The morning of the summer solstice, Aang announced to the others that they had to take yet another detour. "Roku said he has something to tell me."

Kouji blinked.  "Roku?  The last Avatar?"

"He talks to me sometimes," Aang said, shrugging. "We need to go to his home island. He gave me directions."

"Oh.  Okay."  Kouji went back to brooding, both over the lotus tile and the fact that he hadn't seen his older brother or twin sister in almost nine months.  He usually tried not to think about it, but today was hard because it was Ichiro's seventeenth birthday.

They came to an island that was little more than a chunk of black rock.

"I'll stay with Appa," Kouji offered quietly, not really caring to go along on this little field trip.

No one objected.

The others all returned at dawn. While Katara was distracted, Toph quietly filled him in on the mass of information Roku had given Aang.

Kouji's eyes went wide.  "That's crazy," he hissed back.

"It's the way things were," Toph said quietly. "Figured you should know, too."

"Yeah… yeah, thanks," he replied.

She then fell silent and, shortly after, fell asleep.  Absently Kouji found a light blanket and spread it over her, then went back to brooding, turning the pai sho tile over and over in his hand.

A couple days later, they stopped outside a little town. They were running out of supplies, and this town was large and busy enough to let them blend in easily while they did their shopping.  Kouji, as per usual, trailed along at the back of the group behind Toph.  Thankfully, Katara wasn't with them — she and Toph had been fighting earlier, and she'd been left to clean up the mess.

Kouji couldn't help but look around, like he did in every town they visited.  By now, of course, it was no longer new, but he liked seeing how differently the towns were set up from those in the Earth Kingdom, or even the colonies.

"Look at all those messenger hawks!" Sokka was saying, excitedly. "Y'know, I've been thinking about getting one for myself. That way, I wouldn't have to talk to anyone! I could just send them messages!"

"I gotta say, I like the idea of not talking to you," Toph replied brightly.

"Messenger hawks are bred for distance travel, not short flights," Kouji said.  "For towns, or even places that are close by, usually they'll use kids as runners, or even official messengers."

"Still," Sokka said, peering at the birds.

"So, guys," Aang broke in. "What are we going to get with our last silver piece?"

And there was the problem with leaving Katara behind. She always handled the money. Because none of the others could be trusted with it.

"Food?" offered Kouji.  He was always hungry.

Toph stopped. "No. We can get more money."

The younger boy blinked.  "What?"

Right there." She pointed down into an alley, where a small clump of people was gathered around a table, playing some sort of game of chance involving a pebble and three cups. "This is where you seeing people are at a disadvantage," she explained. "Everyone guesses wrong because the dealer moves the rock at the last minute. But I can feel it with my earthbending."

Sure enough, the man currently playing picked a cup, and lost. He left in tears.

Kouji sighed.  He couldn't feel what Toph did yet.  But then he caught on.  "Wait, are you going to…?"

"You there!" the dealer called. "Wanna play a friendly game?"

"How could I possibly play?" Toph said, in her best innocent voice. "I'm blind!"

"You don't have to see to be lucky," the dealer said, turning up the smarm.

Toph knelt and made a big show of feeling for the table and the cups before setting down their silver piece.  Kouji refrained magnificently from rolling his eyes; he kept his face carefully blank so as not to blow her chance.

The dealer showed her the rock, then started twisting the cups around. She pointed at the correct cup.

"Flameo, Toph," Aang said, grinning.

"Wow," the dealer said, tossing her a pair of silver pieces. "Fancy guessing. You're amazing at this. Would you like to make the game a little more interesting?"

"More interesting? How?" Once again, she overplayed the innocent slightly.

"Well, let's say you toss in your friend's fine sword there, then I'll put up twenty silver pieces against it, and that's more interesting," he said, grinning smarmily at the kids.

Oh gods, thought Kouji.  She's going to bilk him and good.  He sat down just behind her, deciding to see if he could track the pebbles himself.  He knew better than to help her.

Before Sokka could object, she snatched the sword and held it out to the dealer. "I'll do it for forty pieces."

