"What do you think of Mai?" Azula asked as Tsai was brushing her hair for what seemed to be the hundred time.
After having served Azula for several weeks now she finally realized what she had meant by unbearable torture. Azula was lonely. She was truly alone and didn't know how to have people around her without intimidating them which is why she had figuratively chained her to her person.
"I don't," the other retorted in the dead tone she always spoke to the princess with. She didn't want to think about her ex's new girlfriend least of all.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Azula asked with an edge to her voice.
"Yes," Tsai answered flatly. "What do you like about her?" She asked once again. "Her skin is flawless," She brushed. "Her hair as dark as the night," she brushed again. "She carries herself with such elegance..." She brushed harder this time pulling on a knot on the princess's hair. Tsai mumbled an apology and began brushing from the count of zero once again. It was no wonder Zuko liked her...
"I've met melons with better personalities," Azula commented. The red head couldn't help it she let out a small laugh a sincere one at that. She had to give to Azula the girl seemed very serious.
"What about Ty Lee?" The princess continued.
"I have no idea who that is," the other retorted reverted to her zombie like state.
"You'll get to meet her this weekend, when we go to Ember Island," Azula said looking for the girl's reaction out of the corner of her eyes. "Ember Island?" The other blinked twice confused.
Was that some kind of torture chamber?
xxx
Ember Island might as well have been a torture chamber.
"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island." Ty Lee one of Azula's best friends, a cute girl with a long braid of beautiful brown hair, commented happily as she stood on the small ferry cruising through the ocean towards the island resort with Azula, Tsai, Zuko, and Mai, "It's going to be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing."
'How can she be friends with Azula?'Thought Tsai confused. She seemed too sweet and innocent. She could understand Mai, but this? Her?
"Doing nothing is a waste of time." Zuko snapped angrily as he stood from his seat on the bench next to Mai, "We're being sent away on a forced vacation." He stalked over and gripped the railing of the ferry with a scowl, "I feel like a child."
"Lighten up." Azula quipped sardonically from her spot leaning against the railing at the front of the ferry beside Ty Lee, her arms crossed over her chest. Zuko snapped out of his train of thoughts.
"So Dad wants to meet with his advisors alone, without anyone else around. Don't take it personally. I already told you he's just paranoid about the intruder."
Zuko's eyes immediately focused on the girl from the colonies that was sitting next to Azula. It was so plainly obvious to him now.
She had never betrayed Iroh. She just wanted everyone to think that she had. That's why she was skunking around the palace at night...
Her ears perked at the mention of an intruder in the palace and body slightly tensed. Regardless of Azula's comment her lost gaze remained fixed on the distant ocean. Not wanting to be with this present company. Not wanting to see Zuko's new girlfriend leeching onto his arm.
Ty Lee suddenly turned towards the Fire Nation princess with a curious expression, "Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?"
"We used to come every summer when we were kids." Azula replied nostalgically, turning her head slightly towards Ty Lee as she spoke.
"That must have been fun!" She chirped.
"That was a long time ago." Zuko stated distantly, staring blankly at the rapidly growing island
'Why am I even here?'Tsai thought miserably a gloomy cloud looming over her.
xxx
"Welcome to Ember Island, kids." Lo and Li greeted the five teens as they disembarked from the ferry and onto the dock that led to the smallest of the beach houses overlooking the water.
Sometime later the teens had been assigned their own rooms.
"Ooh," Ty Lee cooed as she laid down on a bed with pink sheets and a seashell design and she rubbed the pillow adoringly, "I love the seashell bedspread."
"Are you serious?" Mai demanded drily as she walked into the small bedroom after Ty Lee and looked around in disgust, "It looks like the beach threw up all over it."
Ty Lee pouted and sat up on the bed as the others entered the bedroom, Lo and Li standing to the left of Zuko, Mai, Tsai and Azula in front of an elegant couch with purple cushions.
"Fetch me something to drink pet," Azula ordered and Tsai simply nodded stalking to find something she wished she could poison and then debate if she should drink it herself.
"We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend." Li commented understandingly from beside her sister.
"But Ember Island is a magical place."Lo continued, "Keep an open mind."
"Give it a chance." Li added.
"And it can help you understand yourselves and each other." The two elderly women chorused together.
Lo reached over and grabbed one of the four smooth rocks on a table in front of her, "The beach has a special way..."
"Of smoothing away even the most ragged edges." Li finished after taking the rock from her twin.
xxx
Azula scowled slightly as she led the five through the beach, searching for an open spot to set their beach blankets down. Behind her Ty Lee smiled happily, while Zuko and Mai walked close together under the shade of an umbrella. Tsai trailed behind all of them in the blaring sun carrying ALL of their belongings like a package mule.
'Right... This is probably why I'm here,'reality struck her when she realized she was the packing mule.
The Fire Nation princess smirked suddenly and sauntered over to where two young boys were building a sandcastle. The boys glanced up tearfully when she stepped on it and she smirked intimidatingly down at them. Her smirk grew when the two boys ran away screaming and she kicked the bucket they'd left after them.
'Typical..'
