In 2008 just before "Finale Week" of ATLA's Season 3, I wondered what the characters of Avatar would think if they discovered they were cartoon characters. I didn't finish that thought all the way, but I did get to thinking about how they'd feel if they discovered someone had drawn out their past, present, and future. I think Chaka's interest in Heroes at the time had something to do with it—a story she'd written, I think, about the artist in that show who could paint the future.

In any case, this is the result. :D Hope you like it.

Avatar: the Last Airbender is the property of Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and by extension of Nickelodeon and its various associated companies. My complete thanks once again to Messrs. DiMartino and Konietzko for sharing such a wonderful creation with us.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words…

"This doesn't exactly look like the Western Air Temple, Sokka."

"Well, how was I to know Aang was going to fall asleep, Katara? Somebody had to guide Appa!"

"He kinda had a long day?"

"Oh, and I haven't?"

"That's okay, Katara. I'm sure Sokka was using his instincts. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. Besides, I had to sleep sometime."

"Oh, I don't know. It looks like the Western Air Temple to me!"

Silence.

"Ha ha ha, Toph. Thank you, very much."

Somehow you could just hear the grin.

The Gaang made their way down a dark hallway toward a dim light up ahead, exploring as they went. What they saw was unfamiliar, and amazing. A rug, a single rug of unchanging color, spread evenly on the floor. Wooden frames holding glass and drawings of people—but the drawings were so clear and… lifelike. Like they were the people they were looking at, looking in a pond. Wooden desks with strange boxes on them, some with panes of glass in them, and strange ropes hanging from them that were attached to the wall somehow. It was very strange.

They reached the light… and came into another room. And this one…

There were lots of chairs in neat even rows. Large pieces of paper were attached to the walls and had… drawings on them. Of some sort. They were very rough, not at all like what they had seen in the hallway. And yet…

Katara looked around. "What is this place?"

"I don't know," said Sokka. He looked again at the drawings. "These things have to have some meaning."

Toph turned. "Things? What things?"

Aang peered closer. "But why are they on the wall?"

"What things?"

Katara looked, and saw... arrows. Arrows showing movement, arrows showing the rush of air, arrows on—

She gasped.

Aang's and Sokka's heads whipped around. "What?"

She pointed. "Aang… is that… you?"

They looked. It was rough, but there was enough detail to tell that that was Aang, looking back at them from the picture.

"Me… but… why?"

"Okay, guys…" Now Toph was really annoyed. "I'm in the dark here… literally… what is on the wall?!"

"Sorry, Toph." Katara looked sheepish. "There are drawings on the wall. One of them looks like Aang."

"Aang? Why?"

"And here's you, and me, and… Dad…" Sokka slowed to a stop. "The invasion. The whole thing. Our every move… everything we did, every last thing…" He threw a fist down. "No wonder Azula knew! It's all here!" He hung his head. "Every last thing."

"No… wait, Sokka. She didn't know. At least if she did, someone else knew, too." Katara pointed at another set of drawings. "She's here. And Zuko, and Ty Lee, and Mai."

Sokka came over and looked. "Yeah." He looked closer. "Hmm. Ty Lee in a—what is that exactly?" He looked even closer.

Toph pushed him away from the drawings. "Something you shouldn't be looking at, mister."

Sokka blushed. "I wasn't looking at that! I was just wondering… what kind of clothing that was."

"Uh-huh." Toph smirked.

Katara folded her arms with a small smile of her own. "Nothing you haven't seen me in before."

"That's different!" Sokka turned back to Toph. "And how would you know what I was looking at?"

Toph just tapped over her heart, and smiled.

"Hey, guys…?" Aang motioned them over. "Look at this."

Katara recognized it at once. And shivered. "Hama."

Sokka walked farther down. "Piando. Dock."

"I found On Ji!" called Aang.

"On Ji." Katara frowned.

"Everything we've been doing for the last… few months…" Sokka's eyes widened. "In drawings. But why? And who?"

"But these are just drawings." Katara shrugged. "What's the harm?"

"I don't know. I just don't like it."

They stood there for a moment, thinking.

Katara did some more looking around. "Look. There are more drawings."

"More?" Sokka came over.

Aang looked too. "I see us, and Appa, but… I don't recognize a thing. Except… that is the Western Air Temple."

"See?" Sokka gestured. "I was leading us the right way."

Katara sniffed. "Says you."

"But that's where we're going." Aang looked a little closer. "Where we are going."

"And there's… Zuko?"

That got everyone's attention.

"Could this be the future?"

"Naaaah." But even then, Sokka looked. "Couldn't be…"

They looked. And couldn't believe their eyes.

They heard a noise. "Someone's coming."

"We'd better go." Sokka started herding them toward the exit.

Aang lingered.

"Come on, Aang!"

"I know, I know. We don't want to get caught by the Fire Nation." But then Aang's eyes caught another scene, toward the end. He saw himself, and… and…

His eyes widened. And then he grinned. As wide as he did after hearing Aunt Wu, months and months ago.

"Come on, Aang!"

He took one last glance, and then left.

Sokka saw his grin. "So what'd you see?"

"Oh… some stuff." Aang kept grinning. "You'll find out."

"Aw, man! Come on, tell me!"

Aang just grinned.