It smells like home only a little bit fishier to Katara. The sea brine is on the air, the breeze combs through Appa's fur and her hair. Her parka is on, the same as when they set out on this journey. Now though it's growing tight across the shoulders and the chest and is a little shorter. She sits back and enjoys the cold ocean smells as Aang steers and Sokka complains loudly to Momo.

"I don't know Momo but yeah, I think Appa could fly a little higher too," Sokka sighs theatrically and Aang looses it.

"I've been listening to you complain for the past hour and a half! So how about we all climb onto your back and you can fly us to the North Pole!"

"Oh that would be my pleasure!" Sokka turns around and twitches his rear. "Everyone climb aboard the Sokka express, we're going to the Northern Water Tribe."

Katara flicks water at him. "Calm down. We're all cranky and tired from flying for two days straight and Appa is no exception, in fact he's probably feeling worse than any of us so would you all please shut up!" Sokka crosses his arms and pouts. Aang turns around grumbling. "Thank you!" She throws her hands up and goes back to staring at the sky. There's an empty feeling behind her ribs and she bends water in a stream above her head to keep her mind off of it. The water underneath them changes to something new that she's never felt, it tugs oddly. She can feel the pull towards more people, more benders! She opens her mouth to share the good news but ice springs forward in front of them! Appa rolls to the side almost tipping everyone off. Another pillar of ice shoots towards them and Appa bellows. Katara melts it in time but only barely. Water slams into Appa's belly and pulls him down to sea level which Katara fights but the other benders' wills combined is stronger than hers. Canoes encircle them, the occupants all eyeing the sky bison carefully.

"Well guys, we found the Northern Water Tribe."

"Who are you? What do you want?" The seeming chief of the little band of water benders stand imperiously in his canoe. Katara has to resist the urge to tip it and wipe the smug look off his face.

Aang pipes up, "Hi, I'm the Avatar and my friends are Katara and Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe. We're here looking for a water bending master!"

The man sniffs and appraises the innocently smiling boy, the girl in a water bending stance, the boy with his hand poised over a boomerang, Momo who is bounding around in the saddle angrily, and Appa who only has adrenaline keeping him awake. "Fine Avatar. Come with us." The five canoes escort them another league, no conversation passing between them.

Over of the ice a city comes into view, the high walls of ice with the symbol of water carved into them take the siblings' breath away. It's like nothing they ever expected, nothing compared to their tiny tribe back home. The ice shimmers in the sun, glistening. Intricate, looming sculptures tower over them as they approach and the closer they get the more anxious they become.

Sokka leans in close to Katara. " Bato said not to mention that you were captured by the Fire Nation to these people. Especially don't tell them that you stayed in the same room as that scumbag prince."

Katara nods, not even countering the scumbag prince comment. "You might want to tell Aang too."

Sokka grunts and moves towards Aang, whispering in his ear. They sail right up to the wall before the surrounding water benders, with a serious of shifting katas, create a wide tunnel. They emerge inside a lock that quickly fills with water from the sides. Soon the water is high enough that they can continue further into the city.

Sokka inhales sharply. "This is amazing! Look at all of this, if we'd had this back home -" his words trail off in wonder.

Katara takes everything in, wide-eyed, and tries to absorb as much of it as she can. Towers reach to the sky and ice bridges crisscross over canals that seem to serve as the main mode of transportation. There are so many buildings and so many people, all dressed in Water Tribe blue. She's suddenly very aware of the red clothes in her bag and is thankful she's wearing her parka instead of the padded robe she's ben using as a blanket recently. Already within moments of seeing them, there are smiles and appreciative nods. Children run up and point at Appa. This isn't uncommon but these are her people! It feels so safe here! Aang waves happily, enjoying the attention. "I'm sure we'll find a master to teach us, right Katara?" She nods, there must be hundreds of benders here. More times than she can count water floats along midair. This whole place is full of benders!

They float along the canal through three more walls, gaining more followers with the distance. Waterfalls rush beside them and fountains sprinkle. Another skiff passes them, the woman in it not looking at them but the water bender in it gawking. Her white hair is done in elaborate braids clipped together with aquamarine gems carved into delicate representations of the water element. She has ice blue eyes that Sokka could fall into and he scrambles to the edge of Appa's tail just to look at her a moment longer even though she never once turns her head or acknowledges their presence. She is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, more beautiful than sunsets and moonrises and fires cooking hearty stew after a cold day. She's more beautiful than the view from Appa's back as they fly over the ocean, watching waves crash against each other.

. . .

Prince Zuko's fever had broken two weeks ago and now he sits on the deck, waiting to hear from his men. Only the seamen and low petty officers are aloud to spread the rumors, they aren't known and associated with Zuko. He's sent them out in every port between the Air Temple and here. The stories won't be traced back to them, the stories may not even get spread around a lot at first, but soon it will spread like wildfire, of that they're sure! Now, in the last Fire Nation port before the trek into Northern Water Tribe waters, the soldiers hop from bar to bar, planting the seeds of truth in those willing to listen. A few people challenge them but most are either to drunk to care or so sick of the war that they actually want to hear this. Zuko hopes enough people will be willing to listen to the truth. He can't put his name with the rumors because he needs to get back in his father's good graces, but damn he wishes he were doing something other than sitting around! The master plan calls for him in the palace and so he has to keep quiet and work on capturing the Avatar. He channels all of his frustration into thrusts with his Dao swords, sparring with thin air.

