Chapter Three part two: ...We All Rise Up
"When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara? She had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom."
Sokka- The Runaway
"We need to figure out what to do, now that we have found that the Avatar Spirit has chosen Katara as it's newest incarnation."
The Communal Igloo was uncommonly quiet, save for the soft crackling of the fire in the giant central fire pit, the muted groans of the wounded, and Kanna's quiet words. His fingers paused in their mindless tracing of Kya's soot stained necklace as Hakoda looked away from the fire and blinked dully up at his mother. Just this morning, life was as it should have been- happy and full of work, love, and fellowship. Just an hour ago, however, he had come back from the water burial ceremony where he had bid his final goodbye to Kya before sending her into the arms of La, giver of life. His mind was in no shape at the moment for conversations of any kind, but he forced his leaden tongue to move. "What is there for us to do?" He uttered hoarsely at last, dragging a hand over his face as he turned back to watching the flickering flames. "We are doing what we can to survive as a tribe. Katara will have to understand... I have to protect the tribe as well as her. I'm not going to ask for a teacher anymore."
Kanna sighed as she paused in her arrangement of the fur bedding for Hakoda and herself. She flicked a glance at her grandchildren as they slept only a few feet away on the other side of the fire ring, their bodies cuddled together like puppies underneath the tigerseal furs that were drawn up to their ears. After the tragedy had occurred and Kanna and the entire sister village arrived too late, it appeared that not only was the family home destroyed, but also Healer Kuthruk's hut. For now the broken family would share the communal igloo with the fifteen wounded, Kuthruk and his apprentices, and the two other families that were waiting for home repairs as well. It was hard to tune out the quiet, pain filled moans of those who were suffering from their burns, but it appeared that grief had given the children some much needed rest. "Katara needs to learn how to bend sometime, Hakoda." Kanna chided softly, rising up on protesting knees and joining her son by the fire. She grunted in annoyance as her knees popped and ached as she settled herself down again before continuing. "Not just waterbending, but the other three elements as well. She has a purpo-"
"No!" Hakoda's voice was sharp, and just loud enough to cause the two to look over at the children to make sure they hadn't stirred. Sokka seemed to have not heard anything at all, but the bundle of fur that made up Katara twitched a little. The adults waited for a few minutes, Hakoda finally pitching his voice lower and speaking once it seemed that the danger of waking his daughter was past. "No. I lost the love of my life to the Fire Nation today, along with nine other innocent women and children- possibly more if anyone here cannot be healed. Don't you see? This was my fault. I wanted to find a master to teach Katara, and it's obvious that one of the traders exchanged the information. Katara will have to teach herself if she wants to learn, but I'm not going to put her or anyone else's safety at risk." He leveled a murderous glare at the fire, his hands trembling even as they curled into fists. His wavering voice unconsciously rose with every word, and Kya's necklace creaked in his tightening grip. "And Avatar or not, I'm not going to allow her to fight the Fire Nation. I can't bear to lose anyone else. The Universe can find someone else to win the war! My baby girl is not going to be it's sacrificial-"
"Listen to me!" Kanna hissed angrily, "Katara was chosen! There isn't anyone else that can be a replacement, it's her destiny! If we don't help her realize her power as the Avatar, than there's no telling what will happen- in both our world and the Spirit Realm." Her tone softened, and she glanced over at Katara's pallet. "She can do this, Hakoda, if she learns now. She can put an end to the suffering, bring peace and balance! The Spirits have bestowed a great honor on her, and by extension, us and our whole tribe. This long and bitter war will finally end."
Hakoda grated out a sigh. Didn't she hear anything he had just said? "Mother, I want her to live a normal life." He bit out, "I won't allow her to be used like a tool for a means to an end! She's too young!" He stood to his feet at last, waving a hand in a clear dismissal as his voice hardened into his authoritative 'chief' tone. "Be gone from me. I won't hear of this again."
Ignoring her son's command, Kanna slowly stood as well, laying a hand on her son's tensed shoulder. "Kya would have wanted it. Peace and balance would be ensured if Katara wins the war, not just for us but for herself too." She whispered. "Don't you want a world free of the Fire Nation's tyranny for your children?"
