Shadow and flame: The Dark Avatar's Reign

Beach day

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island! It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do absolutely nothing," Ty Lee exclaimed, her voice practically bubbling with excitement.

"I don't see the appeal." Ryu replied, his tone flat and uninterested.

"C'mon, you'll have many women chasing after you there!" Ty Lee teased with a mischievous grin.

"Why?" Ryu asked, genuinely perplexed.

"...Jeez, this guy," Ty Lee muttered under her breath, clearly exasperated.

"Doing nothing is a waste of time. We're being sent away on a forced vacation. I feel like a child," Zuko grumbled, clearly irritated by the whole situation.

"Lighten up. So, Dad wants to meet with his advisors alone without anyone else around. Don't take it personally," Azula said, her voice calm and measured, though her tone carried the familiar weight of her authority.

"Alone, huh?" Ryu chuckled darkly. "My dark spirits should be all over the inner palace."

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

"We used to come every summer when we were kids," Azula responded, a fleeting nostalgic tone in her voice.

"That must've been fun," Ty Lee said, smiling brightly at the idea.

"That was a long time ago," Zuko replied, his voice tinged with something like regret.

"Be grateful it happened," Ryu remarked, his voice surprisingly solemn.

"What?" Zuko asked, genuinely confused.

"The freedom you had was something some of us could only dream about," Ryu said, his gaze distant for a moment. It wasn't said with bitterness, just a simple observation that hung in the air.

Zuko opened his mouth, ready to snap back, but was cut off by Azula, "Enough. We're reaching the island."

"So this is Ember Island?" Ryu thought to himself as he looked out over the docks, taking in the view of the sun-kissed shores ahead.

The group disembarked from the ship, and there, waiting for them at the docks, were Lo and Li. The two were standing side by side, their presence as imposing as ever.

"Welcome to Ember Island," Lo said with his usual stoic expression.

"We've prepared everything for your arrival," Li added, her tone almost eerily composed.

"Greetings!" Ryu said brightly, his voice full of exaggerated cheer, though the rest of the group remained silent, clearly unamused.

The sisters, Lo and Li, led them into the house, their presence as commanding as ever. The place had an antique, almost musty smell to it, with the heavy scent of old wood and floral perfume.

"It smells like old lady in here," Zuko muttered, scrunching his nose in disgust, clearly annoyed by the whole situation.

"Beats a bloody prison," Ryu shot back without hesitation, his tone final, causing Zuko to fall silent.

Ty Lee, ever the curious one, wandered over to a large portrait hanging on the wall. "Who are these two beautiful women?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder as she studied the painting.

"... Ryu looked up at the painting and then glanced back at the sisters. "It's these two."

"Exactly right," Lo and Li said in unison, stepping into the exact pose depicted in the painting, their smiles cold and precise. "It's Lo and Li."