The Zutara Capfic Cruise!!!

[luthien]

There were light chuckles from the group, and a few coughs (courtesy of Bato) - but Sokka's reaction was much different. The teen laughed loudly and slapped his knee, then wiped tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and sighed. "Oh, TWB, that was great! A person after my own heart! I can't believe I didn't come up with that one myself!" Bato looked sideways at Sokka, then over to Hakoda, who was chuckling under his breath. To himself, Bato said, "I swear, I'll never understand..."

[The Blue Chibi]

As Sokka proudly led them past the exact spot on the dirt path where Zuko had said "How stupid do you think I am?" and Sokka had responded with his patented knock-'em-flat Sense o' Humor, Zuko whispered to Katara, "A line you were not long in stealing, either, m'dear." "Hush!" whispered Katara, blushing.

Chibi was walking behind the couple with surreal, Solva, and liz; when they heard the exchange, they giggled and elbowed each other. "Ssshhh!" The girls tried to hush each other, but it was too late. Zuko and Katara turned around and saw the irreverent tourists making fools of themselves, red-faced and unable to stop giggling. "I'd quit laughing and run, if I were you," advised Zuko in his low and dangerous, yet silky, voice. The girls shut up just to listen to the sound of his voice, but as the meaning of his words sank in, the mirth and adulation died away, to be replaced by quizzical looks.

"Why, Zuko? Run? I don't get it..." But all he said was, "The shirshu is coming... "

"Oh please, the shirshu," said Chibi. "No such thing. And even if there were, didn't all this happen long ago, before you two became such, ahem, good friends?" The ground trembling under her feet caused Chibi to stop speaking and slowly turn around, legs cold with fear.

There indeed, thundering up the path towards them, was the shirshu, Jun astride it. It slavered as it ran, and sniffed around wildly. The girls all screamed "RUN!!" and started stampeding up the path to the Abbey. The air, grown chilly now, tore painfully in their chests as they panted, and their panicked legs were about to give up. "Oh, why didn't I get back in shape?" lamented Chibi, head pounding and fear forcing her burning muscles to keep on. "Who set that beast loose, anyway?"

They burst through the archway to the abbey, and were met by another crowd of people, who all turned to look at the noisy new arrivals curiously.

"What are you doing here?" the terrified girls were asked. Red-faced from running, the girls screamed, "Run! Get away! There's a shirshu on the loose! Hurry!" "Oh," said one man in a leather jacket and sunglasses, who set down his coffee cup and rose from a chair marked 'Director.' "That's just Alice. Don't worry, the ASPCA is watching over her." Hysterical, Chibi screamed, "But who's watching over us?!!" She turned and saw a large movie camera pointed at her, and noticed several arrays of lighting instruments arranged about the courtyard. Two young boys, in costumes and with shaved heads except for a topknot on the taller one, were standing on the wreckage of a well, and makeup artists were furiously dusting their faces with powder, as several robed nuns stood to one side with giant jars of perfume, ready to dump the contents after the signal.

The slightest hint of realization began to dawn on Chibi, and suddenly her face was red for a completely different reason. "Uh, what's going on, here ...exactly?" she ventured, and the man took off his sunglasses and said, "Oh, we're just shooting an AMV. Do you mind? We were kind of in the middle of a scene." The shirshu... er, Alice charged through the doors just at that moment, and on her back were stunt doubles of Sokka and Katara. Following behind her was the rest of the cruise ship's company, cameras at the ready to record the historic recreation.

"Wait for it... wait for it... " said maha. "Look! There it is!" The stunt double of Zuko astride the shirshu had reached down and grabbed his young co-workers' back, his hand on her blue robes steadying her so that she wouldn't fall off. A hundred cameras went off, the flashes scattering a flock of doves that had been resting along the courtyard's walls. "I knew it! I told you so!" A hundred Zutarians pounded each other on the back and congratulated each other, rejoicing in the canon proof of their ship.

"SSSSHHH!!! Quiet on the set, please!!" A megaphone sounded... and a hundred embarrassed Zutarians turned around, shoulders hunched in shame, and trooped off the set. "Sorry..." "Sorry... we're sorry..." "Ssshhhh!" "Ooops, sorry..."

