Katara and Aang managed to talk and tease each other all night. There were no more deep and heartbreaking conversation, and if felt good to be in each other's presence as friends again.
At the first sight of dawn, they began to wake the others up. They needed to get moving if they wanted to return to the tribe and share what they had learned as soon as possible. Sleepily, the others complied and even skipped breakfast. Sokka complained that he couldn't eat that early, and that was saying something.
Katara slept on and off in the back of Appa's saddle. She had a perfect view of a certain airbender that was nodding off on Appa's head. It felt just like old times- the wind hitting her cheeks, the smell of Appa and the ocean, and her friends by her side.
It felt even more like old times when Katara felt her heart flutter when Aang glanced back to check on her. She still felt attracted to him, and she might even still love him- that is if she could admit that she could still feel love. It felt like so long ago that she was looking for love and falling for all the wrong guys. Then, she had the right guy and lost him. Ever since, she banned herself from feeling love ever again. She only ever had fun with the men she went on dates with. She didn't love them.
It took her hours and many miles of barren, snow-covered land for her to fully understand her feelings. Aang had been nothing but honest with her while he was there. He made a mistake, and it took him a long time to come back to the South Pole. If there had never been an issue with a spirit, he might not have never came back. But he was there now, and he was trying to make things right.
Katara gasped loudly when she realized that was was in fact still deeply and madly in love with Aang. Her gasp startled Sokka, and he looked at her in alarm. She swiftly reassured him that there was nothing wrong. She just had a strange dream.
Aang wasn't convinced though, and he raised an eyebrow at her from his position on Appa's head. Katara laughed at herself and she shook her head at him. She couldn't deny herself anymore when the thought of how handsome Aang had gotten crossed her mind. He had finally grew into his ears, and his body was chiseled like a statue. At nineteen, he embodied an Avatar. She could hardly imagine what he'd look like when he was an actual adult.
As much as she wanted to also deny that she was in love, she couldn't. Her heart skipped a beat when he looked at her. She could listen to the sound of his voice all day, and she wanted to constantly be his main focus. That was something she had always struggled with. As the Avatar, Aang was being pulled a thousand different directions. His mind was constantly turning and coming up with solutions to problems. He also couldn't stay in one place for very long, and it put a slight strain on their previous relationship.
But he said the world was at peace now. He wasn't needed as much. The Air Acolytes were practically independent and only needed guidance very so often. Maybe now was the perfect time to rekindle their love.
After she let herself admit that she was still in love with Aang, she rode peacefully on the back of Appa. Once the dark spirit was gone, she could start over with the only man she had ever wanted. A light smile graced her face as if to depict her bliss.
Mai quickly took note of her friend's sudden attitude change and sent Katara a knowing look. Katara shrugged it off easily, but she knew that they would talk about it later.
They returned to the village before midnight. Exhausted, they left a letter on Hakoda's door asking for an early morning meeting. Barely able to keep their eyes open, the group headed into the palace to sleep in their warm, cozy beds.
A servant knocked on all of their doors the next morning. He simply told them, "Chief Hakoda has called an early meeting and is requesting your presence."
Despite this being exactly what they wanted, every single one of them groaned as the climbed out of bed. It was the first night since she had woken up that Katara was able to sleep. Although, that might have been because they went to bed so late. She hoped that Aang had also been able to find sleep, and that he wasn't up waiting for her all night.
As Katara walked into the meeting room, she was surprised to see that she was the last one to arrive. None of the other Council members were present, just Hakoda and the group. He sat at the head of the table with a worried expression on his face.
"Thank you for joining us, Katara," he greeted her with amusement in his voice. "I was just telling the others that I wanted to hear the initial update before sharing the news with the rest of the Council."
Katara took a seat between Sokka and Mai and thought to herself, how late am I? She yawned and decided not to worry about it.
"Dad," Sokka started, ignoring formality. "We flew two days before we found a mountain range with a rope bridge leading into it. Have you ever heard of a bridge where the South sent criminals to die?
"The Bridge of No Return," Hakoda answered with a frown. It was fitting name. "And it was for the worst criminals. The tribe stopped doing that long before Gran Gran came here."
"Well, we crossed it. Luckily, we had some firebenders to keep us alive" Sokka shuddered at the thought of all those skeletons. "Anyways, there's a frozen forest inside with a portal to the Spirit World. Did you know that?"
