A/N: I do not own A:TLA, which belong to Nick, Vicom, Mike and Bryan.
Mer3girl, thank you for the review. I'm happy to see that my characters are, for a lack of a better term, 'in character'. Happy holidays to you to and all of my readers. Stay tuned for more chapters, be sure to read my other stories, etc.
Sokka was usually one of the rowdiest at public entertainment venues, unafraid to spread his enthusiasm and good cheer. Now however he quieted the first, surprising his friends with his good manners and demure countenance. He sat calmly on his cushioned bench, watching the rippling curtains across the room apprehensively and re-reading the bold characters painted onto the poster hanging in front of them.
The Dragon and The Moon.
"I wonder what this play is about," he wondered aloud. "The last time we watched a play here it was really obvious."
Suki shrugged and ventured a guess. "Maybe it's about a dragon and the Moon spirit?"
"Hmph." Sokka crossed his arms and huffed at what he was sure would be a boring play. "I think I've told you before, but I met the moon spirit before she was the moon spirit. She never told my anything about a dragon."
"Well...maybe it's a metaphor for something?"
"Well, its a sucky metaphor. They could've come up with something more original." At least 'The Boy in the Iceberg' made sense. And the effects were decent, he reminded himself. I've seen the real thing before, so it must've been a pretty good mockup! He smiled at the thought and uncrossed his arms, relaxing back into the cushioned bench.
Suki tried to be as optimistic as possible, but she found herself agreeing with her boyfriend. "Well...we already paid for it. We might as well try to enjoy it." I should've known this was a bad idea...the look on Ty Lee's face! She turned back to cast Sokka an apologetic glance, but his disposition towards the play had suddenly shifted to her great surprise.
"Shh...it's starting!" He moved a finger to his lips for emphasis and sneakily snaked an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer.
On the well-worn mahogany stage at the front of the room, a bespectacled man in immaculate maroon robes materialized before the audience as the curtains slowly parted.
"Welcome to the Ember Island Theater!" His booming voice contrasted sharply with his scholarly appearance, but it was clear from his exaggerated gestures and graceful bow that his entrance had been carefully practiced to near-perfection over his long career.
"I am Pu-On Tim, and I will be your host tonight for the premier performance of my newest play, The Dragon and The Moon! I want to keep things a surprise, so I'm not going to say too much."
Pu-On Tim paused slightly and took in the expectant gazes of the audience. "I will say though that I'm sure you will enjoy it."
Suddenly, a short, thin man emerged from behind one of the billowing curtains and made his way to the playwright's side, whispering anxiously into his left ear.
"Ah, it seems that we have some very special guests today. Please welcome the Avatar and the Firelord!" Pu-On Tim clasped his hands into the customary symbol of respect and bowed deeply before extending his hand towards the slightly raised box seats towards the back of the audience. Several hundred pairs of eyes followed his gaze to rest on the Firelord, who was easily the tallest in the group and whose head stuck out like a sore thumb among those of his neighbors.
Toph grinned as the heartbeats of all her friends suddenly spiked.
"So he introduced us. Big deal! What's the matter with all of you?" Sometimes it helps to be blind, she thought. I wish I could see their faces right now though. ..
Zuko grimaced painfully as the all-to-familiar cacophony of cheers swept through the crowd like a tidal wave. Aang on the other hand stood up immediately, beaming and waving to the crowd as they turned to him. However, when he noticed Zuko leaning away warily from the spotlight and towards the back of his seat, he stopped and nudged him anxiously.
"Come on Mr. Hotman! They just want to say hi to you!" he whispered.
Zuko grit his teeth and swept his gaze back and forth across the crowd. It seemed that each and every one of the audience members had fixed their stares on him as soon as Aang had nudged him.
He kept his voice to a whisper but his irritation was clear from the look on his face. "Can you say hi to them for me? I'm not feeling so well."
