I just wanted to say a quick thank you to lawliness for your review - it helped me a lot! I apologize for the confusion. I was having a hard time figuring out how to incorporate Katara's dreams, but basically the really strange scene with Sokka and the sea prune faces was a dream/hallucination she was having while Aang was bringing her back from the Spirit World. I hope this chapter helps it to make a little more sense... It will still be a little foggy/unexplained for (probably) one or two more chapters until everything is explained to her. I don't mean to keep you guys in the dark, but I just wanted to convey Katara's confusion and frustration. She has a lot of hallucinations/dreams, but I will try to not make those so difficult to read. Thanks again and I hope I don't disappoint!

Chapter 2: The Spirit Oasis

Her eyes flew open in terror and she was wailing at the top of her lungs, but oh how good it felt to be able to scream again.

"Sokka! Sokka…" She could hear her voice enveloping her in its echo but she did not relent, only raised her cries when she felt hands pinning her down. There were so many of them, the fingers like spiders, holding her, chocking her and she spluttered, terrified the water would rise up again in her throat.

"Please!" she heard, "Katara, please stop!"

"Sokka!" she kept screaming, her eye avoiding the blurry faces over her. "He killed them and now she is going to kill him-"

"Katara!"

This deeper voice was familiar, it was one she had heard before, but how many times before, she did not know. She stilled, then, willing her eyes to fully open and face the hands that were holding her.

Even if the four people surrounding her wanted to remove their hands, they couldn't because they were frozen in place, sharp daggers facing their wrists should they try to get away.

Did I do that?

The people were watching her, wearing worry and distress upon the lines of their faces. Her eyes were wide as she looked them.

It was warm here.

This cannot be the South Pole…This cannot be my home.

She was lying in a pool of warm water, tiny waves lapping against her rigid body from her convulsions. Her hair was sopping wet, plastered to her face and a hand pulled her arms forward gently until she was sitting up. They were looking at her as though she were a helpless seal pup and she detested them in that moment, but she relaxed a bit and the ice around them thawed and then her eyes rested on a familiar face.

"Gran-Gran?" she breathed, reaching out, and the old woman rushed forward, dropping to her knees in the pool as she took her in her arms.

She smells the same.

It made her cry. The tears came faster than the water that had poured from her throat.

And were those dreams?

Her shoulders shook violently as her grandmother rubbed her back.

"What's happening to me?" she whispered thinly. Gran-Gran stroked her hair, drying the tears from her face.

"You finally came back to us," Gran-Gran said, smiling as she pushed strands of dark hair out of her face.

She looked at the others around her but she did not recognize them – save for the bald man with the arrows.

From the…dreams.

She turned to her grandmother, crying, "But Sokka…"

"I know," the old woman muttered, sadly fingering the long dark waves of her hair. "I know."

She was in the north, Gran-Gran had told her. Her father was now an ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe and was in the earth kingdom. Gran-Gran said he would arrive soon, however, after he had received her letter. Katara wanted to go to him, but she was told it would be better to rest in the Northern Water Tribe until she regained her strength. She had looked down at her limbs and noticed how frail and thin they were and she hated it, it was embarrassing, but she was too tired to argue with Gran-Gran and so she obliged, agreeing to wait until her father came to her.

It made her feel better, but she knew she was still lost. There was something in the back of her mind, wondering how long she had been where she was, but then she wondered where "where" exactly was and it began frustrating her, terrifying her and so she ignored it.

The other men – they had been in the Spirit Oasis with her – she was told were Chief Arnook and Master Pakku. They kept acting like they knew her. By their own right, they were kind enough but in her state she yearned to run from all strangers. Yet this mindset did not work. There were a number of people waving and gasping upon seeing her as she let the bald man lead her to her chambers.

Since when have I brought so much joy?

And maybe she was being a little rude, but she didn't voice any of her thoughts and so she saw no harm in them. She figured at least with these thoughts, she could fill the blank holes and voids in her mind. She knew she was forgetting things. She could vividly remember her time in the spirit world but any memories from before her arrival there had been washed away. It left that familiar tugging feeling within her stomach whenever she looked at the bald man – or rather, Aang.

But where had she met him?

She remembered…she remembered being in the South Pole, with Sokka. It couldn't have been too long ago, she was only in the spirit world for a couple weeks at the most, and she was three-and-ten and she and her brother were in their canoe, drifting between two great canyons of ice. They had an argument, but after that, everything was blank. She tried so hard to wrap her mind around what came after, but there was nothing and it drove her mad.

