A Kiss in Ba Sing Se

[A/N: This is an A/U story. The Toph character does feel inferior to Katara and so in order to compete for Aang's affections pulls out all the stops. Aang is a boy with near infinite power and is being offered love and comfort from the two girls most dear to him.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or titles to the characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender.]

Chapter 15

Oh Boy

Katara nervously looked across the small wooden table at the saffron eyed girl. Mai always made her nervous. Ever since their first encounter in Omashu, she gave her the willies. That cold stare, her emotionless way of speaking, but especially Mai's way of disarming her bending ability. Something that was not only a part of her abilities, but also her character. She had an easier time facing Azula, than this blade throwing nightmare.

To call her a nightmare, for this waterbender, was no understatement. Being chased and nearly captured and then after witnessing what Mai and Ty Lee did to the Terra Team, an elite platoon of earthbenders, she did have nightmares, on and off for months.

Katara was taking comfort in the fact that she didn't see any knives, until she heard scarping on the table. Even though Mai was looking directly at her, she was carving Zuko's name, in beautiful kanji, into the table top, with her sharp, bright red lacquered nails. It looked like a professional artist had rendered it.

She would have admired the workmanship, if a vision of those very same nails, laying open her throat, hadn't flashed through her mind. A chill shook her whole body from the bead of cold sweat that ran down the back of her neck.

Katara swallowed hard, "Boy, where is Zuko... he sure is taking his time getting that tea," she coughed in a squeaky voice, "I can barely talk..."

The tall lady's brow lifted, "How very convenient... I'll order you a cup," she said as she signaled for a waiter.

"Yes miladies... what can I bring ya?"

Mai smiled politely at the middle aged man, "I have something coming from the kitchen already... she'll have... an extra large cup of ginseng, extra strong... no honey. Is that alright Katara, you look like you need a pick-me-up?"

The waterbender could already taste the bitterness as she nodded, "Sure... sounds... yummy."

The waiter looked sideways at the waterbender as if to question her decision, but a second look at Mai's stoic appearance, changed his mind. He politely bowed and went to fill her order.

"So Katara, I know you're probably a bit too parch to speak, so let me tell you a little about me, since we haven't really gotten to know each other. Would that be okay?" Mai asked with a surprisingly open smile.

Katara nodded enthusiastically as she returned the smile, "Maybe I misjudged her," she thought, taking in a relaxing breath.

"Good, maybe we can be friends... if not sisters," she winked.

Zuko appeared from the kitchen, carrying a teapot, two cups and a small platter of biscuits.

He sat it all down on the small table, "Here you go... smells great doesn't it?" he commented, about to sit.

"Yes, it does... now go away," Mai commanded, without blinking an eye.

"What?" he asked, as his baffled look scanned both women.

"Katara and I are getting to know one another and you would just a bother," Mai explained, "So, you can take your cup... and your cookie, and go back to the kitchen, or the study... or wherever. I'll find you when we're finished."

Zuko felt the strange atmosphere at the table and noticed how Katara would not give him eye contact.

"Are you okay Katara?" he asked, getting her to look up.

Katara smiled, "Yes... of course, why wouldn't I be? Mai and I are just having a little girl talk. I'd like to know more about her, other than the pointy side."

Zuko was really surprised when they both laughed in stereo. "Okay... then... I'll take my tea and go." he exclaimed, looking suspiciously at the pair.

Mai turned towards the waterbender as if Zuko wasn't even there. He slowly walked away, trying to get a hint of what really what was happening.

The solemn lady in turn sipped her tea, saying not a word, until he was out of sight. During that time, Katara's large cup of ginseng had arrived. She raised it to her lips, exhaling slowing before she tried it. It was incredibly acerbic, more than she had imagined. She winced and strained, placing it back down on the table.

"Good?" the blade wielder asked.

Katara nodded, forcing down the small amount she already had taken it with a strained gulp, "Delicious, (cough)."

Mai smiled once more, "I'm glad... you know, I've always taken you for a ginseng kind of girl. Ty Lee insisted you'd be a jasmine and honey, or an extra sweet spice chai type of girl, just like her. But I don't think this world is big enough for another Ty Lee."

The Fire Nation girl took another sip, "This tea is pretty good, light, just a hint of sweetness, just like Iroh said. Maybe after you finish yours, you'll want to try some of this."

Katara wanted a sip of it now, just to wash away the extreme bitterness that was filling her throat.

"Now... Katara... you were saying... or was I?"

"You first Mai," the waterbender offered.

"Okay, well... I was an only child, at least for a while. You might recall my baby brother Tom-Tom. You and your friends kidnapped him."

"That was just a misunderstanding!"

Mai took another sip, "You seem to have a lot of... misunderstandings... don't you,"

Katara shrank in her seat.

Mai continued, "Anyways, Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee and I were childhood friends. We three girls, we went to the same school. I heard, at the South Pole, you didn't have schools. Is that true?"

"Yes, " she replied, inadvertently sipping the acrid brew again, to her chagrin.

"Hmm, it's amazing you can even read as well as you can," the knife thrower remarked offhandedly, shaking her head. "Well that's my story... now... Katara... tell me about, your little mishap with my Zuko."

Katara's anxiety began to rise once more, "Uh, that can't be everything? Like... where did you learn to throw a shuriken so well... and... and your fighting skills... really impressive... I mean... wow!"

"Thank you, Katara, I'm really flattered," Mai remarked with the brightest smile she had seen so far from the gloomy girl. "Like I told you, I went to school."

Katara's jaw dropped, "They taught you that... in school?"

