*Ok, sorry I know that for me this one is horrendously late, but I actually did a fare amount of research for this one and on top of that I had a couple of exams to study for. I did the best I could and I hope I pulled it off. Whether I nailed it or bombed it, you know how to let me know...*
Episode 10: Sokka & Suki's Wedding
"I want you today, and tomorrow, and next week, and for the rest of our lives." – Unknown
The night before the wedding, Aang, Hakoada, Bato, Zuko, Iroh, Piandao, Iroh, the Mechanist, Teo, Haru, Bumi, Pipsqueak, The Duke, Jingbo, Longshot, Quei, Ho Ton, and The Dark One, all went ice-dodging. It was a race with six teams of three trying to get out to sea, dodging the many ice-burgs in the very area where they'd discovered Aang several years back and then make it back to the harbor by sunrise. The first team to dock back in the harbor would win the race and earn bragging rights…and first dibs (of the guys anyway) on the desert table at the reception… So far Sokka, along with his father and Aang, was in the lead, but Zuko's team wasn't making it easy for them.
Sokka saw that there was a huge glacier dead ahead, and they didn't have long to turn if they hoped to avoid crashing right into it.
"Aang, right sail, Dad give it room. Sokka ordered.
They obeyed and Sokka forced his whole body against the steering lever, causing the boat to hang a hard left and pass along the front of the glacier so closely that they could've reached out and touched it.
"That was close…" Sokka commented.
Aang and Hakoada both gave him a look that seemed to ask why he was pointing out the obvious.
"At least now we've got a relatively straight shot back to the harbor, full speed ahead guys…we're almost there…" He told them, believing their triumph was assured. Unbeknownst to them though, the team led by the young Air Acolyte Jingbo was quickly gaining on them.
"Oh no ya don't, it's not gonna be that easy… Dad, we need more sail… Aang, tighten up on the jib…"
As they did this, the boat started to speed up and they started to pull past the other boat.
They pulled into the dock just before two of the other ships made it back.
"We did it!" Aang exclaimed.
"Well done everybody…" Hakoada added.
"That…was amazing…!" Sokka yelled.
Aang smiled, that had been the whole point of this… to make sure that Sokka actually managed to have some fun that night instead of just psyching himself out about the day ahead.
That worked out even better than I thought… He thought to himself.
Without even hearing him approach, Aang felt Sokka put a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks for doing this Aang, it was a lot of fun… and we won!" Sokka told him happily.
Aang laughed. "Of course we did with you giving the orders." Aang replied.
"Alright everybody… we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, let's go home and try to get some sleep." Hakoada suggested.
The Next Evening
The following day came and went and soon it was almost sunset on the night of the wedding. Sokka had put on his dark blue warrior's uniform and headed over to the village hall. The ceremony was less than two hours away. It was forbidden traditionally for the bride and groom to see each other on the day on the wedding until the beginning of the ceremony itself, so he hadn't seen Suki since the evening before when he'd gone ice dodging with the rest of the men, both those who lived there, and among their international guests. Now, he was in a small room behind the room where the ceremony was to take place and Suki was most likely in a similar room on the other side. There was probably only a thin wooden wall between them and yet he couldn't see or speak to her.
Suddenly he heard someone knock on the door, he slid it open and found Katara standing there in a blue and purple version of the green dress she'd worn at the banquet in Ba Sing Se to celebrate the end of the war four years previously.
"Hey Katara, what's up Sis?" he asked.
"I just can't believe today's the day…" She told him. "Are you ready? Everyone's going to start taking their seats any minute…."
"As I'll ever be… I'm ready for after tonight, for Suki and me to start our life together… but I don't suppose we could skip this part?"
"Um…no… especially not now…" She told him. "I love you…" she told him, giving her brother a hug.
"I love you too… and you know… it'll be your turn soon enough…" she told her.
Sooner rather than later since Aang's planning on proposing at the reception… he added to himself. Aang had begged him to keep that little detail a secret. It was supposed to be a surprise…sort of, Katara knew it was coming but didn't know when.
"I'd better go find a spot in the front row… see you in there…" Katara told him as she left the room.
