Author's notes:

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or it's characters. All credit goes to Mike and Bryan.

I didn't use a beta, but send me a PM if you're interested in doing so for me. Will update soon, read and review!

Chapter 1 – State of Affairs

Katara paced the span of her room, allowing herself brief glances at the burnished metal handle, waiting, just waiting for it to spin and a certain important person to enter.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if he would have listened to me…" She practically growled to herself, why did he insist on treating her like an insolent child? The plan was perfect. 'Till he let his advisors ruin it…' she thought, giving in to her irritation and rage as she imagined the many ways to strangle them for their idiotic opinions.

"My lady, is there anything I can get for you?" Asked one of her maids asked worriedly, the aggravated waterbender had been pacing for a good half an hour straight.

Katara glanced up to see the young woman half-cowering beside her, was she truly that angry on the outside? Sure her mood was of the foulest sort on the inside, but she was skilled in the art of emotional masks. Maybe she was slipping…

A deep breath to calm, a count to ten for her patience to return, and a sigh of air out to compose her face and control her voice. This was ridiculous, she was acting like a spoiled, intolerant child. No Princess of the Southern Water Tribe behaved this way, certainly no war General behaved this way. And that was what she wanted to be, right? Her step-father's most trusted War General? She could win the war for him. She smiled within at this thought, but left her face completely serene as she spoke to her servant.

"No Sati, you are free to go for the evening, send in your replacement before you retire."

"Yes my lady…" She whispered, scampering out of the room like a beaten dog.

The second the door clicked closed Katara became a whirlpool of anger and vengeance, pacing again and walking with such force that she would have been surprised the ice floor held underneath her, had she been concerned about anything but this insult. This was her family's war, this was her war. She was not going to allow some rash General's decision destroy her chance at glory, she refused.

The door opened with a sigh and she whirled around to meet her step-father, she could see her rage reflected in his deep brown, emotionless pits of eyes. He looked generally unconcerned with her expression and instead folded his arms into his blue and silver fur lined robes, waiting for her to begin.

"You should have listened to me!" She shouted, beginning without prompt. "General Oneiwa was wrong, horribly wrong, I said so myself! And look what it has done; our Tribe grieves for an entire fleet and we, we sit here and count ourselves lucky that it did not go worse!" She spat the last word, and with a flourish of her hands, the ice walls of her room splintered and webs of hair thin cracks decorated the blue tinged surface.

"Katara, General Oneiwa was only attempting to preserve the lives of the soldiers by altering your plan minimally." He reasoned in a monotone, still devoid of all emotion.

"Well he failed. We lost them all anyways, at least my plan would have ensured victory. Their deaths were only a small price to pay for a triumph so great." She whispered dangerously, poison dripping from her voice.

A long pause emphasized her wicked words, and after some time her step-father's mouth quirked up in a tiny smirk. His eyes showed only the lightest twinge of pride, but it was there, it was real, and after a few more minutes he let out a low chuckle and spoke in a dark tone. "You have made me proud, daughter. You will be great, in due time. Join me tonight in the council room, we are planning a second attack on the Earth Kingdom, and this time, I'm sure the generals will be more open to your ideas." With that he left, gliding out of the room like an icy serpent, and she was delighted. He was proud.

"Sokka, what's wrong with you? You're being deployed, that's wonderful! You should be overjoyed."

"Why would I be?" He stared at the ground, feeling lost and afraid. "I'll just be slaughtered like the last fleet…"

"The plan is a fool-proof one." Katara responded matter-of-factly. "I created it, I would know."

She smiled proudly as she thought of the war meeting nearly a week ago; the one she was asked to attend. She had put General Oneiwa and the rest of his incompetent followers in their place. During the meeting she was positive she had crushed their sense of self-worth and made them feel like nothing more than mute old fools. She had then drafted her battle plans and worked for several hours alone in her study, perfecting every movement, every tactic, until it was as cold and calculated as her frozen glares. The next morning she had called together the generals, advisors, and the Chief to propose the plan, leaving absolutely no room for substitutions or alterations. It was accepted by a unanimous vote and she was well on her way to becoming the greatest Water Tribe Chieftess in the history of the Southern Water Tribe.

