History of Katara (100 AG - 102 AG)

Following the end of the Hundred Year War, Katara and her allies set about restoring peace to the world.
== Harmony Restoration Movement ==
As part of the Harmony Restoration Movement, Katara and her friends began moving Fire Nation colonials back to the Fire Nation, starting with the more recent colonial establishments. A year later, when Aang, Katara, and Sokka were assisting in the relocation of a Fire Nation colony led by Mayor Nishi, the team found out that Zuko had withdrawn his support for the movement, so they immediately traveled to Yu Dao, the colony where the Fire Lord was staying. After landing, soldiers ordered Aang to leave.
Once there, Katara and the rest of Team Avatar encountered a protest that included several members of the Freedom Fighters and learned that Zuko was preventing people from entering and exiting Yu Dao, so she and Aang flew over the colony's walls with his glider to meet the Fire Lord. They were, however, confronted by Fire Nation soldiers who prevented them from talking to Zuko, so they had to fight them. After Aang defeated several guards, Katara became enraged when she saw the guards were trying to set her boyfriend on fire and knocked them out. Zuko suddenly grabbed Katara, admonishing her for attacking his "people". Furious at Zuko's action, Aang warned him to let her go, but after he insisted that she had first to agree to stop attacking his people, Aang separated Zuko from Katara with airbending, prompting him to retaliate, causing the airbender to block the attack and enter the Avatar State. But Katara, telling him that he would not be able to control himself in an altered emotional state, managed to calm him down. The Fire Lord agreed to talk and gave the couple a tour of Yu Dao, pointing out how heavily integrated the lives of the citizens were in the colony. At this, Katara proposed a meeting with the Earth King concerning the matter, to which the Avatar and the Fire Lord both agreed.
After leaving Yu Dao, Smellerbee said that Aang had three days to make a compromise before the Freedom Fighters take action. On Appa, Aang thanked Katara for not letting him kill Zuko while in the Avatar State. The group continued to Ba Sing Se in order to inform Earth King Kuei about the colony's situation as Toph explained to Katara what Sokka meant with 'oogies'.
As Katara arrived in Ba Sing Se with Aang, they met two girls, who claimed to be members of the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club, much to the airbender's excitement but Katara's indifference. After learning they were looking for a place to stay, the girls immediately offered their clubhouse. They spent the night and the following morning there as Aang entertained the girls, much to Katara's annoyance and apparent jealousy as she was left out of the party. She reminded Aang that they had to meet with the Earth King, finally getting him to leave the clubhouse. After leaving, Aang thanked Katara for allowing him to spend some time with the girls, as he had felt like he was at home again, but she, feeling guilty because of her attitude, responded that she did not deserve it.
When Aang and Katara went to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace and met Kuei, they told him the news. At the king's final decision of sending troops to attack Yu Dao to solve the conflict, the couple showed their surprise and disagreement, however, they were not able to change the sovereign's mind. Realizing that sending in the army would be seen as a declaration of war, Aang and Katara hurried back toward Yu Dao in an attempt to persuade as many of the Fire Nation colonials there to evacuate.
Upon their return at Yu Dao, Aang attempted to evacuate the city, though they were met with severe resistance from both earth and firebenders. After fighting off their attackers, the couple noticed Smellerbee, Kori, and the Yu Dao branch of the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club, much to Katara's annoyance. However, she came to the fan club's defense when Aang got angry at them for sporting Air Nomad attire, opting that it was probably a mistake. When an angered Aang stormed off, she followed him onto the roof, and comforted him when he verbalized his conflicting opinions about his promise to Zuko, and the separation of the four nations. Offering him her opinion, she reminded him of the words Guru Pathik and Huu told him prior: separation is an illusion, so is the separation of the four nations, who are actually all the same.
Later, when Aang entered the Avatar State to fulfill his promise, Katara calmed him down, and explained that when she saw Kori's family, she saw their future, outing her doubts about what would happen to them as a couple if the four nations would remain separate. Sharing a kiss, she convinced him to find a quiet place to think about it all before jumping to action based on rushed conclusions.
When the battle unfolded, Katara used her waterbending to confront King Kuei and eventually took him into the city to show him the lives he would change were he to persist in his war.
A smiling Katara later witnessed Aang declaring that he would teach the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club the ways of his people, calling them the first Air Acolytes.
== Searching for Ursa ==
Sometime after the battle for Yu Dao, Katara attended a meeting together with her friends and several government officials at the home of the governor of Yu Dao to discuss the future of the city. She was listening attentively to the lecture that an Earth Kingdom professor gave on ancient Earth Kingdom philosophies regarding the four nations, though she got annoyed and subsequently shushed her brother and boyfriend as the two kept talking among themselves. When Sokka commented that he was not surprised that she was interested in the "boring" lecture of the professor, she promptly waterbent the water from her glass into his face, transforming it into a snowball midair. She repeated the action a few moments later after a similar insult by her brother.
A week later, Katara traveled to the Fire Nation Royal Palace together with Aang and Sokka upon Zuko's inquiry. He invited Team Avatar on a journey to look for Ursa. When Azula emerged from behind Zuko, Katara promptly attacked the princess with ice spikes, which she easily avoided. However, when Zuko explained the situation, Katara and the rest of them reluctantly accepted the former princess' company in the search.
