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::EDIT:: Re-writing time, yay!

I've gone through this and COMPLETELY re-done it. Here's what I've come up with.
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There was a knock at the door.

Or the ice, rather, for the so-called front door was no more than a thick, heavy sheet of fabric, surrounded by harder shards of ice fragments that form and re-form from night to night.

Katara stirred a bit unhappily. Her previous night had been frequently interrupted, though if there were people at the door, she figured she needed to get up and answer it. But Aang was faster. He sat up in their bed, if you will (though it was really more of fur and fabrics of the ground), and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's all right," he said, "I've got this one." Katara smiled faintly, her eyes betraying her gratitude as she watched Aang climb out of bed, slip off his nightclothes, and pull on his thick robe. He'd always been the morning person, between the two of us, she thought. She had no sooner thought so when Aang was ready to go and out the door to their little "room".

Katara and Aang were currently living in a relatively small tent-like compartment in the Southern Water Tribe. They had been in the Air Temples for a while, though eventually, they had decided that they should probably live around...well, more people. But of course, they still made visits to the temples. A home away from home, one could say.

Their tent contained three main sections: One large, central area--a living room, it could be called, though it also included a fire pit that could be used for cooking--, a secondary, slightly smaller room which they used for their bedroom, and another large room used mainly for storage...though Aang and Katara had recently realized that one day, that storage room may wind up serving a better purpose. All the rooms were separated by woolen cloths that acted as doors, though none quite as thick as the one that led to the outside.

Katara sat up slowly, taking her time to adjust to being awake. Last night, this hadn't been her luxury; she was more or less forced to wake up then and there.

But the cause was worth it. The cause, in fact, was worth the world, for all Katara cared. She gazed at the basket which sat beside her "bed" and peered into it. The sight she saw there again made her smile, a soft, loving look seeping into her deep blue eyes.

In the basket, curled up in soft blankets and warm pajamas, was her new daughter. Hardly a day old, in fact, yet Katara and Aang loved her with all their hearts. And how could they not, Katara wondered as she stared at the face of the newborn.

Such a mix of her and her husband, she believed. The girl—Setsuko, they had named her, and suggestion from Aang after that of a former friend of his—still obviously had the soft features that all babies do, but it was already apparent that in shape and proportion, they were a lot like Katara's. Her eyes, too, were shaped like those of her mother's, but the previous day had proved that the irises were the same brilliant shade of silver-grey that belonged to her father. Her skin was also much lighter than Katara's, that, too, being more like Aang. Her hair, though thin and scarce at the moment, was made up of gentle dusky brown curls, growing soft as down feathers on the child's head.

Aang suddenly came bursting back into the bedroom, interrupting Katara's thoughts, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Katara, come out here. I think you'll be glad to see our company." Katara smiled back up at her husband.

"All right, I'll be out in a second." As soon as Aang had again left through the sheets, Katara stood up, stretching. She changed her clothes, thoroughly rinsed her hands, and lifted Setsuko before leaving the room, cradling her daughter in her arms.

Katara entered the living room. There, in the middle of the floor, stood none other than Sokka and Suki. Katara's gentle smile turned in to one that was wide and wild.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed. "Suki! What are you two doing here?" Sokka shrugged.

"Long time, no see, you know? I wanted to see what my little sister was up to! Getting busy, I see," he added with a playful twinkle in his eye, indicating the child that Katara held close. She blushed slightly, the shade deepening as Aang put an arm around her.

"So what's his name?" Sokka inquired.

"Setsuko," Aang replied, chuckling lightly, "It's a girl, Sokka."

Now it was Sokka's turn to blush as the entire room giggled, Suki included. "Well, excuse me," he muttered.

"It is a nice name, though," Suki added, smiling. "How old is she? Very young, by the looks of her." Katara nodded in agreement.

"Very young indeed. Only a day." Suki's gaze softened.

"Awww," she cooed gently. Katara and Aang both smiled, exchanging a quick loving glance.

"So, Sokka," Aang said, "Just when are you and Suki planning to start a family?"

"Well...heh..." said Sokka, "That's part of the reason we came here..."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he inquired. And yet, the Airbender could not keep a smile off his face.

Katara, on the other hand jumped straight to the conclusion, no playful encouragement on her behalf. Her wide smile broke out again. "Oh, Sokka...Suki...you're not..."

Suki smiled, her eyes giving way to her bundled-up emotions. "Oh but we are," she agreed. Katara smiled wider, if that was possible, and happily, yet gently, embraced her sister-in-law with her free arm. Setsuko stirred, being roused by the sudden motion. Katara stepped back from Suki, gazing at the child. Suki, still smiling, came closer again to get a look at her new niece, who would, in a few months, have a cousin.

"Well, would you look at that," Katara murmured softly, "She's awake!" Indeed, Setsuko's eyes had opened, not very wide, but just enough for her to see out of. At such a young age, the child's vision was still fuzzy and limited, but it did not stop her from gazing up at her mother and this new person she did not recognize. She made a few squealing groans, as though to say, who is this? Katara grinned at her daughter.

