A/N: OOOOHHHHMMMMYYYYAAARRRRRRRRROOOOWWWW!! O.O Band… marching… training… EVIL! Yeah, I was training for marching band which I've never done before… NOT fun! I mean, we were out in 90 degree weather for 4 hours!! WHO would think that was fun?! Yeah, not me! I'm pretty sure I almost passed out…
'kay, I wanted to update something before I start school. I haven't been updating lately because I've been working on my massive book project and band training for 2 weeks… figured I'd need to update so nobody thought I was dead. Oh, and before I forget…
STOP IT!! I get it! Nobody is especially happy that Toph is a guy, okay?! I've heard it! But believe me when I say that I have a good reason and you will all learn about it soon!! I can't believe that y'all haven't guessed it yet… I thought it painfully obvious, but I guess not…
Disclaimer: Ugh. Too tired to write funny disclaimer…
Sokka: Ugh. Too tired to make fun of Tangy…
Aang: Hey everyone! Isn't it just a beautiful, happy day?! I can't wait to get started! It's a new day, new things! I'm so happy and awake and –
Sokka: -pounds Aang with club-
Aang: -lying on ground- Ow… well, at least Tangy… doesn't own Avatar or anything… ooh, my head…
Perfectly Piratical"So, you're telling us that you've never played poker before?"
Aang nodded, a bit embarrassed at this statement. A few days ago, poker seemed just a silly, wasteful game. Compared to these people, though, there was something to be said for the card game.
"Grab a seat, Twinkle Toes, and we'll see what you're made of," Toph smirked.
"What is Twinkle Toes supposed to mean?" Aang grumbled, feeling insulted.
"Relax, Avatar," Jet said, waving his hand distractedly while examining his cards. "Toph has a nickname for every frickin' person on the planet. It's not a big deal. You get used to it."
"Right…" Aang sighed. "So, uh, what do I do?" He looked at the cards in his hand, confused at just what the capital A meant.
"Ah, don't worry," Jet said.
"Yeah," said Toph. "We'll whip you into a card shark-whale soon enough."
oOoOo
"You won?!"
Aang looked, confused, at the cards he had just laid on the table.
"What's so great about all those people on the cards?"
Toph smacked his head. "You even beat me! ME!"
The Duke, Jet, and Pipsqueak all grumbled and slammed their cards on the table. Longshot gently laid them on the oak, not saying a word.
"Beaten by an amateur," Jet sighed, putting his head in his hands. "What is happening to me? My world is crumbling before my very eyes!"
"Stop being a drama queen and suck it up!" Toph shouted at him. "Please, anyone could have beaten you three. Longshot… maybe, but I don't know what this kid did to beat me, of all people."
He turned to face Aang, an evil glint in his milky green eyes. "But it won't happen again. Got it, Twinkle Toes?"
Aang gulped. "Crystal clear, Toph."
The door flew open and in walked Katara. "C'mon, you, dinner!" She looked at the display before her. "You taught Aang to play poker?"
"Yeah, and he beat us," said the Duke simply. Jet glared and smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! What'd I do?"
Katara laughed. "Oh, nothing to be embarrassed about. Except that you got your butt whooped by someone who's never touched a deck of cards in his life!"
Jet began banging his head on the table repeatedly.
"Let's just grab some food," Toph grumbled.
oOoOo
"Alright everyone," Sokka said as Iroh passed out plates of food. "Let's get down to business."
A plate of food was placed in front of Aang. It looked rather good for food made out here in the middle of the sea, so he took a bite, larger than he normally would have. He was surprised to find that the food sent his taste buds soaring, and he quickly took another bite, savoring the taste.
"As you all know by now, Avatar Aang is here with us on the ship to help us find and kill Ozai."
Aang shuddered at the word 'kill'.
"Now, as of about… how long ago was it, sis?"
"7 minutes," Katara sighed.
"Yeah, 7 minutes ago, we finally figured out the general location of Ozai!" Sokka threw his hands up into the air excitedly.
Everyone was silent.
"…Isn't this where you all cheer and clap and stuff?" Sokka asked, bringing his arms slowly down in confusion.
