Avatar: The Parallels

Chapter 42: Once Upon a Play

Tikaani's POV:

I sat on the steps surrounding the courtyard as I watched Aang, Ryuu, and Zuko practice their firebending in the squared-off space. Zuko was shirtless; I was trying too hard not to stare. Toph was laying down in the shade, Katara was sitting a few steps above me, Red and Jet were off to who-knows-where, and Sokka and Suki had gone in to town to get some food. Aang, Ryuu, and Zuko stopped, took a deep breath, and exchanged some respectful bows, officially ending their firebending training--at least for now. Zuko stretched, cracking as he did so. He walked over to the fountain in the center of the courtyard, using a towel to wipe off the sweat from his firebending exercises with Aang.

"Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara questioned, peering around curiously. I noticed her eyes stop on Ryuu a few times. Well that's new...

"I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy." Zuko lowered the towel, looking towards the house. "And that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."

"You're staring." Red's voice suddenly sounded behind me, causing me to jump. "What's the matter? To focused on--"

"Oh, hush, you!" I interrupted, forming a snowball from the water in my waterbending pouch and throwing it at her. She stepped out of the way and it hit Jet in the chest. Jet seemed extremely unamused as he looked down at the snowball, then back up at me. "Where were you two?" I inquired curiously.

"We were exploring." Red shrugged, looking around at the courtyard. "This place is huge. It's like a second palace here on Ember Island." She sat down next to me and Jet sat on her other side. "Except without all the evil family members lurking around the corner."

Zuko frowned unsuredly at Red. "Was that... A joke?"

Red shrugged. "Sometimes I don't even know."

"It was a joke." Jet responded without so much as a hint at laughter. Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as Sokka ran into the courtyard, Suki walking slowly after them.

"You guys are not going to believe this!" Sokka exclaimed, hiding something behind his back. "There's a play about us" Sokka exclaimed, finally showing the object him and Ryuu had been fighting over. It was a poster with all of us on it: not just Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Zuko, but also Red, Ryuu, and I. I guess Jet joined us too late in the series to be placed in the forefront of the poster. However, I did notice several smaller drawings along the edges of the poster, which included Jet. Everyone got up and walked over, admiring the poster.

"A play?" Jet jeered, crossing his arms. "You're kidding, right? Why would they have a play about us?"

"Probably either to make fun of us, or to make us seem so awesome that it will validate why the Fire Lord hasn't caught us yet." Red suggested, also crossing her arms. I held back a laugh--her and Jet were mirroring one another without realizing it.

"Just listen to this!" Sokka insisted as he turned it over and began to read the caption aloud. "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 added, reading over Sokka's shoulder.

"We should go!" Ryuu immediately insisted, looking much too excited for this. "It'll be fun!"

"Ugh!" Zuko burst out, looking disgusted as he slouched by the fountain. "My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!"