Hello everyone. The name is Avatard.2112! I was trying to write a chapter for my other fanfiction when this idea suddenly popped into my head. And I really loved it.

This story is an AU in case you didn't already know. I know what you are thinking... AUs suck. Yea that is what I used to think too. I am usually obsessed with canons... but as I was writing my other story, I realized that it is kind of constricting so I decided to write this. Don't worry, I am not giving up on the other story (Its called the Gates if you have not already read it).

So please enjoy! Oh btw, please review your thoughts, I haven't really written an AU before so I don't know if I am veering too far off the path... Please tell me if it sucks... I promise I won't hunt you down... maybe.

Ages: (same age differences)

Katara-20

Life is a hard thing to understand.

It is full of so many things; both good and bad. Everyone always wants it to be all good, but without the bad there is no point. There is nothing to contrast with the best moments in life. There is nothing to make you realize how amazing the little things are.

Life just becomes bland.

A bland life is not living. It is just surviving.

When I was little, I used to believe in this thing call love. I imagined it as the beauty that made this life worth living. The light in the dark. And my stubbornness blinded me from the truth. But I was young. And stupid.

As I got older, things changed. Every Time I allowed myself to feel happy, I was brutally knocked down. My soul was breaking apart. The dark started to overcome the light. It was no longer a beautiful contrast. It was just a cold chilly darkness. There was no warmth. And I don't remember when, but one day I just surrendered and let the bad engulf me.

Little did I know, there was a small glimmer of light in the chasm of hopelessness. I was just too afraid of risking my feelings to reach it. I was too damaged at that point. I was beyond repair. And the worse part was that I accepted it. I no longer fought. I just let it take me.

My experiences had slowly chipped away at that blissful hope that I had used as a shield when I was young.

I was broken.

But one day my life changed. I didn't know then that the change would be just what I needed to ignite the spark that I had given up on.

And it all began with a penguin.

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I was at a cold impasse. I had to make a decision of I would suffer badly. And I would ruin the life of one of the only people I cared for. I had to do it.

I looked up at the man who stood before me. He was stocky with muscles and stood a whole head taller than me. He looked down at me with a sort of disgust, as if I were lower than him… pft. Although technically I was shorter…

Looking down into my open palms, I counted the chips of silver that laid there. Six coins. And I needed ten. Darn the spirits.

I lifted my eyes and gave the man the most doe eyed look I could muster. I even batted my long eyelashes. Inside I was hurling, but I knew it had to be done. I had to sacrifice my pride for him. Then I opened my sing-song voice and let my words try to penetrate the man's cold stature.

"You are very handsome!" I said, holding back a chuckle at how convincing my lie seemed. Then I turned my lips into a soft smile. A fake soft smile.

"I have a son that would realllllllyyyy love to have that penguin… he just loves penguins. And he had been so sick lately…" I drifted off. Swiftly, I glanced at the man's face to see if he was buying my fake sob story. Unfortunately his face was still in the same expression of straight-up apathy. My lip stuck out with a pouty face, partly for my lie and partly because I knew I was getting no where with this giant merchant.

"Mam. I have other customers who actually have money to buy, so if you could step aside!" He sneered down at me, and as he spoke he made a motion as if he was going to push me aside. At this I dropped my happy innocent facial features into a cold stare, trying my hardest to cut him with my icy eyes. He was going to regret that.

Time for plan B.

"Fine." I mumbled and turned like I was going to leave. But quick as a flash, I bended a water whip and grabbed the prize that I had been haggling for. It didn't take long for the vendor to realize my plan, and he jumped out from behind his kiosk.

He definitely did not look happy. But I didn't waver in his violent stare.

I moved the snow that was laying beneath my feet, and bended it into a makeshift sled around my ankles. Then I made a sly face at him before waving goodbye. With all my power I bended the snow so it carried me away from the market. The last thing I saw was his face twisting into a red mess. I laughed as I heard the man screaming something in despair. What a platypus bear.

Suddenly an icy spear was flung from nowhere, and it stuck into the building that I just flew past. I turned around in panic to find three waterbending guards chasing me.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

I turned my sled so I was going backwards and flung up a huge wall between me and them. But the wall was easily melted by the man in the front. Man, I hated the guards. They always had to rain on my parade.

I quickly turned back around and bended the snow in front of me into an icy ramp. I then flew into the air and landed with a soft thud on top of a roof. I smiled with relief, thinking I lost them.

But my relief was short lived. Within two seconds, they were also on top of the roof. They were pretty annoying when they didn't just give up.

Maybe I should have just left the object.

nah.

