A/N:

So, I've out cute-ed myself with this chapter. Seriously. :D

"Your arms are too rigid, Katara. Loosen up."

Katara huffs and tries again.

She has known Hama for a very long time, as Hama and her Gran-Gran are very good friends, however, Katara isn't sure how she feels about Hama as her waterbending trainer.

For one, Hama is very strict and demanding. She wants the best out of Katara and nothing less.

Hama also doesn't let Katara train with the other kids because Katara is special. She's the Chief's Daughter and the first waterbender her family has had in generations and therefore deserves one-on-one training with Hama, the Southern Water Tribe's most renowned trainer.

Katara doesn't understand why this means she can't train with the other kids, though. It looks like it would be more fun that way.

Hama shakes her head and marches up to her, her feet crunching in the snow. "No, child. Like this." Katara watches with wide eyes as Hama demonstrates the form for her, marveling at the grace the older woman has with her element.

Katara decides that one day she will be that great of a waterbender—even better.

The wolves interrupt them with their howling.

This frustrates Hama, but Katara grins. She loves listening to the wolves. Lately a small pack has been making their way closer and closer to the village, and Katara wonders if maybe the wolves will befriend her village, like Kesuk and his wolves.

The idea makes her wild with excitement.

"Katara, pay attention," Hama snaps, and the little girl reluctantly turns her focus back towards her teacher.

Later that night Katara sees her dad gathering his spear with a heavy sigh.

"You're going hunting?" she asks, thinking it's a little late for Hakoda to go out looking for meat.

He pauses at the opening to their home and gives her a sad look. "Listen sweetie…"

The wolves howl and her dad winces.

Katara feels the panic rising up in her throat. "No, daddy! You can't!"

"Katara," her dad begins, and she can hear the strain in his voice, "these are dangerous animals—"

"No, they're not!" she cries. "They're not! You're wrong!"

Hakoda stoops to her level and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie, these wolves are starving. A starving wolf is a dangerous wolf, especially to a little girl like you." He shakes his head. "These are not like the wolves from your stories." He stands back up and makes for the door, but Katara grabs hold of his leg, screaming out anything she can think of to convince her dad otherwise.

She has to something. She has to protect her wolves.

Someone wraps their arms around her and yanks her away. It's her mother, and Katara tries to pull away from her embrace. But she can't and her father slips quietly out of the door.

Kaya stokes her hair and whispers reassurances into her ear, but all Katara can do is cry.

She ignores her father the next morning, despite his many efforts to talk to her.

She can barely look at him.

She gets ready for her waterbending lesson, knowing she can't be late. Hama isn't known to be a very sympathetic woman.

She walks out of their home, eyes downcast and feeling sad.

She freezes.

A bone thin black wolf is resting in the snow right beside her hut, gnawing on a strip of dried seal meat. She stares at it for a long time, breath caught in the back of her throat. When the wolf finishes, it moves into a sitting position and watches her with intelligent eyes.

It follows her to her waterbending lesson and quietly watches from the sidelines, ignoring the whispers and stares coming from the other villagers.

She (Katara decides the wolf must be a girl) follows her home as well, keeping pace a short distant beside her.

Hakoda is waiting for them at their home and Katara regards him for a moment before hugging him.

"The rest of the pack is still around the village," he says into her ear. "But this one, this one followed me hear." Katara doesn't ask what made her dad spare her wolves, but it doesn't matter. They're alive.

Katara names her wolf Nukka, like the princess from the story.

Nukka won't allow Katara to touch her just yet and Katara thinks that's okay. She knows one day she will.

Katara is thrilled that Zuko is fascinated by Nukka.

"I want a wolf," he pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. He eyes her. "Does she really follow you everywhere?"

Katara nods eagerly. "Uh huh. And she growls at the big kids who are mean to me!"

He frowns. "Other kids are mean to you?"

She shrugs. "They push me down sometimes and tease me, that's all."

Zuko glares down at the grass. "They shouldn't do that."

"It's okay. Nukka makes them leave me alone."

"That's good," he says softly. "I wish I had a wolf that would make people leave me alone."

