(Rewrite) Transdimensional Troubles

Chapter 12: The beach

A.N. Alright, guys, this chapter needs your reviews a lot. Cause I'm practicing for my university project which needs certain artistic effort and I practice here. Be critical in terms of artistic value.

"Too much sun," Danny complained. "My skin is being ravaged by the UV rays!"

"Who is the drama queen now," Mai responded sarcastically, looking at the half ghost trying to shield his eyes from the sun.

Phantom just mumbled something inaudible.

They were aboard the wooden barge, which was taking the teens to the Ember Island — one of the most fancy resorts of the Fire Nation. Danny could already see the land of rich brats all around. Despite this and being distracted from his work, Phantom actually seemed one of the most enthusiastic, or better say the least disappointed. Ty Lee was just as cheerful, happy to get a rest from...basically doing nothing at all. Danny wasn't sure what exactly the girl entertained herself with. Gymnastics, most probably. Come to think of it, the only times he saw her was when she bumped into him along with, for some reason, annoyed princess. It was like she intentionally did that.

But, all aggravating factors aside, Phantom liked the spot deep inside. There had been few occasions he had been on a beach, thanks to his parents preferring to go to some god forsaken place which is 'haunted' rather than enjoy warm sands and a cool sea. Unless the beach was haunted, too, but it happened only once. There was an aqua park in his town, but that was a meager replacement, considering how miserable and undermanned it was. Not to mention that he didn't live in Florida, there were cold days when it was simply inaccessible. So, Danny decided that he would try to relax for the first time in a very long while.

'Try' was the key word, as his conversation with Iroh was still fresh in his mind, nibbling on his thoughts and leaving nothing but itself inside his skull. A second chance, he said. It was as if they all knew what buttons to press in order to get what they wanted from him. If so, how come he had let them read him like an open book? This Danny was not aware of. A second chance, something he had been granted by the Time Master. He didn't fully understand his words. How could this be considered a second chance if he had lost everything in but a single day? It would have been, if everything was changed back, but it wasn't. He had considered such philosophical issue for months afterwards, and now it came back again, showing its smug head like a mole climbing out of its warm hideout. Ignorance is bliss indeed.

"Hey."

Danny blinked at Azula, who seemed just as unhappy as the rest. She leaned against the metal railing.

"Why spacing out?"

"Project," Phantom lied. "I hope that they won't break anything in my absence."

The princess snorted. "They are told not to resume their work while we are here."

"You are the suppleness itself, princess."

She snorted. "As long as everything goes properly," Azula subtly reminded him.

Yes, as if they could forget the conditions of their current cooperation. It was a debatable issue as to whether or not both were now dependent on the other. Surely the Fire Lord is not foolish enough to do anything too horrible to his heiress for this act of fruitful disobedience. If so, then Azula was in the better position than him. Still, there was a certain level of dependence on him. It was somewhat reassuring. He knew perfectly that it hadn't been done as a part of the Fire Lord's hidden scheme. It was all her doing.