Chapter 7: A Moment

Things continued much the same over the next few days.

Katara would wake up. Although she wouldn't sleep too late into the day, Zuko and Iroh were always awake before her. "Firebenders rise with the sun," Iroh told her once. The words sounded familiar, but Katara couldn't entirely place from where. But when Iroh said it, she had noticed Zuko look away from her, and she could guess where she'd heard it. It must be like with waterbenders, she thought. If waterbenders are stronger at night when the moon is out, then firebenders are stronger at day…

Iroh would smile and say "Good morning!" and ask if she slept well. She'd return his greeting, and tell him that she slept well enough. Surprisingly well, considering her company. After the first few nights of difficulty in falling asleep, she had begun to find it easier. Perhaps because she was exhausted from the first couple nights. Perhaps it was because she was becoming more adjusted to the wobbling driftwood. Or maybe, just maybe, she was becoming a little more comfortable with her company…not that she said that.

Zuko wouldn't acknowledge her except for looking at her for a moment, and then looking away. While that certainly wasn't friendly, it wasn't hostile, either. He wasn't glaring at her every time he looked at her anymore−well, not completely glaring, anyways. He was still almost always frowning, except when he was talking to his uncle, in which Zuko's expression became a more neutral, the closest thing to happy Zuko seemed to be capable of.

(Katara idly wondered if there was anyone in the world besides Iroh capable of bringing out that expression on Zuko.)

She and Iroh would set to work in turning the salt water around them into fresh water. This quickly became a relaxing, and even enjoyable, task for Katara. After all, she was practicing her bending as she did it. It took an enormous amount of concentration to juggle everything she was doing, but every day her blobs of water became more refined, every day she could take more and more water from the air. Katara thought back to a conversation she'd had with Master Pakku. He told her about the strengths and weaknesses of waterbending. The first, of course, was that there had to be water present to bend. Another one was that waterbending could, at times, be hard to fully utilize in the thick of a battle.

"Our movements are fluid," he explained. "Just like the element we bend. And this is how the art began. But it can also put us at a disadvantage compared to the other elements."

"How?" Katara asked, ever eager to learn more about her element. "I mean, no bending art is stronger or weaker than the others, right?"

"That is true," Pakku agreed. "But, as I've been trying to explain, all elements have their weaknesses. This is one of ours." He motioned her to follow him to the canal. "Watch closely; you see that I can form shields of ice. I can send blasts of many designs to attack my opponent." He demonstrated several moves before stopping and talking again. "But water takes more concentration than most other elements. Whereas air can be sent to sweep away many opponents, or earth can be thrown through one burst of movement, waterbending requires concentration to continue controlling the movements…what happens if you only throw the water at your opponent?" he asked Katara.

"It just splashes them," she answered, recalling her early fights with firebenders. It had done a good enough job of distracting them, but only for a second. It didn't really help much in a real fight.

Master Pakku gave a curt nod. "We must continue controlling the water in every movement. Every shield, every water whip. Do you understand how this weakens us?"

Katara thought about it. "Our bending can take longer than other elements?"

"Every one of the other elements can give a basic push and release their elements towards the target. Once that is done, they can then go onto their next move. We can't do that, and this especially weakens us when we're outnumbered."

"Because they could tag-team us," Katara concluded. "While we're busy concentrating to fight one skilled opponent, another one can come and get through us."

Master Pakku nodded, and Katara felt a bit of pride as she saw his approval. "Yes. We are vulnerable in fights against more than one opponent. Unless they are in a position where we can eliminate them at the same time, we may not be able to take them both. We turn our defense into our offence, but very few waterbenders have enough control over their bending to do two separate actions."

Katara felt proud as she bent the salt and fresh water−she was doing what Pakku said few waterbenders could do. And she was getting better at it. And she was overcoming the first weakness, too, by taking water from the air.

Katara would talk to Iroh, and it became less and less awkward. The man was like a beacon of friendliness and wisdom. Both of which he seemed to enjoy sharing. He had a large collection of proverbs, which actually seemed to grate on Zuko's nerves. She remembered hearing him complain a few times. Katara found herself warming up to Iroh. He was Fire Nation…but he also seemed to be a good person. Actually, he almost reminded her a little bit of Master Pakku in his less cranky moments. She could see the two old masters as friends, if they ever met each other.

