I'm sorry for making you all wait so long again, but some things have happened and I feel the need to make a very personal and tragic announcement.

On the morning of August 28, 2024, my mother passed away from cancer. It has been very difficult for me, my father, and the rest of our friends and family. She had been struggling with cancer for some time, but we thought she was in remission and getting better. Then, out of nowhere, her health took a dramatic downward turn and, before I could process what was happening, she was in the hospital. Even then, her doctor was still hopeful that things could be turned around. On the 27th, I went to see her for the last time. I stayed with her for hours and even read her the first chapter of a book she'd wanted to read. The next morning, I called my dad, who'd gone back to the hospital, and he told me she was gone.

As such, writing has been challenging. To say nothing of the fact that I also got Covid right after my mom's death, and it took a long time to recover. I've been sort of writing sections of this in intervals, though I had a big chunk of it finished in early August. I kept sitting down to write more, but often could only write a couple sentences.

I still intend to finish this fic. If anything, I'm more determined than ever. If I'm still slow with updates, please forgive me.

Moving Mountains

It had been decades, yet the pain had never faded.

Each year, the wound was reopened. The anniversary of when the one good part of his life vanished forever. And for what? A few thoughtless words spoken in anger. He'd thought she would come back. She always came back.

Pakku stared out at the ocean below him.

He didn't know what it was that drew him to this spot on the wall, year after year. But the memories of the love he'd lost brought him there once more, no matter how hard he'd tried to forget. And he'd tried to move on, he truly had. His family had expected him to. His father had been furious when he hadn't.

But Kanna was the kind of woman a man couldn't forget.

Her smile, her laugh, her terribly unfunny jokes, how she would start rambling about whatever new subject had caught her interest and would forget to stop for a breath, how she'd thrown a fish at his face the first time he attempted to confess his feelings for her. And her kindness. How she'd comforted him with gentle words and a bowl of stew after an argument with his father turned ugly. When she'd held him after his brother died and listened as he poured out the grief that he, as a man, was forbidden to show openly.

He still couldn't show his sorrow with tears. Tears were for women.

Instead, he raised a carved bone-flute to his lips and played a haunting melody that he prayed the wind would carry to wherever Kanna's spirit was.

Perhaps she really had been reborn as a turtle-seal like his mother had said. Pakku had been so out of his mind with grief at the time, so frantic for answers, that he'd taken those words to heart and snuck off to the closest turtle-seal cave. He spent a week fighting off any hunters who came near them, defending the turtle-seal pups with an obsession verging on mania.

He'd only stopped when his father dragged him out of there and gave him a few hard strikes across the face to snap him out of it.

Pakku had only ended up making the situation worse by yelling at his father when the man said that Kanna was with the spirits and Pakku needed to get over it. It had been decades since then and Pakku had still never gotten over it.

How could he move on when the only woman he'd ever loved was gone forever?

And it was his own fault.

If he'd been more attentive, had recognized that something was wrong, he could have stopped it. He'd always thought Kanna was the strongest, bravest, smartest woman he knew, but she was still just a woman alone on an icy sea. A woman who'd impetuously run away from the safety of the tribe over a fight with her betrothed, abandoning the wonderful future she and Pakku could have had together.

He should've held on tighter and never let her go. He should have stopped her. She would have been furious, but at least she would be alive. She would've come to understand his actions, given enough time. Everything he did was for her.

After the protests and hearing that Kanna was in trouble, Pakku had raced to her uncle's house. He'd already had a betrothal necklace ready. He'd carved it when he was still just a foolish teenage boy, dreaming of one day being able to present it to Kanna. And that was as good a time as any. He had to present his offer of marriage before anyone else could. Kanna, despite being past the usual marrying age, was still a beautiful and talented lady with no shortage of admirers. If Pakku hadn't gotten there when he did, there was no telling what sort of man her uncle would've picked for her.

And Kanna had loved him back. Of that much, Pakku was certain.

Before the protests turned their world upside-down, Pakku and Kanna had been more than simply friends. They'd hidden it well. Pakku doubted that even Tehya and Yugoda knew the full extent of it. Kanna didn't want a whole lot of fuss, especially considering the two of them had gone far beyond the rules of propriety.

Kanna said that they were both adults and their relationship was nobody else's business. Pakku had been so happy that he'd agreed with anything she said.

When she was informed that the two of them would be getting married, she punched Pakku in the stomach and said she would never forgive him. She'd calmed down after a few weeks and he thought – hoped – that she'd come around and understood what he was doing for her. He started building a house for them to live in and things seemed to be back to normal. They even went back to sneaking around together like they had before all the nonsense.

And then the fight happened.

They'd been out on the wall, watching the ocean, and Kanna, out of nowhere, got into a mood about something. Pakku couldn't recall exactly how it started, but it definitely circled back to the subject of the protests. She was still angry about it. What was worse, she started saying things that bordered on treasonous, even outright stating that she'd sooner see the chief and everyone on the council dead before she put up with their new laws.

Pakku had tried to make her see reason. He'd told her that she was getting into a dangerous line of thinking and that things weren't so bad that she should be considering such ideas. She'd barely escaped punishment for instigating those protests and he wasn't going to let her destroy her life over a few laws that weren't all that terrible in the first place.

She'd started yelling at him that he didn't actually care about her. She'd called him selfish, arrogant, entitled, and a host of other words far less appropriate for a lady to say.

And Pakku, in his youthful stupidity, had shouted back that if she hated him and their tribe so much then she should just leave. He knew he shouldn't have done it. He was all too familiar with Kanna's determination and should've expected she would take him at his word. To top it off, he'd scathingly added, "See if anyone will take you back if you return as a ghost."

She hadn't come back as a ghost. Either a living one or an actual specter.

Pakku would've gladly welcomed her home in either scenario. Let her torment him for the rest of his life, as long as she was there.

In the end, all he got were nightmares and an empty hole in his chest. When Kanna left, she took Pakku's heart and soul with her. All he could do since then was wait for the day he could join her and do what he could to make sure no more foolish young women followed her example. To leave so much heartache behind from an impulsive decision.

Pakku never wanted that to happen to anyone else. To lose someone so dear in such a sudden and painful way that could be so easily avoided.

His song ended, Pakku tucked the bone-flute into his pocket and began the long, weary trek back to his house. A vast, empty structure that would never be a home without the one he loved. No warm smile to welcome him, no gentle fussing that he was out in the cold so late, no sounds of laughter from children and grandchildren. Pakku lived every day of his life in a monument to a happy ending that never existed.

Normally, when he returned from his annual vigil at the site where his world was torn apart, Pakku was too lost in his thoughts to notice anything else. But something was different. As he walked along a bridge, he caught the sound of voices down below.

He initially intended to dismiss it. Likely just some kids out having fun past curfew. However, something about the voices was familiar, and only became more so as he drew closer.

"Wow, great work, Katara. You really were right."

It was the Avatar. What was that child doing out so late? He had class first thing in the morning - not that the boy appreciated all the effort Pakku put into teaching him.

"Told you it would work, Aang. Now, check this out."

That was a girl's voice. That was right, the Avatar had a little girlfriend he tried to drag along to waterbending class. The uppity child actually believed she had a right to train with the boys. Clearly, no one in the Southern Water Tribe taught her proper behavior for a young lady.

Pakku glanced down from the bridge to see what they were up to and what he saw made his blood boil in outrage. The girl was waterbending.

In defiance of dozens of laws and the tribe's traditions, that southern girl dared to waterbend. So, that was why the Avatar hadn't put up more of a fuss about her not being permitted into the class. He'd been training her in secret. Giving away Pakku's teachings to the girl as if they didn't matter.

In a surge of anger, Pakku bent the water out of the girl's hands.

"That was amazing!" said the Avatar.

"That wasn't me," said the girl.

They both looked up as Pakku turned the water into icicles and plunged them into the railing of the bridge.

"I-I was just showing Katara a few moves!"

"You have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture."

"I'm sorry! I-"

"You are no longer welcome as my student."

"This is bad. This is really, really bad."

"Calm down, Sokka," said Aang. "I'm sure we can fix this. We just need to talk things out with Master Pakku and Chief Arnook."

"Aang, I think the time for talk is over," said Katara.

"But if we just explain that I was showing you airbending moves and not teaching you his stuff, maybe we can reason with him."

"You saw his face. I don't think Master Pakku is the type to listen to reason."

"And waterbending's still illegal for women," Sokka added. "Katara's probably going to be in big trouble because of that."

Katara narrowed her eyes and made a sound very close to a growl. Sokka held up his hands defensively.

"I wasn't saying it's right! But those are the rules."

"And the rules are stupid!"

She suddenly slammed a fist against the wall, causing cracks to travel up the ornate span of ice and snow.

"Okay, but we can't really do much about it," said Aang, looking more and more uncomfortable. "Remember, we're still guests here and we broke the rules. They could kick us out."

"I'd like to see them try," said Katara.

"Katara, you can't take on the entire Northern Water Tribe."

"Watch me."

Sokka was rubbing his forehead as pain bloomed behind his eyes. He hated the way things were done in the North Pole and Katara had every right to be furious, but there was no way she could dismantle the whole thing by herself. At least, not without potentially getting herself killed. And they still had a war to fight. If they got kicked out before Aang finished waterbending training, things wouldn't go so well.

"Not that I'm against you taking on the entire Northern Water Tribe," he said, "But maybe we can still salvage the situation with some diplomacy."

"Sokka, we are not negotiating with a corrupt and disgusting system like this," said Katara. "They don't care."

"Could you give it a chance? Even if Master Pakku is too stubborn to hear you out, Chief Arnook might. At the very least, I don't think he wants trouble. Maybe he can convince Pakku to take Aang back as a student."

"That's right, Katara," Aang said cheerily. "They can't just kick the Avatar out of waterbending class."

This wasn't about Aang anymore and Sokka knew it. Katara wanted to uproot the entire system and help everyone who was harmed by it. A noble goal, but still very risky to undertake at the moment. Sokka felt it would be better if they could take it a step at a time, which would be a lot easier once the Fire Nation wasn't lurking around the corner and waiting to strike.

He felt kind of gross for dissuading her from her mission, but they needed to focus on their priorities. They might be able to salvage things by talking them out with Chief Arnook. Sokka would even try to argue a case for Katara learning waterbending.

Sokka wanted to believe that there was some shred of decency in the Northern Water Tribe. Katara was always the one looking for the best in others, now it was his turn.

"Fine," Katara replied in a low, unhappy voice. "But if talking doesn't sort this out, I will not hold back anymore."

Sokka nodded. It was asking a lot of her, but it was all he could do. His only hope was that the Northern Water Tribe leaders were sensible enough to actually hear them out.

If not, well, on their own heads be it. Nothing and no one could stop Katara after that.

It hadn't been five minutes and Katara already wanted to put her fist through a wall again.

Or someone's face.

Ever since they'd gotten to the North Pole, Katara had only gotten angrier and angrier. She usually considered herself a fairly calm person, always eager to make sure everyone was happy and listen to what everyone had to say. She didn't enjoy conflict, she didn't enjoy being upset, but she especially didn't enjoy when one group of people were being selfish, arrogant idiots and making everyone else's life more difficult or miserable. Particularly if it was because of a stupid reason.