They settled quietly along the walls to watch the rest of the shooting, taking care to sit far enough away from the waiting jars that they wouldn't get drenched in the huge, overpoweringly perfumed puddle that was soon to spill. "Okay, action!" "This is so exciting," Chibi whispered to maha. "I've never seen anything like this before." "Ssshhh." "Okay, sorry... but... why aren't the actors talking?" "Writers. They'll overlay this with previously recorded music. Ssshhhh." "Oh, okay," said Chibi, satisfied with the explanation, and sat back, wondering how quiet the abandoned city of their next destination would seem after the noise and activity here. Would Azula be there?

[bagpipe turtle]

Bagpipe watched the AMV filming with wide eyes, all the while keeping an eye on the group's newest couple, Zuko and Katara, who were discreetly holding hands as they watched themselves interact.

The group tiptoed out of the abbey, so as to not be in the way of filming or get their clothes drenched in perfume.
"So, what's the plan on getting to that deserted town?" Bato said to nobody in particular.

"Uh, I'm not quite sure. I think Toph was in charge of creating a tunnel from the abbey to the town," Bagpipe replied, glancing around for Toph and said tunnel.
She continued, "Does anyone know where the tunnel is? I can't recall at the moment."
Bagpipe began squinting into the distance for signs of any sort of tunnel, hoping someone would remember.

[mahatista]

The ground rumbled and Maha closed her eyes, swallowing hard. It was time. The long haul.

"I can hack it." She snapped when she saw the blind earthbender smirk.

"Would you like me to accompany you riding the badger mole? If it would make you more comfortable that is." A deep voice startled her and she turned to see the sword master standing close. Talking. To her.

"Yes." She said. Well, actually she sort of whimpered it and then fainted.

[Victim ~*of *~Circumstances]

Voc ran towards her fellow Zutarians, smiling all the while at the AMV crew. She caught a glance at Zuko & Katara who were having a private moment holding hands sweetly. Finally reaching them she caught bits and pieces of conversation.

"So, what's the plan on getting to that deserted town?"

"Uh, I'm not quite..."

"I can hack it."

Standing around two feet away from the swordmaster she surveyed the earth which was about to become a tunnel until she heard a faint whimper.

"Toph?" Voc questioned to nobody in particular

The greatest Earthbender in the world suddenly fell right before the groups eyes. With a cry of "Oh no!" Voc made a step forward but the swordmaster was faster.

With a soft thump on the ground he had caught her mid fall.

[theweasleyboys]

"That could have been messy," TWB said to herself, running over to where Toph had almost fallen down. "You okay over there, Miss The Blind Bandit?"

[The Blue Chibi]

Chibi was brought, but there was nothing she could do. "I'm trained in healing," she said, "but unfortunately not for conditions in the Ava~verse, and Yugoda's all the way back on the ship." Hands on her hips, she sighed. "Well, all right, just for now, make them comfortable: loosen collars, keep them warm, lay them back... uh, someone go get Yugoda. I've never seen contagious fainting spells like this before ~ maybe she knows what's going on."

Sokka, who was loudly lamenting the fact to anybody who would listen that he had by chance just not brought Hawky that day, and what a help it would have been, etc, etc... happened to hear Chibi's last sentence and gasped. "What?! Fainting spells!? You mean like all that magicky mumbo-jumbo that doesn't really exist? It doesn't, right? Oh man, poor Toph, in the clutches of some Spirit World witch... maybe they just want to get at Aang, you know... oh man, who's next? It could be any of us! Oh..."

"Sokka," Chibi said, "'fainting spells' is just an expression... oh never mind. Yes, they're in the clutches of some evil witch, and they need your help." She grabbed his shirt and looked him in the eye. "Only you can do it ~ go into that forest there and bring me back a white flower with red stripes and golden tips. Hurry!" The teen dashed off, and Chibi turned back to the people crowding around their friends lying on the ground. "Okay, let's elevate their legs..." VoC and Kunoichi did so, while Suki muttered "Is there really any such plant?" Chibi stifled a giggle and said, "Nah, I just said that to get rid of him ~ he was freaking out. These two just probably fainted at the same time in a sympathetic reaction. Did anyone go get Yugoda?" "Yeah, Pixar did."

