Telepyleia has always been a curious girl. She wonders and observes, prioritizing the need for answers before anything else. Question after question comes after each answer given, and it was only a matter of time before the people around her run out of answers to satisfy her. She was very curious, that much was true, maybe even to a fault.

It started with the simple things. Like why is the sky the color that it is right now? Why does red come out from the skin when it hurts? Why do the stars show up in the dark and where do they go when the sun comes up?

Her parents were there to feed these questions with answers. It was simple enough to explain to a child, but with Telepyleia, it was a neverending loop of questions.

"The spirits made it that way."
"But why?"
"They made the sky in the way the saw it fit for it to cover the whole of the earth with it."
"How did they know it was the color fit for covering the earth?"

"That's blood, Leia, and it flows through you and keeps you alive."
"Why does it go out when I get hurt?'
"Because when you get hurt, an opening is formed in the skin. When it gets deep enough and the opening reaches the place where the blood is in, it ends up leaking like water in a faulty waterskin."
"Will it all go out?"
"No, the hole is small enough that not much gets out before the opening closes itself again."
"How long will it take to close again? If it doesn't stop, will I keep losing blood and end up like a squished sea prune?"
"It depends in how big it is, and no, you won't become a sea prune."

"They don't disappear and run away. They're still there."
"Why can't I see them?"
"The sun is too bright and shines much brighter than stars, so they blend in with the brightness of the sky which is lit by the sun. And just because you can't see them, it won't mean they're not there."
"They're just hiding?"
"Sorta like that."
"Why?"

And then, she started schooling. It was the teachers' turn to catch and answer her continuous barrage of questions. Remarkably, it seems as though she has no need for for them, seeing as she seemed to figure these out on her own and propose her own theories and hypotheses on the matter.

"They said that in other parts of the world, the sun and moon rise and set everyday. How come it takes 6 months before the sun and moon rise here?"
"Uh, well-"
"Oh wait! I think I sort of get it. The Earth is round, isn't it? We're at the tippy top of the rotation axis, so it makes sense that the sun would just look like it's rotating around us. But! How would that explain the six month switching cycle?"
"Oh, you see-"
"...If it was switching between darkness and light every six months then maybe we're tilted! The axis is tilted, teacher!"
"Uh, yes! Maybe. I don't know. I've never thought of it that way."

"I think I got it! I know that the elders keep saying that the sky is the way it is because of the Spirits that created them, and I respect that they think that, but it's gotta be something else! Why blue? Why does it match the sea's color? Or! Maybe the sea simply reflects the color of the sky! Anyway, so back to the color of the sky..."

Soon, the leading scholars of the south had taken Telepyleia under their wing, not that it did much to quell her thirst for answer. At the age of twelve, she had scanned through every book, scroll, and drawing that was kept in the South Pole's knowledge sanctuary. Her masters and teachers could not do anything about the never ending river of queries that were left unanswered.

That was how Telepyleia found herself in front of her parent's room, a month away from turning 15, a glass of water in hand, and nerves engulfing her every sense. She takes a deep breath, looking out the window across from her parent's doorway to see the moon, full and bright. A feeling of rushing energy then filled her, reminding her of her ever-present ability of bending. She knitted her brows together, shaking her currently conflicted thoughts of her ability. It was never her interest to learn of the mastery of her element, but that never stopped her from exploring the limits of her power. Having read the vast expanse of the library, she'd stumbled across the concept of bloodbending. She knew little of it, only that it was illegal and only the most powerful of the waterbenders could achieve it. However, Telepyleia thinks, bloodbending is only illegal in the premise that you would do it to another entity or individual and hurt them in the process. If, let's say, that I do have the ability to bloodbend and only do it to my blood, would it be considered a crime?

Absolutely! Her morality shouts. The act of bloodbending is vile and hideous. Nothing good will come from it.

Her rationality however, hums in thought. Nothing in particular has been stated in the rules of the law about bloodbending oneself being a crime, nor has there been regulations dismissing it as something that isn't a crime.