She'd tried to listen to Sokka. She'd bit her tongue and tamped down the urge to scream and break things just to get one of these morons to acknowledge that she was a human being. She knew it wasn't a good time to cause conflict between the Water Tribes. But if she didn't do something, who would? If not now, when?

Before she'd even entered that council chamber, she knew those old men had already made up their minds.

"What do you want me to do?" Chief Arnook said sternly. "Force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?"

"…Yes…please…" Katara replied.

"I suspect he might change his mind, if you swallow your pride and apologize to him."

Had circumstances been different, had Katara not seen how truly awful the Northern Water Tribe was, had she not known that it was possible for things to be better, she might have grudgingly gone along with it just for Aang's sake. But this was absolutely ridiculous and she wouldn't stand for such outrageous stupidity anymore.

"Apologize? For what?!" she demanded. "I did nothing wrong."

"Watch your tone, girl," one of the councilmen snapped. He was probably the oldest person on the council aside from Pakku.

Katara clenched her fists as she realized who he was. There were only two men of that age on the council, according to what her friends told her. One of them was Pakku and the other was Sialuk's husband and Yura's grandfather, Yuraq.

"You violated our laws," said Chief Arnook. "Women are not permitted to fight and Avatar Aang has insulted Master Pakku by using his lessons to train you."

"Aang did no such thing," said Katara. "I have been practicing waterbending on my own for as long as I can remember and the moves Aang was showing me were airbending moves. It had nothing to do with Master Pakku."

"Is that correct, Master Pakku?" Chief Arnook asked.

"So what if it is?" Yuraq interrupted. "This little chit has still been illegally practicing waterbending."

"Of course I've been practicing waterbending," Katara fired back. "I'm a waterbender." She barely stopped herself from calling him an 'arrogant dickhead.' "If you think a few rules are going to stop me from using my element, then you're sorely mistaken."

"Chief Arnook, why are we even bothering with this?" Master Pakku drawled. "I've made my stance on the matter abundantly clear."

Chief Arnook nodded.

"I'm afraid the point still stands that you and Avatar Aang broke the law and he will not accept him back as a student."

Katara felt a strange twinge in her stomach. It rose and rose until it bubbled past her lips in the form of pure, hysterical laughter.

"You all can't possibly be this stupid!"

The council, Chief Arnook, and Princess Yue all stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Uh, Katara?" Aang spoke up behind her. "I don't think it's a good idea to insult them."

She waved him off.

"You're going to deny the Avatar, our one hope for the safety of the world, the chance to master waterbending all because of your damaged egos?" She laughed even harder. "I never thought I'd see any group so willing to drag their own people to their deaths!"

That started a few murmurs.

"Young lady, could you please clarify what you mean by that?" said a man in heavy furs who was decked with feathers and beads and animal teeth. Katara figured that he was the head shaman.

"Have you all forgotten that the Fire Nation is still out there?"

"The Fire Nation is nothing to be concerned about," Yuraq butted in again. "We defeated them before, we can do so again."

"The Fire Nation might not have taken the North Pole in the past, but that doesn't mean they won't in the future. None of you has seen the things they've done. The weapons they have now. They could level this whole city within a few hours if you're not prepared."

"Preposterous."

"The Fire Nation won't stop until all of us are dead or enslaved. I've seen firsthand what they do to their prisoners. And even if I hadn't, my tribe still carries the scars of what they did to us."

She gritted her teeth.

"They're the reason I'm the only waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe."

That definitely got the murmuring ramped up.

"What do you mean you're the only waterbender in your tribe?" another man spoke up. Katara took a good look at him and realized he bore a strong resemblance to Sesi and Nauja. She guessed he was probably their father, Head Warrior Nanuq.

"I meant exactly what I said. Why else would we have traveled all the way across the world to learn waterbending?"

Because there was no one to teach her or Aang. Not one single southern waterbender was left besides Katara.

"If you think they won't come for you like they did for us, then you are the biggest group of fools I have ever seen. What's more, Sozin's Comet is going to return by the end of the summer. Once that happens, there will be no stopping the Fire Nation from crushing the rest of the Earth Kingdom. And with the Earth Kingdom gone, there will be nothing to stop them from throwing everything they have at you."

There was a restless pause before Nanuq turned to address Arnook.

"If this is true," he said, "the Avatar cannot be denied waterbending training. And, under the circumstances, maybe we should reconsider this young lady's actions."

"Nanuq," Master Pakku said, looking indignant, "what are you saying?"

"Pakku, the Fire Nation is a threat to the Water Tribes. If the Avatar has a waterbender traveling with him and assisting in the fight, it would be incredibly reckless to leave that waterbender untrained."

Katara blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone to be willing to support her.

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" said Pakku.

"I only mean that, perhaps…considering the situation, we should make an exception to the laws."

"Ludicrous!"

"Out of the question!"

A chorus of protests erupted from the other men. As they went on and on about their traditions and how Katara was just a girl, Katara felt her temper rising and rising.

"ENOUGH!" she yelled. "Now I see that you all are sitting turtle-ducks if the Fire Nation attacks."

"Watch your tone, girl," Yuraq sneered.

"No. I am going to speak my mind and you are going to listen! You want to know the reason why you survived the last Fire Nation conquest? Because you bought your survival with the blood of the women who fought for you."

A couple of men seemed about to interrupt, but Katara cut them off.

"I know all about it. I know that you used to train female waterbenders. All this stuff about your culture and traditions, it's all lies. Women saved you in the past and you repaid them by taking away their freedom."

She took a breath.

"The Northern Water Tribe is the only nation in the world that denies women the right to bend. The Fire Nation doesn't solely rely on men to fight. A female firebender will incinerate you as easily as a male one. Even in the Earth Kingdom where women can't join the army, they still train them to fight."

Katara felt as if a warm presence was standing behind her. A gentle, familiar sensation that reminded her painfully yet reassuringly of her mother.

"In the Southern Water Tribe, we still tell the stories of our great waterbenders. Both men and women. All of them were taken away or killed, but they still stood together and treated each other as equals. The only reason they lost was because of how few they were. You have more than three times their number, yet you still cling to these pointless laws and deliberately weaken yourselves.

"If the Fire Nation does come for you, you'll have no one to blame but yourselves when you lose."

Head Warrior Nanuq, Princess Yue, and the head shaman were very clearly moved by her speech. Chief Arnook was harder to read. Pakku and Yuraq were still glaring at her.

"This is a very serious matter and we must give it careful consideration," said Chief Arnook. "However, one thing is clear. Master Pakku, you must resume teaching the Avatar."

"Chief Arnook-"

"The safety of the world takes precedence. If Sozin's Comet is to return this year, the Earth Kingdom will most assuredly fall. And we will not be far behind it."

"And what of this little upstart?" Yuraq butted in again. "Sire, we cannot allow her to continue to insult our ways."

"I have said we will discuss it."

"I will teach the Avatar," Pakku said reluctantly, "but you cannot possibly think I would ever even consider teaching a little girl. Let alone this one. All she has done since this meeting started is insult this honored council and our tribe. Even if we don't exile her for her actions, she owes all of us an apology for her deplorable behavior."

The rage was back, roiling under her skin like the ocean in a storm. Her vision was starting to fog over with a red, pulsating aura as she honed her gaze onto Pakku, the source of this whole moronic, pointless drama. One more word from him and she wouldn't hold anything back. It would all come crashing down.

"You…you…" she started snarling under her breath.

"What was that?" Pakku said with a smug grin. "I can't hear you, little girl."

"I said…FUCK YOU!"

The ground cracked behind her and under her feet. Jars filled with water suddenly shattered. The entire hall trembled for a moment. Even the faint moisture in the air froze and fell in a light shower of glittering snow dust.

"Uh, Katara?" Aang's voice was so faint, Katara barely heard it.

"If you think I need you to teach me anything, why don't you find out? I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me."

She turned on her heel and began stomping out of the meeting hall as everyone present gasped at her audacity.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Aang said behind her.

"Yeah, I think she did," Sokka corrected him.

They quickly followed after her.

"Are you crazy, Katara?" said Sokka. "You're not gonna win this fight."

"I know," she snapped, yanking off her parka and shoving it into Sokka's arms. "I don't care."

"You don't have to do this for me," said Aang. "He already agreed to take me back as a student."

"This isn't about you, Aang."

This was about Katara. And Pikatti. And Ahnah. And Tuta, Ajei, Lusa, Sialuk, Sesi, and every other girl who was denied her fundamental rights. It wasn't even about waterbending or fighting, anymore. It all came down to the fact that the men of the Northern Water Tribe refused to see women as their equals. Barely even treating them as human beings.

"Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy."

She stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase and took a moment to collect herself. She scanned the area where their fight would take place, noting key details about the environment and how she could use it once they started going toe-to-toe. Zuko had told her it was important to be aware of her surroundings in a fight, to use it to her advantage.

She also had to make some rapid mental notes about her opponent. Master Pakku was older than her, so he might not have quite as much energy or agility as she did, but he also had decades of experience on her. And age wasn't always a hindrance for someone's abilities. King Bumi was still throwing rocks the size of houses at age one-hundred-and-twelve. But Pakku was also old-fashioned, a traditionalist, he probably wouldn't be expecting waterbending done according to firebending or earthbending forms.

Katara understood that waterbending was about redirecting an opponent's strength, using their attacks against them, so she needed to be careful about her strikes and not rely on brute force alone. Perhaps her best bet would be to lure him into a false understanding of her skills. Make him think she was impulsive.

Forms and tricks and moves buzzed through her mind as she waited for Master Pakku to descend the stairs.

"So, you decided to show up?" she taunted.

He kept walking past her without so much as a glance.

"Aren't you going to fight?!"

"Go back to the healing huts with the other women, where you belong."

The red mist fell over her eyes once again and, almost without thinking, Katara drew a strand of water from the ground and used it send a water-whip to the back of Pakku's head. He stopped in his tracks.

"Fine. You want to learn to fight so bad, study closely."

He drew a swirling torrent of water around himself from the pools on either side of the courtyard. Katara began to rush him, only to find herself pushed back and now stuck within the circle of water as it drew closer and closer.

"Don't worry!" Pakku taunted. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

The anger rose inside Katara again. He wasn't going to take her seriously. He thought she would be easy to take down.

Good, a voice that sounded very much like Zuko echoed in her mind. Let your opponent underestimate you. Conserve your strength as much as possible and then strike.

It was something she'd learned from their time training together. Hold back as long as you can so your opponent thinks they have the advantage. Katara was already seeing a few flaws in how Pakku was fighting her, but she wouldn't act on them just yet. She wanted to show what she could do.

Mustering her inner strength, she punched into the water wall and sent it streaming towards the crowd.

She'd been hoping to hit Yuraq, as he was standing close to the edge of the courtyard. So close that one hit might knock him over the side. With a drop like that, the old bastard might even break his neck. Anyone who saw it would take it for an accident. She'd have done everyone – especially Sialuk – a favor if it took him out. Unfortunately, she hit Sokka instead and sent him careening back with a yelp.

Katara didn't have time to feel particularly sorry about that, however, as the fight was still going.

