Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter!

A big shout out to PurseMonger for her awesome feedback as always!

For a refresher on Zuko's relationship with Roku in this story, refer to chapter 13. Once again, I took some more liberties with canon for purposes of this story.

AtLA is not mine.

Chapter Sixteen

In Which the Princess Has a Fright

The small ship slowly rolled with the waves as it traveled further away from the Fire Nation and closer to the Earth Kingdom continent. Dark gray clouds hid the morning sun from view. The winter wind had sent many of the passengers back to the warmer deck below, but a few remained above to take in some fresh air. Sitting silently on a crate, Yong kept to himself as he stared out into the dark ocean, his mind on past events as well as contemplating his new mission.

At the tender age of four, his parents had died in a horrible house fire. He was lucky to survive because a neighbor had rushed into the burning house and got him out in time. Unfortunately, his parents had been trapped inside and died before the villagers managed to extinguish the fire. The loss of his parents affected him greatly, and he didn't speak for days. He stayed at the house of a kind old couple until his grandfather arrived about a week later when the news reached him of his son and daughter-in-law's deaths.

Yong had only seen his grandfather a few times before that since the old man lived in a remote area miles away from the village. Many people thought he was strange and tended to avoid him, although Yong couldn't understand why since the old man was always so kind. After the house fire, Yong went to live with Grandfather Masao. He was still unable to speak due to his grief, but his grandfather was kind and patient as he took him to explore the wilderness around his small hut, pointing out the wildflowers and animals that lived in the area. Gradually, Yong began to speak and later helped his grandfather gather herbs and set traps to catch small animals, listening to the old man's stories and lectures.

It wasn't until three years later that Yong realized why the villagers thought the old man was odd. Grandfather Masao was a mage and sometimes used small magic to help the village, such as growing new crops when the village's harvest failed or calling forth rain when there was a drought. Instead of being grateful, the villagers mistrusted him and his strange powers. It made Yong angry. He had asked his grandfather why he bothered to help them if they were just going to treat him that way. His grandfather had just smiled and said he would always use his magic to help people even if they didn't appreciate it.

When Yong was about to turn ten, they realized he also had magical powers. His grandfather had been proud, but Yong had detested it and refused to use them for several months until his curiosity got the better of him. He learned magic ran through their line, although as the centuries passed, the number of family members able to use magic began to dwindle until only Masao and his younger sister, whom Yong had never met before, were the last. Until Yong.

His grandfather was just beginning to teach him the basics of magic and its history when Princess Azula suddenly appeared one night. She had heard the rumors about Grandfather Masao and wanted him to place a curse on Crown Prince Zuko. Grandfather had refused, which caused the princess to become angry, but she had composed herself and left with her guards. They had thought that was the end of that, but they had been wrong.

A few days later, Yong had been collecting herbs when he was suddenly surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers. He had tried to escape, but they had easily caught him, bound him, and threw him into a covered wagon. Scared, he had curled into a corner, wondering what was happening and silently crying for his grandfather. It wasn't until weeks later that he saw Grandfather Masao again in that clearing on that fateful day he placed the curse on Prince Zuko before they escaped.

He would never forget the agonizing screams the prince let out as his body began to change.

Grandfather Masao had felt guilty so he had sent a letter to General Iroh telling him what happened, hoping the old prince could somehow rescue the cursed prince. Months later, General Iroh and Prince Zuko, in his draconic form, visited their small hut. The form of the great, red dragon had definitely been an awe-inspiring sight. His grandfather had fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness, but he confessed that he had only been trying to save his grandson. They had seemed to have understood before the former general asked if he could reverse the curse.

Regretfully, his grandfather admitted that it was impossible for him to reverse the spell and that it could only be broken by true love's kiss. The anger and despair in the cursed prince's eyes were something Yong would never forget. After that, the pair had silently left, and Yong never saw them again.

