A/N: Sorry this took a while. I had to keep looking up canon in certain parts (which is timeconsuming and annoying). Real life also had a habit of interrupting. But, finally, as a New year's Gift; here is the next chapter! :D


Chapter Three: The Boy in the Iceberg


"I love you too, Aang…" Katara whispered softly as she leaned in closer to Aang.

She kissed him lightly, but tenderly on the lips. They held the sweet embrace for a few moments before pulling apart. As she pulled back, she had a warm smile on her face; so full of love, so full of hope.

Aang couldn't help but feel sad and happy at the same time as he stared at his one true love.

"I love you, forever and always, Katara."


Once more, Aang woke up to the face of his beautiful Katara. Aang couldn't help but smile with the same mixed happiness and sadness as he took in her face, still so young and full of innocence; unscarred by the horrors of war and life.

"Hello," He found himself saying as he used his airbending to set himself upright. "I'm Aang." He tried to give the cheeriest grin he could muster as he said it.

He usually avoided asking her to go penguin sledding like he did the very first time. It only brought up memories of more innocent days, and since it served no real purpose and had no untoward effects on his life, he usually chose to simply omit it completely in his relives.

Quickly climbing over the ice with the agility of only an airbender, he made his way over to his still asleep bison. After waking him up, Aang on instinct ducked. While he could change his actions every time he relived his lives, Appa, and many others unless influenced, could not. And thus, Sokka was yet again covered in Appa's slime.

"So your name is Aang?" Katara asked, ignoring his brother who was now writhing on the floor, trying to get rid of the green goo. Aang nodded and she made her own (unneeded, unbeknownst to them) introductions, "I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka."

"Don't talk to him, Katara!" Sokka was now standing up and without any goop. "He's probably a Fire Nation spy! Did you see that bolt of lightning a while ago? He was probably trying to signal the rest of his crew!" he waved his hand up in the air in an attempt to convince her.

"You're just being paranoid! Does he look like a Fire Nation spy to you?!" She responded, a bit exasperatedly.

And as they both turned to stare at him, Aang realized that his face wasn't quite as innocent as it used to be and decided to distract them with what was supposed to happen next. Because while he could leave out the rather gratuitous penguin sledding, he had found that his sneeze was a bit more important as it served to demonstrate his airbending ability. He also found, however that as long as he managed to demonstrate his airbending ability, he need not sneeze every time.

This time he found himself sneezing anyway; perhaps as a sort of sentimental homage to his more innocent past self. It gave his heart an odd sort of feeling every time he had to relive the earlier stages of his life. It was a feeling of great sorrow mixed with great joy. After seeing his friends with the bitter and jaded eyes of someone having experienced war, it was a very odd feeling to have to see the same eyes so full of innocence and hope again.

He felt the cold, arctic breeze sweep across his face as he jumped over twenty feet in the air from the sneeze. Perhaps he exaggerated it a bit—even more than the very first time, but it was half the fun. Getting a chance to, in a way, regain one's (lost) innocence was not something given to everybody. So Aang often reveled in the chance to be a kid again (literally).

"You must be an airbender!" Katara gave a small gasp of surprise while Sokka seemed annoyed (he was once again being ignored).

"Sure am." Aang nodded his consent as Sokka went on a long-winded spiel—that was more of a rant--against 'magic' until he stopped and eventually realized he was going nowhere.

So Aang, like always (he found this event to be pretty constant), he offered to use Appa. And after a few moments of ensuing fighting between the two siblings, they made their way to the Southern Water Tribe.

And as they floated on Appa (he gave a half-hearted attempt to get him to fly but knew it was no use), Aang couldn't help but think about Zuko and how he was probably on his way to capture him right this second.

Over the (accumulated) years he had managed to find a good friend in Zuko. After his heel-faced-turn in the later stages of his life, he was actually a pretty good guy. Oftentimes Aang tried to shorten the period it took to get to Zuko's side; but he knew it was of little use. The path that made him change was a long and hard one; it was one that only he could take, and one no one else--not even the Avatar—could influence him on. In fact, Aang found that the more he tried to get him to his side the less inclined he was to do it; a mistake he made in one of his earlier relives.

"Did you know the Avatar?" Katara asked from the saddle. "He was supposed to be an airbender."

In his very first life, he had lied to her, unwilling to take the huge responsibility that being Avatar meant. Every other relive, however, he realized all too well that he didn't have a choice in the matter. So he just told her the truth immediately.

"…I'm the Avatar." He said it softly. Looking into her deep blue eyes, reliving the early days of their love (still unbeknownst to her), he felt younger than he did in ages. And he felt the weight of being Avatar now, more so than ever. And he felt so old…

Katara's eyes widened and even Sokka was looking shocked.

