Dash stood and watched as Violet showed him a basic airbending move.
"It's all in your center." She extended her arm, and a light breeze drifted from her fingers.
"I'm…not sure I'll ever be able to do that," Dash said sheepishly, showing her his scarred hands. He didn't know much about chi, but he suspected his was blocked.
"You don't have to use your hands," Violet said. "There are other ways. You can blow a tornado from your mouth."
Dash's face lit up as he remembered something. "Oh, yeah! Sometimes when I sneeze, I'll fly up in the air."
"Like that."
She laughed as he puffed out his cheeks and tried to blow a gust of wind.
"Try doing it slower," she said. "Breathe in, center yourself, then breathe out."
He inhaled deeply and paused, then blew out. A tiny tornado swirled away for a second before sputtering out.
"I did it!" He grabbed her arm and shook it. "Did you see that? Did you see me?"
Violet laughed. "Yeah. That was good." She couldn't stop smiling. Her heart felt full, more than it had since she'd been freed. This was what she'd always imagined for herself, sharing her airbending knowledge with her little brother.
"This one's my favorite move," she said. She made a ball of air around herself.
"WOW!" Dash said. There was a blur of motion, and suddenly, Dash was standing in the ball. He took off running. Violet gasped as she was pulled along with him.
"I've always wanted to try this!" Dash yelled over the rush of the wind.
The world flew by in a blur of bright colors. Violet looked around in awe. She'd never experienced the world like this. She hadn't been sure she'd ever be able to.
Dash ran to a lake and ran across it. Water spray flew behind them, creating a shimmering rainbow as it caught the sunlight.
Violet laughed and tilted her head back, enjoying the swirling air and the warm sun on her face.
They returned to solid land and stopped.
"Dash, that was incredible!" she said.
He grinned at her. "Couldn't have done it without you!"
They went back to the cave. Ian and Barley were back. Barley had a massive sword over his shoulder.
"Cool sword!" Dash said.
"Thanks!" Barley said. "I got it from a fearless adventurer!" He swung the sword.
Luca and Alberto ran over.
"Guys!" Alberto said. "There's a play about us!"
"What?" Violet said.
Alberto grinned and held out a poster. It showed a crudely-drawn picture of them, with the words: "The Ember Island Players Present: The Avatar's Sister (and Her Friends)" above it.
"Whoa!" Barley said. "We're famous!"
"It's playing tonight. Let's go see it," Alberto said.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Luca asked. "What if someone recognizes us?"
"There'll be so many people there, they won't see us," Alberto said. "And hey, maybe Syndrome will be there, and we can do something to him."
"Well…okay," Violet said.
That night, they headed to the Ember Island Theater. Luca looked around nervously as they made their way to their seats, but nobody looked at them.
He looked around at the other audience members. So many Fire Nation people. All of them would turn on them in a second if they knew who they were.
Then he saw a couple walking through the aisles on the other side of the theater. His parents. He gasped as they sat down across from him. He would recognize them anywhere. Which meant they'd probably recognize him too.
"Alberto!" he hissed, pointing. "We need to go!"
Alberto looked over and saw them. "They'll see you if you try to leave. Just sit still, and maybe they won't notice you."
Luca shrank down in his seat, covering his face.
A man walked onto the stage. "Thank you, everyone, for being here! Welcome to our one-night-only performance of The Avatar's Sister! The writers scoured the globe for information on the Avatar's sister and her friends. Brought to you by the Fire Nation's acclaimed performance troupe, the Ember Island Players!"
The curtain opened on a scene in the Earth Kingdom. A large teenage boy with dorky glasses and buckteeth was standing on a grassy hill. He was talking to a person in a rock costume, with only their eyes peering out. It took Ian a moment to realize that was supposed to be him.
Oh, like I'm always hiding in a rock. Ha, ha, very funny.
"Come on, Ian!" "Barley" said in a nasally voice. "Metalbending is real! I know it! Just try it!"
"No!" "Ian" said. "What if I die?"
"You won't die."
