A/N: Thanks again to everyone who revied, and thanks to lyoko. Sorry I can't respond to you, but thanks! Again, no internet for a few days due to busy work, but here is the next chapter. Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.
Chapter 11: Initiation
Katara and Aang separated, blushing as Toph walked up to them and opened the door as Aang and Katara moved out of her way. The earthbender left the door open and collapsed onto her bed as Katara glanced back at Aang.
"Thank you, for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, still blushing.
"Yeah, good night," he said, before turning to head to his room down the hall.
Katara reached out and grabbed his shoulder, turning him and pulling him back for a quick kiss.
"Good night," she said as she saw Aang blush again before heading into her room and closing her door behind her.
Toph was already asleep, still in her clothes as Katara went to her own bed and fell onto it, falling asleep instantly. Katara awoke at dawn with Toph snoring lightly on her own bed. She smiled as she got up quietly and made her way into the side room. She saw a lever over the bath and turned it, smiling as hot water came out.
She relaxed into the hot water once the bath was full, letting her muscles relax. Once her bath was done, she found her water tribe clothes clean and folded for her on the dresser. Toph had already disappeared, probably to Zuko's side as Katara dressed and hurried to the dining hall.
She was surprised to see that she was the last one to make it there. Toph was helping Zuko into a seat and Aang and was talking with Bumi while Sokka was chewing on a roll while poring over some papers. Katara saw Zuko wince as he sat before heading to take her own seat.
"You ok?" she asked the prince.
He winced again as he adjusted in his chair and Toph sat down.
"Yes," he replied shortly.
He sighed as he leaned back into the chair, his left arm still bandaged and held in a sling.
"Sorry, I'm just not used to this," he said, looking at Katara as he relaxed.
Katara gave him a friendly smile and nodded, accepting his apology. She took her seat between Aang and Toph and grabbed some fruit and bread. Aang smiled a greeting at her before turning back to Bumi and Sokka as they talked about what they needed to do before they left. Katara turned her attention to Toph and Zuko as the earthbender got some food for the prince.
"So, you two found your moment, huh?" Toph asked her after grabbing a roll and some eggs for herself.
"Yeah," Katara said, blushing slightly as she remembered her kiss the night before.
Toph smiled and Katara saw a hint of a smile come onto Zuko's face as well.
"I knew you two have always had a thing for each other," Zuko said. "One thing I've always wondered since I joined you, when did you finally realize it?"
Katara blushed. "During and right after the invasion, I guess."
Zuko and Toph smiled at each other before Zuko started laughing.
"I won," he said, smirking at Toph.
Katara stared at them, her jaw dropping.
"Won what?!" she asked, her temper starting to rise.
"Calm down, Sugar Queen," Toph said, turning to smile gently at Katara. "We had a small bet. I said you'd realized Twinkle toes liked you from before the invasion, but Hothead here thought not till after. He's right though, he won."
Katara felt her temper disappear as a smirk crossed her face. "And what did he win?" she asked the earthbender.
Toph started blushing as Zuko's smile grew bigger.
"She has to wear a skirt and dress up nicely for a whole day," he said as Toph ducked her head as her blush increased. "With her hair down."
Katara smiled and heard silence from her other side as Aang, Sokka and Bumi stopped and stared at Toph.
"You?! In a skirt? Willingly? Hah! That'll be the day!" Sokka said as he started to laugh.
Katara saw Toph's face fall into a frown before turning back into a smirk as Sokka's chair was sent flying back before crashing forward again into the table, causing Sokka to face plant into his breakfast. Zuko smiled at Sokka as the warrior raised his head, eggs dripping off of his face.
Aang started laughing and Bumi was laughing and snorting as Sokka sent a glare at Toph who had started eating her breakfast politely. Katara stifled her own laugh as she bit into her roll, not wanting to antagonize her brother further.
"Leave them alone," Katara said finally to her brother as he continued to scowl at Toph. "So what is the plan?"
Sokka frowned once more at Toph before his face lit up as he turned to Katara, glad to be diverted from the earthbender.
"Bumi's people are getting some supplies for us and we'll leave tomorrow morning. Sorry Zuko, but it'd probably be best if you've healed a little more."
