Hey all you crazy Avatard people! First off wasn't the finale simply epic!! Would be perfect if the pairings I was rooting for came true. Oh well. (sighs) Still dreaming about it though. Anyway this is a future fic that hopefully won't be the typical plot you guys are used to. It stars our the older more sophisticated gang, who have more than enough to do. The last the thing they need is a group of assassins murdering the innocent with the Avatar as their main target. But will Sokka's brilliant idea to take them down take a turn for the worse? Oh and did I mention affections get in the way, and a few stolen kisses that weren't suppose to happen. Oh yeah and throw in a couple murders and you get the ultimate epic journey. I got this idea a while back and have written about half of this thing, so hopefully this won't disappoint. Review and thanks for reading! Avatar rules! (Here, here)

Disclaimer- Avatar, mine? Nope don't own it. Otherwise the pairing would be different, so yeah. Oh yeah and I give credit to all the quotes I've taken. None of them are mine but belong to inspirational people.

The Prologue

We all like to congregate at boundary conditions. Where land meets water.
Where earth meets air. Where bodies meet mind. Where space meets time.
We like to be on one side, and look at the other.
- Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

(Scene 1: Karubo House; Earth Nation in late November)

"If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again."

-Groucho Marx quotes

"Mother, why is the picture ripped?"

The picture Cho held was ancient. The color definitely was chipping and a fading so that everything had a more washed out look. A tint of yellow had long ago settled in the wilted paper and the edges were frayed. One side however, the left one, was not the same kind of frayed. It had been torn, and quite brutally too. And although the paper itself was old, the woman in the picture radiated off the page as if the painters quill had just finished the final touches of her delicately carved mouth. But it was her eyes the had captured her attention. They were a brilliant clouded green, like washed out ferns on a wet day, and she imagined that the color must have been even more remarkable many years ago. Determined eyes, she mused with a small smile. The young woman was afraid that if she held it too tightly, the whole thing might crumble and fall to ash among her feet.

Her mother sat in the chair beside the fire, her eyes closed. It was one of the colder days in the Earth Nation country, and two sat close together, looking at old photos and sharing a pot of tea. The two had been enjoying the quiet company of each other until Cho came across a picture tucked behind another one.

"Didn't Grandma Toph already have a wedding portrait? The one up there on the mantle. And she's wearing a different outfit in this one. She looks younger too."

As Cho gazed at the fine looking woman in the picture, she realized how little she knew of her own grandma. Her own kin. She began to wonder why this was. Was she some sort of disgrace? Was it because, as her mother mentioned, she was blind.

"That's a special one. The only one of two pictures I have of my mother," her mother said quietly while taking another sip of tea with a sigh. "You were too young to remember her. She died when you turned three. "

"She's really pretty," the young woman said, still entranced. She looked closer and found that the woman was much younger than she had first thought. The dress she wore, a deep purple had light purple irises embroidered into the seam made her look much older than she actually was and a long veil that lay on the floor beneath the chair she sat in. And she wore little makeup other than light blush and some lipstick that gave her dark red lips. Maybe it was a family portrait, it wasn't every day normal people got dressed up like that.

Her mother laughed. "It must have take a troupe of ten men to restrain her in that chair. See the way her hands are clenched. It takes nearly three hours to do work like this."

"She doesn't look much like you."

"No I took after my father, in looks and in disposition," the old woman said rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Although I did have a streak of that temper of hers. Once in a while you would poke it out of me. It would take your father and your brother to calm me down during one of those fits."

"Grandpa was so sad when she died. He never talked of her much."

"Hm," her mother said thoughtfully. "I've never seen more powerful a love than what they had. They were never without each other." She shook her head, memories of her parents coming back to her like a familiar breeze.

