Many thanks to SaoirseParisa for reviewing the previous chapter and offering input into this one. I appreciate all the comments you made and how they can affect the rest of the story. We are getting to the climax, where things will get into a boil. The goal is to set the tone now, and then resolve everything from here on out. Let's get this started and see where it leads us!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.

"So are we holding our own secret meeting, just like Aang did with his group?" Haru asked, nervously rubbing his hands together. He found out that Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki went to Rocky Bay to scout out video locations. When he told Teo about it, Teo insisted on this meeting, which was where he found himself. "What do we tell Toph when we see her?"

The paraplegic shook his head. "We don't tell Toph unless it's absolutely necessary, because I feel like what's happening just isn't working," Teo explained. He turned to the other participants in this meeting, which also included Kori, Sneers, and the Duke. "So far, it felt like Toph has been dealing with all of us separately and individually, and we just didn't get a chance to talk to each other. I feel if we collaborate more, we can get more done."

Kori nodded. Like usual, she was seated at the piano bench, although it was the piano at the local community centre instead of the one at her home. The local community centre often held music nights, and Kori recalled attending some when she was younger. They still held them about once a month, but Kori hadn't been to one for a while now. Deep down, Kori felt if Toph wasn't keen on making the project this big, even a performance here would be worthwhile.

Stretching her arms, Kori turned back to the music notes on the piano note stand. She had spent considerable effort refining the notes, as Toph requested. It was unfortunate that Toph did not ask her to check in with Haru and Teo, which was why she appreciated this opportunity right now. "I've finally gotten a chance to see your lyrics, and I think they work well," the earth bender point out, "I did tweak some notes in the music to make it fit better, but I guess the next question is if we should add more sounds to it."

Everyone turned to the Duke, who had red tints on his cheeks. "It really wasn't much, you guys," the lone teen responded, tilting his face away from the staring eyes, "I just proposed that we should read out the lyrics slower and cut out anything that didn't flow well."

"But that's a perfect example of how a disability can become a strength," Haru analyzed, his hands moving in crisp gestures, "You were taught to read slower and sometimes aloud in order to fix your stutter. And it's that trait that led us to revising the lyrics to make them better."

"And that's part of the reason we invited you here today, because for the first time, we will run through the lyrics of the entire song," Teo described, anxiously rubbing the rims of his wheelchair, "We want you to listen to these new lyrics, put to music, and potentially performed live at a later date. So if you have any additional input, now's the chance to do it."

Kori stretched her arms again and placed them on the keys. Before she played, her long-time boyfriend had to get a question in. "Won't Toph feel left out if we don't tell her about this rehearsal?" Sneers asked, "She's singing the entire chorus, so I think she should be here."

Everyone in the group shook their heads. Even Kori, who stayed loyal to Toph all this time, could not agree to that request. "Like Haru and Teo said, we just haven't gotten much progress with her at the helm," she expressed, her hands still on the white keys, "The other reason is that this is a perfect opportunity to lessen the load on Toph. At this rate, she might just burn herself out, and I'd rather we get this done and present her with some progress."

Kori turned back to the page and played the first keys. Given she had backing vocals to Toph during the chorus, it only made sense that she sang all of the chorus every time it appeared in the song. After the first chorus was done, the first section of rap appeared, with Haru taking the first few lines. For someone who claimed he had no experience in hip-hop or rap, other than hearing it nonstop during his basketball practice, Haru did an admirable job matching with the music and the lyrics. Kori didn't have to do a lot to alter the pace just to let him keep up.

Luckily for Haru, he didn't have to blast through the first verse all by himself. The lyrics were designed so that Teo also got some lines, and the paraplegic was grateful to the Duke for his assistance on this. Teo knew even less about rap than Haru did, and the Duke's alterations really made the lyrics flow for him. Before they knew it, the first verse was over, and Kori came back in with the second appearance of the chorus.

But after she sang the second chorus, Kori stopped playing. Placing her hands on her lap, she turned to everybody to ask for their opinions. "This is where I think we can include some more sounds," the biracial earth bender pointed out, "Toph wanted us to provide suggestions, but she made it clear that Chong should not be involved. I don't have the same antipathy towards Chong as Toph does, but can anyone propose anything to add that doesn't involve Chong?"

"I think percussions and a bass guitar to match the piano keys," Sneers recommended, tapping a hand on his chin, "We already pointed out to Toph that Chong and Moku can do those, but like Kori had said, Toph made it clear they are included only as a last resort."

"That at least narrows down the list of possibilities, but then we'll have to find out who can play those instruments well," Haru added, leaning his head closer to the music sheets. He was no better at reading music now than he was before Toph recruited him, but at least he had a better idea of what was going on. "Maybe Teo should ask his dad, who can then ask the band teacher at our old high school? I'm sure some band members there may want to participate."

Teo pursed his lips. While his father was aware of the project, Teo didn't really ask him for help. The former band teacher that was there when Haru and Teo were in high school retired already, and a new one joined not long ago. At this rate, Teo wasn't sure if swamping this new band teacher with something new would be fair. "Maybe the band members can get credits for extracurricular performances," Teo murmured, "Should we ask the principal about this too?"

