Ok, maybe it's not a oneshot. Enjoy _
Still not related to other stories. Still don't own ATLA
--
"Umm, Kuz… Aang, I really don't feel like I belong here." Although she was surprisingly comfortable with the flying, and really enjoying the rush of the fresh cold air, she felt nauseous at the prospect of meeting the Avatar's friends.
"Don't be silly! It's not like you haven't met the others before."
"You mean your 'parents' and that other girl… they were…?" On Ji let the question fall, figuring the Avatar would understand what she meant to ask.
"Yep! Hey, looks like they saw us coming." After landing, Aang helped On Ji up and showed her the fun and easy way to dismount Appa; using his tail as a slide.
On Ji was star struck. There she was, a simple factory worker's daughter, standing before the Fire Palace as a guest of the Avatar. She recognized three of the four people that awaited her, not only from books and paintings and news papers, but from the dance party all those years ago: the lovely, Sapphire Fire – the more rugged looking, but equally lovely blind woman, whom she was never introduced to in the cave, but she recognized all the same – and the goofy looking, and now beardless, Wang Fire. Of course she knew their real names as well – Master Katara, Master Toph and Sokka. She also knew that the woman by Sokka's side had to be Suki, the great warrior from Kyoshi Island. She tried to speak, but found she had lost her tongue. It's one thing to speak with the Avatar, it's another to be placed in front of the most powerful benders and warriors on the planet as a guest.
"Aang! You look great!" Katara rushed up and embraced the bald monk who was now a half inch taller than the waterbender. "It's great to see you again."
Toph stepped up and punched the Avatar in the arm, and grinned widely. "Heya Twinkle Toes. Good to see you with a girl. I was starting to get worried."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aang asked, rubbing his sore appendage.
"Just saying, with a nick name like 'Twinkles Toes', there's bound to be some suspicion."
"You gave me that name, though."
"Yeah," Toph shrugged. "But you're the one who answers to it."
"I told you not to! I told you it wasn't manly." Sokka mentioned, reaching out to hug his friend.
"Everybody, this is On Ji. On Ji, these are my friends. Sapphire Fire," Aang pointed to Katara, who in turn raised an eyebrow at the use of the terrible fake Fire Nation name she once used. He then pointed to Sokka, saying, "and her husband Wang Fire." Katara's eyes finally lit up with recognition. Everybody else was still very confused.
"Ohh my! On Ji! You were at that party we threw for all the school kids! Ohh my, I'm sorry I didn't notice before. Weren't you the girl Aang pulled out to dance with?" On Ji, still unable to speak, nodded. Her face remained a confused mixture of fear, awe and joy.
Toph raised an eyebrow. She nudged Sokka standing next to her and asked, not quite discreetly, "Is she hot?"
"What does it matter?" Aang interrupted before Sokka could answer.
"Just want to make sure my friend is doing well for himself." She then turned to Sokka again, and, a little more quietly, asked, "Was that a 'no'?"
"Anyways, On Ji, this is Sifu Toph, Sifu Katara, her brother, Sokka, and his wife, Suki."
"Umm… hi. Nice to meet you all." At least, that's what she tried to say. She was too busy trying not to feint to notice if it came out properly.
"So, where's Zuko?" Aang asked, as he grabbed his bag out of Appa's saddle and started removing the harness from around the bison's body.
Katara was the one to answer him. "He's finishing up a meeting with the Fire Sages. He said to wait for him in the dining hall for lunch, but we saw you coming through the windows."
"The Fire Sages? Is there something going on that I need to know about?"
"Well, yes." Aang's eyes filled with sorrow instantly, at the prospect of having to go perform his duties rather than celebrate with his friends. Seeing the look in his eyes, Katara quickly added, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I promise."
Some of the worry left his face at this, but he also came to realize he didn't even stop for breakfast that morning. "So, you said something about lunch?"
Aang took On Ji's hand, and started towards the palace, with Katara leading the way. Toph made sure that Sokka and Suki lagged behind a bit. "So?"
"She's very cute, Toph."
"That's not what I asked, Suki. Sokka?"
"Umm, sweety, you know I love you right?" Suki nodded her head then kissed his cheek. "So, you're not going to do horrible things to me for telling Toph the truth?"
"I'll only do horrible things to you if you ask really nicely."
"Ok, good. Then, yes, she is smoking." Suki reached up and slapped her husband in the head. "You promised!"
