Aang, Zuko, and I cast brief spouts of flames from our hands before backing up a few steps, the three of us perfectly in sync with each other as we swung our arms downwards, casting flames that struck the ground at our feet before extending our right arms and legs, shooting flames from both. We then extended our right legs backwards as we shot flames out of our hands. Finally, with the routine finished, we took a deep, calming breath before bowing to each other.
I cracked my neck and stretched the muscles of my bare torso, the purple Dragon tattoo on my back visible to all. Takara sat with Toph and Katara, and I found myself gazing lovingly into her green and blue eyes as she did the same. Time seemed to stand still as we stared into each other's soul, and…
"Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked, shattering the trance Takara and I were in.
"I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy. And that was a long time ago" Zuko assured as he ran a rag through his hair. Looking around at the moss-covered beams and dusty planks of the house, I knew that he was telling the truth. "It's the last place anyone would think to look for us".
"We used to have a house here, as well" I said as I sat beside Takara. "I can remember playing in the sand as a child, heating it into glass and making all manner of toys for myself. I inevitably broke most of them".
As Takara smiled, Sokka and Suki approached. "You guys are not gonna believe this!" he said, carrying a scroll aloft in his hand. "There's a play about us".
I perked up, and Takara and I exchanged slightly shocked glances. "We were just in town and we found this poster" Suki explained as Sokka unfurled the scroll, revealing a poster depicting Aang, Sokka, and Katara against the backdrop of Zuko's face. Strangely enough, though, the scar was depicted on the wrong eye.
"What?" Katara asked incredulously. "How is that possible?"
As we all gathered around him, the Water Tribe boy said "Listen to this: 'The Boy in the Iceberg' is a new production from acclaimed playwright "Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage".
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jin, Li, and Toph high-fiving each other in excitement as Suki read "Brought to you by the acclaimed 'Ember Island Players'".
I cringed involuntarily, and Zuko snorted in derision. "Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons' every year".
I nodded. "Their performance during 'Flames of the Past' was inexcusable".
"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked, sounding a little worried.
The Waterbender's brother threw his arms in the air. "Come on! A day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!"
"Yes!" Toph cried in excitement. "Now I finally get the chance to relish in the hero worship I've been missing out on!"
I glanced at Takara, who shrugged and said "No one would be expecting us to attend a play about ourselves, not with the state of things". Snorting in amusement, I gave her a kiss. "Alright everyone, let's look our best, shall we?"
We filed into the second level booth, the sounds of the audience reverberating throughout the large space of the theatre as we took our seats. We were all back to wearing Fire Nation attire, so as to blend in with everyone else. Zuko and I, not wanting our identities to be discovered, as our faces were too recognizable, wore black cloaks with hoods drawn. I sat down beside Takara, Sokka, and Suki behind the twins, Toph, Katara, and Aang, who wore a hat so as to cover up his tattoo. Just as he was about to sit next to Katara, Zuko sat there instead.
The Airbender awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and said "Hey, uh, I wanted to sit there". I exchanged a smirk with Takara, slightly bemused at our companion's bashfulness when it came to his feelings for the Waterbender.
"Just sit next to me" Zuko said, unaware of what was going on. "What's the big deal?"
Aang stammered for a time, several times trying to find the right words until he eventually gave up and slumped beside Zuko. As people continued to file into the theatre, Toph asked no one in particular "Why are we in the nosebleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here".
"Don't worry" Katara assured our blind companion. "I'll tell your feet what's happening".
Just then, the lights dimmed, and the audience instantly became quiet as the curtain rose, revealing actors portraying the Water Tribe siblings rowing a boat through a desolate, icy landscape as gentle music started playing. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sokka practically bouncing with joy. Actor Katara, who looked far too old to properly portray a teenager, sighed dramatically, clutching her hand against her ample bosom. "Sokka, my only brother, we constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything… fulfilling".
"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach" Actor Sokka replied as he continued rowing. "I'm starving!" The audience broke out into raucous laughter, and the Water Tribe siblings exchanged dubious glances.
"Is food the only thing on your mind?" Actor Katara demanded.
"Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth. I'm starving!" The audience once more broke out into laughter, proving that my people thought of Sokka as a bumbling, constantly-hungry buffoon.
Takara leaned in close and whispered "So far, this is a little melodramatic, wouldn't you say?"
I could only nod as Sokka quietly exclaimed "This is pathetic! My jokes are way funnier than this!"