Every set of eyes turned to the Duke, the only member of their group still in high school. Even though the Duke didn't attend the same high school Haru and Teo did, he was bound to know some people in band in his school. "Well, what do you think?" Kori asked, "Do you think you can go to your school band and see if anyone there wants to help out?"

The Duke rubbed his forehead. He was not close with the band in his school, so he didn't even know where to start. "I'll look around, if that helps," the teen replied, his stutter now returning with a vengeance, "But you should definitely speak with Chong again. I'm still scared of Toph's reaction, but I'm even more scared of not doing this right."

Before long, the group moved on to the second set of lyrics. It was another rap section where Haru and Teo split the roles, but they were aware that Aang's group would do a dance sequence here. They had yet to ask Aang to perform that dance to this part, but hopefully that would be soon. The chorus then appeared for the third time, with the group now noting that sign language was to be used by Sokka, Zuko, and Mai. It was another group that they had to reach out to, but the fact that they rehearsed this far in was already great progress.

By the time the bridge and final chorus approached, Sneers made one more comment. "I think it'll be really helpful if we include people with actual disabilities to sing the final chorus," he remarked, lifting a finger hesitantly, "This song is about them, and it's only right they get the final part. Do you want to use that school for the deaf or people with other disabilities?"

Kori glanced around their group. For sure Teo and Toph would sing this last part, which included blindness and paraplegia. But there were also others here that could be involved. "How would you two like to represent learning disabilities and speech impediments?" she proposed.

"It's really great that your aunt and her husband are willing to help, Zuko," Aang stated, marching into the theatre with the rest of his group. While Kori and her group worked on the music, Aang decided to reach out to Zuko for help. Knowing that the fire bender mentioned Noriko and Ikem at the Jasmine Dragon, this was their chance to make some progress. "I'm surprised they don't have a production today, and they're even inviting us to the stage."

Zuko glanced over with a slight smirk. "When you know people in the field, you know what strings to pull," the scarred young man responded, pulling on the final set of doors. He held it open while letting everyone through first. "Speaking of which, are you serious about not asking Toph to come? I really think this will help the project if she came to experience this."

Katara was the first to answer. "No, I don't think so," the water bender emphatically replied, "We're tried it her way and it didn't work. Sweetie was right when he said we just have to try different angles. That's why we should go for this first, and then get Toph's opinion."

"The old 'ask for forgiveness instead of permission' trick," Sokka remarked with a snarky snicker, all the while rubbing his hands together. While he usually sided with Toph, he did have some sympathy for his sister and her boyfriend. After all, he did think outside the box plenty of times before, and a few of those attempts actually worked. "But seriously, we should at least consider Toph's positions when we talk to Ikem, just so she feels included in this."

"Funny you say that, because Toph hasn't exactly been inclusive," Suki retorted, poking Sokka's shoulder with a slender finger, "I'm still not happy that Toph excluded Chong and his group, even though I think their ideas work. I get that their performances aren't everyone's cup of tea, but at the very least Toph can try being somewhat polite."

"Please, when has Toph ever been polite?" Katara exclaimed, causing a wave of chuckles amongst the group. They made a final turn and reached the backstage area, where a goateed man waited for them. "Looks like Zuko will now take the stage," the water bender pointed out.

Zuko stepped forward and greeted Ikem with a hug. Bringing the stage director over to the group, Zuko described the general project to Ikem. A general explanation was already given beforehand, but Zuko wanted to go further into detail. He even invited each group to discuss some ideas they already came up with in the performance. "Aang, Katara, Suki, and Ty Lee will do a dance, incorporating sign language into their moves. Sokka, Mai, and I will do sign language, and most likely we'll include our sign language coach," the fire bender proposed.

"Actually, about that," Aang stated, stepping forward from his group, "We're also thinking about including members of the deaf dance group in our performance. We already talked about which part of the song we may do, but we could use your advice."

Ikem tapped his chin in thought. "The best way to deal with this is to play the song first, or at least the most recent version of it," he suggested, "Do you have that available today?"

Luckily, Ty Lee had it on her phone. She put the volume to full and played it for Ikem. "We're doing the dance starting at the second chorus," the acrobat stated, getting into position while the first verse aired, "This latest version of the lyrics was only completed yesterday."

As the second chorus was performed, the foursome did their dance routine. While they kept most of the original moves intact, they shifted some of their positions. Instead of standing in a square and facing the same direction, they decided to make the shape more circular. It would mean sometimes they had their backs towards what would be the audience. But overall, the group felt this was a better way to portray what they intended in the dance.

After the second chorus ended, Ikem raised his hand. Mai saw that as a sign to pause the music, and immediately reached over to Ty Lee's phone. Once the sounds stopped, Ikem turned to address the group. "Personally, I like the dance," the stage director complimented the group, "I think the dance itself, with the changes you made since Zuko's description, will look great on stage. The question is if we can also make a video out of this."

