Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: It wasn't clear from the finale, but I got the impression that Bumi used the eclipse to break free and start on his journey to meet the other Old Masters. I just don't see how he could have re-taken his city in 7 minutes, and who was going to hold onto it after he was gone? Since Sokka, Katara, and Aang pretty well evacuated the city months before, the only residents left were Fire Nation. And the bit about how Kana greeted Pakku was based on something the creators said on the audio commentary for The Avatar State.

Four Elements United

Katara was surrounded, surrounded on all sides by shifting earth. Her meager waterbending didn't seem to be any match, but she couldn't, wouldn't give up. She brought all the resources she had into the Octopus form, ready to defend herself and Aang.

Aang, meanwhile, encased himself in the strange, glowing green stones that provided Ba Sing Se with light. Katara didn't know what he was doing and could hardly spare him a glance, but she trusted him. She had to.

Her attention was drawn to him once again when everybody around her suddenly stopped fighting. She looked over her shoulder and saw Aang, rising into the air, the Avatar State glowing through his eyes and tattoos. Katara felt herself smiling slightly at the sight. He had mastered this at last, and she was so proud of him!

Pride and confidence quickly evaporated into horror, however. Lightning flashed, flickering terribly through Aang's body. Katara's mouth opened to scream, but time seemed to have stopped, and she could make no sound. She could only feel the tears running down her face and the aching loss in her heart.

Katara sat bolt upright from her sleeping space, gasping for breath. Struggling to steady her breathing and heart rate, she forced her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the shelter in which she rested. Seeking reassurance, she looked over the lumps of bodies representing her companions and found Aang's familiar form. He had considered sleeping in the separate cover he'd made for Appa and Momo, but Katara was immensely relieved that he was here, where she could see him. As she watched, he murmured and rolled over.

Rubbing a hand across her face, she felt moisture, indicating that she had managed to cry in her sleep. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to close her eyes yet without facing those disturbing images, she quietly got up and made her way to the entrance.

Piandao and one of the Kyoshi Warriors sat there, keeping watch. With so many in their group, it had been simple to devise pairs to keep a lookout while others slept in rotation. Dawn was breaking over the horizon, and Katara was aware that her sleeping patterns were still very irregular, thanks to the oddities of their journey. It would probably remain that way until this war was finally over.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked as Katara stooped to exit their cover.

"I, um…" she answered, trying to give both of them a reassuring smile and gesturing vaguely outside. Let them just think she needed to answer a call of nature.

"Don't go too far," Piandao warned.

"I won't," she assured him, stepping out and taking deep breaths of the air blowing across open land. Not really having anywhere else to go, she was headed toward the place where Appa and Momo rested when she suddenly realized that her excuse for leaving the cave had become the truth. She paused to take care of that before continuing to her destination.

This was not the first time Katara had experienced nightmares about what she had witnessed in Ba Sing Se, but they hadn't bothered her in quite some time. Maybe it was being so close to the city that brought them back.

Katara slipped into the hastily constructed earth structure and lightly stroked Appa's fur. The feel of it, the bison's warm presence, and even his smell were oddly comforting. She'd grown used to him being around.

"This must be hard for you, too, Appa," she whispered. Momo, curled between two of the bison's six feet, raised his head and blinked at her sleepily before returning to slumber. "You haven't been able to fly much lately. Don't worry, though; we'll need you in the air soon."

There had been a great deal of discussion, lasting late into the night, about when and how to attack. They'd agreed to make their move at night, deciding that the disadvantage of the firebenders in the city outweighed the fact that Jeong Jeong and Iroh would have the same problem. They were both stronger and more experienced than most, and lightning was less affected by night. Besides, the waterbenders in the attack squad would be more powerful. For that reason, they were going to wait another night or two, until the moon returned. Even a sliver would be beneficial.

Katara heard a soft step outside and didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Good morning, Aang," she greeted him. "What brings you here?"

"You, I think." He sat cross-legged near her. "Something woke me up, and when I saw you were gone…I felt like I should find you."

"I was just thinking. About the last time we were here."

"Yeah. Me too," Aang said quietly. He paused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, shaking her head. "I just…I'd seen you come through so many things that seemed impossible. I guess I thought that you always would. And when I saw you master the Avatar State that day, I felt like things had to come out all right. Then…" she trailed off, the painful memories coming again to the forefront and choking off her words. Maybe talking about this wasn't the best idea.

"You know, I still can't imagine what that must have been like for you," he offered gently, placing his hand over one of hers. "I'm the one who died, but you had to watch it. I actually think that's worse, and I'm sorry it happened."

"So many things went through my mind," Katara admitted. "Not at first; I was too concerned with catching you and getting you to safety. But afterward…and some were so selfish! I was thinking about what I'd lost, and that you'd never know what you meant to me. Isn't that awful?"

"No it's not. It's human. It's okay to be human." Aang gave her a half smile as she looked up at him. "That's taken me a while to accept, but it's true."

"What do you mean?" she demanded. "When did you not accept being human?"