Iroh sings off-key beside the fire pit. It's music night again but each of them have seemed odd and strained since they left the Yu-Yan compound without the full crew. Lieutenant Jee strums a pipa and Hyeng dances with another sailor, perhaps a bit closer than is customary. They break apart as soon as new footsteps ring out from the gangplank. Iroh continues to belt out the sad melody, ignoring the newcomers. "Winter, spring, summer and fall. Winter and spring, summer and fall. Four seasons, four loves. Four seasons, four loves."

A slow clap comes from the bastard that didn't bother asking if he could board, Admiral Zhao. "Stirring performance General Iroh, you should have gone into music instead of the military," he drawls.

Zuko jumps up, quickly sheathing his weapons, "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Well, it looks like the sullen prince actually decided to leave his room. I heard that your pet water bender escaped and you didn't talk to anyone after that. Tell me, was she that good?"

Zuko lunges, smoke streaming from his fists. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about." Iroh grabs the boy before he can assault the admiral. "Get the fuck off my ship!"

"Tsk, tsk, is that anyway to treat an admiral?" His eyes widen as they land on the swords strapped to Zuko's back. "Interesting choice of weapon for a fire bending prince."

"It's best to be versatile."

"Hmm. Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

Iroh shrugs, "Just rumors. I don't think he's real."

"He's real all right." Zhao steps closer to Zuko. "He's an enemy of the Fire Nation, he released the Avatar, and justice will come to him soon I'm sure."

Zuko deflects cooly, "Was there a reason you're on my ship."

Zhao steps back, re-aware of his original intent. "I'm here for your crew."

"What!" Zhao hands the Prince a scroll with the royal insignia stamped on it. After a quick scan the parchment starts to smoke dangerously. "You can't do this!"

"I can and I am. I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole. I'm taking everyone. I can't have you getting in my way anymore."

The men, now Zhao's men not Zuko's sneer at the admiral angrily. Hyeng speaks up. "What if we don't want to go with you? I'd rather quit and volunteer my time for Prince Zuko than for scum like you. You use your men as fodder!"

"No," Zuko grits his teeth but forces the words out. "Do as he says, the Fire Lord sent orders. Go with Zhao." Hyeng looks over at him and after a moment nods. They know what he means. They need to spread the truth of the Air Nomads and they need the military to be able to do it. Zuko stalks off to his room as his men gather their things. Iroh follows.

"Nephew?"

"Go away Uncle."

"It's not as bad as it seems."

Zuko buries his face in the pillow. "How Uncle? How is it not as bad? My own father is letting Zhao take my entire crew and there's nothing I can do about it! Even worse, they're going to Zhao. Zhao knows that I'm the Blue Spirit and ugh! Things just started looking better, now they're falling apart again!"

Iroh sits on the bed next to him, laying a hand on the boy's back. "I don't know how yet, but things will work themselves out. There's always a silver lining, we just have to find it."

. . .

The three travelers sit at the head table in a great ice hall filled to the brim with people. Drums bang steadily until the man to their right stands, his arms raised for silence. "Tonight we celebrate the arrival of a brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe and they have brought with them someone very special. Many of you may have believed that our visitor even disappeared from the world for a time." A shiver of anticipation runs through the crowd at Chief Arnook's words. "We have in our midst, the Avatar!" Cheers erupt and Aang blushes. People are smiling and hollering, excited to have their hope returned to them. Eventually the chief raises his hands again. "Today we also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age!" This time the cheers are more respectful except for a spattering young men which hoot and trill much to the chief's disgust, as the young woman from earlier, the one Sokka was speechless over, walks in from a side hall to sit down at the head table next to him.

"Thank you father. May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over us in these troubled times."

Arnook nods. "And now without further ado, Master Pakku and his students will perform!" He sits down as three men get into bending position in front of the high table. Sokka has his eyes glued to Princess Yue and the food in front of them as Aang and Katara watch the benders. Three large ice vases melt and they, along with the water that had been inside, spiral toward the men. The three huge water whips twist and writhe and slide against each other in a sparkling display of control until they fall into three separate bubbles held over the benders' heads. The water swirls around each man separately until they combine to form an even larger mass of water that circles them quickly. The benders toss the liquid back and forth between them until, with a flourish, Master Pakku creates new ice vases and the two students bend the remaining water into them.

"That was phenomenal!" Katara cries.

"I know, it was so cool! Did you see the end, I didn't realize people could do stuff like that!"

"Yeah, I can't wait until we get to start learning!" The water bender and the avatar continue fawning over the performance as Sokka squares his shoulders, preparing to attempt to talk to the woman beside him.

"Hi, there. I'm Sokka you know uh from the Southern Water Tribe."

Yue smiles politely. "Nice to meet you."

"So uh, you're a princess huh?" Almost immediately he wants to bang his his head against the table. What a stupid question. "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of a prince myself." He groans inwardly. That wasn't much better.

Unfortunately, Katara overhears and cocks an eyebrow. "Really now, prince of what exactly?"

"A lot of things! Butt out Katara, trying to have a conversation here."

"Oh, my apologies Prince Sokka." She gives a low bow with ever ounce of nobility she can muster, copying the face she often saw Zuko wear of haughtiness.

Sokka ignores her and turns back to Yue. "So it looks like I'll be in town for awhile. I'm thinking maybe we could," he's loosing hope already, "Do an activity together or something?"

