As I packed up the tent, Sokka ran towards me, Suki behind him. 

"Guess what?" he asked excitedly, trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah? What's up?" I said, rolling up the cloth. I felt Katara's presence behind me.

"There's a play about us!" He had a roll of paper in his hand, letting it fall open. "Let's go. Please please please—"

"I don't think seeing a play about ourselves would be a good experience," Katara said, crossing her arms.

"Are you kidding? This is the time-wasting I've missed!" Sokka said, waving his arms. "We have to go."

"It's looks fun," I said honestly.

"Oh, no," Zuko's voice came from behind us. "Our mom used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons' every year." 

I turned to see him and Aang sitting down on the edge of the concrete fountain, wiping the sweat off their necks with towels. They'd just been practicing firebending. I could feel my eyes sinking in as I realized something.

"God, Zuko!" I turned back to face Sokka, my face heating up, "Wear a shirt!"

"I don't mind," Katara giggled and I slapped her with the ad for the play.

"What's wrong with not wearing one? Aang isn't either," Zuko complained. "And it's hot."

"He's right. It is hot," Toph grinned across from across the tent area. I scowled at her, even though she couldn't see me.

"Maybe you should get a haircut," I said as Zuko stood next me me. "You won't feel so hot then." I took a sip of water from the waterskin hanging at my side.

"Trust me, there's no way he's going to cut his hair," Katara said. "He used to have a bald head." I spit all the water out, soaking Zuko.

"You were bald?" I asked.

"That's not it. Being bald is okay," Aang put in, offended. "He just had this single ponytail sticking out of the back of his head."

I burst out laughing. "Someone please, take me back to that time."

"I actually thought he was a half bald girl when I saw him for the first time. And then he spoke," Sokka cracked. Everyone snickered.

"That's not even funny," Zuko muttered in his usual raspy voice. "I had to cut off my hair because the burn needed to heal," he pointed at his scar.

"Okay sweetheart," I crooned, running a hand through his bangs. "At least trim it. You do need a haircut."

"That was disturbing," Sokka said, making an 'ew' face.

"Do we want to go, or not?" I asked, ignoring Sokka's disapproving face.

"Yeah. Let's check it out," Aang said. We wore disguises and then made our way to the theater.

Toph sat on the long seat first, then Katara. Zuko decided to take his spot next to her, so I sat next to him. Aang frowned.

"I was going to sit there," he said to Zuko.

"What's the big deal?" Zuko asked. "Can't you sit next to Mei?"

"There's not really space for five people . . . " he trailed off. Zuko looked at him, his gaze unwavering. "It's okay. I'll sit in the back with Suki and Sokka." Aang muttered, defeated. And that's what he did.

"Zuko, you jerk, he wanted to sit next to Katara," I whispered.

"Oh."

I rolled my eyes as the theater curtains were pulled back, revealing a super bony boy with buck teeth and a long face, and a chubby girl wearing too much makeup, thick eyebrows, and leg-revealing clothes—on a canoe.

"Is that . . . me?" Katara leaned across Zuko's lap to whisper.

"Looks like it." I snickered. "And that's Sokka."

Play Katara leaned over the side of the canoe. "All we need is hope!" she cried. "That is how we shall fulfill our destiny. That is the only way we will survive!"

"The only thing that needs 'full-filling' is my stomach! I need some meat!" Play Sokka cracked, and the entire theater rumbled with laughter.

"Look, what is that shiny light?" Play Katara said. "Let us go to it!" So they paddled through fake water. Play Katara swiped her hand in the air and a giant ball of ice cracked.

"This is where I come in!" Aang said, excited.

And out of the ball of ice jumped a bald headed girl with pink cheeks.

"No way," he groaned. "is that a girl? That doesn't even look like me!"

"You're actually kind of cute," Katara whispered back, giggling.

"She's right," I said with a laugh. "You're adorable."

"They can't even act," Zuko mumbled.

"Well, you're next, Zuko dearest," Katara patted his shoulder. "Let's see how you turn out."

The scene shifted to a ship. And I started laughing. "Oh, God," I cried, shaking Zuko's shoulder. "That's not how you looked. Please tell me that's not how you looked with a ponytail."

"No. My scar was on the other side," he pointed at his face. He didn't mean it in a funny way, but I laughed even harder.

"Ponytail Zuko was the best phase you've had, honestly. I just wish I knew you then."

"Trust me, you don't."

The play went on, Zuko fighting the Gaang, Zuko hunting them, Zuko with daddy problems. And then Play Zuko wore the Blue Spirit mask.

