Thanks, guys! I feel I went a little fast with Katara and Sokka trusting Zuko, and Zuko automatically starting to teach Aang firebend, but…ah well.

And the reason Azula was like that last chapter was because…THINGS DID NOT GO HER WAY! O--------o XD I thought that's how she would react, because there was a sketch at the comic con of Azula looking extremely pissed about something.

Well, enough of that crap. On with the fanfic!

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Chapter 6: The Order of the White Lotus

"So, let me get this straight…"

Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, Teo, The Duke, Haru, and Zuko were all piled on Appa heading towards a small Fire Nation village. Iroh previously told Zuko where other Order headquarters are, so that is where they were going.

Sokka continued. "We're going to some secret society, which I'm apparently initiated in, and we're going to get their help?"

Zuko nodded. "Look, I know it's crazy and hard to believe, but some people in the Fire Nation are against Ozai. Every single firebender is either in the army unless they've been sent home, or working in factories, or just working in general. It didn't use to be that way. People actually had choices."

"So I'm guessing the army takes it out on innocent people." Katara stated. "Like the Southern Water Tribe and random Earth Kingdom villages."

"Pretty much." Zuko replied. "Thus also the reason my father sent me to hunt Aang down."

"We went undercover at a school." Aang said. Katara and Sokka both glared at him.
"Okay, I went undercover. I found out that dancing isn't permitted. They have no freedom or fun."

"Were you taught why Sozin started the war?" Zuko asked.

"No." Aang answered. "But Avatar Roku showed me why. Sozin started the war because he wanted to share the Fire Nation with the rest of the world. At least that's the way I saw it."

"That was it." Said Zuko. "Things got out of control. Sozin wanted power, and so did the fire lord after him- Azulon."

"Was Azula named after him or something?" Toph asked.

Zuko nodded. Aang noticed a small town ahead of them.

"Hey, is that it?" Aang pointed downward.

Zuko also looked down. "Yep, that's it."

Appa landed. Everyone got off. Before Aang started walking Sokka stopped him.

"Wait, Aang. We need to get back into our Fire Nation disguises." He stated. "It'll look kind of weird if two Water Tribe citizens, four Earrth Kingdom citizens, and the Avatar waltzing into a Fire Nation town just after an invasion."

"Oh, yeah."

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph all changed into their Fire Nation disguises. Zuko addressed Teo, the Duke, and Haru.

"I have some money with me. I'll get you some clothes." He said.

"Thanks." Haru replied.

Zuko walked into the village. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph finished changing.

"Hey, where'd Zuko go?" Asked Toph.

"He went to find me, Teo, and the Duke some Fire Nation clothes." Haru answered. "That was nice of him."

Katara nodded. "It was, indeed."

Zuko came back about twenty minutes later with clothes. Haru, Teo, and the Duke changed into them, and the eight teens set off.

"Ok, there's a restaurant we need to go to." Zuko told them. "There's gonna be someone sitting at a table by himself with a Pai Sho set in front of him." He turned to Sokka. "Ask him if you may have that game…"

XXX

A few more minutes later in a restaurant, Sokka approached a man in a corner. A Pai Sho set was on the table in front of him. Taking a deep breath, Sokka pulled out his lotus tile.

"Hi. May I have this game?" Sokka asked.

The man gestured for Slokka to sit. "The guest has the first move."

Sokka complied, and set the lotus tile on the board.

"I see you favor the white lotus tile." The man observed.

"Oh, yeah. It's a cool tile." Sokka replied.

The two started playing. The rest of the group sat at a nearby table, watching Sokka and the man play. About a half our later, both sides of the board evenly matched. The man smiled and stood up and bowed to Sokka.

"Welcome to the Order of the White Lotus."

Sokka stood up and returned the bow. "Thanks."

The man gestured for Sokka to follow him. "Follow me, please."

Sokka glanced back towards his friends then followed the man. Zuko sighed.

"We mighty as well order some food. This is gonna take a while."

XXXXX

Sokka followed the man into a big room dimly lit by candles. A big, rectangular table sat in the middle. There were eleven people seated at the table.

"Master, we have a new initiate." The man Sokka followed said and bowed.

The man sitting at the end of the table smiled and stood up. "Welcome. It's been a long time since we had a new teenage initiate. Are you a bender?"