Yue giggles into her sleeve. "Do an activity?" Sokka just blushes and turns away, embarrassed. That didn't go according to plan. It's much easier to just pay attention to food. Food doesn't care how big of a dork someone is.

Katara props her elbow on the table, looking at her brother. "Smooth Sokka, really smooth."

He shoves more food into his mouth. "Shut up."

"No, really. That was impressive, almost as good as when you got your ass kicked by Suki back on Kyoshi Island." He glares at her and she grins. Behind him Yue daintily picks up individual rolls and sets them on her plate before eating. She's watching Sokka curiously though.

The feast ends quietly with no other embarrassing moments. Aang greets people and talks with officials but the sibling start to get tired. An attendant shows them to their rooms. Fur lines the floor and walls and their stuff has already been brought in from Appa for them. Sokka shimmies into his sleeping bag without question and Katara pulls her mutilated one out. It's been cut down the center and so won't keep her warm by itself. She could use the robe she's been using as a blanket, but here, in the middle of the North Pole it seems like some kind of affront to her culture. It seems like an even worse idea considering that Sokka had warned her not tell anyone here about her time on the ship. It's cold though and the robe is warm so she lays on top of the sleeping bag with part of it draped over her, the rest of her covered up by the robe. Aang wanders in an hour later but both Sokka and Katara are already fast asleep. He plops into his sleeping bag and is out.

Katara wakes up in the middle of the night sweating. There's someone in the room! The ice walls underneath the pelts make it easy to attack the shadow. She sends a spike into the corner with all her force. No one's there but she turns back around to Sokka staring at her groggily. He goes back to sleep but Katara stays up and goes outside to not disturb anyone. The moon is setting and the horizon is beginning turn the lightest shade of pink. In the predawn she explores the city, working off her sudden fear. She's careful to stay to the streets that are well lit, the shadows give her the creeps. The city inside the innermost wall is gorgeous, canals turning into streams that splash over rocks and fountains that mimic waterfalls. Stairs lead up to an open field of ice and snow in front of one of the many wings of the palace. Waterfalls line the back of it and Katara stops, listening to the water. It calls to her and she answers, pulling it from the falls and reservoir underneath. It circles her and she raises her arms to do the water octopus. The tentacles reach out and snap at the air as she jabs forward only recede back with the swing of her arm. It feels so good to bend here not having to worry about who will see or if a guard will take her practice the wrong way. She freezes the tentacles and slowly, excruciatingly slowly, pulls water from the ends of them, melting them while bringing the water into the air. A water whip cuts through her work. "Hey! What was that for!"

She turns around to see the last person she expected, Master Pakku. "You're a woman, you're not supposed to be bending like a man here. Maybe that's okay in your tribe," he sneers the word, "But here we behave like civilized people."

"What the hell do you mean by that? I'm perfectly fucking civilized!"

He raises an eyebrow at her language. "Obviously. Now, why don't you go back to the healing hut with the other women, they'll begin in a few hours."

"I already know how to heal." Not completely but that's beside the point. "I came to the North Pole to learn how to fight!"

"Too bad," Pakku shrugs, "It's forbidden to teach women in our tribe. I know you came with the Avatar to learn but you won't learn bending from me or anyone else in the city."

"There have got to be other female benders in the tribe! It can't just be men!"

"Here the women learn from Yugoda how to heal. Like I said, go to the healing hut, she might take you even with your attitude."

"That's-"

"And if you continue to argue I may not teach the Avatar."

Her nostrils flare and after angrily glaring at him for another second she stomps off. Screw him. Screw that bull. She was treated better on Zuko's ship than here! There she got to bend without too many interruptions and they even taught her more. Here, with her own damn people, they're trying to stop her from it! She might as well learning healing today though, at least until she can talk to Arnook and get this figured out.

. . .

For once Sokka is out of bed of his own free will before the sun is too terribly high in the sky. He doesn't remember his sister's half-crazed attempt to kill a shadow this morning and he's hoping to run into Princess Yue again. He strolls around the Upper Ring admiring little trinkets and candies that stores sell. Of course he absolutely has to try a jerky stand that boasts twenty-seven different flavors. He loves them all. Then he sees her, the most beautiful woman in the world. Her hair is the same as yesterday but it shines with extra radiance today. Her face is the same but it seems more open when he she spots him. Her skin is the same except extraordinary now that faint blush rises to her cheeks. Her perfect soft lips part in greeting and Sokka walks right into the canal, not realizing that the sidewalk has stopped.

The gondolier bends him back onto the ground and she commands the boat to stop. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah it's fine, happens all the time." Not the best thing to say but the giggle makes it worth it.

"Okay then, I'm glad you're not hurt."

"I'm fine but I was wondering if maybe I could see more of you sometime."

"You mean do an activity."

It's Sokka's turn to blush. "Yes! Uh at a place, sometime!"

"I'd love to," She smiles and his world stops for a moment. "I'll meet you on that bridge tonight."

"Great, I'll see you then!"

She motions the gondolier to continue but pauses. "Would you like to go around town with me for an hour or two?"

"That sounds fantastic!"

"Get in." Sokka scrambles into the canoe before the set off again. After an awkward moment they both attempt to break the ice at the same time. Eventually it's decided that Princess Yue should get to talk first. "So what's the Southern Water Tribe like?"

