Chapter 15: Aggressive Negotiations

If there was ever a testament to how little thought children put into dire situations, it was the speed at which Katara whipped a stream of water at Azula's face after the disguised Princess had greeted them. Granted, it was good reaction time all things considered, but the lack of situational awareness was still quite blatant.

Thankfully, Azula had expected just such a reaction from their guests, and had practically been leaning back to dodge the attack before Katara even committed to it. Of course, the Waterbender wasn't content to stop there, readying another liquid whip to lash out against her sworn enemy. By this time, most everyone else in the room was starting to react, namely Azula's allies and the Beifong guards, but before any of them could make a move to intervene a wall of stone was suddenly erected between the combatants. It conveniently blocked the view of the guards that had been beside the Avatar's group, though Xisheng imagined this had been the intent.

"Stop! Is this how the Avatar is welcomed into someone's home? You attack its other guests without warning?"

Lowering the stone barrier she had erected as subtly as possible in the presence of her guards, Toph couldn't really level a scathing glare all things considered, but she was remarkably good at sounding authoritative despite her small stature and age. She was probably hoping that the guards assumed one of Azula's crew had done the Earthbending.

As for the Avatar's group, Katara was certainly not swift in apologizing for her unprovoked assault. "Guests?! Do you have any idea who these people are?!"

"I know they didn't come in here and attack someone after being invited in! And at the moment, I know them far better than I know you!"

Katara looked as though she wanted to make a retort, but the Avatar swiftly stood in for her. "You're right to be mad, we're very sorry. My friend acted too rashly."

Naturally his female companion did not take this well at all. "Excuse me?!"

Mildly amused by her reaction, Toph nevertheless managed to keep a straight face, not to mention her noble act. "Well, at least someone in your retinue has manners."

She then focused her attention on the guards that had brought the new arrivals in. "You all should return to your posts."

After witnessing the aggression of the Waterbending girl they had let in, Lao's guards were naturally not too keen on this idea. "B-but Toph, these people just proved themselves dangerous! We can't just leave you with them!"

Catching on to what Toph was aiming for with little trouble, and condoning it as well, Azula chimed in. "Your master is right. For all we know this group is just a distraction. They could have more accomplices infiltrating the compound right now. Besides, rest assured that we can handle them better than you."

Seeing as how this argument was coming from someone they didn't really trust, one of the guards was quick to oppose the idea. "Didn't you hear us? This boy is the Avatar! If he is going to be trouble you can't handle him yourselves!"

In an effort to assure her guards, Toph angled her head in Aang's direction. "That's true. Avatar, are you going to cause trouble?"

The young Airbender smiled as cheekily as possible. "No, of course not! Right Katara?"

Naturally the girl in question had a very unfriendly expression in response, though she grit her teeth and agreed. "Right..."

Toph merely nodded before turning back to her men. "Well, there it is. The Avatar isn't going to cause trouble, so you guys can go back to your posts."

"But that's-!"

"Hey, my father will be very unhappy if he finds out you were so blatantly disrespectful! Get going!"

With little to no means of countering, Lao's guards ultimately gave in, bowing before making their exit from the room. The moment Toph could no longer sense them, she dropped the posh charade entirely.

"So good to see you again Twinkletoes. Gotta say, I didn't think you were the kind of guy to do Xin Fu's dirty work. Kinda pathetic really."

It was no surprise that the Avatar had no clue what Toph was talking about. "Huh? Who's Xin Fu?"

"C'mon, don't play dumb! You've obviously been in on this whole scam from the start! I guess being the Avatar explains how you beat me in the ring, but I never woulda thought the Avatar of all people would use his powers for something so sad."

This time it was Sokka who expressed his confusion. "Hold on, you're not making any sense here. What scam are we supposedly in on?"

Before anyone could answer that, Katara cut in, leveling an accusatory finger at Azula's retinue. "The more important question is what are they doing here?! What's a proud Earth Kingdom family like yours doing with the Fire Nation?!"

Toph would have cocked an eyebrow at 'proud Earth Kingdom family' if only she wasn't more confused by the second accusation. "Fire Nation? Are you guys from there?"

She was obviously speaking to Azula's group, so it was the Princess who answered, swiftly and calmly. "Two of us are from the Fire Nation colonies to the west, but we share no more familiarity with them than that."

