Chapter 4

As the groups of teens finally settled themselves back into their seats, the lights began to dim once more and a resounding "ungghhh" was heard from the majority of the group as Toph shushed them with a stomp of her feet that shook the entire box.

The curtains were raised and the backdrop now resembled an Earth Kingdom town, complete with painted yellow and green houses and a giant cardboard boulder that sat in the middle of the stage.

"I flew all over town, but I couldn't find a single earthbending master!" shouted Aang after she flew over the audience on a rope and pulley system. Actor-Sokka and actress-Katara looked stunned and horrified at the news.

Toph stood up from her seat. "This must be where I come in!" she practically squealed as she leaned closer to the balcony railing to hear the actors better. Toph was so excited that Katara had to physically pull her away from the railing so that she wouldn't be dangling half over the edge of the gallery.

"You can't find an earthbending master in the sky," echoed a deep, booming voice from somewhere unidentifiable around the stage. "You have to look underground." The faux boulder in the middle of the stage suddenly lifted up. A colossal man rose out from underneath the stage, dressed in almost an exact replica of Toph's earthbending outfit, complete with her signature poof-balls and headband covering his black hair.

The balcony suddenly shook from the laughter that vacated the gang's mouths as Toph's actor began to speak again.

"My name is Toph, because it sounds like tough, and that's just what I am." He pointed manly to his chest.

Up in the balcony, Katara was biting her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing so hard, while Sokka had buried his face in Suki's shoulder to cover up his sniggers and Suki was trying to keep her mouth zipped shut to stop the escaping giggles. Aang had took his hat off and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter and Zuko's good eye was tearing up as Katara tried to muffle his laughter by putting her hand over his mouth too.

"I sound like a guy!" Toph exclaimed as her face broke into her illustrious grin. "A really buff guy!" she finished as she sat back down on the bench.

Katara, however, didn't see Toph's ecstatic face when she said this, considering that her mind was currently occupied with trying not to think of the feel of Zuko's laughing lips pressed against her left hand. As the gang settled down and, unaware that Toph was more than happy with her portrayal, Katara tried to make fun of Toph.

"Well, Toph," she managed to get out between giggles. "What you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?" she finished as she cocked her head to the side with a knowing expression.

Katara's smirk suddenly faded as Toph responded in earnest. "Are you kidding me?! I wouldn't have cast it any other way!" She leaned around Katara, speaking to Aang. "At least it's not a flying bald lady."

Aang immediately stopped laughing and, once again, slunk down in his seat, irritated.

"So you're blind?" asked actress-Aang from the stage as actor-Toph laughed.

"I can see everything that you see," he explained, "except that I don't see like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth."

Suddenly, the actor turned and faced Katara, Sokka, and Aang and screamed. The gang in the box cringed and covered their ears, along with the rest of the audience, as the screaming went on. Toph, however, seemed to be so pleased with her depiction that she was, therefore, immune to the terrible screeching issuing from her counterpart onstage.

To the immense relief of the teenagers, the screeching finally subsided as actor-Toph paused. "There," he suddenly stated. "I got a pretty good look at you."

The audience, along with Toph, began cheering and clapping for buff-Toph. Zuko just looked at Aang questioningly as he shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrow in an 'I don't know' expression.

The performance went on, eventually and Zuko and Iroh once again stood center stage. As they talked, the playwright seemed to be implying that Zuko and his uncle split up over Zuko's hairdo.

"Really, though," giggled Katara at the hilarity that Zuko would leave his uncle because Iroh didn't like his hair, "I'm glad you cut your hair." She ruffled his hair playfully as Zuko attempted not to blush. "You look much more handsome this way." As she smiled down at the play, she suddenly realized what she had just said and quickly withdrew her hand from Zuko's head, but not before Aang had caught what transpired.

Next, came the scenes where the gang, and Zuko, had corned Azula and she had mysteriously vanished, along with the day when Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee had almost drilled through the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Even Toph could admit that now, the play was getting a little boring. Toph yawned and Sokka fell asleep on Suki's shoulder as girl-Aang continued to pelt the pointy-shoed Azula with foam rocks.

Finally, the scene ended and the stagehands switched the scenery from the yellows of the desert outside of the city, to eerie metallic green walls and green crystals, classic of Ba Sing Se. Jet abruptly leapt on stage, waving his arms around in a dazed manner and then suddenly stopped and squatted in place like an ape, completely devoid of any facial expression. Beneath his mop of hair, a pair of googly-eyed glasses could be seen, making Jet look crazed and demented.