She started to rush Pakku again and he brought up an ice ramp which Katara slid up, vaulting into the air. A less experienced person would have gone spiraling and crashed, but Katara had jumped off a mountain temple with only a flimsy device of wood and paper to hold her up. She knew not to flail around in a panic but to keep her back straight and let the motion carry her as if she was doing a dive, tucking her legs to her chest just long enough to roll through the flip.

She landed only slightly unsteadily on her feet, perched on top of a decorative post at the bottom of the staircase.

As Pakku dissolved the ice ramp into a wave, Katara rooted herself like she'd seen earthbenders do, and summoned ice around her feet to keep her in place. When the wave hit, she dissipated it in a single swirl of her hands.

"You can't knock me down!" she shouted.

Behind her, she could hear noise. Aang was piping up with a, "Go, Katara!" There were some more negative sounds from disapproving men, but she could've sworn that most of what she heard were cries of encouragement, people cheering her on.

She couldn't focus on that. She had to get back into the fight.

She tried again to rush Pakku, breaking through the barrier he'd brought up to hold her back, even getting close enough to exchange hand-to-hand moves before he sent a water blast that knocked her into one of the nearby pools. She wasn't under more than a moment before she shot up and summoned a round block of ice.

In imitation of another earthbending move she'd seen, she began to shoot ice disks towards Pakku. He deflected them easily, except for one that came dangerously close to his face.

He was distracted by that just long enough for her to get out of the pool and begin a new offensive. Water flew back and forth, waves surged, and Katara wasn't quick enough to deflect one attack and was toppled for a moment. She breathed in and out, centering herself, and shot back to her feet.

Pakku expected another reckless, headlong rush. Instead, Katara brought down the snow totem poles on either side of him.

He was surprised by the change in tactic, but not for long. He shattered them into powder with ease.

"Well, I'm impressed," Pakku said. "You are an excellent waterbender."

"But you still won't teach me, will you," she fired back. It wasn't a question.

"No."

Katara fired a wave of water at him which Pakku turned into an ice pillar to dodge another attack. He froze her next strike into an ice arch, which he slid down and slammed into her, dropping her to her feet.

Just as Katara pulled herself up, Pakku brought up a stream of water which he froze into spikes. The spikes fell in rapid succession all around her.

Katara was trapped.

"This fight is over."

No.

This wasn't it. It wasn't over, yet. She struggled and snarled.

It couldn't end. Not until she said it did. Her eyes scanned the crowd of spectators. Her friends were all there. Master Yugoda was there. So many girls and women were watching, many with wide, terrified eyes.

All those hopes and dreams, denied. So much pain and grief and stifling expectations. So, so many.

In those few moments, memories of childhood tales flashed through her mind.

"Do you know why all warriors of the South Pole are called 'Wolf Warriors'?" Mom told her.

Katara shook her head.

"Because the wolf is the greatest defender of the tribe. He was the eldest child of Mother Sedna. It was his duty to protect the tribe against all enemies and to see that no one went hungry. He was not the greatest because of his strength, but for the strength of his love for his family."

They were the Wolf Clan. They were descendants of Mother Sedna's firstborn. The eldest of the seven great clans. And not just from her father's side. Her mother had been born to the Polar Leopard Clan, another of the great seven, but she'd also had some Wolf in her, too.

In times of great distress, the Wolf Clan provided more war chiefs than any other clan in the Southern Water Tribe. Not all were men. Dozens of female chiefs, some waterbenders and some non-benders, were names that still lived in the memory of her people.

They all rose up to protect their tribe. Their pack.

Could Katara fail that legacy so badly?

She focused on the faces watching her with such awe and respect and sadness.

My wolf pack. They are starving.

She stopped her useless squirming and shut her eyes. She remembered something else she'd learned from Zuko. He could produce inner heat to keep himself warm. The Breath of Fire. Even Aang could control temperature through his airbending. Was waterbending any different?

Taking a breath deep into her lungs, Katara felt a warmth radiating from inside her. Yang energy was what Zuko had called it. Fierce and wild and difficult to control, but just what she needed.

She let out a sharp exhale through her nose and everything was engulfed in steam. The ice spikes holding her in place dissolved almost instantly.

With that heat pulsing in her veins, Katara turned to find Pakku had stopped with his back to her. He'd picked something up from the ground.

"This is-"

But that was as far as he got.

He'd turned his back to an opponent. Stupid. He'd brought this on himself.

He didn't expect the sudden strike that sent him careening to the end of the courtyard. He just managed to catch himself before he was sent over the edge into the canal below. Katara struck at him again and he managed to dodge.

A part of her wanted to be even more brutal. Maybe even deadly. But her aim wasn't to kill. She just wanted to make him hurt. To teach him a lesson.

"Wait!" he called out to her.

She ignored him and only struck harder. His moves had become more defensive, more hesitant, as if he was reluctant to engage in the fight anymore.

Katara smirked coldly.

When her gaze caught sight of the fancy palace in the background, her smile only became sharper. All those ridiculous laws were passed in that building. It was a beautiful, shining memorial to the subjugation and abuse of the women of the Northern Water Tribe. She aimed a powerful, earthbending-style strike into the ground that caused a massive fissure to open. It definitely took Pakku off his feet and also rent the grand staircase in a jagged line down the center, trailing upwards until the palace, itself, split and cracked.

It took a lot of energy to do that and Katara was feeling shaky, but it wasn't enough.

Destroy it all, a new voice called to her from the back of her mind. Do NOT stop.

It was familiar. Like an old friend she couldn't quite remember the name of. She'd sometimes heard it before, usually when she was extremely angry. She'd always chalked it up to being her intrusive thoughts. The things she kept deeply buried out of fear of what would emerge if she let them out. Her darker, more ruthless inclinations which she never wanted anyone to see.

But she was so fucking sick of this place and its pig-bullshit.

She slammed her foot into the ground and the entire courtyard shook. She was so tired, but she couldn't stop now. All she wanted to do was break things. Briefly, Katara wondered if this was sort of what it felt like for Aang when he was in the Avatar State. Her moves were less coordinated, but there was intense power behind them.

Pakku was yelling something at her. He didn't seem to be aggressive or mocking, in fact it almost sounded like he was calling for the fight to end, but Katara still didn't want to hear it. She knocked him back into a far corner of the courtyard.

She would stop fighting either when she wanted to or when she was dead. Not a moment sooner.

And Pakku wasn't the only one in her sights, anymore. She saw the council members still hanging about. They were responsible for this mess. If they weren't so corrupt and prideful, things wouldn't have gone this far.

It would be so easy to take them all down. They wouldn't expect her to turn from her designated opponent and go for them.

A firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Katara."

She whipped around, glaring at whoever it was who dared to keep her from bringing vengeance down on the ones who'd committed such terrible wrongs. But her expression softened as she recognized Pikatti.

Packmate. Friend. Family.

"Katara, you can stop now," she said. "We'll make them listen. Just, please, stop."

Katara dropped her hands and swayed on her feet as her exhaustion finally caught up with her. Before she knew it, she was leaning on Pikatti to keep from falling over. Another person moved to support her on the other side. It was Ahnah. One by one, all her friends were there. The girls from the healing huts, Aang, Sokka, as well as Kisuk and Chaska. There were even some strangers who had come up to offer their compliments on her performance or to ask if she was all right.

"That was incredible!"

"The best waterbending I've ever seen."

But Katara just felt numb. As well as somewhat frightened. Had that really been her? Had she actually considered killing the entire council in cold blood like that? As furious as she was, she wasn't the type of person to do that sort of thing. At least, she didn't think she was.

And the destruction. She couldn't believe all the damage she'd done in such a short span of time. The palace and its main courtyard were an absolute wreck. If waterbending as a woman was enough to get her banished, there was no coming back from this.

"You had me scared for a minute, Katara," said Sokka. "You were going so hard, I thought you were going to burst into flames."

"Not…enough," Katara rasped out.

Everything hurt. Her muscles were screaming, her lips were chapped and dry, her eyes burned, and each breath was like dozens of needles poking down her throat and into her lungs.

She was so lost in all that was happening, she almost didn't notice Pakku approach.

She glared at the ground. She hadn't beaten him.

He'd still been standing when all was done. He hardly had so much as a scratch.

"Class is at sunrise," he said, his voice strangely soft, no trace of his previous scorn and smugness. "If you would still like a teacher, don't be late."

Had she heard that right? She was about to say something, but Pakku walked away.

Pikatti pulled her into a crushing hug which several of the others joined in with.

"You did it! You did it, Katara!"

Katara started laughing. And crying.

She'd actually done it.

"Katara, where's your necklace?" Aang said.

Katara nearly bolted to search for it, but Tuta told her to wait there while she looked for it. Katara was grateful for that. Every part of her was in pain right then. Tuta returned a few minutes later.

"There, no damage done," she said, returning the necklace to her. "Kind of strange, though."

"What is it?"

"It was over there. But I don't remember you going there in the fight."

She was right. The spot where Tuta had found her necklace was the spot she'd knocked Pakku into during their fight. That was odd.

But Katara put that thought from her mind as she needed to get back on her feet and head back to the hut to rest. The effort proved far too much, however, and the world began to tilt in front of her. Thankfully, the others kept her from falling.

A drowsy haze fell over her eyes and she barely remembered the return walk to the hut before she woke up on the bed of soft furs.

"I don't want to say, 'I told you so.'"

"Then don't."

He didn't want to listen to anyone or anything at that moment, least of all Yugoda crowing about what a blind old fool he was. He wanted her to go away, to let him brood alone in peace, but she stayed and took up the empty space beside him as he sat there on the wall.

"Did you know?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Since her first day in my class."

"…And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Would you have believed me? Would you have even listened? Maybe you would've realized it on your own if you knew how to see past your own nose, Pakku."

"My vision is perfect, thank you."

"And yet you still couldn't see what was right in front of you."

Of course, it was obvious now that he knew what to look for. That girl…Katara…she looked so much like Kanna at that age. There were a few differences, obviously; likely from the other side of her family, whomever they were, but there was so much of Kanna in her that he felt like an imbecile for not noticing it.

Maybe he just hadn't wanted to.

He'd believed for so long that Kanna was dead. In his mind, he simply couldn't envision her any other way. That she had traveled to the other end of the world all on her own. That she'd had a life outside of the North Pole, far away from him.

She hadn't needed him to be happy. She hadn't needed him to live.

And he spent decades never able to realize that.

He had been wallowing in his grief over a life and relationship he never had, all while the woman he loved was alive and moving on in the South Pole. He could have followed after her, begged her for forgiveness, and might even have had a chance to earn her regard if he'd tried. And he could have done it a long time ago.

"Is Kanna…?"

"Katara said her grandmother was alive and well when they left the South Pole," said Yugoda.

There were a million other questions burning on his tongue, but Pakku wasn't sure how to ask. Yugoda seemed to sense them, though, and smiled as she related what Katara had told her. She told of how Kanna had become an esteemed elder of her clan and tribe, a leader who kept everyone together through difficult times. That she was respected for her wisdom and diligence, and even took on the role of a teacher in her clan.

It was easy to imagine. Kanna had wanted so badly to reopen the school, to share her knowledge with others, to help people.

