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

Author's Note: I'm using this chapter to sort of back up and give some of Hakoda's thoughts on the situation. My regular readers will find some of it familiar, although I tried to present it a little differently.

Preparations

Chief Hakoda stood beside Prince Zuko and Avatar Aang as they waited for their companions to return from the Earth Kingdom. Hakoda kept sending furtive glances toward his future son-in-law, trying to truly get his measure.

The young Avatar was so unassuming most of the time, but there was an air of quiet authority about him. As a leader himself, it was something Hakoda could sense. Besides, after witnessing Aang's battle with Firelord Azula yesterday, it would be a mistake to underestimate him.

Although Aang had twice come to Chameleon Bay – once to drop Sokka off and once to pick him up again – the first time Hakoda had seen him at close range was when his children had brought the unconscious Avatar to him after the fall of Ba Sing Se. Katara had pulled Aang from the brink of death and claimed that he had opened his eyes and looked at her before falling unconscious. The last thing Hakoda would want to do was doubt his daughter, but Aang did not truly return to the world of the living until several weeks later.

Under those circumstances, it was obviously impossible to get to know Aang, but Hakoda had taken the opportunity to observe Katara, and what he saw led him to believe that there was more than mere friendship or companionship between her and Aang. First of all, she had not left his side during the Fire Nation attack, fiercely protecting his inert form. Hakoda had known she could fight, but he'd never even imagined seeing her like that, wind whipping her hair and eyes blazing like a cornered animal.

Then, during the first week they spent on the captured ship, she refused to leave Aang's bed unless it was absolutely necessary. She bended small amounts of water into his mouth at regular intervals and, once a day, she'd use her healing abilities on the wound in his back. She'd eaten very little, and Hakoda suspected that she hadn't slept much, either. He'd passed by Aang's cabin once in time to see her start awake, shaking, from what had to be a nightmare. Once she'd taken a moment to collect herself, she'd moved over to Aang and taken his hand. The father in Hakoda had wanted to go and comfort her, but he didn't have any idea what to say, and he'd decided not to intrude.

Eventually, Sokka and Toph had convinced Katara that she needed to take care of herself if she wanted to be of use to anyone else. She began eating more, even if she did so mechanically, giving no sign that she tasted anything that went into her mouth. She also began taking turns around the deck, but that was almost worse than having her isolated in Aang's cabin. She floated about like a shadow, not really interacting with anyone. Her eyes held a haunted, empty look that Hakoda knew all too well; they reflected exactly how he had felt after finding his wife dead in a Fire Nation raid.

Watching all of this, Hakoda knew that he'd never be able to separate his daughter from the Avatar. She had managed to grow up without him, and though the thought saddened him, he was also unspeakably proud of her.

The Water Tribe chief came out of his reverie to find Aang looking speculatively at him.

"Something on your mind, Aang?" Hakoda asked.

"Actually, yes," Aang admitted. "When I asked Katara to marry me, it was sort of on impulse."

"You're not regretting it, are you?" Hakoda had no real doubt about the answer, but he felt he had to ask.

"No, never!" The young Avatar looked shocked at the very idea. "I just mean that I didn't have anything to give her, and I was wondering what your customs are."

"Customs?"

"You know, marriage customs. In the Northern Water Tribe, the man makes a betrothal necklace for the woman he's arranged to marry, but I know Katara didn't know that's what she was wearing until we got there. To the North Pole, I mean. So I thought your traditions must be different."

It took Hakoda a moment to catch up with everything Aang was saying, but when he did, he recalled Sokka explaining that the necklace passed from Gran-Gran to Kya and then Katara had originally been Gran-Gran's betrothal necklace.

"It's been a long time since we had a wedding at the South Pole," he mused. "Typically, the man gives the woman something made out of whalebone – a comb, perhaps, or a piece of jewelry."

"Whalebone?" Although he covered it quickly, Aang showed an expression of distaste at the mention of the substance.

"Is that a problem?"

"It's just…" Aang gave an apologetic shrug. "I don't believe in killing for what I need. I don't even eat meat. I just wouldn't feel right giving Katara something from the inside of an animal. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Aang. You shouldn't have to give up your traditions to join our family." Hakoda thought the matter over. "You can bend earth. There must be some types of stone that resemble bone. Make something out of one of those. That way, you'll honor both your traditions and ours."

Aang's face lit up at the suggestion.

"That's perfect!" he enthused. "I'll do that. Thank you, Hakoda."

Because they were involved in conversation (although Hakoda remained alert to potential threats around them), Zuko was the first to spot the flying bison coming in for a landing.

"There they are," he announced, and the trio watched in silence while Appa drew nearer. Katara jumped off before the six legs even reached the ground, in a hurry to embrace first her fiancé, then her father. A short-haired girl came down next, and Hakoda assumed that this was Suki, the female warrior he had heard about. Sokka handed the little, blind earthbender down to Suki, who lowered the girl gently to the ground. Katara and Aang both went to assist General Iroh to dismount, which left Hakoda reaching out a hand to a woman he did not know. She was about his own age, with straight black hair and golden eyes. She was beautiful, despite the deep sadness etched into her face.

