Sorry about the long delay guys, i've had a big summer, and i have a job now too. So any ways, i've got a new chapter hot off the keyboard, and i think you'll like it.

Elaine knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Doran, walking over to a small cabinet, and pulling out a bottle of wine, and pouring two glasses of it.

The door opened, allowing Elaine to walk in with a tray of food for two. "I've brought what you always want, corn, and salted pork, and since you killed that one guy, I know you like to soak your sword in your victims blood, so I had it drained from his body into a sword shaped bowl for you. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, sit with me." He sat on the bed, handing her a glass of wine.

"I assume you want to talk to me," she said after taking a sip of wine.

"Yes, why do you let them push you around like that, do you know nothing of fighting?"

"Hahaha, a slave know how to fight, your crazier than it's rumored."

"I don't like you getting pushed around by these other firebenders. I'm going to teach you self-defense, and you won't end up with another one of those." He put a hand on her side, feeling the curve of the scar, and then pulled out the knife he killed the fire bender with, and placed it in her lap. "I want you to carry this around with you at all times. Now, try and stab me."

"What?"

"Try to stab me."

"Ok," she says, and picks up the knife, and draws her arm back slowly, and then lunged forward.

Doran grabbed it by the hilt of and pushed it back away from him, the opposite way of the wrist's natural motion, causing her to let go.

He sighed, letting the knife fall into the floor, "This could take a little longer than I would like, so I'll use an old trick I picked up in another dimension." He places a hand on her forehead and the back of her head, and brings every bit of knowledge of fighting to the front of his brain. Then he forces them down his arms and into her brain, embedding it within parts of her brain that she could access readily. "Now you just have to want to hurt someone who's attacking you, and you'll be able to do it."

Elaine stumbled backward as he lets go. "Is my head supposed to hurt like this?" she asked placing her index and middle fingers against her temples and rubbing them.

Doran laughed, sitting back onto his bed, "Yes, forcing knowledge upon someone is going to hurt more than learning it. That knowledge was actually forced into my brain, which hurt to and as a side-affect you will have some residual pain. It might not ever go away."

Elaine stumbled out of the room, feeling betrayed by the only person she thought she could call friend.

See, I'm not going soft

Sure, and I'll get out of this gem and take over the world.

Blah, blah, blah. Stupid piece of crap.

5 days before the siege.

Sokuro walked down the lines of the soldiers he had trained into strong fighting machines. Most of the weapons were still to big for their wielders, but he capability of these few made up for it. "Men, you have trained exceptionally well. Your strength has doubled in the past few weeks. I am proud to send you into battle to protect your homes. Do me proud," He looked through the crowd of faces he would never see again. "Dissssmissed!"

As they walked off, Katara, Aang and Sokka came up from behind.

"We've decided that we're not leaving," said Katara.

Sokuro shook his head. "Why do you insist upon staying?"

Sokka walked up to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Because we're your friends, and friends don't leave each other behind."

"Yeah, like it or not, your part of this reality now, and connected to everything in it too," said Aang.

"There's no talking you out of this?" Sokuro asked. The others shook their heads. "Then I have no choice than to accept your help. What I want you to do is stay near the center of the city, so you're the last to get attacked."

Aang and Sokka nodded, and turned to leave, but Katara turned wrapped her arms around herself.

Since her mind's made up, I guess I'll tell the truth now. She really is in love with you. I just wanted you to have some leverage to get her to leave.

Whaaat! You better have a plan to get her to believe me.

I do, hand me to her.

Ok, I don't know what you're gonna do but… "Katara, she, "gesturing to his sword, "wants to talk to you." He pulled out his sword, and held it out to her, hoping she would take it.

"Why does she want to talk to me?" asked Katara, quizickaly.

"She has a confession to make."

Katara looked at him, with mixed feelings, half of her wanting to beleave this wasn't another trick and the other half thinking it would be. She reached out and grasped the sword hilt just above his hand, and Sokuro let go.

Immediately, Katara felt the something different crawling slowly from the sword into her palm and up her viens toward her brain, and although she wanted to let go of the sword, her fingers refused to relenquish their hold. She looked at her hand in fright, but when she tried to scream, nothing came out. The energy she felt had quickened its pace to emobilize her vocal cords, and continued into her brain. Then she heard a gruff, yet kind elderly mans' voice inside her head.

Hello Katara, do not be afraid, The hold I have on your body isn't as strong as you think it is, but i would ask that you don't drop the sword, it would hurt me a great deal.

Who are you? Katara asked in her mind.

My name is not important really, all you need to know is that I am the soul that has been sealed into the Soul Gem. I do however have a confession to make. Sokuro doesn't know the extent of my influence on other people, and the trueth is, I have none. People are drawn to the power of the gem it's self, and my mind can't touch anyones' mind who isn't holding this sword. I lied to Sokuro about me making you love him, because I knew you would most likely be killed in the battle soon to come. And that was a danger to me because it would destroy his mind, and that would destroy the gem.

So you did this out of your own selfishness.

Yes, but it was also rather considerate of me too, because I tried to save your life.

You know i'm never going to forgive you for this, Right?

I don't expect you to, but i do expect you to forgive him.

I'll do that. At that moment, the energy started to creep down back to the sword, out her palm, and into the gem."Sokuro..." she wrapped her arms around him, careful not to hurt him with the sword, "I'm sorry for being mad at you."

Sokuro wrapped his arms around her, saying "that's alright, you had every reason to. I just have one favor to ask, if things get to bad, will you, your brother and the Avatar leave, please?"

She looked up into his eyes, and smiled. "I'll try, but you know how Sokka is." And they both laughed.

Well don't just stand there, review. i know some people were kinda bumbed out that Sokuro and Katara broke up(I was too), so i fixed that.