Curiosity then comes up behind her, eyes sparkling with wonder. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to try. No one needs to find out since you're the only one who'll do it and have it be directed at.

Curiosity was most often the winner in arguments with these kinds of things.

So, several hours prior to her standing in front of her parents' quarters, Telepyleia travelled to an empty spot near the edge of a cliff. She used what little she knew of her technique to bend a small igloo that would fit at most 5 children. Sitting in the middle of her small temporary abode, she takes out a small blade she had smuggled out from the healing huts.

Reviewing what she had read in her head, she looked took the blade and raised the ends of the parka and then the tunic she wore, followed by the leggings she wore on her left leg, choosing to nick at her less dominant lower limb. She chose a spot on her thigh, dead center in between her knee and the junction at which her hip meets her leg. The blood immediately rises through the opening and flows out.

Telepyleia observes the way a drop flows down the side of her leg and lands in the snow, tainting it red. Blood is mainly composed of two parts, plasma and blood cells. The liquid part, plasma, makes up 55 percent of the blood. Plasma, in turn, is 90 percent water. So, in theory...

Brows furrowing in concentration and eyes twinkling in fascination, she tentatively leads her hands through a series of motions, trying to get a feel for it. Then, she was suddenly hyperaware of everything around her and in her. She felt the immediate presence of walls of ice caging her from the outside world, the slight breeze of cold but humid air hitting the igloo, the sweat now building at her temples, and finally, the fluid that passes through every vein, artery, and capillary, and the muscle that pumps it to every part of her body.

Delight and fascination etched themselves on her face as the blood that was still trying to get out of her wound suddenly rose up in blobs. Telepyleia immediately goes to work, attempting to form shapes. She was successful, forming a nearly perfectly circular blob, albeit sloppily, near the size of a fruit that would more or less fit in the hand of an adult. She made it grow longer, splitting the singular blob into two. Feeling bolder by the second, she merged the two spheres and spread out her palm. The movement caused it to spread out and freeze, forming somewhat of a blade. Telepyleia was shocked at this and almost had her hold on the frozen piece of blood severed, but she thought fast, leading both her hands to her cut and drawing more blood to connect to one of the ends of the red blade. With another motion of her hand, she froze the blood and formed a rod that attached itself to her previous creation.

She quickly held onto the rod with her two hands and let her hold on the now frozen blood go. She sat, panting heavily and somewhat dizzy from the use of her bending that she wasn't used to. However, that didn't stop her from looking at her creation with utmost delight and awe.

It isn't always about the power, a voice in her head tells her in realization. Sometimes all it takes is an understanding of the method and the right technique.

A scythe was what she now held in her hand. The blade was nearly as long as her hair and arched with a few jagged edges. The rod towered a foot above her and was starting to liquefy at the spots she had her grasp around, staining her hands. Noticing this, she quickly let go of the rod, letting the scythe fall, and attempted to wipe the blood away on the snow, turning it into water with the mere warmth of her hands. She looked at the scythe in front of her, contemplating on whether she should return the blood back through her wound, but then considered how she would even do it due to the body's immediate response to the loss of blood, letting the pressure and flow readjust, plus the blood would most likely be compromised by millions of unknown microbes. Tiredly, she willed her forged blade to fall back into liquid, letting her realize just how much blood was drawn. Well, it's easier to produce blood again rather than risk the rupture of a blood vessel.

Then, she was very much aware of the wound on her leg that seemed to have been longer than what she initially started with. Wishing she had at least taken healing classes under Master Katara before starting any of her conspicuous experiments, Telepyleia reached under her tunic and felt for her wrappings. She sheds her parka for easier access and takes the small blade she had, slicing the side of her tunic and then slicing a portion of her bindings, letting it unravel, and used it to wrap around her thigh, putting enough pressure to prevent any blood from escaping further but not too tight that it would constrict the flow of blood. Her whimpers of pain bounce off the ice walls that cover her as she tends to her wound. She then takes a deep breath and pushes herself to stand, doing as much as she could to distract her from the pain now pulsing in her thigh.