Hakoda nodded his head slowly, as if he was recalling a distant memory. "When I was a boy, I remember learning that the South Pole was once as spiritual as its sister tribe."
"Yes," Aang confirmed. "I think that's what has upset the spirit. You see, the South Pole has lost a lot of traditions because of the the war. It caused some of the most important traditions to stop including a festival the spirits happy and even created the Southern Lights."
Hakoda's expression became perplexed as he tried to make sense of the information they were giving him. Spiritual conversation was rare when he was a child, so it was harder than most topics to understand. "So, you're saying that because the tribe is less traditional, that spirit came after us?"
Aang nodded his bald head in agreement. "Yes, less traditional and less spiritual."
"But we've found a solution," Sokka happily added. "Aang saw two visions from the spirit. The first was to bring back a festival called the Glacier Spirits Festival, and it occurs during the winter solstice."
Aang also added, "In order for it to work, you'll have to wait until the next winter solstice, and people will have to do things like meditate and dance at night. The spirits will dance with you, and the Southern Lights will return."
"But the winter solstice is a whole year away. We can't live in fear of the spirit until then." Hakoda's voice was full of worry. A lot of people could get hurt or die in a year.
Sokka was quick to assure him. "That's where the second vision comes in. Aang?"
Aang grimaced. "You can tell him, Sokka. Vegetarian, remember?"
"Right! So basically, we need to have a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice?!" Hakoda asked in a bewildered voice. "We're trying to get the rest of the world to think we are less barbaric."
"The Fire Nation does it, right Zuko?" Sokka said trying to convince his father that a sacrifice was a good, normal thing.
"Um," Zuko replied awkwardly and blushed. "I think that was more of my crazy father's thing."
"Not helping," Sokka muttered under his breath to his friend. "Dad, there's no other way. We have to get the biggest Buffalo yak we can find and drain it's blood into a cup. Then, we'll pour the blood down a drain in the foyer of the palace during a feast!" When he was finished explaining, Sokka crossed his arms and lounged back in his chair.
His father, on the other hand, became pale in the face. It took him several seconds to process what he had been told. "A drain in the foyer?" He asked slowly while looking at Katara.
Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's inability to explain something so important. "There was a hole we couldn't plug originally. It's still there, but we put something over the hole. You can hardly see it."
"But we have to pour yak blood into it?"
"Yes," Sokka said sitting up again. "It's the only way to make amends with the spirits."
"Why?" The question was directed at Aang.
To be honest, Aang didn't know. That's what the spirit showed him. "It must have been something your ancestors did. Since you stopped doing it, the spirits saw it as a sign of disrespect."
Hakoda nodded in understanding. Then, he turned his attention back to Sokka. "Did you see any Buffalo yak?"
"It was about a days flight away."
"I'll gather our finest hunters," Hakoda announced and began to stan. "We'll tell them to bring back the biggest they can find."
"Maybe we can fly them out on Appa," Sokka suggested and looked to Aang for an answer. "I even volunteer to fly them out."
Aang shrugged and flashed his signature smile. "I don't see why not."
After the details were set, a Council meeting was held. Hakoda, Sokka, and Aang recounted all of the new information they learned to them. A group of five hunters were gathered and sent on the very important mission.
Nuka was one of the five hunters selected, and he was visibly and audibly delighted by it. "I'll bring it back for you, Katara," he told her with a wink.
Katara rolled her eyes at him and paid him no mind. She was used to him making strange and inappropriate declarations all the time. This time was no different.
Aang was a different story. He saw the entire encoutur and was green with envy. He was envious of how easily Nuka could flirt with Katara, and even more envious of the fact that Hakoda praised the young hunter's abilities. It was very obvious that Hakoda had taken a liking to the foreigner... maybe even more than he initially liked Aang.
Aang knew that he had lost some points with the Chief. He briefly recalled the first time he sat in a meeting with the warrior. Hakoda's blue eyes stared him down the entire time. Aang thought he was going to die that day. In the end, Hakoda was only somewhat hostile towards him. Overtime, the hostilness faded. Hakoda even told him that he was welcome in the South Pole anytime.
