CHAPTER RATING: T (Language)

A/N: It actually took me quite a while to write this one.

A short chapter, but a pure, concentrated, extract of plot.

Chapter 32: Misinformation

...A few hours later...

Team Avatar returned to the palace as the sun began to sink on the horizon, and the burning coals of the bonfires began to die. One inside the palace, they all took to their own rooms. Aang walked out to the balcony, holding a medallion with the Air Nomad symbol carved into it.

With the fading sun in front of him, he sat down, closed his eyes, and held onto the trinket with both hands. The world around him was changing as he sat still. He opened his eyes, and found himself sitting in a grassy hill, beside him, a tall tree, and in front of him, an elderly man who he was in his past life.

"You call, and I answer." Roku's voice rumbled. "What is it, Avatar Aang?"

"Roku." Aang bowed, and grasped the medallion tighter. "He showed himself to me." Aang felt panic, fear, and despair, even as a spirit. Roku looked as calm as ever. But there was a hint of concern in his eyes.

"So, he has finally revealed himself to you." Roku stood up, turned around, and began to walk away. "Follow me. We have things to discuss." Aang did as instructed, he followed his former self until they reached a cliff that over-looked a huge plain of different spirits that flew, ran, and dug their way across the landscape. "Through your Human eyes, the Spirit World is a strange place, wouldn't you agree?"

Aang looked out again at everything before him.

"A very strange place."

"Throughout your trials, travels, and tribulations, you've come across some very strange entities." Roku turned, and his image changed with his words. "Koh, the Face-Stealer." The white face of the monstrous centipede creature appeared, trailed by its long body, and gruesome legs. "Zhén Gú Shén, the Trickster." Roku changed again, now, the image of a woman in a green dress with crimson eyes hovered in Aang's vision. "Unmei, the Weaver of Fate." With those words the silver clouds appeared again, and the beauty of a Goddess towered before him. "...and now, Shi, Death itself, has come to you." There he was again, looming with his opaque eyes, and bleached skin.

Aang was as stiff as bone when he met Death's gaze.

"But..." Roku's voice broke through the illusion. "You must realize that Shi does not work with you, nor does it work against you." The images disappeared. "Death just is. Everything must die in the end, Aang. Even you. There is no need to fear it."

"But he told me...He…He…threatened me!" The anger rose in the young Avatar. "He said that if I managed to escape him again, he'd take everything away from me!" Aang screamed. "What am I supposed to do?! Am I supposed to die?! If I die, who's going to stop Ozai?! Who's going to protect everyone?! Who's going to keep-"

"Aang. Look at us." Ten thousand voices merged with Roku's, and ten thousand men and women appeared behind him. "Death is only a beginning to another life. You only fear the unknown, as we once did. And now, look at us. Do not fear Death."

"How can you say that?!" The emblem in Aang's hands began to crack. "He said that he would take away everything from me!"

"Realize that you possess nothing in the world. Everything just is. You're letting your emotions get the best of you."

"That's what you're supposed to do, Roku!" His lone voice boomed. "You're supposed to care for those that you love!"

"Aang, I know, just listen-"

"No! You've shown me who you really are!" He pulled away his hands, now holding the medallion in oe hand. "You won't see me again."

"Aang, wait-" His fist slammed shut, the emblem shattered, and the world around him faded back into the physical world. Blood covered his hand, wooden splinters sunk into his flesh. On the ground, the relic was broken into pieces.

Sorrow.

"Aang, what's wrong?" Katara's voice made his heart jump. "What did you-" He turned around and she felt his arms wrap around her in desperation. She brought her arms up and returned his embrace. "What happened?"

Tears fell from her eyes when she felt his tears against her cheek.

"I've made a mistake, Katara. But I swear that I won't let anything happen to you."

"It'll be fine, Aang. I know it will." Katara looked down at the medallion that laid in pieces.

"I love you." He whimpered a broken whisper before pulling himself off, and walking back into his room.

"I love you, too." She watched him lumber across the floor, and fall into his bed. Her eyes shift again to the broken Air Nomad emblem.

