Just Like the Good Old Days

by Redbayly

This was the last thing either of them had expected. One minute they were on a boat, with Tarrlok putting the Equalist glove to the fuel tank, and the next they wake up in the South Pole. And not only that, why are they children again? And even more confusing, why is the Avatar a child as well? Rating may go up. Please review.

21. Life Worth Living

Just Like the Good Old Days

Redbayly: Ooooh, I'm so excited! It's finally time to end the first season.

Sokka: And begin the long slide into your sheer insanity.

Redbayly: Incidentally, I kind of, um, *cough*, 'borrowed' a quote from Pride and Prejudice in this chapter.

Sokka: The book or one of the movies?

Redbayly: You're my editor, you figure it out.

Sokka: So, we're also gonna see a bit of Southern Water Tribe tradition and headcanon about my family in this chapter.

Redbayly: We also learn about the power of forgiveness, Sokka.

Sokka: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Redbayly: Sokka, if you're not gonna take your job seriously, I can always ask Toph or Aang or even Iroh to do the disclaimer.

Sokka: Fine, but I still get to make a joke.

Redbayly: After you do the disclaimer.

Sokka: Killjoy. Redbayly does not own Legend of Korra. Now can I make my joke?

Redbayly: Whatever.

Sokka: Airbender walks into a satomobile dealership. The satomobile-dealer says "I appreciate the business but why are you even here? Can't you fly?" But the Airbender says "Yes, but your prices blew me away!"

Redbayly: *Blank stare*

Sokka: Shut up, it was funny!

Redbayly: And now, on with the drama!

Life Worth Living

Third Person POV:

Two brothers escaped the city they had once planned to rule; neither of them knew exactly where they would go, but they both knew they would never leave the other again. As they zoomed through the water on their speedboat, the older of the two became very solemn.

"Tarrlok, I know you were the one who told the Avatar and her friend who I am," he said; never taking his eyes off the water in front of him.

"Yes…I did," Tarrlok replied. "The truth had to come out."

"Do you have any idea who that boy was? Or his brother?"

Tarrlok was silent for a moment.

"Let's just say that there was a fitting irony that those two boys helped Avatar Korra bring us down."

"Do they have a connection with us?" Noatak still didn't look away from the open water.

"In a sense. They are what we would have been if fate had been merciful."

"Are you speaking literally or metaphorically?"

"Would you believe me if I said 'both'?"

Noatak slumped forward slightly, his thoughts whirring in his brain. He kept remembering that last moment when he saw the boy and the Avatar. There was no denying the boy looked exactly like him, added to the fact that he had fought off his Bloodbending with little difficulty. Was it even possible? Noatak shook his head and changed the subject.

"The two of us together again," he thought aloud. "There's nothing we can't do."

"Yes, Noatak," Tarrlok replied quietly.

"Noatak. Hmm, I had almost forgotten the sound of my own name."

Tarrlok's gaze briefly flitted to the shelves of Equalist gloves and then to the fuel tank. Before he even made any attempt to do anything drastic, he remembered what the other Noatak had said. Was it possible for them to have a second chance? Did they really deserve it after everything they'd done? He gave low sigh and turned his attention out to the ocean.

"It will be just like the good old days."

They continued on their way, never once turning back. There would be no report of an exploded speedboat. One thing was certain, though; this would not be the last the Avatar or her friends would see of Noatak and Tarrlok.

Noatak's POV:

It was a long trip back to the Southern Water Tribe. A lot of things had happened since our 'victory.' We had found Tenzin, his family, Bei Fong, and my brother waiting for us outside the arena. I didn't think Tenzin would ever let go of Jinora when she ran over to him; when we told him that Amon had nearly taken her Bending and that Korra saved her through unlocking her own Airbending powers, words could not describe the look of gratitude in his eyes.

