(A/N)- *drops chapter* Oh goodness me, where did that come from?

I wrote this in less than a day. Apparently I was on a roll. I do hope you enjoy dear readers!

Moving a little bit ahead, skipping past most of the events of "The Boy In The Iceberg" and "The Avatar Returns" (though some scenes are flashbacked to), to be a little introspective with Katar.

Anon Guest reviewer: Appa and Momo are right where they belong in the narrative. Appa was mentioned as being frozen last chapter, and we haven't picked up Momo yet, remember?

Anyway, let's get to it!

Disclaimer: Like I ever could.

Guardian

Her name was Angka.

Not only was she an airbender—the first anyone had seen in a hundred years—but when the smoke belching iron Fire Nation ship cut a swath through the ice to their village, she had also revealed herself as the Avatar.

If he'd been a little awestruck about her before, he definitely was now.

The Avatar. Sokki would always roll her eyes and groan whenever he'd wanted to talk about it.

"It's just a myth, Katar. If he did exist he's probably long dead by now."

Sokki was right of course, it was irrational to keep hoping for some miracle savior out of legend, and some days it was hard even for him to keep believing. But he'd always held out hope that Avatar would return. Someday.

He'd been more than a little smug when he was proven right.

"So Sokki," he'd asked with a grin, right before they'd landed that morning, "is the Avatar a myth or isn't she?"

Exasperated, having been teased about it constantly since they'd left the Southern Water Tribe, Sokki just muttered, "You are never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

Katar's grin had cracked wider. "Nope!" he'd confirmed cheerfully.

"It's okay Sokki," Angka had encouraged, patting the girl's shoulder. "I wouldn't have believed in me either!" she'd chirped.

Sokki had grumbled something under her breath in reply and sulked right off to rinse her outer coat once they were back on the ground, refusing to speak to either of them ever since.

Katar peeked up at Angka, watching from across the camp as she played with her sky bison, Appa, untangling the snarls in his fur. She was so gentle with the animal, laughing and bumping her head against the bison's nose playfully.

Hard to believe just a couple days ago she'd been staring down an angry scarred Fire Nation commander and her squadron of troopers.

Katar had been shaking quietly in his boots the whole encounter, right from the moment Sokki had grabbed his wrist and pulled him into her guard tower.

"Come on, Katar!" she'd urged. "We have to be ready!"

He'd gulped, gripping the hilt of the spear awkwardly. He hadn't held a weapon—not even a toy one—in ages. Not since their mother had died. He didn't have the hands for it, or the stomach, or the nerve. How could he? He'd felt like a clown in the warpaint and armor as they waited on the wall for the Fire Nation to arrive.

They'd had their asses handed to them. Of course they had. Young though she might have been, the girl captain was quicker, stronger, ridiculously better-trained than either of them. Katar had been put down with one strike, Sokki's flailing over-eager swinging dodged easily.

"Pathetic," their opponent had hissed, standing over them with hands flaming, and for a moment Katar had been absolutely terrified.

But then a whirlwind had appeared, a streak of orange and yellow, and Angka slid into the fray on the back of a penguin—which seemed... so like her, really—spraying snow into the girl's scarred face, to exuberant cheers from the villagers.

She'd been completely fearless and calm, even as she'd willingly given herself up to save them.

Katar pulled himself from the memory, dropping his eyes and looking down at his hands.

She shouldn't have had to. He should have... should have done something. It had all worked out in the end but for that hour when he didn't know what had happened to her, whether the Fire Nation was taking her alive as a prisoner or summarily executing her at sea, he had felt and been so utterly useless and once again it had to be Sokki to drag him out of it.

He felt ashamed. He should have protected her. Like he should have protected the village. Like he should have protected...

The sunlight gleamed off the blue shell pendant laying across his palm. Katar gazed at it, wondering idly when he'd pulled it out. His thumb brushed across the smooth surface.

"What's that?"

Katar jumped, startled, looking up and coming face to face with Angka, leaning over him with her waist bent and her hands tucked behind her back and her long hair.

"Uh, nothing," he stammered. "I mean, well..." He took a deep breath to sort his brain out. "It was my mother's," he admitted.

"It's really pretty," she complimented. Straightening up, her expression grew serious. "You said it was hers... what happened to her? Or—" she quickly amended, seeing the look on Katar's face, "—would you rather not say?"

Katar folded the necklace in-between his hands soberly. "It's all right," he said, managing a weak smile. "She died when Sokki and I were little. The Fire Nation."

"Oh," said Angka softly. One foot curled around the other as sympathy shone from her face. "I'm sorry."

To change the subject, Katar glanced up and asked, "What about yours?"

"Oh, I don't really have parents," Angka said, looking embarrassed and rubbing behind her ear. "They often split us up by gender once we're weaned and we're raised by monks or nuns."

"Really?" Katar's face pinched, puzzled. He had heard some stories about the Air Nomads living in temples but hadn't heard that most of them were raised there too. "Weren't there ever any kids with actual families?" he asked.

Angka stuck her arms out, walking an imaginary tightrope. "Yeah, a few," she told him. "Temple life wasn't always for everyone." She grinned. "We're actually pretty close to one right now, we should drop in for a visit." She hopped up on a boulder, reaching to scratch Appa's side. "I'll bet they'll be real surprised to see me!"

"Uh, I'm not sure that's such a good—" Katar started to say, then stopped himself, and backtracked. Angka was still slowly realizing the changed world she'd awakened to. In her mind, she'd just left home a week ago. How was he supposed to explain that no one had seen airbenders in eons and thought they were all dead? He didn't want to sink her hopes if he could help it. Besides, maybe there were still a few of them around, just really good at hiding. "Never mind."

"Great!" She beamed and then wafted herself up into Appa's saddle. "Once we're done resting we'll head straight there!"

"Sure. Okay," he agreed.

She busied herself playing with Appa again and Katar clenched his mother's necklace a little tighter.

He was such a coward. What good was he if he couldn't even bring himself tell her a little bad news? Did he even deserve to come with her to the North Pole? He couldn't fight and he wasn't even that good a bender.

...Yet.

The optimistic little voice pinched through his self-depreciating thoughts. Sure, he might not be very skilled right now, but he'd cracked an iceberg in half hadn't he? And he hadn't even been trying.

It was in him. He knew it. He could feel it. All it needed was a focal point, something to push for, orient around.

His fingers loosened around the pendant as he brought it up to his eyes. Maybe he hadn't been strong enough then. But he'd get stronger. He'd learn to fight.

Because... she'd need him.

That's it, he decided, standing up from the log he'd been seated on. I'll become stronger.

And this time, things would be different.

He tucked his mother's necklace away, stowing it in his pocket. He'd put it back on later.

Right now, he needed to find some water to practice on.

(A/N)- Sokki is So Done with everything, Angka reveals her Messiah side, we've briefly met girl!Zuko (or as she's known in this AU, Zuka) and learned a little bit about Air Nomad culture and Katar's Mommy Issues, and Katar has made an internal Declaration of Protection towards Angka.

We're on a roll dear readers! :D

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