Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the song "Piddle Twiddle" from 1776, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards.
Author's Note: I really love this musical, and though it doesn't have too many songs that are applicable to Avatar, I thought this one would be fun. Usually, "Till Then" follows immediately after, but it really didn't fit.
Piddle Twiddle
I do believe you've placed a curse on North America,
A curse that we now here rehearse in Philadelphia.
Aang had long since tuned out what the delegates were saying at this most recent of innumerable peacetime negotiation meetings. They never said anything important, anyway, and he was starting to feel as though he'd heard it all before. Finally, when the man currently speaking paused to draw breath, Aang stood up.
"I move that we adjourn for the day," he requested quickly.
"Seconded," added someone, probably as bored as Aang was. Theoretically, Aang probably should have been acting as the neutral party and moderating the debates. However, as the only living representative of the Air Nomads, he thought it was more important for him to speak as an airbender and give his opinion on the fate of the temples, as well as providing for rights of the future airbenders he hoped to have with Katara.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Iroh had been selected as the moderator. His wisdom and experience, as well his part in reclaiming Ba Sing Se, counteracted his past as a Fire Nation general. Besides, since he wanted nothing more now than to run his little tea shop, he was impartial about the way the rest of the world was arranged. He had reluctantly taken the post, not wanting to spend so much time away from his business. That usually meant that the sessions were out by early evening so that he could attend to his customers, a side benefit for which Aang was profoundly grateful.
A second flood, a simple famine,
Plagues of locusts everywhere,
Or a cataclysmic earthquake
I'd accept with some despair.
But no, you sent us Congress -
Good God, sir, was that fair?
Ignoring the protests of those who hadn't had their chance to speak today, Iroh asked for a voice vote on the motion. It was carried, and the members of the Congress (which was what they'd decide to call this group of delegates) began to depart.
Muttering curses under his breath at the sheer uselessness of this particular crop of people, Aang used airbending to rush to the exit ahead of everyone else. He really didn't care if it didn't look dignified.
His feet took him automatically to the house he shared with Toph, Katara, and Hakoda in Ba Sing Se. Sokka and Suki were married and had settled at Kyoshi Island for the time being, though Sokka would eventually have to go back to the South Pole and prepare to take over as chief when his father either died or decided to pass on his authority.
Toph and Hakoda had also been present at the negotiations, but Aang hoped that they would linger for a while so that he would have some time alone with Katara.
Katara was in the kitchen making tea when Aang walked in and dropped his staff on the floor with a clatter. He didn't really need his glider to sit and talk, of course, but he felt more authoritative when he carried it. Besides, it gave him something to grip tightly when he got too frustrated with his fellow delegates. He sat down at the kitchen table, and his betrothed smiled at him.
"You're home early," she observed. "How did it go?" In answer, Aang merely allowed his head to drop onto the table with a thud. Katara laughed lightly. "That bad, huh?" Maintaining contact with the cool stone, Aang rolled his head so that he could speak clearly.
"I think I'd rather go back to being chased around the world," he informed her. "At least that was straightforward and exciting."
I say it with humility in Philadelphia.
We're your responsibility here in Philadelphia.
If you don't want to see us hanging
On some far-off, British hill,
"Come on, you don't really mean that," Katara chided, setting a hot cup of tea in front of him. With an effort, Aang raised his head and waved a hand to cool the liquid to his preference.
"I guess not," he sighed, smiling a little in spite of himself. At least his relationship with Katara was solid now. He would never want to go back to the confusion and uncertainty of earlier days. "It's just so frustrating! I can't believe we've been here for a year and haven't accomplished anything yet."
"That's not completely true," she objected. "The walls of the city have been rebuilt, and Bumi's cleaned out Omashu. And it's gone back to that name."
"Okay, sure, the easy stuff got done, mostly through a lot of individuals deciding to work together. But this delegation hasn't really done anything. Every little thing has been a major battle. I mean, how hard can it be to return things back to the way they were before the war started?"
"Most people don't remember what things were like before," Katara reminded him as she took a seat across from him. "They're taking the opportunity to build the world the way they want it to be." Aang thought this over. In all this time, this perspective had never occurred to him. However, his insight into Roku's life had shown him that Sozin was already taking small bites out of the Earth Kingdom long before Aang was born. Maybe he needed to be open to the ideas of people who didn't have a background that extended for more than 100 years. It was just possible that their way would turn out to be better.
If you don't want the voice of
Independency forever still,
Then God, sir, get thee to it,
For Congress never will.
"That's a good point," he conceded. "I'll stop complaining about new ideas just because they don't fit in with what I remember from my childhood."
"Good for you." It was clear Katara was teasing him with her tone, but Aang didn't mind.
"I'm still really nervous about this whole negotiation business, though," he continued. "I'd feel a lot better if I felt like this process was getting something done. There's no bond keeping the people united, and I'm starting to worry that Congress will never make any real decisions. I think you were really smart to stay out of it." Katara smiled knowingly at him. She'd initially sat in on some of the discussions, but since there were plenty of representatives from both the North and South Poles, she hadn't felt the need to become an official delegate. Aang wished he had that luxury.
"I know what you mean." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you could bring the power of the spirits to the situation? Maybe go Avatar State and make everybody agree on something?" Aang paused to imagine that situation, and the picture in his mind made him laugh. At least it would make things more exciting. However, he shook his head.
"You know I can't do that. If the spirits want to help out with rearranging the world, they're going to have to show up on their own."
You see, we piddle, twiddle, and resolve,
Not one damn thing do we solve,
Piddle, twiddle, and resolve;
Nothing's ever solved in
Foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy
Philadelphia!
"You could do it," Katara corrected. "You just won't."