Mai was wearing a two piece that consisted on a maroon top and a long skirt. Azula wore a halter two piece with a matching red skirt and Ty Lee wore a similar one but in white. Tsai had been forced to wear a matching one to Azula's but in a dark maroon color that almost looked black.It seemed like they had settled on a spot. Azula snapped her fingers and Tsai got to work unpacking the beach towels and spreading out the blanket.
"Hey, you need some help unpacking?"
She turned her head to look at the scrawny teenage boy who had appeared at her side. "Uh.." She was unsure of what to answer.
"Sure, we'd love some. Thanks!" Ty Lee suddenly butted in with a bright flirty smile as she handed him a bag, smiling cheerfully when he fell down from the sheer weight of it.
The boy grinned happily and began digging through the pink bag, pulling out and throwing random contents from the bag until he found a blanket. Off to the side on her own blanket, Azula watched the boy through narrowed eyes as he spread the blanket out. She looked away in annoyance and jealousy as Ty Lee gracefully laid down on the blanket. Tsai standing next to her with a bored expression on her face. She really did not want to be here.
Ty Lee looked up and squinted, bring her hand up to shade her eyes for a moment then she gestured towards the boy, "Could you scooch just a little bit more to the-" The boy instantly moved to the side and blocked the sun, giving her more shade and she winked at him, "Perfect."
"Hey, what's your name?" Tsai turned confused and unused to being spoken to. Another boy one that had been with the scrawny one came up to her. Again, she opened her mouth unsure if she could use her voice or not. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here. I know I would've definitely remembered you," he flirted running a hand through his dark brown hair. 'He was kind of cute..?'She smiled back at him.
Azula witnessed this and the jealousy burned inside of her.
"Pet!" She screeched. "Come! I need you to spread some tanning lotion on my back."
She fought the urge to roll her eyes.
On Azula's other side, Mai and Zuko sat on their own blanket under the umbrella. Zuko was glaring at the boy who had been speaking to the red head. He lowered his eyes as jealousy pricked at him and a shell conch lying nearby caught his attention.
"Here." Zuko said as he held the shell out to Mai, "This is for you."
Maybe she would like it. Just like Tsai liked collecting seashells with his uncle.
Mai eyed the shell disdainfully, "Why would I want that?"
"I saw it, and thought it was pretty." Zuko replied, his tone confused and slightly defensive, "Don't girls like stuff like this?"
"Maybe stupid girls." Mai scoffed and looked off to the side disinterestedly.
"Forget it!" Zuko barked angrily and threw the shell away, scowling angrily.
He glared at the sand in front of him, gritting his teeth as irritation filled him. He looked up and saw that Tsai had been starring at him and Mai witnessing the scene as she rubbed some lotion on his sister's back.
He clenched his hand into a tight fist, a handful of sand pressing against his palm, as more memories of his time in Ba Sing Se bombarded his mind. Specifically, memories about him and the girl laughing, her teasing him, working in the teashop together, the girl that he was desperately trying to forget yet couldn't and was also standing a couple of feet away from him. Serving as his sister's personal slave. He stood quickly and muttered something about getting something to eat when Mai looked at him curiously as he went and hid behind a large white rock nearby.
"Stop thinking about her." Zuko hissed almost silently to himself as he walked away, "It meant nothing. Shemeant nothing." He tried to convince himself. Maybe if he said it enough times, he would believe it. "Stop thinking about her like that!" He growled out angrily to himself hitting his head.
He knew he was lying to himself even as he said it and his heart twisted painfully in his chest. He shook his head, as if that would chase the memories from his mind and for a moment it seemed to have worked. It was then that he opened his eyes and saw her standing in front of him an eyebrow raised as she looked at him with what he interpreted to be judgement. The outfit she was wearing was doing things to him. She had never seen her showing so much skin and in such a flattering way.
"Get out of my head!" The teen shouted. "You're not real! I'm trying not to think about you and you, and your stupid bathing suit isn't making it any easier!" He shouted manically. Grabbing the conch, he had picked up for Mai and throwing it at her.
His face turned pale when the shell didn't faze through her like usual.
"Ow!" She winced lightly at the impact. Looked at him and shook her head slightly in disbelief before turning away.
"Wait- Tsai. Tsai. Wait!" he pleaded reaching for her.
"What?" She snapped coldly pulling away from him. "I came to ask you if you were O.K. and you throw a conch at me?" She shook her head.
"Where are you going?" He asked as he chased after her.
"Your sister asked me to get everyone some ice cream," she dead panned as the two approached a small ice cream stand near the edge of the beach.
"I'll help you," he offered. Any excuse to talk to her. To be with her.
"Are you sure your girlfriend won't mind?" The other scoffed bitterly, jealousy dripping from her words.
"Wait," he stopped her realization hitting him. "You're the one that doesn't want me. You're the one that told me to stay away from you. Why were you coming to talk to me?"
"I can tell something is on your mind," she retorted sharply. "I don't want you like that anymore. I will never want you like that anymore. Just because I am done with you doesn't mean I don't care about you. I'm not a monster. I'm not you," she said with a piercing deathly glare wanting to hurt him. "Hope you're happy with Mai. She's a peach. You two deserve each other." She said in a sarcastic dead tone as she brushed past him hitting his shoulder.