"Y-you?" Katara stuttered while Sokka looked like a fish out of water with his mouth hanging wide open.

"I was trapped in the iceberg… for a hundred years." Aang began to explain in a mechanically factual tone. "I've only mastered airbending. I can't do any of the other elements." And in a purposely casual manner he asked, "Are there any waterbending masters here? I'll need to master it first."

The two still looked too shocked to say anything, but Katara to her credit, eventually (albeit shakily) answered, "Um… There aren't any waterbending masters here. In fact, I'm the only waterbender in the whole South Pole." She said the last part with a definite hint of pride, to which Sokka scoffed and mutter something about 'magic water'.

"Do you know where we can find any…?" Aang trailed off, though he knew the answer; he wasn't supposed to all-knowing, after all—even if he was the Avatar.

"I'm sure there are plenty of waterbending masters in our sister tribe—the Northern Water Tribe!" Katara exclaimed enthusiastically before Sokka cut in, "But they're all the way on the other side of the world!!" He threw up his arms in exasperation and shook his head as if he were the only sensible person on the planet.

"Appa can take us there." I said (to Sokka's obvious chagrin, and to Katara's delight).

"Rigggght—he'll 'fly' us there! Sure." He said sarcastically as he muttered some more about 'magic' and 'being the only sane person'.

"Good, it's decided then." Katara clapped her hands in finality, purposely taking Sokka's sarcasm seriously. He stared incredulously at her for a second before setting his mouth into a frown.

"You know, GranGran's never going to let you go." He said stubbornly as he crossed his arms across his chest.


"You're letting her go?!" Sokka shouted in disbelief as Katara smiled smugly at him. "Why are you letting her go??"

"You're going too, young man." GranGran added sternly.

"WHAT??!!" Sokka shouted incredulously and Katara stared openmouthed in shock.

"It is your fate to help the Avatar. You both found him in that iceberg, and now you must both help him in his quest to save the world." She explained seriously. Sokka shook his head disbelievingly, but resignedly. Katara looked happy once more, having gotten over the initial surprise of having her brother travel with her.

Aang had found that while the old was initially skeptical, once she confirmed his identity as the Avatar (through Airbending); she was very supportive to the Avatar's cause. Aang figured that the old woman had said something similar to the Water Tribe siblings the first time (which he wasn't there to hear, and never bothered to ask). He was very grateful to the old woman; in more ways than one (he knew that in many of his lives, she had sacrificed her life for him, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly as a result of being a war victim).

"Thank you." Aang gave a short but respectful bow toward the old woman to which she nodded in acknowledgement.

"When are you leaving?" The old woman turned to Aang and asked in a courteous tone that was both cold and warm at the same time. No doubt, she was thinking about how I've been away these last 100 years, while at the same time thinking I'm finally back, Aang thought a bit cynically. The fact that her only grandchildren were now leaving her on a life-threatening adventure (which would threaten their lives and ultimately end them, Aang thought sadly) for an unknown period of time probably added to the misaimed animosity.

"Tomorrow morning." He answered in the same polite tone, but without the emotional undertones. Aang had enough years of practice to be able to do that (though not in front of her, Aang thought wryly).

Zuko would be coming later this afternoon, but they didn't need to know that, Aang thought silently. He would stay and fight the banished prince--and he'd get himself kidnapped on purpose. He found that it was the only way to leave the village intact and unharmed.

"That early?!" Sokka groaned as he slapped a hand to his forehead.

"I can't wait to learn waterbending!" Katara practically shouted, enthusiastically. She grinned as she looked in Aang's direction and gave him a thumbs up, completely ignoring her still complaining brother.

He smiled warmly as he took in both their familiar sights. Sokka, muttering and being his usual crazy self, and Katara eyes shining with hope and passion. He allowed himself a few moments to drink them in. It was nice being able to enjoy such moments of (relative; he thought of loud, boisterous Sokka) peace, even if short lived.

And as he stood there, in the frigid South Pole, gearing up to start his adventure once more, Aang thought silently as he looked in the direction of his one true love,

"I love you, Katara, always and forever."


A/N: next chapter will be Zuko's battle, Katara and Sokka's rescue--essentially the second episode.

Don't complain about how this is different form canon because this is an AU. The reason they are different is explained in the chapter itself.

As for why they don't go to that Fire Navy ship, I ask you: Why? It serves little purpose for the story especially in this setting. (I will expand further on this in the next chapter, so don't worry)

Oh, and the reason she says 'I love you, too' there instead of her real answer in canon, which was 'I'm confused right now' is because canon Aang and this AU Aang are very different people. This AU is more decisive, etc. Will be further explained in-story later on.