Sokka Who?
"Don't you just love the crackle of the fire, Katara?" Aang said questionably.
"Sure, Aang. But what makes you say that? It's just lifeless fire," answered Katara. She was a little confused at the question, and Aang was blushing.
"Hey," Zuko said. He wasn't mad exactly, but fire was his element.
"Sorry, Zuko," Katara said not really meaning it.
"Hey everyone! I'm back with the food. So who's- oof. Stupid log. So who's- ahhaahaahahhhh- stupid small cliff! So- who's- cooking- oh this is a steep cliff, hah. So who's cooking up dinner?" Sokka said after clumsily walking back to camp.
"Oh Sokka, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if you were never born," said Katara.
"Hey. Snoozles isn't all that bad. But Madame Fussy Britches has a point. Twinkletoes? Sparky? What do you think?
"I don't know Katara. Sokka is pretty important to the team. We do need his boomerang techniques," replied Aang.
"See Katara. Huh, huh, am I right?" gloated Sokka.
"Hmph," Katara still wasn't convinced.
"I don't really know much about your past life, so . . ." Zuko was at a loss of words.
"Well . . . Let's find out then!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Huh?" everyone said at once.
"We can use this strange magic orb thingy I 'found'," Sokka said pretending not to emphasize the word found.
"Sokka. Where did you-" Katara began.
"Okay you got me. I took it from a fortune teller, 6 Fire Nation soldiers, and 4 pirates, but what's the big deal?" Sokka said hoping Katara wouldn't hear.
"You did what? I can't believe you!" screamed Katara.
"Hey! You stole a water bending scroll from the same 4 pirates!" interrupted Sokka.
"Actually, Snoozles, there were 5 pirates," Toph said nonchalantly.
"How do you know that?" both Sokka and Katara answered together.
"Because they're on their way here. But don't worry. They have to get through the cabbage merchant first," answered Toph without fear.
"Out of the way merchant or we'll tear your cart down!" threatened the pirates.
The Fire Nation soldiers then lit the cart on fire and blasted it out of their way.
"My cabbages!" exclaimed the cabbage merchant yet again.
"Maybe we should move," Toph said quickly, not so sure of herself anymore.
"What happened to the cabbage merchant?" Katara questioned.
"Doesn't matter. We have to get out of here!" Toph shouted.
The gang quickly loaded onto Appa as fast as they could and flew out of there. When they thought the coast was clear they stopped for the night.
"Now, about that orb you stole." stated Katara.
"Correction. I found it." Katara glared at him. "O.K. I stole it. But I think I figured this thing out. If I just rub it like this. . ." Sokka rubbed the strange orb.
"Woah. Sokka, what is this? We're home! Wait, I see Mom. How- oh no," uttered Katara. She was scared now.
"What is it Sweetness?" asked Toph.
"L-look," stuttered Katara.
"Hello! Blind here! Can't see! Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
"Soot. There's me, running to Mom. I was so cute back then! The Southern Raiders! This is the day Mom died! I know what's going on now! This is the day that Mom died, only without Sokka," Katara said in shock.
"What! No. That's not possible. Wait. What's Mom doing? Why is she bending a tunnel out of snow?" said Sokka, not believing a word of it.
"Mom! Mom! Fire Nation!" Young Katara shouted.
Her Mom quickly told her to gather everyone up and bring them there. Kya made a large tunnel in the snow with a small labyrinth in case the Fire Nation found the entrance.
"Everyone, get inside. Quickly, now, quickly," said Kya, Katara's mother. Everyone rushed into the tunnel, and after everyone was in, she sealed it. "Follow me."
The Southern Raiders were dumbfounded. They heard that there was a waterbender in the South Pole, but there's not even a single person here!
"It's like a ghost town. Where did everyone go?" pondered the General. "I guess no one's here. Men, fallout."
"Wait a minute. The Fire Nation just left! Because of me, Mom died. It's all my fault. No, this can't be. I-I-" Sokka sat down quietly. All this was happening so fast. He must have distracted Katara by playing with her. This time she got to Mom faster.
"Sokka I- I don't know what to say. I'd say it wasn't your fault but, I can't," sobbed Katara. She sat down too, only far away from Sokka. Zuko tried to comfort her, but it only made things worse.
I wish there was something I could do to make Katara feel better. I really like her. A lot. But I just can't tell her. The Avatar is very fond of her. I joined up with him to make up for what I did to her. Zuko thought.
"Hey, Katara!" Zuko looked up at the Avatar. "Let's not dwell in the past of something that didn't happen. Come on, he's your brother," Aang knew it wouldn't help, but he tried anyway.
"How can I feel better when my brother is the reason my mother's dead! Dead Aang! Dead!" Katara didn't want to yell at Aang. She just didn't know how to feel right then.
Zuko started to say, "Katara I-"
"Where are we now? I can't see where, but I can feel the earth change a little," asked Toph.
"We're right at the time when- Wait. I don't know. I'm water bending with Mom. I know that much," Mom would've taught me water bending? thought Katara.
"Try it one more time sweetie," Kya's voice full of encouragement.
Katara lifted up her arms one more time and brought a ring of water around her. She split it into eight different tentacles. Her mother charged at her with a water whip at the ready. Katara then tossed her mom out of the way and into a snow bank.
"I did it Mom! I did it! I used the octopus formation!" Katara screamed in excitement.