"Hey, Setsuko," She whispered, "Meet your aunt Suki." Comforted by the familiar voice, Setsuko turned her gaze back to her mother, and then again to Suki. Her movements were slight and gentle; her muscles were not quite strong enough to properly move her head.

The women smiled. Though as sweet as they found the little girl to be, they, at the moment, had no realization that this child would be the beginning of a whole new generation for the Gaang.



Two Years Later...

Samiia crawled around the floor of the warm room in her home. Though the winter winds howled outside, she and her cousins felt safe indoors. Her short, dark hair fell messily over her emerald green eyes.

"Here, sweetheart, let me fix that," Suki offered, brushing the hairs out of the child's eyes. Samiia beamed at her mother's touch. "Mama," she said, "Mama, hi,"

"Well, hi to you too!" Suki retorted gladly before standing back up to observe some more as the children played.

Setsuko followed after her younger cousin, and now nearing the age of two, she more often than not pulled herself up on wobbly legs, walking more confidently by the day, following after Samiia.

Aang's family was visiting Sokka's for a while. After they met up the day after Setsuko's birth, they had decided that they needed to start coming together more often...after all, they didn't want to miss any more "important celebrations", as Sokka had put it.

This was the third reunion they'd had since then, the other two caused by the births of Samiia as well as Katara and Aang's new son, Tenzin, who for now slept in a blanket in Katara's arms as she sat with Suki and watched the girls playing. Aang and Sokka were out doing some kind of guy thing.

Tenzin squirmed as he awoke, gazing up at his mother with clear blue eyes that mirrored her own. Katara knew that many babies were born with blue eyes and that Tenzin's may very well change as he aged, but she doubted it. After all, he was nearly one. She assumed...or maybe even hoped...that Tenzin's would remain they way they were. His hair was thick and black, a bit like Aang's had been when he'd grown it out in the Fire Nation years before. These traits contrasted greatly to those of his sister.

Katara unwrapped Tenzin's blanket and but the child in a more sitting-like position on her lap. The boy turned his head and gazed again at her, now fully awake, smiling to reveal his two tiny teeth. He flailed his arms and tried to bounce. Katara smiled at him encouragingly. He giggled and turned back around to whatever was in front of him.

Setsuko bounded over to the chair. "Mama!" She exclaimed, her voice still retaining a toddler accent, "Can Tenzin pway wif us? Pwease?" Tenzin giggled again and clapped his hands, hearing his name. Samiia sat down and looked up, curious as to what her cousin was doing.

"Oh, I don't know about that..." Katara responded, playfully eyeing Suki. Suki smiled.

"Well, I think it would be a good idea," she said, winking.

Katara grinned. "All right, then. Ready to play, Tenzin?"

"Yey," Agreed the child to the best of his ability, becoming more bouncy and excited.

"Ok, then." Katara kneeled down on the soft rug that coated the warm wooden floor and placed Tenzin down. The child heaved himself up and crawled to the nearest toy, a relatively small, bouncy ball. He took it in his tiny, uncoordinated hand, observed it, and gave it a throw. Samiia clapped and giggled when it hit the wall and bounced off elsewhere; Setsuko smiled widely and chased after it. She retrieved from under Suki's chair and brought it back to her little brother.

"Dowit again!" She said excitedly. Tenzin gladly took the ball and made it bounce once more.



Meanwhile, in the Fire Nation...

Zuko again dipped his quill in the ink before scribbling the rest of his letter:

Friends:

Hi. It's been a while, hasn't it?
Well, Mai and I would like you all to come over for a week or two. There's plenty of room in the palace for all of you, and well, we kind of miss our friendly moments.

Please come as soon as possible, if you can.

Hope to see you all there.

-Zuko

Zuko sighed. He had written this letter out three times already; it was great to be done with the last draft. He had to send all three: one to Sokka and Suki, one to Aang and Katara, and one to Toph and The Duke. At least that was all he had left.

Mai walked by, pausing to scan the letter. "That's awfully cheesy, you know," she informed as she finished.

Zuko buried his head in his hands. "I know," he groaned, "But I'm sure you can't say that you would've done better after scribbling these out for an hour and a half!" Zuko's first draft had not gone well.

"Well," Mai retorted, putting emphasis on the word, "It's not like I haven't been trying to get a certain son of yours to go to sleep during that time."

Zuko sighed again. Wayra, his 8 month old son, could not be put down to nap if the kid's life depended on it. Though he had started sleeping through the night not too long ago, he never wanted his sleep during the day anymore.

As though to prove his father's thoughts, Wayra began to cry in the other room. Mai made her way towards the source of the cries, but Zuko was faster. Eager to leave behind the writing post, he scrambled into Wayra's room to check up on his fussing son.

Seeing that Zuko was on the task, Mai stayed behind and took another look at the letters. She decided to give her husband a little letter-break and send them for him.

Mai summoned a messenger hawk. "You know where to go," she murmured, placing the letters in the pouch and sending off the hawk.

