Umm...hehe I guys. Yeah I'm really sorry for not posting in over a year, but honestly I didn't like the story anymore. The way I modeled Avaa and Hotaru's relationship wasn't working out. So I decided to anbandon it. But I did try and rethink the story to make it work. I went through 2 different backstorys for Avaa one involving her being raised in an orphanage I that I thought would work. And another that didn't take off very well that she was a bounty hunter.

But I did eventually get a good story going, and then I wrote it. I considered not uploading this story because of all the pressure to write chapters. . but in the end I gave in.

So I hope you like the new story, I think it's much better and makes more sense. So yeah, enjoy the first chapter of Opposing Forces 2.0.

(Oh, yeah I don't own Avatar. But you guys already knew that ^-^.)

I. The Music Box and the Journal

It wasn't the first day of spring by the calendar. By the calendar it had been spring for a month. But it was just now that the Earth agreed with it. The days were noticeably longer, and it was much warmer. If you looked through the branches of any given tree, you could see little eggs cradled in a cozy nest of twigs. The beginnings of flowers just began to start to poke their leaves and buds out of the ground. Life was being reborn everywhere, and Tianjin was no exception.

Tianjin was located on the ocean side of a coastal mountain range at the southern end of the Earth Kingdom. It was a small peaceful town, which was rather surprising, considering their neighboring village. About a two days journey away from Tianjin was the Fire Nation colony of Xinjing. The colony was small and consisted mostly of merchants and farmers, so there weren't many warriors. As long as they stayed their separate ways they could live in peace.

And today Tianjin was especially peaceful. Adults worked, children played, it was like every other day, but something about spring brightened everyone's mood. Everyone, that is, but one person.

In a nice little house, identical to all the others on the street sat on old man at a honey-colored wooden desk. His dark brown hair was streaked with gray and his light ivory skin was only slightly wrinkled. His lightly aged hand filled a blank journal with stark black characters. He paused looked out the window. He looked at a bird perched in a cherry tree and sighed.

This time of year was supposed to be a time of happiness and rebirth, but Hansuke would always remember it as the anniversary of the worst mistake of his life. Hansuke laid his head in his hands. How could he have been so cruel? How could he have turned into such monster?

But before he could sink further into his despair, there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said, looking towards it. He watched his daughter enter the room with a pot of tea in her hands. When she reached the desk she knelt beside it and placed the pot on it, along with a tea cup.

"Good morning Dad," she said with an unsure smile on her face. In return he gave her a genuine smile.

"Good morning," he answered. The girl poured some steaming tea into the cup. The smell of jasmine tea floated upwards, riding on the curls of steam. She set the pot back on the table and looked out the window.

Hansuke was not just putting up a front to not worry his daughter; she really did cheer him up a little. Out of that terrible ordeal of hurting people and losing everything, something good came out of it. His daughter was his pride and joy.

"It's a beautiful day isn't it?" she said. Hansuke's smile fell as he turned his eyes back to the sight of the Earth, now young and lovely again.

"It is," he said, turning his eyes downward to the tea cup. He picked it up and took a sip. His daughter's gaze turned toward him.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Hansuke nodded and said,

"Yes, it's just my allergies; they start up around this time of year."

"Do you need anything for them?" she asked. Hansuke, again, smiled. He put a hand on her shoulder and patted it.

"No thank you. I'll be fine," He took another sip of jasmine tea. He smirked when he lowered the cup again, "Besides, don't you have training today?"

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed, standing up, "Mom's gonna kill me." As soon as she stood they both heard Hsiu Mei's strong voice echo throughout the house.

"Avaa!" Avaa winced, then shouted back in a much softer voice, like her father's.

"Coming!" She dashed out the room with one last call to her father, "See you later!" Hansuke chuckled as he watched down the hallway. Then he turned back to his desk picked his brush resumed writing.

* ~ * ~ *

Avaa ran down the hallway so fast she almost ran into the door leading into the garden. She skidded to a stop only a few inches in front of it, opened it and ran outside. She skipped slowing down and ran right off the edge of the platform, stopping right in front of her mother.

Avaa was a clone of her mother, Hsiu Mei, except for two major differences. Hsiu Mei had a smooth olive toned complexion, where Avaa had her father's ivory skin. And Avaa had straight black hair, where Hsiu Mei had curly brunette. Everything else was nearly identical including their short stature and lovely gray-blue eyes.

Hsiu Mei looked at her daughter sternly with her arms crossed.

