Chapter 22 The Ember Island Players Part 3
The current rose up on the second act of the play as the actors who were playing the avatar gang began their simulated journey to find an Earth Bending Master.
"Oh where will we find an Earth Bending teacher?" asked the actress playing Aang
"Here it comes." said Toph with a smile as one of the fake rocks on the stage lifted up to show a very large muscle man who was dressed like Toph.
"Why under a rock of course." stated the man in a deep male voice.
"Wait that sounds like a guy…a big guy at that?" asked Toph as Katara leaned over from her seat behind Toph to whisper in her ear.
"Not what you were expecting right?" asked Katara with a slight grin.
"Are you kidding I wouldn't have casted it any differently." laughed Toph as Katara looked at Zuko who simply shock his head.
"I guess someone has to like it eventually." stated Zuko as Katara sat back a bit and watched as the play moved on.
"What is your name?" asked Actress Aang
"I am Toph because it sounds like tough." stated actor Toph as he flexed his muscles "And that is what I am."
"Wait are you blind?" asked actor Sokka as he moved his hand back and forth in front of the actor Toph.
"Yes, but I can see you all." stated Actor Toph "I see you by using sound!"
Then the actor let out a load screeched which sent spit all over the actress playing aang.
"There I got a good look at you." Stated Actor Toph as he put a hand under his chin "Your not that bad looking."
"Why thank you." said Actress Aang as the real Aang's eyes widened
"That never happened." stated Aang more to Katara then to anyone else.
"Wait they make it sound like I am flirting with you?" asked Toph
"Because they are." answered Sakura from the back row as she sat beside Naruto. She could tell that Naruto's mind wasn't on the play at the moment it was likely either on the threat from Sasuke or on what she said outside.
"Please I would never flirt like that." Stated Toph
"So you have flirted in the past?" asked Suki as Toph's head turned toward Suki as she seemed to glare at her with unseeing eyes.
"So will you be my Earth Bending teacher?" asked Actress Aang
"Of course." stated Toph
"Ya, now I have an Earth bending teacher." said actress Aang with way too much joy in her voice.
"Am I really like that?" asked Aang as he looked toward Katara.
"Well…" started Katara as she fought the need to act like a mother to him and the need to be honest. Her delay hurt like a knife though the heart as he looked into those deep blue eyes.
"We all had problems back then the thing to do now is to move forward." said Zuko as Katara nodded her head in agreement, as they watched as the play move forward past when Zuko and Iroh went their separate way and the death of Jet. Finally the scene that Katara was fearing since the start of the play was upon her.
"So Prince Zuko you are actually quite attractive." stated the Katara actress as she and the actor playing Zuko reenacted their time locked up in Ba Sing Se. Aang's eyes widened as he watched how the actors were showing his fire bending teacher and the woman he loves.
"You don't need to lie to me." said the actor Zuko as the actress Katara moved over and sat beside him, placing her hand on the inner part of the actor's leg. "I thought you were the Avatar's girl?"
"No…he is like a brother to me." Said actress Katara as her hand moved up actor Zuko's chest and stopping on his lips "Besides how would he ever find out."
The actor Zuko smiled as his hand landed on actress Katara's back as the stage went back. By then Katara's heart was already racing picked up even faster, she wasn't sure if she was embarrassed by it or wishing that had happen. She turned back to the play only to notice that Aang was now gone.
"Twinkle toes went outside in case you're wondering." said Toph as Katara lowered her head but remained sitting as the play went on. She looked toward Zuko hoping to find out what he was thinking, what she saw was Zuko looking down. She followed Zuko's eyes only to find that without her even realizing it her hand now was resting on top of Zuko's. She instantly pulled her hand back and looked away but both of them stayed sitting right beside each other.
The scene had once again change to show Zuko along with Azula and General Iroh behind the same background they had just used in the cave scene.
"Come on Zuko, regain your honor and help me, it's your choice your nation or a life as a traitor?" asked the actress Azula.
