Zuko's Diary: Book Three
The Awakening
Dear Diary,
Does getting my honor back still count if it was based on a lie? I am consumed with dread that Azula's falsehood will be uncovered. The Avatar always ruins everything. It would be unbearable if not for my soulmate. When I told Mai that I would immolate my soul on the flaming altar of our love, she rolled her eyes at me and told me my poetry was puerile. I'm not sure what that means, but it must be good, right?
The Headband
Dear Diary,
Well, I have a plan. Maybe it's not a very good plan, because Uncle wouldn't help. Why is he being so stubborn? And alright, I'm in a hole, but if I just keep digging, maybe I'll tunnel out the other side. And I tried to explain it to Uncle, but he won't even look at me. Well, I'll show him. I'll show everyone! I'm back home now, and everything's going to be all right. I just - I just need to destroy the Avatar, and everything will be fine. Plus, Azula says she'll be looking out for me, and that's good, right?
The Painted Lady
Dear Diary,
New Ideas to Win Over Uncle:
- Take him food he likes this time.
- Introduce him to Mai, and have Mai cheer him up.
- Play pai sho with him. (Will need to give him stick to push around tiles through the bars.)
- Perform my 3-hour one-man play Forever Flaming Darkness.
- Steal Azula's favorite set of thumbscrews, present them to Uncle.
- Tell him FINE, I DON'T CARE, GO AHEAD AND ROT IN PRISON!
- Make him white jade tea.
- Turtleducks.
Sokka's Master
Dear Diary,
Uncle hasn't returned any of my letters, but he's probably just busy. I tried to perform Forever Flaming Darkness for Mai and Ty Lee, but Mai said that I had to stop before blood came out of her ears. Ty Lee said she liked it, but that there should be a bear in the show, which is ridiculous, because how could a bear juggle fireballs on the ladder for that long? And what if the bear gets distracted by the falling black feathers that represent my eternal pain? Then the snow machine would fall off the calliope and it would be a disaster! No one understands my artistic endeavors!
The Beach
Dear Diary,
It turns out that parties are lame, but destroying them is pretty fun. More fun than what happened after destroying that admiral's house, when Azula tied me down and Ty Lee gave me a makeover. I don't care that the kohl brought out my eyes and made them look dark and broody, I can brood just fine without it. And I can't get this friendship bracelet off my wrist. Rrrrgh, it makes me SO ANGRY! Oh wait, that burst of flame just incinerated it. That's right, everything I touch just turns to ash and cinders -- like my poor battered heart.
The Avatar and the Firelord
Dear Diary,
That was the worst scavenger hunt ever! Now I find out that the bald kid is my great-grandfather? My life is so unfair! Uncle finally starts talking to me again, and it's to tell me that I am the linchpin in the battle between the forces of good and evil, destined to right the wrongs of the world and lead the Fire Nation into a new dawn? I mean, I felt like that already, but Azula laughed at me when I said it. I think Uncle's serious. I know, because when I said maybe we should take a tea break, he said there was no time for tea. What do I do now, Diary?
The Puppetmaster
Set list for Forever Flaming Darkness:
Act One:
Nothing is Beautiful and Everything Hurts
Firebender in a Waterbending World
What About My Feelings?
Rage! Part One
The Lone Wolf-Mongoose
Act Two:
Nobody Knows My Pain
Solar Eclipse of the Heart
Rage! Part Two
Cataclysmic Devastation
Dead Inside
Act Three:
One Sister in Hand, Two Stabs in the Back
Iridescent Mourning
Rage! Part Three
Soul's Fleeting Rapture Scorched
Uncles Don't Know Everything
Act Four:
Four Elements of Anguish
Does Father Love Me Now? Why Not?
My Quintessence Is Just Kindling
Honor's Conflagration
The Agony of Everything
Nothing is Beautiful and Everything Hurts (reprise)
(There will be no intermission.)
Nightmares and Daydreams
Dear Diary,
Well, I got what I said I wanted. I sat at Father's right hand - and I'm pretty sure Azula booby-trapped the cushion, because I sat on something sharp. But my soul still yearns for an extra sense of belonging. I'm starting to think - well, I'm starting to think that maybe, maybe Father's not a very nice person maybe there's something else that's wrong with me that Father's approval can't fix. I want to write more, but Mai's here and she says if I don't come now she's going to put fruit tarts on the heads of the palanquin carriers without me.
