"It's all right," Katara said. "There was a time I wouldn't have been able to talk about it, but my world is gone now, and I've grown a lot since then."

She hugged back, and took a long drink before continuing. "I told you they eliminated the airbenders. Well, they had a boost of power then, but after that they came for us. Not to kill us: that would have taken too long. Instead they started attacking us routinely, slowly imprisoning each of our waterbenders, until they were almost sure they had every one. Then they realized there was one more, and came back to the village. While the raiders distracted our warriors in a fight, the captain went to my mother to find out about the last waterbender. My mother asked if they would leave if they found that person, and he said he would. So she told him she was the one, and asked she be taken prisoner. But...he wasn't taking prisoners that time. when we got back to the house, it was too late. He'd accomplished his mission, so he thought."

Here, Katara didn't mind burrowing with Starfire. She still couldn't tell this story without feeling a little of that emptiness, that left over sadness.