I lived for these moments. The heat of the chase.

Swinging my arms in rapid motions, I sent quick blades of ice behind me and heard an 'oof' and I large thump. I didn't need to turn around to know that one guard had not been quick enough.

One down. Two to go.

Once again I moved my arms up and down, pulling large icicles from the ground at dangerous angles. I easily slide between the new sculptures without even grazing an icy stake, but luckily the two men behind me did not have the same agility.

When I erupted from the icicle maze, I found that I only had one more man on my trail. As I expected, the cocky guards could not keep up with my attacks. I felt slightly bad, because I knew he had no chance. He actually thought he was a match against me.

Oh well.

In a stealthy leap, I lifted off of my board and landed with grace in the soft snow layer. Like I expected, the man also jumped off his board. As soon as he saw me, I saw his eyes stutter. He was not expecting a beautiful woman to be causing all this trouble. That's what all men thought. They all saw me as a woman with a pretty face. And obviously the man before me was thinking that. How wrong was he.

Sometimes their predetermined idea how weak I would be worked in my favor. They never expected my ferocity.

I made a small smirk before I attacked. I knew this wouldn't take long.

First I threw an icicle right at him, knowing he would try to dodge. As he moved to the side, I raised my arms up and brought the snow up around us in a flawless motion. The snow wrapped around his leg which was still fleeing from the icy dagger I had thrown at him seconds before. He was instantly thrown off balance, and in the blink of an eye I threw up four sharp whips of water, catching his four flailing limbs and pinning him to the ground. He knew he was defeated. And I could see in his face that his pride was damaged by the fact that it only took three motions quick motions.

Typical men.

I gracefully walked over to him and gave him a sexy smile, trying to rub it in his face that I was not only a girl, but I was also a stunning one.

"It was a good try!" I said with heavy tones of sarcasm. And he just glared with loathing. I reached a slender finger out and flicked him in the nose. I then turned and started walking towards the edge of the roof.

"I'll see you tomorrow! Same time right?" I yelled over my shoulder right before I leaped and caught myself in a surge of snow below. Well that was enough fun for one day.

I pulled my trophy from my pocket and stared at it with a sense of pride. He was going to love it.

And with the prize grasped tightly in my hand, I started the long trek back to my home.

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As soon as I stepped through the door, I was met with the accusing voice of my Gran.

"And where have you been, young lady?" She said even though she didn't really want to know.

"Nowhere!" I said with the most innocent look I could muster. Before she could ask anymore, I trotted away to the room in the back of the house.

I heard her try to say something, but I ignored it because I honestly didn't care about the lecture she was trying to give me. It was the same every time.

You shouldn't be stealing.

You are the daughter of the chief.

You need to be more respectable.

You are going to get caught one of these days.

You are being selfish.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I love my Gran and all. But she just doesn't understand me. No one does. The only person that truly knew me, was my mom. But she is gone now. She died when I was young. Leaving me and my brother to suffer in the wake of her devastating absence.

Sure, my dad and my Gran cared for me and loved me, but it wasn't the same. Despite their efforts to be there for me, I was always alone. And I was fine with that. I decided a long time ago that I didn't need anyone. Relying on someone only caused hurt.

Suddenly a small gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Aunt Katara?"

I turned around to find a small little boy standing at my feet. He smiled a toothless grin, and grasped a small stuffed polardog in his tiny hand. His eyes bore into mine, trying to get my attention.

"Hey squirt!" I said with a genuine smile dancing on my lips. No matter how bad my day was, he always filled my heart with happiness. Suddenly his face darkened and he leaned closer with a serious stare.

"Did you get it?" he whispered, acting like the object in her pocket was a top secret that was a matter of life and death.

I bent down so my eyes were at his level and carefully pulled the small sculpture out of my pocket.

"Yea… I had to fight off three waterbenders for it!" He always loved hearing her stories of adventure.

Before I handed it over to his chubby fingers, I stared at it for a second. Finally I relinquished it to the waiting boy in front of me. I laughed a little when I saw his happiness reach his little blue eyes. He looked at me like I had just given him the world.

"Its perfect!" he said clutching the small wooden penguin to his fragile chest. He finally looked back up at me and suddenly grabbed me in a tight hug. And he was pretty strong for a four year old.

I loved his little hugs. I never liked hugs much, but his were always welcome. He was the only person I let past my barriers. The only person I that doesn't scare me.

Finally I broke apart from his hug.

"Now go put it in your room! Your daddy is going to be home soon and you can show him!" I said as a ruffled his black tufts of hair. He made a smile that reminded me of my brother, before he sprinted off to his room.

