As is to be expected given our present company of six strong-willed and sometimes violent actors, the Gang's first official road trip is highly chaotic. Within two hours of leaving campus, Aang has bewailed several times more than is strictly necessary his forgotten toothbrush, Katara has reminded him just as many that "Toothbrushes are really easy to buy, pretty much anywhere you go!" and Sokka has needed to use the bathroom not once, but twice. At the three hour mark, Toph becomes carsick and gets more and more irritable with each bump in the road. When Zuko innocently questions if it's common for blind people to get motion sickness, she begins a tirade about how it actually has nothing to do with the eyes, but rather the ears. This is a sensitive topic for Toph, and she has developed a wide vocabulary of terms such as "the Labyrinth," "fluid of the inner ear," and "vestibular senses," to ensure that anyone who asks her once will never do so again.
It's very effective.
Four hours in Suki develops a headache and Zuko begins to question his life decisions, mostly in his head but sometimes aloud. They still can't agree on one type of music, so Katara makes a playlist that mixes R&B, pop music, indie, oldies, instrumental songs, and heavy metal. Musical genre whiplash aside, this manages to keep the peace long enough for them to reach their destination, so she counts it as a success.
And five hours after these friends first set sail for strange waters, they arrive tired and grumpy at the ferry to Ember Island. Which brings us to the present moment…
…And Katara heaves a sigh of relief. One more hour, and she would have started throwing punches. There are only so many times she can patiently remind her friends about the existence of convenience stores, and only so long she withstand the smell of her brother's stinky socks. After that last hour she is elated to be out in the fresh air, a backpack slung over her shoulder and a sparkling ocean in front of her. As she waits for her friends to unload their packs from the jeep and emerge from the parking lot, Katara walks over to the railing and leans against it, staring down into the deep blue waters. It'll be sunset in a few hours, and they'll be able to watch it from inside the house –Zuko has promised a gorgeous view, and she is very excited. Her spirits lift along with the breeze, as the salt air washes away any last traces of grumpiness. Gleeful shouts emerge from behind her, and she smiles as Aang runs full force towards the rails, only to stop an inch away from smashing into them.
"THIS. IS. AWESOME!" He whoops, waving his duffel bag in the air. His head gleams in the sun, and it appears that the warm rays have erased his fears of improper dental hygiene, because he is utterly beaming.
Katara retreats slightly, grinning at her friend but afraid for the sanctity of her bones while the duffel whirls in her vicinity. She puts up her hands in a placating gesture. "Okay there, Aang, why don't we leave the super heavy bag on the ground while we celebrate, hm?"
Luckily he does so without further remonstrance, but even this movement is giddy. He drops the bag from one hand to the other, before dropping it onto his raised feet.
"Never let it be said that Aang lacks an acrobatic flair!" he shouts at the conclusion of these tricks, and Katara dutifully applauds. Meanwhile, the rest of the group catches up, with Zuko in front.
"You guys ready to board the ferry?" he asks, and holds his breath in case anyone has to use the bathroom again. But everyone nods in assent, so he leads them to the boarding area, where they show their tickets and climb to the uppermost level, open to the sky. It's a tidy little ship, with two levels and a clear command center for the pilot. It's late in the day and there are only a few other passengers on board, so the Gang is free to roam as they please. As they explore, Aang throws off a salute every crew member he sees, much to their amusement. He has a way of getting people to instantly like him, mostly due to wide smiles and unrelenting earnestness.
As the crew casts off and the engine throttles, Katara picks a seat at the very front, where she can see the vast expanse of everything their boat is rushing towards. But she doesn't sit down –after so many hours in the car, it feels good to stretch her legs. With her back on the foredeck's railing, she glances around. Sokka and Suki are off to the side whispering together, Aang is running around checking the lifejackets, and Zuko approaches her, casually dropping his canvas duffel bag on a nearby seat. The wind plays with his hair as it whips around the ends of hers, and she sees him smile through the strands that partially block her view. Katara tucks the offending strands behind her ear, and Zuko tries to push his back to lay flat. But it's a useless battle, and eventually with a shrug of the shoulders he concedes defeat.
That's… kind of cute? Oh boy… Much to her dismay, Katara has been noticing more and more little things about Zuko recently. Like the way he always places her teacup and saucer so gently on the table that it hardly makes a sound, or how lately he's been greeting her with a smile every time they meet, or sparkle in his eye when he talks about his latest coding project. Or how he tugs on his hair in frustration when the project isn't going well, which seems to be most of the time. Right now she's noting his crisp black t-shirt, somehow free of wrinkles despite hours in the car, which along with his Fire House branded bomber jacket looks effortlessly cool. Katara feels like this is verging on something dangerous.
For his part, Zuko doesn't seem to notice the way she's staring. He's the same as always, albeit calmer than the previous week –the nervous energy of midterm season sifted away by the rocking of the boat.
"Excited?" he asks, sporting a teasing smirk because he already knows the answer.