The warrior gave an apologetic half smile to the firebender, but Zuko merely nodded.
"You're right," Zuko sighed. "I don't think I'd be able to stay on the saddle an hour right now."
Katara nodded as Sokka and Aang snickered.
"It's a whole day trip to Gaoling," Aang said, smiling as Zuko sighed, resigning himself to a whole day of pain.
Toph and Katara giggled as Zuko's face fell.
"I know it's bad, but we get to land at night, and then we won't have to fly for a bit," Toph said, laying a hand on Zuko's arm.
The prince turned to smile at Toph as Katara turned her focus back to her breakfast. The breakfast went smoothly after that, Sokka and Bumi leaving as soon as they finished, Bumi to talk with the generals and Sokka with the engineers. Aang excused himself to check on Appa and Momo as Toph helped Zuko out of his chair and back to the infirmary.
Katara sighed as she found herself alone and followed the couple to help Hina and Kalaya. The day went quickly and Katara found her day much shorter as there were less injured in the infirmary. She headed to the fountain courtyard around mid-afternoon and almost stumbled upon Kalaya and Seti talking quietly at the fountain.
"Oh, sorry," she said when they looked up at her, blushing. "I'll just leave you two alone."
She saw Kalaya smile at Seti before getting up and hurrying to wrap Katara in a hug.
"Thank you," Kalaya said as she hugged Katara. "For everything."
"No, thank you. For helping me."
Katara hugged Kalaya back before stepping back.
"Where should I leave the daggers for you?" Katara asked.
"They're yours now," Kalaya said before turning back to Seti.
Katara smiled and left the two alone, heading for the outside courtyard. She found several men with Sokka and Aang looking over several parcels that were on Appa's saddle. Appa was asleep in the sun, belly up, and Momo was on Aang's shoulder.
"Great!" Sokka cried when he spotted her. "We need your help deciding what to take for food and cooking supplies."
Katara sighed and went over to help the boys. She was able to move most of the odds and ends they had thought they might need out of the saddle and only kept the essentials as the afternoon wore on into evening. Aang left before sunset to check on Zuko and meditate with the firebender.
Once she and Sokka had finished packing the saddle, she followed her brother to the dining hall where they met Toph and several members of the society. Dinner went quickly and the three teens were escorted to the society's' meeting room once dinner was finished.
"What's going on?" Katara whispered to Toph as they met Aang and Zuko in the room.
Toph shrugged as the doors were closed behind them. Nearly everyone from the first night they came to Omashu was waiting for them. Several of the younger men and the king of Ba Sing Sae were missing, but the fire nation Governor and his wife were there, smiling pleasantly at the five teens.
"We have decided to induct you into the White Lotus Society," Bumi said as he walked up to them.
He smiled kindly at them as he gestured to five chairs and they took their seats, Aang in the middle, between Toph and Katara with Sokka and Zuko on the edges.
"We will not go through all the formalities, for time does not permit it, but you must all play a game with a master, and then your rank will be determined on your skill," Bumi continued.
Five young men pushed five tables up to the teens and brought five more chairs behind those. Bumi sat across from Aang. General Lee sat across from Sokka, Lady Hu across from Katara, and Lord Hu, the fire nation governor across from Zuko. Another general went to sit across from Toph, but stood behind his chair.
"I cannot," he said. "I will not play you, Lady Toph, for I have an unfair advantage."
Toph smirked up at him. "Let me decide who has the advantage and let's play."
Katara saw Bumi nod once to the general and he took his seat. Sokka looked up at Bumi and raised his hand.
"I already have a white lotus tile, from Master Piandao in the Fire Nation. He taught me the sword."
Katara saw Bumi appraise the warrior anew, but shook his head. "You must still play, to learn our movements. Begin."
Katara turned her attention back to the board in front of her as Lady Hu set down a white lotus tile. She noticed the other masters did as well. Katara played the best she could, but knew she was truly a novice compared to the master before her. She lost after about a half hour, the first to lose just before Aang.
She looked at the others games as Lady Hu leaned back into her chair, relaxing. Sokka seemed to be holding his own, but steadily losing ground. Zuko had just about lost, but was using unique moves to stave off annihilation. Katara was surprised when she looked at Toph's game. Toph was winning and beating the general who faced her back into a corner.