The news that Korra's ability to Bend the other elements had been taken away was very hard for everyone. I knew I could return it to her, but it would mean having to admit who I am, or, rather, who I was. The more I have thought about this, the more I have come to the conclusion that I am not Amon; not anymore. Our return to the South was with the hope that Master Katara could somehow find a way to fix what my older self had done.

Master Tenzin flew us all there on his sky-bison and we landed just inside the White Lotus compound. I was surprised when we were greeted by Tonraq and Senna, who had apparently received word of what happened. Senna had thrown her arms around us and said, tearfully, how worried she had been. Tonraq looked more somber than anything but still said that he was proud of what we had managed to accomplish, even if it was with a cost.

We waited for several hours to hear if Master Katara could restore Korra's Bending. When she finally emerged, the old woman looked downtrodden.

"I've tried everything in my power," she said, "but, I cannot restore Korra's Bending."

"But, you're the best Healer in the world," Bei Fong insisted. "You have to keep trying."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can do. Korra can still Airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed."

There was a moment of silence before Korra herself reentered the room. I don't think I have ever seen her so sad and it pained me more than anything to know that I had been the cause of it. She looked at all of us, her eyes filled with despair.

"It's going to be alright, Korra," Tenzin assured her.

"No," she deadpanned. "It's not."

Without another word, she pushed past us, grabbed her parka, and left. I didn't even think twice and followed after her.

"Korra," I said softly.

"Leave me alone, Noak."

"No. You're in pain and I can't stand to see that. Please, Korra, I need to talk to you."

I could sense her trembling; her eyes were steadily filling with tears. Then, without warning, she leapt up onto Naga and raced out onto the tundra. I braced myself for what I was about to do. I had been dreading this moment for years, but I knew it would have to come eventually. I was done hiding from my past. I was going to tell her everything.

Using my Waterbending to create an ice-board, I rocketed after her.

Korra's POV:

I reached the edge of the cliffs. This place was very special to me; my cousin Ciqala used to bring me, Noak, and Tarro out here a lot when we were younger. He told us stories and said I would be the best Avatar ever. I haven't seen Ciqala in a while. I wonder how he'll react when he hears the "best Avatar ever" is nothing but a failure. I thought of everyone I love and how disappointed they must be in me.

I couldn't hold back the tears. I dropped to my knees and cried. I barely registered the sound of approaching footsteps.

"I thought I would find you here," said Noak. Without waiting for an invitation, he dropped down next to me. "Korra, I want to talk to you about something. You probably won't believe it, but you should know that it is completely true."

I looked at him and met his gaze. I could see indescribable anguish reflected in his normally cheerful and kind eyes.

"There was once a boy who made all the wrong decisions…"

The story that then unfolded seemed surreal. What he said was impossible. Noak…no, Noatak, the very man who had only recently stolen my Bending, was sitting here telling me that he was from another reality, one where his brother had brought about both their deaths. I wanted it to not be true. I pleaded that it wasn't true. But I had never known Noak to lie about something so serious; but, then, was he even Noak at all?

I was angry. No, I was furious! I'm in love with him and he tells me this?!

I stood up and turned away.

"Korra, please, listen," he said. There was sadness in his voice. Was it real, or was it just another one of his lies? "I did something stupid, and cruel, and I know that it has hurt you. But, you must believe me, I am not the same person."

"No?" I demanded, blinking back the tears. "What makes you any different? You lied to me. For thirteen years, you kept it secret that you were, are, have been? the monster who took away the most crucial part of who I am. How can you expect me to listen to anything you have to say?"

He gave a deep sigh and then took my hands in his. I felt the impulse to pull away, but I didn't; I would give him one chance to prove what he said was true.

"Korra, since the day I truly met you, after your mother found me and my brother out in that blizzard, you have been changing who I am. I despise myself for everything I did to you, and I know I can never be truly worthy of your forgiveness; but, Korra, please listen to me. You showed me that I actually had a chance to make a difference; I was so close to actually killing my older self you couldn't imagine it. My brother and I, we've been doing everything we can to make things different from what they were in the last timeline. All I wanted, since you first told me that I was your best friend, is to try and make up for all the things I have done wrong."

