"Of Life"

Mystic25

Little_girl_

Disclaimer: Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.

Summary: its four years after the war, and this is a window into where things are.

Rating: PG

A/N: First Avatar story. Been a fan for years.

I sit here, under the eaves of the bamboo on the roof of my home, listening to the rain drop from it, sliding rivulets of water at my feet, mixing with the already damp earth that has collected in pieces around the structure of the house itself. It has been raining here all evening, the clouds covering up the moon, masking her face from this town, as if to give it privacy from the shower the sky is giving to the land.

It is so quiet and serene out here, but not completely. Commotion, but more correctly, noise comes from inside. There is a lot of noise, and yelling. A clanging slam lends itself to the screaming, and I hear someone swearing. I think it's Sokka. Now that he's 19, and past the age being punished by his father for profanity, his choice of words has expanded. But, in reality he still is still the humoristic 15-year-old I met all those years ago. I mean, since when is, "Ramshackling monkey-lemurs!" a curse? Another voice comes in, telling Sokka to get out, and stop harassing the women while their trying to work. There is a shoving sound, and a hiccupped cry, and a minute later Sokka appears on the terrace, holding on to a screaming two year old who jumped from his reach to monkey climb his way across the support beams of the terrace's roof.

The kid's quite a good climber, and Sokka trips over several clods of dirt, a few lotus flowers in their small circular patch and a huge terra cotta pot positioned by the eaves of the house to collect rainwater. The pot shatters, and the gallons of water pour out onto the porch like an uncontrollable river. That is, until I water bend it out onto the street. I already washed once today, and would rather not do it out in public again. Still I laugh at Sokka's inability to catch the child. For such a skilled warrior, he has a very difficult time catching his son. The boy can't even walk yet, but he does know how to climb. He was born knowing how to climb. He shimmy's his way up every tree so fast that it's dark sometimes before Sokka even knows where he's gotten too. One time, he even fell on Sokka's head; I think it was some kind of joke for him. Sokka thought it was a tree spirit attacking him and screamed so loud the village thought HE was an evil spirit. It took all night for Suki to convince the town council not to torch the tree down. Sokka's son name is Sukoda, named for his grandfather and his mother, but after the tree incident, he earned a permanent nickname: Spider Monkey.

Currently, Spider Monkey dropped on my lap laughing, wanting me to keep him away from his father. I've been too tense to laugh today, but the boy's amusement is infectious and I throw the handspun Water Tribe blanket over his head. He goes still, but still laughs. I guess he wants to congratulate himself on his great hiding place.

Sokka is now standing over me. "Aang, I know your stomach's not growling that much." He watches the furious movements of the blanket that have made their way up to my stomach.

"With all that's going on, I didn't eat very much." Spider Monkey laughed harder, and sprang from the blanket in a sudden game of "Look and See"

"Yes, I certainly do See." Sokka responds with the traditional response for the game when finding someone, rubbing his chin at his son, considering him and his hiding place. Spider Monkey finds one of the roasted pine nuts I was going to eat and throws it dead center at Sokka's head.

Sokka screams in that over the top way he does to make things dramatic. "My forehead middle!" He still hasn't gotten his anatomical phrases down. He's still checks his "throtal flap" daily for that wart. He gives a stern look to his son. "Okay that's it Sudoka-" Spider Monkey started to cry and throws another nut at Sokka's head, he doesn't like his formal name. "Okay- Spider Monkey" Sokka corrects himself. "If you don't behave, and stop hitting daddy's sensitive forehead middle, you're going to have to go back in there with your mother, and all that girlie weirdness."

"Uh Sokka, it's not actually called a Forehead Middle." I correct.

"Don't under mind my parental authority!' Sokka takes the nuts from his son's hands. The kid cries for a minute, but then settles into the ease of his father's embrace. Sokka's face softens. He lifts Spider Monkey in the air, and starts making low lulling noises, pretending to be Appa, flying Spider Monkey around the world. He's been doing that ever since Sudoka was born, it's a bit of a weird game, especially when Sokka start's doing evil girlie sounding voices for the former enemy Fire Nation minions, but Sokka likes it so much, that I'm not telling him to stop.

"Keep it down you guys," Suki steps on to the terrace, her robe today is soft shell pink, the color she likes to wear when she's not on a mission with the Kyoshi warriors. The color matches this spot on her left check she's rubbing. It looks like someone hit her with the end of a whip. But I know for a fact that we don't keep whips in the house.

Suki sees me looking at the spot she's rubbing. I don't say anything; it wouldn't do for a Kyoshi Warrior to lose face. But leave it to Sokka to be the observant one.

"Ouch, your face-" Sokka leans in, pointing a finger to probe it, but Suki slaps his hand away.