It was Suki who explained their previous location scouting attempt. "We went to the beach at Rocky Bay, mainly because we want to be consistent with a sea and shore theme," she described, going into detail about what ideas they had at the time, "We think a dance on the beach will make sense, but we're still tossing ideas around on what should go with that."

Ikem looked over his set of notes, compiled courtesy of Zuko's updates. "Who had the idea of showering dancers from above?" he asked, jabbing a finger at the line in question.

"That would be me," Sokka declared, strutting out to the front and puffing out his chest in pride, "We want to do a bonfire with a slight drizzle coming down on it. We should use either my flying machine from high school, or maybe even a drone."

Ikem tapped the line on his notepad again. "I have an idea on how we can make this interesting," he suggested. He wanted the structure for the bonfire to be present in every scene that did not involve the piano. That meant from when Haru and Teo first entered into the song, they would have the bonfire as a visual. "However, we don't light it up until the second chorus, and we don't bring on the rain until the second verse. Then, at the third chorus, where you, Zuko, and Mai do the sign language, that's when we just pour it on."

"Great, that means I'll be completely soaked by the time I'm done," Mai drawled, whipping her head away in disgust. Seeing her dissatisfaction, Zuko immediately put an arm around his girlfriend. That got her attention back to the group, which refocused the energy on the video. "How does all this increasing rain support the song's theme?" she asked.

"Just like how disabled people have to face challenges in life, the rain is supposed to challenge the bonfire," Ikem explained, his hands moving in crisp gestures, "As a disabled person grows, they will face more challenges, meaning their fire will face harsher rain. By increasing the rain coming down on the bonfire as the song progresses, the theme is better highlighted. It's unfortunate that you end up getting the brunt of it, but I think this works well."

"What do you want to do in terms of camera shots?" Zuko queried. He knew Ikem was more used to live performances, so this could be a challenge for him. "Do you want to do shots from above, or are you keeping them to ground level?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I think we can work on some of that," Ikem responded. He then pitched the ideas of involving the dance troupe, the sign language school, and any of their other friends who had disabilities. The end scene was envisioned where everyone would be together to sing the final chorus. "That will involve a three-level stand, almost like a set of bleachers. I can't imagine it'll be a simple scene," Ikem pointed out.

"Just wondering, will you bring Kiyi to the performance?" Ty Lee inquired, "I think Zuko's cousin can add some interesting things to our dance. Isn't she training in fire bending?"

Zuko nodded. Kiyi was identified as a fire bender, and both he and Iroh offered to train her. "Aunt Noriko isn't a bender, so it's up to us," the scarred young man answered, "But Kiyi's best friend is an air bender, so they sometimes do practice battles. Maybe we'll invite them too."

Everybody could only smile at that comment, knowing exactly who they were trying to involve. It would be really exciting to have two tri-racial air bending sisters join their team.

Once again, Toph called another meeting with the entire group for updates. They were seated in their usual seats in Lao's boardroom, waiting for Toph to call the meeting to order. The room was eerily quiet while Toph set up her laptop, but they could tell Toph was tense. With the way she clenched her muscles throughout her entire body and her sharp and almost jerky motion, those were enough to tell that this meeting might not go well.

Toph finally sat back down after making sure her laptop was plugged in. "Well, can we get started now?" she stated, shifting her laptop to centre it before her body, "Who wants to go first and let me know what progress has been made since we last met?"

Kori pursed her lips and inhaled deeply. Glancing across the table to the Kuruk siblings, Kori knew they had done stuff on their own, just like she did with her group. While they were all guilty of keeping Toph in the dark, Kori felt what she did and how she hid it from Toph was less damaging than Katara. Realizing that Toph was in a bad enough mood today, Kori figured to start off first, hoping she could at least calm the waters before the other issues were raised.

Kori turned to Toph, who had her lips pursed. Her fingers were curled over the keyboard of the laptop, but they threatened to tighten into fists. Clearing her throat, Kori described what she did over the past few days. "Haru and Teo came up with this idea, and they asked Sneers, the Duke, and me to participate," Kori explained, going through the steps they took to refine the song. This included mentioning the Duke, who used his methods to reduce his stutter to edit the lyrics. "I sent you the new lyrics already, and we think they should work out."

Toph nodded, keeping her lips pursed. Her fingers flew through the keyboard again, clicking on a couple of things along the way. "I did get the lyrics you sent, and I heard the sample through the screen reader," Toph remarked, "I'm not totally sure about the edits, if you ask me. I mean, they don't change the song that much, but I don't know if the changes work."

Kori frowned. Toph was the one all insistent on completing the lyrics last time. She got Kori, Sneers, Haru, and Teo together to formulate them in one session. Even the Duke met up with her, and Toph heard out his methods and how they could affect the song. While Kori was frustrated that Toph didn't make as much progress after that meeting with the Duke, she thought at least they were on the right path. Why was Toph against the progress made now?