"Well, it's really cold." He laughs and sets off on a story about getting frozen to the town wall. She replies with a story about a fish cook in the Lower Ring who can pull all the bones out of a fish with one move. He tells her another story and she tells him one and they end up crying from laughter as they ride around the city, Yue checking on her people.

. . .

Katara takes in the odd site. A dummy lays on a platform in the middle of a bed of water. Deep lines carved into it glow blue as an old woman waves her hands over them. A touch to the center cut, right over the heart, makes the dummy shine for a moment before all glowing stops.

"Hi, are you Yugoda?"

The old woman responds, "Are you there for the healing lesson?"

Katara looks at the little girls all kneeling around the mannequin and slumps. "I guess I am."

"Welcome!" Katara sits down by the dummy's head and sighs quietly. This is going to be fun. Yugoda is going over basics, things Katara knows from practice but doesn't know why they work. She learns what the strings of energy she felt inside of Zuko are called - chi. By the time it's over Katara has decided that learning to heal is nice but right now she'd rather be fighting. She can learn how to heal later, after the war. The children take the dummy away and Katara approaches the old woman.

"Thank you for the lesson."

"You're welcome child. So, who's the lucky boy?"

"Huh?"

"Your betrothal necklace, you're getting married right?"

"Oh no no no!" She denies it vehemently but mores because the image of Zuko dangling it in front of her face as she was bound to the tree just came to mind. "I'm not getting married! It's a family heirloom, my grandmother gave it to my mother and my mother to me."

"Ah okay." Yugoda peers at it, "I know that carving! I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner, you're the spitting image of Kana!"

"You know Gran-Gran?"

Yugoda laughs. "Of course! We grew up together, she was born here in the North Pole."

"That's odd, she never told me."

"Well why would she, I'm guessing she left that part of her behind when ran off. She had an arranged marriage to a young very handsome water bender. He carved that necklace for her."

Katara touches the necklace lightly, "If she was engaged, why did she leave?"

"Who knows, she never told me. In fact, she left without saying goodbye. If there's anything I can do to help you while you're here let me know."

"Well actually I was wondering about burn scars." The words slip out without her consent. She might as well finish the question now. "Is there anyway to heal them once they've healed on their own?"

Yugoda puts her hand on her chin thinking. "Usually the burns we deal with are fresh. We deal with a few normal scars so I suppose it would work the same. It won't heal the scar completely but it will break up the scar tissue underneath the skin. That makes it less bumpy and stiff and allows the skin to move a little more naturally. Would you like to learn?"

She might as well. "Yes please."

"Okay, come with me. I have a meeting with someone who might be able to help you anyway, you can't learn this on a dummy." Yugoda leads her out of the healing hut, down the stairs, into the Middle Ring, and finally into the Lower Ring where most of the military stuff is kept. Some shops and houses are here but not many. The old woman leads Katara through an archway beside the canal where she knocks gently on a door. A middle aged woman with stark black hair pulled back into a ponytail answers and smiles.

"Come on in and who's this?" She looks Katara up and down, sending shivers down the girl's back.

"This is Katara, the girl who came in with the Avatar yesterday."

"Ah, so you're one of the ones everyone's talking about. Good to meet you, I'm Ming," The woman has gold eyes, that's what threw Katara off! She laughs at the younger girl's stare. "I know, I know. My dad was a fire bender, my mom was Water Tribe I got his eyes but her element."

"So you're a water bender?"

"Yup and I'm worth three times my weight in those haughty male benders!"

"Ming here bends for some of the fishing vessels but we're here about her scars. Would you mind if Katara helped me heal you? She wants to learn how to heal burn scars and while yours aren't burns, they're the best we've got."

Ming barks out a laugh and nonchalantly shrugs out of her pants. "No problem." Katara gasps and has to hold back the yelp but she covers her mouth without realizing it. The woman's legs are a mass of scars, not burns or scrapes but knifings. Each scar is a delicate white line raised on her caramel skin. The cuts go from ankle to hip and probably beyond. They look so much like what Katara's legs would have looked like. Tears are in her eyes and she backs into the door, hyperventilating. "Hey," the woman covers herself angrily, "You don't have to be like that, they're not that bad!"

Katara sits against the door, trying to get her breathing under control. What's wrong with her? She shouldn't be acting like this, she didn't even act like this when she saw her own. Panic squeezes her lungs and she can't breathe! There's not enough air, she's going to - a cool hand rests on her forehead. Water pulses against her temples and she begins to calm. After a minute the glowing stops and Katara can breathe again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It's not you or your scars it's just, I'm sorry."

Ming still looks pissed but her expression softens as Yugoda speaks. "What happened to you? You had the same look in your eyes as some of the men who come back from war. What's happened to you kid?"

Katara's spine straightens and she remember's Sokka's warning to not tell them anything. She forces a smile and wipes the tears from her eyes. "It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Both women look unconvinced but neither say anything against her. Ming just rolls her eyes then grasps her shoulder firmly. "You'll be okay, kid. It gets easier."

"What happened if you don't mind my asking."

