So, I felt like we needed a bit of fluff up in here, and we needed one last calm before the storm chapter as well. Here it is, the fluffy chapter of DOOM! Enjoy.
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The days of the next week passed on quickly. There was much for the group to do, and not enough time to do it in. Aang continued his practice with Iroh and Zuko, slowly but steadily learning the complex art of fire bending. Kurogane had set about teaching Sokka the proper way he should hold his machete or club, more like a sword than as if he were wielding a baseball bat. Once Sokka had figured that out he had trained diligently with the ninja and Syaoran. Toph had taken it upon herself to show the Earth Kingdom Soldiers the true art of earth bending. She taught them how to properly "see" through the earth, and sense the vibrations around them. Katara, as much as she enjoyed fighting, spent the first few days helping out in the healer training center with Sakura. However, when the troops from the Water Tribes arrived, including the people from the North that had traveled to the South, Katara went out and practiced fighting with them. Fai had been quick to grasp using the metal fans as a weapon. They easily fit into his fighting style, and he decided that he liked this type of weapon very much. Fai trained against the Kyoshi Warriors, and had even been able to beat Suki at her own game.

The group's days were filled with hard work and training under the hot sun of the Earth Kingdom, and they all slept well at night knowing that they would accomplish even more the next day. However, when the night before they were set to leave arrived, everyone found they were unable to sleep.

"Aang?" Katara asked as she walked outside into the cool night air, "Aang, what are you doing out here. You should be inside getting some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Katara sat down beside the Avatar, who was lying in the grass and looking up at the star filled sky.

"You should be inside getting rest too." Aang said with a grin, "But, like me, you probably can't sleep either, right?" Aang sat up straight and looked at Katara.

"Right," Katara laughed a bit, "I'm just so...nervous about tomorrow." Katara said, the cheerfulness fading from her voice a bit.

"Me too," Aang said, pulling his knees up to his chest and looking up at the sky.

The two sat in silence for a while, watching the moon rise to its highest point in the sky, signaling that it was midnight, and that the day was upon them. Katara glanced over to Aang, who had fallen asleep with his head on his knees. The water bender smiled at the boy, for that's all he appeared to be when he was sleeping, and put her arm around him. She pulled him close to her and soon enough fell asleep that way.

---

"Hyuu aren't they cute, Kuro-tan?" Fai asked, walking up behind the ninja who was looking out the window at Katara and Aang. Kurogane meerly grunted in response, and the wizard shook his head, "You aren't romantic at all, are you?"

"No." Kurogane responded, causing Fai to laugh, "What are you doing here anyway, shouldn't you be sleeping?" Kurogane asked.

"Shouldn't you?" Fai replied, stumping the ninja, "As for why I'm here, I was just doing my part to make sure that the others were asleep...which they weren't." The blond laughed a bit before continuing, "Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun were up talking together, I found Mokona with Appa and Momo. I think he enjoys talking with those two. Zuko was pretending to be asleep; much like Kuro-pon often does, as well as Sokka and Toph. I think the only one that actually was able to get to sleep was Iroh. But I've heard that he is a retired war veteran, so this is nothing new to him." Fai waved his hand a bit, "You were the last one to check up on, and now that I know that you're not sleeping and probably won't be I'll be heading back to my room now."

"Good. Get some sleep." Kurogane grunted, not bothering to move his eyes from the window as Fai turned to leave.

Fai stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the ninja as he spoke, "What was that Kuro-chan? I don't think I heard you correctly." Fai said with a smile on his face.

"I told you to go get some sleep. I don't want to have to run in to save you tomorrow because of a stupid mistake you made due to lack of energy, though I don't even think it's possible for you to run out of energy." Kurogane explained. He turned and cast his gaze towards the wizard, "Leave me alone now, I need to get some sleep too."

"Yes Kuro-sama." Fai said. He smiled softly and then left the room, heading back to his own quarters.

"Stupid mage." Kurogane commented before he walked to his bed and sat down on it, staring off into nothing.

---

"Hime?" Syaoran asked. He had just asked the princess a question about one of the herbs she had mentioned and when he received no answer he looked down at the princess only to see that she had finally fallen asleep. A small smile spread across the boy's face and he reached out and tentatively pushed some hair out of her face. "Sleep well, Sakura-hime." Syaoran said. He sat quietly on the bed next to her, watching her sleep, glad that she was able to get some rest. A little later, unbeknownst to him, Syaoran fell asleep beside his princess.

---

"Are any of you awake?" Sokka whispered into the darkness of the room. The three of them, Zuko, Toph and himself, had decided to share a room tonight. They had been talking for a while, but when they ran out of things to say they decided to try and get some rest. Surprisingly for Sokka, he was unable to sleep.

"Yeah," Came the simultaneous reply from the other two occupying the room.

"I can't sleep." Sokka mumbled, opening his eyes and looked around at Zuko and Toph.

"Me either. I don't even know what to expect tomorrow, especially because we'll be on boats for a long time, and I'll be completely useless." Toph groaned, slumping against the wall she had been sitting by.

"You're not useless, Toph, I'm sure that you'll find some way to help out." Sokka said reassuringly.

"Sure." Toph snorted, rolling her eyes. "What about you?" She pointed to Zuko, "Aren't you worried, or nervous, or something?"

"I don't know." Zuko said, summing up all his emotions in those three words. He honestly didn't know how he was feeling. In less than 12 hours he would be attacking his home nation with those that he once considered enemies. In less than 12 hours he would be facing off against his father, the one whose affections he so desperately tried to win.

"You won't be alone you know." Toph said, immediately detecting the unsure tone of Zuko's voice.

"She's right. We'll have your back." Sokka added in with a grin.

Zuko stared at Sokka and Toph for a minute or two, wondering how they were so accepting of him, only a few months before he had chased them down, all in vain, to capture the Avatar. He sat in silence before saying, "Thanks." He decided that it didn't matter what he did then, all that mattered was the here and now. All that mattered was that in less than 12 hours his father would be taken down, and the world would be restored to its rightful order. That's what mattered. "Less than 12 hours." Zuko mumbled. The exiled prince sighed, though it was happier sounding, and soon fell into sleep, Sokka and Toph following suit.