Okay guys, here we go! This one has funny in it, hope you enjoy it!

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"Penguin sledding!"

Katara opened her eyes to see Aang jumping around trying to wake one of the other boys. Sokka kept swatting at Aang, but Zuko just sent up a small flame from his hand. Neither one of them wanted to get up just yet even though the sun was visible. Zuko thought he deserved to sleep in for once in his life, literally. They were, after all, taking it easy for a couple of days, right?

"Come on guys, let's go penguin sledding!"

Katara sat up and looked at him. "What is it with you and those penguins? That's the first thing you said when I got you out of that iceburg. 'Wanna go penguin sledding with me?' Can't you go by yourself?"

"It's no fun by myself! Besides, I forgot how to catch them."

"One word: fish."

"Oh yeah! Will you come with me?"

Katara sighed and laid back down. "Maybe if it wasn't so early in the morning."

"I'll go!" Iroh called. "I've never been penguin sledding, it sounds like fun!"

"Alright!" Aang yelled excitedly as he ran out the door, Iroh slowly following behind.

Zuko rolled over to face Katara. "Is he always like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I just wish he'd wait until later in the day to start it." She laughed a little. "We should let him be a kid while he still can be."

Zuko looked almost confused, then saw what she was getting at. None of them knew the outcome of the upcoming battle they'd have to fight. For all they knew, they would all die trying to fight his father. He knew he should keep positive about it, but couldn't help thinking what would happen if they lost. He would surely die, he was already a traitor. Iroh as well. Aang was the Avatar so they wouldn't kill him. They would keep him locked up until he died and the next Avatar was born, then they'd begin the hunt again. But what of Katara and Sokka? Would they die next to him? He shook that thought out of his head. He would never live to see her die. He refused to let her die.

"You've been thinking a lot lately. Tell me what's on your mind." Katara's voice almost surprised him.

"I was just thinking about what you meant by that. Do you think he'll die?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but we're going to do everything we can to make sure he doesn't. I'll be right there next to him when he faces the firelord."

Zuko's eyes got wide. "I know he's your friend, but the battle is meant to be between him and the firelord. And I don't want you to get hurt."

"Then fight with us. Stand up against your father, I know Iroh will. If we all fight him together, we're sure to do some damage. Tell him to his face that he's a disgrace to Avatar Roku. Take your honor back. I know we can beat him."

"I'll fight!" Sokka yelled from the other side of the room, holding his boomerang up in the air. He sounded still half asleep. Zuko and Katara looked over at him. "I'm right there with you, Tar-" he yawned. "Katara.." He fell back asleep.

"I think I'm getting up, I'm not used to sleeping in past sunrise and it feels weird." Zuko laughed a bit as he sat up. Katara leaned over and hugged him around the waist so he couldn't get up, then she let him go. "I'm going to see if I can find my uncle and Aang. Maybe I'll try penguin sledding. I have to have fun too while I can."

He got up and walked out. Katara thought for a second, then she got up too and ran after him. Sokka was left sleeping. "Wait, you don't know where to go!"

Zuko turned around as Katara caught up to him. "Um.. follow the penguins?"

"There's one penguin over there and he looks lost. You're already going the wrong way! Follow me." He followed her out of the city andover an ice hill and there were hundreds of penguins. Aang and Iroh were right in the middle of them trying to catch a couple.

"I've never seen one up close before," Zuko said, almost amazed.

"They're adorable, aren't they?"

"They're bigger than I thought."

"Well, you can't ride them if they're small." She took off running through them towards Aang and Iroh. "Still not catching any?"

Aang looked up. "No, they just won't come!"

Katara pulled a small fish out of her parka pocket. "Did you forget something?" She threw it at Aang and the penguins attacked him again. He wrangled a few and he, Iroh, and Katara took them up to the top of the biggest hill.

Katara looked back where Zuko was just watching. "Come on! You have to play! We're going to race them to the bottom." Zuko walked over to where they were getting ready. He sat down on the back of the one they got for him and held on.

"First one to the bottom wins! Woohoo!" Aang yelled as he took off, the others following closely. Iroh was laughing the whole way down, Zuko was yelling. He didn't know what to do. He got down closer to the penguin and held on tighter and flew right past Aang into the lead. Katara was right on his tail, battling Aang for second and Iroh didn't care where he was, he was having fun. Zuko was first to the bottom, followed by Aang, then Katara and Iroh. They got up and the penguins just waddled away like they were used to that already.