Outside the house a steady snow was now falling and the stray people that remained on the street scattered into allies and some into shops. A young pale man walked along the street with his arm hooked with a dark skinned lady about Cho's age. The lady was very pretty, with snow falling on her hair. She must have complained about her hands, because the man smiled and took her hand in his. Lightly, he blew on them producing warm steam, a fire bending trick. The lady smiled wide, and gave him a kiss on the cheek as they walked away. Their footprints were soon all that was left of their presence. Cho's mother watched them with a faint smile on her face and a knowing look in her gray eyes. "They remind me of two of my mother's friends. All her friends were important people back then. I saw my mother cry only for the second time when she passed away." She shook her head as if to throw out the memory. Too much remembering made her mind ache.

They listened as icy rain fell to soak the snow, and the mountains grew darker. The Lady Moon, a legend that Cho had heard many times, rose to the heart of the sky and sat right between the earth and sky. As foretold, her eyes open and smile down at the lover she left behind on earth.

"You still haven't answered my question though," Cho persisted.

Her mother's eyes blinked. "Why the pictures torn in half? Oh I wondered that too, but my mother didn't tell me till I was about your age. Was it twenty or nineteen? I'm not sure. But its one heck of a story I'll tell you that. Could I see it ?"

Cho passed the picture to her mother's wrinkled hands. She watched as her mother's expression went sad. "This was her wedding picture. She was sixteen at the time."

"Sixteen!"

"Yes, young but not too young to be married in those days. Of course, you already know that she traveled with the avatar and his friends during the war."

Cho nodded. That much she knew. Her grandmother's later life was a mystery.

Her mother settled in her chair and asked Cho to pass her a pillow for her back. "Well, she was very much involved in the next war as well."

"Another war?"

"A more secret war, not quite like the open battles and attacks on villages and cities that happened in the first. She said more of conspiracy, secret communities, lurking assassins. That sort of stuff."

Cho now was fully attentive and sat up from where she had stretched out on the sofa. "And what did grandma have to do with that."

"Too much I'm afraid," her mother said.

"Tell me, I have time." Cho relaxed into the soft foam of the chair and her mother coaxed some air to cool her tea.

The old woman smiled. "Good, because it's a long story. Forgive me if I don't remember it all properly. My mother only told it to me once."

"It must have been a painful experience," Cho said.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell into the world of her youth. Stripped her

skin and fell into a time when at last the world was at last at peace. "That was the very first time I remember my mother crying."

(Scene 2: Kyoshi Island in Spring)

Should I smile because he's my friend, or cry because that's all he is? By Unknown

The soft flute and drum tempo began and everyone in the isle watch with glowing eyes as the bride walked down the isle. It was a perfect mesh of harmony, both bride and groom looking so in love it made the young ladies in the room sigh. Most of the young maidens were closely acquainted with the bride, who happened to be their leader. She was a warrior, a Kyoshi Warrior. And almost all people in the room at least knew about the groom, a man from the water tribe and one of the heros in the great war. The groom, hands clasped behind his back and face shaved (for once), was proudly presented with his bride. It was like they were made to be together as they were now, hands molted into one. Everyone quieted to hear the vows that were to be made. The vows that would make Suki and Sokka, man and wife.

Next to Suki was Katara and next to Sokka was Zuko. Katara and Zuko had been asked to be their maid of honor and best man. It was tradition in the Kyoshi Islands that they to would be standing during the vows, to be witnesses of the event that was to take place. Katara was smiling through tears, giving both Sokka and Suki encouraging nods. Zuko looked pretty nervous too. He wasn't used to standing up in front of so many people for a good purpose. It was a nice feeling, he thought to himself.

As for Toph Bei Fong, she felt sick.

She was seated in the first row next to Aang, trying not to lose her temper every

time Aang tried to hide how nervous he was. Not only was he sweating, but he kept tapping his foot like he had to use the bathroom. Twice he had squished Toph's foot and kept rubbing the back of his head. Geez you'd think he'd be the one getting married, Toph thought to herself.

