Chapter 31: Ember Island

XXX

Around dusk as the sun was slowly setting, the group was packing and preparing to move to a new location - Ember Island.

"Won't we stick out, like pink flowers in a snowfield?" asked Ty Lee.

"It's our best bet; father hasn't visited this place for over eight years," said Zuko.

"Yeah, but he has two royal family members on the loose. Not to mention me - I'd stick out fast," said Zhan.

"We just have to stay low - not a problem," replied Azula. "Despite the rumours, Ember Island is more like a high-rich isolated village - only a few would recognize us and those people are mainly on vacation."

"Well that solves one thing - what about Katara' mom?" asked Ty Lee.

"We are leaving her with my dad," said Katara. "He will be...suprised and with her and our condition we can't take her with us."

"So how will we get to there, while you're delivering you mother?" asked Zuko.

"We take the dinghy I made," said Zhan - pointing at small sized ship, near the coast. "Made it out of wood, cloth and stone, so we can sail there...and enjoy the view."

"How?! When?! Did you make that?!" asked Sokka suprised.

"Dude...I have made flying machines and weapons, along with various other contraptions of high design," said Zhan half-insulted. "You think I can't make a simple, floating ship?"

"He got you there," chuckled Toph, behind him.

"Oh shut it!" replied Sokka.

After half an hour of packing, the group was ready to depart to their various destinations.

"Easy, easy!" repeated Katara, as Kya was slowly carried by Zhan and Sokka.

"Relax Katara, I carried her out by myself days ago," replied Zhan, as they reached ontop of Appa and gently placed her there.

"You sure, you don't want to come with us Sokka?" asked Katara - as only Aang was flying her and Kya to her father, the rest was going to Ember Island.

"I'm good. I've had my time with my father, it would be only fair if you had your time with mom," replied Sokka. "Also somebody has to keep an eye on the others."

"Okay..." chuckled Katara, at the last comment. Then gave her brother a quick hug. "See you soon."

"You too..." replied Sokka.

"My little warrior...all grown up..." said Kya, as she hugged her son. "...I'm proud of you dear..."

"Thanks...mom," replied Sokka, as he jumped down from Appa. "Bye..."

"Bye...see you soon!" yelled Katara, as she and Aang took off.

"SOKKA! Hurry up already!" yelled Zhan, waiting on the small dinghy.

"I'm coming!" replied Sokka.

"Sail ho!" said Zhan, loosening the sail as they sailed off.

"Aye, aye admiral!" teased Sokka.

"Admiral?! Do you know how much paperwork that is worth?" replied Zhan jokingly. "I'll stick to being a dinghy-captain."

XXX

"Well...that was an interesting trip," said Mai, departing as the dinghy reached the beach, half-dizzy.

"Oh...Zhan I know you can invent stuff..." said Azula, seasick. "...but you can't sail, if your life depented on it..."

"It wasn't that bad," defended Zhan.

"It was!" said everybody, except for Toph - who felt fine.

"You - rocked the ship twenty-seven times, got caught in a tail-wind which made us spin around twice, and you got stuck on a reef," said Azula.

"Whatever...we made it here," shrugged Zhan. "You can take it apart now."

"Righto..." replied Toph, as she earthbended...the bottom hull of the ship as it soon sank into deep.

"So that's why you didn't get seasick!" realized Sokka.

"Yup...had solid earth under me," replied Toph proudly.

"Okay. We got here...somewhat. Lets head to the summer house, before somebody sees us," said Azula, as she, Zuko and Zhan covered themselves up.

"This will be a depressing place..." sighed Azula, as they made their way to the house.

XXX

It took Katara and Aang, the better part of the day, before they arrived at the siblings summer house on Appa.

"So how did it go?" asked Toph, as the two got off Appa.

"A very special reunion," said Katara. "Dad almost fainted when he saw mom again. Yet I saw in his eyes, the happiest moment of his life."

"Explains the lateness," said Azula, which caused the four to laugh.

"Although. You sure it's a good idea to hide out here?" asked Katara.

"...Ozai doesn't visit this place much - not since we were kids...and a family," replied Azula, her father still a painful topic.

"You guys are not gonna believe this! There's a play about us," said Sokka, arriving with Suki.

"Don't tell me!" sighed Azula.

"We were just in town and we found this poster!" said Suki, showing them a poster of Team Avatar.

"What? How is that possible?" asked Katara.

"Trust me, it is!" replied Azula.

"Listen to this - The Boy in the Iceberg - is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se," explained Sokka. "His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."

"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players," finished Suki.

"Oh goodness, not them again," said Azula.

"You don't like them?" asked Suki.

"Their plays and shows make wanna vomit - plagued by: bad script, bad actors and even badder performance," said Azula. "Makes the colony puppetshows, look like actual art."

"Well...you can sit this one out," said Katara. "Although I am interested to see how they depict us."

"Trust me - you won't like it," replied Azula.

"Well lets see, what the others think," said Suki - returning to the house, where she and Sokka explained about the play, that was going to happen today.

"Oh no," sighed Zuko.

"Sounds like fun!" cheered Ty Lee.

"Sounds interesting," said Toph.

"Sounds boring," replied Mai.

"Sounds like a waste of time," said Zhan, getting a few looks.

"I thought a guy of your...education...would like, something like this," replied Suki.

"Yeah - but, as much as I've learned from my seven Ember Island plays - they're: unaccurate, unartful, uneducating," explained Zhan.

