A/N: This story is a continuation of the A:TLA story. The difference is that the avatar that put an end to the hundred year war wasn't Aang. It was is a nameless air avatar who after the war took on many concubines to repopulate his people bring balance back among the Four Nations. Aang and friends are alive around 200 years later in this fic.
Italics are thoughts or memoriesNormal is narration and the present
Chapter 1
Katara
It was late and Katara wasn't supposed to be out when it was this dark but there she was walking down the streets alone. The familiar push and pull of the water running alongside the roads kept her from feeling scared.
She had just started training her waterbending with Master Pakku but she was confident that she knew enough to keep herself safe until help came. Even then, crimes rarely happened in the Southern Water Tribe. Not even to noble families like her own.
It was then that she heard it. It was the sound of clothing being shuffled and muffled voiced around a nearby corner.
Katara poked her head around the corner and saw a middle aged man in red armor with a young boy sitting on his knees before him. The boy's blue parka wasn't sitting on his form properly. He looked like he had just gone for a run. What was strange about him was that his head was bowed down in shame.
What was he doing? Curious, Katara strained to make out the words they were exchanging. It was the boy speaking. She tried as hard as she could but could only catch some of the words.
"Water vents…to inside the city from the outside…healing division…take out…easier victory." The boy moved his head, eyes shut, away from the Fire Nation soldier and towards the corner.
Katara gasped. "Zuko," she breathed. Why would he be talking to a firebender after what they did to him and his uncle? They burned him! Katara's head pounded. This didn't make sense.
Zuko's eyes snapped open when he heard Katara say his name while the soldier said: "You've been a great help, Zuko." The soldier sneered when he said that name then he vanished.
Zuko got up and came over to Katara. "What are you doing out so late?"
"I was walking home from a friend's house. I lost track of time watching her dad do this cool waterbending trick." Katara looked around the area for the man but he was gone.
"Who was that, Zuko?"
"It was no one important. Just someone my uncle beat in pai sho the other day. He wanted to know how to beat uncle in their next game," Zuko said knowing full well that Katara didn't know anything about that game. "Maybe someday you'll play and get beaten by Uncle too."
Katara crossed her arms. "No way! I'm not playing a game like that anytime soon! I'm only twelve after all!"
Zuko looked away from her like he'd looked away from the soldier before. "I know."
He wouldn't look Katara in the eye the whole walk home.
"Aang! Be careful!" Katara shouted.
The young Avatar was in the middle of a waterbending practice session. Usually they went smoothly; that was as long as his attention stayed on the advice and teaching of his two masters. That day his attention was there until a curious group of girls came to watch Aang practice.
So far, Aang had broken several pots, defrosted parts of the ground, and now he'd almost hit the side of a building with a massive water whip.
"I see the Avatar's attention span for his practice is still broken at the sign of anything that catches his interest," Pakku grumbled returning to what was a courtyard. He had only left for ten minutes and came back to this. "If he continues like this we'll have to form a special crew whose job it is to fix the damage Aang inflicts on our city," Pakku said.
"Time for Practice Saver Formation 1!" Sokka shouted.
Irritated, Pakku rolled his eyes. "You mean the water whips."
"Well, yeah. My name just sounds more intimidating."
What an idiot, Katara thought.
"Water whips away!" Sokka signaled.
Pakku and Katara both created water whips and wrapped them around Aang's ankles and wrists. The masters connected the water to the ground and froze it into ice. Aang was left to hang in the air as girls giggled nearby.
"Come on, guys. Can't you let me have a little fun? Stop cleaning and let me down. Please? The ice is cold."
"You have to admit, you really deserved it this time. I mean you practically destroyed the whole courtyard and a building!" Sokka told him. "For this much damage there are going to be some repercussions."
"You need to start taking your training more seriously. What are you going to do if you're caught by a camp of earthbenders? You're airbending won't be enough to take them all down," Katara said while she cleaned.
"The Avatar who ended the 100 year war had to give up his chance to find love so he could repopulate the airbenders. It's because of him that you grew up in an airbending community. The reason why your peoples' culture still exists and why the four nations all stand together," Katara began explaining.
"The world is on the verge of war between the earth and firebenders. The Earth Kingdom is prosecuting airbenders because they refuse to fight with them and the Fire Nation is doing the same to the Water Tribes. Yet you goof off like none of this is happening!