"You're late." she said. Avaa sighed and hung her head slightly.

"I know," she replied, "and I'm really sorry. I've...had a lot on my mind this morning."The two of them began walking out the front gate, toward their training grounds. They walked through the main street to their open meadow outside the village.

"Like what?" Hsiu Mei asked. Avaa didn't answer. She just watched her neighbors go about their day. She saw her grandmother talking with two other older women, and her friends sitting under a blooming cherry tree.

"Hi, Avaa!" Lira called.

"Good morning Hsiu Mei-san!" Avaa and her mother waved back. When they had passed them, Hsiu Mei turned back to Avaa.

"So what's been on your mind?" Avaa lowered her head and her stomach churned at the memory.

"I saw Tsubame-obaa-san last night," she answered. She didn't have to look at her mother to know that she looked terrified.

"What did she show you?" Hsiu Mei, her voice wavering in fear. Avaa paused again. She replayed her vision exactly as she looked for the right words to describe it.

Avaa looked around her in a slight state of panic. There was nothing around her but mist and cloudy ankle-deep water. It was deadly quiet, and there was no sign of life; nothing but pearly gray mist. Her stomach twisted into a painful knot as she realized where she was.

Oh, Great Spirits please no. she thought. As soon as she recognized her surroundings a figure appeared a few feet from her. Its appearance confirmed her fears. At first it was just a dark figure, but as Avaa ventured closer she could pick out familiar features.

The figure transformed from a dark shape into an old woman in an ash-grey cloak. She had a tarnished bronze bowl in her lap. The bowl was held in place by two grotesquely aged and sallow hands. Avaa trembled in front of the woman. The familiarity of the sight did not comfort her in any way.

Avaa stilled her tremors long enough to bow deeply to the old woman.

"You summoned me, Tsubame-samma?" she said in a voice, calmer than the rest of her. Avaa looked up to see one of Tsubame's hand curled in a beckoning gesture. Reluctantly, Avaa stepped forward and kneeled. Tsubame tipped the bowl so Avaa could see the crystal clear water inside it. She only saw the tarnished bottom for a minute before it was replaced with a picture of the garden behind her house.

The sky was dark midnight blue, so it was obviously night. But everything else in the scene was lit by bright orange light. The light radiated from the surrounding plants engulfed in flames. Avaa already didn't like the scene, but it got worse when she took note of the people in it. About eight or nine men circled around four others who restrained a ragged-looking couple. Avaa felt sick to her stomach when she recognized them as her parents.

There was no sound to the vision, there never was, so she didn't hear the sound that made her parents look up. A man walked into view in front of her parents. He had dark raven black hair and was quite tall. He turned to Hsiu Mei spoke with her for a minute. The conversation ended with Hsiu Mei lowering her head and the man throwing flames from his fist at her. Avaa resumed trembling as she watched her mother fall to the ground. Had she not been in the Spirit World, tears would have been running down her cheeks. Then, the man turned to her father. He spoke to him much longer, although from what she could see it was more yelling than speaking. The exchange ended in the exact same way the last one did.

Then, the image faded into another one. It was day this time, and instead of her village, it was a vast stretch of rocky desert. The view of the vision followed a young man on an ostrich horse. Both the boy and the ostrich-horse looked exhausted. As Avaa watched she got a better view of the boy's face. He had a very serious expression and looked painfully gaunt. But what caught Avaa's attention was the large red scar covering his left eye. The vision lingered for another minute before fading away.

Avaa looked at her feet as she walked with her mother. She had visions of her parents dying before, but every vision frightened her beyond belief. This one was no different. She looked at her mother. Hsiu Mei was aged, but she was still beautiful and strong. Looking at her at that moment, Avaa couldn't imagine her dead. She took a calming breath and said,

"I saw you and Dad being killed. You were murdered by a fire bender." Hsiu Mei gave Avaa a comforting look and put a hand on her cheek. Suddenly, she was a child again and she hugged her mother tightly. Her warmth and scent comforted her.

"Don't you worry about anything, sweetheart," Hsiu Mei said gently, "Your dad and I aren't going anywhere." Avaa nodded. Hsiu Mei broke away and smiled at Avaa. Avaa smiled back.

"Now let's get to training," Hsiu Mei said. Avaa nodded and said,

"Okay." She pulled out her sword and removed it from its sheath. Hsiu Mei tossed her shield to her. Avaa caught it and put it on. Hsiu Mei stepped back a few feet and took her stance.

