I apologize for the delay in the following chapter. I have been hard at work on my novel and it slipped my mind that I had neglected to finish this story. But thanks to a kind but firm reviewer, I intend on completeing it. I want to thank all who have managed to slave through endless chapters, and I do hope to end soon. Although the plot deepens with each chapter, so I may have to cut a few things out (so sorry).

Once again, I deepely adore comments of any kind (the good and the bad). I know a lot of you read this (I have a hit counter after all), and since over sixty people read each chapter, I find it disgusting that the rest of you can't muster up the time to write a measely comment. So forgive me if I am slow at updating, I tend to prioritize (not to sound bitchy).

Here is the long delayed chapter, and yes it is a little short.

Oh, here's another song to chew on:

"Youth of the Nation"

P.O.D.

(if you don't own this song, then buy it. Or email me and I will send it to you for free, it is amazing, and so sad)


"What do you mean 'stay here'?" Tina demanded of Sokka.

He shook his head, "Listen, you can't come with us, it's too dangerous."

Tina gestured to the sounds of fighting that could be heard from atop the hill, "So you want to me to stay here and baby-sit Zuko while I listen to the cries of slaughtered men?"

He nodded, "Exactly."

She was instantly angered, "Just why can't I come?"

He sighed and placed a hand on your shoulder, "Look, without bending you aren't really much—"

He was stopped short as Tina's hand slapped him across the face. He stared at her, "what is your—"

"Listen water boy, just because I can't bend doesn't mean I can't fight. And since when have you suddenly been able to bend?"

"We need someone to watch Zuko and well, you're available."

"I don't believe this," she looked at Aang, who had tried to stay out of it, "Aang, back me up here."

Aang opened his mouth but stopped. Tina stared, "Well?"

He looked away, "Sokka's right," he jumped in again as she grew angrier, "Not about the bending part, but that someone needs to watch Zuko."

"You could always let me join you," he said calmly from a boulder.

All stared at him and Tina actually laughed, "Nice try."

He shrugged, "Gave it my best. Still, I think it's stupid to keep me up here, I'm just as against Azula as you all are."

"But a perk would be you finding a battle scarred Aang lying on the ground and you're just so kind that you 'rescue' him, right?" Tina said dryly.

Zuko glared at her, "What is wrong with you?"

Sokka grabbed his boomerang and club, "Come on Aang, we can't waste much time."

As the two boys started down the hill Tina yelled after them, "And I guess it's also a good idea to lead Aang straight to Azula!"

They didn't respond and she sat on a rock, giving a hefty sigh.


Hours later Tina woke up…

She sat up quickly. There was no way she could have fallen asleep, not with all that racket. And all she had eaten was that piece of bread Zuko had—

She pounded a fist into the ground and looked up to see that Zuko had indeed slipped away.

Funny, she didn't hear any battle sounds anymore. Maybe that meant that they had won.

Standing up slowly to get feeling back into her legs, Tina ambled down the hill at a leisurely rate. When she broke through a clump of trees she almost expected to see some sort of celebration.

But she was immediately disappointed.

She could do nothing but look silently at the horror before her. Ahead lay a vast wasteland of corpses, some smoldering. She stepped gingerly across ashen ground as she avoided seeing the blank stares of the dead.

When she reached a clear spot she fell to her knees, unable to gather the strength to go on. She started to shake with anger, grief, and despair. Part of her wanted to blame herself for not helping, but the other knew that her involvement would only have been in vain.

She glanced around her, taking in each of the fallen. She could see the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, and the rebels. She could see fathers, brothers, husbands…all lost to this senseless massacre.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted movement. Standing quickly, she eyed the place where it had come from.

As she neared it she could see that it was a body that had moved, ever so slightly.

In shock at seeing a living among the dead she could not move. But when she saw who it was that feeling was quickly replaced with distraught.

She ran toward the figure as best she could, being careful not to step on any bodies. When she reached the one that lived she knelt beside him.

"Josh," she whispered.

Josh moved his head slightly and painfully to look at Tina with blood shot eyes, "T-Tina…"

She shushed him, "No, don't speak. You need your strength." She pulled her eyes away from a large wound on his chest, "What happened?"

She bit her lip, realizing how stupid she was, asking him to speak when she had just silenced him. But he chose to respond.

"We—we were caught off guard," he coughed, and with it came a spittle of blood, which fell slowly to his shirt, "Azula was waiting, we didn't stand a chance."

"Where are the others?"

He tried to move an arm and winced as pain shot up it instead, "She took them all, and Alex…"

Tina inhaled sharply, "She took Alex?"

He nodded, ever so slightly, "She took them—to—"he coughed again, this time more violently than before. Tina sat back a little as fresh blood spurted from his mouth. She didn't want to admit that something was wrong for it, for she so desperately wanted to remain ignorant to the fact.

"Where did she take them Josh?" she asked tenderly.

He tried to answer but couldn't. The last thing he managed to utter was, "S-s-save—them—"

Tina nodded, keeping back tears. She gripped his hand, "I will, I promise."

As she watched her friend slip away before her eyes, she vowed revenge on Azula. She would not rest until the murderess was lying in a grave, with six feet of dirt pilled upon her maggoty carcass.