"You know, Azula said the same thing," said Sokka, to which he just shrugged.

"Whatever. I just don't like them, the Ember Island plays are just too...ironic. They make fun of the wrong stuff, and end up a laughing stock themselves in my opinion," said Zhan.

"Guess you two will guard the house," said Toph.

"Why not?" replied Azula, rolling her eyes.

As dusk approached, most of the group headed to the theatre - while Azula and Zhan stayed behind. Ty Lee would watch anything and Mai got dragged along by Zuko, who got dragged along by the rest.

"Seems like we have the house to ourselves," said Azula.

"Wasn't good the last time we were here," replied Zhan.

"True...You wanna help me practice my bending?" asked Azula.

"Sure. Why not?" replied Zhan, as they headed for the courtyard.

XXX

"Good night," said Azula, as she headed to sleep.

"G'night," replied Zhan, who was lying on a hammick - exhausted from their practice session. Azula was getting better each day, yet there were still signs of something troubling her. "Hope the others enjoyed their...show."

Azula soon arrived in her old room, one she hadn't slept, in a sense in ages. Yet her tiredness soon overwhelmed her mind, and she soon fell asleep - albeit not into a pleasant:

"...Your a monster..." came a voice in her dream.

"...I will kill you..." came another voice - Katara's.

"...What is wrong with that kid...?" came another - Ursa.

"...suffering will be your teacher..." came a voice, she feared most - Ozai.

"Ah!" yelped Azula, as she awoke from another nightmare, that were still affecting her.

But the more troubling factor was the presence of another in her room - that was standing in her room, covered in black and eyes aflame in fire - then it attacked her...

"AAH!" came a shrieking scream, as the group near the house.

"That was my sister!" said Zuko, as ran towards the house.

Inside the house, Azula was running for her life, as the assassin, brandishing a black blade came after her.

She tried to fireblast it, yet it seemed to do nothing to it - as it swang its blade, barely missing her head. Azula then tried something else - a swift kick to its gut, followed by a punch to its face - sending it tumbling and dropping its blade.

"Die assassin!" said Azula, as she unleashed her lightning - only for it to miss by inches. And the assassin on her in a blink, grabbing her by her neck and sending her flying into a wall. "...damnit..."

In her blurry vision, she could make out the assassin picking up its blade and approach her - yet someone stopped it.

"I don't...think so scum!" replied Zhan, having heard Azula' scream and rushed to help her. Currently occupied, with punching the assassin in the head.

The assassin merely grabbed Zhan by his hand and sent him flying into another room - ignoring him and going after Azula.

Azula could see the assassin over her now, its blade ready to strike and its red, burning eyes piercing into her soul.

"Azula?!" came Zuko' voice, as the group arrived and saw the assassin standing over Azula - it looking at them, with its eyes - a hint of fear, upon seeing the Avatar.

"NO!" yelled Zhan, jumping onto the assassin's back and pulling it away from Azula.

"Lights out!" said Zhan darkly, struggling and reaching around its head - and then...a snap...as Zhan broke its neck. It...disentagrating...into a pile of embers. Its entire body following, until nothing but embers remained. The group arriving next to him and helping him up - shocked about incident.

"What was that thing?!" asked Katara worried.

"If I'm not mistaken, then a spirit assassin..." said Zhan. "I thought they were just a children's story."

"I felt it...it was dark and evil..." added Aang.

"They are dark spirits according to legend..." replied Zhan, slowly going over to Azula - who was crying. "It's okay Azula. It's gone."

"No! It isn't, no doubt my father conjured up this thing - he wants me dead!" said Azula, sobbing and not caring at the moment. "You had it lucky Zuko...your freedom was worth a scar. Mine is worth my death."

"Azula that isn't t-," said Katara, trying to calm down the former princess.

"You know it..." interupted Azula. "Then you'll be rid of the horrid monster, that threatens your life..."

After that statement, all of the group went silent - even Ty Lee, who was Azula's biggest supporter and friend.

"No...you aren't..." said Katara, breaking the silence. Crouching down and hugging Azula. "You are our friend and companion."

"You might have had your problems Princess, but your one of us," added Toph.

"We've been your friends since childhood Azula, and we support you through everything!" said Ty Lee, with Mai nodding.

"I promised mom, I'd look after you. I intend to keep it now," added Zuko as well.

"See Azula," said Zhan, rubbing her back. "You aren't so alone as you think. Everybody has your back now. So any problems we could help with?"

"Thank you, all of you..." said Azula smiling and wiping her eyes. "Yeah...I got some trouble with sleeping - nightmares."

"We can fix that! Aang had some problems earlier too!" said Katara.

"Come on! Get up Zula!" said Ty Lee, extending her hand out, along with rest of the group.

"You made some mistakes in the past. But you've shown you're willing to redeem yourself from that past..." spoke Katara. "...and it isn't a bad thing to ask for help. We help eachother, that's why we're so strong."

"I see that..." replied Azula.

"And don't worry about ol' daddy. We'll kick his butt into a volcano, with our eyes closed!" said Toph, causing the group to laugh, Azula included.

"How was the play?" asked Zhan.

"Totally annoying like you mentioned," said Sokka. "Azula was played by senile old woman and Zhan, I think you were a seagull.

"Yup - really insulting," said Zhan, causing a second laughter to envelop the house, after everything.

XXX