The following day, Katara voiced her still present concerns about the princess' presence on the trip, though she took confidence in the knowledge that if Azula did try something, there would be four of them to take her down. When Azula subsequently zapped Sokka with her lightning, Katara was quick to trap the princess' hand in ice with her waterbending to prevent any further action. As the tension subsided, she released her, withdrawing the water into her pouch, though she warned Azula to never touch her brother again, albeit to little effect.
As they set off on their journey toward Hira'a, Katara rode atop Appa's head, sitting next to Aang. There, the couple kissed after Aang stated that it was better than old times since he could now kiss her whenever. The mood was broken, however, when Azula had another one of her aggressive psychotic episode, followed by Aang's making a gruesome expression, caused by the presence of the wolf spirit, though no one could see the creature. Sokka mocked the Avatar, much to the annoyance of Katara, who asked him to stop as Aang's situation was serious, though when he would not let up, she ended his mockery with another snowball to the face. After Azula dived off Appa and set fire to Aang's glider, who had swooped down to save her, Katara and Sokka landed and quickly jumped off to tend to the downed airbender.
Katara, Sokka, and Aang caught up with Zuko and Azula at a nearby river, right when they were about to fight one another. Katara cut the battle short by encasing Azula in ice, completely immobilizing her. Katara crossed the river to yell at Azula that she did not appreciate her actions against Aang. Azula's insulting rebuttal was cut short, however, as the wolf spirit Aang had seen earlier showed up and attacked them. Katara and Zuko noticed that the pattern on the spirit's chest was the same as the gruesome face Aang was making, prompting the young Avatar to attempt to reason with the creature. When his attempts failed as the wolf snapped at him, Katara, together with Zuko and Sokka, launched another attack at it, though her ice spears shattered without effect against the spirit's side. After a brief scuffle with Appa, the spirit threw up a swarm of moth wasps that attacked the entire group, making it hard for Katara to breathe. They were eventually saved when Azula shot a lightning bolt away from them all, drawing the moths and the wolf spirit with it.
That night, Katara agreed with Aang and Zuko to each take turns watching Azula sleep. Awaiting her turn, she tried to get some sleep next to Appa.
The next morning, Katara was startled when Azula woke up and suddenly grabbed her wrist, causing Sokka to force the princess to let his sister go with his boomerang. When Azula demanded to know Zuko's whereabouts, she set the camp on fire as a distraction, forcing the Water Tribe siblings to deal with it, as she ran away.
After managing to calm Azula down, the group arrived at the outskirts of Hira'a. They went in disguise and came upon the entire town attending the Hira'a Acting Troupe's version of the play, Love amongst the Dragons. Noren, the director of the acting company, invited Katara and the team to his home, where they could talk more freely. Aang and Katara complimented Noriko, Noren's wife, about their lovely home, and she happily told them about her love life. Under the cover of being drama historians, Team Avatar did not find any new information regarding Ursa, but they did learn that her ex-boyfriend, Ikem left town, heading toward Forgetful Valley. As they left the family's home, Katara became upset at Azula's remark that she desired to burn the house down.
Upon arriving, followed a flutter bat down to a round pond, where he felt a spiritual calmness surrounding the water and asked everyone to be respectful. However, Azula disregarded his request and fired a lightning bolt straight into the pool, the group was attacked by plants and vines, though the skirmish was cut short as Katara deduced the attackers to be waterbenders, and forced them to reveal themselves.
Heeding the order, Rafa and Misu showed themselves, and set up camp with the others, sharing a meal. Misu warned them that Forgetful Valley's ponds needed to remain undisturbed and informed them that they were on the lookout for a spirit with the ability to grant faces.
With Azula showing no signs of restraint, Katara and Sokka prepared to attack the princess at Zuko's insistence. Katara waterbent at Azula despite Misu's protests to not disturb the area. Aang was able to get them to stop after revealing he had summoned the Mother of Faces, who would grant them only one request. Zuko decided to let Misu have Rafa's face restored, but Azula interrupted and instead asked for and received information on Ursa. The Mother of Faces told the group that she had been visited by Ursa, and gave her a new face. Azula fled toward Hira'a, Sokka and Zuko following them. Katara and Aang remained with Rafa and Misu, with the Avatar trying to pursue the Mother of Faces under her sacred pool's water. After Aang was ejected from the pool, Katara came to his aid while the spirit appeared before them, denouncing humans for being selfish and making her their slave. She ordered them to leave, with her spirits attacking the group to force them out.
Katara and Aang tried to ward the spirits off, with the waterbender being able to protect Misu from a spirit by freezing its claws. After Aang incidentally revealed Rafa's empty face, he recognized it at the work of Koh, which, upon hearing this name, prompted the Mother of Faces to tell her animals to stop their attack. Katara and Aang watched as the ancient spirit restored Rafa's face, and they happily watched as the siblings hugged. Later, they returned to Hira'a with the spirit, who restored Ursa's face and memories. With Azula having escaped and left the letter behind, Katara watched as Aang and Sokka discussed if they thought the princess had truly begun to change. Sokka argued against this, but Aang believed she had, to which Katara kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, saying that she loved him because he saw the bright side of things.
== Returning Ursa to the Fire Nation Capital ==
As Zuko desired to have Ursa, Ikem, and Kiyi visit the Fire Nation Capital for the first time since Ursa's banishment, Katara, Aang, and Sokka accompanied the family on the Fire Nation cruiser that was bringing them all back. She and her brother watched how Aang was entertaining Kiyi by riding a flying dolphin fish together. When Katara suggested he join them, Sokka refused by claiming a preference for mechanical rides, with the exception of Appa.
