Backyard Campout (Original link)

Author: Jellyjay
Rating: K
Characters: Katara, Zuko, Azula
Genre: Humor

Zuko grinned triumphantly at his own handiwork. He, Zuko Sozin, had successfully wired up Katara Hakoda’s tent so that when she woke up in two minute’s time because of the alarm he had set, she would end up covered in yellow paint and feathers.

He felt proud. Here was another reason he loved backyard campouts.

He checked his watch. A minute and half left. Perfect. All he had to do now was wait for that alarm to ring and for Katara to come stumbling out of her tent so he could take the picture that would prove his revenge on the girl.

One minute left.

Zuko sniggered. Katara was in for it now, and Zuko would finally have his sweet, sweet revenge for every time she’d gotten him with a water balloon or hose.

Fifty seconds.

Zuko shivered as a cold breeze ruffled through his hair. If only time would speed up…

Forty seconds… thirty-five…

Did one minute really last so long? After all this time it’d only been fifteen seconds? It felt like a lifetime already…

Twenty-five seconds… twenty…

“Hi Zuko. Watcha doin’ up so early?”

Zuko froze. He felt his eyes widen in shock. No. It couldn’t have been… it was probably just his imagination, but he could have sworn that that sounded like Katara. But Katara was in her tent, and he, Zuko, was standing right outside it.

Fifteen seconds.

“Am I gonna have to assume that you can’t sleep or are you going to tell me what you’re doing outside Azula’s tent?”

It was this that made Zuko’s blood run cold. Azula’s tent? But then that would mean… he turned around.

“Katara?” His voice sounded rather strangled.

“Duh,” said Katara, tousle-haired in her pyjamas with her hands resting on her hips, “who else would I be?”

Zuko looked from her to the tent he was standing outside and then back at her again, then he said in calmest voice he could: “This is Azula’s tent?”

Ten seconds.

Katara blinked and stared at him. (Nine…) “Uh, yeah, duh. Can’t you tell what your sister’s tent looks like? Whose did you think it was?”

Eight…

Zuko gulped.

Seven…

“Hold on…” said Katara suddenly. “Zuko… what have you done?”

Six…

“Umm… you see…”

Five seconds left…

“I’m waiting…”

Four… Three… Two seconds…

“Uhm… I kinda thought that…” (One second…) Zuko grinned at her sheepishly. “Um…”

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

There was a muffled “Ow!” from inside the tent and then “Hey! What the -”

Zuko gulped and loosened his collar when he heard Azula’s unmistakeable scream and what sounded like her falling out of her camp stretcher. There was the splash of paint and a muffled shriek and then: “ZUKO! YOU DID THIS!”

It took a second for Katara to realise what had happened. She burst into a fit of laughter and clutched her sides in amusement. “You thought this was my tent? Aw Zuko, you’re hilarious! Ha ha!”

Feeling utterly shocked, terrified and embarrassed, Zuko did the only thing that made sense at the time – he ran… but even now, he can still feel the bruise that the rock Azula threw at him left on his head.