Hello and here is another chapter! Hope you enjoy. Thank you so much for the favourites, follows and reviews.

Impstar: Thank you so much for telling me. I tried my best to follow your advice in this chapter, tell me if it was wrong!

Serendipitymadness: Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

Shinobi: Argh, I hope never to abandon this. I'm really touched that my story is one of your favourites, that really made me so happy!

Ryo: Well...I feel a little bad here, there is not a lot of Zuko/Azula interaction. As for your question about Iroh, I have somehow overlooked that part! Thanks for telling me, I will concoct a reason and explain it soon...

Chapter 21

101AG

15th Day of the 1st Month

It had taken a while to comfort and calm down Aang. The Avatar was perpetually distraught and always looked like he was on the verge of crying. Even Toph had tried to help, and Sokka and her combined powers of comforting were barely enough. So they opted to leave him alone, with the company of only Appa. Toph reckoned that would be the best comfort they could give him at that point.

They still were at the temple, as Aang was desperate not to leave. Toph and Sokka both agreed that while finding a bending Master was important, getting Aang to feel better was much more important. They knew that he had lost his friend Bumi just a couple months ago, and now he had lost all the air benders.

As for Sokka, even with the constant comforting words from Toph, he still could not be consoled for the Tribe's part in ruining his friend's life. He could not wrap his head around the evil of the act, and the mercilessness. He was constantly burying his face in his hands, unable to see Aang's distraught face. Every time he saw Aang's distraught face, he felt like it sent daggers through his heart and he could not bear it. Spirits, how he wished that it was not true.

Toph on the other hand, while equally upset because of her both of her friend's sadness, still thought it was best to get the hell out of here, as they were literally standing in the ruins of the civilisation Aang was mourning. Out of sight, out of mind, as she always said, despite the complete irony of it. But she could also not bear to bring herself to tell Aang that. She knew very well that he wanted to spend time with the souls of the dead benders; with their bones. She also did not like being in the sky but thought that she would bear with it for Aang and Sokka's sake.

Yet she was still confused by what she had felt. She had had both feet firmly on the ground when Aang had gone up in his tornado in anger - in fact, she had bent earth over them so she would not be swept away. She had felt something -soft, gentle and steady footsteps through the dust-storm. She very well could not see the person, and Sokka was too caught up in his desperation to even notice. Even when she pulled him over, he could not catch a glimpse of the person (people?) that she sensed. She could feel soft, padding footsteps coming closer and closer, and they stopped at Aang. It was so strange. The hurricane that was going on - and yet these people…a person could get close to the Avatar? She must have imagined it.

It had puzzled her for the last four days. She had slept on it, thinking about it constantly for the past few days. Regardless, she would have to remain unbothered about it the minute Aang was ready to go. There were much bigger things to think about.

Sokka suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. She turned. "I think he's ready to go." Surprised but nonetheless relieved, Toph got up and followed Sokka to where Aang was sitting. Toph reckoned if she could see him right now, his eyes would be puff and rimmed with red, and his face pale and tear-streaked. She guessed there would be a croak to his voice, which would be raspy and sad. She wondered if his eyes were filled with grief; if they were dripping with tears.

"We have to go," Aang said quietly. "I can't stay here forever."

Toph nodded slowly.

"They're gone, and everyone will know of this evil." Aang continued, his voice growing stronger. "Now I see that the Water Tribe is truly evil. I had my doubts…but now I see it."

"So what do we do now? Kill the Water Tribe Chiefs?" Sokka asked, his voice shaking - this was his father after all.

"No," Aang said,"I don't think I can. Even though they killed them, I…just can't do it."

"Then what?" Toph asked.

"I…don't know," Aang sighed. "All I know is that even though I'm really, really, really sad, I have the world waiting for me and my help. The Water Tribe killed my people, and I won't let them hurt anyone else anymore."

Sokka nodded. So did Toph.

"Let's go," Aang said quietly, getting up and walking towards the camp they had set up.

Sokka let out a small sigh. Toph tapped his arm.

"What did Aang look like?"

Sokka paused, presumably looking back to Aang. "Um…quite normal," he said. "He looked calm. Quite normal, if you ask me."

Toph shrugged and moved back towards the fireplace, Sokka following.

"So where do we go now?" Toph asked the two of them.

"Well, we should definitely find a Water Bending Master, but now Pakku is…well…dead, I don't really know where we can find one."

"We'll find one eventually," Aang said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"I'll pack." Sokka walked off.

Aang was going to do the same, but a sudden curiosity overtook Toph and she stopped him, grabbing his shoulder firmly.

"Do you remember anything from when you were in the Avatar state?" Toph questioned. '

Aang thought for a second. "Uhhh…no. I don't remember much." He thought again. "I remember wind, and me rising up. I think there's more, I just can't place it."

"Do you remember people?" Toph probed further, "People walking towards you?"

Aang thought harder. "People? Wasn't that you and Sokka?"

"No."

"I don't. I remember a hand. A hand reaching out to grab me. Then it's blank."

"Okay. Thanks."

So her suspicions were correct. Unless Aang had somehow imagined this hand, then it was true that someone had gotten close to him. Her senses have never deceived her, and now she was dead certain that they were not alone. But the question was - who was it that was also here?

"Wait. Is there someone else here?" Aang spoke as though he had just read her mind.

"I think so," Toph said. "I felt them coming."

"That's strange," Aang replied.

"I think it's no big deal though. If they want to be found then they would have shown up already." Toph said quickly, not wanting to spend any more time in the temples; eager to get back to the big task at hand.

Sokka strolled over. "Any ideas where we go now?" He spread out a map on the floor.

"Maybe we should go to another Earth Kingdom city?" Aang suggested. "Then we can buy some more supplies and get some information."

