"You know", Aang said and stared at the clouds wandering far above on the azure sky. "I want to have a party."
"You want what?" Sokka asked as everyone's heads turned to look at the Avatar. Even Zuko, who was firebending further away, looked at him incredulously.
"A party!" Aang repeated and turned on his stomach, beaming at Sokka and the rest. "I want to do something fun."
"No offense", said Suki, "but that's pretty much all we've been doing on this island. Having fun. And I don't know... maybe we should -"
"Throw a feast!" Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms, and begun to share Aang's excitement. "And we could hire musicians, and..."
"Excuse me", Toph snorted. "But think about it, you two. Hire musicians? Here? To play for us? For the mighty Avatar, the exiled prince, one waterbender, one earthbender, a runaway prisoner and the guy who helped her to escape?"
Her words hung in the air and sank in. Katara sighed.
"She's right", she said. "There's no way we can do anything of the sort. We need to keep a low profile and asking other people to come here is just..."
"Stupid", Zuko finished casually.
"Well, yeah", Katara sighed.
"Blergh", Aang sighed and looked absolutely devastated. "I just wanted to have a party because... we don't know when we'll have the chance to do that. Or if we ever will get a chance. I want to have fun with you guys and eat well and dance." His face lit up as he looked at Katara. "Like we danced with the Fire Nation kids, remember, Katara?"
Katara smiled and blushed a little. That had indeed been something.
"You what?" Zuko said incredulously. "Danced with...?"
"Fire Nation kids", Aang beamed. "It's a long story, but we were hiding in the Fire Nation and I invited a bunch of school children to a party and there was music and dancing, and they loved it, and we had so much fun."
Zuko stared at him with round eyes.
"Okay..." he said, unsure what to think about it all. "Risky..."
"Uh-huh", Sokka said. "We were pretty much busted. But it was fun as long as it lasted. I had a cool beard back then." He stroked his jaw, reminiscing his impressive fake beard. Zuko shook his head and Katara turned to Aang.
"Well", she said and her eyes were full of sympathy. "I guess we could do something... I mean, we can still dance and have fun and eat well..."
"No music", Toph reminded while Aang smiled at Katara.
"Yeah", Katara said and became thoughtful. "That's a bit difficult... nothing to dance to..."
"I have this!" Aang exclaimed and drew a flute-looking thing from his pocket. "I can teach you guys to play it, too, so we can all dance in turns!"
"Okay, and food won't be a problem", Katara said and placed her hands on her hips in determination. "Well, Aang, I guess you had your way. We're having a party. A very private one, but a party nevertheless."
Aang jumped in the air in excitement and Katara begun planning the menu. Sokka and Suki were also glad of the decision – they hadn't yet danced together and they couldn't wait. Even Toph was smiling, though she wasn't really looking forward to dancing. She didn't understand why it was considered fun by some. Pointless. Aang began teaching Sokka how to play the flute and only Zuko wasn't happy.
Wasting time, again, he thought. Don't they have a worry in the world?
No matter what, the party was being organized. Katara had planned a nice, cheap but delicious, menu for them and while she cooked, Suki went gathering fruit and berries for the desserts. Sokka and Aang were in charge of decorations and once in a while Katara peeked outside from the kitchen only to find the two bickering over a bow or a lantern. Zuko, who knew the wares of the house best, was told to find torches or other festive things to light up – which he then did. Only Toph was quite idle – there wasn't much she could do, nor did she really want to. She helped Katara when she asked her and lent a hand to the decoration team once in a while.
In the middle of all this Aang taught Sokka and Toph to play the flute and they became decent in it. Good enough for their needs, at least.
The sun set but the yard was full of soft firelight. They had carried tables outside and they were full of Katara's cooking and Suki's gatherings had been so plentiful that there was plenty of fruit to eat.
"Welcome to the best party Ember Island has ever seen!" Aang cried with a toothy smile as they all gathered in the middle of the yard. "I suggest we start with a game!"
"What game?" Suki asked, interested.
"Earth, Water, Fire, Wind!" Aang beamed. "Do you know that one?"
