Again I am soooooooo (a million times) sorry! sophomore year is a pain in the ass! but I will make more of an effort to update more frequently. I promise. here's another chapter (the series is slowly coming to an end D: ) so I hope you enjoy!
~th3rdhal3~

I had practically passed out when Zaida found me on the floor of my dojo, hours later. Neither of us knew why the other was there. An awkward silence sealed the was tension as both of us weren't exactly sure what to do. I decided to be the proactive one. I tightened my arm muscles and pushed my body off of the floor. I slowly began to approach her. "I'm sorry." I began to apologize pathetically from the ground. "You were right, I should have listened you-" But to my surprise, Zaida interrupted me with her own thoughts.

"Of course I'm right." She glared at me for a moment, then relaxed. "But you're not the one who should apologize. I went too far the other night, and I'm sorry." I was a bit shocked to hear her apology. She had seemed so bent on badgering me for my poor decisions. I deserved to be screamed at the other night, yet hear Zaida was, being the true friend and returning to me. It was quiet once more in the room. "So, you wanna tell me what you were doing here?" she asked, eying the patches of earth and singed floor all around the room. She probably already guessed, but I answered her question anyway.

"Getting stronger." I gasped for breath. My response didn't seem to support my cause in any which shape or form. I was exhausted. After all, I hadn't slept in hours. I pulled myself up to my knees, and heaved a deep sigh. "I've reconsidered everything." I told her. "I'm back in." That was enough for Zaida. She extended her hand, a smile upon her face as she began to pull me up.

"Well then, we're going to need you up a running, General."

It was two days until our sabotage plan. I was nervous. Extremely nervous. My stomach kept stirring, causing me to feel uneasy. The more time I spent around Azula, the more worried I grew. Should I have distanced myself from her? Was it even in the slightest bit, a good idea to start a relationship with the princess? In this case, no. Maybe if I had never known anything about my past. Maybe if everything was the way it had been five years ago. But things were different now. They would never, ever be the same again.

My muscles still ached from the intense workouts that I had been doing. Well, more intense than usual. Working myself to exhaustion and beyond, even. I was afraid that when the time finally came, I wouldn't be able to follow through with the plan. I was afraid of letting everyone down. I was afraid of being a coward. The more I over analyzed things, the more I began to doubt myself. Would I follow through? Would I be able to over come my conflicted conscience? Questions I didn't know the answers too. But maybe, just maybe, there was someone else who did.

I didn't wear my uniform that day. I wasn't in the mood for over-dressing. A simple pair of pants and a plain shirt worked fine for me. I didn't bother with shoes, not that I ever did, really. I found Corrine and Aram talking outside as I hurried down the front steps of the palace. I approached the too. I had a task for them. They stopped their conversation and looked at me with great interest.

"Hey, can you too do me a favor?" I asked. The two looked at one another, then shrugged. " I want you to kind of lead the meeting this afternoon. I need to head out somewhere." Corrine had an expression of uncertainty upon her pretty face.

"Us?" she asked, making sure she had heard me right. I nodded at the both of them.

"You two are strong leaders and sharp minded as well. I trust you both. It's just for one day." Aram nodded, his hazel eyes meeting mine.

"Of course. We'll see you soon then, Sankari." He smiled at me

I was grateful that the two agreed to take over for me. Normally I wouldn't have missed practice or one of our meeting; they were important. But what I had in mind for that day was important as well. I should have been content since I had received guidance from Kyoshi. I should have been satisfied. It should have been enough for me. But it was me we were talking about, and I was a pretty odd child. I needed someone else. I needed more perspective, or guidance if you will. I needed someone to confide in. And I had just the right person in mind.

It had been years since I had stepped through the Maple wood gate into a lush green garden. I couldn't remember exactly when the last time I had been there. I had to have been young still. It had also been a long time since I had wandered into the town since I remained on the palace grounds most of the time. I vaguely recalled racing down the dirt path to this specific house, with my dad trailing behind me. It had been like my second home, and as I shut the gate behind me, I felt a sense of belonging once more. There was no need to knock on the front door. I was always welcomed here. I proceeded into the backyard. So long since I had set foot in the property. Much too long, indeed.

My toes curled around the the soft grass as I came to a halt in the center of the garden area. There was a stream winding around, dribbling over rocks into a small pond far in the back. There was a roomy patio, lined with every flower imaginable. I wasn't surprised, it had always been that way, even since I was little. Rocking back in one of the chairs on the wooden patio, was the only woman whom I would ever call 'mother'. Her long dark hair floated in the air as the day's gentle breeze kicked in. In her arms was her newborn baby, wrapped in cloth. When she caught sight of me, her still expression transformed into one of subtle joy.

"Sankari." Li Ann's emerald eyes met mine. I was overjoyed to see her as well. It had been so long. I ran over to hug her, making sure I didn't accidentally crush her child while I did so. The baby was beautiful; she looked just like Li Ann except as a baby. "It's so good to see you again, sweetheart." She cooed.

"Likewise." I returned the grin. "She's adorable. What's her name?" I studied her baby some more. Li Ann smiled proudly. I knew that she and her husband, Makoto must have been overjoyed.

"Ami." She answered. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful baby. Li Ann offered her daughter out to me. "Would you like you to hold her?" I was thrilled. Babies were wonderful, and I hadn't really had the chance to hold many. I accepted the offer and sat down with Ami. The baby instantly took a liking to me and made the most adorable cooing noises at me. The two of us talked for a long time. I filled her in on all the exciting things that I partook in once I was moved into the palace. I told her about all wacky situations and adventures I had gotten myself and others into. It was nice catching up with her again.

