Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Katara believes in two kinds of change.

The first consists of knowing- knowing that things need to be different, and, with support and dedication, the desired change will come. The second is abrupt, taking over someone so suddenly that they do not even know it until their lives are now completely different from what they have been, and from what they will be.

The Southern Water Tribe has been built on the former belief. Years of strenuous and meticulous reconstruction gives the tribe the grandeur of its northern sister, but the people who have built the flowing canals, icy bridges, and elaborate buildings are still as humble as when their home only consisted of a few broken tents and dilapidated igloos.

The latter belief swims deliberately in Katara's mind now, as she hurriedly writes a letter to her family. Her inky goodbyes smear on the page when she folds the wet words onto each other. It hardly concerns her; the ink will be legible enough when dry, and the tear drops that fell in immaculate circles on the sturdy paper will be undetectable.

The waterbender leaves the note on her fur covered bed. Its fluffy coziness momentarily calls to her, persuading her that the idea in her mind is simply a fantastical notion. Katara eyes become harder than the impenetrable icy walls that now make up the home of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe's family. For days, her room has been pleading with her, her home crying like a newborn, and even Sokka's silly watch tower whines when she passes it on her daily walk. She has learned to tune these noises out; her decision had been made, and she vowed to Tui and La that she will follow it through.

Though still new, Katara is well enough acquainted with the halls of the Chief's home to slip across them in the dark. With her waterskin strapped familiarly tight across her back and her parka heavy with provisions for her journey, Katara steps out of her home for what she knows will be the last time for many moons.

The towering torches that line the streets and canals have been snuffed out, lending the job of leading Katara down the slick palace steps to the nearly full moon. The light sheet of snow from spring's first downfall is already flattened from earlier that day, giving silence to her hasty walk from the shining ice palace down to the docks.

The black sky reminds the waterbender of her letter with its wrinkles and smudges. A ferocious chill begins to crawl down her person, but instead of shielding her face with her warm hood or hiding the skin of her hands in her parka, Katara relishes in the gooseflesh she won't see or feel again for some time.

Her beaded loops of hair whip her her cheeks when she abruptly halts and glances behind, catching against the dry tears that stuck to her cheeks. Shallow footprints follow her, and with a wave of her hand she erases them. Her family will certainly know just how she left the South Pole, but she wishes to spare them the sorrow of having to see them, having to feel her essence leaving them when they look at the tracks.

This is how she continues to make her way to the dock, taking away and trace of her. She muses this ironic action for a moment, as the master waterbender can never be fully effaced from her homeland. She is found in the architecture of the palace, the canals, the fountains, she is loved by the students she teaches bending and healing to, and she is felt in the hearts of her people, her family, her friends, and every life that Katara has helped save.

She is indelible, which is why she must leave.

A cargo ship waits for her at the end of the dock, hidden under a shadow cast by the looming mountains. A crew member is visible, prepared to raise the gangway as soon as Katara is onto the ship. She thinks she can see a brown boot tapping, and she scoffs; she is hardly late. She nods to the person as she boards the ship, receiving no acknowledgement in return. It is a surprising response, as Katara is painfully used to being revered, but she supposed the action was understandable. After all, the most likely will never see any of the hefty sum she paid the captain for passage, and for his deniability.

A few night ago, when Katara had met with the ship's captain about her passage, she requested a room near the bow, and closest to the exit. This would allow her easy, quick, and inconspicuous travel from her room to any place around the ship. The waterbender wants to avoid any contact that could trace her back to any crew member as well as the ship.

Knowing the captain honored her request of the placement of her cabin, Katara travels below deck via a flight of old, humble stairs. The loud creaks make her form a mental note to discuss ship renovations with the tribe's engineers, but she dispels the thought with a frown, reminding herself that it isn't her place any longer to do so. She pushes open the door to the first room in the corridor, and is pleased to find the room modestly furnished with a cot and a couple of chairs.

The waterbender tugs her waterskin from her back and set it on a chair, then lays on the cot. She hopes for sleep to take her, but feels her mind wander to her family. She can imagine each of their individual reactions to her letter, to finding out that Katara, their sister, daughter, granddaughter, has left them.

Sokka will find the note first. He'll assume she slept in later than usual, and be tasked with waking her up. She won't be in her room, which will then give him the impression that she left the palace earlier, either to practice bending or simply take a walk. Her brother will pick up the folded paper on her bed, and he will read it through twice. With wide eyes he will sputter, and when the disbelief subsides, Sokka will be furious with her. But once the anger settles, a wave of sadness will take over.

Her father will react with the same emotions as her brother, but in reverse. When Sokka brings him the note to read, her father's eyes will drip like melting ice and his hands will shake as he scans her words. The Chief will be rocked with devastation and sorrow. Later, however, the frustration will come.

And her grandmother- oh, her poor Gran Gran- her heart will break.

Now, Katara knows all of this. She has imagined tomorrow morning so many times, and every variation turns out the same: her family will be crushed, but they will not sway her decision. Her family, and her tribe, can do no more for the waterbender. Eventually they'll accept that leaving is her only option. "They must," she breathes. Her fervent whisper bounces around the room, and only when it stops does Katara fall into sleep.

...

A quick swiping knock on her door tells Katara that she can now deboard the ship. Already prepared with her belonging in hand, the waterbender makes the short walk from her cabin to the top deck.

The balmy breeze sidles up to her as soon as she steps into the open air, and she quickly discards her insulating parka. The air here is much warmer than that of the Southern Water Tribe, which she hadn't expected.

