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.
The attendants looked like circus flat nosed gibbons as they tried to catch every bit of cutlery thrown by Azula. Ty Lee laughed while Mai simply sat in another room. Zuko was the only one trying to calm his sister down after the 'shame' of losing the Kuai Ball game and being forced to be the opposing captain's date as well.
"Hey, this is your masters' house! Cut it out!" Zuko barely dodged a flying vase that one of the attendants barely caught with a diving motion a kingfisher would have been proud of.
"Ooh, that arrogant, pompous little…" she sent a bolt of lightning out the window before sitting cross-legged and hanging her head. Zuko looked confused but Ty Lee cart wheeled to her friend's side.
"This is exciting! A boy's finally asked Azula out and hasn't had his hair burned off!" she smiled.
"She didn't get the chance," Zuko picked an attendant off the floor.
"I don't know what to wear…" the princess mumbled.
"Did we hear date?" Lo and Li poked their heads around the corner.
"It's the Outlander, as Azula calls him! Isn't that romantic?" Ty Lee was about to explode in sheer saccharine goodness.
"Oh, we had a saying when we were your age," Lo looked at her sister and their both nodded. "To the party!" they added a multi stage handshake and head bob.
"To the party indeed," Mitsu could be heard from his window on the other side. The two houses were barely five feet apart, with hints that they were once one.
"Come on in, young man and have tea with us!" Li waved and flashed her few remaining teeth.
"No, Master!" Azula scampered towards the wall. "I am not having tea with that…foreigner!"
"You won't get rabies," Mitsu grinned as he landed on the floor, having leapt through the window. "Hey there, cuteness," he put his finger underneath Ty Lee's chin, making her blush.
"If I was eighty years younger," Lo sighed.
"Tea will be served shortly, youngsters," Li pulled her sister out of the room.
Azula got up and formed a tongue of blue fire from her index finger, pointing it Mitsu. "You have some nerve coming here to our house and getting tea."
"This isn't your house, this is Li and Lo's house," Mitsu put his arm around Ty Lee's shoulders. "Besides, we can chat all we like later at Chan's house. If you're coming."
"I'm coming!" Ty Lee nodded and leaned into Mitsu's chest smiling. "Wow, your chest is so tight!"
"It's not like we have anything to do later anyway," Azula growled.
"If you don't mind Ty Lee, I think she's my date, so…"
"Sure!" she let him go and clasped her hands in anticipation. Azula was actually nervous, not angry, she of all people could tell. Azula was rarely uncertain, but this was one of those times.
The attendants came in with a hexagonical tea table, while another woman came in with a giant teapot with accompanying cups and wide spoons. One glowered at Azula for almost destroying her tea set but otherwise they shuffled out of the room right as Mai came in.
"Hey there," Mai dryly welcomed Mitsu.
"Afternoon," Mitsu bowed. "Aren't you the Omashu Governor's daughter?" Mitsu remembered her from a family portrait. Few people resembled their paintings in the Fire Nation, but Mai was a dead ringer for her portrait, unsmiling and with no expression from the land of the living.
"Yes I am," Mai sat upright and took the first tea.
"He sends his regards, and so does your mother."
"We call that place New Ozai now, outlander," Azula sipped at her tea.
"Forgive me Princess, I am Earth Kingdom born and new names are still… new to us." Mitsu made the fist-palm gesture and took his tea.
"How's my little brother?" Mai's sudden look of concern stirred Zuko to life.
"He's fine, but that is on the word of your mother. I did not see him myself."
Mitsu took his tea bowl with both hands and cupped it into his mouth in the Fire Nation fashion, or rather as Zuko alone noticed, in Iroh fashion with left hand under right.
"So how do you know Zuko?" Ty Lee cozied up to him.
"We met when he was travelling on his own in Earth territory. Dangerous guy, this prince of yours."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Azula elbowed her brother. "Dangerous to himself, you mean."
"I don't know, he fought off an elite platoon of Hammer Earthbenders by himself with no support. By the time we got to him they were all downed and he had run off. He's pretty good with a sword, too."
"Well, today's full of surprises," Azula rolled her eyes and finished her tea. "Congratulations Zuzu, you have a fan."
Zuko eyed a shrimp cracker and threw it into his mouth. "I guess I do. Welcome to the group, I guess."
"We're not a 'group'," moaned Mai.