Zuko exhaled a breath of frustration and once again reached for her this time grabbing onto her upper arm tightly.
"Have you lost your mind?" She attempted to pull away, yet he held a deathly tight grip on it. "What if Azula sees us? What if your perfect new girlfriend sees us?" She almost growled out.
"I don't care," he looked at her intensely. "I don't care about any of that about any of them. I just want you."
She lowered her eyes shifting uncomfortably under the intense emotion he held in them. His grip loosened and she pulled her arm back. Her jaw clenched.
"Oh yeah?" She challenged. "Then prove it." She demanded.
"Stand up to Azula. Stand up to your father whom you revere so much!"
He was silent. A pair of laughing children ran by them making the silence feel heavier and more evident.
"You have everything you ever wanted."
"No," he said. "I don't have you."
"You made your choice." She turned away her cold words hit like a nasty frostbite.
The two got ice cream for the group and didn't say a single word on the way back. She didn't even look at him. She could feel anger boiling in the pits of her stomach. She had a feeling she was going to snap soon. She didn't know how much she could bear.
"Took you long enough," Azula said and looking at the cones she in one single motion slapped the cone it so it landed on a nearby child that was running around. She cackled maliciously as the child began crying. Then with that now familiar vile smirk took Tsai's cone and greedily enjoyed it.
'Was that... really necessary?'
Zuko clenched his teeth and forced Tsai out from his thoughts completely, choosing to focus on the dark-haired girl sitting with a bored expression under their umbrella and he sat down beside her.
'Don't think about her. Don't think about her. Don't even look at her.'
"I thought, since it's so hot... Here." He offered her one of ice cream cones and the scoop of ice cream promptly fell out and onto Mai's lap.
"Thanks." Mai commented sarcastically as she stared at the pink mess on her lap, "This is really refreshing." She stated in that lifeless voice she always spoke in.
The Fire Nation prince locked his jaw and looked away from her, his own ice cream forgotten as it dripped down his hand.
Moments later Azula narrowed her eyes and observed several teens playing kuai ball a few feet away from where she and her friends were sitting. Standing gracefully, the Fire Nation princess took a few steps forward and tilted her head slightly, watching as a girl with pigtails leapt into the air and hit the ball, sending it flying over the net. She smiled slyly.
"Hey, beach bums, we're playing next." Azula called over her shoulder at her brother and two friends, "Ty lee, get over here, now!"
Ty Lee smiled cheerfully and flipped into a handstand nimbly, walking past the group of boys that surrounded her on her hands and towards Azula. Behind her, Zuko stood and took off his shirt, throwing it to the side while a group of girls stared at him dreamily, giggling and blushing. Tsai averted her eyes and tried not to look at his well sculpted body. Mai rolled her eyes and walked over to where Azula and Ty Lee were already standing in the kuai ball field.
"Sorry pet, it's a game for four, but you can sit and cheer," Azula said her ferocious eyes not removing themselves from the opposing team. With not much of a choice the red head sat on the sidelines resting her face on her palm a bored expression on her face.
Lost in thought she didn't realize the game was over until Azula began cheering.
Yes! We defeated you for alltime!" Azula crowed with a maniacal grin as she stood in front of the burning net, "You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" She smiled cheerfully for a moment and looked at her brother and two friends with a calm expression, "Well, that was fun."
Suddenly, the two handsome boys who had watched the game, approached Ty Lee.
"I'm having a party tonight." The more muscular boy said with a smirk as he looked at Ty Lee, "You should come by."
Ty Lee smiled brightly at him, "I love parties."
The leaner boy smirked and glanced at Mai over Ty Lee's shoulder, "Your friend can come too."
Azula narrowed her eyes and stalked forward, "Uh...What about me and my brother? Aren't you going to invite us?" She crossed her arms and smirked when the two boys looked at each other skeptically, "You don't know who we are, do you?"
"Don't you know who weare?" The muscular one asked drily, "We're Chan and Ruon-Jian."
'Oh bite it,'Tsai rolled her eyes as she reunited with the group. There was nothing she hated more than classist arrogant pricks. Which was a shock considering she had dated Prince Zuko.
"Yeah." Ruon-Jian drawled snidely.
Zuko snarled quietly and started to walk towards the two boys with his fists clenched, but Azula held her arm out and stopped his advancement.
Chan sighed slightly and shrugged dismissively, "But, fine, you're invited. Just so you know, though, some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party, so try and act normal."
We'll do our best." Azula replied sweetly, a sinister smile appearing on her face.
"Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko demanded after the four had returned to the beach house for lunch with Lo and Li.
"I guess I was intrigued." Azula replied with a slight shrug from her seat across Zuko and Mai and beside Ty Lee, "I'm so used to people worshipping us."
"They should." Ty Lee commented, picking up a piece of fruit with her chopsticks and popping it in her mouth.
"Yes, I know, and I love it." Azula stated with a smirk before continuing, "But, for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were."
Zuko rolled his eyes slightly and glared down at his food, not bothering to mention to his sister that he knew exactly how people would treat them.
"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate." Li intoned wisely.
"Ember Island reveals the true you." Lo added with a sage nod.