"Is this where I come in?" I asked, gripping Zuko's fingers. I crossed the fingers of my free hand. "Please let me look good, please let me look good," I prayed.

"I shall save you from Zhao's clutches, girl who I don't know!" The Blue Spirit declared, opening a cage. Out tumbled Play Ayame; a super thin girl with long, dangling hair and a stick straight body.

"Yes! Please save me! I shall do anything!" Play Ayame said as the Blue Spirit carried her easily across the stage and out of sight.
"So romantic," Suki teased, poking me from behind.

"That is not me," I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "I have some shape, at least."

"Looks pretty spot-on to me," Zuko smirked, and my jaw dropped. "I'm joking, I'm joking. You're ten times more beautiful." He put an arm around my shoulders.

I pulled away from Zuko's arm skeptically. He was being too nice.

"So that's how you two met?" Katara sniggered. "Wow. How romantic."

"Save me! Save me!" Suki mocked in the back, and everyone except me and Zuko broke into a fit of giggles. I scowled, sinking lower into my seat.

"My hair is not messy like that," I mumbled.

"The only thing I need is some meat!" Play Sokka yelled, and I groaned.

"Sokka, even your jokes are not that bad," I said.

"I know!"

The next thing we saw was a hideous Kyoshi Warrior. "Does this make my butt look fat?" Play Sokka, the hideous Kyoshi Warrior, asked Play Suki, a sweetheart we couldn't see under the makeup. The real Suki giggled behind her hand.

The scene changed to chubby Play Katara and Play Jet hanging onto a rope together, in which she stared lovingly at him while he announced that he would destroy a town for her and her only. The real Katara was blushing through that entire scene, awkwardly as Play Katara hung onto Play Jet. After that was over, literally two seconds after, Play Ayame appeared with Play Zuko and Play . . . Zian! Zian looked handsome, even as an actor that wasn't him.

"You met Jet too?" Katara leaned over.

"Yeah, I thought I mentioned that. It was not a pleasant experience. He has this way with females," I shuddered.

"Was Zuko really all pouty like that during your experience with Jet?" Katara gave me the look.

"Yes."

"Awww."

It showed me hugging Jet's arm at every possible moment, while he looked at himself in the mirror and at a jealous Play Zuko who kept yelling about his honor and how I was making him lose it by wasting time.

"You did a weak job in protecting me," Play Ayame said wearing raggedy old clothes, "Jet shall protect me now!"

"I can handle myself," I said weakly at the stage. "Can't I, Zuko? And I'm not that poor to be dressed like that."

Zuko nodded. "Of course."

"Don't agree with me to get out of an argument," I pushed him. "Am I really like that?"

"Am I really like that?" he said, pointing at the actor portraying him. He had a good point.

The scene changed again, and play Katara was stuck in green crystals, where King Bumi had told Aang to save Sokka and Katara. She fainted.

"Do you really drop that fast?" I chuckled, leaning across Zuko to talk to Katara. "Remind me to never fight next to you again."

"I do not."

Next came the part where Katara stole a waterbending scroll. "Katara, you're badass if  you actually stole a scroll from pirates," I said after Sokka explained to me what happened in detail. She grinned, but it didn't last long. When Play Sokka asked Play Katara why she stole the scroll, Play Katara replied, "because it gives me so much hope!" She literally almost fainted on stage again. I was starting to wonder if the actress had real life fainting spells or if this was truly planned.

There was an intermission after Zhao died. "Did we really kill him?" I asked Zuko as we walked outside. Zuko unhappily walked beside me.

"I guess."

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" I asked as he slumped against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him. He crossed his arms.

"They show me as such an evil person," Zuko sputtered. "I mean, I wasn't that bad."

I smiled. "Remember when we traveled together? All you used to talk about was getting your honor back," I reminisced. "But the time you've joined the Gaang, I haven't heard the term once out of your mouth. I guess that's an improvement," I said. "People change, Zuko. I'm just afraid at what they're going to show when I join team Azula."

"This is the worst play I've seen in my life," Aang announced.

"I think it's pretty neat," Toph shrugged. "Hey, you might not think so, but what shows up there is the truth."

When we returned to our usual seats, the curtains opened and the play started again.

"I can rockbend!" Play Aang announced.

"Rockbend," I snickered. "Oh Aang, please teach me how to rockbend."

He scowled, sliding further down his seat like a two year old who couldn't have his favorite cherry flavored lollipop.

"Hey, this is where I come in!" Toph chirped, leaning forward in excitement.