"I'm flattered, but I can't stay long. I'm leaving tomorrow."
"You're not leaving!" Azula threw down her teacup, virtually silencing the room. "Uh, I mean we're just starting get to know you." She picked her cup back and put it to her mouth, although there was no tea left in it.
"I guess that's an order," Mitsu looked at Zuko and shrugged. "Got any Messenger hawks to send to the Admiral?"
"Easy," Azula clapped her hands and an attendant nodded, exiting the house shortly after. "The Tourist Office has some, you'll have one soon," she twirled her white spoon. Ty Lee grinned nervously at her rather socially inept friend.
"Let's put it this way," Mitsu stood up. "If I don't get a Hawk by tomorrow morning at first light, your hawk will be mine. The Admiral doesn't think much of the Royals apart from your father, but that's just him. I've enjoyed meeting you all and the tea, but I want to look around the island, maybe practice some uh, sand bending."
"Can I come along?" Ty Lee gripped his arm.
"Not this time, I'm afraid. In the desert we explore alone." He patted Ty Lee on the head and bowed to the others. Azula was restraining herself from exploding, while Mai flashed a stiletto knife at her in a sign of her growing impatience with the mood swinging princess.
"I'll take the window again?" Mitsu shrugged and leapt towards his own vacation house. "Remember, party at eight!" he landed silently in the courtyard of Zhao's house, shooting them a shining eye.
"Do we have to come?" Mai threw a knife at the exposed part of the wall.
"What else are you going to do? Mope around all day and all night?" Azula reordered the tea set. "It'll give us someone to do."
"Azula," Ty Lee giggled, "You mean something to do?"
Azula turned beet red, "what do you mean?"
The Fire Nation's way of telling time at night was a flare clock mounted on the highest point of every island; while in some houses mechanical clocks were commonplace. Zhao, a collector of clocks took them to his grave, with the funeral boat floating morosely with the ticking of several clocks, headed to its eventual sinking at the nearby naval base where a service for Zhao would be held. Mitsu noticed the flares light up for seven on the highest hill and flew low past the guard posts he had cased earlier. He swung around the hill and spotted a clearing to land.
The ground was soft and the air still, but then again this was a memorial spot. It seemed slightly neglected but was still grand, with perpetually blooming spring flowers and vines running over the sides of the clearing. It was fit for a princess and queen out of some dream, with the waning moon silently observing in the sky. No birds were around, their chirping absent from the night noises, leaving only the waves to sing for the departed.
"Ta Min, wife of Avatar Roku," Mitsu brushed a headstone aside. "Rest in peace," Mitsu gently blew over the stone tablet. "I do not seek you tonight."
He went to ground and started sweeping it with his hands, the hard stone making his fingers jiggle. The grass had penetrated the stone in some parts, but otherwise the ground was flat and that made it easier for him to find what he was looking for. A single white handkerchief was lodged in the stone, flapping about in the small breeze. Mitsu gripped it with both hands and pulled it up, exposing more of the cloth that led into the forest. He force bent the stone back down and followed the cloth into the wood. Animals were quiet as he passed by, his glowing golden eyes being the only light in the darkening wood. The cloth ended deep in the forest, tied around a tree. Mitsu took out a tinderbox and lit the four torches that surrounded the tree. Two names were on the tree, etched with two very different styles of calligraphy.
"Chao Dong of the Northern Water Tribe, Master of the Cloth." Mitsu felt the characters on the right.
"Zhan Ming of the noble house of Zhan, former Princess of the Fire Nation." He traced the left side characters.
"I have come," he reached into his hip pack and placed Sozin's headpiece in front of the tree, bowing with hands clasped.
The wind began to blow faster with the animals scattering, but Mitsu remained unmoved. The tree seemed to grow bigger as the torches burned brighter. No one lived within miles of this spot, though a distant ship would be able to spot a brief flicker of light from the shore. The torches burned yellow at first, then red, then purple, then white. Mitsu felt his spine shiver as he felt the cold descent of beings in the Spirit World.
"Welcome to our long home," a reverberating female voice rasped.
"One we built together," a soft-sounding male joined in.
"Open your eyes, young one."
Mitsu opened his eyes and saw a tall, strikingly beautiful woman dressed in white robes with a pale face, with Sozin's headpiece, glowing golden and red on her head. Beside her was a taller, slightly shrouded man in white with threads of what looked like cloth pulsing around him like paper blown in the wind.