Of course, if they ever did meet, then that would be very bad. A meeting between the Firelord's brother and a waterbending master could only be in a very vicious fight.

(And Katara didn't want either of them hurt.)

Katara would use her waterbending to catch fish. This was the quietest of her daily activities. It reminded her of life back at the South Pole, when she was completely self-taught, when it was just her and Sokka. It reminded her of life on the way to the North Pole, when it was just her, Sokka, and Aang. She missed them so much…and they undoubtedly were missing her. They must think I'm dead by now, Katara thought sadly. I've been gone for over a week, almost two. I'm so sorry, guys…I will find you again, I promise.

And then Zuko would cook the fish. He was getting better at it, at least sort of. At the very least, he didn't set any of the fish on fire. Some would be unevenly cooked, some would be burned, some weren't fully cooked. Katara would thank him for cooking the fish, and he'd thank her for catching them. It was still stiff, and they'd look at each other oddly.

At least they hadn't fought too much. Whenever they did, Katara always felt guilty for making Iroh have to play mediator. Now she and Zuko could have…a slightly more civil conversation. Not like the conversations she'd have with Iroh. Those were exceedingly warm and carefree, more like talking to a trusted elder than to an enemy. Her conversations with Zuko were more stilted and clipped. She didn't really know what to talk about with him.

She didn't want to talk to Zuko about Aang—she really didn't want to talk about anything concerning the Avatar with Zuko. What peace they had accomplished would almost certainly be broken the moment Zuko's chase came back into the picture.

She didn't want to talk about her family−whereas she had spoken to Iroh a little bit about Sokka and her father, she didn't really want to broach the subject with Zuko. They may be civil, but she really didn't feel comfortable talking about something so personal with him.

She really didn't want to talk about the war at all. No, she did want to talk about it. She wanted to yell and shout at the two Fire Nation royals, yell about the earthbenders in prisons, yell about the Air Nomads, yell about her mother being taken away from her, but she knew she couldn't do that. Zuko would undoubtedly yell back, and then they'd be fighting again, and then they would just be back where they were before.

(There is no war on a raft.)

Iroh thanked Katara, and wished her to have pleasant dreams, before he settled down and went to sleep. Katara stayed awake, gazing at the moon. Yue. Please help me get home, she thought. Please help me get back to Sokka and Aang. I can't abandon them. Finally, Katara sighed and turned away.

And there was Zuko, standing not far away, glaring towards her.

She scowled back. "What're you glaring at me for?"

Zuko's expression met hers. "I'm not glaring at you," he snapped.

"Seriously? I saw you!"

"Why do you assume every time I'm looking in your direction I'm looking at you? I don't care about you!" Zuko's voice was getting louder.

Katara wanted to snap back at him, but she heard Iroh's snores. So she just put her hand to her head, squeezing her temple. "Look, can we not fight right now? Your uncle's trying to sleep, and I really don't want to make him wake up to play mediator between us." Zuko frowned deeper, but he nodded. For the next few minutes, they stood there. Zuko, she now saw, was gazing out past her. "So…what are you looking at then?"

Zuko looked to her, looking slightly confused as he frowned. "The ocean."

Katara blinked. She turned around to look at where he'd been looking, and then turned back to him. "Well…yeah. I mean, it's not like there's much else to look at." Her lips twitched.

Zuko scowled deeper, and his face turned slightly red. "You're the one who asked!"

"Sorry, sorry," Katara quickly apologized. "I guess what I really meant to ask, was what are you thinking about?"

Zuko calmed down a little, but continued frowning. For a moment Katara thought he was going to just ignore her, but then he responded. "I was thinking about how much I really hate this. This stupid raft! I'm stuck here…my uncle's stuck here…and you're stuck with us." Zuko shook his head. "And I just wonder if we're ever going to make it off. If we're ever going to make it to land again."

"We will," Katara said reflexively.

Zuko looked at her and scowled. "That's naïve. You have no way of knowing when we'll make it to land−if we'll make to land."

"And you're being pessimistic," she shot back. "Look, we're alive aren't we? We've got water, we've got food. We can make it! So long as we're alive, we've still got hope. We haven't lost until we give up." Zuko's eye widened a little bit, and he looked a bit struck.

