Okay, so I have veteran's day off, and so I thought I'd plop out another chapter! So here you go, and just to let you know, the story is still far from over! And from many of you amazing readers, I got my spark back! As well as some new ideas! If you have any and would like to tell me, please do! And with your permission, I might use it! But on with the next chapter, please read and review!

A while later, Katara and Zuko went to Aang's room, trying to think of a way to transport him home. She sat by his side, while Zuko crossed his arms and paced behind her. Suddenly he broke the silence.

"Okay. I can't think of anything, Katara," he said, putting his arms behind his head, running his hands through his hair. "If he's this injured, how do we get him home?"

"Don't worry, Zuko. I've got that figured out. Toph will handle it."

"Okay, if you say—"

Aang groaned. "Zuko?" he barely whispered, in a voice that Zuko barely heard, but they managed to. They both turned to the injured Avatar. His half-opened grey eyes stared into the prince's, and he smiled gently. Zuko put his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Hey," he whispered softly. "Glad you're back with us. Just get some rest and try to relax."

Aang nodded, then closed his eyes. He winced. "How—how badly h—hurt am I?" he whispered hoarsely.

Katara held his hand sadly. "You've got severe burns, some broken ribs, a deep stab wound in your back, you broke your back, and you had internal bleeding, but your life was saved."

"By wh—who?"

"Ara."

Aang sighed deeply, as much as his battered body would let him, proud of his daughter. "My little girl," he whispered. He then opened his eyes. "Is the b—battle over?"

They nodded. "So is the war," Zuko said quietly, smiling. "You finished it. We're all so proud of you. But get some rest. You too," he said, nodding to Katara. She smiled and turned back to Aang, when she heard Zuko talking to someone at the door. She then heard Zuko leave and the stranger walk forward. He stopped a few feet behind her. "Excuse me, miss?"

Katara turned to the man, and her eyes widened. A smile broke out over her face.

"Tahn!" she cried, but silently.

He smiled as he recognized her. "Katara? You're okay! How's your brother?"
"He's good."

Tahn then turned to his friend, and seeing him so weak and hurt, his smile fell and sadness filled his eyes. "Is he awake?"

"Yea," she said as she turned to Aang. She softly touched his cheek. "Aang," she whispered. "You have a visitor."

The Avatar slowly opened his eyes, and when they locked onto the earthbender, he smiled tiredly. "Tahn," he whispered.

"Hey, buddy. I heard you were here and needed to see if you were alright. You look awful." He smiled jokingly. "But I wanted to say thanks for everything and goodbye. I'm going back to Ba Sing Se tonight, and start my life again. But thanks for everything buddy, thanks for savin' my life, and thanks for being my friend. Write to me sometime, or come and visit. I told you we'd meet again. And we did."

Aang smiled. "Thanks for being my friend, Tahn," he whispered quietly and very slowly. "thanks for being there for me. Thanks for saving my life. I'll never forget you."

He slowly reached up and put a shaking hand on Tahn's arm. The earthbender smiled. "I won't forget you. And we'll see each other again, Aang. But you just rest now. The world still needs you. See ya around."

Aang nodded ever so slightly and closed his eyes, his grip on the man's arm falling from its place. Tahn put the airbender's arm next to his side and smiled.

Katara turned to Tahn. "How do you know him?"

"I saved his life from the firebenders in Ba Sing Se when he was burned on his leg 15 years ago. Then a few months later, he saved my life when I was struck down."

"So you're the one he stayed behind for," Katara smiled at him. "I'm glad he chose to help you and stay."

"I am too. He puts others first, always before himself. He's a very powerful man, yet humble and caring. But how do you know him?"

"He's my husband," she said, turning her gaze back to Aang.

"You're his wife?" Tahn asked, surprised. "Wow. You should know, that nearly every time I saw him, he would mention you, how he loved and missed you, and he would, when he could, always hold his necklace in his hand against his heart. It killed him inside to be away from you. He loves you, Katara; he still loved you for 15 years. And I'm glad he found you again."

"Me too. I loved and missed him so much, and I'm glad he's home." She got up and bowed to him. "I owe you my life for him. Thank you—so much." She hugged him.

"Keep him safe," Tahn said. "He needs to get well." He smiled and bowed back. "Goodbye Katara." He walked out.

A half hour later, after Ara had gotten Appa, everyone had packed, put Ty Lee on Appa, put Warrior on the ship to go home, strapped up so he wouldn't hurt himself, and finally, all they had to worry about now was Aang.