However, when news reached them that Azula was getting ready to ascend the throne, Grandfather Masao had been determined to make things right. On the day of the coronation, his grandfather had quickly given him a letter and told him to read it once their task was complete. Yong had been confused but promised he would. Then they snuck into the throne room where his grandfather confronted Azula before casting the spell on the throne. In the confusion, his grandfather had turned to urgently whisper to him.

"Go to my sister!" Grandfather Masao ordered him firmly, although his eyes were sad and regretful, "She will teach you more about your powers. You have to become strong in order to set things right and regain our family honor. You have to find Prince Zuko and help him regain the throne!"

"Grandfather, no!" Yong cried out in fear as he clung to his grandfather's robes, knowing that the old man didn't plan to go with him.

"You must find him, Yong!" Grandfather shouted quickly as the guards sprang forward.

"Promise me!"

"I promise," Yong whispered as tears gathered in his eyes.

The last thing he saw was his grandfather's smile before he was enveloped in smoke. When he blinked, he found himself back in their hut. He didn't know how long he cried before he finally opened the letter. His grandfather explained that the curse he had placed on the prince had weakened him and he knew that he would die the next time he used a powerful spell. He gave him instructions on how he could help the prince and that he would know when the time was right. The last of the letter contained directions to where Yong's grandaunt lived.

Determined to avenge his grandfather, Yong had gathered his belongings, his grandfather's magic scrolls, and other necessary items before he left the hut and made his way to his grandaunt's home.

She had been a strict woman, but also kind. She taught him everything she knew about magic and he began to hone his skills. When he was in his late twenties, she passed away from natural causes. With no other family members and with no sign of Prince Zuko's curse being broken, Yong decided to travel the world in search of other magic users in hopes of gaining more knowledge about magic. He learned so many things during his travels but also heard the difficulties the Fire Nation citizens were suffering due to Azula's greed.

As the years passed, Yong began to despair. Perhaps Prince Zuko would never be able to reclaim the throne, and Yong would never be able to fix the mistake his grandfather made. Then he had that dream about the red dragon transforming into a man and Yong had known it was time.

The sound of his animal companion's squawk brought Yong out of his memories. He blinked before he reached up to caress the cat-crow's black feathers.

"Hush, Tepi," he said soothingly, "We'll be on land soon."

Tepi made a contented chirp as she flapped her wings before she settled back on his shoulders, purring as her feline head rubbed against his fingers. Yong smiled before he frowned when he saw a few of the Fire Nation crew giving a group of Earth Kingdom merchants mistrustful looks, which the merchants returned as they spoke quietly among themselves. The frown on Yong's face became deeper as he once again noticed the tension in the air.

He needed to find Prince Zuko quickly and make sure he reclaimed the throne from Azula's clutches before it was too late and the world was destroyed.

Toph rolled her eyes at the mushy things Sokka and Suki were whispering to each other and the vibrations that kept emanating from them. It was so annoying and nauseating. It was obvious they were finally sleeping together since Suki started sneaking out of Sokka's room early in the mornings. The small earthbender let out a small snort. Well, she supposed it was better than Sokka moping over Katara's disappearance. Not that Sokka, or any of them, had stopped thinking about finding her, but Suki had definitely improved Sokka's despondent mood. Toph was sure Chief Hakoda was going to blow a casket at the news of Katara's disappearance, but Toph and the others were hopeful that they would find her once spring arrived.

The village headman assured them it was only a few weeks away. Unfortunately, they couldn't do much at the moment because of the weather. Ugh, she couldn't wait to leave the snowy mountains. She hated the cold and the snow. She wasn't looking forward to visiting the Northern Water Tribe because there was no dirt or rock for her to see with. She would have to rely on Aang to be her 'eyes'. He was the only one she trusted with her...vulnerability. But she had agreed to go in support of Katara. She knew how it felt to have her life dictated just because she was born blind. She wanted to help Katara achieve her goals.

Toph was distracted from her thoughts when she felt Aang leave her side to walk to where Momo had made his sleeping area since their arrival.

"What you got there, buddy?" Aang asked curiously as he picked up the parchment Momo had been playing with.

