Notes: Well... yeah. life has been busy. nothing else to say.

But to all you wonderful fans, here is a special chapter for you as the next one is already being made. Enjoy!

The dark sky sat above UA as the students slept in their dorms. Most of the students were fast asleep, with only the occasional student was up watching TV or chatting with one of their friends this late at night. Katara herself was one of those… but her sleep wasn't normal like everyone else. The waterbender rolled onto her back, grunting out as her closed eyes scrunched tighter.

Her breathing came in slightly harder, small beads of sweat forming on her brow. While it seemed she was simply having a nightmare, internally there was much more going on. Subconsciously, her hands moved up her sides until they were in front of her body, closing her fists and pressing them against each other. Soon, her breathing steadied as she seemed to calm down, the connection complete to the one trying to contact her.

Katara's eyes opened up, her mouth dropping in shock as she saw where she was. She found herself standing in the middle of a large forest, the trees stretching high above her towards the blue sky. She looked down to her feet, scraping her shoes against the dirt beneath herself. She knew she was asleep, being able to remember laying down, and that is what shocked her. Even with knowing that, this dream felt even more real than normal.

"Feels real, doesn't it?"

Katara's ears perked up to the voice behind her, recognizing it immediately. She turned around and was shocked to see the tall avatar standing there, with no glow enshrouding her body this time. "Kyoshi…" katara muttered out.

Nodding, kyoshi slowly walked towards her. "You've been quite busy lately, we haven't been able to talk much."

"Yeah… sorry." Katara sighed, making Kyoshi chuckle.

"No need to be. You have been doing alot recently, focusing on the life you have made here." Kyoshi stopped in front of the teen looking down at her. "I figured to not bother you for quite some time, to let you focus on yourself."

Katara looked around once more, taking in the scenery around her before looking back up to the avatar. "You… you did this?"

Giving a small shrug, Kyoshi turned and walked down the path nearby. "I figured we could finally have time to talk now in your sleep, giving you the freedom for the day to yourself."

Katara chuckled and followed alongside the taller warrior. "It's not like you would be a burden if you wanted to communicate with me more. It's actually nice knowing you are there, being someone to remind me of where I come from."

Walking through the forest, Kyoshi made sure to drag her large shoes across the ground, enjoying the feeling of the dirt beneath her feet. "I also had us meet inside your subconscious during your sleep to enjoy this. Inside your dreams, you can experience every sense and it feels real, so much you sometimes can't tell the difference."

Katara noticed the large woman taking in everything around her, realizing she was truly taking in the world around her. "Is this the first time you've been able to experience this?"

Kyoshi gave a slow nod. "My spiritual body resides inside your mind, meaning I am limited to staying within the boundaries of your own body. But when people dream, their minds are able to experience sensations as strong as the real world, and that gives me the chance to experience it as well. It took me a while, but it seems I've been able to strengthen the internal bond we share."

As she passed by a nearby branch, Katara reached out and touched the leaves hanging low. The soft green fronds felt as real as anything to the waterbender, thinking back to any other dream she could recall and agreed. "I see. Well, I'm glad you are able to finally experience this."

Laughing, Kyoshi leaned underneath a low hanging branch as she led the waterbender further. "I appreciate that, but I didn't bring you here just to enjoy the dirt beneath my feet. There is something more important to discuss."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked, confused.

Sighing, Kyoshi clasped her hand behind her back. "Ever since the encounter you had with that villain leader, I had hoped the great dangers that were targeting you were gone and you could focus on enjoying your life for sometime. But something has been bothering me recently and I just can't escape the feeling something else is coming."

"Something else?"

"Yes. That villain, All for One… he was something else. He was stronger than anything I had ever faced, and he was set on trying to acquire your power." the tall woman squeezed her fists as they walked. "Even though he couldn't take your bending, I repelled him out of you to avoid the small risk in case he could somehow take it."

"And I can't thank you enough for that," Katara said, still feeling her skin crawl thinking back to the cold hand reaching towards her. "But he is locked up now."

"He is, but the others are not," Kyoshi warned, "He wasn't the only one after you then, was he?"

Katara stopped walking for a moment as she remembered, thinking back to the league of villains member Dabi. She remembered what Shoto told her about what happened, how he seemed almost obsessed with capturing her… and he escaped along with everyone else that night. "Yeah… I know. I remember how he was after me that night in Kamino as well."