Clearing her throat again, Kori sought to dig deeper. "Is there something with the lyrics that doesn't work?" she queried, gently leaning her body towards the blind earth bender at the head of the table, "I mean, Haru and Teo are the ones doing the rap parts, and those are the lyrics that went through the most change. If they feel good about performing those, then we'll be fine."

Toph inhaled, her body tightening again. Kori couldn't tell if Toph was annoyed with what they did, or if Toph really felt something was off about the lyrics. At this rate, Kori felt like she had to tiptoe around Toph every time an idea was put on the table. How could there be any progress if there was no free discussion and exchange of ideas?

Toph clicked the lyrics again, playing the first rap verse to the group. Some of them were hearing this the first time, even though they all had the written version sent via email. The newest recording was quite rudimentary, probably done on one of their cellphones. They would definitely have to record it in an actual studio later on. But with Chong's band being the only group to have access to a studio, and Toph's aversion to Chong in any way, this might prove difficult to deal with in the future.

After the first verse was done, Toph turned to the group. "It's all well and good that Haru and Teo are doing the rap, but you're forgetting that I sing the lyrics that sandwich each verse," the earth bender pointed out, her tone sharp and curt, "I'm glad you guys figured out the lyrics and all, but none of you matched it to my chorus to see if it will flow well."

Kori turned to her left, staring down towards the other end of the table. Haru and Teo were on the other side, and they both had stumped looks on their faces. While it was true that they excluded Toph from the lyrics revision session, it wasn't like they didn't consider Toph's parts at all. If anything, they kept both Toph's lyrics and melody in mind during all edits. Was there some misunderstanding with what Toph wanted and what they actually provided?

Haru was the first to provide his position. "Teo and I both went over the lyrics with Duke, both in terms of pronunciation and in terms of content," the male earth bender clarified, "We both feel good about the lyrics and are proud to perform them, and we believe you will be proud about them too. Are there other issues with the lyrics that we didn't look into?"

Teo nodded. "Why do you feel that the new lyrics don't match with your chorus?" he chimed in, "With what we included and the changes in word choice, I think it fits better than before. Is there something that you felt we missed?"

"It's not so much that you missed anything, but just how I feel about this whole thing," Toph responded, clicking on the file containing the second verse. She played it for the group, letting the entire verse finish before continuing. "I like the changes and how much it hits the subject, but the connection from rap verse to chorus just bothers me."

Kori winced. She was unsure what Toph meant by it bothered her. "I don't want to dwell on it too much, because it will throw us behind schedule," she commented, rubbing her forehead in stress, "But is there anything in particular that you feel bothers you with this connection? If we want to make the change, then something more concrete than it bothers you is required."

"But I don't think we should keep changing it," Aang interjected. Being the only other pianist in the group, he obviously knew the piano sounds well enough. "This version is the best one so far. I hear your point, Toph, but I don't want us to regret not using this version."

Unfortunately, Toph did not budge. She kept insisting that she found the connection lacking, even though she could not pinpoint any part that she wanted to change. Some in the group even felt it was just Toph not liking that part of the song, regardless of what changes would be made. Sensing an impasse, Kori promised that she would revisit this later on. "Let's go to our dance group and sign language folks. What happened in the past few days?" she asked.

It was Suki who spoke first. "We did a tour of the Rocky Bay beach area, and we got some ideas on how to film the video," she explained, describing the details of the trip to the beach and their ideas on the video. "We think there are ways we can make this work, and one idea is to bring a piano onto the sand and have Kori play it."

Kori raised her eyebrows at that suggestion, but not before Sokka mentioned about using the drone. "I still have to talk to Teo about that, at least in terms of upgrading our flying machine for filming purposes," Sokka stated, gesturing at the paraplegic at the end of the table, "But for us, this can be a game changer in terms of perfecting the video."

Toph placed her hands in the shape of a T. "Hold on, how does that even work?" she demanded in a shrill tone, "Are you seriously flying that machine you and Teo made back in high school over me? I get doing things differently and all, but that just takes the cake!"

"But I don't necessarily think it's all that bad or difficult," Aang chimed in, waving his hands before him, "We're just hovering it above for a scene or two, and maybe even adding in a drizzle from above. None of these have to use an excessive amount of props or equipment. Besides, we got some advice from Zuko's extended family, and Ikem offered to give us a hand."

Toph slowly turned her head to the left side of the table. Even though she was blind, there was no ambiguity about her intention when she narrowed her eyes. What did Aang mean when he told everybody he went to consult Ikem? And even if that was true, why wasn't Toph there?

But Katara's next line clarified everything. "We went to Ikem and asked him for advice. Since he works in theatrical arts, we think he has the expertise for this," the water bender stated, "We have to get the project moving somehow, and he's the best bet at this time."

"Thanks for helping me with inventory today, Zuko," Iroh gently stated, watching his nephew check items off on his clipboard, "I'm shorthanded this week, so any help I can get will be great. I'm glad you can volunteer your time and be of assistance."

