A/N: We have a Korra release date! September 13th! Ah! Anyway, I think this is my favorite chapter thus far, so I hope you enjoy! Sokka and Zuko are being introduced in the next one. Please review! God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

They had arrived at the South Pole by midday, the sky bison and two passengers garnering some questioning glances as they descended upon the snow covered ground. Villagers from all sides stared, many of them emerging from their carefully sculpted ice huts to catch a glimpse of what all the commotion was over.

It was a commonly known fact that the Air Nomads rarely made visits to other nations, preferring instead to travel to the different air temples in order to calm their genetic wander lust. For two random teenaged airbenders to show up in the South Pole with charred clothing and singed hair to match, was enough to set the entire South into a state of alarm.

They had been greeted by a group of elders, five older woman with wrinkled tan skin and an array of white colored braids drifting down the lengths of their shoulders. Blue eyes gazed at the young travelers hesitantly, but after Aang had requested an audience, they had reluctantly agreed to let him share his story. Their guard remained up though.

As the elders led them out of the center of the village, Katara allowed herself a glance around at the people gathered there. They were whispering as the two newcomers walked away, their small children glancing curiously from behind their mother's skirts. That's when Katara noticed the extreme lack of men in the tribe.

"Aang?"

The young man tilted his head towards his friend, "Yes?"

"Have you noticed there are no men around?"

The airbender's brows furrowed momentarily, his stormy eyes glancing at the people gathered around them, staring as they walked away with the tribe's elder council. He spotted no men.

"Hm," Aang murmured, wrapping a gentle arm around his friend to guide her carefully over a fresh mound of snow, "That's a little strange."

Katara nestled closer into his side, uncomfortable by all the cerulean gazes that seemed to follow them as they walked. She breathed a small sigh of relief when they reached the hut the elder's had entered. Aang,
ever the gentleman, held the flap up for her to enter before himself.

The young Avatar really had no plan as to what he was going to tell the women, but in the end, the truth was all he needed. He told them of all that had happened within the past few days, weeks, none of them really were sure of how long ago it had been at that point. He told them of the fall of the Air Nomads, sharing the details of what had happened on the night of the comet. This sparked quite a reaction.

"This makes sense now," The woman sitting front and center muttered, her hardened features growing softer as she looked at the two young airbenders,
"Our men left a few days after the comet lit up the skies. It was then that they noticed several Fire Nation ships making their way slowly through the waters.
They were headed back in the direction of the Fire Nation, but the warriors did not wish to take any chances. They are now patrolling the waters surrounding the area. I'm assuming the ships were headed back after conquering The Southern Air Temple."

Aang nodded gravely, "That would be the most logical explanation." His smooth voice appeared to be level, but Katara could hear the slight shake in it, "Several fleets were sent to each Air Temple, all with the same goal. To kill the Avatar."

The women murmured among themselves, silencing again once Aang started on the next part of his story.

"I was present at The Western Air Temple at this time," He turned his head back in the direction of the door, where Katara still stood nervous and unsure,
"We both were."

"The Southern Water Tribe was under the impression that only women were housed at The Western Air Temple."

Aang's head bowed at the comment, his gaze falling to his shoes, "I was only a visitor reporting news to the nuns. News regarding the identity of the Avatar."

The women looked on expectantly, watching as the young man's eyes darted back at Katara once more, "I was sent to tell them that I had been told of my position as the Avatar, and that I was about to begin preparing for my journey to master the four elements. The Council shared with me that they feared trouble was near, and that I would only have a limited time to learn what I needed to. I guess none of us really realized how limited that time actually was."

The women in the middle, Kanna one of the other members had called her, remained seated with a passive expression as the women around her murmured excitedly about being in the presence of the all knowing Avatar, "So, young Avatar, what brings you down here to the South Pole? We have little to offer housing wise and can only provide you with so much."

Aang nodded, "I'm aware of that, and I ask for nothing. The reason we traveled down here is in search of a waterbending teacher. Though the Air Nomads are now gone, I still have a duty that needs to be fulfilled."

Each elder looked at each other for a moment, their glances full of hesitance. The Avatar's silver eyes met again with the girl's who stood near the door, her expression encouraging and gentle.

"We regret to inform you, Avatar," Kanna began, "That unfortunately none of our waterbenders are stationed here at the moment. All went with the forces to fight off Fire Nation troops in the Earth Kingdom before the war even began. Most of them were locked in prison and some we never heard from again. This was when we lost our chief as well. The men we sent to patrol are nonbenders, so none of them could be of any assistance to you."

