Author Notes: While the progression of the story roughly follows that of the show, many events are changed, arranged in a different order or omitted. This is fan fiction, after all.
"This is boring," Zuko crossed his arms as the Sea Hippo pulled the Royal Carriage. "Suddenly my father sends us all away on a vacation?"
Mai was seated next to him, but said nothing despite moving a bit closer to Zuko. She was always bored, so a boring scenario was practically normal for her.
"So he wants to meet his advisors alone, and in secret. What, do you want a burn on the other side of your face, Zuzu?" Azula pointed to her left eye.
"Oh, come on guys! Treat it like the vacation that it is!" Leave it to Ty Lee to see the light in any situation, complete with stationary cartwheel. "We're going to Ember Island! Home of ball games, sandcastles and….cute boys!" she pointed to a passing vessel.
"You idiot," Azula grabbed the top of Ty Lee's head. "That's a funeral boat. The minders are usually ugly, wart-ridden…." she was also silent as the boat rider stretched and scratched his head, shirtless in the morning sun. He had a green sash around his waist and his hair was neatly trimmed short, too short for a top knot but long enough to drape over his head. "Wart ridden hunk of cheese," Azula regained her composure.
"Go ahead and seize him, Azula. Tell him your father ordered it," Mai smiled out of the corner of her mouth.
"Hmm…" she eyed the strange man that passed them by, who now put on his uniform, the uniform of Fire Nation colonials in the Earth Kingdom. "He's Earthbender peasantry, not worth the effort." Her grin betrayed what she was really thinking, but Azula always thought of standards first.
"Hello there!" Ty Lee waved over the prow before Azula pulled her back.
"Hey, it's bad luck to wave to a funeral boat, you know that?"
"Hey, that's… Admiral Zhao's funeral boat!" Zuko looked over his sister's shoulder. He remembered Zhao too well, being the last person to see him alive at the North Pole and the last person to fight him in an Agni Kai. The Ocean Spirit had taken him away to die, and he remained proud to the last, refusing the prince's hand as La took him away to his ultimate demise. His name was etched on the sides of the silent metal vessel, a silent reminder of the terror that he had inflicted upon the other nations. It was odd though, to see one of Admiral Chan's men being the lone minder, usually something reserved for an old campaigner or close aide. The two Admirals were constant rivals and could only be pacified by the Fire Lord himself appointing them as leaders of South/Eastern and North/ Western fleets respectively, literally separated across the world. Zhao was a navy man through and through, strictly using ships and coastal tactics while Chan was the army man, preferring ground tactics and aerial warfare. They both had enormous influence with the royal court; Zhao had the Fire Sages and the colonels in his pocket while Chan had the favor of War Minister Qin and crucially the Royal Treasury.
"I guess the Admirals are finally at peace with each other," Zuko watched the minder do some basic stretches.
"His aura is so…golden," Ty Lee was now on her belly with her hands cupping her chin.
"I suppose I can seize him for you if you want," Azula shrugged, looking at Mai who had made the comment earlier.
"I wouldn't do that," Zuko shook his head. "Chan's Commandoes only ever answer to him. When I was in the Earth Kingdom, even the Fire Nation officers didn't dare tell them to do anything."
"We're the Prince and the Princess of the Fire Nation, no one can refuse us!" Azula's eyes began to glow blue.
"Calm down, it looks like we're all headed to the same place, that little house over there," Mai pointed to a cabin that was decidedly smaller than the vacation houses on the western shore, though no less grand.
The Sea Hippo barked as it was detached from the Royal Carriage, swimming off to the Hippo Pod on the southern coast of Ember Island. Ty Lee leapt off the carriage and landed perfectly on the wooden docks, smiling as always. Azula, Zuko then finally Mai emerged the normal way over the gangplank, greeted by attendants who took over the carriage as they left. Two old women came down a flight of stairs and bowed to the group, although their wrinkled faces made reading their expressions difficult.
"Greetings, children!" one of them spoke. "Greetings, Princess Azula and Prince Zuko!" they bowed, though not prostrate as others would normally do in the Fire Nation. For older people like them, it was not customary to prostrate to children, even royal children.
Azula bowed with the fist in palm. "Greetings Masters Li and Lo. Your student returns for a short but enjoyable vacation under your ward."