The airbender took a curious glance at the writing before something caught his attention. His eyes widened and he gulped.

"Hey, Sokka?" he asked nervously as he turned toward the smitten warrior. "When did you send the letter to your father?"

Sokka paused briefly to answer the airbender.

"I sent it weeks ago," he replied absentmindedly as he smiled at Suki. He was still amazed that she had confessed that she liked him, too. They had talked about seeing where things went and just a week ago they had made love for the first time. It had been perfect and he knew that one day she was going to be his wife. If she agreed...

But his first priority at the moment was finding Katara and taking her home.

Sokka was distracted from his thoughts when he heard Aang clear his throat and nervously shuffle his feet. He looked at the airbender with a frown.

"You might want to resend it…"

"Why?" the blue-eyed prince asked suspiciously.

Toph cocked her head as the others watched Aang lift the parchment with a blue ribbon hanging from it, which Momo tried to take back with a loud chirp.

"Dammit, Momo!" Sokka shouted.

Katara suppressed a grin as she playfully smacked Zuko's hands away when he tried to reach for her again, causing him to frown. Water dripped down his face, plastering his dark hair onto his forehead, and a few soapsuds threatened to fall into his eyes.

"Hold still and let me finish washing your hair," she told him firmly, but was unable to stop her lips from twitching into a smile. "The water is getting cold."

"I can always heat it up again," Zuko responded gruffly even as he obeyed her command and remained still so she could continue lathering up his hair with soap as he had done to her a couple of minutes before.

"We would've finished bathing a long time ago if someone hadn't started another round of lovemaking," the princess teased as she gathered some water with her bending to wash off the soap.

"Well, if someone wasn't so damn tempting, then someone else wouldn't have become aroused," the firebender replied with a smirk as this time he wound his arms around the waterbender to press her smooth, wet skin tightly to his.

Katara moaned softly at the pleasurable sensation of his hard chest pressing against her sensitive nipples, feeling her body instantly heat up. They had just found their mutual release a couple of minutes ago, but it seemed like her body wanted more. She just could not seem to get enough of Zuko and the pleasure she experienced being intimate with him. It was overwhelming, almost frighteningly so, but she loved it. And it seemed like Zuko couldn't get enough of her either, which pleased her immensely.

Smiling coyly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself more tightly to him. She saw the way his eyes darken as he ran his hands down her back to cup her backside and press her against his awakening erection. She let out a moan and he groaned as they moved their faces together, their lips almost touching, but before they could make contact, Zuko pulled back with a frown as his gaze moved toward the entrance.

"What is it?" Katara asked as she looked in the same direction, tensing at the thought that she would see an intruder.

Zuko blinked and shook his head as he returned his gaze back to her. Seeing her concern, he gave her a reassuring smile as he leaned forward to kiss her briefly.

"It's Druk," he replied as he pulled back, moving his hands away from her rear to push her wet hair away from her face. "I've been sensing him prodding our link all morning, but he was more persistent right now."

"Is it something serious?" she asked with a small frown.

Zuko took a moment to analyze the sensation before he shook his head.

"Doesn't seem like it," he responded, "But it looks like he wants to get my attention."

"Maybe the storm finally passed," Katara said excitedly before she gasped, "What if their baby hatched?!"

Zuko smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Could be," he said with a low chuckle before he let out a reluctant sigh and let her go. "I guess we should get out and get dressed to see what he wants."

Katara grinned as she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"We'll continue this later," she teased and laughed at his disgruntled groan.

A moment later, they were both dried and dressed before they carefully walked through the low tunnel that led outside. Once they reached the opening, they looked at each other in relief when they realized it wasn't snowing outside. After carefully climbing down the mountainside and reaching its base, they made their way to the meadow where Zuko and Druk usually trained. Not a minute had passed before they spotted the mated dragons flying their way. As soon as they landed, they nuzzled the humans in greeting and the human pair affectionately caressed their snouts. Druk pulled back and took a large sniff in their direction before he rumbled.

