Zuko walked up the stairs leading to the upstairs lounge of the Jasmine Dragon, expecting to find his friends settled around the low table surrounded by couches, engaging in the pastime of their choice, be it picking toes or playing Pai Sho or (something recently picked up) reading the Companion. What he didn't expect was a gleefully enthusiastic welcome.
"Zuko! Glad to see you, old buddy!" At the sight of Sokka's beaming face, arms wide open as if to hug him, a million thoughts raced through Zuko's mind, but the only thing he could get out was:
"Did you guys find a story pairing me and Sokka this time around?"
Sokka's beaming grin was immediately replaced by a frown as he conked Zuko on the head with his fist. "Of course not, you idiot!"
Toph shook her head sadly from her place on the couch. "I'd have thought you would be the last one to get infected by the stories, Hot Guy, but I guess even Fire Lords aren't immune to crazy literature."
"If you call that literature," Katara smirked as she leaned next to Aang on another couch. "Relax Zuko, Sokka has a better reason for his hearty welcome."
Sokka resumed his grin. "This time, you're going to read to us!"
"What?"
Aang shrugged. "We were just talking about the stories we'd read so far, and Katara pointed out how you've never had a turn reading yourself."
"Which makes you the only one among us who hasn't tried reading yet," Sokka continued, "except for Toph because she can't read anyway."
"And I'm glad for that," Toph added.
Zuko secretly agreed with Toph. "And what makes you guys think I'd actually want to read?"
"In the name of fairness, justice and whatever it is about equal turn-ness, we've decided that you, Zuko of the Fire Nation, will read a story to us from the Gaang's Companion!" Sokka proclaimed self-importantly before pushing Zuko down onto an empty couch and plonking the book down on his lap. "So start reading!"
Zuko sighed in defeat as he opened the book at a random page and scanned the titles. His gaze fell on a point in the middle of the page. "Far From Ideal," he read aloud. "Far from ideal, those three words that perfectly describe his position. How can you choose between your heart and your duty to your country? 'Arranged marriages hardly ever ended well; more often than not they ended in bitterness and hard feelings.' Or at least that's what Zuko told himself. So this is supposed to be about me in an arranged marriage?"
"An arranged marriage?" Aang sat up and looked at Zuko in interest. "Now that's something we've never read before."
Sokka groaned. "Correction: it's something you've never read before, Aang. If you've read enough stories in this book like I have, you'll find that there are quite a number of Zuko-in-an-arranged-marriage tales."
"And what normally happens in them?" Katara asked her brother.
"Oh, the female lead's usually some nobleman's daughter in the Fire Nation who got betrothed to Zuko since childhood and has either never met him before or simply loathes him for no apparent reason other than the fact that she was tied up in this betrothal 'without her consent'. Then through one way or another she meets Zuko while he's hunting for Aang and they fall madly in love. Otherwise, she joins Aang and the rest of us and helps save the world, then meets Zuko when he joins us and then fall madly in love."
"So basically the arranged marriage thing is just a back story for the two of them," Toph concluded.
"Pretty much," Sokka agreed. "But anyway, I'm always one to give lousy stories a second chance, or else I would've dumped this book in the trash a long time ago. So since our esteemed Fire Lord here picked out this one, let's begin." He then proceeded to make himself comfortable on the couch while waiting for Zuko to start.
"Zuko, sit." Uncle Iroh gestured to one of the many plush sofas, "We have something we need to discuss."
Fire Lord Zuko frowned. This was not usually how their afternoon tea sessions began. Since taking the throne three years ago Zuko made an effort to have tea with his uncle whenever he visited from Ba Sing Se. Usually they would simply chit chat about happenings in the four nations, or else his uncle would offer his wisdom on various matters of the state. However, today Iroh's voice was more serious than usual.
"Woah woah, hold up," Sokka interrupted. "Iroh's actually in this story? And Zuko's already Fire Lord?"
Toph snorted. "Since your ears don't seem to be working today, I'll assure you that it is true, Snoozles."
"Is it that surprising?" Zuko asked. "It's a story about me after all; it wouldn't be strange for Uncle to be in here, or for me to be Fire Lord, since I am already."