Zuko nodded, finishing his checklist and handing the clipboard back to Iroh. The older fire bender took a quick glance at the items before scrawling his signature on the bottom. "It's been a while since I really got involved with the Jasmine Dragon anyway," Zuko remarked, shoving his hands into his pants pockets, "And with Toph's project going on, I have even less time. So I'm glad I can drop by with Toph meeting her group at her father's company."

Iroh put his clipboard away and ushered Zuko out. They stepped past the kitchen, where some of the cooks had already arrived to prep the cooking area. Taking Zuko to the restaurant area, Iroh pulled out a chair at the closest table and invited Zuko to take a seat. "It's interesting you mention Toph, because I spoke with her a bit about her project," Iroh explained, "I won't disclose everything she said, as I believe she wanted me to hold that conversation in confidence. But I gave her some advice that I think can apply well for you as well, if you keep participating."

Zuko inhaled and exhaled deeply. It was still troubling that he was helping Toph while positioning himself at arm's length. He could also see why there was frustration with Toph at the last meeting, when he took the group to meet Ikem. His aunt's husband did genuinely provide good advice, and Zuko could only hope Toph could consider them in detail.

Turning back to Iroh, Zuko expressed his concerns to his uncle. "I know we didn't tell Toph about seeing Ikem, and that's going to drive her crazy," he described, even going into detail about what Ikem talked about with the group, "But right now, the project isn't progressing as planned. Part of this is each small group doing things on its own and not talking to the others. But as project leader, shouldn't Toph coordinate this better?"

Iroh pursed his lips and nodded his head. He did agree with his nephew's point, but without the context of the conversation Iroh had with Toph, it was difficult to respond properly. "Maybe your group should just give Toph some time," Iroh pointed out, "She has enough on her plate already, and she'll likely reach you on her list of priorities."

"Right, but this project is Toph's only priority right now," Zuko responded, cupping his chin with a free hand, "It's because how important this is to her that she should reach out to our group. That's why we were frustrated with her, because even though we want to support her, it's hard to do so when we don't even know where her thought process is at."

"Yes, but you're forgetting that Toph clearly values you all when she asks you to help her like that," Iroh added, accentuating his point with crisp hand gestures, "We all know Toph has a history of wanting freedom and independence, to the point where she'll insist on doing things on her own, even when she has doubts about them. For her to reach out like this, all the while taking full ownership of the project, this is a big step for her."

Now it was Zuko's turn to purse his lips. He realized the issues Toph had with her life, and how this was a good chance for her to make her mark. Not only that, it was also a way for Toph to make her mark her way. Disability was an important issue, one that hit close to home for Toph. Maybe this was Toph's way of not only trying to make her mark, but to genuinely make the world a better place for disabled people.

But still, Zuko was not convinced by that. "The thing is, Uncle, we really want to help Toph. We all agree with what she's doing and think it's the right thing to do," Zuko elaborated, his tone more laborious, "The issue is, how can we do it with all this infighting?"

Iroh looked on as Zuko further discussed the issues, including the failed attempt for Sokka to explain the dance sequence and Toph's lack of attention to the sign language part. This was the aspect that Zuko was assigned, and even though Zuko worked hard at it, it was clear that the sign language aspect had become an afterthought. While Iroh could tell that Zuko was trying to be respectful of Toph's boundaries by not speaking out, he also understood why Zuko agreed to help his friends by taking them to Ikem behind Toph's back.

"Basically, I feel conflicted about the way we handled it," Zuko concluded, stretching his arms forward while emitting a gentle sigh, "I know it's better to be honest with Toph, even if it means outright telling her about her mistakes. But when she just seems so stubborn and refuses to listen, I feel we may just have to take some parts of the project away from her."

Iroh raised his hand to stop Zuko. "I can see your good intentions. You want to put less on her plate to deal with, which will make things easier for her," the heavyset man summarized, "But again, the dilemma isn't about it this will help Toph, but if Toph sees it as helping her."

Zuko twisted his face in confusion. "But Uncle, I recall you saying once that sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else solve their problems," the scarred fire bender recounted, "So by that logic, we should always strive to help others with their problems. This is what we're doing with Toph, so why is that a bad thing?"

"But is this solution the one she wants, or is this solution one that is forced upon her?" Iroh retorted, his tone neither challenging nor patronizing, "It may seem like Toph is struggling and suffering right now, but at the end of the day, she has to follow her own path. I think Toph does see your help as a blessing, but earth benders are known to be stubborn. She has already opened her mind a lot, but you have to give her even more time. I'm willing to bet that once she opens her mind and her heart, she will find what she's looking for."

Zuko cracked a small smile at Iroh. While it didn't exactly resolve the issue with Toph, at least he knew that Toph was willing to look at wisdom from different sources. "I just hope the group's meeting doesn't end in an argument or shouting match," Zuko murmured.

"Sugar Queen, will you just shut up and let me talk?" Toph yelled, slamming a fist on the table. The meeting was tense enough already, but Katara's latest comments really struck a nerve with Toph. "You think you can hog the mike and blame me for everything, is that it?"

