I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters and never will.

Since the very beginning of evolution, the Earth has been split into four powerful nations.

The largest and most inhabited is the Earth Kingdom, whose odd person has the power of controlling the element of earth itself. These people are intensely diverse, strong, persistent and enduring.

The second and most peaceful nation is the Air Nomads, four islands that were home to the Airbending monks who made it their personal duty to detach themselves from the rest of the world to live in harmony.

The third nation is the Water Tribes, one located in the South Pole, the other in the North. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of controlling water, healing others and adapting to change. Unfortunately when I was born into the world, change wasn't an option.

About one hundred years ago the Fire Nation, the fourth and most powerful of all the nations declared war on the other three. The people of the Fire Nation soon took complete control and slowly broke the world apart. The Earth Kingdom was the first to be attacked, and soon almost all of its city's were owned by the Fire Nation Army. The second was the Air Nomads, whose people were all whipped out completely. Finally war came to my nation, a small village in the South Pole, and destroyed homes, land, and many lives, including my mother's.

I now know that when growing up in a world of war, you have to be prepared for anything, but being eight years old and losing a parent, there's not much you can do to prepare. Fortunately, just when it seemed like the Fire Nation was close to victory, my brother and I found a boy frozen in an iceberg, an Airbender named Aang, the Avatar, who was our only hope to bring balance back to the world. The three of us traveled across the world, along with Appa and Momo, Aang's pets from the Air Nomads. Toph, a blind Earthbender whose powers were not to be taken for granted. Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation, the heir to the thrown after his father Fire Lord Ozai, although he wanted the war to stop just as much as we did. And Suki, my brothers girlfriend from a small Earth Kingdom village. Of course we met many other people on our way, some of them friendly and others not so much; who helped Aang prepare for the epic battle that everyone knew was coming. When the day came, Aang defeated the Ozai by taking his powers away and Zuko took over the thrown; ending the war, having his father imprisoned in the Boiling Rock Prison, and his sister, Azula thrown into a mental facility.

My brother, Sokka and I planned to head home as soon as the celebrations died down, as did Toph and Suki. In the mean time though, Zuko had his Uncle Iroh, a now famous tea maker in the largest Earth Kingdom city, Ba Sing Se; arrange to buy us a large estate within the city's walls where we could stay. It didn't take him long at all to do, and as soon as we got it we were living there. Zuko himself left his thrown in the capable hands of his girlfriend Mai, while he went off in search of information to try to help him find his long lost mother.

In present day, the celebrations are finally dying down, and Sokka's already planning and packing for our trip home. The only problem is, the more I stay here, the more time I spend with the Avatar and my friends, the more I think about not going at all.

Remember when I said that you can't always be prepared for everything? Well now, I understand that more then ever.

It was a cold night for summer, the wind nipped at my bare arms as I stood on my bedrooms balcony, nothing covering me but a blue tank top and usual long matching skirt. I was looking off into the sapphire sky, my eyes focused on the moon. It was glowing much brighter then it had been for a while, but that was probably because there was no longer the faint haze of smoke lingering in the air to hide it. The smell in the air also grabbed my attention. It was a nice smell, almost like flowers, a nice change from the ongoing smell of fire. I inhaled, taking in as much of the air as possible, enjoying the sent that I had only heard about in stories from the "old days".

"So you are out here."

I turned my head towards the door of the balcony. Standing there was the short blind girl I had grown to love just like my own sister, leaning against the doorframe. Her lips were twisted into her usual sarcastic smirk, and her faint greens eyes were gazing straight through me, just as if I was a ghost. "They missed you at dinner tonight. No one knew where you went." Toph said quietly, walking over to me, her arms ever so slightly outstretched in front of her, a sure-fire result of my wooden balcony. She stopped walking when her fingertips brushed the top of the railing and she faced me. I looked down, remembering the last thing I had heard before leaving for my room.

"Man, I can't wait to get home!" Sokka had said excitedly to Aang and the others. "Everything's finally going to go back to normal."

My eyebrows dipped down in confusion. Everything wasn't going to go back to normal, it couldn't. Yes we'd be back home with our family, and yes we'd finally all be together again, but what good is that when you have to completely forget the friends you've made at war, the relationships you've gained? Life is so unfair that way. Why do you have to meet people, begin to like them, only to know that one day you will have to say goodbye? I sighed and looked back at the sky.

"Yeah, I just wasn't that hungry I guess. Sorry I ditched." Toph smiled.

"It's okay. I didn't really miss you anyway."

