End of the Beginning

Chapter 17

The others got onto Appa and we flew off once again. I suddenly remembered that one of the only people that used to make me as angry at them as I was now was with Zuko, back when we met in the South. The irony of having to experience it twice was frustrating. Especially when Azula can't stop thinking about her mother being at the center of her downfall from what I could understand. Well, her mother and occasionally me too.

After a bit of flying we landed at the entrance of Hira'a. Everyone besides Zuko and Azula changed into Fire Nation clothing. Lucky enough I never got rid of the clothes I had from over a year ago. I thought that even if they brought back horrible memories, they were still to nice and too expensive to throw away. As I quickly changed Azula kept observing me, realizing it was the same clothes that brought me slander throughout my time as the royal palace's unwanted guest. I looked away, hoping she would do the same. But she didn't, her piercing stare dug holes in my back. I shook it off, walking over to Zuko as he place a hood over his head to try and cover his scar.

"We need to hide our identities. We'll mobbed if people find out we're the Avatar, the Fire Lord, and Maiden of the Sea," Zuko said, while tying the knot on my sash from the back.

"Is that okay?" He asked me in a whisper to which I nodded.

"Don't worry," Aang smiled,"After hiding from you for all those months, we're masters of disguise!"

I looked to the air bender with a slightly confused expression. You could still see his tattoo on the top of his head. 

"Aang, that headband of yours is cute," Katara chimed in,"But it worked a lot better when you had hair,"

Well no one told me Aang had hair once.

"At least I brought this," I sighed, pulling out the hairpiece Kaito once gave me from my bag. Azula looked at me weirdly once more since it looked exactly the same as the one she gave me only in silver. Which I to only my knowledge, also kept in my bag.

"You look nice," Zuko said with a warm smile causing Azula to roll her eyes.

"See? A fake beard made out of sky bison fur!" Sokka said proudly making me turn to him," A classic!"

"Get away from me!" Azula said in a disgusted shock,"You smell like a wet possum-pigeon!"

I patted my brothers back as he loudly sneezed when we approached the streets of Hira'a.

"I told you it was a bad idea," I said as Sokka wiped off Appa's fur from his face.

"Yea yea I get it," Sokka said, annoyed that the beard didn't work.

We all looked to the center of the village where a stage was. A crowd of people surrounded it as the soft sound of music entered my ears. It was enticing, practically pulling me closer and closer to the sea of town folk. 

"I thought Hira'a was supposed to be a small town. Why is it so crowded?" Katara asked.

"Because theres a play," I said as we approached the crowd and the evident melody of an action scene now drummed in the background.

There were two actors, one dressed as a blue water spirit and the other as in red with a dragon mask. They approached each other with hostility. 

"I recognize this scene!" Zuko said a bit excited and looked to me as if I was supposed to understand,"It's the final battle in Love Amongst the Dragons,"

"Well this is kind of a weird first time," I laughed a bit under my breath.

"Yeah," Zuko said with a small smile,"But we can at least watch this part now," 

My poor heart.

So we stayed to watch as what I now knew was the dragon emperor and the dark water spirit battling it out. I knew the plot since Zuko told me about it once when I found the script in the royal library. It was the most popular play of the Fire Nation after all and Zuko knew the entire story almost by heart. Although this was my first time actually seeing it.

"Remember when mother used to take us to watch the Ember Island players perform this play? Afterwards on the beach, you and I would reenact this very scene," Zuko said, making Azula reminisce the past,"I don't get why I always had to be the dark water spirit though,"

"Clearly, I made a better dragon emperor," Azula said confidently only to get shushed by an old man in the front row sitting next to his wife.

Azula snapped as Zuko held her back. I softly groaned trying to ignore the overly sensitive Azula as the final scene of the play approached. The dragon empress was now on stage, I still owned the mask from the Fire Day's festival. The memory of the mask made me smile for some odd reason. 

"Remember when I wore that mask?" I asked to my brother who was surprisingly hyper focused on the play.

"Oh yea!" He said, breaking his concentration only to get shushed making the both of us wince a bit. We then glanced at each other briefly causing the both of us to laugh amongst the two of us. 

Sokka and I being too busy snickering that we missed the kiss, making us both whine softly. Cheers erupted around us as Aang and Katara exchanged a kiss. I looked over to Zuko who reached his hand for mine, with a bright smile. I couldn't help but smile back as he hugged me warmly for a brief moment. His hand softly placed on my hair in a way he wouldn't mess it up. It wasn't anything big like a kiss but it was just as special. Once we pulled away from each other everyone began walking away.

"Everybody's leaving! What do we do now?" Aang asked.

"Let me ask around," Zuko replied, walking over to the older couple that was in attendance,"Excuse me. We're looking for information on a woman named Ursa. I believe she lived here many years ago,"

"Ursa,,,Ursa,,, Wasn't she the magistrate's daughter?" The man responded.

"Oh yes,,,!" The mans wife added,"Rumor has it she,,,"

"Excuse me," Suddenly entered my ear from behind me. 

Wide eyed, Sokka, Katara and I jumped back to let the man pass. My heart almost dropped out of shock. As I observed the man he wore a blue spirit mask, and wasn't much taller then Zuko. I wondered if he worked for the play. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," The man said taking off his mask and greeting Zuko with a handshake,"My name is Noren. I'm the director of the Hira'a acting troupe. Ursa was once a member,"

I called it.

"Really?" Zuko asked hopefully.

"That's right!" The woman said suddenly remembering the past,"She always wanted to play the Dragon Empress, but she never got the chance! Didn't she-"

"We should find a quiet place to talk away from the crowds," Noren said, wary of the other townspeople listening to a conversation that he made seem wasn't for them.

I tilted my head a bit to the man in confusion. It felt like he was keeping something to himself. But I couldn't tell exactly what.

"You're all welcome to come to my home. We'll share some tea and I'll tell you everything I know," Noren said, leading us away from the center of the town.

"It would be an honor," Zuko bowed,"Thank you,"

I looked to the man seemingly not wanting to follow along but Zuko reached for my hand and pulled me along with him. Well it didn't matter, as long as we got useful information I didn't care. I just wanted answers, to the letter and to how Zuko actually thinking about this entire situation. And I was willing to wait however long it takes to find Lady Ursa. Trying my best not to focus on whatever was going on until I had a real basis to go off of. It was hard not to go insane pondering on the what if's but for some reason I had this odd sense of faith. 

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(A/N: yea I'm late af yea I have no excuses therefore I'm sorry but the chapter is out today yea :~:)