Sokka immediately set out to fly the hunters to the herd of Buffalo yaks they had seen while on their journey. Zuko and Mai announced that they would be spending the rest of the day in their room doing "officially business." That left Aang and Katara alone and free to do whatever they wanted to do.
But Katara didn't want to be alone. "Hey," she said turning to him. "Do you want me to take you on a tour of the city? It's changed a little since you were here last."
Her words stung Aang a little. He had helped build the tribe when the war first ended, and now it had changed without him... just like other things had changed without him. "Sure!" He said trying to sound unfazed by what she was unknowingly implying.
They spent the rest of the morning walking around the residential areas. It had expanded since Aang was there last as the South Pole's population doubled. It looked more and more like the North Pole with its bridges, streams, and intricate designs.
For lunch, they ate at Katara's favorite restaurant. She ordered the sea prunes, and Aang ordered noodles in a vegetarian broth. Somewhere in the back of both of their minds, they were wondering if this could be considered a date. They laughed and ate just like old times.
That afternoon they strolled the market, which had become a hub for international trade. Aang was surprised to see foreign food and clothes from the other nations. He was truly amazed at how far the little village had come. It was completely unrecognizable when compared to when Katara had brought him there after discovering him in the iceberg. Seven years later, the Southern Water Tribe was booming.
Like the village, Aang could see ways Katara had also changed. She was still polite to people, but she seemed more guarded. She happily shopped, but she didn't want to spend money on herself. Instead, the only thing she bought was for her future niece. Aang also noticed how everyone in the village watched her. He knew she was a princess to them, but she didn't act like one. She talked without caring about her manners, and she denied free goods. Everyone gawked at her like she was a Firelady that never left the palace gates. Only the younger children greeted her as "Master Katara," and Katara loved to converse with them.
It made Aang's heart happy to know that she had continued waterbending after he left, especially teaching waterbending. He was surprised to learn that Master Pakku ran the school instead of her. He had expected the old man to retire, but she insisted that it was easier. It allowed her to healing and waterbending whenever she wanted to.
As the day went on, Aang could feel himself tuning out Katara's words like he used to do when he was younger. He couldn't hear her words because her beauty was too distracting. He could stare into her ocean blue eyes all day, and he was dying to run his fingers through her long brown hair again.
Dinner at the palace was just wrapping up when a servant whispered in Hakoda's ear. His eyes went wide, and he announced in a loud voice, "The hunters are back."
Everyone scrambled from their seats and to the door to see just how big of a animal they brought back. They needed a large one with a lot of... blood. Katara found Sokka and muttered, "That was fast."
"The buffalo yak were closer than they were when we saw them. They must have immediately killed the leader and headed back," he told her with a shrug. That was the only reasonable explanation for the fast return.
As soon as they exited the palace, they were greeted with an astonishing sight. At the bottom of the steps, the biggest buffalo yak Katara or Sokka had ever seen laid perfectly still. It was twice the size it should be, and it easily took all five of the hunters to drag it back. Its horns were as long, if not longer than, Sokka's arms.
"Well done, men," Hakoda greeted them with wide smile. He was proud of the beast they had brought back. "This is the largest yak I've ever seen or killed. Congratulations!"
A crowd had started to gather as members of the tribe received word of the great achievement. They wanted to see it for themselves.
The men were smiling and patting Nuka on the back. "It was all Nuka," one of the hunters said. A round of applause rang out for him.
Hakoda approached the man with great pride. "Nuka, I can't even begin to express my gratitude. This buffalo yak will help save our tribe from the dark spirit."
"Anything for the tribe," Nuka replied in a confident voice. Then, he looked at Katara with a smirk. "And anything for Princess Katara."
Katara rolled her eyes at smugness and didn't care who saw her do so. Of course he was the one to kill the largest yak in tribe history. That would surely feed into his giant ego. She crossed her arms and sent him venomous glare.
"Well," Hakoda said as he clapped Nuka's shoulder with his hand, obviously trying to redirect the attention away from his defiant and ungrateful daughter. "We are in your debt. Please, if there's ever anything we could do to repay you, let me know."
"There is one thing..." Nuka trailed off as he looked down at the snow beneath his feet as if he was too shy to make the request.
"Of course! What is it?"
Nuka looked up at his Chief with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Your daughter's hand in marriage."
