"Sokka stop!" Laughter filled their room, "Sokka not there!" Suki squealed with laughter.
Sokka stopped tickling her sides, "Hey Suki guess what?"
"What?" Suki placed her head on Sokka's chest.
"We're gonna be married in a week."
Suki's eyes went wide and she let out a scream, "Damn it! Now I actually have to live with you," She laughed as Sokka's mouth opened wide, "Aww honey I was joking. You know I love you."
"Yeah, yeah."
Suki laughed and cupped his face in her hands, "I love you," She kissed his nose.
"Toph let's go we need to get this done."
"Sugar Queen, If I wanted to try on dresses all day I would be more than happy to go with you, but sadly I don't want to try on dresses, I want to sit here on my ass and eat Fire Flakes."
"Yes Toph I know that, but this is for Suki and we don't' have much time."
"Uhg, Fine!" Toph took Katara's arm and dragged her out of the palace doors.
Everyone knows, once you take a shopaholic out of the house and by the stores, you can never get them to leave, without force that is.
"Katara," Toph whined.
"What?"
"Sugar Queen we have the dresses already. Why are we still here?"
"Jewelry, Toph, jewelry."
"Please Katara let's go. You have those earrings that Zuko gave you that I'm sure would match your dress and then you have your mother's necklace that would look good too."
"I was shopping for you Toph." Katara said matter of factly.
"I don't wear any of that stuff."
"Toph you would look so pretty with this necklace!" Katara gasped at the amber colored jewels.
"Wait I get it," Realization came to the young earth bender, "You're going shopping because Zuko gave you an unlimited supply of money."
"No that's not the only reason why," Katara laughed.
Toph snorted, "Katara you're horrible."
Katara laughed, "We need to get you jewelry."
"Okay that necklace is good. Let's go."
"Toph, wait you need earrings."
"No I don't. I'm not putting holes in my ears."
"Uhg fine, time to go."
"We're back!" Toph yelled as they entered the tea room.
"How did the shopping go?" Suki asked from her seat by Sokka.
"Fine, I guess, I mean Katara went-"
"Oh my spirits, Ursa!" Katara yelled with zeal and ran to hug the woman.
"Well Katara went crazy." Toph continued.
Zuko laughed, "She got here about an hour ago when you two were shopping."
"Katara honey, I brought you something that you would just love." Ursa went to her bag.
"Oh Ursa you didn't need to get me anything."
"Well what the hack woman. You didn't bring me or Suki anything?" Toph sat and placed her feet on top of Aang's lap.
"Actually Toph Ursa gave me this." Suki smiled as she held up a fan with the Kyoshi symbol on it.
"Wow it looks amazing!"
"Oh, whoops," Suki laughed, "Sorry Toph, here," She handed the fan over.
"Feels like a fan. Neh." And with that Toph handed the fan back to Suki, "So Ma you didn't get me anything? Well I feel special."
Ursa laughed, "Toph I did get you something, but if you don't want it I'm sure Suki and Katara would love to divide it into twos."
"Oh no, I would love a present."
"Alright, here you go," She pulled out a box and handed it to Toph.
The earth bender opened it and touched its contents, "Yes! Chocolate!"
"Oh Toph you're sharing!" Zuko sat by her, "Earth Kingdom chocolate is the best."
"Sparky back off," Toph broke off a piece and popped it in her mouth.
"Now Katara, I found this when I was doing some errands in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. It is so very old." Ursa took a package out and handed it to the water bender.
Katara opened the package to find a tea set made out of glass. The water tribe symbol was hand painted with the fire nation symbol interlocking in places, "Oh my goodness, this is beautiful," Katara removed a cup carefully and handed it to Zuko. His eye's popped out of his sockets as he traced the markings. On each cup there were different characters, the meanings ranged from love to hatred.
Ursa smiled, "The old woman told me to give this letter to you, it's her mother's story and how she made this set," Ursa handed Katara the letter, "She said her mother wrote it before she died."