"Ha!" Zuko yelled, pointing at Aang. "I beat you again!"

Aang laughed at him. "You were screaming half the way down! You were scared!"

Iroh almost fell down laughing. "That was fun, let's do it again!" He went back to the top with another penguin and rode back down by himself while the other three watched, laughing at him.

"It was kind of fun, it was just my first time and it startled me a little. That's all." Zuko tried to cover up the fact that it did scare him a little. He's not supposed to let anyone know he's scared of anything.. except losing Katara. That one everyone already figured out. "Can we head back to the village now? I'm kind of hungry."

Katara and Aang watched as Iroh came sliding back down again. "Yeah, we can go. I don't think Iroh wants to just yet though, so Aang can stay with him.. if you want to Aang. It's up to you."

Aang looked at her for a second. "Actually I'm hungry too. Let's drag Iroh off of the penguins for a few minutes and see what Gran Gran cooked up for lunch!"

Zuko yelled at Iroh, who was trying to climb back up the hill. "Uncle, let's go! We're going to eat!" He slid the rest of the way back down and followed. Zuko had never seen him having so much fun.

Kana had cooked up a big lunch for her big group. Aang had gotten out some of the fruit he had stored in Appa's saddle and was already eating. They all sat down around the small table while Katara helped Kana serve lunch. They ate mostly in silence except for a compliment here and there on the food. When Iroh was finished, he thanked her and ran back out to play with the penguins.

"He's obsessed," Zuko laughed. "He's going to either want one or want to move here and have them all to play with."

"He's welcome to stay here if he likes," Kana spoke up.

Zuko looked up at her. "He probably won't. If I know my uncle, he'll be eager to get back to his home in the Fire Nation. He'll definitely visit though." He finished his meal and thanked her before walking outside.

When everyone was done, Katara helped her clean up. "That boy of yours is a keeper."

Katara looked at her. "I hope so. He's amazing. It's almost crazy how fast it all happened, but we knew each other pretty well before he even joined us from all our past encounters."

"I noticed his scar was gone. What happened with that?"

"I healed it right after he joined us."

"Do you know how he got it?"

"From his father. He spoke up in a war council meeting and was challenged to an Agni Kai, a duel between two firebenders. He accepted thinking he was going to fight the general he spoke out against, but instead faced his father. He refused to fight and for that he lost his honor and was physically and mentally scarred. That's why he was looking for Aang, so he could take him back to his father and regain his honor and his place in line for the throne."

"I think you've been good for him. He's not nearly as tense as he was when he came here the first time. He's actually happy and trying to make you happy as well."

"I know," she smiled. "I'm happy too." They finished up and she started to walk outside but stopped at the door.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"I don't know if it's tomorrow or the day after. I'll ask when I talk to them." Katara turned and walked out. Zuko was sitting outside the door again. He looked up surprised when she sat down beside him. "Are you going to talk to me now?"

He smiled at her. "I don't know. I've had so much on my mind lately I don't even know where to begin."

"Let's start with your fears." He looked at her, but before he could say anything she continued, "When I catch you thinking, I see fear in your eyes. What are you afraid of?"

"Losing you. Losing you and all my new friends. Trying to live a semi-normal life after this war is over is going to be hard with all the rebellion groups coming at us all the time. My father's followers aren't going to stand by and let his war fall apart. They're going to fight back. What if one day we have a baby?" He saw her blush. "I know that's too soon to think about now, but what if? How many people do you think will be after him all the time as payback? I know Aang will be there and some people will be happy the war is over and will help to keep it that way, but my father has a lot of loyal followers. We won't be safe."

"I'm willing to take that risk to be with you. I knew what the risk was when I accepted your proposal." She touched her necklace at that. "I can handle them. Remember, water beats fire." She laughed when she got a look from Zuko. "I'm glad you finally opened up to me. That's how I want our relationship to be, open and honest.. unless one day I do get pregnant, you can't tell me I'm fat even if I look like I'm about to explode." She laughed again. That made him smile.

They sat quietly beside each other watching Aang practice. Iroh hadn't been able to get another penguin so he was helping again. Aang was getting stronger every time he practiced. At this rate, he would be able to defeat the firelord as fast as Katara had defeated Azula the day before. He stopped for a minute, looking at a fireball in his hand.