"Yeah well, the thing is usually these arranged marriage stories start before you became Fire Lord, which is when you just got banished and began searching for Aang," Sokka explained. "And Iroh's almost always a side character in those stories, except when he plays matchmaker between you and the other girl."
Zuko cringed. "I don't quite like the idea of Uncle as matchmaker."
Toph shrugged. "Why not? At least we know he'll do a better job than Sokka."
"Hey!"
"Shut up Snoozles, you know it's true."
"So I guess we got lucky then; we found a story that bucks the trend," Katara remarked.
"In that case, full speed ahead then," Sokka declared as Zuko turned back to the book.
Zuko sat on the edge of the couch while his uncle poured tea, and when he was done he asked, "What is it? Has something happened to Aang or the others?"
"No." Iroh stirred his cup absentmindedly. "It is about you Fire Lord Zuko. Despite your hard work there is still much instability within the Fire Nation."
Zuko's eyes widened. Was his uncle saying that he was doing an unfit job of ruling?
"If that's really what Iroh's saying, then you'd better believe it, Hot Guy," Toph said.
"Relax, we all already know Iroh's a wise old bird when it comes to these things," Sokka assured her. "Besides, if Zuko has time to engage in afternoon tea sessions with his uncle, I'm sure his country isn't doing too bad."
"That's good to know," Zuko nodded.
"I am not saying you have not done a good job," Iroh said quickly, "Indeed you have done much for the people. However there is a growing fear among the people that should you die there would be no successor to take your place."
"Why wouldn't there be?" Aang wondered. "Zuko is probably going to marry Mai, and then I'm sure they'll - what's with your face, Zuko?" he asked a steadily blushing Fire Lord.
Toph sighed. "Trust innocent little Twinkletoes to not know a blush when he sees one. I know what it is, and I can't even see!"
"Yeah, about Mai," Sokka spoke up, "well, if things really are like that in this story, there wouldn't be an arranged marriage in the first place, would there?"
"Except if Zuko got betrothed to Mai when they were young," Katara pointed out.
"Then this whole thing wouldn't be titled Far From Ideal in the first place," Sokka reminded his sister, "since Zuko thinks getting hitched to Mai would be anything but far from ideal."
"So then what?" Toph asked a little irritably. "If Zuko's with Mai, but he's getting an arranged marriage, then how does this whole thing work out?"
"The same way every story that pairs Zuko with someone else other than Mai works: either she's already broken up with him, or she's simply a minor character who might as well have not existed," Sokka explained.
"Um, guys?" Zuko interjected. "Seeing that I'm still here and all and can pretty much hear you debating on who my partner will be in this story, why don't we just continue and see what happens?"
"Fair enough," Toph replied, and the others nodded in agreement.
Zuko narrowed his eyes, "What are you suggesting?" Although he believed he already knew it was something he did not like to consider.
"If you were to marry-"
"Marry?!" Zuko practically yelped.
"Yes Zuko, marry," Toph smirked. "You know, where a guy and a girl fall in love with each other and decide to make a vow to stay together for all eter-"
"Toph, I'm four years older then you, I know perfectly well what marriage is," Zuko cut in with an exasperated sigh.
"It would satisfy your citizens as well as provide for the future of the nation. Not to mention it would send a very clear message of stability to the rest of the world." Iroh said calmly.
"I am only twenty! That is too young."
"Yeah, and here we have Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen planning to elope at sixteen," Toph quipped.
"WHAT?!" Sokka turned to look at his bald friend in horror. "Aang, you're going to elope with my sister when you're sixteen?!"
"Of course not, Sokka, we're just - "
"Going to do it when Katara's sixteen, which is two years closer," Toph finished for him.
Katara sent the blind girl a glare she couldn't see. "Toph, you're not helping."
"So what? I still get to see Snoozles freak out - or at least feel it," the earthbender grinned.
"Great, I'm now degraded to someone's object of personal entertainment," Sokka muttered. "I feel so valued."
He did not mention the other reason he wished to wait. Mai, after she left Zuko had been devastated. He still hoped to make amends with her, but if he was to marry then that put aside all chances of reconciliation.
Sokka nodded in understanding. "So she did break up with you in here. Well, the author's got a point Zuko, marrying someone else isn't going to help you get back with her."
