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Sokka thumped his head into the top of the chair he was sitting backward on, adding to the bright-red chair-thumping marks already on his forehead. “Why is it so hard to convince people to just vote for a protected species bill?” he complained. “Republic City University got out three days ago and Mai finished grading, so she's back in the Fire Nation already, and half the ambassadors have already left for winter recess, so Ty Lee and most of the other Kyoshi Warriors got to leave too, but we're still stuck here trying to convince a few holdouts to do the right thing. I mean, arguing over that infrastructure bill was one thing, but what kind of monsters don’t want to protect flying lemurs and sky bison and bears?”
Suki, who was sprawled across the couch, lowered the book she was holding and raised an eyebrow at Sokka. “I seem to remember you trying to sacrifice Momo to the sea serpent the first time we went to Ba Sing Se.”
“Momo?” Zuko sat up from where he had collapsed on the bed, surrounded by books and scrolls and letters and a baby red dragon.
Sokka threw a hand over his heart. “I was a different person back then and now I’m trying to keep others from making my same mistakes.”
Zuko threw himself back down on the bed and sighed deeply. Druk got up from the edge of the bed and curled up on Zuko’s chest. Zuko started petting the tiny dragon. “I wish Izumi was here. She’d give all the other ambassadors and representatives her koala-puppy-dog eyes and they’d agree right away.”
“You good, buddy?” Sokka asked, concerned. “That’s the tenth time you’ve brought up Izumi today. She’s only been in the South Pole for a week and we’re heading down there tomorrow for the Winter Solstice Festival.”
“I know,” sighed Zuko. “But this is officially the longest I’ve ever gone without giving her a hug. Tomorrow seems so far away.”
Sokka looked at Zuko with wide eyes, did some mental calculations, then looked just as forlorn as Zuko. “Great,” he sniffled. “Now I miss Izzy too. And this is the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing Katara, and she won’t get to the South Pole for days. Not to mention Momo. I miss that little dude. I bet negotiations would go a lot faster if Aang had left him with us.”
Zuko sighed, gloomily.
Sokka sighed, sorrowfully.
Zuko sighed again, morosely.
Sokka sighed again, despondently.
Suki snapped her book shut and hopped to her feet. “You know what would cheer you two up? Shopping.”
Sokka lept up from his chair, glumness falling to the wayside. “You know me so well! I've been meaning to get a new bag for weeks.”
Zuko groaned and grabbed a pillow to cover his face. Druk chirped excitedly and curled up on the pillow. “You two go ahead.”
Suki picked up Druk with one hand and used her other hand to pull the pillow off Zuko and toss it on the couch. “Come on, Zuko. You're not going to see Izumi any sooner by moping and we're not going to make any progress on this bill before we leave tomorrow. Just take a break. What's the big deal?"
"Fine," Zuko said, but made no move to actually get up.
"Now who's lounging around like a snail sloth?" said Sokka.
Zuko grabbed another pillow from the bed and chucked it at Sokka. Sokka caught it and threw it back. It landed on Zuko's head with a thump. Zuko made no move to take it off.
Suki threw the pillow back at Sokka with her Druk-less hand and then pulled Zuko to his feet. "You can’t just stay in your room and sit in the dark every time you start wallowing.”
"Yeah, Lounge Lord," Sokka teased. He picked up his, Suki's, and Zuko's jackets and slung them over his arm as they all headed out the door. "Now we know - the real reason you turned the Fire Nation into a constitutional monarchy, made sure the Fire Sages recognized your mom as a valid regent, abdicated, and became an ambassador was so you could sit around and sulk."
Republic City's market was the second-biggest in the world, after Ba Sing Se. There were merchants from three nations and stalls with Aang-approved Air Nomad-inspired wares. No matter how many times they went, Sokka always found a new shop to explore - which made it easy for Suki to grab Zuko by the wrist and drag him into a tea leaf shop while Sokka was distracted by a bag-and-matching-belt store.
“Zuko, if I tell you something, can you promise to keep it a secret?”
Zuko narrowed his eyes. “What’d you and Ty Lee do this time?”
Suki crossed her arms. “Why do you always think we caused some political scandal?” she asked. “It only happened, like, twice-”
“Seven times and counting,” Zuko corrected her.
“No, that stuff with the Northern Water Tribe doesn’t count,” protested Suki. “Sixteen is baby. That’s way too young to get married.”
“Fine, six times. But that’s not much better.”
"Eh," said Suki. "Tomayto, tomahto. You say diplomatic incident, I say direct action."
"Katara had to heal eight ambassadors."
Suki smiled, rather proud at the reminder. “So is that a yes?”
Zuko looked somewhat suspicious at what was to come. Hesitantly, he said, “...Yes?”
Suki glanced out the window of the tea shop. Sokka was comparing a belt with six different bags and Druk kept burrowing into each to decide which was the comfiest napping option - it would be a while before Sokka noticed their absence. Suki turned back to Zuko with a massive grin and sparkles in her eyes. “So you know how the Winter Solstice is Sokka’s favorite time of year and he gets us all to go to the festival every year because he loves it so much?”
Zuko, still confused and a bit concerned, said, "Yeah?"
Suki’s grin grew even wider. “I’m going to propose to Sokka during the festival.”
Zuko’s eyes lit up and his lingering gloominess was replaced with a grin to match Suki's. “Suki, I’m so happy for you two!”
Suki looked out the window at Sokka again. Sokka had decided on one bag and Druk had decided on another. Sokka was trying to coax the small dragon out of his chosen bag and into Sokka's favorite. Based on Sokka's hand motions, he was attempting to use logic to explain to Druk how much better his chosen bag was - but it looked like logic wasn't doing much to sway Druk. Suki turned back to Zuko with a mushy expression. “We’ve talked about getting married for years and we’ve gotten really serious about it in the last few months," said Suki, "but I really want to surprise him with an actual proposal.”
“Sokka will love that," Zuko said earnestly. "He's going to be so excited."
“Hey, Zuko,” Sokka said after dragging Zuko into a shop while Suki was distracted by a fan store. Druk was asleep in Sokka's new bag - Druk had won the bag battle and all their jackets were slung over the top of the bag instead of shoved inside since it was too small even without Druk.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“You know how the Winter Solstice is the best time of year and the festival is so much fun?”
“Yeah!” Zuko said, so enthusiastically that Sokka gave him a quizzical look.
“I’m going to propose to Suki!”
“Oh!” said Zuko. “Wow! She’s, uh...she’s gonna be so surprised!”
“Well, we’ve been talking about it for a while,” said Sokka, thankfully not noticing Zuko’s awkwardness. “But I want to make it official and the festival seems like the perfect time.”
“Yep,” Zuko said weakly. “Suki couldn’t have thought of a better time herself.”
Zuko spent the rest of the night trying to keep Suki and Sokka from finding out about one another's proposal plans.
"Do you think I should bring flowers?" Sokka asked Zuko. "Look at this one! It has blue and yellow and green. I could say something like, 'Suki, just like the colors of this flower are intertwined, will you intertwine your life with mine?'"
Zuko looked over at Suki, who was, thankfully out of earshot. She held up a vase with a white jade bush flower and pointed at Sokka, then at the flower. She came close to touching the poisonous flower and Zuko shook his head vigorously. Suki looked confused, but she put the flower down.
"I guess that was pretty bad, huh?" Sokka said. He set down the flower. "What if I said-"
"Druk needs a snack!" Zuko interrupted just as Suki walked up. "Let's get dinner!"
"Katara's been teaching me Southern Water Tribe dances," Suki told Zuko while they were in line for food. Sokka had split off to search for an open table in the plaza, Druk still asleep in his new bag.
Zuko took a cautious step away from Suki. The last time she'd tried to dance hadn't ended well for anyone and Katara had had to heal Zuko's bloody nose after Suki's disastrous dance attempt.
Suki rolled her eyes. "I was thinking I could shock him with my new dancing abilities and then ask him-"
Sokka, who had apparently been unsuccessful in his hunt for a table, popped up next to them in line.
"-whether Druk is good at picking out bags!" Zuko said quickly, then grimaced. Why had he said that? That was the stupidest redirect ever, there was no way Sokka would believe-
"You know, he really is," Sokka said, running a considering hand along the sturdy bag strap. "It's small, but Druk still has room to grow and it'll hold up just fine even once he's a bit bigger. And really, I already have a lot of big bags. Druk made a good call choosing the smaller one."
Zuko shuffled Suki and Sokka out to the transport balloon right after the pair woke up the next morning, breakfast and lunch shoved in a basket and their bags stuffed full of whatever Zuko thought seemed important enough to pack. “You two go on ahead to the South Pole,” Zuko said, standing at the entrance of the transport balloon and desperately hoping neither of them would mention the proposals before Zuko figured out what to do. “I’ve just got to grab some new clothes for Izumi from the Fire Nation and then I’ll be there.”