"I am out of time, and I am lost, old ones. I cannot finish this mission." Mitsu looked at his hand. He had about one full day left before the Day of the Black Sun and then half a day for the noon eclipse. Finding and breaking Iroh out would take too long, plus there was the complication of Zuko recognizing him, though thankfully not as an Earth Kingdom Prince. He was lucky all images of him were removed from the palace in Ba Sing Se; in fact the custom was to paint portraits only after death.
"You are not lost; fate weaves strangely at times, "Chao descended first. Mitsu couldn't see his face, covered with a white cloth. "You love the heir of the headpiece like your own father, despite not spending more than a few choice months with him in your youth. The other heir you love like a brother, despite your own birth brother being there for you. Yes, this will make most men lost in thought and consequence."
"I do not know my father the King of Earth under Heaven," Mitsu stood up and looked Chao in the eye. "Iroh was the only man that ever treated me like a son, even if it was brief. Zuko is like a son to him; hence he too is my brother. I am not lost there, though he may be."
"I do understand. It was jarring, living under the roof of the Fire Lord," Chao looked at his wife. "I had to be assured daily that my life was not under threat despite the favor of the Fire Lord at the time. Oh, Kuzon! How your line has fallen into disgrace. He was a happy old man in his day, merry as could be. I would do anything for that man."
"Including fighting for his honor against my brother," Zhan descended and took her husband's arm. "That has always been the failure of my people, to strike first in the name of pride."
"Not all surely, White Phoenix," Mitsu turned to face her.
"The heir of my headpiece is more like my father than his own fathers. The Fire Nation will redeem itself some day; do not concern yourself with the morality of my people as that duty falls squarely on my heirs."
"I too, am your heir."
"Not of that persuasion. I speak of blood and of lineage. The bride of Roku lies outside, and it is her kin that will lead the Fire People to the Sun or to Hellfire. The man you call brother is of that kin."
"Zuko is a descendant of Avatar Roku?" Mitsu's eyes opened wide.
"He is my descendant," Zhan descended all the way to the ground. Her eyes matched Zuko's amber, visible even with her glowing golden pupils. "Ta Min was the daughter of my daughter. Hear the words of the former Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, young prince of Ba Sing Se. Hear the words of she who left the house of the Fire Lord and joined the house of her mother out of love. Zuko will make a choice soon, one that he has delayed making in full for so long. You are to guide him should he choose wisely."
"He seems to have chosen the path of his sister."
"He is not what he seems," Chao descended to the ground. "You would do best to find out what is in his heart, for his sister is alien to us. Kin by blood, but not in spirit. I may yet be wrong, as she is but a young child."
"Go now, with our blessing and your courage," Zhan bent down to kiss Mitsu on the forehead, "We are of the Spirit World now and have some foresight; you will come here again and not learn, but teach. We can tell you no more, the Moon is warning us that time is short."
"Princess Yue," Mitsu looked up at the silver disc in the sky. "Thank you for your vigilance, First Bender," Mitsu bowed and buried the white cloth, then put out the candles. The forest went dark, but it didn't seem so dark this time as Mitsu flew out of the forested part of Ember Island and towards the house of Zhao. A quick change and he was at the door of Lo and Li, dressed in what the locals might for a night out. An excited Ty Lee opened the door, smiling as always, with her friends behind her.
"Wow, you look great!" Ty Lee instantly took his arm. "Admiral Zhao must have had some cool threads back when he was younger. Look at this!" she pointed to his sleeveless vest that did little to hide his arms and chest.
"That thing on your arm looks familiar," Azula eyed Lu Tien's jade bracelet on Mitsu's left arm.
"In the Earth Colonies we make these to show our rank," Mitsu held the dragon-crested bracelet up.
"And what is your rank?" Azula was getting suspicious.
"Commander," Mitsu pointed to the characters on the vambraces. It was indeed Lu Tien's old rank and quite fortuitous, Mitsu thought.
"It's not the eighth hour yet, why are we going so early?" Mai looked up at the Sage Tower.
"Come on, Mai," Azula rolled her eyes and pushed Ty Lee off Mitsu. "Are you going to be my date or what?" she put her arm in his.
