A/N Finally, after several years I have finished this story. This is short, but I hit all the important information I wanted to share. Originally this was supposed to be three or five years after the last one and from Sokka or Azula's POV but no matter how many times I tried to write it, it just didn't work. Someone commented that they wanted to see something from older Kya's POV so here it is. This was my first fanfic and so precious and close to my heart. I am so thankful for all of my readers and commenters over the years. I am happy to finally be able to mark this one complete. I hope it satisfies, please let me know what you think. If you have any questions, I am happy to share my little head cannons that didn't make it into this. I love you all! Thank you!

Epilogue: Part 3

Avatar Kya stared anxiously up at the imposing Fire Nation ship. Avatar. That's who she was now. Not Princess Kya. Not the heir presumptive to her father's throne. Not the little girl that followed her mother around the capital hospitals and orphanages to help heal the poor and sick. She no longer belonged just to the Fire Nation or the Southern Water tribe, to her family.

The Avatar belonged to the world. The Avatar was responsible for everyone. The Avatar doesn't get to just be her daddy's little girl or her mom's mini-me.

Not that she had harbored a massive attachment to the idea of being Fire Lord. Her dad had taken a massive departure from tradition in marrying her mother. Having a waterbending Fire Lord wouldn't have gone over well, no matter how much the people loved her mother.

She had spent the last several years more and more at her dad's side with her younger brother, Lu Ten. Both of them needed to learn about politics, diplomacy, and the world generally. Izumi and Haru were too young, so she had never questioned why only her brother was included. Now she realized it was because they had known who she was since before she was born. Lu Ten, not Kya, would be the next Fire Lord.

The lie had stung for weeks. Kya had refused to speak to either of them, to Aunt Azula or Uncle Sokka, to any of her grandparents… It had felt as if her entire life was a lie. But eventually—just like every other time she'd been upset—her dad had managed to get through to her.

She hadn't spoken to him in two weeks. It hadn't really been surprising that he had given her the space she needed without protest. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed. If Kya was being honest, she had missed him, despite how betrayed she'd felt. So when he crouched beside her, joining her to watch the turtle ducks, she hadn't run off.

Instead of telling her off or reminding her of her responsibility, he'd told her a story. She'd grown up hearing bits and pieces, but until that afternoon she hadn't realized just how much they had shielded her from. Her parents, like countless others in every nation, had their childhoods forged in blood and fire and war. For her, her parents had pushed and sacrificed and fought to end the war when many would have been happy to wait for the next Avatar—for her—to grow up and deal with it.

They hadn't kept the truth from her for any nefarious reason, but because they loved her. They wanted her to have the happy, normal childhood they hadn't. Well, as normal as a princess could have, anyway.

Now it was time for her to leave.

Her cousin Sozin jostled her arm and grinned down at her before shouldering his pack. He offered a final salute to the statue of Fire Lady Lei that overlooked the harbor before hurrying down the dock to say goodbye to his adoptive parents and younger sister. From where she hesitated, she watched her aunt Azula and uncle Sokka hug him tight, each sharing parting words and last-minute advice. He hugged his sister, lifting her off the ground eliciting a shriek of protest before dashing up the plank and onto the ship.

She was meant to follow. But she couldn't. Her feet felt like lead and her stomach churned. Kya did not want to leave her home. She did not want to leave her family.

"I'm going to miss you too." Her dad, coming up behind her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Me too, sweetheart." Her mother, on her other side, kissed her cheek. "We love you."

Smiling weakly, she took a deep breath and started to take a step—before faltering and turning in to hug her dad. "You promise to be the one to teach me firebending? Just like Lu Ten and Izumi?"

He laughed softly and hugged her back. "I promise." Maybe it was cheating to learn two elements from her parents, but her mother had taught her waterbending from the moment she could walk. She didn't want to learn firebending from anyone but her dad. Not even Sozin.

"Okay." She turned into her mother's open arms. "Goodbye. I love you both too, so much."

"Goodbye, my little turtle duck."

Squeezing her eyes against the tears, Kya basked in their embrace just a moment longer before letting go. She pasted on a wide, almost happy smile and took off after her cousin. After bidding her aunt and uncle goodbye too, she was up the plank and on the ship.

"Finally! I was beginning to think we'd never leave."

Joining Sozin at the rail, she leaned over and waved. "Calm down. It's not exactly like I have a choice." She tried to hide the pout. "I wish it didn't matter what order I learned things in so I could stay another few years."

Sozin scoffed. "Please. We'll have fun. We're gonna see Grandma Ursa first. And Aunt Toph is hilarious. I can't wait to see her again, it's been ages."

Brightening, Kya decided he was right. It had been months since they had visited Hira'a and their grandmother, and Aunt Toph was hilarious.

"But my dad says she's a real tough master. Not all nice and lovely like your mom." He smirked at her as they crossed to make their way upstairs. "A real hard ass."

Kya rolled her eyes. "She loves me. I'm sure I'll survive."

Sozin kept talking as they walked, something about visiting Uncle Iroh in Ba Sing Se and whether or not they packed enough fire flakes, but she barely heard him. Her fingers ran along the cool metal of the ship, so similar to her dad's old ship. He had sailed away, forced to leave his home too. But unlike the young Prince Zuko, Kya would be welcomed home with love.

As they stepped into the bridge, Sozin slid his hand around hers when the Captain addressed her. "Are you ready, Avatar Kya?"

A genuine smile crept across her face and she nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."