Anaka was a normal water tribe girl from a water tribe in the south. She was a water Bender like her mother, the day started as any other. They'd sneak off to go practice their water bending away from the village, to keep it a secret so they would be safe from the fire nation.
"Mama, mama wait up" her tiny legs tried to catch up to her mother.

" What is it my sweet?" Her mother cooed at her sweet little minnow

" Daddy was talkin to da chief and he said we're...I'm dragon marked. What does that mean mama?" she said between sobs

Angered her mother stormed back into the hut to confront her deranged husband. He should know not to talk of such things in front of their daughter.

Hakoda steps out of the small family's hut laughing with the husband
"Joh what in the gods are you thinking, talking about the "family curse in front of our daughter she's only five!"

"It seems like I'm not wanted here so I'll excuse myself" the chief said as he skirted away slowly. It was well known by now that his wife's sister was not to be troubled with when she was angry. And boy, was she angry now.

"What's wrong crystal she was going to learn it someday?"

"Are you trying to scare our daughter! She is only a little girl"

"Mama" Anaka started to cry
" Sweetest go find your cousins while me and daddy talk for a while. Mommy will 'play' with you later."

Anaka sniffed and ran to her cousin's hut

Joh scoffed" See, there you go spoiling her! When she is of age she will wear the earrings as I wear my necklace symbolizing being dragon marked. All those fire breathers do is tear this family apart! I'm the only one left besides my daughter and that's because you were crazy enough to marry and old man like me Cry's! She needs to learn of our curse or die an awful death!"

" She's too young! You scared away all the girls before me with your crazy talk, you're definitely going to scare MY daughter from you too!"

Anaka ran hard as she could she hated when her mother and father fought. She could see her cousins house in her sights

"Sokka, Katara!" She burst through the door running smack into Hakoda's legs " uff"
"Well kaya, it looks like we have a visitor" the young chief said.

" Why yes, I suppose we do. Were you looking for your cousins dear?"
Kaya asked she looked very similar to her mother, but she mom had longer and curlier hair than kaya. Well the resemblance was to be expected from the twins.

"Sowy chief Hakoda. For bumping inta you" Anaka mumbled with a cast down gaze

" How many time do I have to tell you Anaka that it's okay to call me uncle no matter what that pigheaded father of yours says!" He said with a jubilant chuckle.

He picked up the young girl in his arms and swung her around and resting her on his hip.
"My, my how you have grown little minnow! You'll be the prettiest girl in the village yet, right after my daughter!" And the man started to laugh.
The small girl tried to wiggle away from him
Kaya saw this and asked her a question " Why are you here today? It can't be because you missed us so soon? You just saw us at breakfast."

Which was true the young girl and her family did just see them due to the weekly family breakfast. After wards her and her mother would run off to work on their bending skills all day. Well, until her father had to distract her mother from their ritual.

Hakoda set Anaka down and she scurried to her aunt's arms tear welling from her eyes.

" Mommy and Daddy are fightin again" at these few words uttered by the crying child changed the whole happy atmosphere to stern and worry
Both of the two knew how the aging father of hers knew that his time was coming ever since the young girl turned four. He had been pressing to tell her of the prophecy and what was to become of her family. It had put such a strain on her once happy family. The times were already tough enough with the war ongoing just beyond the polar ice to be adding anymore to it.

Kaya knew even more than the little girl might let on and kept a few secrets for herself due to the fact it wasn't her choice or right to oust the two. She knew from a young age what her sister was. How could she not? They were twins after all. When she saw the same thing in her niece she knew what she would become. But if her sister was not ready to reveal this fact then so be it. Although she did have hope Katara would be another bender in the family. It would just be more time and she could be sure, then she would ask for her sister to train her daughter in the art. But she also knew how the young child in her arms would often be up and awake after her curfew, listening to her father retell on the curse of being dragon marked. She knew that the girl knew more than she should because she had caught her several nights doing just that, hiding in the shadows listening to the grown-ups talk about the future. Patting the young my girls head full of soft brown curls lighter than her mother's color but not too off.
Little brown eyes deep and rich which she gained from her father blood, turned up to look at her blue ones in questioning worry.
" It's alright your daddy is just scared"

"Scared that I'm the prophecy?" Sniffles came from her small form

The shock hit the two adults hard in the small hut. Laughter and small running feet came closer to the hut

The two children came barreling in

" Huh? Anaka do you want to play?" Katara asked unaware of what just happened she was only three at the time

"Katara!" cried Sokka. "Give me back Boomie!" Sokka was Katara's older brother by a year and even if you looked at them you could barely see the resemblance, whether that was due to their drastically different natures the young girl couldn't tell, but when their family was together you could see they were siblings. they did have their mother's eyes.

"If you weren't such a meanie you would have it already!" katara feistily said at her brother

"look, sis it isn't my fault that it knocked over your pitiful snow blob! it was an accident!"

"it was an otter penguin!" she stomped her foot on her brother's angrily. he father gave Sokka a stern look.

"OWW! look I'm sorry I destroyed your otter penguin! ok? can I have my Boomie back now?" Sokka asked.

katara handed back the boy's boomerang and ran up to her mother and cousin, but not before revealing. "I knew it was an accident but I wanted to see your face when I took your precious 'boomie' from you." giggling "it was worth it" Sokka stood there stumped his father kneeled down and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder laughing. "She is sure going to be trouble in the future!"

Anaka couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her astounded cousin. and her tears ceased from falling down her face.

Kaya noticed this and saw a perfect opportunity for the kids to leave so she and her husband could deal with the issue at hand.

"look Anaka, your cousins are here. Didn't you want to go and play with them?" kaya soothingly asked the little girl

Anaka silently nodded

"great! we can play-"
And the younger of the two girls pulled her outside away from the hut, their conversation and planning lost to the shelter of the hut. Sokka finally snapping back to reality ran after them although still being younger than his cousin he still felt the need to watch over and protect them both even if it was from themselves.

Kaya looked at her husband
"We need to talk to them"
Little did they know how that would not happen, and how their world would change