A/N: Hello guys! So this is the new story I've been telling you about. I'm not sure if it's any good, so please read and let me know on whether to continue or not. Many Thanks! Also to those reading 'Will they ever understand?' I promise I'll update as soon as I can, unfortunately my college thought to kindly give us a ton of homework over the holidays, which sucks, oh well, so never fear I will update as soon as I can! Anyway, now my new story

"So that's it then…it's finished…I hope you all enjoy your lives and thanks for everything." I grab my glider and hop on, flying high into the sky, the distinct shouting of my name caught in the midst of the wind, but I don't dare look back, I don't need them to see my tears.

"He'll be back won't he?"

"I don't know."

"Of course he will, this is Aang, he can't stay mad at us." Sokka states firmly, as if his notion is based on pure fact.

"You are forgetting this is the same Aang who ran away from his people and didn't return to the world until a hundred years later." Toph mumbles under her breath, but still clear enough for the whole gang to hear.

"Come on guys we didn't do something that awful." The Firelord argues back.

"Oh yeh, you taking probably the most precious thing to him is not going to hurt at all."

"Hey you were on my side a moment ago!"

"Only because Aang looked like he was going to pop and unleash his Avatar fury, not to mention he did kind of step out of line…" The water tribe warrior trails off, a far-away look present on his face

"Guys he'll come back, we are his friends…he has too." Katara asserts, trying to switch the subject away from the memory of Aang nearly losing control.

"Well some friends we are then."

Meanwhile…

I fly further and further away, not paying attention to where I'm going, I don't care where I go just anywhere away from them. I soar through the clear blue sky, the sun beating down on me, a stark contrast to my feelings within.

I was going to tell them, so close, tell them a secret that I kept from them for five months since one month after the end of the war. So close yet so far. A hidden truth that I wanted not to burden my dear friends with. But I couldn't take it. It was painful. Though not as painful as my own family's betrayal. The betrayal of Katara being with Zuko, it sickens me so. After all I've done for them, and the fact that everyone turned against me – those closest to me, they all knew. They all knew, but me. Well if they will hide something like that, then my only payback that won't go against my culture is not revealing to them my secret…

The secret of my several attempted assassinations. Yes I've voiced it clearly in my thoughts; I have had many attempts on my life and I've been hiding it from them this whole time.

You probably think I'm mad; why would I hide that? They can help. They can put an end to it before I'm ended first. Because I fear for their safety. It's only a matter of time before they target those close to me so that they can taunt me, well they won't be doing that any time soon. Because I have no friends, nor family or anyone close to.

I am utterly alone. I am the last Airbender. The lone Avatar and single restorer of peace. The only one able to fly into the skies, to hear the song of the wind playing its tune, to feel as it caresses my face, to taste the sweetness of the air itself and to smell the alluring scent of freshness. That's it. I will from now on go through the motions, live yet not alive, present in body but empty in spirit, awake but lost, represent the world and attend meetings but imbalance will rest in my own heart. This happens when you have nothing to live for, such as me.

3 Years Later…

I'm startled awake, the light footsteps barely sounding in my senses before a jet of fire is shot towards me. I leap into the air, spin around and send an air slice to the assailant. I hear a small 'ummph' showing I hit my mark. If it wasn't for Toph I would have been a goner long ago, seismic sense is one of the best things she's ever done for me. Though I can't thank her for it though. I haven't spoken to any of them in three years and I intend to keep it that way. A loud bang brings me out of my thoughts as I duck from the on fire.

I close my eyes in search for my attacker. But something surprises me even more is another being along with the first. Before I have time to register the other assailant I'm hit fully on the chest, causing me to stumble a few steps backwards. But that's not enough to bring me down, I've had a lot worse.

I slam my foot down, the earth shooting up all around me leading to an imbalance in their stance, I allow the corner of my mouth to move slightly upwards and I use their weakness against them, I move with as much grace as an airbending prodigy can muster, my moves quick but precise, I twist my arms around each other – making spiral movements, pushing the air around me and forcing the two attackers into the centre, then swiftly force the rocks to encase the two into a temporary prison with bars. I walk towards them, one is snarling at me and the other is wearing a creepy smirk, making me frown 'he's got something up his sleeves.'

Before I can react he lifts his arms up and sends a spear-like rock towards me, I'm so startled on the fact he's an earthbender, 'an earthbender and firebender working together, how absurd!' I'm too slow to counter the attack and get pierced right into my upper arm, this time bringing me down to my knees. I glance up to find him breaking my makeshift prison and in moments he's towering above me, his hands raised. I try to move but my shoulder screams in pain.

