Avatar : Echoes of the Heart

Chapter 1: Unforseen Changes

The Hundred Year War. A century long war that caused catastrophic destruction for the time being of Avatar Aang being sealed within the ice underneath the ocean's surface. The wore tore apart the balance between nations due to the genocide of the Air Nomads. Fire Lord Sozin and the Fire Lords after him all had set their sights on finding the Avatar and taking over the Earth Kingdom to complete the plan of a world of fire. However, after the Avatar was found by a water bender and her brother, Katara and Sokka set off with Aang where they assembling a team of their own with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and Toph Beifong, the daughter of a rich couple in the Earth Kingdom.

After the newly formed Team Avatar ended the war, they all set off and began their individual lives, sending letters back and forth between each other to check on one another. However, Katara and Aang never sent a letter to one another. Before their departure, the two had a serious talk about their feelings for one another, where an argument followed, and an awkwardness dwelled within their friendship. When they seperated, they both wrote letters to the other, but never sent it due to their thoughts of rejection. After a while, Katara became a diplomatic representative for the Southern Water Tribe, and Sokka became the head general of the Souther Water Tribe warriors. After Zuko issued his mentally unstable sister into a mental facility, he took the mantle of Fire Lord and set out to find his mother, which he has yet to do. Toph started a metal bending school and had high hopes that her students would soon become teachers and her school would grow larger. And as for Aang, well he took on his Avatar responsibilities, although he was always conflicted on his resolutions to the problems.

As of now, Katara sat back tiredly in her chair. She just finished signing papers that gave permission for a new boat port to be built, and the constant meetings were starting to drain her. Getting up, Katara grabbed her water pouches and her bag and walked out of the meeting hall, walking outside and towards her home. She waved at the little kids that were fans of her and her waterbending talent. On her way home, the icy winds blew against her, and her ocean blew eyes searched for visible air to try and remind her of her favorite air bender. Katara regretted starting that argument and hurting Aang the way she did, the hurtful words she said giving her nightmares and fueling her negative thoughts. She missed the freedom of being with Aang. The endless adventures, the wonders of helping villages around the world, and that silly goofy grin that he always plastered on his face throughout any situation. That smile always seemed to put a smile on her face, even thinking about it now put a small one on her face. Arriving at her home, Katara slowly opened her door and walked in, closing it and locking it.

Going into her room, Katara flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes, relaxing her body. That was until she remembered that tomorrow she had to help set up for the Spirit's Festival. Sighing, Katara got up from her bed and went into her bathroom and ran some warm water in her bathtub. The way water tribe homes were built simply came in the form of mostly insulation. Because of how cold it usually is, the times of living in igloos was over, and more sturdy and durable homes were built. She saw Aang for a brief period when he arrived to help build the larger homes and the Representative Hall. And as he got on Appa to leave, Katara watched from her window as he looked back once before speeding up and leaving her for good. Since then, she hasn't heard from, nor seen Aang, and whenever she ask's her friends about him, they say he hasn't spoken to them either.

Im the Fire Nation, Zuko left the eating hall and quietly walked down the hall to the dormitory. Zuko was getting ready to leave and head to the Southern Water Tribe to appear for the Spirit's Festival. It would take about two days to arrive, meaning he'd arrive right on time. As he walked down the hall, Zuko thought about if it was a good idea if he should leave his country in the shape it was right now, but he promised Katara and Sokka he'd attend this one. While pondering on the thought, Zuko felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and sighed, looking to his left and looking at Mai with a soft gaze. Nodding her head in reassurance, Zuko grabbed his bag of clothing and toiletries and began heading out with Mai. As Zuko passed his throne room, he heard his uncle laughing with glee.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled through the closed doors of the throne room.

"Don't worry, nephew. I will not take away the weapons and replace them with tea!" Iroh yelled in return, laughing back.

Zuko sighed quietly as a couple guards chuckled, including Mai. Walking out to the open area behind the palace, Zuko stood infront of a newly built cave that was built by the grace of Toph herself. Of course, as payment, Zuko was brought into a sparring match, payed 30,000 gold pieces, and an extra punch to the shoulder on her departure. Sensing the presence of Zuko, the breath of a large creature blasted through the cave, golden eyes being the illuminating light within the darkness of the cave. Rising from the ground, the beast walked out of the cave and relinquished itself from the darkness of the cave, revealing it's tornado red scales, white hair scaling down it's neck and chin, and it's bright sharp teeth showing themselves. Zuko's dragon had hatched from the egg he had taken from the Sun Warriors, and he had formed a bond between him and the dragon, in which he named him, Druk. Grabbing Mai's hand, Zuko helped her onto Druk's lower neck of the dragon. Grabbing both sides of his neck, Zuko put some heat on his hands and after giving Druk the flight command, Druk took off into the air, Zuko pointing in the direction of the Southern Water Tribe, and Druk moving south, Mai and Zuko sat back on one another and sat quietly, enjoying the calmness of the flight.

In the Earth Kingdom, Toph grabbed her bag of clothing and toiletries and walked outside, feeling the cool breeze in the air. Getting into a stance, Toph suddenly launched herself into the air, sending a small shockwave through the village she lived in. Landing on a small hill, Toph looked into the air and heard a familiar roar coming towards her direction. Listening closely, Toph concentrated an earth pillar directly beneath her feet, boosting forwards into the air, and feeling a hand grab onto her wrist as she was about to fly past the flying bison. Sighing as she sat down on the saddle, Toph felt someone else sit down in the saddle.

"Thanks Twinkle-Toes, I don't know what I'd do without you." Toph said with a hint of sarcasm and glee in her voice.

"Probably living in the forest somewhere." Aang joked, laughing silently as Toph blew her bangs out of her face and looked away.

Jolting up from her nap, Katara nearly fell back over and fell asleep again. She had fallen asleep earlier while reading a book. Getting up from the couch, Katara walked to her room and slammed the door shut, quickly jumping into her bed and falling right back into her slumber.

At the camp of the southern warriors, Sokka sat awake in his tent, sharpening his space sword. He remembered the adventure he and Toph went on to find it. The two bonded over their adventure, and their friendship bloomed into a more mature and structured friendship, along with some unsettled feelings for one another. When the two went their seperate ways, Sokka realized that Toph had matured him into a more stern and firm captain. He taught his men how to fight, benders or not, the differences between benders and non benders, and how they were all equal and nothing seperated them. Sokka taught everyone how to analyze and adapt to benders and he even taught his benders how to fight with weapons, shall it ever come down to it. Hearing rustling outside his tent, Sokka grabbed his boomerang and stepped outside, seeing a wild polar bear dog. The animal looked up at Sokka and cocked it's head to the side. It suddenly ran away, and Sokka ran after it, catching up to it but also staying low. When Sokka arrived to the den of the polar bear dogs, Sokka looked around and became shocked when he saw a large one, and a few shadows that had the shape of people. Dropping the matter, Sokka ran back to camp and went back to sharpening his sword.

As Aang flew through the air, Aang looked perplexed, his anxiety rising as he knew he'd have to face Katara at some point. He had become more serious than usual, but he still had that goofy side to him and that would never leave. He had no hatred or anything towards Katara, but she did manage to hurt him a little, and the words she said struck deep within him. Sighing heavily, Aang leaned back and began talking to Toph and catching up with her as they ventured to the Southern Water Tribe.