~ ~ ~

Aang and Sokka walked back to the house after enjoying some "guy time" together. They had caught up on quite a bit, each swapping fun stories that the other found amusing. The air was cool and brisk, but the two enjoyed it, walking along through the gentle flurries, continuing their chat.

But the sound of screeching caused them to turn. In the distance, there seemed to be a figure that was...well, flying towards them.

Flying?

Sokka squinted. "Is that...a messenger hawk?" he asked.

Aang's eyes widened in surprise. "I think it is," he agreed. The two allowed their eyes to remain fixed on the hawk as it came closer and closer...and landed on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka and Aang looked at each other in surprise.

Sokka tentatively reached in its pouch and pulled out a message. As soon as he and done so, the hawk switched targets, landing this time on Aang. The Avatar repeated Sokka's gesture, and without warning, the hawk took off.

The guys opened their notes. "Dear friends," Sokka began, reading the note aloud. When he finished, he laughed out loud. "Ha! Who knew that the all-powerful Firelord could write something this cheesy? Ha, ha!"

Aang smiled as well, but did not join in Sokka's laughter. "Mine says exactly the same thing. I'm guessing Zuko intended to send one to all of us, but he didn't realize that Katara and I were staying with you. And when the hawk left, I bet it was looking for Toph."

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah, but still," he said, sighing happily, traces of giggles lingering in his tone. "Well, I suppose Zuko's wanting a visit. Let's get back to the house, now."

Aang followed with no complaint.

The door opened suddenly, rushes of wind blasting into the room as Aang and Sokka entered. They closed it quickly, trapping the further winds outside.

"...Sorry," Sokka apologized awkwardly, eyes darting from left to right before he calmed down and walked over to Suki.

"Daddy!" Setsuko exclaimed excitedly, running up to Aang on slightly unstable legs. Aang leaned down with a big smile on his face and scooped up his daughter.

"Hey, sweetheart!" He greeted, playfully touching his nose to hers. Setsuko giggled joyfully at her father's touch.

"Well, you two are home a bit early," Suki commented. "What brings you here so fast?"

"We got a letter," Sokka answered, "Looks like Zuko's inviting us over for a while." He handed Suki the note. She scanned over it. A faint smile lightened her face.

"Huh. Cheesy."
Sokka laughed. "Ha! That's what I said!"

"What? What dose the note say?" Katara asked curiously. Suki read the note aloud.

"Well. That is a bit cheesy. So are we planning to go?" She subconsciously glanced to Aang for the answer. He shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he replied, shifting the gaze to Sokka and Suki. The couple shared a glance before they both grinned.

"Alright, then. We'll leave tomorrow." The whole room smiled, including the children.
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To be continued VERY soon!

Nice Natti. I like your style of writing. It was awesome to read, can;t wait to see more.

Well, at least now I know more related to Worlds Collide. When are you posting more?

@Wolfie10---Thanks! I'll let you know when I update.

@Biggray96--Yup. A bit like Setsuko's background story. I'll post more when more is written. >.<

::EDIT::

-adds update-

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Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Earth Kingdom...

The Duke looked to the sky. He wasn't always a fan of cool weather; it often gave him an unwanted runny nose, but today seemed just fine. After all, he knew that if he got too cold, he could always go inside and sit by the fire with Toph, and that was an offer he wouldn't pass up on.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the scents of the outdoors. He could only wonder how enhanced these scents must be to his blind wife, who relied solely on only four of her five senses.

The sound of a screech broke him out of his trace. Half jumping, half scrabbling, he got to his feet and turned wildly in the direction. A large, red bird flew in his direction with some kind of container attached to its back. The Duke finally recognized it as a messenger hawk; he had seen them before, back as a Freedom Fighter so many years before.

The hawk landed on his shoulder. The Duke cautiously reached into the pouch and pulled out a letter labeled, To: Toph and The Duke. He glanced at the hawk, which stared back at him and them jumped off into the air and flew away. The Duke stared after it for a moment before shrugging and walking inside.

"Hey, Toph!"

"Yeah?"

"Looks like we got a letter." The Duke walked into the room in which Toph sat on a small armchair, resting, and held out the note to her. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Well...? Are you going to read it?" Toph inquired with just a hint of impatience in her voice, probably a bit bothered by the interruption of her rest, even if it was by her beloved husband.

"Oh, right," said The Duke. Though he had his times where he just sat and thought about it, sometimes he completely forgot about his wife's blindness. He opened the note and read it aloud.

Toph nodded slowly. "Zuko, huh? Interesting, haven't seen the Hotman in ages...so do you wanna go?"

The Duke shrugged slightly. "Sure, why not? It would be good to catch up with them, wouldn't it?"

"Eh, sure," Toph replied. She stood and stretched. "Should we get ready, then?"

"So soon?"

"Zuko said, "as soon as possible"."

"Well, ok, then."

~ ~ ~

Zuko and Mai sat happily just outside the palace, watching Wayra crawl around in the snow and by the ice-sheeted pond. Though they were rather warmly dressed, the world seemed like the perfect temperature to them. Then again, it's not like the weather dropped very far down in the Fire Nation.