"Alright," said Sokka, "but where?"

"Omashu?" Toph piped up.

Sokka traced the path from their location to the city. "That could work. Aang?"

"That's fine."

"So it's settled. We can head off to Omashu tonight, do our thing, then regroup and fly off to find a water bending teacher. Right?"

"Right!" Aang and Toph replied.

Sokka rolled up his map again and stuffed it into his sack. Toph could tell that evening was on its way, so she tied up her own bag and slung it onto her back. Aang followed. They gathered around their fire to eat, and quickly they were done. They were just about to finish packing when Toph sensed something. They had camped in a sheltered part of the temple, close to the air bison temples, where two staircases were present - one that led down to the stables and another that led up to the top of the cliff and into the forest.

She stopped. Both feet planted firmly on the ground, she slowly turned her head to the direction of the disturbance. Aang clambered over to the side of the saddle, sensing something was wrong and looked in the same direction as Toph. Toph felt the footsteps travel down the stairs coming down from the top, and out of the shadows, they came…closer…closer.

There was a shout. "Who's there?" The three of them froze. A helmeted head appeared, the person climbing up to where they were seated. Sokka got up slowly. The person slowly came into view, and when he did, Aang immediately jumped to his feet, then rushed back to Appa, dragging Toph with him. "Who are you?" The Water Tribe soldier shouted. "There's someone here!" He called over his shoulder, causing a loud commotion down below. There had to be more soldiers. What the hell are they doing here?

Sokka unsheathed his sword and pointed it threateningly at the soldier. "Don't come any closer." He warned. The soldier drew his own club, and held it over his shoulder, ready to strike.

"None of you move." The soldier warned.

Sokka glanced over his shoulder, making sure the two others were okay. Suddenly, out of nowhere, pebbles shot past his face, slamming into the soldiers' heads, knocking them unconscious. Toph! Sokka grabbed their things, and with the others, they ran past them, and down the staircase leading to where Appa was.

The rest of the soldiers started to shout and swarmed after them. Sokka grabbed Toph's wrist, and practically dragged her down the stairs, while she screamed in indignation. Aang sent an air blast the soldiers' way, and the front few were blown back.

"What are they doing here?" Aang shouted in disbelief.

"I don't know? Patrol duty? They must have seen a sign of people or something!"

"Appa's moulting!" Aang said, realisation striking him.

"He's WHAT?"

"Dropping fur!" Aang replied.

"Oh GOD!"

Sokka turned to look back in front but realised that Toph had suddenly stopped, concentrating on something.

"Now what?" He shouted at her, frustrated.

Aang looked like he was at a loss too. Sokka turned back to Toph. He tugged at her arm; she shook him off. He could see the soldiers coming around the bend…almost reaching them.

Toph's feet turned to the stone wall next to them. She placed her hand against the wall, feeling for something. Sokka groaned in impatience. "What are you doing? They're coming!"

Toph started to grin. Her hand jerked to the left, and the wall opened, revealing a small dark passage behind it. "There's a tunnel."

Sokka asked no questions, just running in. Toph quickly sealed the opening, just as the soldiers reached it.

Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. "Now what? Where's Appa?"

Turns out, there was no secret door at that point in the wall. There was already a tunnel a metre in, but Toph had bent the stone away to form a new tunnel. He continued to wait for a reply, but when no reply came, he turned around. He now knew why there had been no reply. The others had been too busy staring at what was in front of them.

A tall, dark figure, robed and obscured, had walked into their path.

"Who are you?" Aang said, pointing his staff forwards, stepping in front of his friends.

Sokka could hear the soldiers outside, shouting about where they went. They were trapped.

The figure did not seem to care about Aang's question. Instead, it turned, and beckoned, jerking its head to the left, indicating them to follow.

"Come with me. I will bring you to your bison. But there is something else you need to see." The voice indicated the figure was female. She walked slowly down a left passage.

The three of them looked at each other, confused. Toph took the first step forwards.

"Toph!" Sokka hissed, grabbing her arm.

"She's not lying," Toph replied. "Heartbeats quicken when you lie." She shook free of Sokka's grasp and followed the woman. Sokka and Aang shared uneasy glances, but took a shaky step forward. She could just be a very good liar, Sokka protested silently to Toph.

Azula sat at the discussion table, bored of listening to all the old men debate about what to and not to do. Her father had promised her interesting content, not this boring babble about food rations and energy depletion. Spirits, when will the Water Tribe ever come into this dreary discussion? That was what she longed to hear about.

To her left, her father looked interested, but barely so. She willed him to slam his fist on the table about talk about their shiny new war balloons. That would be so much better.

Finally, after what felt like hours and hours, Ozai flipped the notes to the next page. Printed right across the top: OMASHU.

Azula started to grin. She grinned from ear to ear the minute "invasion" slipped past Ozai's lips. The maps rolled out, and Azula cracked her knuckles, ready to start positioning the troops.

She plucked up a round piece from the box and turned it over. They were small replicas of their new machines - war balloons. She placed them left of Omashu. She took out the infantry troop statuette and placed them near the weakest spot of the Omashu wall. She took the metal troops and placed them just behind the infantry. She took the elite fire benders and placed them around the war balloons. While this was all happening, the old men watched her every move, ready to pounce on any questionable choice. Azula wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of superiority, however. She took her time, thinking and strategising, remembering her father's tips and General Arrluk's lessons. She placed each troop with great care, making sure to think after each placement. The old men stared and stared, and when she was done, her father gave her a hearty pat on the back.

"Isn't my daughter a genius?" Ozai did not ask this as an open-ended question; everyone knew there was only one answer: Yes.

See you guys soon!