Her chambers were nicely furnished and open, relatively close to the Chief's great quarters and the banquet hall; she knew she was being treated well here. Gran-Gran had just come in with fresh dresses, linens, and towels to wash up with. She had bathed in troubled silence, her thoughts drifting back the dreams that had haunted her, the bald man, and her brother. Something didn't feel right that he was not right by her side the moment she woke up, but she told herself he was on a day trip to catch dinner.

Probably to congratulate me.

She twirled her finger around in the water, but when she lifted it away from the surface, the water followed, rippling gently in a thin stream that followed her fingertip. Her eyes widened and the water splashed back into the tub and she gripped the sides, flashes of memory flickering in her mind like a reel.

Water… Water moving at my will, freezing, winding… Daggers of ice… Pillars, glaciers! Rivers and pools, all at my fingertips…

So that is what it was. I am a bender. How could I forget?

She plunged her hand in the water again, pulling it out and clenching her fist. A small sphere of water circled around her fingers, licking her skin her skin gently.

Shouldn't this make me smile? Shouldn't I be happy?

But she wasn't – she had been stuck in a limbo for weeks and her memories had left her. Why had she forgotten everything? And that bald man, he knew her, but she did not know him. He looked sad to see her; behind that smile, she knew he was sad. But if she did not know him, why did it trouble him so much?

She felt her heart rate rising and she fought to calm herself down.

In time, she would understand.

In time… But I want to know now!

But patience was never her strongest attribute. She was patient with children, but when she wanted something, it drove her mad unless she got it right away. And so all that plagued her mind was trying to remember.

Clean and dry, she looked at herself in a floor-length mirror. The north was luxurious like that – commodities that were too big to be a necessity, but she could not help but stare at her reflection, holding a towel up to the front of her body.

She did not know who stared back.

She was not three-and-ten. She was…She was a woman; tall with long legs, and curves…But when did she get those? Her hips had filled out while her waist had slimmed down, and her chest was much larger than before and her face…It had lost nearly all of its baby fat but almost too much, for her eyes and cheeks appeared sunken in and sickly. Her darker skin looked paled and her hair – it's so long now! – was limp and hung thinly around her worn face, tumbling down now past her waist. She did not like who she was looking at, and the blue eyes narrowed in the mirror. She angrily tore the towel away from her body.

There was a scar on her chest, circling her heart, angry and red and huge. She stumbled back, holding her hand to her face as pictures flashed across her eyes.

Lightning.

She gasped, sinking to her knees and holding her chest. Pain…There was such pain. But that was all she could remember. Tears welled up in her eyes but when she looked up to see the pitifully scared face staring back at her, it made her angry. She threw a brush at the mirror, hoping it would shatter. It cracked some, but even still she watched herself, furious and glaring. She began pulling her hair back into a braid, avoiding her own eyes but her hands were trembling too badly. She threw on a simple blue dress that reminded her of her younger years in the South Pole, but even the thought of her home made her bitter and so she turned and fled.

He found her sitting upon a great cliff of ice, overlooking the circular patterns of the city.

In her annoyance at being disturbed, she ignored him, but thankfully he did not speak, only sat down next to her. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her brows drawing together.

Go away.

But he remained there despite her secret wishes.

"Are you cold?" he asked. In truth, she was a little chilled from the northern breeze but she kept her mouth shut and ignored him again, keeping her eyes forward on the city. It was a beautiful place – it was magnificently large with great towers and fortresses of ice, winding pathways and white pillars reaching towards the skies, adorned with gems and swirling designs of water. It was everything the Southern Water Tribe had never been, but she did not love this place even in all of its beauty.

The young man beside her shifted, the blue arrow on his head catching the sunlight and his robes billowed gently. They sat, wordless, for near an hour and after a while, though she would never admit it, she began to find comfort in his presence. There was something about him, something familiar but also gentle and warm and so she decided she did not dislike him as much as she had thought.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask – and she had tried, but Gran-Gran told her to wait for someone else to give her the truth. The way her grandmother had said that made her rethink her wishes, and she wondered if she truly wanted to know the truth at all.

She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and the boy held out something. She turned, eyeing the coat trimmed with furs and she accepted it, wrapping it around herself and silently basking in its warmth. She closed her eyes, letting her head tilt back slightly and she took a deep breath, willing herself to relax.

It will be alright. It will all make sense.

"But Azula always lies!"

Her eyes snapped open in fear and she gasped, scrambling to her feet. She tripped and stumbled, but she bolted up again, strands of hair falling into her face as she whimpered. The boy stood up after her, but she held out her hand to him, snarling, "Stay away from me!"

"Why?" he asked, his eyes lit with confusion.

