"I'm not sure this is edible," Sokka mutters, and Zuko nods, poking an eight legged critter with his finger and trying desperately not to gag. Even Katara is making a face at the bug in front of her even though her stomach is growling fiercely. Aang is facing a moral dilemma. Being a vegetarian means he won't eat animals, does a bug count as an animal? He's starving and bugs really aren't sentient but they are alive. Eventually he just shrugs and tears into the salad underneath it, munching on the nuts for protein. Katara sighs and ribs off one of the legs, grimacing at the smell. Sokka, who had been with the food packs just starts handing bits of the creature to Momo who scampers around happily.

A tall lanky man with a surprisingly full beard trots up, "Oh good, ya'll enjoyin it? Here, we made these special fur ya." The guy, most likely Roob, pulls out four straw hats from behind his 's mud sticking to them in odd places but they don't get the chance to protest before the hats are mashed onto their heads. Zuko shudders, feeling something slimy shift through the thin straw. "Good, now ya'll look so pretty! Oh and them critters, they're just ta get you warmed up. The good food'll be ready soon and then the party'll really get goin." Roob walks off, grinning from ear to ear.

Katara quickly yanks hers off her head but Sokka laughs, "I don't know sis, I think it looks pretty good on you. Besides," he smirks, "Aren't you the one who worries about being polite?"

If looks could kill Sokka would be dead, "Fine," she grumbles and puts the hat on again, careful to keep her hands clean. "Did you happen to bring anything from the food packs?"

"Nope, sorry."

"Dang, I'd kill for even some fire flakes right now."

Zuko rolls his eyes, "Yeah right, you wouldn't touch those even if you hadn't eaten for a week."

She scowls but sticks her tongue out, "You're right because after a week I'd probably be dead."

"Fire flakes?" Aang asks.

"They're these atrocious-"

"She means delicious."

"-little things that stupid fire benders put on their food when they want to be super jerks."

"You're just mad because you can't handle the heat."

"Oh I can handle heat alright, it's just your stupid obsession with making everything taste like fire pouring down my throat that gets to me."

"I think they're great," Zuko retorts.

"Well obviously you're crazy!"

"Guys, guys, calm down. You're both just hungry," Sokka jumps in. He shoves a bug leg in his sister's mouth and all but shovels guts into Zuko's.

"Alrighty then, everyone ready?" Roob stroll in smiling. "Good, good, hats on an happy lookin I couldn'ta asked for better. Come on, food's ready an we're bout to start the party!" He hustles them out of the hut to be greeted by whoops and shouts and a roaring bonfire. "Everybody!" Roob yells and silence almost falls, "We have the Avatar an a master water bender an we een got a prince here with us. That means its time ta party!"

The gang is shuffled towards food piled high on leaf platters and all thoughts of being polite and worry about how they look in the silly hats are forgotten at the sight of actually edible food. The Water Tribe siblings salivate and dig in, pulling shreds of meat from the pile and popping the strips quickly into their mouths. Not even Zuko with his countless hours of etiquette lessons can resist the smell and a growl surfaces before he stuffs his mouth. Aang heads towards the fruit, happy that they have alternatives to the meat, meat, and more meat that seem to make up water benders' meals regardless of where they're from.

"You're the Avatar, huh?" A little girl with her two front teeth missing tugs on his pant leg.

Aang crouches down, "Yeah," he crams more fruit into his mouth and smiles at her. "I'm Aang, who are you?"

"I'm Mozhu but everyone just calls me Mooz."

"Well hi Mooz, how are you?"

. . .

A young woman made of sharp angles and long planes approaches Katara. "So, yur a master water bender eh?"

Katara whirls around, her barbecue now on a leaf in her hand. "Yes. I learned with - with fire benders and at the North Pole."

"You learned water bendin with fire benders?"

Katara shifts, "Yeah, I did."

"Well good fur ya! Ya can learn a bunch from them, this guy Jenral Iroh he said his name was, helped me learn some o my best moves."

Her eyes widen, "Really! So, you guys you think it's okay?"

"Think what's okay?"

"Working with fire benders, you guys really do think that's okay? I mean, I know you said General Iroh was here but actually bending with him? I can't imagine people really being okay with that. No one ever thinks that."

The woman shrugs, "Well so long as yur not hurtin anybody why does it matter? Not all fire benders are bad an not all other benders are good, that's life. So, word is pretty boy with the scar is nephew o Iroh and since he's with you did you learn with him?"

"Yeah, he taught me some."

"Cool! You'll hafta show me tomorrow. Ooh or we could get away from here and spar now! No one new ever comes an I want a challenge."

Katara laughs, "Wouldn't someone miss us?" She looks around, them being there and even being the guests of honor obviously doesn't mean much in the swamp. People are excited to meet them but more or less the celebration is a reason to let loose and no one cares what's going on. "Yeah, let's do it!"

