26
Kagemi tossed and turned in her sleep, a small blackness creeping its way out of her eyes as she dreamed.
"How could you?" Hoshiko shouted at her, her form had changed. She was similar to Kagemi in her appearance that she was only a shadow, but she was white instead of Kagemi's black. Her crystalline blue eyes stood out against the whiteness of her body. Her hands and legs were bound to a shadowy wall, restraining her from Kagemi, who glared at her as she cried, "You killed one of your own kind!"
"So what?" Kagemi snapped, "This body is mine, now! Not yours! I can do whatever I please, and kill whoever I want!"
"You're siding with the Fire Nation!" Hoshiko shouted, her hands shaking as she tried to escape her restraints, "You hate the Fire Nation! You hate everything!" Tears ran down her white face, "I knew her! I knew the Shinjun you killed! Now her blood is on my hands…" Hoshiko sobbed, hanging her head. Kagemi growled, grinding her teeth together.
"Stop whining!" She reached her hand up, pulling on the shadowy wall and making her restraints larger. "You gave up this body to me, we had a deal. And I'm not going to give it back, just because you feel a little guilty about necessary bloodshed! Without that death, the Fire Lord wouldn't trust me. This will help in your precious plan to stop the Fire Nation."
"You liar!" Hoshiko shouted, "I heard what you said to Azula! You want to keep me like this forever!"
"So?" Kagemi asked, "I've wanted this body for years, and now it is mine. If you're going to complain about it, find a loophole in our contract that will get you out. You'll have plenty of time to go over it in here." She turned and began to walk away from her prisoner.
"Murderer!" Hoshiko shouted at her, "You heartless murderer!"
Kagemi jolted awake, sitting up in her bed in a cold sweat. She panted as she tried to regain her breath, clutching the sheets in her fists. She put her clawed hand to her head, sighing.
"This is my body…" She muttered, "No one will take it from me." She grasped at her dark hair at the roots, "Not even you, Hoshiko."
Deciding to walk off the remnants of her meeting with Hoshiko, Kagemi started walking around the hallways of the palace. She paused as she came near a window, looking out at the moon. She scowled a little at the sight of it, remembering how she saw Hoshiko's friend become the moon spirit through her eyes. Kagemi knows everything that Hoshiko knows, and sees everything she sees, and even some things she forgets, Kagemi will remember, and vice versa. So when she saw the moon, instead of the comforting yet melancholic feeling that Hoshiko would normally feel, Kagemi just didn't like the moon. She didn't like Yue very much, she thought she was far too prim and perky. Actually, she reminded her of an elegant kind of Ty Lee. She didn't like Ty Lee at all (She had yanked her tail back in Omashu, and she still had a grudge against her).
She jumped when she heard the sound of footsteps and sunk into the floor, hiding her shadowy form in the shadow of a wall nearby as someone walked by her. She carefully stuck her head out from the floor to see a person dressed in a red cloak walking down the hallway. A suspicious feeling rose inside her and she followed them until they got to the door to Prince Zuko's bedroom. Her eyebrows rose to her hairline as she saw the person take their hood off to reveal that it was Prince Zuko. He quietly closed the door behind him as he went back into his room. Kagemi came out from the shadows, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at Zuko's door.
"What are you up to, Prince Zuko…?" She asked quietly.
Kotaro scowled as more hair got into his face as he, Sokka, Katara, Aang, and Toph traveled over the Fire Nation under the cover of a cloud made from Aang and Katara's bending. They could see past the whiteness of their cloud to see they were heading towards the shore of the mainland of the Fire Nation.
"I think I see a cave below." Aang said as they came closer to it.
"Shh!" Sokka hissed harshly, "Keep quiet!" They came just above the land and Aang used his air bending to get rid of the cloud around them. Sokka was the first one off of Appa and he ducked behind a rock, looking around him to make sure they were alone as everyone else got off the large bison. When Sokka was sure the coast was clear, he looked back at his friends, "Great job with the cloud camo, but next time let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that knows how to keep its mouth shut." His eyes shifted around them suspiciously. Kotaro rolled his eyes at Sokka's paranoia.
"Yeah, we wouldn't want a bird up there to hear us chatting and turn us in." He said sarcastically, Toph smirked at his comment.
"Hey! We're in enemy territory!" Sokka said, turning to him. He pointed to the birds that rested on the rock he was hiding behind, "Those are enemy birds." One of them jumped off the rock and onto Sokka's head, making a cawing sound. Everyone laughed at him before walking towards the cave. Sokka quickly followed them and kept going until he was the first one in the cave, looking around him with a smile, "Well, this is it. This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins. Hiding in cave, after cave, after cave, after cave…" His smile slowly fell as he continued talking and hung his head in misery.
"Sokka, we don't need to become cave people." Katara said, "What we need is some new clothes."
"Yeah, blending in is better than hiding out." Aang agreed, "If we get Fire Nation disguises, we'll be just as safe as we would be hiding in a cave."
"Plus, they have real food out there." Toph said, "Does anyone want to sit in the dirt and eat cave hoppers?" She pounded her fist against the wall, making a large amount of white cave hoppers come out from inside the cave walls. Momo dashed for one and once he grabbed it in his tiny paws, he started munching on it. When he was finished, he looked back at the others, a white cave hopper leg sticking out of his mouth.