Katara taps her finger against her chin, thinking. "Well, maybe one day Nukka will have pups. I'll bring you one."

He perks up. "Really?"

"Yeah! I'll bring you a boy pup, and he'll be your friend when I'm not here!"

They grin at each other.

Katara isn't sure why everyone in the palace is so sad, or why everyone has started to wear white.

"Katara," her mother begins to explain as she leads her by the hand out to the garden. "The Fire Lord died last night."

Katara's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Then why weren't Zuko and Azula sad this morning?" She would know, she had seen them at breakfast. She and Azula had shared their food as they usually did and Zuko talked about swords with Sokka. They had both seemed fine.

"Well, the Fire Lord…he was in his bed for a long time. He was sick. So Zuko and Azula didn't see him very much."

"Oh." Katara can't really fathom how anyone could rule a nation from their bed, but she decides that she'll think about that later. "Who's Fire Lord now?"

Her mother gives her a small smile. "Iroh."

This makes Katara happy. She likes Uncle Iroh. He tells funny jokes and makes yummy tea.

They reach the garden and Kaya lets go of Katara's hand.

She spots Zuko sitting in the grass a ways off, twirling something with his fingers. She plops down next to him and watches him out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry about your granddad."

He shrugs. "I didn't know him that well," he admits.

"What're you holding?" she asks, gesturing to the golden flame thingy he has in his hands.

"Oh, this? It's my crown. I have to start wearing it now."

She blinks. "Princes wear crowns…"

He gives her a confused look. "Yeah. I don't want to wear mine though. It means I'll have to grow my hair out and everyone will look at me funny."

"I think it's pretty," she murmurs, turning her face away. She wishes she could wear something that lovely.

"It's okay, I guess. Don't…don't you have a crown?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not a princess."

Zuko looks confused. "But, I thought—"

"My dad is just the Chief. All we have is a symbolic staff. I'm not a princess, not like Azula, or the ones from my stories. Only princesses can wear crowns."

Zuko stares at her for a long moment. "You can have mine. And then you'll be one." He holds out his golden flame, nothing but seriousness on his face.

She gives him an incredulous look. "It's yours."

"So? I'm giving it to you."

She bites her lip and shakes her head. "But you're supposed to wear it…"

"You can have it," he insists, but she shakes her head stubbornly. "It's your crown, Zuko. That's how everyone knows you're a prince."

Zuko sighs dejectedly, letting his crown fall into the grass. "Well if you won't take it, then you can't get sad about it."

She glares at him. "I'm not getting sad," she seethes.

But nevertheless she does feel a little sad, more left out then anything.

She wonders why her country is the only one in the world where even though she's the leader's daughter, she isn't considered a princess.

This is incredibly devastating—for a six year old.

She sniffs a little bit, determined not to cry, and therefore doesn't notice Zuko stand up and walk away.

She sits there in the grass for quite some time, until she starts to nod off, the warm sun and cool evening breeze making her sleepy.

But then someone drapes something across her head. She startles, reaching up to see what it is. Her fingertips brush across soft flower petals.

She twists around to see Zuko standing behind her, with his hands behind his back, turning a deep shade of red.

"You have a crown now," he grumbles.

She feels the grin stretch across her face, and his expression brightens a little bit.

She stands up and rushes over to the pond, peaking into the water to see her reflection.

He's weaved a crown for her. It's made of red and white flowers and perches perfectly atop her head.

"I'm a princess now," she exclaims happily, turning away from her reflection to look at him.

He gives her a half smile and nods. "Yeah."

She throws her arms around him, laughing. She feels him stiffen for a moment before he starts to wiggle out of her grip. Typical boy.

But she refuses to let go, because he's her best friend besides Nukka and he made her a crown and she just can't help but place a quick kiss on his cheek because she's just so happy.

She can feel his face burning with a blush, but he stops trying to get out of her embrace.

In fact, he hugs her back.

A/N #2:

I've always found it strange that Aang, Kuei, and other Avatar's were basically the only characters who had animal companions on the show.

The fun part about writing this story as a total AU is that I get to change that ;)

Review and let me know what you thought!