I want to thank everyone who has been reading this story and leaving all those nice comments. It really warms my heart. Anyways enjoy!
1 week later
The group of friends were now setting camp near an earth kingdom village and were about a day's ride from the Northern Airtemple.
"Sokka have you seen Liang's blanket?" Katara asked while scattering through her things. "Um, which one?" Sokka looked up with a chicken leg in his hand.
"You know, the orange and yellow one with the air nomad insignia sowed on to it." The meat guy took a look around, "Um, no." Katara grunted to his response, "Ugh! She can't sleep without it, and trust me you don't want to be there when she's sleepy but doesn't have her blanket!"
The group were all now looking for the baby's blanket, all except for Toph. Suki looked over to Liang in her little bassinet and saw how sleepy she looked. She came closer to her to pick her up. Katara caught a glimpse of this, "Suki, don't-!" But it was now too late, the Kyoshi warrior already picked her up and to her actions Liang began to cry.
"-pick her up," the waterbender sighed. Suki blushed in embarrassment to Liang's cries. "She has a thing against people who aren't me holding her. Specially if they're strangers."
Katara came over and took Liang from Suki and tried to calm her down. "Come on baby don't cry. Mommy's here okay," she continued to swaddle her but it wouldn't work. "Damn it, Sokka! Where's that blanket?"
"Katara, we're looking!" he yelled out. "Well look harder!" she yelled out as she rubbed her hands against her baby's head.
Around 20 minutes had passed and Liang hadn't stopped crying. Everyone kept looking for her blanket but it was nowhere to be found. Toph put her fingers in her ears and went over to Appa's saddle to get away from the noise.
When she got on she felt a soft fabric against her finger tips. "Is this it?" the blind earthbender yelled out as she held the fabric up.
"Yes! That's it!" the baby's mom exclaimed with relief. Toph handed it to her and when Katara wrapped it around Liang, the baby was soothed by the blanket's warmth.
6 days later
The temperatures had gotten much colder. It was so quiet on Appa. Katara was steering the bison while she had her baby girl wrapped around her. Toph had fallen asleep on Sokka's shoulder, Suki was staring out into the ocean, and Zuko was looking down with his arms crossed.
"There it is!" the waterbender announced in excitement. The whole group looked up to find the majestic icy structure that was the Northern Watertribe.
The doors were opened to them by waterbenders. They rode down the canals while looking around at the breath taking architecture.
Once they got down from Appa they were greeted by Chief Arnook, Master Pakku, and Kanna. "Master Katara, Sokka, Firelord Zuko, Toph Beifong, and Kyoshi warrior Suki! Welcome back to the North Pole! We received your letter a couple days ago and have been expecting your visit ever since." Pakku greeted them.
"So tell me, how is it that we may serve you?" Chief Arnook asked the team. "Well we need to visit the Spirit Oasis," Sokka replied.
The chief's eyes widened, "After the events of your first visit, we have increased the security for the oasis. So I will need you to tell me if it's of the upmost importance."
Sokka opened his mouth to speak but was then interrupted by Katara. "Does the life of Avatar Aang, the avatar cycle, and the fate of the whole world sound important to you?!"
The chief and Pakku looked at each other in surprise, "Very well, you may visit the oasis. But it seems that you are tired from your journey so I would suggest you get a good night sleep and begin tomorrow."
The group had settled all of their luggage in rooms located in an inn given to them by the Northern Watertribe Chief. They all got ready for a nice dinner at Pakku and Kanna's house.
The team arrived and sat down to enjoy the watertribe meal. "So, you all have a big day ahead," Pakku mentioned.
"Big has to be an understatement. I mean we have to travel to the Spirit World, most of us for the first time. We have to battle dark spirits, without being able to use our bending. And if all goes well, we'll finally be able to see our friend again after so long." Zuko responded to the man's words.
"Do you know how you're going to defeat the dark spirits?" The waterbending master asked.
"We were told that the light spirits would tell us once we arrived." Katara answered with great confidence.
Everyone finished their meals and headed back to the inn. Katara put Liang in her crib and attempted to sleep but couldn't.
She was so excited that we was finally going to see her great love again. However, at the same time she was scared of what might happen. She knew that the Spirit World could be a dangerous place especially since she can't use her bending. And now she was going to have battle some of the darkest spirits to ever exist.
She would have to rely on her fighting skills. There was no room for failure, she had to make sure she didn't die because that would leave her child without both parents.
She had to make sure that she was able to bring him back or else the world would go into chaos without the avatar there to bring peace.
Zuko went out to the roof of the building and stared at the sky. He took in deep breaths as he taught of the day that lied ahead.
"Want some company?" The firelord turned around to find Suki standing there. "Oh hey, um yeah sure."
The two sat there for a long time without saying a word until Suki broke the silence. "Can you believe that we're finally gonna see Aang again?"
"Yeah, that's so great!" he responded in a sarcastic tone. "Are you not happy about it?"
The firelord suddenly realized how bad that sounded, "What? No! Of course I'm happy that he's coming back!Aang's like one of my best friends you know? He was the first real friend I ever had, he was the best man at my wedding, he's cared about me even when he shouldn't." He sighed heavily, "It's just that now things are gonna change with him back." He said with much sorrow in his voice.
The Kyoshi warrior stared at him and couldn't help but ask, "Are you in love with Katara?"
Zuko's eyes widened in surprise to her words. He wanted to deny it, but he just couldn't. So he just sighed and nodded 'yes' to her question.
"Wow, I'm sorry." Zuko turned back to face her. "Sorry for what? Because she's in love with someone else, because she has a daughter with him?! Are you sorry for me because I'm so pathetic that now that I don't have my wife or child anymore, I'm fonding over the first girl to show any kindness to me? Do you feel sorry for me because of how alone I am?!"
"No, that's not what I meant. I said I'm sorry because I know what it's like. I know what it's like to have to suffer through seeing someone you care about show so much affection for someone else." Suki responded with much melancholy.
"But I want you to know," she then put her hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone. You have people who care for you. We all here care about you deeply. And just how you're willing to go to the Spirit World and battle spirits to save Aang, we would all do the same for you too."
The firebender looked back at the warrior and gave her a soft smile, "Thank you."
Morning finally arrived and everyone got ready for the real mission to begin. They all got their combat gear and headed out. Before going to the Spirit Oasis however, they had to stop by Gran-Gran's house to leave Liang with her.
Katara had her wrapped in her favorite blanket. She got to her grandmother's house and was about to give the baby to her but stopped to talk to her. "Alright sweetie, mommy's going to have to leave for a little while. But I will come back, I promise you that. And when I do I'll return with your dad. And you'll finally be able to meet him, and he's going to love you so much. Because I do too."
She placed a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead and gave her to her Gran-Gran. She was about to leave when her grandmother spoke, "Katara."
"Hmph?" Her grandmother had a worried look, "Be careful." Katara gave her soft smile, "I will. Don't worry."