"Well, okay." "Ian" waved his hands around. "Oh no! I can't do it! You were wrong, Barley!"
"'Tales of the Four Nations' could never be wrong!" Barley declared.
The actors flailed around, pretending the ground was shaking. "Ian" pulled down a grey sheet hanging in the background, revealing a black-haired girl. "Ian" screamed.
"An airbender!" "Barley" said.
"Oh, a big strong man!" "Violet" said, pretending to swoon.
Violet rolled her eyes.
"Help me!" "Violet" said. "The Honorable Firelord Syndrome and the Fire Nation have bravely taken the Avatar and they're going to use him to expand their great and glorious country! And they took my other unspecial little brother too!"
"They're going to teach the Avatar all the elements!" "Barley" said. "Let's go! To the South Pole!"
The curtain closed, then opened again on the South Pole. "Alberto" and "Luca" were sitting on the ice shelf, staring at the cutout moon hanging above them on strings. "Luca" was played by a petite female actress.
Daniela gasped and pointed at the stage. "Luca! Lorenzo, that's Luca! I told you that was him on the poster!"
"Let's waterbend," "Alberto" said. They walked past the abandoned ship.
"I hate that ship," "Luca" said. She burst into tears. "It makes me tearbend!"
"Alberto" walked right into the ship. "Ow."
"You're supposed to walk around it," "Luca" said.
"Alberto" face-palmed. "Duh. I'm so stupid!"
The audience laughed. Alberto looked outraged.
"Alberto" and "Luca" got to the water and started waving their arms around, pretending to bend it.
Patriotic Fire Nation music played as "Syndrome" arrived on a ship. A fan blew his cape dramatically.
"The great Firelord Syndrome!" "Alberto" and "Luca" gasped, getting on their knees and bowing.
"This place is worthless," "Syndrome" said as he looked around. "Sullivan, Wazowski, burn it down!"
"Sullivan" and "Wazowski" burned down the South Pole, using orange paper to simulate flames. The audience burst into uproarious applause. Alberto and Luca looked at each other in horror.
Daniela watched as her character ran over and screamed at "Luca" and "Alberto." "Luca" cried and begged not to be locked away, but "Daniela" wasn't moved at all. Daniela winced as her character slapped "Alberto" across the face, then kicked and punched him while he was on the ground. She hadn't gone that far, but maybe she had been a little hard on him.
"Lorenzo, was I too harsh?" Daniela asked.
There was no reply. She looked over. Lorenzo was fast asleep. Daniela sighed.
~~~~
The characters sat in "Moonwind's" house as he read their fortunes. Scary music played.
"You will all DIE!" he declared, waving his arms dramatically. Thunder crashed. The stagehands in the background rapidly lit and extinguished and re-lit flames to make the lights flicker ominously.
"Oh no!" "Violet" gasped, while "Luca" burst into tears again.
"I'm too stupid to live anyway," "Alberto" said, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. The audience laughed.
Alberto seethed. Luca patted his arm comfortingly so he wouldn't do anything rash.
"I am not too stupid to live," Alberto muttered angrily.
~~~~
"Lucius" taught "Alberto" and "Luca" waterbending while "Giulia" watched. "Luca" made gorgeous ice sculptures and towering waves while "Alberto" struggled to make anything.
"I'm a hopeless loser!" he cried in despair.
Alberto grit his teeth.
"Oh, you're so smart and handsome, Luca!" "Giulia" gushed, putting her hand on "Luca's" arm.
"Oh! I blush!" "Luca" said.
"Alberto" growled angrily. "He's mine!" He drew his arm back to punch "Giulia."
"Help! Firelord Syndrome is attacking!" an off-stage voice screamed.
They ran to the ice wall to fight off the Fire Nation. "Luca" stood at the front, waving blue ribbons around as water tentacles.
Daniela gasped and nudged Lorenzo awake. "Lorenzo, look!"
"Luca did that?" Lorenzo said in amazement.
"Ercole" stepped forward. "I offer my services as the Avatar's waterbending teacher! No reward necessary. It's an honor to serve the Firelord!" He bowed.