Hakoda stood, and for the first time in her entire life Kanna was afraid of her son as she met his unnaturally bright eyes, a wild gleam shining in them that wasn't entirely born of the fire's reflection. "Don't you dare bring her into this, Mother! Don't you dare use Kya's name to manipulate me when I've already made up my mind on this!" He locked stares with her, his entire frame trembling under the weight of emotion. "Kya is dead because of Katara, do you understand? Those men raided our tribe for waterbenders before, because they somehow knew that the next Avatar would be born a waterbender! I found that air nomad boy the day Katara was born... I should have realized what that would mean. I should have known what she was, and have her be sent away to the North Pole to be raised and trained!"
"That is grief talking, my son. You don't mean that." Kanna stood her ground, sadly regarding her grieving son. "You know you never would have sent her away to be adopted by someone else. You love her, and you need to show her that this tragedy isn't her fault! She's a child who just lost her mother, Hakoda! Don't distance yourself from your daughter, not when you both need each others support! As Chief, you need to hold your family together before you can hold your community together, you know this! If she heard you say what you just said, she would never forgive you, and neither would Kya!"
The two stared at one another for a long time, Hakoda finally caving underneath his mother's understanding and concerned gaze. "I'm going outside." He murmured at last. "I have a lot to think about."
Kanna bowed her head and sighed as well, turning her back on his retreating figure to arrange their bedding once more. Neither noticed Katara blink back hurt tears before burying herself deeper into the furs.
The Chief's house was horribly unbalanced in the days to follow.
Being mostly unseen, Aang was privy to what would be the darkest time for the now broken family. Tempers flared, tears were shed, and a lingering black depression settled on the family as they all struggled to adjust to Kya's absence.
It was clear that Hakoda was not doing well without his wife's quiet strength to support him. He hardly spoke to anyone the first few days, much to Sokka and Katara's dismay, and would leave on all day hunting or fishing trips in spite of Kanna's insistence that he step up and lead his grieving tribe and family. (Aang followed Hakoda on the third day out of curiosity, but hurried right back when he witnessed the normally strong and steady man break down out in the middle of the tundra and weep where he thought no one would hear.) Kanna struggled to do all of the work Kya would have normally taken care of alongside her duties as an elder, midwife, and a comforting mother/grandmother. Sokka was lost in trying to figure out what to do with himself (should he cry? Be manly and not show his tears?), and his mood would swing wildly from near random outbursts of rage to depressed silent spells as a result of not allowing himself to grieve properly. As for Katara...
Aang glanced sadly over at his friend as she now tossed and turned fitfully underneath the furs of her pallet. It had soon became clear in the days following the tragedy that Katara had withdrawn deep inside her own mind while she processed her grief (and guilt) over her mother's death, and tried to come to terms with the horrifying experience that signaled her Avatar status. It had been a full week now, and his friend hadn't spoken a single word to him (or anyone, really) since that terrible day. Instead, she- like Sokka- seemed to be at odds with how to mourn and cope properly; and as a result she threw herself into the role her mother left behind and tried to escape the whispers of the tribe with chores and housework. Aang knew it wouldn't work in the long run- he had withdrawn like that too, when he was very young and a boyhood friend at the temple died. Mind numbing work/distractions never really actually solved the problem- it only made you bone tired and left you at square one when all the work was done.
Too bad I never learned my lesson about running away from problems. Aang thought guiltily, glancing again at his friend as a soft noise escaped her before her breathing evened out into a deeper sleep. If I had, Katara wouldn't be dealing with this right now.
Well, he might have died trying to run from his Avatar duty, but he couldn't allow her to repeat the same mistake, even if it was only a mindset instead of actions. She needed someone to help her, just as he had before. Aang had to keep trying to break through to her, because no one else had the time or thought to do so.
It was the very least he could do, seeing how she had helped him.
With that in mind, the young monk made his way over to Katara's side, carefully avoiding walking through the others by accident as they slept by the fire. He paused for a moment, wondering if the half formed plan he had in mind was really going to work... or even be the right way to go about it. Entering dreams was something that a past Avatar could do- he had learned how to do it from Roku last year- but had never had a reason to try it. A flash of uncertainty filled him- was it right to invade Katara's privacy like that, even if he was only trying to help?
I guess there's only one way to find out. He thought to himself, sinking into a meditative posture beside the little Avatar and closing his eyes. No one else is helping her. I have to try it.
