The Northern Air Temple

139 A.G- 11 years after the Yakone Crisis

The Western Air Temple was bustling with activity as throngs of Air Acolytes hurried about their business, carrying baskets of food, musical instruments, and all manner of party materials.

Aang stood in the background of it all, awkwardly watching the action unfold. He had been somewhat opposed to this idea; the monks had, after all, had taught him that an excessive ego was an inhibition to reaching spiritual enlightenment, and he had spent much of his life being as humble as he could be. Being the Avatar, of course, changed things slightly, but he always tried to keep his possessions and personal belongings to a minimum.

Katara walked up to him, hugging him.

"Happy Avatar Day, Aang."

Aang smiled weakly, hugging her back.

"Okay, this whole thing is really weird…" he said quietly.

Katara looked at him quizzically.

"What's weird about it? It's a feast in your honor; you're the Avatar."

"I know, but… all my life, I've been a humble person. I've never wanted fame, glory, or any of that other stuff. Okay, maybe I enjoyed it when we were kids, but now, the only possessions I have are either Airbender relics or my ceremonial robes, nothing else. This isn't a celebration for me, either. It's for all the Avatars."

She cupped his face, kissing him quickly on the mouth, slowly walking away.

"Just enjoy yourself, Aang. Take a break from saving the world and have some fun."

Aang smiled briefly, and then walked away from the hustle and bustle, seeking some peace.

After wandering around the temple for a while, he found himself in the very courtyard Zuko had joined Team Avatar all those years ago. It had been restored after the war, and had been salvaged from where it had fallen after Azula's attack. He found himself looking forward to seeing all his friends again; it had been several years since they had all gotten together. He had seen each separately from time to time, but it had been too long since they all gathered in one place.

He was surprised to see a solitary figure dressed in Airbender robes staring into the fountain, recognizing the bald, tattooed head.

"Tenzin, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready to see your brother and sister again?"

"Hey, Dad," the young man said glumly.

Sitting down, Aang motioned for Tenzin to sit beside him, and Aang looked at his son, waiting for an explanation.

"What's wrong, son?"

"It's nothing," he began, before being waved off by Aang.

"I can tell when my son is upset about something. What's on your mind?"

"It's just—it's Lin. She—she has different ideas about our relationship."

"She wants to get more serious?"

"No, it's that she has no plan for our future. I like her a lot, Dad, but I'm worried. I know I'm supposed to carry on the line of Airbenders and all to save our race, and I do want kids, but… she doesn't. She wants doesn't want to get bogged down by kids."

Aang sighed, sitting back. It was never easy hearing his son being so… mature. Tenzin had always been a quietly reserved individual, and Aang supposed that that had been as a result of his indoctrination as an Airbender, but it always surprised him how… mature his son was. It also brought feelings of guilt. He had made this boy's destiny to carry on the Airbending race, and while it was true, it had unwittingly distanced himself from Bumi and Kya. Kya had left to see the world for herself, and Bumi had, to Aang's displeasure, joined the United Forces.

"Tenzin… while it is very important that you expand the race of Airbenders, I don't want that burden to make you something you're not. You're my son, and I love you for that simple fact. I don't need you to be some kind of spiritual prophet that brings enlightenment to the world. I need you to be you. As for Lin, she's a Beifong. She does what she wants. Just… talk to her sometime, and perhaps she'll change her mind."

Tenzin nodded, remaining silent. Aang sighed, wrapping an arm around his son jovially.

"Besides, you don't have to worry about that now. It's Avatar Day, son. Cheer up. Have some fun!"

Tenzin smiled, getting to his feet slowly. There was a profound silence as they stood together in the deserted courtyard, listening to the softly burbling fountain and the distant twitter of birds.

"This is where Zuko offered to join your group, right?" Tenzin asked, glancing at his father.

"Yeah, nearly forty years ago. Can you believe we were considering tying the poor guy up and leaving him behind? So much has changed. He'll be coming sometime today with his wife and daughter."

"How old is his daughter? I haven't seen them for a long time," Tenzin noted.