Ah, it seems you have been busy, the dark dragon told Zuko amusedly before bluntly asking, How soon would you know if your mate is carrying your offspring?

Zuko sputtered at the question as he gaped up at the dragon before he pinched his nose and groaned. He had not thought about the fact that Druk would be able to smell...their morning activities.

"Not anytime soon," the firebender responded.

Why?

"It's...just not the right time."

How come?

"Can we just change the subject?" the golden-eyed prince growled.

"What is it?" Katara asked curiously as she watched Zuko glower at Druk who was staring calmly down at him. She smiled when Tanik tried to regain her attention by pushing against her chest.

"Nothing," Zuko responded with a grimace as he ignored Druk asking why he would want to wait to impregnate his mate. He sighed. Even though he was able to communicate with him, Druk was still an animal and did not seem to understand why humans did certain things. He couldn't really blame the dragon, though. Humans were confusing.

"Anyway, why did you want to see us?" Zuko asked Druk, hoping to leave the subject of breeding behind.

There has been a shift in weather, Druk replied, I believe winter has ended.

"That's great," Zuko responded with a smile as he looked up at the sky.

Gray clouds still covered the sky, but the snow had finally stopped falling, which was a good sign. In a couple of weeks, the snow will melt and new grass and flowers will sprout. Then Katara and he would be able to head toward the Northern Water Tribe. He frowned at the uneasiness in his stomach at the thought before he straightened himself out.

It is the perfect time for our flying lessons, Druk spoke, interrupting Zuko's thoughts.

"Right now?" Zuko asked as he looked dubiously at the dark clouds overhead.

It is best that we start as soon as possible.

"Alright…" the firebender replied uncertainly, although a part of him was excited at the thought of being up in the sky once again.

When she felt Zuko turned toward her, Katara stopped scratching Tanik's chin to regard the firebender. It no longer fazed her when she heard Zuko have his one-sided conversations with Druk. She listened attentively as Zuko explained that Druk wanted them to start flying lessons. She frowned worriedly as she looked up at the sky before looking back at Zuko.

"Are you sure?" she asked worriedly.

Zuko gave her a nod and smiled.

"Don't worry," he told her, "I'm sure Druk will keep me safe."

Druk let out a low rumble as he dipped his head and the humans smiled.

"Alright, but be careful," the waterbender told them firmly as Tanik curled around her.

Zuko turned toward Druk who lowered himself to the snowy ground, his crimson eyes watching him. The firebender hesitated slightly before he moved forward. He briefly wondered if that was how Katara felt the first time she had approached him to climb onto his back when he was still in dragon form. It seemed like it was only yesterday yet a lifetime ago at the same time.

The firebender carefully climbed on the dark dragon's back, feeling Druk's body heat and hard scales against him. As soon as he grabbed a hold of Druk's black fur, the dragon bunched his legs beneath him and shot up into the air. Zuko gasped at the sudden movement, but quickly righted himself on the dragon's back, clutching more tightly onto the fur.

The cold wind hit Zuko's face, but he barely paid attention to it as his gaze became focused on the dark clouds looming closer to them. They shot through the clouds, Druk's strongly beating wings causing the clouds to swirl around them, before they dove back down. Exhilaration pumped in Zuko's veins as they swerved in the air. He had not realized just how much he had missed flying! However, it felt different flying as a human on a dragon than when he flew as a dragon himself. It was definitely more exhilarating and, admittedly, a bit more frightening since he wasn't controlling the speed or the maneuvers. Yet, it was amazing, nonetheless. Grinning excitedly, the firebender sat up straight and stretched his arms out on either side of him, closing his eyes as he felt the wind rushed past them, ruffling his hair and clothes and Druk's fur.

Suddenly, Druk curved upwards, and in his distraction, Zuko was unable to grab onto him on time and he slipped from the dragon's back. Shocked, all Zuko could do was flail as he tumbled toward the ground, the sensation of the rushing wind causing more fear than it had a moment ago.

