Hello everybody. I am back! Long story short, for the past couple months I have been studying really hard for my O-Levels, where the score determines the next school I will enrol in. It's a pretty big deal here in sunny Singapore. Anyway, I am really sorry for such slow updates - this story was published in May 2016, and only last updated September 2017. That's a year and four months, and I've only put out twenty chapters. An average of about 1.25 chapters a month...tsk tsk tsk. Anyways, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. I am once again, really sorry for such slow (nonexistent) updates.

Guest: To me, Katara and Azula are two different personalities and people. BUT in terms of who is the "evil princess" in this fanfic, yes, Katara is Azula. But they both have their own two distinct personalities and storylines. But because of their different personalities, I have planned out Azula's plot in this fanfiction to be different than that of Katara in the canon storyline, and the same for Katara. If you get what I mean.

Shinobi: Yes, she does, doesn't she? Hope you like this chapter.

Impstar: Thank you for the compliment! Anyways, the title has been changed. Someone else told me about that being an issue, and back then, I reckon I was too stubborn to cave in. But regardless, thanks for telling me, I appreciate it! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 20

101AG

11th Day of the 1st Month

Sokka looked up. Aang lay in a quiet pile in front of him, asleep. He turned to his right, where Toph lay, and got up with an "oof", and helped Toph up as well. She looked thoroughly confused. "I could have sworn…was that you?" She said, her eyebrows furrowed in thought and confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Sokka said, in a similar state of perplexity. "What just happened?" Sokka could have sworn that Aang had just been caught up in his Aang-nado, and the entire temple was shaking to its foundation, and they were going to die.

"As if the blind girl would know," Toph said.

"You never let that stop you!" Sokka huffed.

"Whatever. All I could feel was wind. Tons of wind. And hear your shouting and-" She stopped here, thinking.

"Yeah, I know that," Sokka said. "But I don't remember Aang coming down."

Toph stroked her chin, looking thoughtful. "And I could have sworn…" She turned her head to her right, so her ears faced right behind her. "I could have sworn I felt someone coming."

Sokka felt a little spooked. "Okay, what just happened?" He threw his hands in the air, afraid, but amazed at the same time.

"I could have sworn someone was coming here. I felt them walking towards us." Toph felt with her feet again. "But they're gone."

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" Sokka said. "It may be the Water Tribe, following us."

"I don't just make mistakes, Sokka." Toph said.

"Alright, but who in their right minds will be around here?" Sokka said. "It must be Water Tribe, following us."

"Sure." Toph shrugged. "Anyhow, they aren't here anymore. But someone was here, and they were the ones who calmed down Aang."

At the sound of his name, almost immediately, Aang started to groan and stir. The Airbender was nursing no wounds but seemed dazed and confused as he started to get up. Sokka ran over and helped him sit up, giving the kid some water to drink. He refused to. He looked up at Sokka. Sokka immediately felt guilty.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" Aang said, his voice sounding a little broken.

"Because…because…" Sokka found he had no answer.

"Because we didn't want you to know," Toph said. "We didn't want you to find out that everyone was dead."

Aang's eyes turned angry. "You shouldn't have done that."

Sokka knew it too. "I know."

Aang turned to look behind him, at the skeletons lying delicately across the courtyard. Sokka noted grimly, that even in death, the Airbenders looked strangely serene. Some skeletons had hands draped over their chests, some were propped up by the walls, looking as though the bender had died there, quietly and peacefully as they took a quick nap in the courtyard. Aang could not bear to enter. Sokka did not want to go near the Avatar - such was his guilt and such was his fear.

"Truth is, I know why you didn't tell me," Aang said quietly.

"Oh?" Sokka said.

"You were afraid. And I would be too if I had to be the messenger of that kind of news." Aang's eyes shone with something between understanding and resentment. "And I can't hate you for that because that's not what they would want me to do."

Sokka let out the breath he was holding. That was what he wanted to hear right now. Forgiveness.

"But for the record," Toph said, "If you have anything else we need to put out there, pray share with us before we find out."

Sokka knew this was a weak attempt at a joke, but no one laughed. Silence followed.

"Guess not," Toph said.

"We're sorry, Aang," Sokka said, pleading even though his forgiveness had been already expressed. "We just wanted to protect you. And, I swear we would have told you, we really would have. And we never wanted to hurt you, we never wanted you to see this honestly-"

He was stopped by a hand on his arm. Toph had reached up and placed her hand on his wrist, which immediately signalled to him that that was enough. Aang did not smile at all.

"I know Sokka. I know. I know." He said. "Besides, they're gone. The Monks, my friends, the bison. Nothing could have changed. And I should have been here with them."

"Please don't thank me, Aang," Sokka said bitterly. "This is all my tribe's fault. It's all my fault."

Toph's grip on his wrist tightened.

"No, it's not!" Toph said passionately. "Nor is it your fault Aang. God! You guys are so dumb sometimes. Sokka, do you honestly think something that happened a couple decades ago is your fault? Phantom zygote Sokka, going to stop the evil Water Tribe? And Aang, how were you supposed to know? How were you supposed to stop them? You're the Avatar, but you can't single-handedly defeat the Water Tribe. I'm sorry this happened, and I wish this hadn't." She paused for a moment, catching her breath. "But I won't have you guys going around blaming yourself for it! Why don't you just blame the Water Tribe already! What do you guys have to do with any of it?"