The young Earthbending prodigy frowned at this, mostly because she couldn't help but be confused. As far as she could tell, the Avatar and his friends weren't lying. But as best as she could discern Azula was telling the truth as well. She'd never encountered this kind of situation before. Even so, she was more obligated to trust those she knew a little better over these new arrivals, even if one of them was the Avatar.

"Well there you have it, they aren't from the Fire Nation. And even if they were, why would that matter?"

Katara's incredulity was immediately obvious. "Why would it matter? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?!"

Knowing Katara's unrelenting penchant for pushing her point, Aang tried to intervene peacefully. "Calm down Katara, there's clearly some sort of misunderstanding here. All we have to do is clear it up."

The teenage Waterbender didn't seem too terribly fond of that idea, but in the end she didn't really have any alternative. So long as Toph was being deceived by these Ashmakers she would side with them. They had to reveal the truth first.

"Fine..."

Seeing that another fight would be avoided for now, Toph folded her arms. "Great. So, if you aren't here because of Xin Fu, why are you? What business does the Avatar have with the Beifong family? Actually, before we even do that, I don't trust the competence of Dad's men as much as I can throw them without my bending. Are you even the Avatar?"

Since that was easy enough to prove, Aang made a small show of creating a sphere of air and borrowed water from Katara's pouch. "I'm pretty sure I am."

Naturally Toph couldn't actually see the different elements being bent, since all she could tell was that it wasn't earth. For all she knew Aang could be bending just water or nothing at all. That being the case, she spoke out loud to Azula's group.

"So uh, I can't actually confirm that he's doing anything special..."

Seeing as how any lie about this wouldn't hold up for long, Xisheng figured the truth was their only option. "He's bending both air and water. He's the Avatar, no denying it."

Toph merely shrugged, seemingly unimpressed. "Great, so what do you want?"

A little put off by her lack of enthusiasm, Aang nevertheless kept his own. "Well you know, the Avatar has to master all four elements, so I need someone to teach me Earthbending. And I think it's supposed to be you! I had visions and stuff!"

"Wow, creepy. Why exactly am I supposed to agree?"

Sokka seemed confused by Toph's reaction. "What do you mean why? He's the Avatar! Teaching the Avatar is like, a huge honor or something right?"

"Is it? Just seems like unnecessary responsibility to me."

Katara's hands went to her hips. "Helping the Avatar save the world is not an 'unnecessary' responsibility! He's the only one who can stop the Fire Nation! Unless you're on their side, which seems likely since they're here!"

"That again? They said they weren't from the Fire Nation. Why should I doubt 'em?"

"People can lie, you know!"

Toph smirked, proud in her abilities. "Not to me they can't. I can use my Earthbending to tell when people are lying."

Distinctly recalling all the flames that had come their way last time Azula's group had been encountered, Sokka was clearly incredulous. "Right..."

Having come to an impasse of sorts, Toph decided that she might as well make the situation somewhat more civilized. "Tell you what, why don't we deal with this over lunch? I'm hungry."

Naturally, Sokka agreed immediately. "Definitely, alright!"

No one else shared Sokka's enthusiasm, but there was no need to disagree with the sentiment either. Things were remarkably civil at this exact moment anyway. That said, Toph would have to go find some of the household servants in order to command meal prep, and she had to erect her facade to do that, which meant having an escort. As seemed natural by now, she elected Xisheng for the task. She'd apparently taken some sort of liking to him.

That said, she still left a parting quip to those still in the room. "If I come back and this place is a battleground I'll kick all your butts!"

Xisheng wasn't quite sure that kind of warning would be sufficient considering the situation, but whether or not Azula would attack the Avatar in their current situation was debatable. One way or another, if a fight broke out Xisheng was fairly certain his allies had the upper hand. For all the clout of being the Avatar, the young Airbender hadn't really proven all that deadly in their personal encounters.

Regardless, Xisheng soon found himself being led through the Beifong estate once again, hand in hand with Toph just like before. For a solid minute, the diminutive Earthbender was silent in her trek, but soon enough she brought up a troubling topic.

"So, are you guys really from the Fire Nation?"

There was no accusation in Toph's voice; she didn't seem angered or irritated by the notion. Just curious. As for Xisheng, he knew that he was supposed to lie right now, but he wasn't so sure that it would be the right choice. The ultimate goal of this entire operation was to turn Toph against the Avatar, at least to an extent where she wouldn't help him. One could think the best way to do that would be to deceive her, but that could just as well backfire. If the truth was dragged out or mistakenly revealed it could actually make her more likely to oppose them.