"Forty silver pieces it is," he replied, adding more to the bag. He started swirling the cups around again, then smirked at the kids. When she pointed at the centre one, his smirk widened. "Sorry little lady, but — huh?" He pressed his face to the table, staring at the pebble.

"I won!" Toph crowed, then she grabbed the money and Sokka clung protectively to his sword and the kids ran away. Aang grabbed Kouji to make sure he wouldn't be left behind.  "I can go myself, you know," Kouji pointed out, just behind the Avatar.  He didn't pull free,  though.  The four of them ran around the town, Toph gambling in a few more places, before giving in to the inevitable and spending some of the money so they didn't come back empty-handed.

Kouji helped them carry everything back, but he was quiet in comparison to their loud laughter at successful scamming.

"Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?" Katara asked when they tossed the food at her feet.

"Toph got us money!" Aang said excitedly. "She scammed from those guys in town that move shells around all sneaky-like."

Katara put on a very sour face as her brother added, "She used earthbending to win the game! Classic!"

"Ah. So she cheated."

"Hey," Toph protested. "I only cheated because he was cheating. I cheated a cheater. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm just saying," Katara said, though she seemed slightly less disgusted, "this isn't something we should make a habit of doing."

"Why?" Toph asked. "Because it's fun? And you hate fun?"

"I don't hate fun!" Katara protested. She put Momo on her head. "See? Fun!"

Momo yelled what had to be dirty words in Lemur at her, then scampered off.

"Katara," Aang said, standing, "I'll make you an Avatar promise that we won't make a habit of doing these scams." He bowed.

Kouji shook his head and started packing the supplies away, giving the cranky waterbender a wide berth.  There was no way this would end well.

 

 

Sure enough, they went back into town again the next day — leaving Katara behind once again — only to have Aang break his 'Avatar Promise' within an hour, joining gleefully in on the scamming.

"What happened to your promise?" Kouji hissed at him after one such scam.

"We need the money," Aang hissed back defensively. "Plus, we're only scamming jerks and other scammers."

"We don't need it after yesterday!" the younger boy pointed out.

"It's more fun than arguing with Toph about it," Aang finally said, sheepishly, after trying to come up with a better reason for a few minutes.

Kouji let out a disgusted noise.  "Forget it.  I'm going back to the camp."

"We'll be heading back in like ten minutes. You might as well just wait and come with us," Aang pointed out. Besides, if he went back without the others, he'd be alone with Katara.

"Then I'll wait outside the town!" Kouji snapped, and stalked off.

It was closer to an hour before the others joined him, again loaded down with money and supplies and very pleased with themselves.

Kouji joined in again on the carrying, but remained silent throughout.  There were much more important things that could be happening while they did this.  Aang still needed to train.  Sokka should have been practising with his sword.  And the Day of Black Sun was coming closer.

Katara had a different objection waiting for them when they got back to camp. "Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is going to happen."

"Could you for once just stop being such a sourpuss and lighten up?" Toph asked, flicking a coin at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Katara snapped, "You think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?"

"Yeah, maybe!" Toph shot back. "Maybe then you'd see how great we have it! I mean, look at us! We're travelling around the world, making easy money, having fun, with no parents to tell us what to do!"

"Aaaah, I see," Katara said, more than a little condescending. "You're acting like this because of your parents."

Uh oh.  Kouji grabbed an apple and his wakizashi and fled the oncoming storm.  The argument finally ended with Toph making herself an earth tent and slamming the doors between herself and the others. 

…yeah, I think I'll sleep over here tonight, Kouji thought.

 

*          *          *

Sokka, meanwhile, had gone into town and bought himself a messenger hawk. "Hawky, welcome to Team Avatar," he said, stroking his new pet. "My name's Sokka and I'm your new owner, and, as such, I should warn you that there's already a lemur in our group, so I don't want to see any—" He stopped short, catching sight of an oddly familiar face on a wanted poster. "…What the hell?" He yanked it down to get a closer look. "No way. No freaking w—" He saw the poster next to it, and stuffed the first one into his pocket, immediately forgotten. He snatched the second down and zoomed back to camp.

