ey Comfy

A/N: Avatar Nick wholly owns the Last Airbender.

Nothing is ever easy for this group.

(This was meant to be a one-shot, but it's evolved. One more chapter!)

All comments welcomed.

Price and Plans

Katara looks over at the shimmering visage of her brother. "I can see that death has done nothing to improve your goofiness, Sokka! The only person that has seen a Lion Turtle in the last hundred years is Aang. Are we supposed to go hunting for that monster and ask for its shell?"

"Oh, yea of little faith," Sokka replies with a wink, looking down and shaking his head. "That one my buddy here ran into was the last of the four, the Water Lion Turtle. The other three died in the Spirit Wars. The spirits killed them in an attempt to neutralize the bending abilities given to people. Of course, it failed, and they just made it more powerful. The Water Lion Turtle escaped by hiding at the bottom of the ocean or pretending to be an island. Great camo, I must say."

The waterbender crosses her arms. "So, how are we going to get that Lion Turtle's shell, genius? You expect us to go ask him?"

"Actually, he's a her," Aang adds.

Katara stomps her foot. "Ugh, does it really matter! How are we going to get him? I mean her, frickin shell?"

"We don't have to, Sweetness. We're standing on it," Toph informs her.

The waterbender's blue eyes pop wide open. "You got to be freaking kidding me, Toph. We're standing on that turtle now? I thought it was too big to live here in this swamp. How did it get under the tree?"

"That's just like you, Sugar Queen, thinking with your itty-bitty little brain. The one we were standing on died eons ago, and the tree grew on what was left of his shell. The other one is still out there swimming around without a care in the world."

Katara points in the blind bender's direction. "My brain has nothing to do with this!"

Toph laughs, placing her hands over her belly. "Ain't that the truth. Your brain has nothing to do most days, Sweetness!"

Katara sneers. "And you don't even have a brain!"

"Now you two sound like squabbling children," Azula interjects as she folds her arms.

"If I wanted you to have an opinion, Sparky, I would have beaten it into ya," Katara growls as a cool mist begins to swirl in the tropical heat.

Before Azula can reply, Toph steps up into the bank of cooling, swirling air. "Oh, wow, Sugar Queen, this feels great! This time of day gets hot and humid! Keep it up!"

"Ah, I guess we finally found something you're good at besides being on your knees, you old hag," Azula snipes, joining the earthbender in the small vortex. "Being a fan!" The silver-haired princess extends her arms. "Toph, this is rather pleasant. But she was always good at her little parlor tricks."

An ice-cold deluge from the nearby stream descends on the two chatting women. Both Toph and Azula inhale with sharp gasps at the shock.

"And you were always best looking like the drowned lizard-rat you are, sister," Katara retorts with a challenging glare and an overstated laugh.

The Fire Nation princess clenched her fists. A long blue flame, replicating a sword, jutted from each. "Why, you bitch! I'm going to slice off what little of you is still worth having and feed it to whatever disgusting thing lives out here!"

Katara takes a stance as bluish blades of ice, similar to Zuko's twin swords, manifest in her hands. She makes circles as they cut through the air and create a menacing whistle. "Just you try you dried up skank. I'll cut that old leather hide up like tiger-seal jerky!"

"You two are so alike, it's no wonder you don't get along," a familiar disembodied voice interrupts the ruckus.

Azula stands stark still, her fire flickering out like embers in a campfire. Her amber eyes cloud as tears begin to stream down her face. A warm, drying breeze envelopes her like a hug. "Uncle Fuddy-Duddy?"

The image of a man in about his mid-thirties appears as he wraps his extremely muscular arms about the weeping woman. "How is my precious niece doing?"

"Is – is it that you?"

"Yes, Azula, it is your Uncle Fatso."

"Iroh, it's good of you to make it," Aang exclaims with a broad smile.

Still holding and rocking his Azula, Iroh nods. "I wouldn't miss it for all eternity. It is about time we put an end to this blight. I tried to talk Ozai into joining me, but he's in the middle of the transition."

Zuko takes in a deep breath. "Dad is okay?"

Iroh nods once more. "He did find the right path just before he passed into the Spirit World. His accredits you and Azula for helping him see that virtue was better than power."