"Yes, and with every day that passes, there is the chance he could be coming back for another strike." Kyoshi reached over and placed a hand onto Katara's shoulder. "Something about him in what I saw those nights… It was pure hatred. He was one with a drive that will fuel whatever ambition he has, and he will certainly not give up."

Thinking back to that night, Katara remembered the scarred villain, and the blue flames that rushed her way and the others. She shook her head in disbelief, thinking even further back to the life she once had before to the familiar blue flames from another pursuer. She couldn't believe it seemed to be a similar situation to that, in a world so different and yet had so many similar things. She then thought to her friends and Shoto who fought to keep her safe, squeezing her fists thinking how many of them got hurt. "I won't be so helpless this time. I'll be ready."

"Good…" kyoshi smiled as they came through the final branches and into a clearing. "Then I hope you are ready for this."

Katara raised her eyebrow in confusion before she noticed what was in front of them. She stopped walking when she saw a massive lake, the surface shimmering in the sunlight. She was ready to announce how beautiful it was… before she gasped as a stream of water barreled towards her. Reacting on instinct, she swung her arms out redirecting it away and around her body. Looking up, she saw the avatar standing there, her arms out in front and a large grin on her face. "What was that for?" Katara asked in confusion.

Chuckling, Kyoshi raised her hands up, pulling a large stream of water from the lake up above her head. "Inside your mind like this, you can train just like you would in the real world. And now I can see what you're really made of."

Before she could even answer, Katara was bombarded with several streams of water rushing her way. Spinning forward, she whipped the one she controlled and blocked the first two before thrusting her hand out and stopping the third stream in its tracks. Swiping upward, she spiraled the water around itself and sent it straight back towards the avatar. With a smirk, Kyoshi chopped her arm forward, slashing through the water down the center diverting it to each side of her. "Not bad." Kyoshi said, spinning her fingers up and bending up a sphere of water above her hand and freezing it.

As Katara ducked underneath the launched ice ball, she ran forward and pulled up a wave of water from the nearby lake and launched it at her foe. She didn't even need to ask why this was happening, watching as Kyoshi struck the water wall with her palm shattering it. The two exchanged several other attacks, each one nearly perfectly cancelling the other out. She knew the avatar spirit wanted to test her… and Katara couldn't help but smile as she jumped onto the surface of the lake and skated forward. She looked behind as Kyoshi pursued her, the two launching forth a large wave at one another and clashing in a massive splash between them. As the water fell down like rain towards them, Katara halted it all at once before thrusting her hands down, aiming everything directly at the avatar. Kyoshi simply closed her eyes… before opening them and revealing her pure white eyes now.

With a quick thrust of her hands, the water around Kyoshi burst outward in all directions, the water on the lake and the surface blasting away from the avatar. The sudden pulse of energy made Katara stumble backwards as she was caught off guard, her own eyes wide in surprise to the gargantuan wave rushing towards her. She reached her hands out to try and stop it, but before she could the wave suddenly parted, giving a clear path to Kyoshi as the water passed by. The bright glowing eyes were all too familiar with Katara, remembering seeing it so many times with Aang in the past.

"The avatar state…" she muttered under her breath.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Kyoshi reopened them back to normal. "This is the reason why I wanted you to come here. The power that resides inside you still needs to be tested. You have felt just the surface of your potential, and now it seems you are ready."

Katara swallowed the lump in her throat as she took in what she was hearing. She had felt the burst of energy when she healed the other students from before, and then during the night at camp. It was so short, but she could sense what it could do. Even more… She had talked to Tensei over the last week, almost breaking down into tears of joy when she heard him say his foot moved. And now… she wanted to be able to not only heal more, but to fight to protect those close to her.

Nodding her head, she stepped forward. "I'll do whatever it takes to figure this power out for myself."

"Good… because you will need a lot of time. An avatar takes years to fully master the power inside themselves, and since you aren't one, the timing to master it is completely unknown." Kyoshi only smiled wider as she eyed the waterbender before her. "But you aren't any normal bender. Your speed of growth and improvement are beyond incredible. You became a master waterbender in only a few months, and here in this world… you have become perhaps the strongest waterbender in history. If anyone can figure this out quickly, it's certainly you."

Smiling at the compliment, Katara nodded in thanks. "Then I will try not to disappoint you. I will figure this power out so I can use it on my own."