"Iroh, step back a little. I wanna try something again," he said as he started tossing the fireball back and forth. Katara knew what he was doing. That's what he did right before she got burnt. He made a couple more and started juggling them. Then he put them all together and created a stream of fire that almost looked like the water whip. He was moving it around like water, then started moving it in a circle around him and slowly expanding it. Iroh looked back at Katara as she motioned for him to get back further. Aang was concentrating hard on trying to form it into a dragon like the one at the Fire Festival they had snuck into a while back. There's the face.. now the rest of the head.. and there's its leash.. and WHOOF! He lost it. Iroh applauded from where he stood back all the way next to Katara and Zuko. "That was a very advanced move, I don't even think I can do that. Where did you learn that?"

Aang blushed. "We snuck into a Fire Nation costume party and I saw a guy doing that. Katara almost got swallowed by it though, but I blew our cover and blew it up. That was how I met my other teacher, Jeong-Jeong. He was the first person to ever leave the Fire Nation army and live. He's the one who taught Zhao."

All of them had almost forgotten Zuko's other former enemy. Luckily for them, he was killed in the North Pole battle. Katara remembered the question she was supposed to ask and figured now would be a good time while they weren't practicing. "Aang, are we leaving tomorrow or the day after?"

He looked over at her with an almost surprised look on his face. "Well, I thought maybe tomorrow. I had fun today and ended up practicing anyway, I think my mind is trying to tell me something. If it's okay with you guys, that is."

Katara was all in, Zuko followed, then Iroh. Katara looked around for her brother. "Where are Sokka and Ty Lee?"

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Sokka helped Ty Lee to the top of the hill that overlooked all the penguins. She hadn't seen them up close either, but there was no way she was sledding on one. "Aww, they're sooo cute! Look at their little mouths and whiskers and they're four little wings! Can they fly?"

"Not in the air, but my sister and Aang proved they could fly on the ice. That's what they meant by 'penguin sledding'. They ride on their backs downhill and race them."

"Does it hurt them?"

"They haven't complained yet!" he laughed. He helped her down to them so she could pet one.

"It's smiling at me!" she laughed out when she pet one of them. "He likes it! Aw, now I want one!"

"Not if you live in the Fire Nation. They won't survive up there, it's not cold enough. But, if you want, you could stay here with them.. and me. But only if you want, you don't have to 'cuz I know you have a family you have to get back to and-"

She stopped him with a small, quick kiss on the lips. He blushed. "You're so funny," she laughed as she started climbing up the hill back to the city.

"Hey, wait up!" he yelled after snapping out of his trance. He caught up and they walked back to the city, hand in hand.

"Aww, how cute!" Katara yelled as she saw them approaching.

Zuko turned to see them. "Who did I tell about that? I knew that would happen!"

"Now he can stop being jealous of me." She teased him, even pinching his cheek and talking with a mocking baby tone that he hated, but he didn't care right then.

"We're leaving tomorrow, Sokka. Is that okay?" Aang called, walking towards them.

"I guess so," he replied with an 'I don't care' tone of voice. "I don't want you getting hurt, will you wait here for me?"

Ty Lee stared at him. "Um, and miss my chance to help bring down Ozai? I don't think so. I want to be remembered as one of those who helped bring him down. Plus, I want to get a hit or two in. I'm not exactly his biggest fan." She laughed.

Zuko stood up next to him and nudged him. "I already tried with Katara, the girls won't back down," he whispered in Sokka's ear. "They're either really stubborn or brave."

Sokka whispered back, "I say both." They laughed at that.

That made Katara happy. She liked seeing them get along, it made her feel better about them being together. "I'm going to tell Gran Gran what the plan is," she said, trying to get up. Zuko helped her. She kissed him on the cheek and walked inside.

Aang was drawing faces in the ice, melting them into it. Iroh was just sitting there, looking at the wall where he and Zuko had crashed through. It was fixed back after Pakku and the other volunteers from the Northern Water Tribe moved there. Aang sat down and stared at the wall, thinking about how much was going to happen when they reached the Temple that Firelord Ozai would surely be in when they got there. He needed to meditate before he lost it completely.

"If you need me, I'll be meditating on top of the wall," he called as he got up and started up the ramp to Sokka's former lookout.