"Shut up, Sokka it's nothing!" Her other cheek goes as pink as the mysterious marked one. Sokka looks like he's about to laugh at her. A wrong move, Suki's eyes narrow, even without the makeup and full uniform, the look is intimidating. "I said shut up Sokka! We need water for this, it's not like I could take it out of the room!"

I laugh now, quietly, the first one I had in days. Even though I've never been in this situation I could picture how it happened. She's always been strong, both physically and in will.

Suki looks like she wants to tell me off for a second, but then her warrior masks falls away, as she realizes where she is, and what's happening. A handful of autumn leaves blow across the terrace, landing in a splashed pattern of bright yellows and blazing oranges at my feet. Spider Monkey begs to be put down, but as soon as Sokka stands him on his feet he toddles through the leaves and claws at the skirt of his mother's robe, pulling at the black sash with the marks of Kyoshi that closes it to her waist.

Suki picks him up, settling him to her hip. Spider Monkey keeps playing with the ends of her sash, covering his eyes with it like a blind fold. Suki rubs his dark hair affectionately, and then turns her eyes to me.

"Everything's well Aang," Suki seems to know what I'm thinking. "Things like this can't be rushed."

Her words do reassure me, but slightly. I'm jumpy, edgy. Not a good thing for a monk. I haven't slept well the past week. Sleeping serenely isn't an easy thing when someone keeps jabbing at you to move over until you finally fall off the sleeping mat and onto the floor. I've slept down there all week. If I got up and tried to lay back down it would just start all over again.

"You can go in if you like," Suki seems to sense that I'm not completely reassured. She's really good at being intuitive. "Only for a minute, but still-"

"Trust me Aang, you don't want to do that." Sokka said. "I know you helped change the world and all, but there are some things where men and women should still say separate."

"Just because you fainted when Sudoka was born doesn't mean Aang will!"

"We're guys honey," Sokka informs his wife. "This is what we do. Faint at stuff like this, fight wars, and bring our wives back flowers on festival days. Back me up here Spider Monkey." Sudoka laughs and spits in Sokka face.

Suki laughs, "Look at that sweetheart, he's a Waterbender already!"

Sokka glares at her, but he's laughing too in a moment. He kisses Suki then Spider Monkey. They look so happy to be there with each other, there small family. It's hard to believe that it's only been four years since the war ended. There are many homes here in the Fire Nation where I have my winter home that are still badly damage from the destruction. And further up the road, on a hill overlooking a cluster of hanging willow trees is a grave site, where hundreds of white marble markers cover the grasses, the official gravesite of those lost in the last battle of the war. I see families travel there in carts, palanquins, horses, laying dragon lilies next to those that are never coming back. The saddest part of that hill is on the other side of the small creek where the bodies of the children are buried. I have traveled there many times watching mother's and father's lay trinkets and scrolls of letters and stories next to these tiny markers. As the Avatar, I usually found myself confronted by these families coming to this huge war gravesite. and I reassured them that the war had ended, and their souls were now at rest. But lately, especially in the last few months when I approach the children's section, I feel like I can't move, can't talk.

I don't have words then, how can I reassure these families that peace has returned? The war has ended, but the aftermath echoes for a long time. I have no idea how to console these parents, when, no matter what I say, their children are still gone while I-I. Here, even my thoughts leave me. She would reassure me then. Hold my hand. She didn't tell me everything would be okay. All the cries of grieved families let me know it would never be okay. But in her gesture, I knew things would get better, for them. For us. I missed her dearly this last month, when she could no longer travel. But I held her in my mind, having her with me. Remembering why I had made that journey so long ago. I always walked away sad, but hopeful after these visits.

Soft footsteps, followed by hard running ones come through the doorway and out to where my friends have gathered around me. Tall and willowy, a young girl three-years-old runs through. She has dark brown hair all braided down her back. She wears a crimson red robe covered in orange dragon lilies, such a thing fitting for Fire Nation royalty. Her beautiful robes snag on a nail in the doorway, and they tear, but she's too excited to care. She stops in front of Suki and tugs at her arms so hard she almost dislodges Spider Monkey from her grip. But all Spider Monkey does is laugh, because he things everything is funny. He's so like Sokka it's scary.

"Auntie Suki! Mother needs you inside!" Her name is Maia, and she is the crowned princess of the Fire Nation. And you can see it clearly right now. But not because of her fancy clothes, or the gold ceremonial bands around her wrists. But because she stands there, half laughing, half glaring at Suki to pay attention to her. Her face is so determined for a three-year-old. She is the Fire Nation princess because of this, because she embodies so much of her father, of Zuko. She even fights like him. And trust me, she can't fire bend as good as her dad yet, but I'm glad I shave my head now, or I would be bald for all the times I've sparred with her in the royal gardens of Zuko's palace.

