Authors Note: Don't own ALTA or LOK

The daily noise and hustle and bustle of republic city had died down as it was well past midnight. The outline of a slumbering male figure could be seen through a moon beam lit window. The figure obliviously unaware that several pairs of eyes were watching him shifted in his sleep. With swift feet and silent movement an elite looking group of figures, all dressed in black advanced.

Breaking and entering, they quickly crept up to the figure momentarily pausing when sound of a floorboard creaked. The figure in the bed slurred blinking into the darkness of the room sleepily. His eyes drooping as he almost drifted back to sleep. A shadow flashed across his vision and the mans eyes shot open. He gasp at the dark figures loomed above him, but before another sound left his mouth a cloth was placed over his noise and his vision went black.

~#~

Karrah's attention seemed to be completely lost in thought as she gazed out the moving window drawn to the cityscape that laid beyond. She sat in her usual spot on a satobus as it took it's common morning routine towards the school. The proposal that the senator had given had given her the previous day kept turning in her mind nonstop. A chance to go to an all bending school out towards the east near the smaller earth states. The opportunity to become a real bender, and learn the art of her ancestors.

The only problem was that karrah would have to leave her life behind in exchange for a new one. Leaving her friends and family for who knows how long until she had mastered the art of earth bending which could take months maybe even years. Although it was never mentioned, Karrah felt as if it was implied by senator Chains behavior that the offer was extended to her only. She was fifteen years old 'practically an adult' she thought, and very soon she would be able to get a job of her own to help her parents bring in income.

How could she leave? Her family needed her here. The senator had told her that he wouldn't except an answer right away after he saw her hesitate. Giving her a week to make a decision, despite Karrah's almost instant refusal. "One week', Karrah thought leaning her forehead against the cool window. The chilly early morning air seemed lighter than usual, a sure sign that the last of winter would soon pass. Closing her eyes karrah's thoughts drifted back to the previous day.

Eventually she had managed to to earthbend the small stone, by barley levitate it a few centimeters off the desk. Karrah could remember the look on her dad's face when the chairman had announced she was in fact confirmed a true earthbender. He seemed so genuinely proud of his daughter. Her mom had looked on worriedly, not really saying much but managing to give her daughter a some what encouraging smile.

'I can earthbend,' she smiled to herself. Many different emotions swam through her head ranging from amazement, astonishment, and disbelief. Her smile dropped to a frown. Why was she still thinking about this? Karrah was pretty certain about her decision, that much hadn't changed. She was staying in republic city, it was her home.

The bus jerked as it came to a stop in front of the large court yard of the school. Leif stood from his spot beside her, he had been oddly quite this morning and Karrah couldn't help but wounder if it was because of her. "You're going to have to talk about what's bothering you eventually." Breaking the silence, he crossed his arms and looked down at her. Karrah sent him a look hating they way he tried to tower over her. "Better sooner than latter," Karrah ducked her head staring out at the school yard, watching her peers piling through the front doors. "It's just-," she paused and shook her head as if to clear it. "Hard." Leif sighed and bobbed his head in understanding. "Fine but I'll get you to talk eventually." She cracked giving him a weary smile, she then stood and they started to make their way across the school yard.

The pair slowly began to notice that the other students were stopping to stair at them, while whispers fluttered back and forth. Or rather at Karrah. "I heard she fought off the spirit vines by earthbending rocks at them." "Really? I heard it was like she was actually controlling the vines her self with and whiled them to attack that kid Shen." "Hah! Yeah right, you can't tell me you actually believe that load of trash right? Benders don't really exist!" Karrah slouched and picked up her pace right as the school yard bell chimed.

Most of the students had already hurried off to their their classes, and were seated by the time karrah and Leif wondered into Mr. Rue's classroom and took their normal seats towards the back. The classes usual absent minded chatter seem to be missing as the students sat cluttered around each other exchanging only whispers.

"So I jumped in front of every one," Shen's voice carried over the whispers from the front. "Just then about a dozen of those disgusting, horrible vines things came towards us, but it was just pure luck that I was there because I fought all them off with just my bare hands. Although I didn't get away unscratched just as turned my back to them one of the vines snuck around and grabbed me by the ankle and I went down, and that's how I sprang my ankle."

The few girls that sat around him awed as he showed off his bandaged foot. Karrah gritted her teeth and sank lower in her seat. "I don't remember him having a limp do you?" She said sharing a look with Leif, who shook his head. "Yeah right Bond," a guy from the class said making everyone turn to him. "You're to lazy to even do the obstacle course fitness class much less fight off some spirit vines."

