A/N: I am pleased to reveal the adoption of The Samurai Prince's Grand Line Waterbender! The first 12 chapters are heavily based off of his writing and contains several sections that are word for word. However, after that is written solely by me, with Samurai's input. I am incredibly grateful that he put his trust in me and deals with my slow response speed and rapid name changes- luckily, the former is over with, now that I'm happy with my username. :)

Anyway, romance is involved but it will be pretty much a slow-burn; don't expect any declarations of love any time soon.

Please check out the original work! You can find the link on my tumblr (effloresensess), Ao3 (everlarklane), or FFN profile (Inflorescence)! Thank you!

PLEASE review!

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or One Piece. I also do not own the original plotline, as that belongs to the Samurai Prince.

Chapter One: The Girl That Controls Water

Crash!

A sickening thump echoed against the seemingly-impenetrable slab of rock as the giant whale tried again.

Crash.

And again.

Crash!
His voice howled, the tortured sounds torn from him as he rammed his forehead into the Red Line, forehead slashed and dripping with an ichor-like blood from the deep gashes. One would think that perhaps that great creature was a bit...addled. After all, what sort of animal would purposefully put themselves in harm's way (outside of humans)?

However, the poor whale had a purpose.

His name was Laboon and he was trying to see his human friends again.

Above the water and on higher ground, there was a cascading current of water that flowed down the mountain. On the bottom of either side of the land were two lighthouses and in the front of the right lighthouse, there stood an odd looking elderly man. He had a protruding beard and a balding, truly bizarre hairstyle, a mane of long, spiky white hair circled with ten tropical forest leaves woven around the top of it. Perched on his nose, as he was reading a newspaper, were small circled glasses. Encircling his wrists and neck were a gold chain necklace and two wrist accessories, one of several loops of gold and the other of a several strange, round green stones.

As the whale slammed against the wall once more, he sighed and set down his paper. He stretched his arms for a moment, making the gashed scar on his upper left arm ripple, as well as the small stitched scar on his lower right arm. As he strode to the edge of the lighthouse, his lips were set in a dark scowl, but his eyes betrayed concern and grouchiness- unless the latter was caused simply by old age, as he was 71.

"Damn it, Laboon. Give it a rest for today," he tried, though he knew at this point in the day, his words were useless. He'd be better off being Ol' Crocus of the Lighthouse, working to see if anyone passed the current than caring for the poor whale Laboon as his surrogate- now permanent, he supposed- owner of the whale, much less trying to prevent Laboon's self injury. However, day after day, month after month, he persisted. After all, though he looked harmless in a tropically colored casual shirt, shorts, and sandals, he was once a Rumbar pirate, and the antics that particular crew got into could force deep bonds between anyone, and Crocus never quite shook the habit. And so he stuck by the abandoned whale and raised him into adulthood.

Well, regardless, he'd never been able to tame Laboon of his habit of crashing his head against the Red Line.

That is, until that day when Laboon suddenly stopped.

"Huh?" Crocus said, eyes bugging out when he noticed the whale freezing. Despair suddenly dilated his pupils as a cold rush of understanding and a long held secret fear flew through him.

"No...Laboon," Crocus croaked, slowly and hesitatingly moving forward with unsteady, unsure feet.

Laboon would eventually stop his pounding on a daily basis, but it was a process and after all these years together, he'd learned to tell when Laboon was slowing to a stop. This time, he'd stop too abruptly beneath the water.

He didn't...he wasn't...is he?

For several breathless moments, Crocus watched Laboon, flashes of blood-soaked brains and tortured cries striking in rapid-fire through his mind as he tried to make out the whale's figure beneath the churning water.

Crocus held his breath and still Laboon did not appear.

But finally, Laboon emerged and Crocus's entire body sagged, desperate laughs tugging at his lungs. If Laboon'd died, he would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Therefore, Laboon was alive. But wait. Why did he stop?
Crocus's answer was in front of the gigantic whale.

A girl rose from the water and bobbed in front of Laboon face down.

For the second time in about three minutes, Crocus's eyes bulged out. "A girl?" he murmured to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What is a girl doing out here? Where did she come from?!"

Suddenly realizing that Laboon may have been rescuing the girl, Crocus grinned to his

friend and called, "Thanks Laboon!"

The creature responded with small whale noises, nudging the girl over so she was floating on her back. She didn't respond, at least so far he could see and hear. Crocus narrowed his eyes and prepared to dive in, setting his glasses aside. He had to bring this girl to shore and safety.

