Written for the pro bending circuit.
Task: Celebrate the end of a long day.
Prompts: (Location) Western Air Temple and (Smell) Gunpowder
Word count:940
The sun is setting over the western air temple , as the wind blows softly.
Zuko walks towards the central fountain with his face covered in what looks like ash. Katara, is a few footsteps behind laughing with two hands on her stomach.
"You said you wanted to help." She said trying to hold back more laughter going as far as to put a hand over her mouth.
"Well, I didn't know your brother was going to blow me up just to test his new bombs!" Zuko said placing his hands in the fountain and splashing water in his face. "I mean I reek of gunpowder!" Zuko growled.
"All in the aid of science I might add." Katara said with a finger raised impersonating Sokka.
Zuko lets out a small laugh.
As the sun sets further,
A now clean Zuko begins setting up a fire, while Katara starts gathering supplies for dinner.
Aang, Sokka and Toph approach the campsite, laughing and covered in ash. Aang is only recognizable by his arrow.
"Wow, you guys really went to town on the gunpowder didn't you?" Katara said raising an eyebrow in concern.
"All in the aid of science." Sokka said only to be met by laughter from Katara and Zuko.
Zuko and Katara then exchanged a look.
"What? Have I got something on my face?" Sokka asked, paranoid.
Aang began to chuckle. "You look like a Badgerfrog." The young air bender said.
"Well you look like a Catowl!" Sokka snapped in response.
"I think you both look great!" Toph said.
Both Aang and Sokka turned to Toph with a smile on their faces and said "Thanks." Only to loose the smile after looking Toph in the eyes.
"I hate it when you do that." Sokka said with a frown.
Katara finished with her supplies and approached the 3 with a few hand movements she bent water from the central fountain and spread it over the 3 cleaning the ash off of them.
"There, although I can't get rid of the gunpowder smell without some soap." Katara said raising a hand to her chin in concentration.
"It's cool, I wasn't even going to bathe really anyway, just bend the gunpowder off but thanks for the help Sugar-queen." Toph said punching Katara in the arm as she walked towards Zuko at the camp fire.
Katara stood there rubbing her arm, as Aang walked behind her and kissed her on the cheek making a small smile and blush spread across her face.
"Now that were all washed up, let's eat!" Aang said running towards the now lit campfire.
Katara turned to look at Sokka.
"You coming Sokka?" Katara asked.
Sokka with a horrified look said. "Yeah, just got to get rid of the Oogis."
Katara frowned turned her nose up at Sokka and walked away.
It's evening time now at the Western Air Temple. The group have finished eating dinner and are sitting around the fire in a circle.
"Not doing it." Zuko said.
"Come on Zuko, everyone said they would play a game if you were into it." Aang asked clasping his hands together.
"Why me?" Zuko asked grimasing.
"Well you haven't always been….fun." Sokka said with a sarcastic eye roll.
"I can be fun!" Zuko snapped.
"What Sokka meant to say was that if you're willing to play that's how we know it's a good game." Toph said letting out a small grin.
"Fine! But only if I get to chose." Zuko said agitated.
Aang jumped up in celebration using his airbending to propel him further.
"But no bending! Otherwise I can't play." Sokka said causing Aang to slowly descend back to the ground in disappointment.
"Fine" Aang said leading to all the other benders nodding in unison.
"I've got a game even Sokka can play, it's called king of the hill. A person is chosen at random, to stay on a raised bit of land and it's the job of the other players to "dethrone" them, by getting them off that plot of land and whoever dethroned them is King." Zuko said
"Or queen." Katara added.
"That too, and the winner is decided by whoever is left standing after 3 rounds." Zuko said pointing towards a small bump in the earth that Toph had created training with Aang a day before. "That will be our hill and Sokka can go first, just so he can see how fun I am." He said with a small grin.
Sokka reluctantly got on top of the small bum, struggling to keep his footing on the slightly uneven surface.
"Ready." Sokka said hesitantly trying to gain his balance.
"He who's going firs….Aaah!" Sokka screamed as he span through the air landing face first into the fountain a few metres away from the small bump. Zuko stood with one foot raised in a crane firebending stance with a huge smirk on his face.
Lowering his foot and turning to the group Zuko asked "Who's next?"
Zuko, Aang and Katara all stood there breathing heavily as Sokka lay next to the fire covered in bandages.
"I am the king of Team Avatar!." Toph said jumping down from the small bump with her hands raised and walking towards the fire.
As the others joined Toph, Katara walked past the Bump to go to the fountain and gather some water looking down at the bump to see two small holes in the shape of Toph's feet.
Katara turned to Toph and shouted, "You used earthbending to hold yourself in place didn't you!"
"Hey, I'm blind I've gotta take every advantage I can." Toph said shrugging with a wide smile.
*END*