Sometime later, Katara, Aang, and Sokka prepared to leave on Appa. As Zuko inquired about their intention, Katara noted that being back to the city will bring up many memories and that they could use that opportunity as bonding time.
== Reviving Yangchen's Festival ==
When the peace talks in Yu Dao came to an end, Katara and the rest of Team Avatar returned there to witness the introduction of the city's new coalition government. Afterward, she attended a banquet in celebration of the election with her friends. After a while, she began to worry where Aang had gone to and set out to search for him, finding him on a balcony, meditating. When she asked him what he was doing there, she was told that he had seen Yangchen's spirit, though since he had been unable to communicate with her, he was attempting to contact her through meditation. Although she acknowledged that meditation was important to Aang, she reminded him that celebrations like the one they were supposed to be attending were something important too. Reminded of Yangchen's Festival by her words, Aang returned inside with Katara, where he alerted the three Air Acolytes, Xing Ying, Yee-Li, and Jingbo, as well as Katara and the other members of Team Avatar that they would go on a field trip the following day.
As such, the team left the next day on Appa, setting a course to a cliff overlooking the ocean where the Air Nomads used to start their celebration of Yangchen's Festival. Katara tried to get her brother and Toph in the spirits of the holiday, noticing how excited Aang and the Air Acolytes were about it all. Having arrived, they were supposed to take part in a bowing ceremony. When Toph refused to take part, Katara tried to reason with the earthbender, pointing out how important it was to Aang, though Aang asked her to let it go, which she did. After the bowing ceremony, the group set out toward the meadow to enjoy a ceremonial meal. Along the way, tensions rose again when Toph destroyed Yee-Li's cymbals, with which she was creating Air Nomad music as was tradition. Katara once again tried to calm the earthbender, though was cut short when Aang suggested tensely to just keep on walking toward the meadow.
They found out, however, that a town with a large refinery had been built on the previously sacred grounds. Walking around through town, Katara tried to console Aang, pointing out that a lot can change in a hundred years. Her attention was drawn away, however, when Niyok, a girl from the Southern Water Tribe whom she had not seen since leaving there, called out to her and happily greeted her. Upon asking what she was doing there, Katara was directed toward the Earthen Fire Refinery where the girl was working with her sister. Realizing that Nutha was there as well, Katara merrily called out to her fellow tribeswoman, though received a noncommittal stare back, prompting her to leave the sisters alone.
When Aang spotted Yangchen's spirit once more and let it lead him to investigate the grounds of the refinery, Katara and the three Air Acolytes followed him. She was helped across the fence by his earth- and airbending, where they discovered that the river running near the factory was terribly polluted. Before they could take any action, however, the refinery's guards appeared and tried to expel them from the factory's grounds. While Aang bent the Air Acolytes to safety, Katara used her waterbending to destroy the incoming earthen projectile. Bending a huge wave from the river, she urged Aang to move out of the way, intending to strike down the guards. However, Aang asked her to call off her attack, and subsequently used his airbending to let the guards knock each other out.
Their actions had been witnessed by Satoru, the refinery's engineer and interim boss while his uncle, Loban, was away on business, who heartily greeted him, instantly recognizing who they were. Katara and the team join Satoru on a tour through the factory, where benders and nonbenders from all over the world were employed. When Aang eventually managed to strike up a conversation with Satoru about the refinery's location and accused the factory of having defiled the sacred land, Katara backed him up, referring to the polluted river. When Toph corroborated Satoru's claim that the factory was not to blame for that and subsequently got into an argument with Aang, Katara urged the two earthbenders to remain calm after an earthquake shook the ground, assuming they were responsible for it. When a second quake occurred, Satoru asked them all to leave, but before they could heed the engineer's request, they heard a factory worker call out for help, as the earthquakes had left him trapped under a haywire machine. Katara used her waterbending to pulverize incoming rocks while Sokka ushered the workers to safety and Aang and Toph moved in to save the trapped man. After the crisis was averted, Katara was shocked to learn that Loban's business partner and co-owner of the refinery was Lao Beifong, Toph's father and even more when Lao declared Toph to be a confused girl rather than his daughter.
When Lao subsequently ordered the Rough Rhinos to escort Team Avatar off the refinery's premises, Katara readied herself for battle and took on Yeh-Lu and a hammer-wielding Rough Rhino member by herself. Before she could finish the fight, however, she was dragged along by Sokka, who urged her to run along with him. When they were cornered at a fence, Katara readied her water once more, blaming her brother for making them easy targets. It was only after Sokka pushed her out of the way to let the Rhinos crush the fence and halt at the nearby river that Katara caught on to her brother's plan. Utilizing the water of the river, she quickly encased their three assailants in blocks of ice.
After Yeh-Lu's burning grenade exploded near the river, Katara noticed it had revealed a passageway which the siblings promptly checked out. Using glowing crystals, they illuminated their path and eventually arrived at an iron ore mine, which was also the cause of the river's pollution. They were found out by Kahchi and Vachir, who instigated a fight with them. After the skirmish between Vachir and Sokka led to the weakening of one of the mine's support beams, Katara used her waterbending to freeze Vachir's bow, arms, and feet. The interaction made Katara realize that the earthquakes were caused by the mine's instability and she and her brother tried to urge the present workers to leave. No one listened, however, though they were approached by Nutha and Niyok, who explained that everyone down there needed the job to survive, so no one dared to leave without their boss's orders.
