Bouquet Toss


"If I can have your attention, ladies and germs!" Sokka called.

Zuko began to wonder if the water boy would ever give up on that particular address.

"It's that time all the ladies have been waiting for: the bouquet toss! Can I please have all the single women come up here?"

Giggles and groans resounded throughout the dining hall as hundreds of girls and unmarried women got up from their seats and made their way toward the cleared dance floor. Many were reluctantly dragged out of their seats, or woefully propelled to the front by various bending methods. Zuko watched with a mixture of amusement and dread as Azula marched to the front of the crowd, eyeing her competition for the bride's floral favour. The young Fire Lord marveled at how quickly his sister could sober up when it came to competition time.

As the throng of bachelorettes amassed, Zuko carefully considered each of the potential bride-to-be's chances of catching the bouquet. He immediately dismissed the Twinkie girls from Kyoshi Island, who were all huddled together at the front of the crowd, giggling – they were just too short. Likewise, he eliminated all the women hovering at the back; mostly bored Fire Nation noblewomen who, now that the Fire Lord was taken, had little interest in marriage.

Azula may have been too close to the front, knowing Katara's strong throwing arm. The bouquet would arc and land somewhere near the centre of the crowd, but that probably wouldn't stop the Fire princess from jumping onto the Twinkies' little shoulders to make a grab for it. Ty Lee looked just as determined: the lithe tumbler would have no problem leaping for the bouquet. Mai simply stood there, bored and sullen as usual. Zuko knew not to underestimate her, though; if she really did have any designs to be the next to wed, she could fight as readily for the bouquet as her two academy mates; but since Zuko was taken, she would probably pursue other interests.

The Firebender scanned the other faces in the crowd, picking out other potential winners and losers. Some of the fiercer looking women who could definitely take on Azula and Ty Lee seemed uninterested, and had simply joined the crowd for decorum. Toph looked bored and was facing the wrong way. Jun absently inspecting her nails off to one side. The Fortuneteller, Aunt Wu, was consulting a book of flower falling patterns. And the Kyoshian warrior Suki kept throwing nasty looks at Sokka and making threatening gestures at him as if to say, "I'm going to get that bouquet like I'm going to get you!"

The master of ceremonies did not miss her message, squeaking as he spoke.

"Uh, okay ladies! Get ready!" He leaned over and whispered to his sister urgently. Katara simply smiled and nodded, glancing behind her as she eyed the throng of single women.

Zuko sat at the edge of his seat, and made the decisive bet: he was putting his money on Ty Lee.

"One!" Katara counted, "Two! THREE!"

The bouquet of champagne lilies and roses arced high into the air.

"MINE!" Azula screamed. As predicted, she climbed over the pile of squealing Twinkies and pushed off, jumping five feet into the air, arms spread out. It looked like she was going to catch the bouquet when suddenly, a pink-slippered foot collided with her jaw and a blur of agile fuchsia-clad limbs spun and hopped over the Fire princess's falling form. Ty Lee stretched out, her fingers just brushing the stem of the bouquet in mid-air, when the bottom inch of the flower arrangement was suddenly lopped off.

A metal fan embedded itself into the wall as Suki ran forth, batting and elbowing the women around her away. She dived forward, trying to catch the falling bouquet, but it suddenly jerked up and away, caught by a ghostly hand and snatched from her grasp. The bouquet sailed high overhead of its own volition, away from the flailing reach of the desperate, shrieking single women, to land right into the arms of one woman standing off to the side in the far corner.

She stared dumbly at the flowers in her arms as Azula, Ty Lee, Suki, and a host of other women gawked in disbelief.

"Katara!" Suki screeched. "That's cheating! You can't use your Waterbending powers to move the water in the bouquet!"

"Do over!" Azula cried, slamming her fist on the ground at the injustice of it all.

"Me? I didn't do anything!" Katara sputtered.

They stared. "But, if it wasn't you…"

All eyes turned to Aang. The monk rapidly shook his head, holding his hands up in denial. "Honest guys, I didn't do it!"

"Wasn't me, neither," a plump old hick called from the back of the reception hall. No one even noticed him.

"Well, looks like my Gran Gran is going to have a second wedding!" Sokka announced happily, too relieved by Suki's miserable failure. "Congratulations Gran Gran!"

The old woman stared at her grandchildren and back at the flowers. If it wasn't Katara, then who…?

"You'll make a lovely bride, Kana," a voice came smoothly. Gran Gran frowned and pivoted on her heel. Pakku was standing behind her, smirking, arms folded across his chest. His eyes glittered with mischievous triumph. "So how does this winter sound for the wedding?"

Kana whipped the bouquet at the Waterbending master's head and stalked away.

"Next spring then?" Pakku called after her, picking a thorn out of his eye.