Arabian Nights
One day near sunset an old man about the age of fifty with gray hair and sideburns was crossing a huge desert on the back of an ostrich horse. His name was Iroh and he was headed to his home the great city of Agrabah. As he traveled Iroh started to sing.
Iroh: Oh I come from a land
From a faraway place
where the caravan camels roam.
Where they cut off your ear
if they don't like your face
It's barbaric-But hey it's home
When the wind's from the east
and the sun's from the west
And the sand in the glass is right
Come on down step on by
to a land of Arabian nights!
Arabian nights!
Like Arabian days!
More often then not
Or hotter then hot
In a lot of good ways!
Arabian nights
with Arabian moons
A fool of his guard
could fall and fall hard
out there on the dunes!!
Finally Iroh reached his home and made his way to an alley where he stopped the ostrich horse. The poor horse collapsed form exhaustion with Iroh still on it. Iroh looked down at the animal shrugged his shoulders and slid off. As he set up a small stall he noticed 8 teenagers coming up to them. One of them was a pale skinned fire bender with a scar on his face named Zuko. With him was his girlfriend the dark skinned Taranee. Another was a shaggy brown haired boy named Jet and his redhead girlfriend Will. The next set was a young earth bender named Haru and his blonde girlfriend Cornelia. The last set was the young bald air bender named Aang and his young girlfriend Elyon. "Hey Iroh so what do have for us this time"? Cornelia asked. The teens always enjoined whatever Iroh had to tell them about his latest journeys even though Cornelia and Zuko pretended not to. "I have a feeling something really interesting" Taranee said. Iroh smiled. "You would be correct on that Taranee. Look at this." He held up an old brass lamp with at least two little dents in it. The teens raised their eyebrows un-impressed by the crappy looking lamp. "Why would we be interested in that thing"? Will asked. Iroh quickly shook his head at them. "Now don't be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Because like so many things it is not what is outside, but what is inside that counts". Wordlessly the teens looked at each other, nodded and turned to leave. "Wait don't go"! Iroh cried. The teen turned back around to face the old man. Iroh smiled seeing that he had re-gained their interest again. He continued his little speech. "You see this lamp once changed the course of a young girl's life. A girl who like this lamp was much more then what she seemed. A diamond in the rough". This sparked the teens attention. Elyon walked back over to Iroh and sat down in front. "Can you tell me the story"? She asked pleadingly. Iroh looked up at the others. "Would the rest of you like to hear it"? The others nodded and sat down at Iroh's stall with Elyon. Iroh smiled and started his story. "It begins on a dark night". Suddenly the scene changed to a starry sky and Iroh's voice was heard. "Where a dark women waits with a dark purpose".
Two figures were seen in the shadows. One was 14 year old girl with long dark hair tied in a top knot, pale skin and cold amber eyes. She wore a dark red dress with a gold collar. Her name was Azula. With her was a girl the same age. She had her long brown hair tied into a braid, fair skin and brown eyes. She wore a very pink two piece outfit. Her name was Ty Lee Azula's sidekick. They stood on a sand dune waiting for someone. Soon that person arrived. It was a 14 year old girl with pale skin blue eyes, black hair, and a slight sprinkling of freckles. She wore a simply green-blue dress. Her name was Miranda and she had been hired by Azula to do a very important job.
"You are late Miranda" Azula said coldly. Miranda bowed slightly. "Many apologizes my lady". "You have it then"? Azula asked hopefully. Miranda smiled and reached into her pocket. "I had to knock a few people out but I got it". She pulled out a golden item that looked like half of a big beetle. Azula reached for it but before her fingers closed around it Miranda pulled back suddenly. "I don't think so. At least until I get my treasure" she said holding out her hand expectantly. Suddenly a fist jabbed Miranda in the arm making her drop the golden beetle. The fist had belonged to Ty Lee who picked up the beetle and handed it to Azula. "Trust me my little friend" Azula said to Miranda, "You'll get what's coming to you". Then Azula reached into her pocket and produced the other half of the beetle. She slowly placed the two pieces with a fearful glitter in her eyes. Suddenly the golden beetle jerked from Azula's hands and flew off leaving a golden trail behind it. "Quickly follow the trail"! Azula cried. She Ty Lee and Mirnada took off after the beetle.
They ran after it until it reached a sand dune. The beetle separated and landed on either side of the side to make it look like it had eyes. The three women watched in shock as the sand dune began to rise and take the shape of a bison's head with its mouth open as the entrance. "Holy avatar"! Miranda and Ty Lee gasped as they stared at the bison head in awe. Azula however was practically jumping for joy. "At last! After all my years of searching… the cave of wonders"! She cried. "No way" Miranda said. Azula grabbed the girl by the collar of her dress and gave Miranda her orders. "Now bring me the lamp. The rest of the treasure is ours but the lamp… is mine". She let go of Miranda who walked toward the cave giggling with greed and her blue eyes shining with mischief. Ty Lee turned to her boss. "Geez Azula! Did you find this bozo on E-bay or what"?! "Quiet Ty Lee"! Azula snapped at her. Miranda was about to step into the cave when suddenly a giant roar knocked her back onto her rear end.
Then the bison head began to speak. "Who disturbs my slumber"? It asked in a low booming voice. Miranda quickly recovered from her shock and bowed to the bison head. "My name is Miranda the humble shape-shifter". Again the bison spoke. "Know this only one may enter here. One whose worth lies far within. The diamond in the rough"! Miranda looked at Azula worry and hesitation written all over her face. "Well are you going to get my lamp or what"?! Azula demanded. Miranda gulped, nodded and made her way back to the cave. Ty Lee and Azula watched with anticipation as Miranda set one foot carefully and slowly onto the stairs of the cave mouth. As soon as she did Miranda braced herself waiting for something horrible to happen. When nothing did, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then the cave roared again and began to shake violently. Miranda screamed and turned to run out of the cave but it was too late. "NOOOO"!! Azula screamed as the cave snapped shut trapping Miranda inside sending sand everywhere and burying Ty Lee. "Seek me out the diamond in the rough"!! The cave roared as it shrank. Soon the only thing left of the cave were the two beetle pieces.
Ty Lee made her dug her way out of the sand coughing and shouting. "I don't believe. I just don't believe it! We're never gonna get that stupid crappy lamp!! Just forget it! Look at me I'm so ticked off my hair is shedding"!! She picked up the two beetle pieces and handed them to Azula. "Just be patient Ty Lee. It was obvious that Miranda wasn't even close to being worthy" Azula said calmly. Ty Lee groaned. "Oh there's a big surprise! I think I'm gonna have a heart Attack and die form not being surprised!! What are we gonna do?! We got a big problem here. A big…" She was cut off by Azula clamping her hand over her friend's mouth. "Your right Ty Lee. I must find this one this diamond in the rough"!
