Victory is Subjective
After battles on three fronts, the teens made their way back to Ember Island and each other. Katara and Zuko narrowly escaped Fire Lord Ozai on Appa. Ozai was shocked to hear of Azula's defeat. He would never allow that son of his to sit on the burning throne while he was alive. Suki, Sokka, and Toph used one of the blimps they commandeered after destroying the fleet to get back to the island. They sunk it once they reached land. It would be too obvious in the air making it easier to be tracked.
The Gaang "borrowed" a sailboat in one of the marinas and made for the Southern water tribe and safety. They left Appa reluctantly knowing that Aang would return for his friend.
Three weeks after Aang left Ember island, the Lion Turtle returned Aang and Momo to the private beach. Sozin's comet had come and gone without Aang in the fray to stop Ozai from his psychotic plans. Aang knew from the Lion turtle that the outcomes would be very different from this point on since the Fire Lord overran the Earth Kingdom.
As he stepped onto the sand, Aang couldn't detect any of his friends on the island with his earthbending except Appa. He wondered how his furry friend would react to seeing him after so long. He made a mental note to make sure he looked for some fresh fruit to bring as a peace offering. Appa could hold a grudge when it was warranted.
Aang looked around the beach house but saw no signs of his friends. They had long since departed the island taking all their belongings with them probably to their homes to see how they could best protect them since the Fire Lord was not defeated on the day of Sozin's Comet. He fought off the twinge of guilt he felt knowing he was the reason why the Fire Lord still stood. This only made him resolve to do what he knew he had to do now.
Fire Lord Ozai declared in a speech to his people that Azula would rule the Fire Nation as their new Fire Lord and he would rise from the ashes of the burning world as the once and future Phoenix King. He assured the people that this victory was only the beginning and that the country would rejoice with a grand celebration and feast dedicated to his inauguration into the annals of history and his daughter's coronation.
He set the date and time for the autumn equinox when Agni shined his brightest and longest in the daytime sky. The announcement was immediately dispatched to all of the surrounding Fire Islands by propaganda scattered like confetti in the wind.
Zuko and the others were shivering in the frigid air. They were almost there. The sailboat containing the Water Tribe siblings, Zuko, Suki, and Toph approached the icy coasts of the Southern Islands. Aang had just missed them.