Chapter Twenty-Four - Wedding Bells
"Ouch! Not so hard, mother!"
"Tsukiko, your dress has to fit your form. I hate it when you fidget- stop moving and I won't prick you on accident!" Katara snapped at her daughter, pins on her apron as she hemmed her daughter's white wedding gown.
"Alright, I'll stop. I'm just afraid you are going to poke me to death..."
Katara gave her daughter a stern stare through the mirror, then continued on hemming. She was still a bit chubby from the birth of Ken'Ichi, but taking care of six children would bring her form back in no time. Aang entered, carrying the sewing supplies his wife had asked him to get out of the attic. He set it down on the low table next to the mirror, and smiled at Tsukiko.
"Just like your mother..."
Katara blushed, giving a tiny laugh. Tsukiko was a spitting image of Katara at eighteen, except her hair wasn't as long. Katara's had been below her waist, and it still was. Tsukiko kept her hair a little bit below her shoulders, and it was in bouncy curls that picked up every shimmer of light. Aang shook his head with a smile, and left the two alone. Just then, Sora came in the room holding Ken'Ichi, who was fast asleep.
"Mommy! Ken'Ichi won't wake up!"
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke loudly, Ken'Ichi began to cry. Tsukiko covered her ears, her mother pricked herself, deep, in the finger, cursing under her breath, and the twins came in the room, wondering what had happened. Sora stared at her little brother. She didn't know how babies acted yet. She was still the youngest child who hadn't learned a thing about babies as she grew up. She murmured sorry and handed her baby brother to her mother, who bounced him very lightly in her arms.
"Shsh, now, Ken'Ichi. It's alright. Sora wasn't trying to hurt you or anything. That's alright, my baby boy. That's alright," Katara whispered, kissing his forehead. All the girls looked at her with pride. Their mother was always so calm about everything she did. Aang entered as soon as he heard Ken'Ichi calm down, Kya behind him, tears in her eyes.
"What happened to our daughter?"
"She tried to slide down an ice hill she made again," Aang put a hand on her head and brought her forward. "I'm going to clean her up. She has some cuts and bruises on her knees, but that's about it."
"Her forehead is bleeding, honey."
Aang bent down and sighed, taking his shirt sleeve and wiping off her forehead slowly. She gave a cry, the pressure of her father's sleeve hurting the gash. He took Kya out of the room, and into hers to clean her up as best as he could. Katara handed Ken'Ichi to Ayumi, who smiled at her baby brother happily, and Ayi followed closely behind her. Sora followed like a little puppy, skipping along the way. Katara turned back to Tsukiko, who sighed with relief.
"Now, let's finish this dress. I'm sure Hokoru will love this during the banquet."
"About the banquet...I don't want fish to be there during the appetizers, mom."
"There wasn't going to be fish, Tsukiko. I promised you, told you, and asked you a million times."
"Oh, yes, right..." Tsukiko blushed, straightening the sleeves of her dress. She smiled at her mother via the mirror, and when her mother said done, she twirled about.
The wedding gown was a light, silvery blue. It had a rectangular neckline, and fur lined the wrists and the hem. Her necklace was visible no matter what, and on the neckline there was a tiny diamond in the shape of a water droplet. Her father had found that when he was a child, still traveling the world. Katara had put it on her wedding gown as well, and she now moved it to her daughter's. Aang entered; Kya was bandaged up and already back outside. He stopped in his tracks as his daughter turned around, running to him. She gave him a tight hug, but he still stood there, shocked.
"Is this my wife or my daughter? Because you two look exactly alike."
"Oh, Aang, it's your daughter," Katara sighed, shaking her head as she cleaned up everything. She walked over to her husband and gave him a warm, passionate kiss. She then left the two in the room, smiling at Zuko as he entered.
Zuko nodded at Aang, who just nodded back. Tsukiko, on the other hand, excited that Zuko came in, twirled about, showing him her beautiful gown. He smiled approvingly; she was going to make Hokoru a very happy man. She was exactly like her mother. He wished he was Katara's wife now, but that was impossible to change. Katara was into Aang way too much, and Aang would never let her leave.
"Hokoru will be happy to see you like that," Zuko spoke.
"Wait until you see the parka for the wedding ceremony! It's beautiful! Mom and some other women are sewing it together for me, and it'll be done in two days! Just on time for the wedding!" Tsukiko clapped her hands together. "I can't wait to be a wife..."
Aang and Zuko looked at one another, chuckling. Zuko left, followed by Aang. Tsukiko stood in front of the mirror, swishing her dress back and forth. It was all too surreal. She always dreamed of this day. The day she would get married. And now it was finally happening.