Avatar Zuko

Chapter 28

“Guys! We shouldn't be wasting time with this!” Complained Sokka, extremely annoyed that his sister had decided it was a good time for them all to go on vacation.

“Oh, lighten up, Sokka, we might as well have some fun whilst we're training Zuko.” Replied Katara happily, holding the map (for the first time in her life) as they walked towards her destination; Appa had gotten tired of flying a few miles back so he too was walking.

“Plus, since we keep going to random locations, Azula and her friends will have a hard time tracking us.” Added Aang, who had already gone to his vacation spot and had played with a bunch of mole-things.

“What about the Fire Nation?! Have you forgotten about them taking over the world and trying to kill us?! We should be trying to stop them!” Argued Sokka desperately, turning to each member of his group for support.

“We are trying to stop them by getting me to master all the elements.” Said Zuko boredly, probably not interested in doing anything further to take down the Fire Nation due to his, uh, ties there.

“No! I mean we should be making a plan, or gathering intelligence!” Tried Sokka again, still gaining no support.

“I have plenty of intelligence on the Fire Nation, there's no reason to research stuff I already know.” Protested the firebender, crossing his arms and staring the other man down.

“Look, we'll finish up on our vacations and then we'll go look for Sokka’s ‘intelligence’, that apparently Zuko doesn't already have. But first we're doing this- over that hill is supposed to be the Misty Palms Oasis! The most beautiful oasis in the entire Earth Kingdom desert!” Explained Katara happily, still leading the way but now with Aang eagerly rushing by her side.

They walked over the mound of sand that Katara had incorrectly labeled as a ‘hill’, Toph holding onto the non-bender’s arm as the sand made it difficult for her to ‘see’, and saw the supposed incredibly beautiful oasis. Yet all Sokka could see was a dry patch of sand, with a small bar-like building off to one side. It was nice enough, a little less boring than the rest of the desert and with more people milling around, but definitely not the amazing oasis that Katara had clearly envisioned it to be.

“Uh, so is it nice? I can't feel that much except for a fuzzy building.” Asked Toph, snapping Sokka’s sister out of her disappointed stupor.

“It's… Dry. Come on, let's go to the bar and grab a drink.” Suggested Katara, plodding over to the small, rocky building (that housed a few customers) grumpily.

“You mean we had the option of alcohol this entire time, and you never let me drink any?!” Questioned Zuko angrily, running after Katara, possibly to burn her face off- Sokka wasn't particularly bothered.

“Nope! No alcohol!” Protested Aang, also rushing after the waterbender.

That left Sokka and Toph to follow them, with the former waving cheerily at passer-bys so they didn't get mad that their friends were currently having a loud argument about whether or not they'd be having any alcohol. Zuko was under the impression that yes they should, Katara and Aang and the bartender (who was very firm about Zuko being underage) disagreed- but this didn't deter the firebender at all. Unfortunately, in their confrontation, Aang accidentally bumped into a man at one point and the guy spilt his drink all over the hyper-active airbender, who immediately dried himself.

“Oh spirits! You're an airbender!” Exclaimed the man, before rootling round his person, apparently for something Aang could sign.

“Yes! Uh, who are you?” Asked Aang sweetly as the guy grabbed his hand and began to shake it with a furiosity that seemed almost painful, until Zuko grabbed his wrist and snapped it round, forcing him off of the airbender and causing him to release a yowl of pain.