Iroh looked for his nephew. He was the only one at this point who had not heard of the Avatar's departure. A good distance away he found him sitting with a woman Iroh had never thought to see again. He walked over slowly, hearing laughter from Zuko, a sound that made him smile. Ursa was here though…after all this time, she was alive, and well even.

"Ursa, it's good to see you." Iroh said approaching them. She stood up from her knees. "And you Iroh." She greeted before hugging him. He returned it for a moment. "Join us please Uncle." The fire lord beckoned. He sat with them, seeing the spark of life in his nephews face. "I am glad that in the recent darkness there is light to be found." The older gentleman said. Zuko looked towards him.

"What do you mean uncle? The battle?"

Iroh shook his head. "The Avatar has left the South Pole." He said. Zuko shared a look with his uncle. This wasn't good for the world. An unhappy Avatar was a dangerous thing.

Aang arrived at his destination after midnight, the familiar place being ever so haunting in the darkness. "Go rest Appa, I don't feel like sleeping." The bison walked away as Aang crossed his legs.

"Avatar Kuruk, I need your advice." He said, beckoning the spirit of the last water bending avatar to appear.

"Hello Aang." The avatar greeted. "What is it you need?"

"I need to ask you a question. I need your advice and I think you are the best to understand. I proposed to Katara earlier this day, and she couldn't give me an answer. I couldn't stay without an answer, but now I feel guilty for abandoning them. Was I wrong to leave?"

The man took a deep breath, looking up to Aang from his wolf skin armor. "Aang, the water benders are a fickle people. Me and my kind change like the tides, ebbing and flowing to it's own rhythm. You are hurt young Avatar, and given the abilities bestowed upon you, it could be dangerous. It is safest for you to be away while you gather your feelings. Do not give up hope for her though, as with all my people, and water itself, time will cause it to rest where it truly belongs." He said before looking away. "Do not give up on her young one, but you need to be patient, without it, nothing good will come. I offer you this wisdom. Be patient, and everything will fall into place."

Aang sighed as he vanished into the air. More tears starting to fall down his cheeks. He needed to wait, that he could do, he would wait for her for eternity.

A knock rang out through the silent house. It was morning now at the South Pole. Hakoda was rapping on his daughters door. She needed to talk this out, whether she wanted to or not. "Katara, open the door, please." Silence was his response, he shook his head, she couldn't stay in their forever. After a moment he heard the shuffle of feet, and the door slid open. He saw her back as she returned to her bed. It hadn't been slept in, the blanket was twisted up, and he had the idea she had been sitting up all night with her arms around her knees like she was now. He stepped in slowly, his daughter not looking up at him. He turned and closed the door before sitting on the bed with her.

"What happened Katara?" He asked her softly, looking at her tear stained face which was mostly hidden by hair. She looked away from him, giving him the feeling that she had started crying again. Mercy this wasn't easy.

"I know he proposed Katara." He said. "So what happened to make him leave?" Hakoda asked. She looked to him finally, tears still falling, a look of surprise on her face. He was getting somewhere. "He asked me shortly after he arrived, wanting to see if it was okay." He continued. "He showed the necklace he had made, and wanted my approval because I am your father." He said. "And I gave it to him. He is a caring, young man, whom I can see loves you very much. So tell me, what happened?"

She looked up to her father finally. "I couldn't answer him." She choked out. "It seemed so sudden, and the battle was starting and the war just being over, I can't think straight." She said, putting her head between her knees again, her body shaking. Hakoda took his daughter in his arms. She leaned into him, her arms going around him as she sobbed into his chest. He felt something against his back, she was holding something. He didn't need to even guess what it was.

"Maybe you have your answer." He said to her. "If it hurts you this bad for him to be gone, then perhaps that should be contributed." He told her. She looked up to him. "It's not that easy dad." She said.

"I'm not saying it is, but remember, he may not wait forever. You need to make your decision, it's not fair to keep him waiting." Her father said, giving her a tight hug. "Just think about it." He smiled slightly before leaving Katara to her thoughts.

Aang stepped into a place he hadn't been, in over a year. He closed his eyes, feeling the sting of tears on his face. "Gyatso." He said to himself. The body was unchanged from what it had been. It was time to give him a proper burial. This was bitter work, but he needed to do it. It was the best way to gain closure for good. He had an idea, a burial worthy of his surrogate father. He took a deep breath and opened his glider. It would be known by everyone, far and wide, how important this monk was. Aang flew off into the air, knowing exactly what he would do, but not knowing how long it would take.

Sokka looked over at his girlfriend. Suki was leaning against a wall, sharpening one of her fans. She had been doing that a lot recently, it was a sure sign she was worried. It had been over a week since the attack on his home, and no word from Aang. Katara was now teaching young water benders, but she was very quiet, speaking very little. No one dared to say anything, for last time Sokka had tried, he had ended up in an ice crater. Iroh had stayed at the South Pole for now. Bedisa, or Ursa, as we found her name to be, didn't want to leave her new home, but Zuko had no choice. He was Fire lord, and caught the first ship of his that arrived and turned it around. Those who attacked had been arrested, and nothing had been heard of the flagship.