Katara took the letter and sat next to Zuko, "Do you guys want me to read it out loud?" Everyone gave a silent head nod, "Okay here it goes," Katara smiled up at Zuko and started to read.
Hello lucky reader, my name is Sakura, and I'm from the Fire Nation. You my child must be brave to love these two nations, or you must love someone from one of these nations. Falling in love is the most precious feeling on this very earth. The spirits granted this gift to us so we may find our special one. When I found my special love, I never would have guessed he was from the Water Tribe.
When I was young I was very beautiful, my friends and family, even strangers, would compliment my appearance. So when it was my fifteenth year I took a trip to Ba Sing Se with my family. He was wealthy, my father, he was head general to Fire Lord Sozin, so we stayed in a lavish house in the upper ring. On the night of my birth day my parents held an extravagant party just for me. The only problem was, I was the only young girl there, so it was easy for me to slip away. I left outside and roamed around, I walked straight on through the upper gates to the middle section of Ba Sing Se. I was bored and lost when he found me.
"Excuse me, miss?"
I turned to see a young man with dark skin and with eyes as blue as the ocean," Yes?"
"May I ask, why a young lady such as yourself is roaming around at night by herself?"
"Yes well, you see, my parents through a party for me and well they invited only people their age."
"Ah yes, that must be tedious."
"Very much so," I smiled and laughed.
"May I ask what this party was for?"
"My fifteenth birthday."
"Fifteen? Well do my eyes deceive me? You are the most beautiful fifteen year old I've ever seen and a very happy birthday to you."
I don't know why, but it felt different when he told me this, I hear it all the time by young men my age, but my heart seemed to flutter and my stomach flipped and flopped when he smiled at me after, "Why thank you," Was all I could say.
"You're very welcome, my name is Dakota," He bowed, "and you my lady?"
"I'm Sakura," I bowed back, very gracefully I might add.
"Ah for the beautiful cheery blossoms no doubt, such a perfect name for a beautiful face."
I laughed, "Are Water Tribe men always so smooth at such talk?"
"Who told you I was from the Water Tribe?" He smiled at me.
"The blue gave it away," I smiled.
"Ah yes, so I'm guessing you're from the Fire Nation?"
"You guess correct, what gave it away? My red clothes, pale skin, black hair?"
He shook his head, "Your eyes, they're the color of amber." I blushed and looked down, "So do you have to be back or are you just going to walk around?"
"Well I kind of lost track of my steps and am now lost."
"Oh well, come with me I'll show you back."
"How do you know where I'm going?"
"Well you're dressed so breathtakingly beautiful, so you must be from the upper ring."
"Right again, captain."
He laughed and offered his arm, "My lady?"
I locked mine with his, he was so strong and built, a handsome young man.
"So Dakota,"
"Please call me Kota, all of my friends do."
"Okay, well Kota, which tribe are you from?"
"The Southern Tribe, I'm here with my father and his friend. My father's friend is the chief and his son, my friend wanted some company in boring Ba Sing Se as he called it."
"Oh so why are you in the middle ring?"
"Boredom, my friend decided to find a pretty Earth Kingdom girl to take out, so I was stuck in the upper ring with nothing to do, so I came down here and walked around, practiced my bending for a bit, and that's when I found you. "
"You said practice you bending? You're a water bender?"
"Yes, does that surprise you?"
"No, well, I mean, um,"
"Yes?"
"Will you please show me some? I've never seen a water bender in action."
"Only if you show me some fire bending." He smirked.
"How did you know?"
"Your skin is hot to the touch. Plus you just have that grace in your step from years of formal training."
I smiled, "You impress me Kota, and you're a great guesser."
"I'm great at reading people and their emotions." He smiled when I blushed and looked forward, "Ah here we are."
"Where is here?" I looked at the water fountain.
"I found this fountain a few days ago, the candles were lit though and the fire reflected off of the water very beautifully. Maybe you could light the candles."
