Katara tucked the blanket under Aang's chin. He hadn't opened his eyes since that brief moment, as they'd escaped Ba Sing Se.

She'd healed up the wound on his back as best she could; but it still left a painful looking mark. Aang would probably be left with a permanent scar.

Still, he was alive; and she thanked the ocean and moon spirits deeply for that.

Momo was sitting beside Aang. His bat-like ears were hanging down and his tail lay limp on the floor. He looked exactly the way Katara felt. She reached over and scratched the top of his head.

"He'll be alright, Momo." She said in forced cheer. "We just need to let him rest."

She stood up and held a hand out to the lemur. Momo took a last sorrowful look at Aang and then climbed up Katara's arm, perching on her shoulder.

Katara left Aang's room and headed up to the deck, wrapping a red cloak around her as she did so. It felt strange to be wearing Fire Nation colours, but her father had told them all to be ready should they come across a Fire Navy ship.

She opened the door and stepped out onto the deck. The wind whipped her plaited hair around before she tucked it into her cloak.

Some of the Water Tribe warriors were sitting around the deck, eating and talking. Bato looked her way and waved. Katara smiled back at him. There was no sign of her father, but that was alright. She still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about seeing him again.

Appa was lying not far away. He didn't look any more cheerful than Katara or Momo. The lemur jumped down from Katara's shoulder, and went to join the bison.

Looking around, Katara's eyes came to rest on Sokka. He was leaning on the deck railing, looking down at the churning water. His face was completely blank. Since they'd left Ba Sing Se, he'd hardly spoken a word. The fact that Azula and her associates had arrived dressed in the clothes of the Kyoshi Warriors could only mean that something terrible had befallen their friends. That was bad enough, but Katara knew that Sokka's thoughts were on one of the female fighters in particular; their leader Suki.

"Hey Katara, how's Twinkletoes?"

Katara turned around to see Toph walking towards her. She almost asked the blind girl how she'd known it was her; but then she remembered that Toph's new metalbending abilities meant that she could 'see' as well on the ship as she could on land.

"He's sleeping." She said in response to Toph's question. "I don't know when he's going to wake up."

"Feels like everyone else around here is in a slump too." Toph vaguely waved her arm at their companions. "Amazing what a little thing like the defeat of the Earth Kingdom can do to people."

Katara made a humored hum at Toph's comment. She knew her friend was probably the most disheartened at her homeland being taken over by the Fire Nation. Humor and sarcasm were just her way of dealing with the situation.

She lowered her voice and nodded her head towards Sokka.

"Has he said anything? Y'know… about Suki?"

Toph shook her head.

"Nope. Just stands there. Someone should go talk to him."

"By 'someone', you mean…"

"Well, you're his sister." Toph replied with a shrug. "Besides, you're good at comforting people. If he gets mad and wants to break something; tell him to come find me."

The earthbender turned around and went to join some of the Water Tribe men for lunch; leaving Katara alone with her brother.

Walking steadily, she came up beside him and leant on the railing. For a while, the two siblings just stood in silence. Then Sokka spoke up,

"Y'know, looking back on everything that's happened to us since we left the South Pole; I've come to a realization."

"Oh, really? What is it?"

Sokka straightened up and looked out at the ocean with certainty.

"I'm cursed."

"… You're what?"

"I'm cursed. Mine is a kiss of death." Sokka turned to face Katara. "It's just like the fortune-teller Aunt Wu said. My life will be full of hardship, and I will bring it upon myself. Except, it seems I'm doomed to bring it to others as well."

"Sokka, you said fortune-telling was nonsense." Katara said.

"Well, that was before I saw all the evidence!" Sokka replied. "Think about it. First there was Yue. A beautiful princess living happily at the North Pole; I come along, and Bam! Moon-fish.

Next; Suki. She was perfectly safe on Kyoshi Island; staying out of the war and looking after her home. But then I had to show up, and inspire her, and make her leave. Now look what's happened to her."

Sokka slumped over the railing with his face in his hands. Katara put an arm around his shoulder and spoke firmly,

"Sokka, don't do this to yourself. You know what happened to Yue wasn't your fault. It was her destiny to become the Moon Spirit. There was nothing either you, or anyone else, could've done to prevent it.

As for Suki; you didn't make her do anything. Leaving Kyoshi Island was her decision. She wanted to help people and, even if you'd been there to tell her 'no'; she probably wouldn't have listened."

Sokka lifted his head. There was a small smile on his face.

"Yeah. She was pretty stubborn."

Katara patted his back.

"We don't know anything for certain." She said. "There's a chance she's still alive."

Sokka looked hopeful for a moment, but then his posture slumped again.

"If she is; then the Fire Nation's got her." He let out a loud groan. "I should just stay away from girls. Maybe I'll go to one of the old Air Temples and become a monk."

"Sokka, will you stop it." Katara's tone became stern. "You're not cursed. You've just had very bad luck with girlfriends. It's only natural, during war that… What?"

Sokka was looking at Katara studiously. He rubbed his chin briefly and then pointed at her.

"I think you might have it too."

Katara just stood staring at him for a moment.

"…Huh?"

"Think about it." Sokka almost seemed to be enjoying himself. He was now talking with the same energy he showed when explaining a scientific theory. "You had that crush on Jet; and he's no longer of the living."

Katara's cheeks reddened, and she was about to reply but Sokka kept going, pointing to below the deck.

"And Aang very briefly left this mortal coil; and that counts."

"So what're you saying, Sokka? That our entire family has this curse?" Katara waved her arms for emphasis. Sokka looked thoughtful, and then replied,

"Well, Grandpa did die very suddenly."

"He was old, Sokka."

"No older than Gram-Gram, and she's still going strong."

"Well, women tend to live longer than men."

"Not if they meet me, they don't."

"Now, that's enough!" Everyone on the deck turned at the sound of Katara's raised voice, but she didn't notice. She was too busy berating her brother.

"Sokka, I'm sorry about what happened to Yue and Suki, and Jet; but you can't go taking the blame and feeling sorry for yourself because we need you. We're going to be attacking the very heart of the Fire Nation and, if you're not at your best, we're just going to lose more people we love. And I don't think I could take that."

Sokka looked at his sister. Her eyes were shining with the tears that always appeared when her emotions were heightened. Yet her face still held that strong, defiant expression that had become so familiar to him; especially when things seemed to be at their worst. It made him realize that he wasn't the only one left hurting from what had happened.

"Sorry." He said. Katara gave a small shrug.

"Just shut up and come here." She pulled him into a tight hug. They stayed that way for a while, and then Katara stepped back.

"Can you go back to being my obnoxious big brother now?" She asked.

Sokka replied with a grin,

"Sure, if you'll be my annoying little sister."

She gave him a playful punch on the arm, and they went to join their fellow Water Tribe members. On the way, Sokka spoke up,

"So, how many girlfriends do you think Dad killed before he met Mom?"

"Sokka…"

"Kidding."