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"Okay. So here's the basics of the plan. Everyone will go underground via an earth tunnel that Toph bends. We then group up with Toph, Katara, and Aang at the center. When we encounter resistance, we're all going to fight - except Toph, Katara, and Aang - and hold them off while Toph, Katara, and Aang go to find Azula. Toph will sense the room Azula's in. Katara will remove any residue water that could pose a threat, and all three of you will fight Azula and take her down."
Toph nodded appreciatively. "The world's greatest earthbender, the waterbending master that took down Azula, and the Avatar, all ganging up on a crazed, unhinged woman. If we hadn't fought her before, I'd be feeling pity for Azula right now," she said, cracking her knuckles.
"Good. Any questions?" asked Sokka.
Silence. They all thought the plan would work. Bumi agreed with most of the plan. "This is such an obvious thing to do that Azula would never be expecting you guys to do anything this crazy. It's perfect!" Bumi cackled. "Although, young whippersnapper, I don't think you'll be able to claim the title of world's greatest earthbender until at least a few years until now, when I get too old to be trapped in a stalemate with you."
Toph bristled, annoyance showing through her hazy eyes. "Eh. Whatever. You know what I mean. I like this plan!"
Aang was the only one who didn't look happy. "I-I don't know. I feel like we're missing something here, Sokka. I'm not sure what, but I think it's really big, and it's really important, and that ignoring it will ruin all of our careful planning."
The table they were at was enveloped in a very uncomfortable silence. Then Ty Lee piped up. "Guys. Even the best, most thoughtful plans don't always work. I mean, Azula's strong suit was always tactics and strategies, and look where she was before all this! I'm not sure what you guys are thinking, but what I feel is that we should just go with the flow, and when we finally figure out what the issue is, we'll just do our best to solve it. If we don't know what's wrong with our plans now, I'm pretty sure we won't be able to figure it out before Azula finally takes over the world. And worst comes to worst, this is Team Avatar. We got two experienced nonbenders plus Sokka," everyone laughed at Ty Lee's playful jab except for - of course - Sokka. "And we have the Avatar, an earthbending master, a firebending master, and a waterbending master. We've all been in scrapes before, and we've all made it out of them."
"Obviously," muttered Katara for all to hear, and then in a clearer voice she said, "Otherwise I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be at this table right now." Everyone laughed in relief that at least some of the old Katara was back. "All things said, I agree with Ty Lee. Whatever the problem is, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Everyone looked at Iroh. "What?" he asked confusedly.
"We know you're a wise old man... and that you value your family highly. We would be okay if you had misgivings about stopping your niece. After all, she is family - "
"No. Azula is a monster and needs to be stopped." Everyone blinked in silence at the old man's outburst. "Oookaayy..." said Aang.
Iroh chuckled. "Funny, I remember saying the exact same thing to my nephew, Zuko. He was concerned about fighting his sister, about fighting family. But there is a clear difference between fighting those you love and fighting sickening, cold-hearted creatures."
The room became quiet, and finally Sokka broke the silence.
"Aaaalright, so the only thing to do is figure out a date and time, and how we're going to get there," said Sokka.
"Tomorrow," everyone said at the same time then blinked at each other in surprise.
"Well... it's good we all agree that Azula's gotta go down as soon as possible... but in case you haven't noticed, riding Appa would be like raising a flag and saying, 'Avatar here! Please come and get me!' It wouldn't be very conducive to a covert invasion, because remember, the last thing we want is to be stopped before we can reach Azula."
"Well, how about Eel-hounds?" everyone turned to look at Ty-Lee. "You know, fast on land and sea, not as noticeable as a flying bison and his clumps of fur?"
Suki snapped her fingers. "I knew there was a reason we invited you on our team, Ty Lee. Come to think of it, didn't Master Piandao give us one to ride on during Sozin's comet?"
