Greetings, avid readers!

I'd like to start with thanking all the reads, favs and follows in this story. Even if silent, your support means a lot. As for the ones that took their time to write a review, thank you as well!

I think I'm entering my villain era. Either that or the 'it issss what it isss' feeling has been permanently implanted into my psyche. Currently rewatching every single season of Criminal Minds (I will fite whoever says the show isn't pure gold.) and my internet is down, so boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, so I post chapters on company time!

My weekly obsession is... rings. Sterling, gold bath, jeweled... Rings. No, not wedding rings, Dommie, mind out of the gutter. And yes, I'm still patiently waiting for Ms. LiAnne Kay to publish tHE GOODAMN BOOK!

silverstudent, I completely agree with you. Thank you for your review!

Brain Fart, yes they can and yes it is! I hope you like it!

Dommie, I hope you like the fight, and yeah I totally agree with you! It was almost as if the creators wanted Zutara to be a reality but then changed their mind...

Vienna22, thank you so much for your review, and I'm so glad you liked it!

This is my first try at a Avatar fanfiction. Go easy on me. Reviews and flames are always welcomed, for they keep my cat and I warm at night.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar nor any of the characters. Such credit should go to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I do own a... certain amount of characters that will be recognized further into the story.

Thank you, and enjoy the chapter!

Chapter IX: The Fight

X—X

"Did I miss anything?" Aang asked, taking a seat next to Katara.

"No, they're just getting started," she replied.

The Avatar nodded and turned to the sparring field watching as Ahria and Toph fell into a guarded stance, waiting for the other to make a move. Aang noticed Ahria's hair was tied in a topknot, and she flexed her fingers. Toph smirked and rolled her shoulders.

"Scared, Jumpy?"

"Not at all, Master Toph. Simply wary."

"Good."

Toph moved her arms and slammed her foot down. Ahria jumped, doing a backflip in the air and threw an air blade at her. She did a three-point landing and blew the lock that fell over her eyes. She stood back up and smirked.

Their spar began, with Toph on the offensive, and Ahria parkouring all over the rocks the earthbender threw at her and throwing air blades in her direction. Katara watched as she dodged efficiently, but without launching a full-on attack. One would consider Toph's offensive relentless, but Katara knew the Blind Bandit was giving her plenty of openings to attack.

Toph jumped out of the way when Ahria threw an air blade that landed too close for comfort and huffed. She dug a circle out of the earth and threw it at her. With nowhere else to escape to, Ahria took a deep breath and threw a punch, smashing the large rock into small pieces. Toph gasped.

Her attacks started increasing, and Ahria found that she no longer could jump out of the way, given that Toph was dead-set on trapping her. She ran and jumped, but Toph managed to trap her in an earth cell. Aang called out but Katara grabbed his arm, pulling him back. She watched carefully as Toph slammed a giant rock on top of the cell.

Or at least she tried.

Everyone gasped as the boulder stopped inches short of the rock formation. Toph forced her arm down, but the boulder would not bulge. And suddenly, the rock cell exploded, throwing small pieces of debris everywhere. Aang shielded himself and Katara and swept the dust cloud that arose away. And they saw Ahria, one arm to the side and another up, holding the boulder in place.

"That's how you want to play?" she asked.

"You and I both know you're hiding a lot more power in that tiny body." Toph declared. "You can hold back with everyone else... except with me."

"Are you sure?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely."

"Okay." Ahria exploded the boulder and Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Now we're talking."

Their battle became vicious. Aang saw Toph use attacks that she had only used towards enemies, and he could tell either of them was holding back. Ahria was airborne a lot, and she came to realize that was an advantage, so she shot her most powerful attacks while in the air. Katara gasped when Ahria landed elegantly on her hands and used a firebending kick to throw air blades and rocks at Toph.

"They're going to kill each other." Aang let out.

"No... they're just showing off," Katara smirked. "Look at them. They're loving this."

Sure enough, there was a huge smile on Ahria's face, and Toph's eyes glowed with mirth. She threw rock after rock at her, and Ahria used them to climb up, propelling herself in the air. Aang gasped as he watched her soar, arms fallen to the side and head thrown back. She looked like an angel, the afternoon sun making her glow.

She spread her arms and gushes of wind started surrounding her, forming a sphere of air around her. Katara frowned as she harnessed more and more wind and, when she raised her arms, the wind followed. Ahria threw it at Toph, who raised a rock formation as a shield to stop it.

A giant cloud of dust rose, and Katara and Aang had to hide to protect themselves. When it finally settled, they found Ahria in the middle of the field, panting. And when they looked at the rock formation Toph had risen, they saw a very thin earth layer in front of the bender, the rest destroyed all around her.

