Okay, this has taken longer than I anticipated to write. But here's the new chapter of Waywalker! Yay!

It sounds funny at the end, I know, but I wanted a sort of monologue to wrap this up. And who better to narrate than Hoshiko?

Read and review! I know it's been awhile.

Old Customs and Forgotten Hearts

After months of fighting, escaping, and nearly being burned down to a petrified husk, Aang and his friends finally made it to the North Pole. Hoshi had continued training her sister and the Avatar, but finding a master here would only bring out the best in them.

"Have you ever been to the North, Hoshi?" Katara asked.

"Nope. But I've heard stories about the Water Tribe." She shrugged. "Their ability to protect themselves with the terrain. They are a great people."

"I hope we find a master." Katara said. "Not that you haven't done a great job, sis. But a real master!"

"No problem-wait." Hoshi turned to her sister sharply. "Real master?"

Before Katara had a chance to defend herself, an icicle jutted out at them, grazing Hoshi's ear and tearing a small section of skin.

"Whoa!" Aang yelled, weaving in and out as more icicles formed around them.

"We're under attack!" Sokka yelled as a sheet of ice grabbed Appa's foot and sent the bison spinning out of control.

They screamed, holding onto the saddle for fear of flying off into the icy ocean. When they landed in the water, Katara had to grab her sister's arm to keep her on the animal. Then ice covered Appa on all sides, trapping him and his riders. Boats emerged when Hoshi shattered the ice, punching her fist at the water as if she was striking an enemy.

"Who are you!" Sokka yelled, grabbing his spear.

"They're the Northern Tribe, Sokka." Katara answered, slapping her brother's arm. "Put that away!"

"We're from the Southern Tribe!" Hoshi shouted. "We're here with the Avatar! We're looking for a master!"

The men on the boats relaxed and bowed, then led them to the Northern Water Tribe.

Aang, Katara, and Hoshiko stared in amazement at the wonders of the North. White huts, roads made for boats to pass through, sidewalks, bridges, all carved out of an ice cap. There were so many people, so many waterbenders; this wasn't a village, this was a city! It was extraordinary.

"This place is beautiful." Katara said, looking around her.

Sokka's eye caught a girl on a boat and he smiled, then got up and started walking alongside her. Hoshi watched in mischievous joy.

"Yeah, she is." Sokka said, dreamily.

Hoshi giggled and kicked his butt, nearly sending him into the water. He caught himself and glared at her. She made a kiss-y face at him and laughed more when he turned red.

"What was it you said?" Hoshi smiled. "Smoochie smoochie, someone's in love ."

"Shut up." He grumbled.

Hoshi hugged him and apologized. "Sorry, bro. I think it's sweet you found a girl." She smiled, "She was really pretty, too."

"Yeah." He blushed again.

They continued to the large temple structure at the farthest reaches of the city, where the chief greeted them.

"It is an honor to meet you, Avatar." He said, bowing. "We've prepared a hut for you and your friends. I would also like to invite you to come to the feast tonight, in your honor."

"Feast?" Hoshiko perked up.

"As in food?" Sokka asked.

"Yes." The chief chuckled.

"We'll be there." Sokka said. Hoshiko vigorously nodded in agreement.

"But we'd like to rest first, if you don't mind. We've been flying for two days straight." Katara said.

"Of course. Telek will show you to your hut." The chief said, waving over to a young man waiting nearby.

That night, Chief Arnook held a feast in their honor. Sokka, Katara, and Hoshi, their family from their Sister Tribe, had brought the Avatar to them to learn waterbending. It was also his daughter's 16th birthday, which made her marrying age. Her name was Yue and she was the girl that Sokka had been gawking at earlier that day.

She sat next to Sokka, who had been stuffing his face and swallowed the plate quickly. Hoshi nudged his arm with her elbow and wiggled her eyebrows. Sokka glared at her, but turned to the princess and smiled.

"Hi, there." He said in a cheesy voice, "Sokka, Southern Water Tribe."

The Princess smiled and bowed slightly. "It's very nice to meet you."

There was a brief pause where neither said anything. Hoshiko nearly slapped her brother on the backside of the head for being so socially inept.

"So… uh… you're a princess!" Sokka finally said, to which she smiled and nodded. "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kinda like a Prince myself."

"Ha! Prince of what?" Katara scoffed. Hoshi had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"A lot of things!" Sokka angrily retorted. "Uh, do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!"