Ming shrugs, "I came here from the Fire Nation colonies where women are treated," she coughs, "considerably differently. It wasn't safe for a water bender there. When I started trying to find work on the ships as a bender a few of the men really didn't like that idea. I kicked their asses but whenever I got back from a voyage - which was hard enough finding someone willing to take on a female bender - they were there waiting. It didn't matter what authorities I told, they just ignored me. When they came at me the last time with their knives, they held me down and cut me up saying I'd never work again. As soon as my hands got free I skewered one of them. I was found not guilty due to self defense and they haven't bothered me since but my healing wasn't good enough and I didn't see a healer soon enough to fix this mess."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. What happened happened, now I just have to live with it. I'm not going to give up who I am and what I love because someone stupid tries to make me stop." Katara has just found her new favorite person. "So, think you're okay to try and work on this?" Katara nods and this time Ming just rolls her pants to her knees instead of dropping them.

Yugoda puts a comforting hand on Katara's shoulder. "Now, feel for the tissue underneath the skin."

. . .

Zuko stares at his candles, trying and failing to keep them steady. What is he going to do? How is he going to capture the Avatar now? How is he going to restore his honor and the honor of the Fire Nation? Iroh opens the door, it hasn't been locked with the fire lock in quite some time. "It's a lovely night for a walk Prince Zuko. It will help clear your mind." Iroh sighs when Zuko doesn't move. "Or you can just stay in here and meditate, whatever makes you happy."

"No Uncle, I'll come."

"Thank you Nephew." The pair walk out onto the deserted deck when Iroh pauses, raising his hand like he used to to his troops. "Zuko, go inside and sneak out of the ship. Don't let anyone see you but get out quickly."

"Why, what's going on?"

"The pirates that we met forever ago, I just saw two sneak on board."

Zuko inhales sharply. "Shouldn't we fight them then! It's probably Zhao, he knows I'm the Blue Spirit."

"No, go inside I doubt they'll try to take you head on so just sneak out without them seeing. Let them think their plan works." Zuko nods and strolls casually back inside, back to his room. Should he grab anything? No there's nothing here he's really attached to, even his Blue Spirit gear would be easy to replace. He grabs his money and pads down the hallway, sticking to shadows. He goes down a flight of stairs. Those pirates aren't nearly as quiet as they think they are. He hears something drop and one of them swear. It would be so easy to - no, if Zhao doesn't think his plan works he won't stop hunting him. Zuko goes down more stairs until he stands next to the hatch that he'd used to sneak off the ship to rescue Aang and that Katara had left from. He still misses her. It opens and the he looks out at the harbor, the moon shining off of the water and the ships standing stark against the sea. This is what his life has been for the past two years, is he really ready to let that go?

His question is answered for him when the metal under his feet shakes. The ship is exploding! Zuko dives into the sea, narrowly missing several strips of his ship as they fly into the water.

. . .

Sokka steps onto the bridge where Yue is already waiting. She looks different now, sadder than she did this morning. "Hi, I made you something, I carved it myself." He offers a little wooden carving to her, hoping that maybe that will help cheer her up. It's not a good one but he wants to give her something, anything to let her know that he's thinking of her.

"It's a bear!"

"Actually it's a fish," he turns it sideways, "See the little fin?"

"Oh," her smile falls, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake! I shouldn't have asked you to come here." Tears run down her face as she runs off, leaving him confused on the bridge. What just happened? He shouldn't have corrected her, it was stupid of him! Let her think it's a damn bear! He throws the carving into the canal and stomps back to the palace, kicking things the moment he gets to his room. He's - kick - so - kick - stupid!

"Hey, what's up? What's going on, you'll break the walls if you keep doing that." Katara grabs Sokka and steers him down to the pelts on the floor and quickly patches up the wall where it's starting to crack.

"Nothing," he mutters.

"Warrior training going badly?"

"Sure." He crosses his arms and sinks his head into his hands. Katara rubs his back, knowing better than to try to get him to talk when he's like this.

Aang chimes in, "It's going that bad?"

Sokka raises his head and pleads with the spirits for patience not to throttle the kid. "No, it's Princess Yue. We spent the morning together and had a great time but then this evening she's crying and pretty much telling me to get lost." He groans and tries to change the subject. "How's water bending training?"

Now it's Katara's turn to groan. "Master Poopyhead Pakku refuses to train me because I'm a girl. I ended up spending all day with Yugoda learning about healing and while that's great, I want to learn how to fight!"

They're all thinking about the ship as she says that, knowing that if she had been able to bend better then things would have gone differently. There's no way Sokka's baby sister is leaving here without knowing how to fight, she may have gotten better on that ship but he still worries and her having an actual teacher would be best. Healing is good but - judging from the fact that she has absolutely no cuts or scars, her healing powers are just fine. "Why don't you have Aang teach you?"

"Oh! I didn't even think of that! Why don't you teach me at night what you learned during the day? That way I learn bending and you have someone to practice with. It's a win win!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Katara and Aang hurry out of the room, leaving Sokka with his depressing thoughts, a mix of worry for his little sister and pity for himself.

There's a knock on the ice beside the pelt door. "Uh, come in?"

A servant bows slightly as she enters the room. "Is Miss Katara here?"

"No, she just left, why?"

"Well, a letter came for her about a week ago. We forgot about it until just now. Would you please be so kind as to give it to her?"

"Yeah, no problem." The girl hands him the tightly rolled scroll and a larger one before walking out. Who would be writing to his sister? The calligraphy on the small one is tight and angular and he wants to open it up and read it so badly. She'll tear him a new one if she finds out. She just won't find out then.

. . .

"Master Pakku said this move is all about sinking and floating." Aang pulls water from the canal and plays with it for a moment before passing it to Katara. She handles it easily, smoothly before it starts circling her speedily before zooming straight up. "Cool Katara, I didn't know you could do that!"