Besides, even though Xisheng had only been acquainted with the girl for less than a day, it seemed fairly obvious to him that she didn't really bear any outright distaste for the Fire Nation. The notion of them being from the island country didn't seem to bother her, and she didn't seem to care all that much about the Avatar stopping the Fire Lord. No matter how he considered the situation, it seemed to Xisheng like they were better off being frank and trustworthy than trying to hide their allegiance.

Of course, maybe Azula would be mad about this, but Xisheng was not incapable of acting on his own. He was making a judgment call that he believed was in their best interests.

"Technically, I'm from the colonies, so that's up for debate. But as for the others, they're all natives. We are from the Fire Nation, no denying that."

To his credit, Toph didn't react to this news badly. In fact, she seemed befuddled above anything else. "That so? So the scary speech girl was lying and I couldn't tell at all..."

"I know I have no right to really say this all things considered, but please believe it if nothing else; we aren't here to hurt you, your family, or even your city. We have deceived you, but not to do you harm."

"I'll pretend that makes me feel a little better about it. But then what are you here for?"

"Specifically to stop the Avatar. Your family has only been involved because we knew he would come to you."

Toph seemed confused by this notion. "To stop the Avatar from... what exactly? I don't get it."

Xisheng wondered what consequence could possibly be inflicted on him if this all backfired horribly. He quickly decided not to think about it.

"You are a very powerful bender Toph. Probably the most powerful Earthbender any of us have ever seen. The last thing we want is for someone of your strength to side with the Avatar."

The young noble frowned at this. "So you're scared of me is all."

Xisheng couldn't help but scoff at the notion of Azula being scared of anything. "Not in the slightest. Our leader spoke so passionately about truly measuring your strength because she herself is incredibly strong. As a bender, she is undoubtedly equal to you in skill, and possibly better. That's not an insult towards you; as I said your abilities are phenomenal, and I've met hundreds of Earthbenders in battle. We're not scared of your abilities Toph, we respect them. The fact that our leader, who finds nearly all foes beneath her, acknowledges your threat as a potential enemy is evidence enough of her respect for you as a warrior. Truth be told I've never seen her place so much emphasis on the potential of another bender, and she doesn't even know you. I'm almost jealous."

Toph was silent for a moment as she pondered these words, perhaps wondering if they could be trusted after being lied to in the first place. "So that's how it is, huh? Can't say I still don't feel like a piece on a board. Why did you even tell me this? Won't your scary leader be mad?"

"Probably. But as I said, we respect you. I feel that you deserve to know the truth of things. Whether or not knowing the truth turns you for or against us, well... I cannot fault you for whatever decision you make. I just hope you'll give fair consideration to both sides of the conflict first."

The two of them turned down their fourth hall as they continued talking, seemingly still at ease with one another. "What, you think I wouldn't?"

"You're an Earth Kingdom citizen, whose country has been at war with my own for nearly a century. If you sided against us for the sole reason that we're from the Fire Nation and nothing else, I wouldn't be surprised in the least."

"Like that crazy girl with the Avatar? I'm always down for a good fight but just attacking people out of nowhere for a reason like that seems pretty stupid."

"I'm honestly surprised you feel that way."

"Why? The Fire Nation hasn't done squat to affect me. Yeah, there's a big war going on, but so what? It's nothing to get all uppity over. Maybe the Earth Kingdom should just stop getting their butts kicked in."

To say Xisheng was surprised to learn of this nonchalance regarding the war was an understatement. But then again, Toph wasn't wrong in saying the war had barely affected her own life. Due to the Fire Nation mostly ignoring Gaoling, and since Gaoling did most of its trade with big cities like Omashu and Ba Sing Se, the people living here hadn't really suffered much of anything in the past century of conflict. Other than misguided national pride, they really had no reason to detest the Fire Nation.

"I'm glad you're reasonable enough to consider both sides of the story. Not many people can do that without bias. That said... what will you do?"

Toph simply shrugged. "How should I know? All I've heard so far is that the Avatar wants me to train him and you guys don't want that. It's not exactly a whole lot to go on. Besides, who knows? I might not do anything. Could just play stupid and let you guys go about your business. We'll see over lunch, I guess."

