Chapter One- The Southern Water Tribe
(two years after the defeat of Ozai)

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"Katara!" Sokka's voice yelled. "Aang's here!" Katara dropped the clothes she was folding and ran out of her room, in the clear blue sky she could see the large white bison which she had practically lived on a few years ago make his way down to the ground.

Changes had come over the South Pole since she had found Aang four years ago. It was almost more like the North Pole. Several babies had been born with the ability to bend, and the Northerners were helping to make houses out of the ice and snow, unlike the huts they used to live in. A wall of ice also protected it from outside creatures such as Southern Ice Lions.

Appa landed, Aang sitting on his head, Toph and Suki (make-up and uniform intact) in his saddle. Aang airbended down, Katara ran at him and pulled him into a hug. He was taller now, almost as tall as her, but other then that he didn't look much different, same bald head, same goofy smile.

"Katara!" He said, hugging her back. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too!" she said. "How's it going in the Fire Nation? How's Zuko and Iro?"

"Both good." He told her. "They can't wait to see you."

Katara looked up, Sokka was hugging Suki. Toph slide down and was standing uncertian.

"How can you live here?" She asked, "I can't see a thing with these boots on!" Toph, unlike Aang had changed a bit. Her face was thinner, her body longer. She had her black hair was still up, but not in the same hinged style Katara knew, but pulled out of her face like when they first met. She was wearing a thick coat and black boots. "Where are you anyways?"

"I'll come to you." Katara said detaching herself from Aang and running over to hug her blind friend. "Toph, you look so different."

"Really?" she asked, "Cuz you haven't changed a bit." Everybody laughed.

"Hello, again, Avatar." A new voice said, or rather an old one. "You've brought friends."

"Hello, Kanna." Aang said, bowing to Gran-gran respectfully, "Hello Master Pakku." He bowed to the old teacher.

"Good to see you again, Aang." Said Pakku.

"Who are you're friends, Katara." Gran-Gran asked.

"This is Toph Beifong." Katara said, "She was Aang's earthbending teacher and is probably the best Earthbender in the world."

Toph smiled, "Yeah, probably." She turned towards Gran-Grans voice and bowed, "Nice to meet you."

"And this is Suki." Sokka introduced, "She's the one I go to visit every four months."

"It's good to finally meet the girl that's enchanted my grand son so." Said Gran-Gran. "Come inside, you should rest before you take off again."

Katara took Toph's hand and followed Aang into the main hut. Her father was sitting, talking to Bato and several other men. "Aang," He said rising from his seat, "Toph, Suki it's great to see you all again."

"Good to see you, too, Chief Hakoda." Aang said.

"You've came to take my children away again, I understand?" Hakoda said jokingly.

"That's right." Toph told him, smiling, "It's to cold here."

"Katara, Sokka, help you're friends get settled for the night, then we can have the feast." Hakoda ordered.

"Okay." Sokka said, "Come on, Suki." He took her hand and lead her off. Katara put her hand on Toph's shoulder.

"My room is this way." She said, "Come on Aang."

"It's so weird here." Toph said, "It's not just the fact I can't see, but it seems so open, I can here on for miles."

"It's pretty cool." Aang agreed. Katara rolled her eyes at him.

"This is my room." she said, opening the door for them. She had it locked so only a waterbender could open it, kind of like how earthbenders block their doors.

"Wow, it's really nice." Aang commented.

"Tara! Tara!" A little voice cried. Katara looked behind her, her cousin's daughter, Kayra was running towards them. "Tara, Momma just told me that you going to go away!" Katara picked up the little six-year-old and hugged her.

"Kayra, these are my friends, Aang and Toph." Katara said, "Sokka and I are going to travel with them for a little while."

"Tara," Kayra whispered, "Why is that girl's eyes all glarey?"

"Because I'm blind." Toph said, slightly short-tempered.

"Toph is an Earthbender." Katara explained. "She sees with her feet instead of her eyes."

"Can all Earthbenders do that?"

"Only the really good ones." Katara said, making Toph smile, "and see Toph over there is one of the best."

"Wow." the little girl breathed, "Can I be an Earthbender?"

"Down here there isn't any earth to bend." Toph told her.

"What about you?" Kayra asked Aang, "Are you an Earthbender, too? Can you see with you're feet?"

"I can, but I'm not as good as Toph." Aang said, "Toph was actually my teacher. So was Katara. I can bend all four elements, but I'm best at Airbending."

"Wow." Kayra breathed. "So where are you gonna go when you leave here?"

"We're going back to the Fire Nation." Katara said, "to spend some time with our friend Zuko. Then we're probably going to travel some more, helping people that need help."

"It'll be nice to see Zuko again." Sokka said from the door, he and Suki walked in, "Wow, imagine saying that four years ago."

"It's so different here the Kyoshi." Suki comment, "I never imagined you could make houses out of ice."

"What are you're houses made out of?" Kayra asked.

"Mostly wood." Suki said, "Or clay."

"What's wood?" asked Kayra.

"You'll know when you get older and travel more." Sokka told her. "I came in here to tell you three that the party is going to start soon."

"Okay," Katara said, scooping up Kayra and handing her to Sokka, "We'll be right out."

"I'll go with them, something tells me this is going to get mushy." Toph said, reaching out so Suki could take her hand. As soon as the door was closed Katara turned to look at Aang.

She smiled, "Did I mention how much I missed you?"

"Yeah," He smiled back, his same Aang-ish smile. "I missed you, too." He took a step closer to her. He leaned in and kissed her, his lips were warm and soft despite the cold, harsh air. She rapped her arms around him and kissed him back.

When she broke away after a minute she smiled, "What, the Avatar hasn't found a girlfriend in the two years I've been gone?"

"To be honest there hasn't been much time to date." He said, his cheek red, "Even if I wanted to, the girl I want is here." Katara looked away her face hot. "What about you? No tribe boys wanna date the powerful master?"

Katara laughed, "I've known most of these boys since I was a baby, just because I've went away for two years, doesn't mean I see them differently. If they see me differently then, well, I haven't noticed."

They kissed again, for longer this time. "We should go to the party, considering it is for us."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." Aang agreed blushing. They took hands and walked to the center of the village. In the darkening light. A fire was burning in the middle of the center, people were gathered already.

"Over here!" Suki called, Katara looked around to see her, Toph and Sokka already sitting at the High Table. Aang and Katara walked over to join them. "This is amazing." she breathed.

"Wait until the celestial dance." Katara said, "It's so beautiful, you'll feel like you'll never see anything that beautiful in your life."

"My people!" Hakoda called out to the crowd. "Today we celebrate the visiting of the Avatar," He paused as the crowd cheered, "and his honorable friends Toph Beifong and Suki of Kyoshi," more cheers. "We also celebrate 18th birthday of my daughter, Katara." Katara blushed and looked away.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday!" Aang whispered.

"It's not a big deal," she whispered back. "You never told be when your birthday is."

"Tonight we feast and dance to say good-bye to her and her brother, and wish them the best of luck on their journey to the Fire Nation, hoping that they will come back to visit often."

"Sokka, Katara," the crowd chanted, "Sokka, Katara." Music began to play and the tribe began dancing.

"Come on, Aang." said Katara taking his arm, "We have to dance!" She pulled him out into the center of the clearing. He pulled her close and they started dancing around to the music. Out of the corner of her eye Katara saw Sokka and Suki join the dance, even Toph swayed to the music. Suddenly the Southern Lights broke through the air, colorful ribbons of nothingness lit up everything.

Author's note: Please review