"…And her son, Katara's father, is leading the southern warriors in the fight against the Fire Nation…they elected him their chief…"

Pakku blinked as that new bit of information fully registered.

Kanna was the mother of the Southern Water Tribe's chief. She had a child, a family…a life Pakku had no part in. Unbidden, the image of a nameless, faceless man standing beside Kanna appeared in Pakku's head. He couldn't tell if the man was a southern warrior or from the Earth Kingdom or anything else besides the fact that he made Kanna happy. Happy enough that she had a son with him. He must be quite an impressive man if Kanna chose him.

Kanna would never have settled for anything less than the best.

"I'm just relieved you finally came to your senses," said Yugoda.

Pakku stared at her, having been startled out of his train of thought.

"What do you mean?"

"Agreeing to teach Katara. It's nice to know that you're not beyond hope."

"I was only refusing because of our traditions-"

"Nonsense. You enjoyed turning her away before. No, Pakku, don't even try to deny it. You've never seen women as your peers. Not even Kanna."

That…was only slightly untrue. He loved Kanna and respected her intelligence. She'd been the only woman who seemed even remotely sane to him. She didn't waste her time on frivolous things or silly, insincere prattle. She was the most remarkable woman Pakku had ever met.

Of course, despite that, she was still a woman. Still fragile and helpless and in need of a man to protect her. So impetuous and caught up in emotions at times that she needed a levelheaded man to stop her from doing something that might get her in trouble.

Except…she hadn't needed that, after all.

"And with how you treat our White Lotus sisters, are you really surprised I was chosen to be a Grand Lotus and you weren't?"

That stung his pride. He'd been furious when the senior members of the order refused his petition to advance to the next level. When he'd demanded an explanation, they informed him that there had been complaints from his colleagues about how he conducted himself. He hadn't understood what they meant.

Yugoda was more than happy to finally spell it out for him now that he was willing to listen.

She explained that, as members of the White Lotus, they weren't supposed to discriminate because of things like nationality, age, or sex. Their aim should always be the betterment of the world. Pakku's attitude towards women who were not only his equals but even his superiors had been condescending at best and, at times, openly hostile. Of course the high-ranking members of the order denied him advancement. Pakku had given them no reason besides his bending abilities to believe he was deserving of the title of a Grand Lotus.

What was more, Pakku's recent behavior was not only ignorant but actively dangerous. Refusing to teach the Avatar because his friend and traveling companion was a female waterbender put the safety of their tribe and the world in peril.

Personal grievances and arrogance had no place in the White Lotus. They were poison to a functional organization.

Pakku listened closely to every word. He had a feeling that Yugoda had been bottling up her rant for a very long time. And, he realized, it was his own fault for not paying attention sooner. Thinking back, every time she had tried to address those matters with him before, he had brushed her off and ignored any shred of advice she had given him.

"But I'm glad you've seen some sense," Yugoda added. "After all, you can't deny that Katara will be an outstanding waterbending master, someday."

Of course he couldn't deny it. A teenage girl with no formal training had actually held her own in a fight against him. She'd done moves which Pakku would never have even considered. She was a natural talent and had clearly taken to heart waterbending's core principle of adaptation and change. One couldn't ask for a better student.

Except, if Pakku had had his way, Katara wouldn't be his student now.

If events in the past had happened according to Pakku's wishes, if Kanna had stayed, if Katara had been Pakku's grandchild, that talent would never be nurtured. Katara would've grown up a northern lady, consigned to a future of being nothing more than a wife, mother, and healer. Someone so gifted might not even know how far her abilities could go because it wasn't proper for her to learn.

Imagining such a mundane path for that girl with fire in her heart and Kanna's bright eyes churned Pakku's stomach. It just seemed fundamentally wrong.

But wasn't that the life you tried to force on Kanna?

The unbidden thought poked and prodded at him and Pakku felt ashamed of himself because he knew it was right. Kanna wasn't a waterbender, but she had remarkable talents and exceptional intelligence that were being wasted in the Northern Water Tribe because she was not allowed to do more with them. No wonder she left if the restrictions placed on her were even a fraction of what they were for her granddaughter.

And, to top it off, Pakku had been a willing participant in both Kanna's and Katara's suffering.

He'd been wrong. He'd been so very wrong for so many years. He wasn't sure if he could make amends for the harm he'd done, but he was going to try. Even if he couldn't fix things between him and Kanna, he would do everything he could to do right by Kanna's granddaughter.

When sunrise came, it would be the first dawn for a new man named 'Pakku.'

Sokka took a deep breath of the frosty night air.

He'd felt it would be best to give Katara some space. Her new gal pals were keeping her company, making sure she was healed up from the fight and well-rested for her class tomorrow.

He smiled to himself with no small amount of pride for his little sister. That had been some serious waterbending. If she kept that up, the Fire Nation wouldn't stand a chance. Dad would be thrilled once he heard all about Katara holding her own like that. Though, he'd probably be pretty angry that Katara even had to go through that to earn her right to learn waterbending. Considering Dad's temper was a lot like Katara's, he might even be tempted to throw hands with the northerners too.

At least one hurdle had been jumped. Katara had made her stand and now she could train beside Aang in Master Pakku's class.

And, if Sokka's hunch was correct, some of her own students would be appearing at the training grounds before too long. There was no way Katara wouldn't insist that the other girls be allowed to learn. If Pakku tried to dig in his heels again, it was more than likely that Katara wouldn't stand by and let them continue to be excluded.

His sister was on a roll, at the moment. She wasn't going to stop just because she got access. No, Katara wouldn't be satisfied until every woman and girl was able to share the same rights as men.

He continued to muse on the social upheaval his sister had kicked off until he spotted a figure on a nearby bridge. The moonlight cast its shimmering light onto her, making her appear to glow.

Princess Yue was as beautiful as always.

Slowly, cautiously, Sokka approached her. This conversation was overdue. He knew why it was she didn't want to associate with him. He needed to talk to her about it. If only for his own sanity. He wouldn't be able to keep dealing with these awkward encounters until he laid it all out on the table and accepted her rejection.

"What do you want from me?" she said as he drew close.

"Nothing," he answered. "I just want you to know…I think you're beautiful. And I never thought a girl like you would even notice a guy like me."

"You don't understand."

"No, no. See, that's the thing. I think I do understand now. You're a Princess, and I'm…I'm just a southern peasant."

"No. Sokka-"

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'll see you around, okay?"

He turned to leave, content that he'd finally brought the true issue into the light. However, before he could take a step, Princess Yue grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close. He was about to ask what she was doing when he suddenly found a pair of soft, warm lips silencing him. He shut his eyes as a feeling of euphoric bliss washed over him and leaned in. It took him a moment to realize what exactly was happening and for him to reluctantly pull away.

"Okay," said Sokka, slightly light-headed. "Now I'm really confused. Happy, but confused."

"I do like you. A lot. But we can't be together. And not for the reason you think. It's because…I'm engaged."

She reached up to the collar of her parka and pulled it down just enough that Sokka could see a betrothal necklace hanging there. It felt as if he'd taken a punch directly to his stomach and all the air was knocked out of his lungs.

"I'm sorry."

"So, where do you come from?"

Zuko had been doing his best to ignore the barrage of questions from the captain's young daughter, but Makata wouldn't be pacified with silence. She kept asking until she got at least some semblance of an answer. Her brother Eje only made things worse, adding his own line of inquiry and making it more difficult for Zuko to stay vague.

"Far away," Zuko answered.

"You don't look like you're from the Earth Kingdom," Eje added. "Or the Water Tribe."

"And how'd you get that scar, anyway?" said Makata.

Zuko tensed.

"Kids, leave the Swab alone and let him get on with his work," Captain Yelu called over.

Makata and Eje grumbled but left him be for the moment. Zuko knew it wasn't going to be the end of their little interrogation, but he would take whatever outs he could get.

"Don't take it to heart," said Captain Yelu. "Kids that age are more often full of questions rather than wisdom."

"I'm used to it," Zuko said, only just stopping himself half way from reaching up to touch his scar.

"Just 'cause you're used to it doesn't make it all right. I s'pose it's my fault for not teaching those two to know better."

"They're just curious. I can't blame them for that."

"Maybe not, but they still need to learn some restraint. To have more respect for other folks."

Zuko tensed at the word 'respect.' His gaze flicked over to the two children who were now peering over the ship's railing to watch a nearby pod of dolphin-dugong leap into the air. His thoughts began to twist those happy, laughing, eager faces into expressions of fear. Of a dark figure looming over them in fury for their 'disrespect.' A figure that bore only the superficial appearance of Captain Yelu.

His stomach knotted anxiously and Zuko tried to push away the thought of who the dark figure and the two children actually resembled in his mind's eye.

Instinct made him want to plead on the children's behalf. To insist that it wasn't a big deal. But Captain Yelu walked away and called Makata and Eje over from the railing for a talk. Zuko was on pins and needles as he kept his attention fixed on what the captain would do and say to the two kids. He mentally cursed himself for getting them in trouble. If only he'd thought up more answers for his cover story. He listened closely, waiting for some harsh words to be said.

But no harsh words came.

Captain Yelu spoke calmly, albeit in his gruff sailor's way, and sat with his children close to either side of him. Zuko couldn't hear every word, what with the ocean wind, but he caught snippets. It was mostly the captain telling his children that asking personal questions could be seen as rude and that not everyone was so patient as 'Lee' had been. At no point did Makata and Eje seem upset or scared of their father.

It was strange. More like a conversation Zuko might expect from Uncle Iroh than…

He shook his head. Of course he'd overreacted. Plenty of fathers were gentle with their children. Even if the child was being rebuked for misbehavior, it didn't mean the child would end up frightened, cowering, or in tears. He had made a terrible assumption and he immediately felt guilty for thinking so badly of Captain Yelu.

Of course you were being stupid, like you always are, he thought to himself.

Makata and Eje soon came over and apologized to him for their rudeness. Zuko gave a short "Okay" and went back to work. The kids soon returned to their father's side as he laid out a map and started to give them a lesson about how to read it. Zuko felt an itch under his skin. A strange, longing sensation. Inexplicably, he found himself thinking of his uncle again. This was soon followed by a flood of shame and guilt for leaving so suddenly, but it couldn't be helped. He'd done what he'd had to. He could never live with himself if Uncle Iroh got dragged into his problems any more than he already had. It didn't stop him from wishing the old man was with him then, dishing out confusing proverbs couched in stupid flower idioms.

He consoled himself with the reminder that he did have other people in his life now. Ones who were waiting for him just beyond the horizon.

Aang smiled widely at Katara as the two of them headed onto the training grounds.

It was such a relief that this had all been sorted out. They were finally going to learn waterbending together.

He did think Katara went a little overboard during her fight with Master Pakku, though. He'd been willing to end the whole thing, but Katara hadn't stopped. And there had been so much destruction and Katara had been so angry, it actually scared Aang a bit. Katara had seemed ready to genuinely hurt people and wreck the whole city.

Not that she ever would. Aang knew Katara was too kind to ever go that far. She just wanted to make a point. She probably hadn't even considered causing any real harm to anyone. Property damage aside.

