Well, I was on a roll, decided to pump out another chapter and fast. Most of them won't be this speedy, my goal is at least one a week.

Thank you everyone, the reaction was extremely heart warming. Thank you so much

Avatar does not belong to me. Nor do the world, nor do the characters.

Except Tsou. Which is pronounced: Ts (as in tsunami) ou (ow)


Chapter 2: Perfect Circle

"Tell me Tsou, what do you know of the war?" The two sat cross-legged before the ice wall, Sokka pulled out the fresh pastries and a small bag of fire flakes and offered them to the boy to share.

Gratefully Tsou grabbed a handful and thought for a moment, "Many generations ago Fire Lord Sozin decided to take over the world, in doing so he destroyed Avatar…" The boy paused, clearly unable to remember the names.

"Avatar Roku." Sokka bit casually off the end of his pastry, listening to his nephew, proud of his ability to retain history. To learn from history would make a fabulous Fire Lord when his day came.

"Next, Avatar Aang was born to the Air Nomads, who were almost completely wiped out. Luckily the Avatar escaped but was trapped in an Iceberg. 100 years later he was discovered by two of the Southern Water tribe with their help, and that of two friends: Young Mistress Toph, and the young Fire Prince Zuko, they brought down Fire Lord Ozai and spread peace through the Nations once again."

Sokka chuckled quietly to himself, is that what they were teaching in school? Oh how much more there was. Oh how much more happened. Sokka's heart ached remembering, oh Yue give him strength for this. "The day Katara and I found the Avatar, changed our lives forever."

"You traveled with the Avatar?" The teen's amber eyes were the size of saucers as he watched the old man.

Sokka's laugh rang out as if he were young again, "It is not mere coincidence that one of Avatar Aang's companions were named Sokka." Tsou always knew his uncle was old, but never once had he dreamed he was there.

Suddenly Tsou looked down embarrassed, "I-I'm sorry, I thought you were named in his honor."

"Worry not nephew." Sokka looked up at his sister's face. There was a time where he loathed her for leaving. As he grew older, his joints began to hurt and his skin began to sag. But not Katara, for all time she would be young and beautiful. She would always have that face, that beautiful, peaceful, water tribe face. "We were there all those years ago."


"Sokka! Put me down!" The young earth bender screamed ferociously at the water tribe warrior.

Katara's laughter rang out "Don't worry Toph, he's just excited that his leg is healed." Katara wiped her hands on a towel, she'd been in a healing tent all day but now she was finally done.

"I don't care why he is excited, I can't see!"

For a moment Sokka stopped running in circles and simply stood there with the earth bender thrown over his shoulder, "That sort of comes with being blind, Toph"

"Sokka," Toph voice had cooled dramatically, gone from a screaming banshee to a sophisticated whisper, "Unless you put me down, I swear I will knock you so unconscious that you will know what it feels like to be blind." His blood ran cold as all the color washed from his brown skin. Without another word he set her feet gently back on solid earth. She laughed and punched his shoulder, "See, I knew I could count on you Sokka."

The group laughed out as Sokka pouted with his arms across his chest, pouting deeply.

"Yeah Sokka, we can always count on you." Aang sailed in, on the newly made staff riding the air until it deposited him on a soft green spot in the grass. "We can always count on you in a pinch."

Katara was the second to collapse in the grass, it had been weeks since the war ended, and the last of the wounds were finally healed. The physical bumps and bruises had been washed away, now it was time to begin the scars on the land and hearts of the nations. "I for one hope there aren't any more pinches to count on."

Suki found herself in the grass also. "It's a beautiful day out." Everyone felt what more she was trying to say, for the first time in a long while everything was looking beautiful. And better yet, tomorrow was looking beautiful, and the day after that. "Sokka come here." Suki held her hand out for him to entwine his fingers with hers.

With a quiet sigh of contentment he snaked his fingers in the cool grasp and slid into the grass between the two girls, "Not being in a pinch would be nice."

"Move over twinkle-toes" Toph shoved her way between Suki and Aang.

"Come on Momo, you too" Aang held out both of his arms and the lemur flew right where he belonged, chirping the whole way. Appa groaned quietly, too big to fit into the circle, but still he belonged as much as any of them.

The grass was soft and warm, from a day of sitting in Fire Nation suns. The gentle green blades licked gently at their skin. The same sun warmed through their soul, soothing over any frayed nerves. Together they all linked hands forming a perfect circle, together they felt whole.

"Zuko?" Katara looked at the new Fire Lord expectantly. With a small smile he took her hand and completed the circle.


Sokka sat with his eyes closed for a moment longer, "It's been 112 years, and I'm all that's left. They are all gone."