The Tale of Toph and Katara

Aang sat in front of the large mirror in the house he and his friends shared in Ba Sing Se and he carefully began shaving his head, smiling when his arrow tattoo was revealed. Beside him Sokka stared into the mirror critically for a moment then he used his machete to cut off the little bit of facial hair he had on his upper lip. He clicked his tongue and winked at his reflection, a small smirk on his face. Katara sat next to him in front of the large mirror, fixing her hair loopies and she smiled happily once they were in place.

Still smiling to herself, Katara stood and headed down the hall towards Toph's room. She slowly opened the door to reveal the young Earthbender lying face-down on her sleeping mat, her blanket lying sloppily on top of her and her hair a complete mess.

"Toph!" Katara gasped in surprise as she looked at the slightly younger girl, "Aren't you gonna get ready for the day?"

Toph sat up abruptly, her messy hair flying haphazardly around her face and she hacked then spat into a nearby metal vase that was on the floor, causing a loud ding to fill the air as the vase spun around on impact. Katara stared at Toph in shock, her nose slightly scrunched in disgust. The blind Earthbender pushed herself lazily to her feet and brushed a large amount of dirt and dust from her sleeping dress.

"I'm ready."

"You're not gonna wash up?" Katara asked with a quirked brow and she gestured towards the younger girl, "You've got a little dirt on your...everywhere, actually."

'You call it dirt, I call it a healthy coating of earth!" Toph quipped with a smile as she put a hand on her chest.

"Hmmm..." Katara mused and she put a hand thoughtfully over her mouth, "You know what we need? A girl's day out!"

Toph made a face and whined, "Do I have to?!"

"It'll be fun!" Katara insisted with a grin as she grabbed the blind girl and pulled her out of her room so she could get ready.

"The Fancy Lady Day Spa?" Toph mumbled as she stood outside a large building with Katara just as two women in fancy robes walked out, "Sounds like my kinda place..."

Katara smiled gleefully and she looked at Toph mischievously, "Are you ready for some seriouspampering?"

"Sure, Katara, whatever you say." Toph sighed in reply, "As long as they don't touch my feet."

The dark-haired Waterbender smiled again and she led Toph into the building.

Katara smiled happily as she sat in one of the spa chairs while her feet were being scrubbed. A giggle escaped her when she glanced over to her right and saw Toph being held down by two attendants and another tried to scrape the thick layer of dirt off the blind girl's foot while Toph growled and twitched angrily in her chair. Suddenly, an explosion filled the room, knocking one of the attendants out into the hall and crumbling the room's doorframe after Toph Earthbended in annoyance.

Katara sighed quietly and then the two girls were led into another room were two mud baths were waiting. The two girls climbed into the mud baths and sat patiently as two attendants put mud-masks on their faces, covered their eyes with cucumber slices and wrapped their hair in towels to keep it out of the mud.

Top and Katara soaked contentedly in the mud and an attendant walked towards them with fresh towels. Mentally smirking, Toph inhaled quietly then exhaled once the attendant had reached her, bending the mud-mask into a scary face. The attendant squealed loudly and dropped the towels as she fled the room quickly. Katara took the cucumber slices off her eyes and looked over at Toph, the two girls laughing loudly together while the mud around Toph's mouth formed a large smile.

After their mud baths, the two girls were led into a sauna where they both relaxed happily on the wooden benches surrounding a steaming pile of rocks in the middle of the middle of the room. Toph slammed her heel into the ground and Earthbended another rock from the pile beside into the air, making it fly onto the pile of hot rocks in front of her. A moment later, Katara bended the water from a jug beside her onto the hot rocks, creating steam and both girls sighed in relief.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Toph commented idly as she and Katara left the spa, both of them with makeup on their faces, and they walked through the streets of the city, "I'm not usually into that stuff but I actually feel...girly."

"I'm glad." Katara replied sincerely as she walked beside the younger girl, "It's about time we did something fun together."

The two walked across a bridge that had been built over a canal, passing three other girls heading in the other direction.

"Wow, great make-up." The girl holding an umbrella said with a smirk as she and her friends passed Katara and Toph.

"Thanks." Toph replied with a small smile.

"For a clown!" The umbrella-girl added and she laughed mockingly with her two friends.

Toph's smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown as she and Katara stopped walking. The Waterbender frowned slightly at put her arm consolingly over Toph's shoulder.

"Don't listen to them, let's just keep walking." Katara murmured quietly.

"I think she looks cute." The girl in the middle stated before Katara or Toph left, "Like that time we put a sweater on your pet poodle monkey."

The three girls laughed again and after the third girl piped in with a cruel smile.

"Good one, Star."

Katara glared at the three girls over her shoulder, "Let's go, Toph."

"No, no, that was a good one. Like your poodle monkey." Toph said and she laughed sarcastically, shrugging Katara's arm off her shoulder as she turned slightly to face the three girls, "You know what else is a good one?"

She stomped her foot her foot and held out her hands, Earthbending a large circular part of the bridge the three girls were standing on. The three girls feel into the water-filled canal with small shrieks of surprise and Katara walked over to the hole.

"Now that was funny." Katara remarked and she smirked down at the girls as she Waterbended a wave that swept the girls away, causing them to scream again.

Toph walked away from the bridge and Katara jogged after her, catching up after a moment.

"Those girls don't know what they're talking about." The Waterbender said quietly as she tried to reassure her friend.

"It's okay. One of the good things about being blind, is I don't have to waste my time worrying about appearance." Toph replied with shrug, "I don't care what I look like. I'm not looking for anyone's approval. I know who I am."

The blind girl stopped walking and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"That's what I really admire about you, Toph." Katara stated quietly as she stopped beside her friend, "You're so strong, and confident, and self-assured."

Toph sniffed quietly and Katara put her hand gently on her shoulder.

"And I know it doesn't matter, but..." Katara continued softly with a small smile, "You're really pretty."

Toph turned towards Katara and smiled slightly, "I am?"

"Yeah, you are."

Toph's smile widened slightly and the two continued walking down the street.

