Kataang Week 2009

Ch. 1 Mischief

Aang is 13

Katara is 15

Appa rode lazily through the blue sky, carrying the Avatar and his friends towards the now-friendly Fire Nation.

"Can you believe it's already been a year since you totally spanked Ozai, Aang?" Sokka asked, lying with his head in the lap of the love of his life, Suki.

"Yeah, to think, a year ago, the Earth Kingdom was almost completely turned to ash." Katara said. She sat on Appa's head, right next to Aang. Their arms were linked in a loving embrace. Aang turned looked at her in the eyes. She was the most beautiful girl in the world to him, with her long brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes.

"But you saved it. My Hero." Katara said with a dreamy whisper. She gave him a quick but passionate kiss.

"Hey, we're here!" Suki said, to alert Sokka. He sat up, as did Toph.

"Great!" Toph said. "I'm still not used to this flying."

Appa landed in the massive courtyard of the Fire Nation Palace. Tired from his trip, he immediately got down onto his stomach and closed his eyes to take a nap. First off was Momo, the flying lemur, who scampered up the tall palace steps towards the Fire Lord and his fiancé.

Zuko and Mai came down the steps to greet their friends. Upon reaching Zuko, the lemur leapt onto his shoulder and began to play with his hair.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Zuko said as Momo pulled strands out of Zuko's top knot.

Mai gave off a small giggle, and the cute creature suddenly became interested in her. Momo leaped to her and began to play with her odango buns.

Aang and Katara were next off of Appa. Aang ran up the steps to embrace the Fire Lord. Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Toph followed.

"Zuko!" Aang said. "It feels like forever since I last saw you."

"Heh, it's only been about what…ten months?" Zuko joked.

Turmoil amongst the Earth Kingdom States had called Aang into avatar duty to keep peace and balance in the world. There were those who believed that the Fire Nation needed to pay for its sins, and by pay, most meant wiped out.

All in the group exchanged their greeting and congratulations.

"So, finally convinced miss free spirit over there to finally tie the knot, huh?" Sokka said as he jabbed Zuko in his side. It was now evening an they were all sitting down to dinner.

Everyone laughed, except Mai. She smiled.

"I figured I should do it now before she decides to move to Kiyoshi Island permanently and join Ty Lee in her new profession." Zuko joked back.

"Tell me, Mai," Suki asked. "How is everything there?"

"Just fine. Ty Lee loves the island, but then again, there isn't anything she doesn't love. She and the other Kiyoshi warriors should be arriving tomorrow morning." Mai answered.

And arrived they did, with Ty Lee leading the way.

"MAAAAAAI!!!" she squealed tackled her friend with a bear hug upon seeing her. "I can't believe that you are finally getting married."

A joyful tear slipped down her cheek as she clasped Mai close to her. Mai's trademark sourpuss expression returned to her face. She missed Ty Lee when they couldn't spend time together, but she certainly didn't miss Ty Lee's hug attacks.

"Neither can I…" she said sarcastically, but Ty Lee didn't pick up on that.

Everyone was there to help greet the Kiyoshi warriors, but Suki was the most enthusiastic about it. She hadn't seen some of the girls for a long time.

Other guests arrived, including many old friends, but the most important of all was the esteemed Iroh, uncle of the Fire Lord and the owner of the best Tea Shop in Ba Sing Se.

"Uncle!" Zuko ran to Iroh the moment he came into view. They gave each other a loving embrace.

"Zuko, I'm so proud to see this day." Iroh said. "It reminds me of the hopes I had for Lu Ten."

A few tears came to Iroh's eyes.

"Please, Uncle, don't be sad."

"I'm not. I assure you that these are tears of joy."

A servant standing off to the side looked up at the sky. The brilliant sun was high in the sky, indicating noon. She ran to Mai.

"Lady Mai," she began. "I believe it is time to begin our preparations for the wedding."