Wayra romped around happily on all fours, beaming as a few more gentle white flakes fell from the sky. One touched his nose, surprising the young prince. He sat and tried to see it, causing him to go cross-eyed. Mai giggled at the expression, and if something made Mai laugh like that, then it must be pretty darn funny...or close to her heart.

Zuko wrapped an arm around his wife, also smiling at Wayra's little gestures. He kissed her lightly on her cheek. Mai turned, smiling softly, and then rested her head on Zuko's should. She sighed happily as the couple watched their son's plays.

"Don't you wish every day could be like this?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Mai was about to reply when a loud, low bellow interrupted her. Turning, she and Zuko saw none other than Appa flying through the sky, Aang waving from the bison's head.

"Well, I'll be," Zuko murmured.

"Looks like they got your letter," Mai said, still smiling.

"Looks like it," Zuko agreed as Mai stood and scooped up Wayra, who was staring in upmost amazement at the giant flying animal.

Appa landed a few feet away from the royal family. He hopped onto the saddle, lifted Setsuko and took Katara's hand, (who held Tenzin), and leaped down from the bison's back, using Airbending to make the descent easier. Sokka, Suki, and young Samiia followed, using Appa's tail as a slide.

"Why, hello, all-powerful Firelord," Aang greeted Zuko in a playful manner, slightly adjusting Setsuko's position in his arms. "I believe you wanted to see us?" He smiled.

Zuko smiled back, opening his arms and moving up to embrace Aang. "Hey, Avatar," he replied in the same playful tone, "It's been a while, huh?"

"It sure has, my friend. It sure has."

Zuko stepped back from the Avatar. "So...well. Um. Come in, then!" He invited, waving an arm and walking towards the palace. The two families followed him, along with Mai, of course.

When they got inside the palace, Aang could only stop and stare in amazement at the royal building's inner splendor. It had been a long time since he'd been inside the palace; he'd forgotten all the extraordinary details that enhanced his friend's home.

Zuko took them into a large, comfortable room, lined with soft couches and a large, flickering fireplace, a cozy contrast to the snow outdoors. Each person filed in and took a place on the fluffy couches.

"Well, now," Sokka began, "I suppose now is the time to catch up on everything, huh?" He smiled with his trademark goofy expression.

"It sure is," Mai agreed before Zuko could answer. "It's been ages since we've seen you four...or, I suppose, seven."

"Mmmm-hmmm," Suki agreed as Samiia reached up for her hair, wanting something to play with. Suki handed her the stuffed boomerang that Sokka had insisted on buying. The child took it gratefully and cuddled it close. "Tell us something we don't know!"

"Well..." Zuko said awkwardly, "The most interesting thing that's happened to us recently...well, in case you haven't noticed, we have a son now." He smiled faintly, thinking of his fondest memories of young Prince Wayra.

Katara grinned softly. "Aww...what's his name?"

"Wayra," Mai answered. "For the wind. Zuko wanted to give him a name that reminded him of a dear friend. He chose a name that means "wind" for the Avatar, Aang, the last Airbender."

Katara giggled and Aang blushed, smiling awkwardly. "Gee, thanks, Zuko...you didn't have to, you know..."

Zuko's expression lightened. "Oh, but I did," he replied. "So then, what's their names?" He inquired.

"This is Tenzin," Katara began, rocking the child gently. Tenzin had again fallen asleep on the flight to the palace, and at the moment, he showed no sign of awakening. Soft, content peace rested on his face.

"...and this is Setsuko," Aang finished, smiling at his daughter.

"Yey," Setsuko babbled. "I Sesuto...meee!" She smiled widely, growing comfortable in the warm room. "I Sesuo..." she said again, and then hugged the stuffed Blue Lion residing in her arms. Her last word was "Hi!" Her final motion acknowledging Zuko and Mai was a sloppy wave of the hand. Katara and Aang both smiled wider at the developing communication skills that their daughter was improving on.

"And over here," Sokka added, "We have Samiia." He rubbed his daughter's head playfully. She giggled and smiled and reached for her father's hand.

"Dada," she said. "Dada!" Sokka's smiled exploded into a wide grin, stretching from ear to ear and further at the sound of the young child recognizing him. She had done so before, of course, but it still never ceased to amaze Sokka when she did so, no matter how often.

Mai set a now struggling Wayra on the soft, carpeted floors. The price happily crawled around the room, going straight for the currently unseen toys. It was almost like that kid had a toy sense, always knowing if there was something to be played with in the room, and exactly where to find it. Sure enough, under the only unoccupied couch lay a mess of building blocks.

Seeing Wayra play with the blocks, Setsuko began to get a little restless. She shifted to face Aang. "Daddy, c'n I pway?" she asked pleadingly. Aang hesitated for only a moment before replying with a gentle "sure" and setting her on the ground. Setsuko clapped her hand merrily and jumbled over towards Wayra and his blocks, along with her Blue Lion.

Setsuko plopped down next to the young prince, taking a few blocks that he wasn't using. She stacked them up to form a short, wobbly tower. Wayra observed and attempted to contribute. He reached up to place another block atop the tower. Upon the contact, the tower wiggled, but still stood. Wayra smiled and laughed in delight.