"Iria? She's about… I think she's eleven now. It's been a while since I've visited the Fire Nation, though, so I could be wrong."

Tenzin chuckled softly.

"The joys of being an only child," he said wryly.

Aang and Tenzin laughed as they climbed the stairs, walking back to the Main Hall.

Politicians, Diplomats, and priests began arriving soon after, quickly filling up the tables. Kya and Bumi arrived soon after the bulk of the partygoers had arrived, disembarking an Air Bison Aang had sent to collect them. Bumi jovially greeted his parents and brother, while Kya stood, detached.

"Heya, Mom, Pop, Tenzin; it's good to see ya!" he said, hugging his parents.

"It's good to see you too, Bumi," Aang said, hugging the man.

Bumi was resplendent in his United Forces Uniform, the tan-gray fabric sporting a host of medals and campaign ribbons. Aang smiled as he noted the Lieutenant's insignia on his son's shoulder. Normally, he didn't like military things, but he felt immensely proud of his son anyways.

"I see you've been promoted," Katara said, grinning.

Bumi puffed out his chest, beaming.

"Yep. I got it after saving those traders from some Sandbenders in the Great Divide; an interesting story, really…" he began.

"How are you, Kya?" Katara asked, circumventing Bumi's story.

"I'm fine, mom," she muttered.

Aang stepped towards his daughter, trying to hug her, but she ducked away, stalking off towards the kitchen. Aang looked at her receding form in concern, glancing at his wife.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Bumi noticed their concern, and walked over from regaling Tenzin with his war stories, smiling.

"Don't worry; she's been grouchier than usual today. She didn't even want to hear the story about the bending battle I had with a group of malicious probenders…"

"Not now, Bumi," Tenzin muttered.

Katara smirked slightly, looking at Aang.

"Don't worry; she just doesn't want to be 'daddy's little girl' anymore, Aang. She wants to be her own person."

"All I did was try to give her a hug," Aang protested.

"Just, do me a favor, sweetie. Give her some space."

"You know, that nickname still gives me the oogies," came a low voice from behind them.

Sokka and Suki walked towards the two, grinning joyously. The couples embraced each other gratefully.

"Sokka, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you, Aang. You should visit me in the Town Hall more often; it gets boring, you know."

Aang smiled. Aang, even though he spent much time in Republic City, rarely got to see his brother in law, as Sokka's responsibilities as a Councilman kept him very busy most of the time, and Aang's Avatar duties kept him occupied as well. It was sad, in a way; the two were in the same city a lot, but they never really got to see each other. He hadn't seen Suki in forever either; the last time he had visited Kyoshi Island had been a few years after Yakone's escape.

"It's great seeing you again, Aang," Suki said, hugging him.

The woman was dressed in her traditional Kyoshi Warrior robes, as he knew she would, and was followed by several members of the Kyoshi Warriors who were still in training. The young women looked at Aang and the Air Temple itself in awe, as if they didn't believe their luck.

"I see you brought the trainees along with you," Aang said, grinning.

"I figured they needed a break from the island. I thought it would do them some good to see Kyoshi's reincarnation, as well as observing a proper Avatar Day."

Sokka leaned on Aang's shoulder energetically.

"Unlike those losers at Chin Village," he said. Then, glaring in mock anger, he poked his finger into Aang's chest.

"If you even think about serving me unfried dough that represents you not being fried in oil…" he said.

Aang laughed, pushing Sokka back slightly.

"Don't worry, Sokka. I assure you, the dough is fried, and I'm not; all's right in the world."

Sokka then took notice of Bumi and Tenzin talking to the side, and his face lit up.

"If it isn't my favorite pair of nephews!" he said, wrapping the two men in a massive bear hug.

Tenzin looked incredibly uncomfortable, whereas Bumi laughed uproariously.

"How's it going, Uncle Sokka?" Bumi asked, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

"Look at you, Lieutenant Bumi! When did that happen?"

"A few days ago, for my actions in the Great Divide."

"I see Commander Lee finally came to his senses, the old dog; you'll have to tell me all about that story of yours..." he began, to Tenzin's distress.

