((AN: And another chapter for you guys. x3 Sorry that the last one was somewhat "meh", as one reviewer put it; but I never did like writing transition, or "they arrive there" chapters, because it feels like I'm describing the same kind of thing each time. I try to make them all as amusing as possible. :3 This one's a little more fun with the group, and a couple of sweet little Kataangy interludes, all to get ol' fussy-britches Katara to get out of her funk. x3

I hope it's not too cliché that I included dealing with the abandoned Fire Navy ship. Lots of fanfics or fan-comics of Avatar that I've read deal with the thing upon coming back to the South Pole, mostly right after the repeat penguin-sledding. It's like an Avatar fan-writers rite-of-passage, or something similar. x3 It just felt so natural to include. I tried to make it as dramatic as possible, at least.

As for the funeral scene, that'll be in the next chapter, which won't take long in coming, as usual. x3 Along with a return to the romance.

Enjoy, faithful and awesome readers! ^^

...Mike and Bryan should've sunk that ship. They did a good job sinking Zutara. ;P NEVER DOUBT THE WILL OF THE CREATORS. x3 ))


Chapter 11

Katara rose with the sun the next morning. It was always a habit of hers to awaken quite early to help with chores, back when she had taken on the responsibilities of a surrogate mother…so young in her life. Even now when she didn't have to provide for everyone anymore, she would not sleep too far in at home.

The Waterbender excused herself from her friends' company at breakfast and wandered out of the town's walls to a nearby hill where she could just stand alone to enjoy the morning's warmth as the tribe came to life. Children and adults alike were laughing, their voices echoing like a life force in the barren snowy realm…when long ago she would awaken only to an almost chilling calm. No longer were they living by their teeth just one day at a time, worrying about Fire Navy raids.

No…it continued to hit her with such satisfaction that she and Aang and the others made such a difference.

A part of that difference could be seen out into the newly-built training grounds in the town from atop the hill. Pakku was training a batch of young Waterbenders, and both males and females integrated into it. A healing hut had also been crafted nearby, where Katara figured that some of the women who still followed the old traditions preferred to use their practices there. But all the better, she didn't feel so isolated; no longer being urged as the last Southern Waterbender to hide her abilities.

I hope that you and the benders that were taken before you can look upon this, Hama, Katara prayed as she lowered her head. And be happy that the future is bright.

The sun was her silent companion as it rose into the sky. The snow around her took on a diamond-like glow, each flake shining at the right angle to the fiery life-giver.

And then, swift as a shadow, the peace was shattered as she felt the impact from a snowball to the back of her hood.

"AH!" she shouted, surprised, and swirled around to prepare herself for more attacks.

Nothing there. Just snow and hills.

And the sound of snow being crunched over to her right.

She commanded a pile of drifts at her feet, bending it into a water shield just as another snowball careened for her. "Show yourself!" Katara demanded, quite annoyed. Aang, if that's you, I swear…

"Warriors! FIRE!" Sokka commanded from his hiding place.

Instantaneously, Katara was beset by a small army of children—including Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Aang-encircling her completely, all of them exulting battle cries as they barraged her with snowballs.

But instantly, she turned the tables on them by whirling around, bringing a wall of snow around her from her feet. At the command of her relentless hands, Katara bade the icy drifts to rocket out in all directions, sending her attackers flying backward quite a ways to land in the soft fortresses from whence they came in a chorus of disappointed cries and grunts.

"You guys seriously thought that you could beat a master Waterbender at a snowball fight?" Katara barked a laugh, after seeing them rise covered in frost. "What the heck was all that about?"

The kids scattered off to pick snowball fights with each other as her older friends approached, brushing themselves off. "We just thought we'd ambush you and get you to loosen up," Sokka grinned. "You were so quiet and aloof this morning when you woke up; we were worried."

"Yeah, so we figured: what better way to cool you off?" Toph smirked. "Admit it, you laughed."