"Good…" kyoshi closed her left hand and placed it against her open right hand in front of her body and bowed, waiting for Katara to do the Sam's before standing up straight. "Let us begin."

Meanwhile… across time and space

The gentle breeze slowly blew the clouds through the sky, casting shadows as they passed over the island in the center of the ocean. Smoke rose from the volcano at the center of the island, the light stream of lava continuously flowing out of the side. The southern side of the crescent shaped island housed the recently built temple, replacing the old one that was destroyed over a year ago.

Standing by the coastline stood a young man recently eighteen, the royal red and black robes draped over his body. His shoulder length hair was topped with a small bun with a golden crown shaped like fire, along with pendants fit for a lord. His golden eyes stared out to the ocean before him, his left eye covered by the large burn scar running up the side of his face. The sudden groan behind him made him smile, turning to see the massive tan creature with six legs walking his way.

"I know it's been a while, buddy. Haven't seen you in a while." Firelord Zuko said as he reached up and patted Appa's head, running his hand over the bison's head. "I've been real busy lately and haven't had time to see you."

Zuko's eyes widened as the large tongue swiped out and ran up his body, growling and shaking off the drool dripping off his robes. "Come on, you know that stuff doesn't come out!"

"Hey, what can I say? He missed his favorite firelord so much!"

Zuko shook off a thick chunk of drool and rolled his eyes, turning around to the teen behind him. "Then I would take a hug from him instead."

Laughing, Sokka reached up and rubbed the back of his head, his face now sporting a small goatee. "It's been five months since he last saw you, so he can't help it but give you a big fat kiss."

Sighing, Zuko straightened his robes and walked over to the water tribe warrior. "I know it's been a while. After I settled the rebellions in the south, peace talks with the earth kingdom have been going slow."

"I mean it's not like it would be too easy," Sokka shrugged. "Give them time and you can come to an agreement."

"I've heard you've been busy too," Zuko gave a small smirk. "That you have become the new chief of the southern water tribe."

Grinning, Sokka couldn't help but crack his neck and click his tongue. "Well you know they had to find the smartest guy around and they knew I was the perfect choice. Suki is quite lucky to have fallen for the great chief Sokka."

Zuko couldn't help but feel happy for the water tribe warrior, seeing him in such a good mood. The last time they met, Sokka was still not in the best mindset, still unable to wrap his head around what had happened. "I'm glad to see you doing better, Sokka."

The smile on Sokka's face slowly fell off, taking a breath as he nodded. "It's been so long now it's hard to believe it anymore. I didn't want to believe it so much I refused to accept anything I heard because I know how strong she was."

Zuko nodded in agreement to that statement, remembering the fierce waterbender he fought and soon befriended alongside everyone else. When he and the others were told what happened, none of them could believe it either. They all wanted to believe she was simply in the spirit world, and soon she would be coming back to them. But Month after month went by, and soon the fact came clear she wasn't coming back. For Sokka, the first two months of acceptance were the hardest, refusing to talk to anyone after losing the one that actually kept his life in line. And now, he had finally moved on to realize she wasn't coming back. And that was what was frustrating for their mutual friend.

"Did he say much on the way here?" Zuko asked, earning a small head shake from Sokka.

"Not much. All he really said was this was something he had to do since you were able to rebuild the fire sage temple. And… I don't think he has fully stopped blaming himself for what happened."

Looking towards the temple doors, Zuko frowned when their mutual friend came and headed straight into the temple, saying he needed to be inside before the winter solstice was over. Since then he hadn't come out yet, locking himself inside. "Hopefully he finally finds closure. We have to help him move on."

—

Deep inside the temple, the young bald monk sat on the ground in meditation, silently facing the statue of Avatar Roku before him. Aang's mind sat in focus as he waited for the right moment to connect, knowing during the solstice the connection to his past lives was at its peak. He needed to be sure of what happened, and this was the best time to do it.

The light shined through the crystal placed in the back wall of the room, hitting it just right and casting the red glow over the statue. The eyes shined bright as the room was filled with a blinding light, with Aang opening his eyes and finding himself in a world of yellow light and gently floating clouds. And directly in front of him stood the large man in red, his long white beard and smile all so familiar to the monk.

"Welcome back, Aang. I'm glad to see you again." Avatar Roku said.