"It's not that I didn't accept that I was human; it's more that I had a hard time believing that was good enough." Aang sighed, staring ahead as though visualizing something in front of him. "When I walked the Spirit World, while I was healing, the last Avatar to talk to me was Yangchen. She didn't tell me anything about her life, but she tried to help me put together everything I'd learned."

"And you said you'd learned that all of the Avatars made mistakes," Katara prompted, recalling that piece of information.

"Yes. So I asked why the Avatar had to be human at all. Why not just a powerful spirit instead? She told me that the Avatar needed to be human and spirit combined. The elemental power's important, but it's not the only thing. To help people, the Avatar has to understand them, how they think and feel. I know things like joy, grief…" His eyes shifted to rest on Katara again, and he squeezed her hand. "…love. And now that I've had time to think about it, I think that is important. At least as important as the power."

Katara spent a moment or two trying to imagine the world where the Avatar was merely a distant spirit, bound to keep the world in balance. Such a thing couldn't be killed, of course, as she still feared Aang would be one day. But such a spirit would also not be gazing at her right now with gray eyes shining, warm hand clasped in hers. She smiled at him, feeling much more at peace with the universe.

"I agree with Yangchen," she said, and she couldn't resist leaning forward and kissing him before she continued. "I love you, Aang."

"I love you, too." His face took on a determined expression. "And I will succeed here this time. We'll make new memories of the city. Better memories."

When he spoke like that, Katara found it impossible to doubt him. She decided to enjoy the time they still might have alone before someone looked for them. She curled into Aang's lap and rested her head on his shoulder as he shifted slightly to make them both more comfortable. He wrapped his arms around her and put his head against hers. Inhaling his unique scent, Katara wished this moment could last forever.

***

Ursa and Zuko were nearly at their destination when Zuko suddenly stopped and stood staring. Concerned, Ursa paused also to look at him.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, but for a moment, her son could only shake his head.

"I did this," he murmured, in a voice so hoarse and low she could hardly hear it. Ursa got the feeling that he was not really answering her at all. "I helped this to happen. I never really stood and…looked before."

Ursa followed his gaze and saw what he had – massive Fire Nation war machines swarming around the once-walled city. Ursa had seen Ba Sing Se a couple of times during her voluntary exile, and she had to admit it was jarring to see it so drastically changed.

Even worse, she had no idea what to say to her son to make him feel better. Life had been so much easier when he was five or six, and a hug and kiss from Mom could make everything all right. His life – and hers – had become so much more complicated. Her little boy had grown into a man in her absence, and it was still hard for her to accept. She didn't know how to relate to him anymore.

"We lived here for a while," Zuko continued. "Uncle ran a tea shop. He thought we could hide behind the walls, lose ourselves in the large population."

Ursa looked at his profile as he stared at the havoc his family had wrought. He bore little resemblance to his father, she observed. There were a few lines of his jaw and nose that were reminiscent of the last two Firelords, but most of his features favored her. She wondered if he had ever noticed that.

"Zuko, I'm sorry," she said, and he turned toward her. "For everything you've had to go through. A mother wants to protect her children, but I wasn't there."

"It's okay, Mom," he assured her, a wry smile twisting his mouth. "If you hadn't done what you did, I might not be here now."

"We can't change the past," she told him, speaking of both her and him. "We can only act in the present and work for a better future."

"You're right." Zuko nodded decisively. "We have to find everyone and tell them what's coming." He turned his head to look to the east, where the airships would come from. There was no sign of them yet, but it couldn't be long now.

"How will we find them?" Ursa had been wondering this for a day or two but had not ventured to ask.

"All I have to do is get close," he answered confidently. "Then they'll come and find me." He began striding toward the city, and Ursa rushed to catch up with him.

"How can you be sure?" she persisted, trying to match the pace of a pair of legs that were now longer than hers.

"There's a girl with them, an earthbender named Toph. She's blind, but her earthbending lets her 'see' through vibrations in the ground. She knows me well enough to recognize me, so we just have to get within range."

"And what is that range, exactly?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't go into detail, and I don't think she understands distance the same way we do."

Ursa decided to trust that he knew what he was doing and merely followed along as he picked a certain distance from Ba Sing Se and began roaming along in a rough arc. However, this went on much longer than she was comfortable with, and just as she was about to suggest another course of action, a small girl popped out of a pile of rubble that looked indistinguishable from the rest of the devastation. She waved at them, and Zuko waved back, finally giving a genuine smile. It completely transformed his face, and Ursa looked between him and the girl doubtfully.

"Isn't she a little young for you?" she murmured as she and Zuko moved toward the girl.

"Oh stop," he protested, although Ursa noticed that his unscarred cheek grew rosy. "Can't we end this war before you go all Mom on me?" At that, Ursa couldn't help grinning. That was definitely something a mother didn't hear every day.

"Hey, Smokey," Toph greeted when they were close enough that she didn't have to shout. "Is that your mom?"