"Oh, I did not," Katara snorted, crossing her arms indignantly. "You are all so immature."

"Oh, just admit you had fun, so we can get the day started!" Suki grinned widely. "We've got so much to do."

"Yeah, come on, Katara; we want you to come and have fun with us," Aang urged her with a gentle smile, which quickly turned devious as he picked up another finely-crafted snowball. "And if you don't, we'll have to keep pelting you."

Her eyes widened, and she smirked back. "And I'll have to keep fighting you off."

"And then Twinkletoes here will have to freeze your feet so we can all stuff snow down your shirt until you surrender," Toph threatened.

Katara narrowed her eyes at her four friends. "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

"Just try us," Sokka retorted in a sing-song way, picking up a snowball himself.

They looked at her expectantly, the Waterbender standing as still and frozen as a glacier. She looked as if she were about to explode in anger and annoyance at their antics. But slowly a realization dawned on her.

With only a quick playful grin to betray her intention, Katara blew the ice from under her friends' feet and tripped them over each other, all in one swift circular motion.

"I just wanted to get back at you before I gave in," she said in excuse as the others stared at her incredulously. She had an apologetic smile as they picked themselves up, laughing again. "Sorry if my mood this morning worried you guys; but you know what tonight is. It's a lot to think about."

"You honestly think too much, Katara," Sokka said with his arms crossed. "You need to let go and have fun. We're home, we're not at war, you have us all together…don't be a stick-in-the-mud."

"Lighten up, Sugar Queen!" Toph agreed, tossing her arms up in the air.

Aang stepped forward and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry if we annoyed you…but we just don't want you to worry yourself too much. You hurt otherwise, and it hurts us to see you like that. For me, Katara…enjoy the day with us," he smiled.

Letting in a deep breath to quell the fire in her, Katara let it out and returned Aang's smile and hand squeeze. "Alright. I will," she relented. "It might be a good distraction."

The Airbender and her three other friends nodded back. "And if you don't mind," Aang added with eagerness in his voice, "There's one perfect start to it."

Katara laughed loudly. "Penguin sledding?"

"Penguin sledding," he confirmed, beaming.


"THIS IS CRAZYYYYY!" a voice could be heard echoing off of the snowy hills, shattering the morning's peace to anyone who was nearby. Along with it, there was the sight of penguins rocketing down the icy slopes; and their riders. The previous shout had belonged to Toph, who though blind could still feel the dizzying movements of the rapid sledding as she caught up with the others.

Aang and Katara swiftly passed on either side of her, engrossed in their own laughter and adrenaline-fueled euphoria. "Told ya it was fun and fast, Toph!" the Avatar shouted back, using Airbending blasts to make the oblivious animals go even faster.

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me I'd be getting a…AH! A face-lift!" she shouted back, suddenly losing control of her steering and causing herself and her penguin to twist and tumble in the drifts. She tried to right herself again, keeping a firm hold on the animal.

"Haha, eat our dust, Toph! Woo!" Sokka exulted as he zoomed by on one of two ice boards conjured for himself and for Suki, trying in vain to keep up with Aang and Katara. "Hey, no bending, that's cheating!"

Katara turned her head back and snorted, hanging tightly as she could while wearing mittens. "I didn't realize we were racing! AH!" she screamed and giggled as she hit a bump.

On their other side, a little further ahead than Sokka, Suki was close on the benders' tails, laughing harder than she ever did in her life. "This is so awesome!"

"The elephant koi are still good for rides though!" Aang shouted back, grinning.

"Yeah, without the Unagi!" Suki joked and tried to steer her board past them, only to get a blast of snow in the face courtesy of Katara's bending. "Pleh!" she spit. "You did that on purpose!"

"No, that was an accident!" she grinned and did a rather fancy turn, flipping more snow upward to hinder the other racers. "THAT was on purpose!"