The former Fire Lord bows his head, wiping at his eyes. "You were right, Aang. I doubted you so many times, but now – now I know it was the right call to save him."

"I doubted it sometimes too," the deceased Avatar shares. "It was you and your sister that kept telling him the truth. It did get through, buddy."

Katara moves to her husband's side, softly rubbing his back. "I know that was on your mind a lot, Zuzu. It must be a relief to know."

Zuko sniffles as he purses his lips and falls into her arms.

"Good to see you, Uncle. You're looking young," Sokka laughs.

Iroh chortles, still comforting Azula. "I guess maybe I am. I wanted to take my strongest form for today. The little one said that there is going to be a lot of heavy lifting."

The waterbender grunts unceremoniously, "By little one. you mean that old blind bag of bones?"

Toph seems to miss the slight as the ethereal Avatar is drying her with his air bending. "Did you say something irrelevant again, Sugar Queen?"

"I said… never mind. You missed the moment."

Toph grins broadly. "Well, it must not have been very important. Uncle, Ozai is transitioning?"

"Yes, he's going to be reborn into this world. He's got a lot to atone for with all that he did. But he's better off than our father and Sozin. They are in the Fog of Lost Souls, doing penance."

"That sounds rough," Toph comments, exchanging a kiss with Aang for his services.

Katara's eyes keep drifting to the young stout, muscular, apparition of Iroh. "Wow, looks do run in the family."

Iroh turns towards the waterbender. "Thank you, Katara. I was considered quite handsome in my day."

"Ugh, Toph! This telepathy thing is embarrassing! Isn't there something you can do about it?"

"Hey, I'm not doing it." Toph points to the massive tree. "You have to ask Yggie here. She's the one connecting to everybody."

Katara sucks on her teeth. "So, the tree, it's doing this?"

"Yep, and she's not an it. She kind of does what she wants to do most of the time. She's been alive long before people were here."

Katara bows her head towards the great tree. "Sorry, I meant no disrespect, Yggie, is it? Thank you for giving me a seat before."

There is a sound like rustling leaves that resonates both audibly and in her mind. "Welcome child," the tree communicates.

An unexpected warmth fills Katara's chest. It is reminiscent of her mother. "What is this, I'm feeling?"

"It is an echo from your memories," Aang informs her. "Yggie picks up on our deepest feelings and plays them back, like when we first came. Her roots even reach into the Spirit World."

Katara's eyes widen. "Can I talk to my mom then?"

Sokka shakes his head. "Sorry, sis, but mom had already transitioned even before I got here."

The waterbender shuts her blue eyes tightly. "Of course, she dd. That was stupid of me even to ask."

"That's not stupid, sis," Sokka responds. "A lot of people reach a state where they won't transition again, like Iroh, Aang, and me."

A feeling of relief spreads over the waterbender for a moment just before an inquisitive expression displays on her face. "Wait, uh, you're not coming back to this life, Sokka? I mean, I can understand Iroh, and well, Aang marginally, but you?"

"We are bound," Yue declares proudly. "His spirit is a part of me, and I'm a part of him, just like Tui and La."

"WHAT!" Azula and Katara cry out in unison.

The moon spirit moved next to Sokka. "Why look so shocked? My beloved Sokka became pledged to me the moment I kissed him."

'Uh, what about till death do you part?" Katara throws in.

"I never died, I transformed into the Moon Spirit," Yue declares as she stomps her foot, which made no audible sound. "Our kiss was a guarantee that when his mortal life ended, the essence that we shared would draw me to him. We've been together ever since."

Azula walks up to her deceased husband, ignoring Yue's glower. "Is what she says true, Sokka?"

Sokka looks deep into his former wife's reddened eyes. "Yes, it is true. I didn't get to see Ty before she returned, but I did spend time with Mai. It felt more like we were siblings than lovers on this side. Even when I see you, I have deep, warm feelings. It is like – like the ones I have for Katara."

"For the peasant queen? Like feelings, you have for your trampy sister? Is that all I meant too you, Sokka?" Azula screams into his passive face as her electrified fist strike his chest.