"Never give up without a fight," he said quietly. Katara nodded.

"We will make it, Zuko." She frowned, a look not of anger or sadness, but of determination. "I'm not letting my life end here."

For a moment, Zuko continued to look at her, appearing slightly awestruck, then he nodded firmly. "Me neither. I just…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if the Spirits hate me. All the luck I had in my life…was all taken just for me to be born." He said this cynically, bitterly, and all Katara could do was stare. She could only stare, because this was…unfamiliar. She was well acquainted with angry "I-must-capture-the-Avatar!" Zuko. She was familiar with the Zuko that enjoyed being praised by his uncle. She knew the silently seething Zuko.

But this melancholy Zuko…she'd never seen him before.

So she just took a few steps closer to him, trying to offer a small smile. "We'll make it through this," she told him firmly. Zuko looked at her again, and, going back to frowning, nodded stiffly. They stood there awkwardly, neither knowing what best to do. Katara considered lying down and sleeping, but her heart was going faster, and she felt just a little bit weaker in the knees. In retrospect, she'd know that this was a moment where everything had changed. She had stepped onto a new path; put her foot through a door she hadn't even known was there. Even now she could feel that the moment she and Zuko had just shared was…different. It was something wholly unexpected, but also pleasant. Special.

For now, she had no idea what it meant, and didn't know what to do next.

Zuko was the first to break the silence−the first time he'd initiated any of their conversations. "You must miss your friends."

She nodded slowly. "I do. My brother…and Aang. You know the girl that became the Moon Spirit? My brother was in love with her," she continued without waiting for him to respond. "She was sort of my friend, too."

"I didn't know Zhao was going to kill the moon," Zuko told her. "I don't think it was a good idea." Katara gave a small snort of laughter.

"No, really? Was it the vast darkness everywhere or the giant Ocean Spirit monster that tipped you off?" Zuko scowled and glared at her again. She put her hands up. "I'm kidding. Really. And…I'm glad you didn't support it." Zuko nodded stiffly. "And I suppose you must miss your ship…and your crew."

Zuko frowned and looked away from her. "It…doesn't matter," he said, but his voice betrayed a little bit of sadness. "I never really bothered to get to know any of them." But that really bothers you now, doesn't it?

Normally, Katara would respond to such a situation by comforting a person, hugging them, holding their hand, offering support…but this is so strange with Zuko. She doesn't really want to touch him, and she's certain that he wouldn't want her comfort anyways. So she changes the topic. "When we get back to land," she says, stressing 'when'. "I'm going to get back to Aang and Sokka." She notices Zuko's eyes narrow. "But I'm sure you already figured that."

He nodded. "I could follow you, you know. Or I could actually take you prisoner."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that's smart. Tell the bender surrounded by her element, who supplies you with food and drinkable water that you're going to take her prisoner. That couldn't possibly end badly."

"I could still follow you. You can't really do anything to stop me…and you have to have known that this wouldn't change anything."

Katara nodded, looking down slightly. Her eyes were sad. "I know. I knew we'd go back to where we were before. I'll never stop helping Aang, and I suppose you'll never stop trying to capture him. We're enemies. But…I suppose it will be hard." She looked over to Iroh. "Your uncle is a good man. Even if he is Fire Nation. He's just…" She shook her head. "It's hard not to think of him as a friend." She narrowed her eyes, looking back to Zuko. "I suppose you'll just keep chasing Aang? Like none of this ever happened?"

"I have to," he told her.

Why? she wanted to scream. But it sounded stupid in her mind. He was Fire Nation. The Firelord's son−of course he'd be after the Avatar. Aang was the only one who could defeat the Firelord and end the Fire Nation's century-long rampage of domination and destruction. Of course Zuko would be after the Avatar. They were enemies.

"Did the Avatar ever tell you about the time I rescued him?" Zuko asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"What?" she exclaimed. "When was this?!" She couldn't recall any time that Zuko had helped Aang.

"Zhao captured him. I broke him out."

Katara knit her eyebrows together. "Aang was never captured by Zhao." Not that he'd ever told her, anyways.

