The Wedding Part III
The next day they said a brief farewell as Aang and Katara left for the first half of their honeymoon, off for some much needed alone time at the Southern Air temple. The rest of the group would be meeting up with them in a week for their second, more private and personal, wedding ceremony. The senior members of the Fire Nation royal family would be the next to leave the following day. Leaving Zuko, Ari, Sokka, and Suki to finish packing up their house, and Toph who would leave with them when they were done. The plan once they reconvened was for Sokka to travel briefly with Aang, Katara, and Toph to check out some problems that had arisen lately in the Earth Kingdom; meeting up with Suki in Yu Dao. While Suki would travel to the Fire Nation with Zuko and Ari, leave Koda and Kaelan to stay with their friends; before heading to Yu Dao to meet up with Sokka for a rare child free vacation. While part of the reason for Sokka and Suki's trip was to unwind, they also had some big decisions that needed to be made about what their next step was. They were considering a move to Yu Dao, to better help in whatever future lay ahead for the colonies.
Zuko and Ari took a break from packing the next afternoon to walk Ursa, Noren, Kiyi, and Iroh to their air ship so that they could say their goodbyes. The mood was light, as it wasn't so much a real goodbye but see you soon; it wouldn't be long now until Zuko and Ari left for home themselves. As they walked Ari took the opportunity to speak with Noren about an important subject that had been on her mind lately.
"Noren I was wondering if I could have a word?" Ari ask as they walked together.
"Anything Ari." Noren said with a smile as they linked arms as they followed behind the rest.
"As you know, the Royal Fire Nation University will be opening soon. We are still in need of a theater director and I was wondering if you would be interested in the position?" Ari ask him.
"Wh-really!?" Noren stuttered in shock.
"I can't think of anyone better for the role, and besides you're family." Ari told him with a slight shrug.
"Thank you and I would love the position. With Kiyi in school I haven't had much to do. I am most grateful though that you consider me family." Noren told her.
"Of course you're family, Noren! Zuko and I both consider you family." Ari told him leaning into his shoulder.
Arriving at the air ship, their family's departure was far from a somber occasion; it possessed a certain lightness, as they would not be apart for long.
"Goodbye Son." Ursa said hugging Zuko.
"We will see you soon." Iroh told them. "It will be nice having our family where they belong."
The rest of the week was spent going through the belongings that had accumulated over the four years the two couples had been sharing the house. Toph has moved back over from Hakoda and Malinas house and into one of the spare bedrooms; but she was sharing the space with a growing stack of boxes.
"What are you guys going to do with all this." Toph ask waving at the ever increasing mountain of crates that had become her roommate.
"We're not even sure yet." Suki told her as she wiped sweat from her brow.
"We'll take a few things with us now, and when we finally decide where we want to settle down, we will send for the rest of our things." Sokka told Toph as he took the opportunity to come up behind Suki and snuggle his wife.
"We're thinking about looking for an apartment in Yu Dao." Suki mused.
"Here's the bulk of the cookware." Ari said bringing in another box. "I guess it's take out until we leave."
"Oh no! The horror!" Suki teased her friend.
"Wait do you guys hear that?" Ari ask tilting her head.
"I don't hear anything?" Zuko told her, furrowing his brow.
"Shit!" Suki said as she took off towards the nursery.
"Whats wrong?" Zuko ask as the five of them walked across the house.
"There are 6 children in this house and none of them are making noise; they're up to something." Ari explained.
"Or destroying something." Sokka told him.
"They're not in there." Toph told them as they neared the nursery. "They're all in the guest room." She said, pointing down the hall."
"What's going on in here?" Ari ask with authority as she opened the door, while the others followed her in.
Six sheepish faces looked up at them from where they had been emptying box after box that had already been carefully packed away.
"Kids!" Ari said in shock as she looked at the damage they had accomplished in such a short amount of time.
"Why did you do this?" Zuko ask in his best disappointed dad voice as the others all got to work helping to repack the boxes.
"Roku told us to." Aeron said, throwing his brother under the bus.
"Roku, why would you do this?" Ari ask kneeling down in front of him.
"I don't want to leave. I like it here. I want to stay here with my friends." Roku said as tears started to well up in his eyes.
Sokka and Suki led the other children out of the room so that Zuko and Ari could talk to their son.
"Baby we have to go home. You're the crown prince of the Fire Nation, we can't live in the south pole forever. We have a duty to our people, but family always comes first. We came here to save your siblings, but now it's time for us to return home to take care of our people as well."
"Roku, being away from you and your mom the last few years has been so hard for me; but I did it so that we could fulfill both of our duties to our family and our nation." Zuko told his son.
"But what about my friends?" Roku said with a sniff.
