Homecoming

3 years after the war

"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what." - Unknown

Three years had passed since the battle with Ozai. After the war, Aang and his friends had continued to travel the world, trying to solidify the peace Ozai's defeat and Zuko's rise to power had created. It hadn't come without its issues, the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom had been a massive headache on their own. The dilemma about whether to separate their populations according to their respective homelands or allow them to continue living together as a single community, had almost thrust the world back into war. Gradually though, it had become clear to Aang, Zuko, and the Earth King that the older colonies at least, had been together too long for separation to work and instead a new, fifth nation, where people from all over the world could live together in peace, had risen from the ashes of Fire Nation conquest.

Now that things were finally stable, he, Katara, and Sokka were finally headed home to the South Pole. They'd set off from Whale Tail Island just after sunrise that morning. It was a bright and beautiful winter day, the sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the ocean was calm and clear.

They couldn't wait to see how the tribe had changed in three and a half years of rebuilding. Even Appa was flying faster than he was being asked to, as if the sky bison could sense the excitement of his passengers.

"We should be there by this afternoon guys… looks like even Appa can't wait to get there…" Aang observed joyfully.

"It'll be great to see Dad and GranGran again…" Katara said happily.

"It'll be even better to finally taste GranGran's cooking again…maybe she'll make roasted arctic hen tonight!" Sokka wondered.

"You guys go ahead and enjoy that… I'll stick with seaweed and all the delicious things you can make out of it…" Aang replied.

Katara and Sokka exchanged a knowing look. They had a surprise for Aang for when they got home. They'd used Hawkie to send secret messages back and forth preparing for it while still managing to keep Aang in the dark.

Finally, a town surrounded by glaciers came into view. The tiny, hollowed out blocks of ice had been replaced by larger, curved huts made of a combination of wood and ice, the defensive wall around the town was a lot higher and more impressive than it had been when they'd left a few years earlier.

"Wow…look how much has been rebuilt already…" Aang exclaimed.

"This is great except… how are we gonna recognize our own house…?" Sokka wondered. "Chances are the igloo we grew up in has been replaced by one of those things but…which one?"

"I'm sure we'll find it…" Aang replied confidently as he brought Appa down to land.

By the time they were actually on the ground, the whole village, which was larger now with the editions of the Northerners who had joined them, had gathered in the village center to greet them. Standing in the front of the welcoming party, were Kanna and Chief Hakoada, Katara and Sokka's father and grandmother. Katara and Sokka slid down from Appa and ran over to hug them, they hadn't seen either of them in over three years. Aang smiled, his girlfriend and his best friend were finally home and reunited with their family.

Aang loved seeing them smiling and laughing like that, but the scene also made him even more unsure of his own future. Where would he go? Where would he live? Where was his home now? Did he even have one? So many questions like these had plagued the young avatar's mind ever since they'd left Ba Sing Se to make this trip. Even though things had changed, without having returned here until now he couldn't be sure how much more than the architecture was truly different. The last time he'd been here, Katara and Sokka's grandmother hadn't been his biggest fan. How long would it be before he overstayed his welcome this time? Aang looked up and saw that the family reunion hug-fest was still in full swing. He didn't want to intrude, so he just stood near Appa and waited for this long overdue family hug session to finish up.

When it seemed like they had finally gotten it out of their systems, he approached, probably a bit more tentatively than he needed to. After all, despite the fact that Chief Hakoada had never been anything but kind to him, Aang still felt a little intimidated by him. After all, he was the one who decided whether or not Aang could stay in the Southern Water Tribe and for how long, and more importantly had the power to ruin Aang's plans for the not too distant future and long with those plans, his hopes and dreams for the rest of his life.

Nonetheless, he and Hakoada grabbed each other's arms in a sign of friendship. It was then that Aang noticed that Kanna was eyeing him with an uncharacteristically large, friendly smile on her time weathered face.

"Hello, it's good to see you again Ma'am…" Aang told her politely.

"Mother, perhaps we should show them the new house and let them unpack…" Hakoada suggested.

"Sounds good, it's good to be home!" Sokka agreed happily, turning to follow his dad and grandmother.

The three friends were led to one of the larger of the new houses, which was located on the east side of the village. Blocks of ice formed its foundation of either side, covered by animal hides that were pinned to the ground by metal hooks. Actually, hides seemed to insulate the entire outside of the house, except for the curtained opening that acted at the front door.