"He was," Zuko told her. "It was quite a while ago. Zhao managed to capture him and hold him in a base. I infiltrated it and broke the Avatar out." The Fire Nation prince gave a small smirk. "I didn't even use my firebending."

Katara looked at him dubiously. "Prove it."

His face scrunched up as he thought of some way to verify his story. "Frogs," he said suddenly. "He had a bunch of partially frozen frogs in his clothes." Katara's jaw dropped in recognition. "They started escaping, and I had to drag him away from them to get out of the base." Zuko scowled, an expression of irritation and disgust. "He said his friends needed to suck on them." He was now looking oddly at Katara.

She nodded slowly, still in shock. "Yeah…my brother and I were sick. Aang went to a herbalist for a remedy, and she told him that those frogs could cure us." She frowned. "It was really disgusting." Katara looked over to Zuko. "I suppose…you were just trying to capture him yourself?" He nodded. Katara opened her mouth and then sighed. "I can't believe he never told me…" Aang had been in danger, and she hadn't known? Of course, she had been sick, but why hadn't he told her when he came back? Katara didn't like secrets… "Thanks for getting Aang out, anyways," she said. And then, after a few more moments, "Did I ever thank you for saving my life? After the wave…Well, thank you, Zuko." She looked at him, offering a small smile.

Zuko looked surprised at her genuine thanks. "I…you're welcome? I couldn't just…" The Fire Nation prince looked away from her. "It wouldn't have been right to leave you there."

"Well, thanks." Katara let out a yawn. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now," she said, lying down. "Goodnight, Zuko."

She closed her eyes, quickly feeling the weightlessness of sleep.

"…Goodnight…Katara."

Aang and Sokka left the North Pole only two days after their search for Katara ended. It was fast, but that felt right. Sokka in particular was eager to leave the North Pole behind. "Lovely city," he told Aang in a dry tone. "But I honestly don't think I can even look at this place without thinking of Yue and Katara." The city was painful.

Aang had initially figured that they could go the way they came, on Appa, but Chief Arnook and Master Pakku had suggested an alternative.

"I'm leaving for the Southern Water Tribe," Pakku told them. "And a rather considerable amount of others are coming with me. Especially waterbenders. Katara told me all about the state of your home, and it's high time we go help our sister tribe."

Sokka's eyes lit up. "You're going to rebuild our tribe?" he clarified, excitement ringing in his voice. He remembered his Gran-Gran telling him and Katara about the great city the Southern Water Tribe had once called home. He thought of the tents and igloos that housed them now…the lame watchtower which had fallen over at the slightest push…the utter defenselessness of his tribe against the invading firebenders. Pakku and the others…were they really going to rebuild the Southern Water Tribe?

Master Pakku nodded. "Quite a few waterbenders have volunteered. Some, I think, intend on returning to the North Pole when we're done. But I know that many intend on staying in the South, including myself." He frowned. "I've been considering this since Katara told me that she was the last waterbender of the Southern Tribe…but I never thought I'd come bearing the news of her death." The waterbending master's face was drawn, his eyes sad. He looked…well, old.

"You're going to tell Gran-Gran?"

"Someone has to."

"You sure she's gonna want to hear it from you? I mean, she did run to the other side of the world to avoid marrying you."

Pakku frowned at him. "Perhaps Kanna won't be happy to see me," he acknowledged. "But I don't think the news of Katara's death should come from a total stranger."

Sokka nodded. "I can't go back, not yet anyways. I still have to help Aang. So thanks, I guess."

Pakku gave him a sympathetic look (which, Sokka thought, looked kind of weird on the man). "Grief, no matter how painful, will pass with time. You'll be alright, Sokka."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah, I know." Someday.

Aang guided Appa onto the ship. Appa let out a couple rumbles, mostly as a reaction to the large crowd which was seeing them off. Aang waved to some people as they passed. He sorted through their things…he became distracted as he looked at Katara's things.

There wasn't much. A bit of thread. The Waterbending Scroll that had gotten them into so much trouble. A crown—where had that even come from? A few spare beads for her hair loopies. Aang found that his throat sort of hurt as he looked at these items…He knew that Sokka had the same reaction, finding tears in his eyes. They couldn't look at these items without thinking of Katara. The good times, the bad times, the laughs and the arguments. These items were painful. Still, they knew that it would be even more painful if they didn't keep them…if they had none of Katara left at all.

