1. If I Died

**A/N:** Hey people I don't know! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy this little collection, I've spent a lot of time writing, rewriting, revising, and expanding each and every one of these little stories (mini-fics, I call them sometimes), and anyone who takes the time to read and help me better my writing will receive my eternal gratitude (whatever it may be worth)! And now, I proudly present to you…the first installment of From the Heart!

* * *

**If I Died**

The firelight flickered and wavered, sending dancing shadows along the walls of the cave that sat along the rocky shore of the Fire Nation's coast. The majority of the close-knit group was already snoring. Sokka was curled up in his green sleeping bag, and Momo snuggled against the fabric of Toph's tunic as she slept spread-eagled on the floor of the cave. Appa lay at the back of the cave, his big bison snore struggling to outmatch the annoying volume of Sokka's steady breathing.

Aang and Katara were left as the only ones awake. The airbender stretched leisurely and leaned back on his arms, his pale skin gleaming in the light of the campfire. The night was warm almost to the point of being stuffy, so Aang had stripped off the thick vest and tunic that made up his school uniform and draped a lightweight, crimson-colored cloak over his bare shoulders to half-hide his tattoos from the view of any chance passerby. He had, however, insisted on removing his headband, which left the tip of his well-known arrow exposed. As the night wore on, he found himself drifting further off into the whirling tide of his thoughts.

Katara, sitting on the far side of the campfire, unwittingly found herself staring at him as he gazed intently into the flames of the fire. She wasn't aware of how long she had been staring, but she suddenly met those eyes unblinkingly as he came out of his trance and looked curiously up at her.

"Is there something on my face?" the airbender reached a hand up to his cheek self-consciously, wondering why she'd been looking at him like that.

"Oh," Katara blinked, a blush creeping up unbidden to her cheeks. "No...I, uh—"

Aang smiled. "That's good, 'Cause I was starting to wonder."

The pink pallor on Katara's flushed face deepened. "Is it that obvious?" she asked weakly.

The airbender's grin widened and his face reddened. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Kind of..."

In that moment a prolonged silence ensued between them and Aang resumed his stare into the living, dancing flames, a slightly perplexed frown on his face. Katara tried focusing her attention on a large stone sitting off to one side of where they sat. After a few minutes of a futile struggle, her gaze finally drifted back to the airbender across from her.

"Aang, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" he seemed distracted, and he glanced up without actually seeing her.

The waterbender repeated her inquiry. "What's wrong?"

Aang waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, Katara."

Her eyebrow rose skeptically, and Aang spread his arms reassuringly.

"Really!" he insisted, a forced smile spreading across his face. But it didn't reach his eyes.

Katara crossed her arms and looked at him pointedly.

The airbender sighed. He let his gaze slip back down into the fire. "I was just thinking about Gyatso," he began hesitantly, his gray eyes glazed, "Sometimes he and I would make a campfire out on the balcony of his room at night, and just laugh and joke and play Pai Sho. All the other monks would yell at us to be quiet and go to sleep, but we always ignored them." His voice was filled with grief, but a flicker of a smile crossed his face briefly before disappearing once again in his furrowed brow.

Sympathy welled up in Katara's heart, and she sighed.

The airbender tugged at the cloak around his shoulders, suddenly cold despite the warm night.

Katara frowned. He looked so alone, and she couldn't bear to see him so down on himself. Impulsively, she scooted around the campfire and put an arm around her friend comfortingly.

He closed his eyes and sighed, relaxing slightly in her grip, though his thoughts and memories still whirled.

"Aang," Katara assured him after a few minutes of silence, "The Air Nomads aren't gone. They will never be gone until you lose them in your heart."

The airbender glanced up, meeting her ice blue gaze. She felt him shudder, and mistook it for sadness. She shifted closer, giving him a brief, one-armed hug.

"The spirit of every person, of every nation...will last long after we're gone." The waterbender paused long enough to swallow around the lump growing in her throat. "If I died, you would remember me, right?"

The question caught Aang off guard. He looked at her, his steel-gray eyes laying bare his horror at such a prospect. "Of...course."

Katara gripped his shoulders tighter. "Then I haven't really died, then, have I?"

Aang looked confused for a moment, but the realization soon dawned on him. He blinked. "I get it…as long as I hold the airbenders spirits, and remember them as they were, they aren't dead to me. As long as I hold you, uh...in my heart, you won't really be gone. Not in a spiritual sense." he paused. "Thanks, Katara."

The waterbender smiled and released him from her hug. "That's what friends are for."

Aang smiled through his tears. The fire crackled, and he stared back at it, wondering if his feelings could ever allow them to be_ just_ friends.

* * *

**A/N:** If you're still here…I applaud you for your generosity! And, I must say I appreciate any input (constructive or not) that you can offer (in using the review button or private messaging), because as far as I'm concerned, none of these fanfics are truly the best they can be. That can only happen with the help of my beloved readers.


	2. Four Words

**Four Words**

"He's still following us," Sokka shouted over the wind. Kneeling at the stern of Appa's saddle, the warrior eyed the small red balloon hovering on the distant horizon.

Despite the load of people he carried, Appa was flying at a breakneck speed and steadily gaining altitude, but the red balloon tracking them fell no farther behind.

Beside Sokka, The Duke and Toph huddled together. On the other side of the blind earthbender, Katara exchanged an uneasy glance with Haru, whose green eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance.

"How are we going to outrun him?" Teo asked, nervously glancing backward. The wind whipped at his uneven black hair, and he had pulled down his goggles to shield his eyes from the sting of the cold air.

"We will," replied Aang from Appa's head, his expression hardening determinedly. He snapped the reins with a sharp 'yip-yip', and the bison lurched forward, growling with effort.

Slowly and steadily, the balloon dropped behind, until it was mere red dot on the horizon. Then it was gone.

Aang slowed Appa down, knowing the bison was exhausted. "Were almost there, buddy," the airbender patted him reassuringly, "Just one more day."

Appa groaned. So did the rest of the group. Toph was the loudest. Though she effectively hid her terror, she would have much preferred her own two feet over flying any day. In the sky, she felt so vulnerable and, well, _blind._

Everyone quieted down, absorbed in their own thoughts and worries. Teo, Haru, and the Water Tribe Siblings thought of their fathers and what would become of them as prisoners of war.

Toph thought of her parents back home, wondering whether or not they still bothered to search for her, or if they had gotten her message.

The Duke thought about Pipsqueak, the closest thing he'd ever had to a father.

And Aang, well, Aang had never met his parents, so he wondered about what Monk Gyatso would do in this situation. The air nomads weren't skilled in war, but even so, Aang didn't have a hard time imagining the advice the monk would offer him.

_Be strong, Aang, this world of war has humbled you, but do not let_ _it_ _break your spirit. You may be the last of the airbenders, but you will last for generations_ _after the spirit leaves your body. Keep the airbenders in your heart Aang... Aang..._

"Aang?"

The airbender awoke abruptly, blinking and gazing around with surprise. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. Katara sat beside him, the reins held in her slim fingers. Daylight had expired, it was already dark. But the millions of twinkling stars and the bright, round moon cast everything in a glowing navy light.

"How long have I been out?" Aang asked the waterbender, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

She turned toward him, slight worry glittering in her ice-blue eyes. "Since afternoon. I came down here in case of any trouble, but really," she shrugged, "Appa knows where he's going." She handed over the rein to Aang with a soft smile, and the airbender was immensely grateful that the darkness hid his pink face as her hand brushed his.

He settled down into Appa's shoulder, mumbling a "thank you" that was drowned out by another yawn.

Katara, instead of returning to the saddle, where everyone was similarly asleep, settled in beside him. Her gaze rose to the night sky above them, and Aang couldn't help but notice the beautiful way her eyes sparkled in the starlight.

When Katara discovered the airbender staring, she glanced at him, her eyebrow raised and her lips quirked into a perplexed smile. "What?" she prompted, suddenly recalling a certain intimate event on top of the subs earlier that day.

Aang blinked, his eyes wide, and began stuttering helplessly. "I...uh...the, well..."

Katara laughed, and it made him redden all the more. She put a hand on his arm comfortingly. "It's okay, Aang. I understand." After another awkward moment, she blushed and removed her hand, turning her face toward the sky once more. The airbender sighed, knowing the conversation was inevitable, but nevertheless stayed silent. Katara took a hesitant breath before whispering to the moon, "Why?"

The question was simple enough, but Aang couldn't quite think straight. _She doesn't feel the same. Oh Spirits, no. _"Uh..."

The waterbender turned to him, a strange mixture of curiosity and embarrassment fluttering on her flushed face. Aang blinked when she began to speak. "Aang, you know you can tell me anything."

"I've said all I needed to say, and so have you," the airbender retorted quietly, but not at all unkindly. He turned to face forward, looking out upon the endless expanse of ocean before them.

"No, Aang," Katara gripped his shoulder and turned him to face her. "You may have said everything you mean to, but I haven't." She studied his face for a brief moment before leaning forward impulsively. As their lips touched a spark shocked them both, shuddering through their bodies. Aang's eyes shot wide open. His heart fluttered spasmodically and he blinked, his stormy gray eyes staring straight into her sparkling blue pools.

They broke apart a few seconds later, both breathing quickly and feeling overwhelmingly warm despite the cool night.

"There..." Katara panted, brushing a lock of chocolate brown hair from her face and sitting back on her heels. She crossed her arms and looked at him. "Right," she said with finality, "I'm finished."

Aang hadn't moved. He sat in the same place, his glowing eyes wide and unblinking.

Katara blushed deeply, wringing her sleeve nervously for a reason she could not explain as she waited for his response.

But it wasn't easy for Aang to say anything. His mouth hung open uselessly as he stared at her without really seeing.

The waterbender fidgeted. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly, wondering if she had made a grievous mistake in returning his affections.

Aang's only immediate response was to blink. After a few long, agonizing minutes of doing so, his eyes finally focused, and he looked at her in bewilderment.

"I...I'm sorry," she frowned.

He blinked once more. "No!" he cried, waving his arms, "No, no, no, no. Don't be sorry. Please. It was just, I, that is..." he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. After a few seconds, he reopened them and squared his shoulders. "I love you too." His voice, barely audible, was filled with more emotion than Katara thought Aang had. All his grief, all his sorrow, his strife, his admiration and adoration, all his uncertainty, his fears...all was piled into four little words that said more than anything.

Katara closed her eyes. "Oh, Aang..." she bit her lip, a lone tear running down her cheek.

Aang moved closer and snuggled into Appa's fur next to her. "Why are you—?"

"Crying?" the waterbender finished. "Aang, I don't know. I haven't felt this happy than since before my mom...died. I'm not sure why I'm happy...I just am."

Aang let his arm slip around her shoulders. "I know the feeling," he comforted, smiling at her reassuringly. _Love,_ he thought, _Can do that to you._


	3. Why?

A/N: An encouragement drabble for one of my friends, who will remain unnamed, who is struggling with an eating disorder.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. God owns all!

Why? 

Sometimes that is the only word I am able to choke out as a watch the pinprick stars gather around the moon at night.

Why?

When I sit on Appa's back during the day, staring at the moist clouds floating past, I wonder:

Why _me?_

How did Fate manage to grip me in her claws? How was it that among thousands, I was the one who was chosen for this so-called 'gift?'

Why?

Time flowed through my fingertips...I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I thought I had found a way out, but the hope was a false one, and I am just back where I started, with no one to turn to for comfort or reassurance.

Why?

No one should care about me...no one _did_. I was alone. Completely and utterly alone. The iceberg encased me...isolated...a hundred years I slept, dormant, just waiting and watching for yet another eruption...how did I live? I should have died...I should have drowned as soon as Appa hit the water and was forced under by the merciless ocean. 

_Why?_

The powers of the Avatar spirit flows through me...but I cannot contain it...sooner than later not enough of me will have the ability to control it. My family...friends...all of them are gone...blown away by the winds of time without a second thought of regret for those they left behind. 

_**Why?**_

It is because of my so-called gift. The Avatar State saved my life. Should I be grateful? I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore. I'm confused...hurt...I need help...but from where? I am alone beneath the waves of a stormy sea. There is no one to turn to, to cry out to for assistance. Help! I'm drowning! Water is in my mouth and down my throat and my air-deprived lungs are screaming for oxygen. _Help..._

"You are _not _alone, Aang, and for as long as you live you will have a friend...look around you. Being the Avatar doesn't mean sacrificing the friendships you have, or those you may make in the future...your friends will lift you up, or take you by the hand when you need guidance...they will help you when you stumble, and support you when you are weak. Never shun the hand of a friend, Aang, because though they may seem to have moved off, they are tensed and ready to catch you when you fall. Never forget that, Aang.

**You are **_**not**_** alone."**

"A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17a


	4. Zutara: Or is it?

_**Warning! **_ Not a Kataang…well, not exactly. (sly laugh)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. God owns all!

**Zutara…phsyc! **

"Hmm...stardust?"

"No, no, its definitely cheese."

"Cheese? That's ridiculous!"

"So is the sun being made of fire, but it _is_! Ice, maybe? Since it was the first waterbender, and the opposite of fire and the sun?"

"So you're saying waterbenders are made of _ice_?" 

"No, of course not. Just their hearts..."

"Sokka!" Katara slapped her brother lightly, turning up her nose and acting offended, although her frost-blue eyes were sparkling with laughter.

They were standing on a balcony together that jutted out from the center building of the Western Air Temple, overlooking a garden of enormous magnitude, gloriously beautiful in the noonday light. It was mid-morning and neither of them had much to do. They had tried occupying their time watching Aang's earthbending practice with Toph, but decided against it after nearly being smashed several times in the torrent of the two opponent's hazardous crossfire.

So they had come up here, and lounged on the empty ledge under the heat of the afternoon sun, and somehow the topic of the moon's physical content had come up in conversation, and they mindlessly pursued it without any real goal in mind.

Absorbed in their conversation, the water tribe siblings didn't even realize when an all-too-familiar figure appeared, leaning leisurely against the doorframe and smiling slightly at the two's antics.

"How about vanilla pudding?"

"Can't you stop thinking about food, Sokka? The moon is _not _made of pudding or any other edible substance!"'

"I suppose you have solid proof of that?"

"Well, no...but..."

"Then how can you rule out the possibility? I mean, if you..."

_Ahem._

Zuko made the soft sound in his throat for the second time, a little louder.

The two ceased their aimless squabbling and turned to glare at him with two identical pairs of hostile eyes. 

"What do _you _want?" Katara demanded, a scowl burrowing itself in her brow and the cold edge of flint in her eyes.

Sokka matched his sister's expression, but simply made an instinctive growling sound deep in his throat. Katara shot him a funny look, her eyebrow raised.

"What?" the warrior asked, his voice shooting upward three octaves.

Katara shook her head and rolled her eyes, turning from her crazy, confused brother, back to the banished prince that still stood in the doorway.

Zuko smiled, slightly amused.

"Do you have something in your eye?" Katara snarled coldly, "Or is their something wrong with your face? Say what you're going to say and then _leave._"

Zuko's smile vanished. He stood up to his full height. His golden eyes glittered with frustration, but he simply stuttered, "W-well, Toph and the Av—I mean, Aang, are finished, and they sent me to tell you that they want…um, lunch."

Sokka snorted in amusement. "They sent _you? _That wasn't very smart; if I wasn't here you might have been murdered." He shot Zuko a lopsided grin and patted his sister's shoulder in a brotherly way, saying, "Don't kill him before lunch, okay? Don't want any Princey blood in the stew." With that said, he left, jogging past Zuko and heading down the steps, toward the bison-stable where they had set up camp in the lower levels of the temple.

Zuko was left alone, to his dismay, with the vengeful waterbender. If looks could kill, he would have been dead the moment he tried to join the Avatar's gang. She glared venomously at him for nearly five minutes as he fidgeted and melted beneath her flaming gaze. _She would have made a good firebender… _Zuko thought bitterly, waiting in agony for something to come along and break the unbearable silence. 

After another moment, she opened her mouth, as if to say something, but thought better of it and clamped her lips shut, teeth clenched. She stepped toward him, and the exiled prince flinched as she brushed roughly past him and followed her brother's path down to where the rest of the gang were most likely waiting, complaining about how hungry they were, but too lazy to start anything themselves.

Zuko hadn't moved, but he stared after her with a puzzled look on his scarred face.

_Well, that was almost a moment._

A/N: This was fun to write. For some unconceivable reason, I thought about doing a Zutara drabble. Well, phsyc!


	5. At Peace

Hot tears flowed freely down her tan face, leaving only a pair of matching red, raw trails in their wake

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. God owns all!

Hot tears flowed freely down her tan face, leaving only a pair of matching red, raw trails in their wake. Cerulean eyes sparkled with grief and disgust, and she stared blankly out upon the cumulus clouds drifting lazy by at their own pace, bathed in the divine blue glow of the full moon. Trembling bare arms drew her knees to her shuddering chest as silent sobs wracked her body slowly and shakily. She had insisted on sitting alone in the great bison's saddle as he glided on the wind, occasionally pumping his slow, wide tail to steady himself as he flew. Her three companions had agreed only grudgingly, and they huddled together on the bison's enormous head. But worried glances back toward their grieving friend were many and often, and finally, the younger of the boys turned to the teen at the reins.

"Sokka." He spoke in a hushed voice for no clear reason, even to himself. Possibly it was to keep the girl in the saddle from overhearing, or perhaps the reluctance to interrupt the serenity of the calm night.

The warrior's ice-blue eyes shifted toward the boy beside him. He said nothing for a moment, but the boy's pleading, gray-eyed gaze said all that was necessary. He sighed. "Fine, Aang. I'll take anything that will pull her out of this self-pitying depression. She's the only cook we've got!"

Aang grinned and rolled his eyes simultaneously, which, in better circumstances, would have been a comical expression, and the subject of good-humored laughter for the rest of the night. But he stood and hopped over the lip of the saddle without much incident, other than a slight squeak of indignation from the warrior following a disdainful punch in the arm, complements of the annoyed earthbender beside him.

But Aang had stopped listening to the quarreling pair atop Appa's head, all his concentration on the task at hand.

Katara's tearstained face turned up when the sound of a barely perceptible breeze graced her heated ears. Aang had seemingly materialized beside her, and she inhaled sharply in surprise.

He leaned leisurely against the wooden side of the saddle and glanced at her apologetically. "Sorry."

The waterbender shook her head hurriedly, brushing a stray lock of chocolate brown hair from her eyes with her delicate fingertips. She swallowed slowly, maneuvering around the lump in her throat before opening her mouth and whispering weakly, "You don't have to be here."

Aang smiled reassuringly at her. "No, but I want to."

Katara averted her eyes. "I'm being childish, aren't I?"

The airbender's brow furrowed, and he frowned. "Of course not! Why would you even think that?"

Ocean-blue eyes closed for a moment, contemplating.

Aang went on steadily, determined to turn around his friend's depressing conviction. He laid a hand comfortingly on her arm. "Katara, listen. Remember when I had nightmares about the air nomads? Remember the guilt I felt for abandoning my friends and family? Remember the old fisherman Sokka decided to work for so we could earn more money? Remember the storm? When I ran away? Remember..."

Katara's face lifted, and tears glittered on her cheeks as she met the airbender's enthusiastic gaze. "Where are you going with this, Aang?"

The young Avatar smiled as he spoke softly. "I don't think that event and this one are as different as they seem."

Katara returned his smile only half-heartedly. "Thanks, Aang, but I'd really like to be alone now.

The airbender blinked stubbornly. "I'm not leaving. You came after me when I was hurt, and I'll do the same."

The waterbender sighed and rested her chin on her knees. "So you're not going to make this easy on me."

It wasn't a question, but Aang answered anyway. "Nope, and it'll only get harder the longer you wait."

Katara blinked slowly as more unbidden tears fell from her eyes, and she sighed again. "You don't give me much choice, it seems."

Aang grinned.

The waterbender shook her head, a ghost of a smile flashing on her face. It was gone before the airbender could confirm its presence.

"It's just...I can't believe I fell for it. Another waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe--I wasn't alone. That's all I could think about. But Hama...she's twisted. I never believed I would think that about a _waterbender, _much less an old friend of Gran Gran's..." Katara paused, inhaling sharply. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing again.

Aang scooted closer and said softly, "While there is good in everyone, I think there is also evil. Hama stumbled upon that evil and it overtook her. Bloodbending may be wrong, but that doesn't mean you can't put it to good use...with discretion. Being a bloodbender can't be all bad...taking water from the air doesn't hurt it, and that could likely save your life."

Katara glanced at the airbender gratefully. "Thanks, Aang. This really means a lot, that you would care to talk to me about my fears."

Aang smiled. "Friendship's a two-way road. It was high time for me to give something back. That's what friends are for, right?"

Katara matched his grin, leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek. "Yeah," she murmured softly, her eyes sparkling as a burden lifted from her mind. She was finally at peace.

The airbender's face flushed a deep pink, and his grin widened as he averted his eyes and chuckled self-consciously, staring up at the night sky.

The stars twinkled knowingly, and the large round moon smiled down on the great bison, gliding through the air, with a soft blue light of approval.


	6. Reflection

A/N: Future Fic alert

A/N: Future Fic alert! Post Marriage! Spur of the moment drabble! Don't hate me!

(People throw tomatoes)

Yikes!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. God owns all.

Two words. Those two words shocked him, terrified him more than facing the fire lord, and...yet, made his entire body fill with a feeling of such pleasure that it heated his cheeks and his muscles tensed with apprehension and excitement.

"Y-you _what?_"

"I'm pregnant, Aang."

The airbender blinked, still not quite believing what he had heard. He put a hand to his ear, wondering if there was something wrong with his hearing. Katara took his hand from his ear and held it in hers tightly.

"Did you hear me?" she asked softly, her ocean-blue eyes bright and staring straight up at her husband.

Aang nodded weakly, standing up and pulling his wife up with him, embracing her in a bear hug. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, the airbender breathing in the sweet scent of her chocolate brown hair, and trying to fathom what the months ahead would be like. Finally, reluctantly, he pulled out, and held her at shoulder's length, stared into her eyes and sighed.

She frowned slightly. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

Aang blinked. "Of _course _I am! Why in Yue's name wouldn't I be? This is _wonderful! _It's just..." he trailed off.

Katara reached up and cupped his face in her hand. "What?" she prompted softly, her eyes searching.

He released her and smiled, his eyes distant, remembering. "It's just, eight years ago; I never would have guessed what would happen to me...to _us_. This has been more than I ever dreamed of. Two years ago, we got _married_, and moved here, the Southern Air Temple of all places! If someone back in the monks time had told me that I'd be frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years, survive, travel the world learning _and _mastering the four elements in less than a year, have the only metalbender in the world, who happened to be a twelve year old_ blind_ girl as my earthbending master, and be taught firebending from a banished fire nation prince, defeat the all-powerful Fire Lord at the age of twelve and eventually marry my waterbending teacher and go to live in the very same place where I had been raised...I would have laughed and told them to lay off the wine. It's a dream... but it's not."

Katara smiled. "You sound like Sokka when he's drunk with cactus juice!"

That drew a chuckle out of them both. Aang sat back down, and Katara followed suit. "It's almost as if..." the airbender's gray eyes gazed into hers.

She squeezed his hand. "Things will be different, but change is nothing to be afraid of. As long as we're together..."

Aang smiled once more. "I look back on my life as a nomad, and I find I can only faintly remember the first ten or so years of my life. Before you, my life seemed dull in comparison..."

Katara punched him in the arm lightly. Aang was surprised. Friendly whacks were usually in Toph's department, not the waterbender's. "Very poetic," she laughed. "Today's too nice a day to be so gloomy! Remember Mai?"

Aang frowned, recalling how the older girl had met her demise, killed only three months after delivering she and Fire lord Zuko's second son, by a gang of rebellious men that were still loyal to Ozai, after all these years. "I do. Now you're being gloomy!" he accused lightly.

Katara sighed. "She, Toph, and I had become such close friends. She was always pessimistic." she chuckled, "She even reminded me of Sokka a few times, believe it or not."

Aang nodded, fully agreeing. As an afterthought, he added, "We haven't heard from Sokka or Suki on Kyoshi in a while. I wonder how you're nephew..."

"_Our _nephew, remember!" Katara interrupted. "Gosh, Aang, it's been over almost two years since we've been married and you still refer to their three-year-old son as _my _nephew."

"Old habits are hard to break," Aang replied diplomatically.

"Haha," Katara laughed sarcastically, taking her husband's hand as she stood up. Then, out of the blue, she commented, "I wonder if Toph will ever settle down."

Aang almost laughed as his wife pulled him to his feet and they turned to walk inside. "Imagine, her having a family...a bunch of little Tophs running around!"

"Oh the horror!" Katara replied with merriment layering her voice. The couple's laughter echoed along the empty corridors of the temple, as lemurs twittered outside blissfully in the warm afternoon sunlight.


	7. Diagnosis: Boredom

Toph sat lounging at the campsite, bored out of her mind, with her arm resting on her knee and her other palm pressed to the soft grass, searching for something of relative interest to indulge in to ease her boredom

Toph sat lounging at the campsite, bored out of her mind, with her arm resting on her knee and her other palm pressed to the soft grass, searching for something of relative interest to indulge in to ease her boredom. A few feet away sat Sokka, his head bent low over several different maps of the Fire Nation, studying and scrutinizing them intently.

The blind earthbender knew she couldn't bother to even try to help him with something she couldn't see, so she sighed loudly in defeat and flopped dramatically on to her back in the grass, hoping the warrior would get the hint.

As she expected, he ignored her and continued going over the superbly drawn diagrams. Toph frowned, staring sightlessly up into the blue sky, spread-eagled on the ground.

Suddenly, a devious grin sprouted on her lips, and she propped herself up with one arm and glanced in the general direction of the warrior.

"Hey Sokka?"

He glanced up from the scrolls and looked at her, seeming irritated at being interrupted. "Yeah?"

"Sokka?"

"What is it?"

"Sokka?"

"WHAT?"

"Sokka?"

"For Yue's sake, _what?_"

"Sokka?"

"_WHAT?_"

Toph pretended to frown in confusion, but she was inwardly laughing hysterically. "Uh...I forgot."

Sokka rolled his eyes and he turned back to the scrolls with a barely perceptible sigh of annoyance.

Toph began to crack her fingers on her left hand, one at a time.

Index. _Crunch! _

Middle. _Crack!_

Ring. _Pop!_

Little. _Click!_

And her right hand:

Index. _Crack!_

Middle. _Pop!_

Ring...

"Would you _quit it _ALREADY?!"

Toph looked up from her terribly interesting bone-crunching, feigning a look of innocence. "What?"

Sokka motioned toward her hands. "That nasty popping! It's disturbing!"

"Oh, well, I'm terribly _sorry, _Snoozles! I didn't mean to interrupt your _intent _focus on your _wonderful _pieces of paper!" Her voice was clearly dripping with harsh sarcasm.

Sokka glared at the earthbender for a minute with the utmost hostility.

Toph snorted. "If you're going to say something, Meat Guy, then _say _it, and spare me the pointless look that I can't even see!"

"If you can't see it, how do you _know _I'm glaring at you, Toph?" Sokka retorted.

"By your posture," the blind girl answered confidently, "And the way your head is turned. And I can _feel_ it on my face."

"What is it that you want, Toph? An argument?"

"_Me?_"

"Yes, you! Who else would I be talking to? That rock? This blade of _grass_? The..."

"Okay, okay Snoozles, _I get it._ No need to get so defensive!"

"_Defensive? _I'm _not _being defensive!"

"No, now you're being retarded! What's up with you and Twinkletoes today?"

Sokka's nose wrinkled up indignantly. "In case you haven't noticed, Miss I'm-the-best-earthbender-in-the- world, we have a planned attack on the Fire Nation in three days, and the _entire _world is counting on us to succeed..."

"Except the Fire Nation, of course."Toph cut in matter-of-factly.

Sokka reddened, and though Toph couldn't see his face, she sensed his anger. His heart pounded rapidly, and he shuddered with heated rage. The earthbender held up her arms in surrender, a smirk plastered on her face. "Okay, okay, Snoozles, no need to start shooting fireballs from your eyes, just go back to your oh-so-interesting maps, I won't disturb you!"

Toph could have sworn she felt Sokka's upper lip lift in a snarl, but before she could accurately confirm the expression, he had turned back to his maps, content to give her the cold shoulder.

Beneath the thick black bangs shrouding her face, Toph grinned. It was going to be a very entertaining afternoon.

A/N: Yeah, I had a random Tokka moment. I'm very wishy-washy with Toph and Sokka…they just seem to have so many different ships…and, unlike my Kataang obsession, I really have no idea where to play Toph and Sokka. Of course, Sukka's okay, but I can't help feeling that Suki's not coming into the picture again very soon…and as for Toph's ships…I kinda like Taang…Toko's all right, I guess, and Tokka…well, Tokka just seems to work the best because they're so alike…but, oh, I don't know! I can't decide! And I doubt I ever will. So…yeah. Sorry!


	8. Kindred Hearts

**A/N:** Takes place in between The Firebending Masters and The Boiling Rock. There are really no major spoilers that I could see. This one-shot is a bit cheesy in my opinion, but I worked hard at it and hope you all enjoy it! (SIDENOTE: I've revised bits and pieces of this fic with the help of one of my friends. Although this fic captures the more emotional side of Sokka and Zuko, I tried to make the dialogue less…girly. Let's see if I succeeded in any way…)

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. God owns all!

* * *

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"PUH-lease?"

"No."

"Puh-lease?"

"_No_."

"Puh-LEASE?"

"_No_."

"PUH-LEASE?"

"_**No**_."

"PL-EASE?"

"_**NO**_."

"Puh..."

Sokka stuck a large, round, very juicy mango into the boy's mouth, hoping to shut him up.

The Duke sunk his teeth into the fruit, taking a large bite of acidic, citric goodness and pulling the rest of it out of his oral cavity, chewing thoughtfully. No sooner had he swallowed that bite than he started up again.

"Please?"

Sokka groaned as he sheathed his boomerang, which he had been busily homing to a keen edge on his sharpening stone. Now finished and proud of his handiwork, he put his trusted weapon away.

"Please?"

The warrior wrinkled his nose distastefully; the boy was annoying him to no end.

"Please? Please? Plea..."

"Look, Duke," Sokka snapped irritably. "To be very concise: Get. Lost."

The boy regarded him with a curious eye. "_The _Duke. What's con-size mean?"

"Con_cise_. It means...okay, kid, what is it you want? Because between the time you told me and now, I've said 'no,' so many times that I've forgotten why I was saying 'no.'"

The Duke smiled a very boyish and mischievous smile, one that made Sokka cringe. The warrior recognized that expression all too well. It was the face of a boy who wanted to irritate someone so profusely until it brought about their demise. In short, he wanted to annoy someone to death. And Sokka, the only person other than the Duke who was not training or exploring the far reaches of the Western Air Temple, was the closest and easiest target, and naturally favored over those who were chucking hazardous elements around.

"Well…" The Duke went on, rambling about something that Sokka didn't care to listen to.

"_Ugh,_" Sokka groaned under his breath, cradling his forehead in his hands, "Why _me?_"

"Why you what?"

At the sound of the second voice, the warrior's head came up, his ice-blue eyes glinting with hope. His hope was fulfilled when his senses confirmed that another person was indeed walking toward the two. Another person who hopefully had nothing better to do.

"Zuko!" Sokka jumped up so suddenly that he nearly knocked The Duke over in the process. "You want to spar?" He didn't even care to check the eagerness in his voice.

The Fire Prince was taken aback. Sokka was the last person he thought would…actually, _Katara_ was the last person he thought would care to even spit in his face, much less offer to spar with him. And Sokka was her brother. He would certainly agree with her, right? Why would he suddenly want to spare the Prince more than a glare?

Zuko's gaze shifted to The Duke, who despite nearly being rammed into the ground by Sokka's knee, was still babbling on about something having to do with a Pipsqueak. _Ah, _Zuko nodded involuntarily. _That's why._

Unfortunately, Sokka mistook his nod for an agreement to his request, and responded with a squeal of very unmanly gratitude. "Great!" He took a step forward, unaware The Duke had a hold on his pant leg. He unceremoniously crashed to the dust in a heap.

Zuko stifled a chuckle, and instead decided to be as mature as possible in the matter. "Duke," the firebender began, trying with all of his ability to keep a straight face. "Let go of his leg. He'll be back later and you can finish your story at mealtime, okay? Then everyone can listen."

The little boy frowned for a moment, muttering a quiet protest. "_The _Duke. My name is _The _Duke." But nevertheless, he let go, and Sokka sprang up with no time to spare and was at Zuko's shoulder in an instant, pulling at his sleeve.

"Let's go…" the Water Tribe warrior hissed, and he and the Prince left the Duke alone by the quietly gurgling fountain, making faces at his reflection in the water.

When they were out of hearing range, Sokka leaned against a wall and sighed in relief. He glanced at Zuko with a half-grateful, half-annoyed gleam in his eye. The prince stood a few feet away, his lips pressed tightly together and waiting wordlessly for the warrior to say something.

After several minutes of silence, Sokka finally turned to the firebender, and with a pointed glare, said, "Thanks for the rescue. He'd been annoying me for nearly three hours."

Another moment passed, and Zuko's eyes narrowed. "You mean you _didn't _really want to spar?"

"Ha!" A sharp laugh escaped Sokka's lips. "Spar with _you? _I've done enough of that for one lifetime. Remember the guy at the South Pole? Only guy defending a village of women and children?"

Zuko blinked in realization. "Oh."

Sokka snorted. "Not like you'd care anyway. What would you know about defending your family?"

