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imagines--galore · 15 days ago

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Forty

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Family.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: So it has been a minute. Life got in the way but I am back! Can you guys believe we're at chapter forty?! And so near the end of the series! And the second anniversary of this little story passed in February :) Thank you so much for all the love you've given this little project of mine. I could not have done it without you guys. Honestly, thank you! Also please excuse any mistakes or typos!

Orora didn't know what it was, but the next morning, when she had woken up with the expectation of being teased even more then her and Zuko already were by everyone else, there was barely any commentary.

Almost as if they had all made a pact to tease and annoy her and Zuko into doing what they had both been longing to do.

To make their relationship official.

Well, as official as it could get for two soulmates.

Honestly it was a relief that everyone had backed off a little, giving both her and Zuko room to breath and get comfortable around one another.

Or rather comfortable enough to get used to the fact that they could now kiss.

Kiss.

She could kiss Zuko whenever she wanted now. And he could do the same.

Despite willing herself to suppress it, she couldn't hold back the giggle that fell from her lips as she washed the last of the dishes and set them aside after drying them with a simple flick of her wrist. Shaking the access water off her hands, the young waterbender made her way to the door which opened out to the courtyard where Toph was drilling Aang through some new earthbender moves. Katara was nearby, doing some mending. Sokka had managed to rip his shirt yesterday when he'd been hiding in the bushes spying while she was on her date with Zuko.

He had left the garment in the capable hands of his sister while he had traversed off with Suki and Zuko to do a little hand to hand, or rather weapon to weapon.

A small chittering sound had Orora glancing at her feet, smiling down at the lemur that looked up at her with wide pleading eyes. "Here for your afternoon treat?" She cooed, reaching a hand into a hidden pocket of her trousers to pull out a moon peach. Momo quickly grabbed the fruit. With a strange noise in her direction he ran off. "You're welcome?" She called back, assuming the sound acted as a thank you.

She'd decided to go back to wearing her Water Tribe clothes, at least around the house. Wearing the color of her Nation always comforted her. Humming to herself, Orora stepped back into the room, intending to gather her water skin and ask Katara for a little impromptu waterbending battle.

But then she caught sight of her hair in the small hallway mirror and frowned at the slightly lopsided braid she had woven at the sides of her head. Sighing to herself, she released the tresses by removing the blue dragon comb. Holding the comb between her teeth, she made quick work of the braids making them again. Her grip on the comb slipped, the delicate object clattering to the ground just as she finished with her braid.

Orora sighed in annoyance, her hands held aloft, keeping the braid in place which would unwind if she were to let go. Just as she was contemplating on calling Katara for help, her finger tugged and she heard the familiar footsteps of her soulmate coming down the hallway.

Without even a word, he picked up the fallen hair accessory and motioned for her to turn. Orora smiled as she did, looking in the mirror as Zuko came to stand behind her, gently replacing both her hands with one of his to hold the braids in place.

"How do you manage to do this alone everyday?" He asked as she felt the teeth of the comb sink into her hair, firm and tight. Pushing back a few unruly wisps of hair behind her ears, Orora shrugged. "I don't. Suki or Katara helps out sometimes. They couldn't this morning, which was why my braids were weird."

Zuko hummed, letting his fingers run along the hair that wasn't confined in the braids. "I noticed it looked lopsided. Thought you were going for a new look." He admitted, grinning teasingly at her in the mirror. Orora rolled her eyes, leaning back to press herself against his chest, his presence solid and sure behind her.

"So, I have a question." The Fire Nation Prince continued, his arms coming up to gently wrap around her middle, pulling her even closer. "Was what happened yesterday real, or one of those dreams I'm always having about you?" His voice was soft and yet that certain rasp to it was only amplified with his tone so gentle. Orora tried her best not to shudder as his warm breath brushed against the top of her ear.

Their gazes held fast in the mirror. "It was real." She finally said, her voice reassuring even though she knew he wasn't asking because he was unsure. He nodded, his eyes closing as he dropped his face into her shoulder. "Good." His voice came, muffled and hot despite the collar of her shirt covering her skin.

Whatever distance was between them had long since disappeared as she allowed her head to lean back against his shoulder. Zuko lifted his head, meeting her suddenly shy gaze, resting his chin in the space where her shoulder met her neck.

