Aang sighed deeply as finally him Sokka and Zhau-Li was seated in a small and honestly rather crowded theater.
Not only did they have to go to the city next over to get here. Which wasn't really that much a problem for them since they had a flying bison and even if they didn't, getting khomodo pulled carriages were no issue for them.
But also… This theater really was small, run down and crowded… And Aang could have spend this evening all alone with Katara taking in the sight of the other city. Like Zuko had been smart to do with Mai!
Katara hadn't even seemed like she minded. She was going to visit some sort of spa with Ty Lee and Toph apparently. Pointing out that since Aang, Sokka and Zhau-Li was having their so called boys trip. It was only fair for her to get a girls trip.
Aang didn't even understand all of these gendered nonsense. To him a spa trip sounded decidedly nicer than this crowded place and what-ever weird thing was going to happen on stage that had Sokka so excited.
Then finally the audience quieted as the lights were lowered… Then there was silence.
And a figure stepped out on stage, dressed in a dark silk suite and wearing a grinning mask in blue and white.
"Hey check it out." Sokka whispered in a grin. "That's Zukos mask!"
"Sssh." Aang hushed him. They had made the afford of getting here, at least he was going to watch the damn play.
The person in the silk suite spread out her arms. "Many things I have been called through the ages! Mischievous and manipulating. Some even call me evil. What I am called most is the dark water spirit!" A womans voice spoke from behind the mask. "But let me introduce you to someone else… He calls himself a lord of the world. The perfect being meant to rule! I call him a fool… The dragon emperor!"
And in stepped another woman wearing a beautiful suite of silk in red and also wearing a mask covering her face, only her mouth was just visible and her lips wearing ruby red lipstick as her mouth moved to speak the first line.
"You dare call me a fool?"
Sokka, Aang and Zhau-Li all froze. Their eyes going wide as they sat up straight.
"Erhm…" Aang hesitated. "Is it just me or does that girl kind of sound like…. Azula?"
Wide-eyed the three boys side glanced at each other then looked up on stage again.
"Yeah no way." Sokka finally said. "You think Azula would ever be in a play? And if she were in a play? A tiny performance like this?"
"Shhh!" the hush sounded from behind Sokka. "Quiet!"
Sokka slunk down as he pouted.
"Yeah… You're probably right." Aang whispered. "Some people have similar voices. That's not unusual."
Slowly Zhau-Li nodded. "Yeah…" he said as the play went on.
"Me calling you a fool?" The dark water spirit asked. "Why I would ever! You are the dragon emperor! Immortal. The greatest of all people! And I am merely a humble lesser spirit. Far beneath you my lord!" she bowed deeply.
"That is correct. And you better remember your place!" The Azula voice-alike spoke…. Damn she really sounded like Azula. The intonation too. And the way she moved! … It fit pretty well with the character though as they both continued with their dialogue as the dark water spirit had produced a sort of box.
"No I wouldn't dare ask such a thing of such a great being." The Dark water spirit turned around. "You are to great for what hides in my box."
"Give it to me!" The dragon emperor demanded. "I shall show you that there is nothing I am incapable off!"
"Very well then… If you insist." The Dark water spirit stated as she finally offered up the box.
"As you will see." The dragon emperor said as she held up the box. "There is nothing I can't conquer, nothing that can beat me!" and she opened up the box as suddenly two other people in black ran in swirling ribbons in blue around them to illustrate water.
The dragon emperor turned around. "What… What have you done?!"
"I did nothing my lord." The dark water spirit grinned. "You how-ever opened my box which contains mortality!"
"What!?"
"Only an immortal may rule our spirit realm! It's time for you to face the world of mortals! Dragon emperor!"
"No! You tricked me! You tricked me!" The dragon emperor exclaimed.
"And you walked right into it!" The water spirit stepped behind the dragon emperor. "Now take on the proper form of a mortal! OF A HUMAN!" she shouted as she ripped off the dragon emperor mask signaling the transformation.
And in the same second Sokka let out a scream that sounded like a little girl. Aangs mouth hang open as his eyes were ready to pop out of his skull and Zhau-Li was just lost for words.
There was just no denying it anymore! Now they could see her face… Those sharp eyes. Her delicate yet strong features, the porcelain pale skin standing in contrast to her black hair.
That was Azula!
Ursa didn't even know what to do with herself… Like a complete idiot she had just been hanging around the hotel where the fire lord and his friends were staying. What was she supposed to do?
Walk in to the front desk and say. "Hi! I'm the fire lords mother. Could you please point me to his room?"
How was Ursa supposed to do this? There were so many people who wanted to see the fire lord and he had guards around him at all times. For very good reasons.
Should she just try to stand in front in the crowds and yell at him like a mad woman? … What a good impression that would make. This random woman just screaming that she was his mother. That probably wouldn't go over well.
Then suddenly Ursa blinked as she looked up to one of the higher floors and suddenly saw a figure… Crawl out of the window? And then a second one came helped out by the first one. Only for the two of them to quickly climb down towards street level.
Ursa gaped but then hurried towards the spot where they were most likely to land on ground and she stopped just in time to see two young people standing there…
It was them! Zuko. Even if he had pulled down his hair to hide half his face. It was clearly him…. And little Mai.