"No, Jet! What did they do to you?" demanded actress-Aang as she looked out at the audience in horror. Actor-Jet began swinging his arms violently again, as a hollowed out rock floated down from above the stage. Aang looked on at the scene in despondency. How clearly he remembered the fight against Long Feng under Lake Laogai. He just wished that he could have found out what happened to Longshot and Smellerbee afterwards.

As he thought this, Jet fell to the wooden floor with an anguished cry and crawled under the hollowed rock. Zuko looked on at the scene in confusion as Katara slumped backwards. "Did…did Jet just… die?"

"You know," responded Sokka from behind with a wave of his hands. "It was really unclear." Zuko looked to his left for a more reasonable answer as Aang averted his gaze. He then turned to his right and Katara nodded solemnly.

He paused, then against his better judgment and the butterflies beating in his stomach, he squeezed Katara's hand. She looked down at their joined hands and Zuko's flight instinct took hold. He went to pull away. Katara, however, kept their hands clasped as she continued to watch the stage.

Zuko's heart seemed to skip a few beats, but if Katara thought that it was okay, Zuko had no problem with staying in this position for the entirety of the play; he definitely wasn't complaining.

Gradually, the backdrop began to change, but the eerie green light synonymous with Ba Sing Se stayed the same. Instead of metal walls, however, the backdrop was now a mural of brightly growing green crystals — the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

Katara and Zuko walked on stage as Zuko sat down sulkily on a rock in the middle of the stage. "I have to admit, Prince Zuko," began Katara as she meandered over to sit next to him on the rock. "I really find you attractive."

Zuko and Katara quickly let go of each other's hands, as for the seemingly millionth time that night they blushed bright scarlet. Both wondered what the playwright was going to make of their time alone together in the catacombs if he had already made such a large commotion over the 'necklace' incident.

"You don't have to make fun of me," scoffed actor-Zuko as actress-Katara cringed at the harshness in his voice.

"But I mean it," she continued as she scooted closer to Zuko. By this time, Toph was smirking at how uncomfortable she could feel Sweetness and Sparky were and at how Aang and Sokka were both scowling at Katara and Zuko's heads. "I've had eyes for you since the first day you captured me," she ended sultrily.

Toph couldn't help but let out a little chuckle as she felt their heartbeats start racing double-time, along with Aang's, but his for another reason entirely.

Zuko's actor stood up. "Wait," he said. "I thought you were the Avatar's girl." Aang brightened and nodded his head towards the actor. Finally, he thought. Someone's getting it right.

Aang inwardly cringed however as the actress began to laugh. "The Avatar? Why, he's like a little brother to me." She stood up and walked over to where Zuko was standing. "I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way," she laughed as if saying, 'Yeah, right. He wishes.'

Aang biggest fears were coming true. Is that the way she really thought of him? Like a brother… like Sokka? Aang felt like fleeing the theatre, but seemed frozen in place as a sick, morbid part of him needed to see the rest of the encounter.

"Besides," finished Katara as she drew closer and closer to Zuko, "how could he ever find out about… this?" Suddenly, the actors drew all the way together and kissed over dramatically.

Aang couldn't take it any longer as he looked to his left and saw Zuko and Katara, faces currently the color of their outfits, peeking embarrassed glances at one another from the corner of their eyes when they thought the other wasn't paying attention. He hastily got out of his seat and went to flee from the box, his temper flaring dangerously. Sokka, however, didn't seem to notice his urgency to get as far away from the group as possible.

"Oh, you're getting up!" he whispered as Aang passed by him. "Can you get me some fireflakes?" Aang didn't even stop to acknowledge that he had heard. "Oh, and some fire gummies!" he called after him, even though Aang was already out of the theatre and en route to the closest terrace balcony.

Aang practically ran through the building, hitting other play-attendees, his hat almost flying off in the process. He just couldn't be around anyone at the moment. He finally got outside and breathed a sigh of relief. He was starting to calm down slightly just from being outside, but was still so upset and confused. Aang walked over to the balcony railing and looked out at Ember Island Beach. It really was beautiful with the moon shining down, making silvery reflections that danced as the tides moved in a constant motion across the shore. Too bad Aang couldn't enjoy the beauty of it at the moment.

If Aang were asked a few of hours ago, this would be the last thing that he would have expected to come out of the day at the theatre. The irony of the whole situation was that Aang was actually looking forward to watching their past adventures together, watching his past with Katara. But no, Zuko had to ruin everything. Aang slammed his fist down on the wood as he closed his eyes tightly, trying to control his anger.