The two elderly twin stood up and clapped their hands, "To the party!"
"Come my pet! I already know what I want you to wear!" Azula exclaimed as she bossed the girl into the room to have her try on what she guessed would be another weird outfit. Again, it was a maroon long skirt and a crop top which was adorned by a traditional golden trim.
Tsai was standing outside in the living room waiting for everyone to get ready. She didn't say anything as she kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Bored. She kept her mind blank sick of thinking and over thinking everything not wanting to think.
"Why are you even here?" a voice spoke to her.
She looked up surprised to see Mai leaning against the wall cooly. Now this was awkward. She obviously knew that she and her boyfriend had... well you know. Had what they had.
The red head shrugged her shoulders sincerely having no clue why Azula had brought her here.
"Why does Azula treat you so odd?" Mai asked once again. "It's like you're her doll or something..."
Again she remained silent.
"You don't say much," Mai said with a little smiled. "I don'tdislike you."
'What in the actual world?'She felt the edge of her eye twitch. She wasn't here to be friends with her ex's new, polished girlfriend. She didn't want to talk to her. She didn't want to be friends with her. She would respect her, but that didn't mean she had to be friends with her.
Tsai simply raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest upset.
"Everyone ready?" Ty Lee literally cartwheeled out of the hallway.
Moments later the five of them were standing in front of an elegant beach house with. Azula used the door knocker shaped like a lion-turtle to announce their presence.
"Um..." Chan muttered in confusion after he had opened the door and saw the four teens, "You're a little early. No one's here yet."
"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk 'till dawn." Azula replied lightly then she gestured towards the setting sun, "It's dusk, so we're here."
Tsai looked over her shoulder awkwardly. She knew that Fire Nation people weren't known for their punctuality. Specially teenagers.
Chan furrowed his brow in bemusement, "That's just an expression."
"We are the perfect party guests." Azula stated matter-of-factly and she hit the side of her hand against her other one, "We arrive right on time, because we are very punctual."
Chan shrugged indifferently and stepped aside, gesturing for them to follow as he turned away from the door.
"All right, listen." Chan said as the five followed him further into the beach house, "My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party." He turned to look at Azula with a slightly stern expression, "So don't mess anything up."
"Help yourself to some Fire Punch," he said offering teens a drink. Giving both Ty Lee and Mai a cup with the punch.
Tsai took a sip and instantly felt as if her nostrils were punched by a strong alcohol tasting like cinnamon and ginger. She almost spit it out as it threatened to go up her nose. She was not expecting that. "Does this.. Have alcohol in it?" She asked innocently.
"Yeah," laughed Chan as he took a sip of his own drink. "What kind of party do you think this is Red?"
Azula smiled in reply and Chan turned to walk away, so she hurriedly spoke, "That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful, you could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battleship, leaving thousandsto drown at sea." She pointed at his outfit. He remained silent. "Because it's so sharp."
'Wow....That was painful. Was that... Azula flirting?'
"Uh..." Chan faltered awkwardly, giving the Fire Nation princess a weird look, "Thanks."
Azula smiled again as he walked away from her, then her expression flattened into one of disappointment as she took a heavy drink of the punch and continued to walk through the house, Zuko, Mai, Tsai and Ty Lee trailing after her.
Across the room, Ruon-Jian stood in front of a vanity mirror and fixed his hair. He quickly turned around and leaned against the vanity, flipping his hair out of his eyes. His eyes landed on the red head that stood with the group of.
"Hey!" He called out casually with a smirk when he saw her standing before him, "First ones here, huh?" He walked over to her with much swagger and cockiness. "Wanna do a shot with me?"
"He thinks he's so great." Zuko scoffed quietly then glanced at Mai walking beside him. Jealousy was bubbling in the pits of his stomach.
Tsai noticed this and smiled at the teen with long hair. "Sure," she answered. He smiled back and he dropped an arm around the girl's shoulders leading her away.
"Well, what do you think of him?" He asked Mai.
"I don't have any opinion about him." Mai stated blandly as they stopped walking, "I hardly know him."
Zuko scowled and looked at her with a vaguely accusing expression, "You like him, don't you?"
Perhaps he was projecting. He huffed as he took a heavy sip of his beverage.
Mai sighed in annoyance and walked away from him. Zuko glanced over his shoulder and glared at Ruan-Jian and the red head before following after his girlfriend Mai. Both of them looked like they were having a good time as they downed a shot of what he could only assume was fire cinnamon whiskey.
Azula was leaning against one of the pillars in the room judging everyone in the room angrily sipping on her fire punch.
"Pet!" She cried out angrily when she saw Tsai leaning on a counter talking with the cool boy who was showing her a good time. She gave him an apologetic look and returned to her master.
"Look," Azula said bitterly her eyes fixed on Ty Lee being surrounded by a sea of boys fawning over her. "Pathetic isn't it?" She said bitterly.
"What is Princess?" The other retorted.
"Ty Lee is so..." Azula looked for the words. "Blah!" And she has all these boys after her. She said bitterly crossing her arms over her chest. "And you too!" She scowled. "Remember that you're mine!" She said possessively.