Day of the Black Sun
Dear Diary
I finally faced up to Father and told him what I thought of him! My soul is now unfettered by the chains of filial responsibility, free to soar higher than the largest war balloon could dare! Now all I have to do is find the Avatar, convince him to accept me, defeat Father and the Fire Nation army and introduce a new Fire Lord. Without Uncle. I - I may be feeling - feeling a little light-headed. Okay, and a little queasy. With freedom! I'm going to go lean over the side of the basket for awhile.
The Western Air Temple
Dear Diary,
Well, I burned Toph and almost fell to my death, but I think it still went about as well as could be expected. I feel pretty guilty for setting that assassin on them, so I thought about trying to win them over through song, but all the Fire Nation ones I know are about conquering things. And somehow I don't feel as much like performing Forever Flaming Darkness as I used to. I think that "Rage! Part Three" needs some work, anyway. The eighth stanza's rhyming scheme seems off. Got to go, Katara's glaring at me and Sokka keeps trying to see what I'm writing.
The Firebending Masters
Dear Diary,
First of all, I don't see how I was supposed to not pick up the golden egg. It's a golden egg that raised up from the floor after an intricate dance-maneuver lock was opened in a chamber which can only be entered at the solstice, in an ancient mystical Sun Warrior city, how can you not touch it? Although I think I still have slime in my left ear. Whatever, the point is that it could have happened to anybody. (Anybody not raised by monks and fated to save the world through the use of the four elements, that is.) I can't wait to demonstrate my new firebending techniques against my sister. But Azula must never find out about Ran and Shaw, because I'm pretty sure she'd have them made into red & blue luggage.
The Boiling Rock
Dear Diary,
Azula tried to kill me again, but I have the coolest girlfriend in the world. Sokka punched me in the shoulder when I said so, to defend Suki's honor, but it's true. Mai is my gloomy little soulmate, the flame of my heart's desire. As soon as we set down in the Western Air Temple again, I'm carving our names into a wall as a monument to our love. I thought about drawing "Mai + Zuko 4-Ever" in skywriting from Azula's war balloon, but Hakoda said we should probably just make our escape.
The Southern Raiders
Dear Diary,
Azula tried to kill me, and then I fell down. But this time she fell down too. I'm making progress! Oh, and I have two friends now, Sokka and Aang. They say good morning to me and everything, and they don't cower when they see me, which is really nice. Sokka even let me throw his boomerang once, and there was barely any blood. I am on fire! Now all I have to do is win over Katara by helping her kill somebody. Then I'll have THREE friends, which is more than Azula ever had, so there!
The Ember Island Players
Dear Diary,
My hair does not look like that. And frankly, I found the stagecraft of the play stilted and derivative. The father/daughter scene was straight from their production of On Flaming Pond. And my hair does not look like that. Oh, Uncle. You never even got to see Acts Four and Five in my play, which far surpasses that dreck. You said that Act Three was so wonderfully soothing that you had to rest your eyes, so I've heightened the suspense in Act Four. But will I ever be able to perform Forever Flaming Darkness for you? I'd give all the tea in the world to be able to see you and apologize.
Sozin's Comet, Parts 1 & 2
Dear Diary,
Uncle forgives me, and everything is going to be all right. I'm pretty sure that I know my destiny now. I've got to take down Azula and become the Fire Lord. But none of that's going to matter if Aang doesn't put an end to Father. I guess all I can do is my part. I asked Uncle how to face Azula, and he just said, "Sweep the leg, Zuko." That doesn't seem very helpful, but I'm glad to have him back.
Sozin's Comet, Parts 3 & 4
Dear Diary,
The war is over, and Father will never hurt me or Mother or anyone, ever again. Guru Pathik says that Azula has stopped trying to burn him with her eyes and that her aura is much less terrifying after her yogic training. Maybe it's the onion and banana juice that's softening her up. The Fire Nation's honor is being restored, and world is rebuilding its ties with Aang's help. My soulmate Mai is by my side -- well, most of the time; she says Fire Council meetings are too boring to bear. Oh, speaking of bear, the Earth King and Bosco have been located, but he says he's continuing his travels rather than returning to the throne. I'm on a diplomatic mission to Ba Sing Se, visiting Uncle with all my friends. Because I'm the Fire Lord now. But I'm also still the best tea boy in the Earth Kingdom.