When they followed the adults inside, the three friends noticed that it was considerably warmer inside the house. The main living space had a fire pit, hides covered the inside of the walls too, and a wooden ceiling cut halfway up the height of the actual building. Near the door there was a latter that went up to a second floor. The whole thing was like a warm little oasis in the midst of the frozen wasteland, warm, cozy, the kind of homes the southern tribe had known prior to the Fire Nation raids. They all loved seeing the tribe growing stronger again.

Aang heard Katara whisper a question to her dad but couldn't quite make out what she said, or what Chief Hakoada replied, the most he could tell was that Hakoada nodded in the affirmative as he gave his answer and this seemed to make Katara happy.

I wonder what that's about… Aang wondered.

"Why don't you kids unpack and put your things at the top of the stairs… I should get supper started… we're having arctic hen and seaweed noodles tonight…" Kanna told them.

"Yay!" they all exclaimed together. Katara and Sokka's mouths watered at the thought of tender, juicy, succulent roasted arctic hen, and Aang couldn't wait for a delicious bowl of hot seaweed noodles.

Kanna smiled.

Hours later, it was dark out and the family was almost done eating. The kids were laughing and regaling the adults with stories from their travels.

"So then after Aang saved them from the Rhinos they declared a new Avatar Day… but to commemorate the fact that they almost boiled him in oil they stopped frying their festival food… instead they served un-fried dough…" Katara explained.

"It worked out in the end but in hindsight we probably should have kept flying…" Aang added.

"No kidding… the mayor of that place was nuts. That was by far the worst town we ever went to…" Sokka agreed.

"More noodles anyone?" Kanna asked.

"No thanks GranGran… we're kinda stuffed." Katara answered.

"Yeah, it was really tasty but I couldn't eat another bite…" Aang agreed.

"I surrender…." Sokka replied.

"Then I suppose it's surprise time…" She told them. "Katara, Sokka, what we discussed is ready now… it's waiting for you kids upstairs… go now…" She told them.

"What's going on?" Aang asked.

"you'll see…" Sokka told him as he and Katara stood up.

"Come on Aang…" Katara beckoned.

"Ok… where are we going?" he asked.

"Upstairs… we've got a surprise for you…" Sokka answered.

"I gather that much, but what is it?" Aang asked as they climbed the latter to the second floor.

"If we told you that it wouldn't be a surprise would it Sweetie…?" Katara replied, taking the sash from around Aang's waste and tying it around his head as a blindfold.

"I guess not…and I do like surprises…" Aang replied as he felt Katara take him by the arm and lead him to the left.

It felt like they were moving toward the opposite side of the house. He heard Sokka step forward and then the creek of a wooden door sliding open in front of them. Katara pushed him through the door and followed him inside, Sokka came in behind them.

"Ok, you can take the blindfold off now…" Katara told him.

Aang obeyed and when he opened his eyes he found himself in what looked like a bedroom. There was a thick, fur-covered futon with the top third of it fixed upward at an angle and a beautiful thick, blue quilt with Air Nomad wind spirals covering it in a pattern. There were hooks and shelves, and a low wooden desk with a ceramic jar sitting on top with calligraphy brushes and stone paperweights which had been carved to look like sky bison sticking out of it.

Aang's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in astonishment. "What is this place?" He asked.

"This, is your room…" Katara explained.

"Welcome home Buddy…"

"I can't believe it… all this is for me?" he asked.

"Yep…" Katara replied.

"Since things are pretty stable-ish, at least for now, and since you're the last Airbender…" Sokka began.

"We talked to Dad and GranGran and we all agree. We're your family now, your home is here…" Katara added.

Aang was beside himself with joy, and a few happy tears escaped from his gray eyes and streamed down his face. "You guys…this is amazing…." He finally replied, prompting Katara to give him a big hug.

Sokka put a hand on his shoulder. "We're glad you like it Buddy…"

"So am I…" came a very familiar voice.

Aang spun round "Kanna…?"

"Call me GranGran…" she corrected.

"Sorry Ma'am…" he apologized, bowing respectfully.

"You'll learn… now give me a hug…" she beckoned, throwing her arms out wide.

He obeyed and the elderly matriarch wrapped him in a warm bear-hug.

"Welcome to the family young Avatar… there may be points in time when you are needed elsewhere, but from now on you once again have a home to return to…"

"You guys are the best…" Aang replied with a smile.