"Then I trust you sis. Wholeheartedly." Sokka smiled at her, smiled with his heartwarming, brotherly affection smile that made her think of her mother, of her father.

Sokka was two years older, and naturally should have been the next in the line of the royal succession, but a complicated family history‒combined with his unwillingness to rule‒had left her with the birthright. This had pleased her step-father beyond words, she was his favorite of his late wife's children, and in his eyes most competent to lead a nation. Her step-father's name was Altsoba, and he was her mother's second husband. He was, in fact, not born into royalty, he was married into it. Her mother had been the last living heir to the throne when Katara's uncle died in battle and her grandfather died of heartbreak. Kya had taken a husband late in her life, and they ruled for many years. After the death of Katara and Sokka's father, she was forced into marriage to ensure that a man ruled the Tribe, and with that law came Altsoba. He and Kya were both well past their fertile years, and he had no children of his own. First, he showed interest in only Sokka, but when they became old enough to make their own decisions her brother made it clear he had no intention of ruling someday. That was where Katara came in; the waterbender of the family. The strong, proud, passionate, and astonishingly intelligent girl fought her way to favor with Altsoba, and soon all laws were abolished requiring women to marry before assuming the throne. It was Kya's dying wish that Katara rule the nation, and in this Sokka held no resentment towards his all-too capable sister. It was Katara's 11th birthday when she was called to her mother's bedside, and forced to sit through the talk her mother had been planning for months. She was dying, of that much she was certain, and Katara would be left without either of her birth parents. There was weeping as the little girl listened to her mother's instructions on ruling an entire Nation on her own, Sokka had sat beside her and committed the information to memory as well, for fear that someday Katara would forget their mother's words.

Looking at her now, he secretly wondered if she had. While he loved and trusted his sister with his life, oftentimes he witnessed a coldness about her that was not there as a child. She was a war-machine, she had been raised since childhood to think only of the benefit of her nation as a purely physical thing, and she had blocked out attachment and guilt entirely. Sokka was one of the few citizens of the Southern Water Tribe that believed their war was unjustified, it had started a hundred years ago as a feud between nations, the Fire Nation instigated things, and when the war came to Southern ice, things got personal. The Air Nomads had been annihilated and half the Earth Kingdom was smoldering as fire and water clashed. They became world powers, and over the next hundred years fought brutally, turning war into barbarism with their rage and hate. Each Nation thought the other was primitive and revolting, but truly it was all a matter of kingdoms acting like school children. It was said that a small land dispute turned into full out war, and through the histories the nations had done nothing but tattle-tale, backstab, and make fun of the others. 'Just like children… And now I have to go to war for this stupid cause…' Sokka thought absently to himself. 'The Fire nation is obsessed with honor, and we are obsessed with glory. How far we have fallen…' He sighed inwardly, putting on a happy face for Katara.

Gone were the days of joking fun, he realized, as she studied his armor laying on the floor with an envious gaze. She was not permitted to go to battle, her life could not be in danger, she was heir. She was also no longer a child, she was a woman, a warrior woman and a master waterbender. Happiness had left Sokka when their mother died, and very few times was he able to bring back his joking personality. In this world of war and responsibility he felt dead inside.

"You will bring us glory Sokka. You are a skilled warrior." She continued proudly, had she been talking while he was lost in his thoughts? He didn't know what else to say, what was there really? It was pointless to say thank you, she would only brush off the comment. He didn't want to bring up the stupidity of the war and the impending battle, she was the future ruler, she made the plan, she would be offended. He didn't want to voice his hatred of fighting people he didn't see the need to fight, she was born to fight and she would think he wasted the privilege if he displayed any uncertainty. So he would keep quiet, he didn't want to anger her or offend her by bringing up something he shouldn't. He knew her better than anyone, and right now she was liable to become as tumultuous and fierce as the raging waves, if provoked.