 

*          *          *

 

Kouji didn't rejoin the group until dinner, and even then he only intended to be there long enough to take his share and flee from Katara.  As he was leaving, Toph and Sokka came back, and, within seconds, Katara and the older earthbender were screaming at each other again.

Kouji fled even faster.  When he was far enough from their camp that the screaming was muffled, he built a rock tent of his own and climbed inside to eat.  When he finished, he grabbed his sword and went out to practise for himself.  None of the others bothered him. The girls were too busy fuming, and Aang and Sokka were too busy with their inept attempts to patch things up between them.

"This is crazy," Kouji said to nobody.

 

Around midmorning the next day, Sokka ran by his earth tent. "Oh, there you are. Listen, we think Katara and Toph were really really stupid to do that thing with turning her in for the reward money, because they're not back yet. We're going to go bust 'em out."

Kouji blinked at him.  "….wait, Katara went in on a scam?  She was the sane one for once!"

"It was her idea, even," Sokka sighed. "Are you coming with us or staying out of it?"

"Toph's my bending teacher," Kouji replied, sinking his tent back where it came from and grabbing his sword.  "You know I'm in."

"Great!" Sokka said. "Now come on." On the way to join Aang and go into town, he filled the younger boy in on the details of the scam.

"…that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life," Kouji said.  "There are way too many risks!"

"Yeah, but the payoff—"

Kouji thumped Sokka on the arm.  "Is no good if either of them are recognised!"

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed, and they caught up with Aang.

"Good you found him let's go," the Avatar said, all in a rush, then pelted off towards the town.

Being shorter, Kouji fell behind quickly, but he grimly pressed on.  He was keeping some of his stamina in reserve, just in case.

When they reached the town, it was deserted.

"Where do you think they might be?" Sokka asked.

"Where do you think anyone is?" Aang replied.

Kouji pivoted so that his back was to Sokka and Aang, keeping an eye behind him.  He set one foot down, checking for anyone outside or in.  While his range wasn't as good as Toph's, it was increasing.

It wasn't until they reached the main square that they found any sign of life. A tiny teenage girl--not much taller than Kouji or Toph — was perched on the base of the massive Azulon statue. She wore a hooded cloak and had a sheathed katana across her lap.

On cue, Kouji's face turned red, but his eyes narrowed, and he tried to move in front of Aang.  The girl was faster than he was. Before he was halfway there, her katana was out and she was making a beeline for Aang.

"No!"  Kouji slammed his foot down, using earthbending to jerk Aang out of the way.  She corrected quickly, using her momentum to spin around and block Sokka, who'd pulled out his own sword to defend his friend.

Kouji didn't bother to draw his sword — there was no way he was good enough to face her with that.  Instead he drew sand from his bag and slashed it at her back.

Luck was with her, not the boys, unfortunately, as she'd ducked to avoid a swing from Sokka at exactly the wrong moment. He yelped in surprise and barely sidestepped the sand.

"Sorry!" Kouji cried, taking back his sandwhip and trying again.

No probl— aak!" Sokka squeaked, dancing to avoid the girl's low cut at his ankles.

"Aang, go!" the earthbender yelled, darting forward to launch another attack on the katana-wielding girl.

"No way!" Aang said, diving at her as well. She twisted and cut at him, only to be shoved back and pinned to the Azulon statue by a dirty chunk of ice.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Katara yelled, running up with Toph to join them.

"Don't have to tell me twice!"  Kouji grabbed Aang's wrist and took off.

Toph pulled u a wall between them and the girl as soon as they got into an alley, and the five of them ran back to camp.  The boy pitched in on the feverish packing, not even bothering to avoid Katara in the rush to get away.

Fortunately, she was just as distracted, and didn't yell at him until he bumped into her. "Watch it!" she snapped.

"Sorry!" he said quickly, and darted away.

She glowered at him for a few seconds, then returned back to her packing.

This time, Kouji glared back.

Soon everything was on Appa and they were in the air, escaping the town.