"Well, of course I won't! I can't arbitrarily dictate what everybody should do, even if it seems obvious to me. That will just lead to resentment that could cause things to get out of balance again in the future. That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent. I don't want to have to stop a war every two or three years. It's too exhausting."
"So what seems to be the main problem?"
"I think it's about the Earth Kingdom," replied the Avatar. "A lot of their delegates want to go back to the way things were a long time ago, with a bunch of small provinces that rule themselves. There's also the issue of the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Some of the people have been there for generations now, and it's not easy to uproot them."
"Which way are those things going right now?"
"They're not going anywhere! Instead of dealing with the big problems, the Congress chooses to sit and argue about stupid, little details, like demanding that the Fire Navy wear softer colors."
Katara blinked at him.
"You're kidding," she said finally, her tone indicating her disbelief.
"I wish I were." Aang put his head in his hands. "It doesn't help that I'm tired of being in this crowded, stinking city."
They may sit here for years and years in Philadelphia!
These indecisive grenadiers in Philadelphia!
They can't agree on what is right or wrong,
Or what is good or bad.
"I know you prefer the open air," Katara soothed, placing one of her hands on his. He took it gratefully, suddenly reminded of something much more pleasant.
"How long is it until our wedding?" he asked eagerly. A honeymoon was something he could look forward to. It would get him out of the city and away from the endless debates for a whole month.
"Three months." His fiancée looked piercingly at him, although she was grinning. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were using the wedding as an excuse to get away."
"Would I do that?" Aang responded innocently.
"Are you sure they'll be able to spare you?" she said then. Aang snorted derisively.
"They might be here for years without resolving anything," he assured her. "I doubt I'll miss anything big in a few weeks."
At that point, Toph and Hakoda entered the house, and Aang's precious time with Katara came unfortunately to an end. Maybe he could convince her to let him take her out to dinner later. It seemed like ages since they'd had a real date.
"Hi," Katara greeted them. "Would you like some tea?" Hakoda nodded to her and seated himself on a cushion.
"I'd love some," Toph answered as she plopped down at the table. The year since the war had seen Toph grow taller and begin to show signs of womanhood, but her mannerisms hadn't changed much. "Those guys sure can talk!"
I'm convinced the only purpose
This Congress ever had,
Was to gather here specifically
To drive John Adams mad!
"We were just talking about that," said Katara as she poured two more teacups and refreshed her own. Aang hadn't drunk much of his yet. "What do you think about the Earth Kingdom? Should it stay united or split up?"
"As long as everybody leaves the Southern Water Tribe alone, I don't think it's my place to tell the Earth Kingdom what to do," Hakoda replied.
"I can see the advantage of having the whole kingdom united," Toph remarked. "But Ba Sing Se is too far away from the rest of the people, and too hard to get to. There needs to be a more central location. Too bad most of the middle of the Earth Kingdom is desert."
"I can see both sides," said Aang. "On the one hand, having all these small countries doesn't seem very stable, and I can't help thinking it would lead to border disputes and wars like used to happen in Kyoshi's time. On the other hand, the Earth Kingdom has a lot of variety in it, and maybe one government isn't right for them." These arguments went around in his head all the time, making him dizzy, but what really drove him crazy was the fact that the Congress wasn't discussing them!
"Without an outside enemy to unite the people against a common threat, those little disputes might happen whether there's one government or many," Katara pointed out, and Aang nodded miserably, recognizing the truth of her words.
"The present Earth King isn't a particularly strong leader," Hakoda added bluntly what Aang had been thinking. "And he has no heirs, so there could be trouble when he dies."
You see, we piddle, twiddle, and resolve,
Not one damn thing do we solve,
Piddle, twiddle, and resolve;
Nothing's ever solved in
Foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy
Philadelphia!
"Unless we can get him married soon," Katara offered.
"Fat chance," Toph snorted. "I think he's in love with his bear." There was a little guilty snickering at that. On the other hand, the Earth King had learned quite a lot in his months of traveling incognito, so there was hope he could be transformed into a good leader, though there was still the continuity issue to resolve. The Dai Lee had already been disbanded, but some form of authority in the city needed to be established to replace them. Thinking of all the work that yet lay ahead made Aang's head ache.
"Splitting the Earth Kingdom up would also mean a whole new set of negotiations to decide the boundaries of all those countries," Katara added. Aang groaned.
"Did you really have to say that?" he complained, resting his head on the table once more. "I'll probably be expected to attend all of those, too!" A sympathetic chuckle ran through the room, and it was contagious enough that Aang joined in. He looked around at the first family he'd ever really had, eyes resting finally on the girl – no, woman – who'd agreed to share her life with him. As though reading his mind, she reached out a hand, and he took it.
All in all, things weren't really that bad. For this, he could handle a few dozen meetings.
--
Author's Note: It doesn't fit the song exactly, but I enjoyed writing this. I don't think I've seen anyone else deal with the contradiction of how unsuited Aang is to sit through endless meetings with the fact that he'll be expected to do just that.
Review responses:
airnaruto45: Okay, thank you.
Shinobi Bender: Actually, Mai wasn't really in the story. You mean the comment about Mai? Anyway, thank you.
Vanille Strawberry: Yes, which was why I thought he'd be perfect for the song. Well, that and the fact that he is a king. I doubt even Sokka would have been nervous enough about his wedding to make an entire story about it.
nutshak: Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I guess it must be hardto comeup with new metaphors all of the time.:)
Katsumara: Thank you. I've been working on my Maiko ever since it became canon, although I still would have liked to at least see Song again.
JacktheMonkeyxo: Thanks!
Wishing Only Wounds The Heart: Oh, that's okay. I understand if people miss a chapter here and there, but it was just odd that everybody but one left me all at the same time.