Chan had never felt more excited for anything. For the first time in seven years, his father was out on Halloween night. This provided him with the extraordinary opportunity to throw a super sexy costume beach party.
Chan had been wanting for so long to do just that. All he had to do was pray that those crazy royal fire siblings wouldn’t mess anything up.
Chan picked out the best gourds and pumpkins and caved into them, adorning each with a candle to light the way to his party.
The party was in full swing by 10:00. Chan’s Crow costume was clearly wooing all the ladies. He had the best band in the Fire Nation playing the spookiest tunes. He had the tastiest Halloween treats. Everything was going according to plan.
There came a knock on the door. “Please come i…” Chan cut himself off at the sight of the prince and princess…and their friends.
“On second thought, please don’t.”
“Why so Sirius?” Azula asked.
“Damn it Azula, I told you, if you’re going to be Bellatrix Lestrange then you can’t quote the Joker in Harry Potter puns!” Zuko frowned.
“And I told you that dressing up as Dante Bosco was a stupid idea.” Azula retorted.
“I thought it was a pretty neat idea!” Ty-Lee. The girl didn’t look half bad herself in her ghost bride costume. Standing silently next to her was Mai. Like Chan, she was dressed as the Crow.
“Okay, one of us is gonna have to change, and it isn’t going to be me.” Mai pointed out.
“This is my party!” Chan yelled.
“Not anymore Chan.” Azula declared. “You see, Zu-Zu and I were planning on trying to contact some dead Fire Nation soldiers. We’ll call it Azula’s Beach Séance.”
“No, no, no. This is Chan’s Halloween Beach Party!”
“I don’t know, man.” Ruon-Jian gave his input. “I think a séance sounds wicked cool.”
“Why do you always have to ruin my party.” He pouted.
“I’m not ruining it, I’m enhancing it.” Azula stated. “Alright Zuko, do the honors.”
“Really Azula?” Zuko muttered. He made his way to the center of the room. “Listen up everyone. It exactly midnight Azula and I will be preforming a séance at exactly midnight. If you got any dead relatives that you’d like to talk to again…well now you have a chance.”
“We’re about to do something that only the Avatar has been able to do.” Azula added. “We’re going to contact the spirit world and bring the dead forward.”
“It’ll be a night to remember.” Ty-Lee promised.
“It’ll probably be boring.” Mai countered. “Boring and just about as real as pentapocks.”
“Thank you Mai.” Azula frowned.
“How are you guys going to ruin my party before midnight?” Chan asked.
“Oh relax, we’re just here to have a good time.” Azula waved him off. “See.” She motioned to Ty-Lee who had sparked up a casual conversation with a group of other girls.
“Until midnight, Zu-Zu and I are going to listen to scary stories.”
“Apparently I’m going to listen to scary stories.” Zuko confirmed.
“I’m good at telling them.” Mai declared. “One night, there was a girl. Her name was Lee Su…”
“Not this one again.” Azula sighed.
“…She made her way up to one of the Air Temples. When she got there…nothing happened.”
“It’s scary because it was so boring.” Zuko finished.
“I was actually going to end it differently this time, but okay.” Mai replied.
“I can’t wait for midnight.” Chan groaned.
***
Azula blew out all the candles in the room. All but a single candle that she had positioned in the middle of the table…that one she dimmed to a hazy blue.
“Now, everybody hold hands.” Azula instructed. “Except for you Chan, you’ll ruin everything.”
She waited for everyone…but Chan… to interlock hands.
“Is there anyone who has someone specific they’d like to contact?” Azula asked.
“My cousin Xang-Toh.” Came a voice from across the room.
“Xang-Toh it is.” Zuko confirmed.
“Do you have something that belonged to him?” Azula asked.
He drew a small coin out of his pocket. “That’ll do fine.” Azula decided. “Ty-Lee, pass it over.”
The girl nodded and handed the coin to Azula. She put in underneath the candle. “Go ahead Mai. Everyone else, be quiet.”
Mai let out a string of monotone, incoherent mumbles.“Xang-Toh, if you are with us, I command you to come forth.”
Nothing.
“Xang-Toh, if you can hear me, let us know.”
There came a knock overhead. Once…twice…thrice.
“I’m scared.” One of the party guests called.
“Do you want to speak to us. Your cousin would like to make contact with you.”
