"Hold it… hold it… now!" The bubble of water in his control suddenly morphed into an icy spike which threw itself into the barren plains. His sifu smiled. "If you keep this up I'll run out of things to teach you in another year."

She melted another pile of snow and performed the move again. "But remember that you can also split the water like this, so you get a lot of little spikes instead of just one."

"Right. So like this?" A flurry of picks impaled themselves in the snow.

"Perfect. Now I think you're ready for this next move; I made it up when I was stuck in prison."

"Sounds interesting."

"What, the move or me in prison?"

"Both, I guess."

"Well, I was stuck there with one of my friends, she was an earthbender, and there wasn't any water nearby. But I figured that there must be some in the air so I just took it out, like this –" a puddle of water appeared in her palm, seemingly from nowhere, "and the cell was wood so I just sliced through it."

"Cool. Let me try!" He did, calling moisture from the surroundings, but as he was dealing with air, muscle memory kicked in and Aang ended up with a roar of wind to his face.

"Pretty good for a first try," Aang picked himself up from the self-inflicted blow, and Katara stifled her laughter, "Let's take a break."

"Yes, please!" They walked side-by-side towards the city, as a light wind chased their backs.

"It's going to be warm summer. That breeze is from the south-west, from the Fire Nation."

"You can tell? I didn't know that, and I'm meant to be the wind master here."

"Well, I do have a few more years over you, Aang."

"Well, technically I'm like 100 years older than you."

"Shut up," she bumped him playfully, "That doesn't count. And I can't imagine you my senior."

Another breath of air hit them, this time warmer. "Definitely a good summer," Katara said as they cherished the moment, "Haven't felt that since I left the south."

Caught up in the warmth, Aang tried to fill the conversation. "What was it like?" The cold dropped again and he regretted it immediately. "Wait, no, never mind! You don't need to answer that, it's private and I don't need to know and-"

"Aang, maybe let me speak first?" He shut his mouth and Katara took note of his ridiculously blanched face. "I'll tell you."

He looked a little more scared. "No, I didn't mean it, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"Listen up, Aang, you've been here for months now; I think it's time we get down to the facts. You've seen how the Earth Kingdom is firsthand, but I don't think anyone's told you anything about the rebellions."

"It's not exactly a nice thing to talk about…"

"You need to learn from it. And you need to realize that what happened had to happen."

"I don't think it had to happen. I mean, if I just didn't-"

"Shh. I've heard it enough. Let's start somewhere nice, for both our sakes…"

"The Southern Water Tribe, 105 A.G, Fifth year of the Phoenix. I'd just turned 19."

...

The ships were gray steel, they coughed ash into the air and their bows curved like the teeth of a saber-toothed wolf. She hadn't recognized the flags they flew. They were gold and black and green and the sun shone in the middle, angry and glinting.

Sokka grabbed at her, told her to get back, face paling under the war paint he's wore, as his fantasies of protecting his tribe came to life and he's staring death in the face. She shook him off, and they stood together, awaiting their match. She grabbed at him, and not to pull him back.

The waves lapped over the shore as the first ship made a port for itself, carving the ice with a roar. The second banked so close to them she had been sure it would hit. She had been too proud to move out its path, either way.

A voice shook the air, a warning she thought but was too deaf to hear, and its owner peered over them. He climbed down the chain, and landed on the ice like blood on a wedding gown. Crimson robes and golden eyes, angry scars burned over them, skin pale and swords strapped on his back; this was the enemy, personified.

He walked up to them, stood straight with a smile, brought two hands to his chest, and bowed.

...

"Sokka looked ready to whack him over the head. I was a little too shocked to do anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Sokka going into battle without thinking; hard to believe."

"He's not that bad."

"Oh, I give him credit. He's changed a lot from then. We all have."

...

She pulled her brother back as he started to raise his club. The man held his hands in surrender.

"I'm a friend."

"Like I'd believe that – let me go, Katara – every inch of you is Fire Nation!"

"Katara?" He reached underneath his robes and brought before them a scroll, sealed with a stamp she knows. "Your father is an ally of ours. This is from him."

They freeze, and they stare at the messenger who looked increasingly awkward as the seconds drop. They hadn't heard from the rest of their tribe in years. Scratch that, they hadn't heard word from the rest of the world since the last Fire Nation raid. So eventually, she reaches out and takes it, bringing Sokka's weapon down first.

"Is it from dad?" He asks it to the air.

The man furrows his eyebrows for a moment. "Yes, that is from Chief Hakoda. And that means you're Sokka, then?"

His attempt at acquaintanceship is shot down by cold eyes.

"What do you want? And who do you think you are, crashing into my village and then trying to make friends?"

...

"Sokka's harsh."

"He's not one to trust easily."

"What was in the letter?"

"I don't even remember, everything was so surreal. I just remember that I was disappointed; he hadn't said a lot. I felt ignored. It was childish, and I got angry with him for months."