"No." Sokka answered. "But, I'm good with swords."

The Master nodded. "What is your name?"

Sokka stopped for a second. He thought about using his real name, but would they accept him if he's Water Tribe? The Master seemed to read his mind.

"The Order accepts any who are against this war, and will do anything to stop it."

"Really?" Sokka asked. "That's great! I mean…my name is Sokka. I'm from the southern Water Tribe. I'm traveling with the Avatar."

"Nice to meet you, Sokka. My name is Shang." The Master said. He bowed again. "Come, have a seat."

Sokka sat down at an empty place at the table. "So, uh, what exactly is the Order of the White Lotus?"

"The Order of the White Lotus was formed five years after the war started." Shang began to explain. "It was founded by my grandfather. He started the Order when his brother was killed for treason. He uh….he married an Air Nomad nun. She was killed after having her firstborn. The Order of the White Lotus was formed to help the victims and prisoners of war. We protect and hide those who are banished and on the run. There are over five hundred Order members in the Fire Nation, and almost a thousand in the Earth Kingdom."

Sokka was amazed by this. "Wow….so basically, you guys are a resistance against Ozai?"

"Exactly." Shang replied. "We don't accept just anyone, though. You have to be able to keep a secret, and you have to be fully against this war."

"I can definatly keep a secret." Sokka insisted. "And I don't think I can be any more against this war than I already am. The Fire Nation killed my mother. My father and my girlfriend are imprisoned along with the Black Sun invasion force. I'll do anything I can to help stop this war."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Shang asked, interested.

"Well, we could start a rebellion." Sokka suggested. "Maybe a peasant uprising. The prince of the Fire Nation turned against his father in hopes to help the Avatar take down Fire Lord Ozai."

"A rebellion sounds like an excellent idea." Said Shang.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the restaurant, the rest of the gang was finishing up their food. Toph sighed in boredom.

"How long is this meeting going to take?!" She asked impatiently.

"Calm down, Toph. Patience is a virtue." Haru told her.

"Zuko, can you tell us about Azula? Like, what can we use against her?" Katara asked.

"Our mother thought she was a monster- which is true, but it still hurt her." Zuko replied. Telling all this stuff about his father and sister to the Avatar and his friends…was actually starting to feel good. All that anger and hate towards those two. "She cares about her friends and our dad-"

"Which was why she stalled us during the eclipse." Aang pointed out. "She was protecting her father."

"Yep, sounds like Azula." Zuko responded. "She has to have everything her way, and will do anything to get what she wants. Loyalty is important to her. If you betray her, you might as well sign your death warrant."

"Uh…you mean like you basically did?" Aang piped up.

Before Zuko responded, Sokka returned.

"Hey, meeting's done." Sokka announced.

"So what now?" Asked Aang.

"We are starting a rebellion." Sokka replied, grinning.

"Hell yeah!" Toph pumped both her fists.

"Who's leading it?" Asked Zuko.

Sokka looked at Zuko and grinned harder. Zuko realized who he was talking about.

"No. No way." Zuko said. "I'm a traitor to the Fire Nation. What makes you think people will listen to me?"

"You said not everyone is with the Fire Lord." Sokka reminded Zuko. "I don't know about Fire Nation politics much, but from what I hear, Ozai is an evil dictator. The Fire Nation needs someone who can put an end to this war. And since you're the crown prince anyway, Zuko; I vote you as the next Fire Lord. You can pout an end to this war."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when you try to convince the Fire Prince to lead a rebellion, Sokka!" Toph exclaimed. "You have a good point though."

"I agree." Aang pugt in. "The four- well, three, I guess- nations are meant to be four separate nations. It's not fair to us if the Fire Nation controls the whole world."

"I'm in." Katara agreed. She and everyone else looked at Zuko.

The prince smiled. "Okay, you've convinced me." He raised his glass. "To creating an era of peace and kindness?"

"Hear, hear!" The group chorused and clunk their cups.

"You kind of over did it with the peace and kindness part…" Sokka commented to Zuko. The prince just smiled and shrugged.

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-sings- A new Fire Nation, the chains of the masses untied…

…-cough- Yeah. Heh.

REVIEWS ARE FOOD FOR A WRITER'S SOUL! –runs-