Katara walked through the port with Zuko and Sokka on her heels. 'Katara wait up, I know uncle was serious about getting off the ship but we just set foot on land and if we keep our pace we'll be on another ship in one day's time.' Zuko thought making Katara stop in her tracks.
"Katara, where's the fire?" Sokka asked as he ran right into her.
"Uh we need to get out of the coastal region because Zhao will stop at nothing to find us, and Zuko you father is ruthless as it is no offense" Katara snapped.
"None taken, and your right we'll have to disguise ourselves" Zuko informed. "I'll be Lee Katara you'll be Kira and Sokka you'll be Nuka. As it stands we've spent way too much time standing here. We leave for the water tribes, as soon as we find a way to get there." Zuko told the teens. He felt waves of anger radiating off of her. 'Katara are you ok?' he thought concerned for the boy.
"Zuko are you sure? I don't think that we will be able to get very far before people begin to realize just who we are. Remember we are the run-away children from the fire-nation because we have oh so long before Ozai has to incarnate you. Well we do need to see Gran-Gran anyway. Let's go. Now!" Sokka said with an expression that read determination.
"We get on the next ship to the southern water-tribe" Katara demanded as she walked off. Zuko looked at Sokka and yelled in his thoughts 'KATARA WHAT THE HELL! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WE CAN'T GET BACK ON A SHIP, WHAT IF ZHAO FINDS US? AGAIN?' I won't have you get hurt. But if we must I am going to paint your skin, just in case and I'll find a way to hide my scar and ill have Sokka paint himself too, just so you won't have to worry about him.' Zuko soothed as he felt Katara's panic.
'Zuko are you sure that this will work?'
'I'm sure of it.'
"Hey you too what's going to happen?" Sokka asked.
"You and Katara are going to have to paint your skin and I'm going to find a way to hide my face. Oh and if there is a raid, never mind, come with Katara and me. We are going to get disguises and we will hide, and well." Zuko laid the plan out so well it was idiot-proof.
"Do I have to paint?" Sokka whined.
"Yes you do, if I have to than you will too. Let's go." Katara scowled.
The three walked around the village to find a place with clothing and paint. They searched the entire village until they came to a small store. 'Zuko look for anything you like and tell Sokka to do the same thing.'
'Ok' "Nuka look for anything you might like."
"Ok Lee."
After the trio found clothing and paint, they paid for it with two silver pieces.
"I'm hungry" Sokka announced to the world.
"We know, here go get you some meat." Katara said handing him a few silver pieces. "Zuko and I will be putting on disguises at the inn." Katara informed.
"Katara you're taking forever." Zuko whined. Finally Katara stepped out of the bathroom.
"How do I look?" She asked innocently.
"Beautiful, pale, but beautiful none-the-less." He murmured gawking at his companion.
"Ok let's go." She said, more like an order.
They all went to the docks looking for a ship leaving to the South Pole. Luckily they caught the last one.
"We are leaving now, well get aboard if you're going." The captain bellowed.
"Of course, Lee and Kira, come on now we don't have time."
"We're coming Nuka." Katara sneered as she passed her brother boarding the ship. They were shown their rooms, Zuko adding that he and Katara were married, showing the necklace, all the while earning a glare from Sokka.
Once the men were alone Zuko clarified his statement earlier. "I only said that because the captain at the end of the voyage. I figured if I saved us some money we will have more lately for supplies." Zuko told him making Sokka hungry.
"Don't hurt my sister." Sokka muttered darkly.
"I won't, you have my word, by the way come see me and her every day of this voyage."
Zuko told him.
The trip to the South Pole was about three weeks, and every day Sokka visited Zuko and Katara, scheming on how to loose Zhao. Before they knew it they were at the South Pole unloading supplies when the captain walked up to the trio.
"I want two gol" he was cutoff with Katara putting the gold into his hand gently. "Thank you for keeping us." She thanked before she turned around and stood frozen in place. In front of her stood her Gran-Gran.
"GRAN-GRAN" the two water tribe teen screamed in unison.
"Katara, Sokka. I've missed you very much." She said with much enthusiasm.
"Us too." Sokka blurted out.
"Why aren't you in the fire nation?"
"I was receiving a death sentence and Katara would be a concubine for Zuko. The funny thing was Zuko told us to pack our bags and we left our fates and are doing our own thing." Sokka informed her
"Zuko, the fire-lords son?" She asked baffled.
"Yes him"
"Zuko, come here." The elder ordered. "Did you save my two grandchildren from horrible fates?
"I did." He answered politely.
"Thank you." She said, looking at her grandchildren and laughing at their expressions.
"Why did you do it?"
"I did it because Sokka would probably be dead and Katara would have her honor stolen from her. Neither of them would deserve that, so we left when Katara was eight." Zuko explained his actions.
"Call me Gran-Gran." The woman said.
"By the way where is Katara's father?" Zuko asked, terrified when he heard a voice behind him "Behind you." Zuko turned and felt small when he saw the man that was just behind him. He saw that if his beloved's father wanted to kill him, he would have already.
"Sir how much of that did you hear?" Zuko asked.
"I heard enough. Thank you for saving my daughter, from being a whore. She deserved much more than that and she is getting that now. Thanks to you." Hakoda "Why did you want to talk to me?"
"Would you mind if we talked in a building or somewhere else?" Zuko asked very quietly.
"Sure." The father answered. Walking with Zuko into a building cheerfully. "YOU WANT TO WHAT!" the older man yelled. That alone caught everyone's attention and Katara felt a large amount of anxiety. Minutes seemed like hours, and then the two men came walking out of the building laughing.
"Sokka we need to talk. Now!" Hakoda hollered.
Sokka faced Zuko "What did you do? No what did you ask of my father?" Sokka stormed off catching the glance to Katara and ran toward his father.
Zuko and Katara watched the scene and then Katara was feeling nauseous from the whole situation. "Katara I did nothing wrong."
All Katara did was look at him like he was as insane as his sister.
"What?" Zuko asked.
"Nothing mind if I go on a walk." Katara wondered.
"No go ahead."
Katara walked out of the village and out toward the ocean. When she got there she looked around her and saw that there was no one that hunted water benders around so she began to step through the water-bending moves she knew how to do at the moment, practicing hard. Katara formed water whips and was targeting ice-burgs in the water working ok her accuracy, speed and her precision and strength.
"Amazing" She murmured looking at one, and pulling her whip down hard on it, capsizing it. She saw that someone was in it and attacked it until it cracked and finally broke. Ice went everywhere. Katara was blown away and she was blinded by a white light.
"Whoa. What happened?" Asked a small voice she'd never heard before.
"Who are you?" Katara asked still blinking her eyes.
"I'm Aang. What's your name?" The voices owner chirped.
"Katara. I have to get home. Now." She said stumbling backward.
"I can give you a ride back." He said.
"That would be nice." Katara said as she saw a huge flying bison being the little boy.
"Let's go. YIP YIP!" he yelled as Katara got into the saddle on the bison's back.
"It's the only little village with a port. Right there." She said pointing out her home. She thought flying wasn't that bad it was just landing.