While old, Crocus was incredibly fit for his age, so the water was little challenge for

someone like him, who'd grown up on the open ocean. He looped his arm around her waist and tugged her to the ladder that led up to the land, doing his best to keep from turning or bending her neck in case it was injured. Heaving, he brought the girl up to the platform and laid her on the ground, carefully tilting her chin up and clearing her airway. He quickly checked for a pulse and breathed out a sigh when he noticed the faint fluttering. The short relief, faded however, when he felt the tell-tale stream of air proving she wasn't breathing. He quickly moved into CPR, hands and mouth easily finding the rhythm after years of practice.

While Crocus worked to save her life, the girl herself was deep in an unconscious dream state…

Katara leaned against the wall of the beach house, the full moon's energy coursing through her. Calmness and confidence settled deep in her stomach as she watched the waves lightly lap against the sandy beach. Glancing up at the moon, she smiled softly to herself, knowing that tonight would be a great night for water bending.

Sighing, she slid down the wall until she was folded comfortably against the ground. She let her head rest against her knees as she looked out at the beach, thoughts rushing silently inside her head. The cool night air provided relief from the jumbled thoughts marring her brain, as did the sound of waves crashing against sands and rocks in the distance. It was... calming.

She breathed in slowly and tried to let the stress flow out of her with the breath out. The whole beach scene was surprisingly therapeutic. In the back of her head, she absently wondered if the calm roar of waves against the beach would help Aang or Zuko with their nightmares…

Katara was drawn back into the push and pull of the waves and the quiet chirping of the lightning cricket bugs floating lazily through the cool air. So caught up in her reverie, she barely noticed her fire bending friend walk outside the beach house to search for her. It was the wood creaking that warned her before anything else and she immediately looked up to see Zuko lean nonchalantly against the wall. Katara gently tapped the wood beneath her fingers as she remained on the ground. Why would he even consider joining me outside so late? Despite the questions running through her mind, she said nothing and just looked up at Zuko, who awkwardly avoided eye contact as always.

Zuko broke the silence first. "So...what are you doing out here so late?"

Katara shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. I have too much on my mind."

Zuko nodded, sliding down beside her and setting his elbows on his knees. "Everyone's been on edge since we got back from the Ember Island Player's show...Aang's been having more nightmares. I think the stress is getting to him." He paused, a little helpless shrug gracing his shoulders. "I feel bad for the kid."

The mention of the Avatar's name made Katara shift uncomfortably and chew her lip. It didn't go unnoticed by Zuko as his eyes narrowed on the waterbender with a question in them.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

Katara bit her lip again before she answered, twisting one of the loose strands of her dark hair between her fingers. "It's...I guess things have been getting awkward between Aang and I lately." Stealing a glance at Zuko, she saw that he was listening, so she decided to continue. "During intermission at the play...I...well, Aang kissed me."

Zuko's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't say anything. Groaning, Katara dropped her head into her knees again.

"I don't know what to do," she said.

Zuko hesitated, obviously running his words over in his head before he said them. "Well...what do you think about it?" he asked. "What are you so worried about?"

Katara shook her head helplessly and sighed, tilting her head so that she could see Zuko over her arm. "I don't know. I mean, it was kind of nice. But I- it's not the right time to be worrying about relationships right now. I was shocked he would even think about doing something like that. I don't even know if I like him. I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. I don't know if I'm supposed to be angry, happy, confused, depressed, or something else. My mind's a mess," she finished lamely.

Zuko placed a hand on Katara's shoulder. "Hey, you sound like you need to calm down."

Katara couldn't help the little snort that came out, but Zuko only paused to swallow before continuing. "After the war blows over, you'll have plenty of time to think about Aang and where your relationship stands right now. But you shouldn't rip yourself apart over this time. You have to relax, okay? You have all the time in the world to worry about boys after you survive the war. But you have to keep a clear head to do that. Okay?"

Katara cracked a small smile. "I guess."

Zuko nodded, squeezed her shoulder, and let her go. "Stress doesn't suit you. You shouldn't overthink this as much as you are. I'm sure everything will work out for you."

Katara nodded, leaning her head against the wall. "I know. But, I still can't stop thinking about him and what happened. It's hard not to when I see him everyday. But...I guess you're right. There are more important things we all have to worry about and silly relationship things aren't it."

"There we go. Just don't think about it too much, agreed?"