On the ground, Katara gasped in horror as she watched Zuko freefall. What happened?!

"Zuko!" she cried out.

Without thinking, she ran forward as she gathered snow around her, thinking of a way that would help her cushion his fall, feeling her heart hammering wildly in her chest. She couldn't lose him!

"Druk!" Zuko shouted in a panic as he saw the ground rush closer and closer.

The sound of beating wings caught his attention and he looked up to see Druk diving next to him.

Trust me, he heard Druk say, feeling a sense of calm emitting from the dark dragon.

At those words, Zuko closed his eyes and focused on calming himself down. He could hear the wind rushing by and felt Druk's body heat surrounding him. Opening his eyes, he reached forward and managed to grasp onto Druk's fur before he pulled himself forward until he was grasping onto the dragon's neck. At the same time, Druk righted himself a few feet above the ground, spreading his wings as he shot back up.

Katara gasped as they swooped over her and Tanik's heads before curving back up high into the sky. She grasped onto her beating chest as her eyes followed their flight. She felt Tanik press her head against her and the waterbender sagged in relief against the dragoness' side.

"Thank, La," she breathed out as her eyes continued to follow the pair's trajectory.

Up in the air, Zuko let out a shaky breath as his adrenaline subsided slightly before he sat up straight again, although he made sure to keep a firm grip on Druk's black fur.

"A little warning would've been nice," he grumbled sarcastically. He snorted when he felt Druk's amusement through their link.

I needed to test your courage as well as your trust in me, the dragon explained smoothly. You passed both. It will make our flights together much easier.

"Hm," Zuko replied, wondering if perhaps the easiness of them flying together was because he had gotten used to being in the air after so many years flying in his dragon form.

I remember that it took my sire and his human longer to be able to fly so well, the dragon added.

Zuko frowned pensively, once again wishing he knew more about his great-great grandfather Roku and his bond with Fang.

"Do you know what happened to them?"

The dragon shook his head and let out a rumble.

I do not. My sire stopped coming to our lair one day, but my mother knew the moment my father died and it pained her greatly. Mated dragons have a strong bond and they always know when their partner has left this world. I was still a hatchling when it happened and did not quite understand what was happening when humans suddenly began to attack us. We had to flee our home and we were constantly moving to avoid being killed. Several suns later, we were cornered and she died protecting me, to give me the chance to escape.

Zuko inhaled sharply as he was bombarded with dark memories of his own mother. He frowned deeply. His ancestors' greed and cruelty were too shameful to bear, which only made him more resolute in recovering his family's honor. It seemed that both he and Druk had suffered great losses at young ages.

"I...am sorry," he said softly.

Why are you sorry? Druk asked in confusion as they continued flying, You were not the one who killed her.

"I know, but...still…" Zuko said haltingly, "It was my great-grandfather who started the tradition of hunting dragons, my father continued it, and now my sister is trying to finish it…"

Your remorse shows your honorable heart, Druk rumbled, I am confident we will succeed in ending the slaughter of my kind and the destruction of yours. I knew I chose well.

Zuko smiled slightly at the dragon's sentiment, feeling a bit more relieved.

"I appreciate your confidence in me," the golden-eyed prince replied before he sadly added, "Katara and I have also lost our mothers in tragic ways."

That is one reason why you have such a strong connection with her, the dark dragon mused before he teasingly added, Now you both can start on your own family soon.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned as he felt Druk's amusement reverberate in his mind.

A comfortable silence settled between them as they flew for several more minutes before Druk returned them to the meadow where their mates were waiting. As soon as they touched down and Zuko slid off Druk's back, he was tackled by Katara, who wrapped her arms tightly around him. He stumbled back at the force of her embrace, but was cushioned by Druk's side, who was busy nuzzling Tanik. Zuko wrapped his arms around her, but before he could say anything, Katara looked up with a dark frown.

"I almost had a heart attack when you fell!" she scolded him, her blue eyes narrowed as she glared up at him.

