ZUTARA WEEK 2009 Day 2: BLOOD
Compliance and Compromise
Disclaimer: Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Bryke, but Zutara week belongs to all Zutarians.
NOTE: I hope you aren't bored by by take on the prompt. I am still heavily influenced by my Philippine history class and so this popped out of my brain. So I made the ancient pre-Hispanic Philippine custom a Water Tribe custom.
And I do love torturing Sokka.
Hope you enjoy this one.
--
"But you said yourself that this is a new era!" Sokka protested loudly and in a strange, high-pitched voice.
"Sokka, it's no big deal," Zuko replied calmly, "it will be over before you know it."
"Whatever happened to love and peace?" the Water Tribe Warrior continued adamantly, still reluctant to go through with the deal.
"Come on, Sokka," Katara urged, "you've gone through worse before."
"Easy for you to say," Sokka argued, "you get married and I have to bleed for it."
Zuko rolled his eyes and Katara shook her head.
"You were the one who suggested we stick to tradition," Katara retorted, "so don't blame me."
"I'm sorry I mentioned it at all," her brother muttered ruefully, "it's a gross, barbaric custom."
"It's more symbolic than anything else," Aang argued, "after all, even in this new age, we still must strike a balance and create a compromise between modern practices and traditional values. We cannot move forward to the future if we do not look back on our roots."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sokka added, "you're still not going to stab yourself."
"Being the Avatar has its perks," Aang replied with a grin.
"Why," Sokka muttered, "why, the Universe? Why do I always get myself into these things?"
"Because the universe needs to amuse herself every now and then," Toph answered the rhetorical question with a sly grin.
Sokka glared at her.
"Don't worry about it, Sokka," Aang consoled his friend, "Katara will heal your wounds immediately. You won't even feel the pain."
"Well, she had better," Sokka conceded with a pout, "I'm doing this for her wedding, after all."
"But traditionally," Gran-gran had added, "the leaders allow the wounds to heal naturally and so leave scars as testament to their agreement."
"I don't mind," Zuko added with a tone of amusement, "after all, what's another scar to me?"
"Hey, I'm doing this as a favor for my sister," Sokka protested again, still nervous about having to slash his arm.
"Thank you, big brother, I owe you one," Katara answered sarcastically as she took Zuko's arm and proceeded to the ritual venue.
--
"The blood compact is an important tribal tradition," Hakoda explained, in front of the entire Southern Water Tribe, some representatives of the Northern Water Tribe, as well as some members of the Fire Nation Royal family (namely Iroh and Ursa).
"This ritual is done in order to seal a friendship, alliance, pact or treaty between the Water Tribe and another nation," the chief continued, "an event that has not occurred for the last hundred years."
People smiled at this, seeing it as one of the good things brought about by the end for the century-long war. This union was more than just the joining of two individuals, but also the reconciliation of two former enemy nations.
Katara affectionately squeezed her husband's arm and he grinned warmly at her.
"And this alliance is especially significant because it is between my very own daughter," Hakoda announced with pride, "and no less than the Fire Lord himself."
Zuko bowed humbly at this and Katara grinned at her father as he gave her a knowing wink.
Sokka was still sulking somewhere in the crowd, looking silly in spite of his full Water Tribe armor. Suki stood beside him and was nudging him to behave properly.
Hakoda continued his speech and explanation of the ritual.
As was traditional, the blood compact was to be performed by the two male heads of the involved tribes.
Hakoda had assigned Sokka to do it since the younger man was now his father's successor as chief of the Southern Water Tribe.
"My time is over," Hakoda had told his reluctant son, "in this new era, it is the youth who will determine our destinies."
In spite of his aversion to the idea, Sokka had accepted the task with honor, appreciating the value his father placed on his leadership.
Besides, it was only proper since he and Zuko would be like brothers from thereon in.
The Water Tribe Warrior sighed with resignation. It wasn't going to be that bad.
The two leaders were summoned accordingly and they stood face to face, looking as solemn as they could.
They bared their right arms and prepared themselves for the ceremony.
Each leader brought out his own ceremonial knife. Sokka's was a traditional Water Tribe blade while Zuko opted to use the dagger given to him by his Uncle.
The young Fire Lord read the inscription with a small smile.
"Never give up without a fight."
All of them had reaped great rewards because they had lived by those words.
An ornate earthen bowl was placed on the small stone table between the two young leaders.
At the nod from Hakoda, the two raised their right arms and with determined actions, Zuko and Sokka slashed their wrists.
Sokka bit his lip and winced slightly but made no complaint.
Zuko bore the pain with silent fortitude.
Some gasps were heard from the crowd as they watched the blood flow freely from each of the young men's arms into the earthen bowl, mingling and merging two noble races.
Katara watched with pride (and slight sympathy) as her brother and husband complied with an ancient and noble tradition. She had wanted to participate in the ceremony but respected the custom since it did not necessarily belittle women. On the contrary, the reason only male leaders were required to do so was to protect the women from enduring unnecessary physical pain.
Zuko and Sokka then bound their wounds temporarily and prepared for the final phase of the ritual.
Their mingled blood was mixed with some strong wine and poured in two goblets which were handed to the two leaders.
Zuko and Sokka could not help but gulp uneasily as they took the goblets with their unwounded hands.
They glanced at each other nervously and then looked to their family and friends for some encouragement.
Seeing Katara and Suki smiling and nodding at them with gentle understanding, the two young men gained courage.
They nodded at each other with determination and then took emptied the contents of their goblets in several large gulps.
Zuko and Sokka raised their empty goblets to the crowd who gave loud cheers of assent and approval.
Katara could not suppress the tears of joy that spilled from her eyes as the alliance was sealed.
Her joy at being finally joined with the person she held most dear to her heart could only be augmented by seeing how much her marriage contributed to restoring peace to their world.
Neither she nor Zuko had ever aspired for such a grandiose celebration of their union, but as usual, destiny had something else in store for them.
And they had no choice but to gladly comply.
"This is a glorious day for both the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation," Hakoda announced triumphantly, "for through mingling of our blood, we have become one family once more, bound by the forces of love and friendship, united by the same convictions and beliefs.
We have renewed the ties that were destroyed by a hundred years of war and strife, and I do believe that this newly forged alliance will endure for the generations to come!"