"It wasn't me." Her fears as confirmed at the sigh of Poopyhead Pakku standing on the bridge over them. Her water is now in ice shards around him.

"I was just showing her a few moves Master Pakku! It was to help me practice!"

"You have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture!" He roars.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think it was that bad!"

"You are no longer welcome as my student." He walks off but the ground underneath him shakes. The ice bridge cracks and crumbles underneath him, bringing the master down with it in front of a fuming Katara.

"That was disrespect! What Aang did wasn't. Learn the difference!" She storms off, back to her room with Aang tailing behind her, glancing back at the furious Pakku still getting his breath back.

"You really shouldn't have done that." They're already inside by the time Aang catches up to her.

"I don't care! He doesn't get to treat me or you like crap because you try to teach me!" She rips aside the pelt to their room.

"What the hell is this!" Sokka shouts, brandishing a piece of paper.

"Do not mess with me right now, Sokka."

"No, right now is the best time! Someone came while you were gone and gave me this for you!" He shoves the letter into her hands. "Do you know who that's from? It's from Zuko, asking for your help. Exactly what happened between the two of you huh?"

"You were reading my mail!" The room drops temperature. "What were you doing reading my mail!"

"You- you weren't here and I thought -"

"You thought you could just go through my stuff! Does the word privacy or mine mean anything to you?" She screeches, the ice walls starting to crack in her anger. She stomps out furiously, the letter still clutched in her fist. It takes a good five minutes at least before she's calm enough to stop swearing under her breath and wanting to punch things. Anyone she comes across in the hallways quickly scurries out of her way. It takes another ten minutes before she's calm enough that her footsteps don't sound like an angry Komodo rhino. Finally, out in the snow and ice she sits under a lantern and unravels the scroll, smoothing out creases. Her pulse quickens at the sight of his writing, she hadn't realized she misses him so much. What in the world would he have to say though?

Katara,

You were right about the Air Nomads. I went to the Western Air Temple and there was nothing there except Fire Nation stuff. We explored the temple but it was worse than you could imagine. My own people did that!

I have to return honor to my country.

I have to stop this war. I'm going to get Aang and bring him to Capitol City so I can get back into my father's good graces. After that we bust him out with no one knowing. From the palace I'll be able to spread the truth of the war before they can silence me. My people are sick of the bloodshed and I'm sure the rest of the world is too. Will you come with me? Will you help me convince Aang and then stop this war? Please Katara. You can come back with me, it wouldn't entirely be safe but I would protect you. I think you would be happy there, especially once the war stops. I also got the scroll you asked for, about the chi in a person's body. It's attached. Help me end this.

-Zuko

She rereads it. He went to the Western Air Temple, she can't believe it! It could be a trick, he could be trying to get Aang back to the Fire Nation and then not let him go. Zuko's not a good liar though especially to direct questions. Aang would never go for it. She's not sure she's for it. There are so many ways it could go wrong and while she trusts him, she's not sure she trusts him that much. He did let her go, but he still tried to capture Aang when she was leaving. She hasn't seen Zuko since she left though, that's got to mean something! Maybe he's really not trying to capture Aang anymore or at least maybe he really did go to the temple. There are too many options, she needs to speak to him. She hurries off to write him a letter back but stops. She has no idea where to send it. How is she supposed to plan anything or tell him what's going on if she has no clue where to send a reply? Maybe he'll show up, he has an uncanny ability to just show up places, maybe he'll just show up here.

Footsteps plod towards her, it's Sokka. "What do you want?"

His shoulders droop as he walks towards her and drops to the ground beside her. "I'm sorry about what I did. That I," He sighs, "You were gone and I freaked out. I couldn't protect you, I couldn't get back to you and I didn't know what to do. Aang and I almost split up after you got taken. I made it onto the ship and I heard about what happened and I lost it. I thought they were killing you and there was nothing I could do except run away. When I saw you on the beach it was fantastic but you weren't the same little girl that had been taken away from me."

"Sokka, it's okay."

"No, I have to tell you, I can't live with it anymore. You scared me, you were so different and looked so hard and part of me just died because I wasn't there to protect you. You've started bending better, you're more confident and I wasn't there to stop them, to let you be a kid longer."

"Sokka, I stopped being a kid the day Mom died."

Tears escape from his eyes. "I know, but that doesn't mean I can't still try to protect you! When I saw that letter yeah I was curious but when I realized it was from Zuko, what happened on that ship? I overheard you talking to Bato about the guy who did all the bad stuff but what about the rest? Why does Zuko trust you, why do you defend him?"

She punches him lightly, "You shouldn't eavesdrop." She looks up at the clear night sky and swallows before answering, "When I was first brought on board they could have thrown me in a cell but Uncle - Iroh - had me brought to his room so that no one would bother me. I was a lone girl on a ship full of men so they determined that his room was the best place. After the uh incident Zuko got rid of Chang." She pauses to regain her calm. "They made sure I got proper medical treatment and I was moved to Zuko's room." Sokka's nostrils flare but he says nothing. "I didn't wear the manacles after that and they taught me how to bend better. I got to practice for however long I wanted each day and I got the water bending scroll that I stole from the pirates. Iroh actually taught me a technique that improved my bending a lot. I made friends with a lot of the crew and they treated me very well. The cook even started making deserts specifically for me," She laughs sadly. "I learned strategies with Zuko and at night we would drink and talk until we could finally fall asleep - separately of course. We talked about all kinds of things, I think we were almost friends actually."