Aang nodded and backed off, earning a thankful glance from Zuko before Mai suddenly stood up and turned towards him, a determined look on her face. He desperately shook his head, but instead of relenting she jerked him to his feet with surprising strength and sat down when he had regained his awkward balance.
Zuko gaped at her, his mouth silently opening and closing in protest, but she avoided his gaze and after a moment he was forced to turn back towards the crowd.
He gulped nervously and spoke up in a strangely garbled voice.
"Hi...Zuko here..." His already meager voice trailed off into silence as the members of the audience eerily seemed to blink in unison. Whoa, what?
Luckily, Aang spoke up when Zuko trailed off uncertainly.
"...and Aang. I'm the Firelord," he paused slightly for dramatic effect - "and this is my friend the Avatar." he finished, patting Zuko on the back.
Unfortunately, his attempt at a joke was met with a stony silence, broken only by hushed whispers and confused glances from the crowd. Aang suddenly became very self-conscious and sat down, followed quickly by Zuko.
Mercifully, Pu-On Tim released a measured chuckle and went along good-naturedly with the joke, effortlessly drawing the audience's attention back to him. Well, that was strange...
He resumed speaking on-stage, his long experience in acting leaving him unfazed by the awkward situation.
Zuko huffed indignantly as he turned towards the cowering Avatar. "What was that?"
Aang gestured exasperatedly. "I dunno! I was just trying to make everyone relax!"
Zuko crossed his arms and glared at Aang. "Well, you're terrible at it. Was that supposed to be a joke?"
Aang shrugged nervously as Zuko's accusing gaze continued to bore into him. "Uh, yes..."
Mai spoke up as Zuko continued to glare at the nervous, fidgeting young airbender.
"Zuko, you're a wimp."
Zuko growled at that, but his expression soon turned soft and pleading. "Not you too!"
Ty Lee gasped and turned Mai's gaze towards her. "Mai!" she scolded angrily.
"I'm with Gloomy here." Toph said lazily as she stretched her legs and nudged her bare feet onto Zuko's back, wiggling her toes mischievously. Mai huffed at the nickname but Toph's next comment dispelled her bad mood. "Relax. You're actually happy most of the time...unlike Lord Doom and Gloom here." She wiggled her toes again, relishing the feel of Zuko's silk robes on her skin.
Zuko groaned and leaned forward in a futile attempt to escape her grasp, resting his elbows on his knees and cupping his face in his hands. "Can we pretend this never happened?"
"I didn't think it was that bad." Katara flippantly remarked without turning to look at him. Her tone almost seemed cheerful. In fact, she actually seemed confused when everyone glared at her.
Hey, at least I tried to find something positive. Excuse me for not being all down on him! While Katara had honestly been trying to find a bright side to it all, this time she came off as being sarcastic and insincere. On any other day it would've been brushed off with an intentionally sarcastic retort from one of the Gaang's more competent humorists, but today it was too much when added in on top of Mai's and Toph's snide remarks.
Aang stared at her as if she had suddenly grown another head while Zuko merely buried his face further into his hands at the latest jab. And I thought that Katara was supposed to be the empathetic one. The young Firelord sighed deeply, wondering how he could be more self-confident...wondering why he wasn't more self-confident after his recent victory and coronation.
"Come on guys, give him a break." Aang gently nudged Zuko's head upwards and continued in a faux whisper. "Don't listen to these jerks..." He leaned in closer to give him a reassuring pat on the back and nonchalantly ignored the protests of the girls around him.
Katara spoke up first. "Hey, I'm not a jerk! I healed him after the Agni Kai, remember?" She elbowed Zuko gently, but he remained in a bent-over posture. What's wrong?
"Ok, so you're a half-jerk." Aang replied angrily. "Don't you see how Zuko feels about this? Seriously, give him a break."