Sokka doesn't even flinch at the blow. "Azula, my flame. Just because mortal passion has left me, doesn't me I don't love you madly. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. Yue and I have visited you so often; you just don't know, Azula. She's quite fond of you too."

"You wouldn't think that by the way she's staring me down," Azula points out with a roll of her still vibrant golden eyes.

The moon spirit smirks. "How very observant of you. It's true; I'm very jealous of you, child of Agni," Yue admits. "My one consoling thought is that you'll crossover and then return to the mortal realm. You and that hussy of a sister of his."

Katara points to herself. "Me?"

"Oh, don't play dumb, moon child. You know that you think of my beloved as more than a brother, even after all these years."

The waterbender smirks. "I got over that ages ago. Zuko is my husband, and by Tui and La, I swear that I love him."

The expression on Yue's face becomes flat. 'I didn't say, you didn't love that son of Agni, only that you still carnally love your brother as it was fated. You two are as Lady Tui and Lord La. He being water and you moon. The pull was – unavoidable. No doubt, if the Avatar hadn't been found, you two would have married."

"Ugh, how disgusting," Toph states as she pretends to wretch. "See Aang; fate wanted to stop the Southern Water Tribe from ending because of inbreeding with stupid."

Katara crosses her arms. "Ha, Ha, not funny at all, Toph. Why did you say such a mean thing about Sokka?"

"Sokka? I was talking about you, Sweetness."

Before the earthbender can laugh at her joke, an even colder torrent of water washes over her. Anger flashes through her foggy, jade green eyes for a moment. Toph shakes her head. "I guess I had that one coming. Sorry Sugar Queen. Aang, my love, will you dry me off once more."

"My pleasure, my sweet," he replies, extracting the water with a warming breeze.

Azula sighs. "That was unexpectedly anticlimactic. I was hoping for at least a little mudslinging."

Katara clicks her teeth. "So was I."

Toph shudders. "Oh no, I'm not falling for that again."

Zuko awakens from whatever daydream he consumes his haggard mind. "Falling for what?"

"We really have to get back on topic," Sokka urges everyone. "Time is a wasting."

"So, what's the plan," Azula asks as she nuzzles the spirit form of her late husband.

Sokka's arm moves over her shoulder, allowing her to move in closer.

It appears for a moment that Yue was going to raise some objection, but she presses in on the opposite side.

"First, let's take a look at what's coming." Sokka waves a hand in the air, and over their heads becomes like night. Katara, Azula, and Zuko can see the normal daylight at the edges as if they were under a starry canopy. A sphere is floating in the center as a white comet with a long trail approaches. The mortals were speechless, all except for Toph."

"As you can all see, this is our world," Toph begins to explain. "We are standing at the spiritual center of it right now. That streak that is quickly approaching was once called Agni's Comet. Later, at the time of the first Avatar, it was renamed the Great Comet, and today it is called Sozin's Comet. As everyone has experienced, this makes firebenders freaky strong."

"Toph, you see all this?" Katara asks in wonder.

"Yeah, Sweetness. All this spirit stuff I see it in my head. Whenever Aang takes me over to the other side, I can see just like I have regular eyes, can't I honey?"

Aang nods in agreement. "You sure can my sweet egg custard tart,"

Azula's brow furls. "Sweet egg custard tart?"

"It was his first favorite thing to eat until I came along," the petite, gaunt earthbender brags.

"So, what's his favorite now, Toph," Katara asks in a monotone voice.

"Me, of course, Sweetness."

Katara's face soured. "Ew, moldy, old mud crusted crotch?"

Toph's face softens as years seem to fade. "Wanna taste, Sugar Queen?"

The waterbender wipes the drool from the corner of her mouth, "Well. I guess it wouldn't hurt to…"

Toph starts to chuckle. "I knew that would get you, you horny old water bag. You can't resist me. But we don't really have time to be fooling around. Sorry."

The waterbender's face is a bright mahogany red as her eyes cutaway in embarrassment. "I knew that. I was just teasing, playing along with you, Toph."

"Please focus people," Sokka injects as Azula delivers a mischievous smile Katara way. She was enjoying their closeness.

The waterbender raises her middle finger in response.