The exuberant laughter continued as the penguins and ice boards twisted and turned around each other, nearly crashing their riders only to expertly right them again…zigzagging, flying, clearing heads and flinging snow, passing into dark tunnels and coming deathly close to crashing, until the sledders finally reached the bottom of the hill and slowed to a stop on an icy beach.

They all fell off of their mounts and left them to waddle off towards the ocean, still laughing like children and high on the rush.

"Okay, okay, I admit that was awesome," Sokka said between gasps of breath. "I never did that as a kid. I always had to catch Katara doing it."

"Well," the Waterbender snickered and stood to brush the snow from her coat, "Now your childhood is complete, Sokka. Maybe if you'd have joined me instead of stopped me, you wouldn't have turned out to be such a serious grump."

"Maybe, but I still became a useful serious grump," he said pointedly.

"I can argue the logic," Toph said as she spit out the snow that she'd accidentally inhaled on her way down. "Still, not a bad way to have fun, Twinkletoes."

"What can I say; I know where to look," Aang grinned and used a gentle air current to lift him to his feet again.

"Sure do," Katara smiled. But then, she paused and turned her head to look out to where they were on the beach, and it dawned on her with the force of a tidal wave that they were mere feet away from a very familiar location. "And you also have a knack for irony," she said.

"What do you mean?" Aang inquired as he followed her gaze, only to take on the same thoughtful look. "…Oh."

The others joined them and craned their heads at the sight before them, releasing short gasps of breath. Sokka grimaced, and Suki put a hand to her lips. Toph remained silent, uncertain of what her friends were suddenly so quiet about.

"Hey, blind girl over here!" she reminded them sternly, waving a hand over her face. "What's going on?"

"A Fire Navy ship, Toph," Katara said.

Standing before the group was the very ship that Aang and Katara had discovered not a half-day after first meeting each other. It was a gargantuan metal beast, its hull rusted and damaged beyond all repair thanks to its impalement on a jagged iceberg. A tattered Fire Nation flag still blew in the wind from the mast. As the breeze picked up, they could hear the haunting creaks and groans from inside…once a threat and a bad memory, now mercilessly being ravaged by time and ice.

"I'd almost forgotten that this was still here," the Waterbender muttered. "It feels so strange to see it again in the wake of what's happened."

"I know," Aang agreed. "I still remember setting off the trip-wire that locked us in and sent a flare into the sky. It's what caused Zuko to find us the first time."

"I can't believe I was so easily convinced that you were nothing but trouble back then, Aang," Sokka sighed. "Things really do change."

"So, what's the ship doing here?" Suki asked. "It looks like it's been trapped on the ice for years."

"They were part of the Fire Nation's first attacks, years ago," Katara explained. "Gran-Gran was about my age. It took about ten Waterbenders at once to trap this ship here, to make an example to the Fire Nation of our power." Her head was downcast. "It didn't do much good, though. I bet Hama helped to put it here."

Sokka put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Well, that's all in the past now. The Fire Nation is no longer our enemy, and we don't have to hold that ship in bad memory anymore. In fact...I think it'd be much better if it were sunk."

Katara nodded, after a pause. "I think so too. Bad memories are being buried and forgotten today. This ship should be one of them."

"Yeah…it no longer needs to be a reminder," Aang said in solemn agreement, turning to Katara. "So…you and me, tag-team Icebending?"

She met his eyes and smiled. "Totally. You and I were the ones to find it together, and we'll end it together."

The others took a few steps back, giving the two benders the needed room to finish such a monstrous task. They took simultaneous deep breaths, letting the cold air invigorate their blood.

And then, with a few fluid but swift hand movements, the Avatar and the Water Tribe master started to crack and carve at the foundations of the crafted glacier. Piece after broken piece, crack after thunderous crack, they could feel as well as hear the weight of the ship bearing destruction on the frozen piece of land.