Katara acquiesced reluctantly, unwilling to face his obvious irritation for the time being, but on the inside she was brimming with anger at how he had lashed out so unexpectedly at her. He hadn't been holding back, and it hurt. She didn't understand why he was so angry and in her face all of a sudden. It didn't make any sense.
"I'm not a jerk either." Mai placed a palm on Zuko's cheek and leaned in closer, but Zuko sighed and pushed her away instead.
"I'm sorry Mai - maybe later?" He relented finally at her devastated expression and placed a chaste kiss on her cheeks before whispering into her ear. "I love you...but we need to have a talk later. Set some ground rules, you know?" He grinned sheepishly and she leaned easily into his right side.
"Ground rules? Pff." Mai rolled her eyes. "As if. I was only trying to be honest with you."
Zuko tensed at her implications and sat up straighter, very gently pushing her off his shoulder.
"I know...just not now, ok?" And everyone already knows I'm a wimp…I don't need my girlfriend rubbing it in my face.
"I didn't know you were so sensitive." she remarked dryly.
"I've always been sensitive!" he protested weakly.
"Like when you left me?" she retorted, her voice dropping dangerously low. "You never really explained that."
"Mai..." Ty Lee warned. I don't like where this is going...
"Well, I'm done talking with him anyways. Let's just watch this stupid play." She couldn't face Zuko now, not with the sudden, suffocating tightness in her chest.
Zuko closed his eyes tightly at the deluge of emotions that had suddenly descended on him like a thunderstorm: Confusion, Anger, Frustration...but worst of all, Guilt. He got up calmly and began to scoot past Katara, who remained unapologetic about her previous outburst.
However, before Zuko completely disappeared through the doors behind their benches, Toph stood up quietly and he stopped in his tracks, willing to give Toph a chance to speak her mind. After all, she was the only one who hadn't reacted defensively to Aang's accusations...yet.
"I'm fine with being a jerk," she paused to glare at Aang, who returned it easily -"...but I'm sorry Zuko." Toph wore a genuinely apologetic expression on her face and looked like she had more to say, but she sat down after her apology, pulling up her legs towards her small body. For the first time in several months, she appeared once again as a helpless young child, lost in the world and confused by the storm of emotions that accompanied it.
Zuko nodded tersely, allowing his lips to turn up slightly. However; when he noticed the worried look on almost everyone's faces (except for Katara's and Mai's), his face contorted into a deep frown and he hurriedly walked out the inviting doors. He wasn't sure if Katara and Mai's derision or everyone else's sympathy was worse...and he wasn't sticking around to find out.
Aang looked down and sighed deeply, massaging his temples as he wondered how things had turned sour so quickly. He got up and wordlessly trailed after Zuko, closing the doors with a nearly inaudible *click*.
Katara had been considering what Aang had told her, and she felt that it was high time she confronted him about it. Why is he mad at me? What did I do? She squirmed in her seat for several moments before she worked up the nerve to get up and follow after the Avatar and the Firelord.
Toph frowned as the three of them passed her in turn, but she knew that she had already said her piece. I'm not sticking out my neck out any further...not until Mai and Katara apologize.
Onstage, Pu-On Tim began to sweat when he noticed the Firelord and Avatar filing out. What's going on? He thought about what might've caused such a reaction from his two most important guests, and his face paled when he considered the worst case scenario. Did they already get a copy of the script? D**n it, I told Iroh not to give it to anyone. Just because he's playing himself doesn't mean that he can just show it to anyone!
He stopped reading off the scroll attached to the rafters that his assistant had been slowly rolling though, jerking his hand in a cutting gesture and motioning to the men grinning creepily from behind the curtain to both sides of him. Time to pay the bills.
"Well, it's time for our esteemed sponsors to present their offers. Thank you!"
He bowed deeply and strolled hurriedly off stage to find his star actor. Well, not technically an actor. There's no acting involved…he's a natural at what he does. Or he would be if he just took the time to learn the lines, like I do!
Read and review, if you want to. Otherwise have a happy new year's!