"You were saying milord," Won prompts to cut the tension,

"Thank you, Avatar Won. So the comet will move towards the planet and skim the air, causing that reddish glow. That glow is what strengthens firebender's abilities. Right over this point will it make it's the lowest pass, and that's when we do it."

"Do what?" Zuko inquires as to if waking from a nap.

Toph points to the image of the comet. "We're going to knock that spirit-cursed thing back out into the void!"

"I don't get it. Won't it just come back in 100 years like before?" Azula asks as she rubs her thin hand across the front of Sokka's trousers.

He doesn't seem to mind or notices the intimate touch. "Comets move in and around the sun on a set path. If we change that path, then…"

"Oh, I see," Zuko gasps. "Change it enough, and it won't be able to get close anymore."

Sokka smiles. "That's right, buddy. It will continue to loop, but it will never affect firebenders again, throwing things out of balance."

"Uh geniuses," Katara breaks in with her hand raised. "How are we supposed to reach that high? Even our best airships can only get up to 8 kilometers. No way can we reach out into the void. The air would be too thin to breathe."

"Ahh, look at you being all smart acting," Azula teases. "I guess you're time in the Fire Nation has taught a dumb rube like you a little."

The waterbender's only reply is her middle finger once more.

"You're exactly right sis; we have to go much higher, about 30 times that height if we want to reach the comet."

"Since we have all these spirits, can't you guys just fly up and knock it away," the Former Fire Lord probes. "Lady Yue, aren't you the Moon Spirit now?"

"Lord Zuko, if it were only that simple, I would have done it a hundred years ago. We spirits exist on another plane of reality, and it takes a lot of mana to manifest here. That comet isn't natural. It also exudes a lot of mana, funneling it into firebenders through that red light. For spirits, it's like facing a tidal wave. Only Agni can get close, or maybe the Jade Emperor, or -uh- well, you get the point."

Iroh steps over and points to the ground. "That is why we are going to recover the Fire Lion Turtle's shell. It was the familiar of Agni, and so it should be unaffected by the mana emissions of the comet."

"But aren't those shells the size of a mountain?" Katara throws in.

"Normally they are, but Yggie's roots have broken it up over time. The fragments are only about the size of a hill or a short mountain," Toph elaborates.

Katara's crystal blue eyes pop open. "Toph, even in your prime, you couldn't move a hill or a small mountain. I recall that you were almost crushed under one."

"That was a long time ago, Sweetness. Believe it or not, I've gotten a lot stronger with age, just like good cherry brandy."

"Do you really expect me to believe you can unearth an island size mountain of Lion Turtle Shell by yourself?" Katara challenges.

Toph smiles. "Not by myself. Yggie is going to help me. Just like she made our seats, she can move her roots and bring the shell parts up. I have to move the dirt away. And now that you're here, Sweetness, you can help me soften it up with some water."

A vein in the middle of the waterbender's forehead begins to pulse. "Isn't that the real reason you invited me here, Bei Fong. You just wanted me to help you excavate the thing. Why didn't you start with that little detail, Toph?"

The earthbender smiles sheepishly. "Uh, Sweetness, I thought maybe, just maybe you would get a bit upset with me," Toph states as she presses her thumb and forefingers together in front of her. "But I really can't do it without you."

Toph purses her lips into a pout.

The waterbender sighs. "Dammit, Toph. That was cute when you were younger, but now it just looks like a dried apricot."

All expression washes away from the earthbender's face. "Thanks, Sweetness. I appreciate the compliment – not!"

"Hey, don't get angry, Toph," Katara giggles. "I happen to love dried apricots."

The petite earthbender steps back into the glowing form of Aang. "You-you better not try anything funny, Katara. These lips belong to him."

Katara smiles devilishly. "I thought you wanted my help Toph. I guess you weren't serious." She turns towards her husband. "Let's go, Zuzu. You weren't supposed to be here anyway."

Zuko startles as if he were asleep. "Are we finished already?"

Katara stares over at Toph. "Yeah, we're finished."

"Wait, Sugar Queen! We have a chance to end eons of suffering, right here, right now. None of us is going to be alive in a hundred years. Who knows what will happen to the world then, our kids', kids', kids may end up suffering! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

The waterbender takes in a deep breath. "Toph, I'm sure they'll figure it out, just like we did. Our time is over; it's their world for better or worse. I'm not as young as I used to be, and you're like - ancient."