I remembered that day he was talking about. I had been sad and missed my parents shortly after moving into the compound. He had come to me and held me in his arms, telling me everything was going to be alright. Was he really the same boy who did that for me? Had he really been trying to make up for his sins? Did he-did he really care?

"Korra, I know you have every right to turn away from me. But I will prove it to you that I am not the same man." He fumbled in his pocket for a moment before pulling something out. He reached out his hand and I saw it was a polished, pale blue stone that had been engraved with the hexagon, triangles, and inner circles that was the symbol of my family's clan; the stone was attached to a dark blue ribbon.

But, those are only used for…

My eyes went wide.

"You are the light that warmed my heart and melted the ice that encased it for almost thirty years. You have given me a life worth living," he continued. "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I…I…I love you, Korra, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day on. Even if you don't believe me, even if you turn me away, I promise I will undo the block on your Bending. My feelings for you will not change, but say the word and I will never have the audacity to speak to you again."

Noatak's POV:

I expected her to turn me away. I knew I didn't deserve her and she had no true reason to forgive what I had done. My heart was beating quicker as I awaited her response. That was when I felt a gentle hand reach out to touch the necklace I held. I looked up, hardly daring to believe it.

There were fresh tears streaming down her face, but her eyes held a light that said she believed me. It was as if the weight of the world was suddenly lifted from my shoulders as she took the necklace into her own hand and then, without warning, threw her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine. I didn't even hesitate to kiss her back. It was like the power of the full moon combined with the warmth of the sun was pulsing inside of me; I had never felt so strong before.

Eventually we separated.

"I promised to restore your Bending whether you forgave me or not, and I will keep that promise." I could see the slight hint of trepidation in her eyes, but gave her a reassuring smile that seemed to assuage any fears or doubts.

I pressed my thumb to her forehead and focused everything I had to unravel the block over her chi-point. There was a moment of pure silence when I pulled away; Korra seemed to be locked in a trance. Then, suddenly, her eyes snapped open to reveal glowing, white light. By undoing the block over her Bending, she was finally able to access the Avatar State.

Tarrlok's POV:

They had been gone for some time and we were all becoming worried. When the two suddenly rode in on Naga there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief. As Noatak and Korra both dismounted from the polar bear-dog, something caught my eye; a flash of blue around Korra's neck. I glanced at Noatak who seemed to be smiling unwaveringly.

I was further taken-aback when she rushed right over to us, first pulling me into a bone-crushing hug and whispering "He told me everything" before running over to hug her parents.

I exchanged a look with my brother who smiled and nodded. He had told Korra the truth about us? For some reason, the thought made me feel much better than I expected it to. As Korra was hugged by her mother, I noticed Tonraq seem to be giving Noatak a very serious look, as though indicating the two of them would be talking later.

Korra proceeded to tell us that her Avatar powers were back and, more specifically, that she now knew how to restore Bending by using the Avatar State.

Nothing could compare to the feeling of having my Waterbending restored. It was like that empty place was suddenly whole again; the missing part of who I am was returned at last.

Today's surprises didn't seem to end. Not twenty minutes after Bei Fong and I had our Bending restored by Korra, two figures arrived and came over to greet us.

"Shaman Guyapi, Prophetess Ituha, what brings you out here?" asked Senna.

Shaman Guyapi was in his mid-thirties; a man of average height and dressed in a highly ornamented parka; he had a chin-beard that was long enough that he was able to tie beads into it to match the ones that held several dreadlocks in place in his dark brown hair. Prophetess Ituha, on the other hand, was almost as old as Master Katara; her iron-grey hair was tied in bunches on either side of her face; her clothes were of a more austere style compared to Shaman Guyapi's, but she did wear several long necklaces of various animal teeth over top of them.

"When the Five Guardians of the South send you a message, you have no choice but to respond," said Ituha.