"How do you think she does it?" Azula continued. "I'm afraid I've always had trouble with... the art of seduction?" She admitted and looked at Tsai with what appeared to be a vulnerable look. The colonial girl felt her stomach twist and her face grow white in sickness. She was not about to have this conversation with Azula.
"How do you do it?" She narrowed her eyes. "Ruon-Jian seems pretty taken with you and well you must've obviously done something right to catch my brother's attention. What is it you women from the colonies do?"
Not only were her words extremely offensive to imply that colonial women were more promiscuous than the ones form the homeland This was very uncomfortable. Uncomfortable and suddenly feeling awkward she took a large sip of the punch, realizing she needed a refill.
"I guess they also like you because you're so exotic looking."
"Umm...." Her eyes darted around the room uncomfortably. "Just be yourself?" She offered feeling the effects of the liquor loosing up her body.
"Thanks- that is completely useless."
Feeling empathetic Tsai smiled a little at her. After all kindness was in the girl's nature.
"You have a nice smile, try showing it off," she began nicely. "Be friendly and the odd touch to the arm always works," she said with a small wink touching her arm offering the slightest of smiles. Maybe Azula would be less bitter if she had a significant other.
"I don't know! I don't know!" Ty Lee squeaked in panic and she closed her eyes, kicking and punching out at the five boys.
The five teens groaned quietly and collapsed to the floor after Ty Lee chi-blocked them and she hurriedly cartwheeled over their limp bodies and walked over to where
"Oh, I'm glad you're here." Ty Lee stated in relief as she walked closer to her friend then she glanced over her shoulder, "Those boys won't leave me alone. I guess they all just like me too much."
"Come on, Ty Lee." Azula drawled drily as she crossed her arms and looked at the other girl scornfully, "You can't be that ignorant."
"What are you talking about?"
"Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them." Azula stated flippantly as she looked away from Ty Lee and Tsai who frowned a little, "You're not a challenge. You're a tease. It's not like they care about who you are." She looked over, her eyes widening slightly when Ty Lee began to sob and she reached out and grasped the other girl's hand, softening her tone, "Okay, okay, calm down. I didn't mean what I said. Look, maybe I just said it because I was a little..." Azula hesitated and glanced around before whispering, "Jealous."
Ty Lee's eyes widened, and she stared at the Fire Nation princess in shock, "What? You're jealous of me? But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world."
"Do you think so?" The attention shifted to the teen standing awkwardly between them. "Um.. Sure," she agreed awkwardly taking a sip of her drink of remembering she still needed a refill.
"Anybody need a refill?" She offered and the two girls agreed.
"Well, you're right about those things." Azula said matter-of-factly as she turned away and looked at the other party guests, "But, for some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them." Azula's eyes trailed off to the girl that was currently serving the fire punch in three cups. "Girls too..."
"But you probably would do something horrible to them." Ty Lee replied with a giggle then she smiled, "I'm sure they're just intimidated by you. Okay, look, if you want a someone to like you, just look at them and smile a lot and laugh at everything they says even if it's not funny," Ty Lee advised.
"Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid..." Azula muttered then she turned towards Ty Lee with an eager smile, "Let's try it."
"Okay." The acrobat grinned and leaned against the pillar casually, deepening her voice, "Hey there, sweet sugar cakes. How you liking this party?"
Azula let out a loud and false laugh, causing the music to stop and the other partygoers to stop and stare at her in confusion and curiosity.
On the other side of the room, Zuko sat on a bench with Mai leaning against him.
"I'm bored." Mai stated blandly as another teen walked past them.
"I know."
"I'm hungry."
Zuko rolled his eyes and shrugged one shoulder, "So what?"
"So, find me some food." Mai ordered flatly.
It was then that he saw that a certain red head was standing by the food and bar area getting refills for Azula and Ty Lee. Without asking he took Mai's cup and downed his own.
"Sure." Zuko muttered in reply and stood up, walking towards the refreshment and food table his eyes focused on the red target.
"I was actually born in Yu Dao," she said to a boy and a girl that were standing next to her.
"Wow," the boy said. "I've never actually met anyone from the colonies. No wonder you have an accent."
"Is it true that you'll get sandworms if you walk around barefoot?" The girl asked ignorantly. Their expressions shifted to ones of fear as they almost evaporated from her sight. Confused she turned and saw Zuko standing next to her getting some punch for him and his girlfriend.
"Oh," she said. "It's you."
"I don't like the way he's looking at you." He spat out.
"Pet! My drink!" Azula stormed over to where she was standing next to Zuko. She snatched the punch from her hands and grinned. As she signaled to Chan talking to another girl. "Watch this," Azula instructed. Ty Lee followed behind giggling and grabbed her drink as well.
"This is going to be painful..." Tsai shook her head and continued sipping the punch as she referred to Azula's plan of section.
"I think you've had enough," A voice suddenly said, and she saw a hand reaching for her cup.
"I think it's none of your business," she glared at Zuko and in defiance chugged the drink in one long gulp. Several bystanders whooped and clapped as she did. She let out a breath, the drink burning her throat and decided to pour herself a third serving of punch.
