A/N: A little late in the day, but here it is, as promised.


Aang had to admit, he wasn't sure what he was expecting when he heard about the spirit festival. But what he was seeing now was… Impressive. Amazing, even.

People wearing garbs from all four nations were milling about, the crowds dense and lively. Conversation and laughter filled the air around him, lending the atmosphere a festive flair.

Stands offering food from just about every place Aang had traveled to stretched as far as the eye could see, the smell of exotic spices wafting through the frigid air. Everything had to be fresh cooked to ensure it was hot when the customer received it, so many stands had their own fire pit built nearby, some even going as far as to share with a neighbor.

Sokka had pitched the idea to his father of using the festival as a means to encourage more trade between the South Pole and the other nations, and Hakoda had taken to the idea readily. Accompanying the food stands were merchant stalls, hawking wares of all types. Merchants shouted to draw the attention of wandering festival goers, offering jewelry, incense, cloths, and other goods.

Most attention grabbing though, were the entertainers.

Dancers (dressed far more conservatively than usual, Aang was sure) swayed and wove with elegant movements that reminded him of various forms of water and fire bending. Some held things like ribbons, torches, and Aang even saw one with a sword. Others needed only their body's fluid movements to captivate the crowd.

Many benders displayed traditional or difficult techniques, showing off the result of years of practice, and absolute precision. Two firebenders were performing a routine that Aang thought looked a lot like the dancing dragon form that he'd learned with Zuko.

He grumbled a bit at the memory, since the others still took every available opportunity to tease him and Zuko about it. He wasn't really upset, since he knew it was all in good fun, but he just wished that someone other than Zuko would have been excited to discover such an ancient form of bending. Maybe he'd just spent too much time in temples for his own good, or maybe it was something about being a living relic that made him inherently more interested in historical topics.

Most of what else Aang saw was similar to what he had seen at other gatherings, but here the storytellers who drew in crowds with tales of old heroes (he'd heard a story or two in passing about his past lives, which often made him chuckle) instead told stories of spirits and mystical events. He heard one woman speaking of a painted lady who defended a lake and the town nearby. He laughed, thinking of Katara and her ruse that he and the rest of the gang had helped her perform.

They lingered at one or two, Aang convincing the group to stop for a bit- eager to hear the storytellers speak. They heard stories about forest spirits and strange creatures. They heard of spiritual men who meditated for days on end, exploring the deepest recesses of the spirit world; strange, twisted places that no mortal soul was meant to tread. One story was about Koh, the face stealer, which made Aang shudder.

He'd felt the grip on his arm tighten when he did, looking down to find Toph right where she'd been most of the day. Of course he'd told her the story of that fateful encounter. It was a memory he was unlikely to ever forget, and one that did not sit well with him when it did bubble its way to the surface of his thoughts. It made him glad that she was there with him.

Toph had once again enlisted Aang for "temporary feet duty", clinging to him for a majority of the day. The only exceptions to this were bathroom breaks, or when Suki would see something girly for sale at one of the market stalls, insisting that Toph come with her and "At least try to be a girl for a day, for me."

Why she didn't just grab Ty Lee or Katara was beyond him, but he didn't mind. The thought of Toph wearing some new jewelry or perhaps a dress didn't bother him in the slightest. He actually really enjoyed the mental image, but he valued his life far too much to say that to Toph.

It was, in a strange way, a bit of a relief when Suki swept in to abduct Toph for another "girl time" session. On one hand, he and Toph were separated, which made him feel a minor pang of loss for a few minutes. But on the other hand, Suki left with her. The Kyoshi Islander had been watching them like a hawk all day, seemingly accepting the "feet" excuse from Toph early on, but quickly becoming suspicious again when Toph seemed reluctant to hang on to anyone else's arm. The times she left provided Aang with some much-needed breathing room from her constant scrutiny.

During these times, he and Sokka would visit a stand that usually had to do with any of three things: Meat, weapons, or in one rather strange case, both.

