Balance | Old Version

Chapter 112 (The Ember Island Players)

Before the chapter starts, you should know that if there is an 'A-' in front of the name that means Actor/Actress. Okay, on with the chapter!

Elua's POV.

We had been hiding on Ember Island for about a day now and Zuko, Aang, and I had just finished firebending training.
"Doesn't it seem kinda weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asks from where she and Toph sit. 
"I told you, my Father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy and that was a long time ago," Zuko states. "This is the last place anyone would think to look for us," He tells her. I look up as I hear footsteps, to see Sokka and Suki coming back from the market looking excited.
"You guys are not going to believe this. There's a play about us," Sokka tells us smiling.
"We were just in town and we found this poster," Suki says as Sokka holds up a poster filled with paintings of all of us.
"How is that possible?" Katara asks, confused as to how they got this information about us.
"Listen to this," Sokka says as he clears his throat.

"'The Boy and Lady in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu On Tim who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar and Nadir from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources including singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.'," Sokka reads from the poster in his hands.
"'Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.'," Suki adds.
"Ugh," Zuko groans in exasperation. "My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst The Dragons' every year," He says in dismay.
"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" I ask him, unsure about this. What if it just made us feel terrible about ourselves? 
"Come on, Elua, a day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing," Sokka says with a wide grin of excitement.

That Night.

Sadly, we had decided to go see the play about the adventures we all had gone on in the last year. We walk into the theatre, filled with Fire Nation people and find seats away from everyone.
"Hey, uh...I wanted to sit there," Aang tells Zuko, who has sat next to Katara.
"Just sit next to me, what's the big deal?" Zuko asks him in confusion.
"I was just...I wanted to...Okay," Aang sighs in defeat as he sits down.
"Why are we sitting in the nose bleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here," Toph says.
"Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening," Katara jokes as the play begins. The curtains open, revealing two actors in a fake boat as they sail through the icy water.
"Sokka, my only brother. We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas and yet never do we find anything fulfilling," A-Katara says dramatically.

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach, I'm starving!" A-Sokka says, making the audience laugh heartily while the we all stare in confusion.
"Is food the only thing on your mind?" A-Katara asks.
"Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth. I'm starving," A-Sokka says, the audience laughs again.
"This is pathetic. My jokes are way funnier than this," Sokka says, taking offense to the poor acting and lines.
"I think he's got you pegged," Toph laughs.
"Every day, the World awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears. Still, we cannot give up hope. For hope is all we have and we must never relinquish it. Even...even to our dying breath," A-Katara says as she begins to 'cry'.

"Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that," Katara says as she crosses her arms, while the rest of us try to hide our laughter.
"Oh man, this writer's a genius," Toph says with a smile on her face as she leans back. The stage suddenly glows as a fake iceberg rolls in behind the actors.
"It appears to be people frozen in ice. Perhaps for a hundred years," A-Katara says as they stage glows and we see the 'ice burg' Aang and I were frozen in.
"But, who? Who are the people in the iceberg?" A-Sokka asks.
"Waterbend, hai-ya!" A-Katara shouts and as she breaks the ice. Two girls jump out of the ice, one dressed as me and the other dressed as Aang.
"Who are you, frozen boy and lady?" A-Katara asks A-us.
"We're the Avatar and Nadir, silly. Here to spread joy and fun," A-Aang says smiling and giggling.

"Wait, is that a woman playing me?" Aang asks in shock as he sits forward in his seat. Suddenly, A-Appa walks out of the ice and begins to circle the stage.
"Airbenders. My heart is so full of hope that it's making me tearbend," A-Katara says as she falls to her knees and begins to cry again.
"My stomach is so empty that it's making me tearbend. I need meat," A-Sokka whines as he too falls to his knees.
"But wait. Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?" A-Aang asks pointing out into the audience.
"Ooo. Where? Where?" A-Sokka asks as he looks out at all the people.
"Did I mention that my brother is an incurable prankster?" A-Me asks as she smiles.
"I don't do that. That's not what I'm like!" Aang exclaims. "And...I'm not a woman!" he states in annoyance as his shoulders slump.

"Oh, they nailed you, Twinkle Toes," Toph says laughing as Aang lazily falls back into his seat. The stage changes to Zuko in his ship with A-Zuko standing near the front of the ship, looking through a telescope.
"Prince Zuko, you must try this cake," A-Iroh says smiling widely.
"I don't have time to stuff my face. I must capture the Avatar and Nadir to regain my honor!" A-Zuko shouts.
"Well, while you do that, maybe I'll capture another slice," A-Iroh says smiling.
"You sicken me," A-Zuko says as he looks away.
"They make me totally stiff and humorless," Zuko says in annoyance. Katara and I look at each other as we silently laugh.
"Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on," I tell him, he looks back at me in shock.

"How could you say that?" Zuko asks me.
"Let's forget about the Avatar and get massages," A-Iroh says.
"How could you say that?!" A-Zuko shouts. I slowly look over to Zuko and smirk as he looks away in embarrassment. The scene on stage quickly changes to a setting of Kyoshi Island.
"Does this dress make my butt look fat?" A-Sokka asks in the Kyoshi uniform. Suki and I struggle to contain our laughter. I look over to Sokka who is blushing in embarrassment, I let out a quiet laugh. The stage changes a few more times, going through every time Zuko attacked us, to the things the group had done when I was taken by Zuko before getting to the Northern Water Tribe.
"Don't go, Yue. You're the only woman who's ever taken my mind off of food," A-Sokka says as he and A-Yue share a kiss. "Wait, did you have pickled fish for dinner?" A-Sokka asks A-Yue.

"Goodbye, Sokka. I have important Moon duties to take care of," A-Yue says as she sits on the moon. "And yes, I did have pickled fish," A-Yue says as she 'floats' away.
"You never told me you made out with the Moon Spirit," Suki says giggling.
"Shh. I'm trying to watch," Sokka says tearfully. I cross my arms and look over at him, somewhat annoyed and slightly jealous of the way he still felt about Yue.
"The Avatar is back to save the day! Yay!" A-Aang says as he, I mean she, is dressed as the ocean spirt and proceeds to kick tiny ships on the ground offstage as the curtain is lowered. Toph and the rest of the audience applaud and cheer, Aang groans and throws his entire body forward, Zuko brings his hood up and on his head, Sokka brings his palm to his face, visibly displeased and Suki and I laugh at their reactions to all of this.