Dear Katara,

I don't know how to start this letter. Something very strange happened last night, but I'm afraid it's entirely unbelievable. I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't experienced it.

I think I stole your bending. Well, no. Stole is probably the wrong word, because that would imply that I have both yours and my own. Which I don't, because mine is gone. I'm a waterbender now. It doesn't make any sense and I'm very confused about it.

Anyway, before that happened, I had a dream that didn't feel like a dream. Or at least, it didn't feel like a normal dream. It was very foggy and there was a loud voice talking about being out of tune with our souls or something. And you were there. I don't know if it was really you, because I've never heard of that happening, but it felt like it was really you.

Something is telling me that it was really you and you might have experienced something similar last night. (Although by the time you get this, it won't be "last night" anymore.) I don't even know if that's possible, but I thought I should write to you and check. I'm worried I might be panicking. I'm pretty sure the Fire Lord isn't supposed to be a waterbender. Not that there's anything wrong with being a waterbender, of course, it's just not really in my job description. Obviously. I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm panicking a little. I would just get rid of these last couple of sentences but I don't really have time to redo this whole letter, and I can't just make the ink go away.

Actually, maybe I could. Since I'm a waterbender now.

Are you a firebender? If that was you in the dream, it seems like that would be possible. Or at least as possible as anything else.

I know you're very busy now that Master Pakku has asked you to train some of his students and I really don't want to take you away from that, but if you do happen to have a couple weeks of free time, I was hoping you might be able to come to the Fire Nation. I would come to you, but it would take a while to organize my absence from the palace. But if you're really busy, I'll try to make it work. I just really think we need to be in the same place to figure this out. Whatever this is.

I'm sorry this letter is so long and doesn't make a lot of sense. This situation is very strange.

Hope you've been well,

Zuko


Dear Zuko,

Something unbelievably odd happened last night. I had a very weird dream that didn't actually feel like a dream at all, and when I woke up, my bending was gone. Well, not my bending, not entirely. My waterbending was gone. Instead, I can now firebend.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I promise it's true. I think it had something to do with the dream that maybe wasn't actually a dream. You were in it, and someone was speaking to us about our souls. Since the voice was talking about both of our souls and now I'm bending your element, I'm assuming that you're also involved with whatever this is.

I'm trying to stay calm, but I'm honestly terrified. I've never heard of something like this, and the voice in the dream made it sound really bad. I'm worried this is some kind of trial. I'm also worried that there might be a time limit on solving it, and I don't know what happens if we go past it.

I don't know if you had the same dream, or if maybe we somehow shared it, but I have a feeling that we should be in the same place to figure out what's going on. This doesn't feel like something I should tell anyone about yet, so I've told Pakku that I'm going to the Northern Water Tribe to visit Yugoda, but I'm actually coming to the Fire Nation. I know you're very busy with all your duties as Fire Lord and I don't want to get in the way of that, but I feel like this is urgent. If you've experienced anything strange yourself, then I'm sure you'll agree with me.

See you soon,

Katara