Time had done nothing to diminish Sokka's brand of charm, and Aang found it easy to fall into conversation with him. They'd talk about nothing in particular while Sokka milled through whatever stall they'd chosen as their stopping point. Sokka made his usual brand of terrible jokes with each one they visited, ("See? This is the kind of sword you get if you really want to make a point." or "I like this one, but the spikes on the hilt? I dunno, seems a little too edgy to me.") and Aang laughed at the absurdity. Overall, it was a really good time.

"So when are you gonna tell me what's going on with you and Toph?"

And then it wasn't.

"W-what are you talking about?" Aang asked, glad that Toph wasn't there to hear him stammer like an idiot.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about the fact that you guys seem to always be together, and you-" He said, driving an index finger into the tip of Aang's nose, "Barely seem to be paying attention to anything else around you that isn't her. Or some lame Spirit mumbo jumbo, but that's besides the point."

"It isn't lame, Sokka," Aang said defensively. "And I've been paying attention to everything so far. Edgy- that one was actually pretty funny."

"That was like an hour ago, Aang."

"Even better, I've been paying attention for hours. I haven't missed a single thing so far."

"Really?" Sokka asked smugly, his grin downright wolfish. "Where are Katara and Ty Lee?"

"Uh…" He looked around, only just now noticing they were gone. "Shopping?"

"Good try. There's a building where these spa treatment guys have set up, and they decided to pay it a visit."

"Oh." Aang said simply.

"So are you gonna tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell!" Aang insisted.

"Still sticking with that story." Sokka said disappointedly, shaking his head slowly. "You seem to forget that you're talking to a bonafide detective, Aang. I've already got the clues, now I just need the confession."

"You're being ridiculous, Sokka." Aang said with as much conviction as he could muster, which wasn't much.

"Am I? Well forgive me for expecting my oldest friend to tell me about the important things going on in his life." Sokka said with a dramatic sigh.

Low blow, Aang thought to himself, feeling the guilt set into his gut. He hated this. He'd never been good at lying or keeping secrets from friends, and they all often used that against him. He desperately wanted to tell someone about how weird his last week had been, but Toph's words echoed through his mind. Especially Sokka.

"Sokka I- I don't…" Aang said miserably.

Sokka only had to take one look at his friend to know exactly what was going on.

"Oh, I get it. This is one of those 'promise' situations, isn't it?"

Aang said nothing to that, his eyes staring forlornly at the ground.

"Well I won't make you go against your word, since I know how important that is to you. But…" He began, drawing out the word. "If you, I don't know- hypothetically- were interested in her, I'd just wanna tell you that I'm pretty extra sure the feeling is completely mutual."

That caught Aang's attention immediately. "Really?" He said in the most childlike, hopeful tone Sokka had heard from him in a while.

Aha! Sokka thought to himself. Caught you!

He didn't say as much though, keeping his tone as level and cool as possible. "Oh yeah, for sure. If there's one thing I know about, Aang- let's face it- it's women. And Toph is sending out all the signals."

"Signals?"

Sokka nearly facepalmed, wondering how Aang and Katara had even started dating all those years ago.

"Oh yeah." Sokka assured him, beginning to count off on his fingers, "She talks to you more than anyone, she perks up a bit whenever she hears your voice or footsteps come into the room- and how many guys do you know that Toph would be willing to cling to for a whole day?"

Not many, Aang realized. Maybe Sokka was right, and Toph really did have feelings for him. It seemed so strange to think about. In all the time he'd known her, he couldn't seem to remember her ever telling him anything about a boyfriend, or anyone she was interested in.

He tried to dig deep, considering how he might feel if she had, and came up with that same unpleasant feeling in his gut as earlier. Not guilt this time but… Something else. The closest comparison he could think of was when he'd seen Katara with Jet.

"Still with me there, buddy?" Sokka asked when Aang didn't return from wherever he'd gone in his head.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still with you. So what do I do? Hypothetically, I mean?"