"My apologies, Prince Sokka." Katara said, bowing sarcastically. Hoshiko let a tiny giggle slip.

Sokka turned back to the princess and smiled. "So it looks like I'll be in town for awhile. I'm thinking maybe we could… do an activity together?"

"Do an 'activity'?" Yue asked in reply.

Sokka started to sweat and, nervous, he shoved something from the table in his mouth. Hoshiko would have laughed at his antics if she hadn't felt something tugging gently at her gut. She turned around and stared out at the emptiness behind her.

"Hoshi?" Katara asked, noticing her sister's strange actions.

"I thought…" She took a deep breath. "It's… something, but it's not important." She shrugged the feeling off. "Find any masters you like yet, Aang?"

"Master Pakku is pretty skilled." Aang said.

"He'd be a good teacher." Katara said. "We should ask him if he can teach us."

"Katara, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Hoshi said, dawning a serious expression on her face. "Women aren't allowed to learn waterbending. They're healers."

"What?" Katara asked, angry. "Then who taught you?"

"A man that wasn't from the North anymore." Hoshi explained. "Don't make a scene. We're at a party."

"So Katara isn't going to learn with me?" Aang asked, frowning, "Then I don't want to learn from a Northern Master!"

"No, Aang, you have to master waterbending." Katara said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hoshiko can still teach me."

"You can still spar together." Hoshiko said, sipping her tea. "And if you happen to learn a few moves from the fights, then it can't be helped."

Katara smiled at her. "You're an evil genius, sis."

"It runs in the family." She smiled.

Katara chuckled and the waterbenders finished their performance. Chief Arnook personally introduced Aang to Master Pakku, who was as cold as the ice he bended, and instructed Aang to come by his dojo at sunrise.

"We'll go over the basics." He said.

"I already know the basics." Aang shrugged. "Hoshi's been teaching me and Katara on the way here."

"Hoshi?" Pakku asked, looking at Sokka.

"Not me, buddy." Sokka said, holding up his hands.

"Me." Hoshiko smiled ruefully. "Down South, my sister and I are the only waterbenders."

"Hm." Pakku said. "I'm not one to argue on culture, but I would appreciate it if you and your sister respected our customs."

"No matter how stupid." Katara grumbled.

Pakku narrowed his eyes at her and Hoshiko wrapped her arm around her sister's mouth.

"She means of course. We'll practice on our own, away from your students." Hoshi bowed. "You wouldn't happen to know where the healing hut is, though, do you?"

"Of course." He said.

"Thank you, Master Pakku." Hoshi nodded.

"Hoshiko?" A familiar voice said from behind Pakku, peeking his head over his shoulder.

"Master Riku?" Hoshi said, raising an eyebrow. She smiled when he stepped into view. "Master Riku!" She ran over and tackled him into a hug. "It's been ages!"

"It's good to see you again, little fish." He smiled, holding her at arm's length. He smiled when he saw the necklace. "I'm glad you've been practicing."

Riku had gotten gray hair in her absence. He was growing wrinkles on his face from worry and his skin was much more leathery. He still held his signature gourd and shaggy clothing, but he wore a parka for the cold, like everyone but Aang wore.

"You two know each other?" Sokka asked.

"This is Master Riku, the guy you taught me back in the day." Hoshi introduced. "Master, this is my family. Katara, my sister,"

"Hello." Katara bowed.

"Sokka, my brother,"

"Sup."

"And Aang, the Avatar."

"An honor." Aang bowed.

"I see." Riku nodded. "Master Pakku will be teaching your Avatar, yes?"

"Yep." Hoshi nodded.

"But not your sister." He said.

"You know our traditions, Riku." Pakku said. The man never smiled, he only seemed to frown or frown harder.

"Yes, but I am not from the North." Riku said, taking a swig from his gourd. "I can teach your sister, if she is willing."

"That'd be great!" Katara beamed.

"Do whatever you like, Riku." Pakku said.

"You're missing out on the chance to teach someone great, Pakku." Riku said. "If she's as talented as my old pupil, you have lost an opportunity of a lifetime."

"I think I'll stick to teaching the Avatar." Pakku said, then walked away.

Katara made a face at his back, but smiled at Riku. "I'm really happy you're willing to teach me."

