Here's a little quote from Les Miserables (the novel) I thought that I'd include just to set the tone:
"Mother's arms are made of tenderness, and sweet sleep blesses the child who lies within."
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Katara gently touched the necklace she wore around her throat. It was the most precious item she possessed, her constant reminder of her mother. Katara had loved her mother more than anything in the world. In fact, when Katara was little, her mother was her world. When Sokka had gone off to play warrior, and refused to take her along, she would sit in their igloo and pout until her mother came, laughing, and scoop little Katara up in her arms.
"We can have our own fun," she would say to the tiny girl, and she would take her off on their own little adventure. Sometimes she'd even take her penguin sledding. Katara's mother would laugh delightfully, watching her child romp through the snow, chasing the penguins.
"Here's how you catch them," she told her daughter, producing a strip of fish out of her pocket. And little Katara watched wide eyed, as a penguin waddled up to them, snatching the fish out of her mother's hand. In the blink of an eye, Katara found herself in her mother's arms, careening down a snowy hill on the back of a penguin. And when they crashed into the snow at the bottom, all they could do was laugh from the sheer exhilaration.
Katara's mother taught her everything she knew – how to cook, how to clean, how to make boys do what you wanted (a trick Katara found endlessly useful when dealing with stubborn Sokka). And she had endless patience. When Katara would try to cook dinner, and burn the fish to a blackened crisp, her mother would eat it and proclaim it was delicious. (And then she would reprimand Sokka for making gagging noises when Katara's back was turned.)
But more than that, Katara's mother taught her what kind of person she wanted to be. Her mother was eternally selfless, kind and forgiving. And Katara wanted more than anything to be just like her.
"You're turning into Mom!" Sokka would say, and Katara would stick out her tongue, but deep down she would smile, because that was what she really wanted.
But then came the day when everything changed. All Katara remembered was her father running out the door, weapons in hand, and her mother picking her up and putting her behind the bed. Sokka was yelling, protesting that he wanted to fight. But her mother pleaded with them to stay put.
"Protect your sister," she said in her soft sweet voice, her hand on his shoulder, and Sokka finally gave in. So the two children crouched behind the bed, eyes peaking over the top to watch their mother. Katara remembered fingering the necklace around her neck, her mother had agreed to let her wear it that day, as a special treat.
Her mother didn't even flinch when a fire nation soldier burst through their door.
"Get out of my house," she commanded, teeth barred. Her brutal tone was so uncharacteristic of her calm nature. Sokka could sense something terrible was going to happen. He pulled down Katara and they both lay on the floor, trembling.
It seemed like hours before their father finally came and found them, huddling together, tears of fear streaming down their cheeks. Katara knew from one look at his face, that her mother was gone. It was then that she began to bawl in earnest. Sokka just stood there, dumbfounded.
Katara threw herself on the bed, clutching her necklace. She cried for days. But when she was through, she emerged a new girl, a new woman. She would be strong for her mother. She would hold this family together, even if it meant washing Sokka's dirty socks. And she would try to be like her mother. She would try to be kind and selfless and forgiving. She would try to help people. And she would try to be strong.
A/N: I know this concept has probably been done to death, but I thought I'd try it. Aang and Zuko are coming, and maybe Sokka too. And yay for penguin sledding! I just had to put that in there. I mean, how else would Katara have learned to catch penguins? Please review!