I hope ya'll are enjoying the long chapters. Writing 2000 words in one chapter is exhausting. the authors who have like 10000 in one impress me. lol. wow, onehundred and six pages on word. craziness.

thanks for your reviews. you make me so happy.

im glad you liked my joke. :) for those of you who did.

If you've read 53 chapters of my writing:

A. I think you're very patient to read my terrible writing. I've never, ever written a story in order like this. Only ever written one-shots. I suck at both.

B. I think you're very nice and kind to put up with my terrible writing and pathetic romantic fantasies. Lol.

C. I think you're awesome. Period. End of Story. EXCLAMATION MARK!

D. I think you're freaks. Which means you're my type of people! LOL! Jk! Love you all!

Chapter 53

I cough and wipe my nose across my sleeve. My nose feels congested and I think I might be getting sick. My throat is sore, so I mostly listen to the others gripe about the play, rather than participate in the highly amusing conversation.

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko says bitterly. We all look up as Sokka and Suki walk down the stairs we are sitting on, returning from the concession stand.

"Apparent, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!" Sokka complains, drawing out a strip of delicious-smelling jerky and ripping into it angrily.

"Yeah," Suki says mischievously. "You tell bad jokes about plenty other topics."

"I know!" Sokka says passionately, waving his jerky around.

"At least this Sokka actor kinda looks like you," Aang says, sounding furious. I snort, which turns into a violent sneeze. I try to clear my sore throat, and when I fail, I groan loudly. Zuko's hand reaches out to me before he hesitates and drops his hand lamely back into his lap.

"That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!" Aang is protesting.

"I don't know. You are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys," Toph says reasonably. Aang jumps out with a sound of protest.

"Relax, Aang," Katara pipes up from the top of the stairs. She's sitting on the step right above Zuko, and I'm sitting on the ground just below Zuko's step. Ah, the irony. I cough again. "They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time." We all give her skeptical looks. "What?"

"Yeah," Aang mutters sullenly. "That's not you at all."

"Listen, friends," Toph says, failing to mask the unmistakable glee in her voice. "It's obvious this playwright did his research. I know it must hurt but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth. Hey, they're telling us to go in!" Toph jumps up and rushes in. The rest of us follow a little slower. I pause and double over with sneezes, coughs, and sniffles.

"Sick?" he asks. Him. Zuko. I shake my head stubbornly. He chuckles. "Excited about your part in the play?"

"What? So I can listen to the audience gasp and laugh at my hair?" I ask. I cough again and shake my head. "I don't think so." He leads me in and we all sit in our original seats.

"Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom!" Actress Katara begins the second act.

"I better have a look around to see if I can find an earthbending teacher!" Actress Aang says, attaching herself to a rope and flipping out a mini glider. She's pulled into the air and swung over the crowd. We all cower back. Luckily I still have my hood on, but Zuko pulls up the pamphlet we got about the play closer to his face, pretending to study it closely.

"This is it!" Toph is the only one who leans forward. "This must be where I come in!" Actress Aang returns to the stage with a slight frown.

"I flew all over town, but I couldn't find a single earthbending master!" Actress Aang says. I can vaguely hear Toph make some excited comment.

Suddenly, the rock prop to the right of the actors trembles, and is then lifted up but the most muscular man I have ever seen dressed in a green dress. "You can't find an earthbending master in the sky! You have to look underground!" Actor Toph booms.

In our box, everyone breaks into laughter. I can see Zuko drop the pamphlet in shock. I laugh, then cough, and then just wheeze for awhile.

"Who are you?" Actress Aang asks, sounding hopeful.

"My name is Toph, because it sounds like tough. And that's just what I am!" Actor Toph booms in his deep voice, flexing his muscles. Wow. I didn't known it was exactly possible to have muscles like that.

"Wait a minute!" Toph hisses. "I sound like… a guy. A really buff guy!" Though I can't see her face, she sounds shocked.

"Well, Toph," Katara says smugly, "what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?"

Toph throws her arms in the air. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way. At least it's not a flying bald lady!" I see Aang jerk to stare at her, annoyed.

"So, you're blind?" Actress Aang giggles, fueling Aang's irritation. Actress Aang waves her hand in front of Actor Toph's face. I give a particularly violent sneeze, rub my nose again, and sniffle. Actor Toph laughs and catches Actress Aang's hand.

"I can see you doing that," he says. "I see everything that you see except that I don'tsee like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth." Then Actor Toph releases the highest-pitched, most shrill scream I've ever heard. I had no idea a grown man could make that sound. "There. I got a pretty good look at you." The audience applauds, and then we watch the exploits of the gaang in the Earth Kingdom. I realize that at this time I was still at home, my parents were alive, and I was probably having my ear talked off at the Ba Sing Academy for Gifted Young Ladies.

I see Actor Zuko and Actor Iroh again during a particularly amusing scene. "Zuko. It's time we had a talk. About your hair! It's gone too far!" Actor Zuko is wearing a long wig. I immediately crack up, and Zuko turns to glare at me. I'm still laughing breathlessly, but another thing has taken my breath away. Zuko himself.

He does have nice hair. It's grown so long, so much longer than when I first met him, and it falls, deep black, against his pale face. Glints of golden eyes are always visible. I sigh, and he's noticed, and we both flush and look back to the play.

"Maybe it's best if we… split up!" Actor Zuko turns his head away, then his whole body. The two actors walk away from each other and I can see Zuko's entire body stiffen. I start to reach over to place my hand on his shoulder, but Katara beats me to it. I withdraw, scowl furiously, and glare daggers at her until she returns her hand to her lap, though she never notices my glower.