The prince frowned. "It wasn't smart for the other warriors to leave you alone to defend an entire village. What if an entire fleet had come to your home? They would have massacred you all!"

The Water Tribe warrior bristled. His voice carried all the weight, grief, and anguish of a teen who had endured more hardships than most adult men. "They _did,_" he snarled, "Four years after Katara was born_._ Our mother was _killed_ and dozens of other kids _orphaned_ because of them!" He finished on a high note, his voice heightening in volume and pitch until it was almost a screech. Sokka let himself collapse against the wall, sliding to the ground. The hot tears in his glittering eyes evaporated with the heat of his anger before they could spill on his cheeks. He wasn't going to cry. Especially in front of this joker. "But, you know," Sokka muttered bitterly, angry at himself for breaking down, "At least they didn't get what they came for. At least they didn't get my sister, too."

Zuko hung his head shamefully. "I…I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say that wouldn't sound rude or hypocritical. His mind felt hazy, his knees weak. Something was pulling at him, something that was foreign and out of his control. He would die before he admitted it, but he was afraid of the feeling that came over him. Suddenly, he felt his lips begin moving of their own accord. "I really am sorry. For so many years I was wrapped up in my own problems, and I couldn't see the suffering around me. I couldn't see _anything_!" He didn't know what he was saying; it seemed the strange entity had taken over. He lowered himself down to the ground, facing Sokka squarely, his head bowed and his thick bangs shielding his eyes from the warrior's view. He was glad of it, because he wasn't going to let this guy see him upset. Angry, maybe, but certainly not upset. "My mother disappeared when I was really young. My father…d-do you know how I got this scar?"

He lifted his head, and Sokka was watching him. The warrior shook his head, his eyes wide with a child-like curiosity.

He had never told anyone the story. People had heard…through others who had been present during the Agni Kai with his father, and word had spread. But he had never, not once, discussed it with anyone. He had wanted to forget it, to put it behind, to pretend it never happened, knowing that somewhere in his heart his father must still love him…somewhere…

But no. He didn't. Zuko knew that now. Ozai _hated _him. Hated him with a passion.

He didn't want to deny it any longer. He didn't want to live a fantasy that wasn't his. He didn't want to run and hide from his true self. He didn't want to beg of his father something that the Fire Lord couldn't and wouldn't give him. He could stand it no longer. The floodgates had been broken, and the virus that had planted itself in his mind, shielding him from the truth, was being swept away bit by bit, down the river of his consciousness.

That, he decided, was the reason he poured his entire story and all his regrets out to a former mortal enemy, and left out nothing. No detail was too insignificant. He was taking a pickaxe, hefting it above his head, and with every strike, crumbling the rest of the broken dam.

And he wasn't looking back.

Sokka sat; his arms wrapped around his knees, drawn up to his chin, staring at the prince, his eyes wide as a child hearing a scary story, as Zuko finished his tale with several long, deep breaths.

The warrior had _never _heard a story quite like the prince's. He almost felt ashamed for ever hating him as deeply as he had. "I…" Sokka began lamely after a few minutes of silence so utterly void of any intelligible sound that it began to beat against both of their ears, pounding, throbbing, like a deep wound that wouldn't heal. Finally, the Water Tribe teen opened his mouth, not able to stand it any longer. "I…never knew."

Zuko, his eyes rimmed red and bloodshot, looked up at his companion. He looked hopelessly horrified and confused. "I've…I…did I _really_ tell you all that?"

Sokka shook his head, equally disgusted. "I always thought the Fire Lord was terrible…but his _own son_…your _father_..." he trailed off, utterly at a loss of words.

The Fire Prince shook his head. "I didn't…I didn't tell you all that for you to feel sorry for me. I just…I don't know what I was thinking…I was…"

"Putting it out in the open," Sokka finished. "You've never told anyone that, have you? You tried to deny it all these years. So many things make sense now."

"At least you have someone to blame for your mother's death," Zuko muttered bitterly, "My father has no one to blame but himself."

"Hey, hey," Sokka interrupted the firebender's sulk. "Enough of that mushy, girly psychological stuff." The warrior made a face. "Spirits, we sound like two old grannies complaining about their suckish lives."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, strangely comforted by the younger boy's insensitivity. "Hey," he warned, "Don't talk about Katara and Suki like that."

Sokka laughed. It was high-pitched and obnoxious, but it made his older companion smile. "Good one," the water tribesman grinned.

Zuko blinked and took a hesitant breath. "So, I guess this means we're…"

"Friends?" Sokka finished. He brushed off his leggings and stood. "Not quite. One thing still left."

The prince looked up at him, interested. "What's that?"

Sokka grinned and offered his hand. "Wanna spar?"


	9. Restless

**A/N:** This was the most random idea I've come up with in a while. Since I've had major writers block (which I'm slowly working out, don't worry) on my other stories, I wrote this at two o'clock in the morning last night. When I woke up this morning, I looked at it again and tweaked it, and decided it wasn't all that bad and thought about posting it. Well, apparently, since this is up at all, you guys know what I finally decided. Now, here's the ninth installment of 'From the Heart.' Enjoy!

I lay back against the stone leisurely, my head resting on my hands. My knees were bent and my feet were pressed flat against the ground, in such a way so that I could study my surroundings in an inconspicuous position. The area in which we had bunked down for the night was rocky and had little vegetation, and wasn't really anyone's ideal place to set up camp. However, the one advantage was the enormous cliffs surrounding us, and the lack of accessibility from the ground. I myself had scouted around, searching for any tiny nook or cranny in the tiny natural canyon that allowed anything to get in, and had only discovered a small, underground spring that bubbled to the surface in the furthest reaches of the ravine. The water was cool and clear, and made cooking simpler for Sugar Queen and eating what she concocted easier for the rest of us. Not that she was necessarily a bad cook, but the bland vegetables-in-water and crusty bread every night was starting to put a sour taste in _everyone's _mouths. And since Snoozles hadn't had the time to catch anything in days, he wasn't the only one longing for a taste of the good savory flavor of old-fashioned meat.

I stared sightlessly up at the clear, star-strewn sky, blowing a soft sigh from between my vibrating lips. Several feet away lay the three huddled figures of my friends on the ground, all of which were overshadowed by the enormous bulk of Appa. The great bison snored quite loudly as he slept, and the noise he made caused the ground to quiver.

But that wasn't what was keeping me wide awake. Surprisingly enough, I never had been kept awake because of Appa before, yet here I was, lying sleeplessly on the ground, not being able to concentrate on much else. Icouldn't for the life of me figure out why I still felt energy pumping through me in steady waves. Where had all of it been during the _day_, when I had needed it? Well, yeah, I suppose hiding walking around a Fire Nation town all day didn't require much energy, but Twinkletoe's little dance party had drained me more than I could've guessed. Not that I did much dancing. Okay, really none at all.

So what could it possibly be?

It was then that my mind and I decided to begin an elaborate mental game of Whodunit.

Could the reason my head refused to shut down be partly due to Sokka's unending, incoherent sleep-mumbling?

Nah...I had always been able to ignore that, too.

What was so different about tonight that my mind raced too quickly for the utter unawares of sleep?

Sure, we all had been under pressure lately, ever since the minor setback at Ba Sing Se...(Sokka had always been persistent in calling it that)...our life hadn't exactly been a waltz through the gardens. Ha, more like trudging through a minefield.

To begin with, there was the issue of Aang enrolling in a Fire Nation school on a sudden whim...and again the crashed dance party he had hosted...and Sokka's strange obsession with a certain fake beard that he _still _refuses to remove.

And of course, Sokka's strict eat/travel/break schedule had kept everyone on their toes—literally _and _figuratively...and this sleep-talking thing—_ugh!_

I covered my ears in exasperation. He was _still _at it.

It was always _Suki...Suki...Suki...where are you?—_and occasionally a _Yue...why'd you have to go? _It irritated...no, _annoyed _was a better word...me to no ends. Sometimes I had to use more willpower than I previously thought I possessed to resist the urge to give the eternally jabbering guy a gentle kick through the earth that sent him twenty feet in the air. Yes, I _did _say gentle. I could send him flying over the cliffs as easily as blinking. It might stop the muttering for a time.

But, of course, Snoozles would wake up grumbling and demand to know a motive from me, and therein lies yet another problem. Of course, it's not like I _couldn't _lie to him and get away with it, but I'm not even sure if I could bring myself to do it. It's not everyday that you are in a situation akin to mine. So you see my dilemma.

When I paused in my musings long enough to realize that covering my keen ears with two hands wasn't helping in any way whatsoever, I groaned.

There were more people in the world then those two girls...one of them I didn't even _know _and the other I had suffered some..._embarrassing _moments while in her presence.

I sniffed with disdain.

Occupying all of Snoozles dreams like that. The nerve!

_He occupying all of _my _dreams and thoughts like this! The nerve!_

Touché.

_Great, now you're talking to yourself!_

I shook my head to clear all of the jumbled thoughts, and waited a moment, simply listening to the utter silence of night in a deserted canyon.

But it wasn't long before my thoughts picked up right where they left off.

For _once_ in my life, I wouldn't have minded hearing a single _Toph... _uttered in his oblivious state, even a _Katara... _or an _Aang..._, or, heck, even a _Zuko..._ would suffice.

I paused for a moment and reviewed my recent thoughts, and discovered a strange and unsettling pattern. How does _he_ keep popping into my thoughts like he owns the place?

Eck. I think I'm beginning to understand his problem. Not that I'll admit it to anyone but myself, of course.

"Why don't you dream about some other dang thing?" I muttered, rolling over on my side and resting my cheek on my arm against the cool, comfort of the ground.

"What was that, Toph?"

I froze. Oh, badgermole poo.

It was Aang. He must've woken up a minute ago when I felt his heart rate speed up. I had dismissed it, assuming he was dreaming about Sugar Queen again. Whoops. One misconception that I had to maneuver carefully around...or things would _not _turn out well.

I sat up, feigning surprise and adopting a falsely apologetic tone. "Oh, Aang, did I wake you? Sorry about that, I can't seem to sleep tonight." I was careful to avoid the specifics.

"Me either." He drew his knees to his chin and wrapped his arms around his bare shins, rubbing them to get warmed up. The night was apparently a little cooler than he'd like. The airbender stared at his bare, tattooed feet, and I felt his heartbeat pick up the pace as he flushed in embarrassment.

I knew _exactly _why. Not that I was going to squeal. I've learned over the years that keeping things I notice to myself usually turn out better for everyone involved.

I should've gone after the prize, I know. If I had been Sweetness, who currently was sleeping the night away, I might've stayed up and talked to him, because I knew he was troubled. But quite frankly, that wasn't my thing, and at the moment, I was really too tired to care.

So I plopped back down on my side with a fake contented sigh. "Whelp," I yawned, stretching lazily before curling up again, "G'night!"

Aang glanced up once, and I got the feeling he had a look of unresolve on his face when he offered up the sad-sounding reply of, "Goodnight."

I pressed myself flat against the earth, studying his vital signs while also making a big show of getting comfortable. Then I closed my eyes and feigned sleep.

It was a while before Aang lay back down, and an even longer while before his heartbeat slowed and his breathing settled into the nice and even rhythym that signalled to me that he had fallen back asleep.

When he finally did, though, I pushed upright again, assuming my previous position and crossing my arms with a sigh.

And guess what?

My thoughts roamed directly to the one person I least wanted to think about. _Again._

I'm sure glad _I _don't talk in my sleep.

At least...I hope not.


	10. Encouragement

**A/N: **To all the Kataangers left in breathless horror or speechless shock after viewing The Ember Island Players and/or The Southern Raiders, and to those who are losing heart.

Hope never dies.

Though it may waver like a candle in a wind, seeking to put it out,

_Hope never dies._

Though it may drift like a lone bottle in the towering depths of the sea,

_Hope never dies._

Though it may shrivel like a grape under the intense heat of the sun,

_Hope never dies._

The reason, my friends?

Like the flame of a candle, it is fueled by the very thing that tries to quench it.

Like a note in a bottle, it oftentimes finds the way to shore and to a person who needs it most.

Like the shriveled raisin, the sweet juices never leave the fruit, but only grow sweeter with time.

_Hope never dies._

And I say this, friends, Hope itself is kept alive by the people who harbor its eternal secret in their hearts.

We always keep Hope, and therefore,

_Hope never dies._

**A/N: **So, as for you Kataangers who've lost Hope, you darn well better find it again! In my opinion, we Kataangers have had it far too easy thus far. Our 'moment' always seemed to be hovering around the corner, just out of reach.

I say, if your faith is never tested, what is there to have faith in? That goes for many aspects of life, belief in Christ Jesus as the World's Savior included!

So, buck up Kataangers, let's link arms with our Zutarian counterparts, as awkward as that seems. Did the Zutarian fandom give up even when it seemed all their hopes were shattered? No! And look where the ship is going now in canon! They can _certainly_ teach us a bit about hope and perseverance. As one of my Zutarian friends once said,

"We've had_ our_ turn for hardship, now it's _yours_!"

It's our turn, Kataangers! Will we take it with high hopes?

**James 1:2-4 says:** "Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."


	11. Coming Back

_Coming back._

The idea always had hovered on the outskirts of my mind, waiting for a chance to slip through the fence. I kept it at bay by focusing on what had to be done that moment, whether it was training or cooking, or even washing someone's dirty clothing in a stream. I had never before really given it much thought, other than the fleeting images I pushed fiercely away whenever they appeared uninvited in my mind.

_Coming back._

For months it was an unspoken agreement between us. Never talk that way. Ever.

_Coming back._

He learned and I learned. And all of us grew closer. Rocky beginnings were just a part of the process. Falling and stumbling was part of the journey. These things taught us endurance.

_Coming back. _

He grew so much. Not just physically...but emotionally and mentally, too. I could see it in his eyes...his soft, moldable shell had hardened, and he had grown up in so many ways and shapes...and forms.

_Coming back._

He was a bit taller--no one could deny that--and he had filled out; he was much more cut and his muscles better toned. Not like it really mattered…to _me_, anyway.

_Coming back._

I could tell by observing as he trained with Toph—and our sessions together—that he was more disciplined, stronger of the mind and a quicker thinker on his feet.

_Coming back._

Learning how to deal with deep emotional blows such as losing Appa and the defeats at Ba Sing Se and the invasion were difficult for all of us, but he received the brunt of the anguish. Yet his inner sparkle never snuffed out, and he held himself together by the threads. He never lost hope.

_Coming back._

Now he has a good firebending teacher. Zuko has his flaws..._many _more flaws that I'm comfortable with...but in a small corner of my heart, I know this is _right_. Aang seems to think he's the best for the job, and now…after all we've been through, I have to agree. Notwithstanding the fact that he's the only firebender around that isn't (anymore, at least) prepared to knock us out and drag us off to the Fire Lord.

_Coming back._

Sweat flows and his chest heaves as he focuses on the discipline of firebending. He is learning slowly, but progressing steadily. Aang's balancing on a wire as thin as my little finger, and it will not spare him. Neither will the Fire Lord. He has to be ready.

_Coming back_.

The days are so busy now...they are flying by like birds on the southern winds. We've barely exchanged a few sentences directly with each other since the invasion, and the tension between us and among the rest of the group only grows tenfold with each passing hour.

_Coming back._

Even if he and I have enough down time to waterbend between Earth and Fire training as well as keeping his airbending skills fine-tuned, it's usually a quiet, run-down affair. No fanciful new styles or tricks, no laughter or lounging. Just hard, basic drills. Repetitive and precise.

_Coming back._

Someone calls his name, and he runs off with yet another mumbled apology. Twin orbs of water retreat into their fountain home, and I am left once more, alone with my thoughts. I stare after him wondering.

Does _he _ever think about it?

Or will the time come that day, when he hurries off with a muffled 'see you later,' not realizing that he won't ever be…

_Coming back?_

* * *

**A/N:** This is a drabble/one-shot thing I did a long time ago, before I saw the Western Air Temple and episodes after that. So, a tweaked it a bit with the help of my sister (big surprise, really), and I decided to post it, because I feel terrible for having nearly no time to write my other numerous stories. So…I hoped you enjoyed the eleventh installment of From the Heart. Leave any comments you feel like, and have a magnificent day!


	12. Feeling

**A/N****: **Don't ask me where this came from. I won't tell you. You will just have to read for yourself. Yes, I'm evil. How dare I do such a thing to you poor _readers_! Muahahahaha…

Ahem…anyway. This is a short, random little blurb inspired by…actually, it could've been inspired by several things. But I'm not going to list all those here. _That _would be cruel. So I'm just going to say 'Here you are!' and be done with it. Here you are! :D

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing. God owns all!

* * *

I woke up with a jolt.

I could still hear the roaring waves, hissing rain, roaring thunder, and horrified growls of Appa as he strained for his life and mine. The chilling sound of my own terrified scream echoed through my mind again and again. The blood pounded in my ears, beating against my eardrums.

I couldn't breathe.

I was surrounded by something colder than death rendered immobile, and I couldn't even _feel _my body, save my closed eyelids.

I heard something.

I _felt _something.

Inside me, something sparked, rekindled, and quite suddenly, I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Moving independent from my frozen body, it flared outward steadily, until a tingling sensation fluttered through all my limbs, and the feeling came slowly back to my body. I opened my eyes, but saw nothing but a light blue, glittering light.

Suddenly, I heard a voice...distant and quiet, as if whispered from behind thick glass.

_He's alive!_ _We've got to help him!_

The question occurred to me: Help who? Who needed help?

Suddenly, the soft blue light flashed, blinding me even beneath my closed eyes in a blue brilliance stronger than anything I had ever felt...but the warmth that seemed to be coming from _inside _me erupted, flooding through me and outward with a roar.

I thought I faintly heard someone—or _something_—gasp in fear, but then all other sounds were lost in the tidal wave of noise that blasted from nowhere and everywhere.

For an immeasurable amount of time, I hung in this state of oblivion.

When the disconnected feeling left my body, I stood atop some sort of rise, a frigid breeze chilling my uncovered face and hands.

But before I became aware enough to brace myself, I was staring at the sky, and I grunted as I felt myself tumble down a steep slope, my shoulder striking something cold and wet.

When I landed, I felt something soft and warm cradling my head, neck, and shoulders.

Something solid was tapping the right side of my head repeatedly, and I moaned, not able to discern what it was and not alert enough to defend myself—the feeling in my limbs had yet to return.

_Stop it!_

That voice again! So much closer and more clear; I now could tell that it was feminine.

The warm feeling receded as whatever it was set me down softly, and I heard the soft wet sound of ice...that's what it must've been...crunch as I fell against it.

Weakly, my eyes fluttered open.

Oh Spirits.

Who is _that?_

Man, she's _pretty!_

Scratch that...she's full-out _gorgeous!_

Huge, round blue eyes, made of the purest, brightest crystal floated just inches from my face. Two small, chocolate brown locks, restrained at her hairline with a pair of purple beads moved in a puff of wind. Her breath was warm, and smelled like mint tea, and her expression appeared to be one of wonderment. It took me a moment to realize who she was looking at.

I blinked.

She's wearing a parka and hood that covers most of her head...I must be pretty far south. It's cold enough for penguins.

I opened my mouth, and tried to speak, but there was a couple seconds before my vocal cords kicked in, and a shaky, soundless hiss came out of my mouth shortly before the words,

"I...need to ask you something."

She leaned closer, and my breath caught in my throat. "What is it?" her voice was low.

My eyes lit up. "Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

* * *

**A/N:** Muahahahahahaha...I'm feeling weird today.


	13. Pants

**A/N: **Crack. Pure crack. I won't deny this one. This is something I found on my computer that I wrote like a year ago, and wanted to tweak and post it because of its utterly retarded and completely pointless nature. Read at your own risk, and have fun! :D

* * *

"What on earth for!?"

"Cool it, Sokka! No need to get all worked up. What's wrong with me needing to borrow your pants?"

The warrior stared digging the tip of his pinky finger into his ear, as if he hadn't heard her right. "Nothing…I guess, it's just…_why?_"

"Cause I need your pants! Now hand them over!"

"But _why?_"

"Why do you need to know _why?_"

"Why do you need to ask why I need to know why?"

"Why do you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to know why?"

"Why do you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to know why?"

"Why do you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to know why?"

"Why do you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to know why?"

"Why do _you _need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to know why?"

"Why do _YOU _need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to ask why I need to ask why you need to…"

"Okay…this is getting kind of old, Snoozles."

He paused, mid-sentence, and blinked. "Can't argue with that."

Toph held out a hand expectantly. "So give them to me."

Sokka crossed his arms. "Again, why do _you_ need them?"

Toph waved a hand in annoyance. "We're not going to start that again, are we?"

Sokka sighed. "I guess not."

The earthbender crossed her arms. "Just give me your dang pants. I'll give them back later. As a bonus, I'll even have Sugar Queen wash them before I give them back."

"How thoughtful," Sokka muttered non-enthusiastically, shuffling through his bag, and pulling out a pair of his pants. He tossed it toward Toph, but it fell short and landed in the dust.

The earthbender blinked. "You gonna get that?"

The warrior rolled his eyes. "It's closer to you!"

"Do you have a _clean _pair?"

"I thought you liked a healthy coating of earth!"

"It's not for _me,_ you nitwit!"

"It's not?"

"No, it's _not! _Does it look like I need pants?"

She could almost feel Sokka's gaze move down and then back up again. "No."

"There you are, then."

"Well, who _does _need them?"

"Let's just say someone tore their only pair pants while earthbending…"

"Haru tore his pants?"

"_No._"

"Who then?!"

Toph rolled her eyes impatiently. "Wow, Snoozles, now who else do you know who is an earthbender here? Just give me your PANTS! I'm sure Twinkletoes can explain later, after Sweetness fixes that big hole he made his own pair."

"Ah!" Sokka nodded in realization, finally understanding, the answer practically lying out before him. "Okay…here." He pulled out another pair of his pants from the bag, and, when he drew back his arm to throw it, Toph stalked forward, jerking them out of his hand.

"Please, you _know _I can't see things in the air." She spun on her heel, and proceeded to leave with a brisk, quick, yet unhurried step. Something, however, made her pause, and she stopped, turning slightly, so her left ear was pointed toward the water tribesman. "Well, see you at dinner."

Sokka inclined his head in acknowledgment.

That said, she strode off, his pants slung over her shoulder like a sack.

Sokka picked up his first pair and dusted them off, then shoved them back in his bag. Sitting back on his heels, he chuckled to himself, his eyebrows twitching as he shook his head in amusement. "Ha…ripped his pants. That's classic."


	14. Confessions

**A/N:** A post-finale Zutara friendship fic. Ouch! _(rubs head) _There's Kataang too! Don't go all spiky on me! Gosh! Leave your comments with that wonderful button below labeled 'Go.' It's magnificent! You should try it sometime!

* * *

Lounging comfortably in a cushioned wicker armchair and sipping from a china cup filled to the brim with bracingly warm tea, Zuko relaxed on the balcony as he watched the sun set in a glorious wash of pastel colors.

Just as peace had come to the world, peace had seeped slowly into his mind, washing away all the worries and pain he associated with his 'messed up childhood.' He was the Fire Lord now, and he could set everything right that his forefathers had done wrong. All those years in exile, struggling within himself to discover some way he could regain his honor, had prepared him for what was ahead. Instead of simply _his _honor, it was now the honor of the entire _Fire Nation_ he needed to reassemble.

Facing him was a feat never attempted by a Fire Lord in the history of his country. It would be a long and tedious road, but Zuko had confidence in his nation _and _in himself that together, they would pull their broken country together and would once again be a proud and worthy people.

Zuko took a deep breath of the crisp evening air, settling deeper in his chair. From inside, he could hear his friends squabbling pleasantly.

"If you don't like my artistic skills, then I'm sure you would _love _to do it yourself!"

"Sokka, I can't draw in the slightest, but I guarantee that even _Toph _could do better than _this!_"

_"Guys…"_

"Oh yeah?"

_"Guys…"_

"Yeah!"

_"Hello, Earth to Sokka and Katara…"_

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind demonstrating!"

"Okay. _Toph! _Will you come over here?"

_"Seriously, guys, can't we just…"_

"No, I'm not going to _try_ to get in between you two!"

"Ha! See…"

_"GUYS!! _

Zuko chuckled into his tea cup. He shook his head with an amused sigh. _Once a peacemaker, always a peacemaker._

"WHAT?!" Sokka and Katara roared.

The Fire Lord could just imagine the exasperated look on the Water Tribe siblings' faces. Their indignant expressions were probably very near identical, and Aang was probably holding up his palms in a gesture that said, _Calm down before you do some serious damage to someone's eardrums_. Zuko tipped his cup up to drink.

"Please, you two, calm down before you end up doing serious damage to someone's eardrums, will you?"

The firebender sputtered with laughter. _I knew it._

"But, Aang…"

"_No,_ Sokka," the airbender's voice was firm. "No more arguing. Mai is upstairs trying to sleep, and Toph and Suki are on their way up as well! You should be getting some rest, too, with that leg of yours! Do you _want _to let it get infected?"

"You're starting to sound like Katara!" There was a pause, and Zuko assumed either his sister or Aang (or both) was glaring at Sokka pointedly. "Fine, fine, I'll go!" the warrior grumbled, and Zuko could hear the distinct squeal of the chair as he pushed it back and stood up. Grabbing his crutch, Sokka tried to make a huffy exit, only to fail miserably when he lost the grip on the wooden aid, tripped over it, and crashed unceremoniously to the ground.

Zuko heard the stifled laughter of the other two as they moved to help the embarrassed warrior to his feet, as well as his dark mutterings as he gathered what was left of his dignity and stalked clumsily out of the room.

"Poor Sokka," the Fire Lord heard Katara mumbled to Aang, and Zuko could almost see the sheepish expression that must've appeared on the Avatar's face. The waterbender continued. "Do you think I was too hard on him?"

"He'll be over it by morning," Aang assured her with what was probably one of his characteristic grins, "Don't worry about it."

"I guess you're right," Katara replied, and Zuko noticed that their voices were becoming louder.

The pair emerged on the balcony, shoulder-to-shoulder.

In addition to the green and gold kimono Katara wore, a green silk cloak was wrapped around her shoulders, and cupped in her hands she held a steaming mug of tea. Aang wore his newly mended orange and yellow Air Nomad top and breeches, and from just below the knee and down, his legs and feet were bare, leaving his blue arrow tattoos shimmering against the paleness of his skin.

Zuko was so wrapped up in his observing that he failed to observe that the waterbender had turned to stare at him.

And when Katara's gaze fixated onto something beyond him, Aang, naturally, turned to see what it was. When his indigo gaze met the firebender's, Zuko was almost shocked to see his eyes darken.

"Oh. Hey Zuko."

The Fire Lord felt a note of surprise jolt in him when he picked up the slight disappointment in the Avatar's voice. But, dismissing both these signs as probably a case of over-analyzing on his part, he just lifted his free hand in a gesture of greeting.

A biting breeze wafted over the trio, and Katara tugged her cloak a bit closer and unconsciously shifted closer to Aang as she apologized, "Sorry, we didn't know you were out here."

"Are we bothering you?" Aang questioned earnestly, "Because we can go back inside, if you want."

Zuko smiled. "Don't mind me. I'm just enjoying the fresh air."

Katara raised her cup to her lips and sipped before speaking. "Well, a few minutes wouldn't hurt. It's such a lovely evening, anyway."

The Fire Lord nodded in agreement. "The moon's full tonight," he stated.

Katara left Aang's side to sit on the stone bench adjacent to Zuko's chair. A moment later, the airbender followed her lead, settling on the bench beside her.

"I thought so," the waterbender glanced upward toward the star-strewn sky, noting that the firebender's earlier conclusion was correct. "No wonder I feel so wide awake."

Zuko stifled a yawn.

Aang smiled, commenting good-humoredly, "I guess it has the opposite effects on firebenders."

Zuko cupped a hand over his mouth, nodding. "Well, then," he said after his yawn had dissipated, "How does it affect _you_ then?"

The airbender shrugged. "I don't know."

"That's an interesting thing to look into, Aang," Katara commented conversationally, "Now that we've got more time on our hands."

"All the time in the world," Zuko added, with a shake of his head. "It feels weird."

Aang and Katara agreed.

The waterbender drank the last of her tea, and with a disappointed sigh, she set the empty mug beside her on the bench. Noticing the two boys' looks, she said with a self-conscious laugh, "I can't get enough of your uncle's tea. It's addicting."

The firebender made as if to stand, asking, "Do you want more? Because I'm sure…"

"I can do it," Aang cut in, already on his feet. Zuko settled back in his chair with a nod. Katara gave her cup to the airbender, smiling gratefully.

Turning on his heel, the Avatar walked toward the doorway.

"Uh, Aang?"

The airbender stopped, and turned. "Yeah?"

"Could you…?" Zuko held up his cup.

"Of course," Aang nodded, a tight-lipped smile forming on his face as he took the mug that the Fire Lord held out. "Be right back."

Katara glanced toward Zuko as soon as she was sure Aang was out of earshot.

"Does he seem…I don't know…off, to you?"

The Fire Lord smiled. "He's just defending his new position."

"What?"

Zuko's eyebrow rose. "Come on, Katara. We all saw what you two were exchanging out here earlier."

Katara's face flushed a bright red. "Uh…"

Zuko crossed his arms and smirked. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but hiding something in plain sight doesn't work that way."

The waterbender flushed a deeper color, and glared at him from beneath it.

The Fire Lord smiled knowingly. "I'd say I hit the nail on the head."

Katara didn't break her glare, and regaining her ability to speak, threatened. "I'll hit you on the head," she muttered, staring at him with a half-hearted glower.

Zuko nodded solemnly. "I don't doubt it for a second."

"You'd better not."

"I haven't." After a pause, he added, "Besides, being friends with you is _way _easier than being enemies. No more being swept away by enormous tidal waves or frozen in spheres of ice."

The two shared a lighthearted laugh, but suddenly Katara's expression grew serious.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she murmured darkly, her eyebrow arching upward.

Zuko laughed.

Katara did not.

The firebender stopped and stared, his eyes widening slightly. "You wouldn't…"

She shrugged. "Actually, you're probably right. I wouldn't. But I _wanted _to right then, for about…four seconds."

Zuko smiled, stifling another yawn.

Katara shifted on the bench, crossing her ankles. Her blue eyes seemed to glow under the moonlight. "Tired?" she asked.

Absentmindedly reached up to rub his good eye, Zuko replied sleepily, "Yeah. It's amazing how sleepy you can get when there is no threat of ambush or attack in the night."

Katara stifled a giggle. "Touché."

That next moment, in a _whoosh _of air, Aang reappeared, with two steaming cups of tea. Hastily handing one to Zuko, he scooted across the balcony and settled beside Katara on the bench, carefully giving her the second one, in such a way so he wouldn't spill any.

The firebender in the chair a few feet away stuck a finger in his mouth with a yelp. Aang and Katara turned to regard him curiously.

Zuko removed his hand sheepishly, rubbing it with a wince on his pant leg. "Splashed some on my hand." Katara put a finger to her mouth, hiding her amused smile, and the airbender beside her looked on impassively.

"Aang," the waterbender turned to the boy beside her, "Would you go get one of those cloth napkins for Zuko? That burn looks like it hurts."

With a nod and a slight frown, Aang got up and disappeared inside.

Zuko sucked on his finger once more, commenting knowingly, "You've got him wrapped around your finger."

Reaching up to rub the back of her neck, Katara smiled and shrugged. "He's too sweet. He'll do anything you ask him to, within reasonable standards, with no complaint whatsoever. I like that about him." She flushed.

Suddenly feeling strangely protective of the young airbender, Zuko stiffened. "You better not lead him on," he warned, "He really does like you, you know."

Katara straightened indignantly. "I'm _not _leading him on. How could you even say that? I…"

Before she could finish her statement, Aang reappeared, handing the napkin more carefully to Zuko. "Here."

"Thanks, Aang."

The airbender inclined his head. Then, he glanced at Katara, and then back toward Zuko. For a moment, he looked conflicted, but the expression soon passed, and he yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Well, I think I'm going to head to bed," he announced through the yawn. "You two have fun. I'll…see you in the morning."

Then, the airbender left.

Zuko whistled, marveling at Aang's self control. He glanced slyly toward Katara, who was staring after the airbender, likely wondering if she had hurt him in any way. "That took courage."

The waterbender blinked up at him. "Huh? What?"

"That took courage," the firebender repeated. "For him to do that."

"Do what?"

Zuko explained. "For him to leave. He knew he was interrupting. So he strategically removed himself so he wouldn't intrude."

"Oh." Katara's lips formed a perfect circle. She said nothing more.

Zuko's eyes narrowed, glinting maniacally.

Katara half-stood, suddenly nervous. "What?"

Zuko's eyebrow rose. "What _were _you going to say earlier?"

The waterbender frowned. "Nothing. I wasn't going to say anything."

"You were!" the firebender leaned forward accusingly, realization lighting his amber eyes triumphantly. "You were going to say you loved him!"

"No I wasn't!" Katara protested weakly.

"Nice try," Zuko laughed, feeling strangely giddy. "You can't deny it. It's obvious!" His voice lowered substantially. "When will you begin to realize that it's not a little kid's crush Aang feels for you?"

Katara stood, defiance radiating from her. "I _know _that!" she almost shouted, "I've _known _that for a long time!" Reaching up to tug self-consciously on a lock of her long hair, she went on in a voice only slightly above a whisper. "But I didn't believe it. I thought it would pass…I thought it _was _just a crush that would go away. Almost…I almost _hoped _it would go away." She stared at the ground for a long while.

When she finally looked up, their gazes met. "Do you know what it's like to lose someone you love?" She let the question stretch out for a moment. Zuko bowed his head in acknowledgement, his heart in his throat.