"I'd return the compliment, but I've no idea what you look like." Toph quipped with a grin and Katara laughed, "Thank you, Katara."

The blind girl reached out and punched the slightly older girl in the arm, her way of showing affection.

"Ow!" Katara yelped quietly and she smiled ruefully as she rubbed her sore arm.

The Tale of Iroh

Iroh smiled serenely as he walked towards a shop selling baskets.

"IF this is for a romantic picnic, may I suggest this lavender one?" The shop owner suggested when he spotted Iroh examining a plain brown basket and he pointed towards a lavender-colored basket.

"No, it's not a romantic picnic, but it is a special occasion." Iroh replied with a slight chuckle as he handed the owner a coin and he picked up the brown basket he'd been looking at.

As he turned to walk away, Iroh spotted a vase containing a moon flower sitting in the side and he ambled over, sliding the vase into the shade and causing the flower to bloom instantly.

"The moon flower likes partial shade." Iroh explained and he bowed respectfully to the shop owner then he walked down the street.

The former Fire Nation general headed towards a shop he knew sold musical instruments and he began to idly examine the selection when he reached the booth. He was distracted from his perusal when he heard a child crying behind him and Iroh turned around, catching sight a sobbing little boy standing in the middle of the street as his mother tried to console him.

"Shhh...It's okay." The woman cooed gently as she tried to stop her son's crying, "Shhhh."

Iroh carefully picked up liuqin from the counter and began strumming it as he walked over to the mother and son.

"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam." Iroh sang as he approached and he kneeled in front of the boy as he continued to strum the instrument and sing, "Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marking home."

The little boy sniffled and his frown turned into a smile as he reached up and tugged on Iroh's long beard. Iroh groaned slightly and the little boy laughed gleefully, causing Iroh to smile and pat his beard gently. The boy's mother smiled at Iroh gratefully and she took her son by the hand, leading him away. Iroh smiled softly as he stood and watched them leave.

Iroh ambled into a small courtyard when he had finished shopping and he paused when he saw four boys playing earth soccer. He watched as one boy hit the ground with his foot, shooting the ball into the air with a small pillar of rock. The boy kicked the ball forward when it came back down and he Earthbended a small, curved chute for the ball to roll along towards the goal. Another boy quickly Earthbended two pillars, causing the ball to bounce off of them before it reached the goal and the ball was launched through the air, straight at Iroh.

Iroh's eyes went wide and he quickly dodged to the side, the ball passing his head harmlessly and breaking through the window that was behind him, creating a loud crash to come from inside.

"Hey!" Someone shouted angrily from inside and Iroh turned towards the four boys.

"It is usually best to admit mistakes when they occur, and seek to restore honor." Iroh said to the boys, but when loud noises suddenly came from behind them, they all looked toward the window with startled expressions.

A very large man's angry face suddenly appeared in the broken window and he glared at the four boys, "When I'm through with you kids, the window won't be thing that's broken."

"But not this time." Iroh said quickly and he turned towards the boys, "Run!"

He and the four boys scattered, rushing out of the small courtyard and heading in different directions. Iroh ran back down the market's street and he ducked into an alley, placing his basket down to peer cautiously around the corner to see if he was pursued.

"You!" Someone behind Iroh snapped suddenly and he jumped, looking over his shoulder to stare in surprise at the scruffy man holding a knife at him.

"Give me all your money!" The man demanded and Iroh turned around fully, his brows furrowing as he took in the man's horrible stance.

"What are you doing?" Iroh asked curiously with a quirked brow.

"I'm mugging you!"

Iroh tsk'd slowly, "With that stance?"

"Huh?" The man mumbled as he looked down at his stance then he glared at Iroh again, "What're you talking about? Just give me your money, old man!"

Iroh shook his head, "With a poor stance, you are unbalanced, and you can be easily knocked over."

Before the man could even blink, Iroh grabbed the arm holding the knife and pushed his other hand into the man's chest, knocking him to the ground while pulling the knife from his loosened grasp at the same time. The elderly man smiled cheerfully and twirled the knife idly then he helped his would-be mugger to his feet, handing the knife back to him.

"With a solid stance, you are a much more serious threat." Iroh explained and he demonstrated a proper stance, the man attempting to mimicking him, but still not getting it quite right.

Iroh clucked his tongue quietly and put his hand on the man's head, adjusting his stance with his foot.

"Much better." The older man praised with a small smile as the other man straightened, "But to tell you the truth, you do not look like the criminal type."

"I know...I'm..." The man sighed and looked at the ground, "I'm just confused."

Iroh nodded sagely in understanding.

"So you really think I could be a good masseur?" The man, now known as Tycho, asked as Iroh poured him a cup of tea.

"Of course!" Iroh replied sincerely as he poured his own cup of tea and sat beside Tycho in the alley.

"This is so great." Tycho stated happily, "No one has ever believed in me."

Iroh smiled at the man, "While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can a great blessing."

Tycho smiled back at him and nodded in agreement.

The sun was beginning to set when Iroh left the busy city streets and walked towards a hill with a large tree on it. The leaves were falling gently from the branches when Iroh reached the top of the hill and he approached the tree. Smiling slightly, he placed his basket on the ground and removed his hat, then he rested on his knees in front of the tree and began piling rocks at its base. Iroh quietly removed a piece of cloth which he draped over the rocks, then he removed some fruit, a small bag of rice, and a incense holder from the basket.

Smiling softly, Iroh turned back to the basket and took out a piece of paper. He stared at it for several moments then he sat it down so it was propped up on the pile of rocks. Finally, Iroh removed two incense sticks and he lit the tips with a little Firebending, then he placed them in the incense holder.

"Happy birthday, my son." Iroh murmured as he looked at the small memorial he had made for his son, Lu Ten, and tears began to stream down his cheeks, "If only I could have helped you."

Iroh began to sing, his voice cracking because of his tears, "Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marching home...

The Tale of Aang

Aang soared over the sprawling city of Ba Sing Se on his glider, searching for any sign of Appa, or even possibly a sign of his big sister. The young Avatar sighed quietly and landed in the middle of the street he'd been flying over, twirling his glider closed as he looked around himself with vague dejection then he began walking down the street. His brow furrowed in curiosity as he looked at the cages on either side of the street, the different animals inside staring back at him with sad and depressed expressions from behind the bars of their cages.