When a howling, ghastly metal moan signified that the ice could take it no more, Aang and Katara used mirrored body and hand movements to force waves to form from the sea on either side of the ship. At bow and stern, a conjured tidal wave crashed down on both sides and slammed the ice out from under the ship, rocking it from its position and causing such damage inside that the explosive noises could have probably been heard back at the village. As the smoke leaking from the hull signified, the volatile disturbances had probably set off more flares to further destroy the interior.

Water pulsed outward from the impact, causing ice daggers to fly, and swallowed a large portion of the ice beach. The ship was left floating for a single moment on the disturbed sea, its hull slamming violently against its former land bridge and causing the friends to briefly be rocked on their feet, before the water started to swallow it.

It flooded the holes in the hull with a sickening lurch, enveloped the deck and the chambers with relentless force, and drew the former Fire Navy beast into the cold depths.

As the benders finished helping it along, the ship's tattered flag was the last to be seen. There was a swirling vortex of water left where it sank, the waves soon becoming quiet and deathly still. A heavy vibration through the ice, felt through their boots, was the indication that the ship had hit the bottom of the sea and had met its grave, where it would lie forever.

"May it never rise again," Katara sighed, eliciting solemn nods from the others. By her tone of voice, she didn't just mean the ship…she meant everything out of the war and out of the past.

The five friends stood in place for only a moment longer, before they turned and started in a run back toward the village. The spot was left far behind and its bad memory forgotten forever as they turned their priorities to spend the rest of the day in fun.


"So, Gran-Gran, how are you and Pakku getting along?" Katara asked a little later that day, as she and Aang spent some time helping her with preparing lunch and dinner. Sokka had gone off for a little warrior training (with his entourage of old students, naturally) and Suki and Toph had gone with him to tour the town. It was a good idea by Aang and Katara, to spend some hours together in the presence of their family. In Aang's case, adopted family.

The old matron smiled as the Avatar helped her lift a barrel of fish. "Quite well, actually." She briefly showed the new betrothal necklace that she had been given, which was similar to Katara's but had intricate designs woven into the strap fabric. "You can imagine my surprise when he showed up at my doorstep with an entire town's worth of Waterbenders and warriors with intent to help us rebuild. Oh, there had never been such joy in the faces of the tribe. I was happy to see him, if only wary of how I'd abandoned him in the past…so long ago. That he still loved me was a shock in itself. But he was prepared to do everything he could, for his sister tribe and for me." She closed her eyes. "Fate works in interesting ways."

Katara and Aang gave each other a sidelong glance, seemingly exchanging the same thoughts. It was the Waterbender who voiced it, turning back to her grandmother. "It does. I mean, look it what happened to me and Sokka. But I think it was all meant to be. It proves that time changes people and circumstances. It also proves that love finds a way even after you think that it's all lost."

Kanna nodded thoughtfully. "You've become wise, my little hero. I still miss your grandfather very much. But love is never really gone from this world, and if anyone could come to fill such a heavy void, I believe it is meant to be Pakku."

"I learned that myself, only some time ago," Aang said, his eyes thoughtful as the two women regarded him. "During my travels," he began, "I met a wise guru at the Eastern Air Temple who helped me to face all of the doubts in my mind. In dealing with grief, I felt that I'd lost the love of all the Airbenders when they were wiped out. But I didn't. It was all still there, and just like love was reborn for you, it was reborn for me."

He met Katara's eyes meaningfully, and her breath caught in her throat with a furious blush. Her heart was trying to escape her rib cage. Is he telling me what I think he's telling me? Is it really that much love?

Kanna caught this exchange and chuckled with a broad smile. "I knew I sensed a connection in the both of you from the beginning." She placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "And I can also sense that it will last. I hope that you continue to keep each other safe and happy. I know I am certainly happy that my granddaughter has found someone to connect with, after so long of seeming like she would be trapped here."

The two of them exchanged another glance, and Aang took Katara's hand in his. He was silently telling her that she would always keep her free, and her squeeze back gave him all of the assurance in the world that she would always follow him. "I don't think we'll have a problem there," he said.

The matron chuckled again. "Good. But, let us save the emotion for after tonight. We have things to do."