"Yeah, I can see that, thanks."
"It is young," His uncle agreed, "And there have been Fire Lords who ruled without a woman at their side.
"So they adopted?" Aang speculated.
"Or they just dumped their wives after their children were born," Sokka added.
Zuko looked as if he was going to smack his forehead. "Look, I know my forefathers were the ones who started the Hundred Year War, but they're not all that heartless!"
"Which leaves us with adoption then," Toph decided, and the Fire Lord simply groaned and said no more.
However, I think in your case it would only help. The Fire Nation has struggled with trade these last three years. There are still strong groups of loyalists, those who want to see you over thrown and return to the ways of your father. This, and of course old grievances have made merchants wary to trade with you. They worry that the Fire Nation will dissolve into chaos at the slightest provocation. A royal marriage would help to solidify your claim to the throne, and of course show the world that the turmoil has ended."
"Must be tough being you," Sokka told Zuko.
"You have no idea."
Zuko pressed his fingers together and examined them. Years of fire bending, as well as the three years of banishment had left them calloused and tough. They did not look like the hands of a leader of men.
"So what should the hands of a 'leader of men' look like?" Aang took a look at his own hands, which were slender and white and bore no mark of the tough training he had to go through while mastering three elements in one year.
Sokka shrugged. "I don't think anyone would bother to find out. People don't choose their leaders based on their hands, right?"
"That would definitely be a strange criteria for picking a leader," Zuko agreed, secretly thinking that his hands were fine just the way they were.
Slowly he looked up to meet his uncle's eyes.
"And who would you suggest I marry?" he said bitterly.
"There are many daughters of noblemen you might consider."
"So then you are suggesting an arranged marriage? I do not want to be paired off with some silly noblewoman I don't even know."
Toph nodded. "That's the worst part about arranged marriages; half the time you've never even heard of the other person's name until the day of the wedding."
"But you wouldn't know about it, since according to you your parents kept you at home so often most people don't even know you exist," Sokka remembered.
"Yeah, but just give them a few more years and I'm sure they'd have already found some nice old merchant whose first wife died for me. And I bet you anything he has bad breath."
"Good thing you joined the Avatar's team then; at least your prospective partner choices are more satisfactory," Katara grinned.
"Yeah, right. A bald 112-year-old, a ruler of an entire country and a ponytailed guy with a boomerang? No thanks."
"Plus we're all already taken, so you wouldn't have a chance anyway," Zuko pointed out. "Too bad that doesn't stop authors from pairing us with each other."
"Too true."
"There are always your old friends Mai and Ty Lee?"
Zuko shook his head, "Not Mai."
"What about Ty Lee?"
Zuko winced. "No thank you."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "You got something against Ty Lee."
"No, it's just that... she's not really girlfriend material."
The Water Tribe warrior shrugged. "Yeah, I get what you mean."
"She is a Kyoshi warrior now."
"So's Suki, but I'm still dating her," Sokka pointed out.
"I think the story means that since Ty Lee's a Kyoshi Warrior, she couldn't marry Zuko since she'd have to move back to the Fire Nation and live in the palace. On the other hand, you could always visit Suki in Kyoshi Island any time," Katara explained.
"You mean, if Aang's willing to give me a ride. I don't plan on swimming to Kyoshi Island, thanks."
"Pity, it would've been a great workout for you, Snoozles."
"Very funny, Toph."
"I that case you are left with few options but a political marriage." Zuko started to protested
"What's 'started to protested'?" Sokka voiced.
"A grammar mistake, Snoozles, and one of the smallest faults in this book. Now shut up and let Zuko continue."
but Iroh cut him off, "Just remember that you would not be doing this for you but for your country."
Zuko weighed the options in his mind. If he refused to marry (at least for now) he would be able to find someone who he truly wished to be with. However, it was a decision that might jeopardize everything he had worked for. On the other hand, if he accepted the proposition it would mean stability of the Fire Nation Royal Family, clear proof that the darkness of the hundred year war had been left behind. But it could also mean a lifetime of unhappiness and regret for Zuko. Arranged marriages hardly ever ended well; more often than not they ended in bitterness and hard feelings. Then again it was not his right to put his needs against those of his country. "I suppose I don't really have a choice."