"You're acting like the attacks on the Air Temples and on this very tribe never happened!" Katara started to break down in tears. "It's because of those attacks that my family was ripped apart!"
"Sokka! Katara!" their mother screamed before jumping in to protect them. No sooner then when she pushed Katara and Sokka aside, she burst into flame.
"Mom!" Katara shrilled. The smell of burning flesh invaded Katara's senses but she refused to believe what was before her eyes. Sokka held Katara on the ground next to him to stop her from running to their mom.
"There's nothing more you can do," Sokka told her tears falling from his eyes. Katara only struggled more. He could barely keep her next to him since he also wanted desperatly to go to their mom. To prove that this wasn't real. That this was all a nightmare he would wake up from.
"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Katara's call fell on deaf ears.
The soldier who'd killed their mother just stood there, his eyes were mocking.
Sokka wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders and guided her away. "It's alright, Katara. Let's go home and have a cup of Gran-Gran's tea. That'll make you feel better."
Katara nodded and Sokka took one last glance back at the suspended Avatar, shaking his head in disappointment.
Aang lowered his head. "I really messed things up this time, didn't I, Sifu Pakku."
"Any mistake that causes a woman to cry tears of sorrow is a grave one. But the damage is done and you can do no more about it at this time except learn from your mistake," Pakku said emphasizing the word, learn.
Pakku released Aang from the ice and Aang kneeled where he landed. "I promise to be a better student from now on. That way, I'll never cause this kind of pain to Katara again."
"It's not me you should be telling this to." Pakku nodded toward one of the larger buildings in the city. "You should say this to my student."
"Yes, Sifu Pakku," Aang said and began to run.
"But I recommend you do so after the meeting this afternoon. Katara will have put everything into perspective by then. Now, if you don't mind, I will take my leave and join my granddaughter at home."
"Of course," Aang said bowing.
The sounds of battle sounded through out the city. All that could be heard was the crash of fireballs from catapults and the rhythmic crack of tidal waves as they hit their target. The Southern Tribes military was strong but everyone unable to fight for themselves against the firebenders had been told to go for the shelters.
Sokka and Katara were running to catch up with their crowd when Katara stopped her brother and pointed, through the black snow, to the bottom of the hill they were on. "Sokka! Look!"
A group of firebenders were climbing into the city through a water vent that ran under the city.
Sokka pulled Katara's hand with urgency. "Let's go, Katara! If they see us they'll attack! They have no mercy, not even towards children!" Katara nodded and started to run with him.
Taking one look back Katara saw the firebenders taking out a couple healers working on injured from the Water Tribe. Behind them she caught sight of Zuko pulling his uncle along behind him.
Even though they were dressed in blue parkas from the tribe, the Fire Nation soldiers weren't attacking them.
They'd been betrayed, Katara thought as a tear ran down her cheek.
"This is all Zuko's fault!" Katara screamed. "His uncle was fine but I should have known that he was trouble!"
"As much as a jerk Zuko is, Katara, you were young and didn't know any better. We both didn't," Sokka comforted. His tone was bitter. Sokka had seen Katara have outbursts like this whenever she thought of that day but he'd never heard her talk about him since then.
"I wish we could go back and do it over. We could make it so Zuko was never allowed to stay in our tribe that way we wouldn't have been attacked. Mom would still be alive and dad would never have left home. Everyone would be happy."
"Would we really have been able to change things, Katara? Think about it. We were twelve and fourteen. If we didn't like the situation then the decision would still have been up to mom and dad. You know those two were all for it.
"Besides, not everyone would be happy. Zuko's probably pretty happy now that he's not a servant in our household. I do miss his massages though," Sokka said dreamily.
"None of the other servants will go near my feet."
"There's good reason for that. The fumes could knock out a river full of badgerfrogs."
"I resent that!" Sokka protested.
"That doesn't make it any less true!" Katara yelled pointing at Sokka's feet.
Sokka just crossed his arms and smirked. "Yup, no one does it like Sokka does."
"What are you talking about?"
"You're feeling better aren't you?"
Katara stopped to evaluate her mood. The dark clouds that had consumed her moments earlier had been pushed back. "I hate to admit it, but I am. Thanks Sokka."
"All in a days work. Now how about you get cleaned up and wipe the floor with those councilmen and other captains?"
