Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, and Nickelodeon, not me.

"Some Things are Meant to Be" belongs to Mindi Dickinson and the composer of Little Women.

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"No," Katara said flatly.

Aang's smile was unshakeable. "I have to," he said.

Katara shook her head, swallowing back the tears rising in her throat. "I won't let you," she said.

"You have to let me," Aang said. "Katara, this is what I meant to do. This is why I was born."

"You weren't born to die," Katara said.

Aang sat down on the railing of the ship, his glider resting on his knee. "Everyone's born to die," he said. "Everyone eventually dies."

"That's it, eventually," Katara said. She crossed her arms. "You're not supposed to die now."

He smiled again, calm and unflappable. "Yes, I am," he said. "I'm connected to everything. I can feel the way things are headed. I know what I'm supposed to do."

"But why do you feel you're going to die?" Katara whispered.

Aang looked over the water below, turning away from her. "You know how when you're waterbending and you get submerged, you get carried away?" he said. "It waves over you and takes hold of you, and you're just a part of the water?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

"That's what I feel like," Aang said. "It takes over me, no matter what I do."

"Can't you fight it?" Katara said. She balled her hands into her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. "You've struggled through so much already. You can get through this." But her heart began to sink.

Aang took her hand, his narrow fingers locking hers. "I'm not going to come back, Katara," he said.

The tears spilled out, unbidden. For so long he had been hers- her discovery, her charge, her mission to protect. To have the person she'd devoted her life to turn and tell her that her hard work was going to waste, that he was going to die anyway. Katara jerked her hand away.

"I'm not going to let you," she said. "I can't let you die." Her chest tightened with a choked sob.

"You're not going to lose everything," he said. "Some things don't die. You're always going to remember me." Aang took her hand again, persistent and earnest. "Katara, your life is going to keep going." She bit her lip and shook her head. "It is. It doesn't matter what happens to me. What I'm doing is going to allow you to live in peace. I'm doing it for you." His smile was bright, and unshed tears shone in his eyes. "All my life…I've lived for you." Aang squeezed her hand. "You have to let me go now."

Katara held tightly to his hand for a moment. His fingers were thin and light and blessedly familiar. But with a light squeeze, she let go. Aang's hand slipped away. He stepped back, still smiling, and took up his glider.

Katara waited until he was a speck on the horizon. He faded away. Katara gripped the railing, the sea spray brushing against her face and blending with her tears. It didn't matter to her if it was meant to be. It still hurt.

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Author's Notes:

Further proof that I cannot write Aang properly. Drives me bonkers.

This was inspired by the song "Some Things Are Meant To Be" from the Broadway musical Little Women. In the show, Jo and Beth are by the sea, singing about how beautiful the day is and how they were meant to be sisters, and then Beth changes, and her words become a metaphor for how she is going to die soon. It's one the most beautiful songs in the show.

I don't think Aang is going to die, but I think I need to be prepared for that possibility. I already know I'm going to be an emotional wreck when the series finale airs, and if any of the gaang dies I'm probably going to hide under a rock for about a month eating chocolate ice cream and writing fanfiction about they're miraculously saved from death.

If Sokka dies, make that about three months.