The knocking came again followed by the sound of a marble rolling across the floor.
“Come downstairs by us.” Mai demanded.
Everything went silent. And then there was a thud as Azula’s body met the floor.
“Azula.” Zuko shouted.
Her eyes seemed to roll back. She grabbed at his wrist and screamed, clawing at his forearm. She eventually found the strength to pull him right off the chair, sending him tumbling into Chan. She scowled and glared across the table.
“I’m scared.” The same guest repeated.
“Make it stop.” Cried another.
“I—I can’t.” Mai muttered. “I don’t know how. This wasn’t even supposed to work.”
Azula’s hands squeezed around Zuko’s neck.
“Azula stop.” Ty-Lee shrieked.
The firebender didn’t let up.
“That isn’t Azula, that’s Xang-Toh.” Mai pointed out.
“Xang wouldn’t do that…he wouldn’t do this.” His cousin trembled.
Zuko fell limp.
“Azula!” Ty-Lee shrieked.
“You did it again.” Chan wailed. “You ruined my party.” He shouted over the various screams emitted after Zuko stopped moving.
Just when the cloud of fear seemed to be at its thickest, Azula re-lit the candles. “Well that was fun.” She smirked.
Zuko got to his feet. “You all should have seen yourselves.”
“You guys ruined my party!” Azula mocked.
“What was that knocking from upstairs?” Chan asked.
“Oh. Well that actually wasn’t us.” Azula shrugged.
“It wasn’t?” Mai asked.
“Nope.” Azula stated matter-of-factly. “Enjoy your haunted house Chan.” She motioned for the others to follow her out.
“My dad’s gonna kill me. Again.” Chan frowned.
“Perhaps we should stop throwing parties. Halloween or not.” Ruon-Jian suggested. “Epically parties where all of our guests are dead.”
“What are you talking about?” Chan asked.
“Don’t you know…none of us where ever here. The princess…her brother…they’ve been dead since the day of black sun. I’ve been dead since I was taken by the riptide last year.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Chan hollered. “Ghosts can’t hold séances.”
“They can hold fake ones and invite some dead friends over.” Ruon-Jian pointed out. “Now seriously man…you had one last party, Azula trashed one last party...Come join the rest of the Fire Nation on the other side.”
Chan had been wanting for so long to do just that. All he had to do was pray that those crazy royal fire siblings wouldn’t mess anything up.
Chan picked out the best gourds and pumpkins and caved into them, adorning each with a candle to light the way to his party.
The party was in full swing by 10:00. Chan’s Crow costume was clearly wooing all the ladies. He had the best band in the Fire Nation playing the spookiest tunes. He had the tastiest Halloween treats. Everything was going according to plan.
There came a knock on the door. “Please come i…” Chan cut himself off at the sight of the prince and princess…and their friends.
“On second thought, please don’t.”
“Why so Sirius?” Azula asked.
“Damn it Azula, I told you, if you’re going to be Bellatrix Lestrange then you can’t quote the Joker in Harry Potter puns!” Zuko frowned.
“And I told you that dressing up as Dante Bosco was a stupid idea.” Azula retorted.
“I thought it was a pretty neat idea!” Ty-Lee. The girl didn’t look half bad herself in her ghost bride costume. Standing silently next to her was Mai. Like Chan, she was dressed as the Crow.
“Okay, one of us is gonna have to change, and it isn’t going to be me.” Mai pointed out.
“This is my party!” Chan yelled.
“Not anymore Chan.” Azula declared. “You see, Zu-Zu and I were planning on trying to contact some dead Fire Nation soldiers. We’ll call it Azula’s Beach Séance.”
“No, no, no. This is Chan’s Halloween Beach Party!”
“I don’t know, man.” Ruon-Jian gave his input. “I think a séance sounds wicked cool.”
“Why do you always have to ruin my party.” He pouted.
“I’m not ruining it, I’m enhancing it.” Azula stated. “Alright Zuko, do the honors.”
“Really Azula?” Zuko muttered. He made his way to the center of the room. “Listen up everyone. It exactly midnight Azula and I will be preforming a séance at exactly midnight. If you got any dead relatives that you’d like to talk to again…well now you have a chance.”
“We’re about to do something that only the Avatar has been able to do.” Azula added. “We’re going to contact the spirit world and bring the dead forward.”