"Don't talk to me that way, Toph!" Katara snapped, leaning her torso over the table and jabbing a long finger in Toph's direction. Kori was seated right between the two arguing parties, and it made for a very uncomfortable view. "You just want to be the jerk that everyone sees you as right now, and you don't want to hear it! Well guess what, I'm not afraid to say it right now, and that's how much your leadership is lacking in this project!"

"What, you were afraid to speak out before? That's how much of a snivelling flunky you are?" Toph retorted, throwing her arms out to the side. While she could not see it, everyone around her could only glance at the arguing twosome nervously. "Right back at you then, because I'll keep talking to you however I want. You won't get my respect because you didn't show me an ounce of it. You don't want it from me, Sugar Queen!"

"Okay, how about we all act civil right now?" Sokka suggested, waving his hands in the direction of Katara and Toph, "We still have a project to get done and yelling at each other won't cut it. Besides, we don't want Mr. Bei Fong to throw us out for raising voices in his boardroom."

"But shouldn't we talk about putting the bits and pieces together, such as how everything should look and sound when we put it together?" Katara challenged, standing up from her chair and glaring darts at her brother, "What will happen if Mr. Bei Fong or any of his sponsors come to us and ask why the product doesn't sound like it's all been cut from the same cloth? Will the project be delayed again or will someone own up to the bad quality?"

"We can improve on it at an actual studio," Suki proposed. Seated directly to Toph's right, Suki tilted her body to the blind earth bender. "We had the demo version from Kori, Haru, and Teo. We can use a studio to better record and harmonize this. I think we should really give Chong another try, no matter how many reservations you have."

"Then let's not sugarcoat it then," Toph snapped, the sharp tone in her voice not abating one bit, "I know you think I always sound angry with Chong, but I'm just being real. If we use his funky sounds in our song, then my father and his sponsors will ask what's wrong with us. Even if we can edit some of it away, how do you think that'll go at the live show?"

"You take the bad with the good, Toph," Suki replied with an exasperated sigh. While she tried to stay patient with Toph, Suki found it really hard to keep her head levelled right now. "They're a group, just like we're a group. It's about working through the differences, you know."

"Let's try to speak from a place of love and cooperation," Aang chimed in, gently pulling on Katara's left sleeve with his right hand. It didn't get his girlfriend to sit down, but at least she was not trembling in anger. "In fairness to Sweetie, she did bust her rear end just to design that dance. Suki, Ty Lee, and I did as well, and everyone else also played their parts well. But this discussion with Zuko's extended family has led to an argument about who is leading this project. These are two different issues that I think we should best keep apart."

Aang sighed, rubbing the part where the arrow ended on his forehead. He tilted his head up, only to see his Sweetie purse her lips into a fume. Toph's posture was not too different, with her arms crossed and her upper teeth chomping at her lower lips. "I understand that this project has been hard on all of us, but all of us deserve credit for contributing," the air bender added, "Right now, the main goal is to make this work, including these issues with recording the song and performing it live, with or without Chong's group."

"I get all that, but shouldn't you at least let me know when you change the project's direction on your own?" Toph demanded, pressing her palms together and tapping the table with the lengths of her pinky fingers, "Even with Kori rehearsing on her own with Haru and Teo, and asking the Duke if his school band can take part, you all should run these things by me first. I can't put together this project and report back to my dad unless you tell me these things!"

Kori winced. She wanted to support Toph, given how well their families knew each other. While Kori's parents didn't always see eye to eye with Toph's parents, it didn't stop Kori and Toph from befriending each other. "But that only rehashes the frustration that Katara and Aang pointed out," Kori elaborated, shifting her body so she could face Toph directly, "We don't know where you're at with the project planning, and being upset at any idea that you don't like doesn't help. Instead of getting mad at Chong's sounds or Sokka's weird explanation of the dance, you should tell us how we should proceed and not put the brakes on with every obstacle."

"But I'm not trying to stop the train here," Toph insisted, her fingers now clenching and clasping into each other, "I know how huge this project is, not just for my father's company, but for disabled people worldwide. Add to the fact that this topic hits home personally, and you bet I'll take it seriously. I live with blindness every single day, and that's not easy."

"As a fellow earth bender myself, I can see why your bending means so much to you," Haru interjected, his hand moving in crisp gesture, "Whereas I use my bending as part of me, you use your bending as a way to survive. But whatever the case, I believe you when you say you take it seriously, and I hope to see that translate to actual results, which we're still short on."

Aang nodded in gratitude to the young man seated across from him. Turning to the group, he proposed holding off on the live performance. "I know Toph's father wants to see it live, but let's not think about that for now," the air bender suggested, "Let's experiment with whatever method that comes up. If Sweetie and I, along with Ty Lee, go back to Ikem, I'm all for it. If Suki wants to check in with Chong, let her do that. And if Kori can do another demo, go for it."

Toph's fume only hardened, but Katara was not about to let her have the last word. Grabbing her notes from the table, she announced her departure. "I'm going back to the school for the deaf to get more ideas, and I'm speaking with Ikem about them later on," she declared, facing the entire group instead of Toph alone, "At this stage in time, I think Sweetie has the best idea, and maybe when our ideas are more developed, that's when we can reconvene."

