What did you learn?

It was the last month of the school year and everyone was cramming for two sets of final exams before they could, at last, be released for summer vacation. Everyone at Avatar Wan High had to pass all their final exams at the school in all their subjects. While everyone who was a bender or a warrior or enrolled in both at the Academies had to pass both in order to pass to the next level or the real rare honor consider a master.

Naturally the ones who were feeling the heat the most was Team Avatar and their family and of course, most of all Aang as he was again blessed or cursed whichever way you wanted to look at it with being the Avatar.

He'd been training with all his friends in how to master the elements but also trying to keep his G.P.A to make sure his parents were happy? That was something else entirely.

Needless to say in this peculiar brand-new environment being the Avatar in a world where the mythical like the world of the Lost Age blended with the modernized fast-paced technology surmounted world of the 21st century was an unusual situation for all of them to be in.

Consequently, over the course of this year with the two worlds becoming one, it was all rather peculiar, fascinating and just a long hard journey. Just as they'd been cultivating their flowers from Kimana to see how they'd bloom to be planted in the school garden it was witnessing what kind of garden the city would become in the end.

What kind of lessons had if any had the city had learned in the past year? Was anyone keener, cleverer or did this resurrection done nothing to actually bring back the teachings of the past that would benefit them in their eventuality?

Thus many questions and not sure of any of the resolutions and with the end of the school year nearing all of Team Avatar was querying if they'd learned anything at all other then a few showy movements.

Right now all the kids were at the Jasmine Dragon trying to get in a major cram session to study for finals. Kim and Xiaoying had whipped up a quantity of exceptional mystery tea and cookies for all of them and put on some comforting music to see if that helped and left them to their own devices.

Kimana and Xiaoying were keeping themselves occupied by planning Xiaoying's daughter Xiang's first birthday via video chat with the other mothers as they'd all other obligations at the moment and couldn't be there in person.

Ursa was unavailable as she was at the theater because Noreen had to take Kiyi in for a dental cleaning, Kameko was stuck at her new backyard clinic which was still operating even long after the hurricane.

She'd gotten now both a vet and breeder license which was bringing extra money into the household. As part of her vet clinic was she offered free spaying and neutering once a week. Which was the reason she couldn't be there in person?

Akanke couldn't be there as she was involved at the school along with Iroh prepping the school with the other teachers for upcoming finals which is why Piandao wasn't there as well. Because as soon as he was done at the school he and other Old Masters had to go to the Academies and prepare for their finals there as well.

As for the Beifongs? They'd been extremely opposed to the court proceeding with Family and Child Services and so them getting Toph and Brock back was getting more dubious as they just didn't understand while they'd not been abusive they hadn't been good parents or good people either.

They still completely believed their wealth, prominence and status still authorized them to whatever they wanted and they had done nothing incongruous and they just weren't getting it. Which is why things were being drawn out so long.

Back in the main room of the tea shop everyone was now quite engrossed in their schoolwork and striving to help everyone in whatever area they're inadequate in. Furthermore, everyone was doing their best to do math together which is what they're tackling at the moment.

"So, who is studying trigonometry, who got algebra and finally who got calculus?" Mai questioned and watched a show of hands and started to count up. "Okay, so Aang, Toph, Katara, Arianna, and Brock you got trigonometry. Sokka, Suki, Nita and Ember, Ty Lee, Azula and myself all have algebra and that leaves Calculus for Akiko and Zuko."

"So I guess we do the mock examinations uh, Mai? And see how we do?" Ty Lee asked as she held up a binder with tests that Katara snuck from her grandpa's desk.

"Hey, Ty Lee remember those aren't the final test! Those are just dummy test he was making up to decide the finals! But yeah we might as well test our luck with those. He never makes anything easy! Whether it's math or waterbending," she sighed and went on. "He demands perfection in everything in life and neither Sokka or I are exempted from his need for perfection.

I've had to work twice as hard in waterbending because I'm both a girl and his step-granddaughter. It's not an easy burden to bare let me tell you!" Katara divulged as to the huge weight she'd been carrying all year for why she worked so hard at her bending practice.

"Is that why you work twice as hard with our godfather, Sokka? You feel you have to?" Akiko looked up in astonishment to the Water Tribe teenager who was silent for a moment before nodding.