"Choice Treachery Zuko and help the Avatar." stated actor Iroh as the actor Zuko walked toward his uncle only to push him to the ground.
"I hate you uncle and I always have." stated Actor Zuko "You are a fool who deserves to be locked upped and burned for your crimes."
"Did you say that?" whispered Katara to Zuko as he lowered his head.
"I might as well have." answered Zuko "He was like a real father and I betrayed him."
"It will be alright Zuko." said Katara as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I am sure your uncle will be proud of everything you have done to help us."
"I could have done all that back then and Ba Sing Sa would have stayed in Earth Kingdom hands." said Zuko
"Will you two shut up?" asked Sokka without even looking at how close his little sister was to the fire nation prince.
"The Avatar is no more!" yelled the actress playing Azula as the actress playing Aang fell down under the fake attack of Azula. The audience broke out in a load cheers as they believed the avatar was now dead.
"This end the second act please return in ten minutes for the third and final act." stated the play writer as the lights rose up.
"Well that was interesting." said Azula as she sat beside Sasuke in the royal box as food and drink was brought up to them.
"They haven't gotten your personal right." stated Sasuke "However that being said I do believe that this play is an interesting look into personal relations."
"How so?" asked Azula
"I have noticed that during the play your brother and the water bender have stayed very close together." said Sasuke
"So you think the two of them may be together?" asked Azula
"No…but there may be something there, something growing." stated Sasuke as he took a drink "We can use this."
"The avatar likes the water bender and my brother may like her as well." said Azula
"You don't seam surprised." said Sasuke
"My brother is a big enough traitors, so falling for a lower class peasant from another nation isn't out of the realm of possibility." stated Azula "However we can use this to divide their little gang."
"I agree. I will use deadliest love for the pink haired weakling to my advenge during the fight" said Sasuke
"Love can be a great weakness to use." stated Azula "If you love someone you have to know that they are capable of standing on their own in a fight."
"Agreed." said Sasuke
Outside on one of the many outdoor balcony located along the upper levels of the theater stood Sakura and Naruto.
"This isn't good is it?" asked Sakura already knowing the answer
"No…Sasuke knows when and where we will show up to stop the fire nation attack on the Earth Kingdom." said Naruto
"He can set up levels of defenses and traps and we will have to get past them." said Sakura "And if we don't attack them there they will kill thousands."
"We could always stop the airships when they are in flight.' said Sakura
"More than likely if we don't show up in time Sasuke will be on those airships and he will set up defenses there too." explained Naruto "We have to face him in the capital."
"Well I always preferred a ground fight than anything else." said Sakura "However when we go into this battle we will need some surprises of our own. I mean the sage mode is nice but we need more than that."
"I have an idea but you aren't going to like it." said Naruto
"It has to do with the Kyuubi doesn't it?" asked Sakura
"Yes." answered Naruto "I don't like it but it maybe the only way to get an upper hand on Sasuke."
"What is it?" asked Sakura as Naruto began to lay out his plan.
Almost half an hour later Naruto and Sakura returned to the play only to find that everyone had returned and that they had missed parts of the play.
"What did we miss?" asked Sakura
"Well you missed the invasion, Zuko joining our group and me getting my sword." answered Sokka as Naruto and Sakura watched as the scene changed to show a forest. Out from behind one of the fake trees came a man dressed a dark blue robe carrying a sword.
"Who is that suppose to be?" asked Suki
"Sasuke." answered Sakura as the actress playing Azula ran on the stage.
"Who are you?" asked the actress playing Azula
"I am Sasuke Uchiha and I am from ninja warrior another world." stated the actor playing Sasuke "I am searching for a monster in the form of a man."
"A monster in the form of a man?" asked the actress playing Azula
"Yes, one Naruto Uzumaki ran from my world into this world." stated Sasuke "He is a demon."
"I am princess Azula of the great fire nation. Join me in my hunt to bring down the Avatar and I will help you hunt down this demon." stated the actress playing
"Yes…my lady." stated actor Sasuke as both of them ran off stage.
