"Yes, Appa is a friend of mine," Katara responded honestly, her smile turning fond at the thought of the sky bison. "He's actually the companion of one of my best friends. Aang is an Air Nomad and the Sky Bison are their companions. The two of them are inseperable. But, I do consider him a friend of mine as well, yes." After all, after almost three full years of roaming the entire world on top of Appa's back, what else would she consider him?
"It wasn't always night. Something happened and we aren't sure what, but the sun is blocked out of the sky somehow. We're trying to fix it. As for the rain, it began doing that a few weeks ago and hasn't stopped. Although..." She trailed off, glancing skyward for a moment before slowly, calmly, raising her arms slightly. As she did, the water that was falling down upon their heads began to slow, eventually coming to a stop a foot or so above them. As the liquid began to harden, creating an umbrella of sorts, Katara smiled at him. "It isn't as large of an issue for me as for others. I guess it's just one of the perks of being a waterbender."