Toph walked in, ready to do the plan Katara had told her. She bent a large earth stretcher, and with Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Mai each gently holding Aang's body up bit by bit, Toph raised the stretcher and slid it under Aang as gently as she could. Once it was underneath him, Toph bent up the sides up a little, so he wouldn't move or fall off. Finally, they all lifted him up and carried him to Appa.

The moon shone full as the sleeping Avatar was carried. But one jolt as the group stepped off of a step woke him. He tiredly opened his eyes halfway, and in front of the moon staring down at him, he saw Katara's face. She smiled and held his hand gently, watching him as a hint of confusion as to where he was showed on his face. "We're taking you home," she whispered, trying to explain, "so you can get real rest and healing. Rest now. I'll be by you always." She put her hand on his cheek, and he nodded slowly and closed his eyes. She smiled.

As the procession stopped next to Appa, Hakoda and Iroh caught up with them. "Wait!" they both cried.

Hakoda hobbled over on his crutches to Aang's side. He looked at Katara. "Tell him that I'm proud of him and that I love him," he said. "I'll be home after you. I'm taking the ship. Good luck. All of you."

Iroh stepped forward. "I'm proud of Aang as well. I'm proud of all of you. And you all have fought bravely. I'll see you all again in time. Zuko, I need to talk to you, alone."

As he took Zuko aside, the group set Aang down, and Toph gently earthbended him up to the saddle's height. Katara jumped onto Appa, and she grabbed the stretcher, pulling it on the saddle, next to Ty Lee.

"Okay, we're ready to go," she said. Zuko hugged his uncle, and Ara hugged Iroh, as did everyone else, and they each got on Appa.

Ara was the last one, and as she started to climb on, she heard footsteps running behind her. "Ara!" the person cried.

Ara smiled and jumped down, running to hug Lee. She nearly jumped into his arms, pain searing through her back and leg, but she didn't care. She knocked him over, and they both landed with an 'oomf!' but they laughed and quickly helped each other up. They embraced tightly again, and the two friends both closed their eyes, knowing that many things had happened in the world, in their lives, but they were still the same, best friends.

"I'll miss you," Ara whispered, "you are my best friend. I won't forget you." She hugged him tighter. He returned it.

"Me too. I'm really glad I met you, Ara. I'm glad you're my friend. And if you ever come to visit Firelord Iroh, come and visit me too. I'll miss you, but keep your family, especially your dad, safe. He needs you more than he knows." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. We'll see each other again." He put one hand on her cheek. "You brought me hope, Ara. You bring it to all who meet you. And now we have to part, for now."

He kissed her gently, as a friend. "Goodbye. I'll see you soon."

Katara looked up in time to see the young man hug and gently kiss her daughter. A small look of alarm passed over her face, and she turned to Zuko, who had kept a careful watch on the boy as well. But he smiled at her, letting her know that it was okay.

Ara and Lee hugged once more, and then Ara airbended herself next to her mother. She smiled at Lee, and he, Iroh, and Hakoda waved as Zuko cried, "Yip yip!" and Appa took off to the south.

Around midnight, Katara was asleep next to her also sleeping husband, Sokka and Toph were asleep in each other's arms, Ty Lee was still unconscious, Mai held her hand and stared at the ocean, Zuko was flying Appa, Momo was curled in Katara's lap, and Ara stared at the moon. The quiet stillness was only interrupted by a few small breezes going through hair and fur, and a few waves of the ocean crashing against each other softly below.

Ara was sitting near the back of Appa's saddle, staring at the moon, feeling the push and pull of the water, feeling the wind blow gently across her cheeks and through her let down hair. The soft glow of the moon made her eyes shimmer and radiate a soft velvet cloud color out, as if it would reflect off the surface of the ocean below. She was thinking of the elements within her, when she was startled suddenly by a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and turned, but Mai put her finger over her mouth.

Ara turned to face Mai completely, and Mai started to whisper. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

"I don't know if anyone told you the whole story, did they?"

"What story?"

Mai looked over to where Zuko was flying Appa. She turned to Ara, and took both her hands. She reached inside her robe, and when she pulled it out and opened her palm, Ara gasped and smiled.

"My necklace!" she whispered. It was bloody and dirty, but it was still in pretty good condition. She took in from Mai's hand and put it on, but Mai continued.

"I had no idea yours and Zuko's bond was so strong, until now. I feel you should know what happened. Ara, you should have seen it. When he calmed Warrior down and realized you were still out on the battlefield, all he could think about was you. He completely forgot everything else and only thought of rescuing you. I tried to stop him once, but he grabbed me, and I saw something in his eyes. Something I had never, ever seen before in my life from him. His eyes were filled with suffering, pain, anguish, terror, and agony, all at once, and more. His gold eyes were filled with unshed tears. His look shot down deep into my soul. He begged me that he needed to find you first, at any cost, before he went for help himself. Yeah, he was still injured. He would kill to save you, and he would be killed himself before he'd let anything happen to you. Ara, you truly don't see how much you mean to him. He searched everywhere for you.