It was funny how one choice could define your life. Because of one choice, mistake or not, it was not her but Suki standing up there beside Sokka. Not her that Sokka's eyes shone at, not her that Sokka would marry. She could have been, it would have been so easy to say yes to him and his offering that day on the beach. He wanted her then, he probably even loved her. A wonderful, respectable life she could have led. But Toph broke his heart, said no. And now he was breaking hers. It was only fair, she supposed. But still, it was like a stab in the heart to watch.

The ceremony flew by and soon two rings were now secured on both of their fingers. The rings were made of a stone found deep in Water Nation. The color was a deep fluid blue green color.

Since the he was proclaimed chief of the south pole, Hakoda had the authority to marry the two and so was asked to be their preacher of sorts. He kept having to clear his throat, which sometimes grew thick with emotion. "By the power invested in me through the great spirits above, I pronounce you man and wife. Let this combining of two cultures, two elements, two people, be joined from this day forth. You may kiss the bride."

They didn't jump straight into it like most couples did, but Sokka instead lifted Suki's chin, looked into her eyes, and slowly bent down to kiss her.

Hakoda grunted again as pretended to wipe dust out of his eye. "May I present the newly wed couple!"

Everyone clapped and hollered.

Toph clenched the sides of her dress and tried not to lose her cool as tears began to well. He was gone forever. They, the two of them together, was like a fairy tale dream now. And suddenly the air seemed to be pressing at her head like a balloon prepared to pop. The cheering sounded like jeers and the hollering like a chanted taunt. Toph quickly stood and fled, hoping that noone had seen her embarrassing exit.

She made it without letting anything out all the way to the back where Appa and Momo were resting. There she drooped like a wilted flower and buried her face in Appa's fur to hide her shameful tears. "Its not fair," she moaned. "He loved me first." A wet tongue stroked her cheek, but Toph only cried harder. It was like everything was pouring out in a big flood. She hated this more than anything in the world. Crying was a form of weakness, a break in self control. But Toph decided it was best to let it out now rather than later when she had witnesses other than a furry bison and a big eared lemur.

"Oh, Toph."

She jerked around and felt Twinkle Toes behind her. She tried to wipe her face and fix her vocal cords from sounding raw. "Aang get lost." She wanted to add that if he didn't she'd kick his butt all the way back a hundred and four years, but had a hard time function her brain. When she was in this sort of state, it was as if her limbs were disconnected from her body.

"I came out here to check on Appa and Momo." Aang was trying give an excuse for coming out here, but Toph could tell he was lying.

"Yeah well their fine so bye Aang."

"You called me Aang twice."

"Yeah so," Toph said rolling her eyes.

"You never call me that unless your upset." He crossed his arms. "So what's wrong. Nobody cries like that after a wedding. Aren't you happy for them?"

"What are you talking about? I got cactus juice in my eye and-and-"

"Toph, that's badger's turd and you know it."

Toph sniffled. Her lower lip trembled. Just thinking about them made her realize how happy they looked and how selfish she was being. Suki deserved Sokka. Maybe she was the one that didn't deserve him.

Aang was silent for a moment, the usually carefree boy by nature looked much older wearing a serious expression. Or had Aang just grown up when her back had been turned. War changes people in either the worst of best ways, and out of all of them Aang had changed the most. He now excepted his role and responsibility as Avatar and shot up about five inches. And though their was still tension that fused up now and again, even Toph had to admit that maybe they all would now submit into a quiet retirement.

Then it seemed to dawn upon him, and he uncrossed his arms. "Oh. I think I get it now."

"Hey Aang," Toph said.

"Yeah."

"You wanna' take a ride on Appa."

The question startled the young air bender. "I thought you hated flying?"

"I do. But right now it would help. You know, to not feel anything. Just to feel my heart beat and no one else's, it gets annoying."

Aang raised his eyebrows, but then began to smile. "Okay."

Soon Toph felt the sensation of the wind tearing a her hair. Of nothing in particular but the presence of herself, Aang, and Appa. No parents wanting to marry her off, no ex-boyfriends getting married, no nothing. She could stay up her forever.

