...After years of being away, I AM ALIVE!

Ahem. Sorry about the long wait. I won't make an excuse, but say that I had initially thought I lost inspiration for this thing before the writing bug bit me again. Nevertheless, I am back to writing it, and now have a new chapter to prove it. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 2

Katara fumed as she regarded the ice in front of her. It had been nearly a month since the attack that took her father's life, but that just made her more determined to learn waterbending. She didn't care if she was a girl or not, but she'd be ready for them the next time they decided to come after her village again. She'd make sure of that. Besides, she was the only one that would waterbend anymore. Sokka had stopped entirely.

After their father's funeral, Sokka had proclaimed that he would never waterbend again. No matter how many times that Katara nagged him. Even after an entire month, he hadn't budged. And now Katara was stuck with the knowledge that she was now the only waterbender in the entire South Pole that would bend.

What infuriated her more was that so far, no one else had pressed Sokka on this issue. Sure, Dad died. She knew that. And yes, that made Sokka the only male in the family that could support them. The other men were busy teaching Sokka everything they knew, so he could provide, especially since the raid hadn't just hit her family hard.

She glanced around. There were at least three homes that had been torched by the firebenders that had come onto their shores. Others were closer to the edge of the village, where they had come in to attack. At least three girls she had grown up with had died, and Sokka had at least two male friends that had perished in the blazes. None were quite Sokka's age, the oldest of which was a year younger than her, but that didn't mean that they weren't close. You had to be.

At least they still had their family. One boy that survived was without either parent. Akira no longer had either of his parents, and was now being raised by Bato. Bato, who now was in charge of the tribe. She could understand why Akira was angry and upset.

Maybe it had something to do with being a boy. She whipped her arm down and the ice in front of her cracked. Sokka wasn't the only one who was hurting because of what had happened. She wanted to make the Fire Nation pay for that particular reason. But to completely shun his bending? That was almost like cutting off his own arm. You just didn't do that.

Besides, she could show him some of the things that she'd been figuring out about waterbending. She could get the water to move to her command, separate, and melt and freeze. Not nearly as good as some of the stories she'd heard about master benders. They could make the water really move, manipulating even the ocean with their will. It was described as a dance, where the bender could move as gracefully and as accurately as she wished, and the water would react accordingly. She could almost imagine herself as one such bender, a beautiful dancer that moved as the moon did during its eternal dance throughout the skies.

As she moved through a motion she called 'skimming the water', she again thought about her self-appointed task. She would learn waterbending, even if she had to teach herself. It was probably going to take a lot of trial and error to do it, but if her ancestors had done it, then so could she. No one else was going to ever take anyone else away from her again.

"Got one!"

Sokka almost jumped up and down in joy at the sight of the fish dangling from the end of his fishing spear. It had taken him numerous times, and even though he had a pile of fish next to him in the snow, the fact still remained that he was glad that he finally had gotten spear fishing down. Bato had suggested practicing his spear thrusts with the fish, and the older man had told him that when he was good at that, then he could move on to bigger game, like the tiger-seals.

He leaned over and started stringing the fish together. Today had been more of a test for the thirteen-year-old than anything, and now that he had gotten down a crucial skill, he knew he could go on the hunt that the men were planning next. They were talking about going on a tiger-seal hunt to make sure they had enough supplies laid in for winter. The meat, of course, would be smoked for food, the fat rendered for fuel, and the skins used for clothing. Besides, it wasn't like he was being allowed to go on the whale hunt later that month, but at least doing this meant that he could go on to other hunts in the future.

When he had the fish strung together, he whistled. Kiba bounded over from where he was lying to follow the boy. The young polar dog was soon to be two, and now stood almost at the boy's shoulder. "Ya know, it would be really great if you could fish too. Then we'd bring in more food for everyone." Kiba just snuffed in Sokka's direction. "Hey, you eat more than I do. Just saying."

