Disclaimer: You just love punching me in the face by pointing out that I DON'T OWN AVATAR...yeah you know it's true.
Summary: Taang, Zutara, Postwar Gaang Wins, Sequel to A Night Out. And this is the story of when Katara meets Jin and Song. It is also the story where they find out that Uncle Mushi's real name...isn't as fun to pronounce.
Notes: Gah, I've been bad. Honestly, I just finished this (no I didn't beta) I'm sorry, I haven't bothered with it. Don't expect any quick updates either. I will clean it up, though. I doubt I'm the only one who thought it turned out messy. Sorry!
Anywhos...I bet you can guess why I'm posting randomnly. CELEBRATE!!! The time has come after about nine months of waiting! Yes, joy to the world! Gosh, I've been squeeing for the last two weeks. First the box set, then the magazine, and now...this.
Ooooh! And many thanks to my totally awesome beta Kimbalynn616
Katara groaned as she watched the tournament from her seat. She desperately wished someone, anyone, would've come with her. It was fun to watch people kick each other's butts, but it got boring after a while.
Truthfully, she was there for only one reason.
To make sure Aang didn't have a panic attack.
The poor monk hadn't left her alone for about two weeks before the tournament. Katara, finally fed up with his harassment, agreed to be there with him.
Toph was obviously surprised to hear that Katara would be going, slightly suspicious of the bender.
It was just luck that her fiancé would have business in Gaoling that week, and her friend took that as a good enough excuse.
Aang had of course begged Sokka as well, but Aang, knowing he was always over protective, excepted Sokka's answer.
"What if Henshi is born?!"
Honestly, he'd be about two months early if he was born while Sokka was in Gaoling. They didn't even know if it was a boy, either!
Zuko only got out of it because it would be a little too out of character for him to show up for Toph's performance. He'd also have to blow off some rich guy to do so.
The eighteen-year-old slouched in her seat.
Aang wouldn't be showing up until the end of the tournament. He claimed that he was just making sure he was doing everything right, but Katara had known the monk for about five years and knew he was about to have a fit.
She wouldn't know what to do with the young Avatar if Toph decided to say no.
You see, today was the day that Aang was going to ask Toph to marry him.
Jin shouted along with the crowd as her brother-in-law slammed his opponent into the ground.
"Go Dunker!"
Sure, the guy wasn't the best with coming up stage names, but he was still family.
Jin glanced to the right and almost openly gaped when she saw the girl next to her was practically falling asleep. This was the best Earthbending tournament in the world, and the girl looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here!
Jin just shook her head in disappointment. She knew well enough that Leian wouldn't win the tournament, but he didn't seem to care. Leian was okay with runner-up.
A good thing, too.
Song cheered for her friend's brother loudly. She'd known the man well enough, just from visiting the house.
She was still excited that Jin had invited her to come watch with her.
Leian had been talking about the tournament for the past week, much to the annoyance of the entire household.
Kiyen, Jin's older sister, was sitting in a different area than the two friends, with her younger brother, Shan. Jin had told her that Halei had jumped at the chance to get out of watching her brother 'beat up a bunch of losers' and had been drafted into babysitting the seven-year-old, Jayna.
Song had known the large family ever since she moved to Gaoling with her mother, once the war was over.
Song had been only fifteen at the time and Jin had been sixteen; when they met, they became fast friends.
They had met when Jin took her brother into the healing hut with a broken wrist from 'just playing with the gang'.
How could you not fall in love with a family like that?
"Finally!" Katara groaned watching as the field was cleared.
"Why are you here if you're just going to be bored?"
Katara turned to look at the girl next to her, blinking.
"The BLIND BANDIT!!!"
Katara shook herself and looked to the side where Aang was situated. The boy was jumping in anticipation. Aang caught her eye, and she smiled at him encouragingly.
Katara jumped as the stadium cheered, the girls next to her seemed to calm a bit after watching the Dunker get beaten so easily. Aang was hyperventilating now.
"Do we have any takers?" The man shouted as Toph's blind eyes roamed the field.
"Do you think she's actually blind Song?"
Aang was standing now…but going the wrong way, toward the exit.
Katara slouched in her seat, banging her head onto the back of it.
"None? Will no one challenge her?"
Suddenly, Aang pushed off, flipping toward the arena; a rock was in his previous spot proving that he had also used Earthbending.
"I'll fight her." Aang swallowed.
"Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked. Aang grinned goofily and shrugged, "You really want to try and beat me?"
Katara fondly remembered the last time Toph had Aang fight her in Earthbending. Quite the nasty bump, he had there.
"Who is that?" One of the girls whispered, "He must be insane, Leian lasted ten seconds."
Katara rolled her eyes. Who, in the world, would have thought that the hat Aang had picked out would actually work?
Toph made the first move, sending a boulder at him. Aang dodged easily, kicking up the earth under her feet.
It continued in that fashion for at least four minutes, before Toph bared her teeth and pushed up the dust littering the arena.
Katara smirked as she imagined the conversation taking place inside their little blindness bubble.
"What's happening in there?"
"I hate it when that happens, then we can't see anything."
Katara rested her head on her hands, leaning against her knees.
"How can you just sit there?" She looked up, facing the girl some little ways away.
"Jin! Don't be rude!"
"I'm not being rude, just asking a question." Katara shrugged at them.
"Don't worry, when you have friends like mine you have to be used to blunt questions. The first time my brother met this Guru guy, he asked how old he was. Turned out that he was quite old."
"See. She doesn't mind."
"Anyway, I've just seen her fight so much I get bored."
"Are…are you saying you know the Bandit?"
"Yes, for about five years. I've known him," Katara gestured toward the still clouded field, "just as long."
"So why are they fighting?" Song asked.
"He thought it'd be the best way for her to listen to him."
"Are you telling us that they're talking in there!?" Jin groaned.
"Ahhhhhh!!!" There was a shout as the Airbender was thrown out of the ring. Katara winced. "I'm okay!"
"Yes!" Katara jumped up cheering as Toph cleared away the dust surrounding her. Toph looked in her direction, clearly dumbstruck but grinning from ear to ear.
Katara squealed, "Yes! Yes! She said yes!!!"
Jin and Song stared at the girl.
Katara grabbed the closest person to her, who happened to be Jin and started jumping, holding her hands.
Jin stared at her. Katara stopped abruptly, a blush spreading over her cheeks.
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry. I, guess I just got excited."
"Yeah, er, excited."
"Yes, what?" Song asked her, "I don't follow."
"You mean that yes?" Jin guessed, blinking.
"What yes?"
"The yes."
"What the yes?"
"The 'yes, I will marry you' yes."
"That yes?!"
Katara blinked, nodding instinctively.
"So, first we watch her beat up Leian, then watch her get engaged?"
Katara intervened before the two could get going, again, "You aren't going to tell anybody, right?"
Jin was about to answer, but was cut off with, "Of course not! That would be horrible!"
"Thank you." Katara sighed, "I'm Katara by the way." She stuck out her hand.
"Jin. And I'm Song." Song answered taking it, "Would you like to get something to eat with us?" Katara blinked, then shrugged.
"I suppose. I don't really have anything else to do."
"So, are you only here to see the Tournament?"
"Honestly, I would've gladly stayed behind if the kid wasn't about to pass out."
Jin smirked, "Not good with women I'm guessing?"
"No, just too nervous. I doubt he'd have trouble trying to find a girlfriend if he needed to. Toph was so suspicious when I told I was going that I had to tell her that my fiancé had to be there for business. Good thing I wasn't lying, too."
"So, how do you like Goaling so far?" Song asked, taking a sip of her tea.
"It hasn't changed much in the last few years."
"I know what you mean. I moved here when Ba Sing Sei was captured. Song came at the end of the war."
"Ba Sing Sei? That's quite a ways." I would know, Katara thought ruefully.
"Yeah, but I'm happy here. I lived in the poor part of the city anyway. When my family left, we were so surprised at how bad the war was. It was a shock." Jin replied.
"It was bad. I'm just glad that it's over. I lost my dad to that stupid war." Song sighed. Katara nodded in sympathy, not liking the way their conversation had been steered to.
"I've been an orphan for the past four years. What about you, Katara?"
Katara winced, remembering the people she had known from her travels, "My Mom. And some of my friends, too."
Jin nodded somberly.
"Jin! We have to go." Song said looking up at the sinking Sun.
"Oh, sorry Katara. I have to get home before the kids ruin the house."
"Maybe we'll see you again tomorrow or something."
"Meet us at the Academy at around noon. We'll show you around!" Jin smiled.
"Oh, um sure. I've got nothing better to do." Katara told them.
"'Kay then. Bye!" Jin smiled, and walked away.
Well, Katara thought, this will be interesting.