"Imagine our astonishment when the eyes of the sacred statues suddenly illuminated," Guyapi continued. "Either Mother Setna has risen from the dead or the current Avatar has finally been acknowledged."

"Korra has accessed her Avatar State, if that's what you mean," Tonraq replied. "She just restored the Bending of-"

"We are well aware, Tonraq," Ituha cut him off, giving a kindly smile. "Avatar Korra, please come here."

Korra made her way over to the two spiritual leaders and I noticed Ituha's eyes focused in on the betrothal necklace.

"It seems our arrival here was fortuitous for more than one reason," the old woman said.

"Avatar Korra, it is truly a great joy to see that you have connected with your spiritual side at last," Guyapi continued. "Ituha and I have both sworn to do all in our power to assist you should you need it. We understand that you will likely be returning to Republic City to finish repairing the damage wrought by the Equalists, but, before you leave, we wanted you to know that anything you may ask of us will be given to you."

"There is a bounty of knowledge we possess regarding the matters of the southern spirits; I have a feeling that this will be very useful to you in the near future."

"Thank you," Korra replied respectfully. "I will seek you out if I have any such need. Speaking of which, may I have a word with you two for a moment?"

I had a pretty fair idea of what she was talking with them about.

Noatak's POV:

Having a little 'chat' with my future father-in-law was to be expected; I actually would've been disappointed in him if he hadn't asked for a quick word with me before we all set off for town. We were both currently sitting across from each other, each waiting for the other to speak first. I was thankful that Tonraq broke the silence first.

"You know, I always had a feeling it would be you who ended up with Korra," he said calmly. "I admit that I'm actually very happy that you did; I don't think there's another boy in this world I would trust with my daughter." He reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. "I am proud to think of you as my son."

I met his eyes and could see there was nothing but sincerity in what he was saying. Our conversation wasn't very long; he simply said that he was proud of me, that he trusted me, and that he would be there to help me if I ever needed it. That was more than my own father ever did.

"Take good care of my little girl," he continued.

"I will; I promise," I said.

His face lit up in a grin and he rose from his seat.

"Good. We better get going if we want to make it back to town before sunset."

I followed him out of the door and over to where everyone was waiting for us. Korra saw us approach and immediately tackled me in a hug; it felt so right, holding her in my arms like that, as if we were both made to fit each other.

The journey to town was shorter than expected. We must have been quite a spectacle; the Avatar and her friends, parents, and several well-respected authority figures appearing in town with a sky-bison and a polar bear-dog.

Korra ended up getting into a conversation with Shaman Guyapi.

"How's Lomasi been?" she asked.

"She is well," Guyapi answered, "she was disappointed that you three weren't at her birthday. You actually only missed it by a day."

"Oh, man, I can't believe it. She's sixteen now."

"Indeed. The most sacred of all ages."

"Why is that?" Bolin suddenly asked, jumping into the conversation.

"Sixteen is a composite of seven, five, and four, the holiest numbers in the Southern Water Tribe," Guyapi said. "Sixteen is therefore regarded as an age of maturity and wisdom."

"Where is Lomasi?" Korra asked. "I was hoping to see her."

"She has gone on her Vision Quest. She will be out on the tundra for four days. Hopefully, before she returns, she will have had her first experience with the other side."

"I wish we could stay until she gets back, but we have to return to Republic City," Korra sighed.

"Why don't you and your friends come for the Winter Solstice?" Ituha suggested. "Surely your business in Republic City will have been more or less sorted out by then."

"I think we might just do that."

Suddenly, we came to a stop. A figure was standing in our path.

"I believe an explanation is in order," the person said. "Now."

The person was a woman. She was very tall and a bit on the muscular side. Her hair was a medium brown shade, but streaked with grey that showed she was not young, and had been cut to shoulder-length with a wolftail in the back and two pleated strands that were fastened with blue beads along the right side of her face. In her wolftail she had fastened a comb shaped like a wolf's head that had a crescent behind it for the tail.