Aang paused and looked up at a small cage with a couple of dragon-flies perched sadly inside it, their gossamer wings buzzing faintly. After a few moments, he continued walking through the empty zoo, stopping to stare down at the bored and depressed looking elephant-mandrill inside one ben before he moved onto another. The armadillo-lion stopped gnawing the bars of it cage as Aang approached and it got to its feet slowly, a low growl rumbling from its chest.

"Hey there, fellow." Aang cooed with a small smile as he dropped down to one knee and held his hand out to the armadillo-lion, "You look hungry."

The armadillo-lion stared at his hand for a moment then roared loudly at Aang, causing him to jump back in surprise with a small yelp. The armadillo-lion curled into a ball and rolled further into its pen as an older man with a broom walked over to Aang, sweeping slowly.

"Hmph," The man, most likely the zookeeper sniffed as he walked closer to Aang, who stared at him curiously, "They are hungry."

Aang furrowed his brow as the man came to a stop in front of him and leaned against his broom, a despondent expression on his face.

"The Dai Li won't give me any money because the kids stopped coming." Kenji, the zookeeper explained as he led Aang around the rest of the zoo with his hands clasped behind his back, "And the kids won't come because my zoo's nasty and broke."

One of the cages caught Aang's eye and he gestured towards the animal hunched inside with its back to the bars.

"What kind of animal is that?" The young Airbender asked curiously as he and Kenji came to a stop in front of the cage.

"Oh, that's a rabaroo. I wish I could get her a big open prairie like she likes." Kenji commented wistfully as the rabaroo glanced over her shoulder at them, a depressed expression on her furry face, "I'd let her hop away to happiness."

Aang looked at the rabaroo for a moment then grinned up at Kenji, "Let's do it."

"Say again?" Kenji questioned with a surprised expression as he looked down at the bald boy.

"There's a big open space right outside the walks of the city." Aang explained and he gestured towards the wall as a plan began to form in his mind, his grin widening slightly.

"But who're you gonna transport all these wild critters?"

Aang grinned mischievously and he placed his staff against his shoulder as he looked up at Kenji, "Don't worry, I'm great with animals."

The group of hog-monkeys screeched as they wreaked havoc in one of the shops in Ba Sing Se, breaking pottery and throwing anything they could get their paws on. The owner of the shop came bursting out of the back of the shop, swinging a broom widely at the invading hybrid animals. The broom hit one of the hog-monkeys and sent it flying into the street, the others quickly racing after it as they fled the shop and ran across the street just as an elephant-mandrill came stampeding down it while two men ran for their lives.

Behind the stampeding elephant-mandrill, a group of screaming people raced out of an alley, covering their heads protectively as they were bombarded by a small swarm of dragon-flies. More people came running down the street as an angry platypus-bear charged after them, stopping and standing on its hind legs when another group of citizens were about to run out of the alley it had walked in front of. The platypus-bear growled and swung a clawed paw at the people, causing them to scream and run in the other direction, the platypus-bear pursing them. As the platypus-bear disappeared down the alley after the group of people, the armadillo-lion, rolled into a ball, bounced off the roof of a building then unrolled as it landed in the street, where it began running in the same direction the elephant-mandrill had gone previously.

On a different street, the formerly depressed rabaroo eagerly began devouring a cabbage from the cabbage merchant's cart, completely ignoring the man as he desperately tried to save some of his produce.

"My cabba-" The merchant began to wail only to stop mid-sentence when the rabaroo looked at him with a cabbage in her mouth.

The rabaroo chewed the cabbage in her mouth then went back to eating the others from the cart. The merchant huffed and walked away, throwing the cabbage in his hand over his shoulder as he left the cart of cabbages to be eaten by the hungry rabaroo.

"Oh forget it..."

A small swarm of dragon-flies buzzed and bombarded a group of screaming people in another street. Aang watched wide-eyed as he ran across the rooftops of the houses then he jumped and flipped through the air, landing in the street in front of the harassed citizens. He quickly twirled his staff around and looked around, catching sight of a man being attacked by two of the dragon-flies. Thinking quickly, Aang pointed his staff at the dragon-flies and blasted them away from the man with a small gust of wind, quickly doing the same to the rest of the dragon-flies.

Aang scratched the top of his head as the people ran in the opposite direction, "This was so much easier in my head."

Aang's expression suddenly brightened as an idea came to him and he snapped his fingers, pulling the bison whistle out of his shirt. He quickly tossed the whistle into the air and sucked in a great amount of air with the help of some Airbending. He caught the whistle as it fell back to the ground and he blew it, exhaling all the air he hand just inhaled to create a powerful sound wave that spread throughout the entire city.

Across the city, the hog-monkeys that had been wreaking havoc in another shop, stopped what they were doing and raced off in the direction the whistle was coming from. Like the hog-monkeys, the swarm of dragon-flies stopped harassing people and began flying towards the source. The rabaroo stopped devouring the cabbages, her floppy ears perking slightly then she hopped towards the source of the whistle.

Aang hurriedly created an air scooter and raced down the street, still blowing the bison whistle as the massive group of zoo animals rushed after him with a slow moving turtle-seat bringing up the rear.

Xiaodan squeaked quietly and jumped back into the shop she was about to exit when the stampeding heard of animals raced past, her unruly white hair blowing in her face from the speed of the animals. The pale-haired girl stared at the rapidly shrinking dust cloud that the animals created, her brows furrowing in surprise and confusion then she shrugged and stepped into the street, her basket of groceries held tightly in her arms as she headed back to hers, Iroh's, and Zuko's apartment.

Kenji looked up at the two guards standing in front of the wall pleadingly, "But you have to open this gate!"

"Or what?" One of the guards asked snidely as he stared down at the zookeeper.

Kenji pointed at the rapidly approaching stampede of animals following Aang, "Or that!"

The guard's eyes went wide and he cupped his hands around his mouth to shout, "Open the gate!"