"Why does he keep coming after us though? If he's such an okay guy why is he chasing us."

Katara doesn't really want to tell her brother about it but the situation calls for it. "When he was younger, Zuko spoke out at a war meeting, trying to save some new recruits from getting slaughtered. For that his father burnt his face and banished him. He has to bring Aang with him if he wants to go back home."

"His own father did that!"

"Yeah, the guy's psycho from what I've heard."

Sokka shudders at the thought of having a parent like that. "So, that's what the letter meant with the bit about getting back on his dad's good side?" Katara nods. "Well, I still don't trust him. Aang shouldn't go with him."

Katara laughs hollowly. "It really doesn't matter what either of us think, there's no place to send a letter."

"Oh." They sit in silence for a minute. The last part of the letter was bugging him. "Did he really offer for you to live in the palace with him?"

She snickers. "Yeah, usually he was drunk when he offered but not every time."

"There were multiple times!" Katara shrugs, she's never really thought anything of it. She doesn't think he's ever had real friends before and so he wanted to keep his only friend close, that and the incident had terrified him. She remembers his nightmares. "Well," Sokka stretches after awhile. "I think I'm headed back to bed." He walks off and soon Katara follows.

The next morning Katara wakes up to a drenched sleeping bag, but at least she didn't wake up from the nightmares. Even though it concerns him, Katara doesn't say anything about the letter to Aang and he doesn't ask though he does shoot her questioning looks throughout breakfast. "Miss Katara and Avatar Aang?" A servant bows to them as they get up from breakfast.

"Yes?"

"Chief Arnook and Master Pakku wish to speak with both of you." Katara's stomach drops, after the letter she hadn't even thought about Pakku. Sokka follows after them and they all walk to the main hall where Arnook sits on a dais under an ornate arch with Princess Yue on his right and Master Pakku on his left. What seems to be the tribe's council sit behind them.

Chief Arnook evaluates the group in front of him. "Master Pakku told me what happened last , Miss Katara, destroyed a bridge, part of our city after openly disrespecting our culture and our traditions. This is unacceptable!"

"Chief Arnook, I was outraged and I'm sorry. I came to the Northern Water Tribe to learn bending but was turned away because of my gender. When Aang taught me what he had learned Master Pakku said he was being disrespectful and said he wouldn't teach him anymore! Aang isn't a member of the Northern Water Tribe and so he had every right to teach me! As for the bridge, I overreacted but I wanted to show Pakku what real disrespect looks like!" Katara is struggling to keep cool.

"Master Pakku was completely within his right to end the Avatar's lessons and you had no right to behave the way you did."

She grinds her teeth, trying not to shout with rage. "I'm sorry for how I behaved, but I think teaching the Avatar is a little more important than personal feelings."

"What would you have me do, force Master Pakku to take the Avatar back?"

"Yes, please!"

"I suspect he might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize. If you do I'm sure we can forget about the bridge." Arnook smirks but tries to hide it.

Katara's nostrils flare and her jaw clenches. She'll do it but only because of Aang. That is the only reason. If he weren't here she'd chew into those bastards! Pakku doesn't bother to hide his smirk. "I'm waiting little girl." That's it, that's the last straw! Her fists clench and fire erupts in her eyes.

"No! There is no way in hell I'm apologizing to a sour old man like you! You don't let me learn because what, I have breasts! That doesn't matter to the Fire Nation, that's pretty pathetic when the people we're fighting have a better idea of women's abilities than you do! I'm just as strong as any of you here!" She yells with her hands, the ice vases on the sides of the dais start to crack. Sokka and Aang begin to slowly back away as her motions get angrier and angrier. "I can take you on, prove just how strong I am. I'll be outside if you're man enough to face me!" Katara turns on her heels and stomps out, the floor cracking under her anger.

Sokka runs after her, "Are you crazy! You're not going to win this!"

She tosses her parka off. "I don't care!"

Aang zooms up, "You don't have to do this, I can find another teacher."

"This isn't about you Aang! I'm not going to let them treat them treat me like a second class citizen because I happen to be a girl! I'm going to slap some sense into that old man!" That old man appears at the top of the stairs. "So," Katara shouts, "You decided to make it!" Pakku walks right past her. "What, aren't you going to fight me?"

He doesn't even turn. "Go back to the healing hut with the other women where you belong. You have no place here." He keeps walking. Katara's fuming. She creates a water whip and snaps it against his neck. Maybe now he'll pay some attention. It works. "Fine, you want to learn how to fight so badly, watch closely!" Pakku pulls all the water from pools at the sides of the courtyard and creates long arms from it. Katara runs at him, calling water to her hands but a wave smashes into her chest. He spins the water around himself and Katara, forcing her off balance as he tightens the circle, the water spinning rapidly.