Upon Sokka's return, accompanied by Lao Beifong, Katara directed his attention to the weakened support beams, which had been identified as being the cause of the earthquakes. Although the order was given to evacuate, Katara became trapped underground when the mine caved, along with Toph and several others. When Aang tried to bend a tunnel from above, she called out to him and urged him to stop, as if he bent it the wrong way, the entire tunnel might collapse.
Hearing Aang call from above ground, Katara asked if Sokka was there. Aang replied that her brother had not returned and asked how Toph was holding up, she answered that she was doing as good as could be expected, given she was literally carrying the weight of their world. Seeing the earthbender growing exhausted, Katara asked Satoru to give her the remainder of her water, noting that running out would not matter if Toph failed. After Aang notified her of Toph's students' arrival, she told Toph, who asked her to tell Aang that the situation was like spider ants beneath stomping feet, only flipped. When the metalbending students removed the ground above them, Katara ran out to Aang, kissing him and saying she was glad to be out. She then happily reunited with Sokka before catching sight of Nutha and Niyok. Being thanked by the former, the waterbender stated with a smile that it was not a problem.
The skies, however, soon grew stormy, and though Katara initially believed that a storm was coming in, Aang told her it was not a natural event. After seeing him try to talk to Yangchen again and ponder a way to reach her, Katara asked if she could do anything to help, though was assured that her boyfriend could do it. After Aang returned and explained the situation at hand, including the need to destroy the buildings, the waterbender was urged to evacuate everyone from them. She began by destroying the cabbage merchant's restaurant, telling the panicked vendor that it was not safe for him to remain there, though adding that they could get him new cabbages after the situation ended. After completing the task, she returned to Aang and told him as such. After seeing General Old Iron beginning to emerge from the sea, she asked if he would turn back if the town was returned to its natural state; after an affirmative answer, she warned Aang that he could not wait for the mask to be returned and comforted him over his regret about destroying things with a kiss on the cheek. The waterbender also added her assurance that she would keep the people from interfering in any way.
With General Old Iron nearing the town, Katara noticed Sokka, Satoru, and Loban clinging to the spirit's mask. She bent up a water vortex which allowed the three to slide down to the ground safely. She soon tried to block an attack from Old Iron, declaring he would not destroy the humans.
After Aang defeated Old Iron, Katara spent time reminiscing with Niyok and Nutha over life in the Southern Tribe. Noticing her boyfriend in an upset state, she decided to approach him, though not before telling Nutha it was good to catch up with them and apologizing for not returning home, though was told by her friend to stop, saying she acted like an idiot while telling her that Katara and Sokka made them proud as Southern Tribers. Approaching Aang, she noticed that Lady Tienhai's statue had been destroyed, much to her shock. Hearing him wonder if spirits had no place in the world as a relic of the past, the waterbender believed it could not be true. Taking his hands, she told Aang that they did have a place if he did as well. She urged him to contact his past lives, saying that the current time connected the past and present. Before walking away, Katara told him to find her if he needed her.
Three months later, Katara watched the proceedings of the new Spirits' Friendship Festival. She remarked it was not Air Nomad-like at all because of the kites, loud parade, and Sokka selling meat, something she did not have in mind when Aang told her about Yangchen's Festival.
== Return to the South ==
Upon returning to the Southern Water Tribe, Katara and Sokka were stunned by the changes to their home, leaving them confused and lost. Stumbling upon a construction site, the workers became hostile, but Katara defeated them with her superior waterbending.
She and Sokka continued on their way and discovered that the village of Wolf Cove had quickly become a more developed city. While Sokka was enthusiastic about all the changes, Katara was more hesitant. In a crowd of thrilled Southerners, they found Kanna; they hugged her and were happily surprised to learn that she and Pakku had eloped at the Misty Palms Oasis just weeks before their arrival. Pakku asked Katara to help out at the new school for waterbenders he founded, much to her surprise, as she could not fathom where the necessary waterbending students came from.
When Kanna subsequently pointed them to the new town hall, Hakoda's new abode as the Head Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Katara grew hesitant once again, musing the extravagant building was nothing like their father. After being reunited with their father, Katara and Sokka were introduced to Malina and Maliq, a pair of Northerners leading the Southern Reconstruction Project, as well as the three workers from before, Noa, Kam, and Soonjei. After the workers had left, Malina described the long-term plan for the South, including the construction of a palace, much to Katara's bewilderment.
Later, while having dinner at Two Fishes Northern Cuisine, a pair of young servers stole Maliq's briefcase and injured Malina, prompting Katara and Sokka to pursue. Creating an ice sled, she followed the thieves riding a snowmobile all the way to the shipwreck.
Triggering a booby trap on the ship, they landed in the caverns below, where they met Gilak, a comrade of their father's from the war. They quickly discovered Gilak's wartime experiences embittered him against more powerful nations and prompted him to form a Southern rebellion. Katara protested against his views, informing him of how the Fire Nation colonies were working to create a new society, and demanded he hand over the thieves and the briefcase. Katara quickly froze his hand after he refused, giving her and Sokka an opening to escape. Pursued by Gilak's warriors, Katara slowed them down with an ice wall, but they lost valuable time themselves when Thod, Gilak's elderly second-in-command, stalled them with a story about a snow rat before Katara waterbent him out of the way.