"Of course, but only at the most elite schools. Why would commoners need to know this level of expertise? They have no real sense of national responsibility anyways. That burden fell on us, true childern of the nation. . In fact, we had the finest martial arts programs to aid the Fire Nation in the war effort. That was our expected duty as children of nobles," she said matter-of-factly.

The waterbender sat in disbelief, "What was your... uh... experise, Mai?"

"Bender assassin," she responded flatly, finishing her cup of tea.

Katara suddenly felt her bladder leak... slightly.

Aang sat cross-legged in the shelter. Cool air swirled around, making the ambient temperature very comfortable.

"How could you Toph," Katara wailed at her , "you're my sister... his sibling!"

The strange dream stirred the little princess back to consciousness.

The Toph shook her head, "Wow, that was a weird one! How in the name of the earth spirit could Suga and I be real sisters... and how would that ever make Twinkles our brother?"

Toph stood to her feet feeling the light blouse that had blanketed her chest fall away. She didn't know how long she was out for after that last... hit, but it had been a doozey. Somewhere during it, she actually passed out.

She felt normal... no... better than that. More sensitive... more alert as details were coming in, feeding into her senses like never before.

"Twinkles, are you awake?"

"Yes," he responded, shifting back to normal from his ethereal glow, "I'm back with you my love... good to see that you're awake as well."

"Back, where did you go?" Toph asked, noting him sitting on the ground. "Were you off on some spirit journey or something like that? You usually only sit like that when you're gonna do some freaky mumbo jumbo stuff."

He chuckled lightly at her observation, "You're right on Sifu! I wanted to know what was happening between the two of us. I knew it had something to do with the spirit world... or close to it. I had to go there and find the answer," he said. "It took me a bit of time, but I finally tracked it down... well most of it."

"And?" she asked impatiently tapping her foot, not appreciating the roundabout answer.

Aang stood, brushing away the dust, "What we're doing is... fornication!" he said bluntly.

Her eyes seemed to double in size, "Say what? How? You-you've never... ever... entered me Twinkle Toes! Not with little Twinkles... or any other part of you!" she declared loudly.

He shook his head, "Ah, but my love, you and I... we've done the do... !", he teased, starting to pace around her. "I've seen the mark... you can't deny it now Toph. You're no longer a maiden... well on one level I guess."

"Eh... what mark... I don't have any marks... do I?" she asked twisting about.

"Oh but you do my little love," Aang started to explain "but it can't be seen in the natural. Not like you see anything in the natural anyways."

"Haha... blind jokes... really Aang?"

He grimaced rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry... but, it's right at the base of your spine, over the chakra that resides there, Toph. That place, I was told, is for spirits much like a sex organ, and chi energy can be transferred between them. The two beings have to be of like force, bonded together, in order for it to work."

"So you're saying... we have some sort of mystical... spooky type of connection?" she asked, tilting her head in thought.

He smiled at just how cute she looked, "Yep, that's why it didn't work with Katara. I figured seeing you in the swamp was proof of that. We are definitely... bonded Toph."

"Now we're bonded and having chi sex? That some crazy stuff Twinkle Toes!"

He walked over to her, "Well, all of it isn't chi sex, part of it is natural ya know. When the chi part gets strong enough, it turns up the avatar part of me..."

"And that then you use your waterbending abilities to get me going down there," Toph filled in, in a sultry voice.

They embraced, "Exactly, and when you're satisfied, by your release, my tensions are also released through the chi and physical energy that flows back over the same link," Aang informed her with a warm kiss, "a complete circle. Ying... Yang!"

"Amazing, truly a lady's first program... I like it?" Toph giggled "So what happens if we... um... do... you know... everything?"

Aang bent in close to her ear, "It's suppose to be pretty amazing... altogether... mind blowing."

She pressed her chest closer into his, "Do you want to give it a go... I mean... since we're fornicating on one plane anyway... might as well go all the way!"

He felt her warm, soft body against his. His excitement was growing as she wrapped herself about him.

"Happy to see me Twinkle Toes... or is that just a sack of gold in your pocket?" she joked, not shying away in the least.

The joke was cute, but he wanted to get down again to business. He kissed her, this time just a gentle one. A peck on each lip and each cheek... followed by her eyes and nose. He kissed softly along her slender, beautiful neck, and she turned around, allowing him to kiss the back of it.

"You know Aang, if you hadn't been such an idiot earlier, we could have already been doing this," she noted coyly, rubbing against him.

"Toph, we have to go!" he suddenly yelled.

"What is it with you Twinkle Toes! When we start finally having some real fun, you say we have to go... again?" she remarked, making the real angry face.

He turned her to face him, "The Announcement Tea Toph... your Announcement Tea... remember?"

"Oh Heavens Aang! We have to go... we have to go now! Why didn't you tell me? You know I can't tell time!" she blew up in a panic, "My mom is gonna kill me!"

Aang took the opportunity for one last squeeze and followed by a passionate, steamy kiss.

Toph's mind seemed to be swimming in pools of calming currents and serene sounds as they parted.

Aang immediately brought down the shelter, allowing the heat and sunlight to assault them once more. The little princess stood quietly, still immersed in the effects of the kiss and it's soothing effects.

"Thanks Twinkle Toes... I needed that," she sighed. "So, what's the plan?"

"You're welcome... the plan is... we have to take the glider my love..."

She backed away shaking her head, "No way... you just crashed... and I hate that…"

Before she could finish her protest, he had it open and swung her upon his back. They were now soaring high above the sun scorched quarry below. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and legs about his waist. The beam of the glider pressed down against her bare back, giving her a feeling of security she had not felt before when flying with him.

For the first time, she was actually enjoying this!