“It’ll be a night to remember.” Ty-Lee promised.
“It’ll probably be boring.” Mai countered. “Boring and just about as real as pentapocks.”
“Thank you Mai.” Azula frowned.
“How are you guys going to ruin my party before midnight?” Chan asked.
“Oh relax, we’re just here to have a good time.” Azula waved him off. “See.” She motioned to Ty-Lee who had sparked up a casual conversation with a group of other girls.
“Until midnight, Zu-Zu and I are going to listen to scary stories.”
“Apparently I’m going to listen to scary stories.” Zuko confirmed.
“I’m good at telling them.” Mai declared. “One night, there was a girl. Her name was Lee Su…”
“Not this one again.” Azula sighed.
“…She made her way up to one of the Air Temples. When she got there…nothing happened.”
“It’s scary because it was so boring.” Zuko finished.
“I was actually going to end it differently this time, but okay.” Mai replied.
“I can’t wait for midnight.” Chan groaned.
***
Azula blew out all the candles in the room. All but a single candle that she had positioned in the middle of the table…that one she dimmed to a hazy blue.
“Now, everybody hold hands.” Azula instructed. “Except for you Chan, you’ll ruin everything.”
She waited for everyone…but Chan… to interlock hands.
“Is there anyone who has someone specific they’d like to contact?” Azula asked.
“My cousin Xang-Toh.” Came a voice from across the room.
“Xang-Toh it is.” Zuko confirmed.
“Do you have something that belonged to him?” Azula asked.
He drew a small coin out of his pocket. “That’ll do fine.” Azula decided. “Ty-Lee, pass it over.”
The girl nodded and handed the coin to Azula. She put in underneath the candle. “Go ahead Mai. Everyone else, be quiet.”
Mai let out a string of monotone, incoherent mumbles.“Xang-Toh, if you are with us, I command you to come forth.”
Nothing.
“Xang-Toh, if you can hear me, let us know.”
There came a knock overhead. Once…twice…thrice.
“I’m scared.” One of the party guests called.
“Do you want to speak to us. Your cousin would like to make contact with you.”
The knocking came again followed by the sound of a marble rolling across the floor.
“Come downstairs by us.” Mai demanded.
Everything went silent. And then there was a thud as Azula’s body met the floor.
“Azula.” Zuko shouted.
Her eyes seemed to roll back. She grabbed at his wrist and screamed, clawing at his forearm. She eventually found the strength to pull him right off the chair, sending him tumbling into Chan. She scowled and glared across the table.
“I’m scared.” The same guest repeated.
“Make it stop.” Cried another.
“I—I can’t.” Mai muttered. “I don’t know how. This wasn’t even supposed to work.”
Azula’s hands squeezed around Zuko’s neck.
“Azula stop.” Ty-Lee shrieked.
The firebender didn’t let up.
“That isn’t Azula, that’s Xang-Toh.” Mai pointed out.
“Xang wouldn’t do that…he wouldn’t do this.” His cousin trembled.
Zuko fell limp.
“Azula!” Ty-Lee shrieked.
“You did it again.” Chan wailed. “You ruined my party.” He shouted over the various screams emitted after Zuko stopped moving.
Just when the cloud of fear seemed to be at its thickest, Azula re-lit the candles. “Well that was fun.” She smirked.
Zuko got to his feet. “You all should have seen yourselves.”
“You guys ruined my party!” Azula mocked.
“What was that knocking from upstairs?” Chan asked.
“Oh. Well that actually wasn’t us.” Azula shrugged.
“It wasn’t?” Mai asked.
“Nope.” Azula stated matter-of-factly. “Enjoy your haunted house Chan.” She motioned for the others to follow her out.
“My dad’s gonna kill me. Again.” Chan frowned.
“Perhaps we should stop throwing parties. Halloween or not.” Ruon-Jian suggested. “Epically parties where all of our guests are dead.”
“What are you talking about?” Chan asked.
“Don’t you know…none of us where ever here. The princess…her brother…they’ve been dead since the day of black sun. I’ve been dead since I was taken by the riptide last year.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Chan hollered. “Ghosts can’t hold séances.”
“They can hold fake ones and invite some dead friends over.” Ruon-Jian pointed out. “Now seriously man…you had one last party, Azula trashed one last party...Come join the rest of the Fire Nation on the other side.”
