These Wars We Live

Full Summary: A deeper insight into Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Azula, and Aang's pasts; all through the view of the most unlikely characters. Rated "T" for scenes and themes.

Author's Note: Thanks goes out to the following reviewers:

Teh Panda, Effie's Head, Guardiangirl1, Anime-catdragon, and Seno.

Hope to hear more from you guys soon, and from new reviewers as well.

Anyway, this chapter took a while to write but it was so worth it! I think you shall see that in the outcome.

Enjoy!

Book One: Water

Chapter Two: Fire Nation

The blast was bringing back countless memories into Kana's overflowing mind. She had seen what the Fire Nation had done to an innocent Earth Kingdom town before she had reached the South Pole, and she knew as well as anyone that they could be quite persistent with their demands.

But there had only been one blast this time, and it seemed very distant. The igloo still had shaken from the gust, yet now the air seemed calm and unruffled. Kana looked up from her bowed position over her grandchildren. The blast seemed to be the last for today.

Katara and Sokka were lying down completely still. They didn't know what to do—or what to argue about. Kana lifted herself completely off her grandchildren and sat cross-legged as she immediately began rubbing her temples. The memories of the Fire Nation would never leave her.

"What was that?" Sokka asked excitedly, standing up. "It was so…loud!"

"And it shaked the igloo!" Katara added. Sokka made his way to the door.

"I wanna go check on dad, Gran Gran," he stated quickly.

"I'm going with Sokka," Katara affirmed.

What else could she say? No? They weren't listening to her today and there was little chance that they would listen to her now. She spread herself flat on the igloo floor. They would be safe with their father. The blast wasn't that strong. Even if the Fire Nation were attacking, some other member of the Tribe would spot them and bring them back. Kana was tired. Tired of watching two little—

Angles, she thought hesitantly. They're angles. No matter what they do. She would never be able to stop loving them.

Apparently Sokka and Katara weren't the only ones who had decided to go to the docks. Many of the Tribe's families had also sprinted to their main (and only) port. It wasn't much to be proud of. Ice had coated the only wood that was visible in the South Pole and the fish infested waters had caked the bottom of the dock with algae and mold.

But it was a dock, and it was where one of the four main ships of the Southern Water Tribe had gathered. The landing ramp descended onto the snowy shore as ten of the Tribe's fishermen came out.

Women and children ran to the young men of the Tribe as Sokka and Katara found their way into their father's arms.

"Dad! Did you hear that? That huge blast thing?"

"Yes, Sokka. I heard it."

"What was it then?"

Their father lifted himself from their embrace. His eyes looked distant and hard. The chatter and talk around them hung in the air for minutes. "It was the Fire Nation."

"Who's that?" Katara inquired, making her way back to her father. He picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.

"Follow us, Sokka."

They walked a short distance east of the dock. The sounds of chatter and questioning of the explosion were no longer audible. Their father put Katara down and sat between his children.

"The Fire Nation is…" He took a breath. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain it to children. He couldn't even explain it to himself. He started again.

"The Fire Nation is…they're like…a really big team."

"Like for when we play hide and seek?" Katara asked.

"Or when we go penguin sledding?" Sokka added.

"No…well, sort of. Um…they're like that but a lot bigger. They have weapons and explosives on their side. And they're playing this really big game with the whole wide world. So we're a team too."

"Are we winning?" Sokka asked, eager to hear more of this grand amusement.

"No…right now we are losing."

"Why?" Katara asked disappointedly. "Don't we have good players?"

"Our players are very good, but we don't have many Waterbenders left, and our sister Tribe cannot reach us. So you can say that we have good players but not a lot of them."

"So then the Fire Nation is cheating, right Dad?" Sokka asked. "Because when we race in penguin sledding each team has to have the same number of people."

"Yes. They're cheating. They like to cheat."

"Waterbenders are like Grandpa, right?" Katara stated, referring to Kana's husband before his tragic death. Kana had told her stories of how he would bend the water back and forth, over and under; anywhere he wanted.

"Yes. But they are the only ones who can figh—who are allowed to play. Because they can bend."

"I want to be a bender!" Katara announced. "I know I'd win against the Fire Nation. I'd take 'em easy!"

Their father laughed heartedly. "I'm sure you will, dearest. But I'm telling you this for a reason. The Fire Nation is advancing to our home. They want to take it away from us. That blast you heard was how they play. The make people afraid until they run away, or they—" He paused. He couldn't explain death. "…They take them to the Fire Nation Capital."

"What do they do to them there?" Sokka asked.

Silence.

"That's not important," their father explained. "But one of these days, they might just get close enough to our home. And then I will have to leave to protect our game board." He winked and Katara giggled.

"But you'll come back, right?" Katara asked. "And then we'll win, because you're the best fighter ever!"

"Nothing's promised in war."

His children stared blankly at him.

"Um…nothing's promised in this game."

Sokka stood and stretched. "We'll win. I know we will. How hard can beating a bunch of cheaters be?"

"Not hard at all," their father stated. He was glad they could not yet understand sarcasm.

"So what's the prize?" Katara asked. "Is it like a trophy or something?"

"There is no prize, dearest. No one wins. The Fire Nation just likes to play."

With that he scooped Katara on to his shoulders and began walking back to their home, Sokka at his heels.

The dark night moved swiftly over the South Pole. The snow glowed in a brilliant blue color over soft, small hills. The air was chilled as it moved in waves about the sky. Everything seemed majestic, including Sokka's snoring coming from the igloo behind Katara.

She couldn't sleep. Not after what her father had told them. She wanted to win this game. She wanted the South Pole to defeat the Fire Nation.

More than anything, she wanted to bend.

But she was young, and she knew it. Not only that, but there were only a few benders in the Tribe, and all of them were either out at the docks alone or studying to become masters. Not to mention they were all boys older than Sokka and with better things to do than teach a five-year-old girl.

But she was about to be six! Only a few more days! Soon she'd be old enough, but for now no one would pay attention to her.

She heard a ruffle behind her and turned sharply, only to find Gran Gran with her coat.

"You shouldn't be out here in your pajamas." Katara put the coat on.

"It isn't fair Gran Gran," Katara began. "No one here can teach me how to bend and the Fire Nation is winning!"

Kana sighed. She had wanted to bend when she was younger, too. But it was forbidden. She couldn't tell Katara. She remembered the feeling she got whenever her mother told her to stop acting like a boy and go to the Healing Huts. Hot tears would instantly stain her cheeks. It was then her plans of escaping had originated.

"I want to give you something, Katara." The two disappeared into the igloo.