“You’re going all the way back to the Fire Nation just to pick up some clothes?” Sokka asked incredulously. “She can just wear village hand-me-downs - I’m sure Dad can figure out who’s wearing Katara’s old clothes. She even had a parka with a moon on it for a while! I’ve got to track that one down for Izzy, it’ll be too big for her but she’ll grow.”
“Uh, right,” said Zuko. “But I still need her, uh...her Appa plushie! Anyway, bye, see you soon, give Izumi a hug for me!”
Zuko slammed the opening to the transport balloon shut and fled before they could ask any more questions.
“Thanks for meeting on such short notice, everyone,” said Zuko, looking out at the serious faces around the family room of their house right across from the palace. Ursa was meeting with Prime Minister Piandao and Ikem was at rehearsal for a new play debuting the following month and Mai’s mom and aunt were working at the flower shop, but he’d found Mai, Azula, Ty Lee, Kiyi, and Tom-Tom and gathered them all for an emergency meeting. Druk was curled up on Mai and Hawky, who was staying in the Fire Nation with Mai since the South Pole was too cold for him, was staring down at them from the perch Sokka had installed near the ceiling.
“You literally rounded us all up and made us come,” Azula said.
“It was an emergency, okay? We’ve got a problem.”
“Did Kiyi and Tom-Tom finally get expelled from school?” Mai asked.
“Did Azula and Suki and Ty Lee and Mai start another diplomatic incident?” Kiyi asked.
Azula thought for a moment. “Not unless you count the-”
“Nope!” Ty Lee quickly interrupted. “No incidents here!” Quickly, she continued, “Did Hakoda and Bato decide to keep Izumi in the South Pole forever?”
“No one would keep Izumi forever, she’s a menace,” Azula said flippantly.
“Azula!” Ty Lee gasped.
“She’s right,” Kiyi agreed.
“Kiyi!” Zuko said, betrayed.
“What? I love her, but she always wants to have sleepovers.”
“You’re super annoying and I still hang out with you,” Mai told Kiyi dryly.
“I love you too, Mai,” Kiyi giggled.
“We’ve gotten off-track,” Zuko said. “The real problem is way worse. Suki told me she’s going to propose to Sokka during the Winter Solstice Festival this week.”
“Why’s that a problem?” Mai asked. She tossed a knife up in the air and caught it again. “They’re good together and they’ve been dating for ages. Not everyone can decide to get engaged over the graves of their boyfriend’s ancestors and then immediately pick up all their friends and elope in Ba Sing Se and hide it from the council for a year.”
Zuko smiled sappily at Mai. “True. Not everyone can be so romantic.”
Azula rolled her eyes. “You’re both gross and I regret tagging along to the elopement. Although I did get to see Uncle cry, so I suppose it wasn’t a total waste.”
“Ooh!” cried Ty Lee. “Not that your tea shop spur-of-the-moment wedding wasn’t sweet, because it was, but maybe this time I can help plan a big wedding! Suki's been talking about proposing for months and now it's finally happening! Zuko, you're so lucky that you get to see them be so sweet and romantic."
"You can come, if you want," Zuko offered desperately.
Ty Lee made a face. "Sorry, Zuko. The South Pole is way too cold and it's dark all day every day in the winter. My aura would be awful."
“So why is this a problem?” Mai asked again.
“The problem is…” Zuko paused dramatically. “...an hour later, Sokka told me he’s going to propose to Suki during the festival.”
Ty Lee squealed and grabbed onto Azula’s shoulders, jumping up and down. “That’s sooooo romantic,” Ty Lee cried. “Can you imagine? They both love each other so much and their auras are so in-tune they decided to propose at the same time? That’s true love.”
Azula, who had stayed shockingly still while Ty Lee held onto her shoulders and bounced, rolled her eyes. “Or, since they already decided to get married and just want to make their engagement official, the festival is just a glaringly obvious place to propose.”
Ty Lee slumped. “Yeah, maybe.”
Azula floundered for a moment, then set a hand on Ty Lee’s shoulder. “Um, or maybe it’s only obvious because they’re so in love and know each other so well.”
Ty Lee beamed at Azula.
Kiyi wrinkled her nose. “Why would anyone want to get married? Gross.”
“Mai and I are married,” Zuko pointed out.
Kiyi grinned at Zuko. “Gross.”
“Well, I think it’s cute,” Tom-Tom said, sticking out his tongue at Kiyi.
Kiyi stuck out her tongue back, but admitted, “I guess it’s gross and cute. Kinda.”
“Zuko seems pretty stressed about all this,” said Ty Lee. “His aura is all tangled up. Does anyone have any good ideas?”
“Just lock them in a cave together until they get engaged?” Tom-Tom suggested.
“She said good ideas,” drawled Mai.
“Yeah, Tom-Tom,” Kiyi piped up. “They’re getting engaged, not admitting their feelings.”
Mai narrowed her eyes at Tom-Tom and Kiyi. “Do we even want to know what you two have been getting up to at school?”
“Nope,” chorused the pair.
Zuko pressed two fingers to his unscarred temple. “Azula? You’re great at planning. Can’t you come to the festival and fix this?”
“No. Aang’s stopping by to work on his lightning bending tomorrow, then my therapist wants to start systemic family therapy. Mother is coming along this week; you’re up next week, then Ty Lee, then Mai-”
“Do I get to go?” Kiyi asked eagerly.
“Not for a while. I don’t have any deep-seated psychological issues with you. Anyway, after Mother and I have our session, I’m going to Fire Fountain City with Prime Minister Piandao to meet the new mayor.”
“This week is going to be a disaster,” Zuko groaned.
“Just ask Katara what to do, Dum-Dum. She’s got to know what’s going on.”
Zuko made a face. “I wish I could. But she’s been at the North Pole for weeks with Gran-Gran. Officially, she’s teaching them how to do blood transfusions using waterbending and Gran-Gran is taking Hama to see the mind healers again. Unofficially, Katara is trying to convince Chief Arnook to let the Northern Water Tribe elect their leaders and representatives since she’s already gotten the rest of the world to follow the Southern Water Tribe form of government. She and Aang aren’t getting to the festival for days.”
Azula smirked. “She’s gonna throw a fit when she realizes they got engaged while she was gone.”
“None of you are any help at all,” Zuko sighed.
Mai stood, set Druk in Kiyi's lap, and then pressed a kiss to Zuko’s scarred cheek. “You’ll be fine,” she said. “Tell Izumi I love her and give her a hug from me. And if you’re still worried, bring Toph along. Her students could use a break from classes.”
Toph was weaving between students, correcting stances by sending up columns of rock. One young student had such a bad stance he was about to fall over, but Toph sent up three columns to steady him and force his feet into the right position. Zuko stood in the doorway, Druk tucked in his pocket and waiting for the class to finish, but Toph smirked and told the students to stop their stances.
“Everyone say ‘hi Ambassador Sparky’ to our guest,” Toph instructed.
“Hi Ambassador Sparky,” the students loyally chorused. Zuko spotted King Bumi alongside the students.
“Alright, class dismissed. Go get lunch, you lily-livers. But there’d better still be jennamite left when I get there. Bumi, that means you.”
“Fine,” King Bumi said moodily. “Good to see you again, Ambassador Zuko.”
“You too, King Bumi,” said Zuko, bowing. “I didn’t know you were taking metalbending classes with Toph.”
“You’re never too old to learn a new skill!”
“Yeah, okay, old man,” Toph said sarcastically. As Bumi walked away, she turned to Zuko with a smirk and said, “He lost our last Earth Rumble and finally decided to learn metalbending so he can keep up with me. It’s hard to teach an old goat-dog new tricks, but I’m a great teacher, so he’s getting there. Anyway, what’s up, Sparky? How’s Sparkles doing?”
“She’s in the South Pole for the Winter Solstice Festival,” said Zuko. “And I need you to come too.”
“Me? Why?” Toph crossed her arms and frowned. “What’d you do?”
“Suki and Sokka both told me they’re proposing to each other during the festival and I don’t know what to do or who to help and no one else has had any good ideas and I’m panicking, Toph. Please?”
“I dunno,” Toph said. “I mean, my students have a lot to learn before they can call themselves metalbenders. And I should really check on the factory soon.”
“We can go on a life-changing field trip afterward?” Zuko offered.
“A real one this time? Because working customer service with you at the Jasmine Dragon for three weeks doesn’t count.”