"Looks like we got outvoted, sport." Sokka said to the lemur, then he turned to the others, "Let's get some new clothes."
Everyone peeked their heads out from behind the rock to see the clothes hanging on the line as they were drying outside someone's home.
"I don't know about this." Aang said unsurely, "These clothes belong to somebody."
"I call the silk robe!" Katara said, dashing for the robe that hung on the line and taking it off.
"But… if it's essential to our survival… then I call the suit!" Aang said, dashing for it.
"Darn it, Aang!" Kotaro said, dashing behind him with a grin, "I wanted that one!" Kotaro went for his second choice, a pair of dark red pants and a black shirt with a red vest, instead and dashed away before the owner of the home could see them.
It didn't take everyone long to get into their new outfits. Kotaro had just finished putting on the vest as Aang finished tying his headband on his head to hide his arrow.
"Tada!" He said, turning around to his friends, "Normal kid."
"Sharp." Kotaro commented, looking over Aang's outfit. He smiled at him in thanks.
"Hmm…" Toph sighed, "I should probably wear shoes, but then I won't be able to see as well." She sat down on the rock, grabbing onto the ankle of her sandal, "Sorry, shoes!" She pulled on the shoe and pushed through it with her foot, making the bottom fly off and into the air, Kotaro grabbed it before it almost hit his face. Toph did the same with the other shoe, and it went flying again, but this time, into Sokka's face, leaving a red, shoe-shaped mark. Toph smiled and she stood up, "Finally! A stylish shoe for the blind earth bender."
"How do I look?" Katara asked, coming over to them. Aang blushed at the sight of her new outfit. Kotaro let out an appreciative whistle at the sight of her.
"Not bad." He said, his grey eyes caught something that seemed off about her outfit, "Ah… But, your mother's necklace…" Katara's hands instantly went to the jewelry around her neck.
"Oh… Oh yeah." She said, taking the necklace off, "I guess it's pretty obviously Water Tribe, isn't it?" She looked down at it sadly, then tucked it away where it wouldn't be seen.
"Let's just head into town." Sokka said, "We can get some other stuff to go with our new clothes, and a new necklace for you, Katara."
It didn't take them long to find a vendor that sold the accessories they were looking for. Everyone got a little something to help them to blend in. But when Kotaro tried to buy something from the vendor, he scrunched his nose up in disgust and pushed Kotaro's money away.
"We don't sell to your kind." The man said, Kotaro glared at the man and pocketed his money.
"Fine then, I'll just keep my money for someone better." He replied icily, turning away from the vendor. Sokka grabbed his arm before he left.
"Hang on." He said, he looked over at the vendor, "What makes his money so different from ours? It's not counterfeit."
"I never said it was." The vendor replied, "I just don't want to shame my handiwork by having your slaves walk around in them." Kotaro growled lowly in his throat at the man, who didn't seem fazed by his scare tactic.
"He's not a slave, he's our friend!" Sokka replied, "A free man!"
"I don't care!" The vendor snapped, "I will not have any disgusting Shinjun walking around in one of my pieces!" Kotaro yanked his arm from Sokka's grasp.
"Look, just forget it." He said, he glared at the vendor, "This man is obviously blinded by his pride to not know good money when he sees it."
"What did you say, you flea bitten vermin?" The vendor snapped, standing up, "I could report you to the authorities!"
"On what grounds?" Kotaro snapped back, "Telling a man the truth?" The vendor ground his teeth angrily.
"Get out of my sight before I call the guards!" He said, pointing them away from him.
"Gladly." Kotaro replied, walking away stiffly from the man. Everyone followed him as he walked away.
"What was that about?" Toph asked as they walked away, "You almost got us caught!"
"Sorry, sorry." Kotaro said, stopping as he came to a street corner, running a hand through his white hair, "I'm just not used to being back in the Fire Nation." He sighed, "But, it's no big deal. I'll fit back into the culture soon enough." He looked back at the others, "Don't worry about it."
They all shared uncertain glances, but nodded in agreement. Aang took Momo and hid him under the shirt of his clothes.
"Right." He turned to his friends, "I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago. So everyone just follow my lead and stay cool. Or as they say in the Fire Nation, stay flamin'." Kotaro snorted in laughter.
"Aang, they don't say anything like that." Kotaro said through his chuckles.
"Oh. They don't?" Aang asked.
"You haven't been to the Fire Nation in almost a hundred years." Kotaro pointed out, "It's probably a good idea that you don't use any slang from back then."
"Yeah, Aang, no offense," Sokka said, "But Kotaro's lived in the Fire Nation before, his example is probably the best to follow."
"Yeah…" Aang muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. The five of them walked down the street, trying to find a restaurant to eat at that didn't have a sign out in front that read 'No Shinjuns allowed'. Soon enough, they found one that they could all eat at.
"Oh." Aang said when he saw the restaurant they were heading into, "We're going to a meat place?"
"Come on, Aang." Sokka said, "Everyone here eats meat. Even the meat." He pointed over at a hippo cow that was happily chowing down on some pork legs. Aang grimaced.
"You guys go ahead." Aang said, "I'll just get some lettuce out of the garbage." Sokka shrugged and they walked in without Aang into the restaurant, getting a table near the window, and conveniently away from most other customers.