"As the lady commands," he felt disturbed that her skin was so soft, almost as silk. It was also cool to the touch, something that made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. Here was the Avatar's deadliest enemy after the Fire Lord, accosting him like a new pet. Something in him oddly liked it, but he had seen her before, and the tales Aang and company told him reminded him of what she could be.
"Let's go, people," Azula waved them onwards to the path which led to Chan's house.
There was no music or even colored lanterns and the only people visible were Chan's servants sweeping up and the catering crew rushing into the kitchen area in the back. A perplexed looking Chan answered the door scratching his head.
"It's not eight yet, you guys are early," he looked over Azula's shoulder. Mitsu gave a nervous wave; Azula's grip was like iron, and he needed to get to Chan's office sooner if not later.
"We're all night party people, besides what's the term, 'party from dawn to dusk'?"
"It's 'dusk to dawn', and it's not dusk yet. Never mind, come in. The servants are just finished and the musicians have just arrived." Chan opened the door and shrugged at Ruon-Jian who still had his toothbrush in his mouth.
"Hey, you came!" he waved to Ty Lee. She waved back, clearly the only person properly enjoying themself so far. Zuko trudged in with Mai, looking indifferent. Seeing his sister with Mitsu was incredibly disturbing, and he tried to wipe any potential progress between the two from his mind. Mai was even more bored, seeing umpteen targets to knife in her head as they walked through the vast hall of the Chan residence.
"My dad's an admiral in the Fire Nation Navy, so be careful with everything in here," Chan pointed out a shelf to one of the caterers. "And don't go into that office over there; that is strictly military business."
"I'm military," Mitsu reminded Chan with the green sash.
"Of course, of course, you can go in there but don't bring anyone in, understand?" Chan pointed to the Force Bender's face before going up a flight of stairs.
"Understood, master Chan," Mitsu made a Fire Nation salute. "Jackass," he grinned.
Azula laughed slightly, nodding. "If only he knew who I was, he would be begging for his life as I torched the skin off his back."
"It would be more fun if you hit fireballs at his feet and made him run off into the ocean," Mitsu cupped the princess' chin.
"Mmm, that sounds interesting," she purred, cupping his chin back. "Look, people are arriving already. Must be the eighth hour, the musicians are playing."
More people were indeed coming, including their opponents at Kuai Ball earlier in the day. The girl on the team looked menacingly at Azula, but otherwise they faded into the guest pool which rapidly grew as the hour passed. Zuko and Mai slumped down onto a chair, looking neither interested in each other or the party while Ty Lee was soon cornered by her admirers from before the Kuai Ball game. Mitsu managed to squeeze out of Azula's grip for a second and pointed to the buffet.
"I'll get us something to drink, eh?" he lifted his arm before Azula could grab him and headed in that direction. Ty Lee meanwhile had knocked out all her admirers and headed to her friend.
"Hey, looks like you finally caught one," she punched Azula in the arm.
"He's an outlander, Ty Lee. What would Dad think? He's not even a Firebender."
"Oh, but you like him! I can see it!"
"Maybe I do, but I don't exactly have the best luck with boys, remember?" Azula leaned on a post.
"Well, you could start by not intimidating him," Ty Lee shrugged, "Most boys are scared of you from the first look they get," she made a strange face.
"It's not that easy for me," Azula felt oddly exposed, despite her rather casual beach wear. "I grew up in the palace with only you guys for company- at an all-girls academy. I mean, look at you. How many boys ganged up on you just now?"
Ty Lee turned around to see the recovering lads all on the wall, or in one case still wobbling on the ground. "I can't help it, they like me!"
"They think they like you, you're being a tease!" Azula grinned.
"I am not!" Ty Lee suddenly burst into tears and ran away from Azula.
"Wait!" Azula lunged for her friend, but she ran faster than the princess' arms could reach. She ran into the nearest room and continued to sob, locking the door behind her. She didn't care what room it was, Azula's sudden remark hurt her hard, even if they were best friends. She dipped her head between her knees and let the tears fall. No one, not even Azula or Mai knew why she cried, and their search for her was in vain as she cried silent tears.
"You know, military only means military only," Mitsu quickly loaded two rolls of paper into the hollow of his miniaturized staff. He was extremely lucky that she had shut the door; otherwise the Fire Nation's best (kids) would be staring at him committing what was surely an act of treason.
"Hey, forget I said that, what's wrong?" he sat beside the acrobat.
"Azula said I was a tease, and I'm not!" she banged her fists on the ground.