"You always have a choice Zuko. But you must decide for yourself which is the right one."
"My heart or my head." He muttered quiet enough that his uncle would not hear. After several minutes of silence Zuko sighed, "I will consider it." But inside his heart felt like a stone, heavy in his chest.
Zuko squinted at the book. "What's this line running across the page?"
"A line break. It signifies a break in the story, perhaps of time or location or perspective," Sokka explained.
"You're getting to be quite the guru on these stories, aren't you?" Toph remarked.
Sokka shrugged. "I've learned a few things."
Zuko smiled as the sky bison descended into the tiled courtyard. It had been almost a year since he had last seen his friends. Between his duties as Fire Lord, and Aang's as the Avatar it made casual get togethers difficult. Zuko was delighted to see that not only were Katara and Aang present but also Toph, Sokka, and even Suki.
"Oh, I get it. When you have to choose someone you don't know to marry, get your friends to help you," Sokka said as he grinned at Zuko. "Wise choice."
"Just keep Sokka out of the wedding ceremony though," Toph added, "and no matter what you do don't give him the wedding rings."
"We don't have wedding rings in the Fire Nation."
"Or whatever it is you people trade during weddings."
"Hey, I can handle keeping rings just fine!" Sokka protested.
Katara smirked. "Big talk for a guy who can't even handle fishhooks."
Sokka groaned. "Of course, nobody in this whole room is ever going to forget the slightest idiotic thing I do, are they?"
His friends nodded solemnly and he groaned again.
As Appa landed in the courtyard Aang bounded from the saddle. He had grown several inches since last Zuko had seen him, almost as tall as Zuko himself, most of the babyish features had disappeared from his face.
"I have babyish features?" Aang wondered aloud.
Sokka regarded his friend with a critical eye. "Well, I guess the chubby cheeks might pass for baby fat."
"Mai did say you reminded her of Tom Tom," Zuko contributed.
"Which is probably the only comment on your appearance that she'll ever make, I'm sure," Toph added.
Everyone else climbed down and rushed forward to embrace Zuko, who cleared his throat fully aware that several courtiers were watching with open mouths at the breach in custom, "Aren't we all getting a bit too old for group hugs?"
"No way! Nobody's ever too old for group hugs!" Toph declared.
Toph punched his arm, "Shut up Sparky! We are never too old for hugs!"
"See?"
"Okay, we get it Toph."
Zuko laughed and massaged his arm. He didn't doubt that he would have a bruise there tomorrow. Toph had only gotten stronger with age.
"Yup, and ya'd better believe it," Toph grinned.
"What brings you all here?" Zuko finally asked when they had finished saying hello.
"Well we heard someone was getting married." Toph said in a somewhat accusatory tone.
Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Is the fact that I'm getting married such a crime?"
"Maybe, if Toph is actually secretly in love with you in this story and is jealous of your currently unknown bride - Ow!" Sokka exclaimed as he rubbed his sore arm. "Toph, what was that for?"
"For reminding you that you don't have to add your speculations based on other crazy stories when you're reading. Now never mind Snoozles and get back to the real text, Sparky."
Zuko groaned. "You got that from the story, didn't you?"
"Nope, I'm the one who came up with it. Deal with it."
Zuko sighed, "My uncle told you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, so we're all here to offer you our sage wisdom." Aang beamed.
Sokka glanced at Aang. "No offense to the 112-year-old Avatar, but I don't think 'sage wisdom' is in your description."
"The same goes for you, Wang Fire," Katara shot back.
The Water Tribe warrior shrugged. "Okay, fine, we're all dummies and Iroh's the only one with any wisdom around here. Happy?"
"For once you actually hit the nail on the head, Snoozles," Toph affirmed.
"I still can't believe it." Sokka said, "I thought I was getting ahead of all of you."
Zuko shot Sokka a strange look, but then noticed the blue stone pendent hanging at Suki's throat. "Congratulations."
Sokka looked exhilarated. "I'm getting engaged to Suki! Finally one of these stories gets it right!"
"Why, do you always get paired with other people instead?" Aang asked him.