After almost a week aboard the ship, Katara is delighted by the prospect of walking on solid ground once more. Her giddiness is an anomaly among the members of the crew who walk passed her and down the gangway with shipments of goods. To them, this is their routine, their life. To Katara, this is uncharted territory. Well, almost.

She steps off the gangway and onto the beach, the sand molding snuggly to her feet. The waves lap at her heels, pushing her onto the dirt road that leads into the village. Katara passes orderly rows of trees and shrubbery on her way up the path. She smiles at the growing buds that are sprinkled about. Green is a color that she hasn't seen in so long, and now she will see it daily, for spring has begun and Kyoshi Island is in full bloom.

The waterbender does not stick out here, despite Kyoshi's status as an Earth Kingdom territory. The villagers are all clothed in blue, the shade almost exact to that of Katara's tunic. Though not as dark as hers, their skin is still tanned from the previous summer's labor. As she nears the main path of the village, Katara imagines herself blending seamlessly into to the community, just another hue on an open spot of their canvas.

This, she realizes however, will not be the case. Her heart, once content as she stepped onto the island, now beat a force great enough to break from her chest. The villagers notice her, one by one. They are so struck with her presence that they halt their daily activities to openly study her.

"Master Katara!" she hears someone exclaim behind her. Another to her left says, "It's the Avatar's Waterbender."

Katara keeps moving, her smile dropping. Her hands stay at her side, flexing. They beg to form tight fists, but Katara keeps them at bay. She hears more murmurs around her, forcing her to maintain a clear head and aloof demeanor. She has not come to Kyoshi for a visit, to mingle with the people or strike another trade deal.

The fact that she has not seen Kyoshi since the war makes Katara sheepish as she wades through the crowd of villagers, despite her vows to remain indifferent. She never had to travel far to see Suki. The warrior came to visit multiple times when Katara was at the Southern Water Tribe, after Katara stopped traveling with Aang…

The waterbender finds the state of Kyoshi Island intriguing. They villagers did not rebuild their town after the war, only the needed repairs and small embellishments. It is a rare moment for Katara, and she now walks slower, more deliberate to take the island in. She is not used to this feeling, this ambiance that is so reminiscent of many years ago, when there was still a war and Katara was doing worthwhile things for a cause and when she could simply roam, simply be.

The fresh spring air lifts her hair from her shoulder to throw it behind her back. Katara does not smile any longer, but she is glad that Kyoshi Island has remained itself.

Turning onto the path leading to the secluded wooden dojo, she does not hear the warriors as they practice. Only when Katara takes the last step up to the entrance is a faint whoosh of their fans audible. The waterbender lifts her arm and knocks twice. When she hears a response she opens the door and enters.

Katara only registers the snapping of a fan being folded back before two strong, green clad arms envelop her. A squeal of, "Katara!" comes and when the figure pulls back, the waterbender is met with Ty Lee's wide brown eyes.

Her red lips stretch into a wide smile. Her gloved hands rest on Katara's sleeves, periodically squeezing them with her tight grip, clearly ecstatic as she waits for the waterbender to speak.

"Hello," comes the waterbender's scratchy reply. Her throat constricts after the words leave, and Katara doesn't think she has ever gone so long without speaking to another person.

Ty Lee turns to the other warriors who in Katara's arrival paused in their training. "Let's end it for the day, girls. We'll meet at the same time tomorrow." As the armored women shuffle out, Ty Lee offers each of them a smile and a compliment on their progress. "Awesome job today! Keep practicing!" she calls to their retreating backs.

"So!" Ty Lee's eyes sparkle as she turns to the newcomer. "How's it going? I mean, how are you? I'm sure you've been busy. Things are surely hectic around here, and…"

Katara's lips turn up slightly on their own, but the warrior's energetic words are lost on her as the waterbender studies the former acrobat. Unmistakably, it is Ty Lee under the green armor and even smooth layer of white face paint.

The warrior has obviously climbed ranks within the group to be able to lead a practice. The other warriors, none of which Katara could recognize, look at the exuberant girl with loyalty and reverence. However, Ty Lee isn't the captain, as she wears the same headdress as the others. Speaking of captains…

"I'd like to speak to Suki. Where is she?" Katara inquires, cutting Ty Lee off from her ramblings. She shifts her weight and causes the wooden floor to creak, feeling rude. But, there is a conversation she needs to have with the captain of the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Oh, she's on duty right now," Ty Lee responds.. "But you can talk to me! What's up?" she then asks. "We have so much catching up to do. How's Sokka, and Aang? Are they here, too?"

Katara shakes her head slowly. "No, it's just me."

At this, Ty Lee's eyes dull in slight confusion. "All right. Well, I'm glad you came to visit! What's the occasion? How long are you staying?"

"That's the thing, I'm…" Katara pauses. "I'm not here for a visit."

"Oh?"

"No. I'd… I'd like to stay," she replies.

Ty Lee's head cocks, the ornaments of her headdress swishing, following the movement. "I don't understand."

"I'd like to train with you," Katara confesses. "I mean, I'd like you to train me."

She sees that Ty Lee is still shrouded in perplexity. Katara has never rehearsed the words out loud, only whispers them in the confines of her mind, but she knows that to make her point clear they must come out.

So, Katara gulps in a large breath of the spring air and says, "I want to become a Kyoshi Warrior."

A/N: Hooray for new stories!

I've been juggling this idea around for awhile, and was hesitant to start it because it's canon based, which I rarely write. However, I think it'll be an awesome challenge!

This fic is set six years after the war, but disregards all of the comics afterwards such as The Promise, The Search, etc.

So, welcome to the story and thanks for reading!