"Agreed."

They sat quietly for several minutes just watching the waves. Finally, Katara stood.

"I'm going to take a walk," she said as Zuko climbed to his feet. "I won't be out too late."

"You want any company?" Zuko asked, stretching his arms. Katara shook her head and so Zuko left her be while he went back inside to catch some sleep of his own.

Once she'd heard the quiet slamming of the door, Katara stepped out onto the sand, kicking it up with her feet. She wandered down to the beach, the sound of the ocean getting louder as she went.

She walked for maybe ten minutes before the need to vent her pent up frustration transformed into a desire to bend. Not wanting to go closer to the shoreline and get her slippers full of wet sand, Katara looked for another body of water she could use to practice.

Just barely in sight, she noticed a small hill that lead to other beach houses on Ember Island at the end of the beach. At the base, she could see the mouth of a cave.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Katara trudged through the dry sand towards the cave, letting the wind tousle her hair as a breeze kicked up. As she reached the opening of the cave, she grinned at the smell of water. Being so close to the ocean, she was sure there had to be a way to bend inside. Water probably congregated in there all the time.

Sure enough, a pool of beautiful blue water sat in the center of the cave. The surface was like a mirror as Katara neared it with a smile. She stepped further inside and slipped into a bending pose, body fluidly and smoothly transitioning into her bending exercises. Waterbending was probably the best release Katara could dream of and as she twisted the water into curls and ropes she could feel the frustration drain out of her. She concentrated on her hands and her body as she swirled the water around her and became one with the push and pull of the liquid. A heady, strange feeling filled her head as she wound deeper into her drills, but she shook it off as sleep deprivation and the echoes of the cave. But as she continued, the pool looked more...stunning as the minutes passed by. She found herself drawing closer and closer, entranced by the glittering water. She didn't startle when her slippered foot slid into the chill pool nor react beyond blinking hazily as her head grew heavier. There was something so hypnotizing and attractive about the water...she had to….get closer to it…

Her previous stressors didn't matter anymore. All she had to do was get closer to the glowing water…

Katara was waist deep in the lightly pulsating water, her blue eyes reflecting the glow and glitter of the pool. The closer she got to the center, the more her mind filled with fog. She could hardly think coherently anymore but that didn't matter- the water was so amazing! As Katara reached the center of the pool with the water up to her next, she couldn't remember what happened next, only that one moment she was there and then next she was swirling through a whirlpool, water whipping her hair and face as it took her somewhere she couldn't see with a big black dark spot in her memory. Water filled her mouth, ears, nostrils and slowly began to invade her lungs. Bright light ahead blinded her as a long serpentine water creature circled the light. She entered it...

Katara threw up water, coughing violently. Chest aching and tears streaming down her cheeks, she felt as if she'd half-drowned. Her throat felt raw as she tried to sit up, only for gentle hands to press her down once more.

"Ah, thank goodness," said an unfamiliar foreign voice as Katara struggled to open her eyes. "I wouldn't try sitting up just yet. No telling what sort of damage you did yourself there."

Katara finally managed to open her eyes. The world slowly came back into focus as her breaths rattled in her chest. The pupils dilated.

"What in the…?" she said hoarsely, staring at a vast body of seemingly endless ocean- but not the beach of Ember Island. In fact- she wasn't even on a beach, but a cliffside! A huge wall- mountain? Stood in front of her from where she lay, slightly curled on her side in a position she recalled from her healing training.

"Wh-where am I?" she whispered.

"Young lady? Young lady! Are you alright?" the voice said gruffly.

Katara's eyes snapped to the source of the voice...and she blinked at what she saw.

The odd looking old man peered at her, dressed entirely in a very strange bright outfit, with hair looking more like a bright yellowish-purple jungle flower than hair atop his otherwise bald head.

"I don't believe you have a neck or back injury," said the man. "Can you feel your whole body? Wiggle your toes?'

Katara quickly did a self-check, still half in a daze. "I- yeah."

"You can sit up then," the man said, helping her. Katara's eyes widened as she took in the true scope of the mountains, which truly seemed endless in height and length.

The old man chuckled. "Never seen the Red Line, huh?"

Katara would have asked what exactly the Red Line was if she hadn't seen the absolutely enormous black mound of something...in front of her. Something that'd been gashed terribly and had weird round things on either side of the- wait. Those looked like-

"...eyes?"