"You all are so astonishing as benders, but I'm so mediocre. However, we come from a long line of Chiefs in the Lost Age and I should be able to sustain that and be as good as any bender.

Furthermore, I need to prove my worth on this Team if I'm to contribute. Not just as the idea guy but as an equal. I need to show I can handle myself and be worthy of my heritage and being part of Team Avatar. Why do you think I've worked my butt off to dazzle your godfather and to make my own dad proud?"

"Does the same hold true for all of us? Are we all seeking to make our families proud or just the expectations of the world expecting us since we've coined ourselves Team Avatar?" Akiko looked at each member sitting in that tea shop as one by one they closed their school books and became deep in thought for a few moments before answering.

Surprisingly it was Azula who first spoke up, "For so long I was demanded to be perfect. In every aspect, I was demanded to be perfect to be loved and accepted. Furthermore, though it is wrong and infeasible it nevertheless appears how civilization as a whole deems most people to be most of the time."

"How so, Azula?" Akiko questioned the previous demon to describe her logic and Azula took a deep breath and explained nonchalantly and unabatingly.

"How many times in this world were you told simply to "Do your best and that would be good enough?" only then it was like the rest of the world whether it was thousands of inconspicuous people on the internet or your fellow peers and teachers demanded it to be perfect?

Like you can't even make a single grammar blunder if you are writing a Fanfic story because you got Grammar Nazis who are like an on a seek and destroy mission to make everyone feel inferior if they don't know 'perfect' grammar!

Like we don't even converse in perfect grammar, to begin with, and a slew of people doesn't know it and yet everyone again is required to be perfect when some of the excellent fanfics aren't flawlessly written.

Therefore instead of just enjoying the tale, you are only looking for flaws. Likewise with fanart. You only judge it to be perfect if it meets your standers of perfect instead of recognizing everyone got different level of abilities or tools.

Furthermore, those clubs on DA only admit what they think is 'good enough" at times not recognizing its unintentionally bullying because what they 'think is good enough' or deem as 'perfect' makes others feel inferior. Because they have given all they got and yet someone to say 'sorry it's not 'perfect' it enough it's just being a tormentor.

Because we are human, we are flawed and yes online and offline we need to remember just how human we are and we all should be viewed as flawed individuals and no one is perfect and doing your best should be good enough and that absolutely should be damn good enough for the world.

Not this futility of perfect. Because when I was driven to the point of near psychosis of perfection? Well it makes you a tormentor and you're just absolutely being literally impracticable yourself and disregard what is human and being a considerate person is about." she finished explaining her rationalizing.

"I believe that should extend to us as humans as a whole in all aspect of our lives from being kids to parents, Azula. We all make misjudgments from childhood onward. Both kids and parents make mistakes. We shouldn't forever hold it against them or punish someone for making some mistake that anyone who is human for making," Ty Lee agreed fully with her friend.

"Yeah no one is flawless and that should be recognized. I mean let's all fessed up. Everyone is capable of making irrational judgments that can have a small or big consequence. Even sometimes being on the wrong side of the law or hurting our families in ways we did not intend.

I think one and all of us are blameworthy of that crime at some point in time. No one is exempt from that one as we all fall prey to temptation and can make choices for acts of great good or ill choices at one point or another," Mai again point out a simple truth that so multiple souls had overlooked throughout time.

"And I guess in all honesty aren't all families more than a little dysfunctional? None of them are absolutely happy like fairy tales or TV shows? They argue, have secrets, sibling rivalry, bad parenting at times. I think its safe to say no family is perfect. Neither the kids or the parents. Everyone is fucked up one way or another!" Akiko confirmed a truth to which everyone had to agree with as well.

"That is pretty true, Akiko. Our family is seriously messed up on many levels, but then again is it really more messed up then the family next door?" Zuko asked plainly to the gathering to which everyone had to admit the answer was on it really wasn't any more messed up than any other family in all actuality.

"Well, you're the one with a family member on death row. You've had a lot of abuse but you've come together through much personal struggle, strife, and heartache and all through it you've come to heal your heartache," Katara did point out as she thought about the Fire Nation family they'd all learned to love and care about so much.