"Yeah. I've seen a few where Suki and I are together, of course, but for the most part I get Toph or Ty Lee or some weird chick thought up by the author."
"So Zuko isn't the only one who gets a self-created character thrown his way," Katara concluded.
"Not by far. Almost every guy we know has had his turn with these types, like Aang, Jet, Haru... the list goes on!"
"Hey, can we cut out the listing and just get back to the story already?" Toph interjected. "I'm not interested in some writer's interpretation of your love lives, thanks."
"Thanks. It was about time." Suki leaned forward conspiratorially, "If you ask me I think Sokka was having a hard time carving it."
"So true," Katara sighed.
Everyone laughed but Sokka who puffed out his chest indignantly, "I was not! I was just taking my time, you'll notice what a good job I did."
"I'm pretty sure Suki thinks anything Sokka makes is amazing, even if he made a statue of her with two heads," Toph smirked.
"He did get close enough though; remember his sand sculpture of her back on Ember Island that looked more like Appa?" Katara laughed at the memory.
"Oh, everyone's a critic," Sokka muttered. "I'm doing it for her anyway, so as long as she likes it everything's fine."
"We don't know whether she actually does like it or not," Aang pointed out.
"I know." Suki said and kissed him on the cheek making Sokka grin.
"And there's another line break," Zuko reported. "How many of these things do they have in a story anyway?"
Sokka beamed triumphantly. "Who cares? Now we know Suki does likes my necklace."
"Yeah, yeah, get over yourself Snoozles," Toph said nonchalantly. "At least I don't have to wear anything you make. Which reminds me: I'm just asking this out of pure curiosity, but in those stories you read where we're together, did you give me a necklace as well?"
Sokka shrugged. "I never paid attention to that."
"Might be a good thing as well."
"Well this one's kinda pretty."
Sokka and Zuko sat together at a desk, poring over the files Uncle Iroh had given them. Zuko was supposed to choose between the seven girls that were his "options".
Toph blinked. "Woah, woah, woah - Zuko picked Sokka to help him choose a bride?!"
Sokka gave her a hard look. "And is that particularly incriminating to you?"
"No, just that Zuko doesn't know what he's getting himself into."
Zuko shrugged. "Sokka's my friend, I don't think I'd mind him helping me out."
"Yeah well, this is the guy who called you an angry jerk. You should've picked Twinkletoes, he would've been more help. Oh wait, he'd be too busy cosying up to his own bride."
"Not funny, Toph," Aang told her while trying to hide his evident blush.
"Why don't we just continue the story and let it decide whether I can help Zuko decide on a girl?" Sokka said, still giving Toph a pointed look she wouldn't be able to see. "Zuko, just go on."
However it had been over a week and Zuko was no were near making a decision. To him they all seemed petty, shallow, and vain. Zuko had asked Sokka and Aang to look things over in the hopes that their incite might help him decide. However, Aang had gotten bored—he might no longer look as young but he was still every bit as energetic—so now it was just Sokka and Zuko.
Sokka nodded. "So he's not too busy with my sister after all. That's good to know."
"I dunno, Snoozles - his boredom might just be an excuse," Toph piped up.
"Maybe I just don't like looking at files of Fire Nation girls," Aang suggested.
"Which confirms the boredom theory, I guess," Zuko decided.
Zuko threw his head back in defeat, "This is ridiculous! How can I just be expected to decide something like this overnight?!"
"Actually, it's been more than a week according to the story," Sokka pointed out.
"It's still a rather short time in which to choose someone to marry though," Katara said. "I mean, you'd be living together for the rest of your lives - it's only natural to want to know more about your future partner."
"So in other words, just save yourself a whole ton of trouble and stick to Mai," Sokka told Zuko.
"I have no intention of doing otherwise," the Fire Lord reassured his ponytailed friend.
"Hey, I get that this isn't ideal, but at least you can still choose." Leave it to Sokka to be the optimist.
Katara raised an amused eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like Sokka. He's more of the pessimistic type."
"The kind who inflicts suffering on himself," Aang added while grinning, remembering their encounter with Aunt Wu.
"Aren't you two the best friends ever," Sokka muttered grouchily.
"I don't know, it just feels so wrong. I feel like I'm just buying her."
There was heavy silence as Sokka shuffled through the papers.