Zuko bowed but with no palm gesture, "Greetings." They didn't teach him Firebending, it was Iroh and standard issue trainers for him.
"Come, the house is this way," Li snapped her fingers and an attendant grabbed their bags. "We will join you soon; we have that funeral boat to attend to. Zhao was our neighbor, after all, right sis?"
"He was your secret crush!" Lo cackled.
"He was not! He thought I was you!" Li cackled back. Zuko made a face and Mai nodded, taking his hand as the others walked up the stairs.
The funeral boat had no such welcome from the attendants, with only the old twins approaching it as its mechanism died down. Mitsu leapt down the high deck and bowed to the twins, his hat disguising his face from them in the hot early morning sun.
"It comes to this, after all," Li shook her head. "He was always impetuous and arrogant, now he's nothing but a bag of bones."
"Has Admiral Chan finally apologized for all his insults by sending you, Earthbender?"
"I am a Sand Bender," Mitsu spoke with a heavier tone. "But yes, the Admiral sends his deepest condolences and has ordered flags of mourning for a week back in the Earth Kingdom."
"He sends the lowest form of Earthbender, and he thinks that is enough?" Lo perked up her eyebrows.
"I am not the lowest form, old mistress," Mitsu raised an eyebrow of his own. "I am in fact here twofold, to deliver the remains of Admiral Zhao and as reward for exemplary service," he showed them a tunic that was made up of several medals taken from the Fire Nation garrison for effect.
"The Order of the Red Dragon?" Li turned to her sister. "How did you earn a medal usually reserved for Firebenders?"
"This was given by the Admiral himself, he said no Earth medals were worthy of me."
"I suppose," Lo motioned for some attendants to head for the island. "The temple people will take care of his remains, son. Enjoy your vacation, and give our regards to your Admiral when you get back. He was once our most promising student."
"I will, mistress. His green flame was no doubt the product of well nurtured talent," Mitsu bowed, though he felt like laughing.
"Don't get fresh with us, young man. Though you are right," Li giggled through what remained of her teeth. "Off with you now, your uniform can be put in Zhao's old cabin right next to that unused one." They pointed to a cabin on the left of their own, a tall but lonely looking wooden structure with a pointed red roof.
Mitsu quickly escaped the docks and clambered up the hill, the heavy uniform making things harder. Though he could easily carry it like he could his staff, the focus was on not being seen and thus he had to do it the old fashioned way, lugging it on his shoulders as he went up the hill.
"Need some help?" a voice called out behind him. "That's not really beach wear, you know."
Mitsu turned to see a beaming Ty Lee in her pink circus outfit waving at him. He was about to assume a stance but remembered that during the drill fight he had been masked.
"Thanks, but Earthbenders are used to carrying big loads."
"I've never met an Earthbender before, at least not one I didn't have to fight," Ty Lee put her hands behind her back.
Mitsu had to think fast. "I've never met a Firebender I …wait a minute."
They both laughed as Mitsu took off the leather portion of the uniform, hurling it over the house's balcony.
"Your aura is so nice! Gold-like but with a bit of dark blue and white shades- are you in some sort of hurry?" she stopped at the doorway.
"A lot of stress, that's all. That's why the Admiral sent me here on vacation…well, that and to return Admiral Zhao's remains. Look, I have to take a bath now; I've been hanging out with a corpse for a couple of days now…"
"Okay, we'll be at the beach soon! We're in the cabin next door, if you wanna hang out! See you! Oh, my name is Ty Lee, by the way!" She immediately leapt off the porch and over the small dividing fence, landing on the western part of her own cabin.
Mitsu exhaled and took down the map of Ember Island that was on Zhao's wall. Next to him was the cabin of Lo and Li, former trainers for the Fire Nation Academy for Girls and acclaimed Firebending masters in their youth. There was a small Sage temple on the northern part of the island, while a long stretch of sandy beach encompassed the island, white sands much unlike the yellow dunes of the Song Yi. The Hippo Pod was on the south coast while a row of exclusive houses was on the other side of the island. To his dismay, a smaller island to the west, the map indicated a Fire Nation Navy patrol base which was probably security for the villas on the western shores, a haunt for the Fire Nation's elite, though the Royals had long abandoned their own vacation house on the island. Chan's house was smack in the middle of the village, which made infiltration difficult. It was the largest house on the western shore and was on a cliff overlooking the sea; something Fire Sages used to say brought good winds to the house. If only they knew that Chan himself was stuck in a block of stone somewhere under Omashu, no doubt a pawn in another of Bumi's schemes.
