The sounds of people and animals romping off to their day's destination accompanied the songs ringing from the birds in the large Earth Kingdom capital. The upper ring of the Ba Sing Se remained the quietest, however, as the higher classes of citizens and visitors residing there were still either asleep or preparing for the day, for they had no early morning careers or schools to attend; they all began later in the day, allowing them to sleep in.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Toph had been given a new, large house in Ba Sing Se after the war had ended. For a week or two, they had to stay at the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh's tea shop, until the construction on their house had been completed. Within that time, Zuko had traveled back to the Fire Nation along with Mai to begin restoring the nation under new reign, keeping contact with the rest of Team Avatar by sending messenger hawks at least once a week.

The house that the Earth King had presented them with had plenty of space, consisting of seven bedrooms; one for each of them, and bedrooms for both Mai and Zuko if they came to stay some time. The outside of the earthen house was almost a marble-like stone, smooth to the touch. The front door was the type that would slide open to the side, allowing access into the front family room where everyone spent most of their time. In front of the short porch outside near the door, there were dark green, bushy shrubs that gardeners took care of for them, as well as the garden behind the house.

The well sized building was on the farthest inside end of the upper ring, close to the palace where the Earth King still lived. They had a few very wealthy neighbors who were clearly in for a surprise the day they learned that the Avatar and his companions were their next door neighbors. After adjusting to the Gaang being there, however, they did not bother them, but kept to themselves, leading their lives as if Aang and everyone else were never even there.

As his neighbors began to awaken for the day, Avatar Aang remained asleep. The twelve year old was exhausted, both mentally and physically, from the previous day. The Earth King and his generals had held a meeting that he was required to attend, which unsuspectedly lasted for over at least twelve hours. The boy was not able to make it back to the house until late that night after everybody else had fallen asleep. He was sleeping like a baby by early morning and refused to get out of bed the next day when Suki's voice flooded his dreams like a dam in his head had been broken.

"Aang! Wake up!" the Kyoshi warrior screeched. Aang heard her angry footsteps stomping toward him against the hard wood floor.

He only mumbled, pulling one of the soft white pillows over his head to block out the sound, only for it to be ripped away from him and thrown across the room. The airbender blinked and rubbed his eyes, letting them adjust to the light as the sight of the reddish-brown haired young woman, wearing a nightgown and a glare, towering over him found his mind.

"What's goin-?" The boy's words were cut off, and suddenly all he could feel was blood rushing to his head as two large hands held him a few inches off the bed by his neck. The young Avatar gagged, choking and gasping for air.

Aang pleaded for mercy with his eyes. Sokka's bright blue eyes appeared to have had darkened, clouded over with hurt and despair as he glared, a threatened hell reflecting in his eyes at the younger boy. The now-present Water tribesman released his tight grip on Aang's small throat, causing him to fall back into the blankets and sheets, which Aang now realized were splattered with dark dry blood.

The boy coughed and rubbed his neck; his voice small and raspy as he spoke. "What... What's going on?"

"You know exactly what's going on!" Sokka exclaimed. The almighty savior of the nations -and of the world - ducked his head in fear. He had never heard Sokka so antagonized before in his life. "You killed my sister!" Aang's eyes widened, and in seconds he felt like a small child who had wondered from his mother alone in a big city; lost and confused.

"What are you talking about?" Aang asked, scooting back on the bed. "Wh-Where's Katara..?"

Suki restrained Sokka by the arms as he attempted to lunge at the boy again, shaking her head in disgust at the situation. She grabbed Aang's arm and dragged him out of the room and across the hallway to the bedroom that Katara resided in. The room was what would, at first glance, be described as a crime scene.

The light blue walls were coated in oozing streaks of drying blood, the same blood in the form of small handprints were scattered around the lines of dark red. Shredded pieces of fabric, including Katara's water skin, were tossed carelessly across the floor. Clumps of dark brown hair matted with blood stuck to the floor and furniture and on one of Sokka's hunting knives that was usually displayed on the wall of the hallway. It had been thrown at the floor and the point of the blade stuck, keeping it upright and slightly slanted.

Aang walked forward to the knife. He bent down and ran his hand along it, collecting some of the silky hair. It was undoubtedly Katara's.

The Avatar fell to his knees, staring at the clump in his hands as Suki stepped up behind him. "What... What happened?" Suki ignored his question, finding no restriction to the ever-present glare she held upon him.

"How could you, Aang?" she whispered dreadfully. Aang released the hair from his hands and replaced it with his head.

"But I didn't do anything! I promise, Suki! I love Katara, I would never want to hurt her!"

Katara and Aang had been a couple since they had arrived in Ba Sing Se and shared a kiss on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon one day as the sun set. Their feelings toward each other had only grown since then, and they had unshamefully kissed several times. Katara would sometimes accompany Aang to his meetings and help with politcal work. As for the particular meeting Aang had attended the night before, however, she had not been allowed entrance by the generals, so she stayed home.

"Aang, I really wish I could believe you, I do! But everything points toward you!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, lifting his head.

Suki pointed toward the wall they had entered from. There on the wall, smeared in blood like red paint, was Aang's name. He was stunned, having no knowledge as to how or why it would possibly be etched in blood on his girlfriend's wall. Suki then motioned toward the handprints all around the walls and to his hands. It was then that he realized they were red. Aang placed his hands on one of the prints, and sure enough, it matched the size perfectly. "And you WERE the only one up that late last night!"

"I don't understand! I didn't..." Aang trailed off as Sokka stomped into the bedroom. The younger of the two boys glanced at Suki, but she only stepped out of Sokka's way, crossed her arms and shook her head. Sokka clenched the collar of Aang's shirt and pulled him onto his feet.

Aang stumbled. "What are you doing?" Sokka began to drag him out the door and down the hall to the front door of the house.

"Get. Out," Sokka replied through clenched teeth. He slid open the door and shoved Aang through and down the stairs, hard enough so that he fell onto the street below on his hands and knees. He pulled his legs out in front of him and sat, staring at the house in shock as he tried to regain himself. Anger burning in his eyes, Sokka snatched up Aang's glider that was laying against the wall inside by the door and chucked it at him as hard as he could. The wooden staff skidded along the street, chipping off some of the wood. It stopped in front of the airbender.

He grasped his glider and looked down at it. Hundreds of thoughts flooded his mind at once. What just happened? Katara is dead! Why won't they believe me? The young boy felt so confused and slammed the door shut, leaving Aang outside in the street; and as his eyes floated up to the house, he felt more cold and empty inside then he ever had before. He was truly alone.