With what was left of her energy, she bore a hole in the igloo big enough for her to walk through. She limped to the healing hut where one of the healers recognized her and immediately led her to Master Katara when she saw the state at which Telepyleia was in. She was starting to look pale and her skin felt unnaturally cold even when considering that she was in the South Pole.

Katara's eyes filled with worry as she took in the state of the girl. She asked a few other healers to held the girl into her tub of spiritual water and to peel off her clothes. Telepyleia was left only in her underwear and wrappings, with herself going in and out of consciousness. Katara observed the girl with pale lips and an equally almost pale face for a few seconds before quickly going into work, knowing questions of how she got into that state could be entertained later. As she worked her way through healing the wound, Telepyleia was out cold.

The young teen woke up to a cooling sensation on her leg. She groans, feeling the sandy sensation of having a dry throat and a general weak feeling of being unable to move.

She opens her eyes to see her mother looking at her with worried eyes and Master Katara tending to the almost healed wound on her thigh.

"Mama," Telepyleia rasps, wanting to stand up and reach out to her mother but her body, still suffering the damages of having lost so much blood, prevented her from doing so. Along with that, Katara was quick to stop the girl from straining her body further, "That was quite a cut you had, Leia. You lost a lot of blood."

Telepyleia only looked down in shame and embarrassment, thinking how it was wrongful of her to make her mother worry.

"What happened?" Katara queried, more than certain of the cause due to a little object one of the other healers had found stored in the girl's parka, but wanting to let the girl say her side of the story.

Telepyleia's eyes widened, realizing the weight of the truth of her little experiment held when it would have reached Katara's ears. Master Katara, the person who pushed for the criminalization of blood bending, of all people, was the one directly asking her, and it made Telepyleia slightly paranoid that Katara knew the truth due to the knowing glance she had when she asked.

"I cut myself on the way back from a cliff," she attempted to lie, but she knew it was useless. Her mother seemed to buy it at first though.

"Really? Then do you mind explaining what this was for?" Katara asked and then reached out to pull the blade she used to create the cut on her leg as well as the hole in her tunic.

Her mother gasps at the sight of the blade and turns to look at Telepyleia with eyes that conveyed hurt and sadness. "Leia?" Her mother called out, tears already staining her cheeks.

Katara sighs, interpreting the conflict and fear in Telepyleia's face as something else entirely. "Is there anything you want to tell your mother, Leia?"

It was then that Telepyleia realized that she wasn't in trouble. Well, she was, but for an entirely different reason. Both Katara and her mother thought she was trying to end her life. Relief washed over her body, but she willed her face to let it seem like she was apologetic and regretful about what she had done. She really was regretful of causing her mother to worry, but it was in a different context now. She was just glad they didn't know of her little experiment up on the cliff. Looking back at it, she seemed to have set the scene well enough: an igloo on a cliffside where no one really frequented, a knife, and blood all over the snow - it was the perfect setting of a failed suicide attempt.

Giving herself a mental pat on the back via her rationality and a mental scolding courtesy of her morality, she let herself think of the concept of her mother being hurt by her own death. This garnered a few tears to force themselves out of Telepyleia's ducts before apologizing in a cracking voice, "I'm sorry, mama. I wasn't thinking clearly. I love you too much to leave you. It was a mistake. I see that now."

Her mother quickly burst into sobs and held onto Telepyleia's hands and sobbed into her side. Leia kept repeating the words "I'm sorry" and "I love you".

Katara left the two alone to deal with the aftermath of the situation.

Now, here she stood, ready to tell her mother and father what she thinks would be good for her. She'd been wanting to tell her parents that she had wanted to leave and study in the renowned Republic City University. Closing her eyes once more and inhaling deeply, she raised her hand to knock on their door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Rushing footsteps were heard heading towards the door. They open and Telepyleia is greeted with the bloodshot eyes of her mother and the teary eyes of her father.

Yikes. But I guess if this is the price to pay for them not finding out what an absolute psycho I am to even experiment with an illegal form of bending, I'll take it.