She was still not used to physical displays of affection, despite craving them more then anything. And now that they had finally worked past the issue of getting over their first real kiss since their reconciliation, Zuko was intent on making up for lost time.

The look in his eyes had Orora biting her lower lip, as something inside her clenched, waiting.

Heat, yet tenderness.

It was aflame in his eyes, and was certainly something she felt to the very tips of her toes as he shifted his head to press his lips against her neck. A sharp intake of breath echoed along the walls of the empty hallway.

Against her skin, Zuko allowed his lips to pull up in a slight smile. "Z-Zuko?" Came her whispered inquiry, as he began to trace a path of sweet slow kisses along her beautiful brown skin. He responded with a press of his lips against her pulse, feeling it fluttering against his tongue. "Yes?" The word seemed to seep through her skin, the slight vibration of his voice sinking into her.

Her mind was beginning to fog, and all she could focus on was Zuko, his arms around her waist, holding her close, his lips never once leaving her skin. Zuko was no better then she was. His every sense was overwhelmed, the feel of her skin, the scent of her, how her skin tasted against his tongue when he would delicately allow it to brush against her as he kissed her, the sound of her as she allowed her head to loll to the side, silently and unconsciously asking him to continue his sweet assault.

It was overwhelming, and yet it was not enough.

When had her eyes slid closed, she had no idea. But the gentle hold on her chin had her eyelashes fluttering as Zuko paused with one final kiss at the corner of her mouth. He guided her head to look back, to finally meet her gaze.

"Since what happened yesterday was real." His voice had her feeling weak in the knees which was utterly ridiculous and so unlike her. And yet all she could do was blink at him, wait for him to continue. "It means I get to kiss you good morning everyday now."

She let out a small laugh. "But you already did that." The girl reminded him, as she turned in his arms to look at him better. At his slightest crease in his forehead, she reached up on her toes to kiss it away.

"This morning." Her hands were resting against his chest, her smile loving. "When you woke up to take Aang out for firebending practice and thought I was asleep." His eyes widened in realization as a blush stole across his cheeks. Orora giggled, tapping her lips with the tip of her finger. "It'll take more then that to catch me off guard."

That was as good a challenge as it could get. And if there was one thing the both of them liked more then anything, it was to challenge one another. "Shall we continue our little game then? Back from Ba Sing Se when we first kissed?" Zuko asked, resting his forehead against hers and nudging her nose with his. His soulmate grinned. "It'll be much harder then before. Since we'll have to be discrete about and there are a lot more people around then last time."

Last time they only had Iroh to worry about. This time they had a handful of nosy friends who would jump at any chance to gather fodder for any sort of teasing.

The boy shrugged. "Makes the game even more fun." He stated, not at all worried about the difficulty of the challenge. "Besides," He continued. "The rewards would be sweet and worth the effort."

Golden gaze bored into icy blue, that gazed back with just as much playfulness, if not more.

"Let the games begin."

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Zuko was the first to catch her off guard.

Then again he had done so in the hallway, but Orora stated it didn't count since the game hadn't started yet. The Prince shrugged and went along because, well, he didn't mind having a clean slate.

It just meant he would have to try harder. Which would result in getting to kiss his Soulmate, and Zuko had discovered that he liked doing that.

He had uncovered this little fact in Ba Sing Se. However, he hadn't allowed himself to acknowledge it back then. But now? He would accept it fully and completely.

And so the game commenced, with Zuko managing to snatch Orora by the waist and planting a kiss to her forehead as they were stepping out of the hallway to join their friends in the courtyard. A small squeak of surprise left her lips, having not been expecting the kiss.

But then again, that was the entire point of the game wasn't it?

Sure it was to surprise the other however they wanted to, but it would seem Zuko was going for the more direct approach.

He stepped away from her with a smile. And if her heart swelled in her chest, at the sight of him so happy ad carefree, she didn't give it much thought. She just hoped to see him that way more often from now on.

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How Zuko managed to catch her off guard twice within the hour was beyond her.

They were all settling down for lunch, chatting and starting their meal. Sokka was attempting to sooth a few of the bruises his Soulmate had managed to land on him during their little hand-to-hand. Toph was laughing at his expense, while Suki amended for her ruthlessness in battle by feeding Sokka from her plate. Aang was getting a verbal lesson on his footwork when it came to certain firebending moves from Zuko, while Orora was attempting to coax Katara to have a little waterbender battle.