"Yes, it is," Zuko replied, before switching to a bantering tone Ursa had never imagined she'd hear him use. "Is that your new nickname for me?"

"Yeah. I had some time to think about it while you were gone."

"It's definitely better than the other ones you tried." Zuko quirked his good eyebrow. "Or shouldn't I tell you that?"

"Well, it's not required that everyone hate their nicknames. Come on in. We try not to stay out in the open too much." She led the way to a hidden entrance that revealed a rather roomy cave. Pallets, blankets, cloaks, and just about anything else that could be used for cushioning were spread around haphazardly, and a few people appeared to be sleeping. Most, however, were sitting awake, and several greeted Zuko warmly. One in particular caught Ursa's attention, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. This boy had a shaven head marked with a blue arrow. He was wearing an outfit in autumn colors that revealed another blue tattoo running along his arm.

This, of course, was the Avatar. Even in the tiny village where Ursa had sought refuge, they had heard of his deeds, especially of his mysterious return from the dead to lead an invasion upon the Fire Nation itself. That it had been unsuccessful did not diminish his achievements. Frankly, Ursa was amazed that all of the things she had heard had been accomplished by someone who looked so unassuming.

"Everyone, this is my mother," Zuko was saying, and Ursa dragged her attention back to him. "Princess Ursa. Or…should it be Firelady now?"

"I gave up the 'princess' title a long time ago," Ursa told them all with a smile. "Along with any others. You can just call me Ursa."

There were some slightly chaotic introductions, which eventually woke those who had been sleeping. After that, Zuko anxiously explained to the group what he'd heard about the Firelord – now The Phoenix King – coming this way.

"There's more," Zuko added soberly, once the initial babble of questions and exclamations had died down. "I attended a war meeting before I left. Father wanted to find a way to…break the people of the Earth Kingdom. He and his generals decided that the best thing to do was total destruction. He's going to use the comet to burn everything he can reach."

Shocked silence followed this announcement, and Ursa was among those stunned. Zuko hadn't mentioned this to her.

"When you say burn everything, do you mean…?" the blue-clad girl called Katara didn't finish the question, but her meaning was clear.

"I mean everything," confirmed Zuko, his mouth set in a grim line. "Trees, buildings, farm fields. Everything he can reach before the comet passes. Since it sounds like he's making Ba Sing Se his base for that, the city itself and the fields that support it should be safe. That part's new."

"So you have no idea when they'll get here?" asked Sokka. Zuko shook his head.

"It's been days since I heard about it, so it could be any day now," he said.

"Then it seems we have no choice," sighed Pakku, who represented the third and last member of the Water Tribe contingent. "We must strike tonight." Ursa looked out of their cave with trepidation. The sun was already sinking.

"Well, we're all pretty well rested," remarked Suki. She seemed to be echoing Ursa's own thoughts. "But you two aren't."

"They can stay here," offered the ancient King Bumi. "The rest of us should be enough to do what needs to be done."

"Not a chance," replied Zuko forcefully. "I helped make this happen, and I'm going to help fix it." Iroh smiled at his nephew proudly.

"Perhaps you are right," he acknowledged. "Long ago, I had a vision that I would take Ba Sing Se. I didn't understand until recently that I would be re-taking it on behalf of the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, I'm certainly not staying behind," added Ursa, sensing that she would be mentioned next. When some of the others looked at her quizzically, she smiled at them. "Don't forget that I'm a firebender, too. I might be a little out of practice, but I can hold my own." If there had been room, she would have demonstrated a few of the forms. One of the reasons she'd insisted on living alone in recent years was so that she could practice her firebending techniques, even if she didn't actually use fire because that would risk exposing her identity. Somehow, she'd had a feeling she would need her training again.

"Then it's decided," Master Jeong Jeong inclined his head with an air of finality. "We leave at sundown."

Now there was nothing left but the waiting and the fighting. Settling down onto the ground to meditate in preparation, Ursa couldn't help wondering which would prove to be more stressful.

--

Author's Note: Yes, I couldn't resist the call of the fluff in this chapter. I think things will move ahead fairly quickly from this point on, but I'm still not sure how many chapters it will be. I'll guess in the neighborhood of 32.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: You will simply have to wait and see.

musiclover9419: This one wasn't that exciting (unless you like Kataang fluff), but I'm setting up the action that will probably dominate the rest of the story.

Katsumara: Indeed you are. Actually, this is after The Day of Black Sun, but as mentioned in my opening author's note, I had a different interpretation of what Bumi did during that time.

karenicae: Even more sweetness and fluff here. I don't think I'll have time for much more before the end, so I took the opportunity of this down time.

Atem's Sister Atea: I answered your main question in author notes. As for everything else, you will simply have to wait until I write it.

Amber Pegasus: No, NOW it's a reunion for everyone.:)

Tetsu Deinonychus: I do like to switch around the viewpoints, like using Ursa's here. I don't know if I really identify with Suki particularly. I don't feel we have much in common, except falling for someone into meat and sarcasm. Personality-wise, I'm probably a cross between Ty Lee and Katara.