A strange echoing sound came from it and Katara immediately shrunk away from it with wide eyes and hunched shoulders.

The man looked at her and then at the mound. Then he looked back at her with suddenly comprehending eyes and said, "Oh, don't worry. He doesn't bite."

His words fell on deaf ears however, as she only heard 'he won't bite'. She did the most logical thing when faced with a giant foreign creature hundreds of times your size.

She screamed, scrabbling to her feet.

Both the old man and the creature were taken aback by her screams, one making a loud yelp and the other a sad bugle.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Katara screamed, pointing at the creature, who backed away a little.

"Calm down!"

"Who are you? Where am I? WHAT IS THAT THING?" Katara demanded, moving her finger to the man and then back at the startled giant mound.

"Don't panic," he said. "Please calm dow-"

"What's going on? WHERE AM I? WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!"

"If you just let me-"

"Why have you TAKEN ME HERE?"

"Taken? I-"

"WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?"

"Your friends? I don't- please, calm-"

"Where am I?!"

"Please-"

"WHERE IS THIS PLACE?! WHY-"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP FOR A SECOND, GIRL!"

Katara's mouth snapped shut as the man roared back. The creature made a sad noise indicating that it didn't think things were going all that well. The old man sighed and pulled off his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something like, "I'm getting too old for this."

Katara stood- well, sat- her ground. If this man tried anything, she had a huge body of water near her to command.

"Who are you and where am I?" she asked in a semblance of calm.

He put his glasses back on and stared at her with a surprisingly hard eye. "This is the thanks I get? Heh, kids these days."

"I said, where am I?" she said in a more demanding, dangerous tone.

The man muttered something like 'ungrateful girl' and said, "I am Crocus. You are on the Grand Line side of the Red Line."

Katara stared. Red Line? Grand Line? Where was that? How did she get there? Was he lying? He had to be lying. She'd never even heard anything about these places before, let alone something as monumental as the structure standing before her- and she'd crossed the globe. And...what kind of name was Crocus?

"I'm not lying," said Crocus, apparently picking up on her expression. "That's where we are."

"But...I don't know where those are."

For a moment, Crocus looked floored before a strange expression came over his face. "Hmm...where are you from?"

Katara studied him for a moment, taking in his appearance and dress. He certainly didn't look like a Fire Nation man- or, actually, like any one nation in the world. While strange looking, he was elderly and did have an honest face. But, as she learned in her travels, looks can be deceiving. Her mind drifted to Zuko and the Crystal Catacombs and then again at the Air Temple and then Jet. She shook her head and decided to answer honestly.

"The Southern Water Tribe at the South Pole," she said, muscles tensing in case she had to fight.

Crocus merely raised an eyebrow. "The South Pole?" The creature in the water made a confused sound.

Katara jumped. "Ah! What is that thing?"

Crocus, irritated, said, "He's not a thing, he's an island whale! He was the one who discovered you and helped save your life. His name is Laboon!"

"A whale?" she babbled, staring at the giant whale. "Th-that's a whale?"

Whales were rare near the South Pole, at least from the mainland. They mostly preferred to stay further out sea where only groups of adult male hunters from their tribes would dare venture if they had a lot of food and supplies or very little. Katara had seen them at the surface occasionally in her childhood, but they were never that big. Never.

"Yes, he is," Crocus said.

Katara moved closer to the edge, marveling at the giant mammal. This whale could've been fifteen times bigger than Appa! It was simply enormous!

Crocus loudly cleared his throat. "So...the South Pole?"

"Um, yeah. Actually, I was with my friends over at Ember Island. I don't know how I-" She paused, realization slamming into her. "Wait! Did you say you and…?"

"Laboon?" Crocus said, blinking.

"Right, did you say you and Laboon got me out of the water? The ocean?"
Crocus nodded, glancing at the whale, which made a noise. "Yes."

Katara gasped, shaking her head. What was she doing out at sea anyway? Last thing she remembered was the cave, bending the pool of water and- the water….

Her eyes widened once more in realization. She'd gone deep into the water and then she'd passed out- and then, the bright light….

Her legs felt weak and she wobbled for a moment, eyes flicking out the water and then to the wall, both incredibly foreign. Where was she? There was no place called the Grand Line in the world, as far as she knew. It didn't look like Ember Island. She didn't even know if this was even her world…

"Kid?"

Katara glanced up with darting eyes. "Which part of the world am I in?"