"Some Avatar you are! You can't even defeat a couple of amateur benders, I don't understand how you could beat our stronger division but not the weaker one. And you defeated the former Firelord? I find that hard to believe." My eyes widen, this means there's some sort of cooperation that's trying to kill me. Wow I feel better already. Just as he's about to deliver the final blow, I swipe at his legs with my own sending fire from them. I stiffly get to my feet and from a pond nearby bend the water and freezing him to the spot. The broken air currents alert me to move to the side before I'm hit and soon enough the firebender is also imprisoned in earth. I let my breath out in shaky gasps. Straightening myself out, disguising a wince I cautiously step towards the earthbender, placing a hand on his forehead and chest I take away his bending. The first time since the fall of Ozai. I wouldn't use this normally, but the idea that being attacked for all these years is down to some crazy group and defeating them has never turned them away, I'm hoping this may deter them, at least for a while.

"What… what did you do to me?!" He shouts, trying to prevent the tears from falling but I see in his face that he already knows.

"The same as I did to Ozai." He tries to lunge at me, but weakly so, his energy drained.

"You coward! You think you're brave but you aren't. You deserve to be hated, I want to see you burn and to be crushed to the ground. All what you've done is nothing. One day I'll be back for you and you will regret the day you messed with me!" His words shakes me to the core but I don't display any emotions and simply sigh.

"You are the one who came to kill me, I haven't done anything to harm you, yet you attack me. Why can't you people leave me alone? Why do you want to end me? What have I done to you to deserve this?!" I raise my voice towards the end of my onslaught of frustrations and questions.

"You've destroyed the world! Everyone is suffering from the aftereffects of the war, lost beloved ones and you've done absolutely nothing!"

"Are you forgetting who I am?! I lost my whole nation! My people from that war."

"All due to your own fault." I squint my eyes, glaring at him with hatred. Doesn't he know how I spend my every waking moment cursing myself for that very reason? But what has that got to do with him? I've made it up to the world by ending the century war.

"Anyway the war ended three years ago. Repairs are being made so what is your problem with me exactly?"

"My problem is that you didn't kill Ozai." I stumble backwards in shock.

"You mean you've been trying to kill me for over three years just because I didn't kill the previous Firelord? Are you … are you mad?!"

"Not if you see it from a different point of view. As you should know there are riots and rebels all over the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, since Ozai isn't dead he can take back the throne and reign havoc once again."

"But he can't do that if has no bending!"

"Not if he has his daughter to obey him." My eyebrows furrow in thought and my suspicion begins to grow.

"Why and how would she do that?" But the man simply shakes his head in silence. "How do you know this?" I question further, but again he remains silent.

"I will tell you one thing though. You have barely made an appearance to the public, many are doubting you, many are beginning to think there is no need of the Avatar. To rid everyone's empty hope in the Avatar and to be able to take control in their own hands – to heal the scars left on the world is to take out the Avatar himself, stop the cycle so that a new age may begin." My eyes widen with utter disbelief.

"But the world can't gain balance unless the Avatar is present. He's the one who restores peace. Not to mention I need to revive the lost nation so that the world can truly live in balance."

"But you haven't been present. You've been spending all your time at these deserted temples, people think you are abandoning them."

"For one thing these 'deserted temples' happen to be MY HOME! And another, I would never do that."

"Yeh just like you would never have wanted all the Air Nomads to be killed or for a war to be raging on for a hundred years, well it happened! Me and the Snipers aren't going to rest until you're gone, permanently."

"Wait you and the what?" But that's the last word I get out of him. And he shifts his gaze to the ground, I turn to find the same from the firebender. I let out a frustrated sigh, 'this is more serious than I thought.'

I take a few steps away from them, trying to calm my mind that's in turmoil. 'Great I've got a whole group of people who wants me dead and I have no idea how many of them there are, it could be hundreds! And on top of that I have to face all of this on my own.'

I shake my head, I haven't had a decent sleep in three years, yes that's right you heard correctly. 3 years! I manage 4 hours each night and if I'm really lucky I get 5, but I guess I haven't been so lucky these days. I sit down and take up my meditative position, 'what do I do with these two assassins?' In all the times I've had these attempts they always retreat, but this time they weren't planning to leave until they ended me once and for all.

I sigh, I guess I should take them to the police station for arrest. But only one problem, the Chief of Police happens to be one of the people who hates my guts…. Toph and of course the other two are Katara and Sokka. Surprisingly enough Zuko is excluded, I suppose that's because Zuko and I see each other so often that we were forced to put our differences aside for the sake of the world. Not to mention he broke up with Katara 2 years ago, guess he couldn't take the guilt any longer and oh the awkwardness that accompanied it. Though I still distance myself from him, from all of them, it's safer that way. But I can tell that Zuko knows there's something wrong; I reckon the dark bags around my eyes gives it away and the occasional wince here and there. I still see Sokka from time to time since he is on the council but he looks like he despises me like if I'm some sort of stench that won't go away. Toph acts in a similar manner except with more aggression, luckily I haven't seen her in the last 9 months though I presume that's going to change tonight, isn't it? As for Katara I haven't seen her since that day… 3 years ago.