This made me smile. If there was one thing Toph was good at other then earthbending it was honestly. "Thanks Toph, that means a lot." I said in a low sarcastic voice. There was a long silence that was broke by the whisping of the wind. It coiled itself around us, causing our hair and clothes to dance along. "So," I started, wanting to make conversation again. "Now that the wars over, what are you going to do?" Toph laid her arms on the railing and her head on her hands.

"Go home." She answered in a hushed tone. "Go home and tell my father to stop treating me like a baby. I think now that I helped save the world, he'll understand. I mean there's not much he can say when I tell him that I almost single hand idly took down a whole Fire Nation air ship, right?" I didn't say anything, but I nodded. And even though she couldn't see my response I knew she knew what my answer was. I heard a light yawn escapes from her mouth as we stood there in yet another silence. "What about you Sugar Queen, got any plans?" she asked me.

I thought about it for a second, the answer of course was no, but I didn't want to make it seem like I knew that without hesitation. "I'm not sure…" I finally answered. Toph turned her head and looked up at me. "I don't even really know if I want to go home….not so soon at least." This caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"You don't…want to go home?" Another flash of confusion slapped me across the face and I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"I do, I really do. It's just…" I didn't know to how finish my sentence. What was the reason that I wanted to stay? Was it the fear of change? The thought of going back to being nothing more then a normal girl who does nothing but fish and wash clothes? Or was it something more then that, something about having to do with losing a friend, losing someone I cared about too much, losing someone I loved? My thoughts stopped at the word; love? What kind of love was it? The kind that you have with a close friend? Maybe the kind that you share with family? Or maybe it was just love, true love that I gained from this journey, true love with the same boy that one year ago I found frozen in an iceberg who had no idea how to live up to his expectations. And now, here we are, we've come so far, done so much together that I see him no longer as a friend, but someone more, someone I don't want to lose anytime soon.

This time Toph yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head. "Well," she started, heading back to the door. "I'm going to bed, see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning." I said back as I watched her disappear into my room. Morning was going to come too fast for me, and I knew that before I even knew it, I was going to be on my way home. I frowned and swallowed, forcing a golf ball sized lump down my throat. I was going to have to say goodbye. I decided to go back inside as well, it was getting pretty late, and I was tired. But when I got into my room I was surprised to see him standing before me, his expression filled with concern. I felt my heart and stomach lurch, it was different being around him now, he was different. He was no longer the young, immature child I had found in the iceberg; he was now a semi-mature, wise boy whose childish charm blended perfectly with his masculine features.

"Katara, what's wrong?" Aang asked worriedly. I blinked, realising that my distressed visage was still plastered to my face. I slightly shook my head, trying to somehow shake it away and forced a smile.

"What? Nothing, I'm fine." I reassured him. "Just getting ready for bed."

He frowned and continued to look at me; I knew he wasn't really convinced, so I walked up to him and gently placed my hand on his cheek. "Really Aang, I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous for the trip home tomorrow. That's all."

Aang looked into my eyes, and I could see the exact same sadness in them. "Oh…yeah." was all he said. We kept looking into each others eyes, my heart was racing and I could feel through his soft skin that his was too. A moment later, I found his face slowly inching closer, our noses were barley touching. He leaned his forehead on mine and sighed, his cool sweet breath brushing over my skin. My breathing got shallow and I closed my eyes, dreading that this would be the last time we would ever be like this again. "Katara…" he said huskily, but before he had time to say, or do anything else, the door barged open and we sprung apart.

My eyes drifted in the direction of our intruder and who I saw filled me with annoyance. Standing there was my goofy brother, Sokka, a large oblivious grin plastered to his face. He strode over to Aang and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Hey buddy! You almost ready to help me with those plans for tomorrow?" he asked. I crossed my arms.

"Sokka, didn't dad teach you how to knock before barging into someone's room!?" I demanded angrily. He cast me a smug look and shrugged.

"Uh yeah, but you're my sister, I don't have to be polite if I don't want to! So what about it Aang?" Aang looked down, his face a bit flushed.

"I don't know Sokka, it's kinda late…" he said unsurely. Sokka dropped his arm and frowned.

"Come on Aang, you said you were going to help me! How am I supposed to get home if you don't help me figure out a way to get there!?"

"I already told you that Appa and I will fly you back to the South Pole ourselves." Aang said looking dumbfounded at the boy who was now laying on the ground in distress. Sokka looked up at him and smiled.

"Really!? You'll take us?" he asked. I smiled smugly.

"That's what he said, or weren't you listening?"

Sokka ignored me, jumped up and hugged Aang tightly. "Thank you so, so, so, so much!" he chimed. Aang forced a smile.

"No problem." he said, pushing Sokka away. Sokka skipped back to the door and went halfway out, before turning around to look at me.

