Okay, this idea just kind of came to me in a dream and wont get out of my head and its driving me crazyy! Katara's thoughts are in italics. I will accept criticism as long as you are nice about it, because I know the only way to get better is by learning from your mistakes. This story is being rewritten so some things will be different.

Enjoy, MakeMeProud

Katara watched in a daze as the rocking waves pushed against the body of the ship. Her eyes seemed to follow each curve, each turn the current twisted, almost feeling the way the cool ocean water would curl around her fingers. The sounds of the raging water spinning through the slight breeze created a sort of lullaby, wrapping its invisible arms around her slim frame. There was a whisper in the air begging her to stay strong. She sighed and sagged against the cold, metal railing. She wanted her mother's arms instead of the winds gentle breeze, yet it brought her a kind of peace. A feeling of love.

A small smile tugged at the young girl's face even though her eyes stung with tears and her nose started to burn. Small, frail hands gripped at the railing of the Fire Nation ship, making her knuckles turn a strange shade of white that contrasted with her water tribe skin. The skin that seemed to constantly be tanned by the sun, the skin that caught people attention and labeled her as exotic and wild.

When the Fire Nation raided the Southern Water Tribe, they not only killed her mother, but took her and her brother. She could still see Gran Gran's face, crumpled and old, with endless tears falling down her cheeks and diving into her wrinkles.

"Please," she had begged. "Please, I beg of you. Please just let the children go! Please!" Hysteria was clear in her voice, the fear that threaded through her words. But it wasn't fear for herself, but fear for her grandchildren.

Katara could still feel the throb in her wrists from the soldier's hot hands, pushing her from her home and singeing the hairs on her arms. She tried to shut her eyes and block the fresh memories from her mind, but they played out in front of her against her wishes.

She remembered as Sokka kicked his feet harder in the snow to catch up with his little sister. If there was one thing Katara was good at, it was running like the waves that crashed against the sea line. Katata giggled and picked up speed, making the snow billow up behind her and into Sokka's face. He growled in annoyance and pumped his arms to catch up.

Katara glided over the small hill leading back into their village with ease as she glanced behind her shoulder to see how far behind her brother was. When she was assured that he was a good distance away she turned around, ready to run all the way home and brag about her victory. Her feet stopped though when she looked at the sky. It was snowing. Nothing was unusual about it snowing in the Southern Water Tribe, but this snow was grey and flakey.

She heard Sokka stop behind her. "What is this?" she asked.

He paused before speaking. "Its ash." Katara gasped. They couldn't be here! The siblings took of together to find their mother as it continued to snow ash onto the village, their competition completely forgotten.

She had heard the stories of the red nation. They would give her nightmares for days and some would even make her scream through the night if no one came to soothe her. She tried to remember what her father said to do if she ever met one, but nothing came to her. Not one lousy thing. Her feet beat against the ice, the hard grooves on the bottom of her snow boots keeping her from slipping, and her heart thumped against her ribs so hard she thought they would brake.

Screams of panic and battle cries echoed throughout the small village. A tribal woman, Shayma, fled by, her back alight with burning flames licking at her clothing. Every instinct to help the woman was blazing through Katara, but she had to find her mother first. She zoomed past the fighting men and women around her and ran to her father's igloo. Mother was the only one who could keep her safe. Father said so. Her boots crunched against the snow as she pushed aside the penguin-seal skin and entered her home.

"Momma-"

Her lips sealed shut as she took in the situation before her. Kya moved from around the soldier to see her little girl. There were tears in her blue eyes that made them sparkle. "Katara," she stated. "I want you to go find Sokka, okay?" Her voice was shaky and broken, tears shining down her cheeks.

I don't want to go.

"But ma-"

"Listen to your momma, kid," the soldier sneered. Katara gasped as the man grabbed her wrists, his hands red hot, sending shooting pain up her arms and making her legs go weak. She glanced at her mother, fear and panic in Kya's crystal blue eyes, but there was a brave smile on her face. She gave an approving nod. The message was clear.

Everything will be alright.

Katara tore her eyes away from the woman and looked at the red soldier's face, cringing as his gold eyes pierced into her like liquid fire and blazing heat. Gold. Oh how she hated that color.

The man tightened his grip around her wrists and, with out warning, shoved her out of the small, cold home. She fell onto the icy ground and moaned as a bump started to form on the crown of her head. It felt like it was splitting, making her nauseas, and she shut her eyes in hope that it would make everything stop.

