Just wanted to say a quick Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to everyone out there. Only two days left till i return to school and work, to which i say 'oh crap' and 'thank god!'.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 5: Me
It was a bright sunny day in the village and the townspeople had gathered in the nearby park, busily making wedding preparations for their beloved village icon Jet. Flowers were hung everywhere, chairs had been set up, the carpet had been put down and a huge Saber-tooth MooseLion's head was put on display beneath the podium where the priest stood. All the wedding guests had arrived and were waiting near a long dinner table that also featured the wedding feast, which consisted of several freshly slaughtered animals.
Soon all was set and Jet, dressed in his finest clothes, arrived to see the results. "Ah, very good everyone. It's all perfect right down to the last detail." he said savoring the smell of a roasted PigCow before turning to the guest. "Now I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding, but first I better go propose to the girl" he said laughing heartily. The rest of people laughed too till a loud crying noise drowned them out. Jet turned to see Jun, Jin and Song running towards him, their eyes brimming with tears.
"Oh Jet, please say it isn't true!" Jun said grabbing his arm.
"It can't be true!" Jun yelled grabbing his leg.
"Please for the love of spirits say it isn't true!" Song pleaded as she clung to his shirt.
"It's true." Jet said confidently. "Sorry girls but this extremely handsome bachelor will soon be an extremely hansom married man."
All three girls instantly dropped to their knees and started bawling their eyes out, clinging desperately to Jet's legs.
"Come now girls, I'm just getting married." Jet said patting their heads. "Don't tell me a little thing like that will change your feelings for me."
"Oh no Jet!" Jun smirked.
"Not at all Jet!" Jin grinned.
"Never Jet!" Song smiled.
"Good. Now that that's settled, I must make the final preparations before I fetch my future bride. Have you girls seen Meng?"
"We spotted her by the bushes near Katara's house an hour earlier." Jun said.
"She was with a group of guys carrying a fiddle, an accordion and a Soongi horn." Jin added.
"Perfect. She's did just what I ordered her to. Now if you'll excuse me ladies." Pushing past them, he walked across the field and down the road to Katara's house. He soon spotted Meng, who was crouching down behind a bush, and tapped her shoulder.
"Oh hey Jet!" Meng said turning to him enthusiastically. "I did what you said and got the band together. Also I kept an eye out for Katara. So far she hasn't left the house."
"Excellent. Now let's run through the instructions once more. When Katara and I come out that door-"
"Ooh I know! I know!" Meng said pulling out a baton. "I strike up the band!" Waving toward the men, they loudly started playing their instruments till Jet grabbed Meng's conducting arm and pinned it behind her back.
"Not yet!" Jet whispered fiercely looking back at the house. "You wanna ruin the surprise?"
"Ouch, Sorry!" Meng said as Jet let go of her arms.
"Alright I'm off." Jet then spat on his hand and smoothed back his hair as he walked up the hill toward the house.
--
Inside, Katara sat in her favorite chair happily reading her new book. She was almost done with it when she heard a loud knock on the door. Putting the book down, she went to the door and looked through the peephole. Her smile quickly faded when she saw it was Jet, who was admiring himself in a small mirror and grinning smugly. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she took a deep breath before opening the door.
"Why Jet, what a nice...surprise" she said as Jet instantly walked in without invitation.
"Isn't it though? I'm just full of surprises." Jet said showing off flashy smile. "Speaking of surprises, I got you a little present." Jet then reached into his pocket and handed her a small package.
"What a nice gesture..." Katara said awkwardly as she ripped off the paper. "Oh, it's a miniature portrait...of you."
"I knew you'd like it." Jet said striking a pose. "And it shows off my good side."
"I can see that." Katara said forcing a smile as she put the picture down. "Thanks Jet, you shouldn't have."
"Oh don't mention it." Jet said putting his arm around her. "You know Katara, there's not a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes right now."
"Really?" Katara ask as she tried inching away from Jet "And why's that?"
"Because," Jet said pulling her closer to him as he stroked her chin "This is the day all your dreams come true."
"I see..." Katara said as she lifted up his arm and moved toward the table. "And what do you know about my dreams Jet?"
"Why plenty!" Jet said as he blocked her path. "In fact, I may know more then you know."
You've been dreaming, just one dream
Nearly all your life
Hoping, scheming, just one theme:
Will you be a wife?
Will you be some he-man's property?
Good news! That he-man's me!
Realizing what he was going to ask, Katara smiled politely and tried to walk around him. Jet however, merely picked her up and sat her on a chair before seating himself down.
This equation, girl plus man
Doesn't help just you
On occasion, women can
Have their uses too
Mainly to extend the family tree
Pumpkin, extend with me!
"We'll be raising sons galore!" he said pulling her onto his lap.
"Inconceivable..." Katara muttered to herself.
"Each built six foot four!" Jet said raising his hand above his head.
"Unbelievable..." she said shaking her head.
"Each stuffed with all my perfect genes!" he said flexing his muscles.
"I'm not hearing this..." Katara said rubbing her temples.
"You'll be keeping house with pride!" Jet said giving her shoulder a squeeze.
"Just incredible..." Katara said smiling fakely at Jet.
"Oh so gratified"
"So unweddable..."
"That you are a part of this idyllic scene. Just picture it Katara." Jet said shoving her off him and propping his muddy boots onto the table and on top of her open book. "A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting over the fire and my little wife massaging my feet." He then took off his boots revealing his dirty and smelly socks. "All while we watch the little ones play on the floor with the dogs. And we'll have six or seven."