She flickered the stone and it collapsed. Ahria straightened up but didn't move to attack. Toph stepped forward, over the destroyed field and walked up to her. Katara and Aang got up and moved to the two women, watching as Ahria remained on her guard when Toph stood before her.

She punched the airbender's arm. "You're cool."

"Ow!" She giggled. "Thanks."

"You spend so much time on the air I should call you 'fairy'." she declared.

"It's always nice to fight firmly, but there's something about being airborne that sets off airbending powers."

"Skipper."

"Master Toph."

"Toph's fine. You've earned as much now." she drew another punch in her arm. "I'm gonna get you three rooms. Dinner is in 15."

–X–

When Aang stepped out into the sparring field, the half-moon was high in the sky. After a full dinner with lots of laughter and food, the group retired to their rooms, Aang included. He took his bath, settled his mind at ease with his meditation routine, and went to bed.

But for the life of him, he could not get to sleep. At first, he believed something was happening in the spiritual world that needed his attention, but after a visit, everything seemed to be at ease. He took the opportunity to sit down with the Avatars and ask for advice on matters that he had pushed to the back of his mind.

Kuruk shared his contentment with the work Sokka was doing with his father's help, to unite the Water Tribes. Although nothing was said about it, Aang knew the past Avatar had no problem with him sharing that piece of information with the strong but sometimes insecure leader. Kyoshi had not differed from her usual ways of 'fight first, ask questions later', but she did provide him with some insight on powerplays with the Air Elders.

Roku was happy to see Aang achieve what he had failed to do during his life. The war was over, the Fire Nation was making amends with all those who had been wronged, rebuilding bridges and trust. He was proud of Aang to continue on his legacy and prouder of the new Fire Lord for the work he had been doing. He made some suggestions to Aang, who was sure to store them in the back of his mind to advise Zuko later on.

Yangchen had been especially chatty that time, which was rare. When Aang sat beside her, the former Avatar had been the first to initiate conversation, much to his surprise. But they talked about airbending, and the variations of it, and how it could be manipulated into everything they wanted. Aang noted that she often used examples that Aang had seen Ahria do during her fight with Toph.

He cheekily asked Yangchen if she had been paying attention to the fight. And the former Avatar, in her most poise expression, had said that the beauty in Ahria's bending was one that she had not seen in a while. When Aang asked for further explanation, she surprised him.

"Each element has a certain poise to it. Earthbending is rough, and callous, like the element itself. Firebending is quick, emotive, and rash. Waterbending is undulating, and soft but carries a certain kick to it, a certain strength. Airbending is supposed to be gentle, even when you are attacking. It is composed, measured, strength in the slightest of movements."

"I see."

"Your song... she airbends like I have not seen in a long time, even in you, Aang." She had smiled. "She dances, she struts, she is smooth and light as a feather. I know you asked her if she ever pure airbended. She does, Aang. Even using movements outside of her element, the feather-light dance is one of the purest forms of airbending. One that Gyatso tried his hardest to teach you."

"Would I benefit from learning with her?"

"Are you prepared to uproot your entire bending style and relearn it?"

"... I could. But she's always so kind, so sweet."

"She is gentle for she taught herself to be so. Learn this, Avatar Aang. Behind every smile, there's a story. And that story is not always a happy one."

He looked up to see no other than the one he had been thinking about sitting on the grass, looking up to the bright half-moon. Her hair was down once more, and from what he could see, she was completely at ease. Aang moved to take a seat next to her, blushing when her moonlit smile turned to look at him.

She rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath when Aang shuffled closer to her for comfort. The sky was dark, but littered with small and big stars, all of them casting an ethereal glow to the earth below. Aang let himself relax, watching the sky that was now home to all his ancestors and family, praying that they guided his path.

The Avatar woke up the next morning with a groan. His arm was cramping behind his head so he moved it to try and roll his shoulder. The sky was blue above him, and the sun was starting to come up. He could hear the birds singing, waking the world to a brand-new day, and feel the humid grass beneath him. He took a deep breath, his chest movements somehow constricted and sighed.

He looked down at himself, watching as a lithe body snuggled against his left side. As one slender arm wrapped around his midsection. One head of syrup-brown curls rested on his chest, a small button nose pressed against the fabric of his toga. As one foreign leg shimmied its way between his. As his own arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her by his side.

And he smiled.

A/N: Okay don't hurt me but I had to. I know this was a bit of a short one, but we're getting there! PS: For those that wonder 'ah, there's no way Ahria blew that up without something else, that's not how airbending works!'... air pressure, children. Air. Pressure. Please bear with me, things will get excited. Keep in mind, I'll keep this story up or drop it depending on your feedback.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to review if you want, or if you don't, I hope you liked it!

First to review gets a cookie!

Lots of love from this weirdo,

LoneeWolf :)