Katara never elaborated on anything concerning Zuko. She had never told any of them what exactly had happened when Zuko captured her that one night, nor when they spent a whole day together under the palace in Ba Sing Se. She had only given her brother, Toph, and himself the barest minimum of details about Ba Sing Se. All they knew was that Katara had "opened up to him" and Zuko ended up stabbing her in the back.

Aang suddenly realized that Katara was more sensitive over the issue than she should have been, somehow so deeply hurt after Zuko had betrayed her that she couldn't even look at him when he had first joined the group.

Maybe they had kissed, he thought as he recalled the play and winced. Aang remembered when Iroh and himself had come and rescued them both—how close Katara and Zuko were standing.

But why would she kiss Zuko? He was their mortal enemy back then! It was Katara and him who were meant to be together, not her and Zuko. He had kissed Katara too, during the Day of Black Sun! But then again, Aang thought, he didn't stick around very long to see her reaction, so maybe she didn't like it…

No, Aang reprimanded himself. Katara has known you for much longer than Zuko. She doesn't like him, she likes you, and she liked the kiss. With that mantra in mind, Aang tried to meditate, using the calming ocean waves to soothe his broken pride.

Aang couldn't contain himself for long, however, as he thought about Zuko and Katara together and began pacing around the balcony. He finally stopped, wondering how long he had been out there, trying and failing to vent his anger, when he heard a curtain rustle and the light, feminine steps of someone who could only be Katara enter the balcony. He continued to stare out at the sea.

"Are you alright?" he heard Katara ask meekly. Aang's anger flared up again the instant he heard her voice.

"No, I'm not," he said angrily as he took his hat and threw it to the ground. "I hate this play," he spoke childishly as Katara came to stand next to him by the railing.

"I know it's upsetting," she began gently, "but I think you're overreacting."

"Overreacting, Katara?" he bit back angrily. "Did me and you not see the same play?" he spoke sarcastically.

"Aang—" began Katara reasoning-ly.

"—Did you really mean what you said out there?" he cut in, ignoring whatever Katara was about to say to calm him down.

Katara looked down at him, confused. "In where? What are you talking about?"

"On stage," he stated, "when you said I was just like a… a brother," he sneered the word, "to you; when you said you didn't have any feelings for me, but liked Zuko instead."

"I didn't say that," rebutted Katara. "An actor said that." She folded her arms over her chest and looked out at the ocean, then back at Aang.

"But it's true, isn't it?" he sighed dejectedly as he stared at her pretty face, bleached of color in the moonlight. "We kissed at the invasion and I thought we were gonna be together… but we're not." Katara sighed and unfolded her arms to tug at her hair.

"Aang," she replied pleadingly. "When we kissed—when you kissed me—I just wasn't expecting it," she finished. Aang looked confused, so she continued.

"Since it was a surprise, I… I didn't really have enough time to react." Aang brightened at this. Katara paused. "…to pull back," she finished in almost a whisper.

Aang looked at the worn, wooden floor beneath him sadly. Then, rapidly, his expression turned angry. "It's because of Zuko, isn't it?" Aang spat out as he lifted his head to glower at Katara.

"No! I swear, it had nothing to do with Zuko," she pleaded with him as she saw him getting angrier by the minute.

"Oh really?" he said sarcastically, almost in a laughing tone. "What about all those 'moments' you two had in the play, huh?"

"Aang," Katara said, trying to maintain her level head. Aang's accusatory tone and irritation were beginning to make her temper rise. "…whoever wrote this play, that Pu Wong Tim guy, blew stuff way out of proportion. Zuko and I never kissed in Ba Sing Se, I promise you," her blue eyes so earnest that Aang couldn't help but believe her.

"Then why can't you be with me?" he pleaded, his anger giving way to begging.

"Because…because…" It seemed to Aang as if it were physically hurting Katara to say this. She scrunched up her face and folded her arms tightly to her chest again as she refused meet his gray eyes. "You really are more like a brother to me than anything else." She finally looked up into his heartbroken face. "Like a best friend," she amended as Aang's whole body seemed to shrink in front of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aang," she said as Aang refused to meet her gaze. Katara looked back out the balcony railing and sighed as she, too, averted her gaze down to her shoes and shut her eyes. Suddenly, however, her eyes flew open as she felt a pair of lips kiss her own. She looked up to see Aang's face backing away slowly from her own.