When I see the scene where all six of them have cornered Actress Azula, I know that I must almost be there. I watch as she escapes, and notice that they forgot the part where Azula shot Iroh with lightning. In a way, I'm glad she did, or else Iroh and Zuko would have never stopped to take a break, I would have never caught up with them. I would have died on my way to Ba Sing Se, or maybe I'd be living in the refugee camps now.

But I don't appear, and Actors Zuko and Iroh disappear for a while. Instead, I watch Jet die. He seems to have gone insane before he died. My throat gets even sorer, and my sniffles become a little more frequent as we watch that rock smash—okay, flutter. Stupid play- down on Jet.

"Did Jet just… die?" Zuko asks, eyes wide, confused.

"You know, it was really unclear," Sokka says glibly, and I wonder if he's pretending like it's no big deal, or if to him it really is no big deal. Zuko seems to remember something and turns to me. I turn my face away from him.

"That's what Smellerbee and Longshot…" Zuko's voice trails off. "Why didn't you… You said she knew I was a firebender. She…" he trails off away. I cough, hide a sob, and sneeze. I feel a little touch on my arm, and I know it was Zuko attempting to comfort me, though he's already turned around by the timeI look at him.

So apparently that playwright lost track of Zuko and Iroh from the time that they last attacked the Avatar till when the Dai Lee imprisoned Zuko and Katara in the crystal catacombs. I suppose this is a good thing, because it is exactly what we had been trying to do—disappear. But it also means that I haven't appeared yet. I wonder if they even know who I am. The thought that I might not be in the play at all, that I might not get credit for everything I've done, is a bit irritating. I'd rather have a freaky actor like the others than not have anyone at all.

The worst scene in the play is the crystal catacombs. Actress Katara pops her hip out the side and says, "I have to admit, Prince Zuko. I find you really attractive."

"You don't have to make fun of me," Actor Zuko spits out harshly. I want to look away from the play, drown this scene out but my eyes are glued to the stage. As are everyone elses.

"But I mean it," Actress Katara purrs. She sits down slowly, provocatively, next to Actor Zuko. "I had eyes for you since the day your first captured me." Aang and both frown, and I see the Avatar grab the balcony railing in front of him. Zuko and Katara slide away from each other awkwardly, and I nod approvingly.

"Wait!" Actor Zuko jumps up, and Actress Katara follows suit, moving up slower, slinking her way up to her full height. "I thought you were the Avatar's girl." Aang and I both nod happily, then we seem to realize what we're doing. Aang flushes and I hide in the shadows of my hood as Actress Katara laughs.

"The Avatar? Why, he's like a little brother to me. I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides… how could he ever find about this?" The actors embrace. Aang and I both jump up.

"Oh, you're getting up?" Sokka whispers to us. "Can you guys get me some fire flakes? Oh! And fire gummies." I sit down, not wanting to appear awkward, and watch as Aang stalks down the stairs. I have to stay. I should be in the play soon.

I appear soon enough. Actress Azula, with the Fire Nation banner behind her, and Actor Iroh with an Earth Kingdom behind him stand on either side of Actor Zuko.

"Well, my brother. What's it going to be? Your nation? Or a life of treachery?" Actress Azula taunts.

"Choose treachery!" Actor Iroh slurps noodles from a bowl. "It's more fun!" He gives us the audience a thumbs up. Slowly, Actor Zuko walks over to Actor Iroh.

"No way!" Actress Azula freaks out, but I know what's going to happen, so I cringe back. Suddenly, Actor Zuko shoves Actor Iroh over. He falls to the ground and struggles to get up. Actor Zuko stalks proudly over to his sister.

"I hate you," Actor Zuko points accusingly at Actor Iroh, "Uncle. You smell and I hate you for all time!" The Fire siblings walk off the stage, and I clench my hands together. Katara is looking at Zuko in shock and Zuko looks upset.

"You didn't really say that, did you?" Katara asks softly. Zuko regards her with calm golden eyes before turning his head away.

"I might as well have," I hear Zuko say. Then it's my turn.

Actor Zuko is walking alone somewhere alone in the crystal catacombs when suddenly there's a puff a smoke. When the smoke clears, there's a figure completely covered in a black cloak, but I know it's me because there is a large black bow strapped to its back.
"Who are you?" Actor Zuko demands, looking startled.

"Are you really going to do this?" a pretty female voice asks. I can tell it comes from the cloaked figure.

"Do what?" Actor Zuko asks, just as dense as the real Zuko.

"You're going to help the Nation that gave you that scar and kicked you out? You're going to help the Nation that hurt you!" The girl is shouting now. Actor Zuko grabs the cloaked figure and pushes her against the wall. I flinch, remembering that is what Zuko had done to me.

"I am Fire Nation!" Actor Zuko shouts.

"You're a fool!" the girl says coldly. Actor Zuko reaches out and yanks the girl's hood down. The wig is almost a perfect match in color, though not style, to mine. The girl must be very, very pretty when she's not being forced to wear the awful wig. I'm a bit flattered. I cough again.

Actor Zuko jumps back like he's been burned. "Your hair…" he stumbles back. The girl frowns. "It's beautiful." I flush, and Actor Del crosses her arms.

"Don't do it, Zuko," she whispers, stepping closer to him. "Think about what you're doing." She leans forward, gives Actor Zuko a quick kiss on the check, then disappears in another puff of fog.

Only the echo of her voice is left. "I love you, Zuko."

REVIEW! And if I do say so myself, go back and read the part where Del tries to convince Zuko to not betray Iroh. I have to admit, it's some of my best writing.