Having succeeded in her mission, Orora stood to refill her bowl with more food. She had only just turned back to return to her seat when she nearly stumbled into him Zuko.

Had he really wanted to refill his bowl as well, or was there another ulterior motive to his sudden placement.

Whatever it was, he managed to steady her with both hands wrapping around her forearms, and with a press of his lips against her cheek. The area where his lips had brushed against felt like it was on fire, and for a moment all Orora could do was gape at him while she cradled her bowl of food.

"Watch your step there Orora." He said, smiling that irritating smile of his. He stepped to the side, giving her room to walk away. Which she did, though she was fuming.

And if she finished her meal with a lot more aggression then before, Katara, who was sitting next to her, made no comment.

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Halfway through the day, their little rule of being discrete went out the window.

Mostly because Orora was a little miffed that Zuko had been able to surprise her twice now, thrice if she counted the hallway kiss, and she hadn't been able to catch him off guard even once.

So, what better way then to do that around others?

Though she would start small, not really comfortable with kissing Zuko in front of others yet. Despite the fact that everyone had seen them kiss last night, but that was on them.

Orora managed to catch Zuko off-guard while she was deep in conversation with Suki.

It was really a spur of the moment act on her part. She and Suki were walking down the hallway towards the main court area and Zuko was just exiting it. As soon as he passed by, with that smug grin on his face, one that had Orora pursing her lips and humphing at him, an idea sparked in her. One that had her stopping short, making Suki pause a step ahead of her.

The waterbender had been mid-sentence, and Suki glanced back at her friend, eyebrow raised. Only to watch Orora retracing her steps, catching her Soulmate by the arm and turning him around halfway. Before Zuko even had the chance to realize what was happening, Orora had cupped his jaw and pressed her lips to his in a deep yet fleeting kiss.

How she managed to do that Zuko had no idea.

Though he was left there standing, arms hanging limply at his side, at a loss for words, blinking dazedly at his girlfriend who now wore the smug smile as she turned to resume her conversation and walk with Suki.

The Kiyoshi Warrior laughed to herself, giving her sister in arms a high-five at leaving her Soulmate speechless.

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He was sitting and sharpening his swords, snacking on a few moon peaches that had had managed to smuggle from Aang. That. boy put Orora and Zuko's affinity to the fruit to shame honestly. Orora had to wrestle the bag away from the Airbender, which had resulted in a small tussle between the both of them. And had only ended when Katara had intervened and divided the fruit in half.

With an extra one for Orora since Aang wouldn't share in the first place. The older girl had stuck her tongue out at the younger boy while Katara's back had been turned.

A small thump at his side had Zuko looking up from the continuous movement of his hand to see Momo sitting in front of him, head tilted to the side. The Prince knew why the creature had approached him.

"You know, if you keep this up, you're gonna get fat and won't be able to fly." He warned, even as he picked up a moon peach and flung it at the lemur who caught it and began to eat it with great gusto. Zuko shook his head. "The way you eat, anyone would think you haven't eaten in months." He grumbled to himself.

The sound of a very familiar laugh was what alerted him to her presence. Followed by the press of lips against the top of his head. He could feel it even through his wild array of hair. Tilting his head back, the Prince raised an eyebrow at his Soulmate. "I thought we were gonna be discrete?" He asked, referring to the kiss she had planted on him earlier in front of Suki. Not that he was complaining.

She shrugged. "Where would the fun in that be? Besides they've teased us enough when we didn't kiss. We're just living up to that by doing exactly what they pushed us to do." Zuko rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his weapons.

Just in time to see Momo making away with the rest of his moon peaches.

"Hey!"

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Aang was more then a little annoyed at having all the moon peaches taken away from him. Which was why he was currently showing his exact age as he sneaked out more then a handful of the fruit from where Orora had put them in her bag. Laughing to himself on a job well done, the young Avatar made his way out of the room.

Only to stop short at the sound of Orora and Zuko coming his way.

Panicking slightly, the boy looked this way and that, cradling the moon peaches in his arms. Unable to find a way out, and not wanting to get in trouble with either Orora or Katara he glanced to the ceiling and vaulted himself up using just a little bit of his airbending to give him some boost.

The rafters above gave him the perfect perch to hide out as his two friends passed underneath.