"I'm so glad you're doing well." And then came the next question. "How's Azula?" I still don't know if she somehow knew or if it was just an honest question. But I was willing to bet the first option; she did have a mother's intuition now.

"She's great." I responded a little too quickly and happily. I'm pretty sure my voice even cracked while answering. I realized all too late my mistake, for Li Ann raised an eyebrow and smiled strangely. It took me a good few moments before it finally clicked.

"What?" I asked her, my suspicion arousing. She did not respond. Silence."What?" I asked again, raising my pitch slightly, thought I had a pretty good idea I knew what she meant by that expression. Li Ann continued to smile.

"I support every type of lifestyle." She reassured me. I knew exactly where she was going with this. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. Not that it was all the horrible, I just never pictured it taking place in the way that it was.

"Mom!" I whined, glaring at her. I would have to admit it was slightly embarrassing. Li Ann and I could talk to each other about anything, but it still was just a a bit unsettling. She raised both hands in the air in mock surrender.

"Hey, the first step to acceptance is denial." she pointed out. She did have a point; I couldn't argue with that logic. Li Ann smirked once more. "I'm not going to give you a hard time about it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'm happy for you kiddo." She eased up on the teasing. I could relax again. Then Li Ann became a bit more serious. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but why'd you come here?" I never took offense to anything she had said before, but her question made me think. Why had I come there? Was it because I needed guidance, or was it because I just needed comfort?

"I...need help." I started off. I began to pour out my soul to her, right there and then. Revealing everything that happened to me after my twelfth birthday, and I mean everything. It took me nearly an hour to describe everything, pausing only to coo back at Ami, who was still in my lap. I left out practically nothing, except for the details about Azula and I, of course. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest once I had opened up to her. "Truth is, I don't know what to do. I don't have all the right answers. I'm lost." Li Ann sat in silence for a few minutes, contemplating my story. She then spoke.

"I knew you were a true earth-bender, Sankari. There's no doubt about that. You gave off this certain vibe that only those of the Earth Kingdom can give off. I knew even before your father told me so. It was wrong of me to keep it hidden from you, but with your father passing, I didn't want to traumatize you, so I never mentioned it." Li Ann sighed. She repositioned in her chair. " I'm going to be quite frank with you, Sankari." Li Ann went on, and my ears perked up. "What our nation is doing right now, I don't like it. Not one bit. This wasn't the great nation we all once new. It's become something different, something alien. And I'm afraid it keeps changing for worse." She admitted. " I know you feel conflicted because you belong to two nations, but this is beyond that, Sankari. What you need to do now, is what any good person should do; the right thing."

There was a knock at my door that night. I stood up from my desk and went to see who it was. Roje, Sameer and Zahil stood outside. I let them in, wondering what they needed. "Hey guys, what's up?" I asked.

"Just wanted to fill you in on the meeting." Sameer explained. I nodded. "Everyone was there except for Quin. I think he might have been sick. Zaida, with the help of Aram and Corrine, figured out a system for tomorrow night." That was the night for our sabotage plan. "If you talk to Zaida, she'll fill you in." He suggested. I definitely would do so; that would be important to know for tomorrow.

"Also," Zahil added. "I wanted to bring something to your attention." His tone was serious, so I made sure that I was listening intently. "We've just discovered that there's another group. A secret police force. The Order of the Flames." The hair on my back stood on end. I wasn't sure why, but something about that name made me feel uneasy. "I think we all have to be extremely careful, they might have been tipped off about us." The three looked concerned, so of course I was as well. We couldn't afford to be caught, especially when we were so close. But I wasn't going to back down just because of talk.

"Lay low until tomorrow night. Don't try to arouse any suspicion." I warned. " If we stick to the shadows, they won't find us."

I paced back and forth in my room. Only a measly few hours until the sabotage. The sun was getting ready to set and our plan wasn't supposed to unfold until after nightfall. There was a lookout point where I was supposed to meet Zaida and Flame at first before we signaled that the coast was clear for the others. I was filled with excitement. But I was anxious and nervous as well. If things went well that night, then the Fire Nation wouldn't be able to send out ships to conquer more Earth Kingdom land for a while. I felt proud that I was helping my nation behind the Fire Nation's back. But in a way, I almost felt like a traitor. But I wasn't worried about sed 'treachery.' All that mattered now was that I did the right thing. That was all that counted after all.

I had a lot on my mind as I slipped on dark clothing. The less visible I was that night, the better. There was no way I wanted to get caught. I would most likely die a very morbid death, and that would not be a fun experience. I wanted to stay alive a little bit longer. My fingers tapped nervously on top of my desk. The taps were rhythmic. Just like fire. I closed my eyes, envisioning it all. And that's when I began to piece some things together. It was slow at first, but the more I began to realize, the more I knew we were in deep shit. I ran out of my room. I needed to warn the others.

The hallways were empty as I raced down them. This was very strange. Dead silence greeted me. My palms tingled and began to sweat. This didn't seem right to me. Why were things so unearthly quiet? Yes, something was, infact, very wrong. I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like soft footsteps treading on the carpet. I turned on my heels and followed in curiously. The sound kept cutting in and out, so it was hard to pin point its exact location. I turned down one hall. A dead end. The footsteps stopped. Weird... I thought. Then the sinking feeling returned in my stomach. Right then and there, I knew I needed to get out of the palace. Before I could even pivot on my feet, something rammed into the side of my head. I had been struck hard. The force caused me to drop to the ground. Searing pain shot up the left side of my head. I tried to stand, but the pain was overwhelming. It all happened so fast. And the last thing I remembered seeing as my vision blurred, were hands reaching down to me, as everything began to go black.