Chatting happily with his nephews, Sokka made his way to the tables, followed closely by an apologetic Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors.

"Do you mind if I take a while to catch up with Sokka? It's been so long since I've been back home…" Katara said apologetically.

"No problem," Aang said, happily.

He walked over to the recently-built Airship docks, and waited to see who arrived next. As he walked, however, he noticed Kya sitting by herself glumly. Acting on parental instinct, Aang sat next to her, to which she responded with a slight groan of annoyance.

"Go away, Dad."

"Kya… we need to talk. What have I done wrong?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Is this because I tried to hug you? If that's it, I'm sorry for trying. I guess I should have stuck to saying hello…" he pondered.

She sighed in exasperation, reminding Aang of Zuko's wife. Even Mai, however, was more cheery now, and he had to admit that he had no idea what the reason was for his daughter's hostility. He always felt guilty for not spending enough time with Kya and Bumi, but it wasn't like he had the luxury of being a perfect father; he was the Avatar, and with that came certain responsibilities he could not ignore. Add to that the fact that he had to train Tenzin to be a master Airbender, and he spent very little quality time with his other children, a fact that he sorely regretted.

"Look… Kya, I know I haven't spent as much time with you and Bumi as I have with Tenzin, but I want to make up for that; I want to be a better father. Would you be able to forgive me, Kya?"

"It's too late dad; I'm not going to stay under yours and mom's rules anymore—I'm my own person, and I won't stay under you guys' shadow any more, old man," she said, storming away.

Dumbfounded, Aang stared at his daughter's receding form in shock. Stupid, he thought to himself. I'm so stupid. Why would she respond to that? Now she hates me more than before. Where's that Airbender charm that I used to have? I guess it's long gone by now.

Sighing, Aang ran a hand through his beard quickly, glancing in the direction that Kya had left, pondering his next move. Then, reluctantly, he decided to do as his wife had asked and give the girl some room. Perhaps she would come to her senses some day, but doing anything longer would do more harm than good. It was like the monks used to teach; if a disagreement seems irresolvable, take a step back, assess the situation, and approach it a different way. Of course, he had often blown that lesson off by playing Airball with Gyatso, but oh well; that was in the past.

He was momentarily distracted by a large, red shape to his side, and his vision flashed white as a flashback hit him suddenly.

Aang roared in defiance as he flew through the war balloon, cutting the balloon in half, causing it to fall to the ground rapidly. He grimaced in dismay as the line of War Zeppelins came closer, and he narrowly dodged several fireballs, the heat searing his skin. Next to him, Katara desperately fended off fire blasts with her waterbending, but several bursts hit Appa's armor, and he roared in pain as the heated metal burned him.

"We can't keep them back!" Katara shouted, defeat tingeing her voice.

Aang cursed silently as he dodged another volley of fireballs.

"Let's rejoin the others," he said reluctantly; he hated running.

As they landed near Sokka and some of the retreating soldiers, they were distracted by the faint click up above as a large hatch opened on the underside of the airship.

"Find cover; we're about to see some bombs."

Grunting with effort, Toph summoned a massive earth shelf over the troops, protecting them as a rain of bombs cascaded on the troops, exploding with ferocious wrath.

The airships flew forward, ignoring the gathered soldiers.

"Why aren't they turning around to attack us?" asked Katara nervously.

A dull feeling of dread spread through Aang's body as he considered what the Fire Nation could be playing at.

"They're heading for the beach…" he began. Then, a bolt of clarity hit him like lightning and true fear coursed through his body. "They're gonna destroy the submarines!"

"How are we going to escape?" Sokka asked, the last vestige of hope falling from his face like clipped grass.

"We're not," said Hakoda, grimly.

Snapping back to reality, Aang glanced towards the Airship dock in concern; he hadn't had a flashback like that since… well, a long time. He had thought his flashbacks to the war were long gone, but they still haunted him in his dreams and in normal life from time to time.