"What about your family? Your family isn't exactly perfect either, Katara," Ember point out as she began to point out the facts about the Water Tribe family. "Your grandma at first refused to wed your step-grandfather due to his ill-natured and chivalry mentality.

It's only when you came along and sort of slapped him in the face he changed his tune that your grandmother married him and took him as her second husband. He really doesn't seem to like your brother.

You lost your mother in the most unjustifiable way and it took you years to come to terms with that and you to stop despising every one of Fire Nation blood.

Then Sokka loses his long-term girlfriend who asks another girl to take her place.

Finally, my girlfriend is your and your brother's foster little sister and her father is your dad's best friend.

That's your complicated family structure. Is it really that much more messed up then my own?" she asked the waterbender who shook her head.

"No, not really, Ember when you put it that way. It sounds pretty normal how two families become one family and lean on each for support and how love comes together in troubling times."

"Well, we can tell you how blatant our parents' mistakes were! They could fill a whole library section with how stupid and clueless our parents are and what they did wrong with us!" Toph said in a defense tone and ranted for half an hour on what her parents did not do for her or Brock's did for him.

"But did you guys make any mistakes of your own? You can't pin all the blame on your parents. It takes two people to resolve a problem and two people to make a relationship work and you know that's true. You can't deny it." Arianna countered as she looked at her boyfriend and his cousin.

Brock dropped his head sadly before looking up at Arianna's lovely brown eyes and said, "We did try for years to communicate with our parents what we really needed. We tried to be ourselves and get them to listen. It's not like we didn't try, Ari.

Perhaps sometimes we didn't choose the wisest path and our acts of rebellion didn't do anything but further the gap between us and our parents. But again as you pointed out just know it takes two.

But if one party is unwilling to listen to the other and not open to change then you reach an impasse. You've got to be willing to listen and change for change to happen."

"Yeah we hoped some legal bigwigs would get them to change their tune but they are more stubborn then a diamond is hard! They just won't let go of their pride and admit they did wrong."

"Are you two either willing to admit you have made some mistakes? I mean yes they've made their own errors in how they treated you and our families and the rest of the world. But it doesn't mean your not guilty of calling the kettle black some," Aang now added to his sister pointing out the logical deduction.

"Are you saying we got some apologizing to do, Twinkle Toes?"

"Forgiveness would help some and better communication on both your parts would help your family drama Toph. You can't get everywhere thinking like an Earthbender. Sometimes you might need to be more like an Airbender," he told her and she gave him a disgusted look.

"What a wimp who runs from fights?"

"No, a fight avoid can be a fight one. But if you came at the problem from a different angle. Or took a more passive approach in a calmer manner and were more open-minded and not so hardheaded you might make some progress is all I'm saying," he supplied the answer to his Earthbending housemates.

"You know he's got a point, cuz. Maybe we are thinking too much like Earthbenders and need to try the opposite element if we want to get results. It couldn't hurt."

"I thought I was supposed to be teaching you to be tough! Not be weak."

"And there nothing wrong with being able to admit force doesn't work all the time. Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword, Toph. Or being passive works better than aggression."

"Thank you for seeing our points."

"Well, what about you and your family? Things can't be so perfect in your little family can they?" challenged Toph even if she'd been living with them for over a month.

Both airbending siblings sighed loudly and nodded. "No, things aren't perfect in learning how to be a family. Mom and Dad have had a hard time learning how to be parents or husband and wife. Neither which has been an easy transformation for them," Arianna admitted thinking back on the past year.

"It was one thing for them to be secretly married but once they're living under the same roof with two teenage kids and having to run a household and take care of two kids? It was a whole another story.

It was little things they'd learn to deal with at first after the renovations were done. You know little things you usually get to know about your partner's habits that you grow accustom after you lived with them.

But as they had never lived together it wasn't something they had to live with before."

"Like what were the things that drove your parents around the bend at first?" everyone wanted to know.

"Well, it was little things like Mom's got a touch of OCD. She has to have everything organized and put away. It's got to color-coded, alphabetical and organized in some fashion. Even for an artist it's got to be organized chaos or she comes unglued some," Aang admitted about one the first things they learned about their mother.