Both of the guards ran in opposite directions as the gate began opening, leaving Kenji standing in the middle. Aang, still on his air scooter raced towards the opening gate while he continued to blow the whistle with the animals racing after him.

As the gate opened wider, Aang stopped blowing the whistle and looked at the animals just behind him quickly then he snapped his glider open and dispersed his air scooter, taking off into the air. Kenji ran out of the way and the animals raced out of the gate while Aang soared up and over the wall. On the other side of the wall, the animals raced out of the opening and began spreading out in all directions as they ran into the large open space.

Aang quickly glided down behind the running animals and snapped his glider closed, creating another air scooter beneath him. He punched the ground as he rode the air scooter, Earthbending a large wall of earth as he rides in a large circle around the animals, creating one massive pen to keep the zoo animals from escaping into the wild. Once the wall of earth was finished, Aang jumped off his air scooter and landed in the center of the pen he had created, where he began Earthbending the individual pens for the other animals.

He lifted his hands to his chest then pushed them down, Earthbending a small pit then he turned and lifted his arms up high, causing some large earthen pillars to rise and form plateaus. Aang turned around again and punched one fist outward, Earthbending more walls which separated the animals.

Kenji stepped through the makeshift gates with the guards and several other citizens, all of them staring in amazement. Suddenly, two laughing and smile children pushed passed Kenji and raced into the newly formed zoo with eager expressions on their young faces.

Kenji walked over to the pen where the rabaroo was happily drinking from a small pond in her new enclosure while a bunch of people from the city began moving around the newly formed pens and looking at the animals. The zookeeper smiled faintly when the female rabaroo lifted her head up and stared up at him, a happy expression on her furry face. His smile widened when three young rabaroos poked their little heads out from their mother's pouch before she hopped away.

"Well, Mr. Zookeeper, how do you like your new facilities?" Aang asked as he approached Kenji with a happy smile, his staff held loosely in one hand.

"Excellent job, Avatar." Kenji praised as he smiled down at the bald boy, 'You should think about working with animals for a living."

Aang grinned, but a young boy's voice coming from behind him distracted him.

"Mommy, Miss Snowflake got out of the house again." The young boy commented as she pointed into the pen.

"Fluffykins?" Another guest questioned in confusion as she looked at the hissing cat standing in front of the elephant-mandrill, "What are you doing there?"

Kenji quirked a brow and cast a sidelong glance at Aang, "On second thought, you should still to saving people."

Aang laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, a small blush forming on his cheeks.

The Tale of Sokka

Sokka sighed as he walked down a candle-lit street in the large city later that night. Feeling bored, he pulled his boomerang from its sheath on his back and threw it into the starlit sky, catching it easily when it came back. He walked around an ornate building and headed down the alley beside it, passing through a couple of men struggling with their ostrich-horses. Soft voices coming from one of the building's open windows catch his attention and Sokka turned to look inside the window curiously.

"What's this?" He muttered to himself as he stuck his head inside the window and stared at the pretty young woman standing on a stage, reciting a haiku to group of ladies seated in front of the stage.

"Through all the long night, winter moon glows with bright love, sleet her silver tears." The young lady recited in a light, dreamy tone.

"Ahh," Sokka sighed happily as he rested his elbows on the windowsill and held his head up with his hands, "Poetry..."

Unbeknownst to him, the ostrich-horse behind him was still struggling with its handler and it suddenly kicked backwards, hitting Sokka's backside and sending him through the window, inside the room. The ladies jerked their heads around to stare at him, all of them giving startled shrieks as they look at him.

"I am so sorry." Sokka apologized hurriedly as he collected himself and he tumbled out of the window and further inside the room, "Something struck me in the rear. I just...wound up...here..."

The ladies laughed lightly and began to clap at his unintended haiku. Sokka stared at them in confused surprise for a moment then a large, pleased smile appeared on his face. An older woman, most likely the class' teacher stood slowly and clapped her hands mockingly.

"Five, seven, then five, syllables mark a haiku." She stated then inclined her head slightly to Sokka, "Remarkable oaf."

"They call me Sokka, that is in the Water Tribe." Sokka said slowly after a moment of thought then he counted five syllables on his hand, "I am not an oaf."

The young ladies giggled quietly behind their hands at his haiku while their teacher stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Tittering monkey, in the spring he climbs treetops, and thinks himself tall."

"Oooooh!" The ladies chorused and looked at Sokka with eager expressions.

"You think you're so smart, with your fancy little words, this is not so hard." Sokka retorted with a condescending expression as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oooooh!"

The teacher put her hands on her hips and glared at Sokka in annoyance then she walked up to the stage to stand in front of him, "Whole seasons are spent, mastering the form, the style, none call it easy."

"Oooooh!"

"I call it easy. Like I paddle my canoe, I'll paddle yours too!" Sokka quipped with a snicker and he turned around and patted his backside a few times, causing the ladies to laugh happily.

"There's nuts and there's fruits." The teacher snapped and she took a plum from her sleeve, dropping it on the stage then stepping on it, "In the fall the clinging plum drops, always to be squashed."

"Squish, squash, sling that slang. I'm always right back at ya, like my..." Sokka recited as he gestured with his arms then drew his boomerang, "Boomerang!"

The class laughed merrily while their annoyed teacher walked off the stage and retook her seat. Sokka grinned and turned to look at the class again, raising his arms up to silence the laughter as he sheathed his boomerang.

"That's right, I'm Sokka, it's pronounced with an 'okka', young ladies, I rocked ya!"

He grinned, but his smug smile disappeared when his 'haiku' was met with silence and he looked at the ladies in confusion, taking in their stony expressions and the self-satisfied look on the teacher's face. Sokka furrowed his brow and began counting the number of syllables in his haiku on his finger, realizing that his last line contained six syllables.

"Uh, that's one too many syllables there, bub." A large burly man commented as he grabbed Sokka by the collar of his tunic and threw him out the door of the building.

Sokka yelped as he crashed through the doors and landed on his back in the middle of the street. The young Water Tribe boy sighed and sat up, holding his head up with one hand.

"Poetry..."