Katara went on, hot tears flooding her eyes. "I _do_. After Aang was killed at Ba Sing Se…and after the water from the spirit oasis brought him back…all the time before he woke up…I was terrified. It was _more _than just fear." She let her cloak slip from her shoulders to the stone floor. The wind toyed with her hair, and she lifted her face, looking out beyond the Jasmine Dragon's courtyard, to the landscape beyond, shrouded in blue moonlight. "I felt sick. I felt sick for days…weeks. It felt like a part of me had been ripped away. Aang was alive…I thanked the heavens for that…but he wasn't _there._ He was somewhere else. Somewhere between life and death, some place horrible where I couldn't go and bring him back. Day after day, I became more and more afraid that he wasn't going to make it…that he was going to die despite everything I had done and tried to do. It felt like I was losing my mom all over again…but this time was different. This time, I had been able to do something about it. And I was afraid that even that wasn't enough. And this time, it wasn't my mom I was losing. I was losing the _world. _I was losing any hope for _peace. _I was losing _Aang._" She stopped, sniffling and trying in vain to regain her composure as tears streamed down her face. "It had been nearly a month before he woke up. When he did…it was unlike anything I had ever felt before. He…" she managed something that was intended as a laugh, but sounded more like a choked sob. "He thought he'd been captured…we were hiding out on a captured Fire navy ship that my dad and his warriors had stolen. Aang…you should've seen the look on his face when from out of nowhere, Momo hopped right there in front of him. And when he saw the rest of us…I guess it was just too much." Her voice softened. "I've never seen him look so relieved and confused at the same time in all the time we've traveled with him. Or…" she paused. "…or as weak." She sniffed, smiling at the memory. "He passed clean out on the deck, and Sokka had to carry him back to the cabin."

Zuko wasn't expecting the abrupt end of her tale, and when she spoke no more, he looked up. Her expression was one of reminisce, and he saw as it suddenly morphed into one of sorrow. She met his gaze, rubbing the tearstains from her face. "I'm sorry I dumped all of this on you," she gave a hollow chuckle, "I know I can be over-emotional sometimes."

"I didn't mind at all," the Fire Lord replied kindly, "It was actually kind of nice. I'm glad I can be someone you can talk to. I know you'd do the same for me." He stood up.

Katara wiped a tear off her cheek with the heel of her hand and smiled at him. "That means a lot, you know," she said, getting to her feet with a final sniff. After a brief pause, she stepped forward, hugging him tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back.

Separating, she inclined her head, blinking her crystal blue eyes gratefully as she straightened the wrinkles in her dress with a tug. "'Night, Zuko."

She gathered her cloak about her shoulders and strode off the balcony and through the archway, into the building. Turning, he watched her receding figure until she turned the corner and was gone. Lifting his face, Zuko gazed at the bright moon that hung so large in the sky. His lips twitched upward in a smile.

"Goodnight."


	15. 1: Everything

**A/N: **Hey guys! This is something I started almost a year ago, and my friend (formally known as lavagal) has been bugging me to post this, although I thought it was terrible in its entirety. So, I've made a compromise. I'm going to post bits and pieces of it as installments of From The Heart, since I had a lot of Kataang and Tokka moments in it…so yeah. Sorry for any mistakes, I don't have a beta, so most of my work is just me. Anyway, enough of my yammering…plz read! And I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Everything**

His palms damp with a clammy sweat, Aang strolled down the icy path, clad in his usual air nomad attire and with only a thin, snow-white cloak and hood pulled tight over his shaved head, despite the freezing temperatures.

Today, the anniversary of the very day, five years ago, that he had succeeded in defeating Fire Lord Ozai, he was here again in the place it all had started on that fateful day...the Southern Water Tribe.

Aang inhaled deeply, drinking in the bracingly cold, crisp, fresh pole air.

_I'd take this over a stuffy court-room any day of the year, _he mused, relishing the tingle that the icy breeze's caress left on the bare skin of his rosy cheeks. As he walked with a steady, purposeful stride over the slick path, the airbender reflected on the events leading up to the present, and the reason he had returned here.

Meetings with noblemen and conventions with delegates, putting down rebellions and riot outbreaks around the globe, peace treaties to sign and boundaries being laid...filled the earlier years of the Avatar's adolescence. He hadn't seen the rest of the gang in over three years, since before they had split up to go their own ways. Afterwards, the frequent letters sent halfway around the world had dipped into one long lull after another, before they finally had ceased altogether. It had been a long time since he had written, much less spoken, to any of his friends, and the unending politics that came with being the Avatar had harbored and nurtured in him a massive, chronic headache. Even Zuko, consumed in the millions of problems and issues that came with his ascension as Fire Lord, had suggested that the strained Avatar take a vacation. It had taken months of planning to try and squeeze around his busy schedule as well as the agendas of his friends scattered throughout the world, but the gang had finally managed it. They were getting back together. If only for a short time, Aang felt that having some time to kick back and relax with good friends was what he most needed at the moment. And from his most recent letters, it seemed that the others were ready to slow down a bit as well.

The last he had heard from Sokka, the warrior was off on yet another mission with the rest of the Southern Water Tribe fleet, _'securing the borders; flushing out and fighting off Ozai loyalists hiding out near the coastlines and ports of the Earth Kingdom.'_ He had been traveling with his father and the rest of the warriors for nearly thirteen months, helping local militias to put down uprisings and lower the crime and pirating rates of most of the Earth Kingdom continent's coastal cities. Throughout all this, however, he had not broken contact with his girlfriend, Suki, whom he exchanged frequent messages with. Aang, to his slight amusement, was always kept updated on the Kyoshi Warriors' whereabouts in the letters he received from the warrior. At times, she seemed to be all he could talk about, and he admitted that traveling the world with his dad had a few disadvantages.

Sokka, in the years since the final battle that had ended the war, had fashioned himself a new boomerang from the same material as his old, though he still insisted that he would still be searching for the one he lost during Sozin's comet on the airships. But despite being six years older and a hardened man on the outside, the twenty-one year old was essentially still the same 'Sarcasm and Meat Guy' that had roamed the world with his friends so long ago, and Aang took comfort in the fact that some things never change.

The Avatar's most recent message from Toph (written down for her by an attendant of her parents) said she was still enjoying being a rebellious teenager and slowly and painstakingly convincing her father and mother of her much-needed independence. And just as slowly and painstakingly, she was gaining the freedom she had always desired one inch, one baby step at a time. She believed she'd, _'soon be trusted to travel alone, and maybe I could visit you guys!'_ Toph, Aang admitted, had probably grown the most over the years out of everyone in their tight-knit group. Though still the smallest (and the prickliest) girl Aang had ever met; she kept up-to-date on everyone's comings and goings, often knowing things before any of her three friends. Aang guessed it was her parents' social status that gave her all the juicy gossip she came across. He supposed that she knew _a lot _more than she thought useful to talk about within the confines of their letters. Toph had grudgingly admitted that she missed being with all of them, traveling the world on Appa, and wasn't taking to the old high-society life as well as she might have had she never gotten that fleeting taste of freedom during their months together before the war ended.

Katara, unlike her brother and friend, was content to stay in the Southern Water Tribe. But her routine was far from a 'quiet' home-life. In assisting her old Master Pakku and his students from the Northern Water Tribe with the continuous renovation of her once tiny village, Katara felt she was doing something to help the struggling community in which she was and had been an active part of. It was clear in her messages that she clearly missed all of them, but she had very little desire to leave her home, and had lived there for nearly two full years, building elaborate structures and dwellings for her family and the people she had known since childhood. Her own home, as described in her messages, was a four-roomed roundhouse with a central cooking and dining area, constructed entirely of ice. This home she shared with her father and Sokka when they returned home. In her last letter, Katara had proposed meeting in the Southern Water Tribe for a sort of reunion, and Aang had hastily replied with the affirmative, deciding only after several nights of serious planning in his mind and also with Zuko, whose palace he was currently staying in as a guest. Not wasting any time, the airbender sent messages containing further details for the get-together to Sokka and Toph.

So the gang had all agreed to meet here, on the celebrated day of victory in the newly rebuilt city of the Southern Water Tribe, despite Toph's grumblings about not being able to see.

And here he was, trudging down the icy lane in late afternoon, with the summer sun burning bright, far above in a clearer than clear blue sky. He marveled at all the new buildings and structures, distinctly remembering that the last time he'd been here, only a small group of ice-huts stood in a cluster where now there were towering inns and dwellings. Along either side of the wide lane he traveled down, the homes were melded together into what seemed to be one long, continuous building. The reality was, however, that each small home was separated from the others by a wall of opaque ice, several feet thick.

Aang turned the street corner, passing a tavern as he strode briskly down a pathway that dropped off a few feet to his left into a shallow canal. When the pathways split to travel around a large, man-made cove, Aang halted. Tugging his hood low over his eyes, the airbender observed as a canoe, piloted by four young teens, slid through the open gates that led out to the ocean. The canoe sat low in the water, weighted down by an enormous net filled to the brim with fish, a catch probably worth over a hundred gold pieces in the local sea market. Fishing had been good this year in the Southern Water Tribe. And the profits were making many traders wealthy.

Stifling a sigh, Aang took the left fork in the pathway, which led around the cove, toward the ice-floe docks, where many a ship had come to port. Katara had built this herself, Aang knew, and now that he saw them, knew they must have been at least half a day's worth of painstaking work. Making sure that these floating docks would be stable and sturdy enough to hold those who weren't waterbenders, and at the same time be flexible enough to withstand the relentless pounding of the tides.

For nearly another hour, Aang wandered around the city, becoming more disoriented and lost after each turn. He was an eighteen-year-old Avatar, feeling like a complete idiot after realizing that among all the new buildings and structures, he wasn't familiar even with the location of Katara's home!

He had left Appa and Momo under the capable eye of the hands in the new animal stable, who had insisted on taking care of the famed bison, and in doing so, helping make the 'most powerful man on Earth's' stay in their city a little more convenient.

Or so he thought.

Without the advantage of a bird's eye view, Aang was utterly lost. He regretted leaving his blue-winged glider behind in Appa's saddle. The initial assumption he made concerning his state of mind eventually proved to be correct. He was so consumed in his worried thoughts that he ran unwittingly right into a girl carrying a large clay jar filled with water.

The jug shattered and spilled its contents onto the ice, where the liquid slowly froze again, seeping into the icy walkway.

"Oh, sorry…!" Aang and the girl exclaimed simultaneously. They glanced fleetingly at each other, both embarrassed and apologetic. Then, almost reflexively, the young Avatar stuck his arms out rigidly, and with a sweep of his hands brought the scattered pieces of the jar back together, intact. Then he melted the spilled water and let it flow inside. Stooping, he picked it up and held the container out to her. All this was done in one swift movement.

She took the jar. A sudden bout of realization hit her, and the girl blinked in bewilderment and stared up at the hooded figure, curiosity brimming in her blue eyes. "Aang...?"

The airbender's previously occupied mind seemed to snap, shedding hundreds of needless and worthless thoughts as easily as tearing parchment. He chanced a long disbelieving look at the girl.

"Katara?"

Her face lit up, and she tugged her hood from her head and let it fall down her back. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun and braid, her customary 'hair loopies' moving in the breeze. "It _is _you! How did you...? When did you...? Are Appa and Momo here? How've you been? Oh, Aang! It's been so long!" She impulsively threw her arms around his neck, as he stood there, stupidly, like a dumbstruck little boy.

Sensing his hesitance, the waterbender released him quickly', her cerulean gaze probing. "Is something wrong?" she asked, self-consciously taking a step back and adjusting her grip on the jar.

Aang blinked as his eyes feasted. She looked so different...older, yes, but somehow more...beautiful. Her hooded blue robe melded to her shapely frame, and her face looked older, more angular, and less child-like. But her eyes, large, round, and the brightest blue...they were still the very same ones he had stared into the moment he woke up in her arms.

"Aang?" Katara's tanned face wore an expression of slight confusion and hurt.

"Katara," he managed to gasp, the name sounded foreign on his tongue after going for so long without speaking it. He instinctively took hold of her arm to steady himself. She didn't object. It was then that the airbender noted with a subtle triumphant smirk that he could now boast a few inches over her. "It's...good to see you again."

The waterbender's face broke into a shy but exuberant smile. She took hold of his arm with her gloved hand and pulled him down the icy walkway. "Come on, let's go to the house. You can warm up there. Spirits, Aang, you're turning blue! How long have you been out here?"

"Uh…a couple hours, maybe?"

"A couple _hours?_" Katara looked horrified. "Why in Yue's name would you do that without any of the proper _clothes _on?"

Aang shrugged. "I just wanted to sight-see," he excused lamely, "After all, the last time I was here, this place consisted of a couple of snow-huts and a sad little watchtower."

The waterbender smiled. "It was a pretty sad watchtower, wasn't it? But Sokka worked so hard to keep it in good shape."

"Yeah," the airbender agreed, his silver eyes fogging over as he reminisced. "Remember the look on his face when I smashed into it with my glider?"

He and Katara grinned simultaneously. "My _watchtower!_" they cried together, in high-pitched, hilariously accurate representations of Sokka's voice as a fifteen-year-old.

Katara led them around a corner, and the lane opened up into a large open square, filled to overflowing with hundreds of people. Many of these people browsed among the dozens of sales carts and kiosks that were scattered among the crowd. Aang stared at the spectacle with awe.

"The marketplace," the waterbender explained.

"I've never seen so many people in one place," Aang remarked, his eyes still trained on the throng. He tore his eyes away and glanced at Katara seriously. "And that's saying something!"

The waterbender smiled, tugging on his sleeve to lead him down an alleyway to their left. "This way," she said, "We can get around the crowd. It's always big at this time of year, our fishing industry is at it's highest ever, and people travel thousands of miles here every year…just to sell their stuff in a place they know a lot of people will be shopping!"

"Wow," Aang blinked as he followed Katara along the icy pathway. "It's so different from when I was last here."

"Can you believe," the waterbender asked with a smile, "All the changes that have come from the moment Sokka and I found you in that iceberg? It's almost unthinkable!"

"Yeah," the airbender agreed thoughtfully.

"Listen," Katara went on, "Gran-Gran and Master Pakku live in a house down the street. Our home is around the corner. We'll warm up when we get there, and then you can start by telling me _everything _that's happened since our last letter!"

"Everything?" Aang inquired, outwardly skeptical, but inwardly thrilled to have the girl he secretly loved yanking him gently along by the arm.

Katara nodded, her eyes smiling. "_Everything._"

* * *

**A/N: **I have to say, this is far from my best work, though I thought it might be read-worthy. Personally, I like the next section better…it's classic Tokka. Whelp, stay tuned and hit that button! Tell me what you think!


	16. 2: Confidence

**A/N:** Hey! Any reviewer I told that I wouldn't be posting again today...well, sorry. I lied. But hopefully everyone will forgive me. This one's Tokka...naturally. Enjoy!

* * *

**Confidence**

The sea breeze was tangy with the scent of salt, and the waves lapped playfully against the hull of the wooden ship.

A man in water tribe garb leaned leisurely against the rail, his ice-blue eyes scanning the horizon, on which a slowly growing strip of green land bobbed ever closer.

Rubbing his stubbly chin with his thumb, the warrior sighed.

"Sokka!"

A voice drifted from the stern of the watercraft, and the warrior turned to see Hakoda approaching him. The water tribe Chief nodded in acknowledgement toward his son. "We'll dock at Gaoling's port by noon. She should be waiting for us there, and then we'll begin our journey back home."

Sokka sighed again...this time, rather loudly. Hakoda couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong. He nudged his boy with an elbow to get his full attention, and when Sokka looked up, probed, "Aren't you excited, son? Imagine! You, your sister, Avatar Aang, and Toph, all together again, just like old times! This should be fun!"

Sokka let his gaze slip into the deep blue of the waves. "I know Dad, it's just..." he trailed off.

"Just what?" the warrior chieftain prompted.

"Look, Toph and I just didn't part on very good terms, and, let's just say...she's the grudgy type. I really don't know what to expect."

Hakoda smiled reassuringly. "Just give her a chance, son. I'm sure she's forgotten all about it in three years." He smirked, "If not...just try not to get beat up too badly."

Sokka straightened up with a frown and gestured with his hands. "It's not that simple. I hurt her, emotionally...I'm not actually sure how, but I did. Really deep. She's normally not one to show her emotions...but it was like _I _was feeling _them_. I could tell...something was wrong, and she wasn't willing to put it out in the open. I'm pretty sure it was my fault."

"Some bad days, Sokka, are just that: bad days. No remedy or herb can cure them. Whatever upset her, I'm pretty sure it's not still on her mind. If it is, well, then you just will have to work it out, won't you? And...try not to get beat up too badly."

"What are you saying, Dad?" Sokka inquired with a raised eyebrow. "I can take her…easy-peasy."

The warrior gave his son's shoulder a paternal shake. "I wouldn't bet on it," he said seriously, and after flashing a comforting smile, he left.

Sokka smiled wanly, and resumed his vigil at the rail. He watched with ice-blue eyes as a screeching seagull dived with his brethren among the waves.

The ship's crew tossed heavy lines of rope to the men on the dock, who, with muscles straining, pulled it into port. Sokka and Hakoda lifted the heavy ramp together and hoisted it over the side, and men on the dock lowered it carefully.

"Cargo or passengers?" An official-looking man with an official -looking scroll ascended the ramp, glancing at the water tribe Chief.

"Picking up one passenger." Hakoda responded with a polite smile.

"Ah," the man nodded glancing over the scroll to confirm the captain's claim. "Miss Toph Bei Fong?"

Both father and son nodded.

The man bowed. "She will be here shortly." And he turned briskly on his heel and walked down the ramp.

When Toph appeared from the port station, nearly a half-hour later, she was, to say the least, upset.

"How much proof do I _need? _At this rate, I'll have to earthbend my parents' estate over here and then they'll perform some sort of fantastic genetic testing...I _am _Toph, for crying out loud! The security at this port is _ridiculous!_"

Sokka was nearly speechless. The twelve-year-old earthbending master he had known so many years ago was still there, he could tell by the old irritated tone of her voice and the familiar sturdy, yet fluid way she walked. Her outfit was essentially the same, modified a little to make room for a woman's more, _accentuated _features, but her long raven hair was still pulled back in the same large bun with the same headband she had worn as a preteen. A small green knapsack was slung over her shoulder.

What was it that Sokka sensed was new? What was there now that hadn't been in the old Toph? He couldn't determine it. Sokka waved, then, realizing it was a useless gesture, called out impulsively.

"Hey, Toph!"

The warrior inwardly cursed himself for sounding so eager.

The metalbender suddenly paused, mid-rant. She cocked an ear toward the ship. "Sokka?" She sounded almost…confused.

"Up here," the warrior replied casually leaning against the rail, slightly puzzled by the girl's reaction.

Suddenly and seemingly unprovoked, Toph burst into a laughing fit.

It wasn't a taunting laugh, not quite, but its source was deep inside her…a place of utter amusement. Sokka was perplexed, and he and Hakoda exchanged glances.

"What?" the warrior asked lamely, for want of a better reply.

The earthbender slowly decreased the intensity of her giggles, brushing tears of merriment from her eyes as she replied. "What happened to your _voice? _For a second there I thought you were Appa!"

"My…voice?" Sokka asked, listening to himself, trying to detect the problem. "What's wrong with it?"

"Snoozles," Toph rolled her eyes. "You seriously haven't noticed that your voice isn't shrieking up five octaves every other syllable?"

"Cracking? That stopped _years _ago, Toph!"

"Well thanks for telling me! And let me guess," she continued sarcastically, "Judging by the fact that I can't see you, you came in a wooden boat, didn't you?" she crossed her arms over her chest and grinned accusingly.

The warrior frowned indignantly. "This is a very fast ship that the men of my village built their selves before the war! She's a very..."

"Save me the lecture, Sokka, I know how fond you are of your _boat_."

"It's a ship! There's a difference!"

"It matters!" Toph shot back good-humoredly, laughing. "Just help me up, okay?"

She held out her arms, palms facedown, as if she was preparing to be handcuffed. Sokka trudged down the ramp to oblige grudgingly.

Hiding her blush under a screen of black bangs, as always, Toph winced unconsciously as her bare feet left the security of the land. For several days, or maybe even weeks, she would have to suffer with complete blindness, in the middle of the sea...surrounded by water.

She shuddered.

Commenting off-handedly, she mused, "I trust you won't shove me over the railing suddenly once we get to the top?" The earthbender didn't sound unsure, only curious.

Sokka chuckled. "Well, if I decided to, you probably wouldn't have much going for you, would you?"

Though the warrior expected an insult, or even a sudden whack as repayment for his cheeky answer, all he got was a lopsided grin and a bright, "I guess not."

He smiled, taking the unusual situation in stride. "Then it's a good thing you're among friends."

Toph laughed mischievously and released his arm.

Without any warning whatsoever, Sokka suddenly found himself submerged head-first in the harbor. He bobbed to the surface, sputtering, and unleashed the mightiest king of all glares upon the earthbender who stood on the ramp, stricken with hilarity. She laughed not with her usual harsh scorn, but with an innocence that radiated from her like it did from a child.

Sokka hoisted himself, dripping wet, out of the harbor and onto the dock with a bemused shake of his soaked head. A few dock attendants rushed to help him, but he waved them away and sat panting on the edge of the wooden dock, his ankles dangling over the rippling water. He lifted his gaze to look at his father. Hakoda's eyes were twinkling, and the Southern Water Tribe chief gave a weak cough in a lame attempt to hide his laugher. Sokka squeezed the water out of his wolf-tail thoughtfully, Toph's guffaws ringing in his ears. After a brief moment, something in his brain clicked.

It was _confidence_. That's what was new! Toph now had a confidence that hadn't been there before. She wasn't defensive to the point of being violent anymore, nor did she any longer laugh and poke fun just to exalt herself.

Toph was apparently just beginning to experience the side of childhood she never knew. The _good_ side. And despite his sopping wet clothing and diminished pride, the sight of his old friend standing completely blind on the ramp, yet so happy and carefree, made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

And he laughed along with her.


	17. 3: Reunion

**Reunion**

Their ship pulled slowly into port, Sokka stood alone on the deck with Toph. Hakoda and his men were below, preparing what little cargo they had for dock and transfer.

The twenty-one-year-old now wore his blue, hooded parka, and had lent Toph one of his old ones to wear. She stood, shoulders huddled and arms crossed, biting her lip and stubbornly ignoring the bitter, ice-cold wind flushing her cheeks. But she had solidly refused to wear any shoes, despite the plummeting temperatures and the slick wooden platform beneath her bare feet.

"Here it is," Sokka began, gesturing to the port and then to the ice fortress lining the horizon. "I'd ask you what you think of the new architecture, but..."

Toph let her arms drape over the rail as she stared sightlessly into the still blue waters as they parted to flow along either side of the ship's hull. She didn't turn from her trance as she interrupted. "Number one, I've never been here before, so I have nothing on which to base my point of reference. Number two, even if I had, I wouldn't be able to see it properly, so how could I make an accurate comment? Or," she added, almost as an afterthought, "I could just say it's the ugliest city I've ever not seen, and we can leave it at that." Directly following her voiced conclusion, there was a long pause. After a moment, the water tribe warrior blinked.

"Wow," Sokka's voice was layered with something slightly less than equivalent to sarcasm. "I've never known you to be so analytical, Toph!"

"A lot can change in three years," she replied simply. Suddenly, the earthbender grinned deviously. The warrior beside her glanced sideways at her, expecting an off-handed comment.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Faster than an eye could follow, she swung her fist, likely aiming for his shoulder. Sokka, anticipating its destination, sidestepped with milliseconds to spare.

Toph missed.

She straightened to her full height (which in and of itself wasn't very impressive), one hand still gripping the rail loosely.

"So that's how you want to play, then?" she challenged, "All right, let's do this!"

"You're on!" Sokka laughed, dodging another one of her punches. He backed up and spun around the earthbender as she threw her fists in multiple arching swings, missing all of them by far. Both of them laughed uproariously the entire time.

The tribesman, a joyful grin on his glowing, tan face, jumped backwards to avoid a particularly hard swipe at his face from the earthbender, and tripped over a coil of rope lying on the deck. He fell onto his back with a cry. Toph, pausing when she heard him yell, somehow got her ankles tangled in the rope as the warrior thrashed, and was yanked with a sharp yell of surprise on top of him.

Suddenly, Sokka froze, and his breath caught in his throat. The earthbender's face was inches from his nose, and her small frame was pressed against his, their body heat radiating from both of them in waves. He dimly observed that her breath smelled like rosemary. Toph was similarly affected, but only for an instant. She immediately rolled off of him, flustered by the way she had felt his heart beating so wildly...so close...

"Heh heh," from beside her, the warrior offered a nervous laugh. "Whoops."

The earthbender shook herself out of the trance and tried to untangle herself from the rope, but not being able to see on the wooden deck didn't help matters, and her attempts were in vain.

"Here."

When she heard Sokka's voice so near her, she started violently. Resisting the urge to smack him away was difficult, and she barely managed it when she felt his hands gradually pulling the rope away. She barely refrained from declaring that she was fully capable of handling herself. In the silence that followed, he steadily freed her until she sat on the bare, cold planks of wood.

Her keen ears picked up the sound of something slapping the deck...the rope.

"Grab my hand," Sokka said a few minutes later when he realized that she couldn't see his gesture to help her to her feet.

The embarrassment had passed, and Toph picked herself up without taking the warriors offer. "Well," she said tersely, her voice choked with tension, "Fun game! Maybe we can do it again sometime."

And with that she moved stiffly away, crossing blindly to the rail once more and resting her elbows on it, leaving Sokka in a state of half-confusion and half-bewilderment.

"Okay then," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. After a moment, he turned back to his own devices, deciding to recoil the rope they had..._misused_...during their 'game.'

* * *

Aang and Katara stood together at the docks, which was essentially a large, thick, flat iceberg that jutted out from the shore. The waterbender's arms were crossed, and she stared eagerly out upon the bay, where a small craft was bobbing its way steadily toward them.

The airbender beside her wore a water tribe warrior's coat. It was really too big for him, but he couldn't deny the fact that it was much warmer than his thin cloak. And Katara had firmly insisted that he needed to keep himself warm. He could still remember the tongue-lashing he had received from her the day before for being out so long with 'barely any clothes on.'

A random question sprouted in Aang's mind, and he turned to the waterbender beside him.

"How long has it been since you saw your dad and Sokka?"

Katara didn't take her eyes off the ship as she voiced her reply. "It's been almost a year now. I'm really anxious to meet them again."

"I can see that," Aang replied, his gaze running her up and down as she quivered with anticipation.

She suddenly noticed where his gray eyes were focused, and she glanced sideways at the airbender. Her blue eyes sparkled curiously, and a mischievous half-smile graced her features. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Aang's steel-blue gaze flickered back to the ship. "Looking at you like what?"

The waterbender's eyebrow spiked upward in a thin arch. "Come now, Aang! You've played this game one too many times! I usually let it slip, but I'm really beginning to wonder!_ Why_ were you looking at me like that?"

"I didn't realize I was looking at you, I'm sorry," the airbender replied evasively, his face heating slightly. He knew it was a lame deter of conversation, but honestly, he was running out of ideas.

Katara latched onto his arm and glared steadily up at him until his eyes finally broke and turned toward where the waterbender still had a firm hold. "What?" he asked innocently.

She gave a short, sharp laugh. "You know very well what I'm talking about, Avatar Aang! Now answer the question!"

The airbender winced. She only used his formal title when she was deadly serious. "Uh, why was I looking at you? Uh..." he pondered it for a moment. "Because... because...why can't I look at my best friend? Has there been a law made since I was last here that forbids it?"

Katara released his arm with a playful eye roll. "Aang, you're impossible! What's with guys and not being able to give straight answers? Sokka does the same thing whenever he talks to Su...ki." She abruptly lapsed into silence, eyeing the young Avatar with a knowing look.

"Now you're doing it!" Aang exclaimed, trying his best to avoid the subject that Katara had just stumbled upon.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was suddenly interrupted by a shout from the approaching ship.

"Ahoy! You two lovebirds ready to pull us in yet?"

It was Sokka's voice, louder, stronger, lower, more masculine..._definitely_ more masculine...but undoubtedly Sokka's. Katara shot a _'we'll-talk-about-this-later'_ glance toward Aang, who sighed inwardly with relief, and then turned, waving to Sokka and Toph, who stood at the rail on the ship's deck.

"Ready?" she turned back to Aang and took up a waterbending stance, a grin forming on her face.

The airbender mimicked her and smiled. "Anytime, anywhere."

* * *

**A/N:** I know, I know, I've outdone myself. Tokka AND Kataang in one chapter. *Sigh* I'm weird. I decided to post this tonight because, well, I'm going back to school tomorrow and probably won't be able to do much else until Christmas Break. So...peace, love, reviews, all that good stuff! Seriously. Like it or hate it, leave a word for the poor lonely fanfic author! Okay, I'm not _that _lonely...but still!


	18. 4: Same Old, Same Old

**A/N:** Hey guys! This is the last part of my mini series. It is a bit short, but I hope you guys enjoy it, and Merry Christmas to all of you lovable readers!! :D

* * *

**Same Old, Same Old**

Steam curled from the surface of the liquid like smoke, tendrils slowly twirling and drifting into the air, finally disappearing far above Aang's head.

"I have to say, Sis," Sokka was declaring as he leaned back leisurely in his chair, propping his feet up on the wooden table, "You're tea-making has improved tenfold since Dad and I left." He took a draught of it, smacked his lips, sat back, and sighed contentedly.

Katara came to join her companions at the table, pulling up a chair and setting down a cup in front of Toph. "Oh, this wasn't my recipe." she responded modestly, "Aang brought some jasmine leaves he harvested four months ago from the Western Air Temple. The garden there is overgrown. It has the most wonderful taste, doesn't it? I can't believe we didn't think of using it when we were first there."

Sokka muttered something into his cup, and a moment later, Toph laughed.

Aang raised his eyebrow and peered at her over the rim of his own cup. "What did he say?"

The earthbender grinned and took a sip from her own tea. "He said, 'No wonder it tastes so delicious, Katara never was a very good cook.'"

The waterbender huffed indignantly and shoved her brother's feet from the table. Sokka was flung forward, almost spilling his scalding-hot drink and sputtering, "Hey!"

Katara turned up her nose. "Don't push my hospitality, Sokka, just because you're my brother doesn't mean I won't kick you out to sleep in the Public Guard's barracks!"

"Oh, they finished those?" Sokka perked up.

His sister huffed. "Yes, they've finished them! Now shut your pie-hole and drink your tea before I rip your lips off and shove them down your ears!"

"Ooh," Aang murmured to Toph sitting next to him, "Harsh."

The waterbender turned to him and glowered playfully. "That goes the same for you, Avatar Aang!"

"Ooh, harsh," Toph sniggered mockingly.

The airbender frowned.

The earthbender punched him in the arm. "Lighten up and take it easy, Twinkletoes! We've been busting our backsides for years! The world sure was a mess after the war. You'd think it'd been a _thousand _years, instead of a hundred. It's high time we all took a well deserved break."

"I'll say!" Sokka quipped. "All that politics!" he shuddered. "Who knew there were so many liars and connivers in high society?"

"I hardly even believe _I _was able to catch them all," Toph remarked. "Angry Boy surely put me to work that eight-some months we were at the palace…and nearly every single dignitary that came in there was trying to cheat him or smooth-talk their way into gaining something-or-other."

Aang shook his head sadly. "It's terrible, really," he began, "That so many people in this world only care to seek their own benefit. What happened to true patriotism and wanting what's best for your community?"

"In _those_ nobles' opinions," Katara cut in with conviction, "Only people who have nothing to lose are foolish enough to do something for other people before they make themselves comfortable in life."

"Well said, Sugar Queen," Toph lifted her cup. "I'd drink to that. Those in high positions think it an abomination to stoop lower to lift others up to their level. And I know from experience. It sickens me every time, because I've been on both ends of the ladder." The earthbender tipped her teacup upside-down and emptied it.

"Remember that rebel uprising in the Fire Nation's Southern island chain?" Sokka asked, placing his cup down on the table and standing.

The others nodded thoughtfully, as they each drifted back into individual memories of the occasion. Aang's lips twitched upward in a half smile. "Their 'general' was so wasted he couldn't even stand up straight."

Toph nodded in agreement, setting her empty teacup down on the table. "I'm surprised those people were stupid enough to even let him represent their cause. If Zuko had been any other ruler, he might've just laughed in their faces."

"Ugh," Katara sniffed with disgust. "The smell of rum stayed in my clothes for weeks."

Sokka lifted his mug and laughed, shaking his head in bemusement. "Great La, the adventures we've had together."

"Yeah," Katara, Aang, and Toph spoke together, sighing simultaneously. They lapsed into a silence that lasted for a while until Toph perked up.

"By the way, Sugar Queen, I have to ask," the earthbender turned her attention to the waterbender, speaking the question almost as an afterthought, "Are those frown lines on your face?"

"Frown lines?" Katara's expression morphed into a look of horror. She put a tentative hand to her forehead. "Where?"

Toph smirked, and the two young men on either side of her exchanged glances and laughed. The waterbender, realizing her friend's bluff, crossed her arms and took another sip of tea. She allowed herself a mock grimace as Aang blew bubbles in his cup, trying desperately to stifle his laughter, and Sokka threw back his head and guffawed heartily, while in the middle of it all Toph sat with a characteristic smirk on her face. Sokka clapped the metalbender on the back, overcome with hysteria and wiping tears of merriment from his blue eyes.

Katara sighed. This scene sure painted a picture from the past.