He didn't mean to do this. Katara waved her hands, and gathered a sphere of water. With another wave, she froze the hollow container, and broke it in half. The wooden splinters fit perfectly into her make-shift container.

I'll keep it safe for him.

...

"Boomerang, go!" Sokka shouted and swung his arm in an arc. His weapon of choice flew towards his opponent.

Suki stood in an open stance, disappointed. The boomerang closed in towards her, bearing down towards her, delivering its cry of death and-

With a slow motion, she brought up her fan. The boomerang struck with a clink, and fell to the ground.

"Is that all, Sokka?" Suki grinned. "You can do better that that!"

"You're right. I can do..." Sokka pulled out multiple boomerangs at the same time. "Six times better!" He held three projectiles between each of his fingers, wound himself up, and let them all loose.

Not a single one came close to having a hope of striking her.

"Quality over quantity, Sokka." Suki shook her head. She threw her fan, which struck his chest like a dart, and knocked him over. Footsteps came from behind her, a scrawny teenager holding a note ran to the Kiyoshi Warrior.

"A message for you, Ma'am." He bowed.

"Thank you." She took the paper, and unfurled it, surprise washed over her as her eyes ran across the parchment.

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

"I'm being called back to Kiyoshi Island." She slid the paper into her pocket.

"You're leaving? Now? You can't go now! Who am I supposed to train with?"

"Oh, that has actually been arranged!" The messenger shouted, and brought another piece of parchment out of his bag. Sokka snapped at him, and snatched the paper out of his hand.

"Don't worry, Sokka." Suki smiled. "I'll be back." She held his cheek, brought him close, and kissed him. "Don't wait on me. Okay?"

"...Okay. Please stay safe." Suki walked past him towards the palace. He took, unwrapped the message before him. "It is an honor, and a pleasure to train a companion of the Avatar." Sokka scoffed. "Signed, Master Piandao..."

An elderly man, dressed in a formal robe appeared. He carried a sword at his side, and stood with his hands behind his back, in a tall, regal stance.

"You are Sokka, I assume."

"Yep. That's me..." He shrunk.

"I'm here to teach you how to use one of these." He presented Sokka with a sword.

...

In the dim candlelight, Azula peeked into his room. Zuko sat with his back to the door, hunched over a desk, dead silent.

Azula knocked on the door, and walked up behind him. He stared at portrait of Uncle Iroh, tears formed droplets on the picture. Her brother wept in silence, as time passed, the flames from the candles seemed to be dying.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked. He replied with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Zuko."

"Father will pay for what he did." Zuko's fists were twitching. "I swear it."

"I would have it no other way, but even then...Uncle wouldn't want that." He looked back at her with a gaze filled with despair, anger, and horror.

"How can you say that?" Her stood and turned towards the door.

"You know Uncle." Azula replied. "You know he wouldn't want that." He turned towards her with that same look in his eyes.

"Don't say anything to me. You don't love Uncle. You don't love anyone!"

Her eyes began to water as she heard those words.

"How dare you..." Her hand crashed across his face, a red mark nearly burned into his cheek. "Don't you say that again. I may not have spent three years with him, but I owe Uncle my life! I owe him for what he's done for me! For what new life he's given me!" He turned away. "Don't you dare speak to me that way again!" She wiped her tears away, and turned towards the door

A knife shot towards her, passing right under her ear, and implanted itself into the wall.

"Why do you look so down?" Mai's voice entered the room. Azula and Zuko picked up their heads to meet the dull eyes of their long time friend, and recent girlfriend.

"Our Uncle..."

"Uncle's dead."

"I just got back from seeing my Uncle." Mai leaned up against the wall. "And you'll never guess who I saw at the Boiling Rock."

PUBLISHED ON: 03/04/2015

A/N:

Another update: So, I've actually got a job. I'm working with my oldest brother, and therefore will have lest time for writing. I won't stop, but the updates may become even less frequent than they are now. On the bright side, there's down time, so I'll still be writing then.

Oh, and some spoilers for the upcoming chapters: Tragedy is on the Horizon.

Thanks for reading!