The Tale of Zuko

"Uncle, we have a problem." Zuko hissed lowly as he walked towards the back of the shop, where Iroh was standing on a ladder and stacking things on a shelf behind the counter with Xiaodan's help.

Xiaodan gave the scarred teen a curious look as Iroh descended from the ladder.

"One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there's a girl over there at the corner table." Zuko explained quietly as he subtly nodded towards the corner table near the front of the where a girl was drinking a cup of tea, "She knows we're Fire Nation."

Xiaodan peered curiously over Zuko's shoulder at the girl, quirking a brow when Zuko pushed her back with a scowl on his face. Iroh turned around to look at the girl, only for Zuko to grab his arm and turn him back around.

"Didn't I say don't look?!"

Xiaodan rolled her eyes and grabbed the tray from his hands, "You're being paranoid, Firebug."

The banished prince scowled at the white-haired girl's back as she disappeared into the back room to make another pot of tea, leaving him with his uncle behind the counter.

"You're right, Zuko." Iroh commented as he sneakily glanced at the girl over his shoulder, "I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you."

Zuko gave his uncle a bewildered look, ignoring the giggling he could hear coming from Xiaodan, "What?"

"Thank you for the tea."

Zuko jumped slightly and turned around to look at the girl, who was holding out some coins. The banished prince ducked his head slightly and took the coins then turned around, placing them on the counter in front of him.

"What's your name?" The girl asked sweetly and Zuko tensed slightly.

Iroh smiled faintly and glanced up at Xiaodan as she exited the back room, holding the tray with a fresh pot of tea and several cups on it. She smiled slyly back at him and slipped gracefully past Zuko as he turned around to face the girl still standing in front of the counter.

"Excuse me." Xiaodan said politely as she stepped past the girl, who smiled briefly at her.

"My name's Lee." Zuko replied slowly as he looked at the girl, "My uncle, friend, and I just moved here."

"Hi Lee, my name's Jin." The girl, Jin, replied sweetly then she blushed faintly, "Thank you and...well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime."

Xiaodan coughed to cover her laughter at the stunned expression on Zuko's face as he looked at Jin with slightly wide eyes. She decided to ignore the strange feeling she felt as she poured a cup of tea for one of the customer's, offering the young man dressed in a police uniform a sweet smile when he thanked her.

"He'd love to!" Iroh agreed eagerly as he sidled up beside the still stunned Zuko, a wide grin on his aged face.

"Great!" Jin exclaimed happily as she smiled at Zuko, "I'll meet you in front of the ship at sundown."

Xiaodan smiled at the young girl as she walked out of the shop then she skipped over to Zuko, who was staring at the spot Jin had been standing in a moment ago with a bewildered expression on his face. Iroh grinned and threw his arm around his nephew's shoulder, which caused Zuko to snap out of his stupor and glare at his uncle.

"How cute, Firebug has a date." Xiaodan cooed teasingly as she placed the tray on the counter then she reached over and pinched Zuko's right cheek, laughing loudly when he swatted her hand away with a scowl.

Xiaodan bit her lip and tried not to smile as she stared at Zuko after Iroh had finished combing and slicking his messy hair back. A giggle escaped and the white-haired girl quickly covered her mouth with a hand when Zuko turned his head to glare at her.

"I look ridiculous." Zuko growled and he crossed his arms, almost pouting as he stared at the ground petulantly.

"No, no," Xiaodan insisted quickly, her orange eyes shining with mirth, "You look cute, Firebug."

Zuko lifted his head to give her a surprised look and Xiaodan ducked her head slightly, giving him small smile from behind her wild hair.

"It's almost sundown, you should get going." The pale-haired Airbender commented lightly as she almost glided towards the back of the shop to help Iroh clean up, "Have fun, Firebug."

Zuko grumbled to himself and shuffled towards the door of the teashop, stepping outside a moment later. He walked out in to the middle of the street and looked around for Jin. Behind him, Jin peered out from the alley then she stepped into the street and walked towards him.

"Hey. Well, look at you." She greeted with a small smile as she reached him then she reached up and ruffled his hair, "You look so cute."

Zuko swatted her hand away from his hair gently and began trying to fix his hair, "It took my uncle ten minutes to do my hair."

Jin just smiled and grabbed his arm, dragging him down the street. Zuko glanced back at the shop, his gold eyes briefly catching Xiaodan's molten orange orbs as she peered out the door of the teashop. She winked at him and disappeared back into the shop, the door shutting soundlessly behind her. The banished prince mentally shook himself and turned his attention to Jin as she led him to an open restaurant in the town square, where several people were doing various activities.

"So, how do you like the city so far?" Jin asked curiously as she took a sip of the tea she after they had ordered their food.

"It's okay." Zuko replied blandly as he stopped poking the meatball on his plate with his chopsticks without looking up at her.

Jin took another sip of her tea and gave the scarred teen in front of her an intrigued look, "What do you like to do for fun?"

"Nothing." Zuko muttered without looking at her, his thoughts drifting to Xiaodan and what her idea of fun was.

He coughed quietly and shook his head slightly to rid himself of those thoughts. The waiter approached and bent down slightly to address Zuko.

"Excuse me, sir. Would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?"

"She's not my girlfriend." Zuko barked loudly in an assertive tone and he slammed his fist on the table, glaring angrily at the waiter as the whole restaurant went quiet, their attention focusing on Zuko and Jin.

The waiter stared at him curiously for a moment then walked way. Zuko sighed quietly and laced his fingers together, turning his attention towards Jin. He watched her in surprise as she ate the noodles from her bowl at a rapid pace, his brow quirking slightly at the sight.

"You have...quite an appetite for a girl." He commented awkwardly and began to twiddle his thumbs uncomfortably, trying to ignore the thought that Xiaodan would be laughing at him if she saw him right now.

"Um...thanks?" Jin replied just as awkwardly and she glanced around for a moment then looked back at Zuko, "So, Lee, where were you, your friend, and uncle living before you came here?"

"Um..." Zuko faltered as he thought of something to say, "Well, we've been traveling around for a long time."