In came Toph, the bodybuilder. "I love the way I sound," Toph declared, pointing at Play Toph. "I'm a man, aren't I?"

"You are," everyone muttered in unison.

"This is awesome!" Play Toph apparently 'saw' by screaming sonic waves instead of using her feet. I had to clap mt hands over my ears to keep from having my eardrums blown open every time Play Toph screamed.

"This is when Ayame shows up, right?" Katara asked Aang, leaning back.

"No. She appeared after we snuck into the palace and then her friend asked for helping busting her out of the prison."

"Ohh. I remember now." She turned back around.

The part where I joined team Avatar commenced, Play Zian accurately using his rock bending to build a tunnel which I crawled out through. Then, when we were free, Play Katara attacked me weakly and asked me if I was a threat. Play Ayame said, "no." And was let go.

"Yay! We have a waterbending friend!" Play Katara said gleefully.

"They still haven't portrayed my dual bending," I noted.

"Maybe it'll happen when we find out," Aang suggested.

"When did you find out?" I wondered, thinking back.

"Not when you told us, that's for sure," Sokka leaned over, putting his elbows on the back our our seat. 

"That's okay," Zuko said with a halfhearted smile, "she didn't tell me either." I wanted to grab his head and push him under the seat.

Then came the part where we went to check up on Bosco and the King, and he sent his Dai Lee agents to attack us.

"Save me, oh Avatar!" Play Ayame yelled.

"Why the hell is she doing that?" I stood up, enraged. "That's not how I am!" Zuko tugged on my shirt to pull me down. "I can save my own butt," I hissed at all of them.

"Love Amongst the Dragons was better than this," Zuko rubbed his face as Play Ayame screamed, "I shall use my firebending to take you down!"

The entire theater rumbled with surprise. "Firebending?" a man asked ahead. "Wasn't she a waterbender?"

"Is she the real Avatar then?"

"No, she's not," Aang grumbled, but I was delighted with the sudden interest shown in my character. As my actor shot rolls of fake fire, plus water, that gave them an advantage, at the end we we were still captured.

"That's not even what happened!" I said, but the scene had skipped to "We must part ways now," as Play Iroh said to Play Zuko, who's hair had magically grown out longer than his shoulders. "You need a haircut!"

I snorted, trying to keep my laughter in. "He's right, Zuzu. The hair needs to go," I nodded agreeably.

Next came the part where we fought against Azula. As she was cornered, she yelled, "What's that? I think it is your honor!" she pointed at the sky with one long painted fingernail, a wicked smile etched on her clown-painted face as she escaped through a door. Play Zuko turned around, oblivious. 

"My honor? Where?"

To this, I threw back my head and laughed so hard. "I can't take this. Everyone know about your honor now."

"You kept bringing it up on our way to Ba Sing Se, even though you knew it made me mad."

"That's exactly why I did it," I sniggered.

Katara was captured by the fake Kyoshi warriors. The scene was in the crystal catacombs with Katara and Zuko. "I remember this part," I said. "I come in way later."

"Oh, Zuko," Play Katara crooned, "I've always had eyes for you." My jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. Play Katara walked over to Play Zuko, turning him to face her.

"Don't lie to me. I'm hideous," he said.

"No, you're so handsome," she cried. "Can't we just be together?" I leaned forward in my seat, rubbing my eyes and taking a good long look at the real Zuko and Katara, who were both red in the face. No way.

"Aren't you the Avatar's girl?" Play Zuko asked.

"He's just like a brother to me." I heard Aang's heart crack open behind me. 

They leaned in, and I closed my eyes. "I can't watch," I groaned, tucking in my head under. 

"They're just hugging," Zuko moaned, "And I swear this never happened. I swear it." I covered my ears and looked at Katara's face which was still bright red. She shook her head.

"Never happened," she croaked. "I've never confessed my love to Zuko." Her eyes widened. "Not that I actually feel anything towards him. You know what I mean." she spread out her arms, exasperated, sliding away from Zuko.

Zuko's cheeks turned brighter. "I hate this play."

"Why don't we just go watch Love Amongst the Dragons?" I suggested, shaking Zuko. "What's that about?"

"A woman who falls in love with the enemy general's son," leaning over to plant a kiss.

"What was that for?" I mumbled, red faced.

"The story reminded me of us. The girl was from the Water Tribe, and the boy from the Fire Nation."

"Who said I was in love with you?" I grumbled.

"You two are so cute!" Suki squealed in the back. "Please get married already." 

I pretended to be annoyed, but my spirits had lifted for the rest of the play—until Play Zuko pushed over Play Uncle to join Azula. "Wow, I hate you all over again," I raised my eyebrows.