“Uncle really needed the help,” Zuko protested. “Mai was guest teaching at Ba Sing Se University for a semester and she convinced Uncle to teach a course on tea making and he left me in charge and I’m terrible at dealing with upset customers.”
Toph snorted. “I'm not much better. Remember when I fought that guy out back over two coppers? Or when that one customer was such a nightmare I quit right then and there?”
“I wish I could’ve just set down my apron and walked out like you did,” Zuko sighed.
“You were literally the Fire Lord at the time. I can’t believe you let yourself get yelled at by grumpy customers.”
“Uncle would’ve been disappointed.”
“That’s fair.”
“So will you come?” Zuko asked hopefully.
Toph socked Zuko in the arm, smiling. “The things I do for you.”
It got darker and darker as they got closer to the South Pole. Zuko tried to savor the last hint of sunlight before it disappeared over the horizon completely, the stars and the moon and the fire fueling the transport balloon the only light left even though it was the middle of the afternoon.
“I’ve been to the South Pole so many times, but the winter is always rough," Zuko sighed. "It’s dark all the time.”
“Oh no, what a nightmare,” Toph drawled.
“Er - sorry Toph,” Zuko yawned. “If I fall asleep, just kick me or something.”
Toph kicked Zuko and Zuko yelped.
“What was that for?”
“Stop yawning and pay attention to where we’re going, Sparky. These balloons are bad enough without a tired operator.”
The torches and fires and multi-colored lights strung between igloos came into view not long later. Zuko set down the balloon outside a large ice structure just outside the village and he and Toph dragged the balloon into the structure, which housed several other transport balloons so they didn’t blow away in storms. They pushed their balloon right next to the one Suki and Sokka had taken the day before.
“DADDY!”
Izumi came hurtling through the ice structure entrance and threw herself into Zuko’s arms. She was wearing a too-big parka with a crescent moon on the front. Zuko picked her up and hugged her tightly. Druk curled himself around Izumi’s neck like a scarf, cuddling his head up under her chin.
“I missed you so much, Sunshine.”
“I missed you too, Daddy,” Izumi sniffled, her head tucked in Zuko’s shoulder.
“Mom told me to give you a hug from her,” Zuko said, then hugged Izumi even tighter. “So this is two hugs in one.”
Izumi giggled and Zuko shifted her so she was sitting on his hip. Hakoda was standing at the entrance of the ice structure, a torch in his hand and a smile on his face.
“Thanks for looking out for her this week,” Zuko called. He took Toph’s hand to guide her between the transport balloons and crossed the building to stand near Hakoda. “Did she give you any trouble?”
“Not at all, we love having her,” Hakoda said kindly - and probably untruthfully, because Izumi loved to cause trouble. Hakoda must have caught to doubtful look in Zuko's eyes, because he continued, “This village raised Sokka and Katara, we can handle one four-year-old.”
“Hi, Auntie Toph!” Izumi said cheerfully.
“Hey, Sparkles. Have you been giving Uncle Snoozles trouble for me?”
“Yeah! I told Auntie Suki that Uncle Sokka was gonna pose and then I told Uncle Sokka that Auntie Suki was gonna pose and now they’re doing a game for who can pose better!”
Zuko choked on his own spit and Toph whacked him in the head, elbow, and kidney before she found his back and pounded him several times until he stopped choking. Finally, Zuko managed, “Izzy, that was a secret. How did you even know they were going to propose?”
“I don’t know,” Izumi said innocently.
“She stayed up past her bedtime and overheard Bato and I talking about it,” Hakoda explained awkwardly.
“How am I supposed to know what’s bedtime?” Izumi protested. “It’s dark all the time so anytime could be bedtime.”
“She’s got a point,” Zuko said. He yawned so wide his ears popped before he continued, “Time isn’t real here.”
“You’d get used to it if you spent the whole winter here sometime instead of just visiting for a couple of weeks at a time,” Hakoda said pointedly. “As soon as Sokka and Suki arrived, Izumi spilled the beans and asked them how they were going to propose to one another. They don’t seem too upset about it though - they’ve got some kind of competition going on now.”
“Well, there you go,” said Toph. “Your kid has better problem-solving skills at four than you do at thirty.”
“I’m not thirty yet,” Zuko protested.
“But you agree. She has better problem-solving skills than you.”
“Yeah!” Izumi agreed for the both of them.
Izumi wiggled free from Zuko’s arms and tucked herself into Toph’s side as Hakoda led them back to the village, the torch, stars, and moon their only light. When they reached their igloo, they saw Bato, Suki, Sokka, and a turtle seal with a missing flipper sitting around the fire.
“I’m back, Chief!”
Izumi went hurtling past Bato, Suki, and Sokka and threw her arms around Chief.
Chief was a turtle seal Sokka and Hakoda had found out on the ice during a trip to the North Pole. Her front left flipper had been torn off and her mother had been nowhere to be seen. Sokka’s leg had been bothering him a lot that week and the turtle seal had reminded Hakoda of Sokka, so they had bundled up the tiny turtle seal and taken her back to the South Pole. The whole village had loved her and when the elections for chief had come around a few days after she had arrived at the village, Sokka and Aang had run a joke campaign to get her elected and she’d gotten a single vote more than Hakoda. They’d held a new election the following week, but by then, the baby turtle seal had been dubbed “Chief” and the name had stuck.
Chief barked happily as Izumi hugged her. Druk, who hadn’t met Chief yet, was much less certain. He flew over to Sokka and Suki, who were sitting by the fire with their shoulders pressed together, and tucked himself between them, peeking out over Sokka’s shoulder to keep a watchful eye on Chief.
Toph squatted, dug her hand through the tracked-in snow and built-up ice, and shook the rock layer she’d made under the igloo several years ago. The ice cracked and Toph tilted the rock so the snow and ice all went falling to the sides of the igloo. She smoothed out the rock floor, kicked off her thick boots, and then plopped down on a pile of blankets. “So you two are getting married, huh?” she asked.
Sokka and Suki both lit up.
“We’re going to have a proposal-off!” Sokka said.
“Like a bake-off, but for proposing,” clarified Suki. “And I’m definitely gonna win.”
“Just wait until I plan out an activity for us to do together,” Sokka countered.
“I’m betting on Suki,” Toph said. “Sorry, Snoozles, but you’ve got no game.”
“I’ve got game!” Sokka protested.
Zuko brought his and Toph’s bags over to the storage area of the igloo and started unpacking. He hadn’t brought much - he came to the South Pole often enough that everything he really needed was already there - but he had brought Izumi’s Appa plushie, tea leaves, and a jar of burn scar treatment for Bato.
“I brought some new topical numbing ointment for you,” Zuko called to Bato, holding up the jar.
“New, huh?” Bato said. He stood, walked to the storage area, and scanned the writing on the jar. “Made by The Herbalist,” he read. “What’s up with the cat painting?”
“That’s her cat Miyuki,” explained Zuko. “She’s a bit strange, but she’s really good at what she does. I just started using it a few days ago, but it takes the background pain from a three to a one-and-a-half and stops the scars from pulling so much.”
“Thank you, Zuko - and pass on my thanks to The Herbalist and Miyuki as well.”
Izumi ran up to them and tugged on their sleeves. “Daddy! Grandpa Bato! Guess what?” Izumi didn’t wait for them to guess before she continued, “Druk and I made snow soup! It's like snow, but it's soup! Come try it!”
“Okay," said Sokka, standing in front of Suki, Toph, Zuko, Izumi, Hakoda, and Bato, who were all eating breakfast around the fire in their igloo. Druk had decided Chief wasn't so scary and was napping on the sleeping turtle seal. Behind Sokka was a scroll stuck to a board - a rough sketch of an igloo with two people standing inside and holding hands was drawn on the scroll. "I’ve got the best idea. When I was little, we lived in an igloo instead of a tent. I mean, we live in an igloo now, but we lived in a tent after our igloo melted and we didn’t know how to build a new one since dad had left and everyone else in the village thought tents were easier. Katara made big igloos for everyone after the war. But my parents hand-made an igloo together before Katara and I were born and we lived there for a long time. Suki, you and I can make an igloo together by hand, the way my family did when we were kids and there weren’t any trained waterbenders around. And everyone else can help.”
"I love that idea, Sokka," Suki smiled.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to wait until Katara gets here?” Toph pointed out. “She could waterbend you an igloo, no sweat.”
“Easier?" Sokka said. "Yes. Good enough to win the proposal-off? No.”
Toph crinkled her nose, still looking somewhat confused by why everyone else wanted to do extra work.
