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~ The Ember Island Players~
Act Two
Ryuu POV
"Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom!"
The backdrop had changed to a stylised Earth Kingdom scene. I sat back with my feet up, folding my arms tightly against my stomach. The others were obviously bored too. A:Aang flicked out a miniature glider and swung about on a cable. She landed and over-acted her line. Toph was leaning foward on the rail, anticipating her actor's arrival.
"Here it comes..."
From a trapdoor rose A:Toph, "You can't find an earthbending master in the sky, you have to look underground!"
I clapped both hands over my mouth and started snikering. Katara, Sokka, Aang and Suki all started trying to disguise thier laughing too. Zuko was just staring blankly, per normal. Toph was eager as she leaned onto her feet. The bug, muscular guy playing her announced his name - Toph's grin grew as she cleaned her ear.
"Wait a minute, I sound like a guy. A really buff guy."
Katara snikered as I glanced over at her, "Well Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?"
We shared a giggle as Toph snapped head up, "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way! At least it's not a flying bald lady!"
The actor went on to explain how he didn't 'see' like normal people, instead he screamed. We all grimmaced at this: Aang clutched his ears, Zuko clung to the rail, Sokka and Suki hugged each other and I buried my face into my hands - in a mix between laughing or fear, not quite sure.
"There. I got a pretty good look at you."
After checking my ears weren't bleeding, I glared back at the stage, where A:Zuko and Iroh were arguing about Zuko's hair. With a dramatic flip of his hair, A:Zuko stalked away. I pointed at Zuko and snorted laughter. He screwed his nose up and huffed. My actress hobbled after him waving her arms and sighing dreaming. Zuko gave me a superior glare as I cringed back.
A:Azula came onto stage, wearing a ridiculous costume. It was the place where we cornered her back in the Earth Kingdom. The thought of the real scene almost bought tears to my eyes - Iroh got seriously hurt...
A:Zuko pouted: "Azula, my sister, what are you doing here?"
"You caught me. Wait, what's that?" A:Azula pointed towards the audience, "I think it's your honor!"
The other members of the company searched dramatically as Azula ran offstage. The next thing I knew was Azula standing on a box thing, heading towards a flimsy looking Ba Sing Se wall. The whole audience was bored at the point - even I was falling asleep on Zuko's shoulder.
"Look," Zuko shook me, "It's Jet!"
Starting awake, I scrutinised the stage - it was Jet... in the Da Li headquarters. I glanced at Aang and Zuko, confused.
"Hang on, I thought only we were there..."
Aang played a the corner of his tunic, "We- we were also there."
A paper mache boulder fell from the arch of the stage and A:Jet scrambled underneath it. Zuko and I gasped as we cast a confused glance around, "Did Jet just... die?"
Sokka leaned forward and whistled through his teeth, "Ya know, it wasn't really that clear."
Stage hands in black sped across stage, turning the flats around and dropping prop crystals around. A:Zuko and Katara came tumbling onto stage as if they had been pushed. A:Zuko sat down on a bench and crossed his arms and legs as A:Katara sauntered up to him.
"You know, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive..."
The real Katara glanced over at me apologetically as Zuko stuttered to himself. I grit my teeth as the scene rolled on. A:Katara leaned towards A:Zuko.
"You don't have to make fun of me. I have a girlfriend, you know."
"Do you love her?" A:Katara swooned. A:Zuko put his hands to his cheeks, "Yes! Well, she can be clingy-"
"Would you not prefer a powerful, beautiful Waterbender to that Earth Kingdom peasant? "
A:Zuko dropped his hands, "Most definitely! But you don't really love me."
Aang pouted unhappily as Zuko inched away from Katara. He took my hands and frowned nervously. I scowledat the stage as Katara buried her face into her hands. A:Zuko sprung up with a dramatic flick of his hair. A:Katara blinked flirtatiously - I furrowed my brow at the same time Aang.
"I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me!"
"Wait, I thought you were the Avatar's girl!" A:Zuko barked as A:Katara went after him. Aang nodded at the line - he shuffled about on the bench. A:Katara scoffed: "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 out about ... this?"
Aang huffed and got up - I hissed after him, but he stormed off before I could. Sokka ordered a list of food as the Avatar ran past. The play carried on regardless. It shifted to Zuko and his life-changing decision, where I can barreling out of the secret tunnel. The play omitted that bit - but Zuko still chose Azula. He shoved A:Iroh over and yelled at him.
"I hate you, Uncle! You smell and I hate you for all time!"
Zuko leant onto the railing infront of us as Katara asked him if that's what he actually said. He buried his mouth into his arms and gazed away from the stage - locking his eyes onto a stall in the audience. I smoothed my hand along his back, comfortingly.
An Earth Kingdom throne room swept from the eves and A:Mai and Ty Lee ran on stage as it filled with dry ice. A:Mai took a dagger from an oversized bun and pretended to throw it at an imperial guard (a stage hand ran with the wooden dagger and dragged the guard off stage). A:Ty Lee kissed her fingers and placed it onto the other guard - supposedly chi-blocking. A:Aang bounded onto stage and landed infront of the two girls.
"Avatar State, Yip Yip."
The lights dimmed and A:Aang closed her eyes - glow-in-the-dark paint was on her eyelids. Another stage hand attached her to wires as A:Azula snickered, "Not if my lightning can help it!"
A blue ribbon was thrown and caught by A:Aang, who was lowered onto the stage slowly, as the lights rose. A:Azula cackled, "The Avatar is no more!"