"Very good Katara. You'll be a water bending master in no time at this rate," She smiled at her daughter.
"I learned the octopus that soon? Wow! Mom would've been a great teacher!" Katara slumped back down remembering that her mother was dead.
"Hey Sokka! Come over here!" waved Aang.
"Why? I need meat!" whined Sokka.
Still next to Katara, Zuko asked, "Do you want to spar? I'd let you win."
"I'd win anyways. You're too easy," muttered Katara.
"What! I could beat you in a heartbeat! You're just a-a-a-"
"A what? And you're just too scared to admit that you'd lose!" screamed Katara.
Zuko glared at Katara. She glared right back. Zuko took a fighting stance. As did Katara. Zuko shot a gigantic ball of fire straight at her head. She quickly countered and froze his feet to the ground. She walked up to him while he was struggling. She pushed Zuko over and pinned him to the ground. She practically laid on him and got right up to his face and said, "Told ya you were too easy." As she got up to leave, Zuko unfroze himself and sweep kicked Katara. She fell flat on her face.
Zuko crouched down next to her ear and said, "Who's too easy now?"
Katara would've knocked his teeth out right there and then, but she saw a ship sailing to the coast.
"Oh. I know what time this is," stated Zuko.
"How can you tell Scarface?" asked Toph.
"There's my ship," he stated bluntly.
"Oh."
"Uncle. Tell the captain to dock at that village. I'm going to look around," ordered Zuko.
"Yes Prince Zuko. I think I know what you are looking for," Iroh winked.
"Uncle! Do we have to go through this every time! I know the conditions for me going home are capturing the Avatar, or get a girlfriend that wants to marry me. But do you always have to do that!" Zuko went off to tell the captain to dock.
"I'm just saying, Nephew. Some of the women in the Water Tribe are quite pretty," chuckled Iroh. "You might get lucky."
_ "Wait. Wasn't Katara supposed to find me by now?" Aang was puzzled.
"Sokka and I didn't go fishing. That's how we found you, Aang,"
"Oh no! Zuko's on the way and I'm not there to save you and you'll get hurt and then we'll lose the war and I won't be with you to father our-"
"Aang. Don't worry. It'll work out. Remember: none of this really happened," reassured Katara.
"Uhhhhhhhh! That's what I tried to tell you Katara! None of this happened! I didn't kill Mom!" yelled Sokka.
Everyone was silent. After a few minutes, Zuko said, "Shouldn't we watch what's going on?"
Zuko's ship docked. He came out dressed for war, because he was expecting a 15 year-old boy to come charging up to him. Then he could knock him into a snow bank. He could then follow a 12 year-old boy all the way around the world, just so he could join him and steal his girlfriend.
"Alright! Have any of you seen the Avatar?" No one moved a muscle. " I am Prince Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation! If I find out that any of you have seen the Avatar and you're not telling about it, you will pay deeply for it," he said with a stern voice.
He spotted Katara and said, "You. Peasant. Come to see me in two days time."
"Why should I?"
"I have a proposition for you," Zuko said slyly.
"What was that! I can't believe Zuko made a move on Katara! I can't believe you Zuko! Why are you dating my Ka-"
"What was that Aang? Did you just say my? So I'm a possession now! Is that it?" Katara went to go find Toph. "Let's go find Gran Gran, Toph."
"Ahhhhhh!" Toph screamed as she was dragged away by Katara.
"What's Katara's problem?" asked Aang.
Zuko thought, Sometimes he's so clueless. I hope Katara's okay. Aang really hurt her feelings. Again.
Zuko was laying in his room on the ship when Iroh walked in.
"What is it Uncle?"
"You have a visitor, Nephew," said Iroh.
Who could be here now? he thought.
"Who do you think you are to be crashing your big metal ship into our home?" she lectured.
"I told you peasant. I am the Prince of the Fire Nation. And who let you on the ship!" he sneered.
"Your Uncle. He told me everything about you over a cup of tea.
I don't think you're in any condition to be calling me a peasant, banished prince." she fought back too.
"Why- Uhhhh! Uncle!"
"You could use some redecorating in here. It feels so, red. If I were you, I'd put my bed over there," advised Katara.
She sat down on the bed next to him. "Why are you sitting on my bed? The room's supposed to be red! I'm from the Fire Nation! For Agni's sake!"
"I got tired. You could still stand to have some blue in here though." Katara said while smiling. She got up and left after bowing to Iroh, who was just walking in the door.
"Maybe she's right. I do have a lot of red," mumbled Zuko.
"You called, Nephew?"
"Ten minutes ago! What took you so long?"
"I finished brewing some more tea. Would you like some?"
Zuko sighed. He signaled for his uncle to leave. He started to wonder about that Water Tribe girl. She seems nice. Very optimistic. On top of that, she's pretty. Very pretty. Drop-dead gorgeous.
When it became clear that Zuko was not going to hurt the people, they allowed him to walk around. The elders were still very paranoid about him though.
"Hey Zuko! What's up?" Katara said.
Don't screw this up, Zuko. "Get away from me, peasant." Yup. Just screwed it up.
"Do you always have to play that card o banished one?"
Fix it this time! "I was just wondering why you came in to my room yesterday. I don't think it was for decorating tips."
"Oh! Uhhhh. . . I was just. . . going to ask you what the proposition was about! Yeah, that's it!