As soon as he was gone, I stood up and walked down the hall and finally entered my room.

I threw the bag I had been carrying across the room and it hit the wall with a thud. Then I walked over to my bed and just let myself fall face first into the comforting embrace of the comforter. After a few seconds, I rolled over and started undressing.

The warm parka I had on was suffocating me and I had to get it off soon or I would die. When I removed the parka I realized I had been sweating and moved my nose to see if I stunk. Bad move for my nose. I guess running away from waterbending warriors could really make someone build up a sweat.

I threw off my shirt and quickly made my way to the bathing room to get the stink off of me. On the way there though, I heard a light knock on my door.

"What?" I yelled letting my annoyance show without restraint.

"We have a visitor! So you need to change and come out as soon as possible." Gran mumbled through the door.

I let out a sigh of exasperation.

Spirits. I always hated the dumb representatives and councilmen that my father always invited to dinner. They were always stuck up and even though they didn't try to be rude, they always found a way of doing it.

One time, a representative visited from the North pole. Like most of the visitors, he was a sexist jerk that looked down on women and their position in society. So basically she hated him.

At the table he had the nerve to ask when she was going to get married saying that she was already too old. She was only eighteen at the time. THE NERVE. That was one of the first times that she really blew up on someone. And it had felt good. But lets just say that that particular representative has not returned to the Southern water tribe.

Jeez. Hate was not a strong enough word for people like that.

But despite my misgivings, I am going to have to put on a fake smile and wear a fake personality to please the visitor.

Or I could just sneak out the window… no. Last time she did that, she had been grounded for a week.

Ugh. Life really hated her.

And now I am going to have to shorten my shower time. I smelled myself one more time. I definitely needed as much time as possible. But hey. The dumb guest would suffer from my lack of bathing so it was alright.

So with a few inappropriate mumbles, I quickly washed my self off and slipped into one of the "traditional" water tribe dresses. I then proceeded to mope down the hallway and out into the dining room.

When I arrived at the table, which was apparently waiting for my arrival, I was shocked to find that there was not one quest, but instead there were two. The more the merrier.

The first man, on the left of my father, looked pretty old and his face was made into a permanent scowl. He looked extremely unhappy, but that could just be his face...My only thought was: Greatttt. I just love it when old, cranky, men ruin my evening. At least he would hate this as much as I do.

With much disdain, she moved her blue eyes to the man sitting on the other side of her father.

Upon seeing him, I stifled a gasp.

In front of me sat the Avatar.

I knew it was him, from his blue arrows that graced his scalp and peeked out of his sleeves. And he exuded power. But unlike his friend, he smiled with a goofy grin that seemed really out of place on such a powerful being. His eyes sparkled with life and he stared right back at her with no reservation. His eyes were a slate color and they almost looked silver when he moved them into the light. And when I looked at him, my heart skipped a beat.

My shocked face must have shown because my father interrupted my awkward staring with an irritated cough.

His cough brought me back to reality and my cheeks turned a tint of pink, revealing my embarrassment. Maybe I should have washed more…

Then I stopped my train of thought.

I disgusted myself. I was acting like one of those hopeless girls that obsessed over boys. The only people I despised more than the ignorant men who were the objects of their obsession. The thought of me running after a mindless man instantly broke my hopeless stare and turned my face back into its normal indifferent expression. I would not become one of those slobbering girls.

I was about to sit down when my father stood up and introduced the two guests, as he always did. But this time it felt different. Well more like I felt different. I did not want to know these men. Because if I knew them, then they would have a chance to crawl into my hear- .

Why was she even thinking that? Why had the Avatar changed her whole defense? Why was she so disheveled?

"This is General Xue" my dad spoke over my spasmodic thoughts, as he gestured to the man with the angry face. Yea, I wasn't going to have a problem with letting him into my heart...

The he turned to the other man. The one that had sparked these crazy thoughts. I wanted to rip him apart for just making me think these things. I already hated him.

"And this is Avatar Aang."

At the mention of his title, he looked up and smiled another one of his crooked smiles, his mood obviously the opposite of mine.

"You can call me Aang." He said as looked into my eyes. His look gave me a chill that was unsettling and made me feel vulnerable. As if I was standing naked before him. As if he could see past my shield.

And for the first time in years, I was afraid.

I know. Katara was kind of out of character. OK not kind of... she was really OOC. But I really need her to be defensive so I can capture emotions later on...

Thanks for reading. Sorry if I burned your eyes! ;)

REVIEW. NOW. THIS IS A HYPNOTIZING TECHNIQUE.