Epilogue:
The Magnificent Turtle Duck flew through the skies, Kang sat in the pilot seat, wearing his navy blue suit and red and white lace-up shoes, smiling to the skies. Claire sat next to him, adorned in the pure red dress with the crimson belt Khana picked out for her and her white hair flowing free.
Khana sat behind her, adorned in her Kyoshi Warrior attire with her amber hair freely flowing whilst Sky sat next to her in a formal Earth Kingdom outfit.
Lin stood next to Kang, adorned in her green and silver dress she wore during her date with Kang, her hand laid atop his shoulder as they flew.
Within the Shell of the Magnificent Turtle Duck, Joseph and Norrak sat together, Norrak in a formal blue water tribe dress and Joseph in a regal white suit.
Team Avatar, all adorned in formal attire of their respective nations, and Suki dressed in traditional Kyoshi Warrior attire sat on one side, whilst the Governors wore their regular uniforms sat on another side next to them.
Claire's Elemental masters adorned themselves in formal attire of their respective nations, sitting across from team avatar whilst Zu, Li, Eamon, Bumi and Ty Lee sat adjacent from them, all dressed in formal looking clothes whilst Ty Lee wore her Kyoshi Warrior outfit. They all conversed amongst themselves, chatter filling the room.
"Now that I think about it... do any of you know where Kang is taking us?" Zuko asked as he looked to everyone, but they all shrugged, as silence loomed.
"Just said 'We're going for a celebratory Tea Party', didn't say where," Zu informed him as everyone quizzically looked to one another
"Where's your friend... Eamon, was it?" Toph curiously asked as Zu shrugged.
"He didn't feel like tagging along. Too busy with harmonic stuff," Zu nonchalantly replied, the chatter continuing. Kang soared up to one of the remnant cracks in the sky, flying through it and into the Spirit World, soaring across the Vibrant skies and spotting Iroh's Tea shop down below, gently descending towards it and landing safely next to it, retracting the wings and opening the shell for everyone to get out.
Team Avatar were the first to jump out, looking around—expect Toph—at their surroundings, feeling an unfamiliarity to it, whilst Sokka lightly gawked.
"We're in the Spirit World!?" Sokka exclaimed whilst Joseph, Norrak, The Governors, The Elemental Masters, Zu, Li, Eamon, Bumi and Ty Lee hopped out, looking at Sokka and their surroundings with bewilderment.
"How can you tell this is the Spirit World?" Katara asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I got whisked away here that one time, remember?" Sokka nonchalantly replied, Katara slowly nodding as Kang, Claire, Khana, Sky and Lin hopped out.
Kang closed the shell behind them before striding towards the tea shop, shortly followed by everyone else, and as they all walked together, Iroh stepped out of the Tea Shop, seeing them all approach, heartily smiling at them as Zuko's heart skipped a beat.
"Uncle!" Zuko cried out as he ran towards him, Iroh held out his arms to Zuko as the two embraced each other in a hug.
"It is good to see you again, Nephew!" Iroh told him as the two hugged.
Kang smiled at them as everyone else gathered around. Iroh and Zuko released their embrace as a joyful tear streaked down Zuko's face, Iroh turning to everyone with a wide smile.
"I hope you're all hungry, Xiong and I whipped up enough food to feed an entire nation!" Iroh told them with a hearty smile, gesturing to the large wooden table set out, with Xiong sat by it all. Everyone sat down at the large table, all digging into the cakes and tea provided by Iroh and Xiong.
"Kang... how did you plan all this in secret?" Claire asked as she took a sip of her tea.
"Good old Spirit Projection!" Kang replied with a smile, digging into his cake.
Claire smiled at him as friendly chattered filled the table for hours on end, Zu and Xiong challenging one another to an arm-wrestling match whilst Bumi, Hou, Li and Toph observed whilst everyone else chattered together in small groups, and as they did Claire remembered something she needed to do.
"Hey, Kang. Do you mind if I go for a while? I need to return something," Claire asked as Kang nodded.
"Don't be too long!" Kang told her as the others returned to their celebration. Claire stood up, waltzing over to the Spirit Portal, shortly followed by Khana.
"I'll keep an eye on her," Khana whispered to Kang, to which he gave her a thumbs up with his prosthetic hand.
Khana chased after Claire, quickly catching her up as the two walked to the Spirit Portal.
"So, where are we going?" Khana enthusiastically asked.
"I... well I guess 'we' are going to the tomb of the First Avatar," Claire replied, summoning the Edge of Balance to her hand, feeling the weight of it in her hand as she sombrely gazed upon it.
"...To return this," Claire softly added as she dematerialised it.
Claire and Khana stepped onto the Spirit Portal as the light began engulfing them, Claire held onto Khana's hand, surprising her as the light consumed them, transporting them to the Nexus, Khana's heart racing as she looked out to the void.
"So this is where you and Kang went..." Khana exclaimed as she walked around the tree.