Her parents let her in, her mother proceeding to intertwine her fingers with her left hand and her father letting a hand rest around her shoulders.

"I want to train under Master Katara and go to Republic City to study."

That was her first statement. The second was an apology for something she never actually did. The third was an explanation along with an altered truth.

"I didn't know how or why it happened, it was a spur of a moment thing. I had gone there to clear my mind, but clearly, my mind acted before I had any chance to. I've been thinking, mama, papa," she looked at both of her parents who were listening intently. "I've learned all I can in this household. I've spent my sleepless nights taking in all the information our village has had to offer. I've been keeping a secret from you."

Her parents shared a look with one another as she held out the glass of water she'd been bringing with her. She held it with her left hand and let her right hand do a series of motions and raised the water from the glass, forming hovering irregular spheroids. Both of her parents gasp, their eyes flashing a series of mixed emotions.

"You can bend! That's wonderful, Leia!"
"How long have you known? Why didn't you tell us?"

The betrayed tone of her father's questions weighed heavily in her heart. "I think I was 6 or 7 when I knew. I'm sorry. I didn't want you treating me any different from how you treated me already. Plus, it didn't mean much to me anyway, I was more interested in rummaging through scrolls in the library."

She looked up at her parents, wishing her words were enough to reassure them that she wasn't planning on leaving the Earth any time soon. "I think that what I need is a change of scenery. I have nothing left to do here, and I'm," Telepyleia tried to search for a proper word,"... discontent. You of all people know that I am restless not until I find the answers I'm looking for. I feel complacent here, caged. But please don't take this the wrong way. It isn't your fault. You've loved and provided for Inca, Senna, and I with all that you can to the best of your abilities."

Her mother had tears streaming down her face once more despite the smile on her face. Telepyleia cringed a bit inside. She hated seeing her mother cry.

"I think it's time for me to try and broaden my horizons," Telepyleia ended her proposal there with a weak smile. She hated using metaphors but it just seemed like the most appropriate thing to say right now.

Her parents were contemplative. Going to Master Katara's compound was one thing, and leaving for Republic City was another.

"I know it's a stretch, and if you need reassurance I won't do anything rash to myself, I currently don't have anything else to give you except a request for you to trust and believe in me."

Early morning the next day, she was seated at a small stool in front of her family's house. It was a quaint and quiet village. Simple and not too complicated. Everyone knows everyone else. She more or less knows a fairly accurate version of a person's life story with a once-over.

Across from her is a small boy, who like her, was seated in front of his family's house. She's known him her whole life but never really interacted with him. She doesn't know him, but he seems to be less introverted and harsh-looking than his older brother. He smiles occasionally at Telepyleia when they pass by one another but that was just about it. She gathers that he's considerate, and caring, and is quite fearful if his father. He's a waterbender who's always scolded by his father because of his less developed skills when compared to his brother.

Still deep in thought about the unnamed boy across from her, she felt another presence next to her and immediately looked to see her mother, eyes no longer bloodshot but were still generally puffy. Telepyleia stands up and initiates a hug which her mother is grateful to accept. While in that position, her mother tells her that they've contacted Master Katara and that she was more than willing to house Telepyleia as a student. She was to leave after she turns 15. After a year under Katara's care, she was to be of age in terms of Watertribe culture, so that would be the opportune time to let Telepyleia pursue her dreams of traveling to Republic City to study.

She only hugged her mother tighter, whispering thank you through genuine tears of gratitude and happiness. This meant the world to her. Aside from her request to train under Katara and to travel for her studies, her parents trusted her and believed in her, and that was more than what she could ask for.

-

The night of her birthday, she was accompanied by her parents to Master Katara's compound, where she was to live at for a year.

Katara treated her like her own daughter. Kya had left a few years ago to travel on her own soul-seeking adventure, so she was happy to take Telepyleia, or as she now prefers to call her, Leia, in her care. Katara knew of Leia's unwavering intellect and understanding of the way things in the universe works. Leia may not have had the raw power of an avatar, but she had the sharpest understanding of the techniques Katara had taught her, making it seem like she was born with the routines ingrained in her mind.