That Toph was deciding to handle this situation in such a way definitely surprised Xisheng, but ultimately he decided that he had made a good call. He honestly couldn't see Toph discovering the truth any other way than this earning her support on the matter. That said, she could ultimately choose to side with the Avatar anyway, but Xisheng knew one very important thing about people, and moreover, about girls.

That women generally valued emotions more than men when making decisions was simply fact. It wasn't sexist, but rather just a general truth, and of course it bore its own exceptions. Azula was a calculating individual that obviously cared far more for logic and rationale in her decision making process. And the Avatar seemed to make almost all of his decisions based on emotion.

That said, if you were trying to guess the nature of someone you didn't know personally, it was usually safe to assume that the general statistic would be true. Xisheng could try to win Toph over with logic and facts, presenting sound arguments for why she should support the Fire Nation's cause in liberating the world... or he could simply try and earn her support by endearing himself and his allies to her. Fact of the matter was, they were more likely to have Toph side with them for the sole reason that she liked them than through any philosophical argument.

Shallow maybe, but nevertheless quite true. Regardless, now that the air was somewhat tense (though not necessarily between the two of them), Toph and Xisheng made the rest of their trip in silence. Thankfully it was a brief one, since it involved little more than a quick visit to the kitchens. Toph managed to succinctly explain the situation to the out of the loop servants there, though she left out nearly everything that would have been considered important to most people. No mention of the Avatar or the Fire Nation was made. In fact, Xisheng was simply labeled as a guest of her father's.

Even at her age, perhaps Toph realized it was easier to leave people in the dark if they didn't need to be enlightened.

Once the diminutive Earthbender was finished placing her order for lunch, she and her escort hurried back the way they had come, likely out of concern that someone or everyone would be dead or maimed.

To their relief, a return to their companions revealed that no fighting had occurred. A miracle really, considering the blatant venom in Katara's expression. Azula's patronizing, quiet smirk probably wasn't helping on that front. Regardless, everyone was still in one piece, engaging in a standoffish glaring contest that made it clear the ceasefire was well and truly temporary.

Toph was the first to comment on the situation as they returned.

"Well, everyone is still alive. I'm honestly surprised, all things considered."

The young girl angled her head at Katara, indicating that she was being referred to, but the Waterbender decided against any sort of retort. Whether that was because she had calmed down to some extent or if she didn't trust herself to stay civil was debatable.

Sokka missed the underlying nature of the exchange, responding only to Toph's words. "You're telling me. I can't believe these crazy harpies didn't jump on us the moment you left the room."

Azula looked ready to retort, but Ty Lee beat her to it, though she had clearly misunderstood the meaning. "Don't be ridiculous, there's no way we'd do that. You're way too scrawny."

The blatantly offended look on Sokka's face was apparently enough for Azula to stow whatever comeback she had originally intended, allowing Toph to intervene before the verbal sparring continued. She didn't seem to care that she had started it in the first place.

"Well, unlike some people, I'm not totally rude. Let's take up this very interesting conversation in the dining hall, shall we?"

Thanks to her present company's knowledge, Toph knew she didn't have to keep up any appearances, so she took it upon herself to lead her guests towards the dining hall without Xisheng's perceived assistance.

As for him, the soldier was looking for some sort of indication of Toph's feelings regarding the truth now that she knew it. As best as he could tell, she didn't really seem all that bothered by the knowledge, which was of course a good sign. However, it was difficult to tell what a blind girl was actually thinking. Xisheng hated to think it, but Toph's cloudy white eyes revealed very little. Certainly nothing like the easily noticeable shifts in a a mood that most people's made obvious.

In hindsight, perhaps it would have been a safer move to simply let Azula handle the situation. Xisheng had acted entirely without Azula's consent, in a manner she would almost certainly condemn. She was the leader, and she was the one that was supposed to make decisions. Xisheng had no doubt that she expected her leadership to be regarded in such a manner.

And yet, Xisheng knew this was not the way an effective unit worked. Of course there was a leader, and of course they were generally deferred to for orders. But what good was having people under your command that couldn't act of their own volition? If all of your subordinates were incapable of making good decisions without the leader's approval, they'd only be as useful so long as the leader was around to guide them. What if something went wrong while the leader wasn't around to give orders?