"Well yes, okay," I smiled and took my stance. I breathed in and out and closed my eyes, bringing my hands in front of me and started; I lit the back ones and worked my way to the front. When I was done I lowered my hands and breathed out. Opening my eyes I saw what Kota was talking about, it was breathtaking, the way the fire reflected off of the water looked like the water was on fire and it was moving so fluidly, "Wow Kota you were right, this is beautiful." I looked back and saw him standing behind me smiling.
"That was amazing; I've never seen so much control, while handling fire."
"Thank you, now it's your turn." I sat on the edge of the fountain and smiled at him.
He nodded and walked forward, moving his hands with him he smiled, "So Sakura, what would you like to see?"
"What do you mean?"
"Snow? Ice? Rain?"
"Oh please no rain." He laughed at that, "Well I've never seen snow before-" My hands came out and little snowflakes fell on my palms, "Oh my," I smiled and looked up then looked at Kota who was moving swiftly creating snow. He stopped when he saw me shiver some. He smiled at me and picked some up and made a ball, I laughed and took it from his hand, "A snow ball," I smiled and through it at his arm. His mouth opened and he sputtered many words together, I giggled, "So are all Water Tribe guys like this, or is it just you?"
"You're very funny Sakura, but you've been caught off guard, why don't you look up."
I did and saw all of the snow that he created above my head, "You wouldn't,"
"Oh I would," He let the snow start to drop; creating water on its way down, so I put my hands above my head and let the fire come to me, it heated the water and turned it into steam. Kota laughed, "You know I really wasn't going to soak you."
"Uh huh, sure sure," I hit him playfully on his arm.
He took hold of my hand and held it in his and whispered, "So what are we going to do now?"
"I'm not sure," I whispered back.
"Miss Sakura, if I may confess, if I spend any more time with you I might just fall for you even more then I already have." He smiled shyly and came closer to me so our bodies were touching.
I swallowed and rested my free hand on his chest, "Well Mister Dakota, I think that's a chance I'm willing to take." I bit my lip and smiled up at him.
His eyes went serious as his hand came up and traced from the corner of my eye to the end of my jaw line. "A very brave chance indeed," is what he said before he brought his lips to mine-
"Fire Lord Zuko," A guard interrupted, "Lady Mai's parents are here to talk to you about their daughter's alliance with Azula."
Zuko quickly snapped out of the cute boyfriend mode and went into Fire Lord mode in a split second, "Alright then send them to my office and have some tea made," He stood up and walked to the door, Zuko stopped and turned back to Katara, "Don't continue, I want to hear the rest," He looked at the others, "Do you all mind if we pick up the story after I have this meeting?" Everyone shook their heads, "Good, Aang, Sokka, you two will need to come with me too, for reasons I really don't feel like pointing out right now."
"Okay, be back in a bit babe," Sokka kissed Suki on the cheek.
"Bye-"
"Don't even think about it Twinkles." Toph put her hand in his face.
Aang grabbed her hand and kissed her palm, "Bye Blindness."
"I hate you." Toph hid her blush in her chocolate box.
"Feel free to set the tea set anywhere you choose Tara." Zuko smiled and kissed her forehead.
Katara nodded her head and wiggled her fingers, "Have fun."
Yup it has been a long time, I know, start complaining now!........................ok ok I get it I get it. I'm sorry. lol On the upside, I think this is the most amazing chapter ever! lol I love my little side story of Sakura and Dakota!! Oh and I totally left a cliff hanger! I'm so happy about that lmao. Well you're probably not happy, lol. You're probably like uhg! This is gonna take a year to hear the rest of Sakura's story and what Mai's parents have to say. lol Sorry again.
Any way any last minute ideas as to why Ursa was in the Earth Kingdom? I kinda have my idea, but if anyone wants to add in little details or anything, I'd be more then happy to hear your ideas! 3pts
Oh and if any of you have more then like 20pts then tell me lol I'll write something of your choice. lol I haven't been keeping track. But please be honest. I will check back and count up all your points just to make sure if you tell me.
Remember to comment!!!
Avatar: The Last Airbender (c) Bryke and Nick