Once they returned home, Katara agreed with her brother that Gilak was an extremist, but she also admitted that he still had a point, as their home had been transformed into a cheap imitation of the North, reminding her of how the Earthen Fire Refinery took over Air Nomad land.
They found Maliq standing outside Kanna's hut, and Katara informed him of their failure to retrieve his briefcase. Learning that Hakoda and Malina were inside, Katara scolded Sokka for his lack of manners, as he entered the hut without knocking, but they both stopped cold in their tracks upon finding Hakoda and Malina locked in a kiss.
The next morning, Katara and Sokka accompanied Malina and Maliq to tour their new factory. While Maliq began to ramble on, Katara privately discussed with Sokka the implications of Hakoda and Malina's budding romance. Katara held uneasily against it, unwilling to entertain even the thought of Malina becoming their stepmother.
Returning their attention to the Northerners, the siblings learned that the South possessed the largest oil deposit in the world, which they intended to extract to usher in a new age of machinery in the world, allowing machines to become a part of people's everyday lives. Katara questioned its necessity. The Northerners concluded their tour by introducing Sokka and Katara to Toph, and invited them all to attend the festival that evening as guests of honor.
At the festival, Katara was approached by Pakku, who introduced her to two young waterbending students of his, Siku and Sura, Pakku told them that Katara was an accomplished waterbender and "possibly the finest in all the world". However, the girls denied being waterbenders and ran off. Believing to be out of sight, they waterbent openly, prompting Pakku to explain to an intrigued Katara that he found the girls in a village far removed from the sea but that they, while talented for their age, tended to only bend in private.
Katara soon left the festival to check on Hakoda, who was organizing Wolf Cove's outer defenses in anticipation of an attack from Gilak. As they sat down, Hakoda guessed she was worried about Malina and apologized for not telling her and Sokka sooner, as he thought they were not ready. Katara then questioned why he chose Malina, as she worried the Northerners did not truly understand the Southern Water Tribe and that she may truly be up to something nefarious. Hakoda reassured her, insisting that Malina had a lot to learn about her sister tribe but deep down she had a good heart. Nonetheless, Katara insisted that his feelings were clouding his judgment, but her father reminded that she was in love too and that the right kind of love could help her see the truth. At that moment, Aang arrived on Appa. Katara happily embraced her boyfriend but gently declined to kiss him in front of her father. After confirming with Aang that Hakoda was very supportive of their relationship, she decided to give Malina a chance with Hakoda.
Returning to the festival, Katara spotted Malina and formally thanked her for inviting her friends and her. In the middle of Malina's speech about her plan, a drilling machine emerged in the middle of the town square. Gilak emerged and revealed to the assembled crowd the North's plan to take the South's oil for themselves and dominate the Southern Water Tribe, much to Katara's shock. Malina remorsefully admitted that it was the original plan, only for Maliq to reveal that he never destroyed the documents. An altercation ensued between the rebels and Northerners, and Team Avatar decided to intervene and stop them. During the fighting, Katara stood in defense of Malina and Maliq, only to hit in the back by Kam, who declared it to be payback. Katara then encountered Thod, who stated that the point of his earlier story was that the North would always look down on the South, and attempted to recruit her to Gilak's cause. However, Katara firmly refused his request. Disappointed, Thod declared she had forgotten where her loyalties lay, revealing himself as a chi-blocker as he disabled her arms. Luckily, Katara used her legs to bend and encased Thod in ice. Leading Team Avatar, they came just in time to see Gilak stab Hakoda in the chest. Enraged, Katara encased Gilak in ice, scaring off his remaining followers, who were promptly captured by Aang, allowing her to heal Hakoda.
Later, in Kanna's hut, Katara and Sokka were relieved to see their father pull through. Kanna then noted that the discord in the South due to misguided beliefs and that someone had to reexamine theirs. Katara soon got into a debate with Sokka over which party was in the wrong: Gilak or Malina and Maliq. Sokka insisted that the Northerners' overall plan for the South was beneficial and that they need to adapt to the changing times, to which Katara retorted that the tribe's identity would be lost as a result.
The two siblings soon exited the hut to inform the others about Hakoda's recovery. They were soon approached by Malina, who insisted to Katara that she no longer shared Maliq's views, but the waterbender believed her views would change once more if she fell out of love with Hakoda. Though Malina desired to say her goodbyes to Hakoda, Katara refused to allow her to see him.
A few days later, Katara and Aang attempted to assist Pakku in teaching Siku and Sura waterbending. The sisters watched in awe at their demonstration, and eventually revealed that they were indeed waterbenders, but soon ran off. As Aang said that the demonstration did not go the way he had planned, Katara mused that the girls were not quite ready for such a big change.
The two left with Hakoda, whom Katara gently scolded for going out on his own while he was still hurt. He went on to say how he had become convinced that the Southern Water Tribe needed to partner with other nations to advance and rebuild the South. Katara, now with a change of heart, disagreed, saying that not everyone in the Nations were on their side, using Maliq as an example. She feared that allowing them to help would turn the Southern Water Tribe into a copy of the other nations.