"Well," Sokka said, stroking his beard in thought. Aang had the sneaking suspicion that he was looking at the reason for the beard's existence. "There is that feast thing tonight. Dad's gonna welcome all of the guests all official like, Gramp Gramp has some kind of spirit speech thing he's gonna give, and then it's all food and dancing after that. Ask Toph if she wants to go with you."

Aang's face flushed at the thought of dancing with Toph. Walking arm-in-arm with her could be excused by claiming that he was acting as her guide, but there were few non-romantic explanations for taking her out onto the dance floor. Once he did that, in his mind, he'd be committed to the idea.

Was this really what he wanted? Was it possible that Sokka was wrong? Even if he wasn't, was Aang rushing things? What if he messed things up somehow and complicated things all over again?

"Just a thought," Sokka continued casually, browsing a stand of books. He wasn't really paying attention to what he was actually looking at anymore, being so thoroughly focused on his nonchalant demeanor. "You're our friend, and we all just want you to do what makes you happy, ya know? If you see something, or someone who you think does just that, then I say go for it. Don't let it slip away from you."

"That's actually surprisingly wise coming from you Sokka."

"Hey, I'm a simple kinda guy. I know what makes me happy, and I'm not afraid to go for it. Now I've got a beautiful wife, and a kid on the way." He paused, smiling a bit to himself. It still all seemed like a dream to him, and he was terrified that at some point he was going to wake up. "I'm gonna be a dad." He said softly, as though trying to convince himself. Every time he said it out loud, it was like the realization struck him for the first time all over again. Each time, it seemed a little more real.

Aang watched the smile creep across Sokka's face, and couldn't help the upward turn of his own lips. "I think you're gonna be a great dad, Sokka."

An appreciative look crossed Sokka's face. He placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Thanks, bud. You will be too someday, I know it."

Fatherhood was still a distant concept for Aang. He hadn't given much thought to the idea of a family, being as busy with his responsibilities as he was. But seeing Sokka's face at the thought of his unborn child made him consider that maybe he was missing out on something worthwhile.

He had an image in his head, then. An infant, swaddled in cloth and wailing as loud as its little lungs could manage. He looked at it, and knew instantly that it was his own daughter. She had his messy brown hair and a small, snub version of his nose. Her eyes were a beautiful sparkling green. The baby was being held by a woman, lying back on a bed and cradling her newly born child. He couldn't quite look up to see the mother's face, but he already knew who those flawless, porcelain arms belonged to. She asked something of him, a simple request that made him smile.

"Would you like to buy that, sir?"

Wait, what?

He shook his head, realizing that he was completely zoned out. He looked over at Sokka and realized that his friend had also been drifting a bit, not paying any attention to the stall or the book he was currently holding. Aang nudged him in the arm, and gestured to the book.

"I asked if you would like to buy that, sir." The young woman repeated sweetly.

Sokka looked down at the book in his hand, as if only just now noticing that he'd been holding anything at all. It was plain looking, with only simple text scrawled across the front cover.

The Winds of Winter.

Sokka scoffed, setting the book back on the stand. "Hah, no way," He said, walking away. "Not in a million years."

Aang shrugged apologetically to the woman before following his friend.

-X-

"So Toph," Suki said conversationally. "How are you enjoying the South Pole so far?"

Toph was holding onto Suki's arm, though with a much looser grip than she'd had on Aang's. She was close enough that Suki could see the slight scrunching up of her nose at the question.

"It's fine so far." She replied, short and to the point.

"Come on, Toph. I can't feel vibrations through the ground like you can, but I can at least tell when you're trying to avoid talking."

Toph scoffed, blowing a bang of raven hair out of her face. Toph swore that it moved more stiffly than usual. She was going to have to get Twinkletoes or Sparky to chuck a fireball at her head just to thaw her hair out. "I'm not a fan of the weather."

"Neither am I, trust me." Suki said, laughing a little. "But I was talking more about the festival."

"Yeah, it looks great."

"I know you can't see it, Toph. You don't have to resort to sarcasm."

"Clearly you don't know me at all." Toph said with a smirk.

Suki sighed, smiling. "What are we gonna do with you?"