Aang visibly deflated, his look of defeat causing Katara to speak up, "Do you have no women here who could teach him? Surely this tribe doesn't just birth male waterbenders."

"I'm afraid our women have always chosen to focus their skills on healing rather than combat," The older woman informed, crossing her arms over her chest,
"I'm afraid the only place that currently has practicing waterbenders is the North Pole."

The Avatar heaved a heavy sigh, the weight of the world resting upon his shoulders. A trip to the north would take weeks, only delaying his training further.
Of course, their was no reason for him to argue with the women. It wasn't their fault that there were no waterbenders around to teach him.

After another short discussion, it was decided that Aang and Katara would stay for a few days in order to rest before they began their long journey up north. Aang was reluctant, already feeling as though he had wasted enough time, but one stern glance from Kanna had him agreeing to it immediately.

They were given new clothes to replace their burned garments. Katara couldn't deny that she actually loved what they had given her, despite her initial hesitance. Instead of wearing silk beneath their clothes, the woman of the tribe wore bindings, which were less comfortable than what she was used to but made her feel a bit more secure. The dark, long sleeved tunic she was given hugged her body in all the right places, the fabric not hanging off of her like her other robes had, causing her to lose all her shape. The navy leggings and boots were also different but welcomed.

She kept her mother's silk necklace tied tightly around her neck though, the orange fabric looking off in contrast to her new blue outfit. The teenager didn't care though, there was no way she was separating from her prized trinket. She wrapped a jacket snuggly around herself before holding up the seal skinned flap of the door.

When she emerged from the changing hut, she stopped in her tracks.

Aang stood in the middle of a gaggle of young girls. Some of the young women were their age, and some were the tender age of five, but every one of them had the same look in their eyes. A look that made Katara's own silver gaze roll around in annoyance.

They were absolutely infatuated with the Avatar.

Aang's cheeks were stained red as a few of the girl's made grabs for his arms.

"So YOUR the Avatar?!"

"Hey, you're kind of cute!"

"Can we see you airbend?!"

"Oh, I love your tattoos!"

"Do you have a girlfriend?!"

Katara shook her head, fighting the urge to roll her eyes once again. She should have laughed, the scene was hilarious, but something inside of her told her the situation wasn't humorous at all. It was a strange feeling, one that she had felt before but never for someone else. Shaking the thought from her head, she turned on her heel and walked in the other direction.

She was in search of something for the two of them to eat that night, when a mittened hand grabbed a hold of her shoulder from behind.

"Dear," The airbender turned around, met face to face with the elderly woman from earlier, Kanna, "If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your necklace?"

Katara was taken a back for a moment, looking down at the fabric and stone that surrounded her neck. She brought a covered hand up to gently touch the pendent.

"My father gave it to my mother," She answered quietly, "It's a betrothal necklace."

"Oh, I am well aware of what it is," The woman smiled slightly, her gaze meeting the other girl's with a hint of humor, "I was just confused as to why a young airbender was wearing it."

Katara nodded, "It is quite strange, I realize."

"Was one of your parents of Water Tribe descent?"

The young woman hesitated a moment, biting her lip. Of course, she knew the answer to the elderly woman's question, it was written all over her slightly tanner skin and Water Tribe name, it's just that she hadn't originally been planning to say anything about it.

"Yes, my father was from here. My mother nursed him back to health after he was wounded during a fight. They married in secrecy before he returned to his fleet."

"Ah, a forbidden romance," The woman commented, smiling at the airbender, "The Water Tribe men are known for stealing hearts."

Katara nodded, returning the elder's smile with a weak one.

"Do you happen to know his name?" Kanna questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as the cold wind picked up, "I have been here quite awhile, I remember all the men who went off to fight."

The girl hesitated a moment, trying her best to recall the name her mother had shared with her only a few times, "I believe his name was Hakoda."

Katara hadn't expected the older woman to look so shocked, but just as soon as her expression became disbelieving, it returned to her usual imapssive stare.

"Ah, yes. Hakoda."

Not knowing what to say, the airbender picked up a relatively heavy pot of sea prunes laying by her feet. A woman had been nice enough to offer a portion of her family's dinner for the night to her and Aang, causing Katara's unease for the South Pole to lessen a great amount. But Kanna's searching stare only worsened Katara's feeling of awkwardness.

"Well," The young woman spoke, after standing in silence for a few moments, "I really should get back to the hut."

"Enjoy your dinner," Kanna called out to her as she walked back in the direction she had come from. She supposed that the words were supposed to sound airy, but Katara could detect the slight heaviness behind them. The mention of her father had changed something within the elder.