She saw herself in the teen, being determined to learn everything correctly. However, it still surprised Katara every time Leia questioned her and asked for clarifications on each routine, even coming up with a suggestion on how the routine could be better. This was the first time she's had a student focus more on the "why?" rather than the "what?" Katara did her best to satisfy Leia's questions, understanding now why her previous teachers were somewhat annoyed at the pupil. However, she saw the teen's questions and theories as something of great potential.

"Would you ever consider yourself being a teacher, Leia?" Katara asked her one night. They were six months into her training and were seated at a small table where an empty Pai Sho board was engraved on it.

Leia was quick to answer, "I can't say that I haven't thought about it. Although, it never occured to me as something I'd want to do professionally, Miss Katara. I like learning about stuff. I absolutely love knowing new things! I know it'd be useless if I don't share it, but I don't think I could do it in the way you do. Maybe if I could write it on paper, yes, but I don't really see myself as a teacher. I could detail it in words, but I won't be able to demonstrate it as I go. I'd rather learn something alongside my pupil and assist them as we go. I guess the thing I'm getting at here is that I can't teach something I've already learned."

Katara sighed but smiled at Leia's honest answer. "My, that was an interesting fact to know about you, Leia. I suppose I understand what you're saying, but I can't really say that I come from the same page you are at right now."

Katara had prepared tea and offered a cup to Leia and the girl graciously accepted it. Katara spoke with nostalgia lacing through her voice, "I was like you once, wanting to learn all about my bending, my culture, but no one was there to teach me. I eventually got to have Master Pakku train me, but even he needed some major convincing I was worthy of being trained since I was a girl."

"Yikes, talk about mysogyny."

Katara chuckled before continuing. "After meeting Aang, my motive for learning changed. No longer did I want to learn it for the sake of simply learning, I had Aang and Sokka to protect. After we had left the North Pole in search of an earthbending teacher, I was in charge of further training Aang to fully master the art of waterbending. I was no longer just a protector, but a teacher as well."

Leia's eyes twinkled upon hearing Katara talk about her adventures as part of the previous Team Avatar. Katara laughed upon the remembrance of a certain memory, "He was always quite the child, slacking off training and always distracted, but I had to make do."

Leia simply smiled at the old woman's mirth. Katara reminded her of her own grandmother.

"Soon, he had waterbending mastered down to his sleep. Although, I think you of all people should know that something is never truly mastered until no new discoveries about it can be made," Katara winks at the girl and Leia's smile grows into a cheeky grin.

"I will miss you when you leave, Leia. You've grown to be quite the waterbender in only six months," Katara says, now sounding forlorn.

Leia's eyebrows knit together before reaching out to the old woman and taking her frail hands into her own. "Don't talk like that, Miss Katara. We have another six months left. Besides, I'll make sure to visit you whenever I visit my parents. You've been like a mother to me, Katara. I'll never be able to repay you properly."

The two shared a quiet moment before Katara suggested they played a game of Pai Sho. Leia had asked her to teach her once. Their first actual game was the last game that Leia lost.

-

In six months' time, Leia was dubbed a waterbending master and healer. She was also 16 now, of marrying age, not that she ever was interested in that. A few suitors have come and passed by the compound but Leia was always preoccupied with learning the next thing. Here she was, spending her last few nights in the compound with her family (sans her eldest sister).

Senna was watching her sister put on a show for her. They were sat at the edge of a fountain that Leia was getting the water from.

"Check this out, Sen!" Leia called out in glee as she threw water up into the air and transformed it into snow that flowed down onto the both of them.

Twelve-year-old Senna giggled and smiled at her older sister. Her mirth only lasted a while before she frowned.

Leia noticed this and sighed, walking towards her sister how was sat at the edge of the fountain. "You know I'm not going to be gone forever, right? I'm gonna visit you and mama, and papa, and even Master Katara on a regular basis."