"Yep," Claire nonchalantly replied, looking around to see a tomb within a portal.
"Come on, it's through this way!" Claire told Khana as she grabbed her hand, whisking her Kyoshi Warrior away into the portal, the light engulfing them once more and transporting them to a dark and dreary landscape, dead trees and cobwebs filled the area as a mighty stone tomb stood tall before them.
"For an Avatar Tomb this is quite... different from what I expected," Khana commented on their surroundings, taking in the dead plant life's scent, and the cawing of Spirit Crows.
"Well... it is around fifty-thousand years old," Claire replied as she marched towards the tomb whilst Khana blinked and shook her head in surprise, quickly catching up with Claire.
The two stood before the entrance, the two Bull Spirits springing to life and landing before Claire and Khana. The Kyoshi Warrior quickly withdrawing her daggers, stepping beside Claire, but the Avatar raised a hand to her.
"It's alright," Claire reassured her as the Bull Spirits loomed over them.
"Welcome, Avatar!" The Bull Spirits said in unison, stepping aside for Claire, but as she and Khana stepped through, they blocked Khana's path.
"Only the Avatar may enter," The Bull Spirits told her, Khana lightly scoffing.
"Some things never change," Khana jested towards Claire.
"Sorry," Claire replied with a soft smirk whilst Khana lay against the pillar beside the temple.
"No need to worry," Khana told her as Claire stepped inside the tomb.
Claire slowly made her way into the temple, her footsteps echoing throughout the halls as she waltzed into the room where she pulled the Edge of Balance from, taking a deep breath as she summoned it to her hand.
Claire marched over to the stone, aiming the Edge of Balance towards the gap inside the stone, slowly sliding it in as a faint glow radiated from within, trapping the Sword in the stone once more, and as Claire raised her head, Kaishi's spirit calmly appeared before her, his hands behind his back as he looked down to her.
"Thank you," Kaishi spoke to her as Claire raised a curious eyebrow to him.
"For... what?" Claire asked as she lightly shrugged her arms.
"For restoring the cycle, and bringing balance back to the world," Kaishi told her, his expression turning sombre as he let out a heavy sigh
"We know what the cost was, and I am sorry it ended the way it did," Kaishi added as Claire hung her head.
"You don't need to apologise... I was the one who did it... now I'm the one that has to live with it," Claire replied in a pained tone as a tear streaked from her eye.
"But you will not have to live with it alone. You have your friends, your family, and you have..." Kaishi spoke as he raised his hand, snapping his fingers as an ethereal sky blue endless corridor appeared behind him, rows of Avatars standing behind him, all looking to Claire as her heart skipped a beat.
"Us," Kaishi added, Claire smiled at them as Kaishi smiled back.
"Although this journey is over: Your adventures as Avatar haven't ended just yet, there is always more to do, but we are certain you will do us proud... Avatar Claire," Kaishi proudly told her.
"Thank you!" Claire replied as she bowed to the Avatars.
"Now go, return to your celebrations, I'd say you've earned them," Kaishi told her as him and the Avatars faded away, the ethereal corridor disappearing as they did.
Claire took a deep breath as she turned away from the sanctum, exiting the Tomb, Khana seeing her exit and perking up from the pillar.
"Looked like quite the light show in there," Khana commented as Claire softly chuckled, the two making their way back to the Spirit Portal.
"Not just any light show an Avatar light show," Claire jested with a smile as Khana let out a light sigh.
"I always seem to miss out on a lot of good stuff with you," Khana replied with a smirk, but Claire looked to the skies out of her peripheral vision.
"Eh, not always," Claire told her as a cheeky thought came to her mind.
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Khana asked in a sultry tone.
"Like this!" Claire replied as she smooched her cheek, Khana's cheeks flushing red as Claire chuckled and skipped away.
"Get back here!" Khana shouted with a laugh as she chased her.
The two returned to the party, stepping through the Spirit Portals and back to Iroh's tea shop, approaching Kang as he smiled at them.
"All done?" Kang asked as he put his hands to his hips.
"Yeah... why, have you got something up your sleeve?" Claire asked as she raised a curious eyebrow
"Correction! It's in my pouch," Kang replied as he twisted around to everyone else.
"Hey, everyone. I've got a surprise!" Kang told them as he walked over to the table with Claire and Khana in tow, rummaging through his pouch and pulling out a small square-shaped device with a lens and a slim exit point.
"I call this, 'The Capturer of Moments'!" Kang proudly proclaimed as he walked to the centre of the table.
"What does it do?" Iroh asked as he observed the device.
"It captures a moment, and freezes it in time, and displays it on a small piece of paper which comes out of here!" Kang explained as he pointed to the slim exit point before looking over to Lin.
"Lin, would you mind giving me something to prop this up on?" Kang asked as Lin lightly stomped on the ground, kicking up a small pillar in front of Kang.
"Thank you!" Kang replied as he settled the Capturer of Moments down atop it.
