Panting and coated in a layer of sweat, Toph finally reached the Woo Vu Wedding Hall- the chosen location for the ceremony. It had taken Toph nearly two hours to get back to Ba Sing Se. Another thirty minutes was spent trying to find the damn hall. It would have been quicker to just continue with her preferred mode of travel, but one inside the city, she had to lose her earth skates and was reduced to running.
She wiped her forehead and gulped in air; Katara had better be pretty frickin' grateful, or she might just wring her neck.
Toph rounded the building and pushed open the back door, nearly staggering into the preparation room. She braced herself for the torture to come.
She was greeted by a frantic Suki, who was buzzing about the dressing room. When she noticed Toph, she gasped and ran over. "Oh my Spirits!" she cried. "Where have you been? Oh, that doesn't matter now. You're a mess!" She gestured at Toph's…well, everything. Suki rubbed her temple. "Come on, you need to get cleaned up."
Still wearing just a robe herself, Suki nearly dragged Toph over to a tub in the corner of the large room. She pulled the water spout and poured in some fancy fragrant soap.
"Hurry, we don't have long," she said as she helped Toph, who was too tired to object, strip down and get into the tub. Toph sank down, letting the hot water soak her tired limbs… that is, until her head was shoved under the water. She fought back up, sputtering, and spit water straight at Suki.
"What the heck was that for?" She demanded.
Suki, who was vigorously scrubbing at Toph scalp, grunted. "There isn't time to relax. I have to get you washed, dressed, and made up within the hour," she said, "so stop struggling!" She yelled as Toph tried to pull her head free.
With an irritated sigh, Toph relaxed and let Suki work on cleansing and detangling her hair, before being assaulted with a coarse sponge, rubbing her arms raw. Before she could even protest, Suki said "Relax; you're caked in dirt. We have to get it all off," she explained.
Toph groaned, but let Suki finish her scrubbing. Soon she was wrapped in a warm, fluffy robe, and sat at the older girl's feet as she towel-dried her hair. Once satisfied that it was void of moisture, Suki styled her hair into a bun, vaguely reminiscent of Toph's old hairstyle, with just one annoying strand of hair hanging down the side of her face. Then Suki had Toph sit on a stool, higher off of the ground, while she rummaged around in the drawer of the vanity table beside therm.
She pulled out a medium sized cloth box, and went to work. Toph sneezed as her nose inhaled a chalky smelling powder. A large brush encompassed her entire face, before being replaced by a slightly smaller one, this one's range being her cheeks. Suki put the brushes away and came back with a thin stick. She used this to stab Toph in the eye multiple times as she squirmed.
"Hey, watch it!" Toph complained. "I'm already blind as it is!"
Suki took her face in her hands, locking her head from turning. "Hold still then."
Resting her hand on Toph's forehead, she traced the outlines of her eyes, and replaced the stick with yet another miniature brush. "Close your eyes," Suki ordered.
Doing as she was told, the brush swiped over her eyelids, before Suki pulled out some sort of metal contraption. Toph's eyes snapped open, glaring at Suki warningly. The girl simply glided Toph's eyes shut again with her free hand, and used the metal thing to pinch her eyelashes.
Toph squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "Ow!" she yelled as it tugged and ripped at the delicate strands. She snatched the thing out of Suki's hand and crumpled it, tossing it to the floor.
Suki groaned. "Really? That was my only eyelash curler..." she complained. She sighed, and grabbed a tiny cylindrical tube from the box. She smeared paste on Toph's lips, and sat back, smiling.
"There," she grinned. "Just one last thing…" She rummaged through the container again. Pulling out a small bottle, she spritzed Toph with a stinky, flowery perfume, ignoring her coughs.
Suki got up and brushed her hands on the robe. "Wait here," she said as she walked to the other side of the room. "Don't touch your face!" she called over her shoulder.
Toph could barely hear murmured conversation, bits and pieces of "…finally…", "…ten more…", and "…almost…", when she became aware that they were not the only ones in the room. She recognized the voice of Ty Lee – a crazy, hyperactive acrobat from the Fire Nation who joined the group after the war – but there were three other girls whom she didn't know. Two of the unknown girls left, entering a connected room where she could hear them talking with Katara.
Ty Lee and the remaining unknown girl mumbled as she heard rustling. The two and Suki giggled, and the unknown girl left to join her friends and Katara in the other room.
Suki and Ty Lee approached Toph. Sliding off of the high stool, she noted that Suki's robe had been replaced. The two of them were wearing identical strapless dresses. With an inward groan, Toph realized that she would soon be matching them. Fantastic.
Ty Lee held out the dress for her to take. "Yeah, yeah…" Toph grumbled. When the other girls tried to assist her in taking off the robe, she smacked Suki's hand. "Hey, I can do it myself, ya know. I'm not three; I know how to put a damn dress on!" she complained.
The two girls shrugged and walked away, watching her. Toph rolled her eyes and turned away from them before dropping the robe and shimmying the dress over her head. Or, partially. She pulled the bottom of the dress down… just before her stomach. It was stuck.
Glad her face was hidden to guise her shock, Toph continued wiggling to try to work the dress farther down, but the material wouldn't budge. Her arms were useless as well. They were pinned up against the sides of her head.