Point being, Xisheng had been trusted as a second-in-command many times over his brief military career. And he had been expected to make good judgments and good decisions without the explicit input of his superiors. He may had made a risky move in revealing the truth to Toph, but he was certain that it was a decision that best served their objective. Only time would tell if his confidence on the matter was well placed or not.

The current head of household ultimately led all of her guests to a large dining room with a long rectangular table in the center of it. She swiftly gestured for everyone to take a seat, though she herself took the slightly more ornate one at the head of the table. Clearly it was meant for her father, but it wasn't like there was anyone around to stop her. The servants certainly weren't going to chastise her.

Naturally, the two opposing groups took to opposite sides of the table, making for an altogether surreal scenario; the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation and her retinue, sitting across from the Avatar, their prime adversary, for a civil meal. It honestly looked more like a skit or comedy sketch than any real encounter.

But even though the situation was deceptively calm at the moment, Xisheng knew it could devolve into mortal combat at any time. The Waterbending girl, Katara, was still so obviously on edge that the slightest hint of danger could result in an attack. Her male counterpart was blatantly suspicious of everything going on, but seemed levelheaded enough to avoid confrontation when things were unclear. As for the Avatar, he was clearly nervous, yet he looked unusually determined to succeed in whatever he was here for today. Recruiting Toph, presumably.

Of course it wasn't as if the potential for conflict was solely due to the Avatar's group. Azula had been quite vague about the penultimate aim for this entire operation. Sure, she had stated that the main goal was to simply deny the Avatar a powerful ally and teacher, but surely she wouldn't be against taking advantage of an opportunity if it presented itself? After all, eliminating the Waterbender would put a big dent in the enemy's strength as well.

And there was Mai and Ty Lee as well. To be fair, Xisheng was certain he could rely on Mai not to act irrationally, if only because she hardly seemed capable of being on edge to begin with. And Ty Lee probably wasn't aggressive enough to strike first, but she was more impulsive. Even if she didn't make the situation worse on purpose, she could still make a mistake.

But Toph was definitely the largest factor to consider. Now that she knew the truth of things, the entire outcome of the day hinged on her whim. Xisheng didn't know her very well; he couldn't accurately make assumptions on what would influence her decision. For all he knew, Azula's rather scathing advice on Toph's level of ability would be enough of a petty reason for the girl to side against them.

Granted, she seemed a bit more level-headed than that, but it was still a possibility.

Since the food Toph had ordered was obviously not going to be ready for quite some time, the short Earthbender figured there was no point in everyone silently glaring at each other until it was ready. As per her usual modus operandi, she cut straight to the point as she addressed the Avatar and his friends.

"So, Twinkletoes, remind me why you're here again? Whatever it is wasn't important enough to remember the first time."

If the Avatar was offended, he managed to keep it hidden. "I need to master all four elements so I can defeat the Fire Lord and save the world! The next element I need to learn is Earthbending, and I think you're supposed to be my teacher. Like I said, I had a vision and you were in it!"

Toph grimaced at the second mention of a vision. "OK seriously, this talk about seeing me in a vision is creepy. What are you on about?"

"When my friends and I were flying over a giant swamp, a sudden tornado came out of nowhere and knocked us off of my Flying Bison, and there was a giant tree and a vine monster and-"

The only member of the Beifong family present raised a hand in an attempt to cut Aang off. "Whoa whoa, stop. Are you just crazy or do you actually think I'm that stupid?"

Aang looked convinced he had actually offended Toph. "No, it's neither of those! That stuff is all true, I swear!"

Toph naturally didn't look convinced in the slightest, leading Sokka to come to his friend's aid. "Alright, admittedly that all sounds pretty insane when you say it out loud. But we've already proven that Aang is the Avatar. Does anything else really matter? What more reason do you need to help him?"

"A lot. You keep talking like the fact he's 'the Avatar' means I should feel honored to help him with anything he asks. Like I should consider myself blessed he wants a favor from me. You know what I know about the Avatar? You can bend more than one element. That's it. I don't know anything else about you or what it is you do, or what makes you so special that you feel entitled to my help. You explain those things, and maybe I'd actually consider what it is you want from me."

The Avatar and his friends all looked quite shocked that Toph was so passively hostile to them. It wasn't like they hadn't met a handful of people that disliked him, but for the most part people treated Aang like a returning hero. Only a small number of those they had encountered rejected him or what he stood for.