"We have a saying at home, you can't help it if you're beautiful…and you are," he lifted her chin and wiped her tears with his sash.
"Come off it, you're the one that's teasing," she took the sash and wiped her face with it.
"No, really," he softly force bent her disturbed hair back into its pigtails. She didn't notice, but it felt nice. She felt his breath in her ear, which made her spine tingle enormously.
"You're Azula's date; she'll be looking for you."
"I came here with all of you, plus I think she's the kind of girl who'd survive alone out there. Who'd hit on her and not get burned?" Mitsu laughed. Ty Lee resisted at first but also laughed in the end, covering her mouth.
"Why are you so nice to us?" she was almost whispering as the party music went up in tempo. "Is it because of Zuko?"
"I think everyone deserves to have someone be nice to them," he stroked the unbraided part of her hair. "Now stop crying, she didn't mean it I'm sure. I don't have to know why it upset you, but you aren't really a tease. Remember…"
"You can't help it if you're beautiful, I'd better not tell that one to Azula," she giggled.
"Not crying anymore?" Mitsu helped her up and wrapped the sash around his waist.
"No, but I got your sash all wet…"
"Then I'll have a memory of you for a while," Mitsu looked her square in the eyes.
"This is a memory," she looked up and their lips met, her nimble arms wrapped around his neck. His arms instinctively closed around Ty Lee's waist as he opened his mouth for a deeper kiss, which she initially pulled her head back for but instantly accepted a moment later. They parted with a slight pop and a joined exhalation, eyes still locked.
"I'll bring that one all the way home," Mitsu fought to let go of Ty Lee's hands.
"I never really noticed your eyes, they're really beautiful," she couldn't find the energy to release his fingers. "Like your aura."
"The aura is inherited, I'm afraid. But you're not half bad yourself, Grey Clown."
Ty Lee giggled, "That's a cheeky name, but I like it. Come on, before Azula burns down the house looking for you. Did you get what you wanted in here?"
Mitsu suddenly remembered the airship charts and the Fire Nation map. "Yes, I have what the Admiral wanted me to get. Who'd have thought I'd come here during a party?"
"There you are," Azula held two cups of cold orange juice in her hand as the two came up to her . "Ty Lee, I'm sorry about what I said just now, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Mitsu, these things happen."
"I'm sure they do," Mitsu tapped his staff to make sure the documents were inside and slapped his forehead.
"The food, I forgot the food!" he was about to run off again but Azula grabbed his arm.
"Oh no, you don't. Come out to the balcony with me, the moon is beautiful."
Mitsu looked ruefully at Ty Lee, who touched her light pink lips with her fingertips, still feeling the earlier kiss. Zuko was getting agitated at the food line while Mai was perking up slightly as more boys began to take notice of her.
"Usually it's Ty Lee who gets the boy and me the one left standing," Azula crossed her arms but smiled. "I think I have to hold on to the boy this time."
The beach breeze blew softly over them, moving the torch fire and making it dance. Yue watched silently as the Fire Princess stood face to face with her counterpart in the Earth Kingdom, though to her he was an outlander who was somehow arousing her interest.
"You understand, don't you? Or is there someone else back home?" Azula leant forward on the wooden balcony, her voice slightly shaky but still confident.
"There's no one back home, it's just sand for miles and miles with the odd rock here and there. It's all Sandy Land!" Mitsu force bent some of the beach sand upwards but lost his grip, making it fall flat on the floor. Kuei and the Pasha would probably be laughing behind a bush if they were watching, but then again they were Earthbenders.
"People said, if you've seen one dune you've seen them all."
Azula made a strange laugh, another one of Ty Lee's tips gone wrong for the closeted child of the Royal Family. Mitsu leaned beside her as they both stared at the moon and the stars in the cloudless sky. A couple of volcanoes rumbled in the distance while the naval base was softly lit for Admiral Zhao's memorial.
"You know, you're not half bad yourself," he joined shoulders with Azula. "They make them beautifully over at the palace, don't they?" he stroked her cheek.
"Yes, only the best," Azula began to stammer.
"How beautiful?" he moved his face closer to hers.
"Very," she acknowledged the hint and joined her lips with his. His eyes were even more golden than hers, the night sky making them glow brighter like dazzling amber. His breath was exquisite while his lips were slightly rough but very warm. If she had known that there were boys like this in the Earth Kingdom, she would have conquered Ba Sing Se much earlier!