"Send me away. Someplace warm, with lots of dirt." Toph replied, closing her eyes and enjoying her little fantasy.

"As easy to please as ever, I see."

"Hey, I'm a simple girl."

"And you know what you want?" Suki asked.

"Sure." Toph answered.

"Sokka says the same thing all the time. I think it's cute how you guys all rubbed off on each other. I've even heard Zuko laugh more than once in a week."

"That's either Snoozles or Sunshine at work there. They have that effect on people."

"Which one's Sunshine?"

"Acrobat girl." Toph referred to some people by their nicknames so often, their actual names occasionally escaped her.

"Ty Lee?"

"That's the one."

"Well she is pretty good at getting people to smile. Even him."

"Guess so." Toph replied disinterestedly.

"I guess we all need someone around to make us happy. Even a grumpy Firelord."

Toph only hummed in reply, seemingly checking out of the conversation.

"Is there anyone like that for you?"

"Like what?"

"That makes you happy." Suki clarified, hopeful.

"Don't go all mushy on me now, Fangirl. I might just start to tear up."

"I never hear you talk about any guys, Toph." Suki tried a different approach. By now they were practically wandering aimlessly, Suki simply trying to lengthen the time that they were away from the others.

"And you probably never will. Not my style. Talk to Sunshine if you wanna have that kinda girl talk."

"Oh believe me, I'm sure she'd be more than happy." Suki shuddered, thinking of the various gab sessions she'd had with Ty Lee over the years. The girl was sweet, and very likeable, but once you got her talking, she was unlikely to stop very quickly.

"Then what's the issue? Why bug me about it?"

"I wanted to ask you about Aang." Suki finally just came out and said it. Anything less than the direct approach with Toph was unlikely to get you anywhere.

They were ambling along an aisle flanked by exotic spice vendors when Toph stopped in her tracks. Then, just as quickly, she continued walking, as though unfazed by the statement.

"Twinkletoes? What about him?" Toph's voice was so utterly casual that Suki would have started to doubt her own conclusions she'd made had the rest of the evidence not been so glaringly obvious. When it came to Aang and Toph, neither party was very subtle. At last Toph was able to put on a blank face- a skill learned from years of living with her overbearing parents. Aang would blush and stammer any time a topic that made him uncomfortable came up.

All Suki had to do was break through that first layer of indifference, then the very likely follow-up of defensive anger. Then she might get somewhere.

"I think you already know what I mean. You guys showed up last night and you both just seemed so… Different."

"Yeah, we're both taller."

Suki had a 'Not by much' comment right on the tip of her tongue, but Toph cut her off with a glare.

"Make a single jab about my height and you're gonna find out how deep the earth under this snow goes."

Suki smiled at the empty threat. "Yeah? Well maybe we can call Aang to dig me out-"

"Why won't you just drop this?!" There was the anger.

"Why are you so determined to make me?"

"Because you've been going on non-stop about this since we got here! There's nothing going on between us! Zip! Even if I-" Toph cut herself off with a sharp breath, looking very vulnerable for a second. It felt like only a moment passed before the wall of anger was in place again, and she was stomping off in a random direction.

"Toph! Where are you going?"

"Away from here!" Came Toph's shouted reply.

"You can't even see anything! You can't just go storming off completely blind."

"Watch me." Just as she said this, she bumped into the side of a stall. Thankfully, none of the vendor's wares fell or broke, but Toph's patience was clearly not in quite as pristine a condition. "Sorry." She ground out between clenched teeth, slightly changing direction before continuing storming off.

"Toph, wait." Suki said, stepping in front of the pouting earthbender. She found herself sliding sideways on a mound of shifting earth, which surprised her. She'd assumed that the boots made earthbending difficult for Toph, but apparently that wasn't the case. She ran back in front, this time placing both hands on Toph's shoulders before speaking. "Please, Toph. Five minutes. That's all I'm asking. Let's get away from all of these people first, and just have a quick talk. I'm not trying to tease you or make fun of you. I'm just trying to help." Suki glanced around, seeing that many in the crowd had taken an interest in the shouting earthbender.