Unfortunately, his indignation wasn't shared by Toph and the twins, who were laughing along with the rest of the audience. "He's got you pegged!" the blind girl said, sounding out of breath.
We returned our attention to the stage as Actor Katara dramatically declared "Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears! Still, we cannot give up hope. For hope is all we have!" She sniffed and leaned over the side of the boat, and I arched my brows as she added "And we must never relinquish it. Even… even to our dying breath!"
She then broke into fake sobbing, and I could see Katara crossing her arms indignantly. "Well, that's just silly" she complained. "I don't sound like that!" Sokka, Suki, Toph, and even Takara disagreed, however, struggling to stifle their laughter.
"Man, this writer's a genius!" Toph declared as the stage was bathed in a bright blue light. A large set piece was then moved into the centre, depicting the iceberg where Aang had been found. At the top was a glowing ball with the shadow of some sort of person, probably a cut-out of some sort.
"It appears to be a person frozen in ice!" Actor Katara said, providing needless exposition. "Perhaps for a hundred years!"
I sighed, shaking my head. "Now that is just lazy writing".
"But who?" Actor Sokka asked. "Who is the boy in the iceberg?" In front of me, Aang leaned forward, excited that he was coming into the story.
"Waterbend, hiya!" Actor Katara said, making a chopping motion with her hand. The iceberg split in half, opening to reveal a cloud of fog… out of which leaped a very odd-looking actor dressed in an Aang costume.
Beside me, Takara leaned forward, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Wait. Is Aang… a girl?"
"I'm not!" the Airbender protested helplessly. "I'm not a girl!"
"Who are you, frozen boy?" Actor Katara asked.
Actor Aang chuckled mischievously in her high-pitched voice. "I'm the Avatar, silly!" she replied, doing a pirouette. "Here to spread joy and fun!" Suddenly, a giant, furry caricature of Appa emerged from behind the iceberg, circling it several times and emitting several growls and non Appa-like noises before disappearing off-stage.
"An Airbender!" Actor Katara exclaimed. "My heart is so full of hope that it's making me tearbend!" She then started sobbing once more, falling to her knees and clutching Actor Aang's legs.
"My stomach is so empty that it's making me tearbend!" Actor Sokka cried, also falling to his knees and clutching Actor Aang's legs. "I need meat!" To my right, Sokka looked just about ready to tear his hair out.
"But wait", Actor Aang said, wrapping an arm around Actor Sokka's neck and pointing off into the distance, "is that a platter of meaty dumplings?!"
"Oh, where, where?" Actor Sokka demanded, looking around frantically for the object of his desire. I could see Aang slumping into his seat, and he looked just about ready to melt into a puddle in the face of such a controversial portrayal.
Actor Aang placed a hand on her chest and let out an extremely high-pitched giggle. "Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster?"
The audience started laughing, and Aang asserted "I don't do that! That's not what I'm like! AND I'M NOT A WOMAN!"
Once again, Toph cackled in enjoyment. "Oh, they nailed you, twinkle-toes!"
Just then, the scene shifted to open waters, where a Fire Nation ship sailed into view, carrying obvious caricatures of both Iroh and Zuko. "Prince Zuko", Actor Iroh rumbled, "you must try this cake!" I slapped my forehead, groaning in frustration as Takara held my other hand. This play was making a personal hero, a man who I considered to be a father to me, look like a fat slob who cared about nothing more than food!
"I don't have time to stuff my face!" Actor Zuko angrily retorted, gazing off-stage with his eyeglass. Strangely enough, his scar was on the wrong side of his head. "I must capture the Avatar to regain my honour!" So far, his performance was the most believable.
"Well, while you do that, maybe I'll catch another slice!" Actor Iroh said, utterly oblivious to the angst-filled teenager standing beside him. He proceeded to stuff his face with the cake, making disgusting sounds as he devoured it.
"You sicken me!" Actor Zuko spat melodramatically.
"They make me look totally stiff and humourless" Zuko complained from where he sat.
"Zuko, that actor has you fairly spot-on" I countered, smirking a little.
"How could you say that?" he demanded, turning to look at me.
Meanwhile, Actor Iroh walked over to Actor Zuko and said "Let's forget about the Avatar, and get massages!"
"How could you say that?!" Actor Zuko asked, turning to look at his portly co-star. Zuko slumped in his seat, drawing his hood in embarrassment.