When the two finally got back to the village, Sokka was grinning. So far, he'd passed every one of Bato's tests to show he could provide. It wasn't too much longer until he became old enough for the ice dodging trial, but until then, he was still considered a child. Showing that he was learning as much as he could about what the men did was going a long way to proving to everyone that he was more than capable of providing for everyone.

He looked around and could tell that a lot of people were working on the nets and boats, patching and repairing the parts that were getting worn. The net was what the little kids were working on. The boats were what the men of the tribe were repairing. He could see the women working on the homes and food. He frowned suddenly. Katara was nowhere to be seen, which typically meant that she was working on waterbending. A sudden lump threatened to form in his throat. No, he was not going to think about dad. That always caused him to break down. It wasn't happening today.

He was about to go over to where his grandmother was smoking some of the latest catch of fish when he noticed that there was a noise being carried on the wind. It almost sounded like a wounded tiger-seal, but they didn't come this close to their village. He looked over the village. No one else seemed to notice the sound, so Sokka made a decision. If it was a wounded animal, it would probably be better to put the creature out of its misery, especially if it was unable to do anything on its own.

He quickly wrote out a message in the snow and deposited the fish next to the igloo. Then, whistling for Kiba, he started for the sound. It almost sounded like it was moving away from the village. Well, that made things a bit easier. If it was moving away from the village, then he would make sure that it didn't change its mind. Besides, couldn't let all of that tasty meat go to waste, right?

Sokka made his way across the snow, the polar dog following closely behind him. It took a while, travelling over the snow and ice he called home, but the closer and closer he got to the location of the bellows, the more and more he considered turning away. Something in him was urging him to leave whatever it was alone, while another part was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. He glanced over to Kiba, who shuffled along and then nuzzled his shoulder. Sokka patted the white dog, his expression troubled as he travelled.

Something was off. Sokka could just feel it in the air. Whatever it was, he wanted nothing to do with it. However, when he crested the next ridge, his eyes went wide as he noted a lone iceberg, out in the middle of the ocean, with what appeared to be a large white creature on it. The creature's bellows could be clearly heard by now, and when it spotted Sokka, it suddenly paused, and then threw itself into the water.

Sokka had just about enough time to stare, shocked, when the creature managed to cross the waters and then jump out of the water. Kiba growled low in his throat, and the Water Tribe boy started scrambling back before he found himself pounced by the giant behemoth. A large, wet tongue then began licking him, and Sokka could only shove back against the giant head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the heck? Kiba, you have any clues?"

Sokka looked over to his dog, only to find the dog had ceased growling and was now sniffing the large creature. Sokka gave up and then looked back at the creature before him. It was definitely large, with a saddle across its wide back and a pair of horns on either side of its head. A strange brown arrow pattern was in its fur on the creature's forehead, while the rest was a white color. It had six legs, which only added more confusion to what exactly the creature was.

Apparently, however, the creature had enough of Sokka trying to examine it, and decided to nuzzle the young boy again. Sokka shook his head, deciding that the mystery could hold for now and turned to look at Kiba. "Ugh, why do I get the feeling that I am not going to get any meat off of this guy? I mean, come on! Meat just doesn't get all lovey-dovey with the person that's going to eat it!"

For just one wild moment, the creature gave him a snort and nudged him hard, knocking Sokka over. It then turned around and walked back to the shore edge, then bellowed again. Sokka shook his head and turned around, thinking that this had to be a weird dream and maybe he should just tell the men of the tribe. However, the creature had other ideas, and bellowed again, before grabbing the back of Sokka's coat and chucking him onto its back with its teeth. "Whoa, hey! Are you kidding me?"

Sokka glared from his position in the saddle, none too happy about being manhandled while the beast started into the water. "Oh no, you are not taking me off somewhere!" Sokka made to jump off, noting that Kiba was about to come to his aid, when the creature jumped itself, seeming to float for a moment or two before it landed in the water. The splash the creature made caused Sokka to get drenched, and the boy immediately swept his arms around in a circle to draw the water off. He may not use his waterbending all the time like Katara insisted he should, but he did find it useful at times, like staying dry.