"I'm fine," Zuko replied, "Druk was testing me, but I know he wouldn't have let me get hurt."

Before he even finished his sentence, Katara rounded on the black dragon, who froze at her icy glare.

"If Zuko had died, there would've been hell to pay," she scolded the dragon heatedly as she placed her fists on her hips. "I almost lost him once and I won't lose him again just so you could prove a point or whatever, you hear me?"

Zuko shifted uneasily as he watched Druk get scolded by the angry waterbender, not sure if he should intervene and have her wrath fall on him.

Katara continued her tirade, her previous fear of seeing Zuko almost hitting the ground still sat heavily in her chest. She knew Druk didn't understand what she was saying or what she was feeling, but she was sure he could guess because he had lowered his head and let out an almost whine-like sound. She paused when he pushed his snout against her stomach, letting out another whine, and she could not help but melt.

"Fine," she grumbled even as she gently rubbed his snout, "But I won't forgive you next time if Zuko breaks his neck because of you."

Zuko rolled his eyes when Druk slanted his eyes his way, his smugness transmitting through their link. He froze when Katara let Druk go and quickly turned to him again. He braced himself for her anger, but was instead struck by her watery eyes.

"I was afraid I was going to lose you," she whispered.

The firebender immediately wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his chest.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. Everything's fine," he told her reassuringly, "You won't lose me so easily."

Katara hugged him tightly before she pulled slightly away to look up at him.

"You promise?"

"I swear it," he vowed firmly.

They stared at each other for a moment before they were distracted when the mated dragons brushed against them. Katara watched as Zuko stiffened before his unscarred cheek reddened slightly.

"Shut up, Druk," the firebender growled as he glowered up at the dragon, who only let out a low rumble.

"What did he say?" the princess asked curiously.

Zuko sighed before he reluctantly told her.

"He said I should, uh, mate with you again to lessen your worries."

"H-how...oh," Katara uttered as she blushed deeply at the thought that the dragons knew she and Zuko were...intimate. However, she could not help feeling amused at the way Zuko was glowering at the dragon who was looking unabashedly at them.

"Anyway," Zuko stressed, wanting to change the awkward topic as he addressed Druk, "We need to leave the mountain and find Katara's family. They must be worried for her."

The thought of her father, Sokka, and her friends immediately dispelled Katara's humor and she straightened herself out. She needed to find some way to contact her father and explained what happened. But most importantly, she needed to find her brother, Aang, and Toph and make sure they were okay.

"I wanted to see if you and Tanik can come with us," Zuko continued as Druk attentively listened, "We're afraid to leave you behind since the men that attacked us could return."

Druk was silent a moment before he turned his head to his mate. He let out several rumbles, which Tanik returned. A moment later, Druk returned his attention to the awaiting humans.

We will go with you, Zuko heard him express, Our bond will make it difficult for us to part ways for too long.

The prince nodded.

"We're heading toward the North Pole, where it's constantly cold and snowy. Would you and your family be okay?"

Yes. Would we be welcome there?

Zuko frowned at the question since he didn't exactly know. It was something he would need to discuss with Katara.

"We will make sure you are safe," he promised.

Druk inclined his head.

We can leave once our offspring hatches and is strong enough to make the journey. Perhaps in several suns or so.

"Then it's settled," Zuko agreed before he turned to Katara to tell her what Druk said.

She smiled happily up at them and they leaned down to nuzzle her. Zuko watched them silently as several questions nagged at the back of his head.

How would he be received? But most importantly, would they allow him to be with Katara?

He hoped so because he would not be able to live without her.

A few days later found the human and dragon pairs in the meadow once again. Zuko and Druk had gone on another flight, as they had been doing every morning, and they were getting better at learning each other's signals through their bond. Spring was just several weeks away.

Katara and Zuko were discussing their plan on heading to the hidden village when Tanik suddenly took to the sky, flying swiftly in the direction of the dragons' lair.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked worriedly as she started after the retreating form of the silver dragoness, but was startled when Druk jumped to his feet and followed after his mate.