"I'm glad to have a student. See, I'm sort of in this competition with Pakku." Riku smiled. "The one with the best students gets a whole year's worth of moon cakes from the woman who runs the healing hut."

"Moon cakes?" Hoshiko chuckled.

"They are the most delicious thing on the planet." Riku said, rubbing his stomach. "We've been fighting over them for years now. And with you two, I think I might actually win this year."

"Sounds pretty high risk." Katara chuckled.

"Oh, it is." Riku said. "You're the only student I have this year."

"That's… comforting." Katara said nervously.

"You want to put Pakku in a headlock, don't you?" Hoshiko asked.

"Absolutely." Katara said with ferocity.

"At the end of the month, there's the sparring match. Pakku students against Riku students." Riku said. "I have full confidence that two girls can take down a couple of guys."

Katara and Hoshi smiled at each other. This was going to be fun.

"Um, Hoshi? Odd question." Katara said the next morning at breakfast. Aang hadn't left for his practice yet, the sun still under the horizon. "Why is Riku training me when Pakku won't?"

"Oh, that's because Riku is originally from the South, but when he married his wife, they moved to the North." Hoshiko said. "She was from the North and he loved her so much, he would move anywhere with her."

"Wow." Katara smiled. "I didn't know that. His wife must be incredibly cultured."

"Was." Hoshiko said sadly. "She died before I met him, that's why he lived on Whaletail Island."

"Why'd he move back?" Aang asked.

"I guess he got lonely." Hoshi shrugged.

"Does he know you're not with the Fire Nation anymore?" Aang asked.

"I'm sure he does, since I'm traveling with the Avatar and my Water Tribe family." Hoshi said. "Now finish your breakfast, Aang. You have training to go to."

After they dropped Aang off at Pakku's open air dojo, the sisters waked to Riku's place of practice, inside the huge building where they met with Chief Arnook the other day. His dojo was on the other side of the main room, where an icicle dripped into a massive pool, sunlight pouring in from the glass above.

"Wow." katara awed. "This is amazing."

"You won't be saying that when we get started." Riku said, drinking tea from the top of one of the ice totem poles in the corner of the room. "Water needs space in order to be handled properly. We are confined to only this room."

"Why?" Hoshi asked.

"Pakku has more students, he has priority over my class." Riku sighed. "We used to teach together."

"What happened?" Hoshi asked.

"Why are you teaching separately?" Katara elaborated.

"I wanted to teach women, I wanted change. Pakku is stuck on the old, a boulder in the middle of a river." Riku said cryptically. "I would suppose it's from his past."

"Past?" Katara asked.

"It is not my place to gossip." Riku said, jumping down. "It is my place to teach. So let's begin."

After practice, Katara and Hoshi were proud of their development. They were much more advanced than Riku had realized, even though Hoshi had been his student before.

"That must have been a warm-up for you, sis." Katara said as they walked out.

"Actually, he was teaching a different style." Hoshi shrugged. "Guess he wants to teach Northern to you. I was practicing his old style."

"Which was…"

"Drunken Fist." Hoshiko said, jabbing the air twice in front of her. "I even think he was completely sober today."

"That's good, right?" Katara laughed.

"Yep. Means you'll learn an established, esteemed art while I have the new age stuff that's not as fancy." Hoshi smiled. "But I might keep a few moves from the North."

Katara laughed. "And I might just learn a few Drunken moves, too."

"Oh! That reminds me, I want to take you to the healing hut!" Hoshi said, looping her arm through her sister's and dragging her toward the healer's building.

"Why?" Katara asked, running alongside Hoshiko.

"I can't heal, tried and failed." Hoshi explained. "But maybe you have the ability! It'll help Aang along the way if at least one of us can, right?"

"Yeah." Katara smiled.

They reached the hut, where the lesson was just beginning. Hoshi and Katara sat in the back, the other, younger girls sitting excitedly in front. The instructor, an elderly woman named Yugoda, practiced on a life-sized wooden doll, demonstrating the proper technique.

Katara and Hoshi listened informatively, and when the lesson was over, Katara thanked the instructor.

"Thank you for the lesson." Katara bowed.

"Yeah, thanks." Hoshi nodded, placing a hand on her hip and nodding. "I wish I could heal."

"You're welcome." Yugoda smiled. "Who are the lucky fellas?"

"What?" Katara asked.

"She means our necklaces, sis. The guys here carve necklaces and give them to girls for betrothal." Hoshi explained.