What he hadn't been counting on was the both of them pausing halfway down the hallway and.....

"Argh, that is disgusting."

He couldn't help it. His airbending allowed him to pick up words even when they were whispered. And the thirteen year old had no plan on seeing his firebending teacher and his sister kiss.

Hence, the words slipped out of his mouth.

Prompting Orora and Zuko to glance up and catch sight of him pressed up against the rafters, one arm cradling the fruit he had just stolen.

"What the?!? Aang?!" Orora cried out in indignation. "Are those my moon peaches?"

Apparently his sister wasn't annoyed about the fact he had just interrupted her and Zuko, but rather the more pressing matter of him stealing her moon peaches. With a small sound of terror, Aang quickly darted away along the rafters, with Orora pursuing him on the ground, yelling all sorts of threats and promises of bodily harm when she got her hands on him.

Leaving Zuko standing alone, his lips pursed in annoyance.

Once Orora was done with Aang, with what remained of him Zuko would have his turn.

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Somehow, Orora managed to snag back all of her stolen fruit. Though it did result in Aang getting bonked on the head by her, which resulted in a pouting Avatar and a still annoyed Waterbender. Katara made them sit apart, where the two would glare at one another every now and then.

She finished off the last of the mending, having given some of it to Orora when she had asked to help. It was amazing how much mending Sokka required to keep his clothes from being full of holes.

"I don't know how you managed his clothes while living in the South Pole." Orora commented as she finished with a sock and threaded the needle. "I actually went on strike once." Katara responded with a grin. "And Gran-Gran supported me. Told Sokka to come back with less clothes for me to mend or he would have to do them himself."

The older girl grinned, taking a bite out of one of the moon peaches she had taken back from Aang. Better to finish them up now lest the sneaky Airbender decided to steal them again. "You know, I can see your Grandmother keeping Sokka in line by threatening to take away his Boomerang or something." Katara agreed with a laugh, telling her how the old woman had done exactly that just a year or so ago before they had found Aang. As she worked, Orora didn't even glance up as a familiar presence came to sit down beside her, taking one of the moon peaches.

The one thing about needle work was Orora somehow always managed to stab herself at least once with the needle. And she did so just then.

Hissing under her breath, she pulled her hand out from under the fabric she'd been holding to inspect her thumb.

Only to have Zuko reach out and grasp her hand, his eyes alert as he observed the digit. "I'm fine Zuko." She reassured him, to which he simply met her eyes and silently gave a small nod. Though before he allowed her to pull her hand back, he pressed a quick kiss to her slight injury.

The girl beamed a happy smile at her Soulmate, reaching up to brush some of his unruly hair away from his forehead. Though it didn't help much since they slid back in place. "I would ask you to get a haircut." She mused, smiling at him. "But I like your hair this long."

They were both so lost in the moment, that neither of them noticed Katara stealing glances at them out of the corner of her eyes. Something inside the young waterbender's chest twinged, a slight ache that was nothing physical and yet it hurt more then any other injury she had ever experienced. She was happy for Orora, really and truly. She was also happy for Zuko because, honestly, they both deserved to be happy together.

But a small part of her couldn't help but wish she had the courage to do something about her own Soulmate. Her string had a constant grey glow, which only pulsed with more light whenever he was around her. Even now, with the young Avatar only a few feet away, Katara was glad only she could see the glow. He was right there, and yet Katara didn't want to say anything about what he really meant to her. It would distract him. He already had too many problems and she wasn't about to put the stress of having a Soulmate on him either.

She had seen the effects of it on everyone around her. Sokka having lost Suki for so long, and Suki doubting Sokka was her soulmate considering the relationship he had had with Yue. Toph who would have trouble even finding her Soulmate since she couldn't even see where the string would lead her to. And then there was Orora and Zuko. They had been through so much, and yes, they were together now.

But what about the months of heartache and heartbreak they had to deal with?

No, she told herself, with a firm shake of her head. It was better to leave things as they were.

And while she wrestled with her own doubts and questions, Aang's grey eyes never once faltered from the glowing blue of his own string, wishing he had taken a page out of Zuko's book and never once backed off when it came to winning over his Soulmate.

Maybe there was still time?

Or maybe it was too late.....

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Somehow, despite the fact that they had already done their firebending for the day, Zuko had Aang practicing a few moves. Mostly because the younger boy needed the practice, but also because Zuko didn't like the fact that Aang was simply lounging around and not really doing anything other then making small air tornadoes for Momo's entertainment.