"Yes, Gran-Gran," Katara laughed and turned with the Airbender to start again with the chores, pausing only for a moment when Kanna wasn't looking to kiss him on the cheek.

Smirking upon seeing his heavy blush, she thought to herself, I really SHOULD have seen it earlier.


After chores and lunch, Aang and Katara took Momo and Appa out of their sleeping spots for some exercise. The sky bison had been heartily enjoying himself with a feast of seaweed, while the lemur often tried to snatch pieces of food from people's hands. He was still up to his antics with the two benders as they flew over the tribe for a longer, better view of just how big it had gotten.

"Heh," Aang laughed as he broke off a piece of bread for his pet, "I'm surprised Momo can stand the cold here and still be so energetic. Even the Southern Air Temple never got this cold in the winter."

Katara grinned, settling next to him on the bison's head behind his horns. "Maybe he has the same kind of power you have, when you stay warm." She scratched behind Appa's ear, eliciting a groan from the beast. "I still can't believe that the Fire Nation would try to decimate the sky bison and the lemurs too, come to think of it."

Aang nodded, turning somewhat solemn. "It makes me hurt too. All of those animals…I shudder to think of how the Fire Nation even got to our temples; considering you can only get to each of them by flying, they probably captured some sky bison and used them to invade. Or worse, used dragons."

The Waterbender shuddered at the thought, still keeping up her gentle stroking of Appa's head as Momo settled on her shoulder. The two benders said nothing for a while, but they didn't need to; comfort was given just by leaning on each other.

Katara then smiled suddenly. "Well, like I said, there's always hope. Maybe some of the animals escaped, too. I mean, Momo was wandering around the Southern Temple before you found him, and I don't think lemurs live for a hundred years. Perhaps a small colony still lives in the mountains somewhere."

"Maybe," Aang smiled lightly. "Lemurs are pretty smart, so they'd move after sensing any sign of danger. Still, I don't know about the sky bison."

With an understanding nod, Katara put a hand on his shoulder. Momo used it as a bridge to scurry over to Aang, offering his own little piece of comfort. "If you want, I'll help you see if we can find them someday," she whispered.

At that, the Airbender put his hand over hers. "I think I'd like that," he whispered, smiling. "Heh, that's one reason I love you. You give me so much encouragement."

"It's hard not to do," she replied, blushing as she hugged him. His words about loving her as much as he did his entire nation still echoed like a song in her mind. Katara briefly wondered if she even deserved it from him.

The moment lingered for a while before Appa let out a loud grunt, having spotted the rest of their friends below in the residential area where they were staying. They were milling around a little campfire; some of the young kids were playing with Toph and asking her questions about the Earth Kingdom and her blindness (to which she displayed no sensitivity at all, and even a good amount of pride, in telling them about how it helped her Earthbending). Suki and Sokka were talking to a few warriors from a newly-built school that were around their ages.

But everything paused the minute that the Avatar's bison was spotted. Aang and Katara waved as some of the bystanders cleared a landing spot and scattered off. Their friends surrounded them as they leaped from the beast's back. Momo was already running and gliding among them, playing leap-frog with their heads.

"Hey guys, how's the day been so far?" Aang inquired as he ushered Appa back to the stables for a rest.

"Well, I'm starting to actually get to like it here," Toph said as she picked herself up from the snow. "Maybe. Sorta. Still hate not being able to see. But check it out!" she said, pulling back her hood to show her wearing a new blue headpiece in place of her Earth Kingdom band, with a Water Tribe jewel in the center. "Souvenir."

"Looks good on you, Toph," Aang admonished. "We both have something from the Water Tribe to keep now," he said, causing Katara to beam with pride.

"And we had a neat time ourselves," Suki said with a glance to Sokka. "Tell 'em."

The boy grinned widely. "They made me an honorary teacher at the warrior school!"