"Who was that girl?" Aang asked, noticing the tension building between Kouji and Katara and trying to head it off by trying to figure out who she was and who'd sent her.

"Assassin, maybe," said Kouji after a moment.  "It would explain the complete randomness of it."

"Yeah, but… I'm supposed to be dead. Who knows I'm alive?"

"Basically us.  And the Water Tribe warriors."

"And anyone you've been talking to," Katara muttered, almost inaudibly.

Kouji's head snapped around.  "You think I blabbed?"

"None of us would have," she snapped back.

"Neither would I!"

"Oh. Sure."

Kouji's grey eyes narrowed.  "What the hell is your problem!?"

"You!" she exploded. "You are my problem! You shouldn't even be here!"

"I've never done anything to you!" Kouji yelled back at her.

"Yes, you have!" she shot back.

"What?  What have I ever done to you?"

"You make me into someone I don't want to be! You are a constant reminder of everything that has ever gone wrong with my life! You—"

"Katara, stop. Both of you, stop," Aang cut in. "Whatever Kouji reminds you of, he's here now. That decision got made ages ago, and we're not unmaking it. And yelling about it isn't helping. So just be quiet and deal with it."

Kouji was shaking with pure fury, his eyes bright with unshed tears.  "You have no idea what I have gone through since the North Pole.  You have no idea what he went through.  I'm not him."  That said, he stalked as far as he could from Katara and curled up tight, burying his face in his knees and trying not to cry.

Katara started to say something, but Aang glared at her and she subsided. The rest of the night passed in tense silence, until Toph went to Katara, successfully distracting her enough that some of the tension faded.

 

Why do I put up with this? Kouji wondered.  Why am I even still here?  Who does she think she is?  Why do I go out of my way to avoid her?

Why am I still here?

Why did Zuko attack the Avatar…?

Kouji's tears spilled over, and his shoulders shook while he tried to muffle his sobs.  I want to go home!

Aang came to sit with him. "Hi."

The younger boy looked up at him, but said nothing.

"You can't leave," he said, quietly. "I know you're probably thinking about leaving, but I don't want you to. Katara's just…" He sighed. "I don't think she meant half of what she said. Or she would've said it earlier."

"She's right," Kouji replied, his voice rough.  "I shouldn't be here.  I shouldn't be anywhere.  And what do you care?"

"Toph trusts you," he replied quietly. "And you're right, you didn't do anything to us. Why shouldn't I care?"

"I was with Zuko," Kouji spat.  "And everyone knows you like her."

"Just 'cause you were with Zuko doesn't mean you think like him. And just 'cause I have a crush on Katara doesn't mean I think like her," Aang pointed out. Then he sighed. "If you want to leave, I can't stop you. But I think if you left now, you'd regret it. You'd get caught and, if you weren't sent to a work camp, you might be sent to Azula so she can blackmail Zuko to make sure he stays on her side. Just stay with us as long as we're in the Fire Nation. I'll make sure Katara doesn't go off on you again. Okay?"

At the mention of Azula, Kouji shuddered violently.  However, what he said was, "All he wanted was to go home."

"And he wasn't the one who shot me," Aang replied. "I can't say I'd be happy to see him, or that I'd let him stay without a really good reason, but I can sort of understand that he was really on the defensive. But maybe that's because I slept a hundred years and this war is so new to me. For Katara, it's been her whole life, and she's lost a lot."

"And I'm a convenient enemy target," Kouji said bitterly.  "Maybe I haven't lost what she has.  But I had to live in fear every day until Unc— until General Iroh hired me."

Aang nodded, accepting that. "Stay with us. Just 'til I can take you someplace safer. Okay?"

Kouji was silent for awhile, then finally nodded.

Aang hugged him briefly. "Want me to stay here, or want some space?"

"I don't know," Kouji whispered.

Aang just nodded, and stayed where he was. "Tell me when you want me to leave."

"…okay," Kouji replied.  He let himself fall onto his back and stared up at the stars.

Aang fell silent and just stayed there.