"I heard what you said!"

"I didn't say anything," he pressed.

"Azula…" she whispered, her eyes growing wide. "Azula always lies; you said it! I heard you. Azula always lies." She began trembling, stumbling backwards and shaking her head in terror when he lurched forward and pulled her into his arms. She gasped, squirming in his hold, but he pressed his cheek against hers, saying, "Azula's not here; she's not here anymore. You're safe."

"But you said-"

"I didn't say anything, I promise."

His voice was soft, so soft and caring, and it made her cry. She hated crying; she hated being weak! But there something about this man's grasp that reminded her of comfort and warmth and so she clung to him, tears streaming down her face and he stroked her hair, telling her it would all be okay.

But it won't be! It's not alright… It's not okay!

"How long?" she whispered, her shoulders shaking. "How long?"

He was quiet for a moment and she could feel him tense up, but then his warm breath swirled around her ear as he murmured, "Five years."

She closed her eyes, her heart sinking within her chest.

It's not possible! It was only…three weeks at the most.

Idiot, can you not see how different you look now, how much older you've become? Mirrors don't lie – not like Azula does.

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"I don't know."

"Were we friends?"

He pulled back, his cheeks turning pink. He scratched at his ear, laughing faintly as he replied, "Yeah, we were best friends."

"I guess…I forgot."

He smiled, but his smile was sad. Do I make you sad?

She sank to her knees, pulling them close to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. She could hear Aang next to her settling down, but after a moment he stilled, sighing as he leaned back on his arms.

"I like it here," he stated.

"You and me both," Katara muttered, "but it's so different from my home." She knew he could see the remnants of tears wavering in her eyes, but she did not bother trying to hide them from him, and she wondered why that was.

"You know…" the boy started hesitantly, "we traveled all over the world together." Katara smiled gently, wiping her nose on her sleeve and sniffling. She turned red-rimmed eyes towards him, asking quietly, "Really?"

Aang jumped up, swirling his hands together so that a tight ball of whirling air appeared below his crossed legs. Katara's eyes widened at the sight of this boy floating above the ground, but after remembering her re-discovery of her water abilities, she decided that bending air couldn't have been that far-fetched.

"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed, grinning. "The Earth Kingdom, the Air temples…We even snuck into the Fire Nation quite a few times!"

"What point was there in that?" she grumbled. The ball of air disappeared below his legs and he dropped silently to the ground.

"We saved the world."

She huffed, rolling her eyes and snapping, "Yes, because I'd definitely forget about saving the world with a bald stranger."

Aang's hand flew to the top of his head, his cheeks flushing. He muttered something under his breath about his baldness and when Katara snapped at him, "What did you say?", he said it was nothing.

You are a horrible liar.

There was a sudden screeching sound and she started, whipping around, her hair loopies smacking against her eyes. She blinked furiously, her eyes stinging slightly as her gaze focused on a white lemur buzzing around Aang's head.

"What is that?" she snarled, putting her hands on her hips. Aang blushed deeply, holding out his arm and the animal landed on his shoulder, cooing as it nudged its nose against his cheek.

"It's Momo!" he laughed, scratching the lemur's chin. Katara raised an eyebrow, stepping forward as she cocked her head, replying, "Momo? That's a bizarre name."

"Yeah, we found him in the Southern Air Temple! You were with us."

"Oh, really? And how did we manage to travel to an ancient floating city?"

"On Appa," Aang grinned. "My six-legged flying bison."

Katara raised an eyebrow.

"I'm leaving," she said flatly and turned to stomp away – who does he think he is mocking me like that? – but he reached out, grabbing her arm.

"Katara," he insisted. She paused, glaring back at him, snapping, "What?"

"Can I at least show you?" he asked and Momo chirped on his shoulder, blinking his huge eyes.

He took her to the stables, her nose wrinkling at the strong smell of hay and animals, but she decided against voicing the snide comments that couldn't get help but swirl around in her mind as she followed the giddy airbender. Her hair was starting to frizz as a warm front gently rolled over the north and she scowled, wishing she had taken the time to calm herself and finish tying her hair back.

"Look," she said, crossing her arms, "I'm flattered you want to make me feel better, but pretending you have a flying bison doesn't…cut…" She faltered, her mouth flying open as her hands dropped to her sides. "Holy sea prunes."