"I wouldn't say that." stated the real Sasuke as more scenes followed building up a romance between the actress Azula and the actor Sasuke.
"I know, they are making you seem too emotional." stated Azula "They did the same to me, we show emotion in a more shuttle way."
The next scene showed the avatar gang walking though a woods when an actor wearing a bright orange jump suit and wild neon yellow hair stepped out.
"Who are you?" asked Actress Aang
"I am Naruto Uzumaki and I am a the number one ninja." stated actor Naruto as he got onto one foot while raising his hands over his head. Suddenly appearing behind him in a pink dress with deep red hair was a woman.
"And I am Sakura I am also a ninja." said the actress Sakura as she copied Naruto's stance.
"Two ninja that may be useful in defeating the fire lord." stated Actress Aang
"That demon and his girlfriend are no match for me and my master lightening bending." stated actor Sasuke as he appeared on the stage.
"Sasuke my prelsure I thought we had lost you." stated Actor Naruto
"You will only lose me when you are dead demon." stated Sasuke as the two actors started play fighting on stage. They were soon joined by actress Azula and her team as everyone started fight.
"This is just crazy." stated Naruto as an actor playing him fell to the ground.
"We have to fall back we can't defeat them like this." stated actress Sakura "They are just too powerful."
"Sakura is right." stated actor Naruto as actress Aang jumped onto the fake Appa
"All onboard." yelled Actress Aang as the avatar gang jumped onto the fake Appa and flew away.
"They are making us look like weaklings." said Sakura as her fist.
"Calm down Sakura-chan." said Naruto "If we make a scene then everyone will know we are here."
"Besides I thought you would more upset about them showing you as Naruto's girlfriend." said Suki
"One thing at a time." stated Sakura as they kept watching as they showed the actor Sasuke bring down the Northern water tribe with a massive lightening strike.
"Well that must be the end of the play." stated Sokka as he stood up.
"I don't think so." said Sakura as the play entered the final scene.
"Father, the avatar and his group have arrived." stated Actress Azula to a man playing the fire lord.
"No matter with the comet we are unbeatable." stated Actor Ozai as he sat on top of a raised throne.
"But we will defeat you." stated actress Aang as she along with actor Zuko and actor Naruto appeared beside her.
"I think now." stated Sasuke as he moved to stand beside Azula. He turned and looked into Azula's eyes "I'll take on the demon you take your brother my love."
"Yes, my love." stated actress Azula with a smile.
"And I will handle the avatar." stated Actor Ozai as he stood up.
"You are no longer my brother Zuko…you are a traitor nothing more." stated actress Azula as she pulled out two streams which represented her blue fire bending. Zuko pulled out two similar red streams. The two traded blow after blow but it was clear that Zuko was losing the fight. Finally Azula delivered a fatal blow as fake flames shot up from the floor as Zuko disappeared. The fire nation audience broke out into wild cheers at the death of Zuko. Seeing the people cheer for Zuko's death caused her heart to stop for a moment. Things just kept getting worst as the battle moved from Azula to Naruto and it was Sakura's turn for her blood to turn to ice. Sakura could only watch in as the people cheered as the fake Sasuke placed a fake sword though fake Naruto's gut. She couldn't help herself as she gripped Naruto's hand.
"Well just because they lost doesn't mean I will." stated actor Aang with fear in her voice as she looked toward.
"No…you will fail just like your friends." stated actor Ozai as he sent massive flam streamers at the avatar who pretended to be burned before falling into his own trap door.
"The avatar is defeated and the war is over!" stated the actor playing Ozai as a giant fire nation flag fell behind him "The dreams of my family and my nation has come to past, all the world is now fire nation."
The crowed gave them a standing ovations as they creed for the Fire Nation victory and the death of the avatar.
"I think we should go." said Naruto
"Ya, this is the worst play ever." stated Sokka as they walked out.
Well I hope you liked this chapter, I am using this chapter to set some of the major interactions in later chapters. Now until next time please keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75