Pakku laughs, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

Something about his voice, the way he says it, something reminds her of Chang. There's the same smugness and solid belief that no matter what he does she deserves it. She's scared and angry and she swings her arms out, countering Pakku's fierce circle. She rushes him with her water whip - still her best move - but he raises a ramp in front of her which she flips off of and lands on the stairs. She gets into a firm bending stance then freezes water around her feet. "You can't knock me down!" Katara doesn't hear the cheering behind her especially that of the little girls who have gathered, she's too focused on the man in front of her. A waves washes towards her and she snaps it in half. The ice around her feet did its job. She jumps down from the stairs and runs towards Pakku. He creates a wall of ice that she busts through as she liquefies it and throws it back in his face. He washes her away into one of the pools. That was a mistake. She recovers and creates a pillar of ice in front of her. She slices thin sheets off and sends them flying. Pakku breaks each one except they keep coming faster and faster. He narrowly misses the last one, moving his head out of the way at the last moment. He pulls back and stares at the furious girl. She is bending the water around herself, a bastardized version of the octopus form and sends a tentacle sharply out, sharper and faster than any water bender he's seen. He deflects it and creates a wave which knocks her flat on her rear.

She's tired. Hair is in her face her breathing is heavy, and her arms ache. She won't let it end like this! Katara jumps back up into a bending stance. Ice forms around Pakku which he easily melts.

"Well, I'm impressed. You're an excellent water bender, though you have some odd techniques."

"But you still won't teach me will you?"

His face hardens, "No."

Katara cries out in tired frustration and bends ice into a wave which Pakku avoids by creating a pillar of ice underneath himself. The bottom liquefies and he rides forward on it. Katara knocks him off but he jumps onto her water whip and slides forward as he freezes it into a ramp. He jumps off behind her and knocks her down before she can counter. A spiral of water forms in the air before crashing down around an exhausted Katara, freezing her in place. She fights against the shards of ice but the don't budge and there's not enough room to bend. There's not enough room to breathe. She shouts and struggles and the ice around her breaks and falls to the ground. Katara stands on wobbly feet.

Pakku sends another wave her way, knocking her flat. "This fight is over."

"No it's not! I'm not done with you!" She gets on her knees and then pushes herself up slowly though only makes it halfway before Pakku stops and crouches down.

His eyes widen, "This is my necklace."

Katara's eyes narrow sharply. "No it's not," she hisses, "Give it back!"

Pakku doesn't hear her. "I made this sixty years ago for the love of my life. It was for Kana."

Her eyebrows shoot up, "My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?"

He looks at her, "I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I loved her so much. I thought we would have a long happy life together."

"But she didn't love you did she? It was an arranged marriage wasn't it?" Katara finds her footing and walks up to Pakku, her eyes cold. "She didn't like the stupid customs of your tribe and my Gran Gran wasn't about to let them run her life! That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage."

At those words Princess Yue who had been watching the fight with so many others tears up and runs off. Sokka hesitates for a moment before chasing after her, throwing one look back at his sister to make sure she's okay now.

Pakku looks at the young girl in front of him who looks so much like Kana he's amazed he didn't realize it sooner. "She loved me, I know that and I never could figure out why she left the night before our wedding. It sounds like her though. She never said anything but I could tell she hated our traditions." He sighs, "I'll teach you, but only for her sake."

Katara grins wildly, "Thank you!"

Pakku smiles faintly before looking at her sternly. "And don't ever say that the Fire Nation is better than us. I understand that you and the Avatar have fought against them, but if you want me to teach you don't ever say that again."

. . .

"Yue?" Sokka reaches out to the crying woman on the bridge.

"Please go away Sokka."

"No, not until you tell me what's going on. What's wrong?"

She sobs, "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

With a quick jerk Yue pulls her parka down to reveal a large engagement necklace with a huge carved stone. "I'm engaged."

Sokka slumps. "Oh. I guess that makes sense," he tries to laugh but it sounds strangled. "You're a princess and really I'm just a southern peasant. That makes sense." He turns to leave but Yue grabs his shoulder and acting on sheer impulse she brings her lips to his.

After a moment she pulls away, tears falling down her cheeks, and rests her forehead against his breathing a sigh of relief. "I already like you more than I'll ever love him. Thank you for that." She smiles at him before walking away, squeezing his hand as she squares her shoulders and schools her face to be calm. Sokka stares after her, not sure what to feel.

. . .

Sorry about the time between updates, it will probably start getting a little further apart because the chapters are getting longer and more stuff has been going on with me lately, thanks for your reviews. I realize that it was a bit extreme but considering that she is a young very attractive girl on a ship full of men, several of whom we don't know their temperaments and personalities, bad things would most likely happen. I also wanted to write something that shows that even if you do something entirely within your rights - all she did was protect herself - people will take it personally and you're not responsible for their actions. It's not her fault that it happened, some people will try to hurt you no matter what. Assaulters, molesters, abusers in general will abuse no matter what. As for touching on her panic attacks I didn't avoid it because it wasn't relevant to the plot but because I know from experience that when there's a lot of stuff you're actually invested and involved in and you're working on something you don't panic because there's no space in your mind for it. Without the triggers, at least for me, panic attacks mostly don't happen. Thank you so much for your comments, I don't mean to sound rude I'm sorry if it comes off that way, I just want to explain my thinking. I really really do appreciate your feedback! As for the last part about Zuko joining the Gaang in the North, my lips are sealed.

2019 edit: I partially edited the previous comment but also I wanted to add in, wow I was young. I still had a lot of emotional problems to sort through and really, that terrible scene a)has been cleaned up and changed because it made me sick and b)was, for me, a way to work through my own internal issues. I don't want anyone to think anything nearly that bad has ever happened to me – it hasn't! But depression makes everything hurt even more when you manage to feel something at all and I used to struggle with that a lot. Now, I've been through some hell but I love my life more and more each day. Never forget yourself.