Dear Diary,
Does getting my honor back still count if it was based on a lie? I am consumed with dread that Azula's falsehood will be uncovered. The Avatar always ruins everything. It would be unbearable if not for my soulmate. When I told Mai that I would immolate my soul on the flaming altar of our love, she rolled her eyes at me and told me my poetry was puerile. I'm not sure what that means, but it must be good, right?
The Headband
Dear Diary,
Well, I have a plan. Maybe it's not a very good plan, because Uncle wouldn't help. Why is he being so stubborn? And alright, I'm in a hole, but if I just keep digging, maybe I'll tunnel out the other side. And I tried to explain it to Uncle, but he won't even look at me. Well, I'll show him. I'll show everyone! I'm back home now, and everything's going to be all right. I just - I just need to destroy the Avatar, and everything will be fine. Plus, Azula says she'll be looking out for me, and that's good, right?
The Painted Lady
Dear Diary,
New Ideas to Win Over Uncle:
- Take him food he likes this time.
- Introduce him to Mai, and have Mai cheer him up.
- Play pai sho with him. (Will need to give him stick to push around tiles through the bars.)
- Perform my 3-hour one-man play Forever Flaming Darkness.
- Steal Azula's favorite set of thumbscrews, present them to Uncle.
- Tell him FINE, I DON'T CARE, GO AHEAD AND ROT IN PRISON!
- Make him white jade tea.
- Turtleducks.
Sokka's Master
Dear Diary,
Uncle hasn't returned any of my letters, but he's probably just busy. I tried to perform Forever Flaming Darkness for Mai and Ty Lee, but Mai said that I had to stop before blood came out of her ears. Ty Lee said she liked it, but that there should be a bear in the show, which is ridiculous, because how could a bear juggle fireballs on the ladder for that long? And what if the bear gets distracted by the falling black feathers that represent my eternal pain? Then the snow machine would fall off the calliope and it would be a disaster! No one understands my artistic endeavors!
The Beach
Dear Diary,
It turns out that parties are lame, but destroying them is pretty fun. More fun than what happened after destroying that admiral's house, when Azula tied me down and Ty Lee gave me a makeover. I don't care that the kohl brought out my eyes and made them look dark and broody, I can brood just fine without it. And I can't get this friendship bracelet off my wrist. Rrrrgh, it makes me SO ANGRY! Oh wait, that burst of flame just incinerated it. That's right, everything I touch just turns to ash and cinders -- like my poor battered heart.
The Avatar and the Firelord
Dear Diary,
That was the worst scavenger hunt ever! Now I find out that the bald kid is my great-grandfather? My life is so unfair! Uncle finally starts talking to me again, and it's to tell me that I am the linchpin in the battle between the forces of good and evil, destined to right the wrongs of the world and lead the Fire Nation into a new dawn? I mean, I felt like that already, but Azula laughed at me when I said it. I think Uncle's serious. I know, because when I said maybe we should take a tea break, he said there was no time for tea. What do I do now, Diary?
The Puppetmaster
Set list for Forever Flaming Darkness:
Act One:
Nothing is Beautiful and Everything Hurts
Firebender in a Waterbending World
What About My Feelings?
Rage! Part One
The Lone Wolf-Mongoose
Act Two:
Nobody Knows My Pain
Solar Eclipse of the Heart
Rage! Part Two
Cataclysmic Devastation
Dead Inside
Act Three:
One Sister in Hand, Two Stabs in the Back
Iridescent Mourning
Rage! Part Three
Soul's Fleeting Rapture Scorched
Uncles Don't Know Everything
Act Four:
Four Elements of Anguish
Does Father Love Me Now? Why Not?
My Quintessence Is Just Kindling
Honor's Conflagration
The Agony of Everything
Nothing is Beautiful and Everything Hurts (reprise)
(There will be no intermission.)
Nightmares and Daydreams
Dear Diary,
Well, I got what I said I wanted. I sat at Father's right hand - and I'm pretty sure Azula booby-trapped the cushion, because I sat on something sharp. But my soul still yearns for an extra sense of belonging. I'm starting to think - well, I'm starting to think that maybe, maybe Father's not a very nice person maybe there's something else that's wrong with me that Father's approval can't fix. I want to write more, but Mai's here and she says if I don't come now she's going to put fruit tarts on the heads of the palanquin carriers without me.