"Hey isn't that Ruon-Jian with your actual girlfriend? Are they- Are they kissing?!"She gasped mockingly. Zuko turned quickly to see the boy talking to Mai who looked beyond annoyed and turned back to see Tsai's figure walking away from him. "Wait!" He followed after. Not realizing that Mai was looking after him.
"Wait!" He reached for her arm.
She hated that if Zuko was anything he was determined.
"I have told you a hundred times! Leave me alone!" She snapped pulling her body to herself sloppily and hitting something behind. A large crashing sound caught their attention and they both turned to see a fine China vase smashed on the ground.
"Who broke my nana's vase?" Chan demanded indignantly as he ran up to Tsai pointing a fat finger in her direction. "It-it was an accident." She apologized raising her hands up. "I'll pay for it and everything," she offered instinctually not realizing she actually had no money to her name.
"Oh, I'll think of something," he said clenching both of his fists his knuckles cracking as he reached for her arm roughly pulling her down.
"Don't touch her!" Zuko barked furiously at the boy.
He glared at the boy.
"Relax." Chan said twisting her hand. " We're just going to have a little talk."
"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Ruon-Jian entered the scene.
"Stop talking to my girlfriend!" Zuko shouted without thinking and shoved the Ruon-Jian backwards. He stumbled backwards and collapsed on the punch table making it tip and the punch fall on his head making a wet mess everywhere.
"That's it!" Tsai suddenly snapped and tossed her drink away. She wasn't going to be somebody's play ragdoll. She stood firmly and without any hesitation she pulled Chan's heavy arm over her head flipping him on his back in one swift motion almost like she had done with Jet back in Ba Sing Se. The impact made a small crater in the wooden floor. Bystanders looked in fear as they scattered. Chan looked up dazed.
"I don't need you to fight my fights for me!" She shouted angrily at the scarred prince before turning away from him.
He was about to follow her out of the party again when he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned to see Mai glaring at him looking beyond irritated.
"Yourgirlfriend?" She demanded angrily. "I heard that! Zuko what is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" He asked incredulously. Not realizing the gravity of him addressing the wrong girl as his significant other.
Had she just not seen the girl flip that boy over her shoulder with one swift motion?
"Your temper is out of control." Mai scolded him fiercely, "You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hotheaded and angry!"
"Well, at least I feel something as opposed to you!" Zuko snapped back angrily and he gestured towards Mai with his hands, "You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blah!"
Mai pursed her lips and turned away from him, "It's over Zuko. We're done."
"That's it," Chan said. "You're out of here! All of you!" He groaned as he stood up from the hole in the ground.
Zuko scoffed and turned away, "I was just leaving."
"Have fun by yourself, loser boy." Ruon-Jian called out mockingly as he walked up to stand beside Chan.
"Nice." Chan smirked at his friend in approval as Zuko slammed the door behind him.
Xxx
Sometime later Azula, her squad and Zuko found themselves outside sitting by the seaside. The waves called to them as they roared lightly when crashing against the shore. Tsai was still nowhere to be seen after having stormed out of the party. The group was currently having an intervention as the opened up, cried and vented out their emotions all while Zuko burnt down paintings of his family and memories of his youth.
"Oh well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you." Mai retorted sarcastically.
"I'm sorry too." Zuko snapped as he walked around the campfire towards her, "I wish you wouldbe high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all of your feelings bottled up inside." He gestured towards Ty Lee with his hands, "She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?"
Awkwardly enough a very tipsy girl from the colonies suddenly walked into a shitstorm. She made her way down the stairs holding a handful of street tacos wrapped up inside a paper bag mindlessly eating one as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey," She greeted casually. "I got tacos." She announced between drunk bites. Getting food after a night of drinking was her favorite thing to do with her brother and friends back home. She figured this group might've felt the same?
"I'm sorry I can't be like your girlfriend!" Mai spat out an angry emotion coating her voice for once.
"Huh?" She blinked twice confused feeling like she was missing something.
It took her a moment to read the room. Everybody was angry and glaring at each other. Ty Lee was crying. Azula had her trademark evil smile on her face. "Whatever is happening- Do notdrag me into this," she spoke out rounding around the fire and taking a seat on a rock next to Azula.
"Too late," Mai sighed. "What do you all want from me?" She asked drily as she laid back on her rock, tucking her hands beneath her head, "You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted..." Her voice began flatter and colder, "As long as I behaved and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about."
"Well, that's it then." Azula mused idly from her seat across the fire, "You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself."
"You want me to express myself?" Mai snapped and she stood up, her voice raising to a shout, "Leave me alone!" Mai stood up and stormed back into the house angrily.
"Mai, wait!" Tsai called rising to her feet. She looked around the room upset. "Ya'll are just angry because you haven't eaten. Have a taco. You'll feel better." She promised and passed the bag around. Azula got one, so did Ty Lee at this point she had already finished hers.
"What about you?" Azula turned and smirked in the auburn-haired girl's direction. All eyes turned to her and for some reason she felt like she was cornered.
"Me?" She let out a nervous chuckle. "There's no story," she dismissed before giving a step.
She heard Zuko scoff from across the fire pit.
