Hey DHT here with my first offering into the Avatar universe (though I've been around in other areas for years.)
There is some slight Katang, but the story will be Zutara with some Sukka thrown in for good measure. Though the pairings will not be the main focus of the story, I'm going for the feeling of the original series as much as possible in that aspect.
There are three things that change in at the Crossroads of Destiny:
1-Zuko sides with Katara Aang and the others rather than his sister.
2-Iroh is not captured
3-Aang dies
I'm going to try and stick to cannon otherwise as well as I can minus these changes. Obviously with the omission of Maiko though even some elements of that will be thrown in.
Please enjoy and leave a review
PS I'm really annoyed at the doc manager right now. I had to reformat the whole thing after I uploaded it.
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It was a moment she would remember forever, a horrific memory frozen in time. What led up to it was a bit hazy, Zuko refusing to join Azula in the crystal catacombs under Ba Sing Se, that was the only good point of the whole encounter. After that everything went downhill. Azula snapped nearly going mad. She sent the Dai Li, Mai, and Ty Lee to handle her and the others. Aang however was hers.
She fought hard but Ty Lee honestly terrified her. She was more guarded and careful then normal so Ty Lee could not leave her helpless once again. The Dai Lee had Zuko and Iroh surrounded while Toph and Sokka stood off against Mai.
She finally managed to freeze Ty Lee and moved to help Aang when she saw it- that moment when the world shattered. Azula found the opening she'd been looking for and fired a bolt of lightning at Aang. He couldn't block he barely saw it coming as it hit him square in the chest. The air cracked and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. She screamed but nothing came out as all she could do was watch in horror. It had blown a hole in Aang's chest the size of an orange and she knew without a doubt he was gone, even the spirit water could not bring back the dead.
The shock from the powerful strike caused the catacombs to start to collapse she was still silently screaming when Zuko grabbed her arm to get her out of the way of falling rock. That's the last thing she remembered before everything went black.
As Zuko hauled his her body off Azula stood cackling "Go head brother and run with the peasant girl. Remember this day, the day of your greatest mistake. The world now belongs to the fire nation and we will find you."
"He's telling the truth Sokka-about all of it" Toph said exasperated at Sokka.
"Are you sure?" Sokka said eyeing Toph.
"Yes yes I'm sure, I've told you before I can tell when someone is lying. Face it Zuko and his uncle are one of the good guys now." Toph repeated "and furthermore, no one is saying it so I will, what do we do now?"
Silence feel over the group. Toph was right none of them wanted to talk about it. Aang was gone. Katara was unconscious, most likely from shock and they were now outlaws everywhere. Without the Avatar's backing they were just a band of rebels hiding in a remote mountain range in the fire nation- not that borders would matter much anymore.
"We have to find the knew Avatar before the fire nation does" Iroh's gravely voice finally broke the silence. "When Aang died his spirit passed on to another."
"Another avatar? How can you say that so soon aft-" Sokka was interrupted by Toph. "He's right. It's what Aang would have wanted."
"Even if that's true though wouldn't it be born into a baby? It could be 15-20 years before a new Avatar is ready to face the firelord and the amount of damage that could be done in that time…" Zuko trailed off.
"There is another problem you are all forgetting to" Sokka started again" Who would teach them Airbending?"
The next thing Katara saw was a bright white light, and an endless landscape.
"Katara" said a somber voice
Katara whipped around "AANG!" she flung her arms around him. "You're alive!"
Aang hugged her back for a while before moving back to look her in the eye. "In a way I'll never die." He paused gathering himself for what he needed to tell her. "But no I'm not alive, at least not in the physical sense. I died there in the crystal catacombs."
"But you're here right in front of me! How can you be dead and still speak to me?" Katara cried out, tears running down her face. "Am I dead too?"
Aang couldn't hold her gaze any longer not knowing how she would take his words. "That's what I need to speak with you about Katara. It's very important and only I would do it. I wouldn't let anyone else. And no you're not dead. "
"Then how?" Katara questioned.
