Altered | A Genderswap ATLA AU

Return of the Avata-And She's Gone Again

Katasi stood atop the his village's wall, watching the Fire Nation ship draw closer out of the ocean mists. As the only young man in the village, and the only waterbender in a generation, it was his responsibility to protect the women and children from whatever evil the Firebenders had in mind this time. Plus, in a way, it was an act of redemption. He and Aang had set off the trap that had brought this invading ship to the village, and it was his sister's previous words that led him to realize the need to make up for such a stupid mistake after being forced to stay behind when Aang had been banished.

Katasi heard the shifting of snow to his left. He turned to find his older sister standing beside him atop the wall, wearing...a full face of war paint and a warrior's uniform? He hadn't seen her in such a look since she tried to go with their mom. "Sokka, what are you doing?"

Sokka, despite her ridiculous appearance, had that patronizing look that Katasi suspected all big sisters used on their little brothers. "Helping you. It's not like you're a real warrior. You were too little to be taught anything when Dad died and Mom left to fight in the war—"

"I am too a warrior—"

"And you're not a real waterbender —"

"I am too a waterbender!"

"—because the only thing you know how to do is move some waves around and catch fish since Dad couldn't find you a teacher," Sokka finished authoritatively. "What are you going to do against that Fire Nation ship?" She gestured to the incoming vessel, which had drawn a lot closer during the brief argument.

A lot closer.

"Run!" Katasi shouted.

He and Sokka jumped off the wall as the warship slammed into their village's little ice construct. It crumbled into snow behind the siblings, flowing out into the village and so cushioning their fall, their heavy bodies sinking into the mess. In too much of a hurry to bother digging, Katasi threw out a hand, and the snow covering him flew away; that was pretty much the extent of his bending ability. Katasi quickly went to help his sister as the warship's prow hissed and opened into a ramp.

"Thanks," Sokka wheezed as Katasi helped her up. Her makeup had been washed off by the snow, making her femininity more obvious.

"Looking real frightening there, big sister," smirked Katasi.

"Sexist," Sokka sniffed.

The pair turned at the sounds of footsteps. A soldier, fully armored and wearing an open helmet, stormed down the ship's ramp. Two soldiers, similarly armored and hidden behind skull-like face-plates, followed behind him.

Targets.

Sokka let loose with a high-pitched screech that reminded Katasi of an angry arctic hen, and charged at the lead Fire Nation soldier, the young one. Katasi couldn't help but wince. His older sister was bearing a spear, but holding it the completely wrong way, with both hands at the weapon's butt and the rest of the weapon extended haphazardly into the empty air. Sokka had always shown an academic interest in how their tribe's weapons worked, but their father had tried to encourage his daughter's intelligence and mechanical aptitude instead.

That probably wasn't the best choice, in retrospect.

The young Fire Nation soldier grabbed the spear just below the point, and yanked. It came easily out of Sokka hands, and the girl tumbled forward into the snowy ground. He snapped the spear in two and threw the pieces away, then kicked Sokka in the head when she tried to get up. This time she didn't move.

Katasi wanted to attack, but couldn't bring himself to overcome his fear.

The Fire Nation soldiers turned their attention to the rest of the gathered villagers, who had stupidly come out of their tents to see the invaders. "Where is he?" the leader demanded in a strangely feminine voice.