He was massive – huger than anything she could have ever hoped to see. To call him a beast was an understatement; he looked more like something a god would ride away into the heavens. His head alone was as big as the stables themselves and the Northerners clearly had to build him his own shelter and how long that took, she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Two giant horns curved out of the sides of his head and a great pink tongue lolled from his mouth at the sight of his owner. And it was true, he did have six legs and they looked strangely normal on him. Aang sprinted forth, giggling like a child as he jumped from the ground, a gust of wind carrying him up to the bison's head. He hugged him tightly, sinking his face into his fur. Katara felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watched this man who reminded her so much of a child.

"Hi, buddy!" he exclaimed. Appa grumbled low in his throat, resembling a chuckle. Aang let himself slide down Appa's face and land gently on the ground. He turned back towards Katara, a beaming smile on his face as he held out his hand.

"Want to meet an old friend?"

Don't be nervous.

They were…your friends.

She walked forward, slowly extending her arm until the tips of her fingers brushed his and he suddenly yanked her forward; Appa hopped, engulfing her in a wet lick of his tongue that took her off the ground. She shrieked, but Aang caught her on the way back down, saying,

"He really missed you!"

"Really? I couldn't tell." She touched her face, grimacing when she pulled her hand away and saliva stretched between her fingers.

"Do you… Do you want to go on a ride?"

"What, like, on him?" she snapped. Aang looked at her, his mouth drooping in confusion and he scratched his head.

"I mean…How else would we go on a ride?" Katara rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she replied, "Yeah, okay, I guess." Aang grabbed her hand again, shooting out a gust of wind that took them into the air and onto the bison's back. Katara looked over the edge of the saddle, her eyes widening and her stomach doing a slight flip at the drop.

"Is this safe?"

"You're with me and Appa! There's nowhere safer."

And then he cried out the strangest words she had probably ever heard. She didn't understand what they meant – something like wa-hoo...or yippie? – but the bison seemed to know what he said, for he lurched into the air. Katara gasped, gripping the saddle with all her strength as the bison's legs kicked into the sky and the ground dropped from them. They was a great surge of wind that lifted her hair as the winding pathways and pillars of ice became smaller with each passing second.

"Just relax," Aang said, "and lean back! You might not remember everything yet, but we practically lived on Appa for almost a year. You loved it; you always loved it. I'm sure you will this time around too!"

She nodded, taking a deep breath, willing her racing heart to slow. Her hands still gripping the saddle tightly, she let her head tilt back and her eyes close, her hair lifting around her face, tickling her cheeks and her eyelids. After a moment, she began calming, her fingers releasing their grip of death as her shoulders slowly relaxed. She was overcome by the desire to cry. She didn't really know why or even what she would cry about, but it was there, tugging at her heart and making the backs of her eyes feel heated and taught.

And maybe she would cry about this girl, Azula. She didn't know who she was, but she was a plague. Her dark hair and golden eyes haunted her when she let her mind wander. And if it was true, if Azula always lied, she wondered if any of her lies had ever caused her grief before.

Or maybe it was the endless loop of confusion, the wondering, the fear, the uncertainty that she had any kind of a stable grasp on her life. She had thought…She had thought she had spent only three weeks with Hei Bai but it was five years later and no one but Gran-Gran was familiar. Was that normal?

Of course not.

But maybe it was just the sheer feeling of the breeze in her hair, soothing her thoughts and taking her far away from any uneasiness that made her blood tremble. She felt she could breathe and though she was too stubborn to admit it, Aang was right. She loved this experience.

She hesitantly let a tear fall. She had been crying far too much for her liking lately, but right now the crying wasn't for sadness, so she allowed it. She felt blissful and she opened her eyes, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at the ocean below them. She may have forgotten most of her memories, but the ocean, she would never forget. The lapping waters glittered beneath the midday sun, a teal and cerulean sea of tiny gemstones, tumbling over one another in a liquid form. There was nothing as beautiful; she could feel Aang's eyes on her as she leaned on her arms against the edge of the saddle and rested her chin on her hands.

Yet for all the beauty, for all the peace and bliss she was experiencing, she could not get thoughts of her brother out of her mind.

"Has your granddaughter improved?"

Kanna folded her hands beneath her thick robes of the Southern Water Tribe.

"She is in the Avatar's care," she replied to Chief Arnook. "If there were someone to bring her out of her troubles, it would be him. I am not worried."

"She seemed to be nothing like the young waterbender I met during the war," he said sadly. Kanna turned her eyes towards him, a soft nostalgic film shining over the blue of her irises as she countered, "She has experienced a great deal. Had you remained immobile for five years with only spirit and thought to guide you, you would not be the same man you once were." Master Pakku grunted behind her.