"Druk said their egg is hatching," Zuko explained before quickly exclaiming, "Come on!"

He grabbed Katara's hand and they started racing after the dragons. When they reached the cave, they cautiously entered to see Tanik curled protectively around her egg while Druk sat guardedly behind her. The mated pair let out low, welcoming rumbles and the humans curiously approached the nest.

They looked down at the egg, but could not see a difference until they saw it suddenly move. A moment later, a small crack appeared along the smooth surface. They held their breath as a little snout poked out before more pieces of the egg began to break and fall apart. Almost magically, a baby dragon emerged, a slimy liquid plastering the fur on its back and sticking a few egg shards to its small body. A small, silver dragon with black fur, horns, and red eyes blinked up at them all before it let out a squeak. Tanik and Druk leaned their heads down to nuzzle their hatchling and the baby dragon immediately nuzzled them back.

"Aww, how cute," Katara cooed as she slowly crouched down to get a better look. She squealed excitedly when the baby dragon turned to look at her at the sound of her voice.

Zuko chuckled when the little dragon let out another squeak as it tried to stand up, but ended up tumbling head over heels. As Tanik and Katara made sure the baby dragon was alright, Zuko looked up at Druk who was staring down proudly at his offspring.

"Congratulations."

Druk inclined his head at the firebender's sentiment.

He seems strong and healthy. Perhaps my hatchling will bond with your future first born.

Zuko could not help flushing once again at Druk's words. He cleared his throat.

"Perhaps. But not anytime soon. Katara and I aren't ready."

"Ready for what?" Katara asked curiously.

"Nothing," Zuko replied quickly.

She raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for him to explain. Zuko sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Druk keeps asking when we are going to, uh, have children of our own…"

"Oh…" Katara uttered as her face flushed, even though the thought made her heart warm up. "Um, yeah, not anything soon…"

"One day," Zuko added with a smile as he watched the blush spread to Katara's cheeks.

"One day," Katara repeated as she returned his smile.

They were distracted by the baby dragon who was once again trying to stand up on his four legs while Tanik cleaned him off.

We should be able to leave in a few days to find your mate's family, Druk said after a moment of watching the small dragon stumbled around his nest.

Zuko nodded as he translated what the dragon said to Katara, who nodded in understanding. She returned her attention to the small dragon. She once again wondered what the future held for them.

Would they be able to find Sokka and the others soon?

How would her grandfather react to seeing his friend again? And looking as he did forty years ago?

Most importantly, how would her father react when they saw each other again?

She bit her lip. She hoped she had not damaged their relationship beyond repair, but most of all, she hoped he could understand her reasons for leaving their home and hoped that he would give Zuko a chance.

If she had learned one thing the past several months, it was that she did not want to live without Zuko.

Standing at the top most balcony of the wintry palace in the Northern Water Tribe, the chieftain looked solemnly down at his tribespeople as they went about their day. He could make out merchants on top of buffalo-deer hauling their products behind them, mothers calling to their playing children, and warriors patrolling the city. The great ice wall that separated them from the cold sea could be seen at a distance.

Pakku placed his hands behind his back as a deep frown marred his face. Where could his grandchildren be?

He had been surprised and alarmed when Hakoda had sent them a letter months ago with the news that Katara and Sokka had left their home without telling anyone and could not be found. All Hakoda had said was that Katara had refused the arranged marriage Hakoda and King Kuei were negotiating with the Earth Prince and he wanted to see if his children had run away to the North Pole. Pakku had replied that they hadn't and wondered if perhaps they had visited the Earth Kingdom for a while before returning home.

However, he had received another letter from Hakoda a few days ago that stated that they had still not returned. Kanna and Pakku had been distraught by the news, especially with the rumors that Azula was getting her armies ready to attack. His grandchildren could come to harm if they were not within the protection of the Water Tribes. Pakku had sent messages to his friends in the White Lotus to see if anyone had spotted his grandchildren, but had no luck. He hoped nothing terrible had befallen them.

