Chapter II – The Fortuneteller
Katara stepped ahead and looked back just one time. She waved at Lue and the other women, and her Gran-Gran, who stood in the doorway of the beauty saloon, her unperturbed blue eyes on her—after that, she turned again. No more Gran-Gran, you're alone, she said to herself. You're almost there. Let's get it over with this. The worst part is the fastest, right?
She looked up, trailing her gown behind her and trying not to stumble, once again. If some spirit is watching and feeling generous, she mentally said, I need help. Just a little help. Just what it takes to come out of this without damage.
She sighed, doubting that would help in any way. If she wanted to get things right, she had to rely on herself alone. For the first time, Katara felt the weight of that responsibility crash down onto her shoulders. She turned around the corner of the street. She could hear well-known voices growing increasingly loud in her ears—it had to be her memory, but it felt like they were real—until she couldn't take it anymore. She knew right; it was all about honoring her father, her deceased mother, and what was left of the otherwise extinct, or at least forever lost Southern Water Tribe.
When she, her family and the few survivors had landed in the Earth Kingdom, stranded, helpless and with a hole in their souls, they had become aware nothing was left for them. Some dared to venture towards the North Pole and a few ended up making it, but it was a long and difficult journey; and in those heinous years of war, there was a chance it would result into nothing, as the Northern sister tribe was not so open to newcomers, even to their fellow tribesmen.
Katara and her family found they were alone for the first time. They found they had to care for only each other, alone in a foreign and mostly unknown country, with foreign people, and Katara remembered each of the struggles they'd had to face: from adjusting to the climate and the completely new lifestyle, the peregrination through the kingdom to find a village willing to welcome them, the house they had to build, the starving and the first attempts to scrape a living, the prejudice that marked them for so many years—to the look in her father's eyes, that broken, yet firm look that Katara had found lingering on herself so many times.
Katara was little and unaware of many things, but she always knew he would never let anything like that happen to her again. She knew he just wanted her to be wanted and safe.
And what was safer than knowing where one's future leads them? Or where it should lead them?
And if that meant marrying an Earth Kingdom man, so as to finally belong there and be part of a great nation, she supposedly couldn't hope for more. War, death and destruction could come back at any time; and what was best than being prepared and protected from any danger?
Katara had turned sixteen during the previous summer. She would have to do what was meant for girls her age all over the world, including her world, but most of all she had to do it in order to preserve her family and culture in a place where they were still nothing more than refugees, even after all those years.
Either way, it was most important to keep her mind shut, on that day. Because she had promised Sokka, and her father was relying on her success. Because she knew how much her Dad saw his wife in his daughter, more than he knew himself, and she couldn't fail his expectations and break his heart once again. Because her mother was dead—she trembled at the harsh ensemble of words she'd never even thought before—and her memory was somewhat of an implied example and guide through everything that was expected from Katara.
The sound of rustling gowns and chatter called her back to the moment. She turned around and saw two girls hasten their pace, holding their parasols, and disappear behind the corner. She ran after them, lifting her gown, but she found out in relief that they had stopped just after the turn. She'd ended up in the clearing before the huge stairway, leading up to the highest plane in the village.
A bunch of other girls–Earth Kingdom, all of them–were already climbing the stairs in an orderly line, and she joined them. They all wore differet shades of green and yellow and white, strolling with their paper parasols and their heads up high, flowers and strange, bulky objects pinned in their hair. Each one of them had green or grey eyes and pale skin; and Katara knew she made a weird part of that group—her blue clothes, just like her eyes, her brown hair and skin would have caused her a lot of annoyance in being noticed by the little crowd behind, had she not been accustomed to it.
The stairs ended in the most important plaza of the village, where all celebrations were held. On the other side, an imposing building faced them, also destined to exceptional occasions. A sheltered wooden dais stood right in the middle, its golden decorations sparkling under the sun, and soon all the girls gathered in a line in front of it.
And then the door cracked open.
The fortuneteller was an elder woman, with a kind and wise look on her face. She might be around her sixties, but her posture and grace were enviable. Her grey hair was tied up in a big bun around her head with a braid falling behind, and a golden headpiece over her forehead. Katara, unlike her brother, believed her talent was real, because she had heard a lot of talk about this woman through the years, how she could predict when the volcano near Makapu would erupt and she saved the village a few times. The fortuneteller was affectionately called Aunt Wu. The people there seemed to worship her, so much she was actually considered an authority in the town—though Sokka seemed to be deeply skeptical about it, he was the only one—and that was the reason she accepted to examine the girls of the town once a year, taking her matchmaking role as part of her job. Katara held a certain curiosity for her predictions, but she had a feeling that any prophecy on that day brought an exceptional binding meaning.