The waterbender rolled her eyes in a gesture of playful surrender and smiled. "Same old Toph..."


	19. Brother: On Guard

**A/N:** To be completely honest, I'm posting this only because I'm having some extreme lack of inspiration with some of my prompts for Shorties, and I didn't want you guys to go all comatose on me, so I'll give you something to snack on in the meantime. Like most of my fics, this one is also unbeta-ed, so I apologize for any mistakes and whatnot. Also: the ending is assuming that Sokka somehow found his boomerang after the last episode (*sniff*, so sad! I still think losing both weapons was a bit extreme...I mean, Sokka isn't Sokka without his crazy weird weapons...his boomerang especially!). Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

**Brother: On Guard**

"Sokka! Is this _really _necessary?" Katara stood facing her elder brother squarely. It was three days after she and Aang had kissed on the balcony of the Jasmine Dragon, and Sokka had been shadowing the pair ever since then, never letting them out of his sight. He had made himself noticed by pushing in between the two whenever he felt that they were getting 'too close.' After witnessing for about the hundredth time Sokka shooting a sideways, under-the-table glare towards Aang, Katara was fed up. The waterbender was beginning to believe that she would never be able to get within two feet of the airbender _ever _again, and she didn't like it.

Sokka, pausing mid-bite with a roll halfway to his mouth, lifted his chin to meet his sister's burning gaze. She stood up, her gold -embroidered green satin robe sliding over her thighs with a barely perceptible _swish. _Her long, wavy brown hair was pinned back with a hairpin that sprouted a fresh pink blossom. Her thin eyebrows were neatly arched and met in the middle of her forehead in anger, and her lips curved downward in a disapproving frown that was deepened by the glare in her eyes.

Aang thought she was beautiful.

Sokka knew she was mad, but tried nonetheless to brush it aside with his usual brotherly antics.

"Wuht?" The warrior played dumb from beneath a mouthful of bread. Katara's expression didn't change as she placed her hands on her hips, her blue eyes narrowing only to the slightest degree. Sokka swallowed quickly, knowing she meant business.

"How long are you going to continue this charade? We're only having lunch, for La's sake!"

Her brother crossed his arms and set his jaw, as he always did when he was stepping boldly out onto a sea of precariously thin ice. "Oh, _what _Katara? You seriously think I would trust you two _alone _together after yesterday?"

The waterbender released a huff of protest. "There are a _million _other people here, Sokka! You honestly think...?"

"No, I don't," the warrior countered, "I _don't _think. I only speculate and _do._"

"You're darn right you don't think!" Katara retorted hotly. "My feelings? Aang's feelings? Have you considered them at all?"

"I've considered them, all right! I consider them a threat!" Sokka stood, supporting himself with his good leg and a single wooden crutch. He boasted nearly a full head over his sister, and he glowered down at her.

But the look on Katara's face was a piercing reminder that he was on the road to pain and shame—speeding _way _too quickly.

"A _threat?_" she sputtered, her voice quivering with indescribable emotion.

"Guys..." Aang half stood, his arms spread wide in a calming manner. "Do we really need..."

"Sit, Short stuff," Sokka forced him back down with a hand over the airbender's arrow tattoo. "This doesn't concern you."

His sister blinked, outrage flaring in her eyes. "It _does_ soconcern him! Apparently it's all _about _him!"

"Short stuff?" Aang muttered, indignant, though his protest was lost on the siblings, squaring down for a fight.

"Why are you such a mole-nosed snoop?" Katara shouted, tugging at the ends of her hair angrily.

"Why do you always get so worked up over _nothing_?" Sokka retaliated, his voice's volume on full blast, smashing a fist against the table.

The resulting noise was loud enough to wake the dead, rattling the ceramic salt and pepper shakers that sat in the center of the table. The enter shop was hushed, unbeknownst to the quarreling pair, who now were trading insults.

"Why are you such a snot-nosed gossip?"

"How do you expect to hear anything when all you hear is your own whiny voice?!"

"What must I do to make _you _hear _me?_ Bash you over the head with a log? Maybe that would _clear the blockage in your brain!_"

Quiet as dead mice, the other shop customers stared speechlessly at Sokka and Katara as they battled it out. In the far corner of the shop, a horrified mother covered her two-year-old's ears, and a table away, a responsible five-year-old did the same--shielding her mind from the profanity that rang in the air.

Aang's own ears were ringing in sync to the wild fluttering of his heart. He had had no idea that the siblings harbored such a colorful vocabulary. Tactically saving himself and his friends from further embarrassment, the airbender sprang from the table, dragging Katara and Sokka along behind him by their shirt sleeves as hushed whispers and snickers floated about the room they left.

Swinging the Water Tribe siblings around in front of him, Aang chastised the two as if they were misbehaving school children, his twelve-year-old voice sounding awkwardly out of place as the words flowed from his tongue, his eyes glinting with annoyance.

"I'm ashamed of you guys! War heroes squabbling in a shop like a pair of drunken sailors! What in the world were you thinking?!"

As both Katara and Sokka erupted into a fury of verbal complaints, it was all Aang could do not to shout them back down again and draw more bad publicity.

"Sshh!" he hissed angrily, "Guys, please!"

When they refused to quiet down, Aang's expression hardened. Taking Sokka firmly but not cruelly by the shirt collar and tugging him away from Katara, Aang strode down the street with the warrior stumbling behind him, hurling a ton of muttered insults at the airbender. They came to a halt further down the crowded pathway.

"Why didn't you _think_, Sokka?" Aang sighed, releasing the warrior and allowing the warrior to turn and face him.

"I _told _you," Sokka replied irritably, "I don't think. I speculate and do. If I didn't have a good reason, I wouldn't be doing this!"

Aang let his own arms fall limply to his sides in exasperation, but there was no scorn in his voice when he spoke.

"Let's hear it then."

"What?"

"Your good reason." It was a statement voiced without sarcasm or any hint of cruel humor. There was no doubt about it: Aang was dead serious.

Sokka's resolve wavered as he tried in vain to form his thoughts into words. "I...I...oh, screw it, you _know_ why."

Aang blinked owlishly up at his friend, shifting his weight back on his heels. "I'm an airbending _monk_, Sokka," he said, his solemn gaze boring into Sokka's, straight and true.

"You're also a thirteen-year-old _boy,_" the warrior countered, gathering courage, "And _believe _me, I know what goes on in a thirteen-year-old boy's head. Rest assured: It ain't pretty."

"Don't you trust me, Sokka?"

The warrior blinked at his young friend, slightly taken aback at the airbender's straightforwardness. "With my life," he responded honestly, not a single ghost of doubt in his mind.

"And Toph's...and Suki's?"

"Yes." Sokka answered without hesitation.

"Then..." Aang's features softened, his lips turning downward ever so slightly, his face molding into a look of puzzlement...almost even hurt. "...why don't you trust me with _Katara's_?"

For a brief and rare moment, Sokka was at a loss for words. "I...its different."

"How so?" the airbender pressed with honest curiosity.

"I'm her _brother_," Sokka stated,_ "_I'm _supposed_ to be wary when someone shows more than friendly interest in my sister. It's...in my programming, I guess. You wonder why I was so suspicious of Jet?"

Aang gazed at the warrior with a knowing expression in his eyes. "You turned out to be right, though." It was unnerving to Sokka, seeing a boy so young have such...age...in his eyes. The warrior bit his lip, suppressing a shudder and hiding his unease.

"Instinct told me that he had no business with my sister's feelings, his only motive was trickery and manipulation."

Aang blinked. "What does instinct tell you about me?"

Sokka didn't answer right away. His blue eyes grew hazy, and the airbender knew he was receding into his memories, remembering the things that had happened those months ago, searching for some flaw in Aang's argument...something he had done to be undeserving of his trust.

The warrior recalled what the airbender had said in response to his sister's impulsive decision to leave the South Pole with him after Sokka himself had banished him.

_Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family. _

The water tribesman remembered when he and Katara had insisted on accompanying Aang to Crescent Island on the Winter Solstice. Running a Fire Navy blockade had _not _been the easiest task they encountered during their travels, and falling off Appa into a maelstrom of fireballs had been _the_ single most terrifying thing Sokka had ever experienced. Still, Aang had managed to maneuver Appa to catch him as projectiles exploded around them, _and_ he had gotten them past the blockade safely.

Yet another time, Aang had successfully rescued both Katara and him, along with two full clans of Earth Kingdom refugees that _hated _each other, from the deepest and largest canyon in the world. By riding on the backs of giant, flesh-eating insect monsters.

Countless other times the airbender had fought protecting him, his sister, Toph, and eventually Zuko and the others. Like when their group got separated in the Labyrinth of the Two Lovers. Sokka saw Aang shove her out of harms way as the stone ceiling caved in on top of them. Though afterwards neither of them had talked at length about what truly went down between the time they got separated and when they found their way out—she and Aang had both been safe and well, and Sokka was grateful that they had managed to escape the 'cursed' caves in one piece.

All these thoughts ravaged his mind, and the overwhelming protectiveness and wariness he felt began to break down, slowly and gradually molding itself into something else, a feeling of…what was it? Trust.

After a long moment of silence between them, Sokka looked up to see Aang holding out his arm. Sokka blinked, momentarily wondering what the airbender was trying to pull.

Then it hit him.

Gripping forearms was a Water Tribe ritual, something of a pact of agreement, between only the closest of family members. More specifically, a vow that was performed between a man who wished to marry another man's daughter. The act signified an official joining of two families--the girl's father gave his approval to the union and accepted his daughter's future husband as a son. In turn, the man vowed to protect his soon-to-be wife and her family's possessions with his life. It was a symbolic and essential custom that preceded the marriage ceremony. But...

Aang couldn't possibly know such a thing. One, Sokka was Katara's _brother, _not her father, and two, they were not getting _married._ Inwardly, the warrior grimaced. _Yet_, anyway.

This thought, however shocking, opened something within him that made his mind pause in its calculations against Katara being involved in a relationship with the airbender. What if Aang _did _know what he was doing? It was the most solemn promise that anyone could make, and when considering his sister, it made Sokka do a double take.

Blinking at Aang's honest face, the warrior came out of his trance and glanced down at the Avatar's open palm. Lifting his own hand and stepping forward, Sokka gripped Aang's forearm firmly, his ice-blue eyes soft.

Upon release, the airbender was ecstatic, quivering with joy at his acceptance, his gray eyes glowing.

Sokka sighed, knowing he was beat. "Just..." he glanced back toward his sister, who stood where they had left her by the shop's entrance, staring at her brother and friend with an unreadable emotion in her bright blue eyes. "Be back at the teashop before dinnertime, okay?"

Aang's serious expression broke instantly into an excited grin, in a moment washing away all unearthly wisdom from his child-like face. "Oh, thanks Sokka!!" The Avatar gave a little thrilled hop, his eyes radiant.

Sokka placed a restraining hand on the top of Aang's head, obscuring his blue arrow. "Don't do that," he ordered, his face completely serious. "It's not manly."

An emotion flashed in Aang's eyes, something along the lines of, _Speak for yourself. _Gone in a heartbeat, Sokka had no time to accurately read the look before the airbender flashed another bright smile and slipped from beneath the warrior's grasp, heading back toward Katara at a jog, fully expecting the warrior to follow him.

"I'm watching you, Airhead!" Sokka called after him, but the threat fell empty to the ground. Pausing, Aang glanced back, as if in an uncertain invitation to join him. Sokka shook his head. Nodding, the airbender continued on his way, weaving through a post-lunchtime dwindling crowd. Upon reaching Katara, Aang said something to the waterbender, who nodded and smiled. Together, they turned to reenter the tea shop. Before following her, Aang offered up a final wave toward Sokka, beaming. Then he spun and disappeared through the doorway.

Sullenly, Sokka reached back over his shoulder, pulling his favorite weapon out of its sheath. Running a hand over its shining surface and keen edge, the warrior sighed.

"At least I still have you, Boomerang."


	20. Advice

**A/N:** Little blurb I came up with and wrote down. Tell me what you think of it.

* * *

More than anything else, it was his tossing and turning that woke her.

Even now, awake and alert as she was, she didn't move from her spot on the ground. Inhaling levelly, she kept her breathing slow and steady, as if still within the confines of sleep.

She could hear as well as feel him now. His clothes rustled harshly against the grass as he moved restlessly. His breathing was shallow and labored; his heartbeat was unsteady and quick. He muttered incessantly under his breath, and even from this distance, she could feel the heat radiating from him in feverish waves.

Still, Toph lay unmoving. She pressed herself further into the ground, feeling for telltale vibrations.

He was afraid. She could taste it in the air. He was unsure. She could tell from his fists, clenching and unclenching against the grass. He was wired wide awake by his buzzing nerves, bunched tight up in a mass of energy. He was…

Starting to get really annoying.

A hitch of annoyance snagged her breath, and Toph sniffed.

Suddenly, his movement ceased. Even his heartbeat seemed to skip, settling somewhat. Then, she felt him twist, roll over on to his side, and prop himself up with an elbow.

Silence.

"Toph…?" he ventured, uncertain. His voice was as haggard as he was, exhausted, yet unable to succumb to the sleep he needed so much.

The earthbender, trying to save herself, checked her breathing, and relaxed. To her irritation, it didn't fool him as she had hoped it might.

"Toph…?" he repeated, a little louder, less unsteady, more pleading.

With a quiet groan of exasperation, Toph sat up, brushing the crusted sleep from the rims of her sightless jade eyes. Inclining her head, she greeted him with a sullen, "Twinkletoes."

"Did I wake you?"

She thought about this for a moment. "More or less."

"Sorry," he apologized, sounding weary.

"Hey," she cut in firmly, "Better you than Azula, or something worse." She gestured in a violent manner, widening her eyes and making an explosive noise with her mouth.

Aang's lips twitched upward in a weak smile. "Yeah…" He lapsed into silence.

Toph listened to the muted bleating of the sleeping koala-lambs as they dreamed. She felt their fluffy little bodies tremble, their short limbs moving jerkily as they ran with terror from imaginary predators. Shifting her hand on the ground, she felt Aang's quivering frame. His posture displayed a distant air. He was in another time and place. A time where his actions would determine the fate of the world, a place where his fate would be between life and death, and against a person who was prepared to end any life that stood in his way.

Sympathy wasn't in Toph's nature. He knew as well as she did…as well as they all knew…that this was necessary. He'd known since day one that he would one day have to face the Fire Lord. She had accepted it as fact, as just another obstacle to overcome. He, it seemed, saw it as Judgment Day.

"Toph…" he swallowed, breaking the silence that had lengthened between them, "Are you ever…afraid? Do you ever know what is supposed to come…what you have to do…but you don't feel you have the nerve to do it?"

She considered this for a long while, tipping her head to one side as she assessed the question and its possible answers.

"Aang," she said finally, "I am an earthbender. I know what I have to do, and I do what I know I have to. No questions asked."

"But…" the airbender asked, "What…what if you're not sure what you have to do is right?"

Toph straightened, crossing her legs beneath her. She rested her elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand. She closed her eyes, listening to the . "I do what I always have. I wait. And I listen. Eventually the solution presents itself."

"And if it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't," she said, "I make my own."


	21. Grateful

**A/N:** Just a little thing I came up with for Kataang week. Enjoy.

* * *

**Grateful**

"In some ways, I'm actually glad the war happened."

Katara sputtered into her wooden bowl. Accidentally inhaling some of the rice, which had been her lunch, she burst into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

Aang glanced sidelong at her from where he sat cross-legged on the grass a few feet away, only slightly distracted concern radiating from his gray eyes.

They were together outside the Earth King's palace in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, having lunch and relaxing in between grueling peace sessions in the Royal Court. Lounging in the shade of a blooming apple tree, they enjoyed the warm weather and the sight of a wide, clear-blue sky. Only moments ago, their sparse conversation had lapsed into a thoughtful and appreciative silence. The only noise was the soft whistling of a sweet spring breeze through the boughs of the apple tree, when, like a well-shot arrow, Aang's statement had shattered the peace in an instant.

"You _what?_" Katara gaped in disbelief at the airbender, only after her coughing had subsided, her lungs shuddering with distaste in memory of the rice kernels that had so ferociously invaded a space in which they didn't belong. Gradually, she calmed her breathing down, and it was only after several minutes that her shoulders, covered by the blue fabric and snow-white hem of her kimono, stopped heaving.

"I do mean what I said," Aang replied adamantly, nevertheless unnerved by the waterbender's response to his simple statement. He rested his palms on his knees and leaned forward slightly, his brow knitted as he repeated his earlier declaration, "I _am_ glad the war happened."

Katara, quite shockingly, was speechless. She stared at Aang with a completely baffled expression, trying but failing to comprehend his meaning. The breeze picked up, causing her chocolate brown hair to swirl around her temples, as if to say, _what _do _you mean?_

"It _is_ for a selfish reason, I must admit," the airbender went on quietly, leaning back on his arms stiffly, as if they were a pair of props, "But I can't help but sometimes feel grateful for Sozin's ambition."

"B-but," Katara mumbled in bewilderment, finding her voice again, "He massacred the Air Nomads...your people...everyone you love!"

Shadows on Aang's face deepened, then receded slightly. "I know," he sighed, staring hard at the stiff fabric of his brown boots. "Think about it, though, Katara," he went on after a brief moment of quiet, "If the elders at the Southern Temple hadn't felt threatened by the impending war, they wouldn't have told me that I was the Avatar at such an early age."

Katara's eyebrow quirked upward in a thin arch. Though she was confused, her tone was compassionate when she returned with, "But you didn't want to face the responsibility then. You said yourself that things weren't the same after they told you."

"True," he inclined his head, his steel gaze distant, his mind in another time and place. "Things were difficult from then on. But listen," he directed delicately, guiding her attention, "If not for the threat of battle, they wouldn't have planned to send me elsewhere, away from Monk Gyatso and all of my friends, who were my family in every respect but in blood, to build up my skills. I wouldn't have run away. Appa and I wouldn't have gotten caught in that storm. We..." he trailed off, blinking and swallowing hard as he tried to rein in the emotion that was spoke volumes in his pained expression.

Katara inhaled sharply in realization, and she clasped her hands together in her lap. "You would have never been frozen in that block of ice for a hundred years."

Aang drew a short breath, staring shakily at his hands, which were curled together in his lap. When he lifted his eyes to meet Katara's, the cloudy depths were misted with a deep-flowing emotion. "I..." he began, pausing to collect himself before continuing with a solemn statement:

"I would have never met you."

Katara blinked at him warmly, empathy glowing like sapphires in her eyes as she absorbed the full weight of his confession. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Shifting toward the airbender, she laid a compassionate hand on his arm. When she spoke, her voice was soft.

"I guess, then, we _both_ have the war to thank for that."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading. Here, I am officially posting a request for more prompts for my one-shot collection, _Shorties._ If you have any ideas, feel free to review that story or pm me!


	22. Old Friend

**A/N:** Again…don't ask me where this came from. Because then we have to discuss the strange workings of my mind…and it is proven to be very dangerous to the mental health of most people. :D In all, this fic was fun to write, if a little scattered and unorganized. I know it still needs work, and I would appreciate it if anyone has any ideas of how to better tie in my randomness not only to the series but to Aang's character in general. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Old Friends**

"Hm."

Katara bit her lip, and shuffled through the bag again, feeling for the rough skin of a hidden potato, or the scaly layers of an onion obscured from sight.

"Eh..."

The waterbender shifted, shoving her arm deeper into the sack, until she felt the fabric at the bottom, amidst little else.

"Hmph..."

Pulling out with a frown, Katara glanced toward the small cauldron filled with water. Beneath it, a cooking fire sputtered. She fed it with another branch, and it crackled greedily as the wood blackened beneath the crimson flames.

A sudden echoing _thump _startled her, and she barely suppressed a gasp as the ground exploded a few meters from where she sat. From the earth emerged a battered and dirty Aang.

The airbender shook the dust from himself, laughing and breathless as he stumbled upright. Upon seeing Katara, he grinned brightly. The waterbender cocked an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping up from his dirty feet to his brown face, from which his silver-blue eyes glowed in stark contrast, like a crystalline pond amidst a barren dust bowl. Aang's eyes flashed as he surveyed his soiled clothes, flushing in embarrassment.

"Heh…" he explained quickly, "I'm teaching Toph how to play 'Hide and Explode.' We've found a way to make it work with earthbending, and it's really fun! Want to pl—whoa!"

He was cut off abruptly as the earth shattered beneath him. Rocketing into the air, he back-flipped, landed awkwardly, and skidded backwards to a tumbling halt.

Katara winced.

Where the airbender had been only a heartbeat before now sat Toph, covered from head to toe in pulverized stone and laughing uproariously.

"The Blind Bandit strikes again!" she shouted, pumping her fist in Aang's direction and smirking.

Katara brushed the sand from her lap and frowned, clearly not amused.

"If you two are quite finished," she sniffed, shaking the dust from her hair, "I have some bad news."

"Sokka was dropped on his head as a baby?!" Toph exclaimed in mock horror as, with a sweep of her arms, she sealed the crater she had created in the ground.

From where he sat across the room, Aang snickered into his hands.

Katara's eyes narrowed with irritation. "No. We're almost all out of food. All we have left is a couple pieces of old fruit and a few hard tack biscuits."

"Yikes," Toph dusted off her hands. "The situation is much worse than I thought. Good thing Snoozles and Hothead are fishing, eh?"

"We need more than fish," Katara countered urgently, gesturing wildly. "We need travel food. Non-perishable, or at least something that will last."

"There should be a garden around here somewhere," Aang contemplated, appearing beside his earthbending master. Sneezing suddenly, all the dust that had accumulated on his clothes blasted outward in a gust of wind. Recovering, the airbender sniffled and said, "At least, there _was_ a hundred years ago. I remember eating the famous Western Temple sweet potatoes," he closed his eyes as the memory washed over him. "Baked with cinnamon and wrapped in sugar cane leaves, oh, they were _amazing._"

Katara glanced around expectantly, as if the delicacies Aang had described would appear nearby on command. "Do you think the garden is still here?"

"I sure hope so," Toph put in, her stomach rumbling audibly. "Right now, anything besides bland porridge and soup rations sounds _beyond _awesome."

Aang wholeheartedly agreed.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Katara stood, brushing off the remaining sand that clung to her clothing. "Let's start looking."

Ten minutes later, they were in the air.

Appa circled slowly, as if contemplating where to begin. In the saddle, Toph sat cross-legged, resting her head in the palm of her hand and her elbow upon her knee. She listened as Katara, seated on the bison's head, gave out directions.

"Aang," the waterbender ordered, pointing to their right, "You start on that side of the temple, and Toph and I will search over on this side." She gestured in the opposite direction.

The airbender, standing in the saddle, nodded obediently and flipped the clip on his blue-winged glider so the fins popped into place. "Got it. Meet you in an hour."

In a _whoosh _of air, he took off, looping neatly to level his descent. Banking sharply toward the south end of the temple, he sped away, and in another moment, his figure was obscured behind one of the many upside-down pagodas. With a snap of the reins, Katara guided Appa around a spire and off, heading toward the north side of the temple.

* * *

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

* * *

"Are you sure you can help?"

Toph snorted. "I _know _what a garden feels like, Katara."

"Oh," the waterbender frowned up at her friend. "Right. Sorry."

"Whatever," Toph shrugged off the apology and swung out of the saddle, sliding down Appa's side and landing solidly on her feet. Kneeling, she pressed her palm to the ground. After a moment, she stood back up.

"It's not here."

"How do you know?" Katara asked, shocked.

"Plants have roots, Sweetness. There are only a few plants on this tower…very scattered, and most are in clay pots. Okay? Okay. Let's get a move on." With that, the earthbender leapt off the ground and back into Appa's saddle, using the stone as propulsion.

Katara blinked in bewilderment. "Uh…okay then." She trusted Toph's judgment, but wasn't expecting her senses to be so efficient.

* * *

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

* * *

"That was fast."

Aang landed lightly, his glider snapping closed as his bare feet touched the ground.

"Your welcome," Toph answered, a sarcastic edge to her tone as she smirked.

The two girls stood shoulder to shoulder a couple of feet in front of the airbender, facing him. Behind them sprawled an enormous courtyard, overflowing with produce—fruits, vegetables, and nuts of every color and kind could be seen. In the very center of the garden flowed a trickle of water from a crafted hole in the ceiling (or was it the floor?). Among the sprawling plants lay a perfectly round pool in which the little trickle flowed into. The pool, though once clearly well-kept and pure, was now covered in a thick layer of algae. Rogue roots and young plants cracked the intricate pathways that curled throughout the garden, and many of them intertwined—a grapevine twirled among tomato stalks, berry bushes crowded at the base of a peach tree, potato and carrot sprouts sharing a centimeter of soil. The closest plants showed faded signs of long-ago distress, a few shriveled leaves here and a singed stalk over there. The garden space itself took up an entire level of the spire they stood on. Aang's mouth watered—he hardly knew where to begin.

"This is…quite a variety," Katara stuttered, eyes widening in awe.

"Looks like a lot of these plants have gone wild," Toph commented, shifting her heels in the dirt, "Their root systems are enormous."

"Yeah," Aang agreed absently, his silver eyes gleaming. He drooled.

Noticing the airbender's anticipation, Katara smiled and handed him one of her empty knapsacks. "What can I say?" she laughed, "Just don't get lost."

Aang grinned back at her and propped his glider against a pillar before darting into the bushes, quivering with an excitement brought about by resurfacing memories of a place that had been long-since forgotten.

Tossing a limp bag to Toph and gripping one of her own, Katara surveyed the possible prospects while giving verbal orders. "Look for nuts, root vegetables, and starchy plants first. Those will last the longest on the road. Then get whatever you want…and try to keep things from getting squashed."

"Yes, _Mother_," Toph snorted sardonically, striding past the waterbender and in among the plants with a playful smirk. Katara smiled and followed her.

* * *

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

* * *

Aang shuffled from plant to plant, hopping over exposed roots and ducking under thick bushes. Some bore fruit, others didn't. The airbender ate his way through the garden greedily, licking juice off his fingers and ogling at the foods he had dreamed about but hadn't actually eaten in over a century. Occasionally dropping items into his bag, he moved through the seemingly endless garden, emitting gasps of disbelief and squeals of eagerness in rapid succession as his gaze met with each new food.

So engrossed was he in his fascination that he failed to notice a pair of yellow eyes watching him from the shadows beneath a nearby bush.

"Twinkletoes, watch out!"

Aang spun around, alerted by his friend's warning, but it was too late.

He was tackled to the ground by something large, dark, and furry. A pair of ice-blue eyes flashed from beneath a cream mask as the animal pinned him down and…licked him right between the eyes.

The airbender winced as the rough pink tongue scrubbed the tip of his arrow once, twice, and then paused. The graying snout pulled back and a wet black nose sniffed his face curiously. Through the earth, he felt two pairs of approaching footsteps, and a distant cry of "Aang!"

"Over here," he returned softly. The weight of the creature's paws was lifted, and the airbender dared to sit up.

There, scenting the air beneath an overgrown strawberry bush a few feet from him was an old, thin wolf-coon.

Memories, long-since buried, flashed through Aang's mind.

* * *

"_Look, Monk Gyatso! Strawberries!" _

_The old man laughed at the antics of his young charge as he trudged up the path a several meters behind the bouncy seven year old. "Slow down, Aang," he panted, running his fingers through his brown beard, streaked with gray."I'm not as young as I once was, as much as I wish it wasn't so."_

_The boy halted, his blue eyes glowing with excitement as his gaze feasted on the rich, red fruit amidst leaves of bright summer green. Without hesitation, Aang reached out toward a particular strawberry, the largest and juiciest of any he'd ever seen._

_Suddenly, a snarl made the young airbender jump, startled. It was then he saw it._

_A small, fox-like creature crouched beneath the shrub, with eyes as blue as the clear summer sky and fur as dark as a starless night. Around its eyes was a patch of cream, like the custard they made at the Southern Air Temple. Aang took an uncertain step back, peering down curiously at the animal, of the like he'd never seen before._

"_Ah," Monk Gyatso appeared beside his pupil, his merry eyes twinkling. "I see you've discovered a wolf-coon nest there."_

"_Nest?" Aang glanced up at his mentor with confusion. He saw no nest. "I don't—"_

_A squeal interrupted him, and both airbenders turned to see a pair of cream-colored wolf-coon pups tumble out from behind their mother, scuffling and batting each others ears. Aang and Gyatso left unnoticed, they rolled right over Aang's little boots and on, squeaking and yipping with delight as they played._

_Unable to hide his fascination, Aang crouched down, gazing in awe at the creatures. Their mother reached out a paw and scooped the pups beneath her, where they paused in their game to pant. Shoulder-to-shoulder they gazed out from the shadows where they sat to the airbenders that watched them. One of the pups, the more bold of the two, crept out of the shelter of the bush, sniffing the air, his little blue eyes trained on the unfamiliar creature before him. Aang held out his chubby little hand, and the wolf-coon stuck out his bright pink tongue, licking at the boy's outstretched fingers. _

_Gyatso smiled at the sight, and decided to pass on some knowledge of the rare animal to the eager young boy. "Wolf-coons live only in this area of the world," he began, "You won't find them even on the mainland of the Fire Nation, because they like warm, moist places such as this canyon. They're very friendly, as you have seen, and naturally unafraid of most people. That's why they live so close to the Western Air Temple. In fact, they're quite fond of strawberries, just as you are." _

_Aang smiled. "Strawberries are sweet and yummy. Who wouldn't like them?" As if in response to this, the mother wolf-coon tugged one of the fruits off the bush with her teeth and dropped it before the pup that sat beneath her, and watched as the youngster dug in, lapping up the sugary red juice that seeped out of the berry. Jealous, the pup sniffing Aang's palm gave a short squeal of eagerness and darted toward its sibling. Thus, their play began again, this time; they scuffled over the possession of the strawberry._

_Gyatso and Aang shared a laugh, the hearty tone of the elder's voice mingling with the ringing joy in the tone of the younger. _

"_Wolf-coons are extremely long-lived," Gyatso commented when their merriment subsided, tucking his hands into his golden robe. "It is said that their lifespan can reach up to two hundred years, and they have brilliant memories."_

"_Two hundred _years?_" Aang echoed, mesmerized. "That's a long time."_

_Gyatso chuckled, and held out his hand, which his young pupil took willingly. "Not at all, my boy," the wizened old airbender smiled, "Not at all."_

* * *

Jerked back to the present by the rumble of earth beneath him, Aang blinked at the wolf-coon.

In turn, the animal blinked back at him. Something in the sparkle of its blue eyes was familiar.

That something revealed itself suddenly, and Aang's face broke into a smile. "Hey, boy," the airbender whispered, recognizing the wolf-coon pup from so long ago. "Fancy finding you here, huh?"

The wolf-coon whined, pawing the ground with both forefeet while its hind end wiggled with joy.

Bursting through the bushes, Toph and Katara appeared suddenly. "What is that thing?" Katara exclaimed, drawing water from her pouch, ready to defend her friend against this threat.

Aang grinned disarmingly at the waterbender, and his gaze fell on Toph, who had already relaxed, knowing they weren't in any danger. "He's a wolf-coon!" the airbender explained, "Native to this area, and really friendly. He won't hurt us."

"Wolf-coon, eh?" Toph crossed her arms and shuffled closer. "I couldn't feel it before, what with all these plants crowding my vision. Feels interesting."

The animal in question lifted its tapered snout to sniff at the earthbender's face. Its tongue shot out, and it swiped her cheek. Toph choked down a giggle, and straightened. "It's like a little badgermole. Uses its nose and tongue to explore."

Katara, a little more hesitant than her two friends, eyed the animal suspiciously. Aang leveled his gaze at her, and she met it, sighing.

"I guess it's kind ofcute," she said resignedly.

Aang raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay," she held her hands up in surrender. "It's really cute."

The wolf-coon, approaching her with its nose in the air, tugged at her kimono gently with its teeth. Its eyes gleamed softly as it looked up at the waterbender quietly.

"Fine," Katara broke after a moment, reaching down to allow him to sniff her hands. She stroked its gray head gingerly, rubbing the base of his ears. "Okay, I admit it, you are _really _cute."

Aang and Toph smiled.

* * *

**A/N:** Told you it was random! Drop a word in whether you liked it, hated it, or thought it was just plain weird! :D


	23. Legitimacy of Carnivorism Sokka Style!

**A/N:** Really, really short blurb that I dreamed up the other day. For the record: 286 words. Do I get an award for that? :D

* * *

"Sokka, how can you gorge yourself like that on something that was once...you know...living?"

Aang grimaced with disgust as his friend shoveled mouthfuls of roast turkey-duck into his mouth...at what the airbender was sure was some kind of record speed.

"Wha?" the warrior looked up, juices dripping from his chin and his cheeks puffed up with the meat.

Aang swallowed around the sour lump in his throat, trying to quench the wave of nausea that twisted his stomach. "All life is sacred..." the airbender muttered almost to himself. His firm belief that this was true made it all the more sickening to watch Sokka eat.

Noticing the queasy expression on the airbender's face, the warrior politely swallowed, wiping his face on his sleeve. "Look, Aang," he amended, "Sure I believe that life is sacred. It's just that, who are we to deny the natural order of things? Big things eat littler things, and we eat the big things. It's how the world works. So, I'm not saying that being a 'vegan' and all that is wrong, I'm only saying: why refuse something that's given to you?"

Aang didn't know what to say to that, and he was saved from having to reply when Toph, looking up from her own meal, continued Sokka's argument for him.

"Animals were put here for a reason, Aang," she said, using the airbender's name as she ususally did when she was serious. "Animals eat other animals too…its not like we're doing any great horror by having our place in the food chain."