And since Aang learned best when watching someone else go through the motions, Zuko had made it a norm to join him and help learn the moves better. Plus it was good to go through the basics as his Uncle always said.

Currently the both of them were creating sweeping arcs of fire that dissipated into the ground in the courtyard. They each raised an arm and leg, sending streams of fire, before the assumed an upright position and closed their eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxing.

It was strange to see them working in tandem so well just after a few weeks of firebending practice. But then again, Aang was a quick learner. With a final bow, Aang stretched his arms over his head and began to walk towards the platform where Katara, Toph and Orora sat in relaxed postures.

Seeing Aang approach, Orora grabbed the water canteen she had lying next to her and waterbended it across the courtyard to hover in front of Zuko. He took it with a grateful smile, drinking his fill before sitting down at the edge of the dry fountain that took up half the courtyard.

Katara, who had been musing to herself so far, finally agave voice to her thoughts. "Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?"

"I told you." Zuko said from where he had picked up a cloth and was wiping his head with it. "My father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy."

"You mean there was a time he actually smiled?" Orora commented, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. Zuko simply shook his head at her, smiling to himself. "And that was a long time ago." He continued. "It's the last place anyone would think to look for us.

The resident warriors, who had gone off on a walk, returned just then. With news that had all of them staring in utter astonishment.

"There's a play about us." Sokka revealed, waving a rolled up paper as if it were some sort of treasure map. Suki nodded. "We were just in town and we found this poster!" She explained as Sokka unrolled the poster. It depicted Katara, Aang and Sokka with Zuko's scarred face in the background.

"Aesthetic." Orora commented dryly as they all moved closer to see the poster a little better. Well everyone except Toph.

As Katara voiced her surprise, Sokka began to read from the poster. "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."

"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players." Suki added from where she had been reading the text over her Soulmate's shoulder.

Orora felt Zuko let out a sound of disgust from where he stood beside her. "Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!" It was clear the young Prince held some sort of grudge against the Ember Island Players. Honestly, it would never fail to amuse Orora just how passionate Zuko was when it came to Love Amongst the Dragons. Her hand reached out to pat his shoulder in a reassuring manner as she moved to lean against him.

Mostly to placate him, but also because he hadn't put on his shirt yet, and Orora was quickly finding it a weakness of hers when he would walk around like that.

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked, ever the worried individual in the group.

"Come on, a day at the theater?" He pleaded with his sister. "This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" His gaze turned just as pleading as he gazed at his sister who appeared nonplussed. Knowing his move wasn't working on her, Sokka, instead, turned his attentions towards his other sister. "Please Orora?"

Aang shrugged. "It sounds like a fun way to spend the evening." Toph, who hadn't taken part in the conversation so far piped up. "So long as I get my snacks I'm good to go!"

They were all looking at her now. Orora blinked, glancing at Zuko out of the corner of her eyes, who raised his shoulders in a 'What can you do?' gesture.

Finally, the girl sighed. "Well, it's just one night of outing. Besides we'll be disguised. What could go wrong?"

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Changing into their Fire Nation clothes, and making sure they had the funds to buy the tickets, the small troupe made their way into town and towards the theater. It was crowded since it was the first show of the season. After purchasing their tickets they made their way inside. Zuko managed to splurge a little and get good seats too, so that was a plus.

They began to take their seats on the balcony, with Toph and Katara sitting next to one another, and Sokka and Suki taking the seats behind them. Aang, who was wearing his hat for the occasion, moved to sit beside Katara, only to have his seat taken by Zuko, who motioned for Orora to sit beside him.

"Hey, uh...." The boy stammered, pointing to the seat that had almost been his, trying to act a little too casual. "I wanted to sit there."

In the process of removing his hood, Zuko shrugged. "Just sit next to Sokka. What's the big deal?"

Aang floundered for a reply, opening and closing his mouth multiple times. Shaking her head at her boyfriend, and how clueless he could be, Orora quickly set Zuko straight with a yank on his hand. "Go ahead Aang." She spoke warmly in a low tone, nudging the boy to sit beside his Soulmate. Aang gave her a smile of gratitude, while Zuko gave her an annoyed look.

