Zuko lay underneath the stars, memories flooding through him. Katara now had closure on her mother, but for him it was still a wide open wound. Still a horrible ache in his chest. He sighed as he rolled onto his side allowing sleep to engulf him.
"But I don't want to go see the play!" Zuko pouted. His mother just giggled at her little four year old, while smoothing his hair.
"Yeah, I can totally babysit Zuko and Azula," Lu Ten popped into the room.
"You're going!" Iroh's voice echoed from the other room.
"Aw, but lil' Zuzu needs to have some fun, not be cooped up at a play," Lu Ten pulled the best puppy dog look that he could muster.
"Zuzu! Zuzu! Zuzu! Zuzu!" Azula clapped her tiny hands together.
"You do realize that if you were to stay behind that you'd have to change diapers, don't you?"
Ursa smirked at the teen.
"Uh-"
"You are going! The ember Island players are fantastic!" Iroh said as he walked into the room.
"That's what you said last year," Lu Ten groaned
"Zuzu! Zuzu! Zuzu!"
Zuko awoke with a start. It had been a while since he was bothered by these dreams. Dreams of when he was happy. When his mother and cousin were still around. When his father still thought he could be a firebending prodigy. When Azula was happy to just attempt to say his name. When his father didn't want him dead. So much had changed since those summers at Ember Island. Now no one in his family could stand to even be in that summer house.
Zuko's eyes widened. It was stupid and crazy enough to work. But will the others go for it? He noted the smell of breakfast coming from the center of camp. He smiled as he saw a very cranky earthbender whose hair was still sticking up with dirt in every tangle, a kyoshi warrior who was attempting to hide a hickey under her shirts neckline, an overly happy avatar, a content waterbender, and a warrior sharpening his boomerang.
"Um, guys. I have an idea of where to hide out." He started. Well, that got their attention.
"Somewhere here in the fire nation?" Suki asked while tugging at the neckline of her shirt.
"Yeah, actually its' kind of close by," Immediately Sokka startied rummaging through his maps, "on Ember Island"
"You mean this one?" sokka pointed to a small island. Zuko nodded.
"Does no one live there?" Toph asked.
"Actually it's a resort," Zuko bit his lip, "my family used to go there when I was a child. But now no one in my family will venture into the house."
"Wait! You want us to go into the middle of a fire nation resort and stay at the fire lord's house? ARE YOU NUTS!" Sokka started ranting.
"Nobody goes there anymore, my Dad even made us go to Ember Island to get rid of us for some war meeting and he sent us to our advisor's house." Zuko protested
"Why wouldn't you want to go to your own house?" Katara questioned.
"Because no one has stayed there since my family's been happy," Zuko sighed. He turned as Katara's eyes saddened.
"well if Zuko is sure, then lets go. Before Azula comes after us again." Aang stood up to begin packing his things.
"So we are just going to go to the fire lord's house? Are you Crazy?"