"Respect them and they'll respect you, I always say," Sokka piped between mouthfuls. "Take what you need and use it. Leave the rest for nature to take care of."


	24. Nicknames

**A/N:** Hey guys. Long time no post. Anyway, this is a one-shot based loosely on a prompt I got for my _Shorties. _However, this really didn't fit that bill, but I decided to post it anyway, because I thought it had some substance to it. Tell me how you like it. Or don't. But I would prefer the former. Thanks. :D

* * *

Slanting rays of sunlight warmed Toph's face as she lay back against the smooth, worn stone floor of the Western Air Temple. It was midday, and she could feel each of her friends milling around nearby, prowling like half-starved dogs homing in on the kill. All this was in restless anticipation for Katara's stew, which she'd been painstakingly concocting for the last three hours.

Lounging on the demolished fountain's rim a few yards from the waterbender, feet splayed out in front of him as he leaned back on his arms, was Twinkletoes. He sat there panting, half-winded. Toph could feel his heart fluttering spasmodically within his chest as he voluntarily attempted to slow his breathing down--which only resulted in causing him to gasp and hiccup even more violently.

Allowing a ghost of a smile to flicker across her face, Toph shifted, pressing her back more firmly to the earth. Aang's training session had gone well...he had gotten in several hits. Grimacing, the little earthbender absentmindedly rubbed her shoulder. The airhead was turning out to be a fine earthbender, even _with_ functioning eyes. Toph allowed herself a moment of smug satisfaction as she recalled many of her petty rivals in Earth Rumble Six. _Ha! And they call themselves earthbenders!_

Her attention shifted as Sokka, sitting cross-legged on the ground beside Hakoda, spoke up, his voice carrying in it a high whine of impatience. "Katara, are you _done _yet?"

Toph could sense the heat of the waterbender's glare from yards away, and the earthbender rolled her eyes, _tsk_ingloudly towards the source of her irritation. "Be patient, Snoozles. Go ahead and eat your own foot if you're so hungry."

She could feel Sokka's gaze on the black bangs that shrouded her face, and with a jerk of her head, she flipped them out of the way, allowing him full view of the teasing glint in her milky jade eyes. His silence betrayed the fact that he was actually considering the repulsive option, when his sister's voice rang out, annoyed.

"Honestly, Sokka, you can last a few more minutes!"

His quiet grunt met Toph's ear, a familiar signal. The earthbender's lips twitched upward for a brief moment, knowing his inclination toward argument had been suppressed by his eagerness for the food to be finished.

Toph sniffed. He really was a pushover in such verbal battles, especially when they came at the expense of his next meal. It was no harder to win that war than to twirl a pebble on her palm.

Closing her eyes, Toph extended her senses once more, feeling Zuko's sturdy stride as he stalked purposely into camp and settled a few feet from her, resting his chin in his hands. Suki followed close behind him, pausing to lift her empty palms in a shrug of defeat.

"No luck?" Aang inquired from where he sat. Toph picked up a clear note of disappointment in his voice.

"Not one berry," Zuko sighed, staring at the ground in front of him. "It must not be the season for it."

Aang crossed his arms and looked down. "Well, maybe Haru, Teo, and the Duke found something."

Toph pressed a palm to the ground and sniffed. "I doubt it," she observed, "They're already on their way back, and those baskets are as empty as when they started out."

Everyone sighed. The loudest of them was Chit Sang, who sat secluded a few feet away.

"We can't live off of potatoes and hot water forever," Suki affirmed with a frown. Then, she glanced apologetically at Katara. "No offense."

The waterbender blinked. "None taken," she replied.

Toph leveled her gaze toward Sokka and said, "We wouldn't _have_ this problem if you and Sparky had bothered to get a couple scraps of meat on your way home from your rescue mission."

A spike of mild irritation flared through Zuko as he realized she was talking about him. "'_Sparky'?_"

Flashing a fiendish grin, Toph gestured vaguely to her friends. "Snoozles, Sugar Queen, Twinkletoes. Everyone's got one. Being part of this group means you get an annoying nickname. Live with it."

The firebender snorted, but didn't press the matter further.

"Hey," piped Suki from where she was sitting on the ground beside Sokka, "Why don't I get a nickname?"

Toph shrugged. "Haven't known you long enough."

The Kyoshi Warrior glanced toward Zuko. "But you've known _him _long enough?"

Katara looked up sharply from the stew. "He's chased us around the world trying to capture Aang from the very beginning,"—at this Zuko winced— "We know him all _too _well."

"Besides," Toph went on, sensing Zuko's shame and remorse and attempting to make amends, "I didn't meet you 'til…like, yesterday. A day doesn't cut it. We got to get into some pretty big squabbles before I can come up with insulting names!"

"Yeah," Aang piped sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "Give the girl a break!"

"Hey," Toph pushed, "I can only come up with really good names in the moment. I don't sit around all day thinking them up, you know."

"Unlike Sokka," Katara glanced sideways at her brother, who made an indignant sound of protest in his throat, which sounded to Toph like a bad imitation of a hare-mouse squeak. Her smirk widened.

"Of course," the warrior complained, "Pick on the Idea Guy. Admit it; you guys couldn't handle life without me."

In a _whoosh_ of air, Aang stood, subtly sniffing the air as he responded to the warrior's comment, "True. It would be awfully quiet around here without you, Sokka."

"Amen to that," Toph laughed.

"The food's ready," Katara announced.

And so it was.


	25. Helm of Destiny

**A/N:** Little drabble-shot I dreamed up a little while ago.

* * *

"Hey."

Aang looked up, half-startled. Silhouetted against the blue moon was the barely perceptible outline of his firebending Sifu. Dressed in his usual crimson breeches and vest, the teen had left his dark, quiet room to embark on a midnight stroll, which somehow had landed him in the house's ample central courtyard.

The airbender averted his gaze, responding only with a half-whispered "Hey, Zuko."

The exiled prince shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He could read the hurt and pain in his friend's voice, and see (albeit dimly) the tension in the airbender's huddled posture. Genuine concern welled up in the firebender's heart, and he scraped together just enough courage to speak up.

"Aang, it's late. Everyone else is asleep. Aren't you tired?"

"N—o," Aang replied tersely, his reply broken in the middle by a wide yawn.

Zuko's eyebrow rose skeptically, and the airbender sighed in defeat. "Well, maybe just a little."

The firebender sat down on the earthen steps beside the Avatar.

"What's bothering you?"

The question was a quiet one, asked with the utmost sincerity, and Zuko never expected the explosion that followed.

"What's _bothering_ me? What's bothering _me?_" Aang's gray eyes hardened, and he was on his feet before Zuko could blink."_Maybe_ seeing a dramatization of me and all my friends _dying_ has something to do with it! _Maybe_ seeing the only girl I evertruly _loved_ portrayed as a blubbering ice-witch has something to do with it!" the airbender's voice rose in volume sharply as he went on angrily, "And _afterwards_, maybe getting a dose of the possibility of those_ horrors _actually becoming _reality_ is _what's bothering me...!_"

Aang trailed off, his breathing rapid and uneven. He occasionally hiccupped as he fought back a wave of sobs that threatened to overwhelm him. Collapsing to his knees on the steps, the airbender buried his face in his hands.

Zuko sucked in an uncertain breath and clasped his hands together, trying to absorb the meaning of his friend's tirade and sort out how to go about comforting him.

"Look," the firebender began, moving forward to place his hand on Aang's shoulder consolingly. "It was just a stupid play, soaked with Fire Nation propaganda. Those playwrights don't know anything about us…all they know is what my father feeds them."

Sniffing, Aang rubbed the tears from his face with a sleeve. "It's just so hard, you know?" he whispered, his voice quiet and husky with pain.

Zuko sat back, leveling his gaze with his friend's. "Aang, I do know. Watching that wasn't any easier for me than it was for you. But I won't let it discourage me. If anything, seeing that senseless garbage makes me even more determined to prove everyone wrong. And you should be too. We're at the helm of our own destinies."

Blinking slowly, the corners of Aang's mouth turned up, and he brushed the last of the tears from his eyes. "Thanks Zuko."

The firebender smiled one of his rare smiles, and sat back on his heels. "And listen," he added, "Don't worry about Katara. She'll come around."

Aang reddened.

Before the airbender could respond, Zuko was gone.

Lifting his gaze to the dark midnight sky, Aang sighed, tugging his crimson cloak tighter around him as the evening wore on.

* * *

**A/N:** Heh, I think Iroh's wisdom is starting to wear off on Zuko. :D


	26. Pai Sho

**A/N:** And the plot bunnies attack! I've had this in my head for some time, and had to get it down on paper (sort of...). Chock full of the Tokka spice we all love.

* * *

Her fist slammed down on the stone playing board victoriously. "Checkmate!"

Sokka couldn't believe his eyes. How a blind girl had beaten him at Pai Sho, he'd never guess. "First of all," the warrior replied irritably, "You don't say 'Checkmate.' Wrong game. Secondly, how in the world did you figure to put the Rock piece there?" he pointed to a space on the board where a small round tile sat, engraved with the image of a stone.

Toph shrugged. "It broke up your Jasmine and Lily pieces, so I could move my White Jade in and take the harmony for myself."

"Genius," Sokka sighed, scanned the tiles she mentioned. "That boosted your points over mine just before I claimed the game." He glanced up at her in disbelief. "You won."

"That's the general idea," the earthbender responded with a smirk.

Both of them sat hunched on floor cushions on either side of a small playing table, talking in low tones. Sokka's injured leg stuck out at an odd angle, and his bulky splint and bandages made sitting on the floor more difficult, though at the moment he didn't seem to mind.

They played in the upstairs sitting room of the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, where all their friends had gathered the night before in celebration of their newly reclaimed victory over the Fire Nation rebels who had emerged only days after Aang had defeated Ozai. For those long months after the war had ended, the peace had been a shaky one. It was only very recently that many of the people uprooted by the war had been able to accept and adapt to the new state of the world, and the riots had settled down to a manageable level.

With the end of the war finally assured, they had taken the chance to relax for a couple days. Even then, most members of their misfit little family had been unable to take the time off and wind down from the hectic speed of life on the run. Aang, Katara, and Suki had gone out shopping for the day in disguise, because Iroh had happened to mention that he was low on a few ingredients required to make his tea. Zuko was downstairs, assisting his uncle in taming the lunch rush. Mai was there as well, likely trying to alleviate her unyielding boredom.

That left only Toph and Sokka to entertain Momo and Appa as the day passed by agonizingly slowly. Sokka had stayed behind from the shopping trip only at the insistence of his girlfriend and sister.

"_You need to rest your leg," Suki had said._

"_It's still not completely healed," Katara diagnosed, "And you don't need to strain it."_

Toph had volunteered to 'keep an eye on him' while they were away, though her explanation to Sokka had been much more straightforward.

"_I don't want to be dragged to another day-spa like the last time we were here," she had scoffed, "I smelled like a flower for days!"_

Sokka had laughed, trying to convince the skeptical earthbender that smelling like a flower was not necessarily a bad thing, but Toph had just brushed off his argument and suggested they play a game of Pai Sho.

"So," Sokka began as they swept the tiles off the board and set up for a new game, "How'd you learn to play Pai Sho, anyway? It's not the sort of thing I'd think a rich girl like you would learn as a kid."

Toph set her first piece on the board and sighed bitterly. "You're right about that. No proper snobby rich girl knows how to use her wits in a mind game like this one. I definitely didn't learn it from my parents."

"Who then?" Sokka asked, as he made his first move of the game.

Toph placed her hand on the board, feeling for the engraving of her opponent's piece to determine her next move. "After the Earth Rumble Tournaments, I used to pay a visit to Gaoling's local tavern. There was this old man there who always sat in the very corner of the place, playing Pai Sho with anyone who cared to engage him. He won, too. All the time." She placed another one of her pieces on the board, and went on, "I'm pretty sure he earned a living that way, playing Pai Sho night and day, always sitting in that tavern, always watching calmly as his drunken opponents raved and slung pieces around when they lost. I watched him for a long time." She paused and waved her hand, indicating that it was Sokka's turn. He took up another piece and set it down, and looked back up expectantly, waiting for her to continue. She did.

"One night, business was low, and he noticed me. He invited me to play. When I said I didn't know how to play and I didn't have any money he could scam me out of, he laughed and offered to teach me. Teach me! For the next several nights, I snuck out, and we played Pai Sho together. He taught me every trick he knew. Those nights were some of the most fun I'd ever had in my life." She set down another piece.

"Wow," Sokka chuckled as he moved a tile that was already on the board, "That's some story. You think he might've been a White Lotus member?"

"Come to think of it," Toph answered, placing another piece down, "He probably was. The lotus tile was the first one he used every time. When I asked him why, he said it was an old family strategy."

"Hm," Sokka nodded thoughtfully, setting another tile on the board. "Did you ever tell him who you were?"

"Nah," Toph shook her head, "It wouldn't have mattered, anyway. I didn't ever even learn his name. He said that names were unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and I have to say I agree with him."

"So," Sokka commented, shifting one of his pieces, "If names are unimportant, can I call you Tophie sometimes?"

"Do," she countered, moving one of her pieces, "And I'll rip out your tongue and shove it down your throat."

"Hehe," Sokka swallowed nervously, "Point taken."


	27. Glue

**A/N:** I came up with this late last night. Wrote it down, decided to post it, and here it is. A little dialogue ficlet. Tell me what you think.

* * *

**Glue**

"Describe Sokka?" Katara laughed. "How would I describe _Sokka_? Hm." She pursed her lips thoughtfully, and frowned. Then she glanced back up. "Oh, I don't know. He's crazy. He's smart. He's a butthead. He's strong. He's so many things...I just don't know. He's...he's sort of...he's kind of...he's..." her face lit up suddenly, "He's like glue.

"Glue. You know. He's sticky and stubborn and willful. He won't let off until he's accomplished whatever it is he wanted. He's also adhesive, strong, and dependable. No matter what the circumstance, he's there to catch you when you fall and boost you back up again.

"With the right glue, you can stick anything together. That's how it is with Sokka. He's got a variety of talents. Inventing things seems to be one of his favorite pastimes. He also has a knack for weaponry. He doesn't go anywhere without a boomerang, and he's the only person I know that can fight with both a sword and a boomerang all at once.

"My dad always said Sokka was destined for more than an adequate life at the South Pole, and he was right. Without him, I probably wouldn't be here today. None of us would.

"Without Sokka, life would probably be pretty dull anyway. I'd hate to live anywhere that he isn't. It'd be too stressful. There'd be no one there to laugh at my hair or hoard all the seal jerky or hallucinate after drinking cactus juice."

Katara smiled. "Sokka is just...Sokka. And I couldn't imagine him any other way."

* * *

**A/N:** I guess this is sort of my consolation for my other fic A Matter of Time. Some people were upset that I 'killed' Sokka, so if you were one of those people, I hope this makes up for it. Maybe? Well, I tried...


	28. Once and For All

**A/N:** Finale kiss—because it just never gets old.

* * *

**Once and For All**

Shining golden rays melded with orange and bronze as a few scattered, wispy clouds glowed rosy-pink with the sun's fast-fading light. The breeze was cool and the temperature warm, typical autumn weather for Ba Sing Se. A row of fruit trees was planted in the courtyard behind Iroh's Jasmine Dragon. Their branches rustled pleasantly as night closed in and the first pinprick stars appeared.

Upon the balcony, Aang and Katara leaned toward each other and…

Their lips met and they relaxed into each other, reassured with each other's touch and in the hope that the dying sun was the only witness to their exchange.

But they weren't alone. Inside, someone was watching.

Toph was watching. Well, sort of.

No sooner had five seconds gone by, when suddenly, the earthbender felt someone nudge her shoulder. From beside her, Suki sighed as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, would you look at _that_."

Toph dug her heels further into the stone floor to get a better view of the proceedings. " I _am_ looking," she remarked with a smirk. "First time they've ever done that."

"What?" Suki asked, "Kiss?"

"No," Toph shook her head, grinning. "Made out."

The Kyoshi Warrior smiled, crossing her arms and glancing back up at their two friends.

"What's all this about making out?" came a dreary voice from behind them. Suki jumped in shock, because she hadn't noticed (as Toph had) Mai's stealthy approach.

Recovering quickly, the Kyoshi Warrior glanced up at the girl who her boyfriend often described as 'that gloomy girl who sighs a lot' and was surprised to find a hint of an amused smile playing at the corners of Mai's mouth.

Toph lost no time in letting Zuko's girlfriend in on the conversation. The earthbender jerked a thumb over her shoulder, happy to explain.

"Twinkletoes and Sweetness are lip-locked out there."

Suki giggled, and Mai's eyebrow arched upward as she lifted her gaze out upon the balcony to confirm Toph's statement.

"Hm," Mai nodded thoughtfully, "So they are."

"Who wants to break up this party before it gets out of hand?" Toph smiled deviously.

Suki just stared. "But you couldn't…they're so sweet…"

The earthbender shrugged. "Your loss."

Taking a few steps toward the archway that led out onto the balcony, Toph cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, "Hey! Lovebirds! We can _see _that, you know!"

Aang and Katara broke apart abruptly, horrified. They blinked guiltily.

"Toph!" Katara cried, embarrassed and irritated all at once as she saw her three friends standing just inside.

To the waterbender's surprise, Aang took her hand. "Let them stare," he said boldly, though his face was just as pink as hers.

Shooting one last glare over her shoulder at Toph, Katara shifted closer to the airbender, leaning over to whisper in his ear."Once and for all?" she asked, smiling. She reached up and cupped his chin in her hand. How he'd grown so much in a few months, she'd never have guessed.

"No," Aang shook his head, and turned to face her squarely, taking both of her hands in his. He couldn't even begin to describe how beautiful she was, and had always been. He smiled and moved closer, correcting the waterbender in a voice just loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

"Once and forever."

* * *

**A/N:** Should I...? No... But I... Nah... Well... I shouldn't...

Toph: Just do it already!

Fine. Please Review people! Or I will *insert threat here*! Yeah! So you'd _better!_

...

Toph: I don't think you're the threatening type.

No I'm not...not really.

Toph: I figured. Take it from me, honey, people will never take you seriously unless you pummel their slimy guts!

But, that's not nice.

Toph: Not nice!? Killing someone is not nice. Knocking some sense into them--that's doing them a favor! You hear me, readers? Do this poor, inadequate writer a favor and tell her how to get better! So in the future her stuff won't be so lame!

Hey...

Toph: Shush! I'm trying to help you! Don't you want my help?

Yes ma'am.

Toph: Then shut up!

Shutting up!

Toph: Right...so review, people! Do it right _now!_

Please! :D


	29. Relations

**A/N:** Hey people! Here's another little post-series tidbit I dreamed up the other day. No pairings, just good old Avatar friendship. :D

* * *

**Relations**

Aang collapsed onto his stomach on a floor cushion in the far corner of the small sitting room, sighing. Rays of sunlight filtered through the wooden slats that shielded the window, illuminating the dust particles that floated in the musty air. Most of the large guest wing of the enormous palace smelled this way, despite the weak attempts at making it more welcoming. Green satin drapes bordered the windows, and the furnishings were warm and fluffy, hemmed at the edges with a gold trim, smelling of mint. But no amount of luxuries could remove the old scent of neglect that permeated the air.

Because Ba Sing Se had been under the corrupted control of Long Feng and the Dai Li for so long, the Earth King hadn't hosted any distinguished guests from far-off lands. Thus, the eastern wing of the palace, which used to house people such as these, had been all but abandoned. After Aang defeated the Fire Lord and King Kuei was found and his power reinstated, delegates from all over the world had flooded into the Earth Kingdom capital to attend peace meetings and conferences concerning the end of the war. Consequently, available rooms in other parts of the palace were becoming scarce, and the eastern wing was reopened for the overflow. Unfortunately, the Avatar and the Fire Lord were part of that overflow, having given up better accommodations to other guests.

Though the gang had gotten together in the city for a brief vacation from their pressing duties, their time together was over, and it was back to business as usual.

A tired Zuko plopped down beside the airbender in a silk armchair, settling into it with a sigh. The firebender pinched the bridge of his nose like he always did when attempting to fight off a stress-related headache.

"I can't _believe_ they're so stubborn," Aang moaned, after a short-lived moment of silence.

"Cow-pig-headed, for sure," the young Fire Lord agreed, resting his elbows against the arms of the chair and dug his index fingers into his temples. "Restoring the Earth Kingdom's original borders is so much more difficult than I thought it would be."

"I _still _can't believe General Fong made that proposal," Aang replied, his frustration clearly displayed in his tone. "Whale-Tail Island has and always will be part of Fire Nation territory! Just because Sozin overstepped his boundaries a hundred years ago doesn't mean _they_ have to now."

"They do deserve some sort of consolation for all they've been put through," Zuko amended, gesturing broadly to suggest the huge repercussions of the war.

"Getting their land back, plus that huge payment you gave them for reconstruction should be enough!" the airbender insisted with a wave of his arms, "But demanding the control of an island chain that is such a huge part of the Fire Nation economy...its theft! Do they _want _to leave your country in financial ruin?"

"I wouldn't put it past them," Zuko commented bitterly, tugging his hair down and out of its imposing topknot, "But until the council reconvenes tomorrow, there's nothing that can be done at the moment. What do you say we head down to the Jasmine Dragon? Uncle told me he'd have a pot of ginseng ready for us if we dropped by."

"Sounds good," Aang replied, fingering the wooden-beaded pendant he wore around his neck, "I could go for some of Iroh's calming tea right about now."

"Me too," the Fire Lord agreed, sighing.

Losing no time, the airbender stood, and waited for his friend to do the same.

Zuko reached into his sash and pulled out a small cloth. Cupping the golden crown that he'd taken from his topknot in the palm of his hand, he fingered its crimson flame hesitantly.

Aang eyed the artifact curiously. "That was Avatar Roku's, wasn't it?" he asked after a moment.

Zuko nodded. "It's an heirloom, of sorts."

A confused expression passed over Aang's face. "But Roku wasn't part of the Royal family, was he?"

Zuko shook his head. Unfolding the cloth, he wrapped it snugly around the headpiece and tucked it into the folds of his robe. Then he stood. "Not during his lifetime. His bloodline didn't cross with Sozin's until my parents were married."

Aang's eyes widened as he stepped toward the exit of the room. "No way...!" he blinked, trying to comprehend the significance of what he'd just been told. Suddenly, as he turned the knob and pushed the heavy wooden door open, a flash of humor gleamed in his stormy eyes, and he grinned.

"So," the airbender began cheekily, striding down the corridor with Zuko following closely at his shoulder, "Since Roku was my past life, I'm basically kind of like your great-grandfather...several times removed?"

A puzzled look briefly passed over Zuko's face as he glanced oddly down at his younger, _monk_ friend. The firebender lifted his eyebrow skeptically and blanched.

"Aang, that is _so _wrong in _so _many ways."

* * *

**A/N:** Like it? Yeah, plotbunnies are the best...


	30. The Dominant Element

**A/N:** What came over me when I decided to post this? I have no clue whatsoever. Let me know if you've got any ideas. Post-war, Ba Sing Se...I excluded Mai for some unknown reason...maybe she was taking a nap...a couple brief mentions of pairings, but nothing much else. Feedback is welcomed. And adored.

* * *

**The Dominant Element**

"I wonder if fire really is the dominant element," Suki mused aloud, cradling an earthenware bowl filled with steaming soup in both hands.

All of the noise that usually accompanied dinner abruptly ceased. Five pairs of eyes stared at the Kyoshi Warrior, the faces of the people those eyes belonged to morphed into five separate yet identical expressions of confusion.

After a long moment of silence, Suki sniffed. She felt rather than saw the bewildered looks she was getting, and tried to make amends by elaborating.

"Not _literally_," she began with a roll of her eyes, "Genetically. I mean, if two benders of different elements had kids, which element would come out on top?"

When the silence only deepened, Suki huffed irritably.

Sokka, sitting across the table facing her, leaned forward, propping his elbows up casually on the table and shifted his injured leg to a more comfortable position. He regarded his girlfriend oddly. "What _exactly_ led you to wonder something so...random?"

"Well," Suki explained, "The world has been divided by war for over a century, and now that it's all over for the most part, people from different nations are more likely to get closer to other people that they wouldn't have during the war. You know, more immigration, emigration, and the cultural diffusion that goes along with them both?"

Five pairs of eyes stared at her blankly.

Suki sighed exasperatedly and set her soup bowl down on the table, shifting on the floor cushion she sat on and crossing her legs in a lotus position. "Bottom line: More benders of different nations will marry each other."

"Oh, oh!" Sokka straightened suddenly, his eyes flashing with realization. "I think I get what you're saying...and you want to know which element would come out on top when elements are mixed in the gene pool."

"Yes, thank you," Suki grinned, "Finally someone understands! I was beginning to think I was speaking in gibberish."

"Well, earth would be dominant, of course."

Suki glanced up at the person who had spoken. It was Toph. She held her soup bowl with her forearms lying flat on the table, her palms upward and cupping the bowl in her fingers.

"I wonder why you would say _that_," Zuko commented, a sarcastic lilt tinting his tone.

"Well," Sokka put in helpfully, his blue eyes flashing as the prospect of lively argument flowed into the conversation, "What if the order of dominance was the same as the Avatar Cycle?"

"Well, that puts_ your_ element on top," Zuko countered.

"Hey, I'm not a bender," Sokka shot back amicably, "So I'm technically impartial to any side of the argument."

"Every element has its purpose," Aang spoke out, "Each has their place in maintaining balance."

Toph snorted. "Says the mighty Avatar," she laughed morbidly, "Personally, there are some elements I could stand to live without."

"You can't live without water," Katara boasted. "It's the basis of all life."

"It's the basis of all deaths by drowning, too," Toph countered, scowling.

"Well, its benefits don't work very well if you _breathe_ it," Sokka joked.

"So," Suki interrupted, shifting the flow of conversation, "If water isn't dominant, then what is?"

"The order of dominance could be the Avatar Cycle in reverse," Aang offered, shrugging.

"That puts _your _element on top, Twinkletoes," Toph's eyebrow arched upward.

Katara leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "Well, wait…there may be some substance to Aang's idea," she started, but Sokka interrupted her before she could go on.

"Don't defend his idea just because he's your boyfriend, sis," he teased.

Aang reddened.

The waterbender flushed, her irritation spreading across her face, but she plowed on regardless.

"Listen," she ordered, in a tone that demanded undivided attention, "Every single Air Nomad was a bender. There were no non-benders among them as far as we know..." she looked to Aang, as if to confirm what she was saying, "So, it's logical to assume that they're ultimately dominant, even over non-benders."

"Or they were just pure-blooded," Zuko countered, "And there were no non-bender genes there to show up at all."

"So," Sokka intervened, grinning, "You're saying non-benders are dominant?"

"You are now officially part of the argument," Zuko smirked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Sokka's grin only widened.

"Maybe genetically," Katara answered matter-of-factly, flicking her brother in the side of the head with an index finger.

"But certainly not in awesomeness!" Toph smiled, molding her meteorite bracelet in her hand and playing with it like clay.

"I don't know," Suki defended, glancing toward her boyfriend with a smile in her eyes, "Some non-benders I know have a nice helping of ingenuity."

"Not to mention a couple of totally awesome weapons," Sokka added sadly, fingering the empty scabbard that he still wore across his shoulders.

"Genetically, there's some hierarchy," Aang decided, "But in the grand scheme of things, we're all equally important to the world."

Suki smiled, rolling her eyes playfully. "Well, I guess that settles it then."

"Yep," Toph agreed. "Earth beats all!"

* * *

**A/N:** Is it that bad? Yes? Would you consider dropping me a line in order to reassure me of its suckishness? Thanks.


	31. RA1: Birthdays

**A/N:** A recent inspiration I received: Most everything I've posted is just for my creative benefit. So many of you have given me such great encouragement: why don't I write something just for my individual reviewers? Credit for this idea goes all to Opaul, who has been a consistent, faithful reviewer throughout the ups and downs of this fic and deserves a little something back.

Thus begins the Reviewer Appreciation section of From The Heart.

**Dedicated To: Opaul **

*** Who I can always count on for kind words of encouragement. Happy Birthday! ***

* * *

**Birthdays**

"Birthday?" He looked confused. "What's a birthday?"

Katara gaped, her eyes widening in bewilderment. "You don't know what a birthday is?"

From beside her, Sokka rolled his eyes with exasperation. "You know," he started with a wild gesture, "The day of the year you were born?"

Aang continued to look on, blankly.

"For instance," the warrior continued, "My birthday is four days before the autumnal equinox."

"Mine's a day after the winter solstice," his sister put in helpfully.

Realization dawned on the airbender's face, but confusion still lurked in the shadow between his eyes. "What are you supposed to do on your birthdays?"

"Celebrate, airhead!" Toph answered from where she sat on the floor, leaning leisurely against the stone wall.

"Why?" Aang persisted.

"It's a world-wide tradition," Katara explained, still half-shocked that he had no idea what they were talking about."Celebrating the day of a person's birth and remembering how they have touched the lives of other people throughout their own lives."

Toph tossed a floor cushion upward toward Aang, and the airbender caught it. "Didn't the Air Nomads have some sort of spring festival?" she asked, yawning.

"Well, yeah," Aang nodded the affirmative as he dropped the cushion to the stone floor and sat. "But what does that have to do with…"

"Let me finish, antsy-pants," Toph cut him off, shifting forward to lie on her stomach, using her elbows as a prop. "Why did you celebrate the springtime? I mean, what's so special about it?"

Aang regarded her dumbly, not quite comprehending the reason for her question. "It's when winter ends and everything starts to grow again. Plants bloom, migratory animals return, and we plant our gardens. It's the renewal of life. Baby sky bison are born—"

"That's it!"

Aang glanced down at his earthbending master, confused.

Toph sat up. "Bison breeding season?"

Aang nodded.

The earthbender crossed her arms and turned her blind eyes towards the Water Tribe siblings. "Anything you guys like to add?"

Sokka picked up where she left off. "Why do you celebrate the beginning of bison breeding season?" he drilled.

"Because the sky bison taught us to bend, and it's a tradition to cele—oh."

"Yeah," Sokka crossed his arms, smirking. "You've got a handle on it now."

Katara exchanged glances with her brother, and she was surprised to see his brow furrowed in a thoughtful expression.

"What?" she prompted, waiting for him to explain.

"You know what," he said after a brief moment, regarding the airbender with an intense gaze, "Since Aang doesn't know when his birthday is, why don't we choose one for him?"

"Great idea," Toph agreed, surprisingly supportive. "I'll cast my vote for the spring equinox."

"Well," Katara mused aloud, "It could be twelve days after the spring equinox." When Aang shot her a bemused look, she elaborated, "You know, to signify how old you were when you defeated Ozai."

"How about we just go simple? I vote for the day he defeated the Loser Lord," Sokka offered, his expression completely serious.

Aang shrugged, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Sounds good to me. Katara?"

She shrugged agreeably. "As good a day as any other, I suppose."

"Toph?"

The earthbender waved a hand dismissively, smirking."All right by me. Leaves me one less date to remember."

"It's settled then," Sokka confirmed, clapping Aang on the shoulder heartily. "Happy early fourteenth birthday, buddy!"


	32. Cliff's Edge

**A/N:** A little something I dreamed up a little while ago just for fun. I hope I can get back into the rythym of fanfiction writing soon...tell me if you like this one!

* * *

**At the Cliff's Edge**

The old man and young girl squared off, several meters apart, each regarding the other with quiet, agressive scrutiny.

Her feet planted firmly on the ground, she wrinkled her nose with an air of confidence as she sized him up. Her green and tan tun was layered with a thin coat of black dirt, and the gleam of trickling blood from unbandaged scrapes and the purpling spots of bruises were scattered along her arms and legs, telltale of the great battle she and her friends had just won. From beneath a screen of black bangs, her jaded eyes stared blindly out, sparkling foggily with the thrill of challenge. Her bare feet were dirty and almost completely crusted over with a thick layer of dark, pulverized stone, starkly contrasting with the dry brown soil beneath her.

He stood with his muscled arms crossed as his piercing, calculating green gaze swept over her. His white collar, embroidered in the shape of a flower, matched his wild white hair, sticking out in crazy angles from either side of his head, just above his ears. The top of his head was hairless, and the shine of sweat glowed atop its crown. The creases in his brow twitched as he observed the youth of his opponent. The wrinkles on his face and the wisdom in his eyes the only noticeable indications of age.

Off to one side, an injured warrior, who lounged on the grass, leaned over to whisper in his companion's ear.

"Which of them do you think would win in a fight?"

His companion, a gold-and-orange clad boy whose blue arrow tattoos were almost unrecognizable beneath a thick layer of ash and dust born from the epic battle that had taken place only hours before, opened his mouth to reply. Before he could, though, the answer escaped him, and he settled for a shrug.

"I...actually, I don't know. You have any idea?"

The warrior shook his head, his crystal blue eyes glinting as he observed the scene before them. "Not a single clue." He winced as he shifted his weight and straightened his wounded leg, which was wrapped in thick bandages and supported by a wooden splint.

"Just waiting for the show to start, then?" The young bender nudged the water tribesman with his elbow.

Just then, a girl plopped down between them, shoving the two boys apart to make room for herself. Her short brown hair bobbed up and down as she elbowed both of them.

"You guys aren't too wimpy to take a bet, now are you? I've got to say it's Toph's game all the way."

"Suki!" the warrior whined.

Ignoring her boyfriend, the Kyoshi Warrior turned to the other boy. "What say ye, Aang? Which one of them would win in a fight?"

The airbender shrugged with a helpless half-smile. "If you had asked me a hundred years ago, I would have said Bumi, no contest. But now I'm not so sure."

