rebuilding the world

Part 4

Katara found her friends near the pond. Suki was in the pond itself, splashing water on her boyfriend Sokka, who was eating, how expected, meat. Aang and Toph were practicing earthbending with the boulders around the pond, trying not to drop them in the pond. Aang dropped a rock to the pond when he spotted Katara, he ran to her yelling with excitement as he took his shirt off, revealing muddy bandages.

"Aang, what did you do to yourself? Those bandages are brown with mud" she scolded him as she put the bucket on the grass and started to take the bandages out.

"Toph insisted, she said it was part of training, like how we immerse ourselves in water" Aang was still quite excited.

"can you believe that this time tomorrow we'll be on Appa again?" he asked as she took the last of the bandages from his back and threw them on the grass. She knelt to take the remaining water to her hands and made them glow before rising back up to heal the avatar's back one last time, she did so sadly.

"Zuko's wound could still get infected, I think I should stay here for a few extra days" she eventually said after she finished the healing session and wrapped new bandages over Aang's body. He looked at her sadly, like the rest.

"but we were gonna go to Kyoshi island together, and ride the elephant koi again" Aang said sadly. Suki got out of the water, Sokka handed her a towel and got up.

"we understand"

"Sokka, but..."

"Zuko needs her more than we do right now. Kyoshi island is only a day's flight from the south pole, we can go there after Katara gets home" Sokka put a hand on Aang's shoulder, he really did mature over the summer. Aang sighed and walked to Toph, Sokka hugged Katara.

"we will write to keep you updated on how things are going back home"

"and I will write you when I leave" Katara hugged her brother back, Suki joined in when Iroh went out to the garden.

"are you not leaving after all?" he asked happily, looking at his young apprentice.

"Katara is staying, the rest of us are going as planned" Sokka let go of his sister. Iroh's smile disappeared.

"I was hoping the avatar and Toph will help me with Ba Sing Se" Iroh sat down sadly. Ba Sing Se has requested Iroh to be in charge of taking the outer wall down after the war ended, the old man took it to mean that all walls should come down and hoped the two best earthbenders in the world would help.

"we will, but I promised Sokka I would help him rebuild Kyoshi island, and we still need to see if the southern water tribe needs any help with anything now that Katara is staying" Aang said, sitting next to the general.

"I see, well. Toph, could you begin? Maybe Aang will be able to join you after he is done with his avatar duties"

"I agreed to build Suki's new dojo from earth, sorry" the young girl said, taking a finger out of her ear, Katara sighed in disgust.

"we should be done in a week, we can meet you in Ba Sing Se" Suki said. Iroh smiled, bowed in thanks and walked away.

"will you make it to Kyoshi island before we leave or will we meet you in Ba Sing Se?" Aang asked, his big gray eyes widening in a puppy polar bear dog stare directed to Katara.

"I will meet you in Ba Sing Se with Iroh" Katara said sadly and hugged the avatar. She let him go after a few seconds and turned back into the building.