The next night, Kagemi stayed awake and watched as Zuko left his room in the middle of the night again in the same hooded cloak and stealthily followed him. She slunk around the walls, carefully avoiding his line of sight as he headed to a large Fire Nation prison. She quirked a curious eyebrow at his destination choice and followed him inside. She hid amongst the shadows on the ceiling as Zuko walked down the hallways of the prison. As Zuko came closer to a guard, he pointed his spear at Zuko.
"You again! Stop where you are!" His eyes widened as Zuko came closer, "Prince Zuko?" Zuko grabbed the man by the collar of his uniform and pushed him against the wall.
"I'm going in for a visit. You're going to stand guard here, and no one is going to know about this." Zuko told him, the guard nodded meekly and Zuko released him. Kagemi's ear twitched in curiosity as she watched him enter one of the cells and followed him in, hiding once more on the ceiling as a small, shadowy blob that was barely noticeable. She looked down into the prison cell and saw that it was Zuko's uncle who was sitting inside it. He didn't even acknowledge Zuko's presence as he walked up to the barred iron door of his cage inside his prison cell. Zuko removed the hood from his head and looked at him, "Uncle, it's me." Iroh shifted so his back was facing Zuko.
After eating at the restaurant, everyone saw that Aang had disappeared. They split up, searching for him amongst the crowds of the city, but finding nothing. Even Kotaro's unique sense of smell couldn't pick up any traces of Aang, he must have left right after they had gone into the restaurant. When they all came up with nothing, they decided that if Aang wasn't in any trouble, he would have gone back to the cave where they had hidden Appa. So they went back and decided to wait for him when they saw he wasn't there.
He didn't come back until late after dark. His entrance made known by the sound of his footsteps.
"Where have you been?" Katara asked him, "We've been worried sick!" As Aang came closer to the light of the fire they had made, Kotaro noticed he was covered in mud spots, looking like something made of mud had exploded near him.
"I got invited to play with some kids after school." Aang said, taking off his headband. Sokka jumped up from where he had been laying down and looked at Aang incredulously.
"After what?!" He asked him.
"I enrolled in a Fire Nation school." Aang said, "And I'm going back tomorrow." He looked very happy at the idea of returning, but Sokka did not.
"Enrolled in WHAT?!" He shouted, Kotaro watched as he fell back onto the ground with a blank expression.
Kagemi carefully slithered so she was in the corner of the building, watching the exchange between Zuko and his uncle, her eyes the only thing discernable about her shapeless form in the darkness. Iroh had changed from his appearance in her and Hoshiko's memories. He seemed dirtier, but that might have just been because of the clothes, and because the prisons didn't call for regular bathing. Another thing seemed different about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but he seemed almost… vulnerable, dare she say. As if seeing Zuko opened up some old wound, which, considering everything that had happened, was the correct assumption.
"You brought this on yourself, you know." Zuko said to him, "We could have returned together. You could've been a hero!" Iroh said nothing, only shifted slightly more so he wouldn't see Zuko's face at all. "You have no right to judge me, Uncle. I did what I had to do in Ba-Sing-Se, and you're a fool for not joining me!" Iroh didn't even so much as twitch, "You're not gonna say anything?!" When Iroh didn't respond, Zuko ran to where a small stool sat, kicked it and punched it angrily, fire shooting out from his fist. "You're a crazy old man! You're crazy! And if you weren't in jail, you'd be sleeping in a gutter!" Zuko stormed out of the cell. Kagemi watched as he slammed the door shut, then looked back down at the old man to see that he had no other reaction. Strangely, though, Iroh looked up at the ceiling, and Kagemi froze, her dark eyes wide as he seemed to be staring straight at her.
Fearing she might be caught, Kagemi dashed out of the room by slipping under the door as a shadow and out through the hallway, feeling the old man's eyes follow her every movement. Once she was gone, Iroh sat quietly, looking at his hands as they rested in his lap.
Sokka stared at his monk friend after a very short, but very strange explanation as to everything that happened.
"Aang, I'm trying to be mature, and not immediately shoot down your idea," Sokka began, "But it sounds really terrible."
"Yeah, we got our outfits." Toph said, "What do you need to go to school for?" She said the word like it was something that disgusted her.
"Every minute I'm in that classroom," Aang said, "I'm learning new things about the Fire Nation. I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai." Aang pulled out a picture of the Fire Lord and presented it to his friends, "And here's one that I made out of noodles!"
"Impressive, I admit," Sokka said, "But I still think it's too dangerous!"
"Not just dangerous," Kotaro began, getting everyone's attention. "It's idiotic. The only thing those schools teach is the slanted history of the Fire Nation. It's been corrupted over the years, and learns only about things that glorify the country. I bet that half of the things you learn will be wrong according to everyone else's history." Aang slumped his shoulders, unable to argue with the young wolf Shinjun's logic. His eyes brightened when he thought of an idea.
"I guess we'll never find out about the secret river, then." Aang smirked at Sokka, "It goes right to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow…"
"Hmm…" Sokka put his hands together thoughtfully in front of him, "I am a fan of secret rivers." He looked over at Kotaro, "He's telling the truth about that river, right?" Kotaro shrugged.
"I may have lived in the Fire Nation, but I didn't get the 'pleasure' of going to any of the schools. Thankfully." Kotaro said, looking at Aang, "But I have heard a few things about a secret route that goes to the palace." Aang smiled at him, and Sokka turned his attention back to Aang.
