Summary: A oneshot about the gaang's future, looking back and forward. A bit Katara-centric, Kataang, slightly Sukka and Maiko.
Notes: Well, just a thought I had an hour or so ago. And look at it now, stories grow up so quickly :'). Please drop a review, good or bad, so I know who my readers are and what they want and think! Criticism allowed too, although I didn't really think about a writing well for this one.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Avatar.
The sun shone bright hues of yellow and red across the golden sky over the Fire Nation capital. Katara stood on a balcony, looking out over the city and the ravaged palace. Well, the palace was still up only a week ago, until they showed up and defeated the Fire Lord once and for all.
Katara was silently reflecting on all the things she and her friends had gone through lately. But after they achieved their goal, it seemed the perfect time to head home, at least for a while. She and Sokka would return to the Southern Water Tribe, to help rebuild it to the flourishing city it once had been and spend some quality time with their dad.
And Toph? Katara didn't really know, her best guess would be that Toph would return home to brag about what she had achieved, so maybe her parents would accept her for who she is.
Suki said she wanted to go back to Kyoshi Island, just because that's where she lived and where her friends and family were. Plus, it's not that far from the South Pole, so maybe she and Sokka would travel in between to see each other.
Teo and Haru already returned to their homes to continue with their lives peacefully. So did The Duke, except he went to Ba Sing Se to start a new life with the rest of the freedom fighters.
Zuko was about to be crowned the new Fire Lord, and Mai would be the Fire Lady in the future, I assume because they thought it was a bit too fast to marry already. Besides, a lot could still happen in their relationship.
Just like the rest of the gang, Katara had been through so much, both good and bad things. But in retrospect, she never felt so alive before. The South Pole wasn't that much of an exciting place to live, although it could become a lot more livable when it would become a decent city.
"Hey Katara, whatcha doing?"
She turned around to see Aang, covered in bandages, bent over in pain and using his staff as a walking stick to hang on to.
"Aang? You shouldn't be out of your bed. Didn't the guards stop you?"
"I dared them."
Katara smiled a little and Aang started laughing, which was cut short by painful bones and bodyparts. Eventually he settled for his signature grin.
"How have the healers done their job?"
"I don't know, fairly good I guess, but not nearly as enjoyable as when you do it. They act all stiff and panicky, they make me a little nervous. I really prefer you."
"I'm flattered, Aang." Katara blushed a little. "Have you heard about Sokka's plans to head back home?"
"Yes I have. You're joining him, aren't you?
"Yes I am. So I was wondering, what will you do now?"
"Do what the avatar is supposed to do. Make peace around the world, so I'll be travelling a lot when my wounds are healed."
For a few seconds, both of them looked out over the city, and the shadows that were cast towards them in the setting sun, enjoying the peaceful moment.
"So much has happened lately, and I can't believe it's over now."
"Me neither. By the way, I can't believe I did that either." Aang noted, while pointing towards the ravaged palace.
"You are a powerful bender, you know, especially in the avatar state."
And again, silence, but even when people would normally feel uncomfortable in these silences, Aang and Katara felt at ease in each other's presence. Still looking at the amazing scene before them, Aang started talking again.
"Hey Katara, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time. You know, it was pretty weird to wake up a hundred years later on the South Pole in a world where I had to make peace again. But you and the rest have kept me going until now. I don't know why, I don't know how, but somewhere in our adventures I realized I liked you, I liked the way you acted, how you made my stomach turn upside down, how we trained together and how you are. I like you a lot."
Aang slowly turned to face Katara.
"Katara, I-"
Aang was cut short by Katara's lips pushed softly on his, and for a moment, he couldn't feel any of the cuts, bruises, wounds and burn marks he'd received a week ago. For a moment, he could only feel her touch and her lips.
A few seconds later, they broke apart. Aang was a little confused, this moment he had planned for months turned out better than he had expected.
"You already told me on the subs." Katara said with a smile and a slight blush on her face.
And there they stood, hand in hand, on a balcony overlooking the Fire Nation capital in the setting sun. Could it have turned out more perfect?
"No way I'm going back home!" Toph yelled at Sokka. The gang had gathered on the Fire palace plaza. Suki, Sokka and Katara had already gathered their belongings, but Toph refused to.
"I'm staying here with Twinkletoes, and we're gonna kick some serious butt!"
"Actually, my healing will still take about a month or 2."
"Okay then, we're gonna kick some serious butt when Twinkletoes has recovered!"
"And actually, we're supposed to make peace."
"We're gonna make peace and kick some butt as soon as Twinkletoes has recovered! Is it okay now?"
"Fair enough."
After Toph continued her rant against Sokka (cause that's who she loved to yell at the most), there was an awkward silence. Zuko, Suki, Sokka, Katara and Aang were all staring at a certain spot in the middle of the circle they were standing in. Toph did the equivalent to that for a blind person, which basically meant keeping her mouth shut.
"Well, I'm gonna miss you guys, I guess this is the end." Aang stated, breaking the silence.
"It doesn't have to be." Katara said. All faces turned to her.
"I mean, we don't have to stay at the South Pole forever, do we?"
"But Katara, it will take a while before we reach the South Pole, and Aang will probably be busy." Sokka said.
"He won't be doing anything for a month or two."
"Hmm, that's right. If that's the case, maybe.. We can borrow Appa!" Sokka cheered.
Apparently, Appa understood, and replied with a content groan and a lick for Sokka, turning his 'I'm a genius' face into his 'why does he have to do that' face.
"Fine by me, and it seems Appa is okay with it too!"
"Well, we'll see you guys again in uuhm, two months? Katara? Suki?" They both nodded.
"Then two months it is!" Sokka said, and he and Suki climbed on Appa. As Sokka lifted his stuff onto the flying bison's back, Suki started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"You may want to look over there."
As soon as Sokka turned his back towards the rest to climb on Appa, Katara ran towards Aang and pulled him into yet another passionate kiss. But this one, unlike the previous kiss, was long and intimate.
"That one was for the second time you kissed me, now we're even." Katara whispered into his ear after they slowly pulled back. After a quick last hug, Katara turned around and hopped on Appa to face her petrified brother.
"Could.. you.. at the very least warn me if you do that?"
"Oh come on Snoozles, everyone noticed, sometimes I really wonder why you are the smartest in the group!" Toph yelled.
After they said goodbye to Suki, Sokka and Katara, the rest returned to their duties. Meanwhile, Aang was looking forward to the next time he and Katara would kiss, exactly two months later.