Part One

Chapter 1: Something Black in the Snow

Sixteen Years Later

Katara slunk out of bed that morning early, to avoid her overzealous nursemaids and bodyguards that would dot and fawn over her in such a way that she felt like a baby. But Katara wasn't a baby, she was a young woman. With the looks and hips to match, she had the notion to look out for herself.

She dressed herself in a plain blue tunic with darker pants and grabbed her parka before sneaking out the icy palace to meet her elder brother, Sokka. When she got to their meeting place, the gate of the Southern Watertirbe, she was surprised to see a few other Watertribe boys hanging around.

Katara decided she didn't like the boys in her tribe, or the girls.

Everyone her age just stared at her like something was about to happen.

When her mother was still alive she'd told her it was because she was a princess. And princesses of the Northern and Southern tribe had a very specific duty to their people; holding life for the Moon and Ocean sprits. That's why her hair was black, darker than a moon-less night as appose to everyone else's brown hair.

It was that long mane that she kept back in neat braids when she was able to avoid anyone who wanted to decorate it as if she were some doll. Today she pulled the hood of her fur trimmed parka up over her head, allowing a spiraling curl or two to slip free.

Katara forced the frown off of her face and called for her brother. She recognized him in the crowd, tall and supporting his wolf-tail do. He turned away from his argument with another tribe-boy about his height and smiled.

"Hey, Katara. . .I thought you'd sleep in."

Was he serious?

Although her servants would allow her do to so, Katara rarely slept in, but when she did she'd hear remarks from the other teenagers. Talking about how nice it had to be to be the chosen Guardian of Tui.

"Sokka, I hate sleeping in. Besides, weren't we going to spend the day together?" Her eyes darted back to the boy's around him and Sokka's frown deepened.

"Yeah, Katara, I can't today." Sokka had to be the only one in the village who talked this way to Katara because they were siblings, some said. But with past generations it hadn't mattered. Everyone treated the Guardian of Tui with great respect. Sokka had to be the first in centuries. "I have warrior duty, there was a storm last night and some hunters got lost. . ."

"Good. I shall go with you then." Katara planted her hands on her hips.

Sokka rolled his eyes and a few boys stifled their gasps.

"Katara, no."

"There my people too Sokka. I have a right."

"A right. 'A' aright. I'm a warrior I have more than one."

"Thanks for that analogy, genius."

Sokka glared. "Ya know, I don't know why I even-" Katara's eyes widened, but he was cut off by the sounds of other warriors. Their father's friend, Bato, stepped forward out of the cluster, their father farther behind with another group.

"Young warriors. . .Lady Katara? What are you doing outside of your rooms?" Katara sent an icy glare in his direction.

"I am going with you to find those missing hunters." She insisted.

"No, Lady Katara, it's far too dangerous. A storm is setting in."

"I-"

"Katara." Her father's warm blue eyes met hers. "You are not allowed to go on this mission."

She flared up instantly, a large crack appearing in the ice. The young warriors, even Sokka, jumped. She hadn't even lifted a finger. Her father's boyd language didn't change, his mouth was a firm line. Unmoving and unfazed.

"They're my people too. I was given the gifts I have for the reason of protecting them." She hissed.

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you got so angry." Her father brushed past her and she twirled around, silenced by his cold tone. The warriors looked from cheif to princess, deciding to follow the cheif. And away they were, into the midst of snow and ice.

He hates me. . .She thought for a wild second. He really hates me.

Katara stood there a few moments more, watching the white abyss of nothing stretch on for miles and miles over the frozen up ice. She couldn't wait for spring, for the ice to melt and she could see the sea again. She could demonstrate her strength against her supposed 'weakness' and go look for wild baby animals to play with. Wear the fur of the animals she caught and sit at the head of the table again like she once had before. . .

She stopped herself there.

She wouldn't think about that.

Katara shook her brain free of those thoughts and put her game face on. She'd just look for them herself, she though as she slowly slipped out of the gate for the first time in ten years.

Katara and Sokka never got to spend much time together as children. Once Katara was born, she had become the center of her parent's and the village's attention. The fawned and fed and dotted on her. Many christenings were held, her nearly hairless head crossed with the purest ocean water. Sometimes, when she got a little older, she was asked to touch the foreheads of newborn children; blessing them, hoping their water bending powers were strong.

In this whirlwind of clothes of silk and linen, sweet and traditional food, the best crafted toys; Katara didn't know she had a brother.