The scene then shifted to some sort of military base, with representations of ships, tents, and other assorted background items. Something about it seemed familiar to me, and as I thought of what it was, a gong sounded from somewhere off-stage just as someone was coming from behind a tent. He was tall, muscular, and was dressed in a Fire Nation uniform, which was just a set of Firebender armour, and not the appropriate Fire Navy officer's uniform. He stepped out into the centre of the stage, his hands on his hips as he struck a heroic pose. However, my eyes widened as my mouth fell open as I beheld…
The massive, wooden mask that was almost as large as his body, depicting the actor's, or more appropriately, MY face as absolutely cartoonish. My eyes were barely more than slits, which I suppose was meant to appear menacing, my sideburns were poorly painted along the edges, and my mouth was nothing more than a black line, probably meant to display pursed lips.
"I greet this new day as I always do", Actor Me bellowed, placing a fist over his heart, "stoically!" The others glanced over at me, but I barely registered their gazes, my gaze firmly fixed on the actor playing me, cursing him, the playwright, and everyone involved with this project. Actor Me then turned so his cartoonish head was facing the tent where he had just come from. "Come, my Earthbending sons! Let us greet this day together… stoically!"
Off to my right, I could see Jin and Li standing in front of their seats, tightly gripping the railing in anticipation of their characters' impending arrival. A moment later, and I could see two strings coming from the right, off-stage, and I followed them until, from behind the tent, cut-outs representing Jin and Li emerged, controlled by the strings coming from above. I could feel the surprise and anger emanating from my sons, and they gripped the wooden railing so hard that it actually broke. The cutouts didn't even look identical to one another!
"Ah, my Earthbending sons" Actor Me greeted. "Li and Jin, you are the most precious things to me, but not as precious as… being stoic! I cannot love you, for love is an emotion, and emotion… is the enemy!" He raised his fist up at the air as he spoke, and I felt my hand clenching involuntarily into a fist. I could feel Takara giving me a concerned gaze, but my eyes were firmly fixed as my character, and his 'sons', made their way over to the other side of the camp, and my worst fears came to pass.
"Ah, Shan We, my… hic… son" the actor portraying my father greeted, his words so slurred that I had trouble making them out as Actor Me approached him. Actor Zhao held a cup in his hand as he struggled to stay on his feet, his disheveled appearance slightly less ridiculous than my actor's giant mask. "We have… hic… visitors" Actor Zhao continued drunkenly. As I gazed at the actor, I felt a dagger stabbing deep into my heart, and a single tear ran down my cheek. "General Fatso… uh, Iroh, and Prince Scarface are here. I want you to… follow them. Find the Avatar, do it for… my glory!" As he said the last, he finally lost his balance and collapsed into a conveniently-placed food cart.
The audience started laughing hysterically, but I was far less amused. Slamming my fist into my seat, I abruptly stood up and stormed out of our little balcony, not being able to stand another second of this abomination as I felt my fingernails drawing blood as they dug into my palms. Walking through the curtain leading out into the common area, I made it as far as a few steps towards a nearby balcony that overlooked the water.
There was no one else present, so I was not worried as I slammed my fist into the wall several times, attempting to alleviate my grief and fury by taking it out on the wall. After the seventh punch, I finally relented once I started to register the pain. I briefly glanced at the knuckles of my right hand, which were bloody and bruised, before placing the top of my head against the wall, my fists on either side of it. I punched the wall one more time with my left hand, my heart pumping as I breathed through my nose.
I looked at Shan We as he stormed out, feeling very worried at that moment. Seeing an insulting portrayal of himself and the twins was one thing, but to see his father portrayed in such a way was the final breaking point. I glanced over at Jin and Li, who looked just as worried as I was, before standing up. Just as I started to walk out of the balcony, however, something on the stage drew my eye.
Noticing that things had changed, I briefly recalled something about Sokka wanting to know if the dress he was wearing made him look fat, or something. The scene was still in my village back on Kyoshi Island, but Sokka and the others were gone. Now, I could see Actor Suki, along with another Kyoshi Warrior of unspecified identity when she walked on-stage.
Just like Actor Suki, this woman was dressed in a slightly more ridiculous kimono, which conveniently made her chest extremely prominent in a quite-inappropriate manner, with her black hair tied into a bun and held together with chopsticks. The most ridiculous things about her, though, were the large, fake eyes that she was wearing. They consisted of two small wooden bowls that had somehow been placed over her real eyes, and they were painted bright blue and green. I would also like to point out that they were on the wrong sides!
