Finally! I completed my chapters...within a 3 month period lol
Sry again for the delay folks. :( If May was a bad month for me, July was a worse month for my fiance. While driving down to the Otakon convention, some retard was speeding while changing lanes and smashed into us from behind. Nobody was hurt, but the back of Jays car was smashed in and his car ended up getting totalled. Needless to say, Jays been up to his elbows in insurance papers and car payments and other nasty stuff that involves talking to to useless insurance people. And me, trying to be the supportive fiance, spent most of my time trying to comfort him and find a job to help him pay for expenses. Which i did :) hooray.
So of course, chapters have gotten pushed to the wayside. But not anymore. I have now completed 2 chapters which i am posting now and a 3rd chapter which i will post next week. Enjoy the chapters and again sorry to you all for the long wait. To make it up...I give you pocky :) *hands out pocky* Compliments of the pocky priest.
--
Chapter 16: Memories
It was the next day and the castle was abuzz with excitement. All the servants were rushing to have the ballroom and dining room decorated while Haru was busy preparing as much food as possible. It was a few hours til dinner and Sokka was humming happily to himself as he walked toward Katara's room. Seeing the door open, he poked his head in and saw Katara twirling happily around her room as she held up dresses in front of the mirror.
"Practicing for the ballet are we?" Sokka said smugly as Katara instantly stopped dancing.
"Oh, hey Sokka." Katara said, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "I was just uh…seeing which dress was more suitable for dancing."
"Sure you were." Sokka said with a smirk. "So you excited for tonight?"
"Maybe a little." Katara said still blushing lightly. "I'm kind of having trouble picking out a dress though. There's so many to choose from..."
"I keep telling her to wear the silk or satin gowns." Toph said from the corner with a huff. "But for some reason she won't listen to me."
"It's not that I don't appreciate your help Toph, cause I really do...I'd just like the opinion of someone who isn't-"
"What? Blind?" Toph said snidely.
"A girl." Katara finished. "Sorry but I kinda want a guys opinion."
"Well then look no further angel face," Sokka said smugly. "Cause your fashion expert Sokka is here to help you get ready for the ball."
"Really Sokka?" Katara asked. "You don't mind helping me pick out a dress?"
"Course not. If there's anyone knows their way around a dress, its me...well, in a manner of speaking." he added as Toph rolled her eyes.
"Oh thank you Sokka." she said smiling gratefully at him. "What would I do without you?"
"Go to dinner in a two piece?" Sokka joked. Katara and him laughed while Toph merely snorted in amusement.
As Katara knelt down to pick him up and placed him on her mantle, Sokka noticed an odd blue ribbon sticking out from under her shirt collar. "Hey what's that?"
"What this?" Katara asked reaching behind her neck to undo the ribbon. "Its just my necklace. " She then held out the necklace for Sokka to see.
He was particularly intrigued by the symbol carved on the stone. "What's this mark?"
"It's a Water Tribe symbol. Both my parent came from the southern tribe and always wore these on their clothes and items to show their heritage ." Katara explained.
"Water tribe…" As Sokka stared down at it, images of a young woman who looked like Katara began flashing before his eyes.
----
"Ouch! Mommy I hurt my finger!" cried a little boy as he dropped his carving knife along with a curved piece of wood.
"Oh you poor thing. Let me see." said a kindly young woman who knelt down beside the boy and inspected his finger. "It's just a small cut. But you need to be more careful when carving." After wrapping a bandage around his finger, she then held it up and kissed it. "There. Better?"
"A little…" the little boy said smiling through his tears. "Thanks mom." He then reached up and hugged his mother affectionately.
----
"Wheeeeeeee!" the little boy was running around the kitchen while waving his wooden boomerang around. He then raced toward his mother as she was preparing the dinner table and nearly bumped into her large stomach.
"Careful sweetie!" she said backing away and lightly rubbing her stomach. "You're going to excite the baby."
"Sorry." the boy said as he sat at the table. "Hey mom, when's the baby gonna get here? I want someone to play games with..."
"Soon sweetheart." the woman said carrying a plate of food over to him. "Though I hope you'll do more then just play with your new brother or sister."
"Of course I will!" the boy said excitedly. "I'm going to be the best big brother ever!" the mother chuckled and started serving sea prunes to his plate.
"By the way, what are you going to name the baby?"
"Well if it's a boy, your father wants to name him Kurak after your great-grandfather. But if it's a girl which I think it'll be, I think I'm going to name her…Katara..."