"Do you have to have everything spelled out for you?" She whispered furiously at him as she settled down next to him. "What's that supposed to mean?" He hissed back. "Honestly Zuko, you can be such a clueless idiot sometimes."

As the two of them bickered, Toph was facing her own dilemma.

"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section?" She said, her voice annoyed. "My feet can't see a thing from up here!"

Katara laughed to herself as she reassured Toph. "Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening."

Beside her Aang pouted slightly. There went his chance of trying to talk to Katara.

"Shhhhh! It's starting!" Sokka shushed them all as the lights dimmed and the noise quietened down.

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The curtain rose to reveal a set representing the South Pole seas, with a boat in the center. Two figures sat within, one female, one male. Katara and Sokka both smiled gleefully at each other at seeing themselves onstage. Orora and Suki, however exchanged a look. "Is it me or is Actress Katara a little too........." Orora drifted off, unable to find a word to complete her thought. Luckily, Suki had her back. "Robust?" She offered to which her best friend nodded. "Yeah, that."

On stage Actress Katara had begun to speak. "Sokka, my only brother! We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling!" Her voice was airy and not at all like Katara's real voice. Orora pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

Actor Sokka, who was a thin and lanky man responded. "All I want is a full feeling in my stomach! I'm starving!" The audience laughed, while Sokka and Katara's faces fell, as they glanced at one another confused.

"Is food the only thing on your mind?" Actress Katara bemoaned. "Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth! I'm starving!" Actor Sokka exclaimed, to the obvious delight of the audience who roared with laughter.

Sokka leaned forward in his seat, clearly annoyed. "This is pathetic! My jokes are way funnier than this!" He stated, extending his arm in a dramatic gesture.

Unable to help herself Orora commented. "The bar wasn't too high Sokka." Beside her Zuko snorted with laughter, with Toph joining in. "I think he's got you pegged!" The blind girl threw back at the water tribe boy who humphed in even more annoyance.

Actress Katara stood up in the canoe. "Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears!" She clasped her hands together dramatically. "Still, we cannot give up hope! For hope," She began to cry big fat tears. "Is all we have! And we must never relinquish it, even...even to our dying breath!" With that she leaned over the side of the canoe, burying her face in her hands and crying even louder then before. If that were possible.

Beside Orora, Suki was having a hard time suppressing her laughter. But then again, she was no better. Sokka was looking over at his sister with an amused smile, while Toph and Zuko looked to be enjoying the part the most. Aang was simply staring at the scene with a raised eyebrow.

Displeased with her portrayal, Katara crossed her arms. "Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that."

Toph, who was more elated then Orora had ever seen her, let out a barely suppressed cackle. "Oh man! This writer's a genius!

On stage an iridescent light suddenly appeared from above before a model iceberg emerged, the vague shadow of a figure visible from behind. The two actors stood up in the canoe.

A few moments, and one very strange motion that was supposed to be waterbending, later, the actor portraying Aang burst onstage.

Or rather actress.

The sight of her had Aang cringing and closing his eyes in disbelief, while the rest of them stared, a little shocked at the reveal.

"Who are you, frozen boy?" Actress Katara asked.

Actress Aang laughed in a high-pitched voice. "I'm the Avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun!" She leaned toward Actress Katara, laying a finger on her lips, and also motioned toward Actor Sokka before standing upright and spreading her arms out in a cheery gesture.

Aang having not realized the gender of the Aang on stage, sat up. "Wait, is that a woman playing me?" He exclaimed sounding just as outraged as he looked. As he spoke a crude, costumed-version of Appa suddenly burst up from behind the trio of actors. The replica of Appa swayed from side to side before leaping off the iceberg prop. It landed to the right of the stage, ran across to the left side, and finally behind the iceberg prop.

"Well, that costume was an insult to Appa." Orora muttered, annoyed on behalf of the absent flying bison.

Meanwhile on stage, Actress Katara gasped. "An airbender!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands to her chest. "My heart is so full of hope." She continued dropping down on one knee emotionally. How was that even possible, Orora had no idea. "That it's making me tearbend!" She grabbed on to Actress Aang's leg and began to bawl dramatically.

"My stomach is so empty." Actor Sokka cried. "That it's making me tearbend! He too threw his arms up hopelessly before dropping to his knees, clutching on to Actress Aang's other leg, and crying. "I need meat!"