The creature didn't seem to care exactly what Sokka was doing, as it was moving now toward the iceberg it had left. The feeling of discomfort returned, and Sokka suddenly had the urge to just jump off of the creature and escape. He didn't get the chance, as the creature got to the lone iceberg and climbed atop it.

Sokka slid off its back, shivering. He shouldn't be here, he thought. He turned to the creature. "Okay, so maybe you're not just a dumb meat creature, but seriously? Can we go back now?" The creature ignored him, however, and instead walked forward and nudged something in the snow. Sokka didn't want to look, but curiosity got the better of him and he approached. "Okay, whatever it is, fine, I'll look, then we go back, deal?"

The boy then stopped cold. Nestled in the snow was a small body, not much older than he was. However, it didn't take a genius to realize that if the creature had been trying to save it, it was much too late. The body was blackened with frostbite, and had taken on the leathery texture of seal jerky. Sokka swallowed hard, and then backed off slowly.

It was at that point that the images suddenly assaulted his mind. Sudden glimpses of trees, high mountains, kids his own age, and creatures much like the one before him flashed through his mind, and whispered conversations drifted through the chaos. He flailed, trying to get his bearings, and he dimly heard the creature's bellow before he plunged into the icy waters behind him.

"Gyatso, it's true, isn't it? I'm the Avatar?" The young boy sounded unsure and scared. Never before had he considered the possibility of something so impossible happening and he wrapped his arms carefully around himself to disguise the nervousness he felt.

The older man looked back toward the boy, kind features drooping a bit in sadness before he wrapped one arm around him. "Yes, it is true. I would not have wished for you to find out that way, and certainly not so soon. You weren't supposed to find out until you were older."

The boy looked up. "What's going to happen now? I mean, I'm not ready! I can't be the Avatar yet."

Gyatso smiled then, and pulled the boy into a hug. They were walking through the halls, and they had avoided the topic of what was going on for the entire day. However, the boy had to know, and he could think of no other person that would tell him what was going to happen now. The elders couldn't understand. "I will still be here to guide and protect you. That hasn't changed."

"And the others? I mean, they won't treat me any differently, will they?" The boy had to know. He wasn't ready. They had to know that!

"I…"

Sokka was drifting in a sea of chaos. He couldn't identify anything, and he opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Then just as suddenly, the chaos vanished, and he found himself collapsing onto the ice, suddenly very cold and shivering violently. A tongue licked him, and then settled right beside him. Sokka felt the warmth, and cuddled into it, his breath coming in painful gasps.

He knew he had to get up, had to move, but exhaustion settled into his bones, along with the fatal cold of his homeland. It was then that he felt a much bigger tongue lick him, then a set of teeth grab him up. Vaguely he realized that the creature had picked him up, and he tried weakly to fight against it, hearing Kiba barking. Suddenly the world fell away, and had he been more coherent, he would have realized this was the first time he had flown.

It seemed ages before they landed, and he could hear screams and shouts for a healer. He felt some of the cold leave as he and his clothes were suddenly dry, and Katara's face came into view. She looked worried, and Sokka managed a weak grin. "Hey sis."

Katara looked ready to cry, and Sokka could only imagine what was causing this. He had stopped shivering, and he was starting to feel warm, too warm. Katara placed a hand atop his forehead, which burned like fire. Sokka whimpered and tried to back away, but something grumbled behind him and nudged him toward the other waterbender. "Don't worry. Gran-gran's going to get mom, and someone else went to get the healer. You're going to be fine."

The expression on her face spoke otherwise, and Sokka slipped out of consciousness before they arrived.

Kya stared worriedly at her son, her bottom lip in between her teeth as she listened to the healer's prognosis. Yuka had plenty of experience with the village, as well as the cold of their home, and her expertise could only be beaten by a waterbending healer. Sadly, there were no healing waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe anymore, which left her staring at her mother-in-law in fear.

