Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Avatar...the people who do are very lucky indeed.
A/N: Time for another exposition of one of my favorite Avatar themes...choice. Many people don't really understand the power of choice; that everything you do, every decision, will change the future, often without you knowing it. For most of us, it might change in small ways. But there are always those few choices that will change the course of a life, or two, or a hundred, or a thousand. Or maybe, in the case of Avatar, the course of an entire world.
Choices
The water rushed along, smooth and deep blue beneath the prow of the boat. Sokka always admired his craft's sleekness, the way it seemed to slice through the icy South Pole seas.
The water was calm today, and it was more than easy to avoid the serenely floating icebergs that dotted the surface of the water.
He slowed as they came to a place where the water was just a shade darker; a prime fishing spot. Tilting the oar, Sokka slowed the canoe until it was only drifting along, and then reached for his spear.
He let Katara get on with her waterbending practice as she settled down to stare at the water and whatever other training exercises waterbenders did.
The boat bobbed slowly forward, as Sokka scanned the water for the telltale flash of fish scales, holding his spear aloft. But he had hardly gotten into position when a thick patch of icebergs loomed out of the clear morning air.
Grumbling with annoyance, Sokka put down the spear and picked up the oar. Now he would have to turn one way or the other to avoid the ice packs.
Thinking wistfully of spearing a huge fish to take home to the tribe, Sokka dipped his oar down into the water to steer, as he had a thousand times before. He mumbled, "Turn," in an almost bored voice to Katara, just to warn her of what he was doing, in case she was absorbed in her magic water.
Sokka skimmed left around the patch of icebergs, digging the paddle deep to execute a perfect dodge. He was thinking more about resuming his fishing stance than where he was going.
He had no idea that a single twist of a canoe paddle, the single choice of two paths, had just changed a thousand destinies.
*****
"Hi."
Mai wasn't much of a greeter. Many adults, and for that matter, children, thought her strange because of it. But it was just more natural for her to simply stare down people who had the nerve to bounce up to her and say, "Hi."
The girl wasn't much to look at, at least as far as Mai could tell. Sharp features, brown hair pulled into a bun with two pieces loose in the front, the same dark red tunic all the girls at the school wore as a uniform.
And then Mai's analytical dark eyes took in the tiny flame-shaped crown on the girl's head.
She was not just a girl. She was royalty. She must be the girl whose name her mother and father spoke with the same respectful intonation they gave the names of the Fire Lord and Lady.
Princess…Azula? Was that it?
She didn't know quite what to do. She had been introduced to her sovereign only a year earlier that she could remember, and even that event was a blur in her memory, characterized by lavish tapestries, lots of fire, and formidable dark silhouettes. So Mai didn't have much idea how to act in front of royal people.
She stumbled to her feet and proceeded to stare at them, bending her head and shuffling her legs in a sort of bow. "Um, hi. Princess," she added quickly.
The girl gave a soft, somehow confident giggle. "Aw, you don't have to do that. I just wanted to ask what your name was."
Mai felt like she should giggle back or something, but couldn't bring herself to do it. "Uh, Mai. That's my name."
The girl, Azula, smiled. It was not a mocking smile, but very suddenly Mai felt…smaller. Azula had very white teeth, Mai noticed, and very gold eyes.
"Hi, Mai. I'm Azula. You probably knew that, though. Everyone knows me." She said this very offhand, very confidently. "You'll be my friend, right, Mai? I like having friends, and you probably need one. Do you want to play something with me?"
Mai felt she should say something about "needing" friends, but then again, most other girls at the academy seemed to have them. Why not give it a try? "Playing" was another fairly foreign word to her…it never seemed to involve anything very interesting. But maybe Azula's concept of "playing" would be different.
And she was a princess. Mai couldn't pretend she wasn't flattered that the princess of the entire Fire Nation had found her and asked to be her friend. She couldn't exactly say no to that.
"Come on. Maybe we can find more friends!" Azula held out a small pale hand to her. Mai saw her thin, perfectly shaped nails and unmarked skin. Her white teeth gleamed at Mai in a friendly smile. Her eyes waited, razor gold and intelligent.
Mai wasn't really old enough to analyze the instinctive chill that flashed briefly down her spine.
"Sure." She meant it to come out in her usual monotone, but even she heard the uncertainty in her own voice as she spoke.
That didn't change the fact that she reached out, and clasped Azula's proffered hand, and thus changed her destiny.
*****
"Some idiot is out riding the elephant koi!"
Suki snapped her fan shut and turned to look at her deputy, Nisha. She raised her paint-outlined eyebrows. "You interrupted my training to tell me that?" she asked skeptically.
"It's some little kid. He's got a couple others with him, and a little flying monkey, and some huge, flying furry thing. Definitely not anyone from around here."
"Huh." Suki tapped her fan thoughtfully against her chin. "Sounds weird. You want us to check it out, am I right?"
"Well, it is our job to address any potential threats to the island," Nisha reminded her. "But you can carry on with your practicing. It shouldn't take all of us; none of them look especially dangerous."
Suki looked around the dojo, empty except for her, and then at her fan. She shrugged. "No, I'll come. I am the leader, after all. Have to set a good example for you girls." She punched Nisha's shoulder affectionately.
As the two of them exited the dojo, the excited shout of yet another Kyoshi Warrior split the air from down in the depths of the trees. "Oh wow, I think the Unagi just found them!"