"That was ... wonderful!" she opened her eyes as they met Mitsu's. Something in her snapped, however and she took two steps back and laughed maniacally.
"You and me, we will become the strongest couple in the Fire Nation! No one will stop us! All will burn before us!" she crafted two large globes of blue fire on her hands while a nearby torch also glowed blue in compliance with her.
"I only need you," he calmly put his hands over hers, extinguishing the flames and turning the torch back to normal. She felt incredibly helpless at his touch, his large hands threatening to crush hers as his eyes glowed even brighter. Despite being similar height she tiptoed, expecting another kiss.
"I only need you to remember this."
Her hands, far from being caressed were being actually crushed by his, sending her into spasms of pain. Her arms refused to obey her commands as hurtful sensations ran down her nervous system, making her knees buckle and head lower.
"What is the meaning of this!" she felt a sharp pull on her shoulders towards the ground, her neck seemingly crushed underfoot. That, despite his two feet being clearly on the ground.
"I want you to remember that you should never make a nice girl like Ty Lee cry ever again, and that to people who don't know you, you're just a scared little girl." His Force Bending pushed Azula down even further, though her hands were still firmly in his grip.
"If you hurt her again, you'll be Firebending out of your arm sockets, understand?" he yanked at her left arm to illustrate his point.
"Understood," she rasped as he released her, leaving the princess slumped to the ground.
"What happened here?" Ty Lee was aghast as she came through the balcony door.
"I just… had a little talk with her. She's really sorry for calling you a tease, and this time she means it."
Azula hissed but nodded after the pain in her left arm somehow came back with a single look from Mitsu. "Yes, I'm really sorry," she looked away from them.
"Look, Mitsu there's a problem at the party, come quick!" Ty Lee took his arm and they were off to the hallway.
Azula gripped her shoulder and her eyes wanted to burn everything down. How dare he? What trick of Earthbending was that? Who was he to tell her how to treat her friends? A sudden realization came to her, that he was in fact speaking her language, that of intimidation and aggression. She laughed to herself at the irony, that the first boy to intimidate her had effectively handed her first loss to her. She gripped her knees as she sat alone on the balcony, laughing to herself and the stars.
"Stop hitting on my girlfriend!" Zuko and Ruon-Jian were eye to eye, Zuko's buffet platter somewhere on the floor with its contents splattered all over the hallway. A broken vase brought Chan to the floor, upset to the utmost at the destruction wrought by the Fire Prince.
"That was my nana's vase!" the admiral's son piped, pulling his hair. "Dad doesn't know I'm having this party, how am I going to explain this to him?"
Zuko however was ignoring him as Mai refused to look at him. "You did it again, Zuko!" she spun on him. "You're getting angry over something small like a boy talking to me! Your temper is getting the better of you!" the normally reserved Mai blasted.
"Temper? At least I have emotions, you're just this big… blah!" Zuko threw his hands up in the air.
"It's over, Zuko," Mai crossed her arms and looked away, a small tear in the corner of her eye.
"You heard her, loser! Get out of here!" Ruon-Jian pointed to the front door.
"I was just leaving," Zuko hung his head and made the trek to the doorway, the partygoers oblivious to his exit. Ruon-Jian tried to put his arm around Mai's shoulder but she shrugged him off, her tears almost erupting.
"What did you just call my friend?" Mitsu grabbed the Fire Nation youth's arm.
"A loser, he can't even handle-" Ruon-Jian was cut off by his own screaming as Mitsu hurled him through the open window beside the front door. Zuko stopped to examine the pained boy, two familiar footsteps coming beside him.
"Where can we talk where no one will listen?" Mitsu looked at the morose prince.
"I know just the place," Zuko and Mitsu walked over the prone Ruon-Jian, who was nursing his bruised ribs and ego. Mai was with Ty Lee, who sat her down and offered words of comfort.
"Don't cry please, Mai you're going to make me cry as well," Ty Lee gave her friend a napkin. She looked over Mai's shoulder to see Mitsu walk off with Zuko. "He's in good hands, and you're with me, so don't cry okay?"
Mai silently nodded and silently sipped from a glass another girl had given her. She already knew that Zuko didn't mean what he said, but it was the fact that he actually said it that hurt. She thought of Lo and Li's words about the beach and wondered if they applied to the entire island.