Toph shuddered. "On second thought, I think I'd just prefer to walk there." Everyone laughed at the blind bender's obsessive attachment to the ground. "Eh, whatever. At least we'll only have to take it one way."
Everyone looked at her in confusion. "Why is that?" Sokka asked.
She shrugged. "Well, if we win, we don't have to worry about traveling anywhere in a rush. If we lose... let's just say I might just end up in a ditch or on a pyre, while you guys'll be serving Azula to the rest of your days." she let that happy thought sink into everyone else. "Actually, Iroh might not be spared because of his relation with Azula. And Sokka's probably too dense for the brainwashing to affect him." Everyone laughed except Sokka, who groaned and flopped onto his chair. He missed and hit the ground hard, and which only added fuel to the fire as everyone else only laughed harder at Sokka's indignant sputters and curses.
When order was restored, Sokka said through grit teeth. "Alright guys... in a few days, Azula's going down. Everyone off to bed. We're leaving before the moon falls tomorrow morning."
Everyone looked at Sokka in confusion. "Uh... Sokka? Weren't you just talking about how we were supposed to go unnoticed?" Katara said.
Sokka nodded. "Exactly why we're traveling in broad daylight. If people see traveling eel-hounds in broad daylight, they'd think the riders were strange. But if we're caught in the night..."
"Then there's gotta be something really off about us," finished Aang. He looked at everyone. "Alright. Once this is over, we're going to enjoy some of Iroh's famous jasmine tea," he said to everyone's cheers.
It was the dead of night, and Aang couldn't sleep.
Even though he knew rest was important, his mind refused to grant him reprieve. He thought of everything that happened in the past few weeks, from Katara getting brainwashed without them knowing, to her assassination attempts of him without his awareness, to her assassinations of the Earth King and her own father... the list went on and on. He marveled at the sheer inner strength of his girlfriend, that she was holding up so well despite the trauma the past few weeks had certainly brought her. And then I wonder why I'm head over heels for her...
As if the spirits knew his mind, the door opened, and Katara quietly kept in. He caught his breath, drinking in the beauty that was his lover. The moonlight shone off her beautiful black hair, her perfecty shaped lips...
And then he finally realized Katara was probably in his room for a reason, and hastily lifted up a corner of his blanket, inviting Katara in.
Katara practically leapt into the blanket and snuggled next to him. "No knife this time," she said wryly.
Aang's heart plummeted. "Katara..."
Katara looked away from him. "I just can't believe it. All the terrible things I've done, all the things that happened..." she trailed off. "I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you."
Aang looked away, hoping Katara wouldn't notice his expression. He knew that the moment someone or something slipped, and Katara knew what she had tried to do to Aang, she would be irrevocably broken, her heart never to be mended again, her smile never to break free from her lips. He silently vowed to himself that he would never leave her, ever again.
"Aang... what are you thinking right now? Do you... hate me?" Aang quickly turned his head to face the sorrow in Katara's eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore. He knew what he had to do.
He kissed her. Forcefully. She stiffened under his touch, but she gradually relaxed in their love and affection for each other. He broke apart, and told her, "How would I be able to hate you? You're beautiful, you're brave, you're compassionate. No one is perfect. If anything, I don't deserve a woman like you... What you did these past few weeks was not you. It will never be you, because it was Azula's will that showed through your actions, because you were not the one who wished your actions on others. And what's more, it didn't break you. You arose from it, stronger and braver than before. You're the perfect woman, Katara. I need you to know. You're the only person I want to be with, even if it means never seeing my people again. Katara, I love you," he said into those blue eyes that made him feel warm inside.
Katara smiled, a true smile, before it faded away and was replaced by a sadness Aang hated to see on her face, a sadness that seemed to plague her since she had broken free of Azula's influence. "Are you telling me the truth? I-I understand if you couldn't love me anymore after - "
"Katara," she stopped and gazed into his eyes. "I will never leave you. Ever. Again." He leaned in for another kiss, and their passion chased away their sorrows and their slumber and filled their night with love.