parallel lines

chapter xxxiii

Word Count: 5,468 words

CHAPTER XXXIII. 戦争と平和

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It was 70 hours before the great comet arrives.

In an attempt to make a master firebender out of Aang as soon as possible, Zuko had focused on the Avatar alone with he kept on focusing on fire alone, forgetting about any element other for the meantime. They said that he was just favoring Natsuko to let her be in rest for the whole day. Natsuko did like the feeling of just laying down instead of being a fierce firebender just as Zuko always demanded from her and her other half.

"Now, let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!"

Aang did well at the first try, but with Zuko's strict training, the master demanded for more fire and more fire did he get. This caused Momo to run towards Zuko's leg to hide. He nodded just as Katara finished making watermelon juice enough for everyone.

"Your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!"

If it was that easy to grab the Avatar just as Zuko held Aang by the fabric covering his back and single handedly lift the said kid from the ground, things would have changed drastically and this wouldn't happen at all.

"Come on, Zuko, give him a break." Suki had spoken on behalf of the company while everyone was indulging on the watermelon juice.

"Fine." just as the firebending master lets the airbender meet his feet to the ground, he immediately runs to Katara and grab his share, "Like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!"

Just as Zuko walks away from them Sokka begins to talk, "Maybe Zuko is right. Sitting around the house had made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that-"

"Beach party!"

The boomerang guy stood up and immediately takes his clothes off, immediately running to the secluded part of the island near a beach. When he rises back to the top of the waters and had seaweed on his head all of the sudden, this sparks a candlelight of idea within him.

The girls of the group was excited to come to the beach as well. Katara also jumped to the water, making her own frozen surfboard. Natsuko was adamant to bring Toph to the waters and help her swim and the Toph in thought was constantly throwing sand balls to the spirit. Suki was laid pretty against a beach blanket, waiting for Sokka who just kept on walking past her with seaweeds and buckets of waters.

Of course, Aang was also there and he just finished his sculpture of a smaller Appa that was better than what Natsuko expected to be. Toph was also impressed by Aang's work, "But I've been working on my sandbending. You're gonna love this."

Toph stood in an earthbending stance before instantly reshaping the sand in front of her, making a sculpture of the whole Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, "You even made a little Earth King and Bosco."

The two of them walked to Sokka who was working on his own sculpture, "Ta-da!"

Aang asked first, "Is that a blubbering blob-monster?"

Natsuko stood beside her other half, "An underwater melted monster of the hut from a star system far, far away?"

"No!" Sokka stopped them from going further, "Its Suki!"

The three earthbenders stood in front and processed before the two laughed and Natsuko tried her best to stifle her giggles, "Suki, we'll all understand if you break with him up over this."

"I think it's sweet." Suki's kindness was too good for Sokka's goofiness and misplaced optimism. They balanced each other well. It shows when Sokka ran to Suki just as she complimented him and placed a kiss on her cheek.