Aunt Wu stood there with a peaceful smile on her face, as she proceeded to the edge of the dais, with a very young girl in a pink kimono behind her. "Welcome, my young girls. The sun is up for a bright, beautiful day of spring today, and this is a good sign for you all. Spring is the time of rebirth, hope, and promises for the future. Which you all represent. And the sun only shines on blessed heads, which I can tell, you all are."
Katara gave a side glance to the other girls: they all literally hung off the fortuneteller's every word. And so did their mothers and anyone else behind them, she was positive about it.
"And now, my dearest friends" she continued, "with no further waste of words, let's start with our appointments today." She lifted a wooden tablet and checked it quickly, then called a name. One of the girls next to Katara made a sign, and she followed Aunt Wu, soon disappearing through the doors of the main building.
Katara saw three other girls pass after her, and never saw them come out from the main door. Then she almost jumped when she heard the sound of her name.
"Katara of Hakoda and Kya," the young girl in pink read intently, "of the Southern Water Tribe" she added, not hiding her slight surprise.
Katara startled, her head up. "Present!"
The girl raised her eyebrow. "So you're the Water Tribe girl. I've heard a lot of talk about you."
Katara hesitated, looking at the girl with her eyes widened. "Come, now" she hastened to say, and Katara quickly followed Aunt Wu's little assistant to the door.
They entered what had to be a nice waiting room, with a few cushions on both sides, plants and finely painted shields. The girl, however, walked past and entered a corridor, and then slid a door open in the wood and glass panel.
The fortuneteller was waiting in the center of a huge square room, in the light of candles and a small fireplace.
"Sit, my dear" the woman said gently, and Katara sat on the cushions in front of her. "Let's start right away. Meng, would you please bring us some tea?"
The little girl bowed and quickly disappeared behind the doors. Katara trembled—they were alone. It was about to begin, then.
"So" the woman started, joining her hands on her lap. "I see you come from a very distant place from here."
"I do" Katara answered, looking up at the woman "I was born in the South Pole. But I've been living in Makapu for about ten years, now." She hesitated. "My family escaped the Poles after our village was destroyed during the war."
The woman said nothing; instead, she just nodded. Then, she grabbed some parchment of hers and started scrolling. "I must be honest with you, dear—you'll be... difficult to match. Families are still pretty conservative in some parts of the world, our kingdom included, and hardly opened to foreigners. Some of the most prestigious families aim at preserving their heritage. Even to this day." She shook her head, clearly disapproving. "However, I'll see what we can do about this" she hastened to smile short after.
Katara swallowed—not much because of fear, but to throw back her embarrassment and irk. Despite herself, in that moment, she felt ashamed for feeling like an in-between person, neither from the Water Tribe or the Earth Kingdom: forced to live in a world she did not wholly belong to, still unwilling to welcome her.
"Before the reading" the woman continued "it is my duty to ask you a few questions. Is it alright?"
Katara nodded firmly.
"Well, then." She unfolded the scroll and started reading. "Are you a bender?"
"Yes" Katara answered quickly, with a hint of pride in her voice. "I am a waterbender."
"Very good. Can you heal? I hear some waterbenders have that ability, and it's usually what women are taught."
Katara nodded. She had accidentally healed her burned finger the year before, but having no one to teach her, she was still unsure about it. "Yes, I have this ability, but..."
"This sounds good for you, being a healer will surely make you more interesting as a wife." She smiled encouragingly before she proceeded. "And have you mastered your bending yet?"
Katara blushed and lowered her tone, this time. "No. I was about to say it. To be honest, I can barely waterbend. I discovered I could heal some time ago on an accident, but I was... never taught. As for a few fighting moves, my brother-"
"So I guess you're the only bender in your family."
Katara sighed. "That's correct, madam."
Aunt Wu nodded, and her lips curled patiently at Katara's slight coldness. "That's very interesting. So, Katara" she asked, looking at the girl "a woman needs to be prepared to the life she chooses when she finds her match. She must understand her duties in serving and protecting her family. Do you know what these duties are, Katara?"
Katara nodded and took a deep breath before she started to recite the ancient Earth Kingdom formula. "To honor her roots until her death, support her fronds and keep her dignity, as the oak she doesn't bend in the wind. "Her voice sounded hesitating but she didn't blink. "To be gentle as the lily waving in the breeze and steady as the rocks in the ocean. May grace, wisdom and balance shape her beauty, soul and life. May she give life in order to protect and cherish."
"That's right, Katara. And—do you feel ready to accomplish all of these duties?"
Katara swallowed. "I am" she lied.
"Very well." Aunt Wu smiled warmly. "Before I proceed reading your hand, and see the shape of what's ahead in your future, let us just have a little sip of tea, shall we?"
Katara nodded once. Only then did she hear the sound of sliding doors and steps on the wooden pavement. Meng had come back.