"She also doesn't like procrastination, everything must be one time for her. Better way early then way late. Mind your manners and rules are enforced."

"What are your dad's habits?"

"He's a nail-biter. He does it when he gets nervous. Also, he's a practical joker who sometimes doesn't know when the joke not funny. He also tends to play music a little too loud." Arianna explained her father's habits.

"Do they argue and clash about these things?" everyone wanted to know and Aang and Arianna simply smiled.

"Yeah, of course, they've had tiffs and arguments. But they always resolved them. They do have slightly different parenting styles. Dad more forceful with discipline and Mom can be a little lenient.

Mom is more free-spirit and encourages us to spend time using our imagination for creative pursuit and Dad reminds us that school work needs to be done before pleasure. But both are the same when it comes to romance.

Romance doesn't come before schoolwork and we still need to practice long and hard on other passion if we wish to get better at them. And the punishment we do get for breaking the rules will be highly creative." Arianna explained as she thought of some of the more creative punishments they had had.

"Yeah, having to repaint the whole living room for missing curfew wasn't fun," Aang confessed to what their mom had them do once.

"Or the time we had to groom Appa. That meant, bathing, brushing and getting between his toes all with no bending to help. It took us all weekend to do that for when we broke Mom's collage with our airbending duel."

Appa and Momo had by now return to their proper hybrid forms so you just imagine how two teenagers having to properly groom a sky bison on their own felt. Not pretty and not fun.

After they had finished talking everyone realized that really they had all forgot that truly they were all human and no one was perfect. No-one was perfect in every aspect and that being flawed was what being human was all about.

There was no such thing as perfect. Maybe a perfect day, a perfect moment but true perfection? Was simply doing your best and that really should be good enough for the whole world.

And that was the same for family and friends. It was also important to remember in relationships or problems that they don't get resolved by one person acting alone. It takes more than one person.

It takes good communication, being willing to truly listen. For being able to repeat what is being said doesn't mean you listen just means you can say back what one said. You have to listen to what one is saying and feel the emotions behind the words.

That we are all equal in pain and no one's feelings should be dismissed and even if you don't think your guilty of any crime that doesn't mean you shouldn't apologize if you have done something that hurt another person feelings whether you think don't have to or not.

Respect is earned not given and no one is exempt from being the target of someone anger, not even a charity. Someone can get mad at you for any reason doesn't matter who or what you are anyone can get angry at you and you have to learn to accept that anger.

But again while everyone was realizing these facts of life they still had to focus on their schoolwork which was also a fact of life. Though textbooks smarts only get you so far in life.

You could read all the books you wanted in life, graduated from any school with as many masters and bachelors as you want. But just because you got the degrees don't mean you'll be any good at the subject.

For example just because you study to become a doctor doesn't mean you'll be a good one anymore then someone who studies fashion design will be a good designer. What really makes you an expert and any good is if you have the gift inside you and time itself.

So would any of these children be any good as benders or warriors or Team Avatar simply because of their gifts or some preordained so-called prophecy nonsense? Who knew?

Fate and destiny and how they could be challenged by free will and determination where always a great fight to see battle itself out. Because in the end just because someone says one thing is your fate doesn't mean you can't write your own destiny.

After all, as you go for life what you learn most about is yourself as all these kids had been learning you are the sum of what you are. You are part your family, part friends, part of the choices you make, your own feelings, and the rest is everything in between.

And we will spend the rest of time figuring out that eternal question of who we are and what the mysteries of the universe what our fate and destiny is and why we are here. But if we spend our lives worrying about that when we forget to do the simplest thing we should be doing.

Which is just living in the moment. Just stop worrying about what doesn't matter and live.

And for all those kids in a moment of clarity, they realized everything else in the world didn't matter. Whether or not they passed the upcoming exams at school or at the academies.

What happened yesterday or tomorrow didn't matter. All that matter was living in the moment and enjoying every second they were alive and being with the ones they loved.

That's all that matter. Having fun, kissing and hugging the ones who matter most in your life, saving those they love, not living with regrets, and being here now. That was the purpose of life and that all you'll ever need to know.

So if anything else ever matters it would take a back seat to what did matter just being here now.