----
Sokka then blinked twice and shook his head. "Oh, ah water tribe...yeah I think I remember seeing this somewhere before. That the same symbol your dad wore on his bag right?"
"Yep." Katara said looking affectionately at the necklace. "It's one of the only things I have left of my mom." She then put her necklace back on headed toward Toph where she began rummaging though the drawers.
As he watched, Sokka felt his head buzzing with confusion at the vision he just had. Who was that woman he saw and why did she seem familiar? Somehow, she was connected to Katara's necklace was setting off something in his memory. He had to find out more.
"That's very interesting..." Sokka said as he carefully sat down on the mantle. "So if you don't mind me asking...what was your mom like?"
"Well..." Katara explained as she held up a green dress. "She was smart and kind and funny...and very pretty. She also loved to read books."
"I'm guessing that's where you got it from huh?" Sokka asked smiling to himself.
"Oh yes." Katara smiled. "I still remember the times where she would read to me out loud...she was such a great storyteller..."
----
"And then Shu grasped Oma's hands and said 'My love for you burns like the fire of a thousand suns!'" his mother read out loud as a young Katara sat on her lap. "And then ever so gently, he kissed her sweetly on the lips."
"How romantic..." Katara gushed as she stared at the picture of the two lovers.
"Yuck" Sokka said as he lay on the floor making a disgusted face. "That's so gross. Why would anyone want to kiss a girl?"
His mother chuckled. "You'll figure that out for yourself one day Sokka, after you have your very first kiss."
"Pfft! Yeah, not likely!" Sokka scoffed before going back to playing with his boomerang.
"Has daddy kissed you like that mama?" Katara asked innocently.
"Oh yes Katara. Many times. But the best kiss we had was the day he gave me this." She then held out her necklace for Katara to see. "After your father asked me to marry him, he and I shared the best kiss of our lives. Nothing is sweeter then sharing your first kiss with your one true love."
"Wow..." Katara gushed as she stared dreamily at the necklace.
Sokka rolled his eyes. "Girls."
----
Katara sighed "Yep. Listening to her stories was the greatest."
"Yeah they were..." Sokka said absentmindedly before quickly correcting himself. "I mean, yeah sounds like they were."
"How about this dress Sokka?" Katara asked holding up a large frilly white gown.
"Nah, too poofy." Sokka shook his head. "Try something sleeker."
As Katara continued looking, Sokka could feel his head spinning more and more to the point of hurting. So far, everything Katara said along with his visions was adding up. But he had to be sure. Jumping off the mantle, Sokka nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he approached Katara. "So if you don't mind me asking...where is your mom?"
Katara paused slightly as a frown formed on her face "She passed away...a long time ago."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Sokka apologized. "May I ask how it happen?"
"Penta Pox." Katara responded. "A plague hit our village bad one year. Many people didn't survive...including her..."
----
"We've gathered here today to mourn the loss of our beloved Kya, a dedicated wife and mother who will be missed by all..."
It was a dark cloudy day and Sokka stood before a tombstone that was lined with flowers and wreathes. Nestled at the bottom within a wreath of flowers was his mothers blue stone necklace. As Sokka walked forward to place a lily on top of the grave, Hakoda emerged from behind him carrying Katara in one arm.
"Sokka..." Hakoda said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's not fair dad..." Sokka said as tears went down his cheeks. "Why'd she have to die? All my friends mom's were sick too and they got better."
"I don't know son...Penta Pox is a strange disease that attacks suddenly without warning. It can hit some harder then others. Some people manage to recover from it...and others don't..." Hakoda said frowning as he put down Katara and knelt next to Sokka.
"What's gonna happen to us now?" Sokka asked looking sadly at his dad.
"I've decided it would be best if we moved to the Earth Kingdom from now on. It's far away from the Penta Pox plagues and a good place to start anew."
Sokka looked uncertainly at his dad who then put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Sokka...this was a terrible thing to happen to our family. But I can tell you this. Even though she's gone from this world, your mom will always be around to watch and guide you. And although I can never take her place, I will also try my hardest to always be there for you and your sister." Sokka wiped away his tears and then hugged his dad. He then heard a sobbing noise and turned to see Katara standing before the tombstone.
"Bye bye mama." she said sadly before hugging it. Sokka then walked up behind Katara and picked up the necklace. He then knelt down and tied the necklace around Katara's neck much to her surprise.
"I think mom would want you to have it." he said smiling down at her. Katara looked at the stone and then smiled at Sokka before giving him a loving hug.