"Dogs?" Katara asked nervously as she held her nose.
"No, Katara! Strapping boys...like me!" Jet said pompously.
"Oh, imagine that..." Katara said uncomfortably as she picked up her muddy book and wiped off the pages.
"And do you know who that little wife will be?" Jet asked as he stood up and followed her to the bookshelf.
"Gee let me think..." Katara said sarcastically as she put the book on the shelf.
"You Katara!" Jet said as he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up in his arms.
I can see that we will share
All that love implies
We shall be a perfect pair
Rather like my thighs!
You are face to face with destiny!
All roads lead to...
The best things in life are...
All's well that ends with me!
Escape me? There's no way
Certain as "Do, Re,"
Katara, you'll marry...
"So Katara, what will it be?" Jet asked as he put her back down. "Is it 'yes'? Or is it...'OH YESSSS!!'" he shouted dramatically to the ceiling.
"Jet, I..." Katara stuttered as she backed towards the door "I'm speechless! I really don't know what to say."
"Say that you'll marry me" Jet said grinning devilishly as he leaned close to Katara.
"Oh but Jet I...I just don't deserve you!" she said as she felt around for the doorknob.
"Who does? Oh I know...MEEEEEEE!" Finally finding the knob, Katara opened the door and ducked underneath Jet's arms as he leaned forward to kiss her. Falling face first through the doorway, he rolled down the stairs and into a large mud puddle.
Suddenly loud music started playing as Meng started up the band. They played for a good five minutes before Meng finally turned around to see Jet face down in the mud and Katara standing at the doorway holding his boots and self-portrait.
"Sorry Jet...but thanks for asking!" Throwing his stuff onto the steps, she went back inside and double bolted the door shut. Stopping the band, Meng raced toward Jet who was angrily wiping all the mud off his face.
"Um so..."Meng asked nervously. "How'd it go?"
"How do think!?" Jet yelled at Meng as he stood back up. Just then the three girls came running up the pathway and gasped upon seeing Jet covered in mud.
"Oh Jet! What did she do to you?"
Resuming his charming demeanor, Jet slicked back his muddy hair and smiled charmingly at the girls. "Oh you know that Katara...always playing hard to get."
The girls looked at each other then at Jet in shock. "She turned you DOWN!?"
"For now!" Jet said defensively. "But I will have Katara for my wife. Make no mistake about that!" Grabbing his muddy boots and Meng, he walked hastily past the girls and back to the village, an angry scowl plastered on his face.
The three girls stopped to think for a moment when Jun said "Wait a sec! If she turned him down...then maybe I still have a chance!"
"So do I!" Jin added enthusiastically.
"And me!" Song gushed. "Jet, wait up!" The three girls then raced each down the hill and into the village after Jet.
--
"Is he gone?" Katara wondered as she looked out the window. She had been waiting around for fifteen minutes, hoping Jet had left so she could go feed the animals. Grabbing her water pouch as a precaution, she slowly opened the door and looked around before grabbing the SheepGoat and ChickenPig feed on the side. As she proceeded to the pen to feed the animals, she thought back to Jet's proposal and felt disgusted that out of all girls in town, he had chosen her to be his 'property'.
"Ugh, could you imagine..." she said to the ChickenPigs as they ate. "He asked me to marry him! Me, the wife of that boorish, brainless-" She struggled to find the right word but couldn't come up with one and instead grabbed a rag.
"'I'm Mrs. Jet!' Can't you just see it?" Katara said in a girly voice while pretending to curtsy "I'm Mrs. Jet! His 'little wife'" She then kicked the gate angrily causing the animals to jump a little. "No sir! Not me! I guarantee it! I want much more than this provincial life!"
Feeling angry about Jet, Katara threw down her rag and ran away from the pen, towards an open field that overlooked a cliff side. Gazing at the beautiful landscape and the wonderful lands that lay far beyond it, Katara wanted more than ever to get away from the boring village and travel to places far more exotic and exciting. Away from the judging townsfolk, away from that arrogant jerk Jet, and away from her stoic and predictable way of life.
I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!
I want it more than I can tell
And for once it might be grand
To have someone understand
I want so much more than they've got planned
As she sat down to daydream about adventure, Katara heard a loud roar come from the nearby forest. Turning around, she soon spotted Appa racing toward her, covered in leaves, dirt and thorns.
"Appa! What are you doing here? What happened to you?" she asked before looking at his paw which had a deep claw mark on it. Looking onto his back, she noticed that there was nobody in the saddle. "Where's dad? Where is he Appa?" the bison growled feebly in response and collapsed onto its side. Unhooking him from the cart, Katara got out her water pouch and started healing the scratch and bite marks on his legs.
It took some time but after washing him down and feeding him piles of hay, Appa looked good as new. "You feeling better now?" Katara asked refilling his bucket with more water. Appa nodded and drank the water in one gulp. "Listen Appa, we need to find dad. Do you remember the last place you saw him?" Thinking briefly, Appa nodded and gestured for her to get on.
Smiling, Katara quickly ran back inside, making sure to grab her cloak and refill her pouch before locking up. Katara then jumped onto Appa's saddle and grabbed the reigns. "Alright, let's go find dad Appa! Yip, yip!" With a flap of his tail, Appa rose into the air and flew off into the distance.
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