. . .

"Avatar, bender, and a prince but no, no one cares about boomerang guy." Ghost Katara's words echo in his mind as Sokka shreds a strip of meat around grumpily muttering beside Zuko who's awkwardly standing attempting to make respond to the people asking questions about his uncle.

"If it makes ya feel any better I noticed ya," A girl with a lopsided smile and sparkling blue eyes snatches the barbecue out of his hand and pops it in her mouth. "Mmm, they really outdid themselves this time. This has been settin for bout a month and woo is it good!"

"That was mine!"

"And now it's not," she laughs. "Anyhow boomeran guy, what's it like outta the swamp?"

Beside him Zuko swallows, wishing desperately for fire flakes and that his uncle was there. Seeing all of the close friends and inside jokes and people guffawing at each other just makes him miss home and the incidents in the swamp don't make it any easier. He wanders closer to the fire, pulling warmth from it, breathing in the energy and smoke. It's been too long since he was by a fire like this and traveling with the Avatar is starting to take its toll. He's tired and the fire just reminds him of that. "Yur Zuko, huh?" The large man from earlier, Huu his name is, asks.

"Yeah."

"Yur uncle never shut up about ya. He kept goin on an on about how he had to go home fur ya, ya were his whole reason fur goin back. How is the ol' guy anyhow?"

"The last time I saw him he was doing well. He actually helped start peace talks between -"

"'Tween some o the Fire Nation an the Northen Water Tribe, I know."

Zuko looks at the man in shock, "How did you know about that?"

"I know a lot o things son," Huu chuckles. "The banyon tree has roots that go round the world an I see all kines o things cause o them. I wanna know how he's actually doin not what hes doin."

"He seemed happy last time I saw him, really happy. The war is finally starting to end and he seemed relieved."

"Good, man deserves some happy this late in life."

"Yeah, he does."

"Now tell me, you gonna go find yur favorite water bender or let some old man talk yur ear off all night?" Zuko blushes, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Huu just laughs and points to the other side of the fire, "She went that way."

. . .

Katara whirls, not quite able to copy the other girl's manipulation of the vines but still offering a challenge with her precise execution of water whips and an endless barrage of waves. The other girl - Roozu - is starting to wear down, her endurance not entirely up to par with Katara who has been training practically continuously for months. Rooz slashes with an arm, firmer than usual water bending, and a vine races forward. Katara reaches out into the water of the vine, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she bends the vine up and away before sending another wave towards Roozu, knocking her back. The swamp bender starts laughing, "Good job, I wasn't 'specting you to catch on that quick!"

Katara smiles but a different vine strings her up by an ankle and Roozu just laughs harder at the squirming. Katara slashes but the vine lets go before the slice starts. She lands with a plop in the mud and after a moment Roozu's laughter spreads when Katara tries to stand but slips and falls deeper into the mud. At first it's quiet but soon full blown laughs tear through her. That's the scene Zuko walks in on. A swamp bender cackling, sitting halfway in the stagnant watery mud and half on the ground while Katara lies in the mud, her hat thrown to the side, laughing so much that she shakes silently, tears rolling down her face and dirt. "Hey! Fire boy!" Roozu calls and Katara's eyes snap open and she sits up trying to regain some dignity. Roozu pulls the mud under his feet towards them unexpectedly and instead of sliding smoothly over he trips landing solidly on his face. Katara snorts loudly but ends up with mud going up her nose.

"Oh Goddess ya'll're graceful I'll give ya that much," Rooza snickers. Katara splashes her. Zuko sits up and tries to wipe the grime off himself but only ends up smearing it. At least now his ridiculous hat is off.

Katara keeps chuckling, "Need help?"

"No," Zuko retorts hotly. Katara rolls her eyes and he realizes just how stupid not asking a water bender to help him get clean is. "Fine." Instead of gently bending the mud off his face she sends a wave splashing into him. "What the-" he splutters and she just laughs, scampering away as he gets up and runs towards her. Roozu snickers and sends a vine snaking around his legs, tripping him yet again. Katara laughs until the vines knock her over too. The plants twine around their ankles and Roozu cackles.

"Ooh that was great! Ya know, I ain't ever seen anyone actually fall fur that."

"Well how were we supposed to know you'd do something like that?" Zuko snaps, his temper flaring as he stands trying to get mud off himself.

The swamp bender shrugs, "'I didn't mean nothin by it princey." She laughs. "Anyhow m headed back ta camp. See ya there." She wanders back, leaving Zuko fuming but trying to stay calm and Katara standing in front of him with a hand on her hip. "What?"

"What's the deal? We were just messing around!"

"Well forgive me for not wanting to get caked with mud!"