During the a meeting that night, Hakoda briefed Team Avatar and the world leaders of his plan to modernize the Southern Water Tribe and open it to the other nations. Katara continued to be worried, not wanting her father to change everything about her home. When Kuei was hesitant to assist, he implied the South was lacking civilization, much to Katara's offense. While Katara began to snap back at him, an officer burst through the door, informing Hakoda that Gilak and his army had broken out. A fight then ensued between Team Avatar and Gilak's army, in which the former eventually became outnumbered. Gilak subsequently kidnapped Hakoda, but with Katara's waterbending and Aang's airbending prowess, the two were able to recover him. Upon their return to city hall, they learned that Gilak's forces had kidnapped Earth King Kuei whilst they were saving Hakoda.
Following an unsuccessful search for Gilak, a messenger hawk appeared before the group, containing a letter from him, which explained that he wished to meet them on the Bridge of No Return to exchange Kuei's life for Hakoda's. Katara and Sokka explained to the group that it was an old bridge that the tribe used years ago to deal with criminals. After reading the conditions of the letter, Zuko warned them that Gilak would cut the bridge with Kuei and Hakoda on it, even if they gave in to all of his demands. Katara was horrified and commented at how evil Gilak's supposed plan was.
Katara, having arrived, looked on at the bridge with worry. Noticing her concern, Aang walked over to her and comforted her by kissing her on the cheek, assuring her that Sokka's plan would work out. Sokka then walked up to her and asked if she was alright. Katara expressed her concern that her trip home had not turned out to be anything like she had expected it to be; she had thought that now that the war was over their lives could go back to how they had once been. Sokka comforted Katara, saying that while he understood her, it was impossible for anything to be as idealistic as she had imagined because the war altered the tribe, even reaching back to Kanna's time. After Gilak had arrived, the chi-blockers crossed the bridge and chi-blocked all of Team Avatar. Unbeknownst to their attackers, the team had been wearing chainmail armor, which thwarted the chi-blocking from taking effect, and awaited the opportune moment to strike back. When Gilak attempted to cut the ropes of the bridge, Katara and the others engaged their attackers, though they were unable to save Hakoda, Malina, and Gilak before the latter collapsed the bridge entirely. While Aang had managed to grab hold of the three adults and prevent them from falling to their deaths, Katara fashioned an ice ladder to get to them. When Katara saw Malina sacrifice herself to save Hakoda, letting herself fall into the abyss, Katara rushed to her aid on an ice slide. Although they both crashed against the wall of the abyss, they managed to get out of there safely.
Days later, Katara spoke to Kya at her grave, saying she had realized that her perception of the "old" tribe was a place including her, but her courage would always be with her. As a result, she would no longer be afraid of change in the Southern Water Tribe. As she spoke, the Sura and Sika came forward to her and told her they were sorry for her loss. Katara explained how her mother had died to keep her, a Southern waterbender, safe, and that the children's mother had tried to do the same for them. Moved by her story, the young students agreed to learn how to waterbend. Later, she made a traditional Southern dish to share in the multicultural dinner.
==== Return to Cranefish Town ====
Sometime after leaving the Southern Water Tribe, Katara traveled with Aang, Sokka, and Toph to the Earth Kingdom. The gang planned to fly to Yu Dao to meet up with Suki, but stopped in Cranefish Town at Toph's request.
When they were close to the town, Aang was shocked to see how much it had grown and changed since their last visit there. Katara grew concerned about him, knowing that the land was sacred to the Air Nomads. Upon landing, the group was greeted with cold glares from the townsfolk and they are approached by Lao Beifong, who told them that the recent growth of the town had come with certain challenges and so he required the Avatar's wisdom.
Katara then noticed that a fight was beginning to break out. She and Toph sprung into action, trying to stop the conflict, but the violence only resulted in causing a nearby apartment complex to collapse. Katara created an ice shield in front of herself, Sokka, and a few others as protection.
When Aang came back to Katara, he held her hands, feeling guilty for leaving her alone in the middle of the fight, and asked if she was okay. Katara assured him that she was alright and that it was nice of him to worry about her. Aang then asked her where the benders who started the fight went, however, Katara told him she was not able to stop them from escaping while simultaneously trying to get people out of the collapsing building.
Lao explained that the growing bender violence was the reason for him requesting the Avatar's presence in Cranefish Town. After Aang offered to help rebuild the citizens a new home, they angrily refused his help, saying that since benders caused the building to collapse. Katara grabbed onto one of Aang's hands, smiling and telling him that she would go with Toph to the factory and that she would see him and Sokka after the meeting with Lao.
Katara and Toph stopped by Earthen Fire Industries, and Katara was shocked to see how much bigger it had gotten. They ran into Satoru, who took them to see what was new in the factory. Katara noticed some guards nearby, and Satoru explained that they had to hire new guards as a result of some recent break-ins. When she questioned about the old guards, Satoru awkwardly told her the situation was complicated and that he would explain later.
He then showed the girls a new and improved processing machine that can refine ore at twice the rate as last time. Katara noted that the last machines were run by benders and nonbenders alike, and that now there were no more benders working in the factory. Satoru then explained that since the machines were so powerful now, they did not need many benders to work them, and therefore let them go. As a result, the remaining bender employees quit in protest, and although Satoru understood their feelings, he did not purposefully put people out of work. The conflict had then spiraled so far that other nonbender owned factories had built similar machines, putting even more benders out of work. Katara then realized that that was the reason for hiring nonbender guards.