But then again, Toph had just stated that she didn't know for sure what Aang did or what he was supposed to be. Maybe she just needed it explained to her, and even though Aang wasn't all that sure on the specifics himself, he felt as though he could do that well enough.

"The Avatar is a bridge between the Spirit World and the physical world. It's my job to keep the balance so that everyone can live in harmony."

The sole child of the household leaned back in her chair. "Right... so uh, what exactly are you supposed to be balancing right now? World seems fine to me."

Naturally it was Katara that answered this one, and none too gently. She got pretty passionate whenever the Fire Nation's conquest of the world was mentioned.

"If you're trying to joke around it isn't funny! The Fire Nation has taken over more than half the world and they're on their way to taking it all! How much more unbalanced can things get?!"

"So, almighty Avatar, is there gonna be some sort of global natural catastrophe that destroys the world just because one country took some land from some other countries? How does that work?"

The look on Aang's face showed that he wasn't prepared to answer this question. "Well, n-not exactly..."

"What then? What bad things happen if the world isn't 'in balance?' If something bad doesn't happen because of it then who cares?"

It was once again Katara who rose to defend their cause. "Everyone! Everyone that is losing their home and their land and their livelihood cares! Everyone except you! The whole Earth Kingdom is nearing the edge of total defeat and you don't seem to care at all!"

Toph shrugged, just as her father's servants began filing in with different dishes prepared. "I don't care. Gaoling hasn't been bothered by them. And even if it was, what difference does it make to me? Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation... I can't even see what banner is flying over the city. Why should I care who is in charge of the government? I mean, the Fire Nation comes in and controls some land, but it's just dirt and trees and houses and stuff. It's not like we're losing it."

By the incredulous look on Katara's face, it was clear that she couldn't fathom this line of thought in the slightest. Sokka clearly missed most of it since he completely focused on his food as soon as it was placed in front of him.

As for Toph, she quickly turned her attention to her first guests, the ones masquerading as something they weren't. After all, they had been awfully quiet thus far.

"So? What about you guys?"

It seemed to Xisheng that Toph was actually speaking to him first and foremost, but Azula answered fast enough that he didn't get a chance to anyway.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific. What about us?"

"This whole balance and world war business. You got opinions right?"

Azula opened her mouth to speak, but Toph beat her to the punch a this time. "I'm asking all of you, just so you know. Not your spokesperson that always seems to answer for everyone."

Xisheng had to suppress a wince upon hearing this, knowing for certain that Azula would not be happy to be interrupted. He didn't know if the Princess would manage to react according to her disguise with something that irked her so much.

However, Azula managed to respond very civilly, despite the twitch of her brow. "Very well. However, I am part of the group am I not? I may as well start."

Toph merely shrugged, managing to keep a very solid front up considering that she knew the truth behind all of Azula's deceptions. Xisheng could only hope that wouldn't come back to bite him in some horrendous manner.

For now though, nothing bad happened as Azula presented her opinion.

"I would say something cliche such as 'the strong prey on the weak,' but I'd rather say the the more accurate 'the capable benefit from the incapable.' It's not just strength. The intelligent manipulate the stupid. The wise deceive the foolish. The rich extort the poor, and yes, the strong coerce the weak. All of life is about the more capable benefitting from their lesser kin. Even animals survive by taking advantage of weaker or less intelligent beings, and even plants use their advantages to monopolize the nutrients they need, forcing others to suffer. In short, it seems ridiculous to claim that the Fire Nation taking from other countries is upsetting the 'natural balance' of the world when nature has made it abundantly clear that this is the way the world is supposed to work. Those that cry about the unfairness of this war are just victims that won't admit their own weakness is the source of all of their problems."

Azula leveled her calm gaze specifically at Katara as she said this, and the Waterbender did not miss out on this at all.

"A typical answer for a heartless warmonger like you. You'll come up with any sort of morally corrupt excuse to justify your actions!"

The Crown Princess shrugged. "I never claimed it was moral. Just natural. Besides, that's just my point of view; I can't speak for why the Fire Nation continues its conquest."

Katara may have had a comeback ready, but apparently Mai was already tired with the conversation and offered up her opinion to interrupt it.

"Who cares? The war is a thing that's happening. Why bother tacking on all this nonsense about ethics or the natural state of the world or any of that? It's an event that has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen. Whether or not you accept it or condone it doesn't change any of that."