Crocus raised his eyebrows but answered easily when he saw the lost and clammy look on her face. "You're...on the Red Line. The entrance of the Grand Line…"

"Where is that? What nation is that in?"

"Nation?" Crocus asked, confused.

"Well?" she demanded. "Earth? Fire? Water? Which!?"

Crocus just shook his head helplessly. He had no idea what to make of any of this. Worry swept through him and from the small noises Laboon was making, the whale was too.

"Say something!" she shouted, breaths popping through her lips as her shoulders heaved, terror lancing through her.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about, kid," Crocus said, bewildered.

Katara's world froze. Here she was, on some shore cliff with an impossible geological feature and a man who had never heard of any of the elemental nations- any of the nations that covered the entire world. She was alone, with a man that might be thinking she's insane and a enormous whale staring back at her.

"...No," she choked out, legs finally giving out as she crumbled to the floor, knees pressing against the stone. She didn't hear the startled shout of the man as she grabbed the sides of her head, terror overwhelming her. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"

Blood pounded in her ears as she pressed her hands hard against them, heart hammering painfully against her chest. Her eyes scrunched close as tears threatened to overwhelm them. Nausea choked her as she hyperventilated, bile rising in her throat.

She wanted it to be a dream, but the panic, the ocean air, the wind- it was all real. All too real.

Katara was in a different world, and she had no idea how she got there.

As Katara's panic slowly subsided to a more manageable level, Crocus was worried. He had no idea what to do. He didn't even know the girl's name and yet he felt sorry for her...and incredibly confused. She was peculiar in every way- from her words, her darkly tanned skin and elaborately, albeit soaked and saggy hairstyle, and strange red outfit that was a little too revealing for her age- at least for him, anyway. She obviously came from someplace very foreign, likely a tiny island far away from the Grand Line and so removed so as to not have even heard of the seas. The question was, how did she get there?

Whatever the answer, he had to calm her down. Nothing good would come from her stressing out too much after nearly drowning.

"Look, little lady, maybe you need some rest-"

That was not the right thing to say. Immediately, the girl spun on him, eyes red with unshed tears.

"I'm not crazy! I HAVE TO GO HOME!" she shouted, then buried her head in her arms once more, sniffles shaking her shoulders. "Sokka, Suki, Toph, Zuko…" Her shoulders tensed and she looked up. "Oh no, Aang! Aang needs me! The others might need me! I have to back!" Katara scrabbled to her feet and ran towards the cliff, hands quickly finding holds as she started to climb.

"What are you doing?" Crocus bellowed, running after her as Laboon made a sound of disapproval. He latched his arms around her waist and tried to pull her off the wall.

"I have to go back! I don't care how, but I have to go back!" Katara shouted, flailing against Crocus's grip as he detached her from the wall, holding her over his shoulder with a surprisingly strong arm.

"No!" she shouted, struggling. Tears finally broke over the threshold of her eyes as she wiggled. "Let me go!"

"I won't let you kill yourself," Crocus snapped.

"I want to go back! I need to go back! LET GO!" With one strong yank, Katara tumbled out of his grip, but he caught her by the arm.

"No! You need to calm down! Maybe I can help you!"

"How?" Katara snapped, yanking her arm.

"I'll contact someone on the islands of the Grand Line and-"

"I don't even know where that is. Let go!"

Katara slipped out his grip once more, but instead of making a beeline for the wall, she slipped in a vaguely martial pose and lifted her arms in a strange motion. Laboon bellowed loudly, as if trying to warn him.

A shadow fell on him and Crocus looked up to see something that blew his mind. Above them swirled a giant watery serpent, twisting above them.

"Let me go!" Katara screamed, her terror reaching a breaking point as she threw the water at him, chest heaving.

"Gah!" Crocus yelled, slamming into the ground as the water filled his vision. When Katara saw what she'd done, she'd froze, guilt and shame forcing her hands to her mouth and tears back to her eyes.

"What have I done?" she whispered, racing barefoot towards the old man. "C-Crocus?" she said hesitatingly, falling to her knees beside him. "Are you okay?"

Laboon made a sad whine, Katara's eyes meeting his guiltily.

"I'm sorry, I-"

A groan broke off her words. Katara's eyes snapped back the man and relief swept through her.

"You're okay! He's okay! Crocus!"

As Crocus coughed up water, Katara helped him sit, stuttering apologies.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he finally said, waving her off. "All I want to know is how in the hell you did that?"

Katara blinked, confused. "My bending?"

