Drabble: No man till the end!
„UAAA!" Aang jolted awake jumping from his futton. His hands moved on their own, hit someboy twice and unleashed a forceful airblast. He blinkend sleepily, while his heart was racing like a charging Hippo Cow. Instead of his beloved his brother in law groaningly adorned the green couch, which definitely was an Omashu import. The expensive looking hotel room served as a makeshift home until his house was finally finsihed. Aang and Katara had not been able decline the gift, that the Republic City council wanted to make them. „What are you doing here Sokka?" Aang was genuinely puzzled as the older man held his bleeding nose. „You bloody prick! Just what kinda manners do you have? Not even Toph beats people when she´s woken up in a civil manner like that!" Sokka ranted. „Bald idiot..." he grumbled.
„Uh...sorry?" the Avatar scratched his well trimmed beard and was slightly embarrassed, why wasn´t his wife next to him? „But now – you´ll not dodge it for the sixth time – WE have prepared everything! Today you´ll become a MAN!" Sokka stated smugly. „Erm...what exactly? You know I´ve fathered a daughter AND a son?" Aang was genuinely puzzled. The dignified entrance of Zuko, carrying a bronze spear, didn´t do much to enlighten him. „Good morning my friend. Sokka, I have no idea what seeing Aang in this – this acacia loincloth means to you, but we´ve gotta hurry. My men don´t have apples anymore and the beast isn´t exactly tame" he responded with a quite serious face.
Aang heard the mooing sound of a hippo cow, which sounded quite enraged. He was roughly grabbed by his friends and dragged outside. In front of the hotel a lot of onlookers had gatered, since six royal guards, wearing armor, swords and helmets had four ropes tied around the legs of a struggling hippo cow. „What are you doing with the poor animal?" Aang felt a twinge of anger and looked rather intimidating. Zuko handed him the spear, the Avatar stared at the weapon as realization dawned. They wanted him to KILL that poor thing!
They still hadn´t given up on this barbaric southern courting ritual! How could Zuko back Sokka with this nonsense? These vile bastards!„N-No. I´m not going to do that!" he flinched at the lone thought of impaling that vicious looking spear tip in this, exceptionally cute seeming, hippo cow. „The fuck Aang, a man must provide for his family! You know how important that stuff is to my father. Don´t you want to be acknoledged by your father in law? Gods Aang it´s a SACRED RITUAL! Like your stupid Yangchen´s birth festival we celebrate every year!" Sokka growled uncharacteristically furious. „You´ve ignored it for six years but – MY PATIENCE IS AT ITS END! Aren´t you ashamed to be called a CHILD by the people!" Sokka added yelling. Zuko nodded solemn. „Tradition is what makes us humans Aang. You married a woman from another culture, so I advise you to honor it." the firelord sounded a lot like his tea serving uncle. The Avatar didn´t think about his friends words, he simply swished the spear around. Much to his own surprise the ropes were cleaved and the animal raced off while screaming passerbys darted out of the way. He couldn´t do something like that! He had his priciples and he would never stray from them – even if he wasn´t a „man" at all!
Authors note:
Team: airnomads
Round: mocking round
Category: drabble
Prompt: till the end
Word count: 583 words (open office without authors note and title)