A/N: It's been a while since I updated anything. I really need to get on the ball with this. Anyways- this is once again for my bingo card on atlaland. The prompt for this slot is "if we had never met." I went with the idea if Aang never ran away from the Southern Air Temple, type of thing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Warnings: Account for typos. And GranGran's creepy crush.

No Regrets
By: Nuit Songeur

"The Avatar! The Avatar is here!" Katara turned to the loud exclamations and smiled, setting down her clay pot full of sea prunes. Chores could wait; this was the first time the Avatar visited the South Pole since before she was born. She raced through the streets of the elaborate village, pushing her way through the crowded groups of people to be one of the first to catch a glimpse of him. It wasn't long before she found herself standing beside her brother, craning her neck over the other children.

"Do you see him?" Katara asked her taller brother. Sokka raised up on his toes.

"I think… No, wait. There he is!" Sokka pointed up to the sky. Katara followed his gaze, as did everyone else, and saw a looming speck grow larger with each passing second. Soon, she could see it was a rider on their flying bison. The other children rushed out of the village in a massive wave. Katara and her brother followed them.

They formed a circle around the bison when it finally landed. The rider, though old in appearance, agilely leaped to ground. Katara shielded her eyes from the sun as she gazed upon his tall, lanky figure.

He was an Air Nomad, a monk, that was native to the Southern Air Temple. But he was nomadic and traveled the world extensively. The orange and yellow robes he wore hardly seemed enough to ward of the artic weather. But, Katara, guessed he was used to cold weather, from being in such high altitudes. The younger children ignored the Avatar before them, not understanding his significance, and rushed over to pet the sky bison. A deep, rumbling sound of content emanated from the bison's throat.

"This is Appa, my flying bison," said Avatar Aang to the children. They shrieked with delight upon hearing the beast's name. Katara's father, Chief Hakoda, stepped from the throng to greet the monk.

"Avatar Aang," he said. "We're so glad to have you with us." Avatar Aang bowed.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said, lifting his head. Hakoda gestured toward Katara and her brother. Before Katara could move, she felt a forceful nudge in her back. She stumbled and glanced behind to see her grandmother smirking.

"He's quite the looker, isn't he?" she whispered to Katara.

"Yeah," Katara muttered back. "If you like really old men."

"These are my children: Sokka and Katara," announced her father when they reached him. Katara looked the Avatar over, her eyes lingering over the strange arrows tattooed to his skin.

"You can Waterbend, can't you?" Katara asked. He chuckled.

"I have mastered the art long ago. Are you a Waterbender as well?" Katara nodded, smiling.

"Though, I haven't quite mastered it just yet. Sifu Hama tells me I have a way to go before that." The old Avatar smiled.

"I could teach you a few things. Techniques you can't learn from here or the North Pole. Techniques I've learned from Waterbenders that live secretly from the world, obscure from the Tribes." Katara was beaming.

"Yes, please!"

It was after everyone had met the Avatar and insisted they eat a celebratory dinner before Katara managed to get him alone for their special Waterbending lesson. They chose a training ground outside the village, plenty of ice around and no one to get in the way.

"Did you know that there are Waterbenders outside the North and South Poles?" he asked. Katara quirked an eyebrow.

"There are?" He nodded.

"They live in a swamp— somewhere that's not made of ice but enough water there for them to bend. There is water just about everywhere and the Swampbenders have learned to utilize as much of it as they can."

"It's kind of hard to imagine. A place that's not made of ice." Avatar Aang looked confused.

"Have you never left the South Pole?" Katara shook her head.

"I've been here my entire life," she admitted. "I've dreamed of leaving and exploring the world, but I wouldn't know where to go or what to do. It kind of scares me." Avatar Aang looked down, a grim expression to his face.

"I have a regret," he said solemnly. "When I was younger, around twelve years old, I came quite close to running away from my home, the Southern Air Temple."

"Why?" Katara asked.

"Because I was afraid. I had learned I was the Avatar, and people started treating me differently; I didn't like it. Then I found out I was supposed to be moved to the Eastern Air Temple and taken away from my beloved caretaker— Monk Gyatso."

"So you ran away?"

"Almost. I had written a letter saying goodbye and was just sneaking out the door before I ran into Monk Gyatso. We started talking, and he convinced me to stay. The next morning, we went to the other monks and I told them how I felt. They let me stay."

"So why do you regret it?" Katara asked, moving closer.

"Because I would have hurt Gysatso. Because, if I left, I wouldn't have been there to protect my people when the Fire Nation attacked." Katara's eyes widened.

"The Fire Nation attacked the Air Nomads?"

"When Sozin was Fire Lord, he dreamed of conquering the entire world. My predecessor, Avatar Roku, tried stopping him. It was my duty to stop him, too. And so I did, and I made sure to stifle any threat of an outbreak of war. It took about ten years or so, but if I had run away, there's no telling what would have happened."

"Avatar Aang," Katara said. "I don't understand. Why do you regret something you never did?"

"Being a monk, the mere though of it sickens me." Katara smiled at him.

"I think you should forgive yourself. That's in the past. In the end, you did the right thing and prevented a war. If you didn't, who knows how I would be living right now." Avatar Aang looked up and smiled back.

"You have wisdom beyond your years, young Waterbender."

Oh the irony! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!

-NuitSongeur