A/N: Mock Round! For the Avatar: The Last Writer Competition
Team: Water Tribe
Category: Drabble
Prompt: #1 - Cow-Hippo
Word Count: 406 (not counting A/N, of course :)
"What is that?"
"It's huge! You think it's edible?"
"I don't think you'd be able to catch it."
"WELL, I CAN TRY!"
Zuko scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Please. I know you think you're this great hunter, but our food supplies over the last three days say otherwise."
"Which is exactly why we need this!" Sokka protested in a whisper, eyes fixed on the massive creature peacefully grazing in the clearing. "Cow-hippo meat is the best thing in the world!"
Zuko's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow. "You'll eat anything."
"No, I really mean it! It's fantastic!"
Zuko paused, considering. Then, "Aang won't eat it. And we'd have to lug the whole thing back ourselves."
Sokka pouted. "You are no fun."
"I'm only being practical," Zuko pointed out reasonably.
Sokka hated it when other people were reasonable and acted like he wasn't. "Well, maybe I'll just catch it myself. Wait wait wait wait wait - if I catch it, you have to bring it back to the Air Temple!"
"Isn't that a little… sacrilegious?" Zuko asked, straight-faced. When Sokka glared at him, he shrugged. "Fine. Deal."
"You, my friend, are going to regret this," Sokka cackled as he readied his boomerang. Zuko rolled his eyes.
Painstakingly, Sokka moved himself into the optimal position to strike. He took careful aim, squinting down the length of his arm, took a deep breath to steady himself, released the boomerang -
And missed.
Sokka was not going to look back and see the smug expression he knew was on Zuko's face at the moment. He was more concerned with the fact that his boomerang had got caught in the trees opposite the clearing - and the fact that the cow-hippo was no longer grazing peacefully.
The massive black and white-spotted head raised into the air. The gargantuan nostrils flared, once, twice. Then the cow-hippo opened its cavernous mouth - revealing teeth that were at least as big as Sokka's fist - and let out a deafening bellow.
"Sokka…" Zuko started nervously, for once neither angry nor sarcastic. "I think we should leave it alone."
"Yeah…" Sokka agreed, swallowing. Then, in perfect unison, the two boys turned and ran the opposite direction.
o0o
"Zuko!" came the wail later that night.
"What?" the firebender demanded, grumpily.
"I left my boomerang in the forest with the cow-hippo!"
"I am not going back to get it," Zuko said firmly, and tucked himself deeper into his sleeping bag.
Other A/N: Duuuuude I am so excited for this competition! I've never done anything like this before and I know this isn't a real round but THIS IS SO FUN!