Cold, wet rags were being gently pressed on his forehead. Slowly applying pressure and releasing it, again, and again. It felt good against his fevered skin. He opened his eyes. For a moment, all he saw was black, with stars swimming through his vision. In a few moments, everything came into focus. Suki was sitting beside him with a cloth and a bucket of water. When she saw him looking at her, she beamed. "You're awake."

"What…happened?" he asked. His memory was failing him. All he could retrieve were a few unintelligible flashes of… water. Lots of it.

"You've been out for a while. We had a pretty nasty tangle with Azula. Aang splashed some water on the Fire Nation and you almost drowned."

"I remember…that was a lot of water."

Katara's cheerful voice came from the Sokka's other side. "Aang…I don't know how he did it…but somehow I'm a girl again."

Sokka did his best to smile with the current, bruised condition of his face. "Where is Aang?"

Her face fell, immediately. "He's having some trouble…coping with what he did. Not many people survived."

"I'll go get him and tell him you're awake," said Katara. They returned a few moments later. Aang was a mess. He had dark circles under his eyes, and the beginnings of hairs were peeking out of his tattooed scalp. "Hey, Sokka. Glad you're okay," he said flatly.

"Wish you were better," countered Sokka, sitting up so he could talk to the younger boy. His body was still weak, and he wavered a little, but Suki's sure hand stayed him. "Tell me what's wrong."

Aang shook his head slowly, eyes fixed on the ground. "I completely lost myself… I can't believe it. I know I got rid of Azula, and Ozai, but what about the people in the jai? Or the citizen of the Fire Nation that had nothing to do with the war, or were just trying to live their lives. I was so mad…and now…I'm paying the price."

A few moments passed in silence. No one knew what to say to Aang. They didn't want to make him feel worse, but the also didn't want to make light of the situation. Katara crossed the room and gathered Aang in her arms. "I have an idea Aang. I hope it will make you feel a little bit better."

--

It took many months and lots of heavily trained waterbenders, but eventually they managed to replace the water back into the bay. What they unearthed was chaos, and the restoration of the city sent Aang into deep spells of depression, during which Katara and Aang would retreat to camp to 'console' each other. What they were doing, Sokka wouldn't have appreciated, but he was too busy with restoration, and what he called his 'special project' to notice.

The old Fire Nation capital became a haven for everyone displaced in the war. Homeless fugitives were given homes in the luxurious former apartments of upper-class Fire Nation citizens. Katara's plan worked beautifully, cheering Aang as best he could be cheered.

One night, Sokka led Suki to the top of a hill overlooking the city. He wanted to show her how beautiful the clusters of light looked like from above. And he was right. They looked like earthbound stars. When it got dark enough, the barrier between sky and ground disappeared completely. You were standing among the stars, completely surrounded by pinpoints of light.

It was here, now, while Suki was still staring, awestruck at the spectacle, that Sokka slowly took something out of his pocket and slipped it into her hand. Slightly bewildered, she examined the object in her hands.

An exquisitely carved betrothal necklace. All of Suki's breath was shocked out of her body. Her voice failed her. All she could do was gather Sokka into a long and zealous embrace.

Here, on this small hill overlooking the city that had become the symbol of peace in the modern world, and in the city itself, everyone was a lot happier than they had been in a long time.

EL FIN