"Sure Sokka. Anything to give you less work," Katara said sarcastically and went to her room. Sokka had managed to find out the topics for today's gathering ahead of time. He'd said everything could easily be dealt without him or had nothing to do with him and that he'd decided not to go. Sokka had refused to share the information and his sources with Katara.
"That's the spirit. Oh, hey, Gran-Pakku," Sokka said as Pakku walked into the house. "Gran-Gran's in the kitchen."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? And I'm here to pick up my robe for the meeting." As much as Pakku would enjoy a plate of his wife's sea prunes he couldn't let himself get distracted by that buffoon.
The stare Pakku sent Sokka was so intense Sokka flinched. He kept opening his mouth to answer his question but no sound ever came out.
"That's what I thought," Pakku said and left for the kitchen. Just a couple sea prunes wouldn't make any difference.
Sokka released a breath. "That is one scary old guy."
"Maybe you should do as he says," Katara lectured walking back into the room.
She had changed into her usual parka with a yellow dot below the collar and a dark blue hooded robe. A yellow waning crescent contrasted sharply with the dark blue. There was the outline of a circle to show where the moon would be dark in the sky.
Katara's squad was trained in healing as well as offensive battle making them a formidable foe in battle and a valuable asset.
Pakku walked back into the room at that moment wearing a robe identical to Katara's but with a yellow half moon rather than a crescent. "Are you ready to go, Gran-Pakku?"
He nodded. "I am. Let us be going."
"Why are you allowed to call him Gran-Pakku? This is discrimination! Favouritism! This is an equal…" The two captains moved out of hearing range so Katara didn't hear the end of Sokka's rant.
"How can one person make so much noise?" Pakku grumbled. He was asking himself more than anyone. Katara covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. It was obvious to everyone in her home that the old water master cared for Sokka a great deal. He was just too stubborn to admit or show it.
"What are you laughing about?"
"It's nothing." Pakku didn't believe her and Katara knew it. Intead of digging a deeper hole for herself, Katara started walking to their destination faster.
The building where they were going was very grand. Today the place was filled with life and chatter. Ushers were directing common folk through one door to where they would sit to watch the debate and gather an idea of what the system was planning.
There was a second door with much fewer people walking through it. It was the doorway to the debate area. Just inside it there would be the other captains, members of the three noble families, and representatives from each district of the Southern Water Tribe buzzing about.
This system allowed for order and each voice to be heard. Not one area went without say and the military had the chance to give their opinions. There wasn't a system like this in any other part of the world. Not even the Northern Tribe.
The usher at the second door stopped Pakku and Katara at the door. "Name and position please."
"Pakku of the Southern Water Tribe, Captain of the first quarter division."
"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Captain of the waning crescent division."
The usher checked them off a list. "Alright, you two can go in."
Katara walked in and ignored the, what she deemed, pointless babble around her and went straight to her seat next to her vice-captain, Sayuri, who nodded at Katara. The vice-captain had been newly appointed so this would be her first political debate.
Katara smiled knowing the young girl was in for a show. While Katara closed her eyes to relax she hoped that some stubborn man from the Northern Tribe was here. It would give them a good shock to see so many women of power in this room.
Katara laughed under her breath, "Sexist old men."
"A-Are you alright, Captain Katara? Did you get enough sleep last night?" Sayuri asked. Katara's laugh had made her uncomfortable and the first thing that came to mind was the usual cause of such strange behavior.
Katara looked to Sayuri puzzled. "Everything's fine. Why?"
"Oh! Umm…no reason."
Sometimes I worry for the Captain's safety. Mental more than physical, Sayuri thought. To make everything seem normal she twirled her long dark hair around a finger; it was an old habit she'd never been able to kick.
Katara's ocean blue eyes met with Sayuri's chocolate brown. "Thank you for asking," she said after a slight pause. Sayuri nodded in response and brought her attention back to the papers in front of her.
Looking back towards the entrance Katara caught sight of a couple Northern Tribe styled parkas. She couldn't contain her excitement. "Jackpot!" Katara said loud enough for a couple other people, apart from her vice-captain, to hear.
Sayuri sank in her seat a little. Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact with the captain. That way the stares will be easier to ignore.
When the stares kept burning at the back of her head Sayuri sighed. "This is going to be a long meeting."