"You have betrayed everyone close to you including the Fire Nation and were branded as a runaway traitor and will now spend the rest of your miserable life as a slave of coursethere's a story there." Azula stepped up and walked around her like a shark smelling blood. She placed a finger on her arm which she began to trail around her body. An uncomfortable chill went up her spine. For some reason this was more terrifying than facing her unleashed wrath.
"Why'd you do it?" She pressed. "Bring down Zhao's fortress. Free the Avatar? Betray everyone?"
"You already know that," she said annoyed.
"Why did you do it?" Azula pressed her voice becoming rougher.
"Azula, calm down!" Ty Lee said reaching for her friend.
Azula already knew this. The Fire Lord himself had grilled her once already. "You know..." She mumbled.
"Why?" She snapped again in a more aggressive tone.
"I did it for him!" Tsai word vomited. "I did it for him," her eyes painfully fixed on Zuko. "I didn't want your brother to be banished forever. So, I freed the Avatar... Knowing he would capture him again."
"A-ha!" Azula exclaimed.
"Azula! Leave her alone!" Zuko stepped in. But this time Azula ignited a palm which glowed in a fiery blue inferno. "And then you betrayed Uncle Iroh. I'm very intrigued as to your change of heart. And this time you cannot tell me you did it for my undeserving brother," her hand reached to touch her jaw. "No," she admitted defeated. If there was a moment to lie it was now.
"I did it for me. For my grandfather... His legacy to the Fire Nation."
Surprised Azula lowered her hand the flame which diminished until it vanished.
"Your grandfather?" Ty Lee cocked her head confused.
"My grandfather was the appointed Vice-Royal governor of colonial Yai Dao. He was more like a father to me than a grandparent. And I have never loved anyone else as much as I loved him," she felt her eyes begin to water with tears. "His dream was that one day all people could live together united and equal under the Fire Nation as one government body."
"Well," Azula chirped brightly as she approached the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Good news is, the war is over, and we won. Also, all are united under the Fire Nation! The greatest nation of all!" She said loudly and much too enthusiastically.
"So in a way. It came true." Ty Lee added with a bright smile.
Maybe Azula and Ty Lee didn't know her well enough to see when she was lying but Zuko did.
"Big deal he's dead," Zuko suddenly said insensitively. Arms crossed over his chest as he provoked her.
She had ulterior motives for having "betrayed"his uncle. And he knew that they had nothing to do with her grandfather. This was just a red herring.
"So what are you going to do? Keep fighting for his dream instead of yours? What do you even want Tsai?"
She glared at him with menace. The fire's embers flickering on the reflection of her eyes.
"What do you want?" He pressed.
Azula suddenly lost her balance as the red head moved. She moved almost like a feral wild cat and leapt over the fire knocking Zuko down in a pounce to the sandy ground.
"How dare you!" She roared. She pulled at his robes as they both tossed and turned wrestling in the sand.
Azula watched amused with a cruel smile.
"Stop it guys!" Ty Lee cried out as she followed the fight.
"How dare you!" She shouted again as she attempted to hit his big head.
"Tsai, he's dead." He repeated as he caught her fists in his hands. "You have to accept it."
She snarled at him angry tears streaming down her eyes.
"He's passed and he's not coming back and it's time for you to stop. You have to choose your own way." Suddenly she stopped. She was heaving, her nostrils flaring. She was on top of him pinning him down to the sand.
"Good advice," she said after a moment. Internalizing her emotions. "You should listen to it," she rose to her feet and wiped her wet face.
"Calm down, you guys." Ty Lee stated hurriedly. "This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out."
"Bad skin?" Zuko snarled triggered. It didn't help that he was already heated as he whirled around to face the acrobat, "Normalteenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury." He leaned forward and pointed at the scar on the left side of his face, "My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face!"
This place was terrible. Tsai hated Ember Island.
Ty Lee's eyes widened, and she stared at the scarred prince apologetically, "Sorry, Zuko, I..."
Zuko whirled around and clenched his fists, "For so long I thought if my dad accepted my, I'd be happy. I'm back home now, my dad talks to me. Ha! He even thinks I'm a hero." He laughed harshly, unaware of the smirk on Azula's face as he paced, "Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not." He spun around to face the three girls, "I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!"
"There's a simple question you need to answer, then." Azula stated matter-of-factly as she looked at her brother, "Who are you angry at?"
"No one. I'm just angry."
"Yeah," Tsai added curiously with both of her eyebrows in a scowl. "Who are you angry at, Zuko?" She wanted to push his buttons just like he had done to her.
"Everyone." Zuko replied sharply then he shook his head in frustration, "I-I don't know."
"It is Dad?" Zuko gave looked at Azula with a vaguely panicked expression, "No, no."
"You're Uncle?" Ty Lee asked interestedly. Tsai flinched at the mention of Iroh.
"Me?" Azula questioned then she smirked, "Tsai?"
Zuko's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly, "No, no, n-no, no, no!"
"Answer the question, Zuko." Azula pressed eagerly.
"Talk to us." Ty Lee pleaded compassionately.
Zuko shut his eyes and tried to block them out.
"Come on, answer it."