Her hands clenched against her sides as she responded angrily, "I just said no, Aang." Katara began to back away from the upset Avatar as she mumbled, "I'm going inside," before practically flying through the doorway.

"Argh!" yelled Aang as he banged his fist against the side of his head. He then battered his head on the railing. "I'm such an idiot!"

Aang eventually picked his hat back up from the floor and dusted it off as he gloomily put it back on his tattooed head. He grudgingly trudged back inside to the lobby and walked as slow as he possibly could back to the theatre.

He saw Katara sitting in the front row as he opened the curtain and decided for everyone's best interests, because he could not sit next to the Fire Prince right now, that he would sit next to Sokka and just have to grin and bear his lovey-dovey-ness with Suki.

"Where are my fireflakes?" asked Sokka as he wrapped his right arm around Suki's shoulders, appalled that Aang had come back with no snacks whatsoever. "And my fire gummies!" he exclaimed as he remembered the second snack Aang was supposed to get for him over half an hour ago.

"Oh, um…they were all out?" replied Aang, in more of question than answer form.

"Ugh… well anyway," responded Sokka, only slightly fazed, "Here's what you missed."

He began to count off the scenes on his fingers. "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." All of this was said in one breath, and when Sokka was finished, he seemed to be winded.

"The invasion's about to start… shush," Katara said angrily to Sokka, not even bothering to turn her head in his direction. She was still very upset, both sad and angry at the same time, over the whole Aang situation. When Katara had stomped back into the theatre, intermission was just ending and everyone was already seated and chatting. Zuko had asked her if she was okay but she just nodded her head and sat straight forward.

She could only assume that she looked like quite distraught because Zuko kept looking worriedly at her every five seconds and quickly back to the stage as he noticed her noticing him.

Katara didn't know if she wanted to punch something because Aang had kissed her when she explicitly said no, or if she wanted to cry over breaking Aang's heart and possibly ruining their friendship in the process. The play certainly didn't help anyone's emotions as actresses-Katara and Aang were suddenly perched atop an invasion submarine.

Katara's actress spoke first. "I just want you to know Aang, that I'll always love you… like a brother." Katara looked ashamedly to her right as she tried to compose herself.

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" replied actress-Aang joyfully as the two shook hands. Aang blushed and pulled his hat down as if hoping to be swallowed up by it.

Aang's actress flew away on her glider and Toph and Sokka appeared on the submarine. As the actor delivered a few classic-Sokka lines, the real Sokka fell into fits of laughter as he managed to get out between bursts of laughter, "I…told him… to… say that!"

The stagehands quickly turned the stage from the blues and greens of the invasion submarines to the reds and golds of the Fire Lord's throne room. "We finally made it to the royal palace, but no one's home!" exclaimed girl-Aang to the gang as she motioned dramatically to the empty throne.

Actor-Zuko then walked onstage and with the addition of shorter hair, although for some odd reason, it was spiked up. In spite of herself, Katara couldn't help but chuckle meekly as she saw Zuko's 'short-hair' look. "Okay," said Katara as she nudged Zuko. "Maybe I was wrong. That short hair definitely doesn't look better."

"Hey!" he responded as he tore his gaze away from Katara's to the stage. "At least I'm joining you guys in this scene. Doesn't that make up for my, uh, spiked hair?" he asked warily.

"Hmmm…" Katara pretended to think, tapping her finger lightly against her chin. "I suppose so…as long as you promise never to cut your hair like, ugh, that."

Zuko nodded and smiled in agreement as Toph sulked, "I wish I could see his stupid hair!" to which Zuko frowned and Katara smiled. Leave it to Toph to get her out of her bad mood.

"Well," began Sokka as he started to stand up, "I guess that's it. I mean, the play's caught up to the present now." As he began to walk away, Suki grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back down to his seat.

"Wait, the play's not over," she chided as Sokka looked in bewilderment at the stage.

"But it is over!" replied Sokka. "…Unless…" he began mysteriously, "…this is the future!"

"Shut up, Sokka," interjected Toph as she once again, leaned far forwards to hear what was going on down there better. The stage was currently pitch-black except for a spotlight at the front of the stage. As Fire Lord Ozai's actor walked out from the shadows and into the harsh light, it made him seem just as sinister and ominous as the real Fire Lord. The lights gradually came back on and Ozai was could be standing on his throne as Azula was knelt before him on the wooden floor.