Alberto and Luca rolled their eyes. That wasn't how they remembered it going down.
"Giulia" went over to "Luca." "You should stay here! Stay with me!" She kissed "Luca."
Luca shrank down further in his seat, his face bright red. Why were the writers doing this? He'd never felt any romantic attraction toward Giulia. Now his parents and everyone in the audience thought they were a couple.
"Alberto" grabbed "Luca" and pulled her away.
"I'll be back, my love!" "Luca" cried, blowing Giulia a kiss.
"But I'm in love with you, Luca!" "Alberto" cried.
"I'm sorry, but you're too stupid for me," "Luca" said. "It could never be."
"Alberto" wept.
Alberto and Luca cringed.
~~~~
"Miss Fritter" threw rocks at "Ian" during the tournament. He hid during the entire thing, and she eventually threw him out of the ring.
"You lose! You are weak!" she roared.
When "Waternoose" and "Randall" attacked, Miss Fritter joined them. She punched the heroes so hard that they flew backward, pulled by strings, and landed in Ba Sing Se.
"Oh, look! We're here!" "Barley" said.
"Laurel" walked onto the stage.
"Mom!" "Ian" and "Barley" cried.
"I recognize you not, strange children," she said.
"Mom, it's us!" Barley said.
She looked at them. "Oh, I remember now! But I've moved on. I have a new life, a happier life, without you."
She walked away. Ian and Barley fell to their knees. "Mommy, no!"
~~~~
"Sullivan" and "Wazowski" spoke to Fire Nation soldiers, trying to get them to switch sides.
"We can turn on Firelord Syndrome and take the Fire Nation for ourselves!" "Sullivan" said.
"Traitors!" the soldiers screamed. They set "Sullivan" and "Wazowski" on fire. They ran around, flailing their arms and screaming in agony.
"We never should have betrayed you, Firelord Syndrome! We're sorry!" they yelled, then fell dead.
Sulley looked at Mike uneasily. Mike was just staring at the stage, his arms crossed.
"Well, we didn't get much stage time," he said.
~~~~
"Luca" spoke to "Iroh" in the Jasmine Dragon. "I hate Alberto! He's stupid and mean! And he smells bad!"
Alberto looked at Luca, who turned red.
"I didn't say that," Luca said.
Onstage, "Luca" burst into tears. "He's so controlling! He wants to imprison me just like my parents!"
Luca looked at Alberto fearfully. "I don't think that."
Alberto didn't say anything. He just stared at the stage, his heart sinking. Even through the writers' warped interpretations of events, he could see the ugliness of how he'd been behaving toward Luca. And it made him feel sad, and guilty. The last thing he wanted to do was make Luca feel trapped with him.
"Iroh" spoke to "Luca." "He sounds like a real dick. Run for your life, kid." He sipped his tea.
~~~~
The characters and the Red Panda Warriors fought "Buzz" and the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se. "Lotso" pushed a prop column on top of "Buzz."
"Buzz" convulsed on the ground in an overdramatic and unconvincing death scene. His head rolled to the side. "I die."
"No!" the other actors shouted, and "Luca" started crying again.
"I don't cry that much…do I?" Luca said.
"Syndrome" entered. "Barley, abandon these losers and help me train the Avatar in earthbending! He'll be a much better student than your stupid brother."
"Okay," "Barley" said. He went with them.
"Teach the Avatar that new metalbending thing," "Syndrome" said.
"Barley" raised his index finger pedantically. "Erm, akshually, it's an ancient technique, found in records thousands of years old."
Ian found himself holding back a laugh. That actually did sound a little bit like Barley.
"Syndrome" waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever, nerd."
~~~~
The characters ran through the library, the "Bookworm" chasing them.
"Violet! Kill him!" "Alberto" shouted.
"No, I can't!" "Violet" cried. "My fragile womanly heart can't take the thought!" She swooned.
"Luca" cried as the "Bookworm" burned down the library.
"I can't read anyway," "Alberto" said with a shrug.
The audience laughed.
