End of the Beginning

Chapter 34

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"It's just as I said snowflake. Didn't you hear?" She quickly took off her gloves to place her palms on the ground, "Would've felt it sooner if it weren't for these stupid things! Heads up, team avatar!"

"Shhh!" An older man hissed in annoyance, "Some of us are trying to listen!"

"Tonight, we're thrilled to announce a new partner in this venture!" Malina continued, not noticing the commotion we were causing, "Earthen Fire Industries! Representative Toph Beifong — Executive Partner Toph Beifong, where are you? Would you like to come up here and say a few words?"

Toph sprinted off towards the stage shocking both Sokka and I who stood next to each other, unmoving in confusion," Yeah, I'd like to say a few words! Everybody get out of here!"

As those words came from her mouth the gound rumbled violently until a crack in front of the stage formed. It immediately formed a large hole with a drill coming out from underneath. Loud screams echoed throughout the city, some running back to their homes in fear, others paralyzed from moving any further back. I looked up to the man standing atop of the drill.

It was as if a strange invisible weight came crashing down onto my shoulders as I stared blankly at the man who stood dressed completely in traditional warrior attire.

"Gilak?" I managed to say. That man — was Rui's father.

"Gilak," Sokka said angrily, almost as if he should've seen this coming. I quickly whipped my head towards him in confusion but he just shook his head at me, still keeping his eyes locked onto Gilak.

"Hear me, people of the Southern Water Tribe! I am Gilak, your true brother! Many of you know me! We came of age together! We've shared meals together! We've bled together in foreign lands. You know that I am blood of your blood and flesh of your flesh! So you must believe me when I tell you that these two scoundrels from our so-called sister tribe are not here to help us! They are here to subject and humiliate us! They want to strip our land and destroy everything we are!"

"What are you talking about?!" Malina asked.

"Recently, they discovered oil beneath our homeland— " Gilak announced.

"Oil that will bring prosperity to your people!" Malina explained but I could just tell that something terrible was going to come out of his mouth next.

"Oil they're going to claim for the North!" Gilak said.

"Wait," I paused, immediately feeling my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach at those words, "What?!" I yelled.

"No! That's not true!" Malina cried.

"I have proof!" Gilak continued, holding up a briefcase. That caused Maliq to whine loudly about it being stolen from him," I've read through your documents! I know all about your plan to make the Southern Water Tribe a colony of the North,"

"That's preposterous!" Malina argued.

"You want the Northern Water Tribe to decide how the oil's extracted, what it's used for, and where it's shipped! What would the South be then, if not a colony?"

"That is not our plan!" Malina kept denying," But it used to be. We never used the word 'colony' — "

Each and every one of those stood in the audience was shocked, all angry and detested from the news. It was like a blow to the gut not only to be betrayed like but to it come from your own sister Tribe. People we had welcomed here as our own, and showed our hospitality to. That was how it was supposed to be, how it should've been. The two Tribes were meant to be a family.