Chapter 12: Who Lives and Who Dies-

Toph lie still on the bed, blood soaking the sheets under her. She didn't know how much time had passed, all she knew was that it was becoming harder to take a deep breath. Aang had stopped breathing, his choking had stopped what seemed like hours ago to Toph. Toph knew she was going to join him in death if she didn't get help, but she was too weak to cry out. She prayed quietly to the spirits that someone would find her before it was too late.

Minutes later Katara burst into the room. She knew she had heard a scream, and know she knew were it had come from. Seeing Aang bleeding on the floor she ran to him and knelt down beside him in the puddle of blood. Quickly she felt for a heartbeat, only to find that he didn't have one. Tears filled her eyes and she almost forgot about the other person that lay near death on the bed. It wasn't until she heard Toph's shallow breathing that Katara realized that Aang was not the only person who was bleeding onto the floor. Her eyes traced across the puddle and up a little waterfall of blood that dripped from the bedsheets to see Toph on the bed. Instantly Katara bolted to the bed and looked at Toph. Her eyes were closed, her face was as pale as death, but she was still breathing. "Toph?" Katara yelled and quickly opened her water pouch and covered her hands in the water. Knowing there was little time left for her friend, she put one hand over the wound on her side and the other over Toph's heart. Toph's breathing was almost too shallow to see, but through her healing Katara could see that she was indeed still breathing, but her heart was racing to try and get the blood throughout the small girl's body. She would have to heal as fast as she could if her friend was to survive.

Zuko ran in hearing Katara's yell and stopped short seeing the scene in that was taking place within the room. Aang lying dead on the floor, and out of the light seeping through the door behind him and the glowing from the water around Katara's hands he could see Toph lying on the bed with Katara huddling over her crying. Zuko quickly ran to Katara's side to see just how bad Toph was. Our of fear for her he grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Toph! Toph answer me!" He shouted at her limp body. Katara removed her hand from Toph's heart and smacked him away from her. "Zuko shut up and get out of my way!" She shouted at him and rammed her hip into his side replacing her hand on Toph's heart. Zuko stumbled backwards and tripped over something hard on the ground and fell onto his back. Sitting up Zuko looked around for what he had tripped over before his eyes landed on Aang. He had tripped over Aang's body, its eyes wide open and white, hands limp on his chest where the knife handle still stuck out. Zuko shifted so he was kneeling beside Aang, getting a better view. It was clear that Aang had been dead for at least five or ten minutes, his body heat already escaping into the air. The question in Zuko's mind was how he and Toph were both stabbed. No one could have possibly gotten in and done it. The other question now hitting Zuko was why was Aang in Toph's room? He had his own room.

Then Zuko pulled out the knife from his dead friend and looked at it more closely. It was exactly like the one that he had found the night before in the nursery. Was this the same person that had attacked the twins the night before? How could someone have gotten in two nights in a row and gotten past all the guards? Then it came to him, what if the attacker was Aang? Aang wouldn't have to sneak in every night, he had his own room in the palace. He knew where everyone slept and would be able to know where the guards were positioned at night so he could easily avoid them. Aang came to kill Toph then turned the knife on himself. If Toph made it through this, they would have to ask her. She would know.

~o.O.o~

The next day was a dark day for everyone in the palace. A funeral was held in the early morning, right as the sun was rising. Zuko gave a small speech, Katara and Suki cried through the whole thing. Sokka pretended to be much stronger than he felt on the inside. It was a sad time. News began to spread east throughout the world that the Avatar that had freed them of the tyranny of the Fire Nation was now dead. Letters were sent to both of the Water Tribes for a watch of a new Avatar was to begin immediately. After the funeral, the whole world seemed to go silent, not a word was spoken within the walls of the palace. The world went silent, holding back tears for the great Avatar who had stopped Firelord Ozai from enslaving the world.

~o.O.o~

A few days later Katara headed into the infirmary carrying a fresh bandage for Toph, only to find Zuko already re-wrapping Toph's side. Sighing Katara went over and looked at Zuko. "Let me do it. You always wrap it wrong." She said. Zuko glared at her then shifted over to give her his seat and handed her the end of the cloth he was working with. Katara took it and carefully sat the blind girl up in the bed and carefully unwrapped what Zuko had wrapped around her before wrapping it around tightly. Toph was alive, but she had yet to wake up after her encounter with Aang. The wound from the knife was healed, but it had broken two of her ribs, so she needed to keep them wrapped every day. Katara finished wrapping Toph's ribs before lying her back down and pulling the blanket back up over her. "Honestly Zuko, sometimes I think that you come in here just to stare at her boobs." She said smacking Zuko in the face. Zuko shook his head.

He was about to respond when he heard a noise that didn't come for either of them. Zuko looked around then looked at Toph as she stirred. She rolled back and forth before trying to get comfortable, but as soon as she hit the side with the broken ribs she groaned and opened her eyes. Zuko and Katara both moved over to the bed where Toph was lying and looked at her. "Toph...?" Katara asked quietly. Toph's head turned in the direction of Katara's voice, "Katara?" She asked, her voice just below a whisper. She moved her hand to her hurt side and groaned in pain. "Here, let me help." Katara said and covered her hands with water placing them on Toph's side to help relieve the pain. Zuko knelt down beside the bed looking at Toph. "Toph... what happened?"

Toph closed her eyes, thinking it over. Aang was dead, he could not hurt her. Aang was dead and she was alive, she had nothing to loose. "Aang ruined my life... that's what happened." She whispered, but both Katara and Zuko heard her. They looked at each other, then back at her.

A/N: Sorry its taken so long for me to update guys. I didn't know what to write. Please review this chapter and I will update as soon as I can. Meanwhile please Check out my new story "AVATAR Falling to Pieces(AFTP) Toph's Story." More chapters of that will show up soon too.