----
"Sokka? Sokka!"
Sokka then shook his head as he looked up at Katara who seemed confused. "Are you okay?"
Suddenly it dawned on Sokka why Katara and Hakoda seemed so familiar to him. Looking from the necklace to Katara, he realized who she was and started to sweat anxiously. He then slowly began backing away towards the door. "Uh listen, I just remembered something I uh…I gotta go bye!" He then raced out of the room, leaving Katara more confused then before.
"What's his problem?" Toph asked.
--
Out in the hallway, Suki was busy carrying a pile of cloth napkins to the kitchen when she spotted Sokka staring out the window.
"Hey Sokka, mind giving me a hand here?" she asked. When he didn't respond she walked up behind him and loudly said "Hello?"
Immediately Sokka jumped and screamed, causing Suki to scream as well and drop her pile.
"Don't do that!" Sokka yelled.
"Do what?" Suko retorted hastily.
"You can't just sneak up on people and yell in their ears like that!"
"I wasn't yelling, I was trying to talk to you and then you screamed and-"
"Look I don't have time to argue okay, I need some time to myself right now." Sokka said looking away.
"Liar. You always have time to argue with me." Suki said as she picked up the napkins. "Now what's going on?"
"It's just...I just..." Sokka then stuttered as he tried finding the words. "I just found out something about myself and Katara that has me really freaked out right now."
"You and Katara?" Suki asked skeptically.
"I found out that she's...she's..." Sokka then took a deep breath as he looked seriously at her. "She's my sister..."
Suki's eye's widened in shock "What!? Your sister!?"
"I know! I didn't believe it either when I found out. But it's true."
"Wait, wait a sec." Suki said feeling confused. "How exactly did you come to this conclusion?"
"You know how I kept getting images in my head when Katara first came here? Of what I thought was my early life? Well that's exactly what it was!"
"But Katara's been here for nearly a week and you haven't mentioned a thing. Why now all of a sudden?"
"Her necklace." Sokka responded.
"That blue thing she wears around her neck?" Suki asked. "What about it?"
"It was my mothers." Sokka confessed. "As soon as I saw that water tribe symbol, everything came flooding back. I can remember my past now."
"So what your saying is...your actually from the water tribe, that old guy we met earlier is your father and you and Katara were really siblings?" Suki said as a thought occurred to her. "Oh gross, you were flirting with her earlier! Ew, imagine if you kissed her-"
"Okay could we not focus on that incredibly disturbing scenario!?" Sokka said shaking his head in disgust. "I'm already freaked out as it is!"
"I'm just saying, it's a good thing you found this out now. But how did you not recognize her when she first came here? Seriously, your own sister?"
"She was only four when I left home alright? People can change a lot during that time!"
Suki then looked at him skeptically. "Why did you leave home anyway? You never did tell me or anyone for that matter."
Sokka thought over his reason when a word popped into his head. "Jam."
"What?" Suki asked in a confused tone.
"No wait...Jeb?...Jad?...Jate?...or was his name-"
----
"Jet! Cut it out!" Sokka yelled as a dark hair boy ripped up some paper and tossed onto the tavern floor.
"My bad Sokka. I just thought I'd help you keep my dads tavern clean by giving you something to sweep." He said smugly as he stuck a piece of straw between his teeth. Jet's two friends then sniggered on either side as they added to the pile on the floor.
Seeing the scraps, Sokka grunted in annoyance and began sweeping it up till the Jet put a boot on top of his dust pan. "So tell me Sokka...how's it feel being the youngest person in town to have a job?"
"Will you move your foot Jet? I'm trying to clean." Sokka said prying the pan loose. Jet then looked mischievously at him and started walking around.
"You know...I'll bet my dad would pay you a lot more if you had connections with people like me. Me and my gang always get treated good by him and the villagers. I could always use another lackey you know-"
"No thanks." Sokka said as he tried concentrating on his work.
Jet narrowed his eyes. "You know most people would jump at the chance to be in my gang. We get treated better then kings here. My dads the greatest and most respected hunter in this village. And one day that role will be passed down to me. It'd be good for you to get in tight with me before that happens."
"I told you before, I'm not interested!" Sokka retorted. "Now would you go away and let me work!"
Jet clenched his jaw and fist in anger but still managed to keep it cool. "Fine then. Refuse my offer...work at this place for the rest of your life. I'm sure your dad will be there to pull you through with all his wonderful inventions...by the way, how many has he sold so far?"