Shen narrowed his eyes at the other boy and opened his moth to reply when he was suddenly cut off. "Alright children settle down." No one had noticed the new presence in the room until now. A man much older than Mr. Rue with wispy gray hair and a thinning face stood at the front of the room. "Now if all of you will please turn to page 142 in your texts we shall began."

The class shared who confused glances while a boy near the front timidly raised his hand. "Umm.. excuse me sir but where is Mr. Rue?" The man barley spared him a glance as his eye roamed over the curious the gazes of the class. "Mr. Rue has been forced to take an endless leave of absence. Not that any of you really need to concern your self with that matter." His lip curled as if he'd just got a whiff of soured milk. "I am Mr. Feng and I will be tacking over this lesson until the end of term. Now if we are all done with formalities, turn to page 142 in your texts please." Their was complete science as the students gazed at one another, words sinking in with realization.

The class passed slowly and uneventfully, as did most of the day. Of course before lunch period had even began the word had already spread all over the school of Mr. Rue's 'leave of absence'. Along with word of his replacement Mr. Feng, and how kids that didn't even have his class were dreading an encounter with him.

Karrah and Leif sat on the lower steps of the school in silence, picking at their lunch. While groups of their peers mingled and gossiped sitting around then. "It's all my fault." "Don't say that," Leif said. "Well it is," Karrah said in a defeated tone. "If I hadn't opened my big mouth and complained that I wished we did more hands on activities this would have never happened." Leif gave her a sympathetic look and gave her a light pat on the should.

"True your probably should have kept quite," she narrowed her eyes and scowled at him. "Although how could you have know what Mr. Rue was gonna do. Plus their no way you could have stopped Shen from being the idiot he is, if it's anyone's fault its his for not just shutting up and doing what he's told." Karrah frowned as her eyes instantly found the boy in question across the court yard surrounded by a small flock of fans.

Leif nudged her shoulder with his, "Come on you know It's true." Karrah gave a halfhearted shrug and glanced away. "I just have this feeling like is my fault." Leif rolled his eye at his friend and put his hand under his chin. A few seconds later he was struck with an idea. "I've got it," he said with a snap of his finger. Karrah glanced up at him with raised eyebrows, mid-chew as she was fishing her seaweed wrap and the last of her lychee nuts. "Something that might make you feel a little better about this whole thing." "And what would that be," she asked with a huff. "We could go visit Mr. Rue at his home when school lets out." Karrah though for a minute than nodded, "That's not a bad idea."

"What's not such a bad idea?" A soft voice said as figure sat down on Leif's other side. Leif visibly stiffened and turned only to find himself gazing into the beautiful blue eyes of Orlena. "Oh..Um..Hi." He said dreamily, Orlana just gave a sweet smile, and cleared her throat glancing away and than back. "So whats not a bad idea?" Karrah narrowed her eyes at the other girl about say something sarcastic and witty for her interruption but of course Leif beat her to it.

"To go and see Mr. Rue after school." Karrah wanted to grown at how easily Leif seemed to bend to the other girls will, while she barely batted an eye or rarely took notice of him. "That's actually a really great idea!" She said, "Mr. Rue was my favorite teacher. I feel terrible about what happened."

"There you are Lana, I've been looking for you." A voice said. 'Great more people I don't like to surround myself with.' Karrah thought bitterly as Avron sat down on one of the steps below them. "Hey Avron, I was just talking to Leif and Karrah about Mr. Rue. I just feel terrible about it all, were all gonna go over after school and check on him do you want to come."

Karrah shot Orlana a look before turing to glare at Avron. "I'm sure he had better-" "Sure I'll come," Avron interrupted her. She glared harder wishing she could just earthbend the ground to open up and swallow her so she could get out of this thing that she hadn't even agreed to in the first place.

"I guess that's s-settled then," Leif said still transfixed on the other girl. "Guess so," Avron agreed, finally glancing over to karrah. She snorted crossing her arm and glanced off in to the court yard away from them all. This was supposed to be her chance to make things right, or at least try to ease her own conscience. "Perfect," She heard Orlana say. "We'll all meat up outside the school at the end of day."

Karrah remained silent as the others chimed in, in agreement. The strange feeling in her gut still lingering. For some reason she felt like she did need to go and see Mr. Rue, although she didn't know exactly what for and that left Karrah feeling very confused and a little lost.

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