So, he sat dejectedly in the locker room of the training facilities, staring at the floor, rather than watch his sister throw icicles‒more like ice daggers‒at the frozen wall in front of them. There was a 'chink' every time her weapon hit the wall and a 'whiz, clunk' when she bended it back to her hand. He did not have to look up to know she hit her target spot-on, she was deadly like that, and he felt a small twinge of sadness knowing that she spent her time plotting wars and mulling over murdering to get what she wanted.

'Yes…' he thought remorsefully, 'she would have a man beheaded to obtain her ultimate prize. She has forgotten mother… She has forgotten herself...'

The days passed slowly for Katara; she awaited news of the fleet's arrival in the Earth Kingdom, she dealt with trivial legal matters within the Tribe, she even had some time to herself to be pampered. In the weeks that followed she found it increasingly hard to keep busy, there just wasn't that much going on right now. So she decided to pray, pray to the gods for their wisdom and favor, and when that became boring she would study. Eventually the two activities melded together and she found herself researching both ancient and modern religions. Long hours were spent in the royal library, and she discovered her favorite place was beside the roaring fireplace on the coldest evenings. The Southern winter was brutal and autumn was losing hold, soon the sun would fall below the horizon line and they would all be plunged into 6 months of absolute night. Temperatures would plummet, non-bender's bodies would slow and benders would be hyperactive in the near-constant presence of the moon. It was mid-March and the only sunset of the year was two days away.

Katara would not allow herself to admit it, but in some ways she would miss the sun. Yes, she was eager as a bender to feel the power of the moon again; it had been 6 long months in coming. But while she was rejoicing this, she also mourned the lack of warmth that would greet her as she stepped outside for her morning strolls. The sun was not to her what it was to her step-father, though she would never dare say it aloud…

The next two days passed peacefully, and as the sun made it's yearly descent she thought of her brother. Was he ok? Why was there no news? She prayed silently to Tui that she would watch over him, and to La that the waters were calm and the current pulled them quickly to their destination. As the sun finally sighed below the horizon, and the moon rose cheerily over the snowy world, she made her way to the library. She was anxious to read an ancient Fire Nation myth she had found last night, and with the moon shining she had no desire to slip into bed just yet. She found the book exactly where she had left it, sitting on a low table before the fire. She turned the pages to the story and began reading, an hour later she came across the best part; a description of the sun god Agni. Katara was so engrossed in her reading that she hadn't noticed Altsoba sneaking up and reading over her shoulder.

She jumped when he spoke from directly behind her. "Aren't you too old to be reading fairy tales? I distinctly remember the cut off age being twelve," she wasn't sure if he was teasing or serious.

"It's Fire Nation mythology." She explained, sounding more irritated than she intended.

"Actually, it's Sun Warrior mythology, the civilization before them." He told her, sitting down and propping his elbows on his knees. "Agni is still a major part of their religion, despite the age of the myth. Some people wonder if it's even a myth, or if he's really the spirit of the sun."

"Like Tui and La…" She murmured.

"Why the sudden interest in the Fire Nation?"

"It is always best to know one's enemy. And… I suppose I was just… curious…"

He studied her face, locking eyes with her and not backing down. She wondered shamelessly as to how many had met their death staring in to those mute eyes, was the number in the double digits, or rather in the thousands? She had personally delivered 6 people to the wrath of Ko, and that was in only 17 years. She had grown up fast, and grown up strong.

"Do you think, if Agni does exist, that he exists in human form? Like Tui and La?"

"If he does, I will find him, and I will destroy him." Altsoba whispered murderously, tearing his eyes away from her face to stride soundlessly down the hall. Goose bumps covered Katara's arms as she marveled at the hatred and power behind his being, he was deadly, and she had been raised as his. She was the product of his vision, his determination to raise a child to not only rule, but to kill. And she would not fail him.

Three days later, word was received from the fleet in the Earth Kingdom; they had made it, and the fighting was brutal, but they were pushing on. Sokka made mention in his personal letter to Katara that it was made worse by the rain, which turned everything into a mud fight. Waterbenders and Earthbenders had tried using the wet earth to fight, but it was comparable to a pillow fight at a sleepover. Mud just didn't kill anyone.