"See you later…"
When Sokka saw the room the ceremony was going to be in, he was shocked that what was ordinarily such a plain building was now so…not. There was an indoor waterfall that looked like it had been created with earth and waterbending right in the middle of the back wall, which had probably been Aang's doing. The many wooden beams on the ceiling had blue, white, and green silk streamers draped across them up and down the center isle and across the ceremonial platform itself. On either side of the Isle there were columns of long benches, where already their wedding guests were beginning to gather.
It wasn't long before the sun had fully set and it was time for the ceremony itself to begin.
As the best man, Aang stood in the center of the ceremonial platform, with Sokka standing in front of him and just barely to the right. As he looked out, Sokka saw that the room was packed with many familiar faces, but still packed…
Finally it happened, the ceremonial drums started to beat and the double doors at the other end of the room swung open. In an instant everyone turned, craning for a glimpse of the bride.
Finally, the moment Sokka had been waiting for all day, Suki finally entered the room, guided by one of her fellow Kyoshi warriors, more specifically Ty Lee, who had only joined the group once the war ended.
Suki wore an elegant white kimono lined on the inside with polar leopard fur, with a long fur cape draping down her back like a waterfall and a thin, semi-solid silk veil that obscured her face. Even though it couldn't be seen through the veil, she also wore the betrothal necklace Sokka had carved for her, which was carved with waves across the bottom with an open fan taking up the top half of the pendant, with the folds of the fan spreading out like the rays of the rising sun. Ocean waves and fans were also embroidered into the kimono with silver-silk thread which reflected the light of the torches so that the embroidery glowed like the constellations in the night sky.
Already, Sokka couldn't take his eyes off of her, she was absolutely breathtaking…. She wasn't moving toward them that slowly, yet her approach still seemed to take forever. Each minute dragged on like several.
At last, Suki stepped onto the platform and turned so that she and Sokka were facing each other. Gently, almost tentatively, he lifted her veil and threw it back over her short, reddish brown hair and the drummers stopped drumming.
A hushed silence filled the room with anticipation, the actual wedding ceremony was about to begin.
Aang glanced at Sokka, then Suki, then back again and began to speak…
"Friends, family, we gather here this evening to witness the union of Suki, and Sokka, as they join together in the bonds of matrimony…. We call upon the spirits of the moon and the ocean, to join us in celebrating the bond of love that has grown between two of the best friends I've ever met…."
For Sokka, the rest of the actual ceremony was a complete blur, he spent the rest of it staring lovingly into Suki's big, beautiful blue eyes as though nothing else existed. He was fairly certain that the rest he managed the vows without tripping over his words, but in his own mind he heard nothing and saw nothing else but Suki, until finally he came to his senses when Aang told him to kiss the bride. That much he heard, and before either of them even realized it, Sokka had Suki in a passionate dip kiss, which she then returned in kind. The crowd of family and friends watching them went absolutely wild.
A half hour later, everyone had preceded to the banquet in the next room. There was one long table against the wall with a smorgasbord of both Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom delicacies with emphasis on the happy couple's favorites. Except for the family, meaning Sokka, Suki, Katara, Hakoada, GranGran, Paku, and Aang, who were at a longer rectangular table by themselves, the guests were arranged at round tables surrounding the dance floor based on where they'd come from.
Once everyone had found their tables, Hakoada stood up.
"Alright… before we get started on the feast… a few members of the wedding party and myself would like to say a few things… and I seem to be up first… so here it goes… a toast, to the happy couple…" Hakoada paused and everyone raised their glasses. "Sokka… it's hard to believe that this day has come… I look back and I still remember a certain little imp throwing snowballs at my head… the past several years especially have felt like a whirlwind… and now, yet another new chapter begins. I'm proud of you son… and Suki, welcome to the family, it's incredibly rare to come across two people who not only are so right for each other but who have realized it, and it's my hope that the two of you will have a long happy life together…"
For a minute or two nothing could be heard but the clattering of glasses made of ice.
Once the noise died down Ty Lee rose from the table where the other Kyoshi Warriors were sitting and again everyone rose their glasses.