"Thank you," she murmured when she reached the ground.

"My pleasure," he replied. "I am Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka and Katara are my children."

"They are a credit to you," the woman responded. "I am Zuko's mother."

Hakoda looked at her with new eyes when he heard that. So this was the mother of this young man who would become Firelord.

"I'm glad you could make it, Mom," Zuko came forward to greet both her and his uncle. "Chief Hakoda, allow me to introduce the Lady Ursa."

"Lady Mother Ursa," she corrected firmly. "I almost didn't come. Katara invited me and insisted that I'd be welcome."

"Yeah, I forgot to mention Ursa when I told Katara who to bring," Aang confessed. "Sorry about that."

"You had a lot on your mind," said Katara reassuringly.

"And…Father?" asked Zuko uncertainly. Several of the newcomers exchanged glances, and Hakoda suspected he knew the answer.

"Dead," replied Ursa finally. "Slain by the dragons."

Both Aang and Zuko bowed their heads at the news. Hakoda could not help but be relieved to learn that one enemy would never trouble them again.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," whispered Aang, sounding sincere. Considering that he had refused to kill Azula, his feelings probably were genuine.

"I think it had to be this way," replied Zuko solemnly. "He chose his path."

This meant Ursa was a recent widow, although she didn't seem to be showing any signs of grief. Then again, it might be a relief to be free of the former Firelord Ozai. Besides, from what Hakoda had picked up, she had been living in exile for many years. He experienced a brief pang of homesickness for the frozen landscape that he had been away from for too long already.

In the silence that followed, Sokka took the opportunity to step forward with his girlfriend.

"Since we're doing introductions, Dad, I want you to meet Suki," he announced. "The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Hakoda said, looking the girl over more closely. She had a pleasant, cheerful face with large eyes of a nondescript color. Her clothing was simple peasant attire, not much different from what Hakoda currently wore. "I've heard a great deal about you." Sokka blushed, but Hakoda pretended not to notice.

"Same here," Suki replied. "I really wish I could have been there with all of you on The Day of Black Sun."

"Who knows?" Hakoda returned, smiling. "With you and your warriors, we might have won."

"I think you overestimate us," Suki murmured, blushing in her turn. "But thank you."

"Don't forget about me," Toph interjected, marching up to Zuko and punching him on the arm, hard. Hakoda noticed with some amusement that Zuko seemed to be expecting this. However, instead of pulling away completely, he only withdrew enough to reduce the pain. It was almost a sort of social ritual between them.

"Nobody could forget you," Zuko told her honestly. "It's good to see you again. All of you."

Meanwhile, Katara was regarding the Avatar critically.

"You're not wearing that to the coronation," she said. It was not so much a question as a statement of fact, and Hakoda suppressed a grin at the resemblance to her mother.

"Um…" Aang looked down, seeming to notice for the first time the large scorch mark that ran across his waist. "I don't really have anything else."

"Well, we'll have to come up with something. You can't stand at the new Firelord's side like that."

Zuko cleared his throat, getting their attention.

"Actually, there's a sort of collection in the south wing, lower level," he informed the pair. "I think there might be some airbender robes."

"Would they still be any good after all this time?" Katara demanded doubtfully.

"Anything made of cloth or wood was sealed up tight. They should be as good as the day they were put in there."

"All right; let's go." Without another word, Katara dragged Aang off into the palace, leaving Hakoda shaking his head in wonder.

"I really ought to find something to wear as well," Ursa remarked, looking down at her sturdy but common clothing. "I haven't attended court in a long time. I don't suppose any of my clothing was kept?"

"No, but…" Zuko paused, surveying his mother from head to toe. "Plenty of Azula's things are here. It shouldn't take much adjusting to get them fitted for you."

"I don't think we should make it too obvious that she's here, though," Toph broke in. Zuko turned to look at her, then nodded.

"Good point. Only the Royal Seamstress will see her. Besides us, of course." He locked eyes with Hakoda. "Please have someone from your team guard my mother, at least until after the coronation."

"I will see to it personally, Your Highness," Hakoda promised. There was a little more discussion about proper attire for the ceremony, and he was surprised to discover that his only son had developed a taste for shopping during his travels.

***

Aang and Katara found a staircase that took them to the lower level Zuko had mentioned. It was completely dark, so Aang created a ball of flame in his hands. By its light, he could see that there were still torches in sconces hanging on the wall of the corridor. Hoping that they would still burn, he tossed his fire down the hall, splitting it to light six of them. Katara turned and smiled at him.

"Remember when you were afraid to use fire?" she asked.

"I wasn't really afraid to use fire," Aang contradicted. "I was just afraid of what I might do with it." Aang scanned the jumble of forgotten items with consternation. There may at one time have been an attempt to make order out of the chaos, but it looked like such efforts had long since been abandoned. Aang sneezed as he stirred up dust, just managing to catch himself before he hit his head on the ceiling. He concentrated on the dust particles as he returned to the floor, trying to keep them down. "Where do you think we should look?"

"Zuko said the clothing would be sealed up," said Katara, moving smoothly around obstacles as though she'd spent weeks here. "Knowing the Fire Nation, that probably means in metal boxes."