As the massive Fire Nation air ship touched down, Aang walked towards the docks excitedly. The gangplank dropped, and a few Imperial Firebenders disembarked quickly, standing at attention. Then, out of the red ship, Zuko strode with purpose, dressed in his ceremonial Firelord Robes, grinning. Mai and their daughter, Iria followed him closely as Zuko wrapped Aang in a hug.

"Long time, no see, Aang- it's great to see you," Zuko said.

Aang hugged him back tightly, smiling. He hadn't seen the Fire Lord since they had commissioned the Hekeng Memorial a few months ago, but he had missed his friend. Visits to Zuko were few and far between, as his duties as Fire Lord kept him busy enough.

Aang slapped Zuko on the shoulder amicably and hugged Mai.

"It's great to see you, Aang," Mai said, ignoring the young girl tugging on her dress.

Aang crouched down, looking at the young girl, a smile on his face.

"Hi, Iria, It's good to see you. How have you been?" he asked, grinning.

The little girl smiled broadly, walking up to Aang, bowing deeply, to Aang's amusement.

"Hi, Uncle Aang. It's great to see you again. Daddy's been telling me a lot about you guys' adventures back in the day."

Aang smiled, standing up. He felt slightly wistful; he missed the days when his kids were that young and were fun, carefree, and loving. Unlike his kids now; everything was so… fast. It had seemed like yesterday that little Bumi was begging him to take him penguin sledding, and now he was an officer in the United Forces. Even little Iria was getting older. Even now, young as she was, the familiar features of her late Aunt Azula were beginning to show themselves, and the uncanny resemblance both scared and comforted Aang; scared because those all-too familiar features held a look of insanity all those years ago, but comforting because Aang knew that Iria would be growing up under loving parents who raised her well.

Mai smiled, holding her daughter's hand, and waving behind Aang towards Katara and Suki.

"If you two don't mind, I'll leave you two to catch up a little. I think Iria and I will go see your wife, Aang," she said, gently leading her daughter away towards the distant party.

Zuko nodded, smiling, and Aang winked at Iria, who giggled to herself, following her mother.

"She's grown up a lot," Aang said, after a while.

"I'd say the same to you," the Fire Lord said, grinning. "Your kids are fully grown now. Spirits, I feel like it was a few days ago that I was meeting Kya and Bumi for the first time. Now look at them. Tenzin's almost a man now, and did Bumi get a promotion?"

Aang nodded.

"He's a Lieutenant now. And Kya left a few months ago to travel the world, and Tenzin's almost a master Airbender. It's all gone so quickly."

Zuko chuckled to himself, scratching his goatee idly.

"She looks a lot like Azula, doesn't she?" Zuko asked, his smile fading slightly.

Aang nodded silently. It had been seven years since Azula's body had been discovered, by a traveler passing through Forgetful Valley. She had fled there after Zuko's rediscovery of their mother, and had apparently been trying to get a new face from the Mother of Faces. Zuko had never sent a party after her, as much as he had wanted to. Either the valley itself or Azula would have destroyed any party sent in.

He had insisted on a funeral, however. A private one; It had taken place in the gardens of the Palace. Zuko had invited all of them, but most had refused; the wounds Azula had given them were too deep, despite their sympathy for Zuko. In the end, it had been Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, Ursa, and Iroh that had showed up; the only people who had known Azula well. Aang had gone as well, to comfort Zuko.

"She won't be another Azula, Zuko. Don't worry; you and Mai are great parents. You're nothing like Ozai."

"You know she asked me about my scar a few weeks ago? I lied and said I got in an accident as a child. I didn't want her to find out the truth," Zuko said.

Aang sighed.

"You need to tell her eventually, Zuko. She needs to know. You're her father."

"I don't want her exposed to how messed up my family was. I don't want her to…"

"…Turn out badly?" Aang finished.

Zuko nodded, and the two were silent, watching the partygoers chat and talk lively. A contingent of Fire Sages disembarked the blimp, bowing deeply to the Avatar, continuing down. Then, after a while, Aang clasped Zuko on the back.

"Come on; let's join the party."