"Chief Kaliska, how nice to see you," said Guyapi pleasantly.

"Oh, stuff it, Guyapi," Kaliska snapped. "I would very much like to hear why no one thought to inform me that the Avatar was returning to the Southern Water Tribe."

"Well, it was a very personal matter," said Ituha.

Chief Kaliska sent a glare at the Prophetess.

"Personal, huh? So if it's personal that means you can't let your own chief know when her niece has returned home?"

I noticed that Mako, Bolin, and Asami's jaws all dropped open in shock. Then, her irritation suddenly evaporating, Chief Kaliska burst into laughter.

"Ahahaha! Oh, you all should've seen the looks on your faces."

Korra and Tonraq both joined in and I stifled a small chuckle myself; Chief Kaliska had a habit of winding people up. Korra dismounted from Naga and rushed over to greet her aunt.

"Oh, I've missed you, Korra," Chief Kaliska said, hugging her tightly. "You left so suddenly and were gone for so long that I had almost thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth."

"It's good to see you, too, Aunt Kaliska," Korra replied.

I noticed the chief's gaze flitted to Korra's neck, undoubtedly spotting the necklace. The two then began to whisper to each other and the southern chieftain looked in my direction.

"Be warned, ponytail-boy," she called out to me, "you hurt her, I skin you."

"Duly noted," I called back.

"Kaliska, is it really necessary to threaten him?" said Senna.

"Why, my dear sister, I'm surprised you haven't," Chief Kaliska replied. "I recall you making a promise to… what was it? Feed any boy who breaks your daughter's heart to the tiger-sharks?"

"Kaliska, nice to see you again," Tenzin greeted with a slight bow.

"Tenzy, how ya been?" she responded.

"Please don't call me that."

She then greeted Pema warmly and congratulated her on having a new baby. She also greeted Bei Fong in a cheerful manner and I was certain that the iron-fisted police chief smiled.

Chief Kaliska then seemed to notice Asami, Bolin, and Mako and suddenly whipped an object out of her belt; on closer observation I saw it was a metal fan, one of two I knew the chief to keep on her person at all times. She held the weapon towards the others in an intimidating manner.

"State your names, occupations, and association," she ordered.

"Chief Kaliska," I said calmly, "those are friends of ours from Republic City. Asami Sato, the heiress to Future Industries. And Mako and Bolin of the Fire Ferrets pro-Bending team."

"Oh, yes, I've heard of you three," she said, lowering the fan. She drew closer to them and then looked directly at Mako. "Firebender, huh?"

"Uh, yeah," Mako answered simply.

"You know, your people tried to annihilate my people."

I could see Mako was looking very uncomfortable under the chief's piercing gaze. Of course, the moment was completely ruined when Chief Kaliska again broke out laughing.

"I'm just teasing you; lighten up." She gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder, though I could tell he wasn't reassured at all. "My son Ciqala insists we listen to pro-Bending matches on the radio. You can imagine our surprise when we heard Korra was on one."

"So, were you supporting our team?" Bolin asked.

"Actually, I was supporting the Tiger-dillos. I lost five yuans in bet when you beat them."

Bolin gave her an awkward grin.

"Best five yuans I ever made," I heard Senna say in an undertone.

The rest of the trip to the house continued in this manner. Chief Kaliska seemed intent on making everything as awkward as possible and a few times I thought Bolin and Mako were going to faint whenever she made a jibe that related to them in some way; she didn't seem to tease Asami at all, in fact she appeared to like the young heiress a good deal and had even offered to show her a few hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Soon enough, we arrived.

Tonraq and Senna led us all into the main room of the house and we all took seats around the hearth.

Korra's POV:

I was glad to see everyone was getting along so well. Although, Bolin had pulled me aside and asked why I hadn't mentioned I am related to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Ha! Just wait until he meets the rest of my family. My parents had invited everyone into the house while Shaman Guyapi and Prophetess Ituha quickly went off to retrieve what they would need for a betrothal ceremony.