"Bending?" He coughed some more. "That's what it's called? It's not a Devil Fruit ability?'

"Huh?" Katara said, perplexed. "Devil Fruit? What's that?"

"Cursed fruit that can grant a person any type of power if they eat it. Anyone who eats it will lose their ability to swim however, turning them in anchors in the water."

Katara blinked and shook her head. "No, bending is nothing like that...it's something you are born with. There are four types and you can only have one...I'm a waterbender…"

"You really aren't from around here, are you miss?" Crocus said, getting to his feet while waving off Katara's offer of help.

"No, not really," she said quietly. "It's a whole different world..."

Crocus paused, taking in her word with narrowed ideas. "You are serious."

"Huh?" Katara asked, startled.

"Somehow, you came here from another world, didn't you?"

"Eh? How'd you figure that out so fast?!" Katara said, eyes widening.

Crocus laughed deeply. "Well, it's not everyday I see a strangely dressed kid rising from the water and talking of strange elements and powers that are impossible in our world and not knowing a lick about the Grand Line. When you mentioned a 'whole different world', I made a guess. Glad to know I'm right." He laughed again, patting her on the shoulder. "There are many strange things in these waters, though I imagine this takes the cake."

Katara was dumbfounded. What kind of world was this? Better yet, how and why was she here? Did the spirits have something to do with this? And why, of all times, did it have to be now, when she was about to face the Fire Lord at the coming of the comet?

"Heh heh," said Crocus. "So you really are from another world?"

"I- I think so," Katara stammered.

"Well," said Crocus. "Don't attempt what you just did. Those mountains go up for a very long time and you would fall long before you even reached a quarter of its height. On the other side is just the Blue seas anyway. If anywhere is going to return you to your world, I can almost guarantee it'll be in the Grand Line."

The words struck her hard. Though he was kind, she knew what she'd tried was foolish. But to hear that her attempts were pointless…"I'm sorry," she said, nose running. She wiped it angrily.

"Hey. Don't cry. Be strong, kid."

"I'll try," Katara said softly, feeling a little better at the man's supportive words. Suddenly, she remembered what the man had said about Laboon, so she spun around and smiled at the wall. "Sorry Laboon. Thank you very much for your help! And sorry that I got a little…" she trailed off, smiling sheepishly. The whale made a quiet, happy sound and Katara's shoulders sagged with relief.

She then turned and thanked Crocus as well, who accepted. He asked what she was going to do now.

"I don't know," she said. "There's nowhere for me to go. I just pray to the spirits that Aang, Zuko, and the others won't be worried about me and stop the Fire Nation...Until I figure out how to go home, there's nothing for me to do…"

Crocus hummed. "Hmm...there are mysteries all around this world. I'm sure there is some mystical haven on one of the islands in Paradise and New World- er, the Grand Line that will bring you back."

Katara looked both skeptical and solemn. How as she supposed to find a pool of enchanted water that would somehow be enough to take her home, especially in a world by herself where she knew none of the rules?

Crocus saw her expression and said, "Hey, if you got here, there's gotta be a way home. Plain and simple."

Katara appreciated the optimism, but at the moment, her's was being shot down. She just hoped and prayed the gang wouldn't try to follow her into this world. One person being lost and almost drowning was bad enough; they didn't need all of them stuck in this world, especially since Aang needed them- all of them- to beat the Fire Lord.

"I never did get your name," Crocus said suddenly. "What is it?"

"Katara. My name is Katara," she said.

"Katara?" he said. "That's a nice name."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Well, Katara, how about you stay at the lighthouse for a while?"

"Lighthouse?" she glanced up at the cliff to see the tall structure. "You mean that thing?"

"Yep. I have a spare room you can sleep in, if you want it."

"I- okay," she said, smiling. "But...why is it called a lighthouse?"

Crocus blinked. She must not have a very advanced world…. He chuckled. "You'll have to see it at night."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Um...okay."

With that, she followed Crocus to the ladder leading to the 'light house'. Laboon wiggled in the water, causing huge waves to slap against the cliff.

Crocus grinned at this. "It seems Laboon is quite happy with our new guest...well, Katara, bending. Can you explain this more?"

Katara nodded as she climbed the ladder, morning sun burning down on them. "Well, it's kind of complicated..."

With that, she began to explain, following the nodding man into the house, the sun following them inside.

A new chapter had begun.

(next update will either be next monday or the monday after)