"I'm angry at myself!" Zuko finally snapped furiously and he slammed his clenched fists down, causing the campfire to turn into a pillar of fire, the three girls recoiling from the flames, "I'm angry at myself..."
"Why?" Azula asked quietly as her brother turned away from them.
"Because I'm confused." Zuko muttered wearily, "Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore."
Azula scoffed and shook her head in amusement, "You're pathetic."
Azula began clapping her hands mockingly, "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone. My personal favorite was yours my pet. I'm a real fan of the way you pounced on my brother. For a second there I really thought you were going to kill him!" She let out a laugh.
"I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula? Because you're just soperfect."
"Well, yes, I guess you're right." Azula agreed easily with a shrug, "I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom like Zuko more than me, but I don't really care." She paused and stared at the fire, her voice softening slightly, "My own mother thought I was a monster." The other three looked at Azula quietly and she shrugged indifferently, "She was right, of course, but it still hurt."
'You're lonely..'The red head scrutinized.
"What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves." Ty Lee quipped with a happy smile as she picked up a rock and rubbed it happily, "I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."
"I hope I never remember this day..." The other girl grumbled under her breath.
Azula smirked and looked at her brother and friends slyly as she stood up, "You know what would make this trip reallymemorable?" Azula grinned. "Let's go get Mai."
Ty Lee and Azula rushed up the stairs back to the home. Tsai walked with her arms crossed over her chest. She spared Zuko a single sad glance before following after Azula and Ty Lee.
She thought about his words. Maybe... Just maybe he could still change.
xxx
Chan opened the door and he stared with a dumbfounded expression at the five teens he had kicked out earlier.
"We've got some bad news, Chan." Azula stated with a smirk.
Zuko turned his head and glared at the teen, "Party's over."
Xxx
"I hate to say it," Tsai said as they made their way to their beach house. After wrecking Chan's and basically leaving the place on fire.
"But that felt great Azula," she sighed. Happy to have relived all of that built up anger and tension.
"Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?" She asked with flames roaring in her eyes.
She had to give this one to her.
They returned to the home. Each one of them taking their own room. As if things couldn't get any weirder Azula had forced Tsai to sleep in the same bed as her. Feeling restless and with her head still spinning from all the punch she consumed and street tacos which weren't sitting easily she sneaked away from the room and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water or some tea to settle her stomach.
She stumbled in the darkness and stubbed her toe with a table in the living room. She cursed letting out a hiss and bending over in pain.
"Who's there?" A voice asked.
The red head looked up and saw Mai standing in the darkness of the kitchen. She held one candle which provided just enough lighting for her to enjoy her water.
"Oh, it's you." She said coldly before walking away.
"Mai! Wait!" Tsai called as she jumped on her good foot comically to approach the girl.
"Do you like tea?" She asked leaning on the counter.
"I don't like tea." She said dully.
"Sometimes making tea is less about drinking it and more about keeping company." She said sappily with a small smile. Mai rolled her eyes.
Moments later she was sitting in the kitchen counter sipping on some orange blossom and chamomile tea. Mai would never admit it but it was the best damn tea she had ever had in her life.
Tsai couldn't stop blatantly starring at her. She was hard to read. She couldn't figure out just what was going through her mind. All throughout her tea making she hadn't said a single word or had made any emotional gestures.
Her onyx hair was undone, and she sat looking as poised and refined as ever.
"I can see why he likes you," Mai suddenly spoke. Catching Tsai off guard making her almost choke on her tea.
"Mai!" She exclaimed. "I-I want you to know. I'm not that kind of person. I'm not going to put another girl down for the sake of some boy. We girls have to stick together you know?" She grinned cheekily. "World's hard enough as it is." She said with a slightly huff.
"What we had," she shook her head. "It was nice but short lived. I think a part of me knew it was never going to work out. Him being a prince, me being a 'colonial pest,' can you believe I actually let him call me that?" She scoffed and shook her head.
"I didn't ask for your whole life story," the other said in a dead tone.
Tsai went quiet and lowered her head realizing she had just been word vomiting and venting her emotions. Mai smiled a little, just slightly when she could see the similarities between the two of them.
"I could feel it," she said abruptly. Making the girl from the colonies look up. "He wasn't the same when he returned. Nothing felt the same. I could feel that his heart wasn't in on it. On us." She explained and took in a deep breath. "I'm just glad that now I know and don't have to sit and wonder about you two."
"But Mai," Tsai protested. Her heart aching. "What happened between us. It's over. It started and ended in Ba Sing Se."
"Maybe for you," Mai spoke lowering her cup of tea. "But not for him. My question is if you will take him back."
"No," Tsai looked down at her tea sadly. "I once told Zuko I wouldn't accept him unless he was a changed man. Not the hot-headed out of control child you saw earlier. He already fooled me once. I'm not going to let it happen again."
Mai finally stood up from the counter and finished her tea. Something Tsai took as an indication that this conversation was over.
"He's changing," she said ominously before putting her cup by the sink and stalking off. Tsai swore she could've seen the slightest of smiles on her face. She didn't turn back and stopped when she was standing under the doorway leading to the bedrooms.
"Oh, and-" She paused looking her shoulder. "It's not what you think. Azula I mean... I would be careful if I were you."