After another half hour, both Zuko and Sokka had lost, but Toph had won, and was smirking at the general before her.
"Told you not to underestimate me," Toph told the general as she won.
He just chuckled and bowed to the small earthbender as Bumi started cackling.
"Very good," Bumi said. "Now, we masters must confer for a few minutes. Please relax my friends."
He gestured and the other masters rose to head to the back of the room, talking quietly.
"How'd you do it?" Aang asked Toph. "How did you win?"
Toph turned and smiled a wry smile at Katara and Aang.
"I've been playing since before I could walk. I can see the tiles with earthbending, and my opponents usually underestimate me," she said.
"And you have a unique strategy," Zuko said. "Not at all like an earthbender."
"Actually, just like an earthbender," Toph said, turning her smile onto Zuko. "I wait and then react. My opponents see it as being weak, or frightened, but that's how I work."
"I'm glad it is," Zuko said, smiling at Toph.
"Geesh," Sokka sighed. "I give you guys some room to get it out of your system, and all you want to do is funny stuff."
Katara turned and punched her brother in the shoulder.
"What was that for?" he asked her.
"You'll be complaining about not enough space once you're with Suki again. So get over it," Katara replied, frowning at her brother.
She heard Toph and Aang chuckling behind her as Bumi and the other masters came back to them. They all rose, Zuko still a little unsteady with his left arm in a sling.
"Avatar Aang, Lady Katara, and Prince Zuko, you are hereby inducted into the White Lotus Society as Initiates. Warrior Sokka, you are inducted as an Apprentice," Bumi said as the people who had played each person named stepped forward and handed a black pouch to each.
Katara opened her pouch and found a white lotus tile along with five other tiles.
"Protect these, for they and your ability are your proof to other members," Bumi continued before turning to Toph.
"And Lady Toph, you have proven to be a master at more than what you seem yet again. We can not bestow the title of master upon you without more trials, but you are entitled a Journeyman of the White Lotus Society. Thank you Lady for a game well played."
The general who had faced her stepped forward and handed her a white pouch. She opened it and poured out the contents into her hand, feeling the tiles as she moved them around in her hand. Katara saw a white lotus tile along with seven others. Toph smiled as she placed the tiles back into the pouch before bowing to Bumi.
"Thank you, your majesty," she said to Bumi as he bowed back.
"Good, now it would be best if you all got rest before you left tomorrow morning. Aang, it has been a pleasure, as always," Bumi said as Katara caught Sokka trying to stifle a yawn.
They all left, Toph helping Zuko back to the infirmary as Sokka, Aang, and Katara headed to their rooms in the opposite direction. Sokka took the lead, leaving Katara and Aang behind him, resolutely keeping his face forwards as they walked. Katara smiled at her brothers' reaction as Aang took her hand in his as they walked. They reached her door first and Sokka turned to them as Aang dropped her hand.
"Remember, we leave just after dawn," the warrior said to Katara. "Good night."
He walked off to his room, leaving Katara and Aang alone. Aang waited until Sokka had shut the door behind him before stepping up to Katara.
"Good night," he whispered as he leaned in to her.
Katara smiled and met him halfway for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist as the kiss deepened and pulled her closer. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed herself closer to Aang, losing herself in the kiss. They separated for air and Katara smiled at Aang.
"Good night," she whispered to him before stepping away from him.
He grabbed her hand as she edged away, giving it a squeeze before letting go of it again as she opened her door.
"See you in the morning," Aang said, giving her another smile before turning to head to the room he shared with Sokka.
Katara smiled back, covering her mouth as a yawn came upon her as she entered her room and went to the dresser, changing into a simple dressing gown before getting into her bed. She smiled sleepily at Toph as the earthbender entered the room and collapsed onto her own bed. Katara lay down and fell asleep easily.
She woke to the sound of someone walking quietly through the room. Katara let her senses expand as she felt under her pillow for one of the daggers that she kept there. She opened her eyes to slits and saw a short figure walking quietly from the bath room to the dresser in the pre dawn light.