I walked through the camp and did my chores in a trance while my mother's words echo through my head. It might as well be your death certificate… you will perish in the past and bring an unstoppable force to the future…my own daughter…
It feels like years, but Zuko and Katara finally return the next night.
As soon as I see Appa land and Zuko talking to Aang, I make a decision.
I won't be the Time bender of the prophecy. I will not destroy my time, and I will not die. I have friends by my side that would protect me at any cost. And I will not, I vow, be controlled by my ancestor's twisted prophecy.
Just as I'm thinking the last words, I throw my arms around Zuko, and I feel myself finally relax for the first time since I read those words.
"Are you okay?" I search Zuko's eyes for some clue, any clue, that everything went off without a hitch.
"I'm fine," he shushes my worries with a kiss. "That pager of yours worked beautifully."
I smile, and then hug him tight again.
"Katara!" Aang exclaims as he rushes past towards the dock where our Water bender is sitting.
"Are you okay?" he asks.
Katara stares at the sunset as she thinks of her answer. "I'm doing fine."
"Zuko told me what you did," Aang tells her. "Or what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud of you."
"I wanted to do it," Katara admits. "I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it, or if it's because I'm strong enough not to."
"She didn't kill the man," Zuko whispers in my ear.
I relax into his side. "She's strong," I whisper back. "I'm glad she didn't."
"You did the right thing," Aang insists. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take in healing."
Katara stands and faces the boy.
"But I didn't forgive him," she explains. "I'll never forgive him." She hangs her head, and then looks up to Zuko. "But I am ready to forgive you," she says. Katara gives him a quick hug, and walks back towards our campsite.
"You were right about what Katara needed," Zuko says to Aang. "Violence wasn't the answer."
"It never is," the boy smiles.
"Then I have a question for you," Zuko looks the Avatar right in the eye. "What are you going to do when you face my father?"
Aang's eyes go wide and he doesn't give an answer. I lead Zuko away and back to the fire circle.
"So what happened here while we were gone?" he asks while I start dinner.
I freeze in my steps as I have a two-second debate if I should tell him about the prophecy. I feel myself weakening, and I say the words before I can stop myself.
"Nothing much," I continue walking as if I hadn't stopped. "I sketched a bit when I found some down time, but other than that, same old, same old. How about you?"
"We went to one of the islands where the Southern Raiders keep all of their information, then went to the ship that attacked the Southern Water Tribe."
"Did you find him there?"
"No, he had retired," Zuko says. "We had to track him all the way to his home, and Katara put on quite a show of bending, but in the end, she didn't do anything."
I nod and stir the pot. I didn't even notice what I poured into it. I quickly check the box I had pulled out: Mac & Cheese.