"Yet I see her stubbornness and fire has not changed," the master waterbender said dryly. Kanna laughed, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

"Can you not tell where she gets it from? Does it not remind you of someone else you knew in your younger years?" Pakku shifted, his eyes flitting up to hers as a faint hint of blush appeared on his wrinkled cheeks.

In truth, the last five years had been very trying on her and the Avatar. Aang seemed to suffer more than anyone; there was hardly a day where he was not spending hours in the Spirit World looking for her granddaughter. She admired his determination, but she could not help but feel almost guilty, wondering if he would come to regret the years he spent ignoring his transition as a man and forsaking his friends. There was more to experience than he could ever imagine, but she was not ignorant; she knew his love for Katara shadowed all doubt and all misfortune. And he had become quite the Avatar, indeed; he made a wonderful ambassador to his people, turning an open ear to all nations in fairness and respect. Yes, she was undeniably proud of him and all he had achieved, but he was the Avatar, no more and no less and his recent contributions to the world were only physical – while his mind was occupied with thoughts of Katara, it was only his body that responded to his people. His heart was immobile. The last five years, he had tried to desperately to ignore the cosmic, other-worldly part of him and she watched, she watched it all as he had emotionally forsaken his duty in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a familiar dark braid in the Spirit World.

Yet he succeeded. He kept peace in the nations, he grew up, he found Katara, but where was his heart? His love for his friends was undying, but in a world still struggling to regain the peace it once had before the Fire Nation destroyed nearly all of it, could he survive on love?

But of course, Kanna, you crazy old woman! How else did he save us all in the first place?

Her thoughts confused her – oh, she could attribute it to her ripening age and the white of her hair – but she knew the truth. She could not shake the feeling of guilt from her shoulders, wondering if this Avatar who loved her granddaughter so much would, in time, come to hate her instead.

"….long should we wait?"

Kanna started, her thoughts leaving her as she looked up, realizing Chief Arnook had asked her a question. He waited somewhat impatiently for her answer, his arms folded and she could see Pakku's mouth press into a hardened line.

I always preferred your smile to your look of distate, old friend.

"I do apologize, I have the attention span of a sea prune in my old age, I'm afraid," Kanna chuckled, masking her unease. "What did ask of me, Chief?"

"When should Katara learn of her brother?" he asked again, his voice almost soft. "How long should we wait to tell her?"

Kanna straightened up, clasping her hands beneath her robes, replying curtly, "All my granddaughter must discover, she will learn through the Avatar. It is with his judgement she will hear all that needs to be said – and in the time he deems appropriate. I will not have my granddaughter forced into denial and disbelief so soon after her awakening. She has been through far too much to handle more distress now.

"I ask of you to let the issue go," she continued. "The Avatar and I alone will decide what is best for my granddaughter, however I do thank you for your worry and generosity."

Pakku grunted as he turned on his heel, mumbling, "You say she is a lot like you, Kanna. Then, it will not be long before she figures it out herself."

There was a light rap on the door.

"Enter."

A round, graying man entered, his hands clasped together beneath fiery robes of crimson and gold silk. His hair was long and graying and he had a pointed beard that reached his chest; a wide smile spread across his face as he stepped through the doorway.

"Forgive me, my lady, but I am in search of my young nephew! Have you seen him?"

There was a woman sitting at the desk, leaning back against a tall chair of red silk and golden arms, detailed with beautifully carved designs of the Fire Nation. She tilted her head slightly, tapping her fingers on the desk in slight annoyance before replying,

"The Firelord is an evasive, busy man. I have not seen him in near two days, General Iroh."

"Such a shame," the general countered, "I hoped to indulge in some afternoon tea with him."

"Don't we all," the woman said dryly and Iroh laughed. She fought to keep herself from rolling her eyes, but she pushed herself back and stood, bowing respectfully to the Firelord's uncle.

"If I may make a suggestion," she started, "The Firelord holds distaste for most things, I have discovered, yet he never seems to grow tired of watching the turtle-ducks."

"Ah, the lovely turtle-ducks!" Iroh exclaimed, one hand on his big belly. "I had not thought of that! Well, Lady Mai, it seems you know our Zuko even better than me!"

"I wouldn't go that far, General," she said, somewhat sheepishly. "I only perform my duties and that is all."

"Oh, please, Mai, you must not speak to me with such formal titles!" Iroh reached forward, engulfing her small, pale hands between his thick, warm ones. Pink rose to her pallid cheeks as she looked up at the old man. "Call me Uncle! After all, it shall not be long until we are of the same family."

I know this probably isn't starting out in the most favorable way to us Zutara shippers, but I promise you it will be worth it! Thanks for reading; I hope you like it so far :)