"Alright, fine. We'll stay a few more days." Sokka said.
"Flamio, hotman!" Aang cheered, hopping up and dashing off to another part of the cave to get ready for school the next day.
Sokka looked over at his sister, "'Flamio'?" He questioned. Katara shrugged. Kotaro burst out in laughter and fell onto his back, holding his stomach as he guffawed loudly.
Zuko walked through the palace, still wearing his cloak as he headed back to his bedroom. Kagemi's shadowy from traveled along the walls he walked past. He noticed the black blob as it moved beside him and went down onto the floor in front of him. It increased in size and Kagemi came out from it, the darkness still clinging to her like it had before, but seeming to be more viscous than before as it stuck to her in long strands. When she had completely come out, she stood in front of Zuko, crossing her arms as she looked at him with her dark eyes. Zuko couldn't help but notice that some of the darkness in her eyes had spread out and was now appearing in tiny, almost invisible strings of black veins around her eyes.
"You're stupid." Kagemi said, looking at him disapprovingly.
"What?" Zuko exclaimed.
"You heard me." Kagemi said, Zuko glared at her, "Listen, in case you forgot, you're the prince. Going to visit your deadbeat uncle is going to cause a lot of problems with your citizens."
"You followed me?" Zuko demanded.
"Yeah, I did." Kagemi said, "Only because I saw you trying to sneak back in last night. Now, listen to me." She pointed a clawed finger directly in his face, "You better not screw this up. From what I remember hearing from that girl's memories, you've been after this place for years. You screw it up now, and you're never getting it back. The Fire Lord needs the power from both his children if he wants to win this war, and being his heir, you should be the first to step forward and help him!" Zuko moved her finger out of his face and glared at her.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do and not do." He said, walking past her. Kagemi growled lowly in her throat and ran at him at an inhuman speed, like she had done on the Fire Nation ship before, and got in front of him, her teeth bared as she got in his face. Even though she was a few inches shorter than the prince, she still intimidated him.
"You need to watch your step." She growled at him, "I know everything that girl knew, and I know you know the avatar is alive." Zuko's eyes widened and he took a step back from the girl, surprised that she knew he knew, "I remember that spirit water the water bender had. The avatar isn't dead. And if you have any sense at all you would be more concerned with how this war will end and not with how your uncle is doing in his new prison cell!"
Zuko scowled and stepped up, glaring down at her, "My uncle was with me for three years. He did everything he could for me. It's not wrong for someone to go and visit him if they were in the same situation!"
"It is for you!" Kagemi shot back, "When you joined this side, you left your uncle and everything about that past behind you, and you can't second-guess your decisions, because there's nothing you can do to change what happened!" She stepped away, her demeanor slightly calmer, but her dark eyes still glared. "Don't linger on your past Zuko, it's not good for you." She bowed slightly before she walked away, "Goodnight."
Aang walked into the entrance of the cave, looking guilty as he approached Katara and Sokka.
"Uh, guys?" He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously, "I need parents."
"Huh?" Sokka asked, looking up from his map.
"The headmaster told me to bring my parents to his office after school." Aang said, "I think I got in trouble."
"You're kidding." Kotaro said, looking at Aang, who shook his head.
"I'm not." He said, he looked over at Katara and Sokka, "I need you guys to be my parents! Please?"
Sokka and Katara shared a glance, and then stood up from where they had been sitting.
"I can help you guys make decent disguises if you want." Kotaro offered to them.
"Can you help me with mine?" Sokka asked, "I think I need a beard."
"I can definitely help with that." Kotaro said, getting up from his spot and following Sokka to another part of the cave.
Kotaro stood next to the door, pretending to be the family servant as Sokka and Katara, disguised as a bearded Fire Nation father, and a pregnant Fire Nation mother.
"Thank you for coming, Mister and Missus…" He trailed off, not knowing the last name.
"Fire!" Sokka said in a fake voice, "Wang Fire. This is my wife, Sapphire." He gestured to Katara, who nodded at the headmaster.
"Sapphire Fire, nice to meet you." She greeted.
"Mr. and Mrs.… Fire," The headmaster shook his head slightly, as if in disbelief that someone could have that name, "Your son, Kuzon, has been enrolled here for two days, and he's already causing problems. He's argued with his history teacher, disrupted music class, and roughed up my star pupil." Kotaro raised an eyebrow at Aang's back, wondering if he was just exaggerating or if he was telling the truth.
"My goodness!" Katara fake-gasped, "That doesn't sound like our Kuzon."
"That's what any mother would say, ma'am." The headmaster replied. "Nonetheless, you are forewarned. If he acts up one more time, I'll have him sent to reform school!" He jumped up from his chair to emphasize his point, "By which, I mean the coal mines. Are we clear?"
"Don't you worry, Mr. Headmaster," Sokka assured in his fake voice, Kotaro smirked behind his hand and tried to hold back his laughter at the sound of it, "I'll straighten this boy out something fierce!" He turned to Aang and got in his face, saying, "Young man, as soon as we get home, you're getting the punishment of a lifetime!" Kotaro snorted in laughter and tried very hard not to laugh aloud.