Actor Me sighed loudly, using one of her fans to fan herself dramatically. "Oh, yet another dreadful day" she griped, sauntering her way through the set. "Another day of me wasting my life away in this small, pathetic village". My eyes narrowed dangerously as I thought of all the horrible things I could do to that woman when she draped her body against a wooden beam, running her back up and down in a highly-suggestive manner. "What I really need is a big, strong man to take me away from here! Someone who just exudes… masculinity and raw, powerful manliness".
Almost as if on cue, Actor Shan We (along with the cutouts of his 'sons') stepped on-stage. "I am hunting the Avatar!" he bellowed dramatically. "And I must do it… stoically!"
Actor Suki responded by entering a fighting stance, wielding her fans in a decidedly un-Suki like manner as she said "No way! We'll never let you get to the Avatar!"
Actor Shan We raised his fist at her. "Filthy peasant! I should be furious, but I must take care not to feel emotion. My stoic nature does not allow it! Earthbending sons, dispatch her!" Two prop boulders were then lowered in front of 'Li and Jin', and they were suddenly moving left. Once they made contact with the boulders, they shot towards Actor Suki, who cried out as she feigned being knocked out, slumping onto the floor.
"I'll handle this" Actor Me said, her husky voice making it perfectly clear on how she was going to 'handle' the situation. She sauntered over to Actor Shan We, gyrating her hips and shoving her ample chest in his giant wooden mask. "Hey there, big boy" she greeted. "My name's Takara. What's yours?"
"I am Shan We" he replied, clutching a fist over his heart. "Son of Admiral Zhao, the greatest leader in Fire Nation history!"
"Ooh" Actor Me said appreciatively, slowly circling him as she spoke. "That's a big, strong name, and you're a big, strong man. Take me way from here! I want to see the world, corrupt a soldier or two, and generally cause mischief".
I rolled my eyes in contempt as Actor Shan We looked away. "No! I cannot! You are stirring… emotions in me. Emotions are the enemy! I cannot…" He drifted off as Actor Me came to face him, shoving her ridiculous green and blue eyes into his wooden mask. "I… I find myself unable to look away. Those eyes are so… enchanting! I'll take you with me! We'll see the world together, and I'll betray my nation just so I can look into those mystical eyes of yours!"
That was the final straw, and as the scene shifted, I walked out of the balcony. Stepping through the curtain and into the common area, I looked around for Shan We. Looking to my right, I found him on the floor, sitting against the wall as he held his knees close with his clasped hands. As I walked over to his side, he looked up at me and smiled appreciatively. I sat down beside him, resting my head against the wall as we soaked in the silence.
After a few moments, I glanced over at my tea-loving Firebender when I noticed his hands. "You're hurt" I said as I brought one hand close for inspection.
"It's nothing" he replied quietly as he tried to take his hand back.
"It's not nothing" I asserted forcefully, bringing the hand close so that I could get a look. The knuckles were red and bloody, and they looked like they had punched something very hard several times, and his palm was bloody, most likely from his fingernails, if the blood on them was any indication. Looking him in the eye, I asked "What happened?"
He continued to stare ahead, into nothingness. "That's what they think of him" he said. "They think of him as a pathetic disgrace, and I'm no better in their eyes. To them, my father and I are jokes, laughing stocks to be mocked and spoken of in jest".
"It doesn't matter what they think" I soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You said yourself that they've been manipulated over the last 100 years. Whatever opinions they have about you or any of us isn't important; what is important is for us to stop the Fire Lord before the comet arrives and save the world. We can worry about what your people think after that".
He finally turned to look at me, and the weariness in his expression took me off-guard. He smiled meekly, placing his hand over my own and saying "I love you. I don't know how I would have gotten this far if it weren't for you".
I smiled before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "Well, I don't know how I would've gotten this far without you. As long as we have each other, we'll be fine".
"If the play portrayed me in such a manner, then I expect that yours was similarly unflattering".
I snorted. "You could say that. Come on; let's head back and rejoin the others". Shan We nodded, and the two of us proceeded to stand, holding each other for a few moments before we headed back inside.
We sat down as the scene changed, and Sokka whispered "So, long story short: Aang found a talking Momo, I put on a dress, Bumi made us go through all these tests, and Katara stole a Waterbending scroll". I nodded as Actor Zuko stood in front of a chained Actor Aang in what looked a lot like the stronghold where Shan We's father had captured Aang before that mysterious masked person had interfered.
"The Avatar is mine!" Actor Zuko declared triumphantly. "Wait, who's coming?"