It was tricky at first, getting inside her dreams. At first he was pushed right out of her mind; he had tried too soon and she hadn't yet entered a deep enough sleep to even start dreaming. The second try proved to be more successful, and soon Aang was opening his eyes to a bright dreamscape ocean filled with delicate honeycomb ice floes that seemed to trap and reflect the brilliant sunshine as they musically tinkled and clinked together in the subtle waves. Elation filled him as Aang tilted his head, taking an interested look around at the surroundings. He noticed with mild surprise that apparently even in dreams he was able to defy nature: the water was something he could walk on top of. His footprints left little rippling trails of light as he made his way through the tranquil landscape Katara's mind provided.
His search for his friend didn't take too long at all; when he spotted her she was only a stone throw away, practicing some (strangely impressive) waterbending as she pattered and twirled on the water's surface in nothing but her night tank and pants. He popped up in front of her with a grin. "Hi Katara!"
Aang's greeting wasn't that loud, but it was enough of a shock in that hushed place for the little girl to scream in her surprise when the spirit boy materialized directly in front of her. She stumbled backward, dropping her bending water as she tripped. She hit the surface with a light splash and disturbed the water around and underneath her, sending her bobbing like a cork on top of the waves she created back towards Aang. The little girl blinked up at him in surprise as he cheerfully held out his hand to help her up. "Aang?" She uttered shakily, looking first up at him and then down at the still moving water she sat on top of, noting the school of flying fish swimming underneath her with mild surprise. "What- what are you doing here?"
The spirit boy grimaced, helping her to stand on the unstable surface before sheepishly rubbing the back of his shaven head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He frowned, his initial good mood giving way to his previous concern as he reached out to touch her shoulder. "You haven't spoke to me or anyone in nearly a week. I figured this was the only way I could try to talk to you without having anyone else hear." He studied her, growing more concerned as he noticed her expression dim with the reminder of what happened. "I'm worried about you. I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because you're not, but I want to help you. I hate seeing you sad and hurting."
Katara frowned as well, her gaze dropping to the shimmering water they stood on. She wavered between talking to him or getting mad that Aang interrupted the only good thing she had been concentrating on in nearly a week. She sighed, begrudgingly choosing the first option. Mom wouldn't have gotten mad at her friend for trying to help, after all. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be mean and not talk... I just..."
She trailed off helplessly, and Aang nodded in understanding. "I know." He paused, unsure of what to do next. He looked at the surrounding sea, as if it held the answers for him. "I like your dream. It's peaceful here." He commented, gesturing at the water they both stood on and taking a moment to nudge a sizable chunk of glittering ice away as it drifted towards him and bumped gently against his boot. The two children watched in mild fascination as it left a trail of light through the water as it floated away.
As strange as it sounded, it hadn't occurred to Katara that she was in the middle of dreaming; this particular dream was so real that it was hard to remember that, logically, she couldn't really walk on water that seemed to generate light, or waterbend in the way she had been doing before Aang showed up. It also hadn't really occurred to her that Aang could actually appear inside her dreams and still be real. "I... you really think I'm just dreaming? What if it turns into a nightmare?" She whispered nervously, casting a quick glance around herself to ensure the tranquil sea wasn't going to suddenly change on them. Recent nightmares involved Mom's empty gaze, Fire Nation soldiers, and a scary blood red comet that blazed through a night sky. If at all possible, she was really hoping to escape them tonight.
"If it does, I'll help you out of it." Aang stated, his genial expression turning serious. "That's what I'm here for."
The brightness didn't dim around them, but the mood of the two did. "You... you've always been here." Katara murmured, tugging on a wavy lock of hair pensively. She peeked up at him cautiously. "You were the Avatar before me, weren't you? That's why you're a spirit that only I can see and talk to... it's why you've been my friend, and not someone else's, isn't it?"
Aang flinched. There was no animosity in his friend's words, but the sadness in her tone hurt him just as much as anger would have. He reached out to hug her, but stopped himself at the last minute, too guilty for what had happened. His hand dropped helplessly to his side, and his brownish-gray gaze skittered away from her blue one."I'm sorry for lying to you, and not telling you all the truth. I... I just didn't want you to lose what I lost when I found out that I was the Avatar. I never wanted this to happen to you. I didn't want this for either of us."
