It couldn't be possible.

It had been four years since Katara went missing. Four years

It just couldn't be possible.

Could it?

Word had made its way to the fire nation palace of good deeds the mythical Painted Lady had done, starting about three and a half years ago.

Katara had pretended to be the Painted Lady, all those years ago. And yet she had told him that she saw the real spirit afterwards, so…

So now you knew Aang's dilemma. He paced back and forth in his room, designated for him with the appropriate colors of all four nations, even of the air nation which he was working on rebuilding. That's right; he wasn't the last air bender anymore.

When Katara disappeared she raised serious question of whether or not she committed suicide by leaving each of them letters, although Sokka and Zuko refused to share theirs. But it was Aang's letter that…That had broken the Airbender's heart, rereading it at least a thousand times, to a point where he could recall the words with ease

'Dear Aang

I'm sorry. Really, I am, but by the time you read this I'll have already…Left.

I know that you had such big plans for us, that (tears blotted the page there) you love me. But I'm sorry, I just (more tears) can't. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't ever love you the way you say you love me. You'll always be in my heart as my brother, my rock, my (the last word seemed strained) hope. I know you'll move on, and if it helps, you can forget about me. Forget I ever existed, that we ever met, please. I won't be coming back, and there's nothing you can do you stop or find what's left of me. Please, respect my last wishes, if nothing else then for everything we've been through together, and leave what's left alone, because by the time you read this, the Katara you know will be dead.

Goodbye Aang.

Love,

Katara'

Aang wiped a tear from his eye as he remembered all too vividly how he had run as fast as his Airbending could allow to find her, using everything he could think of to track her down. All he had gotten was where she had been, and by the time he had gotten out to the Cliffside, Sokka, Toph and Zuko were already there. All of them with letters, and all of them with tears.

The young avatar shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. After a year of searching he had finally given up, despite his feelings that she was still out there somewhere. Even Sokka had stopped looking after two years; both of them spent travelling with Toph to look. Toph never gave up, and continued to travel the world looking for their missing friend to this day, even though Sokka had stopped and married Suki, now living in both the rebuilt Southern Water Tribe learning how to be the next chieftain and on Kyoshi in the winter continuing his study with the relocated Piando and the Kyoshi Warriors. There were even a few rumors that the Fire Lord, known to them as Zuko, had secretly sent out those who could find her but, Aang had given up. She had asked him to after all, and now he had a wife and child to look after.

He had married Aunt Wu's assistant Meng at 16, her having their child a few months ago. Since she wasn't a bender, Kala was an Airbender like her father, and named after his lost love. He adored (enter name?) much like a sister, but just couldn't love her like he loved Katara. Was this what he was forcing her into? There wasn't a day in his life when he didn't wonder if he was the sole reason she left.

Still, that didn't matter right now. He knew word would reach Zuko any minute, and he would probably check it out. Ursa, his long-lost mother that he had found a year after the Painted Lady was sighted, would probably support him. At least, as soon as she came back from the prison. The kindly woman had made it a habit to visit Azula in prison once a week, since that's when her schedule allowed. Zuko had never gone with her.

He had sent word out to Sokka, who had just arrived in Kyoshi for the spring and summer, and Toph who had taken a quick refuge up in Ba Sing Se. The Painted Lady had been making a steady stream of goodwill from the south side of the Earth Kingdom to the Northern Water Tribe, supposedly somewhere around the Western Air Temple right now, most likely about to go through the Fire Nation. If they hurried, they might be able to catch her at the Temple, or at least have Zuko catch her on his home turf.

With a sigh the young Avatar sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his longer face tiredly. He had grown over the years, his face growing into his eyes and ears, though they still seemed slightly larger than the rest of him, and growing to an almost staggering height of 6"4 already. He still wore the official air bender robes every day, except when he was travelling, that's when he wore a somewhat older version of his original clothing.

He leaned back on the soft satin, curling himself into a ball and falling into a restless sleep, hoping the others would be there soon.

This is the first of many chapters in Back Again! Thank you oodles for reading, IT WAS AWESOME OF YOU! But you know what would be More awesome-ner(Yes, that's a word)? A REVIEW! ^.^