When he saw you lying there, he completely lost it. He couldn't breathe, he made sounds like he was choking inside, and I could see that anguish filled him. He ran to you, held you in his arms and cried, cried to the heavens for you, for him. When I reached to comfort him, he shook so badly under my touch, I didn't even recognize him as the strong man I knew. He just—broke. And he just held your body tight, and completely poured his grief onto you. I never had seen him like that.

The solstice ended, and he decided to see if he could bring you back. He tried a few times, and Ara, he started to cry even more when you were still gone. Ara, to bring you back, he pleaded with the spirits to take of his life you gave him before. And they listened. They gave your life back, through Zuko. And when it worked, and you breathed again under his hand on your chest, he turned to me, Ara, and light and hope completely filled his tear-wracked face. It was amazing.

When we got back to the medical center, all he did was cry out for someone to help you, save you. And he also told me later that he wouldn't leave your side, because you saved his life, brought him back, healed him, and you were always there every time he woke up, and he saw your eyes staring into his, with love and protection. He wanted to stop at nothing to protect you and save you himself this time.

When he heard that you would possibly not make it Ara, he completely fell apart again, this time when he went to Iroh's room. Iroh told me that Zuko fell to his knees and completely lost it again. And then, when they said you'd be okay, Katara told me that she noticed that his eyes filled with glow again, and he couldn't stop smiling. He almost never left your side when you were out, stroking your hair, your cheek, holding your hand. When I sometimes went to check on him in your room, I could hear him whispering to you stories about when you were young, or proud moments he had about you in your life, and he was completely in tears. I had never seen him cry this much, for this long in his life.

He stayed awake I think for nearly two weeks, never leaving you unless Katara or I called him. He finally couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, so the day before you woke up, he fell asleep, and that's when you found him the next day. Ara, you've touched him in so many ways in his life. You've reached his heart and soul. It's indescribable what he feels for you, and I've seen first-hand what you'd do for him as well. It's amazing how much that bond between you is strengthened every time you two are near each other. Ara, he can't let you go. He loves you so much."

"Wow," Ara breathed, her eyes leaving Mai's to look at Zuko. She smiled. "We do have a strong bond. I love him and would give my life for him over and over again."

"Go thank him."

Ara nodded and got up, she hobbled over her mom, around Momo, Sokka, and Toph, and climbed down to Appa's head and sat next to the prince. When he turned to look at her, she smiled brightly, and her eyes shone.

"What?"

She suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as her injured back would let her, leaning into him, holding on for dear life. Zuko was surprised for a moment, but then hugged her tightly back, closing his eyes, smiling.

"What's this for?" he whispered.

"Mai told me the whole story of how you cared and worried about me so much when you went to find me on the battlefield. She told me of how you fell apart when you found me, how you cried, and the look in your eyes. She told me how you never wanted to leave my side, and you would talk to me in my sleep. And you would have done anything to save my life, anything to bring me back. Zuko, you are the most amazing, caring, wonderful, and loving person I've ever known. You mean everything to me, and I guess I mean everything to you too. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me. Thank you for everything you've done to protect, save, and bring me back. Zuko, you are everything to me, and I wouldn't have been alive if it weren't for you. I wouldn't have to live with anything else except you. I love you Zuko."

She hugged him tighter, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she said everything. The prince began to cry as well, hearing her speak of him like that. He returned her even tighter hug, never wanting to let go of the one person he cared about most in the world, besides Mai. He couldn't—he wouldn't—let Ara go. As he held her tighter, he opened his eyes and looked at Mai. She smiled lovingly, as she had watched the whole thing, but then turned back to sit next to Ty Lee.

Zuko closed his eyes once more. "I love you so much too, Ara. I can't let you go."

Alright, I hope you liked! And I gots me spark back!!!! So just to remind you again, I'm NOWHERE NEAR DONE!!! I've still got a story to tell!

Okay, just to make things clear, and to clear my conscience, in chapter 30, when Zuko asked the spirits to give of his life to bring back Ara, I kinda used that idea from another avatar fan, I don't remember who, but it was the basic idea, only she had the character take off a few years of life. So just to clear my conscience. If you are the author of the story I'm talking about, I'm sorry. Also, I got some reference from the song "Don't Take the Girl," an amazing country song. So sorry!!!!!

Hope yall liked, and please, READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!! Thanks, and God bless!

~avatarone3