In the courtyard of her family's beach house, Zira stood with Aang, Zuko and Shai practising their firebending in sync. Toph and Katara were on steps nearby watching them train.
The firebenders created sweeping arcs of fire that dissipated into the ground. Then they each raised an arm and leg, sending forth streams of fire, before leaning forward and sending forth another stream of fire.
Finishing, they all stood upright, assuming a final fighting stance before closing their eyes, relaxing their postures, and taking a deep breath.
They all bowed to each other respectively before Zuko stretched his arms and walked over to the fountain.
" Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked
"I told you, my Father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy" Zuko replied, sitting on the fountain and wiping his forehead with a towel.
" And that was a long time ago" Zira added quietly, looking down.
"This is the last place anyone would think to look for us" Zuko finished.
" You guys are not gonna believe this! There's a play about us!" Sokka suddenly came running in with Suki.
" We were just in town and we found this poster" Suki smiled as Sokka held up the poster
"What? How is that possible?" Shai asked as Sokka showed everyone the poster.
"Listen to this ..." Sokka turned the poster towards him and began reading "The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."
"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players." Suki read the last line before Sokka rolled up the poster.
Zuko and Zira both groaned at the mention of the Ember Island Players making the others turn to them.
"Mom always used to take us to see them" Zira huffed
"They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!" Zuko added
"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked looking a little sceptical.
"Come on, a day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" Sokka grinned, unrolling the poster again.
*
That night, the Gaang went to the theatre to see the show. They were up on one of the balconies so no one would recognise them. Aang was wearing a hat to cover up his arrow and Zira and Zuko both wore black hoods to hide their faces.
"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here!" Toph complained, sitting in the front row beside Shai.
" Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening." Katara smiled, sitting on her other side.
Zira stood there for a moment, glancing between Katara and her brother who was about to sit in the back row with Sokka and Suki. She grinned mischievously.
"Aang, come on" Zira grabbed her boyfriend's hand and rushed over.
"Hey!" Zuko complained as they pushed past him and took the seats next to Sokka and Suki before he could sit down.
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Inner Fire - ATLA fanfic
Fanfiction. The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar the Last Airbender. It is not mine. I only own my original charact...