"What about Satu?"
"Who?" As much as he had tried to concentrate all the names seemed to run together in his mind.
"Satu Chei Ton." Sokka pulled out her portrait, a teenage looking girl with sad almond eyes and a pinched mouth.
Toph pursed her lips. "'Sad almond eyes'? Are there happy eyes then?"
"Maybe her hobby's crying and sobbing melodramatically," Sokka speculated.
"Doesn't sound like a prospective match to me," Zuko spoke up.
"Yeah, because you prefer Mai's emotionless expression to tears of passion," Sokka remarked.
The scarred teen smirked. "By far."
"Isn't she the one whose first husband died in a naval accident?"
"That's pretty tragic," Toph commented.
As well as a portrait each file contained a brief description of the girl in question: her likes, dislikes, and a short summary of her life.
"No, that was Jian," said Sokka consulting his list, "It says here that Satu lives in Fire Fountain City with her parents and two sisters. She enjoys poetry, reading, and taking strolls in the garden."
"She sounds boring."
"No kidding," the real Zuko agreed. "She sounds like those noblemen's widows my mom always took me and Azula to visit when we were little."
"The kind who always fawns over you and proclaims you to be the most adorable thing on the face of the earth? Yeah, I know those types," Toph said before grinning. "But they do give you candy."
Zuko smiled slightly. "Yeah, they do."
Sokka sighed. "Oh well, what do we know about the high class lifestyle, right?" he remarked to his sister and bald friend.
"Listen to this. Satu is highly educated on politics and other social matters." Sokka beamed triumphantly but Zuko just groaned and rested his forehead on the desk's cool surface.
"Tables do have rather cool surfaces," Aang confirmed. "They're great for taking short naps during meetings."
"Except you're not actually supposed to do that at meetings, right?" Katara said as she looked at her boyfriend.
The Avatar grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know."
"That's not really what the wife of the Fire Lord does Sokka. Sure, she's an inspiration to her people but the title of Fire Lady doesn't really carry much weight. It will still be my job to oversee foreign and domestic affairs."
"Oh." Sokka looked slightly crestfallen. "Well if you ask me she's still the best. At least she doesn't have a pet pygmy puma named Foofoo."
"Remember what I said about the girl whose first husband died in an accident?" Toph asked.
Sokka frowned slightly as he tried to remember. "You said it was tragic?"
"Yeah, well, I just realized I was wrong. The pygmy puff is more tragic." Everyone chuckled over that.
Zuko smiled - that had been in one of the first files he had read.
"You really think she's the best?" Zuko reached over and grabbed the file. He scanned the file; she was a non-bender, 18 years old, raised in the wealthy family of an official. Then he turned over to her portrait. Her sad eyes seemed to follow him. Zuko threw down the folder, "Fine."
Toph shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously? That line back there made the girl sound creepy. I mean, if her eyes on paper can actually follow people and are continuously described as 'sad', that must be a warning signal. Only someone desperate would want to marry her."
"I do sound rather desperate in the story," Zuko reminded her.
"Yeah, you have my sympathies, Sparky."
"Thanks."
"I can't believe it!" Sokka exclaimed to no one in particular, "Zuko's getting married! Come here buddy!" Zuko barely managed to ward off Sokka's hug, "We should tell the others. That way we can celebrate."
Zuko smiled but he didn't feel like celebrating. He was getting married, to a girl he didn't even know.
Zuko turned the page over, only to meet a blank sheet of paper. "I think that's the end of the story so far."
"Fine by me," Toph replied. "I'm not particularly thrilled at the idea of hearing about your romantic story with some girl you got hitched to without having even met her."
"You never know with these stories though," Sokka said. "Some of these arranged marriage tales actually turn out pretty decent."
"If you say so, Snoozles, but there isn't any more of this one for the time being anyway and I'm bored." Toph arranged herself in a more comfortable position on the couch. "How about you choose something else interesting, Sparky?"
Just got through two weeks of prepping for yet another round of mid-term exams (we have quite a number of them here) but on the bright side I got what must have been my highest mark in Biology! Woot! Anyway, many thanks to Bastetmoon for today's story, and I hope to see you all again soon! Bye!