"Thank you, Raisa." Mai said. She turned to Zuko and gave him a passionate kiss. "Well, here we go to face our destiny. I'll see you tonight at sunset."

Mai, Ty Lee, Katara, Suki, and Toph went to her bed chambers to prepare.

"Well, I guess we should go get ready, too." Zuko said.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Mai walked down the aisle as a ravishing beauty in a red and white dress with gold accents. Ty Lee acted as the Maid of Honor, with Katara, Suki, and Toph as bridesmaids, all of them in silk dresses a dark shade of hunter green.

Both Aang and Sokka acted as Best Men, although Sokka wasn't too keen on having to put on the traditional Fire Nation grab required for it. Being the Avatar, Aang was allowed to remain in his traditional Monk robes.

Zuko gulped when he saw Mai, nervous and excited.

"Don't worry." Aang whispered to him. "Everything's going to be alright."

Before he knew it, the reception began. Zuko sat beside Mai. Her smiled, although not toothy, was the biggest it had been since the end of the war.

You said you like it when I express myself, Mai's voice ringed in his head.

Toasts and speeches were made. Everyone enjoyed the delicious feast of spicy Fire Nation foods that were offered. However, one thing was off, and Zuko could tell when he saw a slight frown on Mai's lips.

He was about to ask her what was wrong when Katara beat him to the punch.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked the new bride, leaning over from her chair. Ty Lee had gone off to find some more wine, and Aang had been pushed into greeting some dignitaries from various corners of the world.

"It's…nothing." Mai said.

"You're lying." Toph said as she took a huge bite out a dumpling.

"Alright, I am." Mai confessed. "It's…the music."

The girls stopped talking and listened. Over the clatter of plates and the soft talking of the wedding guests, a slow, somber song was being played by the band.

"You call this wedding music?" Suki asked.

"It sounds more like funeral music to me." Toph retorted.

"Unfortunately we do." Mai said, a pout on her lips. "Zuko, I thought you said you were going to have different music for today. This was the only thing that I really wanted…"

Zuko stared at her. Mai looked upset. He looked over at Katara and Suki, who looked angry that Zuko had forgotten something so important.

"I…I'm sorry!" He said, standing up. "I'll go sort this out."

Katara quickly stood up.

"No, you stay here, with your wife." she said. "I'll go fix this…" Katara walked off towards the band.

As Aang greeted different people, he got more and more crowded.

"Did you hear that?" Aang asked, perking her ear to the air. "I do believe that is Fire Lord Zuko calling me. I'm so very sorry…"

Aang quickly excused himself from the pushy Fire Nation Nobles and made his way towards the wedding party table.

Before he got there, he bumped into a girl about his own age.

"On Ji?" Aang said incredulously, looking at the brown haired girl in the pink silk dress.

"I'm so very sorry, Avatar Aang!" she said. She quickly backed away from Aang and gave him the traditional bow of respect. Then she looked up at him in surprise.

"How did you know my name?" she looked into his grey eyes. "Wait a minute…Kuzon…?

Her own eyes widened in surprised. She began to stammer.

"T-that was you at school last year? You were Kuzon?"

Aang nodded.

"Oh, my…I can't believe this…but, why?" On Ji asked, concern in her voice. "If they found out who you were at the time, they would have captured or killed you!"

"It was kind of an accident." Aang began to explain. "My friends and I needed disguises. I grabbed the first outfit that fit, and it turns out that it was a school uniform. I didn't know until some guards grabbed me and accused me of playing hooky."

"Wow…and yet you came back."

"I needed to, On Ji. You and the other students needed to know what freedom was like. I had to show it to you."

"Through music." On Ji said.

"Yes, through music." Aang laughed. "But there are other forms of freedom as well. So tell me, how did you get invited to the wedding of the Fire Lord?"

"Well, it's because of you, Kuzon…I mean, Aang…" On Ji giggled. "You see, after you left, I kept organizing dances in caves. The band that played for us that first night, they're called the Flameos now, and we've been practicing ever since. And then a contest was announced! The best musicians in the Fire Nation were to play at the wedding of Fire Lord Zuko!"

