"Merry Christmas, Did you sleep well?" Fire Lord Zuko asked before kissing his queen on the cheek.
"I did indeed", she replied. "Merry Christmas to you as well"
Lord Zuko chuckled, "Well you are certainly going to need all of your energy to keep up with the little ones today"
"It feels like yesterday that we were just children ourselves", Katara mused while looking out of her bedroom window at the snow falling from the sky.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"Grandma Katara!"
"Grandpa Zuko!"
"Get out of bed already! We want to open our presents!" multiple little voices squealed with excitement.
"Speaking of children", Zuko whispered resulting in a giggle from Katara.
Both Katara and Zuko opened their bedroom door to find three pairs of gleaming eyes staring back at them.
"Good morning my dears", Katara said smiling while taking the hands of the two female children.
Lord Zuko picked the remaining child up placing him upon his shoulders, and the family walked to the festivity chambers. Greeting them was a large Christmas tree decorated in various lights and ornaments.
"Have at it kids" Zuko chuckled while he placed the small child on the floor, and then had a seat on a nearby sofa.
Katara joined her husband on the couch and snuggled herself up under his arm. The couple blissfully watched as the next generation of their family ripped presents open one after another.
"Grandma, what is this?" The youngest child, Maleki, asked while handing her one of his gifts.
"Well my dear, this was Avatar Ang's glider before he passed away. It was a popular mode of transportation for the air nomads back in the day."
"You knew Avatar Ang!?" the boy enthused.
Having overheard the conversation the other two curious children joined their brother on the floor.
"Oh yes, quite well in fact" Katara giggled
"A little too well if you ask me" Zuko chimed in sarcastically.
"Story time! Story time! Story time!" the children chanted in unison.
"Haha alright, alright. Well when I was a young girl I lived in the southern water tribe with your great uncle Sokka. We came across a peculiar iceberg adventuring one day, inside was a young boy who had been trapped inside for one hundred years, we later recognized him as Avatar Ang. Your grandfather however came looking for Ang, threatening to destroy or village and harm the population if we didn't turn him over"
"GRANDPA! Why would you do that!?" the children cried.
"That was a very long time ago children. I strayed down the wrong path for a good part of my life before your grandmother and Ang steered me right", Zuko explained while giving his wife a peck on the cheek.
Not satisfied with their grandfather's explanation, the children had turned back toward Katara waiting for further detail.
"Anyways, Ang gave himself to the fire nation in order to prevent our village from further harm. He managed to escape from grandpa Zuko, and it was then that Sokka and I learned his true identity as the Avatar. Now as you know the Avatar must master all four elements, and Ang however only mastered his native element of air. So Sokka and I decided to help Ang travel to the northern water temple"
"That's where you learned water bending from Master Pakku, right grandma?" The eldest child, Irene, asked.
"Yes child. It is also where Ang had mastered his water bending. However we met quite a few interesting people before arriving at the Northern Water tribe"
Who'd you meet grams?" Inquired the middle child Arlene.
"All sorts of folks... Your Aunt Suki and The Kyoshi warriors, King Bumi, and Jeong Jeong. Haha we even came across one of the few remaining lemurs who Ang took in and named Momo", Katara said.
"The Kyoshi Warriors are so cool!" Maleki enthused.
"I want to be just like them!" Irene added.
"Aunt Suki and Uncle Sokka are in loooooovee" Arlene giggled.
The children laughed and bantered over the story Grandma Katara had been telling for hours. Relishing in all of the adventures, heartache, and madness from beginning to end.
"I can't believe Appa got kidnapped"
"Luckily Grandpa was in a good mood that day"
"I wish I could've watched Ang kick great grandpa Ozai's butt!
Katara couldn't help but laugh at the children's playful words. It felt nice reminiscing about her long lost past for it was something she didn't often get to do. Just moments later a Fire nation guard came to inform Lord Zuko and Katara that visitors had arrived. Slowly the room filled with friends and family alike.
"Merry Christmas to you all!" Suki announced carrying in additional presents of her own.
"Aunt Suki, Grandma was just telling us a story about you and the Kyoshi Warriors!"
"Haha is that so?" she chuckled.
"Haha oh please! The Kyoshi Warriors were nothing but hooligans. I'll tell you a real hero story", Toph added.
The children had turned around to see their favorite honorary aunt standing in the entryway with open arms. She embraced them all and then worked her way over to Zuko, giving him a swift punch in the arm.
"You sure are getting old prince Zukie" Toph mused childishly.
"I can say the same about you old hag" Zuko shot back.
"Grandma, did Avatar Ang ever fall in love?" Irene asked.
Both Katara and Zuko had grown quite from the question allowing Toph to take center stage.
"Oh boy did he ever! Quite honestly it made me sick to my stomach from time to time" Toph replied playfully. "He was in love with your dear grandma for quite a while"
All three of the children stood there with their mouths open, and jaws dropped to the floor which caused katara to burst out in laughter.
"Yes, a long time ago I dated Ang, but over time we both realized it simply wasn't meant to be. Ang fell in love with a woman named Aria, and I of course fell in love with your grandpa Zuko" Katara explained.
"I can't believe you dated the Avatar grandma!" Maleki said.
"Yes, Yes, I know. However it is getting late my dears, tell everyone goodnight and head up to bed" Katara instructed.
The kids although reluctant, did what they were told. Leaving the adults alone for the remainder of the evening. Sokka, Suki, Toph, Katara, and Zuko watched the snow fall through the window together while huddling next to the brick fire place that had been burning for warmth.
Katara had slipped on her coat and boots. Leaving her friends and family inside she had walked out back into the palace garden where Ang was buried taking a seat on a nearby bench.
"It's amazing to think about all the adventures we've had, and all of the people we met along the way. Everyone misses you so." Katara said.
As she looked up a shooting star flew across the sky lighting up everything in its path. She knew it was Ang watching over her from above.
"Merry Christmas Ang" Katara whispered to herself smiling up at the stars.