Nothing stopped. In fact, everything continued to blur and mush together, making a collage of fear and pain. Tears built behind her eyes when the screams began from inside of her little home. She clenched her jaw and sat up, pressing her palms against her ears and burying her head in her lap. "Stop," she whimpered. "Please stop."

Heavy boots came to rest on either side of her ears. Her heart stopped. She stared straight ahead and when she felt the unnatural heat whip against her fur parka, she shut her eyes. She wouldn't open her eyes. Not for him. The crunching of his armor was heard as he bent over her. Still she did not open her eyes. She would not acknowledge this man. Not if she could help it. The man became fed up and grabbed the fur trimming of her blue parka. He yanked her to her feet, but she only stood there doing nothing.

The man released an aggravated sigh and pushed the small girl forward. She stumbled over her feet from another shove and then another, but she still did not open her blue eyes. Her father had told her not to. He said it gave away her position in the village, that they would harm her for it. The royal family, her father, Sokka, and herself were the only ones with ice blue eyes. They were the color of glaciers. Its what made them unique from any other person in their tribe.

Bumping into another body distracted her from her thoughts and she tried to back away quickly, but two firm hands grabbed onto her arms. She stopped moving and held completely still. She clenched her fists to stop them from shaking.

"Open your eyes."

She did no such thing. A stinging sensation filled her cheek and a loud cracking sound traveled through the air. Her eyes stung and she involuntarily tried to blink them away. But that had been enough. The soldier let go of her and pushed her toward her brother sorely sticking out from all of the younger children around him. He opened his arms wide and let her fall into them, burrowing into his chest to hide her tears.

A crowd had gathered around them, but none could touch them. The red armored men surrounding them made sure of that. They pushed Sokka away from the children and toward the entrance of the big metal ship as the pointed tip lowered to the ground.

I don't want to go.

Katara could feel the children crying and shaking against her and she circled her arms around as many as she could, crushing them to her chest. She glanced behind her, seeing her family and friends fight for them and watching them fall. Her own eyes filled with tears as Gran Gran pushed against a soldier to reach out to them, her frail fingers fighting to feel us, but he grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

Katara's body tensed as the instinct to fight consumed her, but before she could act, Sokka grabbed her hand hauling her into the ship and away from her people. She faced them until the large door collided with the rest of the ship, closing them in.

Katara turned away. She didn't want to think of anyone else being hurt because of them, so she turned her attention to her surroundings as she entered the corridors of the giant ship.

That was a week ago.

"Katara."

Katara opened her eyes and turned around, facing away from the ocean she loved so dearly. Her brother stood in front of her and gestured toward the entrance to below deck. "They want us back inside. I guess they think we'll try to jump overboard or something." He meant it as a joke, but something about his statement caught her off guard. That option didn't sound as bad as she had hoped it would and that worried her.

Be strong.

She inhaled the brisk wind as it glided from the ocean, carrying with it the smell of fish and salt.

She look down toward the deck under her feet. "Yes, I suppose you're right." Her feet seem to have a mind of their own as they sluggishly moved their way toward the door. Her once soft, unchapped hands glided along the metal walls as she slowly made her way back to her cell. She heard a chuckle behind her and tried to ignore it.

However she couldn't ignore it when the raider came to her side and let his hand travel along her hip. She tried to control the shiver that traveled up her spine. These men were vile. She wasn't even eleven and yet they could not ignore the fact that a female was in their presence. His hand traveled a little further inward and she tried to step away, but the red man pushed her so she tripped and landed against the wall, holding her chin in place. Sokka started to fight back, but the soldier swiped him across the face. He collapsed against the wall and didn't move. The soldier brought his face down to her level, fixated on the true blue of her eyes that seems to attract everyone. It was unlike any blue he had ever seen. Her eyes were such a light blue, they were almost white. They were truly ice.

"Come look at this, Kinnan." The second of the three soldiers came to inspect and gave a low whistle. He only shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on them to walk ahead, leaving the small girl still trapped in the burly man's hands.

She stared at the man with so much hatred that he had to admire the young girl's internal strength. He stared at her for a few more minutes, enjoying the look from her eyes before chuckling darkly. He let her go with an extra push so her head banged against the wall. She grunted at the impact, but did nothing more even though the pain was blinding. She was truly growing a tough layer of skin. He stepped to the side before motioning for her to step in front of him with a mock bow. Katara didn't know what to do except glare at the man, so thats what she did all the way to her cell.

One day you will all pay for what you've done.