~~~~
The characters ran through the palace on the day of the invasion. A black sheet covered the Sun.
"The eclipse is almost over!" "Violet" yelled. "Hurry!"
They approached the bunker door.
"Break down this door, you big, strong men!" "Violet" said.
"I'll break it open!" "Alberto" said. He headbutted it. "Ow."
"That didn't work at all! Alberto, you idiot!" "Luca" scolded.
A stagehand pulled the sheet down, revealing the Sun.
"It's over! Run!" "Ian" shouted.
They ran outside. "Ian" fell to his knees. "My brother! I've failed you!"
"Luca" punched "Alberto." "You useless moron! You suck at everything! I hate you and I wish you would leave!"
"Fine!" "Alberto" yelled. "I'll just go die in the woods, then!"
"Do it!" "Luca" shouted, stamping her foot. "I don't care!"
"Alberto" fled.
Luca and Alberto squirmed uncomfortably at the reminder of their falling out. Luca knew his words hadn't been quite that blunt, but they might as well have been.
In the bunker, "Syndrome" struck "Dash" with a yellow ribbon. "Dash" fell to the ground, then disappeared through a trapdoor.
"Now I shall use Boggs's machine to take the Avatar's powers and take over the world!" "Syndrome" declared. He laughed maniacally.
Violet gasped. Was that real? Could you do that? Take someone's bending and use it yourself? A chill went down her spine as she thought of everything Syndrome could do with a machine like that.
Luca poked her shoulder. "That's what I was telling you about! In the library! You can apparently manipulate people's bending into a physical form that can be extracted. I couldn't get much information on it, since someone else–Boggs, probably–stole the scrolls. I also read that maybe you can take someone's knowledge of bending too, but I don't know if that's true."
Violet and Dash looked at each other in horror.
Syndrome's going to kill Jack-Jack once he doesn't need him anymore.
"That must be what Syndrome meant," Violet said. "He'll take Jack-Jack's bending away and then…" She couldn't say it out loud.
"Won't that cause a new Avatar to be born?" Dash asked. "In the water tribe?"
"Unless he kills him in the Avatar State," Luca said.
Violet stared at him. "What?"
"I read this in the library: if an Avatar gets killed in the Avatar State, it ends the cycle," Luca said. "There would be no more Avatars. Ever."
Violet's blood went cold.
"We won't let that happen," Barley said.
Unless it already has, Violet thought. Syndrome had had ample time since the invasion to do this. Maybe they were already too late.
~~~~
"Luca" and "Violet" faced "Alberto" and "Moira" in the woods. The limbs of the bloodbended villagers were tied up in red ribbons, which were being pulled on by "Alberto" and "Moira."
"Alberto, you've gone crazy!" "Luca" said. "Don't do this!"
"Sorry, Luca, but this is who I am now!" "Alberto" declared.
"Alberto, please!" "Luca" got down on her knees. "I…I love you! I'll be with you, I'll marry you, if you just stop this!"
"It's too late for that!" "Alberto" snarled. "I don't love you anymore! I only love violence! I'm married to the darkness!" He made a villager stab "Luca" with a sword.
"Oh!" "Luca" gasped as she fell. She clutched her chest as fake blood poured out.
Daniela screamed and stood up, reaching helplessly toward the stage. "Luca!" Lorenzo held her as she covered her face and sobbed. The people next to them stared at them but didn't say anything. Finally, an usher went over and escorted them out of the theater.
Luca's heart ached. He wanted to run after his parents and say, "I'm alive! I'm here!" But he couldn't.
"And by the way, I ate people! And they were tasty! I'd do it again!" "Alberto" said before running away.
"Ate people?" Alberto said. "That's a weird thing to put in the script for no reason."
Luca gave him a guilty look. "Um, Alberto..." He probably should have told him earlier, but he didn't know how or when to bring it up, or if Alberto even wanted to know.
Alberto went pale. "Oh…" He grabbed his stomach. "I'm gonna be sick." He stood up and ran outside.
He nearly didn't make it out the door. He bent over and emptied his stomach. Knowing that it was too late, that it wouldn't remove the poison he'd ingested weeks ago.