Aang nodded and smiled back to the former avatar. "It's good to see you too. It's been a while since I tried reaching out to you. And I need to ask you once more, please."

Roku's smile fell slightly at that, knowing what was going to be asked. "Aang, I understand you are still looking for your friend, but I need you to understand-

"This is different, though!" Aang pleaded, "During the solstice, our spiritual connection is the strongest, correct? Then that means this can be the chance to find them!"

Roku sat in silence for a moment as the young avatar stared at him, desperation in the young boys eyes. After the encounter with the spirit, Aang fell into a deep state of despair for several months. He blamed himself for what happened to Katara, thinking if he had done something faster, she could have been saved. He could barely face his friends after that for some time, thinking they would hate him for losing her. In fact, if it wasn't for Toph pulling him out of his lull, he may have still been in anguish. The earthbender was too stubborn to let him be alone in his pain, the young monk finding and even close bond to the blind girl than even he realized. But when he finally chose to go back and communicate with his past lives, he realized something unbelievable.

Kyoshi was nowhere to be found.

After trying to search through his past lives for answers, he came to the conclusion that somehow, in some way, the fraction of Kyoshi's spirit inside of him had somehow protected Katara. If there was any chance to find them, it was now.

"If there is any chance to find them now, we have to try. If we search for them, perhaps we can finally figure out where they went." Aang explained.

Roku gave a small hum of sorrow, knowing what was going through the teens mind. "Aang, I have personally searched through our own past lives and the spirit world, and Kyoshi is nowhere to be found. Even before you came here today, I thought of the same thing you did, hoping there could be the slight chance we could somehow connect. But… there is nothing in this plane of existence that I can sense of her. If she were dead, however, we would still be able to sense their spiritual energy. That means they have somehow gone somewhere else."

Aang frowned and looked away, shaking his head and clenching his fists. "There has to be something. We can't just-

"Aang… you are truly caring and want nothing more than to find your friend. I can feel the pain that is eating at you right now, and you still blame yourself for what happened to Katara. You can't, however. She made the choice to protect you that night, and you would've done the same if the roles were reversed. But you can't let your guilt control your life. You must learn to let go and move onto the next step of your life."

Taking a breath, Aang slowly nodded at those words. "I just… I want to be sure she is safe. That's all I need to be happy."

"I know. But she is a strong girl, and can handle anything that comes her way." Roku said with a smile. "She faced the same hardships of the world that you did, and she is not alone either. Wherever she is, Kyoshi will be there to help her, Aang. I know for certain those two will be able to handle anything together."

Closing his eyes, Aang took a deep breath before he let his mind go. After a moment, he reopened his eyes and found himself in the avatar chamber room once more. He sat in silence for several minutes as he went over what he heard, unsure what to think before he stared at the statue once more. Roku's words hung over his head as he felt a single tear drip down his face, but couldn't help but smile to himself after a moment. He thought back to the first time he met the waterbender when he broke out of the ice, how she helped him through the adversities on their journey, and how he began to grow feelings towards her. And when she disappeared that day, he felt completely lost.

But now… he knew if he continued to hold onto this guilt in his life, he would never be able to find peace within himself and move on. After hearing just now that she had to be alive somewhere else, it was a feeling of relief that put him somewhat at ease compared to his confusion before. While he wished he could at least see her one more time, he would take the fact he knew she had to be fine as the best possible news. Standing up, he turned and walked towards the door behind, pushing it open and opening it up to the great hall of the temple, where a small lemur chirped and flew towards him.

"Hey Momo, sorry to keep you waiting." Aang smiled as his lemur flew up and landed on his shoulder, the small creature noticing the tear on his cheek. Wiping it away, Aang reached up and pet his little friend. "It's okay buddy. Don't worry about me anymore. And it's time we talk to everyone else."

Walking towards the exit, Aang took a breath as he finally accepted what had happened. Katara was somewhere else and not coming back, but that she was fine and could hope she was happy wherever she was. And now, he was ready to make that choice himself, to find peace in the life he had… and the special people still close to him.

Notes: AHHHH! a glimpse to the old world left behind?!

A short, but sweet chapter for you gus! Hope you like it! love to see your thoughts on this!

And may be getting some comic style pages made for this story soon, so keep an eye out on the deviantart page.

And now... he truly enter the next arc. Till next time!