"Ready?" she asked. Avaa assumed her stance as well.

"Ready." Without another word Hsiu Mei earth bended a chuck of rock about the size of her head into the air. It hovered for a moment before flying toward Avaa. Avaa ducked and let it fly over her. In the same fluid motion she ran toward her mother, her sword aimed at the torso. But before she could give the blow Hsiu Mei raised a rock from her left and sent it flying into Avaa's side. Avaa was knocked a few feet away. She landed with a small cry. She grimaced at the pain on her left side and hesitated before shaking it off and getting back up again.

Avaa, again, ran toward Hsiu Mei aiming for a strike. Hsiu Mei stepped away from her blade, grabbed her arm, and swung her away. Avaa stumbled for a moment, but she used the circle motion to turn around and swing at Hsiu Mei's neck. Just as the blade got close, Avaa stopped it. Hsiu Mei blinked nervously at the sharp silver-colored sword just two inches from her neck. After a moment she closed her eyes and chuckled. At this Avaa lowered her sword.

"Well done," she said, "You've won round one."

* ~ * ~ *

The two women stood in front of each other, both breathing heavily. Avaa's throat was painfully dry and she felt a little dizzy from fatigue. Despite that she still held her sword in her hand, ready for another attack, but Hsiu Mei smiled at her and straightened.

"Great work, Avaa," she said, wiping her forehead, "You've just about mastered fighting an earth bender." Avaa gave her a tired smile and also straightened up to her proper height. Hsiu Mei picked up a water skin, took a drink, and then tossed it to Avaa. She removed the seal and took a long drink of the water. It wasn't particularly cold, but it felt wonderful to her parched throat.

When Avaa had finished she and Hsiu Mei began walking back to the village.

"Now all we have to do is brush up on your skills against a fire bender," Hsiu Mei said. Avaa snorted.

"Yeah, good luck talking Dad into training." she said smiling. Hsiu Mei chuckled a bit.

"Yes, your father is quite uptight about that isn't he?"

"Very. I can't believe we've trained as much as we have over the years." Avaa said. Hsiu Mei looked ahead rather thoughtfully.

"It's unfortunate really, he's an excellent warrior." Avaa turned to her mother and smirked.

"Is that why you married him?" she asked playfully. Hsiu Mei gave Avaa a mock sneer before erupting into laughs. Hsiu Mei opened her mouth to add a comment but was interrupted by another voice.

"Avaa-chan!" a familiar bubbly voice called. Both Avaa and Hsiu Mei turned around to a tall thin girl with long brown hair and glittering emerald eyes. She didn't look like she belonged there in a small merchant village. She had all of the beauty and grace of an Earth Kingdom noblewoman. She smiled at the two women in front of her and waved.

Avaa smiled back at her best friend. Natsu ran up to her side with her characteristic dazzling smile. It's no wonder all of the boys love her. Avaa thought as she spotted a few staring at Natsu as they walked by.

"Just get done with training hmm?" Natsu asked. Avaa chuckled.

"Yup." Avaa replied. Hsiu Mei smiled at the two girls.

"I'll see you two later ok?"

"Alright."

"See you later, Hsiu Mei-san." Once Hsiu Mei had left Natsu turned to Avaa and said, "Let's go to the bath house. I'm sure you need one." She said the last part with a chuckle. Avaa smirked.

"I thought you wouldn't mind, seeing as you have no more reputation because of me."

"Of course not," she replied, "I'm trying to bring it back by at least not having a smelly warrior for a friend." Avaa chuckled.

It didn't take but another moment until they were at the entrance of their destination. The bathhouse was a rather small building made of dark wood positioned by a creek. The entrance formed a small courtyard which was filled with a variety of flowers and trees. The whole area was very peaceful, quite appropriate for taking a bath.

The two girls entered and Avaa smiled when they were greeted by the moist warmth of the baths. They removed their shoes at the doorway and turned into the women's bath. Avaa blushed as she remembered the time she had accidently walked into the men's bath. She had only been about nine years old but it was still the most embarrassing thing she'd ever done. Natsu still liked to tell the story to anyone who would listen.

The two teenage girls were the only ones in the bathhouse so they could undress in peace. As they did Natsu said,

"You know your mom works you way too hard." Avaa paused as she loosened her chest bindings and raised an eyebrow.

"Does she?" she asked innocently. Natsu scoffed as she sat at a washing station.