"Actually, we're waiting for you to go on," said Teo.
"…Right. Well, now that we have his general location, all we need is a plan. Any suggestions?"
"We could-"
But no one would ever learn of Haru's plan, because at that moment, there was a cawing sound coming from above.
All turned their heads upward in confusion. At last, they spotted the messenger hawk, circling in the sky. It swooped down and landed on the top of Sokka's head.
"Get it off! Get it off, now!" Sokka yelled, waving his arms frantically. Katara giggled as she took the note from the bird and sent it off again.
"Ow!" Sokka exclaimed, for the hawk had pulled a mighty few hairs out of the top of his head as it had flown off.
His cry was ignored, though, as Katara read through the letter, her expression dropping.
Aang saw this and felt a sadness in him. And once again, confusion struck him. Just why did she do that to him? He felt what she felt, and it was so… odd. He had never felt anything like it, so why was it suddenly happening now?
"What's wrong?" he asked the girl, desperate for an answer.
"An information report from an anonymous ship. It's just been reported that Ozai has defeated and killed the ship of Captain Long Feng."
"Long Feng?" asked Haru. "But we just barely got away from them! How in the world are we going to stop Ozai?"
"Well, being negative about it isn't going to solve anything," said Katara, rolling up the parchment. "But I have to agree, this will be extremely difficult."
"You're right," said Sokka. The captain began to pace back and forth. "What to do, what to do…"
"We could recruit some new people," said the Duke helpfully.
"We only have enough room for maybe one more person on this ship," said Jet. "How would we find one awesome fighter who would side with pirates out of the many people on the face of the earth?"
"Well," said Iroh, startling everyone, for the old man had been quiet the whole time. "My nephew is a strong fighter. He's a firebender, such as myself, and he is also talented with broad swords. He should be 20 years of age by now. When I was a young pirate, he would always beg to come with me. He may still be interested."
"Sounds good," said Sokka, rubbing his chin in thought. "But how do we know he's good enough to beat Ozai?"
"Oh, I would think he would be," Iroh smiled gently, "seeing as Ozai is his father."
Pipsqueak spit out the water he had been drinking in surprise. Teo fell out of his seat. The others had mouths agape with shock. Sokka had been forced to sit down.
"But… but, he's your nephew… a-and he's his dad, so that means-"
"You're Ozai's brother?!" Aang shouted in shock.
"Well, that is what our parents told us," Iroh chuckled. "But as you can see, we were never close. We always had different views."
Everyone was quiet. The news had to sink in before anyone could say anything. At last, Toph spoke.
"I say we give that kid a chance."
"Agreed," everyone but Sokka said simultaneously.
The captain sat there, rubbing his chin once again. Everyone waited for his answer, the suspense in the air clearly present.
"Alright," said Sokka. "We can see if he wants to come. Spirits know we could use the help."
"Okay, why is everyone so pessimistic all of a sudden?" Katara asked out loud.
"What's his name?" Sokka asked Iroh. "Where does he live?"
"His name is Zuko," Iroh told them all.
"That sounds like a preppy name," Jet said.
"What, and Jet doesn't?" Katara shot back.
Toph, relishing the moments in which he could mock Jet, said, "Alright, Katara!"
Teo, joining in, added, "Speak the truth!" Both high-fived the waterbender, Katara laughing at their joke while Jet grumbled about it.
Iroh smiled. "Zuko lives in the Fire Nation with his mother, Ursa. She's much kinder than my brother, though, I can assure you. Although…"
Sokka groaned. "There's always one of those! A 'but' or an 'although'… this is never gonna be easy, is it? So what, is this guy afraid of boats? Is his mother some overprotective, controlling woman? Hatred of fish?"
"No," Iroh laughed. "His mother is a noble. It will be rather difficult to talk to him."
Sokka groaned again, falling backwards in frustration.
"Yeah," sighed Haru. "I would think it'd be hard for pirates to talk to high-class people without getting arrested."
"So what are we going to do?" asked Pipsqueak.
"Well, we just have to think of a plan," said Aang.