Maia's mother, of course is Mai. Mai who is currently laughing in that closed lip, "I only laugh once in a while way because I'm deep" way. It was difficult at first to not expect Mai to jump out and attack me every time I turned the corner. But, then again, it was also hard not to expect Zuko to chase me everywhere, so I got used to Mai being good. Sokka, on the other hand, he slept with a knife under his pillow for a year until Suki threw it into the volcano and called him ridiculous for being so paranoid. But yeah, Mai is one of the good ones. She hasn't changed much; she's still sullen at times, full of dry humor, and deadly accurate aim with her throwing stars. She just doesn't want to kill me anymore. She's been Fire Nation queen for three years now, and she's actually a fair and just person when it comes to her royal duties. She oversees a lot of the rebuilding efforts here and the other nations, and sits in on peace talks. Her mother and father are still in Omashu, but now act only as liaisons to Zuko. The government of Omashu has been handed back to the Earth Kingdom. Mai's father didn't take to kindly to this. But faced with banishment from Zuko, he dealt with his demotion.

Suki's looked down at the girl, then to her mother. "Already? That hour candle is still burning inside."

If Mai was shocked at how fast things went I couldn't tell. She just shrugged at all of us, like maybe the candle lied, or perhaps we shouldn't care. "Hey, a girl shouldn't have to wait. I didn't." It's true. Maia was born in two hours, on a palanquin ride from a ribbon cutting of Zuko's uncle's newest tea shop in the market district of the Fire Nation. Zuko actually burned holes through the palanquin to scream at the bearers to hurry up and take Mai home. But it didn't matter. Maia was born right on the street, with the help of a passing midwife on her way to a temple prayer. Maia was named after Zuko's mother, and her birth seemed to heal my friend, who still daily feels the hole from where his mother is gone. Over the years he's had some promising leads, but his father, in his prison cell, taunts him, has thrown him off with false leads, and nothing has panned out. Maia, with her dark eyes, her smile, so like her grandmother, helps Zuko hold on until he can find and be with her again.

I jump to my feet, my legs are needlelike from sitting down for so long. "Is that bad? Is something wrong?" Leaves crunch under my shoes as I run from Mai to Suki, trying to read them.

"Relax Aang," Suki's hand is on my shoulder. "Slow isn't always a bad thing."

"What's that's supposed to mean?" I'm shouting and I don't care. Doesn't anyone understand how nervous I've been? I've faced the Fire Lord in direct combat, and right now I'd rather do it again then feel the way I feel right now.

Suki gives my shoulder a squeeze. "It'll be fine Aang, don't worry." She disappears with Spider Monkey in her arms before I can say anything else, going into the house, where I've avoided being all day.

"Is she crazy? How can I relax? How?"

Either Mai just slapped me, or the wind really picked up. "Get a grip great and powerful Avatar, this has being going on since the dawn of time." Mai is leaning back against the walls of the house, the wind picking up and blowing her hair across her face. The way she's standing, her manner, I can't even tell she slapped me. Sokka has his hand up and is mouthing "Sneak attack!" behind it while pointing at her. He's an idiot.

"Why did you slap me?" I'm still yelling, but I'm the Avatar, I'm allowed to yell.

"Because you needed it." Mai is still so calm, she's got an arm across her daughter's shoulders, and is playing with her hair with her free hand. "This is life Aang, it happens."

"That's all you have to say?" I can't believe this is Mai's attempt at keeping me from jumping off this terrace. "That doesn't help at all!"

"Hey, if you want a haiku and tea, Iroh's shop is down the street." Maia laughs at her mother's dry joke.

"Ooh, burn-"

"Sokka, not helping!" I shout. Sokka stops mid quip, but still looks like he's enjoying himself at my expense. If I had hair, I'd run my hands through it. Instead, I lean on the bamboo railing, staring out into, the view of the city the altitude has provided me. All around in the air flaming leaves fall of the roofs of the surrounding houses. A group of children play Hide-and-Explode down by a fried komodo dragon stall. The smell of snow hovers in the clouds, preparing to fall within the coming weeks, to drive away fall with its whiteness.

Sokka leans against the rail next to me. He watches the children playing their game down below. One of them shoots a tiny flame, making the other's hair catch fire. But there isn't any danger. The other kid is laughing as he puts out his smoking head, ready to go again.

"That'll be Soduka down there in another few seasons." Sokka sounded proud as he said this. "Well, minus the fire."!

Leave it to Sokka to make me smile even when I'm tense. "Yeah, and in a few more seasons-"

"Oh definatley Aang. We'll have an Avatar/Waterbending team. Those Hide and Go Snappers won't know what hit them. " Sokka actually leans over the railing and shouts "Look out losers! It's COMING!"

"Sokka, stop yelling at the local children!" Suki's voice comes from somewhere inside the house.