Still, Aang was happy that everything had turned out for the best. Now, there were no more major problems to deal with and they could focus on training.

"What's that girl doing here?!"

Kautak was fuming as he came storming over to them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he snarled at Aang. "It's not enough that you insult Master Pakku, but now you're shaming our tribe!"

Without any warning, he gave Aang a hard shove that nearly knocked him over. Katara darted in-between them and took a defensive stance.

"Don't you touch him," she said, her tone hard.

"Out of my way, little girl. The Avatar needs to learn that he can't hide behind his nursemaid an-"

That was as far as Kautak got before Katara grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back like Sokka had shown them how to do at the secret training sessions. She then pressed him down until his face was on the floor.

"Master Pakku!" Kautak shouted. "Master Pakku!"

The man, himself, appeared and came strolling up to the scene at a casual pace. Aang couldn't tell how he was going to respond as the waterbending master's face had the same stern, grumpy expression it always had.

"Master Pakku, thank the spirits," Kautak said frantically. "You have to do something! The Avatar brought this crazy girl here and she attacked me."

Master Pakku's gaze remained impassive. He then gave a small huff and turned to Katara.

"Pupil Katara, while your moves were admirably swift, your form needs some work," he said. "Pupil Kautak, since you seem to be eager for a sparring match, perhaps you would be so good as to assist."

"Master Pakku?"

Katara released her grip on Kautak, who scrambled to his feet looking absolutely bewildered. Aang watched as the two of them got into fighting stances under Master Pakku's direction. It wasn't even two minutes before Katara had Kautak frozen to the ground. The other boys in the class had gathered around to gawk. A few of them were already calling out taunts to Kautak for being beaten by a girl.

The laughing stopped when Master Pakku ordered each one of them to go up against Katara.

As the sparring session went on, Aang became concerned. With each opponent, Katara attacked without even a hint of hesitation. It didn't seem to be a lesson so much as a chance for Katara to beat up their classmates. Definitely not what Aang was expecting for Katara's first day at waterbending class.

He'd hoped that having Katara there would bring a bit more fun to the experience. Katara was such a sweet and kind person, Aang had expected that she would ease some of the tension Aang had faced from the other boys. Maybe they could all have a friendly, good-natured environment in which to learn.

But with each water-blast and ice-dagger, Aang found that was becoming less and less likely.

It was so strange. Ever since they'd gotten to the Northern Water Tribe, Katara had been like that. So angry and aggressive. It wasn't like her, at all, and it made Aang very uncomfortable. Katara shouldn't be like that. She should be happy and gentle and caring.

He could understand that the unfair treatment she'd gotten had made her upset, but they'd worked through that. She was allowed to waterbend now. Everything should be back to normal.

So, why did she still seem so mad?

They were within sight of the city.

So close that Zuko could see buildings rising up into the cliffs behind the ice wall. It was right there, maybe half an hour's sail away. If Zuko had the luck that the spirits had given Azula, he'd be seeing his friends before nightfall.

Unfortunately, Zuko didn't have Azula's luck. And few times in his life were more glaringly obvious in that than that moment.

"I'm sorry. I have my orders from Chief Arnook. Nobody in, nobody out."

The leader of the Water Tribe patrols was a large, rugged man – though not quite as large and rugged as Captain Yelu. He and his men had surrounded their ship, freezing them in place with waterbending, and then come aboard to basically tell them to turn around and go back to where they'd come from. It took a great deal of self-control on Zuko's part to not immediately shove past him and start swimming for the city. After everything he'd done to get here and he couldn't even make the final stretch to get to his friends?

No. Zuko refused to allow this whole trip to have been for nothing.

"Come on, Tulimaq," said Captain Yelu. "We've known each other for years. You know I only mean to do some trade and leave."

"Orders are orders, Yelu," said Tulimaq. "Chief Arnook called for a total lockdown of the tribe. No exceptions."

"Why the change?"

"There've been worries about Fire Nation spies going around the tribe. And with things being as they are, Chief Arnook's not taking any chances."

Captain Yelu scratched at his chin and looked over his crew. For a moment, Zuko felt the captain's eyes linger on him just a bit longer than the others before he faced Tulimaq again.

"How's about this, then," he said. "We keep our ship docked out here and you escort a handful of merchants out to trade with us? They pick up the cargo, we get our usual payment, everyone goes home happy."

Tulimaq paused to think it over.

"Our citizens aren't supposed to leave the tribe," he said.

"They won't be," said Captain Yelu. "We're in your waters. It'll be no different than you lot coming aboard in the first place. And none of my crew will set foot in your tribe while the trade is being done."

Tulimaq hesitated another few seconds before giving a short nod.

"Fine. I'll get a few of the merchants out here. But once we've got everything finished, you need to leave."

"Agreed. We shouldn't need more than a day. Two at the absolute most."

The two men clasped each other's forearm. Zuko figured it must be a type of Water Tribe version of a handshake.

As the Water Tribe patrol headed towards the city to make good their arrangement, Zuko began to feel antsy. He couldn't go to shore the way he'd hoped, but he had at least a day to start making plans.

One way or another, he was getting inside that city.

"Katara!" Pikatti called out, waving her over to their waiting group. "I was wondering if you'd come back to see us."

"Of course I did," said Katara. "You're not getting rid of me just because I'm training with Master Pakku now."

"So, are our…practice sessions still on?" said Ahnah.

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"Well," said Tuta, shifting on her feet. "You are in a very precarious place right now, Katara. The first girl in the North Pole to train as a waterbender in living memory. Perhaps it would be wiser if-"

"This isn't just about me, Tuta. I want to be a waterbending master, sure, but I am not leaving anyone behind just because it's 'safer.' If I cared about playing it safe, I wouldn't be learning now."

"That sounds good to me," said Ajei.

"If we're going to keep up with this, though, we're going to need to plan a proper training schedule," said Yura. "Katara, you've got a lot going on right now. You don't need any extra pressure."

"I can handle it," said Katara.

"Maybe. But it would be best if we had some organization."

They all glanced up as Nauja's obnoxious laugh cut in. Nauja didn't stop to taunt them but she sneered as she passed by.

"This place is a little too public to talk about this," said Pikatti.

"We can go to my house," said Lusa.

"Are you sure?" said Katara. "Your parents won't mind, will they?"

"Trust me. My house is probably the safest place to discuss this other than the cave."

"All right," said Yura. "I'll get Sialuk and we'll meet you there. We need someone else to go get the others."

"Sokka's still at warrior training, right now," said Katara. "But I think Sesi should be almost finished at the library."

"I can go get Kisuk," Ahnah said. Adding, "and Chaska," almost as an afterthought.

"What about Aang?" said Pikatti.

"He ran off after class," Katara said with an annoyed huff. "He said it wasn't very fun today and he needs a break."

"Well…I guess if he doesn't want to be involved in this, that's on him." Pikatti kept her tone even, but Katara could sense she wasn't thrilled by Aang deciding to goof off when there was so much work to be done.

Katara couldn't say she disagreed with her.

Lusa's home was in the lower level of the city, a small structure along a street filled with tradesmen's shops. The front of the house, itself, was packed full of spears, bone knives, and other weapons.

"Dad!" Lusa called out as she led the group inside. "I have guests!"

There was a crash from the other room.

"Be there in a moment," Lusa's dad answered. "You folks make yourselves at home."

"So, your dad's a weapon-maker?" Katara asked Lusa.

"Yeah. He's one of the best." She paused. "Or, well, he was."

A moment later, a short, thin man limped into the room. He gave a friendly smile and took a seat. Katara noticed his hands were shaking beneath his over-large sleeves.

"This is my dad," said Lusa.

"Maahe," he introduced himself. "Pleased to meet you. Oh, don't feel you have to stand there. Sit, sit."

As they waited for the rest of their group to turn up, Maahe asked them questions. He was very eager to hear about what was going on in his daughter's life and was delighted to see she had so many new friends. There were a few moments, though, where the conversation was interrupted by things like Lusa's youngest siblings waking up from a nap and Lusa hurrying off to comfort them, or Maahe trying to reach for something and Lusa darting forward to get it for him.

"I'll let you kids get on with, well, whatever it is you're up to," Maahe said, getting up and turning to a side room. "Oh, Lusa, your mother's working late again. I need you to-"

"Already on it, Dad," Lusa said, shooting to her feet and snatching up a stewpot.

"Lusa, is there anything I can do?" said Katara.

"Of course not. You're a guest."

"Come on, Lusa," said Ajei, "you don't have to do everything by yourself."

But Lusa didn't seem to register what they were saying. The last few members of their group arrived soon after, but Lusa only seemed vaguely aware of the rest of them as she went about cooking dinner and making sure her siblings were taken care of and didn't come in to disturb the meeting. Any time Katara or one of the other girls offered to help, she dismissed the suggestion and said she could handle it.

Yura and Tuta took over running the meeting. As they noted down what times for waterbending and healing practice worked for everyone, Katara couldn't stop watching Lusa. She hadn't noticed before how dark the circles were under her eyes, how she couldn't sit down for more than two minutes before someone was giving her another task. There was something painfully familiar about it.

Even when Lusa was sitting down with the group, Katara noticed that she was carving arrowheads and spear tips.

"You know, you can take a break, Lusa," Katara told her.

"I can't," said Lusa, shaking her head. She set aside a bone dagger she'd finished carving.

"I thought women weren't allowed to learn weapon-making," said Chaska.

"They're not. But someone needs to help Dad finish his orders. And I don't have any brothers, so…" She looked at the rest of the group apologetically. "I'm sorry if I have to miss a few meetings."

"Lusa, if you need some help, you just have to ask," said Yura.

"You know you can always count on me," Ajei added, slinging an arm around Lusa's shoulder. "Seeing how often I stay with you, I can take care of some of the chores."

"But-"

"Lusa, we're all here to look out for each other," said Katara. "You don't have to do everything by yourself."

Lusa seemed uncertain.

"Hey, Lusa," said Ajei, "I can start right now. As long as I can stay here tonight."

"Of course you can stay, Ajei," said Lusa. "You don't even have to ask at this point."

Ajei looked relieved by that. She then insisted on taking over cooking so that Lusa could focus on her carving. After that, the meeting resumed and a schedule was arranged. With that done, the group settled into chatting with each other about what waterbending or hand-to-hand moves they were going to learn at the next training session, which steadily transitioned into more casual talk as Ajei began to distribute bowls of stew to everyone.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Sokka said, finally arriving. "How much did I miss?"

"Only the important parts," said Katara. "What held you up?"

"Hahn," Sokka grumbled. "I have never met anybody, literally ever, who was as much up his own ass as that guy. Thanks," he added as Ajei passed him a bowl.

"What did that koala-otter shit do this time?" said Sesi, prompting a few gasps at her language from Tuta, Yura, and Sialuk.

Sokka then began a five-minute rant about the agony of enduring any amount of time around Hahn. At least irritation was better than the moping he'd been doing. Katara had tried to ask him what was wrong, but Sokka insisted that it wasn't anything she needed to worry about. She had a strong suspicion that it involved Princess Yue standing him up again, but out of respect for Sokka she decided not to pry or tease him about it. His relationship with the princess – or lack of one, as the case seemed to be – was clearly causing him a lot of pain and Katara was not going to go and make it worse for him.

