Note: I'm very sorry for the long wait; I've had practically no free time to write since uni started again. Also apologies if Kanna seems OOC in this, I need to get the story moving somewhat. Again I am sorry for the endless background but like I said I want to build this story up. Thanks for persevering!

Katara

She had thought that they would be safe, tucked away behind the icy plains that sculpted the southern water kingdom. She had thought that they were a distant memory in the fire nation's scheme of world control. She has hoped that they had forgotten about her people.

It began three years after her father had returned, Katara now on the brink of becoming a teenager had hoped that the war wouldn't touch her family again for some time. Looking back she blamed her naivety and innocence for holding onto such a foolish dream. War was not understanding, war was not kind, and it certainly did not make accommodations for the hopes of a young girl.

Night had just fallen when the alarm had sounded through the kingdom, the loud, commanding noise emanated from Sokka's watch tower. Although she had long mocked Sokka for his beloved creation, Katara would later recognise it as the saving grace for her people that night. Perhaps Sokka would be crowned a hero, she smiled in recollection.

The fire nation had been spotted in the southern waters. How they had travelled that far into their territory undetected remained a mystery. Katara could remember being jostled awake by her grandmother.

"Katara get up, we must make haste!"

"But Gran Gran it's still dark outside. Breakfast can wait!" Katara replied groggily, turning over in attempt to resume sleep.

Unimpressed with her granddaughter's actions, Kanna pulled the covers away from a grumpy waterbender and began to pack necessities. Finally growing conscious of the situation Katara rose hastily out of bed at the recognition of the loud siren that was piercing through the city.

Standing up, she was almost knocked back down as day garments made contact with her body.

"Put those on quickly! We've got to meet the others at the rendezvous point" Kanna instructed.

"Where's Sokka?"

"Probably trying to help your father."

"Then that's where I am going."

Sighing, Kanna turned to face her granddaughter; she was truly her mother's stubborn daughter. "Katara your father explicitly told you that you were to seek shelter with the other ladies if an attack was to happen."

"Gran Gran, I'm not like the other ladies! I know how to fight! I need to help them!"

"Katara."

"They need as many waterbenders out there as they can, they can only hold off the firenation for so long with weapons"

"Katara."

"Gran Gran please listen to me!"

"Stubborn girl! If you would let me finish what I wanted to say, you may go, stay away from the front lines. Go to the healer's tent, I imagine Yugoda will be in need of as much help as she can get."

Throwing herself at the elderly matriarch, she drew Kanna in for a fierce hug. "Thank you Gran Gran."

Patting Katara's head, Kanna left the room briefly, returning with a small bowl of what seemed to be paint.

"We mark the warriors before they go to battle, and so you must be marked to."

With her thumb Kanna painted a crescent shape onto Katara's forehead. "The mark of the brave" Kanna explained proudly.

With teary eyes, Katara bowed her head in respect before hugging her grandmother once more.

"Go child, the soldiers will need you."

"Will you be alright on your own?"

"I've still got life in these old bones" Kanna smiled.

###

At the age of twelve, Katara had truly learnt what war was. Sure she had witnessed what had happened to her mother, and watched her father disappear many a times for missions but she had yet to truly know the carnage and bloodshed that war brought. The sky although dark due to the night, had adopted an endless black, with thick smoke as clouds. Bursts of angry red erupted into the air as she could hear the ongoing onslaught from the outer defences.

"Pass me that cloth" Yugoda asked.

Unaware of the request, Katara continued to watch through the window.

"Katara!"

"Sorry!" she replied, jolting out of her trance.

Sensing the young girl's unease, Yugoda finished bandaging the warrior up, before dismissing him for rest.

"Your brother and father will be alright, they're skilled warriors."

"Mhmm."

"Katara, what's wrong?"

"I want to do more than just heal" she replied.

"Katara it's not safe and you're only young."

Looking up at the healer, Katara considered what Yugoda had said. The healer was the only other person besides her grandmother and Hama to know about her waterbending training. She hadn't risked telling her brother or father in fear of being stopped for her own safety.

Before Katara could retort the door to the healer's station was flung violently open. Warriors were hastily ushered in as they carried with them a stretcher. From afar, she judged the patient to be badly bruised with the likelihood of broken bones.

As they placed the warrior onto the table, she felt her insides turn. Pushing pass the men, she kneeled besides the body.

"Sokka!"

There was no response.

Desperately checking for his vital signs, her heat hammered as she waited for his chest to rise or his pulse to flutter against her fingers.

Yugoda watched silently, assessing her young assistant.

Seconds stretched on until Katara breathlessly gave the all clear. "He's alive" she whispered with tears in her eyes.

Immediately they set to work, the remaining warriors dismissed with the news that the chief's son would hopefully live to see another day. Hours went by as Katara diligently focused on each and every burn, wound and broken bone Sokka had suffered. Even on the insistence of Yugoda, Katara chose to forego a break. She would not rest till he was mended; losing one family member to war was enough. In the end, she had to congratulate Sokka, he had certainly not gone down without a fight, for he had collected a few first degree burns, cuts to forearms and face, and a broken rib, the latter of which had taken an hour alone and Yugoda's assistance to heal.

With a well bandaged Sokka now resting and still unconscious, she found solace in being selfish, in holding vigil next to her brother's body. Although there were plenty of other patients that needed her help, she couldn't muster the strength to leave her brother's side.

As dawn broke, she was alerted to the mutterings escaping from Sokka. Gently pressing the pads of her fingers to his cheek, she drew circles with her healing in an attempt to calm him.

"Katara?" he muttered.

"I'm here Sokka."

His eyes fluttered open as he adjusted to the light. "You're alright?"

She didn't know whether she should hit him or hug him, there he was waking up in the healer's station and he was asking her if she was alright. Stupid big brother, she mused.

"I'm fine and before you ask so is Gran Gran."

Sokka sighed.

"How's father?"

Raking a hand through his hair, Sokka winced as he became aware of the actual state his battered body was in.

"Did you heal me?"

"Sokka where's dad?"

"I didn't know you were this skilled sis, how bad was I?"

"Sokka" she levelled, her voice commanding enough to halt him.

"I don't know."

Falling back into her seat, she stared at him in horror.

"You don't know?"

"Katara we got split up from the main group. Dad would never let me near the front lines."

"Then how did you get this injured?"

"I was defending the western wall, and the fire nation soldiers had begun to scale it, they were trying to break through."

Yugoda interrupted the siblings, bringing with her a warm bowl of broth for Sokka.

"Just what I need" he acknowledged appreciatively

Even injured, Sokka still manages to think of his stomach, Katara mocked.

###

It wasn't until later that day that the news they had long waited for, had come. Tending to her brother, Katara was surprised to find Bato standing in the doorway.

"Bato" she greeted her father's second in command. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to tell you the Fire Nation are leaving."

"That's wonderful news!" she exclaimed. Noticing that Bato had yet to share in her joy, she stilled. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

Shutting the door behind him, Bato limped to a chair brushing off her offer of assistance.

"Your father, he has been taken captive. He gave himself up in exchange for them withdrawing their forces."

"No. No."

"How did this happen? I thought we had them on the retreat" Sokka questioned.

"The western wall soon fell after we brought you here, it would not have taken them long to burn the rest of city down."

"We have to rescue him!" Katara cried.

"With what Katara? They took most of benders as well."

Note: I am sorry if this chapter disappointed :S That's it for the majority of Katara's backstory. Next chapter shall see us re-joining Zuko, uncle and hopefully getting up to speed. Let the Zutara commence!