I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender


It all began on an evening, not much more then a week after the avatar had restored balance to the world and defeated the fire nation's phoenix king, Lord Ozai. That particular evening, Katara had decided to try her hand at cooking dinner. So she had set to work, preparing to cook the only thing she knew how to cook: stewed sea prunes. She'd been only a young child when her mother had decided to take her sea prune gathering, but Katara had been elated to go. Her mother had even let her stew the sea prunes that night. Katara hadn't forgotten a thing and she stewed the sea prunes just right. The way her mother would have.

"Dinner's ready!" Katara announced as she set the wooden bowls, bubbling over with sea prune soup, down on the table.

"Ah, finally! I'm famished." Iroh said, taking his place with the others at the table in the fire nation's grand hall, where dinner had been served as of late. "What type of soup is this?" He inquired in his old gravely voice, as he licked his lips hungrily.

Katara smiled. "It's called sea prune soup."

"Yeah," Sokka added, gobbling the soup ravenously, "and it's really good!"

"Oh, I agree." Iroh replied enthusiastically, eating just as fervently as Sokka. "This is wonderful; almost as tasty as jasmine tea!"

Momo sniffed at Aang's bowl cautiously and then shook his head, purring in a disgusted tone.

"Oh, did you want some Momo?" Sokka asked, pushing his bowl towards Momo.

Momo shrieked and then made a hasty retreat under the table.

"Ok but you're really missing out."

Zuku stared at his own bowl of soup, his facing turning a light shade of green.

"So…stewed sea prunes, huh?" said Zuku.

Sitting across from Zuku, Aang shifted in his wooden seat nervously.

"Yeah…stewed sea prunes…my..uh…favorite soup." Aang said awkwardly.

"It really looks good Katara." Said Zuku, wincing as he placed a spoonful in his mouth.

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? You two look like your going to be sick."

"Sick?" Aang asked as he crammed his mouth with sea prunes. "Why would we be getting sick?"

"It's not like you're uh, wonderful soup is nauseating, revolting, or sickening in any way. It's great. Really." Zuku said unconvincingly, following Aang's cue and filling his mouth with sea prunes.

"You know, you guys could have just told me you didn't like it." Katara said angrily, throwing her hands in the air. "I wouldn't hold a grudge just because you don't like my soup."

Zuku closely studied the floor while Aang concentrated on whistling a tune.

"You didn't think that did you?" Katara demanded.

Toph smiled. "Honestly? Yeah, I think you would."

"Not asking you, Toph." Katara said, glaring at her. "Now are you going to-"

"Hey guys, I just thought of a funny joke." Sokka said ecstatically, interrupting his sister and completely oblivious to what was going on.

Aang leaned over to Zuku, covering his mouth with one hand. "Sokka. He's a real lifesaver."

Toph sighed and rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."

"OK, ok. What do you do to sea prunes?"

Iroh rubbed his chin. "Eat them?"

"Nope."

"Stew them?"

"No."

"Cook them?"

"No."

Iroh squinted his eyes and tugged his beard.

"I give up. What do you do to sea prunes?"

"You just open your eyes! Get it? 'see' prunes?" Sokka laughed madly.

Toph groaned and slapped her forehead with her open palm. Beside her, Iroh frowned and repeated the joke silently to himself. A second later his eyes lit up vibrantly.

"Ah, yes I get it! What do you do to 'see' prunes? You just open your eyes!" he bent over laughing hysterically.

Katara tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you two going to answer my question?"

"No…um why would we think you'd hold a grudge over something little like that?" Zuku said, with a nervous smile pasted on his face.

"Yeah, the thought never crossed our minds." Aang lied. "But uh…Hey, do you remember that time we ate this soup at that evil waterbender's inn?" He asked, hoping to change the subject before Katara asked any more questions.

"Yes, It was just the day after that night we were camping in the woods," Katara said. "Why?"

"Oh, uh, just wondering." Aang said as he scratched his head.

"Yeah, that was the night Katara was telling us that scary story about that southern water tribe girl." Toph added.

"Trading scary stories over the roaring camp fire, gathering nuts and hunting wild animals for dinner, stalking the cabbage man, ah, that was the life." Sokka said dreamily.

"The cabbage man?" Katara asked, an eyebrow notched.

"Hey, we should do it again!" Sokka said, suddenly sitting up.

"Do what again? Stalk the cabbage man?" Toph asked incredulously.

"No; Go camping! I mean, now that the world's saved and all."

"Do you guys think we should really go camping?" Aang asked excitedly as he turned to the others.

"Well, Sokka's right, we did just save the world from the fire nation. I think we deserve a break. It could be fun." Katara said cheerfully.

"I'm game." said Toph.

Aang smiled. "Great, then it's settled. We'll go-"

"Hold on! You can't just leave." Said Zuku.

"Why not?" Aang asked.

"The world is still in shambles because of the great damage the fire nation caused. We have to start to rebuild, reconstruct, and repair. We don't have time for games."

"C'mon Zuku, lighten up." Sokka said. "Team avatar needs a break. Besides, we'll only be gone for a couple days."

Zuku folded his arms and stared at everyone. The whole group faced him, staring at him with big pleading eyes. He sighed. "Fine! But only a couple days, you're still needed here."

"Yes!" Aang shouted. Momo scampered up the table at Aang's excited tone, tilting his head he looked at Aang inquisitively.

"Did you hear that Momo? We're going camping!"