"Yes dear!" Sokka says in the quick way someone does when they've been caught being bad. He turns his attention to me. He's wearing Fire Nation colored robes. His Metorite Sword strapped to his back. Toph managed to find it half buried in a rock a week after the battle, still intact. He was so happy he kissed her. Toph was so happy she created a new canyon ten miles long in her excitement. She always did have a thing for Sokka. But after Suki became his betrothed Toph was a little down trodden. But that didn't last. She's fourteen now, no serious guys. But she's an Earth Bending teacher in Ba Sing Se, and right now is seeing this other teacher, some 17 year old named Rodin who can blow rocks fifty miles up and make shapes. There's a scandal with her parents because of the age difference and the fact that Rodin isn't as connected as the Long Fei family. She's been forbidden to see him. Toph wrote me last week and told me she's in heaven, she loves scandal.

"Do you think I'll be any good at it?" The question is asked to Sokka before I can stop it. I feel sort of childish for asking, but I can't help it. "I've mastered four elements, defeated Ozai, but I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Sokka's hand is on my shoulder. "No one ever is buddy." He cleared his throat like he was about to give a speech: "It's a journey friend. But it's one you will enjoy. And you always will." He smiled. "Haiku, my specialty."

I touch Sokka's hand on my shoulder. "Thanks man, that actually made me feel better."

"Aang," Suki is back outside. Spider Monkey is clinging to her neck like, well, like a Spider Monkey. Her face wears the biggest smile. "Come inside and see."

Sokka whoops next to me, "Yeah, you the man buddy!" He punches me in the shoulder before he hugs me. Suki looks at him like he's an idiot, but like he's her idiot. "If you're done Sokka, I think Aang has somewhere to be."

Sokka slings his arm around my shoulder. "Let's go have a look brother-in-law." He half drags me across the porch I feel a thump as Spider Monkey jumps on Sokka's back as we step through the doorway.

My winter home is simple, one large room with a window that covers the whole south wall, showing the thick standing of maple trees behind it, now wearing their autumn dress of dazzling colors. Despite being the Avatar, the monks have always taught me to live this way. To not clutter a space with too many objects that may disrupt the natural flow of the room itself. Scrolls hang on the walls, pictures of my friends in all four kingdoms next to a series of Water Bending scrolls, and a painting done by Sokka, crudely drawn of our last battle. But I keep it to not hurt his feelings. Candles sit around a low shelf filled with wilting spring flowers and red autumn leaves.

A large sleeping mat sits in the middle of the floor. Today it is surrounded by women; Suki kneels down in a vacant place, setting her son down on his feet, where he jumps around at all the sights. Next to her is an older woman with silver hair, dressed in the color of the Southern Water Tribe, long blue robe lined with white soft wool. A betrothal necklace sits around her neck, and a warm smile on her face. "Aang, it's about time you came inside." She is Kanna, grandmother of Sokka and-

"Katara."

She smiled at me. She looked really tired, propped up on a mound of seal blankets and cushions. Bowls of water were everywhere, one empty, with a little water around it on the floor. Katara looks at it, guilty, then up to the mark on Suki's face.

"Don't worry about it Katara." Suki reassures her. "I punched Sokka when Sudoka was being born."

"Lucky jab," Sokka corrects to his sister.

"I'll bet." Even Katara's voice sounds tired. She is holding a moving blue and ash gray blanket across her chest, a soft noise coming from inside. Her tiredness seems to leave her face like melting snow when she pulls back the blanket so that I can see. "Aang," her voice is so thick, and she's suddenly crying. "Come and see your son."

I let out the longest breath I wasn't even aware I was holding. Suki gets up from the floor so I can claim her spot. She goes to stand by Sokka who puts his arm around her.

"His name is Tenzin." Katara kisses the baby, still crying, but looking so happy because of it.

I kneel down next to Katara, the baby turns to look at me, he has such dark eyes, bald like me, but his eyes are like his mother's. He hold's my eyes, the little being. My son. Everything I feared since this morning fell away. They are replaced by new fears, because there is so much more to protect now. But I'm going to let that wait. The world will always be broken, peace will always have to be worked on, cultivated so that it won't die. So that my children and the generations after won't go through what we went through. But in this hour that ticks now, I forget all that. Because he is beautiful, and he is what matters.

"It's perfect." My smile is large, and I feel like my heart is now broken, never to be repaired, because it's now given to my son. Just as I gave a piece to his mother a long time ago. I kiss Katara, then Tenzin.

Life, the entirety of it, can be found in the faces of those you love, and echoed in their eyes when they look back at you. It has always been this way, even when those we love are gone, we still see them, as we see the living. So when we see life, we gaze through this mirror, this reflection. And we continue on.

XXXXX

I just wondered how Avatar and the gang lived after, and well…

I don't know if Zuko's mother's name was ever mentioned. If it's wrong, I apologize.

R/R please.