"Don't forget to pack Katara. We're finally going home tomorrow! For good!" I tried to smile myself but it didn't work.

"Can't wait…" I lied half heartedly. Sokka smiled one last time before running off down the hallway.

Both Aang and I looked down at the ground in silence. It was a little awkward standing there, but I didn't know what to say, so I decide to end our little visit, even though I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. "Well," I started, tucking a lose strand of hair behind my ear. "We should probably get to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah." Aang agreed. "Good idea."

With that, Aang quickly pressed his lips to my cheek and left my room, leaving me alone. I smiled. Leaving him was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do in my whole life, I just knew it.

Miles away from Ba Sing Se, in the middle of an Earth Kingdom forest a prison stood all alone, thick black smoke rising from its chimneys, but because the sun was just coming up it shown the darkest shade of red you could imagine. Inside the prison there were hundreds of cells, each of which had only the smallest bared window, the prisoner's only source of light, which wasn't very bright considering the lights in the hallway were dim and dying. A lone guard walked down the hallway, pushing a cart full of slimy looking food. He stopped at each cell, went in for only a moment with a plate, then came back out to go to the next. The prisoners were all at their windows, peering out at the guard as he walked by, some of them saying rather impropriate things to him. He ignored them and continued on with his job.

"Feeding time!" he called as he unlocked cell number fifty four and went inside. The cell was dark; the whole back of it was completely casted in shadows so you could not see anything except for silhouette of a bed, and someone sitting on it, facing the wall. The guard stood there for a minute, looking at the person before finally bending over and putting the plate on the floor.

"Thank you so much guard." a small feminine voice came from the figure. He looked up as he stood back up straight. The figure still hadn't turned around, and her voice was so monotone that she seemed almost lifeless. "I have been so hungry today, but the other guards are so strict with feeding. You are by far the most honourable."

The guard gapped at her for a moment with a confused look on his face before clearing his throat. "Your welcome." he mumbled politely, before turning towards the door. "Well, enjoy your meal."

The girls golden eyes, which had been closed, opened slowly and shifted to the side, as if trying to see behind her without turning her head. "Oh…guard." she said, suddenly putting expression into her speech. The guard stopped walking and turned his head. "Would you mind bringing the plate over here? I haven't been feeling very well as of late, and it makes me nauseous to walk."

This time the guard narrowed his eyes impatiently. "It is against the rules for me to go near the prisoners!" he snapped rudely, causing the girl to turn around fully, her appearance no longer in shadow. She was a beautiful girl with long, shoulder blade length black hair that was as straight and as shiny as could be; her bangs were pinned back making a slight bump on the top of her head. Her topaz eyes went perfectly with her ivory, flawless skin. Her shape was one of a model, not one inch of fat, and yet not too skinny. She did not look like a prisoner at all, if anything she looked like a princess.

"Do you not know who I am?" she asked quietly. The guard smirked.

"Of course, you're Azula, the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, or should I say, the old…Fire Lord. Your brother took over that opposition didn't he? If you ask me, he's the only one in your messed up family who's sane, other then your uncle!" Azula scowled, but stayed completely inline. The guard put his hand on the door handle. "So if you're feeling too sick to walk, then maybe you shouldn't eat at all! But if this was just some scam to escape, and you're not sick, then enjoy your meal!"

He turned around, pulled open the door, left and locked it again, leaving Azula sitting alone in the dark once more. She sat on the bed, just starring at the place the man had been standing, before she slowly walked up to her plate. She looked down at it, her gold eyes filled with anger, then without warning she swiped her hand at it and sent it flying to the wall, screaming as she did so. The plate hit with such force that it shattered to the ground, the slimy "food" spilling all over the floor. Azula continued to scream as she grabbed her hair and started pulling as hard as she could, her bangs fell out of the neat bump and onto her forehead. They were messy and crooked, as if someone had just hacked away at them with a knife. She stopped screaming, the rage finally subsiding and clenched her fists.

"I used to get the respect I disserved from people, but now look at me!" she yelled at herself, the sound echoing off the walls. "I'm locked away in this cold dark cell, striving for food, with no respect from anyone!" She reached up with hand and pushed her bangs back, sighing in defeat. "I could have been queen right now; I could have ruled the world. But no, instead I was beaten by a child." As soon as these worlds left her mouth, Azula smiled and started to laugh hysterically. When she finally stopped she crossed her arms. "Oh Azula, your losing your touch."

"Open cell number fifty five! Now!" someone called from outside of the door. Azula looked up as the sound of people rushing down the hallway boomed through her ears. She walked over to her window and peered out, wrapping her hand around one of the small bars.

