Here it is, readers! The first chapter! Please read & review, and enjoy!
I don't own ATLA, nor do I own A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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At the North Pole, the Northern Water Tribe's chief, Pakku, was engaged to Kanna, the love of his life. The laws in the Northern Water Tribe were very strict there. Kanna was princess of the Southern Water Tribe, whom Pakku only managed to win after an arrangement between the two sister tribes. Their wedding was then only 4 days away, and the entire tribe was preparing for their wedding day. Let us now enter the lives of the many people of their world...
Kanna stepped into the warmth and splendor of the Spirit Oasis, the most sacred place in the North Pole. As the bride-to-be, it was her duty to check on the preparations for her upcoming arranged wedding. Although she was fond of the immensely admirable young chief, Pakku, her fiancé, she was not at all fond of being forced into a marriage. However, she was resolved to make the most of it.
As she knelt down to observe the koi, Tui and La, she saw the water before her shape itself into a heart. After the initial surprise, she smiled knowingly and spun around to face Pakku, who promptly kissed her cheek.
"The wedding preparations are going nicely, don't you think?" he commented, gazing at the various wedding preparations that had been set up beforehand. Pakku sniffed a bouquet of fresh snow lilies and picked the best one, turning to Kanna and placing it delicately in her braided brown hair, smiling happily. "Kanna, I am truly very glad that you agreed to become my wife. Nothing could make me happier." Mustering up all of the love she felt, she looked back at Pakku, hoping that there was no anger or annoyance in her eyes.
"Pakku. I myself am very lucky to be engaged to such a masterful water bender, and you are a very fine man. I have never met anyone like you," Kanna said softly, clasping Pakku's hand and strolling with him towards the exit. As they re-entered the frosty palace, one of the warriors, Bato, alerted Paku to the arrival of the visiting commander-in-chief from the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda, who wished to resolve a matter of marriage between his daughter and her two suitors.
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In Pakku's study, Pakku and Kanna walked into the midst of a loud quarrel between two young men, while a beautiful young girl stood, head down, shielding her angry eyes from her father, who stood protectively in front of her.
"For the last time, Zuko, I am the one betrothed to Katara and I WILL marry her, whether you like it or not!"
"Might I remind you, Aang, that she loves me, which is worth more than any promise!"
"It's certainly worth more to her father!"
"I don't care- OH! Um, Chief Pakku, you - you're here." Pakku strode to the front of the room, looking rather annoyed with the two for shouting so indecently loudly. He cleared his throat and had them arrange themselves in an orderly and proper fashion before beginning to speak.
"Okay, now, what is the problem?" Pakku asked, his eyes still glaring at the four in front of him as he began to walk in front of them, examining their facial expressions. He turned to the dark haired warrior, Hakoda, expectantly.
"Chief, I have betrothed my daughter Katara, once your pupil, to Avatar Aang," Hakoda said, nodding at the bald monk, who respectfully dipped his head towards Chief Pakku. "The Avatar fell in love with my daughter while traveling with her, Prince Zuko, and Toph Beifong around the world in order to vanquish the Fire Lord. When they returned, Aang begged me for her hand in marriage, which I happily gave him immediately." At this, Katara looked up at her father, glaring at him.
"Not like my opinion mattered, or anything," Katara muttered angrily, now glaring down at the floor once more. Hakoda ignored her and continued.
"However, it seems that while on their journey, this boy," he said, pointing at Zuko, "Who was not long ago our enemy, stole my daughter's heart, and she refuses to marry the Avatar, the most worthy young man in the world. Yet she begs instead to marry the son of the treacherous Fire Lord Ozai, Prince Zuko! But as you know, in the Water Tribes, if you refuse to marry the person whom your parents wish you to marry, you must be executed," he said grimly, looking regretfully at his daughter. "I have no power over Prince Zuko," he sniffed, "as he is a prince, and from the Fire Nation. As much as I love my daughter, I'll not have her marry that scoundrel." As Hakoda finished his story, Pakku glanced at Katara.
"Katara? You'd honestly refuse to marry Aang? He's the Avatar, for goodness' sake!" Pakku asked, his surprise evident. He backed away slightly as Katara's anger-filled eyes were suddenly directed towards him, blazing.
"Yes! Master, I deserve to be able to marry whomever I choose, not my father, not you, or anyone else!" she declared, glaring at the chief.
"And you'd even die, simply because you won't marry Aang?" Pakku asked, gently. Katara paused, and he saw fear flicker through her eyes. Her eyes drifted down to the ground once more, unable to meet anyone's eyes. Shaking his head slightly, Pakku now turned his gaze to Aang, who looked distraught. "So, Aang, you wish to marry Katara?"
"Yes, and I don't know why she won't agree to it!" Aang said, turning his attentions to Katara, "Katara! Please! Don't do this! He's not worth dying for!" he begged, pleading for Katara to understand. She drew back from him, repulsed and disgusted. Zuko decided to now come to Katara's defense.
"How dare you! Can't you see that she doesn't love you?! Of course, you seem to be oblivious to the feelings of any girl, seeing as Toph still loves you, though you refuse to acknowledge it!" Zuko spat at Aang, angry that his once best friend thought so lowly of him. Aang backed off, looking uneasy at the unveiling of that particular piece of information.
"Silence! Enough! Katara, by the day before my wedding, you must decide between marriage to Aang, or death. That is that. Kanna, Hakoda, Aang, we must discuss some arrangements for my wedding. Zuko, Katara, you two may stay here." Pakku noticed too late that Kanna had already left. With an exasperated sigh, he left the room with the two men trailing obediently behind.
Zuko and Katara followed the three with their eyes as they were left in privacy. Once Zuko was sure they were gone, he rushed over to Katara, who was emitting small, choked sobs and wrapped her in a comforting embrace.
"It's fine, Katara, it's fine, we're going to get through this," he whispered, stroking her hair gently as he tried to assure himself that nothing would happen to her. Katara looked up at him, her eyes glazed with tears, while more slipped down her cheeks.
"How, Zuko? I will be killed if I don't marry Aang, and if I marry Aang, it will mean a lifetime married to one whom I don't love," she said quietly, "a life away from you." Katara looked at Zuko desperately, with sad and reluctant acceptance beginning to creep in. He could see that see was grasping for something that would keep her with him. Luckily for her, Zuko had formulated a plan in the past week that would get them safely away from anything that would restrict their marriage.
"Katara, Iroh still has the tea shop in Ba Sing Se. If we sneak away secretly, we can get married there before the Avatar figures out where we are," Zuko explained, and hope began to dawn on Katara's face. "We've got three days, so I suggest that we leave tomorrow night, if at all. Will you come with me? Do you love me enough to leave your life here for a life in Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked, now on one knee, as he clasped her hand in his. Katara's eyes filled with tears of happiness as she tugged Zuko up and whirled him around before bringing them to a stop.
"Yes! A million times yes!"
~*~*~*~Zutara~*~*~*~
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! More to come soon, in the future!
~PresentDreamerFutureWriter37