"So," said Jet. "Any suggestions for getting a noble to talk to us lowly pirates without drawing attention to ourselves, getting us arrested, or possibly getting executed?"
Silence.
"…Yeah, we'll work on that."
oOoOo
Aang followed the crew down the hall to the cabins. Dinner had been a long one, and all of them were exhausted.
As they passed by Katara's door, she stopped. "Good night, boys," she said.
"Night," they all replied.
"See you in my dreams," Jet charmed.
"That's the only place you will," said Katara.
"You'll fall for me, Kay," said Jet. "Just watch."
Katara rolled her eyes. "Right."
The boys turned to walk away. Katara caught Aang's arm before he could go anywhere, though. "Hey," she said.
He turned to look at her.
"It was really nice meeting you, Aang."
She smiled at him, and he smiled back. There was that funny feeling again.
"It was nice meeting you, too."
Katara smiled again, and hugged him for the second time that day. The funny little feeling grew.
She released the avatar, and said, "Good night." She stepped into her room, and silently shut the door.
"Looks like someone's got the hots for Sugar Queen," Toph laughed.
Aang spun around quickly. Never had he realized that all the crew had been right there.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Aang said as fast as he could.
Jet glared. Competition was never something he was fond of.
"Right," laughed Teo. "You don't know what we're talking about and Toph is gentle and sweet."
"Nice analogy," Haru commented.
"C'mon, guys!" The Duke whined. "I'm tired. Can't we go to bed?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Toph said. "Let's go."
oOoOo
Aang was jolted awake. A sudden pain had erupted in his arm. What had been the cause?
He looked around the room. Toph was snoring loudly in his bed. Pipsqueak was taking up the entirety of his bed. The Duke was next to him, making a whinnying type of noise. Teo was muttering something about peanuts in his sleep. Haru was sleeping quietly and soundly.
And that was when Aang noticed that Jet was towering above him.
"So. What's up with you and Katara?"
Aang raised his brows in surprise. "Oh, err, nothing I suppose."
"There better not be," said Jet. "I don't care if you're the avatar or not! I will beat you to death, I will strangle you with my bare hands if you come anywhere near her. You got me?"
Aang stared in shock. What exactly did Jet think was going on? That Katara was in love with Aang? That he was in love with her?
…Was he?
"Oh please, Haystack," the two heard. They looked at the now-awake form of Toph. "The two of you need to shut up and go to bed. I need sleep!" He flopped down on his back before saying, "Like she would go for either of you anyway."
Jet growled and sulked back to his hammock. Aang slumped back onto his pillow as well, thinking about what had just occurred.
Was it really true that it was impossible for Katara to love him?
A/N: Okay, I was kind of bored with this chapter… okay, so I was really bored with this chapter. But it was necessary! So… yeah, the next one will be MUCH more interesting! Sorry to those of you who are Sokka's Diary fans, I just haven't had time to update! Or type at all! I'll try to get that up.
That little bit where Katara is all, "Why is everyone so pessimistic?" That's my point of view. I think that being negative about something isn't gonna get you anywhere. So if we're playing a sport or something and my team is all, "We are SO gonna lose," I'll say, "Well, that's not being very positive about it! Be positive!"
…yeah… I'm really tired. :P Once again, marching band training is hard. Yesterday was the first day I got to sleep in in 2 WEEKS. But then I had to go to my step uncle's b-day party, so today is my lazy day. :D And so, I decided to update. I actually wrote this pretty quickly… I did it in, like, 4 or 5 hours when it usually takes me from morning 'til bedtime.
…odd.
REVIEW! OR ELSE… You know, instead, I'm gonna reward y'all if you review, so…
REVIEW! IF YOU DO, YOU CAN GET A SOKKA PLUSHY! IT COMES WITH A PLATE OF APPA SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES, AND IT COMES WITH OVER 17 ACTION PHRASES, INCLUDING…
-Where's the meat?
-Don't you just love sarcasm?
-AIRBENDING SLICE!
-I miss Fufucuddlypoops…
-You wish you were as cool as me!
And…
-Tangy is da bomb!
SO, REVIEW NOW, AND GET YOUR SOKKA PLUSH TODAY!!
Tangy