Coming straight towards the cell beside her, seven guards were rushing down the hallway, two of them holding a man by his arms, the other five circling around them. Azula raised an eyebrow as she watched. The guard in the front pulled a key out of his pocket and shoved it into the lock of the cell door. It clicked open and the door flew in. The other guards were having no trouble at all restraining the man, who was just standing there, Azula wondered for a minute why they were even holding him. But then, as she carefully studied his face, his black eyes darted towards her and they met. Azula was stuck in a trance; the man's eyes were filled anger and rage, she could tell that he was indeed dangerous. She smiled to herself and backed away from the window. This was going to be interesting.

"Let's go, let's go, let's GO!" Sokka called excitedly as the gang packed all of their supply's onto Appa. Suki looked at him as she threw her bag onto the saddle.

"Sokka, I know you're excited, but please. Try to calm down." she said with a grin. Sokka walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm calm." he said suddenly turning indeed very calm. Toph pushed past them and threw her stuff up as well.

"Oh Sokka..." she said. Suki laughed.

Aang watched as the three friends slowly made their way up onto Appa's back and frowned. "We're going to miss you too." I said quietly as I walked past him towards Appa. He nodded and followed me. Once we were all packed and ready to go I looked at our house one last time. Iroh had come to see us off and he was standing in the front lawn waving his large hand at us. We waved back, said goodbye and we were off. I couldn't help but feel a terrible sadness as we left, though nobody else other then Aang looked as if they felt the same way.

It took us three days to reach Gaoling, Toph's home town. When we got there, we were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong who were very happy to finally have their daughter back. We stayed for a few hours, giving Appa a change to rest, then we said our goodbyes, but promised to keep in touch thanks to Sokka's messenger bird, Hawky who the Bei Fong's had taken care of since we sent them a message from the Fire Nation, and left for Kyoshi. This time it only took us about eight hours to reach our destination, but we didn't stay long at all. Suki told Sokka that after her training was completely finished she would come to live with him in the South Pole, at least until she got sick of the cold. We traveled once more for a day and a half; finally back in the frozen wasteland that was my home.

It was much quieter then what I had remembered, and there seemed to be nothing but miles and miles of ice and snow wherever I looked. I narrowed my eyes as the whiteness blinded me. Sokka who was sleeping beside me snored loudly in my ear, causing my irritation meter to shoot up. I looked at him watching as a slight trace of drool oozed out of the corner of his mouth onto his shoulder. Men are disgusting.

I turned my head to look at the driver of our ride. Aang was sitting on top of Appa's head, holding the reigns loosely in his hands. I slowly crawled over to the front of the saddle, closest to Aang and sat on my knees. "We're almost there." I said quietly, not wanting to wake my brother up. Aang turned his head to look at me for a minute before turning back to steering. I looked down at the white ground below us once more, thinking of something else to say, something more positive.

"Katara…" Aang began, disrupting my thoughts. I looked at the back of his head, suddenly finding the blue stripe tattoo that ran from the top, down his neck very interesting. "I've been thinking and if you wanted, er….if your dad would let you, you could….well….you don't have to but…maybe you could come back to Ba Sing Se with me. If you wanted."

There was a long silence as my mind processed his words. Go back? Go back to Ba Sing Se, with…him? Only him? The two of us living alone together, like a married couple? A swarm of desire, fear, nervousness, and confusion swam through my mind as I thought about it, but then reality hit me. "I'd love to Aang…"I said sadly. "But I don't know if my dad would….um…find it appropriate." I watched as Aang's shoulders slumped down and his head dropped slightly. I frowned. "Sorry…"

"It's okay…I was kind of thinking you'd say that." he mumbled. There was a pause. Katara, say something to him! I told myself mentally, so I sat up, leaned forward and twined my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You know what," I cooed in his ear. When he didn't say anything I decided to go on. "I'm going to ask my dad if it's okay. And if he does happen to say yes, then I'll go back to Ba Sing Se with you." I saw Aang's eyes look down at me.

"Really? You'd leave your whole village, your family, just to live with me?" he asked. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck, placing a small light kiss on his skin. I felt him shudder underneath the touch of my lips and smiled.

"Of course," I said pulling away to look at him. "You're my family now too Aang, the only difference is you don't have anyone else." Aang pulled one side of his mouth into a smile, but it soon turned into a relived smirk.

"Look, your village!"

Sure enough, about only a few yards in front of us was a small village that consisted of igloo's and rawhide tents. Dozens of people were standing in the middle of everything watching as Appa slowly lowered himself to the ground. Both my father, Hakoda, and my Gran-Gran were in front of everybody, their expressions more then happy.