The surrounding bits of honeycomb ice tinkled like shards of broken glass strung up on strings, the only noise for a moment as Katara hugged herself and blinked away tears. "Why didn't you tell me I was the Avatar, though?" She wavered brokenly as her tiny head bowed, her long hair falling in waves around her face and hiding her tears. "I- I could have saved Mom, if only I knew what I was and what I could do! Dad hates me now, and everyone but Gran Gran and you are scared of me! I... I'm supposed to be a hero. All the stories say so."
Shame filled him to the core. "I wasn't a hero. I'm still not one."
"You are too," Katara mumbled testily, "You saved me. And if you still lived, I know you'd be a better Avatar than me."
She knew, with every fiber of her being, that if Aang had been the current Avatar instead of her, he would have been doing all kinds of great things for the world- maybe even stopping the Fire Nation monsters for good. The thought made her stomp a tiny bare foot in frustration, splashing and making the surface wavy and unstable again. She and Aang paused to regain their balance before she uttered an irritated sigh. "I don't even know waterbending, and I'm supposed to bend all four elements! Who will teach me if Dad says he won't look for a teacher anymore?"
Aang frowned for a moment before gradually brightening as an idea occurred to him. "I know you want to learn waterbending, and you will," He said slowly, "But... what if you learned airbending first?"
Katara blinked in confusion. "But Aang, I'm not an airbender."
Aang smiled. He wasn't sure why he had never thought of doing this before, but once the idea blossomed and grew in his mind, the more wonderful it sounded. "No, but you're the Avatar, remember? You have what it takes to become an airbender. We've done it before, thousands of times in fact! I can help you learn airbending, right here!"
The young nomad's enthusiasm was contagious, and Katara found herself smiling hesitantly for the first time in a week. "You... you'd really teach me that?"
"Of course! I'm the only one who can." Aang looped an arm around her small frame and laughed delightedly. "And the best part? We're inside of your dream! Anything can happen without it being real! I can't bend in reality anymore, being dead and all, but you were bending earlier. Who's to say I can't bend in here too?"
Aang's idea for bending in Katara's dreams worked... to a point. Aang found, much to his great delight, that he could airbend for the first time since he died, and he showed off some of the more flashy forms just because he could. The downside of it all was he could only show her airbending in action as long as her dream lasted. Both were confused and a little frustrated when Katara accidentally woke herself up in the middle of their first lesson, but it was a big step in the right direction that she was able to watch what an airbender was capable of, and try to do the very beginner forms in the next few days. Along the way, Aang started to teach her about airbending philosophy, starting the moment Katara was able to sneak off and meet him outside the southern wall. Dawn's chilly air and rosy gleam combined with the excitement of learning new things chased away any residual sleepiness the little girl might have felt.
"Air is the element of freedom." Aang began, placing himself behind her and making adjustments to how she should stand, and positioning her arms out in front of her. "It's all around us- and hardly anything can stop it. The only place an airbender can't bend is if they are stuck underground in a tight space, and even then I've seen Monk Tashi bend himself out of a tight squeeze once." He snickered, as if remembering something funny.
Katara frowned studiously as she held her arms stiffly out in front of her. "Okay. Freedom. What else should I concentrate on?"
Aang noted her rigidity and nudged her playfully. "Loosen up! You don't have to concentrate so hard in order to make it work. Now," He stood in front of her, settling easily into the same stance he had her in, and started circling her with quick, light steps and his hands continually held out in line with her. "Airbending is all about circular movements, and is probably the most defensive out of all the elements, since it's rarely used in aggression. I'm pretending you are my opponent- try to bend some snow at me."
"Err... why?"
"I'm going to show you how hard it is to hit an airbender. Plus," He grinned mischievously, "It's fun!"
Katara's waterbending was rather clumsy, but she was capable of sending a good sized wave of snow towards her translucent friend, who- with a grand total of two steps to the left- smoothly evaded her 'attack'. The young monk laughed. "Good job! Let's try that again!"
It turned less into a lesson for Katara and more of a game of 'catch the airbender', and soon she lost track of time as they circled round and round in the snow, both momentarily forgetting all about the present grim situation in her family. Amazingly, the young Avatar found herself laughing as she tried again and again to pin the tattooed boy down. "Aang! When's my turn to do that?" She giggled, abandoning all her lessons of circling in place in favor of trying to tackle him.
He twirled around and out of her reach easily, cheered that he had gotten her to laugh. "When you catch me, of course!"