Aang led Zuko to his seat, then stepped towards the main podium, where he stepped up, causing the room to fall silent. Before him was a sea of politicians, spiritual guides, and celebrities from all over the world. Among the ocean of humanity, a barrage of colors besieged him; the blue tones of the Water Tribe flowed through the dark green of the Earth Kingdom. The dark red of the Fire Nation shone brightly alongside the occasional vibrant orange of the Air Acolytes, who sat alongside scores of gray clothes, representing the United Republic.

There were many important people here, he realized. He recognized several other members of the United Council, as well as the newly-crowned Earth Queen and Chief Arrluk of the Northern Water Tribe. He recognized familiar faces, too. An aging Kuei sat in the back with his trusty bear Bosco. Aang recognized several members of the old Invasion force, and was slightly surprised to see Sneers from the old Freedom Fighters with his wife Kori, his old girlfriend from the Yu Dao days.

Directly in front was a round table where all his friends and family were sitting, looking up at him expectantly. Clearing his throat, he found his resolve, projecting his voice across the aging dining hall of the Western Air Temple.

"The Avatar cycle is something that I am very well acquainted with. I've personally met many of my past lives through my meditations, and I think it needs no second thought that men like Avatar Roku and women like Avatar Kyoshi truly changed the world. Today is not a celebration for myself; rather, it is a celebration of the possibilities that the combined might of our Nations can bring to this world."

"Forty years ago, who could have foreseen the world that we live in today? Who, after a hundred years of war, death, and destruction, could have seen that we would be here today, living in prosperity and harmony? In the way that the Avatar represents the union of all four elements, so does our gathering here today. So today, representatives of the five Nations will offer a gift to the memory of the Avatars, to be kept here, in the Western Air Temple, to honor their spirits."

The Fire Sages that had come with Zuko rose silently, gliding to the podium. Their leader, a middle-aged Sage named Hiroshi, came forward, bearing a cloth bundle.

"The Fire Sages represent Avatar Roku. Avatar Roku kept peace and balance in the world despite any cost, even attacking his closest friend, Fire Lord Sozin. Although he could not stop the coming storm, he sacrificed his life for his people, and desired above all else, justice and equality. We honor his memory by giving this," he said, showing a chunk of obsidian, "A piece of his beloved home island, the Crescent Isle."

The Sage placed the chunk of gleaming, polished obsidian on a table, on a red placemat that had been reserved for the Fire Nation representatives. Standing to the side, the Fire Sages bowed to Aang, who returned the gesture. Then, the Kyoshi Warriors stood, and walked to the pedestal together, and Suki smiled at Aang briefly, bringing a small wooden box with her.

"We, the Kyoshi Warrirors, represent Avatar Kyoshi. Avatar Kyoshi was a fierce warrior who did whatever it took to defend her people and those who were too frail to protect themselves. She defeated Chin the Conqueror and defied the Earth King by defending the peasants of her Nation. We return this fan in the hopes that it brings Kyoshi's spirit peace," she said, uncovering a faded, but still potent blade-fan that sat forlornly in a box, alone. Aang remembered fighting with the fan against the Rough Rhinos, and bowed to the Kyoshi Warriors, who joined the Fire Sages to the side.

Finally, a small group of Waterbenders stood, holding yet another artifact. Aang had met their leader, a man named Artock, only once. The High Priests of the Northern Water Tribe ascended the podium in flowing, blue robes, and Artock stepped forward. Artock was old, and he had, by all accounts, been present at the Northern Water Tribe all those years ago when Aang repelled the Fire Nation invasion. Artock's family came from a long line of spiritual leaders, and he had decided to dedicate his life to preserving the legacy of Avatar Kuruk.

"We, the High Priests of the Southern Water Tribe, represent Avatar Kuruk. Avatar Kuruk was a determined man who did what he felt was right at all times. He kept an era of peace after Avatar Yangchen's passing, and he later went on a quest to rid the world of the evil spirit Koh. We return his bear-pelt helm in the hopes that it reminds people of Kuruk's sacrifice for the world," he said, uncovering a beautiful white bear helmet that he set alongside the others. Aang recognized the helmet, having seen Avatar Kuruk wearing it on the Lion-Turtle.

