Southern Star

Chapter Four: Now You're Dangerously Close

The ocean wind weaving its way through Zuko's hair didn't feel awful, but it did nothing to lift his mood. With the exception of when he spent time with Mai, he had been more or less trapped in the same foul mood since he'd returned to the Fire Nation, actually. As he stared out over the water, though, he thought about how he had a reason to stay grumpy for the duration of their trip.

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island!" he heard Ty Lee say. "It's going to be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing." She was standing right at the railing, looking ahead at the ocean. Azula stood next to her, but she was leaning back against it, facing the opposite direction. She seemed to ooze relaxation. It almost seemed as if the princess of the Fire Nation didn't have a care in the world.

"Doing nothing is a waste of time," snapped Zuko from his place on the bench next to Mai. He stood up and leaned against the railing himself. "We're being sent away on a forced vacation. I feel like a child."

"Lighten up," said Azula. "So Dad wants to meet with his advisors alone without anyone else around. Don't take it personally."

Zuko didn't look at her or respond to that, too irritated to bother, though he wondered if that was how she really felt about it.

"Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?" asked Ty Lee.

"We used to come every summer when we were kids," Azula told her.

"That must've been fun."

"That was a long time ago," said Zuko. The boat approached the island.

Azula's twin advisors, Lo and Li, were waiting for them at the docks. Zuko supposed that, technically, they were his advisors as well, but he had never really talked to them; he'd always preferred the company of his uncle, who was a lot less creepy than they were. However, this time, the old women were not dressed like they usually were—they had on frilly pink dresses and hats that were wider than they were. "Welcome to Ember Island, kids," they said in unison when the boat came to a stop.

Behind them was the smallest beach house Zuko had ever seen. It certainly didn't hold up to the standards he'd gotten used to when he'd stayed in their family vacation house. He wondered why they couldn't just have stayed there instead of in a cramped space with two creepy, uncomfortable old women.

Lo and Li led the four teenagers up to the house. Zuko almost felt nauseated by what greeted him inside. "It smells like old lady in here," he muttered when they made it to the rooms the four of them were supposed to be staying in together.

"Gee, I wonder why," said Mai.

Ty Lee was gazing at a painting of two young women, also twins, in matching yellow swimsuits. "Who are these beautiful women?" she asked.

Lo and Li moved next to it. "Can't you tell?" asked Lo. The two shifted to mimic the poses in the painting, at which point Zuko stopped listening to what they were saying because the nausea came on full-force. He had to cover his mouth to hold his vomit back.

When the six of them moved on to the bedroom itself, Ty Lee immediately launched herself onto one of the beds. "I love this seashell bedspread!" she cheered.

"Are you serious?" asked Mai. "It looks like the beach threw up all over it."

"We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend," said Li.

"...but Ember Island is a magical place," said Lo. "Keep an open mind."

"Give it a chance."

Together, they said, "And it can help you understand yourselves... and each other."