She was walking back toward the village, a new sense of purpose putting a bounce in her step, when she heard a deep growl from above her. She looked up, surprised and confused, since she never heard a bird-is that Appa?!

She gaped as the flying bison landed beside her, and her jaw dropped even further when she saw Aang and Sokka on its back. "I've decided to help you and Aang get to the North Pole."

She stared at Sokka, shocked. "... what did you say?"

"I said, I'm gonna help you and-"

"I heard you!" She interrupted, shaking her head. And this right after she'd finally decided to leave... what was going on? "But... are you sure, Sokka? What made you change your mind?"

Sokka scowled. "While you were gone, firebenders attacked our village. Aang saved us, so I owe him. And besides, you're my sister. What you want, you get." He smiled at her, and she returned it somewhat reluctantly, uncertain. Firebenders had attacked the village? But why?

That hadn't happened in years-oh. It must have been that light from the ship... Katara felt shame cause her cheeks to heat, angry with herself for bringing danger to the place she'd once called home.

Aang used his airbending to lift her onto Appa's saddle; for a moment, when she was suspended between the earth and sky, Katara felt lightheaded and dizzy, and strangely, hopeful.

This wasn't how she'd intended to leave, and she didn't really want to go to the North Pole... but still. This was adventure, it was new and exciting. She'd get to spend more time with Aang, and maybe she would finally find the courage to tell her brother about her life. To let him see what she was really like, instead of the person she'd been pretending to be ever since she'd returned to the South Pole.

And she could still search for Zuko-maybe she would even find him! He had to be out there somewhere, searching for the Avatar.

The thought of that made her sad, and she felt the memories rise again, trying to consume her. She forced them down and away, knowing that she needed to move on. She needed to face her future, not get caught up in her past! She needed to start living again-but somehow she knew that she couldn't do that until she saw Zuko again, at least once.

"Hey, Aang?" Sokka's voice dragged her out of reverie, and she focused on her brother's words, glad of the distraction from her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?"

Katara's world stilled, then titled on its axis.

For a moment, she felt like she was eight years old again, stuck underwater as she bent her way through the ocean, with no knowledge of what was up or down, no way to know where she was going or what was going to happen to her next.

She couldn't even speak-she was too shocked to form words. She could only gape at Aang-sweet, innocent, fun-loving Aang-as the word reverberated in her skull. Avatar...

No. That's impossible. Aang can't be... he can't...

But the boy's next words confirmed the fear that spiraled through her gut and clenched around her heart.

"Because I never wanted to be."

****

"How could you?!" She screams at him, fury and pain overpowering her fear. "He's your son!"

"He's a weakling and a coward. He's no son of mine. From this day forward he is BANISHED, until such time as he can regain his honor-by capturing the Avatar."

****

...by capturing the Avatar...

...until such time as he can regain his honor...

...capturing the Avatar.

...banished.... he is BANISHED...

...regain his honor... his honor...

...by capturing the Avatar.

Ozai's words from two years before echoed in her head over and over again in a strange sort of symphony even as the memory itself choked her, caused bile to rise in her throat and red to swim before her eyes.

NO. It couldn't be. This boy... this sweet boy who Katara had already begun to think of as a little brother couldn't be... he just couldn't be her best friend's enemy.

He couldn't be.

And yet....

"Katara, are you okay? Hey, Katara!" Sokka waved a hand in front of her face, and she blinked, focusing burning eyes on him. She knew there must be tears swimming in them, because she could feel the heat behind them, could hear white noise in her ears as she tried to shake off the emotions.

She frowned, quickly brushing the heel of one palm against her eyes, ridding herself of the pointless tears. "I'm fine."

The look on his face said he wanted to press it, he wanted to tell her that he knew she was lying and he wanted to ask her what was really wrong.

But there was also caution in his blue eyes, so like her own, caution that she recognized from almost every conversation they'd had in the past two years.

She hadn't let him in.

When they'd asked where she'd been for all those years, when they asked what happened to her, she hadn't said a single word.

Sokka still didn't know her very well. Still didn't understand her, still couldn't fathom the things she'd experienced in her seventeen years, despite the fact that he was two years older than her. He was still such a child, and Katara felt... Katara felt like an old lady already.

Her brother bit his lip and looked away, saying nothing though the concern was evident on his face.

Katara looked the other direction, out over the ocean and ice floes that passed beneath the flying bison as they soared through the sky-something she wouldn't have thought possible only a day ago.

She sighed to herself, hands fisted loosely in her lap.

Will it ever end? She asked herself the question without knowing the answer-without even really knowing what the question meant.

She just wanted...

Katara closed her eyes, admitting a truth to herself that she'd long ago promised to deny.

She just wanted... Zuko.

****

She sits in the garden, near the turtle-duck pond. Her arms are folded around her knees, and she is crying.

The other girl's words echo in her head: 'you're nothing, you know. Just a toy for them, just a silly peasant they picked up from the dust 'cause it's funny. Some day they'll get bored and throw you away-and I'm going to laugh when they do, Seren.'