Sokka then stopped sweeping and frowned with uncertainty. Jet grinned, knowing he had struck a nerve and pressed on. "Well either way, you shouldn't worry. I'm sure your father wouldn't let you and your sweet little sister end up on the streets." Sokka then winced. Jet had him right where he wanted him. "So just for the heck of it, I'll ask again…are you sure you don't want to join my gang?"
Sokka hesitated then reluctantly nodded. "Fine Jet you win. I'll join. So what do I have to do in this gang of yours?"
"Ah ah. First you need to go through initiation."
"What's that?"
"I need to make sure you take orders well. Your first task is to go get us those bottles of green beer my dad keeps under the counter."
"But those are for holidays only. We can't drink those-"
"Hey, you want to be in my gang or not?" Sokka paused then nodded. Satisfied, Jet reached into his pocket and tossed him a key. Sokka then quickly looked around and snuck quietly behind the bar. Finding the cabinet, he knelt down and began fiddling with the lock trying to get it opened. Jet meanwhile whispered something to one of his friends who quickly ran off. He then whispered something to his other friend who ran to the bathroom and brought back a bar of soap.
"Okay I got the cabinet open. Which bottles did you want?"
"The one's all the way in the back" Jet said as he snuck up behind Sokka and 'accidentally' dropped the bar of soap on the floor behind him.
After a few minutes, Sokka gathered all the beer bottles in his arms. "Okay I got them- AHH!" Sokka then slipped on the soap and stumbled backwards dropping all the bottles onto the floor with a crash. The resulting shock wave then caused all the liquor on the shelves to fall over and smash all around him. After uncovering his head, Sokka sat up and looked around in horror at all the broken bottles and spilled drinks. Jet and his friend meanwhile were struggling hard not to laugh.
"Well...someone's a little uncoordinated. Not good if you want to be in my gang." Jet said sarcastically. "Looks like your going to be in trouble!"
"You set me up!" Sokka said angrily as he stood up and stomped over to Jet. "If any ones going to be in trouble its you!"
Seeing him reach into his pocket, Jet pushed his friend aside and dove behind a chair. Sokka then took out his boomerang and threw it as hard as he could. Jet ducked just as a tall dark hair man with a mustache entered the tavern along with Jet's other friend.
"My bar!" The man looked in shock at the sight of all the smashed bottles and turned angrily toward the boys "What in blazes is going on in here-"
He was then abruptly cut off as the boomerang zoomed toward him smacking him hard in the head. The man then fell unconscious to the floor, much to Sokka's horror and Jets amusement.
----
"Of all the irresponsible reckless things you've ever done Sokka!"
"Dad, I'm sorry!" Sokka pleaded. "I didn't mean to wreck the tavern-"
"Do you have any idea how much it's going to cost to replace all those liquor bottles you destroyed? I had to give all the money I earn from my last three inventions just to pay for half!"
"Dad listen, it's not what you think-"
"And the injury you caused to Jet's father...I knew that boomerang would cause trouble one day! Bad enough you went after an innocent boy but to hurt your own boss-"
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME!" Sokka shouted. "I didn't mean to do any of those things! And Jet is not innocent! All of this was his doing! He caused me to drop all those bottles and then tattled so I'd get in trouble!"
"Oh really?" Hakoda said skeptically. "Did Jet force you to steal those bottles of beer? Did Jet force you to throw that boomerang?" When Sokka didn't respond Hakoda went on "I thought I taught you better then that…I thought I taught you to respect your peers and to behave like a responsible adult. "
Sokka looked down and clenched his fist in anger. "I'm more responsible then you…"
"What?" Hakoda asked in shock. "What did you say to me?"
"Its all your fault I had to resort to stealing!" Sokka shouted angrily. "Ever since mom died, you've been dragging your feet and making less and less inventions to sell. I've been working for over a year now and yet we barely have enough money for food. If any ones to blame for how things turned out its you!"
"How dare you!" Hakoda shouted. "I do my hardest to provide for you and Katara. You say I haven't been acting right, well just look at yourself! Telling lies, stealing from work, attacking others unprovoked…your mother would be very disappointed…"
Sokka looked resentfully at his father "At least she'd believe me!" he then turned and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Hakoda demanded. "We're not done here!"
"Well I am!" Sokka shouted as he turned in the doorway. "I'm done with this crummy village and I'm done with you! Goodbye father!" He then slammed the door and hastily walked off into the night.