The game lasted for a few more minutes, until Katara finally flopped dramatically into the snow with a panting giggle. "I give up! You're too quick." She lifted her head, heedless of the snow that stuck to the back of her bun and braid as she favored him with an almost shy grin. "I haven't had this much fun in a while. Thanks."
"No problem. It's supposed to be fun." Aang settled next to her, smiling up at the warm colors of the morning sun as he remembered something Gyatso had once told him. "To be a bender, you have to let go of fear and sadness. You gotta feel the energy that freedom and happiness gives you, and let it fill you up until you want to play and dance with the air instead of trying to control it. It's the best way to start learning airbending."
Katara's grin faltered and fell. Her mind flashed back against her will to the terrifying experience that was the Avatar State, and what had triggered it. Her throat tightened. "But... how do I stop feeling sad and afraid? Mom's been killed because of me, our family is a mess, and I'm trying so hard to help make it right." She sat up fully, curling her arms around her knees. Her eyes stung in the arctic air as tears pricked at the corners and leaked out. "I don't know how to let it go," she sniffled, the pain filled ache in her young voice unmistakable. "I miss her, Aang! All I want is for things to be back the way they were, before I found out I was the Avatar, and before the Fire Nation came! I want her back... and she's gone. For good."
She buried her face in her knees, sinking lower in her previously forgotten misery. It was Aang's gentle tone and touch that prompted her to look back up at him. "You know..." He murmured, "not too long ago someone told me that when someone dies, it's just their body that dies. Their spirit lives on, and someday you'll get to see them again, because death-"
"-isn't the end." Katara's tone and smile were watery as she leaned into his waiting arms, residual tears tightening her throat as she buried her face in his chest. "So... I'll see her again? For real?" She wondered hopefully, her tear thickened voice muffled by the fabric of his shawl, "It's not just Avatars who still live after they die?"
His arms tightened around her, and he had to repress a shiver at the idea of her dying at all. He gulped down the instinctive fear, reminding himself of whole point of the conversation before helping his friend up. "You'll see your Mom again someday." He promised quietly as they turned to go back home, "And the best part about 'someday'... is that then, it becomes 'forever'."
It took a long time, but eventually, life evened out and a new normal was established. Frankly, everyone in the chief's house missed the old normal, but finally everyone was starting to become adjusted.
In the three and a half years that followed, Hakoda feverishly set to work; that first night, he had come to the (admittedly vengeful) decision that the Southern Water Tribe should take a stand and join the war. Kya and nine other women and children were brutally murdered, and Hakoda was bound and determined that this raid would be the last.
He gave himself a few years to help prepare his Tribe. After gaining the approval of the elders and the warriors, he trained his men more vigorously than ever, and he saw to it that he had a proper fleet of battle capable umiak. In addition, he took the time to take Sokka to hunt and fish more often, and even took the boy out on a ceremonial hunting trip on his thirteenth birthday for the monstrous Akhlut just last month. Spending more time with his father did wonders for Sokka as he struggled to adjust both to Kya's absence and the disturbing fact that his little sister was an all powerful reincarnated figure of legends. Hearing words of affirmation and keeping his hands busy steadied the mood swings until they stopped completely, and Sokka found that he didn't hurt so bad after a while, even if the pain never fully went away. Katara neatly filled Mom's moccasins the more she grew, and Sokka would find after a time that as annoying as her weird new bending was, (and her even weirder habit of openly talking to her invisible, not so imaginary friend), he started to rely on her stability just as much as his father's.
In turn, spending time with his family as best as he could did much in helping Hakoda heal as well, even if a lot of the time spent with his son was to teach him everything a man needed to know out in the harsh wilds of the South Pole. Katara seemed a little more distant and cool with him than anyone else, to his mild disappointment, but he chalked it up to the new changes in her life and the fussy preteen age she had recently entered into. He had no idea that Katara had heard him that first night, and she had never forgotten what he had said in his grief, even if he himself had. He never knew that he needed to apologize and clear the air between them, and tell her that Kya's death wasn't her fault.
No one liked to remember that horrible time. The trouble was, that was the time everyone in the Southern Tribe had discovered their new Avatar, and speculation on what to do about Katara was on everyone's lips since then:
Should she be sent away to the North Pole to train?
How in the world would the child be trained in firebending? Should she be trained in firebending at all?