There was an expectant silence as the crowd waited for the final presentation, which was Aang's. Stepping forward once again, he cleared his throat again.

Quietly, Aang pulled from his satchel a pristine, ancient Airbending flute and laid it on the table on the Air section. Then, stepping up to the podium, he took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"The last Avatar we will talk about was my spiritual ancestor, Avatar Yangchen. Avatar Yangchen was a wise, dedicated, and courageous person that sacrificed all her personal belongings and beliefs to do what was right for the world. My people, as we all know, were wiped from existence long ago, so no true relic of Yangchen has been recovered as of yet. This, however, is an ancient Airbending flute that was given to me by an Air Acolyte around the same time as the Yu Dao crisis. I present it here in the hopes that it returns some semblance of Airbender culture to Yangchen's spirit, who sacrificed everything."

The room was deathly silent now, as each audience member was enraptured in Aang's speech.

"I won't take much more of your time," he said apologetically, "But I have a few closing remarks. All of this," he said, indicating the table of relics and the assembled Avatar representatives, "is to honor the sacrifices and efforts of every past Avatar for the last ten millennia."

"My friends, it is no secret that the Age of the Avatar is quickly coming to a close. My contribution to this world was my hand in ending the War that dominated our world, and that is the one thing I will own up to. Yet, the Avatar's role in this world is fading. No longer does this world need the Avatar to maintain balance. No longer does this world need the Avatar to act as the bridge between worlds. Our world, dear guests, has become a fully-realized Avatar in itself. A very wise man once told me that the divisions between the Four Nations are simply an illusion, and he was right. In this era of peace and prosperity, we must work together with the bonds of friendship and love to keep our world whole. Rest assured, I will remain here, but the responsibility can no longer be solely mine in this rapidly changing world. It is up to all of us," he said, gesturing to the crowd, "to keep the peace and strengthen the bonds between our Nations once and for all."

He bowed, and the audience burst into applause. Smiling, Aang gestured the others forward, and all four groups of Avatar representatives bowed in tandem as the crowd got to its feet and applauded. Aang straightened himself, and grinned in surprise at the familiar form of Toph and her daughter, leaning silently against a pillar in the back of the room.

The food was, to say the least, top-notch. Foods from all four nations covered the small table where the friends sat, and they joked, laughed, talked, and drank heartily that day. The group quickly welcomed Toph and Lin to the table, and the conversation lasted for hours. To Sokka's dismay, and Aang's and Katara's amusement, they had indeed included the uncooked dough from Chin Village on the menu.

"Sorry we're late, Twinkletoes. Stupid airship broke down a few miles back."

"No problem, Toph. Where's your husband?"

Toph grimaced slightly, loudly biting into a chicken leg. Then, swallowing, she spoke.

"You know him; he's always too busy doing his precious work to come to anything. He has some business meeting in the Northern Earth Kingdom."

"But it's Avatar Day!" Sokka said, speaking through a mouthful of meat.

Katara elbowed her brother in the shoulder hastily, glaring at him.

Toph snorted in amusement.

"That's what I told him, but he never listens."

Aang nodded silently, glancing over towards his kids. He was somewhat satisfied to see that Tenzin and Lin were talking normally again, and even Kya looked slightly better than she had before, chatting happily with Mai and Iria. Zuko and Bumi were deep in conversation, and they broke into laughter every now and then. Katara and Suki were giggling to each other, leaving Sokka, Aang, and Toph to talk amongst themselves.

"It was a good speech, Twinkletoes. Really cheesy, though."

"Sorry, I tried," Aang said dejectedly, lingering over his daughter's hatred of him.

"What's wrong, Aang?" Toph asked.

"Me? Nothing's wrong, I just…"

Toph took a swig of her drink, smirking.

"Don't lie, Twinkletoes. I can tell."

Aang let out a sigh dejectedly; he always seemed to forget that Toph could tell when he was lying.

"It's Kya… she… she hates me."

