"Hey, uh, guys?" Aang said the next morning. "I was just thinking. This isn't a very good spot to be hiding in. Do you think we have very much cover with this little amount of trees?" We looked around. "I guess you're right," Sokka said.
"Where should we hide then?" Katara asked.
"Hmm. I think we could try my father's house on Ember Island," I suggested.
"Your Father's house on Ember Island?" Aang repeated.
"That's what I said, didn't I?" I asked.
"Yeah, but, isn't that a little risky?" Sokka asked.
"No," I replied. "My father never goes there anymore. It would be the perfect hiding spot."
"He does make a point," Toph piped in.
"I guess we could try," Aang said. "It's worth a shot!"
I followed Aang towards Aapa. "Don't think that just because we're moving doesn't mean you're getting out of Fire Bending practice," I reminded.
"Aw, geez," Aang said. "I thought I was done!"
"You're not done until I say you are!"
"Why are we going there again?" Sokka asked, halfway to Ember Island.
"Because it's where we used to go when we were a happy family. That was a long time ago so Father would never guess to search here. It's our best bet," I replied.
"I see," Sokka said. "Well, I guess we can give it a shot."
"I bet it's huge," Toph said. "Like my house."
"Either the same size, or bigger," I said. "My father likes letting people know he's in charge by making things big so you can see it from really far away."
"Well, it sounds like he really likes attention," Katara said.
"He does, from his country anyway." Aang flew Aapa a little farther before I spotted the red roof of the building. "There. We found it." Aapa landed and we all hopped off. "Thanks, buddy," Aang said as he pat Aapa. "Aang, meet me here in twenty minutes or I'll find you myself," I said.
"Okay, okay," he mumbled as he walked away.
"Woah, this place is big," Toph said. "I sense a lot of rooms too."
"We'll use those for our stuff," I explained. "It's better and safer than the woods, out in the open."
"I call dibs on this one!" Sokka said, running to the room closest to the window.
"Zuko, which room are you going to use?" Aang asked.
"I'm going to stick to my old room," I replied, walking inside.
"Really?" Aang asked. "Out of all these rooms?"
"I've already seen all of them. Nothing here is new."
I walked into my room. It still looks the same as I left it. The bed is kinda a mess but it's fine. I can just fix that. A picture of me and Uncle sits on the mantle, a little dusty. I throw my stuff onto the bed and grab the picture. I wipe the dust off. I'm sitting on Uncle's lap. We're both smiling.
If I could go back to the past, I would change what I did at Ba Sing Se. I would've helped Aang instead. It would've gotten me arrested but, at least I would've been with Uncle. He could've helped me. Now, he's not here. He's stuck in the Fire Nation, trapped in the cell I never helped him out of. Trapped in the cell where my last words were...unkind. Where I told him that I didn't need him. He must be so mad at me. I left him without even saying good-bye, without even apologizing.
"Hey, Zuko. You all right?" I looked up to see Sokka. "Yeah, I'm fine." I put the picture back, but face down. "Yeah, it's just, this place brings back so many memories of when we were happier." Sokka paused for a moment. "I bet that was rough," he said. "I haven't had family problems like yours but I bet it was hard. Knowing your father doesn't love you, your mother is...I don't even know where she is, and your uncle is-"
"Trapped in the Fire Nation prison," I told him.
"Yeah, that."
"No, it's fine, Sokka. Thank you."
"Hey, uh, we're going to have lunch if you want to join us."
"Thanks. I'll be out in a minute."
"Gotcha."
I walk over to my bed and finish unpacking. I'm sorry, Uncle. If only I can go and fix the past. If only I was nicer to you, we wouldn't even be in this situation. You are trapped in there because of me.
I walk out to join the group for lunch. "I hope you guys made yourselves comfortable," I said.
"Yep!" Toph replied. "I got the comfiest bed!"
"Yours isn't any comfier than mine," Sokka said, elbowing her.
"Sure," she replied.
After lunch, I met up with Aang for some more training. "Okay, just copy my moves," I said.
"Right," Aang replied. We bowed. We each readied our stance and then began shooting streams of fire into the distance. Aang was doing a good job keeping up. Especially with the leg sweep. We finish with a wall of fire and our stances. We take a deep breath and bow. "Now that that's done..." Aang said, walking away.
"Doesn't it seem weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara said, drinking from a coconut.
"I told you, it's the best place to hide. My father hasn't been here for years and he won't expect us to be here."
"You guys will not believe this!" Sokka said, walking up behind me. "There's a play about us!"
"We were just in town and found this poster!" Sokka held it up. On it was Katara, Aang and Sokka and me in the background.
"How is that possible?" Katara asked, grabbing the poster. Was someone watching us? Sokka grabbed the poster again. "Listen! 'The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from Pu-on Tim. He searched the globe for information on the Avatar, from the icy north to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war and a knowledgeable cabbage merchant.'"
"Someone followed us?" Aang asked.
"'Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.'" Suki finished.
"Ugh! My mother used to take me to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!" I cried. "They are literally the worst!"
"Sokka, do you think its a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Aang asked. "Wouldn't it give us away?"
"A day at the theater. Think about it! It's not that bad! This is the kind of wasting day experience I was hoping for!" Sokka remarked. He held up the poster again and pointed at it.
"I think it'll be fun!" Toph said.
"Come on, Aang! Think about it! How much did they really get?" Sokka said.
"Well, all right," Aang said. "But only because we haven't had very much free time."
"Woo-hoo!" Toph cheered. "We're coming for you play!"
"Great!" Suki cheered.
"When is this play anyway, Sokka?" Katara asked. He looked back at the poster. "Hmm. Ah-ha! Here it is! 'Join us later at night at the theater at eight at night. They'll be refreshments and blah blah blah.'"
"So eight then?" Suki asked.
"That's what this says."
"Great! I guess we'll be there!"
"Great! Suki and I will head back and get tickets! Then we can just hand out 'till then!"
When Sokka and Suki came back, they explained that they were hard to get. "The line was chock full!" Sokka said. "We barely made it!"
"I think we got the last ones," Suki said, holding up the tickets. Great. Now I get to go and watch them again. I hope they don't butcher this one too.
Once night came, we all put on disguises and headed out. Katara, Toph, Sokka, Aang and Suki put on Fire Nation clothes. I just put on a hood. "Did you have to get a seat so far away?" Toph asked. "I can't see a thing!"
"Sorry," Suki said. "They were the only ones left." Toph crossed her arms, sat on the seat and sighed. "At least I can hear it." I sat down next to Katara and Sokka sat behind me. "Hey, uh...I wanted to sit there," Aang said, pointing at me.
"Just sit next to me," I said, taking my hood off.
"I just...I just wanted to...okay..." he mumbled as he sat down.