Chapter 30: Intermission
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As the group slowly started to wake up from their slumber, a sense of serenity could be felt in their little camp. Last night had been heart-warming one, and there weren't any sleep complaints either...
"Morning," said Azula, as the first sleepy face started to appear.
"Hi!" replied Suki, stretching out. "I thought Katara would be making breakfast."
"You think I can't cook?" asked Azula, in a mock anger, occupied with making soup in a large pot.
"Nono...just didn't expect that from you," said Suki, laughing. "A princess..."
"So...how many times?" asked Azula, ignoring the previous statement.
"How many what?" asked Suki confused.
"Did waterboy faint?" asked Azula grinning.
"Oh Sokka..." laughed Suki. "...about five times.."
"Seriously? Why didn't you drag him out?" asked Azula, adding some flame to the fire of the huge pot.
"Yeah...after the fifth time, me and Ty Lee decided to drag him out," replied Suki.
"A so-called swordsman and fighter, who fights firebenders everyday, yet faints when he sees his mother?" asked Azula, laughing at the thought.
"Hey, that was a shocker for both of them," replied Suki. "Your boy is a regular hero..."
"Yeah...he usually is," said Azula, as both of them chuckled.
"What smells so good?" asked Sokka' groaning voice, smelling the air.
"Here you go!" said Azula, handing Suki the wooden spoon - giving a 'I've got a reputation to protect' look. "Soup..."
"You feeling better? Or you want to try round six?" asked Suki, chuckling with Azula.
"Nono. This time I'm prepared," said Sokka.
"Fainting infront of your mother? Even I'm not that weak-in-the-knees," added Azula.
"Yeah. Several years of your mother known to be gone, and then...she is infront of you..." he added. "Kinda problematic for a guy."
"What else isn't?" asked Azula, earning another round of laughter.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," replied Sokka. "..women.."
"Actually though - how is Katara?" asked Azula.
"Well...she is...the most happiest in her life, than she had ever been," said Suki. "You basically brought back a person, that Katara had buried, along with her childhood."
"Well, I didn't too much," said Azula, pouring a bowl of soup for her. "Sleeping-boy did!"
"He does have some skills..." added Suki, tasting the soup.
"But he can't dance," said Azula, chuckling.
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Around midday, the atmosphere was still quiet around the camp - namely with Katara, caring for Kya.
"Easy...easy..." said Katara, slowly healing the wounds on her mother - which were a lot.
"Hey, you doing okay?" asked Aang, checking up on her.
"I'm fine," replied Katara, keeping up the healing.
"You should rest, take a break," said Aang. "She isn't going anywhere - relax."
"Oh..." mumbled Katara, letting the water return to the nearby bowl. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was.
"Come eat," he said, taking her hands and helping her outside.
"How is your mother?" asked Zuko.
"Resting..." she replied, still worrying.
"She is here now..." replied Zuko, trying to comfort her. "Eat now.."
"Thanks," replied Katara, getting handed a bowl of the lukewarm stew. Yet a groan interupted her action, as she sprinted back into the tent; Aang barely catching the bowl of stew.
"Mom?! Mom?" asked Katara, arriving back in her tent; her mother had awoken.
"Hey...sweety..." muttered Kya, half-tired.
"Hey..." replied Katara joyously, holding her hand.
"Katara?" asked her brother, arriving at scene. "Oh..."
"Not again!" came another voice - Zhan, giving Sokka a good few slaps, so he wouldn't faint again. "Wakey-wakey, now say hello!"
"I'm good, I'm good! Stop with the slapping!" replied Sokka, shielding his face.
"There's my brave warrior," added her mother, slightly laughing at the scene.
"Yeah..." replied Sokka, laughing to himself. "Hi..mom..."
Zhan had meanwhile stepped outside, to give the family some privacy.
"Hey you," said Azula, as he exited the tent. "Is your hobby fixing the world, one family at a time now?"
"Nope, that's the Avatar's job," laughed Zhan.
"I don't know, seems like he has some competion," replied Azula.
"Maybe..."
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