"Any idea where he is Sokka? I mean, if he was with people we would have heard." Suki said, looking up to him, once again concerned.

"With people…" Sokka said to himself. Where would the air bender have gone without people. It struck him in that moment, there was no other place he would have gone. Standing up he said. "I know where he is."

Aang looked at the mountain side he had just left. It was a burial worthy of Gyatso, given it had taken three days of hard work. He wiped more tears that tried to come to his eyes. That was enough, he was done crying. It was a short trip back to his current sanctuary, he had even taken residence in his old room. Seemed ominous, but what else could he do? There was nothing left for him elsewhere. If he was needed they would find him, he was almost sure of that. What did it matter though? Nothing did to him anymore. He had nothing left in this world to live for. He had lost it all. He closed his eyes, sitting on the edge of the temple and started meditating, he needed to find his own peace, and maybe this was the way.

Katara looked down at her students, panting for breath, and completely drenched in water. They were having control issues and she couldn't deal with it today, her temper was shorter than it had been recently. She wished she had her first student back. She willed the tears away. He had ran away because of her indecision. Who was wrong? It didn't matter, all she knew is she missed him, she needed him back. "Class dismissed." She said, turning around and walking away, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. Her braid's were sloppy now, she couldn't seem to get them right, her mind always elsewhere. The crunching of snow stole her attention from her inner monologue. Turning around she saw Sokka running at her, with Suki chasing him looking doubtful.

"I know…I know where he is…" Sokka panted out of breath.

Katara felt her heart leap inside her chest.

"What…?" She questioned slowly, reluctant to believe her brother.

"The Southern Air Temple…" He said taking a big breath before standing up properly. "It's the only place he would go. He has to be there."

She took a deep breath, her hand clamping into a fist. "Let's go get him." She said, feeling a renewed vigor.

Iroh sat with Ursa having tea. It was strange seeing his sister-in-law, especially after everything that had happened. He knew she had stolen the crown from him, but he had never wanted it in the first place. He knew his destiny lay with his nephew, the spirits had told him that. It was a quiet affair, but it was gentle, nice. Seemed like everything was just now starting to come together. A knock on her door made them both look up. "Who could that be?" She asked looking at him before rising and opening the door.

"Sorry to bother you Ursa." Katara said. "Is Iroh in here?"

Iroh walked over to the door, his eyebrows raised. "I'm here, what do you need?" He asked her. "I need you and your balloon. I know where Aang is and I need to go see him." Iroh and Ursa exchanged a look before he turned back to her. "Okay, get ready, I'll meet you by the balloon in five minutes."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Sokka asked, following Katara who was carrying a satchel with her. "No Sokka, I need to do this alone."

He reached her, grabbing her shoulder. "Listen, I know what happened, dad told me, and maybe it's best if you don't go by yourself, just think about it." She shook him off and walked forward, stopping after a step.

"I have to fix this, this is my fault, and I don't need my brother trying to fix my problems for me. I'm going with Iroh, alone, and I will find Aang." She heard a sigh from Sokka and knew she had won. "Just be careful Katara…and don't be rash." He said, concern evident in his voice. "I'll see you in a few days she said, walking towards the awaiting fire nation ex general.

"Ready to go?" He asked her, watching as she climbed in the balloon without a response. "I'll take that as a yes." He climbed in and lit the pilot, starting to make the balloon lift up.

"We are going to the Southern Air Temple. Do you know how to get there?" She asked looking at him as she leaned against the basket. He responded with a nod. "I went there with Zuko back before we first landed here in fact." He said to her. She nodded and looked over the basket at the water which was shrinking below them.

It was mostly silent as they floated through the sky in the balloon. "Do you know what you are going to say when you see him?" He asked her. Her silent form turned away from the open air and looked at him. "No. But I figured I would try to get him to come back to the South Pole. There we can finally try and figure things out." She said, the wind blowing her braid, which was now spilling out.

"Maybe you need to think about why he left." The old man said to her. "And how he will feel about you coming back." He said. Silence met him this time, her arms were wrapped around her in her parka, her head looking into the flames.

"Do you have an answer for him?" He asked her. She looked up, surprised that he knew, but it dropped.

"How did you…"

"Your grandmother told my sister-in-law." He said.

"No…I don't have an answer. I haven't been able to think straight since he left…and what if he does it again? I can't take all this running!" She said, throwing her arms down to her sides, tears in her eyes.

"If it is meant to be, he won't run anymore after he has his answer. Indecision is the hardest thing in the world." He said to her. She turned away and looked to the ocean, and he put more fire into the engine. He had a bad feeling that this trip wasn't going to go well.