"Oh. Why were you traveling so much?" Jin asked with genuine curiosity as she rested her elbows on the table and looked at him with an intrigued expression.

"We were...uh, part of a traveling circus." Zuko responded and mentally slapped himself in the forehead for such an idiotic answer, even if it seemed that Jin believed him.

"Really? What did you do? Wait, lemme guess!" The dark haired girl questioned eagerly and she thought for a moment then pointed at him, "You juggled!"

Zuko looked at her with a deadpanned expression as he folded his arms on the table, "Yes, I juggled."

"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle." Jin remarked and she held out a few objects she had grabbed from the table towards Zuko, "Can you show me something?"

The banished prince took the objects and stared at them unsurely for a moment then threw them into the air one by one. He tried to catch them, but missed all of them and one object, a piece of food, fell onto his head and broke into a bunch of pieces.

"I haven't practiced for a while." Zuko muttered in explanation at the amused look on Jin's face and he wiped the food from his face and hair.

"It's alright." Jin said with and understanding smile then she stood and grabbed his arm, "Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city."

"I'm so excited for you to see the Firelight Fountain." Jin stated happily as she led Zuko down a dark street, "The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way."

She led him into an open area with a large fountain in the middle and several posts with candles on top of them surrounding it in a circle, but the candles were unlit, leaving the small square dark.

"Aw, I can't believe it!" Jin complained in surprise as she looked at the dark area disappointedly, "They aren't lit."

Zuko looked around then he looked down at Jin, taking in her disappointed face briefly before looking back at the fountain.

"Close your eyes," He ordered quietly, ignoring her surprised look, "And don't peek."

He waited until she had covered her eyes with her hands then he took a few steps forward, holding his hands together. He closed his own eyes and inhaled deeply, opening his eyes a moment later as he began Firebending. Using his pointer and middle fingers on each hand, he shot small bursts of fire at each of the candles on the posts and the candles that were floating in the fountain, lighting all of them. Once all the candles were lit, Zuko straightened and turned to look at Jin, who had her hands over her eyes still.

"Okay, now you can look."

Jin lowered her hands and gasped as she looked at all the lit candles, "Oh, wow!"

She stared at the candles then walked up to Zuko with an amazed expression on her face. Zuko stared back at her quietly, feeling only slightly uncomfortable as she looked between him and the candles.

"What happened? How did they get lit? What did you do?" Jin asked in awe then she shook her head and smiled happily at him.

Zuko just smiled faintly and the two turned to look at the fountain again. Jin bit her lip and glanced at the scarred teen at her side as he stared at the fountain then she casually brushed her hair through her hand through her hair and she smiled up at him as she took his hand in hers.

Zuko started slightly and looked down at the girl's smiling face in mild confusion, the two turning to face each other fully. Jin bit her lip for a moment then leaned forward to kiss him, but Zuko quickly pulled out a piece of paper and held it between their lips.

"I've brought you something." He said when Jin looked at him in surprise, "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."

Jin smiled slightly and took the coupon, "Lee, this is so sweet."

Zuko shrugged slightly and took a few steps back, "Don't thank me, it was my uncle's idea. He thinks you're our most valuable customer."

"Your uncle is a good teacher." Jin commented and she walked towards him, placing his hand gently on his cheek and turning his head towards her, "I have something for you too. Now it's your turn to close your eyes."

The scarred teen hesitated a moment then closed his eyes, Jin leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back slightly. Zuko moved forward slightly and kissed her back, only to step back immediately afterward as his eyes widened slightly. Almost unbidden, thoughts of Xiaodan bombarded his mind as he stood still and stared at Jin, then he turned around and began walking away from her.

"What's wrong?" Jin asked in confusion as she watched him stop, his back to her.

"It's complicated." Zuko replied quietly without turning around and he took a step forward, but Jin's next words froze him in place again.

"You like her don't you?" She asked understandingly as she folded her hands in front of her, "Your friend, the girl with white hair that works with you. She's really lucky."

Zuko turned his head slightly then kept walking, "I have to go."

Jin watched him run down the street with a disappointed and wistful expression.

Xiaodan rested on her stomach on her futon in the living room of the studio apartment she shared with Iroh and Zuko. She kicked her feet slightly and watched Iroh as he looked out the window with a small pair of hedge clippers in his hand.

"What are you doing Iroh?" Xiaodan asked in amusement, even though she knew exactly what the older man was doing, she just couldn't resist teasing him a little.

Iroh was about to reply when the front door opened and Zuko walked inside, closing the door behind him quietly without a word. Iroh quickly went back to trimming the bush in the window flowerpot as if he'd been doing that the whole time while Xiaodan pushed herself into a cross-legged position on her futon, a curious expression on her face.

"How was your night, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked nonchalantly, but Xiaodan caught the small smile on his aged face.

Zuko didn't respond as he walked into the room he shared with his uncle, slamming the paper doors shut behind him. Iroh turned to look at the closed doors with a confused expression then he exchanged an interested look with Xiaodan. The white-haired girl shrugged and twirled her finger in a circle near her temple, smiling slightly at the chiding look Iroh gave her before he went back to trimming the flower bush.

The doors to the bedroom suddenly opened a crack, causing Iroh and Xiaodan to look over at them just as part of Zuko's face appeared in the crack between the two doors.

"It was nice." He muttered and he closed the doors, softer this time,

Iroh smiled and resumed his work happily, keenly noticing the way his young white-haired friend was staring at the paper doors with a perplexed look on her tanned and tattooed face. The former general's smile widened slightly in amusement.

The Tale of Momo

'Momo chittered happily as he perched on Appa's head, the sky bison flying towards a massive tree that was so tall it towered above the clouds. Appa flew towards the tree and hovered under its branches and vines, which were heavy with ripe fruit. Momo chittered happily again, jumping off Appa's head and flying towards one of the branches. The lemur began pulling pieces of fruit off the vines, tossing some down to his friend then eating another piece. Momo chewed on his piece of fruit contentedly, not really noticing the way Appa had flown closer until his large head was level with Momo's smaller one. The lemur looked at his flying friend curiously then Appa suddenly roared loudly, causing Momo to shriek in fear...'