It took most of the day and the igloos collapsed four times, once from Chief jumping onto the half-finished wall, once from Toph accidentally walking right into it, and twice from Zuko falling asleep where he stood, but they finally managed to build two small igloos. Sokka made sure the second igloo was far, far away from his and Suki’s so he could propose in peace. When they finished, Sokka kicked everyone out into the second igloo and set up candles around the edges of the igloo. He grabbed a dried rose, held it between his teeth, and then let Suki into the igloo.
“Sokka, what are you doing?” Suki laughed when she saw the rose.
Sokka turned bright red. He pulled the rose into his mouth and started to swallow it.
“Sokka, what are you doing?” Suki asked again, legitimately concerned. “Are you trying to eat that?”
“Uh, no?” Sokka said, pulling the rose out of his mouth. “Nevermind that. What do you think?”
Suki looked around the igloo they’d made, then back at Sokka. “It’s perfect.”
The fire in the igloo was blazing strong and Sokka and Suki were sitting with several blankets wrapped around their shoulders, watching shadows dance across the igloo walls and talking about everything and nothing all at once.
Sokka shifted so he was facing Suki. He searched out her hands under the blankets and held them in his own and looked deep into her eyes. “Suki,” Sokka said quietly. “Will you-”
“AUNTIE SUKI! UNCLE SOKKA!” Izumi burst into the igloo, her arms full of stuffed animals.
“IZUMI, COME BACK!” Zuko shouted distantly.
Izumi ignored him and continued, “DRUK MELTED OUR WHOLE IGLOO!”
Druk peeked out from behind Izumi. He sneezed and a blast of smoke blustered across the room, reducing the fire to embers.
Zuko appeared in the doorway, out of breath and looking at risk of falling asleep right where he stood. Druk made a happy noise when he saw him and flapped his tiny wings to go land on his shoulder.
“Izumi,” Zuko said, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “You can’t just go running off and interrupt important adult conversations.”
“Why would adults talk about important stuff?” Izumi asked, crinkling her nose.
Toph and Chief appeared in the doorway, followed by Hakoda and Bato carrying pillows, blankets, and a pair of torches. Toph shoved past Zuko and flopped down by a pile of blankets while Hakoda and Bato settled down on the other side of the ember-filled fire and Chief laid down near Druk.
“Sparkles is right,” Toph said as she burrowed under the blankets. “Adults only ever talk about boring stuff that doesn’t matter at all.”
“See?” Izumi said. “Auntie Toph is the only one who knows.”
Izumi laid down next to Toph. Druk went up to the fire, sneezed into it so it lit back up, and curled up in a circle around the fire.
“And I had to run because Auntie Suki and Uncle Sokka had to know what Druk did.”
“You’re right,” Suki agreed with Izumi, smiling at Zuko over Izumi’s shoulder. “You got important information to us so fast, Izumi. You’d make a great messenger hawk.”
Izumi gasped. “Can I be a hawk when I get big? Pretty pretty please?”
“Hear that, Zuko?” Sokka said. “The Fire Nation's losing an heir to the hawking program.”
“Down with the monarchy,” Toph said enthusiastically.
“Hear, hear,” Zuko said tiredly. He flopped on the ground between Izumi and Sokka. “Izumi, any ideas about how to more quickly deconstruct the monarchy part of our constitutional monarchy so Prime Minister Piandao can just be in charge of everything?”
Izumi considered Zuko’s words seriously. “Give everybody an egg custard tart and then give them another if they vote no Fire Lords.”
“That’s a great incentive, Izzy,” Sokka said. “But can we wait to plan the reverse coup until Katara’s here? Let’s just all get cozy and get some sleep.”
Once they were all tucked under the blankets, Suki piled a bunch of blankets over her and Sokka’s heads to dampen their whispers, then laid sideways so she was facing Sokka. “Do you want to finish asking what you were asking before Izumi interrupted?”
“Oh, uh,” whispered Sokka. He was acutely aware of Zuko on his other side and Izumi and Toph right past him. This wasn't how he'd pictured his proposal-off proposal going. “I was going to ask-”
“Why are you whispering?” Izumi said loudly from her spot tucked under Zuko’s arm.
Suki peeked her head out from under the blankets. “Super boring adult stuff,” Suki whispered to Izumi.
“Hmmm,” Izumi hummed suspiciously. She poked Zuko, who had already fallen asleep. “I wanna have a sleepover with Auntie Suki and Uncle Sokka,” she said.
“We’re already having a sleepover, Sunshine,” Zuko yawned.
“Nuh uh,” said Izumi.
“Yeah huh,” said Zuko.
Izumi shook her head stubbornly. “It doesn’t count cause they’re sooooo far away.”
“What about Auntie Toph?” Zuko asked.
“Her feet are cold. She pokes me with her ice toes.”
Zuko sighed. “Toph, are you bullying my four-year-old?”
“It’s not my fault you Fire Nation people run so hot,” Toph said blasely. “Even non-benders are like portable volcanoes.”
“I’m not a v...vol...volano, Auntie Toph,” Izumi protested. “I wanna have a sleepover with Uncle Sokka and Auntie Suki.”
“We’re right over here, Izzy,” Sokka said from the other side of Zuko. He pulled a hand out from under the blankets to wave at her.
“HI UNCLE SOKKA,” Izumi yelled at Sokka, who was barely five feet away. “YOU’RE SO FAR AWAY!”
Suki propped herself up on one arm. She whisper-yelled, “Hey, Izumi, do you wanna know a secret?”
“WHAT IS IT, AUNTIE SUKI?”
Suki whisper-yelled back, “Uncle Sokka has three extra blankets.”
Izumi gasped. “Uncle Sokka! You stole blankies even though Auntie Toph is cold? I gotta come take them back.”
Izumi squirmed until she was out of the blankets, then clambered over Zuko and Sokka several times while she moved all her stuffed animals and brought Toph four of Sokka’s blankets. Finally, Izumi wedged herself right between Suki and Sokka.
The igloo fell silent for several minutes, until-
“Toph,” Zuko hissed. “Izumi’s right. Your feet are freezing.”
“Suck it up, Sparky,” Toph whispered back. “You’re the best heater around.”
“What’d you kick me for?” Sokka yelped.
“Sorry,” whispered Zuko. “I meant to kick Toph.”
Toph did a preemptive kick at Zuko.
“Ow!”
“Toph’s right.” Sokka pulled a blanket off of Zuko and tossed it over Suki, Izumi, and himself. “You’re super warm, so you don’t need this.”
Suki reached over Izumi and poked Sokka. “Give him back his blanket.”
“Why’s everybody bullying me now?” Sokka lamented, but he threw the blanket back. It missed Zuko and landed on Toph instead. Toph immediately dragged it under her other blankets, keeping it all to herself.
“Now I'm cold,” Zuko complained.
“Buddy, when we were kids you literally sat in the cooler for hours in that flimsy prison uniform. I think you’re fine.”
“I’m not fine,” Zuko complained indignantly. “Maybe I’m not totally freezing, but it’s the principle of the thing.”
A pillow came flying from the other side of the igloo. It landed on Sokka with a thump. “Would you kids go to sleep?” Hakoda complained.
“Sorry, Dad,” Sokka whispered. He dragged the pillow under his head.
“Wait,” said Bato. “Why’d you throw my pillow? Sokka, toss it back, would you?”
“Sorry, but it’s just part of the bed now,” said Sokka.
Bato tried another tactic. “Suki, will you throw back my pillow?”
“Izzy, tell Grandpa I should keep the pillow,” Sokka whispered loudly.
“Grandpa, let Uncle Sokka keep the pillow,” Izumi loyally parroted.
“Sorry, Bato, but the princess has spoken,” Suki said, a smile in her voice.
“I’m not a princess, I’m an ambassaur,” Izumi pouted.
“Okay, Ambassador Izzy,” Sokka said fondly.
“I’ll get your pillow,” Zuko bravely offered. He sat up and started to pull the pillow out from under Sokka’s head. Sokka grabbed onto it and tugged back. Zuko tugged even harder, and Sokka pulled back, and with a loud ripping sound, the pillow tore open. Feathers went flying everywhere. Druk huffed tiny spurts of fire at several of the falling feathers and they lit on fire in mid-air. Zuko put out each of the burning feathers before they reached the ground.
“Sokka, Zuko, you’re both menaces,” Hakoda said, amused. “Now go to storage and get a new pillow. Maybe we can finally get some sleep while you’re gone.”
“Aww, but I’m so cold,” Sokka complained, already getting to his feet.
“You can take my parka, Sokka,” Suki offered.
“Thanks, Suki! You’re the best.”
“I’m cold too,” Zuko said.
“Well, flameo, Zuko,” said Toph. “I don’t control the weather.”
“You can take my parka, Daddy!” Izumi offered.