"Come on, training every other day? Don't you find it tiring?" Natsu squeezed water from a small cloth onto her body. Avaa finished undressing and sat at an adjoining washing station.

"Not really. I mean I've been doing it forever, so I guess I've just gotten used to it," she said. Natsu shrugged, taking it as an adequate response.

"But it really cuts into your social time," Natsu started, but Avaa interrupted by giving a small laugh.

"And your training doesn't?" she said, "Miss-geisha."

"I'm not really a geisha," Natsu corrected, "My mom is just teaching me some of the stuff." Avaa shook her head and poured water on it.

"Whatever." she said. She smiled at its warmth. Beside her, Natsu did the same, and she lowered her bucket with a thoughtful look.

"You know, it would be pretty cool to be a geisha though. Going to parties, wearing expensive dresses," she paused and gave a cat-like grin, "and of course getting attention from all those men." Avaa smiled.

"Yeah." Avaa imagined herself with smooth white face, and wearing an elaborate kimono dancing in front of a small crowd of men. They all had their eyes on her, looking completely entranced. Avaa sighed as she returned to reality.

She would love to be the center of attention. It didn't have to be a crowd of men, she would be happy to have one man to give her all his attention. But so far, she hadn't found that man. Oh, well, she thought, I'll find him someday.

When the two girls finished washing themselves off, they both got in the deep pool of wonderfully warm water. Avaa gazed at the light from the window dancing on the water. She stretched out her hand dreamily and dipped it in the reflection. She cupped her hand and lifted it out of the water, trying to catch the sparkling iridescence.

Looking down into the pool reminded her of her vision the night before. She hated going into the Spirit World. It was so unnatural and frightening; she wondered why she, of all people, was a seer. Why did Tsubame show her what she did? The visions she saw were possible outcomes of the future, why did she need to know them. Why only certain things? She had been asking herself and her parents these questions for as long as she had the ability to do so.

Natsu must have noticed Avaa's expression change because she asked,

"Are you ok?" Avaa nodded, snapping out of her trance. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I just," she paused, "you know visited the Spirit World again." Natsu looked worried but she gave a small laugh and asked,

"So what disaster is gonna happen this time? Another flood, or will the Fire Nation finally attack us?"

"My parents were killed by a fire bender," Avaa said without smiling. Natsu stopped smiling and tried to give Avaa a comforting look.

"Hey," don't worry," she said, "That old hag has shown you your parents dying tons of times, and it hasn't happened yet."

"Yeah," Avaa said, "But you know what was weird about this last vision?"

"What?" Natsu asked.

"She didn't just show me my parents dying. She also showed me this boy about our age. He was just riding through the desert, and the only thing special about him was that he had a scar." Natsu's brow furrowed in confusion.

"That is strange," she murmured to herself, "Maybe you'll meet this boy someday." Avaa shrugged.

"Maybe."

* ~ * ~ *

Avaa sighed as she entered her room. She leaned against the wall sleepily with her hands over her eyes. No matter how used she got to training every other day she was still exhausted by the end of the day. She pushed off the wall and untied her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders.

Avaa undressed, put on her nightgown, and sat at her small table. As she ran a comb through her hair she thought again of the boy of her vision. She couldn't fathom why she had seen him, but she couldn't stop wondering. That in of itself was puzzling because normally when someone has a conundrum such as this, they eventually stop thinking about it. Avaa hadn't been able to think of anything else since she brought it up in the bathhouse, which was hours ago.

Again, she remembered his face. She had always been able to remember her visions with extreme clarity, so it was easy for her to draw him with a piece of charcoal. When she was finished she gazed at the picture pensively.

Who on earth was he anyway? Why did Tsubame show him to her? Why? No matter how many times she asked herself these questions, she could still receive no answers. Avaa sighed, giving up and opened a small rosewood box. When the hinge reached a certain point a beautiful but melancholy tune started playing. She picked up her drawing and set it inside the box, alongside a few keepsakes of hers.

Avaa almost closed the box once the paper was safely inside, but the melody made her stop. This was her mother's music box. She had given it to Avaa when she had turned thirteen, and she had loved it ever since. She loved the beautiful smooth lacquer of the rosewood, the lily carved on the front, and most of all the song it played. When she was younger, Hsiu Mei had hummed this melody in her ear as she fell asleep.