Suki chuckled, and then nodded. "Completely unsure," she replied with a grin.

Sokka waved a hand, frantically shushing them as the elder of their two battling friends began to speak, "_Shh!_ Bumi's talking!" The trio hushed and listened.

"...you're the Avatar's earthbending teacher then, eh? Well if Aang chose ya', you oughtta have_ some_ amount of learnin' to your name."

"You bet your fancy belt-buckle I do," Toph retorted levelly, her eyebrow twitching beneath a shroud of black bangs, "Where'd you learn _your_ moves? At Ba Sing Se's home for senior citizens?"

Bumi snorted a laugh, and smiled. "I see you're a master in the trade of insults, young lady."

"Got a lot more where that came from, Gramps," Toph shot back, blinking boldly and lifting her chin.

"I believe you would make a worthy opponent," Bumi concluded, inclining his head.

"The real question is: are _you _worthy of _me_?"

Bumi erupted in a new spasm of chortles. "We will see. Now is not the time for dueling friends. When the world has settled from the last dying throes of war, then the time will be right."

"_Boooo!_" a familiar voice from the side protested, "No waiting! Fight! Fight!"

Sitting beside Sokka, Aang shook his head in bewilderment. "Deja vu," he sighed. Just then, a pebble struck the water tribesman between the eyes, and he sat down hard.

"Shut your nozzle, Snoozles, or I'll shut it for you!"

Toph turned back to Bumi, and with an air of finality, said, "So, it's a challenge, then?"

The old king smirked and replied, "Not if I challenge you first."

Toph smiled, tilting her head as she affirmed, "You're not so bad, old man."

Bumi mirrored her smile. "You ain't so bad yourself, Miss Bei Fong."

If Toph was surprised that Bumi knew her surname, she didn't show it. Instead, she crossed her arms and smirked, correcting him light-heartedly:

"It's Toph. Just Toph. Or," she added, "Totally Kick-butt, Awesome, Metalbending Toph. That works too."

Aang and Sokka shared a snicker, which earned them another shower of dirt thrown into their faces as Toph and Bumi stalked off arm in arm.

As the dying sun sank bathed the landscape in crimson, Suki stared after the pair of earthbenders, bewildered. "Well that was a totally un-epic scuffle."

Sokka spat sand from his mouth and made a face. "You said it."

* * *

**A/N:** Review? Please? ... Fine. Don't love me. Whatever. NO REALLY! PLEASE COME BACK! NO! PLEASE!!

...

And now I'm alone. D;


	33. RA2: Dawn

**A/N:** Another of my Reviewer Appreciation chapters. This one-shot is purely Kataang.

**Dedicated To: Katsumara**

***You're wonderful and awesome. I know you love Kataang, so this is especially for you.***

* * *

**Dawn**

It was morning.

The latest of the stars were fading away into the soft pink streaks that colored the pale predawn sky. Gathering on the eastern horizon was a bright orange glow, starting small and spreading slowly outward and upward, like a flower bud opening its petals to the sky.

Gray faded to purple, and purple brightened to a deep, royal blue. Wispy clouds caught flame as the sun rose, glittering gold and silver.

In the distance, a bird twittered experimentally, tentatively testing out its voice for the new day.

The great, impenetrable wall that faithfully guarded the outermost regions of Ba Sing Se gleamed like bronze in the fiery light of the rising sun.

Within the Upper Ring, community fountains reflected its glory in there softly bubbling waters, trees shivered as it came upon them, and the roofs of closely-clustered buildings were warmed by it, relishing the life it so selflessly gave.

One small figure, laying out on the rooftop of one such building, observed all this harmony with quiet amazement. One arm tucked comfortably underneath his head, he relaxed on his back, absorbing the utter brilliance and natural beauty that was the morning sky.

Nestled in the dip of his side was a lemur, its long, large ears folded flat against its back and its ringed tail curled up over its little black nose.

Absently, in a detached manner, Aang stroked Momo's ears, watching the sun rise. The lemur purred contentedly, snuggling deeper into the gold-and-orange fabric of the airbender's tunic.

Suddenly, a whispered call brought Aang down to earth, sending his heart fluttering and his muscles twitching with excitement. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Aang...? Are you up there?"

"Yeah," he answered immediately, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the roof. Momo clung to him, gurgling in surprise. Peering down, Aang caught sight of her, standing on the balcony below.

"Good Morning, Katara," he greeted, beaming.

A smile tugged at her lips as she tilted her chin upward to meet his gaze. "Morning," she replied quietly, unprovoked color heating her face.

Unsure of what to say, Aang tore his eyes from her, looking out once more over the sun-warmed land. Katara did the same, performing a slow about-face, settling her gaze upon the rosy-hued sky.

Though he couldn't see her expression, the hitch in her breath told Aang of her awe.

Pushing himself over the edge, the airbender slid from the roof feet first. A breeze ruffled his tunic as he floated down, landing silently beside Katara.

Momo, disturbed by his movement, glided in lazy loops above their heads undecidedly. After a moment of hesitation, he chirruped with finality and dived, alighting on Katara's shoulder.

She scratched the lemur absently behind his ear and he purred contentedly.

Chuckling at his little friend's antics, Aang came forward to stand at Katara's side. Her eyes were still trained on the lightening sky, where the sun, in its full glory, was rising above the horizon.

"Beautiful," she breathed, her eyes not straying from the awesome sight.

Aang's soft gray gaze was trained on her as he sighed in quiet agreement. "Yeah..."

Her eyes flickered, and she looked at him, searchingly.

Embarrassed, Aang took an involuntary step back, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, his cheeks flushed.

Katara smiled, and the airbender's heart melted to mush under her scrutiny.

Sensing the tension, Momo fluttered across the space between them, snuggling under Aang's chin in hopes to comfort him, vibrating as he purred.

Katara laughed, and Aang tried to give the lemur a hard look. Momo only purred harder in response, his green eyes closed, causing Aang's face to redden even more.

Stepping forward, Katara carefully unwound the lemur from Aang's shoulders, patting him on the head. Placing him on the stone floor, she waved him away. "Go on, Momo."

Mumbling darkly, the lemur stalked through the archway, his tail and limbs stiff with objection.

When he was gone, Aang laughed nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I think you offended him."

"He'll get over it." Katara smiled mischievously. She stood merely inches from the airbender.

Anxious, he skittered back a few steps. Katara caught on, and resolved not to push it. She glanced back at the sky, which during their distraction had lightened to its trademark blue

"What's wrong, Aang?" The waterbender's voice was soft and searching.

The airbender shook his head. "Nothing. What makes you think something is wrong?"

Katara blinked owlishly at him. "You're acting all awkward."

Aang stole a glance at Momo, who had appeared once more in the doorway, and sat grooming himself. His green eyes flashed as he looked up at the airbender for a moment, and then continued his cleaning unfazed.

"I guess I just don't like being watched," the Avatar shrugged, bringing his gaze back to meet Katara's.

"It's not like we weren't watched last night," the waterbender put in quietly, a smile tugging at her lips. "I practically _felt _Sokka's face when he saw—"

"Us kissing," Aang finished for her, and they both blushed.

"Yeah," Katara crossed her arms and tugged at her hair shyly.

Aang cleared his throat. "I mean, it's not like that was the first time, but—"

"It hasn't gotten old to you, has it?"

"What?" the airbender was shocked by her suggestion. "No! But—"

"Do we really know what we're doing? I mean, if you look at the big picture, we've only known each other for like what, a year?"

"But—"

"How can we possibly know what's right? I mean, it's so confusing! And really—"

"Katara." Aang stopped her with a hand on her arm.

She blinked in bewilderment. "Huh?"

The airbender gazed at her solemnly. "You said yourself, the day of the invasion. We've changed…we've grown so much in past months. You put your life on the line for me so many times, and I for you. We're friends, sure, but we're more than that. I—I can't really place it, but something tells me this isn't a passing phase. It's lasted too long for that. The feelings are too strong for that. Don't you believe in love, Katara?"

"Yes, of course." Despite her words, the waterbender sounded unsure.

"I don't think you trust yourself enough. I don't think you believe in your good judgment," Aang asserted firmly.

"I trust myself to have good judgment," Katara defended flatly.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"I'm—I'm just kidding myself. Aang, the way you make me feel…I guess I'm a little afraid of it. I've never felt this way before…and I'm afraid."

Aang's gray gaze was searching. "Of what?"

Katara blinked in resignation. "Of myself."

"You're afraid of loving and being loved?"

The waterbender shrugged, and looked toward the east, where the sun was unfurling its wings and spreading light across the land and sky. "I'm afraid of what could come of it."

Aang didn't know what to say to that. He was reminded of unneeded pressures and impulses, something that he was still too young to fully comprehend.

"If you're worried about me being…_you know_," he began, "I won't. I make you a solemn promise right now. And if I ever need help," he added with a comforting smile, "Then you can just tell Sokka to whack me upside the head a few times."

Katara stifled a laugh. "I'm pretty sure he'll do that anyway."

Aang grinned. "So we're in this together, right?"

The waterbender blinked approvingly. "To the very end."

Together, they turned to face the rising sun, their fingers intertwined.

A flash of brown and white, and Momo was between them, curled up against Katara's neck, as the tip of his tail tickled Aang's ear.

Giggling, Katara sighed as she shifted closer to Aang. "Seems we have Sokka's spy in our midst," she laughed.

Aang sneezed as the lemur's tail brushed his nose. "That sneaky brother of yours! Why'd he have to get such a _cute _spy?" Taking the lemur into his arms, he looked him in the eye. "Momo, that does it. We're going to have to duel for the right to this pretty lady's company, aren't we?"

The lemur purred sleepily and yawned.

* * *

**A/N:** Hate it? I know the ending is awful, and the discussion is un-original, but I tried my best. It started out so well...


	34. Together

**Together**

Katara lay back in the soft green grass of the meadow with a sigh, resting her head on her hands. High above, strewn in a beautifully designed pattern across the night sky, the stars twinkled knowingly. Behind her, several friends lay snoring, tucked away under their blankets. Appa slept near them, and on his big flat tail lay Aang, awake and staring at the nighttime sky.

The waterbender rolled onto her side, sighing. The moon was bright and full overhead, and she couldn't sleep. A breeze wafted by, and she closed her eyes and snuggled further into the grass, hoping it's softness would lull her to unconsciousness.

"Katara…?" the whispered voice was shockingly close, and Katara jumped with surprise.

"Aang?"

The airbender now sat on the ground a few feet away, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry," he muttered, "I didn't mean to scare you."

Katara shifted onto her back and assumed her previous position, staring at the stars. "It's okay," she shrugged.

Aang shifted a little closer, grateful for her company. He tilted his chin up toward the sky, pretending to look at the moon, but his gaze darted discreetly toward Katara. Her eyes reflected all the mixed beauty of the stars with the beauty of her own soul, glittering deep, royal blue in the moonlight. Trying to shake himself out of the trance proved to be useless. Aang was mesmerized, and he gazed unblinkingly at the waterbender. She was unaware at how brightly his silver eyes glowed.

"You know," Katara began, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "I wonder what will happen now that the war is over."

Aang, his mind registering not her words, but only the beautiful, bell-like sound of her voice, blinked twice. Once to mentally slap himself awake, and the second to tune his ears in to the exact frequency required to process the meaning of her words.

Misinterpreting his stare as one of confusion, Katara sat up, clasping her hands and lacing her fingers together in her lap as she mulled over exactly how to elaborate in the best terms. A soft breeze rippled the surface of the grass and the tops of the trees in the field, toying with the waterbender's hair loopies.

"To...to us," she started, glancing briefly up at him before returning her gaze self-consciously to her lap. "I wonder what will happen to all of us..." she paused, brushing a lock of wavy brown hair from her face. "For so long, ending the war was our ultimate goal...our purpose in which we based every decision, no matter how miniscule. But...what now?" She looked up, and the lost look in her eyes seared through Aang and wedged itself in his throat. "What do we do now that war has fled to the dark corners of the world and we are left in peace?"

The Avatar regarded her with an expression that bespoke of both buried wisdom and thoughtfulness. Even as the boy met her uncertainty with a calm confidence, the sparkle in his eye flickered uneasily. "I...I don't know."

Katara looked downward sadly.

"But," Aang's voice drew her eyes upward again. "I know whatever is in store for us in the future...we won't face it alone. Never alone."

The waterbender blinked slowly, truly meeting his gaze for the first time that night. What she saw was the hard glint of strength, softened by a kind look of reassurance glowing in his bright eyes.

"Never alone," she repeated, smiling at the sound of the words.

* * *

**A/N:** How was it? This is something I dreamed up, and it has no real plot or anything, but i thought it was sort of sweet...ish. Tell me what you think.


	35. Homecoming

**A/N:** From one of the earlier versions of my _We Meet Again. _The first bit might sound a little familiar to anyone who has read that story, but I assure you, it is vastly different after that. Set between when Aang defeated the Ozai and Zuko's coronation.

* * *

**Homecoming**

Katara awoke to the warmth of the sun on her face. Mild surprise rose up in her heart when she found herself snuggled into Zuko's shoulder, her arm tucked between her body and the stone they laid against. It took a moment for her mind to register where she was. A salty breeze toyed with her hair, and she blinked, opening her mouth in a wide yawn, her cheek still against the Fire Lord's arm.

"Nice to see you're awake," the firebender commented, a flash of amusement in his eyes. He was sitting with his back flat against the stone, his legs crossed in a lotus position and his arms tucked into his sleeves.

Katara sat up immediately, staring at him with brief confusion before remembering the reason that she had woken up next to him on the top of a mountain. Rubbing her eye, she yawned again, her gaze drifting instinctively toward the sea. Shielding her eyes with a hand on her brow, she stared out over the sparkling waters, her gaze sweeping over it in search of any figure that remotely resembled a ship or boat. While seeing nothing of the sort, her eyes detected a shadow…no, two shadows, disturbing the brilliance of the water. Too small to be boats, they were still a good distance away, and Katara couldn't make them out. She squinted, to no avail. The sun was too bright against the rippling waves.

"You see those?" Zuko spoke suddenly, and the closeness of his voice startled the waterbender out of her concentration. She turned to look at the firebender, who had leaned forward slightly and lifted his eyes toward the sea. He narrowed his eyes until they were mere slits of amber, glinting in the sunlight. "I've been watching them since sunrise. They move quickly in the water. Almost like…"

"Eel-hounds?" Katara guessed, her eyes brightening hopefully.

"Yeah," Zuko affirmed without taking his eyes off the distant objects. "I've only seen them a couple of times in my life…they're native to the marshy regions of the eastern Earth Kingdom. They're much faster than the Fire Nation's basilisks, but I hear they're harder to tame."

"Ah," Katara blinked, nodding but not really comprehending as anguished thoughts ran rampant through her mind. "Do you think it could be…them?"

Zuko glanced sideways at her. "Could be…most likely is."

"But," Katara began, hesitantly, "Why wouldn't they come in an airship…or a balloon? Or something more comfortable?"

Zuko snorted. "Comfortable, Katara? I don't think anyone's worried about _comfortable _at the moment." But his amber eyes glittered with worry. He knew what her real question was. Why, if Aang had defeated the Fire Lord and the others had successfully disabled the fleet, wouldn't they be coming to the capital in a captured airship, landing in a dramatic fashion, and greeting Zuko and Katara with joyous shouts and hugs and high-fives? Zuko could only imagine two possible explanations: either they obliterated all the airships to pieces in the battle, or their mission had failed and they were fleeing, in hopes that they could rejoin with Katara and Zuko at the capital before being forced into hiding.

In Katara's blue eyes, Zuko found his own worried thoughts mirrored, and felt the sudden urge to somehow comfort the waterbender who had always been so strong in the face of the enemy. They sat in silence for the longest time, their two pairs of eyes trained on the small bobbing figures plowing steadily toward the shore.

Something seemed to occur to Katara suddenly, and she stood. Zuko looked up at her in surprise. "What are you—"

"I'm going to get Appa," the waterbender said quickly, perhaps more tersely than she meant. Unshed tears brimmed in her eyes, sparkling like the sun on the waves. "Aang will want him to be there when he gets back."

Doubt thickened her voice into a husky, quivering note that shocked and almost scared Zuko. Was she really this unsure?

Then she was gone, sending up soft puffs of dust in her wake as she took off, running headlong for the royal stables, where the ten-ton bison was likely enjoying a nice nap. Bewildered, it took Zuko several seconds to allow his mind to catch up with what was going on. When it finally did, he glanced over his shoulder at the two approaching eel-hounds, estimating their arrival time as around an hour from that moment. Then he stood and followed Katara.

"We'll have to skirt the gates," Sokka said, gesturing to the approaching landmass on the horizon. "If Zuko doesn't have control of the city, we'll have to watch out."

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Suki responded, gazing in the same direction.

"I don't think these things would be able to go much farther, anyway," Toph commented, working one of her hands loose from Suki's tunic to pat the giant eel-hound's slippery flank. "This one's shaking."

"Ours too," Aang nodded, feeling the beast lurch underneath him, its muscles quivering with exhaustion.

Sokka snapped the reins, urging the eel-hound onward. It responded by lowering its head, giving a high-pitched click from deep in its throat, and striking out farther and deeper with its webbed claws. Suki did the same with hers, and the two beasts sped up, swimming neck-and-neck. "At this rate," the water tribesman said, "We'll arrive on shore before midday."

A murmur of approval rippled through the air between the members of the group, as they realized how short a time this was. Lapsing into silence, their thoughts drifted worriedly toward what kind of situation would meet them upon their arrival.

Aang found himself staring off into space, half-immersed in his own thoughts. A blur of white flashed in his vision, and his eyes focused sharply in recognition as images flashed through his mind. Katara and Zuko waving as they sped away through the sky, sitting in the wooden saddle of the last of the flying bison. But this time, they were getting closer.

"_Appa!_"

Aang's shout was so loud, it made his three other companions jump with surprise. Their attention, however, was soon drawn to the source of the airbender's excitement as Appa let out an earsplitting roar, the animal's joy rippling through the air as if carried by the wind. The two eel-hounds shuddered. Aang was on his feet in an instant, waving and shouting as the bison reached them, circling overhead. Still, the eel-hounds plowed onward. When Appa roared again, just above them, the eel-hounds spooked, lurching forward and ducking beneath the waves, diving downward so abruptly that the motion tossed Aang into the air. Toph's terrified yell was choked off when their mounts submerged.

Above, Katara and Zuko had witnessed the ordeal with shock. The instant the eel-hounds disappeared, Katara threw Appa forward into a steep dive.

"Hold on!" she shouted to Zuko, who sat in the saddle clutching the side, petrified.

Appa plowed into the water at full speed, and Katara pulled the water into tight bubble around the bison's head, grabbed Zuko's wrist, and pulled him from the saddle to her side, all in one quick motion.

"Do you see them?" her voice was high pitched and strange, as if the water around them was contorting it somehow.

Gathering his wits, Zuko peered into the murky depths, swirling in clouds of bubbles, suddenly catching sight of something tan and waterlogged. "Over there!" he pointed. The dark figures of Toph and Suki drifted in the water a little ways to their left.

Katara urged Appa toward them, and the bison panted, already breathless and sore from hitting the water. Guiding the bison underneath Suki and Toph, Zuko reached out of the bubble, grabbing both girls by their ankles and yanking them in.

They collapsed on Appa's head, saturated. Suki coughed and sputtered…Toph did not.

"She's unconscious!" the Kyoshi Warrior choked out, laying the earthbender down. Fear clawed at Katara's stomach. Just then, to everyone's relief, Toph sat up, a spasm racking her body until it came out her mouth in the form of gushing seawater. Breathing spasmodically, she coughed up more and more water. Suki supported her and patted her back gently as she rid her lungs of the vile suffocating liquid.

Finally, the earthbender lifted a dripping arm to wipe her mouth, and her breathing settled into an easier rhythm.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked. Not trusting her voice enough to answer aloud, Toph only nodded.

"Where's Sokka?" Katara cried, caught up in an adrenaline rush of sick panic.

"I don't know!" Suki gasped, "But his legs were strapped to the saddle!"

"You _tied his legs _to the saddle?!" Zuko gaped in disbelief.

"Appa doesn't have enough air in here with all of us," Katara said, her voice frighteningly high. "But we have to get to Sokka! Won't the eel-hound come up for air?"

"Eel-hounds can hold their breath for more than an hour," Zuko said, reasonably but not helping in the slightest.

"Then we _have_ to find him soon!" Suki swallowed.

All Sokka remembered hearing was Toph's scream.

Then suddenly the world was a thrashing wall of sizzling white bubbles…an airless nightmare. Within a minute his lungs were burning, desperate for air, and he flailed his arms through the murky water, searching for anything to grip. Something was pulling him downward at a frightening speed, and through the green water he could see nothing but haze.

Suddenly, he remembered the saddle, and strained to bring his arms to his knees as the water surged upward past his ears. Panic welled up in his throat. He was trapped on the fleeing eel-hound as long as his legs were secure. Tugging blindly at the leather straps, the warrior tried to get himself free, but to no avail. The world was going black around him as his sight failed, and his fingers were numb and limp. He tried to move them but found he couldn't…deprived of air, he felt sweet unconsciousness lapping at the edges of his mind, overwhelming him like a rising tide.

Faintly, he felt something wrap itself under his arms and around his chest, then he felt the cold, bitter seawater flooding his mouth, and he lost consciousness.

Aang broke the surface of the water, gasping. He treaded water in a panic, with only his legs and one arm. His other arm clutched a waterlogged Sokka around the waist. Aang's muscles burned, prickling like a thousand biting insects, and the water weight in his and Sokka's clothes threatened to drag him down. Freezing a platform of water was out of the question, it was a two-handed job, and Aang wasn't going to let his friend go, even if it meant him drowning as well.

He sank lower and lower in the water, struggling, when suddenly, something brushed the airbender's thrashing feet, heaving up under him with such energy that it knocked the air out of him.

"Aang!"

Groaning, the airbender struggled to pull himself to a sitting position on something solid, realizing he still had a firm hold on the unconscious Sokka, who'd suddenly become a lot heavier out of the water. Before he could even gather his wits enough to observe that he was sprawled in Appa's water-filled saddle, a strong hand descended on his shoulder and pulled him upright.

Blinking the salt water out of his stinging eyes, Aang looked up to see Zuko beside him, concern etched into his usually hard features. A flash of crimson and gold appeared in the airbender's peripheral vision, and then Katara was there. Tight-lipped and pale, the waterbender appeared at her brother's side, gathering him in her arms. Her hands shook as she placed a hand on his chest, moving the water in his lungs at will.

Seeing her like this, her blue sparkling eyes wide and scared, and her bottom lip trembling, made her companions feel uneasy. Seconds stretched out into silence as Appa spread his six legs and floated on the rippling waves, groaning quietly. Suki and Toph sat quiet and still dripping wet on the bison's head, peering over the saddle lip, anxiety shimmering in the depths of their eyes.

Hours seemed to pass in a few seconds as Katara drew the water from Sokka's lungs and threw it out of the saddle with a contemptuous flick of her wrist, as if the water she manipulated effortlessly was something vile and disgusting.

When the warrior finally sputtered, coughing up the last of it, Appa shuddered with a sigh of relief, mutually shared by everyone aboard. Aang and Zuko exchanged glances, their eyes smiling. Suki was so overwhelmed, she wrapped an arm around Toph and squeezed her shoulders. The earthbender snorted, but didn't pull away. The corners of Toph's lips twitched upward, and the tension in her face was gone.

Katara buried her face in her brother's rough, sea-salted tunic, hugging him tightly.

"Wha—?" he coughed, pushing himself up with his arms. Blinking up at his sister's relieved face with mild shock, he glanced down at his own dripping form. Sokka's injured leg was twisted awkwardly, but he righted it with only a slight wince. Glancing around at his friends faces, his piercing blue eyes focused sharply. Then he spoke, his voice slightly husky from swallowing so much water, an indescribable mix of irritation and sarcasm in his tone.

"Whose bright idea was it to ride those stupid things?"

Sokka shrugged off his sister's assistance, insisting he could sit fine on his own. Through his protest, though, relief and contentment shone in his blue eyes. Katara, not knowing what to do with herself and still greatly bewildered, shuffled backwards into Zuko.

"Oh," she sniffed, prepared to apologize. The firebender caught her arm, shaking his head, and wordlessly slipped out of the way.

That's when she found herself sitting shoulder to shoulder with the boy she had been so deathly worried about.

"Hey…Aang."

"Hey Katara," he replied, flashing a half-smile as his gaze regarded her strange clothing perplexity. "Why the—?"

Katara shook her head. "Don't ask."

Aang shrugged. "Um…okay?"

There was a moment of quiet, when the only sound was the soft _slosh _of water against Appa's furry side, and then:

"Some great reunion we had," Toph grumbled, finding her voice at last.

"Stupid eel-hounds," Suki agreed, her green eyes betraying the unease she felt. Sokka glanced up at his girlfriend with raised eyebrows, and she stared steadily back at him with wide, quiet eyes.

Katara's gaze swept over Aang with concern. Noting his dripping clothes and damp skin, she frowned. "You're wet," she said, for lack of something better to say.

Sokka rolled his eyes, running a hand over his dripping wolf-tail. "We're all wet, thank you, Miss Points-Out-The-Obvious-A-Lot."

"I can fix it," Aang offered, rising shakily as if to stand.

Katara took hold of his arm, pulling him gently back down. "You don't have to," she said, "Not now. We'll survive for the moment."

"Can we _please _get out of the ocean now?" Toph pleaded, her voice small.

"You said it," Suki muttered, shifting in her wet clothing with a grimace. "I'm sick of the water."

"No kidding," Zuko agreed, sliding over the saddle lip and onto Appa's head between the two girls. He took up the bison's rein. "Let's get the heck out of here."


	36. Where the Sun Don't Shine

**A/N:** Because I haven't posted anything in a while. Here's to all you people who for some reason enjoy reading my randomness. :P

* * *

**Where the Sun Don't Shine**

There was a loud, echoing knock on the chamber door.

"Katara! Toph! We're going to be late! What are you guys doing?"

The waterbender stroked her hair one last time with the brush for good measure, checking her appearance in a mirror on the wall before turning toward the door.

"Give us a second, Sokka!"

Toph was leaning up against the far wall, her arms crossed and her expression twisted in a sour pout. She wore a long, pale green robe with gold hemmed on the sleeves and the neckline. The deep green sash tied around her waist was constricting, and she huffed impatiently.

"Remind me again why we have to get all dressed up for this meeting?"

Katara touched up her eye make-up with her little finger as she replied. "All of the diplomats from the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom will be there, not to mention the Fire Nation nobles. We have to make a good impression."

Toph snorted. "Fat chance of that…where there's meat, Sokka is bound to make a fool of himself."

Katara licked her thumb and quickly smoothed her hairline, chuckling at her friend's comment. "It's just a coronation party, Toph," the waterbender replied, glancing over her shoulder to look at her friend with a smile. "Try to enjoy yourself a little."

The earthbender gave a sniff of disdain, but nonetheless followed Katara as she moved toward the door. Her gown was a traditional Water Tribe blue and reached to the floor, hemmed with white arctic seal-fur at the neckline. Her mother's necklace was secured around her neck in its usual place, and she wore flat-bottomed slip-on shoes instead of her usual boots.

She opened the door, and Sokka fell forward, flat on his face, at her feet. Behind him and outside the door stood a flushed Aang, covering his mouth to stifle a hoot of laughter.

The waterbender regarded her brother with a raised eyebrow, and at her shoulder, Toph rolled her eyes. "You had it coming, Snoozles," she giggled, nudging the warrior's side with her foot. "It's usually better to not announce your presence when you're trying to eavesdrop." Sokka twitched and rolled over onto his back, gazing up at her, seething. Sensing his glare, the earthbender just laughed.

Katara stepped gracefully over her sprawled brother, and came to stand beside Aang. She crossed her arms. "It's not like we were talking about anything interesting, anyway," she smiled, her voice layered in a teasing tone that made her brother groan.

Sokka picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I wasn't eavesdropping," he protested. "You were taking so long, and I—I was doing a little reconnaissance…of the wood in the door."

Toph whisked past him, a smirk playing about her lips. "Yeah," she laughed, pointing toward the door, "Well now our door has a forehead-sized dent in its surface. Make sure you take that into account when you report back to the royal door-maker."

Sokka glanced at the door with a perplexed look in his eyes."No it doesn—_oof!_" His objection was cut off abruptly as Toph shoved his face roughly into the door and then darted off, her uproarious laughter echoing through the corridor as she disappeared around the corner.

"Well…" Aang grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I guess you deserved that, Sokka."

The warrior grumbled, rubbing his bruised forehead, and Katara laughed. "Come on. Let's follow Toph's example and get to the party. We're already late."

"No thanks to you," Sokka muttered sarcastically, earning himself a stern stare from his younger sister as they made their way down the hallway.

"Cross me again," Katara warned, a threatening glint lighting her blue eyes, "And it won't be your _face _I'll bruise."

Sokka turned red, and Aang paled. Knowing _exactly_ what she meant, they exchanged horrified glances.

Laughter rang in the hallway ahead of them, and Toph's voice echoed through the corridor ominously.

"Haha, good one, Katara!"


	37. Old Wounds

**A/N:** Really old little blurb I wrote a while ago. I mean, like, before the end of Season 2 old. It's set several years after the end of the war. Make your inferences from there.

* * *

**Old Wounds**

"Ouch!"

"What? What is it?"

Aang rubbed his bruised shoulder, grimacing. He winced. "Still a little sore, I guess."

Katara shot him a sympathetic glance and shifted closer. "Let me take a look?" she asked, fingering her water pouch. Her wide blue eyes sparkled shyly.

With a solemn nod, Aang pulled his shirt over his head and sat bare-chested on the floor cushion. Over his right shoulder, his skin was dappled with black and purple, and a raw red scrap was plainly visible, slow to heal even after almost two weeks.

Katara sucked in a breath and placed her palm, enveloped in healing water, tentatively on the center of the wound. "Wow," she sighed, as Aang quivered, his brow furrowing as a stinging pain lanced through his shoulder. "That stone really did a number on you."

"Well," Aang replied, clenching his teeth as his friend continued to work into the skin of his injury, "Toph's training isn't exactly what you would call _soft._"

Katara laughed despite herself.

Aang regarded her oddly, his eyebrow quirking upward in that peculiar way. It served only to make the waterbender laugh harder.

"Sorry," she quipped apologetically after she brought her laughter under control. Lifting her hand, she inspected her progress. The bright red welt had faded, but the skin was still rough and purple. That was probably as much as she could do in one sitting. Flicking her wrist, the water flowed back into her pouch, sloshing as she snapped the lid shut. Shifting forward onto her knees, Katara scooted around until she was behind the airbender.

Aang twisted around to look at her curiously.

Leaning closer, Katara stretched her hand out and tentatively traced the rough, scarred skin in the center of his back.

Aang shivered, and when Katara met his gaze, she saw that his gray eyes were filled with pain--not physical pain, but emotional pain born from the failure that this wound represented.

Katara's blue eyes were wide, sparkling harshly with memories of their shared torment. She had a scar on her heart from those days. "You know," she began softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Battle scars never get easier to bear."

Her hand fell from Aang's back, but turning around, he caught it with his.

Lacing his fingers together with hers, the airbender gazed solemnly at her, the slightest trace of empathy still glittering in his eyes.

"They are easier to bear," he murmured, surprising Katara with his certainty.

He held her gaze with a fond expression. "But," he continued after a momentary pause, "Only if you have someone to bear them with."


	38. A New Addition

**A/N:** Takes place after the series finale, when Aang and his friends are staying briefly with Guru Pathik at the Eastern Air Temple.

* * *

**Newest Addition**

The dawn sky was clear, and the sun's golden rays streaked the pink sky with warmth. Sunlight struck the glittering arches of the Eastern Air Temple, illuminating them in the early morning. The structure glowed like a beacon, throwing light upon the surrounding mountains, and far below it, in the ravine, a meandering river shone silver. The northernmost section of the temple bordered the steep side of the narrow canyon, and an arching gate in its wall opened up to a winding path which led downward to the riverbank.

Short, twisted trees and other shrubs were clustered all along the rocks, and near the embankment, lichen and clover grew in abundance. The stream was deep and clear, running swiftly, but it didn't froth. Fish and amphibians lived in the mud and reeds that lined the water.

A shallow cavity in the rock face about halfway up the cliff of the ravine was shrouded partially by a large, scraggly bush, creating a sort of shelter that was shielded from the rain and wind. Within the crevice was a large animal.

Its tan coat was unkempt and streaked with dirt in places, especially around the feet and under the rounded belly. The large head and gleaming brown eyes blinked warily at the outside world, and its curved horns were lowered protectively. A broad, beaver-like tail swept across the dirt floor of the meager dwelling, clearing it of dead brush and leaves. It worked at this meticulously, and after nearly an hour, lay down with a moan of pain.

* * *

Aang awoke that morning as he always hoped he would—surrounded by family and friends. Yawning, the airbender stretched and pushed himself to a sitting position, glancing around. Most of his friends were still asleep, and because the weather was so warm, they were lying on top of their blankets.

Sokka was curled up a few meters away, sleeping with his newly-made boomerang within arm's reach. Katara slept beside him with an arm tucked delicately up underneath her head. Toph was to Aang's left, lying spread-eagled on her mat. Momo dozed on her stomach, his ears folded back against his spine, and his ringed tail tickling the tip of his black nose. Aang's gaze lingered on the lemur for a moment, as he rose and fell with Toph's steady breathing, and then, his gray eyes swept over their humble little camp.

