DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender… I wish I was a Waterbender.
A/N: Sorry for not writing the disclaimer for the last chapter… anybody who has a question about this story or the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, please write the comment in a review and I will try to answer them in my next chapter thanks :D
Chapter 18: Kyoshi Island
Aang, Katara, Toph, Teo, Zuko, Mai and Ursa stayed at the Southern Water Tribe, or city as it was becoming for two whole weeks. They celebrated Aang's fourteenth birthday there, which Aang had tried to keep a secret but got tickled out of him by Katara. Turned out he and Sokka shared the same birthday, with Sokka turning seventeen. But they had to leave sometime, and it was harder to pull Katara away from her village than Aang originally thought. When it was time to leave, Aang found Katara crying in her old room packing.
"Katara, you don't have to leave if you don't want too," Aang told her sympathetically.
"That's very kind of you Aang… hang on, did you just say that you don't want me to go with you to the Southern Air Temple?" she said, annoyed.
"Er…"Aang didn't want to upset Katara "no I meant if you don't want to leave, you don't have too. It's okay, I'll find it hard to leave my old home as well".
"No, no, no Aang" she pulled Aang onto the bed and wrapped her arms around him "I do want to go with you, don't ever say anything like that. Of course I want to help you. I'm just a bit upset because of all the memories here, I haven't been here for two years, I missed it" she paused "remember when I was crying before we left?" she blushed, remembering the embarrassing memory "I was crying because everyone was leaving us, but now the gang is back together and we'll be working together again. Oh and Sokka and Suki are coming with us" this caught Aang by surprise.
"What? How are they going to fit –" Katara shushed him with a finger on his lips.
"They have an Air Balloon, calm down. They will float next to us whilst Teo is gliding next to us". She kissed him, stood up and started to push him out the door. Aang just let her push him out for there was no need for an argument. Plus, he was happy that Sokka and Suki were coming, he needed some brother-time with Sokka.
So a few days later, Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko, Mai and Ursa were flying on Appa whilst Teo glided next to them in his wheelchair glider and Sokka and Suki floated next to the "giant snot-monster" in one of the Fire Nations' Air Balloons, with instead of a Fire Nation insignia on it, it had a Water Tribe insignia. They wouldn't have to fly long so they didn't need to stop for the night. But Suki insisted that they drop by at Kyoshi Island. It took them two hours to reach the island and they were welcomed greatly by the inhabitants of the island, including Suki's Kyoshi Warriors. When they landed, Aang noticed a man jumping up and down, screaming and frothing from the mouth. He giggled when he remembered the many times in the past when they visited and he saw that guy doing the same thing every time.
They were first greeted by Suki's Kyoshi Warriors, led by Ty Lee for the time being. They still had their face paint and warrior's uniform and it made Suki tear up. She had given up her Warriors to live with Sokka in Ba Sing Se and now the Southern Water Tribe. She had given up everything she had to live with the young man she loved. The Warriors surrounded their former leader and Sokka and Ty Lee hugged them tightly. Katara giggled when she remembered Sokka dressed up as a girl so that he could learn some fighting techniques from Suki. She whispered something to Sokka and then ran off with the other Warriors into their training room. Aang was greeted by his little fan club of girls who had grown up in the last two years. Their meeting got disrupted though by the Kyoshi Warrior Chief Oyaji.
"You must come, Avatar Aang and companions," he said, signalling to them to follow him.
"May I ask where?" Aang asked him, confused.
"To the big feast of course!" he replied enthusiastically until he noticed Zuko, Mai and Ursa who all three were wearing Fire Nation clothes, but mainly because he recognised Zuko and his scar. "What are you doing here, enemy of Kyoshi Island?" he asked, pointing to Zuko's chest (Zuko had grown way taller than him).
"Zuko, did you attack this village too?" Ursa asked her son. All Zuko had to do was look at her and she knew the answer. She looked down, shook her head and placed her hand on her forehead. "Zuko, you have to apologise to these people".
"I know mother" he directed his attention to Oyaji. "I am Fire Lord Zuko, two years ago when I…" he coughed "attacked your village, er… I'm very sorry for that, I had lost my way and I truly regret everything I did to your village. I have changed now" he looked straight into the eyes of Oyaji and prayed to the Spirits in his mind that he would forgive him. They waited a while until Oyaji finally spoke.
"Okay, I don't trust you fully yet, but I do forgive you. You did help the Avatar and all." He held his arm out but Zuko bowed to him, showing his respect and once Oyaji bowed back, they then shook hands.
"Well, we're wasting time here. Let's go and enjoy the feast!" he walked into a large room that Aang remembered to be the room they first ate in Kyoshi Island in. on the table they had many plates full of the many delicious dessert dishes that were specifically available in Kyoshi.
"Dig in" Oyaji invited them to sit at the table and Sokka literally flew and started picking out different desserts and stuffing them into his mouth. Katara slapped her head in embarrassment as Oyaji walked towards the door. "I'll leave you guys alone, I believe our warriors have a special treat for you guys" and with that, he left the room, thus leaving the gang to their feast.