I still couldn't believe it. I was engaged.

I clutched the pendant around my neck tightly, as if it might vanish. It was all so unreal. But I knew that this was what I wanted. I knew that Noak was not the same as Noatak; not the same as Amon. He might have his memories, his abilities, even a resemblance to him, but I could tell they were two very different people. I truly believed everything he had said to me. If he was the same person, he would never have cared about me even a fraction as much as I knew he did.

Guyapi and Ituha soon returned.

"We thank the friends and family of this young couple who are present here to witness this betrothal," Ituha said.

Tarrlok's POV:

I had seen Southern Water Tribe betrothal rituals before. There is a long-standing sense of tradition that comes with it; everything is very carefully planned out and ordered. It is ironic, in a way, that the Southerners have far more attention to rituals than in the north where an engagement is as simple as handing someone a betrothal necklace. In the south, while necklaces are sometimes given, anything of significance can be used in making a proposal; whale-tooth combs are actually the more usual offering given.

Shaman Guyapi lit a fire in the hearth, tossing in offerings of ocean sage in order to ward off bad luck and to promote well-being. Korra and Noatak were instructed to take down their hair from their ponytails; it was part of the symbolism associated with the rite. Prophetess Ituha then brought out a pure white blanket and secured it around Korra and Noatak's shoulders, fastening it in place with a firm knot. Then, both she and Shaman Guyapi sat across from the couple on the other side of the fire.

"When you choose someone as your spouse, you are making a commitment that you swear to uphold for the rest of your life," said Ituha. "It is a bond of trust and to break that trust is one of the greatest crimes a human can commit. To abandon, cheat, or harm your spouse in any manner is an act of total betrayal. You must not enter into this bond lightly; for, once you have sworn your oaths, there can be no going back. Only the strongest possible reason can ever be grounds for you to separate; deciding to separate because you have gotten into an argument is not an excuse."

"Marriage is about supporting each other," said Guyapi. "You work together to build each other up. If you truly love one another and give yourselves completely, there is almost nothing you can't do. You are two halves of one whole. You see your own flaws and the flaws in the other and you accept them and work past them to become better people."

"You both understand this?" asked Ituha.

Noatak and Korra both nodded.

"Do you still wish to proceed?"

"We do," they answered together.

"Very well, then," said Guyapi. There was a pause before he spoke again. "As you both claim membership to the Polar Bear-Dog Clan, we must determine if this marriage is licit as no two people of the same clan may marry if they were born into it."

"Korra, your father is the male head of the Polar Bear-Dog Clan through spiritual adoption," Ituha stated. "Upon his arrival in the Southern Water Tribe, he participated in the Healing and Rebirth ritual to become a member of our tribe, whereupon he was granted the family totem of the Polar Bear-Dog Clan which died off due to the events of the Hundred Year War. Your mother, Senna of the Wolf Clan, became female head of the Polar Bear-Dog Clan through marriage; however, the title of female head will fall to you as a true-born daughter."

"Likewise, we know that you, Noak, and your brother were found and adopted by Korra's family," Guyapi said to Noatak. "As you have no direct blood-relation to the Polar Bear-Dog Clan, we deem this marriage is permitted by southern law."

"Let us join hands," Ituha declared.

Every one of us, the friends and family, joined hands as we observed. I noticed that Asami, Mako, and Bolin seemed rather confused by what was going on; I shouldn't be too surprised, though; it's not as if there are that many traditional Southern Water Tribe weddings performed in Republic City as they specifically require the Shaman and Prophetess to be present.

Prophetess Ituha closed her eyes and began to recite a prayer.

"Oh, Great Mother Setna,

You have brought life to our tribe.

Through your sacrifices and your love, we live in freedom.

Your sons and daughters saw us become a nation unto ourselves,

It was through them that you continued your work,

Ensuring our posterity.