Zuko looked at Izumi’s tiny hand-me-down parka with a yellow crescent moon on the front.
“Thanks, Sunshine.”
Sokka and Zuko finally left the igloo, Sokka bundled up in Suki’s teal parka and Zuko dwarfed in Hakoda’s blue one, Izumi’s hanging around his neck like a scarf. The sky was as dark at night as it was during the day, but the torches had been dimmed and the fires had long since burned to embers. Zuko took a deep breath, then sent out bursts of flame to light up the village.
“BLEEDIN’ BUFFALO YAKS, PEOPLE ARE TRYNNA SLEEP!”
Sokka and Zuko exchanged stricken glances. Quickly, Zuko dimmed all the flames again.
Sokka hesitated, then called back, “Sorry, Old Man Jarko!”
“HMMPH.”
Sokka and Zuko looked at each other again, the stars their only light, and started snickering. They both tried to stay quiet, but that just made it worse and they both were doubled up trying to keep their laughs from waking up anyone else. Sokka clumsily tried to clap Zuko on the shoulder, but it was so dark he missed three times before patting the top of his head instead.
When Sokka and Zuko got back to the igloo, arms full of pillows and blankets, everyone else was asleep.
“There goes my igloo proposal,” sighed Sokka.
“That’s rough, buddy.”
Zuko woke to the sound of wind chimes the next morning. When he stumbled out of the hand-made igloo, a blanket around his shoulders and Druk tucked in the pocket of his parka, Katara and Aang had arrived. Aang and Izumi were hanging up Air Nomad wind chimes all around the village and Katara sent Zuko a cheery wave from her spot beside Sokka and Suki at the large bonfire in the middle of the village. The wind chime outside the handmade igloo had what looked like a Sokka-carved flying bison figure knocking into the chimes. Zuko reached out to tap the flying bison carving and make the chimes even louder, but a snore from Toph reminded him that she, Hakoda, Bato, and Chief were still asleep, so Zuko reluctantly resisted the urge to set off the chimes. He headed to Appa first, patting the bison and straightening the blanket someone had tossed over him, then went to sit by the bonfire with the others.
“So I heard no one’s won the proposal-off yet,” Katara said far too casually when Zuko sat down.
Zuko blinked. “You’re not upset about them almost getting engaged while you were gone?”
“Oh, I was,” Katara assured him.
“You just slept through her crying,” Sokka told Zuko.
“Sokka was the one who almost cried,” Suki corrected. “He felt really bad. I mean, I felt bad too, but he felt really bad.”
"Why do you think Aang and I are here early?" said Katara. "Aang picked me up from the North Pole before he visited Azula to practice lightning bending and Azula told us what was happening as soon as we got there. As soon as we heard, we came right here. And Zuko, Azula told me to tell you you're welcome for sending help. She said you were freaking out?"
Sokka and Suki both looked at Zuko. Zuko flushed.
"What was I supposed to do? I'm not good with conflict."
"Buddy, were you about to go into an angst coma over this?" Sokka asked, concerned. "Because I've seen you go into an angst coma over choosing between different colors of baby clothes for Izumi."
"That wasn't an angst coma," Zuko protested. "I was exhausted and it was a really tough decision and I just needed to sleep on it."
"It was a mini angst coma," Suki said, adding in her two coppers. "You fainted in the middle of the market and Katara and Aang had to drag you home. You didn't stop stressing about it until Toph's parents just gave you all of Toph's old baby clothes they still had laying around and you didn't have to choose anymore."
"I was tired," Zuko protested again, and then desperately changed the subject back to the proposal-off. “I guess it’s a good thing Druk melted our igloo and your proposal didn't work, since now Katara and Aang are here."
"Druk did that?" Katara looked over at the half-melted igloo in the distance with wide eyes.
At the sound of his name, Druk peeked his head out from the pocket of Zuko's parka and flew over to sleep in Katara's pocket instead.
“Maybe my first try didn't go very well,” said Sokka. “But my next idea is the best ever and I’m going to win the proposal-off.”
“Just wait until you see my idea,” Suki countered.
“You...made rice?” Sokka asked, peering down at the small overcooked bowl of rice.
“Well, I tried. Zuko and Toph helped.”
“That’d do it,” said Sokka. He poked at a particularly charred section.
“Stop complaining, the bowl’s small for a reason. Hakoda and Zuko are eating the rest since they’re not picky at all.”
Sokka started to take a bite of rice, but Suki pushed his hand back down.
“I haven’t explained it yet! Okay, so on Kyoshi Island, there’s a really old proposing tradition. One person makes rice and gives the bowl to the other person, the other person eats half the bowl and hands it back, and if the first person eats the rest of the rice, that means you’re engaged!”
Sokka’s eyes lit up. He scarfed down half the bowl and slid it over to Suki. Suki reached out to take the bowl. Their hands touched as they both held the bowl for a moment and they both gazed at one another.
Momo and Druk came flying through the entrance. Momo knocked the bowl of rice right out of their hands and it crashed to the ground, shattering. Rice splattered up and covered Momo, Druk, Sokka, and Suki. Momo and Druk paused their playing to start eating all the scattered rice.
Sokka and Suki locked eyes, then both started cracking up.
“There goes that attempt,” sighed Suki, smiling fondly at Druk and Momo.
“I mean, you could still eat a piece of rice off the ground and we could count it,” Sokka suggested.
“Ground rice? No thanks. Hopefully your next try goes better than mine,” Suki said. “I’m gonna take Momo and Druk back to Aang and Zuko before they get a stomachache from all this scorched rice.”
“Wow, so the burned rice is good enough for me, but not for Druk and Momo?” Sokka teased.
“You know it.” Suki stood, pressed a kiss to Sokka’s cheek, then wrangled up the lemur and dragon.
“Okay, Dad and Bato are distracting Suki for a while,” said Sokka, sitting down in a circle with Toph, Katara, Aang, and Zuko. The hand-made igloo had collapsed, so they were back in their usual igloo. Katara had made an area big enough for Appa and led him through a bison-sized opening in the wall before sealing it up again. Izumi was already in her pajamas and was supposed to be asleep an hour ago, but she kept getting up and wandering back over to them, so now she was sleeping under a pile of blankets in the middle of the circle with Chief, Druk, and Momo all cuddled up with her. Sokka continued, “How does this sound?
“You’re so smart, Suki!
And talented! Ev’rything -
you do: amazing!”
“I love it,” said Katara, “But you forgot to pop the question.”
“Monkeyfeathers,” Sokka muttered. “How about this?”
“I love you, Suki.
I would love to marry you.
Will you marry me?”
“Way too straightforward,” Toph said.
“Wait, really?” said Zuko, who was leaning up against Appa. “I think it’s fine. That’s basically what Mai said to me and then we got married later that day.”
“See? Mai and Zuko think that’s good.”
“No offense,” said Katara. “But you definitely shouldn’t be taking romantic advice from Zuko.”
“He’s literally married with a kid,” countered Sokka. “And besides, Suki and I already talked about getting married, this is just to make it official.”
“All the more reason to make it romantic,” Katara said. “Aang could do better. Aang, do better.”
“Katara is great.
I’d rather kiss her than die.
So, uh...papaya?”
“What was that?” Sokka squawked.
“I think it’s sweet,” Katara said, smiling at Aang.
“Nuh uh,” Sokka shook his head. “That’s the worst haiku I’ve ever heard. Zuko could do better. Zuko, do better.”
Shockingly, Zuko launched right into a haiku. He said,
“You gave me your heart.
I cannot help but give you
my heart in return.”
“Aww, Zuko, you’re so romantic,” Aang said. “I wish I was that good at haikus.”
“I can’t believe Zuko is better at haikus than me,” Sokka pouted. “I mean, Zuko?”
“He’s not,” Toph ratted Zuko out. “He ripped that straight from Love Amongst the Dragons.”
Zuko flushed. “Well, it’s a good one.”
“Okay, Sokka,” Katara said. “Try again.”
“Suki, I love you.
When I’m with you, my heart smiles.
Will you marry me?”
“That’s perfect, Sokka,” Aang gushed. “Suki is going to be so happy.”
“Aww, thanks, Aang,” Sokka grinned. “But do you think I should change the last line to spend your life with me ? Or spend your days with me ? Or be my forever? Or-”
“I think you just go with your gut and stick with the original,” said Zuko. “Suki will love whatever you come up with.”
“You’re right, Zuko. I’m overthinking this. Okay, I’m gonna go find Suki right now-”
Before Sokka could stand, Chief rolled so she was laying across Sokka’s feet. Izumi, who was somehow still awake, giggled. “Uncle Sokka, do a haiku for Chief!”