Katara headed for the door, but turned back to face Aang. Her blue eyes softened for the first time this meeting, and the air bender could not help but follow suit. "Please give my words some serious thought," Aang gently reminded Toph, "We all want this to succeed, I assure you."

Aang and Katara both departed, the sound of the door closing echoing through the now silent boardroom. While Toph tried to remain stoic, her heart pounded harder than the rocks she could bend. While she disagreed with Katara's tactic of going behind her back, Toph couldn't deny that she needed Katara for the project. If the water bender was now going off on her own, would she still want to work with Toph later on, if her idea was no longer compatible?

But Toph barely had time to digest that when Suki also got up. "I'm giving Chong another call," she decided, her voice firm but not aggressive, "We should really give him another chance. Please consider him as an option, Toph, because I think he has good ideas to offer."

And to no one's surprise, Sokka left with Suki. The remaining members of the group could see Sokka's apologetic face. They knew Sokka and Toph had a special bond, even though Sokka was dating Suki. Sokka really didn't want to leave Toph hanging, but he also realized that there was a point to all this madness. "I just want you to know that I still don't think Chong has talent," Sokka stated with a weak chuckle, "But maybe a break to calm down isn't a bad thing."

The boardroom doors clicked again, and Toph could feel the entire right side of the boardroom empty out. Turning to her left, she gave Kori a look that was half pleading and half demanding. "Are you sticking with me on this?" she asked her fellow earth bender.

"Yes, but not tonight," Kori answered, packing up her belongings as well, "I have a date with Sneers already booked, even before this gong show. We can do another rehearsal, and we'll have the Duke there as well. Hopefully this will lead to the project getting back on track."

Kori shuffled out as well, and Toph had nobody seated anywhere near her. Just like when she was swimming for the first time, Toph was scared and alone. She knew there were two others in the room, but they were so far away that they might as well be absent. "Well, what do you two think? Do you still have anything left in the tank?" she asked.

Haru and Teo glanced at each other, not sure how to react. Seeing the argument was bad enough, but to have everyone walk out was just traumatizing. "Where exactly do we go from here then?" Teo replied with his own question, "Is there still a group with what just happened?"

Haru and Teo did not leave Toph's side since the meeting ended on a sour note. Not only were they concerned at Toph's increasing level of frustration, they also didn't like the fact that their group was falling apart. This was why they were concerned when Toph insisted on holding a rehearsal in the evening. "In fact, it's best that it's just the three of us, since none of those lily livers are joining," the earth bender fumed, her arms defiantly crossed over her chest.

And the threesome found themselves staying late at the community hall and borrowing the stage with the piano. Usually, Kori would be sitting in front of the keys, but she obviously couldn't due to her date with Sneers. It left them going acapella, all the while having to mock dance the sequences. "I know the meeting went bad, but do we really want to do this? I can't possibly see how this will work out," Haru remarked.

"Why not let everyone else work out their parts first," Teo chimed in, rubbing his hands nervously on his wheelchair's handlebars, "Besides, how do we proceed without our pianist?"

Toph leaned against the piano while stretching her legs diagonally. "I didn't ask you to come just so you can whine," Toph growled, "We're here so we can do better than the others."

"But how do we do better than the others when we don't even know what they're doing?" Haru challenged, crossing his arms himself. Even though he was taller than Toph, he still felt quite intimidated by Toph's looks alone. "Because we did things separately, it feels like the end product isn't cut from the same cloth. Instead of competing, we should be collaborating."

"Why are you changing your tune? Don't tell me it's because you have a thing for Katara," Toph retorted, jabbing a finger in Haru's direction, "A crush on Sugar Queen or not, we still have to get this thing done. And if Sugar Queen won't work with us, we go without her."

"At this rate, this group will be torn apart," Teo insisted, steeling his body to cover for his weakening voice, "Plus, how much longer are we going to be here tonight? And how much practice can we do all by ourselves, even after all the staff have gone home?"

Toph grumbled under her breath. Both Haru and Teo made legitimate points, as she really didn't want to keep the staff here for too long. But Toph came too far now to give in, especially when she felt her entire group wanted her to fail. Some might call it stubbornness, but Toph felt it was a matter of principle. Even if she was the only person performing the act, she wanted to do a flawless show, just to show those snivelling flunkies that she could do it.

Gesturing back at the piano, Toph insisted on going ahead. Even with Kori absent, they could still do the rehearsal with their phones. "We saved the demo version electronically, so why can't we play that and go with it?" she challenged.

Haru and Teo glanced at each other nervously. This was definitely a lot more than what they originally bargained for. With group dynamics this dysfunctional, there was no way they could get a finished product in anytime soon. But at this rate, Haru and Teo weren't sure what would be destroyed first: their group's harmony or their group's friendship.