Aang's bottom lip quivered, and Sokka was bitterly reminded that the Avatar was just a child as Aang broke down into tears.

Arrluk looked on with satisfaction at the Earth Kingdom workers walking forwards and backwards, bending humongous chunks of earth and mud around Omashu. He had been overseeing the construction of defences, after hearing rumours of a possible Fire Nation attack soon to liberate the city. He had been (and still was) determined to keep them at bay.

He would have preferred to stay and keep pondering, but his peace was rudely disturbed by the sound of faraway chanting. He rolled his eyes. Not again.

He quickly whistled for his horse, which was brought over by a little boy servant. He hoisted himself up and quickly rode towards the commotion. He saw the crowd before he heard the perpetrators. The huge crowd had crammed into the market street, and while many looked on in silent fear, many were joining in with the agitator's chants. All the demonstrations that Arrluk had seen or heard about, they all chanted one thing; the thing was always a staple for an Anti-Water Tribe rally. "AVA! TAR! AVA! TAR!"

Arrluk had grown tired of it already. The crowd did not budge as he approached. Normal. He dismounted his horse and forced his way through the crowd, pushing several aside and onto the ground. He ignored the screams and the shouts of pain. He managed his way to the middle quickly; many also jumped out of the way to avoid his strong hands from bowling them over.

In the middle were five Earth Kingdom citizens, each wearing an orange bandanna, with Airbender tattoos emblazoned on the front. In their posture, their tone and their faces they held no fear, just defiance, which strengthened even more when they saw Arrluk, in his Water Tribe gear. In fact, they pointed and shouted at him, demanding the crowd swarm in and wreak revenge.

"Stop!" He shouted, drawing his sword half-way. The crowd immediately shrugged away. The five agitators did not budge. They glared at Arrluk with their hard brown eyes.

"Make us!" The shortest one said, the one with glasses who waved the orange bandanna in the air. "Down with the Water Tribe! We stand with the Avatar!"

The crowd had realised that Arrluk was the only Water Tribe individual here, so they screamed in agreement with the agitator. Arrluk unsheathed his sword and struck the bespectacled man, his sword leaving a long gash on his arm and face. The man fell to the ground. His friends looked furious.

"An innocent!" One man howled to the crowd. "This Water Tribe pig has injured our brother!" The man moaned on the floor. "He never attacked him and yet, here he lies!"

A crowd roared its angry agreement. Arrluk was not to be fazed.

"Disband, citizens!" He warned. "Otherwise, I'll stick this sword and much more through your heads!"

The crowd screamed its disapproval. Arrluk was wondering when reinforcements were coming. They were bound to be here soon. He had sent the horse boy to inform the other generals.

The bespectacled man had been dragged off, while his compatriots were still shouting, waving their hands and fingers accusingly towards Arrluk.

"Water Tribe swine!" An orange bandana was hurled in the air and landed on Arrluk's arm. He spat on it and stamped it into the ground.

"Disband, citizens! Unless you want to be cut to the ground."

The agitators seemed to love this, screaming instead, "Die for your Earth Kingdom! Die now and the Water Tribe shall be judged, be judged for the lives of the innocents they had to take!"

Arrluk seethed. "Do not be rash." He warned the agitators, who spat at his face.

"You cow! You pig! You're shit! That's you!" The agitators mocked.

Arrluk had had enough. He lunged forward, his sword extended forwards, meeting the first agitator's neck. He flung him to the ground, moved to the next, then moved to the next. He could hear the screams of horror from the crowd, and he could see the crowd starting to flee. He could see the orange bandanas and banners and flags being dropped hostility and trodden on in a frantic attempt to get away. Arrluk stood next to the four downed agitators, his eyes wide and gleeful.

"Anyone else who wants to die for the Earth Kingdom?" He shouted to the screaming and fleeing masses. "Want more of a warning?" He laughed heartily, sheathing his sword. "Anyone want to call us pigs one more time?"

There was no reply - just the terrified, and fading screaming.

Arrluk laughed. So this was what power felt like. This was what it felt like to breathe and bleed superiority. He had felt this several times already. But now, now, he truly saw what he could do. He stared where the crowd had been moments ago, and he realised just how easily he could snap them if he dared. He realised how weak they were - strong only in their opinions and brave only with their words. Yet they would never be able to wield a true weapon - a sword - the only thing that could ever defeat him.

He saw the blood-stained bandana of the agitator, and again, chuckled gleefully. The only weapon they had! An orange bandana with some blue arrows! That was no weapon - just a trinket. Just a symbol. But Arrluk knew better - he knew that the Water Tribe was built on sword and arrow, on ships and might - not on symbols. Paper and pen may be powerful, but the sword, if sharp enough, could cut those things in two with one hearty slice.

So he stood there, musing on his amazing victory, reflecting on his happy battleground. He allowed himself to dream, more specifically about what it cannot be known, but he did dream. And how good it felt to imagine what could be. How even better it felt to think that it could actually happen. He must talk to Hakoda. He walked away, taking careful care to wipe the blood from his shoes. He did not need Earth Kingdom being dragged around with him, clinging to him like a bad odour, like rotting eggs.

Well, there you have it. When I first wrote this chapter, it was so cheesy. Luckily I fixed it. I ahve the next chapter ready, so I will publish it as soon as I finish editing. See you!