"But you made peace with him right?"

"I did, but I wasted so much time… I could've done so much more."

"…Your dad, he didn't…"

"War isn't a gentle thing, Aang."

...

"Hakoda and I, we thought it was time to reconnect with his home. For information, for warriors as I see you two are, and for your own safety." He takes some time to scan over the remains of their village. "The Fire Nation's been more active in this area as of late."

"You're telling us to move? Again, who do you think you are?"

The man's temper was reaching its end. "A leader of a rebellion, I think, who's just here trying to help you. It would be nice if we could have some intelligent discussion here."

"Are you saying I'm not intelligent?"

"You haven't shown me anything."

"Hey!" She'd gone into this fight thinking she'd be flaunting her waterbending strikes and fighting techniques, but no, it was the peacemaking skills she used on the 10 year olds that needed to be shown. "You're both grown men, pull it together."

"I am together, it's this guy who doesn't know his place!"

"No, you're right, we're being foolish." He bows again. "Apologizes, but time is of the essence. I know this is abrupt, but I fear that the longer I'm away from my generals the more footholds we lose. And I'm sorry to say, but I think we have the Fire Nation on our tail."

"You're being chased! How could – why – that's – ugh." Sokka groans into his hands and sinks to sit on the ice. "I can't believe you."

"I'm sorry." He sounded sincere.

"'I'm sorry'," he mocks, "So seeing that they're chasing you, I'm guessing you're not one of them."

"One of them? If you mean Fire Nation, yes, yes I am. I was a prince in fact," he follows up quickly when she steps back and Sokka starts to rise, "I was exiled! I lead the rebels now! The rebels against the Fire Nation!"

...

"Zuko never did know how to keep a conversation smooth."

"Zuko, he's…"

"The Fire Prince, at least that was his 'stage name' I guess. He was a figurehead to rally behind, but he and Sokka could strategize themselves out of anything."

"The Fire Prince…"

"Yeah, he could stir a crowd like no other. I guess it was part of the reason everything fell apart after…"

"He's…"

"He didn't make it. After he – after he died, it all ended…I don't know. It's just that he was so…he was unstoppable. I couldn't believe it."

"You couldn't believe it."

"I-I sometimes think how it could've gone if he… No, no, it doesn't matter. Let his soul rest. We… we'll finish this for him."

"…Right."

...

She's on a ship of metal that's never meant anything to her other than danger, staring out into the white sheet that had been her entire world. It's only noon.

She'd been listening to story after ridiculous story, of Fire Nation domination and insurgencies and alliances that make no sense to her. Yesterday, reality had extended little more than over the snowpack behind the watchtower. Sokka stays inside, hearing more than she could stomach, and tapping the coils and pipes that kept them from sinking to the bottom of the sea.

She'd left the briefing, checking up on her tribe and meeting the ship's skeleton crew. There's a cook and an engineer, a captain and a dozen others, and strangely, a teenager who she first meets when she slams her bare feet across the deck to the railing, leans over the metal and heaves up whatever her lunch was.

"I should never have gone on this goddamn ship." Is her only answer when asked anything. Katara's still on the deck when she comes back after dinner.

She stays there, hour after hour, staring at an empty ocean until the wind is so warm it's like she's under Gran Gran's best blanket, the one with ox's fur that she only gives to the sick. She tries to make it memorable, like she'd imagine; the scene where she glances back with a goodbye as the white edge fades away, then turns to face a new world with nothing but determination in her heart. It's not like that. It's full of gears clicking and motors whirring, of worried breaths below deck and hearty laughter, of warm breezes and cold fingers.

So she stares, and stares, and it never feels any more real

"It still doesn't," she swipes underneath her eyes, "but maybe that's a good thing… I think that's enough for now."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. You need to focus ahead, okay Aang? If you're so determined to take the blame for all that's happened, take what you learn and move forward. That's the only way you'll ever be forgiven." She grasps one of his shoulders, and his eyes jump back and forth to her and the ground. "But for the record, we don't blame you in the first place."

Arms reach around him, holding fast, the wind sweeping past like an embrace. He wants to tell her, tell her that he's no hero and the Fire Prince is alive, but he won't because it won't help, and he's already been told once to keep his mouth shut and go train.

So he stares, and stares, and wishes it felt less real.

.

.

.

AN: So… how 'bout those new chapter titles?

Okay, I won't beat around the bush, I know I'm late. Again. Sorry. Again. Thank you to WriterGirl7673 for betaing this. Again. But seriously, thank her, or you'd be seeing incoherent tense changes all over the place.

So, mandatory checkup: how you guys doing? Any suggestions, thoughts, questions? Anyone have any news to share, exams soon, maybe, a new pet? I for one, have adopted a couple of plot bunnies…

So will next chapter be on time, you ask? I cannot make promises, but I can still wish.