Day of the Black Sun
Dear Diary
I finally faced up to Father and told him what I thought of him! My soul is now unfettered by the chains of filial responsibility, free to soar higher than the largest war balloon could dare! Now all I have to do is find the Avatar, convince him to accept me, defeat Father and the Fire Nation army and introduce a new Fire Lord. Without Uncle. I - I may be feeling - feeling a little light-headed. Okay, and a little queasy. With freedom! I'm going to go lean over the side of the basket for awhile.
The Western Air Temple
Dear Diary,
Well, I burned Toph and almost fell to my death, but I think it still went about as well as could be expected. I feel pretty guilty for setting that assassin on them, so I thought about trying to win them over through song, but all the Fire Nation ones I know are about conquering things. And somehow I don't feel as much like performing Forever Flaming Darkness as I used to. I think that "Rage! Part Three" needs some work, anyway. The eighth stanza's rhyming scheme seems off. Got to go, Katara's glaring at me and Sokka keeps trying to see what I'm writing.
The Firebending Masters
Dear Diary,
First of all, I don't see how I was supposed to not pick up the golden egg. It's a golden egg that raised up from the floor after an intricate dance-maneuver lock was opened in a chamber which can only be entered at the solstice, in an ancient mystical Sun Warrior city, how can you not touch it? Although I think I still have slime in my left ear. Whatever, the point is that it could have happened to anybody. (Anybody not raised by monks and fated to save the world through the use of the four elements, that is.) I can't wait to demonstrate my new firebending techniques against my sister. But Azula must never find out about Ran and Shaw, because I'm pretty sure she'd have them made into red & blue luggage.
The Boiling Rock
Dear Diary,
Azula tried to kill me again, but I have the coolest girlfriend in the world. Sokka punched me in the shoulder when I said so, to defend Suki's honor, but it's true. Mai is my gloomy little soulmate, the flame of my heart's desire. As soon as we set down in the Western Air Temple again, I'm carving our names into a wall as a monument to our love. I thought about drawing "Mai + Zuko 4-Ever" in skywriting from Azula's war balloon, but Hakoda said we should probably just make our escape.
The Southern Raiders
Dear Diary,
Azula tried to kill me, and then I fell down. But this time she fell down too. I'm making progress! Oh, and I have two friends now, Sokka and Aang. They say good morning to me and everything, and they don't cower when they see me, which is really nice. Sokka even let me throw his boomerang once, and there was barely any blood. I am on fire! Now all I have to do is win over Katara by helping her kill somebody. Then I'll have THREE friends, which is more than Azula ever had, so there!
The Ember Island Players
Dear Diary,
My hair does not look like that. And frankly, I found the stagecraft of the play stilted and derivative. The father/daughter scene was straight from their production of On Flaming Pond. And my hair does not look like that. Oh, Uncle. You never even got to see Acts Four and Five in my play, which far surpasses that dreck. You said that Act Three was so wonderfully soothing that you had to rest your eyes, so I've heightened the suspense in Act Four. But will I ever be able to perform Forever Flaming Darkness for you? I'd give all the tea in the world to be able to see you and apologize.
Sozin's Comet, Parts 1 & 2
Dear Diary,
Uncle forgives me, and everything is going to be all right. I'm pretty sure that I know my destiny now. I've got to take down Azula and become the Fire Lord. But none of that's going to matter if Aang doesn't put an end to Father. I guess all I can do is my part. I asked Uncle how to face Azula, and he just said, "Sweep the leg, Zuko." That doesn't seem very helpful, but I'm glad to have him back.
Sozin's Comet, Parts 3 & 4
Dear Diary,
The war is over, and Father will never hurt me or Mother or anyone, ever again. Guru Pathik says that Azula has stopped trying to burn him with her eyes and that her aura is much less terrifying after her yogic training. Maybe it's the onion and banana juice that's softening her up. The Fire Nation's honor is being restored, and world is rebuilding its ties with Aang's help. My soulmate Mai is by my side -- well, most of the time; she says Fire Council meetings are too boring to bear. Oh, speaking of bear, the Earth King and Bosco have been located, but he says he's continuing his travels rather than returning to the throne. I'm on a diplomatic mission to Ba Sing Se, visiting Uncle with all my friends. Because I'm the Fire Lord now. But I'm also still the best tea boy in the Earth Kingdom.