His head swam as he remembered every single meal Moira had fed him. He'd stayed with her for weeks. He began shaking violently as the weight of what he'd done struck him with full force.
Suddenly, Luca was there. He patted Alberto's back awkwardly. "It's okay, Alberto. You didn't know."
Alberto didn't reply. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe. He felt dirty, and wrong, and he wanted to crawl out of his skin.
What made it worse was that an entire audience had seen that. Everyone knew what he'd done. He'd even heard laughter rippling through the crowd, as if it was some kind of joke, or just not a big deal. But he knew the truth. It was horribly real. He'd done it and he'd have to live with that knowledge forever.
Luca sat him down, then sat down next to him. They didn't speak. They just sat in comfortable silence. Alberto was crying now, not even trying to hide it. Luca hugged him and murmured soothing words until Alberto gradually calmed down.
"Thanks," Alberto said quietly after a long while. Luca nodded.
They went back inside. The actors were nearing the end of the play.
"Syndrome" took "Jack-Jack's" bending with the machine. He killed "Jack-Jack," then went to confront "Violet" and "Ian."
"My brother perished at the Boiling Rock!" "Ian" yelled. "I must get vengeance!" He tried to attack "Syndrome," who just struck him down with lightning.
"Violet" was the only one left now. Blue, green, white, and red ribbons flew everywhere as Syndrome used all four elements against her. She fell through a trapdoor.
"Now the world is MINE!" "Syndrome" crowed with an evil laugh.
"All hail Firelord Syndrome! All hail Firelord Syndrome!" the soldiers onstage chanted.
"All hail Firelord Syndrome!" The audience joined in until the curtain closed.
"That's how it ends?" Barley said, disappointed.
"I mean, did you think it would end with us winning?" Ian asked. He wasn't surprised it was just one huge vehicle for propaganda.
The actors came out for the curtain call. The audience burst into applause. Alberto booed, but Barley shushed him. They shouldn't be drawing any attention to themselves.
"Now we'll be getting on our airship and taking this play to the royal palace, to be performed in front of Firelord Syndrome himself!" Luca's actress announced.
That gave Barley an idea. "Guys, I think I know how we can invade the palace!"
They slipped backstage and waited. When the actors walked in, Ian blocked the door with a boulder, trapping them in the room.
The actors stared at them. Ian stared back. It really was disturbing how much the actors looked like them. Well, except for his. He was a rotund blond kid with grey eyes. Ian supposed that didn't matter, since he was in the rock costume the entire show.
"Give us your costumes and let us take your place on the airship to the palace!" Barley said. "We're not taking no for an answer, so…don't even try it!"
They shrugged. "Okay, sure."
"Wait, really?" Ian said. He'd been expecting a fight.
"We didn't really want to perform this again anyway," Ian's actor said. "This script sucks."
"I went to the best acting school in the Fire Nation!" Barley's actor said. "And this is the drivel I'm given to perform?" He sighed.
"Oh, okay," Barley said. "Um, thanks."
They put on the costumes and headed for the airship.
One of the stagehands waved. "Hey, Lee!"
Violet looked around, unsure who they were talking to.
The stagehand nudged Barley. "Lee! I'm talking to you!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm just…staying in character," Barley said.
"Yeah," Alberto said. "We all are." He bashed his head against the wall. "Ow."
The stagehands laughed. "That Alberto kid is so dumb."
Alberto forced a strained smile. "Yup."
Barley and Violet chatted with the stagehands a little bit. Luca didn't say a word for the entire trip. His girl disguise was passable, but he didn't think he could believably disguise his voice.
They approached the palace. Violet's stomach churned as she remembered their devastating failure during the eclipse. They landed outside, near the stage that was used for speeches and ceremonies.
Someone put a hand on Violet's shoulder. She looked over and saw Alberto. His eyes said, "We can do this. Let's go redeem ourselves."
She gave him a small smile, comforted to see the old Alberto again. She put her hand on his and squeezed it gently. "Let's go."