Suddenly, someone else jumped on set, wearing black clothes, wielding twin broadswords, and wearing a ridiculously large blue mask that covered most of his body. Yep, this was definitely meant to portray Aang's escape from the stronghold, I thought to myself, but they were getting so many facts wrong. Beside me, Shan We exchanged a confused glance with Zuko as the newcomer said "I am the Blue Spirit, the scourge of the Fire Nation, here to save the Avatar!"
Actor Blue Spirit then walked towards the centre, swinging his swords as he did so. The various Fire Nation soldiers all collapsed, and Actor Zuko retreated behind a pillar before re-emerging, throwing a red ribbon at his masked opponent. Actor Blue Spirit leaped over the ribbon, probably meant to signify Firebending, then proceeded to swing his swords at Actor Zuko, who fled. Actor Aang released herself from her bonds and said rather appreciatively "My hero!" before leaping onto the mask. The two then made their way off-stage, and Aang and Zuko slumped in their seats.
After a cringe-worthy scene with Actor Katara and Actor Jet, which made Toph giggle uncontrollably, we were then treated to a rather shoddy depiction of the Siege of the North Pole, complete with poor choreography, bad set design, and utterly atrocious acting on behalf of the leads and extras.
I knew which scene was coming next, and I braced myself, as did Shan We. We held each other's hand as we were forced to relive the events in the Spirit Oasis. "Come on, big boy" Actor Me said to Actor Shan We, wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing her body against his in a highly-sexual manner. "Turn on your father. He's not worth it; he's pathetic, a failure in every respect. You ought to join the winning side and betray your people. You know that that's what you want".
I shook my head in disgust at the despicable performance my actor was giving. After everything that had happened between us, the people of the Fire Nation probably thought of me that way, as a temptress who convinced their greatest heroes to defect and betray their heritage. Actor Shan We turned his massive mask towards Actor Me before looking back at Actor Zhao, who was barely able to stand as per his drunken performance. "Very well", Actor Shan We said, clenching his hand into a fist, "I'll do it! Father, I am no longer your puppet! Die, now!"
He then threw red ribbons at Actor Zhao, who stumbled away in fear until he was out of sight. A short time later, we watched as Actor Sokka said a tearful goodbye to Princess Yue, who was about to transform into the moon, from what I understood. "No, Yue! You're the only woman who's ever taken my mind off food!" They then kissed, and Actor Sokka suddenly broke contact, spitting in disgust. "Wait, did you have pickled fish for dinner?"
"Goodbye, Sokka" Actor Yue said mournfully as she was raised up on a platform. "I have important moon duties to take care of. And yes, I did have pickled fish".
Beside us, Suki laughed and told Sokka "You never told me you made out with the Moon Spirit".
Sokka shushed her, tears running down his face as he said "I'm trying to watch". Suki crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance, and I gave her a sympathetic smile. The scene then shifted to Actor Aang donning a costume that resembled when he had merged with the Ocean Spirit and wiped out the Fire Navy fleet. She crushed wooden ships with her feet, giggling mischievously as she held a tiny Zhao doll in her hand.
Beside me, Shan We's gaze was fixed on the scene, and I knew where he was looking. The tears started running down his cheeks, and I squeezed his hand tightly so that he knew I was there for him. "The Avatar is back to save the day!" Actor Aang shrieked joyously, proceeding to jump up and down, crushing more ships with her feet. The curtain then fell, signaling intermission, and while the audience applauded, we were all relieved at a recess.
So, here we have it: the first part of The Ember Island Players! This is such a neat episode, and I wanted to give it the treatment it deserved, hence the splitting.
So, let's get into some of the details of my characters' portrayals. I've been thinking of this for a long time, and I'm glad that I finally get to put it on paper, so to speak. Shan We was famous across the Fire Nation for his legendary stoic nature, and now that he is a public enemy, the acting troupe would want to satirize that, hence the wooden mask with the stern expression and always having to mention being stoic and emotions, like Actor Katara with hope.
Also, since the twins were seen as his silent followers, they aren't even given actors to portray them; they're only cutouts, with no personality and no distinguishing features.
Takara was interesting to do. As she is the reason for Shan We finally seeing the truth and joining the side of good, the people of the Fire Nation would see her as a wily temptress who seduces their best military minds away from their righteous conquest, almost like a Mata Hari-type figure in her crafty, sexualized portrayal.
Zhao as a drunk makes sense: every single military action he takes on the show is foiled in some way, and thus, he comes off as an incompetent fool. Losing his entire force at the North Pole only seals his fate, and so the people are quick to see him as a drunken incompetent.
Please, let me know what you think through reviews! Part two will arrive for your reading pleasure next week.