"Of course", Sokka said. "Man is that game old if you used to play it..."
"It's a perfect setting", Aang beamed. "We have a representative from all the elements, not that it's necessary. Do you all know the rules?"
"No", Zuko and Toph said in unison, and very bluntly. She had never had anyone to play with ("how unsafe she would be with other children...") and he had grown in a nation where only fire was an element worth talking about. No use for a game where the three others existed as well.
"That's OK, we'll teach you!" Aang said happily. "OK, sit down, everyone."
And so they did. Aang began explaining: "It's very simple. All participants sit in a circle. The key part are the elements and their relation to each other. You need to remember this: Fire beats Earth, Earth beats Wind – or Air, if you like – Wind beats Water and Water beats Fire."
Zuko raised his brows and crossed his arms.
"Water beats fire?" the prince said. "That doesn't sound right." He glanced at Katara, who also crossed her arms and looked smug.
"Don't act all surprised", she said with a smirk. "You've been in the receiving end of my blows often enough to know it's true."
"You've never been able to quench me", Zuko said mischievously.
"Oh, I've come very close", Katara teased.
"Oookay", Sokka interrupted. "No real bending in this game, remember..." Suki giggled.
"Right, so the game works like this", Aang continued after making sure Katara and Zuko weren't eying each other anymore. "If I begin, I challenge the person sitting on my left, which is you, Katara." He smiled at her. "We sit back to back and then draw a symbol on a piece of paper or in sand or something."
"I'll get us some paper and stuff", Suki said and ran inside.
"OK, so then we turn and which ever has the symbol that beats the other wins. And the winner continues to challenge players on his left until he gets beaten. If he manages to go a full circle, he wins and the game ends."
"What if the challenger and the challenged draw the same symbol?" Toph asked as Suki returned and handed them parchment and ink.
"In that case they both sit out for a round", Aang said.
"What?" exclaimed Sokka. "Nuh-uh! In that case they try again."
"They do not", Aang said. "The rules clearly say..."
"Yeah, well, your rules are a hundred years outdated", Sokka shrugged. "Things have changed." Aang blinked.
"I'm afraid it's true, Aang", Katara smiled kindly. And they agreed on the new rules. They also went through situations where the elements were supposedly equal and how to deal with that – like Water and Earth and who would win.
The game began. Zuko and Toph weren't too excited, especially since Toph wasn't the master in writing. She had never seen any of the symbols nor would she ever see, and therefore they agreed on hand signs. One finger up meant Wind, two Water and so on. Zuko just wasn't in the mood for playing. He thought they had more important things to do and besides, wasn't it all a bit childish? His competitive nature, however, made sure that he participated and didn't give up.
They had fun. Some more fun than others, but fun all the same. Katara managed to beat Suki and Sokka and challenged Zuko – and this time it wasn't merely for fun. It was something of a matter of pride, they had, after all, fought each other many times and their elements were the opposite. In addition to that, both wanted to show the other who was who.
He'll go with fire, Katara thought. He thinks I won't choose my own element, he thinks I'm above that kind of pride... and I am, but he's not, and I'll outsmart him. And she drew a little Water symbol on her piece.
"Show!" Sokka said and the two turned to face each other and showed their symbols.
And both were Water.
Katara stared and glanced at Zuko, who was looking annoyingly innocent. Then she pursed her lips and smiled.
"I see", she said.
"Double Water!" Sokka cried. "Try again!" And they tried. When they showed their symbols for the second time, they both had drawn Earth.
"Again!" Sokka laughed and they obeyed. Double Wind. And finally, Double Fire. Not even equals, the same elements all the time. They tried for a few more times but the result was always the same.
"See, this is why the old rules are better", Aang said and eyed Katara and Zuko warily – they had started smiling at each other when the situation kept repeating itself. "Things like this don't happen."
"Riiight", Sokka snorted. "Though it's true, this is getting boring. Okay, try one more time and if it leads nowhere, you're both out for a round." The challenged and the challenger shrugged and tried again.