Something struck the airbender's mind immediately, and he glanced around, looking over his shoulder. A certain flying bison was nowhere to be seen. Where was Appa?

Aang got up and went to search for him. As he left, the disturbance in the air caused Katara to stir. Yawning, she rolled over, and caught sight of his empty bedroll. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, straightening her wrinkled kimono, staring after the airbender. After a brief moment, she stood and followed him, her curiosity piqued.

* * *

When Katara caught up with him, Aang stood on a temple balcony overlooking the landscape, a quizzical expression on his face. In one hand, he gripped The Mechanist's staff glider, and the other, he had laid palm-down on the stone railing, as he stared out over the brightening sky.

"What're you looking for?"

Aang started, glancing over his shoulder with startled eyes. "Oh," he blinked in realization, and turned around. "Katara, it's you."

The waterbender crossed her arms, smiling. "What's up? Something on your mind?"

"It's Appa," the airbender confessed, "He's not at the campsite. It's not like him to wander around at night." Aang turned to gaze at the distant sky once more.

Katara regarded him with concern. "Do you want to look for him?"

The airbender looked conflicted. "Well…"

"He'll probably turn up," Katara assured, though she sympathized with Aang's fears. Appa had never disappeared during the night before.

It was a moment before the resolve surfaced in Aang's eyes. When it did, Katara was quick to volunteer assistance. "Let me help," she insisted.

Aang met her gaze. "Okay," he accepted, releasing his glider's wings. They popped into place.

"Where do you think he would go?" Katara asked.

"I've got a place in mind," Aang mused in response. He laid the glider over his shoulders and turned around, facing away from Katara. After a moment, he poked his head out from behind the wing and looked at her. "You coming?"

Realizing what he meant, Katara nodded. She stepped forward and positioned herself just behind Aang, gripping the frame of the glider for dear life.

"Hold on," Aang warned, bending his knees in preparation for takeoff. Katara obeyed.

A blast of wind erupted in her face as the airbender propelled them upward, clearing the balcony rail and immediately angling downward. As Aang banked sharply to the right and leveled off heading northward, Katara hung on with white knuckles and tried to focus on controlling her breathing.

* * *

Katara's stomach had settled, and she was even enjoying herself somewhat as they flew over a deep ravine north of the temple. "See anything?" she called to Aang over the wind.

"Not ye—wait," the airbender cut himself off, and Katara peered over the edge of the glider's wing, trying to catch sight of what it was he had seen.

On the bank of the river so far below, a large white shape crouched, facing something else—another animal Katara could not discern.

"Appa!" Aang cried, and he led the glider into a steep dive. Katara's heart leapt into her throat. She was still not used to this kind of flight, but she did not complain as they descended.

Aang brought Katara and the glider to land lightly beside the bison, only to find Appa's gaze focused beyond them.

Aang followed his bison's eyes, and almost passed out at the sight.

Katara stood at his shoulder, staring with disbelief. "Is it…?"

"She," Aang corrected, his voice quiet as he gaped, "She's a Sky Bison."

The cow was much smaller in stature than Appa, so much so that Aang thought her growth might have been stunted by some unknown factor. Her coat was matted and gray, and the brown arrow that marked her species was almost obscured by years of neglect and living in the wild. Her brown eyes were frightened and distrustful, and she shook her horns threateningly.

Behind Aang and Katara, Appa rumbled encouragingly, even rubbing the airbender's shoulder with his nose to illustrate a point. The cow snorted, unimpressed.

Katara shifted closer to Aang, unsure of this exchange. "What is he doing?" she whispered.

Aang pressed his lips together. "Trying to prove that we aren't a threat," he replied in a low tone. In his voice, however, Katara detected a note of awe and excitement.

Appa stepped forward with his head up, baring his throat in submission.

It was the wrong move. The cow spooked, and was gone in an instant, flying up the steep slope, down the ravine, and out of sight. Aang and Katara covered their heads as Appa took off after her in a blast of air.

"Well," Katara murmured, "Looks like we got more than we were bargaining for." She shot Aang an inquiring look. "What should we do now?"

Aang beamed, his eyes gleaming with something akin to enthusiasm. "I think Appa's got the situation under control for now. We can check up on him later. Anyway, I'm hungry."

Katara grinned playfully at him, glancing up toward the sun, which was now above the horizon, and rising quickly. "Breakfast sounds good. Sokka's probably moaning by now anyway."

Aang chuckled, snapping the wings of his staff into place. "Onward, then."

* * *

_A Week Later_

* * *

"Whoa," Sokka stared with disbelief.

Guru Pathik stood beside him, his arms crossed and his eyebrow quirked speculatively. "I've lived here for almost forty years," he remarked with awe, "And I've never laid eyes on these elusive girls."

Aang smiled. Appa had led his tentative new friend to the temple, and the two bison had settled on a ledge near the top of a spire. But they were not alone. Two little female calves twirled around them, squeaking excitedly.

Katara craned her head upward, following the baby bison with her eyes. "They couldn't possibly be his…right?" She glanced at Aang, who had a blissful expression on his face as he watched Appa and the female bison. He didn't seem to have heard her question.

Guru Pathik shook his head. "They look to be at least a few months old. They are probably fathered by another bull."

Sokka's eyebrows furrowed. "Well then, where is he?"

"Chances are," Pathik speculated sadly, "He was probably injured or killed."

"Sky bison mate for life," Aang spoke suddenly, his eyes acquiring a faraway look that always appeared when he was thinking of his people. "So that's probably true."

Toph's forehead crinkled sorrowfully. "That's so sad…do you think she could be tamed?"

Aang's expression creased into a smile. "In time, I'm sure she could."

Sokka crossed his arms, looking at the airbender pointedly. "Well, have you thought of a name for her?"

"Names?" Aang echoed, frowning slightly. He blinked at Sokka. "No, actually. I haven't thought about it."

Katara looked thoughtful. "Well, what about Miku?"

Aang smiled at the waterbender. "Beautiful sky. That's perfect." He glanced up toward the group of bison, and he was thrilled to see Appa affectionately grooming the dirt and dust out of his friend's fur.

"Hi, Miku. Welcome to the family."

* * *

**A/N:** Random plotbunnies. Forgive me. Or leave hate mail. That works too. Just don't throw broccoli. I'm allergic. ...seriously.


	39. Days to Come

**A/N:** Drabble ficlet thingy I dreamed up a while ago in a vain attempt to stave off my writers block for _We Meet Again.

* * *

_

**Days to Come**

It was a calm day.

The sea was a brilliant, crystal blue, the waves smooth and gentle against the city's massive wall, and the sky clear and as cold as ice—perfect summer weather. The sun was past its zenith, but winter was still some months away.

Chief Arnook stood at his usual post, upon the sturdy battlements of ice that protected the dwelling-place of the Northern Water Tribe from the ocean's unpredictable moods. Beside him, a wall guard, standing to rapt attention, observed him quietly from behind youthful blue eyes. The boy was young, but skilled, and had proven his worth in the Fire Nation siege only months before. The son of Arnook's younger sister, the boy held a special place in his uncle's heart, especially in the days following the death of Arnook's daughter, Yue.

Scanning the distant waters as he was trained to do, the boy blinked in bewilderment and pointed when he spotted it.

"Chief, do you see that?"

Arnook followed his nephew's gaze.

A tiny black dot approached on the distant horizon, its sharp hull slicing through the glittering water. His eyes trained by many years of guard duty, Arnook instantly recognized the ominous figure for what it was...a Fire Navy ship.

His heart dropped. They had seen the comet pass. His entire tribe had cowered in terror as it streaked across the sky, even the strong young men and talented benders had shrunk back in fear. They had just finished rebuilding their city after the last Fire Nation siege, and Arnook knew his people feared losing more loved ones.

Had the Fire Nation now, in the wake of a flaming victory in the Earth Kingdom and, at the height of their vicious power, come to rend his home to ruins?

The wind shifted, and Arnook tasted smoke. He turned quickly to his nephew, barking, "Alert our men. Every man to his station."

Without hesitation, the boy quipped a wide-eyed, "Yes, sir!" and leapt into action, running along the battlements and shouting to everyone within earshot.

In less than a half hour, the entire fighting force of the Northern Water Tribe stood lining the wall, shoulder-to-shoulder beside each other. Every warrior was ready to fight and die for freedom, and their blue eyes glittered with the passion of battle. Canoes were deployed, with orders to meet and engage the enemy before they came within firing range of their catapults.

Arnook stood in the very center, upon a raised section of the wall that bore the Water Tribe Emblem—the moon and ocean woven together. The Chieftain held his serrated-tip spear loosely in one hand, and the other was extended above his head in a wordless command to his troops: Hold Steady.

Another black dot appeared on the horizon. This time in the sky, and approaching fast.

Arnook's arm didn't waver: Hold Steady.

It was a messenger bird.

With a piercing cry, the hawk hovered in the air, circling. Making up its mind, the animal banked sharply, rolling over into a steep dive.

Arnook hefted his spear as the bird drew close and alighted on the ice beside him.

With a squawk, the hawk announced his presence, hopping forward on unbalanced legs, slick talons scrabbling on the slippery ice. Secured across his back was a small tube.

After a brief moment of considerable deliberation, Arnook shifted his spear in his hands and held out his arm toward the bird.

Clicking loudly with approval, the hawk flapped upward, perching on the Chief's arm and obediently lowering its tapered head.

With shaking fingers, Arnook flipped open the tube, took out the message, unrolled it, and read the hurried calligraphy.

_Meant to send a message before our arrival. Sorry about the scare. We met with your men. They will be returning shortly with a better explanation. Again, I apologize for not forewarning you. Things have been busy lately._

_~Sokka_

_P.S. Oh, in case you might like to know...Aang defeated the Fire Lord. The war is officially over. We've won!_

Disbelief flashed in Arnook's gaze as his eyes were drawn back to the growing figure in the water.

A young man, one of Arnook's sub-commanders, stepped up.

"Ready our warriors," Arnook ordered, eyes still focus on the dark mass of metal, "Prepare to receive the war canoes."

"Chief?" the sub-commander hesitated, confused.

"Do it," Arnook quipped, relief resounding in his voice, and spun on his heel, leaving a confused warrior in his wake.

* * *

Sokka inhaled, grinning as the brisk Pole air flooded his lungs and awakened his dulled senses. He sighed. He'd been in the stifling heat of the Fire Nation fartoo long. Though it'd only been a month since Aang had defeated Ozai, Sokka felt the sweltering political pressure building up as the Fire Nation military ground to a halt in all corners of the world, and Zuko had taken measures to have them return home.

Beside him on the deck stood his sister, wrapped in her thick blue parka. On Katara's face was a carefully controlled expression of eagerness, although her brother detected a somber gleam in her eyes.

Sokka nudged the master waterbender with his elbow. "Missing your boyfriend?" he teased.

Katara, snapping out of her trance, shoved him playfully. Blushing, she wrinkled her nose with embarrassment. "A little," she admitted grudgingly when her brother shot her a pointed look.

Sokka laughed. "Don't worry. We'll only be here for a couple of days. Then we'll leave the diplomacy to Dad."

"What's this about leaving me?"

The faces of both siblings broke into bright grins at the appearance of their father. Hakoda rested a hand on each of their shoulders, smiling brightly as he abruptly changed subjects. "Do you think Chief Arnook got your message?"

Just then, there was a high-pitched squawk as the messenger bird alighted on Sokka's shoulder.

"Hawky!" the warrior cried, stroking the bird on the shoulder as he inspected the empty message tube. "Good job, buddy. Guess they didn't feel like sending a message back."

Katara sighed, and her breath billowed in the frigid air. "Coming here makes me think of home."

Sokka wrapped an affectionate arm around his sister's shoulders. "Hey," he comforted softly, a teasing glint in his eye. "Home is where the heart is."

His sister shot him a look, knowing exactly what (or rather _who_) he was referring to. Despite his obnoxiousness, she laughed. "Thanks, Sokka."

Hakoda slid between his children, wrapping an arm around each of them in a tight embrace. "Think, guys, after all you have done for the world, the waiting is almost over."

Sokka grinned, practically wriggling with excitement. "Can you believe it? The first official meeting of the Southern and Northern Tribes in over a hundred years!"

Hakoda gave a deep-bellied snort of laughter and patted his son's shoulder kindly. "You did well, Sokka."

Bato, who had been helping sidled over, gazing with awe at the massive ice fortress. Katara couldn't help but laugh at her elder's expression. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

Bato shook his head with wonder. "I've never seen anything like it in all of my life."

Hakoda smiled. "Imagine—in a few years, the South Pole could look like this."

Katara laughed. "We could build Sokka a new watchtower!" she suggested, glancing jokingly at her brother.

"Preferably taller and equipped with massive alarm bells," Sokka piped seriously, holding his arms outspread to indicate the size of the bells.

From the warrior's shoulder, Hawky chirped in agreement.

* * *

**A/N: **Short and kinda pointless. Sorry.


	40. Journey Home

**A/N:** A post-war blurb I wrote a while ago. Just to let you guys know I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. The beginning of a mini-series.

* * *

**Journey Home**

"Wait…you want to do _what?_"

"Do I _have _to repeat myself?"

The sun had just passed its zenith, and was preparing to descend. The sky was dotted with small clouds that raced through the sky, and occasionally, one would pass over the sun, shrouding the city in shadow. The group was taking a break for afternoon tea in the back courtyard of the teahouse, and it was then Aang and Toph had decided they'd break the news to the others.

The earthbender was sitting cross-legged on a stone bench she had made herself, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. Her eyes were half-lidded, as the midday heat seeped into her skin and made her drowsy. She fought it bodily; this was no time to sleep. Aang needed her to punctuate his argument .

Katara sat several meters from her, in the shade of an enormous maple tree, her feet tucked under her. She glared at her brother beside her, who had made the earlier comment. Then she turned to Aang, who was standing in the center of the group. Around him, Zuko and Mai shared a stone bench near the back entrance and Suki sat in the shade of a row of juniper trees, each cradling a cup of iced tea in hand.

"You don't have to repeat anything, Aang," the waterbender said firmly, "We're all behind both of you," she turned to stare pointedly at Sokka, who made an innocent face. She glanced back at Aang. "One-hundred percent."

Aang, clearly pleased, flashed a smile.

"I'll come with you!" Suki piped from where she sat in the shade of a row of juniper trees behind Aang.

"I thought you wanted to get back to Kyoshi," Mai commented, shading her eyes against the sun's brightness as she glanced over to where Suki sat.

Sokka's eyes widened and he set his tea down on the stone with a clatter. "_What?_"

Suki waved towards her sputtering boyfriend in an '_I'll explain later' _gesture, and replied to Mai's statement. "The Warriors and I have decided to meet at Full Moon Bay before heading back home. To help with the refugee transport, just like last time we were there."

"Refugees?" Katara blinked. "From where?"

Suki smiled. "Ba Sing Se. Many people are returning home to the villages and towns that were occupied by Fire Nation soldiers. And some are returning to rebuild those towns and villages ravaged by the army's raids."

"I've pulled most of our foot soldiers out of the rural areas and set orders to have them slowly be sent back home," Zuko contributed, "We'll have to move out gradually, though, to deter any rebellions and to allow the cities to reform their original governments and security. Some of the Earth Kingdom towns have been under Fire Nation control practically since the war began. It'd be catastrophic if they were all abandoned at once."

"I can't say that I don't agree with that," Sokka put in, taking a hesitant sip of tea, "But once everyone's back where they belong, I'll feel a lot better."

"I think we all will," Aang added wearily. He had settled himself in the shade of the maple tree beside Katara, who smiled comfortingly at his comment.

"So," Sokka drawled, crossing his arms and settling further against the tree he was leaning on. Immediately everyone knew he was changing the subject. "About this…adventure," he paused, glancing up toward Toph, who was still in the same half-asleep position she had been a moment ago, "When are we leaving?"

Upon hearing these words, Toph's eyes opened fully, and she sat up, placing her palms facedown on her knees. "You mean you _want _to come?" she asked, disbelief written over half her face, and skepticism on the other. "A second ago you sounded as if you thought it was a bad idea."

The warrior shrugged. "Eh, yeah, I did. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that this is something you need to do," he glanced to his left, to where Katara was looking at him with approval, before his gaze returned to Toph, "And I…I'm behind you one-hundred percent."

Behind a screen of black bangs, the earthbender smiled, letting her head fall back into her palms and closing her eyes. "Great," she yawned contentedly. "We can leave whenever. I'm just anxious to get on the move again. We've been in one place far too long."

Sokka couldn't suppress a yawn of his own, as he put his arms behind his head. "Right with ya' there, buddy."

"It's been wonderful staying here," Katara countered, as if to explain, though it was unnecessary, "So many great things have come from the last years, and I wouldn't take back any of them." She snuck a subtle glance at Aang, who, though he was smiling, turned a light shade of pink.

"Me neither," the airbender offered in a quiet but sincere voice. When only silence followed his statement, he reddened even more, and unconsciously tugged at the collar of his gold tunic.

Suki, observing his embarrassment, let out a giggle muffled by a cupped hand. Sokka, beside her, made an exaggerated gagging noise in his throat. Zuko exchanged a meaningful glance with Mai, and Toph said nothing, seemingly lost in another place.

Behind the group, Appa rumbled and shook in what might have been translated as laughter, and Momo chittered animatedly, curling his tail around the bison's left horn to steady himself.

Uncomfortable at being put on the spot, Aang bit his lip. Searching desperately for an escape route he could slip through inconspicuously, he utilized the first one that came into his mind. "Uh…well…I've…got to use bathroom!" On his feet in a breath, he had disappeared inside before Katara could blink. She watched him leave with an unreadable expression.

Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on Sokka's face. He stared after Aang with eyes wide. "Hey…wait a minute!" He sat up and raised his fist. "Get back here, you little sneaky air-head! Spying, are we?" The warrior stood up and strode in pursuit of Aang, his fists clenched and his step fierce.

After Sokka left, Katara glanced toward Suki. "What's he _talking_ about?"

The Kyoshi warrior shrugged, a hint of a smile on her face.

"My guess is he just figured it out," Toph put in.

Katara blinked. She had thought the earthbender was asleep…or at least nearly. It took her a moment to comprehend what Toph had said. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Figured out what?"

Toph straightened, cocking her head toward the waterbender, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Don't _you _act naïve now, Sugar Queen," the earthbender reprimanded, "You _know _what I'm talking about, even if the rest of these oafs don't."

"Hey," protested Zuko, "We _all _noticed _that_. With the exception of maybe Sokka."

"That's the one thing I don't get about Snoozles," Toph went on off-handedly, "All the signs…and he's still stuck in his little world of denial!" She threw her arms upward to punctuate the statement. "So unperceptive!"

"He's not that unperceptive," Suki defended her boyfriend. "I have to agree, though," she continued, gesturing with her palm upward, "He probably _is _in denial."

"Something must have penetrated his thick skull just now," Mai said, pointing toward the doorway where Sokka had disappeared.

Katara stared from one friend to the other, in utter confusion. Exasperatingly, she pulled at a lock of her hair. "I don't have any idea what you guys are talking about!"

"You're kidding me," Toph stared. She glanced in the general direction of the others. "Why is it that she _knows _I can tell when someone lies…yet she still does it!" Continuing, she commented, "I think this denial issue is hereditary!"

"I don't need to take this!" Katara warned, reddening.

"Take _what?_" the earthbender turned her attention back to the waterbender. "I'm not trying to _give _you anything!"

Katara reached a hand up to rub her temple with a thumb tiredly. "I know…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just…"

"No need to apologize," the earthbender interrupted. Her lips turned upward, and she pointed toward the door. "Now hurry up and get inside before Twinkletoes confesses without backup!"

Katara smiled gratefully, and stood up. "You're right…" she said with a laugh, "Knowing Sokka, it could be disastrous. I'm on my way! Oh, and Toph?"

The earthbender cocked her head, listening. Katara clasped her hands together, rolling her eyes to look upward nervously. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"Huh," Toph snorted as Katara turned to leave, "You owe me more than you can count." Despite this darkly delivered comment, the earthbender allowed her head to fall back into her palms once more, a half-smile on her lips, and a distant expression drawing over her face.

Katara disappeared through the doorway, and the four people left in the courtyard stared from one to the other. Zuko glanced up at Suki.

"How did we get on this topic of conversation?"

The Kyoshi Warrior exchanged a look of perplexity with him. "I…don't know."

Mai blew a stray bang out of her face with a sigh. She shook her head sadly. "All of you are _insane_. I don't know why I bother to affiliate with such crazy people."

Zuko grinned knowingly, sliding his arm around her waist. Even as she scooted closer to him, she was rolling her eyes.

The breeze rustled through the courtyard, ruffling their hair and pulling a flower bud from a nearby tree and tugging it upward. Into the sky it flew, over the roof of the pavilion in the yard adjacent to the Jasmine Dragon. Spinning around, the wind changed its mind and the bud twirled around one of the spikes on the roof of the gazebo and drifted back toward the courtyard, finally coming to rest in Toph's hair, tucking itself beneath her hair band.

Oblivious, the earthbender stared into space, her mind elsewhere.

* * *

The morning breeze felt soft and cool on Toph's face as she strode through the Jasmine Dragon's back courtyard. Her fingertips brushed the waxy-leaved, fuzzy petal flower buds blooming on the bushes as she made her way through the maze of cobblestone pathways that the led to the main gathering area.

Through the earth's all-seeing eye, Toph felt where Appa lay basking in the earliest rays of sunshine. Meanwhile, the other members of the group scurried around and over the bison, packing supplies and belongings like busy squirrel-mice storing seeds for the winter.

Aang, Katara, Suki, and Zuko shifted the packages around, loading, checking, and reloading items in Appa's enormous saddle. Katara's voice carried loudly and clearly on the breeze that wafted on the breeze over the tops of the hedges, where they met Toph's ears. The waterbender was distributing orders and corrections to her companions as they hurried to do her bidding.

_Pfft, _Toph mused silently to herself. _As usual._

Sokka sat on the ground a little ways from the rest, hunched over what felt like a scroll.

_Some sort of map, list, or schedule, no doubt, _Toph thought.

Mai lounged near the warrior on the grass, muttering about how dull packing for a long trip always was.

Iroh approached, just ahead of Toph, entering the courtyard carrying a tin tray upon which several precariously balanced, steaming cups of tea sat. He set it down on the stone bench where Sokka was studying his documents.

After a quiet exchange of words with the warrior that Toph didn't quite catch and a handoff of a tea cup which Sokka supped with gusto, Iroh moved away, back toward the very entrance the earthbender was heading for.

Avoiding a collision was the capacious old man, Toph swerved her steps out of his path, hiding her sullen mood with a bright, forced "Mornin'," and a polite nod as she passed, not hesitating or slowing down.

"Good Morning to you, as well, Miss Toph," she heard him call after her, a smile in his voice and likely on his face as well.

The bushes parted as the earthbender emerged into the main courtyard. Upon her entrance, the first words to grace her ears were those of a budding argument—this time between Katara and Zuko over something having to do with Appa's balance in the air and the importance of even distribution of weight…

Toph stopped listening, focusing instead on the others vibrations. Aang sat quietly beside Suki, both who were apparently listening to the increasingly heated debate between their two friends. Momo sat in the Kyoshi Warrior's lap, nibbling at a peach that Aang had offered him a moment ago. Across the way, Mai had risen to her feet, making her way toward the quarrelling twosome, clearly expecting some excitement.

Only Sokka sat apart, diligently focused on and still bent over his…whatever they were.

Toph's feet carried her in his direction by their own accord, and she plopped down on the ground, feigning disinterest, beside him. Lifting a teacup from the tray on the bench that was chin-high, she downed the steaming concoction in one gulp. Smacking her lips thoughtfully, she assessed its taste, her nose wrinkling in recognition after a moment. It was Jasmine tea. Naturally. It was Iroh's trademark, as well as his most exquisite flavor. Setting the cup back on the tray, she turned toward Sokka, studying his vibrations as discreetly as she could while still maintaining a detached air.

"So…" she began slowly, barely holding back a yawn, "When are we leaving?" She hastily covered her mouth, stifling the yawn. She was much more tired than she had realized, having barely slept a wink the night before. For several nights before, actually.

The warrior straightened from his maps, glancing at her. "Nervous?" he inquired seriously.

Toph blinked. "No!" she lied with relative ease, the only sign of discomfort displaying itself in the form of her toes curling tensely against the downy, feather-soft grass. Quickly and before Sokka caught her bluff, she decided to change the subject.

"What're you looking at?" she leaned forward, gesturing toward the scrolls that lay open before him.

"An atlas of the Earth Kingdom," Sokka replied, taking the alteration in conversation fluidly. "I'm trying to figure out the quickest and most convenient flight route from here to Gaoling…" he glanced downward, running his index finger along the parchment. In a moment, he looked back up at Toph. Monitoring his vital signs, she tried to get a clue as to his expression, but she could sense nothing unusual that allowed her to anticipate his next request. "Do you want to help me?" he questioned sincerely.

"Uh, hello, _blind,_" Toph waved her hand in front of her eyes. "I can't help with map stuff."

"Sure you could," he countered excitedly. Before she could protest further, he pressed on eagerly. "Just listen. Which sounds more logical to you…one of the two routes I'm considering will take almost three days less time than the other way, but we'll have roughly around a two and a half day period flying over the desert with no place for miles to resupply or rest. Versus this route," his finger shifted along another place on the parchment, though it clearly granted Toph no benefit, "Which takes us around the edge of the desert, where several small towns and a south-westerly flowing river are located. That direction would take us six days to transverse, but we'd be within half a day's travel on foot to any available market or inn in the region. Which should we take?"

Toph placed her hands behind her head, leaning leisurely against the bench, pretending to contemplate it. "The longer way," she confirmed after a moment, "We'll be closer to civilization, water, and food, and I can bend and see easier when we're on the ground, because the desert's edge has less sand than the middle." She paused, then added, "Though I _have _been practicing my sand-bending."

Sokka nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds good to me!" he nodded with finality and rolled up the map. "Thanks for the input, Toph. I appreciate it."

"Whatever," she waved a hand and leaned leisurely backward against the bench, tipping her face upward, toward the clear sky. At least, she guessed it was clear by the way the sun's warmth struck her face and the way the breeze whispered past her, caressing her bangs and lifting them from her face...

She had drifted to the very edge of a doze when Sokka's voice brought her back down to earth.

"C'mon, Toph, looks like the others are ready to get a move on."

Across the courtyard, Zuko was apologizing to Katara.

"Sorry about that," the firebender gave a nervous laugh. "I guess it was rude of me."

The waterbender, facing him, shrugged. "It's not your fault. A lot of people are surprised that Sokka actually keeps so much stuff. He's a bigger packrat than anyone I know. Come to think of it, I think I saw that Earth Kingdom bag he picked up ages ago…back when we first met Toph in Gaoling. The thing's just rolled up and stuffed in his bigger bag…he doesn't use it for anything! I've tried to tell him what a waste he's making of it, but he just refuses to carry it…complaining that he doesn't have the belt any more to match it!"

Zuko's eyebrow quirked. "He has to have a belt to match his bag?"

From his place on Appa's head, Aang gestured vaguely with an arm and laughed. "It's a long story."

Katara glanced from the airbender back to the Fire Lord. "A story for another time, I suppose." She smiled. "Nice seeing you again, Zuko. Goodbye, Mai. Good luck back in the Fire Nation, and say hi to Lo and Li for me!"

"Those creepy old ladies?" Mai drawled, coming to stand beside her boyfriend, latching onto his arm. She shuddered. "Every time they talk to me I have to fight the urge to run away screaming."

The group shared a laugh as Sokka, his scroll tucked in the crook of one elbow and accompanied by both Toph and his wooden crutch, joined the others.

"Ready to go, Captain Sokka," Aang saluted the warrior comically, raising another few giggles from the others.

Sokka straightened, assuming an officer's pose. "Very good, sah. And that's _General _Sokka to you, Private!"

Katara placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "And _who _promoted _you, _Mr. General?"

Her brother stroked his imaginary moustache indignantly. "Why, Admiral Toph here, of course!" He gestured toward the blind earthbender standing in a leisurely slouch at his shoulder, whose eyebrow twitched skeptically. She crossed her arms as the warrior draped his free arm around her shoulder in a brotherly manner. "Me and the Admiral here are pretty tight-knit, aren't we, Toph?"

Shrugging out of his grip, the earthbender snorted in mock contempt. "Ha! If I was _your _superior officer, you would've been demoted the moment I laid eyes on you!" This comment induced a group snicker.

A whimper of protest escaped the warrior's mouth, and he slumped in a depressed manner. "That injures me, Toph. It really does." The snickers intensified into chuckles.

In reply, Sokka received a solid punch in his shoulder that caused him to perform a few fancy waves of his arms to keep himself from falling over.

Upon regaining his balance, the warrior suddenly brightened, even as he still clutched his bruised arm. "Wait a minute…! You're blind, Toph!"

Toph pressed her hands against the sides of her face in mock shock. "Huh, I _am?_" Smirking, she added, "Way to go, nut-for-brains."

"Hey," interrupted Aang from Appa's head with a smile, "Are we going to get this show on the road or would you like to stand here insulting each other all day?"

The rest of the group turned to look up at him, and Toph muttered, "That was a _huge_ cliché if I ever heard one." From his usual perch on one of the bison's horns, Momo chattered loudly in agreement.

"Oh Toph, don't be such a gloomy Gus," Sokka remarked with his trademark grin, grabbing her arm and tugging her toward Appa "This was your idea, after all."

Toph widened her eyes and groaned miserably. "This is going to be a _long _ride."

Suki, one step ahead of the earthbender and her boyfriend, had already swung up into the saddle, and offered her hand, which Sokka took gladly, pulling a sullen Toph along behind him as he climbed over the lip of Appa's spacious saddle.

Katara, however, lingered on the ground. Briefly, she embraced Mai, stepping back with a bittersweet smile. Zuko stepped to his girlfriend's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He blinked warmly at the waterbender. "Take care, Katara," he told her, his gaze sweeping upward toward the rest of his friends. "Don't get into too much trouble."

The waterbender laughed, laying a hand on the lid of her water pouch to punctuate her following statement. "No guarantees," she said with a devious smile. "You two, though," she went on jokingly, "Don't start any civil wars when you go back."

Mai and Zuko exchanged hesitant glances, and Katara deflated. Even from the bison's back, Toph sensed the waterbender's expression, and leaned over the edge, speaking down to her. "We need to work on your wit, Sugar Queen. I actually find it surprising," the earthbender continued, tapping the side of her head teasingly, "That a girl of your intelligence doesn't have the brains to make up a good joke once in a while."

The group shared a final laugh, and Katara grudgingly resigned to a short goodbye. Aang held out an arm and she took it as he hoisted her easily up to sit beside him on Appa's head.

Sokka lifted a hand in farewell, and Toph gripped the saddle's side in preparation for takeoff.

Suki cupped her hands and called out to Mai, "Come and visit us at Kyoshi any time!"

Mai waved in acknowledgment.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang snapped the reins lightly, and, with a lurch, the bison's muscles bunched, and he launched himself into the sky, quickly ascending over the streets of Ba Sing Se before adjusting his speed. Behind them, the small figure of the Jasmine Dragon fell away amid the clusters of stone buildings in the city.


	41. Sickness

**A/N:** I made some minor grammatical corrections.

* * *

Despite the warm air and mild, breezy weather, Aang felt sick to his stomach.

As the sun rose high in the bright blue expanse of sky, the airbender sat morosely beneath the back awning of the Jasmine Dragon, where Iroh kept many large, clay planting pots he used to grow a wide variety of tea.

While the rest of his friends busied themselves by assisting Iroh with the mid-day, rush, Aang was alone, trying to meditate, an attempt at calming his upset stomach. Every now and then, just when he had begun to relax, his stomach would spasm again, clenching and twisting in the most uncomfortable manner possible.

Sokka, with Momo perched on his shoulder and a tea-serving tray tucked underneath his arm, appeared briefly in the doorway.

"Hey, Aang, we could really use your help, things are heating up out there. And I don't just mean the tea," the warrior added, waggling his eyebrows roguishly.

Aang cracked one eye open to stare at his friend sullenly, deciding after a moment that Sokka's suggestive comment didn't deserve a fair response. He pressed his fists more firmly together and adjusted his lotus position, closing his eye and inhaling deeply.

"Suit yourself," Sokka shrugged, seemingly unfazed. The gesture was made comical by the lemur balanced precariously against his neck. "Momo here is a real ladies' man, aren't you, boy?" He scratched the animal behind the ear and disappeared inside once more.

Aang's stomach twisted again, and the airbender's breath hitched, his eyebrows twitching in an attempt to endure the pain. After a moment, his stomach slowly relaxed, and so did he. Gradually, his thoughts turned to the possible source of his current woes.

It could be any number of things, yet sitting here, by himself in the cool afternoon shade, Aang had ruled out almost all of them. The two remaining possible causes were somewhat of a mystery.

_Choice one: Indigestion_. The problem with this choice was that Aang couldn't fathom what he had eaten in the past few days that could have possibly given him indigestion. Katara had prepared various vegetable stews and salads with their meals…and the one custard tart he had insisted on buying from the marketplace vendor…but no, nothing that had the power to upset his stomach. And, well…this felt, different somehow. It wasn't a pain he would have normally contributed to something food-related, because although his hunger had abated as a result of this condition, it felt more like his stomach was trying to alert him to something he was unaware of. Bringing him to the second possible conclusion…

"Hey, Twinkletoes," a familiar female voice interrupted the airbender's musings, and he cracked an eye open.

"Mm?" Aang hummed distractedly, an inquiry.