“Izumi, have you been awake this whole time?” Zuko asked. “Your bedtime was an hour ago and you promised you’d go to sleep if we let you stay out here with us.”
“I tried, but you’re sooooo loud,” Izumi said. She wiggled around under the blankets until she was facing Zuko. “And you said time isn’t real here so I don’t have a bedtime.”
“She makes good arguments,” Aang said. “C’mon, Sokka, do a haiku for Chief.”
“Fine,” Sokka agreed, reaching down to pat the sleepy turtle seal. He thought for a moment, then said,
“Chief-y I love you.
You are a very good girl,
but my feet are numb.”
Izumi giggled uncontrollably from under the blankets. “Do Appa!”
Appa lifted his head at the sound of his name. Zuko patted the bison several times.
“Appa is fluffy.
I once thought he ate Momo,
but he’s a good boy.”
Izumi pulled poor Momo out from under her blankets. The winged lemur squinted in the firelight and had terrible bedhead.
Sokka said,
“Momo is awesome!
I once thought he was dinner,
but now he’s my friend.”
Izumi gasped loudly. She pulled a startled Momo back under the blankets defensively and said, accusingly, “You were gonna eat Momo?”
“Only because I was really hungry,” said Sokka.
“Then starve,” Izumi said seriously. She pulled Druk out of the blankets. “Would you eat Druk?”
“Of course not! He eats me! Here, listen to this:
“Druk is a baby,
and yet wow he sure can bite.
My toes are not snacks.”
“Druk doesn’t bite!” Zuko defended the tiny dragon. Sokka looked pointedly at Zuko’s hands, which were covered in tiny bite marks. Zuko crossed his arms to hide his hands, but Druk decided his crossed arms would make a good sleeping spot and wiggled away from Izumi to lay in Zuko’s arms. As soon as he laid down, he nudged Zuko’s arm up and started nibbling on Zuko’s thumb.
“Daddy, do another haiku!” Izumi said.
“Yeah, Zuko,” said Toph. “An original one this time.”
Zuko wrinkled his nose, but made an attempt.
“Zi should go to sleep
since it’s way past her bedtime.
Druk doesn’t bite…”
Zuko counted syllables on his fingers, which had several fresh bite marks. Defeated, he finished,
“ ...much.”
“Ha!” said Sokka. “The haiku reveals the truth.”
Izumi looked like she wanted to laugh again, but she was so tired she yawned instead.
“How about a goodnight haiku and then you go to sleep?” Sokka offered.
Izumi thought for a moment, yawned again, and nodded.
“Izzy I love you.
Our laughs have turned to big yawns.
Time to go to sleep.”
Izumi passed out before Sokka was even done with the haiku.
Sokka woke up before everyone else the next morning and cleared out a large spot near the village wall. The moon shone down through an opening in the clouds, but the spirit lights still hadn't appeared. Sokka kept glancing up to see if they were there every few minutes, but the sky stayed colorless. He waited until Suki, Katara, Aang, Toph, Zuko, and Izumi had gotten up and then dragged them all over to the spot he’d cleared out.
“I challenge you all to a snowbending kai!” Sokka announced.
Izumi made a face. “What’s a snowbending kai?”
“Like an agni kai! But with snow!”
Izumi, still confused, asked, “What’s an agni kai?”
“Just an old tradition,” said Zuko. “They’re illegal now. Sokka just wants to have a snowball fight.”
“Oh, okay,” said Izumi, then immediately pelted Sokka in the face with a packed ball of snow.
“Oh, you are on, little lady,” Sokka said as bits of snow fell off his face. “Dibs on the waterbenders for my team!”
Izumi gasped. “Uncle Sokka! You should make a snowball haiku like you made the haiku to pose to Auntie Suki with!”
Suki raised an eyebrow. “A haiku, huh?”
Sokka slammed his palm into his forehead. “Izzy, I haven’t used my proposal haiku yet! It was a secret!”
“Oh,” said Izumi. “Sorry, Uncle Sokka.”
Sokka sighed, then let himself fall backward into the snow. He cycled his arms and legs, leaving indents in the snow. “Guess I’ll just make snow Momos while I try to think up yet another idea. Get it? Snow Momos? Because he's got wings and I'm making wings in the snow?” Momo hopped into the snow next to Sokka and started making his own snow Momos.
“Remember when we first met and you called Kyoshi Warrior training dance lessons?” Suki asked Sokka.
Sokka flushed, scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck, and gave Suki a crooked grin. “Uh, yeah? But to be fair, that was before I knew you had two left feet when it comes to actually dancing. Our tribe’s dances aren’t that hard, but you still managed to step on my foot three times, trip over Aang, whack Zuko in the nose, grab onto Momo for balance as he tried to fly away, then get dragged right into Katara by Momo, knocking her and you both to the ground. I mean, Toph is a better dancer than you and she can’t even see! Or, you know, sense or whatever she does. Because it’s too cold for her to be barefoot. Anyway, she’s a way better dancer.”
“Are you trying to get on my bad side?” Suki raised an eyebrow.
“I’m just saying,” shrugged Sokka, unrepentant.
Suki grinned back. “Well, Katara’s been giving me lessons. It took ages, but I’ve finally got a few of the dances down.”
“You sure she didn’t just bloodbend you into the right steps?”
“I’m serious,” Suki said. “Katara called it close to intermediate, thank you very much.”
“Intermediate is barely a step above beginning,” said Sokka.
Suki made a face at him.
Sokka put up his hands. “Just saying.”
“Uncle Sokka, Auntie Suki, look!”
Izumi ran up to them, her braid bouncing behind her. She pointed to her newly-styled hair loopies - each had a pink, blue, orange, and green bead at the top of the loopie.
“Auntie Katara did my hair the same as hers and now we match!”
“You look so cute, Izzy!” Suki reached out and smoothed down a strand of Izumi’s hair. “Katara did such a good job!”
“Does that mean you’re ready for the dance, little lady?” Sokka asked.
Izumi nodded eagerly and started jumping up and down in excitement, bracing herself on Sokka’s bad leg. Sokka winced - it had been bothering him for a couple of hours already - and gently grabbed Izumi’s hands so she was bouncing with his hands for support instead.
“Grandpa Bato showed me how to play the first song on the drum so I’m gonna help him play and learn more songs! And I practiced lots and lots with Auntie Katara and Auntie Suki and I’m a really good dancer now!”
Suki really had gotten better at dancing. Sokka watched Suki and the others dance from a spot by the bonfire, clapping along with the drums. The clouds above were so thick that the spirit lights wouldn't have shone through even if they'd been in the sky, but Sokka still squinted up, trying to spot even a hint of them.
“Come on, Sokka, dance with me!” Suki held out a hand for Sokka and pulled him to his feet.
Sokka let her pull him to the center of the dancing. For the most part, he was able to keep most of his weight on his good leg, and soon enough he was able to ignore the pain in his bad leg completely.
“Remember the first time I visited the South Pole?” Suki asked, out of breath from the dance but pressing forward. “This is the first dance I tried to learn. I know it ended badly, but it was so much fun. After I knocked everyone over and your foot was super swollen and Zuko’s nose stopped bleeding, Katara made ice packs for everyone and we sat right next to each other while we all talked about what our future would look like after the war.”
Sokka smiled at Suki. “Back then, I never expected the future to be this amazing. It was hard to even imagine a future without the war.”
“Sokka,” Suki said as they danced. “I love you. I want to spend my life with you. You make me smile and laugh and I love talking to you about everything.” They did a series of complicated steps. Suki did them perfectly and Sokka did his best to keep his leg steady underneath him. As they finished the steps, Suki said, “Will you-”
Sokka stumbled halfway through the last step. Suki cut hers short and steadied him. All around them, people were still dancing, but Sokka and Suki stood still in the middle of it all.
“Are you okay, Sokka?” Suki asked, concerned.
“I’m totally fine,” Sokka insisted. “Let’s finish our dance. I want to see if you can do this next part!”
Sokka led Suki through the next set of steps. Right as they repeated the complicated steps again and Sokka put all his weight on his bad leg for half a moment, his leg collapsed beneath him. Just before he fell, Suki caught him by the waist and steadied him. Katara, who was dancing near Toph, noticed Sokka’s struggling. She nodded towards their igloo.
“C’mon, Sokka, let’s have Katara look at that leg,” Suki said, looping Sokka’s arm over her shoulders and helping him stand.
“No, this our first song,” Sokka insisted. “You’ve talked about dancing to this song all day. I just stepped wrong. I can finish it.”
Suki reached up and squeezed Sokka’s hand. “All I care about is making sure you’re okay, Sokka.”