"Really? That's great!" Katara smiled and hugged him. "I guess after always taking it upon yourself to teach those kids, it was only natural to make you official."

Sokka proudly stuck out his chest. "What can I say? I said I was the best warrior in my village, and now I proved it."

"You were the only warrior in the village, Sokka," Katara smirked, causing the others to snicker behind their hands.

He rolled his eyes. "Dad still left me in charge, you know."

Suki giggled. "Well anyway, you still did come a long way since you first trained with me."

"You know, he still keeps that dress you gave him?" Aang pointed out with a bit of a humorous smile.

"It's a warrior's uniform!" Sokka shouted in correction, earning him another round of laughter.

The joking around was interrupted slightly however, once Hakoda was spotted coming up to the group. He waved and smiled in greeting. "Hello, everyone; I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not really, Dad," Katara waved back. "Just the usual; standing around, talking, relentlessly teasing Sokka."

"Just you wait, I'll get you all back for your disrespect," the young warrior muttered in mock darkness, pointing an accusing finger at each person.

The Chief chuckled. "Yeah, I'd heard that you were made teacher at the academy. Good work, son."

"Thanks, Dad," he admonished, continuing trying to intimidate his friends with his glare (and only managing to make them snicker) before he lightened up. "So what's going on?"

"Actually, I thought I'd ask if either you or Katara, or both, were up for helping me catch some fish," Hakoda said, toying with a piece of line that he had carried with him. "We've got a feast planned before the ceremony tonight. Your friends can come too if they want. And it'll give us some time together that we seem to have lost with the war…I had to hear from Bato that you went ice-dodging without me, first of all," he said with a bit of an accusatory smirk.

Sokka cringed and nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, yeah, right; that."

"You guys can have fun," Aang said with a wave of his hand and a polite smile. "I'm not one for catching fish, remember."

"I'll stay too," Suki said, bowing. "This is for you and your family. Besides, I got a nice invitation from the warriors to do some practice training with them."

"Hey!" Sokka said, suddenly rushing up to her, narrowing his eyes. "They'd better not put any moves on you while I'm gone. I saw how they look at you."

Suki rolled her eyes. "Relax, Mr. Overprotective, you forget I can take care of myself. If they try anything, I'll kick their butts."

The young warrior breathed a sigh of relief. "Just kick an extra butt for me, please?"

"Gotcha," she laughed in reply and gave him a reassuring embrace and a kiss, in front of the warm expressions of the others.

Hakoda chuckled and turned to Katara and Toph. "How about you two?"

"Nah," Toph said with a dismissive wave. "A blind Earthbender on a fishing trip in the South Pole is about as useful as a rock in your boat, and it would be too boring for me. So I'll just stay with Twinkletoes and Sokka's fan-girl, here."

Sokka barked a loud, sudden laugh. "Fan-girl…good one, Toph. I have got to write that one down," he smirked, causing said fan-girl to slam a palm to her forehead and Hakoda to roll his eyes with a similar grin. Then, the father turned to Katara for her answer.

She smiled. "Sure, Dad, I'll come. If you're gonna catch fish right, you might need a Waterbender anyway," she laughed.

"Oooh no," Sokka argued. "No Waterbending; that's cheating and it takes the sport right out of it." He raised his spear and slammed the blunt end into the snow for emphasis. "We're gonna do this like men."

Katara's eyebrow twitched. "Well, you can do it like men. I'll do it right."

"Alright, that's enough," Hakoda said, breaking up a potential fight. "It doesn't matter how we catch the fish; I'd rather it be a peaceful family outing." He looked up to the others. "You guys take care, and we'll be back before sundown."

"Good luck with the fishing," Aang waved back as he watched his friends walk off towards the docks. As Suki said her farewell and headed towards the warrior academy—and Toph back to the house for some toe-picking and a nap—the Avatar figured that it was a good time to find Pakku and get in some evening Waterbending training, followed by the Firebending homework that he'd promised Zuko; though that would take place a good distance away from the tribe's walls.