The headmaster, ignoring the sound of Kotaro's laughter, sat back down in his chair, "That's what I like to hear." Katara, Aang, and Sokka got up from their seats and started walking away. Sokka did this cheesy walk that almost made Kotaro laugh again, but he held himself back as he followed them.
"Oh, and Mr. Fire," The headmaster called, making Sokka turn to him, "I think your Shinjun could do with some straightening out as well." He pointed to Kotaro when he said this, and Kotaro narrowed his eyes at the old man, growling lowly in his throat. Sokka, seeing his behavior, put his hand on Kotaro's shoulder and the other hand on the other arm.
"I will see to that, Mr. Headmaster," Sokka said in that same voice, he looked at Kotaro, ushering him along, "Come on, you have work to do." Kotaro glared at the old man as Sokka pulled him out of the office.
Kagemi stretched her arms as she yawned widely as she sat in a tree in the royal gardens. She rubbed her eye tiredly, not having gotten much sleep last night, and shifted as she sat in the branches, making herself comfortable. She heard the sound of someone's footsteps and didn't bother to open her eyes to see who it was.
"Didn't sleep well?" A familiar voice asked, Kagemi opened her eyes and looked down from the branches to see Azula looking up at her.
"Not too well, no, your majesty." Kagemi replied, she hopped down from the branches and landed in front of her, "Is there something you need me for?"
"Actually, yes." Azula said, "I need you to accompany me somewhere. I have a small task for you."
"Yes, princess." Kagemi said, following Azula out of the gardens and through the halls of the palace.
"Is that why your eyes are black?" Azula asked. Kagemi looked at her quizzically.
"Pardon?"
"Your eyes," Azula said, looking over her shoulder at her, "They seem to be getting darker than before."
"Oh, that's nothing your highness." Kagemi assured, unconsciously rubbing her eyes where the veins around her eyes had become black. "I'm sure it will go away with time." Azula nodded once and they continued to walk through the halls.
"I can't have you in bad condition," Azula continued, "If you were to fall ill, your worth to me and my father would significantly drop."
"I understand, your majesty." Kagemi said, narrowing her eyes as she caught the princess's subtle threat. 'If you can't help us, then you're as good as dead' Azula smirked.
"Good."
They continued walking in silence until they had reached the outside of the capital, walking along the walls of the city. Kagemi's ears twitched as she heard someone speaking not too far away from them.
"Orange is such an awful color." Mai's voice said. She heard someone's soft chuckling.
"You're so beautiful when you hate the world." Zuko's voice replied. Kagemi and Azula came up and they saw that Zuko and Mai were sharing a picnic as they watched the sunset. Mai's head rested on Zuko's shoulder.
"I don't hate you." Mai said, looking at him.
"I don't hate you, too." Zuko said, he leaned down and they shared a romantic kiss. Kagemi couldn't help herself as she gagged loudly at the sight of it. Zuko and Mai scowled, looking for who had interrupted their kiss and saw Azula and Kagemi standing not too far away from them.
"Zuko," Azula said, taking this moment to get his attention, "Could I have a word with you?"
"Can't you see we're busy?" Zuko replied, he leaned back in and began kissing Mai again. Kagemi scrunched up her nose disgustedly at the sight of it. Azula gave the couple a dry look.
"Oh, Mai, Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid." Azula said, getting her attention. She turned to Kagemi, "Kagemi, escort her to Ty Lee, would you?" Kagemi nodded once in compliance.
"Sounds pretty serious." Mai said, getting up. Kagemi led the way as the two of them walked away from Azula, Mai giving her a dirty look at her back as she passed.
"So," Azula began once they were out of hearing range, "I hear you've been to visit your Uncle Fatso in the prison tower." Zuko stood up.
"Kagemi told you, didn't she?" He said angrily.
"No, you did. Just now." Azula said, giving her brother the look a smug superior would give to their subordinate.
Zuko sat back down, looking away from her, "Okay, you caught me."
"How would Kagemi even know about it, anyway?" Azula asked, Zuko looked over at her.
"She followed me there that night." He said, "What is it that you want, Azula?" He assumed that, since she had brought it up, she wanted something in return for not ratting him out to anyone.
"Actually, nothing." Azula replied, "Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him." Zuko looked up at his sister, "Just be careful, dum-dum." Azula turned and walked away from her brother.
Mai and Kagemi walked in silence as they traveled to Ty Lee's home, provided to her by the royal family since she had no desire to live with her actual family. Her home wasn't too far from Mai's own house, so Mai knew exactly which way to go when Kagemi wasn't sure. As they walked, Mai couldn't help but steal a glance at the Shinjun's back, looking her up and down, seeing the new clothes she had been given. A long sleeved, black and red kimono top with an orange Fire Nation insignia on the breast of the shirt and a pair of black pants underneath. Basically, it was the same clothes that she had worn before she joined them, only Fire Nation style. Kagemi noticed her stares and gave her a look.
"Something the matter?" She asked, her voice icy and cold as she glared at Mai. She looked away from her.
"No." Mai replied.
"You're staring at me." Kagemi said, turning to her Mai completely so she could see her better as they stopped. "Why are you staring at me?"
"It's nothing." Mai said hastily, walking past her. Kagemi glared at her back.
"Is it because I'm a Shinjun?" She asked. Mai stopped walking, but didn't look at the Shinjun, "Is that it?"