They reached the igloo. Katara had grabbed Zuko on her way and he was already heating up a bowl of ointment for Sokka’s leg. Suki led Sokka over to the pile of blankets and helped him settle down.
“Suki, I’m sorry I ruined the dance,” Sokka said quietly.
Suki knelt in front of Sokka and rested a hand on his good knee. “You didn’t ruin anything. Besides, this just gives me another day to practice. Izumi, Bato, and Zuko can play for us and we’ll just dance again tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”
“Sorry, kids, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Bato said, entering the igloo with Hakoda in tow. He rubbed at his burn scars under his parka. “There’s a storm rolling in - a big one. My scar’s been hurting all day and I’ll bet that’s why your leg’s giving you trouble, Sokka.”
“Wait,” said Zuko. “You know it’s going to storm because of your scar? Is that why my scar hurts more before it storms? It’s because of the storm?”
Bato nodded.
“Take that, Aunt Wu,” Sokka grinned. “We can all tell the future now.”
Bato held up his hands. Sokka and Zuko each high-fived him and used their other hand to high-five each other.
“We’re the meteorologist gang now,” Sokka said.
“What do meteors have to do with anything?” asked Zuko.
“It means weather scientist,” explained Sokka.
“Okay,” said Zuko, “but why meteors?”
“Because,” Sokka floundered. “Just because!”
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Zuko pressed. “Why not weatherologists?”
“It’s just what they’re called, it doesn’t have to make sense.”
“It’s science, isn’t everything supposed to make sense?”
“Yes! Or - no! Or - actually, this is a good science opportunity. Make a hypothesis about why meteorologists are called meteorologists and then you can do research to prove or disprove your hypothesis.”
Zuko looked like he immediately regretted asking. “Uh, I’m good. Meteorologists it is.”
Izumi sighed dramatically. “I wish I had cool weather-reading powers.”
Bato was right - a blizzard rolled in an hour later, bringing the festival to an end days early. Katara strengthened the outer wall to keep the worst of the wind from blowing through the village while Zuko built up the fires in every igloo. Sokka stubbornly tried to help the others distribute food and spare blankets to all the other igloos as the storm ramped up, but his leg got worse with each step and he finally agreed to stay in their own igloo with Izumi, Toph, Appa, Momo, Chief, and Druk while the others finished preparing for the storm.
The wind howled from outside the igloo and the fire cast huge shadows across the icy walls. Sokka and Izumi were sitting against Appa, Izumi tucked under Sokka’s arm and a pile of blankets. Chief was asleep on Izumi’s other side, Druk was curled up in Izumi’s lap, and Momo was curled around Sokka’s shoulders. Appa grumbled nervously. Sokka patted the bison sympathetically.
“Appa’s right,” Izumi whispered. “Storms are scary.”
“Yeah, they are a bit scary, huh?” said Sokka. “Is this the first time you’ve been here during a blizzard?”
Izumi nodded. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed in the sky, so bright they could see it through the top of the igloo. Izumi buried her face in Sokka’s shoulder.
“Auntie Katara and I were both scared of storms when we were little,” Sokka told Izumi. He used his free hand to pull the blankets up around her shoulders, careful not to disturb Druk. Druk still noticed and moved to lay on top of Chief instead. “But our mom always made storms fun for us. One time there was a really bad blizzard, with lots of lightning and so much snow that the whole village was buried in it. We were stuck inside for two weeks. Not gonna lie, it was pretty scary at first, but Grandpa Hakoda and Grandpa Bato would tell stories about their hunts, and Gran-Gran would teach us old Water Tribe songs, and Auntie Katara would make little snowmen using her waterbending, and our mom would teach us how to make shadow puppets. It wasn’t as scary when we were having fun.”
“Grandma Kya sounds so cool,” Izumi said.
“She was,” Sokka said quietly. He thought for a moment, then said, “Have I told you about the time I got two fishhooks stuck in my thumb? My mom was the only one who didn’t panic and after she got them both out, we had sea prune tea and five-flavor soup and she told me a story about a man with a sword for a hand.”
Izumi looked up at Sokka with wide eyes. “A sword? For a hand?”
By the time Sokka finished telling Izumi the story, the snow was falling so densely that the rainbow lights strung between all the igloos were little more than blurry pinpoints flickering in and out of view. Suki, Katara, Aang, Hakoda, Bato, Zuko, and Toph trudged through the entrance of the igloo, Toph was clinging to Zuko’s arm so she didn’t get turned around in the storm. Katara used her bending to seal up the edges of the door so the wind didn’t come rushing through any cracks.
“Daddy!” Izumi cried, leaping up from the pile of blankets and jumping into Zuko’s arms. Zuko caught her and held her on his hip. “I was super scared of the storm and Appa was too but then Uncle Sokka told us a scary story and Appa fell asleep and now I’m more scared of the man with a sword for the hand than I am of the storm!”
Zuko shot Sokka a bemused look.
Sokka just shrugged back. “What can I say?” said Sokka. “I’m the coolest uncle ever. Get it? ‘Cause Water Tribe?”
Zuko and Izumi both laughed, but Toph scoffed. “You two have got to raise your joke standards. He’s used that same line at least a dozen times since Izumi was born.”
“Okay, everyone ready?” Suki asked.
Izumi, Aang, Katara, and a bemused Hakoda nodded.
“I don’t think the tsungi horn is right for this song,” Zuko pointed out, still holding his tsungi horn from the last song.
“That’s part of the fun!” Aang said. “C’mon, let’s do this! Three, two, one, and…”
“Two lovers, forbidden from one another,” Suki started.
“A war divides their people,” Aang and Katara sang together.
“And a mountain divides them apart,” Hakoda sang off-key.
“Built a path to be together,” Suki, Aang, Katara, and Hakoda sang together as Zuko tried to follow the tune with his tsungi horn.
Izumi jumped to her feet and yelled more than sung, “SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL!” Chief started bellowing along with Izumi. “THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN! SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL! YEAH!”
“It’s a good thing Old Man Jarko is in the igloo next to us,” Sokka told Toph and Bato. “He’s nearly deaf.”
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got,” said Hakoda. He looked at the snow sculptures in front of him. Aang had made an otter seal out of ice, Katara had built a scale model of their village, Izumi and Toph had piled snow on top of a sleeping Zuko, Bato had made a small snowman, and Sokka had made a blob of snow with sea prunes for eyes, polar seaweed for hair, and several rocks forming a smile.
“It’s Suki!” Sokka said proudly.
No one commented for several long moments.
“Don’t worry, Snoozles,” Toph said. “I think it looks great.”
“Than-” Sokka stopped. “Why do I always fall for that?”
“I think it’s sweet,” Suki said, sweetly.
Sokka dove over to Suki’s side and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Can I be Koizilla now?” Izumi begged. “Please please please?”
As soon as everyone agreed, Izumi jumped to her feet, pulled on Sokka’s parka, which was so long on her the bottom dragged on the ground, flipped up the hood, and rampaged through the snow sculptures, knocking them all to the ground and waking up Zuko.
Katara and Suki stood facing one another, their hands wrapped around one another’s forearms. Katara was using inhales and exhales to make sounds with her throat, Suki following along half a beat behind with copycatted sounds. Without warning, Katara changed the sounds and Suki quickly followed suit. Over and over, Katara switched up the sounds and they both fought to keep giggles from taking over and ending the game.
Finally, Suki couldn’t take it anymore. She started giggling uncontrollably and almost fell over, out of breath. Her giggling set Katara off too, and soon enough, they were on the floor of the igloo, cracking up.
“Wretched Water Spirit!” Zuko said in a dramatic voice, moving the mouth of one of the shadow puppets on the wall. “Now that I’ve escaped from your curse and regained my true nature, you will pay for your trickery!” Zuko started moving the shadow puppet he was making with his other hand, changed his tone of voice, and said, “Have you learned nothing from your time amongst the mortals? By threatening me, you invite your own doom!” The shadow puppets on the wall started bouncing up and down. “Toph, now they’re throwing fire at each other.”
“Uh, you don’t have to narrate every single action for me, Sparkles,” Toph said.
“Well, I need the narration,” Sokka said. “I’m so lost.”
“Ready for another song? The Nomads actually wrote a version of this one for Sokka!” Suki gushed, then sang, “Oh, don’t let the blizzard get you down! Don’t let the falling snow turn your smile into a frown!”
“-and the Boulder was upset, obviously, because his crococat was being such a picky eater and nothing we did helped. But then it turned out, The Pebble was actually a girl! She was pregnant and had kittens, so he made them all little outfits and now he brings them to Earth Rumble matches!”
“Uh, is this a true story, Toph?” Katara asked.
