AN: Sorry, I haven't updated in forever. Not going to lie, I originally planned on ending this story back when the war ended. It took a mind of its own, so I have no idea where it's going to go.

Aang and Toph finally got the bandit situation under control in the Earth Kingdom.

The Avatar was now preparing to rebuild the Air Nation's temples. He was able to find some books in Ba Sing Se University that he could use for his blue prints. He wanted them to be as authentic as possible.

"Why don't you just let me build them?" Toph could earthbend that shit easy as pie. All she would need was a little model for her to see with her feet hand then she could build it.

"Because we built the temples ourselves. I want that same work to go into these."

"You want to do something yourself?" she teased.

Aang didn't even notice the slight. HE started talking about how they used wind port to generate more energy than they used and other such things that made Toph roll her eyes in boredom.

"You should think about harvesting wind power. It could save the Earth Kingdom money. You wouldn't have to mine so much."

Toph actually fell asleep while Aang was talking to her, or she was faking it loudly to let Aang know she was bored.

He kept talking anyway. If she were actually annoyed, she'd punch him.

Mai was not amused. Azula was sending her to represent the Fire Nation in a trade talk that was happing in the Northern Water Tribe.

"I hate the cold. Azula's a firebender and her lover is a snow peasant. Why can't they go?"

Ty Lee thought it would be fun. "We've never been there before. We can see the spirit oasis and meet Yue and …"

Mai groaned. "Stop trying to make this sound enjoyable."

"I can think of all kinds of ways that we can stay warm," Ty Lee waggled a brow.

"Keep talking!"

"Imagine this, the two of us, sharing our own little ice house, keeping warm on a polar bear skin rug and staying close for body heat."

"I still hate the cold," Mai grumbled.

"Also, this is your last assignment until the peace summit in April. I don't have anything after the All Saints Day party. We could take a long vacation in Ember Island, eat at the turtle crab shack, touch each other salaciously on the beach."

"Damn you and your optimism."

Ty Lee laughed before she pushed Mai back onto the bed. "Let's spend the morning right here …"

Sokka was trying to come up with a sport that firebenders could play without burning each other, but it seemed impossible. "Fire is hot. It's meant to burn." When he went to the sages to ask for advice, they said.

"The only way to prevent burns is to make the benders stay far apart and to limit the duration of the flame."

"Duration?"

"It takes time to burn. If I send a hot blast at you, but it only lasts for 1/3 of a second, that won't be long enough to burn you."

"So they could fight with a series of short blasts instead of a few big ones."

"Yes?"

Now how did Sokka make this a game? If they couldn't burn each other, there had to be another way to win.

When he ran his idea past Azula, she didn't get the core concept. "What's the point of a game if you can't burn each other?"

"What?"

"We're firebenders. We burn each other for fun. It's what we do. It's like how water witches like to dump snow on each other's heads."

"Katara always did that to me … hey wait a minute."

Azula started cracking up.

"Not funny, anyway there must be some other thing that firebenders do for fun."

"Winning, humiliating the opposition, bragging, sex."

Sokka liked the last one but "that is not a game."

"That's what you think."

"I'm serious. How would I make this fun without people burning each other."

Azula repeated her earlier answer. "You need a winner and a loser, the chance to build rivalries and competition, and people love to brag, about who's strongest or fastest, or from the best nation."

"From the best nation."

"We Fire Nation folk are very proud."

"But you're all from here."

"Why does this have to be a game for only firebenders? It could be a game that earthbenders and waterbenders could play too."

Sokka kissed her. "That's brilliant."

"And you will be able to show the world that firebenders are clearly the best."

Sokka gave her a look but she only smirked. "You know you love me."

Sokka did like the idea of bringing in the other elements. He also liked the idea of Azula getting her butt kicked by an earthbender or a waterbender; he'd pay to see that … well if he had any money.