"No." Mai turned around so she could see Kagemi's face, "I'm just wondering how you came to join our little group."
"Why's that?" Kagemi asked, stepping forward.
"Well, it wasn't all too long ago that you were fighting by the avatar's side." Mai said, Kagemi growled lowly in her throat and she bared her teeth to the young woman.
"I was a different person, then." She said through clenched teeth.
"You mean a person named Hoshiko." Mai said, Kagemi's face became murderous, eyes blazing in rage as she raised her hands and swiftly conjured up some shadows that turned into tentacles with razor sharp tips that dove for Mai's throat. She gasped and stepped back as they stopped just short of grazing her skin. She looked at Kagemi, whose hand was still raised, her teeth still bared as she let out a low, intimidating growl.
"Never say that name again." She said, her growl sneaking in through her words. She lowered her hands and the shadows disappeared. "Ty Lee's home is just over the hill. You can find your way from here." She stalked away from Mai, who watched her leave with wide eyes. She didn't know that Kagemi had such fury towards her former self. She shook off her unease and walked over the hill Kagemi had been talking about, and instead of wasting her time at Ty Lee's, Mai decided to head home, knowing Ty Lee didn't really need any help with her braid.
"That settles it!" Sokka shouted in Aang's face once they had returned to the cave, "No more school for you, young man!"
"I'm not ready to leave." Aang said, he walked away from Sokka, "I'm having fun for once. Just being a normal kid." He looked back at his friend, "You don't know what it's like, Sokka, you get to be normal all the time!"
"Ha ha." Toph laughed mockingly at Aang's words. Sokka scowled at her.
"Listen guys," Aang continued, "Those kids at school are the future of the Fire Nation. If we wanna change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom."
"Aang, while I agree wholeheartedly with you on starting with the kids," Kotaro began, "I don't think that'll work. What can you do for them that would show them freedom?"
"Yeah, Aang," Sokka agreed, "What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters?"
"I'm gonna throw them a secret dance party!" Aang said excitedly. Everyone just stared at him for a moment, gaping.
"You're… kidding, right?" Sokka asked him. Aang shook his head.
"Nope!" Aang said happily. Kotaro sighed and shook his head.
"Gods help us…" He muttered to himself.
Kagemi walked the hallways of the palace again, not willing to go to sleep so soon. Her ears pricked as she heard the sound of a door opening and looked to see Zuko was sneaking out of his room again. Knowing where he was going, Kagemi sunk down into the floor and turned into a shadowy form again. She traveled along the walls and changed her form to Zuko's silhouette. When the shadow suddenly appeared on the wall and not the floor, Zuko glared at it.
"I know that's you, Kagemi." He said, he heard Kagemi growl and saw her stick her head out from the shadow, some of it clinging to her shoulders as she looked at him.
"You're being foolish." She told him, "Seeing your uncle was a bad idea from the beginning. I warned you the night before, Zuko. Things will only get worse if this keeps up."
"It's my last visit." Zuko said, "I promise." Kagemi rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"Yeah, sure it is." She said sarcastically.
"You don't need to follow me." Zuko said, "Just go to bed."
"I don't think so." Kagemi said, stepping out of the shadows completely and going up to Zuko, poking his chest with her finger, "If you're going to be an idiot, then I need to make sure you're not making decisions that could kill you. Forming conspiracy theories in your people is fine, but if you're going to make a decision that could kill you, I'm going to stop you." Zuko looked at the young Shinjun in mild surprise.
"Kagemi, if I didn't know any better," Zuko said, "I'd say that you cared about me." Kagemi's eyes widened, and Zuko saw the black veins around her eyes grew thicker and longer.
"I'm not doing it for you!" She growled angrily, "I'm doing it for your father! Like I said the other night, your father needs both his children to win this war! Don't go thinking that I actually care about you!" She stomped off from him. When Zuko didn't move, she looked back at him, "Are you going to the prison tower or not? Come on!" Zuko, surprised she was taking the lead on this, followed her out of the palace.
"I can't believe we're having a dance party." Sokka said as he put various candles down along the walls to light up the cave. The beard was still on his face as he turned to Aang, "It seems so… silly!" Kotaro nodded his head in agreement as he got the ice cups that Katara had made for the punch they would serve as Toph bent up a huge stone stage for some musicians to stand on.
"Don't think of it as a dance party," Aang said, tying his headband on his head, "But as a cultural event, celebrating the art of fancy footwork." Kotaro snorted in laughter as Aang did a small dance to demonstrate. Toph suddenly stood up straight as she felt the vibrations of many approaching feet.
"They're coming!" She shouted, "Everyone stop bending!" Aang looked over at Appa and went over to him.
"Sorry, buddy, you should probably wait out back." Aang said, Appa let out an unhappy grunt as he trudged away from them and further into the cave, "I know, you've got fancier feet than anybody. And six of 'em!" Aang smiled as he turned around to greet his guests, Kotaro's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the great number of students. Aang must have invited the entire school! Aang ran up to a few kids carrying instruments and directed them over to the stage that Toph had made. Once they were all set up, they asked Aang what kind of song to play, and he told them to play something festive and happy. They did just that, playing a song with a happy, bouncing beat.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Aang shouted happily, "The Flamios!" Kotaro smirked at his name choice, "Yeah, this oughta get everybody moving." Aang turned around and looked to see the boys and the girls had separated into two huge groups. Boys on one side, girls on the other.