"It's called fun, Zuko. You might want to try it sometime!" Katara huffs. Zuko clenches his jaw and tries to remember to breathe. Uncle warned him several times about his temper, he needs to keep it under control. Besides, storming off out here would more than likely end up in him getting lost. He counts to five. That doesn't work and so he starts and goes to ten then twenty. He reaches sixteen before Katara sighs. "I still think you're being over sensitive, come here." She bends water around her hand and brings it to his face where mud threatens to ooze into his eyes no matter how much he's wiped it away.

"Are you going to splash me this time?"

She rolls her eyes, "No." She washes away the mud from his left eyebrow and flicks it away from his scalp. She steps forward to reach the top of his head and his amber eyes catch hold of her. He's not breathing quite as deeply as usual and the air seems thicker than it was a moment before. She's so close, one hand resting comfortably on his arm, the other bending mud away from him. The swamp is alive with bugs and vines and animals but they don't notice any of it. It's just the two of them. Katara leans in and all the water nearby stills before shaking to her heartbeat. The space between them heats up.

Zuko's lips part and Katara's open in response without a thought. Their hearts beat erratically in their chests. He leans down slowly, not entirely realizing what he's doing and Katara extends her neck, bringing them mere inches apart. Her eyes close, and a giant bullfrog jumps not onto a branch nearby but onto Zuko's head, croaking loudly. Zuko yelps, jerking back and quickly flipping the frog off of him. "What the!"

Katara snorts, "Wo-o-ow. That's just, wow!" She laughs loudly clutching her sides.

"That wasn't funny!"

"Yeah, yeah it was," Katara wipes tears from her eyes as Zuko huffs.

"Let's get back," Zuko mutters, not looking at the girl in front of him who can't stop snorting.

. . .

The party lasts late into the night. Katara and Zuko send glances at each other the entire time but look away quickly whenever they meet eyes. Roozu and Huu grin knowingly and occasionally high five throughout the night. Aang spends the entire time answering questions and showing off his air bending tricks with Katara nodding absent-mindedly at him though eventually she gets drug off by a bunch of other teenage girls to do Goddess knows what. By the end Sokka is slurring his words and has a posse of girls and some guys crowded around him as he tells stories of their adventures with Zuko cutting in at some of the wilder embellishments.

The morning dawns chilly with bright sunlight filtering down through the trees. Zuko is already awake even after his long night and going through his katas. It's relaxing to fire bend freely, not being constantly on the lookout for who might see a stray flame and come to investigate. He releases a stream of fire, relishing in the feeling. This place, weird as it may be makes him feel better, feel stronger somehow. It's like the swamp is trying to strip away the years of hate and confusion, leaving him a new person.

Aang is the next to wake up, stretching and yawning before going out to check on Appa who now has braids all over the place and even some swamp flowers woven into the plaits. Aang grins, "Well it looks like you had a good time last night!" Appa snorts in agreement.

Katara eventually rolls over, her head pounding and the light blinding. "Ugh," she blinks but the light doesn't get any dimmer. She scoots to her clothes from yesterday and uncorks her pouch, bending the water around her hands and pressing it to her temples. The pounding subsides and the light goes back to the way it should be. The bender yawns and stretches, working her way to standing up and gets dressed before heading outside, hoping someone else has already made breakfast.

"Good morning Katara!" Aang bounces into sight. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better than usual, Aang," She smiles.

"Oh good! Hey, I'm going to that tree Hue was talking about yesterday once he wakes up and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come along."

Katara finds a pot of stew from last night and bends it into a bowl. "That's nice but I think I'll stay here."

"Okay," Aang's shoulder's droop. "Well if you change your mind I'll be over with Appa and Momo." He walks off, shuffling his feet while Katara leans back against a log genuinely happy. It's not too early but the swamp is still mostly asleep, more people are beginning to wander out of their huts and go about their daily lives and Katara's just happy to sit back and watch it all. She's scared still, she has nightmares on a regular basis but it doesn't have to define her. A calm settles over her at the thought. She is not the sum of what's happened to her, she's in control now. She sits and soaks up the sun and sounds around her, taking in the serenity.

"You seen the Avatar?" At Huu's voice Katara opens her eyes slowly.

"Mhmm," She points off towards Appa.

"Thanks."

The bustle is beginning and Katara stands, stretches, and decides to help out. "Hey, do you need me to do anything?"

A lanky woman looks up from a gaggle of little girls. "Yes please! This here is Foo, Zhul, and Kor and they all need their hair brushed."

"Aww but we don't wanna have'r hair brushed!" Kor insists.

"Ya'll need it!" The mom replies and hands Katara a comb similar to the one that's already running through Foo's dark hair.

Zhul rolls her eyes and settles in front of Katara. "I'm the next oldest so I ge' my hair next." Katara runs the comb through her hair getting it caught on a tangle. "Was' it like travlin all over the place?"

