For Peace's Sake
A/N: So it kinda occurred to me that the title of my fanfiction bears close resemblance to another ATLA fanfic called For the Sake of Peace… Well this is awkward. It's like walking into a party wearing the same outfit as the host(ess). So I'm thinking about changing the title, which is difficult because titles are hard. Like no joke, I thought I was being original because the premise of this story and the "peculiarity" of the title seemed to fit together. But nope, not original at all… Well shit. If anyone else has suggestions, feel free to, you know, suggest. I'll be thinking of another while writing this out, hopefully, it'll be better than the current one. Anyways on with the fic!
Disclaimer: I am not the creator of Avatar the Last Airbender, I do not own any of its characters or plot. I do this simply for fun. Because when you have no moneys, imagination, a keyboard, and free Wi-Fi becomes play.
Chapter 3: Celebrations
That night Gran-Gran cooked their portion of the Polar Prawns alongside stewed Sea Cucumbers with root vegetables and seaweed. Thankfully, her father's fleet brought home many supplies that should last them a few months without the need to hunt every other day. The village was celebrating the end of the war and the return of the tribesmen. Katara could hear the festivities outside her hut and some of the drunken shouts of joy. Her father, along with Fire Lord Iroh (accompanied by her blushing grandmother) were outside with everyone else. Katara stayed in rest up, though she much rather be outside dancing with the other younger women (though still older than her buy atleast 8 years) as well as trying to sneak some celebratory pelican gull wine. She smiled at her own thoughts. Her family just got back and already she wanted to catch up on missed accounts of mischievous acts like her brother. Speaking of which, her brother's head popped right through the flap of her door.
"How are you feeling Katara?" Sokka asked.
"Better, my shoulders still stiff and tender,"Katara replied. She rubbed her shoulder muscle with her right hand wincing as pain pulsed slightly down her back.
"Yeah that's too bad…," Sokka said his eyes and voice distant. That was concerning to Katara. Sokka is a pessimist (or he would say a 'realist') by nature but he's usually very lively about everything. This wasn't the Sokka Katara remembered growing up with. And before she could voice her concerns, Sokka's distant face turned into a mischevious grin.
"That means you can't block this!" He yelled as he hurled a snowball towards Katara. It hit her right side before she could react.
"S-Sokka!" Katara yelled, not in annoyance but playfulness. This was the Sokka she remembered. She should have known he was up to something.
Katara looked at Sokka, she forced her faced to look irritate at his actions.
"What?" Sokka instigated "You gonna tell Gran-Gran on me?"
"No…" Katara replied in a faux huff.
"Then whatcha gonna do?" Sokka teased. Then Katara smirked.
"This."
What was once a good size snowball turned into ten smaller balls from the graceful movement of Katara's right hand. Sokka gaped.
"Shit." Sokka said before being pelted hard with two small balls from Katara's hand.
"Ow! Hey- ouch! Katar-ow! No-ouch! Bending-ah! Inside- ow! The-ah! Hut-ouch!" Sokka exclaimed between each hit. After Katara stopped Sokka looked at her slightly frustated. He didn't know Katara needed only one hand to bend with.
"You've gotten better," he stated approvingly.
"It helps with the fishing sometimes," Katara replied, proud that her brother acknowledge her advancement.
"Well I also brought something else for you too," Sokka said as he rummaged his pack and brought out a flask and two small ivory cups. Katara pieced things together and became giddy.
"You didn't," she stated, knowing full well the truth.
"I did," Sokka confirmed her suspicions with a sly grin on his face. Katara squealed with joy as Sokka brought the alcoholic drink and accessories to her bed. She looked at him concerned, her conscience sending doubts and lessons on morality for a brief moment.
"What if we get caught?" She asked hesitantly.
"Relax Katara," Sokka said shrugging off her conservative worries. "The entire tribe and the Fire Nation Fleet are celebrating! Who says we can't get in on it? Besides… the less alcohol in their system the better for them. And father always said-"
"Do what's best for the tribe." Katara finished his sentence her smile now matching his as he handed her a small cup full of pelican gull wine. They clinked their ivory cups together and threw the crystal clear liquid down their corresponding hatches. It was ice cold but burned Katara's throat and tasted absolutely terrible. Both siblings sputtered and coughed after swallowing their shots.
"That was awful!" Katara exclaimed. Her brother seemed to be in the same boat as her.
"Yeah!" Sokka agreed. "I waited all this time to try it and it tastes like crap!"
"Aww," Katara teased ", the mighty water tribe warrior, can't stand the tribe's wine. Poor wittle Sokka."
"Shut up," Sokka retorted ", I don't see my 'powerful waterbending sister' doing any better."
"Bet I could last longer than you!" Katara challenged. Sokka, being the proud man he is, couldn't back down from a challenge by his little sister.
"You're on!"
The initial 3 sets of shots were just as gag-worthy as the first but as soon as the fourth cupful of alcohol passed Katara's lips, her tastebuds were officially dead and her body became warm and somewhat numb. Sokka started to talk about his journey on their father's fleet, the places they've been and the things, he has seen. The earth kingdom was vast and held the most battles though the city states of Ba Sing Se and Omashu saw very little of the war; Sokka showed Katara a map of their charted trips. They even went to visit their sister tribe of the North.
"What was it like?" Katara asked. "Was there a battle there too?"