Kanna at least seemed to be watching the woman carefully as Yuka wrapped the blankets tighter around her grandson, and Kya busied herself with assisting. "So, he is going to be alright?"

Yuka shrugged, her expression somber as she looked toward Sokka. "That I can't say. His temperature keeps rising and falling steadily, almost like every time he takes a deep breath it increases. If it could raise and stay at a constant temperature, I wouldn't be so worried, but…"

Kanna nodded, and Kya reached out and ran her hand through Sokka's loose hair. He certainly felt frozen, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Sokka was still breathing, she would have thought he was dead from how grey he looked. She didn't want to lose her son like she'd lost her husband, but until he warmed back up, there wasn't much she could do. "It's okay. We just need to keep him warm and dry, right? That should help."

Yuka nodded. "Also try and feed him hot broth, tea, any hot liquids. That should help his temperature rise back up. If he starts shivering, encourage it. I would suggest movement but there's n-"

Yuka gasped, and drew her hands away. Kya too drew away, her brow tightening with worry as she stared. For just a moment, it seemed that one of Sokka's deep breaths had resulted in flames.

"What was that?" Kanna herself edged forward, her brow furrowed as she studied her grandson.

Yuka placed a hand on his forehead, then along inside of the blankets wrapped around him. "He feels warmer. How…?"

Kya stared at both women. "I could have sworn I saw flames just now but-"

Kanna shook her head, suddenly realizing the implications. "But he's a waterbender. The only way he could firebend is if…"

"Is if he's not just a waterbender." Yuka's voice wavered, and she looked at both women carefully. "I will have to inform Bato when he comes back from the hunt."

"What do we tell Sokka though? He has to know." Kya was gripping her son's blankets tight and swallowed carefully.

Kanna shook her head. "It would do no good to tell him now. No one can teach him, and we would have to send him north for any waterbending training. As it is, what firebender would teach a Water Tribe Avatar?"

The statement hung in the air between the three women, and Kya worried her lip again. This wasn't fair. Her son, the boy that denounced his own bending, was the Avatar. The moment seemed surreal, and she wished that Hakoda was still alive. He would have had a better idea of what to do, right?

Katara fidgeted outside of the igloo, hearing whispers and the low murmur of the healer speaking with her mother and grandmother. No one had said much, but the effect was still the same. Sokka hadn't woken up from what looked like a dunk in the ocean, and the healer was worried that he wouldn't. Her eyes traveled across the village until they rested on the strange creature that had appeared with her brother. It seemed tame, especially with the strange saddle on its back, but Katara and the other kids had been warned away from it by Bato.

It was strange. The village had spotted some sort of weird light before the creature had appeared with Sokka, and the girl wondered if this had anything to do with her brother. He was cold, much too cold, and Katara shivered as she considered her brother's state. If he'd fallen into the ocean, with how cold it was right now before the winter set in…

Apparently she didn't have long to wait, as Yuka exited the igloo, giving the young girl a nod. Katara didn't hesitate, rushing inside and blinking at the large fire at the center. Gran-gran was currently next to the fire, Sokka was wrapped in blankets beside her, and her mother was busying herself with the pot, stirring it and adding some fish to the concoction.

Kanna smiled and gestured Katara closer. "Hello child. I do believe a thank you is in order."

Katara sat down near her grandmother, then looked toward Sokka and back to Kanna. "Why a thank you, Gran-Gran?"

"I do believe you probably saved your brother's life." Kanna reached out and touched Katara's hand. "He should be just fine, though he'll need rest."

Katara worried her lower lip for a moment before she curled toward Gran-gran. "I'm glad. I didn't want to be the last waterbender."

Her grandmother didn't say anything, but Kya stepped toward her daughter and offered her a bowl of what looked to be stew, though thinner than usual. "You won't be. We just have to wait for Sokka to wake up."

She completely missed the look that her mother and grandmother gave each other. Instead, she decided to take her bowl and sit next to her brother, already berating him for jumping into the ocean.