"Hey, Sugar Queen, you're older than me!"

"But I've aged better while you look like a dried, old, clay pot."

Toph's sightless eyes lock in on the waterbender. "What's your game, you soured skin of koala-goat's milk?"

"No game, just a price."

The earthbender's brow lifted.

'Now this is getting interesting," Azula comments as she leans forward letting her bony hips press into Sokka's.

"A price, what kind of price Katara? You're basically a Queen now. You must have all the money, things, and people to kiss your flabby ass; then you could ever want."

"Toph, do you think it's wise to insult her when asking for her help," Aang whispers.

"Please miladies, we are running out of time, and the comet gets ever closer," Avatar Won reminds them all. "If we don't start soon, we will miss our opportunity."

Katara folds her arms and turns to the side. "I'm fine either way. It's your choice, Bei Fong. Pay my price, or I and my awesome skills go home. Maybe you can get the princess over there to do more than grind away at my brother if she has so much energy!"

"Tell me what you want, Sweetness."

The waterbender stretches her arms over her head with a loud exhale. "It's nothing really, Toph. Something simple actually."

Toph stomps the ground, and the whole area shudders. "Oh, come on! Just cut the shit Fussy Britches and tells me what the hells you want!"

Katara turns and places her hands on her hips. "Okay! Toph Bei Fong, why did you betray me! Why did you steal Aang away from me? You know what he meant to me! And I don't want to hear that buffalo-yak shit about how grateful you were that he saved you and your mud-for-brains student's lives. Just this once, please tell me the truth!"

Toph crossed her arms as her face scowled, accenting her wrinkles. Her face turned from earth to sky several times before she clears her throat. "Roku's Island, that's where I fell in love with him. I spent the next four years listening to you two being all lovey-dovey until I couldn't take it anymore. On that beach, I was going to lay it all out and confess. I couldn't live with being quiet anymore."

"Wow, who would have thought that goofy kid would have two girls fall for him," Azula chortles. "I didn't even think his balls had dropped back then."

Toph and Katara's face snapped around to glower at the princess.

"Geez, why you two getting so serious, that was ages ago, and it all worked out, didn't it?"

Azula's observation seems to linger in the air before Toph begins to smile and snicker.

Katara glances lovingly over at her semi-conscious husband and smiles. "I guess it did, sister – I guess it did."

"Now, since that is over, can we please get moving," Sokka asks. "We do have a schedule to keep."

Katara raises a hand. "Question, brother?"

"Yes, sister."

'Since this shell is so massive, even with Toph, me and Yggie, won't it take a long time to unearth?"

Azula stops rocking into Sokka. "Yeah, I thought that myself. I mean, that thing looked huge if I recall."

"Oh, it is quite big," Yue confirms. "A couple of billion tons, at least."

Azula turns to face the ethereal genius with a puzzled expression. "So, getting back to your sister's question, how are we, meaning those three, supposed to uncover a mountain-sized, dead turtles shell in less than eight hours? I mean, they're good but look, they're older than the dirt we're standing on – no offense."

"Liar," the waterbender retorts as she delivers an obscene hand gesture.

"Take it easy, ladies," Sokka states holding up his almost transparent hands. "We don't need the whole shell. Just about one percent of the comet's mass, about 20 million tons. Yggie has already located a single piece that fits our needs."

That strange voice that sounds like rustling leaves in the wind filled all their minds. "It is buried next to the stream's bank, very deep. Lady Yue will control the water's flow as Lady Katara, and my loving companion removes rock and roots."

"Twenty million tons is still a lot to move," Avatar Won states. "Once it is free from the earth, Yggdrasil will move it to the launch site, along with all the tree roots that have been cut away."

"I get that Sokka is the brains, so that's why he's here. But Aang, Iroh, Avatar Won, and your gloriousness, Princess Yue, why are you four here. I mean, I could dam up the water by myself," Katara surmises with a bow of respect towards the Moon Spirit.

"We're here to possess you three - uh four," Iroh informs them nonchalantly. "I only came because my nephew showed up."

"Do what?" Azula and Katara gasp in stereo.