Zhao's house was largely empty, though the Sage on the island was clearly expecting him. Funeral papers and letters of condolence were on the wall, including one from the Fire Lord himself, sealed with the Phoenix Seal, three bold flames surrounded by fire. Mitsu noticed his neighbors talking on the upstairs level and slid behind the windowsill, pressing his hand to the wall for better listening.
"Who are these two beautiful women?" he heard Ty Lee speak.
"Why they're Lo/Li and me!" he heard the old crones speak in unison. Zuko could be heard coughing, or nearly throwing up.
"Hey, I met the guy on the funeral boat just now! He's really nice, and really cute!" Ty Lee chirped again.
"Everything's nice and cute to you," Mai rolled her eyes.
"Ember Island has that kind of quality found nowhere else in the Fire Nation," Li raised a finger. "It brings out the person you really are when you least expect it. The beach in particular is good at that, with a bit of fire."
"She's always like that," Zuko huffed. "No change there."
"No one has to necessarily change," Lo corrected him. "Some people hide things better than others." She pointed to his left eye, his eternal mask that only the best of healers could ever truly repair, and none of those were friendly. Katara nearly did in Ba Sing Se, but he ruined that as well, as he always did. If Ember Island really had that kind of magic, Zuko felt that it was working, and that he was feeling worse and worse as time went on. His heart longed for Iroh, though even his beloved uncle wasn't speaking to him anymore from his lonely cell up in the Traitor's Tower as some dubbed it. He felt that he really had no one left in his life, even Mai who was acting (more) cold and distant from him than before.
"We'll have lunch first, you all have had a long journey," Li clapped her hands and two attendants came out with low tables and cushions.
Lunch was surprisingly good; though the meat was entirely seafood it was filling while the rice was just the right softness for the taste buds. Sea cucumbers rounded off the meal, freshly picked but an hour ago from the ocean bed.
"You should bring that boy over here for lunch, young lady. He's been watching over Zhao's corpse for three days now as is the custom. I think he's getting tired of the rites rations," Lo turned to Ty Lee.
"I'd love to! That is, if you guys don't mind." She was asking everyone but turned to Azula for real approval.
"If it makes you happy," she said apathetically as she swallowed a fish slice.
"Something wrong with the curry, princess?" Li pointed, "Your cheeks are reddening slightly."
Azula touched her porcelain white cheeks in surprise, but nodded. "Yes Masters, I'm still not used to hot food."
"Ironic, coming from a Firebender," Lo nodded back. "Tea is at the fourth hour, don't be late."
Zuko noticed a slight change in his sister, who regarded the twins with grave respect, something she rarely did for anyone. They were the ones who taught her to use blue flames and marked her as a prodigy in her early years, with their own skill being nothing short of legendary. Iroh for some reason detested them but never spoke out against them, though he insisted Zuko be his own student to which Ozai surprisingly agreed. He found himself Firebending in a fairly unique way, something the guards and other teachers applauded him for, though not as much as they applauded Azula who had already found her particular colour of blue early on. Iroh's technique and flame always seemed different to Zuko, like calming warmth instead of a blazing rage. Zuko himself always felt driven by rage, but now his heart was hollow, lost in the winds of politics and his yearning for his father's love. No rage was possible, unless he was directing it at himself.
That couldn't be right; he did the right thing by siding with Azula, didn't he? He brought the traitor Iroh to justice and apparently killed the Avatar. He took over Ba Sing Se with his sister and came home to Ozai's approval and Mai's love. So what was wrong? Why did he feel like the world had turned its back on him instead?
"Zuko, we're off to the beach, come on!" Azula's harsh voice brought him back to reality. "Get changed!"
The beach was not as full as they expected, given that it wasn't school holiday season or a public holiday (only the Earth Kingdom exceeded the Fire Nation in public days off). Little children could be seen prancing about on the sands, little spades in their hands. Older boys and girls were playing numerous ball games on the beach, some with nets and some with hoops. One court in particular was the center of attention, with four boys and girls on each side kicking a ball over an elevated net.