Upon returning to the visitor's hut where she was staying, Katara was glad to see that Aang was already inside of it. A small fire was glowing in the middle of the floor, their two temporary pelts laying on either side of it. The Avatar turned around as his friend entered. Katara stopped in her tracks.

She had never seen Aang in anything but his airbending robes. The blue, sleeveless tunic he had been given showcased every lean muscle in his arms, the color causing his eyes to appear even brighter than before. He had also been given a pair of navy pants that tucked snuggly into a new pair of brown boots to replace the old ones that had been ruined and covered in ash. Despite his pale skin and vibrant tattoos, Aang looked incredibly Water Tribe.

And incredibly handsome.

Regaining herself, Katara shook that thought from her head, "Well, you sure look different."

Aang smiled smugly, "I think you're looking for a better word."

"Stop fishing."

The young man laughed at his friend's exasperated expression, walking over and relieving her of the pot she carried in her arms.

"So what's for dinner?"

"They call them stewed sea prunes."

Aang removed the top of the pot to take an experimental sniff at the foreign food. He caught a quick whiff of it and instantly pulled back.

"Yuck!"

Katara laughed at the look of disgust evident on his features, "It's the only vegetarian dish they have, Aang. It's all we have to work with."

The young man pouted in response, but the pout soon faded away into a small smile. He watched as Katara shed her jacket and revealed the new tunic she wore beneath.

"Well, you sure look different."

Katara rolled her eyes before deepening her voice and mimicking his earlier response, "I think you're looking for a better word."

Aang smiled softly, "Yeah, I am. How about beautiful?"

"Stop it."

"I can't help it," The young man shrugged, sitting down on the pelt he had been given to sleep on, "I bet if all the men were here, none of them would be able to take their eyes off you."

"Says the guy who was surrounded by girls earlier."

Aang shyly looked at the ground, a blush appearing on his cheeks, "They just like me cause I'm the Avatar."

Katara smiled, going over to sit next to her friend, "I highly doubt that."

The boy gave her a small smile, before they settled into a comfortable silence. It had been so long since they had just been given the time to relax and joke with each other. It felt nice to laugh and cut up. Neither one spoke of their change of plans, or the events that had happened not so long ago, they just enjoyed the moment.

Katara served dinner not much later, placing the steaming liquid in a pair of wooden bowls. Handing Aang his dinner, Katara gave him a teasing smile.

"Eat up, Avatar."

The young man grumbled in response, his gaze drifting to his side where she sat and ate the stewed sea prunes as well. She sniffed at the meal for a moment before taking a small bite of the food. Expecting her to spit it right back out, Aang shifted away from her slightly in hopes of not being the one she decided to spit it on, but he was surprised to see that she actually went in for another bite.

"These are really good!"

The Avatar had to laugh at her reaction. Of course, she would do the exact opposite of what he expected. That's how Katara was.

After dinner had been finished, the two quieted down. The air being too cold for either of them to change into the pajamas they had been given, the airbenders simply removed their boots before curling up under their blankets.

Aang gazed at Katara from across the fire, smiling at the look of contentment that rested upon her face. He had been so nervous that she was going to feel uncomfortable here, but it seemed she was taking to it quite nicely.

He was about to fall asleep when he heard Katara shift behind him. A moment later, something cool and shivering was crawling under his blanket with him. He lazily opened his eyes to be met with a near identical stormy set.

"Katara?"

The girl looked up at her companion shyly, scooting a little closer, "I'm sorry, Aang. It's just really cold. I couldn't fall asleep."

The Avatar gave her a tired smile, wrapping his arms snuggly around her, "If the elders come in here in the morning to wake us, they are going to get the wrong idea."

"It's none of their business."

Aang laughed, burying his face in her dark curls, "True."

After getting no response, the airbender assumed that his friend had fallen into a gentle slumber, but right when he was about to drop off into unconsciousness, a hesitant voice called him back into reality.

"Aang?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should grow your hair out."

Aang opened his eyes, a confused expression on his face.

"What?"

Looking up at him, Katara's gaze remained on the tip of the blue arrow on his forehead, "It's for when we travel. You're going to need to cover up your arrow."

Aang gave her a tired nod, "Sure, sure."

She fell silent again, but it wasn't her who broke the quiet the next time.

"Would you like to go penguin sledding tomorrow?" Aang asked.

"I don't even know what that is."

"Gyatso told me about it," Katara shifted so that she could meet his gaze, seeing the pain that lay behind his eyes at the mention of his past mentor, "He said it was the one thing you had to do if you ever had the chance to visit the South Pole."

Katara nodded, "I would love to go penguin sledding with you."

Both dreamt of penguins and navy blue that night.