"You will still get to see Koda and Kaelan, just not as often. They will always be your friends, but you have brothers and a baby sister of your own now, and you will make friends in the Fire Nation as well." Ari assured him as she and Zuko hugged their eldest.
"And think of it like this; you will also get to see Nana and Boppa and Auntie Kiyi everyday and Lolo will be able to visit more often than he could before." Ari said as she tried her hardest to comfort her scared child. She knew how he felt, try as she might she had put down roots here as well. Ari had built a life here and walking away from that was hard.
Before too long the packing was finished and it was time for them to all depart the south pole. The crates had been sent on ahead to the waiting airship and they all stood in the empty house, soaking in the last bit of warmth and comfort that their home had provided.
"I'm going to miss it here." Suki told them as Sokka held her from behind.
"Me too. The boys were born here and the others were rescued here. This place will always hold a special place in my heart." Ari said, unable to stop the tear as it slid down her face.
"It was nice to come home for awhile, but home will always be where my family is." Sokka told them.
"Blek, enough of this sentimental mush. Let's get going." Toph said as she turned to walk away. Some things never change, and Toph was just as allergic to emotion as she had always been.
The trip to the Southern Air temple was uneventful; and as the closest point to the Southern water tribe not particularly long. They arrived by late afternoon and got to work unloading the supplies they had brought for their short stay in the temple.
"Stay away from the edge." Ari warned the children as they began to disembark.
That would be the most nerve wracking thing, making sure none of them got hurt in a not particularly child friendly environment.
"I've got them!" Aang yelled as he led the children away to play somewhere safe.
"Sure just leave us to unload all the things for YOUR wedding." Sokka said sarcastically as he carried a crate off of the airship.
"Hush let him chase after the kids if he wants to." Suki told her husband with a smile.
"Do you guys need any help?" Katara ask as she approached them.
"We just need to freshen the ice keeping the food cold for tomorrow." Ari directed as she took charge of the kitchen.
"Easy enough." Katara shrugged as she led her inside the temple.
"Where are we sleeping?" Toph ask as she followed after them.
"There are dormitories over in that direction." Katara said waving her hand in the general direction of the rooms.
"Very helpful." Toph deadpaned.
"We'll head that way next." Suki said helpfully as the women sorted out the kitchen.
Back in the vestibule they found Sokka and Zuko bringing in the last of the bags from the airship.
"Alright let's get this stuff to the rooms." Katara said as she picked up one of the bags.
"I hope you guys didn't spend all of your time together cleaning up the temple." Suki told Katara as they walked to the old dormitories.
"Oh no, not really. The bit of dusting and airing out the rooms goes pretty quickly when your with an airbender." Katara laughed. "Here we are, I figure Toph here in this first room and these two split between Zuko, Ari, and their kids and then the other two for Sokka, Suki, and their kids." Katara said as she directed them.
Ari looked at the rooms with a small frown. "Hmm, Toph do you think you can come here and open a doorway between these two rooms?" Ari ask her.
"No problem." Toph shrugged as she earth bended a connecting doorway between the rooms.
"Thats a great idea! Can you do that to ours a well?" Suki ask happily.
"Yeah, yeah." Toph said with a sigh.
"Do you have somewhere we can hang the dresses for tomorrow up?" Ari ask holding up the garment bags.
"Down this way." Katara led her to another room.
Suki unzipped one of the bags after it had been hung up. "I just love how these turned out." Suki said as she admired their handy work.
"It's going to feel so weird wearing silk after wearing such heavy clothing in the south pole for so long." Ari mused as she ran a finger over the delicate embroidery of one of the dresses.
From there Ari, Suki, and Katara got to work preparing the evening meal together for the group. There wasn't anything else that had to be done that night to prepare for the small celebration the next day, so they spent the evening sitting around the fire and relaxing just like the good old days.
The morning dawned cool and crisp as they went about their preparations for the day. Before the women went their own way to do their hair, makeup, and dress, there were several things that needed to be done. Aang showed Toph and Ari the spot that he wanted the ceremony to take place, and they got to work making seating and bringing in the flowers and decorations. Next up was to turn the sunken garden with the high walls into an adequate reception space. Ari directed the building of a heated buffet with Toph and Zuko, while Sokka hung lanterns. Ari stepped back and admired the results with a smile.
"It turned out so well. Alright let's go get ready. Keep an eye on the kids okay." She told Zuko, kissing his cheek as she walked away.