As the first piano keys echoed through the chamber, Toph's voice entered with the lyrics of the first chorus. Haru and Teo then got into position slightly behind Toph, ready to enter into their first rap verse when Toph finished. Haru and Teo still performed the verse, putting as much effort into it as possible. But both found it hard to stay enthusiastic, especially when things were falling apart. How happy should they really sound when they were about to lose close friends?

Nonetheless, the threesome pressed on, doing the song over and over again. After each completion, Toph would make a few comments, and whatever she stated wasn't enough to make Haru and Teo see what required improvement. They understood that it was always important to ask where they could improve, but right now they just felt like Toph was nitpicking. It only got their morale even worse, to the point where they just didn't want to be there anymore.

About an hour into their rehearsal, community centre staff finally came to ask them to leave. As the centre had to be closed, the staff wanted them out a few minutes early so cleanup could be initiated. Haru and Teo complied in silence, but Toph stomped the entire way out the door. They followed her to a courtyard on the side, where a basketball court adjacent to the tennis courts was located. Being a former high school basketball star, Haru was familiar with this place. But right now, he wished this was as comfortable as sinking an easy layup.

Luckily, it was Teo who broke the ice. "Toph, I think we should take a break for now," the paraplegic insisted, gesturing at the skies. Indeed, the sun dipped closer to the horizon, and even the streetlights had been turned on. "It's getting late and we're all tired. Why don't we just grab a bite to eat, and we'll reconvene once we're all rested up?"

"That's out of the question!" Toph roared, stomping her foot on the ground again, "I will not have you lily livers shirking your responsibilities. Given you both have United Earth States heritage, you should have the earth bender mindset and not give up no matter what!"

"Even lily livers have to eat dinner, which is what we're asking for right now," Haru replied, his voice tired and exasperated. He really didn't want to argue with Toph, but right now he just wanted the night to end. "If you want, you can rehearse on your own while Teo and I get some food. We'll be back in fifteen minutes and we'll make sure to get you something."

Before Toph could complain more, the taller earth bender and the paraplegic left the premises. They didn't say a word as they marched down the streets, heading to the strip mall a few blocks down. There were a couple of fast food restaurants there, and Haru and Teo were convinced they could buy something there for Toph. Despite the initial awkwardness, with complete silence between them other than when they ordered their food, Haru and Teo felt it was for the best. Like Sokka had said earlier, the best thing to do was for everyone to calm down.

By the time they bought three bags of food, Haru and Teo felt like weights were lifted off of them. There was a spring in their steps, and their muscles all felt more relaxed. Maybe this was what they required right now, just some food and drink in their bellies and some time to get this project off their minds. "Will Toph be in a better mood once she gets a bite to eat?" Teo wondered aloud, causing Haru to emit some chuckles.

But when they returned to the basketball court, all positive feelings were out. Haru and Teo saw Toph collapsed onto the ground, her body completely limp. Haru instantly hustled to Toph, while Teo rolled his wheelchair as hard as he could. The earth bender shook Toph a few times, but no response. He even put a finger under Toph's nostrils, and sighed in relief when he found that she could still breathe. "Teo, call 9-1-1 immediately," he instructed his friend, "I think she'll survive, but it's best to send her to the hospital."

And here is my usual list of acknowledgements at the end of each chapter:

1.) Despite never having participated in band in school, I am aware that some school bands do give community concerts. I'm not sure if there are themes for each one, but one that I experience when I was in school was a jazz band festival. Every year the band will attend this and play for the community. Sometimes they will include that with drama, where a musical performance is made. It's very similar to what Toph's group is doing here in this project.

2.) Ikem from the comics is back, playing the same role that he played in canon. In the comics, Ikem runs the theatre troupe in Hira'a and that's where Ursa originally met him. His role is mainly in directing, which I recycled in this story. I realize that directing a music video is different from directing a stage play, but I think his skills are transferrable. More on him and his role, along with Zuko's extended family, in a later chapter.

3.) I intentionally split the scenes with Toph's group in the boardroom. The obvious reason is to split the peaceful beginning with the chaotic end, where the meeting ended with an argument and the group threatening to separate. But the actual reason is to contrast that chaos with the scene in between, which is Iroh and Zuko going over Toph's options. I really want Iroh to keep his role as the mentor to Toph, which I felt was underdeveloped in the show. While Toph did get along with Iroh, which made her the first to accept Zuko, more could have been done here. That's why that scene is included, and I will elaborate upon that in a later chapter.

4.) Sokka claiming they are asking for forgiveness and not permission is from "the Aftermath" in Korra, Book 1, where Asami said the same thing about inviting Mako and Bolin over. Iroh saying that Toph will struggle and suffer before finding her own path is from "the Old Masters" in Avatar, Book 3 where he said the same thing about Zuko's journey. Haru saying that his bending is a part of him is from "Imprisoned" in Avatar, Book 1 where he described his bending in the same way. And Toph saying Katara and Haru have a thing for each other is from "the Phoenix King" in Avatar, Book 3 when Toph sarcastically said Katara had a thing for Haru at Ember Island.

That's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please drop by next time when I make another update.