In the official letter, it mentioned delay on account of the rain but also made it clear that everything was going as planned. Katara sat for an hour with Altsoba, formulating their return message as figurines were pushed over a tabletop map to indicate the fleet and their enemy's location. Everything was going as planned, and Katara couldn't be more ecstatic, no matter how sadistic it was to be happy in battle. She retired early, allowing her mind to slip away from her odd infatuations with religion and myth, and fade away into battle cries, and victories in distant lands. Dreams claimed her, and she smiled in her sleep, looking far too at peace for what was raging in her head.

The smell of blood filled her nose, her ears were drowned in the cries of dying men and snarling victors, her mouth was dry and her lips chapped, but before her eyes was the most beautiful, serene sight she had ever viewed.

'Push and pull… Yin and Yang… Tui and La…' A deep, smooth voice sifted to her, sending creeping chills up her spine and making the sounds of battle fade into the background, no more than a hum in the back of her mind.

The koi circled each other, never ceasing, never yielding to the other. The water rippled, but it wasn't tinged blue like normal water, it glowed gold in the dappled light sifting through cherry blossoms above. The air still smelt of blood, but this time it wasn't excitement she felt for the rage of battle, it was dread. An emotion that made her feel weak, that said that she wasn't sure if she would live to see another day. She caught sight of her reflection in the water and it smiled an insane, bloodthirsty smile. She wasn't smiling... It was acting separately from her, she realized, gasping as it raised a dagger to it's throat and sliced. She felt the pain before the world went black. She awoke gasping and screaming for her brother, but he was not there. He was at war.

The next morning, a letter came.

"Katara, what is your opinion on this diversion of your plan?" General Oneiwa questioned, he was taunting her…

"We crush them, we drown them, we show no mercy." She wasn't sure if she was growling or snarling, it was all the same in the end anyways. Her seat at Altsoba's right hand was the target of many stares this morning, two days after the letter. She did not shift, she did not waver, she stared him down with a hatred to rival even Agni's.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" taunted the general again, obviously pleased that Katara's mastermind plot was falling away before her eyes.

"I will go myself if I have to!" She spat, enraged that her shot at glory had fallen before her eyes.

"Well, perhaps while you're out, you could find your brother. We all send our regards, Princess. Well, unless he's already dead, then we send our condolences." The general bowed his head in a mockery of her title, her power, her cunning. She wasted no time in spanning the 20 feet between them, slamming him to a pillar, one hand constricting his fat neck.

"Perhaps we should send you, dear General." She sneered, watching with satisfaction as he grabbed at her hand, choking. "Or I could just kill you now."

Sokka stared out into the pouring rain; the seal skin tent offered considerable protection, but humidity and dampness still seeped into his bones, chilling him in a way the South never had. Lush greenery surrounded them and he was beginning to adjust to the twenty four hour days. It had been odd at first, but he was starting to like the Earth Kingdom, thinking perhaps he could be happy there, settle down even. 'If there wasn't a war being fought, that is.'

He hadn't heard from Katara yet, but he didn't blame her, she was probably in endless war meetings attempting to salvage her plan and bring him home safe. He knew she would do what it took to bring at least him home, and he wondered if she would ever extend the same level of dedication to anyone else.

He sighed, staring down at the makeshift cast encasing his left leg. "Well," he muttered, running his fingertips over the bandage on his face, "at least boomerang came back…"

Waves lapped at her feet, cold seeped through her thin silk clothes, she smirked.

It was agreed. She was going to war.

(flashback)

The throne room doors were in her way, she needed to be heard, now. She threw them open, ignoring the slamming and squeaking as hinges strained and walls acted as bumpers. A guard glanced at her questioningly.

"What?" she snapped, throwing him a deadly look.

"Princess Katara, is something wrong?" Altsoba asked with only a hint of surprise in his cold voice.

She dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead against the floor in a low bow. She looked up, focusing her glare on his feet. "I want‒no. I demand the freedom to go and find my brother, to help him win this battle, to help you win this war. I will not let you down."