"Oh!" Katara understood, then smiled at Yugoda. "No, ma'am. We're not ready for that yet. My grandmother gave this to my mother, and she passed it down to me."

Yugoda took a closer look at Katara's necklace. "I recognize that carving! I don't know why I didn't realize sooner! You two are the spitting image of Kana!"

Katara started backwards, surprised. "How do you know my Gran-Gran's name?"

"Gran-Gran?" Hoshi asked.

"When I was about your age, Kana and I were friends." Yugoda explained. "She was born here, at the Northern Tribe."

"She never told me." Katara said, touching her necklace.

"Your grandmother had an arranged marriage with a young waterbender. He carved that necklace for her." The old woman told them.

"If our grandmother was engaged, why did she leave?" Hoshi asked.

"I don't know." Yugoda said, looking sad, "That's always been a mystery to me. She left without saying goodbye."

Katara and Hoshi looked at each other in confusion.

Hoshi laid on top of her sleeping bag and tossed an ice ball over her head continually. She was thinking about her grandmother, who she had just learned about. Kana had been raised in the North, engaged to a waterbender, and had left for the Southern Tribe in the middle of the night.

"You think her fiance is still around?" Hoshiko asked Katara, who was brushing her hair.

"Whose fiance?"

"Kana's." Hoshi said. "Gran-Gran?"

"I hope so. It would be nice to know what she was like when she was our age." Katara said.

"I don't." Hoshi said, catching the chunk of ice and melting it. She started making water characters in the air.

"Why not? Don't you want to know what it was like for her to grow up here?"

"Yeah, but it would be awkward." Hoshi said. "Hi, we're the grandkids of your runaway bride who had our dad with someone else. Nice to meet you." Hoshi said with mock enthusiasm. "The only thing worse would be if Master Pakku was Kana's husband-to-be."

"That would be awkward." Katara agreed.

"Yep. Now," Hoshiko said, sitting up, "When's Sokka getting back? I wanna know how his date with Princess Yue went."

The date with the princess did not go according to Sokka's plan and Hoshiko had to listen to her brother's mopey recount of rather confusing events. He had made her a fish, she started crying, he was left on the bridge with a perplexed face. Not the usual talk and walk that teenagers his age had.

Well, that could have been normal. Hoshiko thought the next morning as her and Katara walked over to Riku's dojo. I've never been on a date. But the girls back in Senlin didn't cry when a boy gave them a gift. Maybe it's a Water Tribe thing…

SPLASH!

If Hoshi had been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have avoided the huge pool in the middle of the room, but she hadn't.

"Are you awake now?" Katara called from the edge, smiling down at her soaking sister.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She said, climbing out and bending the water from her clothes back into the original source.

"What's gotten you so distracted?" Katara asked.

"Sokka's girl troubles." Hoshi shrugged. "I wish there was a way I could help."

"Why?" Katara chuckled. "Sokka can handle his own lady problems."

"But isn't it a sister's job to help her brother out?" Hoshiko asked, knitting her eyebrows together.

Katara gave her a sad look, but chuckled. "That's not the kind of help he needs."

Riku strolled into the dojo and clapped his hands loudly. "Today is the day, girls."

"The day for what?" They both asked.

"Finally beating Master Pakku's students and winning those moon cakes." He said gleefully. "You two are much stronger than any of his other students."

"But I thought you said it was at the end of the month." Hoshi asked.

"It is the end of the month." Riku raised an eyebrow at her.

"Wow. That went fast." Hoshi frowned. "Either way. Let's go kick some patriarchal butt."

"Now that sounds fun." Katara smiled.

"To battle!" Riku said dramatically.

Katara and her sister frowned at him questioningly.

"Aren't you energetic this morning?" Hoshi asked.

"Just go win me some Moon Cakes." Riku sighed.

The sparring sessions with Pakku's students were unexpectedly boring for the girls. Katara and Hoshiko had made quick work of the boys, Aang excluded because he did not want to participate, and Hoshi was taking care of the last pupil standing.

When he tried to throwing an ice orb at her, she reversed it trajectory and added the force of the ice beneath her feet to encase him in a tidal wave, frozen at it's peak.

"Looks like you lose, Pakku." Riku smiled.

"Are you finally going to admit that girls are just as good as boys, if not better?" Katara asked hotly.