"The city was amazing Katara," Sokka explained. "Their walls are taller than a fire nation vessel! They have to use waterbenders just to let us into port-"
"Oh! How was their waterbending? Oooh I wish I could have watched!" Katara said enthusiastically.
"Their waterbenders are amazing," Sokka said annoyed by being interrupted. "They don't accidentally drown their siblings at all."
"Oh shut up. It was only a few times," Katara huffed in defense.
"It was every time we went out foraging!" Sokka stated before going back to the main topic. "Their waterbenders are only guys though."
"What?" Katara asked somewhat deflated and confused. "No, women at all?"
"No, maybe… I don't know. I'll be honest Katara," Sokka explained ", I only remember seeing one girl-"
"Was she a waterbender?" Katara interrogated.
"NO KATARA SHE WASN'T!" Sokka yelled. He could see the surprise and hurt in her face from being shouted at and regretted his actions immediately.
"I'm sorry," Sokka stated. "Thinking about Yue… She was the Princess of the North Pole a-and," Sokka voice cracked as the sad memories emerged in his mind.
"On the night of the Summer Solstice the Fire Nation attacked-. I was put in charge of her safety. But something weird happened. The moon went red and I think some sort of lightning storm erupted and this HUGE water spirit monster thingy appeared and started to fight the Fire Nation's Fleet. I guess it disappeared afterwards but I had to run to the tribe's spirit oasis with her and Iroh was there-"
"Sokka," Katara interrupted gently "The Fire Lord was attacking the Northern Water Tribe while fighting a giant sea monster? Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm not making this up Katara," Sokka said indignantly. "She gave her life to save everybody! She died in my arms…" His eyes were tearing up and Katara's once warm fuzzy feeling of being slightly tipsy turned to a sobering cold. Sokka was breaking down and Katara didn't know what to do. Whoever Yue was, Sokka cared for her deeply.
"I'm sorry Sokka," Katara said giving her brother's hand a gentle squeeze. "I wish I was there to help. Who killed her? They'll be brought up for their war crimes during the Peace Negotiations."
"She wasn't killed… at least not directly," Sokka said, "Their spirit oasis holds the spirits of the Moon and Ocean, Tui and La… that night General Zhao killed the moon spirit."
Katara gasped as Sokka continued. This was on the night of the Summer Solstice? Katara felt sick that night but attributed it to bad pickled sea cucumbers.
"Iroh saw Yue and knew she was blessed by Tui… You should have seen her Katara, her hair was as white as pearls and moonlight… So she gave back her blessing, her life and became the moon…"
Katara took it all in, still confused but listened to her brother as he poured his heart out.
"You know," Katara started ", the moon is full tonight… we could go out and you could introduce me."
A small smile developed onto Sokka's face, though his blue eyes didn't match.
"I can't… not with everyone out there," Sokka said, still sorrowfull.
"It's just our tribe," Katara reasoned, trying to bring him comfort in some way.
"No it's not," Sokka said rather sullenly ", they're out there. I can't, Katara, I can't go out there and celebrate with them. I can't be near them. Dad can do it because he's chief, but I can't. Not yet. Not after everything…"
Katara nodded understanding him completely. She was surprise not to hear any drunken squabbles between crews at all that night. But since peace negotiations are the purpose of this trip, Katara doubted either side wanted to be responsible for shaming their respective nations.
"So after they leave then?" Katara offered. Sokka smiled nodded his head and pulled his sister into a hug to which she happily returned.
"By the way," Katara said ", I can sooo hold my liquor better than you."
"CAN NOT!" Sokka protested. They continued pouring drinks and reminiscing of better times they had both together and on their adventures.
"I cannot believe you took the kids out hunting!"
"I thought it was important for them to learn. Dad and Gran-Gran took us when we were their age." Katara defended herself.
"Yeah, but we were their children," Sokka teased ", and you thought it was okay to bludgeon an otter penguin in front of eight year olds! Hahaha! You could've started them with fishing! HAHAHA a-and you said that my ideas were crazy!"
Sokka only laughed harder at the expression on Katara's face. She was embarrassed, annoyed, and drunk which made for an unusual face.
After Sokka's fit of hysterical laughter at Katara's expense, things calmed down. Both outside and inside the celebration was dying and everyone was going to bed. Sokka took back the ivory cups and the almost empty flask of Pelican gull wine. He wished Katara a good night's sleep and headed to his section of the hut to retire for the night.
Katara layed back, waiting for sleep to take her. Her thoughts swam with everything Sokka told her. The Nothern Water tribe was attacked this past summer by the Fire Nation, and they even lost the moon spirit, however briefly, while Katara was staying home. Tending to the needs of her village while the culture of her sister tribe was dying. Katara was upset that she wasn't there. She couldn't help but feel that she would have made a greater difference if she was there fighting.
And what for reason was the current acting Fire lord there? Why did he help the villagers? He seems like a gentle soul but Katara remembered over hearing tales from her father about General Iroh, the Dragon of the West and his siege over Ba Sing Se when she was little. It has been over ten years since then but Katara was still slightly wary about having such a powerful man in her village. Peace Negotiations will be held tomorrow and Katara was intent on being present during the delegations. With that assertion, Katara's restless mind calmed down and she soon fell into the promising warm escape of sleep.
A/N: Ok! End of Chapter 3! I know that we're 3 chapters in and Katara has no idea what's in store for her, but next chapter she'll certainly get surprised. Like I mentioned before I'm trying to think of a new title for my fic and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Please review! Much love 3