Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender... yet

Author Note: This chapter is mostly just explaining what happened prior to this point of the story, so bare with me. It gets more exciting!


Rise and Shine - Day One

Aang awoke with a start, a cold film of sweat across his bare chest.

Normally when he awoke wide eyed and feverish, it meant he had had another fit of unbearable nightmares.

But Aang awoke so suddenly for a different reason entirely, a grin appearing on his face.

For the first time in months, he had a dreamless sleep, a perfect sleep.

He felt almost peaceful…

But as he rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, he jumped out of bed in a panic, the cold stone floor sending chills up his spine.

He raced to the nearby window across his small bed draped in green downy sheets and gold lining.

Opening the curtains to the bright morning sun, he gasped as he took in the busy city scene, then shut them tight and laid a hand over his racing heart.

What was he doing here!?!

It was then he took a full look at where he had slept.

His grey eyes as large as saucers and mouth frozen open.

The bed, the walls, the floor, the furniture… it was all wrong!

Aang's nervous fingers could hardly grasp the doorknob as he took off running down the hallway.


"Hey Katara, when's breakfast going be ready?"

The waterbender's back was turned to the speaker as she quietly stirred over a fire.

"Katara? Katara. Kataraaaaa…."

She spun around, wooden spoon spraying the porridge onto the floor. "Sokka, stop whining! You're sixteen, stop acting like a toddler."

Sokka groaned and stared up at the ceiling from where he laid with his feet up on a painting, his hands supporting his head.

Then with a crooked smile looked back eagerly to his sister. "So, five minutes then?"

Katara sent an icy glare his way, and Sokka sat up, holding his hands up in defense. "Ok, ok… sorry I asked."

He looked around the main room of the Earth Kingdom Upper Ring house, given almost a year previous to the members of 'Team Avatar' during their first visit to Ba Sing Se.

A section Toph destroyed had been rebuilt, now with a small kitchen. The walls had been repainted, the floor remodeled… but it looked basically the same.

And this is where they took up residence again; they meaning the heroes of the war: Sokka, Katara, Toph, Zuko… FireLord Zuko now, and Avatar Aang.

They were there for a much needed vacation.

It had been almost a year since the end of the war, and the vacation from the meetings and stress was most appreciated.

Besides, this gave the teenagers a chance to reconnect with each other, for when the war ended, they all went their separate ways and only letters kept each other updated.

Katara and Sokka went back to the South Pole for almost a month before returning to Ba Sing Se to lend a hand in rebuilding the Earth Kingdom.

Suki, much to Sokka's displeasure, returned to the Kyoshi Warrior and while she too should've attended the group vacation, matters had risen that kept her preoccupied.

Zuko, Mai, and Aang returned to the Fire Nation Palace City. From there they held meetings of peace and received messages of complaints. They did their best, but really, the break from responsibilities was mostly for them… they were the most stressed. And for Zuko's sake, Mai agreed to stay behind in the palace and fill his place for the time being.

After much debate and persuasion, Toph visited her parents for a few days. When she arrived on the date of the vacation, she refused to speak of what occurred.

"Hey, anyone see TwinkleToes?"

Sokka almost forgot Toph was even there, sitting uncharacteristically quiet across the room in her Blind Bandit attire.

The Earth King had given the team new clothes for their stay, but Toph had opted to stay in her original outfit, which fitted her better than the light green pastel dress the King had presented.

Though she did make a good point… where was Aang?

"Katara, where'd your boyfriend go?" Toph taunted his sister in a singsong voice.

Boyfriend.

That had taken some time to get used to.

Sokka knew that it would happen some day, he knew Aang crushed hard for Katara…

But what Sokka didn't know was that he'd find his sister and his best friend kissing on a balcony during a sunset outside the Jasmine Dragon.

The only interaction he had with Aang were cold glares and in a few days the shock wore off.

He decided the it was better Katara chose Aang, afterall, she could have chosen…

Sokka shuddered.

… Zuko.

He gave a sideways glance at Zuko, who sat at the table in the middle of the room while reading a scroll. Probably a letter from Mai. Only two days into the vacation, and he was already getting mail!

"I'll go wake him up… its so unlike him to sleep in." Katara announced, setting the spoon down next to the pot.

"He's probably tired from all the late night kissing you two do." Toph announced, a etched on her face.

Katara's eyes widened. "W-We don't kiss Toph!"

Katara placed her hands on her hips in a very feminine way. "The scene at the Jasmine Dragon was simply a one time thing. We're taking our relationship slow."

Toph waved a hand in Katara's directions. "Whatever SugarQueen."

Katara's glower turned into happiness as she wiped her hands on the side of her green and white dress; then began the rake her fingers through her hair, adjusting the front hair loopies and the light pink flower on the back of her head.

She proceeded to smooth out her dress, looking herself over and…

"Would you just go already!" Sokka shouted in exasperation.

But Katara never got the chance, for just as she took a step, Aang came racing into the room half-naked and appearing rather frightened.

He ran to Katara, shaking her shoulders. "What happened? Why are we in Ba Sing Se! What's going on?"

Katara's icy blue eyes widened at the thirteen year old's expression of true fear. She hadn't seen him this way since the war…

"Aang, what are you talking about?"

Zuko had put the scroll down, glancing at the young Avatar. "You ok? Looks like you had another nightmare or something…"

Aang spun on the eldest teenager. "No, I actually had a really good sleep last night. But I just want to know why in the world we're in Ba Sing Se!"

Sokka shrugged. "We already had a house here, so why not?"

"Why not?!?' Aang exploded, pacing the room. "What's wrong with you guys? Why are we acting like we're on vacation when Sozin's Comet is only three days away!"

The sound of four mouths dropping open followed the airbender's words.

Silence seemed the only appropriate response.