"Katara." Hoshi hissed, knowing when her sister wanted to pick a fight.

"Your technique is sloppy." Pakku told her. "You're a fast learner, but you have yet to feel the element. Your sister, on the other hand, is quite a capable bender, for a girl of course."

Katara fumed. "We're girls, but we are more than capable of knocking out your students! You're just an angry old man who lives in the past!"

"You have a quick temper." Pakku said, trying to suppress his own. "Maybe you should use that to fuel your useless ambition." He turned to walk away.

"Sis-"

Hoshi was too late. She watched as Katara raised a stream of water and whipped the back of the master's head. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around coldly.

"You want to learn? Fine." He barked. "Pay attention!"

He summoned a torrent of water and spun it around them, creating a rushing barrier. Katara threw that barrier off, the stream slamming into Sokka, who had been watching the earlier duels with Aang and a few of tribesmen. Hoshi was filled with feelings of worry and encouragement, and the emotions waged a war within her.

"Should we be doing something?" She asked Sokka, who had picked himself up.

"No, this is Katara's fight. We'll step in if it gets out of hand." He said nonchalantly.

"When do we know if it gets out of hand?" Hoshi asked, panicked as Katara threw razor sharp ice disks at Pakku.

"Ooh! Your sister's pretty fired up." Riku smiled.

"You're just enjoying this because you got a year's worth of Moon Cakes out of it." Hoshi glared at her master.

He giggled, delighting in the fact he finally won against Pakku and completely ignoring the fight. That was, until Pakku nearly skewered Katara with icicles. Hoshi had never seen her master move so fast. One second he was next to her, grinning like an idiot, the next he was with Katara, icicles on either side of them. Katara looked around in bewilderment.

"This fight is over." Riku said, a completely different man from a moment ago.

"Please, Riku, I wasn't going to maim the girl." Pakku sighed, walking over. He stopped to pick something up from the ground.

"I know. But that does not mean you scared your audience." Riku said coldly.

Something had changed in Pakku as he stood, cradling Katara's necklace in his palm. "This is my necklace!" He exclaimed softly.

"No it's not, it's mine! Give it back!" Katara said, Riku holding her back from pouncing on the old man.

"I made this sixty years ago - for the love of my life." He breathed. "For Kana."

"My Gran-Gran was supposed to marry you?" Katara gasped, eyes wide.

"Wait. I was right?" Hoshi exclaimed.

Hoshi's comment went unnoticed as Pakku and Katara continued to discuss this new discovery.

"I carved this for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we were going to have a long happy life together." He said, full of regret. "I loved her."

"But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage." Katara said.

For some unknown reason, like something was tugging at her mind, Hoshi turned and studied Princess Yue's face. Her eyes were filling with tears as she stood next to Sokka.

"Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage." Katara said, walking up to her would-have-been grandfather.

That one pronouncement sent Yue into sobs, running away from the scene as if it was her they were discussing. Hoshi felt a twinge of pity and looked over at Sokka, who had watched the princess leave.

"What are you waiting for?" Hoshi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Go get her." Aang smiled.

Sokka nodded at the two of them, then raced after the princess. Hoshi turned back to the heart-wrenchingly sappy scene in front of her, and thought about her own arranged marriage. Did she put Zuko in the same position as Pakku when she left? Or did she force him into something like Kana? Did she cause unnecessary heartache? She loved Zuko but she had no idea if he returned the feeling. She felt like she was looking at her future, that she was destined to become an old woman with no family, growing gnarled with regrets and apologies.

Aang almost read her mind and hugged her. "You have family, Hoshi. We won't let anyone break your heart."

She hugged him back. "Thanks, Brother-Soon-To-Be-In-Law."

"In the end, Pakku agreed to teach Katara waterbending and joined forces with Riku. Even roped me into teaching. Aang finally got his bending partner. Sokka got his kiss from the princess, but she was already engaged. That explains why se ran crying from the fight. I'll have to find a way to help Big Brother with his new girlfriend. And as for me," Hoshi smiled, petting Momo as he napped on her lap. She sat on the ice railing of the training ground, in front of the temple, "my story is still unfinished. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more adventures in the future." Hoshi smiled.

"Hoshi, who are you talking to?" Riku yelled below her. "Stop dillydallying and get down here. You have students to teach."

"Coming!" She called, placing the lemur in his new fur lined bed she bought him.