The curtains reopened, this time in the Fire Lord's throne room, with Actor Zuko sitting on the throne, arguing with some types of ministers. Suddenly, Actors Irah and Hakoda raced into the room, tripping and sliding in front of the throne. They both gave Actor Zuko weak smiles, which he did not return. "Why do you two burst in, so sudden?" he asked sternly.

The two of them jumped up, bowing the traditional way, when Actor Hakoda stepped forward. "Oh, I'm so sorry, your Majesty, sir, but we have some very urgent news. You see, a few moments ago, when we were flying on Appa-"

Actor Irah grabbed his mouth, silencing it, and dragged him a little further back before releasing it. "Shush! Can't you see, you're doing it all wrong? I need to tell him about what happened."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get to the part about the shadow." He said.

Actor Irah looked at him quizzically. "You saw a shadow? I saw a snake."

"A snake?" Actor Hakoda said, totally taken off guard.

Her eyes grew big. "It was Sevribelé, the Serpent that watches the Underworld, the place in the spirit world where cowards and people without honor go when they die. He's in some of my old tales, in a book that Mom and Dad read to me. He has huge yellow eyes, a tongue dripping in blood, and he's covered in maggots. Remember? He called me a firebender, but I told him I was a servant of Agni."

Actor Hakoda was completely baffled, as was Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Toph, but on stage, Actor Zuko and the ministers looked scared, and offstage, Zuko, Mai, and Iroh shivered.

"He's real." Iroh said. "He's from a long, long time ago. Funny how they represented him as a shadow…"

"But Hakoda said he saw a shadow instead of that…thing." Sokka said. "Maybe…maybe it's a nation thing, or a mental one. You'd see whatever the closest thing is to your vision of evil."

Actor Zuko onstage came up to Actor Irah. "Tell me everything, daughter."

She told him about how Actor Hakoda had taken her on the bison, and how the thing had appeared, and warned them, but she omitted any details of romance.

Actor Zuko was now pale as milk. "This is a great horror. It is said that Sevribelé will come when the world will end. We must find out what he meant."

"I think I know." Actor Hakoda said, and they all turned to him. "He said that we should look for him and his brethren the place of Irah's people's first evils."

Actor Irah looked worried. "Brethren…does he mean monsters? Demons? Creatures of shadow and thunder?"

Actor Zuko caught on quickly, looking more and more worried. "Oh no. Oh no. The old colonies…We'll have to go there. I'll get ready with Mai, and we'll bring Roku and some others."

"Um, dad? What should I pack?" Actor Irah ventured, and he looked at her as if she was insane. "Irah, this is not the place for you. Stay here with your friend. You both have done enough, bringing us the news."

"But you're bringing Roku!" Actor Hakoda said.

"He needs to see these things. You've seen one, and that is enough." Actor Zuko said, closing the deal, and he stormed off, with the ministers following him.

"ARGH!" Actor Irah cried out. "Is Dad blind? We need to go!"

Actor Hakoda nodded angrily as the curtains closed.

AN: So we start getting into the action! Next chapter, I think it will be mostly Irah and Hakoda bonding over spirit tales. And I made the serpent up out of the Norse tales of the Midgard Serpent and out of Garmr, the hound that guards Hel.