"Move it!" Azula kicked a sandcastle down, leaving the poor boy making it in tears. "I think we've found our spot!" Zuko frowned and took Mai's hand, calling for an umbrella from a nearby shack. If he was going to be with anyone on the beach it would be Mai and not his overbearing sister. Ty Lee was on another spot, with teenage boys flocking to give her shade, give her sun block, to give her food or just to give her attention. Azula found herself sitting alone on her 'spot', huffing as she sat on the blanket.
"If you asked nicely, the kid might have moved elsewhere," she heard Mitsu's voice behind her.
"Who dares address me that way?" Azula turned on her back. She saw him seemingly sand bending the castle back together, though he hid the strain of his disguised bending behind a beachcomber hat.
"I dare address you that way," Mitsu grinned, pulling the hat's drapes to one side.
"You have no idea who I am?" she suddenly remembered that Ember Island was somewhat isolated from the main islands.
"Nope," Mitsu finished the castle to the joy of the little boy. "Am I supposed to know who you are, beach bum?" he bent a small moat around the castle.
"Beach bum!? Why I'll…um, no! I'm just a vacationing young lady looking for some stress relief."
Azula didn't know why her heart was pumping, but it was a surprisingly good feeling, coupled with the heavy lunch she had earlier. This was clearly the guy from the funeral boat, though up close he looked a lot younger than he did from the Royal Carriage. There was something familiar about his face, but she couldn't place him.
"Does the lady have a name?" The question sent Azula racing for answers.
"Um, I don't give my name to strangers. Mother's rule, you know…"
"I'm not your mother," Mitsu grinned, waving as he turned around and headed for the Kuai Ball arena. "Beach bum," he added.
Azula felt halfway insulted and halfway flattered, but this person was certainly arousing her interest. He was shaking hands with two young men on the island, both of them wearing governor's necklaces that signified rank on this island. Because of Ember Island's spiritual and recreational status, their representatives rarely attended meetings at the capital, aside from the local Fire Sage who she had seen more than enough of. An idea cooked in her scheming head as she watched Ty Lee pick up her twelfth admirer.
"Hey, you're one of my dad's guys!" the younger Chan shook hands with Mitsu, noticing the green sash around his uncovered waist.
"Indeed I am, Master Chan. He sent me here to have a little vacation after saving his life."
"Oh? What happened to my dad?" Chan looked at his friend.
"Nothing he couldn't handle, just a small Earth Kingdom revolt. One of them almost got him with an iron spear, but I tackled him out of the way. You look just like him, if I might add, young Master."
"Oh don't call me that, here it's just Chan. This is my pal Ruon-Jian." The other young man clasped arms with Mitsu, bowing slightly. "We're the kings of cool around here, and if anyone saves my dad's life they're cool too. Hey, we're having a little party tonight, and I'm inviting you, uh…"
"Mitsu, Mitsu Ishihara."
"Yeah, you're invited Mitsu. See you there at the eighth hour after noon. Got a date? We can find you one."
"I'll find my own, thanks." Mitsu turned to the courts, where several young ladies were oohing and aahing as Zuko removed his cloak to take part in a Kuai Ball game with his sister, Mai and Ty Lee. With their acquired skills and training they were dominating their rather amateur opponents, who were mere locals interested in a kick about. They weren't expecting psycho captain Azula and her team.
"Time out," Mitsu made a T from the side of the court.
"Wait your turn! We're at match point!" Azula barked through the net.
"Time out, substitution… take a rest, young lady," Mitsu pointed to the lady on his side of the court, nearly hobbling after one too many of Azula's power spikes.
"Hey, can we get going?" Mai called out from their back court.
"Tell you what, double or nothing," Mitsu walked up to the neck to face Azula. "Beach bum."
Zuko nearly swallowed the ball he was holding as he noticed who exactly this interrupting stranger was.
"That makes it interesting," Azula shot Mitsu back a look. "Name your price, outlander."
"Next point, sudden death," Mitsu crossed his arms. "We win, your friend in the white outfit comes with me to the party tonight," he waved to Ty Lee, who waved back.
"Hardly a bet, she'd go if you asked her, I say if you win, you get to go with me."
"You're on, beach bum," he grinned.