Soon, Sokka came crashing back, screaming, "Look who I found!" Perched on his wrist guard was Hawky, a note tied to his back. "He just showed up right before I found the flower." In disbelief, Chibi said, "You actually found it?" "Yeah, what's the matter? Didn't you want me to?" Chibi stuttered, "Er... yeah. But --" She was cut off by a squeal from behind her.

Toph, who by this time had begun to stir, was awakened by all the noise and tried to sit up, saying "Meatmuncher! You brought me a flower!! How sweeee..." Still woozy, she drooped again, the hands of her friends at her back. "Toph, try to rest now," Suki was saying, while gazing in astonishment at the flower clutched in Sokka's hand. "Well, I'll be..." She looked at Chibi, who shrugged in bewilderment and then said "Hey, Sokka! What's in the note on Hawky's back?"

"Oh, that," said Sokka, somewhat deflated. He pulled it off sullenly and unrolled it. "Hey! This is great news!" Chibi looked up from where she was kneeling by the girls resting on the ground, and said, "What? And where is that Yugoda?" Sokka, trying to contain a little dance of glee, replied, "It says here that Princess Azula, while practicing her part for the recreation of the scene at the abandoned town, managed to burn down the entire set, and they regret to inform us that they cannot host us today." Behind the crowd, Uncle Iroh, who had not been looking forward to this part of the trip, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh well," said Chibi, "we can just go back to the ship after these two wake up, and we'll all pig out at the buffet. I could use a nice fruit salad, and a turkey wrap, and some chocolate cheesecake, and..." Just then, two figures could be seen approaching them from the forest, hand in hand. "Oh, great, now you show up," sighed Chibi, exasperated. "Where were you when we needed a healer, huh?"

Katara smiled shyly and blushed at the words. "Hurry up and take care of these two, please," siad Chibi. "It looks like a pretty heavy rainstorm is headed this way, and I want to get to some chocolate-- er, I mean, I want to get undercover before it hits." Zuko's abashed face brightened at this, but Katara gave a little kick to his ankle. "No, you are not going up on that mountain in the rain," she said, understanding his expression. "But dearest..." he pleaded. She glared at him severely. "No!"

[mahatista]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CHAPTER 4[/b]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maha woke up on the ship. She was uncomfortable.

She opened her eyes and started when she saw Yugoda's kind, but weathered face looking down at hers.

"Welcome back." The healer said. "I hope you don't plan to throw up on me again."

"Huh?" Maha couldn't remember a time when she'd actually planned to throw up.

"It's been a long night." Yugoda smiled. "I'll let someone else explain."

"Okay." Maha closed her eyes again.

When she opened them she got another startle. The crazy-map and itinterary were being held up for her to see. It made her woozy again, although she wasn't making any arrangements to puke.


Day 1- South Pole (serving hot cocoa)
Day 2- Stay on the Ship (Dinner)
Day 3- Waterbending Scroll Riverside
Day 4- "Bato of the Water Tribe" Abbey/The Chase deserted town
Day 5- Spirit Oasis at the North Pole (serving hot cider)
Day 6- Crystal Catacombs/Jasmine Dragon tea shop
Day 7- Hot Springs/Royal Palace (including a tour, visit to the turtleduck pond, and formal feast)
Day 8- Zuko's Hot Air Balloon




"Why..." She began.

"We're going to the North Pole today. We'll be on the ship most of the day and then this evening we'll be at the Spirit Oasis."

"Wake me when there are icebergs." Maha murmured as she drifted off again.

[luthien]

Back in her cabin, Luthien sat on the floor, rummaging through her luggage. Pecan was curled in a ball next to her, drifting in and out of sleep, and trying valiantly to keep his eyes open. "Hmm..." Lu murmured to herself, "guess I'll have to put the warm-weather clothes away for a bit and get out the parkas. Which one do you like?" Lu asked Pecan, as she held up a blue parka and a purple parka. Pecan propped one eye open and looked at both parkas. Though the Zutarian dog was color blind, he preferred the style of the purple one, and barked his approval when Lu held it up for him. "Purple it is!" announced Lu, and, his job done, Pecan finally drifted off into sleep.

"Good doggie," Lu said, patting the comatose Corgi. Pulling on the blue robes she wore when walking around the ship's corridors, she said to herself, "I think I'm going to check on maha. I hope she's feeling better." Then Luthien walked off to check on her friend.