Setsuko laughed with him and took yet another block, stacking it carefully, and watched the results. The tower wavered again...and fell, crashing to the ground, blocks scattering everywhere. Setsuko jumped back in surprise and Wayra gasped. After the initial shock wore off, however, they were laughing again, beginning another tower.

Wayra crawled around, trying to collect some of the scattered blocks. He drew nearer to the fireplace in order to grasp a particular block, which had been on the top of the previous tower and had fallen farthest. As he neared it, he crinkled his little nose, feeling a sneeze coming on. He stopped where he was and....SNEEZE!

The fire in the fireplace exploded with the child's breath, growing into an enormous flame attacking the thick logs and hot coal that lay beneath it. Just as soon as the short sneeze had ended, the monster was tamed, reducing itself back to the gentle heat-giver that playfully licked its sources.

The adults, who had been earlier in deeper conversation, jumped in surprise when the flames were enlarged, turning to face the gigantic creation and its tiny creator. Setsuko, who had been closer to the fireplace and not expecting that in the least, squealed in terror and tumbled back into her father's arms, trying to hide.

Even after the fire was quickly subdued, they all sat in awe and surprise. Wayra stared back at their shocked faces, a look of equal confusion on his. But before long, Zuko broke out into a wide grin as he stood and scooped up his son. "Great Spirits, that was his best Firebending yet!" He exclaimed. Wayra smiled with his father's calls of excitement. Everyone else, their frayed nerves calmed by the explanation, began to shake it of and smile.

"Ah, I wasn't surprised," Sokka said, trying to cover for himself, "I was expecting that, you know? After all, the kid is the Fire Prince!" Suki hit him gently, playfully. "Oh, you did not," she teased. Sokka shrugged.

Setsuko, now a little calmed by everyone's laughter, eased slowly away from Aang. She cautiously moved back to the building blocks to retrieve her stuffed Blue Lion, which she had dropped in the fright. As soon as she had it, though, she scampered back to her parents, not wanting to take another chance. Katara and Aang exchanged amused glances, knowing that the two-year-old did not quite understand that the fire had simply been an accident that would not happen again.

Suddenly, knocking was heard. Unusually loud knocking.

And of course, that could only belong to one—or two—people.

Zuko being busy with Wayra, Mai left to answer the door. Sure enough, there stood Toph and The Duke.

"Toph, Duke!" she greeted.

"The Duke," The Duke corrected.

"Whatever. Well, it's good to see you! C'mon upstairs," Mai invited, leading the two to the other room.

When they entered, they were met with greetings and cheers. Toph, using her sensitive ears and feet, could, for the most part, determine who all was there. Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Katara, Aang...the old Gaang, though in addition she could hear four younger, smaller voices...Kids! Of course, that must belong to the kids...but whose? Toph decided to find out later.

"Hey, Toph, The Duke. Good to see you!" Aang said, waving at the pair.

"Good to hear you, Twinkletoes!" Toph retorted playfully. As many years as it had been, Toph was certainly still....well, Toph.

"Hey, glad you could make it!" called Zuko.

"Good to be here, Fire Lord," The Duke answered, smiling.

"Please, sit," Zuko added. Toph and The Duke complied without complaint...though they did take a few trains and even a boat at one point, many bits and pieces of their journey was on foot. Good thing Toph knew a clever way to speed up the walking process with Earthbending.

Setsuko bounced and began randomly babbling again as Toph and The Duke plopped down on a couch, trotting excitedly up to them, wanting to meet the new people.

“Hi!” She said, “Hi! Hi!” and then, holding up her stuffed Blue Lion, added, “Bwu Wion! Hee hee.”

The Duke smiled at the two-year-olds gestures, though there was just a hint of awkwardness in his expression. While he enjoyed meeting children, he generally didn’t interact with them very often.

“Yes,” he tried, “Nice lion.” Setsuko laughed more, smiling that typical toddler grin, before bounding back to her parents.

Aang grinned good-naturedly, glancing out the window only to see the sun begin to sink. He chuckled lightly. “Well, thanks for arriving when you did, guys. She’s all riled up now, and it’s bedtime!”
Toph was the one to respond to that. She threw her laugh into the mix. “Yeah, I’m sure! Because we’re just awesome enough aren’t we?”

Aang’s voice chimed back in, “Indeed you are, Toph. Indeed, you are.”

“Aww-sum,” Setsuko repeated playfully, though she had no idea what she was talking about.

Aang hoisted his daughter up with him as he stood. “Like I said, girl, it’s bedtime,” he informed in a sing-sing style. “Let’s see if I can make you sleep.” Then, turning to Zuko, he added, “Do you have a room for Setsuko and Tenzin to sleep?” Zuko nodded, but Mai stood.