As if she was never there at all.

And Aang smiled a little bit, his eyes still wet. You're still with us, somehow, Katara. He could feel it when he looked at her things.

"Hey," a quiet voice interrupted Aang. He turned around. He smiled, wiping his eyes.

"Hey, Senirra. What are you doing here?"

The young waterbender stood awkwardly, holding one of her wrists with hero ther hand, and offered him a tiny smile. Her appearance was less disconcerting than it had been days previously. "My family has done a lot of thinking since…Saroda's death has sort of changed things. It's just sort of bitter here, right now. So…we're joining Master Pakku's expedition to restore the Southern Water Tribe."

"Really? All of you?" At least there's some good news, Aang thought. But he wished that Katara were still there to see her tribe restored.

Senirra nodded. "Mm-hm. Except for my mother. She actually wanted to come, too, but she can't. She's pregnant, and it's probably not too great for her to be travelling across the world. I don't even know how she got pregnant." Senirra blinked, and Aang knew what was coming. "I mean, I know how she got pregnant…of course I know how. Not that I've ever done it! Not getting pregnant, though I've never done that either, I've never done things to get pregnant…but how did my mother do it…where did she find the time with four children, three of us still living with her?" Aang laughed. He knew that she wasn't actually trying to be funny, but still. Senirra gave an embarrassed laugh, running a hand through her hair. "You know what I mean. Anyways, my family really just needs to get away for now, you know?"

"Yeah," Aang agreed. It was a shame. The city was so beautiful…and now so stricken with grief.

"We might return," Senirra continued. "Or we might not. We'll see how it goes in the South." She shrugged. She stood there awkwardly for a moment, and she noticed Katara's things. "I'm sorry you couldn't find her," she told him. She looked away. "I miss Saroda," she admitted.

Aang nodded. "I miss Katara." He looked away, and he saw Sokka coming to the ship. "We still have family," he said quietly. He offered Senirra a smile. "We just need to hold on to the ones we still have."

She nodded. "Draw strength from the remains," she said. "That's something my grandfather used to say."

"It's good advice."

They stopped speaking again for a moment. Then Senirra brightened slightly. "So, I talked to Turotok−that's my oldest brother−and he agreed that since girls are going to be allowed to learn combative waterbending, and since we're going to the South, anyways, that he could teach me."

Aang smiled. "That's great, Senirra."

"Thanks." Left unspoken was Katara's hand in the new direction the Water Tribes were heading. Her legacy, Aang thought.

Before long everyone who was leaving was on the ship, Sokka stood apart, looking at Aang and Senirra, but not joining their conversation. Chief Arnook came and addressed them, giving a farewell speech. The chief looked much older than he had when Aang had first arrived at the North Pole. His hair seemed to be turning grey at the new growth…no wonder after what he'd lost. To Aang's recollection, the man had no other children. His line of chiefs had ended.

Senirra smiled at Aang, wishing him luck, before running off to join her brothers and father. Sokka came to Aang.

Their time in the Northern Water Tribe was over. It was time to move on.

It was on Katara's ninth day awake that she felt sweat pooling on her brow. At first, she wondered if she were imagining it. But when she touched her brow, her fingers felt dampness. She looked up to the sun, and she realized that, yes, she was too warm in her parka. So she took it off, leaving her in her usual outfit. Without the parka, it was pleasantly chilly out. As she sat down to turn the salt water into fresh water, she saw Iroh nodding.

"We are now out of Northern waters. We must be, if your parka is too warm."

Katara nodded. They had been drifting south.

"Hm," Iroh, rubbed his chin. "This is good," he announced. "The Earth Kingdom is very large…" He smiled largely. "Zuko," he said loudly. Zuko came over to them. "The Earth Kingdom is vast, covering more land than any other nation. And heading south from the Northern Water Tribe should take us to the Earth Kingdom's shores…do you two understand what this means?" The old man was smiling, absolutely radiating positivity. The two teenagers just stood there. They knew, of course, but they were still stunned.

"Our time on this raft is about to come to an end."

One more chapter in Part 1!