"Thank you, Meng" the fortuneteller said as the small girl proceeded to set the steaming porcelain cups and pot on the small table in front of Katara, then left the room again. "My young friend, the moment when you meet your future husband's family is one of the most crucial of your itinerary. The serving of the tea is an ancient ceremony in the Earth Kingdom bethrotal costumes. So, would you please serve me some tea?"
Katara looked at the woman's jovial smile a little confused and unsure, but she nodded once more. After all, it was only tea. She had served tea every day of her life, bending or not.
She lowered her gaze and focused on the teapot, keeping her elbows closed, her posture straight, and her movements light. She tried to be gracious and firm, though she felt uncomfortable with the fortuneteller's eyes pinned on her.
When the cups were full, the fortuneteller raised one and started sipping in silence. She threw a glance to Katara, expecting her to do the same; Katara blinked and hastened to grab her teacup.
"Now, my dear, there is one thing left for us to do" Aunt Wu said a little while later, as she placed her empty cup back on the table "as you might know, I am a fortuneteller, and I was honored with such an important task as to find the best way to help our girls, the pearls of this land—to take their place in the world and guide them to their own future. In order to make the most of it, I will need to see a glimpse of what's in your future, so that I can help you finding your way to it, or changing its shape if it's not what you want."
Katara pursed her lips—but then, she remembered every muscle of her face had to be tense just to display a neutral expression. "Yes, madam. I am ready."
The fortuneteller smiled kindly, once again. Katara offered her hand, fingers open, palm up, and the woman took it in her own. Only then, something in Katara's mind focused on an insignificant detail such as the green beads on the many golden rings she wore.
Meanwhile, Aunt Wu examined her palm silently, by the light of the crackling fire.
It had been a few minutes, when all of a sudden, her eyes snapped open. "I can't believe what I'm seeing" she finally said, and she looked up on Katara, who held her breath "Katara of the Water Tribe, I must confess I wasn't expecting, but..."
"But?" she couldn't help murmuring, her breath caught in her troath. There you go, she said to herself. She saw the truth. She saw who you are. She will say an arranged marriage would never work with you and then you will be free. Both fear and relief covered her heart at the thought of those words, yet she couldn't say which one of those would prevail.
"But—your future holds incredible things for you, miss Katara!" Aunt Wu exclaimed, a lot of mixed emotions on her face, but most of all surprise, and sincere awe.
Katara let her jaw drop. How was one supposed to interpret that? "What...?"
"You are destined to do great things for your family, and even a whole nation, young lady!" Aunt Wu continued, caught in the excitement of the vision. "You will bring honor to your family and restore the heritage of the Southern Water Tribe back to its dignity and greatness!"
"Am I?" Katara asked, her eyes opening wide. She didn't notice she had retracted her hand, clutching her heart.
"Indeed, my dear! Your marriage is set to be the most glorious and honorable event after a very long time! Do you understand the meaning of this responsibility?" Katara's heart fluttered. "It is going to seal what has been divided for so many years. You will be remembered for years to come, Katara!"
Katara let her breath out and felt her shoulders crumble down. Her hand dropped. Her delusion fell heavily over her.
Normally, being predicted such a match, she would have been curious, she thought. She would have been impatient and proud and happy. A lot of questions were peeping out in her mind, and maybe another day she would have aksed for more. But not now. Not now that for some reason her destiny sounded like a death sentence. Like a prison she couldn't escape, where she was forced to fade, caught forever in the shadow of someone else.
Could any honor to herself, her father or her people ever be worth the price of that? Or, more importantly, was it right?
She wasn't sure, but she most likely didn't make a sound for a while.
"A fate like this should never be ignored!" she heard the fortuneteller say, as from a distance. "You should be proud, miss Katara. And so should your parents! He will be one of the most powerful benders of our time!" And saying so, the woman had grabbed Katara's hand again.
Katara wouldn't answer, but Aunt Wu apparently took that silence as some numbness due to happiness, and so she kept talking enthusiastically.
"Now, it is my job to help you find this union in every way I can; oh, there is so much to do before we find our way to him. But... before we are finished, there is a pure and simple formality—one last thing I have to ask you, one every girl who is about to leave her home and become a woman, must traditionally answer. You will excuse me for this."
"Yes, Aunt Wu." Katara bowed her head in the most respectful manner, trying to restrain her trembling.
The woman held a piece of parchment, as she cleared her voice to recite, "Are you ready to accept your duties to your future husband and make them your own mission from now on? Are you willing to sacrifice in order to keep your promise and your honor up high?"
