"Katara, do you suppose you can create a really large dome of water?" Sokka shoots at me. I'm startled; it's the first time he's spoken to me in around a week. We are all gathered around a map of the Fire Nation that is spread out over a table made from rock. (Courtesy of Toph)
I'm standing by Zuko, he's standing by me. I'm so close I can feel his warmth radiating into me, latching onto me, drawing me closer. Aang is standing opposite us, looking anywhere but in our direction.
"Uh…" I stutter, in the spot light for the first time in a while, "Y-yes- I mean, if I have enough water, then-"
"Great," He says shortly and immediately turns to Toph as if the conversation hadn't happened at all, "You any good at making tunnels deep under ground, Toph?"
She nods silently, looking hot and bothered.
"What about Appa?" Pipes up Teo, the closest one to Sokka, "I thought he hates going underground?"
We all look to the giant Sky-Bison, who is snoring so loud that it vibrates in my chest. Sokka thinks for a while and everyone waits, looking to him, the leader that he was born to be.
"I guess he's going to have to put up with it for an hour or two." He turns to Aang, "Is that ok with you, Aang?"
Aang, the Bison's best friend, once mine, nods without saying a word.
Once again, everyone is taking preparations for the take down of the Fire Nation. Before, we had around fifty people with us, but this time, there was only eight of us. Sokka insists that this is to our advantage; with such little numbers, we were to punch tunnels through the earth, deep down and Toph would feel her way to the secret river, Zuko directing her with a compass. Zuko would also provide the light, which was a short and snappy request from Sokka, who didn't even bother thanking Zuko when he accepted. When we reached the river and any fire benders attacked us, we would fight. If there were too many of them, I can draw out water from my pouches and the many others that everyone would be carrying for me, and create a huge dome of protection of water, combined with air, that would hopefully extinguish the flames. When we reach the Fire Lord's Palace, hopefully all of us in one piece, we will fight, which won't be much of a challenge; we are all so accomplished at what we do. It'll be second nature, child play.
"Well that's enough planning for today, folks." Sokka announces, rolling up the map, "I suggest half of us hunt for some food and the rest of us try and make a fire-"
"Can't I just do that?" Zuko cuts in, raising his eyebrows at Sokka, who flushes at being spoken to directly by the person he probably dislikes the most except me, his own sister.
"W-well yeah, yeah I guess you can…then everyone else can just rela-"
"Um, Sokka?" Teo speaks up, looking a little sheepish, "I'm sorry, but what am Igoing to do? I can't really go to the invasion…I mean, look at me."
He blushes in his chair, and the rest of us don't know where to look- definitely not at him or his legs. But Sokka keeps a level head and crouches down next to Teo, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Teo, you are just as important as anyone here. Now if you don't feel you can come, then we can leave you here, but if you want to come, I'm sure we can arrange something…any ideas?" He says to us, looking round, his eyes mysteriously missing Zuko and me.
Silence, as everyone is desperate to make Teo happy, to make him as elated as he would be with working legs, or just maybe wipe out the last few seconds, so we don't have to see his hopeless face looking down at his useless legs.
"You could ride in Appa's saddle?" I suggest, "If you kept hidden so Fire Nation Soldiers don't attack you, you could throw some explosives about and catch them off guard, which would definitely help us."
The group nodded their heads reluctantly, agreeing with me by force. Teo looks to Sokka hopefully, who eventually nods his head.
"Good idea, Katara." He says to me suddenly, looking straight at me, a look I cannot interpret. But a little flower of hope peeks from beneath the thorns.
Aang is silent, like Toph and the Duke, who haven't spoken at all. I wonder what the matter with them is. Although I'm sure I can guess for Aang.
I try to catch Toph's eye and then realize that she wouldn't notice if I was dancing naked in front of her face anyway. Scolding my own stupidity, I decide to ask what's wrong after Sokka "dismisses" us.
"Ok, we'd better get to work making explosives then, and Zuko making the fire for us will gain a lot of time." He briefly nods to Zuko.
A thank you?
Maybe he's finally coming round. I think wistfully to myself, desperately imagining Sokka smiling at me, hugging me, maybe even teasing me.
"Ok gang, let's go!" Sokka calls and everyone parts. Toph stays still for a moment, her eyes directed at the floor like always, but frowning slightly, as if thinking hard about something.
Zuko squeezes my hand briefly and leaves to collect firewood while there is still a bit of light left. I watch him go, before making my way over to Toph. However, Sokka, completely oblivious to my existence, steps in front of me and faces Toph.
"Hey, Toph," He says, more gently than he was when going through our plan, "Do you reckon you could make us all a really big tent? We've got a few clouds approaching, so we may need some cover tonight."
"Why don't we just use the temple?" I cut in, gesturing to the turrets spinning off into the sky, giving the illusion that they were spinning the clouds that trundled by. Sokka turns and looked not at me, but at the temple.
"Oh yeah, maybe we could." He agrees, perhaps speaking more to himself instead of me, "You know it's hard to get used to proper shelter after nearly a year sleeping in forests and trudging through deserts…" I wonder if he's talking to Toph, me, or both of us, "I'll…ask Aang if he's ok with it."
As he walks off, I think about why Sokka seems to ask Aang for his opinion on everything. But with a horrible smash in my stomach I remember that the temple was where Aang found Zuko and me, doing something unmentionable. Would he want to return after all? I start to feel sick again.
"Katara?"
I turn and see The Duke, looking up at me. My heart starts to beat quicker; I don't think I can handle anymore harsh words from my late friends.
But it's not what I expect.
"I think your idea for Teo was really clever, you're definitely Sokka's sister." And with a brief smile, that I could've missed with a blink, he wanders off over to Aang, who is lying against Appa, just watching the skies. I watch my Avatar longingly, wandering why I want to run up to him and feel him in my arms…
But I turn my mind back to Toph, who is still standing there, looking so lost. Gently, I touch her arm.
"Toph, is there something the matter?"
"Sokka. That's what the matter is." Toph replies immediately, her voice gabbled and her face pale. It's as if she's been waiting for me to ask the question. I stared at her for a while, wondering how a guy like my brother could affect a girl like Toph in such a way.
"D-do you want to talk about i-?"
"No, not really." Toph snaps, and with an almighty upward thrust of her arms and a stamp of her foot, a large stone tent pushes through the earth, and obscures us from sight or sound.
"I have no idea what's going on!" She whispers frantically, looking strained, "One minute Sokka's ignoring me, the next, he's right up against me, talking to me, paying all his attention to me! I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" She confides, wringing her hands in frustration. I think about my brother as romantic. It seems wrong, like Aang being my brother and kissing me.
I then get distracted- why did I think of Aang? Why not Zuko?
You know why.
"Uh- just give him time, he's probably just confused!" I gabble to Toph, trying not to think what my mind is thinking for me.
"I've given him nearly half a year, Katara! I need you to talk to him for me."
"Me? He's not even talking to me!"
"You're not talking to him either." Toph pointed out. This is then that I realize that she's right. I've been avoiding Sokka just as much as he's been avoiding me, worried that he'll say more hurtful things. I sigh, and think about Mom, stolen away from me, somewhere where I cannot reach her. She would be so hurt that after years of looking out for each other, we were falling apart. I think of Dad, locked in a cell, giving up his own freedom for his children. I have to talk to Sokka.
"I'll talk to him." I decide out loud and I make to walk out of the tent.
"Katara, thank you!" Toph tells me, not gushing, but saying it sincerely. It only makes me feel worse, because I'm not even doing it for her.