Title: My Little Waterbender

Rating: K

Characters: Katara and Kya (Katara's Mother)

Summary: Kya tells her children of the great waterbenders that used to live in their own village after they start to bicker. Katara seemed to be the most intrigued. When Kya and Katara take a short trip to the icy beach, something that seems like a small mistake made by a clumsy four year old ends up being the biggest news the Southern Water Tribe has heard in decades.

Takes Place: Before 'The Boy in the Iceberg'

Pairings: None

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any said characters

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~My Little Waterbender~

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"Moooommm! Katara's eating my food!" A four year old Sokka yelled through an ice wall. Him and his sister were inside their igloo eating sea prune stew. Their mother was right outside, trying to enjoy one of the last few evenings of relative warmth before the sun disappeared for the winter. Many of the woman of the Southern Water Tribe did this as well. This was their time of relaxation. Kya let out a soft sigh, and stood from the log she was sitting on. She tiredly made her way around the ice house, and lifted the tarp in front of the entrance. Sokka and Katara have bickered over this many times. Katara was always a feisty young one, and constantly made her poor mother scramble around to meet her needs as a child. The first thing Kya saw when she pulled back the frilled drapes was Sokka and Katara leaning over the table, shoving each other's food in their faces.

"Come on, you two. Act your age." Kya muttered as she picked up baby Katara in her arms. Sokka gave his mother a pitiable face.

"Mom! Katara was stealing my food!" He whined.

"But momma, broder was numming my food!" The small child in her mother's arms whimpered. Katara pulled at her mother's hair loopies, which made Kya wince in pain.

"No no, Katara, that hurts mommy. Sokka, you're the older brother. If Katara's doing something she's not supposed to, just come to me. Don't retaliate." Kya whispered. Little Sokka folded his arms and creased his brows stubbornly. Kya knew just what to do.

"Who want's to hear a story?" Kya asked. As if on cue, Sokka and Katara's faces lit up, and nodded their heads eagerly. They always loved the tales their mother told them. Kya smiled, and sat Katara down on a soft animal skin before tucking Sokka in his. She settled down in the middle of the two and thought up a story.

"Have I ever told you of the time our village had waterbenders in our tribe?" Kya inquired. Both Sokka and Katara shook their heads.

"What's a waterbender mommy?" Katara asked. Her eyes sparkled with much curiosity. Kya smiled, and stroked her daughter's hair.

"A waterbender is someone who can control water. Surely I have told you of bending?" Kya asked. When her children shook their heads once more, she was utterly astonished that she had not informed them of the world's benders. She told her children of earthbending, and how they were brave and courageous. She told them of the extinct airbenders, and their ways of peace and harmony. She told them of the firebenders, who were once the Water Tribe's allies and a great people, but then ravished the world's era of peace.

"Firebenders took the last waterbender in our tribe. She was your grandmother's best friend. Her name was Hama. Sadly, not a single waterbender has been born since that." Kya finished. Her childrens' expressions were those of shock, and amazement, especially little Katara's.

"I want to be a waterbender mommy!" Katara said as she wobbled up from her bed and pretended to kick the air, causing her to fall over from lack of balance. Kya let out a small chuckle as she picked her daughter up. She gave them good night kisses, and nimbly stepped out of the icy home. When she turned, she was surprised to see her husband, the tribe's chief, walking towards her with a small sack of fish in his fist. She smiled, and waited for him to be a few feet in front of her before hugging him.

"I told the children of bending tonight, Hakoda. Katara was completely amazed. I've never seen her so excited after a story." Kya laughed through the chief's robes. He smiled.

"She's always been somewhat intrigued by the moon, and the ocean. Maybe she's a waterbender." He joked. Even though he thought he was just making a hoax statement, they had no idea their baby girl was in fact, the first waterbender to be born after that horrible raid. Kya let out a genuine laugh.

"If only." Kya and Hakoda tip toed into their family igloo, put away the fish that Hakoda had caught on his fishing trip, and snuggled into their own fur lined sleeping bag. The two of them fell asleep smiling. They loved each other, and the feel of one another's body pressed up against themselves greatly joyed them. They did not know it, but destiny was at their doorstep that night, and the next day, it would be invited into their lives.

Early the next morning, Hakoda took Sokka out to play pretend warriors, leaving Kya and little Katara to themselves. Kya picked up her toddler, and headed out to the beach. When they got their, Katara was absolutely thrilled by the water, and almost fell in to it out of excitement to be near it. Kya found a small hill of snow to sit down on and watch her little girl play around at the waters edge. After a few minutes of feeling the icy liquid with just her palms, little Katara grew restless, and leaned closer to put her entire arm in the chilly water, but accidentally fell in the freezing water. Kya shot up, and saved her daughter from a watery doom. When she was retrieved from the water, little, shivering Katara started to cry, for the cold was to much to bear when wet at the South Pole. Kya embraced her child to keep her from shivering, and to stop her tears. When Kya looked up from her daughter at the water, what she saw changed everything.

The water at the water's edge was freezing, but more than that. It was freezing, upwards. The water was levitating, then froze! Kya looked at her daughter with amazement. Katara's eyes were shut from the frozen tears on her lashes. Kya pulled the droplets of ice from the bristles of hair. Katara opened her eyes, and saw her mother's amazement in her eyes.

"What's wrong mommy?" Katara asked, concerned for her mother. She then realized she was staring at something behind her, and she followed her mother's gaze. She gaped at the sight. Had she done this? And if so, how? She looked back at her mother, questions flooding her mind, but they were all answered by one simple phrase that changed her life forever.

"Katara, you're a waterbender."