When the song finished, Avaa closed the lid and lay on her futon. She remained awake only long enough to yawn, and pull the blankets around her. After that, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* ~ * ~ *

While the warmth of spring ruled the daylight hours, winter still chilled the countryside at night. And at this time of night it was especially cold. All of the daytime creatures will holed up in their warm holes asleep. The only beings out at this time and temperature were the strongest and most dangerous night creatures. This, of course, did not include people, which is why some people would be confused to see one on top a hill.

The figure was unrecognizable in the shadows of night. He was almost motionless, just looking at the town below him. He would have continued to gaze steadily into the valley, but another figure approached him from behind.

"Sir?" The second figure asked tentatively. The first figure turned around.

"Yes?" he asked. He had a low husky voice. The second figure straightened a little and said,

"We're ready to move out, sir." The first figure smiled slightly.

"Excellent, please proceed to do so."

"Yes sir," the second figure said. Before turning back around he hesitated. "Um, sir if you don't mind my asking…why exactly are we doing this?" He waited for his superior to snap at him, but he never did. The first shadowy figure just smiled.

"Of course I don't mind," He turned back to the valley, "It's simple really. Revenge."

* ~ * ~ *

Avaa awoke to a loud crash. She could feel the impact of whatever it was shake the floor. What the-? She thought as she sprung to her feet. As soon as she feet touched the floor, her door slammed open. In the doorway stood a short but burly man in armor.

Avaa dived for her sword just as the man charged into the room. Flames erupted from his fist, and Avaa had to dodge them. In the process, she missed her sword. She looked up and saw the man blocking it from her.

She swore vividly in her head and swung her legs at the man's ankles. When they made contact the man toppled over, hitting his head hard on the wall before lying on the floor unconscious. Avaa wasted no time in dashing out into the hallway.

What's going on? Why are there fire benders in the house? She wondered. Avaa stopped when she saw the mess the corridor was now in. The wall scroll of a cherry tree in bloom was now on the floor in a crumpled heap, and she could see pieces of the front door and the one to her parents' bedroom scattered all around. What was happening?! Avaa's heart sped up even more as fear and panic set in.

Without thinking she dashed for the garden door. It was already open and she could see bright orange flames beyond the threshold. She stopped a few feet from the door.

Oh Great Spirits no! NO!

Avaa forced her breathing to remain steady against the panic rising in her. Taking deep breathes, she creped along the wall to the doorway. When she was right beside the frame she poked her head around the corner and into the garden. The sight almost sent her into a panic again.

The bushes in the garden were engulfed in flames. Their once bright blossoms now charred black. In front of the burning plants was a small group of men, all in Fire Nation armor. Eight or nine men surrounded four others who were restraining a couple, dressed in their night robes. Hansuke and Hsiu Mei stopped struggling to raise their heads as another figure strode into view. A tall figure with raven black hair.

"No!" Avaa whispered. No! This couldn't be happening! Tsubame's visions never come true! Never! She almost dashed out into the garden when she felt a sharp tug on her arm. Avaa was prepared to attack her captor when she realized it was her grandmother.

"Grandma Let go! I've got to-" Avaa started.

"No! there's nothing you can do!" Isano snapped. She dragged her into her room where the fire bender still lay in a heap. Isano threw Avaa into the room and shut the door behind them. Avaa watched in a slight daze as her grandmother shoved clothes and other necessities into a bag. Isano tossed her a drawstring pouch and said,

"Here" Avaa didn't need to open it to know that it was filled with money.

"What's going on, Grandma?" she asked Isano. She didn't answer. Avaa bolted for the door and ran back into the hallway. She reached the back door again and saw her mother conversing with the tall stranger. Her eyes widened. She couldn't even make out what was being said, but she knew what would happen next.

"MO-" Avaa felt a hand being clamped over her mouth. She briefly struggled against Isano, with tears running down her cheeks. But Isano was surprisingly strong for her age and tried to lead Avaa out the front door.

Before they went through the threshold Avaa ran back inside and into her room. She grabbed her music box quickly and left. Then she ran into her parents' room. She had planned to run quickly in and out here as well but she stopped when she saw the state of the room. There were burn marks all over the walls and a few holes in the floor. Avaa blocked her mental reenactment of the battle. She glanced at her father's desk and snatched the small red book on it.

When she reemerged from her parents' room Isano grabbed her arm and pulled her out the front door. The two ran through the streets of Tianjin, toward Isano's house. When they arrived Isano lead Avaa into the stables right beside her house. Once inside she let go of her granddaughter's arm.