Momo squeaked fearfully as a loud clap of thunder startled him awake and he leapt off the windowsill he'd been sleeping on and into Sokka's green satchel that was hanging nearby. After a moment, Momo poked his head up and out of the bag, blinking slowly as he looked out the window. He crossed his eyes when something hanging between them caught his attention and he grabbed it, pulling the clump of white fur off his head and holding it on his hand. Momo looked at the fur then sniffed it curiously, chittering when Appa's familiar scent reached his nose.

Momo looked out the window and caught sight of a large shadow as it crossed the ground outside the window. Thinking it's his lost friend, Momo wrapped the bunch of fur around his foreleg then soared out of the window towards the shadow to investigate if the shadow really did belong to his missing friend. Momo followed the shadow until he could no longer see it on the ground then he quickly climbed up a tree and poked his head out from the leaves, flattening his ears sadly when he realized the shadow had been caused by a cloud.

The despondent lemur held up his arm and looked down at the fur tied too it, chittering a moment later when he noticed something else. His ears perk up as he stared at what looks like the top of Appa's head, his horns, and the top of his back on the other side of a house's roof. Quickly, Momo flew towards the house, grumbling in disappointment when he saw it was not his friend, but a tree with white leaves and branches that stuck out in a similar way to the sky bison's horns. Momo landed on one of the branches, his ears drooping in disappointment.

Momo flew quietly above one of the many streets in the city, landing on a barrel of water a moment later. The lemur began lapping at the water eagerly, his long tail waving slowly in the air, where it accidently knocked over a stick that was sitting nearby. The sound of the stick hitting the street alerted the three pygmy pumas that had been rummaging in the garbage nearby. The pygmy pumas prowled towards the noise, beginning to growl when they saw Momo sitting on the barrel and they pounced on him.

Momo squealed and jumped away before the pygmy pumas landed on him, darting into a box with an opening that was just big enough for him to fit through, but too small for the pygmy pumas. The three pumas surround the box and began growling at it, two of the pumas trying to catch Momo through the opening he had slipped into and a crack at the top of the box.

The lemur looked around the box for a way out and he spotted another hole at the back of the box, which he quickly slipped through. He quickly ran around the pumas and leapt into the air, soaring down the street as the three pumas gave chase from atop the roof of a building. Two of the pygmy pumas leapt onto a clothesline in front of the Momo, forcing him to fly higher, but the third puma smacked him out of the air when Momo was about to pass the rooftop it had been waiting on.

Momo hit the ground with a small thump and he quickly got to his feet, running on foot into a crowd of people, where the pygmy pumas do not chase him. The lemur squeaked when he was suddenly picked up by a man and a little green hat was placed on his head just before he was tossed inside the circle of people where two monkeys were already dancing to the beat of an organ grinder. Momo stood still for a moment then he began dancing along, the crowd cheering and clapping while the pygmy pumas stalked the lemur from outside the circle of people, watching him from between the legs of the humans.

Suddenly one of the monkeys jumped onto Momo's head and it balanced itself on one hand while the second monkey jumped onto the first monkey's feet, leaving Momo to struggle to keep his balance. Momo was just about to topple over when the pygmy pumas roared and lunged at him from between two people. Momo shrieked and tried to fly away, but one of the pumas was holding onto his back, slowing him down while the other two pumas give chase. The two pumas finally caught of up to the slowing Momo and they jumped, grabbing the lemur with his paws and bringing all for animals crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, Momo chittered in outrage at the puma pining him to the ground while the other two prowl around nearby in preparation to strike. However, before any of the three pumas can harm Momo, a new suddenly flies out of the shadows and captures all four animals then it drags them off.

Momo flicked his ears in annoyance as a human shoved him into a cage and locked it with a metal peg to keep the doors from opening, the three pygmy pumas locked in the cage next to him. The cart the cages were in began to move and Momo lifted the arm with the scrap of fur tied to it, gently rubbing it against his face. The cart came to a stop outside of a one-story building and from the cage Momo could see two humans talking though he couldn't understand what they were saying. The lemur looked over at the three pygmy pumas, who were scratching at their cage and growling fearfully. Momo turned his attention away from them and reached his hand through the bards of his cage, removing the peg that was holding his cage shut. He pushed the cage door open and began to run away, only to stop a moment later and looked back at the helpless pumas. The three pygmy pumas stare back at him with sad, desperate eyes from their cage and after a moment, Momo leapt back onto the cart and removed the peg from their cage, freeing them just in time as the two men had approached the cage, only to find them empty.

Momo sat on one of the rooftops in the city with the three pygmy pumas surrounding them, watching the clouds as they moved slowly across the night sky. One of the pumas rubbed against Momo affectionately, a deep purr rumbling from its chest. Suddenly, another of the pumas grabbed the scrap off fur tied to Momo's arm and pulled it off then it ran off, the other two pumas following after it. Momo chattered loudly in irritation and confusion, as he flew after his three new friends. The pumas led Momo through the streets of Ba Sing Se until finally the one that had taken the scrap of fur stopped and placed the bunch of fur in the middle of a large impression in the ground.

Momo landed in the middle of the hole and the pumas ran off. Momo stared at the hole he was in for a moment, his ears pricking when he realized it was actually a rather familiar footprint made by Appa. Chattering to himself, Momo laid down on the ground and clutched the scrap of fur tightly, the pumas sitting nearby and watching the lemur as it began to rain softly.

The Tale of Xiaodan

"So, how was your date?" Xiaodan asked casually as she and Zuko shopped for groceries the market in the lower ring the morning after his date with Jin, a basket hanging from her arm.

Zuko furrowed his brow in slight annoyance and he cast a sidelong glance at her as they walked.

"I told you and Uncle last night." He grumbled in aggravation as he remembered his date, "It was nice."

"Did you kiss?"

Zuko stopped walking instantly and glared at her, his annoyance more obvious now. Xiaodan took a few more steps then turned around to look at him with an innocent expression on her tattooed face, her dark brows quirked slightly.

"What kind of question is that?" The banished prince demanded angrily and he crossed his arms defensively.