"If you're not doing anything," Toph continued, hefting a certain squirming lemur she held in her arms, "Would you mind keeping an eye on Momo? Snoozles was carrying him around and a few of the customers were complaining about poor hygiene, fur in their tea, and some other junk like that."

She proceeded to shove the lemur into Aang's lap.

"Oh—kay," Aang replied absentmindedly, but the earthbender had already disappeared.

Momo chittered discontentedly in his arms, but the airbender stroked his head affectionately, biting his lip as he fought off another tremor of his stomach.

"What's wrong with me, Momo?" Aang rubbed the lemur's cheek with a thumb, and his pet stared back up at him with wide green eyes, burbling incoherently.

The airbender sighed. _Possibility number two—emotional turmoil._ Just as enigmatic as the indigestion option. The main cause of his personal conflict—the war with the Fire Nation—was over. The world was on the road to recovery. So what was this curling of his stomach?

"Hey Aang?" another voice interrupted his thoughts, and the airbender's stomach knotted fiercely as he glanced up and saw her.

"Yeah?" the airbender answered, straightening despite the pain. Momo, in Aang's lap, pricked his ears at the boy's suddenly alert tone.

Katara had a knapsack slung over her shoulder and small scrap of parchment in her hands. "Iroh needs more chai; we've run out of it in stock, and none of his plants are ready to harvest just yet. Come with me?" After a brief moment she added, "You've been sulking out here all day, I figured you could use some fresh air and activity."

Aang's brow furrowed, "I haven't been sulking," he countered defensively as he stood, Momo clinging to the front of his tunic.

The corners of Katara's mouth turned up, and her bright blue eyes glittered with amusement. "Sure," she retorted, her voice sarcastic but managing to carry a sympathetic undertone. An entirely new sensation caused Aang's heart to flutter as he moved forward to join her, cradling Momo in one arm. She turned as he reached her, and they left the yard together.

_Yep,_ Aang mused thoughtfully as the discomfort in his stomach slowly subsided, _definitely could not be emotional turmoil…_


	42. Quarrel

**A/N:** Continuation of the mini-series. Happy Easter everyone! He is Risen!

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Toph, we've barely been in the air five minutes."

From her place in the rear of Appa's saddle, the earthbender had to swallow carefully to avoid gagging. Suki, beside her, glanced at Toph with a concerned gaze.

"Really?" the earthbender's voice was weak. "Because, already, the excitement of traveling again has worn off, and the old air-sickness has come back to haunt me." She covered her mouth, and her eyes screwed up with the effort of keeping her lunch down.

"Here," Katara, climbing into the saddle, rummaged around in one of their many bags, pulling out a small, bitter-scented coin-sack stuffed with strong smelling leaves. "I bought some herbs that are supposed to relieve the nausea that comes with sea-sickness. I'm not sure if it'll work for air-sickness, but if it does, you can have the bag. I don't even remember why I got it in the first place. I don't get sea-sick."

"Lucky you," Toph muttered darkly, but nevertheless took the remedy willingly.

Aang, from where he sat on Appa's enormous shoulders, smiled up at the two girls. "I know earthbenders are supposed to be unmovable, but even stone crumbles, and the strongest metals rust sometimes. I guess this is just one of those times."

"I guess I might just have to smash your philosophical head with that rusty rock, and see how vulnerable it really is," Toph challenged, making a face as she chewed the herbal leaves up into a bitter paste and swallowed it tentatively, forcing herself to ignore the gag reflex that begged her to spit out the foul medicine. Sticking out her tongue in disgust, she gave a weak cough, barely suppressing an appalled, "Ugh!" She glanced sideways in Katara's direction, still blanching. "That is _a__wful._"

"Hopefully it'll work," the waterbender replied comfortingly. "If it does, maybe it'll be worth it."

"If I _ever _get this taste out of my mouth," Toph retorted pessimistically, rubbing her tongue furiously with her palm. Pausing, she blinked toward Sokka. "I wonder if... Can I have some of that jerky?"

"What?" The warrior blinked indignantly, tightening his grip on his cloak, which sat beside and slightly behind him. It made a subtle crinkling sound under his grip. "Who said I had seal jerky...?"

"Give it up, Snoozles. I can smell it." Toph crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow speculatively, and the other three stared him down with unyielding glares.

Sokka blinked innocently. "Well, your nose must be faulty, because I _don't _have any."

Toph sighed. "You're lying, Sokka. I don't even need earthbending to hear the squeal in your voice. Now just let me have some jerky!"

"Well, her appetite's back, that's a good sign," Katara joked, nudging Suki with an elbow. Behind the two girls, Sokka and Toph squabbled comically for the jerky.

"Sounds to me like she's over her sickness now," Aang replied with a laugh. Jerking a thumb towards the pair, he smirked, "Have we ever gone a day without those two crossing each other?"

Both girls shook their heads. Suki smiled. "Sometimes I have to remind myself who really is Sokka's sister. You," she motioned to Katara, "…or Toph."

Katara crossed her arms and leaned back leisurely against the saddle's lip. "Personally, I think he actually _enjoys _arguing with Toph. With me, it's another ordeal entirely."

"Eh, yeah," both Aang and Suki wholeheartedly agreed. The airbender twisted around, hopping up to rest his elbows on the saddle lip, a better viewpoint to see his two friends scuffle for the jerky, which was now painfully apparent, because Toph had managed to rip the hidden bag open.

"No amount of peace-meetings would stop those two," the airbender sighed, "Take it from one who knows."

Katara smiled comfortingly. "It's not your fault, Aang," she began with a giggle when Toph triumphantly snatched a handful of Sokka's dried meat, "They're practically a lost cause. It's a wonder that Toph doesn't become bored with the flow of stupid remarks and decide to toss him over the side."

Suki nodded. "Sokka can be cheesy sometimes…"

"Make that most of the time," Katara interrupted matter-of-factly.

Suki twiddled with the fabric of her tunic, laughing. "I suppose so."

A cry of protest interrupted their conversation, and all three looked back to see Toph, sitting victoriously astride a floundering Sokka, holding the bag of jerky above her head. Preventing the warrior from being able to fight back, her knee dug into his spine at the base of his neck, keeping him carefully immobile as he protested loudly, his voice muffled due to the fact that his cheek was smashed against the saddle's floor. Momo, who had been curled up near the two, skittered out of the way, screeching.

"You know," Aang commented off-handedly, "You'd never know to look at her that she could pin a guy down like that."

"No wonder she was such a hot topic in the Earth Rumble Tournaments," Katara mused.

Suki stifled a giggle. "Hot topic?"

The waterbender blinked. "What? That's a phrase!" The high tone to her voice caught the attention of her brother, still face down in the saddle.

"Since…when?" Sokka grunted teasingly.

Toph dug her knee a little deeper into his back. "Be quiet, you!" She ordered.

"Yes…Admiral Toph." Sokka responded cheekily, earning a cuff over the ear from the earthbender.

"Seriously, though!" Katara persisted as she, Suki and Aang turned back to their conversation, "That _is _a phrase!" She glanced toward the airbender for support, but all she received was a skeptically raised eyebrow. "You guys don't believe me?"

"N—oh," Sokka yelped, as Toph abused him further by dropping his now near-empty bag of jerky onto his head.

Katara crossed her arms and glared at her already humiliated brother, adding insult to injury. "Well, fine! You'll see! I'll prove to you that it _is _a phrase!"

"Sure, Katar—_ow! _Toph, is that real—_ow!—_ly necessary?"

"Flap your mouth again and you'll see how _necessary_ it is!"

Sokka promptly closed his mouth, frowning. His cheeks flared a bright pink against the polished wood of the saddle floor, a mixture of embarrassment and indignant anger gleaming in his ice-blue eyes.

"Toph, I think he's had enough. Would you let him up now?"

"Yeah, I think he's set for life in the humiliation department."

"Uh-uh," the earthbender shook her head, smirking. "I'm not going to let him up until sunset."

Aang, who had addressed her originally, frowned. "It's after sunset, Toph. The sun's gone down already."

The earthbender's smirk widened. "I said _sunset, _that doesn't mean I meant sunset _tonight._ If he's lucky, I'll let him up sunset tomorrow."

"Do you plan to stay up all night, pinning him down like that?"

"Yeah, Toph," Sokka commented hoarsely from underneath her, "I'm numb in some _very _uncomfortable places."

The earthbender shifted her weight, and Sokka grunted, trying to wriggle out of her grip, but was quickly succumbed in his attempts. "No pain, no game, Snoozles," she replied, waving her arm nonchalantly.

Sokka grumbled. "It's already clear that I've _lost _the game. Why must you torture me further?"

"Because it's fun."

"Well, I'm glad_ someone's_ enjoying herself."

"How kind of you to notice."

"Really, Toph! Must I beg mercy from you?"

At this, there was a sudden lull in their bantering, as Toph seemed to consider his question, although it was clear he had intended to be sarcastic.

"Yes," she decided after a moment. "Yes. If you beg mercy, I'll refrain from tanning your miserable hide."

"Your generosity is vast, O mighty Metalbender!" Sokka spoke in as loud a voice as he could muster, considering the earthbender's knee in the back of his neck was partly blocking his airway. "Now…" the warrior's voice lowered considerably. "Would you please let me up?"

"What?" Toph answered with a smug smile as she cupped her ear and leaned a bit downward, pretending that her ears weren't as keen as everyone knew they were. In a voice that was nearly shouting, she added, "I can't hear you!"

Sokka let his forehead fall to the saddle's floor in desperation. After a few ragged breaths, he lifted his head up again. "_Please _get off me, Toph! I beg of you, on my…well, not exactly on my knees…I beg of you, flat on my face…!" he dropped his head once more, and his voice was muffled as he gave a last plead, "Peesluttlmuoop!"

Satisfied that her torture had been effective, the earthbender slid off of him, skittering to the other side of the saddle, and settling down to Katara's left. Another trademark smirk spread across her face as she crossed her arms and leaned back leisurely against the saddle's rim.

Sokka groaned, blinking as he stretched his torso. "Oh..." he pushed himself upward and immediately flopped onto his back, staring at the sky and inhaling deeply, as if all the air in the atmosphere couldn't supply enough for him to breathe.

For a long while following, they flew in silence, only the occasional rustle of Sokka's shirt against wood breaking the quiet. Toph, tired out from pinning her companion down for such a long time, dozed against Katara's shoulder, and before long, Sokka's snoring heightened, signaling that he had fallen asleep.

Nearly a half-hour later, Suki set down the shirt she was mending and glanced up at the waterbender across from her. "Well, it looks like their little fight took a lot out of them." She blinked, looking pointedly at a slumbering Toph and then Sokka, a few feet away. "He didn't even bother to ask for his jerky back."

Katara, pulling a stitch tight with her teeth, smiled in agreement and shifted to better support the little earthbender's head as she leaned more heavily against her. Folding the garment carefully with the whale-bone needle inside, she placed it in her sewing bag that sat beside her. Then she glanced back up at Suki, who had resumed sewing, struggling to place the needle correctly in the dim light of the stars and the hazy blue of the crescent moon.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Katara told her softly, reaching a hand toward the Kyoshi Warrior. "It's too dark to see, and we should probably take their lead…" she gestured to Toph and the warrior sprawled on his back, "…and get some sleep."

"No argument there," Suki nodded, passing the shirt back to Katara with a smile. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. From across the saddle where he was nestled in the crook of Sokka's right arm, Momo grumbled in his sleep.

Katara leaned over the saddle lip, careful not to disturb the earthbender sleeping beside her, and called out softly, "Aang, you awake?"

The airbender stirred, blinking. He tilted his head upward to meet her gaze, rubbing the sleep from his eye. "I am now. What is it?"

"Suki and I are going to get some sleep now. Is that all right?"

Stifling a yawn, Aang nodded. "Go ahead. I'm okay."

Katara blinked, clearly disconcerted. "Well," she said after a moment, glancing over her shoulder at her sleeping brother, "Wake Sokka in an hour and he'll relieve you."

Looking unsatisfied but knowing better than to argue, the airbender blinked the affirmative. "I will," he promised.

Katara inclined her head. "Good night," she said with a smile.

Aang nodded. "'Night," he replied.


	43. When You're Gone

**A/N:** A little ficlet I dreamed up the other day, and since I have been unreliable on updating my other stories—I figured you amazing people deserved a little effort from me.

**When You're Gone**

On the day Bumi left the world, Aang cried.

He didn't cry because it wasn't Bumi's time to go. After all, the king was almost one-hundred and twenty years old. He had lived a full life, stocked to the brim full of adventure, achievements, love, failure, and mischief. He had lived to see the return of the Avatar, the end of the Great War, and the rebuilding of the world as it was meant to be.

Aang didn't cry because the old man hadn't lived life to the fullest. Bumi had been born a peasant, but his determined will, sharp, unusual mind, and earthbending prowess had brought him to the top. His fun-loving, passionate prankster attitude had, ironically, kept him sane in the face of the many trials he had lived through. His joy had never ceased, and that's what Aang had admired about him from the time they first met and became friends at eleven years old—over a century ago. After the Avatar had returned from his hundred-year hibernation, Bumi had still been there. His support was unrelenting, even when Aang's most trusted friends had expired with the age—the old earthbender had been a constant. He had been a mentor, a teacher, and most importantly, a friend.

Standing before the heavy earthen casket, Aang stared hard at the surface of the stone, feeling the tears prick viciously at the back of his eyes as he fought bravely to hold them back.

Bumi had never married. His oddball character had never attracted women, and he was content to leave it that way, devoted as he was to his learning and his true friends. As a result, he had never had children. As a result, he had no successor to Omashu's throne, and the position was left vacant until someone either stepped up or forcefully took power.

In his grief, Aang could hardly bring himself to think of these things. Bumi could _never _be replaced. Not in greatness, not in charisma, not in friendship—not now, not ever.

Aang blinked, releasing a shaky breath. _How am I going to do this without you, Bumi?_

There was a soft tug on his sleeve. The bleary-eyed airbender glanced at the small-statured girl beside him with surprise. He hadn't felt her approach.

"Toph," he deadpanned, swallowing carefully around the lump in his throat.

The earthbender crossed her arms over her chest, her jade eyes glinting. "You've been standing here for an hour, Twinkletoes. He can't get any deader," she joked half-heartedly.

"I know," the airbender replied, pressing his fingertips to his temple, his tightly-screwed eyes streaming with tears. That instant, Toph regretted her careless words.

"Hey," the earthbender pressed her fingertips into his shoulder, comforting him with her trademark aggressive affection. "He lived a good life. And now that he's gone, he wouldn't want you to waste yours pining for him."

Aang drew in a breath slowly, brushing the heel of his hand under each of his eyes. "I know," he repeated, softer this time. The tears that dampened his cheeks were still flowing, but there was a resigned lilt to his tone that told Toph she had made a breakthrough.

The earthbender stepped closer, taking her friend's hand gently and leading him toward the door. "Come on," she urged, "They're about to read his will. I don't want to miss my allotment of Omashu's purest, home-grown Genemite."

Aang couldn't help but let out a sniffle of laughter through his tears as he allowed the persistent earthbender to drag him along by the arm. "He always knew you loved that stuff."


	44. 5: Consultation

**A/N:** Warning: This is a continuation of the one-shot series from posts 15-18 of From the Heart, so understanding the background of this tidbit may require a refresher of chapter 15, titled '1: Everything'. Keep in mind, this piece was written before I saw the end of the series, so there may be some inconsistencies with details regarding the finale.

* * *

Consultation

Katara came from the washroom, where she had cleaned up and gotten ready for bed. She tied a full-length, blue polar-seal fur robe securely around her slim waist and crossed the room, dropping down on her skin mat beside a shivering Toph.

The waterbender smirked. "Regret not bringing a pair of boots?"

The earthbender, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and her gooseflesh-pale arms wrapped around them, clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering as she responded. "Not...at all."

"I assume," Katara began jokingly, shifting her weight and stoking the small, contained fire between their two bedrolls with a decorative dagger, causing it to flare up in protest. "You sleep with blankets, right? Or would you rather freeze to death?" The heated dagger made odd scraping sounds as the flame licked the blade.

Deciding to ignore the taunt, Toph responded by changing the subject. She gestured toward the waterbender's hand. "That weapon, I don't believe you had it when we last met. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, this?" Katara hastily took it from the fire and tossed it to the side, where it sizzled angrily for a second before falling silent. She suddenly sounded as if she was disturbed. Toph, despite her almost absolute blindness due to the absence of rock and stone, detected an increase in heartbeat pace from her friend. She smirked knowingly. "Who is it?" the earthbender asked casually, propping herself up on her elbows.

She felt Katara's eyes studying her face for a brief moment before she heard a rattled sigh. "He is—_was_—a suitor."

"Oh?" Toph responded almost instinctively, and she immediately blanched in disgust at her genuine interest in this man—such 'girly' habits had lately begun to kick in regularly.

Katara smiled wanly. "He was nice and all, a man known for his high social status in the Northern Water Tribe—but I turned him down. I hope I'm doing the right thing...Gran-Gran says I'm way past normal marrying age for women in our tribe."

"Why did you turn him down?"

"Needless to say," Katara went on, ignoring the inquiry, "My dad was disappointed. I mean..."

"Sweetness, you're avoiding my question. Why?"

Katara rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Why? Hmmm... Why what...exactly?" She was feigning sincere confusion, but Toph detected a telltale elevation in her heart rate.

"It's Twinkletoes, isn't it?"

The comment caught Katara off guard, and she sputtered, making a disapproving noise with her lips. "Pffft...Uh...gee, uh, _no._"

Toph's eyebrow arched upward. "I don't even need earthbending to tell you're lying this time, Sugar Queen. It's as obvious as that big fat nose on your face!"

"Hey..."

Toph waved a hand in front of her sightless eyes. "Seriously, you guys will_ never_ get it, will you?"

Katara took the opportunity to flash a brief smile. "Do you _enjoy_ shoving people into the bottomless abyss of depression and yanking them back out before they have time to scream, Toph?"

The earthbender grinned deviously. "It's what I'm here for!" Her expression grew more serious. "So, are you going to tell me about this guy you left heartbroken? Or do I have to drag it out of you?"

Katara suppressed a mock frown. "And down I go again..."

* * *

_Thud._

A chorus of laughter rang through the corridor.

"Aang, that wasn't funny!"

More laughter was abruptly cut off by a loud _thwack_ and a sharp "Ow!"

Sokka and Aang stumbled through the arched doorway to their room. The airbender plopped down on a skin mat and huffed, half-panting, half-laughing hysterically. He tentatively reached to touch the back of his head, wincing as he did so, though his eyes were aglow with child-like joy.

Sokka shoved one end of his preferred weapon into the icy doorframe and leaned against the wall, his blue eyes sparkling. "Don't ever underestimate the almighty power of my boomerang skills!"

Aang laughed again, his arm draped over one knee. "I thought I had you for a moment there," he stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth, focusing for a brief moment on lowering his breathing rate back to a normal steady rhythm. Then he blinked and brightened. "Remember when we first played Air Ball? You know, the original version? Back when we first met? Before we modified it to work with a boomerang and a non-airbender?"

"Yeah, bouncing over ten-foot high stilt-poles aren't as easy as you make it look, Aang. I'm glad this version is just closer to the _ground._"

The younger teen grinned up at his sore and forlorn companion, who, though he prided himself with his mastery of several different kinds of weapons, still wasn't up to standards when playing Aang's favorite bending game. "Well, if you want to play it the right way, Appa can always take you and me to the Southern Air Temple this summer for a..."

"Oh-no. No, no, no, no, no. Really, Aang, not to hurt your feelings or anything, but I don't think my body—muscular and strong as it is..."

Aang laughed.

Sokka glared, but didn't break the flow of his statement. "..._or _the space between my legs...can handle even a few minutes more of that..._game_. Game, indeed! It's a deathtrap, is what it is! If a guy were to slip on those poles..."

Both he and Aang shuddered.

The airbender recovered pretty quickly and went on to beat at Sokka's pride unbashfully. "Oh," Aang replied with a mischievous glint in his gray eyes, "So you're saying you're weak?"

"What gave you that utterly _ridiculous _idea?" the warrior pushed himself from the wall and collapsed with a soft groan onto the mat adjacent to Aang's. He continued his claim in the form of a teasing taunt, "I'm definitely stronger than you, Twig-limbs, and therefore better with girls, too."

"Who decreed that the stronger men get the girls, Mister I-Think-I'm-Suave?"

Sokka made a rude sound in his throat. "Only the Universe, duh. And I happen to know that particular entity fairly well. So that gives me a double advantage."

Aang wrinkled his nose with disdain. "Are you implying that I _can't _get girls?"

The warrior shrugged. "Look at the facts...I have a girlfriend. That particular girlfriend first kissed me...not the other way around. Whereas...you haven't done either of those things."

Aang could barely suppress a smirk. He could beg to differ. "I've kissed a girl before!"

"On the lips? And you're mom doesn't count!"

The airbender shot him a questioning look.

Sokka knocked a fist against the side of his head as if to remind himself. "Oh, right...growing up among monks...I keep forgetting that."

"Yes," Aang answered his first inquiry solemnly, "On the lips. Twice. Twice on the lips. Well, you could possibly count another time…but twice for certain."

"How old were you?" Sokka probed, attempting to squeeze information out of the airbender so to verify or disprove his claim.

"Does it really matter?" Aang asked, feeling that to proceed was stepping on dangerous terrain. He hadn't planned on boasting the entire story and completely throwing it out into the open. Curse this urge to somehow prove himself romantically superior to Sokka!

"Yes, it most certainly does! Now answer the question! How old and who with?"

Aang frowned. "The 'who' wasn't in the original question..."

Sokka spread his arms in an 'oh-well' gesture. "Okay then, I guess you didn't..."

"I did _so_!"

The warrior poked a menacing finger in the airbender's chest. "Then _tell _me!"

"Okay...but you must promise me something."

"What?" Sokka demanded, impatient.

"That you won't be angry with me after I tell you, nor hold any grudge whatsoever."

Sokka eyed his friend strangely. "I get the feeling I know this particular girl."

Aang took a steady breath. "I suppose you could say that."

"So who _is_ she already?"

"Okay..." Aang inhaled sharply, ready to do the men's equivalent of pouring one's heart out. "The three times that I kissed her, I was...twelve."

Sokka's eyes rolled to the ice ceiling as he dove into his memories. "Twelve...that was right after Katara and I found you in the iceberg...to, I believe it was around a month after the war ended. So, that basically leaves two people whom I know really well, Toph and my sister. In so using my extremely intelligent and fine-tuned deductive reasoning skills, Toph wouldn't be a likely candidate because she'd beat you to little more than a pulp before she'd kiss _anyone, _and that leaves the only remaining choice: Katara. Am I right?"

The extremely composed way in which Sokka presented his 'case' baffled Aang to no end, and he only managed a stiff nod.

But the warrior actually looked surprised when his answer was confirmed, almost positive he had been too categorized in his assumption that someone he 'knew' was someone really close to him. "Really?"

Aang winced when he deciphered the shock in his old friend's voice, and just nodded again, only with difficulty. Inwardly, he wondered how Sokka could _not _have ever noticed.

Sokka frowned, contemplating, voicing his thoughts only with a low, "Hmm..."

Anxiety was flourishing in Aang's heart. He couldn't bear to stand the silence, or that puzzled, thoughtful look on Sokka's face. "So..." he began hesitantly, "Are you...okay? That is, I mean, are you...well..."

The warrior glanced toward the stuttering airbender with a compassionate expression. The Avatar, he who, in the face of the enemy, would stand tall and intimidating, yet in asking for Sokka's permission to court his sister, he faltered and fell. It was a comical thought, but Sokka refrained from laughing, not desiring to cause his friend further embarrassment. He sighed. "Look, Aang," Sokka moved forward, and placed a hand on the airbender's shoulder in a brotherly gesture. "Do you believe me when I say I trust you with my life?"

Aang glanced at his friend curiously. "I...guess so," he shrugged.

Sokka closed his eyes. "Then you should have no trouble taking my word for it when I tell you that you are the most trustworthy person I know, and therefore I don't doubt that you'll take the best and most considerate care of my sister."

Aang's face broke into a relieved smile. "Really?"

"Really," Sokka nodded the affirmative. He moved away abruptly, hopping to his feet and reaching toward the door. With a sharp tug, the boomerang was free from its icy constraints, and Sokka tossed it toward Aang.

The airbender ducked as the weapon _zinged _overhead, barely suppressing a gasp of surprise.

The warrior caught it deftly on its return flight, and he looked at his friend, who had sprung from the floor. "Enough mushy stuff," Sokka laughed, "Up for another game?"

"You know it," Aang replied with a grin.

**A/N:**


	45. Penguin Sledding

**Penguin Sledding**

Hundreds of fancy-tailored wooden shoes clacked across the polished ballroom floor. In the firelight from the grand, golden chandelier hanging from the domed ceiling, Earth King Kuei and his council of generals hosted the proceedings, speaking pleasantly with delegates from all over the world. On the fifth anniversary of the end of the war, the people had come together once more to celebrate the Avatar's great victory and the restoration of Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom. Dresses and suits of every color—nobility from all four nations—milled along the edges of a large dance floor, mingling and making small talk, mainly exchanging hearsay about the guests of honor.

Avatar Aang and his comrades, including the esteemed Fire Lord Zuko, had made an appearance earlier in the evening, to the intrigue and excitement of the other guests. The friends had taken time out of their busy lives and gathered for their annual reunion in Ba Sing Se. They were the talk of the day, and a few of them, such as Toph Bei Fong, and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, could still be seen among the crowd, retelling tales of their adventures and entertaining the guests with much zeal.

Two of the aforementioned guests of honor, in an effort to escape the overenthusiastic and seemingly endless throng, had slipped up a tiny stairwell that led out onto a small veranda that was, to their utter relief, currently unoccupied.

Sighing, Katara adjusted the blue silk wrap around her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest and inhaling the clear evening air as a breeze lifted the circlets of hair from her face.

Aang came to stand beside her, nudging her shoulder with his. When she turned and met his gaze, he grinned. "Some party, eh?"

Katara blinked slowly, a half-smile gracing her features. "Some party," she agreed. Lifting her eyes to the sky, she looked upon the quarter moon, brightly lighting up the landscape, despite its small size. After a moment, she turned again to the airbender beside her. "Thanks for rescuing me from Councilor Lu," she murmured, "He was coming on _far _too strong. And his breath smelled like rotten papaya."

A hard glint came into Aang's gray eyes, even as his smile brightened. "Any time, Sifu." He winked, and she put a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Speaking of which," the Avatar added, "Thanks for chasing off those Northern Water Tribe noblewomen. Their attentiveness was getting annoying. Although…I'm not sure if freezing their hands to their dresses was entirely necessary."

A glimmer of fire sparked in Katara's ice-blue eyes, and she huffed. "The younger one was getting a bit touchy. I didn't want the others getting any ideas."

Aang chuckled, reaching to take the waterbender's hand in his. "It's so beautiful outside tonight," he altered the course of their conversation, glancing up at the star strewn sky. "It's a pity we've been stuck indoors."

Katara hummed in agreement. Blinking, she glanced shyly at the airbender's formal robes, and then met his curious look. "Well, the public limelight doesn't look so bad on you, and…that outfit _does _look pretty striking."

He beamed, squeezing her fingers appreciatively. "You don't look half-bad yourself." His gaze swept over her kimono, coming to meet her eyes once more. Suddenly, he lit up. "Oh, have you seen my new staff?" He held it loosely in his left hand, and brought it forward for her inspection.

"I haven't," the watebender leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she examined the narrow frame of the instrument. "So, you made this to replace the Mechanist's staff you lost when you went with Zuko to meet the Sun Warriors?"

Aang nodded. "Yes. My first staff was crafted and given to me by Monk Gyatso. I only knew how it operated, not how it was made. Last year—you remember, I wrote you about it?—I found schematics at the Eastern Air Temple when visiting Guru Pathik, and decided to make one of my own."

Katara smiled. "It's beautiful, Aang. You even embossed it with these carvings—" she squinted, "This one looks like the Unagi—and that one is a flying boar—what do they all mean?"

"They're symbols of our adventures," the airbender replied, "Places and times when I learned important things—and met important people. See—there is one of the frozen frogs from when I was captured by Zhao, and when Zuko rescued me. And there is one of Sokka's submarines where—" he trailed off, grinning sheepishly.

Katara looked up into his face, tightening her grip on his hand and shifting a step closer. "It's wonderful, Aang. You must be so happy to have a glider again."

"I am," the airbender nodded, meeting her eyes. "But—I actually haven't flown it yet."

"Really?" Katara's eyebrow rose, but she didn't question him further.

"Hey," the airbender began, a bit hesitantly, "How would you like to skip the second half of this party? Let's go somewhere. Anywhere."

"I don't know, Aang," Katara glanced over her shoulder toward the archway that led off of the terrace, back to where the gathering was being held. "Don't you think someone will miss us?"

"Sure," he replied, not missing a beat, "But by the time they do, we'll be long gone."

Still, she looked unsure.

"Come on," Aang pleaded, his eyes earnest, "We can take my new glider—" at this, her expression flashed fearfully, so he changed tactics, "You and Sokka just arrived in the city. We only have a few days together before I have to meet with Zuko's generals in the Fire Nation. Let's make the most of it. A few hours, then we can be back before midnight, to say goodbye to all the stuffy nobles. Please?" He punctuated his argument by tapping his staff on the ground.

After a moment of reflection, Katara finally relented. Straightening, she looked the Avatar in the eye. "Okay. Let's go."

Grinning like a maniac, Aang spun his glider, snapping the wings into place. "Grab on," he urged.

Adjusting her kimono, Katara stepped into position behind him in a dignified manner, gripping the hand-holds carefully. From the underside of the glider, Aang placed his hands next to hers, nearer to the tips of the glider's wings. "Hold on," he warned, crouching.

The next thing Katara knew, they were twenty feet above the veranda, and climbing. She held on with white knuckles, gasping for breath as the wind tore past them, mussing her hair and clothes. Despite this and the very present fact that they were basically jumping ship on their responsibilities for the night, the waterbender found that she was exhilarated. One thing was for sure, she knew the memory made this night would be kept close to her heart during the separation to come.

She just didn't know _how_ true her thought would.

They flew for what seemed like hours, not without a few experimental airborne loops and turns, out of the upper ring of Ba Sing Se and through the residential section, all the way to the stretches of farmland that ringed the middle ring of the city. Aang brought them to rest on a hill overlooking a quiet little cluster of houses, with a single tree gracing its crest.

Breathless and laughing, her dress wrinkled and partially askew, Katara collapsed, her back against the tree trunk and her hands buried in the thick, lush grass.

Aang plopped down beside her, laying his staff down at their feet. Wrapping an arm around the waterbender, he pulled her closer to his side, an amused smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"That was fun," Katara ventured after a moment, when her breath came in more regular gasps, "…and terrifying."

Aang chuffed, laughing. "Sorry about that corkscrew flip, I got a bit excited. I promise I'll tone it down on the way back."

Katara sniffed, nudging him with her elbow. "For your first staff, it seemed to be at least as sturdy as your other two. Well-made."

The airbender smiled. "Thanks. Monk Gyatso made a couple dozen gliders before mine was made, so I don't expect this one to hold up as well. But I used similar wood and the same technique, so I have high hopes." He tapped the staff thoughtfully with his boot.

Katara shifted closer, nestling her head against the airbender's shoulder. Under normal circumstances, she would've been a bit unnerved by her creased clothes and her hair's disarray, but at the moment, she didn't care, and felt happier than she had been for weeks.

Aang thought she had never looked more beautiful.

They spent the next few sweet hours together, sitting under the moonlight, talking all about their experiences apart, laughing and joking, reminiscing and speculating on the future.

Before they knew it, the moon was sinking low in the sky, and the two benders finally prepared themselves to leave. Aang stood, offering a hand to Katara, who took it, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Tired yet?" the airbender asked.

Katara yawned.

Aang laughed. "There's my answer."

In reply, the waterbender stepped forward and trapped him in a hug, which he returned eagerly.

"Before we go," the airbender added, almost as an afterthought, though his voice trembled slightly, "I—I need to ask you something."

At his tone, Katara met his quivering gaze with unease of her own. "What is it?"

After a pause, Aang opened his mouth to speak. "Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

The waterbender regarded him with confusion. "But how are we supposed to—"

Then she caught sight of the pendant he held in his hand.

Covering her mouth with shock, Katara stared. Ice blue ribbon held a silver charm carved with the intertwining symbols of air and water. There could be no mistake. Tears welled in her eyes.

A few moments passed before she found her voice. "…yes."

The airbender's eyes shone. His gaze then fell on the pendant already around her neck—her mother's necklace. "…may I?" He held up his betrothal token tentatively.

Katara immediately reached up and slipped the necklace off, looking at it, forlorn in the palm of her hand. "Go ahead," she encouraged her new fiancé.

Aang secured his betrothal pendant around her neck, smoothing her hair down when he was finished.

"Thanks," the waterbender smiled. After a moment, "We should probably get back."

"Yes," the airbender agreed, his gaze softening as he added, "So—after the penguin sledding—you're okay with marrying me also…right?"

Katara laughed, looping her arm through the crook of Aang's elbow. She pressed her cheek against the solidness of his upper arm, warmth welling up in her heart as she sighed with contentment. After a moment, she lifted her chin up to gaze lovingly into his inquiring silver eyes. "Aang," she began,

"I can't imagine anything greater."

* * *

**A/N:** I was assaulted in the middle of the night by this idea—certain cliché elements wrapped into it—but, I don't think Aang would've gone for the orthodox proposal—overall I think my version is decent. What do you guys think? As always, I apologize for any grammatical/spelling errors.


End file.