Surprisingly Sokka actually looked up from whatever meat he was eating to comment on this. "That's practical, but to the extreme. You're right that we can't change what has already happened, but if everyone told themselves they can't affect the future, then who is actually going to do it? What are you even doing here if you don't think you're affecting anything worthwhile?"

Mai folded her arms, clearly not interested in extending the conversation to that length. "I hate being bored. And this was entertaining. I don't care about any of the rest of it."

Like his sister, Sokka wasn't really left with any sort of answer to that. After all, it wasn't like he could say Mai's reason was invalid. You didn't really need a very philosophical or righteous reason to justify anything you did.

Seeing as how Mai wasn't going to say anything further, Toph vaguely swiveled her head in Ty Lee's direction, indicating that she wanted to hear from the acrobat next.

While generally fine with any sort of attention, Ty Lee was obviously uncomfortable with being put on the spot over this subject. Still, she did like making her opinion known, and in some way she kind of wanted to put it out there. It was worth seeing how Xisheng would react, if he did it openly enough to begin with.

"W-well, I..."

The young acrobat glanced over at Xisheng's seat, wondering if he would be offended or hurt by what she had to say. In the end, she figured it was just best to be honest.

"I hate the idea of hurting other people, physically or emotionally. I wish violence didn't exist, and that everyone could just get along. I know that's naive and impossible, but I still wish it could be that way. I can't imagine ever dedicating my life to fighting or conflict, and I have no idea what possesses someone to do that. But as for whether it's objectively right or wrong, justified or corrupt... I'm sorry. I don't have the wisdom to know any of that."

Surprisingly, the Avatar seemed to empathize with Ty Lee. Or at least, he vocalized as much. "I know how that feels... people keep expecting me to know what's right or wrong, but I just don't. I just know what I want to try and stop..."

Perhaps the young Airbender would have gone a little farther, but Toph was quick to usher his comment along. "Yeah, yeah, that's great Twinkletoes, but I'm more interested in what he has to say."

Seeing as how Xisheng hadn't made any comment yet, it was clear that Toph was referring to him. Unfortunately the young soldier didn't know what all he could say while still maintaining his cover, but he figured that he was clever enough to handle it. It was amusing though, that Toph already knew the truth, and Xisheng was just trying to maintain appearances for Azula instead.

"I believe war is a terrible thing. Many atrocities are committed during war. Thousands of soldiers lose their lives, some for a cause they don't believe in or even know about. A country's people suffer in their day to day lives; increased taxes, food shortages, conscription, rationing... war brings many terrible curses down on all who participate, even the victors. I fully understand this, and I lament it every day."

For a brief moment, Xisheng received a look of empathy, confused though it was, from Katara. Maybe she thought he was of the same mind as her. She would quickly learn otherwise.

"However, I believe that war, horrific though it may be, is sometimes necessary. Sometimes a country simply needs more land or resources to support itself. Or perhaps it needs a common enemy to keep its people unified. Because war is so terrible and costly, no one wages it without some sort of cause worth making that sacrifice. I don't know what the Fire Nation wants to achieve in this war. Maybe it's just for personal gain, to help their own country and their own people. Or maybe they also want to aid those in foreign nations as they take their land along the way. All I know is that I can't fault the Fire Nation for fighting for what it believes in. And I can't fault the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribes for defending themselves. That's all there is to it really. Sorry if that answer was a bit more vague than you were hoping for."

There was silence around the table as Toph listened to his words, casually taking in a spoonful of soup as she did so. It was an out of place display of calmness in the otherwise tense and unfriendly atmosphere. But when she did speak, it wasn't to utter anything that everyone was expecting.

"How old are you anyway?"

Momentarily caught off-guard, Xisheng didn't answer immediately. He wasn't sure where this question had come from or why it was even being asked. He did however, notice that the girls in his group seemed rather curious to hear his answer as well. All three of them had focused their attention on him, though naturally Azula and Mai were more subtle about it. It seemed odd at first, but ultimately Xisheng realized he was no different: he didn't actually know exactly how old any of them were either, and he was curious.

Either way, he was the only one expected to speak at the moment, so he wasn't going to delay for long.

"Seventeen."

Toph scoffed at his answer. "Could have fooled me. You're way too young for all this wise old man nonsense. Though I guess your scary boss lady is even worse..."

