Alyssa's Back Story: Part 2

Long ago, the AAA marching bands competed in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Dub P Marching Band attacked.

The Dub P Marching Band discovered fire-bending during one particularly cold Saturday competition. Instead of using our powers to warm our instruments so we could play our amazing show despite the blizzard conditions, the newly appointed Fire Lord Dukart (previously known as Director of the Bands) decided it was time to continue my march to take over the world.

The band incinerated all competition within the state, taking the state championship easily. Soon, Colorado was ours.

“When the comet comes,” declared Fire Lord Dukart the night we won state, “we shall use its power to take over the world!”

He thrust the immense state trophy into the air and a great cheering rang throughout the band.

However, our plans were delayed by something unexpected: Global-Cooling. The next Ice Age was upon us. The north and south poles expanded and the average temperature dropped by ten degrees.

We fire-benders did not bode well in the cold. Therefore, we used the metal from our state trophies to create the three Pillars of Sanctity. A Pillar was placed at each entrance into Dub P. They were modeled after Fire Lord Dukart and each depicted him clutching a sousaphone, which emitted a large jet of flame that kept Dub P’s temperature from dropping with the rest of the world.

Dub P became the only warm place in the world. No one was allowed in.

Over the years, the band perfected the art of fire-bending and taught it to all worthy citizens. No greater fire-bender arose than I did. By my senior year, I was Fire Lord Dukart’s right hand man. However downhearted I was when I thought about my lost opportunity to conquer the world, I knew the comet grew closer every day and I could take my revenge when it came.

The Fire Nation used freshman band members to guard the border to Dub P. Many from the outside world wished to come into the haven that was Dub P, but we could not let them. The town was small and we already had enough moochers that couldn’t fire-bend.

The day came when one of the freshman guards spotted someone approaching the border from the other side. The Pillars of Sanctity created a literal line in which the snow could not penetrate, and on that day, a particularly violent blizzard was thrashing through the air. A lone figure, dressed in a cloak, was walking up to the gates, snow billowing around him in a dramatic way.

“Stop!” Kara commanded, lighting her hand on fire in preparation for a warning blast.

The figure slowly removed his hood. “I come in peace,” he said. “I wish to speak to the Fire Lord.”

The Fire Lord was busy drinking his morning coffee, so Kara went to me instead. A little out of breath from running the entire way, she quickly told me of the intruder.

I knew this day would come. Aphrodite, tagged by her son Cupid, came and saw me about a month ago.

“Uh…” I stammered, disconcerted by the disturbingly short dress Aphrodite had on and the fact Cupid looked less like a pudgy baby and more like an obese, thirty-year-old hipster.

“O’ Great Alyssa of the park in the woods!– who went to conquer the world and failed!” Aphrodite called, her hands held up toward the sky. I frowned, not particularly enjoying the mention of my failure. “I have come to warn you of the future!”

“Word!” Cupid pitched in.

“Future?” I asked. Usually, we heard prophecies from the Fire Sages, but a Greek goddess would work for me. “What about it?”

Aphrodite flipped her hair about like she’d just taken a motorcycle helmet off. “You will embark on a great quest with–”

“A quest?” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I prefer missions. They sound cooler.”

“Fine!” she said, shooting me a hard glare. “You will embark on a mission with two others to save the world from evil.”

“Save the world?” I inquired, suddenly less interested than before. “All right, if I have to. But who will these other two people be? When will I meet them?”

Aphrodite wiped her hand through the air, showing me an image of a lone figure wearing a cloak in a blizzard. “They will come and ask for the Fire Lord’s help. You must help them, or else the world will be razed,” she instructed.

At first, I thought she meant raise as in lifting up, but then I figured she meant the one with a “z” that meant worse things. Before I could ask her anymore questions, she turned and disappeared.

“Word,” Cupid said before vanishing as well.

Now, the cloaked figure was at the border to Dub P, asking for the Fire Lord’s help. I shoved Kara out of the way and rushed down to the gates to see for myself. Sure enough, the same person from Aphrodite’s vision was standing just on the other side, shivering from the cold.

“Who are you?” I asked. I lit my fist on fire and added, “And no lies!”

“Are you the Fire Lord?”

“Do I look like one of the Pillars?” I demanded. “No, but I’m all you’re going to get. Now tell me who you are and what you want before I decide the other side could use a little warming up.”

He sighed and explained, “I am Mitch the Jedi. I have come seeking the Fire Nation’s aid in the war. The praying mantis baby has been reproducing and now there’s an army of them. If we do not defeat them soon, the entire world – including Dub P – will fall.”