"Oh, great." Suki pressed her knuckles against her forehead and rolled her eyes. Judging by the faint yelling she could now hear from the lakeshore, the statement was correct. "Come on girls, let's go down and get them back up here. It's been a while since we've taken anyone interesting prisoner."
Moving swiftly and silently through the trees, heading her familiar formation of Warriors, Suki had no way of knowing what she would find by the lakeshore. She had no idea that as soon as she set eyes on the three people she and her Warriors would bag and capture, her quiet life on Kyoshi Island would change forever.
*****
Toph stood in the small back alley, kicking rocks from foot to hand, tossing them through the air. It was like a nervous reflex for her.
She couldn't believe it was actually happening. Only the roar of the crowd from within the building assured her supersensitive ears that she really was here.
She didn't quite know why she was so nervous. She had escaped from her parents' watchful eyes, sneaking out the window at night. She had made it through the darkened city streets without being attacked by anyone. She was finally living her dream.
But she was going out to fight in front of thousands of people. That should make anyone a little nervous.
Just keep reminding yourself, Toph. You're better than all the bozos in there. This is your chance.
And it was. Her one and only chance to escape, even for a little while, to shrug off the irritating identity of small, weak Miss Bei-Fong.
Go in there and chuck some rocks, Toph.
"Excuse me? You, new kid. What's your name?" The official's voice sounded bored. Toph turned her face toward him, finding him in her earth sight.
Getting into character, Toph said snidely, "What if I don't feel like telling you my name?" It felt amazing to be able to mouth off like that. Man, did it feel good.
The man let out an annoyed sigh. "Not your real name, you little runt. We don't use real names here. I meant your stage name. How you want to be announced."
"Oh." The notion of being announced temporarily robbed Toph of sarcastic comebacks. She thought for a moment. Giving herself a whole new name; this was a big step. She had to choose carefully.
She had already decided that she would capitalize on her blindness instead of trying to pretend it didn't exist. But she needed something else, something so rough and tough that no one would suspect that a rich man's daughter lay concealed under the dirt and green tunic.
And then it clicked.
"Tell them that I'm the Blind Bandit," Toph said, grinning wickedly, feeling suddenly stronger and freer than she ever had before. "The Blind Bandit." Already it felt good.
And thus, Toph "The Blind Bandit" Bei-Fong truly entered the world for the first time, and her previously very mundane future took a very different turn.
*****
The war meeting was not what he had expected.
True, he was given a place of honor near the great generals as they sat around the immense strategic map. But no one talked to him. No one asked his opinion. No one so much as glanced at him.
They argued, they pushed small statues around the map, placing and moving representations of ships and troops and supplies. They growled at each other instead of shouting, but that somehow made it more menacing.
Zuko tried not to move his crossed legs, which were beginning to cramp, and frowned fixedly at the map as if he knew what it all meant.
Secretly, he wished he had never asked his uncle to gain him entrance.
The generals were talking about some Earth Kingdom troops. Zuko knew that the Earth Kingdom was supposed to boast some fierce fighters. But he knew that the brave soldiers of his own nation could defeat them. He had watched them drilling outside the palace many a time, admiring their precision and discipline. He had even made friends with a few of them.
Zuko sighed and tried listening to the generals' conversation for what seemed the twentieth time.
"…a dangerous battalion of their strongest earthbenders and fiercest warriors, so I am recommending the 41st division."
At least Zuko knew things like that. He knew troops were divided into divisions and numbered. At least "dangerous battalion" and "fierce warriors" sounding more intriguing than what the generals had been previously discussing, which had mainly involved "overland transport of supply caravans through the Genshi Pass."
However, the general's statement seemed to cause a stir. The men suddenly looked vaguely uneasy. Zuko watched with sudden interest as another general spoke hesitantly, "But the 41st is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?"
Good question, thought Zuko. He knew that his uncle was always quipping solemnly, "War is not fair, my nephew," whenever Zuko protested about some battle story Iroh was relating. Sending untried recruits into battle seemed especially wrong to him, though.
He, along with the other generals, looked to the man who had originally proposed the plan.
"I don't." The simple coldness in the answer shocked Zuko like a wave of ice water. What did the man mean by that?
"They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait then fresh meat?" The general gave the slightest hint of a thin-lipped smile, as if what he proposed was completely reasonable, even clever.
What?!
Zuko felt his eyes stretch wide. Was this possible? Was this happening, right here in his father's war room? You didn't…couldn't…use soldiers like that. Could you? You couldn't just throw away the lives of living, breathing, feeling men as a distraction.
For a second, Zuko debated in his mind. For a second, he clamped his lips over the protest that had already sprung into his throat. But just for a second. He made his decision in the heat of anger, the heat of passion. The heat of righteousness. Just as he would decide so many things in his life.
"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?"
Those were the words, spoken from his heart, from his immediate, furious reaction to such a horrible notion of sacrifice.
He saw their heads turn slowly toward him, as if noticing him for the first time. But instead of respect and approval, he saw only fear and fury.
He didn't know what he had done. In the brash stubbornness of youth he swore he was not afraid to defend his outburst.
He didn't recognize immediately the condemnation and the shame in the other generals' eyes that day in the war room. He didn't yet feel the bitter, stinging echo of those three simple, defiant sentences in his mouth, the words that were turned around and made fire and burned into a permanent reminder on his flesh.
Prince Zuko could never have known that he had just chosen his future.