Greetings! My name is Crispy. I've been out of ficcing for some time, but decided to get back into it after watching the series for the second time through. Coming from a Gundam Wing background, it's different working with female characters in my fic - hope I can do them justice. Any way, this is what I imagine would happen after the series ended. It's going to be a long project, but I have most of the story worked out. It's simply putting fingers to keys that I'm working on. =)

Warnings: Eventually, Aang is going to get it on with Zuko. It's going to take a while and a bit of character development to get to that point, but there you have it. I reserve the right to write whatever other pairings I choose and think I can work into the narrative.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, I am using the setting and characters to give form to my fancies. Thank you to Mr. DiMartino and Mr. Konietzko for their imagination and sharing their ficton with the rest of us.

Note: Consider this formatting drop caps at the beginning of a scene, as I can't seem to use my normal ~~~ or even - to separate scenes.

White. Gray. The clouds part, opening on a scene of bright white-teal icebergs and deep cerulean water. The wind whips suddenly in the still air and a figure dressed in tan, orange and brown shoots by; borne aloft by two sets of reddish-brown fabric wings attached to a metal pole.

The figure dives, then curls around in a loop his laughter blown back behind him in the freedom of flight.

The boy glides in a lazy, serpentine path as the icebergs shoot by below. He curls around a bluff of ice and snow and sees below him a familiar, small village. His eyes scan the landscape, flying vast circles above the city as the children run out to wave and laugh up at him. He spares them a wave, tumbling though a short yet complex aerobatic maneuver to the delight of his audience, then sees not what he was looking for, but a reasonable facsimile.

Across the tundra, a glint of sunlight spears the pilot's sight, attracting his attention to the figures dressed in green and blue facing off. He banks, diving towards the two companies arrayed against one another and angles towards the two figures standing midfield.

"Sokka! Suki!" the pilot yells, his voice carrying despite his speed. The figure in green looks up, smiling and giving a delicate wave. The young man in blue lets out with a whoop and starts running towards the incoming boy, grinning from ear to ear.

"Aang! Buddy!"

Aang drops from his glider as he approaches, and barrels into Sokka, knocking them both for a tumble. The boys laugh and wrestle, until Suki arrives at a much more measured pace.

"Hello Aang. Welcome back."

Their wrestle pauses for a moment and Aang pokes his head out of the jumble of arms and legs and grins at Suki.

"It's good to be back - Where's Katara?"

"She's training her students, over by the boat." Sokka's reply comes muffled from the other end of the tangle.

Aang and Sokka disentangle themselves and hug, clapping each other on the back.

"I'll go say hi, then. How's the war-game?"

Sokka and Suki share a glance and a grin, the Suki replies. "It's going well - we're pretty much done with this group." Sokka steps over and slips an arm around Suki's waist, pecking her cheek with his lips. "Just about in time for the next batch to come in."

Sokka's face falters for a moment, worried. "I said it before, but... I'm not sure if it's a good idea to bring in a company each from both the Earth and Fire Kingdoms at the same time... Don't you think the tensions might be a little... strained?"

Aang nods. "Of course - but that's why I made sure I'd be here. At least for the beginning. To provide support while you two iron out the kinks." Aang places a hand on each of his friends' shoulders. "I know you two will be able to work anything out, eventually. Just leave Damage Control up to me - it's what I do best."

Aang winks and Sokka and Suki laugh, sending Aang on his way. As Aang reclaims his glider and launches off, Sokka and Suki return to conducting the exercise and the two bands of Tribesmen and Kyoshi Warriors rush towards each other with padded wooden weapons.

The young man in the heavy red and gold robe stands, as the last of the advisors leave. He places his thumb and forefinger along either side of his nose as he continues to examine the map rolled out on the table before him. He traces the lines on the map with a finger and sighs heavily.

"It's been eight years - and we still haven't left the Earth Kingdom."

There is a knock on the door and he speaks without lifting his eyes or halting the small circular motions he makes on his nose.

"Enter." he says, distracted.

The great doors open, admitting a young lady with her long black hair topped by a small golden ornament who steps efficiently down the room to stand next to him.

"Hello Zuko. You look tired and bored. Dinner?"

Zuko looks up, noticing the lady and a small smile creases his lips. He leans over, placing a tender kiss on her cheek and slipping an arm around her waist.

"I'm sorry Mai - I didn't notice it was you. Dinner would be wonderful. What are we having prepared for us tonight?"

Mai's face also creases with a smile as she takes Zuko's hand and leads his out of the throne room. "We're not. Ty Lee insisted on doing the cooking."

Zuko pauses at the news, then continues walking with a strained look on his face. "Um... I didn't know that Ty Lee could cook...?"

Mai shrugs as she walks ahead of Zuko. "Neither did I - but at least Dinner should be interesting tonight."

Zuko shrugs, accepting, then pauses as the door to the largest room in the palace. He looks back at the empty dais that once supported the ornate Throne of the Fire Lord, which he had had removed immediately after he was crowned. He shakes his head, hearing his father's disapproval in the back of his mind and closes the door, jogging to catch up with Mai and taking her arm as they retire for Ty Lee's... 'treat'.

A wagon rolls along a forest path, pulled by a single ostrich horse and driven by a bent, old man. A human figure sits in the joint of a tree, dressed in a tight, shaggy outfit in several shades of green. He raises his hands to his mouth and blows, emitting a warbling bird call twice in rapid succession. His call is returned several times from different directions and the figure stands gripping a rope that hangs at his side.

Jumping, he lands next to the wagon along with nearly a dozen other similarly dressed figures. Together, they surround the wagon. The ostrich horse rears, but one of the ambushers quickly controls the beast as another jumps to the perch and holds a sword to the old man's throat.

"Don't struggle and you'll live, Gramps."

As the others approach the wagon to secure it and take it's contents, the old man looks up, revealing a pair of sightless blue eyes and a mischievous grin and says in the voice of a confident young woman:

"Don't call me Gramps - I never married."

The bandit looked again at the driver, surprised at the voice, but the driver was already moving. She raised her arms, lifting a dome of earth over the bandits, wagon and ostrich horse, cutting off all view to the interior. After a minute of thumps, grunts and tremors the dome falls revealing the driver standing next to the ostrich horse, calming it, with the bandits bound together by a ring of earth on top of the wagon.

"Aww, were you scared, Screechers?" The ostrich horse warbles contentedly, nuzzling the young lady. "Of course not - No one on my side has anything to fear when Toph, the greatest Earthbender ever, is on the job!" Toph feeds the ostrich horse a carrot which it snaps up greedily. "Now - just keep moving us down the road to the next town, okay?"

Toph launches herself back up to the perch of the wagon, snaps the reins gently and gives the ostrich horse it's head to lead the wagon down the road.