It was right to say that Toph had changed the least in their little, more intimate group. Her heart was still set in the same place. Her ways and brutish opinions had ceased to become less childish. And she was the one who just a year ago, seemed fit to stay unacclaimed to and to stand by her own. That was until Sokka finally, after three years, gave Toph a second look. After that, her world went haywire.

"So you gonna' tell me what goes on in your thick skull. Or," Aang said reaching to her sides, "am I gonna' half to tickle it out of you." His finger's poked skillfully and her ribs, and the air bender's quick reflexes prevented her from slapping them away. For the first time that night Toph laughed and snorted in a unladylike fashion.

"Stop. Aang," she wheezed between gasps of air or a giggle. "I'll tell you!"

Aang released her and she rolled onto her back still gasping and laughing. She swiped her bangs out of her eyes and Aang watched as her chest fell and lifted.

"So the reason for my un-Tophish behavior is because of- well I guess jealousy really. It hurt you know, to watch my former boyfriend get married to a nice girl like Suki. Made me feel like crap." Toph bit at her lip, wondering if she should continue. "He asked me to marry him that weekend on the beach half a year ago when we were serious."

"I know."

Toph's eyebrows furrowed and she sat up. "You knew?" Her eyes narrowed further. "Sugar Queen," she said dangerously.

Aang laughed nervously. "No Sokka actually. He came to me after asking Zuko. He seemed to think he did something wrong, he couldn't seem to understand why you turned him down."

Toph pursed her lips. "The guy seriously sometimes doesn't have a clue. My age for one! I'm only sixteen spirit's sakes!"

"He's at a different stage in life, Toph. At his age people are expected to get married already." Aang sighed and lay down. "We're not far from it either."

The two friends sat like that for a moment, Aang staring at the stars and Toph lost in her own thoughts. It occurred to her that she was being self-centered and tried to turn the conversation around.

"Have you asked Katara yet?"

Aang's mood visibly dimmed. "We've dated so long that sometimes I think she's bored of me. She wants me to do something exciting, she wants a whole lot more than I can give right now." A breeze floated by and curled between the two. Appa burped, but they ignored him. "I mean can you imagine a life as the avatar's wife? I'll be gone so much, and Katara's someone special, incredibly special, she deserves someone who can give her the world."

"Your deserving Twinkle Toes, but yeah I can relate."

Aang smiled his hugest grin. She was feeling better because she switched from 'Aang' back to his annoying title of 'Twinkle Toes.' "It's gonna' be great to see the guy that you marry Toph. He'll have to be ten times buffer than Zuko and Sokka combined."

"Ew, are you suggesting the Boulder! Yeah, and even then I could kick his butt."

"Ha, most definitely."

"I wish things wouldn't change so much, everyone's growing up and I feel like I'm the only one who misses being a kid."

"You've still got me."

"Yeah- I've still got you Twinkle Toes. Just don't go all manly on me any time soon okay."

"Okay let's shake on it," Aang said. "Ug, do you have to spit like that!"

He stuck out his tongue as their hands stuck together, connected by the lovely essence of saliva. "Sorry buddy," he muttered as he wiped his palm on Appa's fur.

The sky rumbled. Something wet landed on Toph's nose, then another drop fell on her bare toe. She turned her head up and felt more droplets of rain streak down her face. It was now raining a good deal, which according to Sokka, meant good fortune in Water Tribe. The water matted down her hair, slid to her chest and dampened her dress. It felt good until lightening as strong as Azula's struck a tree twenty feet from them.

"We better get outta here," Toph said and hung on tight as Aang led Appa through the heavily coursing rain. They hadn't gotten before retreating to the shelter of a cave off the coast of Kyoshi, only five minutes away from the wedding.

"Ah, Appa!" The furry beast shook his soaking mane, giving Toph a nice coating a Appa fur. She found her teeth were chattering, and sat next to Aang who had started a fire.