Ty Lee giggled. "Are you sure you don't want any help?"
Toph grunted. "I'm fine," she said. There was no way she was going to ask for help now.
She tried to spread and move her arms in a swimming-type motion in an attempt to work the top of the dress closer to her underarms, but it wouldn't move.
"Damn it! Why. Won't. You. Work!" She yelled to herself as she flailed. When writhing from side to side failed to accomplish anything, Toph added hopping up and down to the mixture, which proved to be disastrous. She cried out as she tumbled to the floor, landing sideways, with her head beneath the vanity table.
She sighed in defeat. "Fine, I give. Can I get some help now?"
Laughing, Suki and Ty Lee ventured over to her. Carefully, they helped her back up to her feet. Ty Lee untied something on the back of the dress, and immediately it became loosened when Toph tugged her arms apart again. The girls positioned themselves on either side of her, and in one quick, downward tug, the dress was where it was supposed to be. Suki positioned Toph's arms out to the sides as Ty Lee went behind her and picked up the two strings hanging in back.
"Hold your breath!" she chirped.
Toph blinked. "What? Why-" she was cut with her answer. Ty Lee pulled the strings, tightening the top of the dress until the air was forced out of Toph's lungs. She had to admit, the girl was strong for someone so noodle-y.
"Can't… breath…" Toph gasped. The pressure loosened slightly, and her lungs refilled with oxygen.
Ty Lee giggled again. "I told you to hold your breath."
Toph rolled her eyes as the girl tied the back of the dress. She put her arms down, and Suki held her bare shoulders straight, examining her. She twirled the strand of hair hanging in Toph's face with a moist finger until it appeared to be a spiral, and seemed satisfied.
"Alright," she said. "Let's go. The wedding's about to start."
Toph stood in place, listening to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe – ironically, Katara's father – drone on about the sacredness of marriage and life and getting old and all of that sappy crap. While she had to admit that Aang and Katara, who were exchanging vows, were cute, the wedding cortege was getting bored. Or, at least she was.
Trying to pass the time, she observed some of the crowd in attendance. It was a pretty moderate turn out. Witnesses included Katara's grandmother and grandfather - Hakota was performing the rituals, and Sokka was Aang's best man -, the majority of the Southern Water Tribe, and various people who the gaang had met back during the war, some of whom Toph had met herself, others she had not. Iroh, with whom she was good friends with, sat near the front. The Freedom Fighters – who she hadn't gotten to know fully until after the war, though the rest of the gaang had more history with – were present towards the middle. The Earth King, Kui, sat near the front, and a cocky old earthbender she'd been introduced to as Bumi sat closer to the family section. Haru and Tyro – an earthbending father-son duo who'd helped in the invasion of the Fire Nation – sat near the Freedom Fighters.
She noticed a girl about her own age sitting near the back, clinging to a broad and arrogant young man, with large ears, might she add, for dear life. Toph held back a snicker; why the girl wanted to even be near the man was lost by her. Near the couple was an elderly woman wearing a bazar metal headdress, smirking. Others in the back were Jun – a bounty hunter –, a large number of young people from the Fire Nation, and lots of old people.
A smile slipped across Toph's face at Fakih, who sat in the middle. But it was short lived when the realization that Teo was still not back slipped into her mind. What was taking so long?
She pushed it out of her mind; it was probably just a long flight.
Toph turned her attentions back to the wedding, just in time for one of the final parts of the ceremony.
Hakota raised his hands. "In the presence of the great mother and father, keepers of undying balance, Tui- er, Yue," he looked to his left hand, "and La," he looked to his right, "you are connected eternally as a whole." He motioned at Aang, who was occupied with staring at Katara. He looked up, startled slightly, and pulled a necklace out of his robe. Ever so carefully, he leaned forward tied it around Katara's neck. As he returned, Katara fondled the stone, smiling softly.
Hakota sighed and announced – before turning his head slightly away – "You may now kiss your bride."
Aang took Katara into his arms and kissed her. Toph smirked; it was not a peck. Unable to resist, she pumped her fist. "Way to go, Twinkle-Toes!" she yelled.
He pulled away from his love as the crowd laughed, and grinned sheepishly. The music began to play again – a harp, making Toph on edge –, and he and Katara joined hands before walking down the aisle, and out of the hall. Suki and Sokka, the beginning of the procession, followed them, along with Ty Lee, the mystery girls, Zuko, and herself.
Three carriages waited outside, led by elaborately decked-out ostrich horses, to take the wedding party to the reception hall. Iroh had temporarily donated his teashop for the affair, due to its size and facilities.
Aang helped Katara up into the first, newlyweds' carriage, up front. The second was for the Maid of Honor and Best Man, and was quickly filled. The remainder of the party ascended into the third, slightly larger carriage. Meaning, Toph was crammed into an enclosed location with bubbly Ty Lee, easily irritated Zuko, no Teo, who originally had been meant to join them, and three girls whom she had never met. Great.
Sorry I haven't updated in a bit again. I hope this isn't too bad; finally mustering up the mood to write something.
Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! Review, review, review, and I'll update soon!
P.S, What do you guys think of the new cover art for Fun Without Risk and Forget Me Not?