I get up and bind their wrists with very strong and secure ice, a trick I picked up from Katara, and dump them on Appa, instructing him to go to Republic City. 'When was the last time I went there?' Dread begins to trickle down into my stomach… it was 3 months ago, I try to forget that; I don't need another reason to hate myself.

Soon enough the vast beauty of Republic City looms into view, we descend down, bringing the two benders with me or rather one bender and one ex bender. I feel every fibre of my body and every muscle tense up as I enter the police station, begging with my whole heart and praying to the spirits that the Chief is on a break or has finished for the night.

As I walk further in, the police station is strikingly quiet with only a single receptionist/security lady at the desk, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. I stroll over, the two assassins aren't even posing a struggle to prevent the enviable. I cough subtly to catch her attention by drawing her eyes away from her computer screen, in which she responds by jumping and widening her eyes in shock, I guess it's quite surprising to find the Avatar here since I haven't stepped in here since the place opened, 2 years ago.

"Hi just another two criminals that need to be put in prison." She nods swiftly, not bothering to ask specifically what crime they committed. One of the very few advantages of being the Avatar – no one doubts your authority. Just as I'm about to walk away though a voice splits through my ears, making my blood turn cold temporarily.

"So nice of the Avatar to grace our humble police station." The hard edge mingled with that sarcastic tone causes me to whirl around so fast that it's unbelievable that my airbending didn't assist me, and here I am face to face with my old earthbending sifu, who was once one of my best friends. Shockingly enough this is the first time she's actually spoken to me in three years. We stand like that, as if frozen in time for several moments, staring at each other, but eventually I'm forced to glance away unable to hold her gaze and even though she can't visibly see me, I can't stand to witness her obvious fierce dislike of me which is written plaintively on her face.

"You going to explain yourself?" She forcefully demands with a growl, which suddenly shakes me out of my trance and I resume my rigid posture. I clear my voice to overcome the overwhelming bile in my throat.

"There's no need of an explanation. Just handling a couple of trouble makers into your care." My reply coming out more stiffly then I intended. I watch as she raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over chest, by her action I know she's not going to let me escape that easily which honestly confuses me, 'in the past few years she's always tried her best to avoid me, of course from time to time trying to make me trip up, but other than that totally not wanting to have a thing to do with me, so why now?'

"And they are being charged with what exactly?" My heart begins to race, 'I am certainly not going to tell her that!' So I do what all airbenders would've done in my position, I turn on my heels to flee, but a giant earth wall is drawn up in front of me, mere inches from my face and thus blocking my only exit. I know and she knows that there's no point in pulling it down, she'll just make another one, after all she is the one who taught me practically all I know, not to mention the fact that when Toph wants an answer she nearly always gets it.

"The receptionist didn't ask for an explanation, so why do you?" Toph crosses her eyes dangerously.

"I'm no receptionist am I? I'm the Chief of Police, so the quicker you answer my question the quicker you can dash off and by the feel of things you are just itching to escape aren't you Avatar?" I flinch at the sharp tone she emphasises on that title, leaving no room for our past friendship and it shouldn't hurt since I'm used to the cold treatment by now but the thing is, it does hurt… a lot. A thought pops into mind, 'she really does hate me…they all do.' I realise that I'm heavily breathing and let out a deep sigh in surrender.

"Fine I was walking and I got jumped by these two. So charge them on assault." I pause momentarily and wince slightly at the striking pain traveling along my arm. "Oh and battery as well." A look of amusement passes along her face, 'why didn't I keep my mouth closed, oh why?'

"Why has these two weaklings managed to hurt the big strong Avatar?" She mocks me, giving rise to my slowly increasing rage.

"You said I can go when I've answered your question, to which I have and now I'm taking my leave."

"Yeh, but the thing is Avatar you were partially lying. You said you were walking around at which your heat beat jumped meaning you aren't telling the whole truth. Now spill, before I put you in the interrogating room!" 'I can't believe I forgot Toph can detect even the smallest of lies.' So I choose to ignore her and with as much agility as I can muster I form a hole in the roof and jump out of the building; leaving what I would suspect a severely annoyed and angry Toph. 'I am not looking forward to the next time I bump into her.' I think as I jump onto a ledge of the building, throwing my glider into the night sky and leaping onto my treasured gift. Zuko found dozens of items belonging to the Air Nomads from when Sozin attacked, hidden safely in one of the Palace's chambers, my trusty glider being one of them, the only good thing that's happened over these 3 years. 'Why can't anything in life be easy?' The wind passes me by, with a voice drifting into my ears from deep within my subconscious,

Since when has life as the Avatar ever been easy?

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter of 'Tribulation on my own'. Please review and let me know your thoughts! Reviews are seriously a big boost of encouragement which I really need to carry on Thank You for reading!