Katara was strong-willed, but she was a sensible young woman and Sokka, although could be a bit of an idiot sometimes, was a resourceful person. There had to be a reason why they had not contacted Hakoda or their grandparents. At least he hoped there was.

"Father," the sound of his eldest son and heir interrupted his thoughts.

Pakku turned around to see Arnook holding out a scroll.

"A missive has arrived from our contact in the Earth Kingdom," Arnook continued.

Pakku frowned as he took the letter and read the contents. It was from Jeong-Jeong, a former Fire Nation general and one of the many deserters who disapproved of Azula's reign. It was because of Jeong-Jeong and his followers that the other nations learned of Azula's plan to start a war. Pakku, along with Hakoda, King Bumi, King Kuei, and several other leaders of the Earth Kingdom and Air Nomads had converged to make plans to protect themselves and fight back.

According to the letter, Jeong Jeong stated that his informant in the Fire Nation had reported that a massive amount of warships were being constructed. Pakku frowned deeply as he looked to his son, who was also frowning.

"Call a meeting of the tribe elders," the white-haired chief ordered as he rolled the scroll back up.

"I have already let them know to meet us in the Great Hall," Arnook spoke up with an incline of his head.

"Good."

"Any news of Sokka and Katara?" Arnook asked hopefully.

Pakku shook his head and Arnook's forehead furrowed in concern. They were silent a moment as they once again wondered where they could be.

"How is Yue doing?" Pakku asked after a moment.

"She's doing much better," Arnook responded with a relieved smile, "She's getting stronger every day."

"That is definitely great news," Pakku replied with a small smile as he briefly squeezed his son's shoulder.

Arnook and his wife had been unable to conceive children for many years, but five years ago they had been blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby girl. Unfortunately, she had been born a sickly baby and many feared she would not survive her first winter. One of the village healers suggested bathing her in the water of the Spirit Oasis and, miraculously, it had cured her illness, although it had turned her hair white. Many believed it was because she had absorbed some of the essence of the moon spirit, Tui.

"Where is your mother?" the chief asked as he turned to walk back to his study.

"She's overseeing the new trainees with Yugoda in the infirmary," Arnook responded as he followed his father back inside.

"That's good," Pakku said.

Kanna had been so worried over Katara and Sokka's disappearance that she had taken ill for a few days. It was good to know that she was feeling better, at least, enough for her to focus on other things. He had worried that she would shut herself in their room as she had done when they learned of Kya's death. Pakku winced at the memory. He still could not believe his beloved daughter was gone. He had been devastated and Kanna had been inconsolable for a very long time. He hoped they found Katara and Sokka soon. He did not think they would be able to handle losing another loved one.

They parted ways when they arrived at Pakku's study and the old chief made his way to the low stand in the middle of the room. He sat on top of the furs as he pulled out a piece of paper to write a reply to Jeong-Jeong and letters to Hakoda and King Bumi. He frowned as he stared down at the blank page.

He could not believe a sadistic person like Azula was the Fire Lord. He had known she was a bad apple the few times they had interacted when he had visited the Fire Nation with his father as a young boy. Zuko would have made a great Fire Lord.

Pakku frowned deeply and sighed as he always did when he thought of his friend. He did not believe for a second that Zuko had abandoned his responsibilities. Zuko had been an honorable man and wanted what was best for his people. Even after all these years, Pakku wondered what happened to him.

He glanced toward the secret compartment in one wall, remembering the box and letter he received many years ago, which he had kept hidden in the hope that Zuko showed up. But it had been a little over four decades since his disappearance. Pakku was beginning to accept the fact that Zuko was dead. He had a feeling Azula had something to do with Zuko's disappearance, but had no proof. He wondered if Azula hadn't assassinated him years ago to ascend the throne. He narrowed his eyes.

For that, they needed to stop Azula.

He would protect his family and avenge his friend.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

Stay safe everyone!

~alwaysZutarian