The Zutara Capfic Cruise!!!

[The Blue Chibi]

Floating on her back in the gentle waters, Chibi counted the fireflies over the riverbank. She was feeling very peaceful: they'd all had a great picnic by the water's edge when the ship's cook brought out their lunch, and afterwards, Iroh had offered everyone some very nice, relaxing tea. Chibi was now considering a nap, but a voice spoke at her elbow, disrupting her thoughts.

"You know, Chibi..." "Yes, Piandao?" "As much as I appreciate this, er, noble idea of trying to honor our grandparents by bringing back the fashion of the day, I'm not really sure it's very comfortable to swim in." Her cousin's voice sounded a bit troubled, and Chibi turned to look at him. "What's wrong? You thought they were fun this morning." "Indeed," said the swordmaster, "but the fabric is rather... waterlogged, and I think I'd rather put on something more comfortable."

"Oh, no way are you wearing what you put on at Auntie Su's party!" "Well, no..." Though it was dark, Chibi could tell from the sound of his voice that he was probably blushing. "But I believe I would like to get out of the water now, and put my robes back on." "Okay," said Chibi, "if you say so." A torch flared on the riverside, and then another. Someone was lighting them and handing them out, and by their glow, Chibi could see enough of Piandao's face to realize he was watching the girl in the purple shawl. She was walking from tree to tree, eyeing them as she walked around the trunks.

Piandao caught his little cousin looking at him, and smiled. "She's been watching me all day. I figured it was the funny-looking suit."

"Aha! I knew you had an ulterior motive! You want to go get back into your fancy-shmancy robes and go impress her with how sophisticated you can be." Chibi rolled her eyes. "How about I tell her the story of when you were at that one noodle shop, and..."

"Don't you dare," laughed Piandao. "I'll set the White Lotus special forces on you, and then you'll never feel safe. Besides, look, she's calling everyone over anyway ~ I think she has something she wants to show us." The two swam back to the riverbank to hear what was being said.

[mahatista]

"All right everybody, listen up!" Maha announced, not sure of what she was going to say next but feeling she had to get things moving. "We are headed in the right direction. We're close. I can feel it. There's an aura of anger, fear, angst, frustration (both sexual and material) and ... pirate."

All eyes blinked at her, waiting to hear more that might explain what in the world she'd meant by that. No explanation was forthcoming.

"We will move away from this place before the food coma hits!" She grabbed a torch and held it high above her head.

"Leaves Maha." Chibi said in a low warning.

"Right." She lowered the torch a bit and started off. She glanced back at the sword master and saw him shrugging on a robe. An audible sigh escaped her lips and she blushed. Chibi punched her arm and she squeaked in protest, but it was the wake-up she needed.

"To the tree!" Maha strode forward, assuming everyone would follow her.

Oddly enough, they did.

[The Blue Chibi]

"Bring out... the Tree-Sniffing Dog!" Chibi called. lu did, and Suki held a certain blue necklace to the pup's nose. He sniffed, and then took off, baying and dragging Sokka behind him at ...tremendous speed.

[kaibasgirl]

kaibasgirl comes running out of nowhere with a lenght of rope, a gag and some wood.

"I just got a message that we're tying someone to a tree! Can I help?" She asks eagerly.

[The Blue Chibi]

The crowd looked around, alarmed. Chibi whispered, "Wait, kai, she doesn't know yet!" The pirates, excited at the sight of ropes and gags, jumped out from behind the trees as well and grabbed lu, as planned. "Yer comin' with us, missy," the one in the huge hat growled. "We's got the word that you're to be standin' in for a certain young lady." lu, kicking (and trying not to laugh), was led to the exact spot Where It All Began, so very long ago...

[kaibasgirl]

kaibasgirl scratches her head in confusion. "Oh...so...we're not tying her or something?" She looks down sadly at the rope and pouts. "Aw nuts."

[mahatista]

"Eureka!!!!!" Maha called out triumphantly as the pirates, the party and struggling/giggling Lu made their way to THE TREE.

It was beautiful. The setting sun shown around it like a halo. It was more inspiring than they'd ever imagined.



The torches kept the light around them as the sun slipped away.

"Now comes the rope Kai." Maha told the pouting girl who perked up immediately.

[kaibasgirl]

"YES!" kaibasgirl yelled, then, when she saw everyone staring, cleared her throat and said, "I mean, of course."

She then started to tie lu to the tree, making sure it was extra tight and tying it with a gordion knot.

"Now let's see anyone get out of that!" She exclaimed, dusting her hands off and grinning from ear to ear.