"Why? Why do you care so much? I told you it's not your business."

"I care because I'm your friend Toph. And I hate seeing you like this."

"Then why don't you just-" The words 'leave me alone' died on Toph's lips before she could say them. Her shoulders slumped, the fight leaving her. "Five minutes." Toph agreed, wondering if this was going to stretch out as much as "thirty minutes" had the night prior.

"Thank you." Suki said, sounding relieved.

Toph felt the older woman take her hand, leading her through the festival quickly. Once or twice, they were recognized as being part of "Team Avatar" (something that had been happening all day, sporadically), but this time Suki politely turned these people away rather than have a short chat with them as she usually did. They were late for something important, she claimed.

Eventually, the din of the crowds died down, and Toph found herself seated beside Suki- presumably somewhere outside the festival grounds. Toph didn't find it surprising that Suki had found some places to get some peace and quiet during her time living here. Especially being married to Sokka.

"The reason you don't hear me talk about guys is because there aren't any." Toph surprised them both by speaking first, continuing before Suki could form a reply. "I'm not the easiest person to get along with, you might've noticed. I'm angry, and abrasive, and not really all that patient. I think-" She stopped, her voice wavering a bit before she continued. "I think I scare people away before they can even come close to thinking of me like that. Even- even Aang." Toph unwillingly thought back to the morning in the clearing. She remembered the abject horror she'd felt from Aang when he'd realized that she was awake and next to him. Not exactly the most confidence-boosting reaction. She thought his reactions were amusing, at least, and she enjoyed teasing him. His body and mind clearly weren't synched up on how to respond to her. But she wished that he'd be at least a little more comfortable around her. The closest she'd gotten had been sitting by the campfire that night.

Suki just let her talk, keeping a steady, supportive hand on her arm.

"I just- I'm not a girly-girl like you or Katara or Ty Lee. I'm not dainty, or pretty, or-"

"Toph," Suki interrupted. "You're one of the most beautiful girls I know."

Toph gave a quick "Pft" sound in reply.

"I mean it. And I know Aang thinks so too. He can barely keep his eyes off of you, and he looks like he wants to tell you that, but has no idea how to say it."

"I don't think-"

"You know how bad he is at keeping secrets. Any time anyone mentions you, he's sputtering and turning red right away."

"He's probably just-"

"And how about the fact that if one of his little 'groupies' so much as brushes up against him, he's on his glider- flying away as fast as his airbending can take him. But he's been letting you hang onto him all day. Pretty comfortably, I'd like to point out."

Toph hanged her head dejectedly. "That's because he doesn't see it as anything more than showing me around."

"Is there any more to it than that?" Suki asked.

Toph shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't think of me that way at all."

Suki got to her feet, smiling devilishly. "Well then maybe we're going to have to change his mind about that."

"How?" Toph asked.

"We are going to get a few things to get you ready for the big feast tonight that you are going to invite Aang to."

Toph wasn't enthusiastic about the idea. Suki had already described this welcoming party to her during one of their last trips away from the group and she had to say, it didn't really sound like her kind of thing. Plus, what if Aang didn't want to go? What if he did, but not with her? She'd heard him patch things up with Katara, and they seemed pretty cozy again.

"Suki, I don't know-"

"Trust me," Suki said confidently. "It'll be perfect."

Toph took a Suki's confidence as a bit of a boost, feeling more like her old self. "Alright, so what do we do first?"

Suki grinned. "Follow me."


Not super lengthy, but just a little more lead up to the events coming up in the evening of the first day of the spirit festival. Next chapter will be some other characters around the same time, and then- I think- We'll actually be getting into it. So look forward to that.

Hit my highest hit/visitor count in any given day so far with that last one, which is pretty cool. Just realized that I'm apparently submitting in the middle of some pairing week thing, and a lot of other stories are popping up all over. Which just makes it mean all the more that you're clicking/ tapping on mine. Thanks guys! See you next week!

Cheers,

Specter