Just because she enjoyed mocking her brother as payback for all the times he did the same to her, she wouldn't push it when he was genuinely upset. Both of them knew where to draw the line.

"At least you don't have to attend family gatherings with him," said Kisuk.

"You're related to that creep?" said Sokka.

"Second cousins."

Kisuk shared a few stories of growing up with Hahn as a relative. Apparently, Hahn's late father was Chief Arnook's closest and dearest friend, so Hahn used that as an excuse to act like a spoiled brat. And now that Hahn was getting married, he was becoming even more insufferable.

"Any time I see him, he makes these passive-aggressive comments," said Kisuk, "like he thinks he's better than me just because he's getting married first."

"And it's hardly fair for you," Chaska added. "After all, it's not like you're in a position to propose to the girl you actually like."

Kisuk puffed up in indignation at that comment, but deflated when Ahnah reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. Katara noticed a meaningful look pass between the two and the pieces fully clicked together.

"At least we don't have to deal with that in the South Pole," said Sokka. "Most folks back home don't get married until they're at least eighteen, if not twenty."

"Really?" said Ajei. She then turned to Katara. "So, you're eighteen, then?"

"Uh, no, Ajei," said Katara. "This was my grandmother's necklace originally." She explained to everyone the origins of the necklace and how it was passed down to her. "And I'm not planning to get married before twenty. And definitely not at fourteen."

"You're fourteen?" Lusa said in surprise.

"Well, I'll be turning fifteen in a few days."

"You're really still fourteen?" said Ajei. "I could've sworn you were older than that."

"I'd have said younger," said Lusa. "I mean, you don't have your piercings."

Katara reached up to touch one ear.

"I guess I don't," she said. "I was going to have my piercing ceremony during the winter solstice, but I sort of missed it."

"So you never got your ears pierced?" said Pikatti.

"Uh, well, we kind of left the South Pole in a rush. I didn't have time to wait around and I forgot about it."

"But…" said Ajei, "but what if an evil spirit tries to possess you?"

Considering that she was a friend and traveling companion of the Avatar, Katara realized that might be a very real possibility in the future. They'd already witnessed the very real threat that an angry spirit could pose, and Katara had a wealth of spirit-tales from back home that told her just how dark things could get if one wasn't prepared. And the Southern Water Tribe had a myriad of little customs to keep away negative entities.

Mom had followed those customs faithfully. Even the simplest things, like never whistling at night, not lingering in doorways, or always facing north when eating blubber. Mom had known every one of them. With an angakkuq for a father, how could she not?

And for Katara to have neglected her piercing ceremony, one of the most important coming-of-age rites for a Water Tribe girl, it left her with a deep sense of shame.

"We have to correct that, right now," Tuta said firmly.

"Quite right," said Yura. "You can't turn fifteen without getting your piercings."

Katara blinked in surprise as she suddenly became the object of attention for a group of eager girls. Sokka, Kisuk, and Chaska got shooed into the adjoining room and, on asking if there was anything they could do to help, were told to take over the task of making arrowheads and spear tips for Lusa. With the boys out of the way, the girls began looking over their bone needle sets to see who had the best ones for a piercing ceremony and deciding who would do what.

Sesi's needle set proved to be the best quality and the least used. Tuta knew the ritual words by heart. Yura had the steadiest hand. Sialuk was the most skilled healer. Pikatti had the best eye for where to mark where the piercings would go on Katara's ears. Lusa took up a piece of bone she'd set aside for a spear tip and began to quickly carve a set of earrings. Ajei sat next to Katara and held her hand, giving her reassurances that ear piercing didn't hurt.

Katara was relieved that Ajei was right. She was nervous when Yura started to press the needle in, but it was over very quickly with no more than a slight pinch. Sialuk soon had a small, focused drop of water hovering in glowing light above her hand which she bent to seal up the sides of the incision. When Yura took the needle back out, it didn't even sting.

After they did the same procedure on Katara's other ear, Lusa presented her with her first pair of earrings. They were still a little rough, but Lusa had done lovely work for such a short amount of time and Katara was delighted to receive such a thoughtful gift.

"You said it's still a couple days before your birthday," said Pikatti, "but do you have any birthday wishes, Katara?"

Of course she had a lot of birthday wishes. She wished the war would end. She wished Aang could master the elements and become a proper Avatar. She wished she would become a strong waterbender who could defend her loved ones and rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. She wished that families would be reunited. She wished her father and the other warriors could go home. She wished the women and girls of the North Pole were treated as human beings.

Wishing for anything else would be incredibly arrogant of her. With all the big problems facing the world at the moment, how could she ask for anything else?

But a small, honest, selfish part of her had one little desire that was just hers alone.

She really wished that Zuko was there. She wasn't sure when or how it happened, but Zuko had become one of the people Katara couldn't see herself being without. A member of her wolf pack. She missed him. She missed his hot-headed yet painfully sincere manners. She missed the shy, awkward way he interacted with people he wasn't trying to fight and the genuinely impressive way he dealt with the people he did try to fight. She missed having someone there who could see things as she did – Sokka was trying to be a diplomat and Aang just wanted to avoid tension, but Zuko would definitely have called out the sexist idiocy of the North Pole just as Katara had and damned the consequences.

As much as she loved her brother and Aang, and as much as she appreciated what support they could give her, Zuko wouldn't have stood back and tried to talk her down from venting her anger of the situation.

And, really, she just wanted him there. Things hadn't felt right since they left him behind. She knew it was for his own safety, but Katara couldn't help but feel like she'd abandoned him.

She could only hope that he was doing all right. Wherever he was.

Time was of the essence.

He'd have to get this right or the whole scheme would blow up in his face. His first thought had been to stow away in some of the cargo going ashore, but none of it was the right size to hide him. There were a couple of crates that might do, but he'd have to remove all the goods inside to fit and it felt dishonorable to throw out supplies that the Water Tribe merchants were paying for, and, by extension, tarnishing Captain Yelu's reputation.

So, he opted for the less shameful method of stealing one of the small kayaks kept on board. Zuko had decided to leave the little money he had left on the captain's desk to pay for it. Once night fell, Zuko would row out and find a way inside the city.

As of that moment, it was a couple hours until dawn. He had snuck down to where the kayaks were stored and found a little-used area at the back of the ship to hide it along with his rucksack so he could make a quick getaway when the time came.

He had to stick to his plan closely. Once dawn came, the Water Tribe men would be back to finish up the trade deal. And, at evening, the ship would be sailing back to the Earth Kingdom.

So far, things had gone smoothly, but Zuko knew that nothing in his life would ever come easy. It was just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop. He couldn't allow himself to relax or he'd be caught off-guard when whatever was going to happen actually happened.

"Up a bit early, ain't ya, Swab?"

Zuko shot around from where he was stowing his getaway gear to come face-to-face with Captain Yelu. The man was leaning against the railing, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and watching him calmly.

"Captain," Zuko fumbled, trying to think up an excuse for what he was up to, "I was just-"

"Word to the wise. If you're going to commandeer something, leave your payment for it behind right before you leave."

He withdrew the money pouch Zuko had left on the desk in his cabin and tossed it back to him.

"It's all there," said Captain Yelu. "I'm not lookin' to take a poor swab's money."

"I'm sorry." Zuko hung his head. "I have to get into the Water Tribe. I didn't mean to-"

"Calm down, Swab. Your business is your own and I won't be stopping you. But I have to make sure you know what you're doing. Now, you've got your gear and a kayak, what will you do when you get to that wall? Do you even know a way in?"

"I heard some of the waterbenders yesterday talking about turtle-seal caves in the cliff."

"That might well take a good deal of swimming. Do you realize how cold that water is?"

"…Very cold?"

"It's a deep, piercing, burning cold. The kind that seeps into your bones and feels like fifty punches to the stomach. It reaches into your chest and squeezes the air out of your lungs. I've known sailors to die within minutes of falling in that water."

"I can handle it."

Captain Yelu looked at him like he was crazy.

"Swab, I've already told you I try not to get involved in other people's business, but let me give you a word of warning. The cold of these waters is not something to be taken lightly. It's dangerous business, even for a firebender."

Zuko stared at him.

"How did you…?"

"I've been around a while. I know a thing or two. I wouldn't worry too much, Swab, most Earth Kingdom folks shouldn't be able to figure it out unless you start shootin' fireballs. Just try to avoid eye-contact if you can. While not everyone will think 'firebender' when they see gold eyes, they will make assumptions about you."

"What assumptions?"

"Put it like this, Swab. Most Earth Kingdom folks with gold eyes grew up without fathers."

Zuko really didn't like the implication of that, but he wasn't naïve enough to deny the horrible reality.

"At best, you'd probably get a lot of pity, but somethin' tells me you'd find that more insulting than if they think you're a Fire Nation spy."

He would. Insults, threats, even violence he could deal with, but Zuko didn't need or want anyone to pity him. Whether it was for real or imagined problems.

"As for sneakin' into the Northern Water Tribe," Captain Yelu continued, "I can't say that's the smartest course of action."

"I don't have another choice."

"If you say so. But do you even know where to go in that city? They don't care much for outsiders on the best of days. If they find out you're a firebender…well, let's just say it won't be pleasant."

"I have friends in there. They're the reason I'm out here, in the first place."

"Do you know how to find them?"

"I'll figure it out once I'm inside."

Captain Yelu looked skeptical, but Zuko held his gaze.

"Perhaps. But there's no tellin' what sort of trouble you might get mixed up in. If you do get into a bind, I know of one person who might be able to help."

"Who?"

"She's a senior healer in the tribe. It's been some time since she and I last spoke in person, but she'll know I sent you if you just tell her this…The saffron crocus may bring wealth, but moss campion can brave the arctic winds."

"You have got to be kidding me," Zuko said in sheer disbelief.

"Sure as the tides, Swab, that's the phrase you should use."

Zuko wanted to groan in frustration. What was with all these old coots and their stupid flowers?

Katara brushed down the front of her parka, hoping she looked presentable.

After all, it wasn't every day she got to meet a great-aunt she previously didn't even know she had. To say nothing of the fact that said great-aunt lived in the upper levels of the Northern Water Tribe capital.

"There's no need to be nervous, Katara," said Master Yugoda.

Katara nodded, but the twisty feeling in her stomach was still there. She knew that this was just a meal with a family member. After Katara had finished her waterbending and healing lessons that day, Master Yugoda had pulled her aside and asked if she was ready to meet Tehya, Gran-Gran's younger sister. Honestly, with all the excitement that had been going on, Katara had forgotten that she'd agreed to the meeting. But, once she'd shaken off the surprise of having the matter brought up again, she eagerly accepted the invitation to join Master Yugoda when she went to call on Tehya.

Her excitement, though, was still tempered by her nervousness and Katara began to fidget with one of the earrings she'd received in her impromptu piercing ceremony the day before.

Master Yugoda patted her reassuringly on the arm as they approached the house. They had barely announced their presence at the door than they were greeted by an elderly lady. She said her hello to Master Yugoda first, but her eyes quickly fixed on Katara.

"It is so wonderful to meet you."