[mahatista]

Maha motioned to Bato who came forward, said some threatening words to Lu who told him to jump in the river.

The crowd made a collective gasp at the astonishingly accurate portrayal of a favorite scene. When Bato slipped up behind Lu and began silkily cajoling in her ear at least one member of the audience fainted with delight.

Suddenly the air was rent with the sharp, vicious barks of Pecan the Zutara dog followed by Bato howling in pain as the canine took a sizeable bite out of the warrior's behind.

Chaos ensued.

[The Blue Chibi]

Chibi kicked Sokka, who was about to test the challenge of kai's knot with his sword. "Don't you dare," she said. "Besides, you know Pecan will just come after you next." Pirates were dancing about and howling as they got nipped by the outraged little dog, and tourists were standing back and snapping pictures of the whole scene, unsure of whether this portrayal of the Ultimate Zutarian Moment (Thus Far) was intended to be quite so rowdy, or whether it had all been staged. "So, do you suppose this was faithful to the original?" one lady asked another as they purchased Official Maps to the Stars' Homes. "I don't know," said the other. "I'd heard there was supposed to be some purring in there somewhere, but I think they got it about right. That tall guy is awfully cute, you know."

Chibi, about to faint from hunger and exhaustion, swayed amid all the commotion and was caught by Jeong Jeong, who loaded her on his own personal palanquin and ordered the porters to carry her back to the ship. Chibi's eyes glittered from the depths of the blankets swathed around her. "And double time it," she demanded.

[kaibasgirl]

kaibasgirl stuck her tongue out at Sokka after Chibi kicked him and threatened him. Then she quickly ran off to catch up with Chibi before Sokka got majorly ticked off.

"Um, so, what's going on?" She asked, as she jogged beside the palanquin that was going extremely fast. "Where're Zuko and Katara?"

[The Blue Chibi]

Mai, leaning against a tree in the shadows, turned to watch them go. "That was my line, $%^£&," she commented dryly, rolling her eyes.

Seeing kai, Chibi smiled and, with the last of her strength, waved feebly at her friend. "Rosebud... wait, wrong movie. Grasshopper, they are locked in the Brig o' Luv, and none but the Keys of Heaven will get them out." Kai stopped, wondering whether Chibi was hallucinating with fatigue, or whether the whole world had become one big fanfic, and she was trapped in it. "Farewell, child," rasped Chibi, "farewell, and many thanks for all your help." "Er, right..." responded a confused kai, "and, uh, sleep well."

"As yooouuu wiiiish..." came the faint reply from the rapidly retreating palanquin.

[luthien]

"Hey, uh..." Luthien called out to the retreating crowd, "is someone going to untie me?" Pecan tried valiantly to loose the ropes binding Lu to The Tree, but sadly his short legs made all his attempts vain. Bato approached to help untie her, but was met with a low growl from the Zutarian Dog.

"Easy boy," the Water Tribesman said. "I'm just trying to untie her. You're both trying to get back to the ship, right?" Pecan eyed Bato warily, but aquiesced and let the warrior get close enough to Lu to untie her. Bato then stepped back, worried what the doggie would do next.

"I think he just thought you got a little too much into the re-enactment is all," Lu laughed. "Though you were really selling the whole whispering in the ear bit." Luthien thought back to "The Full Bato" from the night before and added, "You Water Tribe guys get a little crazy when you're exposed to the warmer climes, huh?"

Bato just blushed furiously and suggested they get back to the ship.

[kaibasgirl]

kaibasgirl watched the rapidly retreating palanquin.

"Well.....that was odd." She muttered to herself and looked around. She spotted Mai nearby and her face split into and evil grin.

"Hey, hey Ty Lee!" She called to the acrobat, who turned around and began to cartwheel towards her.

"What is it?" Ty Lee asked.

"Could you super glomp me?" kaibasgirl asked.

"Sure!" Ty Lee replied, though she though it was a completely random and strange request, since most people preferred that she didn't hug them, let along super glomp them.

After feeling what it was like to be nearly-dead, kaibasgirl went over to mahatista and asked her if she wanted to have some...fun.

[LiveInThaskyE]

When SkyE awoke from the dinner bash the previous night, he awoke with ringing and a electric headache, remembering the way Bato sang last night, killing his eardrums in the process. He got out of bed and walked onto the deck, looking for a sign of other humanity on the ship, but realizing that everyone was gone. Then, looking at out to the beach, he saw Maha, Lu, Bato and the others returning from wherever the heck they went to. He wanted to know where they went and why the hell they didnt wake him up.