Seeing that he was being serious, a worried look crossed Hakoda's face as he rushed to the door. "Sokka! Sokka wait, come back here!" He then opened the door and dashed outside, but Sokka had broken into a run and was now a speck in the distance.
As Hakoda looked on in disbelief, he felt his foot hit something and saw Sokka's boomerang lying flat on the ground. Picking it up, he then heard the door open and turned to see Katara in her nightgown standing in the doorway.
"Daddy…what happened?" she asked rubbing her eyes. "Why was there shouting? Where's Sokka?"
Hakoda looked at his daughter and then at the boomerang as the realization of what he done sunk in. He then walked over to Katara and hugged her tightly as a small tear slid down his cheek.
----
"I don't believe it..." Suki said in shock. "You really said all those things to your dad?"
"Unfortunately..." Sokka said feeling guilty.
"So, what happened after you left?" Suki asked.
"I don't remember too well from that point. I know I started living on the streets after that." Sokka continued as Suki hung onto every word. "But I don't know which streets I lived on or how many towns I visited…the only thing I can remember though is digging through the castle dumpster one night and then getting hit in the head with a frying pan. After some time I regained consciousness, opened my eyes...and you were there standing over me looking worried...and holding a frying pan."
"Oh right, I remember that." Suki said sheepishly. "Can't really blame me though, I thought you were a burglar. At least I managed to convince Iroh to let you stay and become the new back-up waiter."
"Yeah, I definitely got lucky there." Sokka said. "Wow this is amazing... I can remember almost everything now! Wait till I explain it all to Katara."
"Wait, what?" Suki asked suddenly. "You're not serious?"
"Course I am. Now that I remember, I can go tell Katara everything so she knows what really happened that night-"
"Sokka no!" Suki said grabbing him. "Are you crazy? You can't tell her anything!"
"What do you mean I can't?" Sokka demanded.
"If you tell her your her brother, then she's going to ask how you got turned into candlestick!"
"Candelabra!" he corrected.
"Whatever!" Suki retorted. "The point is, if you reveal the truth then you reveal everything including the spell! Katara must not know or itll never get broken!"
"So I'm suppose to just keep quiet in front of my kid sister who I haven't seen in over ten years!?"
"Once the spell is broken, you can tell her whatever is on your mind. But until then, I forbid you from telling her!"
"You cant forbid me from doing anything Suki!" Sokka snapped back. "Your not my father!"
"Then at least promise me you won't tell!" Suki said desperately.
"You can't-"
"PROMISE ME!" Suki said grabbing his shirt and shaking him a little.
"Alright, alright!" Sokka shouted. "I promise. Geez! You know you really need to be less high strung. You'll end up popping a gear or something."
"I am not high strung! Why don't you shut your big fat-"
"Um...is this a bad time?"
Both Sokka and Suki jumped as they spotted Katara standing behind them looking confused.
"Oh no, of course not!" Suki said quickly. "I was just making sure Sokka...wasn't going to reveal tonight menu! Yeah, Haru has something special planned and he wants to keep it a surprise."
"Oh, alright then." Katara said, accepting the answer without question. "Sorry but I wanted to ask Sokka if he was still going to help me pick out a dress."
Suki glared at Sokka but he ignored her and nodded. "Yes I still am. Sorry bout earlier. Something just came to mind. Now let's go find you the right dress."
As Katara turned to leave, Suki grabbed Sokka and whispered fiercely. "Remember...say nothing!"
Sokka rolled his eyes and scoffed as he shook her off and then preceded to follow Katara back to her room. Suki looked nervously after them, hoping desperately that Sokka would do the right thing and stay quiet.
--
"How about this one?" Katara asked holding up a large blue dress.
"Too Long." Sokka shook his head.
"Okay what about this?" she asked holding up a purple dress.
"Too revealing." Sokka said waving it away.
"This one?"
"Too pink."
After 20 minutes of searching, Katara had still not found the right dress. Sokka kept finding flaws, Katara kept second guessing herself and Toph was becoming increasingly frustrated. During that time, Sokka kept debating on whether he should tell Katara what he discovered or keep his promise to Suki. After thinking it over, he decided to start dropping some subtle hints to see if Katara still remembered him. That way she could figure it all out on her own and he wouldn't get in trouble. So as Katara continued to rummage, Sokka started to nervously twiddle his candles thinking of questions to ask her.
"So going back to your family...besides your mom and dad, did you have any other relatives? Like a grandpa or a cousin..."
"Actually, I did have an older brother...but he left home when I was little." Katara explained as she looked over a frilly orange dress.