The obvious truth is that yes, she is and has been for a week, looking forward to this well-deserved break. But Katara is obstinate, and that smug face puts her in a fighting mood. She turns her head and gazes out at the water, enjoying the salt spray that brushes over her face. "Eh, I don't know. Never been to an island before –they're always full of tourists." She casts a sidelong glance at Zuko, but quickly shifts her eyes when he turns towards her.
"Trust me, you're going to like this place. It's small, quiet, and I know all the nicest spots. Plus, there's a theater troupe that my family used to go see, and I think they're still performing. I mean, I was never their biggest fan because they butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons' every year. But hey, maybe they've improved?"
Her interest is piqued, and Katara loosens from her nonchalant attitude. She's never been good at this kind of game; it's fun for a while, but she'd rather just say what she's thinking. "You've been coming here since you were a kid, right?" she asks, and Zuko nods in response. A sparkle of mischief enters her eyes. "So, I'm assuming you have lots of funny stories from that time?"
Zuko crosses his arms and casts her a suspicious glance. "Suppose I do… that isn't exactly the kind of information I can give away for free, no?" He raises an arch eyebrow, but his expression is playful. "But perhaps we can work out some kind of exchange."
"I have lots of stories about Sokka, if that's what you're looking for."
In one stride he closes the distance between them, eyes intent and that tiny smirk flickering back into place. He brings the warmth with him. "Oh, but I'd much rather know about you."
Katara's pulse quickens and she feels a blush rising on her cheeks, so she quickly turns back towards the water –she can just barely see Ember Island in the distance, a narrow strip of brown and green against the flat ocean. "Fine," she says, still not looking at the aggravating boy beside her. "But I asked first, so you have to start."
A burst of laughter, and then a thoughtful silence. She wonders what stories he's sorting through, how many memories are discarded because they're too filled with anger or sorrow. Katara doesn't know much about his past, but from what she has gleaned in conversations with him or Iroh, she knows it wasn't an easy one.
"Well," he begins, and she leans in to hear better over the roar of the engine. "I do remember one time we came to the island when I was eight or nine years old. Back when my family was still all together and happy, we would come here every summer. A few of the other high-ranking officials in Phoenix Rising also had houses here, so Azula and I would sometimes play with them. But mostly it was just us, and we spent most of our time by the beach. I would make sandcastles, and Azula would practice her karate forms."
"On the sand?" Katara asks, surprised.
"Yeah, she said it made it easier when she was back on flat ground. She's always been like that, going above and beyond –but I mean, it worked. She's terrifyingly good."
Katara nods, and unconsciously scoots a little closer. "And your sandcastles? Were they any good?"
He glares in mock anger at the question, and somberly puts a hand over his heart. "Of course they were! I'm wounded that you can even imagine my castles as anything less than works of art. I made them with two or three levels, towers, turrets, the works." His eyes soften with nostalgia. "There was one day in particular, I had spent hours constructing my most ambitious one yet. It was a replica of our house, and I wanted to recreate every detail, from each window to all the balconies and arched doorways. My mom was sitting nearby reading in the shade, but she had a picture pulled up on her phone that I kept on running over to reference." As Zuko tells his story, his gestures become more and more animated, pantomiming the detailed movements of sand construction.
"It was a perfect day. The quintessential beach scene, with waves crashing in and seagulls soaring overhead. Azula kept on scattering breadcrumbs around my sand-house, trying to get them to peck at it, and I kept on chasing them away. It was more to annoy me than anything, but not even she could have predicted what happened next.
Finally, I was almost done. Mom had gone inside because it was getting hot, but I was too invested to stop for snack time. It was my masterpiece! I was so proud of it, and I wanted to show Father when he got back in the evening. And then just when I was adding the finishing touches, it happened."
He pauses, looking down at her. "So, those seagulls, right? They had spent the morning feasting, and now it was time for their natural bodily processes."
Katara's mouth drops as she stares at him in pre-emptive horror. "Oh no.."
"Oh, yes." He replies, grinning ruefully. "I still remember it so clearly. I was smoothing out the roof, and I reached down to get my flat shovel. I distinctly heard a 'splat,' sound, but I was busy rummaging around the bag of plastic tools, and I didn't realize what had happened until I stood back up and saw a giant white mess all over the front of my magnificent house. At that moment, Azula, without missing a beat, took a snapshot of my shocked face. And… you can probably guess what happened next."
Despite herself, she can't help but start giggling as Zuko finishes his story.
"I ran crying back to my mom, and she went back out with me to assess the damage. To be fair, she did try to console me, but I could tell she thought it was pretty funny. Of course, Azula found it hilarious, and I know she still has that picture somewhere. Looking back I guess I can see why, but at the time I was devastated –for a few hours anyway."
"Oh, and what happened then?"
He grins. "We went to the ice cream store and I ordered a triple scoop sundae with brownies and whipped cream. After that, my ruined sandcastle didn't seem so bad," he says, shaking his head. "If only things were so easy now."
They're silent for a while, thinking back to the times when a sweet treat could erase all their worries and doubts. It's true that things aren't so simple anymore. But laughter and good company helps, so Katara tells him about how she wore down a teacher who used to have a rule against teaching martial arts to girls "despite a long history of badass female fighters!" Her stories about training fails remind Zuko of his fire spinning scrapes, in particular, the time he burned off the end of his man bun and had to get a haircut to cover it up. "You have no idea –the singed hair smelled so bad. But it was time for a change, and I had wanted to get away from Father's hairstyle anyway."