"Everyone gather around!" Kang demanded.
Claire sat parallel to the Capturer of Moments, whilst Khana sat to her right, wrapping her arm around her whilst Joseph and Norrak stood behind their daughter.
Sky sat next to Khana whilst Ty Lee stood behind her. Lin stood to Claire's left side, leaving room for Kang whilst Hou stood by her with Toph and Ho Tun next to him.
Shu, Zuko and Iroh stood together next to Ty Lee whilst Katara, Sokka, Suki and Jing stood next to them, Sokka and Suki wrapping their arms around Jing's shoulders whilst Katara placed her hand on Sokka's back.
Bumi, Tenzin, and Kya stood by Ho Tun, Bumi's arms wrapped around both Tenzin and Kya as they all smiled at one another, whilst Gao and Sheng stood next to them in a formal pose.
Zu, Li and Xiong stood behind Ho Tun, Toph, Hou and Lin, Zu lightly crouching to make sure he fitted in the frame whilst Li supported him and Xiong stood by him.
"Alright, let me just set the timer!" Kang told them as they all stood ready.
Kang pressed a small button on top of the Capturer of moments, hearing it tick as he quickly rushed over to the spot Lin left open for him, shimmying in and placing his prosthetic arm around Lin's shoulders whilst placing his hand on Claire's shoulder.
The ticking stopped and the lens quickly closed and opened, a piece of paper sliding out and falling onto the table, slowly revealing the photo to them.
Kang picked it up and smiled, but as he did his eyes widened, seeing Azula's spirit stood in between Zuko and Iroh, the Fire Lord walked over to Kang, seeing Azula's spirit as his eyes too widened, looking to Kang as the two smiled to each other.
After their return from the Spirit World, Kang told Tenzin all he knew about the surviving air-benders, offering to take him and Jinora to Air Mountain in his Speedwagon, and upon arrival, Yorru greeted Jinora, Tenzin, and Kang, looking in awe at Tenzin, gazing upon his Master Air-bender tattoos. Yorru introduced Tenzin and Jinora to the Air Clan, where Tenzin would inform them they were safe to enter the world again, and in the passing years, the Air Clan abandoned the Mountain, retaking their original homes within the Air Temples.
Zuko and Shu returned to the Fire Nation Royal Palace, being granted a warm welcome by Jin and Izumi, The Fire Lord told them about his battle against the False Avatar and the battle between him and Claire, as well as Kang, being a part of their family. Although this surprised them, Izumi wanted to meet him, to which Zuko promised that one day she would.
Sokka, Suki, Katara, Kya and Bumi returned to the South Pole, reassuring their citizens they had successfully assisted in the downfall of the False Avatar, the people of the Southern Tribe hailed them as Heroes, and Sokka tried not to let it go to his head too much.
Toph and Ho Tun returned to the foggy swamp, spending more time there before they continued travelling the four nations together, facing off against bandits and the occasional Sabre-toothed moose lion.
Eamon continued his mission to bring harmony to the Four Nations, his message of Harmony for all spreading amongst the nations, people rallying behind his call, leading him to create an organisation amongst the nations known as Harmony's Shadow, but this unnerved the upper-class citizens of the four nations, and Eamon would often experience nightmares, and every time he looked in the mirror, he could see Amon flashing before his eyes, the Shadow-Bender refusing to slip back into his ruthless ways.
The earth benders and construction workers of the city rebuilt City Hall better than ever, and the Governors Hou, Gao, Sheng and Jing continued to govern Republic City, thankful for the peace Claire and her friends had brought, but chaos would always linger in the shadows of the city, waiting to strike, and give Gao another reason to call the city a mess.
Zu and Li decided to quit their life of crime, petitioning Lin to allow them to be a detective duo, although Lin refused their request several times, after a nudge from Kang, she caved to their requests, allowing Zu and Li to join the police force as detectives, however, they were later removed from their position after being caught raiding the local Bakery.
The chieftain throne of the Northern Water Tribe stood empty for some time until the Northern Tribe petitioned Joseph to take the throne, much to his surprise. But no matter how much Joseph protested to the idea, he eventually caved, taking up the role as Chief with Norrak by his side. And as they laid in bed at night, Joseph would often whisper "We're gonna need another kid," with a hearty chuckle.
Kang and Lin's romance continued, blooming ever more with each passing day, the two saving up enough gold to buy a house together, but even so, Kang still preferred the solitude of his lab, struggling to let it go after all the years he spent tinkering and creating within it. Although Lin didn't mind him being there, she wishes he'd remember to come home now and then.
Claire, Khana and Sky set out into the world, taking the Air Craft Kang had built with them—with the mad inventor's permission of course—The three travelled across the four nations, bringing Order where Chaos ran rampant, and bring Chaos where Order clutched too tightly, as well as occasionally visiting Kang and Lin.
The tale of Avatar Claire and her friends is over for now, but who knows...
maybe I'll write another sometime :^)