"Now what do we do?" One boy asked Aang.
"This is when you start dancing!" Aang said, as if it were obvious.
"I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave." Another boy said, shrinking behind the high collar of his school uniform.
"Yeah! What if someone finds out?" Another boy asked, looking around nervously.
"Oh, boy…" Aang muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "Listen guys, dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you."
"Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon." The first boy said, stepping up to the front of the crowd of boys, "But we don't do that here."
"Sure you do," Aang said, "You have for generations! It just so happens I know a few classic Fire Nation dance moves." Kotaro and Sokka rolled their eyes at his words. Just so happens, my foot. "A hundred years ago, this was known as the Phoenix Flight!" Aang squatted down and started kicking his feet out in front of him, with his hands curved inward behind his back, running around in a circle. The students 'ooh'ed appreciatively. Aang jumped up, "And this was the Chamelephant Strut." Aang moved quickly from one side to the other, making slicing motions with his hands. He did a summersault and got to his feet in front of two girls, who giggled when he smiled at them. Aang did a flip backwards to complete the dance, and the students applauded him.
Away from the students, Kotaro sat with Toph and Katara, watching Aang dance along with the rest of the students from the Fire Nation school.
"Who knew Twinkle Toes could dance?" Toph said before taking a sip of the punch they had made.
"He's not half-bad." Kotaro said, Toph nodded her head in agreement.
"What about you, Wolfie?" She asked, "You got any dance moves?" Kotaro shrugged.
"A few, but they're mostly couples dancing stuff." He replied. He looked over at Katara and saw how she was smiling at Aang as he entertained the students.
Kagemi didn't bother to hide herself as she and Zuko went to visit Iroh. She leaned against a corner of the room, her dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight as Zuko pushed a basket of food through the cell bars Iroh was behind.
"I brought you some kimono chicken." Zuko said, "I know you don't care for it, but I figure it beats prison food." Iroh didn't reply, his back turned to Zuko and Kagemi. Zuko looked at his uncle's back, then sighed, "I admit it, I have everything I've always wanted, but it's not at all how I thought it would be." Kagemi raised an interested eyebrow at his words, wondering why the prince wouldn't be happy with everything he's always wanted, "The truth is I need your advice." Zuko put his hands up to the bars of the prison cell, resting his face near the bars, "I think the avatar's still alive, I know he's out there. I'm losing my mind. Please, Uncle! I'm so confused, I need your help!" Zuko's pleas fell on deaf ears as Iroh said nothing in return. Zuko, angered by his lack of response stood up, "Forget it! I'll solve this myself! Waste away in here, for all I care!" Zuko stormed towards the door, and Kagemi pushed herself off the wall to follow him out. She saw him spare one last glance at the old man before leaving. Kagemi did the same, but hers was more suspicious than Zuko's pleading one. She followed Zuko out of the room and shut the large, metal door behind her.
Neither of them saw a single tear fall from Iroh's eyes as they left.
Aang did another impressive flip that was greeted with more applause. Thinking it was time to get some of the other kids involved, he walked over to Anji, a girl he had met at school, and held out his hand to her. She blushed shyly as she took it, letting him lead her out to the dance floor.
"And this is how they do it in the ballrooms of Ba-Sing-Se." Aang said, he moved his arms in circling motions as he stepped from side to side on his feet in a sway. Anji copied him and soon they were dancing together.
"Wow, they look pretty good together." Sokka commented.
"Eh, if that's what you like." Katara said uncaringly as she looked away from the two of them. Seconds later, other students came out and began performing the same dance that Aang was doing, some with friends, some by themselves.
"Yeah, that's it!" Aang encouraged, "That's the sound of happy feet!" Other kids quickly got into it, performing the simple dance with smiles on their faces, "Yeah, go with that! Everybody freestyle!" Kotaro watched as other students put their own touches to the dance, moving their arms differently, or moving their feet in different ways from how Aang had showed them, he even saw a couple boys doing a different dance entirely. Kotaro noticed one of the Fire Nation Academy girls leaning against the wall by herself. She had shoulder-length dark hair, and she averted her eyes away from the dancing couples, when her eyes accidentally met his, he saw that they were a hazel color, with just a light touch of blue. He felt his heart clench painfully at how much she reminded him of Hoshiko. He walked over to her, and held out his hand in a gentlemanly way to her. She blushed as she looked at the hand, then up at his face.
"May I have this dance?" He asked with a suave smile. Her blush deepened as she nodded, letting him take her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor near an empty spot for the two of them. Kotaro smiled at her as they started doing the ballroom dance. His smiled widened as she decided to twirl around. Kotaro reached up for her hand while she spun, and when she stopped, he held onto it and took her other hand. They linked their fingers and moved their hands together as they performed the same steps. Her blush didn't lessen at the new contact they shared. Daringly, Kotaro spun her out, and then pulled her back in so she was in his arms before joining his hand with hers again and continuing the dance they had been doing before. Kotaro laughed inwardly at the sight of her face, which was now completely red. Her gaze averted from him shyly and her blush disappeared as she saw something over his shoulder.
"Oh, wow!" She gasped, Kotaro looked back and saw that Aang was dancing with Katara. They were simply spinning while having their wrists meet the other's, but it resembled something of a pose two fighters would make before they began their battle.