"Well, I get to meet a lot of interesting people."

"You get to fight?" Kor asks.

Katara laughs lightly, "Yeah I end up fighting a lot."

Kor nods happily, "Good. Gotta go ou' there an show em who's boss."

"Yeah!" Zhul pipes up, jumping the moment Katara pulls the comb away to start from the scalp again. "Death to the Fur Nation!" She waves her hands emphatically and runs off.

Foo pulls away from their mom shouting, "Down with te establishmen'!" Kor runs after them both hollering nonsense and the mom just plops her head into her hands and sighs.

"One bedtime story, jus' one an they're shoutin shit like that now." The mom rolls her eyes and Katara just holds back a smile before getting up to wrangle the kids and try to explain to them why just saying 'death to the Fire Nation' isn't the nicest thing ever. However after the North Pole and the horrendous experience with General Fong perhaps she can get behind the down with the establishment part.

. . .

"Hnn, whattimeissit?"

Zuko pauses, realizing that in fact when not woken up Sokka will sleep to the ungodly hour of ten or in this case - "eleven in the morning."

"Ugh," Sokka rolls over and stuffs his face into the pillow. "You realize that the dark months are probably starting about now? I should be in bed, asleep."

"Dark months?"

Sokka shoots him a surprised look. "Really? Fire Nation doesn't teach you guys shit."

"Hey!"

"Dude, I'm just saying. Down in the South Pole there's six months of sunlight, in the middle there's no night at all and six months of night. In the middle of that there's no sunlight. Right about now the nights are getting longer and I just want to go back to sleeeeep."

"You're going to waste your entire life in bed," Zuko states.

Sokka huffs, "At least I'll be happy." He groans and slowly, very slowly stands up with lots of stretching and groaning in the process. "So, today let's see if we can find more non bug food."

"I'm with you on that."

Three hours later finds the pair waist deep in mud, Zuko cringing and Sokka preparing to pull the string on a koala rabbit. Sokka holds a finger to his lips as Zuko opens his mouth in question. The string is yanked and a small net hoists the animal into the air. Sokka whoops and charges ashore. "Okay, now you light a fire and we'll cook this sucker."

"Shouldn't we kill it first?"

"Ah yeah, almost forgot about that." Sokka easily breaks the animal's neck, killing it with minimal pain and mutters a short prayer. Zuko looks on, confused at the prayer but sickened at the snap of bones. He looks away, clenching his teeth at the memory of Cheng's bones crunching under his boot. At least he didn't kill the man, though if he had…That's not something he wants to think about right now. "You want to skin it or should I?" Sokka asks.

Zuko raises an eyebrow, "Skin it?"

"You know, take the skin off so we can eat it."

"I know what skinning it means, I just," Zuko sneers slightly, "never thought I would be in a position where I would need to skin anything."

Sokka snorts, "Well face it princey, you're slumming it now." He grabs Zuko by the shoulders, "It must be heartbreaking, having to skin your own food, having to dress yourself, no servants to cater to your-"

Zuko shrugs him off, "It wasn't like that."

"Uh huh," Sokka laughs, "Suuuure." The Water Tribe man grows serious for a moment, "I saw what you did for Katara at Fong's compound. Thanks." Then, as if the words had never been spoken, Sokka ties the koala rabbit to a stick and begins telling another wild story as they wander off towards the village.

. . .

Katara has spent the day learning 'swamp bending' after telling the kids about the war and what the world outside of the swamp is like. With the sun descending from it's zenith she pulls her arm back towards herself trying to get the vines to cooperate. She's gotten the basics but she's still having trouble getting them listen if she moves quickly. She can feel the water in them but it's sluggish and hard to really get into them. After hours of trying to learn new moves and straining to move the vines, the master water bender collapses gasping, her muscles shaking.

Roozu plops down beside her, breathing heavily. "Damn gurl, they gotta make em different down south. I haven't worked that hard in ages."

Katara huffs, "You're telling me. My lungs feel like they're about to explode."

"Ya did real well though."

"Thanks," Katara smiles.

. . .

Aang spends the entire day sitting on a branch in the banyion tree. He can see so much from here! Huu keeps telling him to focus but the sheer amount of information is overwhelming. Eventually Huu manages to keep the kid to understand what the swamp is trying to tell him. Everyone is connected. The swamp is one big living organism, just like the world and it's all interconnected. Aang finally pays attention long enough to gasp, "Oh! I get it."

Huu nods, "If ya listen hard enough ya can hear every livin thing breathin together, ya can feel everythin growin. We're all livin together even if most folks don't act like it."

"We all have the same roots!"

"Mhmm, an we're all branches of the same tree."

Aang smile widely, "I get it."