"Outlander," she grinned back. "If we win, you have to endure the humiliation and eternal shame of having lost to me!"
Mitsu looked at his teammates, who were probably the only ones who realized the oddness of Azula's bet.
"Mitsu?" Zuko approached but his sister waved him to get back alongside Mai in the back court. Zuko wondered what he was doing here, after the meeting in Ba Sing Se. Had he gone over to the Fire Nation side as well? Was the world really topsy-turvy? Was he a Fire Nation spy in Ba Sing Se? He had so many questions, questions that wouldn't be answered by the oncoming ball.
"ZUKO!" Azula yelled at her brother. He quickly snapped out of his trance and kicked the ball upwards. It dropped to Mai, who kneed it forward towards the net. Ty Lee appeared to be the one to knock it over the net, but instead she bowed down, allowing Azula to leap on her back, her legs poised to strike. The ball literally changed shape as she struck it, the blow catching the attention of everyone on the beach.
"Ha!" she landed on her feet, her loose hair flitted over her eyes. "We win!"
"Azula, look out!" Ty Lee called from behind. The ball slammed right into her face, the impact ripping the tattered net apart and landing the Fire Princess in a small sand crater. Mitsu was still in mid-flight when his smile caught her eye, a defiant smirk. He landed square on his heels, to the delight of his teammates and the girls on the side.
"What happened ?!" Azula angrily demanded.
"Well, you hit your comet blaster, but he jumped up and deflected it with the back of his heel." Mai looked at Zuko, the both of them struggling to contain their giggles.
"That was CHEATING!" Azula formed two globes of blue fire, but two young men came towards her with smiles on their faces.
"Hey, no Firebending on the beach, I'm Chan, this is Ruon-Jian. We rule this island," the muscled admiral's son crossed his arms but still smirked.
"No cheating there, beach bum. You're coming with me to the party tonight," Mitsu looked her square in the eye. "Along with my team, of course."
Chan looked at the Kuai ball team and shrugged. "More the merrier, but I thought you wanted to go with the one in white."
"I'll take em both, Chan," Mitsu shrugged and smiled at Ty Lee. "The captain here is rather angry though, I think she'll need another date."
"Oh fine, you can all come to the party. It's at the eighth hour, don't be late!" Chan turned round and repeated the message to the Kuai Ball team who cheered in response.
"Still not telling me your name, Azula?" Mitsu smirked.
"I'm not telling you anything…wait, you know who I am?"
"I know your brother over there," he turned to Zuko. "Long time no see, Mr. Hotman."
"Uh, hi…" Zuko scratched his head as the girls all frowned at him. Mitsu waved them off and went to cavort with his team.
"You didn't tell me you knew him?" Azula wanted to strangle Zuko.
"It was from a long time ago!" Zuko tried to protest.
"I don't care either way, let's get back to the house," Mai exhaled and began to turn around.
Azula had to be dragged by Ty Lee to catch up to Mai, leaving Zuko staring at his cousin's old friend. Mitsu gave him a knowing stare before leaping off towards Chan's general direction, ignoring the prince. His sister and her friends were all he could recognize right now, at least in some part. Headaches like old memories would have to wait.
"So Chan, does your father keep his medals and whatnot at home? He told me he has quite a few in his war room."
"Of course," Chan high fived Ruon-Jian, "but he doesn't let other people in there, although…"
"You're one of his men… I guess that would be okay right Chan?" Ruon-Jian tugged at his friend's arm. "Maybe we'll get a sneak peek!"
"The Admiral trusts us like he trusts his fire," Mitsu repeated an oft-heard slogan. "Besides, he wants some maps for our next campaign."
"What campaign would that be? His forces aren't allowed in the Fire Nation," Chan stopped walking.
Mitsu's mind once again fumbled through his library of answers. "He's got a new kind of plan cooking that involves regular Fire Nation troops. Something about flying ships."
"We have flying ships, mine's anchored near the northern bay," Ruon-Jian pointed to the Sage Tower in the distance.
"I mean huge ships, like the ones in the Navy," Mitsu made a wide gap with his hands.
"That'll be awesome," Chan high fived Mitsu, "hey, where are you staying?"
"Zhao's old place, suits me fine." Mitsu pointed to the slightly dilapidated house. "Though I think our sore losers might change that."