As before, and ever shall be, Avatar, and all characters, events, and nouns proper and improper, are property of Nickelodeon, Viacom, and Brian and Nick.

A Different Choice

Ch. 2

By R. Patil

The ride was quiet, save for some introductions and small talk between Iroh and the Earth King, and Toph's muttering complaints about retreating. Everyone else looked anxiously at each other, or silently into the night. They reached Chameleon Bay sometime before midnight.

The introductions would be awkward and tense, especially bringing two Fire Nation nobles into a Water Tribe war camp. The tribe would have no idea how to welcome the King of Half the World Who Now Had Nothing. And Chief Hakoda would welcome the Avatar and the runaway with the deep humility of a father grateful to his children's brothers-in-arms. But all of that would wait while Katara hugged her father for the first time in three years.

They sat around the fire, eating what they could while briefing the Chief about the new developments. Most of the escapees added their own interpretations, or explained particular points to any who asked. The King could provide little or no information, ashamedly answering "The generals knew" or "Long Feng handled that." Prince Zuko remained silent as a stone. As the meeting adjourned, Hakoda said encouragingly, "So, we still invade on the day of black sun. We just do it with a smaller, more mobile force." This caught Iroh's attention.

"An eclipse?"

Katara filled him in. "Yes. Before the return of Sozin's Comet, there's supposed to be an eclipse. We'd been planning an invasion of the Fire Nation with the Earth Kingdom's armies."

"…when the firebenders are weakest." Iroh nodded approval. "A narrow window, but an invaluable opportunity. Just one question, though." Turning to the King, "Your Highness, did you speak to anyone about the invasion plan? The Dai Li? Long Feng? My niece or her friends?"

A look of utter horror fell down the King's face. He barely whispered.

"I thought they were the Kyoshi."

Silence swallowed them all.

Azula knew. Any move toward the Fire Nation now would be met with a guaranteed trap. They'd lost the Earth Kingdom. They'd lost their chance to strike back. Somehow, when they didn't know their backs were turned, they'd lost the war.

Katara began to cry silently. Sokka stared into the distance, Toph at her own thoughts. Hakoda looked into the fire. Iroh closed his eyes. And Aang--

"No."

--refused to let the despair claim them. "No! We're not beaten yet." He looked at each person around the campfire, and didn't turn away until he met their eyes. "We've still got people willing to fight. We're alive, and like Chief Hakoda said, we're more mobile than a huge force."

Toph tried to break the optimism. "But they'll be waiting for us, twinkletoes! I don't care how mobile we are, walking into twenty legions of storm troopers is gonna' slow us down!"

Aang countered, "Fine! Let Ozai surround his palace with whatever he wants. We'll just go somewhere else."

The general raised an eyebrow. "Another target?"

"Ba Sing Se is pivotal to the Earth Kingdom's hope and regaining its armies. Eight minutes ought to be enough to route any Fire Nation forces left to guard the city.

"But the eclipse won't stop the hundred Dai Li that took the city in the first place." Katara was as hopeful as Toph.

Fortunately, her brother hesitantly chimed in, "But we've got allies across the world. If we could gather them together, we might have enough manpower to win."

Aang had to keep the momentum building. "Even if we can't retake the city, freeing the generals would put the Kingdom's military back in the game."

Concerned about runaway hopes, frustration, and exhaustion prevailing over cool heads, Hakoda cut the planning short. "Alright, good. So we've got a rough plan. Let's all get some sleep, and approach this in the morning." It was enough to keep the despair at bay. As the friends went to their tents, the Chief got Aang's attention. "We all almost gave in there. That was no small thing you did, pulling us back. Thank you." The monk blushed and dismissed the complement, but Iroh wouldn't let him.

"It's not nothing, Avatar. As long as there is hope, there is the chance for a better life." As the old man headed toward his tent, he called to his nephew, "Don't stay out here too long, Zuko. We've had a big day, and tomorrow will be no different."

Hakoda shared some words with his old friend Batto. The rest left the fire, exhausted beyond words but still not beaten. Only the prince remained, staring at the dying embers.

The cool of early morning had almost receded by the time Toph woke up. She yawned, shoved her usual earth tent back into the Cliffside she pulled it out of, and walked toward the rest of the camp. She was already dressed, seeing as she was too tired last night to take her clothes off, but her hair had come out of its usual bun and she was pretty sure that would scare a few people. She made it a point to scare somebody at least once a day.

The sandy beach made the signals she got fuzzy, but not as badly as the desert. If the sounds and sizes of the vibrations were anything to go by; the rest of the tribe was awake and working, Katara was by the fire, likely cooking, her dad was nearby with Aang and Iroh, the King and his big-butted pet were watching somebody doing something with a canoe, and Sokka was still asleep.

She had almost gotten to the fire and was about to order Sweetness to "bring on the grub" when she felt someone coming toward camp, fast. She thought the footfalls were familiar, but she had only met the Southern Tribe warriors yesterday. She got into a ready stance, just in case. Everyone else stopped to look at the new arrival as he appeared.

"Hakoda!" Oh, it was Sokka's dad's friend, "Butt-something." His voice was urgent, but also hesitant. "It's the Fire Nation Prince."

"He's killed himself."