She doesn't understand why the people here are so mean. She doesn't even what know the girl's name was-she was just some nobleman's daughter, lurking around while her father was in a meeting with some other noblemen.

Katara is used to their taunts, or so she'd told herself...

She is used to Azula's taunts. She is used to the way the adults look at her, as if they can't really understand what she's doing here.

Katara is only eight years old, but she isn't stupid. She's been through a lot since her mother was murdered two years before. She knows that the world is cruel and that most people don't care about each other like they should; she knows that people are selfish and that those with power enjoy abusing it.

But she also knows that Ursa and Zuko aren't like that.

So she doesn't understand why Ozai and Azula and so many of the others in her new home are... she doesn't understand how two people in the Royal family can be so kind while everyone else is so... horrible.

She doesn't understand why the girl's words haunt her... she knows that it's just a lie. That the girl didn't know what she was talking about.

Doesn't she?

It was a lie... wasn't it?

Katara shudders as tears stream down her face, and she clutches her knees more tightly, her small fists put wrinkles in the expensive silk of her skirt. She just wants...

She doesn't know what she wants.

She wants to fit in.

She wants to be loved.

She wants her mom.

She really, really wants her mom; she misses her so much, and she doesn't-

Suddenly, a hand is on her shoulder, and a soft voice is saying her name. She looks up into amber eyes and a concerned face.

Zuko's messy hair has come undone a little around his face; while most of it is pulled back in a ponytail, some of it hangs in across his forehead and by his ears. It's so like him, so familiar. He gets on his knees next to her, both hands on her shoulders now.

His brows knit in confusion, and he bites his inner cheek as he looks at her.

She sniffles and wipes her eyes with the heel of her palm, feeing self-conscious. She didn't want him to see her cry... but now that he has, she feels like she's weak. She's half afraid that her weakness will repulse him, this boy who seems so strong and brave, who is so kind despite his sister's cruelty.

But he smiles at her, tentatively, and grips her shoulders more tightly.

"What's wrong Seren?"

He sounds genuinely concerned, like he really cares about her. Cares about what she feels. She sniffles again, shaking her head. She doesn't want to talk about it. "Nothing. I'm okay."

He frowns deeply, glaring at her. "No you're not."

"I just..." but she doesn't know what to say. This is his home. She doesn't want to disrespect it or the people who live in it.

He sighs and turns so he's sitting beside her. "They always lie." He says eventually, slowly, like he's thinking the words over before he speaks them out loud.

She looks at him, frowning, confused.

He rubs the back of his neck as if he's not sure what to say, then continues uncertainly. "Azula always lies."

Katara understands, then. He knows what happened already.

He's trying to comfort her, in his own bungling way.

She smiles at cuffs him on the shoulder gently. "I know."

Zuko returns her smile with a bright one of his own, then stands and offers her his hand. "Want to play a game?"

"What game?"

His smile turns into a full on grin. "Tag!" He taps her shoulder quickly, "YOU'RE IT!!" and then he's gone before she can even react, running across the garden at full tilt.

She bursts into laugher, bright peals echoing in her wake as she chases after the Fire Prince.

"No fair! I wasn't ready... Zuko!!"

****

She woke with a gasp, his name echoing in her heart. She almost spoke it aloud, but caught herself at the last minute.

She felt tears in her eyes-that was a bittersweet memory.

She wiped them away quickly, sitting up and shaking her head to clear it. Glancing around, she took in the plain Earth Kingdom decorations and the open windows, which let in the morning sunlight. She was alone in the room-strange that Sokka was awake before her-so she allowed herself a moment of quiet, a moment of reflection.

Her expression morphed into one of deep sadness as her arms rose to wrap themselves around her knees. She rested her head atop them for a moment, allowing the sadness of the memory/dream to wash through her like waves.

Studying it now, in the light of day, she found that she could smile about it-the smile was small and not very bright, but it was there all the same. She didn't know if it was the budding hope that she would see Zuko again soon-though she was conflicted about it, unsure if that would be a good thing-or the fact that she was finally free of the stifling South Pole, but she was starting to engage in her present more often.

Starting, albeit slowly, to leave her past behind.

She stood, stretching her arms as she looked out the window and, subsequently, over a good portion of Kyoshi Island. She supposed that she ought to go and buy some supplies for their journey-Sokka had nearly eaten a flying lemur at the Southern Air Temple because he hadn't had enough meat to eat.

She just hoped Aang wasn't hanging around all those girls again-for some reason, that really got on her nerves.

It was great that he was the Avatar and all, but he shouldn't go flaunting it. Zuko wasn't the only person hunting him, she was sure, and the less people who knew Aang's identity the safer he'd be.

Of course, that raised another thought... one Katara didn't really want to dwell on.

Still, it echoed in the back of her mind as she headed down the path toward the village, settling there with a feeling that made her distinctly uncomfortable and slightly worried.

If I'm with Aang... and Zuko is hunting Aang... does that make me Zuko's enemy?

It was an idea she couldn't bare to ponder, let alone seriously consider.

And yet... no matter how Katara tried to banish it, it wouldn't go away.