[LiveInThaskyE]

When SkyE found out that their next destination would be to the North Pole, he went and bought a coat because he had forgotten his at home, of which he was prone to do.As the weather got steadily colder, he said to himself "Here we go."

[The Blue Chibi]

Leaning over the ship's rail, Chibi reached out and caught the piece of ice Momo brought her from the surface of the waves. It was getting dark, and she wanted to visit maha before meeting her cousin in the parlor for a friendly little pre-dinner game of pai sho... okay, she was gonna whup his butt. She wrapped the chunk of arctic ice in a piece of cloth, and made her way to the infirmary. On the way, she met lu coming out. "How is she?" asked Chibi. "Well, she's resting now." "Oh, good. Hey, what are you doing after dinner?" lu reached down to scratch Pecan's ears, and replied, "Not sure ~ let's get everybody together in the ballroom and talk about it later. How does that sound?" "Sure," said Chibi, and continued on with her arctic bounty to the infirmary.

"We there yet...?" Maha was still groggy. Chibi gave her the cloth-wrapped ice to put on her forehead, and sat back, telling her how much everyone had missed her and was worried about her ~ they were passing around a card in the halls right now for everybody to sign, and Sokka had graciously given up his flower in a little bud vase for the sickroom.

"The cooler air and the nice hot cider might make you feel better tonight," Chibi suggested, "and if that doesn't work, I'm sure Iroh can give you some great medicinal tea in his Jasmine Dragon shop tomorrow, when we reach Ba Sing Se." "Mmrrrppphhh," said maha. "Oh, I know," replied Chibi, "and you're definitely going to want to be well in time for the royal palace tour and the big feast the day after that, when we finally reach the Fire Nation. Everybody's going to be there, and the entertainment, and the music... oh, wow. Definitely want to be there for that."

"Ah," said maha. "Oh, sure," Chibi nodded. "And you're definitely going to want to be healthy by the time we get to ride in Prince Zuko's balloon! Imagine that... soaring above the clouds..." "Aaahh," insisted maha. "What? Oh, you want to sit up front in the gondola? No? You want to pack a picnic? No? Well, then, what is it!? Oh! You want the basin!" Handing it to her hurriedly, Chibi waved and ran out of the room to find the pai sho table.

[theweasleyboys]

"Fainting spells and rumors of spirits," TWB said to herself, patrolling the deck with an early-age magnifying glass perched over her right eye. "And a trip off to the North Pole, no doubt...that's the biggest haven for the paranormal in the entire world!"

She cast an eye over the passing waves, as though to catch the image of a wayward spirit within them.

"I wonder if they like cookies...?"

[LiveInThaskyE]

SkyE looked at the Cruise schedule, seeing that they woul be going next to the Catacombs then Irohs tea shop, he jumped for joy and went to go find Pecan so he could go play with him.

[Victim ~*of *~Circumstances]

Voc groggily stretched as she got up for the day.

"Wow, did I wake up early for once? Temperature seems to have gone down a notch."

she mused to herself. Picking up one of her winter scarfs she drapped it gingerly across her shoulders. Walking over to the bathroom Voc began to brush her teeth and take a warm bath.

"I wonder what's on the list today." she always seemed to have time to muse about things.

After that she dressed quickly, a red and black ensemble that would most likely keep her nice and warm but you could never be too ready.

Trotting over to the fruit bowl next to her bed she grabbed an apple. the scarf was stashed into one of the hidden pockets of her robes.

The air was refreshing as she got on deck. Nobody seemed to be awake unless they went to the cruise schedule.

Day 5- Spirit Oasis at the North Pole (serving hot cider)
Day 6- Crystal Catacombs/Jasmine Dragon tea shop
Day 7- Hot Springs/Royal Palace (including a tour, visit to the turtleduck pond, and formal feast)
Day 8- Zuko's Hot Air Balloon

"So that's why it's getting colder. Amazing, we'll be at the actual North pole!" delight and the mention of cider put a kick into her step as she ran towards the pai sho area.

[Hinata Uzumaki IS BACK]

((can i just come in now?))
Hinata came out onto the deck. She looked around and only saw Voc.
She walked over to her."hi Voc."she greeted her.