"We've been practicing?" Aang asked.

"I…to took up the Pipa shortly after you left." On Ji answered.

"Wow. That's great, On Ji."

Suddenly, a stern looking Fire Nation Bureaucrat stepped over.

"I'm sorry, Avatar Aang." he said with a bow. "Is this young lady bothering you?"

"Not at all, sir."

The Bureaucrat looked at On Ji.

"You and your classmates will be on next. Please prepare yourself."

He stepped away and stood by the stage. He looked at the musicians that were currently on the stage with a look of disdain, even though the song they played was a traditional Fire Nation wedding song.

On Ji sighed in frustration.

"Unfortunately, even though we won the contest, we can only play the songs that he approved." On Ji said, pointing at the Bureaucrat. "Just about all of them sound like this one."

"Aw, man." Aang said sympathetically. Suddenly, he noticed Katara walking up to the Bureaucrat. On Ji noticed her, too, especially when it seemed that Katara was arguing with the man. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but Aang knew that it was about the music.

"Who's she?" On Ji asked.

"That's Katara. My girlfriend." Aang blushed.

Katara walked away from the Bureaucrat and towards Aang and On Ji, who she had just noticed.

"Oh, I recognize you now!" On Ji exclaimed. "You were at the dance party, too!"

"Hi…uh, On Ji, right?" Katara asked.

"Yes."

Katara turned to Aang.

"Aang! That jerk is ruining Mai's wedding!" she said, pointing at the man.

"I know. On Ji just told me what's going on." Aang replied.

He quickly explained the contest and the Flameos to Katara.

Katara stood there for a moment, hand on her chin.

"I've got an idea!" she said. She began to whisper something to Aang and On Ji.

"So, we've got the plan down, right?" Aang asked.

"Got it down." On Ji replied. "You two are going to take care of that jerk, and me and the Flameos are going to play those songs we played at the dance party!"

On Ji ran over to her classmates, and Aang and Katara slowly walked towards the Bureaucrat.

"Try to keep a straight face," Katara whispered to Aang out of the corner of her mouth.

"Excuse me, sir!" Aang said to the Bureaucrat. The man turned to face the couple. He bowed to Aang, but not to Katara, whom he was not pleased to see.

Katara's head was hung as if in shame. She stared intensely at her feet.

"Allow me to apologize for the behavior of my concubine…" Aang said.

Katara stifled a laugh.

"No need…" the Bureaucrat began, but Aang cut him off.

"No, no, a proper apology is in order. Please, may we stand off to the side to speak in a more private place?"

Suddenly, the music stopped, and everyone clapped for the adult musicians on stage. They walked off, taking their instruments with them. On Ji and the Flameos walked on, clutching their instruments nervously. Everyone stared at them expectantly. On Ji quickly looked off to the side. Aang was giving her a thumbs up. Behind him was Katara standing in front of closed door, which was sealed shut by ice. Beside the door, an empty war jar was lying on its side. Katara was laughing, obviously amused by the Bureaucrat's distress and/or obscenities.

On Ji smiled, and her confidence skyrocketed.

She began to strum a passionate, fast paced song on her pipa. The other Flameos joined in.

Back at the wedding party table, Mai's face suddenly lit up at the sound of the new music coming from the young musicians. She quickly stood up and grabbed Zuko's hand, dragging him to the dance floor.

"Now, this is music!" Toph said as she followed behind Sokka and Suki.

Katara walked up to Aang and took his hand. She lead him out onto the dance floor.

They all partied until dawn.

A/N: Kataang Week! Woot!

Sorry if this story makes no sense, i kinda just pulled it out of thin air. I completely forgot about Kataang week until I saw Spootay's awesome entry: .com/art/KW-Mischief-133917242

this is a first draft, please forgive typos and bad grammar. I swear I'll fix it tomorrow.