“Of course we do; there’s plenty of room in the Palace! Come on.” And with that, she walked out of the room, taking Wayra along with her. She figured that she might as well go ahead and put the young prince to bed. Aang and Katara followed closely with their children, Tenzin still snoozing, but Setsuko awake and hyper. She turned around in her father’s arms, enthusiastically waving “bye” to everyone remaining in the room, namely, Toph, The Duke, Zuko, and Sokka, seeing as Suki had wound up following the kids-group with Samiia.
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Adding more ASAP. Would now, but there's only so much you can put in a single post. :/

I like the new addition, Natti. Gosh, now I need to re-watch some episodes....

Thanks, Windancer. Glad you're liking it! ^^

-adds more-

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Zuko sighed deeply. What a day! He certainly hadn't expected the entire old Gaang to show up in the same day. And yet, here they all were. Attempting to start up a good conversation, he spoke.

"Well, it's good to see you all again. How's life?"

Toph shrugged. "Eh, life's life, Hotman. It's been good."

The Duke nodded, chiming in with his agreement. "Yeah, it has. We found a new home, in fact, a bit closer to yours, Sokka. Not by that much, though. It's still a long journey's worth away. And Toph's Earthbending lessons are going quite well. The students love her...well, most of them, anyhow."

Toph smirked. "Who wouldn't?"

The Duke didn't answer.

Recalling the day's events, Toph remembered her question. "So who do all those little kiddies belong to?"

"Oh, several of us," Zuko replied. "Wayra is mine and Mai's, Setsuko and Tenzin are Aang and Katara's—"

"And Samiia's mine and Suki's!" Sokka interjected proudly.

This didn't clear it up much for Toph, as she didn't know which was which, but she just shrugged it off. At least she knew how many there were and the names of who went with who. The Duke smiled, though he felt a bit of tire building up behind his eyes. He suppressed a yawn; a day's worth of travel was beginning to catch up with him.

Toph sensed it quickly. "Tired, Duke?" The Duke was about to correct her on his name, but then decided to let it go.

"Yeah, a bit. But I can stay up."

"Whatever."

~ ~ ~

Mai turned into Wayra's room, setting the infant Firebender in his crib

"They can stay in here, if you want. I'm sure Wayra wouldn't mind, knowing him. But if you'd rather, I could find a separate room."

Katara shook her head. "No, this is fine." Mai smiled slightly.

"Great. I'll go get a few bedpads." And with that, she briskly left the room.

Tenzin began to rouse a bit, but then drifted back into a deeper slumber. Good, Katara thought, he's out for the next few hours. Setsuko, however, was going to be a bit more of a problem. Katara turned to see the two-year-old struggling playfully in her father's arms, reaching for his face a few times, and when he refused that, grabbing his Air Nomad necklace, messing around with the threads hanging off the bottom of the pendant and shaking the beads. Aang laughed nervously.

"I doubt we can make her sleep."

Katara shrugged. "Probably not, but we need to try. She'll wear herself out eventually, right?" They both laughed, knowing that that probably wouldn't be the scenario. Setsuko had boundless energy and was still all excited from Toph and The Duke's arrival.

Suki joined in their laughter, having seen the attempts to put the young Airbender to bed several times over during the period that Aang and Katara had been visiting. Thankfully for her, though, Samiia's energy was beginning to wind down as the child protectively gripped her stuffed boomerang. She should have an easy rest tonight.

Mai returned with the bedpads and a few blankets, setting them all down on the floor. "Set them up however you need. I'll be right back; I need to check something with Zuko really quickly."

Aang hoisted up Setsuko and plopped her gently on the ground, removing his necklace so that she still had something to keep her occupied, and began to arrange the cushy bedpads. Setsuko and Tenzin were old enough to sleep together safely, he decided. They'd been meaning to move him into Setsuko's bedroom back at home for a while now, after all. He set up theirs as one bed, and then Samiia's separately.

As soon as the warm, softened blankets were prepared, Katara slowly carried Tenzin over, accepting one and wrapping her young son in it before setting him gently on the bedpad, allowing him to continue his contented snooze on his own. Suki, too, took a blanket and coated Samiia in the material, sweetly rocking her daughter into sleep.

Aang walked back to Setsuko and calmly reclaimed his necklace. "Bedtime, sweetheart," He informed.

"No tir'd," Setsuko responded.

"I know, but you have to go to bed now."

"No!"

Not wanting to deal with a stubborn two-year-old, Aang resorted straight to the physical method. He lifted his daughter good-naturedly, holding her in a firm, yet gentle embrace.

"Yes," he murmured, "You're going to sleep now." He slowly began to rub the child's back, lulling her in the best way he could into a sleepy state. He had done this with her several times before when she was Tenzin's age and even younger, and though it took a while, it would often eventually work. Sure enough, after numerous minutes of gentle rocking and rubbing, he could feel the rebellious child's muscles begin to relax, her breathing slowing and her struggling all but cease. He smiled lovingly at the sensation.

Katara saw quickly what was going on between her husband and daughter and moved over to join them, placing an affectionate hand on Aang's free shoulder and leaning her head against his. She began to sing a soft lullaby to enhance the child's road to sleeping.

Suki smiled, seeing her old friends in such a gesture, and, Samiia now being fast asleep, quietly slipped out of the room to give them a moment of privacy with the children.