Was what she announced at the Moon Festival two years ago really true, that she could see and speak to the Avatar before her?
Was the previous Avatar really the one who gave Katara her sudden ability to airbend?
Was Hakoda going to keep her sheltered here until she was of age, or until she mastered airbending, or both?
Question after question was posed to the Chief since the first week of mourning was over, and (too soon) Hakoda could no longer use the 'she's too young' excuse. It was clear that Katara was growing up fast, and the war was only escalating. This year's Spring Trade had just ended, and he had heard disturbing rumors from many of the Earth Kingdom merchants of the Fire Nation's advancement, and the disheartening news from the oldest and most reliable merchant that this trade would be the last one they could afford to make until things became more settled. "We're sorry, Chief Hakoda. The Southern Raiders have patrolled the waters near Whale Tail Island for years, but another part of the Fire navy is coming as close as the Chin and Kyoshi Island region, and rumor has it that it'll completely cut off our trade routes with anyone further south." The gray haired trader shrugged helplessly. "For the record, this is bad for us too, and we'll be missing the goods you've provided us all these years. Perhaps the Fire Nation will leave once it becomes more quiet..."
Hakoda fully understood the consequences this news meant for him and his tribe, as well as for the traders. The traders had been the only thing letting the family's giant sky bison stay in the south pole, and with the harsh southern summer coming on, the seals would be migrating in a few week's time and so would the whales. It seemed that fate was forcing his hand, and he tried to explain as much to his children after he got back from the tribal council meeting that determined the day he and the men would leave.
"But why now?" Sokka cried, waving the boomerang he was sharpening in dismay, "Spring is here, and summer isn't too far off. How will we survive if you take all the hunters with you?"
Katara stirred the pot of five spice stew she was tending to with a frown of her own. "What if the Fire Nation comes back when you're gone? " she worried aloud, "Who will fight them off?"
"That's the whole point of leaving, Katara," Hakoda explained as patiently as he could, "To protect you all. If we are busy drawing their attention and opening up the trade route, they can't come here. They won't notice if you and Sokka take Appa and leave."
His words stunned everyone in the hut, from his children- Katara freezing mid stir, and Sokka's whet stone falling from his limp fingers- to Aang, who studied the Chief with cautious hope. Kanna was the only person unaffected by her son's announcement, as she had been one of the approving elders at the tribal council. She nodded for him to go on.
Hakoda stood, meeting his children's eyes. "I'm saying that it's time we reestablished ties with our sister tribe. We need help rebuilding everything the war has destroyed over the years." He met his daughter's confused gaze and offered her a tentative smile laced with sorrow. "...And I've come to realize that it's time the Avatar learned her native element."
Author's Note: Alright! Emotional healing is in motion, Katara's learning airbending and gaining necessary skills she needs, and time in the South Pole is drawing to a close. At last we will see our heroes officially start their journey north!
Sorry about how long it was between the updates- moving takes a huge chunk of time, as do the holidays. This was a beast of a chapter too, for some reason. Perhaps it was all the emotional drama I had to write... that seems take a lot out of my creative writing when I have to focus on that. Katara needed to get a hold of the lesson she had taught Aang in the previous chapter, and that in turn led to the lessons airbending philosophy held about letting go. Her hurt over what her father said is going to be a long lasting wound, though, and it'll come back up later, probably during early season three's time frame.
As for Sokka's emotional healing, I haven't purposely ignored him. We'll get into his head in the upcoming chapters a bit more, I promise! I just didn't want more angst than necessary for two chapters in a row. As a side note, Sokka's hunt for the Akhlut is a direct nod to Plumbloom's 'Run'.
Katara's dream was supposed to signify several things: The calm ocean and light filled ice was a visual representation of what she wanted for herself, a calm, peaceful place full of warmth, water, and light where she could be herself; the waterbending and her unbound hair and night clothes also signified her innermost identity. Sometimes when people are grieving, their minds will either provide nightmares or something soothing; this time I chose to have Katara unconsciously trying to comfort herself when Aang finally stepped in.
Aang's fears about Katara dying haven't fully gone away, and it's something that'll pop up now and then through the story. This is also his journey, and his attachment issues will be his biggest hurdle to get over, just like in canon.
So, to recap for ages: Sokka has just turned thirteen and is in the grips of puberty, and Katara has recently turned twelve.