"The nosy kind." The female Airbender quipped back, giving him a impish grin that caused her molten orange eyes to dance with mischief, "C'mon, Firebug, I thought we were friends."

'"You like her don't you? Your friend, the girl with white hair that works with you. She's really lucky."'

Zuko jolted slightly when Jin's statement from last night entered his mind and he quickly shook his head, scowling when he saw the curious and slightly worried expression on Xiaodan's face.

"Firebug?" She questioned and she took a few steps towards him, "You alright?"

"Fine." He mumbled in reply and he quickly walked passed her, "Can we keep walking?"

Xiaodan quirked a brow at him as she hurried forward so she was walking beside him, "Okay then..."

They walked in a slightly awkward yet companionably silence, Zuko futilely trying to avoid meeting her eyes while Xiaodan stared at him in bemusement from the corner of her eye.

"So..." Xiaodan commented idly as she stopped in front of a merchant selling herbs and she gave Zuko a sly smile, "Did you kiss or what?"

The glared at her in aggravation while trying to ignore the blush heating his cheeks when she smiled knowingly at him.

"You are the strangest girl I've ever met." He snapped angrily, rubbing his face with his hands.

Xiaodan gave him a cheeky smile and turned to face him, rocking back on her heels slightly, "Really? I thought I was the only normal girl you've ever met."

The look he gave her could have burnt toast but just caused her to laugh lightly and she ducked her head slightly, her unruly white hair covering her face slightly.

"If it helps, you're the least strangest boy I've met." She offered with a small smile as she looked up at him almost shyly from under her hair.

Zuko blinked in surprise, his mouth going dry as he stared down at her. He didn't know how to respond to that and even if he did know how, she didn't give him a chance to.

"Well, that's enough grocery shopping." She commented as she swung the basket gently in her hand and began walking back towards their apartment, "I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend my day off doing something fun instead of shopping."

The scarred prince stared after her for a moment before hurrying to catch up to the confusing white-haired Airbender, the back of his hand brushing against her gently as they walked side-by-side. Xiaodan smiled and ducked her head slightly, using her long hair to hide the faint blush that she felt burning her cheeks as their hands brushed gently again.

"This is your idea of fun?" Zuko asked drily as Xiaodan dragged him through the Ba Sing Se zoo after they had dropped off the groceries at their apartment.

"Well, since I haven't found anywhere for us to spar safe," Xiaodan countered matter-of-factly as she pulled him towards one of the pens by his hand, "Yes, yes it is. Do you have any better ideas?"

The banished prince opened his mouth to retort then he closed it a second later when he realized he didn't have a better idea. Zuko huffed and tugged his hand from the white-haired girl's grasp so he could cross his arms over his chest. Xiaodan ignored his sulking as she leaned against the pen, awing at the cute little family of rabaroos.

"Aw, look at the cute little babies!" She cooed with a happy smile, watching the three smaller rabaroos playing in the grass, "Aren't they adorable?"

Zuko grunted quietly, his gaze focused on her instead of the hybrid animals in the enclosure they were standing next to. She smiled up at him briefly then skipped over to another pen, oohing and awing while he trailed behind her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched her. As he watched her, he contemplated what Jin had said about him liking the annoying white-haired Airbender currently making faces at a couple hog-monkeys. After a moment, he snorted and shook his head, deciding to deny any possibility of ever liking the girl.

Xiaodan laughed as she climbed onto the roof of the apartment with Zuko trailing behind her. They had left the zoo a little bit ago and the sun was high in the sky, signaling that it was now midday. She sighed happily and held her arms out, closing her eyes as a faint breeze caressed her face and played with her air. Zuko walked forward so he was standing beside her, his arms crossed and his customary scowl in place as he looked at the parts of the Lower Ring.

"This is nice." She commented idly as she tilted her head so the sun was on her face, "Peaceful."

Zuko grunted again and turned his head slightly so he was looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Xiaodan let her arms drop and she turned to face him, a small frown marring her face before she smiled mischievously. Zuko's eyes narrowed and he regarded her warily, feeling mildly uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him. Suddenly she stepped forward and grabbed his cheeks, stretching his mouth into a forced smile. The scarred teen jerked away from her and rubbed at his slightly sore cheeks, glaring at her when she started laughing.

"You should smile more, Zuko. It suits you better than a scowl."

Zuko stared at her with his brows raised in surprise. Xiaodan tilted her head slightly and gave him a small, confused smile.

"What?"

"You called me Zuko." He stated and he watched interestedly as her tanned cheeks darkened with a blush and she looked off to the side.

"Well, yeah, that's your name, Firebug." Xiaodan retorted with a dismissive flick of her hand and she tried to ignore the way her blush was deepening the longer he stared at her.

The scarred teen stared at her for a few more moments then looked back at the sprawling city in front of him, his arms once again crossed over his chest. Xiaodan bit her lip and glanced at him shyly from the corner of her eye.

"Hey, I..." Xiaodan faltered and cleared her throat, "Did you and Jin actually kiss?"

"Not this again." Zuko groaned and he turned his head to glare at her, "I'm no-"

His words were suddenly cut off when something soft pressed against his mouth and he stared at Xiaodan with wide golden eyes as she kissed him chastely, her own molten orange eyes still open.

Xiaodan pulled away and took a few steps back, her face burning brightly as she looked anywhere but at him. Zuko stared at her in stunned surprise, his eyes still wide and jaw slack.

"Um...yeah, so..." She cleared her throat and looked up at the sky quickly, "Oh would you look at the time. I better be getting to the teashop for my shift. See you later, Firebug."

Xiaodan didn't give him any time to respond as she jumped off the roof of the building, using Airbending to slow her descent then she began running towards the teashop without looking back.

Zuko stared dumbly after the white-haired girl's retreating form for a moment, before realization dawned on him and he hurried to climb off the roof.

"Xia!" He shouted when he reached the street below, ignoring the looks the other citizens were giving him as he pushed through the crowd after the white-haired girl that had just kissed him then run away, "Xia, you little pest!"

The banished prince scowled when he heard her faint laughter and he hurried to get to the teashop.