It was a tender moment, and quite a sweet one, at that. Setsuko did eventually fall under the spell of sleep and was placed in one of the cozy blankets right next to her little brother. Aang and Katara smiled and gazed proudly at their offspring asleep on the bedmat, remaining in place for a while before extinguishing the candle that lit the room and walking lightly back to the others.

Upon reentering the room, Aang smiled widely. "What did we miss?"

Zuko was just barely standing. "Oh, I was just asking if you all would like something to eat. After all, you've each traveled far." Aang nodded.

"Yes, that'd be great. Thanks, Zuko."

"No problem. Come on, the dining room's this way." Zuko lead most of the group out of the room, each ready for some sort of late meal. Toph and The Duke, however, lingered behind.

"Are you sure you're not that tired?" Toph inquired softly as soon as the rest of the Gaang was out of earshot. The Duke yawned.

"Well, yeah," he murmured, "I guess I kinda am."

"Do you need to sleep?"

"No, I can stay up."

"The Duke, I've known you for—"

"Ok, yeah, I do."

Toph grinned. She was always spot-on when it came to sensing just about any emotion, especially when it came to her husband. "C'mon," She invited, "Let's go find somewhere to rest." She stood and headed towards the door.

The Duke remained stubbornly on the couch for a moment, but soon his need for a proper resting place got the better of him and he stood to follow Toph out the door.

Walking down the palace hallways, Toph and The Duke wound up passing the room in which the four children slept. Feeling their breathing, Toph paused, slightly in wonder. She turned towards the room's doorway and lingered in its threshold. The Duke promptly noticed and turned.

"What's the matter, Toph?"

"Oh, nothing," Toph replied absentmindedly, though she still remained by the children's room. The Duke moved forward to observe it with her. A steady, knowing smile began to spread across his face.

"You like the children, don't you?" He murmured. Toph shrugged.

"Well, yeah, I mean, they're my best friends' kids, after all—"

"Have you ever thought about...I dunno...having any of your own?" The Duke suggested tentatively. Toph didn't reply at first. When she did, it was scarcely audible, though the Duke was able to pick it up.

"Maybe. Yeah."

In the kitchen, Zuko was busy trying to prepare a quick snack for his friends.

"Need some help with that?" Mai offered.

"Ah, no, I've got it...thanks!" Zuko replied quickly, at that moment dropping a glass of water which was one to much in his hands. He groaned. "Sorry about that. I'm tired, see, and Wayra's been driving us up the wall half the day—"

"That's all swell, Zuko. We gotcha," Sokka said with a wink, recalling some frustrating days with Samiia in the past.

"Yeah. Though you might want to allow Mai to help when she offers it...looks like you need it!" Suki added.

"And I'll get the water," Katara cut in, bending the spilt liquid from the floor.

"Thanks," Zuko muttered, flustered from the work and his friends' rapid help as Mai walked over to assist him in serving them all. She gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek as she passed by.

"At least you try," she whispered. Zuko smiled. "Yeah."

Zuko, of course, wasn't the only one who'd had a long day, causing their small meal to be rather quiet. By the time Toph and The Duke walked in, they were all ready to go to bed.

"Hey, Toph, The Duke," Zuko greeted as they walked in. "A little late, aren't you? We were all about to retire...well, anyhow, would you like a glass of water?"

The Duke shook his head respectfully. "Oh, no, but thanks. We were actually coming in to ask where we were meant to sleep...?"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course," Zuko agreed. "I'll show you. Mai, could you take the others...?" Mai nodded curtly.

"Sure. Come on, guys. The earlier you go to bed, the better off you'll be when Wayra wakes the town up in the morning." The group of parents smiled at the hidden little joke in that. They'd all been in such a situation before and followed Mai out into the hallway with no complaint.

On the way down, they passed Wayra's room, the door wide open. Mai paused.

"Now why is that open like that?" She mumbled to herself, closing it slowly before moving on to lead Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki to their rooms.

~ ~ ~

Later that night, Setsuko found herself wide awake. She sat up in her bed and gazed around the dark room. Where were her parents? There was Tenzin, and she could just make out Samiia a little further off. She had her own room at home, at course, but the Fire Nation palace was no familiar home of hers, and she suddenly felt the need for her parent's comfort. She carefully pulled off her soft blanket, abandoning its warmth, and toddled nervously up to the doorway, only to find the tall, heavy door closed off.

Setsuko whimpered nervously at the barrier, not liking the idea that it was dark in the room she was so unfamiliar with and that this huge wooden door was blocking off her access with her parents. At home, she could at least squeeze through the thick cloths used as doorways and crawl into Aang and Katara's bed.

Nervously, Setsuko glanced around, trying to think of something. Alas, being just two, nothing much came to her young mind. So she resorted to instinct and began to cry. It was soft, for she didn't want to wake anyone, but she couldn't stop the sounds.

It had been hardly two minute's worth of tears when the doorknob clicked. Setsuko jerked her head up towards the noise, trying yet harder to halt her sobs. It didn't work.

The door swung open and a figure entered the room, but it wasn't Katara. It wasn't Aunt Suki either, or even Mai, who came in here regularly to tend to Wayra.