"It's a long story and I don't have much time to tell it, so please forgive me it's a lot to take in at once." Aang started, unusually mature, that more than the sadness in his voice and eyes unsettled Katara.
"You see I was never meant to exist now, in this time. But when Avatar Roku died, the firelord knew that the next Avatar would be born to the air nomads, that is why he destroy them all. I wasn't ready to fight him and he knew he could destroy the avatar line right then and there, see untrained as you know I would revert to the avatar state to defend myself. If he killed me then, it would be all over forever.
"This is when things went wrong. You see there is an unconsciousness to being an Avatar that goes beyond even just the avatar state. It seeks to protect the avatar line, and that's what it did by locking me away in that iceberg. It protected the Avatar line but also threw it out of its natural cycle, I lived longer then I should have, by about 15 years." Aang sighed the next part was the hardest part.
"So what- what does that matter?" Katara said angrily "If that hadn't happened I would never have met you. I would never have-"She trailed off tears fresh in her eye.
"Fallen in love with me?" Aang finished. "I loved you too but it's not the kind of love I thought it was."
"Of course it is! When you died I realized it. I love you Aang I really do." Katara fiercely defended. "If only I could have realized it sooner."
"I don't want to say this but you're wrong. Though it a way the love we shared is deeper. You see Katara why I can talk to you and what I'm trying to tell you is, you're the next Avatar. You should have been the Avatar 15 years ago." Aang finished.
"Wha…what?" Katara said stunned. "How can I..but you!?"
"The next in line was the water tribe it's a little late but when I died my spirit transferred to you. I don't have much more time at the moment, but I will see you again soon. Anytime you dream I'll be there. Someone has to teach you Airbending after all." Aang gave a weak smile.
"Aang I..I don't know if I can." Katara cried.
"Yes you can I know you. You were always stronger than me. But you're waking up so it's time for me to go. I do love you, but like a sister you'll find your feelings are similar, I'll see you tonight. Also remember the avatar is a spirit of hope and our friends really need it. Let them know they will help you as much as you helped me. You need the support." Aang finished hugging Katara, and then disappeared.
Katara could hear the conversation as she came to long before she could respond and oh the headache. She heard Sokka grill Zuko and Toph defending him-something she herself would do if she could. Then Toph asked the question, and conversation changed to the Avatar.
She groaned grabbing her head and sitting up at the same time. The conversation immediately stopped-all turning to her.
"Katara your ok!" Sokka squeaked throwing her arms around his sister.
"Yah silly I'm fine, just take it easy ok." She said hugging her brother.
"Do you remember what happened?" Toph asked sharply, she didn't mean to be rude but they were in a pickle and Katara needed to know, to deal with it, and go on.
"Yes I do..and well how do I say this." She said looking up at the group surrounding.
"What is it Katara? What's wrong? You don't blame yourself do you?" Sokka asked acting like the older brother he was.
"I heard your conversation" Katara said with a sigh.
"It's not that we wanted to just forget Aang and move on but he wouldn't want us to stop fighting" Toph offered.
Katara shook her head. "No it's not that, your right he wants us to keep going. He told me so" she paused.
"Sis I think you hit your head, how could Aang have told you anything?" Sokka asked rubbing her back while glaring at Zuko.
"Because of what else he told me…" Katara looked up at everyone. "You don't need to search and it won't be 15-20 years before the next avatar is ready, but months…hopefully."
"Aang told you the identity of the next avatar?" Sokka looked shocked.
Katara looked done. "Me"
Well this is my first offering into the Avatar universe. I hadn't seen another story like this before (admittedly I haven't looked that hard) but the plot bunny has been floating in my head for a long time. And trust me Katara is not as well adjusted as she may seem.
Obviously AU from the Crossroads of Destiny on but I will try and pull elements of cannon season 3 into the story as best as they can fit with the changes. Please review and let me know what you think.