"Well we'll just have to hang out here for awhile," Aang said while looking out at the caves mouth. "It sure is raining. Must be spring showers." He turned to Toph and couldn't help but blush at the sight of her. Her hair was actually in stringy clumps and was fully down. A pink glow still lingered on her lips and her eyes still had color on the lids. And her dress was completely wet. And see through revealing a lot more than Aang was used to seeing. The fire really emphasized this. "Um," he said red faced, "your dress Toph. It's white so, you know."

"No I don't know what you mean. White means no different from black to me." Toph squeezed her hair and her cheeks were pink from the cold air. She was trying very hard not to grin at the discomfort she was causing Aang. Although she knew it was wrong, she still found it fun to tease on the borderline of flirting with her friend.

"Well- I can kinda see through the chest." She didn't look all that bad really. Aang was used to seeing Katara in a white bikini, so why should he react differently to a wet Toph. Well, despite the fact that her bra was showing.

"Don't look!" Toph's equally pink blush was exposed by the warm glow of light. She drew her arms around her chest, and suddenly felt her body shiver. This wasn't natural for Toph. The pounding of the rain drowned her thoughts, drowned out the sound of Aang's steady breathing as he edged a bit closer to the earthbender.

"Cold?"

She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and found them to be a lot longer than she remembered. He heated up his body using firebending and spread warmth through her. Gave her the feeling back to her fingers.

"Thanks Aang," she sighed. They sat in peaceful silence for a while, just listening to the pitter-pattering. Then Toph said the question she had been mulling on since the wedding kiss. "You think Sokka really loves her."

Aang was silent for a moment before saying, "yes. I really think he does Toph." He didn't want to hurt her, because beneath the tough exterior there was a hurting that she tried to hide. But Aang figured it would hurt her more to lie than to tell her the truth. And though he also knew Sokka had once loved Toph far more than Aang thought was possible, he didn't tell her that. It would only intensify the loss.

She nodded and sighed again. "Then I'll try to be happy for him...and not accidentally crush his wife while earthbending."

"Hey you always crush me."

"Yeah but that's because you're a suckiest earthbender I've ever met," she laughed. "Next to those losers at home who I must of beat fifteen times in the ring."

Aang smirked and zapped himself from Toph's right side, to her left. "And I seem to remember how I beat you on that ring."

Toph threatened Aang while cracking her fists and jabbing an elbow into his side. "Hey the rain stopped," she said suddenly.

The night sky was indeed now a deep, clear blue. And the clouds and left so that the stars were showing. Down below the cave a band of cricket were making a racket and Aang spotted a badger mole peak its head out of its underground hole before burrowing back in.

"Well let's go." Aang blew out the fire and offered Toph a hand, who ignored it and lifted herself up.

"Sugar Queen's gonna murder me for ruining this dress," she murmured before hopping back onto Appa. With a huge yawn she lay back on Appa and closed her eyes. The moist air and buzzing of insects tempted her to into her dreamy world of black.

Toph and Aang happened to fall asleep on Appa who went back to the wedding. He let out a big yawn and spread out on the damp grass.

When he landed Zuko and Katara happened to be there, strolling to the garden where Katara wanted to see a fire snapper rose (a most famous flower in the Fire Nation)

"Wasn't it beautiful," Katara was saying. She bent down to pick a fallen fan lilac from the ground and put it in her hair. "I think Sokka was ready to faint when Suki walked down the isle."

"I don't care much for weddings," Zuko said. He stood a little ahead of Katara. It had been some time since he had nearly been in that position

A year ago, just three months before their wedding, Mai had contracted severe pains from where Azula had hit her with lightening nearly six years back. She had never told him anything about that accident. Of Azula's inexperience with lightning, and despite her teacher's warnings practiced her unrefined skill with Mai and Ty Lee accompanying her. The untamed force and power of the sizzling flame left Azula uncontrolled and accidentally hit her friend instead. And when Mai finally confessed this to Zuko it was too late.

Zuko blamed himself. He coped with the pain by the way of isolation, and especially avoided the waterbending girl. The girl with the name of Katara, who he knew from both his most painful and happiest moments. He never thought he could fall in love again with the scar of losing Mai so vivid. Till now.