And this time it worked. Fire and Water. Katara smiled as she raised her eyes from her Water symbol to the eyes of the firebender. Zuko was smiling and his eyes had a strange look in them.
"Water beats Fire", he said softly and raised his hands in mock defeat. "The victory is yours." Katara grinned shyly and went on to challenge Toph. She won her and she beat Aang as well, and so the game ended and they decided it was time to eat.
The food was delicious and they ate with pleasure. After some time Aang asked Toph to take the flute and she began playing a slightly out of tune but still charming and upbeat song of her own making. Aang bowed to Katara.
"Can I have this dance?" he asked and was smiling happily. Katara laughed gently and took his extended hand. They went to the centre of the yard and began. They did not repeat the dance that had impressed the Fire Nation children, the mood was all wrong and it would have seemed... off. Instead, they danced a fast and happy dance and Aang made Katara giggle by using airbending and lifting them both off the ground from time to time.
Sokka bowed to Suki and they joined the two, dancing not so fast but much closer to each other. Zuko rolled his eyes. Weren't they sweet... Aang and Katara took a break and soon Toph got tired of playing and Aang tried to persuade Sokka to continue, but he was far too charmed by Suki to even hear. When he finally paid attention he demanded more music – and Aang was too kind to cut their dance short and therefore he took the flute. Katara sat beside him, between him and Zuko, who was eating grapes and looking bored. She eyed him quietly and bit her lip.
"Don't you want to dance?" she asked, then. Zuko looked at her.
"I don't dance", he replied and looked at Sokka and his pretty partner.
"Why not?" Katara asked. Zuko gave her a long look before answering.
"Fire Nation", he said and wondered when she'd get it, "you've been there. You hosted a dance party."
"Oh!" Katara said and smirked with a blush. "I forgot." Zuko shrugged with the slightest smile she had ever seen. Then, she got up and offered her hand to him with a devilish smile – and made Aang miss a note or two.
"I can teach you", Katara said while Zuko just stared at her. "Come on! You're not afraid of a challenge, are you?"
That did it. The same kind of mischievous grin spread on Zuko's face and he got up.
"Alright", he said. "Show me what you can do." They moved closer to Sokka and Suki and Aang's eyes never left them. Toph smiled to herself.
"Play something a bit slower, Aang", Katara asked and Aang obliged, though not gladly.
"Okay", Katara said to Zuko and showed where his hands were supposed to be. "You need to lead, but let's not get into that just yest. Now, move your feet to..."
Aang's playing wasn't very professional because his mind was occupied by Katara and Zuko, dancing together, very close – too close – to each other. Zuko looked a bit lost (for once) but tried to learn. A matter of pride, probably. And the worst thing was... they seemed to be having fun. When Sokka and Suki took a break Aang basically threw the instrument to Sokka and sprang up. Then, he was uncertain.
He was aware of standing up. OK, that's cool, nothing wrong with that. But it started to look weird when did nothing else. Eyes fixed on Katara. He couldn't just go and interrupt... Katara would eat his head for it. He glanced at Toph.
"Wanna dance?" he asked her.
"No", she said. "You wait until they get back."
"What do you mean?" Aang said nervously. "I'm not trying to stop her dancing with Zuko!"
Toph turned her head slowly in Aang's direction.
"I meant that then you'll have someone to dance with", she said with crushing calm. Aang flushed red.
"Oh", he said. "Of course... but... wouldn't you dance with me anyway?"
"Uh..." she said, but Aang had already pulled her up.
Toph turned out to be not a bad dancer. She didn't need eyes to dance, she could feel the moves. And she actually had fun. It was new for her, and it was exciting. And Aang noticed to be less jealous when he had something to do.
Katara and Zuko returned after a long while – she had first taught him the moves and then they had used them in a dance. And even he was smiling. They waited for Toph and Aang to stop, after which no one felt like playing the flute anymore, to Sokka and Suki's great disappointment.
They decided to call it a night and start cleaning up. It had been a good evening. And a beautiful one. Everything had been perfect, and everyone had had fun. When they went to bed they all were glad that Aang had had his way – even those who hadn't liked the idea when it was presented to them.