Give now, oh Mother, your blessing to this man and this woman.

Let them walk in your ways,

For they marry for love, as you hoped, and not out of greed, lust, hunger for power, or for social advantage.

Bless this woman, Avatar Korra, true-born daughter of the Polar Bear-Dog Clan.

Bless this man, Waterbender Noak, adopted son of the Polar Bear-Dog Clan.

We ask for your guiding light, and for the blessing of Awonawilona, the Great Spirit,

And for the protection of Bilagaana, Kangee, and Coahoma.

Bless this betrothal."

There were a few minutes of silence as everyone reflected on the meaning behind the words. Then, Shaman Guyapi rose from his seat and removed the white blanket from Korra and Noatak's shoulders without untying the knot. He then handed the blanket to Tonraq and Senna; it would be used later for the actual wedding ceremony.

"According to custom you must wait twelve months before the official wedding can take place," Guyapi explained. "This is called the 'Time of Strengthening.' It is there for you, as a couple, to become closer and to ensure that you truly wish to continue into the marriage bond. In the eyes of all who witness this, you may consider yourselves man and wife in every manner except in terms of the flesh."

Once it was all said and done, everyone was invited to stay for dinner instead of going back to the compound. Chief Kaliska decided to regale everyone with stories from her youth.

"…and so then, once Dad had finally gotten over the effects of the cactus-juice, Mom got so angry at him that he ended up having to spend the night outside the igloo. And it was the dead of winter, during a blizzard. By the next morning he was so frozen he looked like the statue outside the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center in Republic City."

"That's not funny, Kaliska," Senna retorted. "It took us ages to thaw him out because I hadn't known I was a Waterbender then."

"Say what you want, Senna, I still think it was funny. Ooh, but do you want to know what's even funnier? The time Paytah tried to help you get your loose tooth out by tying it to a boomerang."

"We were children, Kaliska; Paytah was just…"

"Being his normal, idiotic self."

"Trying to be a good big brother," Senna corrected.

The conversation continued until late in the evening, at which point Chief Kaliska decided it was time for everyone to head home. Master Katara agreed and invited Tenzin, his family, and Bei Fong to stay at her house while the rest of us would stay here for the night; in the morning, we would all pack up and head back to Republic City.

Noatak's POV:

It had certainly been an interesting day. When it started, I had thought everything was going to come crashing down around me; I had expected to lose what I had wanted for so long. Then, once the truth finally came out, things only got better. I was engaged to the one person in the entire world I could truly admit I was in love with. I got to spend a wonderful evening with people I consider my family.

Now, as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, I realized that I had everything that really mattered. I had a life worth living.

---

Redbayly: Hey, Sokka, guess what?

Sokka: What?

Redbayly: Chicken butt!

Sokka: Uhh, I don't get it.

Redbayly: *Shrugs* I don't either. But, seriously, I just thought up a way to keep Wan, Raava, and Vaatu in my story but also keep my headcanons alive.

Sokka: Really? How'd you come up with that?

Redbayly: Well, basically, my original headcanon about how the Avatar was created was that four women, one from each Nation, combined their spiritual energies to create the Avatar Spirit on behalf of a supreme being in order to stop an ultimate embodiment of Darkness called "Hei-An" from destroying the world.

Sokka: So…?

Redbayly: Well, how I worked this out is that Wan, instead of being the first Avatar, will be the world's first Energybender and be responsible for tying the energies of the four women together into the Avatar Spirit which will be strengthened by attaching those energies to Raava who will use them to drive off Hei-An, who is working with Vaatu and another evil spirit called Hakidonmuya.

Sokka: Hmm, seems legit. But, I thought Unalaq said there are no evil spirits.

Redbayly: Unalaq is a dumbass who pretty much invaded your home tribe.

Sokka: Good point. Is Kaliska gonna hate him as much as I do?

Redbayly: She sure is. Hey, you wanna go get something to eat?

Sokka: Duh!