Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Avatar: The Wind on the Waves ❯ Chapter 7

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Was a little dry on inspiration, but it's trickling back. Might be another while before the next chapter comes out, but it is at least started.

By the way, yes, this does take place after the Boiling Rock episodes, but before Southern Raiders and all episodes after it because Nickolodeon takes too FUCKING long to release them. I do know some of the finale spoilers but I won't use them until I see them myself.

Ok, enjoy now.

The group had returned to the Southern Air Temple. Seeing as how the Fire Nation would have already come and gone by this time if they had checked the place out, it was decidedly somewhat safe to return there. After a careful search of the place for soldiers and booby traps, the group re-settled in.

Sokka was right, and gladly so. His temper had cooled down quickly after being so angry. True, a part of him was still quite miffed about what had transpired between his sister and the Avatar, but after his talk with Aang and mulling over the situation as a whole, it bothered him a lot less.

It likely also helped that he'd distracted himself with the rescue mission. He hadn't expected Zuko to have been so much the help that he had been. But in the long run, Sokka was relieved that he had. As the group's pseudo-guide to the Fire Nation's inner workings, Zuko was proving his loyalty to them with gusto. Knowing about and even raiding the Boiling Rock prison would've proven impossible without the banished prince's assistance.

Zuko's help at the Boiling Rock had also garnered respect from someone else: Katara. Though still weary, seeing her father free and among them had all but silenced her cold treatment of the scarred boy. Tears of joy had poured down her face, and after she and Sokka had embraced their father tightly, she turned to the fire prince and hugged him as well, a powerful, wordless thank you.

Zuko, naturally, was insanely confused at first. After all, this was the same woman who had threatened to kill him without hesitation if he were so much as suspected of treachery. Not wanting to re-incur her wrath, he accepted the gesture.

Sokka felt as though an entire iceberg had been lifted off of his shoulders. Not only did he have his father back, but his beloved Suki as well. She looked so different without her Kyoshi Warrior makeup on, but, as Sokka would state, that could work to their advantage at some point.

The only individual not pleased for a bit that evening was Toph, but that was only because she was hungry and had been genuinely anticipating a meaty supper that night. As introductions and happy conversations were to be had, she forgot her hunger and joined in.

Jit-Seng did not go without welcome. As it turned out, he had secretly protected Pipsqueak and The Duke once, and when it was found out that he had been `harboring the enemy,' he was branded a traitor and sent to the Boiling Rock to rot. The Duke was overjoyed to see him, as he had not had a chance to thank the man for his help at the time.

The temple was bubbling with joy. From the side, Aang observed the happy goings on with a bittersweet smile.

How many of us will survive this war? Will there be a chance like this ever again?

Aang turned his attention to the architecture above him. Swirling patterns, reminiscent of rolling wind currents brought back memories. Sometimes, on nights like these, the Air Nomads would throw parties just for the sake of doing so. He and Gyatso would bake his famous jelly cakes, and if there were any sourpusses present, they'd have the misfortune of being crowned with them.

Wasn't there a music room on the upper floor of this temple?

A smile broadened on his face, and as the miscellaneous chatter died down for a moment, Aang cut in.

“This is definitely a cause for celebration!” he stated to all present. “And seeing as how there's a music room right upstairs, I say we party tonight in honor of our reunited friends, old and new.”

“There is?” The Duke blinked.

“You went to bed early that night.” Teo explained to the child. “But Haru and I went exploring a little longer. It's loaded with all kinds of instruments.”

“But who here can even play a musical instrument?” Haru chipped in.

“I played the taiko drum when I was in school ages ago.” Said Jit-Seng.

“I found a pipa when me and my dad were living at the other Air Temple.” Teo added. “I played with it a bit to see if I could teach myself. Don't know how good I am or if I was actually playing it the right way, but it sounded good to me when I played it.”

“That could work great!” Aang beamed.

“My uncle actually taught me the tsungi horn years ago…” Zuko scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Then it's settled then!” Aang beamed. “Tonight, we party!”

“Hold on, TwinkleToes!” Toph stamped. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

“Like what?”

“Like food! Seriously, what's a party without FOOD!?”

Aang paused for a moment, thinking. His face lit up warmly.

“Not a problem!” he said. Then taking Katara's hand, he added. “Come on, I'm going to need your help.”

Aang led Katara by the hand through the winding hallways of the temple, carefully firebending a small flame to light the way. Upon reaching a certain door, he looked as though he were mentally counting something. Reassured his calculations were correct, he opened the door to reveal and old, but very neat kitchen.

A long counter stretched around the perimeter of the room with the exception of the doorways. Two long island structures stood in the center of the room, the tops of which were polished marble. Pots, pans, bowls, and woks hung from beautifully styled racks hanging from the ceiling.

When Katara opened a door at the back end of the kitchen, she had been anticipating a pantry. What she hadn't anticipated was the breathtaking view before her. A sprawl of various plant gardens, slightly overgrown from centuries of inattendance, lay before her. Here and there were small fruits and vegetables, both ripe and unripe. Beyond the small, tier-layered gardens were the open skies; they were at such an elevation here that one could look up or down to see white puffy clouds misting by.

Katara only came out of her trance when Aang touched her shoulder. She jumped slightly, but did not cry out. He was watching the view with her, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly before turning to her and speaking.