They all looked at him worried, but who wouldn't be if there was a chance you could die in the next few days? If Appa flew the way he had the day before, that's all it would take for them to get there. Unless..

Katara walked out of Kana's house, thinking. "Sokka, is that old Fire Navy ship still in the ice?"

He looked at her, wondering what she could possibly be thinking. "You mean, that one that was boobie-trapped but you and Aang just had to explore? Yeah, of course it is. You were the only waterbender here, you're the only one who could've gotten it out."

She smiled. "Zuko, come with me. I think I have a plan." She grabbed his hand and they took off for the old ship.

"Oh no, I think I know what she's thinking." Sokka sighed and put his head in his hand.

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"This is the one that gave away your position the day Aang was found. I remember seeing the flare shoot up, then you and Aang hopping out and down the side. Oh, I remember that day like it was yesterday. I apologized to Kana about that day, by the way."

"Shhh, I need to concentrate. This is pretty big, I may need help but I'd rather not disturb Aang and I don't know where Pakku is." She held her arms out in front of her lifting them slowly. Zuko noticed the ship moving up. She kept going until it was out of its little ice prison, then she flattened the ice slowly so it wouldn't break through. "Walk around, take a look and see if it needs any repairs or anything."

Zuko circled the ship twice, but found it in perfect condition. "It's good enough to sail."

"Perfect! We'll make better time if we use this, plus we can go through the night and we won't have to rely on Appa and he can relax and let us do the driving!" All the ice around the ship turned to water and Katara made a trail to get the ship out. She and Zuko climbed aboard and checked the inside to make sure it was safe. He found some Fire Nation armor that looked like his old armor. There was a small hole in the ceiling of one part, but it wasn't anything big. Other than that, it was in perfect condition.

Zuko started it up and they sailed it the short distance to her village, scaring everyone until Katara showed up at the front to bend the ice open for it and stopping right in front of a meditating Aang. He looked up and smiled. "That's perfect!" he yelled. He jumped up onto the deck and looked around the ship. Sokka, Iroh, and Ty Lee joined them to explore.

When they all went back out on the deck, Katara unleashed her plan. "I thought maybe we could take this instead of Appa." Katara started. She saw the look on Aang's face, then said, "No, I mean instead of riding Appa. He can come, we just give him a break since now we have a new addition to our crew. This can go all night and the Fire Nation won't try to attack us if they see it. When we enter Fire Nation waters, Zuko can tell the guards that he has the Avatar so they'll let us through peacefully. Then, he and Iroh and Ty Lee will walk us three into the Temple as their prisoners, seal the door once we get in, and the battle will begin. What do you think?"

Everyone stared at her, unable to speak for a moment. Then, "That was actually really well thought out and it might just work." Ty Lee looked around at everyone staring at her. "No, really. If you think about it, most of the soldiers are baffoons anyway. They would never suspect anything! We would have nothing to worry about, especially if we have the Avatar."

"She's got a point," Zuko said. Iroh laughed in agreement. Everyone liked the plan. Katara was proud of herself. Zuko hugged her for it.

"We can set out tonight if you want," Katara suggested. "Some of us will sleep during the day and drive at night, the others will do the opposite. There are plenty of rooms so we don't have to worry about that, and if you think we should recruit some of the other villagers to help sail this thing through the night, go ahead and ask around. We need all the help we can get right now."

Kana heard everything and came aboard. "I'm going with you then." Everyone spun around, completely surprised to see her. "A few others want to help as well. The sooner we get there, the sooner this will be over. That's what we all want."

Katara ran to her and hugged her. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure I want to see my granddaughter help end this war and make peace by marrying water into fire. I never thought I'd live to see the day and since I'm still alive, I'm not going to miss it." She laughed, then waved behind her. Five more villagers came aboard, including Pakku. "These are the ones that want to help. We can leave as soon as we pack up all the supplies we need.. and your bison."

Their things were packed up in no time and they determined which half would have day shift and which have would take night. Then they set sail, on their way to fight the biggest battle of their young, and a couple old, lives. Little did they know that tragedy would strike in the midst of someone's victory.

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I know the Fire Navy ship had a big hole in it thatKatara and Aanggot through, but it ruined everything so I "fixed" it. I hope you liked it. R&R! XD

Jenn, waterbending master of the south