It was Toph.

Toph, with her sensitive ears enhanced by lack of eyesight, was the only one who had picked up Setsuko's tiny whimpers in a sleeping state. She had followed the sound back to the children's room and tentatively entered. When she spoke, her voice was unusually soft.

"Why're you crying?"

Setsuko didn't recognize Toph at first. All that she knew was that this was not her mother, nor was it her father. Her cries intensified slightly and she backed away. Toph felt the nervous stumbles backwards.

"No, no, no! It's ok. I'm a friend of your father's. You saw me earlier, remember? You showed The Duke your...Blue Lion."

Slightly comforted by the constantly calm manor of voice, or perhaps the word "Blue Lion", Setsuko began to calm down. She moved carefully back to her bedpad and grabbed the stuffed animal, holding it up a bit.

"Bwu Wion," She suggested feebly. The slightest of smiles formed on Toph's lips as she recalled and recited what The Duke had answered with earlier.

"Yes. Nice lion."

Setsuko could feel her tears begin to dry, but she didn't even notice as the look of worry was replaced by a curious grin and she laughed a little, hugging her lion. "Hee, hee hee."

Eventually—thankfully—Setsuko found herself tired again soon after, crawling back onto her bedpad and under the soft blanket with an exaggerated yawn, still clutching her stuffed Blue Lion.

Toph sat silently in the room and listened as the toddler’s breathing gently slowed and deepened with oncoming sleep. Her thoughts wandered to her brief discussion with The Duke earlier. Have you ever thought about…I dunno…having any of your own? That’s what he’d said. He’d sounded…well, hesitant, but also…oh, what was it? Hopeful, Toph decided.

It was strange. Toph had never really thought that The Duke had wanted kids, but now that she pondered it, he did seem like the kind of guy who might want them. But did she?
Maybe. Yeah. That’s what she’d told The Duke. Certainly, after meeting all her old friends with little families of theirs, there was some kind of desire to have one for her own.

But what kind of a mother would she be? She was blind. Normally, Toph didn’t care that she couldn’t see. It was just how she was. But would such a thing make it hard to be a parent?

Toph exhaled heavily. The Duke would make a great father, she was sure. He was quiet and respectful, but still liked to have fun and hang out. Kids would love that. As for herself, however, she still wasn’t too sure.

Toph decided to think it over later, standing and heading for the door. It was probably best to let sleep take over for the time being.


About six weeks later, in the Southern Water Tribe…

Aang walked in through the thick fabric door, reentering his home with Setsuko stumbling along right behind him, laughing joyously. Tenzin sat in the middle of the room playing with various small objects. He looked up at giggled as he saw his father and sister enter.

“Dada! Se’suko!” He chimed to the best of his ability. Aang smiled in his direction.

“Hey, Tennie!” He greeted in a playful, sing-song manner, leaning down to give his son a little hug, to which Tenzin happily complied. “How’s my boy today?”

“Goo.”

“Good!” After that, though, Aang’s expression grew more serious as he turned to Katara, who had been sitting not too far away watching Tenzin play. “I just spoke to Jayka,” He announced solemnly, “She claims that there’s another big snowstorm coming.” Katara glanced up, concerned.

“How big?”

“Huge. Like the one about seven years back, when Sokka and Suki were visiting…?”

“Oh.” Katara mumbled. “Well, that’s not good, is it? Dose the rest of the village know?”

“I think so.”

“What about Dad?”

“I informed Hakoda before coming back.”

“Good.” Katara sighed with relied. “I guess we’d better get the entrance to the shelter ready.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Katara stood and followed Aang out of the main room and into theirs. In the corner, covered by ice, was a tunnel that led to a special underground cavern to which the entire Tribe retreated during the worst of blizzards. If one was caught outside in such a storm…well. Unless you want to freeze to death and turn up as a blue body weeks later, you should probably get into the caverns. Not even most of the igloos were safe; the harsh winds could easily tear through the cloth doors and spread the despicable cold inside.

Katara slowly changed the ice to water and bended it away from the tunnel entrance. Aang used a quick Airbending blast to clear off the falling snow and small icicles that had gradually formed over the years in which the tunnel had not been used.

The sounds of wind drawing her attention, Setsuko toddled into her parent’s room to watch the process. Tenzin crawled behind her, glancing out the door first only to see gusts of snow being to plummet. He whimpered slightly, moving a bit faster.

“That ought to do it,” Said Katara, gazing down the hole. She turned, noticing Tenzin and Setsuko coming in. She walked over and lifted Tenzin slowly, taking note of his worried expression. The storm had probably already started, she realized, and Tenzin must have seen the first bit of it.

Funny how quickly something terrible can begin.

“C’mon,” she murmured, “Let’s go.” She quickly moved into the tunnel and descended into the cavern.

Aang walked over and grabbed Setsuko, hoisting her up and following after Katara.

“Daddy, where we going?” Setsuko questioned.

“Somewhere safe.”

______________________________________________

-whew- Ok, that's all I've got for not. Further updates will be much shorter. :)