Katara seemed to read his mind. "You didn't need a wedding for her to know that you loved her Zuko," she whispered from behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder.

Zuko flashed around, angrily. Katara backed away as Zuko let his anger singe the flower patch next to him. "I could have done something. You could have done something," he growled.

Somehow Katara caught his hand, drew dew from the grass, and let her element

battle with his. Fire to heat the water, water to cool the fire. They neutralized each other. And finally Zuko gave in, let Katara's soothing hands lessen the pain he was feeling.

"She'd want you to be happy Zuko," Katara said. Her blue eyes glistened, forgotten was her search for the fire snapper rose. It really was all just an excuse to talk to Zuko again. Reestablish the friendship they had managed to lose throughout the year. But when Zuko move his other hand to her cheek, just as she had done to him many years ago she felt as if she was burning. He lightly pulled the flower out her hair.

"You make me happy Katara," he whispered gruffly.

"But Aang," she said trailing off. She tried to think of a response, but found only disconcerted thoughts. She loved Aang more than anything and didn't doubt her feelings for anything else. He was her solace. He saved her as much as she saved him that day four years ago. She owed it to him.

"You love him," Zuko said and felt her relax at the familiarity of the statement. "But sometimes- I wonder."

"How can you say that," she snapped and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Of course I love Aang. Could we not make that any more clear by now."

"Well it just surprises me that you two are not married yet then."

"We...I..." He hit the question she dreaded to know the answer to herself. What could she say? Aang's just not ready for that. But the truth was that they both weren't ready. She threw her hands up in the air. "See! Whenever we hang around each other we argue."

"I find it incredibly sexy."

"Zuko!"

"Sorry I forgot you and Aang have a G-rated relationship. Let me correct myself." He taunted her by closing the distance between them ever so slowly. She gasped as their chests connected and as his hands pulled her gently against him. "I find you incredibly beautiful, alluring, and damn scary at the same time. And you might not in a million years think it'll happen," he whispered, "but I swear to you Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, I will have you as my wife."

He couldn't help smile when her cheeks went dark red with either embarrassment or rage. Her heart was pounding, he could feel it right against his abdomens.

A breeze shivered her skin even though it was already prickling. She was breathless and taken back at the same time. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?"

"Yes," she said frowning as if it wasn't a good thing.

"Well I try."

"Aang's going to murder you."

He grinned and tipped her chin so he could she her whole face. "I'll take my chances."

Then right in the middle of nowhere, someone farted.

The two reacted like a grenade had been thrown between them. Zuko leaped back and quickly collected himself as Katara whipped around. The flame lilac fluttered to the grass.

It was just Appa. The two sighed heavily. And suddenly, Appa triggered another question Katara had.

"Hey Appa have you seen Toph and Aang," Katara asked. She pet Appa's muzzle and he made a grateful grunt.

Zuko nudged her side and pointed.

"Zuko what- oh."

On Appa's back was Toph and Aang who, when Appa had laid down, slid so they were practically in each others arms. Toph's hair was out and grazed Aang's cheek. Aang's fingers were brushing hers.

Katara felt a little jab, but thought with a jolt of satisfaction that Aang just left because he didn't like big parties. Aang wouldn't betray her.

"Should we move them," Zuko asked.

"Nah," Katara said. "It's actually kind of cute."

Zuko shifted his feet around, his face set in tight straight features. "You look kind of cute tonight too."

"That was the worst pickup line I've ever heard." Still Katara blushed, but did a good hiding it.

They walked away leaving their friend to peaceful slumber. After that night there was little peace as an uprising of a most dangerous group arouse to kill not only the Avatar, but all that stood in their way.

Okay what do you think? Too typical? I don't know, but after editing it about seven times, I thought it was about time to post and get some responses. So please review! And don't worry, this is just a introduction chapter, so the real plot and action is coming up. Review! (Please)

-air maiden (takes oath not to abandon story like last time. Cough,cough)