Katara hesitated. She suddenly felt the make-up sting on the skin of her face. She pinned her eyes on the matchmaker's, and stared. "I am... aware that you expect me to say 'I am', madam" she suddenly heard her own voice say "and I wish I could do it. But I can't." She cast her gaze down, still feeling the bewildered look on the woman's face. "In all honesty, when you ask if I'm ready to subdue and just stand still just hoping this can keep my honor and my loved ones safe, then my answer is no. I just won't do that. I will never settle down for that."
Katara lowered her head so she should not face the woman again. She felt her deep eyes scrutinizing and pondering her, sure now she would shake her head and warn her no man would want someone like that. Not a disrespectful, riotous Water Tribe girl who clearly would not fit in anywhere completely. And in that moment, realization struck her.
"Do you understand what you're saying, miss Katara?" the woman said coldly, but unexpectedly calm. "My vision was..."
"Yes!" Katara almost yelled. "Yes, I do" she said, controlling her voice this time. But it was too late, anyway. She felt the words spilling out of her mouth, her heart opening up to that stranger. Actually, it was much easier than it would be in front of her father. "I understand. But I just can't do this. I'm not going to sit here and have my life all planned up by others. Or by the lines on my hand, for one." Her tone had raised as she spoke, but the sound of her voice let frustration show through more than anger. "I don't care what a honorable political marriage I can get, if it's not what and whom I choose. It will never make up for what I've lost." She paused, and closed her eyes. "And if that means I will never be a part of this nation, or any other place that will never cease treating me like I'm some sort outcast—so be it. Maybe it's for the best."
"Miss Katara, please, listen to me" Aunt Wu readily said, as soon as Katara stopped to catch her breath, "you're not thinking straight. Please consider what you're saying. Your whole family, your tribe, our nation—all of these people relying on you. Your destiny lies ahead of you, and you can't ignore it. What I've read is-"
"Then maybe you're wrong" Katara cut in, and she jumped up from her seat. "Maybe
you're all wrong. Maybe I have the power to change my destiny."
"Miss Katara" the fortuneteller said again, as she stood up. Still, no rage in her eyes. "I understand what you're feeling now. But a girl like you should never be so selfish. You forget you're needed."
"Don't ever say that to me!" Katara almost yelled this time, despite herself; Aunt Wu stepped back, so shocked she could not even say a word.
For a moment they stared at each other, the elder woman still shielding herself with her arms, standing in a pool of tea and shattered chips.
Katara brought both her hands to her mouth, shaking her head. "I'm sorry" she said, tears showing up in her eyes. But before Aunt Wu could open her mouth, she was gone.
She ran out through the corridor and out of the house, barely breathing, and ended up in her Gran-Gran's arms; and all the while the world seemed to be turning around in a blur. Her grandmother didn't say a word—she just held her tight in her warm, strong hug. Katara shut her eyes, though she could almost physically feel the eyes of all the girls and the people gathered in the plaza pointing on her—but for now, it was too soon for them to even hurt her.
The sound of rushing footsteps forced her to open them back.
"Katara of the Water Tribe!" The voice of Aunt Wu echoed loud behind her back, and Katara dared to sneak a look. The fortuneteller's face was twisted and her hair out of place and she almost stumbled on her gown. "You're making a huge mistake. Of this I am sure." Katara closed her eyes, bracing for the final blow. "But maybe you're right. You have the right to shape your destiny—and you already did. Good luck with whatever that will bring to your family."
Katara opened her eyes, in surprise. She was sure she could see a gleam in the old woman's proud eye before she turned on her heels, and she felt her heart wrench. Katara had expected the worst, and yet, Aunt Wu's reaction had left her even more confused than before. More than resentment, there were sincere concern and surprise, which was something hard to see on the face of a woman who could foresee anything.
One moment later Aunt Wu closed the door shut behind her. Right there and then, everyone remained silent. But Katara knew it was only a matter of seconds before it started—and she didn't want to see that.
"Let's go home" Gran-Gran whispered, as though she could read her mind.
A/N: So here was the fortuneteller meeting. I've had quite a tough time while writing this one, I might say it was one of the most difficult chapters I've written so far. I wanted to make the dynamics of the meeting similar to the movie, while keeping Katara's and Aunt Wu's characters intact. So here we finally have a glimpse of Katara's backstory; to solve any doubts about the timeline: mind the war didn't last a hundred years, as it ended before Sozin's comet, roughly in 97 A.G. (after the Air Nation Genocide). Now, the story is settled two or three years later than the time of the show, so the year is 102-103 A.G. Katara is sixteen, and she left the South Pole in 92 A.G., more or less. Hence, Sokka is 17 and Zuko is 18-19.
Anyway, thank you for reading this far and reviewing-it means a lot to me. I hope I'll see you soon with the next chapter, should be up in a week or so :) also I might be uploading some art for this chapter in the next few days. Actually I've had an idea I could post every chapter along with art, from now on! Check my tumblr these days if you're interested ^^
