Katara was writing a letter to Sokka that warm autumn day when everything changed. It had been a few months since the fifth anniversary of the War's end and the world-wide party that accompanied it. Katara had celebrated in Republic City with Aang, as well as Toph, who had immediately gone back to galavanting around the Earth Kingdom, and things were firmly back to normal. Aang was leading some Air Acolytes in a walking meditation outside and Katara was planning on finishing her letter and then putting lunch together. She thought she might try a venison stew. Aang and the Acolytes didn't eat meat, obviously, but they didn't mind that she did.

...I'm thinking of trying to host a Water Tribe New Years celebration here on the Island next month, she wrote, smiling at the idea. There are starting to be quite a few of us because of our proximity to the Northern Tribe, and we're seeing a lot more intermarriages as well! There are lots of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe weddings, and even some Water Tribe and Fire Nation ones! It's really exciting!

She questioned the wisdom of mentioning Water Tribe/Earth Kingdom relationships given Sokka's breakup with Suki was still relatively fresh, but mentioning Water Tribe/Fire Nation ones right afterward would hopefully distract him. She went on,

Two of the Acolytes got married last week as well actually and Aang officiated. It was so

Just as she was re-dipping her brush, she heard a cry of amazement from the pavilion where Aang and the Acolytes were meditating. She looked up curiously and saw all of them looking up at the sky, some of them pointing. She followed their gazes and felt her mouth fall open: high above, in the cloudless sky at the northern end of Republic City, there was a cluster of floating blobs that slowly got larger as she watched. No, not floating, she realized with a start: flying. And they weren't blobs, but Air bison! And in between the large bison darted smaller shapes on large wings. But as she squinted harder she realized the wings didn't belong to the figures themselves: they were glider wings! The people were Airbending! The knowledge struck her like a blow to the chest, so hard she could not breathe for a long moment. But then her eyes snapped back to Aang as she realized that however wonderstruck she felt, it could be nothing to his emotions. As she found him again he was just stepping forward out of the group of Acolytes, slowly, like a sleepwalker, his face turned upwards towards the sky. She watched him pace forward and pick up his glider from where it leaned against a tree. He snapped it open and took off, still moving gently, carefully, as though afraid to wake up. She watched him float up towards the approaching shapes. He spiraled upwards, following the wind like smoke until he was as small as them, and they gathered to him like moths to a flame, and she heard one of the Air bison bellow a greeting. Aang twirled through them, his glider like a blue bird through a cluster of red leaves, and even though she couldn't hear, she was sure he was weeping with joy.

A/N

Golly, has it ever been a minute! I'm glad to be back. I've got a lot in store! That said, welcome to my new story! As the description says, this is a fic that starts with Kataang and ends with Zutara, so if that's not your cuppa, I wish you well on your adventures elsewhere.

The chapters will be short, but I plan to update daily, and the whole fic is already written, so there shouldn't be reasons for big interruptions (unless the power goes out for two days again, in which case, well...).

All characters are owned by Bryke, Nick, and Viacom.

E.I. signing out