Later that evening, Katara met up with Sokka and Aang, telling them that Lao had arranged a house next to the factory for the gang to stay in. Aang asked Katara if she would go for a ride on Appa with him, to which she eagerly agreed. The two flew over Yue Bay for a while before Aang noticed an island in the middle of the bay, and took them down to check it out. Katara noticed that Aang had "that look" and when he asked what she meant, she explained that it was his "Avatar look", the "I'm responsible for everything that happens in the world" look.
As the couple approached the shoreline, Aang explained that when they were in Cranefish Town the first time, Lady Tienhai had told him that she believed that humans could create a future that preserves and protects as it grows. Katara wondered if Aang felt like he had let her down, but Aang told her that it was more than that. Aang admitted to Katara that looking at the city felt the same as when he had woken up from the iceberg, and everything in the world had changed. Katara smiled and told him that it was not the same as then, since she, Sokka, and Toph, were here with him now, and that the war was over, to which Aang let her know he was glad that she was there. Katara went on to tell him that wherever they went now, there would more development and more people in the same cities, and that they would just have to get used to it. She did not think that anyone had intentionally made Cranefish Town the worst city ever, and that it was merely different people trying to live their lives and fighting for their own piece of this place. She then assured her boyfriend that it was not too late to fix what had gone wrong, and that if members of the business council will listen to him, others will too. As the two looked upon Yue Bay, holding hands, Aang hoped that there was still time to help the city grow into something that protects and preserves.
Early the next morning, Aang dragged the group out of bed, much to everyone's dismay, to clean up the scrap and trash on the beach.
Later that night, Katara was awoken to a large explosion at the factory. She ran out of the house with Aang and Sokka, and the Avatar realized that Toph was missing. When Satoru told him that she was not in her room, suddenly she came out safe from underneath a sheet of metal. She was able to sense the footsteps of two people running away and figured that they were the ones responsible for the explosion. While Toph and Aang went after them, Katara stayed behind to help put the fire out.
Later that morning, Katara was standing outside the factory with Sokka and Toph and spotted Aang flying toward them. Aang explained that he had caught the guy who caused the explosion, literally. Katara questioned what he meant by "literally" and he responded that the man had fallen off a cliff, and was so thankful for Aang rescuing him that he revealed who hired him: two teenage girls, one of which is a powerful earthbender. Katara asked him if there was a reason behind the attack, but the man had not been given a reason. Lao told them that his factory was not the only one attacked that night, but that several other businesses around town were as well, and that it likely was a coordinated attack.
When Sokka pulled out his old detective hat, Katara expressed her disbelief at the fact that he still had it. The waterbender then agreed that there was indeed something going on in the surface of Cranefish Town, but they had not seen it yet, and hoped that they would be able to figure it out.
Katara spent the rest of the day with Aang, Sokka, and Toph, going around to the various businesses that had been attacked. Aang eventually told them that he wanted to speak with the bender-owned businesses in an attempt to get them to help out the nonbender owned businesses, and decided to start with Councilwoman Liling. Upon arriving at her house, Katara quietly asked Aang if he was sure Liling will listen to him, and that she might not want to help out her competitors. Aang told her that since Liling was the one who suggested establishing a police force, it would be worth it to ask for her help.
During their meeting with Liling, she agreed to help out the nonbender owned businesses, and the team was introduced to her daughter Yaling, an earthbender, and her sister Ru. Katara began to make conversation with Ru, asking her if she was an earthbender, to which Ru responded that she was not a bender at all. Liling interrupted by saying that Ru had "other talents", and Sokka happily chimed in, saying that she was like him, and that Katara could never waterbend a boomerang.
As the gang left Liling's house later on, Toph revealed that Liling was involved in last night's attacks somehow. Katara and Aang were shocked, and she commented on how nice she was to them. Toph explained that she recognized the footsteps of Ru and Yaling as the same footsteps she felt leaving the factory last night. Katara believed her, but said that it was thin evidence. Toph explained further that Yaling had lied when she told Toph that she had never been to Lady Tienhai's cliff before. Katara noted how upset Toph sounded, to which she responded that she felt very strongly about people blowing up her dad's factory.
As they were on their way home, Sokka noticed Suki in the distance and Katara lovingly watched him greet his girlfriend with a hug, leaning her head against Aang's with her arm around his shoulders. After a particularly touching moment between them, Katara and Aang held hands, saying "awww!" in unison.
The next day, Katara was relaxing in the house on a bench with Aang. They were startled as Toph suddenly burst through the door, telling them that she had been able to get information from Yaling about a rally happening later that night. She proposed that they "go in, bash heads, save the day", but Katara told her that they should slow down and discuss this before rushing into anything. Toph did not understand what there was to discuss, and Katara explained that since they did not know why the factories were attacked or how exactly Liling was involved, they could not arrest her without proof. Sokka then came up with an idea to sneak into the rally in disguise and pulled out his old Wang Fire beard and mustache, making Katara wonder if he kept everything from their travels.
Later that night, Katara dressed in Earth Kingdom attire and followed closely behind Aang, watching Toph and Yaling from a distance. After watching Sokka compliment Suki on her looks, Aang asked Katara if she thinks that the two of them were like them, to which Katara responded that they probably were a little.