"Ok, here it goes… Suki, I know I've only been one of you guys for a few years now… but these past few years have been the best of my whole life, so thank you for allowing me to become one of you even though there was a time when we used to be enemies… and also, I wanted to say that I say this coming even back then…. I never saw an aura so bright until I saw yours when Sokka was around, in fact you both brightened up a bit… and I hope it stays that way for a long, long time… you guys are great together…"
When the second round of clanging died down, it was Aang's turn to offer the final toast… He stood up, looked at his friends, and smiled.
"Sokka, Suki… what else is there really to say… you guys are two of the best friends I've ever had and I love seeing both of you as happy as you are now… congratulations guys…" he told them.
"Thanks Buddy, that means a lot…" Sokka replied. "Thanks for joining us tonight everyone… now let's eat! Let the feasting, and the dancing begin! Let's get this party started!" Sokka announced.
Once he said that, the drummers started playing music one could actually dance to, and they were joined in this effort by a group of musicians from a certain fire nation school, who had been located by Zuko, invited to perform by Aang, and now played under the direction of Iroh and the guests started to disperse between the food table and the dance floor.
As the night wore on, Aang began searching for the right opportunity to carry out his own plans. It was the winter solstice, it was a full moon, on an especially clear night… this was it… this was exactly the kind of night he'd always thought of as being the perfect time. The hard part, would be keeping the element of surprise. He knew that he had to get them away from the crowd, after all, this was Sokka's wedding reception… but that wasn't going to be easy without spoiling the surprise. Finally, he saw the opportunity he'd been waiting for, everyone else seemed to be occupied and Katara was watching the surprisingly good duo of GranGran and Paku trapesing across the dance floor. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to follow him outside.
Aang thought they'd escaped notice, but Sokka saw them go and he and Suki gave each other a knowing look as they danced. It's time… they seemed to say.
They moved out the side door onto the large covered deck which was used for tribal meetings when more people showed up than there was room for inside the building. It was a very cold but beautiful night out, and for a while, the two of them stood side by side in silence looking up at the stars.
Katara was the first one to speak.
"What is it Aang? What are we doing out here?" she asked.
Aang took a deep breath and turned to face her. This was it… the moment of truth…
"I needed to do this somewhere where it was just you and me…" he began.
"Do what?"
"Katara I… I love you, more than anything, and I want us to be together, always, for the rest of our lives. That's why I brought you out here so I could give you this…" he continued.
He pulled the betrothal necklace out of his robes, got down on one knee and held it out to her.
"Katara, would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?" he asked.
For a moment, Katara couldn't breathe… her mind went blank… she'd known this day was somewhere on the horizon, she'd even secretly hoped it would be soon, but the timing came as a complete surprise to her. She stared for a moment at the Aang, kneeling before her, holding out a beautiful and flawlessly carved betrothal necklace. The main pendant was round, and carved into it was an Airbender wind spiral. She'd seen this symbol quite a bit since meeting Aang but the ends of this one fanned out with a wave to them, giving it an almost untamed appearance. The main pendant was surrounded on three sides by small, delicate crescent moons… the symbolism of the necklace was clear, moon, ocean, and air… the joining of two distinct people, from two distinct cultures who nonetheless completed each other. This meant a lot considering that just a few years earlier Aang had, had his doubts about whether or not it was possible for the nations to exist together in this way…
As Aang waited for her response, it was as though the world itself had stopped moving, like the two of them were frozen in time. Each solitary second seemed to last an eternity. He wasn't even really worried that she would say no… he just wanted her to say…something…
"Of course I will Aang…" she finally answered, throwing her arms around him. "I love you too…" she added as he returned her passionate embrace and they both rose to their feet.
When the two of them finally let go of each other, Katara carefully removed her mother's necklace, tucking it into her dress where one layer met another where it would stay until she could go home and put it somewhere safe. One day, she would pass it on to her daughter or granddaughter but it was time to wear her own betrothal necklace instead. She turned around and Aang, slipped the new one carefully around her neck and fastened the clasp at the back.
Aang examined her expression carefully as he watched her peer down at it.
"Do you like it?" he finally asked.
"I love it…it's the most beautiful betrothal necklace I've ever seen…" she told him.
"Still not as beautiful as you…not even close…" he replied and the two shared another embrace and kissed each other passionately.