On Ji blushed and smiled a little at what she had overheard behind her.
--
"Can't we just start without him? I'm starving!" Aang protested.
Sokka looked up from the small girl he was holding in his lap. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"
Katara had seated herself on the other side of On Ji from Aang, and was trying to get her to join in the conversation. "You seem even more nervous than you were at the party."
"Sorry, it's just a little overwhelming. I mean… You guys are… well, you're famous." She tried to steady her nerves. "You're all going to be in books and stories and remembered forever. I don't even know how I got here."
"Don't worry, we don't bite." Toph spoke from a reclined position in a stone chair she had made herself from the tile. "Well, except Suki, but you'd have to ask her really nicely apparently."
Sokka blushed and ducked his head. Suki glared at the blind girl, knowing the effect was wasted.
The doors opened and Zuko made his entrance. The Fire Sages were not accompanying him, apparently not needed present for his announcement. He walked over to the head of the rectangular dining table and took a seat. "Nice to see you again, Aang. We weren't quite expecting you so soon. Thought that storm would keep you a bit longer."
"Yeah, I had a hundred years in the pool we had going."
"Toph, hush," Katara said, reproachfully.
"Yeah, Toph, Katara wasn't supposed to know about that."
"Ohh, umm… Just kidding." Toph smiled and signaled for Zuko to continue talking to change the subject.
"Well, anyways, I guess you're all wondering why I asked you here." Zuko looked into Katara's eyes, trying to find the right phrasing for what he had to say. "I wanted you all to be here to tell you something very important. Katara and I, are getting married." He reached over and took the waterbender's hand in his own.
Suki jumped up from her seat and tackled Katara in a hug. Sokka jumped as well, in shock, about to tackle the Fire Lord until he realized Kya was in his lap, and was now flying through the air, over the table. A collective gasp issued from the table, but the only person in position to do anything about the child soaring through the air was On Ji, who instinctively reached out and caught the girl and pulled her in to cradle Kya in her arms. This was followed by an equally synchronized, collective sigh.
"By the spirits, thank you so much, On Ji!!" Suki released her grip on Katara, only to apply it to the grey eyed girl next to her instead.
"It was nothing, really. Was, just in the right spot, I guess." Suki's hug grew tighter and it looked like she was ready to cry from the adrenaline and fear. "Suki? You're starting to hurt me."
"Ohh, sorry." Suki let go of her new friend, stood up and turned on Sokka. "You! You are never holding my daughter again! You hear me?"
Sokka, the shock and anger towards his friend from moments ago forgotten, sheepishly sat back down. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"So, where's that food?" Toph broke the tension.
"Ohh, right. Let me get the servants to get that."
In minutes a vast assortment of food was brought to the table. Aang picked methodically through the dishes that did not have meat, and simply played with them on his plate. A couple bites of fruit and vegetation made it into his mouth, but most were eaten by the Lemur sitting on the table in front of the Avatar, instead. He remained quiet through the meal. On Ji noticed immediately, but said nothing. She would ask him about it later, if he was willing to talk about it then. The rest of the group continued talking through out the lunch about wedding plans and if Ursa and Iroh knew yet. At one point Toph excused herself from the table, citing a restroom trip, discreetly motioning for On Ji to join her. The fire nation girl placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder and did so.
"I could use the trip as well, and could use the help finding my way around this place," she told the others with a smile.
Once out in the hall Toph stopped her. "Look, don't take this the wrong way, but umm, you see what Katara just did to the airhead in there?"
"I'm guessing he had a crush on her?"
"That's putting it mildly, and that reaction is after five years of Aang trying to move past his feelings for her." On Ji felt a little self-conscious at this. Maybe the Avatar really was just innocently inviting her as an old friend, and not as a date. "So, a couple things: first, he doesn't mean to hurt your feelings with his reaction there, so don't take it badly, and second, you ever break his heart like she did, and you will have some angry, powerful people looking for you. We clear?"
On Ji was being threatened, by the greatest earthbender alive. She would be willing to do pretty much anything to avoid incurring her wrath. She nodded, looking petrified.
A couple seconds passed. "Did you nod?"
"Ohh, umm, yes, I understand."
"Ok, good." Toph then hugged the girl gently before backing up to punch her in the shoulder for good measure. "That's for catching Kya. Tell anybody I did that and you're dead."