Katara was taken aback for a moment at how much Tehya looked like Gran-Gran. She knew they were sisters, but it was still strange to see the resemblance in person. There were a few small differences, like Tehya's eyes being a darker shade of blue or how she still had a few brown streaks in her grey hair, but there was no mistaking that Tehya and Kanna were family. And, even beyond that, there was a wry glint in Tehya's eyes that so reminded Katara of her grandmother that her previous feelings of nervousness began to fade.

There were a few other distinctions between the sisters, though. Teyha had definitely aged more comfortably than Gran-Gran, with fewer laugh-lines and a softer complexion. She didn't have the same stooped posture that Gran-Gran had gained from decades of leaning over to tan hides or gut fish. Instead of a tired, world-honed village elder, Tehya was the picture of a respectable northern noblewoman.

Katara nodded politely to her great-aunt who promptly showed them inside; walking with a slow, halting gait as she leaned on a fancy walking stick, she invited them to sit with her at the hearth. The three of them ate together in relative silence for a short while before Tehya decided to get the conversation rolling.

She asked about how Gran-Gran was doing and her family life. She asked about Katara's parents and Sokka and the village. Katara eagerly shared those details. It was plain to see how affected Tehya was by what she told her. The woman had spent decades believing her older sister was likely dead. They had both lived their lives separated by an entire continent, never thinking that they'd see anything of the other again.

"What I don't understand is why Gran-Gran didn't say anything about being from the North Pole," Katara said. "I didn't even know we had family up here."

Tehya set down her cup of tea, a heavy look on her face.

"I'm honestly not too surprised," she said. "After everything that happened, she probably wanted to forget that she ever had a life here."

"I heard she had an arranged marriage she didn't want. But I was wondering how that happened. Master Yugoda said your father wouldn't have forced you to marry."

"Father wouldn't have, but our uncle did."

Tehya frowned as she took a calming breath.

"My father wanted to make radical changes," she explained. "He spent years pressuring the council to lift the ban on women learning waterbending, and only doubled-down on his stance after I found out that I could waterbend."

She closed her eyes tightly, as if lost in a memory.

"I wanted so badly to learn. But each day that Father came back from the council and told me they refused again, it just whittled away at me until I could only give up."

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at Katara with a deep earnestness.

"He would be so proud to know he had you for a great-granddaughter."

Katara felt a warmth swell in her heart.

"But, as I'm sure you realize, he faced a lot of backlash for his ideals," Tehya continued. "And when Kanna started that protest, it was the final straw."

Katara blinked in surprise. Master Yugoda had mentioned the waterbender protests, but that sounded like it came before her Gran-Gran was around.

"Yugoda, did you tell Katara about Kanna's work at the library?"

"I did. I just didn't have a chance to tell her about the student protest."

Tehya nodded.

"You see, Katara, our tribe used to also have a school for all Water Tribe members. Kanna loved that school and was dedicated to seeing it flourish. She even started to work as an assistant teacher there. That is, until the council shut it down."

"What?" said Katara. "Why? That doesn't make sense."

"Well, officially, it was closed because the council found that it was 'a breeding ground of sedition and a threat to Water Tribe values.' In reality, they closed it because they didn't want women and lower-class citizens getting ideas above their stations. Nowadays, the only people who can get an education are either those born to noble families or waterbenders."

"Why would they single out the waterbenders?"

"Kanna and I did a lot of digging into what was going on behind the scenes. She suspected the council was trying to keep everyone in the tribe divided so no one questioned their rulings. And one of the ways they enforced their control was giving waterbenders special privileges. Think about it. Our entire tribe would cease to function if we didn't have waterbenders. They're responsible for so many parts of our life that we can't even open our front gate without them."

Katara nodded. That was certainly true. Just about every aspect of the Northern Water Tribe's infrastructure seemed to depend on waterbenders.

"I believe you have a few friends in your classes that are from working-class families."

"Quite a few."

"One of the things the council decided is that all people with waterbending should be trained, regardless of social status. With the understanding that boys train to be warriors and girls to be healers. Those boys and girls are allowed opportunities that others aren't. All of them are assured of some type of work in the future. There isn't a single male waterbender who doesn't have a job. And even the weakest healer is seen as a better option for a wife than a non-bender."

Pikatti had said something similar. It sounded ridiculous to Katara, as if a person's worth was contingent upon them having bending abilities.

"Kanna and I saw all this in its early stages, before it became as ingrained as it is now. We were doing what we could to stop it. Things eventually got to the point that Kanna instigated a mass protest. We all marched on the palace, determined to make our voices heard. But things didn't work out as we expected."

Tehya said that she didn't know who started it, but the protest suddenly took a violent turn. No one had been able to pin down if it was one of the palace guards who had tried to rough up one of the students or a student had thrown a punch at a guard. Either way, things deteriorated quickly and many of them were rounded up.

"Kanna and I were among those arrested. Because of our actions, our father lost his position on the council." Her eyes began to brim with tears. "As if that weren't enough, his health began to fail him over the following month and, before we knew it…we came down to breakfast one morning and he was just…lying there."

She looked away and tried to take another deep breath to steady herself.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so overly dramatic."

Katara reached over to take her hand in a comforting grip.

"There is nothing to apologize for," she said.

Tehya gave a sad smile at her before somberly returning to her tale.

"After Father's passing, we were brought before the council alongside the other noble ladies who had joined the protest. The council decided Kanna and I should be placed in the care of our uncle, Tuuq, and that we either needed to get married or be exiled. Kanna and I were both prepared to choose exile, but our uncle told us he would sooner see us dead and that we were lucky he would attempt to find us husbands as soon as possible."

"So, that's how you and Gran-Gran ended up in arranged marriages?"

"Yes. Of course, we were both planning to sneak out and make our escape, but Uncle Tuuq was very vigilant. We weren't allowed out unless it was to go to the library, the healing huts, or the homes of our betrotheds. I to Tiyuk's house and Kanna to Pakku's."

"Wait, Pakku? You don't mean 'Master Pakku,' do you?"

"Not many other Pakkus around that I know of."

"Are you telling me that Master Pakku was engaged to my grandmother?"

Tehya glanced over at Master Yugoda, who shrugged and said, "It wasn't my place to tell her."

"My grandmother was supposed to marry Master Pakku?" Katara said, trying to wrap her head around the revelation.

"Yes, she was," said Tehya. "Honestly, though, I think Kanna could've thrown him off a cliff after he showed up to make his proposal." She gave a snort. "She did punch him in the gut, though. That was something, at least."

"So, she ran away after that?"

"Not exactly. We were still being watched, but Kanna and I were working on our escape plan. Things calmed down for a few weeks and I thought it would be fine. Kanna had even taken to sneaking out. I don't know what exactly she was doing, but I didn't want to pry. One night, though, she came back from one of her little excursions as angry as I've ever seen her. She said she couldn't stay there a moment longer and that she was leaving right then and there.

"I told her it was too soon. That the ocean was too rough that night. That we hadn't prepared enough. She told me she didn't care and that she was going and I could either come with her or stay. I wanted to leave, but I still insisted on waiting. We had a secret location where we'd stashed a canoe and some supplies. She said she would wait for me there and if I didn't show up by the following night, she would leave without me."

Tehya tiredly rubbed at her face.

"I can't count the number of times I've looked back on that night and wished I had gone with her then. When Uncle Tuuq realized she was gone the next morning he led a search party through the city to find her. I finally came to my senses and tried to get to the canoe while he was distracted looking for Kanna. But I waited too long. Uncle Tuuq caught me trying to sneak out and…"

Tehya's entire body tensed up. Master Yugoda was watching her in concern.

"I never knew you tried to leave, as well," said Yugoda. "Tehya, what did your uncle do to you?"

There was a somber resignation in Tehya's face.

"He said the family couldn't bear two runaway scandals. So, he made it so I couldn't leave. He took out his hunting club…and, well…"

Gingerly, she moved one of her legs up and rolled up the bottom of the trouser leg to reveal a huge, nasty scar that had definitely not healed properly. The bone beneath her skin had warped out in an odd way when it mended itself.

Master Yugoda gasped. Katara was staring in disbelief that a person could do that to his own niece.

Then she remembered that Zuko's father hadn't hesitated to burn half his face. If a parent could do that to their own child, why couldn't an uncle cripple his niece to force her into an arranged marriage?

"I am so sorry, Tehya," said Master Yugoda. "You never should have had to suffer that. I can't believe I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know," said Tehya. "Uncle wasn't going to go around announcing that he broke my legs."

"But how did he explain something like this?" Katara asked, feeling increasingly sick.

"He made up a story about how I'd fallen down some stairs and was too prideful to ask another healer to patch me up. I tried to tell my husband Tiyuk the truth about what happened, but I don't think he ever believed me."

Katara really regretted letting her friends talk her out of destroying the entire Northern Water Tribe. Every time she let something pass and tried to just ignore the problem for the time being, she found herself being horrified all over again. She was almost starting to become numb to the hideous behavior of the northern men. It was just so frequent and casual that each time it happened Katara was getting less surprised by it.

"That can't be allowed to happen ever again," Katara said, practically growling she was so angry. "Your uncle should've been made to pay for what he did."

"I'm afraid righting the wrongs of this world isn't so simple," said Tehya, tucking her mangled leg back under her. "Technically-speaking, my uncle didn't even commit a crime."

"It should've been. That's the problem. The men in this tribe are being taught that they can do whatever they want to the women, and the women are still blamed for it. And if no one else will do anything about it, I will."

Tehya gave her a warm smile.

"I think you've made a good start," she said. "And I know of at least one girl whose life has gotten better since you arrived in the North Pole."

Katara was just about to ask who she meant, when a familiar figure came strolling in through the front door, laden with armfuls of scrolls.

"I'm home," Sesi called out, then stopped when she saw them. "Katara, what are you doing here?" She glanced between Katara and Tehya. "And, how do you know my Gran-Gran?"

"I see you two have already met," said Tehya. "Sesi, this is your cousin."

The cold pierced into him like a thousand knives. It was so intense, he nearly let out the breath he was holding.

Captain Yelu hadn't been lying about that. Zuko wondered if he should've chanced being spotted and climbed the wall instead of following those turtle-seals. The swim through the hole in the ice probably didn't take very long, but it felt like an agonizing eternity. As soon as he reached the other side, he yanked himself out of the water and fell onto his back, his breaths coming in sharp and stabbing.

The cold really had sunk deep inside him and he felt sick to his stomach. After he got some control over his shivering, he focused on his bending and drew on his Breath of Fire. It wasn't as strong as he'd hoped, but it was enough to get him functional.

He shakily rose to his knees, his head pounding. The sound of the turtle-seals was only making it worse and he snapped.

"BE QUIET!"

They went silent and Zuko trudged his way past them deeper into the cave. They soon resumed barking at him, but he didn't have time to waste on them anymore. He found another pool, into which water was rushing from large hole in the wall. The water had to be coming from somewhere inside the city, as it wasn't coming from the direction he'd entered the cave. Bracing himself for what was to come and taking another deep breath, Zuko leapt over to the wall and started to climb inside the hole.

It took everything he had to hold onto the sides and not let the water knock him down into the pool. Slowly, steadily, he dragged himself up and up. He nearly slipped and fell a few times, his muscles were burning, he couldn't see in the darkness of the watery abyss above him, but still he pushed onwards.