Senna pouted and looked at her older sister through teary eyes. "I know, but," she sniffed, "you're gonna be away longer now. Far far away. With you here at Master Katara's place I can visit you every week, but I have to ride a boat to see you every time in the city. You'll make friends, get a job, then forget about me. Just like what Inca did."

Leia frowned at the mention of her older sister and immediately knelt down in front of Senna, taking her small hands into hers. "I'm not gonna let that happen. No matter what happens to me in the city, you're my sister. No one will ever replace you, just like no one will ever replace Inca. Inca's just really busy with the United Forces. She'll come around, it's just that the army-navy life is new to her and she wants to enjoy it. I'll make sure that she writes to you and pays you a visit when I see her."

Leia tucks a stray piece of hair behind Senna's ear and gives her a kiss on her forehead. "I'll write to you regularly, okay? When I visit, I'll bring you gifts and talk all about the things I've seen in the city, alright? It'll be as if I'm still here with you."

Senna nods and tackles her sister to the ground with a hug, and Leia hugs back just as tight.

The next few nights were spent packing and preparing for Leia's departure.

She now stood at the bottom of a plank used to board the ship that she was to travel on going to Republic City. She was given two large bags of gold, an amount she found out her parents have been saving up ever since she started schooling as a small child. They somehow had a hunch that a child as inquisitive as her would eventually end up wanting to pursue higher education in bigger places.

"I trust you won't spend it all in one go. Though I suppose I won't need to worry. You've never been one for shopping," Her mother teased but still kept a tone of seriousness. Leia just shook her head and hugged her.

Her father was next to greet her, giving her a waterskin his father had given to him in hopes that he would be a waterbender just like him. "Your grandfather would have wanted you to have this. It's just a shame he never knew you before he passed." Leia hugged him tight, wanting to draw out every bit of hurt that sounded in his voice. "I'll take care of it," she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek.

"Don't forget to take care of yourself. Love you, kiddo," he ruffled the top of her hair, messing it up in the process, not that Leia minded. Her hair was short and it was manageable as it is. As long as it was out of the way, she didn't mind much. She nodded and attached the waterskin at her side.

Master Katara came next, and showed Leia a necklace with vial attached to it. It was a purple cone-shaped container with a moon symbol on top of it.

"This was my necklace that held spirit water from the North Pole when I was young and if helped me save Aang. I no longer have any use for it, but I hope it will benefit you. I filled it up again with the spirit water we have here. Use it wisely."

Leia put out her hands for Katara to place it on them. Instead, Katara asked Leia to turn around and fastened the necklace around her neck. Leia turned back around, touching the vial that hung on her neck, getting used to the feeling, before hiding it further down behind her new tunic. She bowed in front of Katara out of respect and gratitude.

"Thank you for everything, Master Katara. I'll make sure everything I've learned will be put to good use. You have been nothing but encouraging and nurturing towards my abilities."

Katara bowed in response before raising back up and letting Leia hug her. "I'll miss you very much, Katara."

"I'll miss you, too, my dear. I've sent word to Aang and Tenzin of your arrival. You'll be living with them on Air Temple island until you've earned enough for your own living quarters."

Leia nodded and thanked her once more. Katara made way for Senna who just hugged Leia and gave her a small bottle.

Leia laughed, "What's this? Senna, Mama made me pack a full bottle of perfume, plus I'm sure they'll be selling some at Republic City."

Senna fiddled with her fingers, "Uh, It's my favorite scent. I wear it all the time. It's yours now! Use it when you miss home or when you're lonely, so that you'll feel like I'm with you! And I really  just don't want you to forget me."

Leia simply smiled before going down on her knees and hugging her sister with all her might. "I promise I won't. Thank you for the gift, Senna. You're so thoughtful. I love you."

Senna was crying now, "I love you, too, Tele."

Leia let a few tears slip before wiping them and in turn wiping her sister's. She gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before letting Senna go to her mother's side.

She stepped onto the deck of the ship and the wooden planks were retracted, slipping the bottle of perfume in one of her many pockets. Leia waved at her family and Master Katara until she was far enough that she couldn't see their faces anymore and went below deck to retire for the night.