"Really? Where'd he go?"
"I don't know. Him and dad had a falling out some years ago and he just up and left. I hadn't seen him since but I hoped to find him again someday.."
"I bet he'd like that...assuming he's not a jerk and all that of course..." Sokka said as he began roughly clearing his throat.
"The sad part is...I don't even remember him that well. Not even his name. Dad always got sad whenever I mentioned it so i just stopped saying it and eventually forgot."
"Oh...I see..." Sokka said feeling disappointed.
"But from what I do remember, he was a very funny and outgoing guy...sorta like you Sokka."
"You don't say? My what a coincidence. Bet he also carried around some sort of boomerang device too." Sokka said with a forced laugh.
"Well yeah, actually." Katara said in a surprised tone. "He did have a boomerang. How'd you know?"
"Oh a...lucky guess is all." Sokka said rubbing the back of his head. As she looked at him oddly, Sokka suddenly started getting uncomfortable and realized he could keep the secret any longer. "Listen Katara...there's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?" Katara asked.
"Well..."
"How bout this one Katara?" Toph interrupted as she pulled a dress from the deepest dept of her interiors. "Its sleek, practical, made of nice material..."
"I don't know if that's what I'm looking for..." Katara said uncertainly looking over the dress which was covered in splotchy yellow polka dots.
"Well darn it Katara! What are you looking for?" Toph said dropping the dress. "We've been through every dress in the closet and in my drawers."
"Not every dress..." Sokka spoke up. "There still one you haven't tried on yet that I think would look prefect on you."
"Really?" Katara asked.
"Really?" Toph asked skeptically. "And which one is that?"
"Its not in your drawers Toph. You remember that special dress we had stored away in a chest?"
"Special dress- Oh!" Toph said in realization. "That one? But it hasn't been wore in years."
"I'm sure its still in pretty good shape. Do you remember where we put it?"
"It's in one of the old guest rooms on the second floor."
"Perfect. Follow me Katara." Sokka said grabbing onto the hem of Katara's dress and leading her out into the hall.
--
Once upstairs, Sokka lead Katara into an old uninhabited bedroom that looked like it hadn't been used in decades. At the foot of the bed was a large dusty chest.
"Is this it?" Katara asked looking over the chest which had a Fire Nation symbol on it.
"Yep. Within this chest is a dress that once belong to Zuko's mother, Fire Lady Ursa. It was the most elegant outfit she owned and her personal favorite."
"A dress that belonged to Zuko's mother?" Katara asked curiously. Sokka nodded and then gestured her toward the chest handles. Opening it, Katara was amazed to see a brightly colored and largely exquisite dress.
"Oh my!" Katara said as she picked up the dress. "This is...gorgeous!" She then held the dress against her figure and looked at the mirror. Although slightly old fashioned, the rose red velvet was still soft and the gold trim shined like the sun. Skillfully woven vine patterns were stitched into the fabric making her dress look like a wall of golden ivy and roses. "It doesn't look bad at all!"
"Go try it on." Sokka smiled. "Bathrooms on the right."
Quickly Katara picked up the dress and shoes and ran into the bathroom. She then came out and twirled in front of the mirror, admiring the dress and beaming with radiance. "Oh Sokka it fits like a dream! Fire Lady Ursa sure did have great taste."
"That she did." Sokka explained. "And if you impressed by this, you should've seen the rest of her wardrobe."
Katara then stopped spinning and looked at her reflection with doubt. "But wait...I can't wear this. What would Zuko think seeing me in his mother's dress?"
"Zuko wont even know." Sokka assured. "He was only a baby when his parents died and doesn't even remember them. Besides, it isn't doing anyone any good just sitting in this chest. And I figured since your living in the Fire Nation now, you may as well look like a Fire Nation Lady."
"Oh Sokka..." Katara said as she looked back in the mirror. "I do admit, it looks perfect on me."
"That's the spirit." Sokka smiled. "Now all you need is to have your hair and make-up done, add some jewelry and then you'll be fit to attend a ball!"
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea actually." Katara said giggling. "Thank you Sokka. Your the greatest. " She then knelt down and gave Sokka a big hug which he happily reciprocated.
"By the way," Katara said pulling away. "What is it you wanted to tell me before downstairs?"
Remembering what he was going to say earlier, Sokka opened his mouth to respond but then paused and closed it again. "Never mind. Wasn't that important. Now lets go finish getting you ready." He said extending his candle to her. Katara graciously took it and together they headed back to the east wing.
--
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