Azula didn't seem at all bothered by the assessment. It was unlikely that she would ever be insulted by someone saying she was wise beyond her years. Still, it was unclear what was going through Toph's mind at the moment, which was a bit nerve-wracking for her many guests. It wasn't made any better by the fact that she didn't say anything else for a solid five minutes, instead focusing on her meal with unusual intensity.

To say this made things awkward was an understatement, as the enemies at the table were all left in relative silence, either glaring at or pointedly ignoring each other. As for Xisheng, he could tell that even Azula had grown slightly worried; no doubt she was questioning what Toph could have possibly been considering so intensely. After all, she didn't know that Toph was aware of her their true nature. She must have been worried that her plan was potentially unraveling.

Xisheng too pondered over what was about to happen, and how he should react depending on the answer. If a fight broke out, the first move would be crucial in this situation. Realistically speaking, the Fire Nation natives could attack right now and probably defeat or even kill the Avatar. He was nervous, but not prepared; it was obvious that he wasn't actively expecting an attack, and only his reflexes would be able to save him from a sudden ambush.

Realistically speaking, Mai was the best choice for a sudden strike. She was not faster than Azula in general, but the movement of flinging a knife across the table could be accomplished more quickly than launching a jet of flame. The motions were just less demanding. But as Azula had stated before, Mai wasn't a killer, at least not inherently. It was unlikely she would take the initiative to outright kill the twelve or thirteen year old child on the other side of the table. And even Azula might not be able to commit to that action outright.

That only left Xisheng as the absolute, guaranteed option of killing the Avatar in a surprise attack that no one expected. And it was more than possible. At this exact moment, when no one was ready, when no one expected a lethal blow, Xisheng had a very real opportunity to lash out and incinerate the Avatar. What happened afterwards would be anyone's guess: maybe Katara would strike back fast enough to kill him in return. Maybe Toph would attack because of what he had done.

But if the Avatar were slain, would the immediate consequences matter at all? Azula had stated it would be pointless to outright eliminate him since he would ultimately reincarnate, but Xisheng didn't agree. If the Avatar was forced to reincarnate now, the Fire Nation would have a decade or more to finish the war unmolested. It was a surefire way to guarantee victory at this stage of the conflict, and Xisheng couldn't frown on such a thing in the slightest.

His dual colored gaze focusing entirely on the Avatar's young face, Xisheng's favored hand clenched with anxiety and anticipation, waiting for the mental order to attack. No matter how he considered the situation, Xisheng couldn't see why this wasn't the best course of action to take. Eliminate their deadliest foe right here, right now, and everything would be over. The Fire Nation would win, the war would essentially be a foregone conclusion... he could guarantee that all of the sacrifice that had occurred until now was not in vain. All he needed to do was slay the young child before him.

Flexing his right hand again, Xisheng could feel the ambient heat of his chi engulfing it. He'd yet to conjure a flame, but he could do so in an instant. It all came down to whether or not he would do it.

"You should fight."

Startled out of his deadly focus by Toph's nonchalant voice, Xisheng, along with everyone else at the table, turned their attention to the young Earthbender. Aang was the first to question what she had said.

"Fight? About what?"

Toph looked as though she had not said anything unusual. "About who I should side with, of course. Look, I don't actually care about much in this world. But I do care about who has strength. So, Avatar, if you want me to teach you Earthbending, prove you're strong enough to warrant my attention."

Aang did not look inherently pleased with this notion, but it was Azula who spoke out against it. "No offense, but surely you aren't suggesting that we fight the Avatar? Capable we may be, but that outcome is practically inevitable."

The Beifong heir donned a smug expression, and Xisheng could feel the dread knotting in his gut. He had messed up, hadn't he? He had exposed the entire mission to this temperamental child and his faith in her would be rewarded with failure and betrayal.

With full confidence in his prediction, Xisheng was just starting to rise to his feet when Toph snapped a fist towards Azula's face, yanking a square chunk of stone out of a nearby wall. From the corner of his eye, the Fire Nation officer witnessed the reactions of his allies. Ty Lee barely even registered that they were being attacked, while Mai was displaying her exceptional reaction time, already reaching into her sleeves to draw weapons. As for Azula, Xisheng could see the shock in her golden eyes: not because she had not considered this possible scenario, but because she had been confident that it wouldn't come to pass.

After all, how could she have known that Xisheng acted without her input in regards to her plan? She had probably expected better of him.