“Nice pantry, huh?” he smirked. Katara could only giggle in response. “Here's what we can do. I'll start gathering ingredients. Could you dig up the bowls, utensils and other stuff for me?”

“Sure thing.” She nodded.

They went to work with gusto. With every return trip from the gardens, Aang seemed to bring back armfuls of plants and fruits, most of which Katara had never seen before. Aang seemed to arrange them on the islands in a neat order, though by what order Katara could not tell. She was busy finding all the cooking equipment she had been asked to pull out. Soon, everything they needed lay before them on the islands and counters.

Two large, stone stoves were stuffed with firewood and lit to a roaring orange glow. With Aang's assistance, Katara began preparing all manner of recipes completely new to her. Soon, the kitchen wafted with all kinds of delicious smells.

Aang set about making a huge salad, and nothing was quite so amusing as watching an airbender cook at work. Rather than using utensils, Aang airbent the leafy ingredients almost up to the ceiling before twisting the air slightly and mixing the salad more evenly. The repeated movements Aang was using reminded Katara of a conductor directing his orchestra.

In the meantime, Katara busied herself with a stew that smelled sweet, yet strongly herbal. She was amazed by how quickly it thickened up, and when Aang checked up on it, he lowered the flame below it to keep it from overcooking. Together, they prepared nothing short of a great feast for themselves and the others waiting in the main hall.

At first, Katara thought that Aang had gone a little overboard when he had prepared more jelly aircakes than the entire group could possibly eat. A mischievous smirk sprawled over his face, and his voice echoed his expression flawlessly.

“Trust me.” He said. “That's no accident!”

Down below in the main hall, the makeshift `band' was busy tuning their instruments and warming up their playing fingers. A string needed to be replaced on the pipa Teo had, and Jit-Seng was in need of a second drumstick. With a smile, Toph managed to pilfer Sokka's cudgel and blatantly offered it to the former prisoner. Naturally, Sokka was none too pleased, but he was in too much of a good mood to argue it much.

The smells of food wafted down from the kitchen to the hungry crowd below it. Toph drooled at the very thought of whatever was going to be supper while Sokka grumbled that he couldn't seem to smell any meat. This earned him a solid punch in the arm from the blind girl.

“Does it have to be meat all the time for you?” Toph quipped.

“You're one to talk!” Sokka fired back. “Weren't you the one who was all mad `cause I didn't bring any back with me?”

“Yeah, but right now, I'm so hungry that I don't care if it's meat or not. Just so long as it's food! And lots of it!”

“Speaking of food,” Suki chimed in. “I imagine it's gotta be done by now, if not soon.”

“Maybe I should go see if they need help bringing it down.” Sokka suggested, starting for the stairs.

“Naw, I've got it.” Toph pushed past him. “Besides, can you earthbend a huge pot of soup down a long flight of stairs without spilling it?” She paused. “Didn't think so.” And with that, she dashed up the stairs.

Up in the kitchen, the cooking was done, with only a few dishes still bubbling over red coals. Aang and Katara had somehow wound up in a taste testing game that was getting more and more flirty by the moment.

It had started with a remark from Katara about a small red fruit Aang had brought in from the garden. Aang sliced it in half while trying to describe the taste of it. The next thing Katara knew, Aang had playfully slipped a piece into her mouth. She stared at him wide-eyed, and his mirthful eyes conveyed his playful mood.

“There!” he giggled. “Now THAT saves us a whole lot of explanation!”

Katara chewed the fruit thoughtfully, learning the taste for the first time and enjoying it. How could she return that kind of `attack' on him?

“Is it good?” Aang asked when she seemed to stare off into space a bit.

“I don't know, Aang…” Katara suddenly closed the distance between them, her voice low and seductive. “Why don't you tell me?”

She caught him in a deep, open-mouthed kiss that made him freeze up in surprise. It took a moment for his mind to register what was going on, but when it did, he gave himself up to it. Pulling back slowly, Katara stared into his eyes, her own heavily lidded ones drinking in the sight of his tinted cheeks. When Aang didn't say anything, she reached for his face and gently caressed it with her fingertips.

“They don't taste the way I remember them…” said Aang dreamily. “They taste… better.”

“Really…?” Katara whispered in like manner.

Aang nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. Feeling playful, Katara reached for another bit of food to `sample': some tiny orange berries that she had mixed into the soup earlier. Aang raised a quizzical brow, and as Katara popped the berries into her mouth, she immediately understood his expression; these berries were HOT! Her face flushed red and she fanned her hand in front of her mouth to stave off the burning sensation.

“Burn berries.” Aang stated with a laugh. “I was gonna warn you.”

Unable to speak at the moment, Katara shot him a fake look of anger before pulling him into another deep kiss. As a sort of vengeance, she gave him some of the berries, causing his eyes to water from the strong flavor. Instead of pulling back, Aang accepted them, pulling Katara into his arms securely.

Finally unable to stand the heat any more, they broke apart for air. Katara bent some water out of the pump basin and drank it down. Aang looked away for a moment, then exhaled a burst of flame from his mouth straight up into the air. Both took a moment to compose themselves and cool down.

Their eyes locked, and Katara was certain no food would get to the party if they stayed there in the kitchen. Neither seemed bothered by this however. She reached out to cup his cheek in her hand and felt Aang's sweat-dampened skin against her palm. They leaned into one another slowly, their lips brushing against one another.

“Seems like food's not the only thing boiling up here!” came Toph's voice with a snicker.