As the ferry skims lightly over blue waters and Ember Island grows ever larger, they continue to swap stories. Katara's abs hurt from laughing, and she thinks that this is the most relaxed she has ever seen Zuko. In fact, it's the most relaxed she's ever been around him.
Who knew? The same guy I spent an entire semester fighting against is also pretty funny when you get to know him.
Before they know it, they've entered the little port at the base of the island, and it's time to disembark. Katara almost doesn't want the boat ride to end, but she's hungry and Zuko has promised them a hearty dinner at the local restaurant near his house. Throwing on backpacks and duffel bags, shuffling into their jackets and rolling suitcases down the plank, the Gang set off onto the last and shortest leg of their journey.
By the time they've eaten, arrived at the house and marveled at how big it is, albeit a little run down, picked their rooms and taken their showers, a velvety night has settled over the island. They're sitting in one corner of what used to be the main hall, cozy among blankets and pillows pilfered from various linen closets around the house. Aang has found a low round table that they're now gathered around, sipping on tea that Zuko just prepared in the luckily still-functional kitchen.
"A little smoky, hints of ginger and cinnamon, and something else… cherries?" Suki lifts her head and glances quizzically at their tea purveyor. "This is really interesting, Zuko, what is it?"
He answers with the practiced smoothness of a tea shop employee, one who also happens to be nephew to one of the greatest blenders in Ba Sing Se. "What you're tasting here is a Jasmine Dragon house special, which takes its name after this island itself –Ember Island. It's a Ruby Oolong, and you're exactly correct about the flavors: black cherries, figs, and a bit of ginger and cinnamon to top it off."
"Wow, you really know your teas," Suki says, impressed. "To be expected, no doubt."
"Well, having a list of ingredients on the back of the carton also helps, but yeah, I pretty much know our menu by heart now." He puts hand on the back of his head, ruffling his hair. "To be honest, I used to think Uncle's obsession with tea was just a distraction, but now he's built a whole business out of it. It's pretty impressive."
"Aw, I'm sure you've helped draw in a few customers as well," Toph says, grinning. "Not that I can see for myself, but I've heard some girls whispering, and a few guys too. Honestly, some people need to learn how to keep their voices down when they're trying to be discreet."
At this, Sokka laughs uproariously and Zuko busies himself with pouring out another cup of tea so that he doesn't have to answer. It takes a lot of concentration not to spill, after all.
The next few moments are quiet ones, as each member of the group sips on his or her cup and enjoys the steady warmth it brings. Katara rearranges her pillows and steals one from her brother when he's busy snapping a photo of the tea spread –for his social media account dedicated to food, along with the most random captions she has ever seen ( sokkasgoodeats). She leans back among the fluffy contraband and feels her body sinking further and further down. At this point, Katara isn't sure if she'll be able to get back up again.
Of course, Aang is the one to break the silence. He may be a former monk-in-training, but right now he's restless, excited to be on an island for the first time and wanting to capture every moment. "Guyss, we should play a game! Never Have I Ever? Twenty-one Questions? Oo, how about Truth or Dare?"
Toph groans in protest. "Aang, we literally spend all of our time together. I already know your favorite color of socks, how much you care about dental hygiene, and that you've never kissed a girl. What else is there?"
Aang pouts. "You could have just said no…"
"Well, I was trying to prove a point," Toph replies, stubborn as a rock.
"There's a way to do that politely, you know."
"Twinkletoes, when have I ever cared about being polite?"
"O-kay," Katara breaks in, before this can turn into a full on spat. "You've both made your opinions clear. Personally, I'm not a big fan of these games, but why don't we let our host decide, since he has so graciously let us into his home?"
All eyes turn towards Zuko.
Poor Zuko, who has only just recovered from the last time the attention was focused on him. Now he starts and sits up, flustered. "Um.." he says, looking around the room. Does he really want to learn these people's secrets? Is he willing to share his own? Katara can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he weaves his fingers through slightly damp hair. Finally, his eyes come to rest on hers, and the instant before he speaks she already knows what he's thinking.
Oh goodness, here we go…
"Sorry, Katara," he says, but he doesn't look sorry at all. "I choose Truth or Dare."
A/N: Ahhh what's going to happen next? I, too have no idea. Any favorite questions or dares?
A few notes:
1. I know that you aren't supposed to suddenly change tenses in the middle of a story, but I just finished reading a book that did a lot of playing around with tenses (due to the time-jumping nature of the story) and when I started writing this chapter it just turned into present tense. We'll see what happens next time… 😊
2. Also, thank you for your patience. It's been a hot sec since the last chapter, and I'm afraid it may be a similar hot sec until the next one. Right now my focus is on the rest of this semester, but the hope is that I'll have more time to write over winter break!
3. I hope you are having a lovely day today and that you've enjoyed hearing about Zuko's childhood escapades! Personally, I am looking forward to more shenanigans on Ember Island… until next time!