Orora's eye twitched. "This is getting really annoying, really fast." She muttered under her breath as Actress Aang played a prank on Actor Sokka. Zuko sighed beside her. "Imagine going through the bad acting almost every year as a kid." He muttered back to her.

"I don't do that! That's not what I'm like! And I'm not a woman!" He nearly screamed in the direction of the stage as he threw his hands up in frustration.

Toph let out a loud laugh. "Oh, they nailed you, Twinkle Toes!"

As the props on the stage changed, Orora felt Zuko sit up beside her, suddenly tense. "Don't tell me." He muttered under his breath as he watched a Fire Nation ship prop glide onto the stage. Followed by a man portraying Prince Zuko standing at the bow, garbed in the Fire Nation armor peering through a telescope. The actor portraying Iroh stood at the helm. A very rotund, round-faced man sporting a slightly exaggerated imitation of the real Iroh's hairstyle of that time, complete with a top-knot, beard, and sideburns.

"You had really long hair." Orora commented, her gaze switching between the Actor Zuko and the one sitting next to her. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, frowning. "And isn't your scar over the wrong eye?" She asked, prompting Zuko to notice that yes, Actor Zuko did have the scar on the wrong eye.

"Prince Zuko." Actor Iroh spoke. "You must try this cake!" He held up a platter of cake with a slice missing.

Actor Zuko spoke in a determined tone. "I don't have time to stuff my face!" He lowered his telescope. "I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!"

As the two Actors on stage continued to portray what was supposed to be accurate versions of the real people, Orora tapped Sokka on the shoulder. "Did he really go on and on about his honor when you first met him?" She asked, ignoring the sound of betrayal her Soulmate made. Sokka glanced at Zuko, before nodding with a smug grin.

Zuko, wanting to defend himself, gestured to the stage. "They make me look totally stiff and humorless."

Wanting to put in her own piece, Katara stated in an amused tone. "Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on." Zuko let out a loud indignation cry of 'How could you say that?' almost the same time as the Actor Zuko on stage did. With the exact same tone, intonation and energy.

Orora very nearly lost it right then and there. She grabbed a corner of Zuko's cape to hide her face in to muffle her laughter. Though it didn't really help much. Beside her, Zuko slumped into his seat, defeated and dismayed.

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"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play." Zuko stated, as they all waited near the stairs at the end of Act One. Sokka, having gone for a bag of flaming fire flakes, walked down the stairs and sat next to Suki. "Apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!"

Suki rolled her eyes at her Soulmate. "Yeah," She said, her tone heavy with sarcasm. "You tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics." Sokka nodded around a mouthful of fire flakes. "I know!"

Still angry at the female portraying him, Aang spoke up. "At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you. That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!" Orora pursed her lips as her gaze met Zuko's and they both looked away at the same time, agreeing to disagree with Aang's statement privately.

Toph shrugged, still gleeful at all that had transpired. "I don't know, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys." The Avatar let out a sound of annoyance, which had Katara stepping forward to placate him lest he blow Toph off the side of the cliff.

"Relax, Aang." She said in a soothing tone. "They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time." Everyone turned to stare at her with similar looks of disbelief. Katara blinked. "What?"

"Yeah," Aang said sarcastically. "That's not you at all." The girl scowled at her Soulmate before her eyes found Orora who had been spared so far. "You know, I honestly though the playwright would show Zuko saving you in the North Pole." She pointed out the absence of the very significant moment in both her and Zuko's life.

Orora shrugged. "There weren't really any people around us who could've told him what happened. Besides us that is." She gestured between her and Zuko. Suki hummed. "Still, I wander how you're gonna be introduced into the play." Unable to keep himself from digging his own grave Sokka spoke up. "Maybe as a damsel in distress who needs saving from the Blue Spirit." Orora scowled at him, even as Aang blinked. "That would be a plot twist." He hummed under his breath.

"Yeah, me saving Orora from myself. The irony." Zuko spoke up.

Having heard enough complaining, Toph stepped forward. "Listen friends, it's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth."

Orora, now starting to feel a little nervous about how she would be portrayed scoffed. "So what others think of us is the truth and not what we think of us?" Her words prompted everyone to slip into contemplative silence. That was only broken when the bell rang to signal the start of Act Two.

"Let the torture continue." Aang grumbled lowly as they all took their seats once more, facing the stage and waiting for what was to come next.

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