Until that day. . .the day when the Fire Nation's ships and cargo of oils sickened the water, the only day she had ever fallen ill. It was a little before her mother's death and all waterbenders, even her attendance, had left in boats to clean up the damage done to the water in hopes of curing the princess.

She laid in her bed, hacking black bile and sweat bullets. Her six-year-old body shaking against the bitter cold of her lands. Furs that piled on top of her shifted and occasionally kicked them off in a hacking fit. She had turned her head at the perfect moment to meet the eye of a young boy standing in the crack of the doorway.

A servant? She had wondered.

"Excuse me. . ." Her voice was rough and made the boy jump. "but could you hand me that. . . ?" She pointed to the glass of water a nursemaid had left near the door. Black bile slipped from her lips and she immediately turned again, hacking into a bucket at the other side of her bed.

When she was finished she glanced back at the door –the boy was gone.

She groaned and relaxed back against her pillow, closing her eyes.

Something cold touched her forehead and, when she opened her eyes, she saw the boy staring down at her. Trying to cool her off a bit with the glass. She smiled thankfully.

"Are you alright, sis?"

She stared at him.

"'Sis'?"

"Yeah. . .Your my sister. I'm your brother."

"Oh. . ." she thought for a moment. "I didn't know I had a brother." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm Katara."

"I'm Sokka."

"Well, my brother, if I don't live through this, please. . ."

"Don't say that! You're going to be fine! Don't be such a little baby! The Waterbenders here are strong and they're out there risking life and limb to clean the ocean for you!"

He was right of course. And in the end. . .he had hit her for saying that and stayed with her until her illness subsided and the ocean was pure again. Katara had been desperate for weeks after to find and learn more about her new brother.

Katara moved her ice disk faster over the snow, rapid motions of her arms propelling the makeshift sled over the arctic terrain faster and faster. Her eyes scanned the land around her. Looking for a blue parka. Or a spear or anything. Any remains of the hunters.

The storm was coming. She could feel it, quite literally. In her bones, in her blood, she could feel the thrashing of the water and the howl of the wind. The moon would be rising soon. She should turn back, give up her search. . .

Something black laid up ahead.

Something black and furry surrounded by bloody red and looked to not be breathing. It was a human, he was a human. Probably caught in the storm, she thought as she hurried up the icy bank to meet him.

Sliding on her knees she placed her hands on the thick, expensive looking fur. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest under her mittens, though it looked forced and was ragged, immediately she recognized the problem: a punctured lung.

Pushing her hair out of her face and removing her mittens she knew she'd have to act fast if she wanted him to live. Her nimble figures worked the clasp of the buttons to his coat, once that task she was faced with an armor plate and black silk, confused Katara continual removed the layers separating her from her patient's chest. After what seemed like forever she opened a black and red silk tunic and only then did the man stir with the sudden cold. Trying to continue with her work she laid a cool, pale hand on the unnaturally tan chest.

Her patient lurched forward then and Katara pushed him back down into the snow by his shoulders. "Don't move; you'll just injure yourself further." She warned and didn't wait for a response.

"Who. . .are you. . . ?" His pain ridden words seemed to hang in the air and Katara bended the water of her waterskin, making the gleaming blue healing gloves she had grew familiarized over years of training. Placing her hands on his chest once again, he started to stir and his teeth clenched along with his fists. "Stop. . .hurts. . . ."

"It's going to hurt," she said focusing. "Don't distract me or I wouldn't be able to heal you." It was said in the forceful tone, but it was laced with tenderness she also used while healing a patient, an elderly or a child.

Luckily, the man obeyed and stayed as still as he could without squirming under her touch. She'd caught him twice trying to lift his head to see who was healing him and she did nothing to stop him. Though when she looked at him the second time she caught a glimmer of gold behind his heavily lashed eyes.

Fire Nation. . . Her mind spat and her healing momentarily paused. They hadn't come near her village for the past sixty years, what were they doing now? This could be a chance to make an alliance. By the way he's dressed he has to be someone important. Save his life, return him to his nation and keep the Southern village from being raided.

In the midst of her new plan she proceeded with her work.

I might even make a friend.

~!~I picture them to look like they do in the movies.~!~

Katara has a deep dark secret. OoOOOOooOooooO~! Anyway, although Katara is the princess she is hated by a lot of people. Except her grandma. Her grandma loves her. More later~! Questions are welcome, I love questions.

I'm getting my driver's liscense tomorrow! WhooHoo~!

~QueenVamp