Fire Nation: A Band Documentary

Episode One: Raw And Uncut

"Let's get into the nitty gritty, shall we?" The director sighed. He shifted in his silly little chair causing it to creak.
"What do you mean by that?" Zuko asked wearily.
"Well, let's see...where do I start?" He thought aloud. "Whose idea was it to start a band?"
"Ty Lee's," Mai answered immediately.
"Is that so? Why?" The director asked, arching an eyebrow. "Did you know if any of your friends had musical talent?"
"It was kind of an accident really," Ty Lee began, "because the only reason I got the idea was hearing Azula sing. I mean, I'd known her for years by now but never knew she had such a nice voice."
"How did you accidentally discover her singing?" The director chuckled.
"Well, Azula is a very private person-"
"I'd say," the director interrupted, earning a frown from Ty Lee.
"Anyways, she likes to keep certain things to herself and that was one of them. We went camping, you see, and everyone else had gone to sleep but she was adding more wood to the fire. I woke up because I was thirsty and happened to hear her singing quietly to herself," Ty Lee explained.
"And how did you address that? I mean, were you upset that she figured out your little gift?" The director turned his attention to Azula.
"What do you want me to say? That I was pissed?" Azula asked, arching an eyebrow. "She didn't tell me for weeks because she was too nervous to. When she did, I just laughed because she looked like she was going to vomit."
"You can be intimidating," Ty Lee protested. "Besides, you glued someone's hand to a table in fifth grade when they figured out you were sneaking snacks into class."
"Why the secrecy?"
"Because we weren't allowed to and I was hungry. I wasn't going to let a snitch keep me from eating the snacks I successfully smuggled into class," Azula replied coldly.
"Interesting," the Director mused. "Okay, so Ty Lee, you figure out that Azula can sing. Then what?"
"I know how to play bass, Azula played electric, and I learned that Mai would be an amazing fit for the drums. She's a very precise person and she'd, you know, tap her hands on the car dashboard to the beat of a song but she did it with impeccable rhythm. Then Zuko has a nice contrast to Azula's voice and he can play a little guitar too," Ty Lee beamed. She had folded her hands in her lap to contain her excitement at retelling their band's origin, but her leg continued to bounce up and down.
"Wonderful," the Director chuckled, "so where was your first practice? When was it? How did it go?"
"It was in their garage," Mai informed, gesturing to Zuko. "It was over winter break."
"Mai and I were going on our second semester of sophomore year for college and Ty Lee and Azula were prepping to go to college. We were bored and decided to go along with Ty Lee's idea and now we're here," Zuko shrugged, acting as if it had all really been that easy.
— — —
"Band practice number four," Zuko grinned at the camera and adjusted its position. His face was unusually large until he slowly backed away and his head shrunk back to normal size.
Behind him sat Mai at a rather cluttered looking drum set, Ty Lee standing next to her giddy as all get out to play, while Azula sat on an overturned bucket, and Zuko took up his spot behind the microphone.
He nodded to Mai, and with a deep breath, the pale girl began to play. The cymbals were light and airy, giving a steady rhythm to the music as Ty Lee began to join in. She was steady like Mai but her notes were thicker, heavier almost.
Then, Azula, sitting with her eyes closed began to pick at the strings of her own guitar. The tune lilted in an unusual and eerie way. Tapping his foot to the beat, Zuko gave a full two measures before joining in with a rather soft but raspy-ish voice.
If tomorrow were to come
As fast as it has passed
Then I would be a martyr
Drunk on regret
The first verse continued, with each individual focused solely on what they were doing, when the softness of the song became silent and a single voice lifted up.
If tomorrow didn't come
Then, I wouldn't be alone
Sitting at a table
In a place that isn't home.
You can ask me who I am
But I'd say I didn't know
And maybe that's a lie
But only god will ever know.
Not a single chord or note was played. And with a hesitating air about him, Zuko walked over to the camera and turned it off.
— — —
"Now, it's come to my attention that you all stopped playing because that's all you'd written until that point. Is that true?" The director asked, looking expectantly at everyone.
"Yes," Mai nodded, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She could smell the next question from a mile away.
"You know it seemed like there was a lot of emotion in those words Azula, do you care to tell us what they mean? What inspired you to sing them?" His eyes were somehow soft but deadly. He expected something juicy.
"They're just words. They don't mean anything," Azula shrugged, looking at him as if she couldn't care less that his entire career depended on this show.
"Come on now," the Director laughed, but it wasn't entirely friendly. "Your fans want to get to know you. They adore you."
"My fans don't need to know shit," Azula glowered. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for them, but I don't need anyone else trying to open some 'hidden closet packed with secrets' like it's the holy grail. Quite simply, fuck off."
"Wow, okay," he whistled.
Zuko looked worriedly at his sister and she only rolled her eyes at him in return. She didn't care if she ruined this for him. Quite frankly she didn't want to be there at all.
"I mean, Azula has a point, sometimes they are just words," Ty Lee broke the silence seeming a little dismayed by what had just happened. "It's like reading those classic books. The author made a door yellow and you're in class but the professor is insisting there's some sort of symbolism to the yellow door, when really the door was probably just yellow because it's a nice color."
"Yellow's gross," Mai grunted.
"Point taken," the Director nodded, shuffling through a series of note cards. "So, we know how you practiced and all that but what were your lives like outside of the band and it's beginnings?"
"I worked," Zuko snorted, "my uncle owns a tea shop and I spent as much time working as I could. I needed the money. I was basically living on my own-"
"Wait wait wait , how old were you?" The Director asked, his expression one of bewilderment.
"Sixteen," Zuko muttered. "It was for the best."
"Well, did you get kicked out? Did you move out? How does a Sixteen year old end up living on his own?"
"I was kicked out so to speak," Zuko swallowed tightly. "Things got complicated and it's honestly better that I left. I could be independent and I didn't have to worry about anyone other than myself. Sure, it was stressful, but it taught me a lot and I put myself through university."
"I thought you said you practiced in your garage?"
"We did. Azula made sure our father was away on business so we could practice," Zuko stammered.
"So your father didn't know about this at all?" The Director seemed genuinely surprised.
"Nope," Zuko shook his head, but he didn't notice the shift in his sister's expression.
"Azula, you look like you have something to say," the Director noted.
"No. I don't." She replied sharply.
"Well, if anything comes to mind feel free to share," he encouraged.
"Feel free to leave me the fuck alone," Azula frowned. "If I have something to say I'll say it."
"Azula," Ty Lee sighed. "Come on-"
"Don't," Azula glowered at the other girl, "don't act like what this dick head is doing is okay. Why should my tragedies be his success?"
"Tragedies? What tragedies could a girl like you possibly have?"
"Enough to make you weep like a child," Azula hissed, standing up and leaving the room. Ty Lee watched her go anxiously.
"Is she always so dramatic?" The Director winced.
"She's not being dramatic. You were being nosy," Ty Lee informed him.
"Why defend someone who just snapped at you?"
"Because she's my friend," Ty Lee insisted, "and you weren't being very sensitive."
"It's not my job to be sensitive, dear, it's my job to get the story."
"The only reason any of this is happening to begin with is because our producer fucked us over," Mai remarked.
"I'm sorry for that, but my job is to make a documentary portraying your past selves, your present selves, and all of the living nuances in between," the Director explained. "I'd get used to the studio before the cameras start going home with you. It's much less awkward here."
"You won't get much out of her," Zuko sighed, "like Ty Lee said, Azula is a very private person."
"She has her reasons I'm sure," the Director smiled, but he smelled blood in the water. He liked a challenge and Azula was just the challenge he'd been looking for.