guards just shrugged and followed his example. They made terrific spins, horrible hip shakes and fantastic hand shakes. The other teachers followed.
"Hey! Ms. Kwan! Would you like to dance?" a tall boy from the back voiced out.
"MS. KWAN! MS. KWAN! MS. KWAN! MS. KWAN" the students cheered.
Ms. Kwan looked down.
"Headmaster, sir! Why won't you ask Ms. Kwan to the dance floor? Come on! You know you want to!" another student called.
"Eeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!" the students remarked.
"If only the Avatar isn't in our presence, I would definitely have given you all detention," the headmaster said to himself.
Ms. Kwan stood up. "Well, I suppose trying it won't hurt," she slowly made her way to the dance floor along with the other teachers. The headmaster, having no other option, followed her. They tried (emphasis on the tried) to dance but made awkward steps at first until the music teacher taught them to budge and feel the rhythm of the music.
"I can't believe it! Our teachers are dancing!!!!" a girl squealed in excitement
"This is the best day ever!!" the girl beside her clapped her hands.
"Now this is what I call a party," Toph snickered. "Everyone is totally enjoying it, and I can't believe I'm saying this but, the teachers are awesome! Not to mention hilarious, I mean, they can hardly move their butts, well maybe with an exception with the guards and that weird guy! I honestly contradict Sokka. This is the one of the most brilliant ideas we've ever had! Wow, now that guys spinning his head on the table! HA! Though I can't see it, I can tell it's FUNNY! Wow, I never thought that Fire Nation dudes can be party people and good war wagers. Man! I'm hungry! Maybe I'd ought to follow Sokka's example." She stood up and turned to Katara. "I'll go get some grub." She went to the table and mercilessly pushed Sokka out of her way.
Katara was staring at the boys and girls who were having much more fun than her and Toph. Well, maybe only her. Toph seems to be amused at the people on the dance floor. Her eyes turned to Aang who was still chatting with his friends. The old Aang's back! He's now back to normal. It was a great relief to her that things were finally going well between the two of them. But still, he acted shy around her, which made Katara only more curious. Suddenly, 3 girls blocked Katara's view, 2 of them were asking for Aang to dance with them and the other was asking for his autograph.
"Ugh! I loathe the sight of girls flirting with him," Katara thought, not noticing a familiar figure walking towards her.
"Uh, can I join you?" On Ji asked. "The other tables are full."
Katara grunted. On Ji sat.
"So, how long has it been seen you've met the Avatar?" she started the conversation.
"Well, I met him 2 years ago when he was 12," Katara replied.
"How's he like?"
"He's nice, fun, smart, he can sometimes act goofy like my brother but he's serious when it comes to fighting and wars and stuff."
"Being chased around the world is really hard, huh?"
"You can say that again."
"Since when did you and Aang have been together?"
Katara jerked at this question.
"What? No! We're not together!" she defended.
"Oh."
"What makes you say that Aang's my boyfriend?"
"Well, I always got the impression that you like him and he likes you, you know, love."
"Aang's just my best friend."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure!" she was now irritated at the fire nation girl's countless questions.
On Ji smiled. "But sometimes, best friends can fall in love. You know, best friends can make the best boyfriends."
Katara didn't reply. She was too busy growling at the girls who were dragging Aang to the dance floor, holding him at the most awkward place.
"But you are jealous of the other girls," On Ji remarked.
Katara tilted her head. "Wha- No! No! No! I am NOT jealous. What makes you say that? One of your 'impressions' again?"
On Ji laughed good naturedly. "It's just that you look like you're going to bite the head off those 3 girls."
Katara huffed.
"It's okay. There's nothing to be ashamed of. There's nothing wrong in liking your friend," she reasoned.
"But he's, he's just Aang! He's nice, sweet, fun, smart, han- I don't know! He's too-"
"Perfect?"
"No. I can't say his perfect but there are a lot of things that are good about him. He's just too good to be true. And besides, he can choose any girl he wants. And I'm telling you, it won't be me."
"How can you be so sure about that?"
"I don't have the foggiest idea. It's just a feeling…"
"Look. I have to admit. He is cute-"
"HEY!"
"I only said he was cute! Anyway, my point is if you do like him, then tell him now! You might just miss the chance."
"I don't know…"
"Tell him! There's thousands of girls out there, including here, who's madly in love or infatuated with Aang. You've got a lot of competition. It's just my opinion, okay? It's still your choice."
"My choice," those words echoed in Katara's head.
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Azula moved towards the cliff, where the Avatar was sitting quietly.
"You wanted to say something to me?" she said.
"You are not to teach me lightning," he said simply.
Azula's eyes widened. "What?"
"You heard me. You are not to teach me lightning again. It stops now."
"Why would I stop?"
"I forgot the fact that my putrid other self can learn, think and feel the same way I do. He learned lightning when you taught me to."
"Change of plans, I presume?"
He nodded. "They're in the Fire Nation right now. Obviously, he can tell what I'm planning to do. But on the bright side, I know just as much on what's going on his mind." He turned to Azula and grinned evilly. "I'm in a mood for playing a little game."
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So sorry it took a long time for me to update. I have a pretty hectic schedule… Anyway, thanks to those who added this story to their favorites and those who placed reviews.
Katara – Hey? Why is the dance party so short? Aren't Aang and I supposed to dance?
Me – Don't worry… next chapter, your POV's going to tell everything about the dance.
Aang – Meaning Katara and I danced together?
Me – would you like it or not?
Katara and Aang – well… I… we… uh…
Kataang fans – Yes, Yes, YES!
Zutara fans – No, no, NO!
Taang fans – No, no, NO!
Sukka fans – Oh what the heck? YES!
Maiko fans – why should we care? Where's Maiko? WE WANT MAIKO!!!!
Me – take it easy. I'll place Maiko in another chapter…
Maiko fans – phew…
Sokka – Meat! I want more meat-eating scenes! MEAT!
Me – Fine. I'll place more meat eating scenes…
Sokka – YES!!!!
Toph – Uh… where do I fit in this?
Me – You're going to persuade everyone who read this to write a review.
Toph – You want me to threat them in making a review? SWEET!
Me – I didn't say that, I meant –--
Toph – HEY! YOU THERE! REVIEW THIS STORY NOW OR I AND THE ENTIRE AVATAR CAST ARE GOING TO BEAT YOU UP FOR THE REST OF YOUR BORING LIVES! I MEAN IT!!! SO REVIEW, YOU DUNDERHEADS!
Me – Ooookkkkaaaayyyy… Ple-
Hide – Hey! You said last chapter that I would make an appearance here!
Me - I was going to but-
Hide – No buts! I'm calling Mike and Bryan and sack you for writing this!
Me – but… I'm only twelve? I don't have a job –
Hide – (throws fireballs) Shut up! I want my appearance by next chapter or you'll be kissing this story good bye!
Me – (grabs paper and pencil) Okay! Okay! I'm writing! I'm writing!