"With the energy harnessed from Sozin's Comet, no one will be able to stop the Fire Nation!" said Ozai's actor dramatically as a paper lantern made to look like a comet was dragged across the stage.

"Father," began actress-Azula from her knelt position, "Zuko and the Avatar are at the palace. They're trying to stop you!"

Ozai pointed dramatically at Azula. "You take care of Zuko! I," he pounded his fist against his chest exaggeratedly, "shall face the Avatar myself!" And he was gone in a puff of smoke. The gang looked down at the stage, with the exception of Toph, confused, but watching with interest all the same.

Zuko suddenly ran on stage as Azula got up from her kneeling position. "You are no longer my brother! You are an enemy!" she yelled. She clenched both of her fists upwards in a very dramatic fashion.

"No!" responded actor-Zuko. "I am the rightful heir to the throne!" He finished by pointing his finger menacingly at his pretend sister.

"We'll see," actress-Azula ended with a devious smirk.

Suddenly, both actors whipped out ribbons, Azula's blue and Zuko's red, as they began a choreographed battle. Zuko looked on at the scene from the balcony in shock and shame as cut-out fire suddenly appeared from beneath his actor. The actor was blocked out by it and rapidly, all that could be seen was his silhouette as he fell through a door in the floor.

"Honor!" was the last word out of his mouth as he plunged into trapdoor — dead. The entire audience began applauding loudly at the death of their prince. The gang looked up to see Zuko's shocked and shaken face as he faced his death — a possible scenario for the real day when Sozin's Comet did enter the earth's orbit. And what was worst of all was that Zuko couldn't believe that his people were cheering for it. Katara squeezed his hand as he averted his eyes both from the stage and the gang, who were looking at him with concern.

The stage was then half-lit dramatically so the back portion was in shadow. A menacing figure could be seen sitting down in the shadows as Aang's actress walked carefully onstage, looking around for any possible "danger." A spotlight suddenly shined on the actor in said shadows as his grim voice spoke.

"So you have mastered all four elements," said Ozai as he rose from his chair. The actress-Aang suddenly spun around and faced him. "Yeah! And now, you're going down!" she replied, strangely cheerful, as she motioned downwards with her finger.

"No, it is you who are going down," replied the actor in a booming voice. "You see, you are too late." Aang's actress pretended to look shocked, bringing her hands to either side of her face. "The comet is already here and I'm unstoppable!" he stated as he whipped out his red streamers.

Aang stared wide-eyed at the actors as they started battling, the Fire Lord with his red streamers and Aang with her white flagged staff—her airbending. As the battle royale continued, Ozai's actor finally shot both of his palms out, causing a giant sheet of 'fire' to blaze across the stage, hitting actress-Aang and completely wrapping around her body so that she was eventually covered in the 'fire.'

"Noooo!!!" yelled the actress dramatically as, she too, eventually fell to the floor, dead.

Azula's actress walked back on stage as Ozai smirked at his victory. "It is over Father!" she cheered. "We've done it!"

Both raised their arms dramatically as Fire Lord Ozai took center stage. "Yes, we have done it," he too cheered as fake fire began to engulf the forefront of the stage. The platform he was standing on steadily rose as more fire engulfed the back of the stage so that the whole platform was a mass of red fire.

"The dreams of my Father and my Father's father have now been realized!" he shouted, raising his arms overhead. A giant Fire Nation flag unfurled behind him. "The world is mine!" he finally shouted victoriously as the audience rose from their seats and began cheering wildly, giving him a standing ovation.

As the crowd continued cheering, the gang sat dumbstruck, glued to their seats. Toph cast her blank eyes downward and she shuffled uncomfortably. Sokka and Suki seemed to be frozen in place, arms locked around one another. Katara, who was still holding onto Zuko's hand lightly, suddenly grasped it tightly as she looked shakily at Zuko's void face. And Aang seemed unable to take his eyes away from Fire Lord Ozai's actor as he continued standing there, arms raised over his head with a triumphant smile on his face.

Eventually, Zuko seemed to get a hold of his senses as he muttered to the group, "Let's leave." As no one responded to his request, he decided to stand up.

"Now," Zuko said louder and the group seemed to be shaken out of their trances. They quietly exited the box, Zuko flattening his hair even harder against his forehead and flipping his hood up. They walked out of the theatre quickly, but silently.

The journey back to the beach house was a quiet one, except for Sokka's poor attempt at a joke to lighten the mood.

"At least the effects were decent…"

A/N: And that, my friends, is what should have happened between Katara and Aang. R&R!