"The Southern Water Tribe was once a beautiful nation filled with culture, prosperity, and joy. I was proud to come from a tribe of people with such a history. Of course, that was history. I didn't remember anything other than war and struggle. My older brother would bring out the realist side of me, reminding me that we can't get out of the war. Meanwhile, my older sister Katara, would tell me that there was a still hope. Hope that the Avatar-the master of all four elements-would return and save the world.

I didn't know who or what to believe. All I knew was that the Fire Nation started this war. That was why I hated them. I would spit on the ground whenever someone would mention Fire Lord Ozai and Fire Lord Sozin. We were all equal, and one nation couldn't overpower the other. That was what my Father told me. 

The Fire Nation attacked our tribe when I was a little girl. The only thing I remembered was black soot falling from the sky-a sign that danger was coming. Everyone knew who they were coming for: my sister. She was the last known Waterbender of our tribe, or so they believed. Little did they know that I would be possess the ability to control water, something that was once common amongst our tribe. Gran Gran told me that all the Waterbenders were captured by the Fire Nation. It ended in a bloody battle, and she said she couldn't be more hopeful when she discovered my talents. 

That was when that spark of hope reignited in my heart.  I still clung to it, even though I believed it was very unlikely that we could ever defeat the Fire Nation. We couldn't change history and save the Air Nomads, but we could make history. When Sokka, Katara, and I discovered the boy in the iceberg, I knew things were about to change.

Our lives were intertwined with his."

The cold South Pole wind rushed through my hair, as my older siblings Sokka, Katara, and I canoed across the ocean that was glazed with breaking ice. We were hoping to catch tonight's dinner, and if that didn't work out-well, then we had to wait until next season-whenever that would be. It was hard to find fish because of the freezing temperatures. They usually came around when the sun's rays were able to touch the rippling water.

I spread my arms and legs against the little corner of my canoe that I shared. Being the youngest of twelve years old in a family like mine helped me gain the advantage of not doing much. Yes; as a girl I did help around the hut, but I yearned the adventure that hunting brought. So for most of the time I was in charge of the younger children until my brother trained them to be "warriors". Sokka was officially the oldest male in our village ever since the raid, so that left even more pressure on his hands.

I smirked. The last time he went fishing was with Dad, and Dad caught the fish for him and pretended that it was Sokka who caught the fish. To prove that girls can be good just as good at hunting as boys, Katara dragged me along with him to prove him wrong; if only she knew hunting wasn't the same as fishing. 

"How about you actually catch a fish this time, Fish Catching Master," I remarked, my voice dull and dry.