"Grandma-" Avaa started. But Isano didn't listen. She quickly bridled an ostrich-horse and lead it out of its stall. Once it was out she also threw a saddle on it.

Avaa had no idea why any of this was happening. She was scared honestly. She needed some sort of comfort. But she also realized she needed to get far from here.

"There's no time to waste," Isano said,"Get on quickly! Leave town and head north." Avaa did as she was told and mounted the ostrich-horse. She turned to Isano and tried to ask her something, but Isano interrupted her. "Go! Hurry!" Avaa turned away and spurred the ostrich-horse into a full run.

As she flew through the streets Avaa went into a dream-like state. She watched houses fly by in a blur with the same thought repeating in her head.

Your parents are dead. Your parents are dead. You'll never see them or this place again…

Avaa held back her sobs but not her tears as she exited the gate and Tianjin shrank in the distance. It wasn't until the village was completely hidden by the horizon that Avaa stopped. She dismounted the ostrich-horse in the forest away from the path. She flung herself against a tree trunk and let everything loose. She screamed sobs into her knees, letting the hot tears flow down her cheeks. She had just lost her parents, her friends, her home all in the same moment. She had no idea where to go, or what to do. She felt terribly lost and hopeless.

"MOM! DAD!" Avaa cried. More sobs racked her slim body, "Please, please don't leave me!" She saw her faces in her mind's eye. Her father, handsome and tall but also gentle. Her mother, beautiful and outgoing. Both of them were gone forever. As she saw their smiling faces she let out another cry of anguish, knowing that she would never see those smiles again.

* ~ * ~ *

Haruto stood in the burning garden scowling at the couple in front of him. Why? Why couldn't he do it? After all they done to him and after they hurt him so much why couldn't he just kill them?! His scowl deepened and he again tried to release the deadly flames. But again he stopped himself. He just couldn't do it. This was different than killing on the battle field. He couldn't murder in cold blood like this.

He growled and turned away abruptly.

"Restrain them."

"We are sir."

"WITH ROPE OR SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!" Haruto roared. As his men scrambled for rope or something Haruto stormed into the house. He stopped in the front room of the house. There was a stove and wood pile in the far right corner and a table that used to be in the center of the room. Prior to his entrance he was sure it was a nice cozy kitchen.

"How sweet." He said to himself. He was about to turn around to explore more of the house when something caught his attention.

Haruto crossed the room and looked at a scroll mounted on the wall. It was a family portrait, and rather recent as the Hansuke and his wife in the portrait resembled the ones in the garden hopefully being properly restrained. But there was something Haruto didn't expect to see in that portrait. A teenage girl that kneeled beside Hansuke. There wasn't a lot of resemblance between the two, but there was enough.

Haruto turned away from the portrait and walked back to the hallway leading outside. This time he noticed a door to his right that he had missed earlier. He entered the room and saw Hao slowly rising to his feet. He was holding his head and groaning.

"What happened in here, Hao?" Haruto asked.

"Um, well there was a girl in here sir," Hao replied, rather embarrassed. Haruto raised his eyebrows slightly at this, "I tried to capture her, but she-" Hao's words were lost as he mumbled the rest of his sentence. But Haruto didn't care; he turned and went back into the garden.

So he had a daughter with her hmm? Haruto thought to himself.

"Sir!" Quon said. Haruto looked up at his men and saw them gathered around the now rope bound couple, "The prisoners are restrained, sir." Haruto smirked.

"Very good. Take them back to Xinjing and put them on the next ship to the Fire Nation," he said.

"What are you gonna do to us there, Haruto?" Hansuke asked as he was pulled to his feet.

"I'm sending you to Shi Tung prison." Haruto replied. Hansuke lowered his head and sighed. Beside him, his wife just looked at the ground stony-faced.

"I know it probably won't help much, but I'm sorry Haruto," Hansuke said as he and his wife were being lead away, "I'm sorry for everything." Haruto scowled at him and said nothing. He watched the couple being put on a kimono rhino and his men get on theirs.

"Aren't you coming sir?" Quon asked. Haruto looked at Hansuke and gave him a poisonous smile.

"No, Quon. I still have unfinished business here." Haruto addressed Quon but didn't take his eyes off Hansuke. It only took a moment and Haruto knew that Hansuke understood what he was talking about. He watched in amusement as Hansuke's terrified face shrank into the distance.

And there you have it! ^-^ Again I apologize for ending the first one but this one will be better I swear. Review please.