Immediately Ursa pressed herself against the wall so she wouldn't be spotted.
"Now then." Mai spoke in a soft deeper voice. "Any plans my lord?" she asked in a smirk as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Well." Zuko said. "Everybody else is out there doing their own thing so… I thought somewhere you know. Private."
"Where no one will bother us?" Mai asked in a smirk.
Oh no Ursa was intruding! Zuko was going to have some alone time with his fiance! And…. How adorable was this?
Zuko and Mai had been so cute as kids! Excitedly testing out their knifes and little Mai blushing when she realized Zuko had caught her looking at him while Zuko would be utterly clueless as any ten year old would be. Then Mai would pretend she hadn't looked at all! They had been so adorable!
And now they were here! And actually together! It was just like Ursa and Ikem! Ursa remembered how she had grown up with Ikem and played with him as a kid and now he was the love of her life and they were married! Even if he was called Noren now.
To think Zuko too would be so blessed! And Ursa wanted to squeal but that would give away her position.
Then suddenly Ursa realized the two were already gone and she gasped as she stepped out… Zuko? Mai? Oh no! She took a couple of steps to look around the corner and saw the young couple walking away while holding hands….. Agni it was so cute!
Then Ursa gasped as she quickly followed doing her best not to loose sight of them. Trying to come up with a plan… Any plan.
The trio watching the play were just permanently sitting with slightly open mouths and they watched the play go on.
Sokka was constantly afraid there was a bomb hidden somewhere in the theater, and was sweating bullets waiting for it to go off. Aang was suspiciously looking around looking for the hidden assasins and Zhau-Li wondered Azula had thought Zuko would come. And that's why she killed the original actress playing the dragon emperor to take her place and jump Zuko… Would she take them hostage later to question them?
All though…. This wasn't too bad. Zukos worst fear was that Azula had killed herself. And she seemed fine! That was good. That was very good.
Zhau-Li just hoped he wasn't the one who was going to die! …. She was very good on stage though. It was an entertaining production.
Ursa was biting her lip as she was sitting in the corner of a fairly normal looking middle class restaurant. Zuko and Mai was in the other end of the restaurant at a pretty secluded table…. Ursa knew how messed up this was… She was literately stalking her own son.
But what else was she supposed to do? This was Ursas chance to approach him! Ones he went back to act like a fire lord it would be impossible to talk to him… He was right there though.
What should Ursa do? Stand up and walk over there? … Hi Zuko! Remember me! Your mother who left you six years ago!
Ursas forehead fell down on the table in front of her in a loud thud…. The frog had been right. This had been a terrible idea.
A roaring and standing ovation in the small theater that Sokka and friends were seated in… Funnily enough though the three had yet to stand up… Too shocked as Azula was holding the hands of three other girls who had made the play and all four bowed as they smiled… Azula was smiling! She was Smiling!
Usually when Azula smiled it meant someone was going to die in the next two minutes! What in the name of Tui and La and then finally the clapped stopped. The actress's went off stage and people started to leave.
The three boys there were still seated.
"So…. Erhm." Sokka halted. "That was… A thing."
"I liked the play. It was really good." Aang said. "A lot better than I thought it would be."
"It was… Different than how it usually goes." Zhau-Li said. "But you know… I actually think it was more entertaining with less dialogue and more action. Great fighting choreography."
"That is so beside the point!" Sokka exclaimed. "Azula?! That wasn't on the poster!" he ran pulled up a pamphlet. "Look! Zarali, Makoto, Mai-Lin and Raiku! That's the name of the four actress's!" he shoved the pamphlet into Zhau-Li's face. "Do you see the name Azula here?! I don't!"
"Maybe… Azula has a twin?" Aang asked.
"If she had a twin don't you think we would know?!" Sokka shouted. "That would mean that Zuko had a second sister! Pretty sure he would tell us about that!"
There was silence… Absolute silence.
"There is only one thing to do now.." Sokka said. "RETURN OF DETECTIVE SOKKA!" he shouted. "Come on we need to go find a hat and a pipe."
"What… Why?" Zhau-Li asked.
"It's a thing." Aang smiled innocently. "Last them he did it, he got me successfully convicted for killing an earth monarch one hundred and fifty years ago."
"Is that… A good thing?" Zhau-Li asked.
"I did not!" Sokka exclaimed. "I almost got you off the hook. But then Avatar Kyoshi just showed up out of no-where and confessed to the crime! That's not my fault!"
"Huh?" Zhau-Li asked. "But… Isn't she dead?!"
"My former lives has the ability to possess me when the need arises." Aang smiled innocently. "Both Roku and Kyoshi has done it. Though I think the further we go back the less likely it is for them to return. They are all in here though, and appear combined when I go into the Avatar state." he pointed at his head. "That's what the Avatar state is. Every single Avatar from the past working together and using their combined knowledge and power. Can you believe no one knew how to re-direct lightning until me? So now that's added to the bunch!" he grinned.
"Still! Detective Sokka got to the truth by the end!" Sokka exclaimed. "Don't complain. Let's go find a hat."
Aang sighed deeply but knew there was no fighting this. Also he really… Really wanted to figure this out too.