He eventually reached the end and forced his way past the crushing pull, to find himself suddenly tugged upwards by an opposing current that sent him mercifully up to an air pocket. Zuko gasped in grateful breaths at the momentary respite in his struggle, but he didn't allow himself to linger.

This new area seemed a bit lighter than the darkness he'd just escaped and he ducked his head under water for a moment to search for a new path. Sure enough, there was an opening in the ice and, after taking in yet another deep breath, he started to swim as hard and fast as he could, circling around until he spotted a shimmering light through the ice above.

He made for it and frantically pounded his fists against the barrier. For a moment, he started to panic as the breath he held began to sour and slip past his lips. Still, Zuko did not permit himself to be distracted from his course for more than a few seconds and, in one last push, he shoved himself right up against the ice and drew on as much of his firebending as he could and let it flow into his hands.

With one last shove, he broke through and finally dragged himself out into some sort of tunnel that opened onto the moonlit capital city of the Northern Water Tribe.

He made it. After all that, he finally made it.

He was exhausted, sore, and freezing cold. But more than that, he felt empty. As if all the fire had gone out of him and there was nothing left to fight back the chill that crept ever deeper into his bones.

But he couldn't rest yet. The memory of friendly faces, gentle hands, and kind words still remained to pull him to his feet. Katara, Sokka, and Aang were somewhere in the city and Zuko would find them that very night or he would die trying.

Katara's head was buzzing.

So much had come out during the meeting with Tehya. Too much for her to fully process as she made her way to meet with her friends for the secret lessons. Sesi was walking with her, also clearly shaken by the revelation that they were long-lost cousins.

"I guess we do look a bit similar," Sesi said. "…I'm prettier, of course, but you didn't do so bad by way of family looks."

Katara felt a smile tug at her lips, knowing that Sesi was just trying to ease the atmosphere, but there were so many things still warring in her mind.

It really was no wonder that Gran-Gran hadn't mentioned her past. Katara probably should've guessed just from her first day in the North Pole that her grandmother would want to deny any association with the place. And after what happened to her family, with her father dying and her shitty uncle taking over her life, of course Gran-Gran wouldn't want to think about her past.

In fact, Katara could even see why Gran-Gran never even mentioned her sister. Tehya hadn't gone with her. Even though she'd changed her mind later and tried to, she hadn't made it in time. Gran-Gran had likely assumed her sister had abandoned her and didn't stick around waiting to get dragged back to her uncle.

If she'd waited too long, Gran-Gran might have ended up getting her legs broken, as well.

But what stood out the most from all of this, even more than learning Sesi (and, to Katara's dismay, Nauja) was her cousin and that Gran-Gran had instigated a mass protest, was the revelation that it was Master Pakku who had been Gran-Gran's betrothed. All of a sudden, Katara's success in being allowed to learn waterbending felt empty.

Pakku had given her permission to join his classes, but why? Why had he made such a radical shift in view? Katara had thought it was because she'd proven herself capable. But was that really the case?

A more cynical part of her said that he had an ulterior motive. That he only changed his mind because he realized who she was. But how had he…?

Katara reached a hand up and touched her necklace. It had fallen off during the fight. Tuta had found it near to where Master Pakku had been knocked down. And then she remembered. It had been right after Pakku had trapped her with those ice spikes. He'd picked something up from the ground. He'd tried to call the match off after Katara broke free.

"Are you all right, Katara?" Sesi asked her.

Katara's hands were clenched into fists at her sides.

"I'm fine, Sesi. I just…the others are waiting for us. We should hurry along."

The training session that evening ended up more like a gossip session when Sesi told everyone that Katara and Sokka were her cousins. Sokka's jaw fell open and he looked like he might faint until Sesi gave him a playful punch on the arm to shake him out of it.

Once the subsequent barrage of questions was dealt with, they all turned their focus back to teaching each other.

Yet, throughout their practice, Katara's mind continued to linger on the Pakku situation. And the doubt over whether or not he actually saw any worth in Katara besides her being the granddaughter of the woman he'd wanted to marry years ago. But what was he hoping to achieve if he didn't see Katara's true talent? Was he doing it to potentially get into Gran-Gran's good graces? Maybe use his status as Katara's waterbending master to convince the woman who escaped their marriage decades ago that she should give him a chance?

It was nauseating to think that she might be being used in such a way. But Katara did want to think the best of most people, even those she didn't especially like.

Pakku had a long way to go before Katara could forgive his prior behavior. Accepting her as his student had seemed to be the first step. But was it really if he was only doing it for selfish reasons? What Katara needed to do was to test his sincerity. If Pakku was genuinely trying to change his ways and prove he was becoming a better man than the sour, old, sexist curmudgeon who'd insulted her from the first moment they met, he had to prove it. It was time to make her next move in changing the Northern Water Tribe for the better, and she was going to see if Pakku would stand with her or try to get in her way again.

"Hey, guys, before we leave, I have a request," Katara said, motioning the other waterbender girls over. "I know this is asking a lot, but I think it's important if we're going to bring any sort of change to the tribe."

"What is it, Katara?" said Pikatti. "You know we're all behind you."

"I want at least one of you to go to waterbending class with me tomorrow."

Everyone went silent as the girls exchanged nervous looks. Doing something like that would be huge. It was one thing for Katara to step up and oppose the tribe's rules, but for the rest of them it could mean social ostracism at best and exile at worst.

"Is…is that really necessary?" Tuta asked, shuffling her feet.

"It is. Training in secret is only going to get us so far. It's high-time we start to show the Northern Water Tribe that things will be different from now on. Who will stand with me tomorrow?"

It took a moment, but, with a resolute smile on her face, Lusa stepped forward.

"I will."

"Lusa, are you sure?" said Ajei.

"Yes."

"But, what will your father say?" said Tuta.

"He already said enough. He was listening in on our meeting the other night. He told me if I'm going to be a waterbender, I should water-whip some manners into the nobles' sons while I'm at it."

The other girls seemed relieved that they didn't have to be the first to take the risk. Even Pikatti, as much as she supported Katara, was clearly still afraid of what her family and community would think of her. Katara didn't blame any of them, though. It was a very frightening situation and none of them wanted to deal with the fallout of taking such a revolutionary stance. But Katara had hope for them, yet.

Soon enough, she believed, all of them would stand together as sister waterbenders before the eyes of the world.

It was with that positive resolution in her heart that Katara determinedly led Sokka and Aang back to the guest hut. She'd noticed that Aang had been acting more withdrawn, lately, and hadn't seemed interested in hanging around her as much. He was a little more chipper that evening, though, and was happily chit-chatting about how great waterbending class would be once the others finally got to join in.

The three of them were in high spirits as they entered the guest hut, plopping down on the furs and chuckling as Sokka cracked another lame joke.

"What did Master Pakku say when he slipped on the ice?" he said. "Nothing. He just gave everyone the cold shoulder."

It really had been a while since they were so at-ease. Everything had just been so fraught and tense and riddled with Northern Water Tribe nonsense that it was strange to be laughing again. Perhaps it was a good sign of things to come?

"You sure you're ready to bring the other girls into this, Katara?" said Sokka. "Things could get messy."

"If we don't take a stand now, when will we?" she replied. "I'm going to drag this tribe kicking and screaming into the modern day. And I'm not backing down this time."

Sokka gave a shrug.

"Honestly, I think you have a point, Katara. I'm…I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? About what?"

"I should've been more supportive back when you were going up against the council. I didn't want to rock the boat and thought it was something that could be talked out reasonably. I was…well, I was wrong. What the men in this tribe need is a good kick up the backside."

"But we don't have to start another fight over it, right?" said Aang. "The monks taught me that peaceful protests and civil disobedience is more effective than violence."

"Don't worry, Aang," Katara reassured him. "I'm positive things will turn out all right."

As long as her plan didn't go sideways tomorrow morning when Lusa showed up. But if Lusa got turned away, the gloves would be coming off permanently. It was Master Pakku and the Northern Water Tribe's absolute last chance to start changing. Since she snapped at the council meeting and got into her fight with Pakku, Katara had regrown one last fraying thread of restraint. If that thread broke…

She was stirred from her thoughts by a shuffling sound outside the hut. The three of them rose to their feet, waiting to see what it was.

The curtains parted and Katara gasped.

It was Zuko.

He was scraped up and bruised and blue from the cold. He took one step forward, as if he was about to say something.

And then faceplanted directly onto the floor.

Author's Note: I think Pakku's decision to not be sexist anymore should've had more to it than realizing Katara is the granddaughter of the woman he was in love with. It just feels too much like nepotism than actual character growth, especially since we never see him train any girls other than Katara.

I got the idea that Water Tribe girls get their ears pierced as a coming-of-age ceremony because piercing and tattooing are often very important customs for many different indigenous cultures, especially groups like the Inuit and Aleut.

I have a bunch of headcanons for Katara and Sokka's mother Kya. I posted a list of them on my tumblr page a few months back if you want to check them out. One of them is that Kya's father was an angakkuq and her mother was a skilled hunter.

In keeping with the female empowerment theme, your recommended C-drama is "A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College."

Unlike with other "girl enters male-only sphere" type dramas, this female lead, Sang Qi, enters the imperial college without having to wear a disguise. Sang Qi is a bit of a rough, brash, and tomboyish girl who grew up on the wild borderlands and is much better at riding, fighting, and archery than academics. Still, she is determined to become the first female student at the imperial college and fulfil the last wish of her dead brother, who believed that women were just as capable as men and deserved the same opportunities.

Sang Qi has a tricky start, especially with Yan Yun Zhi, a young man to whom she has sworn she will give an embroidered pouch (a gift he repeatedly refuses to accept) as part of a wager. Yan Yun Zhi is more interested in trying to get Sang Qi to actually focus on her studies, as he has a personal interest in seeing her succeed.

This drama really hits some sweet spots for me. Its very premise is already a trope subversion as the female lead attends the college as herself rather than posing as a boy. It also goes even further, showing the female lead pursuing her own dreams and ambitions rather than just saying "well, I got an education, time to go be a housewife" by the end, as happens in too many dramas. Sang Qi genuinely grows as a person and finds a passion for her career with romance as an added bonus, rather than have the romance be her driving force. I'm a little unsure about the romance, itself, as Yan Yun Zhi, despite being young, is her teacher through a notable portion of this and I'm not big on teacher-student romance (especially since I work in education and would report something like that the instant I saw it in real life), but, hey, it's set in "ancient China" and the two of them are both adults, so it's not as off-putting as it otherwise would be. They do have decent chemistry and it's nice to see how supportive the male lead is, once he stops acting like a jerk (though, admittedly, his "jerkiness" was his way of maintaining a professional distance, so Sang Qi would learn to achieve her goals without having to rely on him or have her success be tainted by him playing favorites).

The weakest point, I think, is in the villains. By the end of it all, I still had no clue what the master plan was. Were the villains planning a coup against the emperor? Were they just profiteering off illegal activities? What was the goal? I have not the faintest idea.

Lots of fun. Comedy, romance, wacky antics, friendship, and plenty of drama. Definitely worth a watch.