(end flashback)

Now, as she stood on the edge of the ice, looking out at the freezing waters, she was finally going. The 'trip' had not been approved by the council, naturally, so she was going in secret with the Chief's permission. She would be their spy, their eyes behind enemy lines, and her own one man rescue team for her brother and the fleet. The Earth Kingdom would be conquered, and the Fire Nation would regret aiding them in this battle…

She pulled her fukumen over her nose, the black cloth doing little to block the stinging tundra air. 'That won't be a problem for long…' she thought, preparing to call her element to her. Her boots crunched as they took a final step in the snow and settled into a fishing canoe; the vessel itself was small and the wood a worn shade of grayish tan, a seal skin sail whipped around in the heavy winds, Katara sent a silent prayer to La for safe travels. As she pushed the boat off shore, she began propelling with her waterbending, letting her mind wander while muscle memory guided her boat.

She would travel until she reached the Southern Air Temple islands, she would rest briefly near the shore, then proceed to Whale Tale Island. It would take her nearly two weeks from that point to sail the remaining distance to Earth Kingdom territory, then, travel on foot to the Western coast where what remained of the Water Tribe fleet lay hidden.

The Fire Nation was aiding the Earth Kingdom, and Katara's main focus‒per request of her step-father‒was that she gather information regarding the Fire Nation's future advances. This she would do proudly, and efficiently.

'Earth and water don't mix anyways…' and it was true. The two yins were Water and Air, the two yangs being Fire and Earth. Water and Fire balanced, Air agitated Fire. Earth and Air balanced, but Earth restricted Water.

Maybe that was why Fire and Water could fight for a hundred years, and neither fell to the other. The Fire Nation had killed off the Air Nomads, and the Water Tribe had all but destroyed the Earth Kingdom.

The wind whipped at her face and the salt spray stung at her eyes, but she pushed on, long hours spent propelling herself forward, determination driving her forward. She never yielded to the ache of sore muscles, or the fatigue that washed over her like the cold waters. She pushed till the sky faded to slate grey, and the air sifted cool and refreshing over the Southern ocean; the 6 month night began to fade and the sun crested over the horizon line. In the distance she could see tall mountains rising from the sea, clouds drifting lazily around the peaks and the sun lingering behind the land. It was early morning, and the sun drained her energy, but she rejoiced nonetheless in this peaceful scene.

'Spirits, what a beautiful day…' She stared in awe as the red-orange sun broke free of the largest mountain, the summit glistening with fresh snow. She noticed, at this moment, that the snow was tinted gold from the low sun's rays, and her mind drifted back to her dream of Tui and La. The water was gold there… A sudden feeling of dread replaced her joy of the morning sun, and with it she felt the urge to panic. "Agni, spare me…" she whispered, mentally smacking herself for showing such weakness, Agni would not listen to her. She had killed thousands of his children…

Katara pushed further, not stopping till the sun had risen far overhead and the mountains were no longer distant. She docked her boat at an island about 30 miles from the taller mountainous islands, the hard stone beneath her felt odd, but was solid and welcoming to her weary limbs. She collapsed on the ground, forgetting about bedrolls or pillows, or anything of the sort and simply drifted off to sleep. The Air Nomads had been dead almost a hundred years, and she was on their abandoned Southern islands, no one was here to bother her.

A storm raged overhead and she was shaken from her deep slumber, plunged into a world of freezing wind, rain, and darkness.

Katara picked herself up from the hard stone ground, fumbling around for the line that tied her boat to the shore. 'It's not here…' She panicked, jumping up and squinting her eyes against the sheeting rain. She scanned the area, spotting an object bobbing in the waters about 100 feet out. There. She dove; swimming through the vicious sea and tackling waves taller than herself. She neared the boat and reached for the line, the side, anything. A stray piece of sail drifted into her hand, she seized it, screaming in frustration as she cast it away. The next object to meet her was the rope and she forced the boat closer. Despite her status as Master Katara, she could not fight waves with waves, and waterbending became useless against the furious sea. The more she fought, the more she lost, and with the waves pushing her under, she was losing her supply of oxygen. Blackness edged at the corners of her mind and she thrashed in the blue waters. She was losing the battle.