Toph crossed her arms. “No one questioned Zuko and Sokka when they made Momo, Druk, and Hawky matching outfits.”
Suki and Katara were facing one another again, this time sitting with their legs folded under them. They had both cupped their hands around their mouths and had pressed the edges of their cupped hands together, making a tunnel between their mouths so the sounds resonated. This time, Suki was leading and Katara was following along. They both forced down giggles as they tried to keep going, but after barely a minute they locked eyes and both started laughing so hard they fell over.
“Can we please play with the shells, Uncle Sokka? Please please please?”
“The shells?” Suki asked.
Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, a smile pulling at the edges of his mouth.“Has anyone ever told you you’re bad at keeping secrets, Izzy?”
“I can keep a secret!” Izumi protested. “I haven’t ever told anybody about when Auntie Azula and I-nevermind.”
Zuko raised his eyebrow. “When you what?”
“I don’t know,” Izumi said innocently, then pressed forward. “But the shells are so cool, Auntie Suki! You’re gonna love them! Uncle Sokka has been working on them for months!”
“Months?”
Sokka flushed and scratched the back of his neck, then said, “Well, perfection takes time, you know.” He pulled out a pair of octagonal boxes and carefully emptied the first box’s contents onto the ground - hundreds of half clam shells gently spilled out, their insides painted with intricate scenes. “It’s a shell matching set!”
“Sokka!” Suki gasped. She picked up a shell and looked at the tiny scene of their Boiling Rock escape painted on it. “Did you paint these yourself?”
“Sure did!” confirmed Sokka, smiling at Suki as she picked up more shells. “The shells are from all over the world and the painted scenes are from all the adventures we’ve had. Izumi, Katara, and I stopped by Kyoshi Island a while back on our way to the South Pole. Koko showed me the shell-matching set Kyoshi made for her wife when they got married. Everyone on the island helped me find the first shells from the Kyoshi Island beach and then I had all our friends keep an eye out for more shells as they traveled around.”
“Sokka, you’re so sweet,” Suki said, holding a shell in each hand and looking at Sokka with eyes full of love. “I love you so much.”
The Winter Solstice was nearly over by the time the storm cleared. The strung lights had fallen to the ground, the torches had long since gone out, and several storage tents had fallen over. Katara and Aang used their bending to get the snow off the igloos, Zuko got the fires around the village started again, and everyone got to work getting the village back to normal.
“You wanna go for a walk?” Suki asked Sokka once the worst of the blizzard damage had been taken care of.
Sokka and Suki grabbed a torch and walked out to a hill outside the village wall. They sat and looked out at the snowy landscape and village sprawling below them.
“I’m sorry, Suki,” Sokka said. “I really wanted things to be perfect this week. Even our proposal-off got sidetracked by the blizzard. I really thought this would be such a good week to get officially engaged, but things kept going wrong.”
“That’s life, I guess,” said Suki. She rested a hand on Sokka’s. “But this week has been perfect. All the time I get to spend with you is perfect.”
“Yeah,” Sokka said sappily, but he frowned. “I just...I really wanted the spirit lights to be here. They’re always here during the solstice.”
“Mr. Science, calling the Southern Lights the spirit lights?” Suki laughed. “I thought you didn’t believe in most spirit stuff.”
“I’ll have you know, I once spent a very long day in the spirit world!”
“You’ve only told me a hundred times.”
“Well, it was long! And I really had to pee! Anyway, I believe in some spirit stuff since I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Just not using spirit mumbo jumbo to explain things with a perfectly reasonable scientific explanation! Like rain!”
“And the polar lights,” Suki pointed out. “Aren’t they caused by solar wind being magnetically dragged towards the poles?”
“Well - yeah.”
Sokka was quiet. Suki scooted so she was pressed up against him.
“My mom used to say the lights were the souls of people who’ve left us dancing with the spirits in the sky, telling us everything would be okay,” Sokka began. He picked up one of Suki’s hands and traced her gloved fingers with his own. “After dad left, Katara and I used to sneak out after Gran-Gran fell asleep. We would pull blankets out into the middle of the village and watch the lights and say the lights were our mom coming back to tell us she loved us. I mean, I know there’s a scientific explanation for them, but...I don’t know.”
“They can have a scientific explanation but still be spirit lights,” Suki said. “The solar wind makes the polar lights and the spirits and people you love dance inside the colors.”
Sokka stopped tracing around the edges of Suki’s glove and looked up at her, eyes watery. “Thanks, Suki,” Sokka said quietly. “I always feel close to my mom when the lights are in the sky. I can barely even remember what she looked like, but I still miss her a lot.”
“I understand,” said Suki. “My parents were both Kyoshi Warriors and they died when I was really little. I don’t remember them very much, but I grew up hearing stories about them and I joined the Kyoshi Warriors as soon as I was old enough. When I’m wearing my uniform, I feel closer to them. It was really hard to see Ty Lee and Mai and Azula take the uniforms and even harder to be at the Boiling Rock for months without my uniform or any of the other Kyoshi Warriors. I knew you would come for me, eventually, but I still felt so cut off from everything I knew and everyone I loved. But then I started having dreams about Avatar Kyoshi. We trained a lot, but we talked a lot too. She outlived so many people, and she said she really, really missed them while she lived on, but she knew she would see them again someday, so she never felt like they were far from her heart. It was nice to get my Kyoshi Warrior uniform back from Azula, and I still love the connection I feel with my moms when I wear it, but I know they’re always with me.”
“It’s hard to believe Aang was so wise in his past life.”
Suki rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. “My point is, spirit lights or no spirit lights, uniform or no uniform, our moms are always with us.” She pressed one hand over Sokka’s heart and used her other to squeeze Sokka’s hand. “From the stories I’ve heard about your mom, she wouldn’t let some clouds and a blizzard get in the way of being with you.”
“You’re right,” Sokka said. “You’re so smart and amazing, Suki. I love you.”
“I love you too, Sokka.”
The stars were shining bright above and the full moon shone down, light sparkling on the freshly fallen snow. In the distance, the multicolored lights of the festival had been strung back up and the colors twinkled dimly.
Sokka and Suki started to talk at the same time. They both stopped.
“On three?” Suki suggested.
Sokka counted down on his fingers.
In unison, they said, “Will you marry me?”
They shared matching sappy grins.
“Of course,” Sokka said.
“I would love to,” said Suki.
They both leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.
“I love you so much, Sokka. I’m so excited for the rest of our life.”
“I love you too, Suki.
When Sokka and Suki got back to the village, the place where the village bonfire usually was had been cleared out. The rainbow lights had been haphazardly strung back up and Hakoda and Bato were finishing up the last section. Everyone in the village was pulling blankets and pillows out into the center of the village. Appa was already laying in the middle with Momo, Druk, and Chief. Several of the youngest kids were climbing all over the massive bison and Izumi was sitting on Toph’s shoulders on top of Appa’s head, looking for spots that needed more blankets. Katara, Aang, and Zuko were all dragging out blankets to the places Izumi pointed out.
“AUNTIE SUKI AND UNCLE SOKKA ARE BACK!” Izumi called down from her perch.
Everyone in the village stopped what they were doing to wave at them, huge smiles all around. Sokka and Suki held up their held hands.
“GUESS WHAT?” Suki called back.
“WHAT?” chorused everyone in the village.
“WE’RE ENGAGED!” Sokka called.
Aang reached them first, tackling them both to the ground in a hug. Katara jumped on top of the pile, Druk and Momo, then Izumi, pulling Toph along, then Chief, then Zuko, then Hakoda and Bato. Everyone in the village joined the polar dog pile - even Old Man Jarko and Appa piled on.
When everyone finally finished hugging and congratulating the pair, they were dragged over to the huge blanket pile in the middle of the village.
“What’s all this about?” Sokka asked.
“You mean you haven’t noticed?” Katara asked.
“Noticed what?” Suki asked.
Instead of saying anything, Katara pulled them right to the middle, where Hakoda, Bato, Toph, Aang, Izumi, and Zuko were already lying down near Appa, Chief, Momo, and Druk. Katara pulled Sokka and Suki down to lie with everyone else.
The lights were dancing in the sky. Every color imaginable swirled among the starry canvas and moonlight shining with Yue's spirit glimmered alongside the colors. Sokka couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He reached out to take Suki’s hand with one of his own and Katara’s with his other. Suki took Zuko’s hand, and Katara took Aang’s, and Zuko took Izumi’s, and Aang took Toph’s, and Izumi took Hakoda’s, and Toph took Bato’s, and Hakoda and Bato took one another’s hands. Together, they all laid under the stars, watching the spirit lights paint the sky.