"Right." Aang agreed. On the one hand, searching these corridors and rooms alone with Katara presented a fascinating prospect. On the other hand, he didn't find their surroundings particularly romantic. In fact, it was kind of depressing – the war trophies of a century of conflict.

Katara seemed unconcerned by such musings, so Aang made an effort to assist her. He poked his head into the rooms he passed, looking for anything promising. The chambers were in slightly better order than the hallway, with weapons and armor displayed on racks and shelves loaded with dishes, statues, and other memorabilia. On the floor, however, it was clear that many items acquired later had simply been dropped or stacked in crates.

"Here," he called out, upon spotting several large, iron containers in one such chamber. "Maybe there's something in one of these." Katara quickly joined him, and they surveyed the boxes thoughtfully.

"Let's use waterbending to force them open," she suggested. "That way, we should be able to close them up again easily." Aang agreed, and they shared her bending water in order to wedge it between the lid and walls of the first box. They then created ice, which expanded to force the top up. This one did happen to contain several airbending robes, but Aang was hesitant to touch them. They were all that remained of people he might have known.

Katara appeared to understand, and she reached in gently to pick a set up. She eyed them, then Aang, and set those down. She repeated the performance until she found something that met her approval. She held them out like some sort of offering.

"Try these on," she requested softly. Aang hesitated only a moment before stripping down. He pulled the clothing on, wrinkling his nose at the indefinable smell of age and neglect. Meanwhile, Katara leaned the box lid up against a wall and spread a sheet of ice over it to provide a makeshift mirror. Once dressed, Aang went over to look at himself in it. Almost immediately, he made a face. He was forcibly reminded of the time when he was five or six and had tried on Gyatso's robe.

"I look ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to impress anyone like this." Not that he cared much about impressing people, but that was the whole point of this exercise.

"Hm. If it was taken in and up a little…" said Katara thoughtfully. "Well, let's keep looking."

Finally, after three more boxes and four or five good-natured arguments (at least two of which had been ended by one partner kissing the other as a means to shut him or her up), they had it. It was actually a combination of pieces from several outfits. There were close-fitting pants and boots, similar to what he had worn for most of his life. Over that was a sort of smock that had been part of a customary female airbender's costume. On top of that would go a shorter version of a full master's robe that Katara assured Aang she would cut smaller yet to suit him. Completing the picture was a medallion they'd found with the airbender symbol carved into it.

"You will look very handsome and completely in charge," she stated when she finally allowed him to get back into his other clothes so that his new outfit could be cleaned and altered.

"I don't want to look in charge," he objected. "I just want to get things settled here and in Ba Sing Se so you and I can start our life together."

"Funny," she responded with a raised eyebrow. "I thought we were doing that already."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. Yes, I do." With that, Katara moved closer, and they finally took full advantage of being alone.

Unfortunately, it couldn't last. It had already been nearly dark when they'd left the others, and it had taken them two hours to decide on an outfit. They knew the minutes before someone came looking for them were numbered, but that only made them all the more precious.

--

Author's Note: Okay, some of you already know that I disliked the robes Aang wore at the end of the finale. I just had to make a reference to that, minor as the issue is.

By the way, I wanted to send out an apology to the person to whom I long ago said I'd write a storyline for a game. Life got in the way, and by the time I thought about writing to you, I'd lost your screen name. I think it was pntb-something? Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't get around to it, and I hope you worked something else out.

Review responses:

Katsumara: I think this chapter answered your question. Since Katara had not yet returned with the others, the Fire Nation crowd had not yet heard about Ozai's death. I suppose there could have been hawk messages, but I preferred doing it this way.

Tetsu Deinonychus: The "who's in charge" question was one that I thought needed to be addressed. In the actual finale, both Ozai and Azula lived, yet there was no indication of there being a problem with the succession. Granted, Azula hadn't been crowned yet, so I suppose they figured there was an opening there.

musiclover9419: There may have been some cleanup work, but the finale basically skipped two months to some kind of reunion in Ba Sing Se. What I really hated is that the Kataang reconciliation apparently occurred off-screen. That was a major flaw.

Halogazer: You and me, both. Another reader pointed out that I hadn't included any Aang/Zuko conversations for a long time. I really hadn't noticed.

Amber Pegasus: Thank you.

IJAKEI: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Some people misunderstand and get the impression that I don't respect the writers and creators. This is simply not true. I just think the ending could have used a little tweaking to complete the incredibly epic story they began.

Marisol Maza: I always have had a tendency to get bogged down in exposition. I have so many thoughts on this series, particularly how it ended, that I'm constantly struggling with myself over which things to include. You should see the virtual cutting-room floor!

Big A. Lovin Avatar: You wanted Kataang fluff? Here's a taste.

Monte-chan: The vacation was good except for getting rear-ended in our rental vehicle…Anyway, there's so much I want to wrap up in this story that the thought of it is a little daunting. I hope the readers will stay with me.

Atem's Sister Atea: Well, others have theorized that some of the Air Nomads survived and blended in with the population. However, it seems simpler to just have Aang be The Last Airbender for this story. I hope I didn't downplay the news of Ozai's death too much.