'La, why are you doing this to me?' she whispered within, feeling her body sinking and her thoughts drift away.

Blazing sun beat down on her bare skin; the heat was incredible and the gritty sand underneath her didn't help much. Her mind was fuzzy, but at least she wasn't dead. Obviously a considerable amount of her clothes were gone, judging by the patches that felt like they were on fire. It was midday‒that much she knew‒though it may have been the first time she had ever experienced the sun directly overhead. While conscious, at least.

Katara shifted in the sand, catching a glimpse of her surroundings; she froze. This was not the Air Temple mountain range. Tall trees framed a small beach, the air smelled of what she could only assume was pine, and she felt eyes on her. Everywhere.

She scrambled up immediately, pulling some water to her from the ocean behind her, it swirled around her midsection, adhering like glue to her skin. A pain pierced her temples, making her lightheaded and weak, the sun must be mocking her. She blinked a few times, letting her blue eyes adjust to the intense day. 'Well this feels strange…' The Southern Water Tribe had certainly never prepared her for a landscape like this…

She felt the eyes retreating, never leaving, but retreating nonetheless. The tense atmosphere eased, and Katara's survival instincts kicked in. Her tongue was feeling dry and her mind sluggish, she needed water. Soon. To find water, she needed to find a town or a nearby stream. Ocean water was nearly impossible to purify with waterbending, and the effort was incredibly taxing; in her current condition absolutely impossible.

So she started walking, letting instincts lead as she searched for a village. She followed a well-worn footpath, letting the twists and turns take her through lush pastures of grasses and early wildflowers. Spring was breaking through in this part of the world, and evidence of the seasons shifting could be found everywhere.`

The path widened and started shifting upwards, the incline becoming steep before cresting and revealing a quaint village. People meandered throughout it's streets, children played on the outskirts of town. As she neared, they stopped to stare at Katara warily. It was then that she realized she probably looked homeless and filthy.

A little boy neared her, staring into her eyes and she strode past him. He gasped quietly before backing away; she was a waterbender, that much was clear to anyone with eyes.

"Green… Oh how I do so love green…" she mumbled sarcastically, passing finally into the main street of the town.

Katara bought her clothes, her water, her provisions, and was finally pointed to the port outside of town where she could find a new ship or perhaps a vessel already traveling in the direction she was headed.

"Who are you?" one shopkeeper had asked her; he was young, and fiery hatred shone in his eyes as he searched her form for clues.

"A foreigner. I'm simply traveling at the moment,"

He glanced over her again. "Well, foreigners are not welcome on Kyoshi island. I suggest you leave soon, stranger."

Katara shrugged, finishing loading up her bag with the essentials she had bought. "So that's where I am, Kyoshi? I don't suppose you know of man to take me to the mainland, hm?"

"Not with those eyes I don't." He replied icily.

"Too bad… He would be well paid…" she said offhandedly, setting off in the direction of the port.

She had spent hours searching for a boat, no captain was brave enough to allow a dark-skinned, blue eyed woman aboard their ship. But finally one came into sight, a beaten, wooden ship with men milling about aimlessly. A scrawny dark haired man was standing in front, yelling at the passerby's.

"Come right up little lady, genuine artifacts for sale!" He screeched at her through gold crowned teeth.

"Actually I'm not interested in artifacts, pirate. I'm traveling to the Earth Kingdom mainland, I need a ride."

"Sorry, but we don't take your kind." He cackled, was it a cackle or a deranged screech? Maybe just a really messed up laugh?

Katara tossed a couple of silver pieces at his shoes, watching as he grinned at her appraisingly.

"We might be able to work out a deal, waterbender." He paused, reevaluating her offer. "Three gold pieces and you have a deal."

"Two, I have my own provisions."

"Deal."

They shook on it, and she boarded the ship.

Destination: Earth Kingdom. Estimated Arrival: 1.5 weeks. Purpose of Mission: Extraction of Information, Divide and Conquer.