They arrived at a building, which was being guarded by an Earth Kingdom man. He let the team enter after Aang gave the right password, and after Katara commented on the tunnels built underneath the city, Aang said they looked like the old mines that were supposed to have been filled in. Katara sneaked through the crowd with the rest of Team Avatar as Liling began her speech from atop a large stage, proposing a plan to drive nonbenders out of the city. Katara was horrified by the plan, telling Aang that they needed to do something to stop it, to which Aang responded that they should not start a fight since they were outnumbered. At the end of the speech, Aang had grown frustrated and wanted to leave the place, but Katara grabbed his shoulder, drawing his attention to Toph, who was walking up on stage behind Yaling. Toph then confronted Liling, telling her that she was now under arrest, and a fight broke out.
Katara ran into action, but was knocked to the side when Liling earthbent a large rock wall, leaving her and Aang separated from Sokka and Suki. Liling attacked the couple by hurdling large stones in their direction, prompting Aang to bend up a slab of rock, protecting himself and Katara from the attack. She and the Avatar then proceeded to fight off several other benders who started to attack them. As the fight reached a boiling point, Liling suddenly bent the earth up underneath Katara and the rest of Team Avatar, sending them flying. It was then that Katara noticed that it was merely a distraction, and that the benders from the rally were escaping through a hole in the wall. Aang asked her to let them go because Liling was attempting to collapse the cave, but Toph managed to hold the ceiling up while Aang and Suki cornered Liling. After Suki chi-blocked her, Aang told Liling that she was under arrest, but the earthbender responded that "it's only just begun", prompting Katara and Aang to eye each other suspiciously.
In the aftermath, Toph managed to metalbend a cage around Liling, guaranteeing Aang that there was no way she would be able to escape. When Toph asked if everything will be wrapped up after Ru and Yaling were caught, Sokka told her that since Liling had so much support from benders in the city, it would be more complicated than that. Katara added that she was the one who put the idea of bender supremacy in their heads in the first place, and Sokka pointed out that while that was true, the problems in Cranefish Town were not going to go away by keeping Liling in jail. Toph then suggested Aang to take Liling's bending away, causing everyone to lapse into silence.
When Toph questioned the team's reaction, Katara explained that they were all just shocked by what she said, but Toph remained confused, saying that it made sense to her, and that Liling hired criminals to blow up several factories, on top of plotting to drive out nonbenders. She believed that Liling could not lead a bender supremacist movement if she was not a bender anymore. Katara was irritated by Toph's nonchalant attitude about the situation, and that Aang had only taken away someone's bending once before, and that Liling was not threatening the world with destruction. Toph sarcastically asked if Katara forgot where she had gotten buried in rubble after the factory explosion. Katara said nothing, but stared angrily at her, insisting that this decision could not be made lightly. 
The next day, Katara sat alone on a bench staring at her lap. Aang approached her, asking if she was okay. Katara assured him that she was fine, but just did not agree with what Toph was suggesting. Aang expressed he understood Toph's point of view, prompting Katara to ask if he was really thinking of taking her bending away. Aang told her he was not sure, but that it might be a nonviolent way to stop her. Katara began to bend a small stream of water from her pouch, explaining that waterbending was a huge part of who she was and her culture, and that losing her bending would be akin to losing her identity. She believed it to be destroying a part of someone, and that it felt violent to her. She asked Aang if Liling's crimes fit the punishment and if she deserved to lose a piece of her identity. Aang did not answer, and the two were then interrupted by a frantic Satoru, telling them that the Business Council was under attack. Katara and Aang ran to the building and used waterbending to put out the fire. When Aang questioned what the point of benders setting the building on fire and then running off was, Katara told him that she was worried that something else was going on.
Later that night, Katara, Aang, Toph, and Satoru returned to the factory, exhausted and scraped up from the fight. One of the guards with a broken arm sadly explained that they were overwhelmed by the mob, and that Liling had escaped. Katara told her that Aang asked the council members to stay at the factory where they could be protected, but every nonbender in town was in danger now that Liling escaped. She offered to heal the arm of the guard, who asked Katara if Suki could teach her officers to chi-block. Katara and Suki approached Aang at the factor to inform him that the nonbender was going to start training the security guards.
The next day, Katara awaited for Liling's attack atop a maze that Team Avatar had set up. During the fight, Katara froze a group of benders in place. When she saw Aang quickly flying by, heading toward Liling, Katara grew concerned as she watched her boyfriend enter the Avatar State, about to take the woman's bending. Katara ran toward him, calling out for him to stop. She told him that he needed to think about why he was doing this, and that he could not do it because it was an easy solution or because he was angry at her. Aang soon calmed down, exiting the Avatar State, and assured Liling that he was going to keep fighting the poison she had spread throughout the town. He then held Katara and flew off together.
Three days later, Katara was walking with the rest of the group, and asked Aang why he had changed his mind about taking Liling's bending. Aang explained that it was what she had said about it being an easy solution, and that her bigotry was the root of the issue and taking her bending would not have done anything. Katara commented that she was bothered by the fact that the benders who said they were not with Liling still stood by and did nothing to help the nonbenders when the fight was going on. The two smiled at an Earth Kingdom child and a Water Tribe child playing in front of them, before Aang began to tell her that he felt a connection to Cranefish Town, believing that if it could overcome its problems, it could become something really special, and he wanted to know if it was okay with her if they could stay there for a while. Katara agreed, telling him that the city needed him. Aang held her hand while telling her that it needed them both, along with a better name. Katara assured him that she would get Sokka to work on that right away.
== References ==
== See also ==
* History of Katara (85 AG - 100 AG)
* History of Katara (Spring 100 AG)
* History of Katara (Summer 100 AG)
Category:A to Z
Category:Character histories
Category:Katara