In a flurry of activity the women prepared for the ceremony. In their usual fashion Suki and Ari were a well oiled machine: Ari doing the girls makeup while Suki tackled their hair. The end result was stunning as the women walked out to the ceremony site together. They looked like flowers floating in the wind in their loose flowing silk robes, with the three married women wearing their husband's nation colors. Katara's wedding dress was a pale yellow silk number, to represent the air nation. The cut was similar to that of her other wedding dress, with the exception of her high mandarin color, but the effect was completely different. Where her first wedding dress had been heavy and regal, her second one was light and airy. Toph was in a gorgeous light green dress, Suki in blue, and lastly Ari in pink. As they neared the ceremony site Ari took the lead as she would be the one officiating the ceremony. She took her spot in front of Aang as the other men got up to escort the other women down the aisle. For just a short moment the children were the only ones in the small audience as Zuko escorted Toph down the short aisle before taking their seats; they were followed soon after by Sokka and Suki. With everybody in place they turned to watch Katara walk down the aisle, looking more free than she had looked in a long time. Reaching the end of the aisle Katara and Aang took each others hands and shared a look of pure adoration.
Ari took a deep calming breath as she started the ceremony. "As the only other Airbender in the world I have been ask to officiate this ceremony. I may not be an air nomad, but this is as good as it's going to get. We are all gathered here together to once again celebrate one of life's greatest moments, the joining of two hearts in love.
Today Aang and Katara promise to dedicate themselves completely to each other, with mind, body, and speech. For them the extraordinary has happened. Their meeting alone could have only ever happened because it was the will of the universe for them to meet. From that initial meeting and all the trials they faced, a miraculous thing happened; friendship transformed into love. Marriage is one of life's greatest gifts, and it is a blessing to make these promises with your soulmate. As you hold onto one another, you will find deeper levels of joy, happiness and peace together. Your marriage is the foundation upon which you will build the rest of your lives and, despite any adversity, will always be there to sustain you. Aang and Katara, take a moment to sense the tremendous amount of love radiating throughout this space. As you stand here today, before the universe, before those gathered here in your honor, and before one another, take note that after you speak your vows this day your lives will never be the same. Marriage, regardless of any preconceived notions you might have, has the capacity to deepen and challenge and strengthen you and your relationship in ways that you never thought possible. The joy you'll find as you pursue your shared lives will fuel you to face head-on the challenges you'll encounter on this Earth. On your journeys together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. Learn to work together, to laugh together, and to love together. Don't get caught up in worldly things that will draw you apart. Instead, focus on your shared devotion and turn inward. As your relationship strengthens you will find that you come to share a remarkable love; a love that is both abundantly given and freely accepted.
I would now invite you to publicly speak your commitment to your partner.
Aang, would you like to begin?"
"Katara I take you to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold. So I give you my life to keep."
"Katara."
"Aang I take you to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold. So I give you my life to keep."
"Aang and Katara please join hands.
Aang, do you take Katara to live together in the union of marriage? To take her as your best friend and partner in life? To honor, cherish, and love her, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for all of your days?"
"I do."
"Katara, do you take Aang to live together in the union of marriage? To take her as your best friend and partner in life? To honor, cherish, and love her, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for all of your days?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce Aang and Katara, husband and wife, sealed together today both in law and in love before the universe. Aang you may now kiss your bride."
The group cheered for their friends as they kissed.
With the completion of the main event, all that was left to do was celebrate. The food had been heating up on the buffet that had been built, and the cake had miraculously survived its trip all the way from the south pole. That evening was spent in joyful celebration; eating, drinking, and dancing. As the revelry wound down none of them found that they could bear to tear themselves away from their friends. As the children dropped one by one, sleeping where they lay; conversation became quieter, and blankets were brought out as they sat fireside; contenting themselves with the last moments their group would be whole for awhile. They all had duties to attend to and none of them would shirk them, but that didn't make it any easier to be apart.
They made the unconscious decision to sleep under the stars that last night. Sleep had eluded Ari most of the night, she may have closed her eyes here and there, but never enough to truely fall asleep and stay asleep. Between the excitement to be returning home and the melancholy of separation from their friends, sleep had proved to be fleeting. Even with the late night though Zuko still rose with the sun and they were able to watch together as the sun stained the haze as the day dawned. One by one the other members of the group awoke, none to eager to begin the day. Unfortunately there were things that needed to be done and the children still needed tending to. As the women took care of the childrens' needs and made a quick breakfast; the men made quick work of cleaning up the outdoor space from the previous days excitement. With breakfast completed and lunches packed for their journey, they each got to work on cleaning and packing. The result was a temple cleaner than when they arrived and all of their belongings divided among them, either with Appa or on the airship. Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka would leave for a brief tour of the Earth Kingdom; while Suki and her children would travel with Ari and Zuko and their children to the Fire Nation, before parting ways to travel on to Yu Dao to meet up with Sokka. Many tears were shed as the group said their goodbyes. Life would never be the same again, but it was time for the next chapter of their lives.
"Let's go home." Zuko told his wife as they finally set a course for home.