"Did you really do that?" Katara asked, wide eyed. 

"I might as well have," he said, all traces of lightheartednes disappearing. I looked behind me to tell Aang something, but he wasn't there. And then come the other intermission, and we all stood up to go outside for a break.

I sat against the wall with Zuko. "I hope they don't show me sending letters to Azula," I said, putting my head in my hands. 

"You sent letters to Azula?" Zuko exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"We sent each other jokes and stuff. And she sent me this necklace from my father's room," I said, pulling down my cloak just a bit to show him the necklace.

"That's like Katara's . . . except the emblem is Fire Nation."

"Yes." 

"I'm going to go talk to Aang," Katara said, walking away, and Sokka rounded the corner.

"I need you to get me backstage," Sokka said to Suki.

"I'm on it. Come on," she pulled his arm, and they disappeared, leaving me, Toph, and Zuko behind. 

"I hate the way they portray me," Zuko lamented. "They took all my mistakes and just shoved them in my face."

"They did, didn't they," I said.

"You're supposed to make me feel better," Zuko said. "Watching this makes me feel as if Uncle hates me, which he definitely does. He was so disappointed."

"Hey," Toph said, "he wanted you on the right path. You're on the right path now. I bet he would be proud of you."

I laughed. "Yeah. If he can forgive you for betraying him."

"Geez, what is it with you?" Toph furrowed her eyebrows. "Zuko's being nice, you're being mean. It's like you two have switched bodies."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "This play is getting to me. I'm sorry, Zuko."

"Thanks," he said to Toph, completely ignoring me. "I'm glad you're not like Ayame."

"Excuse me," I scowled. "I'm right here. And I apologized."

Toph punched Zuko. "What was that for?" he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"It's how I show affection," Toph grinned sheepishly. 

"You guys go ahead inside. I'm going to wait for Katara," I nodded towards the door. They stood up and left, and that's when I saw a red faced Katara.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Aang."

"What did he do?"

"He has this paranoid thought that I like Zuko. And that he thought that we were going to be something and so he. . . " she paused, covering her face with her hands.

"What?" I touched her shoulder. "What did he—oh."

"Yeah." She hid her face behind her hands.

"Well, that's good," I grinned.

"What?" She pulled her hands away. 

"I mean, it was good that he did it first. Because now his feelings are confirmed. Let's just finish the play and get out of here," I pulled her by her wrist into the room. "You can deal with him later. Just take it like this; you're one step ahead."

The play started again with me, writing letters and reading them out loud. "Dear Azula, I am planning on ditching the Avatar and his friends to join the Fire Lord's team soon. See ya."

"Okay, we all definitely know I didn't write that," I said. "It was filled with jokes."

"That's not what I remember," Sokka said. I scowled at him. He gave me an apologetic smile. 

After I joined Azula, Zuko joined. A moment with Mai was shared and she asked him, "Don't you like that dual bender?"

Play Zuko only laughed. "They all think that."

"You player," Play Mai pushed him, strutting away. 

"Damn," I said, letting out a breath, "they know you through and through don't they?"

"This play sucks. Who wrote it?" Sokka asked.

"Some Night Shyamalan guy," Katara answered, reading off the paper. 

"Never heard of him," Suki shrugged.

They play was even more terrible than we thought. At the end, after the play had caught up with the present, after I sided with Team Avatar, it showed Azula killing Zuko. His last word was "Honor!" as he wrapped himself up in fake flames. And then I returned to Azula, claiming that I'd been on her side all along. 

Aang died after the Fire Lord shot him with flames. I stood up. 

"Let's get out of here," I said, exiting the theater as the crowd hooted and cheered. "This wasn't a good idea. Thanks, Sokka."

"What did you expect?" he asked gruffly as I looked at Zuko and Aang's shocked expressions, "It was a Fire Nation play."

"Come on," I urged. "This isn't real. They can't tell the future."

"Are you sure about that?" Aang said, pointing at the crowd. "They think it's pretty real." I took his hand and pulled him outside.

Aang looked defeated. "What am I going to do?"

And I finally realized just how much pressure was on this little boy's shoulders, hundred and something years or not.

So I took both of his hands in mine and looked straight into his eyes. "That is not what's going to happen," I told him. "Because I will be there with you when you fight him. I promise."

And then just a little bit of the weight, just a fraction of a fraction, lifted off his shoulders.

~~~~~~~

Night Shyamalan *crying* he wrecked the Avatar movie, remember? Anyway, hang on guys. It's almost over. only a few more chapters to go.