Sokka swallowed another mouthful of deer-turkey.

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you… she probably just cakes you," he said, grinning sheepishly as he scooped a slice of Fruit Cake onto his plate.

Aang coughed, rolling his eyes. Toph leaned forward curiously, sticking a spoonful of cabbage soup into her mouth.

"You're forgetting that I used to be like that as a kid, Aang. Remember how I used to be so sure that I hated my parents that I refused to speak to them for years? For so long, they kept me under a protective umbrella and hid me from the world. I always felt like a prisoner, and that's why I didn't go back for so long. It took me a long time to realize, however, that they weren't trying to keep me as a prisoner, but that they just wanted to protect me. And I resented that. I wanted to be the Blind Bandit, remember? I wanted to go into the world and fight the Fire Nation alongside you guys and have fun. And when I went back after the War, it surprised me to see that they welcomed me back with open arms. What they did was wrong, of course, but I understand why they did it. They saw me as a frail young girl, so they protected me. What you need to do, Aang, is be honest with Kya. She's a smart girl, and she'll give you credit where it's due."

After the dinner, Aang invited the guests to explore the Air Temple, which they did eagerly, with the supervision of the Air Acolytes. The entire temple was open, except for one part.

Team Avatar was gathered together in the courtyard, gathered around the central fountain as the sun beamed down on them and they relaxed in the warm air.

Kya was playing with Iria, and Zuko and Mai were sitting together on the fountain silently. Katara and Sokka were sitting on a bench, laughing to themselves, and Suki and Toph were chatting by the edge of the courtyard. Lin and Tenzin were talking seriously in a corner as Bumi listened to his Mother and Uncle reminisce. Aang leaned against a crumbling statue peacefully, breathing in the cool air.

After a while, Iria went back to her parents, and Kya found herself near Aang. She glanced at her father impassively, and reluctantly sat on the pedestal next to her father. They sat like so for many minutes, simply looking into the deep canyon that loomed around the Air Temple, listening to the soft ebb of conversation.

"Kya, I want to apologize."

"For what?"

Aang hesitated.

"Everything. Not being there. Being protective. Keeping you in your siblings' shadows. I'm really sorry."

Kya sighed, leaning back.

"Look, you never needed to be there for Bumi and I permanently, but you could have spent more time with us. I mean, sometimes I think that Tenzin's your favorite just because he's an airbender…"

Aang nodded. What she said was true, regardless of Aang's regret. He had been a bad father in many ways, and while it was born out of necessity, it was true that he hadn't done all he could have to spend time with all of his kids.

"You're right. I wasn't there for you and Bumi, and for that, I apologize. I know… I know I haven't been the best father, and I know that you just want to be out of my control, but I just want you to know that you're my daughter, and I love you so much for that. And if me and Mom are holding you back, then I want you to go into the world and do whatever it is that you want to do. I'll support whatever choices you make, Kya, because despite what you may think about me, I love you."

He got up to leave, but Kya touched his arm lightly.

"I know you do, Dad. I'm sorry for being terrible to you recently. You don't deserve it, and you're right, I do want to do my own thing. But I don't want to lose my parents in the process. I love you, too dad."

She kissed him on the cheek, hugging him briefly, and then walked towards the fountain again. As Aang sat in silence, she glanced back towards him, grinning slightly.

"Happy Avatar Day, Dad."

On May 28th, 2006, the episode Avatar Day aired for the first time; it was the fifth episode of Book Two, and is considered by many to be a decent episode (let's be honest, its no Series Finale, nor is it a Great Divide). I know this story in particular is a few days late, but what I really wanted to do is commemorate one of the most impactful shows I've ever watched in my life. Avatar, quite simply, changed my life. It revitalized my waning interest in the Fantasy genre, it inspired me to start writing fanfictions, and it has given me many important lessons in writing and storytelling that I'll keep with me for the rest of my life.

So for those of you that ate your unfried dough to commemorate the day that Avatar Aang wasn't boiled in oil, then have a very happy Avatar Day, and thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and following this story. It truly means a lot to me.

Thank You,

IGdude117