A:Sokka and A:Toph came on stage and carried the mock-avatar off as A:me was dragged onto stage in chains, by A:Zuko. The curtain fell as my actor fainted with a scream of, "Oh Spirits, No!"
Everyone simultaneously face-palmed as the lights drew up as the doors clicked open and the audience roared with applause...
...
Suki leant back against the wall and pursed her mouth: "It seems like every time there's a big battle, you guys barely make it out alive. I mean, you guys lose a lot!"
Sokka scoffed at his girlfriend - leaning towards her accusingly. She managed to maintain a straight face at his animated expressions.
"You're one to talk, Suki. Didn't Azula take you captive? That's right, she did!"
Rebuffing this, she changed her expression to deathly serious, "Are you trying to get on my bad side?"
Sokka backed brown as Katara asked where Aang was. I pointed in the rough direction of a balcony - Water girl thanked me and ran off to find him. Sokka turned to his girlfriend and asked to go backstage with her - seen as she's an elite Kyoshi warrior, it would be easy. This left Zuko, Toph and I. Zuko was acting moodier than usual, so I squatted down beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
Toph cracked her neck and snorted, "Geez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual, and that's saying something!"
Zuko tugged at his hood, frustrated, "You don't get it, it's different for you. You get a muscly version of yourself, taking down ten bad guys at once, and making sassy remarks."
Toph grinned and smirked at the thought as Zuko continued complaining, "But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life, and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself..."
I sat back and screwed up my nose, "You realise that your Uncle will literally never give up on you? Never."
"Yeah - Fire Queen's right," Toph squatted the other side of Zuko, "I once had a long conversation with the guy, and all he would talk about was you. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path, and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud."
Punching him, Toph laughed to herself, "Stabby actually seems to taking her character pretty well!"
"Hmm," I shrugged, "I know I'm not like that - but it still kinda hurts that that's how the world sees me..."
Zuko wrapped his arm around my shoulders as Toph folded her arms over chest, "It ain't how I see you. You're tough - that's why I call ya Stabby!"
"And from personal experience, " Zuko tagged on, "I know you are stronger than anyone gives you credit for."
I nodded gratefully and leaned into Zuko, "Thanks Toph. Thanks Princess. "
Zuko kissed my temple as a kid in an Aang costume wheeled towards us and stopped infront of us. Scrutinised him, making the Prince squirm, before sighing, "Your Zuko costume's pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side."
Toph and I chorused with laughter as the kid skittered away and Zuko yelled to correct him.
...
The next few scenes in the play weren't entirely that bad, actually. Aang and Katara came back, in rather hurried and anxious moods. Sokka leaned over to Aang and updated him on the current location of the play. Aang couldn't care less as he repeatedly cast glances at an angry Katara.
"Here's what you missed ... we went to the Fire Nation, and you got better, and Katara was the Painted Lady, and I got a sword, and I think Combustion Man died - and Ryuu had a rant-"
I spun around to face Water boy, "It's called a monologue! "
"-Yeah, whatever - about 'Woe' and 'Love'. Oh look, the Invasion's about to start!"
Aang was further angered about the Invasion scene. A quick transition scene with A:Sokka telling some severely horrendous jokes and the Actor Gaang members were in the royal palace. Sokka was still cracking up at the jokes as A:Zuko stepped onto stage with the others, A:Me in tow.
"We finally made it to the Royal Palace, but no one's home!" A:Aang pouted and put her arms akimbo.
"Actually, I'm home, and I want to join you!" A:Zuko stepped from the shadows and into the spotlight, carrying A:Me, "Don't forget me!"
The audience chuckled as A:Me waved enthusiastically. I pinched my nose and sighed heavily, "Good grief!"
Zuko elbowed me carefully as the Actor Gaang ran off stage and the lights dimmed, "At least it's finished. "
"Wait, the play's not over!" Suki caught Sokka's tunic as he got up to leave. Water boy clasped his cheeks dramatically, "But it is over, unless .. this is the future."
A:Azula and A:Zuko ran in from opposite sides of the stage and stared each other down, "You are no longer my brother. You are an enemy!"
"No! I am the rightful heir to the throne!" A:Zuko grabbed some red ribbons from his belt. A:Azula did the same, "We'll see!"
After a fit of throwing about coloured streamers, A:Azula hit her opponent with her blue ribbon and her yelled out as a felt cut out blew up infront of him, "Honor!"
We all turned to stare at Zuko, who was in shock. A:Aang and Ozai then came on stage with a dramatic flare.
"Uh- That was... dramatic..." I started. Zuko didn't say anything as we considered watching the play.
"So, you have mastered all four elements?" A:Ozai inquired. A:Aang beamed confidently, "Yeah, and now you're going down!"
A:Ozai laughed wickedly, "No! It is you who are going down!You see, you are too late! The comet is already here, and I'm unstoppable!"
A choreographed fight ensued which ended with A:Aang being wrapped in a bright orange curtain (which was wielded by a stage hand) and lowered down on her wires - dying... A:Ozai dramatically monologued:
"Yes! We have done it! The dreams of my father, and my father's father, have now been realized! The world ... is ... mine!"
Again, we sat in horrified silence. The whole audience was giving the actors a standing ovation as we slipped out to make our way back to the beach house.
"What'd you expect from a propaganda play?" I shrugged.
Zuko gripped my hand, "Even so, that ... wasn't a good."
Everyone agreed, except Sokka, who complimented the effects... earning a glare from Suki in the process.