"Aang… Everyone's watching." Katara replied nervously, seeing how all eyes were on them.
"Don't worry about them." Aang said, "It's just you and me right now." Kotaro smirked at Aang's comment. He watched as they combined fire bending style fighting into their dance, doing sharp, swift moves, and performing elegant spins and flips, they event went as far as to kick their legs over the other's head. Everyone watched them in awe as they moved around, their movements seeming to be completely unrelated, then suddenly becoming perfectly synchronized. At the final notes for the song, Aang pulled Katara in and dipped her down just as the song ended. Everyone cheered and applauded them for their dance. Kotaro held out his hand to the young woman he had been dancing with, silently asking her if she wanted to keep dancing. She was about to take his hand, when…
"Seuta!" She turned around and saw a boy coming up to her, but stopped when he saw Kotaro's hand was outstretched to her, "Oh, sorry…" He was about to walk away, and Kotaro saw the girl, named Seuta, look at him worriedly.
"Hey," Kotaro called to him, "I was just going. She's all yours." He bowed respectfully to her, "Thank you for the dance, Miss Seuta." She nodded.
"You're welcome…" She said quietly, taking the outstretched hand the boy offered her and dancing with him. Kotaro walked away from the couple, back to where Sokka and Toph were. Suddenly, the dancing stopped, and Kotaro looked to see the school's headmaster, along with three Fire Nation guards, had crashed their party. The aged man pointed his finger at Aang.
"He's the one we want!" He said, "The boy with the headband!" The three guards ran for Aang, who ran off, hiding in the crowd of kids. The guards quickly searched the heads of kids for one with a headband. One guard found it, and grabbed the boy's shoulder.
"Looking for me?" The boy asked, revealing that he was not Aang, just wearing a headband like Aang was. The guard looked around confusedly, wondering if this was the right kid or not.
"That's not the one!" The headmaster growled, "He's here somewhere. Don't let him leave the cave!" Another guard searched through the crowd for the headband-wearing boy, and found one of them. He grabbed their shoulder and they turned to face him.
"Yes?" Anji questioned the man who grabbed her shoulder with a smile. Another guard looked around and saw two boys with headbands. She ran up and turned them both around to reveal that they weren't Aang. The headmaster ground his teeth in anger and searched the crowd for Aang himself, seeing how one person with a headband suddenly ran away when he saw them. He ran after them and grabbed them by the shirt collar to reveal that it was a short girl with pigtails.
"Looking for someone?" She asked him. The headmaster walked backwards, and his back met the guards' as they soon found themselves surrounded by kids wearing headbands, all of them trying to get their attention.
In reality, Aang had slipped away with all of his friends with him. He looked back at the student who had started it, and he winked at Aang. Aang bowed the respectful Fire Nation bow in return and went through the cave, using earth bending to close up the cave behind him. Toph made an exit tunnel for them and they all got on Appa's saddle, riding away from the cave. Once they were safely in the air, Katara turned to her brother.
"We're safe, Sokka." She said, "You can take off the moustache now."
"Oh, no I can't." Sokka said, stroking the beard, "It's permanently glued to my skin." Kotaro rolled his eyes.
"Oh, really?" He reached over and yanked the beard from Sokka's face, who yelped in surprise when he did.
"Hey!" Sokka whined, snatching the beard away from Kotaro's hands as he laughed.
"Way to go, Dancey Pants," Toph said to Aang, "I think you really did help those kids. You taught them to be free."
"I don't know," Aang said, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile, "It was just a dance party, that's all."
"Well, that was some dance party, Aang." Katara said, she went over to him and kissed his cheek, making Aang blush slightly. Kotaro smirked, seeing how close Aang and Katara were getting.
There was definitely some romance in their near future.
Kagemi followed Zuko as they walked out into an empty harbor in the early hours of the morning. Zuko was certain this was the right way to end his problems about the avatar. It was Kagemi's suggestion that he do it when they left the prison tower, after all. As they waited, they heard the sound of a heavy footstep, and then the sound of metal clashing against metal. Zuko turned around to face the man.
"You're sure you weren't followed?" Zuko asked the man, who nodded once in reply. "I've heard about you… they say you're good at what you do."
"And even better at keeping secrets." Kagemi put in, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at the man. He was rather tall, about 6'4", and his left hand and right leg were made of metal. And in the middle of his forehead rested a tattoo in the shape of a sideways eye.
"The avatar is alive." Zuko said, "I want you to find him, and end him."
"In return, we'll pay you a large amount of gold." Kagemi said, pulling out a bag from her pouch and showing it to him, shaking it up and down so he would hear the sound of money jingling inside, "Say… fifty gold pieces?" She smirked slyly at the man. She wasn't familiar with his real name, but everyone knew him as an assassin, and a good one at that. When the man reached for the gold, she pulled her hand away, "Uh-uh. First, you give us the avatar's body. Understand?" The man nodded and walked away from them. Kagemi pocketed the money, looking over at Zuko, "You think Cyclops there will get the job done?"
"He will." Zuko said, "They say he's relentless." Kagemi looked at where the man was leaving, her eyes following him and his uneven footsteps curiously. "Come on." She looked over at the prince as he walked away from her, "We need to get back to the palace." Kagemi followed him as they walked away from the meeting place.