So I'm watching How To Train Your Dragon again. Heh, oops. Anyway, a big thanks to my dear reviewers, and Ariel, I would not leave the confrontation so minimal! There's more characters to come, and lots will stay about. Aang included.

But regardless, before midnight gets too close, I should post this! Hope you enjoy!

After Katara left Zuko in Ba Sing Se, she decided to take a bit of a road trip on her own. As much as she had enjoyed travelling with him, she felt the need to be on her own, clear away some of the confusing thoughts that had popped up during those two weeks. So she'd hopped on Appa, still on semi-permanent loan, and taken for the hills.

Figuratively, of course.

She visited as many places as she could, from the Island of Kyoshi (where she surprised her dear brother, visiting a familiar Kyoshi warrior) to both Air Temples. Just revisiting places she had been unable to enjoy, maybe even showing her bending off to old friends. Hey, a girl could only be so modest.

Of course, any time she stopped somewhere especially interesting, Zuko had to hear about it. She wasn't sure how, but the hawk always managed to find her, and she always managed to find scraps to feed. Which was why she figured she deserved the right to name her. She liked her more anyway.

She was in the process of writing a note, innocently requesting legwarmers for her little friend. Obviously in blue, since she'd already harvested the seaweed and sea prunes to dye the yarn. He'd like that, she was sure. And she most certainly wasn't giggling to herself as she sent Tippy out.

Watching the hawk fly out, she turned to face the city of Omashu, grinning at the thought of the surprise visit on the plate for today.

Katara was guided into an intricate room, ornate with gilded fans covering delicately painted walls. If she weren't so familiar with the occupant, she may have even gotten butterflies.

Staring across the table at Toph, however, had her relaxed and smiling warmly at the tea servants without an ounce of awkwardness. Toph, meanwhile, was sitting primly and daintily, hands folded as she spoke in dulcet tones.

"Thank you for the tea, Takkan. Please leave me to speak with Lady Katara now." She'd even bowed her head, milky eyes unfocused and vulnerable. The moment, however, that the man left the room those wide eyes rolled amd she threw herself back. Her perfect bun was knocked slightly askew, but that was nothing compared to the way she kicked her shoes off (across the room) and swung her legs over the lounge. Katara groaned in disgust when the young Earthbender stuck her finger in her nose and flicked the content onto the (maybe silk) throw.

"Quite the change there, Toph. Very pleasant to see you in all your glory."

"Oh, great to see you too, Katara. After all there is nothing better than -seeing- old friends."

Katara had the gall to roll her eyes, and she scoffed so Toph knew it, too. "Those tricks work on Sokka. You've got the wrong Water Tribesman." She did giggle, though. "Do they still work on Aang?"

Toph's turn to groan, and she did so far more elaborately than Katara had. "Twinkleties is around -way- too much now. How can I possibly irritate him if he's stuck to me like a tigerburr? And he got used to Twinkletoes. My perfect nickname is gone forever." She faked a swoon, using it as an excuse to sneeze loudly into a pillow.

"Charming. If you're not acting like a lady, then why pretend for the sake of the people around here?"

"Be-CAUSE, Sugar Queen, if I'm a good little girl in front of others then I get to play in the Earthbending arenas whenever I want. My parents figured it was the only way to make me listen. Turns out they're not so bad at the wheeling and dealing. They even offered me a line of merch for the Blind Bandit."

She flopped gracelessly onto her stomach, feet showing enough dirt to build a sandcastle. "What brings you to my humble abode, by the way? Miss having someone to boss?"

Katara leaned and lightly punched her in the shoulder, which was a bad decision because Toph 'lightly' punched her back, and that was completely unpleasant. "Ow! Jeez, Toph, haven't you ever heard of a woman's touch? And for your information, I was taking a road trip. Zuko and his Uncle invited me to the Fire Festival, and the rest is history."

She had started to smile, twining her hair lightly. Toph saw none of this, but she swung her feet down to feel the quickening heartbeats. "You hung out with Sparky? That must have been a delight. Go on a field trip again?"

Katara snorted inelegantly. "No field trips, for your information. We just... hung out..." There was that faster heartbeat. "But he had to work, so we're just writing back and forth now. It's not a big deal." Is so, says the heart. "But listen, it's getting pretty late. I- I should go. I want to be home before Tippy comes back with another letter."

"Tippy?"

"Our hawk. He delivers- it's not important. I should go. Thank you for the tea, Toph. Try not to kill yourself with the polite thing, yeah?" And she was already backing away, confusion apparent in every frame of her body. As soon as she excused herself (and Toph had recollected herself), the blind girl grinned wildly. "Takkan, come in here and please fetch Hawky fir me. I have a very important message to send."

Aang stepped off the ledge of the Fire Lord's balcony, glider snapping open easily as he fell. The wind caught him, carrying him far along the edge of a nearby volcano. He scanned his eyes across the shoreline, snapping the wings shut when he saw a glimpse of blue. The freefall dive relaxed him after his tense talk, but he did brace himself for both the landing and the conversation to follow.

He hit lightly, watching the blue-clad figure run towards him. He did smile, because how could he not offer happiness to a friend, but it didn't dispel the unhappy feeling.

"Did you talk to him? Get him going?"

Aang drooped his shoulders with a groan. "I might have screwed it up, Sokka. I couldn't stay in there too long, he looked really mad. I only dropped a few lines before I left." The nervousness at being under Sokka's scrutiny had him fidgeting and hopping from foot to foot.

"Did you at least ask him if he loved her? Please tell me you asked. You're nodding. You promise? Then we're good! He's pretty awkward, it'll get him thinking. It's good!" He had been gesturing wildly, but ended with waving his hand flippantly.

Aang chuckled a bit, turning to look back towards the palace. There was still a sting, knowing that Katara and Zuko might be... But it was his own fault that she wasn't to be his. He'd refused the Spirits the first time, and it wasn't in the Avatar's right to refuse.

Sokka noted his silence, slinging his arm around him. "You all right, Aang? This whole spirit deal, it's not a guarantee, right? There's still a chance they won't, like, hook up or anything, tell me yes. Because Zuko, as an in-law? Kind of a weird thought."

Getting elbowed by the Avatar hurt, and getting whacked with a fan right after was just demeaning. Suki shook her head, walking away from her fiance to lean against the eel hound that had carried them post-haste to the Capitol. Aang, notified by Momo, had joined them immediately. Unfortunately for Sokka, he wasn't there to stop this awful romance.

In fact, he promoted it. Something about the Spirit World and him and Katara talking out their relationship or something awful like that. He'd been too busy crying.

His only safeway was to go to Zuko before Katara got there, which was what his plan to employ Aang's (pretty bad) acting was all about. After Zuko was questioned about his love, he'd definitely screw it up, and his sister would be safe.

So it was with great satisfaction when he saw Tippy fly out the balcony window (high tech Sokka-grade binoculars in all their glory), headed straight for the South Pole.

"And there flies my salvation! Let's go, guys! We're on a mission!"

It always bothered me, the colour of their parkas. How do the Water Tribes get such a blue colour?! What do they dye with? Whelp, screw it, seaweed it is.

So, the little gAang plot will be further explained, and Zuko and Katara shall be together again soon! I'm off to finish my movie (totally watch it) and cry over Toothless' cute little face.

As per normal, please read, review, or flame! You guys fill me with a sense of wonder (people are actually reading this?!) and happiness (squeee!). I'm away, and enjoy your week!

and Tippy is Katara's name for the bird. Don't forget that we have a couple's dispute over that!